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Gadget Man – Episode 121 – Too Much Smartphone Part III

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As we enter the final year of the second decade of the 21st century, the smartphone will surely be considered the most revolutionary gadget of the last 10 years.

Our phones are now firmly ingrained in our lives, joining us at home, at work, at play, at the dinner table, in bed, they come with us everywhere! Our lives are documented in detail, where we go, what we do, what we think and what we eat. We’ve now become news gatherers, critics and voyeurs all without realising it was happening in front of us.

Too Much Smartphone III
Too Much Smartphone III

The use of mobile phones stretches to every age group, from the elderly to the very young and with this comes concern as to the use of these devices. Should young people be allowed to use their phones at any time of the day OR night? Does it reduce conversation? Are we become LESS social?

I have now covered this subject twice in the past, you can read a listen in here and here, however now reports are informing us that phones DON’T cause our children harm, listen in to the podcast, where I talk to Mark Murphy on BBC Radio Suffolk about this latest contentious report.

As ever, if you enjoy listening in, Like, Share, Subscribe and Comment, I will see you soon!

Matt Porter
Gadget Man

 

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The Gadget Man – Episode 120 – The Resurgence of the Cassette

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As the new year dawns, we again look back, but this time it’s more than 30 years to yet another audio format resurgence. Now that Vinyl has once again become freely available to the masses after being all but condemned by CD’s, MP3’s and then streaming music, another format becomes the trend of choice. Yes, we are now being encouraged to revisit the Cassette Tape! Another Hipster trend or is there more to it?

HEAD’S UP!! You can listen in to me talking on BBC Radio Suffolk with Mark Murphy about my memories of cassette tapes, don’t forget to Like, Share, Subscribe or Listen directly.

For me, it’s difficult to understand how revisiting this format has any real appeal. The audio quality was mediocre, to say the least. Unless of course, you could afford $2,500  ($5000 in today’s money) for a Nakamichi Dragon Cassette Deck which in 1991 was widely considered to provide the best audio reproduction available.

Nakamichi Dragon Cassette Deck
Nakamichi Dragon Cassette Deck

For those of us unfortunate enough to be devoid of 5000 bucks, we instead looked at more portable alternatives, either in the shape of your unfriendly neighbourhood ‘Ghetto Blaster’ or the even smaller ‘Sony Walkman’. Whilst our aspirations for these two devices may have been the popular ‘break dancing’ movies of the era, we would have to face up to lesser versions of both.

Ghetto-Blaster or Boom-Box
Ghetto-Blaster or Boom-Box

The giant Ghetto-Blasters we dreamed of with 20 D-Size batteries, would, in fact, end up with less bulky and much less ‘blasting’ boom-boxes.

Sony Walkman Professional
Sony Walkman Professional

The incredibly sleek Sony Walkman’s would also be too expensive and thus instead we ‘made-do’ with cheaper and much poorer alternatives featuring tinny headphones and literally all DSP (digital signal processing) technology removed to either keep down costs or avoid licensing fees being paid by the manufacturers.

Tape Cassettes did launch the car and personal stereo experiences,  which went on to launch the digital experience that we all enjoy today. So just for this alone, we should be thankful. It does not, however, mean that cassette tapes sound any better than anything else that is currently available. We now don’t need to arduously fast-forward or rewind to our favourite tracks and we most certainly do not have to spend hours fiddling around with pencils to re-tension cassettes, it’s now so much easier. So maybe they should stay consigned to charity shops and eBay.

Matt

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The Gadget Man – Episode 119 – Technology to look out for in 2019

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Another year passes and as we move into 2019 we can look forward to another year of unstoppable advances in technology.

If I was able to predict upcoming tech, I’m happy to suggest that my number one for 2019 will be the folding mobile phone with potential devices from LG and Samsung already breaking cover in various forms.

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Both companies have already demonstrated their flexible display technologies and with the Mobile World Congress in February coming up soon, we should expect demonstrations of foldable, rollable or bendable screen tech from these companies.

Artificial intelligence is sure to continue its unstoppable march towards self-awareness (I jest!!), but all the same, we should be seeing multi AI ‘bots’ training directly with each other very soon! Who could forget the Facebook AI bots which invented their own communication language shortly after being switched on! More of this in inevitable, hopefully with the necessary safeguards in place.

The big 3 tech companies continue to advance home-based smart technology with integration into every part of our lives, add to this more AI and who knows what we should expect from the likes of Amazon, Google and Apple.

Holograms are a little way off, but augmented reality is making leaps and bounds with more advanced filters on spectacles providing with illusionary-holographic images a reality soon.

Phone batteries continue to provide us with more and more screen time and further advances in battery and charge technology will give us even more excuse to distract ourselves on a daily basis.

[videopress eFz5BDAp]

This year we look forward to the beginnings of the 5G roll-outs, giving us impossibly fast download speeds, but also extending decent internet speeds to rural areas of the UK.

Ultimately, we are not about to be overrun by killer robots and 2019 will be bringing some pretty astounding new technology, strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride.

I talked on air with James Hazell from BBC Radio Suffolk about my predictions for the coming year. Have a listen and don’t forget to  Like, Subscribe, Share and Comment and I will see you very soon.

Matt

 

Gadget Man

The Importance of Software for Your Small Business

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When you run a small business, chances are that you thought up an innovative product idea and were certain that it would sell to the consumer market. You’ll have invested a whole lot of hard work, time, effort, and money into developing these products, conducting market research to determine price points and potential improvements, curating advertising and marketing campaigns, and either setting up a brick and mortar store or creating an online Ecommerce store. This is a whole lot to do! But once it’s all complete, your professional journey isn’t over. You don’t just get to sit back and relax while you see the profits roll in. Believe it or not, you’re going to end up spending a whole lot of time familiarising you with things that you would never have initially connected with your business. Things that you wouldn’t have had a clue you’d eventually need to learn about. Software is one of these things. Without software, chances are that your business would never have made it off the ground. So, it’s importance that you understand different types of software that could prove beneficial to your business’ success and progression! Here are a few software related pieces of information that could really benefit you and your business in the long run!

Standard Software

There’s plenty of generalised software out there that you can use. It will help you to complete a whole host of day to day professional tasks. Some will automatically be installed on your devices when you have them. Some will need to be purchased. Sometimes you will receive a disk, but more often than not nowadays, you will have some sort of product key like a windows 10 product key or you will have to log in to some sort of subscription service. Make sure to check whether there is a free trial available before purchasing any particular software. There often is and it’s worth checking that the software meets your needs before investing any money in it.

Custom Software

Now, standard, widely available software can be extremely useful. But as your business grows and expands, chances are that you’re going to need something a little more specialist. This will help to iron out complications in your current process and can help you and any employees that you may have to complete work faster, more accurately, and more efficiently. Now, custom software can be whatever you want it to be. It can be a programme that can be incorporated into your manufacturing process to mass produce particular items. It can be software that helps you to manage and maintain your mailing lists, sending out regular correspondence. It can be software that monitors your employees checking in and out to determine whether people are on time or not. Whatever it may be that you want, you should get in touch with custom software developers. They will be able to bring your dreams to reality! Sure, this may come at a higher cost that standardised software, but it’s generally more than worth it!

Software Updates

Whatever software you do decide to use, make sure that you run regular software updates. Sure, it can be tempted to click “ignore” or “remind me in an hour” when you are prompted to update your software. But make time for it. Software updates have various benefits. They generally offer you better software that has been improved, is easier to use, is more aesthetically pleasing, or is more functional. Next, software updates make you less prone to being hacked by cyber criminals. The longer a particular piece of software has been running, the longer people have had to figure it out and try to break into it. If you have the latest version, fewer people are going to be able to tap into it.

Hopefully, the above information has helped to familiarise you with some of the different types of software available to you and how to best maintain it once you have invested in it! Sure, this may seem like a relatively new area, or an area that you don’t need to fuss about, but it does play a massive role in your business’ ability to function. So don’t underestimate its importance!

Gadget Man, The Gadget Man

Staying on Top of Tech: Is The Newest Really Worth it?

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Those of us who love new tech gadgets will, undoubtedly, feel a bit gutted when we see the price of the latest releases. Sure, someone will always be able to afford it and can flaunt their newest gadgets around while the rest of us watch in envy – but is it really any point in always buying the latest?

Image by: Pexels

Here is a quick guide to those who would love to pre-order every new smartphone each year but who, sadly, will need to wait for the price to drop a bit. It just makes it a bit easier to stay on top of the latest tech even if you can’t afford it – and it may even take those expensive gadgets off your mind for a bit.

It won’t make you rich overnight, that’s for sure, but at least you’ll be able to enjoy the tech you already have and perhaps even afford the newest ones if you know where to look.

First: You’ll often get what you pay for

When it comes to technology, the newest does tend to be better than the gadgets we were playing with a year or two ago. The world is constantly evolving, after all, and we will be able to enjoy more powerful software and slicker-looking hardware; the difference may not always be that huge but it should be an improvement with each passing year unless we’ve started to go backwards again.

This doesn’t mean that an upgrade to the absolute latest is always worth the money, though. If you have been using an iPhone X, for example, and can’t stop thinking about the iPhone XS, you might want to hold on for a while before buying it as the difference isn’t really that big – going from an iPhone 7 to an iPhone XS, on the other hand, will definitely be noticeable.

Consider the technology you already have and whether or not it’s actually as outdated as you think it is before you head out to buy something that’s still slightly overpriced.

Next: Look for better deals

Those who enjoy saving money and would like to have a bit more of it to spend on other tech gadgets know that good deals can be hard to come by. Some of them may even just be incorporated in your phone deal and you can’t really take advantage of it unless you already have it – while others are hidden around the web instead.

Start by having a look at this, to begin with, and consider if a later version of a refurbished phone is right for you rather than paying half a paycheck on a brand new smartphone. This might not be for everyone but it can definitely help you to get the latest tech if you really want it.

Finally, it’s also a good idea to keep in mind that some technology can be bought a bit cheaper without compromising its quality. While smartphones are not one of them, you may be able to get a high-quality Bluetooth speaker without pawning your most valuable belongings first.

When it comes to excellent tech gadgets, waiting for the price to drop is definitely the best way to go if you’d like to save money. Prioritise what you need to have right away and what you can wait for, in other words, and you might be able to avoid the temptation of every new deal out there.

Gadget Man

2018s Best Gadgets for Gamers

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There are far more gadgets now than there was at the beginning of the year, much to many gamers delight.  It can be hard to keep track of all this new technology. PC gamers are generally keeping their software and hardware up to date with the latest versions, but what other gadgets have been introduced in 2018 to make their gaming experience even better?

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950x

This high-end processor will be on the wish list of most gamers. It is known to be the most powerful processor ever made for gamers. It has 16 cores with 32 threads, 40 MB of cache memory with a 4.2GHz superfast clock speed. It also has quad-channel DDR4, which gamers will love.  This is likely to replace Intel processors over the next few years, although great progress is also being made with those as well.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX Graphics Card

This product is about to change gaming. Boosted by the latest NVIDIA Turing GPU and the new and more powerful RTX platform, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card delivers a performance that is amazing. It combines artificial intelligence with real-time ray tracing and programmable shading. It has been called the king of all graphics cards and is proving to be a gamers dream.

Gunner Sheadog Computer And Gaming Glasses

Playing games for several hours at a time puts a strain on a gamer’s eyes. If the eyes start to become tired and sore, the quality of the gaming experience will diminish.  These gaming glasses are specially designed to reduce the strain and to block out the blue light. As gamers often play for 6 or 7 hours at a time, protection for their eyes is very important.

Razer Mamba Rechargeable Wireless PC Gaming Mouse

A good mouse if vital for gamers, particularly if they are playing action games. This mouse is known to be ones of the best gaming ones available, and gamers can choose to use it wirelessly or wired in. It does support both options. It has mouse sensors of 16000 DPI and also comes with RGB lighting.  It is a very attractive and desirable gadget for most gamers.

Corsair Gaming K95 RGB PLATINUM Mechanical Keyboard

When gamers have tried a mechanical keyboard they do not generally switch back to membrane ones. The keys are more precise, and the Corsair K95 is one of the best on the market. It has Cheery6 MX speed RGB mechanical switches and 6 programmable G keys that will alter the gaming experience. It comes with a brushed aluminium frame, which enhances the better experience it provides for gamers.

More And More New Gadgets

There are many other gadgets available for all types of gaming, whether it is a PC, console or on digital devices. The choice is enormous, and new ones are being unveiled all the time.

These are some of the best gadgets for PC gamers from 2018. There is no doubt that development in technology will continue, and it remains to be seen what new innovations appear in 2019.

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The Gadget Man – Episode 117 – The benefits of Dashcams

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Dashcams have officially become commonplace in society. As more and more drivers use our roads, the chances of accidents increase and being able to accurately document such unfortunate incidents has become more important than ever, especially with the rise in fraudulent claims.

I spoke to Mark Murphy on BBC Radio Suffolk about the use of dashcams and also helmet cams for cyclists and my personal recollections of having to use video evidence to report a motorist.

Image Credit: SWNS

[amazon_link asins=’B07H26742D,B06Y2C986L,B0742ZV9LV,B01ELRJW5Q’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’thgama03-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’8fe6e388-0c49-11e9-b7c9-2dbf187704d2′]

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Gadget Man – Review – Transcend DrivePro 550 – Driver and Passenger Safety, both inside and out

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I’ve been doing a lot of driving over the past few weeks and consequently, I’ve had the chance to test a few different gadgets that help to keep us safe and use a variety of different methods to track the driving habits of both ourselves and others. This month’s review is the Transcend DrivePro 550 dashcam, a camera that not only films ahead of your vehicle, but also features a 180° rotatable second camera to capture the interior of a vehicle and provides protection for both driver and passengers.

As with other Transcend cameras, the DrivePro 550 was exceedingly easy to install. The camera comes with a powerful suction mount and a very long Micro USB power cable with built-in 12v plug allowing for permanent installation in most vehicles. A 32gb MicroSD card is also supplied in the packaged, which gives hours of video footage capture.

The front-facing camera features a Sony 1080p image sensor with a wide angle lens recording at 30fps. The second rotatable camera is packed with four infrared LED’s which automatically trigger in low light or night. Both give extremely good results with the second camera recording 720p video. The dashcam recording 2 separate videos concurrently, timestamping them and adding geo-tagging information using both GPS and GLONASS satellite tracking which gives very accurate positioning information.

The front facing camera using special Wide Dynamic Range technology, which equalises both dark and light areas of the video to ensure that bright skies are not blown out and darker parts easy to recognise. The results were excellent!

Aside from simply recording video footage, the DrivePro 550 also features a WiFi mode which allows you to connect to the camera using your smartphone or tablet via Transcends own app. You can then video live footage on a larger screen or access the video files already recorded and transfer them to your device. I noted that I could only display either front or rear facing cameras, not both at the same time using the app. I could, however, see both on the rear built-in 2.4” colour TFT screen.

The camera comes with a built-in battery which ensures continued video recording in event of an accident or in ‘parking mode’. The camera can detect accidents and record the video in ‘emergency mode’, making it much more difficult to delete. Parking mode can be used to detect movement in the field of view of the camera and begin recording whilst you are away from the car.

Other useful settings are ‘lane departure’ warning, forward collision warning (when you get too close to the car in front), a heads-up display for current speed, headlight warning and driver fatigue reminders.

What sets this camera apart from standard dashcams is the interior facing camera, a feature which would appeal to delivery companies, transport providers, taxi and chauffeur companies. It allows for the recording of driver behaviour to ensure appropriate behaviour and both driver and passenger safety, I thought it was a great feature and the addition of infrared cameras makes it superb for night driving.

The camera is priced reasonably at around £140 and can be ordered from Amazon using this link: https://amzn.to/2S829d8

 

Matt Porter
The Gadget Man

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Gadget Man – Episode 115 – To Binge or Not to Binge? The Rise and Rise of Streaming TV

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With the incredible rise in popularity of on-demand streaming services from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Play, NowTV, Rakatun and more, there is now no better time to watch our favourite movies and TV programmes.

We can now consume our TV using a variety of devices - Image Credit: Netflix
We can now consume our TV using a variety of devices – Image Credit: Netflix

We are not just simply watching TV, we are ‘consuming’ it! This fascination and above all, choice of programming has led millions of people to ‘binge’ on entire TV series over short periods. Evenings can now be spent watching multiple episodes of a series, with seemingly limitless content being served up automatically at the end of each episode, with entirely new content provided at the end of series.

The BBC have not ignored this either, they too are releasing entire series on their platform iPlayer whilst broadcasting the series in the standard week on week format on traditional television.

Now we are all comfortable with the digital switch-over, the set-top boxes can now begin serving up content over the internet without us even realising this is happening, the broadcasters have found their pot of gold.

Stranger Things has been a massive success for Netflix - Image Credit: Netflix
Stranger Things has been a massive success for Netflix – Image Credit: Netflix

Personally, I am a massive Breaking Bad fan, now enjoying it’s spin-off prequel Better Call Saul, both available on Netflix, but switching to Amazon Prime for The Grand Tour and watching movies on Google Play, all available using low-cost devices from Amazon, Roku, Apple and many more!

Apple also have been investing heavily in the streaming marketplace - Image credit: Apple Inc
Apple has also been investing heavily in the streaming marketplace with their Apple TV  – Image credit: Apple Inc

We have now turned a corner, once this technology was the go-to place for our kids, now we have embraced it, there is no going back. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Google and Sky are now the streaming big hitters with astronomically large budgets, high-quality content and the power to break the traditional status quo enjoyed in the UK by the BBC and ITV.

Now WE decide what we watch.

Listen to my interview with Mark Murphy from BBC Radio Suffolk, where I talk enthusiastically about my personal experience of binge-watching streaming TV.

Matt Porter
The Gadget Man

If you have enjoyed reading and listening to this episode, please remember to Like, Subscribe and Share!

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Gadget Man – Episode 114 – Too Much Smartphone Part II

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You might remember a few weeks back, I talked about how smartphones have now officially taken over our lives, squeezing into every social, domestic and work situation.

Today, I spoke to James Hazell on BBC Radio Suffolk about how our very Government is considering investigating how to make the use of a smartphone safer for us all.

China continues to innovate in this area by providing ‘mobile friendly’ footpaths for phone users to protect them from walking into each other or falling into fountains!

A designated 'Cellphone Sidewalk' in Chongqing, China. Photo credit: China Daily/Reuters
A designated ‘Cellphone Sidewalk’ in Chongqing, China.
Photo credit: China Daily/Reuters

While you sit and ponder how we as an advanced civilisation found ourselves in this position? Why not listen into my interview with James.

If you like what you read or listen to, why not ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ this story.