At 23:40 on Thursday, May 31st 2012 AD, I finished my first year portfolio for my university course, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Product Design taken at Nottingham Trent University. This means that I’ve had an entire year at uni, which is crazy. I remember blogging about how much I enjoyed freshers’ week, and that felt like yesterday - but it wasn’t, it was in October of last year. Without being too corny, I’d just like to summarise my experiences during what has probably been the best year of my life. 

In first term, I really came out of my shell. Previously, I’d been pretty shy to be honest, and not really keen on meeting new people. All this changed at uni, I made some really awesome people that I’ll be friends with for life. I also had some fun experiences, a few of them drunken, and I actually enjoyed my work. There’s something about the social life at university that you just don’t get elsewhere - everyone wants to make friends, everyone is in the same boat, so to speak, and it’s just awesome. I can’t summarise this any further because I’ve had such a good time that the whole year has just snapped past in the blink of an eye, and I still can’t quite process the fact that I’ve completed a quarter of my degree. I love the freedom of university, the amount of opportunities, and basically the whole atmosphere. I can finally be who I want, and it makes me feel awesome. 

Without a shadow of doubt, though, the best thing to happen to me this year was meeting probably the most amazing person in my life. My girlfriend has given me something to work for, fight for, and wake up for in the morning. Without her, I see my time here at uni being unfulfilled. I’ve never loved anything before, other than maybe a phone or a song (!), but she puts my life in perspective. She makes me want to be a better person, in everything that I do. I’d be totally lost without her.

So here’s to a year of uni, roll on summer and second year! 

Proceed with caution! This blog post may cause distress if you aren’t used to your mind being fucked up on a regular basis. 

Does anyone else out there feel, at times, that their surroundings aren’t real? When I say ‘real’, I mean that in the sense of the surroundings being physically there, and not just an optical illusion. Maybe I’ve watched The Matrix a few too many times, but sometimes I look around me and can’t quite accept the fact that all of it is real. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s pretty distressing. It’s hard to describe the feeling; it’s almost as if I can touch and see what’s around me but I somehow know that it’s all in my head. For all I know, I could be locked up in a vat of green liquid being fed my world through a cable planted into my spinal cord. Yeah, maybe I am taking The Matrix a little too far…

My mind wanders a lot, and perhaps this has something to do with it. The feeling that things aren’t real only really happens to me when I’m tired, or when I’m in a state of shock (varying severity). The easiest and most universal way to describe it would be that I feel like I’m dreaming and I know I’m dreaming. For instance, right now, sat at my desk, I look at my computer and can’t quite believe it’s there - same with everything else. I feel like I’m dreaming, and I don’t know why. As this subject is sure going to come up: no, I have not taken drugs, and no, I am not intoxicated in any way. 

Maybe the dreamy state is just something that is brought on by over-tiredness, or maybe there’s something else that’s responsible. I cannot say for sure, it’s just interesting to share my thoughts and see if anyone else out there feels the same. 

One of Apple’s strongest points is the fact that all of their devices and computers sync together, it’s probably one of the strongest selling points of going ‘all Apple’. You Mac is synced to your iPad, iPhone, etc. Messages for Mac basically allows you to chat to your contacts, but the big difference between this and iChat (which it seemingly replaces) is that iMessage is integrated. This means that you can send messages to anyone with a Mac or iDevice from anywhere, completely free, so long as both parties are connected to a network. The app is included with the Mac OSX Mountain Lion update due out later this year, but the Beta version of the Messages app is available to download from Apple’s website. 

I’ve been using this for the whole of today, and I’ve been pretty impressed. The app’s main interface is very simple and easy to navigate (typically Apple) - your contacts are on the left and the main conversation you’re having is on the right. It’s worth noting that the conversation interface replicates the messaging interface of iOS almost exactly, especially with the conversation bubbles we’re all familiar with. 

In use, I found that it was a very reliable method of messaging people. For a Beta release, the application was very stable and there were absolutely no problems with the performance, other than one time when it froze up on me. The recipients reported that messages were sent and received instantly, and all of the attachments I sent arrived with no issues whatsoever. 

As you can see, you can send image and video attachments to your contacts just like you can from iOS devices. This unification of both functionality and interface is probably something that we’re going to see a lot more from Apple, as they mould iOS and Mac OS together…albeit very, very slowly. 

All in all, I love this application. I know a lot of people who use iMessage, and being able to talk to them from anywhere in the world from my computer is a great benefit. Pair this up with Facetime and Apple are really onto a winner here. 

The Zeroshock case is a strong rubberised case for an iPad or netbook. One of the main features of the case is its strong construction - it’s designed to be sturdy and shockproof, and also can protect the contents from water splashes. 

As you can see, an iPad 2 can very easily fit inside the case; netbook and even certain drawing tablets (such as those from Wacom) will also fit inside. 

The inside of the case features a very soft and smooth textured surface, which both cushions and protects your device as well as increasing the shockproof value of the case. 

The rubberised exterior is thick and has a few layers, but doesn’t actually make the case any thicker. The case itself is hard and not as flexible as some other cases for these devices, which makes it feel much stronger - you feel that your device is well and truly protected. There is also an exterior zipped pocket to store accessories, which is another nice design feature. 

Overall, this is an excellent case that gives a brilliant level of protection for your iPad or netbook, or in fact any other device that fits into the case. It feels very strong and is also very light - it provides a very high level of protection without adding too much bulk or even weight to the product. 

A big thanks to Mobilefun for sending this case out to me for review, they have an excellent range of iPad covers and accessories in stock at great prices. Check them out. 

Avantree’s Handisync cable is, in short, a handy sync cable (!) for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It’s basically a small sync and charge cable that folds up neatly and can be carried around much easier than the normal sync and charge cable that Apple provides. 

As you can see, the cable is very short and folds out on itself, making it very convenient to carry around and also reduces the overall size of the product dramatically. In use, it’s very easy and convenient because cables can become easily tangled, and every time you charge your device you’re having to unwind/untangle the cable and wind it back up again after use. 

One issue that I found with this cable is that it’s almost too short, which sort of defeats the object of having it, but the cable just doesn’t extend long enough nor is it flexible enough for the device to sit comfortably alongside your computer. Most of the time during use, your device is either sat at an awkward angle to one side of the computer or you’re having to rest it on top - this, of course, makes things a little awkward. 

However overall, the product is very nice. It’s very well buit, the cable feels sturdy and the casing feels rock solid. It’s also light and small, and also features a keychain attachment - this means that you can clip this onto your keys and simply forget about it like you would a normal keychain or keyring. It’s great for users that are on-the-go and away from their wall chargers for long periods of time and just want to quickly charge up or sync their device form their computer. However as an everyday item, this cannot replace the standard Apple cable or charger - it simply is not long enough, flexible enough, or practical enough to use as an everyday replacement. But for emergencies and as a ‘just in case’ device, it’s excellent. 

A big thanks to Mobilefun.co.uk for sending this product out to me for review. Mobilefun have an excellent range of accessories such as iPod and mobile phone cables in stock, check them out!