Category Archives: Tech News

UK Buyers less excited to buy the new iPhone 5S

Apple, Tech News

The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk, has reported that in a poll of 1,000 UK adults conducted by online survey company Usurv immediately after the iPhone launch event last night, only 31 per cent of existing iPhone users said they wanted the new Apple iPhone 5S.

This compares to 44 per cent of UK iPhone users who were willing to upgrade to the iPhone 5 directly after its launch last year.

Despite the iPhone 5S being revolutionary, I do think the economic conditions play a part in these figures.

And even though Apple’s shares dropped by over 5% yesterday following the launch, I still believe the new iPhones will sell like hotcakes. Plus there is the China market to add to Apple’s sales figures.

Quick First Impressions of the Sony Xperia Z1 with camera samples

Android, Tech News,

xperia-create-hero-920x800-f741eb37d88c84aa4829434e5ffc2b04

Yesterday, I had 10 minutes with the new Sony Xperia Z1. My first impressions were very pleasing. First it was comfortable to hold in my hand. The original Xperia Z was uncomfortable to hold. The Z1 has rounded edges and felt easy to grip. I compared its size to my LG Nexus 4. It was the same width and a cm shorter in height approximately. But with the power button half way down the right hand edge, using the Z1 was a breeze. The phone was super snappy. Everything just opened effortlessly and very quickly. I had a play with the camera and the full resolution shots are attached below. They might take a little while to appear as a result. If you use Superior Auto it shoots in 8mp. Manual allows the full 20.7mp. I also used the AR Camera mode and had fun with the dinosaurs. Strangely, the sweep panorama mode photos ended up being only 400kb in file size.

The next 3 photos are shot in Superior Auto mode at 8mp.

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And now at full 20.7mp resolution. So let me know what you think about the quality of the photos. No flash was used in any of the shots. Personally, I wasn’t convinced by the quality of these photos, despite being taken in tricky lighting conditions.
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Prepare to lose your fingers if you own an iPhone 5S

Apple, Tech News

During Apple’s keynote speech in which they announced the new iphones, I tweeted that now when you get mugged for your iPhone 5S with its fingerprint scanner, you will have your fingers chopped off.

Many people retweeted my tweet, probably thinking that it was a humourous tweet.

However, it actually is a factual statement. It is well known fact, that previous devices with a fingerprint scanner have left mugging victims minus their fingers.

So be prepared.

The good news, is that the scanner times out after 48 hours after which you will have to enter your password, hopefully reducing the need of losing your finger.

Apple details Fingerprint Sensor/Touch ID security, 48 hour wipe standard

Apple, Tech News

The Wall Street Journal confirmed some of the details surrounding the fingerprint sensor and Touch ID.  To use Touch ID, it is mandatory to also set up a passcode. This acts as a fallback in case the fingerprint sensor fails temporarily or experiences a permanent hardware fault. iOS may necessitate a passcode under some other conditions, as well.

Only that passcode (not a finger) can unlock the phone if the phone is rebooted or hasn’t been unlocked for 48 hours. This feature is meant to block hackers from stalling for time as they try to find a way to circumvent the fingerprint scanner.

By having the sensitive data expire fairly quickly, Apple is hoping that hackers will not have enough time to decrypt the data and have it still be useful. However, the time is long enough that it should not inconvenience users very often.

Apple says testing has shown that although the sensor is substantially better than fingerprint protection systems found in laptops, it will fail occasionally. In particular, Apple points out that moist fingers (such as sweat or residue from creams and lotions) do not work well with the device. The system may also have difficulty reading fingers that have scarred skin. However, as Touch ID can manage up to five fingerprint profiles at a time, Apple notes that customers can still take advantage of the feature by simply using a different finger for recognition.

I really like this new feature and think Apple made the technology useful and simple too.

My view of the new Apple iPhone line up

Android, Tech News

Yesterday, Apple announced the 5S, 5C and affirmed the 4S would be the current line up of iPhones for the next 12 months.

The Keynote speech was very slick, making the 5S seem state of the art. Faster processor and graphics, lead in turn to a much better camera and a fingerprint scanner that actually is useful instead of gimmicky. Combine this new hardware, plus a new colour gold, with iOS 7 and you have one very slick phone.

In a rather clever move, the current 5 was dropped and replaced by a polycarbonate plastic colour phone. This looks rather funky. It is amazing how Apple has seemingly made plastic cool! The old 4S provides a cheap way to jump on to the iPhone bandwagon.

Personally, I think the 5C will be the biggest seller by miles. I also believe the 5S is a notable upgrade on the hardware front and iOS 7 will make it a really beautiful phone. But it is expensive.

But, look carefully at the technical specs. The battery life on 3G networks and standby time really needs improving. Some people may squeal at the 4 inch screen and comment it is too small, but really what other phone provides such tight integration of hardware and software.

What surprised me about the keynote yesterday is the lack of detail on iOS 7. It features 96 new SKUs. New third party accessory support is significant. But hardly anything was mentioned. There are 200 new features on iOS 7 but only a sample were discussed. As they say, the devil is in the detail and I think only over time we will see what other new options appear.

Unlike previous times, I won’t be pre ordering the new iPhone or standing in a queue for hours. I accept the fingerprint scanner is a great idea, but I want real life proof of the camera quality. If the camera is significantly enhanced then I might consider the 5S.

But I am also going to check out the Note 3, Sony Z1 and Nokia Lumia 1020.

Now will you be buying a 5S or 5C? If the 5C, what colour and why? Or if you are not buying this, why?

Apple announces the iPhone 5S – details

Apple, Tech News, Uncategorized

iphone5s-selection-hero-2013

Apple, http://www.apple.com , launched yesterday iPhone 5S. This is the upgrade to the 5. New features include Touch ID. To improve security, Apple has implemented a fingerprint capacitive sensor directly into the home button, which allow you to use your fingerprint to unlock your phone.

The three official colors for the iPhone 5S are gold, silver, and a new space gray instead of black. The phone will contain the new A7 chip, the first 64-bit chip on a smartphone. iOS 7 will run 64-bit and 32-bit apps. The A7 chip will allow the CPU of the 5S to run up to 40 times as fast original iPhone and the graphics to run up to 56 times as fast. 5S will run Open GL|ES 3.0 too.

The M7 motion co-processor will works alongside the A7 chip measuring the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope. It will be able to tell your apps if you’re on the move on standing still. In terms of battery life: 10 hours for 3G talk time, LTE and Wi-Fi browsing, and video, and 250 hours for standby.

The iPhone 5S will have an improved iSight camera with a new, five-element Apple-designed lens. It has a 15% larger active area and bigger pixels in each photo. When you snap a photo, the 5S will actually take multiples and choose the best one while combining them all for light levels. The new flash will have two LEDs for differing circumstances. The camera can also capture Slo-Mo video at 120 FPS in 720p.Burst mode and a few other camera modes are available. Panoramic photos adjust for light exposure during capture too.

Available to order on Friday 20th September 2013.

Apple announces the new iPhone 5C

Apple, Tech News, Uncategorized

iphone5c-selection-hero-2013

In addition to the new iPhone 5S, Apple announced the original 5 would no longer be produced. Instead it was being replaced by the 5C. An iPhone available in colours blue, white, pink, yellow and green.

It features the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5 (full sRGB), plus an A6 processor, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a higher capacity battery, and an 8-megapixel, backside-illuminated camera with a 5-element lens. A new front-facing camera also promises better performance in low light.

The price point is slightly lower than the 5S, and clearly a focus of Apple.

Why I am considering the Samsung Note 3

Android, Tech News

I finally sold by old Samsung Note N7000. This was the original Note and despite being a bit slow versus processors of today, it still rocked. This wasn’t my main device, just a second hand 2 year old phone.

The Note 3 seems to take the previous 2 versions and fine tune the hardware and software. In addition, the new S View cover is also available in a qi wireless charging option. That ticks a major box of mine.

It is also features the latest and greatest hardware specification and android 4.3 out of the box. The internal memory is adequate and expandable for media with a micro SD card. In terms of longevity, Samsung will keep this updated for a good few years. If the battery fades, I can just pop a new one in.

It is a little big, but in terms of including everything it really does tick the boxes. Even having USB 3 will mean really fast charging.

My only concern is the high price at launch. So I might just wait a few months for it to settle down.

Are you ready for the Note 3 and what accessories would you get with it ?

The only other phones I am considering is the Nokia Lumia 1020. And that’s due to the camera. And then Sony launched the Z1 and the QX10 and QX100 lenses and I had more ideas…..

Sony QX10 and QX100 attachable lenses for android and iOS

Android, Apple, Tech News,

So there I was thinking about the Samsung Note 3, Nokia Lumia 1020 or Sony Xperia Z1 as my next phone and then Sony launches the QX10 and QX100 lenses.

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Sony DSC-QX100 £399

Works with any android or iOS  smartphone. Simply mount the smart lens to your phone or hold in your hand or attach to a tripod.

One touch connection with NFC. High-performance 1.0-type Exmor™ CMOS sensor with 20.2 effective megapixels, -F1.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens has a wide aperture to allow more light to enter the camera, for easy, creative effects.

Take complete control – use the functions on your smartphone’s touchscreen to compose and shoot, or use the control ring to manually fine-tune zoom and focus. Get close with 3.6x optical zoom – pull yourself closer to the scene and capture the long-distance shot you’re after. Optical SteadyShot reduces the effect of shaky hands for crisp, blur-free images.

Capture your own HD movies – thanks to the large CMOS sensor, the smart lens will shoot high-quality HD movies (30p) with low noise, even in the dark. Shoot fast, shoot clear – the high-speed BIONZ imaging processor powers rapid shooting for quick and clear results.

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Sony DSC-QX10 £179

Same idea as its big brother but a G lens with 10x optical zoom. Optical SteadyShot reduces the effect of shaky hands for crisp, blur-free photos and videos. An 18MP Exmor R™ CMOS sensor ensures crisp, detailed results in every frame.

No noise, just smooth images – back-illumination technology inside the sensor collects light more efficiently to ensure minimal levels of noise. Capture your own HD movies – thanks to the CMOS sensor, the smart lens will shoot high-quality HD movies (30p) with low noise, even in the dark. Shoot fast, shoot clear – the high-speed BIONZ imaging processor powers rapid shooting for quick and clear results.

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So with either one of these lenses I could attach these to my Nexus 4 and have a super HQ camera.

Also the lens has its own battery and memory card slot, so not drawing on my phones battery. The lenses can be used without the phone to.

So is this a great idea or a nutty one? Well it is in the top 3 at Amazon!