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By December 16, 2013 Read More →

Google Glass unboxing video

Google Glass unboxing videoGoogle Glass has been around for a little while now with early ‘Explorer Edition’ versions being made available to a select few testers and developers at the beginning of 2013. Over the past few months the Explorer programme has been further extended and I’ve now been lucky enough to have been invited to join and have just now received my very own Google Glass. Excited is not the word…

Google Glass has been a little controversial of late and there have been some privacy concerns, in fact some shops and restaurants going so far as to ban their use. Part of my desire to use Glass is to consider these issues myself and I’ll be talking about this more as I get to use it more.

So as is always the way with any new tech I get my hands on, I’ve recorded a short unboxing video for your viewing pleasure. You’ll notice that I’m not in my normal studio environment recording this one, I’m in a hotel having just picked the Glass up. As a result, there is some noise for the first minute and 10 seconds, so I hope that doesn’t detract from the video too much.

Google Glass Unboxing video

Google Glass Specification:

  • Dual-core 1GHz OMAP CPU*
  • 1GB RAM (682MB available to developers)*
  • OS: Android 4.0.4
  • 3 axis gyroscope
  • 3 axis accelerometer
  • 3 axis magnetometer (compass)
  • Touchpad Control
  • Bone Conductor Speaker
  • 16GB Storage/ 12GB Free
  • 1 Day Battery Life
  • Voice Control
  • WiFi 802.11b/g
  • Bluetooth
  • Titanium Headband
  • 5MP Camera
  • 720P video recording
  • 640×360 display

* Specs for the CPU and RAM are not totally clear, has been a lot of contradictory information so we’re going with the consensus.

 

Other than the touchpad, Google Glass can be controlled using “voice actions”. To activate Glass, wearers tilt their heads 30° upward (which can be altered for preference) or tap the touchpad, and say “O.K., Glass.” Once Glass is activated, wearers can say an action, such as “Take a picture”, “Record a video”, “Hangout with [person/Google+ circle]”, “Google ‘What year was Wikipedia founded?'”, “Give me directions to the Eiffel Tower”, and “Send a message to John”

Posted in: Gadgets, News, Phones, Videos/Unboxings
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By December 15, 2013 Read More →

Windows 8.1 and the Onscreen buttons of Blue

Screenshot 2013-12-14 19.18.17Renowned leakster @evleaks has shared a part of a screenshot from Windows Phone 8.1 on Twitter. The image shows on-screen touch navigation buttons. This the three-button collection of Back, Windows and Search keys very like what you might see on the more recent incarnations of Androids. @evleaks‘ tweet suggests Microsoft is going to remove the need for hardware buttons and diversify the interaction on Windows Phone devices giving OEMs the choice between hardware and virtual buttons.

Can you think of any pro’s and con’s? Hardware buttons have their limits, also they have their merits. Android devices have shown us in the past that hardware buttons can be rejigged to suit a certain hardware manufacturers’ needs and that on screen buttons can sometime be intrusive or unresponsive. However you look at it Microsoft are following suit and with luck it might be a bit of a bonus.

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By December 14, 2013 Read More →

Dell getting in on the Chromebook frenzy

wpid-dell-chromebook-11-1.jpegLooks like Dell is planning to release a Chrome OS devices. We have hard this before as they had considered it back in 2009, but then nothing came of it. Dell has now announced the Chromebook 11 and it is looking like a great option for those looking to get a Chromebook soon. The Dell Chromebook 11 has fairly typical specifications and comes with a large focus on education.

Dell Chromebook 11 specifications

  • 11.6-inch 1366x768p display
  • Intel Celeron 2955U processor
  • 16 GB Solid State drive
  • 4 or 2 GB of DDR3 RAM (depending on the model)
  • 720p webcam
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
  • Two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI port
  • 10 hours of battery life

Dell’s Chrome OS computer comes with some powerful specs, so it will definitely be one of the top options in your lists. The promise of 10-hour battery life is certainly exciting, and paired with those specs this computer should run very smoothly!

Price and Availability

The laptop will be released in Q1, 2014 Stateside. Dell state it will cost you “under $300″. Which probably means it will cost $299 or so, for the higher-end model. Whether that is dollar for pound is anyone’s guess at the moment! My guess is probably.

Posted in: Laptops, News
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By December 13, 2013 Read More →

Will Google make a Nexus TV?

stvscreensGoogle is apparently to be working on a Nexus TV. Google TV fans have been hoping for a Nexus-branded TV or set-top box for a long time. It seems it may be finally happening, except this rumoured device would not be Google TV that we know and somewhat ignore. More than likely this will be the oft mentioned “Android TV.”

The rumour comes from The Information, who’s sources claim this Android-based set-top box would could be released as early as the first half of 2014. This device would be able to stream video from services like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. In addition, the box would also allow you to play some video games.

This sounds a lot like Google TV, except for one factor – it will not support live broadcast TV. Which is the biggest known difference between Android TV and Google TV. What will become of the existing Google TV? I’ll this be a TV with a Chromecast built in?

So many questions and it will be a joy to find out the answers.

Posted in: News, TV & Home Cinema
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By December 12, 2013 Read More →

Samsung loses another fight with Apple

apple-vs-samsung1_2The seemingly tit-for-tat battle between Apple and Samsung has been rumbling on for quite some time and there have been wins for both sides during the legal wrangles.

However, Samsung’s latest loss has come as something of a surprise and it’s happened in Korea, Samsung’s own home.

Patent violation claims have been raised by Samsung against Apple and Samsung steadfastly maintain that Apple are infringing upon key patents and have been calling for a sales ban on a number of Apple products in South Korea – including the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and iPad 2. The three separate claims are based on three patent infringement allegations these Apple products were using mobile messaging technology from Samsung.

In a statement Samsung said:

“We are disappointed by the court’s decision, as Apple has continued to infringe our patented mobile technologies, we will continue to take the measures necessary to protect our intellectual property rights.”

The sales ban was rejected in the Korean court and the claim of around £58k in damages was also dismissed.

This will be a bitter loss for Samsung but the legal tussle between the two tech-giants is sure to wage on for some time to come.

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By December 12, 2013 Read More →

LG Gx details emerge

lgLG seem to have had a pretty successful end to 2013 with two of the more popular Android smartphones on the market at the moment coming from LG; The Nexus 5 and the flagship LG G2.

Already we’re starting to see some details of what could be the LG G2’s successor and if ppomppu.co.kr are correct the device will be called the LG Gx.

Based upon a google translate of the page, the LG Gx will have a diaplay slightly larger than the Nexus 5 and G2 at 5.5-inches,  a claimed 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and LTE-A support. It has also been said that there will be a 13-megapixel rear camera and a whopping 3140 mAh battery.

Where the information seems to have been called in to question is in the chipset department where the claim is that a Qualcomm 600 rather than the ‘usual’ 800 is listed which doesn’t seem to ring true as the devices that the Gx will succeed are 800 based.

We’ll be keeping or eyes peeled for more on this one as we’re pretty big fans of the Nexus 5!

LG-Gx5

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By December 12, 2013 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 215: Short and Sweet

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 215Gareth, Dan and Phil are here with another UK update on the mobile front, this week with Phil Lain.

This weeks podcast was supposed to be the best of 2013 however it would appear the Hangout suffered from some form of technical set back and the majority was lost. However, we still have the news from this week and Dan shows us his new tool…

Next week we hope to record again with the Best of Award show in all it’s grandeur.

Featuring Gareth, Matt, Dan and Phil

Direct Download

iTunes

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Posted in: News, Podcast
By December 11, 2013 Read More →

Nokia step in and sort out unhappy Samsung customer

nokiaGood old Nokia has turned up trumps this week in a manoeuvre that will impress many. Nokia USA is offering a Lumia to Richard Wygand who’s Samsung Galaxy S4 recently caught fire whilst charging. Richard took to a social network to show off the damage.

Posting a video on Youtube of the flames licked device Richard was offered a replacement by Samsung, however he was asked to remove the video from Youtube. Samsung was hoping to keep the issue a secret and sort out any issues without publicity. Richard refused to remove the video.

 

Nokia rushed to the rescue, taking the opportunity to turn things in their favour and sent Richard a free Nokia Lumia (model not mentioned.) Their comments were for Richard to experience customer service as it really should be. I’m not sure if this means Nokia sent Richard a broken Lumia as a number to get it fixed…

zxz

 

Posted in: News
By December 10, 2013 Read More →

The Samsung Galaxy S4 with metal body?

w640There was talk months ago about Samsung releasing a few different variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4. A tough and rugged one that could accompany you on adventure holidays or onto the building site. A larger, almost dedicated camera version. And finally a higher quality version as many have given the majority of Samsung’s flack for their all plastic construction.

The recently release of the Galaxy Gear with it’s impressive steel construction has gotten some rumours going that the S5 might be of metal construction. Instead we see that the Samsung Galaxy J is being launch in Taiwan. Additionally the phone has 4G LTE-A technology inside it.

Here are the features we could dig as it is essentially the same as and S4

Phone Features

  • Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches
  • Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400
  • RAM 3 GB
  • Primary camera 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels
  • Secondary camera  2 MP,1080p@30fps
  • Works on 2G, 3G and 4G networks
  • Android OS, v4.3 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to v4.4 KitKat
  • Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery
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By December 10, 2013 Read More →

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 410

qualcomm-snapdragon-chip-580x326Today Qualcomm have announced a new chipset to join their existing, impressive lineup. The Snapdragon 410 will

With today’s introduction of the Snapdragon 410 processor, Qualcomm is extending its leadership in emerging regions by bringing integrated 4G LTE to sub $150 smartphones. With a multimode, multiband world mode LTE modem, users will be able to take advantage of LTE speeds as 4G LTE begins to ramp in China and other emerging regions globally. Qualcomm also announced plans to bring 4G LTE to all tiers of Snapdragon processors.

The Snapdragon 410 will also be Qualcomm’s first 64-bit capable product, ensuring OEMs customers are ready for the transition to the next-generation of mobile operating systems. Additional upgrades to the Snapdragon 410 include the Adreno 306 GPU, support for 1080p video playback and up to a 13 Megapixel camera.

Posted in: News, Phones, Tablets
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