Geek News: Latest Technology, Product Reviews, Gadgets and Tech Podcast News for Geeks



Frequency A Personal Video Cloud

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 12:42 PM on March 29, 2012

FrequencyThe last couple of days I have been trying a new video aggregator called Frequency, which is similar to Plizy and Showyou if you are familiar with those applications. It is available on the iPad and has a corresponding Web site.

You can sign up either using Facebook or through your email address. If you choose to sign up using Facebook it will automatically add the videos shared by the people you follow on Facebook to your grid. If you choose to sign up with your email address you can easily add your Facebook and Twitter account later.

When you sign in the first time you will see the category and channel grid. It is nicely laid out with the categories on the left , the channels in the middle and Frequency Top 25 on the right. At the top is a bar which lets you easily go from the channel and grid guide, to your personal guide or to your preferences. Once you have filled in your guide the channels will also show up across the top. You can easily go to the channel you want to watch by swiping across that bar and taping on the channel when you get to it. You can easily hide or show that bar by flipping the switch off or on in the icon that is on the right side of the bar. To check what channels are available in a category you simply tap on that category. You can then swipe down through the channels within that category. When you find a channel you want to add you simply tap on the follow button. Once you have added all the channels you are interested in you are ready to go into your guide.

The guide is set up beautifully with the videos from each channels in a column which you can easily swipe through. To watch a video you simply tap on it. You can either watch the video in a window or you have the option to go full screen. You can AirPlay to your Apple TV or through XMBC to your computer. You can favorite a video or save it for later. If you want to share a video to Twitter or Facebook you simply tap on the appropriate  icon which is at the bottom screen. You can also email a video to someone.

If you are like me you may have the tendency to add channels that you later realize you have no interest in. If you want to delete a channel  you simply hold your finger on the icon until the X appears and then clicking on the X.

I do like Frequency I think it has a beautiful UI, however there are somethings I don’t like about it. As a big Google Plus users I miss the ability to share to Google Plus. Also when you share to Twitter and Facebook there is no ability to add a comment. Once a video ends the next video will start, this can be both a good thing and a bad thing, there are times when I just want to watch the one video and then stop. I also wish you could add Web sites that aren’t in the Channel Guide directly on the iPad applications; right now the only way to do that is through the Web site, where you can add an RSS feed from a Web site. It will becoming unresponsive at times forcing me to restart it. The freezing problem got so bad that at one point I ended up deleting it and reinstalling it. The final negative thought I have is I am not sure what makes it stand out from the crowd other than the UI, of course for a lot of people that maybe enough. I have to admit the more I use it the more I like it

If you have an iPad and are looking for a beautifully designed video aggregator that lets you watch the videos your friends and followers are sharing on your social networks along with ones from your favorite Web sites then definitely take a look at Frequency. It is free and available through the iTunes store.

XBMC and AirPlay

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 6:24 PM on March 25, 2012

XMBC I have an Apple TVand iPad. One of my favorite things is the ability to take a video that’s on my iPad and then send it over to the Apple TV by using AirPlay. Let’s face it some videos are better on a bigger screen. Plus everything sounds much better on the Apple TV, which is connected to my sound system than it does on the iPad. The problem is I only have one Apple TV and there are times when I’m sitting up late at night and looking at my iPad and I see a video that I want to see on my large screen TV in the bedroom. To that TV I have attached a Mac Mini which I use as a media center. As part of that media center I installed Banana TV to AirPlay my videos from my iPad to that Mac Mini. However Banana TV no longer works with the iOS 5 update.

My favorite media center application is XBMC. XBMC is a free open source cross-platform media center. It is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Apple TV and many other devices. XBMC is highly customizable thru the many add-ons that are available. As a media center it was great however without Banana TV there was no way to get my video from my iPad to my Mac Mini, until now. XBMC has just gotten an the official update from Dhama to Eden and with this update AirPlay from the iPad to the Mac has become available. If you already have XBMC than go ahead and update to Eden. If you don’t have XBMC you can download it at the website. Once you’ve either updated or downloaded it, you want to go into Systems, then Network and then Services and tap down until you see where it says allow AirPlay and click enable. Now you can AirPlay videos from an iPad to a Mac, PC or Linux machine. There is one caveat it does not work with videos that have DRM installed, despite this caveat I am really glad this update has occurred.

I Miss My iPhone

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 5:07 PM on March 19, 2012

Android Phone I have to admit after having an Android phone for about two months I miss my iPhone, maybe it because I just got the new iPad.  I have a Motorola Atrix 2. It isn’t that the Android phone is a bad phone, it is just unpolished. Maybe if I had a different phone or carrier I would have a different viewpoint. To me that’s part of the problem I don’t have the time or money to go out and try the different Android phones to find the one I think I’ll like. Then when you find the one you like you never know if it’s going to get the latest update or not. This depends on three different groups Google, the carriers and the manufacturers. Any one of those can stop an update in it’s track or delay it. With the iPhone everybody on the same version gets the update at the same time. I do admit that there are some Android phones that look pretty cool. The one I’ve been looking at lately is the Samsung Galaxy Note however I see that more as a mini tablet then a phone. I also hate the bloatware that the carriers put onto the android phones. This is one of the reasons I left Windows for Mac and now it’s back again. And yes I know there are ways to get rid of it but I shouldn’t have to. Also when something goes wrong on an Android a phone trying to find answer to the problem on Google is like finding a needle in haystack. Half the time you don’t know if the answer will work with your phone or not. Will it work only with a specific carrier or all carriers. Do you have to root the phone or not, something I could do but don’t want to.

There are things that I do like about the Android system. I  like the ability to change the wallpaper on your phone and also the way it allows you to organize your applications. Also the prices assuming you do a two-year contract are much nicer on my wallet than the iPhone. I do like the choices that Android gives you I just wish they were clearer and I didn’t feel like I was reading tea leaves. Based on how I’m feeling right now, a year from now when it’s time to buy a new phone I suspect I’ll be picking up the latest version of the iPhone, although I do wish it was bigger. How about you did you go from Android to iPhone or iPhone to Android are you happy with your choice or if you had to do it over again would you choose differently.

The New iPad Review

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 5:37 PM on March 16, 2012

iPad My new white iPad arrived today, a 16 GB WiFi only version.  I previously had the first generation iPad, so this review is for someone who is going from the first generation to the third generation iPad. I am aware that some of the things I will talk about were already available in the iPad 2. The first thing I noticed when I took the iPad out of the box is it feels more balanced than the first generation iPad (aka iPad 1). When I was reading on the iPad 1 I always felt like it was about to tip forward, that isn’t happening on this one so far. However it does get heavy fast if you are holding it up to shoot a video. I predict that someone will come out with a tripod for the iPad fairly quickly, because I do see potential for it being used to film videos. If you are replacing an iPad I would recommend updating all your apps first and then use the backup to set up your new iPad. Once you finish setting it up you can’t help but notice how beautiful the screen appears with the retina display.  Apps that are retina display ready really just pop. I almost don’t need my reading glasses when looking at a retina display app. I think that for any app that is video or image related being retina display capable will be a must. I have tried the voice dictation and it works very well, as long as you don’t speak too fast and you enunciate. It does work better in a quiet room and if you use headphones with a mic, then without. I love the WiFi mirroring, which wasn’t available in the iPad 1. In the iPad 1 you could stream video and music, but that was all. Now I can mirror exactly what is on my iPad to the Apple TV. To do this you have to turn on mirroring on through the music application in the dock first. If you had the iPad 2 I realize this is old news, but I know a lot of people who went from iPad 1 to the current iPad and skipped the iPad 2 where this is new.

I am very happy with the new iPad. If you haven’t gotten an iPad yet or are still using the first generation iPad I would recommend taking a look at the current generation of iPad. If you have the WiFi version of the iPad 2 I not sure it is worth the upgrade, although I have to say the retina display does look beautiful.

Apple Pursues Perfection

Posted by Andrew at 5:40 PM on March 7, 2012

Apple iPad 3As the Apple roadshow rolls out of town for another few months, I doubt anyone will claim that this was a classic performance. Even the most zealous worshipper has to admit that it was a straightforward and by the numbers presentation with no real surprises. You might even argue that there have been two mediocre events in a row and while it was easy to give Apple a bye last time because of the death of Steve Jobs, this time there’s no such luxury.

What did Apple announce today? An improved set-top box, a faster tablet with a better screen, an OS point release and some jazzed-up software. Hardly big news – Samsung had a better showing last week at MWC by miles.

So what’s gone wrong? Resting on their laurels and counting their considerable cash pile? In a previous post I mentioned that Apple was about perfection, not innovation and today’s event backs this up. Nothing ground-breaking but good solid improvements which undoubtedly will sell well. Not a mis-step, but not a stride forwards either.

To be fair, it’s easy to be armchair critic without contributing anything – what would I’d have considered as new innovations from Apple?

  • iOS Apps on the Apple TV. Not unique to Apple but an interesting step forwards with great potential.
  • Full control of the Apple TV from iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. What you see on the TV, you see on the device in your hand, making it easy to control.
  • Similar situation but in reverse. Show off your photos or movies from your iPhone or iPad on the Apple TV without cables.
  • Pass running apps between iOS devices. Playing Angry Birds on your iPhone but now want to play the iPad? Pass it on over and continue playing from where you left off.
  • (Inductive charging would be nice, too.)

This would create an even more tightly knitted hardware ecosystem that would encourage owners to be all-Apple, rather than the existing media-orientated ecosystem.

Apple, while you might be raking in the cash, you need to and can do better. Next time round, let’s see some real innovation. Perfection is boring.

Apple TV Update Disappoints!

Posted by geeknews at 5:08 PM on March 7, 2012

We where all waiting with baited breath today for Apple to announce the new Apple TV aligning with other Apple products in having access to the App Store. Sadly they did not add this functionality. It has left me wondering what Apple’s end goal really is for the Apple TV.

I guess Apple wants everyone to buy gaming and productivity Apps on $500 to $900 iPads, and not on a $99 Apple TV.  I can think of no other reason for the new Apple TV not to be breaking new ground.

So for at least the time being no Angry Birds, or Media Channel apps on the Apple TV! Once again the Roku, Boxee, Samsung Smart TV team can sigh a breath of relief!

 

My Initial Thoughts on the New iPad

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 3:26 PM on March 7, 2012

iPad Just finished purchasing the new iPad. I purchased the White 16GB Wi-fi version. I had the original iPad version and did not up grade to iPad 2, so I was ready for an update. It is definitely a want purchase and not a need. I am sure the retina display will look amazing and I am looking forward to playing with the iPhoto app. Although I am not sure how often I will be using it as a camera. The problem with using it as a camera is not so much looking like a dork, but bringing it up and putting it down every-time you want to take a picture. I think it will work better as a video camera, because that something you would be holding up for a while anyway. It will be interesting to see how well the dictation works on the iPad. I have dictation on my Android phone and it never works well. I not sure if it is me or the device.

I do think the fact that they did not name the new iPad something different is going to be confusing to some consumers. Not so much if you buy through the Apple Store, but if you buy through a third-party vendor or especially if you are buying through Ebay. As someone said today, this is a great chance for people to be swindled on Ebay. I am glad they are still going to make the iPad 2, I think this is important for school. With the announcement Apple made last month, they were definitely targeting the secondary and college market. They had to figure out a way to keep prices low enough for schools to be able to afford them. Unfortunately even at this price this will be a device maybe out of the range of all but the richest school districts. The question becomes will Amazon fill the gap for those school districts can’t afford the iPad, I hope so. My final complaint is that Apple knows that their store is going to be hammered on the date of a release, especially when they release in multiple countries on the same day and yet they never seem ready. For a company which has as much money as Apple does, they should be able to rent more servers on such a day. Despite these complaints I am looking forward to getting the new iPad and will do a full review once I receive it.