Geekanoids New Year Message 2009... I take a look at my year on YouTube during 2009 and the channels that caught my attention. Plus a big thank you to everyone and some exciting news that is likely to come from Apple early 2010.
Geekanoids - A Tech Christmas Message 2009
Geekanoids - A Tech Christmas Message 2009... It is 3pm on Christmas Day and in the UK we all sit down to listen to the Queen's Speech. Well, I just wanted to give my viewers a tech alternative. It is also my chance to say thank you to everyone for their support and kind comments throughout 2009.
Amazon UK Turning Away Custom in Recession?
It is not often that I use the Geekanoids website as a sounding board to air my own frustration. However, I experienced such a shocking series of events over the past few months, that I felt obliged to share it with you.
Over the course of many years, I have personally shopped with Amazon UK. Ordering many personal items and gifts for friends and family. They always proved to have a great selection of products and very competitive pricing. This is still true to this day. During 2009 I experienced a few problems with orders. Without going into two much detail, one item did not perform as described, another came through with missing components and then later developed a fault and another was delivered damaged. At the time this did not bother me. Amazon UK have great customer service, so each time I contacted them with the confidence that they would sort the problem out. To their credit, they did. The customer service representatives were always polite, apologetic, and sorted out the return of said items.
What was not made clear to me was that the readily offered helpfulness and returns, meant that my account was flagged. Someone in their Executive Customer Relations Department was watching me! To my surprise I received an email saying that my account was under review. The email read... "there is a highly irregular amount of refunds created on your account. As a responsible business, we are unable to allow this situation to persist. If the situation does not improve we will have no option but to reconsider our business relationship. We will continue to monitor the orders on a regular basis." I chose to ignore this email, as I was never returning items if there was not a genuine problem with the item. Three months passed and I had continued to order from the company more gifts and items, which all came through as expected and stayed in my possession.
To my surprise I then received another email at the beginning of November. This email contained a shorter introduction, but the same harsh statement as the previous one. I did not deem the second email was at all justified, so responded asking why my account was still under review. The response that I received yesterday was not what I expected. Without running the email here quote for quote, it basically informed me that my account was now closed. I am no longer welcome as a Amazon UK customer. They also strongly advise me against trying to open another account.
Distance Selling Regulations... I am no expert, but the email also said that if I did order from them in the future, they would accept no returns and issue no future refunds. Take note Trading Standards and Watchdog... I am sure you would have something to say about the stance Amazon have taken in this statement, "If you were to open a new account, the same will result and it will also be closed. In the event that you attempt to do so, we will not accept the return of any additional orders, nor will we issue further refunds in connection with any future orders."
So, it seems that by exercising my legal rights to return damaged and faulty goods, Amazon no longer value me as a customer, despite me filling their coffers with many pounds over the years. I did contact them via telephone, but it seems that (according to their customer services) they do not have ANY telephone number for their UK head office. I also attempted to contact their press office, but the phone just rang and rang. Even after all this, I still contacted the Executive Custom Relations to ask if they would reconsider their decision, to which they said NO! It should also be noted that I gave them the opportunity to respond to this article, prior to publication, which they duly declined.
Disclaimer: This is my own personal experience. It in no way indicates how any company would treat their customers as a general rule.
Amazon Kindle now available to pre-order for the UK
Wow that is just awesome news for early morning on Wednesday October 7th. Amazon just put up news that the Kindle is now available to pre-order to UK addresses. That is the slight catch, you have to order it from their US website (www.amazon.com) and they ship it over here, soon after the October 19th release date. All for just $279, a pretty decent price considering the exchange rate at the moment.
The bad news is that we cannot (yet) order the Kindle DX... maybe that'll happen sooner rather than later.
Here are some UK specific details;
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Think of a book and you could be reading it in under a minute
Free Wireless: Free 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle. No monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. See Coverage Map. See Wireless Terms and Conditions
Large Selection: Over 280,000 English-language books to choose from; plus U.S. and international newspapers and magazines
Low Book Prices: New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases are $11.99 to $13.99 (prices include VAT), unless marked otherwise. You'll also find many books for less - over 70,000 titles are priced under $5.99
Microsoft Dual Screen Courier Tablet
This thing might only be a concept, but it looks very cool. Imagine a dual screen tablet, just like a notepad, but electronic... I will stop trying to describe it, just watch the video and enjoy.
My Mac is a Drug - new Book available for pre-order
Get your reading cap on guys and gals, a new book has been added to the Geekanoids Shop. "My Mac is a Drug" is Paul Camelovi's recollection of how technology, gadgets and mainly Mac computers have taken over his life. The title makes the content obvious with many comparisons to addiction to drugs, through to a look at Apple's design process. Even quality control is covered to some degree. It is also worth noting that if you get your order in early, you can save £2 off RRP. Orders are accepted worldwide. Click the link for a shortcut to the pre-order page.
Robotic Hand Anyone? - Project Orick
This video is just awesome, check out this guy using a futuristic glove on his hand, controlling the computer. Brilliant stuff and very entertaining, it is a must watch video.
Project Orick video diary highlights: multi-PC remote management live test – Two engineers determined to make IT management easier with a tool in the form of a glove that literally puts power at their fingertips.
Innova innovate with FibaPrint Ultra Smooth Gloss
When someone buys an inkjet printer (in my case the Epson R2880), you often get a sample pack of paper with the device. This is not just out of kindness, it is marketing. Papers are normally developed especially for the manufacturers inks and when you see the results, it is more than likely you will continue to buy their own brand papers. Unless you are in the graphic design industry, it is unlikely that you would even research any other papers, so I have done a little bit of that work for you.
Read MoreAsus announce Eee PC Seashell 1008HA
ASUS have today announced the UK launch of the new Eee PC™ Seashell netbook which presents a user-centric blend of timeless design and effortless mobility.
My quick take is that this little netbook oozes style. All those sleek lines, USB and video ports hidden away under neat little covers. It really does look stunning. A little pricier at £379 than the current crop, but you have to pay a little more for quality like this. We have a review model winging its way to the Geekanoids office, so check out the video review sometime in May.
Back to the official press release...
Nature has a way of creating elegance of out simplicity and ASUS has followed the same philosophy for its latest Eee PC™. Inspired by the sleek shape of the humble seashell, the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell combines a striking slimline design with the latest mobile technology.
The Seashell’s slender case is less than 1in at its thickest point and artfully curves to a razor-thin edge. This stunning low profile is made possible by a new ASUS motherboard that takes up very little space, and the integral lithium-polymer cell removes the need for an unsightly, bulbous battery. The incredibly small, amazingly smart Intel® Atom™ N280 processor provides an unmatched combination of performance and power-efficiency. Furthermore, despite weighing just 1.1kg, the Seashell lasts for up to six* hours away from a plug socket.
ASUS is also giving one away per week during the launch period; please visit www.asus.co.uk/seashell for further details of the competition.
For further information about the product, please visit www.asus.co.uk/eeepc/1008HA
Key Features
* 1” thickness and 1.1kg weight
* 10” LED-backlit WSVGA glare-type display (1024x600)
* Fast Intel Atom N280 processor
* Polymer battery offers up to 6 hours of battery life*
* SRS Surround Sound audio
* Ergonomically designed keyboard with Multi-touch touchpad
* 170GB Hybrid Storage (160GB Internal plus Eee Storage)
* 802.11 b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1
* Super Hybrid Engine for intelligent energy management
More great reviews forthcoming including Home Cinema
Over the next month or so expect to see a greater variety of reviews on the website. I do not know where I find the time to do all the videos! To add to the mix, I will be bringing you a full review of a superb home cinema projector. Bringing the big screen into your home need not break the bank. It is now very affordable, with some stunning results at under the £500 mark. I will take a look at setting up, connecting your DVD, Blu-Ray or games console and how to use it either every day, or for those special occasions. Imagine playing the likes of PES 2009 with massive on-screen players and awesome surround sound! Keep an eye on the website for the full review.
Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Printer Review coming soon
In the next month I will be bringing you a definitive review of the Epson Stylus Photo R2880 printer. This is a little different for me, as the R2880 is of great interest for more than one reason. My passion for photography will marry up to this product well, if it delivers on its promises.
It uses Epson UltraChrome K3 inks with vivid magenta, which should produce some stunning photo prints. Also on board are three blacks, a standard one, a light black and a light light black, so fine art prints should look really fantastic. Epson quotes "UltraChrome K3 ink has improved print permanence characteristics that provide lightfastness ratings of up to 108 years for color and over 200 years for black and white under rigorous industry accepted display conditions*. With its expanded color gamut and breakthrough 8-color system, no other ink set can reproduce the three dimensional lifelike quality and stunning photographic feel of Epson UltraChrome K3."
In addition to the printer review, I will also be testing some Epson papers, as well as third party offerings from Hahnemühle and hopefully Permajet. These will be very interesting to see just how much detail and accuracy I can get out of the R2880. Keep your eyes peeled for this review around mid-May.
Happy New Year to All
Happy New Year to all of my readers! I have some interesting announcements for you all too. You have probably noticed that there has not been many new postings over the Christmas period. Well, I took a well earned break and spent some time playing with my kids and their gadgets. It also gave me a chance to really get some hands-on use of some new bits of kit too. I have reviews of the Sony NWZ-S639 MP3 player coming up, where I look at just how well it integrates with the BBC iPlayer service and how you can get it working with Windows on the Mac.
Keeping with the Mac goodness though, I have plenty of reviews lined up. The Kodak Zi6 HD handheld camcorder for starters, followed by a roundup of snazzy sleeves to keep your MacBook, MacBook Pro and iPod touch nice and cozy. Not only will they protect your kit from bumps and scratches, but also keep them nice and warm over the winter months (yes, the first snow of 2009 fell over Kent last night). I also have a couple of Broadband Router tests coming up, including a budget model from Buffalo Technology. So plenty to keep me busy and to keep you informed. Thanks for sticking with us, I hope you enjoy the Geekanoids website throughout 2009.