Thursday Tech Roundup

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

The New iPad

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

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

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

Weekly Tech Roundup

Windows 8 Release date

Microsoft have revealed that Windows 8 will be officially launched on October 26th. Existing Windows users will be able to upgrade (for a limited time) at a low cost which is rumoured to be around £25.00 here in the UK. In addition to this, users who have been testing the Release Preview Edition will also have the option of this low cost upgrade to the final edition.

No details on a release date for Microsofts Surface Tablet as yet - but expect this to be around the same time, along with a host of new Windows 8 tablet hardware from Microsofts OEM partners.

Office 2013 Preview

Whilst edging ever closer to the release of Windows 8, Microsoft also took the opportunity to introduce the latest version of Microsoft Office earlier this week. Unsurprisingly, the Office Suite of products gets a Windows 8 (metro style) makeover and there are some nice looking new features all optimized for touchscreen.

I will likely do a full review of Office 2013 once I have had the chance to work with the preview edition for a while, but one of the things that struck me as exciting is that they are making Excel a lot easier for everyone to use. Excel can be a very intimidating and confusing piece of software at times, but apparently even someone like me will be able to create a pivot table from now on!

iTunes in the cloud

When iOS 5 was announced by Steve Jobs at WWDC 2011 last June, one of the most exciting new features was the ability to download all of your purchased Music, TV shows and Films from the cloud. However, up until yesterday the ability to access your purchase history for Films was only available in the US. Finally Apple have given this to some other countries including the UK.

This means if you purchased a Film on iTunes, you will also be able to access it from the cloud on your Apple TV and iOS devices on demand and at no extra cost. It's about time too quite frankly!

iPad 7 inch rumours

More rumours this week that Apple will launch a 7 inch iPad sometime this year. The late Steve Jobs was apparently completely against this idea. However, Apples top brass have made a number of decisions that may not have sat well with their former visionary CEO since he resigned his position and sadly passed away.

I wonder if he would have approved of the iPhone 4S for example, and I seriously doubt he would have allowed the new iPad to be thicker, without an 8 megapixel camera, or Siri for that matter. I also question whether he would have named the voice assistant Siri either?

I'm by no means suggesting that Apple are getting everything wrong here though. The Retina MacBook is a truly stunning piece of kit, and iOS 6 looks like a step in the right direction too. As for a 7 inch iPad - my instinct tells me that we will indeed be seeing this soon!

Google Nexus 7 Tablet selling well

One of the reasons we may soon be seeing a 7 inch iPad is due to the popularity of the Amazon Kindle Fire, and the newly released Google Nexus 7. Googles new tablet is flying off the shelves and they have struggled to meet demand. My next door neighbour Simon has ordered one actually, and he seems absolutely consumed with excitement and anticipation at the arrival of this device.

It looks to be a really nice product actually and I hope to be able to check one out soon. I also hope Simons arrives today for him!!

And that's that for another week folks!

Take care!
Peter

Nobody likes a Starbucks show off!

It's been a while since I had a proper rant, or assigned a stereotypical behavior to a certain situation, so lets get a few things off my chest about Starbucks, or indeed any brand of Coffee House that you might find yourself in.

I don't belong here!

Unquestionably my main gripe is that I never feel "trendy" enough to be in such establishments.  The fact that I call them establishments and use the word trendy illustrates exactly why.

The problem being that I get sat down with my coffee and within 10 seconds I've usually spotted someone who meets the following criteria;

"Studious" or "well to do" looking male, wearing a scarf and probably some brown cords along with some cool looking footwear that I wouldn't even know the name of. He will be wearing thick trendy glasses - probably as a fashion statement only and they will really only have plain lenses in them!

This person will unquestionably already be glued to the only comfy brown leather sofa in the entire establishment. He has no doubt been sitting there since 8.00am and he doesn't plan on moving anytime soon!

And of course he will be waving his iPad around for all to see (his MacBook is probably in his satchel/man bag). If I could get close enough to see what he is reading on the iPad, I would guess it's probably Private Eye or The Spectator!

This is the sort of person that belongs in a Coffee House - not me!  The 17 year old kid behind the counter probably knows him by name and has his preferred beverage ready for him every single day when he arrives.

The only thing I have in common with this bloke is that I have an iPad, but I'm way too afraid to take it out anywhere with me or flash it around in public! I simply wouldn't dare!

Never mind though. At the very least, I can enjoy a great cup of coffee. Even though I probably have less time to enjoy it than he does, and because he's hogging the sofa - I'm having to sit in a cramped little table in the corner near the toilets!

Can you tell that I'm just jealous? Oh well!

Take care
Peter

The days of bargains are over!

As a gadget lover, one thing I have always enjoyed is looking out for a second hand bargain. After all, there are so many devices out there that it is impossible to buy one of everything brand new. I for one would be in serious debt if I did that, and unfortunately for me I am not a famous tech blogger - so therefore manufacturers don't feel obliged send me gadgets for free so I can test them.

However, a great place to look for such bargains used to be online auction sites. There was a time when you could find great deals on a wide range of technology between 1-3 years old. Things like laptops, smartphones, tablets, games consoles etc!

This seems to have changed in recent times however, and from a selling point of view, auction sites are now less used by the person on the street and more by small businesses trying to make a profit.

As a result, if I search for something like an iPad 2 (16GB WIFI only) - I will probably find at least 50 matches, but in terms of price they won't be too far away from the full retail price of a brand new iPad 2 (which Apple still manufacture for sale here in the UK at £329.00).

What is even more extraordinary than the level of these prices, is the fact that people actually seem willing to pay them? I often look at an item and think that it is ridiculously overpriced considering its age and condition, but then I see that the item has several bidders and that in all probability it will end up exceeding the sellers reserve price by quite some margin. This absolutely baffles me!

So why are people willing to pay so much for a second hand product, when they could get exactly the same product brand new for as little as £10.00-£20.00 more in some cases? I wish I knew the answer!

This pattern is not exclusive to online auction sites either. A chain of retail stores that buy and sell second hand technology also seem to be well practiced in the art of "buy low" and "sell high".

Let me give you a few examples.  I picked out a few random second hand devices and searched for them on an online auction site, and also on the website of a second hand High Street Tech Dealer.  Average prices came out as follows;

Device	Capacity	Average Online Auction Price	Average High Street 2nd Hand Price
iPad 1	16gb WIFI only	£239.95	£270.00
iPad 1	64gb WIFI only	£499.99	£300.00
iPad 2	16gb WIFI only	£304.99	£360.00
iPad 2	64gb WIFI only	£449.99	£430.00
Samsung G S2	16gb	£309.99	£285.00
Nokia Lumia 800	16gb	£259.99	£220.00
iPhone 4	16gb	£379.99	£355.00
HTC One X	32gb	£389.00	£350.00

So on first impressions the 16GB iPad 1 from the online auction site is actually not too unreasonably priced at £239.95.  This takes into account that this is a two and a half year old product which will likely perform very sluggishly on iOS 5, and won't be able to update to iOS 6 at all when it is released later this year.

Because of this, many newer Apps will not run on the device and the user experience will be quite limited in many ways.  Still, the price is not too bad I would say - on the assumption that this is the winning bid (which of course it may not be).

£270.00 from the second hand high street store however just seems way too excessive for me.  Apples cheapest brand new iPad is currently just £329.00 (this being the iPad 2) so a difference of just £59.00 is absolutely not good enough for me!

This brings me to the 16GB iPad 2.  An average online auction price of £304.00 is bad enough, but £360.00 from the second hand high street store is just plain ridiculous.  Why would you pay more for a second hand product when you can get the same thing brand new from Apple for £329.00?  I am absolutely staggered by this!

The iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S2 also seem very costly considering these are no longer the newest models in the range from Apple and Samsung.  However, the HTC One X and Nokia Lumia 800 are current products, and these prices are probably a fair reflection of their value.

So what is behind this inflated price structure when it comes to second hand gadgets, and why are so many consumers falling for this and actually paying too much for such devices?  Does the average person in the street not realize that they are not getting value for money, or are they just happy to get any sort of reduction no matter how small?  That I can understand in a way, but for anyone to pay more for a second hand device than it costs to buy it brand new is just utter madness!

I think it's a shame that it's now so hard to find a great deal on a piece of second hand technology.  Surely there must still be some other way of getting a fair deal on second hand gem?  If anyone knows how, I'd love you to tell me!

Take care!
Peter

Life through an iPad2 camera

I have often wondered just why the iPad needs a camera on the back? The front facing camera is of obvious use as it's great for making FaceTime calls to other iOS users, and you can also use the Skype Video App on it as well.

I just don't see the iPad as a device for taking pictures though. First and foremost, I'm not one of these people who tends to take their iPad out and about. The only time I'd be tempted to do so is if I were taking a trip on a plane somewhere, and even then if I wanted or needed to take some pictures - then I'd instinctively reach for my trusty iPhone 4S.

Now I'm not really someone who particularly enjoys taking photographs, but the iPhone 4S is easily the best camera I've ever had. It takes some truly amazing pictures. It's 8MP (as opposed to 1MP on iPad2 and 5MP on The New iPad), it's really compact and easy to carry around, and with iOS 5 onwards - it's quick and easy to launch the camera App so you don't miss any "blink and they're gone" moments!

So I see no reason that I would ever consider using the iPad over the 4S or indeed a regular digital camera - but if Apples promotional videos are anything to go by, it seems that many people do indeed use their iPads for this exact purpose.

So I thought I would take a couple of shots with the camera on my iPad 2 and see how they turned out. My eldest Son George seemed happy to pose in his Woody costume for a couple of pictures and they were not too bad to be fair, considering they were taken in not the greatest light and on a 1MP camera.

Reasonably pleased with my efforts, and with a bit of time on my hands - my artistic side seemed to want to come out and play and I started taking pictures of things through the iPad with my iPhone and vice versa. If that sounds confusing, then here's what I mean;

All good fun, and it has made me want to take at least one picture each week in this way and share it with you on my blog. However, when all is said and done, I'm still not convinced about the iPad as a camera. What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions!

Take care!
Peter

Thursday Tech Roundup

Here's a few things that have caught my eye this week in tech world;

o2 Network Problems

As I write this, many o2 mobile customers have been experiencing network connectivity problems. There seems to be no particular pattern as to who is affected. Random users will lose their o2 signal for a time whilst others will be unaffected.

Authenticating to masts in certain areas seems to be the issue with many users finding that their signal was OK at home, but they lost it when they got to work. o2 have updated their network status advising that their 2G network is back up and running - and that affected users should turn off 3G on their handsets for the time being. This worked for me. They hope to have the issue completely resolved at some point today.

Windows 8 Release Date

Microsoft has revealed that Windows 8 will be released this October. Many of us have already been trying out Windows 8 in its Consumer and Release preview formats of course - but what this means is that the product will be released to manufacturer, and XP, Vista, and Windows 7 users will have the option (for a limited time) to upgrade to Windows 8 for a reduced price, which is believed to be $39.99 (so hopefully around £25.00 in the UK).

If you are tempted to upgrade however - I would advise caution. Check your hardware is going to be good enough to run Windows 8. In my own tests, I have been quite amazed at the variety of older hardware that is capable of running Windows 8 quite well, but I do suggest that you look into your options very carefully when the time comes.

A major part of the full Windows 8 launch will be the App Store. At this time, the limited amount of Apps available are completely free for users to try. This will change of course and Windows 8 App developers will be able to start charging to download their Apps.

No announcement as yet from Microsoft as to when their Surface Tablet will be released, but I would expect this to appear around the same time as it is designed specifically for the Windows 8 platform.

Samsung are also expected to announce their own Windows 8 Tablet device at some point, with the other OEMs such as Acer and ASUS very likely to follow, so there will be many hardware options to choose from when Windows 8 finally lands on the shelves!

Google+ for iPad

Google+ now has a full iPad App. Up until now, iPad users could install the Google+ iPhone App, or use the service through the iPads Safari Browser. This offered a limited user experience however, and the addition of this iPad friendly App will be welcome news to Google+ fans. Facebook users also had to wait a very long time for an iPad specific App - and to be honest it isn't that great. Time will tell whether Google have done better!

Is Apple cooler than Samsung?

Apple suffered another patent war defeat last week here in the UK with a high court judge ruling that Samsung did not copy Apples iPad design when they introduced the Galaxy Tab. Apple can claim something of a moral victory here however, with the judge going on to explain that he arrived at this decision due to fact that the Galaxy Tab is just simply not as "cool" as the iPad. I don't know who will be happier with this ruling, but no doubt it will be far from the end of these patent squabbles between the two parties.

Microsoft urges Windows Vista, 7 users to disable desktop gadgets

And finally, Microsoft has issued a "security advisory" this week urging all Windows Vista and Windows 7 users to download a tool that will disable any desktop gadgets they may have installed.

It seems that vulnerabilities in Gadgets have been identified that could allow remote code execution. You can view the advisory here

And that's about it for another Tech Thursday!
Peter

The more things change..

Last weekend the boys went to stay with their Grandparents for the night, so Louise and I had some rare free time on our hands. We decided to pop into Newcastle for a little look around and a spot of lunch.

A couple of years ago, I posted this about Newcastle and talked about how much it had changed since I was a boy.  Whilst acknowledging that most of the changes were for the better, I also commented that I no longer enjoyed going into Newcastle for various reasons.

I have to admit that my feelings on this have changed entirely however.  Whilst access and parking are still a pain, I am really starting to enjoy going into the City again.

I especially like the new part of Eldon Square.  It is clean, and new and pleasant and of course it has The Apple Store.  There are lots of clothes shops to keep Louise happy, and I find that I can generally get some sort of WI-FI connection which keeps me happy too!

There is a Starbucks of course and I do love my coffee.  Starbucks kind of depresses me in a way though.  It reminds me that I am in no way cool!  You see a lot of cool people in Starbucks and they are not afraid to wear scarves (without coats) and use their iPads in public - I wish I was cool enough and bold enough to do that.  I'd never take my iPad out though - I'd be too afraid I'd lose it.

Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent here so back to the topic at hand.  We had a nice little wander round and I was particularly amused that you can now get into the basement of John Lewis and Boots from what used to be the George & Dragon/The bus station.  This little section also has a Pizza Express so we settled down to lunch there (which was a very nice salad) before heading back to the car and driving out along the Quayside and over The Swing Bridge.  The Olympic symbol which currently hangs from The Tyne Bridge looks really impressive.

So all in all a really enjoyable trip.  We popped home for an (unheard of) afternoon nap and then headed out to a great little restaurant close to where we live called The Black Horse.  A little naughty to eat out twice in one day but it was all good value and all great food and drink.  Louise had the most amazing Amaretto Coffee which I was more than a little jealous of.  Here are some pics from the day;

Now, it was my intention that this Blog be exclusively Technology based these days - but I must admit that I'm lacking a bit of inspiration these last few days in terms of tech post subjects. I'm sure I'll find my mojo again, but despite this post being a diversion from the usual subject matter - I was still able to mention The Apple Store, WI-FI, and iPad. I hope this makes up for it!

Take care!
Peter

Trip to The Apple Store

With our children at their Grandparents for the day, Louise and I decided to have lunch at the Gateshead Metrocentre, and any trip to the Metrocentre is not complete without popping into the Apple Store.

I wanted to take a look at the new retina MacBook and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

Now, I don't think in this "Post PC era" that I will ever buy another laptop again, but if I did - then this would be the one.

I always think I will be underwhelmed by the retina display, but every time I see it, I am impressed beyond words.

The MacBook is no exception to this rule and I have to say it is jaw droppingly stunning. I have never seen pictures look that good on any device.

At the end of the day though, I want a MacBook, but I don't need a MacBook.

I do on the other hand need a second iPad as the one we have gets used by all 4 of us. So I took a look at the new iPad whilst in the store and once again was absolutely amazed by the retina display. It is truly truly unbelievable.

So, all in all a useful trip. The Apple Store is such a great experience. You can go and check out the products and get help and advice from Apples great team of specialists who don't put you under any pressure and help you decide what is the best product for you.

If you have an Apple Store close to you, pop in and take a look. I don't think you'll be disappointed, but I'll warn you - you may end up spending some money!!

Share and enjoy!!
Peter

Scratching the Surface

Microsoft revealed their new Tablet Device yesterday at an event in Hollywood. CEO Steve Ballmer took to the stage and introduced us to "Surface".



It is not the tech giants first attempt at dipping their toes into the tablet market. Way before Apple put their stamp all over tablets, Microsoft had tinkered with their own products with pretty underwhelming results.

In fact, Microsofts entire history at producing their own consumer hardware products has not been very successful to say the least. The only exception to this of course would be the unbelievably popular XBOX.

So hopefully they will have learned from some past mistakes and this product will be the first genuine competitor to the amazing iPad. iPads dominance has yet to be seriously challenged. The Kindle Fire and Blackberry Playbook don't compare to the Apple device, nor do any of the Android tablets that have been released so far.

Microsoft have dared to be different here though, and their interface is the first one on a Tablet that doesn't seem to be trying to be an iOS clone.

Two versions were demonstrated at the event. One thinner tablet running Windows RT, the new version of Windows 8 that uses the new British "ARM" low power processors, and another thicker device running the full Windows 8 and using traditional Intel chips.

The devices come with a stand and a magnetic attachable keyboard which looks very nice indeed. So far, no release date or pricing structure have been announced but I would expect this to be sometime later this year so that sales can be made with Christmas in mind!

So what will consumers make of this product? Well, first and foremost Microsoft will have to make their pricing structure competitive with the iPad to tempt customers away from Apple.

Ease of use will also be a big factor. iOS is so easy to use, and although my initial tests of Windows 8 (on a Dell Inspiron Duo Touchscreen device) have left me impressed, I think it will take users a bit of time to feel comfortable and at home with the interface. There are a few new multi touch gestures to get the hang of, but once you get used to those it is pretty easy.

Microsofts secret weapon here may be the fact that both Windows 8 versions on this device give you the ability to do anything you can on a Microsoft PC or Laptop. You also get USB ports. The iPad is truly amazing, and if you put your mind to it you can make it do almost anything you need. However, there are still occasions where it won't do something you need and you have to power on your PC or laptop which is frustrating. The Microsoft Surface could change all that.

Time will tell how successful the Microsoft Surface will be. I for one think it has a place in the market, and will be keeping my eye on pricing when it is announced. My early prediction will be that iPad will still dominate as iOS is the nicer interface to use, but Microsoft will make an impact here due to the features it will offer that iPad won't.