Category Archives: Jan 2013

Bluetooth iPad Mini Keyboard & Case Review

Recently I received a Bluetooth iPad Mini Keyboard which also acts as a cover/case for the iPad Mini.

I was very curious as to how good it would be both as a keyboard and as a case. The first thing I did was unbox the keyboard. Inside there is a very clear and well written English instruction leaflet and a micro usb cable. The keyboard features bluetooth v3, designed to allow the Mini to rest upright and then close up as a case/cover, a home button, sleep mode, 60 day standby time, 55 hours uninterrupted working time and dust and waterproof resistant.

Pairing with the iPad Mini was a breeze. Turn on the bluetooth in the iPad Mini’s settings. Turn on the keyboard and hit connect. On the iPad select the keyboard and then type the pairing number on the keyboard that appears on the iPad screen, followed by enter. And that is it.

The keyboard has a home button, long pressing activates Siri. A quick double tap of the home button brings up the multitasking. The on screen keyboard automatically disappears, but you can bring this back up by pressing the dedicated keyboard button. Typing at first feels a bit cramped and I kept missing the shift key on the right hand side of the keyboard. Auto correction and capitalisation doesn’t happen automatically. However, with more usage my speed increased. In terms of design it is great for holding the Mini in an upright position, and I like how it then doubles up as a case. Photos as below. To protect the back of the Mini being scratched, I have a vinyl carbon cover attached.

Overall an average solution, but the keyboard keys are too squashed together for quick typing. It is not as quick as the on screen keyboard either, nor is it quick as a full size keyboard. Otherwise it works as described.

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Blackberry BB10 Apps

With Blackberry BB10 about to explode on to the mobile scene one question in most people’s mind would be about the apps. Will BB10 be able to compete with other operating systems and their respective app stores.

Well the good news is that Blackberry held an event offering cash and hardware incentives to developers. This translated in to 15,000 apps being submitted over a period of 37 hours !

That’s a good start.

So What was Eric Schmidt doing in North Korea

Recently Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt was seen touring North Korea. But why?

Whilst many might start conjuring up conspiracy stories, I just reckon it was simply a PR exercise to improve relations between Google and North Korea.

Of course, business would be on the table too. Perhaps Google trying to offer more of its services without restrictions. Hopefully we will find out soon.

Do you have any thoughts?

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PC Sales Hit – Gartner

Gartner has just released new research showing that worldwide PC shipments totaled 90.3 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012, a 4.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2011, caused mainly by tablets.

Gartner added that people feel much less impetus to replace their PCs if they have tablets they can use for basic functions such as reading the news and watching videos.

Gartner said the launch of Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows 8 did not have a significant impact on PC shipments in the fourth quarter, although the firm expects that Windows 8 PC sales will improve as OEMs release top-tier touch screen computers throughout 2013.

Gartner said that HP (HPQ) retained its top spot in the PC market with a 15.5% share despite seeing its overall sales drop by 0.5% year-over-year. Lenovo came in second with a 13.6% share and was the only major PC vendor to see its total sales significantly grow from the previous year. Dell (DELL) saw its PC sales shrink by 20.9% year-over-year while Acer’s (2353) sales declined by more than 11%.

Nike+ Running App on Android platform now

Nike+ Running App has now been made available on the Google Play store. It still doesn’t compete with the iPhone offering, since with the iPhone you get the Nike+ iPod app which is activated from the settings app. This is then paired with a Nike shoe sensor for more accurate measurements. The features of the android versions are –

Map your runs, track your progress and get the motivation you need to reach your goals. No sensor or additional products needed, just grab your phone and go.
– From the trail to the treadmill, your phone’s GPS and accelerometer accurately record your distance, pace, and time. In-run audio feedback lets you know these metrics at every mile, so you can stay focused on your run.
– Get in-ear cheers from your friends on Facebook when you broadcast that you’ve started a run. Tag the friends you ran with and share a map of your route with friends and family.
– Have a song that gets you pumped? Set up PowerSongs to give yourself a boost with the tap of a button.
– Our Run Summary makes it easy to view your route and track how you felt, the terrain you tackled, and the weather you endured.
– Rotate your phone while viewing the Run Summary to see the breakdown of your run into mile splits.
– See how your last run stacks up against your previous seven, and get fresh insights based on your latest activity every time you come back to the app.
– Swipe upwards on the Home Screen to view your next moves. From picking your PowerSongs to challenging one of your personal bests, there’s always something to make your running experience better than before.
– Visualize all your runs side-by-side and see your progress in a bar graph history view.
– Syncing your run to the Nikeplus.com website allows you to view your maps on a larger screen, set a new goal, and find Nike+ Top Routes in your area. Check it out.
– There’s even shoe tagging. Type in the name of your running shoes to track the distance they’re logging and see when it’s time to lace up a new pair. You’re never done running, but your shoes might be.
– Need extra motivation? Add a widget to your phone’s home screen to show when you ran last, display your total mileage, and for even quicker access into a run.
– Some features such as Share Run and Cheer Me On require users to be connected to a wireless network for full functionality. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background could dramatically decrease battery life.

* Motorola Droid2 Global
* HTC ThunderBolt
* HTC Incredible2
* Samsung Fascinate
* HTC My Touch 4G Slide
* Samsung Galaxy Nexus
* Samsung Galaxy S III

Nike+ Running Devices NOT Supported
* All Sony Ericsson Xperia devices
* Motorola Atrix devices

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Asus Nexus 7 undercut by Asus Mebo $149 tablet

Asus has announced the MeBo tablet to take on itself, with its own Nexus 7.

The MeMO Pad is running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with a low 1024×600 resolution. It’s powered by a VIA WM8950 processor running at 1 GHz, paired with a Mali-400 GPU. It’s got 1GB of RAM, and either 8GB or 16GB or on-board storage, with a microSD slot for good measure. Plus you get 5GB of free online storage from ASUS.

So it’s an even more compromised device than the Nexus 7. I just don’t get these cheaper tablets. They provide a poorer user experience too. It won’t be long before we will see either a $50 tablet or Amazon giving them away totally free. Do these cheaper tablets get people on board with the tablet revolution or do they destroy the high spec offerings? All it seems it all about the price on this one.

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Apple cuts iPhone 5 component orders in half

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has slashed it’s component orders in half due to weak demand for the iPhone 5.

I for one am not convinced the iPhone 5 is not selling. I’m sure it is but there is more competition from Samsung, Google, Sony, HTC, Nokia and others.

Either Apple ordered too much to ensure demand was met at Xmas or its just on a natural curve downwards as initial excitement and sales peaks have been accomplished.

The other option is the iPhone is moving towards a 6 monthly refresh cycle and maybe a newer screen size or alternative screen size.

When Apple releases its sales data all will be revealed. So what do you think?