Why Peter Capaldi could be just what the doctor ordered

In case you haven't heard there's a new doctor in town. Matt Smith is handing over the role of the titular doctor, in sci fi series Doctor Who, to Oscar winning actor Peter Capaldi as the show looks to build its future by taking a leaf from its past.

What does that mean exactly?

Well the very first doctor was an older man (William Hartnell), a well established and popular actor who brought not only gravitas and considerable talent to the role but a maturity and authority that few actors have succeeded in capturing since.

Yes the likes of David Tennant and Matt Smith did a brilliant job, and for me personally rank among the best of the doctors, but they couldn't quite capture that air of authority in the same way.

As the fiftieth anniversary episode draws ever nearer the show has gone back to its roots, casting an older actor as the new doctor (Peter Capaldi is the same age as Hartnell was when he took on the role) in a move that gives clues as to the shows direction as Matt Smith bows out later this year.

What direction is that?

First off you don't get an oscar winning actor and not use his acting skills to full advantage. Capaldi excels in both comedic and darker roles. While best known for shows such as The Thick Of it he is perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans as the villainous Frobisher in Torchwood Children Of Earth, or of course as the father in the fires of pompeii episode.

His casting suggests the new doctor will continue to be comedic, as has been the way with many doctors, but that the series will explore his darker side more, a darker side that the upcoming anniversary episode is set to reveal as John Hurt takes on David Tennant and Matt Smith in what promises to be a 3D spectacular.

The show looks set to introduce a doctor with a little more depth, a doctor whose dark past returns to haunt him, and Capaldi has the acting chops needed to tread the fine line between dark and funny.

The casting of an older actor also signals another change in direction. Successive doctors have seen the show become more a kids show than a family show. What's the difference?

Well at various points in its history the show has been family oriented, having elements that appeal to both kids and adults alike, this gradually changed, particularly in more recent years, to appeal primarily to younger viewers but the casting of the new doctor suggests that the show will explore slightly more grown up aspects of the character, such as his guilt over past actions or his darker alien nature, and that, while still a kids programme, it will return to being a little more family oriented.

The casting of Peter Capaldi also shows that the role is a serious one able to attract even more established actors, and that the show has a definite future with the BBC. Of course the casting of an internationally recognised oscar winning talent such as Capaldi will no doubt help the series attract more viewers outside the UK in markets such as the USA where some still see it as simply a kids tv show.

Peter Capaldi could be just what the doctor ordered. But only time....or a timelord....will tell.

Get Androids PhotoSphere on any JellyBean device

The Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC one, and a number of other well selling Android devices are great but when their manufacturers use a custom version of Android (such as Samsungs Touch Wiz) they often also replace the standard camera app from Google with a modified version of their own.

This is not always a bad thing, the camera app on Samsungs flagship S4 for example is superior in many ways to the stock Android one it replaces, but Google introduced one thing with version 4.2 of their operating system (better known as JellyBean) that has photography fans eager to use it...and it's the one feature that, until now, many of us have been unable to use because it isn't included in most manufacturers replacement camera applications.

That feature is Googles photosphere.

Googles camera app lets you take a 360 degree panorama and then, when you want to view it, you can move around it as if you were there inside the picture.


It's a handy tool but it has a few issues, mainly that it cannot remove moving objects from the image (so you may get the same people multiple times in your image if they were walking by at the time) and it works best with subjects that are a reasonable distance from the camera, but as this is intended for 360 landscape panoramas these things are unlikely to be a major issue for most people.

So how do we get it on our Androids? Well as long as you are using a phone or tablet that runs Android version 4.2 or higher you can simply click this link. This will open a web page with a download button on it, that links to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Play Edition photosphere application.

Click the download button and, when the download is completed, simply install the apk file you just downloaded (you will need to make sure that the "allow unknown sources" option in your devices settings menu is ticked before you can install any apps from outside of the Play Store).

This will install the gallery and photosphere camera applications, it will not over write your existing camera or gallery apps and will work on any Jellybean device (even if that device is rooted). To take a photosphere just open the new camera app and you'll see the sphere icon on screen.

Just press the sphere and then start taking your pic by clicking the big blue circle. It's that easy.

To view the spheres you take you will need to use the new gallery you installed, this will recognise them as a photosphere. View them in your default gallery and they will be displayed as normal panoramas.

So download and have fun taking photospheres.

Hannibal gets a second bite

With just a few weeks until the series finale of the devilishly delicious drama that is Hannibal, NBC have confirmed that the twisted tale of Hannibal will continue in a second series next year.

The show has, understandably, been a hit with fans and critics alike. Mads Mikkelsens portrayal of the suave sophisticated psychiatrist is genuinely chilling and as he toys with the mind of his friend, fbi special agent Will Graham, it remains to be seen just how far he is willing to go as with each episode we see just how dark the outwardly charming Hannibal Lecter really is.

The show manages to have very little in the way of "filler", each episode moves quickly to a conclusion and reveals more and more about what makes Hannibal and Will tick, with Will finding out that he may not be so different to Hannibal after all.

For those who haven't yet seen Hannibal the show tells the story of serial killer Hannibal Lecter (popularised in the film "Silence Of The Lambs") and his relationship with the man who captured him, Will Graham.

As you may have guessed the series is a prequel, telling the story of who he is and what he did prior to the books and films the character has appeared in, and works surprisingly well. It can be very graphic but don't let that put you off, if you enjoy shows such as Dexter then Hannibal is likely to be something you'll enjoy and if you just want something clever and inventive, well it may be just what the doctor ordered....

New games console runs Android and iOS

Yes you read that right, BlueStacks new games console, available this winter, has an impressive edge over its leading rival Ouya, another Android based console - it will play iOS apps.

While they're keeping details of exactly how they've achieved this feat close to their chests they have revealed that they use API virtualization to make the iOS applications run on GamePop, their Android games console, and that it doesn't use a single piece of Apple code to do it - meaning that unlike other companies famously pursued by the Cupertino company, such as Samsung and HTC, BlueStacks should be safe from legal action.

With a number of Android and iOS developers already signed up as partners, and 500 Android games ready at launch (plus an unspecified number of iOS games) this interesting entry into the gaming world may already be tempting you to dig deep into your wallet, or purse, but the surprise is that thanks to the companies new approach to gaming you won't have to dig as deep as you might expect.

BlueStacks want to be the NetFlix of gaming so the console is priced low, with a monthly subscription being charged to play the games. Yes rather than buy games here and there you get to play all of them any time for just under $7 (around £4.50) a month.

Pre order a console before the end of June and the console itself is completely free (though you do have to pay postage). Leave ordering a console until after June and it will set you back a not so staggering $129, that's around £83 for one console with one controller.

BlueStacks is making a bold but clever move here, you pay a low price for the hardware and then a subscription each month that lets you access every game they have. You don't have to choose which game to spend your hard earned money on, because you get all of them, an all you can eat (or should that be all you can play?) buffet.

In a world where the top Android and iOS games often have impressive graphics and gameplay a console that can play top end Android and iOS games on your tv makes sense and while they haven't yet revealed the hardware specs involved the company claim it will run games as well as a high end mobile device which should guarantee a quad core, possibly octa-core (though unlikely for such a low price), system with developers tweaking their applications to take full advantage of whatever hardware is involved.

While GamePop plans to be the NetFlix of gaming you don't need to worry about being online to play your games, whatever games you choose are stored locally on the console itself rather than having to stream them, so no buffering issues should you have a sometimes slow broadband connection.

GamePop isn't going to challenge the next gen console giants Sony or Microsoft, they don't intend to, what they are doing is a little more shrewd than that.

Look at your favourite high end mobile game and chances are the graphics are pretty impressive. Mobile devices are now powerful enough that they are on a par with current gen games consoles and if you've ever connected your phone or tablet to a HDMI enabled TV you'll know that they can look just good on the big screen, so technology is at the point where an Android games console is now practical rather than just a flight of fancy.

A low cost games console, paying a few pounds per month for all its games rather than having to pick and choose which you can afford, and being able to plug it into your tv and play films on it too is a no brainer, a lot of people will jump at the opportunity, and understandably so.

It's a bold move to make, but one that just might pay off for the company - and consumers.

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.