Living with the Sony Xperia Z1 - Final

.... continued 

The final update on our week with the Xperia Z1 is here, this was going to be a two week test be we feel we have seen enough to get some final thoughts onto paper.

Lots to talk about and I guess plenty you have read else where.

The Good

The screen is excellent - the viewing angles improved over the Z but not prevented all together, however how much you can live with is a personal preference. Lets say they are not as bad as the LG 4X which was bloody awful, and not as good as the Nexus 4. Should give you some idea of where this handset lays.

Colours are not the nasty false eye bleeding experience you get from Samsung - again this is a personal preference. 

However why the home keys are taking up screen space is beyond us but it is what it is. 

UI and features are great we liked the Smart Actions (ala Motorola) and some of the Sony Unlimited which is every bit as good as the Google counterpart. 

Its fast and well designed - even the 'flaps' have been changed slightly to be more durable over the Z.

The Bad

We only managed to get an average screen time of around 4-6hrs, however in standby the STAMINA mode does keep the handset going for quite a while. Would be nice to keep it going for longer but we felt LG have managed to double this time, couldn't have Sony got at least somewhere close to the last gen of handsets, let alone the next gen.

Glass back is so slippy its untrue, we have had to order the only rubber case on Amazon to keep it from skidding off at what seems like at the phones will. Some small rubber inserts in each corner would help no end, they could be tiny and hardly noticeable.

The camera while excellent in all areas, fails in S.Auto because you cant use it in 20mpx mode. We asked Sony to help but their solution didnt work. We are waiting for a reply but its bloody annoying the best feature and its USP is broken - whats worse is THEY DONT SEEM TO BLOODY CARE !

The speaker is feeble, and the microphone really suffers with Google Hangouts in video, hardly impossible for someone to hear me when out and about. 

Final Thought

We liked Sony's latest effort and if it can fix a few niggles it could really have a winner, we are very pissed the USP is broken - shame as its a great camera but if you want full auto you are stuck with 8mpx.

Living with the Sony Xperia Z1 - pt 3

There maybe trouble ahead

...continued

Having been much more impressed with the battery now its been through a few recharge cycles, we managed to get 14hrs from the Z1 with around 5hrs of screen time. 

Although a couple of issues have started to pop up,

- STAMINA mode doesn't seem to be 100% reliable, the same way it wasn't in the original Z

- The heat generated by the handset is phenomenal, at one point the top half of the back and front were almost untouchable after downloading a movie from SEN.

The issue with STAMINA mode on the last Sony handset was that it didn't always kick in if it couldn't end an app, however at least it had the decency to tell you its not working. Even if you couldn't do anything about it. You have no idea this new version is working or not other than the icon at the top of the screen, a test would be quite nice to have as an option.

Heat generated from the Z1 has caused us a few problems with the cover we have on it. Its well. Melting the cover slightly. We are assuming this will be fixed in a firmware update. 

One thing we have noticed over the last week is how slippy this handset is, get some decent insurance because it has next to zero traction on a surface. It doesnt grip on a car seat, a sofa of any material, wooden tables or coffee tables. Another reason for it to have a cover not only to stop the glass smashing to bits, fingerprint prevention and stopping the Z1 from being uber slippy.

Oh and get good insurance !!!

Top 5 tricks that Android can pull off

Over the years Android handset manufactures have pulled off some fantastic tricks, while some of the following are old and new, they deserve a mention and fondly remembered. Did you have any of these handsets ?! What should have we included !?

So without much of ado, lets crack on, in no order whatsoever...

5. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play - Gaming

While it was big and bulky there was no mistake this handset really made gaming much more fun on an Android. Unfortunately it took Sony an age to update the software on it and the battery left you with only a couple of hours of gaming. The buttons of the bottom of the main screen also wore very easily. 

All the issues to one side, the screen was crisp and when you played a game optimised for the handset it really was a joy to use. Sony had some half decent backing for the unit and today there are still devs making games that work for the handset. Gone too soon.

4. Motorola Atrix - Linux Desktop 

Oh the phone that promised so much and very very nearly made it. The Atrix had some brilliant ideas and while the Linux desktop kinda did a good job the leap from phone to desktop wasn't quite seamless. Mostly used for cloud apps which was no bad thing but you needed an always on connection to make it worth while, so if you wanted to work on a flight etc, it was kinda tricky to do so,  it wouldn't always remember where you left off on the desktop between plug in either.

The additional extras like the desktop port and the laptop were great, just over priced. Motorola throw in a fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone which worked just ok. It was a good trick to show off, its a shame Motorola got bored and went and did something else.

3. Motorola Defy - Waterproof / Lifeproof

This little handset wasn't the most powerful but it did have a half decent battery life AND the awesome ability to be thrown into water and work fine. I had this handset for 2 years, and its the only time I've had a handset for the life of a 24 month mobile contract. Not to mention is was a perfect size. 

Sony might be taking some credit for having a waterproof handset in the Sony Z/Z1 but its not new, Motorola have already been there. Plus the Defy was much more life proof, I must have dropped mine on a weekly basis and it still kept going. Shame they don't make em like this any more, although we wont cry over the death of Moto Blur which was nasty.

2. LG G2 - High Def Audio 24bit/192kHz 

Yes, this is the first smartphone to support audio up to 24bit/192kHz, while we understand the Sony Walkman has just matched this superb quality - we have to tip our hat to LG for forcing the competition. We are amazed Sony didn't put this into its flag ships over the years as they have their business in audio too. 

Apple audio doesn't even come close to this quality. FLAC support is great for the audiophiles too. So full marks to LG on the audio of this new handset.

1. Nexus 4 - Photosphere / Tiny Planets

The Nexus 4 was the first to have the Photosphere feature which we liked allot  You could be very creative with it and make all sorts of wacky and fun photospheres. 

We spent hours round NY making all sorts of crazy pics, never made it to London as the N4 was stolen :(

You can replace your camera app with the Nexus 4 apk here however you need to be on ICS or JB to make it work, however this is at your own risk as some handsets it doesn't work. If you want to know more then read more here.

Living with the Sony Xperia Z1 - pt 2

As part of our ongoing two weekly road test of the Z1 in the real world (and not in a lab or showing how many polygons the handset can throw round) we thought we would give you a quick update.

Battery is always a fun topic of ours and the Z1 after 2/4 charges is starting to find its legs now battery wise. During the first discharge we were very shocked on the piss poor performance of the web browsing, we managed to munch through 60% of battery in around 3 hours.

However we have taken the handset off charge this AM and given it the real work abuse I would any other phone. 

1) Check the traffic on the school run on Google Maps.

2) Used NFC to attach to the cars Blue & Me Bluetooth system

3) Emails, two voice calls and 10 mins of browsing

Total screen time was 36mins, and the Z1 is telling me I would get 9hrs which kinda adds up if you think an hour for 10% of battery, if we round it up rather than down.

Having moved from a handset which had a removable and OEM replaceable battery, I'm not sure how long I could live with this kind of battery performance. We will have to see how it stands up to a day commuting on the trains away from power and with a full hour each way to and from London, away from any power supply, my guess is this handset will be dead inside 6-7hrs. Which is outside of the average 9-10hrs London workers are outside the home.


The other issue we have is the reflection on the screen, blimey is very very reflective. From the title shot at the top of the page you can see how much light is bouncing off the bathroom mirror the Xperias screen, its crazy. We have the supplied screen protector on it too, so when in the car using the handset as a Sat Nav / GPS it can cause some issues if the screen isnt on full brightness.

Talking of using GPS, the fast charge in my car (which is the same rating as the power supply unit that came with the handset), this still isnt enough juice for GPS and Bluetooth and screen on. The Z1 seems to hardly charge at all or in some instances it still loses charge.

Anyway. we will carry on, more soon !!


Part 3 this way >>>

Want the default Google search page back ?

You my have noticed Google have updated their search home page to include your most visited pages and a fancy pants new way to get to the Google Apps.

If like us you dont like that then you can change it back real easy,

Click on the following link, if that doesn't work then copy and paste into a new browser window.

chrome://flags/

The scroll down and disable the setting 

"Enable Instant Extended API Mac, Windows, Chrome OS

Enables the Instant Extended API which provides a deeper integration with your default search provider, including a renovated New Tab Page, extracting search query terms in the omnibox, a spruced-up omnibox dropdown and Instant previews of search results as you type in the omnibox."

Then click restart at the bottom of the page

You have your Google page back to how it was.

And relax.....

Living with the Sony Xperia Z1

We have at long last got the Z1 up and running.

The first items to note is that you get two screen protectors in the box, however ours were not flat...marked by the charger in the box, so had to use some less than premium screen protectors from Amazon.

Talking of the charger its a 1.5amp out rather than the usual 1amp we have seen on other handsets. It does charge much quicker obviously too, so use the supplied one rather than the one that came with your old phone.

First impressions of the battery are slightly disappointing.... The screen does eat the supply for fun so we have turned down the display brightness to a more  moderate setting. How the handset will turn out after a week or so of abuse is reminded to be seen.

The build actuality is immense, much better than anything Samsung, LG or even HTC have made thus far.

Behind the Z1 there is a free finger print magnet which doesnt have the identity feature of the iPhone5s it does store them for all to see none the less, just like the iPhone5s.

We have received the Smartwatch 2 as well and will update on that later this month, early next maybe.

Part 2 has been posted here

Reviews incoming for October

Since gadget silly season is in full swing we thought we would keep you posted for the whats in store here at IHAG the next month. 

We have the glorious new LG G2, Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Smartwatch 2 and if we get it early enough the Omate Smartwatch (3G wont be tested until are in the US)

Beyond that we have Pressy incoming too.

If there is anything you want us to test while we have these products - then drop us a message on blogger, Google+ or twitter @ihaveagadget or facebook.

News round up and reaction - GearTag, Omate, CyanogenMod, iOS7

CyanogenMod become a company, heading to Google Play Store

The worlds best ROM firmware is becoming a fully grown company, which is a good thing, it really highlights the flexibility of Android. 

If you don't already know about it, you should check it out especially if your phone is not going to receive any further updates from the vendor. It can breathe new life into your phone releasing some features only seen in 4.1 and beyond. CyanogenMod will be in the Google Play Store soon so it will be much easier to install (we hope). 

We will mod our old handset with the latest build soon

Omate closes in the $1m club

Our favorite kickstarter project closed at over the million mark, hitting each stretch goal and then some. Once we receive our unit we will give it a proper review - any thing you want us to test ? Just ask ! Talking of Kickstarter....

GearTag needs kickstarter help

Halfway through its campaign and it needs help, if you want to know more about the gadget locating project - click here Its great, we promise you and the guys over there really do have a fantastic item ready for market.

Blackberry seeks buyer

So they are officially going tits up, losing more money than a chavvie lotto winner, Whats left to buy ?! Something we discussed a few weeks back on IHAG - the BBM will go live on all platforms shortly but its a shadow of whats left of the giant turkey company. 

IOS7 gets released

And poorly received, then Apples share prices crashes, lackluster iPhone5c preorders too. Nevermind, shame innit. 

Omate Truesmart close to finishing up

Omate truesmart is close to closing off its very successful kick start campaign, almost at its final $900k stretch goal too. 

Competition for the watch awaits in the form of the Sony Smartwatch 2 and Samsung Gear however Omates effort wipes them both in terms of functions.

So thinking of getting a smartwatch, then get on Kickstarter and back this beauty, you have 68hrs left !!

Sony Z1 : Its amaZ1ng

We had a chance to play with the Sony Z1 at the O2 Store in Maidstone Kent today, courtesy of the local Sony Xperia rep.

Very much liked the handset, while we didn't get a chance to do any filming or take pictures, the Sony rep we bumped into did give us some useful info.

Firstly as regular IHAG readers will know, we hate piss poor battery life, and had a massive axe to grind with the 'Z' because of the poor battery endurance the badly executed Stamina Mode.

So asking to take a peak at the Sony reps Z1 battery stats showed a 67% screen time over 6hrs and 50% of the battery had burnt. The screen was on 100% and he was showing off the camera etc so it had taken a bit of a bashing over the day. That made me a little happier about its endurance.

Z1 seems to score there...

The Sony rep put the Z1 into a dark draw and demonstrated the low light abilities and the noise was there in the camera shot however it wasn't shocking and as bad as the S4 he put it up against. Much lighter contrasts too.

Secondly put the Z1 up against the Nokia Lumia 40mpx camera and while it has more pixels etc the macro noise sucked big time. Z1 really showed up well against the Lumia here however we didn't test the low light against the Lumia.

The speed of the Z1 is fantastic, zips through the screens well and the dedicated button for the camera is a welcome addition and starts within a second of pressing without intruding on screen lock either. 

The Z1 didn't feel over sized in the hand even with that enormous bezel.

We will do a battery review when we receive the phone from Phones4u this week. 

Had a quick demo of the Sony Smartwatch 2 as well however I think its not really appealing to me as the Omate Smartwatch - the clock faces were good though but its the SONY logo stamped on the front which puts me off. 

Wanna play some Sega Genesis games ?

Wanna play some old skool Sega Genesis games ?! Then look no further, check out SSEGA they have a large range of games to play online through a browser.

We have tested on Firefox and Google Chrome, and all good there.

Around 1300+ games to be played online - if you're bored at work and need to full some time then head over to SSEGA, not entirely sure how legal this all its but, kills some time !

The controls look like this using your keyboard

GearTag - Keep track of your gear

As the regular readers of IHAG are aware we love a good kickstarter project, and this one is no different. 

Gear Tag is a wireless tag to keep track of your important gear using your smartphone.The Gear Tag is a low-energy wireless device that pairs with your Bluetooth LE equipped smartphone.  Just attach it to your gear, and an alarm sounds if you're about to lose/forget it!  Simple, clever and affordable.

The tag contains a small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio and a Near Field Communications (NFC) tag.   To communicate with the tag, a BLE equipped smartphone is required.  (This includes the latest iPhones and iPads, and a growing number of Android devices.)  

There are a variety of modes in which to use the tag.  From your smartphone, you can 'page' the tag, or even have it page your phone!  Put a tag on your keyring - if you forget your keys, your phone will start beeping.  If you forget your phone, your keyring will start beeping.

Some of these features we haven't seen before, as it worked from tag to phone and vise versa.

The cost is only $20-$30 for the tag and app, and it needs your help. The kickstarter is in the final stretch and is around half way through its funding. 

Find out more on Kickstarter or on http://www.geartag.com/

Features

We're building a bunch of cool functionality into the GearTag while making it deceptively simple to use.  Take a closer look:

Hardware

• BLE connection to smartphones with a max range of approximately 100 feet
• Loud buzzer and vibrator
• One button commands
• Battery life of over 1 year (normal operation)
• A variety of attachment options (ring, carabiner, strap, tape)
• NFC tag

Software

• Track multiple tags from mobile app
• Paging functions
• Range indicators
• PIN security protection
• Desktop tracking
• Mapping

NFC Task Launcher / Tag Writer

NFC has been around for a while now and many enjoy its benefits, however the array of apps that create the NFC tags is a bit of a minefield to step through. IHAG plunged through the Google Play Store to check out which one is best.

Having spent the last day playing with as many of them as we can we found the best one to be the new NFC Task Launcher, which has both a free and paid for features (the additional "Pro" upgrade is £2.55 / $3.) more on those features later.

The free out the box version has a HUGE array of functions like the, Bluetooth enable on / off, loads of social features, texting, display, sounds and volume. 

We tested pretty much all of them with the Sony Xperia NT1 smart tags and they all worked. However if you are asking for 3-5 tasks to occur the NFC tags get a little full and the write is terminated, ours are a little older and will retest once some new ones arrive here at IHAG towers.

Writing to the Tags is a snap, very quick and nice to be able to label them too, once you tag your handset the notification bar will let you know the nag of the tag - a basic feature we found lacking from many readers. 

Go Pro

So whats better about this NFC Task launcher, well the Pro features add some 'Smart Action'-esq additions. As well as reacting to the NFC a task could also be geographic, battery related or even scheduled at a certain time. 

You could have a task mixing the two types as well - one tag will react in different ways depending on the time or location or both etc.

Over all its a smart cheap addition to your Google Play collection of apps, if you're new to NFC then its a great place to start, if you're experienced at NFC tasks etc then you will find this app very useful. 



Note if you have an Xperia handset you can use Xperia Smart Tags app from the Google Play Store, which works with the NT1 quite well too.

Why battery tests suck

Smartphones have been with us for quite a while now, and back in the day when Android was young we all cursed the screen and video play back times. HTC back in 2010 were on a roll with their handhelds, remember the HTC Desire ?! Humm 1400 mAh battery in that bad boy and it was shocking, hardly any time to spend enjoying the (at the time) gorgeous screen.




Fast forward to 2013 and we are spending more time than ever on our phones, so wouldn't we have found a way to measure the battery life in real life conditions ?


One site will tout that its one hour of surfing, one hour of video and one hour of calling is enough to emulate real life, then they supply a final endurance rating, our issue here is I can think of people using their handsets to work in the train doing so much more. Using whatsapp, online dating, texting, reading the news, looking at pictures - all while listening to music. Wrap that up into a 90 min public transport torture ride and you get real life. No GPS is mentioned either, who has tried using their handset to get from A->B over a 2 hour drive, only to be notified by your handset is drinking more than its being topped up ?

Looking elsewhere another site, simply turns up the brightness and audio to 100% puts on wireless and drains the battery playing video. That's just a video endurance test ?!

Only Motorola have addressed the issues from a hardware point of view and made their RAZR Maxx handsets to have decent battery life, however that's a few years old now and the new Ultra Maxx is stuck on a crappy provider in the US, which wont see the light of day else where.

The new Sony Xperia Z1 hasnt been subject to these tests just yet however one site claims the life of the battery is limited to just 5 hours of video playback, but what does that mean ?! Using the same tests the S4 lasts 11 hours which has 600mah less - really !? While this isnt a scientific tests it does raise questions about the testing which should be grouped into the same chip set maybe. Taking that a step further the LG G2 will last a good day, of heavy use however that's what we are told - not backed up in anyway. 

So while our handsets have evolved - the tests around the battery have been stuck in 2009 or even earlier. While the need for consistency is needed to have a clear and concise benchmark, its not keeping with the real world which has changed so fast. 

What is a good test ?! Ah thats the 1,000,000 mah question !

Omate talk to IHAG about their super Truesmart Watch.

We have been very excited about the incoming Omate Smartwatch of course we have backed the kickstarter project with our own cash. 

As the project reaches its $720k stretch goal we spoke to Nick at Omate about the project and how its different from the Goliaths Samsung, Apple, Sony and Google. What we should be excited about and how it will stand out from the crowd.


So here is the interview :)

The Kickstarter campaign has been a fantastic success - and you have received a lot of support from around the media. Do you feel any pressure to deliver when you will always be compared to the Goliaths ? 

The response from the media and supporters has been fantastic. We've always known we've got a great product. So we love product comparisons because there's where we win, quite literally hands down.


Have you gained enough experience from this venture to start slating a follow up device to this smartwatch ? With additional features you couldn't fit into this cycle ?

We've collected plenty of great ideas and usage wishes. That's one of the reasons we chose to launch with Kickstarter - it's not only crowd-funding, we also want to show and confirm our thoughts that there's a new way to develop products - the crowd-supported way. We've engaged with the supporters actively and this TrueSmart is already improved with new features such as the Sapphire Crystal glass (the best scratch proof). Of course there also some ideas which couldn't fit into this project since we are on a firm schedule to ship to developers in October and users from November. Currently all efforts are focused on this Kickstarter. Once this finishes, we'll immediately look at the crowd ideas and start making plans - new products as well as cool accessories for TrueSmart!

What has surprised you most from the kick start campaign, were you confident of hitting target so quickly ?

Honestly, while we were confident of our product strength and pricing, we never dreamed of such an explosive start for TrueSmart. Achieving the funding goal in less than a day - it means so much to us. It's a start-up dream come true after a long path of more than a year developing this generation leap forward to Smartwatch 2.0. Also it benefits us and everyone a lot that we were able to get started with manufacturing plans on the 2nd day already. .

#truesmartmywishapp Contest on G+ seems to be going well, have any turned your head yet ?

Yes, very much. All the ideas are fantastic. It just shows how everyone wants to use the Smartwatch differently. It's going to be a challenge for the Goliaths to cope with this new product type - very different usage for each and everyone, very different apps. That's why fast and responsive companies like Omate can deliver very well. We'll be making some of the app wishes come true on TrueSmart. Winning apps will be announced before the Kickstarter closes ends next week - you'll be the firsts to know.


Biggest challenges in production so far ? 

The biggest challenge must be fitting the Sapphire Crystal glass into the production schedule. We've got all our production plan worked out, and had to make significant changes for the Sapphire Crystal glass. Luckily the Sapphire Crystal technology partner colleagues are also a Kickstarter fans - they can see how the users were so excited about the Sapphire Crystal glass. We've got fantastic support from them all the way, first priorities and they did it. Even rounding the edges of the Sapphire Crystal according to our design. Everyone knows Sapphire Crystal is the hardest material (next to Diamonds) so kudos to the experts that achieved this beautiful piece of work with the Sapphire Crystal glass. You see, once again crowd-support does add magic!

Where will the retail units be sold ? Online only or via independent sport shops or via Best Buy bricks and mortar ?

Once the Kickstarter project campaign closes, our team's (Media & Community) first task is to build, open and operate a webshop to support users with accessories and parts. Eventually you'll be also able to order TrueSmart on our webshop (after we've finished shipping to the Kickstarter supporters). This guarantees that TrueSmart, accessories and parts will always be available to all supporters anytime and anywhere in the world. We are also launching a distribution and partner network that will see TrueSmart in local sales channels including Online, Independent, Sports shops and also large retailers. We will be working with the best distributors so we can rely on them to setup the network of sales points while we focus on product innovation. Our first distributor has already been appointed - ADMEA - for France and Spain. Thirdly, we are also in discussions with Carriers/Providers.


Would you consider the kickstarter model a 'beta' like OUYA did ?

Absolutely not a beta. TrueSmart is proudly the flagship, the first breakthrough, the first of its kind redefining a new generation of Smartwatch 2.0. Other products including our next models will never replace its position as the Worlds First Smartwatch with Sapphire Crystal Glass; World's First Smartwatch with Google Play App Store; Worlds First Dual Core Smartwatch; Worlds First water-resistant Smartwatch that is both standalone and companion. It's a legend.


You're close to the end of the kickstart campaign now.  What would you say to those sitting on the fence, thinking of backing your smartwatch ?

Our start-up is led by founders with credibility and experience in the industry and backed up by a team with expertise that industry insiders are able to see. The result is that you can see the access to high technology that we have is not "normal" - example the super new 28nm dual core processor that we are able to use before others, the Sapphire Crystal glass, the ultra-sensitive touchscreen. We are pioneering in this new wearable segment with you and we thank you all for your great support. High technology leaders are supporting us so do not worry too much. 


Marketing against the big boys is tough for anyone - would word of mouth incentives be one way to increase sales, how will you promote the watch going forward - obviously having plenty of fans helps. 

We have a different view towards marketing. It is not merely the word of mouth, yes we count on our users to do that. But the big boys know how to do use word of mouth too and some of them are already doing that eg. with smartphones, hiring troops of bloggers and commenters to spread word of mouth for their products, and sometimes negatively attacking each other in social media. We go beyond word of mouth, we engage. We have a vision to build the best product and pace ourselves in always improving the product always, engaging the community allows us to be very accurate with our product in meeting and exceeding user needs. And the fact that we can move faster, respond earlier, dedicated to work harder added with the energy of the user, the resulting a product that is way ahead of the big boys. With a far better product, accurately meeting/exceeding user needs, tuned and tweaked by users - the word of mouth and the support from community just comes naturally. A lesson we took from David, to battle the Goliaths.


You will be compared to Pebble as that too come from Kickstart, what did you learn from them or have you done things your own way ?

In terms of product, we've done things our way. You can see our product is totally different, an entire leap forward, not an incremental improvement. In terms of running a Kickstarter project, there's one thing we want to do very differently - delivery. That's why we set such a delivery schedule, could be one of the fastest in Kickstarter history. We wanted to make a statement that a Kickstarter projects can deliver on time and can be deployed. We learnt by making sure we have a strong operational team in place, including manufacturing and logistics experts. Before we submitted the project, we sat everyone down and ran through the schedules and many what-if scenarios - a deep look at "can we deliver in October" Only when we got everyone on the team was satisfied we can deliver, and are committed to delivering on time and quality, we set the delivery as October. It's an intentional statement, a dedication.


Which application of use should we be getting excited about with Truesmart ?

The freedom to be everywhere and anywhere with your smart digital life on your wrist. No more "where's the phone". No more missing phone calls because your phone is in the living room while you are making breakfast in the kitchen. And when you lose your phone (touch wood, hope it doesn't happen to you, but it does happen),  no more panic no more disaster because you still have your TrueSmart. 


Any exclusive info you have we can shout from the blog would be cool too :)

We are championing openness and transparency with our community, so a lot of news are announced as and when we have them. What we can offer the blog is a look behind the scenes, we think it could be interesting how the name TrueSmart just came up barely weeks before the Kickstarter while the name Omate and the development has been for more than a year. Click here to see the document for a brief story about the TrueSmart name. 

The TrueSmart revolution has started. The truly smart Smartwatch 2.0 is here. You've made it possible. Now together we shall continue our march forward. Smartwatch is not a product defined top-down by the big brand Goliaths. Smartwatch has grown bottom-up from users with a user defined change in use of technology. With every new change, there will be supporters and naysayers. Leave the naysayers behind and welcome warmly those with open minds - for these countdown days to a mega successful close to the Kickstarter campaign, and then also beyond - welcome all open minds to join TrueSmart

Thanks Nick, very interesting and we wish you and your team all the best !

Again if you want to get in touch with Omate then you can via the links below, you can still get involved by helping the project on the official kickstart page - the link is Kickstarter campaign for Truesmart

Google+ : +Omate TrueSmart 
Facebook : www.facebook.com/omatetruesmart 
Twitter : www.twitter.com/omatetruesmart 
Website: www.omate.com 

You have a lazy phone...not like the Moto X

Motorola have released some of the funniest adverts we have seen for a handset yet, great to see they have finally got their mojo back. A great handset needs great adverts.

Touchless Control, Active Display and Quick Capture are the USPs feature in the adverts, lets hope for some more in the same vein.

For those in the EU who haven't seen these adverts, check them out below. Tell us what you think ?! 

iPhone prices decloak, starship prices.

The iPhone was announced yesterday and no further news of the handset were released for the Euro zone at least.

However this is no longer the case. 

The 16GB model of the iPhone 5s will be up for £549, while the 32GB version costs a wallet emptying £629 and the 64GB version is priced at a starship £709. 

iPhone 5s costs more than the 5, - upping each step by £20. That's the second year in a row that Apple has increased the entry fee for the iPhone roundabout, after the iPhone 5 launch price was £30 higher than the iPhone 4S before it.

The pricing of the iPhone has been increased for the rest of the Europe as well. The iPhone 5s will now cost €699 for the 16GB variant, while the iPhone 5 was up for grabs at a price point of €679.

The market hasn't received the devices well with Apples share prices taking a wallop GSM Arena reports here.

Apple have stopped making the iPhone 5 - erm no they haven't - they just stuck a load of old Lumia cases on the back and called it a 5c.

The increase in battery is most welcome, my iPhone dies around 4pm which leaves my Android phones keep trucking through the rest of the day.

Finger print, fingered ?

Announced were various features however the fingerprint scan was very interesting as Apple claim they will keep the print on the handset and it cant be used by secondary / third party applications. Even under jail break I wonder ?! Also will Apples terms and conditions change -  they can access all your data, so how is the fingerprint any safer than any other "private" info is something that needs to be answered. 

What else for £700

So what can you get for the eye popping £700+ on other platforms well, only the Xperia Z Ultra comes close, however for less than £600 you can get the much better equipped LG G2 (which is currently the fastest phone out there) or the waterproofed Sony Xperia Z1. You will still have enough change to spend on a weekend away with the Mrs. Although you might not have one if you tell her you just spent £700 on a fingerprint recording device. 

Samsung have the S4 which maybe a year old but still looks to out spec the iPhone 5s, the CPU hasn't been tested yet and the 64bit is a solution to a memory problem not a performance one - does a 1gb RAM handset need all those address spaces ?! Erm no. Wonder how memory performance will suffer ? Although its more to do with iPads than iPhones I suspect. 

Moto X (not available outside US) demonstrates what can be done with a properly configured handset and thats only dual core, oh and not 64bit in sight until 2014 anyway.

Looking at the specs against other handsets the iPhone just doesn't stand up to the price tag at all. 

Now if youre looking to buy Apple iPhone 5s on contract then you might as well sell up and sell your soul. Vodafone still want £70 for the handset and £33pm for the iPhone 5 with low data usage - is that really still worth £862 for all that ?! 

Dynamic Keyboard for Android - Dynamic is the new Swype

Android custom keyboards are all over the show right now, personally I prefer the stock option, the Swype doesn't really press my buttons - no pun intended. I find dragging my finger round unnatural and I never seem to spell three words on the spin correctly. 

However a new kid on the block under the name of Dynamic Keyboard does look very good indeed, currently at the end of its development cycle.

The keys are made easier to hit as the app predicts the key you will press next, and enlarges it.

Simple really, I have trouble hitting the space bar, always miss and hit the full stop. So this will help me out no end, and they say prevention is better than cure. 

Check it out below.

You Tube Link Here

Download now from Google Play