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Best gadget news

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• British teenager is Microsoft Excel world champion
• Ofcom report shows UK addicted to smartphones
• App week: Skype for iPad, ESPN Goals now free
• Pottermore website targeted by scammers

British teenager is Microsoft Excel world champion Posted: 06 Aug 2011 04:24 AM PDT Posted by Devina Divecha on Sat 6 Aug 2011 Can you master Microsoft Excel 2007? A British teenager has become the Microsoft Excel world champion by winning a global competition designed to find the best user of Microsoft Excel 2007. Related links Windows 8 coming in 2012, says Microsoft CEO Microsoft Explorer Touch Mouse revealed No Microsoft Windows tablet until summer 2012 Microsoft hits back in Google patent spat Cambridgeshire resident Rebecca Rickwood, who is 15, was competing among 228,000 participants from 57 countries. The final round saw Rickwood winning over 78 other students. The student of Sawtry Community College received her $5,000 prize at a ceremony in San Diego, California. The final round featured timed tests where competitors had to make spreadsheets using the software. Rickwood is also the only winner outside of Asia. Pop over to T3's Twitter and Facebook feeds and tell us what software you could win a world championship at, and stay tuned in for more tech news. Via: BBC     This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ofcom report shows UK addicted to smartphones Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:30 AM PDT Posted by Devina Divecha on Sat 6 Aug 2011 How addicted are you? Almost half of teenagers in UK own a smartphone (47%), out of which 60% admit they are highly addicted, according to Ofcom's latest Communication Market Report. The survey covered 2,073 adults and 521 teenagers. The research shows people in the UK have become addicted to smartphones will people using them even at the dining table and in the bathroom and bedroom. Related links Smartphone life in 2011: the mobile year ahead Smartphone comparison: which phone should you buy? Cheap smartphones: which one is best? Smartphone shipments will hit 1bn by 2016 iPhone makes Apple world's largest smartphone seller Smartphone photography: which is the best? Over a quarter of adults (27%) now own a smartphone, with 37% admitting they are highly addicted. Many (59% of those surveyed) got a smartphone in the last year, making many more calls and sending more texts than regular mobile users (81% smartphone users vs 53% regular mobile phone users). This is affecting social interactions, with teenagers claiming to watch less TV and reading fewer books than before. Over half (51%) of adults and two thirds (65%) of teenagers said they have used their smartphone while socialising with others. This includes mealtimes, while in bed and in the toilet.   "Ofcom's report shows the influence that communications technology now has on our daily lives, and on the way we behave and communicate with each other," said James Thickett, director of research, Ofcom. "Our research into the use of smartphones, in particular, reveals how quickly people become reliant on new technology, to the point of feeling addicted. As more and more people acquire smartphones, they are becoming an essential tool in peoples' social lives whether they are out with friends socialising or using Facebook on the move." Where is the weirdest place you've used your smartphone? Let T3 know at our Twitter and Facebook feeds and remember to follow and like us for more tech news.     This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

App week: Skype for iPad, ESPN Goals now free Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:00 AM PDT Posted by Chris Smith on Sat 6 Aug 2011 Every Saturday we round-up the week in mobile applications bringing you news of the biggest new releases across all major platforms and a host of reviews from T3's App Chart. Let's crack on... Android app news: Canon DSLR controller launched A developer from the XDA community has just launched this stunning DSLR Controller for Android. The app offers unrivaled access to a Canon camera's functionality all through the touchscreen of the Samsung Galaxy SII. It works on phones and tablets with USB Host functionality. Check out the video below.   iPhone app news: Vonage adds international calls through iTunes Celebrated VoIP client Vonage has launched a new Time to Call app for iPhone, which allows users to make 15-minute calls, anywhere in the world and have it charged to your iTunes account. Tariffs start at £1.49 per 15-minutes and calls can be made over Wi-Fi and 3G.   iPad app news: Skype app officially arrives Over 18 months after the launch of the first iPad, Skype has finally got its rear-end into gear and launched a tablet optimised app. Featuring a new and attractive interface, the Skype app for iPad brings video calling over Wi-Fi and 3G to any Skype-enabled device.   iPhone/Android app news: ESPN Goals to be free this season The excellent ESPN Goals application, which delivers videos of Premier League goals as they happen, will be free for the forthcoming season. Available across multiple formats, it means you don't have to wait until Match of the Day or Sky's Football First to see your team's action and you won't have to pay a penny.   iPhone app news: iCondom app fights STIs MTV has teamed up with the iCondom app to create a global map of condom dispensaries around the world. The iCondom app for iPhone will show help you out next time you get caught short in a rubber emergency, by giving you the precise location of where you can get your hands on some supplies.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   App of the Year | Vote in the T3 Gadget Awards 2011 Is GarageBand the best app of 2011? Or can Flipboad, Sky News or the other nominees take the title Vote for App of the Year | GarageBand for iPad review| Flipboard for iPad rated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   APP REVIEWS FROM THE T3 APP CHART iPad app review: Plants vs Zombies HD The iPad has a knack of taking iPhone classics and giving that little extra edge with some brushed-up visuals for the big screen. PopCap's massive hit arrives on the iPad in a market saturated with tower defence games, but still manages to rise above the rest. Check out our five-star Plants vs Zombies HD review.   BlackBerry app review: UberSocial Twitter apps are among the most popular on any of the app stores, so it takes something a little big special to stand out from the crowd. The app formally known as UberTwitter appears on the BlackBerry App World boasting a host more options and depth than the official Twitter app.   Windows Phone 7 app review: International Snooker HD A snooker game might not sound all that interesting, but we remember as far back as Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker on the Amiga 500, so this one perked our interest. Simple gameplay combined with "infuriating" difficulty in setting up the shots make this sim worth a download, but in need of improvement. International Snooker HD for Windows Phone review   This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Pottermore website targeted by scammers Posted: 06 Aug 2011 02:00 AM PDT Posted by Devina Divecha on Sat 6 Aug 2011 The virtual Death-Eaters are on the prowl. Scammers are taking advantage of the excitement for Pottermore by selling accounts for the beta version of the website. Pottermore is the new website launched by author of the Harry Potter books, JK Rowling, which is currently only available for beta-testing, with a general release scheduled for October. Related links Harry Potter Pottermore site confirms ebook release LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 incoming Harry Potter ebooks put on hold by JK Rowling It is meant to sell ebooks from the Potter series and have additional content from Rowling and fans. The accounts, which are free, are being sold by scammers for up to $100 (£60) each on eBay. The official Pottermore blog has posted about this problem, telling people not to hand over their personal information to anyone else or pay for the service. The official blog says Pottermore has the right to delete any accounts that have been sold online. "Access to Pottermore is, and always will be, completely free so please don't be tempted by people selling Pottermore accounts online. You will only be wasting your money," the blog said. Currently one million beta free accounts are up for grabs for fans who solve clues to gain access. Are you one of the lucky beta testers? Tell us what the experience is like on T3's Twitter and Facebook pages, and stay tuned in for more tech news. Via: The Telegraph     This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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