Archive for 2012

By January 24, 2012 Read More →

Thundercats and Ben 10 toys brought to virtual life with Aurasma

Thundercats

From today children can play with toys before even opening the box as new technology will allow them to see fully formed 3D models from the box packaging, allowing them to examine every part of the toy before purchase. There are also guidelines on mamonlineshop.com that parents can follow before buying toys for their kids.
The innovative technology pioneered by manufacturer Bandai, is set to transform the way consumers view toys as they can use a smartphone to view the 3D virtual models from the packaging anywhere in the world.
Selected toys including the brand new ThunderCats action figure of Lion-O, will showcase the technology as fans will be able to see a lifelike model of the toy projected from the box, simply from using a smartphone directed at the toy packaging.
Bandai has become the first toy company to work with Aurasma bringing their toy boxes to virtual life with the augmented reality app, meaning consumers can use the technology, whenever and wherever, not just in a toy shop. The new 3D engine will be showcased at London Toy Fair in Olympia today using Lion-O from ThunderCats and Ben 10 action figures. Users just point the camera of their mobile device at the boxes and using the app, a 3D augmented reality figure of the toy inside magically appears on top of the box.
Consumers will also be able to watch the corresponding toy TV commercials for Power Rangers, Ben 10, the highly anticipated ThunderCats range, and Harumika, a fashion design product for girls by pointing their smartphone at the toy packaging using the Aurasma app.

Posted in: Press Releases
By January 23, 2012 Read More →

Nokia Lumia 900 coming to the UK

Screen Shot 2012-01-23 at 19.04.53

Carphone Warehouse have opened up pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 900, the device that was announced at CES with a U.S exclusivity to AT&T. Carphone Warehouse are showing the device as arriving in June 2012 so we have a little while to wait. Although pricing is not yet confirmed, as are which carriers will sell the handset, it looks to be a top of the range Windows Phone unless another manufacture announces something better.

The Nokia Lumia 900 has an amazing 4.3" screen ideal for videos and pictures, and an 8MP camera with a super wide lens for spectacular wide angle photos. It’s also capable of recording 720p HD video. The wide lens on the forward facing camera enables great video calls and there’s even built-in voice guided navigation and a music player that finds new music you’ll love.
Stylish and smooth iconic looks.
The 4.3" AMOLED screen of the Nokia Lumia 900 will really catch your eye. ClearBlack display technology makes colours vibrant, super clear and cuts out glare. The one piece body is stylish and sturdy and, along with Corning® Gorilla® Glass protection, the Lumia 900 is one hardy smartphone. Don’t worry about battery life either as there’s a giant 1830mAh battery built-in.

Posted in: News
By January 23, 2012 Read More →

LOVEFiLM Player for iPad – Quick review

LF1

All eyes have been on NetFlix recently who rolled out their service here in the UK. I was tempted to give it a try but as I was already a LOVEFiLM customer I thought I would stick with what I know.

So instead of me now getting DVD’s delivered through the post I use the LOVEFiLM Player for iPad and it has been a real godsend. For £4.99 per month I can stream as many movies as I like, which is pretty good value if you ask me. I was lucky enough to be ill last week and spent five days in bed. Now normally this would have been really bad news but I managed to get through three or four movies a day on the iPad which at least helped the days to go quicker.

If you still prefer to get your movies via the post then the app will allow you to watch trailers and add movies to your delivery list so it is worth a download for sure. And the app is free.

Posted in: Reviews
By January 23, 2012 Read More →

Meet Thorsten Heins the New President and CEO of Research In Motion

Thorsten Heins

 

Source: RIM

Posted by: James

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By January 23, 2012 Read More →

Research In Motion Names Thorsten Heins President and CEO

rim-logo

With market share being stripped from them by iOS and Android this latest piece of news has been on the cards for sometime and won’t be a surprise to many.

The Board of Directors of BlackBerry® maker Research In Motion (RIM) today announced that, acting on the recommendation of its Co-Chief Executive Officers to implement the succession plan they previously submitted to the Board, it has unanimously named Thorsten Heins as President and Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Heins was also appointed to RIM’s Board. The Board acted after conducting its own due diligence. Both appointments are effective immediately.
Mike Lazaridis, former Co-Chair and Co-CEO, has become Vice Chair of RIM’s Board and Chair of the Board’s new Innovation Committee. As Vice Chair, he will work closely with Mr. Heins to offer strategic counsel, provide a smooth transition and continue to promote the BlackBerry brand worldwide. 
Mr. Heins said he looks forward to continuing to work with Mr. Lazaridis, globally recognized as a technology pioneer. He said, “Mike created a whole new way of communicating and I look forward to continuing our close collaboration.”
On the transition to CEO by Mr. Heins, Mr. Lazaridis said, “There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the Board and told them that we thought that time was now.  With BlackBerry 7 now out, PlayBook 2.0 shipping in February and BlackBerry 10 expected to ship later this year, the company is entering a new phase, and we felt it was time for a new leader to take it through that phase and beyond.  Jim, the Board and I all agreed that leader should be Thorsten Heins.

Posted in: Press Releases
By January 22, 2012 Read More →

Porsche Design P’9981 BlackBerry unboxing video

9981 2

Officially launched in late October over in Dubai the BlackBerry P’9981 is now gracing our shores here in the UK. Available to buy in Harrods the specially designed BlackBerry will set you back a mere £1,275. Yes, you did read that right!

Essentially the P’9981 is a Bold 9900 but with a design change. Is the Porsche twist worth the extra money? It won’t be to most of us but for the lucky ones that can afford snazzy kit like this I am sure they can justify the extra spend.

RIM have kindly sent me a P’9981 this week so below you can see the unboxing video.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the device.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By January 21, 2012 Read More →

Apple’s lawsuit against the Galaxy Nexus

introductionApple appears to be up to their same shenanigans, and this time it is something that has been speculated would eventually happen. Apple just filed a lawsuit in the Mannheim Regional Court, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus violates a utility model by copying their slide-to-unlock motion. Here’s a quote from Electronista with specifics,

The iPhone designer alleged on Friday that the Android 4.0 leader violated a slide-to-unlock motion from iOS that was given the utility model status in Germany in 2006. Apple argued that it couldn’t use the model until now as other phones, even ones years old, were too new for the claim, look at this web-site if you need an attorney.

What is more interesting is that if you look deeper and “read between the lines” this is a new tactic for Apple. In the past most of their lawsuits have been aimed at minor customizations rather than directly at Android functions. This time, by going directly after a primary feature of Android 4.0, Apple is making a statement against Google themselves. This is further reinforced by the fact that the Galaxy Nexus uses a completely stock version of Android rather than one “tweaked” by the OEMs. It’s important not to dismiss this claims outright, because the potential is significant for Android if the court rules in favour of Apple.
Interestingly, this is the exact same court where one of Samsung’s counter-claims against Apple was recently lost. There is a hearing scheduled for March 16. Speculation is that Samsung will likely base their defence around claims of “prior art” from a company called Neonode, which dealt with phones briefly in the past. This is the same strategy that Samsung used against Apple in the Netherlands in 2011.
What really makes a person scratch their head on this one is that the way the Galaxy Nexus’ slide-to-unlock works is very “loose” compared to other phones in the past. Certainly, someone could swipe their fingers in a manner that is similar to what Apple is claiming, but that doesn’t mean they will do it all the time.

Posted by: Gareth

Posted in: News
By January 20, 2012 Read More →

ZTE Tania: At last a budget Windows Phone

zte-tania In case you missed it, I few days ago ZTE held a small launch event in London where they announced their latest handset, the ZTE Tania. Up until now ZTE have only released smartphones running Android OS but with the Tania that set to change as this puppy run Windows Phone Mango.

The Tania is set to be an ‘affordable’ Windows Phone and there really isn’t yet a packed market place when it comes to Windows Phone so it will be very interesting to see how well it does.

Personally I think it’s a good looking handset and it works well in white even of the noise on Twitter does call it a girly phone with a girly name.

Specs and the press release can be found below:

Posted in: News
By January 19, 2012 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review

Samsung Galaxy NexusAt the end of 2011 Google introduced their third Nexus phone and second collaboration with Samsung. Making headlines this device has proved to be one of the important phones of the year and yet another contender to know the iPhone from the mantle. Has Google and Samsung hit a home run or is this their a lacklustre hardware attempt to unleash the latest version of Google’s mobile phone platform, Android?

Posted in: Phones, Reviews
Tags: , ,
By January 18, 2012 Read More →

Vodafone teams up with Yoda

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Vodafone UK has today (Wednesday 18 January) announced that it has signed legendary Star Wars character Yoda to appear in its latest adverts.

The 900-year-old Jedi Master will star in a number of TV ads to showcase Vodafone’s innovative new services to ensure that customers get the smartphone that suits them, are able to use it right from the start and then have the confidence to experiment with all its new functions and apps. The first ad premieres on Channel 4 between 8pm and 9pm tomorrow night. The TV ad is supported by a major outdoor and digital campaign that showcases services including RED Box, Data Test Drive, Tech Team and Buyback.

The 60-second launch TV advert focuses on RED Box, a service that automatically transfers contents from an old phone to a new handset. Yoda is seen enthusiastically attempting to use his power to help a couple with the daunting task of transferring numbers to the husband’s new smartphone. However, he soon realises that the Force is not needed, as Vodafone’s new RED Box service has already solved the problem.

Each TV spot has been produced by a team at Lucasfilm’s renowned San Francisco-based visual effects facility ILM (Industrial Light & Magic), with Tom Kane voicing Yoda’s CGI character.

You can see the advert below:

Posted in: News
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks