Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category

« Older Entries

Apple iPad

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Say ‘Hello’ the iPad. I played with the new Apple device after Nik brought one home from work at the weekend, and I can honestly say it’s as good as all techie geeks dared hope. And I wasn’t expecting to ‘get’ that much from the much-hyped Apple tablet (I have little desire for an iPhone as I barely use my mobile as it is), but, I will have to admit, it could – rightly – be the start of something big. Swiping and tapping has never been so easy.

If Apple plays it right and keeps up the development, it could have another iPod on its hands, it’s that good. It’s just so intuitive to use, the Apps look good and as is customary practice from the Californian developers, it looks beautiful. Just playing with it for 90 minutes on Saturday night was enough to make me want one. It’s perfect for using sitting in front of the TV, or for watching TV on.

The sound’s good, too. And then there’s the Maps, the Mail and the internet browsing. All easy, all fast and all very well integrated. Whether or not the iPad will change the publishing world is yet unclear (and it’s something we’re debating at work at the moment), but the iBooks store and application is as impressive as any other aspect of this lovely machine. Due for launch in the UK later this month, try one and see the future of computing.

And while it might be best to wait until a second, third, or even fouth-generation additional feature-packed device, I think the outcome will be the same. You may well just be saying ‘Hello’ to your own personal iPad sooner than you imagine.

Tags:
Posted in Technology | No Comments »

Nokia 6303 Classic

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Four years is clearly too long to keep a mobile phone. I’d been on the Orange ‘Everyday 50′ tariff for at least 10 years. So long in fact, that the company stopped offering it to new customers a long time ago. At the time I switched, it suited me fine – I could easily use the 50 free minutes per day, but as time has gone on, it’s become less and less relevant to the way I live my life.

So, I’d planned to get the necessary files off my old Nokia 3230 and then switch to something more modern and more reliable. One of the first ‘smartphones’, it was never the most relaible, and the advancing years and failing Symbian software didn’t add to its cause. It died spectacularly, though, last week, and in doing so, took all my files and contacts with it. Thankfully the photos are on a memory card, so I have them, but new contacts and texts, they’re gone. Game over.

Nokia 6303 Classic

Looking for a new mobile deal is never fun. I knew what I wanted though, so it wasn’t too difficult and didn’t take too long. I barely use a mobile these days, so a cheap tariff was a must (which ruled out the £30 and upwards iPhone plan), and in the end I settled for Orange once again, switching to its ‘Orange 10’ plan. I now have 100 minutes a month at no cost along with 300 texts, all with a free Nokia 6303 Classic (left) and even my old number, which I didn’t really relish losing.

The phone’s great. It would have been £80 on a pay as you go deal and even then you’d have to put at least £10’s worth of credit on it every month. The Nokia’s very smart, and still does more than I need. MP3/AAC player, radio, 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, microSD card slot, internet, maps and TFT screen technology. Of course, it does all the usual texting and calling stuff, too.

It was definitely worth the switch. Not that I’d want one at the moment, but I’ll even get a new handset after 18 months. I’ve now signed a three-year contract, but that’s not a problem – as I said, my mobile use is few and far between these days. But, who knows, this shiny steel new handset could make mobile use fun again…

Tags: ,
Posted in Journal, Technology | No Comments »

NVDRSTape

Friday, March 27th, 2009

2009_nvdrstape_white

We’re all for retro at goodrichard.com, and big lovers of music, so this new MP3 player is perfect. Designed by industrial designer Stefano Pertegato based in Milan, the NVDRSTape is an MP3 player that resembles an old school, old-fashioned cassette tape.

Playing on the emotions of thirty-something technology lovers, there have been retro gadgets masquerading as cassettes before, most notably the Mix Tape USB memory stick.  But, although the NVDRSTape has a USB plug, it goes lots further and ticks more retro boxes than perhaps it useably should.

The genius lies in the fact that to maximise its nod to the world of chewed up tape and 80s sounds, dodgy clothes and even dodgier haircuts, the NVDRSTape comes with a choice of 45, 60, or 90-minute playing times. Of course, that means that you have to be even more selective than with an iPod Shuffle with which MP3 files you’d like to listen to, therefore only choosing your absolute favourite tracks.

2009_nvdrstape_orange_case

Further retro coolness is added when charging the kinetic battery. Wind the spool and charge is added; do the same and tracks can be rewound or fast-forwarded. Not entirely practical granted, but the bright, period colours will put a smile on your face, and add to the appeal of the designer machine. It even comes in an opening cassette case (which can be used with headphones) to protect it, and displays the time elapsed in the ‘tape’ window.

No price has been given for the NVDRSTape (and you can guarantee it won’t be available at old cassette prices), and only 1,000 units are to be made at first to test demand. On idea alone it deserves to be a hit, although you’d need another MP3 player with you if you’re easily bored by listening to the same music over and over again, or are prepared to change the playlist every day.

Nostalgia freaks as we are, we like it, though admit that it scores low on a few practicality points. Speeding back or forward through tracks will be a chore, and may add ‘spool finger’ to medical dictionaries. The limited capacity and plying time might be an issue, too. But, in a world of multiple downloads and formats, it brings the selective art of the mix tape back. When did you last make one of those?

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Culture, Design, Music, Technology | 1 Comment »

Pedalites

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

2009_pedalites_right

It’s ironic that just as the brighter mornings and evenings arrive, I finally get around to fitting the Pedalites that Nik bought me for Christmas. The self-powered lit pedals have sat in the shed for the last three months waiting for both the time and the weather needed to fit them. But, both arrived last weekend, and so now I’ve joined the thousands of Pedalite users around the world.

A bit of a pain to fit granted (although with a fitting the same as your previous bicycle pedals), but it was worth the effort. What are Pedalites? The clue is very much in the name. Costing £34.99 a pair, Pedalites are pedals with flashing lights in them, for greater visibility and safety when riding your bike.

And they’re bright, and even brighter in the shed. I didn’t christen Nik’s pair ‘disco pedals’ for nothing. The technology is relatively simple. As soon as you start to pedal, the Pedalites collect kinetic energy from the crank turns, and store it, so that the lights continue to flash when you’re freewheeling or are at a stop, for as long as 5 minutes.

The makers claim that traffic can see the lit pedals from up to 1 km (half a mile away), and that they give the rider ’360 degree visibility’. And, Pedalites are not only very bright, but also strong, too. The pedals themselves are made from Dupont polymer with metal stud feet grips, and the lenses are polycarbonate.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the battery-free Pedalites, which of course come in more than a little useful when you forget your usual lights, or it’s not quite dark enough to warrant using them. The company that makes them has recently branched out into other products, too, such as lights for running.

Some would say Pedalites are a little pricey, but it’s no cost if they keep you safe, and anyway, the cost should be recouped when compared to the typical cost of batteries otherwise. But of course, don’t forget that safe road manners are free, and however good Pedalites are, they should be used with a high visibility vest, other supplementary lighting, and a cycle helmet.

2009_pedalites_banner

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Home, Journal, Technology | No Comments »

Now I’m a Mac user, too

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

2009_apple_macbook_pro_closed

Tuesday 3 March may well become a life-changing day. To make for a smoother publishing workflow, we’ve all switched platforms to Macs in the office. Though it’s still early days, and some of us are still adjusting to the new (and better) ways of working the new hardware enforces, most would agree that the switch has proved successful.

Not just at work, either. Though I’d used the publishing fraternity’s favourite machines in my previous job, that was over seven years ago, and they didn’t like the network at all. Since then, I’ve been an exclusive PC user in the office and at home, but not any more. Goodbye slow operating system and blaring cooling fans and hello faster, prettier working and barely whispering aluminum unibody MacBook Pro.

2009_apple_macbook_pro

Living with someone who writes about Macs everyday, the switch was always just a matter of time. The machines’ arrival at work was inevitable and we knew they were coming, but I was unprepared for how fast I would want to ditch the Microsoft way of doing things (even though I did find it terribly frustrating). I’m now proud to be well and truly a Macophile, and can’t see me switching back to a humdrum and anonymous PC again.

This of course, does bring about its own set of problems. Like software programs that need new versions downloading and documents that need converting to work on the new platform. But, my old HP laptop has virtually been stripped of my stuff, and is almost ready to be mothballed. I’ve not missed it at all, and can’t wait to start using the neglected and slightly battered PowerBook G4 that has sat around in the study for ages.

It sounds silly, but an unexpected side effect is that I feel strangely happier and less stressed in my (almost) Windows-free world. And, although I’m still treating the new work machine way too much like a baby, welcome shiny new Mac world. It’s going to be fun.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Design, Journal, Technology | No Comments »

« Older Entries