The Buffalo LinkStation Mini was first released in 2008, however, the 2010 version offers some significant benefits. The main interest for me was it’s complete lack of a fan for near silent running. Something of a rarity with Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices.
Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
July 13, 2010
Beginners guide to HTML5, what you need to know and how to use it.
By benfrain in Tech-tip, Website Design, WritingHTML5 is the successor to HTML 4.01, the language most web pages on the Internet are written in. HTML5 offers new semantic elements, direct support for video and audio, built-in form validation and a smart new canvas feature. In this article I’ll attempt to explain what’s important about HTML5 and what you need to know [...]
June 22, 2010
iOS 4 is well worth the update
By benfrain in Personal, WritingI’m running a iPhone 3GS at present and I have to say that based on early usage, the latest OS release (iOS4) that came out last night is a cracking update. Everything seems that little bit faster, the multitasking is great (for apps that support it) and the unified inbox makes it heaps easier to [...]
December 21, 2009
Review: Twelve South SurfacePad
By benfrain in WritingThe Twelve South SurfacePad is one of those products that you don’t realise you want until you have it… After reviewing the Twelve South BookArc for MacUser magazine, Twelve South asked if I’d also be interesting in taking a look at their ‘SurfacePad’ product: a cover for the palm-rest area 13 or 15″ MacBook Pro. [...]
December 16, 2009
HTML5 feature by Ben Frain in MacUser magazine
By benfrain in WritingI’ve been looking at the HTML5 specification a lot recently and intend to use parts of the specification in my upcoming website redesign. I’ve consolidated a lot of the research on the subject I’ve done into an HTML5 feature for MacUser magazine (it will be in issue 25/25).
December 16, 2009
Beginners guide to CSS: article in Computer Active
By benfrain in WritingI’ve recently contributed another article to Computer Active magazine. This one is a ‘Masterclass’ on CSS. In reality it’s very much a beginners guide to the subject, written in layman’s terms. If you’ve ever wondered just how on earth CSS works, head over and pick up issue 308 (10-23 December) now.
November 6, 2009
Review of Knomo Stirling Messenger bag: a perfect MacBook carry case?
By benfrain in WritingThe Knomo Stirling Messenger bag is a premium laptop carry case available in 13, 15 and 17″ sizes. The version reviewed here is the 13″ and it has been tested with the current 13″ MacBook Pro. I won’t discuss the aesthetics of this bag. If the design of the bag initially appeals but you’d like [...]
September 11, 2009
Crucial M225 performance review: what difference does an SSD make to a MacBook Pro?
By benfrain in Tech-tip, WritingIn this related post, I made the argument that if you wanted to see a noticeable difference in the speed of your Mac or PC you should opt for an SSD drive over a conventional hard drive. If you care about performance there is currently no better value upgrade you can perform on your system. [...]
September 10, 2009
How do I make my PC or Mac faster? A beginners guide to why you need an SSD drive…
By benfrain in WritingWhether it’s a PC or a Mac, it’s fair to say that everybody wants their machine to go faster. As such, I often get asked what the easiest way to speed up a computer is. And there’s a simple answer: buy an SSD drive. It’s worth pointing out here I’m talking about a real tangible [...]
July 30, 2009
Netgear ReadyNAS Duo review and replacement fan suggestions
By benfrain in Tech-tip, WritingI plan to switch to an Intel X25-M G2 SSD drive shortly as the main storage on my system. I intend to keep just essential files on the SSD and all my ‘media’ elsewhere. Of course there are external drives but I don’t like the idea of all my digital eggs being in one digital [...]
