‘Features & Opinion’ Archives
Opinion: Aesthetics matter – especially in »
Aesthetic experience matters in all other aspects of life so why, asks Jason Walsh, do software developers treat it like a frivolous luxury? Steve Jobs is a pompous ass – but he gets one thing right: aesthetics matter. Anyone who knows anything of Jobs's history will know his obsession with aesthetics. Most tech-inclined people dismiss ...Read On »
Feature: Broadband bone of contention »
With broadband speeds increasing, Ireland appears to be catching up with other countries’ super-fast networks. However, the small print leaves many customers with far less than they pay for. While most of the attention on broadband statistics is given to the headline speeds, the issue of line contention is now proving to be equally ...Read On »
Opinion: Tablets won’t knock out netbooks »
At the launch of Apple's iPad, Steve Jobs argued that netbooks were good for nothing. He was completely wrong, says Adam Maguire. It is a foregone conclusion that anything Steve Jobs says at an Apple conference will be well-received. Contribute it to the reality distortion field around him or the careful selection of attendees but either ...Read On »
How to: Get podcasts easily »
Podcasts are a great way of catching up on radio shows you've missed, listening to the best of international radio and finding some high-quality niche shows for all interests. Adam Maguire shows what you need to do to become a podcast listener and lists some must-hear shows to get once you are. There is a good chance you have been encouraged ...Read On »
Feature: No-nonsense mobile phones »
While high tech phones are catching everyone's attention some manufacturers are going back to basics to cater for a more straight-forward user. Adam Maguire looks at some of the simpler devices currently available to Irish customers. With increasingly complex mobiles available today the purchase of a new phone can be a minefield of fiddly ...Read On »
Opinion: Marketing is Apple’s real killer app »
Forget about the iPad; the most impressive thing on show at Apple's recent press conference was its mastery of marketing, says Adam Maguire. About a month ago Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the event's opening keynote. During his speech Ballmer unveiled the Slate, a tablet ...Read On »
Opinion: Tech journalism; where standards go to die »
IT journalism is crap, says Jason Walsh. There is a plague upon the land, the plague of appallingly low standards in journalism about technology. How can I say this, you ask? Let me count the ways… Technology is one of the most interesting things you could possibly read – or write about. Or it should be anyway. Technology is the ...Read On »
Feature: Ten trends for 2010 »
February is already upon us but as fast as the months seem to go, the tech world moves ten times faster. As January has already suggested, 2010 is shaping up to be an interesting techy year. Here Adam Maguire lists the ten tech trends that are likely to catch people's attention in the months ahead Computing in tablet-form Apple's big ...Read On »
Opinion: iPad critics are as dull as its fanatics »
The anti-iPad backlash is as tedious as Apple worship, says Jason Walsh. The internet has spoken: Apple's new product, the iPad, is 'lame'. It doesn't have this or that feature and… well, you know the story. Anti-Apple whining is as dull and predictable as the absurd worship of the Californian computer company. Here's the actual ...Read On »
Opinion: Nokia needs apps not maps »
Nokia's free maps will give the company a short-term boost but in the long run only apps will help it compete, argues Adam Maguire. It's an over-used term but Nokia's decision to give its Ovi Maps software away for free can be fairly described as a game-changer. The announcement has almost certainly put the company's rivals on the ...Read On »
