Rough Cuts Ltd Blog

The Crayola Colorstudio HD+ is a big chunky pen designed to work with the ColorStudio HD app available for free from the app store. A number of users complain that the pen isn't responsive enough, and to be honest, from my first attempt, I found that was true as well. The pen takes a single AA battery and has a button at the end. I also thought the switch was faulty as it doesn't 'click' like it looks like it should, (like the click on the pen) however, when it's turned on, the light on the side illuminates, and if you hold it to your ears, you can hear it making a strange electrical sound. To prove you haven't just downloaded the free crayola app to use with your finger, you have to unlock it, using the magic pen. However, this is where you find out how to use the pen. Despite having a lovely round end. It only really registers if it's pretty much perpendicular with the surface of the iPad. You also have to press quite hard for it to register. After loadi...

We got these in a couple of weeks ago and I completely overlooked it. Then a customer bought one and promptly returned it. There seems to be a flurry of reviews on other websites complaining of basic functionality and incompatibility, especially in the UK and with Sky+ boxes. With that in mind, and because we're selling them. I thought I ought to investigate. So I have. To get it working, you need to download the free Digit app from the Appstore and pair the beacon with your iPhone. I'll be honest, initially, I had a couple of problems getting the app to recognise the fact that I'd linked the device via bluetooth. I didn't read the instructions, but eventually the app saw it and I was ready to continue. I added a couple of devices and familiarised myself with the app layout before bringing the item home to test. At home, I'd got the Panasonic TV right, it worked straight away, but sure enough, the Sky choice I'd made didn't work. I clicked the help me choo...

At home, I occasionally use google chrome. I don't find it as good as Safari, so to be honest, I've only dabbled. Perhaps this is where the problem came from. I've signed in using 2 accounts. A team account that I created to let my team  view  work documents and an administrator one that I use to edit and create documents. The passwords are different. I have logged in and out on both accounts, but it would appear that, at some point, I signed into Chrome (not simply google) using the team account. At some point, Chrome has decided it will collect, group and remember all of the passwords that it sees. Including my (different) personal account. Today, my team have set up a new computer at work and signed into chrome using the team account. Unbeknown to me, on a computer that I've never sat at, that I've never entered my password on, by default, my email address AND password both auto populate the sign in fields! Now as if this wasn't bad enough, trying to d...

I got really excited when I saw these, they work using Near Field Communication (NFC). The tech thats behind cardless payments systems. To look at, they look like key rings. So I jumped to the conclusion that perhaps your phone would keep an eye on your keys, your wallet etc? No, thats not it at all. These funny looking sticky tabs stick to your car dashboard and allow you  to personalise your phone for the different environments. So for example, in the car, you may want wifi off and bluetooth on, in the office, that could be opposite. In the toilet, you may want youtube to start, or a news app, depending on what you do in the toilet? So, perhaps of some use to someone, but not as handy as I'd thought it might be. Would you buy an Xperia, just so you could do this?

First up it should be noted that this is a telephoto lens and not a Zoom lens. So it won't allow a great deal of flexibility in terms of photography. For example you won't be able to compose a shot with 'a bit more sky' or 'zooming in a bit closer' on the subject. After breaking my way into the ghastly moulded packaging, I first took out the beautifully machined lens. This is very weighty and high quality. In terms of optics, it's good, for the price it is. It's clearly not intended to be in competition with high end lens manufacturers, but overall the clarity is perfectly acceptable. It has a twist to focus function that works well (although it does confuse the iphone auto focus a little). It comes with all of the attachments you would need. But with the exception of the lens caps, the rest of the contents really lets the package down. Firstly the tripod. It's a mini tripod, with a normal screw for attaching to the bottom of a camera. For any keen...

Can't believe I didn't know that you can format your text on iOS devices. By double tapping the word and selecting biu. Doesn't work in all apps though.... Like blog press, (which I'm writing this on). But you can in emails...... See? - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Oh the irony. about 6 months ago I emailed our buying team and told them about the GoPano 360, a device we ought to consider selling. Then when the buying team found out the RRP they decided against it, calling it a niche product, they were probably right. This week though, we've had this product in which performs exactly the same function... it captures 360 degree video. The two products seem to achieve the result in slightly different ways though. The strangely named Kogeto Dot seems to use a fish eye lens, where as the GoPano uses a conical mirror. Now before I need to explain my results, if you have an iOS device, you probably don't need to read on. Simply download the free 'looker' app from the apple app store. From here if you navigate to 'featured' and you'll see the videos that other users have uploaded.  Actually you can make your mind without an iOS device by looking at the videos on the dot website. However you view the videos though you will no...