Revealed: The top Christmas gadgets of the last decade

Smart watches set to top tech-savvy Christmas lists … From games consoles to tablets and wearables, the top technology Christmas gifts of the last decade chart how the world has advanced. The way we game, read, track our fitness and work has been revolutionised since 2005. As Christmas approaches, what better way to celebrate trends in technology than to take a look at the most successful technology products of the past ten years?

2005
Back in 2005, 1.1 million of us sent Shane Ward to the Christmas top spot, and number one on everyone’s Christmas list was the brand new Xbox 360. Demand hugely outstripped supply, with hundreds of gamers queuing for hours in the rain to lay their hands on the console, which sold out in hours. The Xbox franchise has continued to delight gamers; 9 years later, Microsoft announced that Xbox 360 sales stood at 84 million units sold, with lifetime game sales for the platform at $37.7 billion. On last calculation, Xbox 360 gamers have logged more than 88 billion hours of gameplay, which is equivalent to more than 100,000 centuries.

2006
2006 saw Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond in ‘Casino Royale’, and Sony’s fight back against Microsoft, in the shape of the Play Station 3. First introduced in 1995, the Play Station and Play Station 2 are still the best-selling home game consoles in history. To date the four Play Station versions have sold a total of 344 million units.

2007
2007 was the year gaming got physical, with stocks of Nintendo’s Wii finally becoming widely available to buy. Named a ‘revolution’ by Forbes Magazine, which claimed that the Wii ‘has re-invented video gaming, making it more social, more intuitive and surprisingly physically engaging…it’s potentially the device that will make video gaming as widely enjoyed as board or card games.’ Since launch, it’s sold more than 100 million units.

2008
It’s hard to imagine life before the smart phone, but 2008 was the year the 3G iPhone hit our shores. Now in its 12th incarnation, over 500 million iPhones have been sold, currently making it the best-selling smartphone of all time.

2009
The Amazon Kindle took technology into a new realm, revolutionising the way we consume new and enduring classic literature. The Kindle 2 was launched in 2009 and by early the next year the founder and CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, stated that "millions of people now own Kindles” and that “six Kindle books were being sold for every 10 physical books". Kindle remains the undisputed leader of the e-reader. The company is famously secretive about sales figures but 2013 estimates put sales of all Kindle devices at roughly 44 million.

2010
Pre-2010, the thought of receiving a tablet for Christmas was understandably unlikely to be anywhere near the top of anyone’s list. That all changed with the unveiling of the iPad in January 2010 by then-Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In contrast to earlier tablet PCs, the iPad was marketed as a consumer device that would fill the gap between smartphones and laptop computers. Over 292 million have been sold to date.

2011
2011 was a momentous year for Brits, with the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In the world of technology, all eyes were on the launch of the first commercially successful ‘phablet’, the Samsung Galaxy Note. Whilst some media outlets questioned the viability of the device due to its 5.3-inch (135-mm) screen, the Note received a positive reception, selling 1 million units in two months.

2012
2012 was the year that London was Olympics-obsessed, Facebook debuted on the stock market, Felix Baumgartner jumped from space and the iPad went mini. Lighter and thinner than its predecessor, the iPad Mini reportedly sold three million units in the three days post launch.

2013
Sony’s next generation console, the Playstation 4, launched in November 2013. Six months later, 7 million homes world-wide owned a PS4. Having lost several previous battles to Nintendo’s Wii, Sony was finally winning the games console war.

2014
To 2014 and wearable technology; namely the fitness tracker. Sales have risen 250% year-on-year and from mid-2014 to mid-2015, the wearable industry grew by a massive 223%. At this rate, it’s possible that the market will actually reach the predicted $74 billion mark by 2025.

2015
2015 is undoubtedly the year of the smartwatch, combining fitness tracking, time keeping and connectivity in one package. The global smartwatch market has the potential to reach $32.9 billion by 2020, registering a compound annual growth rate of 68% between 2014 and 2020. It’s thought that 135 million wearable devices will be sold by 2018 – 68 million of them smart watches. Few other industries have such growth perspectives, and the potential to revolutionise how people communicate, monitor their health, work, and interact with their surroundings.

James Jie, Managing Director of Huawei UK and Ireland says, “It’s fascinating to see the impact that technology has had upon our lives during the past decade. In the recent past we saw technology as either fitting in with our work life – for instance PCs – or play, in the shape of games consoles. Now those boundaries no longer exist as technology is embedded within our daily lives. This is no more evident than in the rise of wearable technologies such as the Huawei Watch, which combines connectivity with style.”

Jie continues, “At Huawei, we invest 10% of our sales income into research and development to ensure that we are driving new technology forwards. In 2014 alone, we invested $1.2 billion into R&D. The Huawei Watch embodies our unfailing ambition to deliver an all-connected future across wearables, vehicles and smart phones. Looking back at the past ten years, it’s amazing how far technology has advanced and we look forward to being at the forefront of new advancements for years to come.”

For more information, please visit: http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/worldwide/huawei-watch/

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B: This post was sponsored by Huawei.

A Look at the Origins of Casino Games

Casinos have been around for centuries in one form or another and since the advancements in technology; the industry has changed from the way we play games through to how we play them. There is a primal instinct in all of us that enjoys gambling and the excitement quickly gets the adrenaline running and online casino gaming is now a huge industry, ensuring that any games is available at our fingertips 24/7. 

Let’s look at the top three casino games that have changed throughout the years.

Slot Machines

Slot machines have always been one of the most popular types of games available in casinos and they are just as user-friendly online as they are in an actual casino. From basic beginnings as one-arm bandits that were first invented in the 1800s up to the online slots that are widely available nowadays, slot machines now have more reels and pay lines than ever before to ensure they remain one of the most exciting games on the market. It’s not all about luck, and maths plays a part in the outcome of every spin. The themes and symbols used have also evolved and the technology used is now more sophisticated, as the once mechanical reels are now operated by a random computer number generator.

Roulette & Craps

Table games have changed massively throughout history. Games such as roulette became a huge hit in the mid-19th century. Roulette was derived from a famous mathematician called Blaise Pascal who created the roulette wheel as he experimented with perpetual motion. The wheel is now one of the most easily recognised symbols in the world of gambling and casinos and as such, is also one of the favourite games choices for avid gamblers. Found online and in casinos worldwide, it is one of the more exciting games available and big wins in roulette are common. 

Craps is a simple game that involves throwing dice but it has an interesting history, which dates back to when ancient Egyptian witch doctors used to throw stones marked with numbers together with bones to determine who lived and died when people were sick. It has come a long way since its terrifying and dangerous early days and there are now three versions of the game available namely: casino craps, street craps and online craps. Players must wager a bet on the outcome of the number that will be rolled by the dice, and while largely a game of chance, it proves to be a hugely popular once. 

Card Games

The history of card games is a long one with many of today’s games dating back to games that were played back in the 1300s. The original decks of cards used very different symbols and images on them and they used to be carved from wood rather than paper. Poker and Blackjack were among the first card games invented by the French and the latter began with players attempting to get as close as possible to the total of 31 rather than what we play nowadays where 21 is the target. Poker has become a worldwide gaming phenomenon and is one of the most popular casino games today, whether played online or in a casino. 

Casino games are always evolving to ensure players have something new and exciting to focus on and as technology continues to move forward at a fast pace, who knows what lays in store for the new generation of avid gamblers.

Brothers seek investment in bid to revolutionise the event planning industry

Two brothers, Ben Maughan, 27, and Tim Maughan, 30, have just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs in a bid to raise some capital to further develop their event planning business, Add to Event, and transform the way the UK organise events.

The online business aims to make event organisation simple and stress-free by pairing event organisers with the best local suppliers depending on their criteria. The web app allows users to post details of their desired event on the website so that local suppliers can instantly get in touch with quotes for their services. With a huge number of registered service providers, the website can be used to organise any event, from small children's parties to huge corporate events.

Accenture, BBC and Sainsbury's are just three of the companies that have already used the application for organising corporate events.

Brothers and founders of Add to Event, Ben Maughan (left) and Tim Maughan (right)

Ben and Tim Maughan, brothers from Cheltenham, founded Add to Event after being fed up with how hard it was to find great suppliers for events in their area. The pair were trying to organise a mini-festival when they realised the true need for a platform such as theirs.

Ben Maughan says: “We had a great idea for a mini festival but found we were spending hours trawling through event directories and calling various suppliers only to find they were already booked or not available for the dates we were looking for. This was extremely frustrating and very time consuming.

Tim Maughan explains: “We had a good search but couldn’t find any companies that were trying to address the problem so decided to build the solution ourselves! We run a digital agency so have all the skills required to build a web app so it made perfect sense.”

The site now receives hundreds of requests a day from people all over the UK and the brothers are now seeking extra funding in order to rapidly expand their user base. Ben and Tim have turned down offers from angel investors in order to raise capital through an equity crowdfund, to give their customers the opportunity to part own the company and share in their success.

Add to Event is joining a popular wave of marketplace businesses that are changing the way people request local services. Consumers are becoming more demanding and are constantly on the lookout for services that make their lives easier. Other well-known online marketplaces include Hassle, enabling people to find local cleaners, Mybuilder, to find local tradesmen and AnyVan, to find and book a man with a van.

More information on the crowdfund campaign can be found here.

Glasscubes Collaboration and Project Management Software

Smart-minded creative groups, businesses, charities and other teams are all benefitting from the wave of cloud-based document sharing and project management tools that allow for remote working, team efficiency and major savings on costs.

In particular, there is a very special offering from Glasscubes, whose extremely intuitive and complete setup represents superb value to small and mid-sized businesses. 

So below you'll find a round up of why we at Geekanoids are so impressed with Glasscubes' solution for better collaboration.

• Cost The price structure for Glasscubes is the best in the industry. Even where alternative software packages offer a similar suite of high-quality tools for teamwork, there's no comparison when it comes to how the contracts are managed. Glasscubes provide huge flexibility to their customers (no fixed, long-term contracts), and huge storage at very low prices.

• Security Clearly this is an essential issue for any group that handles sensitive information. Glasscubes' infrastructure for storage and security is operated using 2048 bit encryptionand Interxion's data facility in the heart of London's financial centre.

• Workspaces The hub of a group's online interaction, the workspaces are customisable, and provide huge advantages over more traditional methods for exchanging information and files, messaging and project management. Conversations are threaded and avoid the problematic email experience of important pieces of information getting lost in a long chain of comments. Documents are version-controlled, which means individuals can always be sure that they are accessing or working on the correct amended version of a file. Meanwhile, tasks are reported and easily traced throughout a project's development.

• Customer services Glasscubes' UK-based technical support receives excellent feedback and reviews from customers. They provide email, online chat and telephone support to customers of all sizes (many companies will limit their support for customers that fall below a certain account-size threshold), with a super-quick 3-hour response time.

With such a powerful set of benefits to be gained from moving from a paper-led office culture to a smart online one, the opportunity to enhance a team's ability to interact, develop and close out projects with high-level collaboration software will be an exciting prospect for team leaders and business owners everywhere.

WD Re-Designs World's No. 1 Selling Portable Hard Drive

Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) company, and world leader in storage solutions, today introduced the new, redesigned My Passport® Ultra portable hard drives and My Passport for Mac drives. With the My Passport line now in its 7th generation, the My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac portable hard drives are now available in capacities up to 3 TB and in four stylish colours - Classic Black, Brilliant White, Wild Berry and Noble Blue. WD is also introducing a new optional accessory – WD Grip Pack – a soft band, available in a variety of colours, which encircles the drive, offering consumers an easy way to personalise their My Passport drives.

“With more photos being taken than ever before, it’s critical to have a high capacity, reliable external storage solution that you can carry everywhere,” said Tony Tate, general manager and vice president of Content Storage Solutions at WD. “The latest generation My Passport drives deliver an easier automatic back-up experience, hardware-based encryption for security and higher capacities than ever before. Consumers can keep all their content in their pockets, while expressing their personal styles with the colours and WD Grip Pack.”

My Passport Ultra portable drives come in 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and 500 GB capacities and feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption – delivering a high level of security with no impact to write-speed or CPU activity. If your My Passport Ultra falls into the wrong hands, the 256-bit AES hardware encryption protects users’ files, folders, photos, videos and music with a password known only to them. USB 3.0 compatibility provides fast data transfer rates of up to 5 gigabits per second, while being backwardly compatible with USB 2.0. My Passport for Mac portable drives are available in capacities of 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and also feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption with USB 3.0 connectivity.

Sold separately, the WD Grip Pack accessory for My Passport Ultra is available in five colours (smoke, slate, grape, sky and fuchsia) and, when wrapped around one of the four colours of My Passport Ultra drives, enables consumers to create a total of twenty possible colour combinations. The WD Grip Pack comes with a colour-matched 18-inch flat USB 3.0 cable, creating a stylish complete solution. 

My Passport Ultra’s built-in WD Backup software is a simple-to-use application with focus on reducing frustration when setting up a backup plan to preserve data. Since 31% of devices have had malware at some point, having your data safely backed up onto a secondary device like a My Passport drive is critical to preserving precious data.

Pricing and Availability

My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac portable drives are available today in the WD store at wdstore.co.uk  and at select retailers, including Amazon (My Passport Ultra: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8XXRPM, My Passport Ultra for Mac: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WJOVDYM) and distributors. My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac have a Manufacturer’s Suggest Retail Price (MSRP) ranging from £59.99 up to £159.00 depending on capacity (3 TB capacity available next month). Both the My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac will offer a 3-year limited warranty. Terms and conditions of WD’s limited warranty may be found at support.wdc.com/warranty. WD Grip Pack accessories will be available in June and will have an MSRP of £9.99. 

1. 3 TB will be available next month
2. Colours only available on the My Passport Ultra 
3. Password must be set in order to use encryption.

Interactive Games On The Android Operating System

Image Credit: Richtaur

Mobile devices are the gaming public's favourite way to play these days, with millions, if not billions, of people across the world enjoying using their smartphones and tablets to game. Of all of these devices, the majority run on Google's Android operating system, a fast, sleek OS that has won over the hearts of mobile users thanks to its great levels of functionality, great for all manner of tasks, including gaming. So which are the best games that run on Android?

RPGs

Long plotlines and gameplay that facilitates the dipping in and out of the game - great for mobile users on the go - RPGs are very popular on Android. Dungeon Hunter 5, where players take on the role of a bounty hunter hoping to reunify a war-torn land, bears close semblance to the Diablo series, whilst 80 Days, a more literature-like title based around Jules Verne's "Around The World in 80 Days" is great for players who enjoy getting truly lost in character and story.

Play For Cash

The truest, newest kind of casual game, titles in which players can earn money playing have proved very popular with the gaming public in the past decade. If you enjoy games such as bingo, try out Coral, a lovely, rather lucrative site where players can socialise, play and take advantage of all manner of promotions released each day. If paid-for isn't your purview, try the completely free, very highly regarded Roulette Royale - Casino. Play with bots or with friends, competing for bragging rights and leader board places!

Shooters

There will always be a large audience of people who get their kicks from blowing stuff up, and Android caters very well for this clique. World Of Tanks Blitz is completely free, yet features all the tanks, graphics and physics that we've come to love in the PC version, plus 7 vs. 7 multiplayer! For those that enjoy contemporary combat, definitely download Modern Combat 5: Blackout, another title that's completely free. Awesome fire fights and console quality rendering, plus the choice to play either a single player campaign or a multiplayer match, makes this a true classic.

Puzzle

Passing time on the commute was never so much fun with titles such as Threes! Where, players move numbered tiles, adding them up in order to make larger multiples of three. Very addictive. Finally, The Room Two, a game from Fireproof Games that has players following a trail of cryptic letters provided by a scientist.

Do you know any other games that Android lovers simply must download? Let us know what they are in the comments section!

The Gear You Want for Ultimate Gaming Comfort

Image credit: Mario

Paying proper attention to videogames is, as it should be, the number one concern of many dedicated gamers in the UK. As every proper player knows, you can spend hours glued to the screen, forsaking human comforts as you battle through the demands of Call of Duty.

But wait! It need not be this way. Oh, we’re not saying you should spend a minute less online, but now, you can do it in comfort and style. Consider these valuable accessories to truly up your game…

A really good chair

As office workers know, sitting in the wrong chair at the wrong height for a long time can affect your health, giving you back ache and a poor posture. But though if you’re sitting at a desk playing from your laptop a good ergonomic office chair is a good option, what you really need is a special gaming chair. The X-Rocker Wireless II Gaming Chair features surround sound, a sub woofer, and wireless capability, for a fantastic multi media experience.  

Something to keep your energy up

Of course, ultimately the best thing for anyone is a healthy home cooked meal, cooked from scratch, but let’s face it: During a tricky moment in Zelda it’s essential that you don’t stir from your chair. You could call for a pizza, but even answering the door takes valuable time. The answer lies in grabbing an energy boosting health drink which can just sit by the console sp you can sip and improve concentration without affecting your score. 

The right outfit

When you’re sitting at home and no-one can see you, it’s fine to just slob out in any old t shirt and trackie bottom, right? Wrong. As motivational coaches up an down the country will tell you, it’s important to dress for success and for these reason we recommend wearing the right clothing for the job. Like this Mario-style t-shirt. It will help you assume the character of your favourite, er character, and once you are in the correct mindset of a plump Italian plumber, success is (almost) absolutely guaranteed.

The best speakers

Sound on games has evolved beyond the loveable bleeps and beeps of the past which could be turned off when they got too annoying with not much effect on play into a fully integrated part of the gaming experience. We love these Harmon Kardon sound sticks because they look totally sci fi and we think that they’re like something Dr Who would have, if Dr Who needed perfect sound to enjoy his MMORPG properly. Aesthetics aside, the speakers perform really well and are easy to install.

Well, that’s our list of favourites. What are your gaming essentials? Do you agree that these are all you need for a good night in or would you add anything?

Five days of hands-on tech for all the family

Gadget Show Live is returning to the NEC, Birmingham this April and it’s jam-packed with the coolest technology to entertain the whole family this Easter.

Running across the first week of the Easter holidays from Wednesday 8th April to Sunday 12th April, Gadget Show Live takes the concept of Channel Five’s hit television show and packs it into five days of unlimited access to the latest and greatest technology.

Over 200 companies including Panasonic, Phillips, HP, eBuyer, Dyson, Jeep, and GAME, will be showcasing the most amazing gadgets and gizmos in the UK – from TVs, games, toys and tablets, to cameras, in car tech and smart household gadgets.

·       Check out the latest UK innovations with the British Inventors Project

·       Race against the presenters in our Active Zone

·       Build your own robot and watch them compete in the Robo Challenge

·       Watch in awe at the quality of the brand new 4K TV from Panasonic

·       Test out the Sprout computer from HP

·       Check your balancing skills on a Segway, an electronic skateboard and a Turbo Wheel on the Gadget Wheels Test Track

·       Come dressed as Jason Bradbury on Saturday 11th April for your chance to win a £1000 gadget prize bundle

The Super Theatre

See the Gadget Show presenters, Jason, Jon, Ortis and Amy in the Super Theatre in a one hour long live show. Watch them test out the latest technology in wacky ways with plenty of presenter challenges, audience interaction and the chance to win a staggering £4,000 worth of gadgets in every performance!

The Game Zone

Head over to the Game Zone and get the chance to take part in free to play gaming tournaments over the week! Test out the latest games releases, try out an Indie game not yet on the market and see one of the energetic Game Zone sessions hosted by We Got Game!

Active Zone

Test out some of the latest wearable tech on the high street in the Active Zone. The latest fitness trackers, action cameras and personal transport devices will be available to test out. And visitors can even head down to the Gadget Wheels Test Track to try out some of the personal transport devices on our indoor test track. 

Kids Tech Toy Trail

Kids of all ages will love the Kids Tech Toy Trail, bringing to life the latest tech based toys and games, with the opportunity to test out cool new products including the chance to see your kids drawings come to live with the Crayola Colour Alive courtesy of Vivid Toys.

The British Inventor’s Project

Gadget Show Live isn’t just about experiencing the hottest technology, but encouraging the brilliant inventors that make it all possible.  Visit the British Inventors’ Project in association with the Design Council: Spark to see the very best technological designs homegrown in the UK.

Don’t miss the exclusive offers

If you want to test the latest gadgets before taking them home, Gadget Show Live is the place to be. Enjoy exclusive offers from well-known brands and unique technology companies throughout the show, as well as the exclusive opportunity to try before you buy.

The Gadget Show Live runs from Wednesday 8th April to Sunday 12th April 2015 at the NEC in Birmingham.

Tickets are on sale now at www.gadgetshowlive.net

The Gadget Show Live Giveaway

Great News everyone … I have two FAMILY TICKETS for The Gadget Show Live, which takes place at NEC Birmingham in April. The tickets are valid for one day entry between 8th and 12th April 2015. Each family ticket is good for FOUR people to enter the event.

You can read all about the exciting Gadget Show Live herehttp://www.gadgetshowlive.net/

To enter; 
1. Simply hit LIKE on this Facebook post (for one entry). 
2. Follow @geekanoids and @TheGadgetShowLive on Twitter (links below) and tweet out a link to this Facebook post using the hashtag ‪#‎GeekGadgetShow‬ - this gets you a second entry.

Please follow… 
Geekanoids Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/geekanoids 
The Gadget Show Live Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GadgetShowLive

Please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel here … 
http://www.youtube.com/geekanoids

Next week I will randomly pick two winners from all the entries.

Please note; There is no cash alternative. Facebook do not endorse this giveaway in any way. Tickets will be issued direct from the event organiser (winner will need to choose which day they would like to attend). If the winner does not claim their prize within 48 hours of being contacted, another winner will be randomly selected. No correspondence other than with the selected winners will be entered into.

Bitcoin in the online gambling industry: advantages and issues

When the Internet became global and accessible to everyone some 20+ years ago, it opened the way for the online gambling industry. Years have passed since, and it is clear now that the virtual gaming area in its present form is capable of modifying other industries as well. In many counties, online gambling is the object of intense legal regulation, but the companies seem to be successfully overcoming the state-imposed obstacles to continue with their businesses. Several years ago, the new Bitcoin-based payment solutions based on block-chain technology came into being, and that was the moment when millions of online gamblers all around the world felt their lives were becoming much easier. The Bitcoin system turned out to be not only a great opportunity to make instant P2P-transactions and cut down on operational costs for both players and Bitcoin casino operators, but also brought online gambling to countries and jurisdictions where traditional real-money gambling portals are officially prohibited.

As mentioned above, Bitcoin is known for its apparent advantages over electronic payments and wire transfers in ‘regular’ currencies. The cost of every single transaction for a Bitcoinpayment sender is as minimal as it can possibly be, and that is one of the main reasons virtual casino and betting website owners all over the world are considering the option to switch to Bitcoin and thus solve certain issues they have with real-money payments once and for all. While low commissions may be just one of the benefits enjoyed by the users of the cryptocurrency, they can become one of the likely causes for BTC to start establishing itself in other areas as well, apart from Bitcoin gambling.

Some three years ago, the estimated amount of gross winnings in the virtual gambling entertainment market marked about €22 billion globally. As estimated in late 2014, the industry is expected to grow approximately 9% annually, and these aren’t just some empty words. Specialized software developers and providers of Bitcoin payment solutions and services claim to be getting a steady surge of requests (literally, hundreds of them) from gambling website operators asking to have their businesses converted into Bitcoin-based systems.

BitCasino.io, one of the world’s most popular and innovative Bitcoin casinos, has achieved powerful success in less than two years, and, as their manager Tauri Tiitsaar points out, if you’re a part of the company  involved in the Bitcoin gambling industry  “you need to make sure you are ahead of the pack, that your users are happy and you are making the innovations, not following them. The main challenge with Bitcoin is our continual effort to globally educate as many people as possible to the new digital currency revolution. Our goal, mission and responsibility, as one of the biggest brands in the Bitcoin world, is to help increase the global adoption of Bitcoin”.

What BitCasino.io manager may be hinting at is the possible fear of using the cryptocurrency still common with hundreds of millions of potential users all around the world. However, there also may be other challenges that Bitcoin needs to struggle against, including regulation perplexities in many countries, as well as the prohibition to use bank payments for betting purposes in the United States. Time will tell whether BTC and its lobbyists are strong enough to deal with these issues.

Guest Post - David Barton

Park Cameras raise over £790 for St. Peter & St. James’ Hospice

United Kingdom, 17th February 2015 – On Thursday 29th January, staff at Park Cameras, one of the UK’s leading independent photographic retailers attempted to run between both their stores in Burgess Hill and Central London in a single day, in an effort to raise as much money as possible for local charity St. Peter and St. James’ Hospice.

Stop that Employee!

It was a chilly day outside Burgess Hill, with the temperature at just 5oC. However, inside the Park Cameras store, things got pretty warm, as amongst the wide range of cameras, lenses, bags and tripods, a team of 13 employees set of on their challenge to run the equivalent distance between their two retail stores.

The team worked in relay fashion on a treadmill, each doing their leg of the 45.7 mile journey as quickly as they could physically manage. The store itself was still open for business as usual, and it was great to see customers donating what they could to add to the total amount of money raised for local charity St. Peter & St. James’ Hospice – although it wasn’t necessarily as easy for the runners to give any expert photographic advice when asked!

Park Cameras chose to raise money for St. Peter & St. James’ Hospice as this is a charity based in the local area that many of the staff feels particularly strongly about. The hospice receives just 14% of their funding from the government, and have to raise more than £2.6 million every year through fundraising events. That’s £7,200 every single day.

Park Cameras HR manager Adel Charles said, “We are delighted to have been able to raise £795.77    for St. Peter & St. James’ Hospice. Whilst the team here went through a bit of pain and quite a lot of sweat, and I certainly know this first hand, it makes it worthwhile knowing the money raised will help all at St. Peter & St. James continue with the fantastic care, love and support they provide for those in the community that need it.”

Their Just Giving page is still available to view and donate to, should you wish.  Simply visit www.JustGiving.com/parkcamerasrun.

Fashion Fail - SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1

OK, so I am aware that the new SmartEyeglass is a developer edition and will likely be refined when it comes to style when (or if) it is released to the general public. My question is, have Sony not learn from the failure of Google Glass that tech you wear on your face needs to look good? Add to this the fact that we now have a breakout cable, with puck-style box that houses the mic and some other tech. Clip this to you coat or shirt collar to look even more dorky. SHOUT "HERE I COME, I AM RECORDING YOU!!!"