Hyphed

The benefits of interactive gaming

2013-03-22T22:23:00.001+05:00

Gaming has gotten a bad rap in recent years, with the general belief that regular gaming is akin to becoming an antisocial zombie. Actually the reverse is true, in contrast to passive television watching, gaming is a very interactive pastime with many benefits. Gaming in general, dependent on the type of game you choose to play, will require some form of strategic thought, quick motor skills or problem solving abilities. Add interactive or social online play such as the massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), and you can add social interaction and team work to that list.

Gaming can improve the player’s technology-related knowledge. Studies have shown that children who play online applications are more aware of how to use a PC and when you consider that computer literacy and internet research are now important basic skills best grasped as early as possible, it is advantageous to allow children a moderated set period of time to have fun whilst improving their computer literacy.

Research has also shown that elderly people whose brains are constantly challenged with puzzles and trivia that require problem solving skills, decision making and memory recall lower the risk of having memory ailments, so playing online interactive games can be a fantastic tool and are hugely beneficial for keeping a mind active and healthy.

Playing online games on your PC, laptop, tablet or other mobile device also allow a certain freedom to participate in hobbies or pastimes in an otherwise busy and stressful life. Enjoy a weekly cards evening with your friends? Use an online casino site to add some online casino thrill to your otherwise mundane weekly get together. Enjoy going to the bingo hall but can’t find the time to get there? There are now many online bingo sites to choose from that you can access via your mobile or laptop on your commute home or from your sofa in the evening, so you don’t miss out.

Interactive gaming has also been used as a language teaching tool. Evidence from research suggests that using multiplayer online games can promote the language student’s motivation, increase communication and encourage collaboration among participating students as computers and online gaming provide a convenient venue to practice the target language. Online gaming gives the student the opportunity to use the written language or spoken language (if using a game that requires a headset) in a setting that is more true to life, rather than the theory of dusty text books.

And finally, if you needed further persuasion of the benefits of online gaming, there is evidence that when older children play online educational games, they can benefit from increased confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Older children who play online educational games and are able to beat levels and accomplish small goals usually feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, a feeling that is often missing in these turbulent developmental years. Small goal setting and the subsequent achieving is a fantastic skill for older children to learn to implement in all aspects of their life. As with all online access for children, the amount of time spent playing these games should be monitored and the websites properly vetted by the parents before access is allowed.

Three Apps to Unleash Your Creativity on Android Tablets

2013-03-21T17:44:00.000+05:00

The mobile revolution means we can work on the go, stay connected while traveling and be productive while in perpetual motion. Of course, it also means we can while away time on Wikipedia, search for an endless amount of animated GIFs of cats and compete with our friends on Candy Crush Empire until someone gets belligerent. But what often goes unremarked is the fact that a slew of applications that can enhance and nurture your innate creativity are available for your Android tablet or smartphone. And we're not talking about Instagram. Here are a few choice selections:

Real Drum

What could be more fun and creative than drumming on your Android tablet? That's what a slew of apps have set out to do, but few have been as successful as Real Drum by Brazilian developer Rodrigo Kolb. Real Drum has racked up nearly 27,000 ratings on the Google Play store, with a four and a half star rating in total.

Real Drum offers 13 drum pads, 13 sounds, HD resolution, multitouch functionality and a record mode. It promises "studio audio quality" as well. In practice, the main user interface screen is a series of drum heads presented from a top-down angle. You touch a drum head and it makes the requisite sound. The latest version of Real Drum includes a 'record' feature, which is useful for musicians who get ideas while on the go. All they have to do is tap out their idea on their Android tablet and record it on Real Drum so they can recall it easily.

One issue with Real Drum seems to be latency, or 'lag', between the time you touch a drum head on the screen and when the sound is played, according to several user reviews on Google Play. "As others have said, there is a slight delay. It makes it hard for real drummers like myself. The overall setup is nice, though," wrote Real Drum user Vernon Q. Jones II on 9 Feb. However, if you are satisfied with Real Drum, as the thousands of users who have rated it highly appear to be, then you might want to check out its developer, Kolb's, portfolio of other music apps. These include Real Piano, Real Bass, Congas and Bongos and other apps of a musical nature for your Android tablet and smartphone.

Paper Camera

The filtered-photo mobile or tablet app is played out, now that everyone has an Instagram account, whether it's on an iOS or Android device, right? Not necessarily, as Paper Camera shows. This is a photo filtering app with a difference, and one that is sure to bring out your creative instincts when you use it on your Android tablet.

Paper Camera "cartoonises" images seen through your Android tablet or smartphone's camera viewfinder. Images can look like a comic strip, an oil painting, a pencil sketch and so on. These effects are what make the app unique. They turn your image into something so different from a retro photo filter that you won't mistake it for a boring old Instagram shot. You can do a few other things, like add borders to the image and adjust the brightness or contrast, and that's about it. You then save your cartoonised image and you can share it on social networks or e-mail directly to friends.

Paper Camera's relative simplicity seems to have won it fans. It has a four and a half star rating on the Google Play store from nearly 22,000 votes. It has between 1 million and 5 million installs, according to the Google Play store. It costs GBP1.19, which may not be too high a price to pay considering the sorts of creative fun you'll get up to with it on your Android tablet or smartphone.

Let's Create! Pottery Lite

Besides drawing apps, photo apps and music apps, what other categories could there be for a curious and creative mind to explore on an Android tablet? It turns out that something unexpected is possible on a tablet — practicing pottery.

The Let's Create! Pottery Lite app promises to be a pottery simulator for Android tablet and smartphone users. You will virtually "throw your clay" onto the pottery wheel and shape it into something presentable. That's the basic premise, anyway. A 'game' is fashioned around this premise where you must create pottery in certain designs to gain points and credit in order to create more elaborate pieces. The app is free, but a paid version allows you to paint on the vase after the it's been glazed in the kiln.

Let's Create! Pottery Lite has been unexpectedly successful in the Google Play store. It has somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million installs. It has a four and a half star rating from 6,200 votes. The app review site Android Pipe gave it nine and a half stars out of 10, calling it "very original and highly relaxing". A pottery simulator was not the most obvious thing to download for an Android tablet or smartphone, but clearly, thousands of people have done so and enjoyed the creative experience.

The week in review: Windows 8

2013-03-06T19:11:00.000+05:00

As Sony geared up for their eagerly-anticipated PlayStation keynote, Bill Gates was deep in discussion with Reddit about Microsoft's mobile strategy. Here's all the Windows phone, tablet, and laptop news from the past week.

Nokia have introduced two new models to their Lumia range – the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 – at the Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona. Nokia are launching the phone as low-cost alternatives to their premium Windows 8 smartphone, the Lumia 920, with Nokia President and CEO Stephen Elop saying that “broadening our devices and services” was a motivation for expanding the line.

Paul Rubens, who writes for CIO, commented extensively on reports that Windows 8 tablets were making good headway in the enterprise sector. He concluded that while both Windows 8 tablet and app sales among businesses are strong, the limited app selection means that Microsoft’s offerings are only slaking the thirst of niche enterprise services not disrupting the business market as a whole.

Windows Blue, the rumoured update to Windows 8, has been poking its head above Microsoft’s leaky parapets for the first time. Unconfirmed reports state that the new OS will launch in August, and feature much-expanded search functionalities.

LG, whose handset division has all but wound up over the last year, say they’re open to developing Windows 8 devices, but don’t see a “significant market” for them yet. The Korean consumer electronics giant – who manufacture displays for a few global handset manufacturers – “will be on board” with Windows 8 when things pick up, according to an unnamed LG representative.

Microsoft has expanded its range of peripherals for Windows 8 devices. Among the accessories on offer are a pair of ergonomically styled mice and a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard.

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, thinks that Windows 8 sales are “perfect” for now, and is pretty pumped about the possibilities for Microsoft’s in-house tablet, the Surface. “I don’t think Surface is going to dominate volume,” said the exec in an interview with TechnoBuffalo, “but it’s a real business”.

Simon Garfinkel, a writer for Technology Review, has his doubts about the possibility of unifying an operating system’s interface across multiple devices. He thinks Microsoft’s solution feels “somewhat weird”, although he also credits Windows 8 with getting “a lot right”.

Consumer Reports has been testing loads of Windows 8 laptops and ultrabooks, and thinks there are much better devices on offer than Microsoft’s own Surface Pro, including ultrabooks and laptops by Lenovo and Acer.

Google have released a super-high-resolution Chromebook with a touchscreen, called ‘Pixel’. Preston Gralla, who writes for Computer World, hates it.

Lenovo have launched their best-selling ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch in the United Arab Emirates.

Mozilla has seen fit to release an early ‘test’ version of its Metro-optimised browser for Windows 8. It’s available now, free of charge, from Mozilla’s test build archive.

IHS iSuppli, a leading technology market research agency, are pretty certain that the second half of 2013 with be a gravy train for ‘hybrid’ (convertible laptop/tablet) Windows 8 ultrabooks, according to a report from CNet. Despite a weak start to the year, they predict 2013 notebook shipments from PC manufacturers will rise 5 percent from the total of 156.9 million units shipped during 2012.

Keep Healthy with your Mobile Phone

2013-03-04T22:11:00.000+05:00

Singapore has the world’s lowest health care costs and is ranked by the WHO as having the sixth best healthcare system in the world. Nevertheless, we all try to avoid a trip to the doctor wherever possible. In this modern world of smartphones, new solutions are proposed daily, designed to help you deal with your health needs. A number of apps have been developed, both by private companies and by the government of Singapore, to keep you healthy and deal with your problems if you fall sick.

As we all know, prevention is better than cure: one of the best things that a mobile phone health app can do is to help you stay fit. The Singapore Health Promotion Board has released a number of phone apps aimed at keeping you in shape. Healthy Chef contains over 70 nutritious recipes from Singapore's leading chefs. The HPB Diet Tracker allows you to keep track of what you're eating and compare it to the HPB food nutrition database, to give you an idea of whether you are in line with the recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals. The HPB Fitness Tracker tracks your aerobic fitness score and body mass index over time, suggesting activities if your score does not fall within the recommended zone.

At the moment these apps only work with phones and tablets operating on iOS. If you are fond of other operating systems and own non iOS gadgets, you will need to look somewhere else. For example, if you have a BlackBerry Bold or an Android smartphone you might consider downloading Health Meter Premium as an alternative. Using this tool you can calculate your body mass index, basal metabolic rate, body fat and waist-to-hip ratio. This type of information can alert you to potential health risks and make you set a recommend daily calorie intake plan.

No matter how fit you are there will always come a time when you need to see a doctor. The Ministry of Health’s answer to this is the app MOH iHealth SG that offers a comprehensive guide to the country’s healthcare establishments and healthcare professionals. If crisis strikes when you’re out but carrying your mobile phone in Singapore, you’ll still have direct access to information about the nearest medical facilities, be able to filter results by the service they provide, and get their addresses and phone numbers and even a map right away. The app is currently available for iOS only, but information apps on how to actually deal with a medical emergency are available on all platforms. Health Guide: FirstAid Pro, for example, encompasses a range of health tips: from day-to-day healthy living, to emergency information. It gives you immediate access to a database of emergency numbers, as well as online medical encyclopaedias that will help you understand what is wrong.

Here’s wishing the very best of health to you all!

Stylish Gear for the Savvy Businessman and Businesswoman

2013-01-30T19:53:00.000+05:00

To be taken seriously in the business world, you need to look and act the part. This often means having the right gear, gadgets and accessories to come across as confident, intelligent and, most importantly, prepared to make an important deal or connection. This article will explore some of the latest and best accessories for the savvy businessman and businesswoman, including self-charging bags suitable for your smartphone, glasses to prevent jetlag and mobile phones to use on the go.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

One of the most well-received accessories of 2012 was the Logitech Ultrathin iPad keyboard attachment, and it is still making waves. This accessory works by connecting a thin, portable keyboard to your iPad with a magnetic clip. Doubling as a protective cover, this accessory turns into a fully functioning keyboard when it is slipped open. This accessory is great from the travelling businessman or woman as it helps your tablet make the seamless transition to a near laptop, all by adding a keyboard for ease of typing and transport.

Retimer Glasses

Business trips can be exciting opportunities for personal and professional growth. They can also, however, be stressful, draining and lead to debilitating jet lag that neither you or your boss can afford. A new Australian tech gadget may be here to help. Jet lag, which is a bodily reaction to abnormal shifts in sunlight patterns, can be controlled and prevented by using the Retimer glasses, which use green light to advance or delay the body’s natural rhythm. By wearing these glasses for 30 minutes after you wake up, or 30 minutes before bed, you should be able to return to natural sleeping patterns within three days. By mimicking the benefits of sunlight without harmful UV rays, Retimer reduces jet lag, increases energy and manages fatigue.

Everpurse

Everpurse, a small, portable purse that charges your smartphone, works by allowing you to place your phone into the pocket of a stylish clutch. Your phone connects to a docking system at the bottom of the clutch, so you don’t have to struggle with cords, and your phone then charges automatically. Each night you can place your Everpurse on its specially designed charging mat which uses inductive charging to send energy from the mat to the purse. Everpurse can charge your phone from 0 to 100 percent twice a day. The Everpurse is currently compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy S III.

BlackBerry Bold 3 Series

The new BlackBerryBold 3 series is designed with business in mind. For instance, the BlackBerry Bold 9000 is purposely compact, chic and powerful, perfect for taking business on the go, and not just because of the competitive BlackBerry price. The precision of the trackpad and responsiveness of the touchscreen make this phone easy and smooth to handle. In addition to enhanced email and data security, a touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard, this phone contains a 5 MP camera, voice recording and a powerful QC 8655 1.2GHz processor. With Wi-Fi access to BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Internet Bundle, you will never be disconnected. When researching the right tools for business, take a look at the now cheaper BlackBerry prices and consider if a smartphone will take you to the next level.

Subaru and Nordica Kick off Snowsports Season with the XV Crosstrek Run

2013-01-24T14:21:00.000+05:00

The snowsports season is beginning and Subaru together with Nordica is ready to kickstart it with the XV Crosstrek Run. The entire coast-to-coast journey by two young free skiers will be filmed and the material will be produced, edited into short videos by the Champlain College film students.

The videos as well as photos will be uploaded for online viewing by fans of Subaru and free skiing at http://www.multivu.com/players/English/59476-xv-crosstrek-run/.

The featured skier of the XV Crosstrek Run is Luke "Lupe" Hagearty and the filming will be done by another skier Liam McKinley. Together they will be hitting major mountain resorts, visiting skiing events across the U.S. in the all-new Subaru 2013 XV Crosstrek.

"The XV Crosstrek Run is a great collaborative effort and comes at the perfect time as we are celebrating our 10th anniversary of the Subaru-Nordica Service Team," states Tim Tagye, promotions and sponsorship manager, Subaru of America, Inc.

Both Luke and Liam were handpicked by Nordica, company that is dedicated to relentless product innovation to make of all types of skiing more fun, more comfortable and more enjoyable.

The journey, XV Crosstrek Run, is being undertaken to celebrate the partnership of Subaru and Nordica and the 10th anniversary of the Subaru-Nordica Service Team.

Disclosure: This post was submitted by an advertiser.

Looking for a Date? Let Your Smartphone App Do it for You

2013-01-23T17:23:00.000+05:00

One thing that has made smartphones and tablets indispensable is the way applications have made our lives organized and efficient. Whether the system is Android, iOS, or BlackBerry, there is an app available that can serve as our personal assistant, exercise buddy, music player, or digital toy. While it may be easy to find a mobile app to track our expenses or helps us with time management, can there be one to help you find Mr. Right, or at least Mr. Right Now?

Although online dating remains the top platform used by singles to find partners, it is slowly evolving with more users using mobile dating apps to find serious relationships or casual flings. Flurry Analytics reports that a survey of 2 million dating site users in various dating platforms revealed that mobile dating apps have been steadily gaining support, with usage now up at 8.4 minutes per day from 3.7 minutes in a period of one year. The improvement is primarily triggered by location-based features in a smartphone, which allows people to find possible dates within their perimeter in just a matter of minutes. Considering how many singles are focused on their careers with hardly any time for their personal life, such a feature is a good boost to finding a partner on the fly. Here are the best apps to consider in hopes of finding the one you may have been waiting for all your life.

1) Match.com

Considered the pioneer in online dating, Match.com continues to be the number one online dating site, with over 15 million members worldwide. Match.com intends to extend further and reach out to its users on the go. It is one of the more versatile dating mobile apps since it is available for iOS and Android enthusiasts, as well as for BlackBerry users, including those with the BlackBerry Bold smartphone.

2) eHarmony

Founded in 2002 by clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren, eHarmony offers the most comprehensive dating service online. It uses a unique method of matching users which is called “29 Dimensions of Compatibility.” Like Match.com, the app links to a user’s online subscription service but new registrations are also possible through the mobile app. According to its website, a survey indicates that an average of 542 people get married daily after meeting through eHarmony. Despite the extensive questionnaire that a new user needs to fill up to set up his or her profile, mobile app downloads of eHarmony breached the one million mark in 2011, with 10,000 more downloading it every day. Needless to say, eHarmony is intended for those looking for long-term relationships. The app is available for iOS and Android.

3) CupidRadar

One of the most sought-after features in mobile dating apps is the ability to locate possible dates within the user’s vicinity. CupidRadar is among location-based dating applications for BlackBerry and Android. Unlike other mobile dating apps, it imposes strict guidelines before a user is approved. The app also offers the best security since it does not reveal the actual location of the user, just the distance. Match results will give the user the option to send a message to prospective dates for a possible spur-of-the-moment meet up.

4) Zoosk

With over 50 million users worldwide, Zoosk claims to be the biggest network-based dating site. Unlike other dating apps, Zoosk connects your dating account with your Facebook account. It allows Facebook friends to post testimonials in your Zoosk profile page and likewise gives your prospective partners the ability to send flirts and gifts to your Facebook profile. Zoosk is free to join, but a paid subscription is required to connect to other members. Zoosk is available in iOS and Android.

Cox connects customers to the things they care about

2013-01-14T18:14:00.000+05:00

Cox Communication is the third largest cable TV company in the U.S. and has always been working hard to offer their customers what they really want and need. Today the needs have changed, compared to ten years back.

As Len Barlik, EVP Chief Product Officer at Cox Communications says, "Cox's focus has been connecting customer with things that are most important in their lives and that's been our focus the past 50 years. Video in the past has been focused in the living room, a shared experience, and what've really found out over the past several years is that video has extended to be more of a personalized experience."

And because of that, at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show Cox President Pat Esser together with Chairman and CEO John Chambers demonstrated a new mobile application that is being created to personalize the video experience to its customers. The new mobile application, developed by Cox engineers in partnership with Cisco, among other things, features 90 live TV channels and personalized video content recommendations. This means that Cox's customers are now able to watch 90 live TV channels from their tablet and if they want to, even to use the tablet as a remote control for Cox’s Advanced TV program guide. The personalized recommendations are available through enhanced Trio Program Guide, it enables personalized recommendations for up to eight users in a household and also gives them all a way to improve the recommendations by saying what they like and what they don't like.

Barlik said that "We make a point to ask our customers what they value. Our customers tell us they want easier access to the content that is most relevant to them. The investments we have made to deliver these new features puts our customers in command of the content that meets their uniquely personal interests."

Disclosure: This post was requested by an advertiser.

The Power of Social Media as a Marketing Tool

2012-12-18T14:46:00.004+05:00

McKinsey reckons over a trillion dollars of untapped productivity lies within a more effective use of social media. The consultancy firm claims most gains can be made through better internal and B2B social media efforts, but what about its use to promote products and services externally? Social media is now one of the most popular marketing tools for creating and retaining brand attention and recognition. But why do these campaigns work so well?

They’re cheap. Marketing methods are not normally ranked according to bang-for-buck, but when they are, social media marketing is the runaway winner. Traditional Above The Line (ATL) marketing campaigns are expensive, with print, broadcasting and real estate (e.g. billboard space) costs following traditional Supply and Demand economics. Physical space and airtime are limited resources and priced accordingly. Social media marketing turns this dynamic on its head: its resources are infinite. And it’s arguably better than free: when you make a social media marketing page – like a Facebook page – you are building out a social media provider’s space – they may even reward you for doing so with promotional benefits, or credits towards more traditional resource-limited advertising (like targeted banner ads).

It’s incredibly easy to convert prospects to promoters. Traditional marketing relies on capturing the interest of ‘prospects’– potential customers for a product or service – and gradually converting them through ‘stages’ (including ‘shopper’ and ‘owner’) into a ‘promoter’. A ‘promoter’ is someone who will tell their friends and family about their positive experience with the product or service, and this is widely regarded to be the most effective form of marketing. ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ buttons placed strategically on websites – both in static pages and at point of purchase – make for a very effective way of expediting this process.

Social media oils the cogs of larger campaigns. Take, for example, KFC Australia’s ‘Good Times’ campaign asking consumers to post ideas about what makes Australia great on their corporate Facebook page. Twin brothers Benji Madden and Joel Madden of American band Good Charlotte will use these ideas to write a hit song. Facebook account holders – a huge market of prospects – are encouraged to ‘Like’ the promotional page, or comment on a thread. Since Facebook account activity is broadcast to friends and family (according to the vast majority of users’ privacy settings), members instantly become campaign promoters, regardless of whether they’ve recently eaten a KFC meal.

They’re quick to deploy and easy to track. Social media marketing delivers results fast – much more so than traditional marketing campaigns. They’re extremely easy to set up and maintain, and most platforms will give you some sort of official analytics tool to get insights into the progress of your campaign (something you might otherwise have to hire an external marketing agency or consultant to do). Even better, there’s now a host of third-party applications that facilitate easier tracking of more complex marketing concepts such as ‘sentiment’ (consumer attitude towards the product or service), ‘engagement’ (consumer activity around your product or service – a good indicator of consumer ‘awareness’) and ‘virality’ (the ability of your product or service to ‘spread’ across the internet or social media service).

Celebrities and social media campaigns – a match made in heaven?

2012-12-13T17:20:00.000+05:00

Given that celebrities now enjoy such a huge influence over their fanbase thanks to the rise of social networking, it seems only logical that they should be the first port of call for companies launching a social media marketing campaign. It isn't just a case of 'you tweet, they buy', however; the success of a celebrity-affiliated social media campaign depends on a number of factors, and not all campaigns have been successful, even if they have a famous name attached.

If you get it right, a celebrity-endorsed campaign can be a huge benefit to a product or service and raise its profile massively. Let's take a look at some recent celebrity social media campaigns, and whether having a celebrity attached really does work.

Vince Wilfork – Eastern Bank 'Toys for Tots' Campaign

In what is a great example of combining the opportunity to do some social good while conducting a marketing campaign, Eastern Bank enlisted NFL linebacker Vince Wilfork to aid with their 'Toys for Tots' drive. People would tweet a picture to Wilfork of whatever toy they donated, and Wilfork would then re-tweet the picture. It was a runaway success, with so many toys donated that Eastern actually struggled to cope with them all. The object of the campaign was to court mainstream press coverage for the bank by using both the NFL star and the social media element as PR hooks, and it worked like a charm. Stories were run in the Boston Globe and other papers, as well as TV and radio. The campaign succeeded partly because Wilfork is such a high-profile figure, but also because it gave people the chance to do good while being recognised by their favourite sports star.

Madden Brothers – KFC 'Good Times' Campaign

The KFC 'Good Times' campaign has to be applauded for its inspired use of celebrity in order to raise awareness of its brand. The fast food chain has got the Madden brothers (of 'Good Charlotte' fame) on board to promote its Australian business by encouraging fans to send suggestions through the KFC Facebook page of what it means to have a 'good time' in Australia. The brothers will then write a song based on the suggestions, and perform it on Australia Day at ANZ Stadium.

The campaign has generated a huge amount of publicity for KFC in Australia, and will culminate with a pop song that will be heard by people all over the world. It's the creative use of social media in this campaign that has made it so successful.

Wayne Rooney - Nike

Proving that celebrity-endorsed marketing campaigns can backfire if handled incorrectly, Nike's use of Wayne Rooney's Twitter influence ended up being less than successful, and was even banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority. The campaign was simple enough, with Rooney making tweets regarding Nike products on his Twitter feed. Problems arose because Rooney was passing off as a personal comment what was clearly an advertisement. The resulting backlash was harmful to Nike's brand, and just goes to show, simply having a celebrity on board with your social media campaign is no guarantee of success.

The examples listed here show that having a celebrity promote your brand through social media can do great things for exposing it to a wider audience. The most successful ones, however, as demonstrated by the KFC and Eastern Bank campaigns, have as an integral part of those campaigns some kind of meaningful interaction between the celebrities and their fans. Campaigns tend to be less successful, and even harmful to a brand, when they come across as cynical exploitation rather than a genuine attempt to connect with people. In short, celebrities can be a great benefit to social media campaigns, so long as the fans are treated with respect.

MODDING CRYSIS: THE TOP FOUR MODS FOR EA’S FINEST

2012-12-12T17:33:00.000+05:00

Modding Crysis: the top four mods for EA’s Finest

How can you make it even better?

Modding Crysis can make the world’s most beautiful game even more beautiful

Crysis is one of the most wildly successful games of all time. Why? Because it combines fluid gameplay, awe-inspiring graphics and a thrilling story arc in one well-rounded package. But if you want to step beyond the constraints of the 'vanilla' – unmodified – game, you'll need to
think about mods. So what's out there?

Rygel’s high texture pack.

Crysis is beautiful, right? How about we make it a bit more beautiful? Rygel’s high texture pack does just that. It’s 2GB in size – mas

Ultra-customisable nanosuit.

If the awesome character skin provided with vanilla Crysis didn’t impress enough, you can customise it to your heart’s content with the ‘NanoSuit Ultra Customizable’ mod. If pink is your favourite colour, or you fancy a green visor, this mod allows you to dictate Crytek’s best in modern practical fashion.

sive – and ups many of the in-game textures to (occasionally) double their regular size, hugely increasing detail. One for those with monster PCs – it’s hard to recommend to anyone gaming on less than a Radeon 6800 – this pack takes a stunning game and pushes it towards photorealism.

aNoN’s water shader.

Crysis had groundbreaking water simulation technology when it was first released back in 2007 (the same year as the very first iPhone). As you might have guessed, we’ve come on a fair way since then, and aNoN has brought the latest and best in water shading and texturing (featured in many new games) to bear in this excellent water mod for Crysis. Including proper waves, better reflections and more accurate fluid mechanics, this water mod promises the best realism simulation this side of Crysis 3.

FarCrysis.

Though this mod has been long dead – the last demo was released in 2009 – it’s an incredible attempt to recreate Far Cry 2 in the CryEngine 2. It’s an admirable and broadly successful repitching of the original plot and game regions from the 2008 Ubisoft classic Far Cry 2, a game that had its roots in Crytek’s own Far Cry. The open world was marred by loading screens, something that FarCrysis attempted to remedy. FC2’s graphics received all sorts of critical acclaim, and so the recreation of the open world - without borders or loading screens - was a bold and noble attempt. Perhaps someone will pick it up with the CryEngine 3....

Punk Rock - Songs About Rebellion Or Having A Good Time?

2012-12-11T17:01:00.001+05:00

It is hard to think of a musical genre whose ethos has changed as steeply as Punk Rock. Since its birth in the mid-70s, the lyrical content and messages laid out by the genre have truly come a long way. From its first origins around 1974 in the UK (the movement also had additional presence in the United States and Australia), bands such as the Clash and the Sex Pistols have aired statements directed at the social and political conditions of late 70s Britain. These bands expressed much frustration and anger, which was reflected in their lyrics as well as the crudeness of their sonic output and the simplicity of their clothing.

The contribution of these bands to rock music has been vast – the bare instrumentation and musical structure challenged classic acts such as the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones. Wearing t-shirts and jeans also served as antithesis to the classic suited-up appearance. Anthems by The Clash such as ‘White Riot’ and ‘Guns of Brixton’, with their extremely dark subject matter have shaken rock music to its very foundations, inspiring a new generation of songwriters.

Punk has since evolved in many ways. Sub-genres such as Grunge, New Wave, Pop-Punk, and Emo are often considered to be follow-ups of the initial movement. And it is worth asking – is punk these days strictly comprised of politically-laden messages, or has this completely faded?

Over the years the genre is known to have developed and diversified to such an extent, that even ‘Alternative’ and ‘College Rock’ bands are considered to be under the punk-rock umbrella. The likes of Blink 182, Green Day, and Good Charlotte sing about anything from dropping out of school, personal relationships, and generally having a good time. Joel Madden and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte have recently promised the band’s fans that they would write a song inspired by fans’ own idea of good times shared with them on Facebook.

Despite this being a far cry from what punk set to do in the seventies, some believe that social aspects will always maintain the core of the genre thanks to sub-genres such as Post-Punk, Anarcho-Punk, Hardcore, and New Wave. What is clear, though, is that the word ‘punk’ now means a lot of things. John Robb, British writer and musician involved in the annual Rebellion punk festival, recently made the following comment about the many definitions of punk in today’s world: ‘I don't think punk is necessarily a style of music... For some people it's anarchistic, for some people it's leftwing, for some people, unfortunately, it's rightwing and a lot of people in the middle just like the records and have some vague notion that it's travelling in a communal direction’.

Glasses Go Mainstream: Are They Here to Stay?

2012-12-07T16:28:00.000+05:00

Over the past decade, glasses have become increasingly fashionable. At the moment a part of so-called Geek-chic, what was once the symbol of nerds and losers is now undeniably hip. Even the stars –from Zooey Deschanel to David Beckham – are wearing spectacles with pride. But if the stigma that was once attached to glasses has, indeed, vanished, why is it that more than $14 billion per year continues to be spent on contact lenses worldwide? Are the days of people hiding their poor eyesight really gone for good, or is the popularity of glasses just a passing fad?

Glasses and contact lenses are big business. According to the 2004-05 National Health Survey almost half of all Australians suffer from some sort of visual impairment: 5.3 million are long-sighted and 4.3 million are shortsighted. A total of 9.4 million Australians are glasses and contact lens wearers. As people live longer, impaired eyesight will only become more prevalent. Soon, those who do not use glasses or contact lenses may well be in a minority.

There are, of course, plenty of reasons why people might choose contact lenses over glasses that have nothing to do with fashion: contact lenses can be more appropriate for sporting activities, they do not fog-up, and give greater peripheral vision. Both glasses and contact lenses are widely used, however. In the end, deciding between the two is often a matter of aesthetics.

Significantly, in the recent American presidential elections, Barack Obama chose to wear contact lenses, rather than glasses in public. An interesting, related fact is that in the post-war era US, only two presidents regularly wore glasses in public – Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson – and both of them came to power through the previous incumbent dying. It all comes down to the Jock/Nerd paradigm that we’re all familiar seeing in American teen movies: whereas in Australia we are somewhat used to being governed by studious-looking individuals, in America, the country’s leader still very much needs to look like a tough guy.

The fashion for glasses in recent years has undoubtedly closely corresponded with the rise of digital culture. As roads to success began to increasingly rely upon high skilled information work, it was inevitable that we would see greater prestige given to the wearers of glasses.

Equally, if we want to see what the future may look like, we should turn to China’s example; not only because of its rising economic and political power, but also because of the fact that over the last 2000 years Confucian culture has placed a high premium on studiousness. Indeed, in China today, there is even a fashion for those with near perfect eyesight to don their own pair of frames.

Keyword: Value

2012-12-06T20:42:00.000+05:00

With the recession in mind, good value seems to be the thing that sells cars. Renault’s budget version ‘Dacia’ sales grew by 11% in 2011, with the 2012 figure expected to be similar. Skoda is already a well-established value brand with diverse offering, from small cars to family cars and 4x4s, and without any of the nasty associations of ‘economy’ cars. According to Autobild.de, Volkswagen is also planning three ‘budget’ additions to its current fleet by 2015, to be available from around £7,000.

The key to this trend is not to be cheap at all cost. Dacia cars come with extensive warranty provisions – the Renault technology is subject to seven years’ warranty, and cars can be serviced at all 127 Renault-dealers across the country.

The Skoda Octavia is probably the best family car out there which starts at £12,585. It boasts the high standard of Volkswagen group technology, combined with plenty of space and surprisingly attractive design – the interior is sleeker than that of a standard Volkswagen golf hatchback. Customers can choose between two petrol and two diesel engines, with turbocharged version available.

And ‘value’ is only just beginning. The Dacia Sandero supermini, which has been available for pre-order from late October, starts at just £5,995, and includes split-fold rear seats, daytime running lights, and power steering (however no stereo). The mid-spec Ambiente version, starting from £6,595, comes with a Stereo system complete with CD-player and Bluetooth-connectivity, as well as ‘electric front windows, remote central locking, body coloured bumpers and 15-inch ‘Colorado’ wheel trims’. The Sandero boot has an impressive load-capacity of 320 litres, and can thus easily compete with more traditional city car models such as the Ford Fiesta or the Vauxhall Corsa. Most impressively of all, the optional Renault three-cylinder 0.9litre petrol engine with 89bhp is capable of running on as little as 74.3mpg, with CO2 emissions of approximately 99g/km. Available in the UK from early 2013, the Dacia Duster will be the cheapest five-seat SUV on the UK market – with prices starting from £8,995. The four-wheel-drive version will be available from £10,995, making it the cheapest 4x4 in Britain.

Even before its official release however, the Duster faces fierce competition from a surprising corner – the Fiat Panda 4x4 TwinAir starts at £14,000 and has been reviewed as ‘a pretty hard car to think of a rival to’ by Autocar.co.uk. It is one of the cheapest and smallest four-wheel-drives currently available, and, again according to the aforementioned review, does just as well in the city as in narrow country terrain (unlike many a standard, and far pricier SUV). Its 'Torque on Demand' fully automatic system integrates two differentials and an electronically controlled coupling, thus determining traction placement according to live road conditions. A new six-speed manual and impressive-looking mud and snow tyres also come as a standard. The 84bhp 0.9-litre TwinAir engine uses 61.4mpg, and produces 105g CO2/km.

This trend is just starting out – and with Volkswagen and Renault planning extensive additions to their ‘value’-fleets, it will be interesting to see where this goes. Reassuringly, not even super-value brand Dacia compromises on safety – all Sandero models come with standard driver, passenger and side airbags, ESC, ABS, brake assist, and traction control.

The Changing Face Of Music Sponsorship

2012-12-05T18:18:00.002+05:00

Collaboration with musical artists is a useful tool for brands to win over new customers. The affiliation with something people feel passionate about can considerably contribute to a brand’s popularity, change its ethos, and boost sales. It is therefore no wonder campaigns by giants such as Coca-Cola, Smirnoff, Adidas, and KFC are easy to come by. And, interestingly, the nature of such operations is constantly changing.

The older model of music sponsorship incorporated brand advertising across an artist’s tour locations, as well as heavy television presence. Such was Coca-Cola’s strategy when sponsoring the 1984 Jackson Five tour. Methods used in this model, such as outdoor advertising and extensive featuring of the brand logo on tickets, promotional material, and various merchandise, are still used. However new, more ambient methods are now being introduced.

Social networking is notable for its dynamic nature – the continuous interaction of brands with their consumers. Putting an artist or band in the spotlight takes such interaction to higher levels. This autumn KFC and the Madden Brothers (of Good Charlotte fame) are collaborating in a campaign called ‘Good Times’. Australians are encouraged to post their favourite experiences and share them on KFC’s Facebook wall, which, as pledged by the band, will be used as inspiration for writing a new song, which will be performed on Australia Day in January. This campaign allows people to get involved

o2 have followed a similar strategy. For New Year’s Eve 2011, the telecommunications giant staged an exclusive performance by British rock band Kasabian at the o2 arena, where they announced new products and generally promoted the brand. Kasabian fans who did not manage to attend the show were encouraged to watch the concert on o2’s dedicated Youtube channel, and post their comments. Further comments were encouraged by o2 on its own website, asking fans to post titles of the band’s songs they would like to hear for their new year’s celebrations.

Such changes in the nature of sponsorship have also been attested to by music industry professionals. Adam Williams, UK sales director at Spotify, has referred to more 'in-depth integrations' between brands and artists. According to him, in recent campaigns brands have ‘become a lot more focused on creating a rich experience across multiple platforms’.

Are such changes expected to affect the future of the industry? Quite possibly. Artists are less and less reliant on traditional models, such as selling CDs, or being played on national radio. According to DJ and producer Mark Ronson, who collaborated with Cola-Cola on its recent Olympic campaign, working with a big brand is no different to working with a label. And with current difficulties in monetizing recorded music, brand collaborations are becoming an extremely attractive alternative.

Australia Takes on Social Media

2012-12-05T17:32:00.001+05:00

When it comes to the innovative use of social media, pop stars like Justin Bieber may come to mind, or powerful politicians like Barack Obama's internet-heavy election campaigns. Not many people would think of an entire continent as a savvy social media user.

But that's exactly what Australia has done. The country and its people have used social media in inventive and unexpected ways to promote Australia both as a tourism destination and as a pretty cool place to live. Here's a look at three amazing social media campaigns that promote Australia:

The Best Job in the World

Queensland, Australia's second largest state, decided it needed to do something creative in 2009 to drum up interest in its biggest eco-tourism destination, the Great Barrier Reef. The state's tourism agency hired CumminsNitro to help put together an innovative campaign that helped generate US$70 million worth of media exposure — with plenty of it coming from social media sources having fun with the campaign theme — for the Reef.

Tourism Queensland's campaign was called 'The Best Job in the World'. It created a website encouraging people from all over the world to apply for a job as a "Caretaker of the Islands" on the Great Barrier Reef. The winning applicant would get a generous salary, free housing in a luxury villa . They would live on Hamilton Island, in the Reef, for six months. Definitely good times for the winner. Applicants were encouraged to be creative with their applications.

Tourism Queensland's campaign resulted in 34,000 applications from over 200 countries. Applicants created Facebook groups, published blogs and recorded videos of themselves to get the organisers' attention. The eventual winner was Ben Southall from the United Kingdom. He was stung by a deadly jellyfish during his tenure but made a full recovery. According to BBC News, Southall is now employed by Tourism Queensland and he met his fiancee in the state as well.

Good Times with KFC and the Madden Brothers

Another approach to national promotion is the pop culture crossover approach adopted by Joel and Benji Madden, the brothers who started rock group Good Charlotte. The duo will write an original song and perform it live for the first time on Australia Day next year at the ANZ Stadium. The twist is that the song will be inspired by content submitted by their fans on a special Good Times Facebook page set up by the brothers' partner in this project, KFC Australia.

The idea behind the campaign is to get fans of Joel Madden and Benji Madden to create videos, write stories, or snap photos of the people, places and things that make living in Australia so full of 'good times'. The link between the quintessential Australian 'good times' lifestyle and the pop cultural influence of the Madden brothers will help propel awareness of Australia domestically and internationally.

There's Nothing Like Australia

On a national level, Australia's tourism agency hasn't been resting on its social media laurels either. This year it launched a US$260 million campaign with the theme 'There's Nothing Like Australia' with a strong emphasis on tablet applications and viral video distribution on global online platforms. This is a slightly different approach than the campaign leveraging Joel Madden and Benji Madden's star status.

According to trade publication Campaign Brief, the new campaign, developed by DDB Group Sydney, will first target Australia's key markets for inbound tourism: the United Kingdom, China and the United States.

The campaign features a "signature advertisement" featuring iconic Australian scenes including Sydney's harbour, Melbourne's Southbank, Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and more. According to Tourism Australia, the video has been a "massive hit", going viral in China, where it has been viewed more than 8 million times on Chinese video social networks within the first month of it being made available. Looks like the good times are just starting to roll for Tourism Australia.

From rock star inspiration from Benji Madden and Joel Madden on Facebook to multi-million dollar international campaigns on video-sharing platforms to the heartwarming idea of offering one lucky person the best job in the world, Australia and its people have certainly been using social media in creative and effective ways.

Kelley Blue Book announces 2013 Best Resale Value Award Winners

2012-12-03T21:09:00.000+05:00

Kelley Blue Book (KBB), automotive vehicle valuation company that published its first guide to used car values back in 1926, has just announced 2013 Best Resale Value Awards.

The Best Resale Value Awards are given out in three main groups - Best brands, Overall Top Ten Winners and Category Winners.

These awards are given out to recognize the automotive industry and the individual companies in it, for producing the cars that are more likely keep most of their value over the first five years of new-car ownership.

The 2013 model-year vehicle award winners have just been announced and the Best Resale Value Brand Award went to TOYOTA, Best Resale Value Luxury Brand Award went to LEXUS.

Inside the Top 10 Cars category you can find Honda Civic, Toyota Land Cruiser, Porsche Cayenne, just to mention a few names. The winner in high-end luxury car category was Porsche Panamera, in Minivan/Van category Toyota Sienna and Hybrid category Ford Fusion. For full the list, visit Kelley Blue Book, see the website at KBB.com and watch the player below:

Note that some vehicles were not considered for the awards, vehicles with low sales volumes as well vehicles with the manufacturer's suggested retail price more than $60,000 (except for luxury and high-performance categories).

The Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards as well as all the other information available on their website, KBB.com, has been designed with one main thought in mind - to help you, the consumer, to make smarter car-buying decisions. KBB.com is the leading provider of everything related to cars, both used and new.

Disclosure: This post was requested by an advertiser.

Five Things I’d Love to See in a Football Game

2012-11-29T23:10:00.000+05:00

While the likes of FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer continue to move towards recreating a picture perfect polygonal representation of a football game, one can’t help but wonder if something of the anarchic fun of video games is being lost in this drive for realism. In an effort to remedy this, here are five off-the-wall ideas to put the fun back into football games.

1. Lose a player when you score

Loosely inspired by chess games where every piece you take is filled with a spirit and must then be drunk, here’s an idea to even up ability in in-person and online games. Quite simply, every time a player scores, they lose a random player from their team, until only one outfield player and a goalkeeper is left. This would inject an interesting element of strategy into lopsided games, forcing players to choose whether they want to go for that 5-0, but end up with 6 players, or keep it at 0-0 and even teams until the last possible moment and then score the winning goal.

2. Extreme weather

While many football games have made some efforts to incorporate weather effects like snow and rain, these have generally made only a modest impact on gameplay – and in some cases have been almost entirely visual. Now is the time to truly explore these possibilities, with completely waterlogged pitches where the ball will barely run, high winds that turn your crosses back to you and completely snow-covered pitches with no bounce – all sure to liven up the average exhibition game or provide a new challenge in your season. Moreover, as the past few weeks have proved, football games are often played in these conditions and therefore incorporating them would heighten a game’s claim to realism, rather than diminish it.

3. Shirtless celebrations

To truly represent the madness of modern football, football games have to include shirtless celebrations, with the now customary booking following them obviously. Not only would this add an extra jolt of simulated emotion if used sparingly for moments of great importance, it would allow players to recreate the truly iconic moment of last season’s Premier League, Aguero’s winning goal followed by that topless, shirt-twirling euphoric run along the touchline.

4. Jumpers for goalposts

A mode where the goals are replaced by a couple of jumpers would not only give a properly back to basics feel, but also allow players a nostalgic thrill as they recreate the endless hours spent on kickarounds in the park. What’s more, with no crossbar, an LA Noire-style minigame where players argue about whether a shot was over the bar could also be included.

5. Indoor mode

For me, as for many other gamers, the mention of FIFA 97 or FIFA 98 means one thing: indoor mode, bringing back memories of endless hours spent playing with the world’s best players in a five-a-side game on polished wooden floors hemmed by glass walls. This setting also opened up interesting new gameplay possibilities, with players able to bounce the ball off the walls, setting up unique opportunities for headers and overhead kicks. What’s more, the reduced pitch size made scoring goals from goalkeeper punts a genuine possibility. While some positive steps in this direction were taken with the incorporation of Futsal into the latest FIFA Street, FIFA’s officially sanctioned five-a-side football includes kick-ins when the ball goes out of play and a penalty zone that’s off-limits to outfield players, making a true recreation of what was so special about the old indoor mode impossible. Of all these suggestions, it is the return of indoor mode that is most desperately wanted, an addition that would bring joy to thousands of football game fans across the globe.

Contact Lenses for Children? The Pros and Cons

2012-11-23T19:38:00.001+05:00

Most glasses-wearers will be able to recall unpleasant childhood memories relating to their spectacles. Whether it is being called names like ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Bookworm’, or ‘Four-Eyes’, or simply because of the fact that prescription sunglasses never looked quite as cool as those worn by everyone else at school, needing glasses as a child is rarely fun.

More and more young children are wearing contact lenses – but is this the right option for your child? Professionals usually say that an appropriate age at which children can start wearing contact lenses varies from child to child. Here are a few of the pros and cons for contact lenses for children

PROS

Looks

As mentioned before, wearing glasses can play a huge part in the way a child is perceived by his or her peers, and, even more importantly, in the way a child perceives himself or herself. This, in turn, is reflected in a child’s social relationships and school performance. If wearing glasses is affecting your child’s confidence, it may well be worth considering the alternative.

General Comfort of Wear

Modern soft contact lenses are extremely comfortable to wear. They completely bypass many annoying problems created by glasses – they never steam up because of a change in temperature, and they never get smeared with rain or anything else. Long-time wearers of glasses will be amazed by the peripheral vision that contact lenses offer! Lenses are also known to have improved hay fever symptoms in some users – although they may also worsen symptoms.

Practicality for Sports

The argument here is much the same as the one above – contact lenses simplify everyday life, right down to sports-related activities. They allow children to pursue anything from gymnastics to baseball to swimming without fear of either injury or of loss or damage to glasses.

CONS

Hygiene

Good eyecare is very important for all ages, and hygiene must not be allowed to become a problem. A child may be hugely conscientious in other areas but still might prove to be less careful with contact lenses when he or she determined to avoid wearing glasses! Youthful contact lenses wearers have to be supervised to make sure hands and contact lenses are kept in hygienic condition.

Prolonged Wear

Again, children who enjoy wearing their contact lenses (whether for reasons of confidence or convenience) tend to be reluctant to swap them for glasses as much as they should. Over-wear of contact lenses may cause disrupted oxygen supply to the eye, unpleasant dryness, and an increased risk of eye infections. Again, adult supervision is crucial.

Ruptured and ‘Lost’ Lenses

Many parents, and particularly those without personal experience of wearing lenses, fear that they may somehow rupture, and even be ‘lost’ within the eye. While the first is possible, it is extremely rare. In fact, a damaged contact lens will be highly uncomfortable to the wearer, which means it is unlikely to remain in the eye long enough to cause any damage. It is impossible for a contact lens to actually be ‘lost’ within the eye. Blinking and rinsing of the eye with lens-fluid will make any lens re-appear.

The rare problem of lenses that fall out of the eye is easily remedied by carrying a spare pair of disposable lenses. A contact lens that has fallen out should, under no circumstances, be re-inserted into the eye without having been rinsed with specialist lens-fluid (which is also available in pocket-sized bottles). Lenses are most likely to ‘fall out’ either because of the dusty and dry surroundings or because your eyes are dry and tired; the latter can be avoided by responsible use of lenses.

Expense

Contact lenses should never replace glasses, and therefore naturally constitute an additional cost. Disposable or ‘daily’ contact lenses are the most expensive option – however, as they are the most hygienic contact lens option they tend to be the best option for childres.

This is by no means a comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons of contact lenses for children, but it may give a useful starting point for parental considerations. It is important to note that contact lenses should never replace glasses (particularly as there is now a much larger selection of funky children’s glasses out there than there was about fifteen to twenty years ago!), but rather should be treated as complimentary to them.

In fact, the author herself is a contact lenses wearer, who started using them as an alternative to glasses at the age of fourteen.

Accidents in oz – one of the leading causes of injury

2012-11-15T19:53:00.000+05:00

In 2011, accidents (unintentional injuries) were the fifth most likely cause of death for US citizens, being noted as having been the cause of death for 122,777 people. A study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that accidents and injuries are most likely to occur in the home, with 30 percent of all injuries occurring within the injured individual’s own property. An OECD report, Occupational Accidents in OECD countries, found that international variations in numbers of accidents occurring in the workplace were fairly minimal, and Australia is on a par with the US. This article will proceed on that premise.

The same study found that only 16 percent of people then went to a doctor, a figure that was higher for those in possession of private health care insurance. Though only 5 percent of injured individuals – around a third of those who visited a doctor – required attention in hospital, the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Injury in the United States: 2007 Chartbook found that a third of all visits to emergency departments were due to injuries. It is therefore worth considering hospital cover if for no other reason than this.

Falls were by far and away the most likely cause of injury in the home, accounting for the vast majority of accidents. In the UK records of Deaths registered to Government in England and Wales, 2010, around 20 percent of all falls were from steps or stairs, although the vast majority of falls were ‘unspecified’ (some 78 percent). Participants in the 2005 meeting of the International Collaborative Effort on Injury Statistics found that Australian over-65s were around half as likely to injure themselves by falling than American over-65s.

A surprisingly small number of deaths in that same study were attributed to ‘exposure to smoke, fire and flames’. The cause of death – whose official label is ‘X00-X09’ – counted for a relatively low 237 deaths in the UK in 2011. This is in comparison to over 1,500 deaths as a result of poisoning and exposure to noxious substances. Similarly small was the number of deaths in the UK attributed to ‘lack of food’, with only 6 recorded incidents of starvation.

The US study demonstrated that between the ages of 70 and 85, deaths due to unintentional accidents rise by 600 percent to seven times the figure of 40 deaths per 100,000 population for 69-year-olds. Poisoning is also up from the 1985 genesis of the US study, having doubled as a cause of death among US citizens over 25 years. Falls have also steadily increased, although incidents involving firearms are down from a high of 15 deaths per 100,000 in 1995 to 10 deaths per 100,000 in 2006.

In the Australian workplace, things are quite different. Almost three quarters of accident and injury claimants are male, with manufacturing and construction taking most of the hit. Women were more likely to injure themselves working in the retail or communication sectors.#

All studies conclude that accidents are an expected part of daily life – but are almost entirely preventable. Despite this, they continue to account for around 8 percent of total healthcare spending worldwide.

iPhone or BlackBerry smartphone: which to choose?

2012-11-10T22:11:00.000+05:00

There tends to be quite a harsh divide between those people who love BlackBerry mobile phones and those who prefer using the iPhone. Both of these devices are impressive smartphones with many different features for the users, meaning that they both stand out on the market. Taking a closer look at some of the main differences between these two types of phone, here is a general comparison of the two models:

Ease of use

First, the way in which the user can enter information into the two phones varies, with the iPhone being well-known for its touchscreen feature, compared to the keyboard feature on most BlackBerry mobile phones. However, BlackBerry Bold smartphones offer users a touchscreen and a track-ball, competing with the large icons and simple design that the iPhone touchscreen offers.

On this point, each individual will have a different view, with some preferring the high-tech quality of the iPhone’s touchscreen. On the other hand, the keyboard on BlackBerry mobile phones is simple to use and makes typos much less likely when writing out emails or text messages. It is also, perhaps, the simpler design for a wider target audience, as tasks that require a lot of typing are made much simpler through the use of the BlackBerry mobile phone keyboard. Furthermore, the major disadvantage of the touchscreen is that the iPhone is likely to crack easier, thus making it a lot less hardwearing and more fragile than the BlackBerry smartphone.

Entertainment

One major advantage that the iPhone has over the BlackBerry is the vast array of different apps available for users to download and use, although the BlackBerry App Store is expanding quite rapidly. Moreover, it also has a superior built-in camera and video recorder, boasting eight megapixels as opposed to the five megapixels offered by BlackBerry smartphones. Depending on what the user wishes to use the phone for, these points will have varying degrees of significance. Although the iPhone has more internal memory space than the BlackBerry mobile phone, the latter does have the option of an expandable memory, through the simple use of a larger memory card, which provides users with up to 64GB of additional memory space.

Value for money

A BlackBerry smartphone generally works out to be a lot cheaper than the iPhone on contract, saving you a lot of money! For example, you can get a BlackBerry 9790 from the latest BlackBerry Bold mobile phone family for a very affordable price. Considering the similarities between what each of these smartphones has to offer, the cheaper prices of the BlackBerry smartphones make them a very appealing and less costly option.

Battery life

The BlackBerry smartphone also has the advantage of having a battery life that is far superior to that of an iPhone, meaning that a user doesn’t have the hassle of needing to charge their phone as often. The BlackBerry Bold 9900 mobile phone, for example, has a GSM talk time of up to 6.9 hours. Although the 3GS iPhone claims to have a talk time of five hours, user reviews of the iPhone imply that the battery life advertised for the phone is quite optimistic when compared to how long the battery actually lasts for when used on a daily basis. Using the internet on your phone via 3G, watching movies or tv shows, or downloading content are all things that can drain the battery on your phone, so if battery life is a major consideration for you, make sure to consider your options.

Communication

Between the two phones, call quality tends to be better with the BlackBerry smartphone, especially when using the handsfree option. One feature that has proved to be particularly popular with users is the BBM messaging system which BlackBerry offers, meaning that users can message each other for free. Subsequently, iPhone has created a similar service with iMessages being possible between iPhone users.

Overall, both the iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones have their individual advantages and disadvantages. When choosing between the two, it is important to work out what you actually want to get from your smartphone. Everybody is different, and so you need to think about what you will be using your smartphone for, and whether the model you are considering buying has the most important features for you.

New Innovations in Eyecare

2012-11-06T16:27:00.000+05:00

Health (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

Though most recognized and lauded medical innovations are focused on prolonging life and finding cure to fatal diseases, it is reassuring to know that there are still some that pursue improvement in a person’s quality of life. And no innovation can benefit more people than one that addresses eyecare. According to a study from Tulane University School of Medicine, approximately 135 million people worldwide suffer from low vision alone – a serious visual impairment – and this number is expected to double by 2030. This figure doesn’t even include those with more serious visual impairments caused by aging or other factors, and doesn’t include the millions of people across the world who need to wear glasses or contact lenses in everyday life because of myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).

Can you Outwit Facebook’s 5,000 Friends Limit?

2012-11-05T18:18:00.000+05:00

English: Facebook icon Español: Ícono de Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the past seven years, the impact of social media worldwide has grown by leaps and bounds. Facebook and Twitter have become such a part of people’s daily lives that these are now considered the most efficient platforms to reach out to thousands. Among all the online social media platforms, Facebook is considered the most popular with more than 900 million registered users to date. It is no surprise then that it is recognized as one of the most important marketing tools so far in the 21^st century. People open their Facebook page on computers or laptops, but more and more people are accessing Facebook through tablets and mobile phones – keeping up with their friends, as well as with businesses and groups, while on the move.

Ultra-compact City Cars - Is Now the Time?

2012-11-01T17:10:00.001+05:00

Volkswagen recently stunned critics with a decision to go public with the distribution of their 2007 Frankfurt and Tokyo motor show concept car - the Volkswagen Up! - and a related line of ultra compact city cars, known as the 'New Small Family', or 'NSF', model line. It's in Volkswagen's blood - the name literally means 'family car' in Germany. Are they right? Are we living in 'New Small Families'? Are we ready to go ultra-compact?

Why is Volkswagen so popular in Brazil?

2012-11-01T16:56:00.002+05:00

One in five cars on the Brazilian roads is a German-designed VW. What gives the European brand such purchase over Brazilian consumers - and is it likely to continue?

Incredibly, Volkswagen’s Gol - a subcompact successor to the VW Beetle (which shares none of its predecessor’s radical styling) - has been the most popular car to buy in Brazil for the last 25 years. It’s VW’s entry-level model specifically designed for the South American market - the name means ‘goal’ in Brazil, a country famed for its ardent football passion.

Volkswagen do Brazil (VWB), the first arm Volkswagen ever extended outside Germany, was founded in 1953 - only 8 years after the German brand first started producing cars in earnest, off the back of a 20,000-Beetle order from the British Army at the end of the war. The German auto genesis happened in a bombed-out shell of a factory, complete with ticking, undefused, unexploded bomb (no kidding).

So it’s not overly-surprising that, at a time when personal vehicles were only just entering the consumer mainstream, Brazil rallied around the only car manufacturer for thousands of miles. The Americans were busied up with their policy of isolation, and their gasoline-chugging monsters just weren’t suited for South America’s relatively untamed roadways.

So Brazil got Volkswagen, and nowadays they consider it to be one of their own. VW are the largest car manufacturer in Brazil, and Brazil is their second-largest market in the world. They manufacture nearly a million vehicles a year there.

So VW is deeply embedded in Brazilian culture. But is it likely to stay there? The resounding answer from the Sao Paulo motor show - at which Volkswagen’s possible latest in their ‘New Small Family’ ultra-compact line, the Taigun Concept, was revealed - is ‘most definitely’. Brazil is urbanising rapidly. From a 50-50 urban-rural split in 1965, the figures are now more like 90-10 - a phenomenon that is mirrored across the entire Latin America and Caribbean region. At the same time, the region is deeply embroiled in frontier research around biofuels, efficiency and economy. Money is tight - Latin America is not a wealthy part of the world.

For this reason, Volkswagen’s introduction of the Volkswagen Up! in to UK markets will have caused significant excitement in Brazil. It’s lightweight. It’s cheap, being the successor to the entry-level Fox, which is not dissimilar to the Gol in GDP per capita-adjusted price point. Critically, it does 95 miles to the gallon on regular petrol, with biofuel, hybrid-electric and plug-in models on the way. It carries a slew of accolades - European Car of the Year, the Small Car of the Year award, five-star ratings from every critic who’s driven one. It’s pitched as ‘the ultimate city car of the future’. Given Brazil’s love of VW, need for urban vehicles and relatively low affluence, the Up! - and its SUV-inspired brother, the Taigun Concept - could keep the love for VW flowing from South America for generations to come.