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

  • BT Home Hub Examined

    BT Home Hub ExaminedTo date, most ADSL equipment that BT has put out has been pretty …. functional … or put another way, ugly. Their ethernet routers have been transposed from office equipment, and their USB kit, the Frog as it was known … well don’t get us started on that*.

    This has all changed with their latest packaging of broadband. Released alongside this, the newly-announced BT WiFi Home Hub has been designed to seduce people into pulling their router out from it previous position in the study or under the stairs, and putting it in to their living space.

    Why would they care about that? Well it’s important for the success of products like BT Vision, their autumn-release IPTV service, as the connection between the Home Hub and the BT Vision box currently has to be wired ethernet. Given most people don’t have their house cabled for ethernet, the Home Hub has to be located close to the main TV in the house, normally in the lounge. It also doesn’t hurt to have their new wireless-DECT VoIP phone handsets sitting in the main room in the house either.

    It’s a looker
    BT Home Hub ExaminedBT have clearly had the industrial designers on the case and what they’ve turned out is a bit of a looker.

    Being white, you can’t but fail to be reminded of Apple (being that they own the colour white). It’s like a cross between a small, white, upstanding PS2 and an iPod, but lacking the curves of the iPod.

    The BT VoIP handset, or BT Broadband Talk handset as they call it (sssh, don’t mentioned VoIP), sits in an integrated docking unit that is slots in the front of the base of the Home Hub.

    BT Home Hub ExaminedWhat can you connect to it?
    Apart from the 802.11G/B wireless connectivity, there’s six physical connectors tucked away at the back of the Home Hub.

    There’s the connector that runs between the phone line and the box, a slot for you POTS phone, two ethernet connectors (one of these will be used for BT Vision) and two USB connectors.

    One of these USB ports is intended for computers that don’t have ethernet ports on them (are there any of these still in circulation?) and the other is for an as-yet unannounced use.

    One trick I feel they’ve missed is using the Hub as a print server, but discussing this with BT’s, they suggest that this is something that could be introduced later, via a software update.

    Disco lights may drive you mad
    BT Home Hub ExaminedThe only issue we raised after spending a brief time with it was the usage indicator lights that sit at the top of the unit, which flicker whenever data passes through the box. Sadly, as yet, these can’t be turned off.

    We’d imagine that while having these beauties flickering away may be a novelty initially, but long term, people are going to find it _really_ annoying, as they catch them out of the corner of their eye. Expect either the addition of some masking tape over them or a software update giving the option to kill them.

    Over broadband software updates
    Keeping equipment up to date is a expensive and risky business, especially if you need to get the customer involved.

    Like their video phone handsets, the Home Hub can be updated remotely by BT over the broadband connection. This gives them a chance to provide new features in the future, or to fix an problems that they might find, without having to bother the subscriber.

    Do you need a Home Hub?
    If you want to carry on using the Internet as you have previously, then the short answer is no, _but_ if you want to use any of the new BT services like BT Vision or BT Homesafe, their home security system (more on this soon), then yes.

    For BT Vision to work, the STB that comes with it has to be able to control the flow of data over the broadband connection, because frankly, getting TV to run over a 2Mb DSL connection is asking a lot of it. If little Johnny is sitting in the bedroom downloading goodness knows what, he’s going to have to have his connection throttled, which Dad is watching the Football on Saturday night.

    * Thank the gods of USB that BT have finally dumped the USB-connected Frog that used to ship in previous version of their broadband offering. We found this an odious move purposely designed to limit the number of computers that connect to one. In our book, this was detrimental to the wider adoption of broadband in the UK.

  • ICommons Summit – ISummit’06

    23-25 June, 2006 “Towards a global digital commons” The past few years has seen the burgeoning of a number of initiatives aimed at opening the fields of creativity, science and knowledge in communities around the world. Practitioners from these movements currently identify themselves as falling within a particular community – ‘free and open source software’, ‘open access’, ‘open content’ and ‘open science’, amongst others – but they share key processes and values whose common elements are yet to be fully realized. This year’s iCommons Summit aims to bring together, in a creative, stimulating and cooperative environment, the pioneers from these communities – to inspire and learn from one another and establish closer working relationships around a set of incubator projects. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil http://icommons.org/

  • BT Include OpenZone WiFi Minutes with Broadband Package Shakeup

    BT Include OpenZone WiFi Minutes with Broadband Package ShakeupBT have released a shake up of their home broadband offering.

    As well as reducing the number of options available, they’re also boosting the packages to try and both get people to switch to them, as well as attempting to induce their current subscribers not to switch away.

    Mirroring their phone call plans, BT have gone for the Option 1, 2 & 3.

    250 minutes of BT OpenZone WiFi
    Most of the offering isn’t that different – OK, they’re bundling Norton Antivirus and firewall – the big innovation is the inclusion of 250 minutes of BT OpenZone WiFi.

    BT have done a clever thing here in providing WiFi minutes. People will come to realise that they can use WiFi when out and about … near a BT roaming point only of course.

    This is of course only averaging 8 minutes a day – and we all know how quickly time on the Internet can disappear.

    Once they get used to that behaviour, people will start to run out of the 250 minutes that are available over the month – and start to pay BT for extra minutes.

    This is a very clear indication that the convergence of network access is now well underway.

    Free VoIP calls to UK Landlines
    All of the packages provide free evening and weekend calls to UK landline, and until Jan 07, free video calls. International calls are not discounted – at all, which we thought a bit shocking.

    This is not just calls using the PC softphone, but using the new Hi Def phone handset. We’ll cover this in more detail soon.

    As well as the Hi Def phones and BT softphone, calls can be made to other BT VoIP handsets, like the now available BT Broadband Talk Videophone 1000 and soon to be available 1000 video phones.

    We specifically asked about linking to other VoIP services. With no shock, we heard that this wasn’t going to be supported ‘at launch’, and we suspect ever. Locking people in to the BT handsets will be a way to attempt to increase their subscribers, with BT subscribers encouraging their family and friends into having a compatible, ie BT handset.

    Equipment
    In an effort to try and get you to step up to the highest subscription, BT are using an increasing amount of equipment to induce you to be tempted every increasing monthly fees. They’re leveraging their ability to buy huge amounts of equipment and the discounts that brings to them.

    The entry-level Option 1 customers will be provided, free of charge, with a BT Wired router; Option 2 brings the white BT Home Hub; Option 3 includes the Home Hub and VoIP/DECT handset, that they label the Hi-Def handset.

    BT Include OpenZone WiFi Minutes with Broadband Package ShakeupIf you persist in opting for Option 1, you’re able to purchase the Home Hub at the additional cost of £30 – £25 if done online.

    Costs
    There’s a promotional offer on each of the packages of a reduced cost for the first six months of subscription.

    Option 1 – £9.95 for six months, then £17.99/month
    Option 2 – £14.99, then £22.99/month
    Option 3 – £22.99, then £26.99/month

    Learning a trick or two from the mobile business, contract length for the entry Option 1 is 18 months. The others are a more expected 12. Do you get the impression that they really don’t want you to go for the Option 1?

    Options 2 & 3 are pretty much the same, except for the amount of data that can be downloaded by the subscriber – option 2 give 6Gb usage per month, Option 3 a more generous 40Gb. It’s unclear if BT Vision is used if this will be included in the usage.

  • Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 Announced

    Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 AnnouncedCasio have added the new Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 digital camera to their EXILIM range, ramping up the pixel count to a hefty 7.2 megapixels.

    Designed to slip in and out of pockets like the butter-coated hand of the Artful Dodger, the slimline EX-Z70 is basically a pixel-boosted version of their 6 megapixel EX-Z60.

    As with its predecessor, the Exilim boasts a large 2.5-inch TFT 115k pixels display, 38-114mm equiv, 3x optical zoom and a cuddle of hand-holding modes to guide the nervous, faltering hands of newbies into the world of Casio photography.

    Living up to its name, the camera’s Easy Mode is a punter-cosseting mode for beginners which simplifies all the camera settings down to three easy-peasy menus (image size, flash, and self-timer).

    Exposure-tweaking enthusiasts won’t find a lot to play with here as this camera is rooted firmly in point’n’shoot territory with only Auto, Best Shot, Continuous shutter (normal speed, high speed, flash continuous), Movie and Macro modes onboard.

    Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 AnnouncedIn an attempt to stave off the wobbles, Casio’s Anti Shake DSP is built in, although the anti-shake stuff is achieved through ramping up the ISO and dropping the image size, so it’s nowhere as good as proper optical image stabilisation.

    Interestingly, Casio haven’t hopped onboard the current trend for shunting the ISO limit skywards, with the camera only reaching ISO 400.

    Despite the technical limitations, there’s no denying that the EX-Z70 is a purdy little thing, with its sleek, rounded edges sure to get consumer wallets twitching.

    Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 AnnouncedAvailable in “luxurious” black or high quality silver, the black EX-Z70 will be on the shelves from the beginning of July (you’ll have to wait a month for the silver version) for around £230 ($422, €335).

    Casio Exilim EX-Z70 specifications
    Sensor
    1/2.5 ” Type CCD, 7.2 million effective pixels
    Image sizes 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 2048 (3:2), 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480
    Movie clips • 640 x 480 @ 30fps, 512 x 384 @ 30fps, 320 x 240 @ 15fps
    • WAV audio
    File formats JPEG (Exif v2.2), DCF 1.0 Standard, DPOF
    Lens 38-114mm equiv, 3x optical zoom
    Image stabilization Anti-Shake DSP
    Conversion lenses No
    Digital zoom up to 4x
    Focus
    Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 AnnouncedContrast type AF (selectable between spot, multi)
    Focus distance Normal: 40cm – infinity
    Macro: 10 – 50cm
    Manual: 10cm – infinity
    Metering Multi-pattern, Center- weighted, Spot
    ISO sensitivity Auto, ISO 50, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400
    Exposure compensation -/+ 2EV, in 1/3 EV steps
    Shutter speed 1/2 – 1/2000 sec
    Aperture F3.1/4.4, auto switching
    Modes Still image
    Still with audio
    Continuous shutter (normal speed, high speed, flash continuous)
    BEST SHOT
    Macro
    Movie
    Voice recording
    Scene modes BEST SHOT modes
    White balance Auto, Fixed (6 modes), Manual switching
    Self timer 10 or 2 secs, Triple self-timer
    Flash Auto, On, Off, Red eye reduction, Soft Flash
    Range: 0.1 – 3.7m (wide) 0.6 – 1.9m (tele)
    Viewfinder No
    LCD monitor 2.5-inch TFT, 115,200 pixels
    Connectivity
    USB 2.0 Full Speed AV
    Microphone
    Storage SD / MMC compatible, 8.3MB internal memory
    Power NP-20 lithium-ion rechargeable battery
    Weight (no batt) 118g
    Dimensions 95.2 x 60.6 x 19.8 mm

    Casio

  • Symbian Academy Launches: Free Teaching Aids For Universities

    Symbian Academy Launches: Free Teaching Aids For UniversitiesSymbian, the smartphone OS company, are pulling a smart move (pun intended) by offering free assistance to Universities and their lecturers to have Symbian programming skills built into courses. Very clever.

    They’re designed to make it easy for universities to create courses that teach Symbian software development and to integrate a Symbian component into existing computer science courses.

    Those who sign up are showered with free course materials, training, technical support, development literature, expert Symbian lecturers.

    It’s all part of the idea to “maintain the growth of the thriving Symbian ecosystem,” what ever that means in English.

    Symbian Academy Launches: Free Teaching Aids For UniversitiesAs a sweetener to the lecturers to get involved, Symbian will provide “exposure to Symbian’s industry partners.” Pretty healthy if you fancy running a software development company and want to get exposure for your potential products, or you’re getting a little bored of Uni life and fancy impressing those in industry that you’re a bit of visionary.

    Nokia are the dominant shareholder in Symbian (47.9% share holding) and you can see how seriously they’re taking getting their software into education, they’ve even got a Head of Academic Relations, a Harri Pennanen.

    If you fancy getting involved, just drop a mail to [email protected] and tell them that Digital-Lifestyles sent you.

    Symbian Academy

  • T-Mobile Offers Unlimited Mobile Surfing For A Quid A Day

    T-Mobile Offers Unlimited Mobile Surfing For A Quid A DayT-Mobile has announced that it is to extend its web’n’walk unlimited mobile Internet access service to include pay-as-you-go customers.

    From 1st August, pay-as-you-go customers will be able to gorge themselves on the Internet for a maximum of a quid a day for the web’n’walk service.

    T-Mobile says the service will be available for up to 25 handsets across the contract and pay-as-you-go web’n’walk tariff range, including the Motorola V3, the Nokia 6131, the Nokia 6233, the Sony Ericsson K750i and the Samsung E870.

    Phil Chapman, Director of Marketing for T-Mobile UK, looked deep into his crystal ball and saw the clouds clearing, “We strongly believe that in future, mobile will be individuals’ primary means of accessing the Internet, just as it already is for voice communications.”

    T-Mobile Offers Unlimited Mobile Surfing For A Quid A DayAll the web’n’walk handsets come pre-configured to connect immediately to the Internet, with customers able browse any web pages they chuffing well like rather than the ‘cut-down’ mobile-optimised web pages available through some services.

    To help new customers on their mobile surfin’ way, T-Mobile Favourites comes pre-stocked with links to popular UK websites like Amazon, Sky, lastminute, BBC, Yell, Multimap, BAA and the RAC.

    With two thirds of mobile customers on pay-as-you-go contracts, T-Mobile are hoping to scoop up new and existing customers to their new data deal, with each kilobyte of data charged at 0.73 pence, up to a ceiling of £1 – after which, customers will pay nothing more for rest of the day.

    T-Mobile Offers Unlimited Mobile Surfing For A Quid A DayWe love it
    We’re already big fans of T-Mobile’s web’n’walk service – after years of paying eye-wateringly inflated data access charges, we were delighted to jump on their unlimited web’n’walk flat rate of just £7.50 a month for pay monthly contracts.

    With unlimited data usage, we’ve found the service more useful than Wi-Fi in daily use – now we can get our email, check the news, download RSS feeds and waste time on IM/chat without having to wander about looking for a free hotspot. Nice.

    There are caveats to the service though, with a ‘fair use policy’ applying to their definition of ‘unlimited’ and anyone trying to use their connection for laptop surfing can expect a prompt slapdown from Messrs T and Mobile.

    T Mobile

  • Bright Star: BT Media and Broadcast Sale Close

    As you may recall, we first reported the sale of BT’s Media and Broadcast division (or BTM&B as it’s known internally) and its TV satellite interests at the turn of the year. Since then detailed negotiations have been ongoing, with around 200 staff worldwide expected to be moving away from the comfy world of BT, to the more exposed waters of a private equity-driven outfit. We’ve heard that it’s expected to be known as Bright Star.

    The new enterprise centred around Satellite Occasional use and satellite TV multiplexs will be headed up by Mark Smith who was the boss of what was, a couple of years back, BT Broadcast Services. Joining Mark there will be some new hires alongside those former BT folks, described as ‘in-scope’ who we understand have decided to take a sweetener of around £4,500 to transfer their skills and experience to the fledgling outfit.

    It is expected that initially BT’s Media and Broadcast customers will notice little difference as BT continue to offer a wrap that includes satellite expertise. Beyond that, Bright Star will be looking at other opportunities not limited to BT’s customers.

    The new business will include satellite earth stations in the UK, France and the USA but it is as yet unclear where the operation will be headquartered. Currently BT’s M&B operates out of the iconic BT Tower.

    The transfer and negotiations around the unit are likely to have given BT some food for thought as to how they can manage the disposal of business units they do not see as key, or that are giving rates of return below the main business’s targets.

    After such protracted negotiations it will be interesting to see if a more bottom line-focused business emerges and if BT attempts similar transfers around the peripheries of its empire in the future.

  • Bug TOO DAB Radio released by Pure Digital

    Bug TOO DAB Radio released by Pure DigitalIt might look like a weird mutation between Dr Who’s K9 and and the wobbly robot from Lost In Space, but we like the fact that PURE Digital’s new Bug TOO DAB radio is brave enough to stand out from the current crowd of wood’n’plastic identikit DAB radios.

    Building on their success of their their earlier, Wayne Hemingway-designed Bug digital radio, the Bug Too adds the latest DAB digital radio developments, including an electronic programme guide (EPG) and textSCAN, and a new feature letting users wake up to their favourite MP3 or recording.

    As with the earlier Bug DAB radio, there’s a fully specified radio lurking inside the bonkers exterior, with MP3 playback, record to SD card and the excellent ReVu feature which lets users pause and rewind live radio.

    The feature set
    Now sporting a new titanium silver finish, the Bug TOO looks much the same as its predecessor, offering a bright, clear, scrolling LCD display on a bizarre bendy stalk.

    Bug TOO DAB Radio released by Pure DigitalThis usefully displays artists names, song titles, news, sports results and other information, with the EPG feature offering programme information and schedules.

    With the Bug TOO being compatible with EPG broadcasts, users can browse upcoming programmes, see a short description of each programme and then select them for scheduled listening or recording to SD memory card.

    As with their Pure DMX-50 DAM microsystem, it’s possible to record DAB radio to SD card or to an external MiniDisc player, with MP3 playback available from tunes stored on the SD card.

    Bug TOO DAB Radio released by Pure DigitalThere’s also alarm, sleep and timer record functions – including an MP3 alarm – so the Bug TOO could be a handy bedside radio. We’re not quite sure why anyone would want 20 configurable alarms though, but if that’s what you’re after, the Bug’s got ’em.

    We like Pure Digital and this new radio looks to be good value too, costing around £100 and available from June 2006.

    The Bug

  • EEDAL 2006 – The 4th International Conference On Energy Efficiency In Domestic Appliances And Lighting

    21 – 23 June 2006 The usage of power by electronic equipment is something we all need to be conscious of. This conference comprehensively covers all electrical equipment including convergence kit. Of particular interest will be

    Millennium Gloucester Hotel and Conference Centre London UK http://www.livegroup.co.uk/eedal/

  • Hollicks Eyes ITV For Takeover Rumour?

    Hollicks Eyes ITV For Takeover Rumour?Some commentators expect ITV’s share price to renew vigour over the coming weeks, as rumours of a fresh takeover are fanned by its institutional shareholders. This is despite poor audience performance and strong competition from a publicly owned, but very commercially managed, C4. There are those who are keen to take over the ITV helm where Greg Dyke so publicly failed.

    Critics of ITV’s current management are keen to back a plan that can create value where Charles Allen, the current ITV supreme, has so miserably failed. The individual who is being ‘bigged up’ as heading the next takeover bid is the former United Business Media (UBM) executive and Labour luvvie, Lord Hollick.

    Hollick knows more than a little about UK commercial TV. While he headed up UBM, it controlled Meridian TV with the most affluent ITV franchise areas that UBM then unloaded to Granada before Granada and Carlton formed ITV. UBM was also at the time of Hollick’s chairmanship a key mover and shaker in the formation of Channel Five, with UBM holding 35% of the company ahead of RTL taking sole ownership.

    Hollicks Eyes ITV For Takeover Rumour?Some wonder why the continued interest in ITV as the deregulated non-linear future hurtles closer, but in truth, ITV has a value in both its content and brand that may be undervalued. The channel when compared against the triple and ‘four-play’ options that are so exciting the Telco executives, still has programmes that viewers will seek out. The next 12 months are critical to the brands long term success, as it’s multi channel strategy is tested by the Freeview expansion of C5 with two more channels. Not forgetting the move of Channel 4’s film channel to an advertising supported free to air proposition, a strong assertive strategy could turn the corner for the dominant UK commercial player but more On Digital type disasters could spell a long and unpleasant demise.

    Hollicks Eyes ITV For Takeover Rumour?The other left field possibility is that US media titan Time Warner in selling off its UK AOL business has an eye on acquiring a much bigger UK fish that looks astonishingly like the UK’s main commercial TV network- eyes should be glued to the unfolding drama.