Why Isn't Skype Working? Enquiring Minds Want to Know

When Skype isn't working it can really spoil your day. I first noticed it wasn't working when I glanced down at the Skype icon on my taskbar and noticed a buffering sing. Then I opened up the program and saw Skype Home was unavailable.

Like millions of other users around the world I did a quick web search to try and figure out why the F@~K my Skype wasn't working and discovered it had gone down at 9.15 am (GMT).  This was at around noon (yep! I get up kinda late some days). It's now midnight (got to bed late too) and Skype still isn't working, but the status page over at the official company website states the engineers have identified the problem and are presently working on restoring the service.  The company is owned by Microsoft, who know a thing or two about computer programs, and presumably have some pretty top-notch engineers on the payroll, so I am amazed at how long this is taking.

A day without Skype can be a real bummer.

I just discovered there is an online version of Skype available. I never knew that, and it took a few attempts to log in. Then when I did successfully log in I could not see a way to make a call—so double bummer. Will Skype be up and running again in the morning? That remains to be seen, but I probably won't find out until lunch because I've still got things to do and it looks like being another late night.

How to Get Ahead in Marketing While Standing in Line—Primer Shows the Way

Google has just launched their new and improved Primer app and if you are a busy business-owner, struggling to keep up to date with the latest marketing strategies, Google Primer could be just what you need.

The Google Primer app provides bite-size marketing lessons that can be completed in all those moments that are wasted standing in queues or travelling on public transport. In fact, with Primer, even a bathroom break can provide app users with an opportunity to expand their marketing knowledge.

The new and improved app is compatible with all Android and Apple mobile devices and Google intend to release fresh lessons every week.

Each Google Primer lesson can be completed in less than five minutes and the lack of a WI-FI connection need not scupper your plans for learning, The lessons can be downloaded when a connection is available and then completed elsewhere without the need to dig into any of your mobile data allowance.

Google Primer app users can enjoy a number of courses that range from basic to advanced level and include:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Storytelling
• Ad Buying
• Measurement

Each mini-tutorial ends with an activity that allows users to test their new knowledge and Primer app users can choose and complete lessons that coach them on the subjects that are most appropriate to their needs.

Want to find out more? Visit the Google Play store.

Are You Old Enough to Remember Them? The Top 10 Bestselling Instant Videos in the UK

The Top 10 bestselling films in Amazon UK's Instant Video Streaming section makes interesting reading today.

1. Stalker (2010)
2. Gone Girl (2014)
3. Illuminating Angels and Demons (2005)
4. The Fault In Our Stars (2014)
5. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
6. What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
7. Julia (1977)
8. A Perfect Day (2006)
9. The Road (2009)
10. Christine (1983)

The most recent film, Gone Girl (2014), has been beaten to the top spot by Stalker (directed by Martin Kemp). The Fault In Our Stars was also released in 2014, and it comes a little further down the list, at number 4.

In fact, looking at the list is appears the most popular films in the UK (streamed via Amazon, anyway) have been around for a while. Bridget Jones (yes, she with the big knickers) comes in at number 5 and John Carpenter's Christine (released in 1983) beats many more recent films by coming in at number 10. The Instant Video Streaming version is in HD though; so perhaps people just can't resist seeing that "Bad to the Bone" Plymouth Fury regenerate itself all over again.

Christine is not the oldest film to make the Amazon UK's Instant Video Streaming Top Ten List today. The 32-year-old horror is not as popular as the wartime drama Julia (1977), but with a young Jane Fonda in the starring role, it still has a lot going for it and may sit in the Top 10 list for quite some time.

But what of Shaun the Sheep The Movie (2015), I hear you ask. It has been available on Amazon UK's Instant Video Streaming since the first of this month and has, so far failed to make the Top 25 Videos streamed in the UK. Somewhere a very unhappy little sheep is probably standing with its arms folded, shaking its head, and saying, "Baaaaah!"

There may have been changes since this blog post was written. Check out the latest list of Top 10 Streaming Videos in the UK.

#Rant: Are We Brits Turning into a Nation of Whingers?

Summer is a funny old time of year. After months of complaining about how cold it is, how wet it is, and much they are looking forward to summer, many Brits change their tune and start saying it's too hot for them: "I'm melting, I am.  I'll be glad to get home and into some shade."

So on a good day, in winter, if anyone asks we are always "better than the weather". But in summer we seem to spend our time complaining about the heat, saying it's too hot for work, or dreaming about our Summer Holidays.

Then the worrying starts: how good will we look on the beach?

We all seem to want to exhibit a body to die for, but feel we may die of embarrassment if anyone notices our__ (fill in the blank).

Yep! Everybody wants to look good! If they didn't plastic surgeons would be driving around less sporty cars and watching the pennies like the rest of us.

Not everyone can afford to go under the knife, but shelling out the cash for a gym membership is seen as an affordable investment—even though we soon find:

• It's too hot to go to the gym today.
• I'm too tired to go to the gym today.
• I can't face going out in that rain!

But wait!

The countdown has already begun and we still haven't sorted out that not-so-little problem with our __ (probably the same thing we were worried about before) and beer guts, bingo wings, or cellulite don't look good on the beach.

Bummer!

(Oops! Probably best not to think about bums when you are worrying about the best way to prize yourself into your Speedos (guys) or bikini (girls and a few very strange guys that don't bear thinking about.)

Yikes! If that doesn't curb your appetite, nothing will.

So what's next?

The magic pills of course. The ones that can turn your body into a 24-hour fat-burning machine and make all your problems disappear.

Please! Wake up and smell the coffee!

Admittedly, there are a few good weight loss supplements available that can speed up the weight loss process, but the magic usually only works if you put in the effort and go to the gym. It also usually helps a lot if you learn to walk down the cake isle in your local supermarket without adding a few extra treats to the trolley. This can be very hard to do due to the fact that most people feel they deserve "a little treat" because the weather has been so miserable/hot or because they have "been really good lately" and already been to the gym twice this week.

But do you know what? Some people actually do have the commitment necessary to banish their belly fat and get into their Speedos/bikinis (what is it with guys and bikinis, anyway?) without looking like a beached whale. You know the ones. The people who have easy jobs, more time (to work out at the gym), more money (for the best supplements), and just have a much easier live than the rest of us. They probably have air-conditioning in their cars as well—lucky ba&~@rds!

Don't you just hate them?

But do you know what? We can do it as well. Yes we can, if we really try. If we workout hard, cut back on bad foods (just say no), eat plenty of healthy ones, and find a decent supplement to boost the results.

Yes we can all have that perfect beach body!

The only problem is, when we finally arrive at our destination, the chances are we will spend so much time drinking cerveza/tequila, and pigging out on all that yummy, cheap food (well, it's a holiday, right?) that it may not last long.

But that's okay, because we can do it all again next year, and when we get home we can start complaining that the food was so much nicer in __ (fill in the blank), the drink was so much cheaper, and—of course—the weather was so much better.

Big Brother is Listening to You Via Mobile Phone

These days it's difficult to take a leak without worrying you may be making a splash on YouTube and having a private life just keeps on getting harder. It has now emerged Big Brother may be listening in on people's mobile phone conversations in the UK via fake mobile phone towers called Stingers.

According to a recent report in The Independent, stinger technology is currently being used by police forces all over the world and is very useful for catching criminals. But there is a sting in the tail—the towers are unable to differentiate the difference between criminal and non-criminal activity. So if you went out and had too much to drink last night, urinated somewhere you shouldn't, and shared the tale via mobile phone, don't be surprised if the Thought Police come knocking at your door.

Investigators from Sky News located more than 20 of the mobile phone-tapping towers in just 3 weeks, so how many are actually active in the UK is anybody's guess.

When Sky News quizzed the London Metropolitan Police about the controversial technology Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe appeared to be determined to protect the force's privacy.

Refusing to confirm or deny allegations made about the use of the suspect technology he said: "The only people who benefit are the other side, and I see no reason in giving away that sort of thing."

Keith Bristow, director-general of the National Crime Agency, was equally loathed to speak on the subject. "Some of what we would like to talk about to get the debate informed and logical, we can’t, because it would defeat the purpose of having the tactics in the first place," Bristow said. "Frankly, some of what we need to do is intrusive, it is uncomfortable, and the important thing is we set that out openly and recognize there are difficult choices to be made."

A legal expert who specializes in surveillance law told Sky News: "We don’t know how they’re being overseen. We don’t know the statutory basis that’s being relied on, as a consequence we don’t know who—if anyone—is overseeing that use."

The Stinger masts work by tricking phones into thinking they are normal towers and then hi-jacking the signal and recording the information as it passes through them.

Pretty scary stuff! It just keeps getting harder and harder to have a private conversation these days. So if you think your iPhone is a smart phone you might want to think again. Big Brother is smarter and he could be listening to you right now.

photo credit: (c) Catherine (2014) CC Licence 

Google Beef-up User Account Security with Google My Account

Google always make a big deal about the many steps they take to protect their user's safety online and to be fair to the Big G they have always been pretty good at protecting their user's security. Continuing in their fight against hackers and other online miscreants, Google have now introduced a new feature called My Account.

What is Google My Account?

My Account provides Google users with  quick and easy access to a range of tools and settings that enable them to manage their "Google Experience" when using Google products like Gmail and maps and (yes) that includes the Big G's search engine as well.

Google has launched 'My Account', a new hub for privacy and security settings from which users can manage their information shared with different Google products, such as Maps and Search, as well as adjust the security settings for these services.

The new My Account hub is divided into three sections:

• Sign-in and security settings
• Personal information and privacy settings
• Account preferences

Google accounts holders will be able to change their passwords, see what apps are connected to their profiles, update personal details, and monitor / control many other aspects that relate to their "Google Experience".  As with most things in life, some learning curve may be involved, but most users will probably appreciate the new feature and the obvious benefits it provides.

Amazon Say New Kindle for Kids is More than a Toy

Amazon UK has just announced the release of a new kid-friendly kindle. It's going to retail for £119 so it's not going to be the cheapest way to occupy little hands and curious minds, but customers who buy a children's Kindle are being offered a two year guarantee. Amazon are promising "if they break it we'll, replace it" and they say there will be no questions asked.

The official release day is June 18, so parents who want to treat their children by giving them something that may give them an educational "head" start only have about a week to wait before it is all systems go. And parents who are worried initial stocks may sell-out fast and don't want their children to wait can pre-order a Kid's Kindle.

The choice of colour appears to be limited to blue or pink, and with such traditional colours (blue for a boy, pink for a girl) it seems unlikely that Amazon will offer an expanded choice of colours in the future, but  if the colour choice is limited the reading choice is not. Amazon is offering a year's unlimited access to thousands of books, videos, games, and educational apps. As a free bonus that's not bad at all because parents will not be required to pay additional costs if they wish their children to get the most from their kindles.

As with a "grown up" versions the Kindle fire for Kids has front and rear cameras that will enable youngsters to make their own videos and develop those all-important selfie taking skills that are so handy for populating social media accounts with interesting pictures.

Whether or not it will set the world on "Fire" remains to be seen, but all-in-all the new Kid's Kindle appears to be a pretty well thought out piece of kit and the specifications are quite impressive.  This blog is no place for all that technical stuff though. Neigh I say; if you want to know more you will need to head on over to Amazon and get it from the horse's mouth.

Will the Sugar Tax Be Implemented in the UK?

A new study has revealed the cost of eating healthy continues to rise, but price of high-calorie processed foods has dropped. With obesity on the rise, on a worldwide scale, this is a situation that does not bode well for the future. Now researchers in the UK are suggesting the British Government introduce a special tax for junk food and use the proceeds to subsidise the costs of fruit and vegetable production.

Data collected in the study, conducted  by the Overseas Development Institute shows cost of fruit and vegetables has soared over the last two or three decades, but in the years between 1980 and 2012 the cost of ice cream has dropped by 50% and ready meal prices have been slashed by 20%.

The UK is not the only culprit though. In China the costs of vegetables have doubled in the last 20 years, in Brazil the prevalence of sugary drinks and crisps and biscuits has been rendered more attractive by low prices, and cabbage lovers in Korean are now paying around 60% more green for their greens.

In Mexico nearly halt the adult population is obese, but little wonder. The cost of fruit and vegetables has increased significantly since 1990, but the Mexican government has already taken a proactive stance in the fight against obesity. In January 2014, a tax was introduced and applied to high calorie food and drinks.

Obesity can shorten the average person's lifespan by around nine years so the Mexican sugar tax could prolong lives, whether or not such a tax will actually become a reality in the UK, remains to be seen.

Six Little-Known Facts about Testosterone

1. Women have it too!

I know if I tell you that women produce testosterone you are going to shout "Balls!", but it's true. Women really do produce testosterone.  Most people are aware the male testes produce testosterone, but if you want to be really accurate about it the testosterone is actually manufactured by the leydig cells that are located in the testicles. Well guess what, women have leydig cells as well. They are located in the ovaries, and they are not as productive as male leydig cells, but they can and do secrete testosterone each and every day.


2. Testosterone Can Make Your Gal Feel Horny
Although testosterone is generally associated with the male sex drive, if your lady is acting a little friskier of late it could be due to elevated testosterone levels. Testosterone can enhance the female libido by targeting the receptors in the brain that are responsible for regulating the sex drive.


3. Testosterone can make you Big and Strong

Testosterone is a natural steroid hormone that can help speed up post-exercise recovery rates, aid the anabolic (muscle building) process and assist protein synthesis.


4. Testosterone Burns Fat

There is somewhat of a paradox here, because when people become overly fat or obese the extra poundage can restrict the body's ability to produce testosterone. But when the body contains a sufficient quantity of testosterone it can assist the fat burning process and help keep you slim.


5. Testosterone Levels Decline with Age

Yep! It's a scientific fact I'm afraid. The older you get the less testosterone your body is likely to produce.  It's not an ideal situation at the best of times, but when you are trying to remain big and strong so you burn off a little extra fat with your significant other, whose producing so much she's turned into a rampant beast, it can be a particularly daunting state of affairs. But do you know what the worst thing is guys? Testosterone production often starts to diminish during adolescence. After that it's downhill all the way.


6. Testosterone Supplements Began as a Piss-Take

Testosterone was first synthesized in 1935 and the production process was strange to say the least. It required a sufficient quantity of the male hormone aldosterone, which had to be distilled from around 4,000 gallons of donated human urine.

Book Talk: A Few Audiobook Advantages

Everyone knows the reasons why eBook readers are supposed to a better option than normal books (no trees are slaughtered in their creation, take up less room on the shelf etc.), but there is another option out there. Yep, I'm talking audiobooks. You know—books that talk to you! And it could be argued that audiobooks are even better than eBooks because you listen to them while eating a bag of chips and not need to worry about getting grease all over your Amazon Kindle, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Let's have a look at a few more reasons why any getting your story fix from an audiobook may be a better option than you ever realized.

You can get your Stories on the Go

Yeah, I know what it sounds like, but I'm not suggesting you listen to your favourite book while you're sitting on the John—although it's certainly doable. But there are many occasions where flicking a few pages or consulting the Kindle are not really possible.

• At the gym:  Thank God for headphones and Terry Pratchett (now if only there was something you could do about the guy next to you with the terminal BO!)
• Driving the car:  always a good option and a real life-saver in a traffic jam.
• Travelling on the bus/train: Well you didn't really want to listen to the lady in front of you banging on about her verruca and varicose veins, did you?

No Glasses Required

After a long day at work the eyes can feel pretty tired and sore, and they can feel even worse if some smelly guy in the gym has given you a good hiding for complaining about his personal hygiene, so it can sometimes be nice to just put up your feet, close your eyes, and listen to a few chapters of a good book (a good book, not The Good Book—all the begatting that went on may have been fun at the time, but hearing about it thousands of years later ain't much fun and the Bible leaves out all the juicy bits that could have made kids actually want to read it last thing at night.)

Space Saving Stories

Although audiobooks were traditionally sold on CDs, and the really old may even have listened to them on cassettes or Long Playing Records, these days most people just purchase an audiobook download and downloads are famous for their space-saving capabilities. And in the case of Audible audiobooks there is no need to even worry about retaining a back-up copy of the file because Audible customers can log-in to their account and access all of the books in their library any time that they want to and download them as many times as required.

Great for Learning Languages

Budding language students or people who need a pre-holiday brush up on their Spanish chat-up lines can study on the go, any time they want, and speak along with the native speaker. Audiobooks are a great way to learn or improve your language skills, even if it does mean you sometimes get a few funny looks when you are talking to yourself at bus stops.

A few other Audiobooks Benefits

• No lights are required
• Audiooks don't discolour and go smelly with age
• Audiobooks can be a brilliant way to avoid listening to your partner during nagging sessions
• Paper cuts are extremely unlikely

Overeating Could Damage Your Liver

Binge drinking may be a big problem in the UK, but it appears overeating may is catching-up fast because a leading health expert is warning that, by the year 2020, most liver transplants are likely to be the results of overeating rather than alcohol abuse.

Dr Quentin Anstee, consultant hepatologist at Newcastle University and the Freeman hospital, says he UK is facing a "major and growing challenge" as an escalating number of Brits succumb to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Around 33% of the British population is already believed to suffer from the condition and researchers are putting it down to greed—people are quite simply cramming themselves with more food than their livers can handle.

"Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the major and growing challenges facing the UK," Anstee said."

But with so much of the population at risk, Anstee says it may be hard to decide which individuals to "home in on".

"There has been a shift in the entire population," Anstee explained. "The truth is that the man in the street is carrying a few more pounds than a decade ago. The rate of liver disease has increased 400% since the 1970s."

The figures are already frightening enough, but Anstee's forecast for the future does not suggest there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

"It’s predicted that by the end of this decade, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease will be the most common underlying reason why people are required to have liver transplants, overtaking alcohol," he said.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a blanket term that covers a number of condition that are caused by a build-up of fat within the liver cells, but the condition is more common in those who are overweight or obese.

Obesity is on the rise on a worldwide scale though, so Brits are not the only culprits when it comes to going large on their meals and growing large a consequence. Unfortunately, once overeating has become a habit it can be a hard habit to break and many people lack the necessary motivation to exercise regularly and eat healthy, even when the stakes are so high, so Anstee's predictions for the future will likely be all too accurate.