Sony Centre closes

Tech News

I’ve received the following email. Sad to see this store close as one of the better examples of a shop having plenty of stock and excellent product knowledge.

“Dear Mr Fabiani-laymond

CLOSURE OF EXETER SONY CENTRE

I am contacting you as one of our valued customers to advise you that sadly, as of Saturday 9th of November 2013, our Exeter Sony Centre closed down. It is with great regret that I make this announcement – unfortunately the retail environment has changed significantly over the last 4 years since we opened the store and this, coupled with escalating rent and rates, meant we were simply unable to continue to operate the store as a viable business entity.

Firstly, from everyone at the store, we would all like to thank you for your custom. We really appreciate your loyalty. We hope that you were satisfied with the level of service that you received, and just as importantly, we hope that you are happy with your purchase.

I would like to reassure you that although our Exeter store has now closed, our Sony Centre in Plymouth will be taking care of all our existing customers and providing the same high standard of backup and customer service that we offered during our time open in Exeter.

Store Manager Neil Simm and his team will be more than happy to assist in any way possible. I have included the contact details for the store below. Should you require any assistance or support, please do not hesitate to get in touch:

Sony Centre
62 Cornwall Street
PLYMOUTH
PL1 1LR

Telephone: 01752 251155
Email: plymouth@sonycentres.co.uk

I would very much like to take this opportunity to once again say thank you for your custom and I am confident that our team in Plymouth will be able to assist you in the future.

Yours sincerely

Nigel Facey
Store Manager”

Toq Smartwatch

Android, Tech News

20131118-195420.jpg

Qualcomm announces that their Toq Smartwatch will go on sale on December 2nd aka Cyber Monday. The device will sell for $349.99 and will only be sold directly by Qualcomm. The Toq features a Mirasol low power display that will be capable of running for several days between charges despite being always on. The device can be paired with an Android device running at least Android 4.0.3, although 4.3 Jelly Bean will work better. The Toq will come loaded with weather and stock apps from AccuWeather and E*TRADE respectively to go along with the apps providing the ability to accept/reject calls, view text messages, get meeting alerts and receive other notifications.

For more information, head over to toq.qualcomm.com to sign up.

Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast

Uncategorized

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.

Episode 2 – new podcast now 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, yesterday Dave and I recorded episode 2. So have a listen and don’t hesitate to leave any comments, good or bad.

Windows Phone and the Nokia Lumia 1020

Reviews, Windows

Overall as you would have figured out from my previous posts, I really like the 1020. But I do have one annoyance and it’s more software and app related.

Over the weekend there was a discussion going on twitter with regards the Pureview photos and the need to have to connect the 1020 to a PC or Mac to extract these. This discussion also involved an app called 1shot Beta, which has a easier to understand interface, allows various options in image size, has default modes for things like sport, night, macro etc but more importantly if you shoot at the apps top resolution of 38mp, it saves that on to the camera roll and skydrive will on wifi export that over the air into your skydrive. My mac has skydrive built in to the folder system, similar to Dropbox and will automatically import photo. All done without wires.

A warning of caution. You need to make sure in settings on the Lumia 1020 that skydrive settings are setup to import highest quality. I realised I didn’t have this option ticked, which now explains why my photos from the start of my review didn’t look as detailed as the ones I took on my iPhone 5S.

The discussion on twitter factored around that fact that why would you want the 34mp version anyway. Over 5mp phone screens cannot differentiate the difference and this is the same for social networks. Don’t forget the 1020 saves a 5mp and 34mp for each shot you take. With the 34mp version you can go back into the photo, reframe it and save a different view from the original and keep doing this until the cows come home. It was therefore considered acceptable that using the USB cable to copy off the larger Pureview to your PC. I disagreed with this fact. In today’s world it’s all about the cloud and wireless. There should be the option for both.

Then there was a disagreement that the beta app 1shot actually made using the Lumia 1020 easier and was in some ways better than the Nokia Camera app. Well this comment erupted a stampede. How could any app be better than Nokia Camera app. Well, it all depends how you cut that comment. As a kickback I highlighted the camera app from the Samsung S4 Zoom being one of the best apps I’ve ever used. That response got ignored. Have a look at my review of the S4 Zoom and the booklet that describes the 40 smart camera modes. And that is the problem. People get too stuck in defending a different operating system over another to realise that actually if they did take some of the good bits from one it will improve theirs and make more people want to use and buy their phone. The problem with the Nokia Camera app is that is lacks different modes versus the Samsung S4 Zoom camera app. As an example the S4 Zoom app has waterfall, fireworks, light trails and other modes. It also has manual control options. In my mind the Nokia Camera app needs the great pro mode ring it created along with shooting modes and the option to wirelessly and or via the cloud upload the 34mp version it creates with each photo.

If Nokia implemented the above they would make the phone easier for novices and still as hi tech for pro photographers.

If people buy the 1020 they are more than likely going to be coming from android or iOS. These platforms especially iOS offer smooth seamless photo transfers and this is where Windows Phones need to improve especially with the 1020 and the 34mp photos. If people are used to something on another platform as a minimum it needs to be the same or better elsewhere.

Just my thoughts.

iPad Air vs iPad Mini Retina – so there is a significant difference between the two iPads

Apple, Tech News,

Anandtech have written a fabulous review comparison of the iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina.

“When I concluded our iPad Air review I assumed the iPad mini with Retina Display was a true no-compromise, smaller alternative to the iPad Air. In many senses that’s true. Wireless connectivity is identical between the models, battery life is pretty much the same as well. Peak performance is close and you no longer have to accept a lower resolution display. Last year’s iPad mini was easy to recommend, and this year’s is even easier. To my surprise however, the iPad Air continues to hold some advantages that may resonate well with some users.

The biggest in my eyes is the iPad Air’s wider gamut display with full sRGB coverage. The mini’s Retina Display is good, the Air’s is just better. There’s also more thermal headroom on the iPad Air, which can come in handy if you’re doing compute intensive work on it. If neither of those things matters to you, then the decision becomes one of usage model and portability. I believe the iPad Air does a better job of approximating a primary computing device, particularly in its ability to give you a reasonable sized virtual keyboard to work on. The iPad mini on the other hand is substantially more portable. Although the iPad Air is light enough to come along with me more than any prior iPad, the mini’s form factor makes it even more likely that’ll I’ll bring it with me (the best tablet is the one you have with you?).”

If you read one review of the iPad Air and iPad Mini, this is the one to read.

Day 5/6 with the Nokia Lumia 1020

Reviews, Tech News, Windows

It’s interesting how since using the Nokia Lumia 1020 over the last 6 days how it has completely changed my mind on the phone. In the beginning I couldn’t quite grasp the real and full benefit of the hardware. But as soon as I removed the Pureview 34mp hi resolution photos of the 5mp I had previously viewed, it was then that the full magic of the 1020 hardware came to light. Have a look at my flickr photo stream to see full res samples. Click here.

And then you have all the manual control settings to produce some even more remarkable end results. But I will say that if all you do is share photos on social media and nothing else, then the 1020 is overkill.

I have started to post edit some of the 34mp photos and because the photo has so many pixels it has allowed some huge improved post processed photos.

In fact the fun really begins using the pro features on the 1020 and then after you remove the 34mp version. I don’t think I can say much more since the remainder of the 1020 is based on the Lumia 925 which I have written and reviewed extensively.

If photography is your hobby or interest, then the Lumia 1020 should be on your wish list.

But I have one frustration, and that’s in my other article for today.

Nokia’s Refocus App – genius software

Tech News, Windows

The Refocus app from Nokia is now available and it allows you to basically snap a picture now, without worrying about focus, and focus on objects later, again and again.

In order to get the best results, you need to capture scenes with a great contrast in the depth of field, like macro shots. The way this works is simple: Nokia Refocus captures two-to-eight independent images of the scene, each at five megapixels, while setting the focus on different objects; then it’s all “be aligned and forged together to make one image”. In addition to playing with the focus you can have a lot of fun and explore your creativity with the Color Pop feature.

You can share your images via SkyDrive, SMS, or Facebook. The app is compatible with Nokia-made PureView smartphones running the Amber update, like the Lumia 920, Lumia 925, Lumia 928 and Lumia 1020.

My initial experience with the app on my Lumia 1020 is that is does exactly what it says on the tin.

Finally Samsung clarifies the SIM regional lock

Android, Tech News

When the Galaxy Note 3 launched, many people were up in arms over a SIM Regional Lock policy that Samsung implemented, which made it difficult for people to import the global version. At first, it appeared the Note 3 would only work with the SIM for the country that the particular model was intended for. Then it was later clarified that if you powered on the phone with the proper SIM (from the country it was intended for), then it would be unlocked and could be used anywhere. However, many people found this wasn’t the case.

Now Samsung has added more clarification on how it works. There is one more step that needed in order to free the phone of the Regional Lock: Once the phone is powered on with the proper SIM, you will need to make or received calls for a total of 5 minutes. Once that is completed, the Regional Lock will be removed. Now if you have no way of doing this because you’re in the U.S. with a European model, you can still go to a Samsung Care Center, and they will unlock it for you.

It is also worth noting this new “feature” is tied to Android 4.3, which means all phones that get the 4.3 update will get the Regional Lock. This includes the Galaxy S 4, the Galaxy S III, and the Galaxy Note II. It’s very possible that if you imported one of these models, you phone could very well be locked after the update.

But in all honesty, this was a lot of hot wind over nothing. However, Samsung should have been clearer from the start.

Day 4 with the Nokia Lumia 1020

Reviews, Tech News, Windows

I’m a bit late writing this as I was out last night at a business/work function. It was a black tie event, so it was ideal conditions to test low light shots with the 1020.

I can’t publish any of the photos from last night, but needless to say the photos were all ok. The xenon flash helped really well, in particular preventing blurring on low light. I also took a few shots with the iPhone 5S which also were acceptable but not at the same level as the 1020. I also had a few blurry shots from the 5S, but not the 1020.

I must admit the more I have had the 1020, the more it has grown on me. The camera is the showcase feature, but actually I am finding the rest of the phone a joy. I will not hide the fact that I like Windows Phone operating system. I just find it fun and refreshing to use and totally different to android and iOS. At first I struggled to understand the camera immediately, but as the days have progressed I am starting to get to grips with its capabilities. It is a serious “bad ass” piece of camera technology. That’s a positive statement by the way.

During the business/work function I showed the 1020 to a number of people. Nobody could quite believe how there was a 41mp camera on the phone. Everyone had a go using the phone and everyone loved it.

And that comes nicely to my closing thought of the day. At the end of last night/early this morning I was thinking about the real possibility of using the Nokia Lumia 1020 as my main phone. It is that strong a package for me.