Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
Author: Jim O Brien/CEO
CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.
User blocking has finally arrived on Disqus. Like social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram this has been a much requested feature for many and its good to see it finally implemented.Hopefully it works 100% because for social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter the word BLOCK in fact does not block you due to them being public by default. Disqus would be something most people use for commenting on forums across the world an popular with blog sites we like to use it for comments and support reasons and we are HERE
Disqus today said…
Up until this point, you’ve had to rely solely on moderators to take action in maintaining quality discussions by dealing with harassment or trolling. Now rather than simply flagging a comment or reporting someone to a moderator, you have the ability to take action on your own.
How to block a user in Disqus…
Method one is by comment dropdown….
Method number two is via the User Profile….
To unblock someone, You can remove someone from your blocked users list from the Blocking section in your user settings..
This is the second of our reviews coming from some cases that the good folks at Punkcase have sent us over,This time around its for the Samsung Galaxy S7 with a rose gold finish this will be a must for S7 owners.. This is from the slot series armor range…Packaging again here same as previous case we reviewed sporting the case,wipes and a screen protector which is a welcome extra in the pack..
Image Gallery
Contents
Front view
Back view
Punkcase logo
Card slot
Bottom back
Top view
Camera area
Right side,power key
Left side,Volume toggle
Right side front lip
Bottom view
Left front lip edge
Front view
1 / 14
The same sentiment here with this case can be felt with the last one we did which is excellent,giving the user a solid grip in hand knowing the device will be protected,The case does not add much bulk to the device yet makes it more solid. Ports again were precise and to the point and no interference was found with using Micro USB cable or headphones,the speaker too also muffle free and not blocked which is great. With two areas,top and bottom sporting a dimpled effect ads some grip in the hand and on a flat surface also giving the camera and flash area ample leeway from getting harmed. The device can also be placed face down with a lip surrounding the whole of the front screen again leaving you feeling safe,lots of us like to place our device face down for some odd reason,myself included.. Overall the case again was great and is more than sufficient and not forgetting the screen protection provided in the packaging its a cheap price to pay rather than paying for a new screen or housing.. See the full range of this series right HERE
Video Review
Case features overview
Made with a slim full TPU body for heat reduction and shock absorption.
Maintains the aesthetics of your phone while keeping it protected, with the option of a Credit Cards holder on the back
Ultimate protection with precision cut outs for easy access to all ports and jacks but without the bulkiness
Shock absorbing method: Upon impact with the frame, the impact resonance travels along the bumper and is absorbed through the TPU
Dual-layered heavy duty design to protect against drops and scratches
The good guys over at Punkcase have sent us over a few goodies to check out and we will start with the Clutch series case for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. The case comes well presented is a clamshell case keeping it protected and dirt free,not only do you get the case you also get some wipes and a screen protector to boot which is welcome to say the least..
Image Gallery
Packaging front.
Packaging rear.
Contents
Font view
Bottom view
Right side - Power Key
Top view
Left side,Volume keys
Camera and flash area
Card slot
Back view
Top front
Bottom front
Sidebar accessible
2 / 14
The case is simple to install and takes lest than a 2 seconds to do so,Built with a TPU layer it makes it shock and heat resistant protecting your device all round,with the rounded back it follows the mould of the S7 Edge nicely and feels good to hold in the hand too,There is ample room where needed in the areas required for the speaker,headphone socket and the Micro USB ports,there is no issue here with connecting whats required,The volume and power toggles worked a treat and where comfortable to use with good travel and not tight,some cases tend to need some use before these buttons become comfortable to use,this was not an issue here and they worked perfectly fine out of the box..
On the back there is a card holder,not something I would ever consider using personally,but its there if you are the type to carry cards with you especially in your phone case,lots do it,for security reasons I dont nor have I been ever an advocate for people to do so but its down to the individual themselves to do so and does warrant a reason not to be carrying a wallet.
The case can be placed down either as normal of front faced down,there is a lip present which protects the top and bottom on the device and with the edge this will always be the case due to the both edges being curved you will be limited as to how far the case can overlap especially if you use the sidebar on the device which I do.The camera area too is also well protected and free from harm when placed back down..
Video Review
Overall the case is quite nice and does what it sets out to do and protects your device,there is a range of colours to pick from and you can see the full range in the clutch series HERE
FEATURES OVERVIEW
Made with a slim full TPU body for heat reduction and shock absorption.
Maintains the aesthetics of your phone while keeping it protected, with the option of a Credit Cards holder on the back
Ultimate protection with precision cut outs for easy access to all ports and jacks but without the bulkiness
Shock absorbing method: Upon impact with the frame, the impact resonance travels along the bumper and is absorbed through the TPU
Dual-layered heavy duty design to protect against drops and scratches
There is plenty of Twitter apps today we can all pick from which come from free or we can pick from paid offerings. For the majority of us the freemium model is what we seek,You can pay for premium too but even at that it does not cut it,The official twitter for Android is very inconsistent for me and Im often chopping and changing to find one that delivers,Tweetings is a good app and delivers notifications all the time where as the official Twitter app which gets updated regularly seems to bring problems all the time,for me its notifications,I hardly get them and have to check and with the official app trying to enhance features it needs to take on board to its core users opinions and perhaps implement some of them..
Flamingo is a new app with a not so desirable logo but its quite nice and its fast and offers the average user what they need,for power users it might not suit just yet but the reviews are looking good and so far on trying it out it works well,not only that it looks well too,it costs money which wont be for some as we all expect everything for free but this is a nice app and you can try it and get a refund…,Customising your app experience is something people want today and with this app there is plenty on offer.
App description
Flamingo is a bright and colourful Twitter client, which a simple and greatly customisable interface. It provides you with the Twitter experience you know and love with beautiful material design. You can easily switch between several accounts, and individually theme those accounts. GIFs can be played inline in the timeline and you can easily add them to your tweets (powered by Giphy). Hover preview allows you to quickly preview photos, gifs and user profiles by simply long pressing on an icon or image.
The app is pencilled in as a Beta but its a good one.. Download below for €1.59
Only a few months ago the Nexus 6P got a tidy discountand again there is more shaved off the price which is now dropped to €499 for the 32GB model,previously is was €549. However there is no discount on offer for the Nexus 5X.
Prices for all have dropped in fact as listed below,discount is applied at checkout.. and go direct to store HERE
Nexus 6P 32 GB was €649, now €499. Nexus 6P 64 GB was €699, now €549. Nexus 6P 128 GB was €799, now €649. Offer available from 3 June 2016 to 19 June 2016. Discount applied at checkout.
Peli Products have kindly sent us over a quite nice case to check out for the Samsung Galaxy S7. So here is what we think of it..
Packaging is typical as what most of us are use too,the way it shipped to us was even more impressive which came shipped in a laptop styled box which had me thinking when it arrived wondering what it was.Both sides of the external packaging was layered with foam which was cool…
The case provides all the protection required to simplify the sum up,With superb grip all round my device felt safe in hand at all times,With dual layered protection too shock absorption is present which is a much better option on cases unlike rock solid shells they do not absorb shock in a good manner like gel cases or rubberised cases such as this which has Military Standard 810G and a drop protection of 1.2M
Packaging front
Packaging back
Shipping box
Inside view
Back View
Menu key area
Top front lip
Front view
Front view
PELI branding
Camera cut out
Bottom view
Right side and power key
Top view
Left side and keys
Camera area
3 / 16
When it comes to functionality the keys to begin with was good,Great feel and tactility and not stiff at any stage,even out of the box,At times you can get cases that may feel stiff to begin with though loosen up after some usage.Grip was another strong point here with this case with the back consisting of two raised humps if you will at the top and bottom of the case,this felt more secure rather than the traditional flat approach we have become custom too..
The front of the case does offer a lip surrounding the entire front of the screen which means you can place the case face down on any flat surface which many people tend to do,this offers protection of the screen which is of course welcome. The back of the case too also offers protection around the camera area which is more than sufficient which again can be left flat,To add to that the two raised humps lift it again slightly further than what we are use to seeing on the flat backed cases.
On the bottom of course is where our ports are and there is ample room here for easy access for your headphones and Micro USB port not affecting usage and works well,some cases are perhaps somewhat tight in this area and this means you would need to remove the case to charge the device or use certain headphones,this does vary by manufacturer..The speaker cut out was also sufficient and did not muffle the sound experience in anyway..
Overall this case fits the bill and I liked it,it caused me no issues,feels solid and also looks good,One thing with the white backing is how long it stays that way but the material looks like it can take a beating and a damp cloth will remove any scuff marks.
See http://www.peli.com for a full range of products,there is some really neat stuff there.
An ongoing issue and not new but a number to take note of and perhaps even block from your mobile or landline. Today we have had this number ring us up and its not been the first time. Telemarketing calls, which is what it appeared to be though other reports vary, are nuisance calls and this falls under that category,the number appears to be calling from the United States.. So if you see it ignore it,tell your friends and family and be vigilant and dont fall for many of the scams that are doing the rounds.
VR or Virtual Reality is a fun experience for most and that goes without saying but now companies are using it to show us others aspects of life other than the norm,Travel agents and the likes are now on the VR bandwagon and not only that we are now seeing more “Real Life” day to day things such as people with an illness to let other see what its like to live with a particular illness. For example recently there was a VR app released letting people step into other peoples shoes and see what life is like for them,that app called A walk through dementia.
Warning: this film contains flashing lights, bright colours and loud, sudden noises. Some people might experience motion sickness in this 360 degree virtual reality film.
Autism again is something many people do not understand and how it affects people with it,I myself know several people with it and its a little easier to understand however if you are out shopping for example you would tend to notice people stare,this is annoying not only for the parents but for the child too. This app will give you a glimpse albeit frighting its lets you step inside that persons life just like the previously mentioned Dementia VR experience and it will do you no harm to learn something new,with VR gathering pace and popular, seeing experiences like this and more is really welcome and gives us an understanding of how people who have a particular disability.
TNAS says..
Based on real experiences in consultation with autistic people, we’ve created a virtual reality film to give a flavour of how overwhelming an everyday setting like a shopping centre can be to an autistic person experiencing too much information. Every single sight, every single sound, every single stare.
The cutting edge film is the first of its kind and will be a powerful tool to help people truly understand.
This time of year we tend to fork out on either drinks or ice-creams even in Ireland believe it or not and with the recent spell of great weather surely sales are on the up when it comes to the above,Also there is the popular smoothie be it for fitness reasons or just a treat we love them,Sales for the nutri-bullet for example has risen in the last year or two which is a machine that helps you create smoothies of all sorts,even alcoholic mixtures to brighten up those late nights or weekends designing concoctions of all sorts,This time round though this is for the health department..
This app will allow you to be the chef and help you create custom smoothie recipes. You select the liquid base, the types of fruit and/or veggies, your protein source and any fun add-ins, and we do the work. We choose the perfect amount of each ingredient and even calculate the nutritional information for your creation and voila, you have the perfect smoothie!
Features:
A menu to choose from each of the following categories: liquid base, greens, fruit, veggies, nuts, protein, sweeteners, and extras.
Choose from over 130+ Ingredients
Simply Smoothies app will guide you through the right amounts of each ingredient to ensure a balanced, tasty smoothie.
Once you press Save, Simply Smoothies will calculate the nutritional content of your creation.
Share your smoothie creations via Facebook, Twitter, and more!