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Technology in Sport: Techno Taka

Jon
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Technology in Sport: Techno Taka

Giorgio Infantino, the new head of FIFA has gone on record saying that he is against technology in sport and to that we say boo sir, boo indeed.  Any game can be defined by a moment, history rewritten in an instant, and this is why the implementation of technology in sport has been so instrumental in sports such as tennis, rugby, cricket and even to a lesser extent football. Human error is inevitable and the easiest way to avoid a Thierry Henry-esque disaster is to utilise technology.

So let’s have a gander at some tech that has been used in sports to date and how it has revolutionised the games for the better.

Hawkeye

One of the earliest adopters in terms of utilising technology in sport were those on the crease; cricketers. This fast paced bat and ball game have utilised the Hawkeye system, that while it sounds very cool, is totally unrelated to the Avenger with the bow and arrow.

The Hawkeye system is actually used in a range of sports such as tennis, cricket, football and most recently GAA. Just ask any Kilkenny man how much they covet Hawkeye since it denyed Tipperary an All Ireland in 2014.

In essence it uses a series of complicated computer systems to visually track a balls trajectory and then display a record of its statistically most likely path as a moving image or GIF. Developed by Dr. Paul Hawkins in the UK, Hawkeye was originally created in 2001 and was first used by Channel 4 during a test match between Pakistan and England. The system is used primarily by the television networks and umpires to decide LBW or leg before wicket for the less cricket-knowledgeable of us. An umpire is able to decipher within a 5mm accuracy, where the likely path of the ball can be projected forward, through the batsman’s legs, to see if it would have hit the stumps.  Due to its real time coverage it is also a complete record of a bowler’s accuracy can be shown across a match

This technology has also been used in Tennis, where a player gets three views per game if they feel an important shot was in or out.  The TMO in rugby in some countries such as France also has such access to this piece of kit in order to decipher in a moment’s notice whether or not to award a try. Of course, it has also been introduced into the footy in the Premier League and Bundesliga, hoping to stop the nonsense moments in sport like Roy Carroll.

Video play back

This is something that has been touted in the football world, so new Mr FIFA listen up. In several sports such as rugby and the NFL, the simple video playback is used. It’s not that hard, in fact it’s quite the opposite. While players are giving it large to a ref about whether or not the player was put in touch, or an illegal block has taken place an extra official with a tablet can have a look at the replay and relay the message to the ref what actually occurred and what decision is correct. Simple…

Let’s take the Premier League for example. A player goes over in the box. The ref awards a penalty and now this decision is set in stone right? While it is, try telling that to the opposition team who spend the next two minutes screaming and shouting in a refs face claiming a dive. A simple cut to the video footage referee clears everything up and we all move on.

Smart Gear

Moving away from how it can change the course of a game, what about how tech can change the course of a career. Injuries by their very nature are bad news for any athlete lets name a few, Sturridge, Paul O’Connell, Johnny Sexton, Jack Wilshire, Rafal Nadal, the list goes on and on. Very little is actually done to reduce the number of injuries players receive while on the field of play. Or so we thought. One of the most injury prone sports on the planet is American football with concussion being the most obvious problem and if anyone has seen the news lately it is a massive problem in rugby too. However unlike hurling, unlike rugby and unlike any other sport of its kind the NFL have recently done something about it.

The league has been planning on bringing new helmets into play that have sensor and magnet technology interweaved into the fibres of the helmet which will in turn reduce the risk of brain injuries in contact. These sensors can detect and disperse force across the helmet rather than through the player’s brain. As you can see, there are no shortage of big hits in the sport.

The Riddell InSite has a 5 zone sensor pad which measures impact and a similar product, the SpeedFlex, can reduce frontal impact by using the magnets to disperse force throughout the spine of the helmet. If the impact to the helmet is high enough a sensor will notify the medical staff via a wireless receiver, essentially allowing the physio to decipher whether the player is at risk of concussion and needs to be removed from the field of play.

This type of technology could revolutionise sports in general and make the game far safer for players of all sports. Now we are not saying lets wrap them all in cotton wool but think about it this is directly transferable to hurling, cricket or any other sport that requires a helmet. Theoretically it could also be placed in scrum caps and is being trialled in gum shields for boxers which would also have an impact for rugby. Football players are already familiar with GPS tracking bibs being worn during training, so to work in something similar to the beautiful game shouldn’t be too farfetched.

It’s high time technology is introduced into wider aspects of our sports, for both safety and entertainment.

Why is AdBlock not blocking Amnesty International banners

Marty
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Why is AdBlock not blocking Amnesty International banners

While online advertising is big business, almost 7% of internet users have decided blocking these ads improves their browsing experience. Sure enough, 7% might not sound like much, but that comes to 198 million internet users who are not served by online ads. Today, these 198 million users will probably do a double take as Amnesty International ads are allowed through.

Amnesty International AdBlock

March 12th is the World Day Against Cyber Censorship. This is a one day event to highlight the online injustices that we shouldn’t be witnessing in a modern world. From countries who block internet access to certain sites like China and North Korea, to nations who monitor usage, such as the US controversy ousted by Edward Snowden. For one day only, AdBlock is allowing Amnesty International ads through their barriers, encouraging users to experience some content highlighting the importance of connectivity as a basic human right.

You can keep an eye out for ads like these, read “Why AdBlock is “Un-blocking Amnesty Banners Today” by Gabriel Cubbage, CEO of AdBlock or visit the Amnesty International website.

Get Samsung Milk VR in Ireland

Marty
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Get Samsung Milk VR in Ireland

With a full range of smart devices in the world these days, you might well be interested to learn what exactly is Samsung Milk VR. As VR moves from strength to strength, we take a look at a hidden gem for Samsung Gear VR users.

What is Samsung Milk VR

Samsung Milk VR is a section of the strangely branded Samsung Milk media repository, which began as a music and video service. Given recent developments with free Gear VR headsets and the likes accompanying the latest Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge launch, Samsung in partnership with Facebook and Oculus are really trying to force VR to the next level. Samsung Milk VR was Samsung’s next step in the journey, providing Gear VR users with the ability to stream 360 videos; once you are based within the US.

How can I get Samsung Milk VR in Ireland?

Samsung Milk VR IrelandYeah, we’re not going to leave you hanging like that. Nothing is more frustrating that having services like the Samsung Milk VR available only in the US, so naturally we have a work around for you. Actually, getting Samsung Milk VR in Ireland is remarkably easy.

  1. Download Hola from the Google Play Store for free.
  2. Once the app downloads, launch Hola.
  3. From within the Hola app, select the Oculus App, which should load as if in the US automatically.
  4. Once open, browse to the Samsung Milk VR application.
  5. Once installed, you will be able to view the Samsung Milk VR app.

What content does Samsung Milk VR have?

Right now, like everything VR, Samsung Milk is expanding slowly but regularly. With that said, there is some top notch free content for you to enjoy once you unlock the service.

Samsung Milk VR: Gone

This one is cool. From Skybound Entertainment, creators of The Walking Dead, Gone is not really a game as such but more of an interactive movie. At the centre of the story is a little girl going missing in broad daylight, putting you in the shoes of a parent experiencing their worst nightmare. You sit through several 6 minute videos within which you can view hotspot clues while feeling the entire experience. This one is a must try.

Samsung Milk VR: WWE Summer Slam

How often do you get to enjoy the WWE on the ground floor? Get almost close enough to smell the sweat on the mat as you sit through a short but immersive WWE experience. In a short time, you’ll enjoy the superstars entering the arena and someone going through the commentary desk. Classic WWE action in a brave new world.

Samsung Milk VR is constantly being updated with professional and amateur content, meaning it’s a great portal to unlock. We never did like this geo-locking rules.

HTC One M10 leaked images

Marty
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0
HTC One M10 leaked images

What a magical time of year it is, as images of the HTC One M10 have just been leaked in the same week the Samsung Galaxy S7 is set for launch.

What does the leak show us?

The M10 has been leaked by VentureBeat’s Evan Blass, aka @Evleaks who is well known for reputable leaks of new handsets. From the leak we can see the design of HTC’s 2016 flagship has moved towards the design of last year’s demi-flagship the HTC One A9.

A fingerprint scanner very similar to that seen on the A9 is visible at long last, with the front camera lens looking like it will be in excess of Samsung’s 5MP efforts this year. We can also see the chamfered edges on the rear which appears to be an emerging trend, with a potential launch date also given. The clock on the device shows the date April 19th, almost certainly confirming the launch date.

HTC ONE M10 TEASERHow likely is this leak to be genuine?

In a word; very. A few weeks back, HTC released a teaser showing chamfered edges and little else. This should be enough to make evident these leaks are genuine. If not, the fact @Evleaks is involves should remove that little inkling of doubt.

That’s all we have for now, but we’re sure more will emerge in the coming weeks, leading up to the April 19th

Virtual reality at Six Flags

Dean
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Virtual reality at Six Flags

Most of us at some point or another have been on a roller coaster and/or a simulator. Whether it was in Funderland or some of the heavyweight theme parks like Disney Land or Universal Studios, in Orlando, for the thrill seekers out there, when it comes to roller coasters, the bigger, the better. A couple of the best roller coasters I’ve been on are The Hulk (Universal Studios, Orlando), Duelling dragons (Island of Adventures, Orlando) and The Dragon Khan (Portaventura, Salou). I also have been on some pretty cool simulators that I find myself always going back to when I go to these Orlando, particularly The ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Spiderman’, and ‘Terminator’. But Six Flags have raised the bar for Theme park rides after their recent partnership with Samsung.

Virtual Reality Six FlagsSure simulators are great. Sitting on a platform going room to room with different effects like heat, wind, we can even feel mice in Epcot’s ‘Honey I shrunk the audience’ and in Orlando’s ‘Shrek’ simulator we can feel spiders. Roller coasters are also great. On ‘The Hulk’ you’re practically upside-down or spinning in one direction or another pretty much throughout the whole thing. But the only thing that really reminds of The Hulk himself is the name, the big Hulk themed entrance and the green and purple colour of the tracks themselves.

This is where Samsung come in.

Introducing Virtual Reality Roller Coasters. Theme park goers in Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Quobec, Texas, California, Massachusetts, and New York will be able to ride one of the 9 roller coasters which will now come equipped with Samsungs VR Headsets. Yup, virtual reality is coming to Six Flags. So when you’re on those Superhero rides, you can now actually see yourself being flung through city skyscrapers, you will be dodging dragons and trying to escape bad guys. Think about it, you’re climbing the tracks at the start of the ride. You can hear the clacking of the tracks been carried up. All the while, with you’re VR Headset on, you are now Spiderman, scaling a building. You get to the top and do what Spiderman does best. You jump. You can feel your stomach lifting and the wind in your face as you approach the pavement at the bottom. You don’t know how long the drop will last because you can’t see the tracks! For a couple of brief minutes you can be Spiderman. Or you could be a jet fighter pilot zooming through a city like in the video below.

For now the VR simulators are going to transport riders to this super realistic alien invasion and the rider is the pilot. It begins with the riders being raised on a platform and end up at the top of a skyscraper. During this short trip, the riders can actually fire weapons in the worlds first interactive gaming roller coaster. I don’t need to tell you what happens next. Meanwhile, a mother ship is protected by alien drones and its the riders job to take them out!

Some other rides that will be debuting this are called ‘Shockwave’, ‘Dare Devil Dive’, ‘The New revolution’, ‘Ninja’, ‘Steamin’ Demon’ and ‘Goliath’. The coolest simulator in Six Flags, there will be 3 new Superman rides in which the riders will be transported to the fictional city of Metropolis where they will meet Lex Luthor and his Lex Bots who are causing carnage with an anti gravity gun where cars and trains are being lifted from the ground, and what goes up, must come down.

Samsung have struck gold with this new deal with Six Flags, just as the likes of Sony, LG and HTC were coming up with their own concepts of VR devices. Samsung have now raised the bar and changed the virtual reality game and the roller coaster game. In typical Samsung fashion, just as their competitors were knocking on their doors, Samsung have opened it, laughed at them, and slammed it shut before they can even say Virtual Reality. It’s going to take something impressive from the other manufacturers to come up with something to raise the bar higher, and I’m sure someone will, but until then, I’m looking forward to my next visit to Six Flags.

What time is the Conor McGregor fight at?

Marty
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0
What time is the Conor McGregor fight at?

When did Marathon become Snickers and what date did the ice age end are big questions in need of answering, but for today only question that matters is “what time is the Conor McGregor fight at during UFC 196”. Considering the con2start time of this fight depends on several other fights and their outcomes it’s impossible to predict the exact time. However, there is a solution.

While we cannot tell you what time the Conor McGregor fight is at, there is an app that will do the hard work for you. Simply and efficiently titled the “McGregor Alarm”, a new app has graced the Google Play store with one practical use; waking you up in time for the fight. You won’t need to stay up with loads of coffee, or have an elaborate series of alarms around the house as this system simply goes off five minutes before the fight.

We’d love to overcomplicate this, but it’s that simple. Download the “McGregor Alarm” now for Android.

Samsung Galaxy S7 hands on review

Marty
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0
Samsung Galaxy S7 hands on review

One of the year’s key flagship handsets is here, but will it live up to the hype? We’ve gone hands on with the Samsung Galaxy S7 to see if the South Korean manufacturer has successfully re-imagined what the smartphone can do.

First impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S7

When you open a new handset these days, you to be blown away but for those of you who have had a look at the Samsung Galaxy S7, you may be a little underwhelmed. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a gorgeous piece of engineering, but Samsung have not, ergonomically redesigned the wheel. This initial impression put me on the back-foot, afraid that it would be an entirely underwhelming flagship handset, but diving under the hood ensures that would not be the case.

Samsung Galaxy S7 design

While Samsung have no redesigned the wheel, they have seemingly perfected it. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is slightly narrower and shorter, we’re talking a hairs width here, but it’s also a tiny bit fatter, experiencing a little “weight gain” than the Galaxy S6. These bit of weight gain has led to Samsung focussing upon toning up the body work. Gorgeous chamfered edges make the handset extremely comfortable to hold. It’s nicely balanced and easy to control one handed, making these subtle changes to the bodywork surprisingly effective.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Chamfered EdgeIP68 waterproofing returns to the Samsung flagship family for the first time since the Galaxy S5. One major improvement on this front is manufacturing the waterproofing materials in the handset itself, meaning you don’t need to worry about a flap over the charger being closed in a certain way to protect the phone. This is a great move towards providing an improved customer experience.

Other than these changes, the aluminium uni-body remains and the colours the new handsets come in are likely to be appealing to most. Of course expandable memory returns through the medium of an intelligently designed SIM/Micro SD card tray. Samsung have also reduced the “camera nipple” seen in the Galaxy S6, though this could be due to the general “weight gain” experienced by the handset.

Samsung Galaxy S7 camera

CAMERASamsung would appear to be closer than ever to adding as many features to the on-board camera as can be found in a high-end DSLR. More importantly however is the sheer quality of the images the Galaxy S7 can create. The big development this year is shaving more valuable milliseconds off the focus time, ensuring you don’t miss those magic moments, and how the handset captures low-light images. Indeed, the camera excels in both these areas as well as colour vibrancy, video capture and maintaining live video streaming to YouTube.

Samsung Galaxy S7 battery

Samsung Galaxy S7 Always OnThe battery life is an extremely interesting one for us this year. Samsung have introduced an “always on” feature to allow you to see simple updates from your phone at a glance. From our time with the handset, we’ve yet to see any great power consumption with this feature, leaving the 3000 mAh handset achieving the usual day to two days depending on your usage levels.

Perhaps most impressive is the fast charge feature, which sees your phone battery shoot from 0% to 80% in thirty minutes.

Samsung Galaxy S7 features

Samsung S HealthUltimately, you want to know what sets the Galaxy S7 aside from the competitors. Gear VR is almost certainly going to be a massive feature, allowing users to enjoy fully immersive experience, from gaming to Netflix. Wireless charging remains in place, ensuring maximum convenience for users on the go.

S Health now allows users much greater insights into their health with improved accuracy and detail on several aspects, far reaching simple heart-rates.

One final feature, that isn’t new but perhaps is underestimated is Easy Mode. Should you have a loved one who may slightly less tech saavy, you can initiate easy mode which only shows basic functionality. While some may see this as a waste, in truth this is a feature which enables users to enjoy the handset.

Samsung Galaxy S7 opinion

This conclusion has become the norm. Samsung have created a gem of a handset which is undoubtedly one of the best on the market, but whether or not you should get it depends on what you have. If you are a Galaxy S6 user, there is not enough here to make this a justifiable step. However, if you are using an older handset such as the Galaxy S5, iPhone 5S or HTC One M8, you will not be disappointed by the Samsung Galaxy S7.

This handset has the potential to be the handset of the year by playing it relatively safe, re-introducing loved and lost features from years gone by and tweaking near perfection instead of complete overhauls. Don’t let an underwhelming first impression discourage you from what is a simply magnificent handset.

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MWC 2016: The sexy six – best new products at MWC

Jon
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MWC 2016: The sexy six – best new products at MWC

As the dust settles on Mobile World Congress for another year, we have had some time to come to grips with the sheer enormity that is the MWC. We have scrolled, trolled and polled to come up with the sexiest 6 products that got everyone hot under the collar at this years event.

MWC 2016: LG Rolling Bot

Without a doubt LG smashed this year’s event and as a result ended up with two entries on this list, and to be honest it could have been more considering we had to leave out the LG 360 V. So let’s get the ball rolling. See what we did there?

Cuteness is obviously an important thing to consider when looking at technology. Possibly the cutest item on the list and at the conference as a whole, the Rolling Bot is equipped with an inbuilt 8MP camera, a speaker and laser which can all be controlled remotely through your homes Wi-Fi via a simple app, regardless of where in the world you may be.

So this BB-8 like product is supposedly designed to keep one’s pets company while you’re out. Perfect for the professional with a pooch or the crazy with the kitties. What’s cool about this is that you can check up on your fluffy companion through the on board camera, then can save or share any pic or video you see from the device. Let’s call a spade a spade here. Who doesn’t want to check out what your pet gets up to while you work. If pictures aren’t your thing and poor old Fido seems a bit lonely then roll the bot around the house shooting the red laser, a sure fire way to drive your pet loco.

Really want to wreck their heads, talk through the mic and your pet will hear you through the speaker. We can only imagine this as being extremely entertaining. Other non-pet related uses include remote control capability with compatible devices, and home security.

Price and availability are yet to be announced.

MWC 2016: Sony Xperia Ear

I really can’t wait to use this, I really really can’t. After all the hype that been bandied around over the last year about how we will soon be talking to our phones for the most mundane tasks, Amazon Fire, Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Now just to name a few.

Now Sony have upped the ante with a small ergonomic earpiece which will essentially be a personal assistant in your ear. So for example that business man who screams down the phone to some poor PA will now just be screaming at himself.

This bit of kit will connect to the internet on your phone via Bluetooth, then you place it in your ear and either use Google Now or Sony Voice; to be honest given Irish Accents Google now is probably the better option. Sony Xperia Ear will last for up to 4 hours talk time or 80 hours standby time, but it is equipped with a case which doubles as a charger given access to extended battery life.

What we like about this is that the device is built to give smartphone users back their eyes as sad as that sounds its true. The plan is to not have users constantly glued to their phones as it offers hands free navigation, reads Facebook messages SMS and WhatsApp messages. It will search the web, make phone calls for you, and it will even greet you in the morning if you so wish.

MWC 2016: Cat S60

Cat S60A phone made by Caterpillar; you know the chaps who make those yellow trucks? Turns out they make some meaty phones too, purpose built for the rough and tumble of construction work. The Cat S60 is a beast in beasts clothing. Withstanding a drop of just shy of two metres with a military grade shell and a touch-screen that will work with wet or gloved hands, it’s also massively waterproof up to 5 metres in fact (Sony eat your heart out ) and it can still take videos while submerged.

But wait that’s not all. The Cat S60 has an thermal imaging system powered by a crowd called FLIR, a world leader in the field. In order for this to work the phone sports dual rear cameras which work together to overlay the thermal and visual images for a clearer render.

You will be able to see the heat mapping live and by clicking on a particular spot you will be able to see the temperature of said area within 1 degree of accuracy up to 50 feet away. The CAT S60 lets you record images or video with all the data saved so it can be downloaded and analysed back at the office.

For the no- professionals having the access to such a heat mapping tool could be great craic, Hide and go seek and terrible Jim Carrey styled pick-up lines.

MWC 2016: LG G5

LG really put on a show this year and we really hope they decide to bring this glorious piece of kit to our shores. Not only does it look the part, it’s truly innovative and is by a county mile the biggest revolution to design we have seen from a major manufacturer in a long time. Unlike Project Ara or the Fairphone 2 these guys have brought modular to the masses. The look is sleek and simple with a nifty 5.3” screen set in a metal uni-body complete will all the essentials, volume keys, unlock nub and fingerprint reader. There is also an Always On display which is a cool new feature which will leave important info on the screen at all times , which will yes drain the battery but far less than all the times one would wake the screen fully just to check the time.

It has also got a fancy new camera, with 2 sensors on the rear, one a 16MP for big and bright and fast, producing strong images in line with their recent handsets but the second one is where things get unique. This 8MP camera has a field of view of 135 degrees. That means it’s actually wider than what we see with our own eyes and almost twice as wide as regular phone cameras. This means you can fit way more of the image in at all times, making it great for group shots or landscapes.

Did we also mention its modular?

MWC 2016: Dot Smartwatch

This may not change your life but it could change somebody’s world and that is what we like about this slick piece of kit. The Dot Smartwatch is on the surface a fairly bog standard looking smartwatch, it resembles a Fitbit or the Sony Smartband. The Dot Smartwatch features your standard function from messages to navigation to of course a watch, however this is a remarkable device in every way.

This is the world’s first Braille smartwatch, it features a series of pins that will rise and fall at customizable speeds, spelling out words in Braille. This will allow blind users so much more access to information at their fingertips as it will allow them to read eBooks without costing thousands of bucks like a standard Braille reader as this comes in at a reasonable $300 beans and pre orders start this year. It will also have a battery capacity of about 10 hours with a handy Braille-learning system.

“90 percent of blind people become blind after birth, and there’s nothing for them right now — they lose their access to information so suddenly,” Dot co-founder and CEO Eric Ju Yoon Kim stated. “Dot can be their lifeline, so they can learn Braille and access everyday information through their fingers, which is the goal of Braille literacy.”

Warm and fuzzy? Good not just me then.

MWC 2016: Samsung Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 Edge

Not much more needs to be said than what appears to be this years leading flagship, but just in case you’re not convinced, take a look at this.

https://youtu.be/RfCubGgMkms

Why does Windows come with Solitaire?

Marty
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0
Why does Windows come with Solitaire?

Do you remember when you learned how to use a mouse in Windows for the first time? Maybe you remember that first time you learned how to drag a file, double click and right click your way to computing success? No we didn’t think you would, but believe it or not, the sneaky guys over at Microsoft were training you up on how to use computers from the first time you saw that Windows logo.

Introducing Windows to the masses

Until the launch of Windows back in the early nineties, using a computer was not user friendly. Much work was carried out in the Microsoft Disk Operating System, lovingly known as MS-DOS. This required the user to type commands into MS-DOS prompt, which would instruct the computer to load programs or browse folders. It was pretty hard to navigate unless you knew what you were doing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

While MS-DOS was highly functional, only the skilled and experienced computer users could control it. Microsoft spotted a gap in the market, building a program to act as a medium between the user and MS-DOS; that medium is known as Windows.

Windows is a graphic user interface (GUI) which makes operating a computer much more intuitive and less intimidating to new users. When you double click an icon, such as Word, it runs a command similar to that which would have launched programs in MS-DOS; without the manual entry. While the emergence of Windows certainly heralded the beginning of a widespread increase in computer usage, there were still certain aspects which the average computer user would find difficult to comprehend.

Microsoft got some of its smartest and sneakiest to design methods of teaching users the new skills they would need to operate Windows without them even knowing they were being trained.

Minesweeper

You’ve almost certainly played this ridiculous game while wondering what is the point of it all. While it may have spawned the epic Minesweeper: The Movie trailer, the true nature of the point and click game was to introduce you to right clicking. While you would be forgiven for thinking all those right clicks to gain a mine marking flag was world saving, it wasn’t. It was instead an ingenious way for Microsoft to teach you valuable life skills.

Solitaire

Solitaire GifThere isn’t a soul alive that finds solitaire boring. For that simple reason, if you’re ever bored and have a deck of cards or a computer, you’re likely to turn to this age old game. Which is why Microsoft included it with Windows 3.0 in 1990; right?

Sorry, but Solitaire was another training trap. With the introduction of a GUI control for Windows, the Microsoft team wanted to ensure you could double click, single click and drag files or folders around by luring you into a boredom beating game that required all these skills.

Hearts

Continuing the trend of ulterior motives shaping Windows games, Hearts wasn’t simply packaged with the operating system for the sake of it. Hearts was included with Windows 3.1, the first network ready version of the system. Sure enough, hearts was included to give people a practical use for network connections.

Rewarding users with connected interactive games was a genius stroke by Microsoft to encourage adoption amongst early users. Well played Bill, well played indeed.

You can play these golden oldies online now using the following links. It’s ok, we know you’ll play Minesweeper first.

Play Minesweeper

Play Solitaire

Play Hearts

MWC 2016: Nokia – The retro revival

Jon
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MWC 2016: Nokia – The retro revival

The humble Nokia, the Chuck Norris of the mobile phone industry. Is Thor’s hammer made from a Nokia 3210? Was Hiroshima really just a 6320 falling from a second story apartment? Did Nokia create a phone battery that lasted longer than a day? Wait, that last one is actually true.

Unfortunately, just like a certain football team, Nokia have fallen from the top of their game, but like all mighty warriors, they refuse to lay down and admit defeat. At this year’s Mobile World Congress, Nokia confirmed they will be selling smartphones once again, just two years on from the somewhat ill-fated Microsoft buy out in 2014.

Pop Quiz: How old are Nokia as  a company? And for bonus points what did they make or do back then?

Back in the nineties, Nokia rose to power with iconic phones such the 3210 and 3310. Pioneering features such as Xpress-on covers, ridiculous battery lives and of course the great mobile innovation of all time; Snake. For the nostalgia alone, take a quick break and play snake on your smartphone or in your browser.

It was all rosy until 2007, when everything changed. The iPhone was launched, a momentous event in mobile history which would redefine the market for years to come and signal the end of an era for the Finnish powerhouse. After years of failing to keep the pace with the likes of Apple, Samsung and LG, in 2011 Nokia teamed up with Microsoft and ditched the Symbian OS along the way. This move failed to stop the rot and just three years later the mobile division of Nokia was purchased by Microsoft.

As a part of this deal, Nokia were not allowed to create their own phones until the second half of 2016. CEO Rajeev Suri has said at MWC 2016 that the Finnish company will indeed return, but now as we know it. While working on Nokia OZO, the company’s ultra-premium VR camera programme, Nokia will not produce handsets, opting instead to license the brand to manufacturers, with Suri stating Nokia would rather wait for the right partner instead of going with the highest bidder; note lessons learned from the Microsoft efforts.

Exactly who will step forward for a partnership is unknown, but who ever it is will likely have to sacrifice creative controls to Nokia. That might be enough to rule out the most interesting parties, but following Apple’s stumble from the top of the podium recently, could you imagine an iPhone with Nokia durability and battery. One can dream.

By the way, Nokia is 150 years old and started out in the forestry and power industries before shaping the mobile elite.

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