Macworld thriving without Apple

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From Personal Tech column February 2, 2012

Macworld has lost much of its allure since Apple announced it was pulling out in 2008 and it no longer upstages the annual Consumer Electronics Show, as it did in 2007, when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone there. But the show continues to demonstrate that innovation abounds in the Apple ecosystem.

There’s an app[lication] for that,” as Apple says, for anything you care to do on its devices and Macworld tends to prove there is an acc[essory] for that as well, when it comes to boosting the features of an iPhone or iPad.

Continue reading: “Macworld thriving without Apple”

Dropcam HD adds extra sound and vision

January 28, 2012 6:22 am by Chris Nuttall

Dropcam released a new version of its Wi-Fi security webcam at the Consumer Electronics Show this month and while it is due to go on sale on Tuesday, the company says it is currently sold out and orders placed will not ship till late March.

In which case, I am one of the lucky ones to try out a Dropcam HD, although, while it is a big improvement on its predecessor, I also had some reservations when testing it.

Continue reading: “Dropcam HD adds extra sound and vision”

TelyHD, Biscotti bring TV calls for all

January 26, 2012 10:59 pm by Chris Nuttall

Talking to TVs was the talk of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this month, with voice and gestures being demonstrated as new ways of controlling internet-connected TVs that have become too smart in their interfaces and capabilities for regular remote controls.

But there are other uses for the cameras and microphones being introduced that can see and hear us. In this week’s Personal Technology column, I have been comparing the telyHD and Biscotti TV webcams that promise better living room communications over Skype and Google Talk. Longer reviews of both are after the jump.

Continue reading: “TelyHD, Biscotti bring TV calls for all”

Tags: Biscotti, google talk, skype, telyHD
Posted in Personal technology | Permalink

News feeds become better reads

January 21, 2012 1:20 am by Chris Nuttall

RSS readers used to be the standard way for web users to collect and consume news from different sources, but the advent of tablets has brought personalised photo-rich magazine-style experiences rather than long RSS lists of headlines.

With traditional journalism in decline, the seven news aggregators reviewed here make a case that bots and social networks may be able to take the place of good editors by automatically providing a rich and more personalised news experience.

Continue reading: “News feeds become better reads”

Tags: AOL, flipboard, google, news360, Ongo, pulse, taptu, Yahoo, zite
Posted in Personal technology | Permalink

Alienware’s extreme value gaming

January 19, 2012 2:21 am by Chris Nuttall

For an extreme gaming PC maker, Alienware has come up with the smallest and most moderately priced machine in its history in the $699 X51.

The company, acquired by Dell in 2006, is looking to expand beyond the 1 to 2 per cent share of the PC market owned by enthusiast gaming PCs, with a model that is quieter, more affordable and less obtrusive in a living room environment.

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Tags: Alienware, dell, HP, Voodoo
Posted in Personal technology | Permalink

CES 2012 – gadget heaven and hell

January 9, 2012 1:41 am by Chris Nuttall

The 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show gets underway in Las Vegas this week with more than 50 tablets, between 30 and 50 Ultrabook notebooks and a record number of smartphones expected to be introduced.

TV manufacturers will show new screen technology that goes beyond current high-definition standards and improvements in Smart TV interfaces are expected. We will be fighting through crushing crowds and squeezing into packed press conferences to cover the new gadgets, key launches and technology news from Las Vegas. Our coverage this week can be found here.

Posted in Gadgets, Personal technology | Permalink

Nokia’s Mango-powered Lumia 710 deserves to succeed

January 6, 2012 7:19 pm by Paul Taylor

Nokia’s Lumia 710, which went on sale in the US yesterday and is due in Europe shortly, is one of the first products of the partnership between Microsoft and the Finnish phone company which is relying on the new operating system to revitalise its flagging fortunes.

The launch of the Lumia 710 which costs $50 with a T-Mobile USA contract also marks Nokia’s re-entry into the US market where Stephen Elop, Nokia’s chief executive, has vowed it must succeed.

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Posted in Personal technology, Smartphones | Permalink

From FT Personal Technology column December 29, 2011

Apple still reigns but peers narrowing gap

If 2010 was Apple’s year in personal technology, with the launch of the iPad and major redesigns for the iPhone, MacBook Air and Apple TV, it is harder to call the winners of 2011, with Apple happy with incremental updates and the competition still striving to catch up.

Continue reading: “Apple still reigns but peers narrowing gap”

Tags: apple, Lenovo, samsung, Sony, Toshiba
Posted in Gadgets, Personal technology | Permalink

Samsung Galaxy Note’s big-screen experience

December 23, 2011 11:18 pm by Chris Nuttall

Samsung’s scatter-gun approach to screen sizes for its smartphones and tablets, with versions ranging from 3in to 10in, suggests a company looking for the right formula as much as one sympathetic to consumers’ varying needs.

With the 5.3in screen of the Galaxy Note, Samsung thinks it has finally found the middle ground; a happy medium for consumers who want to carry just one device, rather than both a smartphone and a tablet and whatever other portable gadget they pick up on their way out. It costs £500 in the UK; a US launch has yet to be announced.

Continue reading: “Samsung Galaxy Note’s big-screen experience”

Tags: samsung
Posted in Personal technology, Smartphones | Permalink

From FT Personal Technology column December 15, 2011

Family gatherings round the console

Video game software sales this holiday season have been driven by hardcore gamers buying the latest sequels such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but there are some innovative and family-focused titles out there and new ways of viewing them.

Continue reading: “Family gatherings round the console”

Posted in Personal technology | Permalink

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