The e-bookreader comes of age

Tablet or e-book reader?

            If you looked at an e-book reader previously and found them less than ideal, then try looking
 at them again. They have definitely come of age. Book download times have reduced, features have increased and the reading experience has come along in leaps and bounds.
 

Tablet or e-book reader?

Tablet devices have made amazing progress too but tend to be expensive and if you were thinking of replacing your laptop with one then just make sure it can because the consensus is that they are not quite there yet. The e-book reader on the other hand is more directed at reading and it does this in an excellent way. Screens have improved contrast, sizes have reduced as well as weights. Now, many e-readers are truly pocket-able light and easily transportable.

 Increasing stock in book libraries

The availability of books available to download is growing exponentially and it is so easy to look around for that previously elusive title in the local book shop. But get this, if you like the classic books such as Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Island, then through a scheme called Project Gutenburg, you can get these free and there are a massive 18m of these available. More than you can read in a lifetime.

Battery life

This is one area that has improved with progressing technology. Take as an example the Kindle 3, this can last for a whole month if used properly. This is a great asset and convenience, especially when on holiday. Tablets have a reasonable battery life too when taking into consideration the amount of features that can be run all at once, including a back-lit touch-screen for example.

Cost

Cost for an e-book reader will at first glance, seem quite a lot, but when compared to a tablet device then it won’t look so bad. When taking into consideration the cost of one of these devices, look at it like this; you are investing in a reading experience over the long term. It may encourage you or someone you bought it for, to read more. The electronic books that you do download, will be cheaper in the long run than their paper counterparts. No matter how many books you do store, your device will always remain the same

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 - The Best Antivirus Software Ever

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

You have to admit that it can be difficult to figure out just what is the best antivirus software to buy.
But there is one and it's available right away. If you have been having problems with your antivirus software then there is a good reason for this. They aren't all as good as one another.

Why the free versions aren't so good

Ever had the free version of antivirus software? Yeah, so have I and guess what? It didn't work too well and you know why? They always leave something out so when things go wrong, you have to buy something to put it right again. One of the biggest of these is the back up. They won't give you enough back up capacity and when you run out it comes up as a problem. When it asks you to fix it, you have to pay for it.

Get a good version. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

Here's a good version and it's called

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

This is what the experts say about it:

Pros
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus includes 24/7 technical support.

Cons
There are no significant drawbacks.

The Verdict

: 9.8/10

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014 is a combination of total protection, plenty of features, and the most complete support you can possible get with a price that is so competitive that you will wonder why you tried to save money before.

 

And here is the lowdown on its performance

If you’re searching for the worlds best antivirus software, then Bitdefender is supreme.



The Bitdefender Antivirus Plus package is the best antivirus software and it's the TopTen REVIEWS Gold Award winner. It is what is called a top-tier antivirus software with superior protection and extreme performance. It's brilliant for advanced users that want to control the complete process manually or for ordinary users who would like Bitdefender to make all the decisions.

Bitdefender will provide complete protection and peace of mind without costing you or your PC's performance.
The actual Installation is quick and of course comes complete with step-by-step easy to understand instructions. The loading process includes a pre installation scan which doesn’t require a reboot before you can be up and running. The user interface can only be described as elegant.  Modules can be dragged or dropped to perform actions directly from the main window. This application has a feature called Autopilot and is used to make security-related decisions without the need to prompt you for responses. So the process is made so much easier. You will not have to configure anything, there will be no alerts and no pop-ups to contend with either.

 If you do happen to choose to make any manual changes to your security settings, the Autopilot will shut itself off in a very similar way to the cruise control of your car. If you touch the brake or accelerator, it will automatically disengage.

If you are serious about protecting your computer, then this has to be a good move on your part. Let's face it, these days the internet is of paramount importance to everybody. Can you imagine what life would be like if someone stole your computer? In a sense this is what a virus can do. The inconvenience is staggeringly inconvenient to say the least.

So there you have it, the best you can get. After all there is a saying and it's this "you only get what you pay for" but in this case it will probably pay for itself. So ask your self, is it worth the money? Enough said. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014

 

I'm a Lucky Man

It's only when you are older that you start to realise how lucky you are. I was listening to a radio programme on Radio 5 Live today about two lads that had to look after their Dad who had Alzheimer's. Their Father was quite young when he got this debilitating disease. They were just teenagers when they were thrown into being carers. Their Mother was not living with them at the time so it was down to the lads to do everything for him as he deteriorated.

When I look back at my life, I realise just how good it has been. I am over sixty and I still have both my parents and they still live in their own home. They are in their late eighties now and have never really suffered any health problems that were serious enough to cause much concern. They are still active and my Father still drives a car. He only gave up towing a caravan last year but retains the caravan as a static on a nearby site.

Of course they are becoming frail and both have had falls recently. My Father was pulled over by his over exuberant dog. A neighbour brought him home and it appeared that he had not broken anything. A hospital trip should have been on the agenda but he was not having any of it. He looked like he'd been beaten up for a couple of weeks.

Rather than take it for granted, I now realise that I must try to make the most of what limited time I have left with my parents. My Mother is showing early signs of Alzheimer's so time is not on our side. I had been unable to visit them for eleven months before my last visit and the signs of deterioration in them both was evident. I left it far too long but life can be difficult with work and lack of money getting in the way.

I have to make up for this somehow and this year at least, I must put more effort into visiting them before it's too late. If you have both your parents, remember they are precious and don't leave it too long before you visit them. When you look forward it seems that it's a long time but when you look back, you will find it has passed in a flash and that's why the saying makes so much sense; "life is short".

Do you fear Self Employment? - Best Autobiographies

Don't fear self employment, it's not as bad as you might imagine. I have been self employed for 28 years now and I vowed that I would never work for anyone else ever again.

Having done a number of jobs in the past like the Merchant Navy and three trades in the Royal Navy, I know enough about being employed to make a judgement.

One thing I did like about being in the Navy was the security it gave me but I also have to admit that I was in the wrong job. But you know what, it is notoriously hard to just change jobs when you have commitments hanging over your head and bills to pay. It can be a real nightmare. For more information read this amazing book

In my case I had no choice over my discharge from the Royal Navy. I was discharged because of stress aggravated by Naval service. No body's fault really, just one of those things. All this was a long time ago though and to be honest I was relieved to get out and at the time, I didn't have very many commitments even though I was married. I didn't have any kids as well so the decisions I made would be easier. Although I owned my own property, it was a mobile home on a Naval caravan site.
We loved it here but we could not stay so I put the place up for sale and sold it without any problems.

After a foray into the jobs market I was able to get a job with accommodation as a gardener for a millionaire in Kent. There had been many applicants but somehow my wife and I had impressed them enough to get the job. We only lasted a month here though and it left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and I began to wonder where my life was leading. For more information read this amazing book

I spent the next two years unemployed in Malta. This was a highlight though and as my wife is Maltese, we had many relatives to rely on. I had received a gratuity of £5000 on leaving the Navy, and this is mainly what we lived on for two years. When the money ran out and a bad on foreigners working in Malta, we returned to the UK and briefly to my parents house. We were now homeless and almost penniless apart from a small pension granted to my from the Navy, but not enough to live on.

We did not last long here either so moved in with friends in Durham whom we'd met in Malta. It was then that I met a window cleaner who was selling his round. It wasn't something I had considered before but I decided to buy the round.

Because I was so eager to work for myself at this time, I was keen to make it work. After some training from the old guy I was away on my own. There was a lot to learn but it didn't take long to learn the routine. Soon I was able to come off social security although they did not give me much on top of my pension. Then we applied for a council house and got one within six weeks. Since I had been in the Navy, I got some priority but remember, the waiting list was not so long in 1986.

Things were looking up and my wife would help me clean the windows too. After a few months we really began to learn how to clean windows well and even we were surprised at how fast we could get the round out of the way. We also began to pick up extra work. Some I got by canvassing newly built houses and began to get some good work. Others I got by people just seeing us work and asking us to clean there houses.

I had bought an old Morris Minor which should really have been in the scrap yard but it got us about at first. However, we were doing so well that I was able to sell this and get a big Rover SD1. It seemed like an amazing turn around and not long after we bought an old caravan to go touring in at weekends.

So being self employed was suiting us but don't get carried away, absolutely nothing is ideal. It was hard work especially in winter. Going back to peoples houses collecting at night and being responsible for my own tax. I had to be self disciplined too and this won't suit everyone but to be my own boss for once far outweighed the downside for me.

Also, when you are self employed, the money can be better than you initially imagine. We could have done better but we are content with the life we had self employed and one big plus was that I got to spend a lot of time with my family. I concentrated on short hours but with a relatively high pay. Also I am actually in a very secure job, a job for life and one from which I can't get the sack.

So if you're thinking of going self employed make sure you are prepared for the responsibility that it brings but the upside can be very rewarding. For more information read this amazing book

New Years Resolutions? Don't Bother!

Why not make a departure from the traditional way of making "New Years Resolutions?".

Why not instead just say; "to hell with it all and lets take it as it comes".

This way you aren't putting yourself under pressure. You will find it more relaxing and exciting to see just what happens and anyway, who said you have to make resolutions at this time of year?

If you just try to accept life a bit more, try not to judge others as much and just try to relax a bit more and try not to worry about things you just can't do anything about, then your going to find your outlook on life is a whole lot better.

Just be a bit easier on yourself this year!

My Funny Dog - Tilly

Here she is on Seaton Carew beach in summer. She is swimming in mid air which is really funny. How cute can you get? Just click on the link:

http://goo.gl/vlnaid

Bonzo - My Beloved Dog

The short and tragic story of Bonzo.

Malta was a strange place. It was bustling, dusty and noisy. Yells, bells and smells it had been described by someone and I tended to agree.

For all that, I loved the place, after all my wife was Maltese and I had grown accustomed to the place for all its faults. They weren't so much faults but more it was me trying to impose a certain standard on the culture that was certainly different from the UK .

We were able to rent a small flat in Malta's capital Valletta, an interesting place steeped in history. It's the sort of place you can become attached to very easily with its grand architecture and laid back people not to mention that wonderful climate.

I was not able to work in Malta at this time and I was taking a big risk by applying for a visa every thee months, not knowing if this would be granted or not. Having a Maltese wife and several relatives no doubt helped a lot. We began to settle quite well and I began to slow down to the leisurely pace of the Maltese people. We also decided to get a dog.

It was by now the late summer of 1984 and we were able to get a small Labrador puppy from the local dogs home. We called him Bonzo and we loved him so much. He was so cuddly and adorable and we had so much fun together. We would take him everywhere we went in the Island and he became an adept swimmer. He would sleep under the bed most of the time especially in summer because it was cooler on the tiled floor. There was no air conditioning so we would just have the windows open wide.

In the 1980's, Malta was still a very basic sort of place and could not be compared to the UK. We were still young and irresponsible and never gave a second thought about vets or inoculation. We barely had any money to eat let alone money for vets bills but this was to be a big wake up call for us as we breezed through life without a care in the world.

When Bonzo became ill, we at first didn't take much notice of it and we carefully nursed him as best we could. He was still a puppy at this time and it was suggested that he had Parvo. We hoped for the best but he deteriorated. A few days later he lay down under the bed and stayed there. We tried to coax him out to eat but to no avail. The next night, I was up reading in bed when Bonzo suddenly got up walked out from under the bed and staring intensely into my eyes, let out a groan as I gently stroked his head and then died.

I could not believe my eyes as I tried to revive him but to no avail. Both my wife and I were distraught as we woke our relatives next door. The tears rolled down my face uncontrollably and I could not be consoled.

Wondering how to dispose of Bonzo's body, the relatives said I would have to wrap him up, weight him down and throw him into the harbour. This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do and as I walked toward the harbour alone in the dark, I cried like a baby knowing in my heart that I could have done more for him. As I stood at the harbour wall I could not at first bring myself to cast his body into the deep cold waters. He was still warm as I held him close to my chest and I said a small prayer before finally throwing him in. I watched as he quickly sank out of sight before quickly turning away to return to my family and seek some sort of consolation.

As I look back over the years, and I look at my present dog I try somehow to make up for the neglect I feel that I was responsible for and give her so much love. I try to console myself and look deep into her eyes and imagine that somewhere, somehow Bonzo is there in her spirit.

How things have changed after all these years. Now our present dog is up to date with her inoculations against all the common diseases and we intend to make the most of every minute of time we have together.

Although it is now almost 30 years ago, I still have the odd tearful moment for that little puppy we called Bonzo.