Category Archives: Android

How free is Google and its services?

Android, Tech News

You buy an android phone and its linked heavily to Google. All the data you enter is captured one way or another. Even third party apps collect data. Slowly but surely you start to use these apps by Google and Google’s services and become more and more dependent. Competing apps dwindle away, and then Google decides to change how its app or service works. It either removes part of the feature set, or cans it totally. Latitude in Maps and Google Reader are two examples.

As mobile is becoming more and more the future of computing it has now figured out how to include adverts in its Gmail app under the promotions tab. If you use Google Now it has an even better profile on you, to enable it to work out what to sell you via third party companies or itself.

So how do you feel with your data been sold, becoming dependant on a Google service then losing it, or the whole principle of your data being used for other purposes and not remaining private?

WeMo graces android devices

Android, Apple, Tech News

The Belkin WeMo have for some time been exclusively available on iOS devices. Now another company is offering their products on android. In a press statement, Belkin stated the following –

PLAYA VISTA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Belkin, creator of people-inspired technology products, today announced compatibility with Android 4.0 or higher devices bringing the simple, ingenious WeMo smart home platform to a greater number of mobile users.

“With more than a billion Android devices expected by 2014 according to Gartner, expanding WeMo capabilities to Android devices is a necessary step for the continued success and evolution of the WeMo brand.”
“Android users have been waiting for WeMo compatibility, and our ability to deliver on their request is an important next step in demonstrating our continued commitment to creating a simple, customizable home monitoring and control system that can be accessed wherever and whenever,” said Ohad Zeira, director of product management at Belkin.

Finally, I can start using my WeMo products with my HTC One.

OMG – The HTC One in red

Android, Tech News,

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The other day I ventured in to Phones4u and enquirer about the HTC One in red. The sales person disappeared and returned with the phone. It was taken out of the box and wrapper.

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Now the renders shown in the post make it look quite good, a number of my twitter friends who have already seen it said it looked amazing in red, but until you see to for yourself you will not be able to appreciate the drool worthy aspect of the colour and overall look. The red colour is a metallic finish, and more of a kick ass red than lipstick red as might appear in the renders.

I have seen many phones in my time, but without a doubt the HTC One in red is the most beautiful finish, style and look of anything to date. It made my delicious silver HTC One seem the poorer cousin.

My next dilemma was trying to leave the store and not purchase it ….. to be continued …..

Google’s Motorola Moto X Smartphone – photos, details and all before 1st August launch in New York

Android, Tech News

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Twitter leaker evleaks has revealed full press renders for the new Moto X smartphone. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU clocked at 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with no micro-SD card slot, a 4.7-inch screen with 720p resolution, 10.5-megapixel main camera, 2.1-megapixel webcam, and a 2,200mAh non-removable battery and an always on listening.

This phone will be made in the US and will come with loads of customisation for the back. The phone’s side profile will be slightly curved and priced keenly. The camera will be setup to take quality shots and work in conjunction with Google+ photo upload and editing service.

What this phone will show that it is now possible to create a decent phone with average specs, but still be road worthy. Expect lots of voice and Google Now touches too.

Just one last thing, why can’t there be a phone launch where everything is kept secret prior to the actual launch date.
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The Nokia Lumia 1020 vs Google nightmare

Android, Tech News, Windows,

Unless you’ve been travelling in the Amazon jungle, absent of any Internet signal, you would have heard or read about Nokia’s new Lumia 1020 smartphone complete with its 41mp camera, and snap on camera grip which includes a further battery too.

And as soon as I watched the Nokia announcement, I decided the Lumia 1020 was an ideal choice of phone for me. Except one issue. It runs on windows phone 8. Now windows phone 8 is excellent. I really like the user interface and general operation. The app situation isn’t a problem either for me.

But then my nightmare problem dawned on me. At present I use the HTC One running Google’s android operating system. With this operating system I use Google Music, Maps, Navigation and Google Now regularly. These services really help make the phone so much better. And because the Lumia 1020 is a windows phone 8, none of these options are available.

I really don’t know what to do… So help me out with your thoughts.

Phone Brands – observations in the Big Smoke

Android, Apple, RIM, Tech News, Windows

About a year and a half ago I had the pleasure of travelling away from rural Devon to London.

I was sat on a underground train in London and observed iPhone after iPhone after iPhone.

Move forward to today and once again I’m in the Big Smoke. Compared to Dartmoor, Devon , London is noisy, congested and filthy.

This time phone brands observed are different. Apple still features a lot, but very noticeable was a plethora of Samsung phones. BlackBerry seemed to feature in small numbers too . I seemed to be the only person, using a HTC One, or any HTC .

Samsung not only had a strong presence but it was the size of these phones. S3 and S4 but plenty of Samsung Galaxy Notes. Despite the size of the Note , whenever I observed one, it was a female owner.

Back to my HTC One, it clearly shows what an uphill battle HTC has to gain market penetration. The same for windows phone.

There is hope for windows phone though. I took my daughter into Carphone Warehouse. She currently has a £50 pay as you go Samsung android phone. It’s rubbish but actually for £50 it’s amazing. Does everything a £500 phone does but with dreadful performance and feature sets. Anyway, I asked my daughter to go and look at all the phones and pick one she liked the style of, ignoring price. I also reminded her I wasn’t buying anything! So this was just a pure selection on style. The winner was the Nokia Lumia 925.

And then we get on to tablets. People were using these in small numbers. I even witnessed photographs been taken with tablets!

So there we have it. Samsung have clearly moved into Apple’s space and big screens as a daily driver are even more usual.

Your advice is required – name an app that creates video highlights like the HTC One

Android, Tech News, Windows,

One of the coolest features of the HTC One is video highlights.

Lets say you go to the zoo with your friends or kids. You film some video, take photos. That event now has a 30 second video highlight automatically created by the HTC One. You can remove some of the photos you don’t like, change the random order and select from a dozen different themes that change the music and effects. And it’s all instant.

If you don’t know what I mean, see below. This was created using a few photos of my dogs George and Fury.

So do any of you know of a third party app that can create something similar on android and or windows phone 8?

Sony planning 20mp clip on lens for its smartphones

Android, Tech News,

Sony is rumoured to be developing a 20.2-megapixel Exmor RS camera with a Carl Zeiss lens that uses your smartphone’s display as its viewfinder. The same sensor as the Sony RX100 II.

The clip on lens has a built-in battery, Wi-Fi, and NFC, and it sticks to the back of your smartphone.

If this is true, it’s rather a bizarre way of taking photos. Plus you would have to carry a bulky lens everywhere.

Personally, I would rather have the Samsung S4 Zoom or Nokia Lumia 1020.