Grumpy I.T. Bloke (Version 1.1)

Mickey Mouse - Jedi Knight!

2012-11-08T05:57:00.001-08:00

So George Lucas has sold Star Wars (or more accurately Lucasfilm) to the house of mouse! I have to admit I didn't see this coming at all. As a lifelong Star Wars fanatic, I have to say that this news has excited me greatly, particularly the revelation that Disney will produce 3 new Star Wars feature films with Episode 7 due for release in 2015.

What has however disappointed me, is the general cynicism and snobbery from my own generation at this news. I'm referring of course to the purists, the prequel bashers, to whom Star Wars isn't Star Wars unless it's the original trilogy, and in its unaltered (non special edition) format. Now, everyone has a right to their own opinion of course, but the arguments of these protesters are starting to feel a little lazy, repetitive, tired, outdated, unimaginative, and quite frankly irrelevant!

Like it or not, time moves on, things change and it's not 1983 anymore and never will be. New generations have become Star Wars fans, and shock, horror, many of them love the prequels just as much as the originals. My eldest son George is one of them. It could be argued that he prefers the prequels actually as he asks to watch them more often than the original trilogy. Does this invalidate him as a Star Wars fan? I don't think so. I personally don't care too much for the computer generated Clone Wars series, but that is simply a reflection of my own preference of live action over any sort of animation. George quite enjoys the Clone Wars himself and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

Now, I'm not about to start arguing specifics in terms of why the prequels have their rightful place in the saga. I'd be on all day if I tried to do that. The point I am trying to make is that my generation cannot claim exclusive ownership of the Star Wars franchise just because we were kids when it first came out. We have no sort of moral high ground to dictate what is Star Wars and what isn't. Ultimately, it was George Lucas' story and he delivered it in the way he saw fit. What I will say is that all six of the Star Wars films have examples of questionable acting and dialogue, but at the end of the day they are pure entertainment movies aimed toward children. Why not just try to enjoy them rather than pick them apart?

No single generation can claim ownership of Star Wars. It belongs to everyone, and will continue to do so for generations to come. That is why I think there is a place for new Star Wars feature films, and it is totally counter-productive to dismiss them out hand when no one knows yet what they are going to be like. So I say booooo to the cynics and naysayers. Embrace more Star Wars. Have a little faith, and remember that even if you don't enjoy it, your kids just might!

Peter

Tech Roundup

2012-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on iPad Mini

When pre-orders for the iPad Mini opened up, the device quickly sold out as is normal with the latest and greatest Apple gadget. However, on the actual launch day, not many people turned up to Apple stores apparently.

I am always excited by an Apple keynote, but on this occasion once the dust settled, I didn't feel excited about this device. It boils down to this - £269.00 is expensive anyway, but £269.00 and no retina display? I think not! I'll wait until the next generation when they will figure out how to get the retina display into the device without making it thicker or compromising battery life.

Thoughts on the 4th Generation iPad

Why could they not either have released this model in April, or kept the iPad 2 as the current model until now? What they have done is not right!

I see what they are trying to do though. They want their iPad launches to be just before Christmas instead of in the Spring, and that makes total sense. So I don't expect to see another new iPad anytime before October 2013. As a 3rd generation iPad owner though, I'm still a little ticked off shall we say!

Thoughts on the Microsoft Surface

Apple timed their new iPad announcement and release date to perfection. No one is really talking much about the Surface that much as far as I can see.

I've not even seen one yet I must admit, but I know what to expect from a Windows 8 tablet experience as I've tried it on other devices. The price of the basic model itself seems reasonable at £399.00 for 32gb, but if you want the touch cover/keyboard, this is not included and you have to pay an unbelievable £79.00 for this.

Time will tell how well Windows 8 tablets do. This is an OS that seems to have a bit of an identity crisis however. I quite like it, but it does become boring quickly, and I think everyday consumers will find it confusing, whilst businesses will completely reject it and stay with Windows 7 for some time to come.

I sold my Google Nexus

I only got the Google Nexus 7 16gb in July, but after initially being very excited about this little device, it pretty much sat gathering dust in the sideboard for the next couple of months.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with this device other than the fact that it was an Android tablet, and this little experiment simply proved what I suspected all along - Android is not for me!

It's gone to a very good home though with someone who appreciates and enjoys Android devices, and who is already invested in their ecosystem as much as I am in Apples. I had thought I would spend the money on an iPad Mini, but as you already read above, those plans are on hold for now. You know me though, I'm fickle when it comes to technology. I may change my mind again next week!

Take care!
Peter

Apple Event Highlights

2012-10-24T13:06:00.002-07:00

So Apple introduced some new products this week. Some of these we expected, and some were complete surprises. We pretty much knew we would be seeing the iPad Mini, the 13" retina MacBook Pro, and the updated Mac Mini. However, Apple really threw a curve ball by also announcing the new iMac, and the 4th generation iPad (the latter being the biggest shock considering the 3rd generation model has only been around since April.

The new Macbook Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini are all fine and dandy if you are a designer/graphicsy type person, but I'll be honest and say they don't excite me as much as the two new iOS devices, so unsurprisingly I'm going to focus on the latter devices instead.

Let's start with the 4th generation iPad. How is it different? Well, it's got the new A6X chip which doubles the speed, improved WI-FI, a FaceTime HD camera, and it now has the Lightening Connector of course. That's about it really so it's a minor update in my opinion. The fact that Apple have broken their usual refresh cycle for the iPad though makes me wonder if we will see the 5th generation of their hugely popular tablet next March/April as usual.

For me, I have to say that I would have preferred if they had stuck to their usual cycle and added a few more changes next year - such as finding a way to make it as thin as the iPad 2 again, and getting the iSight camera up to 8 megapixels. Oh well!

So finally, we can talk about the iPad mini. This device looks very nice indeed. I'm a little surprised at the price, and the basic model will set you back £269.00 in the UK. This is £69.00 more than the Google Nexus 7, but quite frankly I don't think this price difference is going to matter. As ever with new Apple products, I think demand for this device is going to be huge, and I predict that competitive Android tablet sales will really suffer as a result.

I have the Google Nexus 7, and it's a good device. It's not a great device however, and this is why I am currently trying to sell it. I've not got many takers so far sadly, and I think that's because people just love Apple a whole lot more than they do Android, and I understand this - because personally I find Android to be limited, and boring.

Google claim that Android is the most popular Mobile Operating System, and Samsung claim that they are the worlds largest smartphone manufacturer. However, on my recent business trip to the United States, I played a bit of device spotting in hotels, restaurants, and airports. Overwhelmingly, I saw people using iPhones, and iPads. 2 people spoilt my glee by using Galaxy S3s however at Heathrow aiport on the way home. I swear these were the only Android devices I saw on my trip though. Each to their own I suppose.

In summary, as you can probably guess, I have my eye on an iPad mini already. It's an appealing, exciting device, and as Gollum would say "I wants it". The Nexus on the other hand, was OK for a while, but it only succeeded in proving that Android is not for me!

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

2012-10-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago for work, I had to arrange to travel to our offices in the United States. Now anyone who knows me well will know that I am not particularly fond of travel. If a car journey is going to take more than 1 hour, then I don't really want to do it. So the prospect of such a lengthy journey involving connecting flights was a little daunting I must admit, but by the same token I have to confess that I was also a little excited for this trip.

However,by the time I made it to my ultimate destination in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - I felt like I had just lived the movie Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, but without John Candy as a travelling companion. My dear wife Louise points out that I would in fact have been the noisy, inappropriate and annoying John Candy character however, and on reflection I guess she is right! Whichever part I ended up playing in this travel caper though, here's how it happened.

Welcome to ~~Wichita~~ Toronto

It all started pretty well and I flew British Airways from Newcastle to Heathrow without any real problems other than a 20 minute delay due to high winds. I felt fairly comfortable with Heathrow as I had connected to Frankfurt there a year earlier, and I was confident of making my next flight which was with Air Canada to Toronto. It wasn't until I arrived at Heathrow however that I realized how much I had underestimated the size of the place.

I hadn't realized that I would have to transfer from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 to make my trans-atlantic flight. I had to go through security, was 20 minutes late, and this was already a tight connection. Basically, I didn't make it! Imagine my sense of surprise, panic, and terror when the really unpleasant, unhelpful, and irritating woman at the Air Canada desk couldn't seem to give two hoots about my plight. She said it was British Airways fault as they had delayed me getting to Heathrow, and she encouraged me to talk to them. So I did, and they couldn't have been more helpful. They got me onto their flight to Toronto an hour later and I still had an outside chance of making my connection to Cleveland Ohio.

Of course, flying trans-atlantic with BA instead of Air Canada meant I had to go back from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 again. This involves a 10 minute bus ride through underground tunnels, clearing security again, and finally a little monorail ride to my gate. Thankfully though, I made it! I was sat at the very back of the plane which did not bode well for my chances of a quick disembarkment at Toronto. However, those lovely BA staff once again did their best to help me and about 20 minutes before we were due to land, they moved me up to the front of the plane into one of those first class booths with a bed in them no less. Now that's what I call service.

Sadly, once again, the flight was delayed, and when we arrived in Toronto - I had a pretty good idea that this is where I would be spending the night. My last flight to Cleveland was departing in about 20 minutes. I was not checked into it, and I hadn't cleared the Canadian border, or US customs (both of which you have to do at Toronto).

Nevertheless I did not give up. I presented my Canada landing card and was allowed through. I took yet another monorail ride to a different terminal, and went to the Air Canada desk. The man I spoke to here I am convinced must be the Brother of that horrible woman I spoke to at Heathrow. He was equally as unsympathetic, but at least he gave me an emergency number to call for stranded travelers to try and get a bed for the night. He also got me on the first flight to Cleveland the following morning.

I rang the number, and the helpful people on the other end of the phone checked me into the nearby Hampton Inn for the night, and arranged to send a free shuttle to the airport to pick me up. The final twist in this tale however, is that it turns out there are two Hampton Inns close to Toronto Airport, and I of course managed to catch the shuttle for the wrong one. When I arrived, they had no idea who I was and did not recognize my reference number. They very kindly got someone to quickly take me by car to the correct Hampton Inn however, where my day from travel hell finally came to an end, and I slept in a really luxurious room for only $69.00, and it even had an iron and ironing board!

Thankfully, my luck changed the next day. I got through US Customs and made my flight to Cleveland and only lost a few hours of that working day. The trip back home a few days later was equally uneventful.

I will look back on this little adventure and laugh now, but I sure won't be going via Heathrow and Toronto on future trips if I can help it, that's for sure!

Is it just me, or do the Android folk seem a bit touchy?

2012-09-19T03:19:00.002-07:00

Ever since the iPhone 5 was announced a week ago, I've seen many a review of the device by respected tech journalists (I'm not jealous at all by the way).

The overwhelmingly positive reaction, coupled with the absolutely incredible pre-order demand from consumers leaves my own anticipation for the device sky high. I simply cannot wait to get my hands on it!

If you scroll down these reviews to the comments section however, you will notice a pattern. These forums seem to be crammed full of Android fans who feel they need to tell everyone who will listen that their Galaxy S3 is way better and could do everything that the iPhone 5 will do ages ago!

I'll admit that the name calling goes both ways, and as an Apple fan it is hard for me to be objective at times, but those droid devotees do seem to be extra irked at the moment and seem to have a need to be noticed!

It doesn't just stop with Android Consumers either. Androids biggest manufacturing cheerleaders (AKA Samsung) came up with this extremely negative, paranoid, and spiteful piece of marketing the other day. They are trying to come across as clever no doubt, but they just come across as having a huge inferiority complex in my humble opinion.

So the big question is, do they feel inferior to Apple and in their shadow, and if so, why? They obviously feel that their products are better than Apples, and so feel entitled to some sense of moral high ground over their rivals from Cupertino.

The media and and the masses still excitedly flock to Apple though in a way that they never do with a Samsung product, and I guess it is this that just doesn't sit well. Basically, they want to be Apple, and quite simply they are not.

So they dismiss Apple devotees as sheep who will gladly accept an inferior product just because of the Apple name, but this raises the question of what makes a product inferior?

S3 devotees will boast of screen size, 4G, NFC, and various other features that they feel makes their device superior to an iPhone. They will say that Apple doesn't change things enough or even sometimes at all, but is this really a bad thing?

Apple is all about attention to detail, and putting user experience first. They don't rush a new phone out every other week in the way it seems many Android phone makers seem to. They take their time, and they get it right with well built, beautiful products.

I know at the end of the day it is all about opinion and personal taste, and ultimately I can only assess these products in such terms. For me personally, I have tried to get to grips with Android. I picked up a Google Nexus 7 a couple of months ago, and after a couple of days playing with it, it has pretty much sat in a drawer gathering dust, and this is because it simply isn't exciting and unique like the iPad.

I also had a play with an S3 not long ago too. I was bored with it in minutes, and it felt way too big and really cheaply built. Again, it just wasn't exciting! The iPhone on the other hand just feels amazing!

Regardless of individual opinions though, I am sure this debate will run and run. The droid faithful will not lie down and go away I am sure. It's a shame they just can't enjoy their phones and not worry about Apple so much. Then again, they probably say the same about Apple fans. As long as we all know that our phone is actually the best, then who should really care!

Peter

Creating a System Image in Windows 7

2012-09-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

My luck with laptops seems to go in odd/even cycles. My last laptop was a Dell D630 and it never gave me any trouble over a period of four years. It was an absolutely cracking little laptop, and I always had the feeling that when I finally came to change it, that I would have nothing but trouble with the next one.

Well, I was right! I had only had my new Dell E6420 for about 3 months when suddenly it began crashing and restarting itself all the time. I ran a chkdsk and it found and repaired a lot of problems on the hard disk. This is usually a sign that the hard disk has had it.

So I ran the Dell Diagnostics tool, and despite the fact that I could still boot into Windows 7, the diagnostics could not even detect that the hard drive was present. So, Dell agreed to ship me a replacement hard drive under warranty.

This was all well and good, except that now I was going to have to rebuild my laptop from scratch. Not a quick task considering how finely tuned my laptop is with everything I need to do my job. I was quite demoralised at how long it was going to take me to find all of my programs and licences, and get my laptop back to exactly the way I liked it.

However, I then looked into the Backup and Restore options in the Control Panel of Windows 7. I saw that you have the option to create a system image, so I decided to give it a try.

I was able to choose between a hard disk, a set of DVDs, or a network location. I had a 500gb USB hard drive available to me so I decided to use this. It would not let me proceed because the drive was formatted as FAT32, so I had to reformat it as NTFS, and then I was able to start my image backup.

It took several hours to complete, but finally my 155gb image backup was safely on the hard drive, and at the end of the process it gives you the option to create a boot CD which I did.

I then installed the new hard drive into the laptop, booted using the CD I had just made, and the boot utility gave me the option to re-image my laptop using the image on the USB hard drive.

I was still very skeptical that this could work I must admit, and I left the re-imaging process to run as it said it could take several hours to complete. After about an hour, I went to make a coffee, and when I returned I saw that my laptop was waiting at the Windows 7 logon prompt.

I logged in, and amazingly everything was just as before! All my programs were there. All my files and folders were there, my desktop background, absolutely everything.

So I was very happy and very impressed. So my tip to you would be to always create a Windows System Image Backup in addition to any regular data backups you are doing. It could save you a whole lot of time and trouble if you find yourself in this situation.

Peter

The iPhone 5 - What kept you?

2012-09-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

It feels like we have been waiting for the iPhone 5 for a very long time, but that wait finally ended tonight. Yes, the phone that should have been here a year ago was at last revealed by Apples finest at an event in California.

The all new design is 18% thinner, 20% lighter, and the handset is also longer (although not wider) giving it a 16:9 ratio on a 4 inch retina display which is perfect for watching movies.

There is a new A6 chip which is twice as fast as its predecessor the A5, faster graphics, and also improved battery life.

There is a new lightening dock connector and this was key to making the iPhone 5 thinner. It looks very very thin. The handset comes in black and white and has a two tone back. Basically, all the leaks of previous weeks have proved to be correct, but when presented by Apple, it just looks so much better.

It will come loaded with iOS 6 and all the great new features that were introduced earlier this year at WWDC 12, and you can pre-order yours from Friday 14th September with the handsets released one week later on Friday 21st September.

Prices remain the same in the US, however there seems to be an increase of £29.00 in the UK which is slightly disappointing. You can get it in 16gb, 32gb, and 64gb as usual.

iOS 6 will be available to download on existing compatible iOS devices from Wednesday 19th September. This does not include the original iPad however or the iPhone 3GS.

I could say so much more about what looks like another truly amazing device designed by the increasingly legendary Sir Jonny Ive - but this would turn into the longest blog post ever.

So, if you want to know more, then head over to apple.com and you can get all the details you need. I for one like the look of it very much though and I can't wait to get my hands on one (in black).

And that's that! Share and enjoy folks!
Peter

New Kindle X-Ray Feature

2012-09-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

One feature that I really like the look of on the new Kindles is X-Ray.

X-Ray on Kindle Fire

Basically, when you are watching a movie and an actor appears, and you think "where have I seen him before", simply click pause and IMDB will pop up and give you details of any actor in that particular scene!

This is a great idea and a very neat feature, and one which I hope will be present on iOS at some point. Would be great if Apple TV had an IMDB app and the ability to do this.

X-Ray on Kindle paperwhite

The new paperwhite e-reader also has a version of X-Ray, which allows you to search through the book for certain characters or terms, and it presents a timeline where these appear in the book. So if a character who has not been mentioned for several chapters suddenly pops up, you can use X-Ray to quickly remind yourself who this character is and when they first appeared.

Again, very very neat and I like this a lot. Will be very useful for people like me who only read a couple of pages a night.

New Kindle Prices

Surprsingly, Amazon have been really quick this time to make nearly all of these new devices available to us in the UK. Sadly, the only exception so far is the new paperwhite e-reader which looks very very nice.

Kindle Fire HD - £159 in 16GB
Kindle Fire HD - £199 in 32GB
All New Kindle Fire - £129

Nice looking devices at good prices, but sorry Jeff - that iPad is still going to take some beating for me!

Amazon introduce Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite

2012-09-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

A short time ago, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos took to the stage to introduce some new devices into the Kindle range.

The newest member of the e-reader family is the Kindle Paperwhite which comes with a lighted touchscreen and eight weeks of battery life.

Alongside this were three new Kindle Fire HD tablets, one of which has a larger 8.9 inch screen. The new devices boast improved WI-FI technology along with a feature called Kindle FreeTime which allows parents to set time limits for their children to access the devices.

No information on a UK release date as yet. Hopefully Amazon can be bothered to actually let us have the devices this time. Time will tell no doubt.

I can't say I'm hugely excited about any of these devices though. I think the Google Nexus 7 will beat the Fire HD tablets hands down, and if the rumoured iPad mini appears, then that will sweep all the competition away.

More details can be found at cnet.com for whom I must credit these images from the event.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Nokia Windows 8 Phone

2012-09-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

Nokia held an event yesterday in partnership with Microsoft to introduce their first new handset running Windows Phone 8.

The Nokia Lumia 920 comes with a 4.5-inch screen which you can apparently use whilst wearing gloves. Also onboard is an 8 megapixel camera using Nokia Pureview technology, 32gb of storage, 1gb ram, and it comes in a range of colours!

Windows Phone 8 looks pretty sleek and is a natural evolution from its predecessor, and once Windows 8 itself gets up and running and established, then the whole system should work in a pretty seamless way, and your content should be highly available across your Windows devices much in the same way iOS works.

Although Nokia and Microsoft have a long way to go before they can even dream of catching up with iOS and Android, this handset in conjunction with the new software suggests to me that with time and patience, it can be done.

What I like about this, is that it dares to be different. Unlike Android, it is not trying to be a cheap iOS clone. It has its own identity. If they get it right, I predict that they can overtake Android in time.

The Nokia Lumia 920 will be out in the States first (surprise surprise), with release date for UK suggested to be around October/November!

It's finally happening!

2012-09-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

If you are an Apple fan, then by now I'm sure you must know that invites have been sent out for an event next week in California (mine must be in the post I'm guessing)?

And if the invite is anything to go on, then it would be a huge surprise if Apple did not reveal the iPhone 5 on 12th September, and then released it for sale on Friday 21st.

This year, there seems to have been more leaked images than ever of what the device supposedly looks like. It would be a huge surprise if it turned out to be something completely different, but it would also be quite funny if Apple had fooled everyone and the phone in fact did not look like this;

This is what I expect to see though, and in terms of what the hardware can do, in conjunction with iOS 6, I think this phone could pack quite a punch.

The iPhone 5 has been a long time coming though. It should have been here a year ago really, and although the iPhone 4S is a cracking phone, and in my opinion still better than anything else out there, overall it was a disappointing stop gap model. It went on to be the best selling iPhone ever though, so what do I know?

So, all we can do now is wait for the event. I for one will be devouring the keynote as soon as it is available. Still can't believe I didn't get an invite though! Oh well!

Peter

Samsung need to learn how to take it on the chin!

2012-08-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

Samsung are really starting to bug me with their defiant attitude and their victim complex.

Now don't get me wrong, it's no secret that I am a bit of an "Apple Fanboy". That being said though, I do like a lot of what Samsung do. In fact, I have 2 Samsung LED TVs in my home, as when it comes to TVs I don't think they can be beaten.

However, when it comes to the Apple vs Samsung patent war over smartphone and tablet technology, the jury has spoken, Samsung have been beaten. They are just sore losers and aren't prepared to accept it. It's good to win, but it's equally important to lose with good grace, but Samsung don't seem prepared to admit this.

Following their legal and moral victory, Apple are quite rightly seeking to get some Samsung patent violating devices banned from sale. Samsung have responded aggressively, saying that they will fight to keep their products on the shelves.

This to me is an utterly exasperating stance and smacks of pure arrogance on Samsungs part. Not only did they try and ignore Apples patents in the first place on the grounds that they simply found them inconvenient, but now they are acting as if the decision of a jury in a court of law is simply a minor inconvenience to them. It's almost as if they are refusing to acknowledge the decision, and indeed even trying to ignore it outright.

Undoubtedly, Samsung will appeal. Of this there can be little doubt. However, in the meantime the courts decision stands, and they should respect that instead of deflecting the real issues of the case by cunningly trying to portray themselves as advocates of competitive innovation, consumer choice, and ultimately trying to paint themselves as the actual victims of this situation.

So will Samsung change their ways?

This is Samsungs latest smartphone, announced only yesterday at an event in Berlin. They have partnered with Microsoft on this one and it will run Windows Phone 8 as opposed to Android.

I have to say that I like the look of it. I like the look of most Samsung smartphones if i'm being honest. However, as with pretty much every Samsung smartphone since the first Galaxy S, I'll give you three guesses of what this phone instantly reminded me of!

Your Honour, the defence rests!
Peter

Apple News

2012-08-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

Although Apple never confirm or deny anything, it is widely expected that they will announce the next iPhone at a press event on Wednesday September 12th.

According to lots of people who know lots of other people who know an "Apple Insider", this is what the handset is probably going to look like;

So it's a little bit thinner, a little bit longer, the front facing camera is in a different place, the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom, and it also has that new smaller dock connector that everyone is so up in arms about. Of course, these images could be a complete hoax, but at the moment, they are all anyone has to go on.

If these do prove to be accurate, then I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. It certainly ticks all of Apples boxes of changing a little as opposed to a lot. Given that you can get a new Android handset every other week though, I am starting to think that this is a good thing.

Of course, iOS 6 will debut with this handset as well, so we can all look forward to some shiny new software features to go with our shiny new handsets. To find out for sure though, we'll just have to wait until Tim Cook takes to the stage on September 12th.

Will there be an iPad Mini too?

Those lovely "Apple Insiders" have also been telling us for a while to expect a 7 inch iPad (or iPad Mini) before this year is done. This would be in direct response to the success of the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Asus Google Nexus 7.

The original plan was apparently to introduce the smaller version of their hugely successful tablet at the same event on September 12th. However, it is now widely believed that the iPad Mini will get its own dedicated event about one month later. This is because Apple consider the new iPhone to be so important that they don't want it to share the spotlight with anything else.

Once again, we will just have to wait and see. I believe a smaller iPad will appear before the year is out though, and providing the price is right, I think it will sweep aside the competition with ease.

Stay tuned folks!
Peter

Amazon Kindle

2012-08-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Although I'm not a heavy reader, I've become a big fan of Amazons Kindle devices over the last year. I only ever read before going to sleep at night, and I usually only get through a couple of pages before I find myself drifting off I must admit!

My wife Louise on the other hand is a very keen reader. She is extremely knowledgeable about current literature, and she gets through a book at a very rapid pace compared to me. So, much as it was with the iPhone, Louise was the early adopter of Kindle technology in our house.

She didn't start off with an actual Kindle however. Her E-Reader experience began with the Kindle App for iPad. This had its good and bad points however. Although the Kindle App is in full colour, the iPad screen is a bit too large, and also too reflective. There was the option to change the text to white on black, which helped a little but overall it really wasn't ideal.

So, she got an actual Kindle. This was the 3rd generation of the device and it's probably the one that people picture in their minds eye when they hear the word Kindle.

We both liked this little gadget immediately. This was not a tablet that just happened to have an E-Reader App available on it. This was an E-Reader, pure and simple. It was light, and easy to use. Amazons E-Ink technology makes it look and feel like you are actually reading a book. It's a really nice reading experience.

We chose the WI-FI only version. A lot of people like to have 3G as well, but we felt that we could easily find a WI-FI connection out and about if we really needed it, and in any event - if we were planning a holiday we could simply download enough books to the device in advance.

If there was one downside, it was that this was not a touchscreen device. By this time, Louise had become so accustomed to touchscreen technology on iPhone and iPad that it was instinctive to want to do the same on the Kindle. This was the only real negative however and a very minor one at that!

New Kindles

When Amazon announced a refresh of their Kindle range last year, I decided to get Louise the latest model, and keep the original for myself. As I already mentioned, I'm not the biggest reader, so this was one of those rare occasions where I really didn't mind inheriting a hand me down device as opposed to having the latest and greatest version of the product.

Although the Kindle Touch had been announced at this time, it was not yet made available in the UK for some reason. So I got the latest standard Kindle for Louise. This was the first Kindle not to have a physical keyboard.

This Kindle was wafer thin and really much lighter than it's predecessor. Functionally it was pretty much the same device, but with a brand new look more pleasing to the eye, and nicer to hold as well.

So now we had two Kindles, and the good thing about this is that we could share books using the same Kindle Account. I take a lot of reading recommendations from Louise and she normally suggests some great books for me that I have really enjoyed. Like Louise, I instantly appreciated how much nicer this was that reading on the heavier, reflective iPad, and I very quickly became a big Kindle fan.

Kindle Touch

It took several months, but the Kindle Touch finally became available in the UK, and I decided to get one for Louise for her birthday last week.

This device really brings that last piece of the jigsaw to this technology. Once you have used a touchscreen device, it is generally hard to go back. So this was a nice addition to the Kindle family. The ability to use the touchscreen to browse titles in the Kindle Bookstore, and to turn pages is very satisfying and convenient.

There is a trade off however. Much like "The New iPad", the Kindle Touch is bigger and heavier, but this really isn't a problem and the positives far outweigh the negatives.

So there you have it. Three Kindles and counting. They have all been great devices and have served us both well. No doubt the Kindle Touch will find its way to me at some point when the next great Kindle is released.

Sadly, our first Kindle is now looking for a new home as it's no longer needed. I am sure someone will snap it up pretty quickly however and they will enjoy it just as much as we have.

Love Film, Hate Hollywood Greed?

2012-08-22T01:37:00.000-07:00

Louise and I went to see The Dark Knight Rises at the weekend. In short, I loved it, she hated it (apart from the last 10 minutes). Regardless of how we felt about the film however, it was that anti piracy advert that they shove down your throat every time you see a movie that really made my blood boil!

I'm getting a bit tired of Hollywood dictating how and when I am allowed to see a movie. Times have changed, but Hollywood it seems, doesn't want to. They are making 21st Century films, but they are firmly and stubbornly stuck in the 20th century in terms of how they deliver these films to the public.

An important point to make first of all is that I am more than happy to pay a reasonable price to see a film. I don't have a problem with that, and I think in general most people are the same. It's just that in this day and age, with the technology that is available, I want to watch a film where I want, on the device I want, and in the format I want. I don't really think that is an unreasonable expectation in the year 2012!

As parents, it's not always easy for us to get to the cinema, so why shouldn't I have been able to pay to watch The Dark Knight Rises in the comfort of my own home instead of having to get the children looked after and then heading to the cinema? The technology is certainly there now that's for sure. I have an Apple TV with Netflix and iTunes content available to me. Why can't brand new films be part of what is available?

I guess it's for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm guessing that Hollywood takes a cut of all the sales of popcorn and hot dogs and the like, and secondly Sky Movies want to ensure that they get to show new movies on TV before anyone else does. This really stinks and it's an illustration of pure greed being elevated above consumer convenience!

Sometimes I just want to watch a new movie in my home, and I don't want to wait six months for it to come out on DVD or appear in the iTunes store. Even then there are annoyances. Some movies on iTunes are only available in HD format to rent - you can only buy them in Standard Definition. Why is that?

In addition to this, every time the format changes, I am forced to pay more money. Why should I have to shell out to buy The Star Wars Trilogy on Blu-Ray when I already paid for it on VHS, and then DVD. If I buy it on Blu-Ray it will probably just be released in the iTunes store (which is where I really want it). The point is though, I feel that when I bought the Star Wars Trilogy on VHS all those years ago, I should have been buying a licence to acquire those films in whatever format they are subsequently released in. Why should I have to pay for them again and again?

Hollywood just doesn't get it. No wonder piracy exists, no wonder people look for torrents. There must be a better way, but until the movie studios realize that people want choice and convenience, and they actually don't mind paying for it, then the problem of piracy simply isn't going to go away!

When to upgrade your smartphone?

2012-08-16T04:11:00.000-07:00

If you are due to upgrade your phone, you like the idea of an iPhone, and are not too fussy about having the very latest model, then now could be a really good time to look into your options. You could end up getting a very good deal on an iPhone 4S.

Apples last quarter was disappointing in terms of revenue generated by iPhone. Make no mistake, they still sold a lot of them - just not as many as they had hoped. The reason for this, is that it's not just tech geeks like me who know about Apples product refresh cycles anymore.

On the contrary, in fact the average consumer has become quite savvy on this subject and most people I talk to are fully aware that a new iPhone is expected in the next couple of months. So they are either biding their time and waiting patiently, or they are changing to one of the more recently updated Android handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 instead.

Getting back to the point though, if you fancy an iPhone, and you are not someone who absolutely must have the latest and greatest handset, then it could be a good time to phone your network provider and see what they can offer you.

I am going to bet that they will be desperate to give you an iPhone 4S on an 18 month contract right now, but the ball is firmly in your court. Tell them what you want! Let them know that you have heard about the iPhone 5, and that you could be prepared to wait. You may be surprised at how much you can knock them down, and what a good deal you can actually get.

My Current 4S handset

Still doing a great job - but geeks like me can't wait for the next one!

So have a think about what would be best for you. The 4S is a great little phone with a superb camera, and you will be able to update it to iOS 6 and take advantage of all the great new features when it is released in October.

Take care!
Peter

I don't think so Daddy!

2012-08-13T08:42:00.001-07:00

I took a holiday last week, and sincerely had good intentions to continue blogging throughout. When I told my two Sons of my plans, this was their reaction;

We all had an absolutely brilliant week together, and the weather was really kind to us. Highlights would be a day in Newcastle, a trip to Fountains Abbey in Ripon, and one or two visits to Gibside. So it's safe to say that we got some of our money back from our National Trust Membership.

Here are some photos we took at Fountains Abbey. These were taken on the excellent 8 megapixel camera on the iPhone 4S. It really is a tremendous camera, and so easy to carry around. The pictures also look absolutely stunning when viewed on the retina display of The New iPad!

So, back in the old routine this week and hopefully normal blogging service will be resumed!

Stay tuned!
Peter

When Peter met a Retina MacBook

2012-08-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

On Friday afternoon, we paid Louise's parents a visit. Not long after arriving, my Mother In Law stunned me by announcing that she had bought a new Retina MacBook. Looking back at this wondrous moment, I now realise that the fact I didn't even hug her makes me a very bad Son in Law indeed!

Moments like this don't come along too often in life for gadget geeks like me. This is as close as I am probably ever going to get to owning such a truly amazing device. Not only was I allowed to play with it, but I was also asked to upgrade it to OSX Mountain Lion.

To say that I was as happy as a pig rolling in some brown stuff would be an understatement. In fact, I was so happy that I may have slightly ignored everyone all night, and also seriously over indulged my passion for whiskey consumption too.

I can't begin to describe how amazing this device is. If you have the money to get one, then you should be ashamed of yourself if you don't. If you don't have the money - then I would recommend you beg, borrow, or steal to get your hands on one of these.

For now, I will simply leave you with these pictures of my time with the Retina MacBook. It's simply the best laptop I have ever ever seen!

Take Care!

Peter

Thursday Tech Roundup

2012-08-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Outlook.com

Microsoft are continuing with their "reinvention" project by saying goodbye to hotmail and rebranding it as outlook.com.

The new look has a very Windows 8 feel to it and I think it's pretty nice. You can still keep your hotmail address but you have the option to separate it into a different folder. This is quite handy if like me your hotmail account gets more spam than anything these days. It lets you clean things up and start from scratch. I like it!

Surface Release Date

Sticking with Microsoft, and it's really no surprise that their new tablet device is being released the same day as Windows 8 on October 26th. No word on pricing yet however.

I am hoping it will be in line with the iPad pricing structure as I really want to get one of these. My instinct tells me these will end up being pretty expensive though!

RIM CEO in the UK

Thorsten Heins, CEO of Research in Motion has been in the UK for a few days and went to the Olympic opening ceremony with Prime Minister David Cameron.

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, he predictably outlined a positive outlook for Blackberry, but admitted that the fallen smartphone giant may have to reinvent itself by licensing its new BB10 platform to OEMs such as Samsung and Sony, rather than continue to manufacture smartphone hardware themselves.

A "Bold" move indeed (pun intended), and it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. BB10 is apparently quite promising, but in my opinion most Blackberry phones have been truly awful over the past couple of years.

Apple vs Samsung

This whole patent war is starting to get boring in general, but was livened up this week when Apple were forced to reveal images of several prototype models of their iPhone and iPad devices. Some of these look very raw and "concepty" as you would imagine, but there are one or two that I actually think are nicer than the real thing.

I don't see any end to this saga anytime soon however. Whoever loses this 4 week trial will undoubtedly appeal and it will go on and on for goodness knows how long.

iPhone 5 rumours

As per my last post, the next iPhone is widely expected to look like this;

As I've already said, I'm pretty unimpressed with the design but if this turns out to be the real thing then I guess it may grow on me. Seems like Apple playing it safe as opposed to taking risks though. I expect we will find out for sure in an Apple event that is expected to be announced for September.

And that's about it for another week.

Take care!

Peter

I really hope this isn't the next iPhone!

2012-07-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

A lot of respected tech websites having been showing these pictures over the past few days. Apparently they leaked from a source in China where Apple hardware is manufactured, and many are claiming that this will in fact be what the next iPhone looks like.

All I can say is, I really hope not. If this is not a fake or some sort of Apple smokescreen, then it really makes you wonder if Apples design department has lost its way? Lets be honest, Android phones are evolving - and many of them are looking very very sleek.

However, the iPhone 4/4S case is really starting to show its age, and these images basically show more of the same! It's pretty much that same iPhone 4/4S case but a bit longer, with the rumoured new docking port, and with a two tone colour scheme on the back. It's pretty dull and uninspiring in my opinion.

It is widely reported that Apple will soon announce a September event to introduce the next iPhone prior to its release in October alongside iOS 6. An iPad mini is also rumoured for this event too.

To be honest, I just don't know what to expect. I had my fingers burnt last year when I insisted that all this talk of an iPhone 4S would turn out to be nonsense and that a super duper new iPhone 5 would in fact be revealed! Shows what I know doesn't it!!

All I can really do for now is cross my fingers that what we see in these images is not what comes to pass. I would find this to be a major disappointment. I am craving major change when it comes to the next iPhone, and I think most people are too! That being said, like the fool I am - I'll probably end up getting one whatever it looks like!

We'll just have to wait and see I guess!

Take care!

Peter

But Sir, nobody worries about upsetting a Droid!

2012-07-30T13:37:00.001-07:00

Well, I now own an Android device. I've been trying to hide my curiosity about the iOS nemesis for so long, but I can deny it no longer and I am finally out of the closet!

As with The New iPad, I have only had the Asus manufactured Google Nexus 7 for a few days, but I have sat and devoured it in the same way my Son George does with a new Lego Wii game.

Initially it was a little alien, and I didn't see too much point to the customisable home screens. However, as I have become accustomed to the device I have started to appreciate why Android has become so popular.

I still don't really get the point of widgets, but give me time - its enough of a miracle that I have come this far.

The Nexus 7 is a really nice size. Again, I previously sang from the Apple hymn sheet and was skeptical about the idea of a 7 inch tablet but it's really nice to use and easy to hold in one hand.

The Google Play Store has a lot of Apps, Movies and Books to choose from. Many common apps such as Twitter and Facebook do lack that little bit of polish that you will find on iOS apps, but they are still pretty good and easy to use nonetheless.

However, I was really impressed when I downloaded The Amazing Spiderman game for George as it is absolutely excellent. In fact, I have not really seen the device since. I think the size and ease of use is going to make this a very good gadget for kids! George seems to really enjoy using it and finds it easier to hold than the larger iPad!

The battery life is impressive considering my over use of the device as I have got to grips with it. In addition to this the display is very good and the Nexus 7 is a very responsive and pleasant to use device in general.

Another attractive selling point is the price. You can pick up the 8GB version for £159.00 and the 16GB for £199.00. I have the 16GB and I would recommend spending that little bit extra for double the capacity.

So in conclusion, I think I will end up using this mostly for multimedia purposes such as watching movies and playing games, whilst the iPad will remain my first choice in terms of productivity.

The Google Nexus 7 is definitely a little winner for me though, and I think its inevitable success will result in Apple responding with their own iPad mini very soon.

So there you have it.

Take care!

Peter

The New iPad

2012-07-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

So having had The New iPad for a couple of days, I thought I would share with you my first impressions of the device. Here it is next to the white iPad 2 which now belongs to my wife Louise.

In truth, there is not a great deal to distinguish it from the iPad 2 physically. The New iPad is very marginally thicker, but when you line them up side by side this is barely noticeable as you can see;

What you do immediately notice is the weight however. The new one feels quite a bit heavier to hold and this is the only minor disappointment I could express with the device if I were to be picky! It really isn't a problem though.

The significant difference between the two however is most certainly the display. The New iPad has a retina display consisting of a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. The A5x processor remains dual-core for CPU functions, but provides quad-core graphics, and you can really tell the difference.

I must admit I was skeptical when I watched the Apple keynote a few months ago as to how much better it could possibly be, but you really have to see this thing to believe how good it is. I am not really a games person, but I immediately tried a few games including FIFA 12, and Angry Birds and it is just simply amazing.

In addition to this, the iSight camera has been improved and is now 5 megapixels, and HD video recording in full 1080p is also now available. There is voice dictation as well, and when iOS 6 is introduced in the latter part of this year there will be many more new features available including Siri!

So all in all, I am very impressed. I did a clean install/setup of the device as opposed to a restore from backup. I always prefer this where possible with new devices, and I find there really is no need to do a restore thanks to App Store purchase history and iTunes in the cloud. As someone once famously said, "it just works".

So I am going to give The New iPad a 9 out of 10 - purely because it's a shame that it's a little heavier than the iPad 2, it should have had Siri from the start, and if the iPhone 4S can have an 8 megapixel camera, then why can't this? I'm just nitpicking now though.

Take care.

Peter

Turning 40!

2012-07-29T13:31:00.001-07:00

Saturday was my 40th Birthday and I have to say I had the most tremendous day. What could be more perfect than a party with my closest family and friends, and some amazing gadgets as presents?

I was lucky enough to receive "The New iPad", and also my very first Android device ever - an Asus Google Nexus 7. Needless to say I am jolly well chuffed with these latest additions to my gadget collection and Louise is now the proud full owner of an iPad 2!

I even had an iPad cake. What could be more perfect?

Anyway, reviews of my amazing presents will doubtless follow, but for now I am way too excited to write them.

Thanks to everyone who made it an incredible day, especially my amazing and lovely wife Louise!!

Take care!

Peter

Lego is taking over the world (and my house)!

2012-07-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how there is a lego version of almost everything these days? Those crafty little brick makers have their fingers in so many pies that they must be nearly as rich as Apple by now!

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the vast array of games console movie tie-ins that are now available. It all started in our house when we got the Star Wars Lego Saga Wii console game for our 5 year old Son George.

To say that he devoured this game would be an understatement. He immersed himself in it and was not happy until he had completed all the levels and collected all the characters. He is truly amazing at it too. When I have a go I can't do half the things that he seems to do so instinctively.

So it's no surprise that more such games followed and we now have Star Wars - The Clone Wars, Harry Potter, Batman (1 & 2), Indiana Jones, and most recently Pirates of the Caribbean!

Now I am not typically a "games person", but I have to admit that I am very very impressed with what Lego have done across multiple genres. Their attention to detail is amazing, and some of my favourite characters and set pieces from movies look absolutely tremendous having been "brickified"!

The games are available across multiple platforms including Wii and Xbox, and Harry Potter is even available as an iPhone/iPad version which is absolutely amazing and very reasonably priced in the App Store.

So hats off to Lego. They really know their stuff and I think these games will be a familiar feature in our house for some time to come yet. Indeed, I noticed an advert for Lord of the Rings Lego toys on TV the other day - so no doubt a game will be on the way as well.

Long Live Lego!

Share and Enjoy!
Peter

Who's picking on who?

2012-07-24T02:31:00.000-07:00

Unsurprisingly, I spend a lot of time looking at Technology websites and reading reviews on the latest gadgets. Smartphones and Tablets are my particular poison and they are invariably of the Apple variety.

In recent times however, it has been impossible not to notice the escalating number of articles describing the seemingly never ending patent disputes between Apples iOS and Googles Android mobile operating systems.

The arguments over which of these tech giants can claim to have the legal or moral high ground have been significant in courtrooms around the world. However, this subject has transcended the courtroom with everyone ranging from basic users, to experts and gadget freaks joining the debate and offering their own thoughts and opinions as to "why my phone's better than your phone".

Now when this first started, Apple were always portrayed as the the big bully who looked down their noses snobbishly at Android. Steve Jobs maintained to his dying day that Android was "stolen technology" while Google have always maintained that they have done nothing for which they should reproach themselves.

Indeed this pattern of an Apple superiority complex seemed to be reflected by consumers, with iPhone users considering themselves owners of an elite piece of technology whilst looking down and laughing at those poor folk who "only" had Android phones.

Things have changed in the last couple of years though, and Android (with massive support particularly from Samsung) have taken a big crunch out of Apple (pun intended), and boy don't Android loyalists want everyone (especially Apple fans) to know about this!

Android devotees will tell you that they have a wider choice of hardware, and more flexibility in terms of customization - they have widgets for heavens sake! They mock iOS because it is so locked in and rigid, and they revel in the freedom that they have to make their phones work exactly the way they want them to.

iOS fans however, really do buy into the Apple philosophy that "it just works", and it does. iOS is neat and tidy, and nice and simple. App developers still design their Apps for iOS first and Android second for these precise reasons! They only have to worry about the iPhone and the iPad, and most iOS users tend to update to the latest version of the OS when it becomes available.

Android on the other hand is an App developers nightmare as the whole platform is so fragmented. There are so many different devices to worry about, and no dominant version of the OS - with some users on Honeycomb, others on Gingerbread, the rest on (the irritatingly named) Ice Cream Sandwich, with Jelly Bean just having been released!

Now you can probably tell that I am struggling a little bit to stay objective here! Hands up - I am an Apple Fan Boy. However, if I force myself to take that hat off - I can completely understand the popularity of Android. People do like choice, and they also like flexibility, and Android provides them with this.

Those who like things nice and simple, and neat and tidy will feel more at home on iOS however.

As with anything in life, it all comes down to personal preference, and what works best for you and I do believe that there is room for both iOS and Android as things move forward. There is even room for Windows phone in the mix for that matter.

Whether Apple and Google/Samsung will ever be friends again is debatable, but what's important is that we all have choice, and we are all entitled to our opinion that our phone is indeed the best!

Take care.
Peter