AT&T Upgrade 3G Service

Since the launch of the iPhone, the 3G internet craze has taken off. Millions of phones were sold across America. While this was all well and good at first, eventually the 3G spectrum began to get congested with many users complaining of slow internet connections and 3G calls being cut-off.

This was because the At&T 3G network runs on a 1900Mhz bandwidth. For those of you unfamiliar with the way waves work, the longer the bandwidth the less quality you get.

As a result, At&T are now lowering their bandwidth to 850Mhz to combat the problem. This will allow the 3G waves to penetrate walls and travel longer with a higher quality of service.

This couldn’t have come at a better time. The 3G networks were expected to be flooded over the net few months with the iPhone 3G S going on Sale. Apple have reported a sale of over 1 million worldwide and with that many new users in such a short space of time we could have big problems in terms of internet availability.

Iceland Has the Right Idea

Iceland is undoubtedly one of the worst affected countries of the global recession. The country is in ruins with debt coming out of the woodwork. Banks were nationalised and businesses shut until further notice – there may never be a further notice in most cases. Their expected application to join the EU is risky at best – however, in terms of green energy solutions they have the world trumped.

Because Iceland is a volcanic island and lies alone the mid-Atlantic ridge (a plate edge with high volcanic activity in the Atlantic ocean) it can use the heat energy from this volcanic activity to produce energy. There are multiple ways of utilising this method of energy extraction. The most popular is pumping cold water down near the magma and allow it to become heated. Then, it is pumped back up to a power station where the steam is used to turn turbines and thus create electricity.

Another way is by pumping the heated water directly to residential areas for people to use in their homes. This hot water is also often pumped in pipes under the streets to help melt the snow.

Iceland's greenhouse emissions have been seriously decreased by using geothermal energy. Even though it still gives off toxic fumes when its being extracted – these fumes are only a small fraction of what is produced at fossil fuel energy plants elsewhere, for the same amount of net power.

Their green-policies may be a flagship sector for Iceland but their remaining sectors are dwindling. Entrance to the EU could save the country but when Europe itself is in the depths of a recession, can it really afford to being in more strays?

By Dean Sherwin

New Google Phone

T-Mobile has just announced that it will be selling its brand new Google phone soon – it will succeed a previous phone out less than one year.

The new myTouch is made by HTC and is said to retail at around $199. The design and feel of the phone is smaller than an Apple iPhone but boasts a 3.2 inch touch screen with a resolution of 320x480 pixels.

For internet, e-mail and IM needs the myTouch will have WiFi and 3G capabilities. This is similar to the iPhone and other Smart Phones already on the market. Now, when users are spending in excess of $200 they want to be able to walk down a street with YouTube playing on their handset.

In terms of memory, the phone has 512 MB of internal memory and will also be sold with a 4GM microSD card which users can upgrade should they wish. This phone is said to be all about personalisation with the ability to change the phones appearance and functionality using downloadable apps.

"No two myTouch devices will be alike,"

By Dean Sherwin

Chinese PC Censorship - Clarified ?

In a previous post here on Ten Amp Talk, we discussed how China controls and manipulates the public by filtering their internet capability.

Well, earlier this week the government came under harsh criticism over what has become known as ‘Green Dam Girl’ filtering software. The software which will be mandatory for every PC sold in China after July filters out internet content such as violence and pornography.

However, many say that through testing the software it often filters out valid websites that are useful to the public. This comes amid worldwide claims that China is blocking a huge amount of information on the Web such as the protest events of 1989.

The government said that the software can be disabled. "The use of this software is not compulsory," an official with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) told the AP news wire.However, it is unclear, say sources, if you uninstall the program will you be prosecuted by the authorities?

By Dean Sherwin

(PHOTO & SOURCE : bbc.co.uk )

iPhone 3G S – Is it Worth it?

The iPhone 3G S is due for its official release in the US on June the 19th – however this writer asks ‘is it worth it?’. For an increased price you’re getting much them same phone with a few new features. Do these features make the iPhone worth it and will people flock to the stores like they did for previous versions?

One of these features is the new MAC OS 3.0 . This is an improved version of the MAC operating system found on previous iPhones. It supports new functions offered by the phone such as Multimedia Messaging and improved camera functions such as video and touch focus.

Other new features include a compass and improved maps that rotate with the phone. The iPhone 3G S will be available in 16G and 32G models in black or white. The ‘S’ model has an extended battery life and faster processing speeds that can be noticed when opening apps that eat up a little more juice than others.

All thing considered the new iPhone 3G S comes down to personal choice. If you’re happy paying money for a few ad-ons then go for it – if not, be happy with your current iPhone (nobody will notice the difference!).

By Dean Sherwin.

Watch the preview video above for an in-depth look at the new iPhone 3 S

(VIDEO: YOUTUBE)

Top 5 Office Items

I’m self-employed. As such, I seen it necessary to build myself an office in my back garden where I could work. Now not everyone is self-employed. However, many of us do have small corners where we do our taxes, household budget or simply station the family PC. Below is a list of the ‘Top Five Essentials’ you need to create the perfect office.

1. A good desk. There’s nothing more frustrating than working without a good desk. You will get wrist cramps, back aches and very frustrated if your not at an optimum height for you.

2. A webcam. Handy little gadgets. Most laptops come with them built-in nowadays. They’re great for having a conference call or simply chatting to a few mates. They have also captured the odd YouTube video or two.

3.A Printer. While not used everyday, they’re handy. Often neglected as an unnecessary expense when buying a PC, you don’t want to be left looking like a Muppet when the time comes to print out an application form or plane tickets.

4. A paper shredder. Fraud these days is rampant. All it takes is a burglary and someone has your credit card info. You may never even know they broke in! Shred bank statements, credit cards, CDs and bills all with a paper shredder. Plus they’re kind of fun.

5. A Landline. While looking at a company website and trying to get them on the phone, you don’t want to pay expensive mobile phone charges. A Landline can boost your offices performance and functionality. They’re also cliché!

By Dean Sherwin

(Picture: Flickr.com)

The Technology of Oppression

Let’s face it – people living in China and Chinese controlled territories are under oppression day and night by the very people who are supposed to govern their ‘peaceful’ society. Scenes in 1989 of one man bravely taking on a line of heavy tanks and of civilians shot dead while running away from troops still echo in the minds of millions. Recent scenes of violence by Chinese police and government troops towards the people of the disputed province of Tibet only awakened these dark memories.

However, oppression these days takes more than guns and tanks – it take technology. With the internet, e-mail and instant messaging slip up by the Chinese government would be all over the 6 o’clock news in western territories. This, is difficult to stop. For that reason the Chinese government are cracking down on ‘anti-state’ activities.

This includes strict censorship of what actually leaves the country via the internet. Message forums and MMO games are heavily monitored and restricted. If a player types in “government'” in some games, the message will not transmit.

Another, perhaps more shocking way of keeping the average person down is by blocking education. By not giving them information about new ways of thinking or about international events, the government can control their ‘pod-people’ much more easily. If servers detect you are located in China, and you type “Democracy” into a Google search engine you will get exactly ‘0’ search results compared to approximately 67,900,000 results on Western Google servers.

As mobile devices become more advanced, the Chinese government will either have to introduce more ‘fascist-style’ censorship to their communist state or give up all together. Let’s hope for the latter.