Virgin Digital Help

Exciting new tech in 2013

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:03:35 +0000

We are now living in the future. We carry around in our pockets more computing power than NASA used to send an actual man to the actual moon. This is mesmerizing stuff, and it’s only getting more exciting. We’ve listed below the tech that we’re most excited about in 2013. If you think we’ve missed anything, let us know over on Twitter!

Google Glasses

(image: abcnews)

The Google Glass project is Google’s claim being staked on the world of augmented reality, and it’s incredibly exciting. The glasses are essentially a very advanced smartphone with two screens, one over each eye. By wearing them, you can mix real life with online literally in the blink of an eye. Overlay maps on your real life location, compare prices on an item in several stores just by looking at it, video calls as you walk, hands free. Our examples seem quite tawdry, but take our word for it, Google Glasses (on sale this year for a cool $1,500) are going to be incredible.

Apple Watch

(image: ibtimes)

Bloomberg recently reported that Apple have a team of 100 people working on a wristwatch that would perform a lot of the tasks carried out by iPhones and iPads. Made from toughened, super slim glass and will mean you can leave the house wearing a pretty powerful computer, which is pretty cool in anyone’s book

3D Printing Pen

(image: 3doodler)

3D printing has been receiving more and more attention over the past 12 months as people get to grips with the awesome idea of being able to build things at home that normally would have to be bought from whichever supplier. 3D printing is obviously very exciting, and a (admittedly gimmicky) offshoot we saw this week was the outstanding 3D printing pen. Look at it!

Super Thin OLED

(image: softpedia)

This was big news through 2012, and we’re still awaiting an affordable version, but super thin screens have a myriad of uses that, normally, we wouldn’t even consider. Take the aforementioned Apple Watch as an example. How do you make a screen thin enough to sit on someone’s watch? OLED! This technology Is going to worm its way into tonnes of inventions this year, and we can’t wait

Pick your password

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:54:36 +0000

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a number of high profile cases of big brands on Twitter having their accounts compromised. First Jeep, then Burger King had their accounts hacked into due to simple passwords that luckily did no lasting damage other than leaving them publicly embarrassed – you may not be so fortunate.

(image: zdnet)

If you use the same password for every account, you leave yourself incredibly vulnerable to identity theft and more – especially if you use the same account across your online banking.

Entering your email and standard password to a new service gives that service access to every single one of your accounts. 99% of services asking for these details are above board, however if you accidentally fall victim to the other 1% and your password is the same for your banking, social networks and emails then you are giving unscrupulous types free reign over your life online.

(image: mozilla)

When choosing a password, mix up numbers and letters. Rather than ‘password’, use ‘pa33w0rd’. Also mix lower and upper case letters, ‘pa33W0rD’. A lot of services test your password for you upon sign up, make sure you pay attention. Only use a password that is highly rated and, though it can be a pain, use a different password for every site.

We’ll never be able to stop cyber criminals, but we can make it as difficult as possible to prey on us

Christmas goodies for the tech lover in your life

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:11:20 +0000

Have you bought your Christmas presents yet? If not, you’re cutting it a little fine. The ‘delivery by Christmas’ date is getting closer and closer, and high street shopping at this time of year is only for the iron willed.

Don’t panic though. We’ve had a thorough look through the internet and have found a few gifts – from stocking filler upwards – for the tech lover in your life. If you think we’ve missed anything out, let us know on Twitter!

Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver

Tired of plugging your phone into your doc and having to clamber off the couch every time you receive a notification? Well, those days are a thing of the past with the Belkin Bluetooth Music Receiver. Simply plug it into your stereo system and stream music via Bluetooth from over 30 feet away.

Available for around £30 from Amazon

Touchscreen Gloves

One of the worst things about the touchscreen revolution is the constant removal of gloves to check emails, texts, Facebook updates and so on. Touchscreen gloves mean an end to chilly fingers in winter, but they can often look cheap and lack quality. Not any more, with these attractive touchscreen gloves from Muji.

Available for £12.95 from Muji.

Waterproof iPad Case

iPads are amazing things to have around, they look great, their functionality is arguably unparalleled in the tablet market and – naturally – they cost a fortune. If you know anyone who is around water a lot – or is just clumsy – consider a completely waterproof iPad case. You’re not just buying a case, you’re buying piece of mind.

Available for £82.50 from Outdoor GB.

Whistle Key Finder

Another one for clumsy or forgetful types, this stocking filler is perfect for those who lose their keys with alarming regularity. When keys become lost, simply whistle. The key ring’s sensor will hear the sound and start beeping, allowing for easy locating. If they’re at home and have left their keys in the office, their whistling will at least prove entertaining for those around them.

Available for £7.99 at IWOOT.

Kobo eReader

There are plenty of eReaders on the market, lots of which are very good – so why the Kobo? Well, it’s £60 and comes preloaded with 100 classic books for free, as well as being WiFi enabled. It’s a lot of bang for the buck, as they say. It does everything you want an eReader to do at a price that won’t make you baulk.

Available for £59.99 from House of Fraser.

Password Dos and Don'ts

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:01:23 +0000

The importance of using varied, strong passwords is one that really can’t be understated. If you use the same password across the board, all it takes is for one site to be compromised and your personal details, money and reputation can be in immediate jeopardy.

There have been countless studies and reports on the importance of good online passwords, and most of them present some pretty shocking facts. For example:

In spite of this, 73% of people use their online banking password elsewhere, and 60% of people use the same password across multiple sites.

In order to be safe, you have to think complicated. ‘12345678’ and ‘password’ remain two of the most used passwords on the internet, and are nowhere near secure enough to protect your personal information.

Here’s a few tips to stick to when creating your next password:

Mix letters and numbers – an alphanumeric password is much tougher to crack than just letters. Change ‘letmein’ to ‘l3tm31n’, for example.
Mix cases – alternate between lower and upper case letters
Use different passwords for each site – this may be a pain, but it’s the best way to keep your personal information protected

If you find you can’t keep track of your passwords, you can always click ‘forgot password’ on the sites you visit and have a reset code delivered to your email address. Or you can use a Password Manager to keep everything safe and in one place. Whatever you do, make sure you beef up your security and make it as hard as possible for those attempting to gain access to your accounts.

Virgin Digital Help Virus Guide: ZeroAccess Virus

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 18:46:34 +0100

Viruses come in a range of shapes and sizes. Some are fairly benign – they’ll pop ads up, make your computer run slowly and not much else. Some, however, you really don’t want to mess with. The ZeroAccess virus is one of them.

(Image: Precise Security)

If you’re unlucky enough to fall foul of ZeroAccess, you may experience a slow computer, files that won’t open, regular disconnections from the internet, corrupted files and drivers and worse.

As with other viruses, you can pick up the ZeroAccess virus from just about anywhere. Watching videos online, downloading P2P files, clicking on banner ads that you don’t trust – even with common sense, we can all be unlucky. A few steps to follow to keep as safe as possible are:

Avoid downloading software from torrent and peer-to-peer programs
Keep your antivirus updated
Refrain from answering random online surveys
Delete temporary files
Do not open suspicious emails that have attachments

If you have followed all of this steps and have still been unlucky enough to be lumbered with ZeroAccess, call in the experts. In the long run, you’ll be happy you did.

Virgin Digital Help Virus Guide: Twitter Spam

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:56:00 +0100

Are you a tweeter? Do you love the constant, immediate stream of information to which you have access 24 hours a day? If so, you may have been followed by some accounts that seem unusual. They may have no bio, they may just tweet links constantly. They may even tweet completely incomprehensible, baffling nonsense (though a lot of normal accounts do this too).

These accounts are Spambots. They are created with the intention of luring you into clicking the links they tweet out, which then take you to scam sites or worse, malware.

If you’re followed by one of these accounts, Twitter has a ‘block and report for spam’ feature that you should click immediately to prevent other users from being tricked.

Never, under any circumstances, click a link you don’t trust on Twitter. Even a user who you do trust could have been hacked, meaning they send out links without their knowledge. Always ensure you keep your mobile antivirus updated, just in case.

If you do click one of these links, the consequences can be pretty bad. You’ll immediately lose your social credibility, which is bad enough, but you could also find that malware gets onto your phone, stealing your details, adding charges to your phone bill and more.

Twitter is fun, but make sure you stay safe!

Virgin Digital Help on Mashable

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:07:50 +0100

“Technology is supposed to make our lives easier — that is, until something goes wrong. While only about a third of people say that technology as a whole stresses them out, that figure more than doubles when it comes to specific technologies, according to a new study.

The top three stress-producers are related to connecting to the Internet. Respondents say problems with Wi-Fi caused the most stress (12.4%), followed by “the cloud” at (11.4%) and then trouble with networking and syncing devices (10%). When any of these three or a combination goes awry, you can’t get to the information you need.”

Via @Mashable http://mashable.com/2012/07/23/most-stressful-technologies/

VDH: What causes you digital stress?

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:44:06 +0100

Everyday tech stresses us out! Don’t get mad, get help!

For the last month we have been conducting an ongoing survey to find out how everyday tech can raise your stress levels and today we’re proud to reveal the results! We’ve made an infographic to showcase the results - what do you think?

Over 60% of respondents said everyday technology stresses them out, citing computers, printers and social networking as the main bugbears.

“According to our Digital Stress survey, most consumers do not believe they are digitally stressed by technology until they are reminded or presented with specific technical issues they cannot resolve on their own,” said VDH’s Director Mustafa Khanbhai.

“While today’s technology brings so much in terms of efficiency and connectivity, the results from our survey also suggest that our embrace of the latest gadgets are not always as seamless as we’d like them to be.”

So what do you think? Does everyday tech wear you out? Let us know and we’ll give you a hand!

VDH Virus Guide: Digital Currency

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:37:42 +0100

The internet carries its own currencies. Zynga Coins, Facebook Credits and XBOX Points are all online equivalents of cold hard cash that can be used to buy virtual goods, enhancing gaming, social networking and a bundle of other activities that require some sort of monetary outlay to be made complete.

Well, you probably don’t need us to tell you that exchanging cash online is fraught with danger. If you buy any of the above – or the more anonymous Bitcoins – you should be vigilant at all times. As with anywhere money is exchanged, thieves are ready and willing to dip into your pocket.

The modus operandi of our online currency thief is simple. A Trojan virus is added to your computer when you download some seemingly innocuous software. That Trojan, over time, mines your Bitcoins – for example – account, slowly taking currency here and there, delivering it back to the creator of the virus without them having to do a thing.

This really hammers home the fact that we all must be careful when downloading anything. If you don’t know or trust the source, avoid it. Trojans can be completely symptomless, working away in the background while you are blissfully unaware.

In order to stay safe:

Ensure you understand how the currency works and the possible implications should your digital wallet be a target for cybercriminals.
Do not use your Bitcoins address if your account has been compromised.
Keep active tabs on your digital purse.
Stay away from phishing emails and security updates you haven’t specifically sought out to download.

If you get caught out, you can start to lose real currency, and cybercriminals will have access to your personal information, meaning things could get a lot worse.

Virgin Digital Help Virus Guide: QR Codes

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 16:35:33 +0100

Do you scan QR codes? They’re the square, pixelated symbols you may have seen in magazines, shops, restaurants and on products you’ve bought in shops. Scan them with your phone and you will be taken to a website, shown an image or linked to a video. Usually, these links, images and videos give you more information on whatever the QR code relates to. Sometimes, however, they can lead you to something more sinister altogether.

Due to the fact that you can’t see what the QR code hides, it’s the perfect means for malware developers to get their software onto your device. The link the QR code takes you to could be for anything, and you wouldn’t know until it was too late.

If you do scan something you shouldn’t, you may notice the following symptoms:

Unexplained charges appearing on your bill
SMS messages being sent to premium numbers

You also risk malware stealing personal information and tracking your passwords and login details.

You can safeguard yourself in a number of ways:

Always keep an antivirus program on your smartphone. There are a number of reliable programs from reputable brands around, so make sure you’re protected
Don’t scan QR codes that are just lying around. If they’ve been stuck on an advert or handed to you in the street, you have no way of knowing what they’re really for
If something is downloaded, delete it immediately

QR codes are, essentially, pretty cool things. They provide an amazing link between offline and online, and can be programmed to lead pretty much anywhere. Make sure you stay safe, and you can have as much QR related fun as you like.

The VDH Virus Guide: Facebook Clickjacking

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:51:00 +0100

Facebook recently overtook Google as the most visited website online. We all have a Facebook profile, and if we don’t, we know someone who does. The volume of people using the site makes it a very attractive target for scammers keen to make themselves rich using tactics like clickjacking, which can make them millions from pay per click advertising.

(Image: Digital Breed)

The way clickjacking works is simple. Users visit sites, videos or links that – unbeknownst to them – place ‘Liked’ content on their Facebook profile. This is done with a code placed over the link that means the user is Liking something without ever knowing it.

You may have seen videos appear on your Facebook newsfeed with shocking, compelling titles, such as ‘most users can’t watch this video for more than 25 seconds!’ or occasionally videos promising footage of snakes eating people or other such tasteful content.

When you click through to the video, it takes you to an external site, which eventually puts you through to a survey or the opportunity to get a free iPhone, iPad or similar, equally fabulous prizes.

In reality, the scammers are making a fortune from pay per click advertising – every time you visit their external link, they make money. This makes you vulnerable for malware, phishing scams and a host of other threats.

You can follow a few steps to ensure you keep safe when using Facebook:

Check what you’re clicking on. If something takes you to an external site that you don’t trust, don’t bother.
If you notice a video appear on your Timeline that you didn’t approve or Like, delete the post, block it and report it for spam.
Keep your antivirus up to date at all times, in case you click through to an external site without meaning to.

Facebook is a great site to keep in touch, socialise and stay up to date with what your friends are up to. With a little bit of vigilance, we can help keep it safe.

The VDH Virus Guide: Ukash Metropolitan Police Virus

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:29:56 +0100

An online threat for our UK readers here, the Ukash Metropolitan Police Virus. This is a particularly nasty virus for your computer to contract, as it prevents you from accessing anything, telling you that you will only be allowed to access your files and programs again once you have entered a code for payment of £100 (the amount may vary).

Image: Spyware Removal News

The virus will prevent you from opening Admin Tools, so you can’t do anything about it. Obviously this can be a scary ordeal, as you risk losing everything from your hard drive. This fear is how the virus works, scaring those who don’t know how to remove it into paying for their freedom. If you’re unlucky enough to be hit with the Ukash Metropolitan Police Virus, do not pay a penny. Do not enter any bank details at all.

There are steps you can take to keep your computer safe. They include:

Avoid downloading software from torrent and peer-to-peer programs
Keep your antivirus updated
Refrain from answering random online surveys
Delete temporary files
Do not open suspicious emails that have attachments

These should keep you safe from most nasties. If you don’t deal with this particular virus, you risk having all of your .exe files corrupted, meaning nothing will open. It may also disconnect the PC from the internet, meaning you are unable to get help.

If you think you’ve been hit by this scam, call in the professionals to get it removed as quickly as possible. As always, vigilance is the strongest weapon in your arsenal, so always keep an eye out and ensure that your computer is fully protected.

The VDH Virus Guide – Rogue AV: Windows Protection Unit

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:06:29 +0100

Using the internet can be littered with risks. Malware, phishing scams, viruses and a plethora of other nasties that can threaten your system and personal information. Most people know that some kind of protection is necessary – but what happens when a wolf in sheep’s clothing arrives offering just that?

(Image: Trojan Killer)

Rogue Antivirus is just that. It pretends to be helping, all the while infecting your computer with malware that can lead to serious damage. The Windows Protection Unit rogue AV masquerades as an antivirus program created by Microsoft to protect your system from malware. It will be presented in a pop up that will ask you to register and purchase the product. Don’t.

Generally, a rule of thumb is that if something pops up asking you for payment details, avoid. Other ways to safeguard yourself from Rogue AV are:

Avoiding downloading software from torrent or peer-to-peer programs
Keeping your trusted antivirus update (Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG, for example)
Refraining from filling out random online surveys (answer this for a free iPad!)
Deleting your temporary files
Refraining from opening suspicious emails that have attachments

If you don’t take these necessary precautions, you could end up with a completely wrecked device. This virus will corrupt internet settings, .exe files and your .dll drivers file, rendering your computer useless.

If you’ve fallen foul of the Windows Protection Unit Rogue AV and don’t feel up to the task of removing it, don’t panic. Call an expert and ask them to guide you through the process.

Keep safe everyone!

Rogue Antivirus: System Fix

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:08:22 +0100

Each week, we’ll be posting another section from the VDH Virus Guide, our comprehensive look at keeping your computer safe while you use the internet. This instalment of the Virus Guide deals with the System Fix virus, a particularly insidious nasty that renders your computer virtually unusable.

Read on, and keep safe!

System Fix

The System Fix virus has a number of symptoms that can panic anyone who doesn’t know what they’re seeing. It may appear during startup and sit on top of other windows, it may hide all of your folders. Symptoms may include:

• Appearing during startup and always on top of other windows

• Hiding all folders in drive C

• Blocking all known tools or exe programs and deleting/hiding them after restarting

• Giving rogue error messages such as the one on the screenshot below

• Giving file write error messages like: Failed to save all the components for the file \System32\00003c04

• Giving false hardware failure messages

If you don’t take the threat in hand as soon as possible, you may lose all of the icons and folders from your start menu, your Windows root folder may show as empty, thus crashing your operating system and it could even corrupt all of your .exe applications, meaning nothing on your computer will open.

The System Fix virus is quite a serious deal. Vigilance is essential in keeping your computer safe, so make sure you follow these safety steps:

• Avoid downloading software from torrent and peer-to-peer programs

• Keep your antivirus updated

• Refrain from answering random online surveys

• Delete temporary files

• Do not open suspicious emails that have attachments

If you’ve stuck to the above and have still been unlucky enough to see the System Fix symptoms on your computer, get help immediately. Your computer will thank you later.

We've received a clue!

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:59:00 +0100

We’re getting closer to the truth, thanks to all your expert help. We really couldn’t do it without you - so thanks. We’ve just received the following clue from the thief, sent over email. It’s a piece of Richard’s diary, but we need your assistance deciphering the code. Can you help us? If you’ve got the answer, head over to Facebook and visit our app - kindly designed by our in house technicians so we can work together and catch the rogue.

Richard's diary has gone missing!

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:35:33 +0100

Oh no! We’ve just had reports from Virgin Head Office that Richard Branson’s diary has been stolen! We can only imagine what must be going through his head right now - all his business secrets, Facebook logins, private memories, stolen by some crook!

We need your help in order to be able to find the culprit, and to make sure they’re punished! Keep your eyes on our Facebook page throughout today - we’ve heard that the thief might post some clues, so we’d be very grateful if you could be our eyes and ears. Take a look at what Richard has to say:

Together we’ll find this rascal!

The VDH Virus Guide - Rogue AV Scanner

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:03:52 +0100

Vigilance is an essential trait of the modern computer user. We all must be watchful at all times that what we’re doing isn’t putting our device in harm’s way. So what happens when we encounter the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing? Something that comes along claiming to help, but is actually designed solely to infect your computer with malware?

This is the practice of Rogue Antivirus malware. You’re surfing the internet, minding your own business, when a warning pops up telling you your computer is infected with malware. The pop up kindly informs you that you can visit a site for a full security scan, which will remove this malware. Of course, there is no malware – this will be added to your computer during the scan, or when you’re asked to subscribe to the security vendor’s service for a nominal fee.

So, if you’re browsing the internet and a scan starts without you asking it to, or you’re asked to purchase a security software license from a vendor you didn’t seek, there’s a fair chance you’re being targeted by Rogue AV Malware.

· If there’s an option to, immediately click ‘x’ and exit the pop up or page you’re on.

· Always be wary of sites that have lots of thumbnails linking to external sites offering the chance to see free movies, photos or other tantalizing treats.

· Enable a link checker in your legitimate antivirus that checks links on Google before you click them, as hackers will often attack search engines to insert malicious links into results. AVG Antivirus offers this service, for example.

· Make sure your anti-malware and antivirus software is fully enabled and up to date.

If you think you’ve been infected by malware and can’t get rid of it, call the experts, or talk to us online. We can all keep safe if we work together.

VDH Virus Guide

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:17:36 +0100

Introduction to Virus Guide

At VDH we receive an awful lot of requests for help. This covers all sorts of areas, from setting up new computers to recovering deleted files. However, one issue crops up again and again for people in need of our expert assistance: computer virus prevention and cure.

It is for this reason that we’ve written the VDH Virus Guide, the first in a series of guides that we’ll be publishing to help tech users come to grips with their devices and avoid any pitfalls that come hand in hand with their usage.

The VDH Virus Guide will cover common issues, including:

Rogue Antivirus
iGoogle page redirection
Facebook clickjacking
QR Codes
Digital currency
Fake apps on Google Play
Pharmacy discount sites
Twitter spam
Zero Access Virus

Each week, we’ll be posting new sections of the guide for you to refer to whenever you have problems with malware or viruses on your computer, so stay tuned.

If you have any additional questions, or areas you think we should cover, just let us know over on Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

Give the Geek A Break

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:35:17 +0100

We were delighted to be featured on the great Freaky Frugalite blog this week, with a post about our service. Take a look below.

Tech Support for the Tech Support, or, give the geek a break

I had to reformat *another* one of our computers this week. The Windows Updates ALONE took THREE days, a staggering wait, I think. I am the chief tech support person in the house, and now that everyone has his or her own computers, troubleshooting all the electronic gadgets sometimes feel like a full-time job. I just don’t have that kind of time anymore, maintaining the family’s digital lifestyle! I’m starting to think about out-sourcing some of the stuff. I’ve already subscribed to an automated backup service, which lifts a big weight off my shoulders. When my computer got a virus and my blogs were later hacked (twice!), it was a ton of work rebuilding everything.

Not everyone knows how to manage all the in’s and out’s of PCs and other devices. And not everyone has the time anymore to fix it all and still have a life! So if you are one of those folks, here’s a little tip: Get tech support help! Ever hear of Virgin Digital Help? The company is very impressive. They handle everything, and I mean everything – Laptops, routers, smartphones, hardware and software problems. They remove viruses, fix slow computers, set up email, set up Internet games, home networking, fix Windows errors, everything. What you do when you have a problem is give them a call and describe your problem.

Virgin Digital Help will diagnose it, suggest a solution, and fix it remotely. No hauling your stuff to the shop. No mailing your computer to the warehouse.

Prices are outstanding. The “pay per fix” cost starts at $30. I think that’s an exceptional bargain. When your computer has a virus, this is a STEAL, believe me. I would have gladly paid them to remove my computer virus had I known about Virgin Digital Help then. I lost several work days, fixing my computer. $30 is nothing.

Or, if you think you need a partner on standby for help, Virgin Digital Help has support plans at $15 a month. That’s less than a New York pizza. And it’s better than harassing the geek in the home with all the computer problems. ;)

So next time you have a tech need, check them out. I am definitely bookmarking the site!

Summer is here!

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:37:22 +0100

The sun has got his hat on! In this weather, you want to get out of the house, hit the beach, relax in the park, dance the night away at festivals and generally shake off all of the remaining winter blues. Getting out into the sun presents a few extra challenges with your tech. The beach, for example, is full of hazards for your camera, tablet or MP3 player. Sea, sand and sun may be great for you, but they aren’t necessarily the best for your treasured gadgets.

Below, we’ve listed a few of our favourite pieces of summer tech to make your time in the sun even better. Enjoy!

Waterproof camera

When you’re by the beach, in the park or by the pool, you want your camera at the ready so you can look back on winter and remember just how fun summer is. However, where there’s water, there’s danger for your gadgets.

The Olympus TG-310 removes this danger. Waterproof to a depth of 3m, able to take a drop of 1.5m and made to withstand temperatures as low as -10c, the TG-310 is your perfect poolside companion.

Available for around £100, it has 14 megapixels, a 3.6x optical zoom and all sorts of effects to play with. A great buy for summer.

The X-Mini II Portable Speaker

While the portable speaker market is a crowded one, we’re constantly amazed by the X-Mini II. In terms of price it can’t really be touched. £13-£20 will buy you a speaker that charges by USB, lasts for hours, has surprisingly good bass and is great for playing music in the park.

Where the X-Mini II gets even better is its ability to daisychain. Buy two or more of the speakers and you can hook them up, effectively doubling the volume without compromising on sound quality.

Yes, there are better quality speakers out there – though the build of the X-Mini II is very solid – however for this money you’d be mad to miss it.

Kindle 3

The Kindle is perhaps an obvious choice here, but it’s not just one of our favourite pieces of summer kit, it’s one of our favourites year-round. The £89 version will give you a 6” screen, let you store around 1,400 books at any one time and a full battery charge will last up to a month.

The fact that you don’t need to cram your suitcase with books for the beach means the Kindle is ideal for taking on holiday, and the crystal clear E Ink display is impervious to glare from the sun, meaning you can read your Kindle in all conditions.

Solio Universal solar charger

If you’re out in the great outdoors for a whole day, you’re unlikely to see any power outlets. This means your phone, MP3 player or camera batteries are more than likely to die on you, leaving you without music, photos or – more seriously – any means to call anyone in an emergency.

In steps the Solio Universal solar charger. Its award winning design makes it light enough to carry around with you anywhere, it’s durable, weather resistant and an hour of sunshine will give you an hour’s worth of playback or ten minutes of talk time. You’ll never need to worry about your battery letting you down again.