Today is that day that new European legislation comes into force which defines what details a website can store about its visitors in text files which are commonly known as Cookies.

If you’re not familiar with the purpose of a Cookie, it allows various websites to collect information about you which can be used to aid the site in offering you content that it thinks would be more suitable, and in some cases more specifically targeted advertising.

Although the 26^th of May is the date that the law comes into effect, it’s though that in the UK alone there are still thousands of websites are in breach of the law. This is due to them not implementing new regulations which say sites must get “informed content” form users before it can record information in the form of Cookies.

The vast majority of websites in the UK have complied with the new legislation, which is usually done by showing a pop-up window that explains the changes in the law. In most cases it will also contain information about what Cookies are, it will also ask users to consent to allow information to be recorded and also details what will happen if users refuse.

It’s quite surprising that a lot of UK websites are still not complying with these new regulations, after all they have had around 12 months to implement the changes. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office has said it would offer to help non-compliant websites instead of taking legal action against them.

Along with advising firms on how to implement the new laws, the ICO will also be helping users who what more information about cookies, along with how to change cookie settings within their browsers and how to complain against a website if a user is concerned with its privacy policy.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

The video (via SammyHub) shows that the Galaxy Ace 2 is upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich. Which is good news, isn’t it? However, the video unfortunately gives no indication on when the upgrade will become available.

As this is a leaked video, there has been no official word from Samsung. So the best advice is to keep an eye on the Gadget Helpline blog for all the latest. As we all know word from the rumour mill is frequently followed by a press release!

This paves the way for other Samsung phones to follow suit. The Samsung Galaxy Beam and Samsung Galaxy S Advance both share the same hardware as the Ace II. This hardware dictates what software can be run on each phone. The Galaxy S and Galaxy Beam currently run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box, but this shouldn’t be a problem for much longer. Users of all three Android OS phones will be looking forward to a tasty upgrade soon!

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

Those not infected usually sit in solitude while their once so active mates attempt to pen the likenesses of anything from a block of cheese to MC Hammer which is then passed via Facebook to pals to guess what this drawing is. As for those already hooked, if you’re not the one drawing, you’re the one sat dribbling over your iPhone at home or on the bus waiting for someone to guess what it is that you’ve actually drawn and send back their own for you to guess (while they sit dribbling over their Samsung Galaxy).

If you’re fortunate enough to have survived this outbreak and are reading this now, let us warn you of the next step in the evolution of this annoying social virus – and readers of a sensitive disposition may wish to cover their ears. Literally – because SING Something has just arrived for iPhone and iPad!

Just like its predecessor, Sing Something features the “hangman” style letter panel and familiar interface but instead of having to draw – yes, you guessed it – you have to sing. Songs range from the 80s, 90s, 00s and beyond and feature popular and well-known artists and tunes. Sing Something, just like Draw Something, is socially connected to Facebook so players can spread this latest strain of the virus online. For a rough idea of what this app could mean for the world, imagine these zombies, who used to be our friends, singing Justin Bieber – badly – And we think you’ll want this thing brought to an end too!

We can’t help but think that this is a desperate cash-in to a contagious trend and where Draw Something had a marginal appeal of being a discrete way to pass time, we don’t see many players enjoying Sing Something in quite the same way –  particularly while in the loo or at their desk at work.. Check it out on the Apple App Store if you dare!

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

Those cheeky chaps at Apple HQ have just quietly launched a new Apps of the Week feature where they will be providing a Free App each week to its adoring iOS user base for Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod users.

Apple announced the Free app and the new weekly service by a simple tweet stating:

“Cut the Rope: Experiments is our‪#FreeAppoftheWeek. Go to the App Store for your free download.http://tw.appstore.com/uUj “

The tweet comes form the official App Store Twitter account which invited everyone to go to the App Store to download Cut the Rope: Experiments for free. Apple accompanied the announcement with the hash tag #FreeAppoftheWeek for those in the Twitsphere to spread.

This isn’t the first time that Apple have given away apps with its 12 days of Christmas feature in the run-up to Santa’s favourite day being wildly successful, but this is the first time that Apple have started a running Weekly download to try and encourage app users with new products.

With Android offering a huge competition to Apples app store nowadays and the rise in free (but Advertising heavy) apps in the recent year it looks like Apple are keen to get a few apps out there.

This weeks “Free App of the Week” Cut the Rope: Experiments:

Cut the ropes, deliver candy to Om Nom, collect stars, and unlock new levels.

The follow-up to the award-winning mobile game Cut the Rope has arrived for Android! ZeptoLab’s Cut the Rope: Experiments features the familiar and loveable little monster Om Nom who is discovered by a mad (but not bad) scientist determined to study his candy-loving behaviour through a series of experiments.

Cut the ropes, release candy into Om Nom’s mouth, collect shiny gold stars, and unlock new levels.

Personally we love the idea of free apps no matter what the format and you can expect the App of the Week to be very prominent in the coming months.

Check back with us next week and we will let you know what is coming next!

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be good news for anyone who happens to have the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, especially if you have been patiently waiting for the ICS update for Android.

If you have an XPERIA device, you may be aware that Sony released a list of devices back in December last year that showed which phones would be getting the ICS update and when. However, the latest version of this list has just been released, and it’s been noticed that the XPERIA Play is no longer one of those devices due to get the update.

Sony have yet to give any reason as to why they have removed the XPERIA Play from the list, it’s strange considering that they released an ICS Beta ROM for the Play.

For anyone not familiar with the XPERIA Play, it became the first Android smartphone to be part of the “PlayStation Certified” program, which as I’m sure you’ll be aware, allows you to play PlayStation games directly on the device. The handset launched back in April 2011 in the UK and currently has Android 2.3 installed. It has a respectable specification which consists of a Snapdragon 1 GHz CPU along with 512MB of RAM and a 854 x 480 resolution display.

Since its release it has proven to be a popular handset, and no doubt there will be many users who are frustrated by the latest news. So no doubt users will be waiting for Sony to make some sort of an announcement to let users know why they have decided to abandon the update for the XPERIA Play. And if/when they do, we’ll make sure you’re in the know.

If you want to check out the latest info regarding the ICS update for Sony XPERIA phones, you can head on over to the Sony Mobile support site.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

You can also check out our “Compare Phone Prices” tool for the best Contract, Pay As You Go and SIM free deals by clicking the tab above.

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Dark-fantasy title Diablo III was released in the U.K and Europe on Windows PC the 15th of May and the speculated hack attacks followed soon after. Fortunately, up until now no credit card information has been stolen as no cash changes hands across the Diablo III network but the future plans are that gamers will be able to participate in online auctions with linked bank account details, which make these reported hacks all the more concerning.

The auction service was supposed to go live on the 22nd of May, but following these account intrusions Blizzard have pushed that date back to the 29th of May and now pushing if further into the dark reaches the dev reports “While we don’t have a new launch date to share just yet, we’ll have more information soon.”

Blizzard appeared to pass the blame for the breach onto the gamers, suggesting they had failed to use the Authenicator, which is a one-use password to prevent resigning into one account by other users. They have however suggested they will be looking into other ways that the hack could have occurred and until that time it seems, safely, the real money auctions will be held off.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

In “believe-it-or-not” news today a number of potential codenames for future Nokia Windows Phone devices have been outted after running a test app called WP Bench.

The unusual monikers feature the phonetics for some Latin alphabet symbols and include Nokia Phi, Nokia Pure Phi, Nokia Alpha & Nokia Pure Lamda. Purely guess work, but we think (and would hope) that the “Pure” in some of these titles could indicate at least two of these are the production titles of the proposed Pureview gadgets which were recently speculated and said to bring that glorious sharp-shooting camera technology to Microsoft’s mobile software on Nokia’s handset hardware.

The first Nokia Pureview smartphone – the Pureview 808 – was unveiled at the event and showed off that impressive 41-megapixel camera and as many of you know the average for most of our camera phones ranges at around 5 to 8 mega-pixels – or 12 on the highest spec mobiles.

The Pureview at the show appeared running Nokia’s own Symbian operating system, but Nokia and Microsoft look to take the edge over rivals as far as camera tech goes and are said to be bringing the technology to Windows devices soon – on a range of smartphones that will be slimmer than the current Lumia line-up. This could prove exciting news for snap-happy mobile fans and suggest the Pureview Windows Phone 7 handsets are coming soon. The Gadget Helpline will be focusing closely to see if these Latin-inspired codenames pop up again!

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

The much-anticipated public release of the Samsung Galaxy SIII on May the 30th looks to be a massive event for mobile fans. As the demand for the greatest Galaxy to date is already so high, with over 9-million pre-orders already taken, Samsung are planning to open pop-up shops – or as they call them “PINS”. This gives you a chance to view and go hands-on with a working Samsung Galaxy SIII before the launch instead of the dummy phone held in most retail stores.

These stores are going to be full of highly trained staff that will be able to talk you through the new SIII. If you can’t decide if you want the phone on release at least you will have the chance to try them out and have a play with the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and features including S Voice. You’ll also be able to ask all the questions you’ve been dying to ask about the new Samsung Galaxy SIII and put your mind at ease before you sign into a new 24 month contract.

The design of the PIN has been made to completely control your experience for the best. There will be rows of SG3’s taking you away from the queues of a high street phone shop. Reflecting the gadget itself, the shop is of a sleek design. It’s mirrored glass, metal and wood and allows Samsung full control of the retail environment.

Samsung’s official press release on the SIII experience states:
“To celebrate the launch of its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III, Samsung Mobile PIN offers the first premium pop-up experience space. The Samsung Mobile PIN will encourage consumers to fully interact with the latest intuitive technology and to try out Samsung solutions. The conceptual idea of the PIN is a moving landmark experience like a pinpoint on a map.”

As the Samsung Galaxy SIII is the official Olympic Games Phone these pop up shops will be appearing around London in the run-up to the games. The first of these stores will be opening on 29th May at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and the Old Spitalfields Market. As the countdown to the games continues two other shops will be popping up in Hyde Park and the Olympic Park.

You can also check out our “Compare Phone Prices” tool for the best Contract, Pay As You Go and SIM free deals by clicking the tab above.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

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Readers of the Gadget Helpline will know that in defiance against growing-up your blog team loves wrestling, especially WWE and we were excited and eager to see what a series of cryptic promos online and on its televised wrestling shows declaring the “Revolution” was all about. Was it an upcoming storyline twist or maybe a new or returning superstar?

WWE tried to keep this one in a tight headlock but somehow the mystery broke the hold and the trailer for WWE ’13 has hit the web with a gritty promo featuring current reigning WWE Champ CM Punk, who speaks of the coming “Revolution”. We can only imagine that the video’s scenes of united chaos and social uproar could mean WWE and THQ will offer some kind of online community, akin to Call of Duty Elite, which unites fans of the popular gaming series – much like the worldwide appeal of the sports entertainment unites its followers via a television screen and through the social internet.

As well as leaving us with more questions the trailer for WWE ’13, which has been widely pulled by THQ, shows us that in addition to CM Punk competitors such as Chris Jericho, the Undertaker and Sheamus will appear alongside legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mankind.

WWE ’13 will be unleashed on November the 1st and will hit Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii consoles.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.

Officially announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, alongside its siblings the low-end L3 and medium-spec L5, the LG Optimus L7 features a respectable 4.3” touchscreen display with an 800 x 400 pixel resolution and runs on a 1GHz dual-core processor. Other inclusions boasted by this model are the 1GB of supporting RAM with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB to keep you connected, all this as well as 5-megapixel camera with LED Flash, autofocus with face detection and geo-tagging functions. For social-savvy smartphone buyers there comes a range of messaging and chat options to keep you in touch with pals, including email and instant messaging.

For £254.98 (inc. VAT) you can order the new LG Optimus L7 SIM-Free, which comes complete with battery and charger, as well as a 12-month manufacturer warranty, through Unlocked-Mobiles. The online retailer also lists the LG flagship model, the Optimus 4X as a pre-order item with the quad-core beast set to ship on June 4th.

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.