Today, when we spend most of our time sitting in front of our computers and thus letting our health take the backseat, health-oriented iPhone applications can be real lifesavers for us.
These simple, intelligent tools enable us to set new goals and keep track of our progress (fitness, weight loss apps), improve our nutrition habits (healthy diet apps), and even open doors to non-traditional yoga medical traditions (visit netipotby.com to learn more).
Because there are so many iPhone health apps of all shapes and sizes available on the web these days, it can be a challenge to find the one that will meet your unique health needs. So, for your convenience Iâ??ve gathered 7 most popular iPhone apps to help you watch your health. Remember to get a physicianâ??s consultation before making any serious changes in your diet and training programs.
#1 Authentic Yoga with Deepak Chopra and Tara Stiles
This app is suitable both for beginners and professionals. It helps you develop flexibility, strength and balance. Just select the most appropriate variant for your level (instructional lesson, special routines or individual poses) and start exercising right away! The app is available for only $1.99.
#2 FitnessClass
This is a free iPhone app offering over 400 full-length videos on fitness. This isnâ??t just another weight losing app, bit this is a compilation of challenging, quality, effective workouts. Apart from videos, FitnessClass offers many handy add-ons: ability to create your own profile to calculate burnt calories; ability to read and post video reviews; ability to ask fitness-related questions, etc.
#3 RunKeeper
Track your long-distance activities with this popular, intelligent application (it has more than 20 million downloads worldwide). Perfect for runs, hikes, bike rides, walks and other distance-based sports where the GPS can be applied 🙂 RunKeeper helps you combine pleasant and useful: it allows you to:
- measure your heart rate;
- get your personal stats;
- integrate (listen and control) your music playlist;
- get instructions through your headphones;
- take pictures when running 🙂
#4 Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker
This free app works seamlessly even without the Internet connection: it is powered by a vast 475,000+ foods database. This app has an extra convenient built-in barcode scanner, ability to select the measure (cups, oz, grams), water tracking, daily food analysis and many other functions.
#5 Fooducate
This app helps you watch your health by explaining whatâ??s really inside each product you consume. Fooducate analyses your meals, grades them and offers healthier alternatives. Its database contains more than 200,000 unique products.
#6 Cardiograph
This simple, but intelligent iPhone app measures your heart rate with a professional medical approach. It takes pictures of your fingertips (using your deviceâ??s built-in camera) to create different profiles. Thus you can track your results, add notes and even print them out.
#7 UHear
UHear (TM) is a mobile hearing loss test. This app allows you to see the first signs of potential hearing loss. Just download it (available for free) to check whether or not your hearing is within normal range.
Aleksey is a freelance journalist popularizing yoga medical traditions, one of which is using neti pots to treat sinus infection. To learn more about how to treat common nasal problems, visit netipotby.com.
Image courtesy of  imigerymajestic / freedigitalphotos.net
A Dutch company has announced acceptance of applications for its project ‘Mars One’ which aims at having a small colony of 24 to 40 people living on Mars by the year 2023.
The company is aiming to send the first batch of human settlers to the red planet with the first trip to be launched sometime in the year 2022. The spacecraft would land in Mars seven months later. For the to-be-inhabitants of Mars, the trip is one way. There is no spaceship that will bring the settlers back. They have to stay on and live forever in Mars.
Mars One Project – Who Can Apply
The registration process has been set rolling two weeks ago and an estimated 80,000 applicants have already expressed their willingness to live and die on Mars. However, all applications are not going to be accepted. The applicants are required to meet strict pre-qualifications if their applications have to be accepted.
Any applicant should be over 18 years of age, must not have any disease and should not be addicted to alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. They must have perfect vision. (If not, they can wear contact lenses to correct their vision.) Their fitness level must be good and they must have a height between 5’1″ and 6’2″. They should also be smart, motivated, positive, emotionally stable, creative, and have the ability to adapt and teach. They should be ready to survive under any and completely unpredictable conditions that may occur.
Registration is open until the 21st of August 2013.
Mars One Project – The Training
Though anyone aged 18 or above can apply, the applications will be critically examined before deciding on who the astronauts are going to be. It is expected that this process will stretch into the year 2015. The selected candidates (24 to 40 of them) would then be trained rigorously for a period of seven years in streams such as dentistry, general medicine, emergency medicine, biology, engineering and mechanics before being catapulted into the barren planet.
The live-in modules where the humans will spend their days in Mars will be set up by robots before the humans reach there. It is also proposed that more groups of people would be sent up every two years after the initial batch has settled down.
The $6 billion project is purportedly being funded through a media event which will show the would-be passengers being trained for the mission. Though more details are awaited in this regard from the Dutch company, Mars One has said that it would resemble reality TV but would be more educational than a sensational and attention grabbing effort.
The idea of traveling to Mars and settling down there seems to have caught the fancy of a number of people. Another aerospace project by name of Inspiration Mars, funded by multimillionaire Dennis Tito (he spent $20 billion to live in the ISS for a week), is planning a trip to Mars, but with a difference. It would be a flyby trip and the spacecraft would not land on the planet. NASA is also planning to conduct a space trip to Mars soon.
Josie is a passionate blogger and loves writing about science and technology topics.
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / freedigitalphotos.net
3D digital model printed out as a real world object.
3D Printing has been a hot topic as of late. Curious as to what all the hypeâ??s about?
To best define what 3D Printing is the process of creating three dimensional objects from a digital design. If you can dream it, you can print it.
How does it work?
A few of us from ZAGG wanted to know how easily the average Joe could pull off a 3D printed project, so we thought weâ??d try our hand. Hereâ??s a step by step guide at how we used a 3D printer with absolutely no experience.
Step 1: Pick a design
If youâ??ve got the software and skills to create your own computer aided design (CAD), bravo! As for the rest of us, donâ??t panic; weâ??ve got options. We got our design from Thingiverse, an open source site where you can find 3D printable designs and download them for free or buy a design. You could also hire someone to do the designingâ??we found someone on fiverr willing to create basic 3D designs for a super cheap price.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SciNRfn0EduKmgELMFFRQBMf62PE076HMlJ9NuPxi61E6oyLg49mS_IhLzvcJTr6ADZeEmdQIh4ovNdNI2M_hgGk89P8Uj-Tg6ss1T67UMiwI_7oq_Nf7K6z
Above you can see the CAD rendering of the top half of the case.
Step 2: Load your printer
Just like your standard office printer, 3D printers need cartridges. You can choose from a variety of different materials, which makes these machines so diverse and useful.
Step 3: Send the file to your printer
Just as you would print a document, simply send the .STL, 3D Step file, or any supported 3D design to your 3D Printer.
Step 4: Watch in awe as your product prints
Layer by layer, the material is deposited, and your item will quite literally be built from the ground up.
Step 5: Weâ??re finally almost done
When the item has finished printing, soak it in this special acid that dissolves the support materials that filled the hollow spaces in order to print effectively. And youâ??re done! Â Weâ??re very happy with the way our 3-D printed an iPhone 5 case came out, and it really was remarkably easy to execute, although it did take a long time to print.
3D Printed Necklace.
What can I print?
Still not impressed? Even though our design was fairly basic, there is no limit to what 3D printers can create.
Hereâ??s a few of the crazy things you can print.
Although this bike is certainly unique looking, itâ??s fully functional and can get you where you need to go.
3D printers can create fabric faster than conventional methods.
Guitars can be custom printed, and could even modeled after famous rock starâ??s iconic guitars.
3D printing has entered the world of fashion. There have been entire fashion shows dedicated to 3D printed fashions.
To the dismay and worry of some, you can download and print a working gun.
This 3D printed car called â??The Urbeeâ? runs on ethanol and gasoline, and gets up to 200 miles to the gallon.
Sci- fi alert: Human body parts are now printable. This jaw replacement and bionic ear are good examples of the tremendous potential that 3D printing holds.
What Would You Create With A 3D Printer?
Ask yourself, if you had a 3D printer what would you make? We had a few ideas weâ??d like to make.
â??I would make a Gibson Les Paul Guitar – and I would play it mean.â?
â??Like NASA â?? Iâ??d 3D print my food.â?
â??ACTION FIGURES! Action figures of me and all of my friends. Ah man, I’m not gonna rest until I get that. Iâ??d follow it up with a limited edition Mermaid action figure of myself.â?
â??â?
We posted a blog survey, to see what others would make. How are a few comments we got from this.
â??I would print my unborn sonâ??s 3D ultrasound with it.â?
â??I want to create 3D versions of super heroes based on a child’s interpretation.â?
â??Replacement for the little parts that my toddler breaks on his toysâ?
Surprisingly a few of them already have 3D printer and using it daily.
Our Project
Took it upon ourselves to find a 3D printer and print a protective case for one of our iPhone 5. One of the benefits of working for a company like ZAGG, we have our hands on an ABS 3D printer.
We followed the basic step guide, picked a design and tweeted it to customize our personality.
Used what we had on the rack and loaded the printer up with material and 3D printer support material cartridges.
Passed the design to our printer and waited two whole hours for it to finish. Once if was complete we pulled it out, like it was fresh out of the oven.
There are a few different kinds of 3D printers out there and this one required support materials to insure the item doesnâ??t fall apart on itself while printing. If you donâ??t have the fund for this type of 3D printer they make free form 3D printing guns and cheaper slower printers that donâ??t require the support materials.
The next step is to remove the support plastic with a special acid that dissolves the plastic. It seemed like a long process to print and remove the supporting plastic however this case was full functional and awesome!
What is the cost of a 3D Printer & what does it need to run?
The cost of a 3D printer can vary from $50,000.00 to $397.00 (check out home-use Kickstarter project) in price. Each 3D printer is created to handle different materials including work for NASA. They have a 3D printer to make space pizza. No joke. A 3D printer needs certain supplies in their cartridges to create such crazy and wacky dreamed-up things only Trekkies could predict.
A 3D printer cartridge cost can range from $50.00 to $100.00 per cartridge. In most cases the printer will need two of these cartridges to work for its intended purpose. In most cases, one cartridge is used to construct the object youâ??re creating and the other cartridge is used to print the support object or the â??negative spaceâ? of your print project. No one would want their invention to collapse on it.
There are plenty of websites available to find and purchase 3D printer materials such as Amazon; even Staples are known to have 3D printer cartridges available for the average Joe.
What 3D Printing Means For The Future?
Every day, innovators are finding 3D printing breakthroughs, like printing body parts in case someone is in need of a transplant and canâ??t wait 3 month to a year. I can see it now: every home having a 3D printer to make dinner, print that brand new kitchen table instead of buying it online like I just did. Later that day Iâ??ll eat that food I printed on that table I also printed. Mind blowing! Christmas would sure be a lot easier! Itâ??s still up in the air but however big you dream, it could happen in a flash.
Dustin Lowder is a technology writer for ZAGG.
Title image courtesy of aLoopingicon/own workby uploader.
3D Necklace image courtesy of General Press Kit ‘Atelier Ted Noten’ from Utrecht, Netherlands based press studio Organisation in Design
Source: Wikipedia
One of the inventions which has had a nice boost in popularity as of late is the robot vacuum.
Many people dismiss this ‘automatic vacuum cleaner’ as nothing more than a gimmick however. Other people out there swear by them. So who is right? Let’s take a little look shall we?
I am sure you already know about how a robot vacuum cleaner works. The general idea is that you switch it to ‘on’ and it will rush around your home cleaning everything up. It will use the walls of your home as a guide. In addition to this, the more advanced models are able to recognize when they are about to hit the stairs or not. The effectiveness and the ‘intelligence’ of the robot vacuum is going to be roughly based around the cost of the model. The more expensive it is, the better it performs. Generally, I would never suggest purchasing a cheap model unless it has fantastic reviews.
There are plenty of reasons as to why people would want a robot vacuum cleaner (see this list of 6 reasons). The biggest reason though is for disabled people who find it difficult walking around their home in normal circumstances, let alone with a vacuum cleaner in tow. Of course, many people use them to save time. It is going to live up to the hype in both regards here.
If you want something good though, and something that really does live up to the hype of a robot vacuum cleaner, then you are going to need to spend a bit of money. You are going to want features such as being able to set virtual walls, the ability to slide under your furniture when they are cleaning, being able to determine how much dust is on the floor, and perhaps more importantly, being able to detect a change between surfaces. Without these features then the robot vacuum cleaner isn’t going to work as effectively as you may like. In fact, it is still going to take a good bit of work to ensure your house is clean as the robot vacuum is going to require a bit of intervention. Therefore I do suggest that you make an investment and purchase something decent, otherwise there is no real benefit to having a robot vacuum cleaner.
So is a Robot Vacuum cleaner worth the hype? In my opinion it is, you just need to spend a bit of money on one. Don’t worry though, spending a little bit of money is going to get you something that will last you years and years. The only real downside is that you are going to need to change the bag a great deal more often than a larger vacuum cleaner. For most people though, this isn’t going to be too much of an issue due to the other benefits a robot vacuum brings them. Make sure you look after it and it is going to last years without too much hassle.
Michael Anderson is a home handyman and blogger who wrote this on behalf of Totally Home Improvement which recently published a report on low-cost robot vacuums.
Green screen magic
Have you ever wondered how the characters in your favourite movies were filmed dangling from dangerous cliffs, flying through the air or travelling through time and space? Do you wonder how they get the huge map moving and changing behind the weather man when he is presenting on television?
The answer behind these effects is the simple but very clever technology of the green screen. The very first Star Wars film was filmed using this type of movie-making technology and these days, (although computers make things a lot easier) the humble green screen is still used. It is commonly used in Science Fiction films and TV shows to make alien worlds and spaceships look real. Sometimes scale models are filmed and then combined with green screen footage in multiple layers to make it look as real as possible.
Some of the most famous scenes in well-known films have been shot with green screen, such as the flying bicycles scene in ET, the scene where Luke flies the X-wing fighter in Star Wars and the scene where the DeLorean time machine lifted off the ground and flew away down the street.
A Clever Movie-Making Trick – How it Works
Although the green screen seems like magic, the way it works is actually quite simple. It is a large green sheet that is placed across a wall. The actors are filmed interacting in front of the screen and then the footage is placed into editing software. The software is able to use chroma key to remove any single specific colour, so everything that is the particular shade of green is removed.
Once the green has been removed, the computer is able to replace everything that would have been green with another image. For example, imagine you are filming a scene where an actress is hanging onto a vine and dangling over a steep canyon gorge. Most of the time, your average Hollywood actress will not agree in her contract to actually do this, so you will need to simulate it with movie magic.
You will start by filming some footage on location of the canyon, which is known as the background plate. Then, you will film some shots of your actress dangling from a vine in the studio only a couple feet off the ground. These shots are filmed in front of the green screen, so that on the computer afterwards you can use the special filter to combine the two images.
It is important to ensure that the footage of your actor or actress matches the footage of the background, so that it will look as real as possible. If the actor or actress has the wrong tint or level of diffusion, they will look like they are a different colour or they are crisper than the background. When a computer is used to combine the footage, this makes things a lot easier because software can be used to ensure that everything matches up.
Why Green Screens Wouldnâ??t Work on St. Patrickâ??s Day
The only limitation of a green screen is that you cannot wear green clothing when filming. If you do, the chroma key software function will remove your clothing from the film as well. This means that the background you have chosen will appear where your shirt should have been and you will look just like a pair of pants with a floating head and arms above them!
Now that you know how green screens work, next time you watch a film and see an actor in an impossible place or situation you will imagine them in a studio in front of a bright green screen and be amazed by how realistic this clever cinematic trick can be.
Pipa Rose is a writer who is amazed by the brilliance and magic of green screen technology. If you want to learn more about how this technology influences the making of TV and film, then you should contact experts at TV studios in London.
Commonly referred to as Drones, Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs) have received an increasing amount of attention and criticism due to their ethically controversial usage overseas in places such as Afghanistan and Yemen, but President Barack Obama, backed by substantial bipartisan support, passed legislation in February 2013 requiring the Federal Aviation Administration to “develop a comprehensive plan to safely accelerate the integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace system,” fast tracking the introduction of their domestic use.
Those who are in support of this legislation have proposed a wide range of possible commercial and humanitarian applications for Drones that range from taco delivery to aiding in search and rescue efforts, and with the recent and unprecedented rate of technological growth, their uses and cost feasibility will indefinitely make these Drones a more viably attractive option for a considerable number of purposes and services, many all of which could have disastrous implications and consequences pertaining to the final dissolution of any remaining rights regarding privacy and completely undermining the Fourth Amendment.
Numerous Models
There are currently hundreds of different UAV models already in production ranging in nearly every size with wingspans as small as the 6.5-inch Nano Hummingbird to the 86-foot Israeli-made Eitan, nearly all of which are built with the intended purpose of providing reconnaissance information. A decade ago, the technological capabilities that exist today on many of these UAVs would have been unconceivable; from the high-power zoom lenses UAVs with sensors to see-through imaging technology, there has been tremendous and omnipotent progress in the recent development of new technologies all of which have the potential to destroy any recognizable degree of privacy in the United States.
Drones and the Media
Already, agencies like the FBI and police departments across the country are anxious with anticipation awaiting the FAAâ??s approval to their requests for UAVs. Despite considerable efforts to impede media exposure the Houston Police Department was seen in 2007 testing the Scan Eagle, a UAV made by a Boeing subsidiary just 70 miles northwest of the city’s limits. Though the Houston Police Department was neglectful to explain the function or purpose it would serve, other departments have mentioned non-lethal weaponry capabilities such as Tazers and beanbag pellets to help in the apprehension of suspects.
Extent of Effect Undetermined
The extent to which Drones will have an either positive or negative impact can only be determined with time, but if the current trajectory persists then there is due reason for concern. This new pervasive technology will have the ability to eradicate every aspect of privacy, circumnavigating the Fourth Amendment entirely as well as all other constitutional liberties concerning the subject. More so than ever before there is an imperative urgency for lawmakers to both assess the irreversible consequences that Drones might have on the lives of all Americans in juxtaposition with their questionable potential to create positive change. After all, is it unrealistic to assume that these Drones will be used more frequently to monitor the daily lives of United States citizens than to clean up nuclear waste spills or putting out forest fires?
Ophelia Dunnell is a technology, metal fabrication, and construction blogger with Strong Forge.
Public domain images from the U.S. federal government.
Military tactics have evolved considerably since World War II.
The military used to rely on open warfare strategies that employed heavy artillery. Those tactics are still important, but our Armed Forces are now relying on much more covert tactics as well. Snipers and sharpshooters have revolutionized warfare tactics and will play an ever increasing role as technology evolves in the coming years.
Changes in Sniper Technology
Sniper technology is becoming increasingly effective. This technology will help them use snipers to their full potential. Here are some of the new technological advances that will change the role snipers play on the battlefield.
Reticle Scopes to See the Whole Battlefield
Snipers need to be able to identify every target on the battlefield. They also need to know if their position has been compromised. Many defense contractors have developed new technology such as Leupold scopes to extend their vision.
One Shot Rifles
Cubic Corporation is currently developing the Next Generation sniper sight for the Defense Advanced Research Agency. This new technology is going to be one of the biggest advances in sniper technology over the past half century. It will allow snipers to factor for a number of different variables that other technology couldnâ??t. This includes wind speed, angle of attack between the sniper and their target, height and the targetâ??s speed.
This will drastically improve the accuracy of the shot when the sniper is shooting at a moving target. It will also be invaluable when they are in a windy setting.
Tracking Point Precision Guided Firearm
The Military Channel recently talked about a similar firearm to the one Cubic Corporation is working on. They finally constructed a precision guided firearm. This technology will also factor for a number of different variables. This technology could factor for some of these variables better than the Next Generation sniper sight vision.
However, this technology does have a limitation over the technology Cubic Technology is working on. It takes a snapshot of the target instead of using a scope that lets them see the target in real time. This means it will only be effective against a stationary target.
A post from Defense Tech said that this would mean that anyone can be a sniper. That is a bit of an exaggeration since snipers will still need to be trained to deal with moving targets and understand how to take the shot properly. However, it is clear that precision guided firearms will lower the threshold soldiers must meet to become snipers.
What Are the Implications of this New Technology?
This new technology will help snipers make shots much more accurately. The military wonâ??t need to confine themselves to choosing the most promising snipers. They will still need to enlist soldiers who have the skills needed to be snipers, but they can hire many more of them.
This could mean we will focus on much more covert tactics on the battlefield. Our enemies will need to develop new tactics to identify and fight snipers.
About the Author: Kalen is a freelance technology writer with a bachelorâ??s degree in mechanical engineering. He talks about the developments in defense technology with his brother who has just enlisted to work in signal intelligence for the United States Army.
CC Images courtesy of Francis Flinch & photographer, Oren Schauble
Over the recent years, we’ve seen Tesco enter into the broadband market.
It seems like supermarkets are diversifying into every field. You have supermarket banks, insurance and now we have communications. So, how good is the Tesco broadband service?
This article will look at some of the positives and negatives so that we can understand whether it is decent service or not. Should they just give up and concentrate on selling groceries or do they have a niche in the market to call their own?
The Tesco Broadband Brand
Tesco has built a brand of high integrity and massive market penetration in the UK. The foothold that they have means that it makes sense for them to start selling other products and services as people come through the door with their money ready to spend. Their company slogan, “Every little helps” has been a very clever marketing ploy.
Tesco first came into the broadband market in 2004, but didn’t really publicise their service. It’s a bit of a mystery why Tesco didn’t talk about their offering, but then the company was going through a great deal of change and perhaps didn’t want to dilute their message. In 2009, Tesco partnered with Cable and Wireless and they are still not really pushing as hard as they could; you’ll be looking really on their websites for any details about their service. It appears in 2013 and 2014; they are going to up their efforts in the broadband market. They have a very loyal customer base and this is a great footing from which to push off. It’s certainly one of the cheapest services on the market starting from around £5 per month.
We’ll have a look at hidden charges, line rental, what you get and whether it is unlimited on the unlimited packages.
Brief Pros and Cons of Tesco Broadband
Before we jump into the detail and look at the service, let’s quickly understand the pros and cons. I am aware you may not have the time or gumption to read all the way to the end.
Pros
- The service is cheap.
- The brand is established and strong.
- Support offered through UK call centres and you can use Clubcard points, too.
Cons
- There’s currently quite a limited range of packages available.
- There are hidden costs that elevate the overall price.
- There’s a fair usage policy that regulates the unlimited download offerings.
Â
The Good Things about Tesco Broadband
Some of the Cheapest Prices You’ll Find
Tesco offers some of the cheapest prices around and not many of the big players can actually compete on price. Even companies like Plusnet that’s already on the budget end of the market are more expensive. However, you have got to look at the hidden costs, too, and these push the price of Tesco broadband up. You have to pay for line rental, for instance. Even if you go for the lower rates, you’ll end up paying 20% VAT taking it right up again.
Even the 30 day rolling contract, meaning you don’t have to be linked in for 12 months, comes with stipulations. For example, after 12 months your prices will go up.
You can use your Clubcards and get additional points with your broadband. You get a free wireless router and also the call features are good. With the router, the terms and conditions of Tesco mean that it remains the property of Tesco broadband and therefore you could be asked to send it back at your own expense. So, as you can see, some of the good is tempered with not so good.
The Tesco Trusted Brand
Perhaps one of the most attractive features of getting Tesco broadband is that the name is already tried and tested. It’s one of the biggest brands in the UK and there’s a lot of loyalty with customers strolling into the many stores around UK on a daily basis. We’re used to spending our money with this company. They have also done well entering into mobile phones, insurance and finance. Surprisingly, Tesco has not jumped into broadband as they might have. There’s very little TV advertising and the service isn’t pushed that hard. Perhaps this is a cause for concern.
Call Centres in the UK
Tesco understands that it’s a big plus for a company to have call centres based in the UK and the departments are therefore at home and not overseas.
The Not So Good
Limited Number of Packages
The majority of broadband packages have offers for light, medium and heavy users, and tend to have a variety within each. Tesco broadband only have three packages to choose from and two of these are phone based rather than broadband. The three main choices are Evening and Weekend calls, Anytime and Broadband Only. Essentially, the broadband is the same package across all packages. Businesses owners and home workers are not provided for and there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of choice at all.
The Extras that are Hidden
Transparent pricing really is not the norm in the broadband industry, even after some recent regulatory changes, and Tesco is just as bad as all the rest. Their headline rates fail to include VAT, extra charges for security and paper billing. Make sure you read the fine print as you won’t get a transparent advertising policy as you would Plusnet. Look at the bottom line and not the headline.
Fair Usage Policy of Tesco Broadband
Tesco Broadband offers a 100 GB per month as their fair usage policy. Although, not too bad, it isn’t unlimited. If you download a lot of movies then you could end up using your allowance well before the month is up.
The Downright Bad
Postcode Based
Tesco often gets the accusation that they’re not clear; that prices vary depending on where you live. If you’re in the network area covered by Tesco, you’ll be in a better situation than if you are outside.
The Support of Technical Teams
The reviews for the technical teams of Tesco broadband have been absolutely awful. Some customers complain that unhelpful would be a positive improvement for the technical support. Of course, much of the criticism is anecdotal, but there is a pattern of unhappiness with the level of service provided. Cable and Wireless service the Tesco broadband offering and one of the most common causes for complaint is that problems are not escalated to OpenReach, the BT service on which the Cable Wireless/Tesco broadband is delivered, and this means that issues don’t get resolved, because technical faults are not dealt with.
Overall
Overall, Tesco broadband is a cheap offering, but it isn’t as cheap as it looks. It certainly isn’t isn’t the headlines rates that are advertised as there are lots of additional costs. Unlimited broadband is not unlimited with a 100 GB of data allowance in the fair usage policy.
You’re buying from a trusted brand, but does Tesco broadband really trust their broadband? It appears not and perhaps, it might be worth waiting a bit longer if you’re looking for a really high level package as Tesco broadband donâ??t offer this yet, but may in the future. If you’re looking for a simple cheap package, then consider this company, but you might be better off going for Plusnet broadband.
Sam Jonesâ??s daughter was considering Tesco broadband as an alternative for her current supplier. She decided to find out more using sites like uSwitch to see if she could save money.
CC Image courtesy of Mankind 2K.
Pyrocity! by Guava Glee is a colourful and quirky indie game with beautiful interactive firework displays that present you with testing challenges.
Gameplay
Pyrocity! When I downloaded this app it was free for a limited time only. On opening the app I was immediately struck by the beautiful particle effect fireworks emitted all over the black screen which served as a virtual night sky. The main screen is refreshingly simple with the ability to go on the Game Center to record your personal or public high scores or to challenge a friend.
What attracted me to looking at this app was a picture of the developer on a social network of him planning each level. The attention he was paying to creating each level in detail with virtual card objects upon virtual card iPhone screens was amazing to see. I’ve planned a physics game before and 60 levels took me 6 months to make, so I know the hard work that must have gone into this game
On the first level you have to tap on the flying pink pigs which then fly upwards and off the screen. Right away I liked the quirkiness of the game. Flying pink pigs and fireworks? It’s offbeat – I like it. After this fireworks shoot up onto the screen and you have to try and tap on the firework when it’s green, to earn points and stay alive.
Your lives appear in the upper left hand corner of the screen as skull and crossbones. You can pause the game at any time and resume it. In the upper right hand corner your firework taps are recorded and colour-coded. At the base of the screen is ‘the line of death’ so you must tap on the firework at the correct point, otherwise hitting the line of death with take one of your lives away. The intensity level of the game is in the bottom left of the screen and you start off at intensity level 1.
Playing the game is strangely mesmerising as you poise yourself for any green fireworks to hit. The fireworks have been programmed well using emitters to create all kinds off effects. What I was really impressed with is the score screen afterwards. It walks you through learning the game, in that intensity points increase with pressing on a large amount of green fireworks and lets you know that scores are multiplied by the intensity level too. And then there are the pink pigs floating before you and even particle effects behind the score you’ve achieved. The animation of moving objects around on the screen when you complete a level is impressive. Remember that this app was not programmed by a big company with a large team, the developer would have had to do a lot of work to create these effects.
On level two the pink pigs that previously were just chilling out between levels, just floating around, start to actually take part in the game. You have to stop the fireworks hitting the pink pigs. Then on the next level I witnessed the pigs disappearing and yellow chicks making an appearance. My intensity level was now increasing. You are notified of new records you’ve achieved, such as a correct amount of unbroken taps. I was glad to see on later levels that the pink pigs returned and joined together with the yellow chicks as I kind of like them. More characters pop up as you progress to higher levels, such as monkeys who grab the fireworks and you have to shake them off.
When you allow a firework to hit one of the flying obstacles the game slows down and everything runs in slow motion which is a neat effect.
Mission Accomplished
This is a fun indie game which is easy to pick up and learn how to play. I had fun playing the game and even gave this app a solid 4 stars on iTunes as I think it’s good. Sometimes it’s nice to play a simple fun game rather than have to go through a long learning curve.
Room to improve
Maybe a story on the iTunes description or a short animation within the app to give the game a fun story behind it. For example:
Pyrocity has always prided itself in the beautiful fireworks it produces, but in the jealous villages that surround the city they have set fire to the fireworks factories. The flying animals of Pyrocity are the only ones to escape, but can you save them from the firework blitz?
Conclusion
Fun, quirky and offbeat. A nice simple game that will bring a smile to your face. Be warned however that it is also very challenging!
Prev1...252627...100Next 
Page 26 of 100
