Shiny Shiny

Dog iPhone apps, dog tracking devices, pet cam and dog social networking

AnnaLeach — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:07:50 GMT

One day someone will breed a Pekingese with an iPhone and the result will be beautiful. Perhaps even better than this. In the meantime there are many useful and even more non-useful ways your dog can interact with technology.

Social-networking sites & blogs have love-children

AnnaLeach — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:04:34 GMT

The mounting buzz around short-form blogging sites Posterous and Tumblr puts a new spin on the blogs v twitter debate; a third way. It's got me thinking that rather than killing each other, or even co-existing, social networking sites and blogs are actually coming together and making mid-length social blog babies. Metaphorically I mean, there's no business deal or sex involved anywhere. Suggestions that blogs are shortening comes along with the idea that tweets could lengthen: new service Twitblogs is an near-exact replica of Twitter with the difference that you can extend posts beyond 140 characters. It seems to be that having stoked the desire for in-depth lengthy posts (blogs) and up-to-the-minute link-tastic chatty random short posts (twitter) - businesses are moving into a middle ground that caters to both.

Bing - why you should be using it

AnnaLeach — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:10:10 GMT

To say that Google runs the biggest most successful search engine on the world wide web is so obvious it's slightly ridiculous, so when Microsoft launched its search engine Bing I didn't really envisage myself using it beyond the odd curious poke-around. But having Binged (Bung?) for a few months now, I'm going to recommend Bing for anyone interested in visuals and graphics. It's not just that the wallpapers on its home page are pretty pictures of seahorses and rainforests, it's that the image and video searches are genuinely better. Apparently several Bing functions are only available in the US, but we'll compare the mutilated version we've got anyway. Let's do a quick run-down of the key services: Follow on after the jump

If famous novels were iPhone apps, what would they do?

AnnaLeach — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:56:14 GMT

It's a question that so far some of the greatest minds in the country have avoided asking. Fortunately, we have the perfect excuse to dive into this exciting territory because... gasp... someone has just released A NOVEL COMBINED WITH AN IPHONE APP GAME - pause for breath - and I think that's an amazing idea. That someone is called Leila Johnston and she's real funny and you can see a bit more her hybrid novel-app at the website here.. http://enemyofchaos.com/ We thought we'd chip in our own tuppence and say: what if those olden-day novelists had the chance to make iPhone applications as a cunning multiplatform tie-ins with their literary masterpieces? What would Dickens/Austen/Tolkien/Salinger have done? Well. Click the picture below to start the gallery

The 5 types of Gmail User

AnnaLeach — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:46:24 GMT

Does opening your gmail inbox turn you into a Monkey of Madness? Or the Elephant of Overshare? Perhaps as a Shiny reader you're more of a Geek of Glory. Confused? no, be delighted. Illustrator and poet Giles Andraes, better known as Edward Monkton has created five little captioned illustrations to show the Five Types of Gmail User. Let us summarise them:

Why people blog and why they'll keep doing it

AnnaLeach — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:54:01 GMT

Last week we did a piece on 5 reasons why Twitter will kill blogging... and got a big reaction. As one commentator sweetly pointed out, Shiny Shiny is in fact a blog so we do have a vested interest in defending them. Others said that Twitter is link dependent, so actually drives traffic to blogs. Several people pointed out that blogs can be great and that sometimes people want to read content that is longer than 140 characters. From a reader's point of view, then: Twitter one-liners supplement but don't replace the more satisfying content on blogs and it could make it easier to find them. So it's probably fair to say that Twitter helps strong blogs get stronger. But for the bloggers themselves? Will they still have the motivation to post a web-log about their daily lives/pet rattlesnake/bedroom antics when Twitter and Facebook are easier and quicker?

5 Netbooks for under £200

AnnaLeach — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:29:12 GMT

They're crunching the laptop market but the jury's still out on how useful these cut-price, cut-function laptops are. We say the sales figures speak for themselves. Most people agree that what netbooks have going for them is price and portability. And since price is the netbook trump card we've dug deep into online retailers and come up with the five best netbooks for under £200.

5 reasons why Twitter could kill Blogs

AnnaLeach — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:21:54 GMT

Twitter is killing blogging, according to an article by the editor of TechGuardian Charles Arthurs. Blogs are withering off the face of the internet and it's the fault of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, he claims. His article follows up from a New York Times story 'Blogs falling in an empty forest' which flashed some statistics from a 2008 Technorati survey: only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the search engine tracks had been updated in the past 120 days. That works out as 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned. Arthur backs up the stats with some anecdotal evidence about dried-up blog feeds, as the tech web-logs he follows curl up and die. Why? Because it's easier to tweet, he thinks. Tweeting is shorter, and we are lazy. It's an opinion backed up by a quick twitterview we conducted with popular London blogger: www.themanwhofellasleep.com now @themanwhofell - who has just called shots on his website and directs followers to his twitterfeed. Why is Twitter better? ShinyShiny asked. "They are very different beasts" he responded "- it's like comparing texting with phone calls. Personally I like Twitter because I'm lazy." Fair enough. So by way of explanation, we've pulled out photoshop out and done a few, errr, 'illustrations' of the 5 reasons Tweets are doing better than Blogs.

Hi-tech chocolate

AnnaLeach — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:40:50 GMT

One of them used to design space shuttles, one of them founded tech ideas mag Wired, and together these two leaders of the tech world have joined forces to make: chocolate. Yes, not to invent super-computers or start web 3.0, just make chocolate. Timothy Childs worked on space and video technology but when Louis Rossetto met him at a convention a few years ago, they talked about chocolate. The conversation turned into a business plan and now Tcho (a cunning little combination of 'tech' and 'choc') is an up and running company. As you might expect from their credentials - it is (apparently) damn good chocolate, and has a strong tech input from start to finish.

High-tech Chocolate

AnnaLeach — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:24:47 GMT

Tick Removers: yes, EW - but you may thank us for this

AnnaLeach — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:31:09 GMT

The sun's shining, everyone's packing up their manual phone-chargers, dongles, tent-lights and envisaging holidays filled with sun, grass, music and summer gadgets. But - sorry to lower the tone - have you remembered your tick remover? And yes by ticks we mean those ugly little creatures that bite you. And by tick remover we mean a cunning device that extracts the afore-mentioned tick from your poor skin without it regurgitating its stomach into you.

What the new HTC Firestone might look like...

AnnaLeach — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:10:18 GMT

Leaked pictures of the new high-end smartphone from HTC are trickling through the net. Apparently the picture above is HTC's new Firestone, one of the company's two top-of-the-range touchscreen devices to be released this year.

Facebook and location: what if Facebook knew where you were?

AnnaLeach — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:37:20 GMT

The twitterific app on my phone has been bugging me to let it geotag my tweets since I updated it a few weeks ago. It's not the only piece of software interested in your location... Web companies have flagged up location as The Next Big Thing and everyone's into the microlocal right now. But do we want it? Thanks to google maps and gps on smartphones, you know your phone can pinpoint your location right down to what part of a house you're in, and if the view isn't clear enough in hybrid you can always slip into streetview, and get a nice clear picture of what that place looks like. Most people agree it's really useful when your smartphone knows where you are, but what if it started sharing that information with other people?

Pixel Art: it's like graphic lego and that's why we like it

AnnaLeach — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:45:35 GMT

Pixel art used to be how designers made computer and video game graphics, building pictures up block by block like some kind of graphic lego. Tools have changed, but the old pixel-by-pixel style lives on in small format screens like some mobile phones and in the hearts and minds of anyone with an affection for nineties computer games. Digital nostalgia is partly why pixel art has taken off as an art-form, but it's not just retro - it's also an interesting way of stylising images. Why it's pretty cool Check out picture three in the gallery for Rubik Cubism - I find the mental powers needed to create a pixellated version of the Mona Lisa out of Rubik Cubes kind of mind-boggling.

Top Ten iPod and iPhone cases: from silicon to walnut

AnnaLeach — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:01:02 GMT

If you have the pleasure of being in possession of an iPhone 3GS, either of the other iPhones or an iPod, you'll know that they are expensive and that you really don't want to break them. Sometimes those apple products are just too smooth and glossy for their own good. It's not that hard to imagine its glassy back sliding out of your palm and smashing *shudder* on the cruel ground or simply getting scratched up when you accidentally put in the same pocket as your keys. Anyway, to avoid such disaster scenarios we've compiled a quick list of iPhone protectors. Cases come soft or hard, some cushion, some bounce, some simply stop it getting scratched and are really for flaunting your off-beat taste. It all depends on how much bulge room your pocket has, how much wear and tear you think your phone will get, and how much you're willing to spend.

Hello! I'm Anna

AnnaLeach — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:48:16 GMT

Oh HAI everyone! I'm Anna, the new editor of Shiny Shiny, tentatively taking the place of the lovely Zara and stepping into a long line of distinguished, witty and knowledgeable ShinyShiny editors. Since I'm also stepping into the radar zone of ShinyShiny's distinguished, witty and knowledgeable readers, I thought I'd introduce myself and say that I'd really like to hear about the things that you want to see on the site. Me? oh, I'm just an internet-addict who likes playing around with shiny things, whether they glitter, vibrate or just do complicated things with data, I used to be geeky in a booky way, now I'm geeky in a soft techie way. When I first got my iPhone I wanted to get it embedded in my arm because I liked it so much and didn't want to be separated from it, but, with hindsight, it's fortunate that that wasn't medically possible. But we all know no gadget is perfect and I will be casting an objective, glinty eye over the rich offerings of the tech world to you, the ShinyShiny reader. Yet the future holds changes too... follow after the jump

Man Wall - the ultimate Father's Day gift

AnnaLeach — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:12:56 GMT

If you're short on last-minute gadget presents for Father's Day, forget the idea of getting him a nice pair of speakers and make up for your tardiness by getting Dad not just one gadget but a giant wall of them. We're talking about the Man Wall from Hybrid Space Furniture.

Homeless in Sims 3 - meet Alice and Kev

AnnaLeach — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:32:31 GMT

Sims 3 is a bit of a marvel, and its new neighbourhood feature makes social interaction a lot easier and more realistic. In a brilliant blog, games design student Robin Burkinshaw tells the tragic but fascinating story of what happened when he stripped two characters of their possessions and left them in the park, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Keeping cool: four fans and a helpful suggestion

AnnaLeach — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:26:33 GMT

With the advent of a burning summer of heat, christened the BBQ summer by all serious media organisations in the UK, we'd hate to think of you getting hot, when some judiciously-applied gadgetry would help keep you cool.

Alan Partridge: the iPhone app

AnnaLeach — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:40:02 GMT

An application based on TV character Alan Partridge has been storming the UK iPhone app charts. As I type, Pocket Alan is The Number 1 paid-for iPhone app in Britain. (Not surprisingly, the current most downloaded paid-for app in the States is not based on Alan Partridge, but is an time-management game called Sally's Spa.) We forked out £0.59 and downloaded Pocket Alan to try and work out how its makers had struck iTunes gold with an app based on an obnoxious tv character.

Koogle : Keeping Google kosher

Zara Rabinowicz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:33:17 GMT

For far too long Google has dominated the world of search engines, and without even a mezzuzah in sight! OK, you can get images if you search for them, but where are all the kosher eatery guides and religiously approved lingerie stores? Koogle could change all that, as it's a semi-rabbinically approved search engine that lets you trawl through related Jewish information and activities.

Zara leaves Shiny Shiny

Zara Rabinowicz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:02:34 GMT

Hey guys, it has been a great couple of years with you, but I'm going to be leaving these hallowed hall of pinkness forever now. Don't worry to much, I'll still be in the techsphere, and updating my own blog with all sorts of nonsense and ramblings. I'll be leaving you in very capable hands of equally tech loving ladies, but just to remind you of the good times we've hand I've put together a little video of some of my best moments. Feel free to add comments on any clips you think should be in there. xoxo More videos here

Samsung Jet takes smartphones to a new level with a super fast processor

Zara Rabinowicz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:43:52 GMT

The battle of the smartphones rages on, but Samsung have just illustrated a Terminator like blow to the likes of the Pre and the N97 with the launch of their Jet phone, which contains the fastest processor on the block. The processor clocks in at 800MHz, making it incredibly...

Will the Olympus E-P1 Pen make DSLR's more accessible?

Zara Rabinowicz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:07:24 GMT

Yesterday the latest Olympus Pen camera was revealed to the world, and we were on hand in sunny Berlin to get a good one on one with it. We marvelled at its sleek contours and retro styling, and I feel slightly in love with the uber kitsch white one....

Sony Ericsson's W995 gives you a Walkman phone with 8 megapixels

Zara Rabinowicz — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:28:14 GMT

For quite a while now when you choose a phone you have to make the decision between music functionality and camera quality. Just take a look at the iPhone for example- all the music compatibility and interface you'll ever want with a camera that lacks megapixels, flash and any kind of comprehensive imaging software. Well Sony Ericsson is bravely stepping into that gap with the just launched W995 which combines the best of both worlds. It boast a 8 megapixel camera, and whilst it doesn't call it a Cybershot, consider it 'a rose by any other name...' You get a 2.6 inch screen to view your images on, and the 8 megapixel camera offers you face detection, flash and comes with an 8GB memory stick to store all images and media on. It features Turbo 3G and Wi-Fi for super quick web browsing and AGPS for geo-tagging photos. The phone offers users all the integration of the Walkman brand, and is fully integrated with the PlayNow arena which delivers videos and music content to your mobile. You also get access to 60 independent films a year (for FREE!) as\well as PlayNow clips of Sony related movies. You'll also be able to access the iPlayer on the W995 and they've given you a 3.5mm jack, which means you can use your own headphone with the device. I really like the fact they've added an auto-syncing facility as that makes it easy for you to update your mobile with recent play-list and media content, and the new Auto convert Media Go turns any variety of files into formats that are viewable on your phone- so no more DivX/XVId agony.. The phone come bundled with the MS410 snap on speaker stand which also acts as a charging stand, and allows you to share your music with other (but avoid doing this on the bus). The W995 com esin black, silver and red and is available now. 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