“Tesco Bank, owned by Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco, halted all online transactions on Monday after money was stolen from 20,000 accounts in the country’s first such cyber heist.
The bank, which manages 136,000 current accounts, did not explain how the thefts had happened but said it would repay people who had lost money in the online bank heist, which targeted 40,000 accounts in all and fuelled fears about the British financial sector’s vulnerability.
Tesco Bank’s Chief Executive Benny Higgins told the BBC he thought “relatively small amounts” had been stolen, but the bank declined to give details of how much money in total had been taken or if it knew how the thefts had transpired.”
This is a huge cyber attack and clearly well planned. The heist occurred over the weekend when Tesco would have less staff working and so far out of the 40,000 accounts targeted, 20,000 had money stolen from them. The amounts being reported as stolen vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds. I hope Tesco release a statement providing more information on this heist and more importantly make sure this doesn’t happen again. This is a worrying saga following other cyber attacks on banks.
Over the weekend, I went out with my Apple iPhone Plus photographing various places across Dartmoor National Park.
No filters were used for any of the shots below To view the original photo, just click on it. The only apps used were the default camera app and Adobe Lightroom mobile (for editing and snapping raw photos).
Before I set off on my huge walk, I tucked into a lightweight meal.
The above breakfast is from the Cafe on the Green, Widecombe on the Moor.
You can park near to Saddle Tor. Well its an uphill walk from the car park all the way to the top of Saddle Tor. From the photo above you can see Saddle Tor and Haytor in the distance.
Saddle Tor is a huge lump of granite and provides views for miles across Dartmoor.
From the top of Saddle Tor, you can see Haytor shown above. The telephoto lens was used for this shot.
About 50% of the way walking up to the top of Saddle Tor, I was able to snap this landscape view.
A quick flip in to portrait mode to snap this shot of a Dartmoor pony.
On the outskirts of some woodland area around Haytor, I noticed this toadstool. Highly poisonous and hallucinogenic. Its called a fly agaric. Portrait mode was not used for this photo.
The only way to take this photo of the ponies was using the telephoto lens. Using the normal wide angle lens, the ponies were just small dots.
The above photo is of Widecombe on the Moor. A historic village on Dartmoor baked in history.
And a quick flip over to the telephoto lens to get closer to the action.
And finally one of my three labradors, George, Fury and Tiggy.
Huawei launched yesterday the Huawai Mate 9 and a special version designed by Porsche, the Mate 9 Porsche Edition shown below.
The Mate 9 costs 699 euros and the special Porsche version 1,349 euros. The standard version comes with a 5.9 inch 1080p screen, 4gb ram and 64gb storage and micro SD card support. The flash version has a smaller 5.5 inch QHD display, 6gb ram, 256gb storage and no micro SD card support, the fingerprint sensor on the front, capacitive menu buttons and a curved edge screen. It also has Porsche Design branding. Both phones come with the new dual camera setup co engineered with Leica, a 20mp monochrome sensor and a 12mp RGB colour sensor. OIS is present too but only for the 12mp lens. Both lenses are f/2.2. Both feature a 4,000 mAH battery and Huawei’s super fast charging system that fully charges the battery in 90 mins. Out of the box the phones come with Android 7.0 and Huawei new EMUI v5. The processor is the latest in house Kirin 960.
On paper the Mate 9 plays it safe with a familiar design. However, the phone does come with many of the key aspects to make a good phone but in today’s world a 5.9 inch screen really should be QHD. At 1080p, this means you are only looking at 373 PPI. On the other hand the Porsche Edition has a smaller 5.5 inch display and a QHD screen, yet costs twice as much as the standard Mate 9. This is crazy pricing and out of order when curved display phones from other companies are available for around Ā£650 or less.
I will be interested to see how the camera performs and I am sure the creative options with the new dual lens layout will be excellent. However, I do not think it is acceptable for a flagship phone not to have HDR as an automatic option. With the Mate 9 you need to select it in the camera mode option menu. This is where the powerful processing done by the Google Pixel makes it so good and from a quick camera comparison I have seen between the 2 phones, the Pixel was the clear champion on photo quality.
However, it is early days and I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these phones and test it properly. What do you think?
Tech Addicts Podcast is back again with a new episode starring Gareth Myles, Jay Garrett and myself. Tech Addicts is released every 2 weeks.
To listen to the latest episode subscribe by searching “Tech Addicts” within your favourite podcast app, iTunes, Google Play Music Podcasts or use the URL “mobiletechaddicts.libsyn.com/rss” to add directly.
Facebook’s revenue was up by 50 percent over the same period last year, to $7.1 billion. Net income was $2.37 billion, up 165 percent compared to its profit for the same period in 2015.
And then the bomb shell.
āOver the past two years we have averaged about 50 percent revenue growth in advertising. Ad load has been one of the three primary factors fueling that growth,ā CFO Dave Wehner said on Wednesdayās earnings call. āWith a much smaller contribution from this factor going forward, we expect to see ad revenue growth rates come down meaningfully.ā
A few sentences later he added this: āWe anticipate 2017 will be an aggressive investment year.ā Translation: Facebook plans to increase spending in 2017.
And with these bits of info stock was down 9 percent in after-hours trading due to less profits from ad revenue and investment which will erode profits.
Wearable fitness device maker Fitbit Inc’s revenue forecast for the key-holiday shopping quarter fell well short of analysts’ estimates, hurt by soft demand and battery issues with one of its new wristbands.
Shares of the company, which also reported lower-than-expected quarterly revenue, plummeted more than 30 percent in extended trading on Wednesday and were set to hit record-low levels on Thursday.
Fitbit forecast revenue of $725 million to $750 million for the October-December quarter, the company’s fourth. That was well below analysts’ average estimate of $985.1 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
FitBit have had production issues with the new Flex 2 band due to difficulties finding small enough batteries which won’t be resolved until the end of the year.
Also Fitbit is facing tough competition from the likes ofApple Inc, Samsung Electronics, Xiaomi and Garmin Ltd, whose devices have features that rival those in Fitbit’s devices.
I understand the competition issues but how can you not have enough batteries! Also, Fitbit won’t support Apple Health which is turning off users, including myself.
Bellever Forest is based in Dartmoor National Park, Devon, UK. The East Dart River runs through Bellever Forest which makes a great setting for having a picnic. Alternatively you can enjoy several walks around the forest, or enjoy some great views from the top of Bellever Tor. This is the map reference for finding Bellever Forest using Google Maps – https://goo.gl/maps/2bsmxtHyRRB2
There are 4 trails that you can walk along. The Bellever, Easy Access, Postrbridge and Lich Way Trail. For more information on these trails, Click HERE. I have walked the Bellever and Easy Access trails, both of which were enjoyable.
There is parking and toilets. Cars and motorbikes pay Ā£1 for up to two hours and Ā£2 for over two hours. There is a flat rate for minibuses of Ā£4.
Typical Dartmoor fog descends over Bellever Forest.
Dartmoor Ponies are common in the forest.
As its an active forest, tree felling is common place.
You get some really vivid colours too.
On a foggy day, the view from Bellever Tor can be restricted.
View of Bellever Tor
Walking on the Easy Trail is fairly well marked. About one quarter is on soft grass tracks, which can be muddy at times.
Finally, the summit of Bellever Tor in the fog.
Bellever Forest Timelapse – Having a picnic near the river is recommended.
Bellever Forest is a fabulous place to visit, either to relax and take in the scenery or try out one of the walks around the forest and up to Bellever Tor.
Looking at the tree trunk the edges when zoomed in reveal the same issues. Portrait mode works better when there is a defined edge and not bits of hair.
If you look at the crosses the portrait effect works quite well. The shot that worked better out of the two cross shots had less strong light interfering with the scene. The sun was the culprit.
Welcome to my review of the Obi Worldphone MV1. So who are Obi Worldphone? Obi Worldphone state –
“Obi Worldphone, is a global smartphone company that has announced its entry into the UK market with the launch of its signature MV1 4G smartphone. It is available from Amazon UK for Ā£99.
Born in Silicon Valley and co-founded by ex-CEO of Apple, John Sculley, Obi Worldphone is the first to bridge the gap between high-design smartphones at high prices and generic smartphones at low prices.
Fronted by Ammunition, the celebrated design house behind āBeats by Dreā headphones, and designed in the USA, the Obi Worldphone merges style with their custom user interface – Lifespeedā¢. Unifying the software and hardware experience, Lifespeedā¢ is a balance of colourful excitement and having everything where you need it. The phone, camera, and web are all easily accessible from the launch screen ensuring that the userās favourite apps and phone features are easy to find and configure into any custom setup.”
The Design
The MV1 features a thin 5ā āfloating displayā that appears to hover just above its body. The screen is a 5 inch 1280 x 720 HD display and has excellent sunlight readability. The sunlight visibility is an added feature. You can see how good this is, looking at the photo below and the video review. The rear of the phone has a removable back, giving you access to the removable battery, 2 micro sim slots and then the micro SD card slot. The look of the MV1 is striking. It is unusual and like no other phone.
The Key Specifications
– Networks- GSM / WCDMA / HSPA+ / LTE , Europe, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa:GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz , WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz,Bands 4G LTE: FDD B1/3/5/7/20 ,TDD B38/40/B41
Latin America: GSM: 850/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA: 850/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz, 4G LTE: B2/3/4/7/28A
– Dimensions – 145.6 x 72.6 x 8.95mm
– Weight 149g (with battery)
– Build Polycarbonate body
– Finish UV coating, smudge-free matte finish
– Display Fully laminated IPS, 5 inches HD (720 x 1280 pixels), 294 ppi
– Protection CorningĀ® GorillaĀ® Glass 3, Oleophobic Coating
– Special Feature – Sunlight Display
– Android Lollipop 5.1/Cyanogen OS 12.1.1 based on Android Lollipop
– Chipset QualcommĀ® MSM8909 Snapdragonā¢ 212, CPU 1.3 GHz Quad-Core, GPU Adreno 304
– Memory Internal 16 GB + 2 GB RAM for Cyanogen OS version/16 GB + 1 GB RAM for Android Lollipop 5.1 version
– External Expandable up to 64 GB through MicroSDā¢ card (separate slot)
– Camera Primary 8 MP AF rear camera with LED flash, aperture f/2.2, autofocus, OV8865 sensor
Secondary 2 MP front camera
– Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, panorama, HDR, continuous shot, beauty face, still image during video recording,Video 720p@30fps
– Sound Mic Dual Mic for noise cancellation, Audio DTS Sound Communication
– SIM Dual Micro SIM (2 separate slots ā unlocked & ready to use across all networks)
– WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-FiĀ® Direct
– Bluetoothv4.1, A2DP
– GPSA-GPS, GLONASS
– USB MicroUSB v2.0
– Sensors Accelerometer, proximity, ALS
– Battery Capacity 2500 mAh Li-ion battery
– Stand-by Up to 13 days (2G), Talk time Up to 16 hours (2G),Web Browser 5.5/6 hours (3G/Wi-Fi))
Music Play Up to 28 hours (speakers),Video PlayUp to 8 hours (speakers)
– In the box – phone, one battery, one USB cable 2.0 & one power adapter (1 amp)
Photo – The 8mp Rear Camera with Flash
Photo – Demonstrating the MV1’s Special Sunlight Visibility
The Basics
I have already mentioned the design. This phone looks great. Also of a surprise and at this price point is the fact the screen has sunlight readability built in. The screen also has an oleophobic coating and gorilla glass 3. Viewing angles are ok. I am concerned that the phone OS is based on android lollipop 5.1 with Cyanogen 12.1.1. The security update shows 1st May 2016. Cellular signal was average. Call quality was average. Battery life seemed to max out at 3 hours screen on time, so a recharge during the day might be necessary depending on usage. The loudspeaker is on the lowish side for quality and volume output. The headphone jack (yes there is one) and the Audio FX produces good quality sounds and a decent volume output too. The rear camera is 8mp and the front 2mp. The quality is poor but if you only post to social media, then a filter will hopefully hide the softness and overall quality. The video review shots shots from the front and rear cameras. The snapdragon 212 is not the fastest processor available. In fact, it is slow. Lag is present. Graphic intense games don’t play well with this processor. Bear in mind this is a Ā£99 phone and not a Ā£919 iPhone 7 Plus. Despite the slower speeds of the 212 processor, for most phone related type tasks , messaging and such like, the phone is fairly fluid.
Video Review
Conclusion
The Obi Worldphone MV1 has an interesting pedigree of ownership. The phone is aimed squarely at the budget sector costing a mere Ā£99. It is versatile with 2 sim slots and a 3rd slot for the micro sd card. The snapdragon 212 processor ensures this is not a gaming device but for generic phone duties and light gaming, it gets by. Battery life could be better, so could the camera. But at Ā£99 it does offer features than some other phones fail to offer.
More information on the Obi Worldphone MV1 – Click HERE.
So the new MacBook Pro’s got announced along with the new pricing for all of the mac range. Eye popping expensive. Also, your iPhone 7 lightning headphones cannot connect to the new MacBook Pro’s, nor can the iPhone 7 connect to the new devices, without spending money on adaptors from Apple.
I cannot get over the higher pricing of the devices. Also will the Touch Bar be ergonomically easy to use without getting hand strain? Not sure what to make of Touch Bar at the moment. The Touch ID is a nice touch and been able to switch users with it was one of the key plus points.
Ā£2,349 – 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 w/ Touch Bar 256GB
Ā£2,699 – 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 w/ Touch Bar 512GB
If you think the new MacBook Pro pricing is expensive, which it is, it is worth realising that base model MacBook Pro is now Ā£200 more expensive than the model it replaced.
Opt for the 15 inch version, and this is now Ā£300 more expensive than the model it replaced. Gets even better.
All the above prices is for the default model. You can increase the cost during the checkout process.
– Mac Mini price increased from Ā£399 to Ā£479
– Mac Pro has increased from Ā£2,499 to Ā£2,999
– The 4K and 5K iMacs are now Ā£300 more expensive
So shout your views across in the comments! My main takeaway is the crazy higher pricing.
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