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.

Google maps wants to make food hunting easy. #Google #Maps #Food #Travel

Google today have announced a new update to the “explore” option to make life easier for food goers,however this update will be just for the UK and the US first,this might be a nice idea if you are stuck for choice or want to let Google decide for you,there is already similar options available on the likes of Augmented reality app City Lens  from HERE maps which is also a very handy app on Windows Phone ..try it out… For now this update only applies to Android only and no word on iOS…

Google say

Starting today in Google Maps for Android in the US and UK, you’ll be able to uncover the best your city has to offer with our updated explore feature. And in NYC, San Francisco and London, you’ll enjoy curated recommendations from Google Maps. Now you can discover what is unique (and delicious!) about the neighborhood you’re in — whether it’s pre-theater dining in the Theater District in NYC, Dolores Park picnic fare in the Mission in San Francisco or centuries-old pubs in The City in London.

Once you pick the category that suits your craving, you can see in-depth details about each location. Swipe through photos, get details (family-friendly? quick bite?), and check out ratings and reviews from Google and other diners. And for select spots, you also discover why it may be particularly relevant to you: for example, Google Maps may recommend a place that’s popular with other diners who visited a place you’ve been to in the past.

So there you have if,off with ya now and find some food if you are hungry,tell us how it is…

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An app that lets you visualize WiFi signals and more . #Apps #WiFi #Signals

This is something interesting that popped up over the last few days and we have seen images of what Wi-Fi supposedly looks like discussed but this time it is a visual real live affair via an app which is to launch on Android in 2016 and iOS  later this year in December and was created by Richard Vijgen.. who goes on to say

“We are completely surrounded by an invisible system of data cables and radio signals from access points, cell towers and overhead satellites. Our digital lives depend on these very physical systems for communication, observation and navigation.”

archnetworks_02-800x500

There has been many remarks about this saying its untrue and some saying its possible and great,on the upside  I think its a good idea.. A site specific version of the app that will be on display at ZKM from September 2015 until April 2016

The Architecture of Radio is a site-specific iPad application that visualizes this network of networks (cell towers, wifi routers, communication, navigation and observation satellites and their signals) by reversing the ambient nature of the infosphere; hiding the visible while revealing the invisible technological landscape we interact with through our devices.

What do you think of this app ??

Via

 

 

3-in-1 Lens – Convert Your iPhone into a High-End Camera. #Camera #iPhone

The iPhone claims to have the best camera “model dependent” but don’t all manufacturers and until real hard testing is done the result will vary and people will  still have their opinion, I do which is not important in this context but iPhone fans will swear by their iPhone yet today we have a 3 in One lens to enhance the built in camera….on the iPhone,we have seen similar before like the olloclip but this is new.. However we all like to toy around with accessories…for £28/$36 this is what you get…

 

The set consists of 3 lens you can switch from time to time. These include a 180°Fisheye, macro, and wide angle. The fisheye will help you to capture 180 degrees of scene while the macro comes real handy to take clear photos of extremely tiny objects. The wide angle, on the other hand, will help you take wider range of scenery. All together they make a wonderful combination of lens your iPhone camera can make good use of. They are compatible with the iPhone 4/4S, iP5 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. These lens have an aluminum shell and are provided with a multi coated optical glass.

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The Moto 360 2 is finally official. #IFA2015 #Moto360 #Wearables

At long last the new instalments have been unveiled,today the all new Moto 360 collection has come to life,if you have been a fan of the first instalment you will like these, which brings more customisation than before.This also comes in more sizes and has three models,yes three including a sports version,also worth noting is the increased battery life which has been somewhat of a hamper has now increased to two days according to Motorola..

Sized for you

Mens: 42mm case – Requires a 20mm band
Mens: 46mm case – Requires a 22mm band
Womens: 42mm case – Requires a 16mm band

Works with Android™ and iPhone‡
Battery life

Mens’ 42mm and Womens’: 300mAh battery – Up to 1.5 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.

Wireless charging

with included charging dock

Ambient light sensor

The screen automatically adjusts to the surrounding brightness

Heart Rate Sensor

Optical heart rate monitor (PPG)

Water Resistant

IP67 dust and water resistant§

WiFi Connectivity

Stay in touch, even if your phone is beyond Bluetooth® range

 

Display​

Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
Backlit LCD
Mens 42mm and Womens: 1.37” (35mm), 263ppi (360 X 325)
Mens 46mm: 1.56” (40mm), 233ppi (360 X 330)

Watch case dimensions

Mens:
46mm diameter by 11.4mm high
42mm diameter by 11.4mm high

Womens:
42mm diameter by 11.4mm high

Processor

Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 with 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU (APQ 8026)
Adreno 305 with 450MHz GPU

Sensors

Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Vibration/Haptics engine

Battery

Mens 42mm and Womens: 300mAh – Up to 1.5 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.

Mens 46mm: 400mAh – Up to 2 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.

Wireless charging with charging dock included

Memory

4GB internal storage + 512MB RAM

Connectivity

Bluetooth® 4.0 Low Energy
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g

Microphone

Dual digital mics

 

 

Sport

Moto 360 Sport can keep up, thanks to a durable yet comfortable design. Strong silicone construction with special UV coating wicks away moisture and resists fading or staining, while side ventilation channels help you stay cool.

Moto 360 Sport has built-in GPS that works seamlessly with Moto Body, our health and wellness experience. It gives you accurate location information, measures your speed, distance traveled, pace, and more. Moto Body can also help track your calories, and even give you motivational reminders when you need them.

Moto 360 will be available in various countries across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Starting today in the U.S., you can pre-order your own Moto 360 on Motorola.com, Google Play and BestBuy.com. It will be available starting in late September at Nordstrom, Best Buy and Verizon. Availability and ship times vary by style.

Via

The Sony Xperia Z5,Premium and Z5 Compact is announced. #IFA2015 #Sony

Sony have today brought some new handsets to the table as expected at IFA in Berlin.. This time again the camera is a main attraction claiming to have  the world’s fastest autofocus in a smartphone,not only this the new device has a 4K screen to boot a 23 Mp camera, so once again we see the same iterations being the big brother and the compact version so this will suit many fans,currently I use the Z4+ and it has served me well to date… The design language is familiar once again with Sony and they look well,but with screens some see this an overkill,time will tell,but 4k on mobile is here folks.

Sony Xperia Z5 

Featuring the fastest autofocus in a leading smartphone**, Hybrid Autofocus catches every detail of the action, and the 5x Clear Image Zoom ensures that no quality is lost when you want to move a little closer. Plus, using superior technology for low-light scenes, revel in the power of snapping from dawn until dusk.
Teamed with up to 2 days’ battery life, one-touch fingerprint unlock, and a beautifully exquisite design, Xperia Z5 is built for the ultimate capture.
Based on the Z5 main camera resolution (23MP), speed of autofocus (0.20-0.25sec) and image quality assessment by 200 UK consumers of the top selling smartphones of 2015. Specification verification and consumer testing carried out by Strategy Analytics

Xperia Z5 Premium

SIM CAPABILITY
Single SIM, Nano SIM
MEMORY AND STORAGE
Up to 200 GB microSD™ card
WEIGHT
180 grams
DIMENSIONS
154.4 x 76.0 x 7.8 mm
DISPLAY
5.5” 4K UHD (3840×2160), 806 PPI, Triluminos display for mobile, X-Reality™ for mobile, Dynamic Contrast Enhancer
CAMERA
1/2.3” 23 MP Exmor RS™ for mobile sensor, Hybrid AF 0.03 sec*, 5 x Clear Image Zoom, ISO 12800 Photo / 3200 Video, SteadyShot™ with Intelligent Active Mode, 4K video recording
ON THE INSIDE
Google Android™ 5.1 (Lollipop), 64-bit Qualcomm® Snapdragon 810, 64-bit Octa Core processor

Sony Xperia Z5 compact

With Xperia Z5 Compact, the question isn’t just what you can do with your smartphone. It’s what else you can do. Our best compact smartphone has all the features of the big guys, but it’s designed to slip right into real life. With colours that match your style. Innovations that keep interruptions at bay. And a 4.6” design that hits the sweet spot in size.

No prices have yet been given so we have to wait for more news here on that,you can check out the full press releases over at Sony Press

 

Flayreapp goes free on Android. Never get lost again with @Flayreapp #GPS.. #Emergency

Recently featured on Techbuzz and which has had a great response Flayreapp is now free to download from the playstore…..

Flayreapp tell us..

At Flayre & being a start-up, we understand that new technologies and apps need to prove their worth before charging a premium for a service.

This is why from today, Flayre will be free for users whilst we seek to grow and understand our users needs. @flayreapp is a reliable and robust location sharing service that has user privacy embedded in its design. Our app allows you to share your detailed cell and GPS location without a data connection, making it ideal for the developing world.

Flayre offers even more by having a remote activation feature that allows any mobile number listed in a users contacts to ‘wake’ Flayre and have is send the users detailed location information.

Missing people, Lone workers, vulnerable members of society can all benefit from Flayre

Download Flayre today here…..

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.panicsoftware.flayre

-v1.2 App is free for everybody now!
– Nominate up to 3 contacts and send them your location with the click of a button.
– Let them find you. Enable the “Let this contact request your location”. They can send you an SMS from any phone with just the word Flayre in it and your phone will notify them of your position.
– Protect your settings with a pin!

Instagram improves direct messaging.. you might use it now. #Instagram

Instagram have now improved direct messaging on the platform which might be good news for some,for me its a pointless idea unless you only use Instagram as a medium for contact,I use it myself now and was a huge hater against it but I use for for personal things mostly and would not live on it as much as Twitter for example,You can now exchange threaded messages and send posts you see in Feed to to one or more people as a message it also  supports private photo sharing, selfies and emojis,  Check out for the update now as its live  App Store and the Google Play Store.

 

Instagram says

Threaded messages make it easier to go back and forth with the people you talk to the most. Instead of creating a new conversation every time you send a photo or video, your threads are based on the people in them — and your moments flow along naturally. We’ve also added the ability to name your groups, a quick camera feature to respond with a selfie on the fly, and larger-than-life emoji for when there are just no words.

Today’s updates also bring a brand new way to start conversations around what you see on Instagram. When you find something inspiring or funny, your first instinct is often to share it with friends who you know will appreciate it. Today, people do this by @-mentioning friends in comments, so much so that nearly 40% of comments include an @-mention. This update has made it easier to share content that you love.

Now, you’ll find an arrow next to the like and comment icons under every post. Tap it to send that post to a friend or group as a message using Instagram Direct. It will appear as part of your conversation, and you can tap the photo or video to see and like the original post. You can also send hashtag pages and location pages by tapping the arrow icon in the top right-hand corner.

See more at Instagram

Archos announces the 5.5-inch Diamond Plus. #Archos #IFA2015

Archos have announced a new 5.5 inch phablet although the brand would not be that familiar here in Ireland it would be more so in  other regions ,this device does have a Huawei look to if if you check this walkthrough. “There’s no reason customers should have only one model option in our quest to offer 4G/LTE smartphones to a greater public. Offering a larger-screened product with a slightly different design gives ARCHOS customers more diversity and choice,” says Loic Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS.

The ARCHOS Diamond Plus offers all the hallmark traits of the prestigious Diamond line — an Octa-Core processor, 4G/LTE connectivity, great cameras, and more — in a new silver design featuring a gorgeous 5.5” inch FHD IPS screen with full lamination. Sleek, thin, with a slightly curved silver back-casing, the ARCHOS Diamond Plus is immediately eye-catching, especially with its bright screen illuminated.

 

 

 

The Octa-Core Cortex A53 1.5GHz processor in the ARCHOS Diamond Plus smartphone is among the highest quality hardware available in smartphones today. With industry-leading power, this processor seamlessly powers apps, games, and web browsing. All of this content can be stored in the roomy 16GB of storage in the device, which is easily expandable up to 32GB with a MicroSD card.

It also has fast charging capability to be fully ready as soon as possible. Its two cameras clock in at 16MP for the back camera and 8MP for the front camera. A fiveelement lens of the back camera prevents distortion, and the very wide angle of the front camera is perfect for selfies.

The  Diamond Plus will be available in November 2015  for £179.99

Windows 10 Insider Preview – Cortana to more countries but not Ireland. #Cortana

Today  has posted a brief post regarding Cortana been made available to more countries,yet again Ireland is off the list and since November 14 and earlier people have been asking when will it officially land for Irish Windows Phone users,today does not bring any hope at all for that so sadly you will have to stick to the current way of using Cortana if you do.There has been no concrete answer as to WHEN…Apart from the “coming soon” or “near future” response…

At this stage now I think most have given up and the forums and boards here have said same and will just take it on the chin,this would not be a main selling point of Windows Phone anyway but some do like the idea which I think is a novelty and would wear thin after a while anyway…

Today, we will begin rolling out Cortana to Insiders on Windows 10 Insider Preview builds 10532+ as an optional download to Insiders in Japan and in English for Insiders in Australia and Canada. We also have an early version in English for Insiders in India, which will be updated with an improved voice later this month. With these rollouts, we hope to learn a lot from your feedback as we continue to improve the experience and refine it for each market.

Later this year Cortana will also be available first to Windows Insiders in Brazil and Mexico, and in French in Canada.With windows phone market share here in Ireland in decline we already have Cortana in A Public Beta on Android and plenty of Microsoft services on Android and people have moved on..It may note bode well with some but this is how it is today..have your say below if you like..

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