All posts by Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

Unknown's avatar

About Gavin Fabiani-Laymond

President, CEO & Editor of https://gavinsgadgets.com Reviews & News of Technology

Say hello to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge – details and new specs 

Tech News, ,

  

Like all phone releases nothing is kept a surprise anymore. It also should come as no surprise that Samsung’s new Galaxy phones are similar to the S6 and S6 Edge. 

But there are going to be some important changes. 

The rear camera will drop from 16mp to 12mp. The phone battery capacity will increase to 3,000mAh and 3,600mAh for the S7 and S7 Edge respectively and take 2 hours to recharge for the S7. The S7 Edge will take 2.2 hours to recharge. 

The next change is the reintroduction of the micro SD card. 

And if you want to buy one, fear not these will go on sale 11th March 2016. 

So based on the renders are you interested ?
Source Venturebeat

My Apple iPhone 6S Plus Home screens 

Apple, Tech News

  
A few people have asked me recently how I organise my home screens on my iPhone 6S Plus. 

Well I have apps on the first screen. Each folder has apps positioned carefully so more frequently used apps are on the right side inside the folder. With iOS Reachability I can double tap the home button to drop the screen to reach the top section faster. 

And the second screen I fill this with games. 

If you would like to know anymore about any of the apps then just ask. 

I intend to do a post of my photography apps shortly. 

  

HTC One M10 – The Latest Details and Full Specifications

Android, Tech News,

HTC is due shortly to take the wraps off the One M10 and it should come as no surprise that it is going to feature some of the latest specs.

But there are several surprises which could prove amazing whilst a few sad faces due to one change.

The rumoured specs so far are –

– QHD screen 1440 x 2560
– Amoled Screen
– HTC Sense 8
– Android 6.01
– Snapdragon 820
– Fingerprint sensor on the front below the display
– 4gb ram, 32gb storage, micro sd card support
– Adreno 530 GPU

– No boomsound
– 12mp Ultra pixel rear camera with Optical Image stabilisation (OIS) and laser auto focus
– Front camera will also have OIS

So it seems boomsound is on its way out but the 12mp rear and front cameras with OIS could be very interesting so long as HTC master the software and post processing.

Source – @evleaks

The New iPad Air 3 – Editorial

Apple, Tech News,

Apparently according to loads of rumours Apple is about to launch is March 2016 the next instalment of the iPad Air, the iPad Air 3.

The new specifications steer towards having the following improvements –

– 4gb ram
– 4K screen
– Stereo Speakers
– Better Camera with flash

– Apple Pencil support 

Are these features enough to make you want to upgrade your current iPad or tablet? For me I am going to say they are not enough but what about yourself?

miGuard A105 DIY Alarm System – my review 

Internet of Things, Reviews, Tech News, ,

  

Welcome to my review of the miGuard Response A105 Wireless Plug and Play Alarm system. I was looking at the various options on the market and decided to take a closer look at the miGuard A105 starter kit as it seemed to tick all my requirements and was priced reasonably at £69.99. It also had the ability to be expanded which was a key feature for my circumstances.

The Key Features –

– 100% Wireless configuration
– One Button Pairing
– Works as an accessory or standalone alarm panel
– Built in battery for 8 hour standby
– Mute operation and remote alarming
– Supports up to 40 wireless accessories include remote control
– Built in 1,000,000 RF codes combinations to maintain high reliability

Key Specifications

WS-105 Alarm Panel

– AC Power Supply 3.7 V 600mAh lithium backup battery
– Volume 90db
– Static Current less than 13mA, Alarm current less than 100mA
– Radio Frequency – 315 MHZ or 433.92 MHz
– Dimensions 90 x 90 x 42.5mm (plug part on rear not included in dimensions)

PIR-910 Pet-Immune PIR Motion Detector

– Power supply DC 3V (2 x AA batteries)
– Static current less than 90ua, Alarm current less than 9.5ua
– Detection scope 8m/110 degrees
– Transmitting distance less than 80m
– Radio Frequency – same as WS-105
– Detector dimensions 108 x 52 x 36.8mm
– Bracket dimensions 52 x30 x 26.5mm

RC-80 Remote Control

– Power supply DC 3V (CR2025 lithium battery)
– Transmitting current less than 7mA
– Transmitting distance less than 80m in an open area
– Radio Frequency – as WS-105
– Dimensions – 58 x31 x 9.5mm

DWC-102 Wireless Door/Window Contact

– Power supply DC 1.5V (1 x AA battery)
– Static current less than 35uA, Alarm current less than 40ua
– Transmitting distance less than 80m
– Radio Frequency – same as WS-105
– Transmitter dimensions 71 x 34 x 17.5mm
– Magnet dimensions 51 x 12 x 13.5mm

In the Box

– 1 x WS 105 Alarm Panel
– 1 x PIR-910 Pet-Immune PIR Motion Detector
– 1 x DWC-102 Wireless Door/Window Contact
– 2 x RC-80 Wireless Remote Control
– 1 x Bracket for PIR Motion Detector
– 2 x Double sided tape for door/window contact
– 1 x User Manual
– 2 x screws and wall plugs

In other words, everything you need to get you going is included in the box. So how does it all work and function? Answer very easily but let me explain.

The WS 105 Alarm Panel receives and processes signals from all the other components. Apart from those included in the box, you can add up to 40 wireless accessories. I really like this aspect of the system. The Alarm Panel is the device on the right side of the photo with blue plastic in the middle. If the alarm panel is triggered it sounds a loud alarm noise and the strobe light flashes. It is powered by AC 100 – 200V simply by plugging it in to the wall socket. To operate you just press the button on located on the front. Press to arm or disarm accordingly.

The PIR-910 Pet Immune motion detector works off 2 AA batteries. It features an intelligent passive infrared motion detector, designed to detect humans within 0 to 8m. It also features a fuzzy logic to minimise false alarms. I have dogs so wanted to see how this worked with them. The specs state that pet immunity is for small animals up to 25 kgs. It worked with the 2 girls but George is much bigger and he triggered the alarm. To aid fitting the detector a wall bracket is provided which includes a ball head to help position correctly.

The DWC-102 Wireless Door/Window contacts are fairly self explanatory. The two pieces work using magnets and when the magnet is moved away it transmits to the alarm panel. Double sided tape is provided too for fitment. This detector used 1 x AA battery.

Finally the whole package is rounded off with 2 remote controls. These allow you to arm, disarm, activate SOS and Home Mode. Home Mode is available when you are using zones and means all the detectors are active except for the Home zone area. The SOS button is pressed twice switches to home mode and turns the nightlight on as well.

The included user manual is excellent and provides lots of detailed diagrams and instructions and how to correctly install and position all the detectors plus explains all the extra options. For a beginner, it is simply and plug and play system, but with the ability to expand the system onwards and upwards it can become quite a mighty piece of kit.

Conclusion

The miGuard A105 DIY Alarm system has proven to be reliable and simple to use piece of kit and therefore is recommended by me.

Available from Maplin

Is the Samsung Galaxy S7 with a 12mp rear camera a wise move? – Editorial

Android, Tech News, , ,

With Mobile World Congress just around the corner, new smartphone leaks are everywhere. By now it should come as no surprise that the next Galaxy, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will have a lower resolution camera, dropping from 16mp to 12mp.

Samsung should be featuring their new “britecell” technology in this new 12mp sensor but I do have some initial concerns. Dropping the mega pixels down to 12mp with a f/1.7 may be a good thing if the pixels are larger and therefore let more light through. The trade off will potentially be with the extra pixel resolution when snapping an outdoor shot in good sunlight. Will you lose the ability to crop tighter into a photo?

Currently, I am testing the LG V10 which has a great 16mp rear camera. This produces high resolution photos that can be cropped and not lose too much information. At 12mp this option might diminish.

What Samsung is trading off is the ability to have a 12mp rear camera that will take stunning photos in low light as well as good lighting. In addition photos will be easier to process/share if the file sizes are smaller due to the rear camera just being 12mp and not 16mp.

So what matters more to you? 16mp or 12mp?

Apple’s First Quarter Results – Editorial

Apple, Tech News

APPLE just announced its first quarter results.

CUPERTINO, California — January 26, 2016 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 first quarter ended December 26, 2015. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $75.9 billion and record quarterly net income of $18.4 billion, or $3.28 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $74.6 billion and net income of $18 billion, or $3.06 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.1 percent compared to 39.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 66 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple achieved some huge numbers but despite the massive amounts of profit, it also represented the slowest amount of growth for the iPhone since it launched in 2007. Also adding to the concern that sales of the iPhone have plateaued is that Apple said revenue for the next quarter would be between $50bn and $53bn, lower than the $58bn it reported for the same period last year. The initial growth spurt in China of 70% last year was only 14% this year. None of this is surprising. At some point what goes up must come down. Is it all doom and gloom? Actually these results represent the largest quarter profit in history ever made by any company.

What is clear from these iPhone numbers is that Apple is going to face a decline in iPhone sales, which is also impacting many other smartphone manufacturers.

So where is Apple going to make up the shortfall. Well Apple TV, iPads, Beats headphones and the Apple Watch are all lumped into the Other category. Revenue in this section rose from $1.6 billion to $4.3 billion. Was this growth down to the Apple Watch? Or the new Apple TV? Nobody knows and Apple is keeping quiet about this figure. It is likely that Apple Watches were bought as Christmas presents and if so there may be a decline in this category for the next quarter.

Either way, Apple makes no bones that the trading environment for 2016 will be challenging. Even if sales decline slightly, Apple will more than likely still make more profit than any other smartphone manufacturer!

Is Windows Phone in Trouble – Head of Windows Phone uses an iPhone

Apple, Tech News, Windows

The face of Windows Phone, Joe Belfiore tweeted the above photo whilst on holiday. If you check the tweet data, it was tweeted from Twitter for iPhone.

Subsequently, to tweeting this photo and getting loads of media attention, Joe Belfiore even took the trouble to respond to the reason why he was using an iPhone. His reasoning was that in order to create great products across all platforms, he had to use the respective devices. He also explained he was on a 7 month sabbatical so taking a break from work and using work devices.

Whilst all the above is a valid statement to make, I don’t buy it. What it highlights is that key employees of Microsoft would rather use an iPhone when on holiday. How much longer before Microsoft is all about services and apps for iOS and android only!

Finally the Nokia Lumia 1020 is de-throned as the best camera on a smartphone – details on the new champion – Updated

Android, Reviews, Tech News, Windows,

I have fond memories of my Nokia Lumia 1020. It had a camera that was in a class of its own. And it has held on to this crown despite being obsolete in smartphone terms. 

By today’s standards the Nokia Lumia 1020 is a compromise. It’s runs Windows Phone which despite being one of my favourite operating system lacks the same level of apps in terms of content and quality versus android and iOS, and is extremely slow from shot to shot. 

So what phone has de-throned the Nokia Lumia 1020. 

Well it’s the LG V10. 

I can hear loyal Nokia fans screaming in disbelief. Well facts are facts. Steve Litchfield and I went out armed with our respective phones, Steve with his Lumia 1020 and 950 and myself with my iPhone 6S Plus and LG V10. 

Steve went to his favourite church to demonstrate the quality of the 1020 low light shots. The subject matter was a sign/plaque high up on the church wall. So Steve went first and took a great shot of the sign in low light and showed me the level of detail. It was impressive. So I took a shot on the iPhone 6S Plus which was ok and good enough but not as the same level of the 1020. So next I used the LG V10. Well the LG V10 produced a shot significantly better than the 1020. And this was all auto. Surely a one off, so another shot was taken. Same stunning shot and way better than the 1020. 

And the story continued with a few other low light shots. However, I do expect the new flagships from LG and Samsung to improve further in the camera department.

One small point, both of Steve’s Lumias (1020,950) both crashed in a space of 30 minutes several times. 

PS Steve had a Mozo leather back on his Lumia 950 which looked much better than the default plastic back. But sadly the standard 950 even with a leather back felt cheap and nasty. Shame. 

Below is shot from LG V10. It was actually fairly dark inside the church so the V10 did a stellar job. The plaque writing when zoomed in is really visible. 

  

Update – Steve has emailed me his 1020 shot which was taken using xenon flash. Note that’PureView zoom’ was done at capture time, for best quality. Not ‘afterwards’. In my opinion it is still a good shot as I said above but not as good as the LG V10. But do you agree?