The new generation Nexus 7 from Asus and Google just debuted. It upgrades nearly every feature and function available. Here’s a breakdown of hardware specs,
- Is 2mm thinner than previous gen
- Is also lighter than previous Nexus 7
- Still uses the popular black on black soft touch rubberized outer casing
- 7-inch True HD 1920×1200 Display with 323 PPI (Highest Resolution and PPI of any 7-inch tablet) – Can handle native 1080P videos and 30% wider range of colors
- Dual Stereo Speakers with new immersive Fraunhofer Virtual surround sound
- Front 1.2MP Camera
- Rear 5MP Camera
- Quad-Core Snapdragon S4 Pro 1.5GHz – (1.8x faster CPU & 4x faster GPU than first Nexus 7)
- 2GB Ram
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
- 4G LTE Version will be available that will be unlocked and useable across all major U.S. carriers
- More battery efficient by 1 extra hour
- Android 4.3 Included and pushing out today for the previous gen Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Nexus 4.
Posted by: Gareth
Our living rooms are filled with more screens these days. Smartphones tell TV viewers more about their favorite characters as they watch. You can play “Words with Friends” while you’re waiting for the commercials to end. And laptops allow people to multitask on homework during halftime.
Meanwhile, marketers are trying to reach consumers on second, third and fourth screens. Let’s pull back the curtain to show the tactics being used in order to maximize the budding romance between advanced smart TV technology and the ever-present Internet.
Faster is Better
We demand high-speed Internet, uninterrupted TV signals, and Wi-Fi on our phones wherever we go. Why should our views of TV be any different? Now, TV programmers are shifting their focus to fully integrate with users on multiple devices. So far, Twitter is the platform of choice.
Many TV shows allow viewers to give instant feedback or ask questions through the social channel while a show is broadcast. TV programmers put hashtags on screen and use them as immediate sounding boards for their shows. TV show hosts often respond back to viewers’ questions in real time, empowering those at home to feel like they are a part of the show. As long as your tv antennas are working, you can enjoy shows anytime.
Networks have also introduced connected TV apps. Bravo’s “Bravo Now” app allows viewers to answer in-program poll questions during the show “Watch What Happens Live.” The answers are displayed on the show in real-time.
Is Reality Finally Real?
TV programmers are driving viewer engagement by allowing faithful followers to have a direct impact on a show’s outcome. For example, the “Miss USA” pageant lets fans vote for their favorite contestant online. The contestant who received the most votes automatically makes it past the first cut during the live telecast.
This is not only gets viewers interested in the live pageant before its television debut, but it is also a way to ensure direct participation from a wide group of individuals. Plus, the higher the interest level from viewers, the more the pageant can charge for advertising and sponsorships. Reality shows such as “Survivor” also are using social media as a way to encourage fans to vote for contestants they feel should win prizes or special awards.
Let the Games Begin
Smart TVs and second screens have created another trend – gamification. For the 2012 show, “The Great Escape,” TNT created an app that allowed viewers to take their own journeys alongside the show’s contestants. The app rewarded the player for watching the show, and used game mechanics to keep interest high.
Other shows jumping on the bandwagon, too, to fuel fan loyalty and amplify viewer numbers. As the programs shift in this direction, programming providers are doing so, as well, notes http://www.Direct4TV.com.
What Does the Data Show?
TV show apps can provide content creators and advertisers with rich data and targeted consumers. Not only can advertisers better target their ads, TV writers and producers can even better tailor their content and interactive elements based on second screen user demographics of their most invested viewers.
And while networks are expanding their reach, websites are creating content to enhance the TV screen, too. TV networks and program providers are embedding videos directly on their Web pages to increase SEO and enhance the probability for more social likes. By showing segments of popular TV shows or creating new content, the TV and the Internet continue to intersect.
Whether it’s through real-time interaction by way of Twitter during a live telecast, or through audience participation in a specially designed gamified app, the strong ties between TV and the Internet are undeniable.
The folks at PocketNow have a video up detailing a ton of new features and improvements on Android 4.3. The video uses a Nexus 4 equipped with the new OS from Google, and amongst the many new features comes a huge battery life improvement. Read on and check out the video to find all the details.
- Auto-complete in the Dialler – this is a clever function that makes you wonder why they haven’t thought of it before. The Android 4.3 stock dialler has been upgraded to include auto-complete within the dialler itself to help you get the right number more quickly. It’s important to note that some devices have this function already, but that was thanks to the specific OEM. Stock Android didn’t have that feature until now.
- New Emoji Keyboard – Google included a this new keyboard as an option for all those super-texters out there who like to add the context of "tone of voice/facial expressions" to their messages with more cute emoticons. To get to it from the messaging app you need to long-press on the space bar.
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE – This is one we heard about previously, but it’s still pretty cool regardless. The newest version of Bluetooth promises much better power efficiency, and should drain your battery far less. This new version also includes a greater range of compatible devices. (This wasn’t truly confirmed in the video, but the Bluetooth SIG has confirmed it.)
- Improvements in the Camera App – "The camera in Android 4.3 fine-tunes the way the previous version worked by placing the items in an arc with the selected item clearly called out above your finger. Also, rotating the device from portrait to landscape and back while in camera mode is now almost instantaneous."
- Better Performance – Apparently, the Nexus 4 is a great deal more responsive when using Android 4.3. It wasn’t really sluggish before, but supposedly the difference is noticeable. This is borne out in synthetic benchmarks as well.
- Significantly Improved Battery Life – Normally with this phone, Android 4.2 offers about 4-6 hours of heavy use before you need to recharge. With Android 4.3, the user was supposedly able to jump that all the way up to 25+ hours!
It’s exciting to think that software tweaks could result in such dramatic improvements. We probably should remain a bit sceptical, but that should only temper our excitement a little bit. Luckily, we are likely to hear all about Android 4.3 tomorrow during Sundar Pichai’s press event and the probable launch of the next-gen Nexus 7.
Posted by: Gareth
EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today confirmed plans to offer the Nokia Lumia 625 on its superfast 4GEE service, as well as on its Orange and T-Mobile UK brands.
Commenting on the unveiling of the Lumia 625, Nicola Shenton, Head Of Devices, EE said:
“4G is incredibly important for the future of mobile in the UK, and EE is at the forefront. With the new Lumia 625, Nokia is helping to bring even more affordable, quality 4G devices to the market which will ensure 4G experiences are available to a broader audience.”
Pricing and availability for the Lumia 625 will be announced in due course.
Posted by: Tarzan
So how much would you expect to pay for a Dual SIM, 5.3″ Screen, 1.2 GHz Quad-core & 8MP Camera smartphone? Sound like pretty expensive features don’t they?
However the Archos 53 Platinum offers all of the above and more for just £219.99 from eXpansys. Check out the full spec below to see what you get.
Archos 53 Platinum specification:
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System: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
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Processor: 1.2 GHz / Quad Core / Qualcomm 8225Q cortex-A5
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Memory: Internal: 4 GB / RAM: 1 GB / Slot type: microSD / Max. slot capacity: 64 GB
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Display: 5.3″ / IPS / Resolution: 960 x 540 pixels / 220 ppi
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Camera: 8 Mpixels / BSI sensor / Flash: LED / Video: 720p / Front: 2 Mpixels
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Network: 3G: 900/2100 MHz / GSM: 900/1800/1900 MHz
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Wireless: Bluetooth: 3.0 / Wifi: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
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Connection: Jack 3.5 mm / micro USB
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GPS: aGPS
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Sensors: Ambient Light Sensor, Gyro sensor, Proximity sensor
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Dual SIM
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Battery: 2800 mAh
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Weight: 189.9 g
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Dimensions: 153.6 x 78 x 9.25 mm
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SAR: 0.749 W/kg
Posted by: Matt
Last night, some pictures and a video leaked of the next-generation Google Nexus 7 Android tablet appeared on AndroidCentral. This particular version of the device is labeled, ME571K_PR1_SKU2.
Here’s a list of specs that came along with this leak,
- 7-Inch LCD display (unnamed resolution at this time)
- 4 gigabytes of DDR3L RAM (although the final shipping version may only be 2GB – this is unconfirmed at this time)
- 1.2-megapixel camera on the front, and 5-megapixel camera on the back
- Dual speakers
- Android 4.3
- 32GB and 64Gb storage
These specs seem pretty impressive, especially if it ends up keeping 4GB of RAM. We will keep a close eye on this, but in the mean-time enjoy the video:
HTC have today officially announced the HTC One mini – bringing a smaller brother from the HTC One to the market. I was lucky enough to go hands on with the new handset recently and what a beauty it is. Specs wise, it may be lacking in a few places compared to the flagship device, but size wise I actually prefer the One mini. It just feels the right size for me.
In terms of pricing things are not yet confirmed but imagine the HTC One on a 24 month contract and then drop two price tiers. That is where this one will sit – so I am told by HTC.
Design wise the HTC One mini mimics its big brother being made from a single piece of aluminum and has the same robust feel to it. With a 4.3 inch display the mini may well appeal to a larger market of average consumers. Powered by a dual core processor as opposed to quad core on the HTC One this thing is still a speedy little son of a gun. The camera on the One mini is the same as the One so potential buyers will have piece of mind that they can get some quality photographs and video from the device.
Some sweet accessories will also be available for the One mini – there are a selection of different coloured flip style cases as well as a rather nice windscreen mount for in the car.
You can view the full specs/press release along with some photos below:
Fancy getting your hands on a new 4K UHD display? Well you now can thanks to Samsung releasing their 55″ and 65″ 4K screens.
Full press release follows but we’re hoping they’ll be sending us one to review! 🙂
Samsung Electronics Co. UK Ltd, the UK’s number one TV brand with the most awarded TV range has today revealed that its 55 and 65-inch UHD F9000 TVs will be available to buy in the UK in July.
Offering four times the resolution of current full HD TVs, the availability of the new 55- and 65-inch UHD TVs comes after the UK launch of the 85-inch S9 UHD 4K TV in April 2013. Samsung’s unparalleled reputation in picture quality, functionality and design is seen across the series, as it continues to strengthen its leadership in the UHD market with various sized TVs.
Samsung’s expanding 2013 UHD TV range delivers superior picture quality. These Ultra High Definition 4K 55″ and 65″ TV’s produce the brightest, clearest images with four times the detail of Full HD to deliver a truly immersive viewing experience. Driven by the Samsung Quadmatic Picture Engine they deliver superior contrast, brightness and detail. Precision Black combined with Samsung’s unique Micro Dimming technology provides deeper blacks, purer whites and enhanced colour and detail to every image, while the proprietary UHD panel displays amazingly bright and vivid pictures. Powered by Quad core processing even SD and HD content is transformed by the 4 step up-scaling technology to produce stunningly sharp images on these UHD screens, so you can continue to enjoy all your favourite TV shows and movies.
Samsung’s latest UHD TVs feature a host of different functions, including:
Pricing:
The UE55F9000 has an RRP £3999.99 and the UE65F9000 an RRP of £5999.99.
News here from eXpansys. They’ve just announced a sale on the popular Nokia Lumia 920 and you can now get all 4 colour versions of the Nokia Lumia 920 for just £329.99 SIM Free (inc delivery) – a saving of £100
They are also all available with 0% interest free credit – only £26.40/month (+20% deposit)
http://www.expansys.com/nokia-lumia-920-flash-sale/
The offer runs until Monday 22nd July and has limited stock – so when they’re gone, they’re gone!
Posted by: Matt
July 13th marks international “Embrace Your Geekness Day” and the chance to celebrate that little bit of techy geekiness inside us all. HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has put together the top “geek” facts on its game-changing HTC One so users can learn how to take advantage of the handset’s unique design, specification and features.
HTC One top “quirky facts:
· The phone weighs 143g – the same as around three lemons or a baked potato
· You would need to lay down more than 45 million HTC Ones to match the distance between London and New York, 65 million to reach Sydney from Shanghai, and 60 million from Tokyo to Moscow
· The HTC One is made out of one sheet of metal (aluminium) – the most abundant metallic element in the Earth’s crust
· The handset has won 37 awards to date, way more Oscars than Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis put together
Posted by: James
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