Web Warp Blog has been retired. For new posts please head to dmather.com.

Sunday 31 January 2010

iPhone running Windows 95

Jailbroken iPhones with access to Cydia can actually install and run Windows 95! This technological feat is shown in many YouTube videos but many of them could be VNC's? This one looks genuine with Windows 95 running in both the iPhone Simulator on a MacBook and an iPhone.



Saturday 30 January 2010

iPad - the webwarp.co.uk review

OK so you've seen the news about Apple's latest creation, the iPad, now you can read the webwarp.co.uk review.

So first up the predictions. The internet was a full of rumours surrounding the Apple event, even webwarp.co.uk reported the anticipation. The device in the rumours was a tablet style netbook with many rumours suggesting a touch screen.

The facts. The iPad has a 9.7inch multitouch screen based on the technology already in use in the screen of the iPhone and iPod Touch and the latest MacBook & MacBook Pro trackpads. So it is cable of a full touch based interface which lends itself very well to the iPhone OS. Gestures such as pinching to zoom and  scrolling webpages will be natural to iPhone users. The case is very thin and the OS and physical form are stylish and futuristic. This is the kind of device common in Sci-Fi for the last 20 years. (Check out the Star Trek P.A.D.D.)

The iPad is capable of running all the apps from the app store that you have already purchased for your iPhone/iPod Touch. The iPad will come with several options. You can have Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi & 3G (the 3G option requiring a data contract, and not capable of phone calls/text messaging), and there are 3 options for storage: 16GB, 32GB & 64GB. So is the iPad a giant iPod Touch?

And here is inlies disappointment. All the features such as the App Store compatibility and iTunes mean that the iPad syncs with iTunes on your Mac or PC - just like an iPhone or iPod. Making the iPad a peripheral as opposed to a netbook replacement. Running Windows XP comfortably most netbooks are packed full of USB ports and connectivity. The iPad runs iPhone OS instead of a 'full' operating system such as Mac OS X. So you won't be replacing your netbook with an iPad.

There are good points of the iPad though, and situations where it could be better than a Netbook. Treating it as a large iPhone with iWork installed ($9.99 per app) you could easily carry it in your bag, work on a document on the train, then at a meeting you are not hidden behind a screen. You can have all your documents in your iPad replacing paper files and notebooks (a paper notebook - not a laptop PC!).

At home the iPad allows you to browse the web as easily as picking up a paper or magazine, but would this convince iPhone users to fork out $499 minimum?

In summary I am unsure of the ultimate success of the iPad. If it had been a netbook replacement with Mac OS X (even a cut down version) and connectivity I would of expected it to be a huge success. Unfortunately what the iPad is either a really expensive eBook reader or a large iPhone. It's perfect for when your iPhone is too small or you laptop takes to long to boot up... I don't think I'll be queueing for one.

For more information check out Apple's webpage: http://www.apple.com/ipad/.

Friday 29 January 2010

Google Chrome Crash Reload

Google Chrome's crash recovery is spot on, not only does it manage 'bad tabs' individually allowing you to just reload the tab not the whole program but when the program does crash it can reload all your tabs, as I found out earlier:

In a moment of calamity today I managed to switch off my PC from the plug! On rebooting windows I faced the daunting task of reopening all the programs and windows that I was using and trying to remember what unsaved things I had lost. I had a few tabs in Google Chrome with webpages that I had visited hours before but was still referring to. On reopening Chrome, with the intention of trawling through my history to find the right pages again, Chrome notified me that it hadn't previously been closed properly and promptly reopened all my previous tabs! Thank you Google!

I won't mention the Microsoft Office Auto Recover fun I had!

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Apple's Latest Creation... iPad

Apple have unveiled at their latest creation, the iPad, at their event in San Francisco. Live coverage from www.engadget.com from 6pm GMT 27/01/10. Here is a picture from the engadget website. It looks like a large iPhone and the user interface will be very familiar to iPhone & iPod Touch users. More details will be added soon. To see more information go to apple.com/ipad.


Monday 25 January 2010

Apple's Latest Creation... Rumours!

It is widely rumoured on technology blogs and Apple rumour sites that this Wednesdays Apple Event will be the launch of a highly anticipated Apple slate/tablet device. Some websites have dubbed this product the 'iPad'. The event will take place in the Yerba Buena Centre for Arts Theatre in San Francisco.

There is little agreement over it's rumoured Operating System, could it run Mac OS X Snow Leopard? If you have any uncertainties that a thin tablet style device could run a full blown OS just look at the MacBook Air. It is impossibly thin and completely changed our perception of what you could do in ridiculously thin cases, much like the original iPod Nano did.

Among all these rumours and speculation there is a common trend: the news will be big! Websites are showing this image, sometimes with the strap line: "Come and see our latest creation." Claiming it to be the press event ticket image for Wednesday 27/01/10's event. We will have to wait until 10am Pacific Time to find out the truth!


Saturday 16 January 2010

New Look!

Welcome to 2010! webwarp.co.uk has a new look. I have changed a lot of the settings to streamline the webpage. Only one story loads now on the main page. This means that accessing this webpage from your mobile should be snappy and get you in the know - on the go!

Please feel free to utilise the links below to comment/react to this post. Let me know if you have tried this webpage on your mobile device and let me know what it's like. If there are problems on certain devices with colours/fonts/formatting I will try to address those issues. Enjoy the blog!