Lindy HDMI Switch Review - Bargain Price !
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Lindy HDMI Switch solves a problem that many of us face over the next few years. It took a long time for manufacturers to give us enough SCART sockets on the back of TV sets, but now, with the advent for High Definition, there is a new socket in town... HDMI.People seem to be flocking to the stores lately, picking up large LCD and plasma screens to view their DVD's and digital TV on. When they realise just how bad standard definition sources look, it is not long before they are wanting SKY HD or perhaps an upscaling DVD player. Add the forthcoming PS3 into the equation, and to get the best from your set-up you suddenly need three HDMI sockets. With most screens coming with one HDMI socket, at the most two, this is a problem.
One option is to purchase an AV amplifier or receiver which has HDMI switching, but this is an expensive move. The minimum you are really looking at spending is £500 which may get you one extra input. For those who are already happy with their sound set-up or do not want to spend that sort of cash, the only other option is a switch.
Gone are the days of those clunky push-button SCART switches, with the Lindy UK offering of a remote control HDMI switch. This neat little box of tricks offers a very smart solution, with three HDMI inputs and one output (which goes to your screen). The box is an all-metal affair, not particularly pretty to look at, but the understated design looks nice and techy. The rear of the units has the power supply input and HDMI sockets. The front sports the IR receiver (for the remote control), some status lights, input button, and an image enhancer button. The remote control supplied is very small and flat, with a power button and number buttons for selecting the desired input…
Set-up is very easy, just plug in your sources, connect the HDMI output into your screen, switch on and you are good to go. For our tests we used a Lindy's Premium Gold HDMI cables, which are very reasonably priced. It is important to remember when buying any switch to budget for an extra cable. Once everything was powered on it was nice to see that there was absolutely no degradation in quality at all. Switching between inputs was faultless, with the remote being very responsive and the LED status lights on the front showing the selected input. The image enhancement circuitry made no noticeable difference to the clarity of the picture in our tests, but I really think this will come into play if you are using long HDMI runs of ten meters of more.
Picture quality from out Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player was exceptional, the clarity was pin-sharp and colours remained unchanged with the switch in place. We also tested a Panasonic DMR-EX85, which is a hard disk drive recorder, with an upscaling DVD player. Again the picture quality was brilliant, though we did need to disconnect the SCART cable to obtain a stable picture. This is not a problem though, as the whole idea of this new technology is to ditch your old SCART connections in favour of the much superior HDMI.
A quick note about the Lindy Premium Gold HDMI cable which was very impressive. The build quality was spot on, and the 24K gold plated connectors ensure the highest possible signal transfer. We compared this cable to the standard one supplied with the Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player and the picture certainly seemed more vibrant. Keep an eye out on Geekanoids for a full review of this cable very soon.
The Lindy HDMI Switch supports HDTV resolutions up to 1080P and is fully HDCP compliant, so you should not run into any problems in the future. You also get a generous two year warranty. For £119 it offers great value for money, with some switches on the market costing a lot more. It may be a budget price, but it certainly delivers great performance, with that all important transparency to your home cinema set-up.
Product: Lindy HDMI Switch Remote
Price: £119.00
Supplied by: Lindy UK
Contact: +44 (0) 1642 754000
Product: Lindy Premium Gold HDMI Cable (2m)
Price: £48.99
iPod Shuffle available in 5 Fruity Colours
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
CUPERTINO, California—January 30, 2007—Apple today announced that the world’s most wearable digital music player is now available in five brilliant colours: blue, pink, green, orange and the original silver. A hit with customers since its initial shipment three months ago, iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a stunning aluminum design with a built-in clip, making it the most wearable iPod® ever. Based on Apple’s pioneering shuffle feature which lets music fans enjoy a continuous mix of their favourite songs anywhere they go, iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory, holds up to 240 songs and is available in all five colours for just £55 (inc. VAT).“iPod shuffle is the world’s most wearable digital music player,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “Music fans can now choose iPod shuffle in one of five brilliant colours, or they can buy one of each.”
iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life* and lets users shuffle their songs to listen to them in a random order or simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album.
Users connect iPod shuffle to their PC or Mac® with the included dock, and iTunes’ innovative AutoFill feature automatically syncs the perfect number of songs from their music library. Seamless integration with iTunes® 7 and the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com/uk) allows customers to choose from a selection of over four million songs from the world’s most popular digital music store.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.
Pricing & Availability
The new iPod shuffle is available immediately worldwide through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for £55 (inc. VAT). iPod shuffle includes an iPod shuffle dock and earbuds.
Great source for Dashboard Widgets
This may not be news to you, but I stumbled across a great website today. Since the Dashboard came to fruition, I have been searching for and downloading my widgets from the Apple website. Today I was searching for an iCal ToDo widget and I came across DashboardWIDGETS. They have some great content and news, as well as a searchable database of widgets. The added bonus is that they allow user comments, so it gives you an indication if the widget is any good. Take a look by pointing your browser to this great website.
Nokia N800 Internet Tablet Review
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Nokia N800 internet tablet landed on my desk today, and having previously tested the N770 I was a little excited to see what had changed and/or improved. More importantly, would I now find a use for the device, when last time around I was left mystified as to how useful it would be for my day-to-day use.Out of the box the design has improved a great deal. Gone are the slab-like looks of the previous incarnation and you can say hello to some smooth curves, a nice contoured back and a pleasant silver finish to the front. The buttons are a bit odd, sort of set off-centre, and a little non-tactile, but you won't find this a problem, as they are not used too much. The touch screen is the same as before, a glossy finish, very high resolution (800x400) and everything is really colourful, bright and pin-sharp (more on this later). Around the back of the unit is a small flip out stand, which is great for when you are watching videos, and also useful when you set it on your bedside at night to wake you in the morning. A small hole on the top right side of the unit holds the triangular shape stylus, and on the top left side is a click-n-pop-out web camera, which is a nice touch.
Back to the 800x400 pixel widescreen, and you will not be disappointed, unless you are a fussy bugger like me, as the backlighting is not very even, with noticeable dark patches down the right hand side. To make up for this shortfall, the screen is really nice and sharp, with colours that are really vibrant. The clarity of text is pin-sharp, which is great for viewing websites and emails. The coating on the screen is impressive too, it seemed really scratch resistant. The gloss finish is not what I would say is really high gloss, so reflections are not really a problem. Brightness is adjusted via and on-screen slider, and for most of my tests and use I found the setting to be good around the halfway mark.
The back of the unit has a cover that comes off nice and easily, underneath this you install the battery, and there is also room for one SD memory card, which can be up to 2GB in size. Also around the back is the stand, which when not in use fits nice and flush to the unit. Lifting the stand out also reveals the second memory card slot, which again is for an SD card up to 2GB, so the N800 supports a total of 4GB which is pretty impressive. During our tests we used Secure Digital cards supplied by Transcend UK (more on this later). Notice that I did not mention a sim card slot, well this N800 is no mobile phone, which would have made this a world beating device in my books.Buttons on the top include one for powering the unit on and off, plus a +/- zoom button, which is great when surfing the internet. There is also a full screen button, which does what you would expect, it hides all other on-screen icons and just shows the web page you are viewing. If you are playing a video back, then this same button hides all the Media Player controls and plays the video full-screen.
The main use of the N800 is as a fully connected bluetooth and wifi internet communication device. If there is no wireless hotspots around, then you will need to connect the N800 via bluetooth to your mobile phone. Checking your emails, looking at internet sites, instant messaging (with GoogleTalk), RSS news reading, and internet based chat (again GoogleTalk) is really where this device excels. I had my email account set up in no time, and connected the N800 via my wireless network in about five minutes. Looking at internet sites was also pleasant, with the nice clear high res screen serving up the content in a very nice stable Opera based browser.
Internet based chat is also possible with the Gizmo project, which I already use, so I downloaded the N800 version and again was making calls over my wireless network in no time at all. Gizmo also supports text based chat, so this became my application of choice. Gizmo works in a very similar way to Skype, but for some reason I prefer the latter. The goods news is that Skype is coming to the N800 mid-2007, and I think this will boost sales a great deal.Playing back some media files was also surprisingly good. MP3 files played back really smoothly, with the built-in speakers doing a good job. Other formats supported include AAC, WAV and WMA. Video playback was really clear, though with some content a little jerky, though I put this down to some files being encoded with a higher bit-rate than the N800 was designed for. Overall though the playback was more than acceptable, almost on par with the Sony PSP, but not quite as good an experience. I did notice a considerable improvement when playing back video files from the high-speed Transcend SD Card. We had two versions of SD card to test, an 80x and a 150x card. Both performed admirably, with the 150x showing quick save times and helping the N800 deliver the video files with less stutters. Video formats supported include MPEG-1, MPEG-4, AVI, and H.263. Streaming internet radio (M3U and PLS) is also supported and a nice feature, though I could not seem to set internet radio as a wake up alarm, which would have been great.
You can also view photos on the device (BMP, GUF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF) and the screen really does a grand job. Remembering that this is not a dedicated image viewer, the quality really will impress.
So, just how useful will someone find the N800? Well, that depends on what your day-to-day activities entail. For me, I am glued to my laptop, and wherever I go, my laptop follows. So I would find that the N800 would be left behind, so it is not for me. If you find that you only attend meetings or do business where you can always use a laptop, then save your pennies.
On a positive note, if you are a business man, or find yourself out and about, but still need to check your emails, or fancy making use of VOIP based calls with Gizmo or the forthcoming Skype, then the N800 is a real boon. If you are already into the Skype scene then the N800 could save you a fortune, once this app becomes available. The RSS news reader also allows you to subscribe to your favourite feeds, so you will never miss that latest headline. On top of all the communication uses, you also get a great MP3 and Video player, plus some built-in games, and a community of open source developers making great apps for the device.
For £279 you can buy an N800 direct from Nokia, which is a pretty good price, you really do get a lot for your money. Whether or not you can make use of such a device is up to you, but even if you only use half of them, I would still say it is good value for money.
Product: Nokia N800
Price: £279
Supplied by: Nokia UK
Labels: Reviews
Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom - 18x goodness
The new Olympus SP-550 UZ Ultra Zoom offers the ultimate in power and versatility with a compact, best-in-class 18x optical zoom lens (28-504mm equivalent in 35mm photography), which gives users the ability to shoot telephoto, wide-angle and macro (as close as 1cm) all in one. Crisp, clear images can be captured far and wide with Dual Image Stabilization and the broadest focal range available on any digital point-and-shoot. The camera’s full manual exposure control provides professionals and photo-enthusiasts with unlimited creativity, while its automatic settings and Built-in Help Guides will put novice users at ease.This revolutionary ultra zoom is equipped with several unique features to deliver near-DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) performance in a compact size, including:
18x Wide-Angle Ultra Zoom Lens Provides Power and Versatility
Featuring the world's most powerful zoom lens, the SP-550 UZ offers maximum shooting versatility for travel, sports and day-to-day use. The 18x super telephoto zoom gets you closer to the action than any compact digital camera on the market. At the same time, the wide-angle lens gets more into your frame – perfect for shooting indoors, landscapes and group shots. The super macro mode is ideal for capturing the most subtle details from as close as one centimeter. The compact, precision-crafted lens combines high-refractive, aspherical and extra-dispersion (ED) lens elements to deliver edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity. The bright, f/2.8-4.5 lens provides the equivalent of 28-504mm focal length with 100x total seamless zoom (5.6x digital zoom).
Dual Image Stabilization
Dual Image Stabilization technology enables users to take crisp, clear pictures in virtually any shooting situation – adjusting for camera shake and a moving subject. Olympus’ Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization keeps images sharp by adjusting the CCD to compensate for camera shake, which often occurs when zooming in on your subject and in low-light conditions when shutter speeds are slower. Digital Image Stabilization freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds that prevent blur caused by a moving subject.
High-Speed Sequential Shooting & Pre-Capture
Capable of capturing images at an incredible 15 frames per second, the SP-550 UZ offers the highest burst rate of any compact digital camera. The inclusion of Pre-Capture technology, which works in conjunction with High-Speed Sequential Shooting, enables users to capture the action before and after fully pressing the shutter button. Pre-Capture begins working as soon as the focus is locked, automatically archiving five frames in the camera’s buffer memory prior to the shutter release – virtually guaranteeing that none of the action will be missed even if the user’s reaction time is slow. Perfect for situations where timing is essential, such as photographing a tennis player serving, children playing or a whale breaching.
Full Manual & Automatic Control
The Manual, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes give users versatility and control for optimal performance in any situation. Users can express their creative vision – adjusting the f-stop for detailed portraits with softened backgrounds, or slowing the exposure speed to create the blurred effect of motion, or just sit back and let the camera do the work with the automatic settings. Full manual and automatic control options allow advanced users to maintain creative control and novices to point-and-shoot their way to beautiful images.
30 Shooting Modes Including TV-Quality Video with Sound
The SP-550 UZ makes it easy to take great photos in a variety of scenarios and lighting situations with 30 shooting modes, including television-quality video with sound (640x480/30fps) up to the capacity of your xD card. Simply select the desired mode for portraits, landscapes, night scenes, fast-action, macro and more.
7.1-Megapixel Image Sensor
The 7.1-megapixel CCD image sensor delivers superior image quality for consistently capturing sharp, vivid details even in large-format or cropped prints. The SP-550 UZ records in both JPEG and RAW file formats and is perfectly suited for a wide range of users – from new photographers to advanced users who require maximum creative control.
Other features include:
The SP-550 UZ will be available in March 2007. We use digital cameras a lot for the production of the Geekanoids website, so we hope to bring you a review as soon as the finished product is made available. Check out the full details on the Olympus website here.
Apple UK - Regional "Get a Mac" Adverts
It was nice to see the UK get their own regional "Get a Mac" ads posted on the Apple UK website. The ads star David Mitchell and Robert Webb of "That Mitchell & Webb Look" fame. The ads seem to be re-films of the US versions, but are well worth a look, with some great facial expressions from the duo. Tentacle, Office at Home, Restarting, Virus, Trust Mac, and Pie Chart can be seen here.
Pinnacle SoundBridge Review - wireless music
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Pinnacle SoundBridge is a device that connects to an external set of powered speakers, or a hi-fi system, and allows you to stream content from you computer wirelessly. With so many products moving this one step further by adding the inclusion of video streaming, audio only products are left with two choices. Either compete on quality, or price has to be what I would almost term as an impulse buy... more on that later.This package consists of the unit itself, which sports a nice 16x2 line LED display. Around the back is the power adapter input, line-out for connecting to speakers or hi-fi, earphone jack to save you annoying the neighbours, and a SD/MMC memory card slot, a nice addition if you have an MP3 player that uses these and you want the SoundBridge to play back from a card.
There is also a rubber stand, to sit the cylindrical shape unit on, this seems a little cheap, but it does the job OK. To finish off the package you get the power adapter and stereo audio cable. The CD containing the SoundBridge software makes no attempt at hiding the origin of this product, which has been licensed from Roku.
Of note is the supplied remote control. More often than not this is a last minute thought, but the Pinnacle supplied remote has some useful buttons, a nice feel to it, and a nice layout, so well done Pinnacle !Connecting up is really easy, and once you have installed the software, registered the unit with your wireless network (802.11b support) you are more or less ready to go. The SoundBridge will work with Windows Media Connect, Windows Media Player 10, Rhapsody and the fave of mine iTunes, which is of course supported on both Mac and PC platforms.
Supported formats include WMA, AAC, MP3, AIFF and WAV music files. My system is solely MP3 files, which when streamed to the SoundBridge and output to my AV receiver, the quality was pretty darn good. I was impressed with the crispness of the audio, with no dropouts, and the easy of navigation was also impressive.
Now, I started this review by saying that this sort of product has to either compete on quality or price. Well, on the quality front, the SoundBridge has more than acceptable audio performance, a nice remote and seems well built. The only negative is the cheap stand. The price however is amazing, you can pick this unit up at Curry's or Amazon for just £99.99. This is almost an impulse buy for many users, if it were £20 cheaper it would be a no-brainer, but for the sub-£100 asking price I think it represents great value for money.
Product: Pinnacle SoundBridge
Price: £99.99
Supplied by: Pinnacle Systems UK
Contact: +44 207 294 0140
Bluetooth for your Wrist - Abacus MobileWear
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Widget UK Ltd, a leading supplier of mobile technology and accessories, today announced the availability of the first mainstream Bluetooth fashion accessory, the Caller ID wristwatch.The watch sports Bluetooth wireless technology, and will simplify how people interact with their mobile phones. Combining fashion forward technology with added functionality and efficiency, the Bluetooth watch enables users to stay connected without compromising style. The watch designs were adapted from top selling Fossil models.
The analog/digital watch links effortlessly via Bluetooth to certain mobile phones allowing users to view incoming caller ID information on the watch face. Users are notified when their phone rings and when a text message is received. When users are unable to answer their phone, a single button press can mute or reject an incoming call. When a voicemail or text message is received, users are alerted by an icon of an envelope that appears on the watch accompanied by a slight vibration.
Partnering with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, a global leader in the mobile handset industry, Fossil’s new wireless product boasts a fashion-forward design that is as attractive as it is capable. “Combining Fossil’s fashion and watch expertise with Sony Ericsson’s Bluetooth technology expertise helped us to create a smart, dynamic and fashionable watch that keeps you connected in all situations and eliminates the need to fumble through your pocket or handbag each time someone calls,” adds Geiser.
Additional features include a two-hand analog for easy timekeeping, vibrating alert of incoming call or SMS/MMS, Caller ID or number displayed, out of range warning (after 10 meters the watch vibrates when phone goes out of range), view phone’s time/date, simple two-button auto pairing operation, bright OLED display, reject/mute incoming calls (one button push mutes the phone’s ringer, two button pushes rejects the call), water resistant to 3 ATM, and compatibility with most Sony Ericsson Bluetooth phones. The watch also features a lithium rechargeable battery that lasts approximately 5-7 days based on conditions of use. The battery can be recharged through a USB or universal AC adapter.
The ABACUS branded product (MobileWear™ by ABACUS) comes in two styles: one with a stainless steel case and bracelet (style AU6001) and the other with a stainless steel case and black PU strap (style AU6002).
In stock now at Widget for £119.99 to £149.99.
This looks like an interesting (and rather nice looking) device, expect to see a full review on Geekanoids soon.
What has stayed on my desk & desktop
Over the past few years I have reviewed many many products. I thought it would be nice to mention the ones that I ended up purchasing myself. The software, hardware and accessories that were just too good to let go of. So here goes with my favourites that I use every day.
Yojimbo
This is a great piece of software, it lives in my dock and is running all the time in the background. If I come across something interesting on the web, I pop it into Yojimbo for later viewing. When I get a new piece of software and need to make a note of the serial number, again Yojimbo does the job for me. The notes feature is good too, before Yojimbo, if I took a phone call and had to write something down I often found that I sent an email to myself. Nowadays I just write the note down in Yojimbo, giving it a meaningful heading. When I move over to my desktop Mac, all my Yojimbo items come with me, thanks to the syncing over .mac support.
Griffin Technology
Although a recent addition to my kit, the Elevator, which I reviewed a couple of days ago, will be staying. I used an iCurve before, and this new stand is just superb. It helps me a great deal by raising my MacBook up to eye level, so it is much more comfortable to use.
Signature Suit
I love my Apple gear, so when it comes to protecting something from knocks and scratches, I am all for it. The Signature Suit from Case-Mate has stayed on my MacBook ever since I reviewed it. It is made of read leather and lined in soft material. The great thing about the Signature Suit, apart from the quality feel, is that it does not add much bulk to my laptop. So this one comes highly recommended.
Other items I use everyday include my MacBook, a Samsung 215TW monitor, 5th Gen iPod, and on the software front Quark Xpress 7, PhotoShop CS3, Adium, Skype, GarageSale, Firefox, NetNewsWire, Cyberduck, Toast Titanium 8, Downsize and Overflow (review of these last three soon).
Griffin Elevator - Raise your laptop to new heights !
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Elevator from Griffin Technology, well there is no hiding that I love Griffin products, but maybe it has something to do with the ease of use, the winning designs, or perhaps that they are such a Mac friendly company. A few years ago I purchased an iCurve, which was and still is a beautifully designed stand, that I sat my PowerBook on, and it sat there at a nice comfortable height for working on at my desk. When I heard that a new product was being launched, I must admit to being a tad worried. With a design so good, why change it? How could it be improved.So, onto the new product, the Elevator is made up of three pieces. A right and a left side support stand and a brace made of of clear perspex that holds the two supports in position. The support stand's are made of brushed aluminum and match the PowerBook, MacBook Pro and Cinema Display perfectly. They are also curved at such an angle that is just right. This coupled with the simple slot-in perspex brace, really compliments the simple, yet totally effective design.
I tested the Elevator with a small laptop, namely a 12-inch PowerBook, which sat just fine the two supports, so anything larger than this will also be fine. My main laptop is a MacBook, and I also use a 21-inch Samsung widescreen monitor. Sitting the two side-by-side, the top of my MacBook was now almost level with the top of my external monitor. So I now had the joy of using a dual-screen display in a comfortable manner.
Of late, you may have noticed that my reviews have been covering products that improve the way we use our computers. The Mirra chair just last week, offers improved sitting positions. Well, the Elevator is Griffin's most ergonomic offering to date, it raises your laptop up 5.5-inches, to a very comfortable working height. Use it in conjunction with an external keyboard and mouse, and you will no longer be uncomfortably arching your neck to view your laptop screen.
As well as the improved working position, you have an added benefit for your laptop too. The airflow is greatly increased, so your laptop stays a lot cooler.
So, the Elevator does much the same as the iCurve, but with more style. The supports also seem more substantial, and I would be comfortable perching a 17-inch laptop weight on top of this stand. If you use your laptop a lot at a desk, I cannot recommend this product enough. At $39.99 it really is a no-brainer, it is a sensible purchase, that does a job very well and looks cool at the same time.
Product: Elevator
Price: $39.99
UK Street Price: £27.00
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000
Herman Miller Mirra Chair Review - Sit Correctly
Saturday, January 20, 2007
It gives me great pleasure to bring you a review of the Herman Miller Mirra chair, an ergonomic solution for all those people like me (in fact, probably most of the population) who either sit in front of a computer, or at a desk as part of their job, or when they finish a hard days work for some internet surfing in the evening. I am not in a position to quote hard facts and figures, but I find myself sitting at a desk for around 8 hours per day, and I would guess that this is quite normal for a lot of people. We all have aches and pains, so during my research it was interesting to learn that a lot of these can be put down to bad posture and unnecessary fatigue by sitting in the same position for extended periods of time.Herman Miller offer well design chairs that provide the correct support and sitting positions, but in a form that does not look out of place in the modern office or home working situation. Design is often given priority by many people when choosing this type of product, so I was happy to see that the Mirra chair I am reviewing here really does look the part. Nice sleek lines, a very modern looking back and seat, and some nice colour combinations.
The company that supplied this chair to me was Home Working Solutions, a UK based company and authorised Herman Miller supplier. As well as the Mirra chair reviewed here, they also supply a wide range of ergonomic products and accessories including mice and keyboards.
For the Herman Miller range of chairs they offer a "Fast" service, which includes delivery at your home or office. The service has added value too, you don't just get a box dumped on your doorstep, you get the full lowdown on how the chair works, all the adjustments and benefits explained, and help with obtaining the correct settings for you.
On first sight, the Mirra chairs back looks kind of weird, but the varying size and shapes of the holes in the TriFlex back allows it to flex in different places. This really ensures that when you move it is both comfortable and offers the correct support. Taking a look around the back, there is also an easy to adjust lumbar support, which can be raised and lowered, and depth adjusted very easily. Even at this stage of setting up my Mirra chair, I was both hooked and impressed.
The seat height adjusts with gas assisted lift, the seat depth can be changed by rolling the front of the seat up and down, plus the leather padded arms can be height adjusted and angled accordingly. The adjustments don't end there, they continue with a very clever tilt lever. You can tilt the chair back, but also limit the amount the chair tilts, plus depending on your weight/strength, you can also adjust the force needed to tilt the chair by turning a tilt tension knob.
I had seen chairs that tilted before, but when tilting back with other chairs I found that the whole chair moved, so the seat angled back and my legs ended up in the air. The Mirra is different in this respect, as the seat and back moved independently, so your seat stays flat, this is an awesome design feature.
Prior to using the Mirra chair I often found myself perched on the edge of my seat, mainly because I was leaning forward to read something, or to carry out some intricate on-screen editing. The forward tilt option on the Mirra cures this bad habit, as the chair back tilts forward with your movement. This meant that I could now lean forward, but still have my back fully supported.
For a long time, I have got into many bad sitting habits, and I suspect that what I describe here is familiar to a lot of people. Making sure you sit correctly, have the correct posture, and frequently move and take breaks whilst working really is important. It keeps you feeling fresh and more productive. Now, the Mirra chair is not the most expensive in the Herman Miller range, but to some it may still seem quite expensive. At £499 it is a serious investment for most, but look at it another way and you are investing in your future and into increasing productivity. There is nothing worse than suffering with back ache, and a chair like this can certainly help a great deal. The Mirra comes with a 12 year warranty, with five years for the suspension seat part of the chair, with this in mind suddenly £499 for 12 years of use doesn't look so bad.
In conclusion, I would never have considered spending this much on a chair before trying one. Previous purchases for me would have been a visit to Argos or Ikea with a £60 or £70 budget. I have been there, done that, and found myself replacing my purchase year after year. Having had the privilege of using a Mirra chair, I would not hesitate in purchasing one. There are other chairs from Herman Miller, the more expensive Aeron and the lower priced Celle, As a start point the mid-range Mirra was very impressive and come highly recommended.
Product: Herman Miller Mirra Chair
Price: £495 (as tested)
Supplied by: Home Working Solutions
Fast Service Telephone: 0800 043 3278
General Enquiries: 020 8956 2880
Upcoming Reviews - Toast 8, Suitcase Fusion +
Friday, January 19, 2007
A little update for you all of the reviews planned for the next couple of weeks here at Geekanoids. Check back regularly or subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up-to-date with Geekanoids News and Latest Reviews.Here is the rundown:
- Herman Miller Mirra Chair
- Roxio Toast 8
- Griffin Elevator
- Extensis Suitcase Fusion
- Stunt software's OverFlow and DownSize
- Pinnacle SoundBridge
- Crumpler Cheesy Disco Big Logo Bag
- Palm Treo 680 Smartphone
- Lindy HDMI Switch
- Panasonic DMR-EX85 DVD/HD Recorder
- Ixos Cables - too many to mention
- Griffin iTalk Pro
- Adobe PhotoShop CS2 Classroom in a Book
- All this plus much much more
iSkin launch ProTouch protection for MacBook
iSkin have launched their ProTouch keyboard protectors for the Apple MacBook. Available to order online now, these custom fit covers keeps all those nasty bits out of your keyboard.Colours available are frosted blue and pink, frosted clear, opaque black and 'Ghost' a glow in the dark affair. For $24.99 they seem like a good value for money buy. Check out the full details here and also check back on the Geekanoids website soon for a full review.
Cha-Ching helps you manage your money
I find dealing with money boring, but at the same time if I have a spending spree my online banking access is not always bang up to date. This can sometimes cause me a problem, as I have all my fresh shrunk wrap purchases on the table, but don't know if I have enough left for a steak 'n' chips or if I will have to manage with cheese on toast.This is where Cha-Ching steps up to the mark, this superb money manager from Midnight Apps promises to breathe some fun into managing your money. Well, the title gives it a good start, as do the icons within the app, everything has a feel good factor.
For most of the time, the app is split into a three pane view. The vault on the left gives you quick access to your paid and pending transactions, as well as an account list. Setting up an account is easy, you name it, assign a bank name to it, starting balance, and type of account. You can choose from checking, savings, credit or online. There is even space to enter the URL of the bank, which can then be viewed at any time using the 'online' tab, instead of having to go into your internet browser. Within the aptly named 'Vault' you can also set-up budget accounts, along with folders and smart folders for organising and sharing across a network.
Getting my test account ready took me about two minutes, and this is where the fun starts. Entering a withdrawal from my account was really easy, with all the details input through the right hand pane. You also get the option of taking a photograph of the item purchased, which is great fun. I snapped the photo of my DVD purchase using the MacBook's built-in iSight camera. This could prove useful for companies who may need proof of purchases for insurance purposes.
It is also possible to enter pending transactions for forthcoming expenses, and also if they are repeating you can choose between daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and yearly repeats. So what started out to look like a simple app, is full of very useful features, but remains easy to use.
I have only just touched the surface so far, so stay with me. At the top of the Cha-Ching application window when in accounts view, there are three tabs. 'Overview' is just that, it shows you your latest incoming and outgoing money, as well as upcoming transactions. The 'Transactions' tab again shows you a list of what is happening with your hard earned cash, but also provides a third pane showing more details about each entry. This third pane is also where you enter new transactions. The final 'Online' tab, which I mentioned earlier is a built-in browser, where you can view your online account. This makes it very easy to cross-reference things, without having to switch ot of Cha-Ching and into Firefox or Safari.
Well, now managing my money is fun again. Cha-Ching is in beta form at the moment (version 0.5) and already it is shaping up very nicely. The only thing I would like to see are some sound effects, like the cha-ching sound when I put money in, and maybe a discouraging arrrgggghhhh sound when I take money out.
Overall, I am really impressed, Cha-Ching offers lots of features, a very clean and easy to use layout, and that all important Mac feel. If you want to manage you money without it seeming like a task, then breathe some fun back into your banking and check out Cha-Ching. A 30 transaction demo is available from the link below, with a single user license costing $14.95.
Product: Cha-Ching
Cost: $14.95
Supplied by: Midnight Apps
Contact: support@chachingapp.com
LG prepares launch of iPhone competitor
Thursday, January 18, 2007
LG Electronics is readying the launch of the LG-KE850 mobile phone. Due to launch in February, little is known about the phone, apart from images showing a large touch screen on the front of the device making it look very similar to the iPhone. I am not expecting it to offer the massive features demonstrated by Steve Jobs at the MacWorld 2007 Keynote, but if it has a nice interface and offers good music playback, I think it will sell very well.LG did very well with the launch of their Chocolate and the new KE850 is expected to offer some great features and a wicked design too. The LG handset will be slightly smaller than the iPhone, 99mm by 54mm, with both being around 11mm thick. There are more images over at Mobil Portal.
Apple iPhone will cost $230 to make
The cost of manufacturing each 4GB Apple iPhone will cost $230 according to research by iSuppli and reported on over at the EETimes website. This could equate to over 50% gross margin for Apple Inc and Cingular Wireless. Great news for Apple and Cingular, but not being sure myself how such deals are cut, I would not draw any real conclusion from this. Do Apple get the majority of this profit, or is it shared equally with Cingular? Your guess is as good as mine.The report goes on to say "iSuppli estimates that 14 music-enabled mobile phones with features that compete closely with the Apple iPhone already are shipping from manufacturers including Nokia, Motorola Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG.
Shipments of music-enabled mobile phones will rise to 618.1 million units in 2007, up 39.9 percent from 441.7 million units in 2006, iSuppli predicts. By 2010, shipments of such phones will increase to 1 billion units."
You can read the full report here.
Mac users can download Vista
Well, sorry for the slightly misleading heading, this is not just for Mac users, but will be of interest if you plan to run Microsoft Vista under Bootcamp, Parallels or some other way. According to Electronista, the recently launched Microsoft Windows Marketplace will have various versions of Vista available to purchase and download from the 30th January. Worth noting in case you want to get hold of the OS quickly and with the minimum of fuss... if that is at all possible with Windows.
Mac OSX Leopard to have new DVD Player 5.0
AppleInsider reports (complete with screenshots) of the new DVD Player software deemed to be included with Apple's release of their soon-to-be launched OS X Leopard software. Looks like it will be an all black affair with minimal highlights. With chapters appearing in a scrolling section across the top of the screen, a bit like full screen mode in iPhoto.
Skype founders announce Joost
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis have announced that their new TV come video stream service, that used to be known as The Venice Project, is now officially called Joost. This new online TV service is currently in beta testing, but certainly looks interesting, and if anyone can pull this off, the Skype guys can."Joost™ is a new way of watching TV on the internet, which uses new and established technologies to provide the best of both the internet and TV worlds. We're in the process of making it as TV-like as we can, with programmes, channels and adverts. You can also see some things that we think will enhance the TV experience: searching for programmes and channels, for example, as well as social features like chat. There are many more new features to come!"
Well, I will be waiting for the Intel Mac version of the player to be released before testing myself, but rest assured that I will bring you news of any future developments.
Seagate launch superfast tiny hard drives
Seagate, makers of very reliable hard drives, recently upped the ante with the introduction of new 15,000RPM 2.5-inch hard drives. I got all excited when I first heard about this, but have learned that they are not standard SATA hard drives (my MacBook was temporarily smiling), but use a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) connection. Maybe we will see adapters and/or updates to the next generation of laptops to incorporate support into new designs.From Seagate's press release, "Seagate Technology (NYSE:STX) today introduced the world's fastest hard drive - the Savvio 15K drive, the new 15K-rpm addition to the Savvio family of 2.5-inch Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) enterprise drive solutions. The Savvio 15K drive provides the highest hard drive performance density and reliability while ensuring ultra-low power consumption, reducing thermal loads in data centers. With its combination of benefits that were created for modern storage systems, the Savvio 15K drive is well-suited for a broad range of mainstream enterprise applications in both large enterprise data centers and small, medium businesses, that lowers overall system Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)."
Read the full release here.
iStat Pro 3.3 Released - Intel Temperatures
iSlayer have released version 3.3 of its superb iStat Pro widget. This new release now supports the display of temperatures for the Intel based Macs. Prior to this release, an extra third party extension was required. I have used iSlayers products for a long time now, so this superb monitoring widget comes highly recommended. Of note, the tiny version of this widget, iStat Nano, was also recently upgraded to version 1.8, this also gives full Intel Mac support.
Apple Discussions - AppleTV & iPhone
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Apple Inc. recently introduced two new areas to their discussion forums. One for the AppleTV, which is due to start shipping in February, the second for the iPhone, due around July in the USA and end of 2007 for the UK.This is a nice move by Apple, as it gives prospective users the chance to discuss the products, but also allows Apple to see just what people are looking for in the final products. This may well allows last minute tweaks and inclusions, so is good for everyone.
Quark - New UK Education Program
Quark Inc. announced today the introduction of its new UK education program and pricing at BETT 2007, the world's leading educational information and communications technologies (ICT) event. Quark has developed the new program, with discounted pricing, to target the specific needs of educational communities, including schools and higher education. Quark is committed to providing the designers of tomorrow with the tools they need to succeed in the industry. The new programs have been developed as a direct result of collaboration with schools and higher educational establishments in the UK.
iPod Fully Loaded Book Review
Monday, January 15, 2007
iPod Fully Loaded... a book that again takes me away from my lovely Mac screen, but promises to open up a whole host of useful features on my iPod.Before reading this book, I thought that I knew everything about my iPod, after all, I have owned one from the very first generation. The first two chapters were much as I expected, covering using your iPod and iTunes for the first time. Not of much interest to me, but for the beginner provides some very useful information. Then things start to get a little more interesting, with what kit and applications are required to get your older analogue recordings (like vinyl records) onto your iPod.
The books continues to talk you through ripping DVD's with the likes of HandBrake and various other apps, and getting camcorder, PVR and video footage onto your device. Wow, now I did not expect this, and some of the tips are very informative indeed. Internet videos and free music are also touched on, but one subject I had never considered, was grabbing web pages for offline viewing, which could prove very useful for showing colleagues a great new site you have discovered.
How about e-books, google maps, your email, spreadsheets, databases? This book is like a Bible to the iPod, it contains so many good ideas, and then it doesn't leave you hanging. It tells you what you need to do a specific task, where to get it, and how to use it. Not that I am suggesting that you need to use your iPod for anything other than music or video, but imagine your friends face when you show them some google maps of the local area, now that is sure to impress. If you love your iPod, you will love this book.
Product: iPod Fully Loaded
Price: £13.99
Supplied by: Wiley Publishing
ISBN: 0470049502
Pages: 276
ModBook by OWC launched at MacWorld
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Apart from the iPhone being announced at MacWorld Expo 2007, the other hot news was the ModBook which was launched by Other World Computing. The Axiotron ModBook is a modified MacBook which has a cool new touchscreen, GPS, and a neat way of folding into tablet form. This video, courtesy of MyMac.com will give you a good idea of what it is all about.
iPhone - Hilarious Video
This funny iPhone video is just so hilarious I had to bring it onto the Geekanoids website. I never knew the iPhone was going to be so useful.
Griffin TuneCenter - iPod on the Big Screen
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Griffin Technology TuneCenter is one of those products that I was really looking forward to reviewing, mainly because it gave me an excuse to play with my iPod as part of my work. I am a big iPod fan, so any product that allows me to get more enjoyment out of it is definitely a good thing.The TuneCenter at first glance looks like a glorified dock, but dig a little deeper and you will find out some real gems it has to offer. The package comprises of the main unit, power cable, dock adapters (in various sizes), a video/audio out cable and a mini remote control. The main unit where your iPod docks has outputs for the supplied cables, plus an s-video out socket and an ethernet port.
Within a few minutes of unpackaging the TuneCenter, I had connected the video and audio cables to my high definition TV, docked my iPod and was presented with a nice on-screen user interface. Apart from the set-up page, I was given the option of navigating my iPod or connecting to internet radio. I chose the iPod and was able to navigate my music on my large screen TV. The interface is really nice and well thought out. Sound quality is good, and with a little bit of my own cabling I routed the audio to my home cinema amp and it sounded great, much better than through my TV's speakers.
Video is a little different. The TuneCenter outputs video, but you first have to push the 'video' button on the supplied remote control. This turns off the on-screen TV display to allow the iPod's video output to show. This is fine, but it does mean you have to navigate to the video you want to play on your iPod screen, which is a little tricky if you are sitting on the other side of the room to watch your TV.
That said, this is only a minor inconvenience, and once playing the quality is superb. To test the video output I downloaded a low resolution version of Steve Jobs Keynote at the recent MacWorld Expo 2007. When playing back on my 40-inch screen it scaled up beautifully, to say I was impressed is an understatement.
In the same way that you output video, you can also view your photo slideshows, and again they looked great.
If you connect the unit via ethernet to a broadband connection the TuneCenter has another offering up its sleeve. Internet Radio is streamed over your broadband connection via the SHOUTcast internet radio service. You use the remote to navigate through the available stations, and again I was very surprised at just how much I found myself using this.
The remote control supplied is very nice, most manufacturers seem to throw in a remote as an afterthought, but not Griffin. This smart mini remote fit nicely into your hand, offers menu, up/down & left/right navigation arrows, a select button, plus play/pause, skip, volume and page buttons. It is well laid out and feels very nicely made, adding to the overall feel of the package.
All in all I was really impressed with the TuneCenter. The build quality of all the components is great, and where it counts the audio and video quality is great too. The video quality is what won me over though, I download a lot of video podcasts and other content and can honestly say that I was wowed by what I saw, even though I was scaling it up to a 40-inch screen. If you are an iPod fan like me, then adding a TuneCenter to your set-up is really a wise move, you will not be disappointed.
Product: TuneCenter
Price: $129.99
UK Street Price: £79.99
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000
IRISPen Executive Review
Friday, January 12, 2007
Things that save me time are always high on my list of priorities, and when presented with a device that can turn typed documents into useful pieces of text I was up for taking a good look. The product is the IRISPen Executive, which is a small handheld pen type scanner, with a small scanning head that captures three or four lines of text at a time.From the offset, the IRISPen may not sound that impressive, but it the usefulness of this little device that wins me over. More often than not I find myself reading something in a magazine and wanting to quote it in an article I am writing, or perhaps email it to a friend or colleague. Under normal circumstances I would have to type it, or scan it and send as an image. With IRISPen I can slide the scanning head over the text and, voila ! the text is transferred into MS Word or my email application (for example). This alone saves me so much time.
The pen itself is very light and compact. It connects to your PC or Mac via a USB connection and after a quick install of the included software you are good to go. The printed Quick Start Guide talks you through the simple installation, followed by calibrating the pen scanner. There is also a proper printed and fully illustrated manual, which is great, as so many products nowadays rely on PDF manuals, so this is a nice inclusion.
The pen has two buttons on it that can be assigned to various functions, plus the tip is pressure sensitive, so when you push it onto a page and scroll to start scanning, it senses this automatically.
Scanning is simplicity in itself, you position your cursor on-screen where you want the scanned text to appear, then start scanning. The text is pulled straight into the application. It is pretty quick and can handle scanning 3.15-inches per second. Accuracy is excellent, the software claims to recognize up to 1,000 characters per second. I had no way of measuring this, but testing scans from various magazines and books I completed twenty scans. During this test I had only three incorrect words, which were easily corrected.
The software has some great features on top of the simple scanning. Things like the ability to read and retype barcodes, recognition of hand written numbers, and even setting pre-defined characters to be automatically erased or replaced in a document.
Now, I am going to be honest here and let you know my initial impressions before I knew the IRISPen was on its way to me. I thought long and hard about how and why I would recommend such a device. It is not cordless and seemed just to simple to have any real use. Well, what a revelation, the only way I can describe the major selling point of the IRISPen is as follows.
If you want a small, lightweight scanner, that will save you hours and hours of retyping material that is already printed, buy one. If you often need to quote things you have read, buy one. If you need a flexible, timesaving device, that will not break the bank, buy one. Enough said !
Product: IRISPen Executive
Price: £115
Supplied by: I.R.I.S. s.a
Contact: info@irislink.com
Apple iPhone Yahoo IMAP Push Email
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Wow, what an evening (for us in the UK due to the time difference) and what a keynote by Steve Jobs. Yes, it was a little disappointing, when the other items were squeezed into 20 or 30 minutes to make space for the massive iPhone announcement.Reading between the lines, the device is fantastic, absolutely superb. Pricing is acceptable, but the wait is too long. The main two problems I am having getting my head around is this. Why Yahoo? Why did we not see .Mac IMAP push email. I mean, come on Apple, I am sure you are capable of doing this.
Second problem is Cingular, for the UK anyway, what carrier are we going to have to support all of these superb services? Well, time will tell how things pan out, and we might even see some minor revisions to the iPhone before its final release.
Apple TV Announced at MacWorld Expo 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Apple® today premiered Apple TV™, an easy to use and fun way to wirelessly play all your favourite iTunes® content from your Mac® or PC on your widescreen TV, including movies, TV shows, music, photos and podcasts. Using Apple TV’s stunning new interface, anyone can quickly browse and view their entire collection of digital media from across the room using the simple and intuitive Apple Remote. Apple TV easily connects to almost all modern widescreen televisions, and will be shipping in February for just £199 (inc. VAT).“Apple TV is like a DVD player for the 21st century—you connect it to your entertainment system just like a DVD player, but it plays digital content you get from the Internet rather than DVDs you get from a physical store,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Apple TV plays the same iTunes content that users enjoy on their computers and iPods, so now they can even watch part of a movie in their living room, and watch the rest later on their iPod.”
Apple TV has a 40GB hard drive to store up to 50 hours of video, 9,000 songs, 25,000 photos or a combination of each and is capable of delivering high-definition 720p output.* Apple TV is easy to connect to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theatre systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analogue and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort® 802.11** wireless networking, Apple TV can auto-sync content from one computer or stream content from up to five additional computers right to your TV without any wires.***
The seamless integration of Apple TV and iTunes lets users choose from four million songs, 5,000 music videos, 100,000 podcasts and 20,000 audiobooks. Users can enjoy their favourite music on a home entertainment system and view slideshows of their photo albums on a widescreen TV. Apple TV makes it easy for users to explore their entire media collection with an easy to use and intuitive new interface. With the Apple Remote, consumers can easily browse through their favourite videos, music and photos from up to 30 feet away.
Pricing & Availability
Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, will be shipping in February through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of £199 (inc. VAT).
More iPhone Images
This is just a collection (well just is an understatement) of verious iPhone images.
More are available to view here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/
Apple iPhone Official MacWorld Press Release
MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple® today introduced iPhone, combining three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod® with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps—into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones.Link to product.
“iPhone is a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We are all born with the ultimate pointing device—our fingers—and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.”
iPhone is a Revolutionary Mobile Phone
iPhone is a revolutionary new mobile phone that allows users to make calls by simply pointing at a name or number. iPhone syncs all of your contacts from your PC, Mac® or Internet service such as Yahoo!, so that you always have your full list of up-to-date contacts with you. In addition, you can easily construct a favourites list for your most frequently made calls, and easily merge calls together to create conference calls.
iPhone’s pioneering Visual Voicemail, an industry first, lets users look at a listing of their voicemails, decide which messages to listen to, then go directly to those messages without listening to the prior messages. Just like email, iPhone’s Visual Voicemail enables users to immediately randomly access those messages that interest them most.
iPhone includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard to easily send and receive SMS messages in multiple sessions. When users need to type, iPhone presents them with an elegant touch keyboard which is predictive to prevent and correct mistakes, making it much easier and more efficient to use than the small plastic keyboards on many smartphones. iPhone also includes a calendar application that allows calendars to be automatically synced with your PC or Mac.
iPhone features a 2 megapixel camera and a photo management application that is far beyond anything on a phone today. Users can browse their photo library, which can be easily synced from their PC or Mac, with just a flick of a finger and easily choose a photo for their wallpaper or to include in an email.
iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone which also features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking. Apple has chosen Cingular, the best and most popular carrier in the US with over 58 million subscribers, to be Apple’s exclusive carrier partner for iPhone in the US.
iPhone is a Widescreen iPod
iPhone is a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets music lovers “touch” their music by easily scrolling through entire lists of songs, artists, albums and playlists with just a flick of a finger. Album artwork is stunningly presented on iPhone’s large and vibrant display.
iPhone also features Cover Flow, Apple’s amazing way to browse your music library by album cover artwork, for the first time on an iPod. When navigating your music library on iPhone, you are automatically switched into Cover Flow by simply rotating iPhone into its landscape position.
iPhone’s stunning 3.5-inch widescreen display offers the ultimate way to watch TV shows and movies on a pocketable device, with touch controls for play-pause, chapter forward-backward and volume. iPhone plays the same videos purchased from the online iTunes® Store that users enjoy watching on their computers and iPods, and will soon enjoy watching on their widescreen televisions using the new Apple TV™. The iTunes Store now offers over 350 television shows, over 250 feature films and over 5,000 music videos.
iPhone lets users enjoy all their iPod content, including music, audiobooks, audio podcasts, video podcasts, music videos, television shows and movies. iPhone syncs content from a user’s iTunes library on their PC or Mac, and can play any music or video content they have purchased from the online iTunes store.
iPhone is a Breakthrough Internet Communications Device
iPhone features a rich HTML email client which fetches your email in the background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and graphics right along with the text. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can be reading a web page while downloading your email in the background.
Yahoo! Mail, the world’s largest email service with over 250 million users, is offering a new free “push” IMAP email service to all iPhone users that automatically pushes new email to a user’s iPhone, and can be set up by simply entering your Yahoo! name and password. iPhone will also work with most industry standard IMAP and POP based email services, such as Microsoft Exchange, Apple .Mac Mail, AOL Mail, Google Gmail and most ISP mail services.
iPhone also features the most advanced and fun-to-use web browser on a portable device with a version of its award-winning Safari™ web browser for iPhone. Users can see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, and then easily zoom in to expand any section by simply tapping on iPhone’s multi-touch display with their finger. Users can surf the web from just about anywhere over Wi-Fi or EDGE, and can automatically sync their bookmarks from their PC or Mac. iPhone’s Safari web browser also includes built-in Google Search and Yahoo! Search so users can instantly search for information on their iPhone just like they do on their computer.
iPhone also includes Google Maps, featuring Google’s groundbreaking maps service and iPhone’s amazing maps application, offering the best maps experience by far on any pocket device. Users can view maps, satellite images, traffic information and get directions, all from iPhone’s remarkable and easy-to-use touch interface.
iPhone’s Advanced Sensors
iPhone employs advanced built-in sensors—an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor—that automatically enhance the user experience and extend battery life. iPhone’s built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio.
iPhone’s built-in proximity sensor detects when you lift iPhone to your ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away. iPhone’s built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display’s brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light, thereby enhancing the user experience and saving power at the same time.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for $499 (US) and an 8GB model for $599 (US), and will work with either a PC or Mac. iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores, and through Cingular’s retail and online stores. Several iPhone accessories will also be available in June, including Apple’s new remarkably compact Bluetooth headset.
iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR wireless technologies.
iPhone requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X v10.4.8 or later and iTunes 7; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2). Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended. Apple and Cingular will announce service plans for iPhone before it begins shipping in June.
Apple Official Airport Extreme 802.11n Details
MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple® today introduced the new AirPort Extreme®, a simple and elegant wireless networking solution delivering up to five times the performance and twice the range of the previous AirPort Extreme. Based on 802.11n,* AirPort Extreme extends a wireless network to even more areas in a home or office and makes streaming digital content and transferring large files faster and easier. The new AirPort Extreme Base Station features a sleek, new design with connections for networked computers, printers and a USB hard drive to quickly and easily share files or back up valuable data and content.“The new Airport Extreme is the most powerful and easy to use Wi-Fi base station that we have ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With five times the performance and twice the range, now you can transfer bigger files faster and get access to the Internet and your favorite digital media from many areas in your house you couldn’t reach before.”
Using MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart antennas and 802.11n technology, AirPort Extreme now delivers greater data throughput and extends the reach of wireless connectivity to more areas of the home, business or school. With the ability to operate in either the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz wireless frequencies, AirPort Extreme also reduces the possibility of interference from appliances and cordless phones that operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency. AirPort Extreme is backward compatible with Macs and PCs using previous generation 802.11b/g wireless technologies.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station features a simple, new design that is just 6.5 inches square and 1.3 inches tall, and a built-in USB port allows users to print wirelessly to a USB printer or turn any external USB hard drive into a shared drive so they can share files or backup valuable data from multiple computers on a network. New AirPort Utility software included with every AirPort Extreme makes it very easy to set up a secure, wireless network for up to 50 simultaneous users within minutes. Users can also set security restrictions, including Internet access limits on their childrens’ computers.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station also includes:
• 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;
• MIMO (Multiple In Multiple Out) smart antennas;
• dual-band antennas for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies;
• three 10/100 Ethernet LAN ports;
• one 10/100 Ethernet WAN port;
• one USB port;
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA-2), 128-bit WEP encryption; and
• a built-in NAT firewall.
Pricing & Availability
The new AirPort Extreme Base Station will be available in February through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of £119 (inc. VAT). Nearly all currently shipping Macs** support 802.11n when updated with 802.11n Enabler software, which ships with the AirPort Extreme Base Station.
*The AirPort Extreme Base Station is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification and is compatible with IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b and IEEE 802.11g. Achieving the fastest data rates requires that all users have an 802.11n-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors including regulatory restrictions in the use of the 5 GHz frequency. In the UK performance is up to 2.5 times and twice the range of the previous AirPort Extreme.
**All Intel Core 2 Duo and Intel Xeon Macs except the entry 17-inch iMac® with 1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor support the 802.11n technology.
MacWorld Expo 2007 Announcements
Steve Jobs took to the stage today for the MacWorld Expo 2007 keynote speech. His announcements were what we expected and wanted, but with some serious things amiss.What we got was about 20 minutes on AppleTV, which is available to order now, shipping February, at £199. The deal is much as we thought, streaming of content to a large TV, but with the addition of a 40GB hard drive. So nice, but we knew it was coming.
Then came what we all wanted to hear, but with some spoilers at the end of the announcement. The new iPhone, which has loads of features (TBC) all listed below;
• 3.5 inch widescreen display
• 2 megapixel camera
• iPod dock connector
• A proximity sensor which switches between modes and screen orientation based on how the device is held
• 11.6 mm thin
• Synchronises with iTunes
• GSM/EDGE
• Wifi & Bluetooth
• Googlemaps and Yahoomail
• Cinglar only at present
• Visual voicemail - shows a list of your voicemails so you select what you want to listen to
• Gestural interface
• Mail & Safari apps
• Widgets.
• Free Yahoo! IMAP email to all iPhone customs
• 5 hour video battery life
• 16 hour audio battery life
All this was great, with a 4GB model costing $499 and 8GB at $599, then came the spoilers. The USA has to wait until June, UK until the end of 2007, and Asia until 2008. So another pre-anounced product, similar to the iTV announcement which came to fruition as the AppleTV today. Now, I don't mind waiting a couple of months, but the end of the year is a big shame. On a more positive note, it will sell so so well, with all those great features and a Lite version of OSX built-in.
Then we waited for the "one more thing", but that was it, no more announcements, no details of Leopard, no pricing, features, shipping date. What a disappointment, as everyone was expecting this. The only other product that appeared on the AppleStore was a 802.11n Airport Extreme BaseStation, again shipping February, prices at £119. This has a WAN port, three 10/100 ethernet ports, USB port for printer or hard drive, and a security slot. Styling is nice, very Mac-like and the device contains three aerials for increased coverage and to deliver that 'n' speed. It also comes supplied with a CD containing a new Airport Utility 802.11n Enabler for Core2Duo and Xeon based Macs and Windows based PC's. This device did not even get a mention in Steve's Keynote, unless it was just missed in the coverage I have read so far.
Anyway, to recap, we got some goodies, a new AirPort Extreme and AppleTV, the pre-announced iPhone and that is it for now. Check back soon for a full write-up on the iPhone.
BBC gives Mac Expo 2007 more coverage
Last year, the BBC gave some coverage (out of the norm) to the Mac Expo. This years MacWorld Expo 2007 got a mention on last nights 'News at Ten' and now gets an extra article on the technology section of the BBC website."It is that time of year again when Mac fans get out their crystal balls in an attempt to second guess what Apple founder Steve Jobs will announce at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Speculation this year is loudest about a possible Apple mobile phone."
The BBC goes on to to talk about an expected iPod, which I think is something we all want.
Read the full article here.
MacWorld Expo 2007 Griffin Announcement
Monday, January 08, 2007
Griffin Technology, maker of all things iPod, today announced their 2007 lineup to debut at next week's MacWorld Conference & Expo.
A new line of speakers highlight the many new products being shown on the show floor.
Amplifi is a high-tech contemporary-styled 2.1 sound system, designed for big sound with a compact tabletop footprint.Amplifi's all-wood, acoustically tuned enclosure yields warm, rich tones. The bass reflex port and special Resonance Drive construction gives amazing frequency response. Two front-firing 2-3/4" neodymium drivers and a 5" downward-firing woofer, boosted by Power Drive Technology, creates a clean powerful sound unheard of at this price point.
- iPod-ready with slot and six iPod adapters
- 3.5mm stereo input jack for audio devices
- Two 2.75" neodymium high/midrange speakers
- 5" woofer and bass reflex port
- Acoustically tuned wooden enclosure
- High-tech contemporary styling
- Slim full-function IR remote
Journi, Griffin's personal mobile speaker system, has great sound wrapped up in an ingeniously designed, go-anywhere package. Journi's innovative WrapstandTM exterior protects your speaker system (and your iPod) when you're on the go, then flips open to create its own sturdy stand.Journi's high-efficiency internal Lithium-Ion batteries recharge with the included AC adapter or through your computer's powered USB port. Your iPod sits center stage within the adjustable dock bay while you control your music with the included remote. SRS Labs' SRS WOW® digital signal processing pumps shimmering highs and deep, rich bass response through Journi's two-way speaker system.
8-10 hours of play on a single charge
Two 50mm high/mid-range drivers and two 64mm passive radiators use SRS WOW® digital technology to expand the audio image, improving digital audio and creating deep, rich bass response
Sync iPod with your computer's iTunes library as it charges
Adjustable Dock Connector welcomes all iPod models with dock connector
Auxiliary Audio Input for other digital music players
In addition to speakers, Griffin is introducing numerous innovative add-ons for the iPod.
AirDock lets you play iTunes on your stereo, watch iPod photos and videos on your TV. The included RF remote allows you to control it all from up to 60 feet away.Griffin Dock Adapter for iPod Shuffle connects your second generation Shuffle to devices with an Apple Universal Dock. The all-in-one design is compatible with docks such as Griffin's own AirDock as well as Apple's HiFi speaker system and other accessories.
TuneFlex AUX plays iPod's music through car stereos equipped with a 1/8" (3.5mm) auxiliary input jack as it charges through the auto's 12V power outlet. The custom designed cradle holds your iPod secure while the pass-through dock connector leaves your options open.
TuneJuice 2 is an improved version of Griffin's popular battery backup for iPod. TuneJuice 2 adds more playing time for music and video making it ideal for air travel and road trips. Powered by 4 AAA batteries, it adds up to 14 additional hours of audio play and 2 additional hours of video play. And the first set of batteries is included.
Reflect cases for iPod nano and full-size iPod with video are rugged polycarbonate hard shells that present a mirrored-chrome reflective face to the world -- until you wake up your iPod, and the bright, clear iPod screen shows up as if by magic. The matte black rubberized case back gives you a sure grip.iClear® Custom - Griffin takes its popular see-through iClear iPod shells and goes them one better: a slot in the back accepts your own printed photographs and artwork (some sample templates and reflective inserts are included to get you started). Personalize and customize your iPod nano and full-size iPod with iClear Custom.
Tempo for iPod shuffle now brings the same hands-free convenience and mobility to iPod shuffle as it delivered for the full-size iPod. Tempo's adjustable armband fits any arm. Built-in cord wrap eliminates cable tangles. Reflective accents show up at night for safety. Maintain the tempo of your active lifestyle with Tempo for iPod shuffle.
Also making their first US appearances at MacWorld are Griffin's iKaraoke for iPod and Elevator for portable computers:
iKaraoke brings the fun and excitement of karaoke into your home -- or anywhere you have a stereo receiver. And the best part is it lets you sing along, not from a limited menu, but with your favorite musical selections, straight from your iPod. iKaraoke fades out the lead vocals and brings your vocals up front to make you the star! ...and sends your music and vocals to your stereo via wireless FM Transmission or Line-Level audio. Convenient buttons let you enhance your sound with three levels of reverb, or temporarily mute the music for PA announcements.
Elevator is a sleek desktop stand for portable computers with stunning good looks. The brushed aluminum stand positions the laptop screen at an ideal height for viewing thus allowing air to freely circulate around the laptop's cooling vents.
We expect to bring you reviews of these products over the coming months. Our review of the Elevator will be up online straight after Mac Expo, so check back soon to see just what Geekanoids thought of it.
Extensis at MacWorld Expo 2007
Extensis, today announced that it will host a series of expert font panels and presentations at this year’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Extensis will present daily sessions that highlight font management specialists and industry authorities in the Extensis booth (#826) on the Macworld Conference & Expo show floor. On Tuesday January 9th, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., well-known font evangelist Stephen Coles will lead the discussion titled “The Art of Type” with a panel of expert typographers discussing the joys and pitfalls of type design.On Wednesday, January 10th, from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Extensis product marketing manager Halstead York will lead an expert panel titled “Working with Type in Design Applications.” Experts included in this session are Thomas Phinney, Program Manager for Adobe, respected designer and author, Andrew Shalat, and Martin Stein, Vice President of Corporate Solutions for Extensis. In this session insiders discuss the technologies, techniques and challenges of working with fonts in the leading layout applications.
The highlighted speaker for Thursday, January 11th and Friday, January 12th is acclaimed type designer, Chank Diesel. Chank will be presenting “High-Octane Type” from
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and “Working with OpenType” from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
Macworld Conference & Expo is the world’s most comprehensive event for the Mac operating system. Macworld brings together the loyal yet diverse base of Mac users in creative services, education, entertainment, application development, enterprise and small office/home office environments. Combining in-depth educational sessions with displays of innovative products and solutions on the exhibit floor, Macworld Conference & Expo offers professionals and consumers alike the opportunity to discover the latest developments and hottest products in the Mac industry.
The Authors
Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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