Control your lights with WiFi

LIFX are bringing home automation one step closer with a new wifi light bulb that can change colour, fits in your normal light bulb socket, needs no additional hardware and can be controlled remotely by your phone or tablet.

The LED bulbs, which should last for around twenty five years, cost around fifty pounds and are available for pre order now with delivery going live in August or September.

The bulbs can be controlled by your android or ios device of choice, and can change colour to whatever takes your fancy, in fact they can even change according to the music you're playing if you really want them to.

For android users in particular this promises some very useful benefits when linked with an automation app such as Tasker or Locale, now you can have your lights switch on when you're close to home or if you're out late and don't want people to realise you're not home, you can turn them on remotely.

Going away for a few days? Just tell the lights to switch on overnight to create the impression you're at home should any nefarious visitors come calling in the night. Having a party? Have the lights in your house change colour and intensity in time to your music.

The possibilities are virtually endless and the WiFi bulbs make automating your lighting simple, affordable and, most importantly, user friendly without needing the purchase of any extra equipment. It's as easy as screwing in a light bulb.

Doctor Who season finale to answer ultimate question?

The BBC released a series of film style posters this week for the remaining episodes of the new series of Doctor Who but it's the poster for the season finale, and some clues from co star Jenna Louise Coleman, that has fans eagerly anticipating its arrival.

The episode, entitled "the name of the doctor", suggests the big secret to be revealed in the final episode is the doctors real name, the ultimate question for fans over the years. But don't expect it to be quite so obvious.

Why?

Show runner Steven Moffat has a history of playful misdirection and keeping fans guessing and, while learning the doctors name may well be part of the episode, it is unlikely to be its big reveal. After all could the show continue to be called Doctor Who were his name known, or is this another clever piece of misdirection leading fans to expect an answer that may never come?

The shows big reveal may in fact be centred around the doctors assistant Clara, with Coleman revealing that one of the final episodes big revelations is the reason why her characters birthday is November 23rd, the same day the very first Doctor Who episode was shown in 1963.

She's also told fans that they should keep an eye on Claras developing relationship with the TARDIS this series and that it's an unfolding mystery she only discovered the meaning of when reading the script for the final episode of which, she says, by the end of the series fans will know who Clara is, adding that the big reveal about Clara is "phenomenal" saying Clara "is not all that she seems".

This morning the BBC blog said of the final episode that fans should "stand by for something that you might always have believed to be impossible", something that further suggests that contrary to popular opinion the big secret really isn't his name.

Moffat himself weighed in on the subject of the final episode, saying to the Radio Times "you’re about to learn something about the Doctor that you never knew before. And I think you’re in for a shock."

The poster for the episode teasingly announces "his secret revealed", not "his name revealed" and, with the recent revelation that Claras mystery is tied in to the doctors, and to her relationship with the Tardis, it seems more and more likely that the doctors secret isn't his name but that his secret is in fact Clara.

Could Clara be a Timelord, maybe a future doctor? Unlikely given that the show has already shown at least one of her iterations has human parents, so just what could the secret be?

Perhaps the blog about her secret at IGN is closer to the truth and she will turn out to be the girl from the library where the series first introduced River Song, a character who happens to re-appear in this series final episode.

Eagle eyed, or perhaps that should be eared, viewers may have noticed the mention of the doctor having a granddaughter in the first episode of the new series, a nod back to the very first episode that aired on November 23rd. A throw away line added for the benefit of older fans, or the beginning of a trail for fans to follow in search of an answer?

One thing's for sure, the series finale will have plenty to keep fans of all ages on the edge of their seats.

Improve your android with these handy apps

So you've got a shiny new Android phone or tablet, you've heard it can read memory cards and usb flash drives, download youtube videos, stream video to your tv, automagically save power by switching off wifi or gps when you don't need them, you name it and the chances are that you've been told Android can do it.

But how, and what's that scary sounding root thing all about, do you need that?

Well you've been told right, and no you don't have to root your phone or tablet to do it, you just need some handy little apps, most of which are free,  and in case you hadn't already guessed that's what we're going to look at here.

Where to begin? How about being able to read usb devices, being able to plug in a memory stick or hard drive, maybe take some videos or photographs off of your digital camera?

To do that you need a version of Android that supports usb otg (USB On The Go), Android version 4 (Jellybean) and higher support this as (to an extent) do some devices that run Android 3.2 (Honeycomb).

Assuming you have a suitable version of Android then the app you need is Nexus Media Importer. It will set you back £2.62 and for that your Android becomes able to read files from a connected usb device and, if that device is FAT formatted (as most are), will also be able to write to it.

If your phone or tablet has a micro or mini usb port as almost all of them do you will also need what is called an OTG cable.

These cost a couple of pounds, including delivery, from sites such as Amazon and have the small connector at one end with a full sized usb connector on the other so that you can plug full size usb devices into your micro or mini sized usb port.

Using a usb device is easy once the app is installed, as easy as plugging the device into your usb port.

The app will automatically run and show you what is on the device and navigating through the different files is extremely easy as the application groups them by type (videos, photographs, etcetera) to make it easier for you to find the particular file you're interested in.

Okay so what's next? Well, wouldn't it be nice if you could download that high definition music video or film you found on youtube?

But wait, the Play Store won't let apps on there that can download from YouTube so you can't do it. Well actually, thanks to how Android works, you can.

If you haven't done so already pop into your settings menu and look for a tick box that says "unknown sources" and make sure it is ticked. Depending on what version of Android you're using it will either be in  settings / security or it will be in settings / applications.

This will tell your phone or tablet that it can now install apps from places other than the official store.

Using your android browser of choice go to the YouTube downloader download page and click its green download button, it will download the app. When downloaded you will see a notification saying youtubedownloader.apk has downloaded, just click on it to install.

If you don't have such a notification don't worry, the app will be saved in your web browsers download folder and you can install it from there.

Use of the app is very simple, and it guides you through it on first use, but basically this is all you do to download a YouTube video, use the YouTube app and find a video you want to download, click the share button and from the share menu just choose YouTube Downloader.

It really is that simple, the app will offer you a choice of different video formats and qualities if more than one version is available. The app is, of course, completely free.

We all know you can plug your phone or tablet into your tv, if it has a hdmi output, but what if, like Nexus 7 owners, you have no hdmi output?

Well if you have a recent television that supports DLNA you're in luck because you can stream video wirelessly to it using an application called ArkMC (the full version costs £2.99 but there is a trial version).

This handy application will let you stream video from your phone or tablet, or any dlna device, to any other dlna device such as a tv.

It is one of the few applications that can play files from your actual device and send them to your tv and for this reason has a big advantage over other very good streaming apps such as MediaHouse Pro, a very good way of watching your films or pictures, or listening to your music, on a tv if you don't have hdmi output.

That's all well and good but what's all this automagic nonsense. How can your android possibly just do things  as if by magic?

Well that is all down to a very useful app called Tasker which is just under £2 but there is a free seven day trial version available here. What does Tasker do exactly? Well, basically, anything you want it to.

Tasker is an automation app, that means it can make your phone or tablet do things based on trigger events of your choosing.

For example, you want to switch off the security lock when you're at home, but re enable it at work, so no one but you can access it. Tasker can tell you're at home, or work, and do that for you.

Want to send a message that you're working late? Tasker can tell you're still at work when you're usually on the way home and send a text for you automatically. If you have automated lights at home it could even switch them on for you when you get home and switch them off when you leave, or automatically put your device into silent mode and hide incoming calls and texts when you're using it to watch a video, or launch a particular app when you connect a headset.

Productivity is all well and good but sometimes you just want to play a video and unwind. Well there's an app for that too.

MX Player is one of the best Android media players around, it supports multi core decoding and hardware accelerated playback, plays pretty much any video format you can think of (as well as subtitles) and has some handy features such as being able to boost the volume and use codecs to improve playback. Definitely one app that merits a look.

Of course some Android devices will lag a little after a lot of use, the Nexus 7 for example can lag now and then, because of a trim issue affecting those devices, so if you're playing lots of videos or games you might find your phone or tablet slows down at times.

Well if you use a rooted Android there's a fix for that, and it really does work, a free app called LagFix so if you're rooted give it a try, it could make things even better.

And there you have it, a few apps to make your Android life a little better, a little more fun, or at least a little more productive.

Facebook phone is the phone you already own

Facebook announced this week, to a mixed reaction, the upcoming release of the long rumoured facebook phone but here's the surprise....it's the phone you're already using.

Yes facebook have entered the world of mobile phones in a very clever way. While it's true they have partnered with HTC to have a mid level phone built, which is officially a facebook phone, the real facebook phone really is, in fact, the one you already own.

Confused?

What Facebook have done is create an Android launcher called Facebook Home, a free app that you will be able to download from the Play Store as of its launch date of April twelfth.

The app will replace your phones launcher with one developed by facebook, making it look and act exactly like the official facebook phone will, which is of course just a standard android phone running the new launcher.

You can see what friends are doing on home your screen without even needing to unlock it thanks to the launchers new 'cover feed' feature, you can even comment on posts or make your own right from your home screen without ever logging into the facebook app.

One downside is however that you will be served advertising directly onto your phone, yes even when your phone is locked Facebook Home will still you show adverts on your home screen, something that may not sit well with some people, although it isn't an immediate concern as Mark Zuckerberg has stated that there won't be any ads shown for a little while yet....so you're safe from them, for now.

But on the downside Facebooks launcher won't allow you to use widgets, so while it's a plus for social movers and shakers who want a simple but nice looking user interface that keeps them in touch with family and friends it won't be of use to those who use widgets, an understandable compromise made for a simpler more straightforward user experience and one likely to appeal to a large number of the facebook users who will be prompted to download the launcher when it becomes available for their android phone or tablet.

Initially only a select group of devices, including the S3 and Galaxy Note 2, will be offered the new launcher with more being offered it each month as updates are released, so if you really want to try it for yourself, and your android device isn't yet supported when the app launches next week, don't be too disheartened - it won't be long before you too can use Facebook Home on your phone....or tablet.

If you want to know how to get, or use, FaceBook Home visit the official page located, not surprisingly, on Facebook. This might not be a big hit with lovers of tech, or widgets, but then that isn't really Facebooks target audience, for many people Facebook isn't just on the internet, it is the internet, and a large number of those will no doubt enjoy the chance of simplifying their phone and facebook experience.

Dr Who 3D episode details

Novembers fiftieth anniversary episode of Doctor Who promises to be a treat for fans as more details of the 3D special emerge.

David Tennant and Billie Piper will star alongside Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, John Hurt and Joanna Page in a special ninety minute episode that is being filmed in 3D and shown both on tv and in UK cinemas this November to celebrate the shows fiftieth year.

Rumour has it that River will reunite previous incarnations of the doctor against his wishes, a popular rumour lent some credence by its appearance in the Mirror newspaper and popular Who sites this would however be difficult for the show to pull off, given that the remaining doctors are a lot older and would have to look as they did before they regenerated.

But, given the shows precedence for reuniting the doctors (the tenth and twentieth anniversaries were both celebrated with episodes that bought back the previous doctors), this is one rumour that will likely be true and indeed the shows stars and producers have affirmed that the show will be "epic", with Steven Moffat  calling it "a love letter to the fans".

What is known, other than the return of David Tennant and Billie Piper for the episode, is that one of the doctors old enemies, the Zygons, will return.

This years series offers fans two mysteries, that of who or what Clara really is....and the doctors greatest secret. Yes it's official that this year we learn the doctors secret, but what that secret is no one is letting on although it seems likely the revelation will feature in the special fiftieth anniversary episode later this year.

A 3D feature length episode of the show reuniting at least some previous doctors and their companions, and featuring such acting talent as John Hurt is already enough to get some fans looking forward to it but no doubt more details will continue to emerge.

Oz the great and powerful [film review]

It's already the highest grossing film of the year, earning Disney more than $280 million in its first two weeks, but is Oz the great and powerful really, well, great and powerful?

Oz is a prequel to the Wizard of Oz movie from 1939 and, like that well known classic it uses the exact same trick of starting in black and white and then, upon entering Oz, changing to glorious colour.

And glorious it is. With quite possibly some of the most beautiful imagery seen on film since the best scenes of Life Of Pi, Sam Raimi (yes, he of "Evil Dead" fame) transports us to the very different, and magical, world of Oz in which a sideshow magician is hailed as the prophesied wizard that will defeat the wicked witch and rule in peace as the king of Oz.

Of course it isn't the peace that attracts our hero but the copious amounts of treasure and he soon, somewhat reluctantly, heads off to find the wicked witch and kill her. But there's a catch, well several.

First, the wicked witch has a secret of her own, and second, only a real wizard can defeat her magic...and wannabe wizard Oscar Diggs is anything but a real wizard.

The film is a little slow paced to begin with, it takes a while to get going, but the key to a good film is whether at the end of it you've enjoyed the experience, and Oz is certainly a good, if perhaps overly cute, film.

This is not the film for fans of action or science fiction, but it is the film for lovers of fantasy worlds, of redemption, of stunning visual imagery or who just want a feel good family friendly trip to the cinema.

The story is good, although most adults will guess a lot of the films key plot twists in advance, but then that isn't actually a bad thing because it gives plenty of time to focus on the land of Oz itself and it is this that really steals the show with quite possibly the most beautiful surroundings yet seen on film.

The entrance into Oz is a sight to behold, particularly the beautiful red tree which isn't as it appears, and yes you will get to see munchkins and yes even the wicked green witch herself. In fact you get to find out just why the original films wicked green witch got to be so wicked...and green in a role played well by Family Guy's Mila Kunis (and yes, it is strange hearing Meg Griffins voice coming from such an attractive visage).

Surprisingly Oz is one of those films that, despite a running time of more than two hours, doesn't actually feel like it overstays its welcome, unlike some other films of similar length, and this is due in no small part to the beauty of its environment and the admittedly predictable but enjoyable story which culminates in a riveting half hour finale that more than makes up for its slow start.

Overall a fun family film that has enough going for it to keep the majority of viewers interested throughout.

PS4 and Xbox 720 launch date and basic specs

When Sony announced recently that the next generation of their Playstation games console would launch sometime in the holiday season of this year rumours spread like wildfire as to when exactly it, and it's main rival Microsofts Xbox 720, would go on sale.

In an interview with Outside Xbox the creative director Assassins Creed 4 has revealed that ALL versions of the game will share the same shipping date, that being October in the US and November in the UK.

Not a big deal you might think but here's the interesting part, the game will release on the current generation AND next generation consoles, so if indeed all versions will be go on sale simultaneously this means the PS4 and Xbox 720 versions will also be on sale then and, consequently, also means that those much anticipated next gen rivals will both be out in October. After all you don't usually release a game if the console it plays on isn't yet available.

So what can we expect from these next gen marvels? Well the PS4 will have a whopping eight gigabytes of blisteringly fast gddr5 ram which, unlike the current Playstations 512 megabytes, is not split equally in half between the cpu (central processing unit) and gpu (graphics processing unit).

That means the PS4 has an astonishing sixteen times more ram than the PS3, and with its eight core 1.6 gigahertz cpu and a 1.84 teraflop Radeon gpu Sony's upcoming Playstation 4 will be more than capable of producing state of the art high definition graphics that can blow away anything seen on current consoles.

The Xbox 720 will also have an eight core 1.6 gigahertz AMD cpu, eight gigabytes of ddr3 ram and a 1.2 teraflop gpu.

The ram is noticeably slower than that of the PS4 (as is the gpu) but Microsoft will be using special chips inside the console to help cache that memory and transfer data much quicker than typical ddr3 speeds and this will bring the Xbox close to the same level of performance as that of the upcoming Playstation but without costing quite so much money (gddr5 ram is much more expensive than the slower ddr3 memory).

A canny move on Microsofts part, why? Because both machines will be pretty similar in terms of graphics as they are now. Again Sony will have the upper hand in terms of graphics and processing power but there really won't be a lot of difference between the two, certainly not enough to convert die hard fans of one platform to the other.

Despite current rumours the Xbox 720 is almost certain to ship with a Bluray drive built in. Microsoft are already marketing the new console as an all round home media centre with high definition films and content, they can't really make such claims if the 720 still uses a standard dvd drive or the now defunct HD-DVD.

Of course they could always have invented a proprietary disc format but given their intent on the system being a home media centre and given the popularity of bluray as a distribution media it makes little commercial sense for them to take such a chance, and a dvd drive would not be able to store highly detailed next generation games when current generation games can easily use the space of a dvd up already.

Both will have USB 3.0, the PS4 will have bluetooth as expected, but surprisingly the Xbox will come with a high definition and upgraded version of the Kinect motion sensor included.

At a likely lower purchase price than the Sony, and with Kinect included as standard, the Xbox 720 could well be the console that finally kills off the Playstation. With similar horsepower and graphics the major difference between the two consoles will be down to the games available and the firmware for each platform.

To end users the appeal of Kinect gaming plus its ability to control the xbox with gestures and movements, and its lower purchase price, may swing votes in favour of Microsofts offering. The Xbox will likely also be able to play previous generation Xbox games whereas, because of the significant difference between the processor architecture of the PS3 and PS4 such backward compatability is highly unlikely and thus another possible drawback to those considering buying one.


As a PS3 user you may expect me to be somewhat biased against the new Xbox but from what we know already it seems Microsoft are making all the right moves and producing a console that will perform close to its main competitor, cost less to purchase and have the added benefit of an already proven motion control system.

While on paper the PS4 will out perform the Xbox 720 these factors are ones that will make a real world difference as to which system customers go for, Sony have made the PS4 easier to develop for, so there will be more equality between the two with most games being able to take advantage of the full power of each console, but Microsoft may have done just enough to land a knockout punch on its biggest rival.