Archive for 2012
The idea of gaming themed Android devices is nothing new, especially since we have the Xperia Play along with a few other Playstation Certified devices along with GameStop tablets with their controllers. The fact is mobile gaming is a huge industry already and it is still growing. Archos sees this and is planning on developing a gaming-centric Android tablet to cater to mobile gamers.
In an interview with The New Ecomiste (French), the CEO of Archos, Crohas, goes on to talk about the company’s troubles in the past and how it has revitalized itself through Android tablet sales. Crohas goes on to say that they are developing the first Android tablet that will essentially be a gaming console. What exactly this entails remains to be seen of course but Archos recent additional to their line of tablets happens to be sporting some pretty potent hardware.
We will soon be certified a tablet-type game console. A first. I strongly believe in this market segment. Moreover, the classic game consoles will disappear." – Crohas, CEO of Archos (loosely translated from French)
Crohas goes on to say that he believes the death of the home gaming console is inevitable. While we don’t believe that will happen, especially with new versions of the Xbox and Playstation already in development, we do see a large chuck on that market switching to mobile gaming down the road as mobile technology catches up and quickly at that.
It will be interesting to see what this gaming-centric tablet from Archos will come with in terms of hardware and special features making it basically a gaming console. Of course we could speculate which is always fun but with Tegra 4 on the horizon, it could be a safe bet that the chip could appear in this upcoming tablet.
Posted by: Gareth
This one looks a right bargain. It is just a shame it appears to be USA only. Google are now directly selling the Galaxy Nexus unlocked for the attractive price of $399 for the 16GB GSM version
That price equates to £274 which for a unbranded, Android 4.0 device with a beautiful 4.65 inch Super AMOLED screen is super cheap.
Let’s hope us good old Brits get to take advantage of this great offer soon.
Click here for the offer.
Posted by: James
Despite showing up in App World a couple of weeks early and then disappearing, the newest intergalactic title from Rovio – Angry Birds Space – is now available for PlayBook.
Angry Birds Space features 60 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity, resulting in spectacular game play ranging from slow-motion puzzles to light speed destruction.
FEATURES:
. 60 interstellar levels
. Regular free updates
. Brand new birds and new superpowers
. Zero-gravity space adventures
. Trick shots using planets’ gravity
. And hidden bonus levels
Quick Links:
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Download Angry Birds Space from BlackBerry App World: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103032
Posted by: James
Following the global announcement at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in the New Year, Samsung Electronics Co. UK Ltd, the UK’s number one TV brand with the most awarded TV range has today revealed that the 2012 LED and Plasma Smart TV series are now available in the UK.
Samsung’s 2012 range delivers a smarter, simpler and more connected life for consumers. With Smart Interaction, people can now control their sets through Voice Control, Motion Control and Face Recognition whereby they can turn the TV on or off, adjust the volume or activate selected apps through speech or a wave of your hand. Face Recognition activates your personal profile and your favourite apps meaning you don’t have to spend your time searching through content.
As part of Smart Content, three new exclusive services including Family Story, Fitness and Kids enable families to share photos and messages with each other, sync personal fitness goals and provide a wealth of infotainment and games in a kid-friendly interface that parents can control and monitor. Whilst, AllShare Play lets consumers easily access personal content no matter where they are or regardless of whether it is stored on a TV, tablet, camera, phone or PC.
In addition, select Samsung Smart TVs in 2012 allow consumers to enjoy new experiences as their TV is ‘reborn’ each year with the latest smart technology, simply by installing a Smart Evolution kit. The kit slots into the back of the set and regularly updates the TVs with the latest software available from Samsung.
In true Samsung style the company are already teasing us as to what lies ahead at the event on May 3rd where we can expect to see the next Galaxy S III. The following video doesn’t give much away (also typical) but it does have a dig at another what I can only presume is the iPhone stating ‘you can now stand out from….everyone else.’ Cheeky.
You can see the video below. Continue Reading »
According to a study from IDC, the worldwide mobile worker population is set to increase to 1.3 billion in 2015, accounting for 37.2% of the workforce, indicating that workers everywhere are leaving the 9-to-5 days in the office behind by working remotely, traveling and collaborating via the cloud. Much of this increase is driven by the popularity of laptops, smartphones and tablets. To meet the demands of the mobile worker, Jabra today announced the Jabra SUPREME UC. After introducing the Jabra SUPREME last year, the first non-stereo headset to incorporate Active Noise Cancellation to block out noisy environments for the user wearing the headset, Jabra is introducing a variant that expands the capabilities of the original product to work with all leading Unified Communications (UC) applications (Microsoft®, Cisco, Avaya, SkypeTM, and several others), as well as mobile phones and tablets. The Jabra SUPREME UC makes wireless communication universal for individuals working from the office, home or on the road.
“As the workforce continues to move towards mobility, both inside and outside of the office, Jabra is focusing on making communicating on the go as productive and seamless as possible,” says Mogens Elsberg, CEO of Jabra. “The mobile worker is a key customer of ours, and we want to be sure we are offering products that keep them connected wherever, and however, they please.”
Good news if you use Windows Phone. Skype is now rolling out version 1.0 of the app which has been in beta for a few months. I’m not seeing the update here in the UK just yet but it is available in the US so be patient British people.
The update now brings the ability to search for contacts as well as call landlines. The app is still currently let down in my opinion by the fact it will not work in the background. This will be fixed in due course but Skype cannot give a time frame.
So as it stands the iOS and Android versions are still far better. Still, it is early days.
Posted by: James
We mentioned earlier in the week that the JCB Pro-Smart was now available to order from Clove. The Android 2.3 device may be big and chunky but it will withstand drops, knocks, water, dust and scratches. The Pro-Smart may not be suited to everyone but if you are in the sort of business where dropping your smartphone could render it useless this may be the perfect handset.
One feature I love with the JCB Pro-Smart is its battery size. 2000mAp should easily get you through the day and some, especially as it is only powering a 3.2 inch touchscreen.
You can see the unboxing video below and I also perform the scratch and water test. Will it survive?
If you listen to our Mobile Tech Addicts podcast each week you will know that the team move around our big house and always visit our bargain Basement. I thought it was worth sharing our weekly findings on here too as many offers we discover are too good to miss.
So if you are in the market for a bargain smartphone you can find this weeks selection below.
Should we make this a regular weekend feature on here?
We know what a wonderful camera the Nokia PureView has and Nokia are showing this off with the latest commercial they have posted on their YouTube channel. The video has been filmed only using the 808 and it goes to show what an amazing job the 41 megapixel image sensor does.
I am still a little dubious as to how well the 808 PureView will sell for two reasons. The first is its price. Sim free the 808 is over £500. That is a lot of money and this leads me into the second reason which is the OS. The 808 runs Symbian. While Symbian has been a huge success for Nokia they have clearly said that Windows Phone will be their primary OS of the future. So to spend over £500 on a device that may have limited support in the future concerns me.
That said the camera capabilities are outstanding on the 808. You can see for yourself below. Continue Reading »
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