Have you ever turned down a job because you didn’t have the necessary skills?

Clients are increasingly expecting more from freelancers as new design projects criss-cross different media platforms. It’s why many illustrators and designers are keen to boost their creative know-how by trying out new things such as animation, 3D modelling and web design.

This typically means jumping in at the deep-end with new software, such as Cinema 4D, Maya, 3dsMax, After Effects, HTML or Flash. But it’s not as hard as you might think and the long-term rewards usually outweigh any short-term pain.

Crucially, diversifying to pick up new skills can open up new commercial possibilities. “I’ve always believed in an on-going education”, says illustrator Ben O’Brien (www.bentheillustrator.com), who studied animation at university and originally started his career as an animator.

“Around six years ago, I started becoming interested in what people were doing with Adobe Illustrator. So I got myself a copy and dived in to see what could be done. I was amazed. For a couple of months I dedicated all my spare time to learning it inside-out, while at the same time building up a portfolio of illustration work completely separate to my day job.”

The full text of this article about learning new skills appears in Computer Arts Projects, issue 133 (February 2010).

It also features interviews and advice from Matt Dent, Jeremyville, visual effects supervisor Sean Farrow, Chris Malbon (McFaul), Mark Verhaagen and Rod Hunt.

Freeview is easily the most successful digital TV technology in the country.

We’re a nation of telly-watchers who generally don’t like to pay a monthly subscription to watch EastEnders. That’s what the BBC license fee is for.

So forget about Sky+ HD, there’s another way to get your high-def kicks without a direct debit. Freeview HD is incoming and here’s all you need to know…

1. Freeview HD is already broadcasting
Freeview HD transmissions were switched on in December 2009. But the availability of the service was limited to the Winter Hill TV transmitters in the North West (covering Preston, Blackburn, Bolton, Manchester and Liverpool) and the Crystal Palace group in London.

2. Up to four HD channels will be available
The initial Freeview HD service carries two channels – BBC HD and ITV1 HD. These will be quickly followed by Channel 4 HD and S4C HD for viewers in Wales. There are also plans to add an HD channel from Five later this year.

The BBC HD and ITV1 HD channels are already available on rival service Freesat, although the ITV content is currently limited to one or two token HD shows per night. When ITV1 HD fully launches on Freeview HD in the Spring, it will take the form of an upscaled simulcast of the standard-def ITV1 channel.

You can read the full article, which talks about when Freeview HD is available, what you can expect to watch and Freeview alternatives on Techradar.com.

Everybody is talking about 3D TV.

This year’s CES was buzzing about it. Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba and LG all showed off 3D-capable HDTVs, some with 2D-to-3D video conversion technology that claims to add depth to existing content on the fly.

More recently, Sky made broadcast history by showing Arsenal vs Manchester United in 3D. Later this year, Blu-ray 3D will bring high definition 3D movies into your living room. A 3D revolution looks inevitable, albeit slow to unfold.

Of course, 3D is also a convenient way for manufacturers to sell more HDTVs. Plummeting telly prices continue to benefit consumers – you can pick up a 5-star rated Samsung LE32B550 for less than £400.

But cheap HDTVs have also dented the profits of the big hardware manufacturers. It’s why they’ll be trying to convince you that your current HDTV is already out of date. Yes, it might have optimised gaming modes, DLNA connectivity, LED backlighting and internet widgets. But we bet your HDTV doesn’t have…

You can read the full article on Techradar.com, which goes on to talk about Organic Light Emitting Diodes, quad pixels, multi-core processing power and lenticular lenses.

Working in association with MSE Design in Birmingham, I was commissioned to rewrite the copy for the new Real Success website.

Real is a performance coaching business providing mentoring, training and support. Its services are all geared to helping individuals and businesses grow and to realise their full potential.

The brief was to edit down the content, get the core benefits of the business across quickly, and make the copy more “web friendly”.

You can see the results at: www.real-success.co.uk.

Here are a few examples from the technology/gadgets columns that I’ve written for Accounting Technician magazine.

Sony Cyber-shot T90
Considering that the back of the Cyber-shot T90 features a 3-inch LCD, there’s very little extra room for traditional buttons. So this 12.1 Megapixel snapper is touchscreen-controlled, giving you quick and easy access to features such as enhanced face and smile detection. The T90’s optical SteadyShot technology minimises any image blur while the 720p movie mode is capable of capturing high definition (HD) video clips. It’s yours to own in black, blue, brown, silver or Barbie doll pink.

Sony VAIO P
Netbooks are typically pitched as cut-down, cut-price alternatives to traditional laptops. But, as the existence of the beautiful VAIO P-series proves, Sony doesn’t really do ‘cheap’. The stylish VGN-P11Z, for example, costs £750. But what you get for your money is an ultra-lightweight laptop with a fast processor, incredible 8-inch display, 2GB of memory and 60GB-worth of storage. Wi-Fi connectivity is supplemented by 3G mobile broadband. How small is it? Sony’s adverts show it fitting into the back pocket of a pair of jeans…

Sony Ericsson Satio
Poor old Sony Ericsson. Once a mobile phone colossus, it’s since been toppled by the likes of Apple, Samsung, LG and HTC. Hopes of a revival are pinned firmly to the good-looking Satio, a lightweight, touch-sensitive smartphone that boasts a 3.5-inch (640×360 pixel) display, 8GB of memory, built-in Wi-Fi and GPS.

Sony Ericsson is keen to emphasise that the Satio can provide the “ultimate multimedia experience”. So new music, movies, apps and games can be easily downloaded from its PlayNow arena online store. While the inclusion of a 12.1 Megapixel camera with Xenon flash instantly makes the Satio one of the most powerful camera phones around.

The return of 3D TV
While 2009 only teased the delights of 3D TV, this will be the year that stereoscopic technology really starts to fly. 3D has already been a big hit in cinemas, with Pixar’s Up and James Cameron’s eye-melting Avatar packing in the crowds.

Now it’s coming into your living room. Sky is planning to broadcast a mix of movies, entertainment shows and sporting events in 3D; 25 World Cup games from South Africa will be shown in 3D; while a new ‘Blu-ray 3D’ standard promises more jump-out-of-the-screen content this summer. Of course, you’ll need a 3D-capable telly. But LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, JVC and Sony will all be happy to sell you one.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding 3D TV.

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg proclaimed that: “2010 will be the year in which 3D is brought to the home.”

Stephen Gater, LG’s Head of Marketing for Home Entertainment said: “we’re witnessing the start of dramatic change in how we view TV.”

While a bullish Samsung laid out its plans at CES. “Just as we created the LED market last year, we will lead the industry in the 3D market this year,” boasted its US president Tim Baxter.

Although 3D telly prototypes have been knocking around at tech shows for the past few years, 2010 is being hailed as the year that the resurrected format finally becomes a commercial reality. And this time it will be more than a gimmick with cardboard red/cyan glasses.

You can read the full article now on Techradar.com.

Over the past year, I’ve been a regular contributor to Orange Exchange, a magazine published by John Brown for Orange and aimed at their business customers.

Recent articles for Orange Exchange have varied from straight technology write-ups to more in-depth business features. They include:

Windows Mobile vs. Android

“Is an Android-powered smartphone better than a new Windows Phone? Or vice-versa? Discuss…” A short piece that looks at the strengths of both mobile operating systems and the benefits for business customers.

New accessories for Orange customers

Four of the best accessories for your Orange handset, including the Jawbone PRIME handsfree kit and Parrot in-car Bluetooth solutions.

Netting new customers

“A typical visitor to your website will decide whether or not they like it (and want to stay) in the first eight seconds. That’s eight seconds to fulfil a user’s search query; eight seconds to provide the answer to a visitor’s question; or eight seconds to make a sale. An optimised website is vital if you want to promote your business, engage your customers and encourage sales…”

Top 7 iPhone apps

From Facebook to QuickOffice and Nearest Tube.

How mobile working will boost your business

Why using the latest smartphones, laptops and mobile broadband technology, flexible working initiatives have the potential to slash office costs, improve morale and light a rocket under your productivity.

Orange Exchange also has an online version, so you can find many of these articles at www.orangeexchange.co.uk.

“Anyone expecting the traditional QWERTY keyboard and mouse to have disappeared by 2010 will be sorely disappointed – they’re still the most effective way to interact with a computer.

Other gizmos have come and gone – the Maltron Single Handed Ergonomic Keyboard, Microsoft’s Tablet PCs, Dragon Naturally Speaking and OCZ’s brain-activated Neural Impulse Actuator to name only four.

Then there’s ‘multi-touch’… Touchscreens themselves have been around since the 1980s, but could only handle one contact point at a time.

The Multi-touch concept gatecrashed the mainstream with the launch of the iPod touch and the iPhone in 2007. Microsoft also unveiled its Surface prototype in the same year.”

Read the full Computing tech that defined the decade article on TechRadar.com.

Another book review written for the excellent SFX magazine. This time, the chunky 12th book in Robert Jordan’s lengthy Wheel of Time saga…

“When Robert Jordan died in 2007, he left his mammoth Wheel of Time saga unfinished. But not for long. Armed with Jordan’s notes, story outlines and some completed scenes, Mistborn author Brandon Sanderson was hand-picked by Jordan’s widow to complete the final book.

The good news is that, after 11 books and 9,261 pages, we’ll eventually get to see Rand Al’Thor battle the Dark One at Shayol Ghul.

The bad news is that it doesn’t happen in this book. Or the one planned after it. It seems Jordan’s many sub-plots, sub-sub-plots and lengthy character arcs will take three books to wrap up.

The Gathering Storm is the first book in this final volume, to be followed by Towers of Midnight and A Memory of Light. Yes, it smacks of padding and you’d be right to wonder whether climbing this 783-page cliff is going to be worth all the huff and puff.

The saga certainly lost momentum in the middle (Path of Daggers, we’re looking at you), bogged down with side quests and forgettable chapters about minor characters and Aes Sedai politics.

If you’ve read this far, you deserve a little action. You’ve earned it. You want to know whether Perrin rescues Faile and if Egwene can unify the White Tower? But most of all, you want to know whether you’re any closer to Tarmon Gai’don, the final showdown between the forces of Light and Shadow?

Well, you are closer. These questions are answered, although it’s still heavy going. Much of The Gathering Storm is business as usual – Tel’aran’rhiod dream meetings, Aes Sedai squabbling, smug-faced Wise Ones and hide-and-seek Forsaken.

But there’s also a renewed sense of purpose. Various dangling plot ends get tied off – some spectacularly. There are Seanchan attacks, peace talks, mass murder, even zombies.

Some of this is certainly the Sanderson effect. The stand-in author brings a fresh pair of eyes and a faster pace to The Gathering Storm. But he also remains faithful to the Jordan-esque levels of detail that fans of the series have come to expect.”

I recently worked with the Carbon Marketing agency in London to produce a series of promotional leaflets for mobile phone manufacturer HTC. These included the HTC Touch Pro 2, the HTC Snap and the HTC Touch Diamond2.

The brief required copy that was short and benefit-led, explaining the key features included in the Touch Diamond 2 handset. These included: a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 5MP camera and HTC’s new ‘People Centric Communication’ technology.

The HTC Touch Diamond2 can intelligently keep track of your conversations with people. Just tap a contact and the HTC TouchDiamond2 will show you a neatly laid-out history of the recent emails, calls and text messages you’ve exchanged with them.

So it doesn’t matter if you get asked about a recent email while you are talking on the phone. Or if you are sitting in a café trying to find an important text message from a friend. By grouping your communication around your contacts, HTC makes it easier to stay in touch.

View the finished HTC Touch Diamond 2 leaflet [PDF - 230 KB]

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