Archive for the ‘Tech’ Category
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Mention the iPhone and people can’t help but talk about ‘apps’. What many people don’t seem to realise is that similar applications have been available on Nokia’s smartphone OS – Symbian (s60) – for years. The problem is they’ve never really had an App Store equivalent, even the recently created Ovi Store doesn’t do much mustard cutting.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t great applications out there for Nokia phone owners in 2010, they’re just harder to find. Once you’ve found them though, you’ll be pleased to know that s60 supports multitasking (so you can laugh at iPhone users who have to quit one application if they want to check something in another 
). I’ve included a list of applications I feel everyone should use (all of which are free), and if you’re the proud owner of a new phone which runs s60 you really should check them out. All the applications I suggest work for the E71, I’m sure they’ll be fine on the majority of others as well but I don’t own the phones to check!
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Tags: 2010, applications, apps, e71, e72, n95, nokia, s60, smartphone, symbian
Posted in Reviews, Software, Tech | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
So Microsoft has finally got around to releasing a Facebook app for the Zune HD, something I think all owners have been clamouring for since its release. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work, well at least not yet. At the moment all I can access through it are my notifications, the albums I’ve uploaded and my basic info. Microsoft are certainly aware of the problem as you can see from Zune’s twitter feed, so fingers crossed it shouldn’t be that long until it’s fully functional.
I’ll do a proper review once the app’s up and running in a way that’s actually works but initial impressions are good. The UI is nice and clean, as you come to expect when using the Zune, and as far as I can tell includes all the functionality you’d want from an app like this.
Now come on Microsoft, as far as I understand it the reason you’ve not opened up third party app support is so you can control the quality of the apps. I imagine someone’s getting a fair old face-slapping somewhere right about now!
P.S. To all you iPhone/iPod Touch owners, I know you’ve had a Facebook app since time began, forgive me for getting excited about something so mundane!
Tags: app, application, broken, Facebook, Zune Hd
Posted in Reviews, Software, Tech | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Taking obvious hints from the Zune HD’s interface, Microsoft have managed to create a clean and modern OS. If it is based on previous incarnations they’ve hidden it well enough that no one would care.
Definitely aimed more at the casual user than the older versions, great emphasis on integration with social networks and Xbox Live is evident. This as well as a media player based on the Zune and lots of swanky graphics certainly markets it as a device for pleasure as well as productivity. Assuming they manage to keep the old functionality they’ve done well to encompass two very different markets.
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Tags: microsoft, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 7 Series
Posted in Internet, Tech | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
A couple of weeks ago the Zune software was updated to include support for a vast array of new video formats. I for one completely missed it, so I figured it was worthwhile pointing it out.
Don’t get too excited quite yet, it’s not the Zune HD’s hardware itself which is supporting the files – just the software. When you add your video library folders to the software, all the files show up, and if you then choose to sync one it converts it on the fly. There are also rumours of a purported update for the Zune HD itself, later this spring to natively support these files… we can only hope!
The conversion speed itself is about as fast as the methods I’ve used before the update and the quality is at least as good. Obviously this solution is much nicer than converting the files yourself, eliminating the need to have two versions of everything on your computer. That, and the fact that simply clicking ’sync’ is a lot easier than messing around with format changers.
Personally I think this is a fantastic update, only made better if the Zune HD does indeed start supporting these files natively, eliminating time wasting conversion completely. It certainly adds a plus point for Microsoft’s player when trying to decide whether to get a Zune or an iPod.
What do you think? Impressed like I am, or do you think it’s not actually all that fantastic? Let us know in the comments below.
Tags: conversion, microsoft, update, video, Zune, Zune Hd
Posted in Reviews, Software, Tech | No Comments »
Monday, February 8th, 2010
An operating system that’s able to be run from a pen drive? Yes, please! Ok, so right out of the gate it already sounds like I’m trying to ’sell’ the idea of Linux to you. Scratch that. I do, however, think it is a very interesting concept, and the Operating Systems that are developed using the open-source Linux kernel are in themselves very intriguing, and altogether worthwhile.
Now then, to give you a brief overview, we have to go back to the 80’s. Its not been long since the founders of Apple Inc. and Microsoft went their separate ways, and home computing is still in its infancy. In 1983, Richard Stallman creates the GNU Project, with the vision of creating a free, open-source, UNIX-like operating system. However, even after years of development and an almost-complete operating system, the GNU kernel failed to get the required attention from developers to be completed. Enter Linus Torvalds (c1991). Linus took what was previously done under the GNU Project and created another project, that eventually became the Linux kernel. It’s that kernel that is still under development and iteration today, and that all Linux ‘flavours‘ must build upon.
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Tags: Linux, open-source, Operating System, Unix
Posted in Reviews, Software, Tech, Tutorials | 2 Comments »
Sunday, February 7th, 2010
Project Natal, due to be released at the end of this year, is Microsoft’s answer to the Nintendo Wii. Two cameras, a microphone and many hours put in by people writing very clever software has enabled the device to add advanced gesture, facial and voice recognition to the 360. All the consumer has to do is get one and plug it in to upgrade their console This give developers many more tools when creating games etc for the Xbox, certainly an exciting prospect.
Using it for games isn’t something that I particularly look forward to; I imagine that it won’t be particularly responsive, very inaccurate and a bit of a novelty which will wear thin extremely quickly, remind you of any Japanese hardware? Ooooh burn! (Just so you know I think the Wii’s a fantastic innovation, just not a games console… more like an alternative to family board games like Pictionary and Tiddly-Winks).
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Tags: 360, microsoft, motion capture, project natal, xbox
Posted in Games, Tech | 1 Comment »
Saturday, February 6th, 2010
As many of you will already know , the Xbox360 is the best games console on the market. Alright, alright – calm down! I jest. It is, of course, entirely opinion whether you prefer the Xbox360 or the PS3 (or even the Wii!). But one thing is certain – the media streaming experience on the Xbox360 is fantastic.
If you’re like me, you’d much rather experience your pictures, music and most importantly, videos on your TV and decent sound system than on your PC/laptop – but you’re probably not a fan of having to move your machine over to the TV and fiddle around with cables and such. The easiest way for most people to get their content onto their TV/sound system (and by most people, I of course mean most people likely to read this kind of blog, ie. Xbox owners!), is to stream your digital content to your existing system (TV, 5.1, etc) – via the Xbox. This is handy, because it’s already in place, supports 5.1 audio and, of course, High Definition.
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Tags: media streaming, windows media centre, xbox360
Posted in Games, Software, Tech, Tutorials | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
Wireless Networks are fantastic but what do you do when they just won’t cut it? Maybe you live in an old house with thick walls, suffer from drop outs, you’re along way away from your router or (and maybe most importantly!) it’s causing a lag when you game. There are many reasons why you may wish that your had an Ethernet port to plug into. Unfortunately most people (especially significant others), aren’t very pro wires trailing all over the house so many people think they have to live with the problems Wi-Fi can bring. Thanksfully there is an alternative! It’s possible (and has been for a surprisingly long time) to send information through already installed power sockets via an adapter. It works by sending the data through the power lines of your house at a very high frequency so it’s not affected by the actual electricity.
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Tags: drop outs, ethernet network adapters, latency, networking, wireless
Posted in Reviews, Tech | No Comments »
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Nowadays, most people will have heard the term ‘cloud computing‘ being bandied around like some generic technological buzzword, and won’t give it a second thought. What they don’t realise, is the potential that the concept of ‘cloud computing’ actually has. Today, I’ll be talking about one relatively simple (but important) extrusion of this concept into our everyday lives, and how we organise them. It’s called Google Sync.
So Google Sync is a very handy service, provided for free by everyone’s favourite world-dominating company, Google. It basically involves a simple, singular, online place to store and interact with your contacts, calendars and email – and then have any combination of these sync with whatever devices you see fit. If you have a Google Account already, great – you can go start using these services right now! If not, you can sign up for one here.
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Tags: calender, contacts, email, Google, iPhone, Sync
Posted in Internet, Software, Tech, Tutorials | 3 Comments »
Sunday, January 31st, 2010
Shall we talk about the elephant in the room? Everyone else has! Really, who would say no to another article on the web about… that’s right, the Apple iPad. So… without trying to sound too much like every other Gollum-esque Mac fan-boy out there (“My preciousss…”), I’m going to try and give you guys a brief, impartial overview of the much discussed Apple iPad.
Now then. As you will no doubt know, unless you have of-late been residing on one of the lesser known moons in the backwaters of the Galaxy, Apple last week officially released the iPad. I say ‘officially’, as there has, of course, been much speculation over the last year (or 6) about the possibility of an upcoming ‘Tablet PC‘ release from the ‘Cupertino Massif’. Rumours were occasionally actually quite accurate, for example, Apple Insider published a prediction/rumour last July that it would be a 10”ish device, not entirely unlike a large iPod Touch with optional 3G capability. Which pretty much hit the nail on the head – but whether or not that was just an incredibly lucky guess is not for us to know, I’m afraid. In any case, these masses of rumours served at least one purpose – to fan the flames of anticipation and whet the appetite of every technology lover worth his/her salt.
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Tags: Announcement, Apple, iPad, overview, Tablet
Posted in Reviews, Tech | 4 Comments »
