Just written a piece on eerie predictions in science fiction (I know that's the second literature story I've done in a short time but tomorrow IS book day dontch know)

 

 

Some of them are a bit of a stretch *nods to Mark Twain*, but some are pure genius (Arthur C Clarke pretty much invented geosynchronous satellites) and some are, well a bit scary.

 

The one that most got me was Robert Heinlein (one of my favourite authors) predicting the fish screen saver.

 

Does actually make me wonder why whe don't have MSN UK books. Plenty of material on top of the normal reviews etc, and I'd certainly read it.

 

 

 

 

Another day, another e-mail scam it seems. This one was flagged up because it pretends to be from Microsoft.

 

There's a little bit of me that wonders who falls for this kind of thing, but when you think that older generations are not steeped in the internet cynicism that most of us developed, it is always worth writing it up so that people are aware.

 

I wrote this piece here about the latest phishing trawl, It starts 'Congratulation!! Congratulation!! Congratulation!!' Can you tell what it is yet?

 

Here is the first paragraph in full, (with my annotations bolded up, red and in brackets)

 

Dear Winner, (I'm a winner, yay!)

                   CONGRATULATION!  CONGRATULATION!!  CONGRATULATION!!! (But only one of them)

The prestigious Micrsoft (good start, spell the company wrong ) and aol  has set out and sucessfully organised a Sweepstakes (plurals are our friend!) marking the  year 2007 anniversary (the anniversary of 2007, happy birthday year!) we rolled out over US$ 4,419,864 for our end of year Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected  and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their patronage (English isn't your first language is it?).
 The selection was made through a computer draw system attaching personalised email addresses to ticket numbers. If you ignore this, you will regret it later. (Cue sinister music) Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies (poor Google) and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test (a what now?).

 Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number 008795727498 with serial numbers BTD/9080648302/06 and drew the lucky numbers 14-21-25-39-40-47(20) (someone actually typed this guff in) which subsequently won you £1,350,000.00 (One MillionThree Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds)  as one of the 5 jackpot winners in this draw. You have therefore won the entire winning sum of £1,350,000.00 (One MillionThree Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds)(I'll say it again...£1.35m!!!!) The draws registered as Draw number one was conducted in Brockley, London United Kingdom  (I've been to Brockley, the only draws there are at the Bingo hall) on the 20th of January,2007. These Draws are commemorative and as such special (remember, we're commemorating the anniversary of 2007!).                 

Please be informed by this winning notification (we can't afford the stamps) ,to file your claims,you are to make contact with your designated agent who shall by duty guide you through the process to facilitate the release of your prize (ooh hark at you) .To file for your claim Please Contact your delivery agency in the contact information below: (So you can use the facilitate right, but you don't know what 'in' means?)
                             DELIVERY AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME OF COURIER FIRM: FRONTIERS DELIVERY SERVICES
OFFICE ADDRESS: 60 Great Ormond Street London, (It's actually the Research Council for Complementary Medicine, according to the internet) WC1N 3HR United- Kingdom.
Email: deliveryaward1@katamail.com (we're microsoft, we use fake free italian mail - obviously...)
Tele:+4470-31-97-02-83
Tele:+44-70-31-89-31-15
Fax:+44-87-04-71-54-51
Contact Person: Call Mr John Gee (whizz?).

You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications:

Our special thanks and gratitude to Bill Gates and his associates (He thanks you back, I'm sure). We wish you the best of luck as you spend your good fortune in this season.
Note: You have One weeks (plurals are our friend!) from the date of this publication to claim your prize or you may forefeit your winnings. (noooooooooooooooo) In compliance with the sponsoring bodies', (sponsoring bodies' what?) you are to make a remittance of a part of your won fund,not lower than 10-percent, after receiving your allocation to a charity organisation.
Thank you for being part of our commemorative end of year Anniversary Draws.

 Mrs. Rosse N (We're running out of inspiration)
 Microsoft Promotion Team
 Vice President

 

 

It came out this week that the European PS3, which remember is massively dearer than the American version, will not have the same compatibility with PS2 games.

 

Bearing in mind that a lot of Sony's fans are keen to play their big catalogues of last gen games on their next gen machine (at least until their successors come out) and what you have is growing malcontent over the treatment of gamers outside of Japan and the US.

 

In Crave talk today we have an angry response to this, as well as the news story about what has happened (cost cutting, it looks like)

 

It's becoming a bit of a moot point to criticise the PlayStation brand, but you just have to ask whether this is one big extended April Fool's joke, and we will actually get the PS4 on March 24 when Sony admit they were just pulling our leg with all the negative stuff.

 

Two bits of sad news, one of the most gorgeous potential-ridden gadgets of the year, the Sony Vaio UMPC has been reviewed. Is it hot? It is not. Such a shame.

 

No more Sony bashing as I move on to Microsoft and my Dr Evil mouse, which died yesterday due to flat batteries. I didn't even use the laser pointer (much) so it wasn't the longest lived beast in the world - but it did bring me a great deal of pleasure in the short time it was with us. I'm only a journalist so I can't afford new batteries - but 'Microsoft Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000' - my mouse with a laser on its head, I salute you.

 

*plays last post*

Starting the week with a bit of a thank you to everyone for giving me quite a respectable start figures wise. Seems that a lot of people are happy to come back and look at the site and plough through the articles!

 

I could give you some spurious spiel about 'rewarding' your loyalty with a whole host of new articles, but you know as well as I do that I would have written them even if my audience had been restricted to one man and his dog, so I'll spare you the guff and just tell you what I am planning this week.

 

First and foremost, stay tuned for an in depth look at all the rumours around the Xbox, an opinion piece on people playing music through their mobile phone speakers (guess where I stand!) and a look at DRM.

 

Great gadget use of the weekend: Rewinding the Carling Cup final on Sky+ to watch the handbags again, and try to work our why Emmanuel Adebayor got sent off. Especially when Sky Sports seemed a little reticent to show it again.

 

 

 

 

Apple and Cisco can both use iPhone. Read the full article here

 

I don't think there was ever an identity issue here, with Cisco's (linksys') internet phones not really comparable with the shiny new iPhone but it is interesting that Apple have managed to negotiate their way through the troubled waters.

 

Although there is no overt reference to the terms of the settlement, it is the second time Apple have announced settlements on naming in short order after their agreement with music company Apple.

 

Has anyone copyrighted iTV?...oh right.

Can't believe I'm actually getting grief for not updating my 'daily' blog often enough.

 

Still being entertained by some of the message board postings - gadgets in fiction is going strong, as is the Geek test. If you haven't contributed then your input is more than welcome here

 

Will be focusing on some good reviews today from my CNet partners - namely the Canon Powershot A550 and the Nokia N800 internet tablet

 

As much as I will try to avoid it, my past as a footy journalist means that something will occasionally get my goat enough to make it into here. Headline today in the Metro. 'Roeder's fired up by double dreams.' Now double in football parlance, as far as I'm concerned, means winning two trophies and/or titles. So what are these trophies the Metro is talking about? The Uefa Cup (fair enough) and finishing high enough in the Premiership to get back into Europe. Single anyone?

 

That okay Ben?

Just put up a nice little article called 'Why are our gadgets glossy?' which suggests that manufacturers think we are magpies.

 

Obviously having launched my job has changed absolutely - although I'm not less busy! It's been really difficult to stop watching the figures for the site all day, but I appear to have curtailed that habit before it really gets a grip!

 

Should be a really strong week next week for features - got a few in the pipeline and have been really pleased with the feedback on the message boards over my great gadgets in fiction piece.

 

The geek test has been ace - loads of people looking at it and some interesting scores. Great post from the Phantom Accountant:

"I scored zero on the Geek test, and yet I love programming in Java, think Maths is cool, Avid Star Trek watcher, I love physics, I can build a single sideband transmitter from a few household items. ....And yet I failed. WHY?"

 

It's a good point! I did have an answer though...

 

 

 

 

The web's an amazing thing - I've only been live for a little while and yet the traffic is starting to come in and we've already had our first bit of publicity. 

And we're....launched. Yay!

 

 

Yes, after much hard work, MSN Tech & Gadgets UK has launched. If you look out of your window you may see the ticker tape parade and, obviously, you will be able to find reports of this momentous event in all good newspapers (and a few bad ones too).

 

Feeling very excited, and my task now changes from creating a viable site to making it a channel that you want to come back to every hour.

 

Message boards are open, comments are welcome and, most of all, I hope you enjoy reading the features.

There's a great episode of Futurama where Fry drinks 100 cups of coffee and time slows down - something I am thinking of attempting to replicate ahead of launch in just a few, short hours.

 

I'm actually relatively happy with the way things have shaped up, although yesterday was a bit of a nightmare. I suppose you could put it down to dress rehearsal nerves, but something that made up 8 words on a 'to do' page actually took me the entire day to get close to sorting (and it's not quite there yet!)

 

A few facts and figures:

Okay - my loyal readers - the time has finally come to tall you that the site is launching.

 

 

Apologies for my failure to blog for a few days, but I have been out of the office being inducted into Microsoft and MSN. Was a very positive experience on the whole and the dedication to providing unbiased and quality editorial content is really strong.

 

So that's my lame excuse - I could have set it up to be updated by mobile phone, or I could have just updated from home, but you know how it is...

 

Anyway, back to launch. Tech & Gadgets will be switched on tomorrow at 11, when you will immediately be able to access all of the lovely features (written by me and CNet) reviews, news and views and also be able to post on the message board.

 

There will, inevitably, be a few teething problems with the site, but I'll be working hard over the next week to try to get everything looking as it should - but in the meantime I'd really appreciate feedback - either through the comment function on the blog or on the message boards (which will open tomorrow).

Been a lot of talk about the PS3 launch on the various things that I read when I get into work. The always excellent Guardian Games blog has some talk about some worrying stories for Sony - although it rightly points out that, in the blogosphere, these things can garner a lot of attention for very little effort.

 

I'm going to a Sony event on Monday, so it will be interesting to see how they react to the increasingly anti-Sony stance that has crept into the consoles (and batteries!) market ove the past year. The PS2 was a triumph - and it deserved to be, but the PS3 has a lot of work to do to justfy a £425 price-tag in a market where Nintendo Wiis and Xbox 360s appear to have gone down well.

 

In other news - being Valentine's Day expect a slew of 'gadgets to buy your lover' stories to appear. I'm all for gadgets, but I'm afraid a card and a meal has always been good enough for me. As long as I get a plasma screen HD telly for Easter...

Tuesdays, tuesdays, tuesdays. The worst day of the week - the weekend still feels like a distant oasis and Monday's feeling of cameraderie (everyone hates Mondays) has drifted away to be replaced by that hollow feeling that you have six days of work and only four days to do it in.

 

Still, on the bright side, my six days of work are taking me inexorably closer to launch. Very exciting.

 

Thought I would continue my look at what I will be launching with (or an 'in-site'© *bdum tss*).

Here are a few of the features that you can read

 

Hottest Gadgets of 2007 Gallery

Vista launch special

Geek Test: Self survey

Basically speaking: iPhone

Do you need more gadget time?

 

Apparently my profile picture (on the left < ) is both cheesy and makes me look like a used car salesman. The cheek! Unfortunately the camera does not lie - and does anyone want a Peugeot 306? One old lady owner...

*drumroll*

 

Site's pretty much done (I suppose you could say it's in Beta version) and all should be good for our launch in the next few weeks (sorry I can't be more specific!).

 

I can give you a few more details. The reviews feeds are coming in brilliantly and you will be able to check out the latest reviews from 14 (count em) different genres grouped into five sub categories like thus

 

Computing:

Accessories

Laptops

Desktops

Monitors

Printers

 

Sound & Vision:

Mp3 players

Televisions

Digital Radio

DVD PVR

 

Cameras & Camcorders:

Cameras

Camcorders (well duh!)

 

Mobiles and portable devices

Mobiles

Handhelds

 

Gaming

Games, Gaming Accessories and Gear.

 

I can also reveal that, after much hard work, I will be bringing you a Geek test - to see what level of geekdom my audience can provide me with!

 

 

...you still can't build a computer that spots human error.

 

BBC, just ahead of Match of the Day - have you remembered to fill in the programme slots?

 

Ah...

I returned home last night after a few drinks to find something that I never imagined I would. My girlfriend, self-acclaimed technophobe who, amongst other things, believes that a 52" plasma screen is too big for my flat, and that a wireless network should have no cables (pffft), was sat up waiting for me, playing Sonic the Hedgehog (part of Sega Megadrive Collection) on my PSP.

 

Now this is a classic good news, bad news scenario:

 

Good news: There's a glimmer of a chance that I can now convince her that Sonic would be EVEN BETTER on a big screen telly with the latest console to play it on, and I may now be able to leave her safely ensconced with my PSP whilst I can indulge in other technological pursuits.

 

Bad news: It's MY PSP! And MY Sonic the Hedghog! AND she's better at it than I am.

 

She'll be stealing my Xbox next!

 

Anyway, back to general musings (although I am now confusing my carefully thought out blog categories). Just read through a great piece by Lorna, our Movies guru, about her love for 'classic' movie Dirty Dancing. Now, far be it from me to suggest that comparing DD to Star Wars is like comparing Fred Astaire's tap to an uncle dancing at a wedding...but I will. Star Wars - a timeless classic. Dirty Dancing - a movie set in the 60s with a power ballad in it...sung by Patrick Swayze. 

 

The bit that really caught my attention however was this: "A word about the infectious soundtrack. First up, arguably the most famous song from the film: Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes', (I've Had) The Time Of My Life. It won an Oscar for Best Original Song and, rather ghoulishly, is a very popular song choice for funerals."

 

Nooooo! That can't be true, can it?

 

Some people!

I know it's a bit of a moot point to criticise the way that Britain's transport system collapses in bad weather but, from a technological point of view, it amazes me that not only do the trains stop working, the underground grind to a halt and our motorways become deathtraps, but the communications network around them also collapses.

 

I knew my train would be delayed this morning (so did the train company, I'd imagine) yet the display board at Clapham Junction had it arriving on time. The announcer at Victoria was struggling to keep up, and I would wager that the electronic boards on the motorways were their usual helpful selves.

 

Everyone knows that it is going to be chaos on snow days, but why the hell can't we get our comunications network (which presumably shouldn't be affected by the weather) to tell people what's going on with the transport system when they most need to know?

 

</rant>

Being a London commuter I tend to read the Metro in the morning, and to widespread mirth in the office today one of the articles was about people who want to have sex with robots, or pretend to be a robot whilst having sex (they were called Technosexuals). Unfortunately I couldn't find the article to link to on their site, but a big thank you to author Lisa Scott - was a most, ahem, informative read.

 

In other news, my Dr Evil mouse complete with laser attached to its head (I didn't spend six years in evil medical school to be called 'Mister' thank you very much) is beginning to bed in - it has now accumulated enough in the way of crumbs to not feel quite so whizzy and I'm sure I caught it illicitly lasering the Intellimouse explorer on the next desk. World domination soon.

 

On to site news: Everything is getting there - launch is approaching and, whisper it, I'm confident that it will all be okay.

 

Tech news now, and Steve Jobs - the big cheese of Apple - has posted his opinions on DRM (digital rights management). Now, for those of you who don't know that is the protection on files (say music you buy from iTunes) that stops you just copying it again and again for nothing.

It's an important read - with Jobs and Apple behind the ubiquitous iPods.

 

Jobs: "Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy."

I got hold of a Microsoft Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 the other day, and after spending ten minutes reading the name I actually plugged it in and started using it.

 

On the one hand it's a very nifty bluetooth mouse - buttons are satisfying enough and it's very, very responsive (I had to slooooow it right down) although I have to confess I was using a mini laptop mouse with a cord and never once thought 'hmm wish it was cordless).

 

However, justifying its wirelessness(ness) this mouse is also a powerpoint remote control. So the next time I pitch anything to my boss I can look truly flashy flipping my mouse over and using it to whizz through my presentation AND literally dazzle him with the laser pointer they included in the device!

 

Of course, I don't do many powerpoint presentations, so I am currently entertaining myself by working my laptop from as far away as possible.

 

I've got to admit, if there's one writer who unfailingly makes me chuckle then it's former TVgohome writer and current Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker.

 

His latest column is on Macs versus PC adverts with Mitchell and Webb - and it's typically brilliant. Essential reading!