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 July 8, 2012 Read More →

Feligan PowerBrick unboxing video

feligan There’s no shortage of power and charging solutions out there for mobile devices, indeed we have looked at several of these in the past including those from PowerMat as well as lesser known small companies.

This time I’m taking a look at the PowerBrick from the Italian based company Feligan.

The PowerBrick system has space for up to 6 different charging ‘blocks’ boasting compatibility with Apple, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Kindle, LG, Motorola… the list goes on. When you buy the PowerBrick you get to choose the 6 power connectors that you would like to to be configured with.

It doesn’t just stop with the 6 connectors though. On the front of the unit you’ll find an additional 2 USB sockets that allow you to plug in those bespoke-type power cables that come with some devices. And as if that isn’t enough there’s also two mains-power sockets to boot that you can use to plug in other power adapters. These also allow you to plug in adapters from other countries, accepting UK, European, US and Australian style plugs to name a few.

In the video below you can see a quick unbox of the one I ordered.

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By June 19, 2012 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy SIII Outsells Competition

clip_image001It’s official that the Samsung Galaxy SIII is the most pre-ordered mobile phone in history. The last pre-order figures before release had topped a stunning 9 million handsets.

The pre-order numbers have probably benefitted from the new JUMP contracts (which stand for Just Update My Phone) and allow customers to switch between mobile phone deals, service providers and the latest models with minimum fuss. The Galaxy SIII is being called the ‘iPhone killer’, and in the UAE it’s even being subsidised.

The phone has received positive feedback overall. It’s been praised for being comfortable to hold in the hand, despite its large screen size. The 1.4Ghz quad core processor is also touted to be incredibly fast and indeed this is one of the Galaxy’s leading new features. Indeed perhaps the only thing that seems to be worth criticising is the battery cover, which remains as thin and plasticky as it did in other models. This has become something of a running joke with the Galaxy models and it’s a design flaw that Samsung just can’t seem to find a way around.

In the US, AT&T will be carrying a special edition red version of the phone but it will not be offering customers the 32GB version, leading to some speculation of a compromise. The phone is yet to launch in the US, and other regions will only be carrying the standard Marble White or Pebble Blue editions.

Meanwhile, Samsung continues to hit home runs with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate. The Exhilarate phone will features 80% consumer recycled material and has an incredibly efficient charging system that alerts the users when the phone has sufficiently charged. It has also been certified by UL Environment. Samsung is currently on a winning streak of establishing itself as an innovator in the mobile market.

 

Posted in: Editorial
By June 4, 2012 Read More →

Nokia Lumia 710 Review

lumia710 Nokia have been and quite possibly still are one of the most influential manufacturers of mobile phones to date, so when they announced that they were struggling this surprised me a lot, as they were at one time (before Apple’s dominance) the number 1 mobile phone company in the world! But then they announced that were partnering with Microsoft to make Windows Phone their ‘Flagship’ Operating system, I was quite worried for them at this point because of the Windows platform being so young at this point.

Then there was the huge announcement of 2 brand new Nokia Windows Phones! My worry started to fade as what I saw was the Lumia 800 which is their flagship device for the moment and the phone that I have here.the Lumia 710, this basically is just a slightly smaller, thicker, cheaper version of its sibling as it has the same processor and operating system but in cheaper packaging.

How did the little sibling perform during testing?

To find out you will have to read on, but only after you’ve made sure to watch the unboxing video of this lovely little phone.

Posted in: Phones
By June 3, 2012 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy S3 benchmark video

Samsung-Galaxy-siii_azul Following on from our Samsung Galaxy S3 unboxing and demo video we have another short video of the S3, this time James runs Quadrant so that we can see what the benchmark scores say.

We’re all expecting to see the Galaxy S3 put in a massive performance here but just how quick is it compared to it’s closest competitor the HTC One X? Check out the video below to find out, it’s a close run thing but does the S3 actually come out on top??

 

Galaxy S3 benchmark

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 27, 2012 Read More →

Sony Xperia U unboxing video

sony-xperia-u Sony have been releasing Xperia handsets with regularity recently and the latest to be made available is there Xperia U that we are looking at here.

The ‘U’ is the smallest of the new Xperia range with ‘only’ a 3.5″ screen. Having said that Sony have still crammed 480×854 pixels in to that relatively small space which gives it a sharp and clear appearance. Colours are strong and even thanks to the LED backlight technology.

The Sony Xperia U is touted as the budget Xperia but it doesn’t really have a bargain price-tag, there’s quite a lot inside that keeps the price fairly high so the ‘budget’ label is rather relative here.

There are perhaps two main bugbears with this handset. The first being that there’s no memory card slot. Whist there is 8GB of internal storage that’s a fixed amount that cannot be expanded and let’s face it, 8GB isn’t huge these days.

Secondly, Sony have chosen to ship the Xperia U, and indeed all of the current Xperia range, with Android 2.3 Gingerbread. This feels a bit ‘old hat’ now and whilst Sony have promised Ice Cream Sandwich soon I suspect that many will be wary of such claims and will remember a similar situation with the X10 and X10 mini being left as 1.6.

Anyway, you can check out my unboxing and demo video below.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 3, 2012 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy SIII

press_prod1 Predictably, Samsung Electronics today announced the third generation Galaxy S, the Galaxy S III, a phone so intuitive that it is able to recognise your voice and understand your intention. Sleek and innovative, this latest smartphone is packed with enhanced intelligence to make everyday life easier: designed for humans and inspired by nature.

With the Samsung Galaxy S IIII, you can view content like never before on a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display, whilst an 8MP camera and an 1.9MP front camera offer a variety of intelligent camera features and face recognition related options so you can capture all moments easily and instantly. The Samsung Galaxy S III is powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and full of intuitive technology, delivering a uniquely personalised mobile experience.

Andy Griffiths, Managing Director, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “Our aim with the Galaxy S III was to develop the best smartphone ever made, and by focusing on creating a unique user experience through superior hardware and enhanced usability we believe we have done just that. The device has been created by keeping in mind our daily needs and capabilities as human beings. Simple yet brilliant, the Galaxy S III is packed with smart features that enable it to understand and respond to our actions providing the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experience.”

Introducing Natural Interaction

The Galaxy S III’s main USP is that it enhances the interaction between the device and its owner. Smart enough to detect your face, voice and gestures, the Galaxy S III adapts to the individual user to provide a more convenient and natural user experience. With the innovative ‘Smart stay’ feature, the device recognises how you are using your phone – reading an e-book or browsing the web for instance – by using the front camera to identify your eyes; the phone maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

With ‘S Voice,’ an advanced natural language user interface, the Galaxy S III listens and responds to your words. In addition to allowing information search and basic device-user communication, ‘S Voice’ provides powerful device control and commands. When your phone alarm goes off but you need a little extra rest, just tell the Galaxy S III “snooze” – and it snoozes. You can also use ‘S Voice’ to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, send text messages and emails, organise your schedules, or automatically launch the camera and capture a photo – all through you speaking to the device.
In addition to recognising your face and voice, the Galaxy S III understands your motions. If you are messaging someone but decide to call them instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and ‘Direct call’ will dial their number. With ‘Smart alert,’ the Galaxy S III will catch any missed messages or calls; your phone will vibrate to notify missed statuses when picked up after being idle.

Easy and Instant Sharing

The Samsung Galaxy S III is more than a personal device that can be enjoyed by one person – it wants you to share and experience smartphone benefits with family and friends, regardless of where you are. With the new ‘S Beam,’ the Galaxy S III expands upon AndroidT Beam, allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another Galaxy S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from a camera or photo gallery.
With ‘AllShare Cast’, you can wirelessly connect your Galaxy S III to your television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display. ‘AllShare Play’ can be used to instantly share any files between your Galaxy S III and DLNA supported tablet, PC, and televisions regardless of the distance between the devices. The ‘Group Cast’ feature also allows you to share your screen among multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network; you can make comments and draw changes at the same time with your co-workers, witnessing real-time sharing on your individual device.

Human-centric Design with Uncompromised Performance

The Galaxy S III not only has features with enhanced usability, but also provides an ergonomic and comfortable experience through its human-centric design, with a comfortable grip, gentle curves, and organic form. Inspired by nature, its design concept is the flow and movement of nature. The elements of wind, water and light are all evoked in the physical construct of the Galaxy S III. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White at launch, Samsung will introduce a variety of additional colour options at a later date.

Thanks to its 4.8″ HD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S III offers a large and vivid viewing experience. Samsung Mobile’s heritage Super AMOLED display even enhances to HD and 16:9 wider viewing angles. To ensure faster connectivity, the Galaxy S III offers Wi-Fi Channel Bonding which doubles the Wi-Fi bandwidth.
The Galaxy S III also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall user experience in entirely new ways. It introduces ‘Pop up play,’ a feature that allows you to play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. Its 8MP camera features a zero-lag shutter speed that lets you capture moving objects easily without delay – the image you see is the picture you take.

With the ‘Burst shot’ function that instantly captures twenty continuous frames, and the ‘Best photo’ feature that selects the best of eight photographs for you, the Galaxy S III offers a more enhanced and memorable camera experience. HD video can be recorded even with the 1.9MP front facing camera, which you can use to capture a video of yourself. Improved backside illumination further helps to eliminate blur in photos that result from shaking, even under low lights.
Mobile payment is also accessible with the device through advanced Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The gaming experience is enhanced through ‘Game Hub’, providing access to numerous social games, whilst Video Hub brings users high quality TV and movies. Furthermore, Samsung Music Hub will offer a personal music streaming service. Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub will be introduced in select countries initially before being rolled out globally.
The Samsung Galaxy S III will be available in the UK from the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City and all other retailers.

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By May 1, 2012 Read More →

BlackBerry 10 sneak peek video and screen shots

BlackBerry 10 preview!
Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 1, 2012 Read More →

The HTC One X & HTC One S now available for less – for a limited time only

vodafone-logo Just a quick heads up for anyone considering the HTC One X and HTC One S; Vodafone have just dropped me a line and wanted me to let you know that for a limited period Vodafone are offering the amazing HTC One X and HTC One S for less.

Until 14th May 2012 you can pick up the HTC One X for free on pay monthly plans from £36 per month, and the HTC One S free from £31 per month.

For further details please go to the Vodafone website:

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-one-x-white

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-one-s

 

Posted by: Matt

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Posted in: Phones
By May 1, 2012 Read More →

ViewSonic’s New VX2460h-LED Monitor

VX2460h-LED_left ViewSonic today announced their new VX2460h LED Monitor. This bad-boy is just 6.8mm thick thin. Surely this has to be the thinnest display on the market?

ViewSonic a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced its latest LED backlit monitor solution – the  VX2460h-LED – offering the thinnest profile available for its size and class category.

Ideal for consumers, gamers, enthusiasts and discerning buyers alike, the VX2460h-LED is a sleek and stylish 24″ (61cm)/23.6″ (60cm) viewable ultra-slim widescreen display that pairs a 1/4″ (6.8mm) ultra-slim thickness with advanced imaging technologies to reduce eye fatigue after extended viewing.

With a Full HD 1080p resolution, 2ms video response time provided by ClearMotiv® II imaging technology and ultra-high 40,000,000 : 1 dynamic contrast ratio, the VX2460h-LED delivers superior pixel performance. Paired with dual HDMI inputs for multiple media device connections, Windows® 7 certification and touch sensitive controls for convenient on-screen display setting adjustments, the VX2460h-LED delivers stunning visual performance. Additionally, this mercury-free, Energy Star® 5.1 certified display is equipped with ViewSonic’s ECO-mode feature which extends the lifetime of the display, while delivering energy savings of up to 40% when compared to a regular 23.6″ (60cm) monitor.

The VX2460h-LED comes standard with a 3-year warranty, and the industry’s best pixel performance policy. The VX2460h-LED will be available in Europe mid May for an RRP £159 / ?199 (inclusive of VAT). For further information on ViewSonic and its products, visit www.viewsoniceurope.com

 

Posted by: Matt

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Posted in: Desktop Computing
By April 26, 2012 Read More →

High speed broadband for all

6769824 Cable internet is a type of broadband internet access which uses optical fibre rather than copper telephone lines or wireless. It uses the same infrastructure as is used to provide cable television and it is generally bundled for the user in the form of cable TV and internet packages.

The principal advantage of cable internet over internet provided over telephone lines, for instance using ADSL, is the connection speed. Whilst ADSL is pushed to provide broadband speeds much in excess of 10 Mbps (Megabits per second), cable can provide broadband speeds over and order of magnitude faster. 100 Mbps is currently available to many users and 200 Mbps and even 300 Mbps is expected to be available in the not too distant future. Even those speeds are not the limit either; eventually cable internet users can anticipate speeds of 1 Gbps or even higher.

The problem with cable internet is that it is not available to everyone, particularly for people who live in more rural locations. Around 80% of homes in the UK are able to receive cable and although the number is growing on a daily basis, it will be some time before cable is capable of generally replacing copper.

If you are unfortunate to live in an area that does not have cable broadband or does not seem to be getting it in the foreseeable future, then your only options are ADSL or wireless. Fortunately ADSL technologies are much better than just a few years ago. ADSL2+ is the latest innovation in broadband access over copper lines, and it is capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 25 Mbps, but again not for all users. The broadband speed falls off with the distance between the provider and user, and if you are very remote from the provider then your speed will be very limited.

There are plans afoot to improve broadband access to rural areas using wireless technology. When the switch over from analogue to digital TV has been completed, the radio frequency bands currently used for analogue TV will be licences to mobile network suppliers for 4G mobile communications. Some of the lower end frequencies will be used for reaching rural users and the higher end for urban users. Theoretically this should mean that high speed broadband will become available to all, and speeds as high as 1 Gbps are being talked about; however from experience with current 3G connectivity, the reality of broadband speeds always seem to fall far short of the theoretical.

If it seems unfair that urban dwellers are not able to access the same sort of broadband speeds that are available in larger conurbations, then that it because it is unfair. As all of our lives and businesses become increasingly dependent on high speed broadband we are in danger of creating a two speed economy, which can’t be good for the economic and social future of the UK.

Posted in: Editorial
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