a n d r e w – i r v i n e . c o . u k

The Apple iPod and why I think people go mad about them

// October 16th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // Geeky Stuff, General

Anyone who knows me and reads my blog knows I’m what they call a Android “fanboi”. If given the choice over iOS and Android, I’d choose the latter every time. It’s boggled my mind how people can be so strong for Apple products when, for what they are, they are severely over-priced, have poor sound quality, lack connectivity, limits you to use proprietary software, and promotes slave labour.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a “2nd generation” iPod Touch available for sale, second hand, for £30. It was only an 8Gb model – the lowest of those available for sale – and it was scratched and battered. Assured by the seller that it was in full working order, I decided to take the leap and buy it. I figured that it’d give me some proper experience with an iOS device without spending all my money, as well as give me another medium on which to test the Country Attire website on. At the very least, I could stick some music on it to listen to while I walk to work, saving vital battery power on my (Android) phone. The point of this blog post is to outline my experiences with (albeit, an earlier) iOS and share my conclusion. (more…)

Put your Nintendo 3DS videos on YouTube

// September 2nd, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Geeky Stuff

Three weeks ago I became the proud owner of a Nintendo 3DS XL, trading in my DSi XL for it, and I for one am quite impresed with it. There hasn’t been a single day where I haven’t done something on it, like play Super Mario, or take a few 3D photos. Yesterday, I put it through it’s paces and recorded the entire Red Arrows display at the Chatsworth Country Fair in glorious 3D! I wanted to put the videos up on to YouTube but it proved to be difficult. The tutorials I found online took differernt approaches to each other, and not one of them worked that well for me. So… here’s MY guide on how to get your 3DS videos up onto YouTube, so you can share your 3D masterpieces with the rest of the world! You’ll be surprised at how simple the whole process actually is…

Image courtesy of kotaku.com

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The Samsung Galaxy SII and my Ice Cream Sandwich Nightmare

// April 28th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // Geeky Stuff

Since it’s official launch in October 2011, Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) has been rolling out for existing Android devices over the last couple of months. It’s probably safe to say that the most eagerly awaited ICS update to come out for any Android device is the one for the Samsung Galaxy SII – the best selling Android phone of 2011, and a phone I’m proud to say that I own.

However, the whole updating process has been an absolute farse for most SII owners, and has been racked with problems from the off. Even I had difficulties, and I’m a holder of a BSc Hons degree; and was the update worth it? In so many words: no, unless you know what you’re doing. Get ready for a rant…

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E3 2011: What stood out for me?

// June 7th, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff, General

We’re currently into day 2 of the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011, and now all of the main E3 press conferences are over and done with. The rest of the time at E3 will be spent going to various stalls and trying out what all the main contenders have to offer… at least, if you’re there… Since I’m over 5,000 miles away and having to watch the Expo via live stream, I’m already calling it a week for E3.

So what have the main contenders shown us this year that reporters are immersing themselves in now, and that we’ll be immersing ourselves in later in the coming months? In this blog entry, I’ve decided to outline the key points from the three main press conferences (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) that have stuck in my mind. (more…)

PlayStation Store Welcome Back Content Now Available

// June 3rd, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff, General

The PlayStation Store was re-opened a couple of days ago, and now the Welcome Back content has been made available for everyone!

“With the PlayStation Store back online, we’ve been getting all caught up this week, having launched an abundance of amazing content for download on PlayStation 3 and PSP. Today, we’re excited to launch the Welcome Back program to thank you for your loyalty and below we’ve detailed what is available, how to go about downloading it and a list of frequently asked questions.

Thanks again for your patience and understanding as we restored the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services – your support has meant a lot to us and is greatly appreciated.”
– from PlayStation Blog (more…)

Zelda: 25th Anniversary

// June 3rd, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff, General

Has it already been 25 years since we first saw The Legend of Zelda come out on the trusty NES? It certainly has been, and rumour has it that Nintendo have something up their sleeves to celebrate this momentous occasion. (more…)

Blog has finally been ported

// May 31st, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff

I finally got round to porting all the blog posts from my old site to this one. I started using Joomla near the end of October 2010 and I’ve only now gotten round to doing it!

It took about 14 hours to manually move them all over. There were way too many for me to sort out a batch SQL query to insert them into the database, so I used Joomla’s own UI to put them in.

I’ve also put some key posts in over the last few months to fill in some of the gaps. If anything else crosses my mind, I’ll pop them in too. Now, hopefully, I can keep this thing up to date with more technical and gaming news, as well as some updates on my own life.

Pokémon White & Black

// March 4th, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff

Great! Shortly after I get my PS3, the next series of Pokémon games come out, named “Black” and “White”. I’ve got the White version and I’ve gotta say it’s mighty impressive! Time to start catching them all again!

I’m now part of the PS3 revolution!

// February 17th, 2011 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff, General

I finally got one! My very own PlayStation 3!! Wooo!!!!

I’ve been wanting one of these for god knows how long and now it’s MINE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Errrm *cough*

It’s the 320Gb slim model, and I got a couple of games with it as well: Gran Turismo 5, Gran Theft Auto 4 Collection, and the PlayStation Move Starter Pack. The graphics and everything are fantastic, and this is going through a standard definition television as well! I need a HD telly now haha!

Take a peek at the picture… Is that a Nintendo 64 in the background?

Green Day: Rock Band

// August 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Geeky Stuff