March 4th, 2010 | HTC
HTC continually improve their handsets each time and the Desire is no exception, it was recently unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the new Android device is HTC’s take on the recently launched Google Nexus One which was designed and manufactured for Google by HTC.
Although the Desire looks a little like the Nexus One and they have similar specifications HTC have made a whole range of improvements so it won’t seem like the HTC Desire review is like the Nexus One review. The Desire has a 3.7” 800 x 480 pixel display that has OLED technology that ensures it is bright and clear, ideal for web surfing and video playback which along with its 576 MB of RAM internal memory which should allow plenty of applications to run at the same time, as well as being powered by the 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The touch screen also has capacitive technology that provides greater responsiveness and allows for features such as multitouch support. In addition to the sensitive touch screen you also like the Nexus One have additional control with the optical trackball that is to be found just beneath the screen, which allows the user o navigate around the interface without obstructing the screen.
The Desire also has a 5 megapixel camera that has autofocus and an LED flash, which is good for standard quality photo’s and high quality D1 videos at 30fps. As with many other Android phones HTC have also got a media player which can support formats including DivX and Windows Media, support for up to 32GB of storage space. For ease of internet access on the Desire it run’s on the latest version of Google’s Android OS. Version 2.1 (Éclair), as well as a HTC developed application called Friend Stream which integrates all the social networking updates from your contacts in one place.
HTC Desire
Although the Desire is not yet available, (expected April 2010) there is quite a lot of interest and demand so it will be quite easy to get some good HTC Desire deals from mobile phone providers. There is no mention of price yet however it’s more of a high end Android phone so the price will probably show that and be around £450-£500 sim free.
HTC Desire
February 26th, 2010 | Broadband, Virgin Broadband
Virgin media have today vowed to roll out across the UK a 100Mb service by 2011, to give its customers the fastest available commercial product in the UK that would be more than 20 times faster than the current average speed. Virgin claims this will allow users to download a music album in as little as five seconds, an hour-long TV show in 31 seconds and a high-definition movie in less than eight minutes.
With Virgin offering the 100Mb service will go towards helping the UK up with other markets that are pushing ahead with broadband, such as Japan and Korea, which are rolling out 1Gb broadband. The chief executive of Virgin Media, Neil Berkett, said “The launch of Virgin Media’s 100Mb service will be a historic moment and will mean the UK will be comparable to other leading broadband nations.”
The group also announced that it far exceeded its financial forecasts in the fourth quarter, adding thousands of new cable users and extracting more money from each subscriber, it said it connected 28,600 households on a net basis – those joining the group, less those leaving – in the final three months of 2009.Virgin broadband also comes high up on broadband comparison sites with many great offers and excelent serivices.
Virgin Media is now listed in New York and London after making a secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange in January. Shares in London were still up by over 5% in late afternoon trading following its results.
February 24th, 2010 | LG, Vodafone
The new LG mobile phone is a neat and compact touchscreen smartphone that offers Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system and LG’s S-Class interface. The GM750 has a 3” 240×400 pixel display and a 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and LED flash similar to other LG phones it also has 3.5G support, Wi-Fi and GPS.
The main improvement from its predecessor GM730 is its Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, the phone itself is neat and compact in design and much easier to carry, however it does not mean its as easy to use. The onscreen keyboard is not as accurate as other touchscreen mobile phones meaning its not as easy to type on.
The LG GM750 as with many new android phones can interact directly with social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Picasa and it also supports YouTube and other video sites. It comes with HSDPA data with a maximum download speed of up to 7.2 Mbps, or alternatively you could use the GM750’s Wi-Fi capabilities.
The GM750 is exclusive to Vodafone until the end of the year with prices ranging from about £300 sim free however you will be able to compare mobile phone deals to get a competitive price.
LG GM750
February 18th, 2010 | Samsung, Smartphone
Samsung mobile phones brings a new more affordable touchscreen mobile phone to the table the Samsung S5620 is a high end, compact modern mobile with great features such as 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS, paired with an excellent web browser. You also get an extensive social networking integration, which is suited for people who use them frequently.
The S5620 has a 3-inch WQVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen, 240 x 400 pixels, 227MB integrated memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB), as well as 3 megapixel fixed focus camera, Smile Shot and QVGA video recording at 15 fps video call camera. Connectivity includes 3 megapixel fixed focus camera, Smile Shot; QVGA video recording at 15 fps; video call camera.
The Samsung Monte S5620 will be released spring 2010 with a suggest sim free retail price tag of £240 however you will be able to compare mobile phone deals to get a competitive price.
Samsung Monte
February 16th, 2010 | Windows Mobile
Microsoft’s Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced the new iteration of the Windows phone platform was called Windows Phone 7 Series and that Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, which he heralded as a new era for the company’s mobile platform.
He said “Today, I’m proud to introduce Windows Phone 7 Series, the next generation of Windows Phones in a crowded market filled with phones that look the same and do the same things I challenged the team to deliver a different kind of mobile experience. Windows Phone 7 Series marks a turning point toward phones that truly reflect the speed of people’s lives and their need to connect to other people and all kinds of seamless experiences.”
The Windows Phone 7 Series is heralded as a different approach to phone software, broken down in six hubs these are People, Pictures, Games, Music and Video, Marketplace and Office and are built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people.
Windows Phone 7 Series handsets are expected to be out in the UK this Christmas and it has been announce that Orange will be committed to the platform as will phone manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc.
February 16th, 2010 | Broadband
BT Infinity super>fast boasts download speeds of up to 40Mbps from £19.99 per month, £7.47 less a month than the Virgin’s flagship service however Virgins service offers 50Mbps speed and to set up your BT service Infinity package you have to fork out a £50 connection fee. In the BT press release they say “BT Infinity will transform consumer experience of the internet, benefiting all internet users, households with multiple computers/internet devices will enjoy simultaneous use of services such as HD catch-up TV, social networking and the sharing of photos or films, amongst others.”
If you are looking to upgrade to broadband it’s always wise to check broadband comparison sites that will show you the best options around. As of January 25, new and existing BT Total Broadband and BT Business customers in an enabled exchange areas will automatically be eligible for the up to 40 Mb/s broadband service but BT do state “That doesn’t mean you’ll be getting BT Infinity from January 25 – ‘the service will be made available to 4 million homes and businesses by the end of December 2010”.
February 15th, 2010 | LG
This year’s Mobile World Congress has showcased a few new technologies in the mobile world one of which is LG and Dolby’s first public demonstration of multichannel surround sound from a phone. LG first agreed to use Dolby Mobile technologies in 2008 since then the two companies have been collaborating on mobile sound and they have produced 20 phone models using some degree of enhanced sound from the audio giant.
Dolby’s Ramzi Haidamus told the press, “We are pleased to be working with LG to showcase the latest Dolby innovations for mobile on an LG Android-based smartphone, Dolby Mobile expands the possibilities of mobile entertainment, allowing people to enjoy richer, more cinema-like audio experiences on the go.”
Since first showing off a form of surround sound for mobile technology at last year’s Mobile World Congress, this year’s showing shows they have continued to develop their technology.
February 12th, 2010 | Samsung, Smartphone, T-Mobile
Samsung have released another smartphone this time launch with exclusive range of popular search brands designed to make life easier, its Layar application means users can find anything from the nearest cash point to restaurants and train stations, by simply pointing their Samsung mobile phone at their surroundings. This state of the art software uses Google Maps and displays and directs the user to a range of local services, through its partner’s lastminute.com, Barclays, the trainline.com, Nestoria property search, Hotels.com and Qype.com. It also will provide a football pub finder app, from its database of bars across the UK.
Some of the current specifications known for this include a 3.2″ touchscreen display, GPS plus a digital compass, a 3.2 megapixel camera and 3G support, it also will be able to hold an external MicroSD memory card as well as offering Bluetooth and 3G, it is not know yet whether it will be WiFi enable however similar versions are.
The Galaxy Portal is available exclusively through T-Mobile from launch but will be rolled out across other networks over the coming months. Nick Turner-Samuels, from Samsung Mobile UK, said: “This is a great opportunity to work in one of the most innovative and exciting areas of mobile technology and with some fantastic lifestyle brands, providing some amazing experiences for our customers. The Samsung Galaxy Portal marks our first entry into the exciting world of Augmented Reality.”
February 8th, 2010 | Broadband, Mobile Broadband
BT recently announced it now has one million Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK and Ireland they have reached this total through home networks, independent businesses broadband and chains like Starbucks. They also claim that their users will be on track to use one billion Wi-Fi minutes this year due to increased internet use which is down to the iPhone. Also to help boost their number of users BT signed UK deals with the likes of O2, Orange and Vodafone to allow customers to connect their iPhones via mobile broadband to its hotspots. CEO of BT Retail, Gavin Patterson said “Whether at home, at work or when out and about, wireless access is central to keeping people and communities better connected. We’ve grown from 500,000 to one million hotspots within six months, and will continue to add more to meet demand from smart-phone, laptop, iPod and now e-reader users.”
There have also been suggestions from BT that they may open up underground ducts to other internet service providers so they can lay their own fibre-optic cable. Its thought they will do this to stop any potential complaints the conservatives who if in power after the general election aim to target the BT monopoly. Chief Executive Ian Livingstone insists that access had already been discussed with watchdog Ofcom he said “We told Ofcom last year we’re willing to provide open access to our ducts… and we are working with them on how to achieve it, although it’s unlikely to be the silver bullet to get fibre to every home, open access to all ducts, not just ours, might help BT and others extend coverage and so we would like to see a future government support such a move.”
February 2nd, 2010 | Mobile Phone News, Smartphone, Software Updates
A free GPS app aimed for joggers and cyclists to track their fitness routines has been launched the app available on smartphones works by GPS tracking the time and distance of a joggers’ route and automatically uploads it to an online profile. The Endomondo Sports Tracker means users can analyse their workouts, with data including the distance, speed, split times and maps of their route.
Mette Lykke, co-founder of Endomondo, said: “You can challenge a friend or group of people to train and compare results. You can also find ’sports buddies’ online and become part of a wider training community.”
The Endomondo Sports Tracker was trialed at last year’s Copenhagen Marathon where the progress of 50 runners was tracked in real-time and the app will work on iPhone, Nokia, HTC, Sony Ericsson and Samsung mobiles, as well as Garmin navigation devices.