BBC Archive Trial

After registering for this service, i have to say i am surprised. Watch old footage again.

Unlike the iPlayer, you login and stream the footage, without having to download any software. It streams very well and can be used via media player and real player. I have found that real player works a lot better, and loads a lot faster. At present it is limited to certain programmes, but there are plans to add lots more. Grange Hill, Blue Peter, radio repeats, landing on the moon and launch of the Concorde are just a few of the online clips. What more could you ask for:)

Give it a go http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/trial register for a logon and you should get a response within five days. Let me know what you think, leave a comment if you get to try it.

Misuse of Power at work means Bullying at work

Two-thirds of UK managers believe that lack of management skills is the major factor contributing to bullying at work.
According to OutLaw New misuse of power was listed as the most prolific type of bullying used within the workplace.

A survey by the Ban Bullying at Work campaign questioned 512 senior managers across the UK in conjunction with the Chartered Management Institute ahead of the fifth national Ban Bullying at Work day which takes place on 7th November.

The other main factors, given by managers themselves, which contribute to bullying at work included unrealistic targets (cited by 27%); authoritarian management styles (56%); personality (57%); and failure to address incidents (37%).

The survey also asked managers what they believed was the most prolific type of bullying used. Misuse of power was cited by 71% of managers while 63% cited overbearing supervision and 55% cited exclusion.

http://www.banbullyingatwork.com/main.asp?id=home

Source : OutLaw News

Only In America would you see such a terrorist overreaction?

Two people who sprinkled flour in a parking lot to mark a trail for their offbeat running club inadvertently caused a bioterrorism scare and now face a felony charge http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20441775/

Inspector Gadget Part Two

Here is part Two

www.ablag.com

India and Pakistan Archive Launched on the BBC

The BBC have launched an online archive...check it out ...http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/trial/open/about.shtml

Sony Ericsson P1i

The Sony Ericsson's(SE) P1i is the long awaited replacement to the P990 and in my opinion, the most functional phone with pretty good looks on the market today.

When you first look at this phone you will immediately notice the high quality of materials used. The front face has a metal look rim with piano black centre piece. The back has a shiny crossbar covering the speaker phone and a black matt finish. It feels weird - i have never seen a phone with this type of finish.



Having owned the second generation of the P series in the form of the P900, i did not expect this phone to be of such quality.The P series has always been a handy pda style phone, but has also been a bit bulky and dim on the software front.


Sony have reduced the phone by about 25℅ and made the phone feel very solid. When holding it in the palm of your hand, it feels good and you can tell everything feels like it has been ergonomically designed just for you. They have got rid of the flip based keyboard from previous models and added a two key roker styled qwerty keyboard.


This basically means that there are two letters assigned to each key, which are raised slightly on the edges. Having taken this from the previous W series of phones, it was questioned if they would improve the usability of the keyboard. Most users say it has, but it still a matter of you either like it or hate it.

Physically, the phone has the traditional jog dial on the left, with a back button just underneath it. On the right there is a short cut button which you can assign and personalise. Underneath, this there is a memory card slot and camera button - which controls the 3.2 million pixel camera on the rear or be assigned to use the video calling camera on the front one. There is a 2.4 inch touch screen with and improved trans-reflective screen and a stylus neatly tucked away on the left of the handset.

Sony purchased UIQ Symbian software sector of the Symbian company. Therefore, the front end is UIQ and back end Symbian, similar to that of the Nokia N95 and Communicator. The difference is that Sony have personalised their own version for their own phones. Its pretty obvious Sony Ericsson have not wasted any time trying to make the interface sexy or even friendly. As the phone can be personalised so much, they have left it to the end user, do what they want. So if you take a look at mine, i have the i-phone theme and if you go to the SE site you can even access a development area to make your own theme.



There is enough software on board to keep you busy. Doc editor, pdf reader, compatible spreadsheet creator and even a business card scanner. The provided external 512 mb memory will be enough to install any extra software. So far i have added google mail, ebuddy, new themes and ring tones, google maps and opera mini 4. There is already a opera browser pre installed and even a online media player, which allows you to stream online music or videos via the inbuilt 3G connection or wifi capabilities.

This phone has had little software enhancements, which make this phone a little gem.For instance if u cant take a call, you can reject it and set it up to send an automatic response via text. Like “cant talk spk later“ or the fact that when you miss or reject a call you can set a automatic reminder to call back. The phone even allows you to have predictive text input in english and a second language of your choice. The second language will be detected automatically and is handy if your trying to learn a new language.



The RSS feeder is handy for people like me who love to get the latest info on the go and it will even update audio feeds, when required (like podcasts). The RSS feeder also has a time schedule, which means you can set for it to update your feeds in the middle of the night. If you have average 3G coverage it will take about ten minutes to download 30mbs of data. That's equivalent to about one hour of a podcast.

Specification

Size 106 x 55 x 17 mm
4.1 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches

Weight 124 g
4.4 oz

Available colours Silver Black

Screen 262,144 color touchscreen
240x320 pixel

Memory Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) support
Phone memory 160MB*
*Actual free memory may vary due to phone pre-configuration
Networks G
SM 900
GSM 1800
GSM 1900
UMTS 2100

Performance Talk time: Standby time:
UMTS 2100 3 hours 30 min 250 hours
GSM 900 10 hours 440 hours
GSM 1800 10 hours 440 hours
GSM 1900 10 hours 440 hours

Compared to the Nokia N95

The Nokia is a lot larger as a phone and offers GPS and HDSPA, allowing you to browse and download at 1.5 mbps instead of the more common 300k found on the SE. That aside the Nokia does not have a touch screen and is ugly. Yes it has a 5mp camera and cover unlike the SE - but its a camera phone and if that is what determines your choice of phone, i would think again. Camera phone wont be better than a standalone camera.

I played with Nokia for a day and i did like it, but not enough. It has no class and is boring. Having a PDA with internal GPS is good, but i find it takes too long for a signal. The Nokia is action packed but it is a shame it looks like a mobile phone from the early 90's.

Compared to the iPhone

Not sure what to say really, check out the opera Mini Browser - it does what the iPhone apparently does so well. Now look at the TWUIK video. Yep, these are Java based applications that will eventually sit on most phones and allow you to add widgets. Actually, you can already add midlets onto most phones as it is.

The iphone has wifi, but no 3G. No, keyboard or numeric buttons. Yes, it is a very eye catching phone, but when you look at it again and again -you think it is just an ipod. I am sorry, but i don't think this phone is all that. In your hand it is very delicate and does not offer half of the features as some of the other phones on the market.

Applications are already out there to allow you to personalise your own phone with features like the iphone, so what is so unique. : )

Check the TWUIK video out - these type of applications can be added to any phone.


In conclusion this is a slim feature packed phone that can be used not only as a business phone, but also as a little handy personal phone too.

www.expansys.com - £370
www.o2.com - with contract £30

See more pictures and videos at www.ablag.com

Man arrested over wi-fi 'theft'

The BBC has reported a story of a guy being arrested because he used someone else's wifi connection.

See here for the full article : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6958429.stm

Inspector Gadget Basic Training Part 1

Thought this may bring back some memories

Digital Radio On Your Mobile

I started using this feed about six weeks ago and i think its something everyone who listens to the radio should look into
ok,so many mobiles have fm transmitters that allow you to listen to the popular stations like radio 1, however, if you are like me and like to listen to those that are digital based stations like five live extra,then this site is worth checking out. It is compatible with most phones and pda's - the only catch is that you need to have a data plan. If you dont, you are looking at about five minutes of streaming taking up roughly 3mbs of download.

Check it out at www.Radiofeeds.Co.Uk/pda
published via mobile

Google Part One - iGoogle

In the last few weeks I have been discussing the latest range of Google tools with my friends and family. To my amazement, the majority were unaware of them and did not understand the benefits. With this in mind I will try and cover off some of the tools in my future posts.

Part one iGoogle

There are so many tools out there these days to make your life a lot easier. So far the handiest one for me has been iGoogle. Google’s homepage personalisation site has been around for sometime now and is becoming popular with those who use the Google search engine.

In essence Google is allowing you to create your own Google homepage “iGoogle” , and allow users to view exactly what they want too – personalised for their eyes only. You can search from hundreds of little gadgets and widgets and add them to your own personalised page. All you need is a Google account and a few minutes to set it up.

So what is the point?

Well if you take a look at my page for instance, I have added my gmail in one corner and a feed from my blog in the other. So for instance my blog is at http://www.ablag.com/ and if you go to iGoolge and add “a gadget” feature you can add my feed (http://feeds.feedburner.com/ablag) (alternatively subscribe to email updates from my site). So as soon as I update something on my blog, you will see it on your iGoogle homepage.

Click image to enlarge

The beauty of it is, it is not just me. There are thousands of feeds, gadgets and widgets out there that you can add onto your homepage. From the latest BBC News to the weather in graphical form or your facebook profile with updates from your inbox.

As the site is personalised to your account, once you have logged out, you can go to another machine anywhere in the world and log in and view the same info.

It is brilliant for reducing surfing time and those who are information junkies like me - You go to one page and see everything. Instead of logging in and out your mail, writing your own paper based reminders and going through websites for the latest weather. Google have even gone to the extent of creating an off-line version and a web history feature. The web history feature I immediately turned off as it seemed a bit spooky that I could logon anywhere in the world and view my last search history. Okay not spooky but I do have some data retention and privacy issues with it.

One thing I must recommend is the bookmarks feature. Bookmark something at work and when you get home, you can access it – just by logging back into iGoogle. Those who use a great deal of RSS feeds will also benefit too – whether they be sound based or graphical.

Give it a go and if you have any problems, give me a shout.

Paying for a virus checker?

Recently Norton announced that there was a major hole in one of its Norton products and informed all users to complete an automatic update immediately. A “nasty bug” residing in two ActiveX controls used in Norton’s PC software could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on another user’s machine. A lot us started to pay for full-recommended virus checkers because that was the only way we would get peace of mind. Most companies allow you to have 30 days free use and then make you subscribe. I have found that all this does is cause you issues and slow your computer down.

Update issues and slow processing have made using my machine a nightmare. In my case, Norton would make my machine hang whilst it was updating or warning me that my live status was out of date or that my subscription had finished.

Over a year ago I turned to non commercial products such as AVG (http://free.grisoft.com/). Allows you to have a spy ware checker and a virus checker, all for no charge. Okay, they do not have any technical support team that you can phone or ask for help, but hey, which support company has never told you to reboot or reinstall? We are all pretty clued up and can work most problems out or know someone who can help.

I can only stress how easy this product is to use. If you have a constant internet connection, it will update as your machine automatically and you will not be bothered by alerts etc. It is takes up little space and does not take over the machines memory allocation and therefore, your machine won’t be fighting the process hoggers like Norton.

This virus checker combined with a firewall such as zone alarm – once again free (http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/home.jsp) for about 30 days and then limited but sufficient functionality. If security experts are recommending these products and reviews, show them blocking more virus’s than most commercial products –why should we pay.

Verdict: Highly recommended

BBC iPlayer Part II

Friends who have used the player have said it is a handy tool to watch programmes again. However, only being able to watch them again for up to seven days is a bit limited.Other big problems include the beta only works on Windows media player and you have to download the whole programme you are watching. This could be up to 400mb and could be a big issue for those with bandwidth and download limits.On the positive side, the quality is excellent and you will get to watch top gear or heros again. What i would like to see is the availability of watching repeats over longer than seven days and to be able to stream the programmes over the web instead of hogging the bandwidth and waiting for downloads. With today’s cheap storage and the BBC being one of the worlds most used site –why are they not streaming? The technology is there and we could even go a step further with repeats on your mobile. Come on the license fee itself is worth it if you can get all this.

Worth downloading but not sure if it is worth the hassle of waiting around for programmes to download. Part I

Do i need a SSD based laptop?

Answer.com says

solid state disk

A disk drive that uses memory chips instead of rotating platters for data storage. Used in battery-powered handheld devices as well as desktop computers and servers, solid state disks (SSDs) are faster than regular disks because there is zero latency (there is no read/write head to move). They are also more rugged than hard disks and offer greater protection in hostile environments.


Non-Volatile and Volatile

Most solid state disks use non-volatile flash memory; however, some use volatile DRAM or SRAM chips that are backed up by a built-in disk drive or UPS in case of power failure. Also called an "electronic disk," a solid state disk emulates the sector format of a disk drive and is generally a plug-for-plug replacement for it. As memory has gotten less expensive, the storage capacity of solid state devices has increased tremendously.

So do i need one?

I went through some similar questions when I was looking at buying a Sony UMPC. The main advantages I found were that if you are going to require a portable device that is going to be knocked about, then yes it is worth the extra money.

You can drop a laptop and the screen may smash...but at least, you will know the SSD is still in one piece and working. Other advantages include a performance increase over standard hard drives for intensive tasks and as it takes less power to function - in theory your battery should last longer too.

Read/Write capabilities used to be an issue, however, I no longer think this is the case and it should not be an issue when purchasing.

The cost will come down soon, as there are many UMPCs such as Sony's UX range and the Samsung Q1 that already have SSD within them. Samsung have also built a drive that is ipod compatible - so it shows where the market is going.

In the short term - if you take a new vista machine with a standard drive and one with ssd - there will not be too much difference when it comes to performance. However, as you do updates and add software, a standard drive will slow down (depending on how many times you defrag etc), where as an ssd based machine should stay at the same performance speed.

Gun Shaped Laptop Battery....

How to make sure you get stopped at the airport.

Full Article

BBC iPlayer

The BBC iPlayer registration has been launched.

"Catch-up on the last 7 days of BBC Television... on your computer

BBC iPlayer Beta is in the final stages of testing and we're now opening it up to even more people around the UK" http://www.blogger.com/www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Does your virus checker detect police spyware

Most virus checkers won't. More info here .

FBI's Secret Spyware Tracks Down Teen Who Made Bomb Threats

London drivers exempt from privacy

If you did not already know - there are a ring of highly sophisticated cameras within London, which are used to operate the central london congestion charge system. These cameras are fitted with automatic plate recognition (APNR) technology.


Last week the Police in London were granted exemption from the Data Protection Act to track the city's motorists. The Home Office has granted The Metropolitan Police full, real time access to surveillance footage from London's congestion system cameras.

"The camera data shall only be processed for the purpose of processing for matters relating to safeguarding national security, it shall not be used for general policing purposes," said the document which sets out the reasons for granting the exemption"

I would like to see a definition of "National Security". Not really a big deal, just means more people will have access to our details. Car registration, facial images and driving habits : )

Your company may own your facebook profile

Employers could have grounds to demand ownership of employees' social networking profiles, such as those generated on Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, according to a recent case.

This is all due to a recent case where a journalist was forced to hand over his contact lists from facebook, after he left the company.


The argument is that if you create or use a network in work time it belongs to the employer.

"The basic law is that if you create copyright material, something you write or type into a computer, you take photographs, you do cartoons, you potentially create film, if that is created in the course of your employment then the assumption is that that belongs to your employer, so that doesn't have to be written down by your employer "

We all think this does not affect our work and if we are in touch with colleagues then this is our own business. This is not the case and you should all be very careful.

So what should you do?

1).You should keep personal and social lists separate, or even better use a totally separate site.
2).Do not use social networking sites in work time : ) yeh right...
3). If you are going to leave and continue to stay intouch with your colleagues or your boss - make sure you leave on good terms,
4). Try not to implicate your organisation in a negative manner - REMEMBER - it only take one person too google you, to see what your like as a person.
5). Your profile represents you...too much info on it and you loose privacy.

Read the whole ruling http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2007/1570.html

Facebook and a class war

According to Vnunet -a class war is breaking out and your status in society is dependent on what social networking site you use.

I think this is a pile of pants but there you go. Nothing to do with the fact that facebook started out of universities and in particular Harvard.....
Full Article

Promise Me By Harlan Coben

This is only my second Coben book and it was a very easy read. A crime thriller with an easy to follow story line, but way too many characters.

Set in todays New York, a man goes out of his way to keep a promise he made to some college students. A few twists and turns on the way and some very descriptive chapters. If you are after some light hearted read that could turn into a Saturday afternoon channel five film, this could be the book for you. Let me know what you think.

SpinVox - Voicemail to Text

SpinVox converts your voicemail into text messages. It is quick, simple and not that expensive.

Once you have registered they provide you with a replacement voicemail number that will allow you to access any voicemail. What callers will notice is that they are being transferred before they go through to voicemail. After that you will hear a standardised SpinVox greeting - or you can personalise it.

Once a message has been left, you will receive a text message informing you of a new voicemail. If the caller is within your phone book, the message will look like a normal text and will appear as it is from the caller. I like this because you don't have to have a pen handy or replay a message several times. You can add any number to your phonebook from the text and if you want you can even change the settings so it sends you the same text to an email address for no extra charge.

Voice recognition software can be a bit patchy, but i have to admit, this little product comes in handy and handles different accents well. It even leaves a gap in the text if the reception is not so good or there is interference and displays this as "_ _ _".

It costs £3 for ten conversions a month, £5 for 20 and £10 for 50. If you use your packages allowance before your month is up, they will just update your allowance from that point.

I like this product and think it is very useful for business and personal. You don't always have a pen to hand or are even in a place where you can hear a voicemail and that is where this will be at its best. Personally, i think the pricing should be a bit more flexible, like 25p a conversion and no monthly charges. I think i will keep using it : )

Unwanted Calls

We all get them.You answer the phone and you say "hello" but no one is there. But, when someone does respond it is either a sales person or a computer telling you that a representative of an organisation has been trying to contact you.

My recommendation is that you go to the TPS. "The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) is the central opt out register whereby corporate subscribers (see definition below) can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls to either all their organisation's telephone numbers, or to certain numbers. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the CTPS"

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/

The best thing i found is that it allows you to opt out your mobile number and mailing address too.

Hope this helps

Bose Ipod Dock

I was given an Ipod for my birthday, mainly due to the fact it was the only music device that was compatible with my car. Not being much of a big fan of them i kinda surprised myself how much i used it compared to my previous Sony NWH3.

Anyway, being a bit of a techno freak i purchased a dock.

The Bose dock is probably one of the more expensive docks on the market at nearly £250, however, with the exchange rate,you cant go wrong purchasing this over in New York. It has connectors for most ipods and comes with a fairly plain and simple remote, which allows you to go skip to the next track or album. The actual front slot where the ipod docks is slightly flimsy and i don't like the fact the functions on the remote are pretty limited - Forward,back,volume and power.

It's a small piece of kit which don't look bad and provides some major clear sounds. The clarity is excellent and would come on par if not better to the Denon stereo we have in the house. I just could not believe how loud this little device will go without any distortion. It can get a bit basey when the track is more intense, however, you can use your ipods music settings to change this.

I really like this device, however, i can understand the dilemmas people have when buying this. The sound quality and compact size compared to others, such as the apple dock, make this an accessory everyone should think about.

Verdict: Highly Recommended

Picture courtesy of http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/