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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 →

Another massive security breach at Ebay – What you need to know!

Ebay are encouraging all users to change their passwords.

Ebay are encouraging all users to change their passwords.

Ebay has fallen victim to a massive security breach, proving that not even corporate giants are immune to hacking. According to USA Today, the huge cyber-attack occurred sometime between February and March; however, officials state that the breach was not discovered until May.

Triggered by hackers who managed to gain access to employee login credentials, it allowed the intruders to target the main database and steal usernames, passwords and other personal information. 145 million active users’ data has now been compromised and Ebay are strongly urging everybody – even those with inactive accounts – to change their passwords.

If you are based in UK remember that you can opt for a GDPR breach compensation just reach out a lawyer that guide you with the claim.

Widespread panic

It is still not known how much information was actually stolen; however, Ebay are confident that they will find an answer within the next couple of weeks.

After this widespread disaster many users are now stuck wondering how to increase their security systems, not just on their online accounts, but also their home PCs. The popularity of cloud based security systems is steadily increasing and companies such as Cheeky Munkey are at the top of the security food chain, providing innovative and bespoke systems that are near impenetrable.

On a positive note, Ebay have stated that the breached database did not hold any financial information; furthermore, there is no evidence to suggest that the hackers have attempted to gain entry to Paypal. However, regardless of whether or not users are encountering problems, Ebay are taking the security breach very seriously.

Changing passwords

Studies conducted by Software Advice, a company that review IT security software, revealed that 67% of Internet users who have accounts registered with companies that have suffered from hacks don’t change their passwords. Hackers can remain under the radar for months, possibly even years, withholding user information and waiting for the opportune moment to strike; therefore, even those who don’t suffer from issues straight away are still subject to problems in the future.

Experts state that the best way to combat hackers is to choose a password that has a unique combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Most websites now contain a password strength indicator that can give new users an idea of how well protected they are.

Having a different password for every website can also be beneficial. While this can be difficult to maintain, password managers make the process easier. These programs will require one master password in order to gain access to every other password; therefore, this “master password” should be very strong. In addition, password manager software usually contains a generator that will create highly complex passwords for website registration; ensuring users have the best possible security systems available.

Conclusion

While this Ebay security breach is unfortunate and inconvenient, it’s certainly been a wakeup call. Most Internet users aren’t aware of the dangers of hacking, and sometimes, a widespread panic is just what the world needs for people start taking the severity of cyber-attacks seriously.

Image Credit: Cult of Android

Posted in: Editorial, 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 19, 2014 Read More →

5 Must have tech gadgets for summer 2014

panono-panoramic-ball-camera-designboom04

The Panono Ball Camera is set to revolutionize the way we take panoramic images.

With each new season comes an abundance of new gadgets; and summer 2014 is certainly no exception. The tech industry is all about increasing efficiency and improving upon previous inventions with new innovative tools that were not available in the past. These 5 must have tech gadgets have been hotly anticipated ever since they were announced and are expected to become market leaders in each of their sectors.

 

Panono

A few years ago everybody was raving about the GoPro. Taking HD footage while on the move revolutionized the way in which photographers shot extreme sports and other dangerous activities. The Panono Ball Camera takes still photography to a whole new level. When it’s thrown in the air it will take 360 images to create one complete panoramic image. Its robust design ensures that it won’t break under pressure and can withstand freefalling from huge heights without even suffering a dent. At 549 Euros, it’s not cheap; however, as with other cameras, no doubt after the first year of release prices will plummet into the lower hundreds.

 

Kenwood DNX521DAB

The Kenwood DNX521DAB will no doubt give tablets, smart phones and GPS systems a run for their money in the near future. This device is specifically designed for Volkswagen vehicles and is one of the most comprehensive multimedia systems on the planet. With a wide selection of media playback functions; a high definition touch screen; and Bluetooth capabilities, it’s not only a well-equipped entertainment station, but also completely hands-free. And that’s not to mention the world class GPS navigation system that it’s actually intended for.

 

Sony Short Throw 4K Projector

At an estimated $30,000 – $40,000 the Sony Short Throw 4K Projector will without a doubt be one of the most expensive gadgets on this list. This home cinema system is disguised as a piece of furniture and will provide a crisp image that can’t be matched by any conventional televisions. The device is capable of projecting a 147 inch image without hindering the quality. Although at present very few people will be able to fork out this much money for a home entertainment system, it could be the future of television viewing.

 

JVC Everio

The new JVC Everio is a compact little camcorder with some very impressive features. With a 40x optical zoom; 60x dynamic zoom; 4.5 hours of battery life; and excellent low light performance, it’s a more than worthy companion for a pocket. In addition, it is water, dust, freeze and shock proof, making it pretty robust and ready to tackle any challenges that natural elements throw its way.

 

PS Vita TV

Sony’s PS Vita TV is one of the most talked about gadgets in the console market. While it’s currently only available in Japan and yet to have an official Western release date (though it’s expected in the summer), this micro-console is yielding more excitement than many of the larger next-gen devices. This is because more and more people are making the transition over to PC gaming. The PS Vita TV allows users to play handheld games on the television; stream from the PS4; and watch television shows and films using a variety of third party TV streaming applications.

Technology moves at an alarming rate. While it can be mildly frustrating, new tech gadgets significantly drive down the price of older models. Although these five gadgets will certainly be on the pricey side when they’re released, perhaps by the time the autumn and winter comes around, they’ll be more affordable.

Image Credit: Mangahaikei

 

Posted in: Editorial, Gadgets, 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

 

Direct Download

iTunes

Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App

RSS Feed

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

 

 

 

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

 

The Mobile Tech Addicts Show

Mobile Tech Addicts Facebook

Subscribe in iTunes to our

weekly podcast

RSS Feed for our weekly podcast

Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App

 

Posted in: News, Podcast
By May 15, 2014 Read More →

HTC One Mini2 surfaces

htc-one-mini2The worlds best Android smartphone, the HTC One (M8), get’s a little brother.

It’s certainly no surprise arrival but the HTC One mini2 arrives bringing with it some of the HTC One (M8) features and design cues in a diminished package size.

Unlike last-years HTC One mini, which was almost entirely plastic, HTC have kept the metal design and looks of the M8 for the mini2. Featuring stereo BoomSound speakers, 4.5-inch 720p display a quad-core Snapdragon 400 CPU and chipset with 1GB RAM and 16GB ROM. Also included are NFC, a miroSD card slot, and a larger 2,100mAh battery.

The the announcement HTC CEO Peter Chou says:

The perfect choice for those who love the iconic design of the HTC One (M8) yet want something more compact.

Sadly, HTC haven’t included the IR blaster of the Duo Cam on the mini2 which may prevent a more widespread appeal.

HTC One mini 2_PerLeft_GunMetal

 

 

HTC One mini 2 specification:

SIZE: 137.43 x 65.04 x 10.6mm

WEIGHT: 137 grams

DISPLAY: 4.5 inch, HD 720p

 

CPU SPEED

  • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400, 1.2GHz quad-core CPU

 

PLATFORM

  • Android™ 4.4 with HTC Sense™ 6
  • HTC BlinkFeed™

 

MEMORY

  • Total storage:  16GB
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Expansion card slot supports microSD™ memory card for up to 128GB additional storage (card not included)

 

NETWORK

2G/2.5G – GSM/GPRS/EDGE:

  • 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

 

3G – WCDMA:

  • 850/900/1900/2100 MHz with HSPA+ up to 42 Mbps

 

 4G – LTE:

  • EMEA: Bands 3, 7, 8, 20
  • Asia: Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 28

 

SIM

  • Nano SIM

 

SENSORS

  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor

 

CONNECTIVITY

  • 3.5 mm stereo audio jack
  • NFCii
  • Bluetooth® 4.0 with aptX™ enabled
  • Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 & 5 GHz)
  • DLNA® for wirelessly streaming media from the phone to a compatible TV or computer,
  • HTC Connect™
  • micro-USB 2.0 (5-pin) port

 

SOUND

  • HTC BoomSound™
  • Dual frontal stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers
  • Sense Voice

 

CaMeRA

Rear camera

  • 13MP, BSI sensor with f/2.2 lens
  • 1080p Full HD video recording

 

Front camera

  • 5MP, BSI sensor
  • 1080p Full HD video recording

 

MULTIMEDIA

Audio supported formats:

  • Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .flac, .wav, .wma (Windows Media Audio 10)
  • Recording: .aac

 

Video supported formats:

  • Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .mkv, .wmv (Windows Media Video 10), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3)
  • Recording: .mp4

 

Location

  • Internal GPS antenna + GLONASS
  • Digital compass

 

BATTERY

  • Capacity: 2100 mAh

 

Posted in: News, Phones
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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 13, 2014 Read More →

Apple MacBook Pro battery issue

apple burst batteryOver the past few months I noticed a decrease in the battery life on my Apple MacBook Pro 15″. Initially the drop was not that significant but over time it became more noticable and a few weeks ago it began to turn itself off even though the battery was at a claimed 23%. I also realised that the power levels were falling quite dramatically even when the laptop was turned off.

As I do not use my MacBook on battery power all that often it didn’t bother me that much but last week I was using the MacBook on my lap on the train. I suddenly became aware that the bottom of the MacBook was getting VERY hot and the aluminium base was uncomfortably hot against my leg and the top was pretty warm too.

Realising that this was a sign that I should probably investigate what was going on I decided to unscrew the bottom of the MacBook and to take a look at the battery.

As I released the screws the bottom suddenly sprang open and the battery pack itself had burst!

So, if you have any of the symptoms above it’s definitely a good idea to either take a look at the battery or else take it to the Apple store and have them take a look at it for you. Who know’s what might have happened if I had continued to use it like this!

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