THEGAYUK

Category: Tech

  • No More Go Slow On Your Mobile

    The government sets out plans to eliminate poor mobile coverage that blights a fifth of the UK.

    As part of its long-term economic plan, the government today set out plans to eliminate the poor mobile coverage that blights a fifth of the UK.

    Culture Secretary Sajid Javid today said mobile users in many parts of the UK regularly suffer from a poor signal leaving them unable to make calls or send texts.

    These areas – so-called ‘partial not-spots’ – have coverage from some but not all of the 4 mobile networks (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone). Depending on the network consumers are on, they, therefore, may have no coverage.

    The Culture Secretary is determined to improve coverage from all 4 networks in these areas and has therefore launched a consultation on the various legislative proposals that can help achieve this.

    This will give the government the chance to hear views on these proposals from all interested parties.

    Talks have been held with the mobile companies in recent months in an attempt to find a voluntary solution and this work by the industry is expected to continue whilst the consultation runs.

    Sajid Javid said, ‘I’m determined to ensure the UK has world-class mobile phone coverage as an investment in infrastructure will help drive this government’s long-term economic plan.

    ‘It can’t be right that in a fifth of the UK, people cannot use their phones to make a call. The government isn’t prepared to let that situation continue.

    ‘We’ve been talking to the mobile companies about the problem and they are working with us to find a solution.

    ‘This consultation will complement the work industry is doing and allow the government to hear from the wider telecoms sector, businesses and the public.

    ‘Businesses have been clear about the importance of mobile phones and improved coverage will help deliver jobs and economic security.’

  • APP REVIEW: misterbnb

    Come on, have you heard of Airbnb in terms of renting space to stay somewhere fabulous… or at least interesting? It’s a simple way to search for accommodation space in cities around the world.

    Now, take that concept and add in gay landlords and you have misterbnb… a site and app that lets you book accommodation across the globe, safe in the knowledge it’ll have style (I know, a total stereotype!). It also takes the guess work out of a potential host being gay friendly or not?

    The app offers a massive choice of locations and types of homes starting from around 30 euros, a choice of 65 countries (and growing) on the go and mirrors the sites offerings. Fancy a short stay in Paris? Tick! New York in the New Year? Got it! Pride in Berlin? You betcha!

    This app works on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and has such a simple interface – tell it where you want to stay and it’ll search and list for you. I’m in love with the Loire, and it even returned solutions there from 40 euros a night.

    This app works both ways too – and who doesn’t love that! If you’re a landlord with space to rent, sign up and get renting! It doesn’t have to be a total house or flat either – this site rents spare rooms – and even on occasion, sofa beds!

    That last piece is the only word of caution I’d offer – read everything on the place you’ve chosen before you pay up! There are some really useful reviews on there, so use this app to its fullest!

    All bookings are automatically insured by misterbnb – so you do have peace of mind – but you are able to contact your host direct with questions and there are some really good examples in the reviews of hosts/landlords going so far out of their way for their clients! Some wait up tip the wee hours for their renters to arrive on flights – and there are also some brutally honest reviews! Some are quite entertaining!
    Download the app or pop over to the site and give it a look-see.

  • Atari: First Ever Gay Themed Computer Game

    Atari, one of the world’s most recognised publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced the development of Pridefest™ an original social-sim game for tablets and mobile devices. Pridefest™ empowers players to create and launch their very own personalised pride parade in a city of their choosing.

    The first LGBT-themed game from Atari, Pridefest™ gives players the opportunity to customise their own parade flotillas with colourful decorations and adorn their locale with eye-catching attractions and entertainment – with the goal of keeping their city happy and vibrant. Players will need to solve challenges and complete quests to unlock new parade and festival supplies, or receive other bonuses. The game will incorporate various personalization and social features, including the opportunity to chat with friends, visit each other’s city and create avatars bedecked in clothes and jewellery.

    “We are excited to be developing Atari’s first LGBT-themed game that will give players of all backgrounds the chance to play a fun and unique game that represents a passionate cause,” said Todd Shallbetter, Chief Operating Officer, Atari Inc. “We will continue offering a variety of games that are inclusive for all Atari fans and Pridefest™ is another example of how we are doing that.”

    Atari recently sponsored and attended the second-ever GaymerX convention where LGBT gamers and allies united in celebration of equality and diversity in gaming.

    “Gaming is the largest entertainment sector in the world, and Atari is one of the most recognisable and iconic brands. To have them support our conference and cause, as well as bring an LGBTQ-themed game to market is a huge step toward equality in gaming,” said Matt Conn, founder of GaymerX. “It’s extremely important that we see these large publishers like Atari stepping up to the plate, and I’m excited that they have the courage to take the first step in supporting the community.”

    To register to learn more about Pridefest™ in the upcoming months, please visit www.PridefestGame.com, “Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @PridefestGame.

  • Facebook Introduces Gay Pride Icons

    Facebook has launched a number of gay pride icons for users to celebrate Pride season

    Facebook has released a number of free LGBT-themed emoticons – featuring leathermen, a disco man and two sailors and one that looks like RuPaul for gay pride season.

    A Facebook diversity spokesperson said,

    ‘We’re celebrating Pride by adding these free Facebook Messenger stickers to the Sticker Store. We see this as one more way we can make Facebook a place where people can express their authentic identity. Happy Pride!’

    The emoticons can be used within Facebook’s messager. You can install the stickers through the emoticon menu.

    Earlier in the year, Facebook transformed its gender reporting feature – allowing users to define their gender to around 50 different gender expressions.

  • Nearly one million UK pets have their own social media

    Research has shown that pet owners across the UK love their pets so much that one million of them have given them their own Twitter or Facebook account.

    Amongst the most popular pets on the net is Sockington the cat, who belongs to American archivist and historian Jason Scott. On Twitter Sockington (@sockington) has amassed over 1.3 million followers, which is more than Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour Party leader Ed Miliband combined.

    The research conducted by GoCompare.com showed that over a million or 7% of us, who have a furry friend have created a profile for our beloved Sweep, Rover or Dory the fish.

    When it comes to Twitter, dogs are the internet’s best friend. Analysing tweets from February 4th to March 6th, Gocompare.com found that more tweets in that time period were about canines than their cat counterparts. During the time frame, there were 1,713,613 tweets referencing cats compared to 2,323,567 tweets about dogs.

    Ben Wilson, pet insurance spokesperson at Gocompare.com, commented:
    ‘The nation seems divided on what people think of pets on social media, as half (51%) of those asked said that they found people who constantly post about their pet on social media irritating, and the vast majority (74%) saying that they find people who create profiles for their pet ‘weird’. But with around four million tweets about cats and dogs each month, it doesn’t look like animal lovers will stop talking about their pets online anytime soon.
    ‘However, what is concerning is the number of pet owners who admitted to not having insurance for their animal. Though nearly one in five (17%) admitted to adoring their pets so much that most of their own social media post revolved around them, and just under one in ten (7%) having even made profiles for their pets, our research found that only half of cat and dog owners actually insured their animal.
    ‘Pet owners without insurance may not be able to afford essential medical treatment if their pet becomes ill or has an accident, so while it’s nice to see so many who want to show their four-legged companions off on social media, the best way to show your love for your animal is to make sure it has the right cover.’

  • Smartphone batteries that fully charge in 30 seconds to go on sale in 2016

    You have to see it to believe it, but an Israeli company has revealed new batteries which fully charge a smartphone in just 30 seconds.

    The device called Storedot was revealed at Microsoft’s Think Next event, which was held in Tel Aviv. They demonstrated that a Samsung S4 could be charged from 0% battery to fully charged in just 26 seconds.

    The device, which will not be available until 2016, is believed to be priced around £18 – which is the current cost of an average charger.

    According to the company’s website: ‘StoreDot’s technology for energy storage can be applied in batteries for mobile devices, providing a sustainable solution that can replace lithium-ion batteries. Due to the size of StoreDot nanodots, the electrode capacitance is increased, resulting in next-generation batteries and super-capacitors that can be fully charged in minutes rather than hours.’

    Incredibly, the company last year received £3.5m in investment, with Samsung reported to be one of the major investors.

  • CEO of Mozilla Steps Down After Anti-Gay Marriage Row

    The CEO of Mozilla, Brendan Eich has stepped down after a week of harsh criticism of his anti-gay marriage controversy.

     Mozilla, the makers of the Firefox web browser made a statement via its company blog announcing the resignation of Eich.
    The statement read:

    “Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn’t live up to it,” wrote executive chairwoman Mitchell Baker. “We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act. We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry. We must do better.”

    “What’s next for Mozilla’s leadership is still being discussed. We want to be open about where we are in deciding the future of the organization and will have more information next week. However, our mission will always be to make the Web more open so that humanity is stronger, more inclusive and more just: that’s what it means to protect the open Web.”

    Earlier in the week Eich said that he would not step down from the company over his personal beliefs. However, after a firestorm amongst gay rights organisations and a campaign by OKCupid it seems as though the CEO had no choice. The dating service urged users to boycott the browser

    In 2008, Eich made a $1000 donation to the Prop 8 ballot. Prop 8 banned same-sex marriage in California.

  • TECH REVIEW | Dell Venue 8 Pro

    I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m out and proud…. about my love of Apple and its products.

    I tend not to consider other brands initially, going straight for an Apple version of whatever I want, tablet, phone, laptop, desktop, even TV streaming, however, this job gives me a chance to try other products and be honest about their performance, their design and comparisons to Apple.

    When the Dell Venue 8 Pro arrived, I was a little anxious. I have used Dell laptops in various job roles and found them okay to use, nothing special in terms of design but reliable. So what would their foray into tablets be like?

    On opening the box, I have to admit, Apple’s influence is apparent. The packaging is simple and clean, instructions at a minimum but adequate and the product well protected – and on unwrapping, one hell of a beauty.

    This 8inch tablet bridges that gap between a Smartphone and the usual tablets, such as iPads. It fits in your hand; it has a rubberised backing, which helps if you’re a little clumsy (guilty as charged). Again, like Apple, they have kept buttons and all extraneous details to a minimum and on the sides. This little beauty doesn’t have a centre button like iPad, but once you get used to that, it actually makes more sense to shift it to the side. It allows a decent HD screen size – perfect for watching Netflix on the go, reading emails without squinting (or is that just me?) and surfing the net – at the same time, it makes for a powerful, beautiful item to pop into your bag or pocket to keep you connected to your social networks and entertainment.

    My only issue is around the OS, which is Microsoft based. Although most of us use MS software at some point, usually at work or college, the transition to tablet isn’t always smooth. It takes a while to get used to the swipe left, right, up or down and what each gesture does and where it takes you. The app store is good, and covers all the basics. For me, it made sense to think about what you want to use this for and keep the apps to a minimum. This tablet only has 2GB RAM built in, but you can expand it with an SD card.

    It has 2 cameras built in – and it takes a hell of an image with its 5M pixels – and is light enough to actually be a decent camera alternative. Unlike those who try use their full size iPads as cameras and look like they are about to break their neck! Front and back cameras also make it ideal for Skyping on the go.

    Bluetooth helps you link to external speakers, keyboards and desktops making it flexible and adaptable.

    In terms of improving this well thought out piece of kit, I could only ask for another micro USB port. Some people may want to use this instead of a PC, and the more ports the better – it really is that good. I’m not a huge fan of Microsoft OS, but it works, it does its job and once you get used to it, its easy enough to use – but it’s no iOS. It’s not as intuitive as Apple’s product, but it’s a damn fine piece of kit.

    Price: £239.99 inc VAT from
    http://www.ebuyer.com/611945-dell-venue-8-pro-tablet-pc-5830-0339

    Overall, I love this item – its lightweight, it feels comfortable to hold, it’s quick and responsive, it works well and its a good price. My perspective would be that its a serious contender to an iPad Mini, with a much lower price tag.

  • TECH TALK: Future Proof TV

    We take a quick look at the future of TV. Mainly streaming content to our TV from other devices, and with today’s release of Google’s long awaited Chromecast in the UK, is Streaming going to take off?

    CHROMECAST
    Is just simply a dongle that plugs into an HDMI socket in your television which then connects to your Wi-Fi signal and that is it, simple as that, You can then stream content such as films, TV, music to your TV from your laptop, tablet or smartphone. YouTube, Netflix and IPlayer come built in with more apps and content on the way, using the Chrome browser you can install a plug-in that lets you “cast” webpages direct from your browser with the tap of a button. The best bit? Its only £30

    Compatible with Android, IOS, Mac, Windows and Chromebooks

    NOW-TV
    Powered by SKY TV this is essentially a no contract no satellite way of having SKY TV and you can’t stream to content to your TV from your laptop, tablet or smartphone, but what it does do is give you access to 3 optional pay per month packages. Film, Entertainment and Sport.

    For £4.99 a month the Entertainment bundle offers you access to the very best in American TV from Game Of Thrones, 24 and The Walking Dead, you also got 10 live channels including SKY Atlantic and Comedy Central.

    The Movies bundle is £8.99 a month and for that you get access to SKY’s huge Movie database, over 800 films to stream and with 16 new movies added a month and upto a year ahead of other services It’s a pretty great package.

    The Sports Pass is £9.99 per day and gives you access to all 6 of the Sport Channels, you can also buy a day pass if you just want watch to the occasional big events.

    You can also just buy the box itself without buying any of the packages, the box comes pre-loaded with a long list of apps from Facebook, Youtube, Spotify, Picasa, SKY News and a plethora of others you can install for free. Catchup services like iPlayer, Demand 5, 4OD are also included.

    The Box itself is just £10! But you can buy 6 monthly packages for new user direct from their site

    ROKU
    The Roku comes in 4 different versions, 4 boxes and a new streaming stick. The boxes connect directly to your wifi and the stick plugs into an HDMI socket on your TV and uses the wifi to stream.

    ROKU offers over 450 channels of movies, TV, music, and games at your disposal from the standard free apps such as Facebook, iPlayer, Demand 5, Spotify, SKY Store, not only do you get a huge list of free apps and content you are also able to pay-as-you-go on movies on TV using Netflix, Sky Sports and rent the latest realease from £3.49 from the Sky Store.

    The remote control doubles up as motion controller for playing games with, which is nice. Download the free ROKU app for IOS or Android and you can use that as a controller as well.

    Prices Start from £49.99 for the Streaming Stick and £39.99 for the basic box

  • NEWS: Brand New Networking Site For Gay Muscle Men

    If you’re a fan of the muscles, then you’re going to love this all new networking site for gay muscle men.

    (more…)

  • TECH REVIEW | iPhone 5s

    So, I managed to get my sweaty little apple-fan fingers on an iPhone 5S for a test drive.

    Its about blinkin’ time too – like a lot of people, my time is nearly here for an upgrade of my handset, the new ones are out and I couldn’t wait. My trusty 4S is on its last legs, scratched and battle scared from a life of Facebook, Twitter and blog updates….it needs and deserves a rest.

    However, and this is a first for me, I was a little let down. I skipped the 5, thinking that as I was tied to contract, I’d wait and see what was available when my contract finally ended.

    I think, having read reviews, headlines, seen the ads, lapped up the keynote speeches, I was expecting something radical but didn’t get what I wanted.

    In terms of design, it isn’t a major departure of whats gone before – which isn’t a bad thing, but it seems that the minor changes in design are changes for changes sake? The split into 5S and 5C doesn’t make much sense for me. The garish colours of the 5C don’t appeal, and the 5S seems a smidge ’80’s. I have to admit to being a little unsure of the size – its feels like it going down the route of others in trying to increase screen size at the sake of portability? It isn’t an iPad, mini or otherwise, so please Apple, don’t make the 6 any bigger. This is a phone, and I for one hope it stays a phone size!

    The 5S I got to try out was the white screen one, perfect for my stilettos on a Saturday night. Its nice enough but, and heres my big issue, the major update from Apple was the iOS, with its overhaul, new fresh looks, new icons, new features – and all these are available on my old handset. I have these, I can play with them – and don’t need to fork out for a handset that offers nothing else. I really don’t care about fingerprint technology – I’ve seen the Man From Uncle (as your dad) and don’t really care that much! If my phone is stolen or lost, I can track, wipe and lock it from my iPad or MarBook (told you I was an apple geek).

    If I’m honest, there simply isn’t anything radical enough here to make me want to upgrade at a cost. Give me a free handset and I’ll upgrade tomorrow – who wouldn’t, but with phone companies increasingly charging you for handsets and an arm and a leg for data, is it worth it?

    I wonder when we’ll get to the point where there isn’t anything new they can do with phones? We hear stories about intelligent glass phones, simple screens without cases as the tech is inside the screen. We have Google glasses, so why not glasses that act as a phone as well? We have watches that link to phones…so why not a simple watch that does it alone? Who knows where we’ll end up – maybe by then I’ll be a true grumpy old man and have given up trying to keep up and want a phone that does something radical, like make phone calls?

    The Positive
    ▪ It’s sleek
    ▪ It’s shiny
    ▪ It’s Apple

    The Negatives
    ▪ Nothing new
    ▪ Silly new charging pins!
    ▪ too big for my phone case

    Price: iPhone 5s, (white) available from £79 on Vodafone Red 4G-ready price plans for £47 per month
    Or Sim Free available from AMAZON from £508

    Maybe I’m just too used to Apple breaking rules, creating ground breaking designs, products that change your life – and lately they haven’t done this. Now, they may be consolidating their business, building on what’s gone before and ensuring that Mr Jobs legacy continues with a strong business base, solid products, and worldwide appeal. However, this former garage start-up seems to be more about big business and tying you into its products than innovation and interest. They make more and more upgrades, and make more and more of their older items obsolete in the process and this worries me.

    £500 for a handset that may be out of date in a year for two – not just in terms of style, but in terms of support for the iOS……makes you think

    Our Rating: ★★★

    Specifications:
    iPhone 5S
    Colours: gold, silver and space grey
    Size: 16, 32 or 64 GB
    Dimensions:
    Height: 123.8 mm (4.87 inches)
    Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)
    Depth: 7.6 mm (0.30 inches)
    Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces)

    Fingerprint identity sensor built into the Home button
    Retina Display
    8-mega pixel camera
    True tone flash
    Siri (watch the trailer for “Her”!)
    and many, many more but Apple list them better than me…..