Turn your iPod in a FLASH based iPod.....
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Ouch, if you want to take apart your iPod and put in some flash memory, then take a look... again "Ouch!". "In this little proof-of-concept I was eager to try out if I could swap the Microdrive inside an iPod mini for a Compact Flash-card. These cards are getting bigger and cheaper by the day so my idea was, if this works out, we have a great way of extending the life of this little MP3-player."via geektechnique read more | digg story
Labels: Apple iPod
Envirofone - cash in your mobile phone!
OK, OK, I bet you have an old mobile phone lying around somewhere. If you are anything like me then you probably succumb to the latest in gadgetry all the time. Check out those cupboards and drawers at home, then head on over to Envirofone.envirofone.com is a straightforward, no-nonsense website which allows consumers to choose cash or retail credit for recycling mobile phones. A small donation is also made to a charity, which the user can select during the online transaction. Alternatively if the user wants a little extra value he or she can opt for credits, which can be spent at any Argos store in the UK.
An estimated 18 million phones are upgraded each year in the UK but fewer than 4 million are recycled. And with a total of 100 million unused mobile phones currently gathering dust in houses around the UK, envirofone.com is encouraging customers to click on line, recycle their phones and earn money in the process.
Once mobile phones are received by envirofone.com they are recycled or reused and sent to developing countries. Phones that can’t be recycled, including chargers and batteries, are broken down and used again or disposed of safely.
Log on to envirofone.com and see how much your old mobile phones are worth. The simplest form of recycling is just a click away.
Labels: Mobile Phones
Samsung 215TW LCD Monitor - Spot on!
The Samsung 215TW is one of the few products I was actually happy to purchase for Geekanoids, without seeing it first. I had heard so many good things about it that I was just hoping that the rare occasion when my wallet comes out, was justified.Samsung offer a lot of monitors in their range, and there are so many choices from other manufacturers. Apart from the reviews, the 215TW boasts an impressive specification. Of note, the 21-inch 1680x1050 panel offers 1000:1 contrast, is nice and bright at 300cd/m2, and has a nice 178 degree viewing angles. The panel is also true 24-Bit, so there is no trickery like found in some cheaper panels to achieve the 16.7 million colour display. Although I didn't buy this to play games, the 8ms response rate makes it ideal for gaming and video playback too. On the rare occasion I have played a game, there was no ghosting or noticeable lag.
Connections are very impressive, with DVI and VGA inputs I can have two computers connected at the same time. You are also treated to composite, s-video and component video inputs. Just for the fun of it I tried a DVD player through the composite video connections, and I was really impressed. Colours were punchy and the crispness and detail would be hard to beat.
My main use for the 215TW is graphic work, encompassing Photoshop, Quark Xpress, Freehand (yes, I still use Freehand) and a lot of web based work. The colour accuracy is very impressive and the display backlight is so uniform, it really is hard to find fault. Well, the only thing negative I can say is that the 215TW is so difficult to move. It has a very nice slide mechanism for adjusting the height of the display, which makes it difficult to lift. Thank goodness that you don't have to move these things very often.
There are a lot of cheaper monitors out there, some even adding an extra inch whilst still be cheaper. Be warned though, these cheaper monitors use different display technology. They would be OK for gaming, but if you are serious about graphic orientated work, then it is worth spending that little bit extra. There is no better test than seeing a monitor with your own eyes, but if you are not able to do this and you rely on mail order, then give a Samsung 215TW a go... I am certain you will not regret it.
Product: Samsung 215TW
Price: £360
Purchased from: Pixmania UK
Contact: 08700 118 117
Labels: Mac Peripherals, PC Peripherals
Parallels Desktop no longer Beta
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Parallels announced today an update to its Desktop for Mac software, which enables users running Intel based Apple Macs to run Windows, Linux or any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X, without re-booting.The new version of Parallels Desktop is anchored by Coherence, a groundbreaking new feature that runs Windows applications on the Mac like they are native applications. When users switch to Coherence mode, the Windows desktop disappears, leaving Windows applications, such as Outlook and Internet Explorer, running directly on the Mac desktop and from the Mac application dock. It is completely customizable, providing numerous options for loading and running applications and viewing the Windows task bar and Start menu.
“When we introduced Parallels Desktop in April, we blurred the lines between the Mac and Windows worlds. With the introduction of Coherence, we completely blow that line away,” said Benjamin Rudolph, Director of Communications, Parallels. “This is a game-changing technology that gives users the ability to choose the best application for the job at hand. We intend to expand the Coherence function to help computer users move to a truly operating system-agnostic desktop.”
Existing Parallels users get this proper release version free of charge, the full product for new users costs $79.99.
Labels: Mac Software
Ms Pac-Man comes to iPod
Apple Inc today launched Ms Pac-Man for the iPod. It is available for download from the iTunes Store and certainly is worth a look. It promises to be a faithful reproduction of the 1982 classic, with four unique maze designs, and 256 levels. The game also features the animated intermissions from the original arcade game, such as "coffee break". You can play along to the game soundtrack, or select something from your iTunes library. Get munching !Labels: Apple iPod, Apple News
Celrun Freesat handles GPS / DMB / PMP
While the PMP / GPS market continues to converge and pop out more and more jack-of-all-trades devices, Celrun is looking to join the ever-growing fray by dishing out an (admittedly impressive) all-in-one unit of its own. Starting with the sleek black / silver design scheme and ultrathin frame, this Windows CE-powered conglomerate does a fine job...via Engadget read more | digg story
Labels: Gadgets
Total Training - Learn Adobe Acrobat Effectively
Learning a new application can sometimes be a pretty daunting experience, well it was for me anyway. That was until I stumbled across Total Training, who publish a series of DVD's with a difference. So, I decided to brush up on my Acrobat skills courtesy of "Total Training for Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional".Now, what I thought I would receive and what I got was a nice surprise. Not one to read the instructions first, I popped the first of the two DVD's supplied into my MacBook. When Apple DVD Player didn't launch I decided to take a quick squizz at the instructions to reveal that I had to install an application called Launchpad, which incidentally works on both Mac and PC platforms. Once this is installed I could get things underway.
Just to explain what Launchpad does… apart from the regular video playback controls, it allows you to easily bookmark sections. This allows you to easily revisit sections at a later time. There is also a Bonus Button that unlocks special features throughout the training session. Plus, a Get More Training button allows you to view additional tutorials and to see the entire catalogue of DVD's available. You can also alter the size of the training video as well as access a contents and help section.
Once the training gets underway, you will soon see that the way features are explained is really invaluable. The first sections gives you an excellent overview of Adobe Acrobat, followed by creating PDF files, linking, commenting and security within your files. The more advanced second DVD gives you details of how to create forms, preparing PDF files for prepress, presentations and how to work with layers. There is a lot more covered besides what I have mentioned here, so it is important that I emphasize just how thorough this training package is. I came away from this experience with a much better knowledge of Acrobat, along with things that I did not even know were possible. The beauty of training like this, is that you can do it at your own pace, take breaks when you want to, and of course you can go over sections as many times as you need to grasp the particular subject. The Total Training for Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional package is worth every penny.
Product: Total Training for Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional
Price: £120 +VAT.
Supplied by: Ceritec (UK)
Contact: 0870 766 9826
Labels: Mac Software, PC Software
Miglia lets you be LocationFree on your Mac
Miglia Technology today announced its dedicated Apple Mac OS X based software for the Sony LocationFree™ Base Station.LocationFree (OS X), is a groundbreaking software package designed especially for your Mac, working with the Sony’s LocationFree™ Base Station. It enables you to stream wirelessly a TV or Video signal from your front room via your Broadband hub to your Mac Desktop wherever you may be. Imagine watching the TV in your front room, wirelessly in the back garden on your Mac laptop, or even in your hotel room whilst traveling.
With Miglia’s innovative LocationFree(OSX) software and the Sony’s LocationFree™ Base Station you can watch live TV wirelessly on your Mac, play back recorded programmes and even set up future recordings from your Mac desktop anywhere. The Sony LocationFree™ Player, will support up to four externally connected devices like a DVD player/recorder or satellite receiver. The TV signal from your cable box, satellite receiver or DVR(Digital Video Recorder) at home is streamed to your Broadband hub and sent over the internet and then cleverly “re-directed” to your Mac, no matter where you may be as long as your Mac has access to a Broadband connection.
Key Features
- View your home TV anywhere in the world with this software package designed exclusively for the Mac and the Sony LocationFree™ Base Station
- Control your home TV by changing channels, viewing recorded material or scheduling future recording where ever you may be.
- Requires a Sony LocationFree™ Player and Broadband Internet access
- Access and control any two STB devices connected to the LocationFree™ Player.
Labels: Apple News, Mac Software
New Leopard Screenshot Gallery (Build 9A343)
28 new screenshots of Apple's upcoming OS X Leopard. Some of these give a really good insight into what great features we can expect in the new OS release.via Think Secret read more | digg story
Labels: Apple News, Mac Software
Awesome Mac OS X Screensaver: Soundstream
Soundstream 1.5 consists of a randomly moving particle generator that responds to the sound level picked up by your Mac’s microphone. It can also be used as a replacement to the sometimes boring iTunes visualizer. I tried it and really like it, awesome !via pcheese.net read more | digg story
Labels: Mac Software
Exclusive Video Leaked: iPod Firmware Coming
"A little birdie told us that a firmware update for iPods is coming soon, giving you that same Cover Flow view that you've grown to love in iTunes now. See it in action, right here. The tipster also tells us that we won't see any new-generation iPods before the iPhone debuts, either. – Charlie White"via Gizmodo - read more | digg story
Labels: Apple iPod
Lindy HD Enclosure - Save yourself some cash
If you need to add extra storage to your computer an external hard drive is the easy and relatively cheap option, with large hard drives available at really good prices. However, if you already have an old IDE hard drive, it would be a shame to waste it, when it could be put to good use. Also, bare IDE hard drives are so cheap nowadays that the product I am looking at today could be right up your street.The Lindy USB2 & FireWire Combo Hard Disk Box is an enclosure that is styled to match the Apple Mac Mini. It is made of plastic, that is sprayed silver, with an internal metal shielding that is coated with white plastic on the top. It really does look like a Mac Mini and would be ideal for stacking. The front of the casing sports a small activity LED and round the back there is two FireWire 400 ports and a USB 2.0 port, as well as the on/off switch and power connector.
Inside there is a standard molex power connector and an IDE cable and plug. The plastic mounting sled can accommodate a 3.5-inch IDE hard drive, which can be picked up for bargain prices if you shop around. Mounting screws are provided and within about five minutes I had a drive installed, the enclosure casing back together and was plugged in to my Mac. Performance is certainly on par with a other external hard drive of this nature and I personally think that the plastic construction helps dampen the hard drive noise, so it is nice and quiet. Their is no fan in the enclosure, so cooling is purely achieved via the vents on the back and underside.Although this case is obviously designed for Mac Mini users, due to the standard FireWire and USB connectivity, it can be used with any PC or Mac. It looks nice and swish, so it wouldn't look out of place on any desk. The Lindy USB2 & FireWire Combo Hard Disk Box is well constructed, easy to set-up and offers great value for money. It'll give you a sense of achievement if you re-use an old hard drive. Even you if buy one just to put in this enclosure, you will be happy that you saved some pennies.
Product: Lindy USB2 & FireWire Combo Hard Disk Box
Price: £39.99
Supplied by: Lindy UK
Contact: +44 (0) 1642 754000
Labels: Mac Peripherals, PC Peripherals
Apple iPod StickiT Skins - Protect your iPod
I just wanted to remind you all that you can help support Geekanoids by purchasing one of our own products. You can order and get full details by clicking this link.StickiT Protective Skins are suitable for the 5th Generation Apple iPod, either the 30GB, 60GB or 80GB model. They are a thin protective film that clings to your iPod, with no glue used at all. The StickiT covers the front, sides and back, leaving the click wheel, top controls and dock connector fully accessible. It is so thin that you can still dock your iPod and it is sometimes possible to use in conjunction with another case or holder. Remember though, this is not a case, it is a clear protective cling film.
Protect your iPod Video from Scuffs & scratches !
WHAT IS IT MADE OF ?
CLING - totally adhesive free, there is NO glue in this product. This clear cling vinyl is adhesive free and will leave no residue on your iPod. The material used is ultra thin and designed to cover the front and back of your iPod (including the screen) in one piece. A small circular piece for the select button are also supplied, use of this part is optional. Dependent on the amount of use, changing every 6 months is recommended, just to keep things looking fresh and new.
WE HAVE OVER 1,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASED OUR STICKiT SKINS, CLICK HERE TO ORDER ONE (or TWO).
Labels: Apple iPod
Apple iPhone Commercial - Oscars
Monday, February 26, 2007
It was pretty well common knowledge before the event, that Apple would be showing the first iPhone commercial during last nights Oscars. Well, sit back and enjoy...Labels: Apple News
Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype review
Today I am taking a look at the Belkin Wi-Fi phone for Skype... Skype, Skype, Skype, I always sing the praises of Skype. For those of you who do not know, Skype allows you to use your broadband connection to make voice and video calls to other users Macs or PCs, so long as they have Skype installed. In addition to this, you can also make what are called SkypeOut calls to regular landlines and mobile phones. These cost a small amount of money, but in my case I am on one of the many promotions Skype run from time to time, so I get my landline calls free until May 2007.The only downside of Skype is being tied to a computer. You need to have your Skype application running and logged in... that is until now! Over the past few months Skype handsets have been appearing. No, I don't mean the wired handsets that cost around £15, this new breed use Wi-Fi to connect to your wireless router and then to the outside world.
Sorry for the long introduction, back to the Belkin Wi-Fi phone. In the box you get a USB cable (for charging from a computer), a mains powered charger, a manual on CD-Rom, a Quick Start Guide and the handset itself. The handset looks very smooth, comparable in to a medium sized mobile phone. It has a numeric keypad, two soft keys, call start and end, plus a four-way navigation key. The screen is full colour and a nice size, with a nice crisp display. The feel of the handset is great, it has a smooth rubberised feel to it, very nice in the hand.
Setting up couldn't be easier. After the initial charge, you switch the handset on, set the language, and it then searches for wireless networks. Picking the network you want to connect to will ask for a password (if it is protected). This is asked for as a hexdecimal string, so if you network is protected by WEP for example, do a quick google search for a converter to convert from WEP to HEX. With the security part out of the way you will be asked to either sign into Skype or create a new account. Assuming you already have Skype, typing in your username and password is all that is needed. You can then access you contacts list, set your status to online, away, busy etc, and make calls to other users computers or SkypeOut calls to landlines and mobiles. Navigating the menus and setting up other aspects of the handset is just as easy. You can even change your ring tone (three to choose from) and set the handset to vibrate on an incoming call…The beauty of the Belkin Wi-Fi phone is that now you can leave it connected to Skype all the time. You will get a lot more use out of it because it is just so natural to pick up a phone and dial. Of note, if you switch your computer on and sign in to Skype, your Belkin connection remains unaffected, so in theory two people could use one Skype account at the same time.
Call quality varied, but this happens even when calls are made via a computer. I would say that 80% of calls I made with the handset were absolutely fine, crystal clear. 10% were acceptable, perhaps sounding more like mobile phone quality. The remaining 10% were a bit choppy, due to network traffic or moving a bit too far away from my wireless router. So, in the house, this handset was already proving its worth, but what about if I was out and about? Well, if you have an account with The Cloud, BT Openzone or another provider, then so long as you are within range of a hotspot, you can connect and make calls. I tested this at a local Cloud hotspot and connected successfully first time. The call quality was great and I was so pleased that I had made a totally free call.
Incoming calls are also possible. If someone has you in their Skype contact list, then they can easily call you from their computer. If you want people to be able to ring you from a regular handset then you would need to subscribe to another service. You can get a SkypeIn number, which can be based in various UK towns and cities (what I mean by this is, that even if you don't live in London, you can have a London based SkypeIn number). This costs around £23 per year, but can be had cheaper if combined with other services. A SkypeIn number also gets you access to voicemail services, so callers can leave you messages. The fact that people can call you, makes the Belkin handset an even more viable proposition.
Should you buy one? is very easy to answer. If you already have Skype, then yes, invest in one of these. If you don't have Skype, then get it and start experiencing the world of free or cheaper calls. I do not think that the Belkin Wi-Fi phone for Skype could replace a mobile phone, but if you are up for the challenge or live in an area with a lot of hotspots you could easily reduce your mobile bill. The only thing I would like to see is a docking station to charge the handset whilst indoors, other than that the Belkin handset is faultless.
Product: Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype
Price: £99.00
Supplied by: Belkin UK
Contact: +44 (0)1933 35 2000
Labels: Mac Peripherals, Mobile Phones, PC Peripherals, Reviews
Griffin XpressCable review - optical goodness
Griffin Technology, better known for their iPod accessories also make a variety of cable solutions. Previous reviews of their products have revealed great quality, so I was very interested to learn if their Xpress Cable would keep up the good work.The Griffin XpressCable is a digital optical audio cable, coloured white with grey accents to the tips, it measures in at three meters long. So straight out of the packaging you can use it for connecting various audio equipment like a DVD player or your XBox 360.
Also supplied is a pair of 3.5mm mini-jack adapters. These can be plugged onto either or both ends of the cable, converting the toslink connection to a 3.5mm stereo jack. This allows you to take advantage of some Apple Mac's digital audio outputs, such as the Mac Mini, PowerMac G5, Airport Express, not forgetting the later Intel based Macs, oh and before I forget, the iPod Hifi.
So, a cable is a cable, yes? Well, a lot of people say that digital signals are already digital, so a £5 cable will work as good as a £50 one. I strongly disagree with this misconception. The XpressCable is well constructed, the plugs seem to have longer bodies to them, so you get a real solid connection. I have experienced optical cables before that just fall out of my XBox 360, but there was no such problem with the Griffin Cable. Audio delivery was crisp and clean, definitely on par with optical cables costing double the money. If you want a well constructed cable that delivers great audio, without breaking the bank, then look no further... oh and I almost forgot, it is white in colour, so it will match your Mac gear to a tee.
Product: Griffin Technology XpressCable
Price: $19.99
UK Street Price: £12.00
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
Contact: +1 (615) 399-7000
Labels: Home Theatre, Mac Accessories
iPhone video shows hidden features
Sunday, February 25, 2007
I was very excited to find this video showing some hidden bits that you might have missed during Steve Jobs keynote for the Apple iPhone. It was posted by Actioncorp.net and shows some exciting things like a quicker way of scrolling to an artist in your playlist, plus a new tab for Ringtones that should appear in the next version of iTunes. I won't spoil the content of the whole video for you, so sit back and enjoy.Labels: Apple News
Canon debuts SD750 & SD1000 ELPH cameras
There's also the DIGIC III Image processor, and ISO as high as 1600, but everybody comes for the basics: 3x zoom, 7.1 megapixel CCD and a 2.5-inch LCD in each shooter. The $300 SD750 gets a bit fancy on form factor, but manages to be a mere 0.75-inches thick, while the 4.5 ounce SD1000 keeps the the classic ELPH look and also retails for $300.read more | digg story
Labels: News
List of every song featured in an iPod commercial
Here's Wikipedia's list of every song featured in one of Apple's iPod commercials, including the date, artist and model. So, just in case you forgot to download one, here's your chance.read more | digg story
Labels: Apple iPod
Apple Store Down - New Products ?
Sunday, 25th February 2007, 9.00am. The Apple Store is down stating they are busy updating the store. What we are all wondering is whether this is general store maintenance, or maybe some quiet system upgrade (perhaps the Mac Mini) that we have been waiting for. We will update you if there are any changes when the store comes back online.**UPDATE** 10.30am and the Apple Store is still down. Typically previous updates have been completed within the hour, so this could indicate something quite big. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a technical hitch.
**UPDATE 2** 11.00am the store is now back online. I cannot see any major changes. The only things of note is that the 802.11n Airport Extreme Base Station is now down to 3-5 days shipping, plus in the refurb section all the items seem to be refreshed with better description and a lot more choices.
Labels: Apple News