Nokia Lumia 1020 update

Reviews, Tech News, Windows,

I haven’t written anymore on the Nokia Lumia 1020, partly because I was involved in a car accident a few days ago, and suffering from that. So what does the 1020 have to do with the accident.

Well, it was a very reassuring moment following the accident when I realised that photographic evidence would be needed. I quickly took the 1020 and started taking photos. I now have 34mp pureview shots of the scene and damage which can be zoomed in with incredible detail and accuracy.

And I have a feeling that the other party involved in the accident will not expect there to be such detailed photographic evidence!

As the saying goes, it is the camera in your pocket that often counts to capture that moment.

Here come the Game Controllers for iOS – Logitech Powershell

Apple, Tech News,

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Yesterday I wrote about Moga’s new iOS game controller. Now Logitech reveals all.

Logitech is using Apple’s standard MFi configuration, which gives you a D-Pad, A/B/X/Y face buttons, and left and right shoulder buttons. Moga, on the other hand, is using Apple’s extended layout, which adds an extra set of shoulder buttons and left and right thumbsticks.

Priced at $99 or £89 again it will be interesting to see which controllers wins the day. Based on using the Moga Pro controller on android I would be confident on Moga stealing the crown again. UK availability will be from December.

It will also be interesting to see who else announces a game controller.

Apple iBeacons being deployed

Apple, Tech News

The Apple Store App already offers a great experience and allows you to pay for accessories without a member of staff.

Now Apple is looking at integration of iBeacons within Apple’s stores which will be used in cohesion with a future update to the Apple Store app, which can give detailed information on a product when a user walks near an item.

Apple is also testing its iBeacon system to better provide services in its stores, such as notifying consumers about upcoming workshops.

This technology has loads of potential and could replace NFC.

Moga Ace Power Controller for iOS 7

Uncategorized

MOGA_ACE_POWER_sliced

The first iOS 7 game controller launched today by MOGA ;The MOGA Ace Power controller for the iPhone 5/5c/5s and the fifth-generation iPod touch. The expandable controller is designed to plug into the Lightning port on Apple’s newer devices and features dual analog sticks, a d-pad, action buttons, a headphone jack, and L1/R1 L2/R2 buttons.

MOGA’s controller includes MOGA Boost, which charges the device while it is plugged into the controller, extending gameplay. It also has an LED battery life indicator, a pause button, and a button that controls the lock functionality on the iOS device.

The MOGA Ace Power controller, priced at $99, will be available from the MOGA website, the Online Apple Store and Apple retail stores from today.

This will be the first of many game controllers made available officially for iOS devices. Logitech are soon to be releasing theirs. And these new controllers will take gaming on iOS to a new level!

Samsung Galaxy Gear – just what are the true sale figures?

Android, Tech News,

Yesterday I reported that the Samsung Galaxy Gear had only sold 50,000 units. However, Gavin’s Gadgets reader Lee Jones added a comment that Yahoo were reporting sales were actually 800,000. That is a vast difference. And then reader Jah added additional commentary that 50,000 in itself is still a remarkable number considering it has only been on sale for a limited amount of time and has been compatible with only one phone.

So what are the true figures and where did the initial sales estimate come from.

Firstly, BusinessKorea reported that Samsung had sold less than 50,000 units to date. This seemed a fairly reliable source and based in Samsung’s home territory. Then the story developed further.

Samsung quickly tried to spin the bad news by saying that it had in fact sold 800,000 units, making it the “most sold wearable watch available in the market place.” And if you are being honest, any company would want a more positive news story than the first version.

However, let’s pause for a moment. The only problem is that Samsung later confirmed that the 800,000 number was actually for units shipped, not sold, which is a big difference, and being unbiased in the only figure Samsung can report as it doesn’t sell the watch direct to the public.

So exploring the numbers further, BusinessKorea’s sources said that the Galaxy Gear’s daily sales are under 800-900 units. On top of that, a leaked internal memo from Best Buy revealed that around a third of buyers are actually returning the Gear which means a lot of unopened Gears sitting on store shelves.

The £299 smartwatch received overwhelming negative reviews when it launched last month from many top news sites including Engadget and New York Times. One has to realise this was the first generation watch from Samsung and it did try and offer an awful lot on a wrist.

So what are the actual sales figures. I would estimate that if 800,000 got shipped and there is a 30% approximate return rate! that leave just over 500,000 actually sold. That is very impressive. But what if the returns are higher and 50,000 is the correct figure. Well, let’s put 50,000 in perspective. That’s 50,000 watches for just one Samsung phone the Note 3. Samsung will be making the device compatible with more of its phones so expect to see sales increasing. And 50,000 has been achieved in just over a month. As a comparison, Pebble Smart Watch which sold 250,000 units in a year, but is compatible with iPhones and multiple android smartphones.

So you decide. Is the Samsung Galaxy Gear a success or the start of the new era of tech wearables?

Will Nokia release it’s Music app for iOS and android?

Android, Apple, Tech News,

Nokia is potentially looking to roll out its Nokia Music application to iOS, Android, according to a leaked internal document reported by Phone Arena.

The radio streaming service offers Nokia Lumia users free access to genre-themed stations and specially-curated playlists, while for a monthly fee users can also save tracks for offline playback. So will Nokia charge the same fee as it does on its windows phones.

And do you think it will undercut the competition or even release it’s service ? I think it will release it, and I hope is cheaper than Google and Apple.

Reminder – podcast episode 2 is live

Tech News

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 every 2 weeks. To subscribe click here for iTunes or copy and paste this link into your favourite podcast app.

Well, on Sunday Dave and I recorded episode 2. So if you have not had a listen, please do and don’t hesitate to leave any comments, good or bad.

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch is a sales flop – updated – complete opposite

Android

Apparently Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch has only sold 50,000 units, despite a huge marketing campaign.

But why the surprise? It was only compatible at launch with the Samsung Note 3 and no other phones. This is changing with compatibility with some other Samsung smartphones. But it won’t work with other brands. Therefore initial sales would always be constricted. And then there was the price. £299. Total ripoff. And the battery life was poor. Charging daily or every other day.

Compare this with Pebble smartwatch. This works on most android phones and iPhones. The battery lasts a week. And it costs $150. Less than half the price of the Samsung Galaxy Gear.

And then there is the bigger issue. Who wears a watch anymore. If you want to know the time or see your missed notifications you look at your phone. It’s instinctive.

Update – Reuters has gone on record saying Samsung sold 800,000. The press were way off the mark. 800,000 is a staggering and amazing achievement.