Author Archive: Matt

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

rss feed Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google Plus YouTube

Author's Website →

By September 30, 2013 Read More →

iPad 5 leaked images and video

iPad 5 leakedWe’re expecting an Apple event sometime in October where we’ll get to see the new iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2. However, if you are as impatient as we are you’ll be pleased to know that images and hands on videos of the anticipated next-gen iPads have already leaked out.

The iPad 5 leaked images and video appear to show just the aluminium back panels of the new iPads but do also reveal that the iPad 5 will be smaller, thinner and lighter than the iPad 4 and seems to be a slightly different form fact too. The iPad Mini 2 appears to be pretty much the same size and shape as the existing mini so expect all the changes to be on the inside!

Both the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 are expected to feature the same fingerprint scanner as featured on the new iPhone 5s as well as updated cameras but neither appears to reveal a built-in flash.

The hope from us us that we’ll see a retina display on the iPad Mini 2 as well as improved battery life and CPU performance on both models. I suspect that both will have the new A7 chip in there too.

So check out the video from SW-BOX.COM below and see if that give you an appetite for some new Apple tablet goodness!

Posted in: News, Tablets
Tags: , ,
By September 29, 2013 Read More →

Apple set to lose Lightning Connector?

Apple set to lose Lightning connectorSeveral years ago, most smartphone manufacturers all began to adopt a standardised charging connector for their phones. The connector to win out was, of course, the microUSB and that can now be found on the vast majority of phones now sold, with one significant exception, Apple.

Apple have always had their own proprietary connectors, starting with the 30 pin connector first seen back in 2003 on the 3rd generation iPod’s. Apple stayed with the dock connector until they released the iPhone 5 in September of last year and switched to the Lightning Connector. The change from the 30-pin connector to Lightning caused a bit of a stir and rendered existing iPhone/iPod accessories all but obsolete.

One of the reasons Apple stuck with the dock connector for so long is that those 30-pins aren’t just for sync and charge. Not only does the connector include USB and serial connections but also video out and audio in/out. This is perhaps one of the main reasons for Apple not heading down the mini or microUSB road.

However, it now looks like Apple could be forced to use standardised connectors, at least to sell their products in the EU, as a committee within the European Union Parliament has this week voted unanimously to introduce a law that would force all smartphone makers to adopt the same charger type.
One of the reasons that the EU want to force this change is to reduce wastage from all the unused charges out there. Most people probably have more than one charger and how many of us have a drawer full from various phones we’ve owned over the years? In fact, recently, several manufacturers, in particular HTC, have started to exclude chargers from the boxes of new phones.The exact type of connector that the EU will be enforcing has not yet been decided but it seems likely that microUSB, or a compatible for of it, would be chosen.
So where does that leave Apple? Clearly they are the company to be most affected by this change and I cannot imagine that iPod and iPhone customers would be happy to give up their speaker docks, sound bars and HDMI connectors that work so well with Lightning.
So are Apple set to lose Lightning Connector or will we end up with iPhones and iPads with more than one type of connector? Time will tell but you can be sure that Apple wont take the EU ruling lying down!
Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: ,
By September 28, 2013 Read More →

HTC One Max coming October 15

HTC One MaxThere has been a lot of talk about the HTC One Max with plenty of leaked images and ‘news’ of the device. However, many sources now indicate that the new device that’s set to take the flagship position win HTC’s range will see a October 15th launch date.

With so many of their competitors bringing out large-screen and phablet devices it makes sense (no pun intended) for HTC to bring their own large slab phone to market too. Looking vertically the same as the HTC One, the HTC One Max is said to be sport a large screen of at least 6 inches, have the same ultra pixel camera as the HTC One, BoomSound speakers 2GB RAM and will use the Snapdragon S4 Pro chip featuring a quad-core processor, clocked at 1.7GHz.

Further rumours now surround the One Max as additional leaked images now appear to include a fingerprint scanner on the rear which is likely to be similar to the one now featured on the latest iPhone 5S.

The One Max, previously know simply by its T6 codename, also appears on Teena, an FCC-like telecommunication regulatory authority in China.

October 15 seems set to be a busy news day as the date has also been set by Apple to officially announce the new iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2. There’s also said to be an HTC press event next week which would further reinforce a release date in the coming fortnight.

Well cover more of the HTC One Max as soon as we get the skinny from HTC themselves.

More HTC One Max news can be found over at cnet.com

Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: , ,
By September 27, 2013 Read More →

Nokia Tablet Launch on October 22?

Nokia Tablet on its way?Nokia have been in the news quite a lot recently with Microsoft buying their mobile unit and the popularity of the Lumia 1020, could it be that Nokia are beginning to bounce back?

The answer could well be yes if the Wall Street Journal’s sources are to be believed. According to them, Nokia will be releasing 6 new Lumia phones, running Windows Phone 8 and possible some other more entry level S40 based devices.

Perhaps the most interesting though is the long-awaited Nokia tablet, code-named “Sirius,” that is also expected to be announced alongside this raft of new smartphones. This is likely to be called the Nokia Lumia 2520, and will take the form of a 10.1-inch Windows RT device.

The product blitz to be unveiled in Abu Dhabi Oct. 22, will include several Lumia smart devices that run Microsoft’s Windows phone platform, and lower-end devices based on Nokia’s S40 software, these people said. Nokia’s first tablet device will also debut, and will run Windows 8 software.

This news come just days after Microsoft’s Surface 2 announcement and is expected to cost around the same as the current Apple iPad models but with the new iPad 5 expected to be announced soon too Nokia may have a tough time realising the sales potential of the Lumia 2520.
Posted in: News, Phones, Tablets
Tags: , ,
By September 27, 2013 Read More →

The effects of technology on the gaming industry

gamingWhat’s the moment you’d define as gaming’s huge technological leap? Was it back in 2007 when Steve Jobs debuted his MP3, Internet device and phone? After all the iPhone absolutely revolutionised the way we communicate, entertain ourselves, listen to music and play games. Or maybe it was when Nintendo came up with the 3DS – a portable gaming device that allows you to play in full stereoscopic 3D without wearing glasses? That’s the future right there! Except it came out in 2009.

 

Posted in: Editorial
Tags: , ,
By September 23, 2013 Read More →

HTC Desire 500 unboxing video

htc-desire-500-black-en-f01-01 About three weeks ago HTC announced their latest device to have the Desire name attached to it; the HTC Desire 500.

The Desire 500 bring the Desire range up to date with the user interface, HTC Sense 5.0, and features taken straight from the newer flagship models and rolling them in to a much more modestly priced device.

The specification isn’t bad either, a Quad Core 1.2GHz CPU and 1GB RAM, 8MP camera and 1.6MP front-facing camera. There’s even a dual-SIM version available too.

The 500 comes in Lacquer Black and Glacier Blue variants.

Check out the unboxing video below where you can see the Desire 500 in a little more detail and also see the benchmark results.

Posted in: Phones, Videos/Unboxings
Tags:
By September 22, 2013 Read More →

BBM pulled from iOS and Android already

BBMiconwhite If, like me, you’ve been looking for BBM on the App Store on via Google Play you may be wondering what’s going on… repeated searches yield no results yet it’s supposed to be there by now right?

Well yes, BBM should have been available for both iOS and Android by now but before the BlackBerry guys could make the official version available apparently ‘someone’ allowed an unreleased version of the Android app to be leaked online and according to the official BlackBerry blog, that unreleased version caused some ‘issues’. As a result the rollout of BBM to Android and iOS is now on hold…

Prior to launching BBM for Android, an unreleased version of the BBM for Android app was posted online. The interest and enthusiasm we have seen already – more than 1.1 million active users in the first 8 hours without even launching the official Android app – is incredible. Consequently, this unreleased version caused issues, which we have attempted to address throughout the day.

Our teams continue to work around the clock to bring BBM to Android and iPhone, but only when it’s ready and we know it will live up to your expectations of BBM. We are pausing the global roll-out of BBM for Android and iPhone. Customers who have already downloaded BBM for iPhone will be able to continue to use BBM. The unreleased Android app will be disabled, and customers who downloaded it should visit www.BBM.com to register for updates on official BBM for Android availability.

As soon as we are able, we will begin a staggered country roll-out of BBM for Android and continue the roll-out of BBM for iPhone. Please follow @BBM on Twitter for the latest updates and go to www.BBM.com to sign-up for updates about BBM for Android and iPhone. These issues have not impacted BBM service for BlackBerry.

That’s a bit of a mess then. Hopefully they’ll have that all resolved quickly.

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News, Phones
Tags:
By September 20, 2013 Read More →

BBM for Android and iPhone imminent

BBM for Android and iOSIt was announced at the BBLive event in Orlando back in May of this year but finally, this weekend, we’ll see BBM arrive on Android and iPhone. Starting tomorrow Android gets BBM followed by the iPhone version on Sunday. Both versions will be available free in the respective app stores.

The timing of the release coincides with BlackBerry announcing record losses and that they are cutting their workforce by around 40%. Many news sources are speculating that the release of BBM on rival platforms will be the solution to some of BlackBerry’s issues, however, we believe that, if anything, BBM finally going to other platforms will merely remove another barrier for BlackBerry stalwarts to move to another device.

Update: BBM for Android and iOS has been halted, more info can be found here.

Posted in: News
Tags: ,
By September 19, 2013 Read More →

Internet Explorer 11 preview released

Internet Explorer 11 Microsoft has today announced that the Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview is now available to customers using Windows 7. Building on the strengths of IE10, Internet Explorer 11 offers users the best browsing experience for Windows, bringing incredible speed together with advanced web technologies perfect for touch.

Having released the IE11 Developer Preview for Windows 7 in July, today’s release invites a broader range of tech enthusiasts and consumers to download and experience IE11 for Windows 7 as part of the final stage of previews before general availability later this year. IE11 for Windows 8.1 will coincide with the general availability of Windows 8.1 which starts at 12:00am, October 18th, in New Zealand).

A new video has been created to coincide with the Release Preview. In the video Microsoft takes to the streets to find out exactly what people think about Internet Explorer and discovers that when it comes to IE, there are still some misconceptions floating around out there. But as you’ll see, actually using IE11 and Windows 8.1 was enough to change a few minds.

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By September 18, 2013 Read More →

Superzoom lenses: growing with time

superzoom lenses What are we referring to when we use the phrase superzoom? What we’re talking about are photographic zoom lenses, manufactured for use with a 35mm camera and featuring an unconventionally large focal length – typically more than 5×. Superzoom lenses have improved significantly over time, with models now on the market boasting over 15× abilities, but they weren’t always so gargantuan.

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