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MWC 2016: The sexy six – best new products at MWC

Jon
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MWC 2016: The sexy six – best new products at MWC

As the dust settles on Mobile World Congress for another year, we have had some time to come to grips with the sheer enormity that is the MWC. We have scrolled, trolled and polled to come up with the sexiest 6 products that got everyone hot under the collar at this years event.

MWC 2016: LG Rolling Bot

Without a doubt LG smashed this year’s event and as a result ended up with two entries on this list, and to be honest it could have been more considering we had to leave out the LG 360 V. So let’s get the ball rolling. See what we did there?

Cuteness is obviously an important thing to consider when looking at technology. Possibly the cutest item on the list and at the conference as a whole, the Rolling Bot is equipped with an inbuilt 8MP camera, a speaker and laser which can all be controlled remotely through your homes Wi-Fi via a simple app, regardless of where in the world you may be.

So this BB-8 like product is supposedly designed to keep one’s pets company while you’re out. Perfect for the professional with a pooch or the crazy with the kitties. What’s cool about this is that you can check up on your fluffy companion through the on board camera, then can save or share any pic or video you see from the device. Let’s call a spade a spade here. Who doesn’t want to check out what your pet gets up to while you work. If pictures aren’t your thing and poor old Fido seems a bit lonely then roll the bot around the house shooting the red laser, a sure fire way to drive your pet loco.

Really want to wreck their heads, talk through the mic and your pet will hear you through the speaker. We can only imagine this as being extremely entertaining. Other non-pet related uses include remote control capability with compatible devices, and home security.

Price and availability are yet to be announced.

MWC 2016: Sony Xperia Ear

I really can’t wait to use this, I really really can’t. After all the hype that been bandied around over the last year about how we will soon be talking to our phones for the most mundane tasks, Amazon Fire, Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Google Now just to name a few.

Now Sony have upped the ante with a small ergonomic earpiece which will essentially be a personal assistant in your ear. So for example that business man who screams down the phone to some poor PA will now just be screaming at himself.

This bit of kit will connect to the internet on your phone via Bluetooth, then you place it in your ear and either use Google Now or Sony Voice; to be honest given Irish Accents Google now is probably the better option. Sony Xperia Ear will last for up to 4 hours talk time or 80 hours standby time, but it is equipped with a case which doubles as a charger given access to extended battery life.

What we like about this is that the device is built to give smartphone users back their eyes as sad as that sounds its true. The plan is to not have users constantly glued to their phones as it offers hands free navigation, reads Facebook messages SMS and WhatsApp messages. It will search the web, make phone calls for you, and it will even greet you in the morning if you so wish.

MWC 2016: Cat S60

Cat S60A phone made by Caterpillar; you know the chaps who make those yellow trucks? Turns out they make some meaty phones too, purpose built for the rough and tumble of construction work. The Cat S60 is a beast in beasts clothing. Withstanding a drop of just shy of two metres with a military grade shell and a touch-screen that will work with wet or gloved hands, it’s also massively waterproof up to 5 metres in fact (Sony eat your heart out ) and it can still take videos while submerged.

But wait that’s not all. The Cat S60 has an thermal imaging system powered by a crowd called FLIR, a world leader in the field. In order for this to work the phone sports dual rear cameras which work together to overlay the thermal and visual images for a clearer render.

You will be able to see the heat mapping live and by clicking on a particular spot you will be able to see the temperature of said area within 1 degree of accuracy up to 50 feet away. The CAT S60 lets you record images or video with all the data saved so it can be downloaded and analysed back at the office.

For the no- professionals having the access to such a heat mapping tool could be great craic, Hide and go seek and terrible Jim Carrey styled pick-up lines.

MWC 2016: LG G5

LG really put on a show this year and we really hope they decide to bring this glorious piece of kit to our shores. Not only does it look the part, it’s truly innovative and is by a county mile the biggest revolution to design we have seen from a major manufacturer in a long time. Unlike Project Ara or the Fairphone 2 these guys have brought modular to the masses. The look is sleek and simple with a nifty 5.3” screen set in a metal uni-body complete will all the essentials, volume keys, unlock nub and fingerprint reader. There is also an Always On display which is a cool new feature which will leave important info on the screen at all times , which will yes drain the battery but far less than all the times one would wake the screen fully just to check the time.

It has also got a fancy new camera, with 2 sensors on the rear, one a 16MP for big and bright and fast, producing strong images in line with their recent handsets but the second one is where things get unique. This 8MP camera has a field of view of 135 degrees. That means it’s actually wider than what we see with our own eyes and almost twice as wide as regular phone cameras. This means you can fit way more of the image in at all times, making it great for group shots or landscapes.

Did we also mention its modular?

MWC 2016: Dot Smartwatch

This may not change your life but it could change somebody’s world and that is what we like about this slick piece of kit. The Dot Smartwatch is on the surface a fairly bog standard looking smartwatch, it resembles a Fitbit or the Sony Smartband. The Dot Smartwatch features your standard function from messages to navigation to of course a watch, however this is a remarkable device in every way.

This is the world’s first Braille smartwatch, it features a series of pins that will rise and fall at customizable speeds, spelling out words in Braille. This will allow blind users so much more access to information at their fingertips as it will allow them to read eBooks without costing thousands of bucks like a standard Braille reader as this comes in at a reasonable $300 beans and pre orders start this year. It will also have a battery capacity of about 10 hours with a handy Braille-learning system.

“90 percent of blind people become blind after birth, and there’s nothing for them right now — they lose their access to information so suddenly,” Dot co-founder and CEO Eric Ju Yoon Kim stated. “Dot can be their lifeline, so they can learn Braille and access everyday information through their fingers, which is the goal of Braille literacy.”

Warm and fuzzy? Good not just me then.

MWC 2016: Samsung Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 Edge

Not much more needs to be said than what appears to be this years leading flagship, but just in case you’re not convinced, take a look at this.

https://youtu.be/RfCubGgMkms

Why does Windows come with Solitaire?

Marty
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Why does Windows come with Solitaire?

Do you remember when you learned how to use a mouse in Windows for the first time? Maybe you remember that first time you learned how to drag a file, double click and right click your way to computing success? No we didn’t think you would, but believe it or not, the sneaky guys over at Microsoft were training you up on how to use computers from the first time you saw that Windows logo.

Introducing Windows to the masses

Until the launch of Windows back in the early nineties, using a computer was not user friendly. Much work was carried out in the Microsoft Disk Operating System, lovingly known as MS-DOS. This required the user to type commands into MS-DOS prompt, which would instruct the computer to load programs or browse folders. It was pretty hard to navigate unless you knew what you were doing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

While MS-DOS was highly functional, only the skilled and experienced computer users could control it. Microsoft spotted a gap in the market, building a program to act as a medium between the user and MS-DOS; that medium is known as Windows.

Windows is a graphic user interface (GUI) which makes operating a computer much more intuitive and less intimidating to new users. When you double click an icon, such as Word, it runs a command similar to that which would have launched programs in MS-DOS; without the manual entry. While the emergence of Windows certainly heralded the beginning of a widespread increase in computer usage, there were still certain aspects which the average computer user would find difficult to comprehend.

Microsoft got some of its smartest and sneakiest to design methods of teaching users the new skills they would need to operate Windows without them even knowing they were being trained.

Minesweeper

You’ve almost certainly played this ridiculous game while wondering what is the point of it all. While it may have spawned the epic Minesweeper: The Movie trailer, the true nature of the point and click game was to introduce you to right clicking. While you would be forgiven for thinking all those right clicks to gain a mine marking flag was world saving, it wasn’t. It was instead an ingenious way for Microsoft to teach you valuable life skills.

Solitaire

Solitaire GifThere isn’t a soul alive that finds solitaire boring. For that simple reason, if you’re ever bored and have a deck of cards or a computer, you’re likely to turn to this age old game. Which is why Microsoft included it with Windows 3.0 in 1990; right?

Sorry, but Solitaire was another training trap. With the introduction of a GUI control for Windows, the Microsoft team wanted to ensure you could double click, single click and drag files or folders around by luring you into a boredom beating game that required all these skills.

Hearts

Continuing the trend of ulterior motives shaping Windows games, Hearts wasn’t simply packaged with the operating system for the sake of it. Hearts was included with Windows 3.1, the first network ready version of the system. Sure enough, hearts was included to give people a practical use for network connections.

Rewarding users with connected interactive games was a genius stroke by Microsoft to encourage adoption amongst early users. Well played Bill, well played indeed.

You can play these golden oldies online now using the following links. It’s ok, we know you’ll play Minesweeper first.

Play Minesweeper

Play Solitaire

Play Hearts

MWC 2016: Nokia – The retro revival

Jon
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MWC 2016: Nokia – The retro revival

The humble Nokia, the Chuck Norris of the mobile phone industry. Is Thor’s hammer made from a Nokia 3210? Was Hiroshima really just a 6320 falling from a second story apartment? Did Nokia create a phone battery that lasted longer than a day? Wait, that last one is actually true.

Unfortunately, just like a certain football team, Nokia have fallen from the top of their game, but like all mighty warriors, they refuse to lay down and admit defeat. At this year’s Mobile World Congress, Nokia confirmed they will be selling smartphones once again, just two years on from the somewhat ill-fated Microsoft buy out in 2014.

Pop Quiz: How old are Nokia as  a company? And for bonus points what did they make or do back then?

Back in the nineties, Nokia rose to power with iconic phones such the 3210 and 3310. Pioneering features such as Xpress-on covers, ridiculous battery lives and of course the great mobile innovation of all time; Snake. For the nostalgia alone, take a quick break and play snake on your smartphone or in your browser.

It was all rosy until 2007, when everything changed. The iPhone was launched, a momentous event in mobile history which would redefine the market for years to come and signal the end of an era for the Finnish powerhouse. After years of failing to keep the pace with the likes of Apple, Samsung and LG, in 2011 Nokia teamed up with Microsoft and ditched the Symbian OS along the way. This move failed to stop the rot and just three years later the mobile division of Nokia was purchased by Microsoft.

As a part of this deal, Nokia were not allowed to create their own phones until the second half of 2016. CEO Rajeev Suri has said at MWC 2016 that the Finnish company will indeed return, but now as we know it. While working on Nokia OZO, the company’s ultra-premium VR camera programme, Nokia will not produce handsets, opting instead to license the brand to manufacturers, with Suri stating Nokia would rather wait for the right partner instead of going with the highest bidder; note lessons learned from the Microsoft efforts.

Exactly who will step forward for a partnership is unknown, but who ever it is will likely have to sacrifice creative controls to Nokia. That might be enough to rule out the most interesting parties, but following Apple’s stumble from the top of the podium recently, could you imagine an iPhone with Nokia durability and battery. One can dream.

By the way, Nokia is 150 years old and started out in the forestry and power industries before shaping the mobile elite.

Which 2016 General Election candidates to vote for

Marty
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Which 2016 General Election candidates to vote for

While many of you have probably voted for your own preference of the 2016 General Election candidates, thousands of you who have yet to move your votes are likely moving around the country to vote. Chances are, the candidates in this constituency may not even mean much to you, leading you to vote like you have in the past or following your parents. Fortunately, there is a great tool that can ensure your vote goes towards a cause you believe in.

Smartvote.ie is a remarkably simple idea, that does all the hard work for you in terms of keeping up with the wide array of election promises that emerge during the run up to elections. Upon visiting Smartvote.ie, you enter your constituency, before beginning a ten minute journey towards a smarter vote.

In truth, it will likely take less than ten minutes, as you are simply greeted with a statement to which you choose which level of agreement or disagreement you feel.

smartvote breakdown

Smartvote.ie then compares your choices to what the 2016 General Election candidates and their parties have been saying in the run into polling. You will be given a results card showing which candidates within your selected constituency suits your beliefs best, with an option to view a breakdown to each question you answered. Do keep an eye out for the commentary here, as party stances are given where individual candidates have not provided comment on the topic.

With a few hours remaining to vote, Smartvote.ie is a great tool to ensure you get the most out of your vote. Share this with people you’ve heard say, “but sure the father votes for him”.

The problem with Tesla launching in Ireland

Marty
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The problem with Tesla launching in Ireland

It was with much fanfare and applause that Elon Musk announced news of Tesla launching in Ireland later this year.

While it’s great to see the very latest in automotive technology about to hit Irish roads, Tesla might just come up against some unique obstacles when trying to break into the Irish market.

Auto pilot on our roads simply wont work

I think we’ve all had that moment when driving on Irish roads at some stage. The point where you simply have to stop for a second, pull in and re-evaluate how necessary your journey is. Some of the roads are so bad that you may hesitate to call them roads at all. Just take this road in Cork for example…

Indeed, we did hesitate to use the word road.

Tesla Auto Pilot
Tesla Auto Pilot reacts to Irish roads

Combine this with the recent stand-out developments of Tesla cars in the form of Auto Pilot. As you’d expect, Auto Pilot allows you to sit back to a certain extent as the car drives itself. While this is great, can you imagine the on-board computer’s reaction to hitting the road above or the countless potholes to be found around the country.

While the country roads are bad, even some town and city centre streets would be a nightmare for an automated system to navigate with insane lane changes, necessary bus lane jumping and other madness that only the most skilled drivers feel comfortable negotiating in Ireland. It’ll be interesting to see how Tesla plan to get the most out of their Auto Pilot system in Ireland.

We don’t even like the immersion being left on

The fear of god was put into us in our youth. Terrorism and nuclear warheads paled in comparison to your auld lad coming in to find the immersion on. The electricity meter would be spinning faster than your head after the clip around the ear that your auld lad delivered for leaving the immersion on in the first place. With that level of fear, we are now expected to pop home from a day’s driving to plug in the car.

We can’t see that lark catching on at all, unless there is heavy investment in keeping the cost of running electric versus fossil cars way down.

Remember LPG gas? No? Exactly.

LPG Stations Ireland ESB Charge points IrelandThis isn’t the first attempt to bring in an alternate fuel source to tempt the Irish people away from their beloved fossil fuels. There was a time where all the rage was gas conversion kits for cars and running them on a very efficient gas known as LPG. The problem was that there was only a select few forecourts around the country at which you could refuel this rare gas type, despite it being massively popular on mainland Europe.

Granted, Tesla probably has a better foundation to build on. Just look at this map comparing LPG stations (left) to ESB charge points (right). Nissan’s Leaf has gone a long way to increasing electric car sales from 51 in 2013 to 222 in January of last year. This growing trend might well be enough to convince road users that, while electric cars are far from a dominant force at the moment, a bit of sex appeal that comes with the Tesla Model S.

Driving electric cars is a thankless chore

electric car clampedThe biggest obstacle that Tesla launching in Ireland will face is the hassle owning an electric car causes. Electric cars were tempting to some  early adopters due to financial benefits. However, in late 2015, ESB announced plans to hike the costs of electric car usage. In order for electric cars to continue to grow in popularity, there really must be benefits. If these start to dry up at this early stage, electric cars will be doomed to the fate of LPG fuelled cars.

The reason for this is ultimately that electric cars don’t have the range of traditional fuel source driven machines, which are looking even more cost effective considering recent price variations. Personally, there is one image (left) I caught recently near Patrick Street in Dublin that, for me, summed up electric cars in Ireland.

With Tesla launching in Ireland, what will it cost?

The ultimate crux of any car purchase, even those running traditional fuel sources, is the price. Of course, the likes of the Tesla S has an advantage in the fact it can get “a full tank” for just about €16. Unfortunately, the cost of the car itself is that of a premium sports car, approximately €70,000 up front. While there are certain kick backs, including a €5,000 grant from the government, cars with the Tesla logo will be a little too costly for just anybody to run out and grab one, no matter how cool they are.

Champions League of phones

Dean
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Champions League of phones

In the mobile phone industry, there are some manufacturers that are in a different class to the others, just like Apple, Samsung and LG. There are also some that have fallen away over the years that were once giants, such as Blackberry, Nokia. We also have the niche handsets with a small following of fans, like HTC and LG. Football teams have fans. So why don’t we try and analyse the kind people who use these phones and see what kind of football teams they would support.

Samsung: Barcelona

Barcelona SmartphoneLet’s start from the top. The top dogs. The ones that all competitors fear and are always trying to catch, whether it’s La Liga, the Copa Del Rey or the Champions League. Reaching 5 Copa Del Reys in 10 years, winning La Liga 6 times in the last 10 years and are going for their fifth Champions League in 10 years and 6th overall. Yes, Barcelona are definitely the most dominant force in Europe at the moment. So why Samsung?

Since the downfall of Nokia, Samsung and been the dominant force in the market with the most unit sales in the last 4 years globally. In the four years before, they were only second behind Nokia and the 2 years previous they were third. Keeping up? Ok, in the past ten years, Samsung have been one of the top three highest selling phone manufacturers in the world, and with the release of the Galaxy S7 coming next month, it doesn’t look like they’re going to stop any time soon.

Real Madrid: Apple

Real Madrid SmartphoneReal Madrid; always knocking on the door of Barca, and considered a threat. Winners of the Champions League the first 5 years of the competition’s existence, a record 10 times altogether and most recently in 2014,  Real Madrid have always been around and have always been one of the richest clubs out there, giving them the opportunity to buy quality players that help continue their success; see Galácticos.

Speaking of success, with roots in Steve Jobs’ garage in Cupertino, Apple were the first to develop a personal computer for the common man. For years, they developed the Mac and after eventually breaking into the mobile phone market. Now, they have become one of the most recognised and sought after brands in the world. And until recently were the most valuable company in the world. Like Real Madrid, Apple don’t look like they’re slowing down, if not building momentum. With the rumours of an iPhone 5SE coming out soon, the Apple Watch 2 and the recent release of the iPad Pro, Apple seem to have new ideas up their sleeves every year and are looking to reclaim the title of most valuable company in the world.

Spurs: LG

Spurs SmartphoneSpurs are a highly respected team and always one that the bigger clubs and are serious title contenders this year. They’re the kind of team that if you asked someone who they support and they answered ‘Spurs’, you’d probably answer ‘Really?’. 25 years have come and gone and Spurs have yet to clench a title, but they’ve always been in and around there, especially in the past 6 years where they’ve finished 4th, 5th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 5th respectively. It’s pretty clear Spurs have been improving in recent years and that’s why we think LG are suited to these supporters. They’re not fair weather supporters or glory hunters, they’re supporting the club for the club; similar to LG.

LG have never really been the top dog in the phone industry, but they’ve always been there and they’ve always been respected. However, in recent years with their LG G series, they’re looking to take over the phone industry. With the new G5 coming out with some awesome specs, Apple and Samsung will want to take a long look at this competitor because they might have some serious competition to contend with this year and the coming years after.

Arsenal: Sony

Arsenal SmartphoneArsenal are one of the most highly respected clubs in England and Europe with Arsene Wenger at the helm for the bones of 20 years now. With 3 premier league wins and 12 FA Cups, most recently in 2015 and 2014 back to back. Arsenal have yet to win the highest honour in Club Football, the Champions League. I believe the running gag is ‘now that Arsenal are out of the Champions league, they can concentrate on qualifying for it next year’. With all due respect though, I am a big Arsene Wenger fan and I do respect him and the club. Arsenal have been unlucky for a few years with runs of bad form but they have come back the past couple of years and are looking like serious contenders for the Premier League this year. This is why Sony suits Arsenal.

Back in the day of candy bar phones, the Sony Ericsson was one of Nokia’s biggest competitors, who were dominant at the time. The W200 was one of my favourite phones when I was younger, as it was my first phone to enable me to be able use my phone as a MP3 player. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t the first to do this, but something about it was just fluid and easy to use. After this I bought the Sony Ericsson 910i. A nifty slide up phone with a great screen and vivid wallpapers and screen savers, for the time anyway. In recent years, other manufacturers have brushed Sony aside and have stood taller above them; but Sony have not backed off. Still a force to be reckoned with they’ve been the most successful in water-proofing their phones, they have the best cameras out there and their processors are up there with the best. With the revolutionary 4K recording in their most recent Z5, Sony, like Arsenal, want to remind their competition that they are here to stay and are becoming stronger and stronger each year.

Manchester City- HTC

Manchester City SmartphoneThis crowd are every United fans worst nightmare. They are still trying to build a fanbase after their Arab owners took over and bought some decent talent. Becoming only the fifth team to win the league in 2014, City fought from the depths of the Third division just before the turn of the Millennium, City are now one of the strongest teams in England and have been consistently fighting for the title for the last 5 years.

Since HTC released their flagship One range, people have been starting to sit up and listen because who we once thought were underdogs are now serious contenders for pretty much every title in Europe. As I said, they have a small fan base but they are growing. With a minor setback in 2015 with the M9, HTC are entering the Virtual Reality market in a big way with the HTC Vive expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Both HTC and City are looking to bounce back and find their recent form again so that they can aim to be one of the heavy-weights in Europe and rather than struggle to get out of the Champions League group stages every year. Instead they want to try and win it. They’re up there with Sony and LG, but the likes of Apple and Samsung (Barca and Real) are still looking at them as a minor threat and still feel like they can take them…. for now.

Man United: Nokia

manchester united smartphoneNo matter what club you support, you cannot deny United the title of Englands most successful club in history. With a staggering 20 leagues titles, 11 FA cups, 3 Champions Leagues and the only English club to win a treble. Manchester United a dominant force in England… right? Wrong… oh so very wrong. Following the retirement of Fergie, United’s form fell off a cliff. Barely competing for Premier League title’s never mind Europoean title’s United are struggling and are painfully watching their neighbours City take the Manchester Throne. You can see why I picked Nokia.

Between ’99 and ’07, Nokia not only had the top selling handset worldwide, they had numerous phones in the top selling phones category worldwide. In 2007, the top 7 phones sold globally were all made by Nokia! They were a dominating force between the ’90’s and early to mid ’00’s. Only to be dethroned by Apple in ’08 as top selling phone, Nokia never found their form again and were bought by Microsoft in 2014 who took over the Lumia range. Let’s hope they can find their form again and be able to compete with the dominant players out there today sometime in the future.

Leicester: OnePlus

Leicester SmartphoneWhen it comes to winning big competitions and competeting with the biggest names in the business, Leicester have always kept relatively under the radar. With a few League One and Two cups here and there and a handful of league cups, there’s nothing really special about Leicester… until now. Last season Leicester barely managed to stay in the Premier league. This year they are playing the role of convincing title challengers. Week after week they prove it, beating the likes of United, Chelsea and City, the latter being beaten in a convincing 3-0 hammering.  They were once a team no one really talked about, just there to make up the numbers.

Let’s talk about OnePlus for a minute. Founded only in 2013 and literally coming out of no where, the OnePlus series is a serious piece of tech. Starting out with the OnePlus and the very successful OnePlus2, the company have given themselves the tagline ‘Flagship Killer’. Like Leicester, they are not just here to compete, OnePlus are here to take over. And if you have a look at their devices you’ll see why. Making them only available by an online invitation only, they are establishing themselves as a very high end and premium brand and are looking to become the best in the business. With the success they’ve had in their first 2 and a half years, OnePlus are one to watch, and personally, I’m waiting on the OnePlus3 to come out before I decide on my next handset, because they are setting the bar very high.

Blackberry: Liverpool

Liverpool SmartphoneSimilar to Arsenal, Liverpool were also a dominant force in England. With the most Champions Leagues in England and the second most English Leagues, Liverpool were to be feared and avoided back in the day.  Although yet to win a Premier League, Liverpool were always threatening in other competitions. Lest we forget their historical comeback in Istanbul, but that’s all there is. Liverpool were… were… a dominant force in England and Europe and in the Premier League  they seemed to have lost their form and haven’t been competing for Champions leagues or domestic cups in recent years either. Liverpool have fallen off the horse and have yet to get back on.  They are the Blackberry of the phone industry.

Once upon a time, everyone wanted a Blackberry, they were the coolest phones around and very handy to use. And when the era of Smart phones came along, Blackberry seemed to lose it’s place in the phone industry and demand disappeared. They have tried to innovate to gain back market share but just haven’t been able to find the glory days of old. Eventually deciding to attempt a break into the Android market, Blackberry are looking to re-establish themselves as a premium and must have brand. Yet year after year they wait and see, full sure this year will be their year. Alas, Apple and Samsung continue to flourish, Sony continue to compete, and HTC are constantly reminding people they are still here and aren’t going anywhere. Blackberry and Liverpool both need to do something soon to establish themselves as heavyweights in their respective industries again or they will eventually fade away to the lower lower tiers as the likes of Leeds… or Sagem have. Remember them?

Aston Villa

Samsung Galaxy S7 specs

Marty
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Samsung Galaxy S7 specs

Following a snappy Unpacked event in Barcelona today, we are now wiser to the Samsung Galaxy S7 specs. Here’s the important numbers you’ll all want to know before getting a pre-order in to claim your discounted Gear VR gift.

Samsung Galaxy S7: Design

Both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will sport the same size screens as its predecessor, with 5.1 inch and 5.5 inch screens respectively. The biggest design re-innovation with the twin flagships is an IP68 water resistivity rating. To translate that into English, both of these handsets can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for thirty minutes leaving Spotify in the shower and selfies in the pool will become commonplace; which needs a good camera.

Samsung Galaxy S7: Camera

While HTC attempted this with Ultrapixels, what was a valiant effort ultimately failed. Samsung have introduced a 12MP Dual Pixel Sensor which provides crisp image captures, even in low light. Some software updates might look familiar, such as the Motion Photo feature which certainly resembles Apple’s Live Photo. Samsung pulled no punches in comparing images created by both Samsung and Apple flagships.

These are just some of the new camera features, but all these images will take up a lot of memory right?

Samsung Galaxy S7: Memory

I won’t lie, I’ve been thinking of getting the Galaxy S7, but it hinged on one spec; expandable memory. While 32GB is more than my current 16GB handset, expandable just seems like it should be standard (unless you’re using Apple). Their was a mini celebration I allowed myself as it was announced that Samsung would re-introduce expandable memory for their new twin flagships.

It’s remarkably simple business. Apple charge €100 to go up in memory capacities, but now with Samsung you can simply buy the base model and expand the memory to suit your needs, right up to 200GB. So you’ll be able to store vast quantities of images, games and videos, videos that will need a lot of battery power.

Samsung Galaxy S7: Battery

Samsung’s D.J Koh made an audacious claim during the company’s 2016 Unpacked Event. Koh claimed that you could watch an entire season of Game of Thrones on one charge of the Galaxy S7’s 3000 mAh battery or Galaxy S7 Edge’s 3600 mAh battery. We’re really not so sure if that’s with aeroplane mode enabled or something, but it’s a bold claim. Even if it’s not true, a dead battery won’t hinder you for too long as the Galaxy S7 can charge in an hour and a half while the S7 Edge will take just a further ten minutes.

We’re interested to see if the battery upgrades are effected by “Always on Display” which is a minimal screen you will always see at a quick glance of your handset. Ultimately though, how does this all rack up in terms of innovation and development.

Is the Samsung Galaxy S7 better than the Galaxy S6?

Zuckerberg Samsung VROn the outside, this years twin flagships look almost identical to Samsung’s key handsets from last year. While the horrid camera nipple has been severely reduced from the Galaxy S6, the majority of the Galaxy S7’s developments are under the hood. Water resistivity is a nice addition, especially to those of you who have been hurt by liquid ingress before. For us, the biggest development comes in the shape of a tiny micro SD card.

When you consider how much it costs to get a larger sized iPhone who still look at 16GB as entry level, the Galaxy S7 with expandable memory and a 32GB memory as standard pulls out in front. Last year’s Galaxy S6 simply didn’t have expandable memory, and Samsung have clearly been taking feedback on-board from customers.

With Mark Zuckerberg appearing and giving the Galaxy team his endorsement as the “only handset display that can handle the best level’s of VR”, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is placing a large bet on virtual reality. Normally we would say virtual reality is a gimmick, but Samsung are going all out including Gear VR with pre-orders.

While the wheel certainly hasn’t been reinvented, the Galaxy S7 is a fantastic looking upgrade for anyone who is using the likes of a Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8. If you are using a Galaxy S6, I wouldn’t go mad trying to upgrade as there isn’t a massive difference, but there is enough to herald the Galaxy S7 as a cracking piece of smart kit.

Don’t forget, you can still catch up on our live coverage of the event.

Samsung Unpacked 2016 Live Blog and Live Stream

Marty
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Samsung Unpacked 2016 Live Blog and Live Stream

The path to one of the most anticipated handsets of the year (already) ends this Sunday with Samsung Unpacked 2016. While their are plenty of rumours floating around the tech world, it’s only at the Unpacked event do we get official confirmation of all the new twin flagships specifications. Will the new Samsung Galaxy S7 support 360-degree video shooting and bring back micro SD memory expansion? These are the kind of questions that will be answered at this year’s Unpacked event, going live the day before Mobile World Congress kicks off on Monday.

Join us here, today from 6pm to view the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 Live Stream and Live Blog.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016: Live Stream

Below you’ll find a video stream showing events unfold live. If you are a virtual reality user, you can even view the event in 360.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R5HN6oWdC4

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016: Live Blog

For all the opinions coming out of the Samsung launched event, keep an eye below. If you have questions, fire them out.

MWC 2016: What to expect and what we want to see

Dean
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MWC 2016: What to expect and what we want to see

To put the Mobile World Congress into context for you non-tech nerds, it’s the tech industry’s Superbowl, World Cup or Wrestlemania. It’s where the biggest guys in the industry come together in Barcelona and announce their upcoming products being released this year. Of course, Apple don’t like sharing the spotlight with the competition and announce new products at their own keynote events. We not only see the newest smartphones on the market but also tablets, wearables and hopefully a couple of VR Headsets this year.

Last year we were introduced to Samsung’s Galaxy S6, the HTC M9, the Huawei Watch and the innovative Galaxy S6 Edge. So what can we see this year and what would we like to see from some of the companies that will be there on the

MWC 2016: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S7 EdgeLast year we saw the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, which did not disappoint. There was a design overhaul as Samsung moved towards an aluminium body as opposed to the plastic looking Galaxy S5. The stylishness of the Galaxy S6 earned it a spot it the “fashion” movie of the year, Zoolander 2. Also, the sheer the power coming out of it was incredible. Not so popular was the choice to get rid of the SD card slot installing a non-removable battery and opting out of waterproofing. Sure, these all seemed to be downgrades from the Galaxy S5 but when you use it you can see it’s far from a downgrade.

Samsung at MWC 2016: What we want to see

Some rumours have been knocking around already, but there are the perennial upgrades we’d hope for. As always, better battery life is always nice, so we’ll have some of that Samsung. Also, paying an extra 100 for an extra 32GB of storage was ridiculous when the year before you could pay a base price for a Galaxy S5 and pay €20  for a 32GB SD card, saving 80 bucks. In other words, don’t do an Apple on it Samsung and bring back an SD card slot. And if ye could bring back the water resistance for shower tunage, that would be great too.

Few will deny the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but it would be great to see increased functionality from the curved areas of the screen. Last year the Galaxy S6 Edge yielded minimal usability. Many who bought it said they wish they got the regular Galaxy S6 instead owing to the Galaxy Edge does so little and it’s annoying trying to hold it. If we’re going to spend an extra €100 or €200 for curved glass,we need it to be justified Samsung.

Samsung at MWC 2016: What to expect

Camera

One of the main upgrades the public wants to see year after year. Let’s face it, smart phones have more or less replaced cameras, so if a smart phone is going to be a number once choice for cameras, manufacturers really need to up their game. Samsung hears you. The rear camera is rumoured to be 20MP, with f-2 aperture for even better low light conditions. The front camera is rumoured to be a very impressive 13MP, which Snapchat users and selfie takers will be beaming to hear. However recent updates have played down the 20MP camera rumour and reckon it’ll have a 12MP with a better sensor and quicker auto-focus.

Battery

What good is it all if it dies all the time? Battery life is a main attraction to consumers these days. If our battery isn’t going to last the day, I want it charging fast! And Samsung are looking to bring just that with their fast charging technology. It is rumoured that the Galaxy S7 will take about 40 minutes to get a full charge. You’ll also have the option for wireless charging. Not only this, they have also recently trademarked the term ‘Always on Display’. Apparently it gives us updates on weather, time, notifications and more whilst using little battery power.

As for removable batteries? It doesn’t look like Samsung will be opting in again, but they are bringing out a rumoured 3000 mAh battery for the Galaxy S7 and 3600 mAh for the Galaxy S7 Edge, two big upgrades on last years battery capacities.

Memory

It also looks like for now we will still not be getting an SD card slot in the phone. So if you’re looking to upgrade but 32GB doesn’t do you, be willing to pay a hefty price for an 64GB model..

MWC 2016: HTC

HTC is like the Spurs of the Smart Phone of the tech industry. Still considered a heavy weight and one of the best brands around, but they still can’t keep up with the likes of Arsenal, Man City or Leicester… apparently. I had the One M8 and the One M8s, I got the chance to use the One M9, and afterwards, I felt no desire to upgrade to it. It had a couple of features like telling you about restaurants and landmarks in your location (available through a software upgrade anyway), but the battery was still poor. The battery was possibly worse then the One M8 as its running an octa-core processor. With my upgrade due this year, I’d like to see something good from the One M10 because I am a big fan of their phones and design.

HTC at MWC 2016: What we want to see

The front facing speakers need to stay as this is probably one of HTC’s best features, it’s very attractive to music listeners and the overall audio quality is much better then some phones I’ve compared it to including Samsung and Sony. Design-wise, the curved back really does fit your hand very comfortably and you don’t feel like you might drop it unlike other models with squarer backs.

Some things do need to change though, including the battery. While using the One M9, I noticed it died quicker then the One M8. This is probably because of the massive upgrade to an octa-core processor. They did upgrade the battery, but it wasn’t big enough to handle the power and it needs to be addressed.
A big priority for HTC needs to be giving the phone new features instead of upgrading existing ones which they’ve been getting away with since the One M7. Water proofing would be an upgrade camera users would appreciate. If you’re going to have a 20MP camera, it would be nice to take these vivid pictures underwater too. It also is probably time to enter the finger print scanner game also.

HTC at MWC 2016: What to expect

Nothing… at least at MWC 2016. HTC have announced they will hold their own event in April to release the phone.

Innovation

Leaked HTC One M10 imageThe CEO has come out and said we should expect significant improvements and innovations from their latest flagship. With leaked images (right) emerging with a radical, if not Samsung/Apple looking design, change may be on the horizon. Water proofing is rumoured along with wireless charging; two features that are becoming more common with flagship phones. There is also expectation we could see a finger print scanner built into the home button. If these rumours are true, the One M10 is a big upgrade from the One M9 and could be a good runner this year

Power

It’s expected that the One M10 will support Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 820 chipset, which most manufacturers will probably be adopting this year, including Samsung’s Galaxy S7.

Battery

The One M10 is rumoured to don a 3000 mAh battery as opposed to the One M9’s 2840 mAh. Hopefully this battery will prove enough to be able to handle the 820 processor.

MWC 2016: Sony

Sony have announced that they will be there on the 22nd. But they have kept their plans on the lowdown, so we’re not sure exactly to expect. It’s unlikely we’ll get an Xperia Z6 or any other smart phone since their flag ships are only a couple of months old. But they’re are rumours of a Xperia Z6 and Xperia Z6 compact tablet, and with the Sony Smartwatch 3 over a year old we’ll surely see some sort of upgrade in the wearables area. So nothing much to expect from Sony right now, so we look forward to what they have in store for us.

MWC 2016: LG

No surprises here, LG have already announced the G5 will be unveiled on the 21st in Barcelona. But will they have anything else up their sleeves?

LG at MWC 2016: What we want to see

LG G5LG seem to be A1 in the smart watch game. The design and features are slick and I wouldn’t mind seeing and upgrade in this department to see how they can innovate it more.

We’re already pretty sure it has an ‘Always on’ mode similar to what is rumoured on the Galaxy S7. It’ll also come in 64GB and with the option of adding up 200GB of memory in their SD card slot. The camera is said to be a dual 20MP, with an 8MP front camera. With a 5.6” screen, it’s also meant to have 4K screen resolution. The screen is also said to have an Edge-like feature similar to the Galaxy S7, but some released pictures apparently of the G5 disprove that rumour.

One of the biggest rumours, probably by any smart phone manufacturer this year, is the possibility of an eye-scanner to unlock the phone. LG are supposedly working with IRIENCE, a South Korean-based technology company that specialises in eye-scanning technology. The eye scanner will be the most secure form of security on any smart phone and could see the beginning of the end for the finger print scanner. It’s supposed to able to read your eye from about 50cm, so your phone can still be unlocked at a reasonable and realistic distance from your face when you normally hold your phone. Although it is supposed to be slower then the finger print scanner so could either be hot or a flop.

The last and most mysterious thing to expect from the G5 is the ‘Magic Slot’. Apparently there is going to be a slot that you can stick something into. Most rumours are saying it’ll be a battery expansion pack. But the battery is also supposed to be getting upgraded to 4000 mAh, a big upgrade from the G4’s 3000 mAh.

MWC 2016: Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality at MWC 2016: HTC

HTC ViveEnough about phones for now. This year we are expected to see HTC’s first rendition on the Virtual reality world. The HTC Vive. The screens inside the headset are rumoured to be longer then what we see on the Oculus Rift, meaning we can now look up with our eyes rather then moving our whole head to look up, but that’s not the best part by far.

With the headset, you also get 2 wireless infra-red cameras,which bring us up to a to a total of 73 motion sensors including the 2 controllers that come with it for gaming. So you can now walk around your virtual reality space with more freedom. They also work with more then one headset at a time, so feel free to have a virtual reality party on Mars with your friends! Another cool feature gamers will be raving about is HTC’s partnership with Valve. Valve are looking to release and open API so that their SteamVR games will be available on multiple headsets.

Virtual Reality at MWC 2016: Samsung

While the approach isn’t as scientific as HTC, Samsung’s Gear VR is an impressive piece of kit. Using the Samsung handset in the VR headset slashes the cost of a VR experience while still having the joy of seeing an Oculus logo on it. VR is set to be a really big part of tech in 2016, with Samsung playing their part. The forthcoming Unpacked Event is even set to be streamed in 360-video.

Tomorrow is the big day when it is all going to kick off and you’ll be able to catch everything live from the Samsung Unpacked event here with Goos3D. This is just a small handful of some awesome tech that is going to be revealed tomorrow. From the choices above, i’ve got my eye on that G5. If I sell a kidney that is.

IFTTT Series: WeMo Lights

Marty
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IFTTT Series: WeMo Lights

It’s only right an proper that our IFTTT Series moves on from the IFTTT app itself to look at WeMo lights created by American company Belkin. Founded in 1983, today Belkin is a market leader in home automation technology through it’s WeMo division.

WeMo Light GIFWeMo have been involved in IFTTT from the very start, being the first piece of hardware to have its own channel. The vast majority of WeMo products proudly display the IFTTT logo on their packaging, showing how central the application is to Belkin’s range. Whether it is because of the visual impact or the practical uses, the most popular WeMo device is the LED Lighting Sets. From your smart phone, you can control your home lighting, anywhere in the world.

On a recent trip to Germany, I tested it out for myself. I also have a WeMo NetCam in place, so I was able to see the lights in my apartment turn on and off within a second of sending a command from my phone. Admittedly, one will feel like quite the nerd showing this off, but you can’t help but take a step back for a moment and think about how insane that is. A tap of a screen flicks on a light bulb that is thousands of kilometres away. This is space age technology that the average smart phone owner can enjoy in the home for a very small price.

WeMo lights specs

There are some grass routes facts and figures you’ll need to know if you are shopping for light bulbs, whether they are smart or not. Regarding efficiency, you can be rest assured that the bulbs are great, earning an environmentally and pocket friendly A+ rating. Considering these lights are more expensive to the standard, owing to the technology involved, they will typically last for quite some time. Belkin claim their WeMo light bulbs will last for up to 23 years (but that’s only with use of 3 hours per day). The real value of course here comes with greater control over your lightening which should reduce usage in the long run.

In terms of brightness, WeMo lights are plenty bright, weighing in with a 60W equivalent rating. The cool feature which came as a neat surprise to myself is the fact that you can dim the lights too. Brilliant for the romantics out there.

Best IFTTT recipes for WeMo lights

Bedtime lights off

IFTTT Recipe: Bedroom off on charge connects android-battery to wemo-lighting

This is genius. You know that feeling when the bedroom is cold, you’re warm under the duvet and you realise you didn’t get the lights. Not a problem, you could reach for your smart phone, load the WeMo app and switch them off, or you could do what every single person does before bed every night. This recipe will turn off your bedroom WeMo lighting when you plug your Android phone in. Isn’t that neat? Also great if your other half falls asleep with the lamp on and they give out when you elbow them to turn it off.

Sunset lights on

IFTTT Recipe: Sunset = Sitting Room lights on connects weather to wemo-lighting

This is a personal favourite due to the convenience. There is a strange part of me that is extremely lazy. Wait, I meant to say large part of me that is extremely lazy. So as the room slowly gets darker to the point of me thinking I need to turn on a light, I am struck with the inner turmoil that the couch is really comfy. Fear not my lazy amigo, This recipe automatically turns on your WeMo lights when the the sun sets. You are living in the future people.

Emergency lighting

IFTTT Recipe: Nest Smoke Emergency Turns on Wemo Light connects nest-protect to wemo-lighting

This is for the people who think home automation is nothing but a gimmick. If you have a connected device at home for safety, such as Nest Protect or Smart Roost, you can have an alert from this device turn on a group of lights towards your home’s exits. Systems such as these will save lives in low light situations. I can also vouch for these bulbs and say they are bloody bright on full whack.

Turn lights on when you get home

Android

IFTTT Recipe: Turn on lights when connected to home WiFi connects android-device to wemo-lighting

iOS
IFTTT Recipe: When I get home turn on my WeMo bulbs connects ios-location to wemo-lighting


Two different approaches here, making evident just how flexible the IFTTT system is in letting you create what works for you. The Android version will pop you lights on as soon as your smartphone connects to a particular WiFi connection (home for example). The iOS version works on location, so when you enter the home you can expect your lights to be on already. Little bit of genius that.

Android Wear WeMo Don’t for get the DO Button

This is one of the IFTTT team’s latest improvements. So far, everything we’ve discussed has been an automated reaction, but what if something happens outside the recipes you’ve created? DO Button is a great feature that provides you with a virtual button to trigger actions similar to an IFTTT recipe. Better still, if you have an Android Wear device, you have your light switch on your wrist at all times. Here is my Huawei Watch in action with the DO button.

WeMo Light Adaptor

One pro tip. You will more than likely only be able to pick up the EU screw style fitting, while most homes in Ireland use the bayonet fitting. Luckily, you will find the perfect adaptor in most hardware stores, or on the cheap in IKEA. Here you can pick up 2 for €1.50.

WeMo Lights: The verdict

Sure, WeMo lights are likely to set you back a little more than your standard lights, but they are available on Amazon from around €70. Remember you can avail of any free UK delivery offers you see to Ireland using Parcel Motel. WeMo lights are also money well spent from the point of view that this is simple to setup home automation that will impress visitors and give them a visual of how tech savvy you have become.  A great way to dip your toe into the waters of home automation.

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