Here’s a look at just some of what we’re covering in our February show:

• News Updates: A new phone with a novel power source, upgrades in store for Virgin customers, three video-on-demand stories, an amazing price-cut on the Blackberry tablet, plus the fate of the leap-second
• Focus: We look at a selection of the latest wireless fitness products, and some applications that will help you stay in shape in 2012
• First look: We get some help from a guest listener to take a look at the just-launched Netflix service
• Review: Probably the oddest beverage accessory we’ve ever seen, plus a peak into Pete’s kitchen
• Feedback: Problems with Virgin speed, your complaints, plus the hunt for a Freesat/Freeview set-top box

If you own an iPad, iPhone or iPod, then you can get the latest show now via iTunes – You’ll find it here: FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can get the latest FrequencyCast online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html , where you’ll also find instructions on how to subscribe, download the show to your portable device, and listen to us online.

Show Links:

• Show Notes for Show 72
• Transcript: Wireless Fitness Tech (plus bonus material)
• Transcript: UK Netflix Review

Please remember that FrequencyCast is free – We need your support though – We don’t need your money… what we need you to do, is provide us with feedback and suggestions, but more importantly, tell your friends about us. Like FrequencyCast on Facebook, or follow FrequencyCast on Twitter and send your followers a message. Alternatively, mention us online, in emails, or tell your friends about us. Without you, we’re nothing.

We’d love to get your comments and feedback on the show. If you have a comment, good or bad, please add a comment in the box below, or leave us a voicemail message on 0208 133 4567 (price of a call to London).

Thanks again for your support. We hope you have a great 2012, and we look forward to entertaining you in the coming months.

Engage The Cloak

According to a report on the BBC Technology site this morning, researchers at the University of Texas have successfully “cloaked” an object.

Using plasmonic materials, an 18cm cylinder has been rendered invisible. Sadly, it’s not quite as exciting as sounds, as it’s only invisible to light at the microwave end of the spectrum. According to the report, the technique and materials used are unlikely to work for the visible part of the spectrum, so all of those cunning uses that FrequencyCast listeners might conjure up for a cloak of invisibility… will have to wait. More details on this breakthrough at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16726609

Although we’re not there yet, it’s still, it’s good to know that some early steps are being made – at this rate, we might be able to have cloaking technology ahead of the Klingons, and that can only be a good thing.

We’re still waiting for those tech boffins to create the SEP Field – If you don’t know your Douglas Adams, the Someone Else’s Problem Field allows something to appear to be invisible because it’s too implausible to be there… “the brain just edits it out, like it’s a blind spot”

Apologies for this odd clipart – you try finding a picture of a cloaked object!!

Star Trek Tricorder

In other sci-fi related “coming soon” news… There’s a competition running to be the first to build a Star Trek Tricorder… If you can build a handy gadget that can diagnose 15 diseases, then you could net yourself £6.5 million in the X Price competition that was recently announced at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. Qualcomm’s stumping up the $10 million prize, and you can check out the terms and conditions here:Star Trek Tricorder X Price

What gadget from the Star Trek Universe, or the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy would you like to like to see become a reality? Add a comment below, and we’ll share your thoughts with the FrequencyCast audience.

Between the 3rd and the 6th of February 2012, the subscription channel ESPN will be free on Freeview, BT Vision, Sky and Top Up TV. If you’re with Sky, you’ll also be able to watch ESPN and ESPN America in HD for free.

The promotion is to lure in viewers who’ve not opted to sign up for ESPN on one of the main services, and if any of the sporting action on the agenda tickles your sporting tastebuds, then this is a nice little freebie. Here’s a quick look at what should be available over the weekend:

The Sporting Action

Over the weekend, the following events are scheduled, and free:

Friday the 3rd:

• Bundesliga:  FC Nuremburg v Borussia Dortmund

Saturday the 4th:

• Barclays Premier League: Manchester City v Fulham
• Serie A: Roma v Inter   Milan
• NBA New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics

Sunday the 6th:

• UFC 143 Carlos Condit v Nick Diaz
• Serie A: Genoa v Lazio
• Serie A: Fiorentina v Udinese
• Bundesliga: Kaiserslauern v FC Cologne
• Serie A: AC Milan v Napoli

Enjoy the free weekend of sport on Freeview, Sky, BT Vision and Top Up TV, courtesy of ESPN.

For more information on digital TV in the UK, see our Digital TV Options page

From February 2012, customers of Virgin Media’s broadband service will start to see a sizable increase in speed or their already fast fibre-optic cable Internet connection.

For customers with 10Meg, 20Meg, 30Meg or 50Meg download speeds, these will effectively be doubled at no extra charge, whilst those on 100Meg will see a boost to up to 120Meg.

Virgin Media’s cable service currently offers the fastest broadband in the UK. When the 120Mbps update starts, they’ll be offering a service three times faster than BT’s current best speed, which is the 40Mbps service known as BT Infinity.

Virgin expects to complete the upgrade of their network to the new faster connection speeds by the middle of 2013, and the upgrades will cost a reported £110 million.

Speed increases will no doubt be welcomed by Virgin’s customer base, although as reported in our December show, only a small number of customers appear to be making use of high-speed downloads. As was discussed at the Internet Industry Insight Session, there aren’t that many consumer services out there that can really benefit from such fast download speeds – At least, not yet. This month, we’ve seen Netflix start in the UK, offering an impressively large collection of movies and TV shows for on-demand playback – video will certainly require a decent amount of bandwidth, but even live HD streams won’t get close to touching 120Mbps, and neither will current gaming services such as OnLive.

Nonetheless, if mega-fast broadband is your thing and you want to connect using anything over 40Mbps, then Virgin is the answer, and the doubling of speed is sure a good thing – it’ll also help the UK Government get closer to their target of getting the UK connected to a faster broadband network.

Personally, rather than seeing a speed boost, which is essentially just a headline-grabber for Virgin, we’d like to see them expand their network. If customers aren’t taking advantage of the faster network – rather than paying out to double the speed, how about bringing the service to a few other users? It’s been a while since the network expanded, and there’s lots of people out there close to a Virgin network, but not close enough. Here are FrequencyCast, we’re about a mile away from you, Virgin. Give us the fibre cable, and we’ll run it for you… no guarantees on how neat a job our lads will do, or how many folk will trip over it, but if it means we can play our OnLive games a tiny bit faster, then we’re in!

For more information on the speed enhancements, and to check if Virgin’s mega-whooshy network is available where you are, go to www.virginmedia.com

This is to let you know that our January show was released earlier today, and it’s available now for your listening pleasure.

Here’s a summary of what’s covered in the first show of the New Year:

• News Updates: Channel 5 Freeview HD, Apple iTV and Virgin updates.
• Focus: Our review of 2011, and a look ahead at the next year of TV & tech.
• Report: Updates to the Nintendo 3DS handheld console
• Feedback: X-Box 360 dashboard updates and printing from the iPad

If you own an iPad, iPhone or iPod, then you can get the latest show now via iTunes – You’ll find it here: FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can download the latest show, show 71 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html , where you’ll also find instructions on how to subscribe.

Show Links:

• Show Notes for Show 71
• Transcript: Review of TV & Tech in 2011
• Transcript: Nintendo 3DS Updates

As you know, FrequencyCast is a free service and shows are based on your feedback and questions – without you, there would be no show, and we reply on you to help spread the word. Please tell your friends about this latest show – Like FrequencyCast on Facebook, or follow FrequencyCast on Twitter and send your followers a message

We’d love to get your comments and feedback on the show. If you have a comment, good or bad, please add a comment in the box below, or leave us a voicemail message on 0208 133 4567 (price of a call to London).

Thanks again for your support. We hope you have a great 2012, and we look forward to entertaining you in the coming months.

For this show, we look at the future of the Internet – We were invited to attend a special session discussing broadband trends, Internet demand, and the thorny subject of “up to” broadband speeds. It made for a lively debate, and we have a recording of the entire session, plus our exclusive interviews, ready and waiting!

Here’s a summary of what’s covered in the latest installment of FrequencyCast:

• News Updates: Sky’s plans for Formula 1, 3DS update, TiVo and DAB
• Focus: Pete’s been to an Internet insight session. Here’s his report.
• Hands-on: The Livescribe smart pen
• Featured: Control your TV with an iPhone, plus weather stations revisited
• Your comments on TV + 1, printers and GetJam

If you own an iPad, iPhone or iPod, then you can get the latest show now now via iTunes – You’ll find it here: FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can download the latest show, show 70 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html

Show Links:

• Show Notes for Show 70
• Transcript: Internet Insight Session – The Net of the Future
• Transcript: Livescribe Echo, UnityRemote & Weather Station

As you know, our shows are free, and we rely on our listeners not only to set the agenda, but also to help spread the word about what we do. Please tell your friends about this latest show – Like FrequencyCast on Facebook, or it Tweeting’s your bag – follow FrequencyCast on Twitter and re-tweet this here posting for us!

We’d love to get your comments and feedback on the show. If you have a comment, good or bad, please add a comment in the box below, or leave us a voicemail message on 0208 133 4567 (London call).

We hope you enjoy this latest show, and, like us, are looking forward to seeing what tomorrow’s Internet has to offer.

Who is Pollyanna Woodward?

Of course, she’s one of the presenters of The Gadget Show, on Channel 5. The show is loved by many a gadget geek, including the gang here at FrequencyCast.

We met Polly and the team at Gadget Show Live this year, and spoke briefly to Polly for our podcast (FrequencyCast Podcast 63). To the right of the words that I’m typing now, you’ll see a picture of the lovely Pollyanna, taken at Gadget Show Live – Note that the fingers belong to Pete.

We’d love to tell you more about Polly – but we can’t.

And that’s because yesterday, her Wikipedia page was removed.

We were alerted to this by listener Steve L  (thanks Steve), and on checking, sure enough, her page has been zapped by the powers that be at Wikipedia. The stated reason is as follows:

“Only a handful of tabloid lifestyle pieces of no significance. The Gadget Show is high-profile itself but her presence on the team has yet to generate independent impact.”

From Polly’s own website, www.pollyannawoodward.com, we learn that Pollyanna’s made over 4,500 hours of telly, was a finalist in Popstars the Rivals, was a Miss England finalist, as well as some tabloid and FHM coverage. It seems, at least to us, that  this Nottinghamshire-born lass has every right to be on Wikipedia with her credentials, especially given some of the personal vanity pages you’ll find on Wikipedia.

We note that pages for the other honourable show presenters Suzi Perry, Jason Bradbury, Jon Bentley and Ortis Deley remain intact. Even former presenter Dallas Campbell has a Wiki page.

Pollyanna Woodward, formerly on Wikipedia

Why do we care?

Well, we can sympathise with young Polly, as our own FrequencyCast Wikipedia entry was zapped in July of this year. The reason for our removal was that we’re an “unremarkable podcast” (sob), with another reviewer nothing that Frequencycast “Does appear to have won an award, however the article does not assert any other notability.” 

Despite the fact that our shows have been running for five years, and we now have almost 3 listeners, we know we’re a small minnow in a huge online ocean – Polly, however, isn’t. Although FrequencyCast is unloved by the Wiki Mods, at  least we’re in good company though.

Our SaveGadgetPolly Campaign?

We think Pollyanna deserves a Wikipedia entry, along with her untouched colleagues on The Gadget Show – Hence “#SaveGadgetPolly” (her Twitter ID is GadgetPolly). After we tweeted our first “Save GadgetPolly” message, regular listener Rob Dickson replied with “How do we save her?”. It was at this point that we realised our campaign had hit a stumbling block.

At the moment, our campaign consists of us here at FrequencyCast HQ uniting with Polly by raising a fist and quietly mumbling “Damn you Wikipedia Mods!” Hardly consists of a major campaign – but we know we hold the moral high ground!

Anything to say? Please tweet your support with the hashtag #savegadgetpolly , or add a comment below.

Yours,

FrequencyCast… unloved by Wiki…

Mario Kart 3DS

On the 8th of December, we’re expecting to see Nintendo roll out an updated version of their OS, which may include the following:

• The ability to record 3D video footage
• Improved sharing with other Nintendo products
• Improved StreetPlaza functionality
• A rumoured new game, Find Mii II
• Improved stability

Users will be able to install the new update to their 3DS from the 8th of December using a wi-fi Internet connection.

Hey! It’s Mario!

Also note that the Nintendo classic Mario Kart is about to go 3D, with the launch of Mario Kart 3D for the Nintendo 3DS set for the 2nd of December. At the time of writing, you can save a wquid by pre-ordering Mario Kart 3DS at Amazon. Hot feature for Mario on the 3DS is support for multi-player, not just with those in the room, but those connected online around the world. There’s also some new characters, courses and special power-ups.

We know that the 3DS hasn’t really been setting the world alight, although with a 3D Mario, and the recent pice drops, there’s still a chance this could be the surprise big seller over the 2011 festive period.

For more, check out our Nintendo 3DS review

Well, we’ve released some audio just for those getting into the festive spirit, and it’s all thanks to CoolArif79 who tweeted thus: “Can you for show 69 and 70 concentrate on gadgets coming out for Christmas?”

We don’t claim to have any insight on what are going to be the top gadgets for Christmas 2011, but we can help with a few ideas of things to add to your list. Carl and Pete recorded a special Update looking at favourite gadgets of the last six months, and then went out-and-about to see what stocking-fillers they could find at a major shopping centre in England.

The audio update lasts 20 minutes, and features a special guest. As blokes don’t do shopping, we were assisted by the lovely Kelly, who kept Carl and Pete under control, and also kept an eye out for a few gifts for the tech-savvy ladies out there.

We looked at a few high-end must have gadgets, some novelty items, and even a few high-tech kids toys… the aim was to suggest a range of gift ideas that you may not have previously considered – and on our show notes, we include a few links and photos to get your creative juices flowing!

We hope you enjoy this rather unorthodox FrequencyCast update. As you’ll hear, we had quite a laugh putting this together, and hopefully will give you a few ideas on what to look out for as gifts for the upcoming festive period.

Our Audio Special

The show has just been released to iTunes, and is also attached to this news post as an mp3 file. The audio will soon appear on our streaming radio service, and can also be downloaded from our FrequencyCast Update page.

Show Notes and Links

You’ll find the show notes, links and pictures here: www.frequencycast.co.uk/gadgets.html

We’ve also released a transcript, complete with pictures, at www.frequencycast.co.uk/festivegadgets.html

Marmite Chocolate?

So, why have we chosen a picture of Marmite chocolate to illustrate this audio update? Well, you’ll have to take a listen! We challenge our listeners to try this stuff for themselves – your life may never be the same again…!

Comments please!

We’ve love to know what you think of our little Christmas Special. Please add your comments below.

Remember, without your feedback, there’s no show, so please have your say on what you’ve heard, and what gadgets you want for Christmas…

As ever, you set the agenda for the show – what you’d like us to cover, and what questions you want us to answer. Here’s a summary of what’s covered in the latest installment of FrequencyCast:

• News Updates: BBC HD channel to be axed, iPhone 4S shortages, o2′s upgrade policy, PBS comes to the UK and festive DAB
• Focus: As requested by our listeners, it’s all about printers and printing.
• Review: iPhone 4S and the Siri virtual assistant
• Your comments and questions on dual monitors, Overdrive book lending and the Steadicam

If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad device, you should find show 69 is available now via iTunes – See FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can download Show 69 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html

Show Links:

• Show Notes for Show 69
• Transcript: Printers and Printing Transcript
• Transcript: iPhone 4S and Siri Transcript

Please help us out by spreading the word. Tell your friends via: FrequencyCast on Facebook and FrequencyCast on Twitter.

Any comments on the show? Anything you’d like to ask our Siri? Please add a comment below, or leave us a voicemail message on 0208 133 4567 (London call), or drop us a text message!

It seems that a significant number of  iOS 5 users have noticed a marked drop in battery life, and we’re getting reports that this may be due to a bug (a.k.a a “feature”) introduced in the last official software release. It looks like the operating system may be using the location services to make power-hungry calls to check the clock.

Possible fix:

A number of sites on the ‘net have been reporting a possible fix, and users seem to be reporting that the fix is making a difference. Here’s the fix:

iOS 5 makes use of the device GPS and Wi-fi location to find out where it is, and uses this to work out what time zone you’re in when you’re roaming. For a high percentage of users, this could be viewed as unneccesary.

• Go to “Settings”
• Go to “Location Services”
• Scroll down to “System Services”
• Set “Setting Time Zone” to “Off”

Before turning it off, you may notice that the little purple location services icon appears next to “Setting Time Zone”, which confirms that the device is indeed using location software, and therefore battery.

iOS 5 Battery Issue Location Settings

If this is indeed a confirmed Apple bug, no doubt a fix will be forthcoming in the form of a new version of iOS 5 – And possibly the first to be sent over-the-air.

Been hit with a low battery? Had any luck with this fix? Please let us know in the comments below!

As requested by our listeners, we’re talking about printers and all things printing. Not the most exciting topic, but we’ve tried to add a few things that might be of interest, plus a mystery object, and a special guest.

In the show, we also look at the hottest virtual assistant on the planet – Siri.

As you’re probably aware, Siri is the new speech recognition gizmo from the clever folk at Apple. We’ve been putting Siri through its paces, to see if it’s actually useful in the real world, or just a gimmick to get people to rush and and buy a new iShiny (if o2 let them upgrade to a 4S, that is)

As part of the show, we play a fun video clip demonstrating that as well as being a semi-serious tool, Siri can be fun. People have been playing around to work out what fun things she (or “he in the UK) can say. In the show, we feature a short extract of a Siri Duet, performed by Jonathan Mann.

Here is the full video clip. Tissues at the ready, everyone:

We hope Jonathan’s dream of one day marrying sexy Siri comes true.

For more Silly Siri Stuff, have a listen to our November show, which is due out on Tuesday morning…

Brian The Brain

We’re in the process of editing our pice on Apple’s new Siri speech recognition package, found on the new iPhone 4S.

During the recording, Carl remembered we used to have the rather chatty “Brian The Brain” in some of our earlier shows – and the product had some rather basic speech recognition.

Any product that is designed to interpret the user’s speech, is always of interest to us, and it’s fun to put it through its paces. Siri is getting lots of interest in the tech community, and our Pete is having fun with it. By comparison, Brian The Brain, pictured here, was a little basic, but still fun – and now sits silently in our studio.

Brian featured on a few of our shows, but for some reason, he didn’t like Carl’s voice. Back in our “cutting room floor” archive, we found a short audio file of Carl having a tiff with Brian, and we thought you might like to have a listen. Silly, but it made Carl smile, and it may make you smile too!

If you have 2 minutes and 27 seconds of your life that you never want to see again, take a listen to our quick “Off The Record” bit of bonus material audio. The clip is attached to this blog post, on our iTunes channel, and also released on our audio RSS feed.

Expect us to be discussing the iPhone 4S and its virtual assistant Siri in the next show, Show 69, due out in the next few days.

To upgrade, or not to upgrade… that was my question. Looking at the spec of the iPhone 4S, there seemed to be no need to rush out and upgrade, and so, I’d decided not to go and queue for the 4S – but might upgrade when the rush had died down. That having been said, we’ve received a few emails asking for us to review the 4S for the next show, plus tweets from tech chums playing with Siri and the new camera, making me twitchy to upgrade.

Casually checking the o2 site to see how sales were going on Saturday, I did a stock check, and found that a store a couple of miles away from the town I was visiting… had stock. I thought it might be worth a look, so strolled past.

At the o2 store, there was no queue, but a sign saying “No stock”. I popped in anyway, to be told that they did actually have stock after a delivery this morning. So, I thought I’d upgrade.

Please may I upgrade, sir?

Sitting down with the “o2 Guru” at the Basildon store, my details were fed into the computer. I’m one month away from an upgrade. “No problem – I’ll pay the extra month to get out of my contract”. That’s where the problem lies, apparently.

o2 appears to have changed policy on its “Fast Track”, meaning that I couldn’t buy myself out of the contract. Neither could I take out a new contract now, and let the old one lapse – At least, not without losing my number.

o2 Fast Track

It seems that if you’re on a tariff of less than £40 a month, o2 don’t value you enough to let you “fast track” out of a contract. The store manager at o2 wasn’t interested in trying to sort anything out, and the floor staff, while sympathetic, couldn’t do anything. They suggested I call o2 Customer Services…

o2's online upgrade notice - Wait 5 weeks, or go to Vodafone, apparently

Shock 1 – Switch to Vodafone, says o2

A call to o2 Customer Services seemed fairly encouraging, but ultimately fruitless. I could switch to a £41 contract, then Fast Track, but I’d have to pay an extra £6 a month to get any data with that contract (more on that in a mo).

So, I’d go from £36 to £47 a month to be able to get an iPhone 4S. Even if I wanted to go ahead with this craziness, it would take anywhere between 12 hours and my next billing cycle for the tariff change to go through on the o2 system before the in-store team could see the change and flog me a phone.

“Are there any other options?” No, it seems. Then I worked it out… “Can I cancel my contract, and move networks?” Oh yes, that’s fine. Seems I’d have to pay a month’s fee to get out of my contract, but then I’d be free to take out a new (and cheaper) contract, and shift my number to another network operator.

The helpful chap at o2 Customer Services, and then the team instore, confirmed that the only way I’d be able to get an iPhone 4S would be to call for a PAC (the code needed to move to a new network), and shift to another provider. o2 agreed that my shifting to the Vodafone network was the way to go, and did nothing to try to keep me.

Shock 2 – No data on new tariffs

Something else that’s changed in o2′s iPhone policy. When you upgrade to a new iPhone, you have to take out a new contract – and the new contracts don’t include data. Our £35 a month contract with 500MB of data, would convert to a £36 a month contract with no data. A 500MB bolt-on is an extra £6 a month.

As you can’t use an iPhone without data, that’ll now be a £42 a month tariff. A little sneaky, o2?

So long and thanks o2

So, being loyal to o2 for nearly 15 years counts for nowt, and rather than taking my money to fast-track upgrade, tying me into a new long contract, and taking my cash for a new iShiny – I’m off to Vodafone. I can get a phone faster, and be paying less as their tariffs include data (unlike o2′s). Thanks a bucket o2!

We’re assuming that o2 is relying on customer’s lethary, and hoping that customers won’t mind paying more to stay with them, as the alternative is hard work. Which it isn’t.

To switch, call o2, free, on 202, and follow the “want to leave o2″ menu option. Ask for a PAC (Port Authorisation Code), then pop off to your local Vodafone store (or online at Vodafone or Carphone Warehouse)

Audio Update

If you’re interested, young Pete and Carl recorded some audio on the subject:

Given the amount of hype that surrounds any Apple launch, we locked Pete and Carl in a room after they’d taken time to dissect what the new boss of Apple had to say.

As a result, here’s a 10 minute summary of what the new iPhone 4S will have to offer, what features are killers (if any), and whether the FrequencyCast team will be queueing up on the Friday the 14th of October.

You’ll find the audio update attached to this blog entry, or at www.frequencycast.co.uk/update.html – This should also be available via iTunes very shortly.

So – the iPhone 4S has a faster processor, better screen and better camera, plus some cunning voice recognition technology – is it enough to hold back the advancing Androids? Is an iPhone still the coolest phone to own, or is this just not innovative enough. Can we expect crowds queuing for this phone, or given its hefty price tag, will people swarm to an HTC or Samsung instead?
If you’ve got any comments on the iPhone 4S, we’d love to hear them so we can discuss this in more detail in the next show.

We’re all patiently waiting for the news to filter in from the US – and we’ll be updating this post in real-time as we hear anything!

We’re currently watching a live blog from Engadget, and their site seems to have crashed – D’oh. Now watching Twitter. Here’s what we’re hearing:

iOS 5 Update

Old news, as the update for the operating system has been announced before, but as a reminder:

• Improved notifiation system
• iMessage – Messaging between iOS users
• Location-aware Reminders
• Take a photo from the standby screen
• Tabbed web browsing for iPad
• Greater use of the iCould (Camera roll and docs) – Launched 12 Oct
• Find My Friends (a bit like Google Latitude?)

The new version of iOS5 will be released on Wednesday the 12th of October 2011, apparently.

iPod Nano

• Improved fitness (no Nike Shoe dongle needed)
• New clock faces (wear it as a watch)

iPod Touch

• New one – in white (8, 32 and 64GB versions)

iPhone 4S

OK – So there is a new iPhone. It’s not the iPhone 5, it’s an iPhone 4S. Here’s what’s new:

• Looks the same
• Uses an A5 processor (going to be 2 x faster)
• Dual core graphics (7 x faster graphics)
• Better call quality, using “wireless system”
• Uses two antennas – 2 x faster download on HSPDA
• 8 Megapixel camera, backlight illumination – 73% brighter photos, face detection
• 1080p video recording
• Airplay Mirroring (games on TV)
• Siri – Voice recognition / intellegent hands-free lookup
• Dictation (speech to text)

Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions. iPhone 4S Release date – October 14th in the UK

Early picture of the new iPhone 4S in white

Now you know!!

As it’s the first of the month, it’s time for a new show, and we’ve packed quite a lot into Show 68. Here’s a summary of what’s included in the show:

• News Updates: More Freeview HD on the way, we’ve hit a digital switchover milestone, plus news on the iPhone 5 launch date
• Focus: Could the future of home gaming be upon us? Carl and Pete get hands-on with OnLive.
• Featured: Google+, BT Vision, the Prospero satellite, Alan Partridge, eBook readers and Air Swimmers
• Your comments and questions on French TV, Freeview top-ups and HTC Desire S problems

If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad device, you should find show 68 is available now via iTunes – See FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can download Show 68 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html

We’re also available via streaming radio services and can be heard on a growing number of radio stations around the UK. Thanks to all of our regular listeners for the ongoing support!

Show Links:

• Show Notes for Show 68
• Transcript: Show 68 Transcript
• Transcript: OnLive Gaming Review Transcript

Our shows are always free, and we need to you to spread the word, to help us to build an audience.

Please tell your friends about us. Like FrequencyCast on Facebook and follow FrequencyCast on Twitter.

We’d love to know what you think of the show, and we also need your feedback and suggestions for the next show. Needy, aren’t we?

Got something to say about the show, please add a comment below, or leave us a voicemail message on 0208 133 4567 (London call)

What’s special about OnLive?

It’s a cloud-based service. This means that there’s no physical game to buy, install and patch. The game sits on the OnLive server, and you can play from an Internet-connected PC, Mac or with the OnLive micro games console

The OnLive console

At launch, this is available for under £70, and connects direct to your TV via HDMI, and your broadband router via Ethernet (and not wi-fi). It’s a tiny box that comes with a decent quality handheld controller, and is both easy to set-up, and easy to use.

The OnLive Gaming Micro Console

Using OnLive

We’ve been very impressed so far. Almost no significant lag, a great choice of games, and a good experience. After two days of gameplay, we’re impressed, and as our Carl reluctantly admits, this could actually be the future of gaming.

The service comes with some rather nice touches. You can record a “good bit” of a game, and show it off as a “Brag Clip”. You can also share your game status, in-game video and achievements with your Facebook friends.

If you want to try a game before you part with any money, you can normally get 30 minutes of free gameplay, and you can sit and watch other online gamers playing that game, in what’s called “Spectator Mode”.

Buying games is easy – you can buy the game, or choose the option to rent a title for 3 or 5 days. If you’re a more serious gamer, the other option is to get a GamePass, where you pay £6.99 for full access to a selection of titles, and not have to worry about incurring fees to play your games.

Our OnLive Review

For the next show, Show 68, we’ll be discussing our findings on the OnLive system. We recorded an 18 minute review, where we discuss the system, review the hardware, and try some games. The feature was too long to be used in the show, so it will be edited for time. So games fans don’t miss out, we’ve also released the full audio review, which you’ll find attached to this blog post, as well as at www.frequencycast.co.uk/onlive.html

More on OnLive

Here are some links that should help you find out more:

• OnLive Gaming Explored
• OnLive Review Transcript (from Show 68)
• OnLive UK Site

Got OnLive…? Or got a question about this new games service? Add a comment below, and we’ll be happy to help.

We hope you enjoy our initial review of what could be the future of gaming!

• News Updates: New Freeview services, Samsung Galaxy news, eBooks and the switchover
• Focus: Pete and Carl go out and about to explore the world of  Geocaching.
• Featured: Local TV, Sky Movies, Community Radio and Onavo, an app that will save on your mobile data charges
• Your comments and questions on eTRV, mobile data, Internet TV, the iPhone 5 and the BBC iPlayer

If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad device, you should find show 67 is available now for free download – If you’ve not subscribed, go to FrequencyCast on iTunes.

Alternatively, you can download Show 67 direct to your MP3 player or listen online at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html

Links:

• Show Notes for Show 67
• Transcript: Geocaching Transcript
• Recommended link: Mobile Data Petition

If you enjoy this show, please say thanks by getting a free SIM card! See our GiffGaff page for the link.

Our shows are free, and we need to you to spread the word – Please mention FrequencyCast on Facebook and Twitter, and tell your friends about us.

If plans go ahead, the proposed local TV services are expected to be available on Freeview Channel 8, and each station would broadcast local programming for at least one hour a day. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is aiming to fast-track licences out across the UK to get these stations on-air as soon as possible, with the aim being for companies to be able to set these up for the cost of setting up a local newspaper.

Traditionally, there’s been little interest  in local TV services here in the UK. It’s a big thing in the US, but previous attempts at local TV haven’t always been successful, as those that remember Live TV in the 1990s can attest to. Given some of the problems being faced by the local community radio stations in the UK, you have to wonder whether there’s a) the market, and b) the money, to make local TV worth it.

Would we be in danger of seeing what’s happened to local radio, where large companies have snapped up local licences to form a network of near-national services? Or do you think there’s a need for a daily TV service broadcast from your town or city each day… and would you watch?

The UK regulator OfCom has announced a list of 65 areas that could find themselves with a local TV service as early as 2012. Here is the list, by region:

Midlands

Birmingham , Bromsgrove, Hereford, Kidderminster, Malvern, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Stoke on Trent,Stratford upon Avon and Telford

North East

Middlesbrough and Newcastle

North West

Burnley, Carlisle, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston

East of England

Bedford, Cambridge and Norwich (Alan Partridge need not apply)

South East

Basingstoke, Brighton and Hove, Dover, Guildford, Haywards Heath, Hemel Hempstead, London, Luton, Maidstone, Oxford Reading, Reigate, Southampton and Tonbridge

South West

Barnstaple, Bristol, Gloucester, Plymouth, Poole and Salisbury

Yorkshire & Humberside

Grimsby, Keighley, Leeds, Scarborough, Sheffield and York

Scotland

Aberdeen Ayr, Dundee, Edinburgh, Elgin, Falkirk, Glasgow, Greenock and Inverness

Wales

Bangor, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest, Mold and Swansea

Northern Ireland

Belfast, Derry/ Londonderry and Limavady

So, are you interested in local TV? Would you be interested in local community TV? Or is the idea insane? We’d love to get your comments!