Category Archives: Tech News

Your advice is required – name an app that creates video highlights like the HTC One

Android, Tech News, Windows,

One of the coolest features of the HTC One is video highlights.

Lets say you go to the zoo with your friends or kids. You film some video, take photos. That event now has a 30 second video highlight automatically created by the HTC One. You can remove some of the photos you don’t like, change the random order and select from a dozen different themes that change the music and effects. And it’s all instant.

If you don’t know what I mean, see below. This was created using a few photos of my dogs George and Fury.

So do any of you know of a third party app that can create something similar on android and or windows phone 8?

Nokia Lumia 1020 Leather Case – its beautiful

Tech News, Windows

Nokia-Leather-Case

WP Central showed the new Nokia designed case for the upcoming Nokia Lumia 1020 41mp camera. Its a lovely leather case, providing a cover for the lens. The only issue I can see with the case is the ability to attach the camera battery grip pack. Otherwise, it looks the business.

Do you agree?

Internet Fraud is escalating

Tech News,

The Telegraph reported that were behind 1,212 online dating scams last year which ask for money, citing a variety of emotive reasons.

There were also 45,114 fraud offences connected to online shopping and auctions, such as people falsely selling goods they then never send or people obtained goods they never pay for.

The growing problem has emerged from the Government’s new Action Fraud reporting centre, which received 116,300 reported offence last year.

The crimes contributed to a 27 per cent rise in overall fraud offences to 229,018, according to the Office for National Statistics.

In addition identity fraud is on the up. So make sure you have different smart passwords for every service and that you change them every 30 days.

Sony planning 20mp clip on lens for its smartphones

Android, Tech News,

Sony is rumoured to be developing a 20.2-megapixel Exmor RS camera with a Carl Zeiss lens that uses your smartphone’s display as its viewfinder. The same sensor as the Sony RX100 II.

The clip on lens has a built-in battery, Wi-Fi, and NFC, and it sticks to the back of your smartphone.

If this is true, it’s rather a bizarre way of taking photos. Plus you would have to carry a bulky lens everywhere.

Personally, I would rather have the Samsung S4 Zoom or Nokia Lumia 1020.

Nokia updating its Lumia Windows Mobile devices

Tech News, Windows

Nokia is issuing a software update to its range of Lumia Windows Phone 8 devices. This will include Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy support for fitness devices like Fitbit and new Nokia accessories. Nokia is planning to update the Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620, and 520 devices.

Nokia is also updating a number of its apps.

This update has started to be rolled out, so you should receive it soon.

Did you know only one company makes HQ camera sensors – details

Tech News

At the moment, every smartphone with a decent camera is actually manufactured by Sony. So all those 8 and 13mp affairs seen in the Samsung S4 or iPhone 5 are from Sony. Of course, there are cheaper sensors available but the quality is poor. The only exception is Nokia and it’s 41mp camera.

Well Sony is about to get some competition. Samsung and Toshiba have decided that they are going to start to build their own HQ sensors. This should help reduce costs too.

Lets hope competition creates better quality and not just cheaper priced components.

Google and Microsoft shares tumble

Android, Tech News, ,

Google and Microsoft missed their earnings expectations for the second quarter.

Google reported profits of $9.7bn (£6.4bn), up 16% from a year ago but less than analysts were expecting.

Microsoft made $4.5bn in the second quarter, but announced that it would take a $900m charge relating to poor sales of its Surface tablet.

Shares in both  fell by more than 4% in after-hours trading.

Analysts seem to make or break a company nowadays, and yet they have no commercial input in the companies operation.

HTC One Mini becomes official – info

Android, Tech News

image

HTC has just announced the HTC One Mini. A baby version of the HTC One.

It features a 4.3-inch, 720p display, PPI rating of 341, measures 132 x 63.2 x 9.25mm and 122g. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.4GHz,  1GB of RAM, internal storage 16GB, Ultrapixel camera,  BoomSound speakers 1,800mAh battery,Android 4.2.2 with HTC Sense. Available in Glacial Silver and Stealth Black.

Likely to ship around August for £399 or under.

Battery woes with the HTC One 4.2.2 update – are you affected?

Android, Tech News

On Monday, I updated my HTC One to the official 4.2.2 update over the air. I have noticed that the battery consumption is considerably faster than previously before.

It is likely that after a new update, the battery needs a few weeks to settle down, but my drainage is twice as fast as previously.

I would be curious to know if you are affected and how many apps/games you have installed? I have a total of 80 apps.