White on! Mountech brings first all white TV wall mount range, designed and manufactured in the UK, and guaranteed to fit any screen for life

The ‘Pure White’ range by Mountech has been developed to give a wider choice when selecting a wall mount to suit the interior of modern homes.

The brackets are designed and manufactured in the UK from a high-grade steel, which is then coated in premium quality, pure white powder gloss. The range includes brackets to suit any fitting requirements, such as, Corner, Flush, Ultra Slim LED or Swivel & Tilt mounting options, and fit a range of TV and Computer screen sizes from 10 to 63 inches. Prices start from as little as £19.99.

All Mountech brackets are covered by a Guaranteed Fit (“G-Fit”) Service. This means in the event of the customer having a problem with a bracket, Mountech will guarantee to remedy the problem and send out replacement parts directly to the customer within 48 hours. All Mountech brackets are also covered by a unique Lifetime Guarantee.

FACTFILE:
With over 40 years of combined retail experience, Mount Technologies (Mountech) was founded in 2006 to address a need in the market for premium quality; British designed and manufactured TV wall mounts that encompass a unique personal customer service guarantee.

It was apparent that retailers were not fully equipped to deal with the common issue of brackets being returned, due to the wide variety of screens and their different fittings. With their local manufacture, Mountech provide a solution to this by offering a Guaranteed Fit service that ensures a customer has all the components they need to fix the screen to the bracket, and in turn, the bracket to the wall.

In the event of a fixing issue, customers are encouraged to contact Mountech, rather than returning the bracket to the place of purchase. The problem is assessed by Mountech’s in-house engineers, and if necessary, parts are sent to the customer within 48 hours. This ultimately eliminates the need for customers to return products, and the retailers need to accept returned goods.

Why do we need G-Fit?:
Screen manufacturers are attempting to provide a more consumer friendly approach to wall mounting a screen by adopting the VESA standard. VESA are an independent organisation that try and encourage amongst other elements a common approach to wall mounting and cable positioning. This standard however, remains largely exclusive to a select group of Blue Chip LCD/TFT manufacturers. Non, or Own Branded LCD manufacturers have a less organised approach to wall mount connectivity which often causes a problem when people try to wall mount entry price point televisions or computer monitors.

Mountech prides itself on its close relationships with display manufacturers. It is these long-standing alliances that have resulted in the most thoroughly researched and developed wall-mount designs on the market. Mountech innovative universal wall mounts are therefore, a convenient and retail friendly way of meeting the demands of an ever changing and rapidly expanding market, offering 100% manufacturer compatibility. However, the lack of uniformity between display manufacturers, does present a challenge to even the most generic wall mount design. Common problems encountered are:

- A poorly positioned SCART socket
- A poorly positioned Antenna socket
- A poorly positioned HDMI Socket
- The mould of the rear screen panel. (Convex or Concave)
- A brand name that has been pressed into the rear mould of the screen
- Screw depths as these can differ dramatically
- Removal of a table top stand to expose the fixing points for wall mounting

To overcome this problem, Mountech (and only Mountech) provides an after-sales service consisting of a direct link between customer and our factory. “Guaranteed Fit” is a free of charge service providing a total problem solving solution. The Guaranteed Fit, or “G-Fit” service, allows all compatibility issues to be dealt with efficiently and without involving the retailer. This stops product returns and guarantees total customer satisfaction.

www.mountech.co.uk

Otone Audio's new speaker systems bring modern sound experience to a totally new level

Otone Audio has developed a revolutionary new range of lifestyle inspired speaker systems that are set to take the current market by storm.

Otone Audio is a savvy new company based in the UK that brings together years of experience in the audio industry. The company works alongside a team of top designers on the continent and has collaborated with leading industry manufacturers to create its exciting new range of speaker systems which are excellent performers on sound, quality and price.

Otone Audio's development team has set this new level of performance by extensively researching the UK music market and refining its systems accordingly. This means their speaker systems better complement the more bass-centric sounds of dance, hip-hop and rock found in the home market. They also offer a whole new sound experience for gamers taking on the latest challenges, whether that's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3. Ultimately Otone Audio systems are unique - producing a sound that is totally tailored to UK culture.

Gareth Thomas from Otone Audio explains: "By tightened up the bass drivers, which in turn reduces their response time, the drivers in our systems can move [in and out] faster and respond in sync with the [faster] beat of the music.

"In speakers where the bass drivers are looser they cannot move as quickly and become out of sync - this is what causes distortion. We have also boosted the midrange performance to enhance the vocal clarity.

"Otone is growing quickly and we are now ready to really start shouting about our amazing range of speakers. We believe Otone provides better audio clarity and quality than any other directly competing sound system on the market at the moment, achieving this with equal or better sound at a lower price point than our rivals. Thanks to elegant styling and contemporary design, the speakers look as good as they sound too.

"We want people to see how different our products are; from the sound quality and edgy design to the clever functionality. With the full range of Otone speakers at our disposal, plus new product development on the horizon, 2012 is set to be the year that Otone makes its mark."

For more information about Otone Audio visit www.otoneaudio.co.uk.

Otone Audio have a stand at the Gadget Show this year and will be exhibiting the full range - 10-15 April 2012, NEC, Birmingham. Come and test the systems out for yourself over a beer!

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Door2Tour.com reports rise in sales for London theatre breaks

Door2Tour.com, the online travel company, has revealed that sales for its London theatre breaks are up 7% compared to the same period last year.

The provider of coach tours suggests that the rise in popularity could be because of sell-out productions such as new kid on the block, 'Matilda the Musical', and the continued success of Les Misérables, now in its 26th year. Last year, approximately 8 million people hit London's West End to see a musical of some sort. 

The success could also be attributed to the rise in popularity for West End plays with just over 3 million people seeing productions such as 'Frankenstein', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Noises Off', 'Two Guvnors' and 'Jerusalem' which had audiences queuing around the block just to get their hands on a ticket.

Rachel Jones, Online PR & Marketing Co-ordinator for Door2Tour.com said: "It just goes to show that even with all the doom and gloom surrounding the UK economy, our customers still want to treat themselves or others to London theatre breaks. We have certainly seen renewed interest in plays such as 'The Woman in Black' and 'Warhorse' since their respective big budget film releases. 

"We have also noticed that as the school holidays arrive, parents still wish to treat their family to a day out and this is where London theatre breaks are ideal as you get to see a bit of the city and finish with an entertaining evening at the musicals with the delights of 'Matilda', 'Shrek' and 'The Lion King' proving to be huge hits with families from across the UK."

Sometimes it’s not just a new show that attracts new audiences to the West End, sometimes it can purely be down to who is starring in it. Michael Crawford made his return to the West End when he starred as the Wizard in the (then) new musical 'Wizard of Oz' and that saw a huge rush in ticket sales. His role has since been taken over by Russell Grant who was extremely popular in the last series of 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas are due to star in 'Les Misérables' for a limited run in June 2012 which is sure to see a surge in interest from those avid fans of the show.

The popularity of reality TV Shows have also helped to attract new audiences to London's West End with shows such as 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' and 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?' attracting record numbers of viewers who in turn wish to see their winner perform in their lead role on stage.

Rachel concluded: "Although our customers are thinking very carefully about where their money goes and not necessarily wanting to travel too far, lately we have noticed that many are still looking to get away from it all to celebrate a special birthday or big anniversary. We have received numerous enquiries from people looking for a London break combined with a West End show to treat that special someone in their lives. It is without a doubt that London theatre breaks have been boosted by a host of new shows such as Singin' in the Rain' and 'Dreamboats & Petticoats' and a series of new stars freshening up the London stage."

www.door2tour.com

Oh, no! Not another digital TV switchover? International agreement boosts pressure for another TV switchover

A deal signed by representatives of 165 countries has greatly increased the likelihood of a second digital switchover across Europe. This could involve viewers having to retune their sets or buy a new set top box or TV. It comes only a few years after they had to replace equipment to receive digital terrestrial television.

The agreement was made at the World Radio Conference (WRC) in Geneva, held by the United Nations body with responsibility for Information and Communications Technology, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Delegates agreed to clear the way for mobile services in the 700 MHz band, which is currently used for terrestrial TV in most of Europe. The deal means that from 2015 mobile services operating in this band could legally demand protection from interference by other countries.

In practice this means that the 700 MHz band could not be used for mobile and broadcasting where two countries shared a land border as the mobile signals would be drowned out by the high power broadcasting signal. This creates a strong pressure for regional blocks, like the EU, to use the 700 MHz band for either broadcasting or mobile.

The switchover from analogue to digital TV has freed up the 800 MHz band for mobile services, a process known as the digital dividend and coordinated across Europe. This was agreed over the past few years, and the emergence of this deal for a second “digital dividend” in 700 MHz has taken many by surprise.

Furthermore, 700 MHz will be globally harmonised as it is also a mobile band in North America and the Asia - Pacific. Today’s agreement will ultimately extend that arrangement to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Ironically, what may be a headache for Europe will be good news for Africa and the Middle East who proposed the 700 MHz mobile agreement. In these two regions 800 MHz is used for other services, meaning that they would have had little or no “digital dividend” from the switch to digital terrestrial TV. Giving them access to 700 MHz would bring huge economic benefits by allowing the roll out of wireless broadband networks in a much shorter timescale than the wired equivalent.

“This WRC decision doesn’t mean that any European government has to move TV out of 700 MHz but it certainly tips the scales in the decision making process,” said Martin Sims, PolicyTracer’s Managing Editor. ‘If a significant number of European countries want to have mobile in 700 MHz this wouldn’t be practical unless the whole region went along with them. The economies of scale associated with a global market mean that 700 MHz mobile handsets could be cheaper, creating a powerful incentive for a second TV switchover,” he argued.

FACTFILE:
PolicyTracker is the spectrum management newsletter and has been published online and in printed form since 2004. We also provide consultancy services, market the Global Spectrum Database and organise conferences and training courses. For more details please see www.policytracker.com

Chak 89 greets yet another Bollywood Star - John Abraham

Bollywood actor and former model John Abraham paid a surprise visit to Chak 89 recently. Diners at the exclusive restaurant could not believe their eyes when they saw John mingling and posing for photographs.

Born in 1972 the Indian film actor made his film debut with ‘Jism’ in 2003 which earned him a nomination at the Filmfare Best Debut Award.

He then went on to star in commercial successes like ‘Dhoom’ in 2004 and then later ‘Water’ in 2005 and ‘Baabul’ in 2006. His most recent film was Desi Boyz where he starred as a desi college-student in London, opposite Deepika Padukone and Akshay Kumar.

Owner and Managing Director Frank Khalid commented; “John attracted a lot of attention when arriving at Chak 89 – He was a really nice guy and a great pleasure for us to entertain.”

Chak89 are not only a top Indian restaurant in London, but are also perfect for all types of wedding celebrations and a great Indian wedding venue, they can accommodate and cater for up to 650 guests in two adjoining banquet halls. They are also perfect for business conferences, or can bring the CHAK89 experience to you by allowing their Indian catering to stage your special day at any venue of your choice.

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Comedy Genius Tim Minchin Set To Ignite Larmer Tree Festival With Laughter!

Edward II • Vintage Trouble • Akala • The Hip-hop Shakespeare Company • Shlomo • Otis Gibbs • DJ Derek • Jason Ringenberg • Urban Folk Quartet • The Wave Pictures • Crowns • Rachel Sermanni • Keston Cobblers Club • Still Moving DJs

Wednesday 11th-Sunday 15th July 2012

Larmer Tree Festival is thrilled to announce that comedy superstar Tim Minchin will be headlining this year's comedy line-up. Performing his unique brand of musical comedy, Tim will be wowing audiences on Thursday 12th July with his back catalogue of hilarious, scathing and often unsettlingly lovely songs.

Guaranteed to have audiences in stiches, Tim is well-known for his iconic dance moves, wildly teased hair, and enormous sense of occasion. A veteran comedian, he's made appearances on TV shows such as the BBC's Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Genius and Channel 4's 8 Out of 10 Cats, as well as BBC Radio 2's comedy sitcom Strings and BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage. Tim's performed sell-out shows across the UK and recently toured with the 55-piece Heritage Orchestra performing his biggest live show ever, culminating at two sold-out nights at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Julia Safe, Co-Director of Larmer Tree Festival said: "We're very excited to be welcoming Tim Minchin and his grand piano to the festival - he's the biggest comedy headliner we've ever had! To celebrate this, and make sure the whole audience see him, Tim will be our first comedian to grace the Main Stage. This year's festival is shaping up to be the best yet and we can't wait for July."

The stunning Victorian Larmer Tree Gardens also play host to an impressive and eclectic mix of music. Joining confirmed headliners Jools Holland (Wednesday 11th July) and Levellers (Friday 13th July), just booked music acts include Edward II, Vintage Trouble, Akala, The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, Shlomo, Otis Gibbs, Jason Ringenberg, Urban Folk Quartet, The Wave Pictures, Crowns, Rachel Sermanni, Keston Cobblers Club and Still Moving DJs. A firm favourite among regular Larmers, the legendary DJ Derek will also be back, ready to spin more reggae classics.

With an exciting programme of music, comedy and a huge timetable of over 150 free workshops, shows and activities, there really is something for everyone at this family-focused festival. Tickets include all entertainment, free parking and camping for tents, caravans and campervans, and under 5s go free so there are no additional costs.

A three day ticket costs £140 per adult but festival-goers can enjoy a four or five day weekend for only an extra £25 or £50 respectively.

For more information on what's going on, line-up news and to book a ticket visit www.larmertreefestival.co.uk.

MUSIC LINE-UP SO FAR:
Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with special guest TBC • Levellers • Imagined Village • Fatoumata Diawara • Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends • Edward II • Vintage Trouble • Raghu Dixit • Akala • Dub Pistols • Shlomo • Dizraeli and The Small Gods • Red Sky July • Otis Gibbs • Emily Barker & the Red Clay Halo • The Legendary DJ Derek • Jason Ringenberg • Cahalen Morrison & Eli West • Urban Folk Quartet • The Miserable Rich • O'Hooley & Tidow • The Wave Pictures • Crowns • Bard • Rachel Sermanni • J P Cooper • Churchfitters • Keston Cobblers Club • The Lasting Days • Boat to Row • Ali Warren • Still Moving DJs

COMEDY LINE-UP SO FAR:

Tim Minchin (EDITOR: You would need more than Tim??)

Date: Wednesday 11th-Sunday 15th July 2012

Ticket Price: From £36-£190. Please check website for all ticket options

Online www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/tickets.html

Telephone Box Office: 023 8071 1820

Post Ticket South (MEL), Empire Lane, Southampton, SO15 1AP

Established in 1990, Larmer Tree is celebrating 22 years in 2012.
Larmer Tree Festival is a UK multi-award winning festival.
It is an intimate festival aimed at all ages with a limited capacity of 4,000.
The festival is held in the beautiful and unique Larmer Tree Gardens, near Salisbury, on the Wiltshire/Dorset border.
There are six stages, over 70 diverse artists, comedy, 150 free workshops, street theatre, a carnival procession and spoken word plus much, much more!
It has sold out in advance for the past 17 years.
The festival is independent and has retained its non-corporate ethos.
Concessionary youth and child tickets available.

Olympic Gymnast Turned Hollywood Stuntman Nicholas Daines wants Oscars for stunt performers

Having recently won a SAG Award for one of his stunts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (pt 2) former Team GB gymnast and professional high diver turned Hollywood stuntman Nicholas Daines is keen to see stunts recognised in the Oscar ceremony.

Nicholas - a member of the 2012 Olympic bid - says "Personally, I think that there should be a stunt category at the Oscars. We are the unsung heroes of the film industry and we risk our lives to create the action sequences that save the faces of the stars that get all the glory. The industry's early stuntmen such as Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton were the pioneers of this booming industry we know today. They didn't have the luxury of air bags and crash pads, so I think their accomplishments would certainly deserve acknowledgement."

Nicholas has appeared in films such as Die Another Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Hobbit and many more - and he performs as a zombie in forthcoming World War Z.He also appears in commercials for brands such as Audi, Adidas, Speedo, G Star Raw and Vodafone.

Nicholas still trains with his local gymnastics club and is keen to support Team GB this year. He say: "I'm extremely proud of my role in winning the bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. It is now an amazing part of history, and a framed signed photograph from Lord Coe of the campaign takes pride of place on my living room wall. It was an amazing opportunity to be able to give something back to a sport that has given me so much. I think the Olympics will be amazing for London.

"We have learned so much since the last Olympic Games here and it will do wonders for sport in general in this country. It is about time that sport took a front seat in the UK and I think we underestimate its importance in our culture. We have neglected it at times over the years, but I have high hopes that the Olympic legacy will inspire the British to get more involved in sport and achieve even greater things in the future.

"Sport is incredibly important in our society. It teaches immense discipline, and there is also a significant correlation with sport and high academic achievement. With obesity on the increase and anti-social behaviour out of control in this country, we need to invest in sport and realise what an important tool it is in the education and development of Britain's youth"

Learn more at www.nicholasdaines.com
- View Nicholas' showreel www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGauHc8AAlw
- Details of SAG award www.sagawards.org/media-pr/press-releases/%E2%80%9Charry-potter-and-deathly-hallows-part-2%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cgame-thrones%E2%80%9D-are-recipients-sag

Headline Show For E4 Udderbelly Festival - Shlomo's The Vocal Orchestra

The Vocal Orchestra, written and created by Shlomo, at E4 Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre, Jubilee Gardens, off Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
Monday 9 April - Sunday 27 May 2012

Press Review Tickets available from MONDAY 16 APRIL onwards

Seven mouths, seven mics, no instruments, THE VOCAL ORCHESTRA take to the stage at this year's E4 Udderbelly Festival from MONDAY 9 APRIL UNTIL SUNDAY 27 MAY with a spine-tingling hour of incredible musical entertainment.

Combining jaw dropping human beatboxing, glorious vocal harmonies and floor-wobbling bass lines, The Vocal Orchestra is a breathtakingly original show, written and created by internationally acclaimed beatboxer Shlomo, and performed by a company of the world's most exciting beatboxing superstars.

The Vocal Orchestra is a dynamic and exciting new show created and directed by award winning beatboxer Shlomo. His sell-out show Mouthtronica received 5 Star reviews at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and saw collaborations with James Morrison and Michael Winslow as well as performances on BBC Radio 1. A Guinness World Record holder, Shlomo gave up astrophysics to develop his unique brand of vocal pyrotechnics. It was a good move. Since then he has won global acclaim and worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Bjork, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Martha Wainwright, Imogen Heap, The Specials, DJ Yoda, Jason Mraz and even comedians The Mighty Boosh.

This uplifting mashup of intricate group beatbox routines and roof-raising interpretations of all-time classics from Jackson 5's I Want You Back and Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield to Out of Space by The Prodigy and David Bowie's Let's Dance will leave you whooping, clapping and dancing all the way home. Don't miss it!

Following in the footsteps of Tom Tom Crew, Brazil Brazil and Free Run; The Vocal Orchestra is the first headline show to be announced for E4's 4th Udderbelly Festival, the second will be announced later this month.

To see an example of The Vocal Orchestra at work click the link! http://youtu.be/iSp8BOlAA7g

Further information about The Vocal Orchestra can be found at www.thevocalorchestra.com

www.facebook.com/thevocalorchestra / www.twitter.com/vocalorchestra

Classic Sitcom 'Cowboys' Complete Second Series Is Out On DVD 5th March 2012

THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES (12)

The decorating and handyman trade takes on a whole new meaning when you encounter the builders of Joe Jones Limited. The '80s sitcom COWBOYS - THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES (12) is available to buy on DVD for the very first time on 5th March 2012.

Should your kitchen need repainting or your bathroom require renovation, you certainly wouldn't want to hire the dubious firm of builders that goes by the name of Joe Jones Limited. Geyser, Wobbly Ron and Eric work for Joe because no-one else will employ them. And Joe has to employ Geyser, Wobbly Ron and Eric because no one else will work for him.

Starring Oscar-winning scriptwriter and actor Colin Welland as the aptly named plumber Geyser, David Kelly (Robin's Nest) as his terminally confused co-worker, and Roy Kinnear as the boss entirely unburdened by a conscience, this wickedly funny early '80s sitcom was written by Surgical Spirit creator Peter Learmouth, and is set to win over the hearts of a whole new generation of fans.

COWBOYS - THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES (12) is a Network DVD release

Release Date: 5th March 2012

RRP: £12.99

Discs: 1

Running Time: 175 minutes (approximately)

Screen Ratio: 1.33:1/colour

Cat. No.: 7953642

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