Author Archive: Matt

More than 20 years in the IT industry. Blogging with a passion and thirst for new technology since 2005.

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By February 1, 2010 Read More →

The iPad as a Remote Desktop Client?

home_screen_20100127 As we all know by now, the Apple iPad was announced last week and already it’s met with a mixed response. I for one have been backwards and forwards thinking it’ll be great then wondering if some of the design decisions really make sense. I know an awful lot of people were hoping that the iPad would run either OSX are at least some new OS that offered a similar experience to a netbook. There’s been some disappointment even among hardcore Apple fans that the iPad simply runs the same operating system as the iPhone and iPod touch. In my mind that does certainly have some limitations.

However, something occurred to me as I logged in to my desktop PC via my laptop over a Citrix Thin Client connection – I wonder if there’s Citrix Client for the iPhone already, wouldn’t that work well on the iPad!?

Sure enough there is a Citrix Client that I am about to go and try out. There’s also a Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) for the iPhone that’ll allow you to connect to an enabled Windows PC/Server and then there’s also the tried and trusted VNC clients out there.

So if you are looking for a full desktop experience from the iPad then perhaps this will be the answer? Connect to your home or work PC over WiFi or 3G from the iPad and run all the apps you already have installed but with a touch screen! I can imagine that working really well for me!

So bring on the iPad and lets get this tested out! 🙂

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Editorial
By February 1, 2010 Read More →

Latest MoDaCo Podcast Now Live

Last week saw the launch of the much rumoured Apple iPad. There has been a ton of discussion about the iPad both before and after the announcement. Some believe that it’s the best thing ever and others thinking that it’s going to be a monumental miss for Apple.

So why am I telling you about the MoDaCo podcast? Well last week my long time friend Paul, founder of MoDaCo, and I were talking about the iPad when Paul said “Hey why don’t you come on the podcast as a guest and chat about the iPad with me and Chris?”. Sounded like a great idea, I’m getting in to this podcast lark so jumped at the chance.

So if you want to hear what the three of us have to say about the iPad then head on over to the podcast page on MoDaCo. Please do feel free to come back to us and offer your feedback both on the iPad and the podcast itself over on the forum.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By February 1, 2010 Read More →

Palm Pre unboxing video

I realise that the Palm Pre has been around for a while but it’s taken some effort to get our hands on a review unit as they are in such short supply. This is one that James and I were really looking forward to putting through its paces as we’d heard mostly good things about WebOS.

The Palm Pre

The Palm Pre

 

Having played with the Pre for a while over the weekend I have to say that I am initially quite impressed. The user interface is smooth and intuitive and I like the way email is handled. There’s also mutitasking here so you can have many apps running at once, unlike the iPhone, you don’t have to close one app to go to another!

There are a few questions marks over the build quality, the edges around the keyboard for example are just a fraction from being sharp enough to shave with. The keyboard mechanism is also far from perfect, I find it a little awkward to open with one hand, but this could be down to this being a much used and abused PR model.

James is going to be the one to review the Palm Pre so please do feel free to use the Palm Pre forum thread to send us any comments or questions that you would like him to answer about the Pre either now or in the review. As always I have an unboxing video for you where I dive in and take a quick look around WebOS as well. Take a look:

 

Palm Pre unboxing video

 

Palm Pre specification:

  • Operating system: Palm® webOS
  • Display: 3.1-inch touch screen 320×480 resolution HVGA display
  • Keyboard: Physical QWERTY keyboard
  • Email: Microsoft Outlook® email with Microsoft® Direct Push Technology POP3/IMAP (Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, etc).
  • Messaging: Integrated IM, SMS, and MMS
  • GPS: Built-in GPS
  • Digital camera: 3 megapixel camera with LED flash and extended depth of field
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
  • Memory 8GB of user storage (~7.4GB user available) USB mass storage support
  • MicroUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
  • Headphone jack 3.5mm stereo
  • Dimensions: Width: 59.5mm (2.3 inches) Height: 100.5mm (3.9 inches) Thickness: 16.95mm (0.67 inches)
  • Weight: 135 grams (4.76 ounces)

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By January 31, 2010 Read More →

Nokia N900 gets Firefox!

fox-in-yer-pocket Hopefully you will have seen our Nokia N900 review by now and you’ll know that we quite like the handset and, in particular, like the browsing experience on it. That’s set to only get better now though as from today you can download Firefox for Mobile 1.0 for the Nokia Maemo 5 platform.

I downloaded it a few hours ago to have a look at and have been impressed with it, there’s Javascript support and Flash support too, although the latter needs to be enabled manually and it’s not perfect but it has a good go!

Anyone with a Nokia N900 should definitely check Firefox Mobile 1.0 out, well worth the download I’d say!

Now, where did I leave my fox?! 😛

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By January 31, 2010 Read More →

Amazon Kindle DX unboxing video

E-Book readers and the Amazon Kindle itself have been around for a while and the latest Kindle, the DX, actually launched in the US in May of 2009. Until recently if you wanted to buy one in the UK you had to buy it and then arrange to have it imported yourself. However, Amazon recently made the Kindle DX available to purchase internationally and you can now log on to Amazon.co.uk to order one.

The Amazon Kindle DX

The Amazon Kindle DX

 

The new people at Amazon kindly have sent us a Kindle DX to review. This is a product that I was looking forward to seeing for myself as I found the e-ink concept intriguing and I thought that the Kindle’s ability to display PDF documents would be handy for me as I frequently have reports to read.

The 9.7″ e-ink display is quite high res at 824×1200 pixels and despite being monochrome works very well. The built in 3G network means that eBooks and newspaper subscriptions are delivered wirelessly to the device. Depending on your region you can also use the Kindle DX as a basic web browser but don’t expect a fantastic surfing experience from it!

Have a look at the quick unboxin video below and I’ll be back soon with the full review!

 

Amazon Kindle DX unboxing video

 

Amazon Kindle DX Specification:

  • Price: £299.00
  • Connectivity: 3.5mm Output, USB 2.0
  • Dimensions: 264 x 182 x 9mm
  • Display Size: 9.7″
  • Features: 1200 x 824 display resolution
  • Connectivity: Amazon Whispernet using EVDO/CDMA AnyDATA wireless modem, with fallback to 1xRTT
  • Screen: 16-level greyscale Electronic paper
  • Built in stereo speakers and MP3 playback
  • Linux OS
  • Lithium-Ion battery good for up to 2 weeks on one charge
  • Weight (g): 540
  • HDD Capacity (GB): 4 / 3.3GB available to the user

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By January 29, 2010 Read More →

Next Google phone confirmed by Motorola

It was just a rumour a week ago but the Motorola device know to us thus far as the Shadow has now been confirmed to be launched as the next Google phone, perhaps the Nexus Two?

motorola_shadow

The Motorola Shadow

 

According to Mobile Choice:

Motorola’s CEO Sanjay Jha has taken the bull by the horns and come out to confirm that they are working on a Google phone after all. He said that Motorola will be releasing the new design this year.

Further, the similarities continue because the Motorola-derived Nexus phone, "will be sold directly to consumers", just like Google’s Nexus One. Frustratingly, Jha failed to give us any further details about the new design, when the phone will be officially announced or even if the Shadow is, in fact, the designated handset, according to The Street website.

The design of the Shadow is quite similar to the Milestone released last year. The keyboard and slider mechanism looking almost identical, it’s going to be bigger than the Milestone though, having a 4.3″ display.

 

Motorola Milestone (Nexus Two) specification:

  • OperatingSystem: Google Android 2.1
  • RAM: 256 MiB
  • ROM: 512 MiB
  • Display: 4.3″ Colour transflective TFT , 16777216 scales
  • Display Resolution: 480 x 854
  • Video out
  • Audio Output: 3.5mm
  • Cellular-Networks: GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS1900, UMTS2100
  • Cellular-Data-Links: CSD, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS
  • microSD, microSDHC, TransFlash, SDIO
  • USB 2.0 client, 480Mbit/s
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • Wireless+LAN: 802.11b, 802.11g
  • FM radio (87.5-108MHz) with RDS
  • Built-in GPS module
  • Main_Camera: 8 MP
  • Built-in Flash: mobile light (LED)
  • Built-in-accelerometer

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By January 29, 2010 Read More →

eXpansys Friday deals 29th January

Acer Liquid
   

eXpansys Friday Deals: Selected deals between 11am and 5pm, 29th January 2010

   
Nokia E52
Info

Nokia E52
8 Hrs Talk Time

Normally £209.99
Now £199.99
Save £10

Billion HomePlug AV 200Mbps Wall Plug Ethernet Adapter Kit
Info

Billion HomePlug AV 200Mbps Wall Plug Ethernet Adapter Kit

Normally £86.99
Now £76.99
Save £10

Q-waves Wireless USB Data Kit
Info

Q-waves Wireless USB Data Kit
‘Plug and Go’ Simplicity

Normally £51.99
Now £47.99
Save £4

LM Technologies SIM Recovery Pro
Info

LM Technologies
SIM Recovery Pro

Normally £47.99
Now £32.99
Save £15

Duracell 16GB microSDHC Card (no adaptor)
Info

Duracell 16GB
microSDHC Card

Normally £37.99
Now £27.99
Save £10

LM Technologies USB Keyboard Logger
Info

LM Technologies
USB Keyboard Logger

Normally £38.99
Now £23.99
Save £15


These deals are available on Friday the 29th January 2010 between 11am and 5pm by following the links above only. Normal pricing will apply outside of these hours*.
Acer Liquid

Acer Liquid

*Voucher codes do not apply with these deals. Limited to 2 units per customer, available while stocks last.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Deals & Offers
By January 28, 2010 Read More →

Google Nexus One review

The Google Nexus OneUnless you have been living in the Big Brother house or under a rock you surely cannot have failed to notice that Google launched their first own-brand mobile handset the Google Nexus One. There aren’t many mobiles that make the headlines across a range of mainstream media outlets, probably the last one to get the same attention would have been the iPhone!

Quite a few people thought that Google already had their own phone out on the market. There has been confusion over the T-Mobile G1, which did bare the Google name, many thinking that was one of Google’s own products. However, the Nexus One is the first handset that Google have launched, branded and marketing themselves. Google launched the handset a little over two weeks ago at a huge press event and it went on sale, direct from Google, on the same day.

Since the launch the Nexus One, built for Google by our old friends HTC, has got some negative press. Issues the 3G connectivity, especially on the T-Mobile network in the USA have been reported almost everywhere, included here on the blog. We’ll be sure to cover that later on in the review.

So I’ve been using the Nexus One for almost two weeks and have made it my day-to-day device. I’ve been playing with Android software, flashing new ROM builds on it and generally getting my hands dirty with it. So let me tell you what I think of it!

 

The 10 second review:

  • Device: Google Nexus One
  • Price: $529 + shipping (UK Import Price £460 roughly)
  • Summary: Definitely the best Android device and one of the few devices I’ve used recently to make me leave the iPhone at home!
  • Best of: Fabulous AMOLED screen, speedy and responsive. Exchange email support (read on!)
  • Worst of: No Exchange calendar sync. Lack of desktop software like the iPhone’s. Small memory card supplied.

 

Please read on for the full review:

 

Posted in: Reviews
By January 27, 2010 Read More →

The Apple iPad press release

You no doubt saw our live coverage of the Apple iPad press event but I’ve just been sent the full and official press release which you can see below:

The new Apple iPad!

The new Apple iPad!

 

Apple® today introduced iPad, a revolutionary device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. iPad’s responsive high-resolution Multi-Touch(TM) display lets users physically interact with applications and content. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds- thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for the iPad, and will run almost all of the over 140,000 apps in the App Store. iPad will be available in late March starting at the breakthrough price of just $499.

“iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction. The precise Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web on iPad an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. Reading and sending email is fun and easy on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard. Import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. The iTunes® Store gives you access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 11 million songs, over 50,000 TV episodes and over 8,000 films including over 2,000 in stunning high definition video. Apple also announced the new iBooks app for iPad, which includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile device. The iBookstore will feature books from major and independent publishers.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork® for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers® you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable, so you can sync all of your contacts, photos, music, movies, TV shows, applications and more from your Mac or PC. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

iPad’s brilliant 9.7-inch, LED-backlit display features IPS technology to deliver crisp, clear images and consistent color with an ultra-wide 178 degree viewing angle. The highly precise, capacitive Multi-Touch display is amazingly accurate and responsive whether scrolling web pages or playing games. The intelligent soft keyboard pioneered on iPhone takes advantage of iPad’s larger display to offer an almost full-size soft keyboard. iPad also connects to the new iPad Keyboard Dock with a full-size traditional keyboard.
iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours.* Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan.**
iPad comes in two versions-one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced breakthrough 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with easy, on-device activation and management.

Continuing Apple’s dedication to designing and creating environmentally responsible products, each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

Apple today released a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for iPad, so developers can create amazing new applications designed to take advantage of iPad’s capabilities. The SDK includes a simulator that lets developers test and debug their iPad apps on a Mac, and also lets developers create Universal Applications that run on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in late March worldwide for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad will be available in April in the US and selected countries for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. International pricing and worldwide availability will be announced at a later date. iBookstore will be available in the US at launch.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Press Releases
By January 27, 2010 Read More →

Apple tablet already confirmed?

Whether this was an ‘accidental’ leak or something well orchestrated by Apple I guess well never know but in a TV interview with CNBC yesterday McGraw-Hill’s CEO confirms that their textbooks will be on the Apple Tablet and it will be an iPhone OS based machine. When asked about rumours that their textbooks will be on the Apple tablet, Terry McGraw responds:

"Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they’ll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now — we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one. So now with the tablet you’re going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific."

An iPhone OS based tablet? As much as I like the iPhone OS I’m happy that it works well on the relative small screen of the iPhone, I wonder how well that will translate to a larger screened device or if there are going to be a lot of advancements purely for the tablet form?

Other ‘news’ and images are appearing around the web, some seeming to be nothing more than badly ‘shopped images of other Apple products but another more convincing image seems to be circulating too:

apple_ipad_tablet

Above we see what is alleged to be the new Apple tablet. I wonder how many products in history have been so desired without even being seen?!

 

One thing’s for sure, this wont be the last post about the iSlate (or will it be iPad?) today! 🙂

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Laptops
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