Category Archives: Tech News

Windows Phone 8 YouTube App suffers again

In an annoying twist the latest update to the YouTube app for Windows Phone received an update. Except the app was not updated. It simply became a shortcut to the mobile web version.

Whilst there are excellent third party YouTube app alternatives on the Windows Phone store, it is crazy that Microsoft and Google cannot work in harmony. Clearly, Google feels the threat of Windows Phone is too great so is trying to hamper it.

Camera shootout Sony Xperia Z1 vs Nokia Lumia 1020 vs LG G2 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

Photography website dpreview.com has written a detailed piece covering the Z1, 1020, G2, S4 Zoom. If you were not sure what phone to get for the camera, be sure to check out the article.

Click here http://connect.dpreview.com/post/4485507296/shootout-sonyxperiaz1-vs-nokia1020-vs-lgg2-vs-samsunggalaxys4zoom

Sony QX10 and QX100 camera shootout plus update from Sony on software

At the weekend my wife and I took our iPhone 5S’s and the QX10 and QX100 with a tripod and tried to see who could take the better photos. We spend several hours taking photos and both lenses took excellent photos.

Shot below using the Sony QX100
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The 10x zoom on the QX10 did manage some amazing shots from far away and overall is a very versatile add on. But the QX100 is in a class of its own; the quality is so obviously superior.

Same mast, but zoomed in using the Sony QX10 below.
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To recap on my review and articles on the QX10 look here https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/?s=QX10&submit=Search

To compare photos from the QX10 and QX100 go to my Flickr – currently as of today’s date, the night shot is from the QX100, then the next 8 are from the QX10 and the following 8 on my photostream from the QX100. Click here http://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/

In case you read this a while later the Qx10 photos start from Vixen Tor Dartmoor v2 down to Brentor Church, then next 8 are QX100. Then follow pattern as per below for rest.

As a comparison after the QX100 shots on my photo stream, the next 2 are from the iPhone 5S. The following 2 of Exeter Cathedral again from the QX10, and the next 2 from the iPhone 5S.

The QX100 has incredible low light capabilities. This shot below was taken at night.
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Don’t forget all the enclosed shots in this article are not the full resolution. You need to go to my Flickr page to review the unedited full resolution shots.

Samsung releases its own dust and waterproof phone – The Samsung J

Samsung has released a high specification phone to take on the Sony Xperia Z and Z1 with the Galaxy J.

Galaxy J Specifications –

-5-inch FHD 1080p display (1020×1080)
-2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor
-2GB of RAM
-32GB of internal storage
-microSD card slot
-20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera
-2.2-megapixel front-facing camera
-NFC
-3,000mAh battery
-Dust- and water-resistant

The Galaxy J look identical to the Note 2. Only problem is that while it is dust and waterproof it does not look at sexy as the Sony Xperia Z1.

What if the next iPhone and rumoured iWatch were on one of the same thing?

The next iPhone, will undoubtedly feature a slightly different size to the 5S. Apple is rumoured to be launching its own take on the smart watch.

But what is both of the new items were actually one of the same thing? Flexible displays have been prototyped already, so why can’t the new iPhone actually bend around your wrist, display the time and notifications in this mode, and straighten out when off your wrist for normal phone/gaming use.

Now it may not be next year or even the year after, but I do think this solution is the future concept.

What do you believe will happen?

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 receives it first software update

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 received its first over-the-air software update.

It is only 30MB and promises improved stability.The update is currently rolling out to the region locked European version of the Galaxy Note 3, which has the SM-N9005 model number.

After the update the firmware version goes up to N9005XXUBMJ1. It also updates the handset’s baseband and kernel.

What’s new in Android KitKat – read on..

The next software release by Google is coming very soon and below is a list of the main improvements –

Google Wallet – options to manage payment options

Printing – settings support to configure the phone for use with printers.

Miracast – Miracast support will be a built-in, for easy to connection to wireless displays.

Photo editor – new options like a tilt-shift effect, integrated printing options now in the photo gallery, beyond just sending an image to a printer, it can also generate PDFs.

User Interface – there are few tweaks to the phone’s UI but mainly minor just to tidy the look up.

Google Apps – Drive, Keep and Quickoffice are likely to be inlcuded by default.

Software optimisations have been included with a number of bug fixes too.

iOS 7 Jailbreak looms closer – but why bother!

David Wang (planetbeing) posted to his Twitter account that all the needed pieces may finally have been discovered for a new jailbreak, meaning the evad3rs team are closer to an iOS 7 jailbreak.

But I have to ask everyone, why bother. iOS 7 addresses all the major weaknesses of earlier iOS versions, and surely jail breaking is now just an excuse for pirating apps and games.

So would you jail break your iOS 7 iPhone or iPad?

More and more bad news for BlackBerry

Last week I reported The Times Newspaper was pulling its app due to lack of demand. BlackBerry reported that handset sales have been falling due to lack of confidence in the company. Carriers have started to remove BlackBerry from their shelves. And in a recent regulatory filing BlackBerry said the following –

“the intense competition impacting the company’s financial and operational results that previously affected demand in the United States market is now being experienced globally, including in international markets where the company has historically experienced rapid growth.” The company blamed its decline in emerging markets on two old reliable standbys: The rise of super-cheap Android handsets and the lack of key mobile apps for its own BlackBerry 10 platform”

In fact BlackBerry cancelled its earnings call, saying it did not need to do one.

Says it all really. Sad times.