Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

By Gareth August 6, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch coming to a wrist near you?

According to a new trademark filed by Samsung, they are indeed working on wearable computing technology, and they already have a name for it. Previously we have heard numerous rumours that Samsung is working on a new Android based smartwatch. Today, a new trademark filing came to light confirming the device with the name "Samsung Galaxy Gear." Here’s a quote from the trademark filing for it:

"Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages; wearable electronic handheld devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle for the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers." It’s possible this is a trademark that Samsung is scooping up to hold for the future. However, with all of the rumours floating around about an impending launch of a smartwatch from Samsung, we suspect this will be the name we see when it finally comes to light. In fact, we may see this device launch as soon as September 4th during the IFA 2013 event in Germany. We will keep an eye out!

I am hoping “Gear” actually equates to a new product line of various bits and pieces to assist your particular choice of Galaxy phone. A watch being a starting point. Add to this other wireless peripherals like headphones, docks, remote control vehicles, projectors. we have seen many of these things before and of all the companies that could role these novelty devices, Samsung is the one.

Posted by: Gareth

Technorati Tags: Samsung,galaxy gear,smartwatch

Posted in: News

By Gareth August 5, 2013 Read More →

Asus Fonepad arrives on Three

The ASUS Fonepad is now available on Three. The 7-inch screen enables you to play your favourite games, watch videos or consume any content on the move with ease, while still enabling you to stay connected with a call, text or email.
The ASUS Fonepad is the world’s first 7-inch Intel Lexington tablet and is available on Three for just £29.99 plus £12.49 per month, on a 24 month contract. Or you can buy it for £179.00 with the choice of a 250MB, 1GB or 10GB monthly broadband package at a cost of £5, £7.50 and £15, respectively.
Sylvia Chind, head of devices at Three, said: “The ASUS Fonepad is portable and convenient. It removes the need for two separate phone and tablet devices providing both flexibility and ease of use. We’re offering the Fonepad with varying data tariffs so you can always stay connected at a price that suits you, depending on your needs.”
The ASUS Fonepad comes in a stylish, premium finish and boasts a bright HD screen. This affordable device also comes with a long battery life that offering up to 9.5 hours of video, enabling users to make the most of the more demanding applications when out and about on the Three network.

Key features:
*   A tablet and phone, all in one, from ASUS
*   Stylish, premium finish
*   Enjoy staying connected, on the move, in HD
*   Long life battery
*   Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity

Posted by: Gareth

Technorati Tags: Asus,Fonepad,Three,3uk

Posted in: Tablets

By Gareth August 2, 2013 Read More →

Amazon Kindle Fire HD 2 to set the world alight

The folks at BGR supposedly have a hot scoop on the next generation Kindle Fire HD tablets scheduled to come out later this year. According to their intel, the new tablets will come sporting ultra-high end specs, yet will still keep affordable pricing. If this rumour is true, the other tablet makers in the world should be a bit worried. Here’s the breakdown of what is supposedly on the horizon for the next Kindle Fire HD products,

Kindle Fire HD 2 7-inch:

1,920 x 1,200-pixel 7-inch display with a new design
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) system on a chip – includes four Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 graphics – the prototypes are said to be clocked at about 2GHz
2GB Ram
Front-facing camera
Wi-Fi and optional available cellular
16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal storage options
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Amazon’s heavy customizations
More comfortable and lighter

Kindle Fire HD 2 8.9-inch:

2,560 x 1,600-pixel 8.9-inch high-definition display
Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) system on a chip – includes four Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 graphics – the prototypes are said to be clocked at about 2GHz
2GB Ram
Front-facing camera
Wi-Fi and optional available cellular
16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal storage options
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Amazon’s heavy customizations
More comfortable and lighter
Also features an 8-megapixel rear camera

Supposedly these devices will be launching in the fall, and maybe as soon as September. We will keep you apprised of any further details as they arrive.

Posted by: Gareth

Technorati Tags: Amazon,Kindle Fire HD 2,Android,qualcomm

Posted in: Rumours

By Gareth July 25, 2013 Read More →

Google and Asus show off the new Nexus 7

The new generation Nexus 7 from Asus and Google just debuted. It upgrades nearly every feature and function available. Here’s a breakdown of hardware specs,

Is 2mm thinner than previous gen
Is also lighter than previous Nexus 7
Still uses the popular black on black soft touch rubberized outer casing
7-inch True HD 1920×1200 Display with 323 PPI (Highest Resolution and PPI of any 7-inch tablet) – Can handle native 1080P videos and 30% wider range of colors
Dual Stereo Speakers with new immersive Fraunhofer Virtual surround sound
Front 1.2MP Camera
Rear 5MP Camera
Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz – (1.8x faster CPU & 4x faster GPU than first Nexus 7)
2GB Ram
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
4G LTE Version will be available that will be unlocked and useable across all major U.S. carriers
More battery efficient by 1 extra hour
Android 4.3 Included and pushing out today for the previous gen Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 4.

Posted by: Gareth

Technorati Tags: Asus,nexus 7,gooel,android 4.3

Posted in: News

By Gareth July 24, 2013 Read More →

Android 4.3 rumoured updates and insane battery life

The folks at PocketNow have a video up detailing a ton of new features and improvements on Android 4.3. The video uses a Nexus 4 equipped with the new OS from Google, and amongst the many new features comes a huge battery life improvement. Read on and check out the video to find all the details.

Auto-complete in the Dialler – this is a clever function that makes you wonder why they haven’t thought of it before. The Android 4.3 stock dialler has been upgraded to include auto-complete within the dialler itself to help you get the right number more quickly. It’s important to note that some devices have this function already, but that was thanks to the specific OEM. Stock Android didn’t have that feature until now.
New Emoji Keyboard – Google included a this new keyboard as an option for all those super-texters out there who like to add the context of "tone of voice/facial expressions" to their messages with more cute emoticons. To get to it from the messaging app you need to long-press on the space bar.
Bluetooth 4.0 LE – This is one we heard about previously, but it’s still pretty cool regardless. The newest version of Bluetooth promises much better power efficiency, and should drain your battery far less. This new version also includes a greater range of compatible devices. (This wasn’t truly confirmed in the video, but the Bluetooth SIG has confirmed it.)
Improvements in the Camera App – "The camera in Android 4.3 fine-tunes the way the previous version worked by placing the items in an arc with the selected item clearly called out above your finger. Also, rotating the device from portrait to landscape and back while in camera mode is now almost instantaneous."
Better Performance – Apparently, the Nexus 4 is a great deal more responsive when using Android 4.3. It wasn’t really sluggish before, but supposedly the difference is noticeable. This is borne out in synthetic benchmarks as well.
Significantly Improved Battery Life – Normally with this phone, Android 4.2 offers about 4-6 hours of heavy use before you need to recharge. With Android 4.3, the user was supposedly able to jump that all the way up to 25+ hours!

It’s exciting to think that software tweaks could result in such dramatic improvements. We probably should remain a bit sceptical, but that should only temper our excitement a little bit. Luckily, we are likely to hear all about Android 4.3 tomorrow during Sundar Pichai’s press event and the probable launch of the next-gen Nexus 7.

Demo Video

Posted by: Gareth

Technorati Tags: Android 4.3,Nexus 4,Google

Posted in: Rumours

By Gareth July 19, 2013 Read More →

Images of the Nexus 7 2 surface

Last night, some pictures and a video leaked of the next-generation Google Nexus 7 Android tablet appeared on AndroidCentral. This particular version of the device is labeled, ME571K_PR1_SKU2.

Here’s a list of specs that came along with this leak,

7-Inch LCD display (unnamed resolution at this time)
4 gigabytes of DDR3L RAM (although the final shipping version may only be 2GB – this is unconfirmed at this time)
1.2-megapixel camera on the front, and 5-megapixel camera on the back
Dual speakers
Android 4.3
32GB and 64Gb storage

These specs seem pretty impressive, especially if it ends up keeping 4GB of RAM. We will keep a close eye on this, but in the mean-time enjoy the video:

Posted in: Tablets

By Gareth July 12, 2013 Read More →

Retro Tech Addicts Podcast -6: Release to Manufacture

Gareth and Matt enjoy a warm and fuzzy recollection of days gone by in this the latest instalment of the Retro Tech Addicts podcast.

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Posted in: Podcast, Retro Tech

By Gareth July 11, 2013 Read More →

The Nokia Lumia 1020 arrives

Today the Nokia Lumia 1020 was announced in New York notable for Nokia’s massive 41-megapixel sensor and optical image stabilisation (OIS) the likes of which we saw on the Nokia Pureview 808 last year. The Lumia 1020 is said to combine unmatched picture detail and quality with an effortless capture, edit and sharing features. Nokia Pro Camera takes over as the default camera app on the Lumia 1020.

A truly impressive addition to the Windows Phone 8 line, this could really be the device to make some noise. Have a read at some of the specs and take a gander at the video below. he 1020 will launch in the US first on 26 July. It will launch in Europe shortly after on an undisclosed date.