Skype have just launched Skype Pro, a new subscription based service that tags onto your existing (or new) Skype account. The initial 5 month subscription will cost £9.20 which includes approximately £3.40 of calling credit, after the 5 months introductory period is over £1.50 per month is deducted from your balance.
What Pro offers is that you pay a 3p connection fee per call to UK landlines, but nothing for the minutes you use. You also get free voicemail, plus a discount on a SkypeIn number. The regular Skype-to-Skype computer based calls remain free.
The new Pro service will roll out to the rest of the world late 2007.
Who Cares ? The Apple Store of course !
Having attended the Apple Store Bentall Centre opening on the weekend just gone, I wanted to say a quick thank you for all your kind comments about the photographs. They have been attracting so many visitors and have appeared on websites as far afield as Australia, Spain, and Italy.
What make's an Apple Store opening so special is the way in which the staff make everyone feel special. This obviously carries over into the way they serve and talk to you on a regular day too. I mean, how many times have you been clapped, applauded, or given a high five when walking into a Currys store?
Apple Store employees also treat everyone equal. I witnessed users (and prospective users) from all walks of life on that opening day. Even on my previous visits to various branches, I have seen both young and old all being treated with respect and enthusiasm. What other shop would a sales guy (or girl) talk properly to an eight or nine year old, on their level?
So many questions, and the only answer is Apple... if you want to experience this for yourself, get on down to an Apple Store this weekend, don't just click 'n' buy, go and talk to some great people, who care that you really get the best out of what you buy.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Shipping
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is now shipping in the US for an introductory price of $199. In the UK the Adobe site allows you to pre-order the product for £146.88. The UK price represents a £50 saving, which can be taken advantage of until the 30th April 2007. Even though it is on pre-order, the shopping page does not mention a delayed delivery date, plus you can also choose to purchase as a 64Mb download, so my guess is that it is shipping straight away.
Of note, you do not have to choose a platform, so it would seem that you get both Windows and Mac versions in the same box.
I played with Lightroom in its beta days, but never really found a use for it in my workflow, but from what I did see, its non-destructive editing, superb interface and powerful features make it an ideal application for any serious pro or semi-pro digital photographer.
Forthcoming product reviews
A mid-month update for you to let you know what product reviews you can read on the Geekanoids website. Well, it is an exciting two weeks ahead, with the Griffin iKaraoke review being put online tomorrow, followed by the Archos 404 Cam later in the month.
Here is a complete rundown of reviews, so keep checking back regularly:
- Griffin iKaraoke
- Lindy UK Scart cable
- Crumpler Sticky Date bag
- Lindy UK Optical cable
- Downsize Apple Mac application
- Griffin Xpress Optical cable
- JVC Everio GZ-MG77 HDD camcorder
- Samsung 215TW 21-inch TFT monitor
- Crumpler McBains bag
- Herman Miller Celle chair
- Overflow Apple Mac application
- Archos 404 Cam media player
- DocumentWallet Apple Mac application
- RapidWeaver Apple Mac web design application
- Griffin iMic
- Cinematize2Pro Apple Mac application
- IRISCard Pro scanner
Steve Jobs Introduces First Apple Store
May 2001 saw the opening of the first two Apple Stores, in McLean Virginia and Glendale California. Having just attended the opening to the latest UK store just yesterday (see article below), I thought it would be nice to step back in time and see Steve Jobs introducing us to what the Apple Store would (and still does) offer.
Apple Store Bentall Centre UK Open Today
The Apple Store Bentall Centre, Kingston-upon-Thames opened today, Saturday 17th February at 9.00am. I am happy to say I was there to soak up the atmosphere, with exclusive shots from inside the Apple Store before they opened. In the photo gallery that follows you will see photographs of the whole store, including the astounding applause for the first customer, who had been in the queue since 4am.
The staff at the store clapped and welcomed the first 1,000 customers, with the queue still going strong at 10am. The staff and visitors enthusiasm was superb and things soon sprang into action with advice and sales meeting with so many smiles. The sales were ultra smooth too, using the scanner technology that Apple introduced late last year, customers do not have to get into line to pay. If they have something in their hand, they can have it scanned where they are standing, pay by card and they're good to go.
Also prominent in the store was the "We are better than Vista Campaign", with the new slogan "Go Beyond Vista… It's time to get a Mac" on coloured banner displays and some staff t-shirts (see the full gallery for more on this too).
I was also pleased to see how happy everyone was, and from all walks of life too. There were many silver haired heads to be seen, right down to enthusiastic youngsters using the display machines with big grins all round.
So enjoy the photos, I hope they help you soak up some of the atmosphere that was happening today, and if you are in the Kingston-upon-Thames area be sure to visit the Apple Store... full gallery of photos by clicking here>>
Full Gallery of the Apple Store Bentall Centre UK Opening Day
All photographs ©2007 please do not reproduce without prior written permission.
If you wish to use, reproduce, or obtain a copy, please email Geekanoids with full details.
DocumentWallet - Organise your PDFs
LLC have announced the release of DocumentWallet(TM), a document management application for Mac OS X that gives users the ability to easily scan, manage and archive documents. DocumentWallet leverages many of the great features found in the company's ReceiptWallet(TM) product, including smart collections, seamless scanner integration and archiving to CD or DVD, to simplify the tedious process of cataloging and searching for documents.
Designed for individuals and organizations that want to get better control over their paper and electronic documents, DocumentWallet organizes documents of all kinds, similarly to the way Apple's iPhoto application organizes photographs. Its familiar interface elements make it instantly usable, and its many features provide the breadth and flexibility that Mac users demand.
We hope to bring you a full review soon.
New Apple Store Opening in UK
It seems like Apple are opening new stores thick and fast. Tomorrow, Saturday 17th February 2007 the new Apple Store Bentall Centre in Kingston Upon Thames is opening at 9.00am. With the first 1,000 through the doors receiving a free t-shirt, plus a great prize draw being held, there is sure to be fun for all. If you have never been to an Apple Store opening I urge you to go down, they are always great fun, with a real feel good factor.
Parallels Desktop RC3 - Vista Friendly
Parallels today released a new version (RC3) to its' desktop software for Macs. Parallels Desktop RC3 allows Mac users to run different operating systems on their Intel based machines, without the need to reboot like Apple's Bootcamp. This new release adds support for the new Microsoft Windows Vista, as well as many other improvements. There is also a new look and feel, keyboard re-mapping, and USB 2.0 support. I personally use Parallels and although I do not delve into the Windows environment very often on my Mac, when I do it works very well.
Gear4 HouseParty III Speakers Announced
GEAR4 today announced the HouseParty III, a new 30-watt home stereo speaker with FM radio for iPod. This latest addition to the HouseParty range of speakers from GEAR4 delivers 30-watts of sound from its two powerful speakers. It also features a built-in FM radio and line-in port, so you can enjoy the crystal-clear sound from your iPod, the radio, or other audio devices such as MP3 players or laptops.
Its stylish and contemporary design includes some great additional features such as an LED display that is hidden behind the speaker grills, displaying volume levels, mode in use or radio frequency; a retractable dock for when you want to use the speaker with audio inputs other than iPod but maintain its cool look and FastTrack technology to make listening easy – simply plug your iPod in and the unit switches and starts playing…
Also included is a fully functional remote control with access to both the speaker system and the menus on the iPod itself. If you do happen to lose the HouseParty III’s remote control, you can still navigate the unit and get full functionality from the speaker system via the speaker’s cleverly designed built-in controls. Use the power and 2 volume buttons for their more obvious functions, as well as to select different modes, change the radio frequency and more. Plus, dock your iPod to sync, charge and play, all at the same time.
Tom Dudderidge, managing director of GEAR4, comments: “We are delighted to be launching the latest HouseParty speaker system. The HouseParty III really is the Volkswagen Golf of iPod speakers, providing performance and design with broad appeal at an affordable price.”
Features:
- 30 Watt total speaker output
- Built-in FM radio
- Retractable iPod dock
- Hidden LED display
- Charges iPod while playing
- Compatible with any dock-connecting iPod and other portable music players
- Fully functional remote control for iPod and speaker system included
- USB port for data transferring
The HouseParty III will also be available globally from GEAR4’s online store – www.gear4store.com for £79.99 inc VAT.
Geekanoids Podcast Number 2
We are pleased to announce that the 2nd Geekanoids Podcast is now available on iTunes and via the links below. To subscribe to our iTunes feed click this link (or the picture above).
Subscribe to the Podcast Feed or get the MP3 file here.
Read the full show notes here.
News on Technology, Gadgets & All Things Macintosh... ps. you don't need to be a geek to take a look.
Geekanoids podcast 002, for February 14th 2007... News on technology, gadgets and all thing Mac... Welcome to this very first Geekanoids audio podcast. I am the editor of www.geekanoids.co.uk where we cover all the latest Macintosh and gadget related news. Last week we bought you a screencast review of Toast 8 Titanium. Email us at geekanoids@gmail.com
News: Xtorrent, Blackberry 8800 announced, new Firefox add-ons site, cool Biohazard watch over at Tokyoflash. Tulip Ego Lifestyle Love Edition laptop, Samsung L77 Digital Camera.
Reviews: The Razer Pro Click V1.6 Mouse review. Previous screencast review Toast 8 Titanium application from Roxio.
Tips & Emails: Richard in London with iPod problem. How to reset. Apple Youth Workshops.
Remember to keep an eye on www.geekanoids.co.uk which is updated throughout every day. And a reminder of how to get in contact, drop us an email or an audio comment to geekanoids@gmail.com
Subscribe to the Podcast Feed or get the MP3 file here.
Windows Vista Voice Recognition
If you are a regular visitor to geekanoids you will know that I have been using Windows Vista for the past few weeks. I thought it would be interesting to bring you a review using the new speech recognition feature of Microsoft's new operating system.
This short article has been dictated using the new feature, with a minimum amount of corrections necessary. It is very strange to be speaking to the computer instead of rattling away on a keyboard, so strange in fact that I am sitting here twiddling my thumbs, feeling as though I am not really working. It is also not very common for me to praise the windows environment, but with a small apology to all the Mac users reading this article, I must say that I am impressed.
The windows speech recognition feature takes you through an animated tutorial that guides you through the most common features, with some very nice examples. After this initial tutorial you are then given the option to complete some voice training, which promises to improve accuracy. I did this and so far I have only had to reach for the keyboard once during this article.
The gimmicky part of speech recognition, for me anyway, is navigating between applications and getting windows to save files without touching the keyboard. I guess this is because that when using the Mac OS things just seem so easy anyway, so why complicate things by trying to learn a new way of controlling the computer. It is probably because it feels so unnatural and after a while I am sure that horrible get used to it. There is an application called dragon naturallyspeaking available for the Mac that this has made me want to take a look at, I will try and bring you a review of that at a later date.
In summary this article has only now involved me touching my keyboard twice, so well done Microsoft you have gained a small percentage of my interest and I will keep revisiting your new OS in a hope that I can at least bring my readers the opportunity to try something different. Still have a Mac man, I won't be switching, but at least when using Vista I am smiling a little.