benfrain.com

TECH: Great new (FREE) Symbian weather application

2008-05-14T23:00:00.004+01:00

Just released is a new Weather widget for Symbian smartphones (e.g. N95/N95 8GB etc) from Weatherbug. It's a free application and not only gives forecast information, it also provides satellite imagery and live camera feeds from the Weather station supplying the forecast.
It doesn't have auto update or screensaver capabilities like Handy Weather but it can be set to a active standby shortcut and more importantly - it's free!
Open your smartphone browser and head over to http://is.gd/got to get it.

MTB: Cli-Machx trail

2008-04-29T12:25:00.004+01:00

Haven't visited Wales for a mountain bike ride through the winter months. Just couldn't summon any enthusiasm due to the pouring rain and dark nights (play the video to see an example of how the rampant global warming phenomenon impacts the Peaks in April).
However, went and rode the Cli-machx trail on Sunday and was thoroughly impressed. Reminded me how good it can be and prevented me sticking the Orange 5 on ebay. Like Penmachno it's a very short trail (perfect for me - I hate long cross country rides) at only 9 miles but flows beautifully and includes Wales longest downhill. We tried to do the longer version featured on this site but there is a lot of tree felling going on until the end of June 2008 so suffered a few detours. If you like fast flowing rides without too many rocky drops, Cli-Machx is well worth a visit. The nearest postcode for the trail start is SY20 9HB.

SPORT: The pursuit of perfect indoor football trainers

2008-04-29T12:19:00.003+01:00

Back in this post I talked about the need for indoor football trainers that provided a decent level of cushioning from the hard impacts of indoor surfaces.
Since then I have tried a few different makes, more specifically Lotto, Uhlsport, Puma and Joma. The models I tried were all their indoor specific models. None of them enjoyed anything like the kind of shock absorption I have been used to in the Nike 'Nine Zero Max' (my two pairs of these now have split air cushions and they aren't available any more).
Which lead me to Asics, a brand famous for running/shock absorption shoes. Sadly, they don't yet produce a shoe for indoor football, a point I raised with them in an email. However, kudos to Asics UK as they replied within the day with the following information:

"Hi Ben

Thank you for your enquiry regarding Asics Footwear.

Unfortunately we do not stock an indoor football boot in the UK and as far
as I am aware there are no immediate plans to introduce a shoe of this
nature to the collection, however I have forwarded your enquiry to our
Product Manager for her information.

The Gel Sensei may prove suitable, these shoes are intended for use whilst
playing Squash/Badminton, however I cannot think of any reason why you
cannot use them for indoor football. The Sensei is designed for a multi
directional sport and therefore the support features should not cause a
problem, also the upper of this particular shoe is light weight and well
fitted, so it should not prove to bulky around the toe box, finally this
shoe should provide plenty of cushioning both in the heel and forefoot.

I hope this information proves helpful and if I can be of any further
assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Jamie Homer
Asics UK"

On their advice I tracked a pair down and I have to say they are superb. There are a few minor modifications that could be done to make them more suitable for football e.g. a fold over tongue to cover the laces or side mounted laces, lower grip at the inner toe box etc. but in terms of comfort and stability they are far better than any of the 'indoor football' specific models I tried from other manufacturers. Anyone looking for an indoor shoe that provides a little more comfort than the usual offerings might do well to consider a pair. They are bright blue though, so expect a ribbing when you first turn up in them...

RANT: Ebay - the greediest company in the world?

2008-04-10T21:20:00.003+01:00

What an absolute shower of bastards Ebay and Paypal are. I'm all for capitalism but their greed almost beggars belief ($7 billion in profits for 2007). When you look at their sellers fees it's not hard to see how they are pocketing so much...

For starters, take a look at their listing fees:

If your item is £0.01 - £0.99, it'll cost £0.10

If your item is £1.00 - £4.99, it's £0.15

For items between £5.00 - £14.99, it's £0.25

£15.00 - £29.99, it's £0.50

£30.00 - £99.99, it's £1.00

£100.00 or more - £1.30

Not too bad, right? Well, no, until you add the final value fee:

Item not sold - No Fee

If it sold for £0.01 - £29.99, 7.5% of the amount of the high bid (at the listing close for auction-style listings) up to £29.99

If you item sold for between £30.00 - £599.99 7.5%of the initial £29.99 (£2.25), plus 4.5%of the remaining balance of the final selling price.

That's upto £27.90 they're taking!

If your item sold for £600.00 or more - 7.5%of the initial £29.99 (£2.25), plus 4.5% of the initial £30.00 - £599.99 (£25.65), plus 1.9% of the remaining balance of the final selling price.

Well, sky's the limit here! And I haven't even got to the best bit yet... Ebay are now insisting that every listing on their site has Paypal as a payment option. That's right, you can't even list on Ebay any more unless you offer Paypal on your auction. *cough* monopoly, anti competition *cough*.

So not only do they £27.90 off your £599.99 sale through Ebay fees, you then have to give Paypal another 3.4% (+ £0.20). In our £599.99 scenario, that's another £20.60!

So a total of £49.50 in fees from Ebay/Paypal, almost 10% of the sale value!

Of course, Ebay/Paypal will argue it offers their customers security but that's basically a lie, as anyone who has ever fallen foul of a dodgy Ebay transaction, and funded it through Paypal will tell you.
In case you didn't know: if you pay for an Ebay item via Paypal and you don't receive it, Paypal never give you back what you paid out, regardless of the 'guaranteed upto £150/£500' signs they show on the auction (the key word in their misleading statement being 'upto'). The only sure fire way off insuring you won't lose money when using Paypal is to fund the transaction through your credit card. At least that way you can make your card company issue a chargeback on the transaction (Banks can do this upto 120 days after a transaction) when Paypal simply can't be arsed to help...

POLITICS: The global warming con

2008-03-28T11:53:00.004Z

As the 'consensus' of 'experts' in the field are reported to have conclusive proof of man-made global warming I cast my mind back to middle school when we taught that the world was cooling and that the next ice age was coming. When I mention this factor, few seem to recollect this fact, especially the brain-washed masses that have swallowed Auntie Beeb's agenda based reporting.
However, my brother found this little nugget from a 1975 issue of Newsweek (it's a 300K PDF file) which talks all about how scientists are concerned about the cooling of the earth. Back then these people (presumably a similar 'consensus' of 'experts' that we are listening to now) were proposing ideas such as 'melting the Arctic ice cap by covering it with black soot' - in a bid to heat the earth up!
Why are people so readily convinced by the bad science being pedalled today that they are happy to roll on their backs and accept any manner of taxes our government introduces under the guise of caring for the planet?
I'm also shocked by the complete lack of reporting in the general media of the 'Manhattan Declaration'. Chances are, you won't have heard a peep about this (because the BBC and the rest of the European media are too lazy/stupid to report it or it doesn't suit their agenda) so here it is in full:

Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change

"Global warming" is not a global crisis

We, the scientists and researchers in climate and related fields, economists, policymakers, and business leaders, assembled at Times Square, New York City, participating in the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change,

Resolving that scientific questions should be evaluated solely by the scientific method;

Affirming that global climate has always changed and always will, independent of the actions of humans, and that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not a pollutant but rather a necessity for all life;

Recognising that the causes and extent of recently observed climatic change are the subject of intense debates in the climate science community and that oft-repeated assertions of a supposed 'consensus' among climate experts are false;

Affirming that attempts by governments to legislate costly regulations on industry and individual citizens to encourage CO2 emission reduction will slow development while having no appreciable impact on the future trajectory of global climate change. Such policies will markedly diminish future prosperity and so reduce the ability of societies to adapt to inevitable climate change, thereby increasing, not decreasing, human suffering;

Noting that warmer weather is generally less harmful to life on Earth than colder:

Hereby declare:

That current plans to restrict anthropogenic CO2 emissions are a dangerous misallocation of intellectual capital and resources that should be dedicated to solving humanity's real and serious problems.

That there is no convincing evidence that CO2 emissions from modern industrial activity has in the past, is now, or will in the future cause catastrophic climate change.

That attempts by governments to inflict taxes and costly regulations on industry and individual citizens with the aim of reducing emissions of CO2 will pointlessly curtail the prosperity of the West and progress of developing nations without affecting climate.

That adaptation as needed is massively more cost-effective than any attempted mitigation and that a focus on such mitigation will divert the attention and resources of governments away from addressing the real problems of their peoples.

That human-caused climate change is not a global crisis.

Now, therefore, we recommend --

That world leaders reject the views expressed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as well as popular, but misguided works such as "An Inconvenient Truth."

That all taxes, regulations, and other interventions intended to reduce emissions of CO2 be abandoned forthwith.

Agreed at New York, 4 March 2008

Anyone else find it a little worrying the other side of this argument isn't even being considered this side of the pond? I do, so if I see Cameron Diaz banging on about unplugging my sodding phone charger one more time I'm going to leave every light in my house on all night just to spite her.

RANT: Plastic Bloody Bags

2008-03-28T11:45:00.003Z

Why is the BBC so intent on spending every single news bulletin of late telling us how many plastic bags are on the planet? And how much it's harming the planet and how we are all going to burn in hell unless we take our plastic bags with us to the supermarket. What the hell do they want from me?
It's really simple - if the supermarkets used paper bags instead we'll all use them instead. End of problem. Except then we'll be mentally flogged for destroying the rain forests...

TECH: N95 8GB - short battery life?

2008-03-27T15:16:00.002Z

I know battery issues with N95 & N95 8GB handsets have been done to death in the blogosphere but having searched about I was still sure my N95 8GB battery life wasn't up to scratch. My daily use after a full charge:

1. Every other day I download a podcast (20MB tops) over Wifi
2. I use my music player (in offline mode) each morning for around 30 mins
3. Each day I send about 5 texts (if that)
4. I make 5-10 mins of calls
5. I browse 5 mins (tops) on the net
6. I turn the phone off for around an hour in the middle of the day whilst I drive
7. I don't have any app running in the background.
8. Handy Weather updates every 8 hours for 2 cities over GPRS
9. Bluetooth is not on, nor is wireless scanning.
10. I am usually in either a full 5 bar 3G signal or full GPRS signal area.

My battery was always depleted before I get chance to turn the phone off in the evening. A few posts on various forums and it turned out this just wasn't normal and I was directed to install Nokia Power Profiler, a handy little app that tells you how much power your device is using at any given time. Running it on my handset in standby gave a reading of 0.31w. I had been told anything higher than 0.15-0.18 during standby was 'unusual'. Tried re-flashing firmware but it didn't change.

Then I stumbled on this post and thought about the fact that my N95 8GB was in a silicon case.

Long story short, the silicon case was pushing the camera button of the N95 8GB in constantly - creating a constant drain on the battery. One swift operation with a stanley knife and the offending piece of silicon is no more and my battery drain is a mere fraction of the previous levels (0.09 - 0.13).

Bottom line - if you have shoddy battery life and your device is in a tight case - try testing power usage without it. The case could be the problem...

TECH: Symbian - the good and the un-answered...

2008-03-18T15:18:00.004Z

After spending a little more time with the Nokia N95 8GB I'm enjoying more and more of its virtues and discovering workarounds for some of its more annoying quirks. Here's a few tricks and tips I have picked up along the way and some recommended applications I've enjoyed using.

1. Nokia start up chime. You know the annoying handshake and music every time you turn on the phone? Turn it off in Menu > Tools > Settings > General > Personalisation > Tones > Warning Tone (set to 'OFF')

2. Make Nokia Maps quicker. Using the Nokia PC Suite 2 (get it at http://www.nokia.com/A4544040), download Map Loader and transfer the UK (or applicable area) map to your phone memory. This means each time you start the application, it doesn't have to download the info to the handset over the air.

3. Sky Plus from your mobile. It's a bit of a pain to set up, but head over to Sky and download the Remote Record application for Symbian. Once you've set-up your details with Sky you can browse the 7 day Sky planner on your handset and set programs to record. There's occasionally a delay (upto 30 minutes) but it's a great tool if you're out and have forgotten to record Match Of The Day.

4. Download podcasts direct to the handset. This is a big bonus for me. Rather than download podcasts to iTunes and then transfer to the N95 8GB via USB, you can just download over the air (WI-FI or 3G) direct to the phone. I do this most mornings. Once you've entered the feed address for the podcast, just pick the desired show from the feed list and within a few minutes: voilà!

5. Weather screensaver - there are a few decent weather applications for the N95/Symbian. Sadly, the best ones are payable (unlike iPhone that includes a great weather application for free). The best ones also allow the user to set the powersaver screensaver to weather - meaning instead of the usual time/date bar, you get a nice two day weather summary. Both the weather applications can be updated manually or at pre-defined intervals (it happens invisibly in the background and uses very little data - about 2K per city so using GPRS for connection is fine). The first recommendation is Handy Weather which is payable yearly, whilst the second, Micro Weather needs only a single payment. Both programs have trial versions you can try.

However, whilst the N95 is endearing is some ways, there are still some unanswered questions:

1. On the active standby desktop, the calendar reminder takes you straight to the detail of the entry - is there any way of making it go to a month view of the month in question instead?

2. I'd like another row of active standby applications. The limit seems to be 7. I'd like to see another row of user selectable applications below.

3. Occasionally my back light stays on after using the phone. I mess with the slider a little and eventually it goes to sleep - I'd like to know what causes this or if it's a known bug?

4. The camera quality is dreadful. It might be a 5 Mega pixel camera but don't let that convince you it is on a par with even a an average compact digital camera of 3 Mega pixel. It simply isn't. There also seems to be a lot of compression taking place on the images. Shots at the 5MB setting often weigh in around the 600k mark. Way too small for a decent quality snap of this size. It's hard to know whether the optics are fine and the compression is ruining the pictures or the optics just aren't up to par. Either way, the quality of the camera given it's specification is a disappointment. I hope a future firmware finds some way to address this problem.

TECH: About those missing iPhones...

2008-02-28T12:56:00.001Z

Having read reports here and here about the volume of iPhone's that weren't registered to 'official' networks I decided to find out just how difficult it was to unlock, activate and jailbreak a UK iPhone. The answer, as it turns out, is 'surprisingly simple'. Having performed the process, I am surprised there aren't actually a lot more 'unlocked/grey' iPhones out there and I would imagine the likes of AT+T (US), Orange (France) and O2 (UK) may amend the registration process in the near future to curtail the simplicity of this process:

1. Enter 02 or Carphone warehouse shop (not an Apple store, I had an unconfirmed rumour they activate it in store before you leave), purchase iPhone of choice, stump up the £269 (I chose the 8GB model), sign the agreements and leave.
2. Download ZiPhone for your PC/Mac. You can get this as a Graphical User Interface version or as one that runs from Terminal (Mac) or Command line (Windows). Also download the standalone 1.1.3 iPhone firmware. UPDATE: There is a new graphical version which cuts out the command line business below. Head over to http://iphone.unlock.no/ for more info.
3. Put your own simcard in the iPhone (paper-clip in the top and push down until the sim card pops up). This can be done after the hack completes also.
4. Connect the iPhone, via the cable and USB cradle to the PC/Mac. Boot the iPhone into recovery mode (hold down power and home buttons on the iPhone, release power button after around 10 seconds) and iTunes will detect the phone and tell you a restore of the software is required. Hold down 'shift' (PC) or 'Option' (mac) and click the restore button in itunes to allow you to browse to the 1.1.3 firmware you previously downloaded.
5. Once the restore is complete, shut iTunes but leave the iPhone connected in the dock.
6. Run Ziphone. I opted for Command Line (Win) option, which I had extracted to the root of my laptops C: drive so it was a matter of the following in Command Line:

c:\
cd ziphone
ziphone -u -a -j -v

The parameters of the ziphone command are that -u is for 'unlock', -a is for 'activate', -j is for 'jailbreak' and -v is for 'verbose'

Then anxiously sit back for 3-5 minutes whilst the hack does its thing. Once completed, I strongly recommend turning automatic updates off. Otherwise, installing a future iPhone update could potentially 'brick' the phone. The great thing about this software hack is that it is very simple to restore the phone back to its original state. Simply follow point 4 above and you will be able to activate the phone officially with the O2 simcard in (should you wish).

As it turns out, as incredible as the iPhone is, and besides the new found freedom of using the iPhone on my chosen network (Orange UK), practically, it just isn't my bag. I find the dimensions inconvenient (too big for the pocket) and due to inheriting a clumsy gene from my father, I'd be sure to smash the screen within days. Furthermore, I also found it uncomfortable, morally, to use the phone in this manner. I'm not a fan of copied material/hacked programs and the like and I hated the feeling every time I connected to iTunes that somehow I was up to no good - the benefits of a morally rigid upbringing! So back to Carphone Warehouse it went.

Needless to say, it is small wonder so many iPhones are out and about on unofficial networks. If the lion's share of revenue for the phone companies is for the network plan (almost certainly the case) I can imagine some hard negotiating before iPhone 2 is released.

Note: This may not apply to v1.1.4 of the iPhone software. For more info on software unlocks of the iPhone, head over to http://iphone.unlock.no/

TECH: Symbian and the Nokia N95 8GB

2008-02-22T17:32:00.003Z

My on/off love affair with the Symbian operating system dates back to the Psion 3a handheld computer. The Psion 3a (still have it in my loft) was a beautifully engineered device. Despite only having a small monochrome screen it allowed all the basic office based tasks in a tiny dependable unit. This was back in the mid-90's. Since then, despite the Psion organiser going the way of the Dodo, Symbian, in various flavours ('series' in Symbian speak) has flourished. Particularly in the Smart phone market.
My first look at a Symbian based 'Smart' phone was the Nokia 6680. Despite the potential and adaptability of the operating system the phone was horrible. Slow menus and the navigation was so convoluted it stifled any semblance of intuitive use.

Cue forward and the latest offering is the N95 8Gb. Heralded by many as an 'iPhone killer'. On paper it certainly talks the talk: 8Gb of storage, dual slider design, 5 Mega-pixel camera, TV-out, high quality video capture, built in GPS. The list of specs goes on and on. The N95 8GB also feels good in the hand. It's a chunky little fella but it feels right. A nice large screen, great slide action and accelerometers to switch the display between portrait and landscape modes. Boot up time, something that can take a short age on Nokia Smart Phones is also speedy. The menus navigate quickly enough 'out of memory' errors (previously common on Nokia Smart phones) were completely absent in the week I used it.

The hardware packed into the unit is beyond reproach. Basic stuff like phone reception (questionable on the Apple iPhone) and call quality is peerless. It also has a sensible SAR rating (0.56 W/Kg) and the 5MB camera feels and behaves like a 'proper' compact digital camera. The GPS is 'proper' GPS, not some pseudo-GPS based on cellular tower triangulation. The sheer wealth of add on apps is also incredible. However, much as I wanted to love the N95 8GB, I just couldn't. The problem is my old friend Symbian.
Getting to use the wide and varied features of the N95 8GB is just too difficult. Even worse for users unfamiliar with the OS. For example, I know that if I hold down the 'menu' key, a list of the currently running applications will appear; the apps in the list can then be switched, like the ALT+TAB system employed in Windows. But how are new users supposed to know that? There is no included manual and no central repository for tips and tricks included either with the phone or on the phone itself (e.g. a help section). Sure there are great online resources like allaboutsymbian.com but seriously, how many new N95 8GB owners want to spend the first week of ownership learning how to get their applications running or setup shortcuts for their favourite applications? Or install new applications? Or browse the contents of the device? Surely a phone should be intuitive enough to use straight out of the box?
The Symbian faithful could argue, with a degree of merit, that not all phones have to be idiot proof. Not all phones need to behave like an iPhone. They could argue that having an OS able to behave exactly as you want it is a good thing. I would argue otherwise. The lack of consistency throughout the OS is a major pain. Things that do something in one app, don't do it in another. For example, predictive text, whilst working fine for text messages doesn't work in the browser. This makes entering web addresses an extremely tedious affair. On the subject of web browsing, the browser, similar in architecture to the iPhones, is capable of far greater speeds when away from a WLAN (thanks to 3G/HSDPA capability). But it is simply woeful to use. Besides the aforementioned URL entering farce, actually navigating a webpage is a hideous affair, requiring the shifting of a red 'target box' about the screen with the navigation key. I would wager that whilst out and about, actually browsing and getting information turns out equally slow on both an iPhone and a N95 8GB. The data speed is terrible on the iPhone but the user interface saves it. The situation is reversed on the N95 8GB.
On paper, the N95 8GB is more than a match for the iPhone. It's certainly possible that the iPhone's 0.94 SAR rating may put off the health conscious whilst the odd cheese slab dimensions and glass front may bother those with clumsy 'mole hands'. Ultimately, in practice, despite the iPhones failings in many areas (aesthetic and technical), the incredible user interface trumps almost everything the N95 8GB can challenge it with. I for one would take usability over capability in all but the most demanding of situations.

In conclusion, it would be great to see a complete overhaul of Symbian. A ground up re-write with the emphasis on user experience and intuitive navigation. As users expect more and more from their phones this will doubtless happen but the sooner it does, the sooner the incredible hardware of phones like the Nokia N95 8GB can be harnessed and enjoyed by all. Not just the coneheads...

TECH: Have Apple and O2 done enough to tempt you yet?

2008-02-06T12:02:00.000Z

Since this post we've already seen talk plan increases for the iPhone: both extra minutes and extra texts. Also any user grumbles about the 8GB storage size of the iPhone have now also been addressed (you can stump up even more cash for the 16GB model). However, it still seems likely that once the effects of those strategies starts to wane there will be an inevitable price down (whether subsidised by O2 or not).

With Apple's self imposed '10 million sold world wide' target to meet, Apple and its partners will have to stimulate purchases each and every month along the way to hit that figure.

Sadly it isn't just cost that is limiting uptake. There are well documented reception complaints and no real alternatives to the glacial surfing speeds of Edge/GPRS. However rumours circulating at present suggest Apple and its partners may opt for country wide Wi-Fi rather than 3G to solve this problem.

The iPhone - beautiful and revolutionary as it is, still suffers from a few thorns in its side. Thorns that would be easier for users to suffer with a choice of contracts/providers or a cheaper handset price?

WRITING: The Guardian 'Making Video' guide

2008-01-25T20:58:00.001Z

Tomorrow's Guardian newspaper includes a 'Making Video' guide I contributed a few sections to. They include the sections on free/stock footage, plug-ins, audio effects and video compression. The guide is aimed at beginners taking their first steps into world of video editing.

WEB: buyit247.com update

2008-01-21T12:20:00.000Z

I've just done a redesign of the buyit247.com website. The company is an IT/Technology supplier that sells laptops, PC's and Plasma/TFT screens.

The standard site architecture is 'Actinic Catalog' e-commerce software but I've given it a completely custom CSS based design along with some special bits and pieces for the front page. One of the biggest challenges (read 'pains') was getting the RSS live feed at the bottom right corner. Buyit247.com has its own forum board and wanted a live flow of their latest posts on the front page. You can't run server side PHP scripts with Actinic so an alternative solution was needed. Thanks to this great free Ajax/Java script is finally became a possibility: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex18/rssdisplaybox/index.htm

Take a look here.

TECH: UK iPhone: Something's got to give.

2008-01-14T11:57:00.000Z

Almost a year ago to the day, Apple head-honcho, Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone publicly for the first time. The Macworld crowd was largely astounded seeing the iPhone in action for the first time. However, a year on, as impressive as the iPhone was and is, something perhaps still needs to change to see it widely adopted in the UK.

I don't believe the technical shortcomings of the iPhone are a problem. It's never possible to make a device that is all things to all people. The iPhone 'niggle list' is well documented and usually includes these minor grumbles: poor camera specification (2 mega-pixel), no MMS messaging, lack of voice recording, no 3G support and no GPS. Whilst some of these problems are set in stone (camera quality for example), others are easily addressed in a future software update; don't be surprised if tomorrow's Macworld keynote address by Mr Jobs doesn't cater for some of these issues.

Nor is the iPhone's UK problem one of desire. The device itself is revolutionary. Virtually anyone can pick up an iPhone and browse through the features in genuine wonderment. It's usable; the interface, for a mobile phone, is light years beyond the clunking, ugly and intuitively convoluted experience of Symbian (and the like) phones. The feature set and its execution, even without the promised 3rd party application support, is also hugely impressive. It would take an extremely cynical person indeed to spend a few hours playing with an iPhone without being in the least bit impressed. And that is without mentioning the slender chassis of the iPhone and its genuinely usable touchscreen technology.
Nor is the UK iPhone problem one of availability or marketing. Apple has done a great job of getting the iPhone 'out there' and into public consciousness. You can also play freely with one in any Carphone Warehouse or O2 store throughout the UK. I would venture anyone with a passing interest in the device has managed to get their hands on one.

The problem is more fundamental. It is price. UK customers simply won't put their hand in their pocket and shell out £269 for a phone with a £35 per month, 18 month-long contract. Speak to any O2 or Carphone warehouse representative and they'll tell you the same thing. People want the device, they just won't pay for it. I spoke to Carphone Warehouse staff at the weekend and the message was clear "Most people have already got iPods so people would rather get a free phone". And whilst competitive devices like the Nokia N82, N95 8GB etc fail in the slick execution stakes, they more than make up for it in feature set. Such devices boast 5 mega-pixel cameras, GPS built in and 3rd party applications and unlock potential without the threat of 'bricking'. What's more, these other devices, on like-for-like tariffs are free. Is Apple arrogantly ignoring the most essential feature for the UK market - value?

Regardless of personal opinion, the next few months will be telling. Will Apple/O2 concede on iPhone/tariff price in the UK to gain some market share and installed user base? Or steadfastly refuse on principle? It certainly presents an interesting conundrum. Especially as Apple stands to make as much back, revenue wise, in related sales (music and film downloads from iTunes for example) as from the margin of the device itself.

GAMING: The most addictive game ever...?

2007-12-20T14:44:00.000Z

In must be some throwback to childhood but I always like to have a game of sorts for myself and others to enjoy when they visit me over Christmas. A couple of years ago 'Bop it Extreme2' was the undisputed party-king of Christmas. Pick it up and you could say goodbye to an hour... Well now there is a new Sheriff in town and his name is Guitar Hero III.

It arrived a few days ago but due to work commitments I didn't have chance to even open the packaging. At about 10:30 last night I got chance to check it out...

I just couldn't put the thing down. It's one of those great games where you constantly find yourself saying 'just one more go', and that sentiment takes you effortlessly into the early hours of the morning, rattling out 'Sunshine of your love' and the like, suspending disbelief that you actually are a legendary axeman. My poor neighbours...

WRITING: Final Cut Express 4 review hitting shops soon

2007-12-20T14:36:00.000Z

I've been looking at the latest Final Cut Express program for both MacUser and Digital Video for the past couple of weeks. I'm a little disappointed with it as it offers few 'must have' features whilst also removing some of the functionality of prior versions - say goodbye to Soundtrack for example. You can read the full review in the coming weeks as the press hits the shelves...
Full details on Final Cut Express 4 can be found here

RANT: Get off the phone when you are being served!

2007-12-10T12:23:00.000Z

I don't know if this is a predominantly female thing or this has merely been my experience of the phenomenon. Every time I'm doing the weekly shop I'm stunned by the amount of women who do their entire shopping trip with a mobile phone seemingly glued to their ear. I suppose if people having long and loud conversations in public places doesn't make them feel like the utter gits they look: more power to them. Either that or the conversation must be so important they can't have it in the privacy of their own home and save us from the inane drivel.

However, there is a line that shouldn't be crossed; a line of common human decency. Good old-fashioned manners if you will. It is thus: when you take your goods to a till, to be served by a fellow human being, the very least you can do is stop blowing all that hot bloody air out, turn off your mobile phone and show the person serving you the basic human respect that you at least acknowledge their presence - YOU ARROGANT F***ING T***S! Don't stand there waffling on as they scan your goods, pack your bags and take your payment. How difficult is it to simply call the person on the other end back in literally 1 minute once you have finished at the till?

MTB: Penmachno loop2 - disappointing...

2007-11-27T16:44:00.000Z

Rode the new 'Loop 2' mountain biking route at Penmachno yesterday and was rather under whelmed. I love the original loop, which is more than worth the journey and honesty box price alone, but the new one feels very 'pedally' and uneventful. There are seemingly no real downhills or places where you can pick up free speed (which the original loop has in abundance). The only real highlights are that this time of year saw one of the sections appear like a kaleidoscope of autumnal colours which, besides making me sound camper than a row of pink tents, was jolly impressive. Apart from that the only sections of note are the 'bomb blast section' (I simply called it that because all the trees are down) that offers some good views of Snowdonia and the 'flinty' section where the track swoops you up between two trees.
In retrospect, I think I'd rather ride loop 1 twice than do the extra 14km of loop 2. If you are looking to get miles in to your ride, by all means add loop 2 to your day (total length of both loops is 17.66 miles - took us 3hours 45mins going at a leisurely pace) but otherwise I'm sad to say I felt it was a bit of a waste of bike time. Ultimately, can't help feeling that rather than the sign at post 122 saying 'Loop1' (left) and 'Loop2' (right) it should just be marked 'Fun' (left) and 'Fitness' (right)...

TECH: Western Digital MyBook Pro and OSX Time Machine

2007-11-23T16:24:00.000Z

If anyone has recently bought one of these drives, or intends to, the following may be of interest. Having plugged in a brand spanking new MyBook Pro 500GB to use as my new backup drive I couldn't understand why I kept receiving the error "Error Code 0..." when trying to back up files manually (this was before setting it up in Time Machine). I'd even updated the drive firmware and installed the latest button manager software to no avail. Chances are, if you are using one of these drives fresh from the box in OSX, you'll encounter the same problem if you are trying to back up any large files (especially video files).
The reason is that the MyBook Pro drives are pre-formatted to FAT32 format (to allow Windows systems to use them). However, as FAT32 is a little archaic, it unfortunately cannot handle single files larger than 4GB. As video files are frequently larger than 4GB, the error is easily replicable if you are trying to back up video projects.
The solution: first of all, copy the existing utilities from the My Book drive onto your desktop (or somewhere or your choosing). Then open disc utility (it's in applications > utilities), select the My Book drive on the left and choose 'partition'. Select '1 partition' (or however many partitions you want) from the drop down and choose 'OSX HFS+ Journalled' from the drop down (the top option). The disc utility will now re-partition the drive and re-format and everything will work fine.

Note: For inexplicable reasons, my My Book drive re-fused to repartition initially to HFS+ format so I had to re-partition first in FAT32, restart and then re-partition as HFS+.

TV: Commando: On the front line

2007-11-16T12:34:00.000Z

Commando: On the front line (ITV1) - What a great show, made all the better for the additional program, 'The 55 year old Commando' the week after which documented film maker Chris Terrill's efforts to gain an honorary Green Beret at the tender age of 55! Watching these programs only cements the utter respect I have for members of our armed forces. Almost without exception they display utter professionalism under extremely tough conditions. For example, how would you fancy going straight to work in Helmand, Afganistan 1 week after finishing training?
Commando: On the front line, as the title suggests, focused on the Royal Marine Commando's, whose training is widely regarded as the toughest in the world. Besides the usual intense training, before you can wear the coveted green beret the recruits have to successfully complete the following...

Endurance Course: A 2 mile obstacle course (think muddy freezing underwater tunnels, not zig-zagging out of traffic cones!) and then run 4 miles back to base before achieving a minimum of 6 out of 10 shots on the firing range. To be completed within 73 minutes.

Tarzan Assault Course: Death slide and tree based assault course, fall here and you'll be lucky if you can walk away. 13 minute time limit.

Nine Mile Speed March: You have to average 10 minutes a mile as an entire unit. 90 minute limit.

Thirty Mile March: As the title suggests. Thirty miles across open Dartmoor hills (regardless of weather). 8 hour limit.

And the best bit is that all of those challenges have to be completed in full 'fighting order' - that's carrying 30lbs of kit on your back and a rifle!

Seeing what our forces go through to earn their position and then the selfless way they perform their duties has been an extremely humbling watch. If it's repeated be sure to set the recorder. More information on the series can be found here: http://www.itv.com/commando/

Perhaps more importantly, for more information on the Royal Marines Commandos - visit their website at http://www.royalmarines.mod.uk/

WEB: Anyone for ice cream?

2007-11-14T22:14:00.000Z

Just finished a little site for www.mrwhippyicecream.co.uk

If you're in the Stockport region check out what the area's best ice cream man has to offer!

GAMING: PES2008 is a mess

2007-11-02T08:35:00.001Z

As a fan of the Pro Evo Soccer games I always look forward to the latest release. PES2008 is no exception. However, almost unbelievably, Konami have managed to take one step forward and two steps back...

I play the Xbox 360 version and almost always online. After only a few days play - here are the problems with this release. Many of these problems were present in PES6, many more are new additions...

1. Storage device on start up. There is no need to ask the player each time the game is loaded whether to use a storage device or which one to use. Simply remember the last one used and give an option to 'select different storage device' in the options.

2. Can't change teams - when you select a team, if the other player has also selected a team, it is then impossible to go back and change your team. Furthermore, there is no option to them quit the game and set it up again. You literally have to either log out of X-box live completely or play with a team you don't want to play with.

3. Doesn't remember selections - where is the option to save default selections? I use the same team and the same selection of players every time I play. Give us the option to save these settings as a default selection. This should also save formation settings. Having to change this each and every time a session is created is a farce.

4. Remember game defaults/ball options - enable the user to save options for the ball, stadium, cursor options. Save the selections last used by default but give the player the option of changing them with options. Better still give the option of 'reset options each session' or 'save session settings' and then everyone will be happy.

5. Lag during play - There was occasional bad lag in PES6 but this version is shameful. The ball and players literally teleport about the pitch whilst the game plays. Occasionally what happens on one screen, doesn't happen the same on your opponents. This is really basic stuff. That Konami can release a game in this state shows real contempt for the customer.

6. Replays are terrible - seriously, this wasn't even a problem last version. Now, the replays are WORSE. They are so slow as to be almost unwatchable. Again, disgraceful.

7. Replays can be skipped by one half but the other player then watches and empty screen - In the past version, while playing online, if one user tried to skip the replay but the other user wanted to watch it, the replay was viewed until it had either ended or both users had pressed 'start'. Now, once you have pressed 'start', if the other player is still viewing the replay you just get to watch a blank screen saying 'waiting for other player'. Please Konami, change this back to how it used to be, you have solved nothing but created a new problem.

8. Occasionally, despite the keeper making a save and the ball remaining in play, a corner kick is awarded. This is a definite bug. Not much else to say - fix it.

9. For reasons that escape me, the delay between a set piece being awarded and the referee blowing his whistle is far too long (same for goal kicks, throw ins, corners etc). There needs to be an option for 'whistle delay'. It's only seconds but waiting for throw ins, free kicks, centre kicks etc is now incredibly frustrating. It wasn't a problem in PES6 - why has this been added/changed?

The really frustrating thing is that all these issues have become obvious after only a few hours of play testing. It is quite obvious that either the code hasn't been tested before being giving a release candidate (or similar) status or Konami and Microsoft were aware of the issues but decided to press ahead with the release because they know the title is a huge money maker. Either way it is cynical and shameful. The paying customer deserves better. My advice: if you have PES6 then hold on to it until this new title is significantly patched.

FILM: 3 great flops, 3 terrible hits

2007-10-29T21:30:00.000Z

Regardless of critical merit, there are some films I feel the critics simply got wrong. Equally, there are plenty of terrible films that enjoyed critical success. In my humble opinion here is a good representation of each. First, 3 flops I think are superb...

Cable Guy (1996) - It got dreadful reviews yet I think it's perhaps Jim Carrey's greatest performance to date. Even if it weren't a great film throughout, it's worth watching for two classic scenes alone (the basketball scene and Medieval Knights fight sequence). One of the most underrated dark comedies of recent times. It even has a terrific cameo from Owen Wilson...

Wyatt Earp (1994) - Beautiful cinematography, exquisite attention to detail and a thorough portrait of a man. With this film, Lawrence Kasdan, writer of two of my favourite childhood films (Raiders of the Lost Ark and Empire Strikes Back) has written and directed a film of individual vision. A rare thing in modern studio film making. Costner turns in a nicely downplayed performance, Gene Hackman is in there too plus the always underrated Dennis Quaid is utterly compelling as Doc Holliday too...

Midnight Run - (1988) - Comic genius. Screenplay by George Gallo that simply crackles with quips and one liners. Ultimately, I just don't get how people don't get this film. Every character in it is spot on and the exchanges between Charles Groddin and Robert DeNiro are simply impeccable. It's the sort of film, like 'Groundhog Day', that just never gets tired.

And now for some absolute stinkers everyone got worked up about...

King Kong (2005) - Peter Jackson's skills as a film maker are irrefutable. However, despite critics bumming the pants off it ("the kind of romantic action spectacle that makes the big screen silver and provides box-office gold. Puts the prime in primate." Empire) this is absolute turgid pap. Even the best set piece between the Trex and Kong feels a little 'been there, done that' thanks to Mr Spielberg's earlier dinosaur based efforts (more on him shortly). And as for shooting giant bugs off people's backs with a Tommy gun - I just give up... This is slow, indulgent and I'm quite certain will be reappraised as the woeful film it is in years to come.

Moulin Rouge (2001) - This film is 'camper' than a row of pink tents... Nauseatingly irritating - I confess I didn't make it past the first 40 mins and I rarely switch films off, regardless of how bad they are (if proof were needed I even endured 'Snakes On A Plane'). Seriously, what does anyone see in this film? Yet, here's what Empire had to say, "A breathtaking baroque film that marries the best of theatre, opera and cinematic technique." Garbage I tell you...

Munich - Oscar nomination? Are they smoking crystals? This film is a farce. If Spielberg doesn't have the cajhones to fall on either side of the fence he shouldn't try and climb it in the first place. It's so transparent in its 'right-on' message it's repulsive. Awful scenes that attempt to show both sides of the conflict are criminally shoe-horned in (such as the dreadful 'crux of the matter' scene on the stair well). If that isn't enough to convince you this film is horribly overrated what about the laugh out loud stupidity of the 'Police Squad' style shoot out either end of the same car? Or the risible sniper sequence when they are about three foot from the target? Completely overrated.

TV: Best. Advert. Ever...

2007-10-27T17:10:00.000+01:00

The Cadbury's Gorilla drummer advert. It's simply superb. I'd have loved to see the faces of the execs at Cadbury when the marketing team ran that one by them. However, to their credit, they obviously ok'd it.
No matter how many times I watch it I'm still not quite sure what to make of it, a bit like the last 10 minutes of 2001: a space odyssey. If you haven't seen it yet, you can click the link to watch it here on youtube

VIDEO: POV.1 Action Camera

2007-10-22T19:11:00.000+01:00

I've spent the last few days testing out the POV.1 Action camera from Vio. It's a bullet camera and recording device that records to SD cards (as opposed to conventional tape). The full report will be in isue 23/23 of MacUser magazine but if anyone is considering the camera they might want to take a look at the test footage I got with the device. It was recorded in October 2007 in the Hope Valley, Peak District.

Gallery Clicky linky to POV1 test footage