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By November 29, 2013 Read More →

Lenovo IdeaTab S6000 unboxing and demo

lenovo-tablet-ideatab-s6000-front-1Lenovo recently launched a new range of Android tablets, the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8 and 10. But Lenovo have an existing range of Android tablets and we looked at the budget IdeaTab A3000 a while ago.

This week we got our hands on the Lenovo IdeaTab S6000. It’s the bigger brother of the A3000 and has a 10.1″ display. Both have been on the market for a while but heading in to the Xmas period, and as Android tablets are likely to feature quite high on Christmas lists this year, we thought it worthy of an unboxing and review as it promises to be one of the better options out there at the moment.

Lenovo call the S6000 an ‘Enhanced Multimedia Tablet’ and to this end the tablet has a couple of sizeable speakers on the rear for stereo audio playback. The widescreen display may not be the highest resolution but is still 1280×800 pixels and, being IPS, is of a decent quality.

You can pick up the S6000 for under £200 at the moment but there’s stiff competition out there so can it compete? We’ll have a full review soon but for now the unboxing and demo video below may help you make up your mind.

By November 29, 2013 Read More →

Cybersecurity: Who is Watching You Online?

Internet securityThe recent news involving the NSA and the implications for online privacy have put cybersecurity in a brand new light. Whenever you hop online with your Web browser of choice, chances are someone somewhere is keeping tabs on your Internet surfing habits. More than 85 percent of adults use the Internet, according to Pew Internet, and a variety of people are eager to collect their personal details—whether it’s to better track their shopping habits or to sell the data to a bounty of rogue marketers, debt collectors or even hackers in search of a ripe target.

Who Watches Over Us?

The vast majority of online tracking is done courtesy of “cookies” and “beacons”—tiny files that appear on your computer whenever you visit a website. While these files are intended to help your computer remember things like login details, organizations can use them to do things like create targeted advertising campaigns based on your browsing habits.

Third-party tracking files are among the most intrusive of the breed. These files assign a unique ID number to your computer, enabling the creator to build a substantial profile based on your visits to affiliated websites with the same technology. This allows retailers to provide predictive marketing based on consumer shopping habits. Forbes notes how this already resulted in one case where Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant long before her father did. Some tracking companies go as far as hiding these files in advertisements, free software and even other tracking files.

How to Watch the Watchers

Despite the growth of the digital security industry, it’s a field that generates a surprisingly small amount of interest from today’s young job seekers. A recent Raytheon poll found that only 24 percent of recent graduates have an interest in cybersecurity as a career. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t interested in enhancing their privacy by monitoring and curbing the usage of cookies and other tracking data.

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, recently unveiled an add-on that sheds light on how first and third-party websites track and collect your data. Lightbeam creates a real-time graphic visualization of third-party entities on the sites you visit. This gives you an opportunity to see who’s collecting your data, how it’s being collected and where they connect to your online activity. In keeping with consumer desire for enhanced privacy, the data Lightbeam collects and displays is stored locally on your computer by default, according to Mozilla.

With identity theft a constant and prominent concern, companies like LifeLock provide a service to those looking to keep their credit ratings safe from fraud. For a small monthly fee, the company keeps an eye out for potentially fraudulent applications for loans, credit cards and other lines of credit and alerts customers to these attempts. The company’s confidence regarding its identity theft protection services extend to its $1 million guarantee in the event of a successful theft.

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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

The Nokia Lumia 2520 is ready to go

nokia_lumia_2520_twodevice-cropped-640x460Nokia today announced that the Nokia Lumia 2520, the company’s first Windows tablet, will be available exclusively through The John Lewis Partnership from December 4th.

The Nokia Lumia 2520 features include:

  • 4G connectivity – allowing faster downloads and connectivity
  • 10.1” full HD display – enhancing entertainment experiences on a large screen
  • Quad core chipset
  • 4 colour options – glossy finished white or red and a matt finished black or cyan
  • 11 hours of battery life
  • Exclusive apps – Nokia Video Director, a new video editing software that lets you get even more creative with different editing styles and Dragons Adventure, a unique entertainment experience built in partnership with DreamWorks Animation which transforms a family drive into a magical gaming experience
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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

New HTC One coming with microSD slot and Dual-SIM

g254234-2HTC are bringing a new version of the ever-popular HTC One to the UK and the new version is going to add Dual-SIM and a microSD memory card slot!

On the Official HTC Store the new version is available for pre-order but there’s no word on when the devices will start shipping.

This is a nice little enhancement to what’s already an awesome, award-winning phone. Further information from the Official HTC Store include:

Memory: Internal phone storage: 32GB / RAM: 2GB / Expansion card slot supports microSD™ for up to 64GB additional storage (card not included)

Dual-sim

Unlike other dual-sim Smartphones, HTC’s dual active solution offers complete flexibility:

  • Receive calls from either sim card at any time
  • Switch seamlessly between both sim cards while you talk
  • HTC Sense helps you manage calls, texts and data between sim cards s effortlessly
  • On-board Dual Network Manager allows you to select a preferred network and personalise the name of each SIM, eliminating any complexity
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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 214: Dan and the Mustache of Doom

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth and Dan are here with another UK update on the mobile front, this week with Phil Lain.

A massive amount of phone and tablet news to churn through this week. Most major manufacturers pull out some sort of new device, with a massive screen.

Gareth goes to Finland and doesn’t look at Angry Birds or Nokia products and young Phil drinks a glass of water.

Featuring Gareth, Dan and Phil

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Watch the video on Youtube

By November 27, 2013 Read More →

Those rumours about a touchscreen Chromebook are true

acer-C720P-29552G03aiiLooks like Acer are more in touch with the consumer than ever before. Their latest Chromebook nabs one of the features of the Chromebook, namely a touch screen, whips it into place and flogs it for almost £1,000 less than the Pixel.

Combined with the handsome features of the current Acer C720 Acer could really steal the crown of best all rounder when it comes to a Chromebook. Press release to follow:

  • Acer’s first touchscreen Chromebook – the Acer C720P – provides a natural way to enjoy all the benefits of Chrome
  • Available in selective countries early December starting at only €299.99
  • Great multi-tasking performance and up to 7.5 hours of battery life with fast Intel processor
  • Boots up in only 7 seconds with fast 32GB SSD

London, 27th November 2013 – Acer today announced the availability of its first touchscreen Chromebook, the new Acer C720P, a new model in the Acer C720 Chromebook line that was introduced last month. The new C720P provides the many benefits of touch on the device’s 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to take advantage of the Chrome interface.

“Our new touchscreen C720P gives customers an intuitive way to browse sites online, enjoy apps, and do more with the Chromebook,” said John Miedema, director, business product unit for Acer EMEA. “The Acer C720 Chromebook line has been praised for its performance and battery life, and this new touchscreen model allows us to address the needs of an even wider range of customers with exciting new capabilities. We’re certain many holiday shoppers will jump at the chance to get a touchscreen Chromebook for just €299.99.”

The new Acer C720P touchscreen Chromebook is being introduced after the launch of Acer’s new “A Touch More” marketing campaign that highlights the company’s growing range of innovative products with touch capabilities.

The Acer C720P’s touch capabilities are enjoyed on its vibrant 11.6-inch ComfyView™ HD display that has a 1366×768 resolution to keep websites, images and video crisp and clear. The multi-touch display allows customers to use gestures such as swipe, tap and pinch to zoom to interact in a natural way with the Chromebook so they can better enjoy educational apps, browse websites, scroll through Google Docs, play games and more.

Like the rest of the new C720 line, the new C720P touchscreen model is powered by an Intel Celeron 2955U processor based on the Intel Haswell micro-architecture, so it delivers fast performance and excellent multi-tasking such as running multiple tabs and apps. The processor also enhances battery life; it keeps customers going for up to 7.5 hours for extra productivity and fun.

The C720P gets customers working and connecting quickly with its 32GB SSD that provides a fast boot time of less than 7 seconds and quick resuming from sleep. The large SSD also provides ample storage capacity for saving video, photos and other files. In addition, the touchscreen C720P features 2GB of DDR3 memory. Plus, the Acer C720 quickly connects to hotspots and wireless networks via 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi.

Thin and Lightweight Design Includes all the Extras
The Acer C720P Chromebook measures only 2 cm and weighs only 1.3 kg pounds, making it easy to carry to meetings, classes, and anywhere life takes today’s busy consumers. The C720P’s compact chassis houses everything needed to stay productive, connected and entertained on the go. It features an integrated HD webcam for video chats as well as capturing video and photos to share online. The new Chromebook features a dual speaker design that delivers crisp and clear stereo audio during online chats as well as for enjoying music and movies. Connecting to popular consumer electronics devices such as camcorders, digital cameras and smart phones is easy and convenient with the Chromebook’s USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. Its HDMI port can be used to provide video and content to external displays and HDTVs.

Security for Multiple Users, Collaboration
Customers will appreciate that the Chrome OS is updated automatically, so it always has the latest features. Multiple layers of security features including data encryption and verified boot defend the Acer C720P Chromebook against online threats, malware and viruses. The Acer C720P Chromebook keeps data safe when the device is used by multiple users, such as for collaboration in the classroom and for projects for home, school or work. Users can have separate accounts to ensure their project, Gmail and other information is kept safe if the Chromebook is lost, stolen, or lent to a friend.

Chromebooks Are Ready to Work and Play
Acer Chromebook customers are provided several extras to make use of their new C720P touchscreen Chromebook right out of the box. They can access up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, so files, documents, photos and more are stored safely in the cloud.Acer Chromebooks are easy to start enjoying, as they come with popular Google products built in including Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Hangouts.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty
The Acer C720 Chromebook will be available early December in Switzerland, Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland with a starting price of €299.99.

Posted in: Laptops, News
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By November 27, 2013 Read More →

Pawn Stars attack Google Chromebook

Screenshot 2013-11-27 07.07.58Microsft’s “Scroogled” campaign has become become one of the biggest, embarrassing jokes in the industry. Again screaming nothing but desperation and unprofessional competition.

The ad shows a young actress walking into a famous “Gold and Silver Pawn Shop” in Vegas, with her Samsung Chromebook. She tries to sell it for a ticket to Hollywood but instead gets mocked and told she could probably get to Reno. The Pawn Stars crew highlights that it’s not a real laptop, doesn’t work offline and doesn’t have Office.

We won’t even mention the long list of inferior Windows computers and the company’s history. If Microsoft is really willing to pay TV show Pawn Stars a fortune to make this advert it must mean they are feeling the pressure. Chromebooks are on the rise, and that means no good for a company who is used to ruling the PC market.

You can trust in Microsoft not to be up with the times, the Chromebook is developing at a faster rate than they could ever wish their platform develop. I wonder now is Google will accept the insult like a Gentleman from an petulant child of if they might pick one the many, many flaws in Windows retaliate! And besides have Windows not road-mapped Windows 10 to be a Cloud OS?

Written on a Chromebook (offline)

Posted in: Laptops, News
By November 26, 2013 Read More →

Sony Xperia Z Ultra unboxing and hands-on

sony-xperia-z-ultra-1Hot on the heels of our Sony Xperia Z1 review we have its big brother, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

With its 6.4″ screen, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the largest of the ‘Phablet’ form devices to hit the market and just tops Samsung’s Galaxy Mega 6.3.

However, unlike many of the other phablet devices on the market, the Z Ultra follows other devices in the range and is IP58 rated making it both dust and waterproof and able to submerge in water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Making it possibly an ideal device for using in or around the pool when you’re on your holidays.

At just 6.5mm thick, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra packs quite a lot in to its slim chassis. Inside we get a 2.2GHz Quad-core CPU, 16GB internal storage, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera and all of the usual bells and whistles in terms of GPS, WiFi, etc.

As always, we’re kicking off with an unboxing and hands on video. Here you’ll see the hardware in more detail and I’ll show you what the OS/UI is like before running that ever controversial benchmark test.

By November 26, 2013 Read More →

Qualcomm Toq Smartwatch Available for Pre-Order in the US

toq_preorderToday Qualcomm announced that their Toq Smartwatch is officially available for pre-order from their Toq Store with a $350.00 price tag attached to it. Available in black and white the Toq will ship in 1-3 weeks with the charges to your Credit card only taking place after the smartwatch has shipped. Unfortunately the wearable is not available internationally and we will; just have to wait. However, we are surprised at this price point, it’s more expensive than the Galaxy Gear.  On the plus side, the Toq SmartWatch is compatible with most Android powered handsets, so you don’t have to worry about compatibly issues.

If you are interested you can head on over to the Toq Store and check out all the details.

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By November 25, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Announces Galaxy Grand 2

Samsung-Galaxy-Grand-2Samsung have announced their latest big screen outing, this time a follow up to the Galaxy Grand, oddly titled the Galaxy Grand 2. Whilst not packing the raw horse-power of the Note 3 or the vast screen of the Mega the Grand 2 fits in between with a more reasonable price tag and eye brow raising specs.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has today announced the Galaxy Grand 2, a device that offers an optimal large-screen experience on a portable, compact smartphone. The Galaxy Grand 2 provides improved HD viewing experience, enhanced performance, and many other intuitive features.

The Galaxy Grand 2 boasts a 5.25” screen with a 16:9 HD ratio, perfect for watching movies, playing games and e-reading. Multi Window takes multitasking to the next level by maximising the benefits of the large screen as well as enabling users to run one application in two windows at the same time.

The Galaxy Grand 2 delivers superior performance with a more powerful Quad Core 1.2GHz processor and long-lasting 2,600mAh battery, providing up to 10 hours of playback and 17 hours of calls. The dual-SIM capabilities mean that users can switch seamlessly between networks.

To provide a more intuitive experience, the Galaxy Grand 2 comes equipped with several smart features that continue to set the Galaxy series apart from other smartphone devices on the market, including enhanced camera features like Best Face, Best Photo and Continuous Shot, as well as:

  • Story Album: Organise pictures by timeline, and create and print albums all from the device
  • S Translator: A translation service that provides instantaneous translations at any time
  • S Travel: Provides guides and travel information for travelling
  • Sound & Shot: Record up to nine seconds of audio with photos
  • Samsung Hub: Unique content service that provides access to music, videos, games and more
  • Group Play: To listen to music , share documents or play games together
  • Samsung Link: Connects your devices providing access to photos, music, videos and documents from multiple locations

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 will be offered in White, and Black and Pink is available in selective regions.

Galaxy Grand 2 Product Specifications:

  • Quad Core 1.2GHz Processor
  • 5.25” HD (1280×720) TFT Display
  • 1.5GB (RAM) + 8GB (Internal Memory) + microSD (up to 64GB) Memory *User memory space may be less than the total memory space due to system files. User memory may differ by region, carrier, and supporting language, and may change after software upgrade.
  • 8MP AF + LED Flash / 1.9MP (HD) Camera
  • Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)
  • WiFi a/b/g/n, BT4.0, GPS + Glonass, USB 2.0
  • Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass, Light, Hall Sensor
  • 146.8 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm, 163g
  • 2,600mAh Battery
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