Car Video Screen sales on the up

In-dash car video screen sales are on the up with sales increasing two-fold over the last twelve months alone. Experts claim that demand for in car entertainment continues to rocket despite the impending global recession.

In car entertainment such as in car video screens (also known as “car indash LCD” and “car LCD screens”) are popular with motoring enthusiasts and vehicle customizers who install the systems to their own and client’s specifications.

The car modification and cutomization market also continues to grow as consumers look to make the most of their existing vehicles, possibly due to reduced access to car finance.

Leaders in the car video screen markets such as Pioneer electronics and Jensen electronics are leading the way in in-dash entertainment, developing and releasing new models at unbelievable rates.

The boom in interest in the car LCD screen market has sprung a number of online specialists providing a range of advice, sales and service on leading brands.

One leading car video screen supplier has launched niche online store www.carvideoscreen.com, offering consumers a complete range of in car entertainment systems from leading brands such as Pioneer, Jensen & Legacy.

The site offers a complete range of in car entertainment systems including alarm systems, specialist speaker systems, amplifiers and flip down screens. However, it’s the indash LCD screens that continue to spark demand with numerous models back ordered up to 3 months in advance.

Recession or no recession, it seems that the car video screen market is still going strong!

Notes to the Editor:
For more information on car video screens, car indash LCD & car LCD screens please visit www.carvideoscreen.com

CarVideoScreen.com offers car video screens such as LCD monitors, in-dash screens, headrest monitors and other car stereo products at wholesale prices. Choose from name brand or reliable alternative LCD screens.

Sandbox Couture Announces Top Baby Gifts for the Season

Sandbox Couture, a popular online children’s boutique retailer of  baby clothes, childrens clothes and holiday baby clothes today announced its list of top baby gifts and gift ideas representing this season’s must haves, top sellers, celebrity favorites.

Finding quality items that are unique and have that wow appeal just got easier with Sandbox Couture’s Top 10 Gift List. Featuring a combination of baby clothes, children’s clothes, baby gifts and accessories, shoppers can find amazing deals on truly remarkable gifts for the little ones in their lives.

From Baby Bling, the popular designer of pacifiers and pacifier holders, shoppers can find a huge selection of uniquely adorable pacifiers, clips and accessories. Adorned with imported crystals double reinforced with non-toxic glue, these fun and funky binkies have been product tested to meet baby safety guidelines. The Baby Bling line provides a great outlet for accessorizing as well as providing fun and practical gifts.

Itzy Ritzy, maker of Cuter Than A Ducks Butt, brings forward a new line of Shopping Cart Covers, Nursing Covers, Blankets and Burp Cloths. Itzy Ritzy Baby Ritzy Rider in Licorice Swirl is a making an impact with shoppers and a popular item with our NYC celebrity parents. These couture designed covers are perfect for all shopping carts, as well as restaurant high chairs, park safety swings.

Another featured designer is Kaiya Eve, maker of adorable tutu petticoats that every girl should have. Fluffy and fun and brilliantly designed, these are great for dressing up, pictures, holiday festivities or that special event. On the other end of the spectrum are funky and sassy onesies from Ooh La La Mama. Taking fresh designs and pop culture favorites to the next level of soft, comfortable fabrics, these onesies easily make Sandbox Couture’s Top Baby Gifts List.

“Bringing fun ideas and stylish gifts to shoppers is just part of our business model,” stated Sam Brown, spokesperson for Sandbox Couture. “By keeping tabs on fashion trends, reviewing designers collections and listening to the demands of customers we strive to present the best of the season’s top items,” Brown concluded.

Top brands available at Sandbox Couture include Baby Bling, Baby Nay, Roxy, Ooh La La Mama, Kate Mack, Itzy Ritzy, Quicksilver and Small Paul by Paul Frank, to name a few. For more information on the latest additions in baby clothes and children’s fashions, please visit http://www.sandboxcouture.com.

The online retailer of baby clothes and baby gifts continues to stay on top of current trends and couture clothing, bringing customers unique and fashionable items for babies and children. SandboxCouture.com has been selling baby clothes and designer children’s clothes since 2005 and frequently adds new products and gifts in a variety of mediums to appeal to online shoppers on an international scale. In addition to purchasing items, customers can also buy gift certificates giving the gift of style and selection this holiday season.

About Sandbox Couture
Sandbox Couture is an online children’s boutique retailer, providing designer baby clothes, designer children’s clothing and unique baby gifts. The company takes pride in hand selecting products from top designers, thereby ensuring quality and contemporary style. Sandbox Couture’s philanthropic contributions and socially conscious business practices are at the forefront of the company’s ideals and corporate culture. Founded in 2005, Sandbox Couture is privately held and headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. For information about Sandbox Couture, please visit the company’s web site at http://www.SandboxCouture.com

Debt advice in the face of a recession

The deteriorating state of the economy should lead borrowers to review their finances as a matter of urgency, say debt experts Debt Advisers Direct, following the Autumn forecast from the Ernst & Young ITEM Club.

“Released on 20th October, the Ernst & Young ITEM Club Autumn forecast ‘sees an economy that has deteriorated dramatically in the last quarter and is now in recession’,” said a spokesperson for Debt Advisers Direct. “The good news, however, is that the recession is expected to be both short and shallow, with GDP rising – even if only by 1% – in 2010.”

“Even so, the impact of today’s economic downturn will be profound,” the spokesperson continued. “By definition, even a ‘shallow’ recession involves a shrinking of the nation’s economy, with the inevitable consequences: lower spending, higher unemployment, greater uncertainty about the future, etc.

“On an individual level, the threat of a reduced monthly income is likely to lead many to review their financial situation. This isn’t to say that economic gloom is a good thing, but everyone needs to stop and take stock of their finances from time to time, and reports such as this can provide a much-needed incentive to do so.

“It’s important for everyone – even people with no debts and significant savings – but for the millions of UK consumers in debt, it’s particularly vital. Many people in the UK have grown used to spending more and more of their monthly budget on debt repayments. In many cases, those repayments take up almost their entire disposable income, so if anything happens to their income, they could almost immediately face a whole range of consequences, from legal action to bailiffs and County Court Judgments (CCJs) – to say nothing of the damage to their credit rating.

“The important thing, of course, is to take action before it’s too late. Seeking professional debt advice is normally the best way to start – any borrower could have a wide range of debt solutions available to them, so it’s vital they talk to a professional organisation which understands every option and can provide impartial debt advice, tailored to their individual circumstances.”

An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) or debt consolidation loan, for example, could help someone cope with a reduced income – yet neither debt solution would make sense for someone who’s fairly sure they might lose their income (or a significant part of it) in the near future.

“A borrower who is working, but whose job seems to be at risk, may be better off with a flexible debt solution such as a debt management plan: if their income drops, they can ask a professional debt management company to talk to their creditors on their behalf, renegotiating their debt repayments as and when it becomes necessary.”

Different borrowers, in other words, will need to adopt different strategies to deal with their debts. “There’s no ‘silver bullet’ for debt. Debt management plans, debt consolidation loans, debt consolidation remortgages, IVAs, even bankruptcy – each has its place, but the debt solution that’s right for one person can be completely inappropriate for another. The key thing is to take the time to get the right debt advice before making any commitments.”

Website: http://www.debtadvisersdirect.co.uk/

Think Money welcomes base rate cut

Responding to the half-point cut to the Bank of England’s base rate, financial solutions company Think Money welcomed its already noticeable impact, and pointed to the implied likelihood of future cuts.

“There’s no question that we’re facing extraordinary issues today, both globally and nationally,” a Think Money spokesperson commented. “As a company, we were pleased to see the Bank of England taking this step – not just dropping the base rate, but dropping it by a substantial amount.

“Furthermore, we’re delighted to see major mortgage providers passing that reduction on to consumers. After so many months of negative news, this could make a big difference to many homeowners’ financial circumstances, as their variable rate mortgages drop from 7% to 6.5%.”

Anyone with a tracker mortgage, meanwhile, is sure to enjoy lower payments at once: The Times predicts immediate benefits for around 4 million people paying home loans that track the Bank’s base rate. ‘Those with a £150,000 mortgage’, it reports, ‘will see their interest-only repayments fall by £63 a month’.

“The same goes for other kinds of credit,” the spokesperson continued, “from secured loans to credit cards: people with tracker deals will certainly profit from the cut, and borrowers with SVR deals will be following their lenders’ reactions closely.”

New fixed-rate loans could also drop in price. “Now that the cost of credit has come down, lenders will be able to pass the savings on, giving their customers a better deal without placing their own profits in jeopardy – something which could have a profound impact on their stability at a time like this.

“Looking beyond the actual cut,” the spokesperson stressed, “it’s equally important to consider the implications – not just what the deal means, but what it says about the Bank of England’s assessment of our economy. First, the cut reveals how seriously it is taking today’s financial troubles. Second, it implies that the Bank is feeling more comfortable about inflation.”

As stated in the Bank’s news release about the rate cut: ‘The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth and thus has diminished further the upside risks to price stability’.

“In other words, today’s financial crisis has become more of a threat to the nation’s GDP – but on the plus side, slowing growth does tend to slow inflation too. The Bank may well have liked to postpone the base rate cut until inflation came down closer to the 2% target, but given the choice between letting the economy deteriorate and losing some ground in the fight against inflation, it chose the latter.”

As for the months ahead: “The latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index (SPI) for the UK reveals that annual shop price inflation shrank to 3.6% in September, down from 3.8% in August. It’s encouraging to see inflation on the way down, particularly as it gives the MPC more leeway when it comes to future base rate decisions. Various influential bodies are calling for the Bank to make further cuts to the base rate – and there’s reason to hope it’ll be able to do that.”

More information: http://www.thinkmoney.com/loans/

Lloyds TSB Launches Next Generation of Mobile Phone Banking

Lloyds TSB has become the first bank in the UK to offer a range of banking services allowing customers to monitor and manage their money on a mobile phone.

The new Lloyds TSB Mobile Services are unique in giving customers the ability to move money instantly between accounts through a Mobile Banking application and receive text messages about their finances.

Mobile Services allows customers to securely move money between their Lloyds TSB accounts on their mobile phone. They will also be able to view their account balances, check their last six transactions and receive a wide range of text alerts, to keep them up-to-date with their finances.

The new service will also include an Overseas Transaction Alert. Subscribers will receive an alert if their debit card is used to withdraw cash from a cashpoint or to make a purchase abroad. This alert is designed to give customers control and peace of mind in always knowing what is happening on their savings or current accounts.

Lloyds TSB has four million customers registered for its Internet Banking service and new research2 shows that nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of people use Internet Banking to keep track of their finances.

However, the research also reveals that two thirds (60 per cent) want to be able to keep tabs on their accounts using their mobile phone, while half (53 per cent) want to be able to actively move money between accounts. Over a third (36 per cent) say that being able to manage their money in this way would help them to keep a closer eye on their finances.

Catherine McGrath, director of current accounts, Lloyds TSB said: “Technology is evolving at lightning speed and with these changes come new demands from our customers and new possibilities for products and services to meet their needs.”

The research highlighted the growing trend for mobile phones to be used for a range of purposes other than phone calls. Eight out of ten (81 per cent) say they send or receive texts; more than half (57 per cent) use their phone as a camera; a third (36 per cent) use it as a diary; a quarter listen to the radio through their phones; and a fifth (19 per cent) access the Internet.

Catherine McGrath adds, “Gone are the days when we used our phones only to call friends and family. Mobile phones are now part of our daily lives in a way few would have imagined just a few years ago. Just as Internet banking has taken the country by storm over the past decade, mobile banking is now set to change the way we mange our money.”

“Many customers are already used to the idea of keeping tabs on their bank account using a mobile phone, but we’re launching the next generation of mobile banking that allows people to stay in real control of their money wherever they are.”

About Lloyds TSB:
Lloyds TSB (http://www.lloydstsb.com/) offers customers a wide range of current accounts, savings accounts, insurance, loans and credit cards, designed to meet different customers’ needs.

Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and signatories to the Banking Codes. Lloyds TSB Bank plc Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN . Registered in England and Wales no. 2065.

Lottery.co.uk warns against losing lottery tickets

Lottery.co.uk, the premier web site for independent lottery news and views, has warned lottery players to be on their guard against losing their tickets after revealing that a large amount of money is still to be claimed by winners.

Lottery tickets might only cost a relatively small amount of money to buy, but they can be worth millions if the right numbers come up. Unfortunately, many people fail to take care of their lottery tickets and the end result is that they are unable to claim any prizes that those tickets win. Lost lottery tickets can therefore mean lost fortunes.

Winning UK Lottery players have 180 days to claim their prize, and if that deadline isn’t met, the prize is forfeited as far as the player is concerned. In February 2006 a prize worth £9.4 million was forfeited by a customer in Yorkshire because of this rule, and although that is currently the biggest unclaimed prize on record, several other multi-million pound wins have also gone unclaimed.

According to Lottery.co.uk, the largest prize currently waiting to be claimed is for almost £450,000, with other unclaimed prizes coming to a total of over £1 million.

“Over the past few years an astonishing number of prizes have been forfeited,” said a Lottery.co.uk spokesman, “In fact there is rarely a month in which at least a handful of prizes aren’t waiting to be claimed, and many of these are worth five or six figures.”

Prizes that aren’t claimed in time to meet the 180 day deadline are added to a fund for good causes.

If a lost lottery ticket is found by someone else, any prize that the ticket has won may be legally claimed by the person in possession of the ticket due to a lottery ticket being a bearer instrument, which means it legally belongs to the person who holds it. Lost lottery tickets could therefore be claimed by anyone who is lucky enough to find one before the 180 day deadline has passed.

In an effort to stop prizes remaining unclaimed Lottery.co.uk has recommend that players buy lottery tickets online. Tickets bought online are uniquely associated with the individual. This means that they can’t be lost and no prize won by a lottery ticket bought online can be claimed by anyone else.

About Lottery.co.uk
Lottery.co.uk (http://www.lottery.co.uk/) is a truly independent lottery web site that provides lottery players with everything they need to get the most from their favourite hobby. Check the latest lottery results for all National Lottery games, read all about the latest lottery news stories, make use of an informative articles archive and much more.

Apress Inc. Announces New Partnership with Safari Books Online

Apress announces the agreement to include Apress and friends of ED titles in Safari Books Online, a premier on-demand digital library, as part of its continued commitment to supporting the needs of its technology professionals.

The availability of Apress and friends of ED books to Safari Books Online subscribers is a key part of Apress’ ongoing commitment to providing high-quality information to its readers in the ways they need and want. Safari Books Online is a widely popular service that will provide flexible, on-demand access to Apress books on a subscription basis. Apress is pleased to be joining an elite group of business and technology publishers whose titles are available to Safari customers.

According to Paul Manning, President of Apress, “…Safari’s client base is a perfect match with Apress’ content. We’ve heard from many friends and customers recently that they wanted Apress books available on the Safari Platform. In the end, that feedback, that message, is what drove the partnership. We also believe that this is great exposure for our authors, and that is a core value at Apress.”

70 Apress and friends of ED titles have been available for download at Safari Books Online since October 2008, and Apress is looking forward to feedback on other titles to offer going forward. Currently available titles include:

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston
CSS Mastery by Andy Budd
Microsoft SharePoint: Building Office 2007 Solutions in C# 2005 by Scot P Hillier
Pro Spring 2.5 by Jan Machacek et al.
The Definitive Guide to Django by Adrian Holovaty and Jacob Kaplan-Moss
Pro C# 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform by Andrew Troelsen
Practical Common LISP by Peter Seibel

Mark Brokering, Director of Content Management and Acquisitions for Safari Books Online, explains why Apress is a great fit for Safari: “We are very pleased that we can now offer Apress’ prestigious line of technical books to our subscribers. We’ve had so many requests for their titles over the years—and for good reason. Apress has an outstanding editorial team with a well-earned reputation for publishing high-quality books on important topics on which reliable information is hard to come by.”

Apress’ entire list of published books has been available in PDF eBook format since 2005 via the Apress eBookshop, http://eBookshop.apress.com, and will continue to be sold direct from the publisher.

About Apress: Apress is a technical publisher devoted to meeting the needs of IT professionals, software developers, and programmers, with more than 700 books in print and a continually expanding portfolio of publications. Apress provides high-quality, no-fluff content in print and electronic formats that help serious technology professionals build a comprehensive pathway to career success. Apress and friends of ED are part of Springer Science + Business Media. Read more at http://www.apress.com/info.

About Safari Books Online: Safari Books Online (www.safaribooksonline.com), founded in 2001 as a joint venture of pre-eminent technology publishers O’Reilly Media Inc. and Pearson Education, is the leading on-demand digital library, providing access to thousands of books, manuscripts, short topics, articles and instructional videos from the world’s thought-leaders in business and technology innovation. Safari Books Online empowers technology professionals, software developers, web designers, and business and creative professionals to quickly and easily search for reliable, definitive answers to mission-critical questions. Learn more at http://www.safaribooksonline.com/company/company.php.