Archive for July, 2010
Dell Alienware M11X Gaming Laptop – Unboxing!
4Today my new Dell Alienware M11X gaming laptop arrived. A full review will of course follow, but in the meantime I’ve put together a short video of the laptop being unboxed. Enjoy…..
Remember to watch on Youtube for HD goodness.
Product Review: Plustek OpticSlim M12 Scanner
9Now, granted a scanner isn’t normally something to make a song and dance about; most people don’t consider anything other than price when buying one. Almost all of them offer similar features, or at least in terms of what home users are interested in.
The only problem with scanners has always been their size, most people simply don’t have the space available for a traditional flat bed scanner, this is where the Plustek OpticSlim M12 comes in. It’s primarily aimed at those of us who need to scan documents on the go, but I can also see a place for this device in the home. Just look how small it is (right), it’s hard to believe that this tiny thing can function in the same way as those huge, bulky flatbed scanner, but it can.
The test documents that we scanned came out at a very high quality, and not just standard A4 sheets either. This device will scan documents of different sizes from business cards right up to legal letter size (slightly wider than A4 paper). We scanned in a few receipts that we had laying around, the resulting images produced were perfectly legible, which is great for those who need to keep a record for expenses etc.
Included Accesories
In the box you get:
- The document scanner
- The driver/utility CD
- A pouch for the scanner
- USB cable
- Quick Start guide
- Calibration paper
- Cleaning paper
- Base stand
- Wall Holder
The pouch is obviously useful if you do want to use the scanner on the go, but equally useful is the wall mount which you can use to permanently mount the scanner, meaning you can have a scanner permanently attached to your computer without the associated space requirements.
The supplied software CD includes drivers and software for Microsoft Windows, but there is also a downloadable application for Mac which allows you to use it on OS X. The Windows version is pretty nifty, you can either scan your documents as picture files, or scan them directly into your word processing software which allows you to edit them directly. In our tests the text documents we imported transferred to Word perfectly, we were able to amend all the text, and the senders logo and digital signature appeared as pictures which we were able to move, resize or delete should we want to.
Opticslim Scanner in Use
The scanner is priced at around £80, which is slightly more than you’d pay for a similarly spec’d traditional scanner, but you do get the advantages of portability and space saving. In the image on the right the laptop is a 13″ Apple Macbook, which really highlights the size of the scanner and brings home how useful it could be for those of the go or where space is at a premium. In any case, if you’re in the market for a scanner, this model should definitely be a contender, even with the slightly higher pricetag when compared to other models.
How Often Should I Back Up?
0Forward.
The following information has been supplied by Patrick from Storagepipe who offer online data storage solutions for businesses and home users. It’s important to realise that there numerous other comparable services available online, each offering a variety of different products and services. Tech Made Easy does not endorse Storagepipe’s solutions over any other provider (though we certainly appreciate Patrick’s advice!), but we do believe it’s important to consider the importance of properly protecting your data, no matter whether you’re a business or a home user.
Anyway, enjoy!
How Often Should I Back Up?
A common question – when talking about computer protection – is:
“How often to back up?”
The best and simplest response would be:
“As often as is convenient for you”
Of course, this is fairly objective advice. In order to give you a more precise answer, I’d need to know a bit more about how you use your system.
Good:
For the average home user, you could probably get away with backing up your data about once per week. Your work is probably not very critical, and you probably don’t produce very much in terms of files.
Better:
Businesses produce a lot more information, and these files are of much greater importance. For this reason, I’d recommend backing up at least once per day.
And whenever convenient, you should force employees to save all of their files to a central networked hard drive location. This way, all company data is in a single, easy-to-protect location… instead of being spread out across 30 different local hard drives.
Best:
The best option for both – home and work users – would be something completely automated. This way, you can’t forget to back up. (We all forget sometimes)
The great thing about automated backups is that you can set them for whatever frequency you want. Many companies even offer “continuous data protection” which will back up a file each time you save it.
This is like backing up your computer every 5 minutes! And it’s actually easier than doing it the old fashioned way.
Extra Tip:
Once your computer is configured to your liking, you might want to create an image of your system so that it can be quickly restored. Computers have a strange habit of always crashing when you’re very busy.
If you have to install and configure all of your old applications one at a time, it could easily take over 6 hours before you can get back to work. If you have a system snapshot ready to go, this whole process can be done during your lunch break.
Please note that this system image will probably be several months old when you reinstall. So you’ll still need to supplement this with a disciplined backup habit.
And most of all… MAKE SURE TO TAKE THIS BACKUP DATA OFF-SITE. I’ve heard too many stories about people who lost everything because their backups were kept next to the primary machine…. and both were destroyed by a single event. (Flood, Fire, Etc…)
If you follow the guidelines that I’ve laid out, you should be more than well-prepared for any unexpected crashes or glitches that may arise. With all of the convenient solutions easily available today, data loss should be a thing of the past.
About The Author: Storagepipe’s online backup software can protect your machine on a continuous schedule, while automating the backup process for you.
How to Protect your Family While Online
0Recently in the UK there have been several high profile cases which have driven home the need to properly protect your family online. Unfortunately, as usage of the internet in the home has grown so to have the dangers faced by those in your home, specifically the younger members of the family.
We won’t dwell on the specific risks involved as those often don’t bare thinking about, instead this article will give details on the things you can do to minimize the risk to you and yours.
Where to Locate your computer.
One of the best ways to keep an eye on your childrens online activities is to make sure you have access to the computer, make sure that it’s in a communal area of the home like the living room or kitchen. The reason for this is that it should be easier for you to spot any strange activity going on quite quickly.
Your child may make the argument that they want a computer in their room for study or home media, this is fine, but make sure that they know that it won’t be connected to the internet!
Consider restricting internet access.
There are two parts to this approach, the first is to restrict the times of the day that users can access the internet, this can usually be done with your home router or with the use of third party software. The advantage of this is that you can restrict internet access to times that you’re awake and in the home, which ties in with the approach above.
The other aspect of this approach is the use of software to restrict the type of content that users can access. Packages are available (such as Net Nanny) which will allow you to restrict the types of internet traffic that can be viewed. For example, you could restrict access to instant messenger programs or to social networking sites such as Facebook.
Consider Monitoring internet access.
I’m not a fan of this option, but if you suspect something is going on then it is definitely something to consider. Similarly to the point above, there are several software packages available that will monitor and record a users activity online (such as products offered by SpectorSoft). These packages will allow you to monitor everything your child is doing online. I would rate this as an option only if you begin to consider that there is something amiss, it’s difficult to imagine your child taking too kindly to being spied on if you’re caught out, and there’s a trust issue involved too.
Take an interest
Many incidents occur when parents have been completely unaware of a child’s activities online. If your child wants to join a social networking site, join it as well. Make sure you’re aware of how the site works and know the potential risks associated with its use. For example, did you know that if set up incorrectly Facebook’s security policy allows a users profile to be viewed by just about anyone. Make sure that you know what your child is doing and what features of social networking sites they are using. Effectively you’re monitoring activity in a less high-tech way to the option above.
Educate your children.
This is the most important of all of these solutions. You can effectively negate the majority of the risks involved with the internet by making sure your children are aware of the risks and can spot a potential problem before it occurs. It can be difficult to talk about this kind of thing, but my attitude would be that if they’re old enough to use the internet unrestricted then they need to be made aware of the kind of problems that can occur as a result.
Unfortunately there is always likely to be threats associated with using the internet, it would be foolish to ignore the responsibility to educate the young about these threats. As a comparison, you wouldn’t let your children play in the road without explaining to them the risks associated with cars! This situation is little different, proper education of children is the best way to prevent an incident from occuring.
Why My New Laptop Is Not A Mac… (or there and back again)
0Many who know me know that I have a soft spot for Apple products, I started off with an iPod in 2004 and before long I was using Mac computers at home, owned more than enough Apple mobile devices, and ranted to all who would listen about how much I loved my Macs and iPods.
However, now that the time has come to replace my trusty white Macbook, I am choosing to replace it with (drum roll please…) a Windows 7 laptop. Now, before the Mac faithful amongst you jump down my throat, I still love my Apple products and especially my other Mac.
The problem is that although I feel that my iMac is a much better solution for producing digital content such as videos, photos and music, I don’t feel that it does a better job than a Windows PC in some other aspects such as playing games or web browsing. Now, depending on what you want to do with your computer, this can lead you to choose one brand or the other. For me it’s definitely more important to have the superior ability to create and share media than it is to have a machine that can play the latest games. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy games, it’s just my primary focus involves photo and video editing. Right now I can hear people asking; “then why don’t you want to buy another Macbook?”.
The reason is simple; creating and editing media is not the sort of thing people do on a laptop. Personally I am much more comfortable working on videos on my iMac than I am on the comparatively lower powered laptop. Very rarely am I in a position where I need to work on a video or photo and I’m not in reach of the iMac.
For this reason, the decision has been made that the new laptop would not be an Apple product, instead I am focussing on a product that can excel in some of the areas that the iMac struggles with. For that, you have to look towards a Windows 7 machine with the appropriate hardware to handle things like games, and when you think of gaming laptops you have to consider Alienware.
Alienware were initially a high-end manufacturer of performance PC’s and laptops. Now owned by Dell, they continue to offer the pinnacle of gaming hardware at a competitive price. In three weeks time I’ll take ownership of the new Alienware M11X gaming laptop (a review will be posted shortly thereafter). I still love my Macs, and my Apple mobile devices, but I honestly believe that a Windows 7 laptop is now the smarter choice (pound-for-pound) when considering a sub-15″ laptop.
To check out the Alienware M11X, head over to www.alienware.com/m11x
How to Buy an Affordable PC.
0This is a short video guide demonstrating how easy it can be to buy a used PC for the home and set it up at next to no cost.
As always, feel free to leave a comment or Email us about this video, we’re more than happy to answer any questions you have.
Which iPod Is Right For Me? (2009)
2***If you’re looking for information on Apple’s 2010 iPod releases, check out our article here, this article relates to Apples 2009 series of iPods***
Whether you are an Apple fan or not, there’s no doubting that the iPod line of devices has been instrumental (no pun intended) in the prevalence of the MP3 player as a whole. When the original iPod was released in October of 2001 the world was a very different place; many people still relied heavily on CD’s or minidisks for listening to music on the go (I’ll have to check this, but I’m sure I still remember tapes being on sale back in 2001). Not even ten years later and CD’s have long been relegated to use at home and in the car, and everywhere you look you see earbuds and cables hanging from peoples ears.
In fact, the iPod has been so succesful that in September 2009 Apple announced that they had sold over 220 million (that’s 220,000,000) devices under the iPod brand. I call it a brand as there have been over 20 “iPod” devices since 2001, not including the iPhone or iPad. In this article we’ll look at the four current iPods available for sale in the UK and offer insights into which device could be the one for you.
Before we get to that, lets talk about iTunes. iTunes is the software package used to manage your music library (and more) on your computer and to sync your media with your iPod. All iPods (current line and discontinued models) use it to connect to your computer and sync. iTunes is currently available for both Windows and Apple Mac computers (though it tends to work better on the latter) and can be quite a powerful tool if set up properly. iTunes also includes online stores for music, TV shows, movies, ebooks and applications: content is paid for using an online account and downloaded directly to your computer for consumption either at home or on your iPod.
A lot of people see iTunes as a reason NOT to buy an iPod in favour of a different brand of MP3 player. The reason for this is often that people wish to have better control over their media libraries and prefer to manage their collections rather than rely on software to do it for them. This is a fair request, but if you’re happy to allow iTunes to manage your media library then an iPod could be for you.
iPod Shuffle
The Shuffle is the runt of the iPod litter, it was originally released in 2005 following calls from punters for Apple to produce a lower cost alternative to the other iPods available at the time. The current Shuffle model features either 2GB or 4GB of storage (roughly 500 or 1000 songs respectively), has no screen (it famously will play all songs stored on it either in order or at random, hence the name), cannot play video or display photos, but does feature voice controls and an integrated clip for attaching to clothing.
Apple iPod Shuffle - 3rd Generation
These last two features make it an ideal device for people on the go, or for use during exercise. It’s small foot print (yes, that is really it on the right) and price tag also make it ideal for those on a budget or those who worry about carrying expensive electronic devices around with them. It’s also an excellent addition to your collection if you already own a more expensive iPod but don’t want to use it in certain scenarios for fear of breaking it.
Voice functionality was introduced with the 3rd generation model (the earlier models used buttons on the device itself. Some controls remain on the headphone cord, and adapters are available should you wish to use your own headphones.
The voice functionality also make it ideal for those who struggle with touchscreens or Apple’s famous click-wheel control mechanism (like on the iPod Nano and Classic below).
iPod Nano
The Nano was an evolution of a previous model known as the iPod Mini, which was in a turn a cut down version of what is now called the iPod Classic (stay with me). The design is similar to the original iPods with a few subtle changes.
iPod Nano - 5th Generation
The current Nano features a slimmed down and rounded design and comes in a choice of colours. Control is made using the traditional iPod “Click Wheel”. Control of the device relies on four touch sensitive buttons for navigating menus and song selection, with the white band operating in the same way as a laptop trackpad; run your finger clockwise to scroll down and anti-clockwise to scroll up. Some people love this control method, others loath it, but it has been a mainstay on the iPod lineup since 2004 so it’s something you’ll have to make peace with if you want to use certain iPods.
The Nano is currently the only iPod to feature a camera, though it can currently only shoot video and not take still pictures. Videos are can be transferred to your PC or Mac using iTunes. This iPod is also the cheapest that can playback video or display photos, though doing so for long periods is not recommended given the small size of the screen.
Capacity wise, the Nano is available in 8GB and 16GB variants, which Apple claim is enough space for 8 or 16 hours of video respectively, or around 2000/4000 tracks each.
This iPod is better suited to those who want to carry more of their music collection with them or want more control over what they listen to. The camera is also a nice touch, though it’s a shame it can’t capture still photos. This is the cheapest model currently available with a display, so is also good for those on a budget.
iPod Classic
The Classic has more in common with the original iPod than any other device in the current lineup (hence the name). It’s also the only iPod that still uses a traditional laptop hard disk for storage rather than the flash storage that the other models all boast. The advantage of this is that you get a lot more storage space for your money than with the other devices, the Classic currently ships with 160GB of storage, that’s ten times more than the largest Nano.
iPod Classic - 6th Generation
The advantage of this is that most people will be able to carry their entire music collections around with them (as well as some photos, a few videos, a calendar, address book, notes and the odd game). This is the closest you will currently get to a mobile jukebox. It’s not without a price though, the Classic is still more expensive than the base models of all the other iPod models (only the larger capacity iPod Touch models are more expensive).
Navigation uses the same method as the Nano (and most iPods since 2004), though the shape of the screen can make it more difficult to browse through libraries compared to the more portrait-esque Nano. Unlike the Nano, the Classic doesn’t feature a camera, but as a basic pocketable media playback device their’s no faulting it.
The classic is more suited to those who wish to carry their entire music collections with them, those who will be away from home often is a good example. It’s also useful for connection to home Hi-Fi systems and car stereos. The downside is that it’s heavier than other iPods, and the hard drive storage means that it’s more susceptible to damage from impact or sudden jolts than the rest of the range.
iPod Touch
The Touch is the most technologically advanced of all the iPods. The ancestry of it is that of the Apple iPhone, in fact the comparison is often made that the Touch is simple an iPhone minus the phone. It’s easy to see why people would make this comparison; the touch is a similar size with the same touch screen as the iPhone, it runs the same operating software and can run apps designed for the iPhone. The only other thing missing from the Touch is a camera (though this is rumoured to be included in the next revision due later this year – hold off upgrading if you can wait).
iPod Touch - 3rd Generation
The Touch is also the only iPod to include a speaker (though it’s not the best) which allows you to listen to your music or watch videos without the need for headphones.
It also features more connectivity, it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in which allows you to connect to the internet and download more content (games, music, video, books, etc), web browse and chat with friends. The bluetooth can also be used to connect wireless headphones for those who detest cables.
The Touch is currently available in three sizes; 8GB, 32GB and 64GB. The latter two models also feature a faster processor and come with headphones that feature a microphone compared to the basic earbuds that come with the 8GB model. The 8GB model is actually cheaper than the iPod Classic, so if you value features over capacity this could be the iPod for you.
The Touch is suited more to those who would rather remain connected to the web than carry their entire music collection with them. With free wifi access becoming the norm in many bars and restaurants, it’s a nice touch (no pun intended). The base model is especially is very affordable and great for those who want an upmarket device on a budget. The touchscreen is also a contentious issue, some people argue that older users will find it too confusing, while others insist it is to the benefit of those not too familiar with technology. Whatever your opinion, it is important to consider that this is the only iPod that lacks traditional button controls (except the “home” button used to bring up the menu). If you can live with that, then it’s a fantastic piece of technology for the money.
Conclusion.
There’s definitely an iPod for everyone, some models are better suited to certain types of people and to certain lifestyles. With price points across the scale it can be as affordable or as expensive as you like to move to an Apple mobile device. Accessories for all of these devices are widely available, and not just from Apple; several other manufacturers make accessories for iPods, some of which can be used with a variety of models. In the end though, an iPod may in fact NOT be the device for you; there are definitely other devices available and each are worthy of your attention. This article is designed to compare the iPod models to each other, not to mobile media players from other manufacturers, and assumes that you’ve already made the decision to purchase an iPod. In reality, if you already have a system in place to manage your music and video libraries, than a player from another manufacturer may be a better way to go. But it’s very difficult to argue with 220 million sales….