The UsefulTechnology Blog: Digital Living

BigPockets Bag O' Crap Winner Announced

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:59:15 GMT

You're not going to believe this. After mentioning BigPockets.co.uk's clever 'Bag O' Crap' promotion several times on - this - blog, I decided to enter my own video. And it only went and won the top prize of £200! Fancy that!

My son, the real star of the video and undoubtedly the only reason my video scooped the prize, has decided to invest his share of the winnings in Premium Bonds in the distant hope that he might win some more money! He has much to learn about smart investment strategies... I've decided to invest my share in a new barbecue so I can spend the summer months mastering the fine art of turning good food black.

As the old slogan says 'You've got to be in it to win it," so next time you see an interesting competition have a go. Who knows, you might even win.

It's time to vote

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:12:22 GMT

With the local elections upon us today here in the UK, here's a timely reminder of the nifty voting feature in Microsoft Outlook. Whenever you wish to poll your email recipients on their preferences, you can save them and yourself time by using voting buttons as follows:

Create your email in Microsoft Outlook
Tick the icon labelled Use Voting Buttons in the Options tab and choose Custom from the drop down list
Type in the available voting choices in the Use voting buttons box, placing a semi colon (;) between each entry. For example, voting options to match today's London Mayoral election might read Ken;Boris;Brian;Sian;Gerard;etc
Click Close then send your email as normal

Some important considerations: your voting email recipients must be inside an Exchange Server organisation for this to work reliably. They must also be using Outlook as their email client. If outside of an Exchange organisation, voting may still work as long as Outlook is used and your email is sent in Rich Text format only. HTML and Plain Text emails with voting choices simply will not work outside of an Exchange Server environment. You can switch your email to Rich Text mode before sending by highlighting the relevant option under the Options tab.

After sending your email inviting people to vote, you can get a quick count of their voting choices, by re-opening the original email from within the Sent Items folder. There you'll see an infobar summarising the total number of votes cast, how each recipient voted, and how many votes each choice received.

If only choosing which local councillor should receive your vote was as easy!

Save ink, money and the planet

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:02:47 GMT

I've noticed more and more email signatures carrying a 'Think before you print' reminder. And that's a good thing, because the less we print, the less damage we do to our fragile planet. Or course, if you do want to add a reminder to people to discourage them from printing your email, I suggest you keep the type size and colours to a minimum otherwise your words could actually prove detrimental to the environment when printed! To learn more about email signature editing in Outlook, see some of my most popular previous tips here, here, and here.

And there's another simple step that many of us can take to reduce our printers' ink consumption: tell your printer to print everything in draft mode, black and white, thrifty mode or whatever your printer manufacturer calls their economy printing mode.

To do this open the Printers folder (in Windows Vista simply type 'printers' in the Start Search bar, in Windows XP locate the printer settings in Control Panel), right-click on your default printer, click Properties, then Printing Preferences. Now set your printer to run in economy/draft/thrifty mode and press OK. Next time you print, the default settings will be saving you ink and money, and shaving a few micrograms off your carbon footprint.

And on the rare occasion that you need to print something higher resolution simply change the printing preferences in the Print dialog box just before you print. As a general rule this should be the exception rather than the norm. From what I can see, the low quality setting on most modern printers is plenty good enough for general use.

See into the future with UK traffic forecasts

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:59:53 GMT

Online road traffic reports are not new. Some of the sites I used include TrafficMap, AA Roadwatch, and the very beautiful KeepMoving. And for the railways the new National Rail gadget for Windows Vista is hard to beat.

But the best road traffic site for my money is http://www.highways.gov.uk/traffic. Here you can see live reports from the screens along UK motorways, check out planned roadworks, and even get a traffic forecast for a date in the future.

It's as close as you'll get to a crystal ball. Of course, the traffic on many British roads is notoriously unpredictable. Best add a couple of hour to your journey time anyway, just in case...

Share your calendar in Outlook, Windows Live, Office Online, and everywhere else

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:47:04 GMT

Back in the day, my family's lives rotated around a month-to-view calendar that my mum pinned to the kitchen wall. These days, the kitchen calendar may still be there but things are a bit more complicated with our 21st century lives being busier than ever and electronic diaries stretching our pockets to the limit.

I've been playing with TimeBridge recently (thanks Matthew!) and jolly impressive it is too. If you've ever struggled to find a convenient date to meet up with someone, give TimeBridge a try. The Outlook add-in functions well, and the web interface of joyfully simple.

Users of Microsoft Outlook and Windows Live can also reduce calendar chaos in lots of ways. With Outlook 2007 it's really easy to share a snapshot of your calendar in an email. You can also share calendars in the Windows Live Calendar beta. Here's how to import your Outlook calendar into Windows Live.

Watch this video from the Windows Vista blog to see how Windows Live Calendar and Windows Calendar in Windows Vista work seamlessly together:

Video: Demo: Windows Live Calendar (BETA) #1

In fact, as long as you can save your calendar as a .ics (iCalendar) format, you can pretty much do whatever you like with it. Of course, the trouble with an iCalendar file is that it's static so any changes to your calendar won't be dynamically updated. To get round this you can publish your calendar on Office Online so that other people can see as little or as much information as you'd like to share. Other Internet calendar services include www.calendardata.com, Google Calendar and www.icalshare.com.

And if that wasn't enough hyperlinking for one day, to learn more about the two key ways you can share your calendar, read this page from Microsoft Office Online.

UK Banks Leap Into The 20th [sic] Century

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:34:43 GMT

Exactly two months from now, on the 27th May 2008, the UK Banking Industry will finally introduce a new system that will reduce the time taken for standing orders and payments made online or by telephone banking to reach the payee's bank account. Today, it typically takes 3 working days for payments to reach the payee - a lead time established decades ago, well before the advent of computers and the Internet. It's quite absurd that banks still insist on3 working days to move funds and the abandonment of this age old lead time, which has been called for by the government, is long overdue. The new scheme should have gone live in November 2007 but was delayed due to technical problems. Let's hope the the revised launch date of Faster Payments is met.

Of course, here in our 21st century world, it no longer takes 3 working days for money to move from one bank to another. It takes just seconds, as evidenced by traders on global markets who buy and sell millions of shares and commodities at the click of a mouse. Thank goodness the UK Banking Industry has finally conceded that they can do the same with our money, and put in place the technology needed to make it work.

There are currently 13 UK banks and building societies committed to the programme, accounting for 97% of current payment traffic. These are:

Abbey
Alliance & Leicester
Barclays
Citibank
Co-operative Bank
HBOS
HSBC
Lloyds TSB
National Australia Group (Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank)
Nationwide Building Society, Northern Bank (Danske Bank)
Royal Bank of Scotland Group
and the impoverished Northern Rock

If your bank is not in the list give them a call to find out why. And if they're not planning to take part any time soon you might want to find yourself another bank.

Doggy Doo-Doos by RSS feed

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:54:07 GMT

Red Alert!

I love the web when it turns out brilliantly relevant information like this! Curtain twitchers across the UK should immediately log on www.fixmystreet.com to find out what's going on around their neighbourhood. Put in your postcode and be amazed at the goings on all around you.

Dog mess, abandoned fridges, and potholes seem to be at the top of the "Bad Stuff Blighting My Neighbourhood" league. But, best of all, you can even subscribe to get updates by RSS so you need never be out of the loop again! Gossiping over the garden fence will never be the same again.

Bravo to The Ministry of Justice for helping get this beta site off the ground.

Right, I'm off to photograph some dog's mess.

How I helped Facebook

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:51:31 GMT

I've done Facebook a favour this morning. I deactivated my account. Facebook should be delighted; it's people like me who are way past their social networking heyday who are killing social networking sites.

Here's why: young people have always needed somewhere to hang out, but they only do this when it's 'their place'. For a brief period Facebook was that place. So we shouldn't be surprised that the kids started looking for another place after they discovered their mum's got an account. And their teacher. And their teacher's favourite dishwasher tablet.

Facebook stopped being cool the minute 'their place' became 'our place'.

But even if every non-core Facebook user like me was to deactivate their account I wonder if it will be enough. Can Facebook ever be cool again? With ever-increasing pressure on social networking sites to "monetize" (I hate that word) their business, the advertisers are cautiously moving in. Does anyone want to hang out in a place where toothpaste, fizzy drinks, mobile phones, and credit cards are constantly fighting for our attention? And our mum's.

According to Nielsen/NetRatings, Facebook's UK user base fell by 5% in January to 8.51 million. That's 400,000 people who switched off their accounts. MySpace also dropped 5%, while third placed Bebo fell 2%.

Is this the beginning of the end for these social networking brands? Or can they reinvent their original purpose and continue to serve all classes, all ages, all needs. Few brands have ever managed such universal appeal. It will be fascinating to see how the social networking brands' manoeuvre through such choppy waters.

Wow! The WorldWide Telescope

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:43:08 GMT

This is extraordinary! Yesterday, Roy Gould, researcher at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics, and Microsoft's Curtis Wong gave the first public preview of Microsoft's new WorldWide Telescope. By combining a very clever rich visualisation environment with feeds from satellites and telescopes all over the world and the skies, Microsoft has created a comprehensive and interactive view of our universe.

It looks absolutely stunning. Watch the brief video at TED, then bookmark the new WorldWide Telescope web site for more details. WorldWide Telescope will be available for FREE download in Spring 2008. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

It makes me think that today's kids are very privileged. If I'd had amazing technology like this when I was at school who knows how different a career path I might have followed. Fabulous work from Microsoft Research!

Journeying through our digital lives

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:18:03 GMT

Some of the guys in my team launched their latest digital creation today. Well done Anna-Lisa and Chris!

It's a new website designed to help people see how some of Microsoft's newest products work together, and has been built entirely in Silverlight.

Check out the site here and explore the digital lives of four British characters.

Hope you like it! Let me know what you think.

Valentine's Day: The Ultimate Geek Gift

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:02:57 GMT

This has to be the very pinnacle of geekdom gift buying. By wearing an '8-bit Dynamic Life' t-shirt you can now boldly sport six red hearts across your chest.

"So what?" I hear you cry. Here's what: give the other t-shirt to your lover/partner/target, and your hearts will light up the closer you get. How geek-filled is that?

Thanks to this wonder of modern technology the object of your desires will be known to all around you. And you need no longer fear your partner wandering off with another mate, nor have to worry about unwanted attention from others trying to catch your eye*.

Uber-geeks who, let's be frank, are unlikely to have anything resembling a partner in their life, can opt to buy one t-shirt plus a transmitter pack. Then by secreting the transmitter near their computer, the hearts on their t-shirt will light up whenever geek and computer are together. How lovely!

Demand for the t-shirts has been phenomenal in the run up to Valentine's Day and all sizes are currently out of stock. You can place a back order here.

Requires 3 AAA batteries, not included.

* Author's note: this has never happened to me.

e-Book Review: Getting to First Base

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:58:22 GMT

I recently received a blogger's review copy of a new e-book from Darren Barefoot and Julie Szabo entitled Getting to First Base. It's an interesting read for anyone who works in marketing and is taking their first steps into the blogging world or keen to learn what this 'social media' frenzy is all about. Among the things I enjoyed were a link to Wikipedia's list of Internet phenomena, some neat tips for people considering viral marketing, and some simple suggestions on how to increase the readership of your blog. If you don't know your RSS from your elbow, this could be the book for you.

If, however, you're a long-time user of social media you're unlikely to learn a heap of new things. But for everyone else this is an excellent primer if you'd like to exploit the power of networked customers in your marketing endeavours. Give it a read.

The book is available for download from http://www.socialmediaready.com for $29. You can also read some free sample chapters here.

Reduce the cost of your Amazon Xmas pressies!

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:33:02 GMT

Here's a great tip from Martin Lewis, of http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com fame. If you purchased something from Amazon and their price drops within 30 days you can claim a refund!

What's this about?
Amazon has a hidden price promise that if you buy something and it drops in price within 30 days you can get the difference back. That means if you did any Christmas shopping there; you should check if the price has dropped in the sales, and if it has - claim the money back.
How do you get it back?
Amazon won't do this automatically, you'll need to go back and check the prices of the goods you've bought by logging into your account.
Simply visit your account and look at each invoice from the last thirty days and click on each item to view it's current price. Compare this to the price you paid and if there's a difference, copy down the order number and go to the 'Return and Refunds Contact Form' page to report it.
Step by step instructions

Log into your Amazon account
Click on 'view orders placed in the last 6 months'
Copy the Amazon.co.uk order number:
Click on the item to see if the price has dropped
Click on 'Help' followed by Contact Us, 'Customer Service'
Once you've found the right order click on Contact Amazon, copy in the order reference number and explain you'd like a refund as the price has dropped.

Source: Get Xmas pressies from Amazon? Use Amazon's price promise - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

Pro-Photo Shoot for Outlook

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:53:53 GMT

If, like me, you love both photography and Microsoft Outlook, today is your lucky day!

Pro-Photo Shoot is a new free add-in for Microsoft Outlook (versions 2003 and 2007 only) that allows you to add a list of the photographic equipment you need to any Outlook appointment. That way you need never forget an important lens or other piece of equipment!

This very specialised add-in also allows you to keep a digital record of all your photographic equipment complete with serial numbers which could prove very helpful with any subsequent insurance claim.

While Pro-Photo Shoot has been customised for use by photographers, there's nothing to stop you using this software for other purposes. The custom fields like 'Camera', 'Lens', and 'Backdrop' may not be very helpful for non-photographers, but with a little imagination you could easily adapt this add-in to help you remember to pack the right sports kit, the right picnic items, the right holiday clothes, the right tools, the right cooking ingredients, and so on. How could you use a useful little tool like this?

Download the add-in from here: http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/downloads/prophotoshoot.aspx

Get more photography goodies from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/downloads/default.aspx

More details below:

Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot
Release 1.0
Overview
Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot is a Microsoft® Office Outlook® add-in that helps you track photographic assignments.
Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot is designed to run on 32-bit versions of the Windows Vista operating system (see Requirements for details).
Features
Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot provides the following features:
·    Track shoot name. Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot allows you to associate a name with a specific photo session, which may be useful for billing purposes. The Shoot Name field is free-form, so whatever method you use will be supported.
·    Track clients. Photo Shoot allows two ways to associate a photo shoot with a specific client. If your client information is already in your Contacts address list, you can click Select current client to find it. If this is a new client, you can add the client information by clicking Add new client.
·    Track your equipment. Photo Shoot helps you to keep track of your photo equipment. You can enter the name of the equipment, what type of equipment it is (camera, lens, light, etc.), its serial number, when you bought it, and how much you paid for it. You can also print your complete equipment list, which can be useful for insurance purposes and in case of theft.
·    Remember what equipment to bring to a photo assignment. The Photo Shoot dialog has a list of all your equipment. You can simply check off what to bring for a specific appointment. You can sort this list alphabetically or by the type of equipment. You can also print out the equipment list to bring with you on the assignment.

Setup and Installation
You must have Administrator privileges to install Photo Shoot.

Using Microsoft Pro Photo Shoot
After running Setup, a new Photo Shoot button appears in the ribbon of the appointment inspector. Pressing the button brings up a pop-up window for Photo Shoot.
Initially, the equipment list will be empty. To use it, you must first populate the equipment pool, using the Equipment Pool dialog, which is described below. But first, we will describe the functionality of the Photo Shoot dialog.
You can fill in the Shoot Name field with whatever form of job identification labels you use. This might be the name of your client, a job id number, or some format devised by your accountant.
There are two ways to associate a client name with the assignment. If the client’s name is in your Contact list already, press Select Client. This will bring up a dialog box that allows you to select a name from the Contacts list.    If the client is not currently in your contact list, press New Client. This brings up a dialog that allows you to enter information about the client. This information will be stored in your Outlook Contacts. Again, the client’s name will also show up in the Client Name field.
The check boxes in the equipment list can be used to indicate what equipment you wish to bring with you for the shoot. You can sort the equipment list by clicking on a column header. Clicking on that column header again will sort the list in the opposite direction. You can resize the columns by dragging on the column divider. You can rearrange the columns by dragging the header to a new position. With one exception, the column widths and ordering will be retained for the next time you use Photo Shoot. The one exception is that the “Name” field will always be in the first column position when you open the Photo Shoot dialog. You can print the information in the dialog box using Print. This creates a list of the checked items, sorted by equipment type. You can then use this list to remember what to take with you on a photo shoot and, equally important, to remember what to bring back at the end of the shoot.
When you press Save, the dialog will be closed and any changes you’ve made will be saved to Outlook. Notice that the information from the dialog appears in the body of the appointment message after any other information you have entered. If you do not wish to save your changes, press Cancel to simply close the dialog.
The Equipment Pool
Pressing Equipment Pool … in the Photo Shoot dialog brings up the Equipment Pool dialog. Here you can enter new items, update information about existing items, or delete them from your pool.
To add an item, select << Add new item >> in the list on the left. Then fill in the equipment name and select an equipment type. The equipment name must be unique within your equipment list. If you have two items of the same type, we recommend you add a letter or number at the end of the name to distinguish the names. For example, if you have two camera bodies of the same type, you might call them “XYZ Body #1” and “XYZ Body #2”. Possible equipment types are: Camera, Lens, Tripod/Stand, Light, Backdrop, Powerpack/Batteries, Bag, or Miscellaneous. You may also choose to enter the serial number, purchase date, or purchase price. Once you have entered the name and selected a type, the Save button will be available if you have entered all the information you chose.
When you select an item from the equipment list on the left, the current information for that item will be filled into the form on the right. You can add more information or revise information for that item . Changing the Equipment Name for an item will create a new item leaving the original unchanged. (But you can then delete the original, if you were trying to change the name.) Press Save when you are done. Or you can delete the item by pressing Delete.
There is a column of check boxes next to the serial number, purchase date, and purchase price information. Selecting these will case the adjacent information to be displayed in the Photo Shoot dialog.
When you are done editing the list, you can press OK and your changes will be made permanent. Or you can press Cancel and none of the unsaved changes made while you were using the Equipment Pool dialog will be retained.

Sharing the Equipment Pool Data
Your equipment pool information is stored in a file, %AppData%\Microsoft\PhotoShoot\user.settings.profile. Note that all users of the computer will see the same equipment pool information. If you use more than one computer, you may prefer to copy that file from one computer to another, rather than re-entering the equipment pool. However, Photo Shoot does not coordinate access to the equipment pool between different users.

Requirements
·    32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.
·    Microsoft® Office Outlook® 2007 or 2003

Known Issues
·    Photo Shoot does not run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.
·    Photo Shoot only shows contacts from your Contacts address list and only adds new contacts to that list. It neither examines nor adds to the Global Address List or any other address lists.
Read more about Pro-Photo Shoot here:
http://www.microsoft.com/prophoto/articles/lens.aspx

It's tidy desktop time

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:28:56 GMT

"A tidy desk is a sign of a tidy mind," my old boss used to mutter under his breath as he passed my office. And so it is with computer desktops. I try to keep my desktop space free from the clutter that inevitably builds up through daily use. The desktop is a great place to save temporary files that you're working on, but it's no place to archive your life's collection of pointless and unwanted files. Those people whose desktops are littered with dead and decaying files leave me cold.

No surprise then that I really enjoyed this tip from the On10.net blog which reveals a clever little trick to rid your desktop immediately of all clutter, and permanently keep it tidy.

Another handy desktop tip for Windows Vista users, particularly those with wide screen monitors, is to relocate the sidebar from the right to the left side of the screen, and set it to be always on top of other windows. This keeps those useful sidebar gadgets in view at all times, as well as putting them in a more logical place*, just above your Start button.

* Seeing as most us in the western world read from left to right it always struck me as a bit daft that the default location for the sidebar is on the right of the screen. My personal desktop angst ended the day I realised I could move the sidebar to a more sensible location. And, thanks to the on10.net tip, I now smile inside every time my clean desktop appears!

Computers - it's all too easy

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:59:52 GMT

I don't know, everyone seems to be getting in on the act now. Even my dad's now got a blog. The thing is, it's all too easy these days. You install a free tool like Windows Live and before you know it you're uploading your photos to a Windows Live Space or Flickr, sharing them with your friends, video conferencing for free with Messenger, then creating DVD quality movies to share online with friends and family at Christmas.

Is nothing sacred these days? Doing all this used to call for years of practice and a near obsessive willingness to learn from mistakes. Burning the midnight oil while you endlessly tweak settings and grapple with peripherals is no longer needed. There's no honour left in being the local IT geek anymore. How am I supposed to carve out an identity for myself now that everyone is as adept with computers as me?

IM your Christmas List to Santa!

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:40:10 GMT

This made it onto my blog last year, but it's worth repeating. Users of Windows Live Messenger can now add northpole@live.com as a new contact, then chat directly with Santa Claus! I've put in my Christmas wishes. Here's hoping Santa fits down my chimney next month—I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I was not to receive the dancing girls I requested last year.

Telecommuting is good for you

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:50:51 GMT

I get funny looks when I tell people that I get to the office at 6.45am. They think I'm mad, especially as my arrival in preceded by a 60 mile commute. There's method in my madness though. By commuting early I usually avoid the hell that is the M25 during rush hour.

Anyone who lives in the UK knows that our road infrastructure is woefully inadequate for the demands we now make of it. But I think there could be an answer. And it's as simple as this:

Fewer people using the road = less congestion
People travelling at different times = even less congestion

So, now that we've got our heads around the mathematics, all we need is a way to make this happen. Telecommuting could be the answer. By allowing people to work from home, or indeed from anywhere other than their normal place of work, we reduce the amount of commuters. By encouraging people to work when they want (rather than as slaves to the '9 to 5' convention) we could ease the pressure during our traditional rush hours.

But it gets better. A recent study by Dr Ravi Gajendran of Pennsylvania State University showed that "telecommuting has positive effects on employee morale, on work-family balance and on stress." By studying data from over 12,000 telecommuters, the psychology boffins have concluded that there are virtually no downsides to telecommuting!

That gets my vote. I am now more committed than ever to working from home 2 days a week. Nothing puts me in a worse frame of mind than crawling late into the office having spent several hours staring at the exhaust pipe of the car in front. So why take the risk? If you need me, I'll be at home.

Distraction free working

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:07:11 GMT

The ever-eloquent Matthew Stibbe makes an interesting request on his blog today. He calls for a "concentrate on writing" mode in his word processing software, something to help him focus on the words and not be distracted by email alerts, instant messaging (IM) and the many other interruptions that can extinguish all attempts at concentration. It's true, the modern office is the very enemy of productivity. Around me know I have three phones, two IM clients, a fancy new Bluetooth headset, news alerts flashing in my desktop sidebar, and a banana just begging to be eaten. Finding any time to knuckle down and really concentrate on a task requires real discipline. Yes, software has a role to play in helping people (Windows Vista has a great 'presentation mode' that cuts out online distractions) but the real effort has to come from the individual in creating an environment where they can do their best work.

I love working from home because that's the one place where I really can focus. My desk holds only those items I need to do my best work and all around me I have the textbooks and stimuli I need to be both creative and productive. I've never managed to recreate this environment or the productivity it breeds in a real office―there are simply too many distractions around me here. Would I be more productive with something like a "concentrate on writing" mode? Only if it could eliminate all the other garbage invading my brain in my busy office.

Now, back to work. But first, that banana...

The hotel room of the future

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 09:33:38 GMT

Philips is touting this as the future of hotel windows: a natty display panel that mimics the outdoor world and responds to the hotel guest's ever wishes. Feeling jetlagged after a long flight? Then day shall become night in front of your very eyes. Tired of yet another dreary cityscape? Then virtual foliage and a forest ambiance will appear from nowhere.

We could do with some of these 'windows' in our new Victoria Place office in London. The hot-desk area is devoid of any natural light, and while this innovation from Philips is no substitute for the 'rich in vitamin D' qualities of the real sun, it might go some way to brightening up this busy telecommuter's day.

More at http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/fancy/daylight-hotel-concept-keeps-depression-at-bay-318439.php.

Three-screened portable computer

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 21:30:37 GMT

This, unquestionnably, is exactly what I need. Except maybe a bit smaller and lighter. And probably cheaper.

Find out more about the three-headed beast, AKA the Acme Portable Machine, here.

Bargain Software for Students

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:14:18 GMT

It's the lowest priced offer you're ever likely to find. All UK students with a .ac.uk email address can now buy Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate Edition (yes, that's right, ULTIMATE edition!) for just £38.95. That's it. Nothing extra to pay. It's yours to own and use for eternity! By my calculations that's a 93.5% discount off the normal price of around £599.99! Grab a bargain today at www.theultimatesteal.co.uk.

Sync My Ride

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:08:18 GMT

The Microsoft Auto team have been busy building some neat new tools to help us live our digital lives more easily while travelling by car. New to the USA only (at this time) is a factory-built feature for new cars called Sync. This allows drivers and passengers to interact safely with communication and entertainment services while travelling by car. For now, this capability is being available exclusively in new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars in North America but, if successful, it's only a matter of time before the product will be extended to other countries and car makers.

So what is it? According to the web blurb, it's a "fully integrated, voice activated in-car communication and entertainment system for your mobile phone and digital music player." Yes, you read that right: Sync actually lets you talk to your iPod so you can call up your favourite tunes as you drive. Nice! And, with a compatible Bluetooth enabled mobile phone you can make and receive hands-free calls. Sync will even synchronise your phonebook between your mobile phone and your car, play personalised ringtones, and has support for multiple phones if you're in the habit of carrying more than one. Check out the site to learn more: http://www.syncmyride.com.

Tafiti Search

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:15:42 GMT

Well, isn't this quirky: www.tafiti.com. My learned colleagues tell me that 'tafiti' is Swahili for 'do research', but you knew that already.

And, if you haven't already guessed, tafiti is also an interesting mashup of Windows Live Search and a nice environmental layer built in Silverlight. Interesting indeed.

ZDNet has this to say on the subject. I say "it's a little confusing but strangely appealing". Maybe there is more to search than text after all...

UK Traffic Reports - nice site

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:28:21 GMT

I'm quite taken by the simple UK traffic information presented at http://www.keepmoving.co.uk/. It helps me see at a glance how bad the traffic is currently on my daily commute and plan accordingly. Plus I can do handy things like create a 'Traffic Windows Guide' for a web site which shows the live traffic status on nearby roads. To create your own personalised guide, head to http://www.keepmoving.co.uk/driversvoice/article.php?id=43 and follow the simple instructions. The HTML code for Microsoft Campus in the UK would look like this:

Coming soon are a new Gadgets for Windows Vista, a Widgets for Yahoo, and also something for Apple Mac. Stay tuned to the site to find out more.

PhatShop: the video

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:28:16 GMT

DontchajustluvPhotoshop?!

Video: Phatshop

Free WeeMees on Windows Live Messenger

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:36:32 GMT

I'm loving this. WeeMees are now free for users of Windows Live Messenger. If you haven't got one of these cute dynamic pictures yet, now's the time to grab one!

Come on, bin that tired old photo of you on the back of a donkey at Margate aged 14 and treat your Messenger chums to a new you!

http://www.wee-mee.com/culture.htm

Photosynth in all its glory

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:24:09 GMT

I've been really excited about Photosynth since it was first publicly demo'ed about a year ago. But now you can go and play with it yourself and explore some of Britain's most striking buildings along the way. Photosynth is (for my money) the most exciting thing to happen to digital photography in a long time. And to show it off Microsoft has teamed up with the BBC to offer the previews at http://labs.live.com/photosynth/bbc/. Prepare to be amazed! It's eerily good.

Moof.mobi - the homeworking debate continues

Wed, 09 May 2007 09:02:35 GMT

I just discovered a new blog, http://moof.mobi. I'm a big fan of 'next generation working'. The flexibility to work from home makes me much more productive, not too mention cuts out a huge amount of commuting time with its high costs and environmental implications. But it's not always easy to switch off, as Mrs Frost regularly reminds me. Take the last couple of weeks for example. I've been on holiday, many miles away from corporate life and business routine. But I still found myself checking my emails regularly so I guess I never really switched off. Is this a good or bad thing? I guess a bit of both. Had I ignored emails completely for a fortnight I may well have come back more blissfully refreshed from having had a complete break from the norm. But, having kept a watchful eye on my emails and already deleted all of the extraneous stuff, I have returned to an only-slightly-overloaded Inbox whose contents hold no surprises for me. I guess I've traded some of my holiday relaxation time for a bit of work relaxation time.

And that, for me, is the key principle behind flexible working. I get to choose when and where I work. Whether I do it from a sun lounger or from a grey desk under the supervision of my manager doesn't really matter. What matters is that I get my work done. And being able to choose makes me far happier and productive. Now, if only I could convince Mrs Frost...

Windows Media Photo (AKA HD Photo) is born

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:54:23 GMT

This has to be good news for photographers and lovers of digital imagery everywhere. Today Microsoft formally announced the new Windows Media file format (also known as HD Photo) and released plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop as well as a device porting kit to allow manufacturers to add HD Photo support to their devices and services. The compression in the HD Photo format is up to twice as efficient as JPEG with fewer damaging artefacts. So now we can get better images that require as little as half the storage space. If you take lots of digital photos that's a very big deal!

I'll be testing out the beta versions of the plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop and will let you know what I think. You can download these from here and find out more about this exciting new photo file format here.

(This blog entries is dedicated to Augustin without whom my blog would have lain dormant for longer)

"The only way to have fun with a Mac is to poke its insufferable owner in the eye." Discuss.

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:54:54 GMT

Before anyone accuses me of being Mac Fan Boy after yesterday's posting, please let me clear something up. While Microsoft does many, many things wrong, that doesn't mean that we're alone in the IT universe in being a little sloppy from time to time. There's still a huge amount that we do right. I just wish we did it more often and consistently. And I still see no reason why we should make buying our products so difficult.

Apple is also far from perfect. Their latest ads featuring the comedians Mitchell and Webb seem to be everywhere right now. They first caught my eye because I quite enjoyed some of Mitchell and Webb's comedy and could immediately see that they are an obvious (no, make that, blindingly predictable) choice for the UK versions of the ads that Apple has been running in the US for some time. But the main reason the ads caught my eye is because they come close to exploiting a change in advertising law that came into effect 10 years ago to allow 'comparative advertising' in EU markets. Under this law, advertisers are allowed to mention the name of their competitors and make comparative claims against them. Apples dances carefully around the law by comparing "I'm a PC" man with "I'm a Mac" man. We all know that the PC is a Windows machine, while the Mac is the cool and exciting alternative that people should be choosing.

The trouble with this advertising campaign is that is lays down claims about a PC that are hopelessly out of date. Sure, there are a lot of old PCs out there, running old software. And some of them may even be as unreliable, dull, and virus-infested as Apple's ads claim. But these PCs are increasingly in the minority. Apple's advertising is akin to a car manufacturer comparing their latest 2007 model with a competitor's model from the 1970's. The comparison isn't just unfair, it's quite unsavoury too.

Charlie Brooker captured my mood very elegantly writing in The Guardian yesterday. Read the article here. And the comments from online readers of the article are entertaining too. Thankfully not everyone seems to like the nasty negative campaigning side of Apple that is so inconsistent with what their core brand values should stand for.

The bottom line here is simple. Use what you like. If you want a Mac, buy a Mac. If you want a PC, buy a PC. Do your own research, don't believe the hype, and think carefully about what you actually need to do with your machine before you spend a penny. For anyone with their own mind the choice should be simple.

Bill's Big New Year Announcements

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:53:14 GMT

Last night we finally took the lid off a heap of cool innovations for things like Windows Vista, Games for Windows, IPTV and a new partnership between Ford and Microsoft Automobile. There's some really funky stuff to look forward to it. Some of it coming much sooner than you might think. To see for yourself, watch the video by clicking here.

You can find out more about what's going on at CES at www.microsoftatces.com.

Check out the Digital Lifestyle website

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:13:15 GMT

A few weeks back we launched a new website here in the UK called Microsoft Digital Lifestyle. You can see it here.

I've been looking through the traffic stats and the site has been very busy over Christmas and the New year period. But I'd love to know what you think of the site. We've already had lots of helpful feedback and we're working on improving several things. Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment here or emailing digital@microsoft.com. I'd really value your comments.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:57:22 GMT

Time's up. I have to stop working now because more pressing matters await: enjoying the festive break with my family. Hurrah! I wish everyone a very happy time this holiday season and send my best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2007. Cheers!

Tracking Santa the digital way

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 08:46:49 GMT

When I was a child, the only way I knew if Santa was nearby on Christmas Eve was by listening for the sound of my dad heaving heavy sacks around downstairs as I lay excitedly in bed. Today, of course, kids have more sophisticated technology at their disposal and the full support of the North American Aerospace Defense Command to help out. For over 50 years, NORAD has been tracking Santa's path around the globe and this year will be publishing their latest tracking images online on Christmas Eve showing how the bearded wonder is getting on.

According to their site, NORAD uses a radar system called the North Warning System, satellites, SantaCams and jet fighters to bring us this amazing glimpse into Santa's incredible journey. And it's the infra red signature from Rudolph's glowing nose that helps them plot the sleigh's path around the globe. Santa, of course, is delighted to be tracked in this way and said little more than "Ho Ho Ho" when I asked him if this was true on Instant Messenger.

Don't believe me? See the video here and be amazed. It's comforting to know that this expensive technology is being put to such good use and that jet fighter aircraft will be on hand to make sure Santa comes to no harm. And, seeing as Windows Live Local is now a partner of NORAD, I'll be sure to post the scoop here if I hear any more news from the North Pole.

IM with Santa

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:12:29 GMT

Allister says:

Hello Santa

Santa Claus says:

Hello!

What's going on?

Allister says:

Is it Christmas yet?

Santa Claus says:

Ho ho ho!

Allister says:

Are you drunk?

Santa Claus says:

I'm eminently sober.

Allister says:

Can I have some dancing girls and alcohol for Christmas please?

Santa Claus says:

My elves will get right on that.

Great! Something to look forward to at Christmas!

We all have to move with the times. Even Santa Claus. Thankfully, this year Santa's got himself onto Live Messenger and is now available to chat. What will you ask for? To chat now with Santa just add northpole@live.com to your contacts on Live Messenger. Then send him an instant message. Hopefully he'll still be sober enough to remember my request come Christmas Eve...

More details at the Microsoft Presspass site.

Leaky headphones: safety first

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 08:03:39 GMT

Do you worry that the 'tin-tin-tappety-tap' emanating from the headphones of the moron next to you on the bus could damage your hearing? Then worry no more. Technological help is at hand in the form of the Ear3 Sonic Threat Indicator:

Yes, it's true. This techno-gizmo will set you back a whopping US$49.95 and do nothing to actually protect your ears from potentially damaging sonic waves. But you will know why you have gone deaf thanks to its rapidly flashing red light.

This one doesn't quite cut it as 'UsefulTechnology'. Your money would be better spent buying some cotton wool to stuff in your ears.

R.I.P. Physical Media

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:47:57 GMT

Sci-fi.com has released its eulogy for physical media (tapes, CDs, DVDs etc) which, they say, will be part of modern history by 2010. I can't see too many tech observers disagreeing with that, but some might argue the predicted expiry date is a little out of whack. I've been telling anyone who will listen that physical media is already technically obsolete and it's only 2006 (at least it was last time I checked). The current debate about who will win the Hi-Def DVD wars is largely irrelevant. Whether HD-DVD or Blu-Ray triumph, one thing is certain: their victory will be very shortlived. Before long the concept of "going online" will seem curiously outdated. We'll be online all the time, wherever we go. The content we crave will come to us when we need it. We may store some content locally on simultaneously tiny (sized) and massive (capacity) hard disks but we'll have little need for the physical media we used to covet.

Rest in peace physical media. Your time has already passed.

Shredder-tastic

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:15:05 GMT

In this identity theft-ridden age, no home should be without one. I've just upgraded my home office to a (dare I say it?) "sexy" new crosscut shredder. Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a Fellowes DS-13C - a model number that I'm sure you shredder fans are well aware of. The Useful Technology part of it? If you touch the area immediately around the shredding slot the machine automatically cuts out. Very reassuring when there are toddler fingers crawling around the house. Although I'm not sure this technology won't stop pieces of our home being shredded when our backs are turned. But at least we don't have to worry about toddlers shredding pieces of themselves. It's true, low tech is the new high tech. Get one today.

4oD - First UK on demand broadcaster for PC

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:02:05 GMT

Channel 4 has announced the imminent availability of a video-on-demand service for viewers with PC internet access. NTL and Telewest (cable) customers have been able to use 4oD for a while, but from 6th December any internet user will be able to download C4 shows for 99p. The downloaded file will expire 48hours after viewing. Or for £1.99 the expiration will be removed allowing you to view your favourite shows for all eternity. Films will also be available for £1.99, although the DRM expiry cannot be removed from these files.

So now there's no reason to get all het up when you forget to record your favourite show or when a colleague tells you about the amazing programme that you missed on TV last night. From 6th December, just head over to the 4oD website and buy whichever shows you want. The TV on demand era is hotting up.