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• About Google+…

  July 8, 2011 @ 11:10 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  Google+ has everyone talking. Mainly because everyone wants to see what all the fuss is about, but Google’s “limited field trial” means that even if you are invited by a friend, it’s hit or miss whether you’ll get in.

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• Tech Tools: H2O Audio Amphibx Fit Armband

  July 7, 2011 @ 8:56 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  There are probably few instances you can think of where you’d risk getting your music player, phone or other portable electronic device wet. But the H2O Audio Amphibx Fit Armband allows you to take your iPod or smartphone for a quick dip. It’s waterproof – naturally – with a headphone connector that will also keep out moisture.

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• E3: Dead Island demo

  June 20, 2011 @ 10:45 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  You remember the trailer for Dead Island, right? Well here’s some of the in-game footage.

  It’s 18s rated, and a zombie game, so expect lots of blood, mutilation and screaming. And swearing. Don’t forget the swearing.

  

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• E3!

  June 7, 2011 @ 11:13 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  E3 officially starts today, but the major games firms have been holding their press conferences over the past 24 hours.

  

  Microsoft, as expected, is concentrating on Kinect, with motion gaming elements planned for titles such as Mass Effect 3, Forza Motorsport 4 and even FIFA.

  Sony, meanwhile, is concentrating on 3D, and yesterday announced the name of its new portable device, the Playstation Vita – probably the worst kept secret of the exhibition. We also saw some pricing – €249 to €299, depending on whether you want 3G or not.

  And today it’s Nintendo’s turn. We’re expecting to get a glimpse of its Wii successor at its conference later, and get an indication of how Nintendo expects to handle the competition in the games market.

  Expect more details – including game trailers for all platforms – later today.

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• Fifa 12 – the Impact Engine

  June 4, 2011 @ 2:14 pm | by Ciara O'Brien

  A quick video of how Fifa’s new Impact Engine will affect gameplay. I got a sneak preview in April, and it was impressive. The movement looks more real, any collisions are vastly improved – no arms going through players, and you can even play a little more like Messi & Co.

  It’s smarter, it’s more impressive – it’s just all-round better than Fifa 11.

  

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• Tech Tools: Metal Inkless Micropen

  June 1, 2011 @ 9:00 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  Ever had the need to write upside down? How about under water? You never know when the mood will strike.So just in case, you really need this pen.

  And even if you’ll never need a pen that works in space or sub-zero temperatures, the Metal Inkless Micropen  is impressive.

  

  It’s inkless, because it writes in metal. It’s almost smudge-free, for pretty much the same reason.

  Best of all, you’ll never need to refill the ink or sharpen it, giving it a major advantage over regular writing implements.

  The lead-based tip will leave a permanent mark – so it’s probably best to keep it out of your mouth – and it comes with a keychain, so you can keep it close by. Get over to ThinkGeek.com to get one.

  $38.99.

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• What is Apple planning?

  May 31, 2011 @ 2:34 pm | by Ciara O'Brien

  In a rare display of pre-conference openness, Apple has revealed that it will showcase Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5 and – most importantly – its upcoming cloud service iCloud.

  And yes, Steve Jobs will be there, and although his exact role hasn’t been defined, he usually gives the keynote.

  This sudden rush to tell us exactly what they’re doing makes a change from previous events, where we would have to make a calculated guess (via some major hints from Apple).

  Which, of course, leads me to wonder exactly what they’re not saying. Could it be possible that we’ll see the next generation of iPhone at the conference? Maybe a few new iPods? We’ll have to wait and see.

  Monday is D-Day.

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• Tech tools: HTC Desire S

  May 30, 2011 @ 9:00 am | by Ciara O'Brien

  As Android phones go, HTC has really thrown itself into adopting Google’s operating system. The Desire S is one of the newer generation of Android handsets.

  

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• Tech tools: Contigo Autoseal Kangaroo Bottle

  May 27, 2011 @ 1:44 pm | by Ciara O'Brien

  As one of life’s… let’s just say less coordinated people, the Contigo Autoseal Kangaroo Bottle is, for two reasons, possibly the best invention. Ever.

  

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• Windows Phone gets update

  May 24, 2011 @ 5:20 pm | by Ciara O'Brien

  Windows Phone users – your time has come. Microsoft has announced the first major update to its mobile software since its launch about eight months ago.

  Integrated Twitter and LinkedIn applications are among the 500 new features that Windows Phone users will get with the 7.5 update, known as Mango.

  The update also allows the system to organise information around the person or group, rather than the app, that you interact with. Face detection has been included, along with automatic Facebook checkins (not so keen on this) and the ability to group contacts into personalized Live Tiles.

  You’re also getting better multitasking and Internet Explorer 9 for browsing.

  It’s coming to new handsets from autumn, although existing users are expected to get the update sooner than that. No timetable has yet been announced for rolling out the update, however.

  So for now, you’ll have to sit and wait patiently.

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