Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Whether its shopping for bargains, downloading music, ogling babes, Facebooking or gaming like a obsessive compulsive, UK surfers are more addicted to the Net than anyone else in Europe. Brits spend an average of 839 minutes each week online - almost 14 hours - compared to 794 minutes for the French, with the German’s a long way back in third with 573 minutes. Only the US has a higher weekly online presence with 913 minutes. The figures form a small part of Ofcom’s latest communications report. Within the online surfing stats, Brits are also among the most social, with half of UK surfers using sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo - up 11% on last year. Uploading photos onto the Net is the most popular networking activity, with 43% of surfers doing it. And don’t even get us started on how Brits are addicted to texting - if you want to see how you stack up to the rest of Europe [and others], jump now. Minutes per week spent online: UK - 839 France - 794 Germany - 573 Italy - 523 USA - 913 Spain - 449 Percentage of social networkers: UK - 50 France - 27 Germany - 34 Italy - 32 USA - 40 Canada - 55 Japan - 33 Text Messages sent per person per month UK - 81 France - 25 Germany - 23 USA - 107 Canada - 26 Poland - 108 Spain - 24 Netherlands - 31 Sweden - 45 Ireland - 154 Even at 81 texts per month though, the Irish text more than anyone else with a whopping 154 per month. Factors explaining UK online fever can be attributed in part to cheaper broadband and higher penetration rates (60%) compared to the other 12 industrialised nations in the report.-Martin Lynch [Telegraph] internet UK news

Original post by nafiz

We all knew that the second expansion pack for the World Of Warcraft (WoW) gaming phenomenon was going to do well but, it seems to have exceeded expectations by smashing the one-day sales record for a PC game. Figures just released by developer Blizzard show that Wrath of the Lich King, which hit stores last week, managed to shift a massive 2.8m copies in the first 24-hours, becoming the fastest ever selling PC title. The figure eclipsed the record created by the first WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade, which sold 2.4m copies in January 2007. The indicators were good from the outset with more than 2,500 Warcraft fanatics queuing for the latest instalment on London’s Oxford St. Sales were also helped by the fact that 15,000 stores around the world opened at midnight to feed the frenzy. “After a single day of availability, Wrath of the Lich King is already the bestselling PC game of 2008 at GameStop and ranks as one of our top-selling products so far this year,” said Bob McKenzie, GameStop’s senior vice president of merchandising. Blizzard recently announced that WoW had passed the 11m subscriber mark, proving that being a Level 80 Death Knight is more important than saving for a recession. See the cinematic trailer below.-Martin Lynch games warcraft

Original post by nafiz

The iTunes U category @ the iTunes store gathers together a ton of free and interesting educational vids on a variety of topics including - engineering, mathematics, science, and much more - iTunes U

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Original post by Collin Cunningham

If you believe the rumours circling around the music industry at the moment then Apple may be close to securing a long-overdue deal to provide DRM-free music from major recording studios. It is currently in talks with Universal, Warner and Sony BMG to secure the rights for its iTunes website, which aside from the obvious advantages also means that it′ll no longer be providing tunes exclusively for its own audio players.Everyone seems a little hesitant to offer any solid details at this point as any deal is reliant on Apple being reasonable enough to play ball, but with rivals like Play.com and 7Digital already offering such content it would seem like a necessary move to consolidate its position. More unsubstantiated rumours suggest that Sony could be looking to abolish DRM on its catalogue altogether, and if this is true then it would make sense for others to follow suit. Hopefully the success of those who have already adopted the new model will prove that people are more than happy to pay for music as long as they don’t feel like they’re being taken advantage of or ripped off, then we can wave goodbye to this whole DRM debacle for good. - Paul Lester [CNet] Apple iTunes DRM

Original post by nafiz

The biggest overhaul of Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service, dubbed the New Xbox Experience (NXE), has finally gone live. Is it, like Microsoft marketing twerps tried to say recently, the biggest thing in home entertainment since the arrival of colour TV in 1954? Ah, no. First and foremost is the addition of avatars, giving gamers the chance to create little, cartoonish virtual identities, something like the Mii avatars on the Nintendo Wii but more animated, better looking and with more customisation options. No doubt, millions of LIVE gamers are currently dealing with the tough decisions ahead: goatee or not goatee? Some avid LIVE fans have had to wait a few hours for the prompt to update but then this is a popular upgrade so Microsoft’s Major Nelson is asking for some patience. “As you can imagine, it’s been an incredible day so far for the New Xbox Experience. With an update of this magnitude, reaching more than 14 million people around the globe, we are aware some of you may be experiencing a few hiccups along the way. The LIVE team is closely monitoring the LIVE service and Xbox.com and are aware of a few issues including what’s happening with Marketplace. The team is actively working on the issues, so thanks for bearing with us.” Jump now for Major Nelson’s Top 10 things to do with NXE.Top 10 NXE Tasks 1) Create (or Customize) your Avatar - You can spend as much (or as little) time as you want in the Avatar Editor to personalize your little guy/girl Bonus: When you are done with #1, be sure to take a Gamer Picture of your Avatar. In the Avatar editor, choose Gamer Picture. You can use the controls to move your avatar around, zoom in and out or even change the background color (press Y) 2) Explore the all new dashboard. (hint: use the trigger and bumpers to quickly scroll up and down or left and right) 3) PAR-TAY! Check out Xbox LIVE Parties and chat with up to seven of your friends. Go to the Friends channel…choose a friend who is online and press Y to get the party started. You can also hit the Xbox 360 Guide button &gt Party &gtStart a Party. Once you do that, send off invites to your party (since one does not make a very good party…does it?) 4) Themes. While any themes you work will NXE, check out some of the new themes via My Xbox and select your profile (second slot) and then change theme. Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and Night are new themes that available as part of your NXE upgrade…check them out. 5) Marketplace on Xbox.com. This new feature lets you search, browse, and purchase games and videos while you are away from your console. You can also perform account management functions like changing your billing information, viewing your purchase history, and downloading items you already own. 6) Netflix - Xbox LIVE Gold Member and you have Netflix? If you are in the US you can stream thousands of videos (some in HD) directly from Netflix to your Xbox 360. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial at Xbox.com/netflix 7) Install to / Play from Hard Drive. With the game in the tray, return to your dashboard. (pressing the guide button then Y works as always) then go to My Xbox. From here press Y, which will bring up a new menu which will allow, among other things the ability to install a game to your hard drive. Hint: You can still use the Xbox 360 guide while installing a game to keep in touch with your friends or start a Party. Bonus: Before you do #7, be sure to set up what happens when you turn on your Xbox 360. My Xbox-&gtSystem Settings&gtConsole settings. Then choose Start up to to choose Disc, Xbox Dashboard or Windows Media Center. Once you are done there…check the option right below it: Autostart. This tell your Xbox 360 what to do when you insert a game. The choices are enable or disable. I have mine set to disable so I can easily use install to hard drive. Delete Zero Gamerscore games. You can remove any games from your games played list that you have earned no achievements or gamerscore. Press the Xbox 360- guide button, navigate left to the games section and choose Achievements. From here choose the game with zero gamerscore you want to remove and press X (Delete Game History.) 9) Press the Xbox 360 button on your controller to see the all new Guide. The team has added more functionality than the old guide, while making it more responsive. It’s a quick way to check your messages, see who is online or start a party. 10) Take a look at Community Games in the Games Marketplace. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public. The update to NXE does some nice things like avatars, better communications with friends and Netflix downloads. That said, UK [and European] users still have no access to Netflix standard and HD movie and TV downloads - something that is proving to be one of the most popular NXE features for US gamers. C’mon guys, sort it out.-Martin Lynch

Original post by nafiz

There’s more news for online media addicts and more reason for ISPs to be wringing their hands today. The Beeb has announced that from the 27th of November it will offer live broadcasts of BBC One and BBC Two via its website, accompanying BBC Three, BBC Four and BBC News. Video will be offered in Flash format like the iPlayer services and as usual if any programmes are missed you have a week to download or stream them with the usual software. Director of BBC Vision Jana Bennett said “The launch of BBC One and BBC Two online completes our commitment to make our portfolio of channels available to watch on the internet. From 27 November licence fee payers will be able to watch BBC programmes, live, wherever they are in the UK on their computers, mobile phones and other portable devices.” Media watchdog OfCom backs up AMD’s recent survey by confirming hat the number of people watching TV on the Internet has doubled in the last 12 months. How’s that extra bandwidth coming on then BT? - Paul Lester [BBC] BBC iPlayer online

Original post by nafiz

Can’t be bothered typing Internet searches on your iPhone? Then try talking. Google has added voice functionality to its Mobile App for the iPhone which it claims allows you to speak your searches into the phone. This voice search facility was announced recently but Google has finally launched it. The only question is whether Apple has managed to get it up on the App Store? Despite its official launch a few days ago, Apple failed to put the new and improved Google application up on the App Store. There’s new version of the Google Mobile App up there now but it doesn’t list the voice functionality in its new features list. I’ve been told it’s there though, but you′ll have to activate the feature yourself.. Google product manager, Gummi Hafsteinsson, jokingly explained voice app: “Have you ever been in a hurry and really needed to find an answer to something, but there was no one to ask? Like when you′re grocery shopping and looking for the last item on your list, the kids are running around you in circles, you′re holding a basket in one hand, and you have no idea what “fennel bulbs” look like. That’s why we’ve added voice search to Google Mobile App for the iPhone — and made it super easy to use. Once the app is running, you don’t have to tap any buttons. Just hold the iPhone to your ear, wait for the beep, and say what you′re looking for.” For those of you that wish to voice search for things other than fennel bulbs, you can find it on App Store by searching for ‘Google Mobile App’. Let us know if it’s any good or, if there’s some funny UK-to-US English anomalies.-Martin Lynch google iphone software

Original post by nafiz

President Elect Barack Obama used technology very well in his campaign to win the White House. Just ask Xbox LIVE gamers and iPhone owners. And, even with the White House in his pocket, he has no intention of stopping, making his first in a series of weekly addresses via YouTube. His first address at the weekend confirmed Obama’s love for technology and he plans to keep uploading his Saturday night addresses to YouTube. Of course, while YouTube was the first, his videos are now also being uploaded to other video services like Yahoo, MSN and AOL, among others. Some quibble that YouTube is not the proper forum for an incoming president but it didn’t stop former US president, Franklin D Roosevelt making his radio-based ‘Fireside Chats’ the most popular radio broadcasts back in the 1930s and 40s. Who cares that just one click away you can watch a skateboarding dog?-Martin Lynch obama youtube politics

Original post by nafiz

Fred writes-

Thingiverse is an “object sharing” site that enables anyone to upload the schematics, designs, and images for their projects. Users can then download and reuse the work in their projects using their own laser cutters, 3D printers, and analog tools. Think of it as a Flickr for the Maker set.

Besides implementing our licenses, Bre and Zach have also gone the distance and allowed users to license works under the GNU GPL, LGPL, and BSD licenses, as well as allowing them to release works into the public domain. Thingiverse uses our license wrappers for each of these licenses thereby enabling automatic indexing by machines like search engines.

I uploaded my iPhone stand, you can check it out there, update: the site is down, might be too many users, check back later!

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Original post by Phillip Torrone

The results of AMD’s European survey into notebook usage paints a clear picture of our digitally oriented future as 77% of respondents claim they could not live without access to the internet. Compare this to 54% of people who say ‘car’ and 61% who say ‘washing machine’ as things they couldn’t live without and there’s no doubting the importance of the world wide web to our lives. People aren’t just browsing around either, since the biggest market that has driven this interest is digital media. 81% of people have uploaded digital photos over the last year, 77% watch videos on YouTube and 66% download music. In addition, 76% have gotten their hands dirty with online gaming, 51% of people have downloaded and 43% have streamed movies. In terms of the future many are citing visual quality as high on their list of demands, with almost half saying that graphics play a large part in a purchasing decision and further figures showing that the demand for HD content is always on the rise. With all these high-bandwidth activities sitting at the top of our list of priorities, we think it’s about time BT and pals put high-speed broadband a bit higher on theirs. - Paul Lester [MarketWatch] internet digital media online

Original post by nafiz

UK Internet users could be worth as much as £14,500 each to online fraudsters according to the latest figures from consumer online safety group, Get Safe Online. Working adults [based on an average salary of almost £24,000] could be had for up to £14,500 per online fraud attempt. Get Safe Online experts claim that internet fraudsters take as much advantage of a person’s accessible finances as they can in a short space of time, before moving on to the next victim. This includes emptying current and savings accounts, and spending the full limit of their credit cards. Now that an estimated 6 out of 10 of us manage our finances online, Get Safe Online - backed by the government, police and banks - thinks UK citizens need to be more vigilant than ever. Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online commented: “We are actively encouraging more people to go online, but in doing so, to ensure that they are safe and secure. We want to draw attention to the fact that online criminal activity can be a sophisticated business, but that each of us can take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim. If internet users invest a relatively small amount of time and money in ensuring they are fully protected and up-to-date, the risk of such financial loss is almost negligible. To install the essential software and learn about the key safety measures on the Get Safe Online website takes a matter of a few hours - a small but worthwhile inconvenience compared to the potential loss.” UK citizens though are not complete fools it seems, with 85% now using some form of anti-virus software. That said, almost half of all UK Net users do not update their AV software frequently enough, 23% have no anti-spyware protection and 47% do not have any protection against ‘phishing’ attacks. Victims of phishing attacks in the UK have trebled in the past 12 months. If you need to know more about protecting the pennies and your ID online, find out more here.-Martin Lynch crime internet

Original post by nafiz

UK Internet users could be worth as much as £14,500 each to online fraudsters according to the latest figures from consumer online safety group, Get Safe Online. Working adults [based on an average salary of almost £24,000] could be had for up to £14,500 per online fraud attempt. Get Safe Online experts claim that internet fraudsters take as much advantage of a person’s accessible finances as they can in a short space of time, before moving on to the next victim. This includes emptying current and savings accounts, and spending the full limit of their credit cards. Now that an estimated 6 out of 10 of us manage our finances online, Get Safe Online - backed by the government, police and banks - thinks UK citizens need to be more vigilant than ever. Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online commented: “We are actively encouraging more people to go online, but in doing so, to ensure that they are safe and secure. We want to draw attention to the fact that online criminal activity can be a sophisticated business, but that each of us can take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim. If internet users invest a relatively small amount of time and money in ensuring they are fully protected and up-to-date, the risk of such financial loss is almost negligible. To install the essential software and learn about the key safety measures on the Get Safe Online website takes a matter of a few hours - a small but worthwhile inconvenience compared to the potential loss.” UK citizens though are not complete fools it seems, with 85% now using some form of anti-virus software. That said, almost half of all UK Net users do not update their AV software frequently enough, 23% have no anti-spyware protection and 47% do not have any protection against ‘phishing’ attacks. Victims of phishing attacks in the UK have trebled in the past 12 months. If you need to know more about protecting the pennies and your ID online, find out more here.-Martin Lynch crime internet

Original post by nafiz

UK Internet users could be worth as much as £14,500 each to online fraudsters according to the latest figures from consumer online safety group, Get Safe Online. Working adults [based on an average salary of almost £24,000] could be had for up to £14,500 per online fraud attempt. Get Safe Online experts claim that internet fraudsters take as much advantage of a person’s accessible finances as they can in a short space of time, before moving on to the next victim. This includes emptying current and savings accounts, and spending the full limit of their credit cards. Now that an estimated 6 out of 10 of us manage our finances online, Get Safe Online - backed by the government, police and banks - thinks UK citizens need to be more vigilant than ever. Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online commented: “We are actively encouraging more people to go online, but in doing so, to ensure that they are safe and secure. We want to draw attention to the fact that online criminal activity can be a sophisticated business, but that each of us can take steps to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim. If internet users invest a relatively small amount of time and money in ensuring they are fully protected and up-to-date, the risk of such financial loss is almost negligible. To install the essential software and learn about the key safety measures on the Get Safe Online website takes a matter of a few hours - a small but worthwhile inconvenience compared to the potential loss.” UK citizens though are not complete fools it seems, with 85% now using some form of anti-virus software. That said, almost half of all UK Net users do not update their AV software frequently enough, 23% have no anti-spyware protection and 47% do not have any protection against ‘phishing’ attacks. Victims of phishing attacks in the UK have trebled in the past 12 months. If you need to know more about protecting the pennies and your ID online, find out more here.-Martin Lynch crime internet

Original post by nafiz

Here’s another reason to do your shopping online this year. HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) has announced that as of the 1st of December internet shoppers won’t have to pay duty on any items bought from outside of the EU under the value of £105. Previously the ruling was set at £18, so this is a decent increase in the amount you’re able to spend without getting stung. You still have to pay VAT unfortunately, but this should at least allow us poor ripped-off souls in the UK to save a bit of cash by taking advantage of cheaper prices elsewhere. Director of Customs & International Doug Tweddle points out that “Whether you’re looking to get your hands on the latest computer game, designer clothes or DVDs, it’s important to be aware of the law on customs charges, especially as this is about to change.” The HMRC website, linked below, offers more details on this sort of thing as and when rules are changed so if you’re thinking of doing a bit of shopping ‘abroad’ it’s worth checking in every now and then. - Paul Lester [Creditman] [HMRC] online shopping EU

Original post by nafiz

If you’re the type of person who gets withdrawal symptoms when you’re not on Facebook every 30 minutes, then you’re going to love the latest phone from 3. Meet the INQ1, billed as the “world’s most advanced social networking phone″ and guaranteed to ensure that you never get a good night’s sleep ever again. The INQ1 offers users 1-click Facebook access and live updates pushed direct to the display, as well as what it calls the first ever real-time interactive ‘live contact book′. This will show your friends′ online status and Facebook profile pictures displayed against their contact details. Also integrated into the phone are Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm, allowing RSS feeds, free Skype-to-Skype calling and free instant messaging. Frank Meehan, CEO, INQ, explained: ‘The INQ¹ is the first device from INQ with a new take on mobile user experience, it’s about taking the things people love most about the Internet and building them into the very heart of the phone. Mobile is still mostly about voice and text for the vast majority of users, but those same people use the Internet to communicate every day with Skype, Instant Messaging, Facebook and email. The INQ¹ allows people for the first time to integrate their Internet networks into their mobile so now their emails, instant messages and Skype calls are as simple to use as voice and text.” The INQ1, complete with 3.2MP camera, comes ‘free′ on a £15-per month contract tariff which gives unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls [check out 3′s ‘fair use policy’ as it will apply]. For £20 per month, you get the above but with 200 minutes of calls to other networks. A PAYG option will set you back £79.99 with Internet packages starting at £5 per month.-Martin Lynch phone facebook

Original post by nafiz