Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.
Gareth and Matt enjoy a warm and fuzzy recollection of days gone by in this the latest installment of the Retro Tech Addicts podcast. On this weeks show we talk about the first CD player launched this day in 1982, the T-Mobile G1 and our experiences with the early internet…
It has been several weeks since iOS 7 was finally released for iPhone, iPad and iPod devices but that launch hasn’t been without it’s problems and many new users have a complaint or two about the update.
Ignoring the fact that some users just don’t like the new visual styling or are finding it a little more difficult to use a locate things since the update, and ignoring too the fact that some users are complaining that the new parallax and zooming effects of the OS are making them sea sick… I’m talking about two specific problems that are being heavily reported; Battery Life and iMessage issues.
So taking the first, I support a number of users across a couple of business accounts and it seems that they all decided to update to iOS 7 the day it became available. The response to the update seems to have polarised opinion with some loving and some really hating the changes. After just a few days the complaints began rolling in to me, “My Battery isn’t lasting the day” or “I’m having to charge my phone a lot more often”.
Initially I took the complaints with a pinch of salt, wondering if it could be caused, in part, by the users playing with the new features of iOS 7 and therefor using their phones a bit more. Turns out though that they were not alone and reports of poor battery life post-update started to fill Twitter, Facebook and online forums.
There’s no real answer to this at the moment aside from being sure to turn of WiFi and Bluetooth when you don’t need them it’s a case of waiting for a further update from Apple to, hopefully, address this.
The second of the iOS 7 issues is with messages. Some users are reporting that they are unable to send messages while others seem unable to receive. My own experience of this is with my iPhone 5 sending several messages to one person and seeing the notification at the top state ‘sending 3 of 3…’ to then see a message failed warning followed by replies to those messages from the recipient.
The messaging issue seems to be affecting some carriers more than others, Vodafone from what I can see being one of the most affected while my Everything Everywhere colleagues seem to be oblivious to such issues.
Apple have already released an update to iOS 7.0.2 but this primarily addresses a security issue rather than solving the issues above. iOS 7.0.3 is due out next week so the hope is that we’ll see some improvement with messaging and battery life in that update.
What are your experiences? Please share with us below!
In a Samsung high end update roadmap, Android 4.3 should soon be coming to the Galaxy S4, S3 and Note 2 according to French carrier SFR who released a roadmap table with information about their devices’ upcoming OTA updates. According to SFR, the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 should be getting Android 4.3 Jelly Bean sometime in November or December, while the Galaxy S4 is set to receive it in October.
We would like to think other carriers would be looking at updates in and around the same time scale.
We heard rumours a while back this tablet was to be canned. However, it seems less likely now. The Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition will become available on October 10th, and the 16GB version will start at $549.99. The 32GB model is only $50 bucks more at $599.99, and both models are the WiFi only version. Here’s the full press release after the break:
For months we have seen rumour upon rumour regarding the next-generation Kindle-Fire HD products. Now Amazon decided to quell all of the speculation and innuendo with a full, official reveal, albeit Stateside only for the moment. One of the most surprising new additions to the line-up is that they have revamped their “skinned” version of Android and now have their own name for the customized OS. They call it, Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito.” We will do a separate article with more details on this new development.
In the mean-time, here’s the full skinny on their new tablet products.
Gareth and Matt are here with another UK update on the mobile front. This week we talk about the roll-out of iOS 7, the aborted roll-out of BBM for Android and iOS and Matt’s Desire 500 hands on…
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HP are back on with their Android tablets. Not too long ago HP shared they would be bringing out some new Android tablets, and they have delivered big time. They have officially launched four new Android tablets. The Slate 7 HD, Slate 7 Extreme, Slate 8 Pro and Slate 10 HD. Here’s a quote with a breakdown of specs:
It looks like the rumours of an October launch for Android 4.4 KitKat are true. The German team of developers working on KitKat confirmed on their Facebook page that the new Android OS would be coming in October. It seems fitting that zee German Android team leaked an October launch of a chocolate flavoured Android OS.
This pic was posted with the following:
Confusion! The new Android is KIT KAT. But does not taste like that.
Shares this with your friends, if you’re still hungry it.
Tasty!
Tesco have debuted on the tablet market with an Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean tablet titled the Hudl. At a low price of £119 the tablet looks set to even give the Nexus 7 a run for it’s money with the promise of pretty decent specs and a rather attractive form.
Packing a 1.5Ghz quad-core processor, 7-inch screen at 1440 x 900 pixels, cameras on the front and rear and something in the region of 9 hours battery life. GPS is there alongside a Micro HDMI port for video output and even Bluetooth 4.0. It will come with 16GB of storage and microSD slot. Nothing indicates 3G or 4G variants right now.
Tesco has filled the tablet with their own offerings for media consumption, such as BlinkBox Movies, BlinkBox Music and Clubcard TV. The two former apps are relatively well established with Movies offering over 10,000 films in its library, while Music boasts a collection of over 10 million tracks. In addition Google’s service are included and the Play store.
Hyperkin will soon be launching the RetroN 5, a games console that plays NES, SNES, Genesis and GBA cartridges all in one convenient console. The US and European consoles will be released at the same time with the price points of $99.99 in the US and ?89.99 in the European territories.
Hyperkin explains the delay in release was due to several key modifications made to the console shown at E3. The shell design was changed to allow for better ventilation, as well as accommodations to use the Sega Power Base Converter allowing users to play Master System cartridges on the console.”
Below is the press release:
Leading video game peripherals company to release the RetroN 5 during holiday season.
EL MONTE, CA (SEPTEMBER 2013) – Hyperkin has set December 10, 2013 as the official release date for the RetroN 5. The RetroN 5 plays NES, SNES, Genesis and GBA cartridges all in one convenient console. The US release will coincide with the European release, with the MSRP set at $99.99 in the US and ?89.99 in the European territories.
Hyperkin explains the delay in release was due to several key modifications made to the console shown at E3. The shell design was changed to allow for better ventilation, as well as accommodations to use the Sega Power Base Converter allowing users to play Master System cartridges on the console.
All versions of the RetroN 5 will come with an AC adapter with four variable head sockets to fit multiple regions with the voltage ranging from 110 to 240 volts.
Hyperkin also confirms that the release date of October 31, 2013 listed on Amazon was a placeholder, and that Amazon has been contacted to correct the release date.
“Retron 5 will be the most amazing classic game console.” said Steven Mar, Hyperkin’s Executive Director. “We thank everyone who has been patient and supportive of Hyperkin during development.”
For more information or media requests, please contact: [email protected]. Follow Hyperkin on Twitter and like their Facebook page for the latest news and information.
Posted by: Gareth
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