wifi
LG InTouch Max (GW620) Review
March 6, 2010
The LG InTouch Max (GW620) is LG’s first attempt at an Android smartphone. Serving the budget end of the market, the GW620 is available from free on a £20 a month contract with T-Mobile in the UK. This is the same headset that Zath got to have a hands-on test with a few months ago when we attended the LG Mobile Event (November 2009), we liked the look of it and wrote up our own LG GW620 (Android) preview about the handset, so be sure to take a look at that first – it would appear our hope for a better name has in fact happened with LG playing up the social networking possibilities of this handset by calling it the LG InTouch Max!
Hardware
The LG InTouch Max (GW620) is the first Android device I’ve used with a hardware keyboard, which naturally makes the device thicker than others available on the market, although it doesn’t feel unnatural when holding it without the keyboard slid out. On the front of the device there are 2 soft touch buttons for home and back, and a physical button in the centre, allowing you to access settings of each app open.
Continue reading »Cars To Become Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspots? Audi A8 Features 3G Internet Access
February 15, 2010
Just the other day I was pondering whether there would be any benefit to including 3G mobile broadband connectivity into cars. Then today I log onto the Internet and do the usual rounds, before I stumble across an interesting article telling me that Audi have joined up with Qualcomm and done this very thing. The navigation system in the new Audi A8’s will now include 3G capability in which a driver just shoves in a connected sim card and it opens him up to a whole host of features previously unheard of in motor cars.
Ok so you’re not going to sit browsing the net whilst in the driver seat, that would be more dangerous than using your phone, but the features are somewhat impressive. For example, when you pass a landmark or spot an interesting building, or a historical venue, the navigation system will give the driver the simple option of pulling information from sources such as Wikipedia regarding that spot. Great eh?
Continue reading »Linux Training Week: Setup & Compatibility
February 15, 2010
If you saw our introductory post yesterday, you’ll know that this week on Zath is Linux training week! Over the next week, I’ll be using Ubuntu version of Linux in place of my norm of Mac OS X and Windows 7 to see how it stacks up against its rivals and whether it’s viable for the average computer user to make the switch.
Installing Linux on your hard drive is a much easier affair than it used to be, with an almost automated GUI that takes you through the necessary steps of installation. One of the computers I chose to install Ubuntu 9.10 on was my Mac Mini. I chose to install it side by side with Mac OS X as I didn’t want to erase my personal data or swap out the hard drive in the Mac Mini as it’s a rather tricky operation inside such a small case.
Continue reading »VLC Remote iPhone App Review
January 16, 2010
I use VLC Media Player for all of my video playback, as it will play anything you throw at it with great support for many formats. When I heard that VLC had released an application on the iTunes AppStore to remotely control the VLC Media Player, I was very excited to see how it worked and despite some minor gripes I have with it, I wasn’t disappointed.
You’ll find two versions of the application available: a VLC Remote free version and a VLC Remote paid version for £1.79, or $2.99 in the US store. I’d recommend purchasing the full version, as it allows you to browse through your files on the selected computer, including any external drives (this is essential for me, as all my media is stored on my external hard drive) so you don’t have to leave your chair!
Continue reading »Sony Walkman A845 – Ultra Slim MP3 Player
January 7, 2010
As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before the tech industry has a tendency to try and get either bigger or smaller (or both) until it reaches the limits of practicality at which point manufacturers try and push the boundaries in a different axis – and that’s what’s happened with the Sony Walkman A845.
Having realised that MP3 players already have got small enough, have more than enough memory space (who realistically listens to more than 50 albums at one time?) and screens that are big enough to allow video watching but don’t make the player too big Sony are pitching for the crown of the next dimension – width – with their thinnest MP3 player yet.
With a thickness of only 7.2mm (although only just thinner than the thinnest laptop) and a weight of only 62g Sony have pushed the boundaries of what defines ‘Ultra-Slim’ and this really is the MP3 player for those of you who are very weak, supermodels or obsessed with technology. Unfortunately I do feel obliged to point out that I can’t remember consciously thinking “Oh, this MP3 player is too heavy!”, and in fact the iPod Nano beats it for ‘skinnyness’ at 6.2mm, but I’ll let that pass for the sake of progress!
Continue reading »New Samsung Digital Camaras Announced (CES 2010)
January 7, 2010
As the day goes on at CES, more press conferences continue to take place! In Samsung’s CES 2010 press release earlier today, we saw a new line of cameras and camcorders, and of course, some love for 3D!
Samsung TL-Series Digital Cameras
The first thing on show was a few new additions to Samsung’s digital camera line-up, starting with two new point and shoot models: the TL210 and TL205. Both of these models contain a front facing LCD display measuring 1.5”, giving your subject enough time to get their pose just right! Specifications for both cameras are pretty similar: the TL210 comes with a 12.4MP sensor, and the TL205 with a 12.2MP sensor. The lenses on the two models also differ – if you opt for the TL210, you’ll become familiar with a 27mm wide angle lens that offers 5x optical zoom. The TL205 on the other hand comes packed with a 35mm lens and just 3x optical zoom.
Continue reading »Dropbox iPhone App Review
December 24, 2009
You may have caught our look at the Dropbox online file sync service for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux a few months back, where I mentioned its availability on the iPhone platform. If you’re a user of Dropbox and have an iPhone or iPod Touch then you should definitely check out the free Dropbox app on the iTunes App Store.
When you’ve downloaded Dropbox, you’ll need to enter your email address and password to sync it to your account, and everything on your personal storage will be available to download and view. The interface is extremely simple to navigate, with 3 options at the bottom of the screen allowing you to switch between “Favorites”, “My Dropbox” and “Settings”.
Continue reading »Pub Landlord Fined £8000 For Customer’s Pirate Download On Wi-Fi
November 30, 2009
One of the great things about Wi-Fi networks is that they are dead easy to set up, and thus let people easily access the Internet when they’re out and about – and that is why thousands of restaurants, pubs, fast food outlets and cafés (such as Starbucks) across the country are jumping onto the Wi-Fi bandwagon. But some may be feeling a little less confident about their decision thanks to this recent news.
The managing director of ‘The Cloud’ which is a company that provides wireless hotspots for the aforementioned establishments has said that over the summer a pub owner has been fined £8,000 because one of the people using his Wi-Fi illegally downloaded copyrighted material.
The owner of the rights to the material (the identity of which is not known) took the pub owner (the identity of which is also unknown) to court, and the result was this fine which presumably aims to persuade others to take stricter measures.
Rovio – Remote Home Security Robot
November 22, 2009
Rovio can be the eyes and ears of your house whilst you’re out, whether you don’t trust your housemates, your cleaner or perhaps a babysitter. A Wi-Fi driven remote home security robot loaded with a webcam and camera so you can roam around your house from room to room from the other side of the globe using any device with web access.
The Rovio has a wide range of uses, from spying on your housemate or simply an extremely different way of chatting with anyone in your home whilst you’re away. It has three wheels for ease of travel. I guess it could be difficult to turn over after an unexpected crash and flip.
Continue reading »Swindon To Get UK’s First Free Wi-Fi Mesh Network
November 18, 2009
One of the problems with Wi-Fi is that it doesn’t have that great a range – yes its easily enough for your house, and maybe for your cheapskate neighbour as well but there is only really two ways to link up a large area using wireless networking: WiMax or loads of Wi-Fi access points, and it may not surprise you to know that here in Britain we’ve generally opted for the brute force option when it comes to this problem.
This example is one that is set to continue, but it is not that which is interesting in this example. No, it’s that Britain is set to have its first “Wi-Fi town”, and for a reason not yet disclosed it will be the 160,000 strong town of Swindon.
Continue reading »
