Missing Windows?

As I wrote about in a previous post I have left the Windows world behind. It's now been three months since I used Windows at home and the question is, am I missing it? To answer that frankly, no I'm not. Having also left my iPhone behind and made the switch to Android I now have no need for running Windows. I use Spotify for my music which sync's over the air to my phone when connected to WiFi and an Android app called MyPod which I catches all my podcasts and automatically downloads them to my phone when an update is available. Using the Ubuntu Software Centre is really easy to find a program which does the same thing if not better than a Windows program.

Goodbye Windows

I have finally bit the bullet and have said my fond fair well to the Windows family, after years of heartache, misery, tears and viruses!

Hello Open Source world!!!

Ubuntu on my Main Machine and Xubuntu on my net-book. I look forward to working with you""

Audi A8 Gets First-Ever Factory Integrated Mobile Hotspot - Gearlog

Audi A8 Gets First-Ever Factory Integrated Mobile Hotspot - Gearlog

Apple TV to become iTV, gain apps? | Electronista

Apple TV to become iTV, gain apps? | Electronista: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

New Google Chrome BETA 6

Google Chrome users will be pleased to notice that a new BETA version has been released to the wild and is full of new additions.  Simply head over to Chrome BETA page and click the link.  After you click on the link the Chrome Installer will pop up and begin to download Chrome and will open it for you after installation.

One of the new features is Autofill which is used to complete forms with name, address, credit card etc where previously I used LassPass to do this.  Synchronisation has also been updated for the browser to sync directly with your Google bookmarks and preferences after you log in to a Google account on any computer allowing you to have instant access to your preferences ideal for someone with multiple computers and wants to have access to their latest bookmark information in a convenient way without having to use plugins like Xmarks.

According to SunSpider and V8 who run benchmark tests they have noticed a 15% speed increase when compared to the previous Chrome BETA release.

Go check it out and send me an email thetechchair@gmail.com letting me know what you think of the new features and the new streamlined toolbar!

William

New Writers

Anyone out there who can spare a few hours a week and is keen to help me with this site, writing a few articles a week and maybe more please email me on thetechchair@gmail.com

I really do not have the time to do this all by my self and would like to get a good strong tech site on the go with good writers and good stories.

Thanks

William

British PM in Video Conference with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg

The British Prime Minister David Cameron held a video conference with Facebook’s co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.  The paid discussed how using social networking sites such as Facebook can help the British Treasury to come up with “money saving” ideas in how to cut public spending.  The video shows the usual formally dressed British PM and a tee-shirted Mark Zuckerberg in his spare room.

William

Groovy Gmail Signatures

As of today in Gmail you can now create a rich text signature.  To change your signature in Gmail, click on “Settings,” and scroll down to the “Signature” section. You’ll see a new signature editor which contains the same functions that are at your disposal when you compose an e-mail.

This feature allows you to change the font, format and colour of the signature as well as add images (good for company logos) and links.

Have fun with this feature.

William

YouTube App, are you sure you need that?

After lots of work on ensuring that YouTube videos work on all kinds of mobile devices it seems now that they have decided that you no longer need to have a specific YouTube app.  They have redesigned their m.YouTube.com mobile site.

This redesigned site eliminates the need for a YouTube mobile app and works with HTML5 browsers.  Developing apps in HTML5 means that they will just work straight out of the box without the need for an Apps Store on any device.  You can add a web address short cut to your home screen to save you launching your browser and keying in the web address ever time.

Some of the other benefits you’ll enjoy according to the official announcement include:

• It’s really fast.
• The user interface incorporates larger, more touch-friendly elements, making it easier to access videos on the go.
• It incorporates the features and functionality you’ve come to expect from the .com site, like search query suggestions, the options to create playlists, the ability to designate “favourite,” “like” or “unlike” videos directly from your device.
• As we make improvements to YouTube.com, you’ll see them quickly follow on our mobile site, unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently.

Essentially this means that you will not need to use the preinstalled YouTube app which came with your iPhone or other mobile device.

William

Windows Live Essentials (BETA)

For any Windows user the Windows Live Essentials are just that, essential.  They feature a messaging application, mail app, photo gallery, movie maker, family safety app and a superb blogger (Writer") app.

This latest FREE offering from Microsoft, still in BETA testing, is worth checking out.  However it is worth noting that this is still only a BETA version and I did experience a few problems with the messenger app crashing from time to time.

Following on from the “ribbon” interface tradition with Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010 all of these new apps use it with exception to Messenger.

Windows Live Essentials is a set of software that I install on a new computer of after a Re install of Windows after installing my Antivirus (NOD32 from ESET). 

The BETA Live Essentials can be found at www.windowslivepreview.com

Go check it out and let me know what you think.

William

Tips to make and promote an Adsense Blog

Tips to make and promote an Adsense Blog: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Funniest Video I have seen for a long time

Take a look at this “literal video version” of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart music video.

William

Out and About with my Camera

Last Saturday I headed out for a trip with my camera to capture some of the beautiful scenery around where I live.  The above image is of Cross Shreen, which is located high up on the Torr Road overlooking the small village of Cushendun.  I took a selection of pictures using my Nikon D40 Digital SLR camera and I use Google’s Picasa free photo editing software to “touch up” the images slightly, usually to straighten the image in my case.

  Picasa is a wonderful little photo editing suite which is ideal for novice users or someone who has photography as a hobby and does not want to invest time or money in other more expensive photo editing software.

View Larger Map

Below is another image of Cross Shreen which I captured.  This shows it from a different angle.  It is a Celtic cross marking the grave of Shane O’Neill.  His headless corpse was tumbled into a pit where an ancient church and churchyard once existed on the site. But later it was removed to Glenarm Churchyard. His head, pickled in a pip kin, was dispatched to Dublin , where the English paid a reward for it, and they displayed it on a pike above the Tower in Dublin Castle in 1567.

The Antrim Glens and the north coast is a wonderful part of the world for anyone who is in Northern Ireland either as a visitor or a citizen to come and talk a look around. 

I  shall be posting more images from round this area again so please come back and have a look.

William

iOS4 is Here!

For all of you current iPhone users Apple has released the latest version of the OS switching from iPhone OS to simply iOS as this operating system not only runs on iPhone’s but iPod Touch’s and iPads.

I am currently in the process of downloading and installing it and after I have had a few hours to work my way around it from a typical users prospective I will be giving my report on the key new features so please check back again soon.

It might be worth mentioning at this stage to perform a “sync” of your device before you rush in and hit the update button.  I have heard reports from which states that it is crashing the install if you have not first synced.

William

iPhone 4 has 512MB Memory

Apple to date has kept very close to it’s chest the amount of memory which it has included in it’s latest mobile phone offering iPhone 4.  During a recent tear down of the new device we know understand the device to have 512mb of memory.

As the iPhone 3G shipped with only 128 MB RAM which was then doubled in the 3Gs to 256 MB it was expected that iPhone 4 would share this memory chip.

512 MB RAM sounds amazing, I certainly cannot wait to get to my local Apple Store to get my hands on one!

William

iPhone 4 to be in the UK 24th June

  Apple’s new phone offering iPhone 4G which was announced on Monday and Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).  UK mobile phone operators O2, Vodafone and Orange are said to provide it.  Although no official UK pricing has been announced it will go on sale in the US for $199 (£138).

This new handset features a forward facing camera which takes advantage of a new App called FaceTime allowing two way face to face video conferencing during a telephone call.  The main back mounted camera on iPhone 4G has been upgraded from its existing 3 megapixel to a larger 5 megapixel and has gained an LED flash for taking indoor images in lower light situations.  This new camera also allows you to record HD video.  This video can now be edited on the phone using the new iMovie App and export it to your Mac, PC or YouTube in either 380p, 540p or 720p HD format.

iPhone 4 boasts the highest resolution ever to be seen on a Smartphone 960x640 pixel resolution which is double the resolution of the older iPhone models.  Apple names this technology “Retina Display”.

With all these additions iPhone 4G is the slimmest Smartphone on the market at only 9.3mm thick, with both front and back being made of aluminosilicate glass — according to Apple, this substance is "chemically strengthened to be 30 times harder than plastic". A stainless steel band, which has the handset's antennae built into it, encircles the iPhone 4g.

The same A4 Chipset as featured in the iPad is now the muscle behind iPhone 4G.  According to Apple this processing chip allows the user to enjoy 7 hours talk time, 6 hours 3G surfing and 4 hours audio playback as well as up to 300 hours standby time.

Will MobileMe be free from Monday??

According to a post and an image from The Boy Genius Report some MobileMe users have noticed that their account type has changed from “individual” to “full member”.  Is this Apple preparing for an announcement at WWDC on Monday morning?

As with any rumour from Cupertino it cold be something or nothing.  However, it is about time that Apple stuck it’s head into the cloud a bit more and offer a free or basic version of its cloud services.  We are all now used to this with the free service from Google which allows over the air synchronising from computer to Smartphone and vice versa.

What do you think? Should Apple remove the price for its MobileMe service?

William (thetechchair@gmail.com)

Smartphone Market Share – Apple Gains 2%

According to a blog post from The Nielsen Wire Blog and a graph they have displayed (shown below) the percentage of iPhone OS users in the Smartphone world have gained 2% in the first quarter of 2010.

As the graph shows RIM with it’s BlackBerry OS is still leading the game with 30% of Market Share which is still largely due to the business sector and its use of BlackBerry handsets.

Andriod OS is still gaining market share quarter on quarter rising 2% to 9% in this first quarter.  As Andriod becomes available on more handsets this figure should be set to rise over the next 6 – 12 months.

Another interesting graph is the one below which shows the percentage of users on a platform and which mobile OS they intend to move to or stick with on their next Smartphone.

It shows that only 20% of iPhone OS users are considering leaving the platform to switch to another OS compared to 30% of Andriod OS users which are considering moving to another platform.

I am an iPhone user and love the platform.  I have no desire myself to jump ship at this stage.  A good reason for this is because I already lived within the iTunes ecosystem with music etc and had several iPod’s so the transition to an iPhone was a real pleasure.

Please leave your thoughts.

William

Posting from iPhone

I am currently in the process of writing a small user guide for Google's Picasa photo editing software. Anyone with tips or points of interest of the service please drop me an email thetechchair@gmail.com


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Cedar Dr,Ballycastle,United Kingdom

Isaac’s Apple Tree in Space

In a few days time the Space Shuttle Atlantis will take off for space carrying, amongst other tings, a sliver of the tree Isaac Newton was sitting under as he felt the impact of gravity first hand.

Ironically British Astronaut Piers Sellers will be taking this item into space.

"I'll take it up into orbit and let it float around a bit, which will confuse Isaac," Sellers said in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week.

"After dinner, the weather being warm, we went into the garden and drank tea, under the shade of some apple trees. He told me, he was just in the same situation, as when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasion'd by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should that apple always descend perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself." Writes William Stukeley, one of Newton’s first biographers.

Switching Back

Sorry folks I have been on holidays and taken some time off from blogging as well as everything else.  Since my last post I have switched back to Blogger as my blog host for www.thetechchair.co.uk and www.thetechchair.eu as I was not as impressed with Squarespace.com as i initially was.  I could not get the iPhone to work EVER and it just seemed a bit clunky.

Anyway, keep checking in on www.thetechchair.co.uk regularly and if anyone is interested in helping me with the blog maybe wanting to post a few articles weekly or whatever please get in touch via email to me on info@thetechchair.co.uk or thetechchair@gmail.com and I would be delighted to talk to you about this. 

My www.squarespace.com blog is still active for a few days until I transfer all the content I have written over there to this blog again and if you would like to go have a read it can be found at www.thetechchair.squarespace.com

Thanks for your support and please do comment and leave feed back on my email thetechchair@gmail.com I would really like to hear from you!

William

Thank you

A big thank you to all who followed me on blogger/blogspot.  I have just moved over to squarespace and have gotten a new URL for my blog.  You can still expect the same great content just at a new location.  Please check it out an add it to your favourites:

www.thetechchair.co.uk

You're Not Truly Rich Until You Have Your Own Mothership - Sea axe superyacht support ship - Gizmodo

You're Not Truly Rich Until You Have Your Own Mothership - Sea axe superyacht support ship - Gizmodo

Google Chrome is still the Safest Browser out there!

I have used Google Chrome now for 9 months and from the moment I switched from Mozilla Firefox I knew I was onto a winner with it.  With the addition of extensions it has made Chrome even more useful.  Chrome is fast and reliable and apart from having to use Firefox in work I love solely with in the Chrome browser.

Not only is it fast and reliable it is also secure.  For the second year running the Pwn2Own competition, now in its 4th year, tests for holes and security flaws in mainstream software with a $40,000 prize for anyone who can crack into IE8, Firefox, Safari and Chrome.  Unlike its competitors Chrome was able to survive the competition without being hacked. 

This is great news for Chrome uses out there and for anyone still using other browsers I strongly urge you to consider switching to Chrome as I believe that it is simply the best web browser out there.

William

Google Street View hits UK Streets

As of 11th March 2010 Google Street View has been opened to the public covering approximately 96% of UK streets.  The aptly named Google Cars have been out over the last year photographing us all going about our business, on busy high streets and rural country lanes. 

This Google mapping service has been somewhat of a success and according to recent statistics 1 in 5 people are using it to find their new house as well as 60% of people using it to find their way about or

researching holiday destinations.  Since Street View has arrived Google has noticed at 30% increase of web traffic to its mapping service.

In its defence over privacy issues, Google had this to say…

“Google has gone to great lengths to safeguard privacy while allowing all British users to benefit from this feature…Google UK has consulted extensively with many privacy and community groups in developing the feature and privacy safeguards.”

“The blurring technology is continually improving but sometimes this means we get some false positives – in some cases you can find we’ve blurred the face on a poster or the face of Colonel Sanders on the KFC signs,”

Clearly they’ve had to face several restrictions since implementing the service, but so far it has only been a roaring success. Ed Parsons, Google’s geospatial technologist, promoted its success in a short statement,“Street View takes mapping to a level not possible before. And with so many practical applications it’s no wonder that over two thirds of people who had tried the service said they would use Street View again.”

For me the launch of this has not only been some fun, looking up my house and houses of my friends, but has been most useful as when I got lost driving I am able to call up Google Maps on my iPhone and see a street view of where I am at and where I am trying to find.

Please comment with your pros and cons of this, what I believe to be another great service (for free) by Google.

Gareth Francis Interiors

Check out our companies new website.

www.garethfrancis.com

ManyCam - Home - webcam graphics plus use your webcam with multiple programs simultaneously!

Check out this software. Works with Skype and other VoIP clients and its a lot of fun.

ManyCam - Home - webcam graphics plus use your webcam with multiple programs simultaneously!

Test from iPhone

Testing an iPhone app for posting to my blog.
Will be updating the blog tomorow.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:B92,Knocknacarry,United Kingdom

Ezy Pad – an iPad contender?

5+-

The Ezy Tablet PC has been discovered on sale boasting a 10.2 inch multi touch enabled tablet PC.  It is equipped with a a full version of Windows 7 and fully supports both wi-fi and 3G connectivity. 

Compared to the iPad it has a fairly impressive spec with its Atom N270 running at 1.6GHz, 2 GB Memory 250 GB hard disk.  It also has:

• 5 in 1 multi card reader
• 3x USB ports
• 1.3 megapixel integrated webcam
• audio in/out ports
• VGA out
• Integrated stereo speaker
• Ethernet port and wi-fi support
• weighs only 1kg including battery

Where this product will truly shine is the fact that is is running Microsoft’s new full featured Windows 7 operating system and has multiple means to get your data both in and back out of it.

XBoX Live finally coming out of it’s closet

Microsoft haven’t been the most proactive company in dealing with Gay and Lesbian issues.  However, Microsoft this week have made a change to Xbox Live Code of Conduct.  It now allows users to select their sexual orientation.

View Full Album

"Under our previous policy, some of these expressions of self-identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs.  However we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox LIVE community. This update also comes hand-in-hand with increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.  I truly believe that our diversity is what makes us strong: diversity in gaming and entertainment options, and diversity in the people that make up this amazing community. I look forward to seeing you on LIVE soon.” Writes Marc Whitten, Xbox Live General Manger.

This step is small but significant as members of the Gay, Bi-sexual, Lesbian and Transgender community no longer have to hide their sexual orientation to play on Xbox Live.  This move has been truly welcomed as a step forward for the service.

iPad gets UK release date.

Apple have announced that the iPad will be released in the UK in “late April” with both the wi-fi and 3G versions being released at the same time.

This is unlike the US where the wi-fi only version is set to be sold from the 3rd April and the 3G versions in late April with pre-orders being taking from 12th March.

"We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before," said Steve Jobs in the press release.

The press notes also mentions the iBooks store is only available in US only so UK users might have to wait for deals to be made with UK and US Publishers before it hits the UK.  It is just very interesting if not strange that the iPad’s main selling point will be left of the device in the UK.

Good news however for UK iPad fans that we won’t have too long to wait for the device, all that is left to be clarified is the office selling price in the UK.

HTML5 to be a focal point of IE9

According to an electronista article IE9 may be released to developers at microsoft’s MIX conference.  It is believed that HTML5 technology is to be heavily used.  Microsoft have organised a briefing at MIX2010 entitled “HTML5 – The Future of Mark Up Today.”

View Full Album

Presently IE8 get HTML5 capabilities such plug-in free video which is really only possible thanks to third party features.  These changes will bring the IE browser into line with is competitors Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Opera who already use HTML5 technologies inbuilt.

Microsoft have always been criticised for being slow to adopt this technology and with IE having a presence on all Windows machines developers have had to write with IE’s restrictions in mind and not being able to be as full featured as they want.

Virgin removes FLASH from it’s website

Virgin this week have removed all Flash from their site making the move towards other newer technologies such as CSS.  In a statement they said that removing flash was deliberate gesture to iPhone customers and other users of handheld mobile platforms. 

The company's CIO Ravi Simhambhatla told “The Register” that Flash was also too much of a burden even on desktop and laptop computers.  Many visitors to Virgins site reported that over 40% of their CPU was being taking up by Adobe.  "Flash is really, really good, but as long as you can keep the hardware controlled," Simhambhatla explained. "If the hardware you are trying to put your product on isn't [fixed] then Flash is questionable.

Virgin plan to move eventually over to HTML5 where they can run all their video, animations and graphics from within the browser without even requiring a plug-in.

This switch away from flash will come as another blow to Adobe as it is still in a battle over Flash on the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad’s inability to support flash.  Adobe claims that more Flash is required on the web for all the videos and games but Apple who is known for its preference for HTML5 which is already up and working on Apple’s mobile platforms.

 

Apple sues HTC over Patents.

Apple lawyers are currently suing HTC over alleged patent infringement.  The devices in questions are believed to be Nexus One, Touch Pro and Pro2, Touch Diamond, Tilt II, Pure, Imagio, Dream (aka T-mobile G1), myTouch 3G, Hero, HD2, and Droid Eris.

10 of the patents apple are suing for are listed below. 

• 5481721: Method for Providing Automatic and Dynamic Translation of Object Oriented Programming Language-Based Message Passing Into Operating System Message Passing Using Proxy Objects
• 5519867: Object-Oriented Multitasking System
• 6275983: Object-Oriented Operating System
• 5566337: Method and Apparatus for Distributing Events in an Operating System
• 5929852: Encapsulated Network Entity Reference of a Network Component System
• 5946647: System and Method for Performing an Action on a Structure in Computer-Generated Data
• 5969705: Message Protocol for Controlling a User Interface from an Inactive Application Program
• 6343263: Real-Time Signal Processing System for Serially Transmitted Data
• 5915131: Method and Apparatus for Handling I/O Requests Utilizing Separate Programming Interfaces to Access Separate I/O Services
• RE39486: Extensible, Replaceable Network Component Systems

Leo Lapporte’s Crazy wi-fi thief caller

Last weeks show “the Tech Guy” with Leo Lapporte.  A caller “Jennifer” phoned into say that she was having trouble connecting to a “Linksys” wi-fi point.  As it turns out she wasn't actually paying for a Broadband subscription at all buy was “borrowing” some from someone in her neighbourhood.

She called Leo in utter confusion that this connection has “disappeared” even after she went to the effort of buying a wi-fi extender.

The video hit YouTube just over a week ago and has already got some 490000+ views.  Check out the YouTube video and don’t forget to tune into live.twit.tv

Amusing confused caller to Leo's Tech Guy show

First Post

Hello world, this is my fist attempt at blogging so please bare with me. I plan to blog on a few technology issues concerning us in the UK and Ireland as well as photography news. So sit back and enjoy this blog.