Archive for October, 2013

By October 4, 2013 Read More →

Nexus 7 arrives on Three

Nexus 7 arrives on ThreeThose wishing to pick up the new Nexus 7 have another option to get their hands on the device on contract from Three here in the UK.

Featuring the world’s highest resolution 7-inch display with over 2.3 million pixels, the new Nexus 7 is now available to buy on Three in-store.

The Nexus 7 is available for £199.99 as a WiFi only tablet. Or you can combine the Nexus 7 (2013) with a pocket-sized Huawei E5220 MiFi. This creates a portable Wi-Fi hotspot and gives you the freedom to connect your tablet to Three’s award-winning network to stay in touch when out and about.

Building on the success of its predecessor, the Nexus 7 is thinner, lighter and faster and the first device to run the latest Android 4.3 operating system. A powerful quad-core processor also allows people to smoothly switch between apps, tracks, games and maps for instance.

Dual stereo speakers and surround sound add finely tuned, rich and immersive audio to your music and with built-in wireless charging, you can simply charge it whilst on the go*.

Sylvia Chind, head of devices at Three, said: “The Nexus 7 has incorporated the latest technologies into an affordable tablet that is fast and looks impressive. The new lightweight design and wireless charging means you can take it out and about with ease. Combined with a MiFi it’s a great tablet option to make the most of downtime when commuting, whether that’s catching up on work emails or simply playing your favourite game.”

The Huawei E5220 MiFi is available for a one-off upfront cost of £29.99 on a one-month rolling contract at £15.99 per month including 5GB of data or from £49.99 on Pay As You Go with 1GB of data pre-loaded.

Key features:

  • The world’s sharpest 7-inch tablet screen
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Android 4.3
  • Thinner, lighter and faster than the previous Nexus 7
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor
  • 2GB of RAM
  • Wireless charging

*Wireless charging plate sold separately

Posted in: Phones, Press Releases, Tablets
Tags: ,
By October 4, 2013 Read More →

An Introduction to the Amstrad CPC 464

Amstrad CPC 464Gareth takes you on a brief tour of the classic 80’s 8-bit computer in this new series of videos featuring a loving tribute to tech from the past in a bite sized format.

The Amstrad CPC 464 was Gareth’s first home computer that started a passion for the cheap but somewhat reliable computer company, Gareth has put together a fairly modest collection over the years and hopes to give you a guided tour of each piece.

The CPC series was pitched against other home computers primarily used to play video games and enjoyed a strong supply of game software. The comparatively low price for a complete computer system with dedicated monitor, its high resolution monochrome text and graphic capabilities and the possibility to run CP/M software also rendered the system attractive for business users, which was reflected by a wide selection of application software.

The CPC models’ hardware is based on the Zilog Z80A CPU, complemented with either 64 or 128 kB of memory. Their computer-in-a-keyboard design prominently features an integrated storage device, either a compact cassette deck or 3″ floppy disk drive. The main units were only sold bundled with a colour or monochrome monitor that doubles as the main unit’s power supply. Additionally, a wide range of first and third party hardware extensions such as external disk drives, printers, and memory extensions, was available.

Posted in: Apps & Games, Retro Tech, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: , ,
By October 3, 2013 Read More →

Android 4.4 KitKat images surface

Android 4.4 kitkatAs we head closer to the release of the latest version of Android OS, 4.4 KitKat, the increase in interest seems to be met with an increase in the number of leaks.

We’re expecting to see some official announcements and even some Android 4.4 KitKat powered devices released later this month but if you just cant wait that long to find out more about 4.4, in particular what it’s going to look like, then there’s good news for you as there’s a great selection of leaked image for you to check out courtesy of the blog Gadgethelpline.

As you’ll no doubt appreciate from a few of the images below, 4.4 is quite significantly different to the existing versions of Android that we have.

Check out the rest of the image gallery over at Gadgethelpline or via Coolsmartphone, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more!

Posted in: News, Phones, Rumours
Tags: , , , ,
By October 3, 2013 Read More →

This week’s must have Windows Phone apps

app storeHere we are with a selection of this week’s latest and greatest Windows Phone apps available from the Windows and Windows Phone store.

 

jamieJamie’s Recipes

Pick up some of Jamie Oliver’s skills with this new tasty app. Jamie has selected 10 delicious & nutritious recipes to get you started for free!
You can choose to buy from over 200+  delicious recipes to satisfy every taste. There are mouth watering  step-by-step photos and great HD videos to explore. Unleash your inner chef!

Posted in: Apps & Games, Editorial
Tags: ,
By October 3, 2013 Read More →

3 Keys to Secure Mobile Shopping

mobile shoppingMost of us feel safe ordering everything from clothes to books and even food delivery via computer. In fact, TIME Magazine published a story June of last year exclaiming how comfortable we are ordering pizza online, now. But when it comes to shopping via mobile device, many people are overly cautious while other’s aren’t nearly cautious enough!

The simple truth is that shopping from a smartphone or tablet isn’t generally very safe–at least, not the way most people do it. Fortunately, there are a few simple precautions that you can take to ensure your finances stay safe when you use your mobile device.

1. Use Your Mobile Apps–Not Your Web Browser

Most major and many smaller ecommerce sites have their own mobile application to not only help you find what you want, but to allow you to buy what you want securely. The best way to keep your information secure is to only purchase through a mobile application (as opposed to a live website) every time you pay for something via mobile device.

This may sound extreme, but there is a method behind the reasoning. The simple fact is that web browsers just aren’t as secure as mobile applications. The risk doubles if you’re using a public WiFi hotspot.

If you’re set up in a coffee shop, using WiFi, T-Mobile’s 4G coverage map or your carrier’s 3G network to order that luxury watch you’ve always wanted, just be sure to use an app, and buy from trusted vendors only.

Using a mobile app also provides safety from keyloggers, viruses, and other malicious software that can invade your privacy and record your logins (yes, this type of software exists for mobile devices too!).

What’s that? You say your favorite online shopping spot doesn’t have its own mobile app? It will soon enough. Until that time, protect yourself by shopping only when on your secure, password-protected home network.

2. Make Sure You’re Using the Best App for the Job

In other words, never download or use a third-party application for your mobile device-based shopping. Instead, you should always obtain the appropriate app directly from the Google Play Store or Apple Apps.

Keep in mind that the occasional rogue app does sneak into these stores at times. It happens with Google Play more often than with Apple. In either case, verify the publisher of the application before you download it. If it doesn’t match up with the online store’s business name or parent company, contact the site’s customer support before you download the app.

3. Lock Your Device

Crazy Egg blog recently published a post on some very innovative mobile solutions for e-commerce that’s worth checking out. Whether your applications store your payment information on the device or on your favorite merchant’s servers, most ecommerce mobile apps allow anyone to make a purchase by simply tapping your device’s screen.

Unfortunately, this also means that anyone who somehow gets their hand on your device can tank your bank account in a single afternoon! Mobile devices get lost. Especially phones. It’s just a fact of life, and while most people are honest enough to hand your phone in to the nearest lost and found, not everybody is. So it’s essential that you passcode-protect your device.

With Apple devices, this means a password, four-digit code, or even your fingerprint. Android users can choose between a password and a customized trace pattern. In either case, the most important thing is that you secure your device against intrusion. Add a passcode feature–and make your device require it for every use.

Shop via mobile app instead of directly on the web. Avoid shopping via public wireless networks when possible. Make sure you’re using a safe, authorized application directly from the Apple or Google app store. Always keep your device security locked.

As long as you follow these three security measures, you’ll be 1,000% safer with your mobile shopping than you were before.

Posted in: Editorial
Tags:
By October 2, 2013 Read More →

Apple will fix iOS 7 iMessage issues

fix ios 7As I mentioned the other day, there have been several issues reported with Apple’s latest iOS 7 releases, particularly with battery life and iMessage.

Fortunately, Apple have now acknowledged the iMessage issues and are now working on a futher update, presumably 7.0.3, slated for next week, that will resolve this problem

The most frequent complaint is that messages appear to be sent, but later appear with a big red exclamation point indicating they did not go through.

The simplest and most often-suggested work-around by users is to restart the device. Another option to fix iOS 7 iMessage issues to to disable iMessage, reset the Network Settings, and then turn iMessage back on.  (To reset the settings, go to Settings → General Reset → Reset Network Settings.)  The later work around is more annoying, though, and seems to require frequent repetition.

“We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update,” Apple said in a statement. “In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users.”

Since then, some users have complained about excessive battery use, typed letters that don’t appear on the screen, and Apple’s Siri voice-recognition service not recognizing requests. Apple released an iOS fix last week  to tackle some security problems with iOS 7.0.2.

Technorati Tags:
Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: ,
By October 2, 2013 Read More →

LG Z to launch with flexible display

LG Z flexibleHot on the heels of Samsung’s announcement last week that they would release a special edition Galaxy Note 3 with curved OLED display, LG have countered with news that they will be taking this a step futher and releasing their own smartphone, the LG Z, with a flexible OLED display.

According to ZDNet Korea, LG leaked them details of the new LG Z which is slated to arrive later this month.
Whist it is understood that the LG Z itself will not be a flexible device, merely a smartphone with flexible display there are advantages to that arrangement in that the screen is transformed from being a typical brittle, fragile unit to something with a little more strength and ‘give’.
Little else is known about the LG Z at the moment, but we’ll keep our eagle eyes open for more news…
Posted in: Phones, Rumours
Tags: ,
By October 1, 2013 Read More →

Retro Tech Addicts Podcast 04: 1200 Baud Rate

Retro tech addicts podcastGareth and Matt enjoy a warm and fuzzy recollection of days gone by in this the latest installment of the Retro Tech Addicts podcast. On this weeks show we talk about the first CD player launched this day in 1982, the T-Mobile G1 and our experiences with the early internet…

Direct Download

RSS Feed

Posted in: Podcast, Retro Tech
By October 1, 2013 Read More →

iOS 7 issues

iOS 7 issuesIt has been several weeks since iOS 7 was finally released for iPhone, iPad and iPod devices but that launch hasn’t been without it’s problems and many new users have a complaint or two about the update.

Ignoring the fact that some users just don’t like the new visual styling or are finding it a little more difficult to use a locate things since the update, and ignoring too the fact that some users are complaining that the new parallax and zooming effects of the OS are making them sea sick… I’m talking about two specific problems that are being heavily reported; Battery Life and iMessage issues.

So taking the first, I support a number of users across a couple of business accounts and it seems that they all decided to update to iOS 7 the day it became available. The response to the update seems to have polarised opinion with some loving and some really hating the changes.  After just a few days the complaints began rolling in to me, “My Battery isn’t lasting the day” or “I’m having to charge my phone a lot more often”.

Initially I took the complaints with a pinch of salt, wondering if it could be caused, in part, by the users playing with the new features of iOS 7 and therefor using their phones a bit more. Turns out though that they were not alone and reports of poor battery life post-update started to fill Twitter, Facebook and online forums.

There’s no real answer to this at the moment aside from being sure to turn of WiFi and Bluetooth when you don’t need them it’s a case of waiting for a further update from Apple to, hopefully, address this.

The second of the iOS 7 issues is with messages. Some users are reporting that they are unable to send messages while others seem unable to receive. My own experience of this is with my iPhone 5 sending several messages to one person and seeing the notification at the top state ‘sending 3 of 3…’ to then see a message failed warning followed by replies to those messages from the recipient.

The messaging issue seems to be affecting some carriers more than others, Vodafone from what I can see being one of the most affected while my Everything Everywhere colleagues seem to be oblivious to such issues.

Apple have already released an update to iOS 7.0.2 but this primarily addresses a security issue rather than solving the issues above. iOS 7.0.3 is due out next week so the hope is that we’ll see some improvement with messaging and battery life in that update.

What are your experiences? Please share with us below!

Posted in: Editorial, Phones
Tags: ,
By October 1, 2013 Read More →

LG G2 launched in UK

LG G2 launchedToday an official announcement from LG that the new LG G2 launched today here in the UK, available from retailers including Carphone Warehouse, EE, Three and O2.

The massive spec of the G2 makes it currently the fasest Android powered smartphone on the market. The chipset inside is a Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800, with a 2.26GHz quad-core Krait 400 on the business end, a 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 display, which gives us a 424 PPI density. It out performs everything else currently on the market but could that change when the Nexus 5 arrives?

Check out the full press release from LG below and we’ll hope to have some hands-on time with the LG G2 soon!

Posted in: News, Phones, Press Releases
Tags: , ,
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks