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Showing posts with label Tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tech. Show all posts
25 February 2012
Netflix Won't Support Blackberry's Playbook Anytime Soon



Bad news for Blackberry users. Popular film and TV streaming service Netflix has announced that they have no plans to bring its service to Blackberry's Playbook any time soon. It is yet another area where the playbook lags behind its competitiors. Netflix is available on iPad and iPhones at the moment. The company made the announcement via their Twitter page. RIM have been trying to bridget the gap between itself and the iPad in recent months. The newest upgrade included a native app but the iPad is still streets ahead of the Playbook. It is all a bit too little too late for RIM and sales figures reflect this. Netflix is a hugely popular service with more than 20 million subscribers in America and a growing subscription list in the UK. It is available here on the Playstation3.















RIM upgraded the software of its poor-selling PlayBook on Tuesday, making it possible for app makers to easily move their existing Android apps across to the PlayBook.

The upgrade also enables a BlackBerry smartphone to remotely control the tablet, which connects to a television via a standard cable.

It was not immediately clear if Netflix would port its existing Android app across rather than create a specific app for PlayBook.

Netflix has more than 24 million U.S. subscribers, where it offers both a mail-in service and streaming movies and TV shows. It also has also expanded its streaming-only service to Canada and parts of Latin America
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Orange & EAT Launch New Reward Scheme






Orange has announced a new reward system called Quick Tap Treats specifically for customers with NFC enabled handsets. It is the UK's first contactless mobile reward scheme and it runs in partnership with restaurantchain EAT. Customers simply tap their handset on special posters in EAT restaurants to play a game which enables them to win a reward. They can play the game daily.

Users will be eligible to win one of the following treats and more treats are expected to be added:

Free Ham & Cheese Baguette
Free Small Coffee
Free Porridge
Free Fruit
Free Mash & Gravy with any Pie purchase
Breakfast Bacon upgrade (small to big)
Soup Upgrade (small to big)

The rewards scheme utilises the NFC tags system and will also be available as an app in Orange World, Blackberry App World, Android & OVI. Approximately 200,000 Orange customers will be able to benefit from the new rewards scheme. The reward scheme kicks off in March.

All Orange customers with Quick Tap (NFC) handsets will receive an SMS informing them about the Quick Tap Treats rewards programme, and a marketing campaign supporting the initiative will also commence in early March.  If any customer is unsure whether they have an eligible Quick Tap handset, they can contact Orange customer services, who will be able to advise them or they will be able to visit a special section of the Orange website from launch.
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24 February 2012
Women in Tech - TechHub's Elizabeth Varley



The world of tech and entrepreneurship is an area over populated by the male of the species. Since starting this technology blog it has become even more apparent that tech is seen as a man's world. So in this new feature I wanted to put the spotlight on women making waves in the technology and internet arena.

Who better to kick off the series than TechHub co-founder & CEO Elizabeth Varley.

TechHub is an organisation that offers low price wifi, meeting rooms and holds events for budding tech entrepreneurs. The company was formed in July of 2010. It offers more than just space to work, it offers members the chance to meet and network with other entrepreneurs in the same boat. TechHub is situated bang in the middle of London's thriving tech community with offices based in Old Street.

Elizabeth's unique skills and passion for the tech community have also caught the eye of those at no.10. She is assisting 10 Downing Street with its plans to build a tech city (much like America's Silicon Valley) in East London. Elizabeth's passion and desire to help UK tech start-ups sets her apart from her male counterparts and it is easy to see why No.10 were keen to get her on board. This tech minded entrepreneur is one to watch and TechHub is an amazing resource for budding tech entrepreneurs.
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23 February 2012
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Great news for Apple! a court in China has thrown out a claim by Chinese company Proview to stop the sale of iPad's in Chinese stores. The company claimed that Apple's iPad infringed on trademark law.

Losing this battle would have been disastrous for Apple as China is a big source of their revenue and most iPad's are made in the country. Apple claims to have purchased the rights to the name but Proview disputes this. Many Chinese stores had already removed the iPad from their shelves. The iPad 3 is soon to be released so Apple will be pleased to have resolved this matter ahead of it's release.
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21 February 2012
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Great news for all Blackberry Playbook owners. BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Key features:

Integrated email client with a powerful unified inbox consolidating messages from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as personal and work email accounts

Social Integration with Calendar and Contacts apps

Updated BlackBerry Bridge with remote control feature allowing the BlackBerry smartphone to be used as a wireless keyboard with the BlackBerry PlayBook

Improved mobile productivity with updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry Balance

Thousands of new apps and content (including a range of Android apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook)

These updates are sure to excite Blackberry enthusiasts especially the inclusion of a native email application.

 

BlackBerry PlayBook is currently available from 169 (for the 16GB model) from retailers including Dixons, Curries, PC World, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4u as well as selected B2B resellers.
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19 February 2012
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Deciding to invest in a DSLR camera is an important decision. They don't suit everyone but there is no denying that the image quality they provide is unrivalled. Choosing a starter camera is important and I'm here to help you make this decision. You can't go far wrong with the Canon EOS 1100D. It is the perfect starting camera for users not used to operating a DSLR. Canon has a good reputation in the DSLR market and is well known for producing high spec, good value DSLR's. The 1100D is their update for the much loved 1000D. So what makes the 1100D such a great starter DSLR?



the camera itself is a manageable size and fairly lightweight device weighing in at 495g. it has a handgrip to ensure you can easily hold and use it. All the buttons and dials are labelled clearly and are positioned well so using one isn't too complicated. Most of the buttons are on the back of the camera which is ideal for ease of use. It features a 2.7 inch LCD screen with a 230,000 dot screen to ensure that reviewing images is a cinch. The viewfinder lets you clearly and sharply see the subject of your images too. All buttons and dials are laid out in a manner that makes the camera easy to manouvre.



The 1100D provides an image resolution of 12.2 mega pixels and uses an APS-C CMOS image sensor. This camera handles still photos at a rate of 3 frames per second and records video in HD. It has an extensive range of exposure modes making it ideal for a wide variety of different environments. All in all this camera is an excellent all rounder and is perfectly suitable for beginner photographers. It may lack the features of some of the more expensive DSLR's but it contains enough features to satisfy the average consumer. It handles well, has plenty of features, performs well in most environments and is great value for money.

The Canon 1100D is available priced £374.99 from Jessops
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17 February 2012
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Electronics giant Philips recently launched a new range of high tech TV's. The stand out set was the one that caters for dual viewing. The 6000 and 7000 series offer split screen viewing so no more arguing with your other half over what to watch. The TV's also have wi-fi built in to the set and utilise Smart TV.

3D is a big thing right now so these sets also offer 3D compatibility. The 6000 series has screen sizes of 32, 37, 42, 47 or 55 inches and the 7000 series comes in screen sizes of 40, 46 or 55 inches. Both series include 4 HDMI ports as well as 3 USB ones.

No word yet on when these new high tech TV's will hit shops but they are expected to go on sale before the summer.

 

 
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Apple today released a developer preview of OS X Mountain Lion, the ninth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system, which brings popular apps and features from iPad to the Mac and accelerates the pace of OS X innovation. Mountain Lion introduces Messages, Notes, Reminders and Game Center to the Mac, as well as Notification Center, Share Sheets, Twitter integration and AirPlay Mirroring. Mountain Lion is the first OS X release built with iCloud in mind for easy setup and integration with apps. The developer preview of Mountain Lion also introduces Gatekeeper, a revolutionary security feature that helps keep you safe from malicious software by giving you complete control over what apps are installed on your Mac. The preview release of Mountain Lion is available to Mac Developer Program members starting today. Mac users will be able to upgrade to Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store in late summer 2012.

“The Mac is on a roll, growing faster than the PC for 23 straight quarters, and with Mountain Lion things get even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The developer preview of Mountain Lion comes just seven months after the incredibly successful release of Lion and sets a rapid pace of development for the world’s most advanced personal computer operating system.”

The developer preview of Mountain Lion features the all new Messages app which replaces iChat and allows you to send unlimited messages, high-quality photos and videos directly from your Mac to another Mac or iOS device. Messages will continue to support AIM, Jabber, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk. Starting today Lion users can download a beta of Messages from www.apple.com, and the final version will be available with Mountain Lion. Reminders and Notes help you create and track your to-dos across all your devices. Game Center lets you personalise your Mac gaming experience, find new games and challenge friends to play live multiplayer games, whether they’re on a Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Mountain Lion presents notifications in an elegant new way, and Notification Center provides easy access to alerts from Mail, Calendar, Messages, Reminders, system updates and third party apps. System-wide Share Sheets make it easy to share links, photos and videos directly from Apple and third party apps. Twitter is integrated throughout Mountain Lion so you can sign on once and tweet directly from Safari, Quick Look, Photo Booth, Preview and third party apps. Mountain Lion also introduces AirPlay Mirroring, an easy way to wirelessly send a secure 720p video stream of what's on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV.

More than 100 million users have iCloud accounts, and Mountain Lion makes it easier than ever to set up iCloud and access documents across your devices. Mountain Lion uses your Apple ID to automatically set up Contacts, Mail, Calendar, Messages, FaceTime and Find My Mac. The new iCloud Documents pushes any changes to all your devices so documents are always up to date, and a new API helps developers make document-based apps work with iCloud.

Gatekeeper is a revolutionary new security feature that gives you control over which apps can be downloaded and installed on your Mac. You can choose to install apps from any source, just as you do on a Mac today, or you can use the safer default setting to install apps from the Mac App Store, along with apps from developers that have a unique Developer ID from Apple. For maximum security, you can set Gatekeeper to only allow apps from the Mac App Store to be downloaded and installed.

Mountain Lion also has features specifically designed to support Chinese users, including significant enhancements to the Chinese input method and the option to select Baidu search in Safari. Mountain Lion makes it easy to set up Contacts, Mail and Calendar with top email service providers QQ, 126 and 163. Chinese users can also upload video via Share Sheets directly to leading video websites Youku and Tudou, and system-wide support for Sina weibo makes microblogging easy.

Hundreds of new APIs give developers access to new core technologies and enhanced features within OS X. The Game Kit APIs tap into the same services as Game Center on iOS, making it possible to create multiplayer games that work across Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. A new graphics infrastructure underpins OpenGL and OpenCL and implements GLKit, first introduced in iOS 5, to make it easier to create OpenGL apps. Using Core Animation in Cocoa apps is easier than ever, and new video APIs deliver modern 64-bit replacements for low-level QuickTime APIs. Enhanced Multi-Touch APIs give developers double-tap zoom support and access to the system-wide lookup gesture. Kernel ASLR improves security through enhanced mitigation against buffer overflow attacks.
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15 February 2012
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Photoshop CS6 is coming. Adobe recently launched a video showing some of the features coming up in the update to their popular Photoshop software package. The biggest change is their new feature aware tool that will allow users to quickly and easily move portions of a photo around. The video below shows this new feature in action and is sure to be a big hit with users as the same process would take ages in past versions of Photoshop.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrlsnQ32YhY]We have no release date for the new version as of yet but I'll be sure to keep you updated when more details emerge.
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If sources close to Apple are to be believed the new iPad will be announced at a press conference on March 7th. the internet is buzzing with the news and that date would make it almost a year since the iPad2 was announced. Apple also announced the iPad1 a year prior to that so this reported timeline would fit in with their usual schedule.

The new iPad is rumoured to have a 2048×1536 Retina display and quadcore apple A6. It is also like to use the highly advanced 4G LTE networking system. Other expected advances could include a higher megapixel camera on both the front and the back of the iPad. It looks set to be a big year for Apple with the iPhone 5 expected to launch in the summer. the launch will be tinged with sadness though as the 2 previous launches were headed by Steve Jobs who sadly lost his battle with Pancreatic Cancer last year aged 56.
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13 February 2012
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So you've all seen the Back to the Future films right? Well remember the hover boards featured in one of the films. They are cool right! Well soon you'll be able to get your hands on one of your very own. The replica will be released by toy manufacturer Mattel  and includes a variety of whooshing sounds and will glide over surfaces. it won't hover (boo!) but it is still a cool little item for the film's fans. Mattel will be taking orders from March 1st-20th and shipping out the boards around Nov/Dec 2012. No price has been released as of yet so watch this space!

 
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Google has just become one step closer to the purchase of mobile phone manufacturer motorola after the european commission gave the green light to the acquisition. The 12. billion buy out would give Google access to Motorola's extensive library of patents.

The internet giant is looking to grow its android library and access to Motorola's 17,000 patents would help this along. Regulators were concerned that Google's acquisition of Motorola would impact badly on the telecoms industry but they seem to have dealt with these fears.

If the takeover is successful Google will be in posession of one of telecoms largest and most significant patent libraries and it is expected that they will also make the move into manufacturing their own handsets which could be a massive money spinner for the company.

 

 
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Energy supplier E.On today launched a new initiative to discover the next wave of energy products and services.

Open to everyone and headed up by Technology expert Pollyanna Woodward the energy company is looking for innovative
and creative products that will transform people's energy use. The best ideas will be put into practice and produced by
E.On.

There will be five different challenges around the themes of rest, work, play, food and wellbeing.


Entrants need to submit their ideas by 9th April and can do so at http://eon-innovation.com

As well as coming up with future-thinking ideas, the online community
will also be able to 'co-create' by commenting on other submissions and voting for the best inventions.
The best submission from each challenge will win a home energy makeover worth up to £2,000, and one of the five
winners will be selected to receive the 'Shining Star' award, which increases the prize to a home energy makeover
worth up to £10,000. Experts at E.ON will then take these ideas into research and development phase with the intention
of making the ideas a reality.

Technology guru and TV presenter Pollyanna Woodward said: "I love new technology and
gadgets and can't wait to see the entries we receive. I'm really hoping that we'll uncover some amazingly exciting
products and services as part of this initiative, and that they will go on to really make a difference to the future
of energy in the UK."


Phil Gilbert, E.ON's Head of Innovation, added: "At E.ON, we're on a mission to get the nation energy fit and we're 
committed to leading innovation in the energy industry. It's vital that everyone understands the importance of using
energy efficiently and that's why we're challenging the UK public to come up with cutting edge ideas, which will
provide new and unique ways to use and save energy."
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12 February 2012
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I recently bought myself an iPhone so I've been scouring the internet for a completely cute case. Luckily the world wide web is full of them. I may be a tech loving geek but I still love cute and over the top girliness. If your at all like me you'll love these iPhone cases as they are so unbelievably cute.

 



 

These cases are handmade with love and come in a variety of designs.

$20 available here

 

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This one is so adorable and the design is of Japanese animation character Rilakkuma, Available in a wide variety of colours.

$5,76 available here

 



 

There are Hello Kitty lovers everywhere so this cute case will delight them. The internet is over saturated with HK cases but this is one of my favorites.

$32.99 available here

 



Ahhh pandas are adorable aren't they especially in illustrated form. A cute iPhone case that is available in a few other colours.

$14.99 available here.

 



These are actually decals (stickers) but they are so friggin' cute that I had to include them and they retail for less than $10.

$9.99 available here.

 

So which is your favorite?
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09 February 2012
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The PSP didn't exactly set the world alight but Sony's latest foray into the handheld gaming world looks a lot more promising. Although aesthetically they look similar they aren't. Gone are the short lived UMD's to be replaced by the Playstation Vita Card & the Playstation Network. The controls borrow alot from the PS3 with dual analog control sticks. A high performance CPU/GPU combined with an organic light emitting diode (OLED) screen enables a rich user experience and graphics never seen before on a portable entertainment system.

PS Vita features a unique rear touch pad, along with a front touchscreen, one camera on its front and one on its rear, as well as three motion sensors, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and an electronic compass. Every game title for PS Vita will be provided with a space called LiveArea Screens where you can share the fun and excitement with other players. You will have access to the latest game related information provided via PlayStation Network, view an constantly updated Activity log chat in real-time with friends and more.

The 5 inch screen provides the user with a great but portable gaming experience and the front contains a touchscreen while the back has a rear pad. On top of all this the device comes in wifi only or 3G/Wifi versions.

Available from the 22nd February.
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08 February 2012
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Apple has released Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3, a significant update to its revolutionary professional video editing application, which introduces multicam editing that automatically syncs up to 64 angles of video and photos; advanced chroma keying for handling complex adjustments right in the app; and enhanced XML for a richer interchange with third party apps and plug-ins that support the fast growing Final Cut Pro X ecosystem. Available today as a free update from the Mac App Store, Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 also includes a beta of broadcast monitoring that supports Thunderbolt devices as well as PCIe cards.

Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 includes a collection of groundbreaking new tools for editing multicam projects. Final Cut Pro X automatically syncs clips from your shoot using audio waveforms, time and date, or timecode to create a Multicam Clip with up to 64 angles of video, which can include mixed formats, frame sizes and frame rates. The powerful Angle Editor allows you to dive into your Multicam Clip to make precise adjustments, and the Angle Viewer lets you play back multiple angles at the same time and seamlessly cut between them.

Final Cut Pro X builds upon its robust, one-step chroma key with the addition of advanced controls including color sampling, edge adjustment and light wrap. You can tackle complex keying challenges right in Final Cut Pro X, without having to export to a motion graphics application, and view your results instantly with realtime playback.

In the seven months since launch, the third party ecosystem around Final Cut Pro X has expanded dramatically. XML-compatible software like DaVinci Resolve and CatDV provide tight integration for tasks such as color correction and media management. The new 7toX app from Intelligent Assistance uses XML to import Final Cut Pro 7 projects into Final Cut Pro X. In addition, some of the industry’s largest visual effects developers, including GenArts and Red Giant, have developed motion graphics plug-ins that take advantage of the speed and real-time preview capabilities of Final Cut Pro X.

Broadcast monitoring in Final Cut Pro X is currently in beta and allows you to connect to waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, high-quality monitors to ensure that your project meets broadcast specifications. Final Cut Pro X supports monitoring of video and audio through Thunderbolt I/O devices, as well as through third party PCIe cards.

Pricing & Availability

Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 is available from the Mac App Store for £199 to new users, or as a free update for existing Final Cut Pro X customers. A 30-day free trial of Final Cut Pro X is available at www.apple.com/finalcutpro/trial. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutpro.
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There really are some beautifully laptops out there that can offer great aesthetics as well as beauty in their design. These are some of my favorites:

 

Sony Vaio VPCSB1V9E


This beauty comes preloaded with Windows & Professional and utilises the intel core i5 processor & intel HM65 chipset. It brings with it a processor speed of up to 2.9GHz and is dualcore. It has a fair amount of RAM at 4GB and a memory speed of 1333MHz. It also has a good amount of HDD Memory at a whopping 500GB. It boasts a 13.3 inch screen so it is perfect for using on the move. As you'd expect from a laptop of this quality the graphics are top notch. The casing is made from magnesium and it has an aluminium touchpad. It comes equipped with a built in camera. Security is taken care of with a very hi tech fingerprint censor. A great all rounder.

 

Dell XPS 15Z

If super thin but powerful laptops are your thing then this one will be right up your street. Containing Windows 7 Pro inside of its anodized aluminium casing this one is sleek and stunning. the keyboard is backlit and it a lovely design touch. It is incredibly thin at less than 1 inch and is also extremely light. This one is perfect if you like a larger screen as it boasts a 15" screen.

 

Apple Macbook Pro



No list of laptops to lust after would be complete without the inclusion of the MacBook Pro. Available in a 13", 15" or 17" screen the Mac has it all. Quadcore processor, thunderbolt technology, HD camera and a multi touch trackpad. it offers super fast internet surfing, great quality graphics and it is beautiful to look at. You can't go wrong with a MacBook.

So there you have it those are my top 3 laptops to lust after!

 

 

 
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07 February 2012
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Warning! Reading on could tempt you to spend a lot of money as the photography products featured are delightful and kitsch. In the last few years holga, fish eye and lomography cameras have grown in popularity for the unique and dreamy effects they can give to images. So in this post I introduce you to Photojojo who sell unique looking but cute cameras and accessories.

Let me show you my favorites!

 

Polaroid SX70



 

Buy the Limited Edition Polaroid SX-70 at the Photojojo Store!

This beauty is one of the original polaroid cameras that has been refurbished to the highest quality. it folds flat so is perfect for taking out and about. The packaging was created by illustrator Kate Bingaman-Burt.

 

Holga iPhone Lens

 



Buy the Holga iPhone Lens at the Photojojo Store!

Use your iPhone to take Holgaesque images. Fit the lens to your iphone and the 9 different lenses rotate to your choice. The3 different effects are dreamy vignettes, vibrant red and green color, Spidey-vision (double, triple, and quadruple images), macro for beautiful close-up detail and red, yellow, and blue filters with clear centers for framing your subjects!

A must for photography fans anywhere!

 

Twin Lens Holga with Color Flash

 



Buy the Twin Lens Holga with Color Flash at the Photojojo Store!

How adorable is this camera? But it is more than just a pretty face, It is a 35mm camera with two lenses to enable the user to shoot half frames and 3D images. It also has a detachable colour flash. You can even control aperture setting with that cute face.

 

So which piece is being added to your shopping list?
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05 February 2012
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The smart phone market is ever expanding and many of them allow you to watch movies, take photos, play music, check your email and a whole host of other things. But with so many models out there how do you choose? Well that's why i'm here. In today's post I'll show you my favorite smartphones currently on the market.


iPhone 4S


No guide to smartphone's would be complete without including the daddy of them all - the iPhone 4S. Featuring an iOS operating system as well as a dualcore processor for high speed internet access. This beauty also gives you access to Apple's immense app library.The 4S also comes with Siri which you could describe as a personal assistant - a system that follows your voice commands. Free up memory by storing your photos, music and videos on the Apple cloud giving you access wherever you are.



Samsung Galaxy S II


There aren't many phones out there that can deliver 21Mbps download speeds so the Samsung Galaxy s II is definitely a must for those who like to download on the go. Like the iPhone it uses a dualcore processor. This handset is also light and slim weighing only 116 grammes. The S II has a 4.3 inch screen and has a Super AMOLED display so images are crisp and clear. A great all rounder.



HTC Sensation XL


A brilliant handset for all you music lovers out there. It features Beats Audio and comes with a customised beats headset. but it's not just a music phone. The screen has a large screen at 4.7 inches and is super slim at under 1cm. Also has the ability to record video in HD much like the iPhone.



Nokia Lumia 800


The best Windows phone out so far. Features a user interface much like the forthcoming Windows 8. Has an 8MP camera and comes with 16GB of memory. Gone is Symbian to be replaced by Mango. Check out my full review here.



So there you have it, something for everyone. Some really cutting edge, high quality smartphones featured here. A word of warning if your planning on buying the iPhone 4S - it is rumoured that the iPhone 5 will be released before the summer so you might like to wait for its release instead of buying the 4S as the 5 looks to be amazing!

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02 February 2012
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ipad holder

You probably don't know this about me but - I Love Retro. Especially retro gaming give me a SNES over a PS3 anytime. While new gaming systems may be slick and graphically excellent retro has the key to my heart. So when I saw this iPad holder that turns your iPad into a retro gaming machine I got a little over excited.

This arcade style ipad holder included the classic retro joystick as well as full size buttons and it all integrates nicely with your iPad. You can play a wide variety of atari games (remember the Atari? Really showing my age now) via the iPad's Atari Greatest Hits App.

But your not limited to playing your fave retro games as this little beauty is compatible with 100s of other iPad games. Seeing this beauty makes me want to rush out and purchase an iPad purely for the retro gaming facility. These are sure to sell like hotcakes as there is a whole generation who love retro games.

£79.99 from Firebox
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