RIM/Blackberry - Make or Break time...

After witnessing quite a lot of attention pointed towards Blackberry 10 devices I decided to have a look for myself, and I must say, though not massively original, the designs of the Z10 and Q10 are quite stunning - my personal favourite being the seemingly less-popular Q10 which sports Blackberry's unbeatable physical qwerty keyboard. BB10 seems to have gesture-controls at the core and everything seems to be so much smoother with that oh-so graceful yet industrial interface... Check out the video below from engadget and judge for yourself!

It looks like 2013 is make or break year for two giants (Windows Phone and Blackberry) whom are battling in the shadows of Android and Apple for that much-needed runner-up slot, and with Ubuntu mobile breaking out, who knows what will happen!

I have owned several Blackberry devices myself, but always find the range of apps rather limiting - thus making Android my obvious weapon of choice... Will Blackberry win my (and many others') heart this year?

You never know!

So the price-war continues...

After stumbling across this pocket-friendly Android Tablet in my local supermarket I thought of it as my duty to inform my loyal readers... Of course, you do get only what you pay for, so to speak, but Acer's new B-series Tablet comes out of the box with Android Jellybean OS, decent resolution, responsive display and the comfort of knowing the majority of the apps worth having come free off Google Play Store. Lagging slightly in the RAM department at 512mb but 'serious users' aren't the target audience from the impressions I get.

http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/model/NT.LI5EK.001

Check out the Acer Iconia B1, for £99 (99USD in The states as my sources tell me) selling practically everywhere! Google Play Music, Google NOW, Amazon Kindle features? Meet your new commuting partner :)

ShredderBenjamin

Be Creative!

Watch "Galaxy Note II - Liquid Pixels - Samsung" on YouTube

Great video showing yet another creative use for the awesome Samsung Galaxy Note 2!

Introduction to the iPhone 5

Unless you missed it, the iPhone 5 was made official. As you all know I am not a fan of Apple products, but take a look for yourself - the introduction to iPhone 5 video (embedded) really does speak volumes about what went into the design of the 'all new' iPhone. From the new Camera features, to network capabilities, and of course, the A6 chip - we have yet another non-surprisingly massive amount of buzz around Apple, take a look...



I am now left with the question, 'who dares follow Apple now?' - will Google be releasing an Apple killing Nexus handset? Will another manufacturer make a handset worthy of such a buzz at launch, ever? Feel free to add your say below... 

ShredderBenjamin

Samsung Galaxy S3 in-depth Review

I cannot remember the last time I was this excited about getting my hands on a new mobile phone – the day the Galaxy S3 was released I told myself I would wait a while for a price drop before buying one, but by the 72 hour mark I could not control myself, I had to have one.

The Samsung Galaxy S series of mobile phones have been around now since around mid 2010, and they really made an impact on the market, with good reason. Combining innovative, open-source software with hardware specs previously unheard of in the cellular market, then encouraging consumers to modify, and even 'hack' their devices – Samsung knew they were on to something good, but I don't believe for a second that anyone expected the global phenomenon we are witnessing today.

Unleashing the beast

I would be lying to you all if I was to tell you I made it all the way home without tearing into the box to play with my new phone, it would be rude not to! I had signed into Google Play, downloaded Twitter and told the world about my purchase before I'd even left the shop!

Opening the box I was once again very impressed by the efficiency of Samsung, everything seemed to fill the space of the tiny box so perfectly, that not even the most seasoned Tetris master could manage to replace everything and fully close the box fully (without breaking a sweat).

Within two minutes whilst still standing in the Bolton Branch of my network carrier, I had installed my 32GB Micro SD, new Micro SIM, closed the casing and was ready to admire the new beautifully curvy side of Samsung which I had never seen before.

Impressions on appearance & feel

The first thing I noticed about this phone, is that the build just feels so solid, every curve seems to have been crafted to be easy on both the eye and on the hand. The 'layers', of the battery cover, the bezel, and the edges of the screen are so precisely flush, it is obvious that physical quality is a running theme with this device.

I was in a real rush to get my hands on this phone so I had no choice but to go for the white model (which really is not such a bad thing). The phone has a bit of weight to it, considering how slim it is, which to me is re-assurance in build quality, on the front there is one physical button which is the home key, which doubles as a task manager, the phone earpiece (call speaker), a 1.9mp camera sensor, a proximity sensor, and hidden away towards the top left is the long-awaited LED notification indicator. The left of the device has the volume rocker key, the right holds just the standby key, at the top of the phone is a standard 3.5mm stereo headset jack and what appears to be a secondary microphone, and the bottom has the primary microphone and the micro USB charging/data cable port. The rear of the phone at a glance is a clean, white, minimalistic design, in which I particularly admire the symmetrical placement of the camera flash, lens and speaker grill. On closer inspection I feel 'Marble white' is neither descriptive nor flattering enough to represent the awesome finish of the casing on this phone, there is an 'oil slick' effect that emerges and gives off a deeper 'texture' which I'm hoping is just the icing on the cake – As at this point I haven't even turned the phone on yet!

First boot-up

With an impressive initial boot-up, showing the first sign of life from the LED indicator I went from standstill to actively downloading apps in what seemed like only a couple of minutes, and I had made my first Tweet/Facebook status update within approximately 5 minutes. The phone comes preloaded with android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and an upgrade to Jellybean 4.1 is expected in the coming weeks.

Let's slow things down a little here...

Once I got home and had downloaded the essential apps I took a little time to have a closer look at the screen, and core functionality. The first thing to really impress me was just how clear the image quality of the phone is, the 1280x720 HD Super AMOLED display really does the TouchWiz interface great justice – I now believe TouchWiz is no longer trailing behind the worthy HTC Sense UI, but has now closed the gap and is possibly overtaking HTC at the UI face-off.

I took the time to have a go at getting along with some of the pre-installed apps, particularly 'Flipboard', which I was surprised to see here. Everything does run seemingly flawlessly on this phone, and needless to say I have stuck with Flipboard which seems to be a lightweight alternative to Google Currents and my social apps for a quick read.

Testing the inbuilt speaker's capabilities with classical, dubstep and heavy metal I was impressed by the clarity at high volumes, when I say high volume, this phone dows get loud. Plugging in your best pair of headphones is a much better experience though, I personally use Monster Lil' Jamz which are extremely high quality in-ear headphones, the Samsung Galaxy S3 provides generous music volume and various EQ and reverberation options to suit everyone's taste.

Taking the phone out to show-off I found the easiest way to impress was the video functionality, the sample video is so crisp, and then to have the option to be watching a video whilst scrolling through Facebook is a great surprise for most!

Another addition to Samsungs growing ensemble of exclusive apps is the S-Voice app which can be accessed anywhere with a quick double-tap of the home key, whilst I don't think it's a Siri-Killer yet, I do like the ease, and versitility of the app.

One week in

After using the S3 as my primary device for one week I found the battery is rather impressive – my phone is rarely sat in my pocket for more than five minutes at a time, I am a Google addict and read news articles frequently throughout the day, with an average of 12 text messages sent/recieved, over an hour of articles read online, 3 youtube videos, 15 minutes of phone calls, a good 20 emails read and 20 minutes playing games per day I would be left with about 10% battery life by bed time, though I am still using an MP3 player for my commute as opposed to using the phone's media player, which could have tipped the phone to the dreaded final red bar of battery!

Though I haven't used this phone as my primary music player, the media player suite is just awesome. The video player seems to recognise every type of codec I have thrown at it and once again the crisp display plays a huge part in the WOW! Factor. I particularly like the option to browse by folder rather than ID3 tags in the music player, which just simplifies the entire experience.

Texting and sending emails seems to be natural on this device, there was literally no 'gettting used to it' period, it was full-speed from the word go, though I do miss Swype I am having literally no problems at all!

The camera was a little strange at first, a number of times I thought I had not pressed the shutter due to the lightning fast response, my only fear now is that I may never be able to live with shutter delay on any other device! Now I am used to it, the camera is great, the 8MP sensor really captures rich images with no need for re-takes. For video recording I feel the greatest advantage is the size and quality of the screen which makes watching over the video you just captured not just easy, but a pleasure.

Thoughts

I am still using this phone as my primary device and will be sticking with it for the forseeable future as I cannot see another device offering anything anywhere close to the experience I am offered by the S3. The device is built solid, reliably, and the battery is just about the best performer out of all rival smartphones to date.

This is just the beginning too, as we saw with both predecessors of this model, all we are waiting for now is for the app developers to catch up and really make the most of the technology here. I recommend this phone to anyone who wants a phone that doesn't only outperform all other devices, but one that has more power than it knows what to do with. We are going to see some great apps in the coming months and the Galaxy S3 is ready for even the most demanding software.

With the Dawn of Android Jellybean expect big things to come.

Make up your own mind.

Any questions please comment below or find me on twitter @virtuoso666

ShredderBenjamin

The New Galaxy: First impressions.

Unless you’ve been sitting in a cave with your eyes tightly shut and your fingers in your ears you may have heard that the Samsung Galaxy S3 has well and truly arrived, being confirmed as the most pre-ordered device in history, was it worth the hype?

Whilst only having had a brief play with the handset (thanks to the nice people of the O2 store in Bolton) I managed to find answers to most of the ponderings which were keeping me from putting in a pre-order myself! Here goes;

Q: Is it as fast as Samsung led us to believe?

A: As far as performance goes, this device really seems to fly, where it really performs is the multi-tasking capabilities. The pop-up video player is just unreal, where it at first feels like a novelty, I can see it being a really useful tool.

Short answer: Yes.

Q: The device has been described as ‘cheap’ in terms of feel, is this true?

A: Honestly, I wouldn’t say the phone feels cheap at all, it has a good solid feel, no creaky battery door or flimsy frame, though the phone is lightweight, when has this ever been a problem? Though if you were to compare this handset to the likes of the HTC One X, there is a dramatic difference in weight and build solidity.

Short answer: Not really, unless you own a HTC.

Q: Is the display up to standard?

A: The first thing I noticed about the display was the colours were just so natural, not so intense, and the resolution is complementary to this. Upon watching some demonstration videos in the video library this screen can really impress.

Short answer: Ooohh Yes.

Q: Why should I get one?

A: I would advise the Smartphone user of 2012 to go for the Galaxy S3 for the same reason I would advise the consumer of 2011 to get the Galaxy S2 – our communication is evolving, and our software is growing to cater for our needs. In reflection of last year’s release, right now the Samsung Galaxy S3 has every bit of power and more to handle what Android has to offer in the near future, and will continue to lead and inspire in the market this year.

Short answer: You know it’s right.

When I get a chance to put the phone through its paces I will answer some more FAQ’s  covering gaming capabilities, battery life and more...

ShredderBenjamin

ChatOn: Worth a natter??

For the first time in a long time I have felt actually excited about a concept for a non-discriminative social messaging service – for those who aren’t in the know yet, ChatOn is a Samsung developed social app actually designed to bring people together regardless of the manufacturer of their mobile handset. ChatOn is a unified, all singing, all dancing messaging app which has a number of familiar features such as group chat, 1:1 chat and photo messaging, but then adds some tweaked features for custom messages such as hand writing etc...

Of course we could all think of one or two services out there which claim to provide ‘all for one, one for all’ chat, but the problem is none of them seem to have overtaken iChat or the mighty BBM – which specifically encourage consumers to stick to specific handsets. What I’m getting at is We need someone to take the oar and bring us together in chat!!

Personally I have been using ChatOn for a week or so, after encouraging my sister and two colleagues to give the platform a try – two using HTC Android handsets and one using a Blackberry device, and after two nights of intense use and seemingly more casual messaging over the last few days here is some feedback;

‘’It’s pretty good, I don’t see much a difference from how I usually use BBM’’.

‘’I like it, but I’d prefer it if more people I knew were on it...’’

I was happy to hear the first comment from a confessed BBM addict as this told me one thing, it told me the app not only works, but it works well cross-platform, nothing dramatically phasing and this leaves potential. As for the second I guess it should take a strong will and word of mouth to fix that problem!

I am not a heavy user of specific messaging applications and confess the last IM service I used was MSN a number of years ago, but I can really see myself using ChatOn more as I get more people using it as their primary messaging service, below are my own ratings based on the last few days of use.

Ease of use 5/5

Innovation 3/5

Popularity 2/5

User interface 5/5

Fun factor 4/5

I sincerely recommend giving this app a try as I feel it is well made, and is definitely as fun as you make it. GET IT!!

ShredderBenjamin

A Samsung Christmas!

Now Christmas is almost well and truly here it’s time again to grab your pens and get writing your wish lists!

Having been asked ‘’What Samsung device would top your Christmas wish list this year?’’, I couldn’t think of an easier question to answer!! The Device at the top of my list this year would be the pearl-white Samsung Galaxy note, with its festive colour scheme, stunning design and yet to be beaten specifications the device is the perfect handset to give anyone a merry Christmas!

The S-Pen gives the brilliant ability to hand write a thank-you note to Father Christmas and the form factor will ensure no-one needs to go without entertainment over the festive period! Not to forget that this gift may be the one which keeps giving as note-owners should get a taste of the Beautiful Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich major update!

The Samsung Galaxy Note will undoubtedly attract a lot of attention to those lucky enough to own one this year and that is why it is my Christmas wish!

Mob!lers 2011 end of year round-up - Samsung Mob!lers Launch event.

My first Mob!lers experience was the launch event in Chertsey, the event was the initial launch of the 2011 Mob!lers project.

Upon arrival the Mob!lers were greeted by the Jam representatives Hannah, Sarah and Alex. Due to traffic conditions some people had the opportunity to have a catch-up chat before the event took place. Looking around I could see that Samsung had really gone to great efforts to make this event a positive start to a very productive year.

Once all the Mob!lers were present, the event began with a some inspiring words from Keith O’Brien from Samsung UK, an insight into the on goings of the global Mob!lers and some information about a couple of upcoming Samsung Android products – Then the fun began! We were each given a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Pro! We all had a chance to tear into the packaging, switch on and demo our new phones whilst comparing notes.

Representatives from Samsung Headquarters attended from across the world to inspire us with information on the global Mob!lers, and the friendly competition we were to be involved in, everyone was just so appreciative of what we did, I was truly made to feel like part of a really important team.

Once the ongoing events were all explained there were a couple of competitions – a twitter ‘re-tweet’ competition and a contest to see who could get the fastest lap on ‘Drag Racing’ – an android game. Prizes awarded included mobile phone accessories and tickets to see Take That perform live!

Everybody met at least one new friend at the event and I’d like to think I’d met many. We had a group photo then went our separate ways with minds full of inspiration, and a new product to work on!

Thank You

Make a Note! & Free Galaxy note handset offer!

Hi all, just a quick post to remind y'all about the release of the amazing samsung galaxy note, packing the all new 's pen' stylus, a hd super amoled plus display and an immense dual-core processor!


Get yourself down to your local carphone warehouse, phones 4 u, o2 etc... and ask for a demo, you will want one!


http://cmvlive.com/technology/gadgets/vodafone-launches-cheapest-deals-so-far-for-a-free-samsung-galaxy-note

Above is some amazing news for Vodafone users!

Thanks, and a shout-out to Samsung Jam!

As a few of you have heard,  I have been selected to attend the Samsung Mob!lers Day as a UK representative in South Korea, courtesy of Samsung Jam. Thanks to everyone who visits my blog, your continued support enables me to bring you more and more content!

I'll be gone week commencing 5th December and on my return I will be raring to bring all the latest news & articles to y'all once again!

Thanks

Samsung Galaxy Nexus: A preview...

In early 2010 Google pushed out the groundbreaking HTC Nexus One device, giving casual users and cellular software developers a Mobile phone with specifications high enough to run the most demanding of applications with ease. Shipped with the latest Android software (2.1) and no fancy overlay to get in the way, this device was only out with one mission – to change the common idea that phones were to be kept as they shipped.

Since the release of the HTC Nexus One, Google decided to hand the Nexus baton to the mighty Samsung, who released the innovative ‘Nexus S’, comparable to the award-winning Galaxy S, but sporting exclusively the latest version of Android (2.3), stripped of the TouchWiz interface and topped off with a gorgeous curved screen designed to push ergonomic innovation to the next level.  The Nexus S was a huge hit with developers and a great device overall. It is clear that Nexus devices are more than just a series of quirky handsets, they are a growing ensemble of pioneering technology crying out to be pushed to the limits... In this short time a phenomenon has appeared as if from nowhere.

So now, here we are about to witness the release of the latest Nexus device, the question is no longer ‘will it be as good as PHONE A?’, it is now more a question of ‘which manufacturer can produce a device powerful, desirable and innovative enough to hold the Google Nexus title?’. Samsung have been entrusted with the responsibility, let’s look at the product...

The first thing to note is the usual Nexus signature – the latest version of Android, now v4.0 AKA ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ the whole OS has been vamped and is now no less than stunning... Taking utilities with both mobile handsets and Tablets in mind a whole host of new tools have been added to the interface, for example, multi-tasking has now been made much more effective with the addition of scrollable, live thumbnails of running/recently used applications – clearly suitable for large and small screens...

A first for the Nexus range is a break from the now bog-standard screen resolution of 480x800 pixels, now upped to 1280x720, on a 4.65’’ display, images and interface should be crisp beyond all expectations, not to mention that the display is Super AMOLED, which has been Samsungs secret weapon against all competition. Developers will now need to look at the way app interfaces look in a whole new light, as the display quality offers too much potential to under-fulfil. The display has also been given the curve-treatment which is sure to turn heads!

Despite the ‘mere’ 5mp sensor the image capture of the primary camera has been a massive hit with the ‘hands-on’ reviews, also thanks to the high screen res your photo previews are sharp as a tack.

Another pleasant addition to the specs is the increased battery cell capacity, at 1750mAh, it has to be enough to get even the most angry-birds-addicted user through just over a day without precautionary charging! Unfortunately, like the last Nexus model there’s no room for memory expansion, though this phone does come in 16GB & 32GB models it should be rather hard to fill...

On the whole I feel the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a welcome addition to the Nexus family, the specs are reasonable but nonetheless revolutionary. The handset is the most desirable I have seen in a long time and I, personally would use this as my primary device. Ice Cream Sandwich is the way forward and this device is definitely running it to it’s potential.

Go get it!

The first 5 things you should do with your new Galaxy Tab

So you've just rushed out and bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab, what now?? Well I’m assuming you are in the middle of adding your Googlemail account to your device – so once you are done, take a look below at the first 5 things I suggest you do!

1: Make sure your software is up to date!

Sounds like a drag really, but this is very important and it’s best to do this first! When connected to the internet do a software update check on the settings menu, if there are available updates, do it immediately! This will make sure your Tab runs as smooth as butter!

2: Download Angry Birds!

This really is the first app I tried out on the beautiful large, bright screen. It is the ultimate test of the fun factor and you WILL love the experience!

3: Bought the WiFi version?? Don’t worry!

If you have an Android phone running V2.2 (Froyo) or higher, the chances are you can tether your new Tab to your phone’s 3G internet connection, which means you get petty much all the capabilities of a full 3G Tab!

4: Get it on’t Tube!

Please do yourself a favour and browse the Honeycomb layout of the YouTube app, it is absolutely amazing, with the ability to watch a video whilst simultaneously browsing or adding comments, YouTube have really outdone themselves now!

5: Set up your office!

One of my favourite features of the Tab 10.1 is the office suite, with a large screen keyboard, fully enabled office software, and an email app which blows every other Tablet out of the water, it would be rude not to try it out as a portable workstation! To say you created a CV, got on Jobsite, and emailed prospective employers from your shiny new Tab is yet another step towards the future!

Hope this information has been found useful – you can find me on Twitter @virtuoso666

5 Reasons to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab!

I had never planned on owning a Tab before I actually got one, but after taking it through its paces I have found it to be more useful than I ever expected!

1: Gaming on it is ACE!!!

Yes, the most obvious point is that the larger display allows a greater gaming experience, but the Tegra chipset is what makes the games come alive! Birds will be flying into pigs smoother than ever, not to mention more accurately!

2: The office is now officially ultra-portable!

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 comes with free software called Polaris Office, which is a full MS compatible suite in which you can view, edit and create new documents in MS Word, Excel and PP format, there is also now an online storage facility so you can retrieve your important documents anywhere!

The email apps also look absolutely stunning on this device, with the ability to view one email whilst browsing through others this is truly a ‘full’ email experience. The calendar is large and clear too, making use of the scrollable widgets can make life much simpler!

3: Join the Tab club!!

There are several free (and paid) apps available on the android market specifically optimised for Honeycomb 3.0+, for example the YouTube app has a completely new layout in which all your suggested videos are laid out in a 3D style wall which looks amazing when scrolling through. Other apps to check out are the Dolphin browser for Tablets, Google Docs and IMDB.

4: The Battery, oh lord, the battery!

A reason to buy the tab its-self alone is the immense battery life, whilst in constant use you can probably get 10 or so hours out of it, but when its under light use, with a bit of Wifi here and there, a couple of YouTube videos a day etc... I wouldn’t be surprised if the battery lasts a week!

5: Media, how it’s meant to look!

If you are a commuter like myself, and often find yourself bored, you may also find that watching movies on a sub 5’’ screen entertaining, for a couple of minutes. With the Tab 10.1 the screen is so large and clear you will instantly find yourself immersed in your videos, the display is HD and the sound is crystal clear, whether using headphones or the built in STEREO speakers.  This device really turns portable media into true entertainment on the go, and when combined with a web connection, the possibilities are endless!

Go try one out and let me know how you get on!

Review of the mighty Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Recently the world seems to have become obsessed with a new wave of tablet devices, the most popular brands of which seem to be Apple, Samsung, Blackberry, Acer, Motorola and HTC – All with a few common features in mind; all slim, large display, simple, and social media oriented.

One of the latest tablets on the market is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which seems to be the slimmest, loudest and fastest, but is it quite the best?

First Impressions:

On opening the box, I found myself gazing at a flawlessly flat, glossy slate which I was scared to touch at first in fear of getting fingerprints all over the screen. I soon pulled myself together and dove into the very efficiently packed retail box. Before describing the actual Tab first I’ll confirm that inside the box is the following – USB Cable (Tab specific cable), high quality headset, power-brick for charging, and the usual paperwork.

Out of the box the Tab had zero battery, which gave me plenty of time to admire the device. On the front there are no physical features to speak of, only the Samsung logo and a front-facing camera break the silence here. Holding the device a few things are apparent here – the weight is perfectly distributed so no matter which way up the device is held, the screen feels very cold and solid, which is always a bonus for me, also, all ports seem to be very carefully placed to optimise use in landscape or portrait.

Once the Tab was all charged up I switched it on to be mighty impressed by the initial boot-up speed, starting up was effortless, and the initial layout of the widgets really showed off the benefits of having a large screen.

The Display:

The first thing I was keen to test out was the capabilities of the large display, and from the word ‘go’ this display really delivered! Being accustomed to the Galaxy S 2’s Super AMOLED Plus display I did expect to be a bit disappointed, but boy was I wrong! Colours are presented with all the vibrance you could ask for, the resolution provides for some of the sharpest imagery I have ever seen, from bold photos to the tiniest of on-screen text everything is razor sharp. The widgets just seem to ‘jump’ out of the foreground, which is really impressive. Typing is as natural as it gets on a touch screen, it may take a bit of getting used to, but after a couple of days I found myself naturally writing out emails as quick as I can on my laptop. Touch-screen response is top notch, not a complaint at all.

The interface:

As mentioned above, the factory layout for the widgets is just perfect for jumping in and exploring the device, I instantly found myself welcomed by new, large, interactive widgets which can be placed around the home screen so intuitively that it was if I had owned the Tab for months, customising the Tab to make it my own took 5 minutes initially but the sheer amount of freedom kept me coming back to tweak some more.

Multimedia:

Another great thing about the large screen is having the ability to feel truly immersed in video, especially when combined with the brilliantly placed stereo speakers (on either side of the device), flaws in low-res videos are made apparent, but you didn’t buy a Galaxy tab 10.1 to play low-res videos, did you??  The YouTube app has been adapted especially for honeycomb tablets which is just stunning, viewing a video whilst writing a comment is now not only a possibility, but it’s a pleasure too!

I never thought I’d use the tab for reading Ebooks, but thanks to the high resolution, I found reading the many free news articles extremely stimulating as images and text could easily sit side-by-side for a real newspaper article experience. I personally wouldn’t be reading War and Peace on an Ebook reader but did find reading from this device very natural

There are a lot of games which adapt well to the higher resolution/increased screen size, the games I tested were angry birds (of course), stupid zombies and zynga poker, all of which were greatly augmented on the tab, physics are still represented accurately and the extra space on screen makes the games naturally more immersive.

Both cameras, despite the modest image resolution seem to pick up photos more than worthy of uploading to facebook etc... and unless you work for paramount pictures, video capture is non-too-shabby too!

Business:

One unexpected benefit I found with the Tab is the potential for business use, the calendar/agenda widgets are clear, with lots of information, and the email layout is perfect for viewing your emails whilst scrolling through other items simultaneously.

When it comes to typing, the options provided should cater for everyone... Even Swype has been added with the option to reduce the keyboard size for those of you who are used to your phone keyboards... The Tab 10.1 could seriously replace the laptop for your average business commuter.

Practicality:

Weight and size are unarguably in this devices strengths, but I have found myself utterly dumbstruck by the battery life of this thing. With light use, say fifteen to thirty minutes use a day this thing can be used easily for a week without need re-charging, that’s of course turning off wifi between use etc, but nevertheless is shockingly impressive. Sound is easily audible in a normal quiet-ish cafe scenario.

In Summary:

The Tab is a great device, for anyone remotely interested in social networking, passing time and viewing media how it was meant to be viewed on the go, it also seems to be perfect for business use.

Pros: Amazing display, great business potential, light and attractive.

Cons: In need of more Tab oriented apps.

The future: looking at Samsung mobile technology in years to come.

There’s no doubt that Samsung for some time now, have become a leader in world technology, and arguably the world’s most inspirational provider of mobile technology. Samsung have never failed to unleash unthinkable innovations into mobile phones and set the standard for the competition.

I have been given the most difficult task I can think of – which is to try and pen some ideas of what I think Samsung will be doing with their future products 5, 10 and 15 years from now.

Let’s get silly.

Recent times:

Looking back at the last 5 years mobile phones have changed rather drastically in terms of form factor and primary purpose, the reason for this I believe is that the hardware manufacturers are predicting more demand for silent communication and higher demand for multimedia based networking. The evidence for this very easily found with the loss of the ‘banana style’ form factor once the only option for mobile phone users – the classic ‘almost wrapped around the side of the head’ design which made speaking on the phone second nature, has been almost completely dropped to make a large, flat touch-display fit in better.

Alpha-numerical keypads which once suggested ‘full time numbers, part-time text’ are being phased out for QWERTY keyboards which contradict the alphanumeric idea completely. The fact that hardware keypads are close to extinction suggests we are reading more than we are writing on our phones too...

Once upon a time mobile phones and computers were made to be kept well away from each other, they didn’t get along very well and once connected there was very little point in the unison. For a short period phones and computers were used together for the transfer of media etc... but as tech has moved on so fast even that use is arguably redundant with the move of social networking and cellular internet access!

My opinion on mobile tech today is that the primary purposes have changed completely, less than 20% of all my communication on my Galaxy S 2 is spoken, and of you count Internet browsing, news, research and leisure, probably less than 5% of my phone use is spoken phone calls. If it was up to me, it would be a mobile organisation, communication and media device, not Mobile phone!!

5 Years from now:

In 5 years I believe that computers will simplify/boldify operating systems in order to grab the social network audience, and as a result operating systems such as iOS, Android and Chrome will account for a much higher proportion than now – Windows will dumb-down a little, so to speak.

With the above in mind this will enable mobile phones to sync seamlessly in real-time with computers, tablets, TV’s and other household appliances (within reason). We will be communicating on computers and mobile phones in an identical fashion... Saying ‘I can’t wait to get home to upload this’ will be an extinct expression. Mobile network providers worldwide will increase bandwidth, and voice clarity will be seen to as a priority.

Social networking in 5 years will be popular as ever, eventually becoming a common medium of communication for the elderly as well as the younger generations.

The changes in Samsungs hardware will update at the same rate as today, which means in 5 years, proportionately speaking, mobile phones will be out-speccing top gaming computers of today (granted, you can’t exactly truly appreciate top gaming capabilities on a mobile handset). Screens will be 4X higher resolution by standard and 3D will still be a bit hit and miss with consumers. Large storage capacities exceeding 1TB will be offered to extreme media fiends (Don’t believe me? Check out today’s SDXC capabilities). Battery life will be improved, but I can’t help but think that performance will still be questioned.

As for form factor I believe we will have a similar common standard to the Google Nexus S or the Nexus Prime – Taking a curved display, concealed camera and having almost no border to the screen.

10 Years from now:

In 10 years from now, having a household without some form of mobile phone or home PC will be like running a household with no trousers... It will be almost impossible to hold a family or social life. Your mobile phone will be your primary source for emails, which contain the entirety of your household bills etc... And physical post will only be items of shopping. Measures will be taken to try to introduce charges for use of all wireless networking as demand for physical post plummets, book sales are starting to drop and adult education starts to be moved from the classrooms into the home office.

Social networking will no longer be associated with students, novelty photos you never view and alter-egos. Social networking will be known by the individual providers’ brand name and will be the mainstream for all non face-to-face communication. Very few will still use land-line phones, with the exception of businesses.

Hardware-wise Samsung would have now cracked auto-stereoscopic 3D displays but 3D is still not so popular! The next step in display tech will be to bring plasma-holographic imagery to mobile devices. Phones are now very thin and resistant to impact & other elements. Media such as music, recorded video and photos are stored on the now-reliable cloud – watching video between your PC, Phone & TV is seamless and instantaneous thanks to improved mobile networks & technology. Voice-recognition no longer suffers from mistakes caused by regional accents and is now commonly used on numerous handsets. Very little difference between UI’s across phones, PC’s & TVs.

15 Years from now:

Very little has changed in terms of social networking since the 10 year

Ergonomics and inspiration, making our lives easier!

Technology has always been around from the beginning of civilisation, whether useless or revolutionary, and the top factor in consumer technology has always been ergonomics. Here are five of my favourite gadgets and how they have become an extension of the human anatomy.

The Bicycle:

Not a typical ‘Gadgety’ article, nor associated necessarily with typical ergonomics, the pedal bike is the only common form of transport which is practically free to run, and suitable for commuting distances. The Bicycle takes human effort and introduces a gearing system between us and the road, enabling our power/velocity ratio to be manipulated, which ultimately gives us the power to travel speeds and distances that are impossible by the laws of human nature. Although not as popular as once upon a time, a truly mind blowing concept, taken for granted by most of us.

The Gas Lighter:

It’s hard to think of life without the benefits of instant fire, and unless you’re Ray Mears you will have a huge problem obtaining it without a lighter. Where I find the fascinating ergonomical revelation here is the sheer immense amount of power made possible with a mere flick of the thumb, very few inventions have such a massive benefit/input ratio. The lighter weights less than a bunch of keys but is one of the most useful items to be carrying whilst stranded!

The Swiss Army Knife:

The Swiss army knife is such a great invention, every tool you could possibly need for a camping trip fits right in your pocket, and makes clever use of physics and geometry to give you the most efficient user-experience, from ‘levering’ open tin cans, using the strategically placed cork-screw or carving sticks into tools, everything has been thought of.

The Knife and Fork:

The knife and fork, another invention taken for granted by most people. The knife and fork made it to my list for a number of reasons, but the main reason is the fact that they are so common, a forgotten invention often mistaken for a part of our natural human anatomy. I don’t even know who invented them (though I will be googling it imminently) but they are purpose made to enable us to consume with minimal effort.

The Yale Lock & Key:

The common lock and key is a favourite of mine as it’s such a small invention, but has been the industry standard since invention, used in Banks, Prisons and even our homes for one sole purpose – Security. A device that typically weighs less than a kilo in total is able to grant or deny access to our most treasured belongings. A tried and tested device which is so common we would be considered ‘mad’ to live life without it. And the best part is, I hear you ask! The key fits right into the palm of your hand!

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Perpetual evolution. (Samsung Mob!lers)

The world we live in is developing non-stop and we, as people are no exception. Adapting to our surroundings, changing in order to keep up with industry, nature and our own dreams.

It would be almost impossible to justify comparing the human race to a single piece of modern technology, but three words can be used to describe what is desired by mankind, and achieved by Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Thin, Fast and Powerful. Why are these three words paramount in Samsungs technology of today? Here are a few insights.

Thin:

Thin is in, as much as some of us are intimidated by the pressure of media, we cannot switch on a TV without facing what we are ‘supposed to be’.

As well as being fashionable, thin is what streamlines us, stripping away un-necessary bulk in order to optimise efficiency, to enable ease of transportation and to save power. Thin looks good when proper care has been taken to achieve it, thin gives us the opportunity to hide in the shadows, to quietly overtake, to move in the slipstream.

Fast:

The world is one big race, and with so much competition, one factor is a must – Speed. Speed is the difference which separates great effort and great achievements. With the amount of information we need on a daily basis to succeed, lag is at the forefront of failures arsenal. Do you have an idea which could make you your first million?? Get there fast, or you may never get there at all.

Powerful:

Power is the ultimate measure of potential, impact, output, processing capacity and all we strive to gain in society. We are all born as vulnerable beings, and from the moment of birth, life is a struggle for power, whether political, physical or social – Power is a characteristic not to be challenged without great caution. Power is what is exerted during the challenge and what is rewarded after in another form.

All of the above examples could be used to describe human desires, or technology.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has achieved all these characteristics, but the technology is always developing. Thin, Fast, Powerful – the forefront of design.

Make the most of it!

Whether you have just taken out a new contract on a smartphone or have been using your phone for months and want to know what more it can do for you, it’s never too late to learn a thing or two to get more out of your Android device.

Owning a typical Android smartphone has a number of benefits, but have you ever looked at just how many functions there are, here’s a list of what I could think of – Phone, Email device, compass, GPS Sat Nav, Digital Map, Pocket Torch, Video Camera, Digital Still Camera, Webcam, Spirit Level, MP3 Player, MP4 Player, Radio, Handheld Gaming Device, Pocket Watch, Alarm Clock, Personal Organiser, Dictaphone, Calendar, USB Storage Device, Web Browser, Translator, Photo Viewer, On Demand TV Viewer, USB Storage Device, Web Encyclopaedia/dictionary/thesaurus, Social networking device, Personal shopping advisor (Google shopper), Digital book/magazine subscription service/reader, Sky TV Scheduler, Stopwatch, Calculator, Guitar tuner, Video editor, Photo editor, Note Pad, Audio trimmer, Online document storage etc... The list does go on!

Here are a few tips for making the most of an average smartphone scenario, let’s say a mid-range Android device with 500 texts, 300 minutes and 512 mb of data allowance a month...

Tip #1: Use your data!!

I would recommend to anyone with an Android device and a social networking account, email account, ebay account, blog or all of the above – Get a data plan! A data plan will really bring your device to life. Your typical data plan gives you 512mb of allowance, which unless is explained in everyday terms doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, for most people this is by far more than enough. A lot of people I know have an allowance but are too scared to use it in case they go over their limit, so the first piece of advice I can offer is to monitor your usage online, or even easier, download an app called ‘my data manager free’ from the app market which lets you know how much internet you have used.

Having a data allowance allows you to have your email account, social network, maps, internet browser and online document storage at hand 24/7, but other uses include necessary software updates as they are released and the ability to have your contacts/messaging backed up online as you go.

Tip #2: Use your noggin, and WiFi!

When indoors, or at any WiFi access point I seriously recommend reverting to WiFi in your settings for obvious reasons. Thats it!

Tip #3: WiFi Video/voice calling

There are a number of services, namely Skype, which offer this. I cannot explain how handy yet under-used this is in the world of smartphones. Add all your friends who have a smartphone and start taking advantage of high-quality, free unlimited chatting.

Tip #4: Lost again!

Can’t find your way around in the car? Get yourself a car phone charger and start using your free GPS! It’s amazingly simple to use and just as good as your average TomTom or NavMan. Type or even speak your destination into your Android, amend your preferences and away you go, turn by turn navigation right there!

Tip #5: You’ve shot, now share!!

What do you do with your photos taken with your phone? Most of you will keep them there in your device to show to whomever is lucky enough to be in your immediate vicinity. A great app for photo sharing with all your friends is a little app called Facebook! I’m sure you’ve heard of it, what makes it so great is that most people either have it, or know a close friend who uses it – and that’s what sharing photos is all about...

Tip #6: Organise your life!

I’m just as guilty as most of you – until recently I never really used Androids great calendar app, I seriously recommend it as not only is it an extremely concise organisational tool with a reminder function, you can even add photos, maps, navigation and invites to contacts, all backed up online just in case you lose your phone! The alarm clock ain’t too shabby either!

Tip #7: Holy Google Batman!

The best thing about owning an Android phone is the amazing free Google suite of apps and utilities, here’s a brief rundown and explanation of my faves:

Google Goggles: Ever seen a landmark, brand logo or product you recognise, but just can’t remember what you need to know about it? Goggles allows you to take a picture of whatever you want, scans the image, then will take you to every bit of information under the sun!

Google Shopper: Found something but want it cheaper? Shopper has a barcode scanner, voice recognition and text search, so if there’s a bargain to be had, you will find it on your Android.

Google Maps: A suite in its self – Google Maps is the centre of your navigation, places, route planning etc, and the best part is its all free!

Google Translate: With well over 50 languages to choose from, you can travel the world and never be lost in translation, with voice and text translation this app is a must-have for travellers.

Google Reader: I subscribe to a couple of blogs, and Google reader is an amazingly efficient way of feeding new articles right to your smartphone via RSS feeds.

Google Search: Good ol’ faithful! Google search is as simple, yet advanced as ever. Search for anything with your voice or text for almost instant results.

Tip #8: Try it yourself!

At the end of the day, the only way you will learn to get the most out of your phones features will be to have a mess around yourself, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Go explore – you’re paying for it, get your moneys worth!


Follow me on Twitter @virtuoso666

My credentials, sort of...

I like to consider myself rather knowledgeable when it comes to mobile phones, but I would be a liar if I was to tell you I had qualifications relating directly to cellular technology!


Here I thought I'd share my mobile phone timeline dating back to June 2000, when I got my first PAYG handset at the tender age of 12. Every phone displayed here is a new handset, all duplicated images are re-buys, as until recently I have only ever had one phone at the time. I may have missed a couple of handsets from the list, and by the end of the year you'll be able to add at least two more handsets to the end of the list.

To answer a couple of questions - I paid for every phone in the image, with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy Pro, which was given to me at the Samsung Mob!lers Kick-Off event. I tend to sell my phones in order to afford the next one... At the moment I still own the Samsung Galaxy Pro, Samsung Galaxy S 2, and the Nokia N97. 


Every phone I've owned, I've absolutely loaded, hacked, explored and worked out every bug possible. The image above only represents the phones I have owned. If you have any questions about any of the above handsets, or any other phone on any platform, feel free to give me a buzz, I have written how-to's on hundreds of handsets and am more than happy to help out.