成人快手

I often find myself talking to men of a certain age, and yes it鈥檚 nearly always men, about vinyl records. In this modern age of MP3 files and music downloads, you would be forgiven for thinking that anyone under the age of thirty, who isn鈥檛 a gigging DJ, has probably never even seen a vinyl record let alone played one. And if that they have heard of such arcane technology then they have probably filed the information away in the back of their mind along with Edison and his experimental wax cylinders.

But, as the recent Record Store Day proved, there is still an active market for physical forms of music and there are a lot of independent music stores around the country with knowledgeable staff dedicated to selling music in a tangible physical form.

It surprises me how many people confess to still having large stacks of old vinyl albums lying around, collected in their youth when the latest release from their favourite band was a momentous occasion, before the demands of adulthood and responsibility took their toll. Too sentimentally attached to their record collection to bin it and with no means of playing it, the records live suspended in limbo, the dusty vinyl grooves lie idle, and their formerly much-loved music remains unheard.

With their record decks long since consigned to either a recess in the attic or the bottom of a skip with equally unwanted VHS players and cassette players, how are these poor people ever to listen the tracks that they grew up with?

Unlike their lost youth though, all that classic music does not have to remain lost. Normally the people I talk to who are lamenting their unplayed vinyl will have MP3 players of some description and will be comfortable with transferring music to and from their computer鈥檚 hard drive. So what can they do? The answer is surprisingly simple and seems to fall out of my weekly TV listings magazine every time I open it, in the form of all those leaflets and brochures that someone so diligently sticks in there ever week. Before you throw them straight into the recycling it鈥檚 probably worth having a look through them, because almost inevitably somewhere in there will be a device for transferring your beloved vinyl and cassette tapes onto your computer鈥檚 hard drive or directly onto a CD.

A lot of the machines will be large chunky devices in tasteful retro-style pine cabinets, but if you don鈥檛 want your children to mock you or friends to shake their heads in despair at your woeful interior design skills then there are a number of stylish vinyl turntables out there for sale which will manage the job of transferring music to your computer without a piece of varnished wood to be seen.

The process is relatively easy and pain-free even for the most timid technophobe. Normally, a standard USB connection plays the music into a software program such as the free-to-download editors Audacity and Cool Edit, which will record the music and then allow you to chop the sound into single tracks and save it to your computer鈥檚 hard drive.

MP3 files are the most popular sound files as they compress audio into smaller sized files allowing you to keep the precious memory space on your hard drive and music player uncluttered and free for yet more music. They also play out on most modern music systems, though you can also save them in other popular formats such as Windows Media or WAV. WAV files (short for Waveform) are uncompressed sound files and will take up much more room on your system.

So there you are, it really is as easy as that; plug, play and away you go. Take the plunge, buy an MP3 turntable and bring life back to your record collection. You now officially have no excuse to neglect the music that defined your life. The fun I have had experiencing music I haven鈥檛 heard in decades is worth every penny I spent.

Brett is a Content Producer for 成人快手 WebWise, and has been creating web content for the 成人快手 for ten years. He loves fine ale and vintage wine, cathedrals, music of all genres and classic British comedy, and has a huge collection of rare vinyl records.

For more information on audio editing, have a look at 成人快手 Bitesize's guide to audio software.

Sony has warned that users of its PlayStation Network - a virtual space where members can play games and chat online - may have had personal information stolen.

Sony has issued a statement saying that between April 17th and 19th 2011, the PSN (PlayStation Network) and Qriocity service user account information which supports it was "compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion" into the network.

The electronics manufacturer believes that names, addresses, email addresses and dates of birth as well as PSN passwords and online IDs have been taken, but doesn鈥檛 specify how many of its 70 million users have been affected.

The theft of this information alone puts users at a higher risk of identity fraud and provides ways for hackers to access even more personal information, as Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at security firm Sophos, points out.

"Some people will use the same passwords on other sites. If I was a hacker right now I would be taking those email addresses and trying those passwords."

Cluley鈥檚 comment is a reminder of the importance of having strong, unique passwords. For advice on password strength, read our WebWise piece 鈥�How to choose a good password'.聽聽 You can also test your password strength.

Users could also face a financial impact as Sony has admitted that credit card information obtained from online purchases may also have been stolen. To find out more on internet safety and how to minimise the risk of credit card fraud, go to our WebWise section on Safety and Privacy.

The PlayStation Network is currently unavailable to users, and the company has not said when it will be restored.

Read the full news story at 成人快手 News Technology.聽 There's also a very useful Q&A section for people affected by this story.

Hajar is part of the WebWise production team and has also made award-winning programmes for 成人快手 Radio. In her spare time she loves reading, writing and singing.

Everyone likes to have different sound levels on their computer.聽 Some people prefer a bit of peace and quiet, whereas others need things to be a bit louder - either because they're in noisy surroundings, or perhaps because of a hearing impairment.聽 Most audio or video players have easy-to-find volume controls next to the play button, but sometimes these don't quite do the trick - so how can you make sure the audio settings on your computer meet your needs?聽 Let's troubleshoot two very different but very common issues that people have with sound on their computer.

1. The sound's too loud/too quiet

If you can definitely hear sound coming out of your computer, but it's either too loud or too quiet (and you've adjusted the sound controls on your video/audio player as much as you can) then there's one more place you can turn to.聽

On a Windows PC, you'll see a clock in the bottom right hand of your screen, in the task bar.聽 Next to that is a row of icons, one of which shows a speaker (if you can't see it, try clicking the arrow button to the left of the icons).聽 Click on this once, and you'll see the main audio controls for the computer as a whole - changing the sound here will probably solve your problem, although be aware that it'll change the sound levels on everything you listen to on your computer.

2. There isn't any sound at all

If you haven't got any sound on your computer at all - and you've tried listening to CDs, online videos and music files, so you know it's a problem affecting all types of sound on your computer and not just your CD drive or music software - things can be more difficult to fix.聽 Here are some common issues:

• Often, the sound will be muted - follow the instructions for changing the sound above, but instead of adjusting the sound level de-select the "mute" tick-box to un-mute the sound.聽
• You might want to check that your speakers or headphones are plugged into the right place, or try different sets - your headphones might be broken (this happened to me recently!).
• Try checking the settings - in Windows, use the Start Menu to navigate your control panel (make sure you're in classic view, if you have Windows XP or higher) and double-click on "Sounds and Audio Devices" - you can see a more detailed view of the volume settings here, but don't change anything if you don't know what it means!

If none of these options fix your issue, then it's worth finding a techy friend or failing that, finding a reputable local computer shop who can help you out.聽 Good luck!

As well as working on the WebWise production team, Helen has an interest in short-form video, social media and online marketing.

Supermarket shopping is very different to the kind of shopping you do in a clothes store. While there are undoubtedly some people who enjoy the weekly stroll around the aisles, for many our weekly grocery shop is an unpleasantness that we endure out of necessity. For parents with small children in tow it can be an ordeal.

If you've ever stood in a crowded supermarket feeling stressed and overwhelmed, pause for a moment to think how much more stressful and overwhelming the experience can be if you have a disability or impairment such as blindness. You may not be able to access assistance when you want it or miss out on special offers.

When supermarkets began to offer online grocery shopping with home delivery it was no wonder that many people, disabled or not, clamoured to get online and be part of the digital revolution.

So why is online grocery shopping better that going to the store?

Firstly, you are spared the stress and anxiety of fighting your way through hordes of impatient shoppers to find what you need. If you have a disability that means you cannot drive, home delivery is a dream come true. You can usually specify when you would like your shopping to be delivered (how convenient is that?). If you have a condition that makes carrying heavy shopping difficult, delivery to your door is just ideal. The supermarket you use may have trained their drivers in disability awareness so they know to tell blind customers which of the tins contains baked beans and which contains dog food (a mistake no-one wants to make).

It is very easy to find the special offers online. Some supermarkets list all special offer items and ingredients for particular recipes together.

But shopping online isn't without its own special problems. You don't get to choose the produce yourself. If you're a cook with strong feelings about the ripeness of your tomatoes you may not be happy with what has been chosen for you.

There can also be a problem if an item you have requested is not in stock. You will have the option to allow the 'picker and packer' to choose a replacement item for you... which can be a bit of a lottery.

There is a small charge for home delivery which some may prefer not to pay and popular timeslots can attract a higher charge.

While many retailers have developed the design of their websites to make the shopping experience as successful as possible, especially if you have a disability, errors and misunderstandings can sometimes occur.聽 When ordering loose cherries, for example, mistake quantity for weight and聽you might receive a single cherry rather than a kilo (this happened to a blind friend of mine).

But these problems are small trifles (no pun intended). While orders may occasionally contain items that were not requested (or not intentionally ordered), retailers are very good at putting things right, and the more you use a retailer, the quicker and easier the experience becomes (most sites enable you to compile a 'favourites' list so you can easily re-order the items you need regularly).

Some people find online grocery shopping so vital to their independence that once they've tried it they can't imagine life without out it. For others, a temporary change in mobility, such as an accident, may inspire them to try online shopping for the first time.

I asked my Twitter followers to tell me about their experiences of using grocery websites and got a reply from Sara Christie. Sara was forced to use crutches for a number of weeks following a fall. Unable to get to her supermarket, she decided to try the store鈥檚 online grocery service. She said, "the drivers actually took my shopping into the kitchen for me so that I had a minimum amount of hobbling around to do. It made a huge difference to how long it took me to pack away the shopping. They were always incredibly friendly and helpful and when you're stuck at home on your own friendly faces make a huge difference to your day."

Despite this very positive experience, Sara returned to in-store shopping when her foot was better.聽 It is frustrating when an item can't be provided and you have to re-plan dinner. There is no way that the person shopping on your behalf can know what you were going to make with the missing item. Sometimes the substitutions are completely inappropriate.

Grocery shopping is just one of the chores that the internet has made easier and more pleasant. But beware of getting carried away: the real basket on your arm is a lot heavier than the virtual basket on your computer - keep an eye on the running total to make sure you don't order more than you can afford!

Julie Howell established the world's first online community for people with MS. Since then, Julie has written the first British Standard on web accessibility and has led national campaigns to make the web more accessible to disabled people.

For the basics of online shopping, have a look at our video and article.

A report on social networking, age and privacy for the EU Kids Online project claims that almost half of British children aged 9 to 12 use social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo.

A survey of 25,000 children from across Europe suggests that one in five children in the UK has a Facebook page, despite the site not allowing users under the age of 13 to create a profile.

Although the report鈥檚 authors believe that removing age restrictions would allow better monitoring of online behaviour, children鈥檚 charity warns that it could lead to an increase in cyber bullying - where children can be victims of taunting and threats through emails, mobile phones and messages on social networking sites.

The risk children face when using social media has been at the heart of discussions about online safety and news stories highlight some of the problems parents face when monitoring their children's web access.

But with computers forming a central part of a child's education, it's important that parents encourage responsible internet use while helping maintain their child's online safety and privacy.

Installing parental control software is one way of protecting a child from online content as it enables a parent to decide the sort of websites they don't want their child to access.

To learn more about social networking safety, read How do I keep my child safe on social networks? on 成人快手 WebWise.

If you're new to social media, why not take our WebWise Social Media Basics course? Click here to take the course.

Read the full 成人快手 News article here.

Hajar is part of the WebWise production team and has also made award-winning programmes for 成人快手 Radio. In her spare time she loves reading, writing and singing.

You might have noticed that in order to comment on our blog (or any other 成人快手 blog, in fact) you need to register for something called a "成人快手 iD".聽 In case you haven't tried to comment before, I'm referring to the little blue button saying "sign in".

If you've clicked on it, you'll know that it takes you to a page asking for your sign-in details - or, if you haven't got any, you can click another button which says "Register now".聽 From there on, the sign-up process is pretty simple - much easier than signing up for online shopping or online banking, for example, although it can look a little bit intimidating at first.聽

And here's where people become slightly reticent - is it really worth it?聽 Good question.聽 I think so.聽 I'll go through what information the 成人快手 wants from you in a moment, but in case you want it selling to you, here are three of the things you can do on the 成人快手 website with a 成人快手 iD account.

• Message boards: view and take part in discussions about news, programmes and more on some very active message boards.
• Comments: have your say on 成人快手 News stories and blog entries across the 成人快手 website (like this one)
• iPlayer: save a list of your favourite TV or radio shows to watch later, and get recommendations on what to watch next

So, if you're convinced (and I hope you are), here's a quick breakdown of the information the 成人快手 iD service requires and what it's needed for:

Username

This will be your name across the 成人快手 website.聽 Think of it as being like a nickname - except it has to be entirely unique.聽 The form will go red if someone else using 成人快手 iD has the username you want, so experiment.聽 Just make sure your username is something fairly short, which you can remember easily. Our Internet Basics course has more information on this.

Password

This is very important - it's so nobody else can use your username or access your details.聽 To be safe, use a mixture of letters and numbers - and don't write it down anywhere, or you might find a cheeky friend/relative has been writing rude comments on the 成人快手 website without your knowledge! (I speak from experience...) Again, we have a tool you can use to check your password.

Date of Birth

Some people worry about this, but the reason the 成人快手 needs this information is actually to protect children.聽 Sites like C成人快手 and 成人快手 Schools have special message boards just for kids, and getting your date of birth means that adults and children are kept socially apart - so adults can't use children's message boards and children can't use message boards meant for adults.

Display name

This is there in case you don't want your username to appear - so you can put your real name here.聽 For example, when I leave a comment on this blog my name is displayed as "Helen Purves" - but my username is something else.聽 Having this feature meant that when I started commenting on this blog, I could change how my name appeared to something more work-friendly!

Email address

You need to put in your email address so that the 成人快手 can confirm that you're a real person, and not a spammer.聽 This is the very last step - after this, you're done.聽 Now, at the top of the page (next to the 成人快手 blocks) you'll be able to see your username - click on this and you can either edit your settings, or sign out (very important if you share your computer or log in on someone else's).

So that's it!聽 Just five easy pieces of information (which the 成人快手 promises to keep safe and secure) and you're free to talk to other people on the 成人快手 website - and, of course, comment on our blog posts.聽 If you want more information, there's an .

If you have a question about computers or the internet that you think we can answer, get in touch through our contact form (letting us know if it's okay for us to use your first name and location) or, of course, use the comments section of this blog!

As well as working on the WebWise production team, Helen has an interest in short-form video, social media and online marketing.

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You鈥檒l recognise this scenario. I have lots of things I no longer need. They aren鈥檛 broken, some of them aren鈥檛 even old, but I just don鈥檛 need them. Because I care for the environment and can鈥檛 abide waste, I don鈥檛 want these things to go to landfill. But nor do I want them to simply sit in my home gathering dust. I want them to be used.

Belongings you no longer need can be rehomed online

The internet is great for helping me realise these ambitions thanks to sharing and donating services which let me reach lots of people at once simply by listing what I鈥檝e got on offer.

One of the best known networks of people who want to give things away to each other is .聽 Its origins lie in a very small, local recycling scheme set up in Tucson, Arizona in 2003. Since then it has grown to reach more than 85 countries and to have millions of members.

But the service is also very, very local. It works on the basis of groups which cover relatively small geographical areas. You can sign up at the website and then join groups based in your location. You can join as many groups as you want to, but be careful 鈥� it鈥檚 a busy site. My most local group, focussed on one London borough, has more than 6,000 members.

Once you鈥檝e signed up it is easy to make an 鈥榦ffer鈥� of a particular item. People will see the offer, decide if they like it, and get in touch for more information. Just because you don鈥檛 want or need something doesn鈥檛 mean others won鈥檛 find it useful.

I once listed a duplicate music CD on Freecycle and ended up giving it to an orchestra member who was about to play the piece and wanted to hear different recordings of it!

The service also works when you want something. Just post a 鈥榳anted鈥� notice and see what happens.聽 I鈥檝e picked up some amazing things this way, including a wonderful old bicycle that just needed new tyres and a service to get it on the road.

Discipline is important when browsing what鈥檚 on offer as it鈥檚 easy to get tempted and end up acquiring more stuff. This rather defeats the de-cluttering concept but I have been known to succumb. Particularly when someone is giving away a 鈥榖ig bag of books鈥�.

Freecycle isn鈥檛 the only scheme of this kind available. A very similar alternative is , a UK based network whose name reflect their ethos - 鈥楩REEly Given, Locally, Easily鈥�. And there are other takes on the reuse/recycle theme.

If you need some equipment for a project, or have something you think others might like to borrow, then the web site might be able to help. You can even use Ecomodo to set up local 鈥榣ending circles鈥� that benefit people in a small area or a shared interest group can pool resources.

And there are a number of online recycling services specialising in particular types of goods. For example, if you鈥檝e got old computer equipment you can offer it on specialist websites that concentrate on this area such is which is specifically targeted at charities and not for profit organisations.

You can also check charity websites to see if they will collect items from you. The , for example, will collect furniture and electrical items 鈥� and you can book collections on their website.

The internet really does offer a lot of potential to help you de-clutter your own space without simply sending a lot of stuff off to landfill. And that has to be a good thing.

Visit our Internet Basics course Registering on a website to learn about signing up to sites.

Sandra Vogel is a technology journalist who has written for many web sites and magazines. She's written several books on computing. As well as technology she enjoys running, growing vegetables and playing the saxophone.

A report from Billmonitor 鈥� the Ofcom-approved mobile phone comparison site 鈥� suggests that 76% of mobile phone users are on the wrong contract when it comes to getting the best value for money for their phone usage. The report claims consumers in the UK are overspending by 拢5 billion a year on mobile phone contracts.

Analysing over 28,000 bills and comparing them with 8 million contract types available in March 2011, Billmonitor found that most phone users were doing one of two things: either under-using texts, data and minutes allowances and therefore paying too high a monthly fee, or they were paying too small a monthly fee only to then be stung by high charges when they went over their data, call and text limits.

Dr Stelios Koundouros, one of the company鈥檚 founders, expects that with the rise of smartphones, consumers will also encounter issues when choosing the best data tariff.

He advises 鈥渄ata is tricky because you don't know what data translates to looking at a web page or downloading a movie鈥�.

The average monthly data usage in the study was 133 megabytes, but different handsets would use this up at different rates. A high-powered smartphone with lots of features, a large high resolution screen and smooth video streaming functionality is likely to use up data far quicker than a lower spec phone with fewer capabilities.

Phone companies often provide guidelines on how much data is used when sending an email or streaming a video, so it鈥檚 important to take this into account and spend time thinking about how you鈥檒l use data before tying yourself into a long-term contract.

The latest handset will always boost the monthly price, but if you only need a phone for calls and the occasional email, it鈥檚 worth asking yourself whether the latest model is really the best option for you.

If you'd like to see whether your current mobile contract is right for you, you can get a personalised report on the .

Read the full 成人快手 News Technology report 'Mobile phone users 'overpaying by 拢200' per year'.

What happened when Hajar needed a new smartphone? Read her blog on mobile apps.

Hajar is part of the WebWise production team and has also made award-winning programmes for 成人快手 Radio. In her spare time she loves reading, writing and singing.

Continuing our new weekly feature to answer your questions to the WebWise inbox, this week I'm going to tell you how to make the front page of the 成人快手 website (and any other website) your "homepage" - the page which first comes up when you open your browser.聽 The way to do this varies very slightly from browser to browser, so let's look at the most popular browsers.

Internet Explorer

In the bar at the top of your browser, click on "Tools", then select "Internet Options" from the drop-down which appears (usually at the bottom of the drop-down).聽 A box will appear - make sure the "General" tab is selected, then either type in the web address of the site you want to make your homepage or click on the "Select current page" button if you're visiting that page at the moment.聽 Click "Okay" at the bottom - and you're done.

Mozilla Firefox

The process on Firefox is very similar.聽 Click on the "Firefox" tab in the top left of the screen,听expand the "Options" drop-down and then choose "Options" in the new menu. A box will appear, make sure the "General" tab is selected - sometimes it isn't, with Firefox - and then type in the URL of the site you want as your homepage or choose from one of the other options.

Google Chrome

Click on the picture of a spanner which is next to your navigation bar (on the top right hand side) and select "Options" from the drop-down.聽 You can type in your homepage URL and choose other options when the "Basics" tab is selected.

Apple Safari

Click on the picture of a cog, which is at the top of your browser on the right hand side (next to your search bar).聽 Select "Preferences" from the drop-down which appears and then select the "General" when the box pops up.聽 You can set your homepage from here - and then click on the red cross at the top right hand side of the pop-up to exit this box.

I hope that helps - and don't forget, if you have a question you'd like us to answer you can get in touch through our contact form.

As well as working on the WebWise production team, Helen has an interest in short-form video, social media and online marketing.

It's April, it's New Financial Year time for a lot of businesses and tax offices, and that can only mean one thing 鈥� everyone鈥檚 going to start thinking about money. Offers of new ISAs are going to start hitting your inbox, new savings accounts will be launched, corporate budgets for the new year are starting...

And you're stuck in the middle, wondering about how much money you can save on the internet. Prices for goods and services are often cheaper but you've heard that there are scammers around.

Precautions

You鈥檙e right to be cautious. There are organised criminals out there who will fleece anyone without mercy, and old advice like 鈥渋f an email is spelled wrongly it won't be from your bank鈥� is dating rapidly. Not that banks send out badly-spelled or punctuated communications, it's just that many of the scammers are quite literate too.

Nevertheless you can start protecting yourself by not clicking through to any financial website from a link in an email. Type the address into your browser's address bar so you know you鈥檙e going to a genuine site, and if that offer is still advertised on the bank's official website then fine, it was genuine, no harm done.

A bank will never ask you for your full password via email, by the way 鈥� so a mail looking as though it鈥檚 from your bank asking for that is highly likely to be a fake.

Purchases

There are many companies on the web who'll also ask for credit card details and there are often good reasons for this. There are the shops, who quite legitimately want some sort of payment before they dispatch any goods. Inevitably there are also fake sites, some of which will look a lot like shops.

There are a few things to look for in your computer鈥檚 browser window when you鈥檙e about to spend money. First there should be a padlock at the bottom of the window somewhere if you鈥檙e using Internet Explorer, still the most popular means of looking at the web. Second, the address should change from an 'http' address in the bar to an 'https' address.

These are all reassuring signs. You might also have to go through a verification process with your bank details after putting your card details in 鈥� this is entirely reasonable and means the company from whom you鈥檙e buying is looking after your interests.

No-nos

There are certain details that it's unwise to input, no matter how honest a site might appear. Unless you are buying alcohol or something else age-restricted, there should be no reason for a company to ask your date of birth. And yet people divulge it. Postal details聽are reasonable; sometimes a scammer will also ask for details like your mother's maiden name as an extra password.

Buy elsewhere. You are handing over enough information to allow someone to forge documents in your name. It's human to assume the best of people; a security company did an experiment a few years ago, offering people an Easter Egg for taking part in a survey 鈥� and during that survey they effectively took enough information from participants to put together a convincing passport application.

Rights

There can be a problem after an item has arrived. The majority of traders on the internet are of course honest 鈥� but they aren't all governed by the same rules. European businesses are legislated for by the Distance Selling Directive, which means (for example) that there must be a real-world contact address on the site. This isn鈥檛 obligatory everywhere else, and its absence will tell you either that you may not have the same rights as you would in dealing with a more local business, or if it's a UK company then they鈥檙e not aware of their obligations.

Whether purchased online or elsewhere, goods have to be fit for purpose and if not you may return them. You should also insist on the seller paying the return postage 鈥� although smaller sellers might drag their feet more than a little on this one.

If you鈥檙e in any doubt remember that the will offer independent help, and an online search for your local trading standards body at the Council (or that of the seller) should also yield good results.

Visit our WebWise Internet Basics course on shopping online聽and play the Shop 'Til You Drop online shopping game.

Find further tips on avoiding scam in the WebWise guide How do I shop safely with my credit card online?

Guy Clapperton is a journalist specialising in writing about technology as well as small business for several major broadsheets. He broadcasts occasionally on 成人快手 Radio stations and reviews the newspapers on the 成人快手 News Channel.

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Broadband coverage has been in the news recently with reports from Scotland to Surrey showing coverage is too patchy. The Federation of Small Businesses warns Scotland could be "left behind" if the UK Government fails to provide fast broadband to businesses and communities.

Despite many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) advertising superfast speeds, Ofcom estimates that the average speed in 鈥榰p to 20mpbs鈥� packages is actually 6.2mpbs, due to ADSL limitations. This is still fast enough to stream videos without interruption but it does show that as a country, we鈥檙e far from reaching our broadband potential.

Key to fast UK-wide broadband is the government鈥檚 Physical Infrastructure Access (or PIA) scheme, which last year saw Ofcom ordering BT to allow other communications companies access to their networks. The aim of this was to reduce the cost of rolling out fibre optic cables to rural areas and to get more communities connected. However, ISPs like TalkTalk and Virgin Media have written to communications minister Ed Vaizey raising their concerns over the cost of PIA.

In a statement, BT said its prices 鈥榗ompare very well with European averages鈥� but if it doesn鈥檛 lower its prices what could this mean for a user in a low coverage area?

It鈥檚 possible that the ISPs will refuse to pay and therefore won鈥檛 be able to offer services for faster broadband, or they could potentially pass on any extra costs to the consumer, meaning fewer people will be able to afford it. Broadband is big business and with BT pledging to deliver fibre optic broadband to two thirds of the country, the government鈥檚 拢530m fund for the remaining third is crucial in getting the whole country online and up-to-speed.

You can find out more about choosing the right ISP for you in Wendy Grossman鈥檚 article.

Read the original article on the 成人快手 News Technology site.

The WebWise inbox gets a lot of questions, and we thought that as well as replying individually we'd start sharing our answers on our new blog. This week it's one of our most common questions: what does "URL" stand for, and what does it mean?

Well, "URL" stands for Uniform Resource Locator. Quite a mouthful, really, for what it is: a web address. This helps your web browser to find a website on the internet. It's the virtual equivalent of a street address, with each part playing its part. Let's use the URL of this blog to break it down:

/blogs/webwise/

Let's start with the https:// part. This stands for "HyperText Transfer Protocol". It's a bit complicated, but basically this is the foundation of the web: this tells your browser that you're looking for something kept online as opposed to on your personal computer.

Next comes the www bit. You might already know that this stands for "World Wide Web". Many websites don't use this any more, and people often don't mention it as if it's needed your browser will automatically put it in for you. Although it probably takes up most of your time online, what we call the "web" was originally only part of a great variety of different services across the internet, which is where this came from.

The part after that - bbc.co.uk - tells your browser where on the web to find the website. Your browser interprets this text as a series of numbers which leads it to the server where the website is stored.

The last two parts (/blogs/webwise/) indicate where on that server the page you're looking at is being kept. This is exactly like the folders on your computer where you keep your own files: this blog is in a folder called "webwise" which itself is in a bigger folder called "blogs". Each folder name ends with a forward slash, like this: /

So that's it - I hope that's cleared things up for you. If not, you might want to take a look at our article about how the web works. We also have a lot more information about URLs in the main WebWise article on the subject.

If you want to send us a question, visit our feedback page. Please let us know if it's okay for us to use your first name and location.

As well as working on the WebWise production team, Helen has an interest in short-form video, social media and online marketing.

Social networking service Facebook has become an important part of the 21st century news machine. Here I list a few of the reasons why I think this popular website is increasingly hitting the headlines.

What is Facebook?

Facebook is the world's most popular online social networking website. Its power as a tool for sharing information, images and videos means that it is rarely out of the news.

Who invented Facebook?

The site was originally set up in 2004 by a group of students at Harvard University to share gossip and photos. The 2010 Oscar-winning film The Social Network聽is a Hollywood take on聽the rise and rise of Facebook as global phenomenon.

The Facebook format has proven so popular that it is now actively used by across the globe. That means over 12% of the world's population visit the site.

So what's the appeal?

At the most basic level, social networking services satisfy the human desires to belong to a group, have access to exclusive information and frankly, to mind other people's business.

The most compelling aspect of聽such sites is聽the ability to build your own social network, compare it with your friends鈥� networks and grow your network through contacts made via friends, family and special interest groups.

For example, Facebook聽can be used to聽share photos and videos, play games and quizzes, organise events or launch a campaign or petition.

Is Facebook private?

Sign up, make friends, share stuff - it all sounds great, so what can go wrong? Social networking sites such as Facebook have been criticised by some people who believe they聽encourage 'over-sharing', especially among younger users. Police have warned people to take care when stating their activities and whereabouts on social networking sites.

This all comes down to the privacy settings that Facebook has on offer. The company has made no secret of its desire to make the web more social and its privacy settings reflect this.

Facebook have now simplified their privacy settings, but protecting personal information is now something that mainstream audiences are taking more seriously.

What gets Facebook in the news?

You must be at least 13 to sign up to Facebook, but many young people subscribe claiming that they are older and post false profile pictures. This has been a cause of concern for parents as children may then be approached inappropriately by adults who wish to befriend or 'groom' them.

At 17 Ashleigh Hall was old enough to have a Facebook profile, but was lured to her death by convicted sex offender Peter Chapman on the website. This case led to a successful call to add a 'panic button' to Facebook pages which allows users to identify suspicious behaviour.

There have been many cases of people posting that they鈥檙e away from home on Facebook then returning to find that their home has been burgled. One family have been targeted in this way twice and urge others to take care with what they put online.

Less seriously, young people have also been the casualty of Facebook鈥檚 option to share your information with everybody when issuing party invitations. A 14 year old girl in Hertfordshire had a nasty shock when 21,000 people RSVP-ed to an invite to her birthday party.

But surely it's not all bad?

Precisely because of its popularity, Facebook is able to mobilise support for all kinds of causes. One couple from Caerphilly in Wales were delighted when their friends used the website to collect 拢20,000 for their dream wedding.

When 103-year-old Lillian Lowe was been dubbed the 鈥榦ldest鈥� Facebooker by the Daily Mail she was overwhelmed to receive nearly 1,000 friend requests from all over the world. Lillian enjoys using Facebook to keep up to date with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

How does Facebook fight crime?

Social networking sites have been used by detectives to track down criminals.聽 For instance, police in County Down, Northern Ireland have to successfully recover stolen vehicles.

The high profile case of murdered landscape architect Jo Yeates attracted considerable support from Facebook campaigns both to locate her as a missing person and then to assist in the hunt for her killer.

What can Facebook do for me?

痴颈蝉颈迟听辞耻谤 Social Media Basics course to learn how Facebook and other social networks can work for you.

You can find out more about the social networks Facebook and Twitter and personal safety online by visiting the 成人快手 WebWise guides.

Zoe is the senior producer on WebWise and has produced websites across the 成人快手 for over ten years. Her interests include the use of social media to engage teachers and learners.