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BullGuard Identity Protection Review

Posted on by Abi

The internet is a wondrous source of information, shopping, educational resources and general fun but there is a dark side to our online adventures, with identity theft and online bullying a real concern for almost everyone. How then are we supposed to keep ourselves safe while also experiencing the best that the web has to offer? BullGuard believe they have the answer in the form of their Identity Protection Software which they’ve asked me to review today.

Cyber Bullying Concerns

It’s all over the news that cyber bullying is a big problem for kids today but there is a thin line between protecting your children, respecting their privacy and snooping. BullGuard offer a solution in the form of their social media monitoring service. When added to a Facebook account it monitors for any messages or activity which could be of concern and reports back to the parents on its findings. This little infographic beautifully explains the problems all parents face.BullGuard_infographicI tested out the Bullguard Facebook feature and was really pleased with the results, the child can see that BullGuard has been added to their account and it gives them a feeling of control rather than being spied on. Each week an email report is sent to the parent detailing BullGuard’s findings and explaining the level of risk each alert represents. Here is the email I received:

This is the first Alert Report for your newly monitored social media account Good news, no new alerts were recently detected while monitoring ……….’s social media account.    

0 High Risk Alerts 0 Medium Risk Alerts 0 Low Risk Alerts

To get more information about each alert, please click here to access your online Dashboard and review your Alert Report. You’ll be able to see details about what was flagged (link, photo, message or tag), the reasons why the alert was issued and lots more. In order to prevent any hazards, we advise you to pay special attention to High Alert risks.             

It seems really comprehensive and while it found no alerts in our case it certainly gives a level of security that otherwise seems lacking from social media.

Identity Protection   

Having you’re own little guard dog scouring the web to protect your data sounds like a fabulous idea doesn’t it, BullGuard offers a unique service in this regard and I think it’s a brilliant idea. I found this great video to explain.

I love this feature! The internet is becoming a part of everyday life and we’re being encouraged to drop paper bills, pay online and practically run our lives from our computer screens, this makes protection a must!

Would I recommend this software?

I think this is a great add on in the fight against cyber bullying and online crime, I fail to see how more protection can ever be a bad thing. The only issue I have experienced with BullGuard was when I entered my license key into my online account, I was told to refresh but on doing that I received an error message saying that my license key had already been used. Somewhat puzzled I clicked on my account and was instantly able to see all the features of my protection package so it was a minor inconvenience really.

Aside from the license key issue I found the software really easy to use and fairly intuitive.

 

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Despicable Me 2 on Blinkbox

Posted on by Abi

imagesI was recently asked if my family would like to watch Despicable Me 2 on Blinkbox. Having seen neither the film nor used Blinkbox before I was only too happy to agree.

For the uneducated (this included me until a few days ago) Blinkbox is an online instant viewing service where you can rent or buy movies/tv and view on demand. As a long time user of Lovefilm and Netflix I was ready to be unimpressed with Blinkbox but it is slowly but surely winning me over!

Movie/TV Selection

Blinkbox has a clear edge over many of its competitors when it comes to new releases. We watched Despicable Me 2 several days before it was even released onto DVD and a year before it will appear on other instant viewing services.

untitled (3)Price

If you want to rent a film then expect to pay around £3.49 for the newest releases. This is instantly available and can be viewed as many times as you like over 48hours.

If you’d rather buy the movie then you will pay more, Despicable Me 2 cost £10.99 which allows it to be viewed whenever, wherever! I must admit to being sceptical over the viability of permanently buying a film online. The advantage is being able to view over several devices (tv/computer/tablet etc) no matter where you happen to be. The disadvantage is not actually owning a physical disc, I can see arguments for either option and I haven’t come up with a clear winner yet.

Load Speeds

So far Blinkbox hasn’t stalled, buffered or failed to load no matter what speed our home internet was running at. We watched during the day, weekend and evening and never saw a loss in service.

Can it really replace a DVD rental service?

At first glance it would seem impossible that Blinkbox could be a viable alternative to a limitless DVD rental service offered elsewhere. However I think there’s a good argument that it can be an economical option. With our last DVD rental service we were only receiving about 4 DVDs a month. Of those 4 we tended to receive 1 of our top choice films, the random nature of such services means that you never know what you’re going to get and you can potentially wait a long time to see a new release. With Blinkbox you can choose to watch any movie straight away, if you only want to see 1 or 2 big releases a month then being able to pick and choose seems preferable and possibly cheaper overall.

Can it replace other instant TV/movie services?

I don’t think Blinkbox can offer a complete solution if you watch a lot of on demand TV and film, it just wouldn’t make financial sense.

Final Thoughts

My current thinking is that the best option for us both in terms of selection and price is to keep up with an instant viewing service like Netflix and add in Blinkbox for those must see new releases.

We’re lucky that our TV is able to run Blinkbox so the simplicity to view films at the touch of a button without searching for a DVD is great.

I don’t think we’ll be renting films every day because the cost would be prohibitive, however being able to view movies that haven’t even been released to buy is a significant advantage. The kids said it felt like they were at the cinema!

Despicable Me 2

‘Now that the ever-entrepreneurial Gru has left behind a life of super crime to raise Margo, Edith and Agnes, Gru, Dr. Nefario and the Minions have some free time on their hands. But just as he starts to adjust to his role as a suburban family man, an ultra-secret organisation dedicated to fighting evil around the globe comes knocking. Now, it’s up to Gru and his new partner, Lucy Wilde, to discover who is responsible for a spectacular crime and bring him to justice. After all, it takes the world’s greatest ex-villain to catch the one vying to take his place….’

Not much I can say about this film except that it’s incredibly funny and I think I need a few ‘Minions’ to help around the house and provide comic relief. There’s enough humour to keep adults entertained as well as the kids and it makes for all round great family viewing.

Details

To check out Blinkbox for yourself click here. They are currently running a promotion where depositing £1 will give you £5 in credit.

 

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Octonauts Toy Review!

Posted on by Abi

Octonauts Explore, Rescue, Protect! If that motto sounds familiar then chances are you have some Octonauts fans at home. These undersea adventurers are popular with children all over the world and thanks to their new range of toys from Fisher Price they’re bound to feature heavily on Christmas Lists. We were sent a few items from the range to review and today I’m sharing our thoughts.

Deep Sea Octo-Lab

‘The Deep Sea Octo-Lab opens up to reveal two floors of play inside, and comes with air-powered rescue tools for deep sea rescue. Hook up your rescue tools to the hoses, turn the dial on the base to select the tool you’d like to activate, and push down on the pump to shoot a kelp cake, launch a rescue flare, or activate the volcano! The pump also activate lights and sounds that will prompt you through the ultimate deep sea adventure. All pieces store inside. Deep Sea Station Playset includes playset with lights and sounds, Shellington Deep Sea figure, Octo Bot, kelp cake, rescue flare, volcano, lava rocks, and three air power hoses.’

OctolabMy kids were highly anticipating receiving this particular toy but did the reality live up to the hype?

It’s probably safe to say that the air-powered rescue tools are one of the most attractive features of the Octo-Lab. However you have to make sure that the hoses are really well pushed into their holes, otherwise the air-power is somewhat lack lustre. The tools don’t shoot far and wide which I personally think is a bonus as we’ve not lost any of them or accidentally poked anyone in the eye! At the end of this review I’ve included a video to show just how effective they are.

The lights and sound are great fun and the Octo-Lab is actually surprisingly loud. Batteries are required to make this feature work though and they don’t come included in the box.

From a parents point of view I love the fact that everything can fit neatly within the Octo-lab which makes tidying a breeze. From a kids point of view:

Agent G – It was wonderful and great!

Lieutenant I – I love pumping up the hose toys!

Captain N – I like Shellington and the jellyfish and the lights are brilliant!

Gup-DGup D Crab Mode

‘Barnacles, in the GUP-D, is ready to lead the crew on exciting new adventures! On land, the GUP-D’s drill can move and spin for pretend excavation and repair work! For undersea missions, submerge the GUP-D’s drill & press the fin to see the drill spin & squirt water! The rescue claw is perfect for transporting wounded creatures back to safety! Also included is Barnacles in his special deep sea suit and a Blue Crab, too!’

The Gup-D is a lot of fun and a really nice size for my youngest to carry around, I also think it complements the Octo-Lab brilliantly. My favourite feature has to be the ability to use it underwater so the claw can spin, bath-time has never been so exciting in our house!

Agent G – It’s really cool because it has a drill.

Lieutenant I – You can make different Octonauts sit in it and it can go in the bath and it squirts water which is amazing!

Captain N – I love Captain Barnacles and the squirty claw.

 Kwazii Plush

Mini Plush Kwazii

Kwazii is without a doubt the favourite character for my youngest and he was ridiculously happy when he arrived. The plush is well constructed and beautifully soft. Beyond that I can’t tell you much more because Kwazii was snaffled away by Captain N and rarely leaves his side.

Captain N – Kwazii is the best! He’s cool and he’s a pirate and he’s really soft and I love him!

Final Thoughts

All my children have really enjoyed playing with the Octonauts toys and have now requested more, which says it all really!

They appear to be well made and durable. The RRP is quite high in some cases (The Octo-Lab has an RRP of £39.99) however most stores are currently selling it for £19.99-£29.99 which seems more realistic.

Overall I don’t think any Octonauts fan would be disappointed if Santa dropped some of these down the chimney for Christmas.

The Toys in Action

What better way to explain the toys than with a little video showing them in action, enjoy!

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