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 June 18, 2011 Read More →

BlackBerry 9780 email update issues?

setup A few days ago I was setting up a new email address on my BlackBerry 9780 so went in to the setup menu on the phone and in to the Email Account Setup application. My 9780 went off to check for updates and came back with an available download taking me from version 6.0 to 6.11.0419.0755. I downloaded the update which installed and ran the email setup adding my new account. So far so good.

However, a little while later I did a battery swap on the phone and so rebooted the 9780. Waiting patiently for the phone to restart, we all know BlackBerry’s take a while from a cold boot, I waited 5 minutes, then 10 and then another 10 etc. The phone simply failed to boot.

This forced me to connect the 9780 to my PC and reinstall the OS from scratch. This is annoying but not a massive problem as I’m pretty good at taking a full backup of the phone quite frequently. About an hour later I was back to square one, phone was working but minus the new email account. Back in to settings, email account setup and I’m offered the email update once again. This time I said NO to the update. But having done that you cant then setup the new email account. Annoying!

I figure I’ll give it another go, maybe something went wrong the first time. Download and install the update and reboot again. The 9780 once again refuses to boot and it back to an OS restore.

At this point I’m giving up on adding the new email account, I’m pretty annoyed but put it down to the update perhaps net being fully compatible with my Vodafone PAYG BlackBerry.

Unbeknown to me on Thursday Tracy gets presented with the offer of the update on her SIM-free (unlocked) 9780. She downloads and reboots then finds that her phone gets stuck in a Application Error 603 loop and fails to boot also requiring a full OS restore to get it back to normal.

James too attempts the update last night on his 9780 which is SIM-free and also gets the non-booting problem.

SO the purpose of this post, not to set everyone in to a blind panic but to caution you in respect of this update (see the screen shot above) and also to remind you that when you download any software/firmware update on any device it’s a REALLY good idea to make sure you’ve back everything up. With the BlackBerry I’d suggest connecting to the BlackBerry Desktop software and running a full backup and maybe also installing BlackBerry Protect (which is free) on the phone itself.

Any of you out there experienced this same issues? If yes OR know please tell us which version you are going from/to and what network the phone is on etc. Anything that will help RIM find the issue, we’ve already raised it with our contact there.

DON’T PANIC, just be careful!

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: Editorial
By June 14, 2011 Read More →

Logitech launch portable HD Webcam C615

HD Webcam C615 Logitech have today announced the latest addition to their successful webcam range. This camera has been specifically designed for easy video calling and HD recording on the go – whether you’re at a birthday party or on a business trip, on a PC or a Mac. The webcam’s fold-and-go design, autofocus and 360-degree swivel rotation, expands the possibilities of what you can capture in full HD video anytime, anywhere.

Key features:

  • Fold-and-go, tripod-ready design so you can carry and use anywhere
  • 360-degree swivel rotation
  • Make video calls in HD 720p on Skype, FaceTime, LogitechVid and Windows Live Messenger
  • 8-megapixel images
  • One-click HD video and photo upload to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter
  • Built-in autofocus and microphone

This product will be available from www.logitech.com and selected retailers from September for an RRP of £69.99.

 

Posted in: Press Releases
By June 12, 2011 Read More →

Vodafone 858 Smart unboxing video

VodaSmart-main Seems that Android powered smartphones are coming down in price on an almost daily basis and this Vodafone 858 Smart is the cheapest one we’ve looked at yet. Vodafone call it the Smart but it’s made by Huawei as the U8160. It may not have a wonderful specification but it’s currently selling for just £60 here in the UK on Vodafone Pay-as-you-go.

It may be entry level but when you consider the cost the spec isn’t terrible. It has GPS, WiFi, 2.8″ Capacitive touchscreen and runs Android 2.2 the CPU and camera may be a bit limited but what do you expect for £60!?

We’ll be looking at Vodafone Smart over the next week or so from the perspective of it being a first Android phone of a second ‘spare’ handset. You can check out the video below too.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By June 11, 2011 Read More →

HTC ChaCha unboxing video

HTC-ChaCha Following on from the HTC Salsa video we had last week, this week we have the HTC ChaCha to unbox and review for you. I’m not sure what HTC’s fascination with dance names is but I believe that the names of these devices came from the internal codenames used for them which just stuck.

The HTC ChaCha is somewhat different to your average Android powered device, first of all it’s one of only a couple of Androids to have the fixed foward-facing QWERTY keyboard. On top of that there is a landscape mounted display (hopefully it is a 480×320 screen and not a side fitted 320×480) and then there’s the Facebook integration.

Check out the video below to find out a little more while we crack on with the full review.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By June 7, 2011 Read More →

HTC Salsa unboxing video

htc_salsa Announced at MWC earlier this year the HTC Salsa is one of HTC’s new feature smartphones. Many were already calling this the ‘Facebook Phone’ and although there is obvious Facebook integration with this device the HTC Salsa, and indeed the ChaCha, are not official Facebook phones.

However HTC have integrated Facebook nicely in to these phones and we’re starting here with the HTC Salsa. On the Front is a small, physical button with the Facebook logo on it. Pressing this launches you in the the Facebook app. A long-press on this button also allows you to check in at your current location as recorded by the internal GPS.

On top of this you can set up auto-upload of the photos you take with the 5 megapixel camera and these can be synced automatically to your Facebook account.

Check out the unboxing video below for a quick look at the handset in action.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By June 6, 2011 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Pro (GT-B7510) review

Samsung Galaxy Pro We all know now that Samsung are a force in the mobile phone industry but we also know that they really like the word ‘Galaxy’ as they seem to use it with every phone they release with the exception of a few. So when I found out that I was to review one of Samsungs’ newest devices, the Samsung Galaxy Pro or GT-B7510 I was a little sceptical of what I might find.

So if you are wondering if this phone stands out from the crowded mobile phone market or whether it just doesn’t cut the mustard then please read on to find out.

 

Posted in: Phones, Reviews
Tags: ,
By June 5, 2011 Read More →

Apple WWDC 2011 – what’s coming?

Apple-WWDC-2011 Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference gets under way in San Francisco tomorrow and runs all week. It’ll kick off with a Keynote address which starts at 5pm UK time tomorrow.

So what are we expecting from the keynote?

Apple has already confirmed that Steve Jobs will be there along with his team to speak about Mac OSX 10.7 (Lion), the upcoming iOS 5 and their own cloud services, iCloud.

Rumours continue to circulate about possible new iPhones including ‘leaked’ images of iPhones with hardware keyboards and 4G variants.

Personally I’m not expecting to see any new hardware touted just yet but with Apple you never can tell. We shall be coving the event here on the site and hope to be live blogging along with detailed coverage after the event. Be sure to tune in tomorrow!

 

Posted by: Matt

Posted in: News
By June 4, 2011 Read More →

Dolphin Browser HD review

images (2) Dolphin Browser HD: Can it keep its head above water in the ocean of the browser market?

With the rapid progression of mobile phones, the need for mobile browsing has increased dramatically to match the individual needs of the average consumer. Dolphin Browser HD is a free application, currently only available on the Android platform, however rumours spread that it could be released on to iOS and Symbian in the coming months but these are still to be confirmed. The question is; will it sink or swim in sight of all the competition?

 

Posted in: Reviews
By May 30, 2011 Read More →

Storage Options IPCam unboxing video

Storage_Options_Night_and_Day_IP_Camera IP security cameras aren’t particularly new, I remember trying my first one out for a client about 15 years ago. They used to be extremely expensive even for the most basic models. They weren’t very good either.

However, a few weeks ago I started looking for internet or IP cameras to install here at home while I was on holiday so that I could keep an eye on the place and on the building work going on at my home while I was away. I was surprised to find this IPcam from storage options for around £60. When you consider what you get for the money; motorised pan and tilt functionality, wireless and wired network connectivity and both day and night modes, it sounded like a bargain. I bought one!

I’ve recorded a brief unboxing video for you below and have been using the camera for a few weeks now. It’s quite impressive. IQ is acceptable but only VGA resolution. I like being able to control everything from the web interface though so you can move the camera around as well as set up email alerts when it detects movement or upload images via FTP and thanks to the infra-red LEDs you can see in total darkness too.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 24, 2011 Read More →

Epson Stylus Office BX625FWD review

bx625fwd This week we’re continuing our look at all-in-one printers available at the moment with the Epson Stylus Office BX625FWD, a 4-in-1 office printer.

This model features duplex printing, faxing, copying and has built in WiFi and 6.3cm colour screen on the control panel.

The machine is by no means small but with so many features crammed in to one package does it do everything well or are there compromises being made?

 

Posted in: Printers, Reviews
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