The TechBytes project (‘baby’) is doing alright Summary: Looking back at nearly a year of the OpenBytes and Techrights audiocast At the end of October 2010 Tim and I started making plans for the show now known as TechBytes, which is a name that combines “OpenBytes” and “Techrights”. We possibly still have recordings of our [...]

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Update: iPhone version now live too

Virgin Media, fresh from teasing us with a screen grab from its iPad TiVo app last month, has announced the arrival of the Virgin Media TV Guide into the Android Market - "the perfect companion to its cutting edge new TV service powered by TiVo".

Coming soon into the App Store for iOS users as well, the app allows you access to a 7-day EPG, personalised lists of favourite channels and that all important remote record facility - handy for when you're five pints gone at an after work team bonding event and you realise you're going to miss World's Craziest Fools on BBC3.

Alex Green, executive director of commercial TV and online at Virgin Media, said: "We think Virgin Media’s TiVo Service is the best way to watch TV and our new mobile app enhances that experience by ensuring you’ll never miss recording a programme whilst out and about.

"Our TiVo service already offers the most flexible and comprehensive recording options and features, which this new service complements."

It's in the Android Market now, it's free and just needs a device rocking ?clair (2.1) or higher. We'll let you know as soon as it drops for Apple devices.

Update: The iPhone version is live in the App Store now.

Tags: Virgin Media Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo TiVo Mobile phone apps Android apps

Virgin Media TiVo TV Guide App starts recording originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:58:00 +0100

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Up close and personal

Sony Ericsson has shown off its new Xperia Ray smartphone at a showcase event in London, 2 months ahead of the UK release in September and we were there to grab a hands on.

The new phone, which feels and looks a lot thinner in the flesh than the press shots we’ve seen prior, will come with Android 2.3.4 (the model we played with still had 2.3.3) and boast the same Bravia engine found on the Xperia Arc launched earlier in the year.

That new screen technology is clearly visible with a vibrant 3.3-inch display that is not only crisp, but has an incredible viewing angle (as our pictures show). The "reality display" 854x480 pixel resolution definitely helps add to the phone's media and browsing experience.?

That crisp display also helps get around the fact that the screen is smaller than other Sony Ericsson handsets on the market and should mean that you won’t have to squint too much when it comes to getting it out of your pocket.

An 8.1-megapixel camera complete with Exmor R technology keeps up the high quality imaging standard set by the recently released Xperia Arc. 720p HD video recording is also possible.

The hardware itself is just 9.4mm thick and only 100g in weight. Perhaps not quite Galaxy S II slim but definitely tiny enough to feel compact in the hand. Sadly no dual-core action to be had with the Xperia Ray, still thanks to Sony Ericsson's redesigned approach to Android, it is snappy enough with a 1GHz processor under the hood.

Aside from the rubberised matte finish on the back of the case, there isn’t much more to share with you at this time - our play was brief - but you can be sure we’ll bring you a full review when we get to play with the new phone over a longer period, no doubt nearer launch day.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Android

                     

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:02:00 +0100

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Open to all

Anonymous is to create its own social network called anonplus in response to the recent removal of its page from Google+. ?

Your Anon News was removed from Google's social network after a violation of its community standards. Soon after a splash page emerged at anonplus.com, pointing to a network with "no fear of censorship, of blackout nor of holding back".?

The actual site itself is yet to go up, but is described by anonymous as "not overnight and will take many of those out there who simply want a better internet."

The project is going to be open to all, unlike the normal ultra secretive anonymous community. It is only taking the anon title because it will be a totally anonymous network, possibly even like a reverse version of Facebook.

The anonplus forums indicate that things are still in the very early development stages, so no screens or layout yet we're afraid.

Expect more news on the anonplus network as it unfolds.

Read

Tags: Anonymous Social networks Hacking Cyber Crime Google+ Online

Anonymous to create own social network after Google+ banning originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:56:00 +0100

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EXCLUSIVE: Over 100 titles expected soon

3D Blu-ray has had an inauspicious start. Launch titles exclusively tied to consumer electronics manufacturers and kit bundles, a (minor) format war on which technology works best - passive or active, and a general lack of content have all attributed to a painfully slow uptake for 3D in the home.

Worse still, it seems that, in some cases, TV manufacturers have shifted focus on to the connected/Smart TV message rather than 3D in marketing and advertising.

However, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment remains bullish over the future of the technology, as head honchos from the studio?exclusively?told Pocket-lint: "I've worked on this for about eight years," says Danny Kaye, executive vice president, Global Research & Technology Strategy at Fox.

"3D rushed onto the scene with lots of different technologies. Every early adopter said 'fantastic, I'll do this', and I think that we all expected that overnight it should become this huge mass-market opportunity - because of the success of films like Avatar in the theatre. But, it actually takes time to develop. You need to convince people that they need to see it to appreciate it. And it's really not been that long. It's been a little over a year since it came to market.

"It's doing pretty well. There's several dozen movies - soon to be over 100. In a brief, short year, the technology has already improved, with second and third generation glasses. LCD is beginning to improve for the 3D experience. Plasma is now in its fifth generation of 3D. And the movies are improving all the time as people learn."

Robert Price, Fox Home Entertainment's UK managing director agrees: "I think that it's being pushed pretty?aggressively," he says. "There's about 25 titles in the UK market. I think it's been launched pretty successfully.

"The numbers are quite small, but the number of panels out there that are 3D capable are growing fast, so I think it is getting traction."

Tags: 3D Blu-ray 3DTV Home Cinema 20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Avatar

Fox: 3D Blu-ray will take time to develop originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:43:00 +0100

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If you are a devoted reader of the blog, you likely saw the post in late June where we announced that Jose Aguilar won the Windows Tech Makeover contest we ran on Facebook recently. As part of the prize package, television personality and designer Vern Yip went to his home in Tucson, Arizona with a plan for colorful room and technology makeover and surprised the family with a big reveal of the newly designed space complete with amazing new Windows 7 PCs

Jose is a student at the University of Arizona and he and his brother, mother and father were sharing one Windows PC in a small room filled with odds and ends. Yet, the space is the heart of their family life and serves as a gathering room to study, play video games and connect with family in other countries. Of the four family members, three of them are students, meaning a PC is an essential companion to help them be successful in their studies. We think the makeover turned out great and by all accounts, both the Aguilar family and our Windows Facebook fans agree! Here’s a shot of the room before:

With the assistance of Vern Yip, a little elbow grease and more than $13,000 in tech gear, furniture and supplies including a brand new Sony VAIO L, Samsung 9 Series, Sony VAIO Y, an Xbox 360 console with Kinect, 3 Kinect games, a flat screen monitor, wireless keyboard, and artist mice, we transformed their multi-purpose room into a functional and stylish office space with plenty of room to work and play. Here is what the room looks like now. You can see the HUGE smile on Jose’s face!

Curious as to how this transformation happened in just two days? Check out these great videos of the room reveal and Vern Yip playing Kinect with Jose!

Windows Tech Makeover

The Aguilar family received a complete Tech and Room Makeover from Windows with the help of celebrity designer Vern Yip.

Vern Yip vs. Gerrardo Aguilar

Vern Yip and Jose's little brother, Gerrardo, battle it out in Kinect Sports after the big Windows Tech Makeover reveal.

Los Padres de Aguilar

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Adobe partnership announced too

Sony has kept details surrounding its new tablets pretty obscure, releasing juicy titbits of info via clever Rube Golberg machine teaser videos. Tech specs, release dates and pricing still remain a secret, but finally we have some network details to go on.?

The S2 is headed to AT&T's 4G HSPA+ network meaning it will at least boast super-fast browsing speeds - the tablet will be both Wi-Fi and 4G capable. Short of network information there is little else we can garner from the Sony press release, this quote being about as exciting as it gets:

"Users will be treated to exceptional graphics and the touch-screen capabilities will enable a fast and efficient website experience."

Sony has also announced an application design competition with a total of $200,000 in cash prizes to bring Adobe Air powered apps to its new tablets. The companies are also allowing developers to use a combination of HTML 5 and Flash technology for mobile app creation, hopefully meaning speedy new Android app creations for the tablets.?

There is of course the 18-second long hands on video to enjoy and it is possible to see a bit of typing on the S1 in the second of Sony's teaser videos. Other than that Sony continues to keep us in the dark with the S1 and S2 tablets, short of Honeycomb and one being a clamshell, we know nothing. So come on Sony...let us play.

Tags: Sony Sony S2 AT and T Tablets Honeycomb

Sony S2 tablet headed to AT&T network in the US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:19:00 +0100

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At its Worldwide Partners Conference this week in Los Angeles, Microsoft said it is providing new incentives for companies to sell cloud services, a strategy that differs from competitors Amazon.com, Salesforce.com and Google.

Cloud computing puts software and data on remote data centers run by cloud providers that businesses access via the Internet with laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets and televisions. Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce.com and Google are competing cloud providers.

To sell its new cloud products, Office 365, Azure, Windows Intune and Dynamics CRM Online, Microsoft needs partner companies to act as reselersl to their customers. Microsoft makes 95 percent of its revenue through partner companies that resell, build on and provide services based on Microsoft products.

Microsoft says it has 640,000 partners, 41,000 of which are playing purely in the cloud. Jon Roskill describes the new breed of cloud service providers as small, with about 10 to 40 employees. There are other partner companies that are selling both traditional software as well as cloud services.

"Most of these partners are thinking about the transition for most companies is going to be three to five years, moving what they?ve got to the cloud," said Jon Roskill, corporate vice president for partners at Microsoft. "These new guys are coming in and saying, 'You know what? I?m going to be specialized and this is all I?m going to do and I think I?m going to have a competitive advantage.' "

These new companies can sign up to resell Microsoft cloud services on a website and it doesn't cost them anything to get set up as a reseller, Roskill said.

Google has partner companies reselling Google Apps, the pay version of Google Docs for businesses. Google Apps competes with Microsoft's Office 365.

"The thing about Google is they do have a reseller program. If I remember correctly, you spend $8,000 to join it. That?s a fair amount of money," Roskill said. He said he's heard from Google resellers that "the amount that they?re able to sell has not been able to cover their $8,000 entry point."

Google says that's not true. The company said in a statement it has 3,000 resellers. "The suggestion that Google charges companies a fee to join our reseller program is absolutely false," the company said.

Salesforce.com competes with Microsoft's Azure platform and its customer relationship management cloud service Dynamics CRM. "You look at Salesforce.com is very much a direct sales force. They take leads primarily off the Internet, they run them through their telesales and they call them directly," Roskill said.

Salesforce.com declined to comment on Roskill's thoughts.

Amazon Web Services competes with Microsoft Azure platform and attracted many startups that have seen growth, such as social game company Zynga. Roskill saids Amazon.com is struggling with building a developer community.

"Amazon is coming from a heritage of being a bookseller and growing up to being a large retailer," he said." They are neophytes in terms of developer community, although they have hired some good people in the last few years."

Amazon did not have an immediate comment. If it gets back to my inquiry, I will update here.

Microsoft changes some of its incentive programs for partners to sell cloud services this week. For more details on the changes to incentive program, here is Microsoft's news release on the changes.

Update 5:14 p.m.

Amazon released a statement Wednesday afternoon responding to Microsoft's thoughts on its cloud platform, Amazon Web Services or AWS.

"The AWS partner ecosystem is evolving well and quickly. We?ve been innovating at a fast pace and partners have been motivated to take advantage of the opportunities in this new world of technology infrastructure delivery," Amazon spokeswoman Kay Kinton said in a statement.

Kinton added that software companies Oracle, Redhat, IBM, SAP and Salesforce have built software that runs on Amazon's cloud platform.

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Last year I wrote about Sony?s amazing VAIO Z. It was the PC I used for several months as my main work laptop and the one that was in my bag when my son was born last June. I defined the Z as ?luxury computing?; it was fast, light, beautifully designed and sported features that no other laptop on the market had. To this day I rank it as one of the best PC?s I?ve ever used.

Now Sony is redefining luxury with the new version of the VAIO Z, which goes on pre-sale starting today. It?s a .66? thin, 2.5lb light premium PC made from a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum, and it?s loaded with incredibly high-end specs ? some of which you won?t find even on 15? or 17? premium PCs.

The most striking difference between the VAIO Z is the Power Media Dock. It?s a docking station unlike any before it; snap in your Z and get access to an optical drive, 3 USB ports, one of which is 3.0, and an AMD Radeon HD 6650M GPU. That means that when it?s in the dock, the Sony VAIO Z supports up to 4 HD displays (including the built in LCD). Pretty impressive stuff, especially when you consider the unique approach Sony?s taking here.

Inside the actual PC is a second-generation Core i5 or i7 processor, optional dual SSDs, and a choice of either an HD+ 1600 x 900 or full HD 1920 x 1080 display. That?s right ? a full 1080p display in a 13? laptop that weighs less than 3lbs!

My Z is on its way to me and you can expect a full review as soon as it gets here. You can pre-order yours today from SonyStyle.com, starting around $2000.

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