Lego-artist, Nathan Sawaya. Via Portfolio.com.
Recent Posts
- How many people really use Twitter for Irish political debate?
- Dear BlackBerry, Bubble Bash 2 isn't compensation for a week's email disruption
- Why today's ECJ decision spells trouble for the GAA, FAI and IRFU
- Panoramic shots with Sony's NEX-5N
- Why Google's new €75m data centre is about more than jobs
- Vodafone's new broadband dongle hits 14Mbs. (Yes, in the real world.)
- More Lumix GF3 messing around
- Panasonic Lumix GF3
- Hacked music company's email to Irish victims
- Where to get the best operator deal on an iPhone 4 in Ireland
« November 2008 | Main | January 2009 »
Mac ads a bit smug
The new crop of (US) I'm-a-Mac-I'm-a-PC ads aren't that funny. They've gotten a little smug.
Why I love Canon's Eos 1000D
1
. It takes really nice pics – have been snapping away at puppy and cat over the past fortnight
2. It’s idiot-proof – just turn on and start snapping
3. The battery life is pretty decent – just one recharge in a fortnight’s use
4. It’s really nicely priced -- €500 (and less in some places) for a 10 megapixel digital SLR with a Canon 18-55 lens
Nokia E63: a quick review
I’ve been playing around with Nokia’s E63 for a week, and overall the experience is good. The only negative I can report is that its connectivity is erratic – it keeps slipping back into GPRS – making online engagement uncustomarily slow. This is partly due to its lack of HSDPA, which, for me, is a very serious con to buying any mobile phone. However, if checking your Facebook, Twitter or pop-mail isn’t crucially important (and, in fariness, it still does this reasonably well), this is an absolutely outstanding phone for the price, which is €200, sim-free (although Expansys is selling it for €315 -- what the hell?). It’s basically a slightly trimmed down version of the E71 business smartphone, which it resembles closely. The camera is a basic, but satisfactory 2 megapixels. It has loads of productivity software (Quickoffice etc) that Nokia users will be familiar with. My favourite work function is the dedicated Bluetooth keyboard connection button – making this a genuine laptop replacement if all you want to do is to engage in a bit of preparatory word-processing. Another feature that really appeals to me as a commuter is its internet radio application (with the proviso of the non-HSDPA connection above). Listen to Sam Rodeo on Radio Wichita while commuting in on the 19A bus? Hell yes! Because it has a Qwerty keypad, the number keypad is much reduced, meaning a little more time for tapping out numbers. But this is a mightily impressive handset from Nokia for the price – it’s hard to think of another smartphone as good in this price category. You’ll find all the specs here.
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: quick review
I'm doing a full review this Sunday, but, in a nutshell, it's a three-out-of-five.
Pros
-- It looks and feels great. Best slide-out keyboard in the market
-- It has some nice software touches, like its panels. Feels like an iPhone for grown-ups
-- It has loads of productivity software on it (Microsoft Office)
-- It's slim and easily fits in a pocket
-- It has a good battery life: it easily lasted a full day of multimedia and voice activity
-- Good connectivity, HSDPA, wi-fi, GPS
Cons
-- Its Microsoft Windows doesn't sit easily with the Sony Ericsson software: it's awkward to navigate, except when you're in panels format
-- The text, icons and external buttons are all tiny. You can re-set the on-screen items but they switch back sometimes. Too small to use without a stylus
-- The three inch screen is too narrow to properly display videos and photos -- they end up being the same size as on a bog-standard pre-pay mobile
Sony Ericsson says it won't be available as a network-subsidised model until February, when it will become available "on all networks". Right now, you can buy it sim-free online from a number of places: best price is probably Clove.co.uk at €575 (including delivery).
How to waste an afternoon
Just go to y8.com. Loads of ridiculously addictive online games. 13 Days In Hell (pictured left) is my current downfall.
The best gadgets for Christmas
For grown-ups, I say it's Sony's Reader. Here's my review, plus the rest of my top five.
Oh dear...
Microsoft.ie hacked.
And while we're on the dailies...
I know this is tempting fate (God knows we all make errors in the print media), but c'mon lads... (from today's web front page on independent.ie, lead story...)
Ingenious/strange ad on Irishtimes.com
On the site's front page today is this ad:
Yes, it's invisible! It proves impossible to resist clicking: upon which you're redirected to an Eircom business site. Genius or cock-up?
Nokia's new N97
They've just announced it, though not available for another few months. This was probably announced now as an attention-grabbing tactic, in light of all the fuss that rivals such as the Blackberry Storm is getting.
Anyway, the specs are pretty impressive: 32GB onboard memory, 5mp camera, 1.5 days of continuous audio playback (3.5mm jack) or 4.5 hours of video playback, HSDPA, GPS, wi-fi and a host of other stuff. Expected at around €550, sim-free, which is quite a decent price, considering its features.
Broadband: Eircom gains, wireless makes no gain
In the EU's latest broadband report, its country-by country analysis reminds us of a few interesting trends. First, Eircom has actually gained market share in the last two years -- a full 2.7 per cent of the entire market. How does that happen in a deregulated market with strong competition?
Secondly, wireless broadband has stopped making any inroads at the expense of fixed line DSL here -- and has been kept at bay for at least three years. This gives the lie to the widely held belief that wireless has been growing much faster than fixed-line. As of July, the EU survey puts the number of broadband connections here at 842,000 lines.
