tech Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

I’m going to admit something really awful now. I don’t really have time to watch the news. For the most part, it’s just half an hour (or more) or miserable stories and realistically I don’t have that much time to waste feeling miserable. Sure, there are good things in the new sometimes, but not very often. While I don’t tend to sit down and watch the news though, that’s not to say I don’t keep up with it. As a blogger and full-time user of the internet, I often see what’s going on – either on someone else’s blog, my Facebook feed or Twitter. However when I was asked to review “Bullet News” app, I figured it might be exactly what I was looking for – and really it is.

Bullet News is available on both Apple or Android and can be downloaded for free. So far the ratings are looking pretty good for it, so I was happy to give it a go too. Setting it up is really simple, you either login in or just press start. You’re given all the usual options for push notifications and the news you might be interested in. I allowed push notifications as I figured it was a good way to keep up to date and I also picked UK, World and Entertainment as my choices for specific news.

Though I’ve only been using the app since last Wednesday, I have to admit I’ve already grown quite addicted to it. Not only does the main news push to my phone front screen so I’m aware of anything breaking, the app itself shows news in Bullet points and short amounts (hence the name of the app I imagine).

For those of you who like a little more news than this, there are options to read more. However this is perfect for me as I can just glance at a headline and see if it’s something I’m interested, click to read more and get these nice bullet points that break down the story for me. You can also flip between the tabs of top news and the others you’ve selected (for me that’s UK, World and Entertainment) making it easy to see what you want.

For people like my partner, who have the BBC app, BuzzFeed and god knows what else, not to mention spend hours online every day reading and watching the news, it might not be the right thing for you. However for me, it’s exactly what I need. A quick bite of news, every now and again, especially the breaking news pushed to my screen. If you think you’re like me then definitely give it a try, like I said it’s free to download so you’ve got nothing to lose.

This week I’ve been trying out my new Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub* and I’m in love with it! In this modern age its not really unusual for households to own 3+ remotes to control all their entertainment, so when I was offered a solution to this, I snatched it up. The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub is both a gadget and an app, that makes controlling your TV, DVD player, Sky box, Xbox etc. all much simpler. With the use of the hub (and an IR mini blaster if necessary) you can connect all your tech via the wifi and then control it all with an app. Genius right?

Not only is the Harmony Hub super easy to set up, it’s also super stylish. It’s sleek black, curvy shape will fit in perfectly next to your TV and entertainment. Everything is black these days it seems! The contents of the box are all fairly self explanatory, with the option for both UK plug or AC adapter.

As I mentioned, setting up the hub is really easy. Place the power adapter into the hub, plug the power into a socket and switch on. While you’re waiting for it to boot up, download the Harmony app from either Apple or Android store. Set up an account and you’re ready to go. Sync up your app with the hub first, then add your devices. Once they’re added you can even add specific short cut functions, it really is impressive. I didn’t use the IR mini blaster but this gives you the ability to connect a device that’s possibly a bit further away from the main entertainment centre. It basically extends the reach of the hub. Don’t worry you don’t need to remember my instructions, as instructions are also included in the box. Not only that but the app is so step by step that you really can’t go wrong.

Please excuse my messy lounge but as you can see the interface is really simple and easy to follow.

The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub is such a good idea for this modern age. Instead of dealing with loads of remotes, you can have it all in one place on an app. Universal remotes are a great idea but even those tend to be out of reach, beside the TV etc. If you’re anything like me, your phone is always to hand. Even last night, I reached for my phone to turn up the volume, just so I didn’t have to get up and get the remote control. This is such a great gadget and I would definitely recommend it.