January 25, 2009
Yes, for some reason, I’m going to be allowed back into BBC2’s Working Lunch studio this Tuesday, despite the proliferation of awful puns the last time I was on screen.
This time I’ll be talking to Declan about CES, the consumer electronics show, and the technology that was shown during the exhibition. I’ve just finished editing some footage including Windows 7 screenshots which hopefully will be displayed in the background of shot.
Windows 7 taskbar
October 2, 2008
Yes, we’re AVIn’ it large here at Geek Chic – lots of video for tech lovers! The second one is of Nero’s launch of their fabulous Move It software, alongside a release of Nero 9. In fact, instead of just being known for burning software, Nero are moving into something they call “Liquid Media”, which is a rather nice way of describing the way we use video, photos and music in the digital age.
Let’s face it, we’re not fussy where we consume media these days, be it on different platforms such as mobile phones and iPod-type devices, or just plain and simple online streaming like iPlayer on our laptops. It’s a quick and dirty world, media-wise. Content is king, it matters less how we ingest it, as long as we manage to input copious amounts of glorious gluttonous entertainment into our heaving brains, day and night, it’s never enough, and it never will be.
But I digress (as usual).
So here is Patrick Peeters, Nero General Manager, EMEA, telling us what it’s all about:
If you want to know more about the Nero Software, pop here to Nero’s site.
The software looks promising, and anyone who has ever tried to encode from one device to another will appreciate the simplicity afforded by a rather nicely skinned “drag and drop”-style video format swapper. I have my fingers crossed that they will create templates that are optimised for the Archos players, which will hopefully be added to their already generous selection of codecs.
Back into the editing dungeon now for a few more vids, and a lot more tea.
September 12, 2008
Yes, after all that hard work, we’ve done it, it’s been edited, and this is Episode 2 of Gadget Spy
September 4, 2008
Yesterday was spent at Virgin Towers filming the second Gadget Spy – this was all done in a bit of a hurry,Virgin are keen to get this up and live on the web by next week – Eeeeek!
So we collected together an array of gadgets (and had some help from www.firebox.com – thankyou!) and hopefully got enough material together for our 3-minute webcast.
The gadgets include a few of the things I’ve been impressed enough to blog about or take flickr pics of, including the Cisco/Linksys Router , the Archos TV+ and the Jawbone noise-cancelling headset.
This was an incredibly fun day, it was tiring but very rewarding, as we’ve been working flat out since last week getting everything together for the magic day of filming.
We're in the studio area and setting up - within about 10 minutes, most floor space is covered with tech. There is a general need for tea. We've also realised that it's going to be boiling in here.
Phil from Virgin checks the gadgets - we have to work out which order to put them in right at the start of the show, so we can get the camera to pan across at the beginning and match our working script.
We like to have a few quirky, bonkers products in "Gadget Spy" - last time it was the Bubble Wrap Keychain. This time it's the Guitar Rockstar.
Thanks to www.firebox.com, who provided us with a few gadget loans for the pilot, and kindly let us borrow a few more for episode 2. Everything is boxed back up and sent back to Firebox HQ, so they'll lend us stuff again!
More tech ready for filming: you can see the top of the Pinnacle PVT Video Transfer, the Linksys Router, and the Archos TV+ as well as a few bits poking out of the case.
Dan, camera operator, checks the footage. Anyone doing any filming knows to check as soon as you do the first take, just to make sure video is actually recorded.
Here I am, "sitting in" - we're testing the shot before filming properly, we need to make sure the lighting works for the camera, and I've put a mark on the desk so I always sit in the same place!
My suitcase: Kit 'n' Heels, har har. This case got really battered when I took it to China and Dubai, and it's held a lot of tech in its time. On the way to and from Virgin Towers it's bulging with strange and wonderful stuff.
Behind the camera, filming the intro! We steam through the voiceover, the outro and each gadget, doing a couple of takes for each one - the basic rule is when you do a "good one", you do one more for safety. Normally, I'm pretty good at this, because I'm used to live TV and one chance to say something. However, by the end of the day, saying "Port Cool Fan Laptop Stand" took me about 6 tries. We got it all in the can though, and the next thing is editing it up for release - Working date : 10th September 2008
What follows is a quick look at what went on in the day. If you want to see the Flickr Gallery, please feel free to click here. I’m really looking forward to seeing the final cut, hope you like the pics!
August 19, 2008
Lovely New Archos Internet Media Tablet
Happy Tuesday…
OK, you are now looking at something that is under embargo until 0000 on the 20th August, although my contacts have allowed me to post a mini-sneak preview of the BRAND NEW ARCHOS!
All hail the Archos Internet Media Tablet, finally with High resolution playback with HDMI output on TV, and up to 320GB capacity, internal file search engine. email application, & a 3.5G connection, yes, eventually, even your archos will have permanent connection to the Web and access to emails via a 3.5G/HSDPA network connection.
IMAP or POP email service allows you to send, reply to and transfer emails with compatible attachments, these can be stored on the ARCHOS device’s hard drive and shared. There’s an optional in-car holder which turns the ARCHOS 5 into a fully fledged GPS.
ARCHOS 5 is available from September. ARCHOS 7 from October, and ARCHOS 5G from Q4 2008 – prices range from around £300 to around £440 depending on capacity, screen size and capability.
Geek Chic Advance Alert!
In a few months or so, there’s talk of a “TV Snap-on” which turns the ARCHOS 5 or 7 into a digital TV to receive free digital TV channels and record programs in DVD quality, as if I don’t watch enough telly.
If you want to see these pics in high res, they’re on my flickr here.
Update: Archos Website currently has this on the front page.
August 13, 2008
Very Civilised way to travel
Here’s a picture of what a bunch of tech journalists look like on one of the most luxurious trains in the world. Come to think of it, old bean, it’s not every day that geeks like me get invited on the Orient Express to find out about the Dell Latitude ‘E’ series… I also filmed a special Geek Chic one-to-one session with a Dell Jedi which should be out on youtube as soon as humanly possible, and yes, dear reader, I shall indeed stick a link here just for you.
Annie Mole, esteemed underground blogger and I both arrived at Victoria Station earlier than everyone else. I was incredibly excited by the thought of going on the Orient Express, although it was probably uncool to blurt loudly “ooooh!! I’m going to go on the Orient Express!!!!! Woop! Woop!”, where “Woop” is an approximation of a train whistle. I’m pretty sure I overheard someone say “Yeah, I’ve been on the Orient Express before” in an unexcited monotone. What???? Well, I’m pretty certain that if I was ever lucky enough to catch this train again, I would probably have infinite “Woop”s remaining for the second time, I can tell you.
Right, back to the tech. These are the E series Latitude notebooks, which boast a longer battery life, not just because of battery quality, but also because of new power management software tools and components which drain less juice inside. The motherboard is inverted (i.e. upside down!) to improve accessibility and heat conduction. The E series also have Zinc hinges and Magnesium Alloy casing (Yeah!! Metal!!), and a backlit keyboard function, useful for late night surfing (whatever you do on a computer in the dark).
Spooks-watchers and Bond-fans will appreciate the Remote Delete Service, which (if selected) will totally wipe your computer the next time it connects up to the internet after it’s been reported stolen. Oh, and while the gun-sighting credits and dancing girls are still on your mind’s screen, it’s also worth mentioning that once this process starts, it cannot be stopped even if you format the disk, as it’s burned into the bios. And if that’s not enough spy-tastic talk, there’s GPS tracking within 10 metres (1 in 4 Dell laptops with GPS are recovered, apparently). Finally, there’s the on-screen flag saying “This machine has been stolen”, even if you didn’t get the hint when you bought it from that dodgy-looking bloke. In Cash.
Video to come: Markus from Dell tells us all about his Torture Chamber…
…and here’s a little gallery of the day.
August 12, 2008
Dell Latitude let off the leash
Currently at the top of London’s Millbank tower, in the venue known as “Altitude” for the Dell “Latitude” launch (I’m pretty certain that one is an anagram of another – how pleasing).
We arrived here (myself and anniemole) at around 4.30 and were given a short presentation followed by a live link up to San Francisco. These computers appear to have some sexy new extras, including keyboards that light up in the dark, and a much-hyped 19-hour battery life (this is with the 9V battery and a battery slice on the e6400 model). If you want to read the press release before quite a few others, have a look here for the skinny.
Dell has also launched www.digitalnomads.com today, which you’re welcome to have a look at. The press have now got a feast to look forward to, up here on the 29th floor – as for the food, we’re hoping it’s Dell-icious…
July 31, 2008
Get that loop tape out...
Ho, Ho, Hold on a minute, it’s not Yuletide yet…
Christmas in July is an odd occasion, foisted on us by various technology manufacturers, and I expect it may happen in other genres, too. It’s an event where press and buyers look at what’s on offer for this festive season, and in July, there’s enough time to get the stock ready for December delivery.
These kinds of events are where technology companies show off what they have, journalists talk about the products, then retail buyers / distributors buy the products so eventually they end up on the shelf / online for the general public.
RSS Readers / Can’t see the link? Click here
Tucano Laptop Bag
If you want to know what the present was in the video, it was this laptop bag from Tucano, I’m rather impressed actually, as it fits my monster Rizeon Laptop even with its gigantic 9-cell battery on the back and my powerpack too.
…I’ve taken it into QVC with me (I’m here all day today, WiFi blogging naughtily from the Cafe when I’m not on air – ahh, I love the smell of coffee and free internet). I even remembered to take the tag off, too. That label was a monster though, one of those plastic fastenings that don’t respond well to teeth or keys and you have to find proper scissors. That said, I’ll probably take this case to Dubai with me tomorrow, depending on whether I go hand luggage only (toothbrush, credit card, laptop, camcorder, N95, powermonkey), or whether I should risk the wrath of the Conveyor Belt of Doom and actually attempt a suitcase, which (at this late stage) normally involves panic packing.
For those glamorous capsule-wardrobe types (I love you, I wish I could do it too), you might not know about Panic Packing, so here’s a quick breakdown:
Panic Packing Stage 1: the entire contents of last minute TK Maxx (sale, of course) purchases are crammed unceremoniously into a ball and sat on until they just about fit in a suitcase that looks like it’s been through several warzones.
Panic Packing Stage 2: panic re-packing, i.e. realising that nothing useful, practical or indeed wearable has been packed and it’s a good thing you remembered to pack your credit card.
Stage 2 normally (and rather disappointingly) happens on arrival at the destination. Ho hum.
Here’s the gallery:
June 12, 2008
I was absolutely fascinated the day I went to see Linksys/Cisco launch their new router. After failing to get there on time due to
1) not leaving on time – my fault,
2) getting off at Paddington Station instead of Lancaster Gate - also my fault and
3) realising that there are, in fact, no less than 3 different Craven Hill Gardens dotted around a 100m radius – hmm, possibly not my fault that London is a ridiculous maze designed to rob anyone of their navigational ability and/or their will to live…
- but, let’s face it, it’s probably my fault for not knowing that in advance and planning for it accordingly.
No matter; I turned up late, frazzled and thinking how on earth I’d be able to write something interesting about a new router, after all, if you have broadband, you probably know all about routers, boring boring boring snore.
But no! Wake up!! Thank goodness this wasn’t a crusty presentation about connecting your laptop up to the “Interweb” and the wonders of wireless networking. After all, it turns out most of us do that anyway, and we don’t need to be told about it – in fact, a recent YouGov poll showed that 54% of UK women who were surveyed were already surfing wirelessly, gaming wirelessly and printer-sharing (oh yeah, baby, we’re officially living in the digital age).
Instead, we were told the story of how a new router design was formulated, including making it work better without those big aerials – paralleling the disappearance of mobile phone antennae – and (my
favourite part of the presentation) being treated to a sneak peek at concept sketches, the sort of thing consumers never get to see… asking nicely resulted in being provided with a couple of these pics to show on the blog!
I don’t think I realised just how much work is involved in re-designing a device that already exists - and I’ve been working in the tech and gadget industry for years.
Yes, the electronics business has finally realised that us tech consumers are getting more savvy – we realise that something can look good and work properly at the same time – it’s the i-concept we’re locking in to and Linksys/Cisco have fully commited to this with their new router. Here’s hoping that the trend for making functional things look good will continue to roll out across the industry – after all, the technology is finally around to back up the aesthetics, and I, for one, will welcome the change.
By the way, there’s some new software called LELA that comes with this router – it’s also been developed to be more intuitive… I’ll get to play with that in a few weeks’ time, and report back accordingly.
Well, I’m off to China soon, hopefully I’ll be able to update this blog whilst I’m there – depending on whether I can get a sim card with data, I may even be able to Flickr some pics onto the web using Shozu, recommended by my nokia-picture-blogging pal BlackPhoebe- it’s exciting and daunting at the same time – can’t wait.
Until I go away, though, there’s a completely bonkers schedule to wade through… I’ve got a packed out telly-heavy weekend, with a selection of choice graveyard shifts ranging from midnight Friday night through to midnight Saturday night (and a few in between to guarantee the desired amount of sleep deprivation).
Happily, I’ll be arriving at QVC in good time for the shows, as
1) I’ll leave in good time,
2) I’ll get off at the correct station, and not somewhere miles away, and
3) I’ve been to QVC UK about a bazillion times before, so it would be really, really dense to end up at the wrong QVC even though there are a few different studios (like the one in Philadelphia, USA, for example),
- but,let’s face it, anyone could mix up “flight BA169″ with “district line”, after all, they almost rhyme…
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