This is the Home Cinema Popcorn Maker I showed on BBC2 Something for the Weekend  yesterday. It’s perfect for movie nights in and really does make delicious tasting popcorn!

JM Posner’s Home Cinema Popcorn Kit is a great solution for any film enthusiast who wants the cinema experience at home. The 2.5 oz retro looking Popcorn Maker produces hot and fluffy popcorn in minutes with no fuss, using the same technology as in your local multiplex. Simply load the device with the included kernels and set it popping. There are no messy ingredients involved, and tidying up is easy! When you’ve popped enough corn for everyone, shake on either the seasonings (which you choose when you order the kit) and serve in the classic popcorn boxes.

The kit includes a 2.5 oz Popcorn Maker with removable serving dish, 2 Popping Corn resealable pouches, 2 bottles of Popcorn seasoning, 25 Popcorn boxes and a Recipe book. You can choose which two seasonings you would like from a choice of: caramel, chocolate marshmallow, butter, BBQ, Nacho cheddar, sour cream and onion.

Available at Firebox

Whether it’s checking your bank balance, emailing the office or using social media to keep in contact with our friends, apps are a key part  of everyday life of those if you have a smart phone or tablet. With nearly half of the UK population owning a smart phone, apps are increasingly becoming something we rely on just to undertake normal every day activities.

Check out these five travel apps to help your holidays run more smoothly.

Zagat

Zagat has been providing for years, lovers of great food, the ratings and reviews they need to ensure they are visiting a decent restaurant. Originally in book format which evolved to a website, the app now allows its users to find great restaurants whilst on the move. Particularly useful when you are on holiday and you might not know the area very well. The app includes ratings and reviews for over 30,000 restaurants around the world providing ratings on the standard of food, decor, service and cost – enabling you to make the right choice on where to eat.

Tripit

When travelling,  do you forever find yourself scrambling around in your hand luggage for tickets and scraps of paper with confirmation and booking reference numbers on? The Tripit travel app prevents all this, linking to your email address it then picks up every confirmation number that comes into your inbox and drops it into your very own travel itinerary. Flights, hotel, restaurant and car hire reservations are all brought together in one convenient place allowing you to leave the scraps of paper at home.

Hear Planet

Hear Planet aims to give travellers their very own audio tour guide in hundreds of thousands of locations that allow users to learn about the sights around them without having to stop to read. Local residents, organisations and anyone with an insight into an area can record their advice, if you find you have some useful knowledge to impart you can even add your own voice to Hear Planet to help guide future travellers. Hear Planet is a great way of obtaining, up to the minute travel advice from those who know the area, all without having to stop your sightseeing to read a guide book.

Photosynth

For the keen photographer out there, or indeed anyone who wants great photos of their travels, Photosynth is a must have app before venturing on your holiday. The app makes the most of your camera phone by combining your photos together to make a complete 360⁰ image of the views around you. You can then send these fantastic images straight to your family and friends from your phone. The app is completely free and will allow even the most novice of photographer to take images they can be proud of.

Postagram

Ever gone to buy a postcard for your loved ones whilst you are away and been disappointed by the selection of images of donkeys on beaches and half naked women? With the Postagram app you can turn your own holiday snaps into postcards and have them posted to your friends and family around the world for a small charge (around 99 cents.) Not only is this a unique and personalised alternative to the postcards available in the shops but it also works out cheaper than sending one the traditional way too.

Nomophobia or the fear of being out of mobile phone contact, is sharply increasing in the UK. A recent survey of 1,000 people in employment, conducted using OnePoll, discovered two thirds of respondents fear losing or being without their mobile phone. The study, sponsored by SecurEnvoy – the global leader of tokenless two-factor authentication, reveals that 41% of people interviewed, in an effort to stay connected, have two phones or more. When asked if they’d be upset if a partner looked at the messages and texts on their phone almost half said that they would.

Digging a little deeper, more women worry about losing their phones than men – 70% of the women surveyed compared to 61% of the men, yet it is men that are more likely to have two phones – scoring 47% and 36% respectively, perhaps in an effort to stay connected.

When split by age it is the younger age group (18 – 24) that are more nomophobic at 77%, with the 25 – 34 age group second at 68%. Perhaps a little more surprisingly is that third most nomophobic are the 55 and overs!

Another interesting revelation is that, with 49% of people getting upset if their messages and texts were viewed by a partner, they’re still lax at securing these devices. Forty-six percent do not use any protection at all; 41% use a four pin access code; and just 10% encrypt their device. A security conscious 3% use two factor authentication. Andy suggests, “With 58% of the respondents using at least one device for business use, this lack of security is a worrying trend that needs addressing.”

How would you feel about being out of contact from your mobile?

NY TECH DAY a revolutionary one-day expo created specifically for New York City-based tech startups, is confirmed for Thursday, April 19, 2012 in the Flatiron District. In line with the openness of the NY tech community, Tech Day is free to attend.

Exhibiting startups will have an unprecedented chance to gain exposure, publicity, talent and—of course—funding. The event will boast top companies, investors, a roster of tech speakers and industry press.

Over 200 startups are expected to showcase their companies, celebrating the best of the burgeoning New York tech community. Additionally, students from many of the top east coast universities will be amongst those in attendance – seeking opportunities to meet and interact with the city’s best and brightest innovators.

NY Tech Day is formatted in two parts: the “Expo” and the “Award Ceremony”.

The Expo will run from 10:00am – 4:00pm, and give exhibiting startups the chance to meet members of the tech community head-on, including investors, other prominent startups, potential hires, early adopters, and members of the press.

The Award Ceremony, held from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, will include a state of the NY Tech Community discussion as well as the much-anticipated prize presentations. The Peoples’ Choice Startup winner will also have the opportunity to demo in front of the whole tech community.

Register

While attendance is free, space is limited. To register to attend NY Tech Day and for general information, please visit NYTechDay.com.To register as an exhibiting startup or for more info about the benefits of exhibiting, contact outreach@nytechday.com.

General Info

Contact outreach@nytechday.com.

These Oakley Enduring Pace Sunglasses were designed in collaboration with golf’s top female athletes. The frame is lightweight and adjustable, designed for a woman’s facial contours and composed of stress resistant materials. They also come with an Oakley Soft Vault, for protection in your handbag or golf bag.

The lenses feature two high performance coatings. First, a permanent HYDROPHOBIC™ lens coating, which repels water, dust, lotions, and makeup; then an IRIDIUM coating designed to reduce glare, with lens curvature that ensures UV Filtering is at 100%, without sacrificing all important peripheral vision.

Price £136.00  Available from golfbuyitonline

Features:

• 100% UV protection

• Anti-smudge Lens Coating

• Glare reduction Lens Coating

• Free Oakley Sunglasses Case.

• Prescription inserts available.