Aron, you can tell us what a cookie is? This question was a question posed to me today, by group of people looking to starting up their own business.

Now when it comes to things which are web related and I know can seem confusing to non technology savvy people, I give the simplest most easy to understand answer possible. So when asked this question my response was:

Cookies are just little files of text stored on your computer which allow websites to know who you are.

What’s wrong with that answer? Well the problem is although it’s not wrong, it does not explain what impact cookies have on privacy or how it could affect their potential customers. So perhaps a better answer to the question would be:

Cookies are small files of text stored on your computer which allow websites to know who you are. Cookies are used by most websites, to improve your experience. Although mostly harmless, some websites such as Facebook and Google use cookies to track your behaviour, so they can show you relevant adverts.

So this explains the impact of cookies on individuals, but what about if your business website uses cookies? If your website is available to customers in the EU including the UK it is now a legal requirement that you do the following:

• Tell people that the cookies are there
• Explain what the cookies are doing, and
• Obtain their consent to store a cookie on their device

The good news is most websites can meet these requirements with a single link to a page explaining its use of cookies. For example you can read the cookie policy for this website here.

To anyone wanting to know what a cookie is, I hope this makes things clearer. If you would like more information on cookies you can visit the Information Commissioner’s Office page on cookie law. ( Be warned though, it’s a boring read. )

#SID2013 Today is Safer Internet Day. This day marks an annual opportunity to engage in making the internet a safer and better place for children and young people. This years theme is ‘Connect With Respect’.

Safer Internet Day is an initiative of the European Commission’s Safer internet Programme, this day marks an annual opportunity to engage in making the internet a safer and better place for our children and young people.

This is 10th annual Safer Internet Day, interest has grown each year since its launch in 2004 to reach 6 of the world’s 7 continents in more than 100 countries worldwide; including all 27 countries of the European Union. Safer Internet Day 2013 celebrates the theme Online rights and responsibilities with the slogan Connect with respect.

European Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda and for launching the strategy to make a better internet for children, recognises that the internet offers young people great opportunities – but that they need to be able to go online safely. In her video message for Safer Internet Day she says; “Tomorrow’s world, our economy and society, will be a digital one: and kids will have to play a full part in that. By encouraging creativity online, we can help kids make positive use of the internet. If we help children and young people develop their digital skills safely, they can make the most of the online world, with the abilities and tools to learn, participate, and have fun online.”

#SID2013 Mission 1: help spread the word – tell people that today is Safer Internet Day. RT to support making the internet a great place

— UK Safer Internet(@UK_SIC) February 5, 2013

Find out More about Safer Internet Day on the official website: http://www.saferinternet.org

Raspberry Pi the credit card sized computer that has taken the technology world by storm is now available in a different flavour. Raspberry Pi Model A is now available in Europe.

What is a Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of stimulating the teaching of basic computer science in schools.

The Raspberry Pi project was developed to help teach children how computers worked. The idea really seems to be based the late 1970′s DIY home computer movement; where if you wanted a computer you needed to program or build it yourself. Today children have little idea how their PC, mobile phone, or Game Console actually work, yet they depend on this technology every day.

Many people would like to see Raspberry Pi take off in schools and give children a better understanding of how the technology around them works. Google is backing the project by donating 15,000 Raspberry Pi Model Bs for school kids around the UK. But only time will tell if the project can inspire children of the Xbox generation to become the next Bill Gates or Tim Berners-Lee.

What can I use the Raspberry Pi for?

Ultimately the Raspberry Pi is a computer supplied as a bare circuit board. So you could add a keyboard and mouse, hook it up to your TV and begin exploring the world of programming. It’s a capable little PC which can be used for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video.

What’s the difference between Model A and Model B?

The first version of the Raspberry Pi to be commercially available was the Model B, which had 512MB of RAM and an Ethernet port, it costs $35. The processor for both models is the ARM 11 which runs at 700MHz but can be over-clocked up to 1GHz.

The new Model A is a stripped-down version of the previous Pi, with the Ethernet connection removed, only one USB port and 256MB RAM. Importantly it only costs $25, making it more affordable for schools. This Model A also uses two-thirds less power so is ideal for robotics projects and can be powered by solar power more easily.

Where can I buy the new Pi?

If you are in Europe you can order the Raspberry Pi Model A from RS Components or Element 14. Those who are based outside of Europe can order the Model A now, but there will be a delay in processing these orders so that Raspberry Pi can complete the required shipping paperwork.

Do you really want to delete your Facebook account?

If you have become disillusioned with Facebook, but you don’t really want to go all the way and delete all your information, as an alternative you can simply deactivate your account for a while. To Deactivate your account go to: facebook.com/deactivate.php and fill out the form.

Download your data before deleting your account

If you have been with Facebook for a while it’s likely that you have accumulated a lot of stuff (data) like all your photos, messages from friends, and contact details. If you delete your account you will not be able to access this information any more, so it would be a good idea to download a copy while you can.

Almost Everything: Download a copy of everything you’ve ever shared on Facebook including; videos, status posts, chat conversations, and more by going to: facebook.com/download/

Birthdays: Export your friends birthdays. Go to Events, then Settings, Export. You can then chose to export to Outlook, Google, or Apple account.

Photos: Download your photos. I recommend Social Folders which lets you download photos you have uploaded, and any pictures you’ve been tagged in.

Contacts: Download your contact data to your phone, with Address Book for Android or SmartSync for iOS.

How to delete your Facebook account like a boss

Step 1: While logged in to Facebook go to: facebook.com/help/delete_account

Step 2: You will be reminded that you will not be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content or information you have added. Click “Delete My Account”

Step 3: You will next be asked to enter your Facebook Password and CAPTCHA code.

Step 4: Stay strong and keep off Facebook for 14 days. Do not login or use any Facebook apps. If you change your mind before the 14 days are up just log in and this will reactivate your account.

Warnings!

You will not be able to restore you Facebook account after the 14 days.

Even though you deleted your account, Facebook may still keep your information  privately. At the time of writing the Irish Data Protection Commissioner is trying to fine Facebook’s  Ireland Office €100,000 for retaining users deleted data.

Conclusion

I hope you found this tutorial useful. If any of the instructions I have given are incorrect, please leave a comment below and I will make them correct.

Rapper DMX is in the spotlight once again, this time for producing the best version of ‘Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer’ ever!

In the  70 second video, rapper DMX, powers through what is possibly the best version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ever. In fact the rapper is so down with the Christmas Carol, that when offered a printed copy of the words, he tells them straight: “I know the lyrics”! He goes on to spit those lyrics with great energy, even dropping his own beat. Is there no bounds to this man’s talents?

The video is uplifting and full of Christmas cheer, kids like it too. There are even unconfirmed rumours that DMX will be releasing a Christmas album. If it were true I would buy it quicker than `Thank You Hater` and `Gangnam Style` put together!

But it’s not the first time DMX has become an overnight viral video star. In September while visiting the same Radio station, Power 105.1, he discovered Google for the first time, prompting the question: “WTF Is a Google?” See the video of that one below.

Overall I think this shows that some Rappers need to get out more. Maybe there should be an outreach program or something? Anyway leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Well here we are again another Apple product launch. The media hype leading to the event   this time certainly seemed more muted. Amongst the rumours was the ‘iPad Mini’ a smaller version of the iPad.

iBooks

First up was an upgraded iBooks app for iOS, lets hope it works better than Apple Maps!

13 inch MacBook Pro

The next product to be revealed was a redesigned 13 inch MacBook Pro complete HD Retina display 4 Million Pixels. The new 13 inch Mack Book Pro weighs only 3.5 pounds. For a whooping $1699.00 you get a laptop with 2GHz dual core Processor with 8GB RAM and 250GB Flash hard drive.

Something Mini

Finally it was time for something Mini… The Mac Mini! Yeah its updated and now costs $599.

The Apple iMac…

Appels’ Flag Ship computer the iMac has been completely redesigned – much to analysts surprise (no rumours of this). iMac is 80% thinner, the edge is only 5mm thick, it is also 8 pounds lighter.

The new iMac has a 2.7GHz processor, 8GB RAM, GeForce GT 640M graphics card. Storage on the iMac  is provided by what is called a ‘Fusion Drive’ – a mixture of Flash and Optical Drive, with 128GB flash and 1TB hard drive. Prices for the new iMac start at $1299.00 and will be available for shipping in November.

iPad 4th Generation

Just 7 months after the last iPad upgrade, it is already out dated. This ‘iPad 4′ uses the  A6 Chip for 2x faster performance. This new iPad will be available in black and white versions with prices starting at $499 for the 16GB WiFi version.

Oh and one more thing…

iPad Mini

The long rumoured iPad Mini has finally been released, Designed like the new iPhone this  7.9 inch tablet has 1024 by 720 screen resolution.

Apple went to the bother of comparing the New iPad Mini against the Nexus 7. Now to all intents and purposes there’s not really much difference in terms of hardware.  The only meaning full difference is iPad Mini will give a better experience as it has more apps designed specificity for tablets.

The iPad Mini has 10 Hours of Battery life, that’s 2 hours more than the Nexus 7, and a front facing camera. The iPad Mini will be priced at $329 for a 16GB WiFi version.

Conclusion

The up shot of the Apple event is that iPad 3 is no longer available. But to make up for that we have iPad 4 and iPad Mini. But will the iPad Mini be defeated by what Google could be about to announce for its’ Nexus 7 tablet next week?

The Android Operating system has come a long way since ‘Cup Cake’, with its desert themed versions. But what came first the Dount or the Jelly Been? Find out in The Evolution of Android infographic…

Oh, and please leave a comment to let us know what desert you would like the next version of Android to be named after.

[Source: ARCHOS Android Tablets Store]

Tell me about the iPhone 5…

The iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, just 7.6mm thick and weighs 112 grams. Despite being smaller and lighter the iPhone 5 has been made taller to fit a 4-inch retina display.

iPhone 5 is smaller, lighter and faster; but who cares?

iPhone 5 supports all major mobile networking technologies including super fast 4G LTE. The new phone is also compatible with the fastest WiFi connections that can deliver up to 150 Megabits per second of data.

The reimagined iPhone has a brand new processor chip called the A6 which is twice as fast as that used in the 4S. Usually more powerful processors and bigger screens mean shorter battery life, but surprisingly iPhone 5 has 8 hours of battery life during talk-time and 255 hours stand by.

A good camera is a vital requirement for most people when choosing a smartphone, the iPhone 4S made a big leap forward with its improved camera. Now with iPhone 5 Apple has pushed the camera technology even further.

In iPhone 5 we can now have an 8 Mega Pixel sapphire crystal lens iSight Camera, built to micron level perfection. Camera software has been improved – with built-in noise reduction, an improved ability to take photos in low light, and photo capture is now 40% faster. Most inspiring is the new panorama feature which lets you capture jaw-dropping panoramic images of up to 28 megapixel by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion.

Audio has been tweaked for the new iPhone, there are now 3 speakers and a noise canceling earpiece so you can hear more clearly. There is also support for a new technology called wide band audio which makes voices sound more natural.

Apple’s new Lighting connector is 80% smaller than its predecessor

iPhone 5 now uses a new connector called Lightning. Lightning is 80% smaller than its predecessor and it is reversible so it’s easier to use. Don’t worry though Lightning, can still work with all your old devices like speaker docks by using a 30 pin to Lighting adapter.

An upgraded operating system – iOS 6 has been developed for the new phone. In iOS 6 the Siri voice assistant is improved - it can now fetch sports results, recommend restaurants and launch apps. Apple says there are 200 new features in iOS 6, and you can bet Facebook will be heavily integrated. iOS 6 will be able to download as a free software update for your existing devices on September 19th.

What’s all the fuss about? Should I buy an iPhone 5?

What was interesting about this iPhone launch was that Apple CEO Tim Cook did not demonstrate the smartphone himself. Instead leaving up to Phil Schiller who really seemed to lack the energy and pizzazz of the late Steve Jobs. Schiller talked a lot about numbers and engineering. Who cares?

Apple effectively botched its own magical launch formula. People don’t care about numbers and engineering challenges. All we care about is whether the new iPhone provides a great experience, but Wednesday’s product launch seemed to lose track of that all-important factor. If Apple continue down this path they are more likely to lose out to competitors who understand this.

Smaller, Lighter, Faster yet Unimpressive…

For a product rumored to be the last project the great Steve Jobs worked on, this latest iPhone lacked soul. There is no denying iPhone 5 is beautifully designed and engineered. But there is no wow factor – no single feature that makes me want rush out and buy one.

What are the iPhone 5 Specifications?

If all you are interested in are the specs for the iPhone 5, you probably better off looking at one of their competitors phones, as this latest offering from Apple offers nothing technologically better.

Size & Weight: 7.6mm thick 4-inch screen, 112 grams,
Processor: Dual-Core Apple A6 chip,
Screen: 4-inches HD retina (1,136 x 640 pixels),
Camera: 8MP rear facing with autofocus and LED flash,
Battery: 255 hours standby, 8 hours talk time,
Connector: Apple Lightning,
Networking: WiFi 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE,
Price: $199 on contract, $699 unlocked,

What are your thoughts on the iPhone 5? Are you going to rush out to get one? Leave a comment below…

Despite having received my Nexus three weeks ago I have waited until now to post this review, (part of the reason it’s has taken so long is that I couldn’t stop playing with it).

After seeing it demonstrated at the Google IO conference, my expectations for the Nexus 7 were high. The Nexus promised speed and graphic performance to rival that of the Apple iPad, but in a smaller form factor and a less expensive price.

Outside

Nexus 7 packaging may look friendly but opening it is anything but!

The packaging of any product is important, it has to protect the product, make the product easy for storage and shipping, and it needs to show the product off. But something that is often forgotten about is that packaging has to be easy to open.

Ease of opening or ‘unboxing’ as it is often called when referring to technology products is important, and where companies like Apple and Google are different.

Un-boxing the Nexus 7 is such a challenge that videos of technology reporters’ attempts to unbox the Nexus 7 quickly went viral on YouTube. Although I watched the video first and cut the tape, unboxing still took what seemed like forever!

Nexus 7 – Packaging can not foil me!

Once you finally get the Nexus out of its packaging, you are presented with a shining  glass slab. The device fits nicely in the palm of your hand, and the rubberized material used on the back feels good.

On the upper right hand side there is a power button and volume control. At the top there is a 1.2 mega-pixel front facing camera, and at the bottom is a USB 2.0 port.

Inside

Setting up the Nexus 7 is fairly easy so long as you have a WiFi internet connection, you just need sign up or login to your Google account. Once your up and running you will see a screen telling you that setup is complete and you can start shopping in the Google play store for free with £15 credit.

Setup complete Nexus 7 screen shot

The Nexus 7 is the first tablet computer to run Jelly Been - the latest version of the Android operating system. Jelly Been is much faster than previous versions of Android, and gives a smoother experience.

Left: Android Jelly Been hidden Easter Egg logo
Right: Google Knowledge Graph

Packed with new features Jelly Been comes with a Siri like voice assistant called Knowledge Graph. Knowledge Graph is much faster and more intuitive than Siri, but lacks the personality. Jelly Been also adds news reading app Google Currents, and Google Music, an app for managing your music tracks.

When it comes to music the Nexus 7 ticks all the boxes, equipped with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and impressive stereo speakers at the rear which can relay kick out some quality tunes. I have found that you can even get some decent bass when placed on a hard flat surface, like a table.

Albums on Google Music – loaded with tracks from iTunes

Behind the Nexus 7 are some impressive hardware specifications:

Screen: 7” 1280x800 HD display (216 ppi)
Memory: 16 GB internal storage, 1 GB RAM
Processor: Quad-core Tegra 3 processor & 12-core graphics processor
Ergonomics: 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm, 340g
Battery: 4325 mAh (Up to 8 hours of active use)

But what do these Specifications mean!?

• The 7-inch HD screen means you can watch movies in beautiful High Definition quality. You can read books with perfect clear crisp print and turning pages is smooth.
• You can listen to you favourite music all day thanks to excellent battery life.
• Browsing internet is fast and responsive, and thanks Google Chrome all your bookmarks saved passwords can be shared between your desktop and tablet.
• Playing games, with a quad-core processor, 12 core graphics card, and HD screen; you are in for an immersive gaming experience. With games like Grand Theft Auto 3 and Shadow Gun – Nexus 7 is the device that will take mobile gaming beyond casual classics like Angry Birds.

Nexus 7 takes mobile gaming to the next level! – with GTA 3

Conclusion

The Nexus 7 is well made does not seem cheap at all and is perfect for watching movies, listening to music and playing games. I am really pleased with my Nexus, for the same price bracket no other tablet comes close.

So should you buy the Nexus 7? Well if you already have an Android phone and you’re looking for a tablet this is perfect. But if you are using an iPhone and want a tablet the iPad would be a better option, as Android is less easy to use than iOS.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean – Buttery Smooth

Jelly Bean is the new version of the Android Operating System. A big part of Jelly Bean’s development is thanks to Project Butter which aimed to maximise speed and reduce lag; to make Android as smooth as butter. This new version of Android includes:

• New home screen animations and design
• New look notifications
• Google Now – A new feature which uses data in your smart phone to work out other helpful information.
• Offline voice typing – you can type via voice without being connected to the web
• New camera app that makes snapping and reviewing photos faster and easier

Jelly Bean also introduces a new intelligent voice search similar to Siri. Ask Google a question and the answer will be read out to you as well as displayed on an information card.

Google Nexus 7

My Nexus 7 review will be coming up soon…

The Nexus 7 is a 7-inch tablet that runs Android Jelly Bean. Importantly this is the first Android tablet made by Google, hardware and software are one – providing a “full Google experience”.

Integrating with Google Play, the Nexus 7 is designed to be a content consumption device, similar to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The demo from Google I/O looks very good, but my full review of the Nexus 7 will be coming soon. You can pre-order the Nexus 7 now from Google Play for £156 ($199) – It ships in mid-July.

Nexus Q – The living room invader

Google also revealed another new product, a tiny android powered computer that hooks up to your TV called the Nexus Q.

Similar to Apple TV, Nexus Q lets you stream music, movies, and TV shows from your smart phone or tablet. Your tablet or smart phone also act as the remote control. Nexus Q is currently only available in the US, it will cost $299 and ship in mid-July.

Nexus Q has a radically different look to most entertainment gadgets – Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired CC

Google Plus Updates

The one year old social network Google Plus is once again being updated. Google+ is now available on Android tablets, with the iPad version is coming soon.

Google Plus Events have an innovative seamless photo sharing option built-in.

Google+ also added events pages. But it’s not a knock-off of Facebook Events. While at the event, you can have all your photos automatically upload to the Google+ events page. Everyone’s photos show up in a nice side-show, you can then go back to the events page afterwards and see all the photos posted in chronological order.

Google Project Glass – The future of vision

Demonstrating Google Glass, from left: Dr Babak Parviz, Google Founder Sergey Brin, Product Designer Isabel Olson

Even with all these new products, the highlight of the event was a spectacular demo of Project Glass.

Project Glass has come for deep within the bowels of Sergey Brin’s secret skunk works known as Google-X. Glass is a product that could change the world in which we see technology for ever.

Earlier this year Google released a mock-up of what project glass could look like. Just a short time later a prototype is ready, and in a spectacular stunt  world was given a demonstration what glass can do: See the demo here.

Essentially Project Glass puts a full computer, camera and display in a pair of glasses. Amazingly despite adding all this technology, still weigh less than most pairs of sunglasses. Lead product designer on Project Glass, Isabel Olson said:  ”My inspiration is to make it as minimal as possible without being boring,”. The design also remains unobtrusive enough that a mother can use Glass to capture her babies first moments, in a natural way. See the video of that here.

This is a very exciting project, but this is still work in progress. Google is only taking pre-orders for U.S. based I/O attendees and for $1500 they will be able to get their hands on a bleeding edge Google Glass prototype early next year.