26 Jan 2011

New Year New Computer. Some tips.

With the New Year here it is the ideal time to take advantage of the sales and purchase a new computer. Getting hold of such a device helps one to start the year afresh, but deciding upon the perfect computer is no easy task. While desktop PC’s remain a popular choice, laptops and now touch screen tablet computers, are increasingly becoming a number one priority. With new technologies allowing for these portable machines to be just as functional as their desktop counterparts a laptop may be your ideal choice. But even within this category there are a large number of options for you to choose from, depending on your personal requirements for your brand new machine.

There a number of considerations to think about when searching for a new laptop. Depending on it’s purpose, you may need specific business software to help you get ahead while working. Alternatively it may be a computer for the whole family, allowing children to entertain themselves and learn as well as for the adults. Perhaps you are going on holiday and want a good, sturdy laptop to take with you on your travels so that you can share photos and experiences with friends and family while you are lying on a sunny beach.

For the business traveller, it is important to ensure that any laptop is sturdy enough to survive constantly being moved around. A robust security system also needs to be in place to protect files and with software which easily integrates into IT department systems. Dell has a brilliant Latitude line, specifically geared towards business travel and incorporating robust features and maximum efficiency. Meanwhile, Lenovo’s ThinkPad range is also geared towards those in business, with innovative features such as a fingerprint reader, shock absorbers, and spill resistant keyboards.

For travellers who want to upload and share video and picture content with their friends and family, a laptop with a powerful processer and large hard drives are needed. You should look for systems which are efficient in their power consumption and have long lasting batteries. Some of the best laptops available are those from Apple, with both the 15” and 17” models coming with powerful processors and fast graphics perfect for high resolution video and pictures.

While you may want a new computer for travelling purposes, you may simply want a fantastic machine to use at home - to watch a movie in bed, or for surfing the web in the kitchen. 15” screens are still popular for many people and are widely available from a number of retailers including Currys. Discount codes are also readily available, allowing significant savings to be made on various computers. By making use of deals such as Currys discount vouchers you can purchase cheaper and use the savings to add additional features to laptops. Besides large capacity hard drives and good graphic cards, you may want to customise you computers with additional hardware such as discrete graphics and Blu-ray drives.

Like any significant purchase it is important that you take the time to consider precisely what you need your laptop for. And by making an informed decision, you can ensure that your new computer helps start the year off with a spring in your step.

22 Jan 2011

The Wikipedia Story

Watch the animated history of Wikipedia and narrated by Jimmy Wales.



Thanks for the link Simon.

16 Jan 2011

Happy 10th anniversary Wikipedia

Wikipedia, the World's largest and most popular free online encyclopaedia celebrates it's 10th anniversary today.

I am a Huge fan and have been contributing articles since March 2004. I haven't added any new articles recently but making minor and major corrections and additions to several articles.

A number of academics look down on it as a reference source and I once wrote a post in defence of Wikipedia in my University blog.

Lets contribute and make it even bigger and better.

Happy anniversary Wikipedia.

6 Jan 2011

Motorola Xoom tablet


One of the hottest gadgets to be launched at this year's CES has got to be the new tablet Motorola XOOM™. It is the first device running Google’s new Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system designed from the ground up for tablets.

The Motorola XOOM boasts a dual core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, delivering up to two GHz of processing power, and 10.1-inch widescreen HD display and is 4G LTE upgradeable.

It supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output to display content on larger HD screens, and plays video and other rich web content seamlessly with Adobe® Flash® Player. The Motorola XOOM also features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G LTE, as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD. It delivers console-like gaming performance on its 1280x800 display. Other fantastic features include a built-in gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, accelerometer and adaptive lighting for new types of applications.

The tablet comes with Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction and also access to over 3 million Google eBooks and thousands of apps from Android Market™.

The Motorola XOOM will launch in the US with Verizon Wireless as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in Q1 2011 with an upgrade to 4G LTE in Q2. Starting in Q2 2011 the Motorola XOOM will be a 4G LTE/Wi-Fi- enabled device.

No news regarding when the device will be available to consumers in the UK but I definitely want one.

1 Jan 2011

Top 10 Gadgets of 2010 list

Not in particular order this is my list of the top 10 gadgets of 2010 and also my wanted list. Fantastic gadgets that won't burn a hole in your pocket.

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab. Way better than the iPad and running Android.
    2. Google Nexus S. The ultimate Android phone.

    3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. I have fond memories of my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 before the viewer failed. Gave us fantastic results. The Lumix DMC-GF1 will be the perfect upgrade. It is not an SLR but comes with interchangeable lenses and lot of functions.

    4. iRobot Roomba 581. I am not a fan of vacuum cleaning and I welcome something that will help me do the job. The latest Roomba in their 500 series. The age of the Robot begins.


    5. Gocycle: Goes up to 20 miles on a 3 hour charge with speeds upto 15mph. The perfect bike when I am lazy to cycle to University.


    6. Tissot Sea -Touch. I am a huge fan of Tissot watches and always wanted the Tissot Touch. Now I want this instead - the perfect watch for the Geek even if you don't go sailing.

    7. Kodak Zi6. Hidef vid cam. Said to be better than the Flip.

    8. Microsoft Kinect. I have the Nitendo Wii but reading and listening to people praising this add on to the XBox 360 makes me realise that I am missing out on a lot of stuff. This is going to the World's most favourite game soon.

    9. TomTom XL Live. My old TomTom One is good enough to get me from point A to B but I feel that I need something more - like live traffic updates.


    10. Tribotix Robotis Bioloid. I have always wanted a robot. Now you can build and program it. I like the Lego Mindstorms as well but the Robotis Bioloid has an edge