The combination of technology through convergence is confusing many people as to what system to buy to catch up with the current gadget landscape, it has been stated.

Founder of the Gadget Helpline Crispin Thomas said that the big buzz word at the moment was compatibility, with gadgets built to work with each other in the home such as an Xbox 360 linking to digital TV, which then links to a PC.

It was this, he said, that was complicating matters for users to the point where many were unaware of what new gadgets could do, such as mobile phones.

He continued: "It's all about the convergence of all the gadgets within the home and trying to get them working in one way together and we're all trying to catch up with that kind of landscape that's appearing in the gadget world."

To solve basic technology dilemmas, the Gadget Helpline told users to turn items off and on again.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).