Technology and Online
Hardly anyone gets advertised broadboand speed, says Ofcom
Filed under: House and Home, Technology and Online
Hardly any customers are getting the broadband speed they have been sold, says Ofcom, the watchdog, in a damning verdict on the industry. Virtually no one is getting the 'up to' speed advertised.Ofcom's analysis of broadband speeds in the UK shows that for some services 97% of consumers do not get the advertised speed. Most homes receive less than half the speed they are paying for. So which internet providers are best for download speed, and what can you do to improve your connection?
Music download price war sparked by HMV?
Filed under: Entertainment, Technology and Online
The 50 quid man is a dying breed. He was identified as the kind of guy who goes into HMV and spends £50 on a whim on films and CDs he likes the look of. Sadly for the firm, he has become the 20 quid man, who downloads for a fraction of the price - and goes elsewhere. So HMV is fighting back, with a price war.It is offering the UK top 40 singles for just 40p each (which will please Justin Bieber fans). So does that make it the cheapest? Is a price war on the way?
Council wastes £36,000 on 'virtual town hall' in Second Life
Filed under: Taxes, Weird and Wonderful, Technology and Online
A local council has scrapped its £36,000 "virtual town hall" in Second Life because they realised after a year that it was a massive waste of money and no one was using it.Tameside Council, in Greater Manchester, paid for an island in the internet computer game and paid expensive geeks to build the "virtual town hall" which local residents could use to access services, saving them all the bother of making a phone call or simply going to the council's normal website.
Half of broadband complaints left hanging
Filed under: House and Home, Technology and Online
Almost half of all people who complain about their broadband connection are left hanging, new research shows. And many others are so disillusioned that they don't even bother complaining when things go wrong with their broadband.A survey of over 2,500 UK broadband customers by Broadbandchoices.co.uk reveals that consumers continue to face major difficulties in having their complaints resolved. Almost half of respondents (46%) who made a complaint said they were not happy with the outcome. How do you make a successful complaint?
iPhone glitch could ruin your holiday
Filed under: Technology and Online
After a wave of controversy over antenna and signal problems with the iPhone4, it appears there may be a new problem with all Apple's phone models.Consumer revenge website, MoneySavingExpert has reported large numbers of complaints from iPhone users looking for advice after being wrongly charged for internet use overseas.
Music file sharers should be scared - legal action is coming
Filed under: Entertainment, Technology and Online
Thousands of music file-sharers could soon be sued by dance label Ministry of Sound. The company has sent solicitor's letters to many home users who have illegally downloaded tracks from the internet, saying they have two choices: cough up around £350 or end up in court.It's a serious escalation of the battle between the music labels and the fans who like their output, but don't want to pay for it.
Your new credit card will have a PIN keypad and screen
Filed under: Credit Cards, Fraud , Technology and Online
You will soon be tapping your pin code directly into your credit or debit card if you pay for anything on the internet. It will be a powerful weapon against the increasing problem of credit card fraud on the web. Often fraudsters use stolen cards to make purchases, only needing the security number printed on the back. But soon, millions of Visa cards will feature the numerical keypad and small calculator-like screen which will require a pin.
BT to hike landline call charges by 10%
Filed under: House and Home, Technology and Online, Budgeting & Planning
BT is hiking its phone call charges by 10%, sparking fears that other providers could follow suit.The telecoms giant, which has 12.5 million phone customers, is also increasing its monthly line rental by 50p from the beginning of October.
Indian call centres run computer virus scam
Filed under: Fraud , Technology and Online
Indian call centres are running a scam to make you think that your computer is infected with a virus, and the only way to get rid of it is to pay a fee of £185.The caller knows the name and address of the person he is calling, and claims to be from Microsoft. He says your ISP has informed the company that you have a problem and it can only be fixed with his help. If you don't, your computer will break down completely.
Cheaper alternatives to the iPhone 4
Filed under: Technology and Online
The iPhone has revolutionised the way we use our mobile phones, so it's little wonder that despite a hefty price tag, it's hugely popular. The new iPhone 4 has come up for plenty of criticism though, as users have reported problems. There's been a serious issue with the phone antennas and incorrect display of signal strength.
