Planet Sillicon

Decisions, decisions…

By admin on Aug. 17, 2012.

I both love and hate buying new pieces of technology kit. But mostly love it.

The bit I hate, though, is the hunting for which piece of kit I should buy. Although I kind of like that process, too – in a way. This is all very contradictory, isn’t it? Yet I do feel pretty conflicted when looking for a new piece of hardware.

It starts like this: I want to buy something. I Google that item and look at some reviews. I read some more reviews. Then I Google some forum posts, and have a look at them. User opinions can be more open and honest than a reviewer’s, sometimes – though at other times, they can be utter tripe. Ditto with some reviewers, though.

Then I have a think, maybe make a table of features jotted down on a bit of paper, compare prices, see where I can get what cheapest… consider the features again. Then I nearly make a decision – before finding a thread complaining vehemently about my number one pick.

So then I’ll reconsider, and choose again – but in re-evaluating, I’ll find another gadget that I hadn’t noticed before. And I think maybe that’s the one to go for – so I look at some reviews of that. Then some forum posts.

Then I yell at the monitor and go out, get some fresh air…

And so the process goes on. I like searching for the right pick to begin with, but then it becomes more and more annoying. And the more expensive the tech toy in question, the longer the process goes on.

I don’t want to get my decision on a £1,500 HDTV wrong.

Usually, however, putting in this sort of groundwork means you eventually buy something good, and something that will last you for a good long time. That’s the hope, anyway!

But sometimes, as I embark on a fresh quest for a new computer/router/tablet/TV/gaming mouse or whatever, I do wonder whether I couldn’t just trim my exhaustive search to some sort of simpler model.

It never happens, though.

I appreciate technology

By blog on Sep. 5, 2009.

I don’t every day, by any means, but today I appreciate the technology I have at my fingertips.

For instance, I was just offered a free trial of a new phone system, because I work from home and have a very awesome broadband connection. I hear of so many people still using ADSL or some even using dial up!? But today I’m really aware just how much I use my net connection, for regular news, or tech news, which is cool, because it’s often not covered on normal sites in much detail. Try this site here for broadband and tech news. I hate using the phone, so email is essential for me, and of course I have to have a great connection for gaming, not to mention for actual work, too. Though I’m not working today, oh no, today I’m catching up on blogging!

I’ve been having trouble with my blog all week. It took me four days to figure out that one of my WordPress files were corrupted, and then I had to completely reload the software onto my PC! I kept up my blogging, I just wasn’t posting them, so don’t be surprised to see a week’s worth of blog posts go up today!

It was very nice to be able to get my blog back up and running, especially because I’ve been so busy with work that I really didn’t have time to do much in the way of figuring out what was actually wrong. It’s always like that, though, you’ve never got much time to fix things, which is probably why my methods are precise… I’ve had time to think about exactly the best way to troubleshoot, and fix the issue before I waste a lot of time on it.

Anyway, enough of that. I was looking at the PlayStation Network, and for those who want to use the online multiplayer function, you pretty much have to have some form of headset or the like. The nifty thing with the PS3 is that it can be a Bluetooth one, which is pretty cool… then I thought about actually playing with other people, and having to listen to them, and I shook myself out of my silliness.

Touring Tech Blogs

By blog on Aug. 27, 2009.

I thought I’d take the time today to do a tour of a few of my favourite tech blogs. It’s always interesting to view other people’s blogs, especially when the coincide in theme with my own.

First up I wanted to point to TechBlog, which is a nicely put together technology blog. I have to say, it’s nice to see a tech blog that doesn’t look like crap. Because it happens a lot. I blame Linux users. Anyway, this is a good place to see a well rounded overview of whatever is making tech news today. I like it, and I like that it often leads to broadening one’s horizons. I’ve often read stories over there and then researched the content further, and that is what good news does, in my opinion.

Another interesting tech blog is called Andrew Burke’s Hardcore IPTV Blog… quite the title he’s got there, but I like this blog because it gives an inside look about IPTV in the UK from a business perspective. This guy is the CEO of amino, the IPTV company, and I like his perspective on things on his blog. It’s nice to see a blog from a high-up company member that is actually quite candid. I actually use IPTV, and it’s great. It just seems to work for me, and I like that I don’t have to fork out a heap to get a great cable net connection, because the cable works for both, it’s just spliced by a router, one for the TV, one for my modem, and voilà, I don’t have to pay for separate SDSL, which is very pricey!

The last blog I’ve been saving up, I really like this blog. I love gizmos and gadgets, I know I’ve mentioned that before, so GizmoBlog is a really fun one to have a look at every other day and see what awesome stuff has been cooked up by the geekery of the world. I’m personally a big fan of this gaming simulator, which looks like so much fun, but begs the question, how would I fit it in my living room?

Bought my mother a new phone

By blog on May. 22, 2009.

For those of us who have been designated the ‘tech’ person of our families, we often find ourselves in the position of trying to go against the notion of that old proverb, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I have spent considerable time over the phone attempting to teach my SO’s father how to use his mobile phone, or explaining to my mother how to use instant messenger online, and whilst I do know that you can teach an old dog new tricks, I have come to appreciate just how much effort it can take.

Last night, I received a phone call from one of the workers at my mother’s retirement community. It seems that she dropped had her old telephone and it no longer worked. I was actually surprised to hear this news, because it was one of those old analogue phones that weighs about a kilo and I think my mother has had it since before I was born. The lady politely informed me that the family was responsible for buying her a new one, but that they would provide her with a temporary replacement.

As a side note, the reason my mother dropped the phone is that she is a pace-talker. She doesn’t sit still when on the phone, she holds the phone in one hand, receiver in the other, and paces back and forth. With this in mind, I thought I would surprise her with a cordless phone. Of course I would go digital too, so over to PMC to check out their range of digital DECT cordless phones.

There was quite a bit of choice, especially considering I didn’t want to get anything too complicated for her. Though, the idea of my elderly mother pacing back and forth with a headset on was enough to make the thought of morning traffic palatable.

Anyway, I promptly picked out one of the BT Elements packs, the twin pack would just make it easier for her to have a phone nearby all the time, and I would like to think she can take it anywhere with her and not have to worry about damage to the phone. So armed with that knowledge, this morning I set off to go and pick up the pack, take it to my mother’s retirement community, install it, and show her how it works.

At first she was very nervous about using it, she said she wasn’t sure she could figure out how to answer it. I called it on my mobile about two dozen times, and I think she now has the hang of answering it. I also programmed in the numbers of all her friends and the rest of the family, but that may have just been naive on my part, because I am pretty sure she is still going to use her old rolodex to call everyone.