Clever advertising photos at sherbsblog
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Surfing is great when you stumble across things like this. Head on over to sherbsblog and there are a small selection of really interesting advertising photos. My pick of the punch head up this post.
Design a Logo Competition
Things are hotting up so quickly here at Geekanoids that we need some sort of identity. I thought it would be a great idea to throw this open to our readers, with so many talented Photoshop users out there, I am sure someone will make a lot better job of things than I ever would.So, we are looking for a new logo to head up the website, it can be any colour, shape (although I do like blue) and would be used for the website, email and written communications and other branding activity.
Please check below for the rules, guidelines and how to enter the competition.
1. The logo design should be your own work.
2. Submissions should be in JPEG format, no bigger than 400K initially. These should be emailed along with your contact details to geekanoids@gmail.com
3. The design should lend itself to be used in full colour and also single (monochrome) colour.
4. If your design is chosen as the winner the logo work should be available as a high resolution EPS file that will be OK to print up to A3 size or bigger, so please take this into consideration when putting your design together.
5. You will be given full credit for creation of the logo.
6. By submitting the design, you accept that if your design wins, full ownership and copyright of the design becomes the property of Wiki Design, the publisher of Geekanoids.
7. You agree to supply the high resolution version upon request.
8. There is no money or prize offered for this competition, just the fame and credit for being a design genius :-)
9. Geekanoids reserve the right to cancel the competition at any time.
10. We cannot guarantee a response to all entries, although we will try.
11. The editors decision is final and no communication will be entered into to discuss the decision.
12. Closing date for entries is 30th September 2006.
Organise your life - Yojimbo Style !
Well, I never ever thought that I would move away from bookmarking hundreds of web pages to keep track of interesting items. But things in my everyday Mac life are about to change and it will be interesting to see if the changes are permanent. For a long time now, if I found something of interest on the internet, I would bookmark it and try to put it into a meaningful category. More often than not into a bookmark folder called something like 'interesting software' or 'to look at later'. I came to realise just this week that I hardly ever went back to these bookmarks, so I was probably wasting a lot of my time, which I could spend more creatively.Enter Yojimbo, by Bare Bones Software, which I would like to describe myself as an 'Electronic Scrapbook on Steroids'. Many people are pushing around a category of software called 'GTD' which stands for 'Getting Things Done', at this early stage Yojimbo does fit into this category, but seems to offer a whole lot more besides.
Before I move on to let you know the features of Yojimbo and how I have used it so far, I would like to let you all know that this is the first review from Geekanoids that will be revisited for a 'Long Term Look' in about six weeks time. More often than not, a reviewer picks up a piece of software to review, raves about it (or not) and then it gets forgotten. Well, with a different approach, I will let you know my early thoughts, but will then report back to let you know if Yojimbo is still in my dock as a permanent feature.
So, Bare Bones Software offer Yojimbo as a trial download. It weighs in at a 7Mb download, which is a universal binary and will work for 30 days, after which you can purchase a license for various amounts depending on your use. An individual license costs $39, educational is $29 and a family license for up to 5 users is $69. Each license allows you to install on multiple machines, so for example if you buy an individual license and own a desktop and laptop, this is fine and allows you to use the full power of Yojimbo via synchronisation (more on that later).
After a simple installation you can start using Yojimbo to store information. The types of info you can throw at it are almost endless, anything from text, web bookmarks, PDF files, web archives, serial numbers and passwords, the list goes on and on. Right from the offset I found the software great for dragging interesting web images and screenshots into the software. The screenshot (right) shows me dragging a screenshot for the Geekanoids website into Yojimbo's DropDock and into the Web Images category (or folder) that I had created within the main software window earlier. Once the info is dragged into Yojimbo I can then go to the main window and retrieve the information I require. In this case it is a URL pointing towards the original image... to download the full review click here.
Product supplied by Bare Bones Software.
Retail price: $39 (single user)
Contact: 781-687-0700
Link to product.
Yojimbo Product Tour.
Yojimbo review coming soon
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The kind people at Bare Bones Software have supplied us with a full version of their Yojimbo software to review. In the next week or so we will bring you an introductory review, followed by a long term review about six weeks later. We thought that introducing a long term review to our site for certain applications and products would be useful to our readers, as it will give you an initial insight into the product, followed by a real in-depth look later on that should let you know if it is worth 'splashing your cash'.Link to Yojimbo.
Wake up in style !
I have been saving my pennies for on of those flashy iPod dock alarm clocks for a while now, but now I have stumbled across Aurora I may well just use my Mac. This natty little (FREE) app allows you to set alarms and wake up to a song or selection of songs stored in your iTunes library. You can set which playlist, time and date, volume and a whole host of other options.Link to Aurora.
iTunes or Spiral Frog - you decide ?
Could this be a new rival to iTunes? Well, I doubt it as we know very little about what Spiral Frog will have to offer by way of artists, compatibility and terms of services, but it certainly looks interesting.The idea behind the site, which is due to launch in December 2006, is that tracks will be free, with everything funded by advertising.
From their website: "New York, August 29, 2006; SpiralFrog, the new music download destination, has signed an agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, to make UMG's extensive catalog available for legal downloading in the US and Canada via SpiralFrog's advertising-supported service.SpiralFrog will offer users of its no-cost web-based service the ability to legally download music by many of the world's most popular and award-winning artists."
All sounds very interesting, to keep up-to-date on developments head over the Spiral Frog's website.
New fresh look for Geekanoids
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
After a busy night getting things all in place and looking sweet, we have moved away from the old green and orange look to the fresh new look that you see now. I hope you like it and continue to visit Geekanoids for all the latest tech, gadget and Mac related news.
Griffin RoadTrip for iPod - Full Review
Using my iPod everyday is a forgone conclusion for me. I love my music, like looking at photos of my kids, but one thing I miss is catching up on the tech podcasts that I love so much. I often put them on when settling down for the night, only to find out in the morning that I cannot recall a lot of what I had listened to. For a long time I had wanted a solution so that I could easily listen to my iPod in the car, but all too often the little device needed batteries, or my iPod was low on juice, or even worse I found a spaghetti junction of wires in my car (as well as under my desk).Griffin Technology addresses these issues with a neat all in one unit called the RoadTrip, but does it deliver the promises and how easy is it to install and use? Read on to find out...
Well, out of the box you are presented with extra bits and pieces to suit all iPods that sport a dock connector, see the ‘Extra Vies’ panel for images of these. Basically the box contains some protection pads, the iPod holder itself, the main body of the unit, the FM transmitter module, power plug (for your 12v cigarette lighter socket), and extension arm, USB audio cable and two additional plastic holders for the iPod Mini and Nano. The back insert of the box neatly unfolds to give you diagrams and full instructions of how to set things up, a quick read of this proves that things are going to be easy.
Now, I have three iPods to test this with, a Nano, 30Gb 5G iPod and a 60Gb 3G iPod, so here’s hoping they all fit nicely. I wanted to start with the 60Gb 5G iPod, so a quick read of the instructions told me to install the extra thick protection pad to the main iPod holder, which I duly did. However, when I then tried to insert the iPod it was such a tight fit that I initially abandoned it. The 30Gb iPod fitted very nicely though, so after the main install into the car (see ‘On The Move’)
I went back to try my 60Gb iPod again and it fitted, but was very tight. It fitted the second time due to the protection pad having squashed down a bit... to download the full review click here.
Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Retail price: $89.99
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.
FileMaker Pro 8.5 at Mac Expo 2006
Head on down to the London Mac Expo between 26th - 28th October. As well as a plethora of Macinotsh goodness, The FileMaker Business Solutions Village returns to MacExpo and will be of particular interest to small businesses looking for solutions to track everything from digital images to product deliveries. Come and see the NEW! FileMaker 8.5. Learn how to add the Web Viewer to your solutions and add 'live' information to your database records.
In addition to getting a guided tour of FileMaker 8.5, visitors to the Business Solutions Village will have the opportunity to meet a number of FileMaker Developers, software professionals and publishers who will demonstrate their business solutions and industry specific packages. FileMaker Developers are also able to build effective and bespoke solutions for small businesses whatever business sector they operate in.
Battery woes for so many !
Sunday, August 27, 2006
I suspect that many of you have already seen on the news about Dell recalling over 4 million of their laptop batteries. It seems that these came out of the same Sony manufacturing plant that supplies the likes of Lenovo, HP and Apple. Links to specific pages at the end of this article.Apple have now recalled 1.8 million batteries from certain 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops. The procedure is simple, fill in a form and Apple will send you a replacement battery in about 4-6 weeks, you then use the same packaging and prepaid label to ship your old battery back.
Dell and HP offer similar replacement procedures, though I could not test the exact procedure as I did not have the relevant details to enter on their website. I could not find anything on the Lenovo website about this.
Link to Apple Battery Recall.
Link to HP Battery Recall.
Link to Dell Battery Recall.
Netgear HDXB101 Powerline Review
Saturday, August 26, 2006
For a long time now I have either found myself tethered to a desktop computer or relying on a wireless connection. Being a long time Apple user, I have enjoyed reliable wireless connections with the more often than not built in airport extreme. Using a PC occasionally, I stumbled across wireless adaptors and almost lost all my hair in the painful process of setting them up.Many users want a simple solution, without running metres and metres of wires throughout their homes and offices. Netgear have stumped up the technology with their HDXB101 Powerline Ethernet Starter Kit.
Being a long time Netgear user I knew that these devices have been available for a while now, but what distinguishes the HDX Powerline series is the top transfer speed of 200Mbs (megabytes per second). They work by using your mains cabling to transfer data, so you have no messy long runs of wiring to do. In this review I will be looking at a real world scenario, giving you real world results. Although I have a networking background I have tried to approach this from a layman's perspective, so I hope this helps the majority of readers.
So, straight out of the box the HXDB101 kit consists of everything you need to get started. Two HDX101 plug units, two ethernet cables, a resource CD (which I did not even need to use) and an instruction sheet. Extra plug units are also available separately.
To test the units I used an dual core Intel iMac, an Apple MacBook and a G4 Powermac, with a PC thrown in for good measure (more about that later).
Set up is very simple, I know we should all read instructions, but I was very eager to see how easy this was. So I plugged one unit in to the mains socket in my office, connected the ethernet cable to the netgear unit and the other end into my ethernet switch. My switch is also a Netgear, but you can use any brand. The other unit was purposely plugged into another socket on the ground floor, physically as far away as possible from my switch. With both units switched on I had to wait about 20 seconds before a connection was established. There are three LED’s on each unit, one shows power, the other shows a powerline network connection and the third shows network connection (steady light) and activity (flashing light)... to download the full review click here.
Product supplied by Netgear, Inc.
Contact: +44 (0)1344 458200
Average street price: £130
Link to product.
Link to product datasheet.
Tempo iPod Sports Wrap from Griffin
Friday, August 25, 2006
It gives me great pleasure to bring you the first full review from Geekanoids. If you are reading this on the website, towards the bottom of this article you will find a link to download the full review in PDF format, this is a free download for you to read, print and share with your friends.On with the review, thanks to the kind people at Griffin Technology who sent us this ‘tempo’ sports wrap for the iPod Nano. It is also available in a larger option for the full size iPods.
The ‘tempo’ is made of a soft stretchy material, with a soft lined pocket for your Nano. Getting the Nano into the pocket is a little tricky, the fit is very snug, but once inside there is no danger of it slipping out. This is especially important if you plan to exercise whilst using your iPod. The plastic screen protector is ultra clear, so it does not degrade the image quality, so another thumbs up here.
Detailing on the ‘tempo’ is nice, with high visibility grey on either side of the iPod holder and a bright orange cord wrap, which is great for keeping your headphone cable nice and tidy. The grey detailing is also made of reflective type material, so car headlights will pick this up, a great safety feature if you run when it is dark.
Along the length of the armband there are multiple velcro patches... to download the full review click here.
Product supplied by Griffin Technology.
Contact: 615-399-7000
Link to product.
5.1 Surround Sound Anyone?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
When I first saw details of the Griffin Firewave I almost wet my pants, I would have paid a lot more (don't tell anyone) for such a device. It took a long time materialising, but it is finally here.Griffin Technology Inc., announced today that they have begun shipping FireWave, their affordable 5.1 Surround Sound solution for Macintosh. Price is US $99.99 which will probably equate to £80 or so.
FireWave extends to Mac users the ability to affordably and effectively upgrade their sound systems by way of their FireWire ports — with spectacular results.
FireWave's small size makes it easy to incorporate into any computer setup, and makes it portable enough for use with laptops. FireWave gets its power through the FireWire connection, so there are no separate cables, batteries, or power supplies to tote. FireWave's extra FireWire port lets you daisy-chain other FireWire devices, so it won't hog your FireWire port.
FireWave lets you enjoy Dolby Digital encoded DVDs in 5.1 surround, or use Dolby Prol Logic II to make any audio source alive, whether from iTunes, QuickTime, or streaming audio. In addition, FireWave’s support of multi-channel playback from cross-platform OpenAL games like World of Warcraft and Unreal Tournament make it a must-have for gamers.
Technical Specifications:
Complies with IEEE1394 specification
Sample Rates supported:
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz and 96kHz playback in MBLA mode (non-Dolby)
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz in Dolby Pro Logic II
48kHz Encoded Digital in Dolby Digital
Outputs: 6-Channel, 24-bit
Frequency Response: (-3dBr, 24-bit 48kHz input) = < 20Hz – 20kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 100dB
Powered by the Oxford Semiconductor FW970
Link to product.
Could this be a Nano killer?
So, you all know by now that I am an Apple fanboy, but credit where credit is due to Sandisk, for one-upping on the Nano by introducing an 8Gb capacity Sansa e280 MP3 player.The pricing is pretty good too, with it coming in the same as a 4Gb Nano. I have heard good vibes about this player and although it is not iTunes friendly, the Mac should be able to see it as a removable device, so drag and drop of files would be possible. Plus you get a superb screen, movie and photo support, FM tuner with recording, voice recording, pouch, lanyard, need I go on...
No promises, but I hope to be able to get a unit and report back on its' click wheel, build, usability and other qualities soon.
From the Sandisk website: "The Sansa e200 Series MP3 players are the flagship products of SanDisks audio line. Created by the leaders in flash memory, this flash-based player provides everything you need for music, photo, and video clip playback".
- World’s first 8GB Flash MP3 player, the largest capacity in the market
- Sleek, thin design with large 1.8” TFT color screen for easy viewing
- Strong alloy metal back casing provides excellent durability and scratch resistance
- Simple to use, backlit controls for fast device interface navigation
- User replaceable and rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to 20 hours of battery life
- Includes the Sansa Media Converter to support all picture and video formats
- Features microSD™ expansion slot for additional memory capacity
- Supports SanDisk TrustedFlash and Gruvi content cards
- Digital FM tuner, on-the-fly FM recording, and voice recording
- Supports Subscription Music Stores
Griffin's Hi-Way to carry the Hi-Fi
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Griffin Technology Inc., creator of all things iPod, today announced Hi-Way, a versatile, custom fit, roadworthy carrying case for Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi compact stereo.Link to product.
Rock your house and shock the streets in style with the new Hi-Way. Griffin now gives you the ability to transport the big, rich sound of your compact iPod Hi-Fi sound system with ease.
Hi-Way is a unique combination of convenience and innovative features, designed to fit your Hi-Fi like a glove. Hi-Way’s outer shell is made of durable ballistic Nylon material to deflect real-world bumps and dings, while its soft inner lining keeps your Hi-Fi safe from scuffs and scratches.
Hi-Way includes lots of pockets and compartments for storing and organizing all your iPod cables and accessories, so you can keep everything your iPod needs all in one place. The padded adjustable shoulder strap makes toting Hi-Way a breeze, and the tough rubberized base and raised non-skid feet keep out grit and moisture.
Features
Soft inner lining to keep Hi-Fi safe from scuffs and scratches
Comfortable padded shoulder strap for easy toting
Lots of pockets for iPod accessories
Power cord pass-through lets you use Hi-Fi while it stays protected inside the case
Pricing & Availability
Protect your Hi-Fi investment with a Griffin Hi-Way case, priced at only $49.99 USD, available from www.griffintechnology.com and wherever quality iPod accessories are sold.
No UK pricing yet, so give it a few weeks and I am sure the info will filter through.
Jigsaw with some good Mac deals
For those of you wanting some good Mac deals, but can't find what you are looking for on the Apple Refurb Store. Check out Jigsaw Systems, I have used them for years, they offer great service and some excellent prices. Of note, for those of you wanting a G4 iBook (instead of the new MacBook) is a 12inch 1.33GHz at £499+VAT... no a bad deal !
Maplin bargain hard drive !
Looking for extra storage? Well, Maplin Electronics have this superb Seagate 300Gb External USB2 Hard Drive reduced from £169.99 to £99.99. I have seen one of these drives in action and they are a pretty neat (and stackable) solution.Main features:
• High speed USB 2.0
• Sleek elegant structure actually dissipates heat so they run much cooler than any other external drives
• Hot-swappable so you can connect and disconnect without turning off your computer
• 7200 RPM spin speed
• Masive 16MB cache on this 400GB model
• 350Gs non operating shock resistance
• Whisper quiet acoustics
• Push button backup
New downloadable reviews
It gives me great pleasure to let you all know of a new service that will be appearing during September on Geekanoids.
We will be publishing our first full reviews of some products from Netgear (confirmed) and Griffin Technology (TBC). As well as the online review, we will also link to a full review which will be downloadable in PDF format. With 'fair use' you may download this review, print it, share it with as many people as you want, but most of all enjoy it! This will enable you to build up a valuable resource of reviews and product data courtesy of Geekanoids.
We will also be including links to the manufacturers product page and where possible links to datasheets containing the product(s) full specification.
Note: The only thing you cannot do is resell our reviews, or print them as part of your own publication without prior written permission.
FM Transmitters to become legal
For a long time now it has been illegal in the UK to use the small low power FM transmitters, you know, the type used by many iPod owners to get their sounds into their cars.Well, it looks like this old law is about to be updated, which will allow these devices to be used legally.
Griffin Technology produce many flavours of this type of device, but my main interest lies with the iTrip Auto which not only sends the signal to your car stereo, it also charges your iPod too.
I hope to be getting one of these little wonders, so check back frequently to see the full review.
Griffin Technology also manufacture a wide range of products, many iPod related, but some other gems too. Check out the PowerBlock and Tempo, they sure do look the business.
Are wall plugged ethernet adaptors any good?
Monday, August 21, 2006
I often get asked if there is anything that can be done to improve the speed of an internet connection whilst using a laptop. Well I for one normaly sit comfortably, using my MacBook on a wireless connection. It is fine for blogging, email and general surfing, but sometimes if I want to grab a file or move something over to my desktop machine, things crawl a little.The have been wall plug type ethernet devices for quite a while now, but the Netgear HDXB101 PowerLine HD Wall-plugged Starter kit claims that it offers up to 200Mbps. The website claims it "turns electrical (AC) outlets into Ethernet connections, capable of up to 200 Mbps. The HDXB101 contains 2 HDX101 adapters (also sold separately), which are simple to set-up; plug one HDX101 into an AC electrical outlet near your router and plug another HDX101 near the device you wish to network".
This sounds ideal, if only it lives up to expectations... I have contacted Netgear and hope that they will be able to supply a kit to enable me to post a full review on the website in the near future.
Link to product.
Do you think Apple's quality control has got worse?
Thursday, August 17, 2006
You all know by now how many bad MacBooks I have had, but still I stick with Apple because they always sort the problems out. Apart from that I could never see myself using Windows for anything creative.
So now it is your turn to have your say in the first poll to find its' way onto the Geekanoids website.