tech, news, productivity, views and stuff
For the first time in ages I am trying out a new Bluetooth headset, a Nokia BH-101.
I have charged it and it paired fine with my Nokia N73, though I still need to check it works when I make a call or someone calls me!
I never had too much success with Sony Ericsson headsets, this is my first Nokia one, so will be interesting to see how it performs.
Biggest surprise was the price, which was £15, I remember paying nearly £100 for a headset only a few years ago!
Typical really.
This morning I blog about Doctor Who not been available for the iPhone and by this evening it is!
So I guess it was a technical problem.
Well let me leave you with the news that the new Doctor Who will be announced tomorrow.
I am a great fan and user of BBC iPlayer, great for catching up on what you have missed and for watching things again (especially when repeated on BBC Three at an unsociable time).
I will often use an iPod touch to watch programmes, either in bed or more often then not connected to my TV. However now and again I get the following message.
Sorry, this programme is currently unavailable
You can see this in the Christmas edition of Doctor Who.
This means that you have to use a computer to watch the programme. I get the same “error” with the comedy Outnumbered episode seven (but not with the previous six episodes of Outnumbered).
I believe that the error (it’s not really an error, but I think it is) is a rights issue. In other words the rights holders have not allowed the programme to be made available to the iPod touch (or the iPhone).
Why?
Well I suspect that the issue is the way in which BBC iPlayer works on the iPod touch and the iPhone. Basically the BBC serve the iPhone with a DRM free MOV version of the programme. On the iPhone you can’t save this file, so it is not an issue, however a quick Google search provides various ways in which you can get your computer to pretend it’s an iPhone and as a result are able to download the DRM free version of the BBC programme.
Of course I don’t know for sure if this is the issue, or it is a technical problem and the programme just hasn’t (yet) been encoded for the iPhone and the festive break is the cause of the delay.
I was lucky enough to get two games for my Sony PSP
Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command marks the first time that the brutal, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe will be playable on the PSP. Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command features fast, action-packed combat through turn-based strategy and an engaging, authentic single-player storyline. Gamers play as the elite Space Marines of the Ultramarines chapter and strive to combat the encroaching evil of the ruthless and daemonic influenced Chaos Space Marines through 13 cinematically-tied missions. With a robust multiplayer mode featuring 9 unique missions, gamers will team up and go head-to-head with other gamers worldwide as either the Imperium of Man or Chaos Space Marines, ensuring hours of unique replayability. Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command will also fully utilize all the portable functionality of the PSP and Nintendo DS, including the dual-screen and stylus, bringing the Warhammer 40,000 universe to life on handheld.
For those looking for an action game you would be better off looking elsewhere. I am enjoying the game and find it tactically stimulating.Gripshift is a different game altogether, a driving puzzle game which I am also enjoying. Basically there are various tracks which you drive over.
GripShift is the first video game for the PSP portable entertainment system to combine high-flying stunt driving and unique puzzle-solving action in an all-out, pedal-to-the-metal driving experience.
Players race as one of six unique characters in supped-up vehicles as they stunt their way through insane twisting levels while collecting power-ups, avoiding traps, beating the clock and challenging friends.Featuring enhanced aerial physics with an intuitive control system, players perform awesome aerial jumps for massive hang time in puzzle-like driving challenges with multiple routes, short-cuts, loops, jumps and power ups. Compete in single player race mode against the CPU, or enjoy multiplayer action with your friends in head-to-head wireless multiplayer. Create and design custom levels to share with your friends or play in one of eight bonus games for outrageous fun.It’s an original break-thru combination of stunt driving, platform action and puzzle solving, designed exclusively for the PSP system.
Amid all the news about BBC iPlayer on the Mac and Linux, you may not realise that it is possible to watch BBC iPlayer on a range of devices, including the Playstation 3 (PS3).
You need to be running the latest firmware, I upgraded mine to version 2.53.
Seems iTunes is not the only place giving away free stuff over the festive period.
We’ve got an extra gift for you this Yuletide: £3 to spend on anything in our MP3 store on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Visit us on December 25 or 26, then just add your chosen MP3s to your Shopping Basket (you need to use the Shopping Basket rather than 1-Click) and enter code FREEMP3S at the checkout–£3 will be deducted from the total.
Remember this offer runs out on the 26th December 2008.
Apple’s iTunes Store is offering twelve days of giveaways from the 26th December to the 6th January.
For iTunes 12 Days Of Christmas, we’ve delved deep into our catalogue to pull out some real treats for the holiday season. Check back here every day for rare singles, exclusive live tracks and free music videos from some of the biggest artists in the world today. Plus classic TV programmes that you just won’t want to miss. Consider them little stocking fillers for your new iPod.
So can you watch content on your Nokia N810
No it doesn’t work as you would like it to, in the main as I guess the processor on the N810 is not powerful enough.
The Flash player on the N810 is the full version which means unlike the iPhone it can access Flash content easily on the web, like BBC iPlayer, but alas though it can access the content, it can’t play it properly.
You can play video on the Nokia N810, but generally you need to encode it specifically for the N810 otherwise it either won’t play or stutters a lot.
Unlike the iPhone, the iPod touch and Google’s G1, as the N810 uses (a variant) of the Firefox browser, the BBC don’t supply the mobile Mp4 files which work on the iPhone and G1 and therefore the N810 is reliant on the Flash versions which (as they are higher quality) require more processing power.
I am going to see if I can play an iPhone BBC iPlayer file on the N810 which should give me an idea if the processor is powerful enough. Will keep you informed.
Well I know you are thinking that you could access BBC iPlayer already on your Mac or Linux PC!
Well what we’re talking about here is not the Flash based web BBC iPlayer, but the iPlayer which allows you to download BBC programmes and watch them while offline.
Not tried it yet, but thinking it could be useful for train journeys.
Read more on BBC News.
The BBC has created a version of the iPlayer that works with both Mac and Linux computers.
The two systems, which have been able to stream BBC programmes via the iPlayer for a year, will now be able to handle downloads.
The BBC, working with Adobe, has developed the new version, known as BBC iPlayer Desktop.
After some testing I have come to the conclusion that there is a mechanical problem with my Nokia N73, after seeing it “crash” after placing it on my desk, it just turned itself off. I thought it might be the battery contacts, but they seem fine, but I think it might be another technical problem, maybe a loose connection somewhere.
