Tech Time: Crackberry Blacks Out

Last Tuesday, tens of thousands of Blackberry users across the island and the region were without internet service due to a system wide outage from RIM (Research In Motion). This was the second such outage in a week. In a statement, RIM attributed the outage to the recent Messenger upgrade following preliminary investigations. In addition to moving ‘swiftly’ to restore full services, RIM introduced an update.

Many of us saw the announcements in mainstream media, received Messenger Broadcasts and then an official message from our service providers (in that order). Avid Tech Time listeners waited to install the update to prevent the possibility of crashes that non-listeners experienced when they rushed to upgrade BBM with cracked software. You were smart! But, now it’s time to upgrade.

Step 1: Backup Your Phone

I can’t stress this enough. Using the provided, free Blackberry Desktop Manager make a full backup copy of the data on your phone, even if you have used BBM to back up your contacts. This is your best way defence against data loss.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

Click on the ‘Options’ Icon (usually a wrench), click ‘About’ and then ensure your Blackberry is using OS v. 4.5 or higher.

Step 3: Download Messenger

In your BB browser, visit: www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger and select download. The newest version will download directly to your phone. You may be required to restart your phone, after which you are ready to go.

Optionally, you can download Messenger and thousands of other really cool apps from the Blackberry App Store. In your browser visit: www.appworld.blackberry.com

Visit the official Blackberry site for more information on what Messenger can do: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/features/im/blackberry_messenger.jsp

Another great upgrade to consider from your Blackberry is the Bolt Browser. Bolt loads pages faster than the default Blackberry browser, can stream videos and displays pages as desktop browsers would. This is significant because it makes it easier to go shopping or banking online using your phone. I will install on my phone this week and give a full report in the coming weeks.

Special thanks to all the Tech Time consultants that contribute to my learning experience:

• Dale Stephenson
• Jamie Ranston
• Hamilton Brown
• Noel Andrew Bennett
• Serchen Morris
• Troy Cocking
• Jerome Hamilton

For 2010 we’ll explore new frontiers like Home 3D, Windows 7, Internet Banking, project Natal, Backing up to the Cloud and so much more. Thank you for taking time to explore tech with me, our journey continues.

Interface with us:

Online: trivialonfame.blogspot.com

On email: famefm@rjrgroup.com

On SMS: 876-878-FAME (18768783263)

Tech Time: Video Conferencing

Internet video conferencing allows family and friends (business associates too) to see and hear each other in real time; to effectively have a conversation with someone as if there were sitting in the room beside you. To make it work, each ‘caller’ needs to have a PC/Mac with a webcam, microphone and speakers (or headset) in addition to internet connectivity and the right software to pull it all together.

There are several software options that are rich in features, light reliable and best of all free! Some of the best internet chat options are bundled with instant messenger programmes such as Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger), Yahoo! Messenger with Chat, AIM and my new favourite Google Chat. Each have built in video conferencing features, but dedicated video conference software by and large offers better performance.

In that category, Skype is king. Skype offers good video and audio quality on a stable platform with easy to use features and navigation. Another big bonus, you can run Skype from a jump drive. But, several competitors are giving Skype a challenge including VZO Chat (used by TVJ), SightSpeed, iChat and ooVoo which allows for multiple participants (at a cost).

In choosing the option that is best for you and your family, consider these common features:

· Voice chat, texting and instant messenger options

· PC to PC calling

· PC to phone calling

· Chat room access and moderation

· Multiple participants

· File transfer, sharing and collaboration

Once you have chosen the software that is best for you, use and tradition phone to call your friends and family to walk them through the set up; then enjoy one big Christmas dinner with real time online video chats.

Interface with us:

Online: trivialonfame.blogspot.com

On email: famefm@rjrgroup.com

On SMS: 876-878-FAME (18768783263)

Tech Time: Top 10 Gadgets for Christmas

If you will be shopping for a gadget lover in your life this Christmas, here are the top 10 items for your shopping list (in no particular order):

Number 1: HDTV

HDTV’s have become so common their prices have dropped significantly making them more affordable even for larger screens. Imagine 50” in your living room! Choose from plasma, LCD or my new personal favourite LED-Lit options for your perfect viewing experience. See HDTV Time

Number 2: Blu-ray Disc Player

Blu-ray offers phenomenal picture and sound quality. Most players connect directly to internet to offer bonus content and are backwards compatible, meaning they will play your old DVD’s too.

Number 3: Laptop, netbook or touch screen desktop

Lifestyle technology is all about choice, choose the model that’s best for you. Laptops are more powerful with an impressive set of features, but more expensive than netbooks that are ultra portable. Desktops like the HP TouchSmart series marrying computing power with a home theatre experience and tactile interface that’s human friendly. See Back To School

Number 4: Smart Phone

Jamaica has become Blackberry country thanks to each of the three major telecoms offering Blackberry deals. If you want to stand out from the crowd, and be left off BBM, check out the Nokia E71 or Apple iPhone also available locally. See Blackberry vs. iPhone

Number 5: Camera with HD video

Capturing memories has never been easier. Many high end point and shoot cameras offer great HD video and then there are dedicated video recorders like the ultra hot, Flip HD. You can have family videos up on YouTube in no time. See Is It a Phone or a Camera

Number 6: WiFi Radio

The evolution of radio continues with this device. Listen to radio from all over the world using the internet, no computer or Apple TV required. On the surface, it looks like a traditional radio. Instead of local FM, this radio streams music from the internet (or satellite radio over the internet).

Number 7: Game console

Go portable or desktop, video games are for everybody. Strategy, first person, sports, fitness, brain busters ... there is a category of gaming to appeal to everyone. The big players Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, have got you covered. See Personal Gaming

Number 8: eReader

There is nothing like curling up with a good book, but these days, when you are on the go, grab your eReader and hit the pavement with your entire library. No paper, no limits. Check out the Amazon Kindle or wait for the Barnes&Noble Nook. See Nook vs. Kindle

Number 9: GPS Navigation Device

Gather some friends, take a GPS challenge and explore the country side. Discover Jamaica! I know if sounds like a JTB ad, but seriously, we live in paradise, so go enjoy it. See GPS Beats Asking for Directions

Number 10: MP3 Player

Music is the beat of a nation. (I promise that was the last overused cliché). Having your own personal sound system is not a new concept but Apple’s iPod has perfected it. With an easy to use navigation, oodles of storage and tonnes of accessories to enhance the experience, the iPod is the must have device for Christmas. See iPod vs. Zune

iPod v. Zune

With the official advent of the holiday shopping season, we continue to look at gadgets to make the yuletide season fun. The Apple iPod Classic vs Microsoft Zune 80 is the epic battle that pre-dates the Nook vs Kindle battle and therefore worth exploring.

The Apple iPod launched in 2001 and revolutionised the way we listened to music on a scale not seen since the introduction of the Sony Walkman. Finally, it was possible to transport your entire music library (or large portions of it) with you anywhere and everywhere. Sure, there were some limitations in format and access, but essentially, the MP3 player became the preferred portable entertainment devise.

As the Apple iPod (and its various incarnations) dominated the market, Microsoft made a play (no pun intended) for market share with the first generation Zune. A hit, it was not. With slick marketing and Microsoft backing, the heveyier less stylish Zune did find an audience, but the new Zune 80 has been redesigned for wider appeal. So, let’s break them down.

The Apple iPod Classic is a durable devise with sleek styling, long battery life and lots of support features like games, calendar, timers, contacts and a basic EQ to keep owners happy.

The Microsoft Zune has a bigger screen, built in Wi-Fi and FM radio. But the Zune pays for these features with a shorter battery life and bigger bulk.

Both players have restrictions on music format and access. The iPod/iTunes combo gives owners access to a wide library of songs, TV shows, movies, audio books and podcasts through a large relatively easy to navigate store. The Zune marketplace also offers access to songs, TV shows and movies, but access to audio books and podcasts are not supported.

One big drawback for me is the absence of cross compatibility; the Zune is not compatible on Mac systems, though the iPod works with both Windows and Mac.

With a longer product cycle, he iPod boasts a wider range of accessories, but Zune accessories will eventually catch up. Zune may also introduce options to its 80 GB player for persons interested in MP3 but not the US$250 price tag much as iPod users have the Mini, Nano and other cheaper options to the iPod Classic also priced at US$250.

Either player is an excellent choice, but for my money, the iPod still takes the lead.

Tech Time: Kindle vs Nook

When last have you bought a CD? I’ll bet it has been a while since you have purchased a book too. Technology has revolutionised everything, including the traditional book.

Welcome to the age of the e-reader, delivering 1,000’s of books into the palm of your hand. There are several well known dedicated e-reader devices, such as the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. But increasingly people are turning to existing devices such as phones, table PC’s or handheld game consoles for ‘books’.

Regardless of the device you use, e-readers are extremely portable, generally have long battery lives and have the ability to put an entire library at your finger tips.

The Amazon Kindle was introduced to the market two years ago. It is about the size, weight and dimension of a traditional paperback book with a crisp ‘electronic ink’ display. Books can be downloaded anywhere in the world thanks to built in 3G roaming as provided by Sprint. You can browse for, buy and be reading material in 30 seconds from the Amazon store which features 100,000’s of books, magazine and newspaper titles.

Feel free to bookmark sections, make comments or look up words with the built in dictionary, but don’t expect to be able to download books over the internet as there is no wifi immediately available. So for us here in Jamaica, the other options include transfer from PC or download direct to iPhone.

The Barnes and Noble Nook is being touted as a ‘Kindle Killer’; expected to ship early next year, the Nook has ‘one-upped’ the Kindle on some features. Like the Kindle, you can browse for and purchase through a worldwide 3G network, in the Nook’s case provided by AT&T. In addition to the ‘electronic ink’ screen, the Nook features a colour touch LCD display that doubles as a keyboard on the lower third of the device.

For roughly the same price of US$250, the Nook offers built-in free wifi; unfortunately, the wifi will only work in Barnes & Nobel stores. Like the Kindle, the Nook allows you to bookmark, highlight or annotate key sections for a book, but unlike the Kindle, Nook allows you to ‘share’ a book with your friend with a compatible e-reader for up to 14 days.

Both devices are able to hold roughly 1,500 titles and play MP3s, but Nook has an expansion slot to increase the built-in 2GB with a mini-SD card of up to 16GB. Nook doesn’t however have the cool, experimental text to speech feature which assists with word pronunciation. The Nook is one ounce heavier (I am told) and has a shorter battery life of about 10 days. It also has no built-in internet browser unlike its chief rival, but does have native PDF.

If Nook starts to make an impact in the e-reader market, Amazon is likely to make additional improvements in its now third generation Kindle. But all of this will be moot, if the highly speculated Apple Table hits the market next year. These are indeed interesting times.

Interface with us:

Online: trivialonfame.blogspot.com

On email: famefm@rjrgroup.com

On SMS: 876-878-FAME (18768783263)

Tech Time: Internet On The Go

It’s great to have browser options, but being able to use a browser anywhere you want is the real trick to internet power. When we are on the go, or if we live in relatively remote locations, getting internet access can be a challenge, without a USB Modem.

Also sometimes referred to as data cards or mobile modems, the USB modem offers wireless internet connectivity. It’s not a new concept, PC Cards offered wireless internet via a cellular connection, but thanks to technology blazing speed and easy access is now par for the course.

USB modems call on GPRS (General Pocket Radio Service) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) to download data at speeds of up to 8 MBps. This is comparable to some broadband internet services though in reality, your speed will likely be closer to 2 MBps, still very good.

The quality of the signal and the speed are largely dependent on your location. Being outdoors and stationery are not requirements, but both factors help.

Each USB Modem and service provider is different and novices won’t be able to transfer service from one telecom to another. To simplify matters (or make more money) some laptop manufactures are including built in data cards tied to a particular service provider.

In Jamaica, all three telecoms offer data cards either as a standalone or package deal. A unlimited data plan is highly recommend for heavy users to avoid data caps and overage fees. Device fees start at just under $3,000.00 usually with a data plan. Roaming rates are generally separate.

Of the local options, I am yet to see added features like built in data storage, dual wifi or built in GPS, but I don’t miss any of them. All local options do also offer SMS messaging and SIM based phone books which has some cool/practical business applications.

Tech Time: Browser Wars

Browsers have come a long way. From the original WorldWideWeb, to the competition between Netscape and IE (Internet Explorer) to the wide range of browser options available today, it’ been a fascinating journey.

Consumers have, more choice and better features with today’s browser. But which is the right browser for you, and what issues should you be mindful of? Let us breakdown the most popular options.

If you have a PC, it likely came loaded with Microsoft Internet Explorer. IE has the largest share of the browser market. As a result, most websites are optimised for IE. With the latest version IE comes tabbed browsing, password management, bookmarking, pop up blocking and other cool features. But, it doesn’t have a spell check and has been known to have security issues.

IE’s chief rival is Mozilla Firefox. Firefox is open source. Firefox is light and fast with all the traditional browser features like tabbed browsing, spell check and pop up blocking and improved security options which make it a good alternative to IE.

The newest kid on the block is Google’s Chrome. Like Firefox (with whom Google has developed a strategic alliance), Chrome is light, clean and easy to navigate. In addition to the tabbed browsing, password management, book marking and other features, Google Chrome offers download management and on board spell checking.

Mac users may scoff any browser but Apple’s Safari. Safari works on both PC and Mac, but Safafi was uniquely built for Macintosh users with a full range of features.

Finally, there is Opera. Though Opera has the smallest share of the PC/Mac browser market, Opera should not be discounted. The browser has been pre-installed on an estimated 40 million mobile handsets and only commercial web browser for Wii and Nintendo DS systems. It is fast, has speech to text recognition and understands mouse gestures.

IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera are all free to download, so try them all and see which one works best for you.



Interface with us:
Online: trivialonfame.blogspot.com
On email: famefm@rjrgroup.com
On SMS: 876-878-FAME (18768783263)

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