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By Matt November 7, 2013 Read More →

BlackBerry readying PlayBook 2?

Earlier this year, following the official launch of BlackBerry 10, there was a lot of speculation that BlackBerry would release another version of their relatively unpopular and many news stories of the coming PlayBook 2 were in circulation. Many of these were very definite with the news and stated that Q2 2013 would see BlackBerry release their second tablet.

Obviously a lot has happened to BlackBerry since February this year including a name change from RIM, numerous possible sales, a less than smooth launch of BBM on iOS and Android, and now another interim CEO.

However, in the last 48 hours, rumours that the PlayBook 2 project has been brought back to life have started to hit the headlines again.

Following a $1bn investment agreement with Fairfax Financial, John Chen was appointed new interim CEO of BlackBerry. Chen insists that it’s not over yet for BlackBerry’s hardware division. A statement that has led many to jump to the PlayBook 2 conclusion.

At this point in time there’s really nothing at all to substantiate the rumours and until we start to see anything more concrete than a ‘maybe they will’ I for one will certainly consider this to be nothing more than vapour-ware or maybe hope-ware.

Posted in: News, Phones, Rumours, Tablets
Tags: BlackBerry, PlayBook, Rumour

By Gareth November 7, 2013 Read More →

GiffGaff to sell phones

GiffGaff, a low cost virtual network working off O2 masts, has announced they will start selling mobile phones alongside their sim only pay as you go deals. GiffGaff are offering a rather nice, varied selection of devices comprising of:

Samsung Galaxy Young
Samsung Galaxy Fame
Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Nokia 301
Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 625
Nokia Lumia 925
Nokia Lumia 1020
Sony Xperia E
Sony Xperia M
Sony Xperia SP
Sony Xperia Z
Sony Xperia Z1
HTC One
BlackBerry Q10
LG G2
iPhone 4 refurb
iPhone 4S refurb

Interesting the selection of devices available was chosen by 5,300 customers who participated in a survey. Instead of offering a standard contract GiffGaff have shaken things up to offer the following purchase options:

Members don’t need to buy a goodybag with their phone.
You can pay for your phone upfront or monthly.
You can split your monthly payments from 6 to 24 months.
You can change or cancel your goodybag at anytime (as usual)
You can change your monthly phone payments at anytime.
Your phone will not be locked to giffgaff.

Working on a Peer to Peer lending option, the practice of lending money to unrelated individuals, or “peers”, without going through a traditional financial intermediary such as a bank or other traditional financial institution GiffGaff hope to make the selection a good deal more enticing than the typical network set ups. Full pricing has not been released yet however they promise more information soon.

Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: GiffGaff, MVNO

By Gareth November 7, 2013 Read More →

Mobile Tech Addicts Podcast 213: Just hangin’ out!

Gareth and Matt are here with another UK update on the mobile front, this week with Phil Lain. On this week’s show there’s another first, we’re recording in front of a live audience and have some Q&A along the way. We’ll be using Hangouts On Air more in future too.

There’s a whole lot of KitKat going on with a lot of attention being focused on the Google Nexus 5 and some worrying news for Google Nexus owners. Matt goes on a day trip to Heathrow Airport and doesn’t go anywhere and young Phil becomes the new kid on the block.

Featuring Gareth, Matt, and Phil

Direct Download

iTunes

Download the iPhone App

Download the Android App

RSS Feed

Posted in: News, Podcast
Tags: Mobile Tech, podcast

By Matt November 6, 2013 Read More →

Google Nexus 5 vs HTC One: Camera

There has been a lot of questions and discussion about the camera on the Google Nexus 5 and opinions seem to be polarised.

Questions such as “How bad can the Nexus 5 camera be?” and asking us to rate it against the HTC one have been common on our YouTube channel.

What we have here is a series of photos taken with both the HTC One and the Google Nexus 5 so that you can make up your own mind. Looking at them myself, I think there are images that are good and bad in both sets.

Just to recap, the HTC One has a 4MP Ultrapixel camera with F/2.0 Aperture and optical image stabilizer (OIS). whereas the Nexus 5 has an 8MP camera with F/2.5 Aperture and optical image stabilizer (OIS). The HTC also has a dedicated image processing chip whereas the Nexus 5 does not.

The shots you see below are straight from the device with no manipulation or editing on either the phone or PC.

As much as possible I have taken the photos standing in exactly the same location so where you see a difference in the framing this is largely down to the field of view of each camera being different. I’ve set the scene modes to normal on both phones and used auto modes.

In the two columns below you can find the Nexus 5 on the left and the HTC One on the right. Click each for a larger version.

Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: HTC, HTC One, Nexus 5

By Gareth November 6, 2013 Read More →

Google Hangouts expanded to Helpouts

Tonight, Matt and I will attempt out first Mobile Tech Addicts hangout, a chance to engage with you, the loyal reader and listener. Hangouts have really opened up a new age in VOIP / Video calling / conferencing. In addition to Hangouts there is also a new service Google are offering, Google Helpouts.

Google Helpouts it is already live and available on the desktop or Android platforms. Google Helpouts basically allows you to use Google Hangouts in a new way. The goal is to offer people a place to get help on a vast variety of topics using Google Hangouts. This could include topics from DIY repairs, to computer tech support, to cooking and much more. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Google Helpouts basically allows folks to help each other either for free or for a fee. What’s truly unique about this is that instead of getting a random person, you actually have the power to choose from whom you get help based upon a variety of factors like availability, qualifications, ratings, price, and reviews. Here’s a full quote below from Google’s blog on their new Helpouts service. You can also find out more in the video below.

Quote:

What if getting help for a computer glitch, a leaky pipe, or a homework problem was as easy as clicking a button? What if you could connect via real-time video to a music teacher or a yoga instructor from the comfort of your home? What if you could get someone knowledgeable to get you “unstuck” when you really need it?Today, we’re announcing Helpouts—a new way to get and give help over live video. Our goal is simple: help people help each other. We want to use the convenience and efficiency of the web to enable everyone, no matter where they are or what time it is, to easily connect with someone who can help.

Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).

With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.

Today is just the beginning. We’re starting small and in a few categories. The number of people giving help on Helpouts and the type of help available will grow over time. Helpouts may not be suitable for every occasion, and it will take time to get used to interactions via real time video. We hope that the efficiency, convenience and global reach of Helpouts will make people’s lives easier in the long term.

We hope you’ll give Helpouts a try and give us your feedback through ratings and reviews, or talk to us on Google+, Twitter or Facebook. And if you’re interested in giving help on Helpouts yourself, let us know.

Posted in: Apps & Games, News
Tags: google, hangouts, helpouts

By Gareth November 5, 2013 Read More →

Will we see the Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2?

Rumours are surfacing on the net that Samsung is currently working on a Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2″ tablet which will launch in early 2014. The source of these rumours are that the device has already passed through the FCC. Here’s what we know about the specs…

Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 specs:

12.2-inch 2560 x 1600 display
2.26GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
8-megapixel camera
2-megapixel front-facing camera
3GB of RAM
32GB of storage
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and LTE support for the cellular version
S Pen Stylus

As the sizes of devices continue to trend upward, it makes you wonder at what point will a tablet become too big to be useful? On the other hand could it be that this is an edge to edge screen, loosing the bezel almost entirely?

Posted in: News, Rumours, Tablets
Tags: galaxy, Samsung

By Gareth November 3, 2013 Read More →

What is in KitKat?

It looks like the new 4.4 KitKat version is the most significant upgrade for Android in a quite some time. It includes a massive array of new features.

Here’s a quick breakdown of many of the features:

Now supports lower-end devices and can run on just 512MB of RAM.
It will now have a new launcher.
Translucent system UI styling.
Enhanced notification access.
Includes faster multi-tasking.
More advanced caller ID.
new white/gray color scheme and fonts.
There is a new sensor batching technology. This is meant to cut down on sensor power consumption by grouping and prioritizing requests. Google claims it is now 25% more accurate, and can ask back for clarification.
It will now have wireless printing functionality.
Includes support for IR Blasters natively. It is limited to sending functions only for now. It can’t learn or receive yet. This is probably just a feature that is in progress since it is mostly not very useful yet.
Native screen recording and can output in MP4 format.
Now supports Moto X-style “OK Google” voice commands. For now this only will work with the Nexus 5. Supposedly this feature is hardware dependent, although Google hasn’t shared what is required.
Bluetooth devices will now be able to control the system volume directly instead of having to adjust two different volumes.
There is a new lock screen which includes a camera shortcut. You can also rearrange your homescreen.
Built-in Chromecast support.
Chrome web view.
Full-screen wallpapers with preview.
HDR+ photography.
Location in Quick Settings.
Low-power audio playback.
Music and movie-seeking from lock screen.
The NFC payment system doesn’t require using the secure element anymore. It uses a software based emulation work around. Because of this, carriers can no longer use this as an excuse to not support Google’s NFC payment functions.

Even at that, there is more. Little tweeks and drops of oil to make things run better. Google have put together a pretty terrific package and from what I can gather, here is a list of a few device that will see 4.4 arriving:

HTC phones to get Android 4.4

HTC One – sometime in 90 days
HTC One mini – sometime in 90 days
HTC One max – sometime in 90 days
HTC One Google Play Edition – sometime in 15 days

Nexus Devices to get Android 4.4

Nexus 4 – “the coming weeks”
Nexus 7 – “the coming weeks”
Nexus 10 – “the coming weeks”

Samsung Devices to get Android 4.4

Galaxy S4 – “in due course” end of 2013 or early 2014
Galaxy Note 3 – “in due course” end of 2013 or early 2014

Sony Devices to get Android 4.4

Xperia Z
Xperia Z1

Others Devices to get Android 4.4

LG G2 – “soon”

Annoying, despite the promise that KitKat will run nicely on low end devices Google have dropped the Galaxy Nexus from the update schedule.

Posted in: News
Tags: android 4.4, kitkat

By Matt November 3, 2013 Read More →

Android 4.4 KitKat Easter Egg video

There has been a long tradition of including hidden messages or features in software. These hidden messages, called Easter Eggs, have featured in each version of the popular Google Android OS and with the latest release of Android 4.4 KitKat the included Easter Egg is a pretty good one.

Accessed by entering the Settings menu and clicking repeatedly on the Android Version number we’re treated to a spinning ‘K’ and then a series of tiles with logos from each of the Android versions including KitKat.

So here’s a quick video of the Android 4.4 KitKat Easter Egg in action on the Nexus 5 for a little Sunday fun.

Posted in: News, Phones, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: android 4.4, Easter Egg, kitkat, Nexus 5

By Matt November 1, 2013 Read More →

LG Google Nexus 5 unboxing and hands-on video

The LG Google Nexus 5 was finally launched yesterday afternoon and went on sale here today in the UK. So far the sales have been strong and many stores have already sold out of the Nexus 5. In fact I had to try 4 different stores before I managed to find one that had stock and I got the last one they had!

So here is my Nexus 5 unboxing and hands-on video. I have to say, despite only having used it for a short time I am so far very impressed with the Nexus 5. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know how much I love my HTC One but it may be possible that the Nexus 5 could soon see itself as my everyday phone.

In the video below I’ll show you what accessories come with the Nexus 5 and have a good look around the hardware. We’ll then have a look at what’s installed and play with a couple of applications before running that customary benchmark. There’s a strange outcome there though but you’ll have to watch the video to find out!

The LG Nexus 5 has an amazing specification for the money and in terms of sheer value beats just about everything out there at the moment.

The video is a little long so I’ve cut out a few bits to be included in another video later on.

Posted in: News, Phones, Videos/Unboxings
Tags: android 4.4, Featured, google, kitkat, LG, Nexus 5

By Matt November 1, 2013 Read More →

HTC One to get Android 4.4 KitKat within 90 days

With the launch of the Android 4.4 touting Nexus 5 yesterday it was just a matter of time before questions would be asked of the manufacturers of other phones as to if and when their phones would see an update to KitKat.

HTC seem to have been the first to go on the record to talk about their update plans and Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America has been talking to the guys at Engadget. In an interview with Engadget, Mackenzie has confirmed that The Google Play version of the HTC One will see the 4.4 update within a staggering 15 days, followed by developer and unlocked versions getting the update in 30 days. All other remaining carrier variants will then have the KitKat update available within 90 days, possibly less.

I just the past week or so HTC have released Android 4.3 and Sense 5.5 to HTC One devices and I’m already enjoying this update. No definitive news on when the HTC One Mini and HTC One Max will receive further updates and be taken to 4.4 but it certainly seems that HTC are going to take a more aggressive stance to updates going forward and I for one find this very reassuring.

At the moment there’s nothing official from HTC as to when the Global updates will be made available, but I would expect to see these also on an accelerated time-scale.

Posted in: News, Phones
Tags: android 4.4, HTC One, kitkat