Blog Archives

Iconic tablet just got bigger

7/23/2013

It would seem the Apple are testing a new tablet with a 13" screen as well as looking at a larger screen format for their iPhone!? WOW, this could be brilliant - if it comes in at less than the 13" Macbook Air (around £900.00). It must be stressed that this is still in testing phase and it is not clear whether it will run the iOS or OSX.

Until the introduction of the iPad mini, the iPad had always had a 9.7" screen with the next step up being the 11" Macbook Air and the 13" Macbook, so giving the iPad a 13" screen puts it squarely in the Mactop market. Of course, we do not know if it will be rolled out an iPad or as a Macbook Touch, or something along those lines. I guess that will be down to which OS is eventually used.

So, what will it be? We just don't know yet but as soon as we do, we'll let you know.

Then there is the weight consideration and ease of use. 10" tablets can sometimes feel a bit cumbersome with many people choosing the 9" models for ease of holding and typing. Another thing to consider is, iOS is not Flash compatible whereas OSX is.

Apple are also looking to bring the iPhone into line with other smartphone manufacturers by upping the screen size to 5" from its' current 4". Again, nothing much is available on this front but things seem to be getting exciting over in Apple land.

All brand names and registered trade marks acknowledged.

0 Comments

Microsoft Surface - a bitter tablet to swallow.

7/21/2013

0 Comments

Many of us will have heard of the Microsoft Surface, that nice little tablet pc made by the maker of that operating system that nobody wants - Windows 8.Well, it seems the same is true for the Surface - nobody wants it.

Microsoft, it appears, has spent close on to $1 billion on this product from inception to store, well 20 stores actually if you discount mail order.

Many things have been blamed for the failure of this device that got pretty good reviews at release, those errors of judgement include waiting for two and a half years, allowing Apple to get in there and grab the market. Too expensive - the Surface, with its' cover, was $100 dearer than the cheapest full sized iPad.

Of course, if you had an iPhone, it made sense to get the iPad over the Surface because just to be able to use those apps and the iTunes full of your music. Microsoft have only just lowered the price of the Surface so it beats the iPad.

The other key pointer, suggested to be of blame for the failure of the Surface, is that it was only available over the counter from 20 stores across the US. This was the number of Microsoft branded stores where it was available from - the ONLY stores it was available from!

Despite this, good old Microsoft are not going to give in. It would seem that they plan to release a newer version of the Surface within a year.

On a slightly different note, Microsoft seem to be making inroads with their Windows phone - the ideal place for Windows 8 without the desktop feature - knocking Blackberry off the 3rd place slot.

All brand names and registered trademarks acknowledged.

0 Comments

Android Tablet with GPS & TV

7/9/2013

0 Comments

7 Inch Android Tablet PC with GPS Navigator, DVB-T + ISDB-T TV, 1.2GHz CPU and Car Mounting Kit. Combining Android, GPS and TV, all into one system!

This unit brings a GPS, Android and DVB-T + ISDB-T TV together into one small and portable 7 inch device. Use it on the go to browse the internet, watch movies or listen to music and when traveling, simply turn on the GPS function and let it navigate you to your destination. But what makes this Tablet PC truly special is its capability to receive DVB-T and ISDB-T (SBTVD) digital television. Tune in to your favorite TV station anywhere, anytime using just the tablet.

The conveniently sized 7 inch screen offers an 800x480 resolution and performs excellent for both multimedia use and portable GPS use. Coming with a custom car mounting kit, you’ll be able to securely attach it to your windshield or dashboard in a matter of seconds and when leaving the car, just slide the tablet out of the holder to take it with you. Equipped with 8GB of internal memory, you’ll have plenty of space to store all your media and it can even be upgraded with an external Micro SD card up to 32GB . Last but not least, featuring an HDMI port, you can connect to any HD TV through a HDMI cable and display its content on a larger screen for your viewing comfort.

At a Glance...

7 Inch Android Tablet
GPS Function
DVB-T + ISDB-T TV
HDMI Port

Manufacturer Specifications
General

OS Version: Android 4.0
CPU: TCC 8925 Cortex A5
Processor Speed: 1.2GHz
RAM: 1GB
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
3G: External USB Dongle (Not Included)
Google Play
Adobe Flash
2 Megapixel Rear Camera + 0.3 Megapixel Front-Facing Camera
Mic and Speaker
Battery Size: 3000mAh
Usage Time: 3 Hours
Battery Standby: 10 Hours

Display

Display Size: 7 Inch
Display Resolution: 800x480
5 Point Capacitive Multi Touch Display

Memory

Internal: 8GB
Micro SD Card up to 32GB

GPS

Receiver Module: MT3329
Signal Channels: 24
Frequency: 1.575GHz
Tracking Sensitivity: -161dBm
Position Sensitivity: 10m
Data Update Rate: 1Hz
Recapture Time: 0.1s
Cold Status: 42s
Warm Status: 35s
Hot Status: 5s
Maximum Position Altitude: 18000M
Maximum Speed Rate: 515m/s
Speed Rate: 0.1m/s

Media Formats:

Video: AVI, H.264, DIVX, XVID, RM, RMVB, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP4, FLV
Audio: MP3, AAC, AAC+, EAAC+, AMR, WB-AMR, MIDI, OGG, Vorbis
Picture: JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG
eBook: TXT
ISDB-T: UHF (470-862MHZ), VHF
DVB-T: UHF (470-862MHZ), VHF High Resolution

Ports

HDMI Port
Micro SD Card Slot
3.5 mm Audio Out Port
Micro USB Port
DC IN

Dimensions

Main product dimensions: 185x125x10mm (L x W x D)
Main product weight: 310g

Product Notes

The Android OS version on this device cannot be upgraded or flashed and any attempts to modify the default OS will void the warranty. We provide no software support, advice, or training regarding the Android operating system and software.

Package Contents

GPS Tablet
USB Cable (Product Specific)
Car Charger (Product Specific)
Power Adaptor (Product Specific)
Mounting Bracket (Product Specific)
Tablet Mount (Product Specific)
User Manual (Product Specific)

0 Comments

Over 90% of all Android phones are hackable - easy peasy

7/6/2013

0 Comments

I bet you didn't know that, did you! I wonder how many of you out there have been doing your on-line banking using some Android App, or other in blissful ignorance.

Me? Never! Android is the most targeted mobile operating system on the market - just like Windows is the most targeted operating system on PCs.

Ahhh, you reply, I've got my anti-virus program in place to protect me!

That is good, says I but the way this works by-passes your anti-virus programs protection system.

The best of it is, this vulnerability was discovered some 4 years ago in Android 1.6 (Donut) and has been carried over into every version since.

Basically, the flaw exposed in the Application Packages (APK) allows a hacker to add malicious code into an already signed App without changing the Apps signature so the App still reads as genuine and safe.

It is effectively like giving the hackers the keys to your device. They can steal all your data, accounts, passwords and run any App on your phone without your knowledge.

Google were notified of this vulnerability in February (which begs the question why were they kept in the dark for so long) and have reworked the Google Play store so it rejects any Apps that are vulnerable to the flaw. Any infected Apps already on your phone will no longer get updates from Google Play Store.

What this means for you is that any App you downloaded before this month COULD (not IS) be infected. The only ways to ensure your phone has no infected Apps is to download and install your Android operating system from the Android archives (only for experienced users) or uninstall all your Apps and reset your phone to factory defaults (assuming this hasn't been infected).

How do I keep myself from being infected?

Keep away from those 3rd party app providers - only download from a trusted source - make sure you've got that in your settings be careful of emails and don't plug in any USB device from your friends (this also means don't plug your USB device into a friends phone). Basically the same advice you give to anyone with a computer.

Don't have nightmares folks!

All registered trade marks acknowledged.

0 Comments

Iconic tablet just got bigger

Microsoft Surface - a bitter tablet to swallow.

Android Tablet with GPS & TV

Over 90% of all Android phones are hackable - easy peasy

Author

Archives

Categories