Ubuntu – why didn’t I use it in the first place?

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OK I have a bit of an apology to make to a few people, as I told them that I don’t use Ubuntu because it is a pain to get going and isn’t simple to use. Clearly, I realize now that I was talking utter rubbish!

It was only Friday night that I thought I’d try it with my new PC. I could never get it to work on the laptop, so I thought I might stand a fighting chance with the PC. I installed 9.10 from an image I had (which I’d burnt to CD) and what do you know – it worked absolutely perfectly.

You’d be amazed at how quickly I came to like it as well. The Software Centre is fantastic for getting any applications you might need. There’s plenty of applications that cater for music and video playback, MSN, Skype – the lot.

For those of us who are glued to Windows, WINE makes it easy to use Windows applications not yet available to Linux. Programs such as Spotify work really well through WINE which is great.

Drivers aren’t terribly easy to get hold of – which I find the only real issue. Ubuntu will pick up many basic hardware products and install them, but the less common hardware is sometimes quite hard to install.

Nevertheless, I love it. The graphics are awesome (I’ve never seen such a practical, simple GUI) and it works seamlessly.

I’ts not quite enough to wean me off Windows 7, but it will definitely remain as a dualboot on my system!

TVCatchup launches new Media Center plugin – full live TV and guide

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I noticed today that one of the developers for TVCatchup has recently launched a newly updated plugin for Windows Media Center. If you haven’t heard of TVCatchup before, read here.

The developer has been working on a plugin for the popular Windows application for quite some time, but finally a very user friendly version has been launched. You can get the plugin here. You’ll need XP Media Center Edition 2005, Vista or 7 with Media Center installed to use it.

The new interface is much better. A long menu with all the features you’d need.

TVCatchup in Media Center

Sadly, the plugin can’t record as yet – but this will hopefully come in an upcoming release.

If you don’t want to install (or can’t access) a TV tuner or aerial, this is for you. Please respect TV Licensing rules – make sure you have one.

Internet Explorer 9 not for Windows XP

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Inevitably, Microsoft has drawn the line from Windows XP and clearly they are attempting to slowly pull people away from XP and onto more recent versions of Windows.

I don’t suppose it concerns many people anyway – who wants Internet Explorer? Firefox is several times better and Chrome is another story altogether.

Nevertheless, it could prompt Mozilla and Google to start deciding when the pull the plug on support for XP for their programs.

If you’re still one of the 65% of us using Windows XP, you really need to consider moving on. Windows 7 is much more practical (despite the pathetic TV commercials by Microsoft). XP has really past it a bit.

Get the latest firmware on your 3 Mi-Fi with loads of new features (including web admin)

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If you’ve been using 3 Mi-Fi for a little (which I have), you may have come to really like it. It’s generally very fast, and is so convenient for train journeys and travelling. However, there are a few drawbacks such as no web admin and a stupid wi-fi sleep time.

I’ve found a firmware update for the device which is by a Hong Kong mobile operator. It works on the device perfectly and is in English. It adds a few new features such as:

  • Web admin – you can access all the device settings wherever you are by going to http://192.168.1.1 on the device. Very handy! It also has a battery meter and signal strength meter on this.
  • Adjustable wi-fi sleep – you no longer have to wake up the wi-fi after 10 minutes idle. With this new firmware, you can lengthen the sleep time or turn it off altogether.
  • The (M) light on the device stays on permanently, letting you know whether your data connection is active or not.

It’s a very handy update that is well worth installing. However, please read the following: You do this firmware update at your own risk. GEEK! will not be responsible for any damage to your device or it’s functionality. This is ONLY for the Huawei E5830.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Download this firmware update. It’s 30MB and comes direct from the Japanese operator. Don’t worry, all the files are in English. I seem to find this server is pretty slow, so get a coffee while it’s downloading.
  2. When it’s done, power down and disconnect your 3 Mi-Fi device from USB. Hold down the internet access button on the device followed by the power button, together, for at least 5 seconds. You will see the signal light and battery indicator come on and they should stay on. Once you’ve got the lights, remove the battery.
  3. Replace the battery, reconnect the device to your system and then run the file you downloaded.
  4. The setup file will detect your device. It asks you to remove the SIM from the device, but I didn’t and don’t think you need to. Once you’re happy and the system is ready, start the updating.
  5. It will take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to install. During the install process, do not remove your device from the USB connection or turn it off – you will brick the device if you do.
  6. Once it’s finished copying, the device will reboot and the setup file will confirm the successful installation. None of your settings should have been lost and you should be able to connect right away.

Now you’re done. The “3 Wifi Manager” will still work with your device but for most settings I would now use the web admin (http://192.168.1.1 – the default user and password is admin – the device will ask you to change this when logged in).

Enjoy the new firmware.

3 Mi-Fi – The Complete Review

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If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ll know that I recently ordered the 3 Mi-Fi Pay as you Go. Well, today it has arrived! And here’s my review…

First of all, it’s very light. No heavier than my mobile phone (Nokia 3120 Classic). It’s a tiny bit longer than a credit card but not as wide. Very small.

On the device, there are 3 switches. The first one powers the device, the second turns wi-fi on/off and the third turns data on/off. I’m not going to go into tonnes of detail – if you aren’t sure how to use on call 3 or browse the web – there are tonnes of guides. GEEK! tells you the thing you won’t see on other sites.

Here are some important things you may want to know:

  • The SIM on the £49.99 single PAYG Mi-Fi comes with £1 credit on it. This isn’t much, but it gives you enough to kick you off. I’m not sure how much data that actually is but I’ve browsed quite a few sites on it without topping it up and I still have £1 on it.
  • How it charges is a little odd. When you’ve got it plugged into a PC, you can turn it on and it will still charge – even put wi-fi on, but as soon as you switch data on it will stop charging. It continues to power itself by USB but will not charge when data is active.
  • You have to use My3 to check your balance online. According to 3, I can still do this from my Mi-Fi connection even when my credit is out but haven’t tested it as yet. I will confirm when I can.
  • The microSD slot on the device only shows up on USB. It is not shared over wi-fi.

Those are some facts you may want to know. If there’s anything else you’d live to know, email me.

Overall, I’m really happy. It works very well and is so convenient. It might be quite expensive in terms of bandwidth, but prices will decrease with time.

If you need mobile interet on your devices easily, this is what you need.