I WANT TO BREAK FREE – QUEEN

I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You’re so self-satisfied I don’t need you
I got to to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free

I’ve fallen in love
I’ve fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it’s for real
I’ve fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I’ve fallen in love

It’s strange but it’s true (hey yea)
I can’t get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh how I want to be free baby
Oh how I want to be free
Oh how I want to break free

But life still goes on
I can’t get used to living without, living without, living without you
by my side
I don’t want to live alone, hey
God knows got to make it on my own
So baby can’t you see
I’ve got to break free

I’ve got to break free
I want to break free, yeah

I want I want I want I want to break free ..

Share this EVERYWHERE

I have been a faithful android fanatic ever since it launched. I used to have windows smartphones before this, but I am sure you can understand why I would want to move away from that OS.

I just bought the Samsung Galaxy S 2, after flogging my Nexus S on fleabay.. what a device I tell you.. simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Its got a 1.2 Ghz dual core processor and all of the android communities prowess behind it. Its going strong and is currently the most advanced Android smartphone out there. Check out the monster specs sheet n GSMArena.com and a hands on review on Engadget

The kickass Samsung Galaxy S2

I wanted to try out homebrewed android ROMs after rooting my device over the weekend, as its the all the rave right now. I tried out a few including one called VillianRom. Although there are a few other ROMs out there, this seems to be the most mature. So anyways, I wanted to get the latest android release on my phone, which currently is Gingerbread 2.3.4 so after installing VillianRom I can report that the phone has become truly supersonic. The quadrant benchmarking scores are off the ROOF, and Linpack reports 86 megaflops on multithread.

There is a lot I can say about this phone, actually I can’t stop talking about it, so I’ll stop here. I will however list some of the apps I most frequently use.

Coolest Apps On The Android Market as of July 2011

1. My Backup Pro
2. Audiogalaxy
3. Astro file manager
4. Shazam encore
5. Rom Manager
6. Set CPU
7. Root explorer
8. HulloMail
9. Whatsapp
10. Remote VNC Pro
11. Barcode scanner
12. Zabihah
13. Adfree
14. Swiftkey X
15. Shootme
16. Skype
17. Pulse
18. Cube Extended
19. Llama
20. Google+
21. Go Weather HD
22. Tubemate (unavailable on the market right now)
23. BBC news
24. Total recall

Some screenshots for to make this post a little colourful.

Home Screen Galaxy S2 Stock ROM

Quadrant score for galaxy S2 on Stock Rom

Linpack Score for Galaxy S2 Stock ROM

I will do some more posts about Android in general and how to squeeze every bit of juice out of your android device including tips and tricks as well as some serious reviews on some Android devices I have tested and used including:

• Motorola Atrix
• Acer Iconia A500 tab
• Samsung Nexus S
• ZTE Blade
• HTC Desire S
• HTC Desire

Share this EVERYWHERE

This was done back in January and since then I have ordered around 50 gigs for social bookmarking, link building, twitter marketing etc. Check out the “fun and bizarre” section to amuse yourself.

Share this EVERYWHERE

The soundtrack is apparently home brewed. Thanks Wraheal, it is awesome. If only I had your butt-kickers to get the full effect.

You might want to check out some of his other stuff.

Share this EVERYWHERE

Fire up your smart phone, download a barcode scanner app and scan this.

SCAN THIS NOW!

Just created this with an online QR code creator tool. I think its cool (oh baby I’m no fool)… I wonder where I can put my logos on here like this article suggests. There are a lot of other online tools that I came across, this one just gave me a large size image which is why I used it. Google em.

You could in theory put pretty much anything on a QR code. The one above is a shameless plug to my shopping discounts and voucher codes website. You could use plain text, web addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and SMS numbers to create one. Give it a go at Kaywa.

I just thought of a few things I could try out with these. Here are some ideas.

1. Put one on your blog. (check mine out at the top right of this page)
2. Make some print outs of the QR code on A4 size and stick them around the office.
3. Put one in your email signatures.
4. Slap one in the footer of every email newsletter.
5. Put it on facebook as a profile pic (in fact, add a small QR code in the corners of all your pictures on FaceBook)
6. Upload it on twitpic, flickr and/or other photo hosting sites. Just put a caption saying “Scan this with your smartphone”, should do the trick.
7. Get custom post its made with the QR code printed in a corner (3m do custom post it notes).
8. Get custom postage stamps created with a QR Code. (Royal Mail do custom postage stamps)

Of course these are all fun ideas that I just made up while writing this article.  These ideas should give you a sort of a word of mouth / viral effect web traffic though. Don’t be disappointed if it all goes Pete Tong. These ideas are to be tried out only for a bit of fun. I will of course use these ideas to test the waters. Will update the article with some results soon.

Track your QR Code traffic

As the codes can take any format of URL, why not add a very short Google analytics parameter to the end of your URL when building the code.  Search Google for custom variables for Google analytics. Custom variables should give you some stats on the usage of these QR codes. I just added “?u=qrcode” to the end of my URL to make it unique in Google analytics. You can use pretty much anything you like to the end of your URL by adding a question mark followed by a key, in my case “u” for user, the equal sign (=) and “qrcode” for the identifying a valid QR code hit. So the full URL used to create the code is:

http://www.123vouchercodes.co.uk?u=qrcode

Note: Removed the hyperlink from this so that is doesnt skew my stats.

I can think of a 100 other cool ideas. For instance, putting them on all your stationary, business cards, posters, flyers, billboards, TV adverts, flash animations, PDF publications etc. Heck, you could even create a QR code pointing to your FaceBook or twitter page, why not huh. The possibilities are endless you must agree. Have a look at some more cool ideas for QR codes.

Just remember, do not attempt to explain what a QR code is, the explanation should always be revealed by actually scanning the code. I think an element of mystery generates some interest and should get people scanning. Perhaps you could mention that you need a smartphone with a barcode app to read a QR Code… just for the benefit of the uninformed minds you see.

This article is my contribution to push QR codes into mainstream use. To learn more about QR codes, their invention, history and interesting facts, have a read of the Wikipedia page with an in depth look at QR codes.

Have you noticed that most of my posts are usually have bullet points in them? I should stop shouldn’t I?

Share this EVERYWHERE

• Should have an Intel Atom processor
• Micro ITX case and motherboard with horizontal PCI slots
• 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 1GB Radeon series GPU for 2 independent zones (front and back)
• 500GB 2.5” HDD
• Creative Sound Blaster X-fi low profile, second sound card for zone 2 maybe?
• 7.1 SPDIF output to go straight into the AMP
• Windows 7 Home premium OS
• HDMI + DVI + D-Sub out
• Wifi 802b/g/n (Should be good with the built in wifi access points in my smartphone)
• 7 inch double din capacitive touch screen 800×640 res minimum (HDMI + D-sub + DVI)
• Touch capable software based car home screen with big buttons
• Bluetooth for phone calls, BT Audio and keyboard + mouse
• Garmin or Tomtom SatNav application for Windows
• FLAC Audio playback (possibly best with Winamp list management)
• Slot loading Blu-Ray ROM
• Intelligent power on and hibernate/shut down via ignition switch
• Rear view camera automatic switch on reverse gear (ideally not controlled in Windows but a video source instead)
• Front view camera via manual switch (separate video source)
• Some sort of DVB receiver via USB or built in for TV and Radio channels
• Internet radio HUB accessible with fat fingers on the touch screen

This can all go under a seat somewhere, I don’t think we can build an all in one double din that sits behind the screen in the dash.

I can already see flavors of Ubuntu being customised specifically for in car operation. I am all for innovation.

Food for thought.

Share this EVERYWHERE

After a full 2 months of loitering around hardware review sites like Tom’s Hardware and Overclockers.co.uk forumsas well as taking on advice from trusted overclockers at my local “raging technophiles” committee, I started my quest for overclocking bliss. With all things IT, (or all things generally) just remember, the Goog is your buddy.

This was not built for gaming mind you, it was built to quench my thirst for super warp speed with applications as well as the desire to learn a little more about overclocking and why people do it. From the application list below, I will attempt to justify the build.

24/7 applications:

• 29 mailboxes on my outlook 2010
• Mozy Online Backup (8TB of continuous incremental backup)
• Windows Media Server for streaming media across home (PS3, Android phones, Mac mini, Laptops)
• Audio Galaxy (Android Music Streaming application)
• VNC Enterprise Server
• Windows Server 2003 virtual machine for FTP and UAT web server
• uTorrent (always downloading something)
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Time lapsed Ajax based web service calls for my 123vouchercodes.co.uk project
• A very very strict firewall, I forget the name

On demand applications:

• Sony Vegas Pro for editing AVCHD raw video from my Panasonic TM900
• Adobe Photo shop CS5
• Sitemap Writer Pro (takes 8 days to generate a sitemap)
• Unusually large text and excel files with millions of records
• The odd 1080p movie with K-lite codec pack

Ok, so without further ado, here is the list of components sourced for this build.

1. SilverStone Lascala LC17B HTPC full ATX case
Bland, but black and wonderfully vented. Does the job well.

2. Intel Core i7 2600k Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
Fully unlocked and ready to be unleashed for overclocking supremacy.

3. Asus P8P67 EVO Revision 3
The mobo with a mojo and automatic self tune and overclocking ON DEMAND (no really)

4. Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600 MHz
Goodbye virtual RAM, hello overclockable DDR3 awesomeness

5. OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 6GBps SATA 3 Solid State Drive
Will only be used for Windows 7 OS and all the program files. Currently fully booting windows in under 8 seconds… whhaacck (judo chop impression)

6. 1GB Sapphire HD 5750 Vapor X Radeon Graphics Card
Crisis 2? Bring it. 1080p? yawnnn

7. 5x Seagate Baracuda 2TB 5900 RPM 8ms seek Hard drives
All configured with RAID 0 for a single 10TB hard drive.. oh yeah. Any recommendations for what I should name this drive?

8. Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro Series 7.1 Sound Card
Avoid the built in mobo sound card like the plague. My MP3s sound like FLAC now, and the 7.1 through my Yamaha RXV 1700 amp is MAD. THX certified, DTS, Dolby Digital all out of the box.

9. Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler Noctua NF-R8 silent fans
This cooler is MASSIVE. its as big as my size 13.5 shoe. Near soundless operation though.

10. Cooler Master Silent Pro M 600w PSU
PSU? yeah, PSU too.. I will PSU your ass all the way to China with this mofo.

11. Samsung SH-B123L/BSBP 12x BD-ROM & DVDRW Combo Player
Why not huh? I have a PS3 too.. but why not… come on

So thats all the hardware list apart from the odd cable, fan splitters or sticky tape etc. I was pleased when I started up the beast, WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAAM.. boot up perfect. All hardware detected in one go, BIOS taking a bow. I would have loved a much nicer HTPC case I guess.. but all in good time right? Have a look at this beauty by OriginAE…

AND… here are some pictures of the finished build. Click on the images to see FULL SIZE!

Windows Experience Rating

SSD Life

CPU-Z

Although I have not had the chance to properly overclock the system to tested and stable 4.9GHz speeds, I am reading up on this threadto see how far I can push the boundaries. I have meanwhile used ASUS’s own auto tuning feature. It has overclocked the PROC to 4.2GHz stable. DDR3 next.

I am pleased with this sufficiently powerful piece of modern machinery, I may well find out that it is over powered for what I thought I needed with all that serious grunt under the hood. If that may be the case (should become apparent in a couple of months of use), I am happy to put the extra horse power to good use with the Folding@Home project. This will add to the 24/7 applications list above.

I have already gotten some useless feedback from a few people I told. Most of them came back with the same “why do you even need so much power?” retort to which my response is usually a projectile spit bomb.

My next project?

I came across quite an interesting concept recently while searching for ways to play FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) in my car.  Currently, there is no way of playing FLAC in your car with anyafter market in car entertainment systems. Do a search for it, you will see what I mean. But then, I came accross this very cool concept called the “Carputer“, yup, you guessed its a “car-computer”, imagine Windows 7 Ultimate in your car way hey! Perhaps my next project? Maybe………….

Share this EVERYWHERE

The recent recession has bought about a new level of frugality, namely voucher codes . They serve several needs, firstly the consumer who has probably been experiencing financial hardship due to the economic conditions, is looking to make their money go further. Secondly the retailer is affected because the consumer is concerned about the economy and is not spending as much on goods, so the retailer is looking at ways of bringing in business. The solution that solves both problems is discount deals . Sales are everywhere, high streets shops are looking to attract as many people as they can to keep spending at their stores and as such are prepared to offer handsome discounts to get the consumer to buy from them. This has lead to a profusion of coupon codes websites, but few can compare with the comprehensive information and codes available from www.123vouchercodes.co.uk.

www.123vouchercodes.co.uk is a website which has built up a formidable reputation for quality and consumer focused service. It has a vast array of codes on offer, many from well known high street names that many would recognise. The savings on offer can be significant and has helped many people to save money on a wide variety of products and services. This website, however, comes into its own with the festive season around the corner and Christmas shopping in full swing, its amazing discount codes are there for all to see.

If you are looking to save money on your purchases, then a visit to www.123vouchercodes.co.uk should be your first and last port of call. With extensive codes and discounts available, this website has become a consumer champion.

For further information visit http://www.123vouchercodes.co.uk

Share this EVERYWHERE

My Kit

• Yamaha Amp
• 2 x Sky HD box
• Sony 46W2000U 1080p
• PS3 40gig
• HTPC overkill with lots of hardware
• VAIO Laptop
• Mac Mini with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse
• LG 32 inch 1080p
• Logitech Dinovo
• Iphone
• Nokia N97
• Logitech Dinovo Mini

My efforts are nothing compared to these Gadget Gods

• THE_FORCE’s little effort
  
• elootos Multimedia home from loft to lounge
  
• Werdenskrieg’s awesome bachelor pad
  
• Brofeld the man with the plan
  

If you are a gadget freak like myself, I highly recommend registering on AVFORUMS. It’s the most active gadgets forum in the UK right now. There are a lot of American ones that I visit too. Google em’. Do get yourselves on the syndication feeds from these great websites.

• Engadget
• Gizmodo

Oh yes, for alerts about the top bargains on gadgets and stuff, plug yourself into an RSS feed from HotUKdeals.

Next on my hit list:

• Nikon D200
• Extra VAIO Laptop for my other half
• 65 inch Pioneer Plasma behemoth for the lounge
• Electric Jacuzzi
• Solar panels for the roof (may use for extra juice for my gadgets)
• Suzuki Hayabusa
• Audi R8
• Fighter Jet

Share this EVERYWHERE