Mum, take your tablet

February 18, 2013 by

iPad on grassSince everyone seems to constantly get older, and no one is getting younger, it’s no surprise that I now find myself looking after my elderly mother in areas where she and my now departed father would have coped easily in the past.

I don’t mind this after all she is my MUM….but it did get surreal when, a few years ago, she said she wanted a laptop and the Internet. She was about 80 at this point and had never worked a computer in her life; she even has trouble using digital TV. I went ahead and we sourced her a laptop. We then got BT, who she had her telephone with to give us Internet as well, it is easier when it comes to mum to have everything in the one place – believe me.

This seemed to be OK;  I placed shortcuts on her desktop and she merrily went along playing Solitaire and a word search game on the laptop. I showed her the email and Internet, but she never touched these areas as she thought she might get in a mess with it and break the laptop. I did explain that this would not happen but she did not take it any farther. Every now and again, when visiting, I asked to use her laptop and carried out all the Updates for Windows and anti-virus etc.

I later purchased a tablet for myself for ease of carrying and using.  I would get it out and connect to mum’s Internet and do some work while chatting and, while visiting her last year, she declared that she would love one of those; she was 84 at this point and remember the history of the laptop usage. Of course Apple had been filling the TV screen with images of iPads that you must have to complete your life but I was still surprised and put her off for a good few months. Each time I visited, though, and got my tablet out, she would say “I would like one of those and it would be easier than handling the laptop as I have to put it on the coffee table and bend over it.”

I tried to ignore it but in November she stated that I was to source one, buy it, and she would give me the money for it – she was treating herself for Christmas early. I went about the task and bought an Android based tablet that would be easily carried and large enough screen to be seen by her when using it. Of course I downloaded solitaire and a word search app for her and placed shortcuts on the desktop, which she uses. I showed her email again and Internet, I even signed her up for a G+ account and we had a hangout with my phone and her tablet in her living room. I thought this might help if she wants to chat and see someone’s face in the evening when she gets lonely.

When I now pop in I look for the tablet and it is in the box as she is frightened any children visiting will knock it off her table and break it. She tells me she does use it and plays word search or solitaire, but nothing else and I have sneakily sent her hangout requests to see if she is on it and try to get her to talk and use the hangout facility to no avail.

All good fun and makes me smile when I think about it.

Have you tried to introduce a non-technical family member or friend to a new gadget? How did you get on? Why not share your experiences and thoughts in the comments?

Ian Thomson is the founder of IT Turning Point, an IT Training and Consultancy company based in Fife, Scotland. Check out the IT Turning point website at www.itturningpoint.com for more information.

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Friday Fun: Connect 4

November 2, 2012 by

Connect 4 board

You’ll need a friend for this week’s Friday Fun – it’s a 2-player game of the classic Connect 4. This one’s HTML 5, so you don’t need Flash installed but do need one of the latest generation of web browsers.

You know how to play this, don’t you? If you need a refresher, you take turns to drop your counters in the top of the grid and attempt to make a line of 4… horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. The tricky part comes where you have to make your own line while trying to stop your opponent doing the same.

–> Click to Play <–

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Coffee in history: The surprising effects of your favourite caffeinated beverage

September 26, 2012 by

This is a guest post by William Judd.

Coffee beans in a heart shapeCoffee is the second most-traded good in the world, after petroleum, and it is a ubiquitous indulgence in the western world that’s consumed by millions each morning. It’s hard to become that big without turning up in some odd places, and coffee has definitely done it all. Did you know that coffee was a key part of the development of stock exchanges, computing equipment and even revolutions? Read on to find the secret life of coffee.

5. Coffee breaks

The coffee break is commonplace across all kinds of businesses in the western world and beyond; a routine social gathering where workers take a few minutes to talk with their colleagues and higher-ups over a warm cup of coffee. The coffee break’s popularity in the United States is thought to be down to the work of behavioural psychologist John B. Watson, who developed Behaviorism and later worked with Maxwell House, a large coffee brand in the United States. The coffee break may have its origins even further back this though, with Time writing in 1951 that coffee breaks were written into union contracts. The true origin of the coffee break apparently originated in the late 19th century in the small town of Stoughton, Wisconsin, where the wives of Norwegian immigrants took regular breaks with coffee. The town still celebrates Stoughton Coffee Break Festival each year.

4. Haitian Revolution

Saint Domingue was the most treasured colony of the French empire in 1791, with the Caribbean colony producing about 60% of the world’s coffee and 40% of the world’s sugar at the time. Around 452,000 slaves worked to harvest the coffee, controlled by only 40,000 whites and 28,000 free blacks and mulattos. While the white plantation owners were scared of a slave revolt and prepared accordingly, when the revolution came in 1791 they were unable to stop it. The conflict continued until 1804, when plantation owners were roundly defeated and the plantations burned. The revolution brought a stop to slavery in the colony, which was reformed as the independent Haitian Republic. The revolution was the most successful slave revolt in the Americas, and was one of only two successful revolts against European powers before the 19th century – the other being the United States. Coffee production has never recovered, but that seems a trivial price to pay.

3. Espresso machine

According to my part-Turkish flatmate, the first espresso machine was developed in Italy by an inventive business owner irritated with the long coffee breaks his workers took. He devised a machine that forced water at high pressure through coffee grounds, producing a single-serve coffee drink that could be produced quickly. While it’s a cool story, I sadly haven’t been able to find any citations for it. According to what I have been able to find, the first espresso machine patent for an industrial espresso machine was developed in 1884, but it wasn’t until 1901 that key improvements including single-serve were perfected. Espresso has continued to evolve as a rapid single-serve beverage, most noticeably with the development of encapsulated single-serve coffee pods in 1959.

2. Stock exchanges and businesses

Coffee houses quickly became popular places for wealthy businessmen and intellectuals to meet in Europe and the United States; indeed such establishments were nicknamed penny universities (after the cost of the drink and the quality of the discussion therein). The biggest stock exchange in the world was started by 64 traders at the Tontine Coffee House in New York; it is now called the New York Stock Exchange. A number of other massive firms also began life as coffee houses, including the East India Company (which started life as the Jerusalem Cafe) and Lloyds of London (which began as Lloyd’s coffeehouse).

1. Webcams

My favourite instance of coffee prompting scientific enquiry came in 1991, when the very first webcam was developed. It was engineered in the Computer Science department at Cambridge, where a camera was pointed at a coffee pot and hooked up the network. Computer scientists working in the university could connect to a web page to check the level of coffee in the pot, potentially saving themselves a wasted trip. The same coffee camera was still running in 2001, when the development of high-speed Internet allowed the past vision of video telephones to finally become a reality. The webcam has since become ubiquitous on portable computers like laptops, mobile phones and tablets although the coffee cam has since shut down.

Conclusion

So there you have it – five interesting instances of coffee in history. I hope you’ve discovered something interesting about coffee. If I’ve left anything off, let me know in the comments below!

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Give yourself a booost

June 11, 2012 by

Booost Oxygen CanNo, I haven’t misspelled that – I’m talking today about Booost Oxygen. Oxygen in a can. Let’s say right at the start that I was sent a sample can of Booost to try for free.

Now, wait a minute – isn’t oxygen available for free all around us? Well, the Earth’s atmosphere is a shade under 21% oxygen, with the majority being nitrogen. Oxygen is, of course, vital to the correct functioning of our bodies (if you’re interested, check out this article on what it’s used for) and there are times when we could do with more. If you’ve been exercising, for instance, you’ll be breathing more heavily than normal as your body tries to suck more oxygen into its system.

That’s the main thrust of what Booost Oxygen is for – it’s aimed at athletes who can benefit from an oxygen boost during exercise. But I’m no athlete, so what on earth would I want with an exercise aid?

Actually, it’s not just an exercise aid. The Booost site says it’s also great for hangovers, helps with headaches, improves concentration, helps at altitude, can be used by divers when decompressing, will give you a lift when you are tired or in need of energy, and can be useful in cities with high pollution.

Let’s go for concentration and energy
We recently went on a family holiday to visit my parents in Essex. We live in Scotland, so it’s quite a drive, and we decided to tackle it at night so the kids were more likely to sleep through the travel. The drive was fine, but when we arrived in Essex I was absolutely shattered. So I thought I’d give the oxygen a go and see what difference it made. I was a bit skeptical, but it was worth a shot.

Surprisingly, after a few breaths spraying oxygen into my mouth, I did feel more alert and less tired. It’s not a long term effect, but it does work. Around half an hour later I found I needed another boost, but that’s not bad given how tired I was! Of course, nothing will replace actually having a sleep when you’re tired, but for a short-term boost I found Booost did the job just fine.

I really was impressed with the quick energy boost it gave me, and I can see how using Booost during exercise (when I get around to doing some!) would bring definite benefits.

Booost is currently on an introductory price of £7 per can, and can be bought directly from their website. If you do give it a go, why not let us know how you get on in the comments? I’d love to know your thoughts.

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Is "Geek" Still An Offensive Term Or Something To Take Pride In?

April 23, 2012 by

This is a guest post by Tom Demers. Tom writes about endpoint security for companies like Bit9.

A diagram of geek culture

Diagram of geek culture - click for larger version

The word “geek” is thought to have originated from sideshows and circus performers, and its earliest meaning was very derogatory. It usually was used in reference to someone who was offensive, foolish or worthless. However, this word has gone through a long evolution, and it now commonly refers to computer programmers and technology buffs.

So, is this term still offensive? Honestly, it’s a little hard to say. Many geeks openly refer to themselves with this term, but there are also many that use it as an insult. It all really comes down to the use of the word and personal feelings on the matter.

Good Usage
As stated above, the usage of the word “geek” can be either good or bad. Self-professed geeks often use it as a glorifying term, because it shows that said person is often very intelligent and tends to have an obsession with technology or is able to create unusual objects.

In this light, geek is not an offensive term. Many geeks, and friends of geeks, tend to use it as an endearing term or a way to easily describe the geek’s interests. When used in this manner it can be playful and fun to use. It also gives a sense of camaraderie for fellow geeks, as they know they will fit into this group rather well.

There are also many establishments that use the word “geek” as a good term. For example, Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” is seen as a technologically life-saving team of professionals that are great with hardware, software and anything else technical. The website “WiseGEEK” is a huge article directory that lists thousands of articles, and it is seen as a very good resource for people looking for information.

In these ways, geek is a good term that is being used more and more often within social circles both between geeks and for people who associate with them.

Bad Usage
There are those that use it inappropriately. This usage was huge during the 70s and 80s, though it has largely died down as geek awareness and glorification became larger. However, you can still hear it in schools, movies and other walks of life.

The bad usage of “geek” paints geeks as people that are obsessed with the intellectual pursuits. This isn’t bad, and usually is the truth. However, it makes geeks appear enfeebled when it comes to living outside of textbooks and technology, which is very far from the truth.

Between the nerd and geek wars, geeks are more often social and tend to have a good amount of friends. While there are of course some that can be considered shut-ins, these people exist in all niches. Being a geek does not mean you are locked in your house, tinkering away with technology in your mom’s basement. In this way, it makes geeks seem unable to live outside of their small world of circuit boards, books and films.

Geek Chic
Another point of contention is geek chic. This is a style movement that focuses on the stereotypical aspects of being a geek. This includes the thick-rimmed glasses, pocket protectors and shirts with in-jokes.

To some, this is a way to openly express their geek identity. For others, it is a stereotypical market that picks up only a few characteristics that geeks are known for having—but do not necessarily apply to the whole spectrum—but leave the identity of the geek entirely devoid of its true personality.

This is similar to the entire usage of the word, which can be good or bad. Overall, many people have been positive to the geek chic culture, but there are those that find it offensive.

Conclusion
So, is the term “geek” still offensive? Some people definitely still use it this way, but the bad usage has been dying down in the last few decades. People commonly use this term in a favorable sense when talking about technology buffs, and fellow geeks now use the term to glorify their intellectual pursuits.

Overall, the meaning of this term has completely changed. It went from one that had an absolutely bad connotation to one that is used in a good sense. So, when someone calls you a geek, don’t feel bad about it. It’s usually a compliment, and should be taken that way.

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Orange wants to invest in Different Business

March 27, 2012 by

This is a sponsored post. Click here to find out what that means.

Orange: Different BusinessI have to admit it… I really enjoy watching Dragon's Den. I love seeing the ideas people come up with for businesses, how they try to convince the Dragons that they are worth investing in, and which ones succeed in doing so. If people come in with solid ideas and innovative products, they stand a good chance of attracting an investor.

Interestingly, UK telecoms company Orange recently announced that they are looking to invest in up and coming companies through their Different Business competition.

They are offering a prize package that includes business planning advice and mentoring, mobile communication devices and plans, marketing consultancy, legal advice and investment capital. In total, the prize package is worth up to £200,000 – an invaluable investment if you're looking to start your own company. 

How do you get your hands on this prize package? Well, visit the Win Your Business website and apply. Orange's panel of judges will be looking for something unique – different ideas and approaches, clear strategies… something worth funding. Just make sure you have really thought your business through, as they will also be looking for financial projections and details as well as your inspiring vision.

Let me tell you that I started my own business a little over a year ago, and I would have jumped at the chance to have a business planning mentor, legal expert, and marketing consultant by my side. That's before we even get to the help a cash injection and the provision of mobile communication equipment can give to a fledgling company! If you have a different business idea – not necessarily a completely new product, but perhaps a new approach to an existing problem – it's got to be worth your time to enter and see how you do, don't you think?

Sponsored Post - I will receive financial payment for posting this article. Please be aware that I will never accept offers of paid posts where I am required only to give a positive opinion – objectivity is important to me and you can be sure that what I write, even in paid posts, is what I really think.

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TEDxGlasgow Education Roundup

March 7, 2012 by

Have you heard of TED? No, we’re not talking about a person here – we’re talking about the global phenomenon that brings together people from Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) to deliver some truly inspiring talks. If you want to hear some of those talks, head on over to TED.com and do some exploring. There’s a fair chance you’ll get lost there for hours as you listen to what the delegates have to say.

As well as the main TED conferences, there are a host of independently organised TEDx events, and I was lucky enough to get along to TEDxGlasgow last weekend. It was an amazing experience, and I want to share some of what was said there with you. I was there for six hours, so we’re going to split this over a few posts. This is a summary of the first “block” of the day – on the theme of education. To follow will be posts about Health & Wellbeing and Enlightened Economy.

Carol Craig – Enlightenment in the age of materialism

The subject for the whole conference was “Enlightenment 2.0″, so Carol’s thoughts formed the starting point for what came afterwards. She spoke about how Glasgow was the home for much of the work Adam Smith did. Adam Smith had a great concern for the poor, and believed that if the country as a whole were richer, the poor would benefit. This hasn’t happened, though: the country is richer than it was, but the poor are still poor. Why? One reason is materialism, which makes people buy more and more stuff so that others will look on them more favourably. Materialism makes us measure ourselves by how other people will look at us. Many parents now believe that the best thing they can do for their children is buy them more things, to the detriment of enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

Carol pointed out that a good life is not about buying new and better stuff and, in fact, the celebrities we see with the “best” lives are those who have realised their fame and wealth aren’t their most important assets – the celebrities who lend their influence to being ambassadors and advocates.

Carol’s big idea is this: get clued up – realise what materialism is, and what it’s doing. Switch the TV off – evade the constant stream of marketing that tells us the way to happiness is to buy more. Talk about it – with parents, with friends, with organisations… talk about the fact that materialism isn’t the answer to our happiness problems.

The enlightenment was all about shining a light into dark places. The enlightenment 2.0 is about doing that again.

Sir Ken Robinson – Bring on the learning revolution!

Next up, a video of Sir Ken Robinson talking about education:

Donald Clark – More pedagogic change in 10 years than last 1000 years – all driven by technology

What a title! And if you’re like me, your first question is, “what’s pedagogic?”. Check out the definition of pedagogy, and this will hopefully make a little more sense!

Donald’s contention is that the education system is outdated. It’s based on an agricultural calendar, and based largely on the idea of the lecture. That is, someone imparting knowledge to a (hopefully) receptive class of students. That style doesn’t work very well, though, and a far better system of education is to be proactive and interactive. The Internet allows for this interaction and proactivity, but also brings with it an ease of replication that allows lessons to be copied and distributed easily… it makes learning scalable.

What was interesting was when Donald pointed out that the idea of allowing students to work in their own environments, with appropriate support, was not new. The Open University pioneered this with their distance/supported learning concept – it just hasn’t taken off with the rest of the educational establishment.

Donald summed up with a catchy line: the learning revolution has already started!

Jane Ballantine – Stop the revolutions and let education evolve!

As a counterpoint to Donald’s talk, Jane Ballantine asked us this question, “What if the system is not actually broken?”. Technology obviously has a large role to play in education, but Jane pointed out that tech is not undergoing a revolution – it’s undergoing evolution. The educational system, then, should also be allowed to evolve rather than being scrapped and reformed.

What’s the point of education? Jane states that education exists to challenge preconceptions, open minds, and create opportunity.

Interestingly, Jane did finish with some thoughts on the use of mobile devices in education, and said that she saw mLearning as a major growth area in future years.

Dr Pauline Dixon – How private schools are serving the poorest

Dr Pauline Dixon was up next, talking about private schools. The accepted wisdom about private schools is that they are the preserve of the elite. If they are affordable for the poor, they must be substandard. Is that true?

In Hyderabad, 60% of the schools in slum areas are private (fee paying) and low cost. In that city alone, around a quarter of a million children are being taught in these private schools. In fact, private, fee paying education forms the majority of the educational opportunities in developing countries.

Parents say that private schools are of a higher quality than their free, state-run counterparts. This is, in part, because they pay a fee and have some comeback on the school if their children are not being taught satisfactorily. After all, if you are paying for a service you expect to have the right to complain if it’s not good enough.

The takeaway point from this talk, for me, was that poor parents still want to make good choices for their children. They still want to see them educated, and they are willing to pick the best school, even if that means paying, to enable that to happen. And another thing… accountability matters.

Raghava KK – Shake up your story

OK, up next was another video with some great thoughts on perspectives.

At this point, we went for a discussion/tea/coffee/toilet break and my head was already overflowing with the fantastic stuff we had heard. If you were there, and if I have missed anything, please feel free to contribute in the comments… I am very aware that my notes don’t cover everything that was said, and perhaps something caught your ear that missed mine.

And don’t forget to come back to find out what was said about Health & Wellbeing and Enlightened Economy too.

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Friday Fun: DuckLife 4

February 24, 2012 by

DuckLife4 screenshot

Ah, duck racing – I’ve mentioned before why I like this particular sport, and now there’s an updated version of the DuckLife game. Well, actually, seeing as the last one I wrote about was version 2 and we’re on version 4, there are two updated versions.

Ahem – anyway – the principle is the same as last time. Train your ducks, win races, make money. Surprisingly addictive!

You will need Flash, and there is sound but if you switch it off all you lose is the rather cute music.

–> Click to Play <–

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The Top Cartoon Vehicles We All Wish Were Real

February 22, 2012 by

This is a guest post by Ryan Jones. Ryan works with car leasing and contract hire company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts and wishes that certain aspects of some cartoons could become a reality!

If I am the only person in the world to have dreamed of driving the Phooeymobile or sending Optimus Prime out to fight my battles for me then I will admit to being the sad loser that people often call me. The fact is, I am not the only one wishing that cartoons could be real and with that in mind, here is my selection of the top cartoon vehicles we all wish were real.

Optimus Prime

Although you could have picked pretty much any Transformer from the classic cartoon series, the reason to choose Prime can be laid out in three reasons. The first reason is that you can trust the guy (unlike Megatron or any of the Decepticons) and believe me; it is always good to have a giant robot around that you can trust.

The second reason is the fact that not only do you have the leader of the Autobots on your friends list but you also get to drive a kick-ass semi-trailer truck. If you are feeling really lazy then why not just shout out a destination of your choice and get Prime to drive there?

The final reason to have Prime is simply because he would be able to find a way to bring all of the other Autobots into the real world (don’t ask me how) and this can surely be a good thing? As long as you don’t start getting a movie tie-in with rubbish model actors and Shia LaBeouf then all will be well!

Thundertank

Fans of the classic 80s show ThunderCats will recognise the Thundertank as the vehicle that was put together by Panthro in the second episode of the original series. Sure the design might look a little old and the paint job isn’t particularly appetising but the tank does have some pretty awesome hidden features. The attachments that come as standard include a drill, claws, crushing mouth and in-built defence system, surely you wouldn’t say no to that?

The more you get to become familiar with the tank the more adjustments you can make, the first thing I would add is air-conditioning system along with a coffee maker and mini doughnut dispenser.

Phooeymobile

If you haven’t heard of Hong Kong Phooey then shame on you, he was voiced by the legend that was Scatman Crothers! That aside, Phooey had a great car at his disposal, the Phooeymobile, which not only got him from A to B but could also transform into pretty much anything including a boat, plane, telephone booth… you get the picture. Having a car that is able to turn into anything at all certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea!

Mean Machine 00

The fact is, if it wasn’t for Dick Dastardly and Muttley always stopping to try and make other racers in Wacky Races crash they would have won every single race that they participated in! This is thanks to the Mean Machine 00 being the fastest car in the cartoon. It comes equipped with a number of gadgets that are in place to stop other cars but in reality you just wouldn’t need to use them.

Who wouldn’t want a car capable of beating pretty much anything else in a race?

The Ones We Don’t Want

Of course, there are also vehicles from throughout cartoon history that we would rather not have in reality. The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo would simply get stared at and everyone would assume that he owners were hippies and Mr Magoo’s car would simply not be road worthy in the 21st century!

There are many more vehicles that could have been included in this list such as the bikes from the Biker Mice From Mars, The T.M.N.T van and a number of the other cars from Wacky Races, what’s your favourite cartoon vehicle? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

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How many shots would it take to kill you?

February 20, 2012 by

Coffee beans in a heart shapeHow much coffee would it take to take you down? Ultimately, the answer to the question depends on what type of coffee you’re drinking, as each will contain a different amount of caffeine. A mug of filter coffee contains the most caffeine, at 120 mg. Instant coffee provides 75g and espresso 107 mg, although you’re unlikely to have an entire mug of pure espresso.

According to caffeine information site energyfiend.com, if you weigh 160 pounds (approximately 11.5 stone or 72.5 kilograms), then you would have to drink 142 shots of espresso in one day to die from the resultant caffeine overdose. That’s equivalent to about 6.29 litres, so hardly a normal amount. By contrast, you’re about as likely to die from the water itself if it’s consumed in a short period, particularly if you’re being physically active at the same time. Instant coffee would kill the same person in 192 cups, while filter coffee kills in just 75 cups.

The lesson here? It’s unlikely you’d be able to drink enough coffee to kill yourself. However, there are drawbacks to caffeine consumption besides death – nervousness, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, headaches and heart palpitations are all symptoms of a caffeine overdose. The Department of Health reckons that you shouldn’t drink more than five single espressos per day, although this varies person by person.  That’s equivalent to seven cups of instant coffee.

If you’re beneath the limit though, side effects are generally considered to be mildly good. If you have one or two ESE coffee pods per day (which contains a single shot of espresso each), studies have shown that you are less likely to develop prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease and even some form of diabetes. You’re also more likely to suffer from headaches and acid reflux, though.

So keep drinking coffee in moderation… but try not to drink 75 cups of filter coffee, 192 cups of instant or 142 ESE pods in one day, OK?

This article was written by William Judd. Will writes for Mobile Fun, who imbibe rather a lot of coffee as well as being the UK’s leading online retailer of the Amazon Kindle light and Yoda ringtones.

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