Apple Universal Dock Review

If you have an iPhone or iPod then this could be the perfect accessory for you.

There are 2 reasons that you would want to buy this - the first is that you can use it as a Dock to connect your iPhone or iPod to your computer and the second is that you can use it to connect your iPhone or iPod to your HiFi system.

I personally don't see the point of buying this just to use it as a dock to connect up to your computer as you have a lead that does that and this offers no benefit really when connecting it to your computer.


The benefit of this great bit of kit is that it has a Line Out port at the rear which you can then connect to the Line In/Auxiliary port of your music system and you can use the Remote Control that comes with the Dock to control your iPhone and iPod whilst sitting comfortably in your chair.

The Universal Dock comes with 5 Apple Dock Adaptors that allow you to connect either an iPhone 4, iPhone 3G/3GS, 4th Generation iPod, 2nd/3rd Generation iPod or a 5th Generation iPod nano.

If your Dock Adaptor isn't listed then don't worry, have a look on the Apple Store and see if they have one for your Apple device - the last time I looked they also sold them on the Argos website as well.

Your iPhone/iPod gets charged whilst plugged in to the Dock so so theres no chance of your battery going flat as you listen to music all day long.

Prices start from £35 all the way up to £50+ so it's worth shopping around for the best price of what's in stock if you're interested in this great little gizmo.

Given Up With Ubuntu Linux

I've given up with the Ubuntu version of Linux as I can't get the WiFi working.  I've followed all the guides on the internet relating to Dell laptops and the WiFi connection and all I'm doing is wasting my time as none of the so called 'fixes' actually work and as I've no experience of Linux I don't know off the top of my head what I need to do to fix this issue.

Someone recommended I try Fedora so I downloaded version 16 (Gnome) and low and behold in a matter of minutes a new OS is installed on the laptop and everything (including the WiFi) is working OK and the laptop is now as fast as lightning!

On top of the WiFi now working there was a photo application preinstalled that I have copied hundreds of photos in to and it looks and behaves pretty much like Apple's iPhoto program so good news all round really as I was looking for a program that could be used to organise photos in Linux so this saved me having the headache of searching for one.

Currently Installing Ubuntu Linux

I've never really used Linux, I installed it once many years ago and there was such much messing about getting the partitions right that after installing it once I never bothered with it again.

Wondering if things had changed I thought I'd give it a go again and see how things have evolved. The flavour of Linux I've downloaded is the Ubuntu 10.11 version.


So far it's taken longer to install than XP and actually hung so I've had to re-format and start again. It got stuck installing the languages it had downloaded so I've disconnected it from my network so that won't happen this time!

Ignoring the above glitch, it seems fairly easy to install with none of the messing about you used to have to go through and the range of software out there is increasing by the hour.

I'm looking forward to testing some of the system tools that are available and booting from a USB Flash Drive rather than a Hard Disk Drive or CD/DVD.

Well, the installation says it's now complete and I need to restart - so here goes nothing...

Tim Vine – Ventriloquist

This is fantastic:

One day I'll get around to seeing Tim Vine live :)

Greased Lightning Showroom Shine

I ran out of Greased Lightning's Showroom Shine some months ago and I as refuse to pay full price for it (£20 a bottle) I've been waiting to catch it on the Ideal World channel where they always have it on special offer - the other day I managed to catch it on the TV so off to their website I went and placed my order.

I've not washed my car (or what I really mean is I haven't taken it through a car wash) since the end of last year so the only way the muck has washed off my car is from any rain we've had!

I woke up early this morning and there was a clear blue sky with the sun shining down so I decided to grab my Greased Lightning Showroom Shine and micro-fibre cloths and head off outside to wash my car.

I purchased two packages from Ideal World - 1 triple pack of Showroom Shine and 1 box containing one bottle of Showroom Shine, one bottle of Stain Shifter and one bottle of One Minute Wheels.

Here are a few photos that I took of my car before I washed it:

 

I decided to clean the wheels first using the One Minute Wheels bottle. All you have to do is spray the wheel with the solution and then use a wheel brush to turn it in to a bit of a lather. You then need to rinse it with water and Hey Presto nice and clean wheels!

I was pleasantly surprised with the One Minute Wheels product and it brought the wheels up very nicely as you can see from the before and after photos (above and below).

I then grabbed a couple of micro-fibre cloths (one for cleaning and one for buffing) along with a bottle of Showroom Shine and began to clean my car.

As you'll see from the 'After' photos below it wasn't long before my car was sparkling in the sun once again!

 

One of the good things about using Showroom Shine is that it puts on a protective coating so the next time you clean your car it's a lot quicker as the grime/much is on the protective coating rather than your cars paintwork itself.

Once again, Greased Lightning's Showroom Shine has done a fantastic job on my car and I would recommend this product to anyone who wants to quickly and easily clean/wash their car and end up with a fantastic looking shiny car!

Another Internet Dot Com Bubble About To Burst?

Along came MySpace, Bebo & Facebook. Out of the three FaceBook became the most popular and has millions of users worldwide and it makes it's money from the adverts shown on the site that are taylor made to their advertisers requirements - i.e. if an advertiser wants their adverts to be viewed by males aged between 25 and 35 then FaceBook can facilitate that request.

BeBo and MySpace are still around but have developed in to a niche market whereas FaceBook is popular to the masses.

Then along came Twitter. It started with them wanting you to 'tweet' about every single thing you were doing. Lots of people joined but soon got fed up with the mundane tweets. Luckily they made a point of letting people know about how mundane and uninteresting their tweets were and things began to change.

 

Twitter transformed in to haven for famous people tweeting about the interesting things they are getting up to and now it's more about following interesting people rather than tweeting about absolutely everything you do.

More recently the likes of FourSquare came along which I tried for a few months and just didn't get the point of the whole thing. I cant see what use it was to me or how they were going to make any money - at least twitter is now getting some money with advertisers being able to add a paid-for result to the words that are trending.

DailyBooth is another social networking site that has jumped on the Social Networking band-wagon and is basically twitter with photos instead of tweets.

Then there's the Social Network for business people to use, LinkedIn - this has recently floated on the stock markets for millions of dollars so how long before some others follow? It's only a matter of time and when they do, that's when the bubble will start to get bigger and bigger until finally it bursts.

The Goss, The Pics, The Biz, The News of the World

Photo credit: News International/PA Wire.

It hasn't hit the shops yet and already you can 'pre-order' a copy on eBay for around £5.50 a copy!

After 168 years this iconic newspaper is no more with the last ever edition going on sale tomorrow.

It's the best selling Sunday newspaper in the UK with a current readership of around 2.6 million readers which is more than double the next 'red top' Sunday paper.

Gone are the World Exclusives that have made it famous throughout the UK - I guess the pressure of getting bigger and better Exclusives got so great that they not only crossed the line but kept on going until it was too late to go back and after tomorrow they will be no more.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Wernham Hogg Paper Company

Ten years ago the Wernham Hogg Paper Company hit the headlines as the (now worldwide phenomenon) Gervais and Merchant mocumentary sit-com was first broadcast by the BBC where we became a fly on the wall in The Office following David Brent and his staff in their day-to-day business of paper.

I have to admit that I only managed to watch a few minutes of the first episode and couldn't watch any more a few years to come - not because it wasn't any good, but because I had previously worked for someone who not only looked like Brent but was exactly like Brent in so many ways and a whole lot worse so it brought back bad memories!

The person I worked with previously was so much of a bad manager that most of the staff knew him as Captain Nob-Shite as he was a Nob that talked shite and although he was only a deputy, deputy manager he thought he knew what he was doing and was under the misapprehension that he was in charge (hence the Captain title). He was the sort of salesperson who knew nothing about anything but didn't stop him from selling anything as he'd just make stuff up - the amount of refunds from people who when they got home realised he was talking shite was unbelievable.

Finally I got in to the right frame of mind as was able to watch The Office and couldn't help but laugh at the cringeworthy moments and fully emphasise with the staff that worked there!

I've not seen the US version as it will probably end up being 21 episodes per season and 51 seasons long - they seem to drag everything out far too long. Just like the classic sit-com Fawlty Towers, The Office is 2 series long which left us wanting more - better to finish at the top than half-way down the other side.

Secret Agents Raid Apple Artists Home

Yes, you read that right!

USA Secret Agents have raided an 'artists' home after they found out that they had installed software on the laptops in their local Apple store that every 60 seconds took a photo using the built-in webcam and if the software detected a face it was uploaded on to the internet!

The 'artist' thought it was OK to do this as they had sought the permission from a security guard...

Apple & Microsoft Consortium Buy Patents

My first ever phone was a Nortel phone and the feature that made it stand out from the crowd at the time was the fact that it had voice-activated dialling and it was the only one at the time to have such a thing so I snapped it up!

The fact that no one I knew had a mobile phone was neither here or there! But if they did get one then I could call them by simply pressing one butting and saying their name (along with keeping my fingers crossed it would work) I could make a phone call to them!

Patent wars are becoming more common place these days and are highly sort after pieces of intellectual property. In my opinion the constant legal action taken by one company to another who then in return dig up a patent that the the other company has infringed, or worse still buys a patent from another company that the original company has infringed just so they can counter-sue them is not only daft but is stifling innovation.

So it is very refreshing to see that Apple, Microsoft, RIM, Ericsson, EMC and Sony have joined together in the form of a consortium which paid $4.5bn for around 6,000 patents and patent applications.

The fact that a consortium now owns these patents rather than an individual company can only be a good thing for the industry as a whole as (hopefully) there will be less legal bickering and more innovative and fantastic products for the general public to enjoy!

TJ Hughes In Administration

Another UK company has just gone in to administration leaving around 4,000 people at risk of losing their jobs.

Founded by Thomas Hughes in 1912, just like the failed Woolworths chain - TJ Hughes is just 1 year away from celebrating its 100th year in retailing.

No doubt in the next few weeks there will lots of bargains to have as the Administrators are likely to try an liquidate as much stock as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Google's Latest Attempt To Take On Facebook

Once again the mighty Google is taking on Facebook in the world of Social Networking - the failure of its previous attempt (Google Buzz) hasn't stopped the company trying again to completely dominate the internet.

Not satisfied with being (in my opinion) the greatest Search Engine in the world along with having created Google Maps & Google Earth they are still trying to take over the world of Social Networking as well!

What they want you to do is buy a Google Chrome OS laptop, use the Google Chrome web browser to browse to the Google Search engine and use Google Earth and then Google Street View to do what ever you need to do on the web.

They're taking over the Internet!

Is it good or bad that they have all this dominance? I'm still undecided on the matter so will just have to wait and see what happens in the future.

Jane Norman Now In Administration

Retail chain Jane Norman is now in administration. 1,600 people are employed by the company that has gotten in to cash flow difficulties which has left the board no choice but to call in the administrators.

Sponsor A Child With Plan UK

For just a few pence each day you could make such a huge difference to a child's life. If you're interested in Sponsoring a child then click on one of the links below to go to Plan UK's website.

Plan have pioneered child sponsorship over 70 years ago and today they have around 1,000,000 sponsors.

So why not make a difference and sponsor a child today?

Read Me Daily by Binatone - eBook Reader Review

If you're looking for a cheap eBook reader then the Binatone Read Me Daily could be right up your street.

Selling at around £69.99 this has got to be one of the cheapest devices on the market right now. With a reading time of around 6-9 hours and an internal memory of 2GB it's suitable for most literature buffs out there!

It has a handy bookmark option so you can continue where you left off and the 7inch TFT display is ample to with the text on and is pretty much the size of a typical novel's page.

You can also play your MP3 files on this handy little device along with MP4 & H.264 videos - don't worry about filling up the internal memory, it has a memory card where you can add up to 32GB more space!

As an eBook reader it works very well with .mobi (Amazon) and .epub (Waterstones) files but if you're looking for something to read PDF files on then this is probably not the device for you as the 7" screen is just too small in my opinion (and this goes for all 7" devices by the way) - you'd be better off with a 10inch Elonex tablet or and iPad/iPad2.

Overall I would give this great little device a score of 7 out of 10 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great value for money eBook reader.

Wunderlist Review

Looking for a simple, effective and easy to use To-Do list that you can use both on your Smart Phone and your Computer?

Then why not have a look at Wunderlist?

It's simple, easy to use and works very well! Whilst at work when I remember things I need to do, I simply open the app on my iPhone and quickly add things to my to-do lists. Then when I get home and log on to my computer I can review the list there and tick off the items as I complete them one-by-one!

And best of all, it's FREE!!

www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist

FourSquare Account Now Deleted

After 2 months, 14 badges and 25 mayorships i still dont see the point of FourSquare - absolutely no benefit to me whatsoever so i have just deleted my account.

One less thing to update!

Hardcore Apple Fanboy Sells Organ

It seems that some Apple fans will go to extreme lengths to get their hands on the latest shiny piece of Apple technology.

A 17yr old in China sold his kidney and brought a laptop and an iPad2 with the proceeds - he got caught by his parents when his mum noticed the shiny new gadgets and the red scar on his body.

After his parents quizzed him, he soon confessed to what he had done.

There's a lack of organs available for transplant in China which has been a boom for the illegal black-market organ trade.

Mobility Scooter Caravan

Just like the 3-wheel Robin Reliant, this is not a joke.

For around £5,000 you can purchase what they are calling the "world’s smallest caravan" that has been designed to be towed by nothing more than a mobility scooter!

With a top speed or 6MPH you're not going to get anywhere fast. It comes complete with a single-bed, radio, kettle and even a 19" TV!

There's even a YouTube video of it here:

Mac Malware

Most of us knew this day would come.  Mac users have been burying their heads in the sand for far too long now and they have a rude awakening ahead of them as now that Mac's have a 10% share of the American market it's worthwhile criminals writing Malware and that's exactly what they've done!

The Mac Defender fake antivirus virus program can automatically be installed from an infected/dodgy website on to a Mac if you are using the Safari web browser if the Open "safe" files option is enabled.

Apple sent a memo to their technical staff that said "AppleCare does not provide support for removal of the Malware. You should not confirm or deny whether the customer's Mac is infected or not".

Basically they're saying it's your fault you got Malware so you sort it out - we didn't put it there so we're not helping you!

They're assuming that the Malware has prompted the user to enter their Administrator password and that if you've entered the password then you have effectively agreed to have the Malware on your Mac, but many users that have been infected have denied that this is the case.

Apple need to get their act together very quickly else they'll have a major problem on their hands - remember, the bigger the are, the harder they fall so if Macs end up having the same Malware/Adware/Virus issues as normal computers (PC's) then why bother buying a Mac?

New Series of Red Dwarf Confirmed!!

A brand new series of Red Dwarf has just been confirmed!  TV channel Dave has commissioned the series which will be shown later this year.

Although the official Dave website states that "nothing is 100% definite" it has been unofficially confirmed by Kryten (aka Robert Llewellyn) who will tell you that it's being/been done if you ask him in person.

I'm a huge Red Dwarf fan but to say that Back To Earth was a bit of a let down would be an understatement so I hope they learn from their mistakes and get some laughter in the show - for me it was too silent and either needed a live audience at recordings/screenings to be recorded laughing at the show or even some canned laughter added.  For me Back To Earth was too silent and with all the previous episodes where laughter was added to the shows you laughed along with them and it made it so much better.

Fingers-crossed they don't screw up what it an iconic and fantastic Sci-Fi Sit-Com!

Paul - Cinema Film Review

Well I've just gotten back from an evening at the cinema watching Simon Peggs new film, Paul.

Two English Sci-Fi Nerds decide to go on a road trip on the USA in the search for Aliens - and they find one, called Paul!

The jokes get thicker and faster as the film goes on and you can't help but laugh as loud as you can. About halfway through the film I rated it around six out of ten but as it got funnier and funnier I ended up giving it an eight out of ten!

There was even a round of applause when the film ended and even more laughter during the credits so don't leave you seat as soon as you think it has ended as there are more laughs to come!

Fazza's Film Rating: 8/10 "A Must See Film" :)

The Kings Speech

I went to see The Kings Speech last night and I have to say it was fantastic!

Set in the early 1900's this film is based on the true story of King George VI and his relationship with his speech therapist who helps him overcome his speech impediment to enable him to speak to the nation and the world when we were at war with Nazi Germany.

Although it's a drama and not a comedy there are some hilarious moments in the film where everyone in the cinema was laughing very loudly indeed!

There is some bad language in the film, but it is in context and adds humour to the situation.

It has become a critically acclaimed film and deservedly so - if you've not seen it yet then I would thoroughly recommend you do so.

Apple Magic Trackpad

A few months ago I started getting quite a bit of pain in some of my fingers in my right hand and had the odd shooting pain coming from my fingers and after a visit to the Doctors it turns out I have RSI from all the mouse clicking I do at work.

I began looking for a mouse alternative and then I came across the Apple Magic Trackpad.  I've had it for a while now and I have to say it's a lot better than I thought it would be.

Although I have a laptop that already has one of these things built in, I have a 22" monitor connected to it and have my laptop on a stand so both screens are at roughly the same sort of height - therefore I use a USB keyboard etc.

Using the Apple Magic Trackpad at home has reduced the amount of pain I now get in my fingers as with the trackpad you can use any finger you like to tap/click and drag/drop and have your hand/fingers in any position that is the most comfortable for you.

In fact, you can use multiple fingers (up to 4) all at the same time to do everything from a right-click to showing you all the programs you have running!

Despite it's expense this was one of my best purchases for my computer as it's helped me with my RSI pain.

If I didn't have RSI, would I use this or a mouse?  I'd have to say mouse for the simple reason I've been using one for years and can move a mouse so much faster than I can use one of these trackpad things - I guess I'll get quicker with time.

FourSquare - Checking In!

I spotted that a friend at work was using FourSquare on his iPhone to Check-In on facebook so being the inquisitive type, I headed off to their website to see what it's all about...

In a nutshell it's away of letting your fellow FourSquare friends know where you are and what you've been up to - you can also link it to Twitter and Facebook so when you check-in to a location on FourSquare it will automatically post it on those sites as well.

You can achieve different 'Badges'  for visiting different places and you can even end up being the Mayor of a place if you've been their so often!  I guess one of the ideas behind the site is that if lots of people check-in at a business such as a retail outlet then they can arrange for special offers to be sent to those people if they check-in there at a certain time/day.

If you want to see what it's all about then click on the link/image below.