Author Archives: GEEK!

Orange UK and T-Mobile UK to merge – T-Orange?

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Is T-Orange the new network to replace T-Mobile and Orange in the UK?

Unlikely, but it has been confirmed that T-Mobile and Orange will merge sometime in the next 2-3 years.

It’s not going affect you in the near future, but it looks like we might be waving goodbye to the brand names T-Mobile and Orange in a few years time.

At the moment, it looks like Orange will be taking over T-Mobile rather than the other way round, but it looks like T-Mobile staff will still be taking an active part in the new merging.

It could be as early as next month when the deal is set in stone, but the networks will continue for 18 months independently.

So it’s nothing to worry about for now, but I would think twice about opening a new contract with either of the companies.

GEEK! will keep you up to date as news flows in.

Spotify app launched on iPhone/iPod Touch App Store, at last!

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Just some quick news for any Spotify lovers:

The Spotify app has now arrived on the app store, so you can head straight over there and download it.

Bare in mind you’ll need to be a full premium user to be able to make any use of the app, which will cost you a tenner a month!

Oh and the other thing to bare in mind is that apparently it won’t play music in the background which is a bit of a newsense, so close the app and you’re music will stop playing. Hopefully that will be fixed in an update before too long.

Otherwise, go ahead and try it out. Sadly, I’m not a Spotify premium member (for now) so I won’t be able to review it, but if you’ve got any opinions on it feel free to throw in a comment!

Allway Sync – sync files from drive to drive with ease!

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A couple of days ago, I was looking for a quick easy way to sync my files to and from my network drive. It’s a pain usually, because I end up manually copying and moving files every couple of weeks, and after a while it just becomes a hassle.

So, I went browsing around the internet to find a good, free piece of software to sync all my files. And I found one.

It’s called Allway Sync. It’s a free application that will sync all my files to and from my internet and external hard drives. Not only that, but it will also sync my files from my FTP server or USB drive.

It works really well, and since it’s free it can’t be beaten! It’s received many reviews from various download sites saying exactly what I do – that it’s a brilliant program.

If you don’t like manually syncing files via copy and paste, this is the program for you!

Update 4.10.09 – I liked this program so much I actually went online and bought the software. The only reason I bought it was because the free version only gives you a certain amount of usage per month. If you use the software excessively it will warn you before locking you out of the software’s features. You then have to pay for the software. I found a website that would sell me the software for £11.00 and it worked fine. Just click buy from regnow.com and all should be fine. The purchase gives you access to all updates in the future.

eBay agrees to sell Skype

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eBay has recently agreed to sell Skype, which marks the end of its near 4 year ownership. The company has been sold to a group of private investors.

eBay has complained many times in the past that Skype wasn’t as profitable as they’d hoped. Ever since eBay bought Skype for $2.6 billion in 2005 they have admitted a few times that they have regretted buying Skype. Although Skype offers brilliant value calls to landline and mobile phones across the globe, the free Skype-to-Skype calling dominates the service which makes it very difficult for anyone to make a distinctive profit.

How much eBay have sold Skype for isn’t totally clear – but predictions would outline that eBay is expecting to make about $2 billion from the sale.

There is also little news as to whether anything will change under the new ownership of Skype. I’m hoping that very little will change, as I have recently subscribed to an unlimited landline service from Skype together with my own landline number. It would be a shame if the new owners either upped the prices or removed some of the services.

So, with any luck, there will be no changes to Skype in the near future as it would be a shame to see a change in service. However, you just can’t predict will happen, and if anything we might the service improve.

3 (Three) “Mi-Fi” looks very interesting…

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If you’re a big reader of the news from the rather large tech world, you may well be aware that UK mobile operator 3 (Three) are planning to launch a very cool new level of mobile internet.

They are dubbing it Mi-FI, but it is basically your own battery powered router for your 3 mobile broadband package.

It is [apparently] very simple to use – you just slot some batteries in, together with your 3 mobile broadband SIM, and then switch it on. From what GEEK! understands, it will then find the nearest internet connection from available GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and HSDPA connections in your area. As soon as it can connect to a network mast, it will start firing out a Wi-Fi connection that all of your Wi-Fi enabled devices can connect to.

The device itself will be available over the internet from September 17th and will be in 3 stores across the country from September 18th.

As for pricing, see below (quoted from ISP Review)

•‘Broadband 5GB 1 month’ is a one month contract which includes 5GB of data for just £15 a month. With this deal the wireless modem costs just £69.99.
•For an upfront charge of £99.99, Mobile Wi-Fi will also be available as a ‘Ready to Go’ kit. The deal includes a wireless modem and 3GB worth of data which can be used over a 3 month period. After the data has been used up, the modem can be used on a Pay As You Go basis.

So there you have it – looks exciting in my opinion. I wouldn’t say it was brilliant value, but if you’re a frequent user of mobile internet it is probably well worth the cost. I’m looking forward to seeing it in 3 stores.