Month: July 2015

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and Tab S2 9.7 announced. #Samsung #Tablet #Tech

Two new tabs from Samsung have been announced today after plenty of leaks and rumours they go official,however no pricing info given and both will be available globally next month..A nice addition to the tablets is that they come with Microsoft Office and 100GB of free space on OneDrive for the first 2 years after purchase.

“The Galaxy Tab S2 is not only our thinnest and lightest tablet of its size ever, it also gives users quick, easy access to a wealth of superior viewing and productivity features,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division at Samsung. “We believe the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is the most complete personal visual device designed for consumers to carry and use anywhere.”

The Galaxy Tab S2 8.0  comes with 4000mAh battery, octa-core processor quad 1.9GHz & quad 1.3GHz,  8-inch Super AMOLED display with 1536 x 2048 pixels resolution. Also its got  3GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage and is expandable via micro SD.

Specsheet
Network :LTE : 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600
3G : 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100
2G : 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900

AP :Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz, Octacore application processor

Display :8.0” 2048×1536(QXGA) Super AMOLED

OS :Android 5.0 (Lollipop)

Camera :8MP AF(rear), 2.1MP(front)

Video :H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, VP8
Recording: QHD (2560×1440) @30 fps
Playback: UHD (3840×2160) @ 30fps

Audio :MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC

Google Mobile Service :Chrome, Gmail, Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Hangouts, Play Store, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, Drive, Photos

Connectivity :Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz/5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth®4.1 BLE

GPS :GPS, GLONASS

Sensor :Accelerometer, Finger Scanner, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall Sensor, RGB Sensor

Memory :3GB (RAM) + 32/64GB internal memory
microSD up to 128GB

Dimension / Weight :134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6mm, 265g(Wifi)/ 272g(LTE)

Battery :4,000mAh

The Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 has a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display, 5870mAh battery, other specs remain the same as the 8.0 version both tablets come with Wi-Fi only Wi-Fi and LTE ..

Screenshot 2015-07-20 at 15.46.22

 

Specsheet
Network :LTE : 700/ 800/ 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900/ 2100/ 2600
3G : 850/ 900/ 1900/ 2100
2G : 850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900

AP :Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz, Octacore application processor

Display :8.0” 2048×1536(QXGA) Super AMOLED

OS :Android 5.0 (Lollipop)

Camera :8MP AF(rear), 2.1MP(front)

Video :H.263, H.264(AVC), MPEG4, VC-1, WMV7, WMV8, VP8
Recording: QHD (2560×1440) @30 fps
Playback: UHD (3840×2160) @ 30fps

Audio :MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, Vorbis, FLAC

Google Mobile Service :Chrome, Gmail, Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Hangouts, Play Store, Play Movies & TV, Play Music, Drive, Photos

Connectivity :Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4GHz/5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth®4.1 BLE

GPS :GPS, GLONASS

Sensor :Accelerometer, Finger Scanner, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall Sensor, RGB Sensor

Memory :3GB (RAM) + 32/64GB internal memory
microSD up to 128GB

Dimension / Weight :134.8 x 198.6 x 5.6mm, 265g(Wifi)/ 272g(LTE)

Battery :4,000mAh

Press Release

Find free Wi-fi Spots anywhere in the world with WifiMapper By @VicenteA_George #Wifi #Free #App

Have you ever been on a trip and desperately needed an internet conection but couldn’t find a wifi spot and so avoiding to owe your soul to the carrier by roaming?

Well, here we have something to assist never being in that position again.

Introducing WifiMapper

As the app name suggests what it does is pretty simple, it shows you in a map where you can find FREE WI-FI spots with some green dots on the screen.

“The circle shows the place”

When you tap a location on your map, it will tells some relevant information such as:

– What the location is
– Name of the connection
– If you need to register to use it
– Connection speed
– If it’s an unsecured network or not.

and other some minor details.

You can also see if the connection isn’t actually free and help to keep update the data.

The app is Powered by Foursquare so apart from having the needed internet information, you’ll also get information about the place (would be good having a good coffee with the “free” internet)

To use the app you’ll need to log in with your Facebook account, and soon would be possible to use Google +

The app is Free and it’s available on IOS and Android

Get the Android version HERE
Get the IOS version HERE

Are you going to take advantage of the new app? Let us know in the comments below or Tweet us using #techbuzzireland

Stay tuned for more Buzz

Meet “London” The audiophile phone from #Marshall #Android #London

Marshall might be a name not well known for some of our audience, but for other is synonymous of good audio quality.

The world-class amplifiers maker Marshall has decide to join to smartphone world with his own personalize and specifically designed for audio purposes.

The London

The London is nothing but a mid-range phone, but is not aimed for the smartphone power user out there, the focus? Satisfy the most demanding audiophiles.

Here’s the specs list:

A 4.7″ HD IPS-LCD display
A Qualcomm 64-bit SoC Snapdragon 410
2GB of RAM
16GB of storage (microSD available)
An 8mp rear camera and a 2mp front camera
A 2500 mAh battery.
All of that with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 with customized music applications

Nothing Interesting yet? Well those are just half of the specs, the rest, is what makes this phone something to think about

Take a look:

Two front-facing speakers (13 mm x 18 mm) with enhanced volume & bass
Two MEMS mics with active noise cancellation
A Wolfson WM8281 Audio Hub
Two 3.5mm stereo audio jacks on top (Yes, Two)
Bluetooth APTX (real-time high quality stereo audio over a Bluetooth connection)

and Two other dedicated and specially design buttons

The “M-BUTTON” a dedicated one-click access to your music, you can use this for controlling your music no matter on what screen of your phone you are.

The “SCROLL WHEEL” not your usual Volume rocker, with this you’ll be able to control the volume of the phone at its maximum!

                                                          The M-Button with the Two headphones jacks
                                                                              The Scroll Wheel

Of course, as a phone there will be times when you want to use it for your own, that’s why Marshall has also include a Mode in-ear headphones so you’ll never miss a beat.

                                                                                  The Mode in-ear

The phone is still in Pre-Order state, set to be available in 22 countries worldwide with delivery in late August (country depending)

One thing I found not as good is the price tag, $585 for a mid-range phone is a little to much

If you’re interested on one, you can pre-order yours HERE

Take a look at the Press Ad HERE

Would you take one for your audio dreams to come true? Let us know in the comments! Or Tweet us using #techbuzzireland

Stay tuned for more Buzz

Source: Marshallheadphones

Train Track – Irish made Irish Rail realtime tracker. #IrishRail #Apps #Android #Travel

Train Track was developed by Jessy Conroy which gives real-time info on Irish Rail times and much more… Jessy tells us why the app was created.

“Basically the reason I developed the app is because I’ve seen similar apps that are on the play store and I said to myself…”Hey I can do better than that!” The Android Play Store gets a lot of slack for having low quality app compared to iOS’s app store. I want to change this. I’m utilising lots of Android Lollipop features and have included little playful animations in parts of the app to try keep the user interested and engaged.
I travel daily using Irish Rail from Portarlington to Dublin and the funny thing is that Train Track was almost entirely built and inspired while commuting and gazing out from the framed carriage windows at Irelands landscapes!.”

Train Track is an Irish Rail realtime train tracker that includes a simplistic design with beautiful backgrounds that show off some of our country’s rail landscapes. Inspired and created while commuting with Irish Rail. Features of the app include:

– Save your favourite stations

– One click access to your favourite stations

– Closest saved station shown at the first position of list

– Filter trains

– Time table search, that includes, Irish Rail online prices (prices not always available for certain trains)

– Twitter Irish Rail news feed

Download HERE for your Android device an support Irishdevs..

 

Place n Charge by SXE – Wireless Alarm Clock with Bluetooth Speakers #Kicksarter

The Alarm Clock  – Gave up on them years ago due to using my mobile as my wake up call but over the years they have come back with a bang with lots of quirky and cool ideas and it has me now interested in them again strangely enough due to what they have now compared to what was typical in the past,this for example is no wires no mess and several functions in one place and less clutter……

Alex Lewis has contacted us about this new Kickstarter which you might find interesting.. Alex goes on to say..

“This is our first step towards building a super controller bedside station that combines all your desktop or bedside needs into one clutter removing device. We’re taking over 20 years of clock-making experience, and modernizing it with QI wireless charging (and for smartphones that don’t support it, we have adapters that can make them wireless-charge capable). The docking station we just developed also has high quality Bluetooth speakers for streaming music, receiving messages and notifications without tampering with the comfort and satisfaction of the device”

Multi task.

You can charge an additional smartphone through the  USB port at the same time! The “Place n Charge” also has capabilities for “Hands Free Calling”, which means you can answer your incoming phone calls by using the clock’s easy to use button display on the device itself. While your smartphone is connected through Bluetooth, the device can also serve as a quality speaker for your phone.

https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/projects/1727819/video-559749-h264_high.mp4?_=1

 

Features of Place n Charge

  • Wireless Charging: Charge any QI compatible device just by placing it on the alarm clock. iPhone 5 and 6, as well as Samsung Galaxy phones can be upgraded to wireless charging with a simple “coil” that fits seamlessly inside your phone or underneath your cover.
  • USB Port: charge a second device with the included USB charging port.
  • Stream Music: Builtin Bluetooth enables you to stream music directly to the alarm clock and play it through the quality speakers.
  • Alarm Clock: All the features you expect from an alarm clock, including a large, white digital display that makes it easy to read the time; snooze capability; a button layout is designed for convenience, ease of use, and accessibility; and battery backup.

How do they intend to bring this project to fruition.?

The prototype has been made already and is being improved. We have a factory which has already manufactured the prototype and is willing to launch our product. We want to get our product out there as soon as everything is worked out and well put together.
What are the steps we need to take?

Since the tooling is pretty much done all we have to do is:

1. Get FCC approval.

2. Manufacture the device.

Pledges

For backing our project, and helping us bring our product to the market, you will receive both the brand new “Place n Charge” Alarm Clock with Bluetooth Speakers by SXE and a compatible receiver for your smartphone that works either with Samsung Galaxy or iPhone 5/5c/5s/6.

If you want to back these guys with this cool idea do so by heading over to KickStarter   <<< Direct link..

The sim card for our mobiles could be a thing of the past. #Sim #Mobile #Tech

Sim cards have changed over the years from the standard large one we are all all custom to and now we are down to a Nano sim which was introduced in 2012, we can thank Apple for.. We have typically have three sim cards today which are standard,Micro and Nano,and of course combo sims which are on offer sometimes.

Image source visihow.com

Apple and Samsung, two of the world’s biggest phone makers, are said to be in “advanced talks” with the GSMA about the launch of these embeddable SIM cards, according to The Financial Times. A SIM card is the tiny piece of plastic in your phone that stores your phone number and info about your data plan and identifies your phone to the carrier.These cards are programmed to work with a specific carrier, which is why you typically need to buy phones specific to the carrier you’re using when shopping for a new device.

This could change things in the future but it probably be a while before it actually happens here in Ireland..You wouldn’t be locked into a two-year contract, because you could switch carriers at will. You’d still have to buy data plans from carriers, but if you’re dissatisfied with the service you could switch next month rather than having to wait out a contract.

You wouldn’t be locked into a two-year contract, because you could switch carriers at will. You’d still have to buy data plans from carriers, but if you’re dissatisfied with the service you could switch next month rather than having to wait out a contract.Two year contracts are too long in my opinion and in most cases you are stuck with the same device for two years,these days people like to keep up to date with the latest devices and with IDMobile launching next month here it may be a fresh start and hopefully we see two year contracts reverse to 12 months with would be more suitable..

Via

 

 

Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-FZ300 and Lumix DMC-GX8 by @Tiwaash #Camera #Lumix

What a day it is for the Panasonic camera enthusiast with the company announcing the successor of Lumix DMC-FZ200 and the top end of the Lumix G series, Lumix DMC-FZ300 and Lumiax DMC-DX8 respectively. The good news is, these both are now splash and dustproof so pretty much ready for any weather conditions to let you capture the moment.

Lumix DMC-FZ 300

FZ300 a 24X superzoom successor to the FZ200 keeps that camera’s 25-600mm equivalent F2.8 zoom lens and 12MP Live MOS sensor, while adding a newer version of its Venus Engine image processor.

The LUMIX FZ300 is capable of recording smooth, high-resolution QFHD 4K video in 3840×2160 at 30p (60Hz) or 24p in MP4. Taking advantage of 4K video recording performance, users can capture fleeting photo opportunities at 30 fps in 8-megapixel equivalent resolution.

The autofocus system has been updated with Panasonic’s DFD (Depth from Defocus) technology which the company says reduces focus times to just 0.09 secs, and also improves its tracking focus ability. The FZ300 can also shoot continuous at up to 12 fps (6 fps in C-AF mode). The camera uses a Hybrid O.I.S. system providing 2-axis stabilization for stills shooting and 5-axis IS in video recording (though not in 4K). It packs a 1.44M dot OLED EVF and a fully articulated 3″ 1.04M dot touchscreen for composing your photo.

Lumix DMC-DX8

Panasonic has achieved some milestones with Lumix DMC-DX8, it’s the first Micro Four Thirds camera to break the 20MP barrier, and also has a ‘Dual IS’ feature that uses both sensor-shift and lens-shift IS (when available) for more effective shake reduction. The updated Venus Engine processor allows the GX8 to top out at ISO 25,600, shoot at up to 8 fps, and record 4K/UHD video.

GX8 provides a tilting 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder and a fully articulated 1.04M dot 3″ OLED touchscreen. A dedicated exposure compensation dial is included on the GX8’s top panel, and Wi-Fi and NFC are built in.

Like the FZ300 the GX is also splash and dustproof camera and uses the same autofocus system DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology to speed up focus acquisition to about 0.07 seconds and greatly improving tracking focus.

The FZ300 is expected to be available in October for $599.99 and GX8 will be available from August in all-black or black-and-silver variants for $1199.99 body only.

Stay tuned for more tech buzz.

Source 1 , Source 2

Ulak – Samsung Galaxy S5 Knox Armor case review. #Cases #Reviews #Samsung #Ulak

Ulak is a new brand who makes cases for mobile phones catering to fashion minded people wanting to add some individuality as well as protection to their smart phone or tablet.They have been in touch with us and sent us over a few samples to review and today we kick off with the Samsung Galaxy S5 case..

Features

  • Advanced dual layer designed case combined of Polycarbonate hard shell and flexible TPU withstands accidental drop, bump and shock
  • Front cover with built-in screen protector prevents scratches without compromising sensitivity
  • Samsung Galaxy S5 Fingerprint Scanner Compatible; Samsung Galaxy S5 Heartbeat Sensor Compatible
  • All features accessible with case installed; Port covers keep out debris and dust; Sporty design with multi-color options

First off the packaging is quite simple and straight forward with an easy to open product which contains the case,instructions and a built in screen protector so all in all you are covered here regarding protection for you Galaxy S5.there is also a layer of removable layer of thin polythene on the front and back of the case which is probably for transportation purposes..

 

 

The case is easy enough to install and something very similar to Otterbox,you just peel the edge away from the housing and then then the housing pops out and from here on its a simple process to put it all together and will be no trouble for anyone to install which is good,some cases can be a bit cumbersome or require some effort to install,not the case here it will take about 30 seconds in fact taking your time,maybe less..

The top of the case has all aspects covered with access for the mic,headphone socket which is also covered with a flap to keep out dirt and dust,this is a nice featured to be implemented also there is clear access for the infra-red beam,also on the top corners there is addition bumpers raised should the device land on its corner this will give it extra protection,these raised bumps are present on all corners..The camera area is also recessed giving good protection and enabling users to put the device on a flat surface which will keep it free from scratching the lens and flash etc.Also present is cut outs for the proximity sensor,earpiece and secondary camera again not performance lost in these areas.

The bottom of the device follows line with the top and again present is the two bumpers on the corners,we also have another flap here which gives optimum protection against the elements and protects the USB charging.connectivity port,the flaps on both ends are quite solid and don’t seem to come loose which is good and makes you feel secure your important parts are well protected at all times.The speaker again is below level which gives it protection from the elements with no sound loss or interference with having the cover going around the edges.

 

On the sides of the case again protection is excellent with soft buttons to make full use of buttons and no feedback is lost here,they are soft and malleable and not solid blocks and travel well and they follow inline with the band which surrounds the housing and feels soft whilst the backing on the case is hard,the case itself is grippy and will not slip out of hand at all and does not add much bulk to the device either,overall its a good case and priced quite well to be fair in what it has to offer.The screen protector is also fine and built in and no feedback was lost,over time it may become marked like any other offering similar on the market so it cant be faulted here on that respect.

You can purchase the case from the Amazon store and this case in particular will cost you $10.99 right now and comes in a variety of colours..

 

 

 

 

ZTE Unveils the mid range Blade D6 #ZTE #Blade

ZTE unveiled a handset today thats also slim just like the Samsung A8 and its light,again this is going to available first in Japan Australia and Russia bound but Weighing just 120g and at 6.95mm thin, the 5-inch high-definition ZTE Blade D6 squeezes premium performance into a slim and lightweight high-grade 6013 aluminium alloy body. The Blade D6 runs off a qual-core 1.3GHz chipset and 2GB of RAM, and comes out of the box with Android 5.0 Lollipop with the latest rendition of ZTE’s customizable user interface – MiFavor 3.2.

The Blade D6 will be made available in four color variants – Pink, Gold, Gray and Silver,With selfie lovers in mind, the Blade D6 sports an 88-degree wide-angle 5 megapixel front facing camera, ultra-high-definition 13 megapixel rear camera comes with True Tone flash. A number of pre-installed photography features, such as beautification options, a smile shutter function, high definition continuous shooting and auto panorama, add to the device’s premium camera experience.

 

Source