News

Sony Xperia Z Ultra now available on Three

With Sony’s largest HD smartphone screen yet, at 6.4″, the lightweight Sony XperiaT Z Ultra smartphone on Three is perfect for those that want to enjoy entertainment on the move and is available now from Three stores.

The Sony XperiaT Z Ultra is 4G ready and when Three rolls out its 4G network, a simple, free software upgrade will mean the speedier technology will be available to customers at no extra cost.

Three is offering the Sony XperiaT Z Ultra with an upfront cost of £99 on a 24 month contract plan. Choose from £34 a month for the Ultimate Internet 500 or £36 a month for the Ultimate Internet 1000 which are both available with all-you-can-eat data. Otherwise for £38 a month you can opt for The One Plan that includes all-you-can-eat-data, 2000 minutes of talk time and 5000 Three to Three minutes, plus 5000 texts.

Sylvia Chind, head of devices at Three, said: “The Sony XperiaT Z Ultra is an exciting addition to our growing range of 4G Ready devices. Its stunning screen and suitability for watching movies or playing games means you can make full use of Three’s all-you-can-eat data plans and enjoy an immersive entertainment experience without being tied to your living room.”

The hardwearing device is dust resistant and *waterproof and you can even write or draw on the screen using any stylus or pencil allowing you to watch, read, write and play anytime and anywhere.
The Sony XperiaT Z Ultra will also be available to order online from October 18 at www.three.co.uk.

Key features:

• 6.4 inch Full HD TriluminosT display to maximise the viewing experience in stunning clarity
• Thin and lightweight
• *Waterproof and dust resistant
• 8MP HDR camera with Exmor RS sensor

The MeMo 8 and 10 are coming soon

Here’s the scoop on the other new Android tablets that Asus announced at IFA this year. They revealed their next-generation MeMo 8 and MeMo 10 tablets. Here’s a quote from their press release with the specs.

ASUS today announced two new affordable Android tablets, the MeMO Pad 8 and MeMO Pad 10, with an 8-inch and 10-inch screen, respectively. Both tablets feature a 1280 x 800 resolution, a quad-core processor and microSD card storage.
Designed for easy one-handed use, ASUS MeMO PadT 8 measures just 127mm from side to side and weighs only 350g, yet packs an 8-inch display that gives 30% more screen space than a 7-inch tablet. ASUS MeMO PadT 10 is equally portable, at just 522g.
Vibrant IPS displays and ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced sound
ASUS MeMO Pad 8 (ME180A) and MeMO Pad 10 (ME102A) both feature an LED-backlit display with a 1280 x 800 resolution and IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology for a bright and vibrant image, with wide viewing angles and great daylight visibility. High-quality dual speakers with ASUS SonicMaster audio technology give great sound quality, too.
MeMO Pad 8 also features a rear 5-megapixel camera that captures great quality photos, while MeMO Pad 10 features a 2-megapixel rear camera. Both models also capture 720p HD video and have a 1.2-megapixel front camera for video chat.
Powered by 1.6GHz quad-core processors for a perfect balance of multi-tasking performance and energy efficiency, MeMO Pad 8 has up to nine hours battery life with HD video playback and MeMO Pad 10 up to 9.5 hours. MeMO Pad 8 has 8GB of onboard storage, while MeMO Pad 10 has 8GB or 16GB. Both models also feature a microSDXC card slot. As we can see, the Transformer Pad Infinity isn’t the only Asus tablet to up the ante. Asus didn’t share any details on pricing or availability for these two tabs just yet, but that should be forthcoming fairly soon. These two tabs are likely designed to cover the mid-range and budget-friendly market segments.

Posted by: Gareth

HTC Plan to launch their own Operating System

HTC is generally considered to be one of the most innovative mobile phone companies in the world today and just lately they’ve shifted their focus from the ‘low-end’ side of the phone industry to the ‘high end’ to try and claw back some real estate from the the biggest hitter in the Android world.Samsung.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few months you will know that Matt absolutely loves the HTC One and so do thousands of others across the globe but the problem is that HTC just haven’t been able to shift as many of their beloved flagship as they predicted, so to change the company’s fortune they have decided to try their hand at their own operating system.

This operating system will be designed specifically for the Chinese market as HTC’s CEO Peter Chou believes that the country is an area where great growth is possible, and according to sources across the internet HTC’s Chairwoman has personally been in contact with the Chinese government to ensure that this business prospect is the best that it possibly can be. The main reason behind the idea to create their own operating system is unclear but i can’t help but think it could be something to do with wanting Asia etc to become less dependant on other smartphone manufacturers eg. Apple, Samsung etc.

There has been no word as yet when this operating system will be released in China but rest assured we will let you know of any further developments as this is a story that could well see HTC sticking around in the mobile phone industry for many years to come if they pull it off.

Post by: Chris

EE 4G Hits 100 Town Milestone

EE, the UK’s first 4G network, has surpassed the 100 town milestone, with 10 new places covered this month. 4G from EE is now available to businesses and consumers in a total of 105 towns and cities across the UK, covering 60% of the population just ten months after launch.

The full press release from EE follows:

SUPERFAST 4G FROM EE HITS 100 TOWN MILESTONE    

· Accrington named the 100^th UK town to be covered by a superfast 4G mobile network – footballing legend Ian Rush marks the switch on of the superfast service at the Storefirst Stadium, Accrington Stanley’s home ground

· EE also turns on superfast mobile internet in nine other towns this month – Ashford, Bicester, Colchester, Guildford, Milton Keynes, Redhill, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Woking

· 4G from EE now available to businesses and consumers in a total of 105 towns and cities across the UK, covering 60% of the population just ten months after launch

· EE also switches on double speed 4G in a further five towns – Sunderland, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton

Wednesday 28 August, 2013 – EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today announced that 4G is now available in more than 100 towns and cities across the UK, with ten new places covered this month. Accrington, in Lancashire, is officially named the 100^th town in the UK to benefit from superfast mobile internet.

To celebrate this milestone, footballing legend Ian Rush – who helped give the town’s football club Accrington Stanley national recognition when he featured in the famous 1980s Milk Marketing Board ad – visited the town on behalf of EE to mark the switch on of superfast 4GEE.

Rush was in Accrington to present the manager of Accrington Stanley, James Beattie, with 4G from EE for the club, as EE’s coverage of the town will include Accrington Stanley’s home ground, The Storefirst Stadium. The switch-on of the superfast 4G technology, which will be installed for free in the team’s club house, coincides with Accrington’s league cup game against Cardiff City and EE is to sponsor the match ball to further mark the occasion.

Ian Rush commented: “It’s great to see that Accrington is grabbing headlines again – this time for being the 100^th town in the UK to get superfast 4G from EE. It’s fantastic to be part of the big 4G switch on, and we’ll all be raising a glass of milk at the Accrington Stanley clubhouse to celebrate!”

Steven Day, Chief of Brand and Communications, EE, said: “Our 4G network is just ten months old and we’re delighted to have reached the 100 milestone so quickly.  With Accrington named as our 100^th 4G town we wanted to take this opportunity to have some fun celebrating the fantastic efforts of our network team. We’re all about connecting people and football legend Ian Rush is intrinsically connected to Accrington thanks to the 1980s Milk Board ad which can be still be enjoyed today online and streamed without any annoying buffering on your mobile thanks to 4G!”

Today’s launch strengthens EE’s position as the biggest 4G network in the UK, helping more people around the country access the latest mobile technology.

4GEE is also being switched on this month in Ashford, Bicester, Colchester, Guildford, Milton Keynes, Redhill, Sevenoaks, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Woking, taking the number of towns and cities covered to 105. 4G from EE now covers the homes and businesses of 60% of the UK population.

EE’s double speed 4G roll out continues…

In addition EE is upgrading already existing 4G networks to offer double speed 4G across a number of towns with average speeds of 24-30Mbps.  More businesses and consumers will benefit from double speed which kicks off today in Sunderland, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. Double speed 4G from EE is now available in 20 towns and cities across the UK.

Olaf Swantee, Chief Executive Officer, EE said: “The key to a successful 4G launch is making the service available in as many places as possible – the more people use 4G, the more they want 4G.  We have built amazing momentum with one of the fastest 4G roll outs in the world, a strong range of devices, great content offers and compelling pricing.”

EE 4G mobile customers have instant web access while on the move, so they can download large files quicker than ever, watch live TV on mobiles without buffering and play live multiplayer games on the go. Consumers and businesses have access to the UK’s widest range of 4G mobile handsets, tablets and dongles.

For more information, please visit www.ee.co.uk.

LG confirms G Pad, Phablet, Smartwatch and flexible display

LG communications executive Dimitar Vulev, recently confirmed in an interview that LG is working on several new Android devices, some of which will be out by the end of the year. He confirmed the existence of the LG G Pad Android tablet, and indicated the company is working on an LG phablet alongside a smartwatch. He also confirmed that LG’s flexible display technology might be used on the smartwatch, although the smartwatch won’t come out until 2014.

Recent filings at the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) revealed that LG’s recent device filings included the G Watch, G Pad, G Band, G Hub, a G Glass, and G Link.

Samsung and LG reportedly have finally overcome the technical hurdles with their flexible OLED display technology. According to a report, both companies will be mass producing flexible displays and they will be showing up in devices as early as November of this year. The first generation of flexible displays will only be able to bend in a single plane rather than multiples, but this is still a big start. The primary advantages of the flexible tech is that displays will be lighter, thinner, unbreakable, and will consume less power.

Those seem like fantastic reasons to bring the technology to market. Right now, Samsung has the capacity to make 1.5 Million 5-6-inch flexible displays per month, although the yields will be less than that since that is only their 100% capacity. The amount that LG will be able to produce was not disclosed although it will be less than that initially hoped.

Posted by: Gareth

Steve Ballmer stepping down

Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer rocked the tech world by dropping a bomb-shell on the media yesterday. He announced his retirement from Microsoft. It will be effective within the next 12 months after they have found a replacement for him.

Ballmer said, “There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time. We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices and services company. We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction.”

Steve Ballmer has been with Microsoft since Bill Gates hired him as a business manager in 1980. He became the CEO of Microsoft in 2000 when Bill Gates announced his retirement. Despite a string of recent financial misfires from Microsoft with slow Windows 8 adoption and the monstrous Surface RT failure, Ballmer was instrumental in spearheading Microsoft’s entry into the gaming console business in 2001 with the first Xbox.

Despite his departure, this will now be a time of opportunity for Microsoft. It will be exciting to see the person they find to replace him.

Posted by: Gareth

PS4 USA and Europe Release date officially announced

2013 is a huge year for gamers across the globe because it is the first time since 2005 that we get new console hardware! E3 2013 brought us the official unveiling of both the Xbox One and the PS4 and it’s the latter that we will focus on today because Microsoft STILL haven’t released official launch dates for their console.

With that in mind Sony yesterday at their Gamescom 2013 press conference announced that as of November 15th in the US and on the 29th November in the UK we will be able to get our hands on the long awaited ‘Next-Gen’ console! This is almost as bigger coup for Sony as the £100/$100 difference in price compared to its Microsoft counterpart, which should at first at least grab gamers attention more than the hugely expensive £429 for the Xbox One.

The official prices for the PS4 on its own are as follows: US=$399, UK=£349

I have spoken to my local GAME store representatives though and they say that yes you are still able to pre-order the PS4 but they are as of now unable to guarantee ‘Day One’ delivery of the console as demand has been so high, so if you want one as close to launch day as possible then i recommend pre ordering one right now.

Here’s a refresher on the main features of the PS4 for those of you still unsure about which console (if any) to plump up the cash for:

• CPU: low power x86-64 AMD "Jaguar", 8 cores
• GPU: 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD RadeonGraphics Core Next engine
• Memory: GDDR5 8GB
• Hard Disk Drive: Built -in
• Optical Drive (Read only): BD 6xCAV, DVD 8xCAV
• I/O: Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0), AUX
• Communication: Ethernet, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth® 2.1 (EDR)
• AV output: HDMI, Analog-AV out, Digital Output (optical)

There is a lot to look forward to regards the PS4 with a whole host of amazing games that will launch alongside it on November 29th including, Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty Ghosts, Watch Dogs, Killzone:Shadowfall, DriveClub and many more!

Just one last thing to add here.watch this space at the end of September because i will be at Eurogamer in London covering all of the amazing gaming tech that will be on offer so look out for lots of posts and photos on the site around then, i will be tweeting live from the event as well so drop me a follow at @veseinho89.

Post by: Chris

Super sized LG G2 hitting Three

The new LG G2 coming soon to Three. Equipped with the latest cutting edge technology and design, the new LG G2 handset is coming soon to Three.

This high-end device includes a useful rear button which allows people to quick-launch applications in seconds, make volume adjustments or lock the screen. It also delivers sharp, crystal clear images even in dark or shaky conditions, thanks to its 13 megapixel camera and Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS). Once you’ve captured your image, you can then utilise the rear button to open up SnapChat and easily share your pictures via Three’s reliable network. Don’t miss out on what snap accounts have to offer.

The speedy, slim line and compact LG G2, boasts a 5.2″ HD screen with a best in-class battery capacity. Coupled with Three’s all-you-can-eat data, this smartphone is perfect for catching up on the latest YouTube videos or watching your favourite programmes on BBC iPlayer, without the worry of encountering hefty out-of-bundle data charges.

Sylvia Chind, head of devices at Three, said: “LG has created a true powerhouse smartphone in the G2 that combines their technological expertise from design through to features. We believe this phone will encourage greater use of more demanding data applications which makes Three the perfect partner.”

Key features:

• 5.2″ Full HD IPS display with narrow bezel
• Stunning 13MP Optical Image Stabiliser Camera
• Large 3000 mAh capacity battery
• 2.3 GHz Quad Core Processor
• Instinctive design and innovative rear control button
• Available in black or white

Posted by: Gareth

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch coming to a wrist near you?

According to a new trademark filed by Samsung, they are indeed working on wearable computing technology, and they already have a name for it. Previously we have heard numerous rumours that Samsung is working on a new Android based smartwatch. Today, a new trademark filing came to light confirming the device with the name "Samsung Galaxy Gear." Here’s a quote from the trademark filing for it:

"Wearable digital electronic devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle capable of providing access to the Internet and for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages; wearable electronic handheld devices in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle for the wireless receipt, storage and/or transmission of data and messages and for keeping track of or managing personal information; smart phones; tablet computers; portable computers." It’s possible this is a trademark that Samsung is scooping up to hold for the future. However, with all of the rumours floating around about an impending launch of a smartwatch from Samsung, we suspect this will be the name we see when it finally comes to light. In fact, we may see this device launch as soon as September 4th during the IFA 2013 event in Germany. We will keep an eye out!

I am hoping “Gear” actually equates to a new product line of various bits and pieces to assist your particular choice of Galaxy phone. A watch being a starting point. Add to this other wireless peripherals like headphones, docks, remote control vehicles, projectors. we have seen many of these things before and of all the companies that could role these novelty devices, Samsung is the one.

Posted by: Gareth