Selecting the best mobile internet provider has become a tricky business, as there are so many operators offering a myriad of deals for you to wrap your head round. Contract lengths are getting longer and longer, with providers wanting to lock you into a contract for as long as 2 years. Finding the right deal has therefore become quite a complicated task.

Here are some tips for fining the best mobile internet deals.

Usage:

First it is important that you ascertain how much data you will need on your mobile internet contract. You have the choice to take up an unlimited mobile internet package but for this luxury you will no doubt be paying a premium. If you happen to be a casual user who is more interested in checking emails occasionally rather than downloading and watching video content on your mobile, taking a limited data package will save you a lot of money in the long run. The average mobile phone user uses roughly 250mb per month, so picking a contract with 500mb should be enough for most users.

For those who intend to take an unlimited mobile internet contract, it is vital that you read the service providers small print to discover whether they employ a fair usage policy. Fair usage policies allow the network to cap your internet if you are using too much data at certain points of the day. Look for providers that offer a truly unlimited internet service.

Tethering:

Some users like to make the most of their mobile internet packages by tethering their phone to their laptop, allowing users to turn their mobile phone into a wireless hub. If you intend on utilising this function, you should most definitely invest in the best mobile phone deals that offer unlimited internet as data usage can escalate very quickly.

Internet speeds:

Many network providers advertise inflated ‘high speeds’ for their mobile internet services, when in reality these statistics are only based on ‘optimal performance figures’. The only real way to discover if these figures are realistic is to scour the internet and forums for user reviews and mobile internet speed check statistics.

Customer service:

Mobile phone network providers are renowned for poor customer service. If you intend to take a contract that spans over 2 years it is essential that you research which network provider offers the best customer service. Nothing is more annoying than having to deal with a provider who takes months to get things done. Choosing the right provider will inevitably save you hours of waiting and arguing.

Once you have researched all your needs, it is best to visit many different network providers’ websites to see the best deals available. Using non established mobile phone providers can save you considerable amounts of money but these services are never guaranteed to be good for everyone as network coverage will vary from area to area.

The Philadelphia Flyers sure are flying high this 2011-2012 season. They are the top of the Atlantic Division in the NHL Eastern, going 10-4-3 so far. They are ahead of Pittsburgh, the Rangers, New Jersey, and the Islanders in their league. The Flyers have six more games in the month of November. Their next game takes place on November 17th, 2011 at home against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes are sixth in the NHL Western with a record of 8-4-3. Two days later, the Flyers must travel to Winnipeg to face the Jets. The Jets are 6-9-3.

The Flyers then host the Carolina Hurricanes on November 21st. The Hurricanes are 13th placed in the NHL Eastern division with 6 wins, 9 losses and 3 overtime. These two games should be easy for the top seated team in their division, but you never know what can happen on the ice. If you couldn’t score tickets to Wells Fargo Arena, don’t worry. You can catch all the action at home via DIRECT TV offers or local provider packages.

Two days after that, the Flyers must go to New York to play against the Islanders. The struggling Islanders have only won 4 games this season and are in last place in the NHL Eastern division. Another potential cake walk for the soaring Flyers. On Friday, November 25th, the Flyers will be hosting the 10th place Montreal Canadiens. Montreal has a respectable 7 wins this season. The Flyers play their last game of November in New York against the Rangers. The fifth seated Rangers have only lost one more game than Philadelphia so far, meaning this could be a heavily contested match.

With their current two game winning streak, the Flyers seem to have a good amount of momentum to do well for the rest of the year.

I know that it hasn’t been released yet but World War Z promises to be one of the most exciting films of 2012, so it needed to be in the list. This film will almost definitely come to life when played on a 3D Blu ray player, bringing the pretend Philadelphia to your living room. The movie based on Max Brooks’ 2006 novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War has been eagerly anticipated. Brad Pitt, who plays Gerry Lane, a worker at the United Nations Post-war Commission, collects the stories and experiences of those who have survived the zombie attacks. The film is based on Philadelphia and other regions, but is being filmed in Glasgow.

The most influential and successful in this list is Rocky. The 1976 film was a phenomenal success and made several of the city’s landmarks world famous. The steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art have become iconic and in 1982 a statue of Rocky was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. Six films in total have been made and Rocky continues to win the heart of the nation.

Another classic, the Sixth Sense, was based in Philly. The 1999 film features a troubled young boy who is able to see the dead, starring Bruce Willis. The film follows the journey of the young boy and a physiologist, played by Willis.

Another Philadelphia based film is National Treasure, starring Nicolas Cage. The mystery adventure film features an all-star cast including Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, and Christopher Plummer. The film follows the protagonist who is on a mission to find some long lost treasure.

Lastly a Philadelphia classic; Best in Show, an independent film, follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the somewhat strange interactions among the various dog owners as they compete in the show.

What did we miss? What are some of your favorite films shot / based in Philadelphia?

That is why getting good contents insurance is a must and shouldn’t be bypassed at any cost, as otherwise you will have to foot the bill for any stolen or damaged goods.

Many think that insuring their contents is an expense they just don’t need, however students are at high risk to crime, especially when it comes to opportunists. Students tend to live in large shared accommodation and doors are left open on a regular basis, which gives thieves plenty of opportunity to get in and out of student accommodation.

Endsleigh provide contents insurance for students that covers up to £3000 worth of belongings, yet only ask you to pay for what needs cover rather than a general policy, saving students money.

They also offer a replacement service on anything that becomes damaged and needs servicing, which in turn allows you to carry on with your studies undisrupted if, for example, your laptop was stolen.

Their laptop insurance is great news for those that have an expensive laptop and one that they use on a daily basis. If this was to become misplaced, then with insurance you can have a replacement laptop within 24 hours so you can get on with your work.

This is a must for students that do a lot of their University work on their laptops as without one they may fall behind considerably, even more so if it is a computer based course or if they have deadlines to meet.

However, Endsleigh insurance is not responsible for backing up work and this should be done on a regular basis. Otherwise, if anything is to happen to this prized gadget, you would lose anything that wasn’t saved elsewhere, such as coursework and essays.

Try using an online saving system such as Dropbox and get used to saving every item once you are finished working on it.

Get a quote from Endsleigh today, either by speaking to a customer representative or visiting the website.

This post brought to you by OgilvyInteractive. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ah, digital magazines. Seems like a lot of companies are trying to jump into the appzine market, and few are doing it right. I mean, with an application like Flipboard that delivers a magazine-esque experience, why even bother?

Well, in comes The Collection, a new appazine delivering a monthly, pay-per-issue digital mag, brought to you by Ringier, a Swiss-media company founded in the early 1800′s. You heard me. The 1800′s, a fact that astonishes me.

What are they doing different? They’ve put together a unique content management system especially made for The Collection, that lets you experience the content in an entirely new, intuitive way. Photos, videos, text… all delivered interactively.

The app aims to stay up to date with current events in our ever changing media landscape, which is an impressive statement to say the least, considering how quickly news breaks all over the Internet. But if a media company founded in the 1800′s can still continue to move with the times, I think its safe to assume they’ll achieve this goal.

For those of you who were going mad over the Royal Wedding, the Collection’s first issue is all about Prince [Omigodhessodreamyjk] William. You’ll learn about his youth, his first loves, and of course, all about Kate Middleton.

There’s also stories about the Crown Jewels, what it takes to be a Royal Photographer, and some pre-wedding photos and articles. Right now the first issue is available in English, Chinese, and German, with additional languages planned this year.

Want to scope it out? Visit the application’s page in the Apple store, and download away. The app is free, with in-app purchases (magazines) running $5 a pop.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunbelt Software. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently, the folks at VIPRE were kind enough to hook us up with their new VIPRE Antivirus software, a new brand of defense that blends both antivirus and antispyware together into one, single powerful tool.

As a loyal Mac user, I seldom find myself needing any kind of antivirus/spyware protection. However, on my beloved little netbook PC… well, that’s an entirely different story.

I read a lot of blogs, watch a lot of online content, and as a result, I’m constantly besieged by malware seeking to wreck havoc on my system. A lot of it is my fault, sure. I could stock reading Encyclopedia Dramatica or visiting Newgrounds… but this is America, dammit. And I’m going to browse what I want, when I want.

And thanks to VIPRE, this is possible, without getting nailed by viruses or bots. And unlike other software, it doesn’t slow down your system. Gone are the days of loading up an anti-spyware program while playing on KaZaa. Now you can browse without lock ups. And this is coming from using a netbook, a generally slower machine.

All in all, I definitely recommend the VIPRE Antivirus software. Give it a go, you’ll be pleased.

This post brought to you by TiVo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ah, TiVo.

You are, at the same time, a handy device for at home entertainment, and a lifesaving defensive mechanism during the horrors of war… as proven to us all by the Oscar nominated film Tropic Thunder. And might I add I love that I can say ‘Oscar nominated’ about Tropic Thunder, without being sarcastic.

Well, that TiVo we witnessed in Tropic Thunder, so bravely thrown into the air by Matthew McConaughey, probably could have done even more in battle (and in entertaining Ben Stiller) had it been a TiVo Premiere.

Stepping things up from their regular service, TiVo Premiere connects to your existing cable subscription AND your Internet service… which means you can do instant streaming from Netflix, play your Amazon Video-On-Demand downloads, watch YouTube videos, rock out to Pandora… all that good stuff you wish you could do on your television, using a single device that isn’t your laptop haphazardly connected to it.

That’s my usual shtick, awkwardly connecting my MacBook to my television via a series of cords. One box that does everything? Sold.

Currently, TiVo is offering up a special holiday deal, dishing out the TiVo Premiere for only $99, when you sign up for a one-year service plan of $19.99 a month at Best Buy.

Learn more about TiVo Premiere here, and make sure you watch TiVo saving Ben Stiller and company below.

Note: All proceeds from this sponsored post are going towards Philadelphia’s first all-ages, non-profit literacy journal, The Apiary.