Category Archives: Windows

Window 8.1 Phone Owners seen running for the hills

Window 8.1 Phone Owners have something to be happy about. In fact, probably expect to see them running for the hills, across fields and along parks and pathways.

Why? FitBit app for Microsoft’s mobile operating system has arrived after being available on other platforms for years. I’m being a bit cruel here but its factually true nonetheless.

The app allows users to wirelessly sync data with the FitBit Flex and FitBit One.

The FitBit app, already available on iOS and Android, allows users to view real time and historical activity data, while also logging their food intake from a possible 350,000 items.

Windows Phone Smartphone owners will need Windows Phone 8.1 as well as the new Lumia Cyan update to make use of the FitBit app.

Updates on upcoming reviews

A few weeks ago I mentioned that there were several new reviews to land on Gavins Gadgets.

The LG G3 is well underway and further posts will appear shortly. In addition the LG G3 QuickCircle and Slim Guard case reviews will be up hopefully over the weekend or early next week. The Premium Hard case review is already live.

The AKG K845 Bluetooth headphone review should be live by the end of next week.

So folks, is there a handset you would like me to review next? If so, let me know in the comments.

Super Camera Shootout – Updated – Now with 21 Smartphones

Not sure about which phone or brand takes the best photos, then have a look at this super sized collection of photos from all the best smartphones and some budget phones as a comparison.

LG G3 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157645618979801/

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644532639249/

HTC One M8 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157643265004874/

Samsung S5 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157643875623354/

Sony Xperia Z2 – https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/sony-xperia-z2-second-impressions-part-2/

Samsung Note 3 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644034132513/

Samsung S4 Zoom – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039495565/

LG G Flex – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644114354349/

Apple iPhone 5S – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035336913/

LG Nexus 4 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039660933/

Sony Z1 Compact Z1 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644028694521/

Sony Xperia Z1 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039246935/

Sony Z Ultra – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644083052095/

Sony QX100 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035811453/

Sony QX10 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035335185/

HTC One M7 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039700054/

Huawei Ascend P6 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644028833151/

Nokia Lumia 1520 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035105534/

Nokia Lumia 1020 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035516523/

Nokia Lumia 925 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157634991010769/

Nokia Lumia 620 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644083348093/

To see the sets in one indexed page click here – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/ – note only the Sony Xperia Z2 is not shown on Flickr

Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast – Episode 20 is now live – Please RT

As you know, I co-host a weekly podcast with David from UKMobileTech called Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast. It is a light hearted tech podcast broadcast bi-weekly. To subscribe click here for iTunes or copy and paste this link into your favourite podcast app.

Episode 20, is now live for your listening pleasure.

And in other Microsoft news – Microsoft about to announce huge staff layoffs

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is planning its biggest round of job cuts in five years, as the software maker looks to slim down and integrate Nokia Oyj’s handset unit, people with knowledge of the company’s plans said.

Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in an interview last week that he has preparing to make sweeping changes at Microsoft. The reductions will probably be in engineering, marketing and areas of overlap with Nokia, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t public.

The restructuring — which may be unveiled as soon as this week — may end up being the biggest in Microsoft history, topping the 5,800 jobs cut in 2009, two of the people said. Some details are still being worked out, two of the people said.

Nadella, who took over from Steve Ballmer in February, said in the interview that Microsoft would have to become more focused and efficient. The CEO issued his first company mission statement last week, calling for greater emphasis on mobile devices, cloud-computing and productivity software as consumers and businesses buy fewer personal computers to check e-mail, browse the Web and access data and software.

Not unexpected, but a real shame for the individual people who might be impacted.

Source: Microsoft Corp. via Bloomberg.com.

Upodate via Reuters –

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp is planning to cut 1,000 jobs in Finland from its mobile phone unit, a Finnish daily said on Wednesday, quoting anonymous sources.

Microsoft announces Lumia Cyan software update roll out – full info

Microsoft Devices today announces that the Lumia Cyan software update will start rolling out to Nokia Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8 today. Lumia Cyan brings the latest Windows Phone 8.1 features and unique Lumia experiences to your existing Windows Phone 8 smartphone.

THE LATEST WINDOWS PHONE 8.1 FEATURES COMING TO YOUR LUMIA INCLUDE:
· Cortana. The world’s first virtual personal assistant built around you. Available first in the U.S.
· Third column of Live Tiles on the Start Screen. Make your Start screen as unique as you are with three columns of customized tiles and a start background picture to shine through your system tiles.
· Action Center. One swipe takes you to your settings and notifications.
· WordFlow Keyboard. Glide your finger over this super-fast and intuitive smartphone keyboard to save time and effort.
· Business support. Work made easy on the only smartphone that has Office for Windows Phone built in so that you can access, edit, and share documents with anyone. New enterprise features make work safe and easier to access.

UNIQUE LUMIA EXPERIENCES TAKE YOUR SMARTPHONE TO THE NEXT LEVEL:
· Enhanced Nokia Camera and renewed Camera Roll. Access your images, image editing and sharing even quicker directly from the camera. Reframe and zoom in high resolution directly in Camera Roll.
· Updated Storyteller app and Living Images. Share your Storyteller stories on your favorite social network with an automatically created video of your best memories with background music. Living Images bring your still photos to live on your Lumia Icon and Lumia 1520.
· Install apps to MicroSD memory card. You can now free up space on your Lumia by moving apps to the memory card.
· Rich Recording with Surround Sound. With Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon, you can capture and relive immersive video in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 sound that is more true-to-life than ever before.
· Nokia Device Hub. Manage all your accessories in an easy and fun way.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF IMAGE AND VIDEO EDITING APPS:
Apps like Adobe Photoshop Express and Creative Studio make image post-editing even easier and richer, while Microsoft’s latest app Video Tuner delivers a leading experience for editing videos on a smartphone.
Available exclusively for Windows Phone 8.1, Video Tuner is a new and differentiated app that allows users to quickly edit and share high quality videos straight from their Lumia. With a range of tools to crop, rotate, flip, mirror and change videos’ speed; adjust volume and music; apply fun filters, effects, and more – pumping out amazing videos to share on social networks, OneDrive or with friends and family has never been easier.

TIMINGS
The Lumia Cyan update will be rolling out to Lumia devices running on Windows Phone 8 as of today and is expected to become available for the full range in the coming weeks.

HOW TO UPDATE
Your Lumia smartphone automatically checks for updates every week, and will notify you when it finds one. Available updates can also be manually checked by going to Settings -> Phone update. The update can be downloaded and installed straight from that screen.

WOW – 20 SMARTPHONE CAMERA SHOOTOUT – iPhone 5S, LG G3, HTC One M8, SAMSUNG S5, K Zoom & Note 3, SONY, NOKIA, NEXUS & HUAWEI

Not sure about which phone or brand takes the best photos, then have a look at this super sized collection of photos from all the best and latest smartphones and some budget phones as a comparison.

LG G3 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157645618979801/

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644532639249/

HTC One M8 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157643265004874/

HTC One M7 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039700054/

Samsung S5 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157643875623354/

Samsung Note 3 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644034132513/

LG G Flex – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644114354349/

Samsung S4 Zoom – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039495565/

Apple iPhone 5S – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035336913/

LG Nexus 4 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039660933/

Sony Z1 Compact Z1 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644028694521/

Sony Xperia Z1 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644039246935/

Sony Z Ultra – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644083052095/

Sony QX100 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035811453/

Sony QX10 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035335185/

Huawei Ascend P6 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644028833151/

Nokia Lumia 1520 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035105534/

Nokia Lumia 1020 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644035516523/

Nokia Lumia 925 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157634991010769/

Nokia Lumia 620 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/72157644083348093/

To see the sets in one indexed page click here – https://www.flickr.com/photos/gavinfabl100/sets/

So which phone is your winner?

Nokia’s new flagship is very aggressively priced – Lumia 930 details

Clove Technology. are offering the new Nokia Lumia at an incredible SIM free price of £435 inclusive of VAT.

In addition you also get the following-

From the 17th until the 31st July 2014 any Nokia Lumia 930 purchased will include*:

1 x DC-50 wireless charger plate(2400mAh battery & wireless charger in one)
1 x MD-12 wireless speaker
1 x £20 voucher for free apps from the Windows store

Altogether, this promotional offer is worth around £130 RRP.

So long as you can live with Windows 8.1 then this is a great phone.

LG G3, G Watch and Samsung Galaxy K Zoom updates

This Sunday, Dave Rich from UKMobileTech and I, record the next episode of “Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast”  , available on all decent podcast apps and iTunes or directly at http://www.gdtpodcast.com.

Tune in for the latest on the above 3 devices, has one or more been sent to the archives. Or is it heaven in earth?

Plus all the latest tech news from Android, Blackberry, Apple and Windows.