Tag Archives: my thoughts

LG G6 – The Dual Camera Setup – Editorial

Android, Tech News,

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LG has confirmed that the LG G6 will have a new dual camera setup on the rear.

It will have two 13MP rear sensors, with one a wide-angled camera with a 125 degree field of view  which  similar to that of a human eye. Also with the new rear camera setup the wider images will allow for more fit inside a square ratio Instagram photos. The square camera mode will allow for the screen to split in two ,so you can see what you’ve just shot while you line up your next picture.

LG  also said the phone would come with a 360-degree panorama mode, as well as a food mode that boosts color saturation.

The front-facing camera gets a new ‘SELFI’ shooting mode, which has filters to help you take the perfect selfie and you’ll also be able to combine between 2 and 100 photos together to create an animated GIF.

I have to say the camera hardware seems exciting with less distortion than the LG G5 wide angle setup. It also seems that the new screen resolution of 18:9 is going to be perfect for the Instagram type shots. This really could be the star of MWC but the Huawei P10 and Samsung Galaxy S8 are both capable of stealing its thunder.

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Apple iPhone 7 – Its Pre Order Day – Here’s My Thought Process

Apple, Tech News,

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If you live in the UK, you will be able to pre order Apple’s new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus at exactly 8.01am directly from their online store, hopefully for delivery next Friday the 16th September 2016. All the UK’s mobile operators will be offering the new iPhone as well as online retailers too.

Apple’s upgrade program is also available in the UK for the very first time. It is worth checking out this option too especially if you want to spread the cost. Apple also offer sim plans for the respective mobile phone companies.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come in new storage configurations, 32, 128 or 256gb. I would not recommend opting for the base 32gb unless you are prepared to be using cloud services constantly to store media. 128gb is the better option to choose and 256gb is for hard core users.

In fact the 256gb option finally means anyone still using the 160gb iPod Classic has absolutely no reason to use it anymore as finally there is an iPhone with more storage for all your music.

Next are the 5 colours available for both sizes of iPhone 7. These are rose gold, gold, silver, black (a matte finish) and jet black (a glossy black). The jet black is only available in 128gb and 256gb configurations for either size of iPhone. So which colour is best. Personally, I like either the new black or jet black. The jet black is prone to show micro scratches so is best used in a case. To be honest if you are using the iPhone 7 Plus, I would always use a case. I especially like Apple’s silicone or leather cases to provide that extra bit of protection or grip. The standard black is probably the more practical option, so I am choosing the jet black. I am never logical 🙂

So which size of iPhone is best to choose. This year both sizes of iPhone come with the same new 12mp optical image stabilised camera. The iPhone 7 Plus has another 12mp camera on the rear which enables 2 x optical zoom and up to 10 x software zoom. It will also enable later this year via a software update, incredible portrait shots with background bokeh. My preference is towards the Plus model as it also has a 1080p screen versus the smaller 750p screen.

Lastly it is worth remembering the new iPhone 7 does not have a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead audio comes out via the lightning port. So it might be time to invest in some wireless headphones. You also might want a case, powerbank or some cables. If so Amazon has an iPhone 7 storefront now. Click HERE.

WWDC 2016 – Wow – My Thoughts on the New Betas , Features and Keynote Speech

Apple, Tech News,

Apple held their WWDC 2016 Keynote Speech yesterday. It was great to see a mix of employees present on stage. It was also apparent that Apple had tons of stuff to try and get through.

Highlights included a whistle stop tour of iOS 10, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

watchOS 3 seemed to address many of the complaints of the current firmware with considerably faster running apps, new watch faces, improved ways to respond and a tweaked user interface. The activity app became more social too. All in all, the Apple Watch just became far more polished and potentially easier to use.

iOS 10 – so much to cover, new features across the board from Photos (RAW photo editing is also possible now), Maps, iMessages and more. Siri suddenly became more useful and functional. The lock screen got spruced up. API’s galore for developers including access to Siri and iMessage. Lots of new gloss too. BUT some of the more interesting changes were those not discussed. A high level take is Apple opening up the platform more than it ever has done.

Apple apps can be uninstalled. These include – Calculator, Calendar, Compass, Contacts,FaceTime,iTunes Store,Mail, Maps, Music,Notes, Podcasts, Reminders, Stocks,Tips,Videos,Voice Memos, Watch, Weather, Game Center – That’s a big list. Of course, as these Apple apps now appear in the App Store, it means Apple can provide quick updates to the core apps without a new firmware.

macOS – this also had lots of new features, the biggest with Siri integration, Apple Pay on the web which also features in iOS 10, universal clipboard and many more.

tvOS – lots of changes here from support for 4 game controllers, a dark theme, single sign on for all the different web services and lots more.

In fact, the list of changes is huge. My concern is how is everybody going to learn how to use all these new features and will it make Apple products harder to understand. Apart from that, the Apple software for the future looks exciting and provides a glimpse of what new hardware could be released to accommodate all these changes.

So what are your thoughts?

Google I/O Keynote Speech – Highlights, Extras and My Thoughts

Android, Apple, Tech News, ,

Google I/O opened yesterday with a 2 hour keynote speech. Lots of items got discussed but ultimately Google is moving towards a vision where the Google Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality control your life.

Key Highlights

– Google Assistant – An ongoing two way assistant to help you with everything.

– Allo – New messaging app for Google Assistant baked right in and that learns more over time.This is a great person to person or group messaging app. You can preregister for this app too.

– Duo – A new video calling app, which works well even over low bandwidth. Again you can preregister for this app as well.

– Virtual Reality arrives on Android using the “Daydream” standard. This was big news as Daydream will include loads of new features to make VR a top notch experience. This means that phones running Daydream will have a built-in VR interface for navigation, VR versions of Google apps and the latency and performance will be managed by Daydream to provide a great VR experience across devices. Google is providing manufacturers with open source reference platforms for a new level of VR headset and one-handed motion controller

– Android N – The final version not only downloads in the background but it actually installs itself too, without the need for you to reboot your phone. More features on Android N were made available along with a new beta.

– Android TV – support for picture in picture, HDR, live recording and new apps and extra Google cast functionality in more TV’s and devices.

– Google Home – This is Google’s response to Amazon’s Echo. Acknowledgement was made at the great job Amazon had accomplished with Echo too. Google Home goes further becoming the digital controller for music, lights , devices and more. Plus its a speaker and can control other speakers, play video on your TV and much much more. Google Home is Google’s response to HomeKit and Siri as well.

– Android Wear 2.0 – A huge update, probably bring to catch up with the Apple Watch whilst adding some new features like a new material design, app launcher, keyboard with gestures and handwriting input, and watch complications.

– Android Auto – A new feature will be the fact you will be able to run the Android Auto interface natively on a phone or tablet and not rely on a dedicated smart computer or radio in your car.

– Chrome OS – Google Play Store and Android apps will be able to run on Chrome OS. The Android Instant Apps initiative could be a method used to help support Chrome OS even more.

– Android Instant Apps – this allows Google load and run specific parts of Android apps on devices without downloading and installing the whole app first. Apps are made in modules by developers for this to happen.

Ultimately I see this as the future where you will be able to log on to any piece of hardware and have your entire app, games, media, personal data streamed via the cloud as you need it. This will be supported by Google AI and VR.