Nigel | The Red Ferret Journal

Eco Friendly May 23, 2013 posted by Nigel

Fairphone – an Android smartphone that aims to deliver social value first

The stories circulating recently about working conditions in some Far Eastern factories have made a fair number of people start to question their role as consumers. For one thing it doesn’t feel right that we can buy something cheap only because someone else far away suffers. The Fairtrade movement, which started to help African farmers improve their living standards while still supplying Western supermarkets with produce, has now found an equivalent in the consumer electronics space.

Awesome May 23, 2013 posted by Nigel

Could Ingress And Glass Become Google’s Next Killer Product?

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been playing a game called Ingress, developed by Google and currently being played in closed invite-only beta across the world. The game, which draws heavily on a kind of Matrix meets StarCraft science fiction styling, melds augmented reality with smartphones, computers and the kind of backstory that only a Hollywood scriptwriter could dream up.

cool tech May 22, 2013 posted by Nigel

TrekDesk Treadmill Desk – get fit while you work with just a gentle stroll

There’s no doubt that all this sitting around in front of computers all day can be bad for your health. Even if you discount the stories about increased health vulnerabilities, there’s the fact that being stationary all day plays havoc with the waistline and can quickly lead to serious weight gain and worse.

Bookmark This! May 22, 2013 posted by Nigel

Email It In – email your files directly to Dropbox, Google Drive or Skydrive for quick and easy storage

If you regularly store or archive files to an online service like Dropbox as part of your day to day activities, then you’ll know that it’s not the most elegant system in the world. You need to either keep the service running permanently on your computer, or go through all that tedious login stuff.

Gadgets May 21, 2013 posted by Nigel

THL W100 – is this Quad Core, Jelly Bean phone at just $159 worth buying? Yep. [Review]

High end smartphones are all well and good, but not everyone has $700+ to drop on a mobile, even if it’s got more processing power than the space shuttle. For those on a budget the choice is limited when it comes to top spec handsets, unless you’re prepared to compromise in some way.

Bookmark This! May 21, 2013 posted by Nigel

The new Flickr is gorgeous, is Yahoo! back on track at last?

Well there were two choices. Either Yahoo! had to ditch/sell Flickr, or the company needed to drastically remodel the ageing service to keep up with the times. Thankfully for those of us who are fans, the site has not been sold but instead has received a gorgeous update and more.

Gadgets May 20, 2013 posted by Nigel

Hollywog WiTouch Cordless Back Pain Reliever – drug free pain relief at the touch of a button

It’s a sad fact that so many of us suffer from dodgy back problems – pains, aches and worse. The problem is clearly that we’re not swinging through the trees as we’re supposed to do, which is making things go wrong in the spinal region. Or something.

Bookmark This! May 20, 2013 posted by Nigel

Twilight helps you sleep better by adjusting your melatonin levels [Freeware]

Recent research suggests that all this artificial light from our gadgets like tablets and smartphones could be disrupting our sleep patterns. Apparently the problem is that the light from these screens, especially when absorbed later in the evening or at night, can really upset our circadian rhythms and reduce our levels of melatonin.

cool tech May 20, 2013 posted by Nigel

6 of the coolest and most unusual ways to use NFC tags with your smartphone

With the launch of the latest Samsung, HTC and Nokia smartphones the world of NFC enabled applications has taken a large leap forward. The fact is that most of the latest model smartphones now feature this ‘near field communications‘ technology, which let you ‘tap’ to access a range of services and features.

Gadgets May 20, 2013 posted by Nigel

Larking around at the BBC

Just some post show jinks going on with an electric bike down at the BBC. Clip after the jump.

general May 17, 2013 posted by Nigel

Famibot – it’s the sassy electronic butler you’ve always wanted in your home

So you remember those SciFi movies where there was a friendly home helper robot hovering around to make household chores a thing of the past? Well we’re getting there…slowly but surely.

Awesome May 17, 2013 posted by Nigel

Buycott – finally there’s a guilt free way to shop [Freeware]

It’s hard to remain a ‘concerned’ citizen nowadays because you can never tell whether a product you’re buying comes from a company whose ethics are questionable or worse. There are so many different degrees of ownership in the major corporates, that it’s almost impossible to trace who owns what when it comes to consumer products on the shelves.

diy May 17, 2013 posted by Nigel

Author Archives: Nigel