Automatic Photo Uploads!

On December 11, 2009 in Development, Internet, New Technology.
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I was watching ‘The Gadget Show’ last night, and a particular gadget took my eye. It’s the Eye-Fi. A wireless SD card which automatically uploads any photos on it to either a PC or the internet (such as TweetPic or Flickr).

It’s a great idea – with one minor issue: Naughty photos (such as drunk office snaps) would be automatically uploaded when you return home after a night on the smash! The Gadget Show team brought this up. Could the software be altered so that it adds a simple interface to cameras, allowing you to select the photos you want to upload. It’s a balance between efficiency and safety.

Running with this idea of Wi-Fi enabled SD cards, could an idea be implemented so that they automatically download data? Could this be run alongside version admin software and possibly user access control to give up-to-date files and data from an FTP or server?

It’s a great idea, and I think it will do well. With some good ideas behind the concept it could be the next step in mobile data storage!

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The best game on the iPhone

On December 1, 2009 in #60SecondShout, iPhone.
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The best game on the iPhone I think is ‘Orbital’.

It’s a brick-breaker styled game, shooting from the bottom of the screen like in bejewelled. The graphics are great, not to mention the simplistic yet addictive game play which makes for a unique experience.

It’s all about shooting circles and watching them grow as you blast other circles at them, consequently blowing them up! Each circle that explodes is a point. My highest score is (currently) 34 although I’m intending on improving it this Friday on the train down to London.

You can try it out at http://www.orbital-game.com/ but for £0.59 you can play it for hours on the iPhone, and it looks and feels even more amazing!

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Car Technology

On November 26, 2009 in New Technology.
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There has been technology in cars for years; ABS, Electric Mirrors, Traction Control etc, but I want to talk about the more obvious, yet somewhat less featured tech in modern cars.

I have recently brought a new car – the Ford Fiesta Titanium. I added on the ‘Technology Pack’, which included some nifty features.

Keyless entry is the first feature that’s included, and is brilliant! No more fumbling for your keys, just press a small discreet button on the door handle when the keys are within range and the wing-mirrors unfold and the car unlocks. The same can be done when leaving the car, and the wing-mirrors re-fold!

The start/stop button is the next feature, and ties in with keyless entry well. Presuming the keys are in the car a simple press of this button will start up the engine. It feels much more digital than the conventional turning of a key, and is becoming more and more popular in upcoming cars!

Now we get onto the good stuff: Built in Bluetooth and USB ports! You can plug in an external HDD, an iPod or anything with a USB connection and play music through the head-unit! What’s even better though is connecting an iPhone to the Bluetooth, which not only allows direct calls through the speakers and built in microphone but also music to be played via the iPhone wirelessly! It’s a brilliant new feature and should be incorporated into more cars, especially with the popularity of the iPhone!

Technology in cars gets a lot of stick for distraction of teenagers and the reason that there are so many accidents each year. Understandably it does have some correlation, but the technology shouldn’t be to blame. The advancements in modern tech means it makes more and more sense to incorporate gadgets into the auto-trade, an industry which has long been in need of some good old fashion (brand new) technology!

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Top 5 Gadgets over the last 10 years!

On November 9, 2009 in iPhone, New Technology.
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Over the last 10 years the gadget industry has taken off – Here are my take on the top 5 ideas since the year 2000, which once seemed so far away, and now seems so long ago!

5) The Flash Drive – The small portable devices carry all the music, video and data you can manage, and with recent developments the capacity has increased significantly resulting in portable hard-drives! Gone are the days of hunting for a power supply to power the little beasts, simply plug your HDD into a USB 2.0 and off you go. There are now capacities of up to 1Tb! Moved on a bit from the days of Floppies and Jazz disks!

4) Sony’s PlayStation 3 - This console set the standards, and set them high! I used to be a 360 lad myself, but when I got my hands on the PS3 there was no turning back! It’s so much more powerful, with its multiple core-2-duo processors; making load times, physics handling and rendering so much smoother than its rivals. It’s a true home entertainment system, with a compatible internet-browser, built in Wi-Fi and BluRay player (see 3) – all for a superb price!

3) BluRay – The war is over, BluRay is victorious! The introduction of HD media over the past year brings a new dimension to viewing. 1080p is so much clearer, and it is noticeable, especially when gaming! Note though that some providers, although claiming to be at the top of HD broadcasting, still output less than 720i, which frankly doesn’t make that much of a superior experience. BlueRay is at the for-front of its game, and hopefully will continue to develop in the coming years, which broadcasters try and catch up!

2) Sky+ – Recording made simple! This is a gadget, which I think many people take for granted – And that’s why it’s so brilliant! Incorporating a HDD into TV viewing made it possible to record and pause live TV. More so, with downloadable content on the anytime player films, documentaries and everything else is available at the touch of a button. The Sky+ boxes currently have a USB port on the front, which will hopefully allow even more new features and functionality in the next few years! Keep up the good work sky!

1) iPhone – The iPhone revolutionised the phone market! It’s definitely the gadget of the decade! Incorporating Internet browsing, Wi-Fi, Video streaming, Email, Music and much much more it’s baffling to think why anyone would buy anything else! Apart from the dominating hand of Apple (price fixing and control over the App store) the iPhone set the standard for any other phone, or in fact gadget. Few gadgets have managed to match the popularity of the iPhone, and no other phone comes close, even 3 years on! Can’t wait for apple’s next Keynotes’ seminar later next year!

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