Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

By Gareth March 30, 2014 Read More →

The Armiga – part Android, part Commodore, all awesome

There is a new IndieGoGo campaign is hoping to provide Commodore enthusiasts with an authentic as possible experience to the original Amiga with an all-in-one enclosed package. Running on a Raspberry Pi is an Amiga emulator configured as an Amiga 500 with 1MB of RAM, equipped with an on-board 3.5″ floppy disk drive .

There have been a wave of machines that emulate various pieces of old hardware recently. From Bluetooth Spectrum 48k for an iPad to the Retron 5 taking all manner of cartridge based games. Whilst the argument that you are better off using the original hardware these newer alternatives appealingly offer HDMI outputs, a more reliable method of enjoying pixel perfect gameplay on modern displays.

The system features a dual booting setup. Equipped with the latest build of Android users will have tools at the ready to create disk images of original floppies. Emulation fans can look forward to screenshot functionality and the addition of save states too, while the techies amongst us can revel in the possibilities the ethernet port may bring.

The Armiga Project is hoping $140,000 in the next two months, with pledges of $139 securing one of the first systems.

Armiga Specification:

Powerful Dual Core ARM CPU.
2 USB host: Joystick, mouse and keyboard support, as well as pendrives/hdds.
SD card slot: Save your ADFs or bring new ones!
Ethernet connection: Connect to your network for easy ADF management.
HDMI: Digital AV quality on the big screen!.

Features:

Full Amiga 500 emulation: The target machine is the iconic Amiga 500 and right now 90% of the disks are running!
Boot to Android: Armiga supports Dual Boot and comes loaded with Android 4.2.2, so when you’re not playing you can have all the power of Android!.
Automatic disk load: Like in the original Amiga; insert the disk and off you go!.
Disk dump: Create ADF images of your favorite games and keep them safe on the SD.
ADF support: Bring your own ADF images on a pendrive or SD card and enjoy!
Disk swap: Just insert the disk and it will be dumped. When time comes to change disks, just select the right ADF. Ain’t it easy?.
FTP server: No need to take the SD off to manage the ADFs; just do it from your computer!.
Graphical menu: Simple and elegant, with usability as main focus.
Game save: Save your game and resume later.
Autosave: Forgot to save?. We do it for you!
Screenshot: Wanna share your joy?. Give our screenshot feature a try.

Posted in: Apps & Games, Desktop Computing, News

By Gareth March 30, 2014 Read More →

Specs of the Padfone X released by AT&T

Even though Asus officially announce the new PadFone X in January, they didn’t reveal the specs of the device. Asus doesn’t have to worry as AT&T revealed the full specs of the device recently. We still don’t know when or at what price the device will arrive, but we at least know it is coming to AT&T.

Here’s that spec-breakdown:

The Asus PadFone X phone section –

5-inch 1080p Full HD touchscreen
13 MP rear camera
2 MP front camera
2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
2 GB of RAM
16 GB of internal storage
A microSD card slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
2,300 mAh battery
Android 4.4 KitKat
Dimensions are 143.93×72.46×9.98 mm, and it weighs 150 grams

The Asus PadFone X Tablet Dock –

9-inch 1,920×1,200 touchscreen
1 MP front camera
4,990 mAh battery
Dimensions will be 250.4×172.25×11.63 mm, and it will weigh 514 grams

With each successive generation of this innovative device it keeps getting better and better. Asus has done a great job at refining and perfecting their technology.

Posted in: News, Phones, Tablets

By Gareth March 28, 2014 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy S5 Exclusive 4G Offer on EE

EE are offering an exclusive deal when pre-ordering a Samsung’s flagship device, the Galaxy S5. Whether you fancy the device in Charcoal Black, Shimmery White and Electric blue this deal looks to be an attractive incentive for you to pick EE as your network of choice for your next contract.

If you pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S5 between the 28th of March and the 10th of April EE will upgrade your contract from a 3G Plan to a 4G Plan at no extra cost. In addition, they will throw in a free return flight to one of the following destinations: Amsterdam, Madrid, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Prague, Berlin, Munich, Rome, Brussels, Nice or Vienna. The phone will cost £59.99 on a £37.99 monthly plan. This includes unlimited calls and texts to use throughout the UK and Europe!

This deal is exclusive to EE and must have been pre-ordered online from 28th March- 1oth April. The deal is also open to those who pre-order an HTC One or Sony Xperia Z2 online through the EE Shop. This is not available in store or through any third parties.

For more information, check out EE’s website.

Posted in: Phones

By Gareth March 28, 2014 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 leaked

We have two pics of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 were leaked by @evleaks. These pics show off the smallest of the The Galaxy Tab 4 series which will eventually arrive in 7-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch models. They contain the usual Samsung aesthetics. Additionally, these pics reveal that the Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 will continue Samsung’s trend of including the ability to make phone calls on the device.

Posted in: News, Phones, Rumours, Tablets

By Gareth March 28, 2014 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 223: Alright M8?

Gareth, Phil and Matt are here with another UK update on the mobile front. Matt got the HTC One (M8) and Gareth got a hangover.

This week the boys talk a lot about the new HTC One (M8), Gareth and Matt discuss their experience at the launch event, Gareth goes on a rant about the changes to Google Drive and Phil turns up late to the party.

Featuring Gareth, Matt and Phil

Direct Download

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Posted in: Podcast

By Gareth March 25, 2014 Read More →

Google working on smart contact lenses

Google Glass could be a thing of the past. There is a rumour that Google is now working on smart contact lenses. The USPTO patent application filed by the search giant doesn’t look to be quite as capable as Google Glass, instead a “multi-sensor contact lens” working as a basic input device. This would connect to either a watch or Smartphone and this would provide the brain of the operation.

Intomobile are reporting that Google have filed such a patent as illustrated on the right. They theorise this lens could also be able to pick cues from the environment, bundling a number of sensors for light, pressure, temperature, conductivity and electric field, all of which would be combined with a control circuit and power source embedded outside the user’s physical field of vision. So no brains would be included in this lens with all computing happening at a different location (smartphone?).

It does not seem so long ago that Google Glass seemed like a crazy dream that we wouldn’t see until 2020. However, time and tech are on our side for this and this really doesn’t seem to be to far out of reach. Next up, the Google Underpants!

Posted in: News, Science & Technology

By Gareth March 24, 2014 Read More →

Microsoft update their Store search function

Store fronts have been become increasingly controversial lately. From Google Play failing to differentiate between phone and tablet apps up until recently to Steam’s deluge of old titles from big studios pushing newly release indie software into oblivion software and app stores just haven’t managed to find that fine line between give what you want and being able to take a quick payment to push something you don’t really need.

One of the worst offenders was Microsoft with the Windows Phone Store. Recently Microsoft have spent some time with their mobile store and has finally updated its Windows Phone Store search algorithm. Less finding spam apps, more finding what it is you are actually looking for.

Both Google and now Microsoft are known for their search techniques, Google and Microsoft’s Bing search are at the forefront of their related operating system and the World Wide Web. It’s a bit of a shame that their cutting edge search technology cannot yield the same results in something as simple as an application store as those for the entirety of the internet.

Posted in: Apps & Games, News

By Gareth March 22, 2014 Read More →

Samsung Chromebook 2 arriving in May

Samsung has announced that customers in the UK will be able to buy the Chromebook 2 series from May 2014. Available in 11.6 and 13.3-inch versions, the 11.6-inch black device will be able to buy from selected retailers from 1 May, and the 11.6-inch white device and 13.6-inch devices from 12 May.

The new models offer faster performance, longer battery life and a slim, light build, all enhanced by a durable textured lid and elegant stitched design. The 13.3-inch model also features a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution screen, so whatever you are viewing, whether it be for work, teaching, learning, or entertainment, you can enjoy in crystal clear clarity.

The Samsung Chromebook 2 Series wakes up in less than one second and cold boots in less than ten. Samsung’s energy-efficient Exynos 5 Octa processors mean you can multitask and render graphics and videos quickly. Up to 8.5 hours of battery life in the 13.3-inch device means that you can enjoy the Chromebook 2 throughout a full work or school day – all on a single charge. The Google Chrome OS also regularly auto-updates, so you always have the most recent technology and security features without needing to think about updating your device.

Simon Stanford, Vice President of IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing the design and features of the series to meet our customers’ ever-changing needs, while staying true to the core Chromebook attributes of simplicity, speed and security. The Chromebook 2 Series does just that, which is why we’re delighted to be bringing the devices to the UK market.”

Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
Tags: chromebook

By Gareth March 20, 2014 Read More →

Nexus 9 with a 2k+

Rumours of a Nexus 6 and a Nexus 8 have been floating around the web for months. Today we have inklings of a Nexus 9. Supposedly, Google is developing an 8.9-inch Nexus 9 tablet designed to compete directly with the iPad Air. According to this rumour, it will have a display that is better than 2K. No specifics were given regarding the specs of this display or the device itself.

The only other thing revealed was that it will be one of the first devices to include Android 5.0, and that it would cost around $299.99. If true, it would probably be a ridiculously good bargain and fuel my theory that we will see a Nexus 10 version 2 with Android 4.5 sooner!

Posted in: News, Tablets

By Gareth March 19, 2014 Read More →

Google’s New Android Wearables Platform to Debut on LG Device

LG Electronics (LG) is working together with Google on the LG G Watch powered by Android Wear™, which extends the Android platform to wearables. The LG G Watch will be compatible with a wide range of Android™ smartphones and will present relevant information to users just when they need it or whenever they say “OK Google” to ask questions or get stuff done. As one of Google’s lead partners in this effort, LG is planning to introduce its first watch powered by Android Wear in the second quarter of 2014.

The LG G Watch powered by Android Wear will present a low barrier to entry for developers and offer the best Google experience for users. LG engineers worked closely with Google from the initial stages of development to ensure that the LG G Watch worked perfectly with Android Wear. This is LG’s fourth device developed in close collaboration with Google following the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and the LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition.

“The opportunity to work with Google on LG G Watch was the perfect chance for LG to really pull out all stops in both design and engineering,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With the LG G Watch, LG is continuing the milestones we’ve set in wearables following in the footsteps of the world’s first 3G Touch Watch Phone in 2009 and the Prada Link in 2008. We’re confident that a well-designed device has the potential to take the smart wearable market by storm.”

Additional details of the LG G Watch powered by Android Wear, including hardware specifications, will be announced in the coming months.

Posted in: Gadgets, News

Author Archive: Gareth