August 10, 2012 By

dockBoss+–Audio Cable

It is all to easy nowadays to say oh that would be a handy accessory, or that would be useful and we either buy them and use them a lot, or quite possibly not as much as we thought we would!

When it comes to audio, iPod/iPhone docks are everywhere and you often find it harder to find a decent dock that isn’t tailored to just these products.

dockBoss+ is an interesting cable accessory that converts an Apple inspired sound dock into one that provides power to and takes audio from any microUSB powered device.

It is not the simplest of setups, and you could argue use a dock with an audio in port in them, but not all do.

What are your thoughts on this accessory, do you see a use for it? Please leave comments below.

CableJive dockBoss+: Smart adapter for connecting micro USB devices to an iPod/iPhone dock

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August 2, 2012 By

How important is an eco-system?

The big players in the computing industry are racing to build eco-systems that tie users in to their products and services. Apple is trying hard, and largely failing, with iCloud and Google is following with the Nexus Q and the many recent changes made to Google Play. Where Google wins quite easily is in its ability to provide web services that work at speed and more importantly in harmony. Microsoft is also trying hard, but is struggling a little to deal with the disparate nature of Windows and the fact that so many users are using different computers, different versions of Windows and the free-for-all that is the Windows app industry.

The key to a useful eco-system that can tie people in is in making it work in the home and Apple has led the way here. I always thought that Apple TV was a gimmick until I bought one and was able to tap a button on my iPhone and watch the movie on the TV without doing anything else. It’s all wireless, instant and rather magnificent in its approach. It can play movies and music stored on my iMac in an instant and it all just works. iCloud is way behind this experience and this is where Google leads. I can go to Google Play on my desktop and install an app to my phone without even touching it. Google Calendar, Gmail and all of its other online services are instant and reliable and streets ahead of everyone else.

So, Apple leads in integrated hardware and Google in software, but they both face the same problem in trying to grow their respective markets. They need to tie users in while at the same time letting them be free to make their own choices. Apple is particularly bad at this and often comes over as ruthless in its approach to competition. Google is particularly good at this, but requires a lot of personal information for us to make the most of its services.

Eco-systems are the future and we are poised at a ‘very’ interesting point in their development. As to who will win, let us know your thoughts on the issue.

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July 9, 2012 By

Everyone is taking a bite out of Apple

Apple has for the past half-decade dominated the technology headlines, the design press, tablet sales and given the smartphone industry a huge kick up the you know what. The share price has rocketed and so have quarterly financial reports, but this could all be about to change.

They say that when you are at the top you can only go one way and small chinks are appearing in the aluminium armour that Apple has polished so carefully in the 2000′s. The iPad is of course selling well, but the Microsoft Surface has a big chance considering that 90% of the world’s computers run Windows. Indeed, consider Windows 8 on a smartphone, tablet and desktop and you can see where Microsoft is heading. I would bet that Microsoft will get there before Google or Apple in building an identical eco-system between all three form factors. And then there is the Nexus 7, a tablet so cheap and at 7″ it is the right size for a tablet (in my opinion). It could gain substantial ground before Apple releases the smaller iPad.

The Galaxy SIII is a fantastic smartphone and so is the HTC One X and the Galaxy Nexus. All are arguably better than the iPhone 4S from a hardware point of view and if the rumours surrounding the iPhone 5 are correct, they still will be. Apple needs to think bigger in terms of smartphones to keep pace because a new phone that is similar to the 4S in stature will not do what the previous models have done, nowhere near.

And then there is iCloud. Google does web integration better than Apple and so does Microsoft. I use an iMac every day and at no point does it feel the same as my iPad or iPhone- some of the features such as Photo Stream are useful, but Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs are my weapons of choice to get stuff done. Everywhere I turn, I see red flags for Apple and green flags for Google and Microsoft. I may be wrong and in a way I hope I am because one thing Apple does well is drive the entire industry, but those red flags keep coming back to me.

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May 17, 2012 By

True Search

When you ask Siri on the iPhone 4S what the best phone in the world is, you will receive amusing answers such as “There are other phones?” etc. It is of course quite funny, but recently it started showing results from Wolfram Alpha with a link showing that the Lumia 900 was the best.

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This changed when Apple reverted back to speaking amusing answers rather than displaying the result from Wolfram. You can sort of understand why Apple would not want another phone being highlighted and if we are honest, the question has no single accurate answer because it is a matter of opinion.

[Read more...]

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March 29, 2012 By

Some apps are better on a desktop

The current trend of bringing ever more complex software solutions to mobile devices is great to see, but there are times when bringing them to a smartphone makes little sense in the real world.

I think of this because Apple released iPhoto for the iPhone and iPad. On the iPad it works quite well, but on the iPhone it is tricky to say the least. It is there simply because it can be and offers little worth to people who are serious about enhancing their photos in a professional way. As much as I love my smartphone, I recognise that there are times when complex software is better off on a tablet or desktop computer.

There are complex apps available for smartphones including those that deal with finances and databases, but when it comes to design and anything that requires a keen eye and a delicate touch, they often work better on a bigger screen. For fun, sketching and photography apps are valuable and hugely popular, but for those who complain that smartphones are not computers, this is the reason they will always have an argument.

Even Office document apps are tricky on a phone; they work in emergencies and have a place, but for real work, I personally have never managed to create anything longer than a few sentences on a phone. I can dictate sentences, but I am always at my best when with a full-sized keyboard and a big screen. For many years, smartphone manufacturers have talked up claims of a ‘phone replacing a laptop’ and for many tasks it can, but the reality is that it will never do everything because of the size alone. Am I wrong? You decide…

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March 28, 2012 By

iPhone 4 S Now In Stock

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We now have the iPhone 4 S in stock at Clove Technology, ranging the 8GB, 16GB 32GB and 64GB models in Black and White.

The 4 S is the first iPhone to include Siri, Apple’s new voice command service. It also comes with a 3.5” Retina display, improved 8MP camera and Apple iOS 5. Its main features are listed below, for more info or to place an order, head over to the Clove website.

  • Apple iOS 5
  • Siri Voice Commands
  • 3.5″ Retina Display
  • 800 MHz dual-core processor
  • A5 Chipset
  • 512MB RAM
  • 8MP Camera with 1080 recording
  • Large Internal Storage
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS & 3G
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March 27, 2012 By

Ups and downs–Android vs iPhone

The differences between iOS and Android have been discussed for years on the web and often these discussions get rather heated, to say the least.

I have owned every iPhone model and also reviewed and tested many, many Android smartphones. I feel that this puts me in a good position to judge the differences between the two platforms. As it happens the differences are far outweighed by the similarities, but you would not believe that if you were to read many of the discussions, actually most are arguments, on the web.

The plain fact is that iOS and Android are similar in all of the important ways. They both have many thousands of apps available to them, they can both multitask and even the default interfaces look quite similar. There are obviously advantages and disadvantages to each platform, but neither comes close to being better than the other.

For example, there are multiple phone designs available on the Android platform and only one iPhone design. This is great if you want choice and, for example, want a hardware keyboard, but it may mean that you have to wait a small amount of time for the latest software updates. As I said, the advantages and disadvantages give with one hand and take away with another.

The plain fact of the matter is that both platforms offer a mobile experience the like of which we have never seen before. They are incredibly clever, at times complex, but most of all they can help us get through the busiest of days. So forget the differences because they really are not important. A smartphone will do the same job as any other smartphone, just in a slightly different way.

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March 21, 2012 By

The New iPad 64GB 4G Black & White Now In Stock At Clove

We are pleased to announce that we now have The New iPad 64GB 4G in stock in both Black and White, priced at £610 (£732 inc. VAT).

The New iPad is the third generation of Apple’s popular tablet, with stand out features including a 9.7” display, dual-core processor and 4G internet connectivity.

The iPads that we have in stock come with 64GB internal memory and 4G connectivity. You will of course need to be in an area that offers 4G coverage in order to take advantage of this feature, if not you will be able to connect to 3G networks. Here’s a look at the other features of Apple’s latest iPad:

  • A5X dual-core processor
  • Quad-core graphics processing
  • 9.7” Retina display
  • 5MP iSight camera
  • 64GB Internal Storage
  • Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • 3.5mm earphone port
  • AirPlay
  • HDMI out via AV composite cable
  • Proprietary Apple charging port
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February 24, 2012 By

Cloud services in 2012

Cloud services are seen by many as the next big development in the world of computing. Theories for the future include a space on the internet for everyone that they can fill with their own apps and media. They would use ‘dumb’ computers to access this space and everything they do will be online. It’s a nice theory, but we are some distance away from that ideal.

As for being the next big development, there is a growing push within the industry to make Cloud computing the staple for all computing activities today and this is backed up by the belief that we have reached the stage where mobile and fixed networks are capable of dealing with the huge volume of data this requires. The problem, however, is the implementation and even the best in the industry are struggling to create services that offer the user enough reassurance to make them use Cloud for their most important data.

Apple

iCloud will be at the heart of everything Apple does over the next few years, as evidenced by the recent changes in Mountain Lion, and there is a presumption that Apple wants to link smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops together using just iCloud. This linking is not theorised to work under one operating system, but by using the compatible parts of OS 10 and iOS to create one system that links everything together. For example, you could download a song on an iPhone and it will appear on an iPad or Mac. Conversations would be updated on all three devices in real-time as well and all you will see are the devices you are using. This is where the problem currently lies because there is no one definitive view of the core data for the user.

For example, if you update a contact on an iPhone and it does not update on your Mac or iPad, where do you go? There is no single place to go to check which version is correct. iCloud works in the background and is largely invisible to the user- you make a change and hope that it is updated on every Apple device you own.

I guess that Apple should be applauded for trying to make the experience as easy as possible, but there comes a time when the ambition is running too far ahead of the implementation. iCloud is new and reminds me of MobileMe which was at times a disaster in terms of reliability and the unintuitive way it worked. iCloud is too simple and Apple expects the user to trust it too much. In 2012, few people are prepared to trust an invisible solution that does not always work.

Google

Google owns the market for Cloud based working at this time and Gmail is an example of how it can be done successfully. You always have a place to go to view your master data, which is the main web interface for Gmail, calendar etc., and the tools work on multiple devices. The Google services have become ‘standards’ within the industry and even the mocking of Google’s occasional rush to close services does not stop them being used by millions and millions of satisfied users.

There is a downside, however. Because the services are free, apart from you having to agree to allow Google knowledge what you are doing, there is no technical support to speak of. If you have a problem, like I have been having for the past few days with my Google calendar, there is nowhere to go apart from some links with the hope of a reply one day. The price you pay for paying no price can be costly if you come to rely on Google services for your online data needs.

I am sure that Google could utilise the tools they have already built to provide a premium service for consumers, but that does not appear to fit their business plan. The demand would be great, but this is a part of the industry that is changing so quickly, it may not be worth employing the support staff when the majority would still go for the free services with subliminal advertising. Google is, however, providing the benchmark for wide-ranging Cloud services in 2012.

Dropbox

Dropbox does only one thing, but it does it so incredibly well that it is hard to ignore. It is fast, reliable and secure and quickly becomes a part of your computing existence once you start using it. Everything I write ends up in Dropbox, at which point I can access the files and images from any device I own. It supports all platforms, unlike iCloud, and is the benchmark for Cloud implementation. Google may hold the crown for user numbers and the proliferation of Cloud services, but no company comes close to Dropbox for the experience it offers.

Dropbox manages to remain in the background by cleverly embedding itself into the file systems of Macs, PCs and smartphones. Well, not all smartphones because the iPhone implementation is half-hearted thanks to the restrictions imposed on it. It is so fast that it feels like a local folder and is, as I keep saying, the best Cloud service available today. It is also an example for the others to follow.

So…

There is little doubt that Cloud services are here to say and that they control much more of our daily usage already that we may realise. From push email to streaming TV to multi-player games, almost everything we do on a smartphone or tablets needs a Cloud of some kind. It could be a small fluffy one or a giant dark one filled with evil intentions, but we need the Cloud. As networks get faster and coding becomes efficient enough to allow real-time use over multiple devices, we will forget that we are even using the Cloud. That is what Apple is trying to achieve now, unsuccessfully, and what all of the others should aim for. However, they need recognition and companies that produce Cloud solutions need you to know that they are working for you. Invisible solutions only work if you are tied to the only hardware that is allowed to access it, but ultimately these will fail. The Cloud is here to stay and hopefully we will always be presented with a place to go to view our core data. The day our data is stored in a place we cannot see will be a worrying time indeed.

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February 22, 2012 By

Android most used smartphone OS in UK, takes market share from Symbian

Figures provided to the Guardian by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech have revealed that Android has now overtaken Apple to become the UK most-used smartphone OS. It now has a whopping 36.9% market share, up from 20% the previous year. Interestingly, the markets shares of Apple and BlackBerry have only decreased minimally, which shows that despite all its negative press, RIM is still very popular in the UK. Unsurprisingly it is the market share of Symbian that has plunged, dropping from 26.7% to 13.1%. from which we could infer that people ditching Symbian tend to turn to Android.  The market share of Windows Phone has also grown, reaching 2% for the first time. This has mainly been driven by sales of the Nokia Lumia 800.

UK smartphone installed base Jan 2012

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