Posts by UncleMike987

Microsoft acquires Xamarin: An obvious move not without risks

Stability

I've trialed Xamarin a few times over the years, and each time came away miserable.

The idea is genius... being able to write screens, call web services, use JSON.Net, etc using C# in an iOS app is fantastic. The problem is, Xamarin Studio for iOS just never stopped crashing every few minutes. I also tried using Xamarin from within Visual Studio on a Windows laptop, and connecting to my MacBook, but that was even worse.

In the end, Xamarin was never worth the time, money or risk, of developing our apps in, and I reluctantly had to travel back in time to the 1990s, and stick to using the appallingly-bad Xcode instead.

So, although this takeover is excellent news, I do wonder if Microsoft is finally going to make Xamarin's code stable, without it tarnishing Visual Studio's excellent reputation.

8GB iPhone 5c is real, but no market-maker

Out of date...

This is a bit of a dumb article to post.

Yesterday, you had an article asking "Is Apple about unleash a cheaper 8GB iPhone 5C? O2 'leak' suggests: Yes", and I replied to it, pointing out that the 8Gb iPhone 5C was already available on the Apple UK website, ready for delivery within 24 hours.

And today, you're ignoring that, and proudly announcing the same phone is available on an Australian website.

Am I missing something ?

Is Apple about unleash a cheaper 8GB iPhone 5C? O2 'leak' suggests: Yes

It's official... and available to order on the Apple UK store

It's available on the Apple UK store, for £429.

Dispatched within 24 hours.

Form an orderly queue now, folks...!!

Travel much? DON'T buy a Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung S3 is the same

I live in Switzerland, and bought a Samsung S3 phone this week.

It also had this sticker on the outside of the box, warning buyers that it won't work abroad.

So this issue doesn't seem to be limited to the Samsung Galaxy Note...

More 'iPad Mini' tat pics leak ahead of Apple's big unzip

Well, it looks like it's official. There is an iPad Mini on the way.

http://mikesknowledgebase.com/AppleiPadMini.png

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 64GB Android tablet review

Anyone visiting Switzerland soon...?

They sell these beauties for 669 CHF here in Switzerland.. that works out at about £438 for the "Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, 64 GB - WiFi" version. Now that's a bargain. And they're in stock. But they don't deliver to the UK.

(Digitec is a well-known chain of retail stores, like Currys, about 10 minutes from Zurich station)

https://www.digitec.ch/ProdukteDetailsDruck1.aspx?Artikel=240970

HTC handsets hit by grip of death

HTC - Ridiculous suggestion

I was having huge problems with my HTC phone (the Desire) including it being unable to receive phonecalls. When I emailed HTC giving details and asking for help, they just replied back saying "as I understand you do not use our device any more. Please do not hesitate to contact us in future if needed."

Nice.

But then, a few days later, they rang me. And they suggested that they don't recommend using SIM cards that are more than 12 months old.

I'm sorry... what ?!

My SIM card was about 2 years old, but, come on... Are they making this stuff up ?

Hands up anyone who has renewed their mobile phone contract, and the provider has sent out a new SIM card for exactly the same number ? It just doesn't happen.

So, who knows, perhaps the HTC One problems are caused by the same ridiculous problem.

How to get a job in Australia

Alternatively, pop over to Switzerland..

As Brit now living in Switzerland for the past 5 years, I'm surprised that this little island in the middle of Europe has also pretty much avoided the recession.

Salaries here are high (starting salary for a basic C# developer is about 120,000 CHF - about £80,000), and depending on which Canton you live in, you'll pay about 10% tax on that.

Everything here is more expensive, and some costs (like health insurance) are compulsory. But, it's clean, safe, and has affordable public transport which would shame the UK.

Geneva & Zurich are both major financial capitals, and there are plenty of English speaking jobs around.

The downside...

Australia has better beaches. We just have lakes.

Amazon names date for Kindle Touch touchdown

Already available.. in Switzerland

It's odd. Here in Switzerland, life, healthcare, beer...everything is expensive (and our salaries reflect this) apart from electronics.

And for the past few weeks, one of the main online retailers has Kindle Touches and Fires available, in stock, and at (as near as damn it) the same prices as in the US.

What makes this bizarre is that this is a tiny country, Amazon doesn't even have a Swiss website (it redirects us to the German one) so we don't even have a place to buy Amazon movies and media to fill our Fires with.

So, anyone coming over here for a skiing trip, have a look at www.digitec.ch. I don't work for them, but I do use them, they are reliable and have shops where you can collect goods.

Oh, and bring lots of cash with you when you come to Switzerland.

Pint of beer for £6 anyone...?

Samsung Series 3 NP300E5A 15in notebook

Samsung's keyboards... why do they do that ?

Don't buy this laptop.

Samsung has once again made a fairly good looking laptop with the most infuriating keyboard problem. It has two Fn keys on it. So, if you regularly use any other keyboard, and can jump around words with CTRL and a cursor key, with THIS keyboard, that'll result in you accidentally hitting Fn and the cursor key. And on my Samsung laptop (which I despise) this sometimes rotates the entire Windows display by 90'.... annoying as hell, if you busy working away in Word.

That, plus the cursor keys just merged in with the other keys in the keyboard, no gap to separate them or anything, and this is another bad Samsung laptop to avoid.

Strangely, they have corrected these problems on higher end laptops.