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Matthew Buckland is a web guy who has over the years worked in a programming, editorial and business capacity within the online media environment. He now dedicates his life and soul to Creative Spark and Memeburn.com. He was previously General Manager of Publishing at news24.com, and then went on to found and head up award-winning innovation startup called 20FourLabs.com. He is the former General Manager of Mail & Guardian Online and co-founder of political think-tank site Thought Leader -- a Webby Award Honoree. One of his proudest moments was when some of the world's biggest blogs, Techcrunch and Mashable, his favourite site Wired.com and technology site Techmeme tried to break his servers by linking to his personal blog matthewbuckland.com in the space of a few days. He was named one of "SA’s top 100 most influential media and advertising people" by the The Annual in 2009 and one of "300 Young South Africans you should take out to lunch" by his former employer, Mail & Guardian. His favourite colour is red.
I’m lucky enough to own a Samsung Smart TV. I bought it because I believe in converged devices: I want to watch TV and hop in and out of the web and my apps seamlessly. That is our TV experience of the future. Samsung got that right with its Android-based TV OS and is streaks ahead of the competition.
Unfortunately Samsung got it right in concept only: the execution of that vision leaves much to be desired, meaning I never used ...
Behold the chamfered edgeI have quite a bit of Apple product fatigue. I’ve owned seven iPhones, three iPads and two mac minis in my time. They are quite pricey, and when the newest gadget comes out, the current one becomes pretty much worthless. When the iPad mini was announced, I felt that fatigue. I thought to myself – if I am going to complicate my life with yet another device, it better be good. And chances are, if it’s an ...
I guess I’m one of the stranger users of technology. I’m not an Apple zombie, insisting everything has to be Apple “just because” or an unwavering, die-hard Microsoft zealot based on Apple hatred. I like to use best-of-breed and what suits me, irrelevant of silly branding and ideology. So for a long while I have been using a mighty mouse (Apple) and Vaio PC laptop combination. And it worked well for about three years. Then Windows 8 came along and ...
For some time now it's been pretty obvious who's been leading the laptop stakes. I don’t want to say it, but let’s just say it’s a company that begins with “A”. Again its caught computer manufacturers around the world with their pants down, consistently innovating with products like the MacBook Air and user interface innovations like multi-touch and Retina Display.
The only premium laptop around has been the Sony Vaio, but even now there is a sense that this brand is ...
This is an odd review for me to write, because my opinion doesn't count. It’s not designed for me, it’s designed for kids. But kids suck at writing gadget reviews, so I dug deep into my inner toddler to seek out any childish delight in the LeapPad, a low-tech iPad for kids that's packed with educational apps.
As a geek-tastic adult, my first instinct was to label the LeapPad a complete failure.
It uses outdated technology. Its touchscreen is an old skool ...
I have to admit, I had low expectations for this phone. I’m an iPhone nut and very few phones have managed to beat or come in anywhere near the JesusPhone.
But the Omnia 7 was amazing. Or let me clarify -- its operating system, Microsoft’s Windows Phone, was amazing. The case around it, the Samsung part of the phone, was a bit average. I’m not going to devote too much time to the case, except to say I found it a ...
The idea of being able to watch live satellite TV on my iPad, iPhone and laptop sounded just too good to be true. So it wasn’t long before I had the Drifta, DSTV’s much-publicised DVB-H mobile TV decoder, in my hands.
It’s an amazing little innovation, designed locally, that brings nine selected DSTV channels like SuperSport, ENews and others to your laptop, iPhone, iPad or selected Nokia phones. There are also future plans to bring the broadcast to Android phones and ...
I'm a big believer in tablet computers. There's a rush on, worldwide. Manufacturers know how key tablet computing will become in our daily lives.
They fill a gap: A need for a leisure device. This is a “third device” after your computer and mobile phone on which you would read digital books, watch movies, share photos, Skype family or friends.
But tablet computers also play a role in business where people need a device that is easy to carry around, boots ...
I'm no Apple fan boy. I'm a Vaio user and a big fan of Windows 7. In fact on a philosophical level I dislike Apple, the company. It's a company that is terminally arrogant, and increasingly shortsighted when it comes to building business ecosystems. (Read: Why the iPhone is in trouble)
But you know what? I don't care. They make brilliant products. The iPhone 4 is an uber gadget. It's a future device that doesn't quite belong in today's world.
I often ...
Computer games can make us better people, argues renowned futurist and game designer Jane McGonigal.
In an impeccably researched and delivered presentation at the 2010 London Nokia World Forum, McGonigal spoke about how computer gaming can positively impact the world, turning people into "super-empowered, hopeful individuals".
Gaming is mainstream. And if there is anyone who doubts this, the figures speak for themselves. By age 21, an average person in a developed economy would have spent more than 10 000 hours playing computer ...
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