Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By January 29, 2014 Read More →

Google Announces Prescription Glass Frames for Google Glass

TitGoogle announced their newest upgrade to the Google Glass wearable smart-glasses, only this time it isn’t a software or hardware upgrade, but is actually a structural one. They now have prescription glass frames available that are specifically designed to fit with Google Glass. They are called the Titanium Collection, and that doesn’t just describe their aesthetics. These new Google Glass frames are literally made of ultra-light titanium alloys. 

Their Titanium Collection includes “four feather-light titanium frames and two new styles of twist-on shades, designed just for you.” Now you can consider getting Google Glass without worrying about looking like a full-blown dork, just a half-dork! (We kid about this because some of us here at HQ are actually becoming more intrigued by this device regardless of how it looks to other.)

 

By January 28, 2014 Read More →

A 4G router arrives at Solwise!

mailerSolwise are pleased to announce their first 4G/LTE router has finally arrived! The Solwise 4G-LTE-S4 is a full 4G router that includes 150Mbps 11n WiFi and WAN connectivity. The ‘S4’ router includes a  4G modem with SIM slot (standard size) so just insert your 4G SIM card, configure the unit with the login details for your 4G data account and you are then ready to share your 4G data connectivity. No need for a dongle. The S4 also supports 3G data SIM cards. 

The S4 has two antenna connectors for 4G and 1 built-in WiFi antenna. The antenna connectors allow you to attach an external antenna which may improve the 4G signal into your home.   The S4 works for UK standard 800MHz, 1800MHZ, and 2600MHz LTE (4G) bands.

Speed (4G) 100Mbps download; 50Mbps upload
Speed (3G) 42.2Mbps DC-HSPA+ download; 5.76Mbps upload

NET-4G-LTE-S4 – £215.06 including VAT
http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-routers-4g-lte-s4.htm

Solwise offer a number of 4G antennas to compliment the new S4 4G Router.
http://www.solwise.co.uk/3g-antenna-outdoor.htm

By January 27, 2014 Read More →

ZOTAC TurboBoosts 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano Series

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_12ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today turbo boosts the 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano series with the new ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series mini-PCs. The new ZBOX nano duo integrate Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors with Intel Turbo Boost technology to take the palm-sized form factor to new performance heights. 

“The new ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series are our most powerful palm-sized mini-PCs yet. The addition of Intel Turbo Boost technology enables the two ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series to deliver performance comparable to much larger systems while consuming much less energy,” said Carsten Berger, senior director, ZOTAC international.

Users that want a taste of Intel Turbo Boost technology can opt for the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID68 series with a high-performance Intel Core i5 4200U that can turbo boost up to 2.6 GHz. Demanding users that require the best performance available from the compact form factor can step up to the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID69 series with an Intel Core i7 4500U processor that turbo boosts up to 3.0 GHz. 

There’s plenty of connectivity on the ZOTAC ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series with plenty of USB 3.0 ports, eSATA for fast storage expansion, DisplayPort and HDMI outputs and high-amperage charging front USB 2.0 ports. High-speed 802.11ac wireless networking and lightning-fast Gigabit Ethernet enables the ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series to maximize networking performance via wired or wireless home networks.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 and ID69 series!

 

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_2

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_3

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_15

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_20

ZBOX NANO ID69_PLUS_23

ZOTAC is pleased to TurboBoost the 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano series with the new ID68 and ID69 series mini-PCs.

General details

  • ZOTAC TurboBoosts 4th Generation Intel Core ZBOX nano Series
  • New ZBOX nano ID68 and ID69 series
  • ZOTAC ZBOX ID68 series
    • Intel Core i5 4200U
    • 1.6 GHz, dual-core, 3MB L2 cache
    • Intel TurboBoost up to 2.6 GHz
    • Intel HD Graphics 4400
  • ZOTAC ZBOX ID69 series
    • Intel Core i7 4500U
    • 1.8 GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache
    • Intel TurboBoost up to 3.0 GHz
    • Intel HD Graphics 4400
  • PLUS models available with preinstalled memory and hard drive
    • 4GB DDR3
    • 500GB HDD
  • HDMI & DisplayPort outputs
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0 w/ external WiFi antenna
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • High-amperage USB charging capable (yellow ports)
  • Bundled VESA75/100 mount

 

 

Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
By January 26, 2014 Read More →

Archos have 3 Smartwatches at low, low prices

Archos-SmartwatchWe have mentioned before that Archos is introducing a new, cheap take on the wearables phenomenon with their smartwatches. These Bluetooth reliant assistants are due to pair with both Android or iOS phone, after a quick install of the Archos Smartwatch management app on the relevant phone. After which the user selects the notifications to vibrate and alert you of whats going on in your pocket. Much like a few other smartwatches out there. Archos are giving you a choice of what screen technology you have to display notifications. For $129 you can have E Ink touted to last for 1-2 weeks on a single charge. A $99 LCD won’t last quite a long at  2-3 days on its battery due to this having a touchscreen backlit screen. Lastly, the french manufacturer will be producing a $50 Memory LCD version featuring a  black and white, always on screen good for 1-2 weeks. Like most smartwatches the pair will charge with a dock. 

Posted in: Gadgets, News
By January 24, 2014 Read More →

Fancy, new stands docks for the Nexus 7

asus-wired-charging-dock-nexus7-2013Asus recently put some cool Google Nexus 7 2013 Edition accessories up on their site. For now it looks like its for information/future purposes only because they didn’t share a purchase date or pricing. Both of the devices are charging docks/stands for the Nexus 7 2013 Edition. One is wired and the other is wireless. Here’s a breakdown of info on each device straight from Asus’ website.

 

Wired Charging Dock: ASUS Dock for Nexus 7 (2013)

  • Charge the Nexus 7 (2013) while in use, making it perfect for use on a desktop or counter.
  • Slide-in design props up the Nexus 7 (2013) in either landscape or portrait orientation.
  • HDMI output to view HD 1080p content on an HDTV or LCD display (HDMI cable not included)
  • *Only compatible with Nexus 7 (2013)
  • Positions the Nexus 7 (2013) perfectly for you to watch movies, play games, or surf the web, or even type notes using a wireless Bluetooth keyboard.

asus-wireless-charging-dock-nexus7-2013

Wireless Charging Dock: ASUS PW100 Wireless Charging Stand for Nexus 7 (2013)

  • Elegant Pyramid design with delicate texture and compact outlook
  • With Qi standard, compatible with most tablets or cellphones which also support Qi.
  • Wireless makes charging easy, built-in the status LED design

Even though they haven’t shared any pricing or availability details just yet, overseas the wireless dock has been selling for approximately $50 USD equivalent. We will keep an eye out for more details, but feel free to chime in on this thread if you see something before we do.

Posted in: News, Tablets
By January 23, 2014 Read More →

The Nexus 8 this summer?

Nexus 8The latest Android tablet rumour is that Google is planning to release a Nexus 8 tablet in the middle of this year. Supposedly, the success of the Apple iPad Mini has forced Google to take notice and offer a compelling alternative in that size range. Some also say that the Nexus 7 (2013) is loosing ground to the wave of cheaper 7″ tablets hitting the market over Christmas.

An interesting side note about this rumoured Nexus 8 tablet is that Google is mulling over using Intel’s Bay Trail architecture instead of NVIDIA or Qualcomm this time. Whilst Samsung seem to be top pick for a refresh of the Nexus 10 later this year, LG covering things phone-side, Asustek is the likely favourite to produce this. The LG G Pad 8.3 was a killer upon release, even having a Play Store variant. Lenovo will also be a strong contender as their contribution to the Android hardware world has be fairly impressive. Google will have a tough decision of who to go with.

Posted in: News, Tablets
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By January 23, 2014 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 218: Best In Class, honestly!

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth and  Matt are here with another UK update on the mobile front.

This week we discuss the Motorola Moto G and Gareth rants about the malware he found in Google Chrome.

Featuring Gareth, Matt and Phil

 

Direct Download 

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Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App 

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Posted in: News, Podcast
By January 21, 2014 Read More →

Just how safe is Chrome?

how safe is chrome?A big selling point of Chrome and more importantly Chrome OS is that Chrome extensions are meant to be clean and simple. A bragging community will tell you that you are safer than any other browser or Operating System. A bold statement that will surely have the sceptics investigating. What have they turned up? Problematic extensions!

Google is making a move to ban obtrusive extensions, because sometimes these can harm your Chrome experience. There is another recent threat Google is dealing with, though. Companies have been acquiring extensions from developers in order to turn them into adware clients. Google has banned a couple of these extensions: Add to Feedly and Tweet this Page. These were once popular extensions that helped users simplify some of the more routine online tasks.

Who is to blame? Are we seeing coders pushing extensions into the Google Store clean only to turn around a harvest vital information for the highest bidder? Not quite. In Add to Feedly’s case, the original developer, Amit Agarwal, was offered “a four digit” amount for his extension, which only took about an hour to code. Of course, he accepted and the transaction went smoothly. He regretted his decision when the new owner pushed an update to the extension. The new owner turned his helpful extension into an ad-serving machine. These were not regular ads either, they worked in the background and replaced links on every website! Original links were replaced by affiliate links without anyone’s knowledge.

How safe is Chrome?

Google’s new policies will help make this all better, though. If we have learned one thing, over and over again, it is that there is always a way for an OS to be corrupted by nefarious source. Google have been quick to act, have learned a lot from the experience and we can only hope that the whole Chrome architecture will return to the safe and reliable service we have grown so accustomed to.

By January 19, 2014 Read More →

The ZTE Blade Q Mini

ZTE Blade Q Mini ZTE and Virgin Media announce the arrival of the hotly anticipated ZTE Blade Q series in the UK. The 4’’ ZTE Blade Q Mini, which is available exclusively with Virgin Media, has been snapped up by leading retailers Sainsbury’s and Argos and will be available to purchase initially from Argos for £59.99.

ZTE have been quite busy releasing new devices recently and this new Blade Q Mini promises to deliver better specs for a bargain price. Howerver, with just 4GB of internal memory you’ll definitely want to invest in a MicroSD memory card.

You can see the full press release below and we hope to have some hands-on time with the ZTE Blade Q Mini soon.

Posted in: News, Phones
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By January 18, 2014 Read More →

Moto Maker Motorola Android Tablet

motorola-xoom_wifi-angleHow does a Moto Maker customized Motorola Android tablet sound to you? That’s the idea that Motorola is supposedly mulling over right now. Here’s a quote with the details,

Motorola Android Tablet Quote:

CEO Dennis Woodside unveiled in a recent interview that not only Motorola is considering a tablet, but that Moto Maker, the service used to customize the Moto X, might branch out: “we are looking at tablets. A lot of people have asked us to build a tablet using Moto Maker, to customize their tablet. There might be a day we do that, but the bigger opportunity for us is the five billion people without smartphones,” the CEO added. Of course, Motorola’s top priority, aside from the five billion people without smartphones, is, as Woodside puts it, mobile internet: “We have to decide and convince consumers we stand for something and what we are focused on is the mobile internet.”

It doesn’t sound like he is too committed to the tablet plan, but that could obviously change at a moment’s notice. What do you guys think of this? If they had the same competitive pricing and innovative features found in the Moto X and/or Moto G could Motorola surge back into a strong Android tablet position?

Posted in: News, Rumours, Tablets
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