Apple Snow Leopard to land August 28th
Monday, August 24, 2009
My order is in, is yours? Apple have delivered on their promise. Their next operating system, in the form of the greatly optimised Snow Leopard is now available to pre-order. They said September and whilst everyone was expecting the last day of the month, they pulled it out fo the bag. You can pre-order now for £25, shipping on August 28th, it may well be in your hands prior to the beginning of September.
Now, I know it does not offer stacks of new features, but it still excites me. It has some cool enhancements. It is sleeker, faster and smarter. The new OS even promises to save you around 6GB of hard disk space. All the main system applications are now 64-Bit and Grand Central Dispatch promises to take full advantage of multicore processors. Better graphic performance courtesy of OpenCL and a new version of Quicktime. Sound good? Check out Geekanoids for full coverage and installation guides when it lands on my desk.
Labels: Apple News, Mac Software
Belkin N Wireless Gigabit Broadband Router Review
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Looking for speedy internet? How about wireless N, plus gigabit ethernet, all wrapped up in a good value package. Check out the review below.
Product: Belkin Wireless Gigabit Broadband Router F5D8235uk4
Price: £65 (average)
Supplied by: Belkin UK
Contact: +44 (0)1933 35 2000
Labels: Apple Hardware, Reviews
Geekanoids - August Competition almost closed
The August Competition is almost coming to a close. It is so so easy to enter, you need to simply watch the video below, then head on over to my YouTube Channel to fid the answer. Send me the answer in a message via YouTube and you could win an iSkin Solo laptop case. Closing date is 31st August 2009.
Labels: General News
New Mobile Phones for Christmas
Friday, August 14, 2009
Throughout the first half of 2009 we have been given some really nice choices when it comes to mobile phones. The iPhone was updated to the new speedy 3GS. We have the HTC Magic and Hero, if you want to give Google some loving. Then for the masses, we have the likes of the Samsung Jet, aiming for that mass consumer appeal. As we near the holiday season, the moby manufacturers are not letting up. There are some gems coming that may well make it into your stocking.First up we have the Palm Pre. This is a funny one this. For those in the know, Palm has gone through some really rough times. The PDA was no more and many say that the Pre is their last chance to survive as a company. When they released the handset in the USA, things were not that great, with potential customers experiencing less than awesome customer service. That aside, it is a nice looking handset. Like a smooth pebble, with a slide-out keyboard. You get a nice user interface too, with multi-tasking. Music, photos, videos, GPS, wifi, bluetooth, universal search and a nice calendar to boot. It seems very slick, but will the performance be acceptable. More than that, here in the UK, O2 have got an exclusive on the Pre. This is bad news for many, as their 3G network is not exactly the greatest.
For a more mainstream phone, but with a twist, we have the Samsung i7500. Also known as the Galaxy, this handset will not be that cheap. It does stand a good chance of opening up the Google Android platform to the masses. Android is a really nice mobile platform. It has multi-tasking, some really good applications available in 'Market' and excellent mail and texting apps. Where the Galaxy scores is in the specification that Samsung have given us. a 3.2-inch glorious AMOLED screen. Speed freaks will love the 7.2Mbps HSDPA support. Whilst multimedia junkies will revel in the 8GB of internal memory and ability to add a futher 32GB with a MicroSD card. Add to this, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, GPS, wifi, 5 megapixel camera and you can see that it offers up a lot. If it isn't on the Galaxy out of the box, then the Android Market will cater for your Twitter and other social networking needs. This is definitely a mobile phone to watch.
The wildcard for me in this seasons line-up is from INQ. They are releasing their INQ Chat 3G is the company's first qwerty-style phone. There is also the more compact INQ Mini 3G which provides an entry-level social mobile ideal for the price-sensitive prepay market. The INQ Chat 3G was developed in response to consumer and operator demand for a qwerty-style keypad device from INQ. It has a new email client developed by INQ that incorporates free push Gmail - removing a cost for push mail typically borne by operators or passed on to consumers.
Both of these handsets will appeal to a mass market. The current trend is social networking and both of the INQ handsets will not disappoint on that front. Twitter, Facebook, IM, Skype and web-based email services like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and GMail are all catered for. If you want a cost effective solution, then watch out for these two.
It is going to be an exciting run up to Christmas for sure. With all this choice, where will your money go?
Labels: Mobile Phones, Opinion
Speck CandyShell Case for 2nd Gen iPod touch
Splash a little bit of colour on your iPod touch, for that feel good factor. The CandyShell from Speck Products is one of the cases that has impressed me this year. Check out the review below.
Product: CandyShell for iPod touch (2nd Gen)
Price: £18 : $34.95
Supplied by: Speck Products
Contact: +1 (650) 462-2040
Labels: iPod Touch, Reviews
HTC Hero - Android Goodness - The Full Review
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
For my regular readers, you will have already seen my video footage of the HTC Hero. It was a fun time, to finally try and give up my iPhone for an alternative platform. For all of you who haven't seen the video footage, you will find it on my YouTube Channel or throughout this review.
To kick things off, I must say that I was very impressed with the build quality. This is a sleek mobile phone, with a distinct angle near the microphone and of the unit. People cutely refer to this as 'the chin'. The design is an acquired taste, but I think that most people will find it endearing. The size is also very nice. Although not much smaller than an iPhone, it has some nice bevels and curves, so feels a lot smaller, and dare I say it 'more mobile phone-like'. This is also down to the slightly smaller 3.2-inch (320x480) screen. However, this sort of size is ideal for general use and also looks very good for web and movie browsing too. In the box you get a handsfree kit, USB cable, wall charger, quickstart guide and the Hero itself. We were lucky enough to get sent a white unlocked version from Clove Technology. This has an ultra smooth finish with a teflon coating (the white is the only colour to have this). The special coating is meant to repel greasy fingerprints... in my tests it certainly did.
Out of the box, setting up the Hero is very simple. This handset runs on the Google Android platform. As such it is very friendly to you, if you use Google's services, such as Gmail. Luckily I do, so tapping in my account settings had me up and running with my email in about 90 seconds. To say I was impressed with the ease of this initial setup is an understatement.
How this differs from other Android based handsets is the user interface (UI). The manufacturer (HTC) have developed an overlay UI called 'Sense'. Basically, this makes everything look nicely designed, all the screens match and you get a nice funky keyboard too. They also developed their own Twitter application, so at setup stage you are also prompted for your Twitter account. You can leave this for later on, but I popped in my details and it all went swimmingly well.
With the Hero up and running, you are presented with your home screen. Swiping ones finger across the screen reveals a further six screens, so that's seven in total, that can be customised. You can put shortcuts to applications, plus a whole load of widgets. Widgets are like tiny applications, for things like the weather, clocks, music, Twitter, etc. What makes this a pretty astonishing achievement is that they all 'live update'. So, flicking you finger across to your email widget, shows you your latest emails. The speed of the Hero is pretty good. With a small amount of widgets, there is hardly any lag. If you fill up every screen with a live widget, then you will notice some slowdown. Having said that, any phone that is running loads of processes will exhibit this too.
The internet is really nice to use, with HTC tweaking the standard browser. You get great performance, support for flash (albeit not 100% of flash works, maybe 90%). Plus you get multi-touch. So you can pinch and zoom your way around the internet in style.
The camera on this baby is a 5-megapixel offering. There is no flash, but it performs pretty well without it. Very low light situations will mean you get grainy pics. In room light the camera performs great, with good detail. Outdoors it produces well exposed photos, that are very colourful too. Video is not so good, mainly due to the low resolution, but how often are you really going to use it for video? At first (and I mention this is in the video), I was not a great fan of the one-push photo taking. You don't push down halfway with the trackball to focus, then the rest of the way to take the photo, as you would expect. It is all in one action. You push, the focus then locks on and the Hero takes the photo, all in one action. The reason I did not like this at first is because of my passion for photography. It just didn't feel natural. However, now I have got used to the idea, it makes sense. You can hold the mobile more steadily, without fiddling with the buttons to much. A firm push on the trackball and the Hero does its job.
I mentioned the widgets earlier in my review. Well, there really are loads. HTC have done a wonderful job in making the Hero stand out from the crowd. The weather widgets look wonderful. The music widget also looks great and performs well too. I won't list them all here, check out the fourth part of my video coverage below to see what the Sense UI has to offer.
The camera on this baby is a 5-megapixel offering. There is no flash, but it performs pretty well without it. Very low light situations will mean you get grainy pics. In room light the camera performs great, with good detail. Outdoors it produces well exposed photos, that are very colourful too. Video is not so good, mainly due to the low resolution, but how often are you really going to use it for video? At first (and I mention this is in the video), I was not a great fan of the one-push photo taking. You don't push down halfway with the trackball to focus, then the rest of the way to take the photo, as you would expect. It is all in one action. You push, the focus then locks on and the Hero takes the photo, all in one action. The reason I did not like this at first is because of my passion for photography. It just didn't feel natural. However, now I have got used to the idea, it makes sense. You can hold the mobile more steadily, without fiddling with the buttons to much. A firm push on the trackball and the Hero does its job.
I mentioned the widgets earlier in my review. Well, there really are loads. HTC have done a wonderful job in making the Hero stand out from the crowd. The weather widgets look wonderful. The music widget also looks great and performs well too. I won't list them all here, check out the fourth part of my video coverage below to see what the Sense UI has to offer.
Should Apple be worried? With so many people going the iPhone way, I don't think that they should panic. However, they definitely need to listen up. The iPhone OS is elegant and fluid, but when you sit down and think about it, maybe it is too simple. You brush your finger across pages and pages of icons. That's it, they are just icons. To check your email, you need to touch an icon. When you have finished, you need to come back to the home screen. Then to check your Twitter, another icon... finger cramp could soon ensue. With the HTC Hero, you have all of this information on your home screens. Swipe your finger to another screen and the information for your emails, tweets, weather, bookmarks and music is instantly there.
A lot of people rightly state that the App Store is fantastic. So many free applications and games, easily accessed, easily installed. Some paid apps are pretty cool too. Whilst this is true, the 'Android Market' offers a superb collection of freebies and paid for applications already. Give it another six months and I think it will really excel. Searching, downloading and installing things is so so easy. So this argument doesn't stand.
The HTC Hero is an excellent mobile phone. It offers great build quality and design. The user interface works fine if you don't overload it. The Android platform is quite frankly superb. If you need a smartphone for your emails, internet and social networking, the Hero is highly recommended.
Product: HTC Hero (white unlocked version)
Price: £391
Supplied by: Clove Technology
Contact: 01202 552936
Labels: Mobile Phones, Reviews
INQ to launch two new 3G Mobile Phones
Yesterday, INQ Mobile took the next step in its mission to bring easy-to-use mobile internet to the mass market with the launch of two new 3G Social Mobiles complete with internet-based Twitter and media sync capabilities. The new mobile phones offer high-spec functionality without the hefty price tag - shaking up the market by giving operators a unique proposition - a 3G social mobile with the speed, usability and suite of applications capable of driving data usage in the mass market.The INQ Chat 3G is the company's first qwerty-style phone, while the compact INQ Mini 3G expands the range and provides an entry-level social mobile ideal for the price-sensitive prepay market. They complement the award-winning INQ1. The INQ Chat 3G was developed in response to consumer and operator demand for a qwerty-style keypad device from INQ. It has a new email client developed by INQ that incorporates free push Gmail - removing a cost for push mail typically borne by operators or passed on to consumers.
The INQ Chat 3G comes complete with the expanded suite of INQ applications; Facebook, Skype, email, IM and Twitter.For the two new phones, Twitter joins the suite of communications applications that INQ has already woven into the heart of its social mobiles: which include Facebook, Skype and Instant Messaging. Working closely with the Twitter team, INQ has developed an authentic Twitter application for both its new Social Mobiles. After the initial log in, Twitter will be 'always on'. Consumers can send tweets and retweet via the internet rather than using SMS. With the INQ Chat, a specially designed Twitter widget will deliver Twitter updates straight to the home screen.
The INQ Mini 3G is a slimline Social Mobile that offers Twitter, Facebook, IM, Skype and web-based email services like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and GMail. It brings the usability that INQ is known for to a new form factor. Like the INQ Chat, the INQ Mini offers impressive capability at a fraction of the price of other application-rich devices. Both phones have plug and play HSDPA modems enabling high-speed wireless broadband on PCs and Macs. The INQ Mini 3G and the INQ Chat 3G represent a new design direction for the company; both can be customized with a range of seven coloured backs.
An interesting excerpt from the press release is the following; "INQ is also introducing seamless media syncing between its devices and PCs or Macs. The software, powered by doubleTwist, syncs music from iTunes and WMP straight to your INQ mobile and, unlike most other sync solutions, doesn't require the customer to give up using their favourite media player on their computer. The new mobiles from INQ will also be able to sync video and photos." iTunes compatibility, yes!
Both the INQ Chat 3G and INQ Mini 3G will be available in Q4 2009... expect to see a review on Geekanoids in due course.
Labels: Mobile Phones, News
New Windows Mobile Phone OS for Christmas 2009
With the advent of all these uber cool mobile phone handsets, we want some phone OS love too. Yes, we have the iPhone OS and Android, but Windows Mobile 6 seems to be shrouded by complexity. Head on over the The Inquirer and check out this video of the new, super cool, Windows Phone OS. It looks like their Zune interface, but made all nicey nicey for mobile phones. It was also pretty exciting to hear that it'll be offered as an upgrade on the likes of the HTC Touch Diamond 2. The second surprise is that we should see it just before Christmas 2009.Labels: Mobile Phones, News
Nokia E75 Mobile Phone Review
Sunday, August 02, 2009
With the mass introduction of all these smart mobile phones, with touchy feely screens, should we really overlook this classy offering from Nokia. With its business centric design, it might not appeal. Check out the video review though, as a user friendly keyboard could be a boon to all you text toting users out there.
Product: Nokia E75 mobile phone
Price: £335 RRP
Supplied by: Nokia UK
Contact: 0800 331 6021
Labels: Mobile Phones, Reviews
Let's Golf Review - for iPhone & iPod touch
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Fancy a round of golf? Well now you can play in style with the ultimate portable version for the Apple iPhone & iPod touch. Check out the review below.
Product: Let's Golf - iPhone & iPod touch edition (link to App Store)
Published by: Gameloft
Labels: Apple iPhone, ChillNation, iPod Touch, Reviews
Griffin Elan Form Ltd Edition case
I always love to pamper my iPod's and iPhone's with good protection. However, some cases get on my goat, as when you go to dock the device, you have to whip it out of the case. Not so with the Elan Form from Griffin Technology. Check out the review below.
Product: Griffin Elan Form Limited Edition case for iPhone 3G & 3GS
Price: £17.14 (Amazon - standard edition) : $29.99
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000
Labels: Apple iPhone, Reviews
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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This site covers all the latest Macintosh, technology & gadget related news. We also bring our readers thorough, unbiased reviews of computer software, hardware & peripherals, with some alternative products thrown into the mix.
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You can email us with news, tips, or comments to geekanoids@gmail.com. This blog is published and maintained by Wiki Design.
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