10 Common PC Risks

November 23, 2011 By

Robot repair manThis is a guest post by Fergal Glynn. Fergal is the Director of Product Marketing at Veracode, an application security company that improves Internet security.

PC users commonly, and unwittingly, place their computers and personal security at risk. Here are ten common PC risks and how to avoid them.

  1. Using easy-to-guess passwords and easy-to-guess answers to security questions. In all fairness, it’s impossible for any average person without a photographic memory to remember the dozens of unique usernames and passwords we retain to access credit card accounts, bank accounts, social networks, membership sites and more. One obvious risk that most PC users tend to overlook is that any savvy hacker can easily bypass your password by answering security questions, such as the name of the street you grew up on, your mother’s maiden name and similar questions. Not so easy to guess, you say? A visit to a public profile on a social network could provide easy access to these answers, or at least clues.
  2. Turning off automatic Windows updates. Automatic updates can be annoying. Some users elect to turn off Windows’ automatic update programming and manually review and select uploads periodically. Updates are often important for patching known security risks in software,  so not installing updates when they’re available can mean you’re leaving your PC at risk of attack.
  3. Expired virus protection software. I’m sure we’ve all had this happen: We start getting notifications from our anti-virus software letting us know it’s time to renew our subscription. We all lead busy lives, and it’s not uncommon for users to put off updating these subscriptions until later, leaving the PC at risk for common malware and Trojans it may have otherwise been protected from.
  4. Working on unsecured networks. Users utilizing a wireless home network should secure it with a strong password. An unsecured network allows unauthorized users to access your wireless network, potentially opening the door for other attacks.
  5. Posting personal information on social networks. Social network users should avoid posting personal information, especially information that could be used as an answer to a common security question, such as a mother’s maiden name or pet’s name. Many social networks offer privacy options; users should select the highest-level privacy settings possible (reducing the total number of people with easy access to information).
  6. Opening unfamiliar emails or links. PC users should avoid opening any email coming from an unidentified source. Even if an email comes from a personal contact, any suspicious links should be avoided and the attached emails deleted unless confirmation can be obtained verifying the legitimacy of a message or link.
  7. Installing multiple “freeware” programs. We all love free stuff, especially free computer programs that would ordinarily cost us hundreds or thousands of dollars. If we can get a free program that does the same thing, that’s got to be better, right? Not necessarily. Too many freeware programs can slow down a PC. Further, users must check the validity of any freeware program before installation: Is it coming from a reputable source? What do other users have to say? In some cases, these programs also install spyware on your PC, which is how the programmers make money.
  8. Allowing the autorun feature to boot several programs every time you start your machine. Really. Take a moment and make a list of the programs you use immediately, without fail, every time you boot your PC. There aren’t many, are there? It’s not necessary to allow programs to automatically run every time you start your machine; in fact, it can slow down your boot time considerably. If you’re using autorun with those freeware programs addressed in #7, you could be opening a see-through window for hackers every time you turn on your computer.
  9. Failing to back up important files. While this point won’t put you at increased risk for attacks, it will put you at risk for losing your data—and your mind—should you happen upon a virus with the capability to wipe out your hard drive. An external hard drive has tons of storage, they’re not that expensive, and you’ll never regret the investment if you ever have this happen to you.
  10. Plugging your PC directly into a wall outlet, and failing to unplug during an electrical storm. Your PC should be plugged into an adequate surge protector, along with any relevant components, such as a printer/scanner/fax combo. This won’t leave you more vulnerable to hackers, but it does allow plenty of opportunity for a single bolt of lightning to wipe out your machine—and your hard drive, with all that data you hopefully have backed up in a secure location.

So, there’s plenty of “risky” behaviour that could have an adverse effect on your computer. What do you think of the items listed here? Are there any that you do yourself? Or is there something else you think should be on the list? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Time for a good blether

November 22, 2011 By

Blether LogoTwitter is great, but when you’re trying to hold a private conversation with someone it gets a little clunky. To fire direct messages back and forward, both parties have to be following each other. That’s not too bad on the face of it, except when you want to say something privately to, say, your mobile phone provider, and discover that they have a policy of not following individual accounts.

Another limitation of direct messages is that they are always one-to-one… there’s no option to send them to a wide group of people or hold a conversation that involves more than two participants.

What  to do? Well, how about a chat system that integrates with Twitter and allows you to invite multiple Twitter users to talk? Enter stage left: Blether.

The word Blether is Scottish slang, and means idle chatter, or to engage in conversation. See where this is going?

Blether, the online service, is built on a platform by Zendit, who are based in Dunfermline, Scotland. To find out all about the service, I invited Kevin Bradshaw, CEO of Zendit and Blether, to chat about it in the Blether service itself. Kevin tells me that Zendit has been about two years in the making, between setting the company up and getting the basic platform built. As an indication of how powerful it is, it only took about a month to build Blether on top of Zendit.

So what does Blether actually do? It’s basically a chat room, but it’s triggered from within Twitter. By typing !b and the names of some Twitter users (e.g. “!b @cdhinton @someone_else”) a personal room is generated which only the invited Twitter users have access to. Additional people can be added from within the room, so you don’t have to panic if you forgot to invite someone, but at least you know nobody will be in there without an invite.

One downside of many chat rooms is that once you leave the room you lose any record of the conversations that took place. Some offer a mechanism to export a chat, but Blether just saves it right there. Next time you visit Blether.co your previous Blethers will still be there for you to review at your leisure.

Blether performs a simple function – enabling multi-person chat between Twitter users – but some of the best products out there are a mixture of simplicity and elegance. Blether is easy to use, and does what it does well. I would say it’s sure to be a success. And what else is coming from Zendit in future? Kevin couldn’t (or rather, wouldn’t) tell me, but did say there was more to come. Watch this space…

Have you tried Blether yet? Do you see a use for a Twitter-launched chat function? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Picfull – simple photo filtering… and it’s free

November 9, 2011 By

The picfull interface showing a list of photo filters and a stylised image

Sometimes you just want to do something simple online, and it ends up becoming a real faff. Image editing is one of those areas, with a load of offering on the Internet that, in some cases, rival the capabilities of the almighty Photoshop. That’s great if you are after something comprehensive, but if you just want to much around with your photos it can get a little overwhelming

Picfull is firmly at the “simple” end of the scale. Upload a photo, apply some filters, and that’s it. You can layer the filters on top of each other if you desire, giving you the ability to come up with interesting combined effects, but the overall experience is one of simplicity.

The site’s creators tell us, “While there is a flood image editing sites out there, we are focusing on providing unique, high quality photo filters that are truly easy to use. Our selection ranges from vintage filters to bolder modern ones, each of which has its own set of parameters that can be tweaked by the user in real time. Plus, multiple filters can be applied to the same photo, allowing for almost endless variations.”

Picfull isn’t going to float your boat if you want to do any complex image editing, but if you’re after a quick and easy way to give your photos a different look it might just fit the bill.

…and, yes, it does have the obligatory Obama poster effect ;)

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A Guide to LCD & 3D televisions

November 7, 2011 By

Picture of a retro-style television setThis is a guest post from Rachael Miller, who writes for moneysupermarket.com.

Buying a TV a new television these days can feel like a daunting task, because there is now a bewildering glossary of terms you have to come to terms with when choosing one. So if you don’t know your HDMI from your USB input then we’ve put together a quick guide to help you find just the right LCD TVs for your viewing pleasure.

Screen resolution

Your screen is split up into individual “pixels” which, when seen together, create a picture on your screen. The level of detail is increased when more individual pixels are used. Your standard DVD player produces an image made up of 768×576 pixels, Sky HD broadcasts in 1280×720 and a Blu Ray player produces an image of 1920×1080 – simply looking at the numbers you can see just how much more detailed Full HD is.

Progressive or Interlaced

After the number for your screen resolution you will notice either an “I” or a “P”. The “I” stands for Interlaced Video – this technique splits the lines of your television into odd and even rows and your television will then refresh each set of lines alternately. So in effect you’re watching two images slipped together. This technique served analog television, video cameras and VHS very well for years; however, since the introduction of digital the superior technology is Progressive Scan.

Progressive Scan updates every line of the picture with each refresh; this creates virtually no flickering and gives you a much smoother picture when objects are moving quickly on the screen.

So what do you need?

For the very best picture quality available today you will need to buy a television set that features 1080p; this will allow you to get the very most out of your Blu Rays or other High Definition media. However, Full HD does come with a higher price tag so it’s worth considering your needs. If you want the very best from your Blu Rays then you will need 1080p, however if you don’t have the money or desire then any HD picture is still a significant step up from your standard definition TV. Sky and most video games transmit in 720p so depending on what your needs are a new television doesn’t need to cost the earth.

Refresh Rate

This perhaps one of the most confusing and misleading features on televisions today. The numbers refer to the number of times per second that the picture refreshes, the more often it refreshes then the smoother the movement on the screen will be. You’re going to see numbers ranging from 60Hhz (60 times per second) to as high as 600HZ, but to be honest, the truth is you’re going to find it very, very hard to tell the difference between the two. Before you buy online, go to a store and see if you can tell the difference between the TV sets you’re considering.

HDMI

HDMI is the connection between your TV and digital sources (Sky HD, Blu Ray, PS3). You’re almost certainly familiar with a SCART cable on your current set up; HMDI does the same job – just digitally. Different televisions have different numbers of HDMI ports, so you need to think about what you’re going to plug into the television. If you have Sky HD, Blu Ray and an Xbox360 or PS3 then you’ll need at least 3 but you’re probably going to want at least one spare port for future proofing yourself.

HDMI cables are a dangerous area for the unprepared shopper. Some stores will sell you very expensive HDMI cables (£70+) to get the best picture from your equipment. 3D television does require the most up to date HDMI cable (1.4) but these can still be picked up for around £7 from online retailers.

Edge Lit vs Back Lit

This refers to the lighting source used to illuminate the LCD screen. Back lit projects from behind the screen giving a cleaner, more consistent level of lighting and detail. Edge Lit means that the LED’s used to light the screen are around the edge of the screen. The benefit to Edge Lit is that the televisions themselves can be much thinner than their back lit counterparts, which could play a large role in your decision making process.

Passive vs Active 3D

For someone who isn’t an expert in 3D technology, you may not even know that the two technologies exist, never mind which one to go for. Passive and Active 3D refer to the glasses you wear while watching your 3D television. Active shutter technology is supported by Panasonic, Sony and Samsung and uses glasses that are powered by batteries, which include LCD lenses and give a full HD image to each eye. These glasses will cost you around £100 per set, so it is worth considering this extra expenditure before you go for Active technology.

Passive 3D technology has been pioneered by LG. This means that you will need a far less expensive pair of 3D glasses, or the ones you use at the cinema. The technology works by the frames passing alternate images to each eye to create the 3D effect. These glasses are far lighter and more comfortable than Active glasses and are cheaper to replace if need be.

So there we have it, just a few of the phrases you will hear passed around when shopping for a new LCD TV. We hope this will be helpful when you’re looking for that new telly… and you might even be able to impress the salesman by knowing what he’s talking about.

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Hack brings Siri to iPhone 4 and iPod Touch

November 2, 2011 By

Siri running on an iPhone

This article was written by William Judd. William writes for Mobile Fun, the UK’s leading online retailer of the Kindle cover, including the new Kindle cover and the Kindle cover with light.

We’ve received word that over the weekend, dedicated hackers working on the iPhone 4 were able to successfully port Siri to the device. The exploit that the hackers used has not yet been released, but a video has.

The video shows Siri running completely naturally and at 100% speed on the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that Apple held back Siri from the older devices to make more money rather than Siri having problems running on the slower CPU found on the iPhone 4.

While Siri looks to work perefectly on the iPhone 4, it’s not quite as successful on the iPod Touch, due to the less sensitive microphone. The hack still loads and runs correctly, but you need to speak quite loudly and clearly in order for Siri to hear you properly; speaking at a normal tone barely raises the microphone indicator.

The hack hasn’t yet been released for public consumption, but one of the developers responsible has issued a statement, saying that he is happy to do so once the hack has been checked to ensure that it does not interfere with the operation of any other parts of the iOS system. There’s no ETA listed for this release, as the developer said he doesn’t want to “anger the hive” with broken promises.

We’ll let you know when Siri for the iPhone 4 is officially (or unofficially) available. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with watching the many hilarious Siri videos on YouTube.

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Celebrity Cars: What do the rich and famous drive?

October 26, 2011 By

Bugatti Veyron

This is a guest post by Dilpreet Bhagrath on behalf of Fulton Leasing – a professional car leasing and contract hire company with competitive leasing deals on all car manufacturers and models, including Ford, Mercedes and Audi leasing.

Have you ever wondered which cars celebrities drive when they give their chauffeurs a day off? Unlike most of us who have a budget, celebs live in a world where they can choose from almost any car in the world, without hesitation. For these stars, a car isn’t just a vehicle for practicality to get you to and from work or to your local Tesco, but a symbol of status and wealth.

Corden’s Corker

A League of Their Own presenter James Corden decided to treat himself to a new car after he announced his girlfriend was pregnant with their first child. You would expect a father-to-be to opt for a sensible and family-friendly motor that you can rely on once the baby arrives, but the comedian had other ideas.

Corden bought himself the high-performing 285bhp Jaguar Convertible XKR. Reaching 60mph in just 4.6 seconds, the luxurious vehicle ticked all the adrenaline-seeking boxes. However, the one thing this sports car is missing is the space for a baby seat. Good luck explaining that to the missus.

Beckham’s Beauty

David Beckham is often seen behind the wheel of his Black Cadillac Escalade ESV. The sleek car boasts 26” TIS Drop Star rims, leather interior, a Bose speaker system and an abundance of space, seating up to eight people comfortably.
This sleek car is perfect for the global style icon and his ever-growing brood. With power to face the worst weather conditions, the Beckham family can always rely on their Escalade. We wonder if Victoria Beckham has ever tried (and failed) to take this beauty for a spin in her 6-inch Louboutins.

Carr’s Car

Funny man Alan Carr drives around in a British classic – the Mini Cooper. With its sensibly fast speed and great road handling, it’s perfect for the cheeky comedian. The small size means that Carr can park easily without getting into a huff and look trendy while he cruises around.
Alan Carr (no relation to Jimmy Carr) recently realised how popular his Mini is when a thief broke into his home, took the keys to his beloved motor and drove off. His replacement was another British classic – the push bike. He reveals: ‘I’ve been driving around on my push bike – and I fell off’. Poor Alan.

Simon’s Stunner

When talking about celebrity cars, there’s one celeb that cannot go unmentioned. The ultimate car collector has got to be Simon Cowell. Simon’s garage is overflowing with some of the best supercars in the world. The most breathtaking machine is undoubtedly the Bugatti Veyron.
The Bugatti Veyron is not only the most expensive car in the world, but also the fastest (well, legally that is). With an impressive top speed of 253mph, Simon can definitely let off some steam in this stunner.

It’ll come as a big relief to car lovers that this car won’t just sit in his garage or not utilised to its full capacity as Simon Cowell knows how to handle a car the way it should be. The X Factor judge proved his driving ability on Top Gear during the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ segment when he impressed Jeremy Clarkson and co to become the third fastest non-professional driver to complete the challenge on Series 8.

Celebrities are lucky enough to have a different motor every day of the week if they please – and many of them do. It’s a great way to spend their money on something fun and impress everyone around them. If money was no object, what would be your dream car? What do you think about the above mentioned cars? Please post your comments below to share your thoughts.

Image post used under Creative Commons License – originally by Sudhanwa..

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Gadgets for moving house

October 24, 2011 By

Image; Removal men sitting in the back of their truck making tea on a camping stoveThis is a guest post by Jade Evans. Jade is a freelance writer who has lived in three countries in 5 years, and always feels bad for the man and a van service because she doesn’t currently own an e-reader…she has lots and lots of books.

So you’re moving house. Which means a lot of exhaustion and emotional wear and tear – plus, at some point or another, you’ll probably end up sleeping on your floor. The man and van service may break something, and you’ll probably forget something vital stashed in your landlady’s dusty attic. There will be panic.

But that’s why we are in the modern world! There are tons of gadgets and gizmos out there to help you de-stress, organize, stress, and get distracted. Here are a few of my favorites, and a nifty contribution from right here on Geek-Speak!

Amazon Kindle Fire

I’m sorry, I just have to vote against the monochrome Kindle. The Fire has all the pros of the ipad:

  • wifi
  • e-reader
  • touch screen
  • user-friendly interface
  • dual-core processor
  • free cloud storage
  • and so much more!

…but only costs £130. Unfortunately it isn’t being released on Amazon UK yet. This is when you take a holiday to the US to go shopping for the Christmas season and happen to pick up the new tablet. (Though hopefully you aren’t moving before November 15, as that is when the product ships in the US). And as it always is with technology, there are rumors going around that the second generation Fire will be released first quarter 2012. But enough ranting about possible ship and release dates – long story short, one of your best friends when you’re moving house will be a tablet, in whatever form – iPad, Kindle e-reader, Fire, any of them.

Aeropress Coffee Maker

Yes, this is the gadget that I ripped off found right here on Geek-Speak. Why is a coffee maker a necessary gadget if you’re moving, you ask? Well, if you have to ask you don’t deserve it.

Right – but just think about it. Most of us are extreme procrastinators. Packing? Who need to do that!

…so you’re up until the sun rises the day before the movers come to pack you up and send you off to your new flat (or home, if you’re lucky – back to your parents if you aren’t). Proper caffeination would be totally necessary. Even I, the girl who doesn’t drink coffee – would find coffee a welcome addition to my long night of packing. Plus it just looks neat.

WiFi HotSpot Detector

I don’t know exactly how moving house works in the UK, but one of the biggest pains in the US is that oftentimes it will take some time to transfer all your utilities, including your internet. Which, of course, is one of the most important things ever in the entire world, ohmygoodness. A lot of us wouldn’t know what to do without an internet connection (yes, a lot of us could use are phones to connect). But if you can’t use your phone and are unwilling to pay for internet (and coffee) at at cafe, then this little gadget is for you.

Zero Gravity Hummer Toy Truck

Zero G HummerAdmit it. We’re all kids. You want this toy.

And it will be especially fun after all of your stuff is moved out – nothing to block the free movement of the toy completely across your walls…and apparently it won’t leave marks on the walls – though I’ll believe that when I see it.

Atari Keychains

These aren’t any standard keychains for old school gaming aficionados – no cheap plastic replica here. These are the real thing…miniaturized. And if you hook them up to your TV (which, is of course, one of the last things to go from your apartment), you can play some classic Atari games with that “keychain.”

And if you aren’t aware of the glories of Centipede, Asteroids and Pong, this is a great chance to play for yourself.

Ok – so my of my moving recommendations are a hindrance to your progress rather than a help, but wouldn’t you rather be distracted than perpetually worried about all your stuff? I vote for distraction, and fun. It’s hard enough to move from a familiar place. Make it a little bit easier on yourself.

What gadgets would you recommend to ease the burden of moving house? Is there a serious piece of tech that would make life easier? Or something fun that would serve to distract you for a while? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

The removal van image at the head of this article is by Simon Aughton, and is used under Creative Commons License.

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Creating mindmaps with Mindomo 6 – is it still good?

October 19, 2011 By

Mindomo's dekstop application makes mindmapping easy

Back in July 2010 I wrote a post about creating mindmaps with an online service called Mindomo. I was impressed with it at the time, finding that it was full-featured and very easy to use. Well, Mindomo has recently had an update that brings it up to version 6, and I took another look to see whether it is still as good as it was or whether a great formula has been fiddled with once too often.

Firstly, let me say that I spent much more time using the desktop version of Mindomo this time around, rather than the website version. The two are virtually identical, however. I suspect that this is down to the fact that the website interface is Adobe Flash, and the desktop version is Adobe Air. I don’t have any inside knowledge, but I would be willing to bet it’s the same codebase between the two versions, just packaged differently.

The Interface has had a bit of an overhaul, as you will see if you compare the screenshot above with the one on the original Mindomo post. I do like the ability to pick a theme for your chart if you decide the default isn’t too your liking, and there are twenty four built in for you to pick from. Couple that with varying chart layouts, like standard mindmaps, concept charts, or organisation charts, and you get quite an array of possible designs.

Last time out I mentioned I thought it was important that a mindmapping tool be easy to navigate using only the keyboard and, I’m pleased to say, Mindomo has kept that easy navigation. There are also, now, context-sensitive menus when you right click on a node that allow you to insert a new topic, subtopic, cut/paste, and delete. It isn’t possible to delete a node using just the keyboard, which is slightly annoying if that’s all you want to use, but I guess it also means you won’t accidentally delete anything by hitting the wrong key.

One feature I liked very much is the fact that the desktop application is cloud-aware. Assuming you are online, you can open maps you created on the website in the desktop version, and you can sync desktop-created maps back to the website to work on at any Internet-enabled computer. This is the killer app of cloud computing for me – the ability to pick up my work on any computer – and Mindomo does it seamlessly.

The final feature I think worth mentioning is the ability to share maps with other Mindomo users. You can specify their email addresses and set permissions (like whether they should be able to edit the map) and they will be sent a message to tell them you have shared a map with them. If they are not already Mindomo users they will be invited to sign up, but they could do this on the free account and so avoid incurring any costs. Online collaboration – another big plus point for any productivity app in my book.

So, is the new version of Mindomo still a hit? I’d say so. It’s still easy to use, still a powerful tool and, while it’s not vastly different from the version I used last year, it has had a number of useful upgrades and improvements.

There is still a free version of Mindomo, which does have a lower map limit than when I reviewed it last time, but if you want to try it out you should be able to have a good play for no money down. If you want to make better and wider use, there’s the premium version, which costs $6 per month. Additional pricing details can be found here.

If you’re a mindmapping aficionado, I’d highly recommend checking Mindomo out.

Disclosure: Links to Mindomo in this post are affiliate links.

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Christmas gift ideas for gadget geeks [2011]

October 12, 2011 By

Last year I ran a couple of posts on Geek-Speak that listed Christmas gift ideas for various groups of people. They turned out to be massively popular and, with the festive season rapidly approaching again, I thought we would take a look at a few Christmas ideas for this year. So, let’s get going with some Christmas gift ideas for gadget geeks – including a few suggestions from the wonderful world of Twitter.

Wacom Inkling

Wacom InklingThis gadget was suggested via Twitter by @kimded. The Wacom Inkling is an amazing idea. While many digital artists are used to the idea of drawing on a computer-linked tablet, that lacks the tactile sensation of drawing in a paper sketchbook. The Inkling allows you to draw on paper using a special pen, while a receiver picks up what you are doing and digitises it as a vector graphic. This can be downloaded to your computer later and edited with vector editing software. I love this sort of digital crossover product, and given that Adam (kimded) is an artist I can see why he chose this device. Initial estimates for release were mid-September, but I see from the Wacom website that production has been delayed. You can still pre-order an Inkling, but you might be taking a risk as to whether it will come before Christmas. If that doesn’t put you off, though, the Inkling can be pre-ordered direct from Wacom.

Water Pebble

Water PebbleThis little gadget was suggested via Twitter by @gazrose. The Water Pebble sits near the plughole when you’re taking a shower and monitors how long you have been in there. The first time you activate it, it will “learn” your showering habits, and then over time encourage you to reduce the amount of time you spend in there. The marketing blurb says it could help cut your average shower time to under six minutes and save over 20 litres of hot water per day. Given the expense of heating that water up in the first place, and the fact that some areas of the country have their water metered, that doesn’t sound like a bad deal, does it? The Water Pebble is available for £8.99 from Firebox.com.

Android Bluetooth Speaker and Handsfree

Android Bluetooth Speaker / HandsfreeI reviewed this little guy recently, and thought it was a fun little gadget. Styled in the vein of Google’s Android logo, the Android Bluetooth Speaker and Handsfree is capable of playing music from your smartphone (assuming your smartphone can connect to Bluetooth music systems) and of acting as a handsfree set. The speaker isn’t going to light up the dance floor, but it’s certainly good enough for listening to music while sitting at your computer or doing housework. And there’s something fun about phoning someone up and holding a conversation with them by talking to a little green android :) The Android Bluetooth Speaker and Handsfree is available from Mobile Fun for £19.95.

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle (keyboard-free)Yes, this was on last years list too but, no, I’m not just regurgitating it because I’m stuck for ideas. I became the happy owner of a Kindle Keyboard in January 2011 and it has been one of my favourite and most-used gadgets all year. I have also had the opportunity to play with the new keyboard-free version of the Kindle and, while I do miss the keyboard, it’s still a great piece of technology (a proper review will be coming soon). The nice thing is that the new Kindle is cheaper than the keyboard version, so if you’re looking to buy something for the avid reader in your family, it’s now even more affordable. Just be aware that, while the new Kindle comes with a USB cable, it doesn’t come with a wall-socket power adapter… you’ll have to buy that separately if you want to charge it without plugging into a computer’s USB ports. Check out my review of the Kindle Keyboard for more information on that unit, or you can buy the new Kindle from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Aeropress Coffee Maker

Aeropress Coffee MakerDo you remember those flying rings that came out in the 1980s? They were called Aerobees, and my main memory of them is losing mine on the roof of the neighbour’s house! Oddly enough, the same company, Aerobee, has come up with the Aeropress Coffee Maker, which aims to let you create a proper cup of coffee in just a few minutes. The idea is simple; load the ground beans into the Aeropress, add water, stir for ten seconds, and then press the plunger. Skeptical? Believe it or not, it actually works – a proper, filtered cup of coffee in next to no time. The Aeropress Coffee Maker is available from Firebox for £29.99.

OK, so there’s a few gadgety ideas for Christmas, but what would you have included? What’s the must-have gadget on your list? Let us know in the comments.

Links to products in this post are affiliate links.

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[How To] View Someone’s Tweets as an RSS Feed

October 10, 2011 By

Twitter BluebirdHave you ever wanted to view tweets in RSS? It might seem a bit pointless at first glance, but there are a number of uses. You could import the RSS feed into a website sidebar, or there are a number of mobile web app technologies that can import RSS feeds so that people can view your tweets within your very own app.

If you have been wondering how you can get an RSS feed of a particular user’s tweets, here we go:

Each user has an RSS feed, and the URL follows this format:
http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/username.rss

So, my feed would be http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/cdhinton.rss

There we go – nice and simple. And if you’ve been fretting over how to do this, problem solved :)

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