Christmas gadget buying suggestions

I was going to do a Christmas buying guide but I haven't really got around to it.

Instead, see below for some gadgets I would happily like to receive / that would go down well with a gadget enthusiast:

Free ebook: Introducing Windows 8: An Overview for IT Professionals (Final Edition)

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2012/11/13/free-ebook-introducing-windows-8-an-overview-for-it-professionals-final-edition.aspx?loc=zatf_zTS3&prod=zWin8&tech=zOTtech&prog=zPress&type=zOTtype&media=zBK

TFL Buses first to siphon cash from NFC bank cards & mobiles

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/13/tfl_nfc/

Google maps for iOS is back!

Google maps is back for iPhone.

"Android's advantage

Features Google has introduced that were not available in its earlier iPhone app include:
Voice guided turn-by-turn directions, with estimated travel times.
Indoor panoramic images of buildings that have signed up to its Street View Business Photos service
3D representations of the outlines of buildings that can be viewed from different angles
Vector-based graphics based on mathematical lines and points rather than pre-created bitmap graphics, making it quicker to zoom in and out of an area.

Among the facilities Google's iPhone app lacks that are present in its Android equivalent are indoor maps, the ability to download maps for offline viewing, and voice search."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20694028

O2 is increasing its contract prices - The Inquirer

Not a good time for O2 really. They've been bleeding subscribers on the broadband side due to playing catchup with products and now they'll be shedding a few more here unless the other providers follow.

O2 is increasing its contract prices- The Inquirer

Sky go comes to more devices.

Compatibility is expanding to more devices. Note that if you root your device you will no longer be able to use it.

• HTC: Desire X, One X, One XL, One S and One V
• Google: Nexus 4 and Nexus 7
• Samsung: Galaxy S3 LTE, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy Ace 2 and Galaxy Note 2
• Sony: Sony Xperia S, Sony Xperia T
• LG: LG 4X HD

This is in addition to the phones already supported:

• HTC: HTC Desire, HTC Desire S, HTC Desire HD, HTC Incredible S, HTC Sensation, HTC Sensation XE
• Samsung: Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Note

Graphics upgrade?

OK so I have some fairly hefty constraints on what I can upgrade my ageing Shuttle PC with.

First and foremost is power constraints with only a 450W PSU in the case ...
Then comes dimensions...With a precarious motherboard power connected in the lower left. I barely got my GTX 275 in there!

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-275,2266-14.html

http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/graphics_cards_buy_now_uk.html

I'm thinking this Zotac will fit the bill in terms of size and power draw.

http://www.ebuyer.com/393783-zotac-gtx-660-ti-2gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-displayport-pci-e-graphics-zt-60801-10p

Huawei eyeing Nokia talent?

"The group aims to employ over 14,000 in Europe within three to five years, doubling the current workforce of around 7,000, and also plans to spend 70 million euros ($91 million) over five years on the new R&D center in Finland." - Reuters

Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/10/us-huawei-europe-idUKBRE8B90DF20121210
Engadet: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/10/huawei-finland/

What I'm reading...

Just picked up JAM by Yahtzee Croshaw and only a few pages in but it looks like a fun read. Still need to read his previous endeavour called Mogworld as well. Looking forward to finding the time to read it.

First official indications of Fibre on Demand pricing from Openreach

Thinkbroadband mentions wholesale prices for next year. Looks like the installation costs are going to be high which will deter a lot of people. Then again its understandable given the massive cost to rolling out infrastructure.

I can see fixed line providers looking to lock customers into lengthy contracts in order to cover any subsidising of the initial installation costs, which'll be look news for them given that 4G services are going to bring faster mobile data rates with lower latency causing increased competition..

Thinkbroadband: http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/5614-first-official-indications-of-fibre-on-demand-pricing-from-openreach.html

6UK Scrapped After Failing to Encourage IPv6 Adoption Among UK ISPs

Not a great thing to see. There are a few IPv6 ISP's out there but most of the top ones are not rolling it out right down to the end user.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2012/12/6uk-to-be-scrapped-after-failing-to-encourage-uk-ipv6-adoption.html

More info ok the UK government and requirements for new network equipment:
https://update.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/psn_common_req_0.pdf

Corsair H80i review

A nice all-in-one water cooling system. Corsair H80i review

Apple snaps up UK White hat hacker.

Reading the article gives quite a portfolio of feats there. GSM hacking to causing Microsoft delays in the release of Vista...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/06/apple_hires_kristen_paget

Why i'm starting to hate loving my Nokia Lumia 920

There seems to be an issue with the proximity sensor where on calls the screen will go dark straight away as if you have the phone pressed to your ear. The only way to get the screen on for a fraction of a second is to the hit power button and then try and tap the hang up button before the screen goes off. As you can imagine, using IVR menu systems is a pain and i've left countless voice-mails.

Google revealed that I wasn't alone in this issue and it looks like when dust gets in the ear piece it can easily travel across to the front facing camera and the proximity sensor... What a design flaw!!

So so the phone is less than 28 days old so I give Phones4u a ring (Mines a offline Lumia 920 red) and they ask me the usual questions:

Have you got a screen protector on?
Have you tried resetting the phone?
Are there any other issues?

I hadn't done a factory reset but agreed to do this. I had to call back after 40 minutes as the spinning cogs logo hadn't progressed and they advised me it was bricked. I'd already googled and wp central suggested its bricked, although there was an unofficial workaround I didn't want to void the warranty if the device had any flash counters.

I got a replacement code but nearly every damn Phones4u in the SW London area didn't seem to have stock of this particular model so I now have to wait to send my device back and then they will send me a new one. Awful customer service on Phones4u's part. Pretty poor QA testing on Nokia's part... I was seriously considering jacking it in for the HTC or Samsung WP8 devices... We'll see how the replacement goes...

But can it run Crisis?

Maximum PC: You Built a New PC, But Can It Run Crysis 3?

Wow, my Nvidia GTX 275 simply doesn't cut it with just under 1Gb of ram and no dx 11...That's just for the minimum specs!