Alex Kidman

Astonishing what iTunes throws up on random some days to make up my subject lines. Hadn’t thought about that song in years. I’m willing to bet you haven’t either…

And that’s as good a random segue as any into today’s articles. Firstly, online. At CNET.com.au I dip into notebook territory:

Asus UL50Vt: “The UL50Vt’s black style almost makes it look like an evil, but considerably cheaper MacBook Pro model…”

(nb: Those who prefer a more business-style spin (and advertising) with their notebook reviews can read the same thing here at ZDNet)

At PC Authority I’ve been doing some cooking with iPhones. Not that they get quite that hot, but anyway:

Amazing Apps for your iPhone: 6 apps to turn your iPhone into a recipe book: “No recipes that use Alcohol, Anchovies and Baking Powder? Fail.”

Then in the print world, there’s the January 2010 issue of Australian PC User.

Please don’t ask me to explain magazine cover dates; we’ll be here all day and everyone will still be confused. Anyway, this issue chalks up an impressive twenty years of PC User, and means that in my own case, I’ve had articles published in the 20 year anniversary issues of both PC User and Australian Personal Computer. Although APC’s 20th was quite some time ago — I was still on staff there in that case.

I wonder how many of the gold boxes there are still around?

Anyway, my contributions to this month’s issue encompass reviews of Amazon’s Kindle, Virgin Mobile’s WiFi Modem, Uniden’s TRAX 5000 GPS, Toshiba’s 22DV615Y DVD/TV Combo, Flip’s MinoHD Camcorder, Jabra’s HALO Bluetooth headset and finally EA’s Beatles Rock Band. Phew. That should keep them busy for, say.. 20 years?

No?

Oh well. Back to the word mill then.

A little De La Soul to finish out a busy week. Albeit De La Soul laced with a little Philly soul courtesy of Messrs Oates and Hall…

While I’ve been busy banging the Movember drum so hard it’s nearly shattered, I’ve also been scribing the odd word here and there.

First of all, a new blog up at MacTheBlog:

MacTheBlog: i7 iMac: an odyssey of space: “Alex Kidman goes to Jupiter, and beyond…”

And then a couple of reviews at CNET.com.au:

Philips DAB AE5230 Radio: “Philips’ inexpensive entry into the digital radio world offers few surprises, either nice or nasty.”

Cars Race-O-Rama: “Cars Race-O-Rama is a terribly generic racer aimed at the younger crowd. It’s neither great nor awful, just absolutely middle-of-the-road gaming.”

And I missed all kinds of stuff of mine that went live over the last day or so. Or in some cases, week or so. Some genius I turned out to be…

First up, MacTheBlog has my analysis of some… rather odd reliability figures:

MacTheBlog: Rotten Apples?“Yes, I know there are elements of the Apple community who wouldn’t want to face the fact that their shiny über-boxes do fail, but it’s true.”

And then at CNET there’s a whole treasure trove of my content. The broadband guide’s been updated and given a shiny new coat of digital paint, and there’s a roundup of fitness games that includes several of my reviews as well. Plus standalone reviews to boot. And dragons. Mmm… dragons.

Which broadband plan is right for me? “If you’re switching to broadband for the first time or contemplating changing your Internet Service Provider (ISP), the range of plans on offer can be quite staggering. This guide will break down the key features you need to consider before signing on the dotted line.”

Best fitness games: “Traditionally, most people have considered gaming and physical fitness as mutually exclusive activities. But with the launch this year of so many exercise titles, mostly for the Nintendo Wii, the image of gamers as couch potatoes could be on shaky ground.”

WD My Passport Elite 500GB: “Desktop users who need a portable drive will find the My Passport Elite endearing, although the dock could stand to be a little more user friendly.”

Combat of Giants: Dragons: “Younger gamers who are also obsessed with fire-breathing lizards will get a real kick out of Combat Of Giants: Dragons, but Nintendo doesn’t need to worry about its Pokemon cash cow just yet.”

It’s not just the growing of fancy Mo’s that I’ve been busy with this week. Oh no. I’ve been writing and testing and reviewing and writing and testing and reviewing and writing and…

You get the idea.

At CNET.com.au, there’s these two rather contrasting products:

WD My Passport Essential SE 1TB: “Western Digital’s 1TB Passport drive isn’t pretty or cheap, but its bland look belies the storage and backup goodies within.”

Withings WifiScale: “We can’t fault the technical genius of the Withings WifiScale, but at the same time you do pay a lot of money for a lot of gimmicks in a bathroom scale.”

The Passport’s fair enough, but I suspect the scale’s the strangest thing I’ve reviewed all year. Those who follow my twitter account will know what I mean…

Meanwhile, back in much more familiar territory, GadgetGuy.com.au has this:

Apple MacBook 13 inch: “The updated Macbook brings excellent battery life and otherwise solid performance in a stylish body. It’s not a complete re-imaginging of the Macbook concept, but it does bring the Macbook line more into line with the more expensive Pro models.”

And keeping with the Apple theme, PC Authority has not one, but two guides to iPhone Apps:

Amazing Apps for your iPhone: Fitness apps“It’s not that tough to turn your iPhone into your own personal gym and fitness instructor, however, and get your health and fitness back on track.”

Amazing Apps for your iPhone: Christmas Apps: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on your iPhone. Here’s seven great Christmas-themed apps.”

A busy day here at Alexkidman.com. And I’ve yet to update my daily Movember photo and details, even..

(subtle….)

Anyway, CNET.com.au has another of my reviews up:

Laser DVBT-MP32 Multimedia Plus: “It’s not the prettiest PMP on the block, but the inclusion of digital TV support makes the MP32 a great little gadget.”

And MacTheBlog has my musings on what exactly needs to happen for a Mac Tablet to actually become a worthwhile reality:

MacTheBlog: Time to take our Tablets? “If there’s one thing Apple doesn’t tend to do, it’s introduce an all-new product category that cannibalises an existing or ongoing one…”

It’s not all sunshine and roses reviewing stuff. Sometimes, you get products that it’s just plain impossible to really get on with.

A minor case of that today at GadgetGuy.com.au:

Apple Magic Mouse: “Apple’s Magic Mouse has the advantages of multi-touch and more than just a dab of Apple’s distinctive design style, but it’s also beset with a few odd problems that belie its status as a premium-priced mouse.”

And a rather more pressing example of a product that’s impossible to like at CNET.com.au:

Imagine Journalist: “Imagine Journalist displays a lack of flair, fun and ultimately imagination. We can’t imagine why anybody should buy it.”

I think I might just be the only person on the planet (or at least on the intertubes) to have reviewed Imagine Journalist. Lucky me.

Too tired. Too many screaming children, puddles of sick and lack of sleep.

And reviews at CNET.com.au:

Sangean DPR-69 Plus: “Sangean’s cute DRP-69 Plus isn’t quite portable or desk bound, and isn’t quite sharp enough to make it a must-have DAB.”

Lexmark Interact S605: “Lexmark’s S605 carries a premium price, but the clever touchscreen features do justify it.”

I just realised how that reads. Not “too many reviews at CNET”. Just the right amount. Sheesh. I am tired…

If you asked people an attribute they’d use to describe me, I’d be willing to bet that “fit” “physical” or “gym junkie” wouldn’t appear anywhere on most people’s lists.

Which might seem to suggest that getting me to review fitness titles for the Wii* is a very bad idea. Arguably, it’s a stroke of genius. I mean, a gym junkie would already have the requisite abs of steel, and might not get any benefit. Meanwhile, my sagging noodle-like arms were put to the rack reviewing for CNET.com.au:

NewU: Fitness First Personal Trainer: “NewU combines fitness and nutrition in a well balanced combination, although it would benefit from better on-screen feedback.”

My Fitness Coach: “My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape lacks vital feedback that distinguishes the more worthy fitness titles for the Wii.”

*An aside:Because Nintendo has its own Wii health title, Wii Fit (and Wii Fit Plus), it’s a right pain in the backside writing about any of them. I want to write “Wii Fitness” title all the time, but it sounds like I’m talking about a different product when I do. Herein ends the whinging..

Good question. Not one I’ve had to explicitly answer, as my B.A was in History/English/Communication Studies; a weird mixed bag of things that not even my lecturers were aware was within the rules at the time. Then again, I don’t think I’ve done too badly out of it, all things considered.

Today’s offerings include a blog entry at MacTheBlog that might explain why it’s so hard to get anyone at Apple to return my phone calls. Or make it even harder in the future, anyway:

MacTheBlog: Hey Apple: start innovating! “Apple can’t sit still, and it’s shown in the past with the iPod range (and, for that matter, the Mac for much of the 1990s) that this is something it can be guilty of.”

And keeping with the theme of things-you-can-chuck-an-Apple-product at, CNET.com.au has this review:

Panasonic SC-HC3 Compact Stereo System: “Panasonic’s attractive SC-HC3 combines CD and iPod playback with excellent audio quality, although iPhone owners should shop elsewhere.”

Why, no, I don’t think that all that Beatles Rock Band playing is having any effect on my listening habits. Why do you ask?

Meanwhile, in the world of publishing, more of my work has been published. Hence, y’know, the world. Of Publishing. And all that.

First of all, GadgetGuy.com.au has a couple of storage-themed reviews:

Western Digital’s MyPassport Elite, MyBook World Edition & MyBook Studio Edition II: “All three drives do serve different purposes, but for our money there’s also a fair gap in utility.”

Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player: “Western Digital’s WDTV offers a simple way to view digital multimedia files – music, photos or video – direct to pretty much any TV. It’s not as fully featured or lust-worthy as a DLNA solution, but it does a cracking job of just getting the task done.”

And then at CNET.com.au, you’ll find two of my reviews, although not both based around the same vendor:

Acer Extensa 5635Z: “The Extensa is a business laptop with no particular frills. That’s not a bad thing per se, but it’s tough to get too excited about it, either.”

Edimax nLite 3G-6200n 3G Broadband Router: “Out the back the 3G-6200n sports four 10/100 Ethernet ports, inbound WAN and single USB socket that has a rare distinction amongst 3G capable routers to date. Unfortunately for any buyer of the 3G-6200n, it’s a distinction of rank stupidity…”