Digital-Lifestyles – Page 212 – Digital-Lifestyles pre-empted and reported thousands of articles on the then-coming impact that technology was to have on all forms of Media. Launched in 2001 as a research blog to aid its founder, Simon Perry, present at IBC 2002, it grew into a wide ranging, multi-author publication that was quoted in many publications globally including the BBC, was described by the Guardian as 'Informative' and also cited in a myriad of tech publications before closing in 2009

Digital-Lifestyles pre-empted and reported thousands of articles on the then-coming impact that technology was to have on all forms of Media. Launched in 2001 as a research blog to aid its founder, Simon Perry, present at IBC 2002, it grew into a wide ranging, multi-author publication that was quoted in many publications globally including the BBC, was described by the Guardian as 'Informative' and also cited in a myriad of tech publications before closing in 2009

Sandisk Sansa Review (71%)
Forget the Nano, do the Sansa
Sansa’s are a new range of portable media players from SanDisk. They come in several versions starting with the 2GB e250, the 4GB e260 and the 6GB e270. There’s also the possibility of adding to the internal memory as they have a microSD slot, unfortunately microSD cards currently only support up to 1GB.
The packaging though functional, doesn’t meet Apple standards. Though the e270 which is 8.5cm long by 4.1cm wide and 1.1cm deep with a grey metal back (about 0.5cm deep) and a black plastic front, almost does.
The display is about 3.5cm high and 2.7cm wide. It comes with headphones (which are quite big being over 1.5cm diameter), a USB lead (the Sansa itself has a proprietry connector – so you need the cable, it charges through USB), a lanyard and a soft case.
Though bigger than a Nano it fits comfortably in your pocket. The black headphones come on a 2 foot lead and are actually reasonably good, though their size might be uncomfortable for people with smaller ears.
It glows
Turn the device on and the first thing to notice is the glowing wheel on the front, a nice deep blue that stands out against the black face. It only stays on for about 10 seconds, then the display illuminates. The display is TFT and is very bright and vibrant.
The wheel is a wheel, it turns controlling the icons on the display (which are connected as though they are on the surface of a disc). Oddly the icons cycle in the opposite direction to the turning of the wheel, but for some reason it feels the right way to do it.
There are four buttons mounted around the wheel (like a compass) and one in the centre. Turn the wheel to the icon you want and press the centre to select it (generally the right hand button can also select things). The left button takes you back a menu/icon.
Media
The unit obviously plays MP3’s but also supports WMA including secure WMA files. Video is a MOV format and photos seem to be in bitmap format, luckily SanDisk supply some software called MediaConverter which does just that and converts various input formats into the correct format for the player. Images can be in JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP and GIF.
Video can be in AVI, MPEG-1 & MPEG-2 in MPEG, MPG, MPE or VOB (unprotected) formats. MPEG-4 in AVI format, DAT, ASF, QuickTime MOV, and WMV. Media Player 9 or 10 and Quicktime 6.5 or higher must be installed for QT MOV files.
Video is handled well and is converted to the high by long format (videos are watched by turning the player on its side), but photos aren’t and an external application may be used to flip them.
Connections
There are two modes of operating when plugging into a USB port of a PC, Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP). MSC makes the Sansa look like a removable drive (one for the Sansa itself and another if a microSD card is inserted). MTP make the Sansa appear as a portable device (under XP) and uses Media Player 10 to transfer content, including subscription content from Microsoft’s service. SanDisk now have an upgrade utility that installs on the PC and will check the SanDisk site for firmware upgrade. The player must be in MSC mode for it to work.
Verdict
The Sansa isn’t an iPod, it’s not as easy to use but it is a pretty good little player and supports a good range of formats. You don’t actually need to use any other software if you just want music, just plug the Sansa into the PC and copy any music tracks saved on your PC. Playlists are a pain, and though they can be set on the Sansa, the more sensible way is to create them in Windows Media Player and sync them with Sansa.
Video and photos really requires MediaConverter to ensure they’re in the right format.
Mac users are out of luck, unless they just want to copy MP3s onto a raw disk.
Pricing
e250 – £89
e260 – £120
e270 – £150
Overall score: 71% – it’s small, with a good display and does more than a Nano.
21 August, 2006
EIEF06: Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival
21 – 22 August The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival gets to the cultural and creative heart of games. With an expert team gathered from across the interactive entertainment business driving the festival, Edinburgh provides two days of stimulating and forward thinking debate, great networking and the chance to experience the wider context of games as part of the world’s biggest cultural festival. EIEF is designed with simple core objectives: to help you know more, to help you ask the right questions and to challenge the way you think about the future of games. From groundbreaking sessions to a wide ranging screenings event covering four major cinema screens, it is unrivalled in terms of value and benefit. Some of the world’s leading developers, companies and brand leaders will be in Edinburgh to share their thinking, their ideas and their vision. We went last year and were really impressed. Edinburgh, UK http://www.eief.co.uk/
21 August, 2006
Egrips For Smartphones, iPods, PDAs And More
Are you the owner of a pair of super slippery hands that seem unable to keep a firm grip on your mobile or PDA?
Or are you one of those people who like to multitask when you’re running around the office but have found the shiny surface of your phone a little too slippery on occasion – sometimes with disastrous results? (we know of at least two people who have managed to drop their phones down toilets).
If this sounds like you, then you may be interested in investing in some Egrips Appliques.
We’re not sure what the Frenchy-sounding name is all about, but the company offers a range of protective stick-on covers for a wide selection of electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, iPods, MP3 players, gaming devices etc.
Like many of the best ideas, it’s a simple one: simply stick on a pre-cut set of protective silicone grips on to your device and the thing should become much more ‘sticky’ and less likely to end up on the floor, under your brake pedal or floating in your karsey.
Made from a super thin material, the makers claim that the “specially formulated adhesive” won’t damage your precious gadget while the super-grippy material will prevent it from, “sliding around on dry surfaces, like car seats, centre consoles, counter tops, desktops, laptops and more.”
The grips are reasonably priced around the $10-$12 mark and are available from the egrips website.
21 August, 2006
Polycom Communicator Review: Handsfree Skype (83%)
The Polycom Communicator (C100S) first caught our eye at the Skype-day in London. It’s a well-formed handsfree speaker/mic kit that connects to your PC via USB, letting you make trouble-free calls on Skype.
Polycom aren’t new to the field of handsfree. You may well have used their SoundStation in telephone conferences. They’ve leveraged this experience to tune the Communicator to minimise feedback.
What’s it like to use
Getting it setup is breeze. When you’ve carried out the one-off process of installing the small piece of software on to the PC and authorised to allow it to work with Skype, you’re away.
We found it very easy to use, not only that, but were highly impressed with its performance.
Conversations flow more naturally, as if you were in the same room as the person, because you’re not holding a phone handset. The extra auto-echo-cancellation that has been built into it, also lets you use it without the other party realising.
For those who are keen on secrecy, there’s a standard 3.5cm headphone socket in the right by the mic.
When you’re travelling and need to make a series of calls from your hotel room, the Communicator will be a boon. Forget using the cellular with an ear piece, this lets you sit in your hotel room and make your calls while taking advantage of Skype’s low-cost calling too.
The Communicator also has a life beyond Skype calls. Due to its high quality speaker, it’s great to use to play your music through, or use during a presentation with audio in it. A great advantage.
Design
It’s a well designed solid piece of kit that’s had a lot of thought put into it. This is amply demonstrated by its surface-finish (which comes in either blue or grey), which just through its touch gives you confidence in it.
With its size being similar to two packs of cards sitting next to each other (3.24″ x 5.25″ x 0.85″/ 85 cm x 135cm x 25 cm), you would have no hesitation in chucking it in to your bag when you’re on a business trip.
The centre-top is dominated by a high quality (22 KHz) speaker, with twin microphones on either side of the bottom front corners. This not only gives excellent sound reproduction (actually beyond Skype 16KHz capabilities), but the dual mics make it easy for many people around a table to take part in the conversation. The microphones are independently balanced, so a person sitting a distance away from one would not be drowned out by another sitting close to the other.
The middle section of the unit has a collection of five buttons arranged within a circle. On the left is a blue Skype-logo’s button, that when pressed, makes the Skype software on your PC become active. The button on the opposite side of the circle connects and disconnects calls. Volume controls are at the top and the bottom, with a mute button in the centre.
Around these buttons is a circular LED that gives progress on the call – it flashes green when connecting the call, glows green when on a call and red when the conversation is muted.
The back is hinged to provide two features – holding the 79 cm (33″) long USB lead that wraps around the back, and to act as a stand for the unit when it’s in use. Like the rest of the unit, it too, has a reassuringly-solid feel about it, with a hinge that feels like it will last.
The intelligent design touches continues on this flapped hinge with its rubber corners, minimising movement where it rests against the table.
Summary
A great, quality device that works easily and well, providing you with a better way of making Skype calls.
Score: 83%
Ups
Great quality calls on Skype Superb speaker for music-listening Well designed and compact
Downs
No Mac or Linux support yet
Cost
US RRP $149
Polycom Communicator
Buy it at Amazon UK (Blue)
Buy it at Amazon US (Grey)
Buy it at Amazon US (Blue)
21 August, 2006
More PE Takeover Talk At NTL
The much heralded NTL/Telewest merger, expected to be the saviour of the UK cable industry, has become the subject of another Private Equity takeover rumour and the likely winner, if it goes ahead, is Richard Branson.
A quick recap
Branson did a deal with NTL that saw Virgin mobile become part of a four-play (geddit?) proposition, allowing the operation to use the Virgin brand and in return received 10.6% of the company. The merger of the three companies has not yet bedded in, and customers across the country are still waiting for the promised improvements in the notoriously poor levels of customer support.
Flextech the programming arm of the company, which was up for sale at the time of the earlier merger (I hope you’re paying attention), is likely to again be offered up for acquisition to media companies. A great way for potential new investors to make a chuck of their cash back.
Market reaction
The market has viewed the possible takeover positively, as it considered the cable company is still under valued following its 20% share price drop in the last three months. More recently shares in the company, quoted in the US, gained around 8% last week, on the possible fresh takeover.
What would the impact be?
If a takeover goes ahead, then the focus will be on installing a strong management team to leverage the offering against well established competition from BT and the newer entrants to the market, like Tiscali whose purchase of Homechoice has put them in the triple-play space, and Sky who are rolling out a broadband proposition under their own well known brand.
21 August, 2006
Google Music Trends in GTalk
When upgrading their Instant messaging (IM) and VoIP software released earlier this week, Google has taken the opportunity to introduce a new feature – Music Trends.
The idea of letting people know what music you are and have been listening to has been around for a long time, with bloggers using various plug-ins to show the information on their blogs.
Through Google Talk, Google have taken it to an even more immediate level. With the latest version of the software on their machines and switching on the option, people who are listed as your friends within GTalk can see the music that you’re listening to at that moment, displayed on the status line.
It currently works with four pieces of music playing software iTunes; Winamp; Windows Media Player and Yahoo Music Engine, with is anticipated that more will be supported soon.
So what? you may say. Google say it’s an interesting way to discover new music, which we’re sure has nothing to do with one of the other features of GTalk, file transfer – “cool tune, man, can you IM it over?” Surely not. Would be a great way to get people buying music, through a long rurmoured Google Music-buying site though wouldn’t it?
Google are also grabbing all of the information of which tracks are being played and compiling them in to a chart of top songs, broken down into genre and country (only USA currently).
We can just hear the clatter of keyboards as memos shoot around record companies insisting that all of the employees load up the software, and play the latest boy band that they’re trying to promote.
Background on google Music Trends
Google Talk
18 August, 2006
Guardian g24, A PDF Newspaper: Overview
The UK’s national leading left newspaper, The Guardian, has been looking at what it thinks is the future of the daily newspaper. Since the successful launch of its Berlin edition in 2005, which rolls out of the presses somewhere between the size of a tabloid and the more traditional ‘quality’ broadsheet, it’s done a pile of blue sky thinking.
As well as producing lively Podcasts on media and business, it now brings the much heralded digital ‘Newspaper of the future’ to your computer – sorry paperboys and girls, looks like your days could be numbered.
The answer to the blue sky thinking that it’s put together is pretty radical and out there (literally) for you to try. A downloadable PDF newspaper. It comes as a group of 5 pdfs that are updated every 15 minutes throughout the day and it can be printed on your standard A4 desktop printer. The editions are compartmentalised as Top stories, World, Media, Business and Sport and offer a fairly amazing step forward for newspaper distribution, cutting out a whole tier of distribution. Only becoming physical when printed by the reader – and at the readers expense.
Since the eBooks.
The challenge for any venture like this is to keep the current revenue stream running while building a new wave stream. It’s a brave move and we hope it’ll give a challenge to the rest of the UK news industry.
Guardian g24
18 August, 2006
UK Analogue Radio Gets A Bashing
DAB in the UK has had a good week with prices dropping to an all time low, with High Street retailers are now making available a DAB radio with CD player for under £50.
To add the icing to the digital radio cake, Dixons the domestic electronics giant that made its name in radio more than 50 years ago, has announced its decision to drop conventional analogue ‘steam radio’ from its portfolio (But they appear to make a habit of grabbing press about this type of thing, having done it with VCRs already).
Although a date has been set for UK analogue TV to closedown, no such decision has been made for radio, and with radios outnumbering TVs at something like 4 to 1 any planned switchover is bound to be some way into the future.
DAB radio coverage in the UK is approaching 85% but the rollout in the rest of the world is patchy, with markets like the USA favouring a pay-model satellite-delivered radio service with brands like Sirius. Competition from the drm (Digital Radio Mondiale) standard and commercial operators like Worldspace are also creating uncertainty in territories that are characterised by dispersed populations across large land masses.
There are now over 270 UK analogue radio transmitting licences issued and they’re still leaving OFCOM’s shelves as fast as they become available, but with a promise of a further national DAB multiplexes and a likely radio presence from Channel 4, the future of radio is looking increasingly digital.
Sky’s satellite hybrid gnome receiver has so far failed to dazzle and, like the semi-portable internet radios, it’s perceived as overly complex for the average punter who prefer the Freeview-like DAB proposition.
Not all retailers of radio see the disappearance of analogue radio as inevitable in the near future. There are important extra features to tempt people, like EPG, pause live and track identification, which make digital services far ‘sexier’ than conventional wireless,
What will show DAB has arrived? We reckon that once the DAB pirates hoist their Digital aerials, the technology will have well and truly arrived.
18 August, 2006
UK Government Jumps On YouTube
The UK Government have put two of their videos up on YouTube – for all the world to enjoy.
Senior executives at the UK Cabinet Office have posted their first two short films – ‘Transformational Government‘ and ‘Sharing the leadership challenge‘, a slightly longer clip concerning Whitehall plans to save money by consolidating service departments and the leadership challenges this poses for managers.
I know, I know … given that description, you all want to shoot over to the see them without a delay, but stay with a little while longer.
Ian Dunmore, Director of Public Sector Forums broke the news saying: “This looks like the first time a government anywhere has used YouTube in this way. It’s a ground-breaking move and one other governments might well follow.” We have to admire the him keeping his head by adding, “However we don’t expect the videos to surge to the top of the popularity chart just yet.”
The Death of YouTube?
Is this the death knell for YouTube? How could a service be any less cool than to have the government using it? The truth is, of course, that YouTube welcomes all no matter how stiff the video provider.
YouTube is becoming a cross-section of society, globally. This is borne out by Peter, the self-declared geriatric1927, the 78 year old widower, living alone in the county in the middle of England. His twelve videos documenting events of his life have been watch over half a million times in the last two weeks.
For a long time Governements have been looking around for way to get their ‘messages’ out to the public without the bothersome annoyance of journalists asking difficult questions. They may see YouTube as the fix for this.
What they may not have taken account of is the video replies or text comments that people can leave in response.
UK Gov on YouTube
18 August, 2006
Extreme Sports Channel Added to Sky Mobile TV
UK satellite operator, Sky is building on their video offerings on the Sky Mobile service, by adding the Extreme Sports Channel.
Sky and Vodafone have been offering video content on their 3G network since October last year.
The latest addition will offer made-for-mobile content including a series covering the best and worst slams and profiles on the ultimate extreme sports legends as well as existing content such as the acclaimed Tips & Tricks series.
Sports has been popular content on Sky Mobile TV, so as Stephen Nuttall, Director of Business Development at Sky says, “we’re giving customers even more of what they enjoy.”
We suspect that Sky is adding the extreme sports to attract a different sort of subscriber to the service, which they’re not increasing the price of, leaving it at £5/month for unlimited access.
All of this content is currently only available to Vodafone 3G subscribers, but it is expected that other networks are in discussions with Sky and it’s expected that they may offer it on their networks.
Sky Mobile TV
17 August, 2006