McGuider Update

June 7, 2008 | Comment

Since my original post on the McGuider sat nav software for mobile devices I have had more of a chance to put it through its paces and I have to say that the results have been extremely disappointing.

I have now used it for about four routes that I do often and in half of those the McGuider route took me down a closed road. You might think that this is a problem with the maps but these roads haven’t been passable in years – in one case for 20 plus years.

I also did a comparison between the route … Read the rest

The first 10 applications you install

June 6, 2008 | Comment

There’s a couple of these surveys kicking around at the moment (here and here) to find out what are the first ten applications that you install on your mobile. Ever one to jump on the bandwagon here I present my top 10 for Nokia S60 3rd Edition:

emoze – Free push email
Handy Calendar – Replacement calendar with better interface
Handy Safe – Secure password store
Handy profile – More intelligent profiles, such as automatically switching to meeting mode when you have a diary entry marked as such
Autolock – Automatically lock the keyboard after a set period

… Read the rest

McGuider Navigation Software on a Nokia N73

June 5, 2008 | 2 comments

For a while now I have been using TomTom navigation software on my Pocket PC but have always wanted to reduce the number of devices I carry and wanted to get some GPS software on my phone. So when I saw the McGuider navigation software advertised on an eXpansys emailer this week along with a £10 discount I couldn’t resist.

When it arrived came the first shock. You get an mini-SD card containing the software and NOTHING else. No nice box, no manual, no quick start or installation guide, nothing. I guess this is how you keep the costs down. … Read the rest

How Do You Solve a Problem Like My PC?

June 1, 2008 | 1 comment

Under normal circumstances I feel pretty well equipped to sort out most problems with a PC whether they are hardware or software related, however, this latest one has got me stumped. For the last couple of days the machine has started turning itself off without any warning whatsoever – no error message, no blue screen, just no power. It is this sort of problem that is hardest to resolve – where do you start to look?

I have uninstalled anything I added recently but that doesn’t seem to be it.

I have checked the event logs but there is nothing … Read the rest

Asus EEE PC and Mobile Broadband

May 30, 2008 | Comment

Got one of these? Then get one of these (but only one of these, a Huawei E220, as this is, apparently, the only one that works out of the box with the EEE).

Currently UK mobile operator 3 are doing an offer for existing subscribers where you can get a mobile broadband dongle for free and a contract for 1gb of data for only £5 per month. What a bargain! And, even better, it is wonderfully simple to setup on the EEE and even easier than on Windows. See below for instructions:

1. Insert the dongle and open the … Read the rest

Console Access with XP SP3

May 21, 2008 | Comment

It seems that in Windows XP SP 3 the command MSTSC /CONSOLE, that allowed you to connect to the console session, has been removed and replaced with MSTSC /ADMIN. The same also applies to Vista SP1 and Windows 2008.

The reasons for this are outlined in the article below from the Microsoft Terminal Services team blog. I am repeating the details here to save you having to spend hours working out why you aren’t seeing what you might expect.

http://blogs.msdn.com/ts/archive/2007/12/17/changes-to-remote-administration-in-windows-server-2008.aspx

Thanks to Andy at Plus Development for the tip.… Read the rest

Disabling Windows Update Automatic Reboot

May 15, 2008 | Comment

What must be one of THE most annoying features of Windows is that, post Windows Update, the constant reminders to reboot your PC. What is worse is that if you don’t do it then Windows will do it for you after five minutes. So if you have, say, popped off to make a cup of tea when you come back you will find your machine rebooted and that whatever you are in the middle of, such as burning a DVD, aborted.

This can all be incredibly frustrating as I found this morning. Fortunately there is a solution in the form … Read the rest

Your Computer – Jargon Cruncher

May 13, 2008 | Comment

Having a clear out of some old books recently turned up the above bookmark given away with 80’s computer magazine Your Computer. The cover of the first edition, which I still have, is shown below featuring the then state of the art Sinclair ZX80, ZX81, BBC Micro and something I can’t identify right now. What’s interesting is what was considered jargon then. So, for example, we have “interface” that includes “A centronics or RS-232 interface [that] allows you to plug in most printers or disc drives”.

My particular favourite though is the advice on “an ordinary cassette recorder” … Read the rest

BlackBerry Bold

May 12, 2008 | Comment

I received one of these devices about a month ago as part of AppSwing’s membership of the BlackBerry Alliance program. This allowed us to check that our software was going to be compatible with the new device (it is) and to develop new services for it. Unfortunately as we are under a NDA I haven’t been able to talk about it until today when the device was officially launched.

The unit itself has been known as a number of different things before launch including the 9000 and Meteor (which I much prefer to Bold) and is physically larger than … Read the rest

Working in the Dark

May 11, 2008 | Comment

Here’s a simple yet effective solution to working in the dark. I am currently sat outside with no lighting and without this USB powered LED light I wouldn’t be able to see the keyboard and would have to retreat inside. The light is a bit uneven but perfectly useable.

You can get one from here for only £4.… Read the rest