Ultramon for Windows 7 beta released

Ultramon is a utility that takes advantage of Multi-Monitor set-ups to extend your Windows task bar across multiple screens. You can quickly move applications or windows between screens and have the task bar on each monitor relevant to the windows being displayed on it.

Up to now it's not been possible to run Ultramon on Windows 7 but that's all changed with the new beta release. Check it out for free

Replacement iPhone 3GS

I took my 3GS back yesterday to the O2 store in Basingstoke, UK. Over the last week I noticed some dust particles behind the screen so a call to O2 confirmed it was a fault, under warranty and they'd swap it out.

If you have any issues with dust behind the screen of your new iPhone, my advice is to take it back to be replaced - I've also heard Apple stores will do a straight swap too.

3GS first impressions

My first thoughts on the new 3GS:-

It's fast. Everything is snappier, apps load faster and 3D games are massively improved. Calendar loads my Exchange, Caldav and several iCal calendars almost instantly.

It does close-ups. The camera is so much better with spot focus and incredible Macros.

It's less smudgy. The screen is much better, more slick and definitely retains less marks.

It's off colour. Compare a 3G to a 3GS and you'll notice the screen has a yellow hint on the 3GS. This is usually down to Apple messing with calibration and usually it's sw fixable.

It records video. Easy, simple and fast. Click, record, email or upload to YouTube.

It's loud. Not sure if it's me or my old phone is not right but the speaker seems MUCH louder playing music/sounds.

I can't say much for battery life at the moment as it was semi-charged and ideally needs to be completely run down and recharged. I usually find new iPhones take several cycles and a few days to get into the right mood.

WWDC aftermath, the iPhone 3GS

The WWDC keynote was surprising in a number of ways, not only for the lack of support from AT&T in the US on MMS and Tethering but the lack of any significant upgrades to the 3G hardware.

So what did we get?

• New camera. A 3 megapixel camera with auto-focus and better low light performance

• Video recording/editing. Video at 30fps using the new camera and processor and editing/trimming with uploading to MobileMe and YourTube as well as sending via MMS.
  
  
• Nike+ support. Built in, all you need is the transmitter.
  
  
• Compass. A digital compass to assist turn by turn GPS.
  
  
• Battery life. Improved battery life on Wifi, Video and Audio playing.
  
  
• More memory. 32gb and 16gb models.
  

we also got some new features:-

• HSPDA 7.2mb performance
  
• Faster processor with 2x performance across the device
• Improved rendering in Safari
  
• Voice control (launching, finding, calling)
  
• Accessibility features (contrast, voice activation/reading)
  
• Buy/Rent movies, buy TV shows and download to the device
• Improved Appstore/iPod interface
• Turn by Turn support (Tom Tom navigation coming)
  

and what didn't appear?

• New case. no cosmetic changes at all.
  
  
• Headphone jack change. still in the same place
  
  
• Front camera. we'll have to wait for 3G video conferencing and iChat.
  
  
• Flash. no flash support for the camera, instead a better camera for low light
  
  
• FM Radio. nothing mentioned
  
  
• OLED Screen. no mention of an OLED screen.
  

We also didn't see any announcement of changes to mobile providers so in the UK we're still stuck with O2 which have handled the launch badly. Instead of offering people the chance to renew their contract for a specific period e.g. if you're on 12 months on a 3G, extend another 18 months to get the 3GS, you have to wait or pay a penalty AND renew.

Bad form O2, bad form.

Roll on the 19th

6 ways to improve your current notebook without buying a new one

If you’re feeling the pinch or you just love your current notebook and don’t want to replace it, here’s a few tips I’ve learnt (and some I’ve done ) to improve the performance and in some cases the look of your computer and give it that new feeling.

1. Replace the hard drive. You need at least 20% free space on a hard disk to get the most out of it so buy a new drive (www.scan.co.uk is good) and use tools from www.acronis.com and a SATA USB interface to migrate your drive. In less than 4 hours (depending on the drive size) you’ll have a new, faster machine, more space and a complete image backup. If you’re feeling flush consider an SSD drive which will speed up your machine considerably, reduce noise/heat and improve battery life. A 256gb SSD will cost you around 500-600 GBP on eBay which is expensive but the difference is amazing.

2. Upgrade your OS. If you’re running Windows XP, consider upgrading to Vista SP2 or Windows 7 RC. XP is great but Vista SP2 and Windows 7 make much better use of hardware and resources even if it’s a couple of years old. Vista has a bad reputation but SP2 is where it comes good brings it much closer to the snappiness of Windows 7. Upgrade Vista to Windows 7 RC and you’ll notice boot times, resume and sleep times are reduced and the whole OS feels much snappier.


3. Install eBooster. Readyboost is a technology that swaps out frequently accessed data to a flash drive using the principle that it’s faster to load this from the flash memory than the hard drive. It does work and in conjunction with Superfetch (pre-loading frequently used applications) it improves performance but Readyboost rebuilds the cache on each reboot. eBooster works with XP, Vista and Windows 7 and takes Readyboost one step further by allowing you to determine what gets cached. Setup a flash disk or Express Card SSD and setup an eBooster cache and you’ll see faster boot times and instantly loading applications. You can also have multiple cache drives.


4. Upgrade your memory. Sounds obvious but it’s true. 32bit operating systems support up to 3gb of RAM (regardless of what’s installed) but 64bit can see much more. Max out your RAM to get the most of out of your system and consider 64bit OS if you really want to fly. Bear in mind that some applications don’t work properly or effectively on 64bit operating systems.


5. Replace your keyboard. Most notebook keyboards are removable and replaceable. Sony Vaios especially are simple to remove and replace and you can buy replacement keyboards from eBay for about 40 GBP. Replace your keyboard for a new one every 6 months and you’ll give your notebook a new lease of life plus you can sometimes end up with a much nicer keyboard with better movement and response. (Keep your old one for spare keys). I recently replaced my black Vaio keyboard for a silver one which looks more unique and doesn’t show key wear as much. For added effect I left the top row of keys in black (see below).


6. Skin your notebook. There’s lots of services that do this, LapJacks is one. Basically you buy Vinyl stickers that can be put on your notebook lid to cover it, updated it or Pimp it. It’s easy to install and remove them and there’s usually lots to choose from and you can sometimes upload your own images. One tip here is to buy TWO copies of the skin and use the 2nd to stick over your wrist pad, track pad and buttons. You end up with a unique notebook that is protected from scratches and smears. (the skin I’ve used is a worn skin which I applied to the lid, wrist pad and track pad and buttons. The usual response I end up with is “Jason, I know there’s a credit crunch but seriously, get a new machine”. The Irony is that this baby has a 256gb SSD and Windows 7 and packs a punch ;)

I put all this together over the past 6 months on my Vaio SZ7. Instead of buying a new model I pimped out my notebook as follows:-

a) Replaced the hard drive with a 256gb Samsung SSD

b) Installed a 32gb Express Card SSD to run Virtual machines

c) Replaced the black Vaio keyboard with a Silver version (which doesn’t show “shine” wear as much)

d) Skinned the laptop lid, wrist pad, track pad and buttons.

e) Upgraded from Vista SP2 Beta to Windows 7 Beta and finally RC

I’ve probably spent around 700 GBP doing this and yes for that money I could have bought a cheap laptop but I wouldn’t have got anywhere near the spec of the machine I no have. I get 4+ hours battery life on the standard battery, it boots Windows 7 in less than 30 seconds and I struggle to keep up with is sometimes!

If you’ve upgraded your notebook, are considering it or just have a something to say, please comment.

iPhone Video, OS 3.0 and on UK Vodafone?

The Apple WWDC conference is looming and so is the announcement of the device (or devices) that will be running the 3.0 OS.

The latest beta 5 of the OS was released some weeks ago and Beta 6 has been expected but is weeks late. Rumors are that this is because Beta 6 would be adding functionality and applications that would reveal too much about the new device most notably video recording.

Next week the developer conference kicks off and we're expecting to see the announcement and presentation of the new device and the final release of OS 3.0.

So what can we expect?

Here's a run down of expectations:-

• New case. the new case will do away with the chrome surround and change the backing of the device to improve grip.
  
  
• Headphone jack change. this will be repositioned to the bottom of the device.
  
  
• New camera. an improved 3+ megapixel camera is expected with video recording capability.
  
  
• Front camera. A front facing camera will allow video calls and provide iChat support.
  
  
• Flash. the Apple logo will double as a flash for taking pictures in low light.
  
  
• Video recording/editing. the new device will be focusing on video allowing recording of clips which could be sent via MMS, e-Mail even uploaded to YouTube or Mobile Me. Basic video editing could also be included.
  
  
• Nike+ support. Added to the latest iPod Touch there's no reason not to expect this.
  
  
• Compass. A digital compass will enable turn by turn GPS.
  
  
• FM Radio. ;no more streaming radio over GPRS/3G/Wifi.
  
  
• OLED Screen. better screen and battery life.
  
  
• Battery life. lots of improvements to optimise battery life and extend it by 1.5x
  

There's also a rumor going around that Vodafone UK are prepping for launch of the iPhone on their network. This means that in the UK O2 and Vodafone will be selling the iPhone and also opens up the possibliy of existing O2 customers migrating to the Vodafone network. No news on T-mobile UK joining in yet.

Can't wait to get my hands on one.