Category Archives: Technology

Computers, Technology

The 7″ Surface

So PC sales are falling, big time, there’s a shock. To protect its two cash cows (Windows and Office), Microsoft has jumped into the hardware market to try and guarantee it can expand onto devices other than the serves and workstations that have been its mainstay for the last 30 years.

By all accounts, it’s not going well, with Surface sales poor, while Nokia is still struggling to make headway against Apple and Samsung (although sales of their Lumia range are improving). It’s too early to tell how it’ll pan out, Microsoft has a history of starting slow in new markets, but it has deep enough pockets to stick around to get it right.

So it was with interest I noted the potential launch of a smaller Surface tablet, 7- and/or 8-inch models are rumoured. Add to that the likelihood that Windows Phone is due to have 1080p output by the end of the year and you have some interesting specs to roll together.

Compared to their rivals, the Surface tablets feature quite a lot of connectivity options. Even the lowest model comes with a USB slot, a microSD expansion slot and an HD video out port. These are in addition to Bluetooth support. Continue reading →

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Health, Technology

The Case for Routine Monitoring

It was with some sadness I read the story of Iain Banks’ diagnosis of terminal cancer. I’ve not read any of his books (though I’ve been meaning to), but I have recently seen him in a Google Hangout (along with Alastair Reynolds and Peter F. Hamilton) and in a ‘Five Minutes with…’ interview on the BBC.

In both cases he appeared to be more than just an intelligent and thought-provoking man, but one who was energetic and full of zeal. Which makes the news even more shocking, because he appeared perfectly healthy.

Gall bladder cancer is an extremely rare condition, with fewer than 700 people being diagnosed in the UK each year (1,000 according to the NHS).  It’s more common in women than men and in people over 70.  Iain is 59.

As with many cancers, if caught early enough it may be possible to remove/treat it, but like many other cancers it usually remains undetected until it causes problems, and therefore symptoms, in some other organ. Continue reading →

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Business, Computers, Technology

The XP Subscription Model

The venerable Windows XP operating system is due to be completely retired in April 2014. First introduced back in 2001, it has stood the test of time, with many people still happily using it and holding a significant market share.

Microsoft obviously wants to move on and doesn’t want to support code that’s now well over a decade old. For many consumers XP is good enough though. Some are so familiar with it that the massive changes in Windows 8 forces them up a significant learning curve (and it’s an OS that has been criticised for its lack of usability).

So why keep turning over new operating systems? Apple’s OS X has been around about as long as XP and has required very few changes to the interface in that time. My suspicion is that, as one of Microsoft’s big earners, they need to keep producing new versions so consumers and businesses will keep buying them.

So I’m proposing an alternative revenue model for Microsoft, so they can keep updating XP into the future: subscriptions. It seems to be the way they’re going anyway, so why not offer existing XP users a £12 a year (£1 a month) subscription to keep XP? I’d guess you’re looking at millions of existing users, so while that doesn’t sound like much, it should be plenty to support a team of developers to keep releasing patches and updates.

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Technology

Cool Factor vs Practicality

While I largely agree with Jason Kottke’s recent article on the MYO armband, I have to disagree with some of it, particularly this statement:

The Segway was another great idea on paper that failed in part because of human vanity. Segways weren’t cool…you looked like a dork riding one. You’re gonna look like a dork wearing Google Glass. You’re gonna look like a dork unlocking your car with a swipe of your Myo-enabled arm.

The Segway didn’t fail because it was uncool, it failed because it was fundamentally flawed and didn’t fulfill a need. Consumers are ruthless, it’s one of fundamentals of capitalism.

Launched in 2003, the Segway had a 15 mile range, way too short, and travelled at 12mph, way too slow. Then there was the fact that it cost $3,000 (£4,600 in the UK) which made it far too expensive for any consumer to buy as a bit of fun and it was royally legislated against. The only place you can drive one in the UK is on private property, for example, as it’s classed as a powered vehicle but it doesn’t pass the requirements to be used on the road.

So what you’re left with is a very expensive novelty toy, that’s why it failed to sell. Continue reading →

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Technology

I Want a Bigger Tablet

I was lucky enough to receive a Nexus 7 for Christmas. I’ve previously written that I didn’t see a market for 7″ tablets. That’s obviously been proven incorrect (I agreed with Steve Jobs and even Apple has gone back on his comments with the Mini).

Having had mine for several weeks I can say that, while the form factor is great for certain things (it’s very portable, easy to read books on and is perfect for single apps) it definitely isn’t perfect for surfing the web or writing content (I wrote some of this on my iPad using a Bluetooth keyboard). They basically work like a bigger-screen version of your phone (for checking email and the web) or an iPod Touch (for media consumption). (Which might explain the growth of phablets.)

To be fair, even my iPad is a bit small for churning my way through the hundreds of articles in the RSS feeds I subscribe to. What I want is a bigger tablet. A4 in size (or slightly bigger to allow for some chrome), which works out at 14″ across the diagonal. Continue reading →

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