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.

My First look at the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL unboxing/gallery and more #Microsoft #Lumia950XL

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
1 / 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
  • The app gap,still huge locally
  • Build quality BUT it is not bad but see this.   

 

Samsung said to give free VR headset with pre-order of the Galaxy S7. #Samsung #VR

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..

VIA

LG announces a case for the LG G5 before the phone is launched. WTF? #LG #MWC2016

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..

Via LG

Event Countdown & Weather app. Add holidays/sports,events and more. #Apps #AddTheDay #IrishApps

If you need a handy app to keep track of something coming up be it a birthday,sports event,travel events and live weather there is a new app you should try today which has multiple offerings to personalise to your own needs and more,it is a simple app to use, you only need an event title, location and date/time. Adding the webcam widget requires a little bit of work – Find your favourite webcam (it can’t be a live/panning cam, it has to be one of the old school, photo ones) right click on it to get the file name and then add it as the Web Image option when setting up the widget..

Creator of the App  Cormac Maher tells us a bit more.

I’m a UI Designer working for a software company in Dublin, the app came about being as a result of my annual snowboard trips, every year, as winter approached, I would set up three widgets on my homescreen – a countdown widget, a weather widget and a webcam widget, each of these showing information/images from my holiday destination.

So this year I decided to combine all three into one app. Those three features can be all used together on the app and widget, or they can be used individually, so it could be a weather widget, a countdown widget or a webcam widget. It’s not just for holiday countdowns, it can be used for birthdays, anniversaries, sports events, weddings, etc

Event countdown, weather and webcam – app and widget. Use it to count down to your holidays, birthdays, sports events and any other event you can think of.Add home screen widgets to your favourite events. Include the location to show live weather information on the countdown widget, also add webcam images for live views of event location

Watch as your event is counted down in days, hours, minutes, and seconds, and receive an alert when the event happens.Add background photos from your gallery, so you get a slideshow of background images, or use a photo taken with your camera, you can also add your favourite webcam of the location, to see exactly what conditions are like at that time.

Features

* 3X3 Widget
* 2×2 Stack Widget (premium)
* 3×3 Stack Widget (premium)
* 4×3 List View Widget (premium)
* Add 5 events
* Add unlimited events (premium)
* Local weather from event location (optional)
* Use webcam from event location as your event background
* Use photo from your gallery as background, use multiple photos for changing background
* Take photo to use as your event background
* Counts in days, hours, minutes and seconds
* Optional background image animation to give live effect
* Counts up after even commences
* Notification when event commences
* Recurring events supported

 

Dropbox scam warning. Be aware and ignore it. #DropBox #Warning #Scam

Yesterday we had a nice email from someone claiming to be Dropbox. Not the case though on closer inspection and the email addy attached to it.The email came from this clown here  jared_peraner@jabil.com 

 

https://twitter.com/jimboireland/status/697168109103357952

Dear Dropbox User,
This is to inform you that your account was selected for verification during our regular system maintenance, kindly follow the link below and simply login with your email to verify your Dropbox account.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Yours sincerely,

You have to laugh sometimes at these clowns thinking people will fall for things like this but sadly some do,this particular idiot could not even insert the link correctly but a copy/paste would do the job. Keep an eye out anyway and be vigilant. We of course informed the team to deal with the matter.. Whilst these are not a new thing it has been my first time to encounter one claiming to be Dropbox.

Contacts Widget for Android – Simple yet effective and less screen clutter. #Apps

Last year we had a nice app called Trring which was a unique lock screen app to make reaching your most used contacts simple with task offering a nostalgic look to it too,A new app has caught our attention and it goes by the name of “Contacts Widget” which is free to download right now from the Play Store. This app has alot to offer and there is a wide array of settings to play around with to personalise to your personal taste.. The basic version is of course free but to avail of the full experience it will set you back €3,39, Check it out below first and perhaps try the free version first and move from there.

Features.

over 50 amazing, beautiful widgets for all device types;
– 6 types of singles widgets (1х1, 2х1, 2х2, 4х1, 4х2, 4х3)
– 4 types of groups widgets;
– last Call list;
– last SMS message list;
– “Folder”. It can separate contacts by comfortable categories for you;
– very easy to use and convenient editor of widgets;
– quick import from Contact book;
– quick access to the call functions, SMS sending, profiles views and chat changes in social networks;
– the ability to be aware of missed calls, unread SMS, new messages chats, and the current status in

– the ability to be aware of missed calls, unread SMS, new messages chats, and the current status in Online of famous Social networks;
– comfortable and convenient user interface;
– many useful settings;
– energy efficiency of your phone due to minimal use of battery power;
– widget sizes 1×1, 2×2, 4×1, 4×2, 4×3, 4×4;
– the ability to use your favorite applications for reading and sending SMS;
– ability to set Internet access only via Wi-Fi connection to minimize your costs.
– User Guide to help you get started.

Download on Android 

 

Goodshows – “Discover and Discuss movies and tv shows with friends” #SolvingBoredom #Social

There is plenty of Apps around these days to keep us entertained some legal and some not so legal which is why they can only be got via APKs and this will likely continue for the foreseeable future and we are all fine with that however there is an app called Goodshows that is offering users who seek entertainment and Siddarth from Goodshows – “Premier social network for tv geeks and movie fanatics” has spoken to us about the app..

Tell us a bit about yourselves.

As avid movie and tv fans ourselves, we couldn’t find a proper place where we can discover new shows and discuss shows we have watched. The problem we had with sites like IMDB and RottenTomatoes is that movies are the first class citizens there. Not the people. And certainly not our friends. We had to put a considerable effort there to find our friends or people who have similar interests and keep up with the things they are watching. Your friends and other people with whom your interests align are your true recommendation engine. These thoughts led us to the creation of Goodshows. 

What does the app offer its users?

1. Follow your friends and like-minded reviewers to discover new movies and shows to watch, and discuss your favourites.
2. Rate and review all the shows that you watch.
3. Keep track of all your favourite shows by adding them to your watchlist and get notified as new episodes are live.
4. Share your ratings and reviews with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Here are some new exciting features that we are working on and will come in next update in February :
(1) Spoiler Alerts,
(2) Show Search.
(3) Mute a specific show reviews from timeline.
(4) Trending shows.
(5) Thank a friend on discovering a awesome show from his/her review.
(6) Time spent on watching awesome movies and tv shows.
We want to build Goodshows into an incredible community where your opinions lead to engaging and interesting conversations.

 

Limited Edition – 24K Gold Year of the Monkey iPhone 6s #Goldgenie #YearOfTheMonkey #iPhone6s

Today we have seen a rather incredulous price for a mobile phone case and we did mention gold plating options and true to form with a new offering from Goldgenie with the iPhone6s. This is not the first time the company has done this with the iPhone and recent iterations include the Year of the Goat.

You will be paying big money for this but it will be very limited edition device with just 99 units being make which of course comes in the familiar luxury cherry oak display box and lifetime warranty.

 

The device will be available in 16GB /64GB & 128GB models via Goldgenie’s website priced at £2,497  and up and in euros that starts at around €3,221.

Contents are as follows.

  • Luxury Cherry Oak Finish Box
  • iPhone 6s (4.7″ screen) Elite Year of the Monkey Limited Edition Sim Free
  • Dimensions: 138.1mm x 67mm
  • Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic
  • Lightning to USB Cable
  • 5W USB Power Adapter
  • Documentation
  • Clear-Coat full body protection Installed by master craftsmen at Goldgenie

See Goldgenie for more..

 

 

 

Get 2GB of free Drive space to complete account security check up. #Google #SaferInternetDay2016

If you want to bag some free Drive space from Google 2GB to be exact all you need to do is go through your account settings and ensure all is in check,for those with multiple accounts this would be welcome even though cloud storage is still a hard sell for some.. Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day and all you need to do is.. Below is a sample of what you will see from one account we would use..

 

  • Check your recovery information
  • Check your connected devices
  • Check your account permissions
  • 2 step verification settings

And you are done,free storage. Thanks Google.