IPAD USERS WARNED OF ROAMING CHARGES WHILST ABROAD
The summer getaway is just around the corner and whilst many Brits are weighing up the costs of a week in the sun, others will be looking for the best option for using their iPad abroad without running up a huge mobile broadband bill.
Michael Phillips, product director, Broadbandchoices.co.uk commented:
“iPads are incredibly useful to take away on holiday since they allow you to stay in touch, listen to music, watch films and keep up to date with any potential travel issues while you are away. However even simple tasks like checking your email can become expensive if you are using your domestic iPad tariff to surf while on holiday abroad.
“New rules were introduced in July 2010 placing the onus on broadband providers to cap the cost of using the internet whilst abroad within in the EU at €50 (around £44) – but this is still rather expensive, and is only applicable within the EU. If consumers are going online in countries just outside of the EU or elsewhere in the world they are exposing themselves to prices and policies that vary massively from one supplier to the next.
“iPad roaming costs aren’t necessarily the same as those applied to regular mobile broadband packages, so we strongly urge consumers planning to take their iPad abroad to follow our quick tips below to avoid a nasty bill shock when they get home from their holidays.”
Broadbandchoices.co.uk’s top tips for avoiding roaming charges
- Check the small print: Although EU roaming costs are capped, some providers such as 3 apply a cap no matter where you are in the world, whilst others offer no cap at all for countries outside the EU. Find out from your supplier what the rules are for your destination.
- Set your own usage cap: If you are concerned that you won’t be able to keep track of your surfing whilst abroad, contact your provider to set a cut-off point.
- Use wi-fi when you can: Making use of wi-fi in a hotel, coffee shop or even McDonalds allows you to surf for free on a faster, more reliable signal. Even if you have to pay to use a local wi-fi connection this can still work out cheaper than paying premium roaming rates.
- Avoid hidden costs: Turn off apps that use the internet to update your information automatically – for example, tools that keep track of your location and post it to Facebook. Allowing these to continue running throughout your holiday can lead to huge charges being racked up.
- Turn off data roaming: The easiest way to avoid mobile broadband charges whilst abroad is to turn off data roaming on your iPad
- When in Rome: When you arrive overseas consider buying a local SIM card that you can adapt to fit your iPad. It will almost certainly be cheaper than paying roaming rates to your UK provider.
Michael continued:
“Anyone planning a stay-cation this year as an alternative to going abroad should still ensure they are on the best SIM only plan for mobile broadband on the move.”
For further information please contact:
Michael Phillips/Jon Ingram Broadbandchoices.co.uk 020 7400 6234
Karen Wagg/Emily Church Peregrine Communications 020 3178 5013
About Broadbandchoices.co.uk
Broadbandchoices.co.uk was launched in 2005 and is the UK’s leading Ofcom accredited broadband comparison calculator.
We offer comprehensive and impartial advice on broadband, mobile broadband and bundled packages (broadband with home phone and digital TV) saving our users over £200 when they switch.
The Broadbandchoices.co.uk calculator compares thousands of different combinations of packages and provides results in a clear, intuitive table where users can rank and compare services according to their individual needs.
Broadbandchoices.co.uk powers over 20 leading comparison services including Confused.com, Comparethemarket.com and GoCompare.com.
Bigroom Acupuncture Bristol Start Spread of Multi-Room Clinics
Bigroom opened their acupuncture clinics in Bristol and Oxford to provide affordable treatment to the whole community using an open-plan approach to their practice spaces. Their approach to work has led to other clinics following suit, with the Pioneering Care Centre in Newton Ayrcliffe in County Durham now offering open-plan treatment.
The approach used by Bigroom means that practitioners are able to work with several clients at the same time. The saving in running costs means that clients are able to pay less for treatment, which can be very expensive through private services. acupuncture in Bristol can reach prices of £40 a session, with initial consultations as much as £60. Bigroom’s open plan practice space still offers a private and safe environment for clients, with screens used between the treatment beds, and customer feedback has been very positive for the service.
With the Pioneering Care Centre opening in the north of the UK, this could mean a change to how acupuncture treatment is performed across the country. The approach is modelled on traditions from the far east, where it is normal for several clients to be treated simultaneously. The approach is possible because acupuncture needles can take 20-30 minutes to work, meaning that a client can be left to relax for a period of time while the practitioner moves on to another patient. By treating more than one patient per hour, the cost of running the service is significantly reduced.
Bigroom’s approach to treatment means that more people will have access to treatment and for the right amount of time for it to work. Expensive service costs and treatments which are not available frequently enough mean that patients can ‘fall behind’ in their recovery, and be unable to experience the full benefit of acupuncture. Acupuncture services available through the NHS can be difficult to access, so Bigroom acupuncture Bristol have been able to fill a gap in services and provide treatment for the whole community.
While an open-plan approach to acupuncture may seem a daunting prospect for some, the feedback for the service has been very positive. Clients have commented that they appreciate the sense of togetherness experienced during communal treatment. “I found all the bigroom team to be informative, professional, supportive and reassuring,” said one Bristol client.
About Bigroom Practitioners:
All of the practitioners in Bristol are fully qualified and registered with the British Acupuncture Council. Several of them own their own practices and are able to provide a professional and respectful service. For more information about Bristol acupuncture options, visit www.bigroomacupuncture.co.uk.
Increased Electricity Prices Lead to Search for Alternatives
Higher gas and electricity prices mean people are currently looking for cheaper alternatives to keep costs down. Households across Wales are now looking to use renewable energy to heat their homes, in light of expected price increases of up to 15% in coming months. Consumers are currently looking to use biomass boilers to heat their homes.
The wood fuelled heating system works by burning logs or wood pellets to heat either a single room or a hot water system for an entire house. They provide a low carbon option to household heating because the Co2 emissions made when the wood is burnt is the same amount which was absorbed by the plant as it was growing. As long as the plant is replaced, the system is sustainable. Andrew Boroughs, who runs Organic Energy in Welshpool, says that the first quarter sales of wood pellet burners has risen by 20%. “Over the course of the past year, every one of the six biggest energy providers in the UK raised its prices and the new increases are likely to be added to customers’ bills by the start of the summer,” says Boroughs. “Anyone who ran out of heating oil last winter knows just how dependent rural properties in particular are on this fossil fuel, the cost of which is also increasing.”
Solar energy is also being considered as a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels, however the subsidies for this are now being slashed by the government in the UK. Many governments across Europe are now deciding to limit expenditure on solar energy, favouring wind farm technology for alternative energy solutions. The subsidy launched in 2010 to encourage the use of solar energy meant that around 26,000 houses were able to have solar photovoltaic installations made. The installations were growing so rapidly that it lead the Renewable Energy Association to believe that the energy could have provided 4 to 6 percent of the UK’s total electricity by the year 2020. With the cuts to the tariffs, this is less likely to be possible.
Alternative energy solutions could provide much needed help to households struggling with bills or costs can be kept down simply by switching to a different price plan. Energy comparison websites can advise customers of alternatives and, for changes to a central heating system, product comparison websites can advise which boiler is the most cost effective. With price increases coming into effect this year, customers will need to review their energy usage to ensure they receive the right service.
Landline Calls at All Time High Due to Price Changes
BT have paved the way for price increases across the board for TV, broadband and phone line providers. Its 9 percent increase in the cost of calls comes into effect on the 28th April, meaning that BT customers across Britain will be left with larger bills. The most recent price increase means that BT customers are now paying 41 percent more for their services than just one year ago. The cost of calls will go up to 7.6p a minute, compared with 5.4p a minute 12 months ago, and landline rental charges will increase from £12.79 to £13.90 per month. Broadband charges are also set to go up as well as the cost of phoning BT’s answering service.
Other broadband and phone line providers are also planning price increases, possibly in response to BT’s move, as shown with ‘copycat’ price increases in 2010. Virgin Media increased its line rental charges by 6 percent earlier this year, and Sky will raise its prices in June, although it has not said by how much. TalkTalk, who were recently voted the Most Complained About telecommunications company in the UK, are set to raise their prices on May 1st. Rental fees will increase to £12.60 a month and call costs will increase to 7.6p a minute. The price increases are set to be a huge burden to British households already struggling with increased living costs. The prices of fuel, electricity and gas have also increased this year, with the added difficulty of the increased VAT charges meaning that more than ever customers are needing to keep costs down whenever possible.
Customers are now being advised by price comparison websites to consider their options when looking for the best possible landline deals. Most deals offer evening and weekend calls for free and cheaper or free phone line rental may also be available through smaller companies, such as the £6.79 per month line from Primus. For the best choice, customers need to make decisions about how often they make calls and at what time. For individuals who are at home during the day, an ‘anytime’ deal may be preferable to a plan which only offers evening and weekend calls.
How to find old computer parts quickly and cheaply online.
We hope to be able to send you in the direction of an excellent online resource that can help you to track down the best computer parts for out of date or obsolete computer set ups. It can be notoriously difficult to find some computer parts if your set up is a little bit out of date, but we have some excellent tips on how to find all of the parts that you need.
When it comes to running a busy business, we are in an age where we rely heavily on computers. Many companies now favour a paperless office, which means that simply everything is stored on the network of computers at work. This is a very good way to work, but of course, things can sometimes go wrong with such a complicated set up. It is when this happens that you realise just how difficult it can be to get hold of some computer equipment out there. Obviously if you lose something like a keyboard or a monitor then it is a simple task to replace it, but there are plenty of computer parts out there which are specific to certain computers, and if you do have an old system, you will often find that the part you need is no longer made anymore, which can obviously pose a threat to your whole set up.
Luckily, at Microbite you will come across a website which can offer you all manner of parts, no matter how old your computer system is. They stock, new, used and obsolete parts for more computer makes and models than you could ever think of, but the real bonus is the service they offer which means that you can sit back until they find the part that you need. All you have to do is to get in contact with them, and if they don’t have your part in stock they will search the net for it until they find it, and they still guarantee to send it out to the day after they receive it. This is a fantastic service that really is not available in many places at all.
This effectively means that you can almost replace anything. You will even find that they have computer spares that you really wouldn’t expect to have in stock. You will be able to track down a server case if you so require, even if it is something that was originally on the market a full ten years ago! Even if the case that you are looking for is on the other side of the wall, Microbite should be able to arrange to get it to you.
As you would imagine, Microbite also stocks a huge range of everyday items at great prices. A good example is the Netgear routers that so many people use. You will find an almost limitless stock of these should your own router fail you.
About Microbite
No matter what you need, Microbite will do everything in their power to get you the part that you need. All you have to do is to get in touch with them via their website, and sit back and relax as they do the hard work for you!
LG Launch New 3D TV Packages
LG have announced the launch of two Cinema 3D monitors, designed to deliver clearer 3D images and reduce eye strain for viewers. The monitors are available now in Korea and are set to go on sale globally in early June. The drawbacks faced by 3d TV packages so far have been problems relating to viewing angles, and flickering images.
These problems are expected to be ironed out by the new LG products, which are using new technology to combat viewing difficulties. The LG D41P and D42P both utilize Film Patterned Retarder technology to reduce the flickering effect and improve the visual experience of 3D for the viewer. The technology works by showing left and right images through different patterns in a circular polarizer, and uses the precise film which can distinguish the left and right images to show a different image on each eye. It is an improvement on previous technologies, with the new developments meaning that the LG monitors are much brighter than conventional 3D TVs, with no flickering or ghosting of images.
The new monitors will come to the UK market at a time when several of the top providers of subscription TV channels are branching into 3D entertainment. Virgin, BT and Sky are all now offering 3D programming as part of some of their service packages. BT began offering 3D films in November 2010, however its range of 3D programming is limited. For customers making the decision of Sky vs BT, the range of entertainment in 3D offered by Sky is superior. Sky also hosts the UK’s first entirely 3D channel, however with the development of 3D technology and the proven popularity BT is likely to increase its range very soon. Virgin Media also offer 3D entertainment, and have recently signed a deal with Disney and Paramount to present their films in 3D on its On Demand service.
Customers will be able to access them at no extra cost, making the Virgin vs Sky choice more interesting. Virgin up until this point have lagged behind Sky on 3D provision, instead focusing on the provision of non-linear content for their customers to access online. Virgin is keen to avoid being left behind by other companies, and Alex Habdank, director of on demand television and strategy at Virgin Media has said: “We’re thrilled to be adding this exciting range of new movies to our 3D video on demand service from two of the biggest studios Paramount Pictures and Disney.”