You’re stranded in the middle of a Moor in bad weather – which phone will save your life – iPhone 5S or LG G3

Android, Apple,

Here’s the scenario. It’s Sunday evening. The weather has changed on Dartmoor really quickly as it can do on a regular basis. The sun has disappeared and the thick fog has descended, this is despite it being 4pm!

There is no visibility. A second later you’ve tripped over a piece of granite, fallen and hit your head. You’re now bleeding. Thankfully, there are 2 of you. With a torch and compass you go to take the exact location readings so you can provide these for any emergency services. The torch doesn’t work. And then the wind takes your map and it blows away into the thick fog.

Solution. Mapping services on the Apple iPhone 5S and LG G3. They both have the OS Locate app and Maps installed and ViewRanger GPS app and maps of Dartmoor. So achieving an exact location should be simple.

iPhone 5S provided the location as below –

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And the LG G3 as below. As you can see both phones are on the same network and supposedly have decent signal strength.

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Now, I don’t dislike the iPhone whatsoever but I was shocked to discover the 5S was clueless as to the correct GPS location. The LG G3 was spot on and would provide the correct location for the emergency services, which in turn would save your life and allow for your head wounds to receive treatment accordingly.

Following this real life situation, there is no way in a million years I would ever trust or use an iPhone 5S or earlier models.

Smart Watches and Apple’s iWatch – A Hard Sell

Tech News, Wearables

So far there have been a number of new smart watches announced and IFA 2014 has not even started. Apple has not yet launched the iWatch either.

There are several types of smart watch. One that looks like its from another planet as it’s clearly geeky. Second – the next phase that look like real watches but are in fact smart watches and lastly the smart watch that is also a phone.

The problem with all these devices is why buy one. Why would Joe Blogs on the high street spend £100 – £400 on a watch? At the moment all these watches are luxury items. If I want to read a text, I will just use my phone screen which is larger and easier to read. The next problem is who wears a watch now? I have stopped wearing a watch years ago. If I want to know the time, I just look at my phone. But what about the watch with a sim card inside that makes it a phone. Hmmm I don’t think squinting on a 2 inch screen is ideal. So really, all these watches are are luxury items.

Wait you say, they are also fitness devices. Sure some of these watches are just that but then you would be better served by a dedicated fitness tracker that can have battery life from a week to a month. And lets not forget some smartphones have a pedometer built in anyway.

The new phase/fad of smart watches is not going to be an easy sell as at the moment it simply does not solve a problem.

But do you agree with me?

Today’s Top 12 IFA 2014 & Apple News, Announcements and Rumours

Amazon, Android, Apple, Reviews, RIM, Tech News, Wearables, Windows, , , , , , , , ,

Here we go again. It’s been a busy few days and is likely to explode soon.

1) Sony are teasing with the below video. But look carefully there are lots of clues. 3 new devices. Z3 Compact tablet, Z3 and Z3 Compact phones.

2) Dyson, yes Dyson has a big launch on 4th September. This new product has taken 16 years to develop, 200 engineers and a £28m investment. Maybe a robotic Hoover controlled via your smartphone? Below is the video teaser from Dyson.

3) iPhone news – via Wired.com – the next iPhone will have a payments solution that will incorporate NFC technology.

4) Nokia are about to launch HERE Maps for Samsung Gear smart watches. The official announcement will be later today.

5) Huawei Ascend Mate 7 – leaked photo below.
mate
This is a 6 inch phone, with thin bezels and a 13mp camera. Source Weibo via GSM Arena.

6) The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is available for pre order now in the UK ahead of the smartphone’s expected launch of September 10th. The Carphone Warehouse joins EE, Phones 4u and Clove by kicking off the ability to pre-order the new smartphone. Clove link http://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-alpha

7) Apple goes official with the 9th. If you look closely at the invite below there are several clues hidden away. The event will take place at 10:00 AM Pacific Time at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of De Anza College in Cupertino. Expect the new iPhone 6 and wearables from Apple to be announced. However, the latest rumour suggests there is no 5.5 inch iPhone.

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8) Continuing the Apple Event, it has been noted that a large 3 storey building is being built at the Flint Center. Should be a lot of new hardware inside!

9) LG’s new round smartwatch will cost 299 euros.

10) Food for Thought. Samsung Gear S smart watch has identical specs to an iPhone 4S except the storage. The Gear S only has 4gb storage, whereas the 4S has 8gb. Just shows you what a feat of engineering Samsung has achieved, unless of course Apple show the world what really can be done.

11) Apple updates iOS 8 terms and conditions. Disallows developers to sell health kit data.

12) Google releases info on Project Wing.
wing
Google has built and tested autonomous aerial vehicles, which it believes could be used for goods deliveries.The project is being developed at Google X, the company’s clandestine tech research arm, which is also responsible for its self-driving car.Project Wing has been running for two years, but was a secret until now.Google said that its long-term goal was to develop drones that could be used for disaster relief by delivering aid to isolated areas. More info at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-28964260

Samsung announces the Gear S – A Curved Smart Watch with 3G

Android, Reviews, Wearables

samsung-gear-s

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Samsung Gear S, the next generation smart wearable device that expands the smartphone experience to the wrist. The new Samsung Gear S delivers an up-to-date smart wearable experience with 3G connectivity and wearable optimised features to meet the evolving needs of consumers.

The Samsung Gear S features a 2-inch curved Super AMOLED display, providing a richer view with a beautiful and easy-to-use user interface. It allows users to read messages and notifications at a single glance with features such as conversation view and condensed font. The Samsung Gear S’s chic, curved design fits comfortably around the contours of the wrist, while its customizable screen options and changeable straps empower users to express their own taste and style.

The Samsung Gear S extends its communication capabilities to include 3G as well as Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, allowing users to stay informed with seamless notifications from social networks, calendars and applications even when away from their phone. It lets users to instantly reply to incoming messages using the onscreen keyboard, or utilize enhanced S voice functionality to ensure tasks can be completed immediately. Finally, with Samsung Gear S, people can seamlessly make and receive calls directly from their wrist, or get calls forwarded from their smartphones.

The Samsung Gear S allows consumers to control how they want to connect, switching easily between 3G and Bluetooth connections, and automatically synchronizing information when paired to a smartphone.

The Samsung Gear S provides easy access to relevant information through essential widgets and combined notification boards. Its powerful features include turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation provided by HERE, a 24-hour news and views service from The Financial Times ‘fastFT’, works together with advanced-reading technology from Spritz, and the ability to see and respond to important social notifications instantly with Facebook. Together, these features allow users to be live and actionable while on the go.
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​The Samsung Gear S is also a perfect health and fitness companion with more enhanced multi-sensors, built-in GPS, and robust S Health features. In addition, applications such as Nike+ Running allow users to track their runs and stay motivated while on the move, without their smartphone.

Samsung Gear S Product Specifications –

– Network -900/2100 or 850/1900 (3G) 900/1800 or 850/1900 (2G)
– Display -2.0” Super AMOLED (360 x 480)
– APDual core 1.0 GHz OS
– Tizen based wearable platform
– Audio Codec: MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ Format: MP3, M4A, WMA, AAC, OGG
– Features Communications: – 2G, 3G Call, Bluetooth Call
– Contacts, Notifications, Messages, Emails, QWERTY Keyboard
– Health & Fitness: – S Health, Nike+ Running
– Information:- Schedule, News, Navigation, Weather
– Media:- Music Player, Gallery
– Others:
– S Voice, Find My Device, Power Saving Mode IP67 Certified Dust and Water Resistant
– Samsung Services
– Samsung Gear Apps
– Connectivity WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS/Glonass Bluetooth®: 4.1 USB: USB 2.0
– Sensor Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, UV, Barometer
– Memory
– RAM: 512MB Storage: 4GB Internal Memory
– Dimension 39.8 x 58.3 x 12.5T
– Battery 300mAh Li-ion
– Typical Usage 2days

This looks like a solid offering from Samsung, just a shame it runs Tizen and not Android Wear.