Category Archives: Windows

Back with the Nokia Lumia 925

Tech News, Windows,

After the screen starting failing on the Samsung Galaxy S4, I decided to have another go at using the Nokia Lumia 925. I really liked it when Nokia kindly sent it on loan previously, so the other day a Lumia 925 arrived in the post.

Some of the features I liked was the Windows Phone 8 interface with live tiles, the fantastic camera and just the way it looks and feels.

So yesterday, I fired up Nokia Navigation and used it all during the day to drive me to destinations I knew really well, just to test the accuracy of the software. Firstly, I was able to download the map of England before I left home, meaning no data charges for downloading the map data as required by Google Maps. In addition, if the reception failed, the navigation would still continue. I also connected the Lumia 925 to my car’s bluetooth. While Nokia Maps was directing me, I streamed Nokia Music. The sound quality was excellent, even better than that of the HTC One.

Later on in the evening, I installed a number of apps and games from HD Photo Viewer, Nextgen Reader, Twabbit and many many more. Twabbit is an excellent twitter app. I then customised my live tiles, and I have everything showing from F1 news, my blog, weather, email, social updates and more.

I am finding gaps in the apps, so this means I have to find other ways of doing things. This works fine most of the time. Except Dropbox support would be helpful. And occasionally, the apps actually work and look better than android and iOS. But there are missing gaps in the app, and I don’t meant instagram.

Let’s see how tomorrow goes.

Nokia Lumia 925 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 – camera shots

Android, Tech News, Windows,

I am just going to say that the Lumia 925 is so superior to the S4 it’s embarrassing at times.

Below is a photo from the S4.

image

And standing in the same spot,  the same shot from the Lumia 925.

image

Apart from the more accurate colours on the Lumia 925,  it also captures  more of the building. It was impossible to step back any further with the S4.

The photo below was not possible with the Samsung S4. The S4 couldn’t capture the entire scene.

image

So if you want a phone with a good camera the Lumia 925 is the way to go.

Where is the 5 inch screen iPhone?

Android, Apple, Tech News, Windows,

The iPhone is now has a 4 inch screen. Will Apple release a larger screen like many of the flagship android phones. Well if you look at AT&T stats,  this may be a long wait.

Back in January of 2013, 9 out of 10 customers on AT&T chose the 3.5 or 4-inch iPhone over all other smartphones, including all bigger smartphones, combined. 6 out of 10 customers on Verizon did likewise. In the last quarter, reported in July of 2013, more than 5 out of 10 customers on both AT&T and Verizon still chose the 3.5 or 4-inch iPhone over all other smartphones, despite the iPhone 5 being halfway through its product cycle, and the presence of newer, bigger rivals like the enormous Samsung Galaxy S4 and the gorgeous HTC One, as well as various other, larger Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phones.

I really think Samsung, Sony or HTC need a mini version that has proper specifications and not scaled down specifications.  Or maybe they just can’t build a phone that small with all the features like Apple does?

Google Shuts Down Microsoft YouTube App, Again

Android, Tech News, Windows, ,

The Microsoft built YouTube app for Windows phones, shut down by Google in May and re-introduced by Microsoft this week, has been shut down by Google again.

A YouTube spokesperson says “Microsoft has not made the browser upgrades necessary to enable a fully-featured YouTube experience, and has instead re-released a YouTube app that violates our Terms of Service.”

Clearly no love lost between these two companies.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom versus Nokia Lumia 925 – photo comparison

Android, Reviews, Tech News, Windows, ,

Firstly, the Lumia 925 does not have an optical zoom, so zoomed photos will be difficult to compete with. So with this in mind, I took the same photo in perfect lighting conditions to see which phone took the better shot. Auto mode was used for everything.

S4 Zoom

20130808_150219

And now the same shot with the Lumia 925

WP_20130808_023

So what do you think? Can you tell the difference. The Lumia 925 looks better, more vibrant colours, but there is more detail in the S4 Zoom shot. The S4 Zoom shot allows you to zoom in on photo and captures more detail at a higher magnification than the photo by the Lumia 925. But I actually prefer the overall shot from the Lumia 925.

Nokia Lumia 925 – Review part 4

Reviews, Tech News, Windows,

Welcome back again. To recap on the earlier review sections, click here.

In part 4, I am going to comment on areas or features I am enjoying and worth a mention.

1 – The first thing I have noticed is the persistent clock on the lock screen. It is a digital clock and it is always visible. Something so simple, yet so useful, just being able to glance down and read the time, without having to press a button.

2 – Double tapping the screen to unlock the lock screen. A simple idea that just works really well. I also like some of the lock screen options. See screen shot further down of my bird.

3 – Having a dedicated camera button is excellent. Press and hold from the lock screen to fire up the camera, half press to focus and then shoot. Also tapping on the screen to take a photo is another feature I really like.

4 – The camera really does take some smashing photos, both indoors and outdoors. Low light is not much of an issue for the 925 so once again lovely photos are snapped.

5 – Nokia include a large bundle of software from free internet radio music streaming, photo editing, camera tricks, maps and turn by turn navigation to name a few of my highlights.

6 – Google email, contact and calendar worked out of the box

7 – Even though Google mail is available, if you have a Windows Phone you really need to accept you will be drawn towards Microsoft’s products. And that is not as bad thing. You get Office out of the box. Skydrive is Microsofts cloud solution, and I like the idea that my photos are uploaded to it.

8 – Several months ago, I had a Lumia 620, and when I entered my hotmail email, the Lumia 925 restored all my data, including text messages. I was surprised. No apps were restored though.

9. On the app front, I have managed to find all the apps or an equivalent in the Windows Marketplace (app store). It seems to have got a lot better, even in the last 3 months. However, it is not at the maturity of iOS and android. One area that has shot forward is games. NOVA and HALO and now in the app store and there are some new games appearing that are not available on other platforms. However, the app store allows you to trial software, and then if you like you can buy it. Now that is a concept I would like adopted by android and Apple.

10. The menus and layouts. I simply love the large oversized text and screens. Just makes viewing the device that much easier.

11. The keyboard – the best. It is so easy to enter text on the keyboard, and the screen responsive is superb.

12. The negatives are really not the Lumia 925’s fault, but that of Windows Phone 8. It needs a notification centre. Or a live tile that accumulates every missed notification.

13. The design and build of the Lumia 925 is in my opinion stunning.

14. The audio quality through headphones is really excellent. Dolby surround sound is available too. Options like audio levelling are handy. The loudspeaker is ok, a bit tinny.

15. Battery life. Still early days but it seems to me that it can last a day.

16. The only aspect I am not too keen on is the micro usb port being at the top of the device.

17. Memory. The Lumia 925 is 16gb, which had 12gb free after first installation.

In summary, it is a very good phone to use that takes excellent photos.

20130808-082757.jpg

Asus pulls out of making Windows RT machines – losses to high

Tech News, Windows

Asus,  CEO Jerry Shen spoke to the Wall Street Journal, and repeated that “Windows RT has not been very successful” and said that the company took a writedown on its stock of RT tablets.
He also said that, from now on, ASUS will solely make Windows 8 devices that run on Intel / x86 processors, due to the backwards compatibility with Windows software offered by those products.

The Microsoft offering with 2 different types of Windows was just too confusing and limited.  Asus is not the only company to suffer huge losses due to poor sales.

Nokia Lumia 925 – Review Part 3 – Camera Samples

Reviews, Windows,

Welcome to part 3. To read the previous parts click here.

I mentioned in part 1, the special Carl Zeiss optics, the low light capabilities and overall high quality camera module. What way to prove it, than with camera samples.

Close up of flower –
WP_20130807_007

To provide some idea of depth and shadows, shot of building –
WP_20130807_013

Landscape views –
WP_20130807_002

And another with some ponies in the foreground.
WP_20130807_017

I was viewing these on my PC and the quality of these shots are excellent. To see the full resolution versions of all the Nokia Lumia 925 photos taken so far, look at the set created on Flickr. Click here.