Tag Archives: Gadget Guru

Gadget Man – Episode 115 – To Binge or Not to Binge? The Rise and Rise of Streaming TV

With the incredible rise in popularity of on-demand streaming services from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Google Play, NowTV, Rakatun and more, there is now no better time to watch our favourite movies and TV programmes.

We can now consume our TV using a variety of devices - Image Credit: Netflix
We can now consume our TV using a variety of devices – Image Credit: Netflix

We are not just simply watching TV, we are ‘consuming’ it! This fascination and above all, choice of programming has led millions of people to ‘binge’ on entire TV series over short periods. Evenings can now be spent watching multiple episodes of a series, with seemingly limitless content being served up automatically at the end of each episode, with entirely new content provided at the end of series.

The BBC have not ignored this either, they too are releasing entire series on their platform iPlayer whilst broadcasting the series in the standard week on week format on traditional television.

Now we are all comfortable with the digital switch-over, the set-top boxes can now begin serving up content over the internet without us even realising this is happening, the broadcasters have found their pot of gold.

Stranger Things has been a massive success for Netflix - Image Credit: Netflix
Stranger Things has been a massive success for Netflix – Image Credit: Netflix

Personally, I am a massive Breaking Bad fan, now enjoying it’s spin-off prequel Better Call Saul, both available on Netflix, but switching to Amazon Prime for The Grand Tour and watching movies on Google Play, all available using low-cost devices from Amazon, Roku, Apple and many more!

Apple also have been investing heavily in the streaming marketplace - Image credit: Apple Inc
Apple has also been investing heavily in the streaming marketplace with their Apple TV  – Image credit: Apple Inc

We have now turned a corner, once this technology was the go-to place for our kids, now we have embraced it, there is no going back. Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Google and Sky are now the streaming big hitters with astronomically large budgets, high-quality content and the power to break the traditional status quo enjoyed in the UK by the BBC and ITV.

Now WE decide what we watch.

Listen to my interview with Mark Murphy from BBC Radio Suffolk, where I talk enthusiastically about my personal experience of binge-watching streaming TV.

Matt Porter
The Gadget Man

If you have enjoyed reading and listening to this episode, please remember to Like, Subscribe and Share!

The Gadget Man – Episode 101 – WannaCry – WannaCrypt – Eternal Blue – What Happened and What to Do?

Following my previous post which can be found here, I talked this morning to Mark Murphy on BBC Radio Suffolk about WannaCry and the effect it has had on the NHS, what needs to be done to stop it happening again and what we can do to protect ourselves.

To read and in depth article on how to protect your computers from such attacks, click here

PLEASE ensure your computers have all their updates installed and make sure you have Anti-Virus software installed.

https://audioboom.com/posts/5919568-the-gadget-man-episode-101-wannacry-wannacrypt-eternal-blue-what-happened-and-what-to-do

 

 

The Gadgetman Episode 80 – Mini Sun SAD Lamp – plus ‘Ed Sheeran Quits Twitter’

The Gadgetman Episode 80 Mini Sun SAD Lamp plus Ed Sheeran Quit Twitter InstagramIn the words of Deep Purple; “The Nights Are Closing In”, and with it the increase of Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D.  which affects around 3-6% of the UK’s population.

I’ve been testing a SAD Therapy Lamp from Mini Sun which helps to lessen these symptoms through light therapy. Use of the Therapy Lamp for 60 minutes a day, not only produces the correct levels of serotonin to help fight the effects of SAD, but also comes in a very nice padded carry case similar in size to an iPad.

I sat the device to the side on my desk which gave the impression of sitting by the window on a sunny day. Having suffered from SAD in the past, I found it comforting as the natural light produced by the lamp gave a feeling of the sun shining on my face.

The lamp is available in both white and pink designs and can be purchased via Mini Sun‘s website and is an excellent addition during these dreary winter months.

To find out more, listen to this mornings recording above which also features a discussion about Ed Sheeran quitting social media.
The Gadgetman Episode 80 Mini Sun SAD Lamp plus Ed Sheeran Quit Twitter Instagram

 

The Gadget Man – Episode 79 – Motorola Moto G (3rd generation) from Three

This morning I talk to Mark about the Motorola Moto G (3 gen) handset. At £169 sim free it represents fantastic value for money with excellent build quality and specification. To hear more about the phone, listen in to the audio recorded today on BBC Radio Suffolk.

Thanks to Three for the loan of the device, they always go above and beyond the call!

The Gadget Man – Episode 78 – Fujifilm Finepix S9900W Bridge Camera

Matt Porter, the Gadget Man reviews the Fujifilm Finepix S9900W
Matt Porter, the Gadget Man reviews the Fujifilm Finepix S9900W

One of my favourite pastimes is photography, although very strictly on an amateur basis. I’ve have been very lucky indeed to have been able to test out a wide range of cameras from Fujifilm this year.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been testing the Fujifilm Finepix S9900W Bridge Camera. This is a true bridge camera and it ticks most of the boxes for me with it’s 50 times zoom lens and inclusion of viewfinder.  One thing I didn’t mention on the radio was it’s wireless compatibility which allows for almost instant uploading of photos and remote control from your smart phone.

Listen in to the stream and enjoy some of the photo’s I’ve been able to take with this lovely camera over the last few weeks.

Thank you to Jeannie at Fujifilm as ever!!!

The Gadget Man – Episode 77 – Touchability Grip Gloves from touchscreengloves.co.uk

Touchability GlovesIf you live in the UK, you will have noticed the sudden change in temperature over the past couple of days, whilst this time a few of weeks ago we were basking in warmer than normal October, are now plunged into the depths of winter.

 

Recently, I have taken to cycling to work on an e-bike and aside from a decent coat, hat, waterproof trousers, spare set of clothes and shoes, in this weather; gloves are a MUST!! These days however, gloves get in the way from our obsessive use of touch technology!! Not so, it would seem. Gloves no longer obscure the use of mobile phones and cause breakages with their slippery surfaces, not when they are Touchability Grip Gloves from touchscreengloves.co.uk.

Click to buy from Amazon!!

The gloves I tried were standard knitted type with the addition of silver woven in. The silver gives conductivity and allows the electrical signals from your fingers to travel through the glove material onto your touch screen device. Not only that, the palm side of the gloves had rubber dots attached meaning that even the most slippery phone would stay secure in your hand.

Listen into the stream to hear what I thought of the gloves and head over to www.touchscreengloves.co.uk to see the Grip gloves and their full range of products.

The Gadget Man – Episode 72 – Internet Dating

This week the BBC are looking at dating later in life, so this morning I talk to Mark about Internet Dating and how it has evolved over the last 10 – 15 years. We discuss how to keep yourself safe online what you should look out for.

We also chatted about the new raft of apps available to help people connect up with each other online.

Danvers Baillieu from Hide My Ass was also due to chat, but was unable to due to a comms failure. I have also linked to my interview with him last week.

 

The Gadget Man – Episode 70 – MiniSun Bluetooth LED Colour Changing Speaker Bulb

This week I chat to Mark about the MiniSun Bluetooth LED Colour Changing Speaker Bulb, a very nice product which would be perfect for upcoming party season.

To find out more, listen in to the stream, a full review will be posted in the next few days.

MiniSun Bluetooth LED Colour Changing Speaker Bulb
MiniSun Bluetooth LED Colour Changing Speaker Bulb

 

 

 

 

 

#minisun #speakerbulb #ledbulb

The Gadget Man – Episode 67 – Fitbit Charge HR

This morning I talked to Mark Matthews about the Fitbit Charge HR. Fitbit are a well known player in the fitness band marketplace and the continuous heart rate monitoring is a great feature.

Fitbit Android App
Fitbit Android App

Listen in the the stream to find out what I think of the Charge HR and keep an eye on the site as I spent the next few weeks monitoring my progress wearing the Fitbit Charge HR.

Thanks to Rachel Taylorat Kaizo for organising the Fitbit at such short notice.

The Gadget Man – Episode 65 – Transcend WiFi 32GB SD Card

People who know me will know that it isn’t easy to render me speechless, but after trying out my gadget this week, I can honestly say I was! I’m talking about the Transcend WiFi SD Card, a very impressive exercise in both miniaturisation and usefulness.

Transcend Wifi SD Card
Transcend Wifi SD Card

Most of us will be aware of SD Cards, we use them everyday in our cameras and they are an established way of transferring photos and videos from these devices to our computers, which is kind of where the main problem lies. SD Cards can be very fiddly, more so if you are an active photographer. There is definitely going to be an occasion when you drop or worse still lose your card during handling.

It seems as though Transcend have come up with a very elegant solution to this problem by embedding WiFi technology into the card itself! This is an astounding feat of engineering and works very nicely. Users are able to browse their photos using either an iPhone or Android handset via a downloadable app or if using a computer can connect directly to the card and download the photos using a web browser.

The only stipulation is that your digital camera is supported (click here to view the list) and that the camera is kept powered up during the process.

During the recording of this weeks episode I took a photo of presenter Mark Murphy live on air using the card and shared it on Facebook.

At around £35, the card is in my mind a bargain and I would heartedly recommend it to budding photographers who want to share their memories both quickly and smoothly.

Thank you very much again to Mickaela Noone from Transcend for her assistance.