Wavey UK - Technology and Gadgets

Android Phone Slow With More Than 25 Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:18:00 +0000

In my latest post on U-Read.net I look at an issue I have had recently where my Android phone was sluggish. The post, Android Phone Slow With More Than 25 Apps, explains how I resolved this.

Reminder that my blog location has changed!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:14:00 +0000

Just a reminder to all my regular readers that my Blogs have moved to a new location. They are now located at U-Read.Net. Click here to view them. You can also sign up for your free account there too.

Hope to see you there soon.

Users Angry Over Apple iOS Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 07:46:00 +0000

Users Angry Over Apple iOS Maps

HTC and Microsoft Announce Windows 8 Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:25:00 +0000

Microsoft and HTC announce the launch of the Windows 8 Phone (8X and 8S)

To read my full article on the phone click below

http://www.u-read.net/blogs/mobile-cell/2012/09/19/htc-announce-launch-of-windows-8-phone

Canon Release Project 1709 - Social Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Finally, someone has started to think how photographers, be it amateur or professional, can bring all their photographs from divergent sources together in one place for quick, easy access.

And it should be no surprise that the “someone” in question is actually one of the world’s most respected company’s for digital imaging, Canon!

To read my full article posted on u-read.net, click here.

ASUS Vivo Windows 8 Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Regular readers to my blog will know I am a big fan of Asus products. I own the original ASUS Transformer pad and love it. The quality of ASUS products means that generally you'll never be disappointed with one of their products.

To read my full blog article on the ASUS Vivo at U-Read.Net, click here

The Future of Digital Storage - DNA?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:51:00 +0000

My latest U-Read Posting...
The Future of Digital Storage - DNA?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:08:00 +0000

Moving to U-Read!
Hi all...
Just to let you know I am now posting my blogs on a new service called U-Read (http://www.u-read.net). This means effectively no further posts will appear on here, but I sincerely hope to see all my followers over at U-Read.net, and maybe even create your own blogs on there,
My latest article is about Facebook http://www.u-read.net/blogs/internet/2012/08/17/was-zuckerberg-over-optimistic-with-facebook-floatation

Thanks
Dave

Windows 8 Release Date Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:36:00 +0000

Microsoft have announced that the new version of it's desktop operating system, Windows 8, will be officially launched on the 26th October for sale to the public. The announcement was made at Microsoft's annual sales meeting by Steven Sinofsky. It's the first major upgrade to the Windows operating system since the launch of Windows 7 back in 2009, and Microsoft claim it will re-invent how users interact with their computers.

If you've been following the path of Windows 8, you'll already know it's a completely re-designed interface which Microsoft call the "Metro Interface". Microsoft are trying to take the Windows operating system to the next level, following on from the undoubted success of Windows 7 (which at the time was hailed by most as the best OS from Microsoft since Windows XP). It's clear the Microsoft believe that the future of computers lies in the user touching a screen, using motion control gestures or voice recognition to perform the majority of tasks in favour of using a mouse and keyboard.

With Microsoft already announcing that it will be releasing it's own tablet named Surface, it's clear the direction they intend Windows 8 (and successive operating systems they will release) to take. And by releasing versions of Windows 8 that will run on Intel, AMD, and for the first time ARM chipsets, it's apparent they are trying to pitch the OS at all possible platforms, including trying to take a slice of the tablet market.

Two days previous, Microsoft announced that Office 2013 will also be fully touch compliant, with the same Metro interface as seen in Windows 8. It's clear to see Microsoft are advocating the use of touch, motion and voice control.

So what will it mean for the home user? Well, it is reported that Microsoft will be offering a vigorous upgrade path to existing Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users, rumoured to be around the $40 USD mark. This offer will be from release date through to January 31st 2013. Expect the UK price to be around the £35-£40 mark (typically USD to GBP currency conversion rates never happen!).

Considering the features of Windows 8, we can also expect manufacturers to start making more "touch-screen" PC's (for example, all-in-one units), or to offer PC's with integrated motion and voice detection to take advantage of the Windows 8 Metro interface.

For the corporate sector, it will take quite a while for Windows 8 to filter through. Most companies prefer to allow the product to mature, and for any major bugs to be rectified before deploying en-mass to their organisation. Additionally, the Metro interface may be too radical for office workers, and whilst there are undoubtedly major improvements in Windows 8 over Windows 7, IT departments will wish to be able to turn the Metro interface off in favour for the more familiar Desktop approach. This apparently will be possible through the use of new Group Policy options.

So, will Windows 8 become a popular choice for users? Who can say! Personally, I think it's niche will definitely be in the tablet market, with users flocking to get their hands on the new Surface tablet. It certainly may have a wider appeal to the education sector, allowing students to use applications they are familiar with on a tablet device, whilst at the same time allowing the devices to be integrated into an existing Windows domain environment.

1.9 Million Homes Set To Lose Freeview Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:20:00 +0000

Logo of Freeview (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It's reported that up to 1.9 million UK homes may lose their Freeview signal when 4G telephone signals are introduced in the 800MHz frequency spectrum. Currently Freeview uses the 600MHz, 700MHz and 800MHz frequencies to broadcast it's channels on.

The homes most likely to be affected are those who already receive a weak signal and rely on signal boosters to amplify this, or communal buildings which share a single aerial.

To try to ease this problem, MitCo has been formed. This company will provide information as well as the necessary filters to homes which are likely to face issues when 4G comes online. Where a filter will not solve the problem, MitCo will advise on what changes can be made to get around the loss or interference of the Freeview signal. This is likely to be in the shape of moving affected customers over to Freesat, which will not be affected as it uses satellite signals to broadcast it's content.

MitCo is being funded with £180million from the sale of the 800Mhz licenses to the four major mobile communication companies (Everything Everywhere, O2, Three and Vodafone). Of this £180million, £20million is already earmarked for the installation of filters and support to those most vulnerable.

Should £180million prove not to be enough, any overspend will be made up by the government. Should the full £180million not be spent, then any remainder will be divided in half, with one half going to the government, and the remaining half being split between the four mobile networks.

One remaining potential issue that is looming on the horizon is the introduction of mobile terrestrial broadband which is slated to be using the 700MHz frequency. This could further impact the provision of Freeview signals in the UK further.

Nexus 7 From Google and Asus

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:36:00 +0000

After some speculation in the recent days, Google and ASUS have confirmed the creation and launch of a new 7" tablet, the Nexus 7.

It's the first 7" tablet to be running the all new Android 4.1 OS, aka Jelly Bean. Google say the focus of the tablet is to make it portable, easy to use, and fast. And from first impressions in the video (see below), it certainly does look that way.

In terms of specifications, it's running on the quad-core Tegra 3, has an IPS based LCD screen running at a resolution of 1280x800, has NFC (near field communication) and also has a 1.3 mega-pixel front facing camera. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an SD card slot however. In terms of size, it measures 7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches (19.84 x 11.99 x 1.04 cm). It weighs in at a very light 340 grams (12 ounces).

From the outset, it looks like Google are trying to fill a hole in their portfolio by creating the 7" platform, and entrusted ASUS to come up with a stunning tablet, building on the success of other ASUS products. Google are keen to emphasise just how easy it is to carry this device around, and use it to watch digital media, read books or play games. They also want to make it clear that using Jelly Bean, which has been tuned to make the OS slicker, faster and smoother, will make this device a top performer.

As for pricing, well, here is a bit of a shocker - but a nice shock! Initial launch price for the tablet is $199/£159 for the 8GB model, and $249/£199 for the 16GB model. It will also ship with a $25 credit to use on the Google Play app store. Expect this device to start shipping around mid July in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

All in all, this seems to be one stunning piece of kit, and no doubt looking to rival the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note, all be it with a slightly bigger screen.

More Tales of Woe for RIM and Blackberry

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:18:00 +0000

Is the sun setting on RIM and Blackberry?

Two month's ago, I posted on here my concerns over whether Research In Motion could keep the Blackberry brand alive much longer and whether they'd missed the boat. Over the last few days there has been further speculation as to whether RIM will be acquired by either Google or Microsoft.

To add the RIM's woes, tomorrow (28th June) will see the announcement of their first quarter trading figures, and it's not expected to be good news. A first quarter operating loss is expected, with some analysts predicting it could be as much as $36 million.

Based on this, and if RIM continue to operate at a loss, then the likelihood of one of the other 3 major players (Google, Apple or Microsoft) buying them seems to be less, even though in my article of 27th April 2012 I suggested they might. The reason for my change of opinion is looking at what any of them could actually do with the ailing manufacturer, and on reflection, I don't think very much. The one exception could be using their messaging platform.

RIM are not helping themselves either. They have been questioned numerous times about when new phones with the Blackberry 10 OS will be released. The stock answer given seems to be the back-end of 2012. That's way too late, especially as by then Apple will have more than likely released the iPhone 5, Google will have almost certainly released version 5 of it's OS (Jelly Bean), and Windows 8 phones should be hitting the market.

As someone who works in IT, if I was using Blackberry devices for our workforce on a large scale, I would already be putting in plans to switch from Blackberry's to either Apple iOS or Android phones right now, just in case RIM go out of business. That approach is almost certainly being reviewed by other companies, driving down the operating profit of RIM further in the next two quarters.

The simple fact of the matter, as I've already stated before, is that RIM just didn't keep up. It allowed it's devices to fall behind the market trend, and launched half-baked devices such as it's now seemingly forgotten "Playbook". It also became complacent, thinking that it's stronghold on the commercial sector could not be broken. Alas, Apple, Android and Windows based devices have made it simpler and more secure to connect to corporate email systems.

One final point of note is the rumours flying around that RIM may split it's business in two, effectively dividing it's messaging platform (BBM) from it's phone platform. It's an interesting concept, but, unless RIM opened up the messaging system to be used by the likes of Android, Apple and Windows, I cannot see how this would make a profit.

All in all, bleak times for RIM, and unfortunately, I still predict that come this time next year, we will have seen the demise of a once pioneer of mobile communications, who sadly just didn't keep up with the times.

Facebook Launches Find Friends Nearby - Then Pulls It

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 07:29:00 +0000

It seems Facebook wanted to try out a new feature called "Find Friends Nearby" this week. What this new feature did was to show you a list of people who are in your local vicinity that you could friend. However, within a few hours of it appearing, it mysteriously disappeared again.

Now Facebook claim that the reason for this feature appearing and then disappearing was that their developers were testing the feature and they subsequently pulled it once the test had been completed. Okay, so you might think that sounds reasonably feasible. But herein lies a problem in my opinion. Why would you launch a piece of test code, or enhancement, to your live production system, and run the risk of it bringing it down or causing issues (are you taking note RBS/NatWest!)?

Admittedly, there was no formal announcement of this feature going live, just as there was no mention of it being pulled. But with people's heightened concerns over security and privacy, I would have thought that if this was just a test, it would be limited to a select number of users, or better still, run on their internal test servers. And let's not forget, Facebook have received their fair share of flack in the past couple of years for not having stringent enough privacy controls for users.

It appears that there were also apps launched on the iTunes and Android App stores. These were subsequently pulled too. Considering the amount of effort it takes to launch an app on these platforms, I find it difficult to believe that this was just a test.

So, was it a case that there was a serious flaw or security breach within the code, which resulted in a rapid pull of the feature? Or maybe Facebook received complaints from users saying they were not happy about being able to be seen by someone else in their local vicinity without adequate controls in the privacy settings to prevent them from showing up.

It's widely known that users get twitchy about being able to be discovered by geolocation tagging services without being able to block such features. Take for example the public outburst over the "Girls Around Me" application by i-Free (see this BBC news article). This was pulled at the beginning of April after complaints were received.

So maybe this feature from Facebook will never reappear. However, if it does, it will have to offer strict privacy settings allowing users the ability to not being able to be discovered as standard. Users would need to opt-in to the facility and activate it, rather than having to specifically opt-out.

Mixed Reality - Canon to Launch Game Changer

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:32:00 +0000

Canon have announced that they will launch their "Mixed Reality" (MR) technology at the end of July this year. What does this mean for the likes of you and me? Quite a lot actually.

What Canon has done is, quite simply, outstanding, by giving the ability to combine full size computer generated images in 3D that interact with the user. It's uses are endless, including prototyping new products in a much reduced time scale than traditional methods. The user will be able to use the prototype combining it with the MR system and actually get a feel of how the product will handle in the real world.

Canon state that the technology will "initially focus on the industrial design and other design fields". But ultimately I can see this technology making it's way into our homes. For a while now, users of consoles and hand-helds such as the Sony PS3 and Nintendo 3DS have been using augmented reality (AR) to play games, whereby the use of cards or everyday objects are reflected in their games. But should Canon develop (and undoubtedly miniaturise) the technology, and I can see console manufacturers being very interested in buying into the technology.

And let's not forget what this technology could do in the field of medicine (something Canon are already pioneers of). Using MR in this field could allow surgeons to practice complicated procedures on patients as if it was a real-life situation.

So yet again, Canon have come up with a technology that will benefit us all in the long run, be that allowing manufacturers to bring to market products quicker, or to enhance game play in the future, or even help save lives.

The full press release from Canon on MR can be found here

Young Girl Banned from Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:12:00 +0000

This is a very quick blog entry, and because it relates to technology, I wanted to put it out there to you all. Please look at the blog listed below. The young girl in question has been blogging about her school meals, and taking photos, with the permission of her school. Now Argyll and Bute Council have banned her from doing so. This is an outrage in my opinion. This young girl obviously enjoys her blogging and she should be allowed to continue to do so. Take a look at her blog and you decide if what she has been doing constitutes censorship!

NeverSeconds: Goodbye.: This morning in maths I got taken out of class by my head teacher and taken to her office. I was told that I could not take any more photos...

Phone Manufacturers Need to Stop Bickering

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 18:45:00 +0000

Am I the only person who is a fan of technology who is fed up to the back teeth of reading stories regarding smartphone manufacturers constantly trying to ban sales of each other's devices? I suspect not!

Don't get me wrong, I understand that patent infringement is a serious issue. If you've spent millions, if not hundred of millions of pounds developing a technology, you sure as hell don't want another manufacturer out-and-out copying it. If they do, then you're more than entitled to be served justice in the courts.

What I have a real hard time with is when these companies try to find the slightest thing that may have some relation to one of their patents and then do their best to try to ban the sale of that device in as many countries as possible. For example (and this is not a purposeful dig at Apple, but it's the only one that comes to mind at this moment), a few months ago Apple sued Samsung (and I believe Motorola also) over the "Slide to unlock" feature on their smartphones. I mean, come on. How can a manufacturer be able to patent that? More to the point, WHY should manufacturers be allowed to patent something like that. It's an action that a user does, and more to the point, it's just a graphic representation.

Now we hear that Apple are trying to get the courts to ban the launch of the Galaxy S3 in the USA on 21st June over more alleged patent infringements.

Here's my two-penny worth here, as a technology based person, and a "normal Joe in the street person", and it's directed to all smartphone manufacturers... GROW UP! Protect innovative ideas in your devices, yes, but stop with the petty, nit-picking, and ludicrous law suits in an attempt to gain the upper hand in sales by stopping your competitors from selling their devices. Give me, the user, new, innovative ways to use my device that nobody else has done. Make me excited over your products, but do it in a way that makes me want to choose your phone over your competitor. Don't think just because you slap a law suit on your competitor and if you subsequently manage to block sales for a month that I will buy your device instead. Use that money you would spend on law suits to push the boundaries of what is possible on a device.

If, of course, a competitor is proven to have outright stolen your code, or a technology on the device, and it's as obvious as the difference between dark and light, then of course, I will support your actions and applaud them. But if you all continue to keep suing each other for things like the top left hand pixel on the phone directly lines up with the inner most ridge of the bezel (yes, I made that up!), then I won't want to buy your devices. On the same tangent, all this suing for crazy things must be pushing the price of the devices up, which inevitably gets passed on to me, the consumer, so from that point alone, you should cease!

How Modern Technology Can Help in So Many Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:43:00 +0000

You may have noticed that I've not posted in a couple of weeks or so. That's because I was off in the Canary Islands sunning myself in Fuerteventura. And yes, I had a fantastic time thanks! Unfortunately, I was too busy having a good time to do any research on what Fuerteventura holds in respect to technology, so this article is not about that.

Instead, I want this article to focus on how much modern technology helps us in so many ways in situations that may not be entirely obvious. The reason for this is upon returning from my holiday, my beloved pet cat had decided she was going to go missing whilst being looked after in my absence. As any pet owner will understand, whether it's a cat, dog, ferret, bird, whatever, the loss of a pet is a traumatic event. I spent a good couple of hours searching up and down the streets, but to no avail.

So, I turned to technology to help. I gathered email addresses of all the local veterinary surgeries in the area, as well as organisations such as Animal Search UK, the Blue Cross UK and RSPCA, and emailed them with a picture of my cat, and the circumstances in which she had gone missing, giving every contact method that they could get me on.

I then created a Facebook advert, which was targeted specifically at people living in my area, again with a picture of my cat, and linked it back to the missing pet page at Animal Search UK. Another example of how social networking can assist in getting your message to a specific sub-set of people.

As the deadline for her being missing almost approached a week, I was beginning to give up any hope of seeing her, and resigned myself to saying goodbye. But then, on my first day back at work, I received a phone call on my mobile. It was a local vet surgery who said that they had contacted another vet surgery asking if anyone had reported a black cat missing. A kind member of the public had brought her in after she was sitting on their front doorstep crying all night. Incidentally, the vet surgery who rang me I had been unable to contact, as they didn't have a contact form or email address and were closed apart from emergencies over the bank holiday.

As proof that some tales (or should that be tails!) have a happy ending, I hot-footed it from work to the vet, and sure enough, it was my cat. We were reunited!

So technology really has saved the day, and proven how in a modern world without it, me and my cat may never have been reunited again. In years previous, I would have put up posters, and maybe a leaflet drop, and in this case, may have still been reunited. But modern technology speeded up the entire process and within 2 days of me reporting my cat missing, we were back together again.

Up to this point, as I had originally adopted my cat, I'd not had her micro-chipped. Another wonderful use of technology that helps track down owners of missing pets perhaps before they realise they've gone. Naturally, my cat is now walking around with a chip in her skin which means if she should ever decide to go on another little adventure and arrive at a strangers door, I should get to hear about it a lot sooner.

And for those of you wondering, this is the little madam who caused me so much distress, but who is now back home, and as I type, sitting looking at me waiting for me to vacate my chair, and the moment I do, will curl up on it - content, and not too worse for wear after her adventures!

How Mobile Technology Has Changed Our Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:46:00 +0000

It's been a little quiet on the technology front this last week, or at least, nothing worth writing home about. Yes, there are some developments at Yahoo! but apart from that, pretty slim pickings.

So, I thought I would write something about how I perceive that mobile technology has changed our lives. And by that I mean how most of us seem to carry our smartphones everywhere. The reason for this, and why I started thinking about it was due to a family celebration we had at the weekend.

There was about 11 of us celebrating my Mum's birthday. Anyone under the age of 45 (and yes, that includes me!) had their mobile phone with them. Pictures were being taken and exchanged, and uploaded onto Facebook. But not just pictures, videos of the event too. And as the fun and laughter went on into the evening, so did the use of the mobiles. And it got me thinking that without these mobiles or smartphones, how much we used to miss out on and be able to share so easily with our friends and family. For example, without my trusty HTC, I could not have recorded the [following movie] ([click] to watch) which turns out to be a bit of video gold. And within moments of me uploading it to YouTube, which is linked to my Facebook account, people were laughing and sharing it - even those not in close proximity to me.

Now if you go back say five or ten years, moments like this would have been missed - purely because without a dedicated camcorder which you would have had to lug around. But in today's modern society where so many of us have smartphones, we can capture videos like the one I've put in the link above at a moment's notice. Okay, so I spruced it up a bit using Windows Live Movie Maker, but it doesn't change the fact that I was able to capture something pretty damn funny. What's more, as is becoming more the case, that movie was captured in full 1080p high definition.

There's often a lot of criticism levied at people using smartphones and how in some ways it can be anti-social. And to a degree, yes it can. If you're sitting in a nice restaurant with your partner and you are sitting there checking Facebook, then I can understand it. But in social situations, at a party for example, I personally think it's a great asset to be able to share the picture you've just taken with all your friends and family.

All in all, I think that smartphones, whether they be an Android phone or an Apple iPhone, have changed the way we interact at social gatherings, allowing us to instantly share those precious memories. And it's great at the end of the party, returning home, sitting down and being able to see how much everyone enjoyed themselves.

Google's Self-Drive Car

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:32:00 +0000

In today's article, I am going to look at the concept of autonomous vehicles. Today we learn in the news that Google have been granted by Nevada their first ever self-drive license. And other states in the USA are also looking to follow suit regarding autonomous vehicles.

When Henry Ford introduced his Model T in 1908, nobody could have ever imagined just how far cars would come technologically wise, or how popular they would become. Today, cars are common place around the globe. And each year, they get technologically more advanced.

So it was only a matter of time before the next logical step would come. A car that doesn't need to be driven by a human with computers on board taking over the duties of a driver, encompassing all the technology we currently are used to like satellite navigation and guidance.

I wonder, however, how many of us drivers of the current era would feel totally at ease with letting a computer do all the work for us, and not having the control over the vehicle. I for one get twitchy about using the cruise control in my car. Sure, I can set the speed I want to go at, and take my feet off the pedals and just steer. But I find myself constantly hovering my right foot above the break pedal, not 100% trusting the car get on with what I've asked it to do. Now take all that into account, and take your hands off the wheel and put your faith in thousands (if not 100's of thousands) of lines of computer code, and the multitude of computations performed every second to keep the vehicle on the road, pointing in the right direction and making sure the car doesn't crash.

You have to assume stringent tests and certification means that the Nevada authorities are confident that this car will be just as safe, if not safer, than any other car being driven by a human being. And I guess it makes sense. A computer with all the right sensory equipment in theory should be able to outperform any human. Much like in the same way that we accept that when we're on a plane, most of the time the pilots have handed over complete control to the on-board computers to guide it to the destination. And yes, there are savings to be made here, with better fuel economy, and in theory, less vehicle accidents meaning fewer insurance and personal injury claims.

However, no computer at the moment can truly replicate how a human perceives the road ahead, can it? Yes, in time, this technology will get better, and fine tuning will make it even more responsive. But computers, no matter how resilient, are still programmed by humans, and are liable to "bugs". And what happens if the computer crashes? If your Android phone locks up, and reboots, it's a minor inconvenience. If it happens in a car doing 60mph down a motorway (or freeway as they are known in the States), then this would cause all sorts of issues. I presume there are redundant computers on-board to instantly take over.

Don't get me wrong, I am all up for this new technology, and I am sure in 25 years from now, we will sit back and mock the fact that we actually used that circular device in front of us to steer a vehicle, and those pedals in the foot well to control our speed and to slow the car. But the question is, for me, is the technology proven enough in it's current state to allow us to make that leap from human controlled vehicles to autonomous vehicle control. A study released by J.D. Power & Associates suggests that in the States, only 1 in 5 of those questioned would be interested in buying an autonomous vehicle. I am not sure it would be that high here in the UK, especially when you factor in some of our road layouts (I would be interested to know how the Google car would handle our roundabouts!).

Still, all that said, I remember people's apprehension, and the scoffing when the DLR was introduced in London. They said it would never take off, and people would not feel comfortable about a driver-less train. Twenty-five years down the line (no pun intended!), it's accepted as part of thousands of people's everyday commute. I am sure we will be saying the same about autonomous cars in the year 2037.

My Guest Article

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:59:00 +0000

I was invited to write a guest article regarding technology in today's modern classrooms. Thanks to http://Pre-Pay-As-You-Go.co.uk for publishing this.

You can read the full article here - http://blog.pre-pay-as-you-go.co.uk/2012/05/06/using-tablets-in-education/

I'll be back during next week with another article here on my own blog.

Samsung Galaxy S3 - Designed for Humans - Official Launch

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:18:00 +0000

This article has now been moved to my new Blog at U-Read.net

To read it, along with my other articles click the link below

http://www.u-read.net/blogs/technology-gadgets/2012/05/03/samsung-galaxy-s3-designed-for-humans-official-launch

Speculation and Anticipation over Samsung S3

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Taking a look through the various technology websites over the last few days, I can't help but notice the number of rumours and speculation over the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S3, otherwise known as the GT-I9300.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't remember the last time a mobile phone caused this much of a stir, maybe with the exception of the S2 being released. However, the level of anticipation over this device is astounding.

Samsung will unveil it's latest offering of it's Galaxy range tomorow (3rd May) at 7pm at a ceremony in London. Very rarely do you see a special event organised for the release of a single handset, so Samsung have either decided that due to all the speculation, they will cash in on it, or, maybe the new S3 is so radically different that Samsung don't wish to share the stage with anyone else!

So what is speculated with this latest offering from Samsung. Well, for starters, it's reportedly going to have a 4.8" touch-screen, slightly larger than it's nearest competitor the HTC One X. The design too has been speculated about, with some suggesting that it will have much more rounded corners on the glass to make it more aesthetically pleasing like the HTC One X.

It is said that the S3's main camera will be 12 mega-pixels with a 2 mega-pixel front facing camera. The phone is also likely to be thinner than it's older brother, the S2. Also speculated about is that the phone will not have any physical buttons on the front except the home button.

As for the chip powering the new S3, it is anticipated that it will be the Exynos 4 Quad 1.8GHz processor. This seems feasible as Samsung themselves have already announced that the chip would start to appear in their next range of phones. The phone is also likely to have 2GB of on-board RAM, with 16GB worth of internal storage. No mention as of yet whether it will have a Micro-SD card slot to increase this.

One of the other rumours I've read which I don't think likely to be in the new phone is the fact that it can charge wirelessly, with Samsung reportedly having patented it's own technology to allow wireless charging up to a metre away from the device without having to physically connect to a charger or charging pad.

And one final speculation, purely mine (unless someone else has already said it), but I think the S3 will natively integrate with Samsung SMART TV's without the need for an external App. Whether this will just allow you to control the TV using the phone, or allow you to stream content to the phone I wouldn't like to say. But it would make sense for Samsung to integrate this into their range of phones, starting with the S3.

Whatever the device looks like, or what it is capable of, we'll know at 7pm UK time tomorrow. It will undoubtedly be running Ice Cream Sandwich as it's OS. However, as an ex-Galaxy user myself, I sincerely hope they make the phone look more stylish, and feel less "plasticy" than the S2, with a better battery life. If Samsung can achieve that, then I think they will win a large chunk of business away from the likes of HTC.

YouView - Just Another Media Box in a Crowded Media World?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:16:00 +0000

First off, I have to be totally upfront and honest here. Until yesterday, I'd never heard of YouView. YouTube yes, YouView no! So if like me, you have no idea of what YouView is, here is a quick synopsis...

YouView is a digital service utilising Freeview and IPTV. It will come in the form of a digital set-top box which will utilise the UK digital terrestrial service combined with the Internet to allow viewers to watch regular TV as well as on demand TV. The consortium is made up from the four major TV providers in the UK (namely BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5) as well as three telecommunication companies (BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva). One of it's selling points is that the TV guide will be able to go backwards in time so the viewer can select these on-demand shows via the broadcaster's "on-demand" services (e.g. BBC iPlayer). In addition, YouView will be able to run "apps", for example, FaceBook, YouTube etc.

Okay, so that's that cleared up. However, YouView was supposed to launch back in 2010, but that launch date was delayed until 2011. The 2011 launch date passed and the announcement was made that it would launch in May 2012 in time for the Olympics. Now, that date seems to be in doubt as it's chairman, Lord Alan Sugar, is apparently unhappy with the way the service looks and functions. Lord Sugar was appointed YouView chairman in March 2011 and his remit from the YouView consortium was to either make it a success or to close it down.

The concept of YouView would be a good one, if it was the only device of it's kind coming to market. However there are now "smart" TV's which already allow you to do much the same thing (albeit not being able to record, or only being able to record the channel you're watching). A lot of the new TV's have Internet connectivity built in as well as Apps for BBC iPlayer, ITV Player etc. (for example, Samsung's range of SMART TV's). There is also the Virgin TiVo service, which again, is starting to get more apps, and can also do catch-up TV. And so as not to be seen as leaving out the other major player, there is Sky Digital. However both the Sky and TiVo services require a monthly subscription.

Whilst YouView may be free after you've purchased the set-top box, I am left wondering if this is just another repeat of ONdigital/ITV-Digital, the last time a consortium of TV providers got together to launch digital broadcasting into homes. That venture subsequently folded ten years ago today (1st May 2012), but lead to the creation of FreeView. Okay, if YouView does collapse, it won't take with it the Digital TV service like ONdigital/ITV-Digital did, but it will be seen as a failed attempt at putting smart TV into people's homes. Of course, the overriding factor that will dictate whether there is a need or a niche for YouView is if people are willing to go out and buy a new stand-alone set-top box, or if they prefer to get a "smart" TV or even the TiVo service, or Sky+?

Lord Sugar, Chairman of YouView

Now, Lord Sugar, the wise business owl that he is, may be looking at the YouView concept being placed directly into TV's in the long run, doing away with the need for a separate box. If he can sell the product "on a chip" to TV manufacturers, then this may be the way to go. It could then potentially rival the likes of Samsung's and Sony's smart TV engine. And perhaps Lord Sugar is more than aware that there is a lot of competition out there, and therefore is insisting that the YouView box offers something above what is already available - and quite rightly so. But the longer the delay for getting this box into people's homes, the less of a market there will be for it, as more people replace their old Analogue TV's or out-of-date LCD TV's with brand spanking new ones with similar technology already built in.

Blackberry OS10 - Have RIM Missed the Boat?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:12:00 +0000

This article has now been moved to my new Blog at U-Read.net

To view it click the link below

http://www.u-read.net/blogs/technology-gadgets/2012/06/27/more-tales-of-woe-for-rim-and-blackberry

Google Drive is (nearly) Here

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Parker) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:32:00 +0000

Google Drive
http://drive.google.com/start

Following on from my blog of yesterday, Google has now officially announced Google Drive. As predicted, everyone will get 5GB of storage space free (on top of the 10GB for GMail and 1GB for Picasa). Users can upgrade to 25GB for $2.50 (approximately £1.55 in the UK) per month, 100GB for $4.99 (approximately £4.09) per month, and this can be increased up to a whopping 16TB in the future should you need to.

Google will integrate Google Drive into Google Docs (and no doubt other services), as well as releasing a plug in for PC and Mac computers which will allow users to access the drive as if it was a physical drive on their current device. Google will also be releasing an App for Android to allow those devices to use the storage (no surprise there). And "coming soon" will be an App for Apple iOS devices.

The drive will also be able to be shared with other people to allow you to collaborate on documents together. They have also implemented file versioning. This has been around for a while in products such as Microsoft SharePoint, so it's good to see this will be available natively in Google Drive.

One other smart feature is the search facility. Google Drive will be able to recognise objects in pictures. So if you have taken a picture of Big Ben and store it on the drive, and you then search on Big Ben, the picture will appear in the search results. The same goes for scanned documents. Google Drive will implement OCR technology so you can find a document based on it's content, for example, in a PDF.

Users will also be able to link large attachments in GMail to the file on the drive, therefore not requiring them to be sent in the email, cutting down the size of said email (and any potential "cannot send email due to size of attachment" issues).

So, there you have it, Google enter the fray of anywhere online storage. I've tried to access mine this morning but apparently my drive is not ready yet. Considering the number of drives that Google will need to provision for all it's users, I'm not surprised. I've clicked the "notify me" button to be told when my drive is ready, and I will await to see what happens.

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