Spotting A Great Video Game Doesn’t Have To Be Tough

Pintrest

For gamers, the hardest part of the passion that burns inside your soul is keeping it in check. With so many titles on the market, you can think of an excuse to play every single one of them. In a perfect world, you would. In an imperfect world (sorry, folks), it’s a financial nightmare that leads to bankruptcy.

As the gaming industry grows and games become more ubiquitous, it’s more important than ever to choose titles wisely. Thankfully, the process doesn’t have to be challenging. Here are some fun yet surprising features you should consider before proceeding to the checkout.

Excellent Sound Quality

It’s tempting to assume that a video game is all about visual aesthetics. Players put so much emphasis on graphics and pixels that they often forget about the sound. Of course, it doesn’t register until later on when you wonder why the title didn’t live up to your high expectations. Once you factor it in, you realize that the noises make everything more realistic and vibrant. As a result, everything from the music to the sound effects lures you and makes the gameplay immersive. You should look for a high sound and music ranking when researching reviews.

Backward Compatibility

Previously, the controls were the most important components of video games. Without sharp and intuitive movements, players can’t interact or access the world as they would like. This remains the same, but there is a new stumbling block – compatibility. As next-gen consoles are released, their technology can make some titles unplayable. If these are your favorites, it’s frustrating to realize that you need to pay for it again or switch between consoles, which is a hassle. With gaming technology evolving at a rapid pace, backward compatibility should be a feature you always consider for the sake of the user experience.

Real-Life Elements

The best games imitate real life. Yes, it’s fun to push the boundaries of the map and do things you wouldn’t dream of doing in the real world. Still, it’s the small stuff that makes you happy, such as turning an online casino into a traditional one with the help of augmented and virtual reality. Grand Theft Auto is a prime example as the developers often used elements from real life to enhance the gameplay, from launching a casino to letting you go to the gym to exercise or get a haircut.

Online & In-Game Balance

There’s no doubt that the industry is trending towards online gaming. However, you can’t put all of your eggs into one basket, not when some games cost as much as $50. Online modes are cool because you can test yourself against global users, and there is player interaction. Still, there’s nothing like indulging in a campaign as the gameplay is a major reason for playing in the first place. For instance, people in the past have criticized the campaign length in Call of Duty for being too short. Not only do you want a decent length solo player mode, but you also need a balance between challenging and rewarding.

What do you look out for in a video game?

How Can Videogames Improve Your Real Life?

Videogames can sometimes have something of a bad reputation. Some people think they promote bad behaviour, or they make young people stay indoors rather than going out and living a real life. 

The truth, however, is that some videogames can actually improve your real life. There are many skills and pieces of knowledge that can be learned, and you may be much more equipped to face the real world than you realise. Read on to find out more.

Image by p2722754 from Pixabay

Learn Personal Accountability 

When you play a good videogame, it will challenge you. You might feel frustrated, even stressed when you are playing because you can’t seem to get past that challenge. But when you do, you will have learned an excellent lesson about perseverance, which is a skill that will help you greatly in your personal life and your career.  

More than that, though, you will have learned about personal accountability. Beating those videogames challenges is all about focusing on what you are doing and controlling the situation around you to make it a better, more positive one for you. 

This lesson does need some thinking about, and it’s not something that’s immediately obvious, but once you understand it, you can carry it over into your real life from your gaming one, and improve everything you do. 

Dealing With People 

People can be difficult to deal with, especially for introverts who are more than happy to stay at home and play videogames. This is, of course, less of a problem for extroverts who play videogames, but for those who prefer their own company, the games they play are an excellent outlet.

Yet not all videogames are solo pursuits. Some are made explicitly for multiplayer action, and others are single player but with the added chat function should you want to make use of it. If you want to learn some essential life lessons from your videogames, it is highly recommended that you do make use of this function and interact with other players when you can.  

Doing this will help you to learn how to talk to other people in a non-threatening setting. After all, you’re not actually with them, and you can leave the chat at any time you want to. This will enable you to learn how to deal with people so that when you meet them in person, perhaps when you have to go shopping for something important like food, clothes, rims and tyres for your truck, or anything else, you can speak well and explain precisely what it is you want.  

Gain Problem Solving Skills 

No matter what you do in life, or what you choose to do if you’re still trying to figure out which direction to go in, there will be problems to solve. There will be problems to solve in your personal life, in your career, in your hobbies, and anything else you can think of. They might be significant problems that seem insurmountable, or they might be small problems that should technically be easy to deal with. No matter what they are or what they lead to, dealing with them is exactly what you’ll need to do, and this is where your gaming will stand you in good stead.  

For those who don’t have a background in videogames and problem solving, even those tiny problems mentioned above might seem impossible to solve; they just don’t know where to start. When you are a gamer, though, you’ll be facing challenges and problems every day, and you’ll have a strategy in mind as soon as you know there is yet another one to overcome (whether it’s real life or within a game). 

On top of this, videogames are an excellent way to exercise your brain, thanks to the problem solving requirements of so many different games. Keeping your brain active is crucial for good mental health and, as you get older, it’s good for ensuring your memories are kept intact, and you are less susceptible to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Far from rotting your brain as some people like to suggest, playing videogames is enhancing it. 

Stress Relief 

As wonderful as life can be with all its adventure, excitement, and opportunities, it can also be stressful. As a society, we are working harder and longer than ever before. We don’t take the breaks we should and we’re always pushing ourselves to do more and more and more. This can lead to stress, also known as ‘burnout’. 

Rather than being a small problem that a day off can cure, someone who has been diagnosed with stress has a recognised mental health disorder. Stress can make everything seem completely overwhelming and you’ll find it difficult to do anything, let alone the important things that need to be done. It can lead to depression and anxiety among other mental health problems. Then there are the physical problems associated with stress; high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, insomnia, and many more conditions. 

If you feel yourself getting stressed, upset, and overwhelmed about things around you or tasks you need to complete, it’s a good idea to try to de-stress before the problem becomes too difficult to deal with. For some people, videogames are the ideal outlet, allowing them to focus on something other than whatever it is they are feeling stressed about. If your mind is taken away from your problems and you are fully immersed in another activity (such as videogames), your body can calm down and de-stress. By the time you finish your game and have to start thinking about your problems again, they will often seem much smaller, and sometimes a solution has presented itself when you weren’t paying attention.  

Meet New People 

When you’re a child, it’s easy to meet new people and instantly become friends with them. As an adult, this is much more difficult. We’ve become, over the years, much more cynical, and rather than just taking someone at face value like we would have done when we were small, we try to analyse everything and everyone. Making friends is much harder than it ever was before. 

Having something in common with someone else is an excellent way to start a friendship, and videogames are an ideal starting point when you meet someone new. You’re going to want to have friends who have the same likes and dislikes as you, and if they also enjoy the same videogames as you do, this could be the ideal basis to start a friendship. In fact, you may even have already ‘met’ through your games via the chat feature, helping you to a good start. 

Adults need to have friends just as much as children do, so using anything to help find those good friends is crucial, and videogames fit the bill perfectly. 

Better Multi-Tasking

In general, multi-tasking is not a good thing. Rather than being fully focused on one chore or task until it is complete, we rush from one thing to another, doing many jobs to a lower standard. You may think you are being more productive, but in reality, you are setting yourself up for more work as you’ll need to re-do a lot of the tasks you were trying to complete at the same time as something else. 

Yet sometimes, despite knowing this, multi-tasking is the only way to get anything completed at all. This links back to our busy lives and how stressed we are. So, if we have to multi-task, we should be as good at it as we can be. Videogames help us to focus on both visual and auditory distractions at the same time, boosting our multi-tasking to the next level. 

Conclusion 

As with everything in life, moderation when playing videogames is key, but these games clearly do have some great benefits when it comes to real life situations. 

Android logo on the wall - how to kill an hour

How To Get The Best Retro Gaming Experience

Retro games are still celebrated, years after release, as more than just relics or old cultural artefacts. Their ingenuity of design and amazing innovation have left people quite warmly reflecting on how gaming culture has developed since, and how certain timeless design ideals seem to inform the games we play today, too.

 

Getting the best retro gaming experience can be important then, for those who wish to enjoy an authentic play experience without any modern developments holding them back. This is for the purists, those that don’t mind scouring eBay listings for older games, or who believe that the best way to play a retro game is to have it in your hands and blow dust from the cartridge. It’s the people who believe this, who shirk at the thought of an emulator or virtual machine, that this post is geared for.

 

Of course, before we begin, we must consider which console we hope to play, and if that’s possible to source. We must also be prepared to pay for the privilege of sourcing collector items. From there, we may find potential in the following advice:

 

Consider The Latency & Monitor

 

Ensure you have the correct monitor and associated inputs to play the retro games you wish to play. Of course, older consoles can look good on newer TVs provided you have the right converter cables, but it’s also true that playing on CRT monitors or old-school 4:3 televisions can give you the best latency and image reproduction possible. It’s quite amazing to see how much of a difference this makes, and how ‘new’ is not necessarily better. 

 

Use The Right Controllers

 

While many games have been ported to mobile and offer virtual control experiences, there’s something quite amazing about sourcing an original console and ideal primary controller. Provided they too dusty and has been taken care of well, you may be able to source these and sell them for a tidy profit. Controllers can also give you a raw, reliable input in a game, even if it’s something older such as NES, two-button pad. Replica controllers can provide a similar experience, and the recent relaunch of classic consoles can also be fun to play – but there’s nothing quite like engaging with older games using the tactile inputs they were designed for.

 

Purchase From The Correct Sources

 

Make sure to purchase from reliable retailers or specific, dedicated stores. For instance, arcade games for sale are often delicate items that need to be cared for and organized in the best possible sense. So, opting for a website such as ArcadeClassics, run by enthusiasts from a similar school of reverence, can help you ensure the best product. Of course, you may gain a great deal rooting through old garage sales and second-hand stores, but if you want a quality product, you have to find a quality source.

 

With this advice, we hope you can easily get the best retro gaming experience available.

 

Gaming Marathon Advice From People Who’ve Actually Done It

With Cyberpunk 2077 on the way, the number of people engaging in so-called “gaming marathons” will shoot up over the coming months. We’re going to see gamers all over the world retreat to their PCs and consoles for possibly days at a time. This ritual has played out thousands of times before, and we expect it to fully happen again with the release of what will likely be the Game of the Year. 

The idea of staying up for a 36-hour gaming stint is appealing for many of us. We like the idea of letting the rest of life take a backseat for a while we hammer away on our keyboards and controllers, trying to dominate new 3D virtual environments. Modern video games, however, demand so much more from players. There’s just so much to do and explore; you can find days and weeks melting away.

Pexels – CC0 License

 

Cyberpunk 2077 will almost certainly take more than 100 hours to explore fully. And CD Projekt Red – the game’s developers – say that the world will be even bigger and more interactive than the Witcher 3 – which means that this game is going to soak up your time massively. 

In this post, we’re going to take a look at some marathon gaming advice from people who’ve done it. None of this is specific to Cyberpunk 2077, but it gives you a flavour of the sort of things you need to do if you want to sit in your chair, blasting your enemies to kingdom come for twenty-four hours or more. We will cover everything from how to keep your mind sharp to managing bodily functions. 

Charge Your Controllers (And Buy A Backup)

Before the game drops, be sure to charge up your controllers. You don’t want them dying on you when you get to a boss of a critical point in the story. 

When it comes to controllers for a gaming marathon, it helps to have more than one. After about eight hours or so, the battery warning light will come on, and you’ll have to connect them to the mains somehow. Unfortunately, this can kind of wreck your enjoyment of the game if you mainly use free-floating controllers. And it can make you feel as though you’ve returned to the nineties where all controllers plugged into the mains. 

Top gaming marathon experts put their controllers on rotation. One is always charging while the other is in use. They then get swapped over the moment the one in use starts to run out of battery. 

Pexels – CC0 License

Prepare Your Drinks And Snacks In Advance

What is a gaming marathon without snacks and drinks? Not much, if you ask a lot of gaming marathon gurus. Ideally, you want some drinks and nibbles handy, especially when you hit the early hours of the morning, and your body clock tells you it’s time to go to sleep. 

When it comes to gaming marathon snacks, you want a combination of healthy stuff to keep your mind sharp, plus high-energy foods to keep your brain fizzing. Top of your list should be sugary cereals, Pop-tarts, Oreos, and Haribo to provide that instant energy you need as you battle your way through all of the encounters. You’ll also want to stock up on plenty of slow-release carbs, like beans and dried veggies you can grab when you start to get the munchies. 

If you’re playing a super competitive game, you’ll also want to invest in snacks that improve your performance and help you get the most out of the experience. Chaga mushroom powder is a fantastic ingredient to add to your coffee because of its unique ability to increase energy levels in your brain and keep you alert. People who take it report having higher focus and feeling great even when staying up until the early hours to play video games. 

Speaking of coffee, you’ll also want some form of caffeine to sip on if you plan on losing sleep to play the latest video game. We recommend filling up your coffee machine and setting it up in the same room. Most devices have tanks large enough for three or four freshly-made beverages, meaning that you don’t have to keep travelling to and from the kitchen. Just keep an assortment of pods in a bowl next to you, ready to go. One coffee every couple of hours should see you through. 

If you want to take your coffee game up a notch, you can add extra ingredients to it to keep you buzzing. Chaga mushroom powder is one option. If you like mochas, you could try adding chocolate or cacao powder to the mix. Those with a penchant for coconut oil could also try adding it to see if it makes a difference. Remember, coconut oil is all about rigging your metabolism to keep you alert and active for long periods of time, while also slowing the absorption of sugar. 

Finally, on the topic of drinks and snacks, don’t forget to choose items that you can eat without making your hands sticky or messy. The last thing you want is a gunky controller, keyboard, or mouse. If you can suck liquid out of a straw, that should keep your hands free to interact with your console or computer. 

Wear Eye Protection

It sounds strange to say it, but many people who engine in twenty-four-hour-plus gaming marathons wear some form of eye protection – at least for part of their session. 

Computer screens and TVs emit a kind of blue light which might be harmful to the retina with prolonged exposure. Gamers, therefore, should consider wearing eye protection to reduce fatigue and strain and make the experience more pleasurable. 

If your TV or monitor doesn’t have an option to reduce blue light, you might want to try wearing blue light glasses. These contain a special filter that prevents blue light from hitting the retina, reducing the total energy of light hitting your eyes. 

If you notice your eyes starting to get itchy, it could be because the light itself is irritating them and causing them to dry out. Wearing blue light glasses will slightly change the appearance of the image on the screen, but overall, it should enhance your experience of the game. If you are the kind of person who is prone to dry or itchy eyes, just keep a bottle of moisturizing eye drops next to you. 

Get Your Friends Involved 

Like so many other things in life, video gaming is something done best as part of a group, even if you’re playing a solo game. It helps to have your buddies there with you, offering their insights and encouragement and generally making the whole experience a lot more fun.

LAN parties might be old school, but actually having other people there wholly changes the social experience. You don’t literally have to hook your computers together with an ethernet cable, but it helps. 

Of course, adults tend to lead busy lives, so finding times when everyone is free to get together is a challenge. Probably the best option is to set aside Friday night after work and game until bedtime on the following Saturday, giving you 24 hours or more. 

If it is a big release and you’re all keen gamers, you can potentially arrange holiday time in advance, allowing you to game for several weekdays in a row – as well as the weekend. 

Take Breaks Every Couple Of Hours

Pexels – CC0 License

Taking breaks every couple of hours isn’t just essential for keeping your mind sharp – it is also medically advisable. Countless stories abound about gaming enthusiasts winding up with some awful dehydration or cardiovascular issues because they didn’t get up from their seats while playing. 

You don’t have to take an extended break to get the benefits of movement. Just taking a quick walk to the bathroom is often enough to get your blood pumping properly again, encouraging the whole system to remain healthy and vibrant throughout the gaming marathon. 

If you’re at risk of health complications, you can actually try standing while you game or even walk around. Some people will put treadmills in front of the TV and walk while controlling their games via a handheld controller.

Gaming marathons are a lot of fun and something that is going to become increasingly prevalent as we head into prime gaming season. The world just saw the release of Hades – one of the highest-rated games to hit store shelves this year and there are several more massive releases planned for the holiday season. Getting your gaming marathon right can mean the difference between having an enjoyable encounter with the latest titles and regretting ever taking them out of the box. 

Remember, gaming marathons are challenging on your body. The less sleep you get, the slower your reaction times will be. Make sure that you get plenty of rest the night before and that you eat well for the rest of the week to get yourself in the mood. It would help if you went into a gaming marathon feeling your best.

Novelty Home Additions to Make Your Living Space More Fun

Photo by Josh Sorenson from Pexels

Most of our homes stick to the same old layout and design. If you go into any house, chances are there’s a lounge, a kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms. Some homes may have a spare room that has been converted into a home office or workshop space. Now, this makes sense. All of this layout is highly practical. But if you want to stray away from the norm, there are all sorts of novelty alterations and additions you can make to your home to make it a little unique and fun! Here are some to consider!

A Games Room

If you have a spare room, it doesn’t automatically have to be a guest room or an office. Instead, there’s all sorts of potential that you could make the most of. One example? A games room! Now, a games room in your home is ideal for kids and adults alike. It provides a space where you can let your hair down and simply enjoy yourself. Here are a few things you might want to add to yours.

Arcade Machines

Arcade machines may be a little pricey, but they’re the ultimate novelty purchase. People used to head to arcades regularly to spend their money on playing these, so you may want to pick a certain game for the sake of nostalgia, or you may want to buy one just because you think it’s a whole lot of fun. Digital games like Pacman are great, or you might want to consider something more physical, like a pinball machine. Just make sure you have the space for your chosen game before investing.

A Ping Pong Table

Ping pong is great fun, especially if you have guests around. Of course, you’ll need a pretty big spare room to comfortably play table tennis in it, but if you have the space, this is a great option! It may also be worth considering a ping pong table that can be folded in half when not in use and wheeled out of the way.

Games Consoles

Many of us have our games consoles in our main living spaces attached to our main TVs. But having a gaming room can be much more fun and free up your lounge if other members of your household want to watch TV while one person is gaming. If you have a games room with games consoles, you might want to go all out and get a gaming chair for extra comfort. You can find Recommended Gaming chairs here!

A Hot Tub

Hot tubs are a luxurious purchase that are well worth the investment. Not only are they fun, but you can benefit from them in regards to your health and wellbeing too! A number of studies have shown that hot tubs can:

  • Help to actively decrease your stress levels
  • Soothe your aches and pains
  • Encourage a better night’s sleep
  • Reduce stress and anxiety
  • Increase blood flow around your body
  • Increase your range of motion
  • Help with weight management and weight loss

Plus, when we can start having people visit our homes again, hot tubs are a great social activity to enjoy with your nearest and dearest!

A Home Bar

Right now, we’re pretty limited on where and how late we can go out for a drink, due to restrictions in place to slow the spread of coronavirus. So, if you’re missing the bar atmosphere, why not create a home bar instead? Whether you convert your shed or a spare room into this space, it’s a great novelty to incorporate into your home. Just make sure you keep any alcohol locked away and out of reach of kids.

A Home Cinema

If you have space for a home cinema, why not create one? All you need is a projector and a screen on a large smooth wall. If you want to maximise your experience, you can invest in a sound bar or surround sound system that will add further to the cinematic experience! This really is a great investment, as you can have movie nights with your family. Bring out the popcorn, screen a family favourite and everyone’s bound to have a great time!

These home additions can make all the difference to your living space. So, why not give one or two a try? They’ll add a whole lot of fun and entertainment to your home!

 

How Can You Make an Older Car Feel New?

We’d all like to have a brand new set of wheels whenever we felt like it, but unless you’re one of the rich and famous, then that’s just not realistic. But that doesn’t mean that you have to just make do with whatever state your car happens to be in. There are things you can do that’ll make your vehicle feel, if not quite entirely new, at least newer and more modern than it currently is. In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few useful tips that anyone can take advantage of.

Pexels – CC0 Licence

 

Upgrade Infotainment
If there’s one thing that’ll inspire jealousy in car owners, it’s looking at other people’s cars, and seeing just how awesome their infotainment system is. Though this section of the car is relatively new, it’s become increasingly important. And it’s not hard to see why: it’s not only functional (since it shows you live directions), but it’s also fun — you can connect your smartphone and have an interactive display. While you may not have the option of adding a top of the line system (like those found in Tesla vehicles), you’ll likely be able to improve on what you have now. 

New Parts
Some people love their cars, but find that it just doesn’t perform as well as it once did. And ultimately, even if your car looks the part, you’ll begin to have doubts about the vehicle if the performance “under the hood” just isn’t what it used to be — or what it could be. If you find yourself in this position, then remember that there are always aftermarket parts available. And in this day and age, it couldn’t be easier to get the item you need. If you can’t find the part you need, then you can use a service like the one available at https://www.shiply.com/us/vehicle-delivery/auto-parts-delivery. That’ll allow you to improve your vehicle, even if the item is located on the other side of the country.

Vinyl Wrapping
The interior of your car could be on-point, but if the paint job is beginning to look a little worse for wear, then you’ll want to look at making improvements. Many car owners think that the condition of their paint job is something that they just have to accept, but that’s not the case. There are two options available to you. You can get it professionally painted, which will cost a few thousand. A more affordable option is vinyl wrapping. That’ll have the exterior of your car looking like new, without spending the earth. 

Dash Cam and Rear Cam
Another feature that can have car-owners looking around for an upgrade: all those cameras that modern vehicles have. Once you’ve been in a car that has a rear cam, you want one for yourself. They’re just too handy when it comes to reverse parking. Only the top of the line cars come with this feature built-in to the vehicle, but it’ll be possible to add one to yours, no matter how old your car is.

How To Pass Your Driving Test Quickly

If you have just started taking driving lessons, you are probably wondering what the fastest (and safest) way to pass your driving test is. For most people, after the initial nerves have gone, driving can be a great experience. You can go to places that were off-limits before, and enjoy the freedom that driving brings. That goes for if you have automatic lessons or manual lessons – both are enjoyable. 

Photo by Art Markiv on Unsplash

So how do you pass your driving test quickly? 

Practice

Yes, the biggest thing that you can do is have as many lessons as possible – without a big gap between them. Having a lesson every 2 days will keep the knowledge fresh in your mind, and you will quickly become comfortable in the car. You’ll also notice that, just like riding a bike, it starts to become muscle memory. 

If you have a family member that has had their driving license for 5+ years, ask them if they could sit in the car with you while you practice. You can use this opportunity to practice your parking and roundabouts. Only do this when you are confident about your control of the car, as there won’t be dual controls. 

Listen

Your instructor is there to help you, and when they spot a weakness, make sure that you take it onboard. Because so many people have sat in the passenger seat for years, they make the assumption that they already know how to drive – they just need to do it. 

The truth is, we pick up a lot of bad habits in the passenger seat, and our instructors can train us out of them, and teach us the safest way to drive. 

Understand The Tests

It is fine to study for your tests, but you can take this a step further. You can watch videos online of people taking their driving test and lessons in your local area. Often the instructor will annotate what they are doing and why. Although you should always listen to your own instructor, these can be useful to see. 

This is helpful to understand the most common reasons that people fail their driving tests too. 

You can also check exactly what the tests will require. Make sure that you are ready for your eyesight check, the ‘show me, tell me’ portion, and even learn a bit more than you have to. 

Preparation

Aside from studying, you have to mentally and physically prepare. When we are nervous, our fight or flight response can kick into action. It is important that you can keep this well managed, as this will stop you making mistakes that you wouldn’t normally, or forgetting to check a mirror that you usually always check. 

Always get enough sleep before your lessons, and certainly int he days leading up to your test. To keep nerves to a minimum, you can book your test as early in the morning as possible, so you don’t need to worry about it all day. 

Take your instructor up on the offer a lesson before your practical test, this will give you some time to make the mistakes that usually happen due to nerves. 

How To Slash Your Bills In One Hour

If you’re looking for ways to save money and make your income go further, you need to take some action. Making some quick and easy changes to your spending could help you free up some money and finally help you reach your savings goals – no more scraping by until your next payday.

Want to know how you could slash your bills in one hour? Take a look at these useful tips.

Photo by Sora Khan on Unsplash

Cut down on your insurance

Cutting down on your insurance premium is one quick and simple way to reduce your outgoings. All it takes is a few minutes to find a new deal. Sometimes, you might not need your insurance to be as comprehensive as it is, especially for an older vehicle. It’s worth taking a look at some specialist quotes for the type of vehicle you have, such as a van or motorbike to help you find the right deal. You can find out more, here. Compare quotes regularly to make sure you’re always getting the best deal!

Switch energy providers

Energy providers all want your business and are therefore likely to offer a competitive deal. If you’ve been with the same provider for a long time, it’s worth seeing if other providers will offer you a better rate on your energy consumption. Many providers will also give you an incentive such as a cash reward or gift vouchers for switching over, so it’s worth trying if you think you could be paying too much each month. Check out some cheap energy deals to help you get started.

Find a cheaper phone contract

A mobile phone can be a major expense, and there are always better deals to be found if you’re smart. Buying the phone outright (or with 0% interest) and getting a sim-only deal could be one way of reducing your phone bill, stopping you from paying over the odds for a phone. This way, you won’t be tied into a 24-month contract either, allowing you to benefit from a new release sooner, while being able to sell your old phone for a worthy sum.

Cut the expenses you don’t need

It’s easy to waste your money each month on things you don’t need. Are you a member of a gin club? Or maybe you have a gym membership that you barely use? Look through your monthly statement and work out if there are some expenses you can simply cut out of your life. It’s fascinating to see how much people spent on Netflix during lockdown, and could be a bit of a wakeup call if you are one of the people who barely used it! 

By taking a little time out of your day, you could easily save some money on your bills and bring your monthly spending down. Simple changes can make a big difference, helping you save £100s more over the course of a year. Set yourself a challenge and see how much you could save in one hour!

Tech In The Drive: How It Can Pass Time

A lot more people are taking their cars on longer trips. Whether they’re just using them to visit more places, or using them for one long holiday journey, they can get a bit boring. There are ways you can make them better. Ways to make the drive more comfortable for you and for any of your family or passengers. These products and solutions have become far more popular recently. Coronavirus is the reason. Where people would usually take a trip or holiday abroad, they’re now staying home in their own country and using their personal vehicle to get them around. Things don’t look like they’ll change either. Second spikes are springing up over the world and stopping people doing what they usually would during summer. Driving is fine for the main, yet it is a little riskier than a plane and there’s a little more to it than taking a few stops in service stations when considering a long journey. Especially if you’re going on a trip carrying a trailer or caravan with you. These tips can give you a helping hand on your way to a successful trip and maybe a constantly better drive in all.

Driving At Night?

Night driving is usually harder than driving during the day. The reason being you simply can’t see as much. Of course, if you’re out on a longer drive you need to get the usual things done. The oil changed, tyres swapped if the tread has gone and maybe a wheel alignment for smoother driving. However, there are certain things which can help you during a night drive. There are night vision systems which can sit nicely on the dash and give a great view of the road ahead, usually up to around 1000ft depending on the product you go for. This helps on a long journey, but it also helps if you are regularly driving at night. You need to keep your eyes on that as well as the road, but if you’re going places with little light it can really help you out. Driving at night is tough enough, but remember, nothing beats tiredness, so try to get a coffee when you can or swap drivers. Or, call it a night and check into a roadside hotel. Remember, check your front and brake lights before you head off too.

Entertainment System

There’s nothing more annoying or off putting than bored children in the back seat…it’s fair enough if they’ve got nothing to do for a long trip. You can get around this. Portable DVD players are a thing of the past now. Especially when a kid can use a phone connected to the internet and watch whatever they want. But data is expensive. While they’re streaming away it can end up costing you a fortune. However, you can get wifi for your car these days. A bubble of wifi which plugs into your car outlet and allows you and your family to use it as you go. Much better than using data and certainly something for kids to enjoy. They can enjoy games on their phone, stream videos and use social media without you having to worry. Tech can fail though, so be sure to chuck some magazines in the car to keep them entertained, especially if you’re going to be in the car for a longer period of time. 

 

No SatNav? No problem

Lots of cars come equipped with sat nav these days. They vary in quality and longevity, but for the main they do the job. If you haven’t got one of these then the likelihood is that you’ll be using your phone. It’s a fine substitute, and in a lot of cases the road data will be more up to date than the car sat nav. The issue here is that the battery will drain pretty quickly. While you can use a corded charger, it sometimes can be a little annoying when wires are all over the place and you’re trying to focus on driving. To get around this you can use a wireless phone charger. One that can keep your phone full of charge as you’re driving and using it for satellite navigation. This way you won’t be worried about your phone cutting out and being left in navigational limbo, neither will you have to worry about wires getting all over the place. It’s a great bit of kit which can easily boost your phone when you’re in the car. It can also keep your hands free too. 

4 Technologies That Will Impact Driving in the Future

The automobile industry is breaking boundaries with emerging technologies. While a lot of innovations have already revolutionised modern cars, the world still expects more high-tech vehicles to be launched in the not too distant future. Every small technological improvement is paving the way for the exciting future that awaits the next generation of vehicles. Here are the top technological innovations that are poised to transform the car-manufacturing industry and to drive as a whole.

1. Autonomous (self-driving) cars

Image Credit

The idea of driverless cars is not science fiction – it’s a reality that can be seen even in today’s world. This possibility has been fostered by the invention of smarter sensors, laser technology, digital cameras, and radar. Google has been spearheading the autonomous vehicle efforts for some time now. Thankfully, Google is not alone. More automakers such as Nissan and Tesla are joining the race to self-driving cars. 

In the US, states such as California and Nevada, legislators have enacted laws to allow the testing of driverless cars on the road. The driverless cars of today are actually semi-driverless — there is always a standby driver to override the automatic driving mode in cases of emergency. Unfortunately, the transition to self-driving cars has faced catastrophic setbacks. For example, in 2018, Uber’s self-driving car knocked down and killed a woman in Arizona. This happened because the software failed to recognise the pedestrian. In the coming years, technological advancements will see driverless cars take full control of the steering wheel while drivers take their breaks. Cutting edge technology will allow automatic driving cars to avoid collisions, control cruise, park safely and follow routes.  Car owners can use different policy options to cover their electric cars for extra protection.

2. High-range electric vehicles

At the moment, electric vehicles are available for sale. But they are more expensive than hybrid and gasoline-powered vehicles. The huge price tags on electric vehicles are as a result of battery costs. Until Li-ion battery prices are affordable, electric vehicles will continue to cost several thousands of dollars. 

Fortunately, some researchers have taken the challenge of searching for substitute materials, and ways to improve the efficiency of Li-ion batteries. When this dream is accomplished, electric vehicles will cost less. Elon Musk and his Tesla auto company, are building charging stations across the United States. The Tesla Model S electric vehicle is one of the popular sustainable luxury vehicles which owe its existence to advanced technology.

3. Flying cars

Believe it or not, the concept of flying cars is not a modern-day invention. It’s an old idea that goes back to 1917 when a hopping car known as the Curtiss Autoplane took the automobile industry by storm. Since then, sci-fi and fantasy movies have been popularising flying cars.  Although they are yet to take off from the driveways, companies like Terrafugia have demonstrated the possibility that a helicopter-car combo may just be a few years away. 

4. AR-enabled dashboards

Image Credit

Car dashboards will also change with time as technology speeds up. Augmented reality (AR) promises to bring interactive dashboard screens to capture scenes from the external environment. All in all, this will improve the comfort and riding experience of vehicle occupants.

Indeed, as long as technology advances, the future looks bright for the automobile industry.