Im back!!!

After almost 2 years since I lasr updated this site, I am starting up again.

Its been a really hetic and exciting couple of years. Iv become a dad for the first time with a second on the way.

This time I want your feedback. Tell me what you would like from me and what you would like more or less of on here

FA Cup 2011

iPad 2 reviews: the first verdicts are in

The iPad 2 launches in the US today

As you may well be aware, today is iPad 2 launch date in the US. Of course, we’re facing another fortnight’s wait here in the UK for the new Apple tablet to go on sale, so it’s fair to say we’re casting a jealous eye at our US colleagues right now.

So what are they saying so far about the iPad 2? Well, some selected outlets have been given the iPad 2 ahead of time, and the first full reviews have started appearing online. Here’s what they have to say about all the iPad 2’s key issues:

Size and weight:

TechCrunch: Overall, the device has a much more fluid design. Apple notes that the body now consists of two parts instead of the three that made up the iPad 1. This makes it feel even more solid, and even more like a natural object instead of a machine.

Engadget: from an industrial design standpoint, the iPad 2 just seriously raised the bar on sleek, sexy computer hardware. It looks and feels amazingly sleek when you hold it.

Power:

AllThingsD: I didn’t find the speed difference on iPad 2 to be dramatic, but it was noticeable. Apps launched and ran a bit quicker and the whole device felt very snappy.

Slashgear: iOS 4.3 whips along almost instantaneously on the new Apple A5 processor, with apps loading more swiftly, running more smoothly and the whole thing feeling incredibly responsive.

Cameras:

USA Today: You won’t confuse the cameras on the iPad 2 for a top-notch Canon or Nikon. Indoor pictures I snapped in low light were grainy. There is no flash. Still, the VGA-quality front-facing camera or the HD (up to 720p) rear camera are just fine for FaceTime.

TechCrunch: As you’ve undoubtedly heard by now, the cameras on the device are not great. But it’s hard to imagine anyone using this as a point-and-shoot camera replacement.

Verdict:

Bloomberg: For anyone in the market for their first tablet, the discussion begins - and for the moment probably ends - with the iPad. For existing iPad users, the question is whether to upgrade. Unless you truly need the video capabilities, the answer is: Not really.

NYT: The shocker here is that the iPad 2 actually costs less than its comparably equipped Android rivals… [that] means that for the first time, your heart can succumb to the iPad mystique – without having to ignore the practical input from your brain

UK a nation of sat nav addicts: report

A new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering has labelled UK drivers as “dangerously dependent” on satellite navigation.

A combination of the spread of GPS tech into all kinds of devices and ever-more attractive prices has made some kind of digital navigation an almost essential part of our daily driving routine. But according to the Academy’s Dr Martyn Thomas, we could be in for a shock.

“The UK is already dangerously dependent on GPS,” Dr Thomas says. “GPS and other navigation systems are so useful and so cheap to build into equipment that we have become almost blindly reliant on the data they give us.”

“A significant failure of GPS could cause lots of services to fail at the same time, including many that are thought to be completely independent of each other.”

Bob Cockshott of the Digital Systems Knowledge Transfer Network, who helped launch the report, also raised the issue of a whole generation of road users that have learned to drive depending on sat navs, and who as a result cannot read maps.

He went on: “dependency on GPS is growing and jammers are getting easier to obtain. We expect this problem to become more severe.”

Apple's updated iOS 4.3 out now

Apple’s latest iOS 4.3 operating system, announced the other day at the iPad 2 launch, is now available to download for iPads, iPhones and iPod touches from iTunes.

The big addition that comes with version 4.3 is the ability to use your iPhone 4 as a personal hotspot to share the data connection. Up to five devices can piggyback on your Apple phone, though there’s a limit of three connecting by either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, while only a single device can tag up vias USB.

That aside, iOS 4.3 also brings the convenience of iTunes Home Sharing. With most iTunes users keeping their chief library on their Mac or PC, you can now access that library via Wi-Fi from any iDevice in range running iOS 4.3. Handy.

Then there’s AirPlay video streaming, which takes Apple’s streaming system to the next level. Now you can share videos wirelessly from the Photos app, plus the likes of iTunes previews and third-party content from the Apple TV system.

There’s plenty more besides, which helps explain why the download weighs in at just under 670MB.

Kinect officially the fastest selling gadget ever

Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox 360 just keeps going from strength to strength.

Last year we judged it our favourite gadget of 2010 in our big Christmas countdown, but if anything the Kinect has become even more popular in 2011.

Microsoft has announced its motion-sensing add-on has now sold more than 10 million units altogether – not bad for a gadget that only launched at the start of November! On top of that, upwards of 10 million standalone Kinect games have been shifted worldwide too.

And if that all sounds impressive, it certainly should, for the Kinect has just grabbed itself a Guinness World Record as the “Fastest Selling Consumer Electronics Device” of all time, specifically for the eight million units sold in the 60-day period until January 3.

“The sales figures here speak for themselves,” commented Guinness gaming editor Gaz Deaves. “According to independent research, no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, which is an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector.”

Logitech outs top-end Z906 surround speakers

Logitech’s trusty Z-5500 surround sound speakers have been around for quite a while now, and built a fairly loyal following, so we’ve got high hopes for their replacements – the just announced Z906 setup.

It’s certainly a step forward in the looks department, with a sleeker, more subtle design topped off by a new stackable control console. And rest assured, with a 500W RMS amplifier and a beefy 165W of bass, they’re not short on power either.

It’s not fussy about what it plays, either. With both digital and analogue inputs, you’re covered for just about any type of audio you can think of, be it movies, games or music. Logitech promises the on-board 5.1 digital decoding will deliver well separated and delicately balanced sound across the board.

Being the new top-of-the-range speaker system, you can’t expect too much of a bargain, but £329 still isn’t bad value for money if the Z906s are as capable as their predecessors. You’ll be able to find out for yourself when they go on sale later this month.