Tag Archives: HTC One

Three UK Customer Support – Where is the HTC One update? Their advice was crazy

Android, Tech News,

I have phoned Three UK customer support trying to get some sort of eta regarding the HTC One firmware update from 1.28 to 1.29.

I didn’t want to root and use a custom rom, as I really wanted stock and some apps when rooted don’t play ball.

So I phoned Three UK support, since on twitter they had announced the update was live and would appear over the air. Sadly that advice was wrong. So I phoned Three UK just to get some estimates. After chatting for a while, the guy turned round and said, you sound technically minded, just unlock the boot loader, add a recovery, do a nandroid backup, root and flash the updated rom. Unbelievable advice. So as the call was recorded, I had nothing to lose.

I setup an account at HTC Dev, followed the instructions to unlock the boot loader, and continued with all of the above. Fortunately, on the HTC One forum within XDA Developers there is a guide to flashing and some helpful people. I borrowed a windows laptop. I then had to download a lot of different files and the custom rom. I got stuck a few times but thanks to my twitter buddy Paul and a few people on XDA I managed to complete everything. Actually now it will be so much easier to flash anything.

So what’s the difference. I’m still using as the base on the custom rom stock HTC One, but the latest firmware. This improves the camera so much. New widgets, and lots more tweaks. I am using a custom rom called Android Revolution which is very good. I can turn the phone back on just by pressing volume down. No more stretching for the power button. I have system toggles in the notification area. The battery life is much better so far.

This has really transformed my HTC One into a more friendly to use, powerful machine.

Smart Remote for the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4

Android, Tech News,

Both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One have an IR Blaster. If the included software is not powerful and feature packed enough there is now an app that covers all your remotes, called Smart IR for HTC One or Smart IR for Samsung S4.

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With Smart InfraRed Remote for your HTC One or S4, you can add, create and customize any number of remotes, combining controls from any of your existing remotes. Imagine a single remote on which the CHANNEL UP button controls your Set Top Box from your TV provider, the VOLUME keys control your home theater system and the arrow keys control your TV’s menu. If your mobile rings the remote mutes your TV etc. If the app detects a sudden increase in volume, like big explosions it can automatically lowest the volume. This is the first app available making use of the IR Blaster and consequently costs more than most apps at £6.42.

The links are as follows: HTC One Smart Remote and Samsung S4 Smart Remote

Smart Remote can control your TV, Set Top Box, Lights, Projectors, etc.. Virtually anything that has an Infrared Receiver can be controlled by Smart Remote with the correct remote codes. DSLR camera support apparently is in the pipeline.

There is one difference between the S4 and HTC One, the S4 due to a hardware limitation is not able to do automatic learning of codes.

Thanks to my HTC One – news notoriety

Android, , ,

Just after 10.30pm on Monday 13th May 2013, a snow blizzard was in full swing in Princetown, Dartmoor. I discovered this when I went to walk one of my dogs. My next reaction was to pull my HTC One out of my pocket and snap in continuous mode 20 shots. I had a quick look at them, and agreed with the phone’s choice for the best shot of the 20. I quickly shared the photo via twitter.

There has been much discussion around the HTC One camera, it’s strengths and weaknesses, but one can’t deny that it’s super fast shutter speed enabled me to capture the snow as shown below.

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And that is why I like the camera on the HTC One. It always captures that moment. Sometimes the 4mp shooter lacks details on scenic far away shots but the fast shutter speed is a good compromise.

Following my tweet, little did I know that I would be contacted by Apex news agency, ITV news, BBC news, Channel 4 news and Channel 5 news. The photo has appeared in all of these channels and also in the Daily Mail online and the Metro. Photo taken from the Metro (thanks to Glenn for noticing this and taking the photo from the paper)

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I am also expecting the photo to appear in a number of national and local newspapers. Below are some of the online links. If you happen to see any other references can you please let me know.

BBC News

ITV News

Channel 4 News

Daily Mail

Funny thing is snow is not unusual at here on the Moors. In 2009 I opened my front door to over 4 foot drifts.

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And using the classic HTC HD2 I took this snow photo of the local church.

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HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4 cases

Android, Tech News,

Two great phones but which has the best selection of cases.

Looking at MobileFun it has 76 cases on offer for the HTC One and 242 cases for the Samsung S4. Clove Technology has 18 cases on offer for the HTC One and 43 for the S4. So far the Samsung S4 is trumping the HTC One.

But the real showcase is searching on eBay UK for fitted form cases for each device. The HTC One has 1,460 available to buy. Sounds amazing. But the S4 has 15,069 available!

Clearly the S4 is the clear winner when it comes to finding cases.

HTC One Double Dip Hard Case now available in Grey Black

Android, Tech News

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The official Double Dip Hard Case is now available in a more sleek Black and Grey finish.

The HC C840 shell itself snaps onto the back of your HTC One, it is made from a tough polycarbonate which will protect the back of your HTC One from accidental bumps, scrapes and drops. The case is designed to be ultra thin so it adds virtually no extra bulk to your device.

Available from Mobile Fun.

HTC One CyanogenMod 10.1 nightlies now available

Android, Tech News

If you like the HTC One and the Cyanogenmod now you can try out the beta build for the phone.

With both a post on its official Google+ page and new thread in the HTC One forums at XDA, CyanogenMod has announced that CM10.1 nightlies are beginning to roll out for all models of the HTC One. Whether you have a GSM model or one running on Sprint, you can expect the first builds to show up on the get.cm too.

For more information click here.

HTC One – 6 weeks review update

Android, Tech News

Would you believe it, I’ve kept the HTC One for 6 weeks. That’s a record ownership time for myself. But there are good reasons why I still adore the HTC One. If you want to read my previous articles, look above, and click the HTC One Review tab.

Now unlike many other sites I actually bought this phone myself, so it’s not on loan for reviewing with an expectation of a semi decent review. Also, if you look around there is no advertising so my comments are my own opinion and are not being swayed by anybody.

So what’s happened in the last 6 weeks. Well I have got to use the phone more and more and appreciate its key selling points. First up the front facing speakers. They are positioned correctly on the front and with the Beats Audio produce a decent loud and clear sound. Podcasts, films and music are a joy to pump out the One’s speakers. The TV IR blaster is useful. I like the little touch of just raising the phone and the TV blaster app automatically turns back on. Blinkfeed. As much as I really enjoyed this, it no longer features on my home screen, as I have installed a new launcher, Apex Launcher Pro. So below is my new look home screen.

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I still love the build and design quality of this phone. It’s simplicity makes you feel proud to be holding it. It does make other phones look a little inferior.

Simplicity is a good word to describe the HTC One. It makes life simple. It is easy to use, and HTC have taken a lot of care to make the software partner with the hardware. There are no lags or stutters using this phone. It has no bloatware, just useful apps that you would actually use. The attention to detail is astonishing at times. I mentioned the speakers, but the phone’s audio quality is excellent no matter if you use the speakers, your headphones or a USB DAC/Amp. In fact the built in headphone amplifier can power your headphones to a very decent volume.

The camera. I don’t think I could have another device if it didn’t have Zoe’s and video highlights. They are really useful and make a great way to share events. Even my frustration over landscapes has dwindled as the HTC One has a rather wide field of view, meaning it photographs more. This has proven handy.

A little camera tip. If you tap to focus, waiting a second or two produces sharper photos before pressing the shutter button. Strange but true.

HTC have already released a software update and are on schedule for Jelly Bean 4.2.2 next month. But in all honesty, the HTC One is so great straight out of the box, it sets the standard that other companies should aspire too.

I have 2 dogs and cats. The HTC One is the first phone that has photographed my pets in action without blur. That alone is worth it’s weight in gold.

Seriously, the HTC One is a superb phone that looks amazing and performs like a true champ.

Morphie Juice Pack for HTC One

Android, Tech News,

The Morphie Juice Pack for the HTC One has arrived.

The case/battery provides up to 100% extra battery! It is a protective hard case with an integrated rechargeable battery designed to double your power.

It is a lightweight and low-profile case. You can start charging with the flip of a switch.LED power indicator. Charge and sync your phone via USB. Fully protective and accessible.

Dimensions: 2.88 in x 6.06 in x 0.67 in
Weight: 5.05 oz
Battery Capacity: 2500 mAh

Must admit I quite like the look of this case. What do you think?

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