Author Archive: Gareth

Seasoned tech blogger. Host of the Tech Addicts podcast.

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By May 25, 2014 Read More →

Benchmarking comparison – S5 Vs. Note 3 Octa Core

vlcsnap-2014-05-25-17h15m21s129It’s hardly a battle to the death, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Octa Core are two of the fastest phones on the market. Today we have a look at just how quick they are when compared to each other.

The S5 boasts a Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 with a Adreno 330 and 2gb of RAM. The Note 3 is not your typical off the shelf Note 3, instead this is the Octa Core version with an Exynos 5 Octa 5420 Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 and quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 with a Mali-T628 MP6 and 3gb of RAM.

 

Posted in: Phones, Videos/Unboxings
By May 24, 2014 Read More →

Nvidia stepping back from mobile tech

Nvidia-WallpaperIt seems oddly strange timing, NVIDIA’s CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has announced the company’s plans to take a step back from developing technology specifically for the mainstream tablet and smartphone markets. NVIDIA is currently preparing their next-gen Tegra K1 chip. It’s extremely powerful and recently destroyed the competition by a wide margin in some artificial benchmarks. 

This is why NVIDIA’s move seems a bit puzzling at first. After reading Huang’s perspective on the subject, it seems a bit more sensible. NVIDIA has realized their higher-end technology isn’t meant to compete with the menagerie of mediocre mobile models available. While NVIDIA was striving to take on their biggest rival, Qualcomm, the smaller MediaTek was swooping in to dominate in the low-end markets. This was basically rushing NVIDIA from two sides. 

To be clear, NVIDIA is not at all abandoning mobile. On the contrary, they are instead refocusing their efforts on future tech and on markets they have always been good it. That is automotive mobile and mobile gaming respectively. Huang indicated he does not want NVIDIA’s flagship Tegra brand conforming to inferior standards. NVIDIA sees the Tegra as a powerful line which should not have its standards sacrificed in the name of more efficient chipsets. In other words, NVIDIA wants to be the Lamborghini or Ferrari of mobile chipsets, instead of catering to mass production markets eventually relegating the Tegra line to that of a value sedan. 

In retrospect, this move makes a great deal of sense. NVIDIA has always been one of the two big titans in the gaming world. They are experts at fighting in that market. Of course, the mobile auto industry is new, but if NVIDIA can get there first, they can get a leg up on the rest of the mobile industry while their competitors’ focus on smartphones and tablets.

It sounds like NVIDIA will still have chipsets for tablets, but they will more than likely be geared towards gaming. Of course, the NVIDIA Shield device is also their baby, and Huang renewed their commitment to that product. In fact, Haung made it clear that he believes NVIDIA Shield will be the device which transforms Android into a great gaming platform.

Posted in: News, Science & Technology
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By May 23, 2014 Read More →

The New Sleek and Powerful Acer TravelMate B115P

TM B115 touch_frontToday Acer announced a new modestly specced and even more modestly priced laptop. Geared toward the student and as a road warrior work machine, the Travelmate B115P have some attractive features to warrant consideration:

• New FlowCurve design with 21.2mm slim body
• Intuitive Windows touch controls
• 10 hours battery life
• Fan-less design for whisper-quiet computing

Acer has today unveiled the new TravelMate B115P laptop with stylish new FlowCurve design, improved mobility and up to ten hours of battery life. Together with its quiet fan-less chassis and Windows-based touch control, the B115P delivers a great mobile computing experience.

Weighing only 1,190 grams with a 21.2mm body, the B115P features an Intel Celeron Dual Core processor, 4 GB memory and 500GB HDD, offering users a lightweight and powerful solution. The device is also encased with a sleek aluminium top cover and is strong enough to withstand everyday use.

Powerful Design
The B115P comes equipped with all the essentials needed for a busy working day. With an intuitive HD multi-touch display, full-sized keyboard and large precision touchpad with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy, users are able to work quickly and efficiently no matter what the task. It also features a HD webcam with High Dynamic Range (HDR) to provide clear image for video conferences while powerful speakers ensure music is enjoyed to the full.

Users can rest assured that documents are secure as Acer Office Manager enables small businesses to deploy security policies, monitor IT assets and set maintenance whilst Acer ProShield lets users easily maintain their credentials, data protection and web accounts. Business contacts can also be quickly saved to smartphones via Contact Pickup while Face Login enables quick login using facial recognition.

Enhanced Productivity
The B115 comes equipped with Windows 8.1 allowing simple access to all Windows apps. Users can Skype with friends or work colleagues, complete work with Office tools, access online files anywhere with SkyDrive, or find their favourite apps using the Windows Store.
In addition users can touch, write and create content with Acer Touch Tools. Acer Screen Grasp allows users to capture and grab images which can be placed on Acer Scrapboard perfect for creating a collage. Finally, Acer AccuFinger is designed to help users tap tiny items on the screen for much more accurately.

For the Education market, Acer Classroom Manager (ACM) is also available and allows teachers to improve the efficiency of content sharing and communication by centrally instructing students on their computers. ACM enables teachers to better monitor students, help them to focus, and maximize their time by making it easier to access and share content. In addition, with the Student Journal application enables lesson details to be captured and saved.

The TravelMate B115 is also available as an alternative to the touchscreen B115P.

The TravelMate B115P will be available in the UK in early July with an SRP of £349.

Posted in: Laptops, News
By May 23, 2014 Read More →

Archos Smart Home Bundle now available exclusively through Clove Technology

archos-smart-homeOur buddies over at Clove.co.uk have bagged exclusivity on the Archos Smart Home bundle. This all in one solution or home security and automation is now available for £199.99. For that price you get the 7″ Smart Tablet to control a combination of satellites. Six satellite units, 2 movement sensors, 2 mini cameras and 2 weather sensors.

It all looks like a great set up for a low price and we will hopeufully have a hands on with the kit soon.

 

Home automation and intelligent security monitoring has taken a giant leap forward thanks to Poole based Clove Technology who have just launched the new Smart Home range of products from ARCHOS.

Clove Technology Managing Director, Chris Love, says “Having a smarter home which understands its environment, knows who is coming through the door and could automatically text you when the kids get in is now available at the fraction of the price of systems put into million pound properties just a few years ago”.

The ARCHOS Smart Home is a innovate kit comprising of a 7” Smart Home Tablet, two (2) movement tags, two (2) mini cam’s and two (2) weather tags that work together to allow your home to become smarter and yourself more informed.

The six (6) provided wireless components communicate with the tablet using the Bluetooth Smart data transfer standard. Able to be positioned indoors and out, the components have a communication range of up to 20 meters indoors.

Powered by lithium batteries, these innovative modules are capable of lasting a whole year without replacement; the kit offers a tidy, cable free solution for the modern home.

Easily programmable with three simple steps, the use of a Trigger, Action and Schedule allow you to configure the system to work for you the true power of the system is only realised when you have it in hand and see it in use.

Mike Edwards, UK Managing Director of ARCHOS, commented. “We are very excited about this new range of products we are launching and the way they can offer a simpler more cost effective solution to many aspects of home automation. There are additional products to complement the range further coming soon and we are pleased to be working with Clove Technology exclusively on this launch.”

The UK exclusivity runs for a period of one month from June 1st when the first kits will begin shipping from Clove.

The ARCHOS Smart Home is available for order now, at a price of £199.99 from Clove.

For further more detailed information on the Smart Home and how it works visit our Explore Archos Smart Home page.

Posted in: Gadgets, News
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By May 22, 2014 Read More →

Viewsonic drop an All in One PC with Android

unnamedViewsonic is one of those companies who are not afraid to try something different. Whilst an all-in-one PC is hardly breaking news, how many are running Android? This combines a 24″ IPS display with Android Jelly bean inside some reliable Viewsonic hardware. One of this main targets of this machine is Amazon Workspaces, a shared virtual desktop that allows users a cloud based desktop experience across their devices.

 

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing visual solution products, presents its VSD241 smart display as the ideal desktop device for Amazon Workspaces. With its powerful NVIDIA® Tegra processor and its professional grade 24-inch LED IPS panel and multi touch screen features, the ViewSonic® VSD241 is the complete package for education, health care and small/medium businesses looking for alternative desktop solutions for their virtual desktop environments.

Amazon WorkSpaces addresses the increasing demand from customers for a virtual cloud desktop service. Customers have been frustrated by the available options of traditional desktops that are hard to manage and keep secure, that are expensive and deliver inconsistent performance. Amazon WorkSpaces aims to address these issues by offering secure, easy-to-manage, high-performance desktops in the cloud at a fraction of the price of traditional PCs. Amazon WorkSpaces is a fully managed desktop computing service in the cloud which allows customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users to access the documents, applications and resources they need.

The VSD241 raises the bar of smart client performance and flexibility to provide an all-in-one solution. The 24” VSD241 is a self-contained Android Jelly Bean-based smart display which delivers an excellent user experience, courtesy of an NVIDIA® Tegra quad-core processor, making it perfect for local Android apps and cloud-based computing. Plenty of network connection options are integrated including integrated networking (RJ-45 Ethernet), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® support for easy connectivity in any environment. With Google® GMS certification, users can also experience a variety of multimedia applications for Android, from social networking to cloud services.  Because the VSD241 is a fully functional display, it can also be used as a traditional or secondary touch screen monitor for personal computing.

“With educational institutions, medical facilities, and corporations looking for ways to cut costs, but not wanting to sacrifice productivity, the VSD241 will increase efficiency in any VDI setting. Recognizing the changing way people compute, ViewSonic was first to introduce Android based smart display technology in 2012. Now we’re taking this innovation to the next level, giving our customers the best possible desktop experience for Amazon Workspaces.” said Stuart Frisby, Product Manager for Cloud Computing at ViewSonic Europe.

The VSD241 is available immediately in Europe for a MSRP of £399/€489 ex vat.

Posted in: Desktop Computing, News
By May 18, 2014 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 18-05-14

ThumbA round up of the more interesting stories from the last week with Gareth from tracyandmatt.co.uk

This week:

  • No Nexus 6!
  • HTC One Mini2 surfaces
  • Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime
  • GTA San Andreas on Amazone App Store
  • Google Play Store PayPal billing
  • LG G3 shots
  • The Arcbook
  • Samsung Chromebook 2 UK price

 

Posted in: News, Videos/Unboxings
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By May 16, 2014 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 226: Also in Mini

Podcast-Logo_thumb.jpgGareth, Matt and Phil get together to chat about the latest mobile phone, tablet and chromebook news in the UK.

On this week’s show we being you details of the new HTC One Mini2, discuss a new device from ZTE and Gareth tells us all about the Acer event he attended in New York and all the devices they introduced there.

Featuring Gareth, Matt and Phil

 

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Show Notes

Mobile Mayhem

Tune in for The Mobile Tech Addicts Show

HTC One Mini2 surfaces

Microsoft enters the race for your wrist

Tesco keeping up with the Hudls

ZTE announces the arrival of the Blade L2 in Europe

Desire 816 and 610 in the house

Acer

Newchunks:

LG G3 leak pictures

Gear Glass

Nexus 8 and Nexus 6

 

Tablet Table and Laptop… Lap

Three LG tablets on the horizon

Apple MacBook Pro battery issue

Archos GamePad 2 Unboxing

LG Chromebase available in the UK

Asus C200 and C300 are official

Two Chromebooks from Lenovo

Bargain Basement

Asus Google Nexus 7 Wifi 16GB – Black – 2013 Version Argos Ebay £139.99

(£50 Google Play voucher)

Motorola Moto G™ 8GB Black £105.00 – TDX-TH6W – topcashback: ~5.25% – £95.00

HTC One (M8) Gunmetal Grey – £529.00 – TDX-JK4T – £476.10

Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB 4G/LTE Black UK SIM Free Unlocked  £298.99

LG G2  – £290.63

 

Email us: [email protected]  Tel: 0208 123 3757

Gareth Myles – @garethmyles

Matt and Tracy Davis –   @tracyandmatt                           

Dan Carter – @mobilemandan

Phil Lain – @low405

 

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Posted in: News, Podcast
By May 14, 2014 Read More →

Three LG tablets on the horizon

LGGPadLooks like LG is getting serious about the Android tablet market. They have officially revealed their new lineup of G Pad tablets in three different flavours. We have the G Pad 7.0, 8.0, and 10.1. They didn’t really share too much in regards to the specs and features of these devices. Instead it’s mostly marketing speak and hyperbole.

Here’s the full presser to see what we mean:

LGGPadtabletseries

 

LG EXPANDS TABLET OPTIONS WITH NEW G PAD SERIES MODELS 

Three New Tablets Satisfy Consumer Demand for More Choices to Fit Their Lifestyles

SEOUL, May 12, 2014 ― LG Electronics (LG) is adding three new tablets to its G Pad series to offer more options for tablet users. The new G Pad devices ― G Pad 7.0, G Pad 8.0 and G Pad 10.1 ― will be unveiled at the MedPI 2014, one of the biggest IT/Tech trade show in Europe, taking place in Monaco from May 13-16. LG’s extended tablet portfolio, which also includes the well-received G Pad 8.3, will significantly expand LG’s footprint in the tablet market.

“Customers tell us that they want a wider range of devices that offer sizable screens without compromising portability,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Unlike smartphones, tablets are not one size fits all. So we designed the G Pad Series for a diverse target audience, some who prioritize portability while others want the best multimedia experience possible. G Pad delivers on all counts.”

Highlights of LG’s new G Pad Series tablets are:

● G Pad 7.0: Designed to be held in one hand, LG’s smallest tablet is an on-the-go entertainment hub that delivers both portability and power.
● G Pad 8.0: With its 8-inch display, LG’s mid-sized tablet offers an immersive multimedia experience and smooth multitasking.
● G Pad 10.1: With the largest display and battery, LG’s 10.1-inch tablet provides endless hours of entertainment and fun.

The latest G Pad tablets will also include LG’s proprietary UX features such as QPair 2.0 and Knock CodeTM. With an updated version of QPair, which was first introduced on G Pad 8.3, users can effortlessly connect to their Android-powered smartphones via Bluetooth to receive notifications of calls and messages and now be able to respond directly from the G Pad. What’s more, Knock Code™ enables users to power on and unlock their LG smartphones in one easy step by entering a personalized “knock” pattern on the smartphone’s display. Knock Code™ offers convenience and greater security as the knock pattern can be entered anywhere on the screen in any size ― with the display on or off ― using a personalized sequence of two to eight taps for more than 80,000 possible combinations.

Additional details of LG’s new G Pad tablets including specifications and availability will be announced locally in the weeks ahead.

Posted in: News, Tablets
By May 12, 2014 Read More →

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show 11-05-14

Mobile Tech Addicts Show-001Gareth is back with another round up of the most interesting news of the past week. This week the Huawei Ascend P7 launched, some iPhone 6 renders pop up, the Archos GamePad 2 gets unboxed, Asus and Lenovo announce a few Chromebooks and Spotify gets scammed…

 

 

Posted in: News, Videos/Unboxings
By May 11, 2014 Read More →

Archos GamePad 2 Unboxing

gamepad2_Amb_slide_4Archos have had a second try at an Android gaming tablet having some success with the first generation Archos GamePad. This time around it’s mostly all change with a re-design and some beefed up specs.

Coming with some red hot gaming preinstalled we have a look at just how gamer friendly the Archos GamePad 2 really is.

 

 

Archos GamePad 2 specification:

  • 7’’: 1280 x 800 pixels, IPS,
  • Quad-core A9 @ 1.6GHz 
  • Android 4.2
  • 2GB RAM
  • 8GB/16GB + micro SD
  • 200.5 mm x 154 mm x 9.9 mm
  • 400g 
  • Two analogue thumb-sticks
  •  Directional pad 
  • 6 front facing buttons
  • 4 shoulder buttons
  • G-sensor 
  • HDMI output
  • Front webcam
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