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.

Best smartphone sub €200 right now is the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 #Mobile #Tech

We are really budget concious these days and always want a bargain,when it comes to smartphones there is plenty of devices to pick from but they all lack the power factor sub €100 and here is what sells well,after some time they become slow,freeze and typically annoy people after they get loaded with apps and games, and often the owner would just ditch the phone and buy a new on,again in the same price range,typically handsets priced between €79 – €199 are fine for average users when it comes to calls,text,email and some social media,the ones closer to the higher price generally perform better.

Vodafone-Smart-Ultra-6

 

If you are on the network you can pick this up for €169.99 which alone is a good price for the specs that come with this device so it is a win win if you are with Vodafone. If you are not with Vodafone you can buy the device and unlock it for just €5.47 with a code from eBay. For the money this phone puts some other devices in its price bracket to shame and even phones double the price with its spec sheet,Own branded devices are on the comeback with EE recently launching a cheap 4G handset for just £39 for existing customers and £49 for new customers ,great way to entice new customers there,but it shows customer loyalty I guess,something that needs attention here in Ireland…

The device is actually made by ZTE  with some modifications and comes with stock Android..It also has decent build quality too,so for your money this is the best you can buy for the price if you are an Android fan.I have spend around a few hours with one of these and the device is fast and it performs well and gaming works quite well too,if you like the big screen it has it too so media consumption is a good experience.

Specs .

  • 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
  • Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 at 1.5 Ghz
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 3,000 mAh Battery
  • 13-megapixel Sony camera with 1080p recording and 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 16GB of onboard storage with microSD card support
  • WiFi 802.11n (single-band only), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS etc

From the SmartHome app to the digital running shoe. #IFA #TecWatch #IFA15

Once again IFA TecWatch demonstrates the innovativeness of the digital world – Over 50 exhibitors for the first time, from four continents – The five theme days also feature more than 50 startups

 

Berlin, 14 July 2015 – Startups offer the potential for future growth, as well as solutions both large and small for the Internet of Things, the next generation of digital media, the use of 3D printing in creative processes, wearables for fun and health, education and training in the digital world – Hall 11.1 is the venue where IFA Watch presents ideas for tomorrow’s markets. IFA is a centre for innovation, providing a link between research, young entrepreneurs with new startups, industry and trade, for a vibrant exchange of knowledge, information and fresh business ideas. This year’s TecWatch programme features 55 exhibitors and partners from 15 countries, including the USA, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Japan and Israel. There are also some 50 startups, whose exhibits are grouped together on a number of different theme days.

Five fascinating theme days devoted to startups
In 2014 technically minded visitors to IFA, along with journalists, experts and decision-makers from trade and industry, took a keen interest in the displays staged by the founders of a number of new business ventures. The Startup Day, organised jointly by TecWatch and the German Startup Federation, is an ideal opportunity for these new companies to present papers, pitches and panel discussions as a means of introducing their technical visions and business models. IFA 2015 offers an even bigger stage for TecWatch and the German Startup Federation to continue their collaboration, with even more startup exhibits and a variety of key subjects spread over several days at the trade show.

SmartHome and the Internet of Things
Numerous small and medium sized companies are presenting their solutions for the interconnected home, where the Internet of Things is exerting a growing influence on our everyday lives. International organisations and alliances are also making their own contributions to this topic, and among them are Z-Wave and the Allseen Alliance.

One particularly fascinating aspect is the increasing number of ideas that are intended to make complex technology more user-friendly, overcoming compatibility problems and linking isolated applications.

The next generation of digital media
The web and broadcasting meet on screen, merging seamlessly thanks to technologies based on the HbbTV standard. IFA TecWatch is presenting the next generation for the first time, in the form of HbbTV 2.0, with exciting innovations that also involve tablet displays as a second screen. Another topic of particular relevance to the future of broadcasting is DVB-T2, the latest generation of terrestrial television, which is being introduced in Germany for the first time with highly efficient HEVC video coding and has been developed for Ultra HD. IFA TecWatch is showing what can be achieved with this new transmission technology. TecWatch is also demonstrating groundbreaking solutions in the field of sound, for example with new codecs, providing interactive selection and individual mixing of various audio tracks. And the Future of Ultra HD introduces spectacular technologies for HDR (High Dynamic Range) and extended colour spaces. A number of special demonstrations are equally interesting, showing how Ultra-HD sequences can be transferred from a large screen to a tablet

3D printing and wearables
In addition to printer hardware, exhibitors are also presenting software for 3D printing, services and solutions for creating templates as well as scanners for analyzing objects. These also include a man-sized installation capable of carrying out a complete 3D body scan in fractions of a second. One of the most interesting wearables is a running shoe with a built-in sensor, which registers every single step and supplies all the information required for a digital training programme.

Research and system development
Universities and research institutes regularly feature in TecWatch. Among them this year is Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, represented by three of its institutes, Heinrich Hertz and Fokus from Berlin, as well as the Fraunhofer IIS Institute, Erlangen. All three are presenting some fascinating and innovative examples of media technology. Colleges and universities based in Berlin and Brandenburg are presenting projects covering all aspects of digital living, together with spin-offs, startups and other partners. The University of Kyoto is represented by research projects dealing with information and media technology.

Education in the digital world
A joint presentation by the industry associations VDE, ZVEH and ZVEI focuses on promoting innovation, under the slogan ‘Fit for the digital world’. These three organisations are providing details about education and training in the digital world in an effort to interest more young people in technical careers, thereby attracting the young people who will introduce the innovations of the future and launch new businesses.
Work stations are being set up to provide a hands-on experience. A mini e-house has been created by trainees to show how young people are developing a greater affinity for this subject. And there is also a Girls’ Day, which is intended to encourage girls and young women to take up technical careers.

Exhibitors at IFA TecWatch
3D Sound Labs, Allseen Alliance, alphaEOS, Beuth Hochschule Berlin, Bird Home Automation, botspot, Brewie, Brinno, Bundesverband Deutsche Startups, Chipolo, Deutsche TV-Plattform, Digitalstrom, E2C, exelonix, Eliq, Evrythng, Formlabs, Fraunhofer Institute Fokus, Fraunhofer Institute Heinrich Hertz, Fraunhofer Institute IIS, Gla Gla International, Green Pocket, Hardware Club, Homido, Kibbi, Media Broadcast, HDMI Licensing, Matrix 3D Solutions, HZO, igo3D, Info Tip, IMEC, ninvoxia, NodOn, Mota, Panono, Parce, Projektron, SoS Ventures, Spin Digital, SPIN remote, Tado, TU Berlin Science Marketing, Technische Universität Berlin, The Connected Lightning Alliance, University of Kyoto, University of Potsdam, Vbox, VDE, Vkansee, Worldline, yetu AG, ZVEH, ZVEI, Z-Wave.

You can find more information about IFA TecWatch at
www.ifa-tecwatch.de.

Will My Phone Work – #Indiegogo Crowd Funding Campaign to add more features #Mobile

You may remember last year we featured a story on a handy tool for mobile users and importers that was called will my phone work,if not here is a reminder of what this does..this also applies to tablets too not just mobile phones..

  • Mobile Device Buyers and Sellers: Looking to buy a phone but have no idea if it’ll work with your carrier? Or, if you’ve ever sold a phone, you know the feeling of having people message you and always ask if it will work with carrier “X”. Just send them our website!
  • Travellers: If you’re travelling abroad with your phone, it’s difficult to know how compatible your phone will be (if at all) with a foreign mobile network. Not anymore with our tool!
  • Technology Enthusiasts: Chances are, people come to you with tech-related questions. Here’s just another resource to point people towards or to use in order to give them a quick answer rather than doing the research yourself.
  • And More: That’s just the tip of the iceberg, I can see this being useful to mobile network carriers, mobile device manufacturers, cellphone stores, research purposes, etc.

Will my phone work 

Have you ever asked the question, “Will my mobile phone work with a certain mobile carrier?” Or perhaps you’re traveling to another country and want to make sure your smartphone works there. You could even be selling a cellular phone and need a website to point people to when they ask if the phone works for a certain carrier. WillMyPhoneWork.net can help you find the answer you’re looking for.

Its an easy pain free process to complete which is detailed below…First select a Brand.

 

You can read on for the full explanation of how it works over HERE its quite a handy tool and you should go check it out if you have not done so already…

Well they are now stepping up the game some more and here is what is the plan is Will My Phone Work has got praised worldwide for its efforts so far….

 

What features are you looking to add?

There are many features that I’m looking to add. Most of these are features that you, the users, have requested:

Covert the website from the old WordPress platform to ASP.NET in order to support new features and significantly boost performance.

Add Reverse Look-up feature (example: Show me a list of all phones that are compatible with 4G LTE network in Argentina OR Show me a list of all phones that are compatible with Wind Mobile in Canada).

Add an ALL option for Carriers so that you can get look up results from all carriers in a Country rather than searching one-by-one.

Add an ALL option for Sub Models so that you can get look up results from all sub models within a Model rather than searching one-by-one.

Display more clarity into why a phone is not compatible with a mobile network (example: Right now, we just have a red X when a device is not compatible with a network, I want to add a message explaining why it’s not compatible).

Allow users to Share look-up results via email or social media.

Show partial compatibility between a mobile device and carrier network by listing the carrier network bands, along with the device band, so you can visually see if the device is fully compatible.

How can You help?

There are many ways that you can help.

  1. Contribute to the fundraising campaign here: http://igg.me/at/willmyphonework
  2. Share the fundraising campaign to friends and family via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. You can use Indiegogo’s sharing tools which are also located on the same website.

Nokia will be back.. Nokia cites its looking for a partner #Nokia #Comeback

There is much talk of late bout Nokia these days ,good and bad but Nokia are still a company without the handset business,they thrive elsewhere,Of late the argument lies as to who killed who and it stems back to the Elop era again whom some directly blame him for failure,even today the argument continues and is much discussed with big differences in opinion but fact of the matter is Nokia have reassured us they plan to come back and when they do it will be great news to its fans and perhaps not for some..Remember it will not be until late 2016 before we see anything but it gives them time to come up with a good plan and hopefully some killer handsets

Nokia have stated the following..

The right path back to mobile phones for Nokia is through a brand-licensing model. That means identifying a partner that can be responsible for all of the manufacturing, sales, marketing and customer support for a product.

If and when we find a world-class partner who can take on those responsibilities, we would work closely with them to guide the design and technology differentiation, as we did with the Nokia N1 Android tablet. That’s the only way the bar would be met for a mobile device we’d be proud to have bear the Nokia brand, and that people will love to buy.

So what do you think then folks,shout off below..

Via

Vodafone 4G enhanced service now available 4G+ #4G #Vodafone #Ireland

Vodafone have launched their super fast 4G+ service but note you need specific handsets to avail of the service.This means that you should have quality streaming with no buffering with speeds up to 225Mbps so media content such as HD and live TV should be a treat…..

4G+ is available to Vodafone RED Business, RED Super Business, RED Extra, RED Super and RED Extra Super bill pay customers at no extra cost until March 2016. Take advantage of these faster speeds on 4G+ enabled smartphones including the Samsung S5+, Sony Xperia, Z3+, and Vodafone Smart Ultra.

Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford are among the first to experience lightning fast 4G+.and will continue to increase availability across the country in the coming months..

You will need to update your software on your device in order to use it as pictured below…

 

Via

Help stop illegal dumping and pollution with #SeeItSayIt app. #Ireland #Dumping #EPA

Illegal dumping has always been a problem but over the years with systems such as CCTV you would think it has eased off,apparently not,people move along and find somewhere else to illegally dump rubbish and more,an attributing factor to this is of course charges and they are reportedly going up next year again with stopping the flat charge and moving to a “charge by weight” system.

 

 

Featured on Countrywide on over the weekend there was talk of a new app,one I have not heard of and its got to do with PureProject1 so its worth letting more people know about the app. I hate the sight of rubbish on the side of roads myself or anywhere for that matter.

 

This App makes it really easy to report environmental pollution (Republic of Ireland only) with the GPS location and a photo submitted at the touch of a button.It is a simple app to use with easy steps to follow..All you need to do is take a photo add some details and thats it,then press send.

The app will send the GPS coordinates and will make it easy for those investigating to locate the problem. This will allow your local County or City Council to follow up on the complaint.

Additional information

You can also use the App to make a phone call to the National Environmental Complaints Line 1850 365 121. The phone line is open 24hrs a day, 7 days a week and all calls will be answered by dedicated staff. The details of the complaint, such as location, nature of the complaint, will be recorded and passed to the relevant local authority, and followed up by them, the Gardaí or the EPA as appropriate.

Check out pureproject.ie or the EPA for more.

Apple dish up two ads to remind us the iPhone is the iPhone #Apple #iPhone

Apple are not short of cash and can do pretty much what they like so hats off in that respect,BUT they have posted to new ads for us to watch and gently remind us what the iPhone is and how one aspect of the device complements the other and how they make everything…Having owned the 6+ myself and quickly got bored until Apple make the devices less locked down for my taste they can keep them…Sorry Apple I do like the phones but not the OS..

Apple are said to introduce more devices later in the year which will be no doubt the best handsets in the world when announced….In the second video they say 99% of people love their iPhone,would love to know what that 1% has to say..

 

 

LG adds a new mid-tier phone to its G4 range its the LG G4 Beat. #LG #G4Beat #Tech

LG have announced a new device to add to the G4 family and goes by the name of the LG G4 Beat. Basically it is an affordable LG G4 which has yet to been seen here in Ireland in Retail buy can be bought from online sellers of if you fancy a trip to PC WORLD you can pick one up there but it will cost you a packet.One good thing I guess you can go in a see the device before you buy it which is always a good idea..

The LG G4 has not come without its problems though with reports of bad battery and flaking leather covers but these are more sporadic cases than widespread so keep this in mind,although leather is a nice feature it can be at time awkward to maintain it..

The LG G4 Beat comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS Display, which is clearer, sharper and more responsive than anything offered by LG before in this category. A powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 615 processor running eight cores at 1.5GHz with integrated 4G LTE delivers an optimal balance of power, performance and battery life.

Highlights and Features of the LG G4 Beat are:

  • High Performance Multimedia made possible by a powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 615 Processor with Octa-Core performance and speed, which can handle Full HD 1080p playback at 60fps and capture at 30fps.
  • Color Spectrum Sensor to measure the exact RGB and infrared values of ambient light and objects, resulting in colors that are truer to nature.
  • Manual Mode to give users fine control over every detail of a shot, including shutter speed, ISO, exposure and white balance.
  • Gesture Interval Shot improves on the original Gesture Shot by increasing the chance of getting that perfect shot even under challenging.

Specs include and take note regional variants are listed so be careful when buying to check…

  • Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 615 Processor
  • Display: 5.2-inch Full HD IPS LCD (1920 x 1080, 423ppi)
  • Memory: 8GB eMMC ROM / 1.5GB RAM
  • Camera: Rear 8MP LDAF (13MP in Latin America) / Front 5MP
  • Battery: 2,300mAh (removable)
  • Operating System: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
  • Size: 142.7 x 72.6 x 9.85mm
  • Weight: 139g
  • Network: 4G LTE / HSPA+ 42.2Mbps (3G)
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n / Bluetooth 4.1 / NFC / A-GPS / Glonass / USB 2.0
  • Colors: Metallic Silver / Ceramic White / Shiny Gold
  • Other: In-Cell Touch / Color Spectrum Sensor / Gesture Interval Shot / Full HD 1080p Video

The LG G4 Beat will make its debut this month in key markets in Europe and Latin America, including France, Germany and Brazil before rolling out globally in markets such as Canada, India, Russia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey.Pricing will be more accurate on launch in each region its set to cost around €400.

See more at LGPRESS

 

You can now download the iOS 9 beta. #Apple #Beta #iOS9

Good news for Apple fans even though its a beta,a word we mostly see from Microsoft but now you can now Download the beta today. But before you do back up everything as per norm or use it on a secondary device if you have one. Apple will release periodical updates in the interim and this give users a chance to test it out and give feedback. If you sign up now for the beta you can still get the full update later in the year..If you are downloading EL CAPITAN on mac its best to store on another partition….

iOS 9 will host an array of new features such as Proactive search, Transit in Apple Maps, and a new Notes application..

You can sign up HERE if you are interested.