Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By April 22, 2015 Read More →

ChatGrape Arrives As An Open Beta

chatgrape-grape-ondarkPromising to shake up the enterprise and team messaging app world ChatGrape injects fresh, new life into the ever growing list of messaging apps. With a colourful design and an interesting approach ChatGrape is a platform that might turn some heads. Touching on a few features that other popular messaging client overlook or choose to avoid ChatGrape has incorporated the ability to send Gifs. Currently only a few other clients offer this and it is only  a matter of time before it big names do, ChatGrape may have gotten a foot in the door before others sneak in.

The main appeal for ChatGrape is the ability to set up Rooms for chatting, a little like Google+ Circles or Facebook Group Messaging, alongside private messages you can mention people and rooms using the @ symbol. Another handy feature is allows you to mention your external data by hitting a # Icon, allowing the user to manage a team on Android without switching between Apps.

Connecting external services has been implemented and now supports Google Drive, Google Calender, Trello, Bitbucket and Github. The ability to add a custom API is also available.

We are hoping to have a representive of ChatGrape on the show next week for a chat about ChatGrape and what it will bring to the market.

Check out the open Beta of Chatgrape on Android, Mac and IOS or through your browser at Chatgrape.com.

Posted in: Apps & Games, News
By April 22, 2015 Read More →

Unboxing the Inateck Bluetooth 3.0 ultra slim keyboard

vlcsnap-2015-04-20-22h21m31s103Coming in at an exceptionally low price whilst retaining a fine build quality the Inateck Bluetooth keyboard is a low cost solution to increasing comfort when travelling and the need for a more desktop like environment. Also available in black, this revised bluetooth keyboard is much more attractive than the typical affair you would expect at the low price of £23.99. A Curve-shaped and sleek design makes it portable and none bulky. A built-in 200mA lithium battery keep charge  for up to 4 months in standby and 8 hours of continuous use every day. Keyboard sleeps after 10 minutes of inactivity and wakes up when any key is pressed. 

  • Compatible with Android, Windows, Mac OS/ iOS and all Bluetooth-enabled tablets, laptops, and computers, enabling you to mix and match with devices.
  • 0.16inch (4.3mm) thin, easy to transport, work and play anywhere anytime.
  • Built-in 200mA lithium battery, works for up to 4 months in standby without charging with 8 hours of continuous use every day; automatic sleep mode and smart wake up.
  • Using the American broadcom Bluetooth 3.0 chip, transfer up to 24 Mb/s, 8 times more than the Bluetooth 2.0 standard, highspeed connection and signal distance up to 33ft (10m).

 

You can purchase from Amazon here.

Posted in: Reviews, Videos/Unboxings
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By April 21, 2015 Read More →

Unboxing the Inateck 4 Port USB Desktop Charger

vlcsnap-2015-04-20-22h21m02s72Inateck, a reliable and price concious hardware brand have send over a 4 Post USB dekstop charger a head of the holidays for Gareth to take  a look at. This type of device, as Gareth outlines, is perfect for a holiday to allow users a charging solution for multiple USB devices.

  • Weight 120g / 4.23oz
     
  • Size 100 x 105 x 30mm / 3.94 x 4.13 x 1.18in
     
  • Interface 4 x 5V / 1.5A charging ports

You can purchase one for £13.99 from Amazon here!

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
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By April 20, 2015 Read More →

Unboxing the Microsoft Lumia 640

vlcsnap-2015-04-19-16h39m07s187Gareth takes a look at the latest Microsoft Windows Phone, the Lumia 640. This wallet friendly refresh adds a lot of the mix combining some very attractive features to a decent build and some impressive addition value in Office 365 for one year.

For only £120 the Lumia 640 packs quite the punch:

5” Display
8.0 MP Main camera Led flash
HD 0.9 MP wide angle Front camera:
8 GB Mass memory
4G LTE Network
Snapdragon 400 Quad-core 1.2GHz Processor
17.5 h Talk time

Posted in: News, Videos/Unboxings
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By April 16, 2015 Read More →

Huawei adds some stunning phones to it’s line up

huawei-p8_w_450Yesterday saw the lanuch of not three but two Huawei devices. We had been expecting the P8, P8 Max and the P8 Lite however only the P8 and P8 Max made it into the limelight. This is quite understandable as the two phones Huawei unveiled are quite easily two of the most exciting and extraordinary devices of the year.

First is the Huawei P8. This top end phone packs a HiSilicon Kirin 930 octa-core CPU that includes a cluster of four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2 GHz and another four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5 GHz. A GPU. The Kirin 930 SoC uses the Mali-T628MP4 GPU. Fronted by a 5.2″ screen with a Full HD 1080p resolution there is a second screen on the back, a built-in 4.3″ E-ink screen. The screen is always-on and can be used to read books or view notifications.

The P8 comes with a 2,600 mAh battery. Whilst the battery size might meet with some critics the P8 has an app power consumption firewall. The purpose of the firewall is to block all apps that have abnormal power usage. The company said the device should last an extra 2.3 days of standby time thanks to this feature. This will be an interesting feature to test and some may turn it off if it decides to block their Whatsapp. To facilitate things there is 3 GB of RAM and a choice of either 16 or 64 GB storage.

p8-max_w_450

Huawei also let loose the P8max, which comes with a slightly more powerful processor, the Kirin 935. The GPU is clocked at 2.2 GHz, giving it a 10 percent boost in performance. This is to help with the larger 6.8″ screen, which also happens to be the largest Full HD display in the world. To power such a beast of a screen the P8max has a much larger 4,360 mAh battery. This translates to 2.23 days of normal usage and 1.4 days of heavy usage, according to Huawei, obviously taking into account the afore mentioned firewall addition. 

Both P8’s feature a 13MP camera featuring OIS and a “DSLR-level” independent ISP from Altek, and it features 4-colour RGBW imaging for brighter images in high-contrast conditions, and far less noise in low-light situations. A lot of time has been spent by Huawei of late developing their camera technology and implementation. The P8’s OIS is should be twice as good as the iPhone 6’s brag Huawei.

One area Huawei seek to improve and one generally ignored by a great many manufacturers is the antenna. Huawei have put two antennas in the P8 to avoid any issues with signal blockage due to hand placement. The P8 intelligently switches the signal depending on where your hand is located.  In an effort to keep you connected the P8 will switch networks depending on where you are — such as your living room or at work — and it also appears to intelligently switch to a 3G or 4G alongside a Wi-Fi+ feature that’s designed to automatically connect to the best available Wi-Fi network.

Whilst the majority of the P8’s sold will feature a single-SIM variant, there’s also a dual-SIM model that supports two 4G LTE SIMs. The P8 has two nano SIM slots, although one of the two can also handle a Micro SD card.

The Huawei P8 “Standard” with 16 GB of storage will arrive in Titanium Grey and Mystic Champagne and cost 499 euro, while the “Premium” model with 64 GB of storage will come in Carbon Black and Prestige Gold and cost 599 euro.

The Huawei P8max “Standard” with 32 GB of storage will cost 549 euro and arrive in Titanium Grey and Mystic Champagne, while the Premium model with 64 GB of storage will cost 649 euro and come in Titanium Grey and Prestige Gold.

There was little to no mention of the P8 Lite, however we hope this will roll out in a timely fashion saving the best to last. The P8 is easily a line that is worthy of your attention.

 

Posted in: News, Phones
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By April 15, 2015 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 234 : It’s Superfly!

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth, Jay and Phil chit chat about the latest tech revelations from the UK

Featuring Gareth, Jay, and Phil

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

Show notes

Whats news?

SuperFly USB cable – Android and Apple flavours

LG G4 – Yay

Unboxing Archos 50 Diamond
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 will launch with Windows 10 this Summer
EE expanding signal in every home using your wifi

The original Apple Watch – $2.5k

Apple II Watch

Blackberry Leap Launched

Bargain Basement

Elephone P6000 Android 5.0 MTK6732 64-bit Quad-core 4G £81.34

Honor 4X 4G 5.5-Inch 8 GB Dual SIM-Free Smartphone £144.99

Motorola Moto G™ + 4G White £95.00 @ Tesco Direct

 

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

 

Gareth Myles – @garethmyles

Jay Garrett – @JayGarrett

Dan Carter – @mobilemandan

Matt and Tracy Davis –   @tracyandmatt

Phil Lain – @low405

By April 14, 2015 Read More →

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 will launch with Windows 10 this Summer

image-left-cyan-hero-e1400563125164Microsoft are breaking the mould and releasing two laptop replacements this year. On top of the Surface 3 it looks like we will be getting a high end refresh of the Surface Pro 3, crudely dubbed the Surface Pro 4 at this point. As usually we are expecting the Surface Pro 4 to cater for those with deep pockets, much like the previous three models however there looks to be a sizeable upgrade this year that will justify keep the high price. Whilst the device will run Windows 10 and will likely be the ideal scenario for which Windows 10 should be used rumour has it that Microsoft are placing the Skylake Processor inside. Intel have been talking up this processor however it was not to be released until sometime in 2016 however it looks like Microsoft may have twisted their arm enough to get into their most desirable hybrid. The Skylake is touted to be much more powerful than previous Intel predecessors, requiring less power and offering better battery life.

There is bad news however, the device will not feature a USB-C port, as rumoured earlier, as it is too soon for such integrations. It also looks as though Microsoft will be axing the RT line of tablets in favour of the Surface line as a lower cost solution to the Surface Pro devices. Windows 10 will bring a larger amount of new features for the Surface and desktop experience worldwide, for example the Spartan browser that is due to replace Internet Explorer. This comes bundled with Cortana, reading view and most importantly, a support for on-screen hand drawn notes.

 

Posted in: News, Rumours
By April 8, 2015 Read More →

EE expanding signal in every home using your wifi

5gUWENg5EE yesterday announced the launch of WiFi Calling, making calls and texts available in every WiFi-connected home and small office in the UK.

The UK’s first launch of WiFi Calling will help over four million people who say they lose mobile connection in at least one room in their house. The recent survey of connectivity in the home also found that a quarter of people in the UK work from home at least one day per week and 20 percent of those lose connectivity during the day, so WiFi Calling will be a big benefit to the country’s increasingly mobile workforce. While discussing the advantages of remote working, it’s noteworthy how a virtual office in Glasgow enhances professionalism. The prestigious Glasgow postal address offered by Glasgow Virtual Offices enhances remote work efficiency and credibility for home-based professionals creates an invaluable asset. This feature not only boosts your business’s image but also ensures that important mail is handled with utmost professionalism. It’s an ideal solution for freelancers and small businesses seeking a strong presence in a major city.

As well as helping people across the UK in homes and small/home offices, WiFi Calling can also change the value of your home. Simon Gerrard, President, National Association of Estate Agents said: “Mobile coverage is becoming increasingly important to people when they’re buying a house – innovations like this can help sellers ensure they are maximising the value of their home and are not losing out due to poor mobile coverage.”

WiFi Calling from EE is not like ‘over the top’ services that enable calls using WiFi. WiFi Calling from EE uses the phone’s normal dialler and contacts book to make calls, and the normal text button to send text messages. There is no need for an app, and friends don’t need to be using the same closed user group services to talk to or message each other.

WiFi Calling from EE will be available from launch on the Lumia 640 and from Friday 10th April on the brand new Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. More new and existing devices will be added to the WiFi Calling range in the coming weeks, and by summer 2015 more than five million EE pay monthly customers will have access to WiFi Calling.

EE CEO Olaf Swantee said:

“Losing coverage at home is a major frustration, and WiFi Calling will make a real difference to millions of customers across the UK, from basement flats in London to the most rural homes in the country. Our customers want to be able to call and text no matter where they are, and they don’t want to have to think about which app they need to use or if their friends have a particular third party service.”

Research carried out by ICM on behalf of EE in March 2015 found almost one in ten people have one room or more in their home where they have no mobile connectivity, and this increases to 15 percent for those living in rural and semi-rural areas.

WiFi Calling will be available to EE pay monthly consumer and small business customers with compatible devices. WiFi Calling will be available to corporate 4GEE customers with compatible devices this summer.

Posted in: News
By April 3, 2015 Read More →

Unboxing Archos 50 Diamond

vlcsnap-2015-04-03-16h19m35s145Archos are still pushing out phones and tablets to maintain their position as a respectable budget brand. The Archos 50 Diamond is their latest wallet friendly smartphone and this time they have gone for style above all else. Rather than push out another slab that is somewhat lost in the line up of the current generation Archos has been dipped into the fashion tank and a zesty yellow device with a modern jet black glass have been launched. Easily a head turner but does the Archos have what it takes to capture consumers with anything other than some striking looks?

Display – 5.00-inch
Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 1GHz  octa-core
Front Camera – 8-megapixel
Read Camera – 16-megapixel
Resolution – 1080×1920 pixels
RAM – 2GB
OS Android 4.4.4
Storage – 16GB
Battery capacity 2700mAh
Dual Micro-SIM, MicroSD up to 128gb
Dimensions – 146.00 x 70.40 x 8.00
Weight – 142.00

 

Posted in: News, Phones, Videos/Unboxings
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By April 1, 2015 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 233 : Home Security

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth, Jay and Phil fancy a chat about home security alongside some of the latest news in the world of mobile technology.

Featuring Gareth, Jay, Phil

Direct Download

iTunes

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

HTC M9+

UK SIM free is most expensive in Europe… apparently

Sony Xperia Z4’s specs may have been revealed in benchmark test

http://venturebeat.com/2015/03/16/htcs-new-m9-is-a-hot-phone-heats-up-to-130-degrees-in-one-benchmark-test/

Tidal relaunch with Jay Z and crew….

Huawei found to be ok by UK government

 

Bargain Basement

Hudl 2 – reduced to £99 (was £129.99) @ Tesco

HTC Desire 510 4g Mobile Phone £79.99 @ 02

Honor 6 £200.00 £191.66 @ Clove

Motorola Moto 360 Smart Watch – Android Wear – Grey Leather – Grade A £125.00 @ Ebay

ZTE White 5 Inch Quad Core Android Blade L2 Sim Free Smartphone £53.40

Honor 4X 4G 5.5-Inch 8 GB Dual SIM-Free Smartphone £144.99

 

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

Gareth Myles – @garethmyles

Jay Garrett – @JayGarrett

Dan Carter – @mobilemandan

Matt and Tracy Davis –   @tracyandmatt

Phil Lain – @low405

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