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.
This time we have went Pink for the ladies and most cases are a generic colour this time we thought we would change the tone and we did.The Samsung S6 is a popular device and make no mistake there is plenty of female owners out there that sport one. Lets take a look at the Ulak case for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Packaging is the same as our previous reviews and has no change at all,it simple and effective and tough enough for transportation with padding inside the box to protect it some more,not that its needed as it is a very robust case which comes in two pieces and also easy to install on your device.
Font of pack
Back of Pack
Two piece set
Two piece set
All ports on the case for the S6 can be easily accessed and there is a flap present which locks well when not in use on the MicroUSB and headphone sockets this will add more protection to these areas from dirt and dust which can be a problem at times and is a welcome addition to the normal offerings we see. The case has a nice soft edge with good grip on all sides and thicker bumper areas in the corners to give more protection should you drop your phone,the corner is the most likely place you device gets hit when dropped.The back of the case also selected point with rubber toppings to stop the phone from slipping,also to note the camera and flash areas are recessed so again away from harms way.
Camera area
Bottom of device
Top view
Left side
Top view
Font camera and sensors
Back view
Right side
1 / 8
The keys also work quite fine with no issues to report and work well,they might seem a bit still at first but will loosen up,this would be common in some cases but the buttons on the case are soft and not like the plastic backing you see which is also a tad slippy but the design does not let you feel this due to the rubber edges and makes safe for leaving face or back down as seen in the images above there is a good clearance for the screen on the front. The case had no effect on functionality at all and the camera or front sensors not affected on how the case is mounted,overall the case is rather a good quality case and protects your device more than adequate even though it will add some size to your Samsung S6 and might be just a little to much for some,but it is better to be safe than sorry and in Pink it looks rather well and worth the spend which is around €12 plus shipping from Amazon and available in an array of colours.
taxihub.ie is a new mobile website for taxi drivers to check out and it is the first of it’s kind in Ireland, and the creator Austin O Keeffe thinks it’s a great way for the motor trade to advertise to thousands of drivers.
Taxihub.ie is where drivers can check traffic and weather, chat to each other, read taxi related articles, rent a taxi, get special offers and more and advertise.You can also subscribe to the site to so you do not miss out on anything.
Below is a sample how the site will look on Android,iOS and Windows Phone..
On taxihub.ie you can avail of the following
Driver deals
Weather
Traffic
Taxi talk
Taxi rental
Car accessories
Magazine
Forum
Right now there is a chance to win a holiday to Barcelona so go check it out,here is the address again. taxihub.ie
The Architecture of Radio is a data visualization, based on global open datasets of cell tower, Wi-Fi and satellite locations. Based on your GPS location the app shows a 360 degree visualization of signals around you. The dataset includes almost 7 million cell towers, 19 million Wi-Fi routers and hundreds of satellites.
The app launched initially on iOS first last November and is now available to download on Android. I have been always a bit weary of this app and got the chance to test it out and it actually works and is kinda strange with some really cool visualisations to boot and strange humming noise from your mobile phone but if you are into tech like this,this is an app for you to check out for yourself.To use the app you will need to have the device pointing upward,ie looking at it,it will not work on a flat surface.
What is the app about..
Every time we use our phones, tablets or laptops we are entering an invisible world of wireless digital signals. It is a world that we cannot see but that is literally all around us.
The Architecture of Radio is a 360 degree data visualization of what this world might look like. It shows the cell towers, GPS satellites and Wi-Fi routers around you that allow us to live our digital lives. See related articles for the backstory to the app..
If you are a cyclist here is a new Irish made app which will be one to sport on your iPhone. The app called Bikey is an app that will help you locate bike stations and was the idea of Pete Smith.
The app not only does the above but gives you information you need including available bikes/parking spaces, route to bike station, distance etc.
The app does not just only work in Ireland either it hosts a number of countries
Supported cities:
* Europe: Berlin, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, London, Paris,
* US: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington DC
* Canada: Toronto
* Australia: Melbourne and more to come.
Note
Bikey uses your location to help you find available bikes and available parking spaces. It’s completely private and secure. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
You can follow Bikey on Twitter And you can download the app below.
A limited number of Apple USB-C charge cables that were included with MacBook computers through June 2015 may fail due to a design issue. As a result, your MacBook may not charge or only charge intermittently when it’s connected to a power adapter with an affected cable.
Apple will provide a new, redesigned USB-C charge cable, free of charge, to all eligible customers. This program also covers Apple USB-C charge cables that were sold as a standalone accessory.
For MacBook owners who provided a valid mailing address during the product registration process or Apple Online Store purchase, Apple will send you a new cable by the end of February 2016.
All other eligible MacBook owners should use the replacement process below to receive a new USB-C charge cable.
For more info and if you think you have been affected see HERE for the full details
There is an app for almost anything these days and here is one for you to chew on. An app that can apparently detect earthquakes on your mobile phone. In short your mobile becomes a mobile seismometer,“We’re hoping that we can get enough people to download the app, just run the app in the background on your phone, and it runs silently – it doesn’t suck up your battery power, and then when an earthquake occurs we’ll be able to detect it,” Says Richard Allen
University of California, Berkeley, scientists say that a phone’s onboard accelerometers can record local shaking any time of the day or night. For now, the app only collects information from the accelerometers, analyzes it and, if it fits the vibrational profile of a quake, relays it and the phone’s GPS coordinates to the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory for analysis.
Test it below for yourself if you like but I doubt we will need it here in Ireland.The app is only on Android now with plans for an iOS version at some stage. Via
The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL has dropped in and we shall take a look,this is the full package though with a portable keyboard,Arc mouse and Continuum which is the latest interest thus far for Windows Phone fans Hopefully this unit provides some good news as we expect it to be quashed of recent issues. The extras here would not be for everyone considered they do carry laptops with them but I can see its point perhaps not a must for me but I can see the benefits but clutter comes to mind in my workspace should I sport my own laptop on my travels,That said if travelling especially if you are going into the unknown and you have limited access a monitor or PC it would be ideal but the extra luggage factor would be an issue for some I would feel,overall though it works well and is a nice idea and will be welcome for plenty of WinPhans..
The device itself is rather light to hold considered its size but the build quality would play a role here in this,compared to Lumia of past from Nokia I really feel the design and build quality has dropped but that is just my opinion on this matter and its how I feel.Having said that the device is on the big side but feels nice to hold in the hand and easy to use with the one hand in my case. Setting up the device was fine apart from Hello Windows which fails to see my eyes after several attempts but will work on that perhaps in different lighting conditions. The 950 XL does look better than its sister device the 950 from the rear it must be said,perhaps colour has a role to play here which is another thing missing from Lumia of past,those bright colours made a statement but here with just Black and White we are back to the old days again which people once hated.Perhaps being a long time Lumia user and collector I did get sick of the boring Black models I was so used to seeing and when the nice bright colours became available this suited me more so and the devices did get some attention.The only attention and thing that stands out on the 9xx range is the back side of it,from the front it is a bit boring…..
UNBOXING VIDEO
The removable back cover and Micro SD expansion is a welcome move,Some prefer this option and some dont,With cloud being pushed across the board and which some users are not sold on for security reasons for example the option is there and will be used alongside cloud storage which myself have not adapted to over storing things on cards. For now the device seems to be working fine with apps opening quicker than expected having seen some reviews but this is down to many factors such as connectivity and of course a fully working device,it does happen that you can get a faulty device and things might not seem all that well,so we will load it up with some more apps and games and see how it performs from there. As for the camera its good as expected and what Windows Phone user have come to expect with all the trimmings and settings inside,but remember the phone is not all about the camera it is about how the device works as a whole,over the years Lumia devices have been to focussed on the camera and what it can do,it does not work like that any more and with an OS that lack apps ( Especially local ones) all these things add up and moving forward with universal apps changes need to happen and happen fast if Windows Phone wants to regain its market share and until then it still might be too late with Microsoft building apps for other platforms which does not bode well with users..
IMAGE GALLERY
Camera
Back View
Right side
Bottom
Inside cover
Battery SD Card
Battery
Camera hump
Packaging
Cables
Keyboard closed
Back of Keyboard
Keyboard port
Keyboard open
Arc Mouse raised
Arc Mouse flat
Top view of Arcmouse
Rear view of Arc mouse
Multiple connections
USB C Port
Continuum dock
2 / 21
I still use Windows Phone as a daily driver along with Android and more ( Yeah it is a pain in the ass carrying 2/3 phones daily) and still find it the best looking OS from a home-screen perspective with the Live tiles that give info on the fly and it just makes your device look ALIVE. Looks are not everything though it is how it performs as a whole and how well the OS is maintained..
So what do I think so far?
Pros
Light for its size
Seems fast lets see when loaded up with some more games and apps
SD Card and Removable Battery
Camera is great
Cons
Still way too expensive.(contract free its still €699)
USB Type – C Fest. Though this is now a process which will take 18 months perhaps to become custom too.
Colour choices available aside third party offerings for back covers
Samsung is said to be giving free VR headsets with the upcoming Galaxy S7. This is a good move from Samsung and in time for the onslaught of VR headset released that are coming this year. This would put the technology into peoples hands for free and even though they current VR headset can be got now cheap enough this would entice users to try out the technology which is quite cool yet limited with content..
GSM Arena reports…
Samsung is also keen on getting a piece of the growing VR market, and as suggested by Rory O’Neill, Vice President Brand & Product Manager of Samsung Electronics, most of the VR content will be in fact produced by the consumers. That’s why Samsung will be offering a free Gear VR headset with each Galaxy S7 smartphone or at least in the Netherlands.
For now this is a regional offer according to the report and it is something that should be made more available around the world,As is,it is hard to get the current VR headset and there is not much activity with operators even offering the piece with its customers,One network here in Ireland Meteor Mobile do offer the Headset as a bundle or you can buy it outright,this is a step in the right direction and something others should really look into..
The LG G5 is due to arrive or be announced soon but LG have gone kinda backwards here with announcing a case for something that does not exist. This reminds me of something I did years ago. I bought my first DVD before I even had a DVD player. So to an extent I can relate somehow. Anyway this is what the case looks like and can be seen along with the much anticipated G5 at MWC soon.. Even LG have no quams about this themselves by saying
“Introducing a Case for a Smartphone That Does Not Officially Exist”
The latest LG Quick Cover offers the advantages of previous Quick Covers but with even more features. The touch function, recently introduced on the K10’s Quick Cover View, is now available on the G5 Quick Cover’s semitransparent mesh cover. It enables users to take calls and control alarm settings without opening the case for the ultimate in convenience.
The G5 will also have a feature which was seen before which is called “Always On Display” Again something we have seen years ago from Nokia..Oh dear….. Dont follow Apple LG and try claim/rename others good work because I do like LG devices..
