Posted by admin on February 14, 2012 under Tablets | 
The long awaited mobile phone and tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is finally here! The new mobile device is equipped with 7.7 inch display and dual core processor. Moreover, it has ultra-modern slim shape and a huge range of unique capabilities. Many already named the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 the new ‘King’ of mobile devices. Is that title well deserved? Here is a brief overview of the main capabilities of this truly unique mobile device:
Attractive Design. It is an indisputable fact that Samsung has always managed to come up with mobile devices of unique and highly attractive design. The new Galaxy Tab 7.7 is not an exception: the mobile phone features sleek design with metal housing made of brushed aluminium, round corners of the housing and glass covering the 7.7 inch display. Its minimalistic design is not only very beautiful but makes the phone perfect to be carried in a bag or in a coat pocket. The mobile phone’s thickness of 7.89 mm and weight of 340 grams make it one of the smallest and lightest mobile tablet devices.
AMOLED Display. For those that go for the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 it will probably be because of its display.
Samsung, which is also a manufacturer of displays, has equipped the new tabled with Matrix Super AMOLED Plus display. What that means is that the display has much larger pool of brightness, enhanced viewing angle, ultra-realistic colors and unique black color. The size of the display also deserves attention – it is 7.7 inches and operates in 1280×800 pixel resolution. Additionally, similar to most of the tablets currently on the market, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 features multitouch functionality with up to 10 simultaneous touches on the display.
Above the display is the tablet’s camera. It can shoot videos with up to 2 mega-pixels resolution. The main camera, located at the back of the phone is a 3 mega-pixel camera with flash for better images.
Intuitive Interface, Great Features and Performance. Apart from the modern, sleek looks, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 features very intuitive interface and numerous great features.
The mobile device uses on Android 3.2 Honeycomb operating system which will soon be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The main desktop displays the standard widgets for short access to time, news, weather forecast, social network updates and so on. Naturally, the widgets displayed on the main screen can be customized. Google’s search box is located at the top of the interface and to the right are buttons to access all applications.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is developed on ARM Cortex A9 processor working at 1.4 GHz and video Mali 400MP which offers the same performance comparable to nVidia Tegra 2. Essentially, that means that the new 7.7 inch tablet is compatible with all new games currently available at the market, can reproduce videos and movies in high resolution and supports MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, Xvid codecs.
The tab has 1 GB RAM including 16 additional GB internal flash memory. Additional memory can be expanded with more up to 32 GB using a microSD card.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 also features all current means of communication – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, and GPS. Something that also makes a nice impression is built-in rechargeable battery that has a long lifetime after charging. In 5-6 hours active use battery consumes only about 50% of capacity.
Posted by admin on February 7, 2012 under Industry News |
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the larger electronics convention in the United States, took place at Las Vegas in January 2012. This year, the convention attracted a record number of exhibitors and visitors – there were more than three thousand exhibitors and over 150,000 visitors. CES generated huge media coverage and thousands of storied regarding mobile industry technology highlights and recent developments: new smart phones and ultrabooks unveiled, environmentally friendly mobile technology, mobile and wireless devices’ trends for 2012 and so on.
While everybody was looking at the latest in mobile technology, naturally, they also used extensively their mobile phones for personal and business conversation and data transfer. That put a huge stress on the mobile phone carriers which, as an independent tests revealed, were unable to offer consistent service during the CES convention.
Which were the mobile phone carriers that managed to cope with the incredibly big amount of network usage?
According to an independent test performed by Mobile Beast, all four of the tested mobile phone carriers – Verizon, Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile, offered similar network coverage and quality. The most significant difference was in the speed of data transfer.
The test was performed with five comparable mobile phones: Samsumg Galaxy Nexus, HTC Vivid, Samsung Epic 4G Touch, T-Mobile My Touch and iPhone 4S. All of the phones work with 4G networks and two also had LTE functionality. The results of the tests showed that there was no difference in terms of the mobile devices used but rather in the coverage and speed of services offered by each of the mobile phone carriers.
After conducting numerous tests with all of the above mentioned mobile phones and across the available networks, testers found that Verizon was the only network provider that offered consistent call and data coverage and consistent quality during the convention. The other three of the tested network providers experienced problems with connectivity, data transfer and GPS navigation due to insufficient bandwidth and that resulted in huge fluctuations of data transfer speed, push services, photos and documents upload.
Call quality and connectivity: The real-life testing results showed comparable call quality and any connectivity difficulties and call drops primarily occurred in poor connection areas such as underground parking lots.
Data transfer: As it comes to data transfer, the test results showed that Verizon was the only mobile carrier that managed to maintain steady service. Sprint also performed well but failed at GPS navigation quality. At the same time AT&T and T-Mobile offered very good GPS navigation quality. Regarding LTE network usability, it was generally slow with all providers mainly due to the large number of users.
The bottom-line: According to the test results, Verizon was the best mobile phone carrier as they managed to provide consistent coverage and quality and especially good hotspot functionality. Sprint scored very well for push services and AT&T had the fastest potential data transfer however, sporadic due to insufficient bandwidth. T-Mobile offered the worst service in terms of call quality and data transfer even at hotspots.
Posted by admin on January 30, 2012 under Industry News |
Mobile technology has become an indispensable part of our lives: the days when we used our mobile phones solely for communication are far gone; today mobile phone technology finds its place in nearly every aspect of one’s daily activities in a complex and very personal way. Perhaps that’s why, figuring out what the next big thing in mobile technology in 2012 is going to be can be somehow hard to predict.
Mobile devices have become more powerful than ever. Then again, the greater the role of mobile gadgets into our lives, the stronger the expectations of what could be coming out that can offer an even wider range of features. What can be the next big thing in mobile technology in 2012?
Smartphones
When it comes to new smart phone releases, Apple’s next smart phone is definitely one of the most anticipated mobile devices in 2012. It is very likely that the new iPhone will have new design and 4G functionality but that’s not all. Experts predict that Apple will unveil their virtual SIM technology that will allow mobile phone users to change network providers independently.
After a not-so-good 2011, in 2012 RIM will try to get their customers back with the release of the first mobile devices running BBX platform, the future of BlackBerry designed to bring together “people, devices, content and services” according to Mike Lazaridis, CEO of Research In Motion. The BBX platform is expected to solve some security issues and will allow RIM to introduce high-performance applications, better push services and BBM.
The number one platform for 2011 Android is expected to continue its growth in 2012. Smartphone users should look forward to Android 4.0 release which is not expected to offer revolutionary changes but rather become the standard, mature Android platform.
Tablets
Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle are the clear-cut market dominators for 2012. Tablet users anticipate the release of the next iPad, most likely called iPad3, and predictions are for a more powerful device that will offer some significant software upgrades. Gadget experts anticipate that the new iPad will also run 4G technology and will be much more affordable than its ancestors and comparable devices.
Kindle Fire from Amazon is surely the second contender for the next big thing in tablets space in 2012. With over a million tablets pre-sold in 2011 and over 6 million anticipated sales for 2012, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet secures its second place after Apple’s iPad. Actually, predictions are that Kindle tablet users should expect a bigger tablet traditionally powered by Android and featuring unique look and feel.
Ultrabook
According to many, 2012 will be the year of Ultrabook. After the release of Apple’s MacBook Air, many companies introduced their own super thin and powerful “Ultrabook” devices. What users should expect in 2012, and what might as well be the next big thing is that Ultrabook is here to stay: there were over 50 different models presented at the Consumer Electronic Show in January and Intel predicts that 40% of all laptops sold by the end 2012 to be Ultrabooks.
Posted by admin on December 29, 2011 under Mobile Applications, Uncategorized |
As in every year during winter holidays, the Cupertino company offers for a period of 12 days free content from its iTunes app store for the European and Canadian users. The offer entitled “12 Days of Christmas” kicked off on boxing day with a selection of tracks by Coldplay.
Every year Apple offers for free more applications, songs and games to the European users of devices running Apple’s iOS. The “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway was launched yesterday with a suite of songs from the British band Coldplay. Gifts are available for free for exactly 24 hours after their posting, the giveaway lasting, as you probably realized, 12 days.
In order to facilitate the access to gifts, Apple also launched a dedicated application that is updated daily with new offers. The application is on the App Store and can be downloaded, of course, for free.
The “12 Days of Christmas” application is compatible with iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad and the fourth generation of iPods. The application is available in Europe and Canada.
Posted by admin on December 28, 2011 under Apple News |
According to two documents filed by the Californian company at the U.S. Bureau of Patents and Trademark Apple is looking to further develop batteries for its mobie devices based on the use of hydrogen cell techology.
According to sources close to the situation, Apple intends to introduce a technology that converts hydrogen and oxygen in water and electricity. The technology giant wrote in its application that these fuel cells can reach high levels of electric density, which will provide the devices with electricity that will last for days, even weeks.
Also, Apple engineers mention that hydrogen batteries could be smaller and lighter than ordinary batteries. The introduction of these devices could solve one of the greatest problems of smartphones, which are using a lot of power.
Besides this motivation, Apple stated in its application that hydrogen technology will free the U.S. by the need of using fossil fuels that obliges the maintenance of complicated relationships with governments in the Middle East and that could prevent disasters caused by oil spills.
If successful, this could be a major development for Apple who have become synonymous with poor battery life. Whilst this was improved sightly with the launch of the iPhone 4 it is still a major issue for the devices which are geared around so much internet connectivity.
Posted by admin on under Industry News |
Year-end is the time to look back and think about the best mobile devices released in 2011, the greatest mobile technology successes and disappointments. In 2011, mobile technology and communication reached the stature of 4G and the rise of the tablets; however it wasn’t a year without its failures. From network blackouts to customers’ dissatisfaction with some of the most prominent mobile companies, we are looking at the top mobile technology successes and disappointments of 2011.
2011 Biggest Mobile Technology Successes
Android Total Market Supremacy
Needless to say, Android success in 2011 is unprecedented. The platform had zero market presence just a couple years ago and in 2011 managed to debar all major platforms. Furthermore, there are no signs of a slow down – with over 500,000 device activations daily, Android total mobile market domination seems to remain throughout 2012.
4G Mobile Technology Growth
This year wasn’t just an exemplary year for the U.S. growth of 4G mobile technology. 2011 was the year of the 4G race – all major mobile operators are striving to develop their 4G mobile networks. How fast and how well they manage to accomplish that will play a lead role in how each mobile provider will move into 2012.
Mobile Payments
Predictions that 2011 would be the year of ‘mobile wallets’ hasn’t really come true. Nevertheless, 2011 was an year of significant developments in mobile payments infrastructure. Banks, credit card processors, e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers made serious progress towards allowing customers to pay for goods via their mobile phones.
2011 Biggest Mobile Technology Disappointments
GSM Phones Vulnerability to Hackers’ Attacks
Mobile technology vulnerability to hackers’ attacks has been an ongoing issue for the past several years. Nevertheless, a new study revealed that mobile phone hacking is actually easier than people expected. According to researchers, GSM networks, still used by approximately 80 percent of all mobile phone users worldwide, did not provide adequate security against hacking attacks. They found that not only any GSM phone can be ‘hijacked’ but now hackers can do that on a large scale and in a very short time frame. The findings of the study are particularly disappointing as once network security is breached, hackers can unlimited number of calls or send out unlimited number of text messages and GSM phone users can only find out when they receive their mobile phone bill.
BlackBerry Outage
Blackberry users will hardly forget 2011 October’s Blackberry outage when a failed switching mechanism crippled Blackberry network for several days. The longest service interruption for BalckBerry’s 12 year history, notorious as the ‘BlackBerry Blackout’, affected millions of BlackBerry customers in Europe, North America and Africa who were unable to receive and send out emails – BlackBerry mobile devices key feature.
Vodafone’s Network Continuing Problems
Vodafone customers started to experience network problems in 2010 and unfortunately issues with connectivity and reception issues continued into 2011. Vodafone representatives blamed the software upgrade at first and later simply admitted they ‘could have done a better job’. Vodafone substandard performance led to thousands of disappointed customers, lawsuits and court battles for compensations.
More to Come in 2012
The world of mobile phones and moble technology is a very exciting place right now and it is a sure bet we will have even more develoments and disappointments to talk about in 2012. NFC technology is likely to change the way we look at our moble devices and trasform them from being a communication tool, to a lifestyle tool. And with Android and Apple now in a flat out turf war 2012 could be a very interesting time indeed in the world of mobile.
Posted by admin on July 5, 2011 under Industry News |
According to research by GfK Blackberry’s position as smart phone of choice in the teen market is at threat from HTC due to the number of reasonably priced handset on the market and the number of free Android apps available (originally reported in (new media age).
Blackberry handsets currently hold the lions share of the teen market largely due to their BBM functionality reducing the need for costly text messages. However the report suggests that the availability of Android apps providing rival messaging services are likely to remove Blackberry’s main USP to this audience.
Blackberry currently command 21% market share or under 25 smart phone users however in the past few months GfK’s data suggests HTC handset usage has grown rapidly whilst iPhone ownership is larger in the 16-24 year old category once price is less of an issue.
It will be interesting to see how Blackberry responds to the diminishing appeal of their main USP in the youth market especially given their handsets tend to be less ‘sexy’ and design led which has obvious appeal to the younger generation.
Posted by admin on June 23, 2011 under Mobile Marketing |
There have been some statistics from Ebay which seem to be doing the rounds at the minute about the number of high end cars being sold on mobile each day. It seems you can’t sit through a mobile marketing presentation, or read a mobile marketing blog post without some version of the statistics rearing their head.
The niggling feeling I have whenever some starts telling me “Ebay sells one car every 5 minutes via mobile” or “Ebay sells 3 Ferraris a month via mobile” or any other version of the figures produced is that does this really indicate mobile retail adoption?
I’ve purchased through Ebay many times, Ive also purchased through Ebay mobile, but the process I went through to make a mobile purchase was not solely on my handset. On the whole, when I have purchased through Ebay on a mobile handset it has been after doing my research, and deciding to bid, via a desktop machine. The mobile element of the purchase was simply due to the timing of an auction end and the most I did on a mobile was place a final bid. Even the final processing of purchase on the whole was then done on a desktop device, despite Paypal being accessible on mobile. And so, is it not, that these ‘purchases’ which are being reported, are originating on the Ebay website with only a final bid, or auction end time, being recoded on mobile?
If this is the case, and I have no proof either way, then these figures do not tell us anything about the adoption of mobile retail and purchases or payments via mobile devices as this is not a traditional retail purchase. Much more indicative are the figures for the sales ASOS generate through their mobile app.
I do believe mobile commerce is on the rise, and mobile payments are the future, I just don’t think you can put Ebay in this category.
Rant over…..
Posted by admin on under Mobile Technology |
Near field communications (NFC) technology, heralded as the next step in mobile advancement, is set to hit the mainstream over the coming year with retailers already adopting NFC as a payment solution. NFC is the technology solution which allows a mobile handset to be used as a payment method by tapping or holding it near a sensor and authorising the payment using an in built payment solution.
Payments via mobile have been discussed for many years as the next barrier to overcome in the use of mobile devises in our day to day lives. Sandwich chain Eat is the latest large retailer to trial the use of NFC in a single store in central London. Eat will utilise NFC technology to allow customers to redeem coupons and loyalty rewards rather than make payments however Eat has issued a “watch this space” statement indicating they have further plans beyond the trial for the use of NFC.
Google’s launch of Google Wallet will also add to the adoption of the technology and it wont be long before ore high street stores are finding a use for NFC, even if it isn’t for making payments just yet. The main barrier is the technology costs for the retailers themselves as most new smart phones have the functionality already built in. As Tesco put it when asked about their plans, “putting NFC terminals in 35,000 checkout lanes in the UK isn’t cheap”. When looked at this way you can see there are still a couple of barriers to overcome but it can’t be long before NFC terminals start to appear on a fast lane checkout in more local stores.
Posted by admin on June 2, 2011 under Handset News |
Vodafone have exclusive availability on the HTC Desire S and HTC Wildfire in a range of new colours. Now available through Vodafone in Red, Purple and Grey the HTC Desire S and HTC Wildfire now offers a new range of choices for you to consider.
More details on the HTC Wildfire S in Grey
More details on the HTC Desire S in Red
More details of the HTC Wildfire S in Purple
The long awaited mobile phone and tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is finally here! The new mobile device is equipped with 7.7 inch display and dual core processor. Moreover, it has ultra-modern slim shape and a huge range of unique capabilities. Many already named the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 the new ‘King’ of mobile devices. Is that title well deserved? Here is a brief overview of the main capabilities of this truly unique mobile device: