Archive for 2013

By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Buying a New Mobile? Here Are Some Options

Set of touchscreen smartphonesIt can be challenging to renew lists of the best mobile phones available because their rate of release is so fast today. However, October saw the release of very few new phones. Now that the market has settled after the storm (or lack of, according to some) caused by the new iPhone releases, we can better assess the new phones that have been released of late.

The following are the best of the new bunch. If you’re low on funds this month, be sure to check out Virgin Media’s SIM only deals.

Google Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 promises to provide the smoothest and purest Android experience possible. You’ll be able to enjoy the new Android 4.4. KitKat and rather than waiting for the carriers to release updates, you’ll be able to download them directly from Google. There’s a 2.23GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, along with a gorgeous 4.95-ich 1920/1080 display, with a pixel density of 445 pixels-per-inch.

There’s an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera. The phone comes in two options for internal storage: you can choose 16GB or double up to 32GB.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The new Galaxy Note 3 improves upon its predecessor massively. More of a ‘phablet’ than a phone, it’s the only handset that is compatible with Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear smartwatch (support for other Samsung devices will arrive at the end of the year).

Equipped with Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Note 3 has a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, a 5.7 inch 1920 x 1080 display screen, 3GB of RAM, a whopping 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera.

HTC One

Similar to the new Galaxy S4, the HTC One offers an aluminium chassis, a full HD screen and a simplified version of Sense 5.0 with Android Jelly Bean. Users will be able to create video highlight reels to share with their friends. There’s an ultrapixel camera that out-performs just about any other phone camera in low-light conditions.

HTC hasn’t had a great track record, but this model truly takes the cake and silences all critics. Although the battery life still leaves much to be desired, the HTC One is still the best phone HTC has released thus far.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Having just been released, the new Xperia has a bunch of new features under its hood. It now boasts the sharpest LCD panel on the market, as well as a 13MP camera that can capture HDR video.

It fits perfectly into your hand, being nice and slim at 6.5 millimetres. Still, it’s a hardy phone that features tempered glass along with a dust- and waterproof build. It can be submerged in up to 1 metre of water and still work, too.

Buying a new phone these days is tough, as the majority become outdated within a few months. The trick is to select a phone that will last a long time along with updates from the manufacturer. Resist the hype and do your research!

Posted in: Editorial, Phones
By November 28, 2013 Read More →

The Nokia Lumia 2520 is ready to go

nokia_lumia_2520_twodevice-cropped-640x460Nokia today announced that the Nokia Lumia 2520, the company’s first Windows tablet, will be available exclusively through The John Lewis Partnership from December 4th.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 features include:

  • 4G connectivity – allowing faster downloads and connectivity
  • 10.1” full HD display – enhancing entertainment experiences on a large screen
  • Quad core chipset
  • 4 colour options – glossy finished white or red and a matt finished black or cyan
  • 11 hours of battery life
  • Exclusive apps – Nokia Video Director, a new video editing software that lets you get even more creative with different editing styles and Dragons Adventure, a unique entertainment experience built in partnership with DreamWorks Animation which transforms a family drive into a magical gaming experience
Posted in: News, Tablets
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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Top 10 Most Distracting Mobile Apps

dontdrivedistracted-568pxFrom the statistics that have recently been released, half of young drivers are reckless enough to use their mobile phones whilst on the road. Stats from a poll of 1000 drivers have shown that 50% admit to reading text messages whilst driving as well as 74% agreeing that smartphones are distracting to young drivers. As this information has come out, it is startling to know how often this is occurring. This insightful infographic has been devised by ingenie to highlight the facts as part of the #DontDriveDistracted campaign. Be sure to take part and pledge through Twitter, Instagram or Vine by using the hashtag.’

Posted in: Editorial
By November 28, 2013 Read More →

New HTC One coming with microSD slot and Dual-SIM

g254234-2HTC are bringing a new version of the ever-popular HTC One to the UK and the new version is going to add Dual-SIM and a microSD memory card slot!

On the Official HTC Store the new version is available for pre-order but there’s no word on when the devices will start shipping.

This is a nice little enhancement to what’s already an awesome, award-winning phone. Further information from the Official HTC Store include:

Memory: Internal phone storage: 32GB / RAM: 2GB / Expansion card slot supports microSD™ for up to 64GB additional storage (card not included)

Dual-sim

Unlike other dual-sim Smartphones, HTC’s dual active solution offers complete flexibility:

  • Receive calls from either sim card at any time
  • Switch seamlessly between both sim cards while you talk
  • HTC Sense helps you manage calls, texts and data between sim cards s effortlessly
  • On-board Dual Network Manager allows you to select a preferred network and personalise the name of each SIM, eliminating any complexity
Posted in: News, Phones
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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 214: Dan and the Mustache of Doom

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth and Dan are here with another UK update on the mobile front, this week with Phil Lain.

A massive amount of phone and tablet news to churn through this week. Most major manufacturers pull out some sort of new device, with a massive screen.

Gareth goes to Finland and doesn’t look at Angry Birds or Nokia products and young Phil drinks a glass of water.

Featuring Gareth, Dan and Phil

Direct Download

iTunes

Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App

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Watch the video on Youtube

Posted in: News, Podcast, Videos/Unboxings
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By November 27, 2013 Read More →

Those rumours about a touchscreen Chromebook are true

acer-C720P-29552G03aiiLooks like Acer are more in touch with the consumer than ever before. Their latest Chromebook nabs one of the features of the Chromebook, namely a touch screen, whips it into place and flogs it for almost £1,000 less than the Pixel.

Combined with the handsome features of the current Acer C720 Acer could really steal the crown of best all rounder when it comes to a Chromebook. Press release to follow:

  • Acer’s first touchscreen Chromebook – the Acer C720P – provides a natural way to enjoy all the benefits of Chrome
  • Available in selective countries early December starting at only €299.99
  • Great multi-tasking performance and up to 7.5 hours of battery life with fast Intel processor
  • Boots up in only 7 seconds with fast 32GB SSD

London, 27th November 2013 – Acer today announced the availability of its first touchscreen Chromebook, the new Acer C720P, a new model in the Acer C720 Chromebook line that was introduced last month. The new C720P provides the many benefits of touch on the device’s 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to take advantage of the Chrome interface.

“Our new touchscreen C720P gives customers an intuitive way to browse sites online, enjoy apps, and do more with the Chromebook,” said John Miedema, director, business product unit for Acer EMEA. “The Acer C720 Chromebook line has been praised for its performance and battery life, and this new touchscreen model allows us to address the needs of an even wider range of customers with exciting new capabilities. We’re certain many holiday shoppers will jump at the chance to get a touchscreen Chromebook for just €299.99.”

The new Acer C720P touchscreen Chromebook is being introduced after the launch of Acer’s new “A Touch More” marketing campaign that highlights the company’s growing range of innovative products with touch capabilities.

The Acer C720P’s touch capabilities are enjoyed on its vibrant 11.6-inch ComfyView™ HD display that has a 1366×768 resolution to keep websites, images and video crisp and clear. The multi-touch display allows customers to use gestures such as swipe, tap and pinch to zoom to interact in a natural way with the Chromebook so they can better enjoy educational apps, browse websites, scroll through Google Docs, play games and more.

Like the rest of the new C720 line, the new C720P touchscreen model is powered by an Intel Celeron 2955U processor based on the Intel Haswell micro-architecture, so it delivers fast performance and excellent multi-tasking such as running multiple tabs and apps. The processor also enhances battery life; it keeps customers going for up to 7.5 hours for extra productivity and fun.

The C720P gets customers working and connecting quickly with its 32GB SSD that provides a fast boot time of less than 7 seconds and quick resuming from sleep. The large SSD also provides ample storage capacity for saving video, photos and other files. In addition, the touchscreen C720P features 2GB of DDR3 memory. Plus, the Acer C720 quickly connects to hotspots and wireless networks via 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi.

Thin and Lightweight Design Includes all the Extras
The Acer C720P Chromebook measures only 2 cm and weighs only 1.3 kg pounds, making it easy to carry to meetings, classes, and anywhere life takes today’s busy consumers. The C720P’s compact chassis houses everything needed to stay productive, connected and entertained on the go. It features an integrated HD webcam for video chats as well as capturing video and photos to share online. The new Chromebook features a dual speaker design that delivers crisp and clear stereo audio during online chats as well as for enjoying music and movies. Connecting to popular consumer electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones is easy and convenient with the Chromebook’s USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. Its HDMI port can be used to provide video and content to external displays and HDTVs.

Security for Multiple Users, Collaboration
Customers will appreciate that the Chrome OS is updated automatically, so it always has the latest features. Multiple layers of security features including data encryption and verified boot defend the Acer C720P Chromebook against online threats, malware and viruses. The Acer C720P Chromebook keeps data safe when the device is used by multiple users, such as for collaboration in the classroom and for projects for home, school or work. Users can have separate accounts to ensure their project, Gmail and other information is kept safe if the Chromebook is lost, stolen, or lent to a friend.

Chromebooks Are Ready to Work and Play
Acer Chromebook customers are provided several extras to make use of their new C720P touchscreen Chromebook right out of the box. They can access up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, so files, documents, photos and more are stored safely in the cloud.Acer Chromebooks are easy to start enjoying, as they come with popular Google products built in including Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty
The Acer C720 Chromebook will be available early December in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland with a starting price of €299.99.

Posted in: Laptops, News
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By November 27, 2013 Read More →

Pawn Stars attack Google Chromebook

Screenshot 2013-11-27 07.07.58Microsft’s “Scroogled” campaign has become become one of the biggest, embarrassing jokes in the industry. Again screaming nothing but desperation and unprofessional competition.

The ad shows a young actress walking into a famous “Gold and Silver Pawn Shop” in Vegas, with her Samsung Chromebook. She tries to sell it for a ticket to Hollywood but instead gets mocked and told she could probably get to Reno. The Pawn Stars crew highlights that it’s not a real laptop, doesn’t work offline and doesn’t have Office.

We won’t even mention the long list of inferior Windows computers and the company’s history. If Microsoft is really willing to pay TV show Pawn Stars a fortune to make this advert it must mean they are feeling the pressure. Chromebooks are on the rise, and that means no good for a company who is used to ruling the PC market.

You can trust in Microsoft not to be up with the times, the Chromebook is developing at a faster rate than they could ever wish their platform develop. I wonder now is Google will accept the insult like a Gentleman from an petulant child of if they might pick one the many, many flaws in Windows retaliate! And besides have Windows not road-mapped Windows 10 to be a Cloud OS?

Written on a Chromebook (offline)

Posted in: Laptops, News
By November 27, 2013 Read More →

The Benefits of Year-Round Cyber Security Coverage

DEU Brauchtum Liebe BrueckeIn recent years, online security has become a huge issue for casual computer users and businesses alike. While cybercrime can have a devastating effect on individuals, the effects on businesses can be crippling and even bring an organisation grinding to a halt, depending on the severity of the activity.

While most businesses are aware of the huge problems that cybercrime can cause and have various types of security software and cyber security measures in place to combat such potential attacks, many do not have proper year-round cyber security coverage and monitoring in place, which could cause problems. Nobody knows if and when cyber security threats will arise, and without constant security and monitoring, the security of your business could remain at risk even if you do have measures in place.

Why you should opt for year-round security

Many businesses carry out security testing on a periodic basis in the hope that this will enable them to avoid the risk of cyber threats. However, this actually leaves your business open to lengthy periods where threats could become an issue and new vulnerabilities could be introduced.

This is why it is important to ensure that assessments are carried out on a more regular basis and security monitoring becomes a constant rather than periodic process. So what are the benefits of year-round cyber security coverage? Well, some of the key benefits include the following.

  • Increased peace of mind: there is no doubt that cyber threats have become a huge issue and problem for organisations. However, by ensuring you have access to year-round cyber security coverage, you can benefit from greater peace of mind rather than being continually concerned about the possibility of new vulnerabilities slipping through the net.
  • Increased protection: the effects of cybercrime on businesses can be devastating, affecting everything from the running and finances of the business to the security of sensitive or even classified information. With year-round security, you can ensure your organisation benefits from increased protection, minimising the risk of falling victim to cybercriminal activities.
  • Minimising on the risk of both external and internal breaches: with the right year-round security system, you can ensure your organisation is protected against both external and internal breaches, which means a heightened level of protection for your business.

By opting for managed security services from professionals with expertise and experience in this field, you can ensure that your organisation’s cyber security systems are running at optimum levels at all times. The right provider can ensure you are protected against the ever-increasing threat of cybercrime.

Choosing the right company to provide your managed security services means that you can benefit from rapid response to make sure that your network is always secure and protected. You can also benefit from the expertise, knowledge and skills of professionals to ensure that all of your company’s cyber security needs are met and maintained. https://www.sapphire.net/ are specialists in just one area, uniting subject-matter experts in the field of cybersecurity management and policy with the latest and most advanced technology to give organizations a higher level of protection. You can find out more about managed cyber security services, here.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, Editorial
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By November 26, 2013 Read More →

Sony Xperia Z Ultra unboxing and hands-on

sony-xperia-z-ultra-1Hot on the heels of our Sony Xperia Z1 review we have its big brother, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

With its 6.4″ screen, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the largest of the ‘Phablet’ form devices to hit the market and just tops Samsung’s Galaxy Mega 6.3.

However, unlike many of the other phablet devices on the market, the Z Ultra follows other devices in the range and is IP58 rated making it both dust and waterproof and able to submerge in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Making it possibly an ideal device for using in or around the pool when you’re on your holidays.

At just 6.5mm thick, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra packs quite a lot in to its slim chassis. Inside we get a 2.2GHz Quad-core CPU, 16GB internal storage, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera and all of the usual bells and whistles in terms of GPS, WiFi, etc.

As always, we’re kicking off with an unboxing and hands on video. Here you’ll see the hardware in more detail and I’ll show you what the OS/UI is like before running that ever controversial benchmark test.

Posted in: News, Phones, Tablets, Videos/Unboxings
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By November 26, 2013 Read More →

Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Available for Pre-Order in the US

toq_preorderToday Qualcomm announced that their Toq Smartwatch is officially available for pre-order from their Toq Store with a $350.00 price tag attached to it. Available in black and white the Toq will ship in 1-3 weeks with the charges to your Credit card only taking place after the smartwatch has shipped. Unfortunately the wearable is not available internationally and we will; just have to wait. However, we are surprised at this price point, it’s more expensive than the Galaxy Gear.  On the plus side, the Toq SmartWatch is compatible with most Android powered handsets, so you don’t have to worry about compatibly issues.

If you are interested you can head on over to the Toq Store and check out all the details.

Posted in: Gadgets, News
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