Digital-Lifestyles – Page 235 – 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

Nokia Mobile S60 Browser Code Goes Open Source
At the W3C conference in Edinburgh today, in a move to get the mobile industry (and possibly more) to standardise on a single Web browser, Nokia has released the source code for the mobile Web browser it developed last year.
Using the same open-source frameworks used by Apple’s Safari browser, originally created by the KDE team, Nokia designed a browser for its S60 phone range, adding various enhancements designed to improve mobile browsing.
Under the open source deal, any individual software developer, third party mobile phone makers or operators can get their grubby mitts on the software engine that powers the Nokia-developed browser and customise it for their own needs.
Nokia’s S60 Web Browser for S60 is a fully fledged affair, offering full mobile browsing of complete Web pages straight off the Internet, complete with support for AJAX technologies, dynamic HTML and scripting languages.
Nokia intend to offer “active participation” with the open source community, sharing enhancements, widgets and improvements to the core browser engine in real time.
“We want to reduce the fragmentation currently in place in mobile browsing,” said Lee Epting, VP of Forum Nokia, Nokia’s software development support program.
Although sceptics may suggest the last thing rivals would want to do is to start using a Nokia browser, she insisted that the terms of the ‘liberal license’ would let anyone use the code to develop their own commercial offerings.
The source code will be made available to open source developers through the WebKit Open Source Project.
Further resources can also be found at Nokia Opensourcesite and Nokia S60 browser.
24 May, 2006
Over A Third Of All PC Software Pirated
Over a third of all packaged software installed on PCs worldwide in 2005 was pirated, according to a study released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a trade group charged with fighting the use of unauthorised software.
Although the percentage of dodgy software in use remained the same as last year, global losses from software piracy rose by US$1.6 billion to $34 billion, according to BSA’s figures.
Exaggerated figures?
Not everyone buys into the hefty figures though, with some economists questioning the estimated losses in the annual study.
The total is based on the price users would have paid for legitimate versions of the pirated software, but, as BSA president and CEO Robert Holleyman recently commented himself, some users would have decided not to use the software if they had to fork out for it.
In fact, some have claimed that BSA’s accounting methods are so inaccurate that it amounts to scaremongering, especially when extrapolating figures from third world countries where just a few programs at full price would cost more than a citizen’s average annual income.
More notably, IDC, the company that produces the reports, has already stated publicly that the BSA is misrepresenting the numbers, pointing out that the US$34 billion claimed “losses” aren’t actually “losses” at all – it’s just the estimated retail value of the pirated software.
Instead, IDC estimates that only one out of every ten pirated programs should be counted as an actual loss, which makes for much less of a headline-grabbing story.
Piracy league tables
Back to the BSA, Holleyman noted the anti-piracy progress being made in some countries, but insisted that, “much more needs to be done.”
Of all the countries studied, the US came out with the lowest piracy rate of all at 21 percent, but the massive size of the software market there meant that it recorded the highest claimed loss of $6.9 billion.
In second place was China with recorded losses of $3.9 billion and a piracy rate so high that anyone actually buying a registered copy of software must be seen as a bit of a weirdo – 86 percent.
In third place was France which notched up losses of $3.2 billion, accompanied by a piracy rate of 47 percent, while in Brit-land, 27 per cent of PC software used in the UK was claimed to be illegal.
In terms of outright piracy, Vietnam and Zimbabwe led the purloining world with piracy rates approaching 90 percent, followed by Indonesia at 87 and China and Pakistan at 86 percent.
Although the amount of global piracy has remained constant, the study found that some traditional piracy hotspots have decreased, with Ukraine registering the biggest drop in piracy rates last year, down 6 percentage points, with China, Russia and Morocco also managing a 4 percentage points decrease.
Next to the US, countries with the lowest piracy rates included New Zealand, Austria and Finland.
Business Software Alliance (BSA)
24 May, 2006
Moto Q Smartphone Finally Launches
Months later than expected, Motorola’s new ‘Blackberry-killer’ smartphone, the Moto Q has finally been launched on the Verizon network in the US.
Dubbed the RAZRberry, the pocket-size Q is slightly thinner than Motorola’s monster-selling RAZR phone, with the company claiming that it’s the smallest device offering a QWERTY keyboard on the market.
Powered by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, Motorola are describing the Moto Q as a “mini notebook” that will enable customers to leave their bulky laptops at home.
As we reported back in July 2005, the handset comes with EVDO wireless capabilities, a QVGA screen (at 320 x 240, still noticeably smaller than the 320 x 320 resolution of rival Palm Treo 700p), Bluetooth 1.2, 1.3MP camera and handy thumb scrollwheel. But no Wi-Fi.
Denny Strigl, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless, was on hand to whip up a whirlwind of PR froth: “The Moto Q offers power, style and ease-of-use in a cool ultrathin format, giving Verizon Wireless customers an uncompromising experience in one device.”
The Moto Q sure packs in a lot of functionality, offering e-mail, instant messages and short messages, backed up by business features like integration with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.
“We think the opportunity extends beyond business users,” enthused Mark Shockley who regales under the fabulously American job title of “vice president of seamless mobility” in Motorola’s Mobile Devices unit.
Shockley insisted that the Q is for people with a “life balance” (a what?) who want to use their phones to listen to music, take photos, record short videos and play games.
Although Motorola seem to be aiming this phone at the mass market, we see it more as a bit of superslim strumpet aiming to woo current BlackBerry/Palm Treo users.
Although both those phones command a fierecly local user base, that wafer-thin form factor might just be enough to tempt them to jump ship.
Moto Q
23 May, 2006
Silver Surfer Week 2006
Crumblies all across the UK are being given the chance to try out the new fangled interwebby thing thanks to Age Concern’s ‘Silver Surfer Week.’
Co-sponsored by BT, Intel and Microsoft, the initiative aims to help old folks understand the benefits of using e-mail and the internet as well as improving their technical skills.
More than 1,500 IT taster sessions have been set up with old ‘uns being shown how they can order shopping and services from the comfort of their own favourite chair.
There’ll also be a bus loaded with computers touring the UK.
Silver Surfer Clubs
The campaign marks the start of a three year partnership between Age Concern England and BT, with a (rather miserly) budget worth £240,000 helping to turn Age Concern’s 150 nationwide computer “drop ins” and access points into a unified network of “Silver Surfer Clubs”.
The initiative comes on the back of BT research which found that 9.7 million people over the age of 60 are currently ‘digitally excluded’ in the UK.
Age Concern’s own research found that a total of 44% of over-50s are without internet access, but of those already hooked up to t’Web, most thought the benefits far outweighed the costs.
Frankie’s story
Booking holidays and tracing family histories were the some of the most popular uses of the Web for OAPs, with Age Concern director general Gordon Lishman adding that the internet also enabled silver surfers to pursue hobbies or meet new friends online.
Take old Frank Jones, 74, for example.
A bonkers budgerigar nut all his life, Frank popped into a computer clinic run at his local church drop-in centre to learn some digital skills.
Before you know it, Frankie had learnt how to use a digital camera and was soon sending hardcore budgie porn all over the world to new mates he’d made in places like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Pakistan and Indonesia.
“I never dreamt my budgerigars would help me find friends all over the world with the same passion,” says Frank.
With his new found skills, Frank was soon teaching others, notching up a level 2 City and Guilds qualification and bagging a nomination for an Adult Learner Award. Go Frankie boy!
“Before I began the courses, I’d never even switched a computer on,” says Frank. “I’m now planning to create my own Website that my family and friends can visit to see my latest photographs and exchange messages. It’s a great way to share experiences and keep in touch.”
With a report last year by the Independent Consumer Panel for the UK communications watchdog Ofcom revealing that older folks felt alienated from digital life, we naturally warmly welcome Age Concern’s drive to get silver surfers online.
Just so long as they don’t start posting up on forums to whine on about how things were “much better back in the old days…kids today, no respect…look at the price of that… etc”
Silver Surfer Week 2006
23 May, 2006
Www2006 W3C
23-26.May.06 No other event draws the breadth of business leaders, industrial technologists, academics and key standards bodies that shape the future of the World Wide Web. Four packed days of speakers, workshops, exhibitions, tutorials, panels and social events will provide you with valuable insights and new contacts you won’t find anywhere else. Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), Edinburgh, Scotland. http://www2006.org/programme/
23 May, 2006
Pentax Announce K100 And K110D dSLR Cameras
Things are heating up in the entry-level/enthusiast end of the photography market, with Pentax announcing two new new dSLR cameras offering 6.1 effective megapixels.
The Pentax K100 and K110D cameras both offer high precision 11-point wide frame AF, ISO sensitivity from 200 to 3200 ISO, a large 2.5-inch LCD screen and a shutter speed extending from 30 secs to a superfast 1/4000 sec
The cameras are compatible with most of the huge selection of existing Pentax lenses, including PENTAX K-, KA-, KAF- and KAF2-mount lenses; screw-mount lenses (with an adapter); and 645- are 67-system lenses (with an adapter) – although there may be limited functionality with some older lenses.
K100D : non shake, non rattle and non roll
Entering a market already dominated by excellent low-price models by Nikon and Canon, Pentax are hoping that the anti-shake widget in the K100D – which effectively offers a two-stop advantage – will get punters waving their wads in their direction
It’s Pentax’s first DSLR to feature a CCD-shift Shake Reduction system – and works by oscillating the CCD image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed using magnetic force, while adjusting the speed of oscillation in proportion to the amount of camera shake detected by a built-in sensor (err, got that?).
K110D – cheap’n’cheerful
The entry-level digital K110D is exactly the same as the K100D but comes without the Shake Reduction.
Both cameras come with Pentax’s smarty-pants Auto Picture Mode for point’n’shooters. This automatically selects one of the five Picture modes – including Portrait, Landscape and Macro – by calculating various photographic factors to assure top notch results.
There’s also the usual selection of scene modes including Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Text, Sunset, Kids and Museum
The Pentax K100D (with smc 18-55mm lens) will be shunting off the shelves for around $700, while the K110D will ship with the same lens for a competitive $600.
Pentax K100D/ K110D specifications
Sensor 6.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes 3008 x 2000, 3008 x 2008 (RAW), 2400 x 1600, 1536 x 1024,
File formats JPEG (8-bit), RAW (12-bit), DCF, DPOF, PRINT Image Matching lll
Lens Mount Pentax KAF bayonet mount
Focus TTL Phase-matching 11-point wide autofocus system (SAFOX Vlll), AF Single, Manual, AF Continuous
Image Stabilization Shake Reduction (SR) system (K100 only)
AF assist lamp Yes (by built-in flash)
Metering TTL open-aperture 16-segment (coupled with lens and AF information), Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
ISO sensitivity Auto, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200
Exposure compensation +/- 2EV, 1/2EV or 1/3 EV steps
Exposure bracketing 3 frames within range of +/-0.5EV, +/-1.0EV, +/-1.5EV (0.5EV steps) or +/-0.3EV, +/-0.7EV, +/-1.0EV (0.3EV steps)
Shutter Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter
Shuttter speed 1/4000 – 30 sec
Modes Auto Picture mode, Picture mode, Scene, Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Metered Manual, Bulb
Picture modes Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night Scene Portrait, Standard Flash Off
White balance Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, Fluorescent Light (W, D, N), Flash, Manual
Continuous shooting Approx 2.8 fps: JPEG(up to 5fps), RAW(up to 3fps)
Flash Built-in retractable P-TTL pop-up, Guide number 15.6
Viewfinder Fixed molded penta-mirror type, 96% field of view
LCD monitor 2.5-inch low temperature polysilicon TFT, 210,000 pixels
Connectivity USB 2.0 Hi-speed
Storage SD card
Power 4 x AA batteries(Alkaline, Lithium, rechargeable Ni-MH), 2 x CR-V3 llithium batteries, Optional AC adapter
Weight (no batt) 560 g (19.8 oz) 485 g
Dimensions 129.5 x 92.5 x 70 mm (5.1 x 3.6 x 2.8 in)
Pentax
23 May, 2006
Japan Gets Sony Ericsson W42S 3G Walkman Phone
Sony Ericsson has announced its first Walkman phone for Japan today and it looks like a beaut.
Due to be launched by Japanese wireless carrier KDDI in June, the W42S 3G packs a hefty 1GB of internal memory backed up by a Memory Stick Pro DUO expansion slot offering up to 4GB of storage.
The new Walkman phone comes with a power saving mode to keep the tunes pumping for up to 30 hours of playback, with the onboard player supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+ and eAAC+ music format files.
As a result of a partnership with KDDI, owners can gorge themselves on a feast of top tunes when they’re on the move, thanks to their LISMO music service which currently boasts a mighty 5 million downloads per month.
True to its Walkman heritage, the slide-out phone has a smorgasbord of built-in dedicated music controls, including a natty new mechanical navigation wotsit bolted on to the bottom of the phone.
Although it look a bit odd stuck on the phone, anyone who’s used the similar controls on Sony’s minidisk and MP3 players will now how easy they are to use.
The phone also comes with a 1.3 megapixel camera, a 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixels, 262k colour LCD screen, an FM radio and an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) to keep punters well-fed with programming schedules.
There’s been no firm announcement of the retail price yet, although it’s hotly rumoured to be around the $180 mark, and no announcement of a UK release yet, natch.
Sony Ericsson W42S [Japanese]
23 May, 2006
Skype Security Hole Patched
Skype users are advised to upgrade their software in double quick time after a security bug was reported late last week by a security researcher in New Zealand.
Rating the vulnerability as ‘medium risk’, Skype says that the bug affects several versions of the Skype client for Windows and could allow an evil attacker to download a file from an affected PC without permission.
It has to be said that it’s a little bit obscure – to get stung by this fella you’d have be first tricked into visiting a nefarious Web page set up by the attacker who would need to have already added the victim to his contact list.
Danish bug tracking firm Secunia said that the “moderately critical” flaw was in Skype’s parsing of URLs, so a malformed link – sent in a Skype message, for example – could begin the transfer of a file without the victim’s consent,
The bug affects all releases of Skype for Windows up to and including version 2.0.x.104, as well as version 2.5.x.0 up to and including 2.5.x.78. Skype advised users to upgrade to Skype 2.5, release 2.5.x.79 or later, or Skype 2.0, release 2.0.x.105 or later.
A free upgrade is available online now (select ‘help’ and ‘check for update’ from the drop-down menu).
This is the first security bulletin issued by Skype in around seven months – good news for us as we use the program every day.
Skype security bulletin
22 May, 2006
Microsoft Launch Pay-As-You-Go PCs
In a novel venture to bring personal computing to everyone, Microsoft has hooked up with laptop manufacturer Lenovo and chip makers AMD and Intel to launch a ‘pay-as-you-go’ service for buying PCs.
Using a model similar to prepaid mobile telephone services, consumers can get their hands on a Lenovo desktop PC by paying about half of its street price up front, and then paying the balance over time by buying prepaid cards from Lenovo.
The ‘pay as you go’ deal is made possible through a new Microsoft technology called FlexGo, with users owning the machine outright once they’ve bought a predetermined number of usage hours via the prepaid cards.
The FlexGo machines use a fully-fledged version of Windows XP that comes with a timer counting down the hours in the upper right-hand corner of the PC screen.
As the timer runs down, the PC delivers a series of alerts before limiting access to programs and features, and ultimately ceasing to work altogether until more time is purchased (by prepaid card or online).
“Today there are already more than 1 billion prepaid mobile phones used around the world, so we know FlexGo enables a familiar and comfortable pay-as-you-go model that works for people with variable or unpredictable income”, said Will Poole, Microsoft’s senior VP of the Market Expansion Group.
Microsoft has already been running trials of the program in Brazil for over a year and will be expanding to other selected, markets like India, Russia, China and Mexico.
We half expected the trials to be using bottom end, cheap’n’cheerful computers, but it seems that punters were able to use high-quality, mid-range Lenovo desktop PCs.
“Lenovo’s joint effort with Microsoft using FlexGo pay-as-you-go computing will bring high-quality PCs within the reach of millions of families for use in education, communications and entertainment”, continued Microsoft’s Poole.
It’s a cunning business plan too: in the Brazilian trial, consumers were able to buy pay FlexGo PCs for around $300 (about half the market price), but would typically end up owning the PC after spending roughly $400 to $500 more on access charges – making the total cost around $700 to $800.
22 May, 2006
Tesco Stocks Up On MP3 Players
Sitting right next to the baked beans and cornflakes at a Tescos near you soon should be Tesco’s new range of cheapo MP3 players.
Built and branded by bulk electronics firm Technika, the seven new players are aimed at the cheapskate end of the market, with prices starting at a mere £18.
Although the design is unlikely to get iPod whizzkid Jonathan Ive waking up in a lather of midnight sweat, the players seem attractive enough, offering a simple, solid construction.
The range starts with the 18 quid MP-806 player – which only manages just 128MB of flash memory – with the top end MP-806 player cranking the memory all the way up to, err, 1GB for £50.
The interface is bog standard but straightforward – there’s not much to get confused about here – and the player connects to desktops via a USB interface.
What little specs we could find say the players support MP3s and WMA files bought from download shops, although we couldn’t find any of the models listed on Microsoft’s ‘play for sure’ Website.
Tesco are no stranger to this MP3 thing, launching an online music store back in November 2004, offering 500,000 tracks which can be downloaded for 79p, with albums costing £7.99.
The company also offers a sizeable range of MP3 players, including Toshiba, Sony, Archos and Philips, with models available by mail order or from their 200 Tesco ‘Extra’ stores.
22 May, 2006