Ciao UK Blog

Useless or not – it’s all a question of perspective!

If you want to be successful in today’s competitive business landscape or if you want to earn a quick pound, you need a ground-breaking idea. The result of such ambitions can sometimes be a bit odd, for example, we don’t see many moustache protectors around today!

However, sometimes, innovations which people thought would never work become everyday necessities in years to come. In 1943, former IBM boss Thomas J. Watson thought that it was unlikely that computers would find their way into homes around the World.  He was quoted saying that “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”, difficult to imagine today in a market busting with the latest tablets, PCs and portable laptops.

Similarly, when the telephone was invented, US-President Rutherford B. Hayes commented: “It’s an amazing invention but who will ever use it?”, tricky to fathom when today’s President Barack Obama uses his Smartphone to write updates on Twitter and share his thoughts with the World.

The radio was damned to being unsuccessful and during the 70s and 80s it seemed like the radio’s glory years had passed. But the radio survived and came to a renaissance during the Internet age: slightly altered in the form of MP3 players and audio podcasts.

But what about you? Did a strange invention ever cross your path that you didn’t push through? Or are you tomorrow’s Gyro Gearloose?

What great inventions would you like to see in the future? Please let us know by commenting below.

 

Shop on the go with new Ciao mobile website!

There’s good news for all of you who like shopping on the move today as we have just launched our new and improved mobile shopping website! On the new site you can access all of the best parts of ciao.co.uk including thousands of user reviews and the latest shopping deals across an extensive range of products, all at the touch of a button.

Now you never need to be torn over what product to buy while you’re out and about, because you can head straight over to http://m.ciao.co.uk from your mobile phone and see what other Ciao members have to say. Or if you’re stuck on a long train journey and fancy checking out the best holiday deals, or in the queue at the supermarket and want to pick a restaurant for dinner, it’s never been easier!

What’s more it doesn’t matter what type of mobile phone you own as Ciao mobile is available on almost all smartphone handsets. But if you’re not a UK Ciao user, don’t worry, because over the next few months we’ll also be rolling out new mobile sites across the rest of Europe!

We’d love to know what you think of Ciao Mobile, so why not head over to http://m.ciao.co.uk and leave us a comment here?!

Brits bare all in 2010

Recent search behaviour on the Ciao website has found that Speedosand bikinis are proving massively popular for Brits in 2010.  It seems as though we are keen to bare more than last year with skimpy swimwear searches increasing by over 100% from 2009.

Brits are also keen to ensure that they are tanned when they hit the beach, with searches for fake tan products slightly up on the same period last year and hair removal products also in demand. 
Gone are the days when Speedos were worn only by dads on the beach, we may be seeing a lot more flesh from both men and women in 2010, and it seems as though they will be well tanned and taking their grooming seriously too.

There is a long list of male celebrities who have taken the lead in wearing Speedos on their holidays, David Beckham, Daniel Craig and Prince William have all been papped in their skimpy swimwear, so perhaps that it should come as no surprise when we see more of nearest and dearest this year.
It will be interesting to see if it will just be Brits abroad that show more than usual, or whether we will see more flesh on show in the UK too!

What are your thoughts on Speedos and smaller swimwear this year?  Will you be following suit and swapping your baggy shorts and all-in-ones for something smaller?

Countdown to the World Cup with Ciao

There are only a few days to go before the World Cup in South Africa kicks off and we can all start cheering on our teams while enjoying international football at its best! For football fans across the globe, this marks the start of a busy few weeks filled with trips to the pub, parties with friends and extra long lunch breaks at work to make sure none of the action is missed.

For those of you who cannot get enough of football, or for those that don’t want to sit there clueless when the tournament starts, we’ve put together some key facts and figures on Europe’s top teams, giving you some insight and talking points for the upcoming weeks of football mania.

• The Spanish team is not only the reigning European champion, but really knows the meaning of team spirit as eight of its players are from the same club, FC Barcelona
• Raymond Domenech the new French manager has had a tough ride with supporters and in a bid to boost the national side’s performance he has recently introduced a new 4-3-3 playing format (four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards). The French team usually plays in 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, but the new format is proving to work well and could go some way to boost Domenech’s popularity and restore that nation’s faith in its football team
• The German team has been hit with a rush of bad luck this year. It has to replace several players due to injuries, among them goalie René Adler, team captain Michael Ballack and key players Simon Rolfes, Heiko Westermann and Christian Träsch. Nevertheless, the Germans remain in high spirits as the nation has a history of raising its game and performing well in national tournaments 
• The most goals the England team has ever scored in a World Cup match was way back in 1882 when it won 13-0 against Ireland

To celebrate the World Cup, MSN Football has teamed up with Press Association Sport to create the World Cup Event Centre for MSN users. This resource will offer fans the latest World Cup news and analysis, last minute goals, team information, fixtures and for avid supporters, “Shoot Live” photography of action from every match.
   
Here at Ciao we are getting into the World Cup spirit by running a special incentive scheme for all of our members. During each qualifying round (preliminaries, final sixteen, quarter finals, semi-finals, 3rd place game and final) in which the English team advances, Ciao will double the incentives for all reviews written live during the matches. This way, earnings will be doubled and Ciao fans will receive more money for reviews while also enjoying the English team’s success. What’s more, if England goes all the way and wins the World Cup, we will extend the bonus reviews program for an extra 14 days after the final.

How are you getting into the World Cup spirit? Are you holding a party or are you going to watch the game on a big screen in a pub or city centre? We’d love to know what you’re up to, so why not head over to ciao.co,uk and share your plans with the Ciao community.

Find it with Bing and Win a HP Mini 210 Vivienne Tam netbooks with Sex and the City 2!

Make Fashion Forward Decisions with Bing – and win a glamorous HP 210 Mini Vivienne Tam “Butterfly Lovers” Netbook PC featured in the SATC2 film

What to wear, where to go? They are life’s never-ending questions. Luckily, Bing is a decision engine- helping to free you from the oh-so-confusing conundrums. And, if that isn’t enough of a stress reliever, go to http://www.finditwithbing.co.uk for a chance to win a gorgeous HP 210 Mini Vivienne Tam netbook running Windows 7 in our weekly prize draw.

If you have already watched the film, don’t forget to write your review on Sex and the City 2

This prize draw will run for six weeks until 12th July