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.
One Plus is known for sending out teasers and they just have went and done it again,with the expectation of the One Plus 2 this year this could be the date they share the info One Plus fans are waiting to hear.. Though in the tweet they do say,
“We’re always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry. And we think it’s time for change. Find out more June 1″
So all that can be done now is wait,most likely they might just give us another hint before the date..
We’re always looking for ways to shake up the tech industry. And we think it’s time for change. Find out more June 1. pic.twitter.com/odrsSko6dB
Periscope is now available on Android (4.4 and above) its just hit the play store,this will be welcome news for those having to use some alternative options,Twitter owns periscope and has been on iOS for sometime.It also seems like its got the full features like iOS..
Periscope lets you broadcast live video to the world. Going live will instantly notify your followers, who can join, comment and send you hearts in real time. The more hearts you get, the higher they flutter on the screen.
• REPLAY: When your broadcast is over, you can make it available for replay so viewers can watch later. Viewers can replay your broadcast with comments and hearts to relive the full experience. Replays currently last 24 hours. You can delete your replay at any time.
• PRIVATE: If you want to broadcast to specific people, press the lock icon before going live and choose who you want to invite to your broadcast.
• TWITTER: You can choose to share your Periscope broadcasts on Twitter by tapping the bird icon before you start broadcasting. When you go live, you’ll tweet a link so that your Twitter followers can watch on the web (or in the app)
• MANAGE NOTIFICATIONS: Periscope will suggest people for you to follow based on your Twitter network. You can always follow new people, or unfollow them if you don’t want to be notified when they go live. You can also adjust notification preferences in Periscope Settings (in Profile)
• HEARTS: Periscope keeps track of how many hearts you get from your viewers. The more hearts, the higher you get in the “Most Loved” list.
Microsoft has just announced that Cortana will be available for Android and iOS,sounds good alright,yet its 2015 and still no official version here in Ireland.Currently there is a workaround which everyone knows but we should be well past this stage now since last November we where told it was coming soon,6 months is not soon….However Cortana will not be as powerful as it is on Windows Phone but will provide much of the basics there and then. It is expected on Android in June and later on in the year for iOS. Cortana is a digital assistant similar to the likes of siri on iOS..Some find these assistants gimmicks and some love them,the choice is yours to use these assistants or not.
Learn about the new Phone Companion app. Built-in to Windows 10, Phone Companion will help you connect your Windows PC to whatever phone you own– whether it’s a Windows phone, Android phone, or iPhone. Access your files, content and even Cortana from your PC or phone.
Sony has quitely unveiled the new Xperia Z3+ but in China its called the Z4,its offering some improvements with a spec bump. Today introduces the Xperia Z3+, a premium smartphone that features a 5.2” full HD screen, a 20.7MP main camera, 5MP front camera, and octa-core 64-bit processor. Xperia Z3+ is slim (6.9mm) and lightweight (144g), and comes waterproof and dust-tight (IP65/68). Read on for all the specs for Xperia Z3+.
Slim, lightweight, and waterproof design
With a design that’s slimmer (6.9mm) and lighter (144g), Xperia Z3+ is crafted to be waterproof* and dust-tight (IP65/68), making it ideal for use in all situations. Xperia Z3+ features a capless USB port to make it easier and more convenient to charge. Also, the magnetic charging pin has been removed, resulting in a more seamless and minimalist look.
Sony camera technologies included
Xperia Z3+ offers the best of Sony’s Cyber-shot and Handycam technologies to ensure a superior camera performance, and extends these technologies to the main and front cameras. This provides superior photos, even in low light, with both the front and rear camera.
20.7MP main camera with ISO12800 sensitivity, 4K recording/output and more
The main camera features the 20.7MP camera with Exmor RS™ for mobile image sensor, BIONZ™ for mobile processing engine, and a 25mm wide-angle G lens. Improved Superior Auto automatically optimises settings to give you the best possible picture and can recognize up to 52 different scenes. Capture detail even in low light conditions, thanks to the ISO12800 sensitivity and large 1/ 2.3 image sensor. Get great shots even when there is strong backlight, with HDR for photos and videos. Preserve and enjoy precious moments in high quality with 4K video recording and output.
Octa-core 64 bit processor for powerful performance
Xperia Z3+ comes with the Snapdragon™ 810 octa-core 64 bit processor** for fast browsing and an optimal graphics experience. Xperia Z3+ comes with LTE Cat 6 and Wi-Fi MIMO support to enable faster connection speeds of up to 300 Mbps data transfer (actual speed may differ according to operator networks)***.
Ultra-bright 5.2” Full HD smart adaptive display
Xperia Z3+ features an ultra-bright 5.2” Full HD smart adaptive display that provides increased brightness and contrast, without losing stamina. Sony’s TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile with Live Colour LED and X-Reality for mobile ensure sharper and more vivid colours. Intuitive contrast enhancement delivers the most optimised viewing experience, even in bright sunlight.
Colour and availability
Z3+ comes available in four colour options – Black, White, Copper and Aqua Green. Xperia Z3+ will launch globally from June 2015 in both Single SIM and Dual SIM*** variants.
We probably wont see one soon but the Galaxy S6 edge which sports the Iron Man theme has been unboxed and also has the red and gold colour scheme as seen on Iron mans suit.The Galaxy S6 edge Iron Man Limited Edition comes pre-installed with a custom Avengers theme, matching wireless charging pad and a Clear Cover, all packaged within a limited edition Avengers box.
Pac-Man is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary and it has a surprise in store,Pac-Man fans rejoice,its coming to a mobile and tablet near you soon. Of course there is plenty of games today similar available but this one is different.
BEWARE OF THE GLITCH! On PAC-MAN’s 35th anniversary, we are collaborating with Hipster Whale (the makers of Crossy Road) to bring you a hilariously addictive endless maze chase inspired by the infamous level 256 glitch from the original PAC-MAN!
The free-to-play game will be available for smartphones and tablets in summer 2015. Expect to encounter plenty of Pac-Dots, Power Pellets, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde! See more in the links in description box. Are you looking forward to this, tell us below.
Having used the BlackBerry leap for some two weeks now its been yet another surprise on how BlackBerry have changed over the last year or two,once a hater of the devices i have changed my mind and the OS has also improved too which is quite good offering lots to its consumers and after using the BlackBerry Passport for a few months it really is a credit to the company despite its funny shape,the Passport is a powerhouse and if size is not an issue you should try it,But we are here today to talk about the next model up which is a 5 inch touch screen not shaped weirdly and not sporting a physical keyboard does it perform well all around,well lets find out.
Unboxing and walkaround
Design
Typical candybar,solid feels good in hand and robust its a perfect sized device,perhaps a tad too small for me but i could happily live with it,this is just my opinion i am far suited to bigger devices. At 144 x 72.8 x 9.5 mm (5.67 x 2.87 x 0.37 in) and weighing 170g you will notice it,even in pocket which is a good thing,it’s slightly thicker than some devices but its good and the rounded edges on the back flow nicely and the device fits well in hand,it’s hard to drop it too the backing feels grippy,it picks up dirt but can be easily cleaned off.
The Keyboard
Having used the passport as my main device i hardly used anything else to be honest,i got to like the physical keyboard,something which i have not used in many years in fact,though i was looking forward to going back to the virtual set-up and the keyboard on the Leap reminded me of the one that’s presently on Lumia devices which alone are good but this keyboard is also excellent and has many features present and again i found myself typing fast in no time from coming from the one on the passport.
The Camera
Quite impressive it must be said so photo fans can relax since mobile photography is a big thing with the camera on board it takes pretty decent photos with many settings to toy around with too,even as a point and shoot it takes nice pictures and to the untrained not fussy eyes this does a good job.
The camera is just 8MP 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus and LED flash doesn’t mean it can perform,it does and the more you tamper with the settings the better it gets,it’s also got a HDR feature which pops up to remind you it’s there and again it works well.Also on board is panorama mode,time shift and burst mode,this is quite a common feature nowadays.
These are taken under normal conditions which is the ideal situation to be using the camera,in low light we have the flash to help out and pictures turn out fine ,depending on conditions some photos may look noisy and flat,this again is not a device aimed at camera fans but for its price it does the job quite well so you have a decent snapper should you need it,personally i aint a camera happy guy but it done the job when needed,recording too is also quite good autofocus works quite well,sometimes to well and often locked on target especially with just taking photos so its quite responsive.
APPS.
Lets not waste time really here,native apps are not reaping but we have a choice to add the play store if you like,one good thing here apps i used all worked well on the Leap as opposed to the passport and that was just the screen design which made some render rather odd and pointless on screen,all my apps on android i use worked fine on the leap so again its an option for users to consider,BB10 has improved but we are missing some apps similar to windows phone which i also use and can feel the pain to some extent,the maps are just ok and there is several other apps missing but again the play store can help out with alternatives.With the Blackberry world,Amazon app store and the play store you will be covered.
Display
Its got a 5-inch, 1,280 x 720 (720p) LCD display,its good for its price but not great either ,sunlight legibility is not great this is expected for the screen and its price it would be unfair not to say plenty of others have the same problem even high end phones like the HTC ONE M9 this beat it,viewing angles also shabby but not bad im not one to pay much attention to detail here but at times when i want to read my device outdoors i expect to but this is a common problem all round regardless.
Battery
Its good,easily get the average user through a day,nothing like the passport but good even for my standards,im a heavy user and mostly carry two phones but with my main sim here in this it done the job well better than expected in fact,with 2,800mAh under the hood it can take a pounding,with me spending much time browsing,checking mails and social media i never had to worry about looking for a charger during my time and for me that is a very good thing,we are more battery concious nowadays than before and find ourselves needing back up or to be close to a charger,this is something you do not need to worry about on the Leap.
BlackBerry Blend is on board the leap,seamlessly brings messaging and content that’s on your BlackBerry smartphone to your computer and tablet. Send and receive messages and access your files in real time, from whatever device you’re on.
Home-screen and accessibility.
As before with the passport we just have our static screen with icons,you can of course make folders which is useful,the drop down menu offers us plenty of settings to access so to move around the device is simple which is nice,there is many settings on the phone too giving a great level of customisation.Swiping to the left will bring you to additional apps you have stored and swiping to the right takes you to the blackberry hub which is simply great.
Browsing,Music – Media
Stock browser seemed fine depending on connection but again you can work around this at times but to be fair i could partly blame my Wi-Fi here,on 4G it was fast,this was also similar on the passport,overall it served well though and things looked good on the Leap Pages rendered quite quickly and viewing was on par with other devices at the price point,the speaker which is placed on the bottom is not bad but depending on where you let it sit sound will get muffled,aside that its loud .Listening to music is also quite good and with a decent pair of headphones you will not be disappointed overall for media.
Conclusion.
BlackBerry here in Ireland is pretty much a no go area for our providers which is a shame,it once was huge here but since the Z10 things went downhill with little or no option to buy it here in stores leaving business and enterprise fans annoyed who prefer Blackberry,this device is aimed at the younger generation but offers more than one might think,one thing that lacks is NFC again this is no big deal in Ireland but its catching on with the like of wireless charging,I think between the Leap and the Passport blackberry have turned a corner,having said that BlackBerry is now a niche but if they continue to dish out good devices they have a chance to re claim their stake. On a personal level i think the device is well priced and it offers pretty much the same as any other device in the price range alongside the added security.
The BlackBerry Leap costs just £199 sim free which is not bad and can be bought HERE or other leading online sellers.For the price its worth it..
If you are travelling to the UK or living there here is a handy app if you are into Nature. This app lets you explore Wildlife Trust nature reserves and events wherever you are in the UK.Its available on Android and iOS. A simple location-based app which enables the user to find Wildlife Trust nature reserves and events wherever they are. There is also a directory of Wildlife Trusts around the UK, with links to on-line information.
The Wildlife Trusts care for more than 2,000 wild places – woods, meadows, moors, rivers, heaths, hills, bogs, coastline and urban parks. You can use this app to find and explore wild places near you.There is more than 10,000 events each year – walks, talks, training courses, volunteer days, activities for families and children, wildlife festivals and more. This app contains many events but for complete listings please check your local Wildlife Trust website.
Key features include:
1. Map and list of nature reserves with search and geo-location
2. Map and list of events with search and geo-location
3. Ability to favourite trusts, reserves and events
4. Directory of all Wildlife Trusts with contact details and ability to donate by text.
Searching for more than 2,000 nature reserves plus thousands of events and activities
A directory for all 47 Wildlife Trusts with contact details and ability to donate by text
Save your favourite places – where you’ve been and where you’d like to go
Information on more than 800 UK wildlife species will be available in an update by 1 July 2015
Philips has developed a new navigation system for supermarkets and it might not be too long before we see it here.A good idea which of course works via an app and LED lights. This app would work well in some chain stores here as they are always moving things around and when popping in looking for a few items sometimes can be annoying.
The system, developed by Philips, uses the supermarket’s light fixtures to form an indoor positioning grid. Each LED fixture emits a unique code through light that is invisible to the human eye but is detected by the camera on a smartphone.
This then triggers an app which shows the customer exactly where they are in the store, guides them to items on their shopping list and provides information relevant to their location such as details of special offers, new products and recipe ideas.
Philips claims that, as well as making supermarkets easier to navigate, the LED system can cut electricity consumption by 50 per cent compared to conventional store lighting, driving down running costs and making buildings greener.
“Our connected lighting system has the potential to transform shopping into a more interactive and personalised experience,” said Gerben van der Lugt, head of LED-based indoor positioning at Philips Lighting.
One of the advantages of a light-based navigation system is that retailers do not have to invest in additional infrastructure to house, power and support location beacons for indoor positioning. It is also more accurate, according to Mr Van der Lugt.
“Radio frequency-based positioning technologies like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth triangulation deliver accuracies of two to five metres and require installation of additional hardware. Philips’ connected lighting system with indoor positioning technology is sub-metre accurate and simply uses the existing lighting infrastructure,” he said.
