Asus has pushed out Ice Cream Sandwich.
Full marks Asus! Last night I switched on my Transformer only to be presented with the message that there were updates to install. As I plugged it into the charger to ensure there was enough power to completed the update I was wondering if this was the big one. The update to Android V4 or Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) to give it is developers name. Answer... Yes.
As with all updates from Asus on the Transformer the file was downloaded in the background before the option to upgrade is offered. Therefore as soon as you push the OK or install button, away it goes. It said it would take 10 minutes and I think that is just about all it took. Everything seems to be working and I am just exploring the new features of ICS.
Monday, 27 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
QNAP TS-412 NAS Review
QNAP TS-412 NAS Review
I have chosen another IT focused review this week. As we all know having your own network at home with access to your media files and photos is the new big thing. Probably the more important aspect to having a NAS is to be able to back up your data. I don't know how many times I have heard someone say in anguish "I have lost all my photos because my hard drive crashed". You then ask (fully knowing what the reply will be) "was it backed up? the reply comes back in a small voice "no, can you help me?" You then set about the task of trying to recover their life from the time that they bought their first digital camera. Not always successful. I think that these situations are often referred to as a "good learning experience". (If only we could learn from the experiences of others!)
The latest TVs come with wireless connection and the ability to stream files from your network. There are a number of NAS boxes with various degrees of services on the market. For my money, which is obviously why I bought it, the QNAP series of all-in-one boxes is probably the most versatile available. The Synology boxes do come pretty close in this respect. We have used one of the upmarket Synology units at work and the performance is surprisingly good for a cheap piece of rack mount storage. Back to the QNAP. This is a four disk unit that can be configured with either RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 or 10. plus just as separate disks.
I have chosen another IT focused review this week. As we all know having your own network at home with access to your media files and photos is the new big thing. Probably the more important aspect to having a NAS is to be able to back up your data. I don't know how many times I have heard someone say in anguish "I have lost all my photos because my hard drive crashed". You then ask (fully knowing what the reply will be) "was it backed up? the reply comes back in a small voice "no, can you help me?" You then set about the task of trying to recover their life from the time that they bought their first digital camera. Not always successful. I think that these situations are often referred to as a "good learning experience". (If only we could learn from the experiences of others!)
The latest TVs come with wireless connection and the ability to stream files from your network. There are a number of NAS boxes with various degrees of services on the market. For my money, which is obviously why I bought it, the QNAP series of all-in-one boxes is probably the most versatile available. The Synology boxes do come pretty close in this respect. We have used one of the upmarket Synology units at work and the performance is surprisingly good for a cheap piece of rack mount storage. Back to the QNAP. This is a four disk unit that can be configured with either RAID 0, 1, 5, 6 or 10. plus just as separate disks.
Monday, 13 February 2012
Best Note Taking App for Android
My favourite Note Taking App for Android: ColorNote
This is not so much a review but an overview of the reasoning why I have settled on ColorNote as my note taker of preference.
If like me you are blessed with a doctor's handwriting, the invention and proliferation of the personal computer was like manna from heaven. Suddenly it was possible to tap away at the keyboard and produce a document that other people could actually read!!! Something truly amazing for those of us with the affliction of "doctor's scrawl syndrome". Enter the laptop, you could lug this thing into meetings and click away at the keys annoying everyone around the table and driving people on teleconferences crazy as the tapping of the keys is amplified over the telephone line. Not a great solution and we had to resort to still carrying around our note pads then trying to decipher the jagged lines on the page afterwards. It really fell into the too hard basket. This is where the tablet really comes into its own. Touch keyboard means that text can be entered silently but you can still keep up with the conversation if your keyboarding skills are up to it.
OK, so we know that we need a note taker but which one. It tried lots and there are still some that I loaded on my Asus Transformer that I need to delete. I just do not use them. I have put together a list of things that I have come to realise are most important to me. Originally I wanted something that I could also use as a todo list and calender. As I searched I found that these Apps get more and more complex to use. I finally decided to separate out the functions. Leave Google Calendar as my reminder application as it is up there in the cloud so is available on all my devices. I also use Todo List Widget for quick lists for shopping or jobs to completed for the day, this just leaves a note taker to find.
This is not so much a review but an overview of the reasoning why I have settled on ColorNote as my note taker of preference.
If like me you are blessed with a doctor's handwriting, the invention and proliferation of the personal computer was like manna from heaven. Suddenly it was possible to tap away at the keyboard and produce a document that other people could actually read!!! Something truly amazing for those of us with the affliction of "doctor's scrawl syndrome". Enter the laptop, you could lug this thing into meetings and click away at the keys annoying everyone around the table and driving people on teleconferences crazy as the tapping of the keys is amplified over the telephone line. Not a great solution and we had to resort to still carrying around our note pads then trying to decipher the jagged lines on the page afterwards. It really fell into the too hard basket. This is where the tablet really comes into its own. Touch keyboard means that text can be entered silently but you can still keep up with the conversation if your keyboarding skills are up to it.
OK, so we know that we need a note taker but which one. It tried lots and there are still some that I loaded on my Asus Transformer that I need to delete. I just do not use them. I have put together a list of things that I have come to realise are most important to me. Originally I wanted something that I could also use as a todo list and calender. As I searched I found that these Apps get more and more complex to use. I finally decided to separate out the functions. Leave Google Calendar as my reminder application as it is up there in the cloud so is available on all my devices. I also use Todo List Widget for quick lists for shopping or jobs to completed for the day, this just leaves a note taker to find.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
KIA Sportage Platinum Review
KIA Sportage Platinum
Year 2011
Engine 2.0 l Diesel
transmission Automatic
Model Platinum
This is the replacement for my trusty Subaru Forester. If you have read my blog on the Forester you will know that I really liked this car for its versatility and drivability. I did not buy the new model as it just left me cold. After looking around for quite a while and annoying multiple car salesmen I settled on the KIA Sportage. It ticked all the boxes and it was fun to drive. So, six months down the track what do I think? Still happy and enjoying driving it all the more. I am still amazed at all the bits and piece I am finding out about it.
What was I looking for in a car? It had to be comfortable for a long trip. enough power to be able to overtake. It needed good connectivity (Bluetooth, iPod or mp3 player connectivity and a decent sound system). I wanted it to have a trip computer with fuel consumption, distance to next tank fill, etc... Good fuel economy was a must in this day and age but had to be large enough to fit five adults comfortably. I also like all wheel drive, it just makes the car a bit more predictable and copes with wet roads better. Not that I have a habit of going into a corner in any car with the intention of performing a well executed four wheel drift. Integrated satnav would have been nice but not a deal breaker as they get out of date so quickly. All of this plus to do it in a bit of style. On the face of it that would seem to be not too tall an order... wrong. Very few cars or AWDs could match these criteria It had to be a wagon of some sort to take the two dogs we have in the back. It had to have a blind that would go over the cargo bay so it was easy to roll back to allow the dogs in
Year 2011
Engine 2.0 l Diesel
transmission Automatic
Model Platinum
This is the replacement for my trusty Subaru Forester. If you have read my blog on the Forester you will know that I really liked this car for its versatility and drivability. I did not buy the new model as it just left me cold. After looking around for quite a while and annoying multiple car salesmen I settled on the KIA Sportage. It ticked all the boxes and it was fun to drive. So, six months down the track what do I think? Still happy and enjoying driving it all the more. I am still amazed at all the bits and piece I am finding out about it.
What was I looking for in a car? It had to be comfortable for a long trip. enough power to be able to overtake. It needed good connectivity (Bluetooth, iPod or mp3 player connectivity and a decent sound system). I wanted it to have a trip computer with fuel consumption, distance to next tank fill, etc... Good fuel economy was a must in this day and age but had to be large enough to fit five adults comfortably. I also like all wheel drive, it just makes the car a bit more predictable and copes with wet roads better. Not that I have a habit of going into a corner in any car with the intention of performing a well executed four wheel drift. Integrated satnav would have been nice but not a deal breaker as they get out of date so quickly. All of this plus to do it in a bit of style. On the face of it that would seem to be not too tall an order... wrong. Very few cars or AWDs could match these criteria It had to be a wagon of some sort to take the two dogs we have in the back. It had to have a blind that would go over the cargo bay so it was easy to roll back to allow the dogs in
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