My POS Sky Player Subscription Has Finally Ended
I don’t have sky just Freeview (which I hardly watch these days) so back in November I signed up to Sky Player on the Xbox with their “3 Months for the price of 2″ deal, and what a let down it was. Very limited channel choice but it had “Gold” so I thought I’d give it a try for 3 months. The only problem is that quite often I’d sit down to watch something only to be greeted by a message saying “Sorry this program is not available on Sky Player”. I added one of the movie channels to my package and the same thing happened with that, Approximately 20% of what I wanted to watch from browsing through the channel guide wasn’t available on Sky Player. Not even a note on the guide to say it wasn’t available, no I had to wait until I had settled down with a drink and some munchies to find out that I couldn’t watch it??!!!???
I cancelled the movie package that same month and the 3 months is now up on the basic package promotion so I’ve cancelled that too. Sky, your online service is shit and over priced, £15 p/m for the basic package with no movie channels, not even Sky 1, and a load of “not available on sky player” messages is not value for money and it’s frustrating.
Eye-Fi And MiFi, A Great Combination
I bought an Eye-Fi 4GB Share card recently for my camcorder. For those that don’t know what an Eye-Fi card is it’s an SD card with a built in WiFi chip, it allows you to transfer photos and videos over wifi on your home network to a computer without having to deal with docks/cables/card readers etc. Once the card is configured with your chosen access points it’s just a matter of turning the camera on and the transfer automatically begins. Depending on the type of card you get you can also send photos and videos directly from your camera to online services e.g. Flickr, Picasa, Facebook etc.
The great thing is that you don’t have to be on your home network or even near a computer to use one. If you turn on the camera to transfer media and it doesn’t detect your computer, either because you’re on a different network or the computer is turned off it will upload them to the eye-fi servers for storage until a time when your computer can be detected.
A few months back I bought a MiFi unit from 3UK with a 5GB per month data plan. With this access point configured on the card I can take photos and videos when out and about then upload them to their servers and share them on Flickr instantly wherever I am. Then when i get back home I just turn on the computer and everything taken that day gets downloaded and imported into a new event within iPhoto, or you can just have them downloaded into a new folder depending on your chosen configuration.
One of the reasons I tend to mainly take photos with my iPhone (other than because it’s always with me) is because of the lack of connectivity a regular camera/camcorder has. But all that has changed thanks to the Eye-Fi and I carry a camera with me a lot more knowing that if I take a photo or video that I would like to share I can do so instantly.
This photo was taken with my Sanyo camcorder and an Eye-Fi card, then uploaded to Flickr straight away whiles I was there using the MiFi. They are quite expensive when compared to a regular SD card of the same capacity, but if you like to share photos or hate dealing with cables docks and card readers then the eye-fi is worth the extra cost.
3UK MiFi (Huawei E5830) Wireless Modem, A Quick Review
Today I picked up one of the new Mobile WiFi units from a 3 store to replace the Huawei E169G which I got last year. The trouble with the mobile broadband dongles are that they are easily knocked and banged when plugged in and sticking out of a laptop or netbook, and thats another thing, they can only be used with a computer as they require a usb port and software. The MiFi changes that. It can be plugged in and used via USB and also charged that way, but the big advantage is that it’s battery powered and WiFi enabled, so once its turned on you can leave it in a bag or pocket and connect multiple devices to it wirelessly.
This wireless capability is a huge advantage over the old style dongles as it allows nearly any wifi device to connect to it, I said nearly any and I’ll come back to that later. So laptops, mobile phones, game systems, internet radios, media players etc can all use its internet connection. Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it, well it is, there are a few drawbacks to the device, so here’s a list of a few pro’s and con’s
Pro’s
- It’s small, slightly narrower and slightly taller than a credit card and the same depth as an iPhone.
- Reasonable battery life of up to 5hrs.
- Full access to all settings via PC software where you can change such things as SSID, encryption, firewall settings etc.
Cons
- PC only software, no Mac support. It can be used straight out of the box and comes with WPA encryption enabled but if you want to change any settings it must be done with a Windows PC.
- Only supports WPA encryption which means any devices that only work with WEP can’t be used with it, an example of this is the DS Lite or even the DSi when playing older online games.
These types of devices could become popular with people that use wifi enabled portable media players such as ipod touch, Archos and Sony, allowing the user to have immediate access to the internet wherever they are. They are also handy even if you have a device that already has an always on internet connection, but the manufacturer has decided to limit certain features so that they cant be used with phones own data but require it to be connected via wifi……. yes Apple I’m talking about you. It enables you to get round all the limits imposed by apple as well as allowing BBC iPlayer to stream over 3G using the MiFi.
I’ve only had it for a few hours but so far very impressed with it, it was simple to set up and operate, very pocketable and will get a lot more use than my previous broadband dongle.
Spotify Is Rocking My iPhone
Early last week Spotify released their mobile apps for both the iPhone, iPod Touch and Android. I’ve used both the PC and Mac desktop versions for a while but only with the free account, as I don’t listen music enough on my computers to justify a pro account. I’ve been eagerly waiting for the iPhone app for some time now, ever since it was first rumored and as soon as it was released I upgraded to pro in order to try it (the free version doesn’t work with the mobile app).
So how have I found it?……… AMAZING!! I haven’t listened to a single song from my iTunes library all week, everything has been via Spotify and I’ve listened much more than I would have normally done. Having on demand access to aproximatily 4.5 million tracks means that whatever mood I’m in, whatever genre I feel like listening to, if I feel like listening to something completely new, I can, it’s only a search away.
The app allows you to stream music over 3G/Edge/WiFi or you can download playlists over WiFi to be stored on the phone for offline playback. This means that if you are in an area with a weak cell reception you can still listen to music that you have previously downloaded.
The only major downside isn’t a fault of the app, its a fault of Apple’s, yes once again lack of background processes for third party apps rears it’s ugly head, so once you are using the app you can’t do anything else at the same time, no writing emails, no using Safari, no checking that SMS that you just received. That is unless you have you iPhone/Touch jailbroken and use the backgrounder app. If anyone ever needed a reason to jailbreak this is it.
As I said earlier, Spotify on the iPhone is an amazing app, so why has it got such a low rating on the app store, 2 stars out of 5 from nearly 8,000 reviews. Well thats because of all the pricks giving it 1 star because they’re either too stupid to read the description that clearly states that it requires a premium account, or they’re too cheap to pay for one and are taking their frustration our in the reviews, a few of those are posted below. If all 1 star reviews complaining that they need to pay for the service were removed it would become a 4 star app, that rating I agree with, for an initial release it is excellent but there is still room for improvement.
I’m sorry but you thought wrong, you do need to pay for something that you can get for free on your home PC, that’s why you’re writing a one star review idiot. Actually you’re not an idiot I take that back, you’re a genius if you can get a premium account for free on your PC? show me where to sign up.
This one makes me laugh….. “there are many more greater options than this, youtube for example” PMSL, oh yes because youtube on the iphone is so great at creating full artist and album playlists within a matter of seconds that can be reorganized to your exact listening preference and downloaded for listening at any time anywhere. Besides all those, just the fact that this person compares Spotify to youtube makes me chuckle
Excellent review, now run along and leave that same review for every album, tv show, film and app in iTunes
If this takes off on the iPhone and Android (plus Symbian when it gets released) it could rapidly change the way we listen to music on a mobile device.
The True Cost Of The iPhone. #o2fail no they don’t
Everyone is asking why are o2 in the UK ripping us off with the cost of the new iphone 3Gs compared to the US price. Well the fact is they aren’t if you work it out properly.
In the US it is being sold for the same price as last years model but in the UK it has increased. Well there are no exchange rates to deal with in the US because Apple is a US company, exchanges rates between the $ and the £ have changes a lot since last year.
Secondly it is being said that even at todays exchange rate it doesn’t compare and is more expensive than it is on AT&T in America. Well the truth is that it is actually CHEAPER in the UK. What alot of people aren’t accounting for is the contract length, o2 have a choice of 18 or 24 months, AT&T only have 24 month contract. So let’s compare like for like.
On a 24 month contract in the UK the 16GB version is £87, in the US it’s $199. At todays exchange rate $199 is £120 and that’s without even taking into account that the US price doesn’t include sales tax, the UK price does include VAT. As you can see O2 are selling it for £33 less than AT&T are.
And it’s the same for the 32GB version. On a 24 month contract it’s $299 and £175. That a saving of £6 on the US price. Not as much as 16GB version but still cheaper.
Also take into account that the £ price I used is the most you would pay, the $ price is the starting price, I have no idea what price it goes upto, AT&T list it as from $199 and from $299.
So are O2 ripping us off compared to AT&T? far from it, so much for rip off Britain.
– Post From My iPhone
I’ve never used my blog before to rant but I feel the need to get something off my chest and I can’t do it in 140 characters on Twitter.
Firstly there is no #o2fail, there is however an #o2runningabusiness. For anyone reading this that doesn’t know what’s been going on, a lot of people on twitter are saying that o2 fail because when the new iPhone gets released next week if their contract hasn’t expired on their current iphone and they want to upgrade to the new one o2 say they have to pay off any remaining months on the current contract then upgrade to the new phone with another 18 or 24 month contract. Well as I see it what’s the problem, this is how contracts work, this is how businesses are run.
Some of the reasons people disagree with this are as follows.
They didn’t need to pay off any remaining months last time. That’s because the network didn’t subsidize the cost of the handset last time and o2 allowed early upgrades as a gesture of good will because customers had paid full price for the handset. They DIDNT need to do it but they did.
Some are saying because they want to upgrade it isn’t a break in contract so why should they have to pay off their current one. It is a break in contract. When you do an upgrade your current contract is cancelled and you take out a new one. So if you want to upgrade after 12 months of an 18 month contract your current contract has to end for them to start a new one and if they allow this to be done without paying off the first one then what is the point of them having minimum term contracts in the first place. So network will sometimes allow you to end a contract early if you are upgrading but add any remaining months onto the new contract. O2 are not offering this as an option. As the iphone is a yearly release if they allowed contract extensions where would it end. This year you upgrade 6 months early so that 18 months becomes 24. Then this time next year you want to do the same, but then you’re upgrading 12 months early so 18 becomes 30 months. And if they don’t allow that because the contract length is too long we’ll be back to where we are now with everyone moaning about it.
So the bottom line is you signed a contract for a minimum term….. deal with it, they are a business out to provide a service and make money, they are not your friend. To all those saying “I’m a loyal customer and they’re screwing me over” no you’re not, you’re just a customer. You aren’t with o2 because you love them you’re with them because when you signed that contract they provided you with what you wanted.
Rant over
– Post From My iPhone
My First Venture Into The World Of Macs
I’ve been purely a Windows user for the last 15 years but back in January I started to think about maybe purchasing a Mac to see what they were like. This was round about the time I started using my iPhone as my main device, and how well MobileMe worked with it.
Two weeks ago I decided to do it and purchased a white MacBook, I would have liked one of the new aluminum ones but couldn’t justify spending an extra £200 on something that I might not like. So off I went to the Apple Store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester, spent 15 minutes talking to a very helpful guy there who talked me through some of the pre-installed software and had a demo on one of the in store MacBook. I did mention that I had also been considering the 13” aluminum model. As soon as I said it I thought “you idiot, now I’m gonna get the hard sell to go for the more expensive once and I’ll have to listen to why it’s so much better”. I waited and waited but it didn’t happen. He did briefly mention the differences between the two, but never tried to get me to spend more money than I had planned to do. This was a nice refreshing change from if I had been shopping in PC World or Curries where I would have had to listen them talking shit to try and get me to buy what they wanted me to have.
I’ve had the MacBook now for 2 weeks and I love it, I wish I had bought one a few years ago. I had been concerned that some of my hardware might not work with it. A few things haven’t such as TV Tuner and Nokia Digital Pen but I never expected those to work because of the software they use, everything else has worked fine, including the Sony Reader which I didn’t thin would work with DRM’d books but it does.
The bundled software beats anything I’ve previously had out of the box on a Windows machine, iLife 09 is a fantastic suite of applications. One of the things I was pleased with when I first turned it on was no crapware. It was so pleasant to just turn it on and be greeted with a nice blank desktop. Nothing like when I’ve bought Windows laptops in the past, when I turn them on for the first time my initial thought it “OMG how much crap is on here, its going to take me ages to delete it all, and even then the registry will still be left full of crap, fuck it, it would be quicker to wipe it clean and do a fresh install of Windows.”
I haven’t found anything that I can’t do on the Mac that I did with Windows, all my frequently used programs either have a Mac version or I’ve found an alternative. Other than when I’m at work I have hardly touched a Windows PC in the last 2 weeks and I’m not missing their clunky interface and slow shutdown speeds at all.
A Week With The iPhone As My Only Mobile Phone
After network unlocking my iPhone last week I started to use it more as an actual phone, rather than just as an iPod Touch with an always on internet connection. This made me aware once again of the faults and restrictiveness of the iPhone, so I set about looking for ways to overcome them. Once I found ways round most of what bugged me about the iPhone I decided to use it as my primary phone for a week to see how well I coped with it.
My main gripes with the iPhone and the solutions I used to get round these limitations are listed below, all of them require jailbreaking, so out of the box with just apps from the app store the iPhone is still a POS in my opinion and there is no way I would be able to use one as my main device.
Copy and Paste – I have used copy and paste for years on mobile phones, mainly to copy text from an email and paste it into an SMS message, or to save an SMS/email as a note. To get round the lack of copy and paste I installed an app called CopierciN, this allows you to copy text from SMS, contacts, notes and emails and paste them into a new SMS, note, email or safari object. It isn’t as good as true copy/paste but it’s good enough for what I need it for.
No SMS Forwarding – This really pissed me off, I’d receive a joke in a txt from a friend and couldn’t pass it on to others. I installed biteSMS which allows sms forwarding as well as adding smilies and adding a contact from your address book all with a swipe of the finger.
No Background Tasks – Backgrounder solved this problem though apps that require a lot of resources and memory will still close after they have been sent to the background.
No Video Recording – Not that I would record video much because of the crap camera (no jailbroken app can fix that) but if I want to I now have Qik for recording and streaming live video and Cycorder which is a standard video recorder like you would find on any phone released within the last 5 years.
No MMS – WTF is that about, I don’t send as many MMS as I used to do but I do still receive quite a lot and having to log into the networks website and view the MMS online whenever I received one was a PITA. Thanks to SwirlyMMS that’s a thing of the past. I can now receive any MMS sent to me straight to the phone AND can also send them. This is a paid app, it has a 14 day trial, after that I think it cost $8, I’m still on the trial but will be registering it next week, it’s worth every penny.
So after fixing up the iPhone to more or less work like a mobile phone should, what are my view…… well it kicks ass. I love it now, I haven’t missed using my Nokia’s at all, well except for the camera on the N98-8GB, I have really missed that. I’m going to carry on using the iPhone as my main mobile device, I’ll be leaving the E71 at home gathering dust and I will probably still take the N95-8GB out with me but only for the camera. Whereas before, my iPhone was only used as a media player/web browser, my N95 will only be used as a camera with a data connection.
I have been a long time user of S60 Nokia phones ever since the 7650, but I’m afraid it looks like that is going to change, well until the N97 gets released any way, but I have a feeling that that won’t even pull me back to Nokia.
iPhone 3G Unlocked And Working On 3UK
Two days ago the dev team http://blog.iphone-dev.org finally released a beta version of the iPhone 3G network unlock tool. I didn’t have any luck with the first couple of releases but today they updated the beta version to 0.9.5 and with a bit of trial and error I finally got my iPhone unlocked from O2 and working on the 3 network.
They have named the unlock application yellowsn0w and it is available from both cydia and installer, visit the dev team blog for the repos. It is still in beta so it may not work first time for everyone (it didn’t for me) but it shouldn’t be long until they have a fully working foolproof version.
Congratulations to all the guys in the dev team for all the hard work they have put into liberating our iPhones from a single network.
– Post From My iPhone
Sony Reader PRS-505 Ebook Sale In The UK At WHSmith’s
For anyone that’s got a Sony Reader for Christmas you may not realise that Waterstones is not the only store where you can purchase books for your new reader, there are several others with a much larger selection of books than the few thousand over priced titles that waterstone sell.
At the moment WHSmiths have a half price sale on all ebooks. Just be careful what you buy though because they sell books for a number of readers and not all of them with work on the Sony. Epub is the main format that it supports but it will also work with secure pdf’s, though these usually need the text size setting to medium and the page layout isn’t as good as it is with epub books.
You can also buy books from US sites. Several ones that I have found that sell books for the Sony PRS-505 are
Ebookmall.com they sell books in secure PDF format.
Ebooks.com they sell books in secure PDF format
Booksonboard they sell books in both ePub and secure PDF format
Fictionwise they sell books in secure PDF format as well as some as regular PDF’s
Fictionwise is my favourite site but their payment system takes a bit of getting used to.
