HTC One

First of all, it looks nice, that of course is what initially gets your attention. It has a lovely big screen, but not so big that it looks like a tablet. Unfortunately being a girl, we don't have the biggest pockets to fit these phones in! This one fits into most of my jeans but usually pokes out of the pocket slightly, and I have to take it out to sit down, as it is uncomfortable. It is quite lightweight, but sometimes I find it a little wide to hold in my hand. As with all these sort of phones it is best to get a cover and screen protector, I have dropped mine a number of times which has not resulted in any damage, which maybe due to these important accessories.

User friendly?

As with every new phone, especially if you have not had a smartphone, it can take some getting used to. Most of it I found was easy to work out as you went along. These are Android phones, which means your apps are available from the "play store." There a great variety of apps available to download, and with 32GB of data you are not short of space to download what you want. The touch screen is responsive, and has given me no problems so far. It has some nice features, such as the news feed on the front screen, where you can select what subjects you are interested in, such as design or TV, and it will keep you updated with the latest articles. The camera works well although not as fast as when I first bought it.

Would you recommend to a friend?

Yes. HTC are one of the best on the market currently. I personally am an Android girl, and try to stay away from Apple as I think you are mostly paying for the brand, and they seem to overcharge a lot on apps compared to Android.

LOREAL COLOUR RICHE LIP GLOSS, SOFT MAUVE - 1 EA

I love to wear makeup and I just want to look attractive and glamorous but I always try to look decent and simple as I am a university student. So that's the reason I always search for new products which gives me natural and pretty look than fake look.

I used to prefer light products that I can wear on daily basis and I also have to focus on the purchase price of the products In my opinion .I am a cost efficient girl as I have to purchase a product from my pocket money so I always focus that the product which I am going to purchase is reasonable for me or not.

After focusing on all other factors then I suppose to buy something. The gloss which I was wearing before was of local brand and was not long lasting even. I personally did not like it fragrance. So I had no reason to stick with it anymore.

One day I was just searching for glosses. Finally I had found something amazing on Internet. The light purplish and glassy look attracted me and made my mind to buy this gloss. Well, I am talking about the LO-REAL CO LOUR RICH LIP GLOSS, SOFT MAUVE - 1 EA .After studying the features and other reviews of people about it. I came to know that it has very light weight, not as much shimmery comparing to other glosses and also long lasting .I don't like those products which gives lots of shiny and oily sort of look. In my opinion this matte gloss gives more refined look. The gloss is enriched with vitamin E and Omega oils which nourishes and moisturizes my lips.
 
In my opinion whenever I put it on my lips I have not even realized its existence because of its light weight, as it is appearing in advertising. I can wear it occasionally by putting two coats of it and then this time it appeared as slightly different as before. So what else? I am enjoying with it .Because it gives me pretty look all that I want...

But the little factor which teases me is its price which is $7.52 I think which is little bit costly than other glosses. In my opinion it is not affordable for all...

HMV

HMV's my favourite shop; always has been and always will be. Can you imagine the horror I felt when they said they were in administration? And the relief I felt when they'd been bought out! Sure, you can buy CDs from Amazon or Tesco, or download music from iTunes or listen on Spotify or YouTube, but to me, nothing beats having an actual physical copy. And the best place for that is HMV.

It has a massive range of music, from metal to rock to folk, and some of the larger stores have more specialist music. Nowadays many stores even have small record collections. This is much better than the small selection available at supermarkets, most of which are chart CDs and useless if you're like me and prefer older and more specialist music. Again, you can purchase CDs from Amazon, and maybe even cheaper, but what you pay the extra for in HMV is the experience of the place, in my opinion. Much more exciting to peruse through endless amounts of CDs to find what you're looking for, and maybe even things you weren't looking for than to simply spend 5 minutes online and buy things in a few clicks.

HMV is a longstanding icon of our high street and if I can get the CD I want from there, I will definitely make the effort: it would be heartbreaking without it and, in my opinion, make going into town to shop pointless. Yes, it is ridiculously easy to buy CDs from Amazon but nothing beats going into HMV and being surrounded by music.

HMV also sells games, which I don't often buy and therefore haven't got much of an opinion on: my brother is a keen gamer and says that they are quite expensive compared to other gaming shops, however. It also has a huge selection of DVDs, which I feel is important to hold onto, especially since Blockbuster's gone under. Obviously, this has to compete with rising giants such as Netflix and LoveFilm, but, as a subscriber to Netflix, I'd definitely say that I prefer going to HMV than using it. It is much cheaper, but the quality of films on it doesn't match HMV at all.

The main disadvantage I'd say there is with HMV is the price, but the 2 for £10 deal is great and mainly combats that problem. For HMV to keep on going and getting stronger I would also say that more specialist music would be great, and different offers since sometimes I can't find other CDs or DVDs to qualify for the 2 for £10 deal. All in all, HMV is a great shop and I'd hate to see it squished under the massive uprising of Amazon and Netflix.

Apple iPhone 5C 16 GB

I was wary about having a larger screen than with an older iPhone, which I considered, as I thought it would be too big. I couldn't be more wrong; I think the screen is a perfect size and in no way unmanageable. It is not actually much larger than the iPhone 4 screen but easily manages to fit in an extra row of apps, meaning that you will have less pages to scroll through, and can have more important apps on the first page than you used to be able to.

With the larger screen, it can be said that apps look a lot more impressive, and that iOS 7 works and looks better. The software in general has been given more space to work with, and therefore does not look in any way overwhelming. The swipe up menu available through iOS does not reach the top of the screen, as I have noticed it does on the 4S, which I find preferable since you can still see the time and the top row of apps.

At 8.97mm it is slightly thinner than the 4S, which means that it also feels a bit lighter to hold in your hand. Also, it is noteworthy that the phone with no case on feels sturdier than the likes of a 4S: this is possibly due to the fact that the back of the phone is made using plastic. I would say that this is beneficial due to the tendency people have to drop iPhones: the plastic back feels more durable and less slippy.

The phone is available in 5 pastel-like colours. I chose the white one as I am not a huge fan of the shades of the other phones: I feel like the white one has a more classic feel to it. There is criticism to say that the phone, due to the pastel shades it is available in, it more aimed at women, but I would say that the white one in particular doesn't have any sort of 'feminine' feel to it - the like pink one does. The coloured backs of the phones is far removed from Apple's tendency to go for more classic colours such as black, white and grey - and possibly due to the fact that many phones on the market have gone for more colourful designs.

As previously mentioned, the phone uses a lightning charger, which is familiar to people who are owners of iPads. I remember this annoyed people when the phone came out due to the fact that every previous iPhone used the same charger but since I haven't had that annoyance I can review this without bias. I think the smaller charger socket on the phone looks neater, and it also allows for the headphone socket to fit on the bottom of the phone. This makes the top of the phone look sleeker and less cluttered in my opinion. Also, the charger can be inserted into the phone either way, which many chargers cannot.

I would say that the design of the phone is a considerable departure from the classic iPhone design that we have grown accustomed to: it is not for everyone as there is criticism to say it looks cheap and tacky. I would not agree, as especially in the white colour, it looks classy and refreshingly different to the old design. It feels durable, light and I trust the build of the phone more than I have with previous phones. People have also said that the 5C is basically the cheap version of the 5S, and I really don't see that that is a bad thing! A 5S on contract is hugely expensive per month, and I really don't see that it has enough extra features above the 5C to justify the price tag.

I basically have fallen in love with this phone and with Apple in general. I doubt I'll look further than Apple in the future when my contract for this phone expires!

Capital One

I've been a customer of Capital one for almost ten years now. I must say that they're a great credit card company. I have a total of more than 5 credit cards with them for the time that I was with them and currently still with them. I love their services and credit. I find them to be the premier credit card company for students or those who want to start to establish their credit. They're a site that offer credits to those with starting out credit rating and poor credit rating or students or anyone who hope to get a personal loan or some banking without such excellent credit rating. I guess they can give you an extra boost and that's why I like them because I started having credit with them as a student when I was trying to establish my credit and I like how they gave me a chance to build my credit. My entire family has Capital one credit cards and we all love them. We've been with them for so long and have never had any problems at all. They have excellent customer service, fraud protection, credit offers and many merchants accept them. I will always be a capital one consumer. I find them trustworthy to do business with and would recommend anyone to start banking or getting credit with them. They give beginner a new start or a chance to get some awesome credit. I have their cash reward cards and I love the extra cash back every month. I usually get around thirty dollars back each month and I love that. I put everything on my reward card with capital one. I love such a card. I'm a very satisfied customer and would continue to do business with them.
 
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http://quesosmanchegos.blogspot.com/

Tesco RAD 112R Pocket Analogue Radio

I bought this radio initially for my bathroom and it cost me a whopping £4 from Tesco. I wanted it as a small device I could tuck away in a drawer and listen to for 10-15 minutes in the bath every now and then. Even for that purpose this has not done anything to satisfy my needs and I have already moved on after only a few weeks.

The radio has AM/FM which one plus point but wherever I have used this, Bathroom and Garden once or twice, it just cannot hold a decent signal. For £4 I don't expect a wonderful crisp clear sound but I do expect to tune a radio in and it to last more than 5 minutes. The signal fades and it has to be retuned. Not ideal and not worth the hassle! The tuning itself seems off to me and it is very fiddly. The numbers are hard to see and it takes a steady and patient hand to tune in.

The signal obviously depends on the area I understand but other radios work fine and pick up and sustain. This doesn't. It causes annoyance.

The whole thing itself feels very flimsy and for something that is intended to be portable it should really provide more confidence that it would survive a drop. The plastic is cheap, the aerial weak and the whole thing from the dial to the battery cover feels like it could drop apart at any moment. I would have expected so much more.

The sound, when the signal holds, is fairly poor and "tinny". If you are hoping for a decent audible volume be prepared for quality dips. I expected it for the price to be a bad sound quality but not this.

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http://politonos-movil.blogspot.com/

Apple iPad Air 32GB

I wanted a tablet that would be light and easy to navigate. After numerous trips to stores to compare ease of use of all manner of brands I kept coming back to the Apple as it is so clear and user friendly.

What's on offer with this tablet?...
As weight was a deciding factor I can tell you that this good sized tablet weighs less than a kilo, whilst feeling strong and durable and looking attractive.

I was attracted to this model as it has the retina display which is even clearer and has a good sized screen without too much bevel -- 9.7".

Another attractive and necessary feature was ultra fast wireless connection and that is what I got.

Access to over 450,000 applications and access to email, internet, cloud storage -- including Amazon's Kindle and music.

Camera is 5MP auto focus and there is video facility as you would expect.

The list of technicalities goes on and I would direct you to the Apple website to take full advantage of all of that over there. I've just included what tempted me in and what was important to me at this time.

What's it like to use?...
I'd had a good play on the demo's in the Apple Store so had a good idea what to expect from this tablet. First things first -- minimal packaging that is well designed and aesthetically pleasing. Price wise this is a rather more expensive piece of kit compared with alternatives but Asda had a good offer on that my husband took advantage of when he gifted me with this.

Setting up is pretty similar to setting up the Kindle Paperwhite. You choose language and input your wireless key code and you are plain sailing from there on in. Charging is very fast. First charge was fast and subsequent charging up is impressively quick -- half an hour and all is good to go.

I'm really happy with the weight and feel of the tablet in my hands, though I was happier when I got my Tuff luv case as it can be a wee bit slippery and is ultra thin. I like that my cover protects the screen when it is off too. The tablet has a sleep function which is really handy and doesn't deplete the battery, also there is an easy swipe across the screen function that switches off completely.

There are few buttons to the side. The side ones are for volume and rotation lock, whilst the top button will switch on/off and wakes the tablet up. On the front of the tablet to the bottom centre is the the home button. I like that the rest of the functioning is touch screen -- nice smooth feel to this and the images are sharp as you would expect from the retina display.

Built in speakers provide impressive sound and the slot for the usb charger is discreet and easy to access.
I use the tablet mostly for accessing email and browsing the internet -- this is very easy to navigate and fast. I have used the tablet when in all rooms of the house and also when two laptops have been in use and the connectivity is superb.

When accessing video playback or movies the images are crystal clear and the sound is very impressive for such a slender unit. I've not had any issues with connectivity or crashes up to now.

Battery life seems to be very good, it depends on what you are doing and how often you access the tablet throughout the day but from my initial usage for internet access and playing music with some use of the camera I'm having a good few hours per day for up to five days before needing to charge up. I like that you get a charger with this, I had to buy one for my Kindle.

I have been impressed with the applications that are on offer from the Apple store. It is very easy to navigate and obvious which are free and which payable. It is fast at downloading the applications and I have yet to be disappointed with lack of choice. I was particularly impressed with the fact that I can download and access my Kindle books (done automatically) to my iPad Air -- this allows me to continue reading from where I was up to on my Kindle. It's super that I can access my music from Amazon Cloud too.

I see that the operating system is the very impressive iOS 7. This allows for multitasking with ease and also offers access to Siri, Air Drop, Air Play and Air Print. I've not used all of the facilities yet but every day I find something else that impresses me.

I wondered what it would be like to use the tablet when I was used to using computer or laptop. I've been really impressed with what I can do and the speed that I can do it. The display is notably clearer and sharper -- images are a treat to look at, so rich and clear. Speed is very impressive and I can happily compose short messages or posts but I'd have to get a keyboard for lengthier tasks.

I like that I can put my earphones into the tablet and also connect to speakers to access my library of music. It feels like I have everything all in one place. I have writing applications on there too.

Toshiba Satellite C50-A-156

The real advantage of this system is what you get for the price, at around the £350 mark the 1TB hard drive gives plenty of space for media and software, the display is high quality (with no glare in my experience) and the graphics are pretty good, being able to run most of the older games I have and a few of the older ones if you drop down the resolution. It also has a DVD-RW to set it apart from other lap tops in this price band.
 
The keyboard is a little cramped, but is usable though you need to use the function key quite a bit for functions such as print screen and the space bar is tiny. The touchpad, though responsive is positioned a little further to the left than I am used to. The result is something that feels less than intuitive to begin with and takes a bit of getting used to, but given that time it is fine. I did end up buying a mouse however.
 
Over all you are getting a little better than what you pay for with this machine, but if you have the money I would go for something with a bit more umph.
 
 

favorite Christmas jewelry by Tous

Today is Christmas Eve and tomorrow Christmas Day, one of the most special days of the year. I love to being my family these days and this year I am really looking forward to it, as I have spent nearly half of the year traveling around the world, working and enjoying all the wonderful oportunnities I have had this year. At home, we celebrate the Three Wise Men Day, but this time I won't be at home, so Christmas will be more special. So these days I will be sharing with you nice and special posts.
Today, I want to share with you some desgins of my one of favorites jewelry brands: Tous. Since I was little, there has been a small bag with its well-known bear. It is a nice idea to give as a gift on Christmas and on January 6th. Which one's your favorite?
I hope you have a very nice Christmas Eve and enjoy your shopping. Do you know what you will find tomorrow underneath the Christmas tree? I am as excited as I was when I was a girl.

Apple iPad Air 32GB

I  got a present of an Apple iTouch a couple of years ago and have used it constantly ever since. It's only drawback was its tiny screen which meant surfing the web was an uncomfortable and awkward experience. The only surfing at home I could do was on an old laptop so I decided the time had come to get a tablet. As its one of the most expensive on the market, I was hesitant so researched other tablets to see how they compared. However, the iPAD was still my favourite - there is just something that Apple do which puts their products ahead of the competition.

I got the new iPAD Air 32GB. I considered the iPAD 2 which is still available but as its on the market for some time I was afraid it would date quickly. I shopped around but Apple products tend not to vary too much in price, particularly newly released ones. In the end I got it on Black Friday when the Apple site had 35 euros off it.

It arrived in a white box - very sleek and classy. The only accessory included was a lead which plugs in to the iPAD for charging. The other end can be either connected to a USB port or plugged in to the mains for charging.

What can I say - it has lived up to my expectations and I love it. I switched it on and it had a full charge so I was able to start straight away. It automatically takes you through a number of steps to complete the set up so its fuss free and straightforward. Its very light and extremely thin and with a powerful processor inside its very fast. As I haven't owned a previous model I can't say how it compares to earlier generations though. After some consideration I went for the 32gb model rather than the 16gb. From what I understand, many of the new apps are in HD and can be quite memory intensive. Also, using it for video can fill up the storage pretty fast and as it lacks the flexibility of adding extra memory its important to get this decision right at the outset.
 
 The camera is very good and takes great quality pictures. This is definitely an improvement on my 4th generation iTouch, where the picture quality was a let down. Unique to the Air are a number of apps included free which otherwise would have to be paid for on the App Store. These are iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers and Keynote. The last three are sort of Apple's versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint. I have downloaded some of them but have yet to try them so can't comment further on that.

Finally, battery life is excellent. As its my new 'toy' I have been spending a lot of time on it and the battery is lasting well.
 
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http://dinero-beruby.blogspot.com/
 

 

Apple iPhone 4S 16 GB

My love for Apple products continues as I have recently acquired an iPhone 4S. The phone belonged to my partner from her previous contract and she has upgraded to the iPhone 5 so kindly gave it to me. The cost to buy the phone new is over £400 so this was a great gift.

The phone is white with a 3.5" diagonal display. It is very slim and sleek like most apple products. The screen is touchscreen and although it is not the largest screen out there it still allows full use of the apps with minimal problems.

I have had the phone a couple of weeks now and it has overshadowed my iPod touch I had. As well as all the standard functions like texting and calling, this phone has so much more. Of course it has all the similar functions to most smartphones like social networking, camera, music etc. but the layout and the ease of using the touchscreen just puts it way above the rest on the market. I have always had issues with smartphones in the past where the more you download the slower they run. But the iPhone does not have this problem. My iPhone 4S has a 16GB memory and although you can get a higher memory this enough for me.

Calls and messaging are neat and simple. The messaging especially keeps a full list of all your previous messages with each person. The iMessage is a good app that makes messages between iPhone users free so it would not deduct from your monthly allowance. This is particularly good as I am on a low tariff anyway.

The internet browser and app store are the most important features for me. The internet browser allows you to open more than one tab but one thing I have learnt is that a lot of internet usage does drain the battery quickly. From the app store you can get all your favourite apps. A particular highlight for me is having the ability to use FaceTime. This is only available on Apple products and is great for keeping in touch with friends and family. But as well as this, you have all the social networking and media apps like Facebook, BBC iplayer, Sky Go etc.

The camera is a great feature. Again, it is so simple to use. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S3 the camera on the iPhone operates smoothly and allows you to take multiple photos in quick succession. This is especially convenient having a daughter who does not sit still for a photo so it's all about capturing her at the best moment. The camera is 8 megapixels and provides quality photos. Once taken the photos can be edited to your liking.

The battery life is average. As with most smartphones you need to charge it every night. This is the same with the iPhone in this case. I will use it throughout the day and so far I have had no issues with it running out on me before the day is over.

So far, I am very happy with my iPhone 4S. It has a great design and operates smoothly. The simple layout and design is very appealing. As with most Apple products, it does everything I need it to. I will definitely be sticking with the iPhone for the foreseeable future.
 
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http://quesosmanchegos.blogspot.com/
QUESOS SPAIN

I love today’s outfit pics

We're home again and ready to enjoy these days before heading to Barcelona for another special event: the second book signing, that will take place December 5th in El Corte Inglés (Portal de l'Angel) at 7 pm.
By the way, I love today's outfit pics because it is simple and I mix my favorite autumn color, grey, with these booties from my new collection. Happy Friday!

Berlin Mitte

This is what I wore during my last shooting in Berlin for Patrizia Pepe. It was already very cold in Berlin but that didn't stop us from having tons of fun shooting. 

Hope you enjoy

Some weeks ago I travelled to Santiago de Compostela to shoot an interview for Página Reservada, a Santiago TV program, the local TV. You will find the interview below, both parts. Hope you enjoy it and you like it. I wore a classic look my fabric Lovely Miss x Krack shoes and a knitted jacket. What do you think about it?

Thanks a lot for all your comments, specially for the ones you made regarding my change of look. I know that the most important thing is that I like it, but I am happy to know that you like it too.

classy in Madrid

Saturday. Days pass really quickly.This week we've been working on new projects and I had important meetings. I will tell you all the details in a few days. Next week I am heading to Viena and I will visit Madrid too, where I will attend the launch of my book and I will be signing copies. I will be busy running from one place to another carrying out all these projects I have talked you about.

Today I would like to share some of the pics we took last week during our quick trip to Madrid.I wore my Bgo&Me poncho, jeans, my little Louis Vuitton bag and my thigh-high Miss x Krack boots. What do you think about this outfit?

indigo blue

Hello! Here I come wearing a color that flatters my skin: indigo blue. Every time I see it I think it too much of a color, but the thing is that once I try it I see things in a different way. I love this dress because despite the patterns in the fabric and the gathered sleeves, it is very simple. How do you like it?

Bose SoundLink Air Digital Music System

We set the Bose SoundLink Air Digital Music System on a shelf in the lounge and keep it plugged in. The wire does detract from the overall look of it, I have to say, but it's sensible to keep it plugged in rather than opt to purchase the additional rechargable battery as if it ran out of battery it might lose it's configuration which would be annoying. Still, it would have been nice for the proce for it to come with the speaker so we had the option of using it in the garden on good days.

The speaker is very easy to use in terms of streaming music, we've used it with an Apple Macbook, a Lenovo laptop, an iPad, eePad, iPhone and Samsung SIII and each one of these has streamed mp3s, internet radio and audio books no problem. It works well with Spotify content and overall the quality of the sound for the volume we use it at is brilliant. For a big house or a loud party it might not have the power you'd be looking for but our lounge is small and we have a toddler so we're limited in how loud or booming we can have our music anyway - it goes more than loud enough with excellent quality for most music fans to be very happy with.

The remote control is very easy to use and very responsive, though being so small it isn't half easy to lose - we tend to put it on the shelf with the unit and control the volume via our streaming device!

The Spanish brand Loewe has launched a new bag

I can now tell you all the details about my new collaboration. The Spanish brand Loewe has launched a new bag. Cruz is its name, as it has been designed by Penélope and Mónica Cruz. Loewe asked me and my sister to take part in their new campaign, #loewesisters, with five international bloggers and their sisters too. You will know the name of these girls throughout the week in Loewe's social networking (@loewemadrid).

 For Cynthia, my sis, and I, is something really special. She is my sister but we are best friends too, so that makes it even more special. She is unique and has a brilliant mind; she´s generous, has a huge heart and she's a constant person. We have mutual admiration and we love each other above anything. So we have had lots of fun taking part in this new campaign together.

 

Cruz bag is available in three different sizes and in several colors. For the photo shoot, we both chose the same size, but Cynthia preferred it in black and I got the blue one. Hope you enjoy the pics, which were taken by De Castro. I love them! Thank you very much for all your comments.

 

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http://diariodeunmissculta.blogspot.com/   

checked coat

I have decided to start the week with these photos of what I wore yesterday. I rocked a checked grey and blue coat, a grey wooly jumper, blue jeans and my cowboy ankle boots. This is how I decided to spend my sunday! I am off to get this week's posts sorted out, I have lots of new looks to show you and a few surprises in store ,-) Big kiss and a massive hello to everyone!

Party with Paris

Announcing the winner of my "Party with Paris" contest tomorrow!

Enter for a chance to win 2 spots on my VIP list tonight before it's too late: http://a.pgtb.me/sC81G5
 
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http://diariodeunamissculta.blogspot.com/

all grey everything

 I´ve always said that one of my favorite colors is grey. In fact, you have seen lots of looks where grey plays the main role, such as this outfit, this one and this one too. A couple of days ago, I went deco shopping and I wore a very comfy look, with my Isabel Marant booties, one of the best purchases I´ve ever made (I would by other pair in another color), this Ramonas funny sweater (you know I love these type of garments). Is grey one of your fav colors?

Today I am coming home from Barcelona and I really want to share with you all the new projects that are on the way, like a special shooting for Loewe, or the official laucnhing day of my book. But, know it´s time to enjoy Halloween!  and you already can find a new model of my fourth Shoe line collection Lovely Pepa x Krack at their website, do you wanna discover which one is it? Click here. Thanks for all your comments.

Toucan Can - Juliette MacIver

While this book is fun (and we mustn't over look this, because it is Super fun, capital S) it is also a brilliant one for engaging your child as you read to them. You can talk about what Toucan can do, and later what you can do that Toucan can't. You can talk about families and whether your aunts are like Ewan's aunts, and whether they too have pet pandas. And you can talk about animals generally because there are so many new ones in this book they might not have come across before - like goose and gander and panther and salamander. It's a lovely imaginative book in which kangaroos do kung fu (the panda doesn't - that would be too much of a cliché) and an eclectic mix of animals live (and dance) in harmony.

Even as a child, I appreciated that hardbacks were that little bit more magical than paperbacks, and this edition is no exception. The colours are so vibrant and the animals jump (and swing and dance) right off the page at you. The paper is silky, glossy, feels like a treat to read and the pages are huge and full of detail, though text is limited to a line or two per page to keep it from being too overwhelming. The minutiae are awesome too - the look on Aunty Shanti's face when she sees Aunty Anne and Aunty Candy dancing without her is delicious and will make little ones cackle.

 

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Formula_One_season

http://politonos-movil.blogspot.com/

Black Butterfly floral 50's Swing Dress

This dress looks absolutely fantastic on me, and I have a far from perfect figure - a definite beer belly, and rather oddly shaped hips. This dress skims over these imperfections, and with the help of the sash gives the impression not only of me having a fairly flat stomach, but also a rather slim looking waist. It does sadly expose my rather chunky upper arms, but these can easily be concealed with a bolero jacket.

The fit is generous - I normally wear a size 22-24 in dresses, and ordered this in a size 24. It fit well, but still had plenty of room left in it, and I was glad for the sash to bring it in around the back. I actually think I could perhaps have gone with ordering a size 22, but I must say it is refreshing to be able to order a dress that does have generous sizing.

I also really like the length of the dress, which comes to just below the knee on me. This allows me to show off my legs, without any risk of showing off anything else should the wind get up. I also love the fact that when I spin, the skirt flares out around me. And I am very impressed with the fact that this dress is machine washable.

H&M Conscious Dress

I purchased both dresses online when I was doing the bulk of my daughters spring/summer wardrobe update. I didn't actually realise it was part of H&M's Conscious range until I received it and duly took all the labels off so Elysia could wear it. Looking at the label it tells me that it is manufactured from 100% organic cotton, oddly there is no mention of the elastane in the waistband. It also informs me that the Conscious Collection is part of H&M's conscious actions for a more sustainable future. It's good to see that a manufacturer is playing their part in a more eco-friendly society. It's just a shame that the ethos doesn't extend to the whole of the stores products and not just a small range. They must be trying hard to rectify this though, as looking online, I found that they are the number one user of organic cotton worldwide.

Looking at the label with the wash care instructions I see there's nothing out of the ordinary there - wash at 40 degrees (or less if you can), do not bleach, do not dry clean (that's fine with me), cool tumble (or better still line dry) and iron on hot. However I also see that this product is manufactured in Bangladesh and this did initially worry me. How can something that's sustainably and organically grown, be sewn together by people who are offered poor pay and even worse employment conditions, surely that's morally and ethically wrong? I had to check to see if this was indeed the case, and I'm pleased to see that well over half a million Bangladeshi garment workers have been educated on their employment rights by H&M. It's a small step, but hopefully it's one in the right direction.

I didn't intend this review to focus on the ethics of the garment but when you purchase something from such a range, you just can't help it. It's a lovely dress, and from a range of clothes of which I shall make a 'Conscious' effort to purchase from again. I recommend it.

Millada Lattice Platform Heels

These are shoes I'm far more likely to wear if I know I'm going to be indoors rather than out as the faux suede covers the heel too. I would always avoid wearing them on wooden floors as the stiletto heel is likely to cause far more damage to the floor than to me. I have climbed and descended an old tower in these shoes without falling but I probably was holding people up while taking my time.

These shoes were available in a mint green, pink and black as well as the beige but I'm glad I went for the beige as they do seem a little more timeless. I still have a lot of life left in these shoes so very happy with the price paid for them. Very comfortable, they go with everything and I don't fall over - can't ask for much more!

Vanguard Kinray Lite 48Bk

The harness system offers a huge amount of stability to the bag and to me. I often find myself clambering over fallen trees or walking along ridges by the river so having the backpack harnessed means I'm not worrying about it slipping causing me to lose my balance which basic backpacks can do. I love that you're not restricted to the waist and chest harness but can have one strap across body and fastened with the chest harness. This lets me whip the bag across my front to access the side panel to get my camera out quickly rather than having to take the whole bag off to take it out the top.

If I'm not using the bag for the camera I can easily take the padded camera insert out. This in itself isn't heavy but does take up a lot of space. The bag then loses its shape from the front with just the stiffer back to keep its tall shape. If I'm going on a trip I have found myself using this bag more than my regular backpack just for its comfort and streamline design. You do lose the ability to find things easily as you're piling everything on top of each other rather than having the wideness of a suitcase but I find it far more practical.

If there was something I had to change about the bag it would be the inside pocket. Although it's not that deep (which isn't a huge problem) I would have preferred a zip closure rather than just the elasticised band. This is where I'm most likely to keep valuables such as my purse, keys, spare change, phone etc if out walking rather than having these in my clothing pockets but tipping the bag would easily cause anything to fall out and it would have given that little extra safety precaution if out travelling. Someone could far too easily open the external front zip pocket without me noticing, the side opening doesn't open into a pocket and then you're only left with the mesh pocket on the other side. The top loading zip could of course also easily be opened without me noticing but it would then take a thief far more effort to then unzip the inside pocket than just reach in. Thankfully this isn't something I've had to worry about or have experience of but it is something I have to consider when out and about. At least the bag is inconspicuous so it's not obvious the camera is in it.

Generic Android 4.0 Tablet PC

The tablet was easy to set up, I have a Google Play account already so I linked it up to mine. This was bought to keep my daughter from my phone and tablet which she always a wanted to go on. She mainly likes to watch video clips and films on it as well as listen to music. It is a good thing that the tablet has a memory card slot as I filled the memory up in no time.

I found the WIFI on this device a little weak, I had to sit next to my modem to get it to do anything. The quality of the screen when I set it up was also poor compared to other cheap tablets out there. I found the touch screen really hard to use it was really insensitive and needed a good prod to actually work.

Once all loaded up I gave it to my daughter. She became frustrated with this quite quickly as it is very unresponsive we have drawing apps on it which were impossible touse. Another Another thing we found was the sound when watching videos was poor. It sounded echoey, distant and tinny.

The camera on the device was OK my daughter likes to film herself and it suited that purpose.

The battery life on this device is shocking, when the WIFI is on which is infrequent as I turn it off when I am not using it you can see the battery life draining before your eyes. Also despite charging this device for hours a on end the battery never gets full it always stays on 80% ish.

We had this device about 3 months and I have to say I personally would have paid the extra £50 for a decent tablet.

I kept this tablet in a case and it had a screen protector on this, despite this my daughter lent on the screen just her elbow and it cracked completely.

I really wouldn t recommend this. It is cheap and I can see why this would appeal to parents looking to save money but I have since had to fork out for a better tablet that is better quality.

pcspecialist.co.uk

I nearly bought an alienware and if it wasn't for the american on the phone who refused to give me 10% off as a treasured returning customer I would have spent £1300 on a lower spec model to that what I am writing this review on now.

Because it was the following day a came across PC specialist's reviewed section. I had visited the website before, and had compared many of the different configurations that can be applied on the very easy to use system. Although if you buy a reviewed PC you don't get the options of upgrades I came across the Optimus Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

The full spec of this machine out weighed the Alienware and MSI and cost £300 less, I got a 120gb SSD and a 1tb hard drive. I ordered it that night.

The PC Specialist customer service is second to none. You are kept informed constantly during the build process and even when my Blueray drive was not available when I phone to enquire the advisor was quick to offer a replacement. I now have a Blueray burner and only paid an extra £10, winner.

I wold fully recommend PC specialist for their superior products at fantastic prices and quality service.

 

Nokia Lumia 920

I am never going to love this phone, but I will tolerate it. I am stuck with it until January 2015 (unless perhaps my boyfriend upgrades his). Even the case I bought for it is tormenting me by falling apart (I thought it was the phone at first).

To be honest I've found it quite therapeutic writing this review, and it'll get me a couple of quid back anyway. Perhaps I have come across as a bit harsh - in reality I probably could overcome some of the issues I have with it, with a bit of time and patience. But I don't have any patience with it.

Although I loved my N8 and my previous phone (Nokia Xpress Music) I very much think that this is the end of the road for me and Nokia. To say I have been disappointed with this phone is an understatement. I simply cannot understand the good reviews it has received. However, a close friend of mine absolutely hated the N8 which for me was perfect. So I guess it's just down to personal preference.
 
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HP Color Laserjet CM2320fxi

The company I work for is on an economy drive at the moment and where we all used to have our own printers on our desks, we have now had these removed to be replaced with a general office printer that we all have to use.

The management tried to sway us by suggesting that our not very good printers were going to be replaced with a top of the range, super-duper printer than does everything. Whereas what actually turned up was a HP CM2320 All In One Printer.

In comparison to my little old Epson printer, this huge beast looked pretty impressive. It is a really large, light grey machine with darker grey sides and what surprised me most is how tall it was. It is more tall than wide so doesn't take up a huge amount of desk space and we managed to fit it on to a small, unused desk and still have room for another machine next to it. Due to its size, it is quite a heavy bit of kit and not one that you would really want to move from place to place.

As it is a company machine, I obviously didn't purchase it personally and so for the purpose of this review, I have looked up the price on the internet and I was surprised to find that it retails at present around the £470 mark. The pull out paper tray is located at the bottom of the printer and there are two pull down sections to insert the cartridges and remove any jammed paper if needed. To copy and scan, you simply lift the lid up and place the paper down on the glass plate.

The reason that surprised me is although it looks a magnificent machine, it really isn't. It is more cost effective than my old printer as the cartridges, although more expensive, do last forever. There are 6 of us who use this printer on a daily basis and so between us, the printer is almost in constant use and the cartridges still last for weeks, even the black one which is impressive.

I personally have found this quite a difficult machine to use though for a few reasons. The one thing that did surprise me is how unbelievably slow it is. This is the case no matter what you are trying to do on this printer. Whether it be printing, photocopying or scanning, I stand patiently waiting for the printer to finally throw out my paperwork and if you are trying to print stuff through Adobe and not just from word or excel, it can be a couple of minutes before you get your work out which for such an expensive printer, I find amazing.

I also find the machine a little temperamental and my work colleagues agree. It certainly isn't the most user friendly machine you will come across and personally I wouldn't pay half the retail cost for it.

This is most definitely a company printer and certainly wouldn't want it to be your home printer as it is far too big and bulky and is quite an eyesore to be honest. I also wouldn't recommend it for a really busy office where there would be far more people using it than we have as I just don't think it would be capable of handling that amount of work.

It is handy that you can photocopy, fax, scan and print on the machine and I do have to admit that the print quality is very sharp and clear which is good. The machine itself is quite easy to use in that we didn't get an instruction manual with it, but we didn't need one and fathomed it all out rather quickly but I would expect a better quality machine than this for the money it costs.

Overall, the print quality is good, the cartridges last well and it does pretty much everything you would need it to, but this printer and I have definitely had 'issues' since working together and to be honest, even though it has its positive points, I wouldn't really recommend this at all. All in all this is a disappointing printer that could be so much better.
 
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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

After the sad passing of my previous Kindle, I decided to upgrade a notch when replacing what's become an almost essential piece of gadgetry for me. I had my doubts about how necessary the major innovation of this model was - the backlit screen, that is - but then again, I had the same reservations about all aspects of the Kindle generally before I bought it, and have never looked back. So a little faith needed, I thought.

I plumped for the 3G version, which as with previous models, is fractionally more expensive - but I figured it was worth going the whole hog. It's really an advantage, if not an absolute necessity, to be able to access content wherever you are, and it bumps up the whole Kindle experience a bit for me (as well as making it even easier to drop your money on a whim ...)

How is this model different to those before, then? For me, the biggest difference was the introduction of the touchscreen. Again, it's not really a must - it doesn't do anything the previous versions' paddles and buttons didn't, but it's extremely intuitive and makes the navigation of menus in particular much quicker and easier. In terms of performance, this aspect of the Paperwhite is great - responsive and tactile (obviously ...), it's a great addition.

Then there's the backlighting. I was a bit wary of this - one of the best things about Kindle is how they're not-quite-book, not-quite-computer; there's none of the glare and eyestrain that comes with conventional screens, making reading so much more comfortable than I initially assumed it would be. I wondered if this feature would take away from this - but I needn't have worried. Actually, it's a neat upgrade - best of all, it's adjustable on a sliding scale, so it's never brighter than it needs to be and can be controlled and tweaked to your level of comfort. This makes it a bit more versatile than before - it's easy to read in darker light now - without losing anything or sacrificing the major advantages of the Kindle.

Everything that was true of the Kindle before is true of this version - it really does make reading better - you can take books everywhere, you can juggle multiple novels, read documents, instantly buy new material when you've run out ... for me it's a revolution, and this is the logical progression in that process.

 

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Samsung Galaxy S2

Brought this phone recently and having always been an iphone person I'm surprised how good samsungs actually are especially this phone.

Advantages..

- Graphics are excellent especially when looking at photos/videos or playing racing apps
- Menu is very easy to use and to navigate around, you can also customize home screen easily to allow for easy access to favorite apps.
- Touch screen is extremely good and very smooth, especially when sliding from one page to another.
- Camera is very good, and the pictures look excellent even when blown up on computers.
- Design is very sleek and light
- Battery is very good and if youre not playing games/music it lasts for days and days.

Disadvantages..

- Phone can get very hot, especially when talking to someone on it as youre holding the phone but becomes unbearable sometimes.
- Battery life is good, however downloading apps its awful, with the battery life decreasing hugely.
- I also found that over time battery life gets worse and worse so be careful how many times you charge it.
- Not the most durable phone there is, my friend dropped it off a chair and it smashed.
- The phone - computer software is tricky to set up on windows 8 laptops/computers for some reason.

JVC HA-S160-R-E

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JVC HA-F150-B-E GUMY

I have lost so many pairs of earphones that I am starting to think that my house has little borrower people living in it. I put them down in one place and never see them again. I have lost at least 10 pairs of Apple earphones in the last couple of years and it is starting to get expensive. I have bought a couple of pairs of so-called, genuine Apple earphones on Ebay but they have been useless. So I have been on a mission to buy a decent pair of earphones at a reasonable price. When it comes to earphones I really don't like the ones which go right inside my ear, so I normal opt for the ones that sit just on the inside of the ear. Please see below for my thoughts on these earphones...

~*~*~ Packaging, Price and Availability ~*~*~

These Gummy earphones come in a transparent, hard, plastic container. On the front of the packaging is the JVC logo and the name of the product 'Gummy'. Because the packaging is transparent the earphones are easily viewable. The earphones are made front a soft, durable silicone. The cable is 1m long and the earphones can be plugged into any device with a 3.5mm stereo socket. The earphones comes in a variety of different colours such as pink, blue, green, white, black and the list goes on.

I purchased my earphones from Tesco's for around £5.00, but they are currently on offer at £4.00 (as of 03/09/2013). These earphones can also be purchased from Asda, Sainsbury's, Ebay and Amazon, for around the same price.

~*~*~ My Thoughts ~*~*~

I decided to try these earphones as the packaging was very eye catching and funky looking. The fact that these come in all different colours was also a plus as I choose the pink ones as I knew my brothers or partner probably wouldn't pinch them. I also purchased these because they were the kind of earphone that just rest on the inner part of your ear and don't go all the way in, this was clear to see as the packaging was transparent.

Once I placed the earphones in my ear I found them very comfortable to wear, they also didn't keep dropping out every minute. Once they are placed in the ear they are a snug fit and they feel very secure. I also go running with these earphones in and they always stay put. The cable is of the earphones is a perfect length, not too long and not too short.

Now the most important question... Sound quality!

The sound quality of these earphones is fantastic. The sound is very clear and there is no 'tingy' sound which I have found with other cheap earphones in the past. They also block background noises very well. I think these are just as good, if not better, than Apple earphones.

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Almirall, Airtal Comprimidos Aceclofenaco: los comprimidos que acabaron con el dolor de mis muelas del juicio

Nada me fue mejor que los Almirall, Airtal Comprimidos Aceclofenaco para acabar con los dolores de mis muelas del juicio. Estaban saliendo y me estaban matando de dolor.

El dentista me recetó un par de estos comprimidos cada día, uno por la mañana después del desayuno y otro por la noche después de la cena. Tienes que tomarlos siempre con el estómago lleno porque son muy fuertes. Yo empecé a tomar dos y acabé tomando sólo uno porque por la mañana suelo desayunar poco y mi estómago quedaba fatal. El dentista me recomendó un protector para el estómago, pero preferí tomar sólo un comprimido de Almirall, Airtal Comprimidos Aceclofenaco y pasar del protector.

Tuve de sobra. En dos días estaba como nueva. A los tres días me bajo totalmente la hinchazón de la cara. Tomé un comprimido más y lo dejé.

No fue está la única vez que tomé los Almirall, Airtal Comprimidos Aceclofenaco. en otra ocasión los tomé para mis dolores de lumbago. Se me fueron en un plis plas.

Os recomiendo el Almirall, Airtal Comprimidos Aceclofenaco porque es un antiinflamatorio eficaz, tan eficaz como fuerte. Siempre lo he tomado con receta médica. Si vas con una receta del médico de cabecera te sale muy baratito en la farmacia.

Lo que no os recomiendo es abusar de su consumo. Es tan fuerte que tienes que comer bastante previamente para que no te estropee el estómago. Por eso tuve que dejarlo de tomar por la mañana en el desayuno cuando lo tomaba para los dolores de mis muelas del juicio.

Los comprimidos se toman bien. Los tragas y te bebes un vaso de agua bien lleno. No saben a nada.

Samsung Galaxy Ace GT-S5830

This phone is a cheaper smartphone compared to many on the market today such as the Iphone, Samsung S3, Samsung Note, Blackberry's et. However, retailing at over £100, I would still expect more. I found the phone unreliable and a downright nuisance when trying to run simple things such as the phonebook or messaging function. I have had older phones in the past which I would find more reliable than this one and have been put off from purchasing a Samsung mobile in the future.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace can be purchased at Argos, Tesco and high street phone shops such as Carphone Warehouse, Orange, Tesco Mobile etc and is available on a range of networks on either Pay as You Go or Contract.
 
** PRO's **

Sleek design and light weight, this phone fits simply into pockets and handbags and isn't like many of the large smartphones out today i.e. Samsung Note and S3

Android phone - Enables you to download many apps from the Android market simply by logging on with a googlemail account and either downloading free apps or paying for them securely and efficiently

Large enough screen which can be zoomed in, which is ideal for browsing the web, watching video's on youtube etc

Easy enough for texting using the touch-screen keyboard with large enough icons, making texting simple and quick

** CON's **

Having installed a micro-SD card into the phone, I thought that this would be sufficient memory to download a couple of APPS on to the phone to enhance the durability. However, after installing the Facebook app on the phone and only having a couple of photo's, it became apparent that the phone would become very slow, before eventually telling me there was insufficient room for any more apps to be installed (I only had the one!)

Opening up my contacts / messaging folder would bring up a black screen for several minutes, which is not ideal if you need to make an emergency call etc

Battery life - Even using this sparingly during the day, I found I would need to charge it overnight to ensure that there would be enough battery life in the phone to last a full day

Lovely dinner at Ca'n Carlos Restaurant

Such a lovely dinner at Ca'n Carlos Restaurant tonight in Formentera. Such a charming atmosphere & the food is incredible.