Words About Things

1. A bit of peace and quiet.

2. To fall asleep on the sofa.

3. Just to see the family.

4. His two front teeth.

5. Turkish Delight.

A recent survey has revealed the top 10 ways people around the country are trying to save money.  As the credit crunch (can we just call it a recession yet?) takes hold people are trying to reduce their outgoings. Here are the top 10 most popular methods shown with the percentage of people using them.

1. Staying in more (63%)

2. Shopping at cheaper shops (59%)

3. Wearing an extra layer instead of putting the heating on (51%)

4. Using loyalty and reward cards (49%)

5. Entering competitions (49%)

6. Taking a packed lunch to work instead of buying lunch (47%)

7. Using the internet to get a bargain (44%)

8. Selling unwanted items on Ebay or at car boot sales (39%)

9. Buying fewer magazines (34%)

10. Using cash rather than credit cards (34%)

It would seem that people are staying indoors entering as many competitions as possible whilst wearing extra layers from Primark. Interestingly 57% of those asked did not plan on giving up their broadband connection, at least until their phone line is disconnected. What was once seen as a luxury is now a necessity. Personal Finance expert Alvin Hall thinks this makes good sense:

“Broadband offers access to myriad ways of saving money – searching for the cheapest deal, selling unwanted goods on online auctions, downloading discount vouchers, entering competitions and even taking part in surveys like this one in return for cash.”

It has recently been announced that current versions of Internet Explorer have a serious security flaw. Antivirus software maker Trend Micro Inc. has said that the vulnerability could be  “adopted by … financially motivated criminals for more serious mayhem”. The flaw allows criminals to take control of an infected computer and steal passwords.

“If users can find an alternative browser, then that’s good mitigation against the threat.”

Rick Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro

With this is mind perhaps it is time for IE users to switch the Firefox which is a far more advanced system. Firefox is faster and more dynamic than Internet Explorer with plenty of add-ons available to customize it to your needs.

For more information about the security alert see the BBC news story.
Firefox can be downloaded here. Information about how to install it here.

Sony Ericcson, Vodafone and now Samsung look set to launch high end mobile phones running on Android. The Mobile Device Platform developed by Google was first launched on the T Mobile G1 phone which was released in October. It has been called a “flexible, upgradeable system” and includes a web browser. This , combined with a 3G connection provides an internet connection much faster than than via WAP. It still has some way to go before it is a quick as a broadband connection via a standard landline however.

Sony Ericcson, Vodaphone and Samsung have recently joined the Open Handset Alliance which was set up to develop open standards for mobile devices. They are expected to include software created by the Alliance (Android being the only release so far) on their next generation devices.

Sony’s Xperia 1 is due for release in summer 2009 and features a (surprising low quality) 3.2MP camera, a 800 x 480 touchscreen, and an optical joystick. The first release is due to run on Windows Mobile but a second release running on Android is expected.

Sony Ericcson are also expected to release the C905 which will be a 3G model with an 8 megapixel camera and GPS. There are unconfirmed reports that this will run on Android.

Samsung are rumoured to be creating a touchscreen phone called the Memoir. It should feature a camera with optical zoom which would be a big step forward in the evolution of on-phone cameras. A photo of a Memoir prototype can be seen below.