Facebook’s latest attempt to compete on the web is called Instant Personalization. A number of third-party web sites, selected and approved by Facebook, are given access to your Facebook account information. The idea is that these sites can provide a more personalized service to their visitors. In addition, there is a multiplier effect if your Facebook friends visit the same sites. The sites also have Facebook widgets that, if you interact with them, record details of your activities back on your FB account.
2010/04/24
Facebook taking liberties with our privacy
Posted by 3dbloke under Webwise | Tags: Facebook, privacy |Leave a Comment
2010/04/17
Volcanic ash a smokescreen?
Posted by 3dbloke under Reality, Speculation | Tags: aliens, Conspiracy |Leave a Comment
What if, somewhere high in the skies of northern Europe, there was something unusual?
Something the people of Earth should not see?
Like… (more…)
2010/03/24
Dropbox 20-second video challenge: 500 MB give-away
Posted by 3dbloke under apps | Tags: Dropbox, video |Leave a Comment
If you’re a Dropbox free account user, you’ll know that you can boost the initial 2GB storage by up to a further 3GB by referrals to friends and colleagues.
Now, until the end of March, there’s another way to gain some storage: Dropbox is celebrating it’s 2–year anniversary and asking users to create short video saying something nice about the product. Videos can be up to 20 seconds long. Everyone submitting an original video will receive a bonus 500MG storage space. A lucky few will also get a Dropbox T-shirt.
2010/03/13
Just watch the video :)
2010/03/12
Dropbox: file sync, sharing, versioning and backup
Posted by 3dbloke under Software review | Tags: Android, backup, cloud-based backup, Dropbox, file sharing, iPhone, Linux, Mac, mobile, version history, Windows |Leave a Comment
I recently made a discovery that has changed the way I do things on my laptop and desktop computer.
It’s a common situation. You have a desktop computer, the workhorse of the household. It’s probably shared by several members of the family. It does everything for everyone… including you. You also have a laptop for work or maybe one for home use, to ease the demand for the desktop machine.
But you still use the desktop computer sometimes, and a lot of what you do on it is also relevant to your work on the laptop. So you need to keep your files sync’d, but what do you do?
- Email attachments to yourself, via a web email account such as Gmail.
- Share folders between computers and copy stuff in and out of these.
- Use a NAS server as a master store for the common files, copying to it and retrieving from it, depending on which computer you last got the latest version of XYZ software.
- Use a USB flash drive.
- Other variations on this pattern.
I’ve used all of the above. They all work, but it gets messy. Directory structures on laptop and PC don’t quite match. Sometimes I don’t remember (or have time) to copy the latest stuff to the NAS server. Sometimes I don’t check if the version of XYZ software I have is the latest. It’s all down to how much you are prepared to interrupt your thought process to do the copying of files to or from the computer.
There is a better way
2010/03/07
Swype beta: open for registration
Posted by 3dbloke under Nexus One, apps | Tags: Android, beta, keyboard, Nexus One, Swype |[2] Comments
Until now, if you wanted to try Swype, the Android “slidey” keyboard, you probably had to download and install the app manually, using something like Astro file manager. (See my earlier post, if your interested)
That Swype beta, on my Nexus One at least, expired a couple of days ago, with a message to update to the latest [beta] version. I’d been meaning to check for an update anyway, so I sought out the latest version.
It turns out that an Android beta registration process is now in operation, which is good, since it should include notifications of Swype updates.
The page to head for is https://beta.swype.com/
2010/03/02
HootSuite comes to Android
Posted by 3dbloke under Twitter, apps | Tags: Android, HootSuite, Twitter |Leave a Comment
When I began using Twitter last year it wasn’t long before I settled on HootSuite as my favourite Twitter app, a major reason being that it runs in the cloud: I can log on to any PC and see my customised view of the world of tweets. I like the customisable tabbed UI of HootSuite and the stats.
On my Android phone (formerly a Hero and now a Nexus One) I have likewise settled on Twidroid as the ultimate Twitter app. That may be about to change…
2010/02/23
SlideIt, with multi-language support
Posted by 3dbloke under HTC Hero, Nexus One, apps | Tags: Android, HTC Hero, keyboard, SlideIT, Swype, text entry |[3] Comments
Yesterday I installed Swype on my Nexus One and tweeted enthusiastically about it. The big downside at the moment, for some Android users, is that Swype (in beta) is only for Droid and Nexus One phones, due to screen size issues.
Today, my thanks go to @thheinen for letting me know of a similar app, SlideIT, which is available on the Android Market for any Android phone. This is similar to Swype but goes further in providing a Palm-like “graffiti” mode and, importantly for the European market, separately installable language packs for many languages.
I’ve now installed SlideIt on my dear old Hero (which had languished somewhat, of late, serving as an eReader by my bedside) and I’m impressed. Given the Hero’s slower processor, SlideIT’s word prediction and recognition is excellent. Swype wins on good looks and in some aspects of punctuation control. That said, I really need to use these two keyboard apps for a while before arriving at any firm conclusions.
Since my Nexus One is my main phone, I’m going to install SlideIT on the N1, alongside Swype, so I can try them both. It’ll be interesting.
Either way, these two apps make on-screen text entry a real pleasure. I reckon I can get words into the phone about three times quicker than using a tap-entry keyboard.
If you haven’t tried SlideIT, I recommend giving it a go. It’s FREE, by the way 
(as are the language packs)
2010/02/22
Swype: a new way to type: beta on Android (Nexus One and Droid only)
Posted by 3dbloke under Android & Tech, apps | Tags: Android, Droid, keyboard, Nexus One, SlideIT, Swype |1 Comment
Today I installed Swype on my Nexus One.
It’s amazing. Watch the video.
So much nicer than tapping the screen. I’ve used other keyboards from the Android Market, but Swype has the edge over them for ease of use and quality, even in its beta release.
Sadly for anyone without a Droid or Nexus One, the Swype beta is not for you at present. Apparently, it’s a screen size issue, although even on my N1 I get the occasional warning from Swype saying that the screen is not of the required dimensions. On that basis, I guess you could try Swype on other phones… ?
The Android Swype beta is not available on the Market… you need to download it and transfer it to your phone.
Here’s how to do it:
http://www.androidcentral.com/download-beta-version-swype-android
It’s very easy to enter text using Swype; you just need to know a few things about how to use it. Be sure to watch the tutorial videos at http://www.swypeinc.com/tips-tricks.html They are all very short and to the point. Recommended viewing.
Enjoy the non-tapping’ness. :)
Update, 23 Feb 2010: an alternative app, SlideIT, is also available for Android. Well worth a look.
2010/02/16
How to tether your Android phone to a PC for Internet access
Posted by 3dbloke under Nexus One, apps, mobile, smartphone | Tags: Android, broadband, HTC Hero, HTC Sync, mobile, Nexus One, PdaNet, tether |1 Comment
What is tethering?
In this context, tethering a smartphone to a computer allows that computer to get onto the Internet using the phone’s data service. It’s a bit like using a mobile phone as a modem, something I remember doing before broadband took off. The connection between computer and phone may be USB or Bluetooth, depending on the solution you opt for.
Why tether your phone?
For me, the main reason is to have a fall-back option in the event of my usual broadband access going off-line.
In other situations tethering can get a laptop computer online where there is no WiFi but there is a 3G (2G, even) signal.
