Which Phone To Buy? The HTC One M8 Or The IPhone 5S?

Once upon a time, the choice between Android phones and Apple’s flagship product were clear cut: If you wanted a well made premium phone, you chose Apple.

That sounds harsh, and whilst Android fans have constantly pointed to the greater openness and customisation options of Google’s OS, the truth was that really good, well finished phones didn’t really exist. Sure, you could find something powerful, but there were few handsets that came anywhere near the build quality of an iPhone.

That’s started to change in recent years, and arguably the nicest looking Android phone of late was the the HTC One. This year, its replacement, the HTC M8 is good enough to directly challenge Apple’s iPhone 5C. Which is the best though?

The Outside Specs
Both phones are available in only 3 colours. These colours are all relatively similar. In addition, the bodies are both machined from metal. The comparison ends there though, and the iPhone is much smaller and lighter than the HTC M8, in the main, due to the iPhone’s much smaller screen size.

That’s not a criticism of either phone. It just depends on your preferences. Android is going large screen crazy, and for now at least, the iPhone is the handset for those who want to keep their device to a more one-handed, pocketable design.

If you ignore the size differences, these two phones are equally well made, although slightly different in design. The HTC is curvy and smooth, whilst the iPhone is angular and sharp.

Hardware
The smartphone war of specs has meant that in reality, once you start paying the top prices for a handset, the hardware is all so similar that it feels exactly the same in operation. You could argue all day about which phone is more powerful, but to be honest, both of these phones are as good as it gets in terms of cutting edge technology.

Even their screens are similar in quality, except for the fact that if you want to watch movies and play games, the HTC has a huge size advantage ver the iPhone. another HTC win comes in the Micro SD card slot, which means you can quickly and cheaply upgrade the phone’s storage capacity.

This could be a deal breaker in itself when you consider a pay-as-you-go iPhone with 64GB of internal memory costs a staggering £700! A micro SD card of similar volume will only cost a few month’s worth of iPhone insurance premiums in comparison.

Camera
When it comes to the camera, the iPhone is the clear winner. It’s better in daylight, low light and everything in between. The HTC does have some interesting effects though, and it’s a novel implementation of a smartphone camera.

Battery
The HTC does have a much larger battery than the iPhone, but it’s also a more power hungry phone to run. Expect both handsets to last an equal length of time.

Which Should You Buy?
If you watch movies or play games, the HTC is the better choice. The iPhone is quite overpriced for its size, despite packing in similar hardware specs. If you’re keen on keeping your phone size down, and you take a lot of photos, the iPhone is the better handset. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with either of these amazing smartphones.

Wendy Lin is a guest blogger and entrepreneur. She has spoken at many women's rights conferences and "women in the workplace" events.

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Top Rated Android Casino Apps for This Year

 

If the world casinos in Las Vegas are only a mirage for you, nowadays you can test your playing qualities in the most convenient way for you. Nowadays you can choose from a variety of casino apps, available for android. If you consider yourself a gambling type of person you have certainly tried at least one or two of these applications.

Despite the fact that when playing in the casino you are able to perceive the whole ambience and experience unforgettable emotions, some apps are still very well designed and you can amuse yourself effectively, while playing one or two games per day.

The best rated android casino apps for this year are the following:

1. Spider solitaire
The Spider Solitaire is an app that is already available for android. It tends to be one of the most popular free Spider Solitaire game and is a truly solitary experience. It is a version of solitaire and the goal is to place all the cards in each suit in stacks of descending suit sequence. The version of this game is exactly the same as that for the Windows, so if you have played it on your computer it won't be difficult for you.

The rules are simple and you can move to a different level of difficulty, while you attempt to tackle 3 and 4 suit games and become a master of the Spider Solitaire.

2. Jackpot city
This is an app that is perfectly compatible with Android devices. The wonderful visuals and the and the outstanding sounds will definitely impress the players. This is thanks to the fact that this mobile casino app is powered by Microgaming. It provides the players with eleven casino games, all of them from different gambling genres. It include games like Mega Moolah, Tomb Raider, Blackjack and Roulette.

The mobile casino players can also get in touch with a 24/7 customer support service, which could also be contacted through the phone. They will solve any issues connected to your playing on the City Mobile Casino App. The software of this app is second to none, with a very high quality. The game's graphics easily leads the players into the theme of the game and they can freely enjoy this magnificent experience. The easy structure of the game is another advantage of this casino app. Everything is set up in a way which would be the easiest for the user.

3. Party casino
Party casino mobile app is powered by the in-house development team of Party Gaming. The players can enjoy a wide range of casino games but firstly they should use the QR code that could be found of on the mobile page of the casino to get the app or they must open the casino's website and download it directly from there. The website has the quality to automatically detect the phone type and will deliver the appropriate casino app.

The mobile players can place real money bets on the outstanding collection of games at Party Casino. The players can always seek the help of the professional customer support of the helpful and motivated team. The flashy lights are particular for this online app casino game. The casino is made to work perfectly through the touch function. The players are given a wide variety of depositing or withdrawing options. The bank information is well encrypted so players do not to have to worry about the banking information.

4. Gaming club
This is a casino app that is also provided with software and games by Micro-gaming. This is a guarantee for the excellent experiencing of the customers, with a perfectly made interface. You just need to open the Gaming club through the mobile browser and follow the simple steps. There is a wide variety of games available to the players, appropriate for everyone's taste. There are cover table games card games, slots, progressive games as well as virtual racing games.

The wonderful software offers the players the most exciting mobile gaming experience. The colorful and bright colors of the visuals will immediately draw your attention. There is a reliable customer support and the team will help you to resolve any issues through a Live chat Feature, phone or by email. There exist plenty of depositing options for the players and the same goes for players who are willing to withdraw their money from the earned winnings.

These are some of the most popular casino apps for android for this year. Even if you are not keen on gambling or spending your leisure at playing games some of them will definitely appeal to you. Bring the atmosphere of the real casino and enjoy the great variety of games.

Author Bio: Gayle Grant is blogger and writer who writes about technology and gambling. His passion is Punto Banco articles but he is also keen on different casino games.

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So Just What Is Mozilla Up To With the Firefox OS?

Perhaps you have heard whispers of it in passing, or maybe you don’t know anything about the new Firefox open source mobile platform. That’s right. There’s a new kid on the block, so to speak. The Mozilla project was actually created in 1998, with the release of the Netscape browser suite source code.

The idea was to push the idea of the open web, and open source. For those not familiar with the term, open source is software that is “open” to the public, and possibly regulated, but not controlled by any for-profit company. The concept is that this allows thousands of programmers access to what otherwise would be closely guarded corporate secrets, thereby releasing unprecedented innovation in the browser market.
The project spread beyond expectations, first creating Mozilla 1.0, the first major browser from the open community. At the time, over 90% of the market used Internet Explorer for browsing, simply because they didn’t know there were alternatives.

In 2003, the non-profit Mozilla Foundation was created, funded by individual donors and a variety of companies. The role of the foundation was to manage the project and promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the web over competition and profit.

Firefox 1.0 was released in 2004, and in less than a year had been downloaded over 100 million times. New versions have continued to come out, and the popularity has grown. On the tenth anniversary of Mozilla in 2008, Firefox reached a 20% worldwide market share, renewing competition, accelerating innovation and improved Internet for everyone.

Now Mozilla is attempting to do the same thing in the mobile field market. Firefox OS is planned as a community-based platform for mobile devices. It will utilize open standards and approaches such as making HTML5 applications that are just as robust as native apps on iOS and Android.

Though Android is supposed to be an open-source platform, it is not completely so. Windows Phone and iOS are nowhere close. Mozilla has repeatedly said the Firefox OS (nicknamed Boot to Gecko, or B2G) was construed not so B2G would succeed, but the web would. That is, the base motivation is to show that the standards-based open Web, cannot only openly compete with the two (or three) major platforms, but force the same type of innovation the Firefox browser has brought to the web.

Mozilla hopes to bring the browser back to the forefront of a mobile experience, rather than playing second fiddle to the native apps on the phones. The Firefox OS is designed to run apps from web technologies such as HTML5, allowing those apps to run on any handset (or any other device) with a browser, regardless of platform.

For developers this is a boon, because it removes the need to rewrite code for cross-platform operations. For users, it’s great because the apps can be used on whatever device is handy.

Mozilla has been working to introduce the Firefox platform as a cheap under £80 smartphone option in countries with little exposure to smartphones, such as Latin America and Eastern Europe. The idea is that it is easier to introduce a new platform and show its effectiveness in a market where the other platforms have not already secured a foothold.

So can the idea succeed? History and the numbers certainly support it. There are about 100,000 iOS developers and 400,000 Android developers compared to ten million HTML5 developers (roughly). The Firefox browser has just reached version 25, and the innovation charged by this open community has carried over to all the competitors.

Certainly there is still work to be done, but many people’s confidence lies in the advances web technologies have already made in the last 20 years. Things like including interactive animations and imbedding video in a webpage without a plug-in, as you can with HTML5 and AJAX, were less than a concept back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

Mozilla is taking on a big challenge, and some mighty big opponents with deep pockets, but as the Linux-system demonstrates, open-source will always have a devout following, and Mozilla is on the path to opening up the entire mobile market.

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Cubot C7 Capacitive Touch

I have been on the lookout for a great new phone ever since my phone crapped out on me. I was never completely happy with my previous phone, and I wanted something new that would allow me to surf the Internet, chat with friends, transfer data between us, and capture my life in photos and videos.

I did a lot of research, and I came across the Cubot 3.5 Inch Capacity Touch, which is powered by the Android 4.2 operating system. Personally, I am a big fan of the Android system, and think it actually performs much better than what you find with any other phone.

I did some research online and after realizing this was the phone I wanted, I decided to purchase it and give it a shot when it arrived at my door.

The Screen
The screen is pretty great. Not exactly high-definition, instead operating at a 480x320 resolution, but it is pretty good for the phone and you won’t notice a lot of difference between it and other similar phones in terms of sharpness. I personally found no problem with it, and everything was still crisp and sharp on my phone. The screen is 3.5 inches, which again I found to be quite good for what I was getting with the phone. The HVGA was sharp as well, and the touch screen was sensitive enough without being so sensitive that it does things you don’t want it to do, much like I found with my old phone.

The OS Features
Moving on to the meat and potatoes of the phone, I found that several of the OS features were fantastic. Not only did it play MP3s and support all major video formats, but the Android 4.2 operating system was head and shoulders above the operating system of other phones. I found my previous one would crash if I tried to do too much, but I don’t think my Cubot with its Android OS crashed once. If you are worried you won’t get the cool apps you do with other trendy phones, don’t worry. I was able to get nearly every app I wanted, and also cost less than on other expensive phones. Like Angry Birds? Well, you can play it just as well on this phone as on the too-expensive flagship phones.

I also found that the speed of the phone was quite good with its 1 gigahertz processor and 256 megabytes of RAM. There was also plenty of storage on the phone to keep all my photos and apps.

The Camera
The front and rear facing camera was excellent in my mind. At .3 megapixels, it was fine for taking photos of my life when I was out and about. The rear camera is much better though, at two megapixels, allowing me to capture some really great photos and store them on my phone, or share them directly with Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

So, my overall impression? An excellent phone that did everything I could ask for. It handled everything I needed, was lightweight, attractive and less-expensive than the top of the line phones, while still doing everything I needed it to. Highly recommend it.

Find out more at: buzzshop.co

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Five Reasons Security Is A Necessity When Purchasing A New Mobile Device

You need security for your smartphone.
Are you thinking of buying yourself a new mobile phone this Christmas season? If so, you should know that you will need to have security installed on it as soon as you buy it, otherwise you will almost certainly find yourself faced with more trouble than you know how to handle farther down the road. Five reasons to get security are outlined in the sections below.

1) Smartphones are vulnerable too.
Users are only beginning to realize this fact, but smartphones are as vulnerable to malware, viruses, Trojan horses and other threats that come from online, being as they are, in essence, devices that have all the capabilities of a computer, though on the scale of a cellphone. This may be a tough fact to accept, but it is one which cellphone owners are going to have to realize and acknowledge if they are to do something to avoid becoming the next victims of the latest online threats.

2) They can be the prime targets of online threats.
What is more, the creators of many of these destructive programs are now targeting smartphones specifically. This fact is becoming more and more true as more and more people turn to smartphones rather than PCs as their primary method of surfing the Web (indeed, some experts are predicting that by 2020 there will be more smartphone than PC surfers!). One consequence of this trend is that hundreds of apps are created each day for all kinds of purposes, from shopping to checking the weather to losing weight, and this area is fertile ground for unscrupulous programmers who want to hack into somebody’s account. Many apps are really a cover for security threats. This also means that you should have the phone any new apps that may look attractive to you before you decide to download them.

3) Why does my mobile phone bill say I owe $6,734?
Sometimes the goal of hackers who take control of other people’s smartphones is to get a “free ride” by racking up call after call on them and leaving the owners on the hook for the expenses that they incur. Even if you know that you did not make all those calls, it may be extremely difficult to track down the offender and get back all the money that he or she stole from you. If no other danger should motivate you to protect your new mobile phone from attacks this one certainly should.

4) “Coffee shop attacks”
The public wifi connections that you find in hotels, airports and other public places are inherently non-secure. As a result, they are a common place for hackers to go looking for unsuspecting victims whose passwords and other sensitive data they can easily steal. It is up to you to make sure that your smartphone has adequate security software to protect it. Better yet, you should steer clear of this places and hook up your cellphone only in private, secure locations.

5) It is best to take care of the security problem while the device is new.
Mobile security is a problem that is easiest to solve if you undertake the task before you do anything else with the device. The most common threats to mobile phones come from downloading email attachments, apps and whole websites. If the first thing that you do with your new smartphone is to take care of security matters, you will be acting proactively, before any threats have even occurred - which is, after all, the best path of all. The adages “Better safe than sorry” and “A stitch in time saves nine” apply to mobile phone security just as much as it does to life in general. The best security software can intercept destructive malware before they even have time to “take residence” on the device. They can also be updated to provide protection against newer and newer threats. There are many other things they can do too, like use GPS to locate a lost or stolen mobile phone and even cause it to “lock up” if an unauthorized person gets hold of it.

Sarah Hendricks who is a security expert on protecting users and businesses from hackers and data leakage with NQ.com. NQ Mobile security provides all kinds of mobile security; users in the office, at home, or working remotely are all subject to attack, click here to learn where to find mobile security applications.

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6 Reasons To Love The Sony Z1

The Sony Xperia Z1 could well be one of the best handsets on the market right now. When you glance at the phone you can clearly see that it has got a lot to offer, but what exactly do people love about the Sony Z1, and why has it become such a popular handset?

6 Good Reasons
Here are 6 reasons why this particular handset is a major player in the smartphone industry right now:

1. It is waterproof – This incredibly good looking handset will do you proud, especially if you are inclined to drop your new phones in a puddle or like me, spill something over it. Not only will this smartphone cope with being submerged for a short while, but it will in actual fact be able to cope with being dunked in 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes. I reckon that is pretty good. The Sony Xperia Z also comes with this feature, but the sad fact is that unless the handset’s little flaps were closed, the handset was not particularly waterproof at all. Even if you accidentally dropped your Xperia Z in a puddle, you could not claim off the warranty if the flap which covered the headphone jack was left open. The good news is the Z1 is different, and you won’t need any flaps to be shut in order for the waterproof feature to work. This is also great news if you want to talk while it is raining, a lot of people are hesitant to use their handset when the heavens open, but the Z1 makes it ok to do just that, so do not be worried, go ahead and talk away until you are drenched to the skin.


2. The big screen – These days we like our handsets to come with big screens, this is so we can enjoy watching movies without having to strain our eyes. The Sony Z1 not only comes with an impressive 5 inch screen, but it also happens to be a pretty good screen. With a high resolution display which measures 1080 x 1920 pixels, you will have no problem making out a lot of detail. What is more the pixel per inch density is a very impressive 441, which means you can enjoy a lot of colours and clarity, no matter what you watch.


3. The very long lasting battery – Some mobile phones are notoriously known to use the battery up very quickly. This is usually due to a lot of apps working in the background, and a wide variety of other functions that makes the handset so good. The Xperia Z1 is as different as it comes, with a very impressive 850 hours of standby time and 13 hours of talk time, which means you will not have to charge the battery any time soon.


4. The availability of apps - As with a lot of smartphones, you will have the chance to download a wide variety of apps. With the Xperia Z1, you can expect to be able to download more than 100,000 different apps, so you can work or play whenever and wherever you wish. The Google Play store comes with a wide variety of apps, but they are not always suitable for every handset, this is where the Z1 differs as you can download just about any Android app out there.


5. A huge memory capacity - None of us like to own a handset which severely limits the amount of music, pictures and videos we can store on it. With the Sony Xperia Z1, you will find it hard to use up a whole load of memory, thanks to its 16GB of built-in storage and the opportunity for you to expand it by an amazing 64GB, now that is pretty good. You will have to buy a microSDHC, microSD or a microSDCX card if you want to expand the memory, but if you want an extra 64GB, it will be well worth the cost.


6. The 20.7 mega pixel camera – Need I say more? This makes the Z1 ideal if you love to take pictures or shoot videos. Not too long ago, phones which came with an 8 mega pixel camera were considered the norm, and while some new handsets still offer us less than 10 mega pixels, this delightful Sony handset truly is a cut above the rest. Take a picture or two, throw in a video so you can be reminded when your mate did that, and store it on your handset safe in the knowledge your pictures and videos will look good, and you will be able to make out an incredible amount of detail every single time.

Will You Buy The Sony Z1?
Chances are if you have read this far down the page, you are interested in buying the Sony Xperia Z1. The good news is there are a lot of great offers out there, which means you will be able to choose from a wide variety of contracts or Pay As You Go deals. But before you decide to sign on the dotted line, here is a little bit of information about what could potentially be the best handset you ever buy:

Features and Specifications
Released: September 2013
Dimensions and weight: 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm (H, W, D), 170 grams
Operating System: Android 4.3
Camera and features: 20.7 mega pixels, LED flash, auto focus, image stabilisation, digital zoon, panorama, self-timer.
Chip and processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 and Quad core, 2200 MHz
Memory: 16GB of built-in storage and the opportunity to expand up to 80GB with a 64GB microSDHC, microSD or a microSDCX card.
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot, USB 2.0, computer sync and tethering

If you are looking for a really good handset which is as durable and easy to use as they come, you won’t go far wrong with the Sony Xperia Z1. The six reasons to love the Z1 are but only a few of the many great reasons to buy this phone, and if you are lucky enough to get your hands on this incredible handset, you will discover there are many more great reasons.

Phil Turner wanted a smartphone with a large screen for easy viewing so he opted to purchase the Sony Z1 after reading reviews on sites such as uSwitch.

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8 Reasons To Choose A Walkman Phone

Wondering if a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone is for you? You'll be making a solid buy; read on to find out the great reasons why you should consider going Walkman.

You LOVE Music
Are you the kind of person who always has headphones in? Never without your own personal soundtrack? Walkman phones are designed with cutting edge sound technology to make sure that you've always got the sound quality that you need to play your tracks. From bass boosters to intuitive media players (don't worry, we'll tell you more about features in a minute) you're going to know that you're getting the best music phone around.

Awesome Sound Features
Want to know more about all those sound features? Check out some of these. SensMe is Sony's proprietary software that indexes tracks by their tempo and rhythm. This means that you can decide that you want to listen to “relaxing” music or “gym” music, and be sure that you're going to get a playlist that gives you the mood that you want when you want it, without needing to design that list yourself. How's that for convenient? TrackID means that you'll always know what you're listening too, no matter what it is. Not only that, TrackID works obviously for your own music, but it also allows you to clip a song from the Internet, or even hold your phone up to a speaker and find out exactly what's playing so you can find out what that great new song is.

What about Shake Me? If you are tired of designing playlists and love your music, but want to shake things up a little, then Shake Me is for you. Simply take your phone and shake it. Your tracks will automatically randomise so that you get to hear your music in a whole new way.

Sweet Style
Walkman phones aren't bad looking either. Whether you're looking for a traditional keypad phone, a touch screen smartphone or even a cool slide phone that gives you a great screen as well as that keypad, you won't be disappointed with Sony. There are models out there for everyone; all you need to do is choose which one's right for you. Tired of all the boring black phones on the market? Again, Sony's got you covered. With models coming in colours from pink to red to green, you can have a phone that's truly eye catching and that will definitely make a splash.

It's not all about colour and shape though. Walkman phones have great build quality and smooth, curvaceous design that will make your mouth water. Just because you want to listen to your music doesn't mean that you should compromise when it comes to looks.

Save Yourself Some Cash
With so many phones these days costing hundreds of pounds, one of the greatest things about going for a Walkman phone is that you can really save yourself some cash. You can get a mobile with great sound quality for under £50, and even a high end model is only going to cost you around £150 or so. If you're on a limited budget but still want a great phone, then these price tags are really going to appeal to you.

Walkman Features
Think that because you want a great music phone that you're going to need to compromise on other features? Not necessarily. There are so many Walkman models around that you're going to find the phone that you want with no worries. What kind of features are we talking about?

The choice is yours. Want a cool 8 MP camera? Try the W995 model. 2G, 3G? Both are available. How much internal memory are you looking for? It doesn't really matter, Sony has you covered however much storage space you want. And all the Walkman models take extra external memory, so you can always grab an affordable memory stick and increase your phone's memory capacity so that you can hold even more albums in your hand.

The Easiest Media Player
Media players can be complicated to use, fiddly and difficult to get your head around. With the patented Walkman media player you're not going to have these worries. Your media player is going to be intuitive and easy to use, and if you go for a touch screen model then you're going to get a truly simple drag and drop player. It doesn't get much easier than that. Want to find out more about what you're in for? Check out this link here, and read all about Sony's awesome media players.

Stereo Buttons
Something that can be truly annoying about using your phone as a music player is that you've got to open your phone, find your app and find your track all before you get to listen to your tunes. With a Sony, you're not going to have this problem. All the music phones in the line have a dedicated music button, so you can just press and go. Playing music really doesn't get any easier than this.

Nice Extras
Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference, and a Sony Ericsson isn't going to let you down. There are all kinds of sweet extra features put into the design and software that are really going to impress you. Our personal favourite is the kick stand on some of the higher end models. This means that you can stand your phone up and broadcast your music with great projection, because sometimes you just want to share your songs, right?

For true music lovers, a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone is going to be an awesome buy. If we haven't yet persuaded you yet, go check out a few models for yourself. The effortless combination of style, features and rocking music playing is sure to convert you. The best part is that you'll get an all-around great phone, so you won't need to make compromises in order to get the fantastic sound quality that you're looking for.

Phil Turner was looking for a phone for his daughter with great music features, so after a bit of research he opted for one of the Sony Ericsson Walkman models.

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Signing Mobile Contracts - What You Need To Know

If you're looking to get a new mobile phone, then you're going to need to choose a mobile service operator. Knowing which operator to go for, what kind of contract to sign and all the ins and outs of how mobile service works can be important in saving you money. So today we're looking at everything you need to know about signing mobile contracts. If you're just getting started in this process, then read on to find out what your options are.

• Decide on an Operator

There are plenty of mobile service operators on the market in the UK. Many of them are similar. The first thing you need to do is find out who has good coverage in your area, if you don't have good coverage you'll find that you have call quality problems and your phone might not function at all. Go to the OFCOM web site and check out their coverage map. After that, you can choose an operator based on which company offers you the best price for the kind of plan you want.

• Choose a Calling Plan...

You have a few options here. If you're a light mobile user, calling for around thirty minutes a week, sending three or four text messages a day and using mobile internet just for email and looking up directions, then you'll be best off with a pay as you go plan. Just go to a mobile operator who has good coverage in your area (prices are fairly similar for pay as you go amongst all operators) buy a SIM card and put credit on your card, and you're ready to go. But more moderate and heavy users will need to choose the best calling plan. You need a good estimate of the amount of calling minutes you use per month, the amount of text messages you send per month and the amount of mobile data you need. If you have old mobile bills you can use these to find out what your monthly usage looks like. If you don't, you might want to consider getting a pay as you go plan for a couple of months, just to see how you use your phone and what kind of calling plan you're going to need.

• Incentive Plan or SIM Only Contract...

Now you need to decide if you want an incentive plan or a SIM only contract. An incentive plan will give you a calling package with calling minutes, text messages and mobile data, and will also give you a mobile phone, usually for free but sometimes for a small down payment. A SIM only contract will give you just the SIM card you need for service and a calling package. Monthly prices for incentive contracts will be more expensive than monthly prices for SIM only contracts, since this is how the operator can afford to give you a free or discounted mobile phone. If you already have a phone, or wish to buy one yourself, then you should look at SIM only contracts. If you don't have a phone, and don't have the cash to buy one for full price immediately, you'll want to look at incentive contracts. You don't usually save money buying a phone over an incentive contract, in fact, you often pay more for the phone over your contract than you would if you bought it yourself. But incentive contracts offer the convenience of buying a phone through an installment plan.

• Smartphone Deals...

If you decide not to sign an incentive contract and you don't already have a phone you can take advantage of one of many smartphone deals to get the phone you need more cheaply than through a mobile operator. The best smartphone deals tend to be either refurbished phones- which you can buy direct from the manufacturer's web site of the phone you want, or simply going to a phone retailer that has a good sale. There are a lot of good deals and good prices around if you do a little research and spend some time choosing what you want.

• Contract Length...

When you sign a mobile phone contract you'll be given a choice over the length of time you want to sign up for. Most companies have both twenty four month and twelve month contracts, and some companies also have eighteen month contracts. SIM only contracts can sometimes be signed for just thirty days, but this option will not be available on incentive contracts. Usually, the longer the contract you sign the cheaper your monthly price will be. But remember that signing a long contract ties you to using one network, and often one calling plan, for a lengthy period of time. You can end a mobile contract early, but you will pay a fee for doing so. Generally, mobile operators charge a fixed fee multiplies by the number of months that are remaining on your contract in order to terminate that contract. So if you think you might want to switch networks, or you're not sure that you've chosen the right calling plan for you, then you might want to think about signing a shorter contract.

• Be Sure You Are Eligible...

In order to sign a mobile contract you must actually be eligible to sign contracts in the UK. This means that you must be a formal UK resident (not necessarily a citizen) and over the age of eighteen. Most major mobile service operators will also require that you undergo a credit check. They will allow you to sign the contract, but should you fail a credit check they will then rescind the contract. If you won't pass a credit check then you won't get a mobile contract, it's that simple. For people who are ineligible to sign a contract, you will have to use a pay as you go programme to get service for your phone. This will mean paying slightly higher prices, but you will have no other option if you can't sign a contract.

Finding great smartphone deals is very easy for Phil Turner.  All he does is turn to uSwitch, the price comparison service that shows him just how much he can expect to pay with each provider.

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The Best Mobile Tracking Software of All Times

Mobile technology came into an evolution and mobile spy software has become a trend in the recent years. Many of the mobile consumers have become very interested in using mobile spy software and with the growing numbers of the services that are made available online, the choices are numerous. In order to give the mobile consumers the ability to make an informed and wise purchasing decision on which mobile spy software to subscribe to, here is the best mobile tracking software of all times that you can choose from.

Netspysoftware

If you need a reliable spy software program that can help you monitor your loved ones and employees and to extend a more efficient parental control over your children anywhere they may be, the Netspysoftware provides you a monitoring application that offers reliable tracking features at an affordable subscription rate. The spy software can help its users to remotely track down calls, messages and multimedia files with innovative features that perform its tasks on a silent mode. The mobile spy app has great functionalities that are capable of monitoring your children’s mobile browsing activity and you can selectively restrict the access to some websites not suited to your child’s age. It is capable of sending you alerts on important activities that you want to closely monitor on the tracked phone too. The app also has a GPS feature that can track down the monitored device’s location in real time which is perfect in monitoring your field employees and love ones’ whereabouts, giving you reliable spy software and tracking program that works to your satisfaction.

Mobistealth

If you need mobile spy software that will not falter in its performance even without GPS connectivity, Mobistealth is a good spy app to consider. It is powered with surveillance tools and features that can track down the monitored phone even without an internet connection. In the absence of a WiFi connection, the app will continue to track and record the activities that are taking place on the monitored phone which helps the user not to miss important tracking data. The spy software tracks the web browsing history on the monitored device and you can listen on every call that is received or made from the phone including the sound from its surroundings. Among the other features from the spy software include SIM change notification, retrieval of the multimedia files and documents, call log, and messaging tracking.

mSpy

This is powerful mobile tracking software that can provide its users the ability to monitor a target device on a stealth mode. The spy software tracks down all the activity in the monitored phone and sends feedback immediately to the remote account that is connected to the spy software. Even when the history of the monitored calls or messages sent and received from the device have been deleted, the spy app has already made a detailed report on the tracked mobile phone that you can later on retrieve from your mSpy account. You can also remotely control the monitored device using your mSpy account and have the capability of deleting the mobile data stored in it or to remotely password protect the phone.

My Mobile Watchdog

This mobile application is tailored to deliver parental control features. The app provides parents the ability to block certain mobile applications including the camera and mobile browser on the phone. You can also block other applications on the device like social networking apps, mobile games and instant messaging. It also helps to limit the time that children can spend on using the device. Its monitoring features include GPS tracking, call log and messages reports and sending alerts about specific activities that are of primary concern to parents. It is easy to access control over the blocked applications on the phone by locking it down with a password and you can grant temporary access to those apps as well.
  
Xnspy

This is a small yet powerful app, it has great stealth features and is discrete from the get go. Using little resources this app ensures that the device owner does not face slow device performance and battery issues. Having extensive monitoring and tracking features such as location tracking, call recording, remote app blocking, usage scheduling and many others make this app useful in a multitude of scenarios from concerned parents wanting to watch over their kids to smart employers wanting better management and productivity to personal data security and partial backup. Xnspy provides smart features to automate your monitoring and tracking tasks, leaving you to work on other important things. It has powerful failsafe features that can prove invaluable in worst case scenarios of loss or theft of the device – remotely lock the device or wipe all data preventing anyone from viewing the private and confidential information stored on the smartphone or tablet. This app works hard so that you can take it easy.

Stealth Genie

This mobile spy software is capable of running on a monitored phone silently. As it records the surroundings of the target phone and all calls that are being made and received, no traces of tracking software can be detected. It is a good monitoring spy app on mobile that you can use to silently track down employee productivity and even cheating spouse’s activities. It gives you a 360 degrees view on the saved bookmarks from the mobile browser as well as the internet browsing history on the device.

Spy Bubble

The application has a geo location tracking capability and live call monitoring specialty that runs stealth, leaving your spying activities undetected. The app usually sends the latest updates on its features and functionalities to its users to further enhance their mobile spying experience. It has an auto logging feature that keeps track and record all mobile activities in real time with detailed reports that you can retrieve later on from your Spy Bubble account.

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How To Get The Cheapest Mobile And Contract Possible

Need that mobile phone and service, but don't want to pay a fortune? Today we're going to tell you the cheapest possible way to get what you want. So if you're looking to save some cash, then here's how you can do it...

Buy Mobile Phones Online...
The first thing that you're going to need is a phone. Don't fall for the incentive contracts that mobile operators are trying to sell you. These are the contracts that come with a free phone, and as tempting as they may be they're going to end up costing you a lot more. The phone you get isn't free; you pay for it in instalments that are added to the cost of your monthly mobile bill. And when you add up all the instalments you'll find that you pay more than the retail cost for the phone. In the long run you're going to save more, and get lower mobile bills, by buying your own phone. The best way to buy mobile phones is online. Online prices are always cheaper, even if you're buying directly through a mobile operator.

You can get a perfectly decent budget, touch screen, smart phone for under a hundred and fifty pounds, so don't let the thought of big prices put you off. Check out the Huawei Ascend models or the lower end Sony Xperias for good deals. If it bothers you to buy mobile phones online, go out and get a physical look at the model you're buying before you commit, but then come home and buy it over the internet. This is by far the cheapest way that you're going to get a phone.

Consider Pay as You Go...
Now you're going to need to get service for that new phone, and you have a couple of options. The first thing you should consider is pay as you go. This is where you buy a SIM card from and operator and load it up with credit. When you use your phone, credit is deducted from your account, and when the credit's gone you phone stops working (though you can still receive texts and calls), at which point you'll need to put more credit on.

This has the advantage of only paying for services that you actually use. Plus, it makes controlling your budget easier, since you can only spend money that you've already put on your phone in credit. But rates on pay as you go are higher than on contract. This doesn't mean that you don't get savings though. In general, light phone users benefit more from pay as you go contracts, since they rarely use up the monthly calling plan limits on contracts. If you use less than ten calling minutes a week, send only three to four text messages a day, and only use mobile data for casual surfing and emailing, then you're probably going to save money with a pay as you go plan. Check out Tesco Mobile for the best pay as you go deals.

Choose a Calling Plan...
If pay as you go isn't for you, then you're going to be signing a mobile contract with an operator, and this means choosing a calling plan. The right calling plan is exceptionally important when it comes to saving money. A calling plan is going to give you a set of limits for the amount of calling minutes, text messages and mobile data that you can use each month for your fixed monthly fee. If this plan is too big you're going to waste money paying for minutes, texts and data that you don't use, because your monthly fee is the same regardless of whether you use all of your limits or none of them. If your plan is too small, then you're going to consistently go over your monthly calling plan limits. When this happens, you have to pay expensive premium rates on any extra services you use on top of your regular monthly fee. There are a couple of things that you can do to make sure that you're choosing the right calling plan. If you've had a contract before, then look at some of your old phone bills. These should give you an idea of what your monthly usage looks like. If you haven't had a contract before then the best thing that you can do is to get a pay as you go plan for a month and then track your phone usage. You can do this yourself, however most modern phones will do it for you. Just look under the settings menu and see if you can find minute, text and data counters. Set these counters to zero, use your phone normally for a month, and then go back and check the numbers. This will tell you the size of calling plan that you should go for.

Shop (online, again...)...
Now you're ready to find the cheapest contract for you. Go online and find yourself a mobile tariff comparison web site. You'll put the monthly calling plan limits that you're looking for into the site, and then you'll get a list of plans with different operators that match your needs. Make sure that the plan says it's SIM only (you don't want to sign an incentive contract, remember?). Now find the cheapest plan that's the closest match to your required limits. Before you buy, there's one more step to the process. Go to the web site of the operator that the plan is with, and find the coverage map. Every operator has one on their site. Use this to make sure that the provider has good coverage in your area. If they don't, choose another plan with a different operator. Bad coverage will give you bad mobile reception, and it's just not worth paying for. You can then go ahead and buy the contract, again doing it online to get online discounts. And you'll be safe in the knowledge that you've got the cheapest mobile and service plan that you can possibly get.

Sam Jones decided that it was time to buy mobile phones again for the household.  He found the latest offers online with sites like uSwitch and managed to get great phone packages for next to nothing.

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Getting A New Mobile Contract - The Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Before you start signing a mobile contract, there are a few questions that you should be asking yourself to make sure that you're getting the best deal. Most of us want to save a little money these days, and the wrong mobile contract could cost you a fortune. You have plenty of options out there, and you want to make sure that you're choosing the right one. So before you sign, ask yourself these questions...

Do I Really Need a Contract?
You do have another option; you don't have to sign a contract. Pay as you go plans are not as popular as they once were, but some customers benefit more from them than from contracts. If you're a light phone user, someone who calls for less than ten minutes a week, who sends only three to four texts a day and who uses mobile data only for email and casual web browsing, then chances are that pay as you go will be a better deal for you. It's worth keeping in mind...

Am I Choosing the Right Calling Plan?
The calling plan is the most important part of any mobile contract. This is the set of monthly limits for the amount of calling minutes, text messages and mobile data that you're allowed to use for your set monthly fee. The wrong plan is going to end up costing you money. Here's the deal. Imagine you have a plan that includes thirty calling minutes.

If you call for thirty minutes a month, you pay your monthly fee. If you call for five minutes a month, you still pay the same monthly fee. So a plan that's too big means paying for services that you don't use. Now imagine that you call for forty minutes a month, what happens now? You pay your regular monthly fee, plus premium rate charges on the extra ten minutes that you used. So a plan that's too small isn't a good financial decision either. You need the right sized calling plan, even if that means getting a pay as you go plan for a month so that you can track your usage and find out the amount of minutes, texts and data that you need.

Am I Taking Free Txt and Calling Minutes into Account?
Many operators these days will offer you free txt and calling minutes as an incentive to sign up for a contract. There's no point accepting this offer if you're not actually going to use them though. You'll want to take these free txt and calling minute offers into account when choosing your calling plan, so that you make full use of them. If you get thirty free calling minutes a month, for example, you might want to choose a calling plan that has lower calling minute limits than you would otherwise choose.

Do I Really Need that Incentive Phone?
Operators are going to offer you two contract choices, incentive and SIM only. Both of these are going to come with a calling plan of your choosing, but an incentive contract also comes with a free or low cost mobile phone. Think about this option carefully. A phone is pretty tempting, but it's not going to be free. The monthly bill on an incentive contract is going to be higher than the monthly bill on a SIM only contract, because basically you're buying a phone in instalments, and the bill will include a monthly payment for your phone. With most instalment plans you end up paying more than the actual cost of the item that you get, because you're both paying for the convenience of not having to make a big initial payment and because the company is taking a risk by giving you something without get full and immediate payment in return. Incentive contracts are no different. You will pay more than the retail cost of the phone that you get over the course of the contract.

If you already have a phone to use, or if you can afford to buy one up front, you should do so and then sign a SIM only contract, because you will save money. Don't be tempted into getting a new phone just because they're offering you one. You should only sign an incentive contract if that is the only way you can get a phone that you absolutely need.

How Long Am I Going to Sign Up For?
You will also be offered a choice of contract terms. Usually you can choose between a twenty four month, eighteen month or twelve month contract. Some SIM only contracts also come in rolling thirty day periods. This means that the contract is only for thirty days, but it will automatically renew every month unless you tell the operator that you want to stop your service. The longer your contract is the lower your payments will generally be. And if you sign an incentive contract this is especially true, since the cost of the phone is spread out over more monthly payments, making each individual payment smaller. But don't forget that once signed up, it's going to be difficult to get out of your contract. That means that switching to another operator to get a better deal could be complicated. And if your financial situation changes then you might be stuck making payments that you really can't afford to make.

Will I Have Good Service?
Your mobile reception depends on how good coverage is with your operator in you local area. If you don't get good coverage then you won't get good reception. That might mean that your phone won't work at all, but at the least it will mean that you get slow mobile data speeds and bad call quality. You should always check coverage in your area before signing up with an operator. Just go to the operator's web page and look for the coverage map that the operator is required to have there.

Sam Jones’s son knew that packages which included free txt messages would save him money.  He proved himself right when he compared deals online and started to spend less on his phone bill every month.

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How To Get The Best PAYG Deal

Contract mobile phones are definitely a convenience. You tend to get a free or heavily subsidized mobile phone, and you then get the comfort of never running out of credit and just receiving a monthly bill. However, there are downsides. That phone is not free of course, rather you'll be paying for it in monthly instalments on your phone bill, which over the two year contract can add up to a lot more than the actual cost of the phone. For many people, finding the best pay as you go tariff is the key to saving money on their mobiles. So how do you go about it? Read on to find out...

• Find Out What You Need...

The key to a good PAYG tariff deal is to make sure that it matches your needs. Look at your old phone bills and find out how your phone activity is broken up, how much of the time do you spend calling, how many text messages do you send. This information will help you determine which kind of plan is best for you. If you're sending over 500 text messages a month, for example, it's probably a good idea to get a PAYG tariff that includes unlimited texting. Be warned, PAYG tariffs tend to work out as money savers only for those that plan to spend less than £25 a month. For users who regularly spend more, contract phones are still the best deal.

• Decide What to Spend

Not being tied down to a contract means that you don't have to spend money on your phone each month. However, it's a good idea to have a budget for the month that accurately reflects what credit you'll need. This is because a lot of PAYG tariffs offer special deals for customers who top up every month. For example, putting ten pounds of credit on your phone each month will get you unlimited internet.

• Decide Which Operator to Go With...

This decision should have two parts. First, find the operators who have plans that match your needs (they'll probably be more than one of them). Then ask around, ask your family and friends which operator they use. This is a good idea for a couple of reasons; firstly, because you'll get some recommendations, but also because many operators offer lower calling and texting prices to numbers in the same network. If you call your Mum every day, it might not be a bad idea to be on the same network as she is to get some savings for both of you.

• Shop Around

This can take some serious time, but it's definitely worth doing. Just because you already know which network you want doesn't mean that you need to go straight to their store. There are many online sources (such as Carphone Warehouse) that offer special deals on hand sets bought with PAYG tariffs. It may be that you end up back at your mobile service operator, but it doesn't hurt to take a look around and find out what's out there.

Phil Turner is searching for the best pay as you go tariff available to him because he hardly uses his phone at all.

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Three Top Tips For Protecting Your Smartphone From Damage On Holiday

Most of us love our technology and spend lots of money on our favourite gadgets. Despite the fact that smart phones only hit the mainstream a few years ago, many people can no longer imagine life without them. The thought of not having permanent internet access and constant contact with friends on social media is unthinkable to so many people.

As we struggle to imagine life without our smartphones, many of us can’t even have a holiday without our favourite gadget. Nowadays, we see people on the beach and by the pool with their phones out. Smartphones aren’t cheap, therefore keeping them in good condition is important. Water damage can completely destroy a phone, so when on holiday, it is important to exercise some caution.

Be careful of the temperature
Smartphones feel the hot and cold and can be affected by extremes in temperature. When overheated or freezing, your phone’s battery and display is affected. Some phones even break completely when subjected to extreme temperatures. The best way to protect your phone from the elements is to ensure that you keep it in the shade when in hot temperatures. If your phone has become overheated, put it in a shaded area to cool naturally. Putting your phone in the fridge is not recommended.

If you take your phone on skiing holidays where conditions are freezing, be sure to keep your phone within an inner pocked where it can benefit from your body heat. Once again, allow your phone to return to its normal temperature at a natural pace, don’t try warming it up quickly with a hairdryer or other warm appliance.

Buy a completely waterproof cover
If you’re planning to take your smartphone to the beach, you’re subjecting it to a whole host of risks. Sand and water can both cause irreparable damage to a smartphone. The problem with sand and water is that these substances get everywhere. Simply having your phone in your bag can be a problem as it is all too easy for sand and water to get inside.

Luckily for technology loving holiday goers, a number of companies have developed completely waterproof cases for smartphones. Some cases are completely waterproof, featuring a ziplock feature and buoyancy aids which enable your trusty phone to rise to the surface rather than sinking. Many of these cases have such advanced technology that your device can be completely submerged, allowing you to take amazing underwater photographs of your holiday.

Purchase a waterproof sheath
 If you don’t want to splash out on a case which is 100% waterproof, you could opt for cheaper waterproof cover. These thermoplastic sheets wrap around your phone and protect all of your phone’s ports, preventing sand, dust and water droplets from damaging your phone. Of course, these sheaths don’t allow you to use your phone as an underwater camera, but it does provide you with additional protection whilst at the beach or at the poolside, assuring you that your all important smart phone won’t get damaged.

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