HTC clearly want to create some drama on their upcoming flagship and I hope they come out soon with a full reveal.
Hopefully the new HTC One M10 is a phone worth talking about too.
In the meantime, enjoy this 30 second video from HTC.
Category Archives: Android
Look its Magic – I can pay with no hands – Google’s Handsfree Payments go live for iOS and android
Hands Free is a new app from Google that will allow you to make in-store payments without ever reaching for your phone or wallet. Google is rolling out a preview in select San Francisco Bay Area stores later this year. It is not yet available to the general public yet but its concept is super cool and I hope this can be extended all over the world.
So when you need to pay for your bill or pay for goods, you just say “Pay with Google.” The app then talks to the cashier’s till via bluetooth and wifi and verifies yourself by the photo you have uploaded. No cash, no cards, nothing. Just handsfree payments. The app runs on Android 4.2 and up or any iOS device from the iPhone 4S.
iBasso D-Zero MK2 – Portable DAC & Headphone Amplifier – Review
Welcome to my review of the iBasso D-Zero MK2 Portable DAC and Headphone Amplifier.
The Key Specifications
– Power Source：Built-in 4.2V Li-polymer battery
– Frequency Response: 17Hz~20 KHz +/- 1.0dB (DAC) 17Hz~100 KHz +/- 1.0dB (AMP)
– Signal to Noise Ratio：108dB (DAC line out), 102dB (Amp)
– Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.002%@1kHz/0dB (DAC line out), 0.003%@1kHz/-10dBV (AMP)
– Output Power：Up to 120mW+120mW into 16Ω
– Output Impedance: <0.5ohm
– Gain: +3dB/ +9dB (AMP)
– Battery Life: 120 Hours (AMP) 10 hours (DAC/AMP)
– Battery Charge Time: 5 Hours
– External Power supply: 5V DC
– Recommended Headphone Impedance: 8~300Ω
– Case dimension: 2.17W x 3.98L x 0.44H (inch)
– 55W x 101L x 11H (mm)
– Weight: 95g or 3.35oz
– Certificates: FCC, CE, RoHS
The Hardware
The iBasso D-Zero MK2 is made from an anodised aluminium housing. The front of the device features a headphone jack, aux jack, power switch with white LED and a volume controller. On the back there’s a USB output for charging the D-Zero and for connecting it to a computer, a gain switch and a USB charge switch. There’s also two LEDs a red one to indicate charging which also blinks to let you know when to charge it and an orange one to indicate USB connection. The unit features a built in battery that provides up to 120 hours play time when working as an AMP and 10 hours when used as a DAC. The D-Zero can be used with Windows PCs MAC computers OTG audio signal from an Android 4.1 or above device and the digital signal from iPhone/iPad with camera kit. The VIA Vinyl Envy USB 2.0 audio controller takes a digital signal up to 24Bit/96kHz. The DAC chipset used in the D-Zero is a Dual setup of Wolfson WM8740 DAC Chips. The OPAMP+BUF design ensures high current output allowing you to use the D-Zero with high impedence headphones.
The build quality is not as precision made as I would have expected. If you look at the mini USB socket it doesn’t quite line up exactly with the hole cut out in the aluminium body. Also why mini USB? Surely micro USB should have been used. Next the power switch looks like a flimsy toggle. Overall, it just feels as if the component was finished by hand. That aside I do actually like the industrial look. It’s also a great compact size with flat sides for each mounting to a phone to DAP. iBasso do supply a large range of accessories with the D-Zero MK2 as shown in the photos.
The Audio Quality and Sound Experience
Thankfully, the iBasso D-Zero MK2 sounds rather good. The Woolfson WM8740 DAC Chips have a lovely warmth to them. The D-Zero MK2 adds more bass punch to the music, with warm mids and a clearer treble. This DAC/AMP combo is musical and provides a more dynamic feel to the music. I tried several headphones and even though iBasso say this will power 300 ohm headphones, I would stick to around a max of 150 ohms to get the most out of this little black box of tricks. My Audio Technica ATH-M50x in particular paired really well with this AMP/DAC. Listening to some classical music the iBasso scaled up as the drama escalated and thumped out some very deep bass only when it was present and very quickly. What I have also found is that the iBasso sounds better after its had a 10-15 minute warm up. As a comparison I have the Fiio Q1 as well. The iBasso sounds much better than the Q1 but then it costs nearly twice as much.
Conclusion
Priced at just under £100, the iBasso D-Zero MK2 is a great little performer with a tendency to add some warmth and impact to the music. The extra power from the amp also helps the headphones deliver a more dynamic performance. I just wish it used a micro USB connector instead of mini USB.
More info and deals on the iBasso D-Zero Mk2 Headphone AMP and USB DAC
The World’s First 6gb ram phone gets launched – The Vivo Xplay 5
This is one crazy beast of a phone released by Vivo. 128gb storage, 6gb ram, Snapdragon 820, dual curved screen, 5.43 inch QHD Display, metal unibody, fingerprint sensor, fast charging 3,600mAh battery, fast charging, USB Type C, Dual stereo speakers, HiFi 3 Sound System, 16mp rear and 8mp front camera and a lot more. Price $650.
It really looks like a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge!!
First look at the Huawei P9 – photos and details
So it seems Huawei will be launching the P9 with a dual lens setup, with lenses by Leica. This could be a turning point for Huawei, whereby their flagship phone might offer solid optical performance from their rear camera.
The rest of the phone will be made from a stunning unibody design, featured with Huawei’s own CPU, the HiSilicon’s custom Kirin 955 system-on-chip, coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM dependant on the storage configuration which will vary from 32, 64 and 128gb. The display will still be 5.2 inch 1080p affair. Android 6.0.1 will be present.
One thing is certain is the P9 will have superb battery life since the 1080p display has a large 3,900mAH battery to keep it going all day and night.
Finally, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Huawei P9 will be using USB Type C.
Some great videos on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Let’s make no bones here, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is the true flagship from Samsung. And in true Samsung style, it has released some fun videos promoting the features. Certainly, a lot better than knocking the completion.
Apple iPhone 6S versus Samsung Galaxy S7 – camera comparison
If you were in any doubt that the camera on the new Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge wasn’t up to scratch, then take a look at this superb camera comparison video showing off the strengths and weaknesses of the respective phones using both photo and video.
During the video, in order to be fairer at times, an iPhone 6S Plus is used, especially for low light shots against the S7.
So take a look at the video below by @SuperSafTV. It is another superb video from SuperSaf, so make sure you check out his other videos too.
At Long Last – Android Pay is coming to the UK – details
The Telegraph has reported that Android Pay, Google’s equivalent payment system to Apple Pay, has got the green light and is going live in the UK later this month.
Android Pay will start to accelerate mobile payments from smartphones and remove Apple’s exclusivity with its Apple Pay. Samsung has also stated that its own mobile payments version is to launch in the UK sometime in 2016.
The whole idea of a mobile payment system is simplicity but it looks like everyone will want a slice of the action, so expect more companies to start to want to offer their own take on mobile payments.
Now if you have an android phone, you will need Android 4.3 as a minimum and NFC. Sadly NFC is excluded from many Chinese phones (not all) so it is worth checking if you have the minimum requirements. If you think you won’t be interested in using your phone to pay for goods, you will find this true at first. But 6 months later after using Apple Pay as often as possible, there is no way I would buy a phone that couldn’t support a mobile payment system.
Netatmo Welcome Indoor Camera for iOS & android – review – Updated 4 months later
Welcome to my review of the Netatmo Welcome Indoor Camera.
The Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera unique selling point is its ability to recognise faces and then send you notifications to your phone.
See video from Netatmo below showing this in action.
The Key Specifications
– Dimensions – 45x45x155mm
– In the Box – 1 x Welcome camera, 1 x USB cable, 1 x power adapter, 1 x 8GB micro SD card
– Build – Single piece of durable aluminium shell, Matte black plastic piece infrared transparent.
– Hardware Requirements – High-speed Internet connection needed, Public hotspots not supported.
– Connectivity Specifications – Ethernet RJ-45 port: 10/100 Mbits, Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4G)
– Camera – Video sensor: 4MP, Resolution: Up to 1920×1080
– Minimum iOS 8 for iPhone / iPad, Android 4.3 minimum
– Browser Support – Webapp available for the two latest versions of: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer
– Monthly Costs – Nil, Free to Use, App available on the App Store / Google Play.Free access to your camera online.
– Data Storage – MicroSD card up to 32GB (8GB class 10 MicroSD card included)
– Faces – Max 16 faces
The Hardware
The Netatmo Welcome camera is a lovely piece of hardware and doesn’t look like a typical camera. This means it gets blended into your environment without people gets paranoid they are being “watched”. In fact, you forget its actually there. On the rear there is an ethernet port, micro SD card slot and micro USB port. The front is minimalistic.
Background Notes for Review
Notes – I originally reviewed this after 3 weeks. Further down is my update after 4 months following a significant firmware update that added lots of new features which are documented along with a tip if you have dogs.
I have been using the Netatmo Welcome for 3 weeks now and overall have been pleased with its operation and results and intend to keep this indefinitely as my home connected security indoor camera. I also have several IP Cameras which were a total nightmare to setup and configure as remote access involved changing my home router configuration. I have now retired these. In terms of other connected devices, I have a Netatmo Urban Weather station which is coming up to 2 years old and a range of lights that are controlled from my iPhone and or Apple Watch. Due to protecting my own privacy, screen shots of the app in operation have been edited to remove views of my home.
The Initial Setup
Netatmo have made the first setup as simply as possible. I setup my Netatmo Welcome camera using my iPhone 6S Plus. I downloaded the Netatmo Welcome app from the Apple App Store and then followed the on screen setup instructions provided by the app. The app asks permissions to share Wi-Fi setup from your iPhone to the Welcome camera and literally within 5 minutes the camera is connected. Points to note. The Welcome camera only operates at 2.4G . Over the next 24 hours a new firmware arrived and got installed on the camera and the app showed me faces and asked me to identify who the respective people were. For each member of your house, a face profile gets created.
The Operation
The concept of the Netatmo Welcome camera is simple. It learns all the faces of people who live in your home/flat and then notifies you when somebody comes home and tells you who they are and also if somebody arrives who is not recognised. When movement is detected, it records a clip onto the micro SD card which can be streamed back on to your phone and or downloaded remotely to your phone as well. When at home you can also play back the recorded video clips.
Other options include a range of privacy and advanced security options. For example if your Netatmo password gets changed, or someone logs into your account you can receive an email. Netatmo will also block your account if there are too many failed attempts occur. In terms of learning faces, you can go into the app settings and speed up the learning process. You can also tell the system when the house is empty and adjust other settings as shown below.
Using the app on your phone is really easy. It shows a live view snapshot when you open the app. You can then hit the play icon to stream live video. Turning your phone landscape provides full screen playback and streaming. Scrolling the screen reveals details of who is at home and or when they were last seen. Scrolling the screen the other way reveals a list of when movement was detected. Tap on one notifications and you can watch or download the recorded movement. Now if your home is broken into and someone steals your camera, you will get a notification that Welcome was switched off. The person cannot access your data and videos without your Netatmo account details. However, this also means if the camera is never recovered, you cannot view the videos stored on the camera either. However, if you sign into My Netatmo on the web you will be able to see a screen shot of each video before it started the recording of the motion.
The video quality is excellent and the camera switches to night mode which provides clear images and video as well.
As I have mentioned I have had the Netatmo Welcome indoor camera for 3 weeks now. In that time, the camera has come offline about 4 times for no apparent reasons and then reconnected a few hours later. I don’t know if its my broadband dropping although that wouldn’t surprise me as the connection does vanish occasionally. I have only had to pull the power cord out and replug back in to restart the camera just once when it became unresponsive. In terms of recognising faces this is now 90% accurate. I have relocated the camera several times to get a better position. To be honest, positioning is crucial. If the camera is recording motion to the micro SD card, it is not possible to see a live view until this has finished.
UPDATE – 4 months later, Netatmo released a major firmware update. This improved its performance and reliability but also added Dropbox support and tags. With Dropbox you can now upload video clips to the cloud instead of using the micro SD card.
Tags are waterproof sensors for doors and windows. Photo above is one of my tags. The Netatmo tags are superb as they detect the motion before the intrusion occurs. That is because they detect vibrations. The Tags’ have an integrated open/closed state sensor, so you can choose to be alerted if you have accidentally left a window or the garage door open. And then you can check directly on your smartphone if all windows are closed.
Tips – I have 3 labradors and the Welcome camera was recognising my dogs faces. So instead of telling the Welcome camera they were not faces, I did the opposite. So now it recognises my 3 labradors and that means I don’t get any false notifications about an unknown face.
The Special Stuff
The Netatmo Welcome camera supports third apps and that extends to IFTTT. This opens up a whole world of different sequences that can be achieved. See screen shot below.
You can also add Welcome tags to the system, sensors for doors and windows. The other aspect I like about the Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera is once bought, there are no other costs. Its free and it has no monthly charges either.
As I mentioned already, Netatmo allow you to sign into to your camera via a web browser which uses their web app. Using a web browser, if you have other Netatmo products, you can access all the different connected devices in one go.
Conclusion
The Netatmo Welcome Indoor camera recommended retail price is £199, although if you click the link below it is available for a lot less. It provides piece of mind with its face recognition and notifications with zero ongoing costs once purchased. Add to the fact it supports third party app integration and it becomes a decent investment. It also doesn’t look like a typical camera so blends into the home environment.
And now after using it for over 4 months the added new features of tags and Dropbox integration really add to its value.
Highly Recommended.
Info and Deals on the Netatmo Welcome Home Camera with Face Recognition
Apple versus the FBI – 1st March Court Date – Others Join the Battle – Updated
Apple vs FBI – The iPhone unlocking case is gathering pace with a hearing date set for 1st March 2016.
Now for the first time, other tech giants have stepped into the ring to officially say the will be supporting Apple and submitting legal briefs/documents to the courts in support of Apple.
The current companies who will legally be supporting Apple are –
– Microsoft
– Facebook
– Google
– Twitter
And I am sure more will follow. This is such an emotive case and yet at the same time a legal precedent too.
Updated – BlackBerry and Verizon have joined to support Apple.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 