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Posts tagged technology and software
What Does the Nokia and Microsoft Partnership Mean?
22 years ago
If you’re reading Engadget or Gizmodo daily, you probably already know about it. Nokia and Microsoft has just announced a new partnership, but what’s all the fuzz about?
The biggest thing about this, is that Windows Phone 7 is going to be Nokia’s new primary OS for phones. WP7 is the mobile operating system which Microsoft introduced about a year ago.
That basicially means Symbian, used in earlier Nokia phones, is dead.
This partnership also means they’ll be working together in other ways. Bing will be the primary search engine on Nokia phones, and Microsoft will get WP7 out to a lot more customers.
Here’s a video from Nokia and Microsoft:
I personally think this is one of the best things Nokia could do. The last few years have been tough for them because of the competition from Apple and Android. Now, they’re finally getting rid of the terrible Symbian OS and goes new ways.
Gizmodo has just published an article: “Why Didn’t Nokia Use Android? Because That Would Be Giving Up“. It’s very interesting, check it out!
I’ve owned an iPhone for 2 years, so I’m not a big Android fan myself. I do, however, think that this is very interesting, and my next phone could actually be a Nokia phone. I never thought I would say that again.
Technology I Am Looking Forward to in 2011
02 years ago
Which gadgets, software and stuff can us geeks look forward to in 2011? I’ve made list of 4 things I am excited about:
Nintendo 3DS (e3.nintendo.com/3ds)
You’ve probably already heard about it, Nintendo 3DS is the next portable console from Nintendo. It has two screens just like the previous DSi but this time one of them can show 3D without the user needs to wear special glasses or anything.
There are lots of upcoming games for this console too, including Mario Kart and Animal Crossing.
New iPhone, iPods, iPad and Macs (apple.com)
Like every year there’ll of course be new Apple products too. A new iPad, new iPods, new MacBooks and so on. The next iPad will probably be the first product to be introduced in just a few weeks.
They’ll also release their new OS X Lion operating system next year.
Mac App Store (apple.com/mac/app-store)
Also something from Apple. The online store for applications, we know from the iPhone, is coming to the Mac.
This is something I am very excited about! It’s going to be released for everyone with the newest OS X Snow Leopard operating system. It’s coming Janary 6th.
Chrome OS notebooks (google.com/chromeos)
Last year Google announced their new operating system based on their Chrome-browser. It’s mostly for people using the surfing the web since it’s bascially… a web browser.
2011 will be the year when we’ll get to see lots of new shiny notebooks running this operating system.
There is probably more cool stuff to be relased next year. What are YOU excited about?
Magic Mouse Review – Does It Live Up To Its Name?
22 years ago
I got the Magic Mouse as a Christmas present for my MacBook Pro. It’s the newest mouse from Apple, which is currently shipping with the iMac and can be bought for 69$ (US price).
After using it as my primary mouse for some days, here’s my review.
Design
There’s not much to say about the design of this mouse – it’s gorgeous! Definitely the most beautiful mouse I have ever seen. As simple as a mouse could possible be.
And because this mouse only works on Macs, you won’t need a stupid USB receiver, it just connects using Bluetooth.
So what’s special about this thing? It’s a multi-touch mouse! The whole top surface, except for the part under the Apple logo, is like a touch screen. The top surface also works as one giant button to click, just like on the MacBook trackpads.
The mouse itself is a little heavy but it makes it feel more solid, which I like.
As you can see, the bottom of the mouse is made aluminum. It looks very nice as well.
Touch gestures
The mouse has several touch gestures, including scrolling with one finger and going forward and back with two fingers. This video shows the basics.
Use
The most important thing is of course how it is to use. Personally I think it’s really good! All of the touch gestures works very well without problems. It also works decent on all kinds of surfaces, but the rubber feet can be a bit noisy sometimes, for example when using it on a wooden surface. I’ve been using on a mouse mat myself.
The mouse is very slick and low-profile and you can’t just lay your hand on it like other mice. Instead you should try to grip it at the sides with your pinky and thumb. Like my hand on this picture.
Because of that it takes quite some time to get used to, and is not as comfortable as other mice where you can just rest your hand.
I can imagine this is especially a problem for people with big hands, but I think it’s fine myself.
The only problem I’ve had, is the tracking in Mac OS X. The cursor moves pretty slowly in the highest tracking speed compared to Windows and the mouse acceleration can be a bit annoying. However, after some days of use, I’ve gotten used to it.
Batteries
As many other mice out there, the Magic Mouse uses batteries. Two AA batteries were already included when I got it!
I haven’t been testing this mouse long enough to change them, but after 3 days of heavy use there still 93% of power left. I think that’s pretty decent and definitely better than other wireless mice I’ve used.
Changing the batteries is very easy. The only thing to do is to remove the little piece of aluminum as shown on the picture.
Verdict
So overall, the mouse does live up to its name for the most part. I think, after getting used to it, it’s a great mouse for everyday use. The touch gestures works flawlessly and the mouse is really beautiful.
At a price of 69$ it is pretty expensive, but I think it’s worth it. However, if you’re a hardcore gamer or something else, then this mouse it not for you.
Tip
If you want more functionality instead of the standard gestures and fix the slow tracking speed, you can download a little application called MagicPrefs.
Apple’s Way to Solve iPhone 4 Problems
22 years ago
For just 2 days ago, Apple held their iPhone 4 Press Conference to talk about their new mobile phone. They mainly talked about the antenna problem, which everyone has been talking about, including me.
Apple decided to offer free cases to all customers, and if they still don’t like the phone, they can get their money back. People with bumpers already can get a refund.
Steve also mentioned that only 0.55% of iPhone 4 customers have called AppleCare about the issue, and that the phone only has a 1.7% return rate. Apple also showed other phones with the same problem.
They played this song at the start of the conference. Pretty catchy, huh? 
You can watch the full conference video here, or check Apple’s antenna website.
Now Using Ubuntu!
23 years ago
I’ve decided to try Ubuntu, an open-source OS. After lots of problem with my Linksys WUSB600N wireless network adapter, everything is now working and I’m connected to the Internet with Ubuntu 10.04 64-bit. Lots of people are having problems with this device, so I might be posting a guide later.
Until now, I like everything, this OS is just awesome! It’s loaded with lots of applications from the start like OpenOffice and Firefox, which is nice. The only bad thing is, that if I want to play many of my favorite games, then I’ll have to use Windows.
You can read more about it at Ubuntu.com. Just a tip from me… Don’t install it if you aren’t sure that your hardware will work! Many things only work with Windows and sometimes Mac.
Is This the Next iPhone?
03 years ago
This is really cool! A strange iPhone was recently found in a bar, and it was camouflaged as a 3GS. Gizmodo has taken a look at the device. It looks very real, so maybe it is… the next iPhone?!
Check it out!
This Is Apple’s Next iPhone (Gizmodo)
It looks very interesting…
Update: Gizmodo has now updated their site with even more posts about this:
How Apple Lost the Next iPhone (Gizmodo)
A Letter: Apple Wants Its Secret iPhone Back (Gizmodo)
I can’t stop wondering… Did Apple lose the phone for real, or have they done it on purpose…?
Update: It was real, it was some sort of iPhone 4 prototype.
Thoughts about iPhone OS 4
13 years ago
Apple showed us iPhone OS 4 for the first time yesterday, and I was of course following Gizmodo’s and Engadget’s live blog(and updating it like crazy).
So do I like it? Yes, it’s better than I expected. I don’t know why, but I didn’t really expect that much, I’m already happy with my iPhone. But as usual, Apple managed to show us a lot of new awesome things. Folders, iAd, Game Center, new dock, background wallpaper and multitasking to name a few. But, I must say… I’m a little disappointed that Multitasking won’t work on my 3G, but I do understand Apple. Of course, the processor in my 3G is too slow compared to the 3GS and iPad. But again, I still like it! They presented a lot of useful things, which again shows that Apple does make the best phone in the world. Maybe you don’t agree, but I can’t really see any reasons why you shouldn’t…
If you don’t know anything about the new iPhone OS 4, then you can read more about it at Apple’s website, or at almost every website about gadgets in the world. Here’s a quick video from MacWorld:
iPad Released Yesterday
03 years ago
There has been a lot of about Apple recently, especially because the iPad (Wi-Fi model) was released yesterday, April 3rd, in USA. I do like the iPad pretty much myself, and it has already got some pretty good reviews. You can read some of them here:
Apple iPad Review (Engadget)
Looking at the iPad From Two Angles (David Pogue, NY Times)
Instead of writing a long post about iPad, I want to make your day a little happier by showing you a few of the parodies people have been making about Apple in the past years. Maybe people will start making a lot about the iPad soon?
Big Mac Air (MacBook Air Parody)
Apple parody
Kymera Wand Pocket!
03 years ago
Hi everyone. I just want to quickly show you my new Kymera Wand Pocket. It’s for the Kymera Wand (my review) and I just got it this week. Isn’t it beautiful? The wand fits great inside and it looks awesome! If you do have a Kymera Wand or maybe just another wand, then you can buy it if you want to have something to put it in instead of the box.
The Pocket is also made by TheWandCompany, but I think it’s only the reseller Kymera-Wand.com that are selling it right now. It costs EUR 9,95.
3 iPhone Games
33 years ago
Do you often have small amounts of time, where you have nothing to do? If yes, continue to read, because here are 3 iPhone/iPod touch games, which will quickly take some of your time!
First of all, these games are not expensive, awesome full 3D games. All the games are very simple, that’s why I find them very entertaining. It’s some of the games I play the most, and all of them are very cheap.
Doodle Jump
This is one of my newest games, and probably one of the best, I have on my iPhone. You steer a little monster by tilting you device. The goal is to get as high as possible by jumping on the platforms, but it isn’t easy because of monsters and black holes. Of course, you must not fall down either. There are different platforms and objects in the game, which can help you. For example the jet pack.
My High Score: 33.230
iCopter
A very simple game. Touch the screen to make the helicopter fly up, otherwise it will just fall down. What makes this game a little hard, is that you must not crash into anything. Very addicting.
My High Score: 17.671
Flight Control
A pretty hard game, where you have to make sure that all the airplanes and helicopters are landing at their own landing zones. If two planes crashes into eachother, you lose.
My High Score: 30
Thanks for reading. I really recommend you to go buy atleast one of these games! You can of course comment, if you have anything to say!