Wikipedia's most searched articles of last year revealed

We have all used the fantastic site that is Wikipedia. Now any bar argument can be resolved with a smart phone and this know it all website.

So what were the most searched terms of last year from around the world. Well so are unsurprising, whilst others can only be described as a little left of centre.

Facebook topped the English edition while an entry for adult video actresses did best in Japan.

 

Hua Shan - a Chinese mountain featuring "the world's deadliest hiking trail" - topped the Dutch list.

By contrast, cul-de-sacs were the German site's most clicked entry. Go figure??

The data was published by a Swedish software engineer Johan Gunnarsson as part of the Wikitrends project. His home land's most viewed article was a page dedicated to Sweden itself.

Articles about Iran, its capital city Tehran and the country's New Year celebrations topped the Persian list, entries about sex, female circumcision and homosexuality also made its top 10.

An overview of Egypt topped the Arabic language version and was followed by a history of Muhammad Ali Pasha - the Ottoman army commander who became the country's ruler in 1805. He is viewed by many as the founder of the "modern" nation.

Sport featured prominently in the Indonesian edition with football, volleyball and basketball all coming within the top seven articles.

Italy appeared more obsessed with US television. Grey's Anatomy came out on top, and Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries followed shortly after.

The Russian version was led by an article about the country followed by one about YouTube. But entries for "porn site" and "unemployment" may provide greater insight into local users' lives.

Unusual results included the @ symbol making it into second place in the Spanish language edition, a type of Japanese holly topping the French list, and The European Regional Development Fund coming in third in Poland.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber managed to make both the Danish and Norwegian top 10s, but was trumped by British boy band One Direction who appeared in the English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Swedish and Danish lists.

English language most viewed

1. Facebook

2. Wiki

3. Deaths in 2012

4. One Direction

5. The Avengers

6. Fifty Shades of Grey

7. 2012 phenomenon

8. The Dark Knight Rises

9. Google

10. The Hunger Games

Original artical on the BBC website.

Future of Home Entertainment

So here is the problem... you’ve got all these cool movies, photos & music stored on your computer but you don´t want to sit at your desk or with your laptop to enjoy them.... it is a little like still being at work..... so what do you do???

It´s time to set your digital media files free and enjoyed on your TV and quality music system. 

 

So what do you need??? A network media player that retrieves the media from your computer or other network devices thet plays your movies, music and photos on your home theatre.

We have mentioned on here before about AppleTV and the new Google TV, but it struck me that not everyone knows these products or what exactly they do......So today we´re going back to basics.........

Here are a few terms that you may be familiar with, but as we are doing the basics we may as well cover everything.....

Network: - You (or your internet provider) probably set up a “home network ” to enable all of the computers in your home to share one internet connection.  That same network makes it possible to share files and media that are stored on one connected computer, viewing them on other computers, your TV or even your smart phone.

Media: – This is the term commonly used to refer to movies, videos, TV shows, photos and music files.  Certain network media players may play only one type of media.  When choosing a network media player, you will want to make sure that it can play the types of files you have stored on your computers.

Player – While the definition of a “player” may be obvious to you, it is an important distinction for this kind of device.  The first function of a player is to connect to your computers or other devices and to play the media it finds. You can then watch what it is playing on your TV screen and/or listen on your home-theatre audio/video receiver. 

Many network media players not only have internal hard drives for saving media (1Tb is not uncommon) but also can stream movies, music and photos from the internet.  You no longer need to browse the web on your computer to enjoy videos from popular websites like YouTube or Netflix; to hear music from Pandora, last.fm or Rhapsody; or to see photos from Picasa and Flickr. 

A number of manufacturers make network media players—Roku box, Seagate, Western Digital, D-Link’s Boxee Box, Popcorn Hour—that are stand-alone devices. Their sole function is to stream music, movies and photos from other sources to be played on your TV and audio/video receiver and speakers.  

These set-top boxes connect to your home network, either wirelessly or by using an Ethernet cable.  They are often small, about the size of a thick paperback novel.

A network media player makes it pretty easy to share your media on your home theatre. Whether you choose a dedicated-network media-player device, or a TV or home-theatre component to enjoy your media, be sure you have what you need to set up your home network and network media player.  

But you need more than just a network media player to make it work, click here to check out part 2 in our the Future of Home Entertainment.....

Watch out for that new TV, it could be the death of you!

 Well that is what the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned that flat-screen televisions could cause a rise in accidents at home this Christmas.

Injury risk warning from TV topple

The safety watchdog said the hi-tech models pose a much higher risk of toppling over on children than older versions. RoSPA warned that a spike in sales in the build-up to Christmas, the digital switchover and the Word Cup could see similar results in the UK & Spain.

About 7,500 youngsters are taken to hospital in the US each year after televisions tip over, evidence showed.
"With flat-screen televisions becoming increasingly popular and many families likely to have a new set for Christmas, now is a crucial time to talk about safety. We urge people to ensure that free-standing television sets cannot be easily pulled over by children and that wall-mounted sets are securely fixed to walls which are strong enough to hold them."

We also believe that the most at risk are the people who have got into the Christmas spirits all day!! We´ve all been there....a few glasses of sherry “just because it’s Christmas” next thing you know you´re up and showing the rest of the family your best dance moves....... Disasters are bound to happen, you´re not a nimble on your feet as you used to be!!!!

Why not get that new screen put up by the professionals? Future Lifestyle are happy to install your new screen for you, we will ensure it is securely fixed to the wall, tidy all the cables, hiding them where possible and calibrate the screen to give you the best performance.

Give us a call on +34 902 107 277

Plan now for the Future....

Confusion and fear of new technology - aswell as cost, have all been mentioned to us when we have spoken to architects, builders and homeowners on the Costa del Sol about home automation or intelligent home installations.

Not surprisingly then that home automation and home entertainment systems tend to be down on the list when refurbishing or building a new home. Future Lifestyle have created a guide to consider when you’re thinking about upgrading or building a new home which hopefully will prove that planning is everything.

Tips for your future home

1.Tubing for the future – The way homes are constructed on in Spain lends itself to plan now for the future. A well thought-out tube network installed at the build stage of a project will pay for itself in the future. The cost of installing the tubing is minimal compared to the added advantages it can hold.

2.Wire for everything now...even wireless technology – If you are building or refurbishing your Spanish home, start with a plan for future wiring needs. Cable is necessary to support even wireless applications. No one can guarantee what the future brings, however Future Lifestyle make it their business to look at the technologies coming through and likely to become part of our lives in the future and take this into account when designing any integrated home system.

3. Ensure the experts work together for you – Maximise your home by having your architect, builder and interior designer team up with Future Lifestyle from the very beginning of the planning process. All parties will work to create the home of your dreams, at the price you have agreed and in the timescale you require. We provide all of our designs in an AutoCAD format that can be integrated with that of the architects’ for the project so all parties are able to work with us.

4. Insist on integrated systems – Make sure the electronic equipment you are buying can be interconnected and operated as one, if required. Some manufacturers use a closed communication system, meaning that their equipment will only communicate with other hardware by the same manufacturer. This will limit you to what components you can install and will usually come at a premium cost.

5. Integrate lighting and heating control – Going green meets convenience. Get the most out of your system with the least amount of energy consumption. System integration provides automatic energy-efficient adjustments saving you time and money.

6. Think with your wallet, but lead with your head – Quality and long-term dependability are the most cost effective attributes that you can build into a home.

7. Think "green" – By utilising green practices, you can save money by having a more energy efficient system and help save the planet. Ask Future Lifestyle about how you can "go green" in your home.

8. Simplify your life – Easy to use, all-in-one remote controls are available for any system. Future Lifestyle can even custom program them so they make perfect sense to you. New technologies offer control from other devices and even through Internet browsers anywhere in the world.

9. Increase your expectations – Your home automation system is a big investment and you deserve to be satisfied with it. Future Lifestyle can provide you with comprehensive designs, a wide range of product options, a professional installation and especially, a full aftercare service for your system.

10. Consult a professional – Today's home automation systems grow, evolve and change over time, constantly adding entertainment, comfort and security features. Future Lifestyle will be with you every step of the way, from concept and design, through the build process and be on hand to help and advise well after the dust has settled.

Are you interested to find out more? Then why not give Future Lifestyle a call on +34 902 107 227 or contact them at info@futurelifestyle.net to arrange your free consultation.