Gadget Magee

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Review – Phillips Picopix PPX 1430

Rating:

Price when reviewed - £200.

You’d think that a projector is a big device, well, it isn’t, the PicoPix 1430 can easily fit in the pocket. It’s perfect for a lot of people, including those who just like to show off their videos and images, plus it’s selling on the cheap for only £220. All you need is a decent white wall and a tri-pod to plot the PicoPix onto.

The PicoPix is capable of displaying images at 80 inches, though 40 – 50 inches is the norm. You can easily upload your images onto the projector, you can either use a USB flash drive to display images, or you can use an SD card, it’s up to you really.

Phillips has done a great job on the design. The Picopix is made from plastic, although it feels pretty solid to hold, and it’s pretty light at only 290g. You’ll find the main navigational set of buttons on the top of the device, the On/Off toggle can be found on right side of the projector.

The overall image quality was excellent, however, you’ll need to aim the projector at a suitable wall, or you can just use a white board. Underneath the projector you will find a tri-pod connector, there’s also an optional kickstand.

Conclusion

The Picopix is a great device, plus it looks and feels good. The image quality is fab, though the lack of WMV file format is a bit disappointing. Overall, it’s a decent device for those who like to show off, it’s relatively easy to use so anyone should be able to use it. The price is great, it’s a bargain for those who are watching their budget, anway, we like, so you should too.

View the original article here

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Spotify launching browser-based version as part of redesign

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Cha-cha-cha-cha-changes! Spotify will launch a browser-based version of its music streaming service, TechCrunch reports. Sources have told the site Spotify will completely overhaul its app, with the web-based version complementing or replacing the current desktop app. That would explain why Spotify hasn't updated its service over the last year.

The move to web is one part of a larger overhaul of the service, the sources claim, with the new Spotify focussing more on music discovery. You'll still be able to see what your friends listen to via Facebook, but you'll also have the option to follow the listening habits of 'influencers'. As long as they've got good taste, that's fine with me.

We could be in for a lower subscription price too. At the moment you can get it free with adverts, pay £4.99 a month for no ads, or £9.99 a month and get the mobile version chucked in, along with offline playlists. So what could this new tariff be? Less frequent adverts for £2.50 a month? Only the less annoying ads? Or would it just lower prices all round? It's anyone's guess at this stage.

Being browser-based would make a lot of sense though. Its main competitor, Rdio, is accessed through a browser, which means there's no faffing with downloads and installations. You could also log in on any of your friends' computers without asking if they've got Spotify, which would be a plus (or a pain for your pal, depending on your taste in music).

The only issue is whether a web-based Spotify could work as quickly as the desktop version. But with broadband speeds getting faster, and even nippier access on the way, hopefully this won't be an issue.

Would you like to see a web-based Spotify? What would you like this new tariff to be? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.

Selling the Old iPhone Before the Upgraders Do

Apple

If you’re thinking about selling your iPhone so you can use the money to buy Apple’s new smartphone when it comes out, better act fast.

From now until Apple introduces the new iPhone, expected to be Sept. 12, consumers are likely to get the best prices online for their old phones, according to Anthony Scarsella, chief gadget officer for Gazelle, a Web site that buys old iPhones and other gadgets and resells them. If the market follows the pattern that greeted every other generation of Apple’s smartphone, consumers will try to unload their older iPhones in droves through sites like Gazelle, eBay and elsewhere after the new phone comes out, Mr. Scarsella said.

“Prices are going to go way down,” he said.

As of Tuesday, Gazelle was paying people $132 for the least expensive iPhone 4 in good condition, with eight gigabytes of storage and designed to run on the AT&T network. It was reselling that device for $271.99 on eBay. People, of course, can sell their old phones directly through eBay and Craigslist if they don’t mind the extra work.

One of the main downsides to selling an old iPhone now, weeks before the new one is expected to be announced is that you won’t have a cellphone in the interim. Mindful of this, Gazelle gives people 30 days to send in their gadgets after locking in a trade-in price.

View the original article here

iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S in 3D concept video

How will the new iPhone 5 shape up compared to the iPhone 4S? Find out in this cool new concept video, which puts the two phones side-by-side and spins them every which way.

We've seen the inside and outside of the new iPhone as photos of components leak in dribs and drabs. But now they've been assembled in a video placing 3D models of the two phones side-by-side.

The good folks at 3D-desk.com, who create three-dimensional animated models for your perusal, drew on industry rumours, strategic logic -- and "a bit of wild guessing" -- to flesh out their hypothetical iPhone.

The video shows the difference in scale between the current model and the hotly anticipated new iPhone, including the new smaller dock connector and headphone jack moved to the bottom. Hit play below to see the two phones spinning in space without a care in the world:

Leaked photos reveal the new iPhone to be taller than the current model when you hold it normally, or wider when you turn it sideways to landscape orientation.

The screen will apparently measure 4 inches across and boast a resolution of 640x1,136 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning no more black bars when you watch movies and TV and allowing your video to make the most of the screen. The extra space on the screen is also enough for an extra row of icons on the home screen.

There's no guarantee this is what the new iPhone will look like, of course. In fact, the animated animators behind this video also speculate Apple could keep the screen the same, rather than forcing app developers to change the layout of apps.

If you're wondering what the new iPhone would look like if the screen stayed the same size and it just got thinner, check out this video:

What do you think of the look of the new iPhone? Are the expected changes smart thinking by Apple, or does the iPhone have other problems that haven't been addressed here? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

$15 add opt-out for Kindle Fire HD

If you do decide to purchase the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, then you’ll be happy to learn that you can get rid of the lock screen advertisements, but you’ll have to pay $15 to do so. Well, it’s a great idea for Amazon to earn some extra buck, but there’s no word if the option will come to the UK, we suspect that it will.

A spokesperson for Amazon said: ”I wanted to let you know that with Kindle Fire HD there will be a special offers opt-out option for $15. We know from our Kindle reader line that customers love our special offers and very few people choose to opt out. We’re happy to offer customers the choice.”

Source

View the original article here

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

iPhone 5 will support 4G networks "around the world"

The iPhone 5 will work on LTE networks "around the world", the Wall Street Journal reports. That means if you use one, you'll be able to jump between high-speed networks as you trot around the globe. Though there is one rather massive caveat: it won't work on every network, according to the Journal's sources.

Drat.

Speculation has been rife that the new iPhone will be 4G after the latest iPad launched with LTE support in the US. Other manufacturers -- like Apple's arch-nemesis Samsung -- have launched mobiles that support LTE (commonly referred to as 4G), but locked to one region. So if you bought a Galaxy S3 in the US, you wouldn't be able to use an LTE network anywhere else in the world.

Apple won't be the first to come touting international LTE connectivity. The Nokia Lumia 920, announced this week, supports five bands of LTE. But it just isn't possible yet to make one phone equipped to work on all LTE networks across the world. We still haven't got one in the UK, for starters, though Everything Everywhere is expected to roll one out in the coming weeks.

The iPhone 5 will be announced on 12 September -- that's this Wednesday. Last week Apple sent out an invite for the event, with the shadow of the 12 making a 5, so it's a dead cert the handset will be unveiled. It's expected to pack a 4-inch screen, high-speed LTE access, and a faster processor.

Apple marketed the latest iPad as 4G, but had to climb down after people complained it only works on some LTE bands across the world. So hopefully Apple will be a bit clearer with the next iPhone.

Are you excited about the iPhone 5? What are you hoping for? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.

Coco Controller could be your new iPhone and S3 gaming pal

The Coco Controller could be the most attractive and reasonably priced way of leaving your slippery-fingered smart phone gaming woes behind -- if its Kickstarter is a success.

Created by Harvard drop-outs Connor Zwick and Colton Gyulay, the device aims to provide a console-based gaming experience for the price of a smart phone case.

The controller is designed to fit the current iPhone 4 and 4S, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the latest iPod touch, and (they reckon) the upcoming iPhone 5, so for the time being it looks like a promising enterprise. I mean, it's not like any previous Harvard drop-outs have done anything spectacularly successful in the tech industry is it?

Importantly, the Coco Controller avoids any annoying battery and circuitry issues by communicating and being powered via the audio jack, rather than Bluetooth. This will make it easier to use, more reliable, and hopefully save on weight.

The smart phone slots into the plastic casing, which houses a multi-axis directional pad, one analogue stick, four action buttons, and two trigger buttons. This familiar layout could be crucial in persuading gamers to try it.

The controller is already compatible with 35 iOS games, none of which are particularly well known at the moment (with the likes of Pure Fun Soccer and Warm Gun), but the guys are hoping for thousands more by the time Coco ships.

There are competitors for the Coco Controller to consider in its quest for world domination. Power A's Moga Controller, set to be released later this year, and the iControlPad are both bulkier, separate units that attach in a slightly clumsy manner to your beloved telephone. The Coco Controller is as cool as a coconut in comparison, with its sleek, uncompromising design niftily fitting around the phone as an all-encompassing gaming companion.

It's hard to comment without having the product to hand, but Coco could make the iPhone and S3 even fiercer competition in the handheld console market, snapping harder at the heels of giants such as Sony and Nintendo. All being well and the Coco could raise the casual profile of smart phone gaming to a more competitive level.

Thinking ahead, Milkshake Labs -- Coco's producers -- are hoping it will be used as a controller for big-screen gaming through AirPlay mirroring, as well as dual-screen gaming (pictured above), which will widen the appeal of the controller to not just commuter gamers, but also the casual home player too.

This brings it dangerously into the sights of Ouya, the new Android-powered console now available to preorder. Having said that, Ouya's commitment to home gaming is likely to make it the couch potato's Android-powered console of choice.

The overriding question that's been brought about by these two likely lads is, why buy a dedicated handheld gaming console such as the 3DS or Vita when your phone -- plus Coco companion -- can be perfectly capable of offering much the same experience?

It could be a while until the Coco is nestled firmly in your pocket, however, as Milkshake is hoping to boost its current kickstarter fund from its current total of $17,000 to an ambitious $175,000 over the next 27 days. Best of luck to them -- you can contribute $57 (£36, including international shipping) and bag yourself a black or white version. There are several different options above that mark too.

Fed up with fiddly finger phone gaming? Let's hear some love for the Coco Controller in the comments box or on our Facebook page.

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Featured Posts

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Review – Phillips Picopix PPX 1430

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Spotify launching browser-based version as part of redesign

Selling the Old iPhone Before the Upgraders Do

iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S in 3D concept video

$15 add opt-out for Kindle Fire HD

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

iPhone 5 will support 4G networks "around the world"

Coco Controller could be your new iPhone and S3 gaming pal

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