Samsung has announced that it has merged its wireless division with its camera division to help share idea, problems and resources. This makes total sense as phones steadily replace standalone cameras including DSLRs.
So let’s hope Sony follows suit. It makes great cameras, but it’s phones aren’t of the same level. For example the Z1 boasts a 20mp sensor, which when I reviewed did not produce consistent results.
2014-15 could produce some really exciting phones with terrific photo abilities.
Ofcom has confirmed calls to ‘Freephone’ numbers are to become free from mobile phones.
The telecoms regulator made the decision after finding consumers still have a poor awareness of the cost of calling numbers which are supposed to be free – typically those beginning with 0800, 0808 and 116.
While calls from a landline to these numbers are generally free, consumers who do not have access to a fixed line and rely on mobiles are deterred from using them, Ofcom said.
As well as ensuring that “Freephone will mean free”, Ofcom is capping premium rate charges for 09 numbers.
Confusion around 0845 numbers will also be addressed so that the cost of calling these numbers will be broken into access and service charges and become clearer.
Only one slight catch. The changes wont be implemented for another 18 months. Still, it’s about time too.
Rovio has just launched across android and iOS Angry Birds Go, it’s free go kart racing game, supplemented by in app purchases.
Rovio are trying to be honest (pull the other leg) by clearly stating there is in app purchases, a message to parents that the game has social networking links, advertising, product purchases and in app purchases. In fact seeing the warning made me think maybe this game won’t be ruined by in app purchases.
Sadly, it is another game totally ruined by in app purchases. The game loses all fluidity as your characters tire and need time (20 mins) to recharge. This time will increase the more you play the game. But don’t worry you can buy yourself out of this time and recharge straight away. But before you get to this point, you are asked if you want double points for life at £4.99. The cheapest option is £1.99 all the way up to £34.99. And then you go kart isn’t powerful enough. So guess what you can buy yourself out of trouble.
I would pay for this game outright but I won’t be caught playing a game with an unknown cost to finish.
Apple and Google should make developers state what the maximum or typical costs involved for the game. In fact Apple and Google should create a top ceiling allowed for all games. Except they won’t. As they both take a huge cut and make loads of money.
It’s odd that some of my best games on iOS are those before in app purchasing arrived. They are decent games I bought which dont suddenly stop and ask you to cough up more money to keep playing.
I will leave you with my lasting thought on Angry Birds Go. Red Bird is tired and needs a nap. He’s fed up racing down the same slope with marginally different challenges. The first 30 mins were fun but Red Bird is so tired, he has been obliterated off the iPhone!!
I just completed the game “Hidden Expedition : Amazon, and the following certificate appeared.
Yesterday, Pocket (read it later) sent me an email with the following –
Both certificates/awards are meaningless, but are clever marketing to make you come back or use the service again.
So have you received anything similar, and if so what?
I’ve had the Moga Ace Power game controller for the iPhone or iPod for several weeks and in that time I’ve got to appreciate its capabilities even more. I have a special folder on my iPhone called “Moga” which stores all my iOS games that work well with this controller.
So far I have the following 24 games installed that work a treat with the Moga –
Asterix
Aztec Antics
Bastion
Bike Baron
Dead Trigger 2
Death Worm
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD
Ice Rage
Lego Lord of the Rings
Lili
Limbo
Minigore 2
Muffin Knight
Neon Shadow
No Gravity
Oceanhorn
PAC-Man
Riptide GP2
Shantae Risky’s Revenge
Silverfish
Space Wars SE
Stormraiders
T.E.C. 3001
Strike Wings
Trouserheart
Whilst the size of the device with the iPhone placed in the middle is quite large overall, it does provide a very firm solid fit. The batteries seem to last for hours and hours. In fact the iPhone needs charging first, which can be done from the Moga itself.
Using the Moga Ace Power controller really adds to the engagement in the game and the overall enjoyment. It really is a pleasure to use and I thoroughly enjoy using it.
And in case anybody was thinking 24 games is a lot of games to have installed, I actually have another 109 games installed on my iPhone 5S.
Update – Angry Birds Go is compatible with the Moga Ace Power Controller.
Yesterday I wrote an article about the good service I received from Amazon. Reader, Mike Paterson replied as below with a great comment.
“There was once a jolly and loveable farmer who had a big and beautiful apple tree that bore the most profound bloom of spring flower and summer fruit.
No other tree in the vicinity could bear produce as beautiful and plentiful with a taste above all other apple.
The locals called on the farmer night and day to first admire and choose which Apple they desired before placing their orders for the scrumptious fruit.
They always commented everything the farmer did from first taking their order to coming round to their property and delivering the apple were exceptional.
He was quick and made sure each apple was wrapped individually to protect from bruising.
Everyone was very happy. “My our Farmer is a grand man. He provides a very fast exceptional delivery to us of such a lovely apple. He is indeed a very fine man”.
You see, the town itself was poor but rich in love. Everyone struggled to get by but they tried to help others not so fortunate.
Locals helped the orphanage and cared for those unwell.
Yes, they all gave a small donation of their hard earned money to help in looking after the unfortunate and needy.
However, it came to pass some time later the locals found out the farmer was not all that he seemed to be.
He would use every trick in the book to make sure he gave the least amount of money to those in need of help.
His greed to better his pocket was above the poor.
The locals were so outraged of his actions they stormed up to his farm and asked him why he would do such an unkind thing to those who could not defend or assist themselves.
In reply the farmer simply said “I have not done anything wrong. I have given money just like all of you”.
“But you could have given more” came back their reply.
The farmer looked at them all, with outstretched arms and a sorrowful face he told them “We all have to look after ourselves. I am only looking after my family just as each one of you do the same”.
However, by now the locals had realised, the farmer was not the same as the rest of the towns people.
Never again would they trust the farmer and never again would they buy his produce.
Huawei made a stir with the mid priced Ascend P6. I owned one briefly and reviewed it. Refer to review links for my thoughts above.
So it comes as no surprise that the Ascend P7 will be an improvement of the P6, with double the storage up from 8gb to 16GB of internal space along with a microSD card slot. The P7 will include LTE unlike the P6 which didn’t. It will have a 5-inch 1080p screen and 2460mAh battery. Huawei will once again focus on finish with a premium feel similar to the P6. The rear camera will be 13mp and 8mp for the front.
My immediate thoughts is battery. With a 1080p screen it’s not big enough for a power user. I imagine Huawei focused on thinness of practicality.
Next, I would want some reassurance that it won’t overheat with GPS and Bluetooth running at the same time, like the Ascend P6 did every time with me.
Instead of revealing everything about the Lumia 820 now, I am going to reveal all my actual untamed thoughts on this phone on Sunday night, within Episode 4 of a podcast I co-host every two weeks with David from UKMobileTech called Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast.
To subscribe click here for iTunes or copy and paste this link into your favourite podcast app.
So if you would like to have anything answered on the podcast this Sunday, please leave a note in the comments. This should be an interesting podcast as Dave and I are near the end of our Windows Phone 7 Day Challenge. This is where we ditched our sims out of our iPhones and into a Window Phone. I chose the Lumia 820 and Dave the Lumia 925. Thanks to @Nokia_Connects for use of the hardware.
Twitter user @evleaks, revealed another one of its classic leaks. This time the above phone is manufactured by Nokia, except this phone is running android. It is a fully functioning phone.
And sadly, it will never see the light of day. Rumour has it Nokia made this handset to force Microsoft’s hand and purchase their company. If this was the strategy, then it clearly worked. Clever idea too.
If you read my blog 5 days ago, Amazon were not in my good books.
In a nutshell, the package did get delivered, and to my utter surprise, a manager to call to explain what they had done and what was going to happen and by when. A friendly person too.
Move forward, and one of the items had to be returned from the order. This process was so simple. You log into your account. Select under order details the return box. Select you are happy to drop off at a Collect Plus (Spar supermarkets in my part of the world) and Amazon then takes you to a screen to print off the return label and label for placing inside the box.
I got my wife to take the box to the Spar supermarket yesterday. She texted me to say she had just dropped item off. The process in the Spar supermarket is simple. You go up to the counter, they scan the box and give you a receipt. 30 seconds flat, it’s all over.
So my wife has texted me, and less than 5-10mins later I had received an email from Amazon, who confirmed they had already processed the refund.
We may hate Amazon’s ethics and values, but the end user experience is second to none in this instance.
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