Other reviews incoming over the next few weeks

Reviews, Wearables

Apart from the LG G3, LG G3 official accessories , LG G Watch and an update on the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom reviews coming up next week, I also have a few other reviews on the horizon.

On the headphone front the AKG K845 are being reviewed. At the time of being reviewed they were compared head to head with the Sennheiser Momentums Over The Ears. Expect big surprises from these AKG cans.

Don’t forget to look at the accessories reviews sections for previous reviews on the Sony SBH80, Sony XBA-H1, Logitech UE 6000 and Audio Technica ATH-900x headphones. Click here to jump to accessories review page https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/reviews-accessories/

This also includes reviews of other accessories, including Wearables from Pebble , Samsung and LG.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom – The Final Part – Part 1

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

This is the final part of my review on the K Zoom. Final Part 1 since a newer firmware might change things for better or worse later on in the future.

In my last post https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/why-the-samsung-galaxy-k-zoom-is-winning/ I mentioned the K Zoom was winning. It still is, but it no longer used as my main device/phone. This duty has moved to the amazing LG G3.

However, the K Zoom is still carried with me at all times. It compliments the LG G3 due to the optical zoom, xenon flash and wide angled lens, plus it runs android so connects to my G3 as easy as ABC.

Continuing the easy as ABC theme, because it runs android kitkat, you have a full feature Google Play app store at your disposal, along with the Samsung Camera and Studio Editing apps, with simplicity at the fore front.

For example, the camera has many modes and creative options. So if you are visiting a waterfall, just select waterfall mode. There are other modes like fireworks, indoor party, night, HDR, snow, sunset and so on and on. With all its modes, it makes it so easy to always capture that moment in front of you regardless of the conditions. It is not DSLR quality but at least I know I have never not been able to capture something. In fact I have used Shot and More mode, then the Drama selection many times and all to great success.

I even considered at one point changing the K Zoom for a dedicated compact zoom camera but there is nothing quite like the K Zoom. It is already fairly compact, has the advantage of android kitkat and if I so desired I could put my micro sim back into it and use it happily as a standalone smartphone.

However, at the moment, it is used as a connected camera and this shall be the case for the future months and years.

Amazon unveils subscription book reading service

Tech News

Via Reuters.com

“(Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc on Friday unveiled a subscription service that allows customers to read as much as they choose from its library of more than 600,000 e-books.

Subscribers to the Kindle Unlimited service, which costs $9.99 per month, can read the e-books on Amazon’s Kindle reader or on any device that supports the Kindle app.

Customers can choose from books including “The Hunger Games,” “Life of Pi,” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

Subscribers also have access to thousands of audio books.

Amazon’s service competes with others in the market including Oyster, which charges $9.95 per month for unlimited access to more than 500,000 titles.”

It will be interesting to see what profits the authors make out of this deal, and whether it is good for reading in the long run. I asked my wife who reads many books as to her views on this monthly service. She simply said pointless and expensive.

LG G3 Official Accessory Reviews – Upcoming details

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

Apart from the main review of the LG G3, I will also be reviewing some of the new official cases and accessories from LG for the LG G3.

These include –

1) LG Premium Hard Case in Tan Brown
lg-slim-hard-case-for-lg-g3

This case is a leather effect for extra grip, replacement back cover for the LG G3.

2) LG QuickCircle Cover Case

lg-quickcircle-cover-for-lg-g3

This is LG’s case which offers the most protection. You can still use your G3 whilst still protecting its screen, customise the clock and 6 applications you want to use directly in the “Circle Window” when the cover is closed. The case is ultra-thin and replaces the back cover of your phone. Available in the same colour as the G3 and compatible with inductive charging. If ordering this you need to be careful as there are several versions of this case, one of which does not replace the back cover.

3) LG Slim Guard Case
lg-slim-guard-case-for-lg-g3

This is a strengthened shock control with rubber material around the edge. This case is fitted by removing the original battery cover and replacing it with this case. Made with double moulding polycarbonate and rubber materials. Resulting in the slimmest protective case.

4) LG Wireless Charger WCD-100

official-lg-wcd-100-qi-wireless-charger-p46198-300

Qi Wireless charger, Sleek design,Portrait and landscape position for viewing content hands-free, Portable fold away design.

Again, if there is anything specific you would like to know, let me know.

iPhone 6 rumoured to have a 1810mAh battery – please let these be untrue

Apple, Tech News

Many tech websites are running with a rumour that the new iPhone will have an increased battery to 1810mAh.

I really hope this is not true or there are some software surprises.

With all the social networking and background services that iOS 8 brings to the table, surely a larger size battery is needed. I sold my 5S due to battery life being dreadful.

We can only hope that iOS 8 is frugal on the battery, but in my mind, if you are playing a game you need juice and for a decent amount of time. Of course, Apple may reinvent the charge process and the new screen acts as a solar panel as well. Now that would be slick.

Google’s Q2 Earnings Report – Summary

Android, Tech News

Google released its Q2 2014 earnings. The key facts :-

– Revenues hit $16 billion up 22 percent from the year previous
– Operating income was $4.26 billion, 27 percent of revenues, up from $3.47 billion the year earlier
– Net income was $3.42 billion up just slightly from Q2 2013
– Earnings Per Share (EPS) came in at $4.99, up from $4.77
– Google sites generated $10.94 billion of the company’s total revenues, a 23 percent increase over Q2 2013 – Partner sites accounted for $3.42 billion of revenues
– Paid clicks for ads increased 25 percent over the last year, and cost-per-click was down approximately 6 percent in the same period.
– Google also announced along with earnings that the number of employees at the company has increased to 52,069 (48,584 in Google and 3,485 in Motorola Mobile)

Glad somebody is making some decent money!

A new networking protocol for smart homes – Thread

Android, Tech News,

Samsung, Google-owned Nest Labs, and five other companies have partnered to create Thread Group, which will focus on developing a new wireless networking protocol for smart homes. Thread uses both the same frequency and radio chips as Zigbee, a standards-based wireless technology utilized by products like Phillips’ customizable Hue LED light bulbs.

This cannot come soon enough. I have some smart home devices, with each system having its own configuration and setup process. I really look forward to the day when this is simplified and all companies adhere to the new standard.

Fortunately, if you are using android there is an app called Imperihome that does combine several networked devices but even this app would benefit from Thread, as this would mean a simpler setup procedure.

Apple goes in partnership with IBM – thoughts

Apple, Tech News

Apple announced that it’s partnering with IBM to “transform enterprise mobility through a new class of business apps.” The relationship will combine IBM’s enterprise data specialties with Apple’s iOS hardware and software.

“iPhone and iPad are the best mobile devices in the world and have transformed the way people work with over 98 percent of the Fortune 500 and over 92 percent of the Global 500 using iOS devices in their business today,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement. “For the first time ever we’re putting IBM’s renowned big data analytics at iOS users’ fingertips, which opens up a large market opportunity for Apple. This is a radical step for enterprise and something that only Apple and IBM can deliver.”

Apple already has huge in roads into the business sector, and with iOS 8 arriving in September and this announcement with IBM, it looks like Apple is heading for another pot of gold.

LG G3 – review update

Android, Reviews, Tech News,

I have posted a few articles already on my daily thoughts with the LG G3. I will write a full review, once I have got to grips with all the features and quirks of this phone.

It has a lot to offer and is certainly worthy of a top spot in any phone awards at the moment.

It is the first phone in ages that “feels” good to use, that provides a “happy” emotion when using it and that does not take over your life, but simply slots in.

If you have anything particular you would like me to cover, please let me know.

Google+ changes its rules – You can now call yourself Batman

Tech News

Google posted (https://plus.google.com/u/0/+googleplus/posts/V5XkYQYYJqy) the following on its blog –

“When we launched Google+ over three years ago, we had a lot of restrictions on what name you could use on your profile. This helped create a community made up of real people, but it also excluded a number of people who wanted to be part of it without using their real names.

Over the years, as Google+ grew and its community became established, we steadily opened up this policy, from allowing +Page owners to use any name of their choosing to letting YouTube users bring their usernames into Google+. Today, we are taking the last step: there are no more restrictions on what name you can use.

We know you’ve been calling for this change for a while. We know that our names policy has been unclear, and this has led to some unnecessarily difficult experiences for some of our users. For this we apologize, and we hope that today’s change is a step toward making Google+ the welcoming and inclusive place that we want it to be. Thank you for expressing your opinions so passionately, and thanks for continuing to make Google+ the thoughtful community that it is.”

I wonder how long it will be before we have pets on Google+!