Losing it[1]

Well, yesterday was pay day . And I got a wee bit more money than normal, thanks to all that weekend working I mumbled a bit about last month. So, I decided it was time to buy a new toy.

I’ve been looking at these things for a while, and as the prices have been falling and the quality rising, it was finally time to act.

So, off I went to see those nice Richer Sounds people and got myself a nice Sharp LC26GA5E 26″ widescreen LCD TV.

It took a bit of button pressing and tweaking on the TV and my DVD player (and a rather expensive cable) to set things up, but my DVDs now look, well, stunning. Combined with my existing surround sound kit, which I got from Richer Sounds a couple of years ago, I now have as good a home cinema set up as I can reasonably hope for. I’ll probably upgrade to a bigger screen at some point in the future (when the prices come down some more… ), but for now, I’m happy.

Well, I’d had my work laptop for a couple of years, and while it’s still quite a nice machine, it’s a little bit too heavy sometimes. So it was time for a change. And here it is - my shiny new Dell D410. It’s a similar size to my personal Toshiba, but a wee bit quicker. Got it mostly set up now, with just a few more bits to transfer before I can wipe the old one and make it available to someone else.

Now if there’s one thing I really love, it’s coffee. When I’m at work, I quite often don’t get round to drinking much of the lovely stuff, as I keep getting called away from my desk which means that if I make a jug of real coffee it often gets cold before I can drink it.

I’d seen these Senseo machines when they first came out, but held back from buying one as there seemed to be a distinct lack of shops stocking the special pods that they need. Well, it seems that these little beasties are catching on, as there are now at least two shops in central Newcastle selling the pods. That was enough to convince me to buy a tasteful blue Senseo coffee maker. I got it yesterday and rearranged my desk to accommodate it. It’s not at all bad. The coffee, even from the darkest roast available is nowhere near as strong as I get from my Gaggia at home, but it’s quite acceptable. The speed and convenience means that I’ll be drinking a lot more coffee at work now.

The extra coffee seems to be getting my metabolic rate up a wee bit, which might be contributing to the slight drop in my weight of late. And even if it isn’t, I like it anyway!

I’ve been looking at DVD recorders for a while now. Until quite recently, they’ve been horribly expensive, and had issues with disc compatibility. There was also the little matter that the blank discs were quite expensive. What I wanted was something that would be a drop-in replacement for my old video recorder, which occasionally eats tapes. Until recently, this wasn’t possible. But now, things have changed. DVD recorders are getting much cheaper (well under £200 in some cases), the disks are getting a lot cheaper, and the quality of the machines seems to be a lot higher.

For me, the best machines are those which include a hard disk as well as a DVD drive. This is great - if you’re just recording things to watch later, you don’t have to worry about having a disk with enough free space, you can just record to the hard disk. You can play your recordings from there, or copy them to a blank DVD if you want to keep them. Nice.

There’s only one place I buy this kind of thing - Richer Sounds. Good service, helpful advice, and they’ll beat anybody’s price. They sell online, but actively encourage customers to visit their chain of busy stores. And if you see the price on their website is lower than the price in the shop, mention the website and you’ll pay the lower price,

So, yesterday, I wandered in, and was soon talking to a salesman. Oddly enough, this was the same one who sold me my DVD player, amplifier and surround speakers nearly two years ago. I was impressed at the time, as he took the time and trouble to steer me away from what I thought I wanted[1] and sold me something a lot better for the same money[2]. Once again, he was very helpful. I had though of buying a Panasonic recorder, but he pointed out that it had one defect - the discs it records can’t be played in most standard DVD players. Oooooh. Good one. So, I reverted to plan B, the Pioneer DVR-420H. This has a suitably large 80GB hard disk, which holds something like 35 hours in good quality recording (that’s better than you’d get from VHS tape). It’s much more suitable as a VCR replacement than some machines, as it uses the industry standard Video Plus system for programming recordings.

Setting it up was simple enough - I had to manually tune some of the channels, but once I’d done that, everything was fine. A test recording worked perfectly, and playback quality was excellent. Unlike my now retired VCR, freeze frame really works, just like on a DVD.

It gets better, of course. The editing feature is really nice. Let’s say you record a programme, and you want to lose the few minutes you recorded before and after the actual running time. This is very easy to do, and can be done to the exact frame. You have the option to give each recording a title, making it much easier to identify in the on-screen index. Another nice touch is the ability to choose the frame that’s used as the thumbnail for the recording in the index - so it can show the title or a suitably unique image to help you identify the recording you want.

Copying to DVD is also quite simple. There is a high-speed option, but this only seems to work for high-quality recordings, which limits you to two hours on a disk. I need to study the huge manual to get to grips with that, I suspect…

So far, I’m impressed. I’m going to have to have a look at all my cabling so I can use the digital sound output into my surround amplifer, and probably rearrange the connectors to the TV, but for now, I have a working recorder that is much, much better than the old VCR.

Nice toy.

[1] A pretty, but not really all that good, all-in-one “lifestyle” system
[2] Cambridge Audio DVD player, which also functions as my CD player, Sony amplifier, Yamaha speakers. Had it nearly two years and still love it.

Well, that nice Mexican meal had its effects. Up again today at 207.0 pounds (14 stone 11 pounds, 93.9kg).

Went into Newcastle today and bought myself a nice new toy

I’m now the proud owner of a Pioneer DVD recorder with 80GB hard disk. I’ll probably do a proper report on that once I’ve used more of its features….

Well, I can’t resist new toys, and I can’t resist a bargain. I’d heard that Orange had brought out a new version of their SPV Smartphone, dubbed the C500, running the latest version of Windows Mobile for Smartphones. In fact, I’d had a brief play with a pre-release model at an Orange seminar a few months ago. I was quite impressed with the feel of the sample I’d played with, which was a huge advance on the original SPV model[1] I’d had a couple of years ago, but I didn’t think I was going to bother getting one…

That was until last Saturday. I had a look at the Orange website and started looking at upgrade options. I was interested to note that I could have the new[2] SPV C500 for precisely nothing. No charge. Oh, and free delivery, too. On that basis, I decided I might as well get one. After all, if I tried it and didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have lost anything. I filled in the form on the website on the Saturday, and the phone was delivered at work on the following Tuesday, which isn’t bad for a freebie.

Once I’d got the phone activated, I was quite impressed. The latest version of the Smartphone software is much more friendly and well-behaved than the original[3], which is of course good. But the main changes over the original SPV and the interim models is in the design and build of the phone itself. For a start, it’s much smaller. It’s advertised as being the “world’s smallest smartphone”, and it is definitely smaller than any other smartphone I’ve seen, despite having a nicely large screen. It’s quite slim (thinner than the Nokia 5140 I’ve been using lately) and feels quite robust. I was impressed to see that the SIM card holder and the memory card holder were robust metal components rather than the more usual flimsy plastic clips. Memory expansion is through the fairly new Mini SD format, which offers very large capacity in a ludicrously small format[4]. There is a 16MB card supplied, which comes with trial versions of some not all that useful software. I’ve ordered a 512MB card, which cost a not unreasonable £42.95. One good thing about the Smartphone OS is that additional programs can be installed to the memory card, not just to internal memory, making the whole package rather more flexible.

Some time ago, I acquired a free Bluetooth headset[5]. I’d tried this with my Sony Ericsson P900, where it mostly worked. The C500 is a different animal altogether. Once I’d got the headset and phone bonded (which worked almost immediately[6]), everything worked perfectly. As soon as I open the boom on the headset, the “headest” icon appears on the phone display and the headest is operational. Close the boom on the headset and the phone reverts to normal use.

There’s loads of software available for Windows Smartphones, including utilites, games and other stuff. There’s even a fair amount of free stuff (I’ve got a nice free Tetris clone, which is a Good Thing).

For those who like to personalise their phones, the SPV is good fun. Loads of options for changing the display, and it can use any WAV or WMA file as a ringtone. [8]

Web browsing works remarkably well. I can check work email thanks to OWA PDA and I can check my bank account. Not only that, but Losing it[1] is quite legible on the small screeen.

Overall, I’m impressed with the phone. It’s made for Orange by HTC of Tawain, who made the original SPV and also at least some of Compaq/HP’s iPaq PDA models. An equivalent model is available under other names from other suppliers….

One final thing that makes this my favourite phone so far: the connector. Up till now, every phone has had its own proprietary connector for both power and data connection. This can be a problem if you need a spare charger or data connector. This little beastie creates a precedent. It has a single connector for power and data, which would be a pleasant enough simplification on its own, but what really makes me happy is that the connector is a standard mini USB connector. While a mains charger is provided with the phone, I doubt I’ll ever need it, as it will happily charge by taking power over a USB2 connection[7]. As it uses the same connector as my Sony digital camera and my Archos MP3 player, this is all very convenient indeed. Working with the latest version of Microsoft ActiveSync, Windows XP recognises the phone immediately.

[1] Good concept, but a bit clunky in use. Clip on camera, bulky phone, had to be rebooted regularly..
[2] Well, it’s been out a few months, but it’s new enough
[3] Usual Microsoft plan: first version is dire, second is good but flawed, third is actually good..
[4] While it is no doubt possible to make memory cards even smaller than Mini SD, it will be a bit silly, as most people will find the things too damn small to find….
[5] All I had to do was fill in a few surveys..
[6] Bluetooth can be a bit flaky…
[7] USB chargers have been a popular accessory for most phones for a while now, but this is the first phone I’ve seen where it’s standard equipment
[8] Depending on who’s calling, I either hear the into to U2’s “New Year’s Day” or Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. Not bleepy MIDI versions, the actual songs

One more post before the batteries die in the Tosh. I’ve been installing software and posting from the little beastie for quite some time now, and the little icon tells me I have less than 20 minutes left. It’s done quite well, really. It’s been running for about three hours now, and that included some fairly heavy file copying and downloading over the wireless connection. And I’d used it on battery quite a bit at work on Monday, too - and that included using a PC card wireless connection[1], so it looks like the total battery life might not be too far off the claimed six hours. Certainly six hours of more normal application use and moderate web and email work seems feasible.

Have I mentioned what a nice machine this is?

[1] New 3G data card from Orange, which actually works with the VPN, which makes it potentially very useful. At least one of our senior people wants one. I’ve told him he’ll have to wait until I’ve tested it some more, though

Just bought myself a new laptop. I wanted to get a very portable, small, lightweight one, but didn’t want to pay the full price for something I’d only be using part of the time. After looking around a bit, I found out that Toshiba now sell factory returns, refurbished and ex-demo kit on eBay. Buying this kind of kit can be a great deal - you get computers that are “as new”, thoroughly tested by the manufacturer and with a warranty for much less than normal retail prices. The eBay approach is interesting - it saves the supplier from a lot of expensive marketing, and gives them a bigger profit margin than if they sold through an intermediary. It’s good for the customer, because (depending on how many people are interested at the time) you can get a serious bargain, provided you’re sensible enough to decide on a maximum price and not get lured into a bidding frenzy.

My first attempt was to get a rather tasty Portégé A100, but I was outbid at the last minute (it went for just £20 over my self-imposed maximum, but who knows what the other person’s maximum bid was?). I wasn’t too worried, because there were a couple of perhaps tastier Portégé R100 models due to end just minutes later. I was just beaten on the first, but got the second for my maximum bid of £750. This isn’t actually the current model, as it comes with a slower processor and a 30GB disk rather than the 40GB now supplied. But as neither of those factors are really an issue for me, I’m quite happy. Had to phone Toshiba on Monday to pay and arrange delivery. Naturally, delivery was attempted while I was in London, but I was able to get it delivered to the office on Friday, so that wasn’t a problem.

Now, I’d seen pictures. I’d used a ruler to see how big it would be. But when I got it out of the box, I was still totally gobsmacked by its extreme slimness and, well, prettiness. It’s gorgeous. It feels reassuringly well-built, though. The 12″ screen is bright, sharp and clear. Performance (once I’d upgraded the memory with an extra 512MB from those nice Crucial people) is more than adequate. It works nicely on my wireless LAN.

Natuarally, with something this small, there are compromises. This model doesn’t include a CD or DVD drive[1], which helps keep the thickness down[2]. The standard battery only lasts for two hours, but there’s a larger four-hour battery included which neatly clips onto the base. This makes the back end a bit thicker (but still very thin), and helpfull angles the keyboard when the Tosh is sitting on a desk, which is pretty nifty.

While I was in the spendy mood[4], I got a new Logitech Cordless Mouse for Notebooks to go with it. It’s a perfectly nice slightly small cordless mouse, with a small USB dongle (there’s a cradle thingy with a cable that you can use if you prefer), which comes with a neat zipped pouch to carry it in. Nice touch.

[1] No floppy either, but who uses those these days?
[2] And I’ve managed to find a CD-ROM for it on eBay[3]
[3] Only likely to be used if I need to reinstall from the bootable recovery CD - I’m installing software by sharing the CD and DVD drive on my main PC
[4] I get them now and then

First post from my new toy, a rather tasty Toshiba Portege R100 ultracompact notebook PC. More details and pictures to follow….

Note: there is a newer, smaller, sleeker and cheaper version of this available now. So don’t try to buy this one!
I’ve always liked personal music devices, since the days that they were cassette players the size (and weight) of house bricks. Over the years, I’ve moved through various cassette players, had a brief fling with a CD player (too damn big, and this was before anti-skip features were common), then on to mini-disc, and then a Sony NetMD. I quite liked the Net MD, and was quite impressed with Sony’s announcement of the new HiMD format, which uses 1GB disks in the same form factor. I even went so far as to pre-order a HiMD player. But I got tired of waiting for the actual release, so I had another look at the market.

I decided to look at hard disk players, as if I was going to move on from MD, I wanted something with a lot more capacity to make it worth while. I also wanted something no bigger than my MD player, which just fits in a top pocket. Finally, it had to work as a removable drive under Windows XP. Anything using proprietary drivers, or requiring the use of particular software, or non-standard file formats was out. No iPods here, thanks. Oh yes, and I didn’t want to spend significantly more than I’d been planning to on the HiMD player.

After a little digging, searching and web browsing, I eventually decided on the Archos GMini 220, which met all my criteria. There was even the option of a remote control, which most players didn’t seem to have. I didn’t spend too much time on it, and ended up ordering from BlokesStuff, together with the optional remote control.

A week later, it arrived. In the flesh[1], it really is small. Almost exactly the same size as my NetMD, in fact. The LCD display is large and clear, and very easy to navigate. As with most portable devices, the supplied headphones are, not to put too fine a point on it, crap. Poorly made, not a good fit for my ears, and generally icky. No problem there, I was planning to use my Sony ones anyway. One other oddity - the supplied USB lead (of which more later) was a bit short, which might make connecting it up tricky for some people.

No drivers are needed for Windows to recognise the GMini as a disk drive, but if you want the supplied MusicMatch Jukebox to talk to the player, you will need to install it from the CD rather than download the current version. Nothing to stop you upgrading after that, of course.

At first, I plugged the GMini into my powered USB2 hub. Bad idea. The GMini kept disconnecting, and Windows didn’t like it at all. Moved it to a direct USB2 port, and all was well. Apart from the power saving settings, which aren’t bright enough not to turn the device off when it’s got mains power…

Transferring MP3 files (created from some of my CDs, using MusicMatch) was simply a matter of dragging and dropping in Windows Explorer, and was a quick as I could reasonably ask for (much, much quicker than transferring files to the NetMD).

Using the GMini is simple. Playlists can be created by selecting either whole albums or individual tracks on the device itself, or by making lists with MusicMatch and transferring them to the player.[2]

The sound quality through my chosen headphones is just fine. However, when the remote is plugged in, it seems to pick up electronic noise from the player, so odd noises can be heard between tracks. This isn’t all that bad, at least for me, as I only really use the GMini outside where there’s a fair amount of traffic noise anyway. The remote control incorporates an FM radio, but I haven’t bothered to try this out, as I’d rather listen to my own choice of music. If they had managed to include a DAB radio that would have let me listen to 6Music, it might have been a different story.

The GMini comes with a plug-in for MusicMatch that is supposed to let you update its “ArcLibrary”. This lets you browse music by Track, Artist, Album and Genre, using the ID3 tag information from the MP3 files. At first, I couldn’t get this to work at all until a little googling told me that the problem was that the file on the GMini was set to read-only, which caused the update to fail without giving any errors. Since then, I’ve found this feature to be a bit flaky. Even though Windows has happily identified the GMini as a drive, and I’ve copied files across, MusicMatch will more often than not fail to identify it. This isn’t a problem for me, as I prefer to browse through the files on the GMini in the more conventional way anyway.

It also has a Compact Flash card reader, which can be used for loading digital camera images on to the hard drive. You can look at these in greyscales on the display. I don’t have a use for this feature, but somebody might like it.

The only other feature that might put some people off is its lack of support for the secure WMA files used by various legal download services. Not an issue for me, as what I wanted was something I could listen to the contents of my own CDs on. If it’s an issue for you, you don’t want a GMini.

I’ve had it a couple of weeks now, and overall I’m happy with it. It does what it says on the tin, sounds more than good enough, and I love the convenience of having so much music in one small box.

[1] Well, plastic. You know what I mean
[2] After a small search and replace to get the file path in the correct format for the GMini