Tame Your Technology - Computer Repair Zone

Since Blackberry launched it’s incredibly popular Blackberry Curve 8300 handset some time ago the mobile phone world has advanced considerably and Blackberry has had to put together something very special in it’s new handset to stay at the front of the pack.

Luckily it doesn’t disappoint and this handset definately deserves a close look.

What Blackberry has done with their latest release is to merge all the best features of Windows Mobile with the practicality and reliability of the Blackberry brand to create the new Blackberry Bold or 9000 to give it it’s numerical title.

For example, new software functionality means that one can now edit Microsoft Word and Powerpoint documents on the go - potentially a very practical aspect. Documents can then be easily synced with your main computer when you are back in the office. Presentations can be practised on the road to ensure it really hits the tone you’re looking for.

As well as all the standard Blackberry features - the email, the browser, the instant messenger , organizer functions and so on, Blackberry has obviously worked hard on making this the most media-friendly release yet.

As if all the thousands of existing downloadable applications weren’t available, Blackberry has made accessing and enjoying them even easier thanks to a raft of much-needed innovation.

Firstly it benefits from Wifi allowing you to access the Internet in any one of over 3,000 locations in the UK making browsing not only cheaper but also much faster than it has been in the past. Even outside of hotpsot areas, the Bold utilizes HSDPA technology to access nearly 3G download speeds.

Even more impressively, this fusion of software and hardware means that streaming video is now available which nicely complements the mp3 player functionality. Thanks to the new Media Sync application that comes bundled with the package you can seasmlessly transfer media files from Itunes to your handset for later enjoyment.

Of course, the Blackberry 9000 Bold comes with the standard 2MP camera today with video functionality, and like the Curve it offers a full querty keypad rather than the more complicated use of “dual” keys as in the Peal.

As a last final touch, Blackberry’s stylish new smartphone offers GPS and mapping capabilties much as the 8800 first did.

In all, this is a very impressive handset indeed and Blackberry see to have successfully moulded all the best features from the various smart phones available at present to make the ultimate hybrid design. As other Blackberry Bold review pages have noted, this is truly a handset that is well worth a look.

Popularity: 34% [?]

If you’re anything like me you have thousands (literally) of digital photographs sitting on your computer, none of which you have printed out. Sure, it’s nice to have the pictures in the first place, but I recently got thinking about how nice it would be to be able to “batch” them into albums on various topics. For example the month a spent in Central Amercica could make a fantastic souvenir of my time there - and I have over 1,000 photos fron that trip alone.

That’s when I discovered a service that would do exactly that - but without any of the hassle - and with a finished product that hands down beats what I had in mind.

Lulu will now allow you to make a photo books in just 3 steps.

Firstly you select the size of the book you would like to produce. Sizes vary from 5″ x 7″ to 8.5″ x 11″.

Next, select the “theme” that you like - there are ones specially for weddings, parties and so on.

Then finally upload your chosen photos from your computer and next thing you know Lulu will professiona; print and bind the book before shipping it to your door for a small fee.

For more information visit Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/uk/products/photo_books/

Popularity: 21% [?]

Wordpress theme designers Unique Blog Designs, the creators of John Chows famous theme, are celebrating their one year birthday with a competition in which you can win an Ipod Touch or a premium Wordpress theme.

Full details can be found here.

Popularity: 21% [?]

In the next 4-5 weeks I shall be leaving to work away from home for some months. Obviously during that time I fully intend to stay in contact with the Internet so I will be taking along my trusty Vodafone mobile broadband dongle and laptop.

The dongle comes with the software preinstalled so doesn’t need any effort when it comes to use. You plug it into the USB port of your laptop, the dongle sets up the drivers for you and you’re off.

So the good thing is, it’s easy to use. The bad thing is the broadband speed.

Whilst Vodafone love to toot their own horn and tell everyone how fast their mobile broadband is, in reality the speed varies wildly, from genuinely super-fast down to a painfully embarrasing crawl.

Last year on a similar “tour of duty” I was reasonably lucky and found myself able to do most things I could on my home broadband (though the quality of downloaded images was reduced) but that won’t necessarily be the case this year.

Not surprisingly the closer I am to a major city, the better the speed is in general but I will be very interested to actually record the speeds I experience in different places thanks to a new broadband speed test I found online.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Does your phone make a noise when you press a button? Mine too, but can you do this as a result…?!

Popularity: 18% [?]