GadgetAdvisor.com Launches Featuring Top Technology News Chosen Daily

GadgetAdvisor.com Launches Featuring Top Technology News Chosen Daily

Fast-growing new web site, GadgetAdvisor.com, presents only the top news in technology, gadgets, computer software, and computer hardware.

GadgetAdvisor.com (http://www.gadgetadvisor.com) is quickly becoming a top site for technology news. The recently launched web site is loaded with hand-selected electronics stories relating to computer software, computer hardware, and gadgets, chosen to reflect the most significant, useful or particularly cool. No more scrolling through page after page of uninteresting or minor update items. GadgetAdvisor.com presents only the top technology news in an attractive, easy to read interface.

“People looking for the latest in technology, whether computer software, computer hardware or gadgets, should make GadgetAdvisor.com their first stop,” said Chris Hoffman, spokesperson for GadgetAdvisor.com.

Grouped into separate sections for gadgets, tech news, computer software, computer hardware as well as feature articles, readers can quickly and easily find technology news of interest and unbiased reviews on a whole range of products.

Reading the latest technology news on GadgetAdvisor.com is designed to be social, not solitary. Each entry is tagged so users can quickly find related topics. A ‘share this’ option makes it easy to post individual entries to a range of sharing and bookmarking sites, and to create trackbacks so readers can blog about stories as well. The site is available as an RSS feed, meaning readers can be the first to know when GadgetAdvisor.com has something new. And handy tools let readers track down technology news stories according to which is most popular and which is generating the most buzz.

Find unbiased reviews of computer software, computer hardware or gadgets, and the tech news that matters with no bias or fluff at GadgedAdvisor.com.

About GadgetAdvisor.com
GadgetAdvisor.com provides technology news and unbiased opinions about a range of computer software, computer hardware and gadgets. News is picked to reflect what people are actually interested in. The site is operated by Mystik Media, a leader in graphics and multimedia software solutions, as well as web sites for free online games, interesting facts, and much more.

Contact:

Chris Hoffman

Mystik Media

910-270-5251

info@gadgetadvisor.com

Think Money welcomes Bank of England move

Responding to the Bank of England’s recent changes to its policy regarding collateral, mortgage provider Think Money welcomes the move and looks forward to the increased levels of liquidity it should provide.

On 3^rd October 2008, the Bank of England announced that it would expand the range of assets it deems acceptable collateral for the loans it grants to financial institutions. The range, according to the Bank of England website, now includes ‘AAA-rated asset-backed securities of some corporate and consumer loans; and approved highly-rated, asset-backed commercial paper programmes, where the underlying assets would be eligible if securitised’.

This action, the website continues, ‘is addressed to the ongoing strains in term funding markets, and adds highly-rated corporate securitisations to the residential mortgage securities that are already eligible’.

“At Think Money, we welcome this change,” said a spokesperson for the financial solutions provider. “While some may feel alarmed that the Bank of England felt such a move necessary, it’s nonetheless reassuring to note that the institution is taking such action before the financial situation deteriorates further.

The current lack of liquidity is a cause of great concern for everyone in the UK, from individuals to banks, mortgage providers and other institutions. “Without a constant, reliable flow of credit, it can be difficult – if not impossible – to carry out their plans, whether it’s a case of a company pursuing a business opportunity or an individual securing a mortgage, remortgage or loan.

“So we’re encouraged to see the Bank taking decisive steps such as this. Banks and other financial institutions own massive amounts of debt these days, from mortgage debt to overdraft debt, so it’s both limiting and frustrating when they can’t use them as collateral, as it’s one of the cornerstones of today’s lending activities.”

According to the Market Notice published on October 3^rd, The Bank of England ‘will continue to hold extended collateral three-month long-term repo open market operations (OMOs) weekly up to and including the scheduled long-term repo operation on 18 November’, which suggests that it sees no immediate end to today’s unusual market conditions.

Furthermore, it states that ‘The size of the funds offered at the Bank’s extended collateral long-term repo operation on Tuesday 7 October will be £40 billion’.

Yet despite the size of the operation, the spokesperson for the financial solutions company stressed, it’s important to note that this is no act of desperation. “In the light of the ‘bailout’ recently approved in the USA, it’s important to realise that this move by no means invites lenders to put forward‘toxic’ mortgage debts as collateral. The Bank of England may have broadened the range of assets it sees as acceptable, but it is not prepared to accept any form of collateral which isn’t of sufficiently high quality.”

Furthermore, the Bank of England is exercising a suitable degree of caution: “The Bank may be accepting a greater variety of assets as collateral,” the Think Money spokesperson concluded, “but it’s also valuing them correspondingly and offering, to quote the Financial Times, ‘as little as 60p in the pound for some foreign currency mortgage-backed securities’.”

www.thinkmoney.com

The Zoom LeBron VI

As LeBron James proved in a Gold Medal campaign this past summer in Beijing, he is a basketball player who can do it all and he requires a performance shoe that can keep up with his demanding game.

The Zoom LeBron VI shoe, the most versatile LeBron signature shoe from Nike and James, will be introduced at retail on Friday, October 31, in the U.S. and Asia Pacific. It will be available in Europe and Canada beginning January 2009.

The Zoom LeBron VI performance basketball shoe represents the essence of LeBron James: team, toughness, passion and vision. James worked with Nike designer Ken Link to create a shoe that meets his performance needs and the needs of players with a powerful, dynamic style of play. The Zoom LeBron VI not only has a full-length Zoom Air unit in the mid-sole for the ultimate responsive ride, but also has a Zoom Air unit double-stacked in the heel. The cushioning system helps the forefoot for transition when jumping. Deep sipes in the shoe allow for natural motion, which means the shoe works with the athlete’s movement, rather than against it.

The shoe’s collar has been engineered with a wider opening so it’s easier to slip on and wear while maintaining a full-length fit feel. On the collar, graffiti art highlights LeBron’s mantras—passion, family, winning, fearless and vision.

Integrated marketing and communication support for the introduction of the Zoom LeBron VI varies by global region and includes print, digital, out-of-home and broadcast advertising in addition to public relations.

Print imagery capturing James leaping over players wearing the previous five iterations of his signature footwear and labeled “The Six”, will run in prominent sports and vertical basketball publications and as out-of-home in the U.S. region.

Nikebasketball.com has created content that provides an in-depth view of LeBron’s signature product.

The U.S. television spot, dubbed “Chalk”, draws its inspiration from LeBron’s pregame ritual of tossing talcum powder into the air at the scorers’ table before each home and away game. The 15-second “Chalk” will air over the first few days of the NBA season during nationally televised games.

Asia Pacific captures the unstoppable nature of LeBron James in a series of broadcast spots dubbed “Bring Everything” (30-seconds) and “Try to Stop Me” (30-seconds). The spots are scheduled to begin airing November 1.

Nokia delivers additional tools to speed connected Java gaming development

SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 provides game template, UI tools and support for cross-platform gaming
 
Rome, Italy and Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced the availability of the latest Software Development Kit (SDK) for SNAP Mobile, its end-to end solution for connected mobile gaming in Java(TM) technology. The SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 provides developers with a number of innovative tools to make it significantly easier to create connected mobile games. New features include a game template, skinable user interface framework, support for J2SE and Bot API. The SDK is available for download through Forum Nokia, the largest mobile development community worldwide, at http://www.forum.nokia.com/snapmobile. 
 
"Nokia is committed to enhancing the mobile gaming experience and by adding these new elements to the SNAP Mobile SDK, we're making it faster and easier for developers to add connected gaming elements to their games," said Jonathan Sharp, Director, Games Strategy, Nokia. "Consumers expect more and more from their mobile games and this SDK will help developers deliver great Java games with superior connected gaming elements. We are working in close collaboration with our gaming partners to evolve the mobile gaming industry at large and together we can ensure that consumers get even better games."
 
The new game template provides a complete implementation for all required community functionality such as friends list and chat, with an interface that allows developers to either plug in existing game code, or to use as a basis for entirely new connected games. This template enables developers to concentrate on developing their game, not on the platform requirements, since most SNAP Mobile requirements are already in the game template.
 
With the user interface framework, developers can quickly manipulate a game's look and feel with easy to change XML. The UI framework includes a clean separation of controller logic which makes it easy to use with developers' existing UI frameworks. For example, PopCap Games' Chuzzle(TM) powered by SNAP Mobile is now available with new connected elements that enable players to compete globally for high scores. PopCap took their existing Chuzzle game and used the SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 to quickly add connected functionality with only minimal redesign to the game's user interface. This is PopCap's first connected mobile game developed on a Nokia platform, with development ongoing for additional games expected to be available in 2009.
 
The SNAP Mobile SDK 2.2 also adds support for J2SE, enabling developers to design games with cross platform support. This means that SNAP Mobile games can also be created as a desktop applications or applets to run on PCs and web pages with the possibility to play against the same game's mobile version. For example, the N-Gage title Reset Generation uses the SNAP Mobile support for J2SE to enable players to compete against each other from a webpage and from their Nokia device.
 
The new Bot API helps developers deliver a better connected game experience as it guarantees that mobile players can find opponents online. If an opponent isn't immediately found online, the system will match players with a server based AI so they can play without having to wait for an opponent.
 
For more information on SNAP Mobile, please visit http://www.forum.nokia.com/snapmobile.

Car Video Screen sales on the up

Car Video Screen sales on the up

In-dash car video screen sales are on the up with sales increasing two-fold over the last twelve months alone. Experts claim that demand for in car entertainment continues to rocket despite the impending global recession.

In car entertainment such as in car video screens (also known as "car indash LCD" and "car LCD screens") are popular with motoring enthusiasts and vehicle customizers who install the systems to their own and client's specifications.

The car modification and cutomization market also continues to grow as consumers look to make the most of their existing vehicles, possibly due to reduced access to car finance.

Leaders in the car video screen markets such as Pioneer electronics and Jensen electronics are leading the way in in-dash entertainment, developing and releasing new models at unbelievable rates.

The boom in interest in the car LCD screen market has sprung a number of online specialists providing a range of advice, sales and service on leading brands.

One leading car video screen supplier has launched niche online store www.carvideoscreen.com, offering consumers a complete range of in car entertainment systems from leading brands such as Pioneer, Jensen & Legacy.

The site offers a complete range of in car entertainment systems including alarm systems, specialist speaker systems, amplifiers and flip down screens. However, it's the indash LCD screens that continue to spark demand with numerous models back ordered up to 3 months in advance.

Recession or no recession, it seems that the car video screen market is still going strong!


Notes to the Editor:
For more information on car video screens, car indash LCD & car LCD screens please visit www.carvideoscreen.com

CarVideoScreen.com offers car video screens such as LCD monitors, in-dash screens, headrest monitors and other car stereo products at wholesale prices. Choose from name brand or reliable alternative LCD screens.

ThinkMoney.com welcome energy probe

Financial solutions company Think Money (www.thinkmoney.com) have welcomed calls for energy providers to reconsider their prices following the Consumer Focus Energy Supply Probe’s findings about the industry, and added that many energy customers pushed towards debt by the rapid rises in energy prices stood to benefit from any agreement to reduce prices.

In their Energy Supply Probe, Consumer Focus, the new watchdog comprising Energywatch and the National Consumer Council, have called for “immediate action from energy companies to reduce their prices in line with falling oil prices”, adding: “This will be good not just for consumers, but for the whole economy.”

It is currently estimated by Consumer Focus that around 5 million British households are in fuel poverty – in which households spend 10% or more of their total income on domestic energy – with increasing numbers of people feeling the pressure of sharp rises in the prices of electricity and gas over the past year.

Wholesale oil prices have seen a huge drop in little over three months, down from around $147 per barrel in July to the current price of $66 per barrel. Drivers have experienced the benefits almost immediately, with the lowest unleaded petrol prices at 99.8 pence per litre at the time of writing, while airline’s fuel surcharges have also been cut, according to the BBC.

But prices of gas and electricity, which are traditionally closely linked with prices of oil, have shown no such reduction in prices – leaving many consumers “wondering why they are left waiting”, in the words of Consumer Focus chief executive Ed Mayo.

According to Consumer Focus, gas prices have risen by 51% since the start of the year, while electricity bills are up by 28% - meaning the average annual household energy bill stands at £1,308.

A spokesperson for Think Money said: “The existence of the Energy Supply Probe is of great reassurance to the millions of billpayers who have been hit with severe rises in energy prices over the past year, particularly those facing debt problems.

“There has been some justification for the price rises – oil prices stood at $147 per barrel in July, and wholesale gas has also experienced massive rises – but with oil now standing at less than $67 per barrel, and with petrol prices coming down, it’s unclear why domestic energy prices have not also come down.

“Billpayers will hope that the Energy Supply Probe, combined with Consumer Focus’ calls for immediate price reductions, will be enough to ensure that their bills become much less of a burden in the coming months.”

But the Think Money spokesperson added that the potential for forthcoming price reductions did not make existing debt an any less serious issue.

“We have seen increasing numbers of people pushed into debt by rising energy bills over the past few months. Because energy is an essential cost, those people with low incomes have been unavoidably hit hard by energy price rises, and many are finding that they can no longer afford to pay their bills.

“The problem is made worse by higher levels of unemployment, and a lot of people who previously had no trouble paying their bills are finding that they are getting into debt because they simply don’t have the spare income.

“We advise anyone struggling with debt to tackle the issue head-on and seek expert debt advice as soon as possible.”

ATOC predicts bright future for online rail sales

ATOC predicts bright future for online rail sales

Online retailers are being urged to reap the benefits of selling UK rail, as more travellers turn to the web for information and tickets.

According to the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), online sales of UK rail tickets leapt by 30 per cent in the past year to nearly £700m and the figure is projected to hit the £2bn mark by 2013.

“This is a positive time for rail,” said David Mapp, ATOC Commercial Director. “The market as a whole has been growing at nearly 10 per cent a year and online sales are starting to make great strides. But the fact remains that, out of a total market worth some £5.5bn, only 12 per cent of sales currently come via the web. This is well below the levels we see for airlines, hotels or car hire, so we know there is still enormous potential to grow the online channel.”

ATOC believes that the key to developing internet sales is to encourage new players to enter the market. Prospective entrants are likely to have a significant presence and track record in online retailing, although this need not be in a rail environment. And as consumer spending comes under increasing pressure, adding rail could help retailers to maintain or increase their share of customers’ overall spend.

“Rail is an established mass-market product,” said Mapp, “and will sit easily alongside a range of consumer services, such as insurance or other travel products.”

Preliminary research among a sample of retailers has demonstrated a healthy level of interest in selling rail – but also a lack of knowledge of how the market works.

“We need to make potential partners aware of this unique opportunity and debunk some of the myths surrounding rail retailing,” explained Nick Bamford, Internet Retailing Project Manager at ATOC. “As a first step, we have produced an information pack for prospective retailers to help them to understand the market opportunity and to take a high-level view of its attractiveness and fit with their current business.”

NatWest launches a range of new savings accounts including a market leading cash ISA paying 7.32% AER

NatWest launches a range of new savings accounts including a market leading cash ISA paying 7.32% AER

Savers looking for market leading savings rates will be spoilt for choice with NatWest's new savings deals including a Cash ISA paying up to 7.32% AER, the launch of a new two-year fixed-rate bond paying 6.60% APR as well as enticing rates on the very popular e-savings account offering a bonus rate for 12 months.
New NatWest cash ISA

Customers wishing to transfer their cash ISA to NatWest will receive a bonus of 2% for 12 months. The following rates are offered on the total balance in the account:

Tier Gross %
Exc Bonus AER % (variable)
Exc Bonus Gross %
Inc Bonus AER %
Inc Bonus
£27,000+ 5.13% 5.25% 7.13% 7.32%
£18,000 - £26,999 4.98% 5.10% 6.98% 7.16%
£9,000 - £17,999 7.40% 4.80% 6.70% 6.87%
£1 - £8,999 4.51% 4.60% 6.51% 6.67%

Existing NW ISA customers who also have cash ISAs elsewhere can transfer these to NW to receive the above rates. The offer is available immediately.
NatWest's e-savings bonus

Anyone opening an E-Savings account will receive an additional bonus rate for 12 months.

This Internet-based account will attract the following rates:

Tier Gross %
Exc Bonus AER % (variable)
Exc Bonus Gross %
Inc Bonus AER %
Inc Bonus
£1+ 4.22% 4.30% 6.31% 6.50%

The NatWest E-Savings bonus offer is available immediately.

British Gas New Energy to acquire Semplice Energy

British Gas New Energy to acquire Semplice Energy

Centrica plc, through its British Gas New Energy division, today announced that it has acquired the low carbon solutions company, Semplice Energy Ltd, for a total cash consideration of £1.5 million (including the repayment of debt). An initial consideration of £1.2 million has been paid on acquisition with a further £0.3 million payable in two years dependant on meeting specified criteria.

Semplice Energy is a leading provider of clean technology solutions in the UK, offering consulting, design and systems integration to help businesses reduce their energy usage, and invest in clean generation to achieve commercially viable CO2 reduction. Semplice Energy currently employs 21 staff.

The deal complements British Gas' recent acquisitions of Solar Technologies Group Ltd and BMSi Ltd and technology partnerships with Ceres Power, Disenco and vPhase.

Gearóid Lane, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said:

"This is another step forward in our development of a broad range of energy efficiency and low-carbon capabilities we can offer business and domestic customers. Semplice Energy will help us in the delivery of these services."

For more information:

Investor relations: 01753 494900
Media relations: 0845 072 8001

ThinkMoney.com welcomes base rate cut

Responding to the half-point cut to the Bank of England's base rate, financial solutions company Think Money welcomed its already noticeable impact, and pointed to the implied likelihood of future cuts.

"There's no question that we're facing extraordinary issues today, both globally and nationally," a Think Money spokesperson commented. "As a company, we were pleased to see the Bank of England taking this step – not just dropping the base rate, but dropping it by a substantial amount.

"Furthermore, we're delighted to see major mortgage providers passing that reduction on to consumers. After so many months of negative news, this could make a big difference to many homeowners' financial circumstances, as their variable rate mortgages drop from 7% to 6.5%."

Anyone with a tracker mortgage, meanwhile, is sure to enjoy lower payments at once: The Times predicts immediate benefits for around 4 million people paying home loans that track the Bank's base rate. 'Those with a £150,000 mortgage', it reports, 'will see their interest-only repayments fall by £63 a month'.

"The same goes for other kinds of credit," the spokesperson continued, "from secured loans to credit cards: people with tracker deals will certainly profit from the cut, and borrowers with SVR deals will be following their lenders' reactions closely."

New fixed-rate loans could also drop in price. "Now that the cost of credit has come down, lenders will be able to pass the savings on, giving their customers a better deal without placing their own profits in jeopardy – something which could have a profound impact on their stability at a time like this.

"Looking beyond the actual cut," the spokesperson stressed, "it's equally important to consider the implications – not just what the deal means, but what it says about the Bank of England's assessment of our economy. First, the cut reveals how seriously it is taking today's financial troubles. Second, it implies that the Bank is feeling more comfortable about inflation."

As stated in the Bank's news release about the rate cut: 'The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth and thus has diminished further the upside risks to price stability'.

"In other words, today's financial crisis has become more of a threat to the nation's GDP – but on the plus side, slowing growth does tend to slow inflation too. The Bank may well have liked to postpone the base rate cut until inflation came down closer to the 2% target, but given the choice between letting the economy deteriorate and losing some ground in the fight against inflation, it chose the latter."

As for the months ahead: "The latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index (SPI) for the UK reveals that annual shop price inflation shrank to 3.6% in September, down from 3.8% in August. It's encouraging to see inflation on the way down, particularly as it gives the MPC more leeway when it comes to future base rate decisions. Various influential bodies are calling for the Bank to make further cuts to the base rate – and there's reason to hope it'll be able to do that."

Moneysupermarket.com comment on Energy Saving Week

Commenting on Energy Saving Week, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "We welcome another reminder to keep energy efficiency at the forefront of people's minds. The benefits of 'saving energy' in the home are two-fold; reducing bill-payers outgoings as well as the added benefits to the environment by keeping energy usage to a minimum. Small changes made to your home such as adding loft insulation or upgrading your boiler using the same fuel could save you around £235 a year, and reduces carbon dioxide by two tonnes1.

"Any customers struggling to pay their energy bills need to be proactive and contact their energy supplier to see what options are available to keep their energy bills low. Likewise, energy suppliers need to ensure adequate support is readily available and help is delivered efficiently."

moneysupermarket.com recommends the following energy saving tips:

> Invest in a lagging jacket for your hot water tank and insulate pipes – this will pay for itself in a few months with the money saved.

> Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent. And if you're going away for winter, leave the thermostat on a low setting to provide protection from freezing at minimum cost.

> Wash clothes at 30oC instead of 40 oC.  

> Replace light bulbs with energy saving versions.

> Is your hot water too hot? For most, setting the thermostat at 60°C/140°F is fine for bathing.

> Don't leave the fridge door open longer than necessary and defrost freezers regularly to improve efficiency.

> When cooking leave saucepan lids on as this will allow you to turn down the heat.

> Don't use more water than you need when boiling a kettle as it takes much more electricity to boil a full kettle each time than just enough water for a cuppa or two.

> For those willing to spend money to save money, loft insulation is a great investment. Up to 25 per cent of heat loss occurs through lofts that are not insulated.

> Cavity wall insulation can also prove to be a big money saver. Insulation can save up to 35 per cent of heat loss through walls.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com

eBay Reports 3rd Quarter Results

eBay Inc. today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2008. The ecommerce company posted third quarter revenue of $2.12 billion, up $228 million from the same period last year. Net income on a GAAP basis was $492 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income was $592 million, or $0.46 per diluted share.

"Overall, we are pleased with the performance of the portfolio this past quarter," said eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahoe. "We took a number of steps during the quarter to further strengthen our business and better align our cost structure to invest and compete. We will continue to stay focused on connecting consumers on our various ecommerce platforms, maintaining financial discipline and capitalizing on new opportunities for growth."

eBay continues to benefit from an increasingly diversified portfolio of businesses. While Marketplaces transaction revenue still represents a majority of revenue for the company, revenue growth rates were helped by growth in PayPal, Skype and global classifieds. The company's global footprint helped it benefit year over year from strength in other currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.

GAAP operating margin increased to 24.7% for the quarter, compared to (49.6%) for the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating margin increased to 31.8% for the quarter, compared to 31.4% for the same period last year. The yearover-year increase in non-GAAP operating margin is due primarily to higher margins from each of the business units, which more than offset the growth from lower-margin businesses, primarily PayPal and Skype. eBay Inc. generated $693 million of operating cash flow during the third quarter. Free cash flow during the quarter was $543 million.

www.ebay.com

Economy still uncertain despite base rate cut

Debt management company Gregory Pennington have warned that the economy remains uncertain, despite a number of signals suggesting a potential recovery, and have advised anyone facing severe financial problems to seek professional debt advice as soon as possible.

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee's announcement on Wednesday that the base rate would fall to 4.5% was intended to calm fears surrounding the money market and increase lenders' willingness to do business with one another, subsequently increasing liquidity and boosting the loans market.

A number of lenders announced cuts to their mortgage rates following the base rate announcement – which may come as a relief to prospective homeowners or existing homeowners looking to remortgage, following many lenders' reluctance to respond to the last base rate drop.

Meanwhile, petrol prices recently fell to as little as 103.9 pence per litre, while food price growth slowed by 0.2% in September, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) – arousing speculation that overall inflation has hit its peak and will now begin to slow.

However, a spokesperson for Gregory Pennington commented that while there are encouraging signs for the economy, there is no guarantee that further difficulty for the economy can be avoided.

"The first thing to bear in mind is that while the base rate cut is intended to help the economy, it was brought in as an emergency measure," she said. "The threat of a severe economic downturn is still looming and there are no guarantees it can be avoided.

"The fall in oil and food prices are very encouraging, but both are heavily affected by external factors, largely outside our Government's control."

The debt management company spokesperson was keen to emphasise the continued need to take care over finances and manage debts effectively in the coming months. "There is still the possibility that things could get tighter in the near future, so it pays to tackle any financial issues now, rather than waiting to see what happens next.

"People who are struggling with debt are especially at risk, because their finances are already stretched – and any further rises in costs of living could make those debts unmanageable.

"As always, we advise anyone struggling with debt to seek expert debt advice as soon as possible. Leaving it too late could allow your debts to grow, which is particularly dangerous if costs of living do continue to rise.

"There are a number of debt solutions to help with various financial situations. A debt management plan is a flexible means of getting out of debt in which your repayments are based on how much you can afford, and in some cases interest and other charges can be frozen.

"Debt consolidation involves grouping your debts into one convenient monthly payment, therefore simplifying your finances, and your debt can also be spread out over a longer period of time, meaning monthly payments are smaller – although this can mean you pay more interest in the long run.

"For more serious debts of over £15,000, an IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) might be more appropriate. These work by agreeing with your creditors to make payments based on what you can afford for a period of five years, after which the remaining debt is considered settled."

Web Site: http://www.gregorypennington.com

Contact Details: Melanie Taylor
melanie.taylor@gregorypennington.com
0845 056 6480

Pennington House
Carolina Way
South Langworthy Road
Salford
M50 2ZY

Lottery.co.uk warns against losing lottery ticket

Lottery.co.uk, the premier web site for independent lottery news and views, has warned lottery players to be on their guard against losing their tickets after revealing that a large amount of money is still to be claimed by winners.

Lottery tickets might only cost a relatively small amount of money to buy, but they can be worth millions if the right numbers come up. Unfortunately, many people fail to take care of their lottery tickets and the end result is that they are unable to claim any prizes that those tickets win. Lost lottery tickets can therefore mean lost fortunes.

Winning UK Lottery players have 180 days to claim their prize, and if that deadline isn't met, the prize is forfeited as far as the player is concerned. In February 2006 a prize worth £9.4 million was forfeited by a customer in Yorkshire because of this rule, and although that is currently the biggest unclaimed prize on record, several other multi-million pound wins have also gone unclaimed.

According to Lottery.co.uk, the largest prize currently waiting to be claimed is for almost £450,000, with other unclaimed prizes coming to a total of over £1 million.

"Over the past few years an astonishing number of prizes have been forfeited," said a Lottery.co.uk spokesman, "In fact there is rarely a month in which at least a handful of prizes aren't waiting to be claimed, and many of these are worth five or six figures."

Prizes that aren't claimed in time to meet the 180 day deadline are added to a fund for good causes.

If a lost lottery ticket is found by someone else, any prize that the ticket has won may be legally claimed by the person in possession of the ticket due to a lottery ticket being a bearer instrument, which means it legally belongs to the person who holds it. Lost lottery tickets could therefore be claimed by anyone who is lucky enough to find one before the 180 day deadline has passed.

In an effort to stop prizes remaining unclaimed Lottery.co.uk has recommend that players buy lottery tickets online. Tickets bought online are uniquely associated with the individual. This means that they can't be lost and no prize won by a lottery ticket bought online can be claimed by anyone else.

-ends-

About Lottery.co.uk
Lottery.co.uk is a truly independent lottery web site that provides lottery players with everything they need to get the most from their favourite hobby. Check the latest lottery results for all National Lottery games, read all about the latest lottery news stories, make use of an informative articles archive and much more.

Web Site: http://www.lottery.co.uk

Contact Details: Sam Weren
The Lottery Company Ltd
PO Box 200
Harrogate
HG1 2YR
01423 507545