Technology Thread.

[Bruce Rioja]

And my car isn't an "apple car".

Yes it is, I've seen you in it.

[Enoch]

This is as much about operating systems as it is about devices. iOS is really good at many things as long as those things are Apple. It's not a bad operating system, but it's designed to work pretty much exclusively with other Apple iOS based products and is a long way from being OpenSource. So when you carry on buying Apple stuff, for a premium, it's almost certainly going to work with other Apple stuff. It doesn't play nicely with other non-Apple stuff though - that's by design not accident, they're happy to get your premium. You try to move off iOS based stuff and all of a sudden, that music you paid for (and should work on any device) is a right royal pain in the arse coz it's tied in, to iTunes.

Android on the other is designed to work with pretty much everything else (that isn't Apple - coz Apple wouldn't want it working with Apple) - So you can buy a phone from any manufacturer that wants to run Android - which is much better for choice and price, but the downside is that at ist kernel, there's more likelihood that a bit of it doesn't work on manufacturer X's latest device for example. That's why 82% of the market share is sat with Android.

Android (let me rephrase this - non-iOS - it could be an OS that isn't Android either if Google start to go proprietary) is almost certain to win the long term "battle" - as we move further towards the talking fridge and the internet of things and, as the connectivity of things rises exponentially, the more things Apple will need to produce to retain that tie in - you'd need an "Apple Fridge" rather than any Android based fridge for example. Microsoft found this out (are finding this out) with their operating systems and the rise of Open Source Linux. People in general are fed up of paying a premium to be tied in to something proprietary. Smart manufacturing companies are not buying iOS based operational technology for their operational technology devices.

Oh err!

Something's gone wrong with my screen!

Or to put it another way...

The Apple Garden is very nice to look at and has some good features that compliment other parts of the Apple Garden. The problem starts when you want to rearrange the garden to suit you and your tastes. You can't bring in new plants without getting permission and they built the walls so fcuking high it's difficult to get out of.

You could of course go to the Android Garden, where you can do more or less what you want. Not necessarily as pretty as the Apple Garden, but it works just as well and you have the freedom to do what YOU want rather than what Tim Cook wants you to do.

Ah!

Fixed it.

[TANGODANCER]

A positive nod to technology:

Sometime last year I bought a Qualcast Strimmer, a very useful tool for several grass-related operations in ye garden. Yesterday the nylon cutting strings ran out. No bother, I had a spare spool, but where did I put that instruction manual? No idea love? Ah, gardening on hold till another day then dear?

Wife appears and sticks her Samsung phone with internet under my nose and there is a video on screen showing how to change the said component along with a commentary. Five minutes later, job sorted and gardening resumes. Oh, goody.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

This is as much about operating systems as it is about devices. iOS is really good at many things as long as those things are Apple. It's not a bad operating system, but it's designed to work pretty much exclusively with other Apple iOS based products and is a long way from being OpenSource. So when you carry on buying Apple stuff, for a premium, it's almost certainly going to work with other Apple stuff. It doesn't play nicely with other non-Apple stuff though - that's by design not accident, they're happy to get your premium. You try to move off iOS based stuff and all of a sudden, that music you paid for (and should work on any device) is a right royal pain in the arse coz it's tied in, to iTunes.

Android on the other is designed to work with pretty much everything else (that isn't Apple - coz Apple wouldn't want it working with Apple) - So you can buy a phone from any manufacturer that wants to run Android - which is much better for choice and price, but the downside is that at ist kernel, there's more likelihood that a bit of it doesn't work on manufacturer X's latest device for example. That's why 82% of the market share is sat with Android.

Android (let me rephrase this - non-iOS - it could be an OS that isn't Android either if Google start to go proprietary) is almost certain to win the long term "battle" - as we move further towards the talking fridge and the internet of things and, as the connectivity of things rises exponentially, the more things Apple will need to produce to retain that tie in - you'd need an "Apple Fridge" rather than any Android based fridge for example. Microsoft found this out (are finding this out) with their operating systems and the rise of Open Source Linux. People in general are fed up of paying a premium to be tied in to something proprietary. Smart manufacturing companies are not buying iOS based operational technology for their operational technology devices.

Oh err!

Something's gone wrong with my screen!

Or to put it another way...

The Apple Garden is very nice to look at and has some good features that compliment other parts of the Apple Garden. The problem starts when you want to rearrange the garden to suit you and your tastes. You can't bring in new plants without getting permission and they built the walls so fcuking high it's difficult to get out of.

You could of course go to the Android Garden, where you can do more or less what you want. Not necessarily as pretty as the Apple Garden, but it works just as well and you have the freedom to do what YOU want rather than what Tim Cook wants you to do.

Ah!

Fixed it.

Happy to be of assistance. If that was an Apple Garden then a hefty invoice would be on it's way

[thebish]

I'm usually a bit behind the times with tech... so - imagine my delight when I discovered (yesterday) that with no extra software or gadgets I can stream video easily and seamlessly from my PC through the x-box360 into my telly through the home network!

I am sure you have all been doing this for years - but it is a thing of dazzling new beauty to me as I still am not really at home watching the telly on my PC - it doesn't feel right!

[Worthy4England]

I'm usually a bit behind the times with tech... so - imagine my delight when I discovered (yesterday) that with no extra software or gadgets I can stream video easily and seamlessly from my PC through the x-box360 into my telly through the home network!

I am sure you have all been doing this for years - but it is a thing of dazzling new beauty to me as I still am not really at home watching the telly on my PC - it doesn't feel right!

We've all moved to XBOX One now...

But yes - been doing this for yonks.

[thebish]

I'm usually a bit behind the times with tech... so - imagine my delight when I discovered (yesterday) that with no extra software or gadgets I can stream video easily and seamlessly from my PC through the x-box360 into my telly through the home network!

I am sure you have all been doing this for years - but it is a thing of dazzling new beauty to me as I still am not really at home watching the telly on my PC - it doesn't feel right!

We've all moved to XBOX One now...

But yes - been doing this for yonks.

snot my x-box - belongs to the kidz - but it's really only used for watching netflix and bbc i-player and suchlike nowadays...

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Bought myself one of them Amazon Echo Dots whilst they were reduced last weekend. Arrived today and set it up easily. Absolutely brilliant! My previous experiences of voice recognition were not good, but so far Alexa understands me most of the time. Early days learning how to use it, but so far some useful stuff I'm getting out of it...

1. I can turn the lights on/off/dim without lifting a finger.
2. I can convert stuff like inches to centimetres just by asking Alexa.
3. I can add stuff to my grocery shopping list by telling Alexa what I want as I use things up.
4. If I'm bored I can get Alexa to tell me jokes, the news headlines, weather and about stuff etc etc.
5. If Mrs AT is away I have someone to talk to that answers back!
6. I can tell it to play music or radio stations.
7. Next year Sonos adds support for it which means I can properly control the system with it.

For 40 quid I'm well happy with it

[Worthy4England]

Bought myself one of them Amazon Echo Dots whilst they were reduced last weekend. Arrived today and set it up easily. Absolutely brilliant! My previous experiences of voice recognition were not good, but so far Alexa understands me most of the time. Early days learning how to use it, but so far some useful stuff I'm getting out of it...

1. I can turn the lights on/off/dim without lifting a finger.
2. I can convert stuff like inches to centimetres just by asking Alexa.
3. I can add stuff to my grocery shopping list by telling Alexa what I want as I use things up.
4. If I'm bored I can get Alexa to tell me jokes, the news headlines, weather and about stuff etc etc.
5. If Mrs AT is away I have someone to talk to that answers back!
6. I can tell it to play music or radio stations.
7. Next year Sonos adds support for it which means I can properly control the system with it.

For 40 quid I'm well happy with it

Yeah, but does she take it up the USB port?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Bought myself one of them Amazon Echo Dots whilst they were reduced last weekend. Arrived today and set it up easily. Absolutely brilliant! My previous experiences of voice recognition were not good, but so far Alexa understands me most of the time. Early days learning how to use it, but so far some useful stuff I'm getting out of it...

1. I can turn the lights on/off/dim without lifting a finger.
2. I can convert stuff like inches to centimetres just by asking Alexa.
3. I can add stuff to my grocery shopping list by telling Alexa what I want as I use things up.
4. If I'm bored I can get Alexa to tell me jokes, the news headlines, weather and about stuff etc etc.
5. If Mrs AT is away I have someone to talk to that answers back!
6. I can tell it to play music or radio stations.
7. Next year Sonos adds support for it which means I can properly control the system with it.

For 40 quid I'm well happy with it

Yeah, but does she take it up the USB port?

It's one of them little USB ports

[Worthy4England]

They're even better!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

They're even better!

Well, that would depend really

[Worthy4England]

[Gary the Enfield]

On a recommendation (and because mine is knackered) I have just bought a new mobile 'phone. It's a Motorola G4 16gb

Now, I understand I need to inform my current provider of my desire to cancel my (recently expired) contract with them and get a PAC code so that I can keep my old number. Also how do I save all my current info (photos/ texts/ contacts)

I'm looking for the best SIM only deal and was wondering if any of you wonderful people had any suggestions. Please bear in mind this is GtE you are explaining it to and I will need careful step by step guidance.

MWAH!

[Prufrock]

Re contacts, there are a couple of apps (the one I use is called "In Touch") you can use. Download it on your current phone, set up an account (email and password) and it will sync your contacts. Then download on your new and log in and it will sync them onto the new one.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

On a recommendation (and because mine is knackered) I have just bought a new mobile 'phone. It's a Motorola G4 16gb

Now, I understand I need to inform my current provider of my desire to cancel my (recently expired) contract with them and get a PAC code so that I can keep my old number. Also how do I save all my current info (photos/ texts/ contacts)

I'm looking for the best SIM only deal and was wondering if any of you wonderful people had any suggestions. Please bear in mind this is GtE you are explaining it to and I will need careful step by step guidance.

MWAH!

If O2 reception is any good round your parts then GiffGaff is great. Total flexibility and good rates. You manage it all online.

[Bruce Rioja]

Also how do I save all my current info (photos/ texts/ contacts)


MWAH!

Write them all out with pen and paper, then re-input them manually.

MWAH!

[Gary the Enfield]

On a recommendation (and because mine is knackered) I have just bought a new mobile 'phone. It's a Motorola G4 16gb

Now, I understand I need to inform my current provider of my desire to cancel my (recently expired) contract with them and get a PAC code so that I can keep my old number. Also how do I save all my current info (photos/ texts/ contacts)

I'm looking for the best SIM only deal and was wondering if any of you wonderful people had any suggestions. Please bear in mind this is GtE you are explaining it to and I will need careful step by step guidance.

MWAH!

If O2 reception is any good round your parts then GiffGaff is great. Total flexibility and good rates. You manage it all online.

Saw GiffGaff. BT Family Sim looks good too.

[Burnden Paddock]

On a recommendation (and because mine is knackered) I have just bought a new mobile 'phone. It's a Motorola G4 16gb

Now, I understand I need to inform my current provider of my desire to cancel my (recently expired) contract with them and get a PAC code so that I can keep my old number. Also how do I save all my current info (photos/ texts/ contacts)

I'm looking for the best SIM only deal and was wondering if any of you wonderful people had any suggestions. Please bear in mind this is GtE you are explaining it to and I will need careful step by step guidance.

MWAH!

If O2 reception is any good round your parts then GiffGaff is great. Total flexibility and good rates. You manage it all online.

Saw GiffGaff. BT Family Sim looks good too.

Speak to LE before going with GiffGaff. His thoughts on them are less than complementary!

[LeverEnd]

No they are ok, just couldn't get reception when I moved to Leeds. It was a great deal in Bolton.

I bought one of those phones GtE after my fancy Samsung was run over. Amazingly good for the low price.