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LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 – Build And Program Your Own LEGO Robot!
November 29, 2009
LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is probably the most amazing thing you will ever see in your whole life. Well, almost. This super advanced robot allows you to build your very own machine out of not so ordinary LEGO.
Considering you can construct this thing yourself with little or no knowledge of building robots, it is excitingly capable. There are 4 different types of robot possible to construct from the set, which comes with instructions for all 4 in the box along with a quick start guide and easy to use ‘drag and drop’ software to program and control your robot from your computer.
Continue reading »CopyTrans Manager Review (iTunes Alternative)
November 24, 2009
Apple’s iPod has never been as popular, accounting for over 70% of the MP3 player market in its many forms and having a larger library of games than the PSP and Nintendo DS put together. That means that over 70% of MP3 owners are using iTunes to manage music on their iPod’s then right? I personally don’t know anybody who doesn’t use iTunes to manage their digital music collection, in fact I use iTunes myself, but there are more alternatives than people think. One of these alternatives is CopyTrans Manager, which offers a bulk free way to get your music on and off your iPod and is available for Windows XP, Vista and 7.
During my testing, CopyTrans manager worked great with everything I threw at it, namely an iPhone 3G, iPod Touch (1st Gen), iPod Nano (4th Gen) and an older iPod Nano (2nd Gen). The interface is fairly easy to navigate and brings up the contents of your iPod almost immediately after connection.
Continue reading »5 Top Open Source Applications
October 25, 2009
Whilst writing this article, the phrase ‘nothing in life is free’ leaps to mind. However, a quick trip to sourceforge.net will entirely disprove that theory. Sourceforge is a developer’s paradise, a community where developers create and build upon their own and other people’s open source software. This article will take you through the top 5 must-have open source applications that could save you literally hundreds of pounds…
Continue reading »Fences Review (Organise Your Windows Desktop)
October 10, 2009
As far as applications go, Stardock’s Fences is perhaps one of the most featureless. However that is not to say it isn’t one of the best. As it happens, it’s actually one of my favourite desktop enhancement apps around.
Basically, it allows you to create customisable areas on your desktop where you can arrange your icons. You can add headers to your areas to label which icons go where. It may sound pretty pointless, but in my experience it makes your desktop feel a lot more organised and ultimately a much nicer and productive place to operate.
Continue reading »2 Applications To Transform Your Windows Desktop (ObjectDock and Standalone Stacks Review)
October 6, 2009
The first, is a well known application. It’s called ObjectDock and it has been around for a while now. Developed by Stardock. The company who have more recently brought us Fences and the Dell Dock. They specialise in desktop enhancement software and this is their centrepiece. The second, is a lightweight ’stacks’ application called Standalone Stacks. Now, I know there has been much hype just lately about Alastria’s 7Stacks. But in my opinion, this program is infinitely superior. Trust me, it’s a combination fit for a king!
SharePod Review (Transfer Files From iPod To Computer Without iTunes)
September 26, 2009
Let me talk you through one of my worst nightmares. I wipe my computer a lot for various reasons, but often have one machine that’s left completely untouched. There are times, however, where for whatever reason I re-install the OS on that untouched machine, which happens to link in to the aforementioned nightmare… I’ve been collecting music on my iPod for years, and my iTunes library is just over 30GB in size, not counting any of my TV shows or movies. If I forget to back up my library and format my hard drive, then I’m screwed.
That was the exact situation I was in a few weeks ago. My iTunes library was gone, and I needed some way to get all the files off my iPod and on to my hard drive. If you re-install iTunes and sync your iPod with an empty library, you’ll just end up with an empty iPod, and then you HAVE lost your music! Before you start panicking about your precious music collection being lost though, try a program called SharePod.
Continue reading »Launchy Review (Free Windows Application Launcher)
September 19, 2009
If you haven’t heard of it, Launchy is essentially a program created to help you launch other programs already installed on your computer. The first time I heard this, my immediate reaction was “Why the hell would I want to install a program to launch other programs?” Well I’ll tell you exactly why…
I hate cluttered desktops. There’s nothing worse than logging on to my PC and being confronted with countless shortcuts, folders and old downloads. I even got rid of the Recycle Bin shortcut from my desktop! With Launchy installed, I no longer need to have any shortcuts to applications or documents on my desktop, and it runs in the background, so you don’t know it’s there until you need it to be.
Continue reading »7 Stacks Review (Windows Icon Stacks)
September 18, 2009
Remember when Vista was released in 2006 and Apple (once again) claimed that Microsoft was copying Mac OS X? Well, 3 years down the line, we’re there again. Windows 7 will be released on October 22nd, and many comparisons have been made between the new Windows SuperBar and OS X’s dock. Despite this though, there’s still no feature in Windows resembling Stacks in OS X. That’s where 7 Stacks comes in… made by a small software company called Alastria Software, it allows you to have Windows icon stacks, but best of all it’s a free download.
