Four days. Ten thousand photos. What a nightmare.

Exporting from Lightroom CC to offline storage turned into an engineering disaster. Lightroom Classic sync gave up at 80%, meaning 2,500 photos never made it. The web download tool failed on the same files. The Takeout option spat out 40 separate 4GB zip files with no bulk download — all manual. The Lightroom CC web app, faced with the remaining 1,000 photos, managed 900 and simply refused the last hundred. Gone.

What started as 10,000 photos ended up as 28,000 files scattered across four locations, with every collection and subfolder structure completely destroyed.

THE FOUR FAILURE POINTS

Lightroom Classic sync abandoned at 80% — 2,500 photos unsynced

Web download tool: failed on the same 2,500 files

Google Takeout: 40 × 4GB zips, no bulk download, all done manually

Lightroom CC web app: exported 900 of 1,000 remaining — ~100 unrecoverable

The recovery

The recovery has been, to put it charitably, structural engineering with sticky tape and chewing gum. Using Claude AI and Claude Code I built scripts to merge the folders, extract all 40 zips, and run EXIF-based comparisons across 28,000 files — extracting capture dates and cross-referencing folder structures to work out which photos likely belonged to which album. A photo sweep app and a Lightroom Classic deduplication plugin are now cleaning up the mess. Once that's done, the catalogue gets merged into my primary one for a final raw export into a proper DAM tool.

"No product should put its users through this. I shouldn't need to write custom scripts to recover my own photo library."

My issue with Adobe

Here's my issue with Adobe. The software works. The ecosystem works — right up until the moment you want to leave it. The masking tools are genuinely excellent. But the data portability is an abomination. They keep bolting on AI-generated fluff while the infrastructure underneath remains hostile to anyone trying to get their own files back.

From an engineering perspective, this is a building held together with sticky plasters, bubble gum, and duct tape. It should not require a custom toolchain to retrieve your own photographs from software you have been paying for, for years.

What I actually want

A perpetual-licence Lightroom-style editor, updated annually, with the genuinely useful new features — not cloud dependencies, not AI-generated noise, and none of this subscription-hostage nonsense. Let me choose when to upgrade. Let me own what I paid for.

Thankfully, with the right engineering mindset, Claude AI, and the non-Adobe tools I already own, I have been able to remove myself from this ecosystem and recover from the nightmare. But I shouldn't have had to.

The software locks you in. The ecosystem keeps you there. And the exit door is deliberately hard to find.

The Booking.com Sitcom and breakfast

 

Have you ever had a booking experience so bad, it left you feeling like you were stuck in a bad sitcom? That’s what happened to me recently when I tried to book a room through Booking.com.

I thought I was getting a great deal – a room for £35, plus an additional charge that I thought was for breakfast. I had used the Booking.com app to search for a hotel room, and I had applied the breakfast-included filter which added a £4 fee. However, when I arrived at the hotel, I was informed that breakfast wasn’t included and that there was an additional charge for breakfast on top of the one I had already paid. After checking my booking details, I realised that Booking.com had charged me an additional fee, despite not actually providing breakfast. This was highly disappointing and infuriating as I had specifically selected the breakfast-included filter and been charged an extra fee.

I was expecting the £4 fee to cover breakfast, so I was surprised to find out that this was not the case. I thought that the filter I had applied had been clearly understood by Booking.com, but it became evident that this was not the case. I have since offered to provide evidence of the issue, but Booking.com has not agreed to accept it, even when I offered evidence of another day that had the same issue and included the same charge.

It is clear that Booking.com need to fix the bug in their app with the filters and be more transparent about their pricing, as it was not clear what the additional £4 fee was for. In addition to fixing their app, they also need to remove the ‘breakfast included’ label on the screen when using the filter and make it clearer that there is an additional charge.

Unable to believe what had happened, I contacted customer service for help. But instead of getting the resolution I was hoping for, I was met with a series of requests for evidence and vague answers. After multiple attempts to explain the issue, I still haven’t been able to get a satisfactory response from Booking.com.

It’s a shame that such a seemingly simple booking experience can end up leaving us feeling so helpless and frustrated. I am sure many of us can relate to this feeling – we’ve all had those moments where our expectations weren’t met and we ended up having to jump through hoops in order to get the outcome we desired.

So when booking a room through a third-party platform, it’s important to be mindful of what you’re agreeing to and double-check all details before making a payment. It is also important to be aware of your rights as a customer and to seek assistance if things don’t go as planned. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the filters on the Booking.com app and to verify that the fee you are being charged is for the services you are expecting. Additionally, it is important to make sure that the customer service team is willing to accept and review any evidence you have to offer.

Let’s hope that my experience is resolved soon and that Booking.com takes the necessary steps to rectify the issue. In the meantime, we can only hope that my next booking experience goes a bit smoother – because if it doesn’t, I might just end up in a real-life sitcom!

The word "Smart"

Smart - A word that has been attached to electronic devices also know as gadgets to make them look like they have some form intelligence or have clever abilities.  From smart TVs, smart phones, smart kettles, smart fridges, smart ovens to smart glasses what they all have in common is a feature or features that take them beyond their initial concept.    

But how does one define smart and does adding extra features such as connectivity, control options or enhanced functionality actually make the device smart.  

We've seen telephones from their infancy in the early days that were wired at home (and still are) to being carried around by everyone and from which we now plan, communicate, record  and coordinate our every  lives to the extent if  the "smart phone" is not with us; we cannot function or we forget what it "used" to be like without having the constant need to record our everyday movements or the check in with what is "happening" in the world.  

We're surrounded by smart speakers where we can speak verbal instructions to make things happen. Then because of the smart connectivity with our lights, our appliances and other smart devices just like a magician we can conjure  things like lights turning on or music  to begin playing out of thin air.  If I feel the urge I can switch on my kettle at home in the UK if I am holidaying in Australia at the touch of a button and it all happens at the speed of light; all to prove I can boil a cup of water from the other side of the world. I can turn my heating on or off or up or down or link it to the outside temperature or weather forecast, again because I can.  But now I do this  because it makes my life easier and I don't have to worry about menial tasks no more.

Smart is all around me, it is the status quo for appliances and my life...... or so I think? 

In February 2014, some 7 years ago I bought my first pair of google glasses - wearable technology, an american pair but located in the UK for £1280. These were smart glasses that linked to my smart phone where  I could make or receive video or phone calls, play music with the bone conduction speakers, take photos with a wink and they had a heads up display so I could interact with my phone that was still in my pocket.  

At this time, Google were just beginning to allow international registrations of the US device with non US nationals.  But a few months later Google released an upgrade version which was officially launched in the UK and  I purchased at £1000, bought £100s of accessories and paid £100s for prescription lenses. The UK, as the next country on their road map for global release happened to coincide with android wear and the early google smart watches.  

Glasses flopped in the UK and within a year,  both the project was closed down for consumers, the global release never happened and glass was left consigned and relaunched for enterprises to utilise the glasses within businesses on menial tasks.

For me I ended up with some expensive paper weights and am now more reserved (some would argue this) on what technology I put my money into.  But I do not regret my glass purchase, I am saddened it just stopped.

At Google I/O in 2012 - Project Glass was launched with an impressive Sky Dive by Sergey Brin one of the Google Co-founders to demonstrate what the glass was capable of and the potential it had.  Over the next 12 months people who joined the project and got hold of their own glasses became known as Glass Explorers.  

There has been nothing before like Google glasses from a consumer perspective with a similar technical capability, portability and potential.  But the the idea of a wearable camera that no one would recognise nor be aware if you were photographing or recording them did not put the glasses in a positive light.  

Google Creeps, Glassholes were all terms created to label anyone wearing the glasses could secretly record activities with the camera without the knowledge of the  3rd party  and there was the assumption that only perverts would wear and use these them.  

A simple search returns headings like Google Glass advice: how to avoid being a glassholeGoogle Glass advice: how to avoid being a glasshole  or stories such as Entitled Creep Secretly Films People With Google Glass . This was all negative press that eventually with the flop of the release in the UK saw their demise and relaunch for the enterprise only.

Now roll on into 2021 and Facebook have launched with Rayban the Rayban Stories - wearable technology which are essentially bluetooth speaker sunglasses like the Bose Frames - smart audio glasses, but with built in cameras so you can record video and take photos.  But unlike the Google Glasses there is an LED which is switched on in both scenarios to warn the 3rd party they are being recorded or a photo has been taken.   Like the Google Glass they require you to press a button to invoke the recording, but unlike google glass they don't allow you to take a picture by winking.

A big concept of Google glass was to resolve the issue about recording the current moment you are in without actually taking you out of the moment.  In other words today if we want to record the fact about the moment we are  in, for example at a music concert, we grab for our phone hold it up and take a photo.  But the very fact doing this takes us out of the music concert moment as we've had to grab for the phone, open the camera app, align it and the click the shutter.  Whereas with google glass you could just wink or press the button on the glasses arm and it would take a photo or video of  whatever you are looking at without removing you from that moment. 

Rayban Stories aim to do a similar thing and hence have adopted the title of smart glasses, similar to the Bose Frames which are smart audio and allow you to listen to music on you smart phone without the need for head phones.  These two devices are from the last 2 years but Google where here first with their glass release in 2012.

Some would argue the Rayban Stories are trying to pick up where Google left off?

Some would argue the Bose Frames are safer as they cannot take photos?

Both of the devices are trying to solve two different problems with two different approaches. 

But I go back to my opening statement and  the definition of "Smart".  

If I  physically wear a separate camera on my head with a separate pair of headphones and a pair of normal sunglasses, other than looking ridiculous is that smart? 

if it is -  which bit? 

Because speakers have been crammed into my sunglasses or a camera and speakers have been crammed into my sunglasses does it make it smart?

 Or,  am I smart wearing smart sunglasses at night when it is dark and I cannot see a bloody thing?.

It is all conjecture.

If I had to baseline this, I would go back to 2012 and Project Glass and would state these recent devices are all dumb and  not smart when compare to Glass. 

Glass with its technical flaws like battery life had one other major flaw which was not technical -  social acceptance but was a result of a technical addition - the camera. 

The Glasses were actually smart, they were part of a future that I still want to see today -  heads up displays to relay information, the "augmented reality" of combining "big data" with the world around us and allowing me to be in the moment and not outside of it. 

For the record  I do agree there has to be a solution to show people you are recording/photographing but do not know what is the best way.  As a photographer i believe in being courteous and asking permission to photograph to which I know some people would disagree with me and would not even bother.  

But each time I wore Glass, as a photographer I would explain to people what I was doing, if I was pressing the shutter button on the arm, why i was winking as a demonstration.  

Back to my point - there is an argument "why wear them in the first place" as the fact you having to  augment the real world takes you out of the moment and it doesn't enhance the experience.  

To which my reply is -  until you've actually worn glasses like Google Glass without the need to pull out your phone, where it is giving you real time information  and you have used the built in camera to record a  moment like walking in the countryside without the need to grab your phone to take a picture is such a release-   I will never be able to explain to you how it just works and doesn't ruin nor take you out of that moment unlike pulling out your phone to do the same.  

This is not about the perverseness of taking photos of 3rd parties without their knowledge as it is something I do not do nor subscribe to and  I have already stated that as a photographer I would ask for permission or explain what I was doing if i wanted to capture a photo. 

I've pondered heavily over the Rayban Stories this week and was excited to see their launch but then I had to revisit my definition of smart.   

I already own a wearable camera which I only tend to use doing physical activities such as cycling.  The technology in the Stories is no better than Glass with it being only 5 megapixels and can only do 30 second videos, whereas Glass can shoot video for 30 minutes plus.  

I've a phone with camera and usually carry a more professional camera with me if out.  So I find myself concluding, they're not smart like my Glass and like Glass;  social acceptance of the glasses with a camera hasn't really advanced as people still associate them with the  "creep factor".

So will I ever be able to enjoy being in the moment wearing them and whilst they are not linked to the Facebook app or site directly, people will just  not understand.

Possibly it is time to dust off my Google Glass but I am unsure how smart they will be today nearly 9 years on or if indeed they will work.

In  reality we as a society have not moved on to accept wearable technology with cameras as a wearable device that we'd happily use.  

Google glass was definitely ahead of its time, it is  sad to see its demise and being made redundant to the enterprise with  menial tasks.  

Smart watches have grown in popularity but what do I see people doing today - twitching as they get a vibration on their wrist to then read a message on a 1.5 inch display.  

With glass you just glanced at a notification as it tracked your eyes and if you didn't want to interact with it you could just look straight ahead.  

Since the pandemic and lock down with more people working at home we have got used to the fact of video cameras invading our homes with  video conferencing.  Video calls are all the rage and we can now make facetime (audio only)  calls from our wrists.  

But what if the video call was extended to a potential  camera on our wrist in an apple watch liked device.

 Samsung back in 2013 did this but  would this be socially unaccepted like Glasses?

 Would it be classed as "smart"?

 Would it be a "smart move"?

Sadly I am unable to answer any of these questions only ponder.  I cannot  predict what is around the corner but I am yearning for the next "Google Glass" technology that keeps me in the moment, allows me to interact with my surroundings with applications like mapping and navigation, allows me to record the moment without any privacy issues/concerns but overall is  exciting like  the Google Glass device and how it was launched back in 2012  and something that is unlike the mediocre so called "smart devices" of today  such as my kettle, my fridge, my oven, my phone and lastly my new glass replacement...... 

  

 

    

The Fruit Watch - First day opinions

I've been a user of smart watches for the past 2-3 years, first backing the pebble on kickstarter, the cookoo, purchasing a sony smart watch one,  purchasing a pebble steel, backing the pebble time but always said on twitter I'd not get an apple watch, that it will be like a bracelet once the battery runs out and that pebble is really the one for me given the multi OS support (android and IOS).

Well eating my own words I ordered the apple watch on 10/4 at 08:05 am and it was due to arrive on 26/5.  Another person I followed on twitter who lives within my area ordered there's at 08:02 and got it on the 24/4.  On Tuesday 5/5 I had an email to expect delivery on 6/5 and yesterday it arrived.

So what changed my mind.... it was certainly nothing to do with apple as I think iOS 8 in its recent incarnation and the Iphone 6 plus are both aesthetically pleasing but are bug ridden hardware and software.  It was because it's apple given they have predominantly been my choice of machine both on the desktop, tablet and phone since 2009.

I have already indicated my previous experience with smart watches but have missed off  the fitbit ultra, fitbit zip, jawbone up and fitbit flex so I know what I want from a fitness band where I have previously lost 20KG in weight through using a fitness band and healthier eating.

So the combination of the smartwatch and fitness band drew me to the Apple watch.

The night before the 10/4 I had heard the rumours about the 18 hour battery life, the software froze but the overall experience was okay but not magnificent. Stories have appeared about the issues with too many notifications, iphone battery life issues, problems with the watch freezing, taking over 70 seconds to boot up and that it is over priced.  Again I have the return period and the time waiting for delivery means hopefully a software fix will come out.

But I just bit my lip and placed an order thinking I can always return if it was that bad.

The watch arrived yesterday and the experience from opening the packaging is the usual Apple affair of quality packaging to give you the feeling this is premium product.  The model I went for was the 42mm space grey sport edition.  Although I was interested in the stainless steel edition spending over £500 on a watch was too much let alone £339.  At least with both my pebbles which offer basic iOS functionality they will last a number of years and don't cost the earth.  There are plenty of unboxing videos and pictures on youtube and I will never be purchasing the £17K gold edition so £339 is respectable albeit still too much.

In my opinion the apple watch should be £200 and no more for the entry level and the stainless steel model should start at £350 upwards.  I am not interested on what manufacturing process has been used to make the alloy as its just a piece of jewellry.  To see a cheaper plastic version like the Iphone 5C would be great addition to Apple's range to bring the device to more people at an affordable price.

Its been 24 hours since getting it and I've had the watch on for 11 hours where after configuring it I have 61% of battery left at the end of the day.  I have taken one call at home, taken off my fitbit flex to use the health monitoring, configured notifications to what I need and only demoed a couple of applications to colleagues.  The speaker and microphone on the device so I can talk into it are just plain stupidity just like the remote viewfinder for the camera when taking selfies and  I can never see myself playing music on the internal speaker.  However pairing it with bluetooth headphones for music and using the watch without the phone doing activities like the MotoActiv is a use case I can see.

From a smartwatch and notification perspective the first thing I did was switch off notifications from apps such as SWARM,  ASDA and other pointless things I don't need notifying about.  A smartwatch for me has to give me useful information for items I want to see and I don't want to be bombarded with junk notifications otherwise I would be twitching all day.  I've switched off specific Glance apps such as MotionX-GPS which actually activated the voice on my phone from the watch whilst I was about to watch a film last night at the cinema.  Just like Google Glass the watch interactions are just moments when a message comes in, you review it and then decide how you want to interact either with a dismiss or further actions.  Taking this approach I have been able to reduce the number of notifications to a minimum so it doesn't distract me and leave with a bad neck.
 
For the fitness I have set up goals similar to my fitbit, it monitors my heart rate every 10 minutes, records my steps, when I stand up and if I move for example I go for a walk it records this.  There is the option of workouts but I have not used this yet.  All information is in real time and can be viewed on the watch or via the Activity or Health App on the Iphone.  The funniest item on this was the watch telling me how many times I had stood up in the day where I have being joking with colleagues and keeping them updated.

I've loaded on game onto it called Lifeline just to see how it works on this medium.

You are limited to 20 glances or widgets if this explains them.  I've loaded deliveries, maps, just eat, calendar, meetup and workflow to name a few.  So a Glance App is snapshot of some data and you can interact with it but I did find my arm aching just holding it mid air which is why you will always reach for your phone and just rely on the watch for the "micro" interactions.

Outside in daylight it is viewable but the screen is a finger magnet. However trying to workout if you should be tapping, force touching, scrolling up, down or sideways, spinning the digital crown or pressing the button on the side will take time to get use to.

The application chooser works well with the small icons albeit it looks bad when demoed on video.  But as previously mentioned the watch for me is for notifications and interactions and not to look like a plonker holding up their arm squinting at a small screen.  If I want to do that then I might as well velcro my iphone to a sweat wrist band.

I have felt that some of the applications that are being offered have lost the plot and really don't understand the micro interaction concept and are trying to deliver a full phone experience to the watch.

Now to the conclusions...

Is it a game changer - very simply the answer is no.  It is a polished example of a smartwatch but given the functionality is only a little more advanced than a pebble, or android watch and/or fitness tracker I still believe the market is young.

What it will do is set a standard like the Ipad and Iphone in terms of premium build quality and polish.  The pebble original and steel already have the aesthetics and the new pebble time will just add to this as you're getting a coloured screen, long battery life and it looks great.  With the apple watch you get the colour screen and it looks great, but the battery is bad (I'll explain more in a bit) and I am scared of scratching it given the case it is built in.  I have just purchased a Spigen outdoor case for the watch  so I can use it for outdoor activity tracking.  The other "gotcha" here is the pebble time smart straps which will also be a game changer and will add functionality to the pebble watch in the future which means one watch but multiple straps.

Is it a keeper - after day one the answer is potentially but let me expand on this.

If I go back to my primary uses a smartwatch gives me notifications and micro interactions. I also wear a fitbit flex to record my fitness levels every day but only wear a watch when I go out.  The fitbit flex measures all of my usual body stats albeit the heart rate but also measures my sleep.  The battery lasts for a few days and in a morning I can leave it on charge for 45 mins whilst getting ready for work.  Here I know my activity will be low so I won't be missing many statistics but it will have charged for the day.  So I am using a two box solution...

The apple watch will measure everything but sleep and the battery will only last 18 hours.  So from 7am until 2am I have power.  As the watch can't measure my sleep but if I want to record my statistics I will need my fitbit on through the night and leave my apple watch charging.  Even if I could monitor my sleep with the apple watch by the time the morning came I would need at least 1.5 hours to give me 80% charge where I only usually have 45 minutes in the morning so this means 40% which wouldn't really get me through a day.

For now should I keep the watch it means a two box solution so I can record everything and before you ask why..... it's just what I like doing.....  This is just a memory of the old issue of having to use a phone and a PDA such as a Psion together all of those years ago.

I really want to see the following in v2 or at least if something with software or hardware could sort out v1.

• Faster charging in under 1 hour to 100%
• A better strap or included metal strap with the sports watch given the price
• A cheaper plastic version or reduction in price
• Better battery up to 36 hours
• Sleep monitoring

These are all minor and given it's Apple's first time (please forgive the pun!) at a watch they have delivered a good piece of hardware and software which is in my opinion a lot better than Iphone 6 and iOS 8.

I would also like to see the notification control to other smart watches such as pebble and cookoo, allow the apple watch to pair to Ipads and multiple devices and add android support but I don't see any of this coming soon.  

So here is my advice in this order:

1. First ask do I need a smartwatch - if you don't save the money and use your phone
2. If you don't want to spend too much then look at the Pebble original or  Steel, Cookoo or a cheaper android wear watch. Failing that get a U8 smartwatch
3. If you want multi platform then look at the Pebble range
4. If you want multi platform and fitness look at the Microsoft Band
5. If you want fitness only then the market is buoyant where I would recommend Fitbit which I have used for a number of years (and no they're not paying me to say this)
6. If you're an iphone owner and can afford the apple watch then buy it
7. If you can wait then do for another 6 months as Apple's entry into this marketplace will shake things up

I've got over a week to decide if I will keep it.... knowing me I probably will but no doubt along the way will be ranting on twitter.... so watch this space.

Fruit phone again

The nexus 6 really needs to be a killer device. I've recently had a note 3, lg 3 and now z2. All hardware specs are great on paper but the android implementations are riddled with bugs and hardware that fails. Note 3 the gps borked by samsungs latest iupdate, g3 that overheats then you can't remove device administrators bug and now the z2 another device that overheats when using the camera and now the settings app fails to load to enable me to move apps to sd which did look like its a missing option. 

To date I still have my nexus 4 as a spare, nexus 5 with my work sim which I still believe is underpowered and finally my xiaomi mi2sc. 

I know tomorrow if i spend £700 on the high end fruit phone it will work, can run and store over 100s over apps and the hardware is good. Albeit the 5s with 1gb is not enough. 

For android I can't find any decent comparison and am just disappointed because I love the vanilla os but somewhere along the line I find a reason not to keep it. 

Both the lg g3 and z2 might do 4k or have a really good camera but this is pointless if it overheats. It's like a Ferrari I can only drive 100m at a time. 

Samsung really need to cut down on their bloat and get back to basics rather than bundling junk that just slows the device down. 

Yes I can apply roms or root but even that doesn't help if the device overheats. 

So back to the fruit phone iat least for the next 3 months until the note 4, nexus 6 and fruit phone 6. 

State of podcast address on Windows Phone 8

I've recently purchased a Nokia Lumia 1020 running on Windows Phone 8. Quite scary really coming from iOS and Android as I like windows phone but found the experience one step up from a feature phone. Well the camera on the Lumia is the reason why I jumped ship and have decided to see if I can do better then just get by.

One of the applications that is a must is a podcast client. After giving up on car radio and music whilst driving podcasts are there to entertain me all 35 of them. However whilst listening is the end result the journey of getting there is just as vital and with as minimal intervention from me. I can remember before iOS allowed background tasks to run the daily task of opening the podcatcher and waiting for them to come down. Equally being able to easily select what I play and especially remember where I left off or playing the next track automatically whilst driving are equally important. After 10 years of listening to podcasts I have set of minimum requirements for podcatchers which I would like to share after a couple of developers reached out to me via twitter. 

OPML import and export
Moving between devices or podcatchers means I need to take my subscriptions with me. Being able to do this via an opml file I can either open with email or via a cloud drive. Having to upload the file to a web server to then have to share it back out again is too much of an over complicated process. I am also not interested in setting up an account with a sync service such as gpodder for something that can be done simply with this file.

Last played position
Just like a kindle or Netflix I want to be able to resume where I left off without the need to locate or place a bookmark on the position manually. Some applications on iOS and android even will save the position when either power is disconnected or Bluetooth disconnected from a car kit. Again little things that save my position and remove the requirement of me finding where I last was.

Background downloads
On iOS certain apps before the background settings was introduced used the GPS to detect the location to allow the application to run in the background. Windows Phone 8 (wp8) allows a maximum of 15 applications to run in the background. Therefore being able to use his to enable downloads to happen without any intervention should just happen so my podcasts are always up to date. Giving me the option to select which podcast I want updating in the background isn't enough as I want them all to come down.

Scheduled Updates

When podcasts are either updated in the foreground or background then there should be the option to specify the time when either by a set hour or interval. This will always ensure that they are up to date then any new podcasts can be scheduled to be downloaded as per the user wishes. 

 
Notifications
I don't need notifications that something is happening that I have requested only if it fails so I can intervene. The live tile icon can be used to show me the current number of podcasts that are ready to play.

Download over cellular
I know wp8 has some daft settings that only files of a certain size are allowed over cellular or will only allow files over WiFi and if on power. Given these restrictions and that I'm on a good data bundle I want to maximise every opportunity to download so would like this flexibility.

Background play 
Quite simple play in the so I can do other things such as run a satnav at the same time. If the satnav speaks the pause the podcast just don't lower the volume. Then resume when the spoken words have finished.

Lock screen away
If on power then don't lock the screen. This way I can interact with the screen and podcast application without the need for my lock code every minute. If I want to lock the screen then I can do this myself .

Global and individual podcast settings
Please give me options to set global download and keep policies. Then if necessary if options are available allow me to configure individual settings per podcast if required. On some I like to keep just the latest, whilst others I would like to keep more than one queued.

Sharing
I would like to be able to share what I am listening to via email or social media. The former as I keep a log for my CPE points the latter if I want to tell the world.

Podcast Notes
This goes with the last option but it would be useful to be able to share the notes as well.

Playlists
Unplayed, partially played and not played list should all be available to choose from. Where necessary I should be able to create my own lists and assign which podcasts I want against each list.

Fast Play 
Given I have 35 podcasts per week to get through the quicker the better. Adverts can be fast forward but the delivery on some is just so slow. On iOS and Android there are options to play the podcasts at a faster rate. Given most devices have a chipset capable then this should be an option. I have read wp8 doesn't allow this so build your player to achieve this.

On screen gestures
Swipe forwards and Backwards to move between podcasts or skipping. Double tap the screen to play or pause. all useful and no necessity to find the buttons, just use the large screen area. 

Continuous play in a specific order

Being able to play podcasts one after each other on the playlist starting from the oldest to the newest without any intervention is a must especially when driving. 

Settings backup and restore 

Any settings within the application should be saved locally, via email or to a cloud account. Equally we should be able to perform the reverse and be able to restore them. 

This list is not endless and everyone has their own requirements where these are just what I expect since coming from iOS and Android. 

Steve Litchfield has reviewed a large number of podcatchers available on windows phone 8 

Part 1
Part 2

Galaxy Note 2 Bluetooth Woes

In a last ditch attempt to resurrect my note 2 before I get rid of it after only 3 weeks is anyone experiencing bluetooth issues either with phone or ad2p. I have 3 ad2p devices a car kit, a jabra Bt speaker for the car and a plantronics headset. All frequently lose Bt connection either for both the phone or media part for ad2p. 

I have tried to use tasker and various plugins or apps that claim to fix reconnection issues but all have failed. I like the note 2 as an iphone replacement but like the note 1 this issue still exists. 

I have found with tasker that I need to separately connect to the car kit first on ad2p, wait and then to the phone to establish a reliable connection. This is done using bluetooth auto Connect app. 

Buy whilst playing podcasts with dogcatcher, beyond pod or pocket casts whilst running sat navigation software it can cope with the pause and resuming of the podcast when playing the routing instructions. 

However it is randomly pausing the podcast or losing ad2p connection. Sometimes ad2p won't work until a phone call is made and this is on 2 separate devices. I can't believe it's the hardware that is at fault as my note 1 over one year ago had the same issues. 

Sadly if I can't resolve this then it's back to iOS as it works fine. 

Any help or guidance from people who have been able to resolve a similar issue would be appreciated. 

2012 My Year in a mini - review

2012 has now gone and we are officially in 2013 narrowly avoiding the end if the world on the 21st of December - End of the world – as it didn't happen | Science | guardian.co.uk I wrote this piece a month ago and thought I'd better post it.

• For technology in the Apple world we have seen the iPhone 5, IPad 4th generation and iPad mini and I expect to see Apple release the same products again with minor iterations in 2013. They will be billed with the usual hype that its the best thing ever, you need it and like sheep I will notably follow and but them.
• I tried the Galaxy note last year and it was a good experiment and whilst android had moved on with the number of applications available. I still found there were bugs with Bluetooth car kits, I needed to root the phone to use it to its full potential with Tasker and it was plagued with battery life issues. Whilst certain people sweat they can get a full day on a Note; I cannot and need two batteries.
• The iPhone 5 turned up only to find IOS 6 is plagued with the same Bluetooth bugs as android when connecting to a car kit. The battery life isn't remarkable but iOS 6.02 killed it, thus required a downgrade.
• The iPad 4th generation was a shock and unexpected and has totally rebooted how quick I will now update this device.
• The Nexus 7 whist a great form factor and tablet still lacked tablet based applications and was sold when the iPad mini turned up.
• The iPad mini was a shocker as it use it daily instead of my iPad 3. I will certainly be looking out for one with beefier specs in the future.
• The Mac mini server was a disappointment requiring a new monitor to work correctly on thunderbolt and Mountain Lion Server is just unreliable, bloated and a comparison to Vista.
• The Nokia Lumia 800 was a surprise as I have really enjoyed using Windows 7. However after it was effectively killed off Microsoft casts out loyal Nokia Lumia customers - Computer Business Review

In 2012 I renewed my interest in photography again and have decided to take part in the Project i365 and post a new picture a day using my iPhone. I also purchased an excellent course on using Snapseed -The Magic of Snapseed by Justin Balog This has shown me how powerful the product is as now my go to product for any photo editing on my iPad or iPhone.

 

Kickstarter had also been another interest where I have invested in the following projects

• Pebble watch
• Cookoo watch
• Mobiclip
• Bridge
• Wacca Wicca battery
• Storm fly
• Iexpandr case
• iPhone Led notifications
• Hilo lens
• Zopro case

To name a few....

 

I expect 2013 to be another year like 2012 with a new ipad and iPhone but am really looking forward to the kickstarter projects when they arrive. But I envisage getting rid of the larger ipad and sticking with the mini.

 

So we are well into 2013 now in February so lets see how the year pans out.

 

 

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The Return

It was June 24th 2010 I had enough of Android due to lack of application and poor handset choice, symbian was a non starter due to lack of handset choice and longevity of the os, mameo; now meego hand disappointed with the n900-again due to lack of applications, Web os whilst a new and exciting os had poor device build quality, blackberry was never a contender and windows mobile had really died.

On this day iphone 4 was launched where for myself the handset on offer had caught up with other devices in terms of specification and was finally an option for me to look at. My last venture in apple devices was when the original iphone launched in the UK in 2007. This was very short lived as the device was only 2g and there was little that could be done with it other than jail breaking. At the time I got rid of it apple has started their application store, but the specification of the iPhone didn't win me over as Nokia was still releasing decent devices that were 3g, so using a 2g device was like going back in time.

By the time the iphone 4 was released the app store had matured and the phone spec was reasonable even of it was on a par with a n95 a few years older in terms of camera, gps and 3g. Albeit some would still argue the n95 surpasses the iphone 4.

Since June I have bought into the apple ethos aka reality distortion field and now have Macs,IPads and apple routing equipment at home. The iPhone started this all off as IOs works better with Mac os; here starts the snowball.

Fast forward to today where a few weeks ago my 4s had to be returned to apple to be repaired. This left me without a device. My nexus S just didn't cut it as a phone for daily use as the battery didn't last too long and I found it very slow especially running ics (ice cream sandwich).

This gave me an opportunity to delve into what else was available where I picked up a Lumia 800 running windows phone 7 and a Samsung Galaxy Note. The Lumia whilst a device with a short life span is interesting as the build quality is great and I have found the application choice whilst small on windows to have most of the main applications I use, except a decent Podcast client. But as a long term device for me it is the next step up from a feature phone.

The note was an interesting choice as I had wanted to get a Dell Streak another 5" device at the time I got the iphone 4. If it wasn't for the local O2 shop refusing to sell me a streak, this journey would have ended up somewhere differently. I had heard a lot about the note but thought that the size was too cumbersome and actively poked fun both at the phone and its owners.

There were a number of people on twitter on podcasts who I follow kept going back to the note so I thought why don't I give it a try.

I ended up ordering the phone though Amazon Germany as it was a cheaper than buying it the UK even with postage. You can find the specification of the device at the following link

www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/mobile/spec.html?type=find

To my surprise I have now being using it for over the past two weeks as the screen has just been a delight. The usage has been that fantastic that my 4s is still switched off and I don't think I can go back to a smaller screen. The device is large, the battery lasts about a day but I have spare batteries something I have not been able to change for over 2 years :-)

I was previously a Nokia communication user and loved the E90. Alas both Nokia and symbian was no more for me so I have been looking for alternatives. I find that the note captures the good experience of using a large screen device without comprise. The touch wiz skin on ICS is fluid and I have not experienced any significant slowdowns that I've had on previous android devices. To the extent the device is not even rooted.

Samsung recently released the S3 again very similar size to the note but a brilliant internal specification. There are rumours that tomorrow at the IFA opening that Samsung will be announcing the note 2 with the same internal specs.

I will be watching this closely as this may be my next purchase and not the next iphone even though it is rumoured to have a larger screen.

I have bought a lot of accessories for the 4s and am not happy that the next generation may mean that these accessories will not work.

One could argue the same with any device that there are always changes but at least Samsung has standardised on the micro usb port so my cables will still work.

I have found android to have matured over the past two years on the application side. It still does not offer the to pickings as IOs but it's getting there. It is now at a juncture where I am confident to move over full time as the past two weeks have show.

Applications such as tasker, swift keyboard and juice defender daily keep my phone usage automated and in power. Swift keyboard is as good as the iphone keyboard and it's actually scary how swift keyboard learns your writing style.

So I've finally made the jump again or return whichever way you view it. I may have been an apple fanboi in some eyes but I was just at a point where I needed something that was stable and worked.

For me now-android and the note are my choice until the wind blows again and something else catches my eye.

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InfoSec 2012 Caravan Exhibition

This year was my first time at InfoSec and it would be my last if it wasn't for the reason that attendance actually gets me CPE credit towards keeping my CISSP qualification.

I booked the day from work with the intention of taking a casual visit to see what was on offer. I have ended up leaving the show believing it was really a pointless journey. The highlight of the trip was meeting a technical account manager with a company I will be doing business with in the near future, but that is really all I will remember. The layout of the exhibition, the facilities and free seminars are the better part of the exhibition but there was an overall sense of lacking any substance.

All the major suppliers from Symantec, Qualys, Cisco, HP and IBM had a presence at the show and it left me with an air of sales, sales and more sales. There were quite a number of smaller companies offering their services and again the choice was wide but it was again pretty much the same. I coined the thought of going to a caravan show where all they sell are caravans. They come in all shapes and sizes, offer the same range of facilities and there is a price for all people. But it is just a caravan...

When I had left the show I was reading the Register and there was a small article on InfoSec 2012 and another alternative Information Security Exhibition at the Barbican Centre called B-sides London. The latter event actually ran on Wednesday 25th April at the same time as InfoSec. From reading the information about the confernence I really should have either attended this in addition to InfoSec or alternatively just gone to this conference as the schedule of talks looked more indepth and more attuned to what was happening in the security world physically, rather than just lots of companies trying to sell you their caravans. There are still a lot of sponsors for this event so it is not as if it does not have support from the industry.

The Bside event has ran this year and last year at the same as InfoSec and personally I am hoping they are running the show next year at the same time. It will mean an overnight stay in London but attending both shows I will get to see both the the A-side and the B-side with Caravans.

 

The App police at it again!

I have already in a previous post talked extensively about my contempt for apple a lately pulling apps not long after approving them. Again this week we find quickpick and imame being added to this list .

I wasn't so worried about imame as its just an emulator for arcade machines and whilst it can open Roms it may be useful in the future. But quickpick a bit similar to launch centre again was pulled as it didn't meet the guidelines for the notification centre, then launch centre itself was not approved for same reason and was rewritten purely as a standalone application. TUAW explains more here.  I was luckily to get quickpick and have set up some shortcuts to enable me to get to settings quicker until apple stops this when the next version of IOS is released. 

What is actually getting up my back is these applications are being approved, I buy them as they are useful, the media catches on then before we know it apple retracts them. I am allowed to continue using the application but need to ensure it has been backed up to iTunes because if I ever delete it without doing this I will lose it forever. When the app is pulled you are no longer able to download it, it is removed form iCloud for backing up and restore. If there are bugs and unless the developer changes the app, resubmit and gets it approved. You are totally screwed as it can never be fixed and you will need to find an alternative. 

I have bought other applications such as which allowed me to clear my ram on the iPad. This is no longer available to purchase and I can't get an updates, all because apple thought the ram clear process was unnecessary.  Although I have found and bought an alternative how long will this one last for?

I accept that they have rules and these should be adhered to, but all I ask is don't approve the applications in the first place as I buy them, you pull them then I am totally fucked because the whole support structure with the application just disappears. 

I have paid a lot of money for some applications such as Navigon where i spent over £80 on the additions or offers and for full western europe maps. This scenario may never happen but what if apple either brings their own navigation and decide to cancel all other sat nav apps I the app store? Or a feature that is used in an upgrade they refuse to accept. Effectively each time I purchase something I am taking a chance that it will still exist tomorrow. 

 

Screw you Apple I want a Cuban Cigar!

This is one of those weeks being an Apple user that I want just want to bin the devices due to Apples archaic over bearing out right dumb policing policy. There's been two instances this week that they've hit the press for.

Itether the tethering application that they first approved then pulled hours later either due to pressure from the mobile networks or realised they had approved it in error. The second instance removing the shortcut trick to most system settings.

Itether didn't really bother me as I use the tethering built into iOS on Three's AYCE One plan. But it really grates on me that people bought the application then it's removed so no further updates especially after approving it.

The second item of the shortcuts is one of the best tricks I have seen in along while that doesn't need a jailbreak and is really useful as it removes the need to navigate the cumbersome settings screen. I can understand from a security
perpsective they might wish to remove the URLS that are used incase it can be exploited and begin damaging a device. But overall it just enhanced the usuability of the iPhone.

I've been very tolerant since owning now 3 IPhone devices putting up with the outdated interface. I am more than happy having a launcher just to run applications and the notification revision in iOS 5 was a welcome refreshment.

But the latest decision to reverse the shortcuts and the removal of the tethering application are just two recent examples Apple are out of touch with reality.

When Lion was announced the Mac App Store was launched, again I feared the same policing and the Mac changing into another dumb interface. Just look at mission control a complete waste of resource and code. I have found applications in the Mac App Store dumbed down when compared to the same piece of software available on a publisher's website. One example being an application removal tool that is able to move items to the trash but not delete due to App store restrictions. But the equivalent web version out of the app store has features that are missing.

Apple has announced sandboxed applications for next year in the application store. Will this mean any application I buy that no longer fits the rules will be banned and I will need to buy it again outside of the walled garden to get updates?

I remember the quotes of Edgar Friendly in Demolition Man about the Cuban cigar.

Here it is in full:

Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

You know:

1. I want choice on all my devices.



2. I am happy to use them as you intended but please don't tell me what I can and cannot do.



3. Please don't take away functionality to make it an expensive brick and worst of all stop being a hypocrite with apps like Itether.



4. Listen to your customers as we can think, can make decisions and don't need to be told what's bad for us!

Lovefilm for iPad

I have been a subscriber to the Lovefilm DVD rental service since the beginning of the year and have thoroughly enjoyed getting the films and watching them. Another addition to the service has been their streaming service of which I originally ran via a mac mini under my TV but am now watching it via a Sony blueray player. The choice is limited and it's rare you will see a blockbuster that is recent but with over 5000 films to choose from there is always something to watch.

Today, their iPad application has been released that leverages the streaming service but direct to your tablet. Being as the iPad doesn't use flash this is a welcome addition and means I can now drop my cloud browse application service of which I was using with an iPad app to attempt to stream films but didn't works as the servers are based in the USA.

The restrictions to the service is only 2 devices so my Sony DVD player and my iPad are the only 2 devices I can have registered. It would have been nice to register more devices such as my partner's iPad and an iPhone should they ever bring out an iPhone application.

The other caveat is it only works over wifi but using the 3 ayce 30 day sim only plan for my iPhone and tethering to the iPhone I can stream the films and around this restriction.

It's early days but this is a welcome addition to IPad where I have been suspecting if they would release an application for a long time after an update to their main application and calling Lovefilm by Post.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My new electric car AKA iPad 2

My ipad2 finally arrived one week earlier than expected but really didn't have the opportunity to put it through its paces until the weekend that has just gone. A lot of people have said the iPad 2 is just an incremental upgrade with cameras, a5 processor and extra ram and would just miss this iteration for iPad3.

The only issue I had with the original iPad was it was limited when using it's multitasking when wanting to switch between several applications. With only 256mb of ram there would be occasions when an application would just close and you would need to reopen it. Applications such as flipboard were notorious for this where i am assuming it was due to the fact it was using a lot of graphics.

I have found the ipad2 to work a lot more smoothly and even switching between applications such as zite or flipboard whilst web browsing have been more responsive and not prone to closing as on the first generation. Even when connecting to Citrix server using the Citrix receiver was a lot smoother than on the iPad 1.

For me the upgrade was both necessary and worthwhile due to the above where I can now begin the prospect of leaving my mac book pro at home in favour for the iPad 2.

The only thing that ruins the whole experience for the iPad is the tethering to iTunes to activate, backup and sync. Until this chain is severed the iPad remains me of an electric car. You can't really travel on a long journey without having to plug back in to fuel up. Android has already severed this link and has been like this ever since android 1.5 if not earlier. Whilst there is a lot of people saying that iOS needs to upgrade it's UI and notification system, I honestly believe as a priority I needs to severe the cable tethering first. Even if apple were to allow wireless syncing next I don't believe that this is enough. If I go to a shop and purchase an android tablet I can take it out of the box, power it on, connect to the internet and begin setting it up. With iOS devices this doesn't happen until activation using iTunes and a cable.

In summary I am happy overall with my choice of upgrade but am still bound by not being able travel far with it and the need to be near a PC or MAC in a post Pc era so I can re-activate should I run into problems that require this.

What a refreshing change

I have recently moved mobile phone network operator from o2 to 3 due to a number of reasons such as lack if 3G signal were I work, value for money and a couple of incidents over the past two years related to the unlimited data debacle and more recently the filtering of web sites even non adult sites.

I have been on a contract for over 10 years on and off swapping after each term has run out to a newer contract. However I don't really make calls now or receive many and having a smart phone has meant my usage has changed to other mechanisms.

It was about time I moved with the times and checked out other deals. Payg was never an option for me as I wanted good data tariffs, a decent number of minutes and texts. I was originally on an iPhone sim only 30 say rolling contract for £20 per month. This only came with 500mb of data but I was able to change my habits to only use this when away from wifi.

In early march 3 release a payg all you can eat data tariff with 300 minutes, 3000 text and truly unlimited data. Albeit you cannot tether on the payg variety of this tariff. And all for £15 every 30 days. Well with my mind made up I transferred my number which went smoothly.

Since the beginning of this week I have had nearly constant 3G in most places I would expect 2g from o2. In some places at work I have had edge but this is faster than 2g. But it has allowed me to begin using my smart phone as intended with data and I have even found Skype works very well especially considering I pay for SkypeOut. I do hope 3 never drop this tariff or change it but fear being on payg this could always happen.

So today I am happy to be a customer again rathe than a donkey as I felt on o2 just paying and paying and really getting nothing but grief.

Galaxy Tab and its successor

I have tried a galaxy tab and immediately wrote it off after have three other android tablets and figured I could get an iPad for the same price that was a more complete product. The problem I have with the tab is the phone version of android on a tablet that looks like an oversized kiddies toy. The ipad might have its limitations but has always felt a more complete product.

I am still tempted by the galaxy as I like tinkering where this is something the ipad doesn't really allow me to do. However with the recent announcements of the galaxy tab 2 and the htc flyer combined with the price hike of £450 from a shop,o I figure the tab will either be reduced in price soon or will be left by the wayside.

I have had samsung products before and they do not support a product when they deem it as obsolete. There has not been any concrete announcements from mwc 2011 that the tab 7" will get honeycomb or if samsung will continue to support it. Samsung have announced there will be no more 7" devices and reading between the lines I am thinking an impulse purchase will be a bad decision.

The Ipad has worked 50/50 for me whilst away being flawless on battery life and good for consuming media but there is still the element that its not a full machine or something that I can switch on as a full machine when needed. I really wish that the tab could plug this gap but if my previous android tablet experiences are true, this device will also be a failure.

Which brings the topic around again- what is an appropriate device?

Any prospective iPad 2 will really need more ram as applications close too often on the ipad 1 due to low memory. On android there are really no rich applications when compared to IOS which use the tablet form. Nokia with the n900 was nearly there but again there wasq no applications that offer that real world PC experience. PsiXDA could be another prospect but then you have the problem of a PC in small form factor.

It really saddens me to say that the Psion range of machines have only ever fitted this gap and anything else is just a poor comparison. The latest devices may be ale to play media, do push mail, go online when required or route me around a city but they have never offered a complete solution out of the box. The n900 was nearly there but poor battery life and lack of rich applications made it a failure. Both Android has the interface and IOS has the applications but there is nothing available with a real mix

I know you have to move with the times and cannot dwell on the old but there is still a gap in the market that could be filled.

I can recall being able to get my email, browse the web, run full blown applications and still be able to restore my Psion without the need for a Pc. Android nearly gets there but falls down on the applications. IOS plugs the other gaps with the number of applications but is too locked down and requires a PC for restore.

Seeing nokia recently focus on windows 7 instead of symbian shows the market is becoming fashion driven as opposed to functionality. S60 was never as good as epoc or s80 but was good for multitasking and feature rich applications. Sadly if nokia had been quicker developing their UI or purchasing Palm for WEBOS I honestly believe symbian would still be a viable alternative.

However this is all water under the bridge and we are left with the blackberry, IOS, android and windows phone 7 leftovers. Android has the potential to become more rich where I believe honeycomb will decide this when the numerous tablets are released this year that have been announced. But I feel eventually they will all have the same functionality and it will be the hardware looks that will set them apart - if we are not there already?

But even after all of this I am still left with the dilemma if I should just impulse buy a tab? The issue of not having a laptop to hand is driving me crazy. But I don't want another net book and would still like to purchase the tab to try it. There has been many bloggers say it is the best thing since sliced bread and that it will replace their smartphone due its size and remove the need for a laptop or iPad. Ideally this is the device I wanted and had thought the n900 could have done this for me. I don't make many phone calls so VOIP is ideal for me and the 7" size would be suitable as the ipad is too large. But it means android again on 2.2 which hasn't really got any better since the nexus I imported from the USA whereas IOS seems to be gaining in strength.

My usual cavalier attitude is "fuck it" I will just buy the thing and get rid if I don't get on - the last contender for this was the advent vega only after one week. But then if I purchase the tab I have both and then need to decide which one to keep - the ipad or the tab.

So for the moment painful as it is I will stick with the iPad as I know what It can do. I will decide in the future that any device shouldn't really be an ipad replacement or have to prove itself that it is better in tests. This device should be able to hold its own without comparisons and just fill the niche that I want.

Previously Psion did this but who else is able to pick this challenge and just deliver?




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The portable firewall of China

I am currently away on training in London so made the drastic decision to travel light and only bring my Ipad and a mifi. Okay I did bring some more gadgets but settled that I only should require the Ipad. My thoughts will be blogged after the week is up.

The mifi itself has been a god send as I put it in my back pack attached to a battery extender which gives me wifi for 8 hours. More than enough to get me through the day with my devices.

I no longer subscribe to a contract for the mifi but have opted to purchase data sim cards from EBay or other outlets dependent on what best deal I can get. Recently I have been purchasing Vodafone sims from eBay at £8 for 3gb as the signal strength has been very good and the speeds acceptable.

There has been a few reports in the Press that vodafone has been blocking Voip and I reported recently that Cydia had been blocked on my Ipad

However I am finding that more sites are being blocked by vodafone content control for example Iplayer streaming, twitgo and yfrog and even Skype. Now all it takes is a phone call to customer services to remove the lock but because I am purchasing new sim cards this is too much of a pain as it requires registration each time. Now you could say why don't get a contract but the prices are poor for 3gb and I am saving through what I am doing.

To get around these restrictions so I can post to twitter with pictures or use Iplayer (I have paid for the bandwidth!) I am using a VPN. Through jail breaking my iPhone and ipad I am running a tool called Guizmovpn and for 4.99 € I can run an openvpn connection over SSL to an openvpn provider. Because this encrypts and tunnels my traffic I am able to do my tweeting with photos using a service called freedomvpn for 8€ per month. Unfortunately whilst cheap it does not allow me to connect all devices at once on the cheapest tariff. Therefore I am now trailing a VPN pro package with Hidemyass.com for £7.66 per month. This allows up to 3 devices to be connected and they offer openvpn, pptp and l2tp VPNs. I have yet to still try their openvpn offering but pptp works fine. I am looking at setting up a VPN at home and using my home broadband to save in the monthly subscription. The only technical issue I have is the iPhone disconnects automatically and doesn't reconnect when its not in use. Whereas Guizmovpn stays connected all the time and reconnects as and when required.

The VPN services are also useful in free wifi areas to hide my credentials from fire sheep wanna be kiddie script hackers so I can ensure I am secure.

What has surprised me is how much Vodafone is restricting especially sites such as yfrog, twit go and Cydia. None of these sites causes problems albeit they may argue Cydia means jail broken devices. Whilst I understand they want to protect their networks and consumers from bad things they seriously need to need to re-evaluate their filters. Ultimately I have paid for a connection to the internet and expect a level of service that allows me to use it. However I feel each time I pass wind there is someone over my shoulder saying you cannot do that.

I accept there are terms for using their network but this recent example feels like big brother gone mad or it's a preemptive trial for charging more for certain types of traffic.

Thankfully my technical skills helped me out here but what about your normal user in the street?

I believe as Vodafone and the other networks follow suit with this Orwellian approach to traffic management that VPN and other proxy based solutions will become more prevalent.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Backup and Restore

I am away next week in London on training and I want to travel light instead of taking my mac book, work laptop and iPad. I figured the iPad will do all of the functions I need on trip. It's preloaded with media, my course material and can certainly cope with my Internet activities. However one thought came to mind what ignite crashes. The same with my iPhone what if it crashes. I am stumped as I need a PC or mac with iTunes to restore.

Both devices are jailbroken and I use pkgbackup on both devices to backup and restore from Dropbox which works flawlessly. However if the devices die I cannot rejailbreak as I need a Pc or mac. I cannot restore as I need iTunes. I don't know what apps I have installed so I mentally need to keep a note.

Anyone who follows me on twitter I have been an android and Symbian fan.

Now I have found with psion, windows mobile, symbian on nokia and android I can take on device backups. This would either use built in functionality or a new application. I can then restore and all without the need of then Pc or mac.

So I have a dilemma, although I am enjoying iOS, have all the applications I want, can work without the Pc or mac that is until shit hits the fan.

It's as this point I get a reality check and am considering the Galaxy Tab or an android device as a backup.

Apple restores using iTunes work great but if you don't have the luxury of being able to tether or do online backups to the cloud.

You are stuffed until you can hook up again.

We sent a letter to your old address

I have recently changed my address with two companies who deal with my pension and life assurance and am shocked by their processes.

Both companies security checked me over the phone and allowed me to change my contact details for correspondence. The checks were random asking for information only I knew. After confirming my new address they said they would send me a letter to the new address as a final confirmation.

I have no issue with being security checked on the phone and am happy that they changed my address.

What really gripes me is both companies failed to tell me that a letter would still be sent to my old address advising me again that my address had been updated.

It would appear first hand that the companies are looking out for my interest. I accept it is the 21st century and that ID theft is ripe. Therefore I can certainly understand if someone was impersonating me and did the change maliciously this service would be useful.

However, I think they are just covering themselves.

Firstly if I hadn't had post redirection I wouldn't have known these letters were sent out.

Now you may be thinking what's the issue?

(1) Firstly they are assuming straight away I am not who I say I am even though I passed the security checks.

(2) They don't tell me their full intentions and what letters will be sent out.

(3) Now I am not accusing the person who moved into property as being malicious but.... What if this wasn't the case, they opened the letter that was sent, called the company, passed the security checks but then said the address should not have been changed. How do I get to find out?

Although nothing malicious has happened it has left a sour taste in my mouth. Two separate companies I deal with have indirectly not trusted me but I am expected to trust then with my money.

If they were that bothered about security then they could have asked me to provide proof such as a passport, driving license or proof of my new address all of which could have been couriered at their expense more securely.

Whoever came up with this practise of sending a letter to the old address really needs to go back to the drawing board and have a rethink. I would go as far as calling both the policy implementors and the policy itself stupid.

It's another sad example of companies not trusting their customers and implementing bad policies which probably adds no real value, just the impression that things appear secure.

I would like to see the real statistics to prove if this practise has protected people versus people who were a victim of ID fraud because of these letters being sent to their old address.

We now live in a time where there is a heightened sense of security and are advised to shred documents that can be used to identify us if they are no longer required.

However I am of the opinion this is another sad example of a good intention that clearly has not been thought out or even risk assessed correctly. It is a practice I would like to see disappear and a better process of identification put in its place.

I don't have all the answers but am happy I have not been affected by fraud as a result of this practice. However I do not like the fact that although I took the time to update my contact details there an element of mistrust in me.

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

The Pharmaceutical Race

My first tablet computer was an Archos 5 Internet Tablet 5 towards the end of 2009  which ran android 1.5 and also played a variety of media due to the Archos's extensive codec library.  It was during the short time of me having this tablet that I could see the potential of having a hand held computer that was not windows based, could be instantly powered on, had a large screen and could take the place of laptop, desktop or even smart phone for my daily internet activities.  This story was short lived when the Archos 5 decided to die on me, reset itself and lose all of my files and settings.  This left a sour taste in my mouth if I  could rely on this device when at any minute it could potentially do this again.

In January 2010 I saw the Ipad, laughed like other people at Apple's arrogance that they just invented the world again but still thought that it would be an android based table that I would end up with.   I purchased a cheap table from Hong Kong via Ebay for about £130 called an Eken M001 which was 7", ran Android 1.6 and had a resistive screen.  The technical specifications were similar to other tablets that are coming from the far east and are now available for about £100 over here.  Although this tablet was okay for ebook reading, minor browsing or reading your emails, again this was short lived because the keyboard was terrible for typing on.

It was after these two instances and after  recently purchasing an Iphone that I decided to purchase the Ipad.  The purchasing itself was not easy after being nearly ripped off on Ebay and after reserving one in PC World to only turn up and find out it was not in stock that I nearly gave up.  Although at the  end of January Apple showed the world that they had invented Tablet computing, my perception was they just brought a device to the market that worked, was well specced and had lots of applications that would differentiate it from calling it a large iphone.

Towards the end of 2010 we have seen the release of the Samsung Galaxy Tab at around £450, many have called an Ipad competitor and more recently the Advent Vega at £250.  I got hold of the Vega from Pc World because the specification was good, it was running Android 2.2 and had a capacitive screen.  My conclucisons on this device are it is a steal for £250 compared to the £100 tablets mentioned ealrler.  But you really need to apply the Performance Pack supplied by modaco to extend the device to include the Google Market and other services.  I would have kept the device if it wasn't for a bad episode with a 16gb SD Card which would not just work in the device.  After 3 formats and and rebuilds of the Vega I had enough, it was wiped, photographed and boxed to be sold on Ebay.  It sold within 12 hours.  Although this would could have been conisdered a bad memory card issue, it was very similar to my Nokia 5800 problem again with a 16gb SD card back in January 2008 of which I concluded was a hardware issue.  After dealing with this problem for several months I got shut of the 5800 and likewise I thought I am not being a slave to this problem with the Vega so subsequently sold this.

I was considering the Samsung Galaxy Tab and saw the device in the flesh, briefly used a colleagues and liked the keyboard but I settled on a second Ipad due to a video I saw on youtube of the Google Mail application on the Tab.  Unlike the Ipad, the Tab, like the vega, like the Eken and the Archos 5 do not use the screen real estate where ultimately the applications available for Android are all geared towards 800x400 or smaller.  You can argue the Ipad which can use IPhone applications at 2x the resolution looks terrible but there are more Ipad applications available that make use of the higher  resolution.

So , since December 2009 Android hasn't really developed on tablets and even google had said that until version 3 of Android it will not really be ready.  Whilst Samsung have done a sterling job with the TAB,  with a 1024x600 resolution the size of text on the screen in poroporiton to the screen size make it look like a childrens book with large writing.  Also the price of £450 approx is ridiculous and personally I wanted a product I know that will work for me, has a plether of applicaitons that are tablet aware and offers a welll rounded package.

The next version of Android needs to be an evolution, not lose its phone roots but show a distinct difference between a tablet os and phone os.  Google need to remove the restrictions of not allowing manufacturers  to use the market place because a tablet with Google is about as functional  as an etch a sketch.  Whilst "WIth Google" is an important trademark, it shows consuimers that this is a virgin device with no manufacturer tweaks, it needs to be freely available for any tablet that is to be launched.

Applications, applications and more applications need to be released that can take advantage of the screen real estate and offer more funcitonality than theiir smartphone os based versions. Sadly I dont believe this will happen until mid 2011 until the new version of Android is released that will allow higher resolutions and allow more diversity in devices so that they can make use of the Google services.

The hardware of the Advent Vega is the beginning of this evolution  but the OS desperately needs to catch up.  The Samsung Galaxy TAB shows what can be achieved with the right mix of hardware and Software, but it could be better as it is  shameful that you have to rely on Samsung to enhance the OS with a skin to supply a well rounded product.  This is  reminiscent of the HTC Sense on WIndows Mobile 6.5 where a skin was required to provide additional functionality.  This also the starting point of where Windows Mobile started to go wrong with manufacturers skinning the core OS, trying to hide the ugliness and lack of features which would always fall foul of when the OS was upgraded as it would mean  you need to either purchase the new model of hardware to get the new OS or wait endlessly for the manufacturer to update their skin.

In 2011 I dont know what devices I will have, but wouldn't have said in January 2010 that I would be typing up this blog on a macbook, use an iphone and own 2 ipads.  Whilst Android was and is still a market leader in mobile OS, Apple with have caught up on the hardware and OS and have certainly overtaken on the tablet front.

CES 2011 will be happening soon and this will set the scene for the rest of the year where one does not have to think hard that there will be a plethora of tablets on show.  However I do believe that unless Google changes the way they are developing  Android, restricting the minimum specification that allows manufacturers to use the whole Google package or begin to encourage developers to create a tablet version of their software; that android  could over time certainly go the way that Microsoft WIndows Mobile went; if they are not already heading down that path.

As with all races this is not just a two horse dash, there is the Blackberry and Palm offerings where I believe the Blackerry Pad will be business focused and the Palm We OS offering whilst technically fantastic will  also fall foul of here being no applications due to lack of developers and low uptake of the Palm Web OS just like the Pre now.

But as with any race we will not know until the end of the year to see who has won and who has fallen by the way side.