My Best Toys

World records, free coffee and, oh, the UK launch of the iPad

iPad-emonium is the only word to describe the scene down at Regent Street on the day the device finally arrived in the UK. Well, okay, technically the iPad arrived yesterday when thousands of people who pre-ordered received theirs.

Oh, and there were the impatient few thousand who ordered theirs from the States because they just couldn’t wait. But you try telling the hundreds of people who queued outside the Apple Store all night that this wasn’t the real launch.????

Around 500 people decided to queue in order to grab themselves the latest must-have device, with the line extending from the Apple Store entrance on Regent Street and around the corner onto Hanover Street, right down to Hanover Square.

The atmosphere was electric, mainly thanks to fact that the expected downpours never arrived, but also because of the amount of stuff that was going on. Apple really knows how to hype the heck out of an event without actually doing anything extra special itself - other than opening the shop 1-hour early.???

The Guinness World Records team were there, promoting the company’s iPad app. And they brought with them the world’s tallest married couple, who were amongst the first few people that actually got into the store at 8am. There was also a Guinness world record for a lucky queue member on Hanover Street, who broke the world record for typing the alphabet in the fastest time on an iPad.

Everyone’s favourite gadget fan Stephen Fry was also on the scene, despite already having an iPad shipped in from across the pond. He was talking about his FryPad app: “It sucks all of the content from my website, like the blogs”, he said. “It formats them for the iPad in a very nice interface”.

First in the queue was 17-year-old Jake Lee from Essex, who had queued with two of his pals since 12pm the day before. He was offered ?700 for his place in the queue by a canny hack who spotted a good opportunity for a bit of cheap PR (it wasn’t us, incidentally).

Something tells us that Jake wouldn’t have sold his place for even double that amount; iPad fever had taken hold and it wasn’t letting up. Maybe it was all that free coffee Starbucks was giving out.

Enjoy our pictures from the tech launch of the year…..

Were you there? Or, if you queued outside a different store in the country (or Europe), were there any wacky events that you saw??If so, let us know your experiences of the day.

Tags:
Hardware iPad Apple Apple iPad Apple Store

PHOTOS: The scene at Apple’s Regent Street store on iPad launch day originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 May 2010 11:11:24 +0100

How to get the most out of Nokia’s mobile mapping service

If you’re the proud owner of a modern Nokia phone and have been following our Ovi Maps coverage, then by now you should have worked out what it is, evaluated it, downloaded it and checked out the third party content. But that’s all baby stuff. It’s time to enter the big league now.

It’s all very well having Ovi Maps but to really get the most out of it, you need to know how to use it quickly and conveniently to get what you want and make sure you’re using the service as the developers intended. So, here’s a few expert tricks and tips to get you going and don’t forget to add a few of your own in the comments below.

Download your maps with maploader

You might have a monstrous data plan and not care for the charges of your phone calling up to the servers for the mapping information, but if you take the time to download the complete maps onto your handset first, you’re going to save yourself more than just cash. Using Ovi Maps as a cloud service is going to drain your battery quicker and cause you some serious problems the minute you start trying to navigate in areas of weaker connection signal. Each map doesn’t take up that much space and memory is cheap these days. So, buy yourself an 8 or 16GB microSD, download your country’s map and maybe a few other places that you’re likely to visit before you go.?

Have the latest version installed

It’s perhaps an obvious one but you’d be surprised how often people forget or just aren’t bothered about updating their maps. They’re going to get more detailed and you get more third party content added as well, both of which make the experience much better. So, next time you’re offered an update, just say yes.

Fine tune your nav settings

If you’ve ever got wound up with a satnav sending you a route you didn’t think was very good, there’s an excellent chance that it’s all to do with the settings behind the actions. For example, if you’re navigating in a busy city and your routing is set for the shortest journey rather than the one with least traffic, then you’re bound to come unstuck. Choose between the shortest, fastest and least busy routes; decide whether you want POIs to turn up on the screen automatically or perhaps just a certain type of POI and get all your units and distance readings just as you want them too. Have a dig around when you have a minute spare and experiment with the settings.

Know your shortcuts

We can all play the menus but a one click solution is always better. There’s quite a few to remember for different situations, so try picking out one or two of these to begin with and get used to using them rather than attempting to blitz the lot at once. You can always come back here and pick up a few more once you’ve mastered the first batch.

General shortcuts
To return to your current location, press 0.
To change the map type, press 1.
To tilt the map, press 2 or 8.
To rotate the map, press 4 or 6. To return the map back to the north up position, press 5.

Pedestrian navigation shortcuts
To save a location, press 2.
To search for locations by categories, press 3.
To adjust the volume of the pedestrian navigation guidance, press 6.
To see the list of route points, press 7.
To adjust the map for night-time usage, press 8.
To see the dashboard, press 9.

Car navigation shortcuts
To adjust the map for daytime or night-time usage, press 1.
To save the current location, press 2.
To search for locations by categories, press 3.
To repeat the voice guidance, press 4.
To find a different route, press 5.
To adjust the volume of voice guidance, press 6.
To add a stopover to the route, press 7.
To see traffic information, press 8.
To see the dashboard, press 9.

Use your favourites

Of course, one of the ultimate one-touch solutions is to make sure to label addresses and POIs as favourites. That’ll save you time looking them up before you navigate. It takes a wee bit of forethought but it’s just a question of doing it to kill time on the bus or train or perhaps to take your mind off the sound of the drill in the dentist’s waiting room. Home should be first on your list but it might also be a good idea to mark in places you’ve always meant to visit. That way, when you’re stuck for something to do one day you can always just whiz through the list on your phone.

Use Ovi Maps on your computer

If you’re going to use Ovi Maps on your mobile, then the sensible thing to do is jump right into the ecosystem and make sure that you’re using the desktop version as well. Create yourself an Ovi account and then you can sync all the details from one set of maps to the other. So, rather than fiddle around on the small screen making routes and favourites, adding your own content and addresses; you can do it from the comfort of your own computer and just transfer it over automatically. What’s more, if you happen to lose your phone, then all that customisation you did over time isn’t lost. A no-brainer really.

You

If this is all old hat to you, then chances are that you’ve got a few Ovi Maps gems of your own. So, how about adding them all in the comments below so other people can become black belts too?

Related links:

• Feature - Five excellent bits of premium content for Ovi Maps
• Feature - How to get Ovi Maps onto your Nokia phone
• Review - Nokia Ovi Maps

Tags:
Car And GPS GPS Nokia Ovi Maps Features

Ovi Maps tips ‘n tricks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 May 2010 11:03:32 +0100

Nearby retailer might just be easier

We’re not sure if this is the same in other parts of the UK, but our man in the field has just let us know that the queue at the Apple Store in Regent Street, London is massive. However, he’s just wandered past Currys Digital in Oxford Street, just a 5-minute walk away, which is an authorised vendor yet has no queue whatsoever.

iPads in stock in Currys Digital, Oxford Street, London

Speaking to us on Skype, Pocket-lint’s news reporter, Paul Lamkin, sent us this message: “Huge queues, huge wait at Apple store, Regent St. No queues, no wait at Currys which is 5 minutes away”.

So, if you’re thinking of heading down to the Apple Store to bagsy an iPad on day one, we suggest you try Currys first. Of course, if you’d pre-ordered on day one…

Note the calm ambience

Let us know if there’s a similar pattern happening in other parts of the country, even Europe…

Tags:
Hardware Gadgets iPad Apple iPad Apple Store Currys Digital

iPad queue at Apple Store too long? Try Currys Digital originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 May 2010 09:40:04 +0100

All our iPad coverage in one helpful article

The Apple iPad has officially gone on sale in the UK today, and with it making the internet tablet a genuine tour de force in the home. But don’t panic, whether you’ve already bought one or not, we’ve got you covered with a round up of all the coverage on Pocket-lint over the last couple of months.?

Should you really get an iPad?

Well if you’ve yet to decide whether or not to get one check out our comprehensive?Apple iPad review?of the device, where we tell you what’s what and whether you should get one.

Then there is the five things you should know about the iPad when your mates ask you about it down the pub and how the iPad compares to the iPod touch (yes it is just an giant version), or what it looks like with our extensive hands-on photo gallery?and what it looks like on the inside.

If you are still undecided once you’ve read our review then check out our is the iPad right for you checklist followed by our Should I buy an iPad? quiz that will pose you a series of questions for you to determine whether you actually need one or are just being caught up in the hype.

Cases, accessories and micro SIM cards

If the answer to you getting one is yes, you’ll need to make sure you protect it. You’ll probably also want some iPad accessories also, and while these are thin on the ground currently, Apple will quell your urge with docking stations and the like.

- 15 iPad cases to keep your iPad protected

- 5 best mad, crazy, silly, but cool iPad cases on Etsy

- iPad accessories - what you can get

-?10 iPad docking stations the world must see?

If you’ve gone for the 3G version you might also want to make sure you’re signing up to the best data package. That means checking out our O2 vs Orange vs Vodafone - the battle of the iPad data plans feature.?If that sounds too expensive you could always hack a mini SIM out of your current SIM in an attempt to save costs and skirt around having to pay for two data connections.?Here’s how to Create your own iPad micro-SIM.

It’s all about the apps

The next step is to fill your iPad with apps, as on opening the box you’ll soon find that you don’t have any installed to play with. We’ve been busy over the last couple of months testing the best apps to help you in a variety of ways and help you make the most out of your iPad.

- Best iPad games for gamers

- Best iPad music apps

- Best iPad apps for photographers

- Best iPad apps for learning and reference

- Best iPad books and apps for reading

- Best iPad apps for getting things done

- Best iPad games for the casual gamer

- Best iPad apps for the TV and Movie fan

-?Best iPad utilities apps

- Best free iPad apps

If you don’t like playing by the rules you could always opt to expand your possibilities by Jailbreaking your new internet tablet.

Enjoy

Our iPad coverage is continuing to grow and you can follow all the latest news, reviews of accessories, apps and much more via our dedicated iPad?homepage on Pocket-lint.

So bookmark the page, visit back often or sign up to the iPad RSS feed to make sure you stay on top of the game with Apple’s latest product.

Oh, and if you really want an iPad, but the budget won’t stretch you could always opt to make one out of paper instead.

Tags:
Hardware Apple Apple iPad iPad iPad games Cases iPad apps iPad accessories

Apple iPad: Reviewed, the must-have apps and accessories, and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Reviews, photos, city guides, what’s on and more for your Nokia mapping service

Navigation, routing, traffic and maps are all fine, but probably the final nail in the coffin of the dedicated satnav is that the free Ovi Maps app for Nokia phones comes with third-party content as well. On the Nokia site they’ll refer to it as Premium Content but don’t be scared off, it’s still free and it’s included in your download in the first place.

Rather than looking up things to do all over the map, the best use on your mobile is really for seeing what’s in your local area - for those “right, I need to find an X” moments. So what does X equal? Well, these are the third parties who’ve mashed up their information and exactly what they can provide.

Lonely Planet

Places to stay, places to eat, entertainment and activities is what Lonely Planet has thrown in for Ovi Maps users to enjoy. There’s obviously not going to be the same amount of information as you’d get from a dedicated Lonely Planet book, but there’s still over a 1000 points of interest to peruse.

Click on the icon and it’ll come up with a Lonely Planet menu with sections on Family, Festivals, Nightlife, Tours, Arts & Museums and Dance. All you need to do is pick what you’re after, the GPS feeds back your location and you’ll get a selection of what’s on offer, what the Lonely Planet has to say about it and where it is on your map. If you wish to get route guidance to the POI, then obviously you can do that too.

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Michelin

Michelin might not have quite the same travel kudos as the Lonely Planet in some people’s minds, but think a little harder and you’ll realise the depth of content the company can offer. Michelin has extensive details of restaurants and hotels as well as some good mapping and routing of its own Via Michelin website, as it goes. Head for the icon on Ovi Maps - which, don’t forget, is a connected part of the application, so mind the roaming - and you can make sure you’re getting the very best cuisine on offer in your local area.

via all about symbian.com

WCities

So, you’ve found somewhere to stay, checked out some museums and filled your bellies with good food, all that’s missing is some evening events and that’s where the WCities guide information comes in.

The WCities site itself is full of much more information but it’s the Events section that Ovi Maps taps into. You’ll find daily updated information on concerts, theatres, sporting events, special exhibitions, nightlife, festivals, fairs and just about any other calendar events you can think of. It covers 350 cities plus there’s also listings info on 35,000 cinemas all over the world. Just click into the Services section and it’ll pin-point what’s going on around you within 3km.

Qype

If you’re prompted for a update to Ovi Maps over the coming weeks (v3.04), then make sure you take it. On the 25 May 2010, Nokia announced a deal with Qype?to add the user generated reviews site’s information database as content as well.

Qype has over 1 million user reviews on 15,000 European cities and towns and provides not only unique POI, but also more personal information on places that the Lonely Planet, Michelin and WCities already describe.

Click on “more information” on a place and the app will bring up contact details, links to the venue’s website, photos and the user reviews as well as an option to leave one of your own via the Qype mobile service. Well worth the download but maybe do it over Wi-Fi if you can.

Own Voice

Strictly speaking Own Voice isn’t designed by a third party - it’s a Nokia-built feature - but the content is very much non-Nokia. In fact, it’s yours. The idea is that instead of boring old satnav voice commands, you can actually record your own. You can then upload it to the Own Voice community and allow other people to download it too. There’s no real rich content here. It’s basically just a novelty but it’s a free, if slightly inaccurate, way of getting Sean Connery to direct you around town - well, someone doing an impression of him anyway.

Related links:

• Feature - How to get Ovi Maps onto your Nokia phone
• Feature - The 10 point guide to Nokia’s Ovi Maps
• Review - Nokia Ovi Maps review

Tags:
Car And GPS Nokia Ovi Maps Michelin Lonely Planet Qype Features

Five excellent bits of premium content for Ovi Maps originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 27 May 2010 12:25:38 +0100

Epic new Nike ad stirs those sporting passions

Nike has always got its money’s worth from its sponsored stars, but this epic new World Cup ad takes things to a new level. It’s a veritable who’s who of world football, with one or two guest sports.

It’s beautifully shot and has a real sense of humour that shows that maybe some of our sporting heroes don’t take themselves quite as seriously as we might think.

Enjoy.

If you’ve seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us? via the feed back form.

Tags:
Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Write the Future originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 26 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Stable version with extra HTML5 features launched

Google has removed the beta tag from the Mac and Linux versions of its Chrome browser following the release of Chrome 5.

The update also means a refresh for the Windows based browser and a raft of new features. The most exciting update is the multi machine syncing options. There’s loads of services out there already that allows you to sync bookmarks across your various devices, but Chrome is taking this further by allowing you to sync other stuff like homepages, start up screens, themes and zoom options.

HTML5 support has also progressed. The release now incorporates features including geolocation APIs, local app caching, web sockets and file drag-and-drop. Chrome’s bookmark manager has also had a HTML5 revamp.

Are you a Chrome convert yet? Or are you still loyal to Mozilla, Safari or Opera? We think to highly of you to mention Internet Explorer.

Read

Related links:

• Chrome News - Chrome Web Store shows apps future
• Chrome News - faster than sound, lightning and potatoes
• Browser News - Firefox 4 beta due in June

Tags:
Software Internet Browsers Chrome Apple Linux

Chrome 5 takes Mac and Linux versions out of beta originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 26 May 2010 11:37:55 +0100

On the back of US success

The location-based game Foursquare, which rewards users with virtual badges and mayorships for checking into various establishments, is now beginning to roll out real world value in its reward incentives. And now Domino’s in the UK is the latest to adopt the scheme.

This comes on the back of news, broken by Mashable, that Mayors of Starbucks would be eligible for discounts by checking in for their cuppa on a regular basis. Apparently the offer gave a dollar off a Frappucino, which, from what we can gather, is a fancy iced coffee.

In a similar move Domino’s in the UK will offer discounts and free pizzas to the Foursquare Mayor of each outlet, with side dishes being dished out to every Foursquare user when spending over ?10.

Chris Moore, CEO of Domino’s, said, “Our customers are heavy users of social media so it makes sense for us to communicate with them in this way. Following the success of our recent Facebook superfan initiative and affiliates’ widget, Foursquare was the obvious next step”.

The marketing potential for this is clear, and it will be interesting to see what effect this entry into real-world benefits has on the location-based social networking game. And although Foursquare has already taken strides to eradicate any cheating - unscrupulous players checking in via their phones on the fly to up their status - it’ll be even more important for them to run a tight ship if players aren’t to become disgruntled.

Read

Related links:

• Via - NMA
• And - Mashable

Tags:
Software Gaming Foursquare Social networking Dominos Starbucks

Foursquare gives real-world rewards to UK users originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 26 May 2010 11:20:23 +0100

Step by step guide to getting free navigation in your pocket

If you’re not up to speed with what?Nokia’s?Ovi?Maps is all about, then you might want to take a look at our 10 point guide before you read on here.

All done? Good stuff. So, now you know what it is, you might want to find out how to get it. You’re going to need a Nokia phone, access to a computer, just a decent data package or at the least, the will to pick up the tab for a bit of a download.

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Step One

If you haven’t gathered by now, you need a?Nokia?phone and, generally speaking, it’ll have to be one of the smarter or certainly newer ones. Handsets that are ready for the app download are:?Nokia?X6 32GB, X6 16GB, N97 mini Gold Edition, N97 mini, E72, E71, E66, E55, E52, 6730 classic, 6720 Navigator, 5235 Comes With Music and 5230. If you have one of these, then go to Step Six. If not, read on.

If you own an N97, N86 8MP,?Nokia?6720 classic, 5800?Xpress?Music or 5800 Navigator Edition, then you might need to update the phone’s software first. Head to Step Two.

If you’ve got a?Nokia?C5 in your pocket, then congratulations, you’ve already got?Ovi?Maps installed. You can go straight to Step Seven.

If you own none of the phones mentioned above, then hard luck. You can’t get Ovi Maps on your mobile. Either buy one of the above or learn to live with it.

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Step?Two

Right, so you need to update your software or at least check that it’s already up to date. Go to the home screen on your phone and type *#0000# and this is the version number or greater that you’re looking to see on each handset:

N97

20.X.XXX

N86 8MP

21.0006

6720 classic

031.002

5800?XpressMusic

40.0.005

5800 Navigator

40.0.005

If your handset is up to date and it’s a?Nokia?6720 classic or N86 8MP, then go it Step Seven. If it’s up to date and an N97, go to Step Four. If it’s up to date and one of the 5800s, head to Step Five. And if you do need to update your software, then move onto Step Three.

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Step?Three

All?the phones above in Step Two can be updated via the?Nokia?Ovi?Suite which you can install on a PC running Windows 7 or?XP. If you own a Mac it’s slightly trickier but still possible and you’ll find all the information on that at the?Nokia?site as well. Once installed, the wizard will guide you through the update process.

If you’d rather not clutter your computer with software, then those with an N86 8MP, 6720 classic, 5800?XM?or 5800 Navigator can update their phones over the air instead. On the N86 8MP go to Menu ? Applications ? SW update, for the 6720 classic it’s Menu ? Settings ? SW update and on the two 5800s it’s Options ? Check for updates.

Execute your method of choice.

Now, If you’ve got a?Nokia?6720 classic or N86 8MP in your hands, then go to Step Seven. If it’s an N97, go to Step Four and if it’s one of the 5800s, go to Step Five.?

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Step Four

Right, your N97 is up to date. Now it’s time to get?Ovi?Maps onto it. With your phone disconnected from your computer once again, first go to Menu ? Applications ? SW update. Then select?Ovi?Maps from the list of updates and then Options ? Start update. Go to Step Seven.

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Step Five

Right, your 5800?XpressMusic?or Navigator is up to date. Now it’s time to get?Ovi?Maps onto it. The simplest but most data hungry method to do it is via an?SMS?link download. All you do is enter your number and the application comes to you.

If you’re happy instead to do it via your computer, then connect your mobile to your machine in PC Suite mode via USB or?Bluetooth. Then download the application onto your Mac/PC via the?Nokia?site and transfer it onto your handset via the?Ovi?Suite desktop software.

Once you’ve downloaded the application via either method, head to Step Seven.

Step Six

Congratulations, your phone is ready to get juiced up with?Ovi?Maps. Now, the installation. The simplest, but most data hungry, method to do it is via an?SMS?link download. All you do is enter your number and the application comes to you.

If you’re happy instead to do it via your computer, then you’ll need to install the?Nokia?Ovi?Suite software which you can pick up here?for the PC and there’s?information for Mac users as well.

Now connect your mobile to your machine in PC Suite mode via USB or?Bluetooth. Then download the?Ovi?Maps onto your Mac/PC via the?Nokia?site and transfer it onto your handset with the?Ovi?Suite desktop software.

Whichever method you’ve chosen, once you’ve got the?Ovi?Maps application onto your mobile, head to Step Seven.

Step Seven

Congratulations, you’ve now got the?Ovi?Maps application installed on your handset. You can use the?Ovi?Suite desktop software to get all your free country maps onto your phone and enjoy turn by turn routing on and offline wherever you choose to be. Have fun.

Related links:

• Review - Nokia Ovi Maps review

Tags:
Car And GPS GPS Ovi Maps Nokia Phones Mobile phones Mobile phone apps Features

How to get Ovi Maps onto your Nokia phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 25 May 2010 10:39:17 +0100

Missed out on Lost? Never fear: the cats are here

If, like me, the whole Lost phenomenon passed you by, this is the perfect thing to keep your involved in those annoying pub conversations as the avid fans discuss the mind-bending epic series, which came to a close this morning for UK viewers.

Everything you need to know about the entire series, in a minute. Oh, and played about by cats. And you didn’t need to get up at 5am to see it either.

So now you should be feline fine (sorry…)

If you’ve seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags:
Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Lost in 60 seconds originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 24 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100