We've moved!

It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the new and the improved Alistair’s Tech Blog website! As you may be aware of, our domain name has changed now being: alistairstechblog.co.uk and we no longer post at this (alistairstechblog.blogspot.com) URL. We have also moved blogging systems and hosts. Migration from Google’s Blogger service to the highly acclaimed WordPress platform is almost complete. Our new blog is now hosted on a dedicated server provided by Novux, a company that specialises in SEO consultancy and affordable webhosting packages for personal/corporate use.

For any older content previously available on our site, please revisit this site to access the archives.

Thank you for a year of support; let there be many more to come,

Alistair Baker
Founder & Managing Director

Best Buy UK prepares to shut up shop, closing down sale starts tomorrow

Christmas is fast approaching and everybody is searching for that cash saving deal. Attention savvy savers! Look no further than the soon to be closed Best Buy UK website (www.bestbuy.co.uk) or one of their stores to find your great Christmas bargains. Just as the company announced a few months back, the UK branch of the franchise will be closing down very soon. Tomorrow the company is selling off their remaining products at discounted prices between 10%-30%. Good luck and happy shopping!

My thoughts on Amazon's £89 Kindle e-reader

Pictured above is the 2011 revision of the immensely popular Amazon Kindle e-reader. On Friday, I had the opportunity to use my friend's Kindle and experience the device first hand.

Below are my unbiased opinions about the e-reader:

1. The Amazon Kindle has seen a design change in 2011, no longer does it sport the extra dimensions of previous revisions. The device has a slim profile; easily able to fit into a large pocket yet robust enough to stand up to the odd knock or bump.

2. Amazon revolutionised the e-reader market with the invention of the "E-ink" display. Before you actually experience the quirkiness of the screen, you can't really imagine or describe it. It looks identical to paper; except its not, it is truly something magical.

3. The Kindle is of a nice weight too; not too heavy, as if your carrying a brick, and not too light, as if your reading on air!

4. The Amazon Kindle is fantastic for reading in well light environments but when it gets dark; forget it! Amazon, why didn't you put a backlight in the screen?!

5. You can now surf the web on your Kindle using the included experimental web browser. This is a great idea if you quickly need to check your emails before or during travel.

That's a rap! Overall I think that Amazon's Kindle is a must-have for book lovers this holiday season.

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket receives 2.3.6 update OTA

AT&T's LTE Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is now being pushed a new OTA update boosting its Android software version to 2.3.6. The update changelog is unknown although the usual bug fixes are to be expected. Maybe it will fix the Google Voice Search issue that some users are experiencing; only time will tell.

To grab the update right now, head into the Settings menu and then select the Software Updates option. The update is OTA so be sure to have an adequate data connection (WiFi if possible) and enough battery charge left to complete the process.

Verizon's Samsung Galaxy Nexus is coming, priced at $200?

Sometime in the future (hopefully!) the world's first Android 4.0 ICS handset, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, will be hitting the Verizon Wireless network sporting their cutting edge 4G LTE cellular radio bands. Currently, the network nor Google or Samsung have confirmed or denied a specific release date for the 4.65" device dispite the high demand for the handset in the US market. Today we have fresh news to present (and no, its not the release date that we've all been waiting for), a leaked ad has confirmed the 2-year-contract price for the SGN to be $200 (well $199,99).  This price is considerably lower than previously rumoured and is much lower than the current Verizon price plans for other high end smartphones. At the time of publishing, the "Learn More" button doesn't point to anywhere; only time will tell whether or not the ad is genuine.

Erratic volume issue arises on European Galaxy Nexus Handsets (Update 23/11/11)

The world's first Android 4.0 ICS handset is encountering it's first problems.The XDA Developer forums are exploding with the amount of users complaining about the issue portraying that this is a serious problem for the Samsung made handset. Basically the problem involves the volume control seeming to have a mind of it own, flitting at random between mute, full blast and anything and everything in between! So far the problem has only been reported on handsets using the GSM 900MHz band intensifying as the cellular modem either boosts itself in a low reception area or when switching between 2G and 3G data connections. A user poll on the XDA Developer forums indicates that around 60% of all European Galaxy Nexus devices suffer from this issue.

The video below demonstrates the issue:

Update 23/11/11: Google are officially acknowledging the issue say that "We are aware of the volume issue and have developed a fix. We will update devices as soon as possible." indicating that the problem lies within the ICS code rather than in the Galaxy Nexus hardware.

6 hours remaining until the start of the “Lets talk iPhone” keynote

Yes Apple fans the day is finally here! The day you get to see Apple’s latest iPhone being announced live at the “Let’s talk iPhone” keynote. In just a mere 6 hours time, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO will take to the stage to unveil the 5th generation iPhone handset.

The keynote will goes live at:
07:00AM – Hawaii
10:00AM – Pacific
11:00AM – Mountain
12:00PM – Central
01:00PM – Eastern
06:00PM – London
07:00PM – Paris
09:00PM – Moscow
02:00AM – Tokyo (October 5th)
(Times courtesy of Endgadget.com)

Be sure to follow @alistairbaker98 on Twitter.com, I will be tweeeting out news regarding the event. If you wish to contact me via Twitter regarding the event, please use the hashtag #letstalkiphone.

Who will be pre-ordering the next iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.

Alistair's Tech Blog is changing...

Alistair's Tech Blog is changing.

Check back soon for more information.

Apple reportedly holding a media event on October 4th, iPhone 5 at last?

Today, All Things Digital are reporting that tech giant Apple Inc. will be holding a special media event on October 4th. Apple still haven't confirmed or denied these reports despite the story spreading rapidly across the internet. It is also said that their newly appointed CEO Tim Cook will take to the stage to unveil the iPhone 5 (name uncomfirmed, subject to change) at the event. The site also suggests that the new handset would be available for consumer purchase "within a few weeks" of the announcment.

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, at the Verizon iPhone 4 announcment

I'm back + new purchases from Amazon UK!

I'm back from my summer holiday in Florida, USA (which was awesome by the way!) and that means a lot more content is heading your way, hooray! To kick start things off I have recently purchased some new items from amazon.co.uk that will help me to create great content for you in the future.

These products are:

• Belkin 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub -£14.16
• MHL Adaptor for the Samsung Galaxy S II by G-HUB - £12.49
• AmazonBasics 6.5 feet/2.0 meters HDMI cable - £4.99
• Blue Microphones Yeti USB microphone - £94.07
• USB OTG (on the go) cable - £9.47 inc. postage

 Costing a grand total of: £135.18!

And a:

• Seagate GoFlex FreeAgent 500GB portable USB 3.0/2.0 hard drive (bought whilst on holiday from Walmart) - $49 ($53 inc. TAX)

 I am expecting the Amazon purchases to arrive sometime next week.

Update: All products have now arrived safely!

Review of the: Oregon Scientific Radio Controlled Daylight Projection Clock with Outdoor Temperature

Oregon Scientific Radio Controlled Daylight Projection Clock w/ Outdoor Temperature

Price and stockist: £89.99 from Oregon Scientific (Alarm Clocks Page)

The Oregon Scientific Radio Controlled Daylight Projection Clock is not the ordinary alarm clock that you might have lying around the house. The device itself features a very large and bright vertical display that can be used to show the time, the outdoor temperature, the indoor temperature or the time that the alarm function is set to go off. It also features a motion sensor up top and a rather unique element for a device such as this, a built in 180° projector. This projector enables realtime data, such as the time and temperatures etc, to be displayed onto walls, ceilings or onto special projection screens. The clock doesn't compromise on looks nor style either, it looks very sleek on the desktop whilst still performing to the highest of standards.

What's Inside the Box?

To watch my unboxing video, please click here.

Build Quality

The device has been constructed using high grade plastic to ensure a sturdy feeling unit that will not break easily. The plastic doesn't creek or warp when pressure is applied, although in this relativly high price range creeks should not be expected anyway. I do feel however that the bottom silver plastic rim could have been produced out of metal rather than out of plastic. Overall I am extremely happy with the build quality of the clock.

Usability

Setting up the clock is an amazingly simple process, if you can fit a battery, you will be able to successfully set up this clock. Having said that, please beaware that the installation of the small circular battery into the carpartment on the rear side of the device can be quite fiddily as the compartment is spring loaded and the battery keeps on popping up due to this. The time sets itself so long as you slide the switch to the correct posistion for your location, EU or UK. Setting the alarm is also very simple, and the instruction manual is of a very high standard just in case you get stuck along the way.

Projector

The clock's in built projector can project onto almost anything including doors, walls, ceilings etc. The projected image is bright and the focus can be adjusted by using the focus wheel on the side of the unit. Try to avoid using the projector with dark coloured walls as this doesn't work very well.

Conclusion

Oregon Scientific have created a superb product that is so much more than just an alarm clock. Featuring a projector, radio controlled time keeping, a motion sensor, and outdoor and indoor temperature monitoring, the Oregon Scientific Radio Controlled Daylight Projection Clock with Outdoor Temperature is an amazing product for just £89.99 from Oregon Scientific (Alarm Clocks Page).

Rating

9.5* out of 10*!

Pictures of Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich leak online, running on a Nexus S

Are you feeling hungry for some Ice Cream Sandwich? Well the guys over at Android Police and RootzWiki seem to think so after leaking two pictures showing a Google Nexus S running a very early build of Ice Cream Sandwich. These pictures seem to show more of a blueish theme to the OS with the battery indicator level depicted in blue in the status bar as well as other changes including a four icon dock and new icons. Most new implementations have actually been carried down from Honeycomb 3.x, including the semi transparent Google text search and voice search seen at the top of the home screen. The camera app is also said to be getting a new mode, Panoramic Shot, and the Gmail app supposedly matches the rest of the OS.

HTC Sensation plagued with touchscreen issues

In its short while on sale to customers, HTC’s flagship Sensation handset has had its fair share of problems. The most noticeable of those being the infamous ‘death grip’ that when a users hand covers the WiFi antenna, the signal begins to drop. Now owners of the Sensation have another thing to worry about, touchscreen issues. Users with the issue have been reporting that their screen becomes unresponsive and fails to detect user input even after a few tries. There is currently a 65 page thread on the XDA-Developers forum with over 650 posts from disgruntled owners suggesting that the problem is not limited and is in fact a widespread issue.

The problem doesn’t become apparent straight away. New handsets seem to work perfectly for the first week or so and then the touchscreen begins to fail the registration of user inputs. This is very noticeable on the ‘Ring Style’ lockscreen as the ring keeping slipping away despite user input. When users contacted HTC regarding this unacceptable fault, HTC did what they do best, ignore its customers. HTC Support suggested to perform a factory reset but to no avail. Replacing the actual handset hasn’t worked either, some users are still suffering from this issue even on their third or forth Sensation handset!

Users are also reporting that the phone has other issues most notably with its 8 megapixel camera, saying that when you tap the shutter button on screen, the phone tends to restart at will. All this points to a terribly buggy firmware running on HTC’s supposed flagship device. With a locked bootloader users cannot install a custom ROM to try out and see whether or not that fixes the bugs.

For a flagship device HTC have really made a mess of it all. I feel that they rushed the Sensation into production too soon in order to compete against Samsung’s Galaxy S II dual core smartphone. Could this be the downfall of HTC? Let us know if you are having issues with your Sensation, we will be glad to know.

Q&A: Should you buy an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a conventional HDD (Hard Disk Drive)?

This is a question that gets asked quite a lot in the tech community, should you buy an SSD or an HDD for your PC? The answer depends on what you would need the extra speed that SSDs provide for and whether or not choosing one would be a cost effective solution. For instance, you are given £500 to spend on a storage solution for your new high end PC. For that price you could only get a 240GB Patriot Wildfire SSD* whereas you could pick up 1TB+ hard disk drives for the same price or less*. One common setup that is popular among gamers and enthusiasts is to have a small sized, fast SSD as a boot drive (to host the Operating System) and have single or multiple larger hard drives that they then use for file storage. This is a great method to cut costs but still retain high grade performance when needed.

Eventually SSDs will fall in price, just like RAM has over the past few years, meaning that many more people can experience Flash Storage performance without breaking the bank. Until then, HDDs or SSD & HDD combos will work just fine.

*Capacity and price may vary depending on make, model etc of the drive. Always research components before purchasing them to ensure that you know what your getting for the money.

Blockbuster UK flyer leaks PS Vita release date

Remember when Sony said that the PS Vita (or NGP as it was known then) would be hitting the shelves of stores ‘this holidays’? Now Blockbuster.co.uk have created a ‘New Releases’ flyer that details the UK launch of PS Vita for 28th October 2011. The flyer also details two pre-order offers, one for the WiFi only model at £229.99 and another for the 3G & WiFi SKU for £279.99.

New YouTube Channel name - ideas please?!

As I said in my previous post, I will soon be creating a new YouTube channel. The channel will be about technology, offering tutorials, unboxing, reviews etc. There is one problem however, I cannot think of a good, solid name that I won't hate the moment I create the channel (ie: TechTutorials98)! Therefore I feel that it is time to give something back to my readers, this is a chance for you to broadcast your ideas to me for the chance to be featured in one of my upcoming videos. All you have to do is think of a tech related channel name, comment with your name and channel name idea or email them both to admin@alistairstechblog.co.cc. Thank you & good luck!

Important information regarding Alistair's Tech Blog

Dear readers of Alistair's Tech Blog,

As you may have noticed I haven't posted any new articles to this blog recently. I am terribly sorry for this although I have been very busy with other things including a newly form technology website, TechFlame, and finishing school for summer. Now that I am on my summer break (yay!), I can assure you that new content will be coming very soon. I can tell you the following details regarding Alistair's Tech Blog and its associated services:

• More news articles being posted
• More reviews being posted
• More tutorials being posted
• A new YouTube(.com) channel - more details coming soon
• Regular live shows via Vokle (This week in tech! Monday 8th August 2011 10:00AM BST)
• Alistair's Tech Blog and TechFlame article integration
• Migration of Alistair's Tech Blog from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress - more details coming soon
• Proper domain name - ie: .com, .co.uk etc.

In the mean time enjoy the readily available content on Alistar's Tech Blog and on TechFlame.

Regards,
Alistair Baker
Founder of Alistair's Tech Blog, Author for TechFlame(.org)

Alistair's Tech Blog Mobile Site Now Available

Google have just released a new feature for Blogger, mobile versions of users blogs. I have chosen to utilize the enhancement to provide readers with an easier way to view my content on the go. Enjoy A.T.B on your mobile device.

Windows 8 UI Demo

Windows 8 is the next major release of the Microsoft Windows operating system. The 'Windows 8' UI is very similar to that of Windows Phone 7 using interactive tiles to represent different programs instead of icons. Titles allow for information to be shown to users without having to open up the program, IE: weather or email.

Sony NGP may retail as 'PS Vita' *UPDATE*

Do you remember Sony's Quad Core handheld gaming console codenamed NGP? Its almost time for E3 2011 and NGP is back in the press, this time with a new name, PS Vita. If this is true, Sony seems to be ditching the 'PSP' branding for something new. Stay tuned for more NGP/PS Vita news.

Update: Sony have filed for the 'PS Vita' trademark in Europe.
Update 2: Sony have officially unveiled PlayStation Vita at E3 2011.

Mac OS X Lion + iOS5 + iCloud = WWDC

Apple's WWDC 2011 (Worldwide Developer Conference) is just around the corner and now thanks this leaked photo (courtesy of AppleInsider) we can confirm that Mac OS X Lion 10.7, iOS5 & iCloud will all be there. Stay tuned for more WWDC.

HTC announces OpenSense SDK & HTCdev - Finally lets you develop for Sense UI

HTC's CEO Peter Chou has been sharing new adventures for the company at Uplinq 2011 including the OpenSense SDK that allows developers to create apps specifically for Sense 3.0 (as seen on HTC Sensation). HTCdev provides a community gateway for Sense developers to access tools that allow for a seamless experience between their apps & HTC's UE (User Environment). Developers will also have access to standard APIs that support 3D Displays and tablet stylus pens. HTC have not confirmed a release date but are taking names for a summer launch.

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook

Back in 2009 Google announced their own operating system, Chrome OS. Chrome OS is heavily web based and is built around the very popular Google Chrome web browser. Google's OS is designed for Netbooks & Nettops with the purpose of lite computing in mind. Lite computing comprises of tasks including web surfing, email and document creation etc. Google Chrome OS is now ready to be brought to market.

Samsung are the first consumer manufacturers to produce their line of Chromebooks known as Series 5. The Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks feature dual core Intel Atom N570 CPUs clocked at 1.66GHz, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 12.1" 1280x800 LED display (Non-Gloss, 16:10 Aspect Ratio, 300 Nits Brightness), an NM10 Integrated Graphics Chipset (Shared Memory), Integrated Stereo Speakers, ALC272 Integrated Audio Controller, a 1MP HD Webcam, Internal Microphone, 16GB mSATA SSD (Solid State Drive), 2 USB Ports, VGA Output via Dongle, Headphone/Microphone Combo Port, 4-in-1 Memory Card Reader (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC Compatible). The Series 5 Chromebooks are available in 2 variants, a WiFi model & a WiFi + 3G model priced respectively at $429.99 & $499.99.

4G LTE trial to begin soon in UK

British Telecoms (BT) have teamed up with Everything Everywhere (two mobile providers, T-Mobile & Orange) to create the UK's first ever 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) service. 200 people made up of 100 mobile users and another 100 fixed line customers in the Cornwall area have been selected to trial the new speedy standard on a day to day basis starting in September of this year. At last the UK is starting out on the long path to new and greater technologies that America and other countries have been taking advantage of for some time now.

To learn more about the 4G LTE trial in the UK, please visit http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/lteuk

Test post using the Blogger Android app

This is just a quick test post using the blogger app for Android :-)

Playstation 3 Firmware 3.61 released - phased restoration of PSN begins

At last there's some good news for PS3 & PSN users. Sony has released the 3.61 firmware update for all PS3 consoles that improves on security & also requires you to change your password before PSN resumes where you are.

PSN is coming back, slowly but surely, Sony is restoring the online service! There is hope PSN users!

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WebConnect 4 has arrived!

WebConnect 4 is here! The first public beta of the browser is now available. Lots of new & exciting features have been added to improve the experience of the browser. To get your hands on the exclusive WebConnect 4 beta 1 please visit: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/webconnect & download the WebConnect .exe file. No setup is required, all you need is a PC (Sorry Mac users) & an installed copy of the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 available from: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/netframework

Sony breaks their promise, still no PSN

Last week Sony held a press conference in Japan to discuss the malicious attacks on the PSN & Qriocity services. They said that they would have the online PlayStation service restored by the end of the week but this didn't happened. Users are still left in the dark as to what is delaying the restorations of these services although security is a probable cause. Almost 4 weeks after the services were attacked nobody knows when to expect them back again. Sony says that users will be able to make free purchases from the PSN Store as a gift when the service is up and running. In the meantime, happy single playing!

Update: PSN will not be back online this week. Sources say that the service will be back up on 31st May.

PaperPhone : A fully functional mobile phone that is paper thin & uses gestures

Mobile phones have come a long way since the first commercially available handset, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. The phones of today aren't just phones, they can take amazing, high quality pictures, record vividly detailed videos, surf the web and much, much more. These devices are great, an essential to modern life, but have you ever wished that your mobile could be as thin as a sheet of paper? This wish could soon become a reality with PaperPhone, the world's first paper thin smartphone. PaperPhone works by using bend gestures to operate, as shown in the product demo below. It also uses a flexible version of the E-ink display that Amazon uses in their Kindle E-book reader.

Apple refreshes iMac line up - Sandy Bridge CPUs & improved AMD graphics on board

On Tuesday 3rd May, keeping with their yearly product refreshes, Apple unveiled the new line of improved iMac All-in-One desktop computers. As per usual the iMac comes in two screen size models, 21.5" of a 1920x1080 resolution & the larger 27" with a resolution of 2560x1440. System configuration varies depending on the screen size although both can be fully customized to feature a quad core Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM, up to a 2TB 7200 RPM hard drive or a 256GB SSD and the GPU can be bumped up all the way to an AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory.

Other new features include a 720p FaceTime HD camera and either one (21.5" model) or two (27" model) Thunderbolt port(s) that were first featured on the new 2011 line up of Macbook Pros.

UK pricing starts at £999 for the standard 21.5" model & £1399 for the standard 27" version. The new line of iMacs are available to purchase from Apple online or retail stores.

Google Chrome 11 - same great browser, not so great logo

Good news for all Google Chrome fans & users out there, version 11 is out now! The great web experience from previous releases has been carried over but new Chrome & Chromium logos are now present. Personally I prefer the old Chrome logo as the new one is all flat & feels like a step backwards for the browser. The 3D logos made Chrome feel very modern but now at a glance it looks quite dated. Take a look for yourself below:

New Chromium logo left, new Chrome logo right

Now compare those two to the old logos:

Previously used Chromium & Chrome logos

Do you like the new design? Do you prefer the old ones? Does it even bother you at all?

IObit Game Booster 2.3 Review

IObit Game Booster 2.3 is a fantastic Windows program that has been designed to speed up the performance of games that you play on your PC. Game Booster achieves this by ending unnecessary background processes & services to increase the amount of free RAM & CPU power available to the game. This becomes very useful when you try to play games on integrated graphics chips that lack the power & performance of dedicated graphics cards.

Game Booster features a very simple and easy to use interface that offers a lot of punch without bloating the experience. On the main tab one central button exists that when clicked initiates the boost process. The software also allows users to check & update game drivers, download & install useful software, defragment game directories, tweak the system and view game tools. Anybody will be able to use Game Booster, no skill is required to operate the utility.

Game Booster is a free download although a Premium paid version is available to purchase as well. The free edition offers basic boosting performance for the average user but for hardcore gamers who require more tweaking options then the premium offering is the one for them.

Game Booster is a must have for any PC gamer, great hardware or not. With this utility you can finally use integrated graphics processors to play modern games at low to medium settings without lag or glitches.

To download IObit Game Booster 2.3 please visit: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/gamebooster

Sony says 'Some services up and running within a week'

At last there's a bit of good news for all PSN & Qriocity users out there, Sony says that they should have 'some services up and running within a week'. Also, when the outside intrusion happened, there were scares that credit or debit card numbers had been compromised, however Sony state that the card number database was encrypted and that there are no signs of intrusion but they can't be sure. Before the network relaunches, Sony is apparently releasing a more secure SDK to game developers to prevent a repeat of this ever happening again. When the service does come back online, expect a mandatory system software update and a possible mandatory password change.

Qik Video Connect now allows cross platform video calling

Ever wanted to video call you mate that uses an Android or iPhone handset? Well now you can with Qik Video Connect. With the acquisition of Qik by Skype the software engineers have enabled cross platform video calling over 3G, 4G or WiFi to & from either an Android or an iPhone. Forget FaceTime, use Qik!

Important Notice concerning PSN users

As you may have noticed you have not been able to sign into PSN as normal for the past week or so. This is due to hackers infiltrating Sony's PSN servers and therefore bringing them down. There is a more sinister side to all of this though, private user data has been exposed and is available to these hackers. Sony UK have compiled a list of data that has been compromised by the attack. The data compromised is as follows:

• Name
• Shipping address
• Billing address
• Country
• E-mail address
• Birthdate
• PSN/Qriocity ID
• PSN/Qriocity password
• PSN/Qriocity security question and answer
• Purchase history

Is this the iPhone 5?

The iPhone 5 rumor mill just keeps on spinning and doesn't look like its going to stop anytime soon! Today's bit of news is leaked images (Mr. Blurrycam again) of the supposed iPhone 5 (in white to!). The image shows the device with a larger screen (probably a 4") and a thinner bezel around it. The exterior of the device looks a lot like the iPhone 4 as it still maintains the metal antenna frame and looks about as thick as the 4 as well. There is still the Apple trademark home button at the bottom with a video call camera, speaker & light sensor dominating the top of the handset.

At first glance you may think that this device is a fake as it doesn't feature the spotlight search icon down by the springboard page dots. Do you remember the video of a white iPhone 4(S) running an experimental build of iOS? That didn't have a spotlight search icon either. Could the OS displayed in these photos & videos be iOS 5? I guess we will have to wait and see.

iPhone 4 left, iPhone 5 right

White iPhone 4 launching this week

At last the long awaited white iPhone 4 will hit the shelves of millions of stores across the world on Thursday (28th April) to the joy of many Apple enthusiasts. In June 2010 Apple explained that the white variant of their iPhone 4 had proven more challenging to manufacture than previously thought stating that they would come into the market in the second half of July. Of course this didn't happen. At least the white iPhone 4 actually does exist and that it will come to markets starting Thursday.

CyanogenMod 7.0.2 is out, fixes a lot of issues present in the previous release

Its good news for all Android CyanogenMod fans out there, version 7.0.2 is here! But guess what? It fixes loads of bugs that users have been complaining about! Yay! Some of these include proximity & light sensors and GPS issues! To grab yourself a copy of the latest revision head over to http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices, select your Droid phone, then follow the instructions on the site.

A Blackberry Playbook that runs on Android 3.0 Honeycomb?! Wow!

The people over at MacMall seem to have forgotten that the RIM Blackberry Playbook isn't an Android tablet and that it runs on a special Blackberry tablet OS. Maybe they should do some research before asking their photography team to go wild on Photoshop!

A white iPhone shows up on T-Mobile USA, don't think your getting one yet though!

Prototype T-Mobile iPhone

Yes here it is, an iPhone on T-Mobile! Oh wait, its only a test unit that will not be sold anytime soon! So you won't be able to walk into a T-Mobile store to pick one of these up but it does give hope to the thousands of T-Mobile customers that want a chunk of the big Apple, without jailbreaking & unlocking!

So anyway the device clearly states that it is operating on the T-Mobile 3G network, that's good. But why has this device suddenly appeared? Is it a secret project by Apple? Could it have something to do with the soon-to-be-happening AT&T T-Mobile partnership? Will the iPhone 4 be hitting T-Mobile or will we have to wait for the iPhone 5? Who knows! All I can say is that a T-Mobile iPhone in 2011 looks promising.

*Breaking News* Wii 2 Releasing in 2012, playable units at E3 2011

Nintendo have officially confirmed that the successor to the popular motion controlled gaming console, Wii, will release across the world in 2012. They also said that they would be showcasing the Wii 2 at the 2011 gaming exhibition, E3 hosted in Los Angeles from 7th to 9th of June.


According to sources at the IGN gaming website, who say they have obtained specifications for the device, the Wii 2 will feature a tri core (3 processing cores) IBM PowerPC processor combined with an AMD Fusion APU. This I am not so sure on. Why have a PowerPC CPU with an AMD APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) when the APU combines both a processor & a graphics processor on a single dye? Therefore I believe that the Wii 2 will be powered by an AMD Fusion APU only.

There is no doubt that the Wii 2 will be Full HD (1080p) compatible via HDMI or Component outputs. Also, the consoles proprietary controller will supposedly be featuring 8 buttons and a 6.2" TFT LCD screen that will be used to display extra game content such as tracks maps for racing games.

Leaked Images
To view leaked images please visit: http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/wii2

Press release:

April 25, 2011

To whom it may concern:

Re: Wii's Successor System

Nintendo Co., Ltd. has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011.

We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Sales of this new system have not been included in the financial forecasts announced today for the fiscal term ending March 2012.

New IRC Channel

Just a quick post to let you all know that I have moved #alistair, my very own IRC channel, to the IridiumIRC network. To add IridiumIRC to your network list please watch this short video on YouTube made by Milo Noblet:





Please note: I have a bot & a BNC in my IRC channel. All text gets recorded & gets reported back to me. If I find that a user is bullying, trash talking or being horrible to another user, I will ban you from the channel & the network.

Short Links

Did you know I set up Google Short Links? Well I did! Below is a list of all the short links you need to follow me around the world wide web!

• Facebook Fan Page - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/facebook
• YouTube Channel - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/techyoutube
• Twitter Profile - http://go.alistairstechblog.co.cc/twitter

Windows Live Writer – is it good for posting?

Hello there readers of Alistair’s Tech Blog it is me, Alistair, posting via Windows Live Writer. The purpose of this post is to see whether or not WLW is good at posting to blogger blogs. Please feel free to comment on this post using the embedded Disqus system to expose your view on posting from Windows Live Writer.

Apple iOS 5, what should be next for Apple's mobile OS?

Apple iOS 5 (Expected Release Summer 2011)

Earlier last year (2010) Apple Inc. unveiled the much anticipated iPhone 4 running the latest iOS 4 system software. The upgrade brought a host of new features (to Apple devices) such as multi-tasking, an updated unified mail client & home screen wallpapers. Despite this, many wanted features remained absent. These included:

• Official Adobe Flash Player
• FM Radio - Even the iPod Nano has one!
• Lock Screen Widgets - Email, Messaging, RSS Feeds
• OTA (Over the Air) Syncing - WiFi, Bluetooth
• Storage Device Mode
• Syncing with Multiple Computers

With the iPhone 5 launch fast approaching around the corner, is iOS 5 going to deliver some of these features or will the OS still be left to fall behind its rivals? No doubt the iOS mobile platform has come a long way since its introduction in 2007, but compared to rivals such as Android & WebOS it is still lacking in functionality.  I believe that Apple & Adobe should sort out their differences in order to bring either Flash Lite or Flash Player to the iOS platform. I also think that iOS should become more customizable so that it can be tailored to the specific needs of its users. The next version of iOS has the potential to be the best yet, but will Apple implement the features that users are so longing for? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

*Breaking News* New Alienware Laptops

Alienware have just finished showcasing some of their new gaming laptops, the new M11x (R3), M14x & M18x. All three machines are beasts! Check out the specs for the M18x if you thought the M17x R3 was something amazing! Up to 32GB DDR3 RAM! Factory OCed Intel Core i7 (Sandy Bridge) XE CPU! 4GB GDDR5 VRAM on the graphics chip! Prices for the M18x start at $1999!

Alienware Special Event

Look what Alienware just sent me. 'Tune into an important Alienware announcement', are they going to be revealing the M14x & M18x? Whatever is happening over at Alienware, I will cover it.

Samsung Galaxy S II Pre-order

I have now pre-ordered my Samsung Galaxy S II from Amazon for £499.99. When I have the device, I shall be creating new & exciting videos such as an unboxing, a review and other great content.

*Breaking News* Samsung Galaxy S II (2) UK Release Date Announced

Samsung have just officially announced the UK release date for the Galaxy S II as being 1st May. This comes as great news to me as I myself will be getting the 1.2GHz dual core monster.

Samsung official press release:
SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES UK AVAILABILITY OF THE GALAXY S II

Samsung's most powerful smartphone yet set to hit UK shores on 1st May

11th April 2011, London, UK – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., today announces that its slimmest and lightest smartphone yet, the Samsung Galaxy S II (Model: GT-I9100), will be available in UK shops on 1st May 2011. The Galaxy S II is the first handset to offer Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, the largest, brightest and most colourful screen available in Samsung's portfolio of devices.

Super slim (8.49mm) and lightweight (116g) Samsung's Galaxy S II runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is super-fast thanks to its dual-core 1.2GHz processor. The device's exceptionally bright screen makes it perfect for watching movies and TV or playing games and looking at apps, with its ground-breaking 'organic' LED technology, Super AMOLED Plus also saving energy so you can enjoy watching content without affecting the battery life.

The Galaxy S II is built for multi-tasking, its dual-core processor makes switching between applications and loading web pages such as Google, Yahoo and YouTube quick, whilst superior 3D hardware means games and videos can be loaded and played with ease. What's more, there's immediate access to content and services such as catch up TV and movie downloads, thanks to super-fast connectivity and WiFi, with speeds up to 21Mbps which provides increased download speeds, and Bluetooth 3.0+HS which reduces data transfer times significantly.

Simon Stanford, Managing Director, Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "From the moment it was revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona there has been a huge buzz about the Galaxy S II, so we're pleased to announce that it will be available for UK customers to buy from 1st May. Our slimmest, lightest, fastest smartphone is our first device to offer of Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, alongside the most advanced technical specifications including the latest Android OS and a dual core processor. We're confident it's a great package for anyone wanting a superior smartphone experience."

The Galaxy S II also features an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording and playback, Samsung's patented AllShare technology so you can share pictures, movies, and music with other devices and Samsung's new Kies Air which lets people manage their smartphone contents from their PC via local WiFi connections.

A new 'Live Panel' feature on the Galaxy S II allows aggregation of live web, social networking and application contents to a single customisable home-screen, whilst it's possible to place all the important parts of your life onto three adjacent home screens which you can switch between simply by pressing and holding on the screen. As with all the Samsung Galaxy family, the Galaxy S II features Samsung Hubs, providing a huge range of entertainment content, advanced mobile games and the ability to manage social networking accounts.

The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available in the UK across all major networks and retailers.

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 & 4.3.2 (Untethered)

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 & 4.3.2 (Untethered) using Redsn0w 0.9.6 rc 9 & 13

Jailbreaking Apple's iOS 4.3.1 or 4.3.2 is really simple using Redsn0w. Before we get started, you need to know a few things. 1) Devices that are supported:

• iPod Touch 2G, 3G, 4G
• iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 (GSM, iPhone 4 4.3.2 very buggy)
• iPad 1

 2) You need a copy of iTunes installed.
 3) You need the .ispw (firmware file) file that corresponds to your iDevice & firmware.
 4) If you rely on the Ultrasn0w iPhone unlock then do not use this jailbreak yet!

Ok, lets get cracking!

First you need to download Redsn0w, for Windows it can be found here & for Mac here. Once you have downloaded & extracted the Redsn0w application/program, you need to download your corresponding ISPW file. To do this either visit http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware or http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=757 (for iPod Touch), http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=750 (for iPhone), http://osxdaily.com/2010/11/02/download-ipad-firmware-ipsw/ (for iPad).

So now you have the Redsn0w program & the ISPW file your ready to jailbreak! Now you need to open up the Redsn0w utility, don't worry, Redsn0w doesn't contain any viruses because it is a legitimate program by the legitimate Dev Team! Anyway, once you have opened up Redsn0w, you need to click the 'Browse' button and locate the ISPW file you downloaded earlier. This may be in My Downloads or My Documents depending on where you saved it. The program will then process the firmware, this usually takes about 25 seconds depending on the firmware & computer. Once this has completed click next to proceed to the next step. When this is clicked, you will get a dialog box that says preparing jailbreak data, this is normal.

When the dialog box has closed you will be presented with some options. It is recommended that you only select the Install Cydia &, if you want this feature, Enable Battery Percentage options. When you have checked the options that you want click next.

The next step requires you to connect you iDevice to your computer using the USB cable. Redsn0w also tells you to power off your device (Hold the power button then slide to power off) before proceeding. Once this is done click next.

This part can be a little difficult. Redsn0w will guide you through putting your device into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. To put your device into DFU mode you need to:

• Hold the power button for 3 seconds
• Continue holding the power button but hold the home button (Bottom, centre button) together for 15 seconds
• Release the power button but keep holding the home button for about 5 seconds.
• Your iDevice should now be in DFU mode.

Once this is done Redsn0w will start applying your jailbreak. This usually takes around 2-3 minutes to complete & you will see lots of code on your devices screen, this is normal.

Ok, so if everything went right you will now have an untethered, jailbroken iDevice on 4.3.1 or 4.3.2!

Apple iPad 2 In-Depth Preview

Apple iPad 2

On March 2nd 2011 Steve Jobs took to the stage once again, despite being on medical leave suffering with severe pancreas cancer, to announce the much anticipated sequel to the iPad, iPad 2. Job's keynote's are usually interesting & captivating, this one was no exception.

For months now, people have been speculating about the features of the iPad 2 with 9to5 Mac releasing a leaked image of the white iPad 2's bezel & digitizer (click here to view photo). It was almost certain that a dual core processor & dual cameras would be on the cards but nobody could be too sure.

Now it's official the final specs can be confirmed. The iPad 2 still sports the same 9.7" multitouch, IPS (In-Panel-Switching), LED backlit display with the same 1024x768 pixel resolution at 132 ppi (pixels per inch). Although the IPS display is absolutely fantastic at providing brilliant power consumption & a superb 178° wide viewing angle, it cannot compete with OLED equivalents in colour reproduction & saturation. This, however, isn't a deal breaker as other competitors use LCD or similar technologies as well. 

Under the hood, the iPad 2 is using the brand new Apple A5 dual core processor that provides twice the horsepower of the original iPad's A4 chip & 9x the graphics capabilities with the same 10 hour battery life! There's a 3 Axis Gyroscope, an Accelerometer & a Digital Compass present for full motion gaming. Obviously there's 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi as standard & GSM (Worldwide) or CDMA (Verizon Wireless) 3G on select models.

The iPad 2 also features dual cameras, one front facing VGA (640x480) & one 0.7 megapixel (960x720) 720p HD camera. The front facing VGA camera is primarily used with the Apple FaceTime video chat service although both units can be used by the array of cameras apps available as standard & on the App Store. On such a high end device like the iPad 2, it would have been nice to see higher quality cameras capable of so many more features but the iPad isn't meant to be your dedicated point & shoot camera! Despite all of the new feature implementations, the iPad 2 comes in at 33% thinner at just 8.8mm (slimmer than the iPhone 4!) & 15% lighter at 601g (WiFi only model).

 Now onto the software side of things. At launch, the iPad 2 will run the latest edition of the iOS mobile platform, iOS 4.3. Some of the new features in iOS 4.3 are the improved AirPlay function, a new JavaScript engine for Safari & iTunes Home Sharing integration. Multitouch gestures (disabled by default in final release) that were available in the developer betas of the 4.3 update, can be activated via some simple workarounds.

On the exterior of the device we find the famous Apple Home Button beneath the screen, the volume rocker & multi purpose switch sit on the right hand side of the device & the 30 pin Apple proprietary connector on the bottom. The iPad 2 can also mirror it's 1024x768 (no 1080p output or decoding) via a 30 pin connector to HDMI output cable to connect up to HDTVs for a rather steep price of £23 or $39.

         
What's this? Apple making a cover?! Wow! But wait, this isn't just any cover, this is an Apple Smart Cover! Embedded magnets within the iPad 2 attract the magnets on the Smart Cover & allow the cover to stick to the tablet. But get this, when the case is fully applied to the iPad, the device automatically sleeps, retract the case & the iPad will wake! The cover also cleans the 9.7" screen when it is applied. The smart cover only 'covers' the front of the iPad 2, if you require full protection a case is required. The Smart Cover is available in 10 colours, 5 bright polyurethane covers & 5 darker leather covers.

The iPad 2 will be available in the United States on 11th March & in the United Kingdom on 25th March. The pricing plan is the same as the original iPad's starting at $499 for the 16GB WiFi version.

Overall the iPad 2 is a well worth upgrade to the original iPad with twice the processing power & 9 times the graphics capabilities. The fact that the screen resolution has been maintained at 1024x768 is a bit disappointing but it's high enough. It would have been nice to see higher resolution cameras on a leading tablet like the iPad but at least it actually received some units unlike the previous generation.

Update: iPad 2 is now available in the United States! The UK will follow on 25th March.
Update 2: Apple A5 dual core processor is officially clocked at 1 GHz per core. This provides 2 GHz of raw processing power combined with 512MB of RAM. 
Update 3: iPad 2 is now on sale in the UK.