Archive for 2015

By March 8, 2015 Read More →

Sennheiser Urbanite XL Unboxing

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A quick unboxing and initial impressions of the Urbanites XL from Sennheiser. These wired headphones with in-line microphone are compatible with Apple iPod, Iphone and iPad. Limited compatibility with Android devices however there is a version available especially for the Galaxy range.

URBANITE XL headphones are for those that love their tunes heavy and love to look good, but who always respect great sound. The URBANITE XL range is ideal for staying connected on the move, with integrated in-line remote controls and microphones for taking calls and controlling music on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, with a dedicated version for Samsung Galaxy devices. This is the sound your ears have been waiting for… Sennheiser URBANITE XL. Let your ears be loved.

Features
  • Take your club sound with you – massive bass and clear treble
  • Tough companion – extra rugged for robust urban living
  • Stay connected – control your music and calls
  • Fits your lifestyle – fold them up and go
  • URBANITE XL is wrapped in comfort – XL ear-pads simply feel better
  • Available in your choice of colours – black, denim, sand, nation and olive
  • Compatibility – available with detachable cable with 3-button remote control and integrated microphone for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets
  • Easy to store and bring along – the foldable design makes it easy to collapse and store in the supplied soft pouch
  • Bold design – Robust quality of premium stainless steel hinge and aluminium slider

By March 8, 2015 Read More →

The Galaxy S6 has a removable non-removable battery

Screenshot 2015-03-08 11.40.14There has been a little bit of criticism of Samsung and their decision to drop the removable battery from the Galaxy S6 and enclose the device. However, following instructions provided by Samsung themselves users can have a go at replacing the battery down the line if they require it. Whilst it is certainly far from being as simple as swapping the battery on previous Galaxy S devices and most other Samsung phones over the years, there is still technically a removable under the cover and the directions are not exactly rocket science. Attempting this on your own is doing so at your own risk, it will possibly invalidate the warranty. If you are not a qualified Samsung engineer you should probably not try this, or perhaps you should enrol to become a Samsung engineer and then attempt it. In the Galaxy S6 manual linked above see page page 138.

Posted in: News, Phones
By March 6, 2015 Read More →

Firefox OS expanding to 28 countries

FirefoxOS_for_press_releaseRecently we found that Firefox OS was hitting the new range of Panasonic Viera televsions, now Mozilla are announcing that Firefox OS is now available on 14 smartphones offered by 14 different operators in 28 countries worldwide. The phones will soon expand over to Africa, taking the OS to a total five continents. Mozilla earlier announced agreements with African telecomms companies Airtel, MTN South Africa and Tigo for expansion throughout Africa.

Other recent launches include the Ace smartphone from Cherry Mobile in the Philippines, which Mozilla claims is the most affordable smartphone in the world. The Japanese operator KDDI recently launched a Firefox OS phone in December. A few weeks ago Alcatel Onetouch also launched a new low-cost Firefox OS smartphone in Bangladesh, adding to the Go Fox 15 already in the market.

“When the flexibility of the Web meets the ubiquity of mobile, the boundaries of what can or cannot be done are erased,” said Li Gong, president of Mozilla. “Firefox OS has proven this by re-defining the ultra-low-cost category, now including the lowest-ever priced smartphone. On the other end of the spectrum, we have seen mid-range and will soon see high-end Firefox OS smartphones. This year, Firefox OS has successfully brought different experiences for different people, but has introduced choice for everyone.”

Like it or not, Firefox OS is laying out a rather strong foundation in the budget world to build upon and we will soon see this OS arriving on our shores with the strength behind it to make some noise.

By March 6, 2015 Read More →

Could Huawei make the next Nexus?

Screenshot 2015-03-05 17.59.40There a number of  rumours about the next Nexus device and they should always be taken with a pinch of salt. For example last week it was suggesting that the next Nexus could come from a manufacturer like Huawei. After make a lot of noise with the incredibly beautiful Huawei Watch smartwatch rumours began to surface that Google might have them in their sights as the next Nexus maker. 

However, there is now more. Another more recent rumour comes from Gizmochina, who are reporting that this rumour was recently confirmed by Kevin Yang, the director of China research at iSuppli, a technology value chain research and advisory service. Huawei, a Chinese company would make an interesting partner for Google for a new device. An increase in Chinese appeal would be a massive victory for Google. Huawei and Xiami are selling in massive numbers in China and there is much speculation that Xiami might repeat their success in the U.S. and Europe if marketed carefully. Getting in bed with Google and adopting their Western approach could be Earth rattling. 

Posted in: News, Phones
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By March 5, 2015 Read More →

Archos set to fuse things together

ARCHOS-101-Magnus_w_600Archos are at Mobile World Congress this year showing off a something a little different, as usual. Archos are introduced a new proprietary technology called “Fusion Storage.” Essentially, this combines the storage of an added microSD card with the tablet’s built-in internal storage. In this case, the technology is being used on their new Magnus range of tablets as well as some other upcoming smartphones and tablets. Select models will also become Fusion Storage capable by way of over-the-air software updates.

“Once activated, Archos Fusion Storage automatically migrates data from the microSD card and optimizes memory balance, resulting in an increase in install space for apps and games, as well as more storage for media and large files,” the press release states.

Archos revealed more details on the Magnus tablet line-up, which features the first tablet to sport 256 GB of internal storage. This new series includes the Archos 101 Magnus, the Archos 94 Magnus and the Archos 101 Magnus Plus. Prices are only available in dollars at the moment and whilst they are currently based on Android 4.4 KitKat the cost is only $179, $349 and $349, respectively. There is no word on a Lollipop update for the tablets, I’m sure this would require some tinkering in order to work around the fusion technology.

The Archos 94 Magnus has the largest internal capacity of 256 GB, and that’s not including the microSD card slot supporting up to 128 GB of storage. This model runs on a Rockchip RK3288 processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, a Mali T764 GPU, a 9.4-inch IPS screen with a 1280 x 800 resolution and 1.5 GB of memory. Other hardware details include a 5MP camera on the front and a VGA camera on the back, a 6400 mAh battery, and more.

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The Archos 101 Magnus Plus run on the Rockchip RK3288 processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, a Mali T764 GPU, and a 10.1-inch IPS screen with a spiffy 1920 x 1200 resolution. Other hardware specifications include 2 GB of RAM, 128 GB of internal storage, a 5MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, a microSD card slot supporting 128 GB of storage and a 7000 mAh battery.

The specifications also show that the Archos 101 Magnus Plus tablet measures just 0.39 inches, whereas the Archos 94 Magnus measures 0.39 inches and the Archos 101 Magnus measures 0.47 inches. Archos are hoping the 101 Magnus Plus and Archos 101 Magnus can hit the market in April 2015. The Archos 94 Magnus will be available next month as well, but the tablet will only be sold on the Archos website.

Posted in: News, Tablets
By March 4, 2015 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 230 : MWC 2015

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth, Phil and Matt get together for one last chat about Mobile World Congress 2015 before some big changes are employed.

Featuring Gareth, Phil and Matt

Direct Download

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Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App

Mobile Tech Addicts Facebook

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Email us: [email protected]  Tel: 0208 123 3757

 

 

Show notes

Phones

HTC One M9

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Microsoft Lumia 640

Blackphone 2

BlackBerry Leap

Alcatel Hero 2 + Idol 3

 

Tablets

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet

Archos Fusion Storage on Tablets

Wearables

Huawei Watch

Pebble Time Steel

HTC Grip

HTC Vive Headset

LG Watch Urbane LTE

Acer Liquid Leap

Other Shi… stuff

Wireless Charging in Ikea Furniture

 

Email us: [email protected]  Tel: 0208 123 3757

Gareth Myles – @garethmyles

Matt and Tracy Davis –   @tracyandmatt        

Phil Lain – @low405

By March 4, 2015 Read More →

Alcatel Idol 3 turns things on it’s head

image001Alcatel have announced a new Idol model this year in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress. This new ultra-slim smartphone comes in two sizes, 4.7″ and 5.5″ Android slabs. Touting dual hi-fi speakers and a 13 megapixel rear camera developed to do battle with low level light settings. The 4.7″ screen sits atop a quad-core CPU whilst the 5.5″ harbours an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. Both rock 4G LTE connectivity alongside Lollipop. The interesting feature here is the orientation of the screen, the phone will right itself no matter what way round you are looking at the screen. 

Screenshot 2015-03-01 13.55.40

Posted in: News, Phones
By March 4, 2015 Read More →

NVIDIA Shield Android TV for you living room

SHIELD_and_SHIELD_controller-640x726NVIDIA are entering your living room based on the idea of the  NVIDIA Shield mobile gaming device. A full on centrepiece for your living room called NVIDIA Shield Android TV. It’s the world’s first dedicated Android TV console. Using “Grid,” a technology platform NVIDIA developed to access a big computer in the cloud to stream games, NVIDIA are pushing this as the “Netflix for gaming”. This isn’t entirely revolutionary, Onlive had a go some years ago and Playstation is testing a similar, is expensive, subscription platform for the PlayStation 4.

 NVIDIA Shield Android TV console will go on sale in the States in May for $199. A bundle will include the console, one controller, and access to all of your Google Play Store content with optional accessories for purchase including gaming controllers, remote control for the TV, and a stand to make the NVIDIA Shield stand vertically.

Specs wise, the is a bit of a best, and for the money it looks a lot more capable then the Xbox One or PS4. 4K output is going to be a real head turner and built on the latest Tegra X1 processor will provide the juice. It is important to note that this is a streaming device, so no local rendering will happen on the console, this all takes place on the Grid. 

NVIDIA Shield Specs:

NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor
256-core Maxwell GPU
3GB RAM
4K Ultra-HD Ready with 4K playback and capture up to 60 fps
7.1 and 5.1 surround sound pass through over HDMI
16GB Storage
Ethernet
Bluetooth 4.1/BLE
HDMI 2.0
Two USB 3.0 ports
Micro-USB 2.0
MicroSD slot
IR Receiver
Weight – 23oz / 654g
Height: 5.1in / 130mm
Width: 8.3in / 210mm
Depth: 1.0in / 25mm

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Press release follows:

NVIDIA Launches Its First Living-Room Entertainment Device

New SHIELD Android TV Console Brings 4K Entertainment to Every Home –
Harnessing Tegra X1, Android TV OS and GRID Game-Streaming Service

SAN FRANCISCO—Game Developers Conference—March 3, 2015—NVIDIA today introduced NVIDIA® SHIELD™, the world’s first Android™ TV console, which delivers video, music, apps and amazing games to the home.

Built on Android TV, SHIELD can play top-quality 4K video content, includes one-click access to Google Voice Search and provides the richness of Android’s app ecosystem.

SHIELD is a sleek device that comes loaded with cutting-edge NVIDIA technologies, including the recently launched NVIDIA® Tegra® X1 processor.

SHIELD is also the gateway to the NVIDIA GRID™ game-streaming service. Powered by GeForce® GTX™ supercomputers in the cloud, GRID delivers an on-demand “Netflix for games” experience at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second.

“SHIELD will change the way we enjoy digital entertainment at home,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO of NVIDIA. “It’s an incredibly powerful, efficient and advanced living room entertainment device. It’s the best Android TV experience. And it can transform into a serious gaming machine. It’s made to game.”

Made to Game
SHIELD – sold with the SHIELD controller made for serious gaming – is a single platform with access to a wealth of great games.

First, 50+ Android titles optimized for SHIELD will be available for download, including AAA titles like Crysis 3, Doom 3®: BFG Edition™ and Borderlands: TPS. These can be played at blistering speed, thanks to SHIELD’s Tegra X1 processor, with its 256-core Maxwell™ architecture GPU and 64-bit CPU.

Second, favorite AAA titles, including console games, can be streamed using the GRID on-demand game-streaming service. GRID will include with its subscription price access to 50 titles, such as Batman: Arkham Origins, GRID 2 and Metro: Last Light Redux, with additional titles added each week.

Third, the GRID service can be used to purchase and stream new release AAA titles – including Batman: Arkham Knight and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt coming later this year.

Broad Developer Support
Some of the world’s leading game developers and publishers have embraced SHIELD and the GRID service.

“The incredible processing power of Tegra X1 enables us to bring Doom 3: BFG to Android and we’re excited by the possibilities that GRID is bringing to gaming.”
– Tim Willits, studio director, id Software

“Tegra X1’s enormous processing capabilities running on Android TV gives us access to a much broader audience, and we’re delighted to partner with NVIDIA to explore a variety of exciting possibilities for SHIELD, including the remastering of the survival horror classic, Resident Evil 5.”
– Jun Takeuchi, managing corporate officer, CAPCOM

“SHIELD is definitely made to game and thanks to Tegra X1 we have The Witcher: Battle Arena playing natively on SHIELD. With GRID, we’ll be able to bring new hit games to fans immediately.”
– Benjamin Lee, The Witcher: Battle Arena lead producer, CDPROJEKT

Pricing and Availability
SHIELD will be available in May, starting at $199 with a controller. Optional accessories include additional controllers, a remote control and a stand enabling the device to stand vertically.

SHIELD is the central member of the SHIELD family of devices, complementing the SHIELD tablet, the ultimate tablet for gamers; and the SHIELD portable, the ultimate portable gaming device. More information is available at http://shield.nvidia.com.

Posted in: News, TV & Home Cinema
By March 4, 2015 Read More →

Could the Huawei watch be the ultimate companion?

 

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This year Huawei is taking another stab at wowing Mobile World Congress with the announcement of the Huawei Watch. Huawei have always shown a clever offering at the show and this year they are joining in the rakes of most other manufacturers with a wearable. The watch looks to take a very traditional approach, not from a smart watch point of view, but instead resembling the time piece design we are all faimilar with.Two full promo videos have popped up on YouTube for this Android Wear-powered beauty that will be made official very soon. The features include sapphire glass, a heart rate sensor, interchangeable leather or metal straps, crown, a bunch of classy watch faces, and a perfectly round watch face.

Unfortunately no official specs, release date or price are available.

 

By March 3, 2015 Read More →

Exclusive look at Panasonic Firefox OS implementation #VieraVIPClub

tc_65cx850_bPanasonic have taken some time out to film a couple of little videos for readers here at Tracyandmatt.co.uk. The first features Michael Price, an expert from Panasonic on the Viera range. Michael gives us a quick look at how simple the new Firefox OS is to use on the new Viera range, alongside the latest 4K picture quality advances with the CX800.

 

 Secondly, Andreas Gal, CTO of Mozilla gives an exclusive interview and in-depth look at the Firefox OS at Panasonic Convention 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany, for the Viera VIP Club. 

 

 

 

For more information check http://viera.panasonic.co.uk/ 

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