After Apple’s press conference yesterday, they have announced that buyers of the new iPhone 4 will get free bumper cases, Apple’s own case for the iPhone 4 which wraps around the side of the phone. As well as this they have said that those who have already purchased the case will be refunded and those still not happy with the product will be offered refunds on the phone even if it is on a contract.

Hopefully Apple does eventually fix the problem rather than just addressing it with the case. Although, I think Apple did handle the problem well in the end, it took way too long for them to acknowledge that there was a problem in the first place.

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Let me know in the poll below.

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In a recent Cult of Mac post, PR experts outline the dangers of Apple continuing to skirt the recent accusations of a bad antenna design, especially after yesterday’s news of Consumer Reports magazine claiming it is unable to recommend the iPhone 4 after recent tests found too many faults with the phone’s hardware. “Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product,” Matthew Seeger, an expert in crisis communication, told Cult of Mac. “It’s critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating.” [Source: Techland]

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Apple’s iPhone 4 seemed like a pretty cool device when it first came out but now it seems like Apple’s image as a company which prides itself on the quality of its products is in tatters. The iPhone 4 has a serious design flaw with its antenna and the problem is not the design fault itself, as many great companies have released a product with a flaw in it, but the fact that Apple is not admitting to the mistake. In fact they are blaming the consumer by saying that they are holding it the wrong way. It is this arrogance which could lead to the failure of the product.

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The world’s largest software vendor, which has ambitions of making its Xbox 360 not just a gaming device but a hub of home video and Web entertainment, will also begin selling a smaller, same-priced version of the console this week.

Microsoft would not say how much Kinect — which plugs into Xboxes and lets players control games with body and hand gestures — will sell for, though analysts’ estimates range from $50 to $200. Executives said 15 titles, including one from Ubisoft, will be available at the time of launch.

Ahead of this week’s E3 convention, Microsoft offered sneak peeks of upcoming titles, including a LucasArts game in which Jedi Knights do battle with light sabers, and a fitness program that lets players compete in sports from bowling to sprinting.

The world’s leading gaming hardware makers, hoping to reignite the slumping $60 billion industry, will unveil a plethora of futuristic gadgets at the E3 convention this week.

The rush of technology comes just as the video game industry, which dwarfs the $10 billion domestic movie box office, needs it. U.S. industry sales — hardware, software and accessories — are down more than 10 percent to $4.7 billion this year through April, according to research firm NPD Group.

Microsoft also said on Monday it had struck a deal with Walt Disney Co’s ESPN network to broadcast live sporting events into U.S. living rooms through the Xbox 360 games console, bypassing traditional cable providers.

Live games will be broadcast through Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, and will be offered at no additional cost.

It already offers Netflix movies and Zune music and videos through its Xbox Live online subscription service. There has been talk that it will announce a deal to add Hulu TV shows to the service at E3.

The arrival of Kinect may pressure Nintendo, which pioneered motion-sensing gaming through an all-purpose controller with its Wii system. Nintendo is expected to unveil more details on its 3D games system that requires no glasses at E3.

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New Xbox 360

Microsoft will release a smaller, redesigned Xbox 360 console in Australia on July 1 featuring built-in wireless networking support and an internal, removable 250GB hard drive.

Don Mattrick, Xbox Senior Vice President, says the new console is “sleeker, smaller and whisper-quiet”. It will cost $449 in Australia.

Microsoft’s unveiled the redesigned machine at its press conference today at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, the first official event of this week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). E3 is the biggest annual event on the world’s gaming calendar.

The 90-minute presentation was evenly split between hardcore games designed to keep existing Xbox 360 fans glued to their consoles, and new motion-sensing games for the Kinect add-on, which Microsoft hopes can attract a wider audience to their system.

Kinect, which was previously known by the code-name Project Natal, will launch on November 4 in the US and before Christmas in Australia. Around 15 titles will be available at launch.

“For lots of people, that controller is a barrier,” says Microsoft creative director Kudo Tsunoda. “We set out to make a new control paradigm where anybody can get in and play, without having to read the instructions or learn a complicated set of controls.”

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In my opinion, the Kinect seems like a way to cash in on Nintendo’s success with the Wii. The Wii is extremely popular with whole families and younger kids and this is different target is what i think led to its success. For this reason both microsoft and Sony are trying to copycat Ninendo’s moves to stay in the competition. But, Microsoft’s new console looks absolutely awesome.

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The iPad. A magical, revolutionary device in a category of its own. But what’s the point?

Apple created their own category of device. A device which has more capabilities than a smartphone but is not quite a laptop. The device seemed pretty slick with the ability to use apps similar to the iPhone but on a larger screen. Using iWork on this thing seemed pretty cool when it shown off at Steve Jobs’ keynote and how awesome would it be to watch videos on a device like this if you were travelling on a train or in the passenger seat of a car. You could have hours of entertainment right at your fingertips. On top of this you could browse the internet in a new, revolutionary way. This seemed like a dream device.

Then you found out about the limitations. No USB port to export your iWork documents, an additional adapter so you could connect your camera and the fact that you could only install things Apple wanted you to install. Then there are the obvious things such as a front facing camera for video chat. This seemed like a no-brainer, to be able to talk to your friends with an iPad would be an awesome experience. But it seems Apple left this feature out, probably to release it in the second generation. Next, it raises the question of where will you use it? Sure you could take it to school or work and take notes at a meeting but the touchscreen keyboard kind of limits it as you have to be looking at the screen to get your fingers in the correct position. You could use it on the bus or train to watch movies or read books. Firstly, reading books on a screen this bright and vibrant, although implemented well, will just not work. The backlight will cause eye strain and this cannot be avoided. Reading whole novels on this device will lead you to ruin your eyes even if you think it is fine in the beginning. Secondly, why would you want to fork out so much for a device where you can only watch movies. That’s what a portable dvd player is all about and you can buy one for about $50 now.

So you have this device, something which was supposed to be magical and revolutionary but it wasn’t. Its the tiny limitations of the product which make you realise how awesome it could have been but just wasn’t. What is the point of buying a device like this? Can you name any uses specifically for this device which warrants the need for a new category of device?

You can also find this article at my newsvine.com column

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Has Apple left iPhone 3G customers out in the cold? These are the first iPhones which came out internationally and now with the latest iOS4, sure the 3G will get the update but most of the features which people want are simply not there.

I can understand the logic behind no multitasking as the phone isn’t optimised for it. It’s processor will probably not be able to cope. I also understand that Apple want to make sure the end user gets an enjoyable experience when using their product. However, I cannot think why some other of the highly anticipated features such as customisable wallpapers, folders and iBooks were not allowed on the older iPhone. They probably would have worked fine as customisable wallpapers and other cool features have been available for jailbroken iPhones for ages. These ran fine, there were no complaints about the performance and the processor seemed to cope. This seems like a ploy by Apple to get everyone to renew their contracts with their carrier for the iPhone 4. Not a good practice if you ask me. The fact that the earlier products have just been abandoned so users are forced to fork out money to upgrade or live with an inferior phone which could have done so much more. The funny thing is, Apple have such an influence on people that everyone will accept this and move on. Take the iPad for example; if it was launched by some other company, exactly the same product but with a different logo on it, no one would have given it the slightest bit of attention. Apple can get away with making a product which deliberately is cut back on features and so when the next generation is released, the product which people wanted will come. This is a really bad tactic for the consumer. Especially those devoted to Apple and their products, to whom Steve Jobs is a god. The fact that Apple can sell so many of a device which lacks features most people expect is amazing. The fact that Apple managed to make a 2G phone in a 3G world and still make it one of the most popular phones in the US is a wonder. It is just amazing that this sales technique works purely because of the fanbase for their product.

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“Lockerz is an invitation-only website created to connect members through commerce, content and social networking. Once invited, you’ll be able to watch exclusive video, buy great products, discover new music, play games, and connect with friends. You’ll be able to do this all in one place, AND you’ll get rewarded for just doing the things you love. When you watch a video, play a game, or even log in, you’ll earn Pointz (or “PTZ”) Lockerz own form of currency. Turn around and redeem your PTZ for incredible merchandise, unique experiences and exclusive deals and sales.
Our mission is to be your daily habit, not a site for your parents or grandparents looking for their long-lost friends from kindergarten. Thanks to our millions of members around the world, Lockerz is already taking off beyond our greatest expectations. While still in beta, we’ve been sending today’s most coveted items, from iPods to Xboxes, to members around the globe who have redeemed their PTZ and earned great prizes.
Too good to be true? Why are we doing this? To thank you for joining early. To build a Lockerz community of leaders and trendsetters. To give you a taste of how PTZ will work when we go live in early 2010. And to test out different prizes and PTZ levels. That’s key. This version of PTZ Place is a test. PTZ levels will change when the full Lockerz site launches.
We’re excited to have our early members join now, and explore and help shape the site before our official launch. We hope you’ll join us.”

For an invite, just send me an email at murtaza@buildyourown-computer.com

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Pros:

-Free

-Effective virus protection

-Small file size

-Easy to understand interface

Cons:

-Lacks high end features such as email scanning and anti spam

-Full scan takes a long time to complete

Recently Microsoft launched their new security suite to combat the many viruses which plague PCs and give Mac people a point to argue about. But this isn’t just another competitor in a huge market; this product is free and is built to put virus protection in almost every Windows computer due to its simple interface and low file size.

this new security suite is quite basic, consisting of an anti virus only. It has no anti spam, firewall or any other bells and whistles which other security suites have. Instead it relies on Windows’ built in firewall as protection. Despite lacking some of the features of other security suites, it is incredibly light weight and only a 4MB download. The interface is simple and easy to use and understand. It shows all security threats visually but is very unobtrusive. It only interrupts when necessary, otherwise it quietly runs in the background.

Not only is it a quiet antivirus, it is also very effective in detecting and getting rid of viruses. It easily detected several trojans on my computer after visiting a dodgy site. This was after performing a quick scan which, for normal users is all that is needed. A quick scan only takes a few minutes and is quite good. The full scan which, as the name suggests, scans everything is quite slow, often taking a few hours to complete a scan. The program also constantly scans in the background while you are browsing the internet and warns you of potential threats. It quickly immobilises any viruses which get onto your computer through the internet. I doesn’t,  however, scan email as it comes through. This means that any viruses which get to you by email will only be detected after your computer has been infected. Visual cues make it easy for anyone to know whether something is wrong with your computer and large, clear buttons make this program easy to use and understand for anyone. In general, the software is reliable but the fact that it lacks may  high end features such as email scanning and software firewall, it is not a good solution for people and businesses with sensitive data. For any home user it is a perfect and cheap solution.

Overall, this anti virus package from Microsoft is an excellent free solution to a problem which has plagued PC users for years. It really leaves no excuse for having no virus protection as it is a good piece of freeware. Although it lacks some of the more advanced features of other security packages, it is free and you can’t complain about that.

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After a week of testing Microsoft’s latest operating system out, here is a full review on how it is.

Pros

• Redesigned Taskbar
• Gesture Controls
• Faster than Vista
• Smaller Footprint

Cons

• Similar Appearance to Vista (Not really a bad thing but I like change)
• Some features are a bit gimmicky
• Pricey for Australians (unless you buy the OEM version)

Overview

I don’t have to remind everyone of the epic failure Vista was but Microsoft has now released their latest operating system, Windows 7. It has promised to be everything Vista was not. Judging by first impressions, I was very impressed. Installation was incredibly fast and easy (I performed a clean install) and surprisingly Windows found the drivers for ALL my devices automatically. My wireless card drivers were even there. I didn’t need to touch any of the CDs I got with the devices or manually go to websites to download 64-bit drivers. So far Windows 7 was living up to its claims.

Features

The most obvious new feature is seen as soon as the desktop has loaded. It is the new taskbar. I must say that it is nice to have large icons for a change. The taskbar is much tidier than the older windows ones as when a program is running, all you see is the icon of the program lit up on the taskbar. You can preview all the windows just by hovering over the icon and Windows will even maximise that windows will the mouse pointer is over the thumbnail. The new taskbar is very similar to Mac’s dock however minus the visual effects of bouncing icons and Mexican waves. Another new feature is the fact that the system tray is not clogged up with icons anymore. Instead all of the icons can go to an overflow area unless you specify that you want the icons on the system tray. Also, instead of having annoying pop ups saying your anti-virus is turned off etc. there is a new action center which is indicated by a flag. You just need to click on it to see what problems there could be on your computer and you can easily disable the message. Another new feature is Aero Peek which is a little button on the far right of the taskbar. If you hover over it, it turns all the windows transparent and allows you to see the desktop. Clicking on the button will minimise all windows. I honestly don’t see any point for this feature except for eye candy. The only thing you could use it for is if you needed to see the weather or check the currency exchange rates but it still is a fun thing to play with. Windows 7 also features a new search bar which I found extremely useful. The search is much more detailed and covers Control panel items as well. Once you use it you will never want to go back. This covers most of the new taskbar improvements.

Another feature which I really like is the gesture controls. For example, if you want to maximise the window you simply grab the top of it and drag it to the top of the screen. To restore it, you just drag down again. There is Aero Shake which means if you have hundreds of windows open on your desktop and you wanted to focus on that one window, you simply shake the windows you want to focus on and all the other windows will be minimised. If you want all the windows back, you just shake the same window again. Finally, there is Aero Snap where you can drag one window to the right of the screen and the other to the left and they will fit side by side making it easy to copy text from one to the other. When the two windows are side by side, you don’t to click twice to activate the other windows and do something. Instead you can just normally copy text without having to click the other window hundreds of times just to get it to activate. These small features easily become second nature and increase your productivity however I feel these features will be much more effective on a touchscreen rather than with a mouse. Another thing is the boot up time. This is significantly improved over Vista. Not only this but while everything is loading, you can use programs. You don’t have to click the Internet Explorer logo and wait 10 minutes with just the blue loading ring going on. It will load as fast as it does everytime. This just about covers the major Windows 7 improvements and the ones which are worth covering.

Installation

Windows 7 was a piece of cake to install. It is like installing any other program. You just keep clicking next and it will be installed. I managed to get it fully installed with updates and drivers in less than one hour. The OS also takes up a smaller footprint partly because Microsoft hasn’t included Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker. These can be installed as part of the Live Essentials program though and both programs are an improvement over their Vista counterparts. The new Movie Maker has the Ribbon interface which makes it easy to use and there are several new effects. it still can’t match iMovie though. Microsoft also but their Ribbon interface on Wordpad (The free version of Microsoft Word) and Paint. Microsoft has significantly improved Paint. It has new brushes and is a lot of fun to use. The brushes look realistic as well and some even “run out” of paint! Windows 7 also has new types of themes which allows you to have a line up of wallpapers which will change after a specified amount of time. In these themes you can also set the colour of the Aero glass. There are many downloadable themes from Microsoft’s website including ones for different countries. There are also a few themes from different companies such as Coca-Cola and Porsche. Microsoft has included quite a few themes pre installed and you can easily create your own theme if you want to.

Along with Windows 7, Microsoft released a free Security suite called Security Essentials. It is basically just an anti-virus. I tested this program out and it is actually really good. it doesn’t eat up RAM and is easy to manage. It is non intrusive and barely slows down start up time. I would highly recommend this product for average computer users. Those who need a lot of protection for their valuable data might want to look elsewhere as this suite doesn’t have some of the advanced features which many payware suites do have. There is a full review of this coming soon.

Conclusion

Overall, Windows 7 really has lived up to its claims. Although there are no real gaming performance advantages, Windows 7 loads faster and overall feels more polished than Vista was. There are several new features and although some may be gimmicky, it is still fun to use. Honestly, Windows 7 is on of the best Microsoft OS’s I have ever used and I highly recommend it to anyone. It will work on many computers, even those with low system specifications. Windows 7 really is what Vista never was.

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