Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By May 25, 2016 Read More →

Tech Addicts UK Podcast – 25th May 2016 – Featuring a proper smartwatch

Podcast logoWednesday 25th May 2016 at 8.00pm

Featuring: Gareth Myles, Gavin Fabiani-Laymond, Sam Pullen and Jay Garrett

Direct Download

RSS Link: http://mobiletechaddicts.libsyn.com/rss

Show Notes

Feedback


A question. Have you ever reviewed any reasonably priced mini or pico projectors please?  Im after something to use to give informal presentations on a wall at a short notice.

Thanks

Dan

https://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/lazertouch-mini-projector-transforms-surface-150-inch-touchscreen/

https://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/qumi-q6-hd-pocket-projector-unboxing/

http://gadgetynews.com/touchjet-pond-projector-turns-any-surface-into-an-interactive-touchscreen/

 

Stephen from Dragonfly

You mentioned that DragonFly Black has an advantage over DragonFly Red in that the former is firmware upgradeable.  In fact, both DragonFly models are upgradeable. We apologize if we somehow contributed to this misunderstanding.

 

What have you been playing with?

 Gareth: EasyAcc 9000mAh Waterproof Power Bank, Anki Overdrive (Jay: Going to new Anki release tomorrow 😉 http://gadgetynews.com/anki-overdrive-review-the-ultimate-slot-car-smartphone-game-mash-up/ ), Archos 70 Platinum 7-Inch Tablet –

Gavin – Garmin Vivoactive HR & Garmin Fenix HR Sapphire (proper smartwatch), Samsung S7 Lens Cover (official case with 2 screw on lenses), Xiaomi Mi Max arrived today (don’t have to mention them all btw) http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/accessories/case/ET-CG930DBEGWW

 https://gavinsgadgets.com/2016/05/25/samsung-galaxy-s7-official-protective-lens-cover/

 Sam – THL T7 4800 mAh smartphone, Creative Labs Sound Blaster Free, Mini Quadcopter,

 Jay – Wilson Audio Alexx (£105,000 speakers) , Tascam US-2×2 TrackPack , Eyejusters reading glasses, and hanging with Brian May and his Owl

 

Discussion: GOOGLE I/O Day 1 + Day 2

 http://www.nabaztaglives.com/

 https://www.firebox.com/product/1327/Nabaztag-tag

Discussion:  XIAOMI MI BOX ANDROID TV

Discussion: FAST.COM LAUNCHED BY NETFLIX

Main Show URL: www.techaddicts.uk

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @garethmyles ; @gavinfabiani ; @samjpullen ; @GadgetyNewsCom ; @JayGarrett

Web: http://gavinsgadgets.com ; http://GadgetyNews.com

Google Plus: +garethmyles ; +gavinfabiani-laymond  ; +samjpullen ; +JayGarrett

Posted in: News, Podcast
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By May 25, 2016 Read More →

EasyAcc 9000mAh Waterproof Power Bank Unboxing

EasyAcc 9000mAh Waterproof Power BankEasyAcc are no strangers to Powerbanks. Their style is easily identifiable now and their brand has become a more recognisable sign of quality. Having looked at their previous Rugged 20000mAh offering, EasyAcc have sent over their smaller and more versatile Waterproof powerbank. Weighing in at 9000mAh the Waterproof Powerbank has a lot more going for it:

  • Ingress Protection Rating of IP67
  • detachable compass
  • Inbuilt LED flashlight
  • output of Max 2.1A
  • input of DC 5V/2A

Posted in: Accessories, Gadgets, News, Videos/Unboxings
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By May 24, 2016 Read More →

Phonaudio for the fashionable and professional

downloadPhonaudio is the new audio kid on the block. Not so much a kid but a hard-working, professional, music-obsessed 30 something that decided to fly by the seat of his melodic pants, ditch a highly lucrative career in IT and build his own series of headphones.

 The launch of both the PHN100 and PHN200 is the result of comprehensive market research, which led to a number of prototypes being developed and tested. Their research suggests the consumer demands a comfortable, dependable, durable and honest audio accessory that sounds exceptional, side steps novelty tech wizardry and is built to last. Phonaudio products bridge the gap between fashion and pro. They are due to hit the stores this summer. Targeted to a musically astute, intelligent, dynamic and active market the brand promises indisputable quality that reflects their faultless expectations. The reason why these cans can, is a unequivocal recipe of exceptional sound, weightless and durable design and their essential and trustworthy functionality all without a huge contemporary price tag.  Available on Pre Order: June 2016 

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Functions:

The functions of the headphone are controlled by the multi-function button on the earpiece.  

  • Play a track or video – Press and release the multifunction button.  
  • Pause a track or video – Press and release the multifunction button. Repeat to resume play.
  •  Skip to next song or video – Press and release the multifunction button twice quickly.  
  • Return to previous song or video – Press and release the multifunction button three times quickly.  
  • Answer a call – Press and release the multifunction button once to answer.  
  • End a call – Press and release the multifunction button once to end the call.  
  • Voice Command – Press and hold the multifunction button until voice activation starts.
  • Control volume – Slide towards the plus sign (+) to increase volume or towards the minus sign (-) to decrease volume. Functions work for both music and calls.  The microphone is built into the left ear cup and not the cable, giving a unique user experience.  It also has both iPhone and Android functionality without the need to switch cables.  

Find out more for Phonaudio: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter  

Posted in: Accessories, Headphones, News, Press Releases
By May 24, 2016 Read More →

Petcube Camera Review

IMG_20160521_152450Let’s face it our cats and dogs are as important to us as any other member of the family. We show our dog the love he deserves by giving him paws plus one quality dog products from www.pawsplusone.co.uk – home page. Insuring they looked after and entertained during the day whilst we are at work is one of our higher priorities. Be at ease on vacation when you leave your dog at the best dog boarding kennels melbourne northern suburbs. To keep your dogs healthy, consider giving them the best cbd oil for dogs. Petcube camera promises to do this whilst essentially just being an IP camera whilst also operating as an activity centre and it looks pretty good to boot.

Inside the Petcubes attractive exterior are three things. Firstly an IP camera, This requires minimal setup, works almost first time, seems to be fairly reliable and whilst the quality isn’t superb it is certainly serviceable.
Secondly, a microphone and speaker.  For your animals to be able to hear your voice whilst you are not their offers a lot of reassurance. This can also be useful for directing family members to find something in a room.
Thirdly, a laser beam. The primary focus of the laser beam is a distraction for your animal.  dogs aren’t terribly amused by it however cats and children love it.

P1020988

These three things are housed within the black and silver housing. The silver aluminium around the outside is strong and elegantly designed. The black glass on the front proves fingerprinty, however it looks well and with the three small divisions for the camera laser and Petcube logo/notification light this device wouldn’t be distracting sitting on a shelf.

P1020991

Around the back of the device there is a rubberised exterior that houses the power button the micro USB charger and the speaker. On the bottom is a rubberised surface with the tripod hole added for convenience.

For over a century, AMCs have provided people with many quality and trusted products in their line of pets, from simple bird toys to advanced bird cages. They are known for their quality and are highly sought after by professionals. As such, it’s important that you are able to get the best deal when you’re looking for these or other items for sale. The following tips will help you save money on the items you need for your home, while also finding them at a good price.

Screenshot_20160521-151821

Using the device is very simple, everything runs through an app that is compatible with both Android and iOS, sadly no reference to Windows just now. Once set-up the application is easy to navigate and proves to be a fun distraction even if not being used for it’s main purpose. Petcube have taken the opportunity to make the app a more Social experience,  allowing the user to view other shared cameras and you can even interact with the animals belonging to the shared profiles if the user has opted to give access.

The image quality can be a little uneven. Whilst you can connect to the device whilst out of the house the stream picture quality can really become degraded depending on the quality of  the network you are connected to. Even inside the house on the 5 Ghz wifi the picture quality  was less than stellar. Camera support is 720p and I rarely saw anything close to that. You can watch if your pet is drinking enough water from their cat fountains.

Initially I thought the asking price of £170 was quite steep, having spoken to a number of interested parties I realise that people are happy to pay this amount for such a device.  Cheaper options certainly are not as elegant, perhaps omit the laser or the two way audio function, or might be more problematic to setup.

One thing that could be added to the Petcube help function a little better would be a battery inside it. If the power goes down this goes down. Also you are limited to putting this close to a power outlet, even temporarily.

Petcube Camera is a fun and interesting device. Those dedicated to their animals and not wanting to install a lesser, uglier product I can fully recommend the Petcube as a good looking and feature filled device.

Posted in: Accessories, Cameras, Reviews
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By May 23, 2016 Read More →

The History of the Mobile Phone

downloadWere you around when the mobile phone arrived? At what point did you acquire one? Do you know the difference between a feature phones and a smartphone? Broadbandchoices have put together a wonderful walk down memory lane in the form of an infographic.

Starting in 1983 and wiggling it’s way through Nokia’s and StarTAC, PDAs and Blackberrys, snaking onto the battle of Apple and Android and pulling out the latest and greatest before laying out the the future, the desires and the dreams. Finally asking you to vote for your favourite phone and an opportunity to win and iPhone SE. If you’re looking for a phone, you can find the best phones in the world in Trouvo.

The-History-of-Mobile-Phones-2

Posted in: Competitions, News, Phones
By May 20, 2016 Read More →

Google Play Store to hit Chomebooks

F101_Pixel2_Silver_PlayStoreIt’s not news, more than a rumour and far from a surprise however Google has now made an official announcement about the arrival of the Play Store to the Chromebook.

So, we’re bringing Google Play (the most popular app store in the world) to Chromebooks. This means you’ll be able to download and use Android apps, so you can make a Skype call, work with Office files and be productive offline — or take a break with games like Minecraft, Hearthstone or Clash of Clans. The same apps that run on phones and tablets can now run on Chromebooks without compromising their speed, simplicity or security. 

With day two of the 2016 Google I/O developer’s conference in full swing, you would think there might be a little info dribbling out however I guess this is not Android new, but Chrome news so it can take the back burner for now. I would expect something to be mentioned before the conference if over.

There is a little info to be gleaned from the announcement. The update will arrive in the developer channel with M53  and will initially be supported by the ASUS Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R 11 and the latest Chromebook Pixel. From the sounds of it there might be some incompatibilities on the cards for certain Chomebooks as Google state they are working with partners to launch some great new devices specially designed for Play. Worry not as you can check, Google is keeping an updated list of supported devices here.

With this manoeuvre the Chromebook changes greatly in the eyes of the consumer. The Play Store leads to games, something that the Chromebook has been short of, helping it’s position as a tool for business and education. On the other hand, it brings it a lot closer to the Windows platform for app content. One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of people looking at how to swap out their 16gb drives for something larger.

Posted in: Apps & Games, Laptops, News
By May 18, 2016 Read More →

The Moto G has options

Product-Grid-Img-MotoG4Plus-zoom-2xThe Moto G is a series of budget phones that have been constantly winning praise for the last four years. This year it would appear to a similarly excellent offering however there is are two options for customers to choose from, the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus. Were most customers would probably expect the G4 Plus to have the traditional larger screen as we have seen with other brands using the Plus name Motorola (Or Lenovo really) have added a little more under the hood instead and to the camera.

These are the Specs both devices share:

  • Processor: 1.5 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 617 octa-core processor with 550 MHz Adreno 405 GPU
  • Height: 153 mm
  • Width: 76.6 mm
  • Depth: 7.9 mm to 9.8 mm
  • Weight: 155g
  • 5.5″ FHD
  • 1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080)
  • 401 ppi
  • All-day battery (3000 mAh) with TurboPower™ for up to 6 hours of power in 15 minutes of charging
  • Water repellent nano-coating
  • 4G LTE (Cat 4)
  • UMTS / HSPA+
  • GSM / EDGE
  • Rear Facing Camera: Options, Video Stabilization,  1080p HD video (30 fps)
  • Front Facing camera: 5 MP ƒ/2.2 aperture
  • Micro USB
  • 3.5 mm headset jack
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz)
  • Bluetooth version 4.1 LE
  • Front-ported loud speaker
  • 2-Mics
  • Acceleromter
  • Gyroscope
  • Ambient Light

Product-Grid-Img-MotoG4-zoom-2x

A chart for you to study of the options:

Moto G4Moto G4 Plus
2 GB RAM2 GB / 4GB RAM
16 GB / 32 GB ROM16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB ROM
13 MP Rear Camera16 MP Rear Camera
Laser auto-focus
Phase detect auto-focus (PDAF)
No Fingerprint readerFingerprint reader

Most things are retained from the previous Moto G line save for the water resistance which has now been dropped for Water repellent nano-coating. Moto Maker features a great deal of personalisation for your device and adds a lot to help influence a purchase for the fashion concious. We look forward to seeing the Moto G when it arrives and hope it is as successful as previous models in the line.

Posted in: News, Phones
By May 17, 2016 Read More →

Google launches Google Spaces

Google-Spaces-group-messaging-2Google Spaces has launched. This is a peculiar new social/sharing/chatting application for both Android and Chrome. Not quite the messaging application many believe Spaces is a social interface, closer to Google+’s Communities than Groupme or Telegram.

Spaces is an app for small group sharing. Users can create a space in one tap, and invite people in any way that you like with a quick link. With Google Search, Chrome, YouTube and Google Photos built in, you can find and share articles, videos and photos from within the app. And when you need to get back to something that you’ve recently seen in one of your spaces, use the search feature to find it quickly.

From study groups to house hunting to weekend trips and more, Spaces helps you get a group together quickly to share things about any topic.

For example, here is a Space created earlier for any and all to chat about our Tech Addicts UK Podcast. 

Posted in: Apps & Games, News
By May 17, 2016 Read More →

Superbook gives your phone that Laptop potential

12671689-d4ea-42e5-b701-17ce1579542aWhilst Microsoft are blowing trumpets out there for Continuum there is no real alternative currently available for Android. Certainly there is Air Droid however it’s just to much of a different approach to be considered an alternative. Whilst Chrome itself has a nice Remote Desktop client that is very reliable and both of these options require an internet connection. However, they are a world apart from Continuum. So there is a gap in the market.

That’s were the brand new Andromium OS steps in. With a clean, sleek design to match the aesthetics of a “Superbook.” The Superbook is a laptop shell, purposefully engineered to give any Android smartphone the capabilities of a complete, internet-connected laptop. Inside the hardware is the technology to translate video data over USB, meaning it’s universally compatible with nearly any Android smartphone. Just download the Andromium app from the Play store, connect the smartphone to a Superbook, and that’s it, your phone is now a laptop.

We won’t see this on the market right away, The Superbook and Andromium is on scheduled to launch on @Kickstarter on June 15th! However, it  sounds like the sort of thing that could work. There have been several attempts over the years to create a dumb terminal that translates your phone into a laptop operating system however none have been as conceptually realise as the Superbook. The names Redfly and Palm Foleo spring to mind, ideas that might have been ahead of the time. The Superbook may just arrive with time enough to make an impression before Google does something about the position of Chrome and Android.

Posted in: Accessories, Apps & Games, Laptops, News, Phones
By May 16, 2016 Read More →

Huawei P9 Lite arriving this month

unnamedHuawei has announced the plans to launch the P9 Lite in the UK. The smartphone will be available from EE, O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse at the end of May. The P9 Lite joins the P9 and P9 Plus to complete the flagship series and offering another option for those not enamoured by the P9 and P9 Plus’ large footprint and price tag.

Featuring a 5.2-inch full HD display, 13MP rear shooter, 8MP front-facing camera, Kirin 650 octa-core processor, 3000mAh battery, 16GB of onboard storage, MicroSD card support, 4G LTE support and a fingerprint 2.0 sensor. The P9 Lite keeps a high level of spec and looks to be the most interesting of the trio.

Huawei P9 family extended with P9 Lite

Available in the UK in May from EE, O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse.

Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) has announced the P9 Lite, an exciting new addition to the popular P9 family. The P9 Lite marries a sleek, stylish design with a powerful camera and creative photo editing capabilities, as well as the latest in high fidelity audio, fingerprint sensor technology and battery saving technology.

The P9 Lite smartphone will be available in the UK from late May and can be purchased in black from EE, O2, Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse.

Weighing just 147g and slim line with a 7.5mm depth, the P9 Lite’s lightweight, stylish, aluminium frame and sleek appealing form factor, results in a truly premium design, without the price tag to match.

Its bright 5.2 inch screen is encased in an aircraft-grade aluminium frame, ensuring the P9 Lite finds the perfect equilibrium between looking durable and aesthetically appealing. With a high screen-to-body ratio of 76.4 and an NTSC colour gamut of 85%, there are several reasons why the P9 Lite is a sight to behold.

With the P9 Lite’s 13MP rear camera, which boasts dual LED flash and autofocus, amateur photographers have clear, lifelike images at the tips of their fingers. With the ability to set white balance, ISO EV and shutter speed in pro camera mode, those that like to tinker with the finer details of the art of photography, can do so with ease.

The 8MP front camera produces full HD resolution images of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, so perfect selfies can be captured day and night.

Audiophiles also have reason to fall in love with the P9 Lite, with high fidelity audio and an integrated speaker design, the low frequency, volume and quality of the sound has seen considerable improvement since the last generation P series devices.

With ARM and TrustZone technology integrated into the P9 Lite’s lightning fast fingerprint 2.0 sensor, users can access everything in an instant, while ensuring private data remains private.

In terms of connectivity, the P9 Lite follows in the P9 family’s footsteps and comes equipped with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, Huawei’s intuitive Emotion 4.1 user interface and supports 4G. The P9 Lite has a HiSilicon Kirin 650 octocore processor, making the smartphone a powerful younger brother of the P9 and P9 Plus.

Thanks to its 3,000 mAh battery and ability to reduce power as required, the P9 Lite allows continuous calling time of up to 18 hours and standby time of 630 hours, (when operated on 3G).

The P9 Lite has plenty of storage capacity for higher memory requirements, coming with 16GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot which can support 128GB of expanded memory.

Rhys Saunders, Sales Director, Huawei UK&I Consumer BG, said: “With the P9 smartphone family, Huawei are offering users a superior smartphone experience. The latest edition to the family, the P9 Lite, with its lower price point, is no exception to this. The phone has a premium and stylish look and feel, a high-resolution rear and front camera, as well as a powerful battery, making this a perfect companion for budding photographers on the go.”

Posted in: News, Phones
https://www.ukmeds.co.uk/surgical-face-masks