Guest Post: Are German Cars Really the Most Reliable?

German cars have always been popular because of their reputation. They say all good things come to an end. Recently there have been many accusations aimed at German cars claiming that they are not as reliable as they seem.

WarrantyDirect, a warranty provider recently carried out a study which pointed out that German cars are the most likely to get problems with their engine. They have 50,000 policies and are the market leaders within their industry.

BMW, Audi and Volkswagen were pointed out for being the most vulnerable to repairs. With Audi being the worst German car, second came MG. Every 1 in 27 Audi failed and every 1 in 13 MG’s also failing. Mini, a German owned car came in third place with a rate of 1 in every 40 engines failing. BMW were in seventh place with 1 in every 45 engines needing repairs and Volkswagen came in at 9th place with a rate of 1 in every 52.

German brands, including Volkswagen, didn't perform well in the study by WarrantyDirect. (Picture from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

Japanese cars have also been known as a reliable brand and they didn’t disappoint in the ratings. Honda finished in the number one spot, with 1 in every 344 cars failing. Toyota finished in second place with a rate of 1 in every 171 failing. Mercedes were the best ranking German brand, finishing in third, recording an engine failure rate of 1 in 119.

Top 10 Car Failures:

1. Honda (failure rate: 1 in 344)
2. Toyota (failure rate: 1 in 171)
3. Mercedes-Benz (failure rate: 1 in 119)
4. Volvo (failure rate: 1 in 111)
5. Jaguar (failure rate: 1 in 103)
6. Lexus (failure rate: 1 in 101)
7. Fiat (failure rate: 1 in 85)
8. Ford (failure rate: 1 in 80)
9. Nissan (failure rate: 1 in 76)
10. Land Rover (failure rate: 1 in 72)

Bottom 10 Car Failures:

1. MG Rover (failure rate: 1 in 13)
2. Audi (failure rate: 1 in 27)
3. Mini (failure rate: 1 in 40)
4. Saab (failure rate: 1 in 40)
5. Vauxhall (failure rate: 1 in 41)
6. Peugeot (failure rate: 1 in 44)
7. BMW (failure rate: 1 in 45)
8. Renault (failure rate: 1 in 46)
9. Volkswagen (failure rate: 1 in 52)
10. Mitsubishi (failure rate: 1 in 59)

The highest cost of an engine failure comes from a Range Rover Vogue, costing £12,998,46. Duncan McClure Fisher, the WarrantyDirect Managing Director stated that engine failures are the most feared types of repair. The cost of parts and labor time needed to fix such a problem is on the larger scale when compared to any other sort of repair. *** [By: ERIC MUHANJI | SERVICINGSTOP | WARRANTYDIRECT | TELEGRAPH | EDITOR: EKA]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

About the author:

Oliver Richmond is the director of ServicingStop.co.uk – a nationwide online automotive MOT and Service network with over 1,000 garages in the UK.

Guest Post: Why do Users Still Prefer Windows 7 over Windows 8?

Since the release of Windows 7, the computing field has changed significantly. In the past, desktops and laptops differed from smart phones and tablets considerably.

In the past few years, however, the lines between these device classes have been blurred. In response, Microsoft has attempted to create an operating system that bridges this gap.

However, the release of Windows 8 has been met with poor reviews and little enthusiasm. Here are a few of the reasons why people prefer Windows 7 to Windows 8.

- Familiarity
While Windows Vista was unpopular, it came with many new computers. As a result, people became used to the interface. Windows 7 was similar, and the differences between it and Windows Vista were minimal. Windows 8, however, has departed from the paradigm established in the previous two iterations of Windows, and many users are reluctant to make the switch.

This is not a new trend; many people were uncomfortable with Windows Vista partially because it differed significantly from Windows XP. If Windows 9 implements some of the interface features of Windows 8, people may be more comfortable with it.

- Strange user interface

Windows, Mac and even Linux distributions share a number of user interface similarities. Programs are accessed on the desktop or through a drop-down menu, and programs are organized in a logical manner. On smart phones and tablets, however, this paradigm does not work well, and a number of different paradigms are used.

Windows 8 implements the Metro interface, which breaks from the traditional desktop metaphor. Despite the availability of this interface on Windows mobile devices, few are familiar with it, and many elements of this paradigm seem unfamiliar on desktops and laptops.

- Two user interfaces

Because Metro differ so greatly from the traditional desktop paradigm, developers have to code specifically for it. As a result, developers have to make significant changes to their code, and many are unwilling to make the change unless Windows 8 proves to be a success. Because of this, users often have to deal with two separate interfaces when using Windows 8.

The lack of seamless integration between these two user interface paradigms makes Windows 8 awkward and clunky. With the lukewarm reception Windows 8 has received, many development companies have stated that they will not implement a Metro interface unless sales improve in the future and Microsoft commits to the Metro interface wholeheartedly. Users are reluctant to upgrade from the seamless Windows 7 interface to one that is unproven and ungraceful.

- Few advantages

Because Windows 7 and Windows 8 run similar code bases and offer similar features, most programs developed for Windows will continue to support Windows 7. In fact, many still support Windows XP.

Coupled with the lack of other advantages, there is little incentive for current users of Windows 7 to make the upgrade. Upgrading is relatively expensive, and Microsoft has not provided compelling reasons to make the transition. Almost all users of Windows 8 use it simply because it came with their computers. *** [By: ANDI G | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

About the author:

Andy G is 28 years old geek from Austria. He maintains http://www.helpjet.net website dedicated to free firmware and drivers updates.

Guest Post: iPhone5 Financial Applications

iPhone 5 has finally officially announced by Apple in San Francisco, United States. Today iPhone 5 are not for fun and entertainment, these gadgets can also be used for your business and tracking your a personal accounts. Finance applications for iPhone 5, can be used for tracking the expenditures and revenues without any prior knowledge on accounting.

Some of the apps are free to download and some of them need to be purchased. These apps are mainly used for tracking accounts like when an online transaction is made out of your account and to view your accounts balance, these types are applications are very user friendly.

Almost all of the application can be downloaded from iTunes, there are tons of finance applications you can get. Some of the financial applications for iPhone 5 are:

Toshl Finance

This is a mobile expense tracking application with a twist. It offers extremely user friendly interface for tracking your financial expenses. With Toshl usage, users know where their money is going and can therefore change their spending habits and save some money on the long run.

Toshl provides the tools for tracking expenses, in multiple currencies (with automatic exchange ratio), syncs with cloud (so your data is backed-up constantly), allows users to tag their expenses, set up budgets and export data via Microsoft Excel, CSV, Google docs and PDF.

This applications delivers a clean iPhone expense tracking feature it is a built in application with the iPhone.  By using this application you can know where your cash is going and you can add and edit the expenses and incomes. You can also sync with the Toshl cloud. You can use either service or you can go for the paid version.

Mint.com

It is one of the earliest applications for the iPhone which can be used for tracking your business accounts or your personal finance accounts. It can be also used to connect to bank accounts for using the online transactions which pull all the data together in one place. You can download it from the mint.com website.

Fastest, easiest way of checking your account balances on the fly. It automatically itemizes all your transactions and geo-tags where you spend your money.

Mint.com's iPhone app lets you check your account balances on the fly, as long as you're connected to the Internet. When paired with a Mint.com Web account, it's the best way for financial noobs to take control of their personal finances.

Bloomberg

For experiencing the high quality features of the iPhone you must install this kind of app on your phone. It can also be used to get news and price quotes. It gives you the accurate and timely information on financial markets. It can also be downloaded from the iTunes.  It can be used to get company descriptions, market trends and analysis and much more. You can get customised results from the list of stocks that you want to follow from the market analysts.

Whether you invest in the stock market or not, it’s good to know the state of the market and the economy. Bloomberg is much better than iPhone’s native stocks app. You get up to date reports on all the major markets- Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, Nikkei, and many more- from all around the world.

You can also look at detailed reports of individual stocks, and you can select your own portfolio to quickly monitor the state of your favored stocks. Even better, the Bloomberg app comes with a terrific news section so you can stay informed on the state of the economy. The app also looks slick, is easy to use, and loads quickly, making it the easy choice for tracking the financial world.

moneyStrands

moneyStrands is free online personal finance software with money management tips and anonymous comparisons of your spending with others who share a similar lifestyle. There's also a handy moneyStrands iPhone app.

It shows all the account balances at one place, and also transaction information can be viewed. It is a personal finance iPhone application with good money managing features. With this app you can add or delete the budgets and it can also be used to track the accounts expenditures.

People with very simple budgets will like moneyStrands. While moneyStrands could use more variety of reports and navigation could improve, the new Cash account, support for multiple currencies and data export features bumps the review score to nearly to just over 4 out of 5 points.

SplashMoney
This application made by SplashData is the iPhone and iPod touch version of the popular financial software for desktop PCs, Palm OS, Pocket PC, and BlackBerry. Unlike many of the more simple finance applications covered in this article, SplashMoney aims to be something more akin to a desktop application, offering syncing, downloading of the user’s latest account information directly from his or her bank, and more.

With the help of SplashMoney user can effectively manage their money at anytime and from anywhere. Using your mobile device or your desktop computer you must connect to the online bank of yours and from there you can easily download transactions directly into SplashMoney.

The technique of navigation is extremely easy and the interface provided by the desktop software is pretty old-fashioned and rudimentary in comparison to website of Mint.com. Several automation can be used by this one. For syncing the credit card account of yours It is required to “approve” each and every transaction when you only require a list of several activities. Your routing as well as your account number must be entered by you and all by yourself.

Bill Assistant - Bill Tracker & Reminder

If you want to avoid paying penalties for not paying the bills on time, with this app you will not have to again. With this app you get alarms when your bill is pending.  These types of apps can also be used for tracking your accounts, expenditures and revenues when you have taken any payday loans from the money lender or from the banks.

You can see which bills are due soon, see how much you are due to pay, keep a record of your payments and have the application remind you when your bills are due. This application made you feel have an on-line assistant when making a payment with easily look up the payment information you need to pay your bill, can call your supplier quickly & easily from within the application, and record payment of your bills with a few taps - log when it was paid, which payment method was used, record confirmation numbers.

Bill Assistant has the flexibility you need such as optionally record multiple payments for a single bill, record bills where the amount due is Unknown. This application is highly configurable allowing you to personalise it for your own circumstances. *** [By: JENNIE JILL | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | EDITOR: EKA]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

About the author:

Jennie Jill, a specialist in financial blogging from Manchester at payday loans. And catch her @financeport.

Guest Post: The Future Medical Technology

With the increase in usage of technology in every field, the process and innovation is continued in the medicine field as well. The creative ideas and various new procedures have opened the gateway to create a solution and resolve many problems.

To have a bright future in medical technology active participation and involvement of medical practitioners in the development of new innovative technologies is very important. These technologies will help in simplifying and enhancing the process of medical treatment.

The following are a few medical treatments and technologies which are under usage and still some innovations are carried out by the inventors, soon new technologies could emerge in the future.

Robotic surgery

Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to overcome both the limitations of minimally invasive surgery or to enhance the capabilities of surgeons performing open surgery. In the case of robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery, instead of directly moving the instruments, the surgeon uses one of two methods to control the instruments; either a direct telemanipulator or by computer control.

Robotic surgery. (Picture from: http://omgtoptens.com/)

A telemanipulator is a remote manipulator that allows the surgeon to perform the normal movements associated with the surgery whilst the robotic arms carry out those movements using end-effectors and manipulators to perform the actual surgery on the patient.

The da Vinci Surgical System. (Picture from: http://www.siasat.pk/)

In computer-controlled systems the surgeon uses a computer to control the robotic arms and its end-effectors, though these systems can also still use telemanipulators for their input. One advantage of using the computerised method is that the surgeon does not have to be present, indeed the surgeon could be anywhere in the world, leading to the possibility for remote surgery.

Robotic surgery layout. (Picture from: http://www.howstuffworks.com/)

With many innovations and new technologies surgical field is now being overtaken by many traditional approaches and open surgeries. To reach the organs and perform operations on it, surgeons had to make use of large surgical cut which often require long period to recover and could generate scars on the skin. But with the evolution of high end robotic surgery many complex procedures can be simplified with minimal invasive treatments.  Many surgeons are anticipating the growth in future of robotic surgery.

Laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery, also called minimally invasive surgery (MIS), bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery, is a modern surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) as opposed to the larger incisions needed in laparotomy.

Laparoscopy (also called-Keyhole Surgery or Minimally invasive surgery). (Picture from: http://www.singleincisionlapchole.com/)

Keyhole surgery makes use of images displayed on TV monitors to magnify the surgical elements. Laparoscopic surgery includes operations within the abdominal or pelvic cavities, whereas keyhole surgery performed on the thoracic or chest cavity is called thoracoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery belong to the broader field of endoscopy.

Laparoscopes and endocamera. (Picture from: http://www.singleincisionlapchole.com/)

Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope, an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ. Endoscopy can also refer to using a borescope in technical situations where direct line of-sight observation is not feasible.

There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an open procedure. These include reduced pain due to smaller incisions and hemorrhaging, and shorter recovery time.

In this surgery, operation in the abdomen is performed with minimal incisions. This laparoscopic surgery belongs to the field of endoscopic technology. There are a number of advantages to the patient with laparoscopic surgery versus an open procedure. These include reduced pain due to smaller incisions and hemorrhaging, and shorter recovery time.

Bronchial valve treatment
This is one of the lung treatment methods that used implantable bronchial valves. This takes only minimal invasive treatment in emphysema, here the bronchial valve is an implantable device and used as a self-expanding device which redirects the diseased lung tissue by obstructing air flow only in some particular targeted segments.

The IBV (Intra Bronchial Valves) Valve System is designed to limit airflow to the portions of the lungs distal to the valve, while still allowing mucous and air movement in the proximal direction for the treatment of diseased or damaged lungs. (Picture from: http://www.olympus.es/)

The IBV Valve appearance and nomenclature. (Picture from: http://www.ctsnet.org/)

The valve is an implantable, self-expanding device and the frame is made of nitinol. The five distal prongs provide stability and anchoring. The proximal portion is made up of six support struts that are covered by a thin polymer membrane. The membrane covered struts form an umbrella shape that allows conformation and sealing with the airway with minimal pressure on the mucosa. The valve is designed to limit distal airflow, yet the membrane and struts compress to allow air and mucus to flow out of the occluded segment around the umbrella. The valve design includes a central rod that allows removal if needed.

Catheter loaded with compressed valve extending from the flexible bronchoscope.  The tip of the valve removal rod is seated against the tip of the deployment stabilization rod. (Picture from: http://www.ctsnet.org/)

The valve is deployed via flexible bronchoscopy using a catheter delivery system. The catheter system is supplied in a sterile tray with the valve in a loading housing. The loading housing allows compression of the valve into the 2.2 mm flexible delivery catheter. The catheter has a flexible internal rod which stabilizes the valve while the outer sheath of the catheter is withdrawn to release the valve. This feature allows the operator to accurately place the valve in the tapering airways under direct vision.  The catheter size requires using a flexible bronchoscope with a working channel of 2.6 mm or greater.  There was concern that the larger bronchoscope would not be able to access all the segmental airways desired for treatment but this concern was unfounded.

Appearance of an unfolded IBV valve and endoscopic view after its placement. (Picture from: http://www.archbronconeumol.org/)

This is used as a valve removal and replacement of the diseased tissue. Many surgeons are trying to advance this technology with sophisticated and innovative devices.

The following are a few tips for a better medical technology:

• Identify needs: To get success in your innovation, identifying clinical needs is essential.  This should be evaluated after performing continuous research on medical conundrums faced by various patients.
• Provide specification and validation: Now after identifying the needs the next step should be to start accomplishing required specifications and validations. Consider collecting ideas from different perspectives to fully understand the patients issue.
• Generate creative ideas: Coming up with creative ideas can be possible only when you discuss your needs, ideas with an open minded community. The community should encompass a mix of different people having some depth clinical knowledge.
• Demonstration: This is again an important step of putting your ideas and innovations collected from many inventors; here the committee must be capable of demonstrating the expected device.
• Developing plan: Get the right kind of software that is necessary to develop new medical technology and have a multidisciplinary team. Further, the team may have to be subdivided into multiple levels depending on the job and knowledge.

If you need any short-term fiscal to meet your needs, develop plans, get medical treatment or to fund your innovative projects take help from cash loans uk to get quick cash, you can repay this amount after you receive your next paycheque. *** [By: MICHELLE RYAN | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | EDITOR: EKA]
Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

About the author:

Michelle Ryan, financial guest blogger. 
At present she is focusing on cash loans uk.
And catch her @financeport.