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Microsoft to Open Windows 7 Café

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:10:18 +0000

I have just discovered via a tweet of someone I’m following the Microsoft will open a café in Paris to celebrate the launch of Windows 7 in Europe which is due in just a few short weeks. The café will remain open for a few weeks after launch and customers will be able to play around with tonnes of Microsoft goodies such as XBOXs, Mobile Devices, Zunes and PCs.

However, they won’t be able to buy any of them as the café will serve only snacks and drinks.

Cheekily, the poster on the window to the café which is currently undergoing construction says (and I finally use that ‘D’ in French after all!) “The Windows Cafe will open its doors on October 22. Don’t hesitate to browse the web on the sidewalk in the meantime.”

Facebook 3.0 – New App Here…Finally

Dean Sherwin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:00:29 +0000

So, after what seemed like an endless few weeks or fights, press releases, rumours and delays the Facebook 3.0 app is now officially released for the iPhone. I think a celebration is in order.

So, what are our first impressions here at Crenk? Well there good. Very good in fact. When I first started up the app I noticed a few things almost instantaneously that had changed from the previous app. For example, up the top left hand corner there is a button which when pressed it will give you a search bar and down the bottom the alerts feature which tells you what your friends are up to and if you need to respond to anything will pop up.

It is also more in touch with the actual web based Facebook. For example, you can RSVP to invitations rather than just being informed of their existence and you can also chat easier with friends.

Of course there are the new features that literally work with the iPhone. You can now call and send texts to your Facebook friends without having to leave the app. I think this is a cool feature and one that Facebook will not regret making as that’s what smart phones are all about – integration.

Finally, there is the web browser. At first I though this was a little unnecessary but then it became clear why they put it there. How many of your Facebook friends send you links or how many times do you decide to follow up a news story you heard from friends? Now you don’t have to exit the whole app and start up Safari just to follow a link!

The Mac Tablet – What do you think?

Dean Sherwin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:19:37 +0000

Dear Readers,

At this stage I’m getting fed up. Every day I open my inbox there are a dozen e-mails from colleagues and readers of the

various publications I write for including Crenk asking about the news or a new product. There’s always at least one talking about the supposed upcoming Mac Tablet.

‘What do you reckon will be included?’, they ask.

Honestly, I’m nowhere near 100% certain. Obviously you’d have a touch screen QWERTY keyboard, media centre of some sort and maybe even fingerprint recognition (I believe Apple have patented that idea).

In truth, only the bigwigs at Apple could tell us. And even then they would probably just numb our brains with pre-release jargon so we all buzz around the internet still asking ‘Ohh, what could it be?!’

My reason for writing this post is clear and simple. I want to know what you would like in a Mac tablet. Send us in your thoughts, opinions and ravings here at Crenk. Either leave a comment below of tell us on the Crenk Twitter.

They could be about anything – ‘when will it be released?’, ‘what features will it have?’, ‘how much will it cost?’, ‘what will it look like?’ and so on. I look forward to reading your replies.

-Dean Sherwin

Sky TV to Launch 3D Channel Next Year

Dean — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:17:09 +0000

Since 3D filming was created the only way to marvel at the spectacle was to go to the cinema and pay extra for the pleasure. At the moment, Ice Age 3D is about as close as you’ll get to the 3D experience. However, recently huge advancements have been made such as Fujifilm announcing the world first consumer 3D digital camera. Now, Sky TV in the UK say that they will be offering Europe’s first ever 3D TV service by next year.

“In the next step in the Sky+HD journey, Sky today announced that it will launch the UK’s first 3D channel next year,” said Sky in a press release

“The service will be broadcast across Sky’s existing HD infrastructure and be available via the current generation of Sky+HD set-top boxes.” This is good news as the UK has just undergone a massive nationwide digital switchover and people having to change their set-top boxes all over again would anger some.

However, those wanting to enjoy 3D films, entertainment and sport will have to change their TV for a 3D ready TV. These are expected from large companies such as Panasonic and will be on sale in 2010 to coincide with the launch of the 3D service.

“3D is a genuinely ’seeing is believing’ experience, making TV come to life as never before. Just like the launch of digital, Sky+ and HD, this is latest step in our commitment to innovating for customers.” said Sky.

Nokia Deny Android Plans

Dean — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:50:29 +0000

Android devices seem to be the next big thing and are hotting up the market pretty quick with Google being the main warrior. However recently, there have been rumours that the old Finnish mobile giant Nokia were planning to jump into the Android platform and abandon its Symbian platform which the company actually owns.

The company bigwigs decided enough was enough and flat out denied any rumors that they would be releasing an Android phone onto the market at the Nokia World event in Germany this coming September. A report stating these predictions in The Guardian has been responded to by Nokia. “There is no truth to this story whatsoever. It is a well known fact that Symbian is our platform of choice for smartphones”, said Nokia in a statement to TechRadar.

For a company to make such bold statements about its own future in the mass media it’s almost a sure thing that Nokia won’t be using the Android platform anytime in the near (or distant) future, preferring to stick to its own developments. As for the meantime, Nokia are continuing in their development of a new platform of their own called Maemo OS for their internet tablets. Outsourcing is not one of Nokia’s favourite habits.

Windows 7 RC Is Now Officially Released

Steven Finch — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:29:31 +0000

Microsoft has now officially announced that Windows 7 RC is available. Although the RC is officially announced, it would be available only to TechNet and MSDN users and the general public would be able to download it on May 5th.

Windows 7 RC will expire on March 1, 2010 and after this time the system will reboot every two hours. The license of windows 7 RC will expire June 1, 2010.

Ubuntu 9.04 Release Candidate Now Available

Steven Finch — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:50:30 +0000

The next version of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution is due out on April 23rd. If you just can’t wait that long, you can download the release candidate of Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope today. It has been reported that if their arent any bugs, then there will be no changes and you will have the new Ubuntu before all your friends.

Here are a few of the changes since Ubuntu 8.10 was released last fall:

Updates to the Linux kernel, X.Org server, GNOME and KDE interfaces
Support for the Ext4 file system
Improved handling of multiple monitors
Improved boot speeds
Updated software including newer versions of Firefox and OpenOffice.org

There’s also now a version of Ubuntu designed to run on ARM processors, which means Ubuntu will be able to run on a number of upcoming netbooks and mobile internet devices built around chips that can’t run Windows.

You Can Now Update to Wordpress 2.7 Just Like Crenk

Steven Finch — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:13:31 +0000

Here at Crenk we have updated our site to the new Wordpress 2.7 and it is better than ever.

It only took about five minutes to upload via FTP and it is so much better than the previous 2.6 version.

The interface is a lot easier to look at and the dashboard has so many features to use. Additionally, one of the best features has to be editing and commenting right within the admin dashboard. Brilliant.

If you haven’t already head over to Wordpress.org and download Wordpress 2.7 now.

Apple Macbook Touch Rumoured To Be Coming on October 14

Steven Finch — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:51:51 +0000

Apple is a company that always seems to have a lot of rumours about their upcoming product launches. Here is a new one to add to the group, the Apple Macbook Touch. Some sources claim that

Apple is planning to launch the new Macbook on an event that is to be held on October 14. At this stage there is no official word that is actually a reality, but I think that this is definitely a product that will soon be launched.

There are other sites who have already reported on this rumour, including Gizmodo and Sizlopedia. As Sizlopedia mentioned, I doubt however Apple will launch a revolutionary new product at such a small gathering, when they have Macworld Expo 2009 not so far away.

Netvibes Goes Ginger With Great Results

Steven Finch — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:00:09 +0000

I was lucky enough to get a chance to look at Netvibes and their new Ginger offering. As most of us already know Netvibes has to be the most popular start page on the internet at present, and with this new offering it is going to continue. Ginger is the name for the next generation start page that Netvibes is offering in February. This start page has a lot more features then their previous version and more the point is a lot more aesthetically appealing.

The Interface

The interface in Ginger is a great deal better then what is offered on Netvibes at the present. You have a lot more options to customise your start page exactly like you want it. The theming and coding just seems to be a lot more professional than before.

More Of A Social Network

In Ginger there is a new contact section that is making Netvibes to become much more than just a start page. Slowly the site is growing into a type of social network, in which you will be able to see what your friends are looking at and ever people can follow your site. This feature reminds me a lot of Twitter, follow or being followed.Â Im also a fan of the activities section, kind of a mix between Facebook news feeds and Twitter.

Overall

Everyone will get there hands on the new Netvibes in February and it will be worth the wait. I have never been a person to use a start page, but because Ginger has just got a really sexy interface, I might even make the switch. Netvibes has also worked out their business model to be based around providing widgets for outside clients, but I would to see them monetize in unique ways, such as offering a sponsored section in which you can pay to be placed in a predominant spot when adding a widget. I can see they already offer a featured section, but this seems to be limited to only 6 slots.Â However, its always good to see a service not filled with shitty display ads!

UK iPhone Released November 9

Steven Finch — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:14:10 +0000

Mike Butcher and other outlets are reporting that the 8-gigabyte iPhone will be in the UK on November 9 for 269 quid or USD $542, a considerable price increase as it leaps over the pond. O2 will be providing service and free WiFi will be available from The Cloud, a UK pay-as-you-go public WiFi provider. The WiFi music store will also appear on UK iPhones next month, allowing for on-the-go downloads from the ITMS.

O2 has been building out its EDGE network to support this launch, which is actually a downgrade of its current European 3G offerings. The move to give away free WiFi is probably an attempt to offset the poor 2.5G data coverage in Europe in general. Jobs said that 3G was not embedded into the phone due to battery concerns, which means the next iPhone will probably come attached to a car battery and itâ€™s own handtruck. This is right in line with TC Franceâ€™s discovery of the FrancoiPhone on Orange.

Via: John Biggs (Techcrunch)