UK Broadband Speeds [Infographic]

UK broadband providers are working hard to try and increase the penetration of broadband within the UK, whilst also making concerted efforts to increase the speeds they can offer. So what are the fastest areas of the UK? The results are perhaps surprising - it's not necessarily the Highlands of Scotland or the remote farmlands of Norfolk that are losing out. Indeed the worst areas in the UK are ALL in the south of England, perhaps a surprise given people's preconceived notions of laboured and remote broadband speeds. Admittedly there are plenty of areas still without broadband as an option, which would perhaps skew the stats somewhat, but population level is no indication of good speeds.


And what of the Broadband providers? There's many a boast about broadband speeds in the adverts littering our town and city streets, newspapers and billboards, but are they actually reflective of what you're likely to get from your broadband provider? 


And finally, how does the UK match up to the global market. Take a broadband speed test in South Korea and do you find speeds slower or faster than our humble shores? This simple infographic aims to answer these questions and a few more.


Stats are from an Ofcom survey and a Mashable article. Kudos to them.

Four Fab Films to Inspire Your Travels

Photo used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of Maria Rosaria Sannino 

I would defy anyone to watch Mamma Mia and not yearn to hop on a plane then and there and travel to a beautiful Greek island. A few years after watching the film, I did it, and found one of the dreamiest beaches ever. Kassiopi in Crete was covered with pure white, perfectly round pebbles and was fringed with black pines on one side and sea the colour of cobalt blue on the other.  You could gaze over from your private beach to the wild lands of Albania and imagine all sorts of stories to keep you entertained. I will never forget it.

A Moroccan Hollywood Adventure

Photo used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of Rol 1000

Morocco is like the America of Africa: go there and you will feel strangely at home having seen it so often in films. The forbidding dunes, the lush oases and the frenetic souks will all be familiar to anyone with even a minor interest in cinematography.

Being a bit of a culture vulture (read: nerd), I like to immerse myself in a place I'm going to by watching films and reading books set there. As a tourist, it can be difficult to get a real feel for a place, especially if you only have a short amount of time to spend there. Unless you're lucky enough to be staying with local people, you usually only get to meet people fleetingly and more often than not, they're other tourists. I find that experiencing the place through fictional characters can be a way to connect more fully with a place (read: I'm too shy to meet real people).

A trip to Morocco will undoubtedly be an exciting one: it is the perfect destination for adventure holidays in the desert as well as more leisurely city-based trips. Whet your appetite with a few of these choice morsels by watching some of the films in which they star...

Best Films Based Out Of London

When it comes to locations for movies, there are certain cities that have always caught the fancy of film-makers in Hollywood. Prague immediately pops to mind as does Moscow and the ever-present Paris. However, amongst the most famous films to have hit the screen, many have called London their home. A massive cosmopolitan city with layers of personality, London lends more to films than most named above.


That is probably the reason why this multi-dimensional city has been the base for some famous films like the ones named below.

UK: Hollywood Directors Grab London Office Space

Film sets and office space are the peanut butter and jam of the entertainment business. Producers looking to save on their film costs will often use serviced office space as a make-shift film set. In recent news, Hollywood directors are approaching London developers to enquire about leasing temporary office space. Already a hotspot for foreign investors, UK office spaces are being snapped up like hotcakes. From safe investments to landing spots for the likes of Batman and James Bond, developers are cashing in on these innovative offers.

Basking in the spotlight for their panoramic views, their prime location to high-profile events like the Olympic Games and the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and their structural benefits, Central London workplaces are adopting new open door policies to maximise profit intakes.

Lazarus Species - Back From The Dead

A Lazarus species is effectively a genus of creature that, just like Lazarus, has been raised from the dead. Sometimes species will appear extinct for a period for time only to resurface and prove that as Geoff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park, 'life, uh... finds a way.'

The Effects of Social Media on Mass Hysteria

When it comes to communication in today's techno-centric society, social media is taking over. Never before has it been easier to relay and receive messages to and from hundreds of people with just a few simple keystrokes. This convenience is arguably changing the way we develop and maintain relationships, which carries both positive and negative connotations. There is much debate over whether social media is bringing people closer together, or alienating people from true intimacy . . . but one thing there is no question over is the fact that social media makes it possible to spread information very rapidly. That's great when the information is constructive, but what of information that is inaccurate, misleading, loaded with emotional weight, or destructive in nature? Obviously, social media can have some major effects on mass hysteria. Read on to learn more about this alarming phenomenon:

Vertical Farms - The Solutions To Farming In The Future?

Dickson Despommier has been trying to change the world’s mind about farming for over a decade. This Columbia University professor insists that planting upwards is the way to feed the world in the future. While Despommier’s vertical farms were once seen as a novelty, since 2007 they’ve been attracting both attention from both the press and investors. The reasoning is simple: the population of this planet will surge to nine billion people, and feeding them will require at least double the food production available now.

6 Great Horror Movies That Will Make You Laugh

If you are on the hunt for a hilarious horror movie that all of your friends will love, look no further! This great list compiles some of the funniest horror movies ever made, packaging jaw-dropping moments of laughter with tense scenes where you'll be able to hear a pin drop. Pick one of these great films, put in the DVD, and let the screams...and the laughter...commence.

Sci-Fi’s Best Killer Giant Insect Movies

Cover via Amazon

The genre of bug movies was first introduced in the 1950’s, and has spawned hundreds of films over the years. From man eating spiders to gigantic roaches, this unique kind of appalling filmmaking has dealt with perhaps the most unattractive and terrifying assembly of characters.

We all love a good scare every now and then, which is why many of these horrific “bug” movies top the box office decade after decade. From the early years of cinema up till now, this subgenre of horror films has brought many movie-goers to their knees shaking and screaming in fear, and here we round up 5 of the best in bug movies.

Eight Beloved Sentient Cars

Image via Wikipedia

Personification is one of the greatest tools for creativity in producing movies and television shows. The personification of electronics and cars has been repeated in various ways with some modern sentient car names and some nostalgic ones as well. Here are eight of the most memorable sentient cars to have graced the large and small screens:

Going Back To The Future: Are We There Yet?

Image via Wikipedia

The Back to the Future film series is an undeniable pop culture staple, with perhaps the most popular instalment of the trilogy being the second. Starring Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd as protagonists Marty McFly and Doc Emmett Brown respectively, it saw the pair travel to the now not so distant future, specifically the 21st of October 2015... and now this date is fast approaching. The film was originally released in 1989 but set in 1985, leaving a good 30 year gap between Back to the Future Part II’s then and now. With each passing year, fans have mourned - perhaps even affectionately mocked - the inaccuracies of the film’s predictions. But exactly how bad are they, and does it look like we’ll manage to get anywhere near flying cars in the precious few years we have left? Well, let’s take a look...

Image via Wikipedia