Archive for September, 2010
Tech Made Easy Videos Now Viewable on iOS Devices!
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This evening I’ve finally managed to change the way videos are displayed on the website, they should all now be 100% Flash free and will therefore play on iOS devices!
So all you iPhone/iPod/iPad users out there can now enjoy the same Tech Made Easy videos as everyone else!
Enjoy!
How to Share Large Files With Microsoft Skydrive
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As home broadband speeds increase it’s becoming easier and easier to use the Internet to share your photos, music, videos and documents with friends and family. In years gone by it had been necessary to copy these files to a CD or USB drive in order to share them, but these days it can often be quicker and easier to send them directly to the recipient. The only problem with this is that most Email services will only accept file attachments that are relatively small, say 5 or 10MB. However it is entirely possible to share your files and folders, up to 50MB each, over the Internet for free using Skydrive from Microsoft.
What is Skydrive?
Skydrive is a part of the Windows Live family of applications (like Windows Live Messenger or Hotmail). To access it you just need a Windows Live login, which a lot of people will already have if they already use any of Microsoft’s other Windows Live products such as Hotmail, Live Messenger or Xbox Live.
With Skydrive you can get 25GB of free online storage (there’s a 50MB size limit per file) which you can use to store your own personal documents or to share files, music and photos with anyone, with password protection in place to prevent your files being looked at by others. You can even separate your Skydrive into different folders and allow different people access to each folder, so you can keep work files and personal files separate and protected, for instance.
How Does Skydrive Work?
There are currently two main ways to use Skydrive, you can either use your web browser to upload and share files, or there is also integration within Microsoft Office 2010 to allow you to save documents directly to your Skydrive (as apposed to locally on your computer). In both situations the files you select are saved to a server operated by Microsoft for you to view wherever you have an Internet connection available. You can also create Microsoft Office documents from within Skydrive in your web browser and then share these with friends and family.
Before you can use Skydrive you’ll need to sign up for the service, head over to http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive and click where it says “Get Skydrive”. You’ll then be taken to a Windows Live signup page as shown below.
If you’re already a Windows Live user then you can enter your Live ID here and have instant access to your Skydrive, but if your not then you’ll need to click on the “Sign Up” button on the left hand side of the screen and create a Windows Live ID for yourself. Don’t worry if this is the case, Windows Live is entirely free and carries many additional benefits including the potential for free Email and Instant Messaging.
Once you’re signed up you should be taken to the web page for your Skydrive, which will look like the image below.
From here you’ll be able to set up your online folders, decide who can see them and eventually upload files to Skydrive.
Setting Up Your Skydrive Folders
The first thing you’ll want to do on Skydrive is set up some sort of folder structure into which you can save your files, you may want to arrange files according to who can view them (for example, folders named “work files” and “personal stuff”) or by who you wish you view the files (for example, folders named “friends” and “colleagues”). It’s entirely up to you how you set up your folders, but bare in mind that it’s easier to control who can view which documents by controlling the folders rather than the individual files.
Once you’ve decided how you wish to organise your files, you can create folders by clicking on the “New” button within Skydrive and then clicking “Folder”, as below.
You will then be able to name your folder, change who can view it (there are options for “everyone”, “my friends and their friends”, “friends”, “some friends” and private) , and save it so that it appears in your folder list. The “Movies” folder in the second picture in this article is an example of a folder you could create for yourself. You can repeat this for any folders you’d like, in the example below I’ve set up various folders based upon the types of files I might want to upload to my Skydrive.
Once your folder structure is set up, and you’ve set up who can see each folder, you’re ready to upload your files to skydrive. To do this, click on the “Add Files” button near the top of the page, you’ll then be asked which folder you wish to upload to:
Select a folder and a new page will automatically load, from here you can click on “Select documents from your computer” which will bring up a window where you can select which files you wish to upload from your computers hard drive to your Skydrive:
Once you’ve selected your files, they’ll be uploaded to your Skydrive, and shown in the file window, you can then click on the “select more documents…” text at the bottom to add more, or select “Continue” to complete the upload:
Continue this process for each file you wish to upload to Skydrive, and before you know it you’ll have shared all of your important files with your friends and family. You can even select whether those people can simply view your documents and photos, or whether they can edit them as well. If you have elected to share any of your files and folders on Skydrive then you’ll be prompted to send an Email notification to those people which will explain to them how they can view the files on your Skydrive.
Saving to Skydrive From Microsoft Office 2010.
If your computer has Microsoft Office 2010 installed then you can save your files directly to Skydrive rather than having to transfer them manually using your web browser. The advantage of this is that it’s quicker, and also you’ll be protected from having multiple copies of the same document (one on Skydrive, one on your computer) which will help prevent confusion if it’s a file you intend to use a lot.
To save a document directly to Skydrive, click on the “File” menu in any of the Office 2010 programs and then click on “Save&Send”, then “Save to Web”, you’ll then be prompted to login using your Windows Live account (this will only happen the first time you use this feature):
You’ll then be prompted to login to your Windows live account, as below:
Enter your Windows Live details and you’ll then see a list of the folders on your Skydrive, and from here you can select a folder (remembering, of course, who has permissions to each of the folders) and then click “Save As” to save your Office 2010 document to Skydrive:
Now, depending on the size of the document (and the speed of your internet connection) it may seem like Office “hangs” at this point. Bare with it and within 10-20 seconds you should see the following:
This window is very similar to the ordinary “Save as” window for saving documents on your computer, but notice in the address bar that the location is the folder on your Skydrive, not any directory on your computer. At this point all you need to do is check the file name (and change it if necessary) and then click “Save” to upload the file to Skydrive. Office will then upload the document to Skydrive automatically and you can browse to it through your web browser.
Important Things to Consider
No matter whether you’re using Skydrive or another online data storage system, it’s important to consider a few things when choosing to work in this way:
- When saving files to Skydrive you are choosing to save your files to a server that you don’t own, and Microsoft (nor any other provider) will accept any responsibility if your files are accidentally deleted or somehow lost.
- Setting correct permissions is absolutely essential, the last thing you want is for every Tom, Dick and Harry to have access to your important files and folders.
- Skydrive is free, for now. Microsoft are under no obligation to continue to provide this service, though hopefully if they decide to withdraw the service they would at least give you notice to allow you to save all of your important files.
- Skydrive is not a suitable way to backup your documents, for the reasons explained in point’s one and three above.
The iPad and Velcro, A Match Made in Heaven
0I don’t normally use Tech Made Easy as a forum for other content found on the web, but this struck me as such a novel concept (and yes I realise it was probably intended satirically) that I felt I had to share it with you.
Below is a video I was told about on Youtube, by the user “iPadAppReviewTV”, enjoy!
Review: Pure Siesta Flow Alarm Clock Radio
1The Siesta Flow from Pure is a very nifty little device, on the face of it it looks like a simple alarm clock, but delve into the menu’s and it becomes obvious that it’s capable of so much more.
It handles FM Radio, DAB Radio, Internet Radio, and plays media from your home network, USB stick, or any audio source connected via the mini-jack. Oh, and it gets you out of bed in the morning. Check out the video run through of it’s features here…..
The sound quality from the built in stereo speakers is…… adequate, it’s nothing special but I must say I was impressed when I first turned it on and played an MP3 from my media library. In terms of usability, when you first turn it on you’re asked to select your Wi-Fi network and it will then go online and check for any software updates available for it. Mine downloaded version 1.5 of the software and installed it with no interaction from me, which was good. How often Pure will send out updates is unsure, but it’s good to know that development of the software has continued after the product has made it to shelves.
Once it was set up I initially found the Siesta a little tricky to use, the combination of touchscreen controls and traditional buttons was a little perplexing at first, and inputting search terms one letter at a time was extremely frustrating. However, then it occurred to me: The interface isn’t designed for you to be constantly inputting search terms etc., it’s designed for you to conduct an initial setup, bookmark your favourite radio stations and songs and then play them from the favourites and presets options on the menu, so once setup day to day use should prove painless.
The radio reception on both FM and DAB was good in my area using the included wire antenna. It’s questionable that Pure haven’t included a means of connecting your own antenna for areas with low signal strength, but seeing as I haven’t had any issues, perhaps it’s not as big a problem as I anticipate. When streaming media over the Wifi connection from both my home media library and Internet radio there was no noticeable performance issues, MP3′s come through crisp and clear, and the Internet equivalents of some radio stations actually sound better than their DAB versions.
The alarm functionality is very user friendly and also adaptable, you can select a time (obviously) but also choose whether this is a one off alarm, or to be set off every day or every weekday. You can also choose how the device reacts to these alarms, you can choose to play from any of the radio sources or choose a tone from a built in library if you’re a particularly heavy sleeper. It’s a shame that you cannot wake up to music held on your computer or music server, though I can kind of see the logic to this: What were to happen, for instance, if you’d selected to wake up to a particular file, and then that file were to be moved? In short, it’s a lot simpler to tune to a radio station and play whatever comes across than it is to try and search for a specific file on your home network. Perhaps Pure will add support for this in a future update, but in the meantime it’s a small blemish on what is otherwise a very fine product.
Similar home media streamers will set you back over £100, and that’s without the inclusion of DAB and FM radio into the mix. Sure, the interface on the Siesta has a simple LCD screen, but for casual music listening does that really matter? What’s ten times more important is the sound quality and availability of sources, and in both of these areas the Pure Siesta Flow scores top marks.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more care taken in terms of the design and physical features of the unit, the plastic does feel a little cheap in places and the screen may prove too bright at night for some users. But these are small issues that can be accepted purely by virtue of the low price tag that this product offers.
The Pure Siesta Flow is available now at around £65.
How to Buy A Cheap Apple Computer Or Laptop
0Time and time again I hear from people things like “if money were no object I would buy a Mac” or “if I had the money I’d buy one. There’s no denying it: Apple computers are expensive; for what you would have to spend for the cheapest Mac available today you could buy two or even three IBM PC’s. Obviously that’s taking things to extreme, and the “cheap” Mac would wipe the floor with the “cheap” PC, but it does illustrate my point: Cost is a deciding factor in any purchase and many people simply can’t justify the extra expense of a Mac, no matter whether they want to or not.
Apple have always been good at maintaining level pricing of their machines as well, whether you buy from Apple directly or from another supplier the price is likely to remain around the same, but there are three completely legal and legitimate ways to bring down the cost of buying a Mac:
1) Buy a Refurbished Unit
It’s a little known secret that Apple sells refurbished and end-of-life units through it’s online store, just head over to http://store.apple.com/uk and look for the link on the left hand side of the screen, near the bottom, under “Special Deals”. You may not be able to get the exact model you want, but if you’re willing to be flexible in this then you stand to save a significant amount of money. What’s more, all the Mac’s bought from the refurbished store come with a full years warranty and are guranteed to be in near-mint condition.
The stock on the refurbished store comes from ex-display models, customer returns and repaired faulty units, all are put through a demanding testing procedure by Apple and professionally cleaned before being shipped to customers. I’ve bought two Macs from the refurbished store and both have arrived with absolutely no problems, in fact; one arrived with greater specifications than I’d paid for!
2) Buy Your Mac Tax-Free
If you’re going on holiday overseas anytime soon, you may be interested to learn that you can buy Apple Mac’s at most major airport terminals as well as at the channel crossings to France. Few ports have actual Apple stores, but most will have a PC World or Dixons, and both of these retailers will be happy to sell you an Apple Mac duty free, meaning you could save a lot of money.
What’s more, most of these suppliers can arrange for you to have these products delivered to your home, meaning you don’t have to carry your nice shiny new Mac onto a cramped airplane.
3) Get a Student Discount
Apple offers discounts to students on most of their products, if you attend a college or university in the UK then you can input your details to Apples website here and save yourself a bundle on any Apple product. Unfortunately though, you can’t tie this deal in with options 1 or 2, so check to see if you can make a greater saving with these options first!
XBMC Remote App For iPod, iPad and iPhone
2If you use XBMC in the home and have an Apple mobile device such as an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad, then you can make use of the XBMC Remote app on the iTunes App Store.
This app allows for seamless control of your XBMC library, either by using it to control the XBMC interface, or by allowing playback of music and videos selected from your library direct from your iOS device. Check out the video below to see what all the fuss is about!
Which iPod is Right For Me? (2010)
1Last week Apple announced an almost complete refresh of the iPod lineup and while we haven’t managed to lay our hands on any of them yet, Apple gave us enough of a walkthrough of their new devices that we can make a pretty good guess as to which device will be best suited to which environment. If your looking for any of the previous generation of iPods, check out our article here, but to read what we think of the new kids in town, read on.
iPod Shuffle
When Apple released the last iPod shuffle there were many people who were unsure about the decision to
remove the majority of buttons from the device in favour of voice control. Though the technology was a nice gimmick it often proved impractical in the real world, I should know; I bought one. There is nothing sophisticated about speaking the names of your playlists out loud on the London Underground.
Thankfully Apple have realised that voice control alone is not a good idea, and so the new Shuffle also includes the same control buttons that were in place on the second generation model.
The aesthetics of the device haven’t really changed, it takes on the form factor of the 2nd generation, but in a slightly smaller case which means that it’s still the ideal choice for those on a budget or for those who want to listen to music while exercising. For the latter, the re-inclusion of the buttons is most welcome, it can be almost impossible to change playlists using VoiceOver when exercising, and in any case; you should be focussing on your breathing.
iPod Nano
The Nano has received arguably the biggest makeover of the range, as well as gaining multitouch control and
a belt clip, it’s actually lost something: the camera from them previous model that allowed for recording of video directly onto the device.
This is a strange move for a company that prides itself on bringing exciting new technologies to it’s customers.
That being said, the new design of the Nano does offer some new suggestion for it’s intended use, the inclusion of the belt clip indicates that this, like the shuffle, is designed to be a gadget for people on the go. It’s not designed to hold your entire music library, but for short trips away or day to day use it should be ample (unless you have the attention span of a goldfish). It’s feasible that this could be used in place of a Shuffle for those whom like to exercise, though the multitouch touchscreen controls may not be as suitable in this category as the traditional buttons of the Shuffle.
Unfortunately, even though the Nano is now touchscreen, it won’t run any of the apps designed for iPhones or iPods. It also has no wifi connectivity. So it’s no good for you if you want the latest news or to play games on the go.
iPod Touch
The Touch has received an update rather than a redesign so to speak, in order to bring it inline with the
iPhone 4 in terms of performance. It now features the same Apple designed processor and dual cameras as the iPhone 4, meaning it can handle the latest games being produced and make use of the Facetime video calling that Apple launched with the iPhone 4. What this means is that providing you are connected to a wifi network you can make video calls to any other iPod touch or iPhone 4 user, an amazing feature for a device that started life as an mp3 player.
The touch is primarily aimed at those who want the functionality of the iPhone without the added cost of the handset and the associated contracts. It’s available relatively cheaply as well, the 8GB version is available for xxxxx. That’s a whole lot of device for the money.
If you want to play games, watch video, listen to music and web browse on the go, then this is the device for you.
iPod Classic
“Old Faithful” was conspicuous by it’s absence from the keynote speech last week. In fact, the Classic hasn’t
iPod Classic - 6th Generation
received an update this time around, leading many to speculate that the iPod nearest to the original in terms of design will not be around much longer.
The Classic has lasted this long because it’s still pretty much the only way to carry your entire music collection with you on the go. The other Apple devices just can’t match the 160GB storage of the Classic, yet. With the cost of solid state storage dropping, it’s easy to assume that apple will soon be offering 128GB solid state iPods to the masses, which could well mark the end for the Classic.
In the mean time, this is still the best way to carry your entire music collection with you (and some photos and movies as well, though you’ll be squinting to read the small screen). It can also sync your calendars and contacts from your PC or Mac, though you can only read this information on the device and not edit it.
The classic is best suited to those who will be spending long periods of time away from their music libraries, I still pack mine whenever I’m going away for more than a few days, mainly because I know what I’m like and I know I’ll want to listen to a song that i took off of my iPhone so that I could install that Angry Birds update. The hard disk of the Classic can also be used as an external disk within Windows or OSX, so if your music collection is only 50GB the rest of the space is not necessarily wasted.
Conclusions
Though the landscape of Apple devices has shifted quite a lot, Apple a still offering something for everyone with their current range. That being said, as with the previous article, an iPod may not be the device for you. We’re assuming that you’ve already decided that it is in this article, but their may be devices that better suit your needs (and your wallet) from other manufacturers, so it’s important to look around the marketplace for the best deal for you.
In short, for those on a budget or who listen to music on the go, the shuffle or the nano are best for you.
For users who need iPhone like functionality without the price tag, go for the iPod touch.
For those who value storage space over the extra functionality, the classic is still the best way to go, get one whole you can!
User Registration
0Unfortunately we aren’t going to be able to accept any new users on the website until further notice. The reason for this is that we are being targetted by “spammers” who are creating new accounts in an attempt to find vulnerabilities on the site and post comments containing spam and hazardous links. At the moment we’re not geared up to handle this threat so the only solution is to prevent new users from registering until we can work out a way to block these users.
Apologies to anyone who wished to join the website and contribute, if you would like any further information please email: admin@techmadeeasy.co.uk