There is rumblings on the web, that Motorola is possibly going to launch the X phone at Google I/O and it will come pre loaded with android lime pie.
Well great news if it does, but seriously unless Google sort out their customer service for hardware sales, there is no way I would buy anything from them.
Lets see what happens and if the X phone gets lauched, whether or not it is a start of the art device.
My blog now is just over one month old. During the first month I have written over 219 articles. My blog is now read in over 70 countries and receiving in excess of 3,500 views. I am amazed at the spread of countries from here in the UK, across the USA, Norway, Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Philippines and Australia being the top 10. But as an example there are people reading my blog from Russian Federation, Hong Kong, India, Poland, Israel, Mexico, Italy, Indonesia, UAE, Ukraine, Brazil, Belgium, France, Pakistan, Kuwait, China, Chile, Colombia, Isle of Man and many more. The global spread is unbelievable.
In the first month I have reviewed the following :-
1) Fiio E12 Mont Blanc Headphone Amplifier – this was the first review in the world for this amplifier, and reviewed before its official release.
2) Olloclip 3-in-1 Lenses for the iPhone 5
3) Trident Kraken iPhone 5 case
4) Bluetooth iPad Mini Keyboard Case
5) Glif+ for the iPhone 5
All the links for these can be found using the Index page. If you are using a mobile device, select Menu, then Index. Using the index you can also select Historical Reviews to find reviews I wrote some nearly 10 years ago, including the Virtual Keyboard, USB Drum Kit and Fridge.
Again using the Index, you can sort by android, Apple and RIM. Tech articles brings everything up including generic tech news.
Thanks for all your support wherever you are in the world!
Samsung is likely to introduce the Xcover 2 at MWC.
Specs being floated for the device, which carries model number S7110, include a 4-inch WVGA display, 5MP camera, and 1700mAh battery, all upgrades from the original Xcover. It will launch with Jelly Bean in Titan Gray and Red/Black color schemes.
It’s should include IP67 certification for the device, the same standard for the original Xcover approving the device for resistance to shock, dust, and dirt. It can also survive submerged in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. Now, implement the same sort of resilience in a flagship phone like the Galaxy S4 and then we’re really talking especially since Sony has done this with their new Xperia Z.
This is the sequel to Real Racing 2, and the third instalment is meant to be significantly better. Due for a release next month, here is some of the features.
Real Racing 3 lets gamers compete against friends and rival drivers from around the world. Fans can race on real world circuits with powerful dream cars from all-new manufacturers like Porsche, Audi, and Dodge. With the improvements achieved with Real Racing 2, the team aimed to raise the bar on expectations and continue to give their artists the ability to create the most realistic graphic effects on cars on an individual basis. Including realistic reflections, customizable cars and improved details down to glosses and finishes, Real Racing 3 delivers the unique experience of speeding in some of the best cars on world famous race tracks.
Here is a link to the YouTube promo
Are you excited ?
I use 2 alternative calculator apps. Both are different and good to use.
Digits
Digits is great for:
Adding up expenses, labeling and emailing them, doing a quick calculation and being able to double-check and correct entries with ease, entering a long series of calculations and then emailing it to yourself for import into Numbers or Excel, Quickly calculating a couple scenarios by editing any previous entry to automatically update the total, Easily creating a grand total from a number of previous calculations with flagging, Keeping a series of short calculations available for later reference,Sharing via email, printed output or by files.
FEATURES:
EASY: perfect for a quick calculation, powerful enough for pages of them.
MADE FOR iPad: uses the whole iPad display to leave cramped buttons behind.
MADE FOR iPhone: all of the iPad features on an interface designed just for iPhone.
TAPE: never lose track of what you’ve entered.
PRINT: print-quality output with AirPrint (where available).
SHARE: Use iTunes File Sharing to backup and share .digits tape files to other Digits Calculator users and your other iOS devices.
EMAIL: tap to email your tape.
COMMENTING: label any item in your tape and include comments in tape emails.
CORRECTIONS: make edits and inserts to previous calculations at any time!
SIMPLE TAPE STRUCTURE: one calculation on each tape line means quick one-touch access for edits.
AUTOSAVE: holds your calculations and tape in place for the next time you return.
RUNNING TOTAL: always displays the total above so you can focus on what you’re entering.
CUSTOMIZABLE: a wide arrange of settings, including currency mode, sound and background color!
Features:
Supports Retina display on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Support for iPhone 5 display.
Tape browser for multi-tape management.
Tape files are now sharable through iTunes File Sharing.
Tape files may be shared between iOS devices using File Sharing.
Supports AirPrint in iOS 4.2 and later.
Bluetooth/hardware keyboard support.
x/÷ priority option.
Fixed autodecimal for faster entry in currency mode.
Better handling of localized number formats.
“Use” function added back to the Tape/Memory Menu.
Expanded, detailed Guide.
PCalc is ideal for scientists, engineers, students, programmers, or indeed anybody looking for a feature-rich calculator for the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
It includes an extensive set of unit conversions, a paper tape, an RPN mode, engineering and scientific notation, as well as support for hexadecimal, octal and binary calculations.
Based on the popular calculator for the Macintosh, PCalc has been redesigned from the ground up to give the best handheld experience.
Features include:
Switchable button layouts – choose from many different horizontal and vertical layouts to suit your needs.
Calculator themes – pick your look, all the way from minimalist to striking.
An RPN mode with one button access to the stack and optional two, three, or four-line display.
Hexadecimal, octal and binary modes, complete with a variety of bitwise operators.
All the extensive unit conversions, functions, and constants from the desktop PCalc.
Editable user constants which are synced automatically across multiple devices with iCloud.
A simulated paper tape to keep track of your calculations with a “ticker tape” mode.
Multiple undo and redo. Just flick the LCD to the right and left to reveal the past and future.
Stylish, consistent user interface.
Supports copy and paste.
Universal build supports both iPad and iPhone/iPod touch in one.
Support for iOS 6 and Retina display on all devices including the new iPad.
Support for the iPhone 5 and new iPod touch.
According to the SEC Al Gore just bought $29 million of Apple stock, and just before Apple’s earnings.
What does he know that we don’t ?
More impressions of the Fiio E12 Mont Blanc Headphone Amp
Further to my post with my initial impressions I thought I would some more feedback using specific tracks. For this test I am using an iPod Classic with a silver & copper line out cable and a pair of Sennheiser HD568 headphones. My music is ripped at mp3 320 bit rate. I have the E12 bass boost left on as the HD568 seem to sound so much better. The bass boost doesn’t seem to distort the sound, just add when the music needs some very low oomph but not in any way overpowering. Anyway here goes –
Dreams of New Orleans by Wycliffe Gordon – Chinatown – great separation of the trumpets from each side, and clear separation of the other instruments. A superb musical sounding song. The E12 presentation puts you right in the music. I feel like I’m grooving to the beat.
Greatest Hits by Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody – I had to turn the volume down for this track. The E12 did everything as before, even with voices but as the songs attack changes, the E12 seems to scale effortlessly with it. In fact as the track gets louder, the E12 just exploded with attack.
Thriller by Michael Jackson – Thriller – a classic track. At the start there’s great sub bass in the cemetery. The E12 reproduces the song very accurately picking out all the nuances.
Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles – an old recording but has a superb toe tapping musicality produced by the E12.
Isla by Portico Quartet – Dawn Patrol – this track really defines just how good the E12 is sonically. The plucking of the bass strings, the deep bass, the other instruments all around too just produce an electric performance.
Fantasie by Nicola Benedetti – The Lark Ascending – the violin playing at the start is leaving goose bumps on me. The violin feels so alive. Airy. The E12 is producing a neutral but emotional sound. Mesmerising too.
Love me by Norah Jones – Norah’s voice sounds superb. Another very musical track.
I Heard Love is Blind by Amy Winehouse – Amy’s voice is so real with such precision on the guitar in the background. In fact the realism of the track is excellent.
In summary, the E12 plucks all the nuances from your music, making it sound alive with toe tapping musicality. It also does seem to have improved with low level bass after 3 hours use. It’s accurate, fairly neutral sounding and packs so much energy that your headphones perform magic.
Sony has just launched the new Xperia Z smartphone and is also bringing out a similar sleek tablet based on the style and specs of the phone.
But what I have found even more interesting is how these new products will increase sales and hopefully brand loyalty by pushing other Sony products. The tablet and smartphone all have special Sony options for NFC with Sony’s new Bravia TV’s and headphones allowing for slick coordination with each other. Use the Bravia TV remote and swipe your Z across it to transfer what’s on your Z to your TV screen. If your listening to music on your Z, swipe it across the new NFC headphones and the music plays through them.
Then there are the new Sony NFC accessories. All in all, the new Z smartphone and tablet is worth more than its initial sales. It could be a financial life saver for the company.
Samsung seems to make a piece of tech to compete at every and any level, be it bottom end phones, mid level or top class smartphones. Not to be outshone by Apple and its iPad Mini, Samsung are very likely to release the Samsung Note 8, a 8 inch tablet.
The likely specs are –
Name: Galaxy Note 8.0
Product numbers: GT-N5100 (Wifi), GT-N5110 (Wifi/3G)
Battery: 4600mAh
Dimensions: 211.3×136.3×7.95mm
Weight: 330 grams
Screen: 8.0-inch Super Clear LCD @ 1280×800 resolution
Data: Quad-band EDGE, quad-band HSPA+ up to 21.1Mbps down, 5.76Mbps up (GT-N5110 only)
Cameras: 5MP rear, 1.3MP front
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16/32GB options, expandable via microSD card
OS: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
This is likely to be shown at MWC.
Ok here’s a bit of Friday fun. This is a retailer with an inspiring tech display, one for Samsung and the other for Amazon, but which tech store is it?
Answers in comments.
