Mobile World Congress (MWC) Day One

Mobile World Congress is now in it’s second day so we thought we would bring you a roundup of what happened on day one. The announcements of new smartphones, feature phones, tablets and accessories was pretty overwhelming so we are going to try and break it down for you.

Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung says that they are going back to giving us features that matter and that’s largely what the Samsung Galaxy S5 is all about. Powered by the Snapdragon 805 quad core processor which runs at a whopping 2.5GHz coupled with 2GB ram means this smartphone really packs a punch and should glide through even the most intense tasks. As expected the S5 is running the latest Android 4.4 kitkat and a new version of Samsung's own Touchwiz. In terms of battery we have a 2800mAh battery that Samsung claims will provide 21 hours of talktime and should be more than enough to get you through the day.

Nokia X

We had heard rumors of Nokia launching a smartphone running Android but many were dubious of such a device. So it may have come as a surprise to some that Nokia announced the ‘X’ which does run Android albeit a very heavily skinned Windows Phone style version of Android. It comes pre-loaded with Skype, Outlook, OneDrive and Nokia’s ‘Here’ maps service. The handset will run apps from the Google Play Store though you will have to sideload the apps manually. The Nokia ‘X’ is definitely more of a mid-range smartphone than high-end device. However it’s still an interesting idea and it will be interesting to see how this pans out for Nokia/Microsoft.

Nokia 220

For those looking for a bargain basement handset that still has internet capabilities for using Facebook and Twitter then look no further than the very colourful Nokia 220. It’s priced at around £25 and is aimed at developing markets and those who don’t need the power of the latest and greatest smartphones. The Nokia 220 comes with Facebook and Twitter preloaded.

Sony Z2

Sony announced two Z2 devices today, a tablet and a smartphone with the Smartphone claiming to be the first to feature Digital Noise Cancellation for much clearer calls. The Z2 smartphone has a 5.2 inch display and 4K video recording capabilities. Both devices are dustproof and water resistant. The Z2 tablet has a 10.1 inch screen and runs Android 4.4 kitkat and 2.3GHz processor and 3GB of ram making it more than capable of anything you're likely to throw at it.

Intel Processor

Whilst not a tablet or a smartphone Intel launched a new processor at MWC designed for smartphones and tablets which is a 64bit Atom Processor designed to give a much greater battery life to the devices it powers.

Conclusion

We have had some very interesting announcements in the first day of MWC and there is no doubt even more to come. Whilst we have not covered everything that was announced so far we have talked about the most significant announcements and we will continue to follow up as MWC progresses.

 

Google Chromecast to support more apps ahead of UK release

 

The Chromecast, Google’s media streaming dongle device, is expected to launch in the UK next month. It could be hitting our shelves as early as 1stMarch, with major electronics retailer Currys noting the date for provisional release.

Users can access apps and internet videos on their TVs by plugging the dongle into the HDMI port on DVD players or cable boxes. The device then connects to a WiFi network to allow the users to interact with their TV by using their Android smartphone like a TV remote control.

When the user presses the ‘Cast’ button on a compatible app, it will be reformatted and sent to the TV. Not only will this mean the content can be viewed on a larger screen, but all the clutter that comes with an internet app will be removed.

The dongle was made available in the US market last summer and now, ahead of the UK launch, Google are planning to offer a wider selection of apps.

The company placed the main focus of the Chromecast on streaming apps;working with popular video titles such as Netflix and music apps such as Rdio and Beats Music. Google also aims to use the dongle to present its video siteYoutube as a platform for viewing mainstream TV and film releases, in addition to short user uploaded content.

However, Google has recently opened up the Chromecast to third-party developers, launching an official Google Cast SDK to app makers and broadening its potential. In a blog post, the company stated: “That means even more of our favourite movies, TV shows and music will become available on the Chromecast as developers work with the SDK”. The device wasautomatically updated for users in the US market to take advantage of the Google Cast SDK.

As well as encouraging a wider range of audio and visual content from various sources, the new open platform could result in a new gaming experience. With the mobile gaming market booming, resulting in game apps outselling handheld consoles for the first time,  developers are likely to show an interest in this new form of interaction.

Devices are already available that allow mobile game play on TV screens, but Google’s extensive app store could easily give them the edge on the market.With casual and casino games now becoming as popular as PC and console games, many major gaming brands like butlersbingo.com could soon make their titles compatible with the Chromecast.

With a whole host of compatible apps expected to launch over the coming months, the Chromecast could prove very popular come its UK launch. Details on the UK price have yet to be released but retail estimates value the device at between £30-£40.

Amazon Prime Instant Video Coming to UK

On Friday Geekanoids brought you the news that Amazon is possibly working on a Set-Top box to rival devices such as Roku and Apple TV. Today we want to talk about another recent change that’s happening at Amazon in a few days time and that is the launch of Amazon Prime’s unlimited streaming service. Whilst those of you who are in the United States will have had the Prime streaming service for quite sometime, it’s only now being released in the United Kingdom. The Amazon Prime streaming service for the UK is basically a rebrand of it’s LoveFilm service which Amazon bought in 2011 and would bring it inline with the Amazon Prime streaming service that’s been in the US for a while now.

If you already an Amazon Prime customer and signed up to take advantage of their free one day delivery service then you will already be signed up to take advantage of the new streaming service when it launches on Wednesday. If you're not already an Amazon Prime customer then you will need to signup for the service in order to get access to the new service which although it costs just £49 per year at present it’s about to jump to £79 a year. If you're looking to get in on the cheaper price you better be quick.

Unlike other streaming services this one is going to remained tied to the Amazon Prime delivery service so you can’t currently signup for just the streaming service or just the delivery service for a cheaper premium, sadly it’s all or nothing. Having said that it’s actually only a £7 per year increase for those who were already had a yearly streaming plan with LoveFilm’s instant streaming service also you get the benefit of access to over Amazon’s vast library of 500,000 kindle titles to choose from.


 

The evolution of the iPhone

The iPhone has been a staple in the smartphone market since Steve Jobs announced the arrival of the first incarnation back in January of 2007. Revolutionising the mobile platform from that point forward, the iPhone has generated huge interest across the world and has become the poster boy of the smartphone industry.

Here’s a little look back on the past, present and future of this iconic device.

iPhone 1 – Nov 2007

Merging the popular iPod with a revolutionary touchscreen phone and mobile web browser, the first generation iPhone unleashed a world of potential. Creating the mould for all smartphones to follow, the iPhone 1 featured a 2MP in-built camera, up to 8GB of storage and a 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 pixel resolution screen, making it the best display of its generation.

iPhone 3G – July 2008

While its predecessor didn’t support third-party apps, the iPhone 3G saw the birth of the App Store. Building the model for true multi-functionality in a slimmed-down design, the App Store helped the iPhone breed to begin gaining traction amongst consumers. Along with this exciting update, the iPhone 3G also allowed users to make use of new high-speed connectivity,allowing a smooth connection to online sites such as Facebook and Platinum Play for the first time.

iPhone 3GS – June 2009


 

The iPhone 3GS failed to bring major changes to the table, but succeeded in giving the 3G a satisfactory reboot. Although no changes were made to the screen or general appearance, this model delivered faster performances as well as an improved 3.2MP camera, an increased storage capacity and new voice control features that would pave the way for Siri.

iPhone 4 – June 2010

Apple’s flagship device was given a major transformation for the release of the iPhone 4. While its competitors had started catching up to the 3G, Apple left them in the dust when the new flat design hit the shelves in 2010. The screenwas swapped for a high-resolution Retina display along with a top-of-the-class 5MP camera and HD video recording capabilities, as well as with other internal improvements that showed why Apple still held the crown in the world of smartphones.

iPhone 4S – Oct 2011

Following in the footsteps of the 3GS, the 4S gave the fourth generation model a minor upgrade to bring it up to scratch. While the shell stayed unaltered, the inside came with a new A5 processor, 8MP camera and 1080p video recording, as well as improved graphic capabilities and the debut of Sirias an exclusive feature.

iPhone 5 – Sept 2012

Following a number of internal revamps from the 4S, the iPhone 5 focused more on reshaping the phone’s architecture. The handset became 20% lighter than its predecessor, sporting a 4-inch screen and a 640 x 1136 pixel ratio. The iPhone had never looked better.

iPhone 5S/5C – Sept 2013

Locking horns with major competitor Android, the iPhone 5C was more or less a carbon copy of the iPhone 5, but with a plastic-back, longer battery life and a more reasonable price tag.

As for the 5C, this handset made further improvements under the hood, adding a better camera feature and a fingerprint reader located under the home button.

The launch of the iOS 7 updates also bought about the most radical shake-up the operating system had seen in recent years

iPhone 6 - ?

Rumours are currently circulating over the iPhone 6, with speculation on the price, specs and release date running wild. Credible sources are predicting that the model will feature a bigger display, measuring in at a 4.8-inch form factor. Some are also stating that Apple could offer a range of smartphone devices, including a 4.7-inch and 5.6-inch model as well as their branded smart watch.

Following a $578 million deal between Apple and GT Advanced Technologies, the eighth generation iPhone will most likely contain a Sapphire glass screen. Upgraded from the current Gorilla Glass, this scratch-resistant material is almost unbreakable, second only to diamond in terms of hardness, and would increase screen clarity.

Other, less plausible rumours point to a curved design and wraparound display. While the appearance of these features in concept images have gotten the media and consumers excited, the designers themselves are admitting that they stretch the realms of possibility.

“Such a design may appear on the iPhone 6 or 7, or maybe never,” said designer Nickolay Lamm.”It’s a cool design, but one which is unlikely to give Apple a sustainable competitive advantage.”

Credit: Nickolay Lamm iPhone 6 concept design

 

Apple issues iPhone and Apple TV updates

It's update time again as Apple has today released another minor update to iOS 7 that provides a fix to the SSL connection verification issues that people have been experiencing. The 7.0.6 update comes less than a month after Apple released the 7.0.5 update for iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C users that fixed network issues affecting people in china. To update your devices open the settings app and navigate to the 'software update' option. If you prefer to update your device via iTunes you can connect your device to your Mac or PC and update there too. 

Apple have also been releasing beta versions of iOS 7.1 to developers over the last few months and is currently at 7.1.4 as of last week. Unlike today's minor update iOS 7.1 is a more feature rich release with major improvements to Mobile Device Management mass deployment system and possibly a new 'volume services' web client. It is expected that iOS 7.1 will be out of beta and available to the public towards the end of March. 

Alongside the iOS 7.1.6 update Apple also released an update for older devices by way of a 6.1.6 release which is available for iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch fourth generation which are unable to run iOS 7. 

Update:

Alongside today's updates for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Apple also released an update for Apple TV. The 6.0.2 update has been classed a stability and performance updates and can be downloaded via the devices settings menu. 

Is Amazon working on a Set-Top Box?

For about a year now there have been rumors of Amazon releasing a Set-Top box that would allow you to easily watch content from Amazon Instant Video. We first heard the rumors last April that Amazon was working on something like this but it was later revealed in October that the project has been met with delays and that was the last we heard of it.

According to ReCode author Peter Kafka Amazon could be ready to launch their Set-Top box as early as March. If these rumors are true then it definitely poses a threat to devices such as the ROKU and Apple Tv. Amazon have recently been heavily investing in it’s web video lineup and are now producing their own shows much like Netflix have done. We recently heard that Apple has taken it’s Apple Tv from a ‘hobby project’ to a fully fledged product line so maybe they know something about Amazon’s plans?

Amazons Set-Top box is expected to run on a forked version of Android much like the Kindle Fire series of tablets does. It has also been noted that Amazon have been on a hiring spree for game developers and that they plan to release a gaming console running on Android based hardware. It will be interesting to see if these are two separate devices or are part of the rumored Set-Top box.

 

Microsoft launches Office Online

Hot off the heels of yesterday’s announcement that Skydrive had been successfully rebranded as OneDrive, Microsoft today announced Office Online which the company hopes will simplify it’s offering of office web applications. In a blog post explaining the changes Amanda Lefebvre explains "We heard from customers that the inclusion of Apps in our name was confusing,". She goes on to explain how customers were unsure of whether these apps were supposed to be installed rather than used online.

Today’s release of Office Online doesn’t bring with it any new features it’s all about making it clearer and simpler for customers to find the tools they need. The new website which can be found at office.com uses a simple tile layout to highlight all of the online office services that are available online. Together with the recently revamped OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) it’s clear that Microsoft is looking for a slice of the pie that Google has with it’s Drive and Docs service.

Microsoft is also working on putting all of it’s template systems for Word, Excel and Powerpoint into the Office Online service to make it easier for customers to easily get started with the help of hundreds of online templates. Whilst today’s improvements are quite minor in terms of new features, the changes should go a long way to making Microsoft’s Office applications much easier and simpler to use especially for new customers. For more information on today’s changes you can read the full announcement post on Office Blogs website.

 

Two-Factor authentication explained

Securing our login details for the ever increasing number of services we sign up for is more important now than ever. There aren’t many weeks that go by where the media aren’t reporting on a service that has been hacked. You may be wondering what you can do in order to better protect yourself from such hacks? Thankfully there has now been a large number of sites that have implemented two-factor authentication which greatly improves the security of your account and makes it very hard for the wrong people to access your accounts.

Two-Factor authentication (TFA) is quite a simple method to implement and it’s benefits are huge in terms of online security. TFA is basically the process of verifying somebody's identity by using two out three possible identifiers. The identifiers are:

Something you know

Something you have

Something you are

In the past our login details have been based on just one of these identifiers, something we know, like our password. Using a password, whilst securing your account can also be exploited quite easily by using keyloggers, someone looking over your shoulder or even brute force cracking. When we implement a second factor we are making it increasingly more difficult for someone to access your account that isn’t you.

Typically most services use the ‘Something you know’ and ‘Something you have’ identifiers. This works by using a password (something you know) and a security token sent to another device you own such as a smartphone (something you have).

The third identifier which isn’t as widely used yet is ‘Something you are’ which typically involves fingerprint scanning, retina scanning or facial recognition. Whilst this is not as widely adopted as the other two identifiers it is on the increase and used in devices such as Apple’s iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner.

Hopefully this article has given you a basic understanding of two-factor authentication and how it works. Many of the popular sites you use each day already implement two-factor authentication and we have listed below some of the most common sites that do and how to enable it.

Apple

How to

Link to enable

Facebook

How to

Link to enable

Twitter

How to

Link to enable

PayPal

How to

Link to enable

There are many more sites and services that implement two-factor authentication, far too many to list here so it’s worth checking yourselves to see if it’s available for the services you're signed up to.

(image courtesy upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Touch_ID_iPhone_5s.png under WikiCommons license).

 

Preparing your digital legacy for when you're gone

We have a lot to think about when it comes to protecting our assets once we have passed away. Ensuring these are protected and passed on to who you want is important, particularly in the case of houses, money and any other large assets you have. This is still the case for any digital legacy's you may own. This can include any online social media sights such as Facebook, Twitter and your email, but also any online businesses you may have as well, particularly if there are many assets tied up in this also.  

After you pass away, the internet stays the same. There is a way to ensure that the people you want dealing with this, know everything they need to. Making a note of all the websites you have signed up to over the years will ensure that these can be un-subscribed once you have gone. It is also useful to note down what you want to happen with these sites and leave it in your Will so that when it comes to dealing with it they will know what it is you wanted. It is also important to remember to leave your login details such as usernames, email addresses and passwords used for these sites so that people can access these.

This is particularly important for sites such as online banking, e-mail and utility sites where there are still ends that need to be tied up once you have gone. As well as this, social media sites need to be deleted, partially because you won't need an account, but also to save the heartbreak of family and friends when things such as birthday notifications or people writing 'Happy Birthday' if they don't know you have passed away. It is also a place where loved ones can see a lot of pictures and may still be grieving too much.

A lot of people make the mistake in that they leave their Wills so well hidden that their loved ones can't find it. Saga.co.uk ensure that it is stored online and they keep a copy so that when it comes to needing it, your loved ones can find it online and be able to deal with the Will accordingly. This also means that they can be accessed anywhere in the world. It is also important to remember to keep this up to date so that when the time comes to needing it, everything is just as you left it.

References

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2471464/Saga-Legal-urge-compose-final-Tweet-dead.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24380211

http://www.saga.co.uk/legal/everyday-legal/digital-legacy.aspx

 

Author: Marc Oaks

Three Great Smartphone Gadgets

There is no denying that smartphones and smart-devices are taking over the world, in a good way. Just about every person nowadays has this magnificent object sitting in their pocket. The smartphone in essence is a miniature super-computer, photo gallery, camera, arcade, calculator as well as the holder of all knowledge, although, for some, it is simply a device used to laugh at pictures of cats doing funny things on the internet. Along with the rise of smart-devices, an almost infinite range of wonderfully interesting gadgets and accessories has emerged. Your smart-device can be magically transformed into just about anything, from a heart rate monitor to a DJ’s turntable. Here are three of the coolest gadgets out there today.

Rokono BASS+ Mini Speaker

This fantastic miniature speaker is the perfect gadget needed for turning your one-man-party into something much more social. Thanks to its portability, this speaker is the perfect edition to anyone’s gadget collection. Easily clip the speaker closed, making it smaller, slip it into your pocket, and you’re ready to make the world dance. It works perfectly with any 3.5 mm audio jack, playing great sounding music for 10+ hours of continuous playback from a single charge.

iPhone Slot Machine

Thanks to this fantastic docking station for Apple products, charging of your phone will never again be a boring, tedious process. Slide your device into the miniature one-armed-bandit slot machine, and watch as the screen springs to life. There is nothing greater than hearing that glorious sound of victory. Although this device does not work with many online gambling websites currently, that is about to change. Spokesperson of the popular online gambling site, JackpotJoy said recently that they are thrilled with the concept of this gadget, adding that you can definitely expect to see more of these gambling-related gadgets popping up.

Hone for iPhone and iPad

Ever since the first lock was invented, people have been misplacing their keys. Luckily, thanks to this nifty little gadget, that is now an issue of the past. Simply attach the small device to your keys (or any valuable, easy to lose object), press the “find” button on your phone, and listen. Using Bluetooth, the device attached to the lost object will light up and create a sound. All that’s left now is a quick game of hide-and-seek.

By Jason 

Build with Chrome - LEGO

When I was much younger LEGO was one of the basic staples of growing up as a child. I remember my brothers were entertained for hours putting together the bricks and creating a wide range of things with Lego from houses and cars to a complete fortress. As the years went by and my brothers grew up I had all but forgotten about how much of a part Lego had played in aiding development in our young lives. So as you can imagine I was delighted to discover Lego has been reimagined for the digital age.

Now you can experience all the fun of Lego without having to invest in any bricks. In the latest in a series of experiments Google have created a fantastic interactive version of Lego that runs in your browser and takes advantage of WebGL technology. To try it out for yourselves you simply need to download the Chrome web browser if you don't already have it and head to buildwithchrome.com. You can see my efforts at the top of this post to give you an idea of what its like but I'm sure you will be more creative than my attempt. 

If you need some inspiration there are some great tutorials from Lego's master builder which is accessible by clicking the build academy button. Once you have finished your masterpiece you can share it on Google+ and even place it on google maps. You can also run this on a mobile or tablet device with the chrome app installed once you have enabled WebGL. To enable WebGL simply launch the chrome app and type chrome://flags/ into the browser bar and swipe to enable.