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Monday, September 10, 2012

Kobo announce Kobo Arc, their first Android tablet

Kobo has officially announced the Kobo Arc, their first ever Android tablet, it’s clearly gunning for Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Specs include a 7- inch 1280×800 IPS display, a 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, plus there’s a 2- megapixel front facing camera for video chat and Skype calls.

The Arc sports Android Ice Cream Sandwich along with Kobo’s own Tapestries interface. There’s access both to the Kobo catalogue where you can download and purchase over 3 million books, and the Google Play Store with over 600,000 applications.

The Arc offers 10 hours of reading and up-to 2 weeks on standby. It comes in two versions – an 8GB model costing just £169, and the 16GB version costing £199.

They also announced to other e-readers, the Gio which will cost just £99, and the Kobo Mini with an ultra-cheap £60 price-tag. The Gio sports a 6- inch e-ink display and has 2GB of built-in storage, plus it’s weighs just 185g and measures in at only 10mm. The Kobo Mini is completely different, it has a smaller 5- inch screen and is available in an array of swappable colours. Both the Gio and Mini will go on sale from the 1st of October.

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Phone shops mislead customers over price hikes, says report

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Mobile phone shops are misleading us about the possibility of our phone deals shooting up in price while the contract is still running. That's according to a report by Which? It found more than 80 per cent of shop staff failed to mention or even denied potential price hikes.

Quizzically punctuated consumer champions Which? sent mystery shoppers into phone shops like an army of ninjas sneaking into battle on behalf of mobile owners everywhere. They visited 39 outlets and asked staff if the price of the phone deal they were interested in would stay the same for the duration of the contract.

A whopping 82 per cent of those conversations saw staff give the undercover investigators the wrong information, failing to disclose that the advertised price could indeed rise during the length of the contract.

Many phone contracts contain clauses allowing the network to raise the tariff higher than the price agreed when you signed up. Such clauses are buried deep in the terms and conditions and are rarely spotted by customers.

Not only do mobile phone staff fail to highlight the offending clauses and potential price hikes, Which? reports the majority outright denied that a price rise could follow, even when asked directly.

Four out of five phone networks have raised prices on contracts in the past year. Customers who object are pointed to the Ts & Cs they signed, while those who wish to eject from their contracts are hit with early termination fees.

Such flim-flammery is worth £90m a year to the networks. I contacted them for a response, but at the time of writing, only O2 has responded. O2 says it has "reminded the teams in our stores that prices can always be subject to change", blaming shop staff rather than addressing the questionable practice of signing us to contracts that allow for potential price rises.

Those of us who have worked in shops know what the pressures to sell are like. Whether staff are deliberately misleading customers to make a sale or aren't trained properly by each network, I think the networks are acting in an underhand manner -- enough to prompt an Ofcom investigation, in fact. I mean, let's see how far we get if we all decide we want to pay a different amount each month than what was agreed at the start of the contract.

Have you been screwed over by your phone network? Have you ever worked in a phone shop? Are staff to blame or is it the networks that should be forced to change their ways? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.

HP SpectreOne desktop offers NFC, stylish looks but no touch

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HP has taken the cover off a new addition to its all-in-one desktop range, named the SpectreOne. It's a Windows 8-running, 23.6-inch desktop PC that packs some stylish looks along with handy near-field communication (NFC) technology, although oddly it doesn't offer a touchscreen.

The 23.6-inch display boasts a resolution of 1,920x1,080-pixels for watching those high definition movies. The lack of a touchscreen on a new all-in-one though is an unusual omission, particularly as it will be running Windows 8.

Windows 8 is the latest version of Microsoft's operating system and has been designed almost entirely for touch-based navigation. I argued recently that Windows 8 may be able to kill the traditional laptop, as the standard keyboard and trackpad is no longer the easiest way to engage with your computer and the same is arguably true of non-touch desktops so we'll have to wait and see how Windows 8 fares on this new machine.

HP will at least be bundling the SpectreOne with an oversized trackpad that looks almost identical to Apple's Magic Trackpad, as well as an Apple-esque keyboard. It's also sporting looks that are rather reminiscent of the iMac range, with an all-glass front and minimalist, grey metal casing and stand. It's certainly stylish and will no doubt appeal to anyone who's ever coveted an Apple computer.

The NFC technology on the SpectreOne has been dubbed TouchZone by HP. It allows you to automatically log in to the computer by swiping an NFC-enabled sticker -- attached, perhaps, to your phone -- over the sensor, apparently saving you precious seconds when you just can't wait to check your email.

Hopefully you can also gain access by typing in your password, in case you happen to have lost your mobile on a heavy night out. Although NFC has been around for a while, it hasn't really hit the mainstream yet in the UK so it's good to see it being put to a practical (if not a little redundant) use.

HP wasn't heavy on details about the internal specifications when talking to our American buddies over at CNET.com, but they mentioned the latest (read: Ivy Bridge) Intel processors as well as a 1GB Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Prices will start from £812 ($1,299) when it goes on sale in the US in November -- there's no word on a UK release date as of yet.

In addition to the SpectreOne, HP will also be flogging the Envy 20 and Envy 23, 20- and 23-inch all-in-ones that are basically existing models from its TouchSmart range that have been rebranded for the launch of Windows 8. They're less premium models than the SpectreOne so expect a lesser price tag.

What do you make to the SpectreOne? Is it an exciting addition to the Windows 8 portfolio or is the lack of a touch screen going to be a problem? Does NFC tickle your fancy at all? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.

Overcome the back to school blues with the Tefal Pro Express Autoclean GV8461

As the summer tapers off into the autumn, the looming task of back to school prep grows nearer and with it comes an abundance of washing for Mums and Dads up and down the country – from grass stains to jam to muddy hands, it all seems to find its way onto little one’s clothes.

Back to school

September is all about ironing as parents get the children ship shape and presentable for their return to school.

Cutting ironing time in half

Spending a lot of time on ironing is a thing of the past with a steam generator from Tefal – such as the Pro Express Autoclean GV8461.

And before you turn off and stop reading, yes we are talking about ironing! But how much do you really know about steam generators? Tefal have put together some top tips to help you power through your ironing –

Cost effective – It’s worth investing in a steam generator, by spending a little bit more you will enjoy better performance in the long term – a good steam generator will last for years to come, especially if it is equipped with anti-scale and autoclean features like those seen in the Tefal Pro Express Autoclean

Take the effort out of ironing – Steam generators offer higher pressure (the force at which the steam is delivered) and more steam than a standard iron. Choose a generator that offers minimum of 4 bars of pressure and 120 g/min steam output to ensure even stubborn creases are removed with ease

Alter your approach – Variable steam and temperature options are important for protecting garments. Delicate silks and heavier denims require different approaches. Being able to alter the iron’s temperature as well as the steam output is crucial for making sure all of your clothes get the best possible treatment

Cut down on maintenance – Choose a soleplate with auto-clean, which will destroy the fibres which stick and damage glideability, reducing the need for maintenance and increasing the lifespan of your generator

Long lasting – Choose a model which has an anti-scale collector to prevent limescale, this prolongs the life of your iron by preventing the regular build up of scale from water that will start to reduce the performance of your iron

Cut down your household bills – Look for an eco-mode on your steam generator, this will help you save energy while still providing high performance

Stay safe – For added safety, auto-off functions and protective covers are a must. A locking system also secures the iron to the base when carrying so that you can pick up the generator with ease and safety

With stubborn creases will be removed more easily with the Tefal Pro Express Autoclean GV8461. Glide through piles of ironing powerfully, with more professional results and boasting 6 bars of pressure and an extra 260g/min turbo steam, the GV8461 is hard to beat.

A steam generator is the ultimate investment for any home – the Pro Express Autoclean comes equipped with Tefal’s patented anti-scale technology, which allows the user to simply remove the regular build up of scale from water, which over time will reduce the performance of the iron, by merely emptying the handy scale collector under a tap.

The Tefal  GV8461 steam generator is priced at £279.99 (RRP) and is available from Argos, Amazon, Curry’s and other major electrical retailers. For more information please visit www.tefal.co.uk


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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Printing From Your iPhone, at a Price

Seldom do plug-and-play devices live up to the name. It’s usually more like, plug, fail, reread instructions, curse, hold for tech assistance, fail, curse more, Google until you find an answer, play, try to soothe frazzled nerves.

The xPrintServer from Lantronix may be the exception. Maybe.

The problem is: How to print from your iPad or iPhone. If you have purchased a printer with AirPrint capability, it should be easy to do this — that’s what it is made for.

But for those of us who hold on to printers long past their prime, there are limited options. One is to add a printing app. But those apps are generally tied to specific models, so good luck finding the right one. I don’t want to think about what happens when the printer upgrades its drivers.

The xPrintServer simplifies that. It’s a box, somewhat larger than a pack of cards, that attaches to your router and to your printer. Then, presto, you can print from your iPad or iPhone.

It was that simple for me except for one glitch — what printed out was black and white only. It turns out the problem was with the servers for Lantronix. The driver for my printer that was stored there had become outdated. When that happens, a call to tech support should have it fixed within a day, said the company. If your printer isn’t supported, it said, a call will get it added within “a few weeks.”

With the driver updated, everything printed as it should.

But xPrintServer does show some signs of fussiness. When I tried to connect to my wireless printer through the Wi-Fi router without the U.S.B. cable, it failed. But I could connect by the cable, let the network find the printer, then disconnect the cable, and it worked wirelessly.

The main drawback to the xPrintServer is the price: $100 compared with less than $5 for an app that does the same thing.

I would suggest the first thing you should do is see if you have an AirPrint compatible printer. Then check to see if there is an i-device app specifically for your printer. Then consider how much you value simplicity. If the answer is $100 worth, you might consider the xPrintServer.


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Saturday, September 8, 2012

BlackBerry 10 touch and Qwerty phones will be 720p, RIM says

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BlackBerry-maker RIM has revealed its new year's resolution -- which specifically involves the pixel-count of BlackBerry 10 smart phones that will be emerging at the start of next year.

In a blog post, the ailing firm has divulged the screen resolution of its first touch-only smart phone, as well as standardised screen resolutions for all BlackBerry 10 gadgets beyond that point.

The very first phone running the twice-delayed BlackBerry 10 software, rumoured to be the BlackBerry London, will have an impressively high 1,280x768 resolution -- the same number of pixels as the company's Dev Alpha device that was used to showcase the upcoming operating system earlier this year.

Phones sporting the businessman's choice BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard will have 720x720 displays, while touchscreen-only devices released after the first BlackBerry 10 phone will have 1,280x720 screens.

That means that the first touchscreen-only BlackBerry 10 phone will have a slightly higher resolution than any following gadgets. That might seem like an odd decision, but RIM is trying to make it easier for developers to build BlackBerry 10 apps, by not releasing a slew of phones with different resolutions, something that currently makes Android app development a bit tricky.

RIM even apologises for the higher resolution of the first device, saying that the introductory gadget "has been in the works for quite some time now with lots of supply chain management and manufacturing tooling to bring it to launch."

I'm happy to see that RIM at least has its priorities straight -- getting developers to make decent apps and games is absolutely necessary if BlackBerry 10 is going to compete with Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8 gadgets.

It'll also take great design and hardware of course, and even then the challenge of booting Apple and Google off the top spot may prove simply too massive.

Do you think BlackBerry 10 can possibly succeed? Or will RIM be forced to divide up the business, like a sad clown sharing out cake at a children's party? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Friday, September 7, 2012

A Rugged Speaker for the Outdoors

Philips ShoqBox The Philips ShoqBox is a rugged, portable speaker that syncs wirelessly with any smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled device.

In the world of portable speakers, simplicity is a big selling point. Their design has been streamlined by adding rechargeable internal batteries and removing cables in favor of streaming Bluetooth technology.

But in their quest to simplify speakers, electronics companies have started to overengineer the design. The $180 ShoqBox from Philips is the latest speaker that works hard to be simple.

At first glance, the compact ShoqBox is a great portable speaker that syncs wirelessly with any smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled device. Looking like a camping flashlight, it’s rugged and splash-proof, and comes with a carabiner to fasten to your backpack. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy features that would detract from its design, making it good for outdoor use.

But if you end up using it at home, the speaker’s simplicity turns into a disadvantage. The ShoqBox has a single mode button for most functions, including on/off, battery level and language options. This requires a lot of pushing on that single button, and listening to the appropriate tones or voice instructions to make sure you’ve picked the right option. (If you push the button at the wrong time, as I did when I accidentally chose the Portuguese-language option, there’s a reset hidden in the base of the speaker.)

But certain functions in a portable speaker really need their own command, like volume and track change. Fortunately, Philips added a recessed volume knob and a sensor that allows you to pause or skip songs with the swipe of a hand. This function works a little too well, as the music stopped and started whenever I reached for the volume knob. Here, an added button or two would have helped.

The sound from the ShoqBox is respectable, even though there is no option to enhance the bass or treble. For stereo sound, two ShoqBox speakers can be paired to your mobile device. The range is about 30 feet, so keep your mobile device nearby.


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