“Back to the Mac” roundup

October 21, 2010 By

Did you catch any of Apple’s announcements yesterday? An “intimate” press conference covering updates related to the Mac revealed some interesting developments, not least that the Mac brought in $22 billion of revenue for Apple last year. That’s crazy money!

Still, it’s the new stuff that really gets geeks interested, so what did Apple reveal?

Mac OS 10.7: Lion

Continuing the tradition of naming their OS increments after big cats, the latest version is called Lion. This will bring features of OS X and the iOS (the operating system for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad) together. Among the many updates will be a more wide use of multitouch gestures, fullscreen applications, and a Mission Control that gives an overview of everything you currently have running. There’s no exact release date yet, but Lion is due to ship sometime during the summer of 2011.

Mac App Store

I know James wasn’t keen on this, but it seems Mr Jobs just straight ignored him! Shocking stuff, I know! Given the success of the App store on iTouch devices, you can see how Apple would be keen to introduce this to the Mac. It will be a separate application that works pretty much like the mobile version does that the moment: auto-install, auto-update, and you can use the apps on all of your personal Macs.

Sure, this is a way for Apple to make more money and there may be plenty of developers who still choose to release their work outside of the app-store, but I think this is pretty much a guaranteed success.

Facetime and iLife

Facetime is the video chat application that debuted on the iPhone 4 and it’s now coming to your desktop too. In fact, the beta is available to download right now! And Apple announced updates to iLife, the suite of apps that comes with every Mac (iMovie, GarageBand, iPhoto) and, like the Facetime Beta, iLife 11 is available now.

One more thing…

Finally, there’s the new MacBook Air. Let me be honest and say I’ve never been a fan of the Air, and I’m still unlikely to buy one, but this new version is quite an update. It’s smaller and thinner than the previous version and has all-flash storage. That means there’s no hard drive, just memory much like is currently in iTouch devices. This makes it quicker to start up, quicker at accessing data, and reduces the power requirements. Speaking of which, the MacBook Air will supposedly run for up to seven hours now… quite impressive. Add in MultiTouch, instant-on, and a Facetime camera and it’s starting to look very nice.

There’s still no optical drive but, since this is the second time Apple’s done this, I’m guessing that didn’t harm sales of the first version either.

What do you think?

So, what do you think of Apple’s announcements? Are you looking forward to Mac OS Lion? Would you buy an Air? Let us know in the comments.

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Beneath a Steel Sky on PC… for free!

October 6, 2010 By

OK, this is about more than a classic point and click PC game, but I thought that might get your attention. Beneath a Steel Sky is similar in mechanics to games like Monkey Island, and the site I’m about to tell you about gives you it for free when you sign up.

Even better, though, Good Old Games gives you access to a vast library of older games at reduced prices. Many of them are $5.99 and the most expensive I’ve seen is $9.99. The low prices are fair enough, but what really excites me is seeing some games I have fond memories of still being available to download and play.

…hey, is that Battle Chess!?

If you do sign up, be aware that there seems to be a problem with their Adobe Air downloader at the moment, but I successfully downloaded the free games using my browser connection. Just click on the game’s cover in your account page and you’ll see the links to download whatever media is available for that title.

Head on over to Good Old Games to get your retro gaming fix… or to be made to feel old when you realise you remember almost all of the games on offer!

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Free postage from FireBox throughout October

October 4, 2010 By

Good morning all, and happy Monday. I wanted to let you know that Firebox, the brilliant UK-based gadget and toy website, are offering free postage on UK orders throughout October. Perfect if you’re super-organised and already thinking about Christmas presents.

The free delivery option takes a little longer than their paid ones (potentially 7 days instead of 1-3) but if you’re thinking far enough ahead that shouldn’t be an issue!

Further details are available on their homepage, and I’m already looking through the site to see what would make a good present. Have a look around Firebox.com – I can almost guarantee there’ll be something that grabs your interest.

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Windows Live Spaces – now powered by WordPress

September 30, 2010 By

Well, this is interesting. Microsoft and WordPress.com have announced a partnership that replaces Windows Live Spaces blogs with WordPress ones instead. My first thought is “thank goodness”.

I’ve never liked Spaces (I was a little stunned to find while I was writing this article that I still have a space! I last used it in February 2006!), mostly because it felt very clunky and unintuitive. Apart from anything else, it was always a nightmare moderating votes on Blogshares because it was so hard to work out whether a Live blog was still active. Switching to a more streamlined blogging platform just makes sense.

If you do have a Live Space blog, and you log in, you’ll see an option to upgrade to WordPress.

For more information, see the entries on the WordPress.com and Windows Live blogs.

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Haven premières 7th October on Syfy [UK]

September 23, 2010 By

Before we get going properly, can I just apologise for a bit of a glitch yesterday? I’m trying out Windows Live Writer and part of the setup involved creating a temporary post. Unfortunately I’d forgotten that would also trigger an e-mail and tweet about it… Sorry for the confusion.

Right, on to what I wanted to let you know about today. I got notification from SyFy UK that there’s a new series coming out on the 7th of October. The press release is below, but enjoy the trailer first!

It looks like an interesting ride and it definitely has a Stephen King feel to it. This looks like a fairly good bet for some decent telly. Let me leave you with the press release and, hopefully an appetite to catch Haven when it comes out.

STEPHEN KING-INSPIRED SERIES GETS UK AIRDATE
HAVEN launches on Syfy on 7th October at 10pm

UK premiere series HAVEN, inspired by Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid, is set to launch in the UK in October – making its debut on Syfy and Syfy HD.

Deep in the heart of Maine, Haven is a place where the cursed have gathered for generations to lead normal lives. Only now those curses have started to come back. Enter FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose). Each week, her investigations will try to keep these supernatural forces at bay as she slowly unravels the many mysteries of Haven – including her own roots to this extraordinary place. Among the people who cross Audrey’s path along the way are local cop Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) and the mysterious and charming Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour).

Each suspense-filled episode focuses on Audrey’s investigation of a single afflicted individual. It’s a rollercoaster ride as Audrey and Nathan make new discoveries about the people in the town and come up with unexpected solutions.

The 13 x one-hour episodes kick off at 10pm on Thursday 7th October, airing weekly. Syfy is available on Sky 129 & HD 214, Virgin 135 & HD 165 and TalkTalk 22.

Filed Under: Media, News Tagged With: , , ,

Wii Sports Table Tennis Bat Custom Controller

September 22, 2010 By

Nintendo‘s Wii is a marvellous piece of kit. What it lacks in graphical grunt it makes up for in innovation. Its accelerometer controlled gameplay gives an experience that Microsoft and Sony are only just catching up with now (or are they surpassing Nintendo? … discuss).

The first Wii game I played was tennis, and I was impressed with being able to swing the controller as if actually swinging a racquet. It didn’t take long for enterprising companies to make add-ons that make the controller look more like the item being imitated… even if they don’t actually add any new functions. The problem is that, often, the addons feel a bit flimsy and all look like they’re made from the same bland white plastic.

I was interested to read about a Wii Table Tennis bat the other day. Nothing groundbreaking here, is there? Well this isn’t your usual addon – it’s a bespoke controller that, according to Paul Govan, looks like the real thing, has a similar weight distribution, and really makes you feel connected to the game in a way using the normal Wiimote just doesn’t.

It makes me think there must be other bespoke controllers that would be cool to have… how about a Wii version of this lightsaber (as opposed to the rather poor effort that’s currently available)? Or there’s already a couple of addons to simulate holding a rifle… how about embedding all the control gubbins in this replica Pulse Rifle from Aliens? If you can afford to buy one to customise, that is!

The Wii Sports Table Tennis bat looks like a great piece of kit and while I wouldn’t want to be buying a full control system for every game I own, it’s good to see a company thinking about how they can bring a slightly different approach to motion-controlled gaming.

Head on over to GamePeople.co.uk to read Paul Govan’s initial thoughts, and don’t forget to tell them who sent you :)

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Amazon’s Kindle now available from the UK

August 9, 2010 By

Before you leave me a comment pointing this out, I’ll say it myself: Amazon’s Kindle has been available in the UK for quite some time. But now it’s available from the UK.

Amazon.co.uk have just unveiled their Kindle store, so us Brits can now buy the Kindle unit and books in Sterling and get access to a load more UK authors – plus you won’t have to sign up for an Amazon.com account… your .co.uk account will do just fine. According to Amazon, there are over 400,000 books in the UK store, including 84 of the 100 Nielsen UK Bestsellers.

Here’s the blurb from Amazon on the matter:

The UK Kindle Store features a vast selection of titles – including New Releases and Bestsellers – from UK authors including Terry Pratchett, Ian Rankin, Martina Cole, Sophie Kinsella and Ken Follett. The selection includes exclusives to the Kindle Store such as contemporary classics from the Wylie Agency’s new Odyssey Editions imprint including Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, John Cheever’s The Stories of John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

Over 170 top UK and international newspapers and magazines are also available in the UK Kindle store for single purchase or subscription. UK titles in this selection include The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Economist, The Independent, The Financial Times and The Evening Standard. Kindle customers can also subscribe to over 9,000 blogs. All subscriptions are auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle and start with a free 14-day trial.

On July 29, Amazon.co.uk started taking pre-orders for the all-new Kindle featuring a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with 21 percent smaller body than the previous Kindle, while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 15 percent lighter weight at just 247 grams (8.7 ounces). The all-new Kindle with Wi-Fi is available for £109 and with Free 3G wireless and Wi-Fi for £149.

Prudent shoppers would be advised to check the prices of Kindle books on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk before purchasing (sometimes the exchange rate or US pricing makes a purchase from there more favourable) but I can tell you the UK store opening certainly won’t help curb my Kindle habit… especially now that Terry Pratchett is available!

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Xbox 360 fans to decide Clayton Carmine’s fate

August 5, 2010 By

If you’re a fan of the Gears of War franchise on Xbox 360, you’ll probably know about the Carmine brothers. We’ve met one in each of the games so far and, well, they don’t last long. If this were the original Star Trek they’d have red shirts on and wouldn’t even be listed in the episode credits. Poor Anthony and Ben.

Well, we’re going to meet Clayton Carmine in Gears of War 3 and things might be a bit different this time. For a start, you get to decide whether he meets a similar fate to his brothers or survives.

How can I make a difference?

You can help decide what happens to the last Carmine brother by casting your vote as to whether he should die or be saved. The way to do it is to buy a t-shirt for your Xbox LIVE avatar… either “Carmine must die” or “Save Carmine”. Depending on which t-shirt sells more, the game will follow the relevant storyline.

Now, I’m a cynic, and I would look at this and think, “Yeh right – that’s just a way to make money dressed up as a vote”. You’d be right; getting the t-shirts will cost you Microsoft Points which, in turn, cost you money. But Microsoft are donating the proceeds of this vote to the charity Child’s Play, a community-based games industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world. Child’s Play currently work with over sixty hospitals worldwide and raise millions of dollars each year to donate games, consoles and toys to sick children.

So you can have a say in how the last Carmine brother fares, influence the outcome of an epic trilogy of games, and donate to charity all at the same time. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? So what are you waiting for? Fire up your Xbox LIVE account and make your choice!

Gears of War 3 will release on April 5, 2011, only on Xbox 360. It can be pre-ordered from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

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iPhone 4 antenna problem gets the official treatment

July 17, 2010 By

Apple held a press conference yesterday at their Cupertino campus, with much speculation beforehand as to what it might be about. Well, it turned out to be what most people expected: the iPhone 4 antenna problem.

If you’re not up on what this is, let me explain: The iPhone 4 has a metal band around its edge that is intended to act as the antenna (remember how on old phones you could see the antenna sticking out of the top?). There’s a small gap on each side of the case and, if you hold the iPhone 4 across those gaps, the signal drops… losing your call. The problem is, many people seem to want to hold their phone in the “death grip”. So, to put it briefly: when some people hold their iPhone 4 in the way most comfortable for them, it loses its signal.

There’s been much media to-ing and fro-ing about whether the problem exists at all, whether Apple knew about it, what could be done, and whether the iPhone 4 should be recalled and redesigned. Those are some of the issues Apple tackled at its press conference.

So what was the outcome?

  • There is a problem with the iPhone 4′s antenna, although Apple say many other cell phones suffer from this as well. Perhaps the iPhone 4 just suffers more severely, or perhaps it’s just unfortunate that the death grip happens to be a comfortable holding position. Whatever the case, at least there’s an admission that there is something up. Steve Jobs does point out, though, that it only affects a very small number of users.
  • The solution: free iPhone 4 cases. Apple will give every iPhone 4 owner a free case until the 30th of September, and if you already bought an Apple (not 3rd party) case you can get a refund. This will stop you touching the antenna, and prevent the death grip from happening.
  • Apple are also working on problems with the proximity sensor, and the white iPhone 4 will start shipping at the end of July.
  • At the moment, there is no recall of iPhone 4, but it’s not completely off the table.

OK, so the problem with he antenna will still be there, but less people will experience it because they’ll have the option of a free case to stop them touching it. What do you think? Smart move by Apple? Or sticking a bandaid on a fatal wound? Have you experienced “death grip” problems on your cell phone? Let us know in the comments.

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Bloggywood Squares finale tonight

June 28, 2010 By

Happy Monday all! You might remember that I told you about an interactive Internet gameshow last Monday. The show in question is Bloggywood Squares, a variant of Hollywood (or Celebrity) Squares, and is being hosted by Nathan Hangen, Mike Cliffe-Jones and Jordan Cooper.

Well, it ran last week, and tonight is the grand finale! I don’t know if any of you entered during the preliminary rounds, but I “tuned in” on Friday night and ended up being picked as a contestant. Not only that, I ended up winning that particular round! So I’ll be there tonight (7pm EDT, midnight BST) playing for the grand prize.

This is your last chance to get in on the action too. I understand there will be plenty of audience participation tonight as the audience get to vote finalists off until there’s only one left.

Bloggywood Squares is a really clever idea, and I’ve been very impressed at how Nathan, Mike and Jordan have put together an online gameshow that works very well. And it’s great hanging out in the “green room” afterwards – chatting about random stuff, asking questions, and generally having a good time. I’ve already learned plenty of new blog-related information from the celebs and the other green room hangers outers too.

If you’re able, it would be great to have you in the audience tonight. It’s 7pm EDT, 11pm GMT, midnight BST. See you there!

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