Showing 71 - 80 of 98
Connecting becomes hard work in China
Life, James Hein, Published on 25/09/2013
» I was recently on a trip in China and while I was there I bought myself a SIMM with a data plan to use Skype and to play the game Ingress. As a technologically advanced and well-developed nation I expected that the communications system and technology in general would be advanced, stable and ubiquitous. I was wrong.
Old Apples prove tasty
Life, James Hein, Published on 24/07/2013
» An Apple 1 recently sold for more than 15 million baht, so hang on to that old computer as one day it may be worth something again. I admit to using an Apple 2 computer while teaching in the Maldives many, many moons ago. There were better available at the time, but that was all they had. All it had was green writing on a black screen, a simple operating system and some very simple applications, but still a very useful device back then.
Sympathy for the old devils
Life, James Hein, Published on 17/07/2013
» If you are below the age of 30 you were born into a world with global connectivity on your phone, at home and in your office. You probably grew up using mobile devices and social networking applications like Facebook to keep in contact with all your family, friends and business associates. In some countries you are doing most of your shopping online, doing your business with the government online and you probably don't have a fixed-line connection in your home or apartment. In short, you are connected everywhere you go.
Paying through the nose
Life, James Hein, Published on 03/04/2013
» A report out of Brisbane, Australia highlights an interesting but predictable issue. A specialty food store put a sign in the window stating that they charge A$5 (150 baht) to enter the store, which is refundable if you buy something. If you don't make any purchases then the store is assuming you are comparing prices to goods which you then buy online. Also, in this particular example, the store owner told reporters that about 60 people a week ask for advice then shop elsewhere, so she considers the $5 to be an advisory fee. She also believes that her policy is echoed by other store owners like those in sports, electronics and clothing.
Fiddling with photos is now a lot more fun
Life, James Hein, Published on 16/01/2013
» This is definitely the age of the digital camera. What many people don't understand when they take digital snaps, however, is that the results can be a lot better with a bit of processing. In the old days the best way to do that was with Apple software and there are those who will maintain this view until they die. The PC started to come into its own about 20 years ago when Adobe released its first Windows version of Photoshop and about 10 years ago support started for RAW camera images. Then, in 2007, out came Lightroom, a product designed exclusively for the digital camera user.
Sorry Redmond, I'm just not feeling it
Life, James Hein, Published on 09/01/2013
» My parents bought a new ultrabook and it was my job to set it up for them. Since all new home computers now come with Windows 8 it was a chance to take the PC version of the operating system for a test drive. So far I am not impressed. One of the first things I did was install an aftermarket Start button to keep it closer to their previous Windows experience. There are a number of these available, most of them are free and not only return the Start button but some of the original Windows 7 functionality you may like. Take a look at a few of them and decide what things you want or need to have.
Flexible electronics may bring sci-fi within reach
Life, James Hein, Published on 19/12/2012
» HP is still the biggest seller of PCs, but it's not much of a player in other computer markets such as the portable realm. In terms of total devices shipped, Samsung is now the market leader growing nearly 100% to take top spot with a solid 21.8% of the market. Apple is next on 15.1%. Lenovo is a surprising third at 7%, with HP now down to 4.6 from a previous 7.4%. HP doesn't have a smartphone and its tablet range is sparse so it makes it hard to compete in the smart-connected space. And things won't get much better since the pundits are expecting another 100% jump in smartphone and tablet sales, rising to an overall 70% share of the market. I'm not convinced, though, that tablet sales are going to increase all that much more in what may already be a saturated market; any new entrants will probably get in with the less expensive Chinese products.
Paid applications market growing at healthy rate
Life, James Hein, Published on 12/12/2012
» Your app store needs more developers. According to the analysis firm Canalys about half of the money paid out is to about 25 developers both in the Apple and Google worlds. Given that there are over 700,000 apps to choose from this means that most people miss out. Most of the top earners are game developers like Rovio, Electronic Arts and the like. The stand out non-game developer was Pandora selling the obviously popular Pandora radio app that supports the personalised music experience. So as usual it is the developers with the brand name behind them that get the money and it is difficult for a new player to break into the market. Not unexpected from the survey is that the demand and associated market for paid apps is growing at a very healthy rate so give it a go, you have a chance of making something for yourself in the future.
Windows 8 not foolproof after all
Life, James Hein, Published on 21/11/2012
» With all the marketing in full force across the planet it is hard to avoid talking about Windows 8. This also means that different types of people are looking closely at the new operating system and finding issues. You may remember a few weeks back that Windows 8 was going to be the new bastion of security.
Backtracking Apple allows ad tracking
Life, James Hein, Published on 24/10/2012
» So you have your new iPhone 5 and you love it; good for you! The first time you access iTunes you'll need to provide a payment gateway of some kind. Unlike with Android-based devices, you'll need to give Apple financial access in order to be able to get to the free stuff. My advice, especially if you have children, is to use a debit card with a low ceiling on spending, or something similar, so that when your children use your phone and inadvertently start paying for stuff, your liability will be kept within acceptable limits.