I'll Get You Gadget!

Nintendo Wii ::: Advanced Media Network - Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Super Smash Bros, Wii, Revolution

2006-12-09T18:27:00.000Z

Nintendo Wii ::: Advanced Media Network - Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Super Smash Bros, Wii, Revolution: "It%u2019s funny, really. What we%u2019ve seen from Nintendo for the last several years is almost like some crazy martial arts combo, preparing to use their competitors%u2019 strength to defeat them."

Wii Whoops!

2006-12-08T17:00:00.000Z

BBC NEWS : Wii shortages frustrating gamers

Looks like the Wii is a runaway success and as a result there is a major supply problem. No real surprise really!

IGN: PAL Wii Week: Out of the Box

2006-12-05T08:44:00.000Z

IGN: PAL Wii Week: Out of the Box: "So, the first thing you'll notice as you tease open that cardboard casing is the effort Nintendo's made to make your initial Wii experience as special as possible. In its continuing attempts to become the Apple of the games industry, even the Wii's box is that little bit different."

MUSE Live at Cardiff Arena

2006-11-15T00:13:00.000Z

Click To Play

First - Massive thanks to James for arranging what was one of most incredible music experiences of my life! So many classic moments that I simply don't have the time to relate them all here. Needless to say MUSE are every bit as good as the rumours suggest . . . and them some! Second - I filmed this on my (broken) Nokia N93, the left mic is no longer working, so if the sound is poor that's partly to do with having to spread one channel across two in iMovie and partly because the N93 doesn't like loud noises . . . hehe . . . (^_^)

Cheap HD-DVD From Microsoft

2006-11-14T08:52:00.000Z

UNEASYsilence - Hacking the XBox 360%u2019s HD-DVD for the PC

How Notebook Batteries Work and Why They Blow Up

2006-11-03T17:24:00.000Z

How Notebook Batteries Work and Why They Blow Up : Tom's Hardware UK and Ireland

The humble battery has made a headlines recently after a spate of exploding laptop stories. Toms Hardware go inside the battery technologies found in old and new laptops to explain why Li-Ion batteries can explode and how you can help preserve your battery's life-span.

"Where Are You!?"

2006-11-03T11:50:00.000Z

How many times have you had that text message come through on your phone - "Where are you!? What's the point of having your phone if you don't answer it?" Well, this could be the perfect answer: Track your location with gsm-tracker. Anyone tried it?

MacBook Pro Now With Intel Core 2 Duo - Not Before Time Either!

2006-10-24T14:06:00.000+01:00

Apple - Updated MacBook Pro Line

The Core 2 update was really a question of when not if for Apple. The Core 2 really improves of the Core Duo's great performance especially in the area of video encoding. Quite simply the Intel Core 2 Duo makes the Macbook Pro the most delicious pro notebook for sale today.

iCarta iPod Dock & Toilet Roll Dispenser

2006-10-11T14:47:00.000+01:00

First Steve Jobs showed one at a recent Apple show then I managed to get my hands on one at the recent Inmac 2006 Customer Exposition. So what do I think of the iCarta as an iPod dock? It seems to me that no self respecting iPod owner should have a toilet without an iCarta. This is the most stylish toilet roll dispenser I've ever seen. The guy showing this to me was at pains to state that the built in battery is rechargable although the information I'm reading says it's mains only. Didn't get a chance to test the audio quality but I can only imagine that it's good enough for a bathroom. The iCarta is available in the UK from LM Technologies.

See a larger picture.

DailyTech - Documents Leak NVIDIA's Quantum Physics Engine

2006-10-06T13:48:00.000+01:00

DailyTech - Documents Leak NVIDIA's Quantum Physics Engine

I can see it now, Windows Vista 2 requirements:

Quantum Physics GPU for Aero 2 Interface

Microsoft patches bad browser bug - At last!!!!

2006-09-27T14:56:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS : Microsoft patches bad browser bug

Congratulations Microsoft! After almost 2 weeks of pressure the software monolith has moved into action and patched another nasty hole in IE 6 and Outlook. The exploit uses a vectored graphics dll which can be harnessed to allow malware onto a user's PC.

ALL WINDOWS USERS SHOULD RUN WINDOWS UPDATE ASAP!

MacOS User? Webmaster? Try this!

2006-09-27T11:15:00.000+01:00

I wonder if one of the MacOS using team members here (ie all of them but me) could try out the ShortStat widget.

Here you go Paul - an image

I Gotta Get Me One of These!

2006-09-25T10:22:00.000+01:00

Seitz 6x17
160 Mega Pixels!!! Coming to a phone near you soon . . . not!!

iTunes 7.0 - Cover Flow Fun!

2006-09-14T10:32:00.000+01:00

Simply put iTunes 7.0 is the biggest update to iTunes since it was first launched way back when. Everything looks a lot slicker (unless you're on an ancient graphics card, in which case things will look rather funky). My favourite new feature is Cover Flow. iTunes has always had the feature to embed and display album cover art but they've taken it to a whole new level with iTunes 7.0. Cover Flow, bought from Steel Skies, basically allows you to browse your collection in a much more hands on manner, flicking through your album art until you find an album you like. It might, or might not be a better way of browsing through your library but whatever it's very gratifying to see your music displayed with it's associated artwork, presented much more beautifully than before.

Music & Video bought in the newly renamed iTunes Store will obviously come with artwork embedded. iTunes Cover Flow will also automatically go and look for your missing artwork (with some success, although some bands with similar names might end up with the wrong covers, Savoy for instance). This is great for all those CDs you imported into your library. If the automatic search isn't successful then you can, as before, add custom artwork lifted off of the net (good old Amazon!!). There's a whole new project now for me to embark on, getting album art for all of my songs.

Finally does anyone know why Apple have changed the look of iTunes from a green tint to a blue tint?

Update:

History of the iTunes logo

The Mighty Nokia N93

2006-09-14T09:58:00.000+01:00

First up, this is a big big phone. So big in fact, that you can only just get away with stashing it in your jeans pocket. There is a reason for the size though - it does a lot of things, most of them very well indeed.

1. Phone
2. Text
3. Email
4. Web Browsing (no, not like Opera mini, think Safari!) via Wireless G or GSM, etc.
5. Video recorder (full 640x480 with 48khz stereo, 30fps MP4)
5b. Video player, including H.264, same as iPod
6. Still Camera (3.2mp with 3X optical zoom
7. Radio
8. MP3 and AAC player
10. Document viewer and editor (MS and Acrobat)
11. Video calling
12. Games machine (with full 3D acceleration)
13. TV out (PAL and NTSC, works will all apps and functions)
14. Calendar, Diary, DoTo, etc. etc.
15. Voice recorder
16. Torch

The most impressive features, the reason why I love this big beauty, are the wireless web browsing and the video recorder, both of which work (almost) flawlessly. The still camera is not quite up to the same standard but still 'good enough' for my needs. One other point of note is just how bright the screen is, it's very bright! To think that these kind of features will become part of all phones sometime before the end of 2008 is quite amazing and probably spells the end of most other devices. Having said that, I guess that the other devices will just have to stay two steps ahead. So perhaps these feature rich phones spell the end of low end devices.

Get a Mac and get Gisele Bundchen!

2006-09-08T12:01:00.000+01:00

New Apple ad on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Gisele Bundchen evidently represents how Mac OS X apps are nice and sexy while PC apps look like cross dressing fat blokes.

Couldn't agree more!

Also is it me or is the Mac guy trying to look like Kevin Rose?

Apple iMac now with Intel Core 2 Duo and 24" screen

2006-09-07T13:20:00.000+01:00

Apple - iMac Range

Appled slipped the newly updated iMacs out without so much as a whisper. So here they are the new improved iMacs with Intel Core 2 Duo chips and now available with a 24" screen.

The best desktop pc just got better!

The Mac Mini also got a speed upgrade too. The Core Solo model is no more and the high end Mac Mini now sports a 1.83GHz Core Duo. It's now only £400 to get the new 'low-end' Mac Mini. That's a very tempting price indeed!

Surely the MacBook Pro will get the Intel Core 2 Duo sooner rather than later!? It's not a heat issue that's for sure since the Core 2 Duo is slightly cooler running than the Core Duo. Expect an announcement soon.

Amstrad PC 1512 SD

2006-09-03T23:35:00.000+01:00

Amstrad PC 1512 SD
Originally uploaded by pcesarperez.

Now this takes me right back to my earliest computer memories. The Amstrad PC 1512 SD that Dad would bring home from work. This and James' CPC 464. The first game I remember playing on a computer was MS Flight Sim on the Amstrad PC. Chicago Megis Field in glorious CGA! More memories coming this way soon....

QSST Quiet Supersonic Transport

2006-08-31T14:52:00.000+01:00

QSST Quiet Supersonic Transport

This is an uber-gadget that only someone like Roman Abramovich or Donald Trump could afford. Think of the Learjet meets the Thunderbirds and you'll get something close to the QSST.

Basically the QSST is a private jet that can travel at supersonic speeds but without the sonic boom associated with normal supersonic flight. "The comfort of a private jet and the speed of a fighter jet."

The "If Dreams Could Fly" video is very impressive.

Don't Download This Song

2006-08-29T09:56:00.000+01:00

Wierd Al says: "don't download this song" but as always he's just kidding!

Download This Song Here - 192kbps MP3

PlayStation 3: Gaming Console, Media Centre, Scientific Research Machine??

2006-08-26T09:07:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS : PlayStation 3 tackles world ills

This is nuts! Sony have lost the plot, dropped the ball or whatever you want to call it. There's so much talk around the PS3 but so little action. Now it's going to run research projects with it's 'spare' processing power!? Nice!

DSL Linux

2006-08-25T09:17:00.000+01:00

DSL (Damn Small Linux) is a Linux distro based on Debian that has been slimmed down to the bare essentials to enable it to run on anything from a 486 up. The great thing about it is that like most Linux distributions it comes with a whole host of hand appliations pre-installed. If you have a network card you have the potential to connect to the internet in a secure and safe environment (connecting to the internet with Windows 95, 98 or ME is not a good idea). This type of slimmed down OS is ideal for countries where access to the latest hardware is beyond the reach of the average person. Take any working machine with a CD drive and you can have a fully loaded system in no time at all.

Another good use for DSL is the ability to have a fully bootable OS on a small USB thumb drive. This can be very handy when diagnosing faults.

Out of interest I took an old Dell Latitude XPi CD M133ST that we had laying around here and work and tried installing DSL on it. I was able to locate this handy how to which helped a lot. Following those instructions closely I was able to install DSL in under 30 minutes. I popped in an old PCMCIA NIC and hey presto I'm on the net. In fact I've been writing this post for that machine, a Pentium 133mhz MMX with 32mb of ram, 1.6GB hard disk and a 12.1" SVGA screen. Obviously it's not the fastest machine in the world but it's more than useable. I could quite easily use email, basic web browsing and IM no problem at all. Add to that the built word processing and spreadsheet apps and I can do all the basics.

I think DSL is well worth a look if you need to ressurect an old machine and want to run on a modern stable OS.

Apple do a Dell and issue a recall on 1.8m laptop batteries

2006-08-24T23:31:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS : Apple recall on laptop batteries

Looks like this battery recall lark will cost Sony a ton of dough. If you've got a battery affected by this recall then it's a real boon since you'll be entitled to a nice new battery. Hopefully one that won't cause a fire either! Talking of batteries my Pismo's battery has finally died after 6 years of life. Not bad really since Li-ion batteries generally have a 3-5 year life span.

Tiny, sub-$100 PC runs Puppy Linux

2006-08-24T16:58:00.000+01:00

Tiny, sub-$100 PC runs Puppy Linux

So you thought the Mac Mini was small, check this out! Not only is the MicroClient Jr. small it's also mega cheap, sub $100. Proof that a Pentium 166MHz cpu can still be of some use when twinned with an efficient OS.

Big rise in broadband connections

2006-08-24T09:44:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS : Big rise in broadband connections

No surprises here really.

Broadband uptake has been fuelled by a host of attractively priced offers from companies such as Carphone Warehouse, BT and BSkyB.

Ironiacally in another report the BBC 'uncovered' that TalkTalk's free broadband is rubbish. Suprise surprise! There's a big difference between a good deal and free.

Black MacBook @ Apple Store, Regents Street

2006-08-22T17:51:00.000+01:00

Black MacBook @ Apple Store Regents Street
Originally uploaded by Paul & Aline.

My first hands on experience with the new Apple MacBook. To be quite honest it was even slicker than I expected. I've seen a lot of notebooks in my time but this is certainly one of the best looking ever!

Not only did I look at the black model but I also had a quick look at the white version (let's face it £150 extra just for black...?). I did notice that the white models seemed to have gone a little bit grey. Maybe it's the composition of the keyboard surround but it seems to attract the dirt. On the other hand the units in the Apple Store do get a lot of wear and tear.

MS Work Simulator

2006-08-21T21:40:00.000+01:00

10 years on and this comic is still just as appropiate. :-)

AnandTech: Mobile CPU Wars: Core 2 Duo vs. Core Duo

2006-08-20T23:18:00.000+01:00

AnandTech: Mobile CPU Wars: Core 2 Duo vs. Core Duo

How does the new Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo fare against it's Core Duo predecesor? Simply put a very good chip just got even better:

While Core 2 Duo does look nice, as long as you've got a good notebook today you'll probably want to wait until Santa Rosa before upgrading (at the earliest). With Santa Rosa, clock speeds will go up slightly but more importantly we'll get access to a faster FSB. Unfortunately a side-effect of keeping Core 2 Duo fed with a faster FSB is that while performance may go up, battery life may go down. It'll be interesting to see what Intel can pull off with the new platform; one of the funny things about performance and battery life is that if you can complete a task quickly enough thus returning your CPU to an idle state faster, battery life will grow even though instantaneous power consumption may be higher.
For Apple users this means that early adopters of the new MacBook or MacBook Pro won't be too pressured to upgrade again by the end of this year. Of course Apple has this way of making incremental changes irresistible.

I bet we'll see Intel Core 2 Duo chips in the MacBook Pro before the end of the year. Those laptops will simply fly! Also the good news is that you could drop a Core 2 Duo chip into a Mac Mini... imagine that!

Lenovo rolls out Linux Thinkpad

2006-08-16T10:23:00.000+01:00

Lenovo rolls out Linux Thinkpad : Tom's Hardware

IBM Thinkpads running Linux. Well IBM Thinkpads aren't really IBM anymore but Lenovo and Linux is nowhere near as wierd to use as it used to be.

Lenovo today announced at the Linux World conference that it will be offering a version of its flagship Thinkpad model T60p. The notebook comes typically with Windows XP, but is now available with Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 software as well. Lenovo hopes that especially people involved in engineering and applications will find a Penguin-powered mobile computer attractive enough to shell out some extra dollars.

I think it's good news to see Linux distros being installed on business grade machines. When it comes to operating systems I think it's important to keep an open mind.

A tip for improving Skype call quality

2006-08-15T16:48:00.000+01:00

I'm an avid user of Skype but one thing that annoys me is when I get poor call quality. There are of course a number of factors that influence the quality of a Skype call (or any other VoIP service):

1) Bandwidth (especially your upstream)
2) CPU speed
3) Other apps running in background
4) Quality of your sound setup etc

There is however one other factor which can have a huge influence on the quality of your Skype calls. If you're using your PC behind a NAT router / Firewall, which almost everyone should be for security, then this will effect you. Basically if you're behind a router Skype will route your call through a 3rd party, a 'supernode'. This will negatively effect your call quality. Luckily the way around this problem is fairly simple.

Within Skype there is an option to select the port which Skype uses to connect. Change this number to another port, something random above 1024 and less than 65535. Just doing this should improve your call quality. If you're using an older router you'll also want to configure port forwarding on your router. Add the port you've setup for Skype and have it forward to the local ip of your machine.

For more information check out Episode 34 of Security Now! Show Notes

Blogger.com unveils new beta version

2006-08-15T10:12:00.000+01:00

Techcrunch » Blogger.com unveils new beta version

At long last Blogger.com will be getting some much needed love from Google. There are plans to include a number of great features in the new version of Blogger such as tagging and privacy.

I'd also love to see them go through and clear out the unused blog accounts. There must be thousands of 'blogs' on Blogger that don't have any posts and have been registered for years. There should be a way for Google to reclaim these spaces.

Dell to replace (4.1 million!?) notebook batteries

2006-08-15T09:26:00.000+01:00

Dell to replace notebook batteries - Yahoo! News

This is one hell of a recall:

A Dell spokesman said Monday that the Sony batteries were placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

"In rare cases, a short-circuit could cause the battery to overheat, causing a risk of smoke and/or fire," said the spokesman, Ira Williams. "It happens in rare cases, but we opted to take this broad action immediately."

Li-Ion batteries are prone to being rather unstable but normally there is a microchip in the battery that will monitor the levels in the battery and close off any defective cells. It looks like something is very wrong with the design/implementation of these specific batteries.

For more information about the recall and to see if your battery is affected check Dell's Battery Recall website.

Zero Sugar Dr Pepper

2006-08-11T16:24:00.000+01:00

Diet soft drinks are all the rage, that is of course unless you think they're disgusting. Back in the old days (last year) if you wanted a sugar free Coke or Coke brand drink you'd go for the Diet version. Welcome to the modern age, when choice is everything and taste is nothing.

Here's the low down on Coke Zero (and the other Zero products) as found on Yahoo Answers:

"Diet Coke - Although it came out two years before “New” coke, diet coke that we’ve enjoyed since the 80s is the sugar free form of new coke. In other words, it’s based on the formula for the “New Coke” that wasn’t released yet (it debuted in 1985) when Diet Coke hit the market (1983), and is also now no longer available. (the New coke). Coca Cola has no plans at this time to discontinue the aspartame based Diet Coke, as it is third in the soda market. (After Coke and Pepsi, respectively.)

Coca Cola Zero - Sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium., the reason this is different than Diet Coke is Coca Cola Zero is a sugar free version of the Classic Coke formulation. In other words, this is meant to be a sugar free version of the red cans of Coke you know and may or may not love. It has a redder, deeper color close to the color of Classic Coke and tastes far less like a diet soda (by many accounts) than Diet Coke."

Ok so that's the technical aspect to it all but how does it taste? Well I've already tried Coke Zero and it tastes better than Diet Coke that's for sure yet the same is not true of Dr Pepper Zero.

Simply put... it's like Dr Pepper but less sweet and with a pretty gross after taste. Really you start off thinking "hmmm this is ok" then end up thinking "ugghhh"!

This whole removing sugar from sugary drinks is a false economy in my opinion. If you want a healthy drink then buy water or juice. Otherwise just go for the plain old high sugar fizzy pop that you know and love.

"Zero Added Sugar - Great Taste" Who are they kidding!?

Microsoft security - no more second chances?

2006-08-11T15:50:00.000+01:00

Microsoft security--no more second chances? : CNET News.com

Microsoft is fighting the security weaknesses in it's front line OSes but is it too little too late?

Ever since Bill Gates announced Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative four and a half years ago, the company says it has reshuffled its development priorities. Cool new features were to take a backseat to improved security and privacy.
Yet the problem lingers. In the last three years, Microsoft has issued an increasing number of yearly security bulletins, in which several patches get put online to fix problems in existing applications. The company sees this as evidence that it's on top of things, not an indictment of managerial incompetence.

It'll be fascinating to see if Windows Vista can really make the grade in terms of security. If it can't then I'm sure most users will not stomach another 6 years of security hell.

If you're a Windows user then I emplore you to install the following:

1) Windows XP SP2 or Windows 2000 SP4 (if you're using 95/98 or ME then consider upgrading or switching to Linux or Mac)
2) All the latest Windows updates, keep running Windows Update until no new updates are found.
3) Window Defender Beta 2
4) Lavasoft AdAware
5) Anti-Virus - AVG & AntiVIR are good free options
6) Firefox (it's much safer than IE6)

If you have none of these installed already then the chances are you're contending with pop-ups and viruses on a daily basis. Your system is probably so badly infested that you're distributing viruses and spam without even knowing it. If you fear that your system has been compromised I suggest you run Sysinternal's Rootkit Revealer. Rootkits are a spyware's best friend, they sit underneath the OS and are almost impossible to remove. If you have one then the best option is to format and re-install. Once you have a fresh install then you'll need to install the software listed above (that usually takes about 4-5 hours).

If you're running a Mac with an Intel chip and you've decided to run Bootcamp or Parallels then bear in mind that you'll need to take these precautions too if you want to protect your Windows install.

Clash of The Titans!

2006-08-10T22:07:00.000+01:00

Forget ZUNE, this is were the real battle will take place. The thing is, I love both firms :( perhaps they can form an alliance?
MacNN | Nokia on collision course with Apple

Samsung develops first 3" VGA screen for digital cameras | Tom's Hardware UK and Ireland

2006-08-10T13:41:00.000+01:00

Samsung develops first 3" VGA screen for digital cameras

Samsung announced that it has developed the first 3" LCD for digital still cameras (DSC) that is capable of displaying a resolution of 640x480 pixels (VGA).

I do wonder just how big is too big for a camera screen.

AnandTech: Apple's Mac Pro: A Discussion of Specifications

2006-08-10T13:25:00.000+01:00

AnandTech: Apple's Mac Pro: A Discussion of Specifications

By the end of this year, Intel will be shipping Clovertown, a quad core version of the dual core Xeons you see in today's Mac Pros. If Apple chooses to, with minimal effort, it could release 8-core Mac Pro systems in a matter of months (assuming Intel keeps its accelerated CPU schedule).

Full speed ahead!

Essential Gadget for Gamers!

2006-08-07T20:25:00.000+01:00

VGA Adaptor Box

The iBrella - the Wii controller for your iPod?

2006-08-01T14:47:00.000+01:00

In the world of gadgets, we know that they are not all meant to be that practical, sometimes it is just enough to say you can. Take the iBrella for instance. This is a proto-type controller for the iPod which uses motion to control the playback functions, and even opening and closing the umbrella to start/stop your music/video playback. I think it is just for fun, but a lot of work has gone into it.

As has been said already around the Net, I wouldn't fancy using it when it was actually raining, especially if it was during a thunderstorm, as this poor unfortunate can attest, but it is a cool idea, and the video demonstration makes great viewing!

Ubuntu Live CD on an Apple Powerbook Pismo

2006-07-26T10:25:00.000+01:00

After dropping my Pismo last week I discovered, rather unsurprisingly, that the hard disk drive had suffered some damage in the fall. In order to discover the extent of the damage I needed to remove the disk and place it on a test rig so that I could run Spinrite on the drive. This left me with a problem. How to use my laptop without a hard drive.

The answer that came to mind most rapidly was to give the Ubuntu Live CD for PowerPC a try. I've used both Ubuntu and Knoppix live CDs on PC platforms but until now I'd never successfully run Linux on a Mac. I had already downloaded the ISO for Ubuntu 5.1.0 PowerPC so I decided to use this again. After a little bit of messing about due to my Lite-On DVD-RW not wanting to CD boot I managed to get Ubuntu up an running.

When you boot up for the first time you go through a number of steps setting up the system. Obviously since you're running off read only media any configuration data is saved into a ram drive. After about 5 minutes you're up and running with a fully operational OS.

Ubuntu had no trouble installing drivers for my system so everything was working well. Also the Ubuntu Live CD comes installed with Firefox, Evolution Email, a MSN/AOL client and Open Office as well as a whole host of other useful applications. This means that you can use your pc for pretty much all of the basic everyday tasks without needing to install anything. It's pretty snappy too considering that it's running off of a CD. I was able to use this setup quite happily all weekend. The only downside is that plugins such as Flash do not come pre-installed and installation is not possible due to the limitations of a Live CD.

I highly recommend experimenting with a Linux Live CD if you get a chance. Not only does it give you the chance to test drive another OS but it can also prove to be invaluable in case of an emergency. One final point I liked about the Ubuntu disc is the ability to run up the live cd and then choose to install a full version of Ubuntu onto a hard disk drive from the live cd. This means you don't need to create more than one disc if you wish to carry on using Ubuntu on a more permanent basis.

Some final thoughts on Ubuntu. It is without a doubt the most user friendly version of Linux that I've encountered. If you've been put off of trying Linux before because you didn't know which distribution to choose or how to get started then I suggest you try Ubuntu. Their motto is: "Linux for Human Beings"

New Use for your old PowerMac G3

2006-07-25T10:17:00.000+01:00

Natasha G3
Originally uploaded by avriette.

Not sure how feline friendly this is but it certainly seems to be a good way of reusing your old PowerMac.

Inbox Zero: Processing to zero

2006-07-23T22:45:00.000+01:00

Inbox Zero: Processing to zero @ 43 Folders

If you're like me and you struggle to keep your inbox undercontrol then you'll find this article and others in this series very helpful.

The truth is that you probably can take the average email inbox — even a relatively neglected one — from full to zero in about 20 minutes. It mostly depends on how much you really want to be done with it. The dirty little secret, of course, is that you don’t do it by responding to each of those emails but by ruthlessly processing them. Is that how you thought this worked? Answering 500 emails in 20 minutes? Jeez, it’s no wonder you’re such a mess. Your cognitive dissonance is epic.

Give it a try, it's very liberating to have an inbox that reads: 0

Flashing from K750i to W800i

2006-07-20T17:00:00.000+01:00

I've never been much of a mobile phone kind of guy. In fact up until last week I was using a 6 year old Nokia mobile. Last week I upgraded to a Sony Ericsson K750i, a very nice little phone. It's got all the usual features of a modern phone but also it has a number of features that would normally only be found in a PDA or an iPod. A number of contact and calender functions as well as MP3/4 audio and video playback. Surely everything a boy could ever need?

There were a number of features missing from the K750i that would cover all the bases for me. Not after reading this blog post I discovered that it would be possible to flash the firmware in my K750i to that of the W800i Walkman phone (this is possible due to the hardware of the two phones being identical). Obviously I wouldn't have the funky exterior of the W800 or the improved headphones but I would have the ability to run the phone in 'Flight Mode' thus enabling me to use the phone while travelling by plane. Also the Walkman features of the W800i extend the functionality of the media playback as compared with the stock K750i.

My Sony Ericsson K750i before modification:

After switching off the phone, connect it to your PC via the USB cable.

Download and run the update software (I chose to use Davinci Team).

You select the firmware that you want to flash the phone with. Then after purchasing a flash credit you're ready to begin the flashing process.

After about 10 minutes the phone's firmware is now updated. If you by chance select the wrong firmware the flashing process will not complete (I know from experience!). Now you have the heart stopping moment waiting for the phone to power up with the new firmware.

Now that the K750i has W800i firmware you're asked if you want to "Start Phone" or "Music Only". (Something weird happened the first time I powered on the phone, if I selected "Start Phone" it would load up as "Music Only". After trying again I worked out that selecting "Music Only" would start the phone in phone mode. Subsequent power on selection is fine, just seems to be during the initial power on.

Now my K750i is running with the advance features found in the W800i Walkman phone. The pause play button will now function even without the headset attached. Also the shortcut button now loads up the Walkman player. Within the Walkman player is a graphic equalizer not found in the K750i software.

The menu now looks slightly different (as shown below). The first option is now "PlayNow", taking you to the Sony website. The Media Player button is replaced with a Walkman button. Also the firmware includes the Walkman themes, which are pretty cool.

Overall I'd say this is a worthwhile upgrade, especially if you want the 'Flight Mode' option. The added functionality of the Walkman software is very useful too. On the down side you will no longer be able to connect your phone to the Sony Ericsson update service since it sees that your phone has been flashed. I don't think that's a major problem now since the firmware in this phone is mature enough that most if not all the bugs are worked out.

There is only on thing that bugs me on this phone. When you're watching a video and you want to fast forward you use the joystick and push it to the right. The problem is that right and up are not so far apart so you end up skipping to the next video. Trust me it's very annoying. If anyone knows a way around this I'd love to know about it!

In conclusion I'm satisfied that this was £7 well spent. All I need now is an adapter so I can use so better headphones and a nice 1GB Memory Stick Duo.

Solio - Portable Hybrid Solar Power Charger

2006-07-19T10:24:00.000+01:00

I heard about the Solio - Portable Hybrid Solar Power Charger on today's Daily Giz Wiz. I thought it was such a neat little gadget that I'd post about it here on the Gadget Blog too.

This little device uses solar power to charge an internal li-ion battery which in turn can charge various other devices such as an iPod or a Mobile Phone. It's designed to fold up for easy transport then fold open again when you need to harness the Sun's power. It comes with various adapaters enabling you to connect it to different devices.

What a great idea! This would be so handy for trips when you're away from areas that have readily available electricity.

IBM Says It's Lucky to Get 10% to 20% Yields on Cell Processor

2006-07-17T16:20:00.000+01:00

DailyTech - IBM Says It's Lucky to Get 10% to 20% Yields on Cell Processor:

"The Cell processor is so complex that IBM even accepts chips that have only four out of the eight cores working. Not all cores end up functional says Reeves. In regards to why the yields are so low, Reeves says '[defects becomes a bigger problem the bigger the chip is. With chips that are one-by-one and silicon germanium, we can get yields of 95 percent. With a chip like the Cell processor, you’re lucky to get 10 or 20 percent. If you put logic redundancy on it, you can double that.' According to Reeves, Sony will be using Cell processors whether they have all cores functional or not. Reeves says that the PlayStation 3 requires at least seven of the eight cores operational."

If you read the last post and mix it with this post then Apple's move to Intel becomes even more important. It seems the Cell is a bit of a stinker to fab. Yet further bad news for PS3?

AnandTech: Intel's Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo: The Empire Strikes Back

2006-07-17T12:36:00.000+01:00

AnandTech: Intel's Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo: The Empire Strikes Back

Intel's new Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Duo Extreme chips might look like Pentium-D chips but looks can be deceiving:
"What you see before you is not the power hungry, poor performing, non-competitive garbage (sorry guys, it's the truth) that Intel has been shoving down our throats for the greater part of the past 5 years. No, you're instead looking at the most impressive piece of silicon the world has ever seen - at the fastest desktop processor we've ever tested. What you're looking at is Conroe and today is its birthday."

These are the chips that will return Intel to their pre-Pentium 4 market domination. Of course it'll be equally interesting to see how AMD responds. There's no doubting the fact that the GHz war is over. The Core war has only just begun however.

Toshiba give you MSN Search Toolbar... Thanks!

2006-07-17T12:18:00.000+01:00

What a wonderful selling point! I wonder how much of a discount Microsoft are giving to vendors who distribute MSN Desktop Search for them?

Microscopic U.S. flag comes from nanotechnology experiment

2006-07-14T13:29:00.000+01:00

USATODAY.com - Microscopic U.S. flag comes from nanotechnology experiment

Students from the University of Texas at Dallas created the likeness of an American flag so small it would take more than 10 to span the width of a human hair.

Only one problem:

"They don't have a method to actually see the flag."

Classic!

Music Phones to Challenge the iPod Supremacy?

2006-07-14T13:20:00.000+01:00

A fairly interesting article that touches a chord with me since I'm using a K750i as my phone / mp3 player:

"At first, 26-year-old London resident Rachel Slack carried around both her Apple iPod and her mobile phone. But in November, after buying a Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman phone with enough memory for about 100 songs, she started leaving her iPod at home."

One thing this article doesn't mention though is a lack of support for DRM. That means that unless you have an Apple blessed phone, ala Rockr, you're not going to be able to play anything you bought on iTunes unless you take some steps to remove the DRM (breaking the law, yada yada yada). This is where DRM holds part of the key to Apple's domination. People are locked in to playing on Apple iPods, iPod phones or iTunes on a PC.

read more | digg story

Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X

2006-07-14T12:46:00.000+01:00

MacDailyNews | Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X:

'A little neglect may breed great mischief: for want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.'

Right on! The Benjamin Franklin school of internet security.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 - NOW FREE

2006-07-14T09:12:00.000+01:00

In a surprising move Microsoft have made Virtual PC 2004 (a Windows only version) available as a free download. It's downloading as I type, but I don't think it will run the Vista Beta I've got waiting to be installed. This is a really useful piece of software, especially for testing set-ups/beta software, and I intend to use it to run a clean Windows OS with the Office 2007 Beta installed later today! Excellent; now, why would they do this? And when is the Mac version going to be free?

Edit: for the answer to the first question see the Virtual PC Guy's blog post.

Software Gadget: PortableApps.com

2006-07-13T14:15:00.000+01:00

PortableApps.com | Your Digital Life, Anywhere™

What is a Portable App?

"A portable app is a computer program that you can carry around with you on a portable device and use on any Windows computer. When your USB flash drive, portable hard drive, iPod or other portable device is plugged in, you have access to your software and personal data just as you would on your own PC. And when you unplug, none of your personal data is left behind."

USB memory sticks become a whole lot more useful when you make use of the apps on this site. Potential gold dust!

TV-B-Gone on The Daily GIZ WIZ

2006-07-12T15:53:00.000+01:00

Episode 102 of the Daily Giz Wiz featured this cool gadget, the TV-B-Gone.

"Shut off just about any TV set! The TV-B-Gone turns off virtually any television. Small enough to carry on your key ring It can turn off 90% of all TV’s 17 seconds. The range: 20 to 50 feet (7 to 17 m), depending on the make and model of the TV. It contains 209 turn-off codes. The regular version works on TVs in US, Canada, Mexico, and many Asian countries. A European version also available! Lithium batteries included (last about 3 months to one year depending on usage) Dimensions: 1.92' x 2.27' x .675' Weight: 26 grams with batteries. There's a new model out now with Instant Reactivation This feature allows you to press the button at any time to restart transmission of all of its infrared codes. Since the codes for the most popular TVs are closest to the beginning of the sequence, you can shut off more TVs faster, without waiting the full 69 seconds, as with the original version. $24.95 If original models are still available, they're about $18."

What a superb gadget! I want one.

Boing Boing: UK ISP to British recording industry: "get lost"

2006-07-12T13:38:00.000+01:00

Boing Boing: UK ISP to British recording industry: "get lost"

You state that such evidence is "overwhelming". However, you have provided no actual evidence in respect of 16 of the accounts. Further, you have provided no evidence of downloading taking place nor have you provided evidence that the shared drive was connected by the relevant IP address at the relevant time.

Looks like the Police will have to go in an raid all of Tiscali's servers just like the Pirate Bay case in Sweden. What a joke! What's the deal with the recording industry thinking they can strong arm everyone? Are they some kind of cornerstone to society or something?

iPod Fun!

2006-07-12T12:09:00.000+01:00

iPod.jpg
Originally uploaded by The Creative Life.

I have recently had a chance to do some rather extensive testing of the iPod 5G. As you can see I can confirm that the Pod makes a perfect bath time accessory - just don’t nod off!

The video playback is pin sharp, with only the slightest hint of blocking, even when playing back a DVD compressed (H.264) down to just 410mb. Sound is excellent and the battery life is . . . well, it’s just about passable.

Microsoft are 280m euros lighter

2006-07-12T11:11:00.000+01:00

Microsoft has been fined 280.5m euros ($357m; £194m) by the European Commission for failing to comply with an anti-competition ruling.

Ouch! I wonder who the Commission gives the money raised by this fine to? It ought to go to the Open Source community but it probably goes on Champaigne and Caviar! I wonder if there was any real way in which Microsoft could have avoided this fine? Probably not.

DailyTech - BitTorrent Preps Another Major Distribution Deal

2006-07-11T18:08:00.000+01:00

DailyTech - BitTorrent Preps Another Major Distribution Deal

BitTorrent has just signed another major distribution deal, this time with the independent movie distributor Image Entertainment. With the new deal, BitTorrent will add approximately 1,600 movies to its distribution library.

So 2 major distribution deals in the pipe for Bit Torrent. Meanwhile in the wacky world of anti-piracy the MPAA are investigating BitTorrent. Maybe they'll also investigate Ford too since people who distribute pirate disks down at the local market often use Ford Transit vans.

Also where does this leave bandwidth shaping for Bit Torrents? Dead in the water hopefully!

DailyTech - Microsoft Thinks Highly of the Low-End with Vista

2006-07-11T17:47:00.000+01:00

DailyTech - Microsoft Thinks Highly of the Low-End with Vista:

"Windows Vista beta testers who don't have the graphics hardware to run the operating system in all of its Aero Glass glory have been presented with a rather drab, dreary interface to navigate. This will change in future builds of Vista according to Microsoft's Nick White."

6 years in the making and they won't have a decent GUI for the average user. Nice! I still am amazed at how well OS X Tiger runs on my G3 500Mhz. There's no way Vista will run smoothly on anything as low as that.

Also Bill gates says that there is an 80% chance of Vista arriving in January.

For anyone who thought that ntl were the worst network provider in the world...

2006-07-11T12:31:00.000+01:00

Matsushita to launch 103-inch TV

2006-07-11T00:11:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS | Business | Matsushita to launch 103-inch TV

Matsushita, which owns the Panasonic brand, says it has already taken orders from the US for the 103-inch panel TVs.

It's a flat screen TV arms race!

Dell's Inspiron 1300 & Some Scary Facts

2006-07-10T16:13:00.000+01:00

(click on image for larger version)

I had the pleasure of spending some time (about 4 hours) this weekend checking out (cleaning up) a friend's new Dell Inspiron 1300 (that's the Dell Inspiron £349). I thought I'd pop over to Dell to take a closer look at this Dell budget beauty. While looking through the various upgrade options (no point taking any of them, the best thing about this machine is the price, increasing it make the whole thing pointless) I came to the 'Dell Scary Facts' section and I just had to share it with you all. Cracking!

Scary Facts:
There are over 100,000 viruses in existence
An unprotected PC connected to the Internet will be hijacked in under 10 minutes
Spyware infects 91% of home PCs

Well Dell... here are a few other Scary Facts that I'd like to add:

Your Dell PC comes bundled with a ton of bloatware / Adware that will take a good hour or so of your time to clear off. Think of it as pre-installed Spyware
Your Dell PC comes bundled with IE 6, making your a million times more prone to Spyware, the safe alternative is a free download of Firefox but Dell kindly don't pre-load that for you
Your Dell PC does NOT come with Windows Defender, the best anti-Spyware tool installed
Your Dell PC will run many times slower than expected thanks to all the Bloatware installed on it
Worse of all... none of the above applies if you save up a little more cash and buy a MacBook... Are you scared yet!!?!?!

All in all the Dell Inspiron 1300 - £349 is a solid little laptop. If you can get Dell to bundle the DVD-RW at no extra charge then you're on to a winner. Just make sure to get yourself some extra ram because 256mb with 64mb being used for video is no fun at all! This is throw away computing at it's best!

Jeff Minter criticises Sony

2006-07-07T09:20:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS : Video game legend criticises Sony

Jeff Minter should know all about smug console makers having been associated with Atari right up until their demise. Of course his comments are obviously true. As far as I can see the PS3 is the next CD-i or 3DO. It's late, overpriced and trying to be too many things.

PROLINE - Cordless jug kettle

2006-07-04T11:22:00.000+01:00

Ok a quick quick review:

It's a kettle, it's white, it boils water and it's £7.99.

What more do you need to know?

PROLINE - Cordless jug kettle

BT Studio 1100 Cordless Phone

2006-07-04T11:01:00.000+01:00

The BT Studio 1100 Cordless Phone is a decent sub £30 cordless phone. Using the DECT digital system the audio quality is very good. The 50 metre indoor range is more than enough for the average house. The handset is pretty easy to configure. You can store up to 30 names and numbers in the internal phonebook. Also the phone features caller I.D.

The unit comes with two AA rechargable batteries which have a 10 hour talk time. The base unit is mains powered so don't expect to use it in a power cut.

You can pick these phones up for £20, at that price they're a bargain.

Canon Powershot A620

2006-06-07T13:49:00.000+01:00

I've always liked Canon's digital cameras and the Powershot A620 is no exception. It's a lovely 7.1m pixel compact camera which is now retailing online for less than £200. Sure it's by no means a small camera, it's rather bulky, owing to it's use of 4x AA batteries but it's still a very good camera. If you're looking for a camera that takes stunning pictures and runs on standard batteries then you can't go far wrong with the A620.

The A620 has a really satisfying number of settings considering it's a 'low end' camera. There are the auto and preset settings but also a number of manual settings. The macro mode is very crisp all the way up to as close as 1cm. The overall shooting quality is also superb. The lens is a decent size for this type of camera and provides the CCD with good levels of light. As always the Canon post processing is also excellent. The only thing I wonder is if 7.1mp isn't a little bit of overkill for this camera (the new A700 is a 6mp). Either way I suppose you could down the resolution if you wanted to save space. On the other hand 7.1mp is ideal if you want to print posters!

The video settings are quite good too. 640x480 at 30fps is the top end and 320x240 at 15fps is the bottom end with a mixture of the two in between. The video file format is a motion JPEG which provides decent quality for short clips. There was a problem playing the files in Windows Media Player but Quicktime handled them no problem at all. The max video file size is totally dependent on the size of your CF card.

Overall the camera is very satisfying to use. It uses Canon's DIGIC II processor and is very responsive. The swivel LCD might not be everyone's cup of tea but the ability to turn the LCD toward the camera when not in use certainly helps reduce the chance of horrible LCD scratches.

I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a decent camera to make the switch to digital or if you want to replace an aging early generation digital camera.

For an in depth review check out: Digital Photography Review

DVD Rental Chart: Compare all 41 UK DVD Rental Services

2006-06-07T08:29:00.000+01:00

Fancy getting paid to watch movies?

Use this link below and you can take advantage of various free trials many of which pay you comission for signing up.

DVD Rental Chart: Compare all 41 UK DVD Rental Services

UK music fans can copy own tracks

2006-06-07T08:21:00.000+01:00

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | UK music fans can copy own tracks

So it's now not going to be illegal to rip a CD in order to store / play it on your iPod / PC. That was illegal before!? Talking of which I just loved this quote, it kind of sums it all up:

"In February, music industry investigators claimed someone in almost every street in every town in the UK was illegally copying music and film."

When the majority of the population are breaking the law that usually means there is something wrong with the law. Interestingly there are moves taking place in the US which will make it a Federal offence to copy any copyright material even if the copyright isn't currently valid! You just gotta love IP law.

Yahoo Battles YouTube But Forgets to Bring Flickr

2006-06-07T07:15:00.000+01:00

TechCrunch » Blog Archive » Yahoo Battles YouTube, But Forgets to Bring Flickr
"Yahoo Video is targeting YouTube by allowing user-generated videos on the site. The biggest disappointment? The product is not being integrated (yet) into Flickr."

Flickr is a wonderful web service and is very user friendly. Personally I think Yahoo's decision not to integrate Yahoo Video into Flickr is a good one. YouTube has some good features but it's quite a different beast to Flickr. Flickr is more classy also Flickr doesn't bombard you random 'junk' from other people like YouTube does.

Maybe over time a video option within Flickr would be a useful feature but I'd prefer for Yahoo not to lose the photo focus that Flickr has.

Yahoo Video / Flickr / YouTube

Music Industry Wake Up Call?

2006-06-04T22:37:00.000+01:00

First a internet only song, Crazy, takes the number 1 UK chart spot by storm then it's replaced by a song from a girl who until very recently was playing her gigs through the net and didn't have a record deal. Maybe some of the music industry suits will start to view the internet as a tool rather than as enemy territory. Sure a lot of music is downloaded illegally on the net but it should be clear for all to see by now that rather than reducing sales this wide-spread free distribution is feeding new interest in music and driving music sales. All that's needed now is a way for unsigned bands to distribute and promote their music without the need for a traditional record deal.

Read all about the latest chart news:
Thom curtails Crazy chart reign

Windows Vista takes it's lead from XP 'Slow Edition'

2006-06-02T10:25:00.000+01:00

Hot on the heals of Windows XP - Slow Edition we have a chance to see that some of XP Slow Edition's features have made their way into Windows Vista. Take a look at the procedure for deleting a desktop shortcut:

Deleting a Shortcut in Windows Vista is "just a few clicks away"

Maybe Microsoft are working to this slogan:

Windows Vista - "Simply Complicated Computing"

Complete the Great British TV Survey for a chance to win a HDTV

2006-06-01T16:49:00.000+01:00

SKY TV are currently conducting a Britain wide TV survey. Not only will your answers help influence the future of TV in Britain you'll be entered into a price draw with the chance to win Sky HDTV prizes.*

*This survey is in no way associated with the I'll Get You Gadget Blog

Windows XP - Slow Edition

2006-06-01T11:18:00.000+01:00

Windows Xp Slow Edition
Originally uploaded by orzalaga.

Since Windows Vista is delayed until sometime next year Microsoft have taken the step of releasing a stop gap version (think Win ME) of Windows XP. This version will require much lower system specs than Vista and will be ideal for users of last year's computers.

Note... Case melting is an optional add-on.

Glossy PixelBright Laptop Displays

2006-06-01T11:13:00.000+01:00

Since day one of the MacBook launch there has been a lot of talk about the choice of a glossy screen in these units. The official name for these panels is PixelBright and they're commonly found in consumer laptops.

So what's the bright (sorry) idea?

Here's the low down on PixelBright panels from Screentek Inc:

PixelBright LCDs: "In the past, LCD screens were only available with an anti-glare surface. Nowadays, consumers have the option of purchasing an LCD screen with an anti-glare surface (rough matte) or anti-reflective surface (smooth high-gloss) depending on the users’ environment.

Both anti-glare and anti-reflective LCD screens serve a distinct purpose. Anti-glare LCD screens may be better suited to office environments, where spreadsheets, word-processing, and similar tasks are the norm - along with many light sources and less flexibility in screen placement. Anti-reflective, on the other hand, may be better suited for graphics, gaming, and multimedia applications - like watching DVDs. While anti-reflective high-gloss LCD screens may seem superior in all facets, they are better suited in indoor environments where ambient light conditions are not as bright. This way the user gets ambient light reflection reduction without sacrificing any image quality. Anti-glare, on the other hand, may be better suited to the outdoors or indoor environments with brighter or direct light. In this situation, the user may be better off sacrifice image quality for maximum ambient light reflection reduction.

Ultimately, this comes down to each user's personal preference. Every user is different, and the best way to determine which screen type is best for you is to stop by your local consumer electronics retailer to see them both for "

Obrigado Gisele Bündchen

2006-05-31T16:36:00.000+01:00

Great news! Gisele has been photographed as part of a new Apple ad campaign. Why is this great news? Because it gives me a good enough reason to put her picture on the blog.

Obrigado Gisele!

Gisele Bündchen - Site Oficial

I can imagine how the ads will look:

Gisele and Jade Goodie.

Gisele: "Eu sou Mac" (I am Mac).

Jade: "Aym PeyCee"

Nuff said...

Apple - Nike iPod

2006-05-24T17:06:00.000+01:00

Apple - Nike iPod - Sync

Surely this has to be contender for best new class of gadget 2006? The Nike+iPod sensor and receiver seems to be a kind running partner slash personal trainer. One of the more interesting aspects is the ‘Connect, Compare, Compete’ idea as seen on the page linked above. I wonder if the sensor that fits in the shoes can be forced into any old trainers?

It's going to sell MacBooks

2006-05-24T16:55:00.000+01:00

macbook man | A Whole Lotta Nothing
Quite hilarious!

MacSaber!

2006-05-24T12:34:00.000+01:00

MacSaber: Turn Your Mac Into A Jedi Weapon

Oh man, this is awesome. At last there is a real use for the Sudden Motion Sensor, as everyone knows I’d never drop my MacBook Pro! (^_^). Hours of Mac Jedi fun!

Open Letter to the Mac Community

2006-05-24T07:28:00.000+01:00

Open Letter to the Mac Community

Weirdness!

EyeTV 200

2006-05-23T23:54:00.000+01:00

Elgato Systems
A small silver Firewire powered box that converts analogue video signals to a digital MP2 or MP4 feed. That’s the basic idea of the Elgato EyeTV 200. In truth, however, it’s much more than that. The EyeTV software allows for remote TV scheduling and export of recorded TV to almost every video format, including .3GP (for phones), H.264 (iPod) and MP4 for PSP.
I’m surprised just how many reviewers miss opportunity of the Elgato systems when reviewing the Mac mini as a media centre, it really does complete the package . . . and then some!

The nice thing about getting a TV signal to a LCD TV via a Mac (DVI out) is the upscaling the Mac performs, going from 720px to 1280px.

NeoOffice 2.0

2006-05-23T11:02:00.000+01:00

NeoOffice is a Java based port of Open Office for OS X. The generic version of Open Office on OS X uses X11. I find that NeoOffice, being OS X native, is a lot less clunky. Even so NeoOffice is still rather sluggish, especially on my poor likkle G3. Goodnews however! NeoOffice for Intel macs is almost ready. Either way I certainly recommend it for OS X users.

Meantime here's a link to the latest Alpha 3 version of NeoOffice 2.0: NeoOffice Download for PowerPC

T3 - Sky HD delays

2006-05-22T22:42:00.000+01:00

T3 - Sky HD delays
Crumbs! HD is having such a painful birth in the UK! Can it really be THAT difficult? Any of our foreign readers had experience with HD? We would love to hear your opinion on the subject. Does it really make much difference on a regular sized TV?

Apple iPod Hi-Fi

2006-05-22T22:35:00.000+01:00

Apple Store - U.K. - Apple iPod Hi-Fi
The Apple Store (UK) has 77 reviews of the HiFi averaging 4.5 stars. That’s a pretty fantastic average, so I guess it’s safe to say the it’s worth the money. I’d love to hear one in action, my main concern would be the lack of stereo separation. I do love the look of it though, the thought of having a beach party with the iPod HiFi providing the tunes is rather splendid. One wonders if they’ll do a smaller, cheaper version.

Ofcom rethinks ban on iPod gadget

2006-05-22T15:59:00.000+01:00

Wha!!? I didn't know that using an FM transmitter with you iPod like an iTrip was illegal in the UK! Fascinating. They were banned in 1949, now that was forward thinking! ;-)

BBC NEWS : Ofcom rethinks ban on iPod gadget

Says it all!

2006-05-19T08:19:00.000+01:00

Notice the Digg rate?

HP Compaq nx8220 Business Notebook

2006-05-18T14:43:00.000+01:00

When HP bought Compaq back whenever it was I was worried how things would pan out. Would HP ruin what was a strong laptop product line from Compaq? Would Compaq dissappear?

After some teeting troubles we're now seeing some really solid units coming out of HP. The current Compaq NX range being an excellent example. I've seen a number of the models in this range and have been impressed. The build quality is very good, I'd put it above Lenovo and a mile above Dell. The designs are very nice too. The whole feel of these laptops is solid and stylish.

The HP Compaq nx8220 is a really nice unit. The big 15.4" WSXGA+ screen is very crisp. The metalic finish is very solid. The Pentium-M 760 chip, although not the latest Core Duo, is a very solid chip. Rounded out with 1GB of ram, 80GB of hard disk space, Wireless G standard networking, DVD writer and Bluetooth. This is a very solid product.

The HP Compaq NX8220 is an ideal power laptop for a professional or a home user.

Price Range: ~£750 inc VAT

HP Compaq nx8220 Business Notebook

Try a Little IP Address

2006-05-18T10:26:00.000+01:00

Can all y'all tell me what you see when you go to http://85.12.73.129/

Cheers.

PS - a screenshot would be helpful

Stealthbook '06 - The New Apple MacBook

2006-05-16T15:37:00.000+01:00

Well after all the rumours it's finally arrived and hooray it comes in black! The Apple MacBook with Intel Core Duo.

Apart from the cool looks and the nift chip this beauty also has a nice 13" WXGA panel, upto 2GB Ram, plenty of disk space and optical options too. 2x USB and 1x Firewire as well as the option to extend the desktop via an external screen.

If someone can sort me out with £1025 I'll get one in to review.

Meantime checkout the Apple Store:

Apple Store - U.K. - MacBook

FlickrExport

2006-05-11T14:21:00.000+01:00

If you're a Mac user who uses iPhoto and Yahoo's Flickr photo sharing service then you'll want to check out FlickrExport by Connected Flow. It's a free plugin for iPhoto that adds the ability to export photos from iPhoto to Flickr with almost no fuss. I've been using it since almost the first day I joined Flickr and I love it. It's not without it's bugs, sometimes it will stop uploading halfway through an upload but more recent versions seem to have fixed this problem.

With FlickrExport you can easily rename, resize, edit tags, decriptions and add albums to the photos you want to upload. It also advises you on how much of your monthly upload bandwidth has been used (20MB for free Flickr accounts and 2GB pro accounts).

So if you use iPhoto and Flickr be sure to get FlickrExport. If you use iPhoto but don't use Flickr then I recommend you give it a try, it's free and it really makes sharing pictures so simple.

Zelda | Twilight Princess

2006-05-11T08:29:00.000+01:00

Oh my, it would seem that the Gamecube will get a one final outing this year. Twilight Princess looks to be quite amazing. If only they had launched this instead of Wind Waker - not that Wind Waker was a bad game, it was just not what most people expected or indeed wanted. Sometimes in the lifecycle of a games console it’s important to give the people what they want rather than showing them the way forward.

Integrating Wordpress 2 and Gallery2 - Pt1

2006-05-10T15:54:00.000+01:00

"Zero Sized Reply"

Oh the joy! Can anyone reading this please visit www.aquitania.co.uk and see if you get a "Zero Sized Reply" error. If you do, can you help me find out why?

Oh dear, oh dear . . .

2006-05-10T09:35:00.000+01:00

At E3 Sony, Nintendo and now Microsoft have all laid out their plans for the coming year. It would seem that Microsoft have a pretty good reason to smile. Sony’s PS3 is going to be way to expensive to be taken seriously (the 3DO comes to mind), and the Nintendo’s Wii (I still think this is a crazy name) seems to be nothing much more than a Gamecube with a rather interesting controller and an internet connection.

I’m sure Nintendo could point to their DS success as a reason for the limited graphics system in the Wii, but that would respresent a failure to realise the difference between the needs of the TV gaming and Handheld gaming.

The Wii will get off to a flying start, possibly even breaking records, only to quickly disappear altogether. This is probably for the best, as then Nintendo can get on with making great games for all formats, something which they really should have done at the end of the N64 era.

The XBOX 360 coupled with XBOX live is starting to look more and more like a winning combination.

Warner Bros. to sell movies via BitTorrent

2006-05-09T23:45:00.000+01:00

Warner Brothers sees the light and embraces the best file trading system out there. Only one glitch... well no actually about 3 glitches:

1) DRM - No DVD playback, oh pleeez!
2) Price - DVD price for a film which has no extras, cannot play on a DVD player and has no physical property!?
3) Peer-to-Peer - They'll be using my upload bandwidth, see above.

It's a start but the movie studios need to let go and truely embrace the digital age.

read more | digg story

channel4.com Video on Demand

2006-05-08T11:03:00.000+01:00

After overhearing a radio ad for Channel 4's new video on demand service I thought I'd go and have a quick look at it. Now the advert uses the Macintosh start-up sound to represent watching tv on your PC. Only one problem Mac users:

channel4.com - VOD:

"Can I access the episodes from a Macintosh?

Episodes are not available to Mac users because the Mac version of the Windows Media Player does not support the features we use to protect our content from unauthorized use."

DRM = Dirty Rotten Media

LiteOn LVW-5115GHC+ DVD±RW Recorder

2006-05-08T09:55:00.000+01:00

When I decided to replace my ancient hand me down VCR with something a little more modern (and working) I had a number of requirements:

1) Value for Money
2) Recording Compatibility
3) DIVX / Xvid Playback

In the Lite-On LVW-5115GHC+ I was able to satisfy all of my requirements. It's very reasonably priced, around £100, supports all the DVD and CD flavours (except Dual Layer) and has full DIVX & Xvid support. So what's it like to use?

Once you've connected it up and powered it on you'll need to navigate the menu system to get the recorder configured. The menu isn't impossible but it's also not as easy as it should be. Anyhow once you've got the date and time you won't need to access the menu too much. Of course if you're like me and get your TV through the analogue airwaves then you'll need to access the TV tuner menu. I can confirm that reports about the lousy quality of the tuner in this recorder are true. The reception isn't as good as the reception I was getting through my LG TV. A digital tuner would have been nice but I guess the £100 price point wouldn't have been possible. Anyhow after a lot of tinkering I managed to get all 5 terrestrial channels in more or less ok quality.

Recording in SP (Standard Play) mode provides 2 hours of 'DVD quality' MPEG video. The settings below that really aren't worth talking about. There is also a HQ (High Quality) mode that gives a higher bit rate MPEG 2 video. In it's standard form the recorded media can only be played in the recorder but if you finalize the recording then you can play the disc in any DVD player or computer.

Lite-On offer a one year warranty on this model also they make firmware updates available via their website. Running a firmware update is very easy and many updates improve performance and compatibility.

If you're looking for a good DVD recorder that offers a good range of playback options then you can't do much better than get a LVW-5115GHC+.

Specifications

One of the best reasons to get a Mac

2006-05-02T14:49:00.000+01:00

Since my switch from Windows XP to Mac OS X, over a year ago, I've had a grand total of ZERO viruses. In fact until last week I'd had no pop ups either (now I have 1 for some reason). Just because there are no viruses on the Mac right now doesn't mean it'll be safe forever, just as Windows won't be a terrible as it is right now forever. At present though the totally different security setup in OS X is a huge reason to switch.

More about my switch soon.

114,000 Viruses? Not on a Mac

---Update---

Check out the new Apple Ads

Brazil & Japan Sign Digital TV Standard Memo

2006-04-28T09:20:00.000+01:00

A good move for Brazil:

Brazil moved toward adopting a high-definition TV system based on the Japanese standard, choosing it over the one used in the United States.
The foreign ministers of Brazil and Japan signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo on Thursday to work toward the introduction of Japan's ISDB-T standard. The U.S. standard is called ATSC.

Newsvine - Countries Sign Digital TV Standard Memo

Danger! USB Memory Stick

2006-04-27T15:17:00.000+01:00

Warnings over USB memory sticks

"Everyone expects a virus to come through the [e-mail] gateway," he said, "No one expects them to come in on a USB stick."

Not sure I agree with that quote but it's certainly very easy to copy data from modern PCs unless they are locked down.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD (IF)

2006-04-18T09:59:00.000+01:00

My first Tamron lens was the 70-300 f/4-5.6 LD. (By the by, I'm looking to sell this lens. Its in great condition - Minolta AF fit). I bought it for the trip to Brasil and there it served me well. Ironically, it was the bulk of this lens that sent me down the path of looking for a small digital camera. Which eventually led me to where I am now.

The 18-55 EF-S lens that came with the 300D when I bought it 2 years ago is decent enough. I believe it retails at around £100 - and does the job. But I've been on the look out since for a good replacement/upgrade lens that would justify the expense.

The design team at Tamronwho worked on the 28-75 must get warm fuzzy feelings all over whenever they see someone using one. It is not often that a product like this comes along. Ok so the product name may sound likely a really fast car or something, but what you get is a lens that by most if not all accounts rivals Canon's 28-70 f/2.8L. An L lens is like a Ferrari badge - or like having the latest Apple computer. The Canon 28-70L is an awesome lens. Which is why anyone who buys the Tamron offering can hold his head high. Yes, the Canon lens slighty - subjectively speaking, I do mean slightly - out performs the Tamron. But for the added advantage of weather-sealing, USM focus, FTM focus and a lovely red ring and an L you pay three times as much.

So what do all those letters mean?

XR - Extra Refractive Index Glass. Sounds interesting right? This is what the Tamron website says: "The refractive index – its ability to bend light – plays a critical role in the creation of the power and thickness of an element. Extra Refractive Index (XR) glass bends light more effectively than normal or lower refractive index glass and can therefore compensate for specific aberrations within an optical design."
Here is an excellent explanation of XR and lens coatings.
According to Tamron, XR technology allows the lens to be much smaller and lighter!

Di - This lens was specifically designed for digital and film SLR cameras. What that really means, well who knows. Looks groovy though.

LD - Low Dispersion. Essentially means that the glass is high quality and mostly does what it is supposed to do. In a lens, you really don't want light being sent all over the show.

IF - Internal Focusing. I don't know why this is in brackets. But it is really cool! It means that the focusing mechanism will not rotate the front of the lens, allowing for effective use of polarising filters. And its quite flashy too.

In Use

I've used the lens for a few Spring shots, but over the last couple of weeks it has been getting a proper workout in tough conditions taking photos of wax figures at Madame Tussauds and of my little newborn neice.

What has really struck me is how much less work is required in Photoshop. So much of the photo seems "just right" straight from the camera, which certainly was not the case with the 18-55EF-S lens. I feel confident to use all the f-stops at every level of zoom (unsurprisingly, f4 is always going to produce sharper results that f2.8). The AF is pretty fast, and the manual focus ring is chunky enough to allow easy use (the 300D viewfinder leaves much to be desired for MF work). The bokeh is very satisfying, and edge sharpness allows for more confident composition.

I'm delighted with this lens. It really is as good as the hype and amazing value, when you consider the price of the competition.

Torchreviews.net

2006-04-13T12:22:00.000+01:00

This one is for Grandad-XP
I like the looks of the SureFire A2 Aviator. Possibly because "It is also their first light featuring a regulation circuit designed to supply constant power to the main lamp over the duration of the battery life" or possibly just because it looks cool.

Dad, you definitely need the Peak Beam Systems MaxaBeam - only $1800!

TV for Free! What a Novel Idea!

2006-04-11T09:43:00.000+01:00

Disney are going to put some of their shows online for free. Wow wee! Free TV shows supported by advertising, what a novel idea! You're not allowed to skip the adverts though, oh come on! That's like locking your TV so you can't change channels during adverts. Oh well the more 'free' tv that is online the better. The next step is of course to see these programs in high quality, or even TV quality. Low quality junk is a waste of time and bandwidth.

BBC NEWS : Disney puts shows online for free