Category Archives: iPhone

Toddy Smart Cloth

Gadgets, Gear, IPAD, iPhone, ipod, smartphone, tablet, , , , , , , ,

Toddy Gear LogoSince the finger became the input device of choice, I’ve spent more time polishing my smartphone and tablet than I care to admit. I usually use whatever is handy but I know that this isn’t always a good idea – cotton can be more abrasive than you think and there’s nothing worse than a grain of sand caught in the weave. Toddy Gear have the solution to this problem with microfibre smart-cloths designed to keep your gadgets smudge free without liquids and in dozens of brilliant patterns. And they are brilliant patterns.

Toddy Cloths

They’re also reasonably priced with most single cloths at $10 and there’s currently a “3-for-2” offer on in the on-line store. Toddy Cloths available from Best Buy and Target retail stores. Regrettably, it doesn’t look like the Toddy Cloth is currently available in the UK, otherwise I’d be popping out to get one.

Our Todd will be chatting with their Todd at next month’s CES in Las Vegas. Watch this space.

Ford revealing it’s new car via mobile App

Android, Ford, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, ipod

Ford is giving you the chance to “test drive” the new 2013 Ford Fusion via an Augmented Reality App for iPad, iPod and Andriod OS. The 2013 Ford Fusion will be revealed at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January and will also be the “Official Car” of the 2012 Consumer Electronic Show (CES).

The App is a game that lets players “unlock” levels that will reveal more details about the new car. Once a player has unlocked all the levels (you can only play one level a day kind of like an advent calendar) you will see an image of the new Fusion and be able to share a picture facebook and twitter. You will also be able to drive any of the versions of the Fusion on the track in the game.

To download the game, go to fordfusionapp.com

Here is a walkthough on how the app works:

I think this is a fun way to let us in on what’s coming up at Ford.

Pogoplug Series 4 for Your Own Cloud

Android, Apple, cloud, Gadgets, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, storage, USB, , , , , , , , , ,

Pogoplug LogoRegular readers will recall that I was quite taken with the integration of Pogoplug into the Buffalo CloudStation Duo, so I was very interested to hear that Pogoplug have released a new device, the Series 4. If you aren’t familiar with the Pogoplug device, it’s a network gadget that makes attached USB devices available across the Internet. In short, you can make your own personal cloud. More recently, Pogoplug has released a cloud service that complements the hardware devices.

Unsurprisingly, the Pogoplug Series 4 is the 4th generation of their of their original device, and while retaining the form factor of the Pogoplug Mobile, the devices now includes four different connection types for hooking up hard drives and other media.

  • 2x USB 3.0
  • 1x USB 2.0
  • 1x 2.5” SATA / USM / Seagate GoFlex ultra-portable drives
  • 1x SD card slot
New to the Pogoplug range is plug-and-play support for Seagate’s GoFlex external drives and other products that have adopted the new universal storage module standard (USM). There’s a gigabit Ethernet port for connecting the Series 4 to the network.
Series 4 Pogoplug
Series 4 Pogoplug ports
Owners can make their photos and videos available to friends and family over the Internet to PCs and mobile devices such as iPhones, Android smartphones and WebOS devices. The new Series 4 is designed to be an extension of the Pogoplug Cloud service. 5GB of cloud storage is available for free and premium options for 50GB and 100GB will be offered shortly.

The Pogoplug Series 4 is on-sale now for an RRP of $99.99.

O2 Offers 12 Month Smartphone Lease

Android, Apple, blackberry, iOS, iPhone, smartphone, , , , , , , ,

O2 LogoIn a change to the mobile phone contract status quo, UK mobile telco O2 has announced a 12 month smartphone leasing service. For £55 per month, you get a 16 GB smartphone, 750 minutes, unlimited text, a paltry 500 MB of data and insurance. Allegedly unique in the UK market, both consumers and business will be able to take advantage of O2 Lease.

If you are wondering what the difference is between a 12 month lease and 12 month contract, it’s simply that the smartphone doesn’t belong to you and must be returned in reasonable condition at the end of the lease. That’s why insurance is included in the cost of the lease so that the smartphone can be replaced in the event of damage or loss.

O2 extols the benefits of a 12 month lease, tying it into the upgrade cycles of the smartphone models and giving you the latest model without a long contract. The choice of smartphone models isn’t mentioned but O2 offers all the premium smartphones – Apple iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Nokia Lumia 800 and Blackberry Torch. 32GB models cost an extra £10 per month. Update – O2 Lease is specifically mentioned against the iPhone 4S here.

If you really want the latest phone and you’re a big talker or texter, this scheme might be worth considering but the tiny data allowance really makes it all a bit of a farce. My monthly data usage is between 600-800 MB and I don’t think that I’m a particularly heavy user. Yes, I might download the odd podcast but it’s mostly email, web browsing, Twitter and RSS feeds.

Personally, I tend to buy my smartphones SIM-free as there are far better tariffs out there and you can easily sell the smartphone after 12 months to part-fund your next purchase. Do the maths for yourself and see what works for you.

The full press release is here.

Move Over Siri, Make Way For Iris

Android, Apple, application, google, iPhone, smartphone, , , , , , , ,

Android users feeling a bit left out after the release of the iPhone 4s and its Siri personal voice assistance technology, listen up. There’s a new Android female voice assistant in town and her name is Iris. That’s right, Iris is Siri spelled backwards.

Like Siri, the Iris app for Android has a big blue button located at the bottom of the screen. A single tap brings up an on-screen microphone. Speaking near the phone it is possible to ask questions as well as to direct the Iris app to execute commands, such as to search for something, etc. The voice recognition is quite good, and Iris responds quickly. The heavy lifting for the voice to text recognition happens on the server end, as well as the artificial intelligence involved.

Iris for Android is currently free in the Android Marketplace and is named as Alpha software. Even though it is an Alpha version, I have found the app itself to be very stable. The Iris app is a small download.

Q: “What is a tire?”

A: “Tire (a rubber cover that protects the wheel of a vehicle and absorbs shock)

 

Q: “What is Android?”

A: “Android is a software platform for mobile devices powered by the Linux kernel, initially developed by Google and later the Open Handset Alliance”

 

Q: “Is Google good or evil?”

A: “Better not tell you now. Ask Lucy if it is.”

 

Q: “Ask Lucy if Google is good or evil.”

A: “They are not available right now, but I wiill ask them later.”

 

Q: “What is the capital of Romania?”

A: “Bucharest, the capital of Romania”

 

Q: “Is blogging real news?”

A: “Signs point to yes. Ask Dancing Alice if it is.”

 

Q: “Who is Dancing Alice?”

A: “They are sometimes a client on the Internet. I will search for it.”

 

Q: “Where do you live?”

A: “I live inside a computer. Where are you?”

 

Q: “What is your sex?”

A: “I am a female.”

 

Q: “Are you a female?”

A: “No”

So as you can see with this random set of admittedly somewhat off-the-wall questions, the answers can be varied.

Iris is not yet perfect, but this is an app that every Android phone owner should immediately download. It’s possible to waste hours on end interacting with Iris.

Neither Iris or Siri are quite up to the standards of their Star Trek counterparts, but the technology is getting there. The real world is never like it is in the movies or TV, but it’s clear that this type of voice recognition/artificial intelligence technology combo has a bright and useful future.

Video’s Streaming Future

Apple, application, Commerce, content, internet, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, ipod, IPTV, ROKU, smartphone, video, , , , ,

Many people are likely familiar with the radio/television on-air personality Glenn Beck. His television career included both CNN and the Fox News Channel. On Fox News, Glenn Beck had the most-watched nightly show of any of the cable TV news networks.

Recently, Glenn Beck left Fox News to form his own online streaming television network, GBTV, available at .

About a month ago, after viewing a few of the free Glenn Beck highlight clips from his two-hour nightly streaming television show, I took the plunge and subscribed.

I am very impressed with the production quality. GBTV, LLC currently has 120 employees. This is a genuine, highly-professional high definition television network that has a spectacular set and world-class production facilities that is just as good if not better than anything that Fox, CNN, etc. are capable of doing. Like any genuine television network, live streaming shows start and end right on time and incorporate a number of regular breaks. GBTV is creating genuine television programming that is broadcast directly to the Internet as opposed to satellite or cable distribution. As such, it removes the filter between the content creators and the end viewers, yet high broadcast standard production values are maintained throughout which lends what GBTV is doing an aura of genuine excitement. Real multi-camera live HD broadcasts can be sent directly to subscribers, thus eliminating the cable/satellite middleman.

There are a variety of subscription plans, including monthly and yearly plans. One can subscribe for $4.95 per month, or $49.95 per year. I subscribed to “GBTV Plus” for $99.95 per year, which includes the 6 camera HD shoot of the daily Glenn Beck Radio Show along with other streaming television programs that are coming onto the streaming service. GBTV is in the process of becoming a full-fledged streaming television network that has ultra high production values along with impressive content. Subscription plans include a 14-day free trial.

GBTV currently can of course be viewed on a computer. Other devices include the Roku, as well as iPad and iPod/iPhone apps. All programs remain available for streaming any time for a period of 30 days before dropping off.

I cut the satellite cord more than a year ago, because I felt I wasn’t getting $100 dollars per month worth of value out of my satellite programming. I am more than willing to pay for good content, but I want it on my terms, on a variety of devices, and on my schedule. GBTV offers a tantalizing glimpse at the future of high production value TV content.

Android Leads UK Smartphone Race

Android, Apple, blackberry, HTC, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, Operating Systems, RIM, smartphone, Sony, , , , , , , , , ,

Android LogoIn the UK, Android is beginning to dominate the smartphone space, with 50% of handsets sold in the last quarter running Android. RIM (Blackberry) and Apple are almost level pegging on 22% and 18% and with half of UK adults now owning a smartphone, Android has an impressive lead.

Breaking the Android figures down, HTC is the top dog, with nearly 45% of Android handsets sold. Samsung is picking up the pace at 38% but Sony Ericsson is the big loser, falling to 8.5% of the Android market.

Surprisingly, this means that HTC, Samsung, RIM and Apple are each taking about a quarter of the market. Compared with mindshare that Apple generally has and the dominance in the tablet market, it’s clear that the iPhone is under performing.

Personally, I would agree with the figures. Looking round the office, Android phones are definitely in the majority followed by iPhones and Blackberries. I think Blackberries are popular with younger people as both my nephews have that brand of phone. The breakdown of the Android shares also rings true. This time last year, it would have been exclusively HTC smartphones but now there are quite a few people sporting Samsung devices.

The research was carried out by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech over the past 12 weeks. To be fair, this probably means that iPhone sales were down as people waited for new model but there’s no doubt that Android is the no.1 smartphone OS in the UK.