Star Wars: Tiny Death Star game – 8 bit construction

Star Wars: Tiny Death Star is a game developed by NimbleBit and Disney Mobile and published by LucasArts. It is a business simulation game, based on Tiny Tower a previous hit for NimbleBit.

 

The Emperor has tasked Darth Vader with constructing the Death Star, according to his nefarious plans. This means adding various levels, residential for bitizens and then recreational, service, food and retail to earn credits to help you buy more levels. Each level is named after a famous part of the Star Wars universe, eg the Mos Espa Cafe. As you gain more levels you will get visits from VIPs who may speed up construction, increase sales on a level or allow you to have more stock on a level.

 

You will also be required to build Imperial levels which include interrogation rooms, blast shields and superlaser controls.

 

All this is displayed in a cute cartoon 8 bit style, so whilst at times the game can get repetitive or boring waiting to get enough credits to afford more levels the graphics keep it fresh and if you’re a Star Wars fan then it is well worth a free download. It is a freemium game but you really don’t need to buy anything unless you are hugely impatient. The game is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone at the links below.

Sources: iTunes Android Windows

BWC 7″ Kidi-Value Tablet Review

 

So these days it seems that every man and their dog is making an Android slate. Now although this is a very good place to be as it give the consumer a multitude of options, it is also a potential minefield for the 1st time buyer. This buyer that I am creating for the purposes of this review is not a geek and does not know a huge amount of techy stuff like most of us on this here site. However they are keen to embark on the great liberating journey that is the tablet train. So let’s dive into the murky waters and find the £50 BWC 7 Inch Kidi-Value Tablet.

Hardware
The tablet comes in a wholly unremarkable box with a picture of the device on it as well as company Logo’s etc. Once we get into the box we can see the tablet itself with its 7? screen beaming out at us.

 

Of to the side is a small box that contains all your charger requirements and low and behold the device charges via micro USB happy days, this is a trend I would like to see more of please. Picking up the device it is very light and doesn’t feel as cheap as you would expect. Around the back we have a textured finish to help with grip.

Up at the top is the busy end with from left to right; Micros USB for power, 3.5mm headphones, Micro HDMI, Micro SD card slot, Volume up and down Camera and then Power on/off.

Down the both the right and left hand side we have nothing at all and then on the base of to the left we have a speaker that is marginal but tinny.

As I mentioned the screen is 7? diaganol with a 16:9 aspect ratio meaning it is the tall and skinny style that Nexus 7 users are accustomed too. The tablet doesn’t look that bad on the surface of it and if you were to see it on the other side of a train or bus you could be mistaken for thinking that it was a Nexus device however that is where things take a turn as when I powered up the device I saw why the price was so low.

The screen is very poor and can only really be used with high brightness levels and you need to be very careful with what background wallpaper you choose. The colour levels are not helped by the screen reflectivity levels. Let’s just say I have had less reflective mirrors. I have tried to capture the differences on camera but it is very difficult to do this so you will have to take my word for it.

 

I thought well my issues are because I am used to high quality screens ofthe iPad, Xperia Z1, Nexus 7 and Lumia 1020 so I let a college use it and she was as appalled as I was so it isn’t just me. However their is a flip side to every coin. As this tablet is running Android 4.2 it will support Miracast if you have it available and if not then Micro HDMI is also available meaning that this could be used very effectively as a media streamer if required. On that note I had no issues with the device reading from a 16gb micro SD card or streaming BBC iPlayer.

Lastly all of the hardware is kept ticking along by a 1.?GHz dual core Mediatek chip set which has 512 mb Ram and 4gb of onboard storage which is a bout average at this price point. I tried running benchmarks but more on that later.

Here are the Specs of the device.

Battery Charge Time (in hours)Average Battery Life (in hours)

Software
As I have already mentioned we are running a Vanilla version of Android 4.2 here and it has access to Google Play and all the other Google apps. This cannot be said for some other tabs at this price point so well done BWC for that. There are a few apps that have been added by BWC in order to make things more user friendly but other than that no crapware happily.

No for those hoping that this device will keep up with Android development and get JB or even KitKat (which it would benefit from) it is pretty much assured to not get these updates. At this price point the manufacturers can not really keep on investing in a product that is on the sales floor so they don’t bother and they will just release a new product with the new software. This is a shame as KitKat would really help on this device due to its smaller memory footprint. And yes I’m sure you could grey a new ROM from XDA Dev but this is not going to be doable by the intended buyer so that is out.
As I mentioned I tried to run some benchmarks but this proved to be a fruitless exercise as none of them would run due to some sort of chip set issue. In day to day use you will experience a bit of lag but nothing that is crippling. To be honest it is akin to using an entry level smartphone with regard to user experience.

Conclusion
While yes you can buy a tablet for £50 you probably shouldn’t unless you really have very limited usage scenarios or you just need the very basics such as Web browsing and email. That being said the BWC table this well equipped for its price but it is just let down by the screens viewing angles and reflectivity. If you are going to hook this up to a TV for viewing videos or streaming content then fire in otherwise I wouldn’t look for something with a better screen such as then Nexus 7(2012) as these are coming down in price now particularly 2nd hand and refurbished units.
Another segment were this will fit well is for a kids tabletv as if they destroy it which most kids will try to then you have not spent a huge sum of money and will not be that out of pocket.

So these days it seems that every man and their dog is making an Android slate. Now although this is a very good place to be as it give the consumer a multitude of options, it is also a potential minefield for the 1st time buyer. This buyer that I am creating for the purposes of this review is not a geek and does not know a huge amount of techy stuff like most of us on this here site. However they are keen to embark on the great liberating journey that is the tablet train. So let's dive into the murky waters and find the £50 BWC 7 Inch Kidi-Value Tablet. Hardware The tablet comes in a wholly unremarkable box with a picture of the device on it as well as company Logo's etc. Once we get into the box we can see the tablet itself with its 7" screen beaming out at us. Of to the side is a small box that contains all your charger requirements and low and behold the device charges via micro USB happy days, this is a trend I would like to see more of please. Picking up the device it is very light and doesn't feel as cheap as you would expect. Around the back we have a textured finish to help with grip. Up at the top is the busy end with from left to right; Micros USB for power, 3.5mm headphones, Micro HDMI, Micro SD card slot, Volume up and down Camera and then Power on/off. Down the both the right and left hand side we have nothing at all and then on the base of to the left we have a speaker that is marginal but tinny. As I mentioned the screen is 7" diaganol with a 16:9 aspect ratio meaning it is the tall and skinny style that Nexus 7 users are accustomed too. The tablet doesn't look that bad on the surface of it and if you were to see it on the other side of a train or bus you could be mistaken for thinking that it was a Nexus device however that is where things take a turn as when I powered up the device I saw why the price was so low. The screen is very poor and can only really be used with high brightness levels and you need to be very careful with what background wallpaper you choose. The colour levels are not helped by the screen reflectivity levels. Let's just say I have had less reflective mirrors. I have tried to capture the differences on camera but it is very difficult to do this so you will have to take my word for it.   I thought well my issues are because I am used to high quality screens ofthe iPad, Xperia Z1, Nexus 7 and Lumia 1020 so I let a college use it and she was as appalled as I was so it isn't just me. However their is a…BWC 7? Kidi-Value Tablet ReviewBWC 7? Kidi-Value Tablet Review45

Great Kids tablet but adult users might want to look elsewhere

5

Here’s why Apple’s Retina iPad mini launch was so surprisingly quiet

2:00 PM

Apple surprised anxious fans around the world earlier this week when it quietly launched its new second-generation iPad mini tablet in the middle of the night with no warning. Those who had been eagerly awaiting the new high-definition mini slate scrambled to place their orders as soon as they woke up and read the news — and therein lies Apple’s logic in debuting the new Retina iPad mini so quietly. According to Internet Marketer Ed Dale, this was a carefully calculated move on Apple’s part, and a smart one as well.

Apple’s Retina iPad mini supply is ridiculously constrained. We all read the rumors that had been trickling out over the past few months, and this quiet launch solidifies them. According to a recent report from a very solid source, manufacturing difficulties will mean Apple only ships about 2.3 million Retina iPad mini tablets this quarter. Unfortunately for consumers, that will likely only cover a fraction of demand.

So, how does Apple ensure that its loudest, most dedicated fans procure their new iPad minis when supply is so short?

From Ed Dale:

By soft releasing the iPad Mini Retina, Apple achieved three crucial things.

Apple’s biggest fans got theirs first. Who knew about this first? The people who follow the Apple blogs and digerati. Judging by Twitter, this worked perfectly.The grey market queueing for the iPad Mini Retina was going to be immense. By going online the incredibly poor optics (the front of Apple lines, which attracts a lot of media, was full of people who were not fans but paid to be there) are mitigated.The last thing Apple wants is hundreds of customers turning up everyday to be dissappointed [sic] in a store which is meant to be a happy place — Apple does not want their stores to be associated with disappointment and frustration!

No further explanation needed.

Apple’s iPad mini with Retina display is available now — if you can find one — starting at $399 with Wi-Fi only and $539 with 4G LTE.

Why Apple wants to squeeze every last dime from Samsung

9:40 AM

Why is Apple so insistent on squeezing every last dime it can out of Samsung over patent infringement? Well, apart from the obvious greed factor it seems the iPhone is also a major point of pride within the company that it doesn’t want to see diminished by copycats. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller told the jury in the newest Apple-Samsung patent trial this week that the iPhone was a hugely risky bet when it was first being developed and amounted to a “bet-the-company” product.

Per CNET, Schiller said during his testimony that there were “huge risks” in making the iPhone because “we were starting to do well again in iPod… then here we’re going to invest all these resources, financial as well as people, in creating this product.”

The bet obviously paid off for Apple big time, but many in the company still haven’t forgotten the potential perils that came with releasing the iPhone back in 2007. It’s easy to forget but Apple’s stock was still trading well below $100 throughout 2006 and that only after the iPhone took off did it become the tech behemoth that it is today.

The iPhone really does explain the huge rise in Apple’s profitability more than any other product because it’s not only been an enormous seller but it’s consistently produced estimated gross margins in the 50% to 60% range, much more than the iPad, the iPod or any of the MacBooks. And given that Apple thinks Samsung’s own considerable success in the mobile market is due at least partially to its infringement of Apple patents, the company doesn’t believe asking Samsung to cough up an additional $380 million is all that unreasonable.

Samsung Galaxy S3 receiving update to Android 4.3

 

The global rollout of Android 4.3 Jellybean to Samsungs previous flagship handset the Galaxy S3 has begun.

According to Samsung dedicated site Sammobile the rollout began with unlocked UK devices and has not started to be seen on devices in South Korea.

The list of changes and new features is extensive:-

- GALAXY GEAR Support- TRIM Support (Makes the device much faster)- Core UI elements updated to the ones on the Galaxy S4 (Galaxy S4's theme all over)- New Samsung Keyboard- GPU drivers have been updated (Higher GPU benchmark scores)- New Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message- New Screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo- Daydream- Driving mode- Actionable notifications- Move-to-SD-card feature- New Camera mode : Sound and Shot- New Additions in Notification Centre- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface – Exactly like the Galaxy S4)- Implementation of Voice controls (Let’s you control various parts of the phone using voice commands – Galaxy S4 feature)- New Samsung Apps: Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Gallery, Music- Full screen Samsung apps- New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4)

As usual the update is an Over the Air update however you can update via Kies if you so choose.

Have you received the new update?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

A quick guide to PlayStation 4 launch exclusives

11:55 AM

After a long year of waiting, Sony has finally delivered the PlayStation 4, which is currently begging you to spend the weekend with a DualShock 4 in hand. You want to oblige, but you have neglected to pick up any PS4 games. You have read the reviews and you know about the curse of the launch lineup, but you can’t just sit around and wait for four months until Infamous: Second Son comes out. If this short story describes you, I’d like you to know that I’m in the same boat, so I’ve written this handy, completely unscientific evaluation of the three exclusive PS4 launch games to provide some assistance for befuddled gamers.

Killzone has always been a divisive shooter. Introduced as a “Halo-killer,” Killzone was set up for failure. Reviews were decent, but gamers weren’t interested, and Sony’s first major online FPS failed to kill anything, much less Halo. Since that fateful release, the Killzone games have improved significantly. As a latecomer to the PS3, Killzone 3 became my go-to online shooter. I played plenty of Call of Duty as well, but for all its miscues, Killzone 3 offered something that no other shooter on the PS3 could match – a Halo-like, sci-fi aesthetic. From the weapons and characters to the maps and special abilities, Killzone had carved out its niche, despite not being nearly as polished or as popular as the Call of Dutys and Battlefields of the world. Killzone: Shadow Fall is a launch title, as well as a follow-up to a series that has never received any critical acclaim, but if you have completely exhausted modern-day shooters on the last generation of consoles, and you’re still in the market for an online FPS, Shadow Fall might be your best bet.

Knack has drawn comparisons to the Xbox 360 launch title Kameo for a few very obvious reasons: it’s a launch day platformer, it was developed by a studio known for its consistent quality, and the title has five letters and starts with a K. Leading up to launch, Knack failed to pick up much buzz. It looks absolutely stunning from a visual perspective, but reviews have been lukewarm, citing the game’s inexplicable difficulty and monotonous gameplay. If more indie titles had launched with the PS4, there might have been a chance that a better platformer would be available on the PlayStation Store, but as it stands, Knack is your only option.

Speaking of indies, the best reviewed exclusive for the PlayStation 4 so far is Resogun, developed by Housemarque, the same team that brought Super Stardust HD to the PlayStation 3 in 2007. Resogun is a fairly standard side-scrolling space shooter, complete with power-ups, oversized bosses, and screens full of lasers. The wraparound levels bring an interesting twist to the game, and flinging the small green prisoners into a beam of light in order to save them looks like it might never get old, but here’s the bottom line: if you have a PlayStation Plus subscription (which you do, because every PS4 box has a 30-day free trial), the game is free. If neither of the triple-A releases look appealing to you, Resogun is the first-party game you should spend your weekend with.

If you pick up either of the two retail exclusives for your PlayStation 4 this weekend, know that you are taking a risk.

Although, their numbers are not large, Killzone fans should enjoy the new entry to the series. Whether or not its campaign ends up being up to snuff, the multiplayer looks to be a marked improvement over Killzone 3. Knack is sure to provide some enjoyment, especially for the younger audience, but the reaction has been decidedly less than positive. It might be safer to pick up a third-party title or two.

We’ll have full reviews coming in the next two weeks, so be sure to stay tuned until then. In the mean time, download Resogun. It’s free!

Nokia Camera update adds RAW DNG file support for the Lumia 1020 and 1520

A few weeks ago in Abu Dhabi Nokia announced real DNG file format support for the Lumia 1020 and 1520. Today they’ve pushed out the update to enable that, so if you really like to fiddle with your images then your going to be happy.

But there is a catch, you’ll need the as yet unreleased Nokia Black update.

In the meantime you can update the app anyway, wishing you could output RAW files.

Windows Phone Store Link – Nokia Camera

Google playing music available for iOS

 

Yes, you read correctly! Google has finally launched its Google Play Music app for Apple's iOS!

For any iPhone user who does not know it, Google has recently launched its "access service" that allows subscribers to listen to music in a manner similar to Spotify, Deezer, but the free version is similar to Apple's iTunes service of party.

 

The free option allows you to upload up to 20,000 songs to their servers a current in the device or PC browser. Equivalent service from Apple's £21.99 per year!

The "All Access" option is £9.99 per year and allows access to the huge collection of Google again from the application or from your device browser PC. The "Access" option is also available as a watch this 30-day free trial version.

Unfortunately at this point there is an iPad app, but you can use the application iPhone/iPod touch in 2 x mode.

Get the official app for your iOS device from the App Store

Nexus 5 vs Galaxy S4, by face to face

Maintenant que nous connaissons tout ce qu’il y a à savoir sur le Nexus 5, il est temps de le comparer aux meilleurs smartphones disponibles sur le marché. Étant donné que le Samsung Galaxy S4 est clairement le smartphone Android le plus populaire du moment, il est intéressant de le comparer au très attendu Nexus 5.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 a été présenté il y a plus de six mois, et est, tout comme le Galaxy Note 3, le Smartphone phare de Samsung pour 2013. Il y a peu, Samsung a annoncé que plus de 40 millions de Galaxy S4 avaient été vendus. La popularité du terminal ne fait donc aucun doute.

Où acheter le Galaxy S4 au meilleur prix :

Le Nexus 5 est sorti il y a quelques jours de cela, et son point fort est son prix. Pour 349 euros, vous obtiendrez un smartphone Android haut de gamme débloqué tout opérateur. C’est un bon rapport qualité-prix selon moi. Mais est-ce suffisant pour vaincre le Galaxy S4 ?

Où acheter le Nexus 5 :

Si vous avez suivi nos comparaisons précédentes, vous savez que la comparaison entre le Nexus 5 et le Samsung Galaxy S4 sera divisée en 10 parties. Les smartphones seront jugés en terme de performances, dimensions, affichage, mémoire, connectivité, processeur, appareil photo, autonomie de la batterie, prix, système d’exploitation et design.

Chaque manche vaut un point, et le gagnant sera le smartphone qui obtiendra le plus de points.

Dimensions

Les écrans dont la taille est coomprise entre 4,7 et 5,2 pouces sont devenus un standard sur le marché des smartphones Android hauts de gamme. Mais les dimensions augmentent proportionnellement à la taille de l’affichage.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 mesure 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm et pèse 130 grammes, alors que le Nexus 5 possède à peu près les mêmes dimensions que son prédécesseur (le Nexus 4) avec 137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6 mm. L’appareil récemment sorti pèse seulement 130 grammes.

Même si les deux smartphones pèsent le même poids, le Nexus 5 est plus haut de 1,3 mm et plus épais de 0,7 mm que le Galaxy S4. Donc le Smartphone coréen remporte cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 0 – Galaxy S4 : 1

Affichage

Fin 2012 et début 2013, les constructeurs de smartphones Android ont commencé à équiper leur smartphones hauts de gamme d’écrans full HD. Le Nexus 5 et le Galaxy S4 ne font pas exception.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 dispose d’un écran 5 pouces full HD super AMOLED doté d’une résolution de 1080 x 1920 (441 ppi) et d’une protection Gorilla Glass 3. Le Nexus 5 possède quant à lui un écran 4,95 pouces full HD True HD IPS Plus doté d’une résolution de 1080 x 1920, 445 ppi et d’une protection Gorilla Glass 3.

Les deux écrans apportent une luminosité et un contraste sans pareille. Le Super AMOLED est plus économe que l’écran IPS du Nexus 5, mais l’écran du Galaxy S4 est peu visible au soleil tandis que sa reproduction des couleurs est loin d’être précise. Le Nexus 5 remporte donc cette manche, car son écran est de meilleure qualité.

Nexus 5 : 1 – Galaxy S4 : 1

Mémoire

En juillet 2013, 1 million d’applications étaient disponibles sur le Google Play Store, donc vous voulez certainement suffisamment de stockage sur votre smartphone pour en profiter au maximum. Sans oublier que vous devez également stocker vos vidéos, photos et livres.

L Nexus 5 n’est disponible qu’en version 16 ou 32 Go de stockage, sans la possibilité d’étendre la mémoire grâce à une carte microSD. En plus du support des cartes microSD (jusqu’à 64 GB), le Samsung Galaxy S4 est disponble en version 16, 32 et 64 G0. Il peut donc disposer au maximum de 128 Go de stockage.

Je suppose qu’il est clair pour tout le monde que le Galaxy S4 remporte la bataille de l’espace de stockage.

Nexus 5 : 1 – Galaxy S4 : 2

Connectivité

Alors que le Nexus 4 sorti l’année dernière ne supportait pas la technologie LTE (enfin oui, mais non. Rendez-vous ici pour en savoir plus sur la 4G du Nexus 4), son successeur peut désormais se connecter aux réseaux mobiles les plus rapides du monde. Penchons-nous sur la connectivité du Samsung Galaxy S4 et du Nexus 5.

L’appareil coréen est équipé de : HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, bi-bande, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, NFC, IR blaster, et microUSB 2.0.
Le Nexus 5 possède quant à lui : HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, -bi-bande, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, et microUSB 2.0.

Avez-vous trouvé la différence ? Si ce n’est pas le cas, je peux vous dire que la seule différence en terme de connectivité vient du port infrarouge installé sur le Samsung Galaxy S4. Cela ne justifie cependant pas un point supplémentaire pour l’appareil coréen. Les deux appareils finissent cette manche à égalité.

Nexus 5 : 2 – Galaxy S4 : 3

Processeur

Les processeurs des smartphones Android se sont beaucoup améliorés ces dernières années, et dans moins d’un an, ils devraient adopter une architecture 64 bits.

Comme vous le savez sûrement, deux variantes du Galaxy S4 sont actuellement disponibles sur le marché, chacune possédant un processeur différent. Le I9500 dispose du processeur Samsung 8 cœurs Exyonos 5410 avec 4 cœurs Cortex A15 1,6 GHz et 4 cœurs Cortex A7 1,2 GHz à faible consommation d’énergie et un GPU PowerVR SGX 544MP3. Alors que le I9505 dispose d’un Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 avec 4 cœurs Krait 300 à 1,9 GHz et un GPU Adreno 320. Il est à noter que c’est le Galaxy S4 I9505 qu’on retrouve en France.

Le Nexus 5 possède l’un des processeurs les plus rapides qui est utilisé dans un Smartphone Android, le Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 avec 4 cœurs Krait 400 cadencés à 2.26 GHz et une puce graphique Adreno 330.

Étant donné que le processeur du Nexus 5 est plus puissant que n’importe quel processeur utilisé par le Galaxy S4, le smartphone développé par Google et LG gagne un point supplémentaire.

Voici un test Benchmark en vidéo :

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 3

Appareil photo

On aime tous prendre des photos avec nos smartphones, et avec toutes les améliorations apportées par Google à Google Plus Photos, ce serait bien d’avoir un bon appareil photo au dos de votre smartphone.

Le Google Nexus 5 possède un appareil photo de 8 MP avec autofocus, stabilisation d’image optique, LED flash, géo-tagging, mise au point tactile, détection des visages et photosphere. Il permet également de filmer en 1080p à 30fps. Même si le Nexus 5 dispose d’un appareil photo de 8 MP comme son prédécesseur, le nouvel appareil photo est supérieur à celui du Nexus 4. C’est en tout cas ce que laisse penser les premières images prises avec l’appareil.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 possède un appareil photo 13 MP avec autofocus, flash LED, possibilité d’enregistrer son et image en simultané, geo-tagging, mise au point tactile, détection des visages et sourires, stabilisation d’image, HDR et possibilité de filmer en full HD.

Le Galaxy S4 est connu pour avoir un des meilleurs appareils photo du marché. Ce point va directement au smartphone coréen. D’ailleurs, vous pouvez regarder la vidéo ci-dessous afin de voir la comparaison par vous-même :

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 4

Autonomie de la batterie

L’autonomie de la batterie des smartphones modernes est devenue un vrai problème, puisqu’il est presque impossible de trouver un smartphone pouvant tenir plus d’une journée. A l’exception des phablettes.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 possède une batterie amovible Li-Ion 2,600 mAh. Lors de notre test, la batterie a tenu plus de 24 heures et pour comparaison, le Galaxy S4 est meilleur que l’iPhone 5s au niveau de l’autonomie après une charge complète.

Le Nexus 5 dispose d’une batterie non amovible Li-Po 2300 mAh qui, à mon regret, n’est pas à la hauteur des autres Smartphones hauts de gamme du moment, certes, il vous permettra de tenir une journée en utilisation normale, mais il ne peut en aucun cas rivaliser avec le Galaxy S4 qui tient environ 16h30 en appel, 395 minutes en navigation sur internet etc…

Donc, le Galaxy S4 sort vainqueur dans cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 3 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Prix et où les acheter

Le Nexus 4 a prouvé qu’un smartphone haut de gamme vendu à prix abordable remporte forcément un grand succès. Google adopte une approche similaire avec le Nexus 5. L’appareil récemment annoncé est vendu 349 euros en version 16 G0 et 399 euros en version 32 G0, à condition de les acheter sur le Google Play Store. Évidemment. Cependant, comme le Nexus 4, le Nexus 5 se fait rare c’est pourquoi les revendeurs le vendent plus chers, mais rassurez-vous, LG vous rembourse 70 euros pour tout achat d’un Nexus 5 dans une des boutiques presentes dans le tableau ci-dessous par exemple (voir cet article pour en savoir plus : LG vous rembourse 70 euros pour l’achat d’un Nexus 5 cette année) :

Tableau visible uniquement depuis l’article orginal qui est disponible sur PointGPhone.com

Comme vous pouvez le voir dans le tableau de comparaison ci-dessous, le Galaxy S4 en version 16 Go coute environ 440 euros.  En réalité, si on fait une moyenne des prix pratiqués par les différentes boutiques en ligne, on aura un Galaxy S4de 16 Go à 550 euros environ et un Nexus 4 de 16 Go à 399 euros. N’oubliez pas aussi que le Nexus 5 vient à peine d’être sorti, alors que le prix du Galaxy S4 qui est commercialisé depuis la fin du mois d’avril (voire le début du mois de mai) a été revu à la baisse à plusieurs reprises.

Tableau visible uniquement depuis l’article orginal qui est disponible sur PointGPhone.com

Ce qui fait que le Google Nexus 5 remporte cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 4 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Système d’exploitation

Bien que nous comparions deux smartphones Android, vous verrez qu’il y a beaucoup de différences entre eux.

Le Galaxy S4 utilise Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean (une mise à jour vers Android 4.3 est actuellement en cours de deploiement) avec la surcouche TouchWiz Nature de Samsung. Touchwiz apporte de nombreuses fonctionnalités impressionnantes comme Air Controls/Gestures, Smart Stay, Smart Pause, Smart Scroll, Air View, Group Play, S Translator, ou S Health. Bien que toutes ces fonctions soient plutôt cool et fonctionnent bien, vous les utiliserez à peine. La réelle innovation de Touchwiz sur le Galaxy S4 vient de l’application appareil photo qui possède les fonctions Eraser, Cinema Photo, Drama Shot, Sound and Shot, Dual Shot, et Dual Video.

Le Nexus 5 utilise la dernière version d’Android, à savoir Android 4.4 KitKat qui est la mise à jour d’Android la plus importante depuis Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean. Avec Android 4.4 KitKat, la commande « »OK Google » fonctionne également sur l’écran d’accueil (microphone constamment activé), la couverture d’un album ou d’un film s’affiche sur l’intégralité de l’écran de verrouillage lorsqu’un film ou une vidéo est jouée. Le mode immersion permet de lire, regarder des vidéos et jouer à des jeux en plein écran (il est alors possible d’afficher la barre de notification à l’aide d’un mouvement vers le bas), et le multi-tâche a encore été amélioré.

Android 4.4 apporte bien d’autres améliorations. Parmi lesquelles une nouvelle application téléphone, la présence des SMS dans Hangouts, Cloud Print et les Emojis intégrés au clavier Google.

Mêmes si Touchwiz est l’une des meilleures interface Android du marché, rien ne vaut une (presque) pure expérience Android. Sans oublier que le Nexus 5 sera toujours le premier à recevoir les dernières mises à jour. Un point supplémentaire pour le Nexus.

Nexus 5 : 5 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Design

Demandez aux fans de Samsung quel est le plus gros défaut des smartphones de la marque, la plupart répondront qu’il s’agit du design. Et je les comprends parfaitement, le Galaxy S4 est l’un des smartphones au design le moins attractif du marché.

Le Galaxy S4 emprunte certains éléments du design du Galaxy S3 de l’année dernière. Mails il ajoute quelques touches plus haut de gamme ici et là. L’encadrement en aluminium autour de la coque du smartphone par exemple. Il n’y a pas grand chose à dire à propos du Galaxy S4, si ce n’est qu’il y a des smartphones plus beaux que ce dernier.

A mon avis, le Nexus 5 fait partie de ces Smartphones qui sont plus beaux que le Galaxy S4. Même s’il a presque le même design que ses deux prédécesseurs, le nouvel appareil est ce qu’on pourrait appeler un smartphone élégant. Même si la coque arrière en verre du Nexus 4 est remplacée par du plastique, le matériau utilisé est le même que celui dont dispose la Nexus 7 2. Le ressenti est doux et le smartphone tient bien dans la main.

Certains d’entres vous trouveront peut-être que le Galaxy S4 est plus beau que le Nexus 5, mais c’est une question de goût. De mon point de vue, le Nexus 5 est plus beau que le Galaxy S4. L’appareil utilisant Android KitKat remporte donc cette manche.

Nexus 5 : 6 – Galaxy S4 : 5

Conclusion

S’il est écrit conclusion au-dessus de ce paragraphe, cela signifie que nous avons fini notre comparaison entre le Nexus 5 et le Samsung Galaxy S4. Cela veut aussi dire que nous devons commencer à compter les points et voir quel smartphone remporte la bataille.

Je vais commencer par dire que les smartphones se sont retrouvés à égalité lors d’une seule et unique manche qui est celle de la connectivité, c’est pourquoi vous avez un total de 11 points en tout au lieu de 10.

Le Samsung Galaxy S4 a remporté quatre manches. Il s’est montré supérieur en terme de dimensions, mémoire, autonomie de la batterie et appareil photo, car il est plus fin que le Nexus 5, qu’il possède plus de stockage et qu’il dispose d’une meilleure batterie et caméra.

Le Nexus 5 a gagné 5 points après avoir remporté les manches de l’affichage, du processeur, du prix, du système d’exploitation et du design. Le Nexus 5 a vaincu le Galaxy S4 dans ces quatre domaines, car il possède un affichage de meilleure qualité, un processeur plus rapide, coûte moins cher, dispose d’Android 4.4 et utilise des matériaux de meilleure qualité pour la coque.

Pour résumer : le Nexus 5 remporte la bataille face au Samsung Galaxy S4. Evidemment, c’est juste mon opinion. C’est pour cette raison que nous vous invitons à nous donner votre avis via les commentaires ci-dessous.

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The benchmark test on AnTuTu G between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 place bike

Yesterday we were part of almost everything, there were about motorcycle G, as its technical characteristics, accessories, know his behavior against other smartphones in its class, what are you doing. I say almost, because we still have to test it and to get our opinion concerning, in the meantime we recommend the Antutu benchmark result takes into account that gives a vein on the raw power of this Smartphone.

As we often say, may be the result of a benchmark by some manufacturers distorted Fourier in place a system to inflate the figure can during a test, and most importantly, keep in mind that it very little impact on the daily use of a Smartphone or a tablet. For those who give this type of testing, meaning note whatever it is, that between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 level performed at AnTuTu benchmark Moto G is. A rather interesting guests who are considering the price of the motorcycle G less than 170 euro announced could the 8 GB version and less than 200 euros for the 16 GB version.

On the other hand, it is amazing to see the motorcycle G clocked lie between the Galaxy S3 and nexus-4 on AnTuTu, because motorcycle G is powered by a quad-core CPU with 1.2 GHz, which is usually less powerful than the processor in the Galaxy S3 (Samsung Exynos 4412 clocked 1.4 GHz) and nexus-4 (Qualcomm APQ8064 processor 1.5 GHz). May be that it is the GPU?

Otherwise at this price, it's still interesting to see that there is a more or less powerful Android Smartphone with a 4.5 inch HD screen, HD 5MP camera and of course several adjustments to choose accessories.

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WTF of the week: The iPad is a disappointment

10:25 AM

Apple’s new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini have widely been called the best tablets ever to have debuted in their respective categories. In the 10-inch range, the Air is the fastest and lightest slate yet. In the 8-inch range, the Retina iPad mini is also the best-reviewed tablet ever to have launched. Many industry watchers expect on-year iPad sales to grow by a double-digit percentage in the current quarter and in the September quarter this year, the iPad brought in more than $6.1 billion in revenue for Apple. But in our wtf of the week, one analyst explains why he isn’t happy at all with Apple’s iPad line.

UBS’s Steve Milunovich on Thursday issued a research note to clients in which he reiterated his Neutral rating on Apple shares with a $540 price target. The analyst explained that he has been disappointed with Apple’s iPad sales and that tablets in general are at risk from sales of smartphones, phablets… and PCs. The tablet simply isn’t a “must-have” device, he explained.

“The smartphone is best at keeping people in contact with friends and family. The PC’s differentiation is to do work with productivity apps. The tablet is particularly good at entertainment,” Milunovich wrote in the note, which was picked up by Barron’s. “Content creation is the tablet’s Achilles heel. So far Apple appears okay with that but an alternative is to develop a convertible product aimed at a different job to be done.”

The answer, it would seem, is a netbook.

The analyst also noted that Apple is losing tablet market share very quickly as white box vendors gain steam, but he’s not terribly concerned about that. Rightfully so. Instead, Milunovich’s main complaint appears to be the fact that the iPad is “not on the same growth curve as the iPhone at a similar point since introduction.”

If the measure of the iPad’s success is growth versus the iPhone, we suppose the analyst is right to be worried. Then again, the tablet market as we know it today is three years old. Whereas the iPhone broke into an established market and stole business from other companies as people who already owned cell phones upgraded to the iPhone, the iPad broke new ground. Sure it’s stealing some sales from the PC market, but many who buy the iPad or any other tablet are not replacing a device from a different category.

Instead, they’re spending money that they would not have otherwise spent.

Despite his disappointment, Milunovich believes the debuts of Apple’s new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini will drive iPad sales to 25 million units during the holiday quarter, which would be mark 9% growth on-year. And that year-ago quarter, mind you, was the quarter in which Apple launched the original iPad mini and pulled in a wave of new buyers.

Disappointing indeed.

Thinking of buying an OPPO phone? Wait a couple of weeks

If a phone OPPO top its list of mobile phones, may want to high fire on the button buy. You see, I have sent an email today saying that I'm going to make an offer "Black Friday surprise".

Black Friday, the last Friday in November, is a great Christmas shopping the day taken been legendary in the United States. As with many advertised times this is spreading around the world. This means that we will probably see some bargains for many retailers, but OppoStyle have decided to bother us now (and kill their sales for the next couple of weeks in the same breath!).

They do not say much, but they put a live page on their website which will reveal "sharp" for your special event at midnight on Friday, November 29.

So, now you know to keep your credit card in your pocket and sit down with the Refresh button by hand as the Black Friday starts.

Black Friday 2013
Bring to light their Black Friday in style...
OppoStyle is preparing a great and exciting Black Friday surprise to delight our customers.

What is Black Friday?
The last Friday in November, known as the peak sales of shopping before Christmas, we want to excite all our customers with a tempting offer that will amaze you and leaves you speechless.

Stay tuned and keep your temptations until November 29 0.00 acute (GMT), to discover our special event.

The Coolsmartphone Podcast – Episode 70

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode 70 of the Coolsmartphone Podcast is here, it’s basically week two of our Nexus 5 based discussions. Sorry about the delay, you can thank ancient wiring in my house for that.

This week I was joined by Ian and Mark and this weeks topics were as follows:

Our new shiny Nexus phonesThe CyanogenMod installerThe departure of our LG G2The rumoured Nokia Lumia 929The Motorola Moto G

The options to listen to the podcast are as follows:

Subscribe to the RSS feed here, listen via iTunes here, download it here or just listen above.

Just give me five minutes..

Hola. Voy a pedir los ojos por un minuto. No te preocupes, lo conservaré breve, pero hoy en día es los niños necesitados. Si no eres consciente, este es un evento de caridad de la BBC y es compatible con los niños más desfavorecidos a través de todo el Reino Unido. Por ejemplo, la carretera desde donde estoy ahora, hay un lugar llamado lugar de Zoë. Ellos cuidan a los niños que tienen vida limitando o trastornos potencialmente mortales. Estoy hablando cuidados paliativos para bebés y niños pequeños. Los padres que ya han sufrido las torturas inimaginables de que me digan que su hijo sólo puede vivir un corto tiempo, ven para el descanso y al final del cuidado de la vida.

 

Sólo puede cuidar a una cierta cantidad de niños. Sólo pueden ayudar a una cierta cantidad de familias, y esto es sólo la punta del iceberg. Los niños necesitan apoyan más de 2.600 proyectos todo el Reino Unido.

Si eres capaz de donar £5, atiende el teléfono y el texto donar a 70705. Su texto costará £5, además de su cargo de mensaje de red estándar. El entero £5 va a BBC niños necesitados, nada más. Todos tres, O2, EE, Virgen y Vodafone han renunciado sus cargos para permitir que esto pasara.

Si eres capaz, puedes donar texto a 70710 darle 10 libras, o si las cosas son un poco apretadas, puedes texto dar 70701 donar £1 en lugar de ello. Puedes donar en línea, por PayPal o agregar un regalo también.

Usted puede conseguir más información en bbc.co.uk/pudsey, lugar de Zoë (en Twitter o en su página web.

Microsoft admits its data centers are vulnerable to NSA spying

 

12:30 PM

Although Google has said that it’s deployed end-to-end encryption between its data centers to keep out the prying eyes of the National Security Agency, it doesn’t seem as though Microsoft has done any such thing just yet. Wired reports that Microsoft executive Dorothee Belz said this week that Microsoft’s “server-to-server transportation is generally not encrypted,” which is why the company is “currently reviewing our security system.” This is a concern because documents leaked by Edward Snowden recently showed how the NSA was able to hack into Google and Yahoo’s data centers to breaking into their main communications links between their private clouds and the public Internet. If Microsoft hasn’t yet implemented the server-to-server encryption that Google has implemented, this means its private data servers are wide open to NSA hacking.

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Apple’s Schiller: ‘Copied’ Samsung phones sully iPhone’s prestige

 

3:35 PM

Apple marketing boss Phil Schiller isn’t done raking Samsung over the coals just yet. Per The Wall Street Journal, Schiller told the jury in the latest Apple-Samsung patent trial that he was “shocked” when he first saw Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones because “they went and copied the iPhone.” This was particularly traumatizing for Schiller because he immediately worried that innocent consumers would start associating the iPhone with Samsung’s supposedly subpar plastic offerings.

“It weakens the view that the world has for Apple,” said Schiller, who went on to say that Samsung’s alleged copycat phones cause consumers to “question our innovation and design skills in a way that people never used to.” When a Samsung attorney held up a Samsung tablet during his cross examination, Schiller also remarked that the device “looks like an iPad.”

Apple is asking that Samsung pay $380 million on top of the $600 million it’s already paid as part of damages for allegedly infringing on Apple patents. A verdict in the case is expected next week.

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HTC One and Android – From an iPhone fan’s perspective

 

Introduction

I have been a fan of the iPhone ever since the iPhone 3G, but find that after around 12 to 18 months of using a phone I get very bored. The issue with iOS is that it looks and feels the same no matter which device you’re using, so from time to time I like to stray over to Android. I have been a user of the iPhone 5 since launch day and I am starting to look for my next move, so I jumped at the chance to try out one of the highest rated Android devices of the past 12 months – The HTC One.

Yes, I know I am late to the party on this one, but this review is mainly for iPhone users looking to move over to the Android ecosystem.

Packaging

There isn’t much to be said regarding the packaging a device arrives in. Not anything that would affect my choice to buy the phone, so I’m happy as long as it protects the phone in transit. That said, it is nice to see HTC move away from the traditional shape boxes of the iPhone and Samsung, so kudos to HTC for taking Apple’s advice and trying to “think different”.

Hardware

Materials

Notice I use the term “materials” rather than “build quality”?

This is because I am a strong believer in the fact that using aluminium to make a phone does not make it well made and therefore have good build quality. Both the One and the iPhone feel slippery in the hand when not used with a case, with the One feeling slightly more slippery in my opinion. As this is the case, I would recommend buying a case for both devices which really undermines the point of the aluminium feel. Many people hate the plastic used on phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 but at least the back panel is replaceable should you scratch it. Overall in this category though I have to admit that HTC seem to have trumped the iPhone in the finish of the device. My iPhone 5 has been in a very large number of cases since it arrived with me and never once has it been used without a case. That being said, HOW have I managed to chip the paint on the bottom chauffeured edge?? The finish on the iPhone feels thin and fragile where the HTC One feels scratch resistant and thick in comparison. Remember though that both handsets WILL scratch and chip if not treated with care and dropped onto hard surfaces when not protected.

Speakers

This is where the HTC One comes into its own. The stereo FRONT FACING speakers make a massive difference when compared to the single bottom mounted speaker on all iPhone models to date. The sound is LOUD, clear and well defined. However, it took me a while to get used to not having to cup my hand to channel the sound when watching videos. I really hope other manufacturers copy this idea!

Screen

The 4.7 inch screen on the “One” obviously beats the iPhone in the size war but that isn’t the whole story. The HTC screen is bright and so clear when viewing high def video that it is hard to believe this is on a phone. The issues I found were when using the phone as a sat nav mounted to the windscreen of my car. Compared to the iPhone 5 screen it feels like the HTC is more reflective and less visible in sunlight.

Camera

Under low light conditions there is a slight improvement over the iPhone 5 but overall both handsets are limited when compared to a cheap point and shoot camera, or even a phone with Xenon flash and in normal daylight the One is no comparison to the iPhone. I do like how HTC have tried to be different in going for the 4 megapixel camera to provide larger “ultrapixels” but in all honesty I don’t think the gamble paid off. The phone takes average shots overall and it would depend when you want to take your shots as to how useful the “ultrapixels” are. I would be interested though if their next handset features a similar idea with higher pixel count.

Buttons

There is a volume button there somewhere

The button layout takes some getting used to. The power button on the top is hard to reach and on the other side to the iPhone so it did take a day or so to adjust. The volume buttons are beautifully crafted and blend into the side of the phone so well that the are hard to find during a call and again are on the opposite side to the iPhone that I am used to. That said, I have always thought Apple put the volume buttons on the wrong side as the natural orientation for video viewing for a right handed person puts the home button on the right leaving the volume buttons below the screen.

The iPhone’s simplicity of a single home button is not copied at all on the HTC device with the capacitive buttons having number of functions depending on whether you single tap, double tap, tap and hold or tap whilst scratching your nose. Although the same can be said for the iPhone, the shear number of combinations I found annoying and not very intuitive to the end user as well as easy to activate in error.

Software
Android 4.3 update

During my testing I received the 4.3 (sense 5.5) update to the device. The update process was easy to follow and quick. Overall I did not see any major difference with the update other than the flexibility of the lock screen was REDUCED. Before the update you could have photo galleries scrolling or productivity notifications, music controls and a whole host of other choices found under the personalise menu. After the update you are restricted to adding widgets which mean you need to swipe to the right to view the information whereas it was right there on the first screen before. HTC claim this is from customer feedback but unless I am missing something I cannot imagine any consumer saying “please make my information harder to see at a glance”. Overall I found the Android implementation to be smooth and mature and I personally welcomed the option to disable blinkfeed.

Beats Audio

My understanding of Beats Audio is that is simply an EQ setting to make music sound fuller. During my testing I found it to sound good on quality headphones but muddy and awful on my car speakers. HTC have ended their relationship with Beats and that isn’t any real loss as far as I can see.

App store/Play store
For day to day apps, both application stores have most bases covered but the Google Play store excels in customisation options from launcher replacements to custom keyboards. I also loved the fact that you can trial an app for 15 minutes and remove it for a refund if you don’t like it. This is far better than the bigger Apple App store.

Annoyances
My first annoyance with the Android device was ENTIRELY Apple’s fault and is something to be aware of when moving from iPhone to any other platform. When you enable iMessage on the iPhone this registers your number on Apple’s servers so that, when other iOS users open a new message to you, Apple can instruct the device to default to iMessage to send the message. When you move to another platform you must disable iMessage on your old device before removing the SIM. I did this but still experienced 24 hours where people were having issues sending me messages as their handset still thought I was on iMessage. This did resolve itself but don’t forget to disable iMessage first.

The HTC One does not allow you (currently) to turn off screen timeouts! This is very annoying when listening to music on a treadmill and needing to skip or pause the track. This also proved an issue when listening to music in the car although I found a workaround for this in the “car” app which overrides the timeout settings. People rave about Android being more customisable so this seems a massive oversight on HTC’s part to not allow this simple option.

Gapless design
When this phone launched HTC pushed the gapless design of the aluminium and polycarbonate construction so I was shocked to find that the top right of the screen had a lip where the top left did not. Obviously this is a review handset and I do not know what life it has had but there does seem to be plenty of other quality control issues being reported on forums. (I haven’t forgotten about the iPhone 5 Scratchgate fiasco).

Mum test
When looking to recommend a phone to the average user I use what I call the Mum test. If I gave this phone to my mum, could she use it with little help. My mum recently went from a Sony Ericsson slider to an iPhone without any major drama. Honestly I do not think the same would have been said for this handset. To some this could be seen as a positive but it completely depends on the purchaser.

Conclusion

I have really enjoyed my short time with the HTC One and it has reminded me how much I love both platforms. The HTC One does show the industry many good ideas (mainly the speakers) but overall I’m not sure it is the “One” for me. My next handset is more than likely going to be an Android device so lets wait and see what HTC, Samsung and LG can offer early next year.

Gallery

PlayStation 4 teardown confirms hard drive replacement is a breeze

 

2:50 PM

One of the coolest features we saw in Sony’s own teardown of its new PlayStation 4 was how easy it looked to replace the console’s hard drive. In fact, the PS4 shown in Sony’s teardown video had a hard drive that was literally held in place by one screw, which means that even the less mechanically inclined of us out there shouldn’t have much of a problem swapping out the device’s 500GB hard drive for a bigger one if we need it. The team at iFixit tore apart the PS4 to see for itself if hard drive replacement was as easy as Sony made it look and found that it really is a simple little operation.

“We’ll have a detailed guide shortly for those intrepid gamers who fancy a bigger drive or a zippy SSD — but for now, rest easy knowing all that stands between you and hard drive nirvana is a plastic cover and some screws,” iFixit writes. “Not only is this hard drive user-replaceable, but it’s a standard 2.5? (a.k.a. laptop-sized) SATA drive, meaning you can replace or upgrade your storage with any off-the-shelf drive you like, so long as it meets these standards: no thicker than 9.5 mm, and no smaller than 160 GB. Users rejoice!”

iFixit gives the PS4 an 8 out of 10 for its repairability and only knocks how difficult it is to access the fan, which all console owners know eventually will need to be cleaned out.

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Flipboard is released for Windows 8

Flipboard is possibly the most gorgeous news reader app EVER. It originated on iOS, eventually moved over to Android and it is now coming to Windows. If you’ve never heard of Flipboard and you have a Windows 8 computer or tablet then you are in for a treat today.

This is how Flipboard describe their app in the Windows Store.

Flipboard is your personal magazine. It is the most popular way to catch up on the news you care about, read stories from around the world and browse the articles, videos and photos friends are sharing. To begin, pick a few topics and tap any of the tiles to begin flipping through your personal magazine.

The app store has a pretty self explanatory list of features.

? All your news, interests and social updates in one personalized magazine.? Save stories you love into your own magazine. Use the “+” button on any item, select “create a magazine” and collect favorite stories, images or videos.? Search for anything—people, topics, hashtags, blogs, your favorite sites—and flip through the results in a beautiful magazine format.? Connect Flipboard to up to 12 social networks, streamlining your reading and activities like commenting, liking and sharing. Services include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+ and many more.? Read Cover Stories for a quick check on what’s happening now. Cover Stories is created just for you and is filled with popular items from everything you’ve added to your Flipboard.? Enjoy Flipboard in 18 localized editions: for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, US and UK.? Explore hundreds of staff picks using “Discover” at the top, including must-read magazines and blogs, gorgeous photography and special curated sections devoted to the day’s news and other interests.? Access Flipboard quickly by adding Flipboard as a live tile on your Windows Start screen.

The app itself is all about news, your Twitter timeline, the rubbish from your Facebook feed, the endless stream of selfies from your Instagram feed and a LOT of horizontal swiping and I mean an awful lot. Everything is done by swiping the screen. You can configure it to display as little or as much as you want, it is really worth having a play with it. Just click on the link below.

Windows 8 Store Link – Flipboard

The best Android phone on the planet is about to get even better

 

11:10 AM

Back in April, we called the HTC One the closest thing the world has ever seen to a no-compromise smartphone. Four months later when we pitted it against Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S4, we said the HTC One was still the best smartphone on the planet. While HTC has struggled to get the phone into consumers’ hands thanks to tremendous competition (and massive marketing budgets) from Apple and Samsung, those who have bought the One seem to enjoy it very much for the most part. According to a new rumor, the One is about to get even better.

We have seen a few images leak that seemingly showed components from HTC’s upcoming One successor, code-named M8, and now @evleaks claims to have confirmed some preliminary details. According to a post on his Twitter account on Friday, the next-generation HTC One will feature a 5-inch display with the same 1080p resolution as the current-generation One. It will also be powered by Android 4.4 KitKat according to @evleaks, and it will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

Earlier rumors suggested that the M8 might also feature an integrated fingerprint scanner, which would certainly make sense considering HTC included one on its new HTC One max phablet.

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The UPD in the ASUS transformer pad TF701T to Android 4.3 is already exists

We have heard that theASUS transformer pad TF701T , whose marketing a few days ago began, its update Android 4.3 jelly bean would receive from November 18. However, it is to my surprise, the update already on the ASUS Web site. So, can download the ROM and install it yourself.

As you must know, the news of Android compared to version 4.2 4.3 jelly bean are minimal as well as some new features and optimizing the stability of the system. Exactly the error correction, ASUS says that this new update is reflected the battery life as well as the functioning of the trackpad.

It is also important to mention that there are two different versions of the firmware here. The first is for the Taiwanese version of the Terminal, while the second for the rest of the world, therefore for France also. As such, when you visit the ASUS page to download ROM, sure you to choose the right file, otherwise your appliance be unusable.

Are, but not excited pad TF701T you can wait patiently at the thought of the installation of the updates on Android 4.3 on your ASUS transformer for themselves, how she arrive by OTA, it should possible from November 18. You can always check whether the update already on your device by you to 'Settings', then ' terminal 'Software update' and 'check'.

It should be noted that the Rome that gives this page it weighs 1 GB, so it is advisable to have a good Internet connection before the download.

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Hill Climb Racing – Android and iOS recommended app

Time wasting.  There are plenty of apps that can be classed as time wasters, games that you can dip in and out of, a quick read of social network feeds whilst waiting for the kettle to boil and so on.

One such game that can firmly be put into that category is Hill Climb Racing published by Fingersoft.

Hill Climb racing is great.  Let’s make no bones about it.  It’s easy to play and very very addictive.

The aim of the game is simple.  Get your chosen vehicle (there are 14 of which 13 are unlockable via progression throughout the game) as far along the track (14 of these too, unlockable as you go along!) completing tricks and stunts along the way to  earn points with which to upgrade your automobile in order to get further along the track and collect more points and so on and on….

A simple concept, great graphically and implemented superbly, Hill Climb Racing is one of those games that you load up and before you know it half an hour has passed and you are thoroughly engrossed.

The game is ad supported and also offers the option of purchasing more coins via in app but this is by no means necessary, excellent progress can be made without resorting to spending any money.

When you have made good progress you can boast about it by sharing your score via Twitter, Facebook or Google + and updates are made on a regular basis.

The developer says that the game has been optimised to run on both lower resolution and high resolution screens.

So if you fancy a really good little time waster for absolutely no money then you could do far worse than take a look at Hill Climb Racing, available free on both iOS and Android.