Archos is planning to launch a basic smartwatch in the summer for just $50.
It is going to look plastic and probably simple. Archos expect it to relay notifications from your phone and allow you to control music playback. The display will be a 1.55-inch non-capacitive e-ink screen.
But maybe this low price will help create a bigger market for such devices. I am still to be convinced by any watch as people just don’t wear one.
At the moment there is no secret formula as battery technology has not kept up with progress in other areas of smartphone development.
So basically if you want decent battery life you need to do what Huawei did with their new Ascend Mate 2 and stuck a 4,050maH battery inside. This was possible as the phone is a Phablet with a 6.1 inch screen. So it’s huge and therefore the profile can cope with such a big battery.
Huawei highlighted this point by saying the Mate 2 was capable of 2 days battery life. And it had a reverse charge feature allowing you to use the phone to charge other phones eg iPhones.
So if you have a phone with a battery that doesn’t last through the day, yes you can turn off syncing, wifi , Bluetooth , GPS and background tasks or location services or more. But in reality you should I get a phone that does last long enough or carry a portable battery charger with you.
Tesco’s £120 Hudl Tablet sales of 400,000 in 2013 proves there is a market for a low cost tablet.
More striking is 100,000 shifted during December 2013 alone.
Intel took the wraps off an always-on smart headset, Jarvis, which integrates with existing personal assistant technologies. It works like Apple’s Siri — but you simply plug in the headset and speak to it, without having to pick up or even touch your phone. it is a “seamless, no buttons, always listening.”
Intel also announced smart earbuds — which has biometric and fitness capabilities. Sensors that measure your heartrate are built into the earbuds, which get their power from the microphone jack in your smartphone, so all you need on your run is your mobile device with the app loaded onto it, and a pair of smart earbuds.
One feature I like with the Note 3 is one handed use. Ideal when out and about and works really well.
First the keyboard can be shrunk for left or right handed use.
Then the phone dialer can be made smaller..
And if you really want extreme one handed use you can shrink the whole page. You can move the screen around and it comes complete with all the menu options.
Rather neat touches. The keyboard is especially handy when out and about in one handed mode.
The Lumia Black software update is rolling out for Nokia Lumia WP8 owners around the world from today.
The update brings new features, improvements in imaging, new apps and app updates from Microsoft and Nokia to make the Lumia smartphone experience even better.
The main features brought along with the update from Nokia include:
App Folder. This brand new feature makes your Lumia experience even more fluid by giving you an option to further personalize and organize your Start screen. With App folders you can group similar apps and settings into one folder, a tile, on your Start screen.
Nokia Glance screen 2.0. Helps you keep track of information in real time, making all your most important notifications including: phone, messages, email, outlook, calendar, or any apps that use notifications such as Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, or games; always visible at a glance on your screen. It saves time and energy.
Bluetooth LE. Will now be enabled across the full Windows Phone 8 Lumia range for compatible gadgets like the Adidas MiCoach accessories.
Nokia Refocus. The amazing Nokia Refocus comes to all Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones with 1GB of RAM and upwards.
Nokia Beamer. Sharing what’s on your phone is easier than ever with Nokia Beamer. You can now beam documents, presentations, anything you like, to any HTML5-enabled screen by simply scanning a QR code on the screen. It’s coming to all of the phones with 1GB RAM upwards.
Nokia Storyteller. The app arranges your photos for you, by date and by place, making it easier to tell the stories behind your pictures, and give extra context through the close integration of interactive maps.
Nokia Camera. Combines Nokia Pro Camera and Smart Camera to simplify the photo-taking experience, and ensure you get the perfect shot every time. The app has been available for Lumia PureView smartphones since last year, but it’s now coming to the rest of the WP8 Lumia range. The latest Nokia Camera update also bringsraw DNG support for Lumia 1020 owners.
Latest generation of imaging algorithms. The Lumia Black update further improves the image quality, especially in Lumia 1020. Among others, the improvements include a new oversampling algorithm, making your images more natural looking with reduced noise, while ensuring your photos remain wonderfully sharp.
The Lumia Black update also brings a series of enhancements from Microsoft to Nokia Lumia smartphones. These include safe driving mode – which cuts out unnecessary distractions when you’re on the road; customised ringtones for each contact. You can now also close apps within the in multitasking view and lock the screen rotation if you wish.
Timings: The Lumia Black update has begun rolling out today for Lumia 1020 and Lumia 925 smartphones, with other models in the rangefollowing in the coming weeks.
How to update: Nokia Lumia smartphones automatically check for updates every week, and will notify people when it finds one. Otherwise check by going to Settings -> Phone update – it downloads and installs straight from that screen.
CES has just ended and next month is Mobile World Congress. Lots of new mobile tech will get announced there but Samsung will hold its own press event for the new Samsung Galaxy S5 after this show has finished.
During CES 2014, Samsung spoke to Bloomberg and confirmed that Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy S5 to return to the basics and provide a big update from last year’s S4.
This will include everything from the feel and comfort in the hand to a fresh new software launcher details of which were posted here a few days ago. The S5 will also have the option of a new more advanced and slimmer Galaxy Gear smartwatch.
Moving on to the Galaxy Note 4, Samsung plans to make a phone that targets professionals that are willing to pay more for it, (no surprises here) and that is not just a bigger phone but with extra benefits. This could include a different fabric of construction too and a 3 sided display option.
I received the official Samsung S-View Premium case at the weekend. This is the case that allows you to see and control a limited amount of actions on the Note 3 via the square clear window in the flip cover. It is very expensive at £34 approximately.
The case provides options on the colour of the window background. You have the option to see the time and missed notifications, walking steps, weather and sliding across the camera, music and action notes, without actually opening the flip cover. And that is it.
What you lose is the quick glance screen and the Watch On remote widget on the lock screen, which I have found more useful. Also the rear of this case replaces the current back cover. A good idea except its thicker than what it replaces. You can use the stylus on the cover window which is something. The camera function is weird. It takes a picture just fine but it is only a small square, similar size to the case window and not a full width shot. Another odd decision by Samsung IMO.
Some people will like this case, but for me it didn’t add any real advantages with the quick access information and in fact took away some functionality for me.
If you have read my earlier reviews on the Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020 you will be familiar with all the camera options. In essence, the 1520 is a 20mp Carl Zeiss lens with optical image stabilisation and 2 x lossless zoom. It has many pro camera settings for some great artistic tricks. But most people are just going to hit the shutter button or on screen button. Yes, unlike other phones, the Lumia range do have a dedicated camera hardware button on the edge.
So I really wanted to test the optical image stabilisation and quality of the end results. So let’s set the scene. At 3am thunderstorms and gales arrived. At midday, it was just high winds with a piercing cold wind too. My eyes were watering from the cold, and I could hardly stand still as the wind kept moving me all over the place. As a comparison I took with me the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, but due to the wind all of the photos ended up being blurred.
First up the war memorial in Princetown, Dartmoor, Devon. The accuracy of the colours is phenomenal.
Next is the Dartmoor Visitor Centre. Most phones would struggle to capture the whole building and lamppost.
Next up is the view over to Dartmoor Prison, a famous Victorian prison. What’s great about this shot is once again the amount captured in the frame, but also the clarity of the church in the distance.
And finally, I took this exposed to the wind with the 1520 actually shaking as I couldn’t hold it still enough. The optical image stabilisation worked a treat.
Bear in mind the above are only the 5mp versions of the shot. The 1520 actually saves a hi resolution pureview shot at 20mp as well. With this you can use this to undertake some pro editing. Or using the Nokia Pro Cam camera app, reframe the shot you just took to create a different view. You can the save this and go back again into the original hi-res shot and repeat as often as you like.
Having used both the 1020 and now the 1520, I would personally choose the 1520. It has a faster processor and this is evident in shot to shot times being near instant.
If you would like one of these phones or something else head over to Clove Technology who will be happy to help you.
Reuters reported that Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos was airlifted from a cruise ship by the Ecuadorian Navy after suffering a kidney stone attack on January 1, according to the website Galapagos Digital.
The website, citing Ecuadorian newspapers and blogs such as El Universo and El Comercio, said Bezos was flown by helicopter to his private jet on Baltra Island.
This was kept very quiet, lets hope all is ok with Mr Bezos.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 