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Monday, March 16th, 2009
Our friends over at mobiles.co.uk managed to get their hands on the new Nokia N97 ahead of its UK release in late June.
You can read the full review on the Mobiles.co.uk Blog.
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Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
Since Apple launched their original iPod back in October 2001, the range has grown and evolved. Although iPod’s look fairly similar, each one is individual, and has its own range of accessories. Here you can determine which iPod you have, and find out what accessories are available for it.
What does the “G” mean?
When Apple launched the early iPod’s, they weren’t given names like they are today. The original iPod was replaced by a newer model also called iPod. As the newer model had several advanced features over its predecessor, it was dubbed the new generation of iPod, this over time change to 2nd Generation, which in turn got shortened to 2G.
The number preceding the “G” just determines where that particular model sits in the range of iPods. Even now with the Nano iPod, we are seeing 2nd and 3rd Generation models. The original style of iPod is now called the iPod Classic, and no doubt as time goes on, more generations will follow. The only exception to this is the iPhone 3G, where the 3G refers to the technology within the phone, and not the generation of iPhone.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
The one thing we get asked about quite often with HTC devices is about the charging connection. Older HTC models came with accessories that had a standard Mini USB connector, where as the more recent devices use EXT USB, they look similar, but whats the difference?
Mini USB on the left, EXT USB on the right
EXT USB is a connector type that is specific to HTC Devices and features a powered USB and Headset connections in a single combined connector. This new type of connector lets you charge, sync and use audio devices all through the same port (though not necessarily at the same time).
The EXT USB port is backwards compatible with Mini USB which means that you can use older Mini USB accessories with newer EXT USB handsets, but you not the other way round.
HTC still have stock of Mini USB accessories, which is why some genuine HTC replacement cables or chargers are not exactly the same as the one that you got in the box with your phone. If you order a replacement and its not exactly the same as your old one, don’t panic, it will still work perfectly fine.
The video below shows a HTC Hero charging using both a Mini USB charger and an EXT USB charger.
(7 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5) Loading ...Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
DLNA Certified Logo
DLNA is all about the Digital Home and getting the devices you use everyday to work together. Chances are you’ve got a digital camera, but are restricted to watching your photos back on the screen of your PC, or you’ve got video footage on your camcorder that you have to stop and burn to disc, and then hope it will play on your DVD player. You’ve got a big screen TV in the lounge, but can only use it for TV and DVD’s. Getting them all to work now normally involves lots of cables, lots of patience and a fair bit of time too, but DLNA is hoping to change all that.
DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance, and is basically a set of rules that electronics companies are all following in order for devices to talk to each other. I struggled to get to grips with it to start with, but if you look less at what it is and look more at what it does, you’ll soon see how its going to change how we use our devices.
What is DLNA?
The first thing to remember is DLNA is not a product itself (you can’t buy DLNA adapters for existing devices) the support for DLNA needs to be built into the software of the device you’re using, so for most of us its not gong to be something we can all use straight away – but the next time you buy a digital device its worth looking for one with DLNA support built in, just look out for the DLNA logo (shown above).
In order to use DLNA features there are a few things you’ll need:
What does DLNA do?
In a nutshell, DLNA allows digital devices to talk to each other over a wired or wireless network. It lets you access content from your PC on your TV, play music from your phone through your Hi-Fi, all with out having to plug anything in!
Example of a connected home using DLNA
What does it allow me do?
There are loads of different ways that DLNA devices can help make your life a little bit easier, here’s a couple of examples.
You’ve been on a day out, you get home and want to look back at the photos on your phone. With DLNA devices, you can play your photo slideshow back on your widescreen TV, and when you’re finished you can send all your photos to your network storage device for safe keeping. Without DLNA, you’d have been restriced to watching them back on your phone screen or messing around with cables to transfer them to your PC to watch on your computer screen.
You’ve filmed your recent holiday and downloaded it to your PC, and you sent it to your networked storage device for safe keeping. When the family come round, you can all sit and watch it together, watching it back on your TV using just your TV remote to play it back – its that simple. Without DLNA, you’d have been restriced to watching them back on your computer screen, burning the film to DVD or messing around with cables to connect the camcorder to your TV.
For more possibilities have a look at the DLNA website.
In reality:
I’m sure you’re probably thinking this all sounds good, but does it really work? Honestly, Yes. To give you a better idea of what a simple DLNA network set-up would be, this is my current set up at home:
With this set up I can view photos from my phone and PC on the TV using my TV remote. I can play music from my phone through my PC or TV, and can control hte music playback from my phone or my TV remote. My Dad has a DLNA enabled laptop, and when he visits, he simply logs onto my wireless network and he is able to show pictures and music on my TV straight away with out having to set anything up.
Current DLNA certified Mobile Phones:
Currently there are only around 12 handsets in the UK that are DLNA Certified, the more recent of these are listed here:
Nokia N79
Nokia N82
Nokia N95
Nokia N95 8GB
Nokia N96
Sony Ericsson W705
Sony Ericsson C905
Samsung Omnia
To see what other devices are available have a look at the DLNA certified Product Range.
If you don’t have a Media Server installed on your PC, take a look at these solutions.
These aren’t the only options out there, but the one’s I’ve found easiest to use, although Orb is slightly different in as much as it allows you to stream your content over the internet to any device. Twonky and Home Media Server are simpler to set up and use.
If you have any questions or comments, or need anything clarifying – leave your comments below!
(9 votes, average: 4.22 out of 5) Loading ...Tags: connected home, digital living, DLNA, media centre, nas, network, tv, wi-fi, wifi,
Monday, March 2nd, 2009
UPDATE 23/03/2010: We’ve just updated the compatibility chart to include all of the latest dongles that are currently available from all UK networks. For the latest dongles, please visit the 3G dongle antenna compatibility page.
The table below shows the current 3G Broadband Dongles and the Antennas that are available. If you aren’t sure which dongle you have, our post on how to boost your 3G signal will show you where to find this information.
There are now three two different types of antenna available. The standard Clip Antenna is designed to be a portable solution that clips onto the screen on your laptop or sits on your desk. It is omni-directional, which means that it will pick up signals from all directions. The High Gain 3G Directional Antenna is a more powerful signal booster. It is directional, which means that you will need to point this towards your networks transmitter in order for it to improve the signal. The High Gain antenna when positioned correctly will make a significant difference to the signal you receive, and can be wall mounted as a permanent fixture. The latest dongle is the Panel Antenna. This is similar in many ways to the High Gain Antenna, but is slightly stronger and is weatherproof – making it perfect for outdoor installations.
Clip Antenna - High Gain Antenna - Panel Antenna
More information on the different antennas can be found on our blog post “Mobile Broadband Antenna Range extended“
To find your dongle quickly, press “ctrl” and “f” on your keyboard, and then type in the model number of your dongle (eg: E160G) to search this page. If your dongle is not listed here, don’t worry, this is only a snapshot of the most popular dongles.
We’ve now made it easier for you to find the right antenna for your dongle. You can now use the smart filter in the mobile broadband section of the main site. Go to the USB Dongle Antennas and select your dongle from the drop down box at the top of the page to see the antennas that are compatible with your 3G Broadband Modem.
If you still can’t find your dongle, please add a comment with the network, dongle make and model number and I’ll find out which antenna you need and add it to the list. If you have any questions about using the dongle or aren’t sure which one you need, please ask us on the Mobile Fun Forums
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