Android Gingerbread Tablet for $150

I thought I would mention that there are a bunch of no brand tablets on the market that are running Android  2.3 Gingerbread .
I was at the Pantip Plaza  mall in Bangkok today and spied the device which included a physical keyboard as a freebie. The processor was the same processor as used by the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Optus My Tab Bargain

The stores are now awash with various android tablets and even the lesser equipped models represent excellent value for the buyer on the lookout for a bargain.
After evaluating the pros and cons of buying an extra tablet, having already acquired an ipad, I settled on a 7 inch Optus My Tab.
The tablet was made for Optus by ZTE who make various tablets under different names.
I chose this tablet for the following reasons.
Form factor: The seven inch screen makes the device feasible as an eBook reader. This is especially handy in low light situations.
Portability: It is reasonably light and can fit into a jacket pocket without the need to carry a bag in every situation.
It functions well as a phone and this feature is only found in the Optus Mytab and the Samsung Galaxy Tablet.
Price: Cost wise this tablet is a bargain. I purchased the unit for $149 and that included a dedicated wall charger, a 2 gig memory card, a prepaid sim card with $50 of credit included.
Last time I checked they had reduced the price to an unbelievable $99.
The unit also ships with a USB cable and headset.
The preinstalled version is Android 2.1 but this can be upgraded to 2.2.
Definitely a best buy considering that higher end versions of Android such as Gingerbread and Honeycomb still have problems configuring developer software to run properly.

Rim Losing Ground In Mobile Stakes.

Going back only a couple of years ago Rim was a respected name in  mobile technology.  Current surveys indicate that the once mighty and arrogant developer has lost the plot and has become an also ran.
Instead of upping the stakes in development Rim chooses to play copycat  and catch up.
Take for example their tablet offering, conspicuously entitled the playbook.
Universally panned as lacking in features, the tablet has encountered lack lustre sales. I was extremely disappointed when I had a close up look at it.
Currently Rim is undertaking to make it’s name in the gaming   market.
Full details are are not currently available, but let us hope that Rim who lags behind Android and Apple can reinvent itself as a leader in future forays.

Internet Explorer Sucks Big Tme. Internet Explorer 8 Released.

I have been working hard on my Blog for the last three months and I don't have much time to waste with software that wastes my time.
Sadly Microsoft's browser Internet Explorer is doing just that and consequently I have now more or less switched to Firefox.

Microsoft's standards have slipped since Bill Gates lost interest in the company and Internet Explorer now languishes behind Firefox in terms of functionality.

It was only yesterday that I decided to make Firefox my default browser.

Currently I am spending all my spare time updating and promoting my Blog. There are a couple of sites that I spend hours on each day. One is entrecard and the other is twitter.
These are cutting edge sites and Internet Explorer cannot accommodate them.
The back button does not work on either of these two sites.

Hey Microsoft guys. .Have you fallen asleep?
Don’t expect any good reviews if you can’t fix your problems.

I remember downloading Internet Explorer 7 some time ago but it was so buggy that I had to reinstall Internet Explorer 6.
Apparently Microsoft is beginning to understand the depth of their problems because they have released Internet Explorer 8.
This browser has a compatibility mode. It seems a bit amateurish for Microsoft to have to have this feature at all.

Too Many Faulty Xbox Consoles

Last week I found myself with some extra cash in my pocket and decided to finally buy an Xbox gaming console.

There was a special advertised by Dick Smith superstores where the Xbox was packaged with a game and a power pack.

I had been holding off buying till a good deal came along.

The advertised package sounded tempting so I drove down to the nearest store branch and told the salesman what I wanted to buy.

The salesman checked the stock levels on the computer and went to retrieve one from the stock room.

He returned shortly and informed me that there were four units in stock but they were all faulty and had been returned by customers

When I asked if the Xbox 360 had a lot of store returns, he told me that they get lots of returns of faulty Xboxes.

I went back and did some more research on the internet and found similar comments from an EB Games manager who admitted that Xbox consoles had a much more hardware problems than Nintendo or Playstation.

The reason has now become clear. Microsoft does not own anything in the console.

Unlike Sony and Nintendo, where everything is 100% Sony and Nintendo respectively, the Xbox is a hodgepodge of different manufacturers bundled into a package that suffers from hardware compatibility issues.

Having heard these admissions from stores who have first hand knowledge, I decided that my six hundred bucks deserves better and I will hold off and buy a Sony Playstation or Nintendo wii as soon as a good deal comes along.

Buying a Laptop in Thailand.

There are pros and cons for buying notebook computers in foreign countries. Price and service need to be weighed up in order to arrive at a decision.

I have bought my last three laptops in Thailand even though I live in Australia.

These purchases have been made over a period of six years.

Why buy a laptop overseas?

There are plenty of models to choose from in Australia but manufacturers release different models in Asia compared to the Australian market.
It has always struck me that the Asian models are a better deal than the models I see here locally.
The first laptop I bought was a Fujitso Life Book.

This was an ultra mobile notebook that I liked so much when I played with in one of the shops in Pantip Plaza.
It was one thousand dollars cheaper than the price in Australia.
The reason for that was that ultra portable notebooks have never been a huge seller in Australia because consumers here do not have the problems of space constraints facing our Asian neighbors.

When I bought the second one four years ago it was the only the model that had a 512meg ram memory and an Athlon 2000 processor... It was a Compaq Pressario and it allowed me to play any game that was on the market at that time.
The notebook was not on the market in Australia. For some strange reason all notebook distributors here were selling notebooks with 256 ram memory.

My third notebook purchased in Thailand was an Acer Aspire 5580.which I bought about 15 months ago in Pantip Plaza.
It came with 512 ram but the service department upgraded it with an extra I gig of ram.
The service from IT City was great. They even tested out the latest games on various laptops so I could purchase the best configuration for my purposes.
I have always like gaming and thought it a waste of money to have a separate game console or desktop to handle the power demands of games.
The Aspire came with a Centrino Duo T5500 processor and a NVIDIA GEOFORCE 7300 Graphics card.
At the time of purchase this was a powerful configuration.
I only buy from stores that are part of the VAT refund scheme of Thailand.
I fill out a form get and get a VAT tax refund of 7% at the airport on leaving the country.

Asus Eee PC Not Underpowered

Don’t be fooled by the specs of Asus Eee PC. It is easy to under rate the power of the machine by judging it by the Celeron 900 processor which at first glance may seem underpowered.

I am an owner of an Asus Eee and now that I have used it for a few months I have come to realize that the processor works extremely well.

The Asus Eee does look a bit like a toy but looks can be deceiving.

My typical applications are running the Asus with tunes, downloading from limewire, transmitting streamed music to my Apple Airport Express and uploading my blog.
I can multi task all these without much problem because fortunately the Asus Eee comes with 512 meg of ram.
My preference is to run it with Windows XP rather than the Linux software that it came with it. If you are thinking about running Vista, you will find that it won’t work well.
The most telltale aspect of the Eee is the amount of scrolling that is involved.

In order to view the entire page, you are continually scrolling across and down.

I store all my applications on the internal 4 gig hard drive and on a 4 gig SD card which I leave permanently installed in the card slot.

Backup of extra files and storage is provided for by the use of storage are on my ipod.

Internet Connections on Long Plane Flights.

I want an internet connection on plane flights.
It seems that despite advances in technology, internet connectivity on airplane flights has not materialized.
They have been talking about providing internet connections on long plane flights for several years.
In the modern world there are not many places that you can’t find internet connectivity. Sadly plane travel has remained on of those places.

Qantas has publicized the fact that they will take delivery of some new planes this year which will have WIFI internet connectivity and also SMS technology.

If past experiments are anything to go by, then don’t hold your breath.
There have been previous test runs with other air carriers.

Boeing launched a foray into the market in 2004, and along the way signed up a number of big name carriers as customers, including airlines from Asia, Europe and North America.
The service was short lived with Boeing determining that the market for on board internet connectivity had not yet matured.
Virgin America and American Airlines have promised a series of test runs this year.
They will provide laptop internet access as well as webmail in their back seat entertainment section.


Let’s hope that the proposed internet service will not be another stalled attempt to revitalize the so far unsuccessful efforts to connect plane passengers.

One of the big negatives that the new adopters have to contend with is the effect terrorism has had on airline regulations.

Just how airlines will be able to connect their passengers in the wake of current terrorist
Incursions, is a question that remains unanswered,

Apple Airport Express Review. From A Guy Who Bought One

I know The Apple Airport Express has been around for a while but I have only recently bought one.

Initially I was going to spend a bit extra and buy The Apple TV.

The reviews of Apple TV listed too many limitations like lackluster file support for non-itunes video formats; oversimplified remote and no built-in DVD player.

I was put off by the lack of video formats that were supported so I concluded that at the end of the day it was more practical to hire a DVD from the local video store.

The Apple Airport Express on the other hand is a great product.

For those who love their music and want a product that delivers flawless wireless music from their itunes browser direct to their HIFI, then The Airport Express is perfect.

The compact unit is slightly smaller than a deck of cards and includes a 10/100 Ethernet port, an integrated 802.11g access point, a USB print server, and a mini stereo jack so that you can use to connect a sound system to your wireless network.
The Airport Express only works with itunes, but that’s fine with me because I am very satisfied with itunes
I recently sold over 1000 CDS and before I disposed of them I converted them to mp3s which are now stored on an external Hard Drive.
.
My music library has grown to about 20,000 songs and itunes can find a song in a second.
I find it very relaxing to stream my music from my laptop while I am propped up on the couch.
It beats rummaging through a heap of CDS looking for a favorite track.
I have no hesitation in recommending The Apple Airport Express as a music streamer.

Dump Your Landline Phone And Switch To Wireless USB Modem

I am just about to dump my landline. For the last few months I have been thinking about getting rid of my phone line but have been concerned with service issues.


There is nothing worse than being stuck with a service that does not perform like you expected and this major factor that has deterred me from changing to wireless connections.

My setup over the last few years has been to have my modem upstairs with a router directing the signal downstairs to my laptop.
The setup has worked well but because I spend three months a year overseas, I am losing money on two fronts.
Firstly I have to pay $50 per month even when I am away overseas.
Secondly I am paying about $35 per month for my landline rental that I hardly use.

It would be better for me to cancel my landline, change my mobile to a slightly higher plan, cancel my broadband and switch to a wireless USB modem.

USB modems have been around for a while. I tried some about a year ago but they were slow and expensive.

Up until recently you had to buy a USB modem and then find a data plan to suit your budget.
It was an all too expensive solution, however competition has livened up and consumers are now presented with an affordable and efficient solution.

The 3 network in Australia have a plan that offers customers 2 gigabytes of mobile downloads for $29 per month.
If you elect to take the plan on a 24 months contract, 3will give you the modem free.
You can buy he modem for $299 and then avoid the contract.

Nothing beats word of mouth advertising and my friend who has been using it for the last month claims it is fast and completely reliable.

http://www.three.com.au/cs/ContentServer?subId=1156241342637&homeId=1154931041257&c=Page&pagename=Three%2FPage%2FServiceTemplate&p=1155054450837&cid=1178581421058

Is Podcasting The New Publishing Standard?

Blogging is the easy way to get published. It’s free and instantaneous and has taken the internet world by storm since its introduction.
Writers from all walks of life now have a platform to write on any topic that crosses their mind.
If they wish they can write anonymously, use a screen name or write under their real name.
The fact that self publishers now have strong and far reaching voices has given rise to several new mediums to satisfy the growing appetite for self publishing.
With the on flux of millions of content providers has come a strong competitive spirit to stand out from the crowd.
Most recently, Youtube has emerged as a dominant force in self promotion.

The question is being asked; is Podcasting the next big thing?

What exactly is Podcasting?
Podcasting is a collection of audio files which are distributed over the web often using subscription feeds, for playback on mp3 players and computers.

For those wanting to become media giants or those looking for a competitive edge, podasting is the logical progression.
The concept of being able to encapsulate a prerecorded podcast for streamed listening or download is simply too good of a marketing tool to ignore.

Internet marketers are using podcasting in the same way as bloggers have successfully introduced entities in the past.

What are the main advantages of podcasting?
Podcasting has the added benefit of being able to accommodate more than one voice without confusing the target audience.
Podcasting can also act as a promotional prelude for a blog or vice versa.

Itunes is the most well known software available for downloading podcasts.

Recently new challengers have emerged to distribute the ever increasing stream of podcasts.

One of the better podcast providers is Talk Shoe.

Talk Shoe is a community based podcast ring where listeners are invited to join the live discussions. The host opens the discussion and invites listeners to participate. These shows are then recorded and made available for downloading.
Content providers are using Talk Shoe to promote their service and product by providing entertaining and informative podcasts on varied topics.
Learn more about Talk Shoe and podcasting.

Grand Theft Auto IV. Will It Step Over The Line?

Violence in video games is something that is now taken for granted by the majority of gamers and their parents.
Grand Theft Auto is a game that has been marked by controversy since it made its mark in gaming several years ago.
Grand Theft Auto differs from other violent video games is the way it mirrors the real world.
There are no cool space suits or fanciful future weapons; instead the stark realism of modern gang violence is given credibility in the entertainment genre.
In past series of Grand Theft Auto, players were encouraged to mug innocent citizens and earn extra cash in order to fund further criminal activities.
There were hookers on every corner that you could beat up and rob so you could buy yourself a cool new gold chain.
This is where GTA crosses the line.
Futuristic first person shooters are on thing, but encouraging violence against women and the indiscriminate beatings upon innocent citizens is another, especially considering the sharp increase in gang related warfare.

Will Grand Theft Auto IV continue this theme in its upcoming release?
Further Reading.
http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16568&Itemid=1092

Crysis Review. PC Games Make a Comeback

I have been playing Crysis for the last month and it is the best game I have ever played.
Crysis is a next-generation PC first-person shooter from Crytek, the award-winning developers of Far Cry.
Their engine delivers stunning graphical effects with the ultimate in DX10 gaming experience.
How does this game compare with the current batch of console games?
Xbox, Nintendo Wii, and Sony Playstation are the big players in the game console market. With their exclusive epic game releases they rule the roost, but is their reign coming to an end?

The last two years has seen the PC game market stagnate in the wake of the more popular consoles.
Developers of the PC game genre have been reluctant to fight it out in the market place,
but over the last few months there is a sense that the momentum is beginning to swing back the other way.
With computer technology once again nudging forward, software developers have upgraded their game design engines to take advantage of the latest developments.

In the case of Crisis, hardware requirements are pretty stiff, with a reccomended spec of a 2.66 Intel dual core processor, 2 meg of ram and a higher end Nividia graphics card.
If you have one of these specced up machines the effecrs are awsome.
With the right marketing, PC game developers may once again rule the earth.
The question remains.
Do they have the will and reources to take console games head on?

Grand Theft Auto IV. Will It Step Over The Line?

Follow these links to read about the two new games.
Medal of Honor and Gears of War.

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16589/532/

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/10348/1092/#jc_allComments

Bluetooth mp3 player with file transfer?

Don’t expect the full Bluetooth deal on your mp3 player.

A friend of mine showed me his new ultra thin 4 gig T10 Samsung mp3 player which he had purchased recently. He mentioned that he was convinced to buy it because it had Bluetooth enabled technology.
After further examination it became evident that the Bluetooth feature was limited to being only able to use wireless headphones but not able to send and receive files via Bluetooth.
For those who had visions of transferring songs between various users and devices, I am
sorry to say, this won’t be happening any time soon.

All the big players have seen what Apple has done to maximize the potential earnings of mp3 player products. Apple with their ipod range has tapped a revenue source through users downloading of songs and videos.
Other manufacturers are keen to replicate the success of itunes.
This being the case, they are only shipping new ranges with Bluetooth stereo wireless functions and not file transfer support..
There is a second consideration. The reality of legal action being spun across the table would be a certainty, because there is too much invested in pay for download business for any such quantum development to go unnoticed.

Samsung T10 Reviewed here.
http://reviews.cnet.com/portable-audio-devices/samsung-t10-4gb-black/4505-6450_7-32588460.html

MySpace. Negative Review, from a guy who used to love it.

MySpace gets a bad review from me.
I used to like MySpace but lately things have gotten out of hand. The once state of the art social networking site has become more like a toxic dumping ground for all that is evil on the net.

MySpace set the wheels in motion for its own downfall, by incorporating advanced search engine procedures allowing users to search by keyword.
This did not escape the attention of Internet marketers and spammers who constantly bombard MySpace members with spam and phony invites from porn sites.

If you listen to the plethora of new medium podcasts that focus on Internet marketing, MySpace is dragged to the fore, like a Madame would a favorite courtesan.

Add to this the recent decision of MySpace to plaster member’s pages with advertisements and you have the social networking version of Slum City.

MySpace purports to be vigilant against spammers however it has not fared well in its efforts.
Read more here.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16173/53/

Canon IXUS 75 Review, from a guy who bought one

I was hunting around for a new camera to take overseas and I bought the Canon Ixus 75 model.
My camera had not been upgraded for about four years, so I did some research and the Canon IXUS 75 came up trumps

When I went to Ted’s Camera Stores I had a short list, and with their help I was able to arrive at my decision.
I really wanted something that would be able to shoot HD video as well as stills.
Technology has progressed to the stage that consumers are dumping video cameras in favor of pocket size still cameras that can record DVD quality movie clips.
I originally had the Canon TX1 on top of my list but sometimes the hype and new gadget euphoria exceeds the reality.
This was the case with Canon TX1.
The salesman at the store was kind enough to let me demo the TX1.
What drew me to it were the awesome specs.
The camera had a 10 times optical zoom and 7.1 mega pixels.

A 10 times optical zoom is ground breaking but unfortunately does not measure up once it is out of the box.
The salesman and I took turns but could not focus beyond 3 times zoom on the Canon.
We tried it in the shop and lighting conditions were good, however the focus was blurry beyond 3 times zoom.
Another disappointment was the viewing area. The LCD monitor was only 1.8 inches. A major disadvantage of this is that you cannot appreciate your images or videos in playback until you find a computer to replay them in a larger size.

The Canon TX1 was difficult to hold. The design is such that it is meant to be held with one hand, and the other hand used to navigate the controls.
The result was camera shake that the image stabilizer was not able to prevent.
The salesman who was assisting me in choosing between the two models seemed particularly interested because it was his first experience in actually using the Canon TX1.
After we had played with both cameras, he admitted to me that he did prefer the Canon IXUS 75.
The Canon IXUS 75 won me on the LCD playback monitor. With its lovely 3 inch LCD screen, the playback experience is maximized, especially on video.

If you transfer the videos to your computer, they are clear as a bell even played back on 10 inch a window.
The Canon fits easily into a front pocket, ideal for when that special photo opportunity arises.
It supports the newer high density SD cards. I got mine with a 4 gig card because I love using it in movie mode. Shooting movies fills up the card very quickly.

To my mind the Canon IXUS 75 is the perfect pocket size camera to take on your vacation.

Nokia and Microsoft combine for iphone killer

It was bound to happen. Microsoft and Nokia are now in discussion with regard to configuring Nokia phones with the powerful Windows Mobile software. Long regarded as best mobile OS, this system could displace Symbian as Nokia’s main platform.
This would surely give the burgeoning sales of the Apple iphone a run for its money.
Read full story.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16510/127/

Google Phone finally emerges with a partner

Google wants to dominate the mobile phone market in the way it dominates the internet. Its successful strategy of maximizing Internet market share has them sharpening their claws for their foray into the mobile phone market. Google sees its future success in learning from their competitor Yahoo, who made the mistake of spending too much time basking in the glory of past achievements. The Open Handset Alliance and the Android cellphone platform will lead their entry into this market.

Read full story.

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16520/1095/

New Portable Gaming Machine from Microsoft?

There has been a challenge issued to Microsoft. Can Microsoft can answer the call and develop a handheld gaming machine to rival the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP?
We are waiting to see if they can come up with a winner after their disappointing efforts with the Zune mp3 player.
Read full story here. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16421/1092/

New ipod from apple

I should have waited but as is the case with Apple, they like to keep you guessing when it comes to new product releases.
As soon as had I settled on a lower capacity ipod Touch, Apple decided to announce newer models featuring 32 gigabyte hard drives.
For those who didn’t dive in too soon, here is the story.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16477/1103/