Author Archive: Matt

More than 20 years in the IT industry. Blogging with a passion and thirst for new technology since 2005.

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By March 25, 2014 Read More →

HTC One (M8) features and specification

HTC_One_M8_front_mainAfter months of speculation, rumours and leaks, HTC have just officially announced the successor to the 2013 Android phone of the year, the HTC One. The official name for the new flagship phone is HTC One (M8), using the internal M8 codename to distinguish it from last year’s model which now becomes known as the HTC One (M7).  This puts the rumours of the ‘All new HTC One’ and ‘HTC Two’ names firmly to bed, thank goodness!

True to form, HTC are cramming in a lot of innovation and new technology with the HTC One (M8) and it goes well beyond the dual rear cameras that seem to have become the focus of so much attention.

HTC’s focus has been firmly upon the design of the HTC One (M8) and this certainly shows. The aluminium body construction, that HTC say has taken them 12 years to perfect in terms of getting the antenna design right, now extends round the sides of the handset and right up to the edge of the 5-inch full-HD screen for a truly edgeless feel.

The Metal Grey version of the M8 has an honest metal finish with hairline striations one the back for that brushed metal finish that HTC say takes more than 120 polishing oils to get just right. If the metal look isn’t to your liking there will also be Arctic Silver and Amber Gold versions for you to choose instead.

Despite the increase to a 5-inch full HD display, the use thinner bezels and the menu buttons now being on screen means that the physical size of the HTC One (M8) is dramatically different to the M7, at 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35 mm, it’s just 9mm larger and 17g heavier.  The screen has Gorilla Glass 3 to protect it and, like other models, has the LCD screen bonded to the back of it so there’s no air gap between the two. This leads to a huge improvement in the clarity of the display and almost insane viewing angles.

You can check out my HTC One (M8) first-look video too.

Motion Launch

Motion Launch is a new feature HTC have added to the the M8 and has both software and hardware elements. On the hardware side, HTC have created their own silicon co-processor to take care of sensory input. These sensors are in an ‘always-on’ state and the extremely power-efficient co-processor is able to continously monitor that input. This enables the user to use gestsures to interact with the phone even when it’s in sleep mode. So, for example, a double tap on the screen will wake it up and turn on the display while a swipe from one of the four sides of the screen will wake up with one of four functions.

Additionally, holding the M8 up in the landscape orientation and waking it up with the volume key launches straight in to the camera app and a second press of the volume key captures an image.

 

Duo Camera

The cameras on the HTC One (M8) have attracted a LOT of attention over the past few weeks as leaked images started to surface that appeared to show two rear facing cameras. This lead to a lot of theories. Was one ‘camera’ actually a fingerprint sensor? Could it take 3D photos? Would there be a 4MP ultrapixel camera and a 13/16MP ‘normal’ camera?

Finally we have the answer, HTC call them Duo Camera. Two rear facing cameras, one being the same 4.1 Ultrapixel unit that we see on the other HTC one devices but the other is of undisclosed resolution. The second camera is there purely to capture depth and spacial information when a photo is taken. The second camera cannot be used in its own right and there’s no option to switch.

The purpose of the Duo Camera feature is that every photo taken will have depth information recorded along with it. This them alows for some very cool after effects duting editing photos in the gallery. Photos can be re-forcused allowing you to focus on just one ‘layer’ of the photo. This might be a person in the foreground for a portrait picture with great bokeh or maybe you defocus the foreground objects to show of the scenery in a landscape to better effect.

There are many more effects available including desaturating the background, turning backgrounds in to sketches or cartoons and many more. There’s also a very cool 3D paralax effect called Dimension Plus that alows you to mode the phone and see different perspective in the images.

The depth information is recorded on every image and, unlike other cameras and phones that have attempted this, only one photo is taken rather than 5 or so at different focal lengths. Images are captured really quickly.

Some of the features we’ve previously seen in Zoe will be available in an HTC Zoe application that will be available from the Google Play Store later this year. This will allow users of older HTC phones and even non-htc phones to use some of the Zoe features or to collaborate with friends to create some awesome Zoe moments.

HTC_One_M8_sim HTC_One_M8_duo_cam 

We probably shouldn’t forget that front facing camera though. HTC have included a 5.0MP f2.0 front facing camera on the HTC One (M8) and it’s probably the best front-facing camera we’ve ever come across. Not only is it a very fast lens and sensor but it’s also wide-angle which is great for the ubiquitous ‘selfie’.

Both cameras benefit from Qualcomms Digital Image Processor which greatly improves and enhances the captured images without ruining them!

 

Dot View cases

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest and when you see the HTC’s Dot View cases for the HTC One (M8) for the first time there’s definitely a “why didn’t anyone think of this before?” moment.

HTC are lauching a range of accessories at the same time as the HTC One (M8) goes on sale and one of these accessories is the Dot View case. Not only doe the Dot View case protect both the back and the front of the M8, it also has magnets to turn on and off the display as the cover is opened. BUT, where the Dot View case is truly unique is in the front cover, there are thousands of tiny holes. These holes allow light through from the HTC One (M8) display and allow you to see just just enough in terms of notifications and alerts.

Futhermore, the phone will also react to touch input with the case closed. A double-tap will wake the phone and it’ll display the time and weather or any missed call alerts for example

HTC_One_M8_dot_viewHTC_One_M8_dot_view_open

 

 

Boomsound

Boomsound was a feature that HTC introduced with the first HTC One and it really was groundbreaking in terms of the impact. Two large, forward-facing stereo speakers coupled with a large audio amplifier made a dramatic difference. Not only were the speakers loud but the dynamic range was also amazing, the speakers sounding much larger than their physical size would otherwise suggest.

HTC have made enhancements to the Boomsound experience with the HTC One (M8). The accounstic chambers have been redesigned and there’s a new amplifier which has better control over the sound. The result is a 25% increase in the volume level and also a marked improvement in the audio range.

HTC_One_M8_front_cam

 

HTC Sense 6.0

With the HTC One (M8) comes the new version of HTC Sense. There are lost of changes here so we’re going to be covering this in a video shortly.

 

 

 

HTC One (M8) specification:

 SIZE: 146.36 x 70.6 x 9.35 mm

WEIGHT: 160 grams

DISPLAY: 5.0 inch, Full HD 1080p

 

CPU SPEED

  • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801, 2.3GHz quad-core CPU

 

PLATFORM

  • Android™ 4.4 with HTC Sense™ 6
  • HTC BlinkFeed™

 

MEMORY

  • Total storage:  16/32GB
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Expansion card slot supports microSD™ memory card for up to 128GB additional storage (card not included)

 

NETWORK

2G/2.5G – GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

  • 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

 

3G – WCDMA:

  • EMEA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
  • Asia: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps
  • AT&T: 850/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps
  • Sprint: 850/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA up to 14.4 Mbps
  • Verizon: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 14.4 Mbps
  • TMUS: 850/AWS/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps    

 

CDMA:  

  • Sprint: 800/1900
  • Verizon: 800/1900  

  4G – LTE:

  • EMEA: 800/900/1800/2600 MHz
  • Asia: 700/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz
  • AT&T: 700/850/AWS/1800/1900/2600 MHz
  • Sprint: FDD 800/1900 MHz , TDD 2600 MHz
  • Verizon: 700/AWS/1800/2600 MHz
  • TMUS: 700/AWS MHz                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

SIM

  • Nano SIM

 

SENSORS

  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Gyro sensor
  • Barometer sensor

 

CONNECTIVITY

  • 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
  • NFC
  • Bluetooth® 4.0 with aptX™ enabled
  • Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)
  • DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer,
  • HTC Connect™
  • micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port with mobile high-definition video link (MHL) for USB or HDMI connection  (Special cable required for HDMI connection.)
  • Support consumer infrared remote control

 

SOUND

  • HTC BoomSound™
  • Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
  • Sense Voice

 

CAMERA

Duo camera

  • Primary camera: HTC UltraPixel™ camera, BSI sensor, pixel size 2.0 um, sensor size 1/3”, f/2.0, 28mm lens
  • HTC ImageChip 2
  • 1080p Full HD video recording with HDR video
  • Secondary camera: capture depth information

 

Front camera

  • 5MP, f/2.0, BSI sensor, wide angle lens. with HDR capability, 1080p Full HD video recording
  • Gallery with UFocus™, Dimension Plus™, Seasons, Foregrounder, Image Match

 

MULTIMEDIA

Audio supported formats:

  • Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 10)
  • Recording: .aac

 

Video supported formats:

  • Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 10), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
  • Recording: .mp4

 

Location

  • Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
  • Digital compass

 

BATTERY

  • Capacity: 2600 mAh
  • Embedded rechargeable Li-polymer battery
  • Talk time: Up to 20 hours for 3G
  • Standby time: Up to 496 hours for 3G
 

 

Posted in: News, Phones
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By March 25, 2014 Read More →

HTC One (M8) first look video

HTC_One_M8HTC’s new flagship “HTC One (M8)” saw its official annoucement and launch today during an event held here in London. We were lucky enough to get some hands-on time with the new HTC One (M8) a few days ago and recorded an initial first-look video that you can see below.

I’m hugely impressed with the new HTC One (M8) – last year’s model is now referred to as the HTC One (M7) – if you thought that last years model was well designed and engineered then you’re going to love the new one. The body is now around 90% aluminium, up from 70% previously. The boost in screen size, up to 5″ is a welcome change while the use of a slimmer bezel design and the change to on-screen menu buttons rather than off-screen capacitive buttons has enabled HTC to cram everything in to a phone that is not physically a lot bigger than the M7 model.

This video is a failry short one and I will be following this up with another series of videos looking at various features in more detail so keep an eye open for those over the next day or so but check out the HTC One (M8) features and HTC One (M8) press release posts for more.

 

 

Posted in: News, Phones, Videos/Unboxings
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By March 25, 2014 Read More →

HTC’s event today – We’re covering it…

AllNewHTCOne-LEAK-02-578-80HTC are holding a launch event here in London today and we’re going to see their new flagship phone, the HTC One (M8), for the first time – officially at least.

Gareth and I will be covering the event and we’ll start our coverage once we arrive at the venue at around 2PM this afternoon.

Be sure to follow our twitter and google+ updates and feel free to ask us any questions. We’ll have the full lowdown on the HTC One (M8) in pictures and video as soon we we can post it.

 

Posted in: News, Phones
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By March 23, 2014 Read More →

HTC tease the HTC One (M8) again

HTC One (M8) Dot ViewHTC have been teasing us again with tweets and Facebook posts about their press and launch event being held on the 25th March here in London. The posts include the hastag #‎HTCOneUp‬, so that’s certainly one to watch.

We now know that flagship phone to supersede the HTC One will officially be called the HTC One (M8) but there are no further official details available as yet, HTC will release full details on Tuesday and we’ll be covering the event both on here and in video that we’ll have online as soon as we can.

Keep checking back on the afternoon of the 25th March – it’ll be worth it, promise!

Posted in: News, Phones
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By March 21, 2014 Read More →

Do you know how much your mobile is actually worth?

is-developing-a-mobile-app-worth-the-cost--ec618bf2b6More and more people these days are trading their mobile phones in for cash and many of us, especially when we are in dire need of that cash won’t stop and think about how much our phone is worth. Instead we will simply just post it off, or hand it in to our nearest store and take whatever cash they’ll hand over. Have you ever stopped to think about how much your phone is actually worth? What metals are involved in the making of it?

There are three main metals that can be found in mobile phones, lead, nickel and cadmium and the use of each of these three makes recycling a phone all the more important. Cadmium is an especially toxic metal, and when a phone is dumped or sent to a landfill somewhere, trace elements can potentially find their way into food and water supplies. Recycling a phone means that you remove the chance for contamination. Lead and nickel are similarly bad for you, making recycling ever more important.

In reality, around 90% of a mobile phone can be recycled and reused, an amazingly high statistic compared with other electronics, and due to the turnaround of technology (most mobile phone contracts now last two years), it is certainly worth trading in and recycling your phone when you upgrade to a brand new one.

Often, it isn’t even mobile phones that the recycling phones wind up becoming. You can find the materials from recycled phones in everything from copper roofs on buildings, to ski-lifts, winding their way up the side of mountains to get you to your destination. It’s amazing how much variety there is in the use of these materials, and even the plastic is used, often going into benches.

Trading in a phone will even get you a bit of money, where dumping it won’t, and after a few years of use, being paid to get rid of a phone is a blessing, and certainly won’t make you feel ripped off. You’ll be able to see the effect of your recycling all over the world.

If you want to find out a good price for your phone, you can always check out a website like Albemarle Bond who value metals of many different varieties. It can interesting to see how much a phone’s metals is really worth.

Posted in: Editorial, Phones
By March 18, 2014 Read More →

Three slashes cost of ’08’ calling

three-ipadThree has announced that it is making 0800 numbers free for customers signing up to new monthly plans, as well as slashing 084 and 087 calls to 5p per minute, amidst new research that reveals that Brits shell out over half a billion pounds a year on 08 ‘freephone’ numbers a year.

These charges typically range from 14p to 40p. Existing customers can swap over from their existing plan without paying a fee and can keep their existing contract end date.

The research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Three, found that:

  • 08 calls cost UK consumers over £600 million a year
  • 75% do not know what they’re being charged when they dial 08 numbers
  • 45% of those on a mobile phone contract have suffered from ‘bill shock’, upon receiving a bill that was, on average, £33.63 more than they’d anticipated

 The most prevalent reason for this was due to ‘out of bundle’ calls to 0800 numbers (31%)

When queried, premium mobile charges for 0800 numbers emerged as the most frustrating for consumers, something Three is responding to as part of its long term goal of making mobile bills fairer and easier to understand.

 

New research – conducted by YouGov – has found that mobile phone users are in the dark when it comes to the cost of making calls to 0800 numbers from their mobile phone.

Three quarters of people surveyed have no idea how much their operator charges them for an 0800 call and 10% think these are free, as they would be from a landline. Research also highlights that calls to 0800, 0845 and 0870 numbers cost UK mobile consumers an estimated £600 million a year.

The research also found that 47% of mobile phone users have experienced bill shock, with almost a third (31%) of these users saying this was caused by out of bundle expensive calls such as 0800 or 0845 numbers.

From today, customers who sign up to Three’s new plans can call 0800, 0808 and 0500 numbers for free, while all other 08 numbers, like 084 and 087, will cost 5p per minute. These charges typically range from 14p to 40p. Existing customers can swap over from their existing plan without paying a fee and can keep their existing contract end date.

Dave Dyson, Chief Executive at Three, said: “We asked people what frustrated them most about their mobile bills and confusion around the cost of calling 08 numbers came out top by a big margin.  These charges are often buried in the small print and they’re expensive enough to make most customers fear calling them from their mobiles. 

“We believe in making mobile simpler and better value – the cost of calling 08 numbers is something we want to address for our customers.

“UK mobile users are still afraid to use their devices in many circumstances.  That’s why we’ve made it possible for our customers to use their home allowance abroad in 11 countries, including the USA.  It’s why we’ve launched 4G at no extra cost and why we’ve committed not to raise our monthly recurring charges during the minimum period of a contract. ”

Under the new plans, customers will also be able to set limits to stop them going over their minutes allowance and limit spending on expensive numbers.

They will also receive text alerts to help them understand when they are close to using up their voice and data allowances.

To celebrate that 0800 numbers are now free, Three is launching a selection of fun and pointless 0800 numbers on 17 March for people to call and enjoy, including a Singing Dictionary line, a compliments line and a 24 hours lullaby line.

 

Posted in: News, Phones
By March 13, 2014 Read More →

Vodafone Ranked as Worst UK Mobile Network

resultsIn a report published by RootMetrics, Vodafone comes out at the worst of the UK Mobile Networks with EE taking an almost cleansweep at the top of virtually all of the metrics measured in the report. 

The report claims to be “the most comprehensive study of UK mobile network performance,” aiming to highlight the best carrier in the country.

Broadly speaking these results are pretty consistent with our experience here at tracyandmatt. We on the team all have SIM cards and contracts with the top 4 UK carriers and we all rate EE the highest in terms of coverage, speed and reliablility while there’s no argument from us that Vodafone’s position at the bottom is well deserved. We’re not on the fence!

Vodafone have just hit out at the report from RootMetrics and s Vodafone spokesman has gone so far as to say:

“We cannot take the results of this report seriously and neither should our customers,”

Vodafone said the network tests were not fully impartial, nor did they follow standard industry practices. In addition, some of the data included could be more than six months old, it suggested.

“The evidence we have seen of how Root Metrics conducted some of its tests leads us to believe that they were carried out in an inconsistent manner,” the spokesperson added, advising interested parties to use more established, independent researchers, “such as Ookla”.

 

 

Posted in: News, Phones
By March 11, 2014 Read More →

What is the Best eReader?

ebooks-664x442In 2007, we all found out about eReaders that grabbed our attention. We saw the invention of the first major eBooks that was sold to the masses across the US and internationally markets.

7 years on, there is a wide variety of different types of eReaders available on the market, from a variety of brands on a variety of platforms. Originally, the benefits of the eReader included the ability to store thousands of books digitally, without the need to have a large space in your home, or in your suitcase, to store or transport a variety of books. Now, however, with the variety of different models and brands available, the features and benefits of each eReader continues to dazzle us. But how do you choose which eReader is best?

Here, we will look at the different features, their benefits and finally the problem or need they solve, to empower you to choose the best eReader for you.

 

Kindle

  • Major features

The Kindle is the original popular eReader and is the cheapest on this list. Developed by Amazon, the Kindle provides you with the ability to store thousands of books available from the Amazon eBook collections. It is light at 5.98 oz. meaning the Kindle is a good, no-nonsense, and economical reader.

  • Benefits and Drawbacks

As we have said, the Kindle is the cheapest available on this list, and so its major benefit is its simplicity and price. However, it is not possible to do a lot more other than read, and the appearance is basic. You can’t use this Kindle in the dark, particularly on the go.

  • Problem Solved

Bookworms no longer have to carry around heavy paper books, and books are sold at a much cheaper price in electronic form on Amazon than they are as hardbacks or paperbacks.

 

Kindle PaperWhite

  • Features

The majorly different feature of the Kindle PaperWhite is in the screen. Mainly, the lightness, and paper-like white screen that you read the words on, as the name suggests, could be considered by many as an improvement in appearance and functionality.

  • Benefits and Drawback

The main reason why the Kindle PaperWhite gets a mention on this list is it addresses the issue of reading in the dark and on the go that its older brother the 5th generation original Kindle model doesn’t. As a result, however, the price increases, and there is little more to do with the eReader other than shop for and read a library of books. However, you’ll need to be able to logon to Wi-Fi, as 3G is not possible with this model.

  • Problem Solved

For loyal Kindle users, who already have a wide collection of Amazon eBooks and still want to access them will find the PaperWhite helps to solve the issue of usability in the dark. It may also be more attractive for many readers, depending on taste.

Nook SimpleTouch

  • Features

The eReader from Barnes and Noble is most affordable to read, ultra-light as well as comfortable to hold. It’s battery lasts over 2 months and you can access over 3 million books. You can also have access to free Wi-Fi if you purchase at a B&N Store, which you can use to buy new books, access Free Sample Books, and borrow and lend books to and from others.

  • Benefits and Drawbacks

For the bookworm, or just book lovers of all kinds, looking to focus on the pure enjoyment of reading, rather than having an all-singing gadget. Its lower price also makes it the best value option on this list for reading thousands of books. Much like the Kindle, it does not offer any light, so it can be tricky to read this in the dark and on the go during long travel.

  • Problem Solved

Simplicity is the key, allowing any type of reader to get access to the wonderful world of books at the cheapest price. If you are happy to venture from Amazon, this is a fantastic option.

Nook GlowLight

  • Features

The Nook GlowLight provides readers with a truly unique feature – its innovative lit-screen feature. Unlike the Kindle PaperWhite, you have the option to adjust the level of brightness the screen emits. Along with the variety of features available with all of the above eReaders, it is the added feature that makes the Nook GlowLight stand out.

  • Benefits and Drawbacks

For nighttime reading, this is a fantastic option. With the versatility of the light brightness, and the power of the reader to change this according to their needs, it is a convenient and pleasurable option for nighttime and travelling readers.

  • Problem Solved

The Mayo Clinic suggests reading as an optimal evening activity to promote a good night’s sleep. They suggest being wary of using bright screens, however, as this can trigger your mind to wake up and be out of sync with your body clock. This feature therefore makes your evening time reading practical and healthier. At an expected higher price, it’s for reader’s to see for themselves the illuminating value of this eReader.

Posted in: Editorial
By March 9, 2014 Read More →

eBay launches new Collections feature

eBay CollectionseBay announced that it would introduce a new ‘Collections’ feature last year and since then we at tracyandmatt.co.uk have been working with eBay to create our own curated Collections via our eBay account.

The Collections feature, which can be likened to Pintrest for eBay items, is now live on the UK eBay site and members can now start their own collections by going to ‘My Collections’ in their user account or by clicking the ‘Add To Collection’ link when looking at specific eBay items.

The great thing about the new eBay Collections feature is that you can create as many Collections as you want, they can have any number of items in them and not only can the Collection itself be annotated but individual items can be too.

Another cool feature of Collections is that you can promote all of your collections, just one collection or a single item with the sharing feature. Other eBay members can then choose to follow all, some or just one of your collections and can also re-share what you have there.

This new feature could be a real boon for eBay members with popular shops or for those that want to show others what new and hot…

In our Collections right now you can find our selection of the best phones from each mainstream manufacturer, top tablet choices, and all the items we use in MBED, Arduino and Raspberry Pi development. Check out our Collections on eBay.co.uk and follow to see what else we do with them going forward.

 

Posted in: Editorial, News
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By March 8, 2014 Read More →

Preparing your digital legacy for when you’re gone

legacyThere can be no doubt that the internet has revolutionised our daily lives, making things like paying bills, shopping, as well as communications so much easier, and in many cases cheaper. This can be achieved with a simple click of a button and all without leaving the house. Yet, as many families of those who die are discovering, the internet can also make things more difficult.

Digital legacy

This is a relatively new development that has been created by the very things that were meant to – and indeed do – make our lives easier. Many people conduct all of their financial affairs online, whether filing their taxes, paying debts or managing their accounts, and any standing orders or direct debits continue to be paid until you take steps to stop them. People are rightly told by the different institutions and/or websites with which they hold accounts not to share sensitive information such as passwords and pin numbers with anyone else.

With this in mind, settling your affairs can be a big problem for your family members after your death, because they are unable to gain access to your accounts, and in the absence of paper documentation are unable to determine with whom these accounts are kept. Even things like closing down email accounts or social media profiles will be difficult in the absence of the correct log-in information.

The internet is great, but not yet that great

As stated in Saga Legal’s exhaustive Digital Legal Guide, the ‘internet is not yet intuitive enough’ to realise that someone has died and many surviving family members and friends will have experienced a heartbreaking reminder of this as Facebook implores them to wish the deceased a happy birthday. The same is true for online shopping sites until they are no longer able to debit a bank account that has been frozen upon the provision of a death certificate. 

Solution

The aforementioned Saga Digital Legal Guide advises that you should treat your digital legal in much the same way that you should treat your Will. Many do not pay digital information with the same heed because of the developing nature of the laws governing internet usage, but this is perhaps an even greater reason to ensure that your loved ones have access, as it will overcome such legal ambiguities. 

This can be achieved by creating a secure online directory, which gives details all of your active internet accounts along with how you wish for them to be dealt with.

Posted in: Editorial
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks