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HTC Flyer

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Google, Tablet PC | August 10, 2011 – 12:16 pm

htc flyerAre HTC on to a winner with their first tablet, the HTC Flyer?

Although aesthetically pleasing, the device fails to bring anything new to the table, but does that really matter? Well, maybe.

We’re used to HTC bringing out devices of style and quality, and this is no exception, but like most tablets you can’t help but think you should wait until their next release.

The first thing that drew me to the HTC Flyer was the design. It’s smooth and sleek lines make it look impressive but its the rear of the device, complete with aluminium and top and bottom white plastic bumpers, that make it really stand out.

The device features a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and 5 megapixel rear camera, both good, but lacking clarity. Video is also not of the greatest quality, and even though the camcorder keeps up with motion, it fails to pick up any sort of sharp resolution.

How does it compare to other tablets such as the iPad2 and Motorola Xoom? For me screen size is a one of the main things I look for, and unfortunately the Flyer posses the smallest screen of the three devices. Its 7-inch display dwarfs in comparison to the Xoom (10.1in) and iPad (9.7in), but this also makes it extra portable for those not consumed by the size.

Models

Wi-fi – 16GB storage
3G – 32GB storage

Specifications

Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.5GHz
Screen: 7-inch LCD Touchscreen(1024 x 600)
Weight: 420g
Front Camera: 1.3 megapixels
Rear Camera: 5 megapixels
Flash support
No HDMI output
No video/TV output

Price

Compared to other tablets, is the HTC Flyer worth the price? A lot of consumers say no. Priced at around £450-599, depending on model, it may be a little pricey when compared to similar devices on the market.

Should you buy?

The HTC looks good and is good, but like anything, could use improvement. The size makes is ultra-portable, but may not be what everyone is looking for. The cost could also prove a sticking point, with many tablets on the market offering more competitive pricing.

There are rumours the company’s next offering, the HTC Puccini, could be out as soon as September and it may be worth waiting until then to make your decision.

 

Friendster – From Social Network to Gaming

By Cheryl | Posted in Google, News, Social networking | April 28, 2011 – 4:49 pm

Friendster logoBefore MySpace and Facebook took over the world, there was another site that fed our need for social networking, Friendster.

Created in 2002, the site allowed users to connect with each other and share media and information.

The service was considered hot property, and in 2003 Google offered to buy the company for £30 million, which was turned down by founder Jonathan Abrams.

When other sites such as Facebook came along, Friendster started loosing their hold of North America and were forced to concentrate on the Asian market, were the product proved very popular. Even though they had continued success, the company wasn’t making any profit.

In 2009, the company was bought out by Malaysian internet firm MOL Global, with hopes of regaining their popularity in areas such as North America.

Unfortunately a change in direction couldn’t help the site, and even though they still managed to maintain over 115 million registered users, the end was near.

This week the company told their loyal users that all of their data would be deleted as they aim to take Friendster in a different direction. They explained that they would be turning Friendster in to a gaming site, hoping to work alongside Facebook, rather than being their competition.

http://www.friendster.com/

Google TV hit by poor sales – Delayed UK launch

By Cheryl | Posted in Entertainment, Google, News, Retail, Twitter at 12 | December 21, 2010 – 1:04 pm

After all the talk and much awaited launch, Google TV has been hit with poor sales and major setbacks with television networks in the US.

The company has been unable to meet their targets and many shops have been forced to announce discounts on the product. During the Black Holiday Friday weekend in the US, some stores took as much as $200 off the price tag.

Sony are one company that has been considerably effected by bad sales as they try to improve their failing Bravo TV range by launching a brand new set integrated with Google TV. Now, like many other retailers, the
company is being forced to sell the TV at discounted prices.

So what has caused the poor sales after such a promising release?

A lot of people in the industry have put the lack of sales down to many TV networks blocking Google from playing content on the device. Two of America’s biggest networks ABC and CBS have stopped their content streaming on the Google TV with Fox and NBC looking ready to follow suit.

When the device was first released, Google said they wanted to combine TV with the internet to create the ultimate entertainment experience, so why don’t networks want their shows being made available?

I believe it all comes down to advertising. Prime-time TV shows stream four minutes of ads per hour compared to 16 minutes on a standard TV. For subscription channels such as HBO, which doesn’t show adverts, having their content streamed is no problem.

The issue many feel is that Google are unwilling to pay for TV shows, therefore networks are unwilling to co-operate.

The Google TV release for the UK was originally slated for January but with the troubles it’s been having the company have kept quiet about when it will finally hit our market.

The Gadget Timeline…

By Jemma | Posted in Fact Friday, Gadgets, Gaming, Google, Mobile | December 17, 2010 – 12:59 pm

Gadgets have been around forever, even over ten years ago there were exciting new Toys to play with.

In our Fact Friday this week we are doing a Doc Brown and going back in time to see the gadgets that have moulded our society of today.

Playstation 1 – 1995

It was released September 29 1995 and was a massive hit, with games like Crash Bandicoot and street Fighter.

Digital Cameras – 1995

Everyone owns a digital camera of some sort and it all started back in 1995. It is said that

Eastman Kodak invented the first ever digital camera and the technology has just grown from there.

Windows 95

Design and planning started for this three years previous to the actual release date. It was said that Windows 95 was released with the single “Start Me Up” (Rolling Stones) on it and Microsoft paid them between $8-$14 million dollars for the privilege.

DVD 1996

DVD was a massive change from VHS and it took a while for people to adapt to the huge improvements, like being able to watch a film again without having to rewind it! Toshiba and JVC are the two known companies who made the first generation of DVD players and are as popular today as they were back then.

Flat screen 1998

Even though these are now the most popular, must have necessity in our living room they have been round quite a while. They were a lot more expensive back in 1998 thus not as popular as today.

Google 1998

The one and only Google.com, this is one of the (if not the most popular) site on the web. With about 320 million hits a day this has become the search engine of the century and I don’t think things are about to change any time soon.

Nokia 3210 1999

The infamous Nokia 3210 was extremely popular and was the beginning of a revolution when it came to mobile phones. It was one of the first mobiles to hide the big awkward antenna and have a choice of three games. Everyone loves a game of good old snake!

Apple iPod 2001

This was an amazing gadget which could hold up to 1,000 songs and was very small and compact in form. You could automatically download songs off iTunes onto this tiny 6.5 ounce design.

Sky+ 2001

Sky plus has been a revelation and when it first came out back in 2001 everyone was wowed at the fact that you can record programmes and watch them at any time you want. For us busy folk this was perfect!

Facebook 2004

Social Networking site of the past six years, Facebook is forever growing in users and popularity. Even with the competitor Twitter, Facebook is still going strong.

Apple iPhone 2007

2007 brought the unveiling of the iPhone, it was known as a widescreen iPod but turned out to be much more. It came with wifi, camera, visual voicemail, email and web browsing. It was extremely popular and sought after and still is today.

Apple iPad – 2010

This year came the sensation that is the  Apple iPad. Basically like a hand held computer, this gadget has sold over two million and the number is only increasing.

So there is a look back at technology over the past 15 years. I personally used to be a fan of the Playstation 1 – couldn’t beat a bit of Crash Bandicoot on a Saturday night!

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Ever feel like you’re being watched? Google admits to trespassing on a US couple via Street View

By Nicola | Posted in Google, News, Twitter at 12 | December 7, 2010 – 12:59 pm

How many of us logged onto Google the day it launched Street View to look at our very own homes?

Even though we had seen them all before (!), there was something very interesting in being able to view the place where you live online while you were at work.

For those of you who don’t know, back on May 25, 2007, millions of people checked out the new service that allowed people to look at panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world. With the use of specially adapted cars and now even bikes, users could zoom in and out and even clearly see the number on a front door.

However, three years later and the Internet giant has had its wrist slapped after taking a piccie of a US couple’s home.

Aaron and Christine Boring, who live in Pittsburg, first sued two years ago after claiming that the photograph was taken on a private road, thus trespassing. The case eventually got resolved this week.

And do you want to know what the fine was for Google for performing such an action?

ONE DOLLAR.

Yes, that is the grand sum of 64p in damages.

A Google spokeswoman told the couple’s local newspaper, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that the resolution is limited to the Pennsylvania case and that they won’t stop taking photos. Naughty ey?

However, Mr and Mrs Boring’s lawyer said that Google has “conceded liability as an intentional trespasser.”

This case poses the question to whether Google Street View is a fun site to go online or a way of letting people become a bit too nosey…

Ready for take off: Google satellite service will launch in 2013

By Nicola | Posted in Google, Internet, Twitter at 12 | December 2, 2010 – 12:59 pm

A Google-backed satellite venture that could help to provide the internet to developing countries is set to launch its services in 2013 after securing a staggering $1.2bn of funding.

The strategy will see eight ‘cost effective’ satellites launched after the company behind it, O3b, finalised $770m of debt financing and $410m of equity investments last week.

O3b, which stands for the “other three billion” people in the world who don’t have regular access to broadband internet, say the satellites provide much needed connections between mobile operators’ base stations, located in emerging markets, and the web.

Mark Rigolle, O3b’s chief executive and SES’s former finance director, said that they company had already signed deals worth between $500m and $600m. In an interview, he added: “We want to connect the unconnected and we are looking forward to be able to start doing that in 2013.”

O3b is planning to enable broadband connections for consumers and businesses in more than 150 countries including in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

“I am delighted to welcome an innovative newcomer to the ICT market, especially one whose strategy offers the potential to extend broadband connectivity to millions more people worldwide,” said Dr Hamadoun Touré, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, the UN agency for Information and Communications (ICTs) Technologies.

“The company’s plan to have services available by 2013 mean this solution could also play a significant role in harnessing ICTs to help meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target date of 2015,” he added.

YouTube – The facts

By Jemma | Posted in Fact Friday, Google, website | October 1, 2010 – 12:04 pm

YouTube logoYouTube enables millions of people from all different walks of life to share their stories with the world.

It was established back in 2005 by three former PayPal employees and is now based in San Bruno, California, were the team uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos.

QuadroNation takes a look at how this extremely popular site has grown over the past five years…

  • The founders registered the domain name and started work on February 14th 2005.
  • The first ever video uploaded onto the site was entitled “me at the zoo” and shows Jawed Karim, one of the co founders, in front of some elephants. It was put on in April 2005.
  • There are 3 co founders Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and they all used to work for PayPal.
  • By July 2006 YouTube was getting 100 million video views a day and 65,000 video uploads a day.
  • In June 2007 YouTube was launched in 9 different countries.
  • 10 hours of video uploaded every minute by January 2008 and by the end of the year there were over 15 hours of video being uploaded every minute.
  • In October 2009 there was a live stream of a U2 concert.
  • By May 2010 YouTube exceeds 2 billion views per day.




    • It is fair to say YouTube has become one of the most famous sites on the web and its success can only grow…

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    Google TV – Your world in one

    By Cheryl | Posted in Google, Twitter at 12 | September 30, 2010 – 12:09 pm

    GoogleTVWhat are the main things in life that people can’t live without? Television, internet, mobile phones, holidays, alcohol. Ok, ok, for the sake of this blog the first two are the most important!

    Google have recently announced Google TV, which aims to cut out the divide between television and internet and put them in to a singular entertainment device.

    It is becoming more common for people to watch their favourite programs on the internet, as popular ‘catch up’ players are now streamed across the web. I see missing EastEnders as a good thing, some people don’t (we can’t all be perfect eh?).

    In Google’s own words, they want ‘the best of TV and the best of web in one seamless experience’.

    The idea of Google TV is for you to be capable of switching between your TV and the internet with the press of a button. A search function is available for you to look for your favourite programs, movies and YouTube videos and access them immediately.

    This technology will eventually end up being integrated in to televisions, and Google are currently talking with Sony, Logitech and Intel about such a possibility. By the sounds of things, this could be an extremely popular service as people look to combine all their favourite gadgets in to one simple device.

    For all those techies out there, as the system is built on open platforms such as Android and Google Chrome, developers can build web and Android apps specifically for the TV experience.

    Google TV will have a lot of competition in the market, the most notable being AppleTV, so how will it fare? As Android is an established brand it shouldn’t have too many problems fitting in, plus the possibility of a cheaper sale price than their competitors wouldn’t hurt sales.

    So…how much will it cost?

    As Google TV is not out until next year the price is currently unavailable, but there is talk of an a starting estimate price of around £150.

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    Google Android Market & Apple App Store

    By Nicola | Posted in Android, Gadgets, Google, Mobile | September 23, 2010 – 11:11 am

    How many times do you hear one of your friends or a family member talking about the latest application they have downloaded for their phone?

    I’m sure we have all been ‘Fat-booth-ed’ or enjoyed played a virtual Vuvuzela but how do two of the biggest names currently on the market compare when it comes to apps?

    Apple are ahead of the competition at the moment with currently home to around 250,000 apps, placing them ahead of Android’s 95,000; but if you look at paid versus free apps, Android is miles ahead with a large percentage.

    So, why is there such a large gap?

    One simple reason – Out of an estimated 46 countries that sell Android based phones, only 14 can purchase the apps with 9 of the 14 actually allowing developers to sell apps. Android phones have been on the market for about two years now, yet Google have still not managed to resolve this issue.

    This is the reason why the availability of free apps is so high. A lot of Android developers have no choice but to give away their apps for free rather than selling them to users.

    Money, money, money

    In recent times, developers have found that they can generally make more money on iPhone apps rather than Android ones, but Apple’s upload rules are a lot stricter.

    As we know, Apple are very protective over their products and the app store is no exception. Developers have to submit their apps to Apple for approval to the store, which can take days or weeks.

    Google on the other hand have left their market more open to developers, allowing the users themselves to decide whether they want the application rather than Google making the decision for them.

    Piracy

    Because of the Android Markets restrictions, a lot of people have turned to piracy to get the paid apps not offered to them. Google have put measures in place to stop this from happening, but many feel their efforts should have been put in to expanding the list of accepted countries rather than stopping piracy that could be have stopped by simply allowing everyone to purchase apps.

    The best?

    For me Android wins, but then again, paid apps are available in my country! Google’s willingness to have a more open source platform wins over Apple’s strict guidelines. Maybe everyone will feel the same once paid apps are fully supported in all countries.

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