Author Archive: Matt

More than 20 years in the IT industry. Blogging with a passion and thirst for new technology since 2005.

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By February 1, 2013 Read More →

BlackBerry Z10 on superfast 4GEE – the UK’s first 4G BlackBerry

bb-z10 Available from EE, the UK’s only 4G network, the BlackBerry Z10 is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet and offers a smarter experience that continuously adapts to a customer’s needs. When combined with EE’s superfast 4G network, BB10 becomes one of the most connected operating systems on the market – allowing customers to download content, email and share files in a way they haven’t been able to on a BlackBerry device before.

EE 4G pricing table

Monthly contract

Upfront device cost – 24 months

£31

£199.99

£36

£149.99

£41

£49.99

£46

£29.99

£51

£29.99

£56

£29.99

£61*

£29.99

*Price includes discount for new customers joining before 28th February

12 month plans are also available. Further pricing information can be found here: http://shop.ee.co.uk/blackberry-z10/pay-monthly/mobile-tariffs/

Stockist details

EE Pricing: £49.99 one off charge on a £41 per month, 24 month contract

Website: www.ee.co.uk/shop

Posted in: News
By February 1, 2013 Read More →

Sony Xperia Z – available for pre-order on Three

xperia-z The Sony Xperia Z, Sony’s innovative smartphone, is now available for pre-order on Three.

Xperia Z brings together the best of Sony’s technology, design and connectivity to deliver a precision engineered full HD smartphone. The phone is smart, sleek and durable with a reflective glass surface and is resistance to dust and water which means it’s perfect for taking photos in the rain or texting from the bath!
The 5″ full HD display has a Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 which automatically optimises images so they’re sharper and brighter so you’ll get the best in contrast and colour management.

Xperia Z also offers more intelligent battery management with Battery STAMINA Mode so your phone lasts even longer. It knows when your screen is off, shuts down the battery-draining apps you don’t need and then starts them up again when the screen is back on. Combined with the powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor means you have a top performing smartphone which won’t let you down.

Sylvia Chind, Head of Devices at Three, said, “We’re extremely pleased to offer the Xperia Z for pre-order from the 1st February and coupled with our highly competitive price plans and no surprise out of bundle data charges, this premium smartphone brings you the ultimate internet experience all on our Ultrafast network”.
The Sony Xperia Z will be available from the 28th February for £34 a month with an upfront cost of £69 on the Ultimate Internet 500 plan. It will also be available for £36 a month with an upfront cost of £69 on The One Plan. Both plans come with a guarantee of no surprise out-of-bundle data charges and All- You-Can-Eat data.

Additionally the smartphone is available on Pay As You Go for £449.99 plus a top up. All in One 15 costs £15 and gives 30-day access to All-You-Can-Eat data along with 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts. Or All in One 25 costs £25 and offers All-You-Can-Eat data, 500 minutes and 3,000 texts and for a 30-day period.
The first 1,000 customers to visit our retail stores and pre-order a Sony Xperia Z on a 24 month contract with Three will receive a pair of Sony MDR-1R Prestige headphones worth £299.00. These specially engineered High Definition headphones include pressure-relieving cushions so you can listen in comfort for as long as the beat keeps rolling*.

Key features
. 5″ full HD display for the best viewing experience
. 13MP fast-capture camera so you never miss a shot
. Dust and water resistant to protect it from any accidents
. 1.5Ghz quad-core processor for fast multi-tasking
. Long battery life with STAMINA mode to last even longer
. Ultrabrilliant meets Ultrafast

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Phones
By January 24, 2013 Read More →

Best Technology bargains of the beginning of 2013

MVC logo The latest releases are never cheap, but luckily, you don’t have to buy the new ‘must-have’ gadget to enjoy the best technology. With lots of retailers offering massive reductions on TV’s, laptops and more – you could find a great deal.

Want to update your home entertainment system? Curry’s are offering up to £300 off a range of TV’s in the sale.

Similarly, Argos has 1000’s of clearance items on offer – from camcorders to personal stereo systems – there are loads of discounts to take advantage of.

If you’re looking for a new speaker dock or set of earphones, Debenhams are currently offering 25% off a range of iPod accessories.

Or for a sleek new ultrabook, head to John Lewis. With massive reductions and cash back deals, you could find one for an amazing price.

Finally, with Dell offering 10% off business ultrabooks over £500 – Dell SMB have got your business needs covered.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Editorial
By January 14, 2013 Read More →

Huawei Ascend P1 Review

Huawei Ascend P1 I would say that by now a lot of you guys reading this review would have heard of Huawei as a smartphone manufacturer as we at tracyandmatt.co.uk have looked at and reviewed many devices in the past. So with that in mind I would also imagine that you will have heard whisperings of the Huawei Ascend P1, the company’s’ flagship smartphone? If you haven’t heard of this phone then you will have by the conclusion to this review. Huawei have certainly got some stiff competition from the likes of HTC, Samsung and now Apple with the recent announcement of the iPhone 5 (I shall reserve judgement).

So I bet you’re all wondering what is this phone all about? And also maybe how well it will stack up against the mountain of competition?

Well if you do indeed wish to find out the ins and outs then I recommend reading on… after you’ve watched Matt’s unboxing and hands on video first of course.

 

Posted in: Phones, Reviews
Tags: , ,
By January 2, 2013 Read More →

A (belated) Happy New Year!

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year.

Regular visitors my have noticed the uncharacteristic lack of new items over the past week. Unfortunately both James and myself were really ill over the Christmas period so have been out of action.

However, normal service will shortly be resumed.

Lots of good things planned for this year too so watch this space!

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Editorial
By December 9, 2012 Read More →

HTC Windows Phone 8S unboxing video

HTC Windows Phone 8S It’s been a while since I last did an unboxing video so I was pretty pleased to get hold of HTC’s latest phone, the HTC Windows Phone 8S.

While the name may be a bit of a mouthful the phone itself isn’t too much of a handful with a 4″ display and carefully curved back in a textured finish this is a phone that’s easy and comfortable to hold.

HTC have made this one available in a variety of colours and this red one that we are looking at looks quite smart and stands out from the crowd. It’s quite festive too!

The 8S is the first Windows Phone 8 phone that I’ve had the chance to use in earnest so I’m looking forward to the next few weeks of testing. Initial impressions are that it runs really smoothly and rapid at most tasks despite the processor clock speed seemingly a little slow, on paper at least.

Check out the video below which covers the basics of the hardware before delving in and reviewing some of the OS and UI features.

Posted in: Phones, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: ,
By November 8, 2012 Read More →

Olympic Park Legacy to fuel IT jobs growth in London

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The London Olympics seems like a dim and distant memory for most of us, but for those in charge of the redevelopment of the Olympic Park in Stratford, London, the enormous job is only just beginning.

Seb Coe and the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) built their bid for the London Olympics on a promise of building a lasting legacy for London and in particular the Stratford area. One of the first key challenges for the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) is therefore now to attract businesses to the area to take over the occupancy of the buildings within the park.

One of the most successful elements of London 2012 was the public transport system operated during the games; for the first time, many Londoners realised how well connected Stratford is to the rest of the capital. As well as an enormous new bus station, Stratford is served by: two of the main tube lines; the DLR; the Overground; and also National Rail services. This is something that the Legacy Committee is sure to drive home to prospective business tenants.

The impressive transport links are not the only benefit in businesses considering a move Eastwards; the Mayor of London’s ‘Super Connected City Plan’ is another key attraction. The plan focuses on East London and the introduction of ‘affordable ultrafast fibre broadband connectivity to 100% of SMEs, businesses and residents from Shoreditch expanding east towards the Olympic Park and then South to Canning Town’ (GLA, London Super Connected City Plan).

Transport, the advanced broadband facilities and the close proximity to Shoreditch’s ‘Tech City’ all indicate that many of the new companies setting up home in the area are expected to be IT, digital and technology companies creating more employment and IT jobs in London.

Gavin Poole is chief executive of iCITY, the company selected by the LLDC for the legacy use of the Press and Broadcast Centres on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. He firmly believes that the site has the potential to generate jobs and promote innovation in the Stratford area:

“The press and broadcast centre is one of the most digitally connected buildings in the world, providing an almost unlimited bandwidth connectivity. With the flourishing digital and creative industries sector just up the road, iCITY will extend the thriving technology cluster in east London onto the Olympic Park, creating over 6,500 jobs in the local communities and adding £460million to the national economy,” he said.

The Olympic sponsors are involved in ensuring that a legacy of prosperity is brought to the area. The IT sponsor, Cisco, is involved in ensuring an IT workforce is created in the Olympic Park. As part of a five-year “Building a brilliant future” plan that started with London 2012, Cisco has increased the number of its networking academies with a view to improving technology education.

Neil Crockett, Managing Director of Public Sector, Cisco UK & Ireland, said: “We’re providing skills and an environment in which hi-tech entrepreneurship can thrive and will help the economy.”

The idea behind this idea is that local students will be exposed to technology at a young age, giving them the experience and necessary skills to work and thrive in the IT sector.

It looks like the golden glow that surrounded Stratford during July and August is set to continue for a long time into the future and, in turn, potentially encourage the UK to produce some of the brightest future technology entrepreneurs.

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Editorial
By September 29, 2012 Read More →

Giving Your Mobile the Personal Touch

sim-card Although no person wants to be alone, each one wants to be unique. When it comes to possessions, we want our things to have a personal touch. We want to express ourselves through our essential possessions, like the food we eat, the home we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, the bags we carry, and the mobile telephone we use.

Do you want to personalise your cell phone or your smartphone? There are many ways to add a personal touch to our phones. These range from displaying unique wallpaper to having outrageous cases. The possibilities are endless, and it’s up to you to have some fun with your phone.

Wallpapers, screensavers, logos and icons can be customised by making your own. You don’t have to be a Leonardo or a Michaelangelo to do this. There are lots of programs to help you out. Besides, you can take pictures of yourself, your loved ones, your favourite celebrities, your favourite things or foods, or your pets, and set them up as wallpapers and screensavers. Your pets’ cute face would make a beautiful icon.

There are phones that have banners. Put in a nice or funny quote. Or, you can use a silly quote and smile every time you read it. Your handset’s themes, colours, fonts and skins can also be set according to your preference. The good thing is you can change these settings every time you feel like it.

Ringtones, ringback tones, message alerts and other tones can also be customised by making your own. There are phones with composer software that produces monotone ringtones. You may also download a clip of your favourite song or you can sing yourself and use your song. A pet’s bark or meow will make a nice message tone.

Now, let’s see what we can do with the physical part of our phones. A wide range of colourful cases are available online and in stores. Some cases are formal like black, white, beige and dark blue. However, there are plenty of colourful and fun cases, too, with prints ranging from polka dots to tribal patterns. Some even have letter initials or full names printed on them.

Some stores offer services such as customising your handset’s cases. However, if you want to personalise your case, how about doing it yourself. You can buy stickers, rhinestones and other embellishments, and the fun begins!

You may also add your own drawings and doodles. Or, you can imprint your hands or your pet’s paws, and use it for your phone’s cover.

Cell phone pouches and tote bags are also available, which of course you can customise too. You can make your own, if you’re a little crafty, or you can put stickers, rhinestones or patches to existing bags. Keychains, accessories and even blings are also available for your phone.

The ultimate personal touch, however, that you can give your phone is to give it memorable mobile phone numbers. You can have a set of numbers that are dear to your heart, or just a set that looks unique and remarkable. For interesting and exciting mobile numbers, visit Unique SIMs.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Phones
By September 25, 2012 Read More →

Apple iPhone 5 unboxing video

iPhone 5 unboxing video Announced a little over a week ago, I’ve just managed to get my grubby paws on the new iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5 has had something of a mixed reception, many reviews claiming it’s just a longer iPhone 4s and that it’s a lot of money to pay for an extra row of icons. However, there are just as many reviews claiming it as the best phone ever and lauding its stunning looks and performance.

As is our way, we’re unboxing a black iPhone 5 in the video below and you can see it beside the 4s and compared to the white version.

 

Posted in: Phones, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: ,
By September 23, 2012 Read More →

Utano Barrier T180 unboxing video

utano-barrier-t180-ip67-rugged-android-phone-gps-3g-[5]-175-p We’ve looked at ruggedised phones quite a bit in the past, from those truly built to be life proof like the JCB toughphone range to those from Motorola and Sony which tend to more water and dust proof than truly drop and shock proof.

Clove Technology sent us over the Utano Barrier T180 to have a look at. This is a true IP67 rated android smartphone that has the added benefit of dual-sim capability.

This is the first time we have seen a dual SIM Smartphone within the UK which uses Android. Anyone who regularly travels abroad will understand the benefit of being able to use alternative network providers in different countries, without having to constantly remove the battery.

The rugged design of the Utano Barrier T180 means that it can be taken to where you need it. It is able to withstand water, shocks and dust, so you don’t need to be constantly worrying about it.

Not only do you want your Smartphone to be tough, you also want it to be capable of running the latest apps. The Utano Barrier T180 features a 800MHz Qualcomm processor, so you’ll be able to experience a responsive user interface and access to your favourite media.

To ensure that you can fully utilise your apps a 3.2″ capacitive IPS panel has been included. This provides bright vibrant colours and has the benefit that you have a wide viewing angle. It will also bring videos and photos to life, so you can fully enjoy them.

 

But hang on a moment, isn’t this just the JCB Pro-smart in new clothing??

See for yourself in the unboxing video below.

 

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