HTC Butterfly announced

HTC Butterfly announced

In a surprisingly quiet move form HTC, they have just announced the global version of the HTC Butterfly which also goes by the name of the Droid DNA over in the states.

This monster spec phone features a 5 inch 1080p screen with a PPI of 440 which blows everything else away including the Retina display on the iPhone 5.

HTC Butterfly announced

HTC Butterfly announced

The main specifications to look out for on this device are:

    140 grams
    Android JellyBean (4.1 expected)
    5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixels LCD 3 with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
    Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core  1.5GHz
    2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with microSD card slot
    8-megapixel rear, 2.1-megapixel front cameras
    2020 mAh battery

No official word yet on a price or a date but we are hoping to get more information on that very soon.
Link -HTC Butterfly

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Windows Phone 8 persistent WiFi connection fix coming soon, via the HTC 8S

Windows Phone 8 persistent WiFi connection fix coming soon, via the HTC 8S

One of my personal gripes about Windows Phone has always been the persistent WiFi connection bug. Wherby if you turn your phone off the WiFi would disconnect and take a good few seconds to reconnect upon waking the device up.

Well it seems that whilst the guys over at WP Central were preparing their review of the HTC 8S the spotted a different build number of WP8 and a setting to keep the WiFi connection alive.

Which is rather an exciting twist as we are getting our version to review later on today. For the rest of the world it seems as the you’ll have to wait until next year when Microsoft push the Apollo+ Windows Phone 8 update.

Source – WP Central

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Windows 8 gets aped on an Android tablet.. for children

Whilst randomly browsing around I stumbled across this rather interesting Android tablet at ToysRUs. The tablet and the interface is designed for children, and the fairly low-end device has a 10.1″ screen with front camera, WiFi and micro-SD expansion.

Windows 8 gets aped on an Android tablet

But I couldn’t help noticing the similarities between this toy and the Windows RT devices we’re seeing trickle out. Is it flattery or a sign that the ex-Metro Windows RT / Windows 8 / Windows Phone 8 interface has been dumbed down a little too much?

You decide…

Windows 8 gets aped on an Android tablet

The Windows one is at the bottom…

Link – ToysRUs.com

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iPad mini stock could be sparse till the new year

iPad mini

It’s now known that the new 7.9″ screen that Apple are using in the iPad Mini could be in short supply until the new year.

Reports from Digitimes make it clear that Apple are struggling to keep up with demand of the iPad Mini. The manufacturers of the screens and the backlight modules just can’t make them quick enough. Was the move away from Samsung a good one?

Did Apple anticipate this when they stopped using Samsung to supply the screens or did they think LG and AU Optronics could keep up with demand?

Update: I’ve been notified of an excellent tool that’ll help you find an iPad mini in time for Xmas. http://ipadministock.co.uk/similar sort of thing as the Nexus stock checker we mentioned the other day. Take a look.

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Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5 – Review

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

Another day, another case review and this time its something a little different. The Spigen SGP Illuzion case is folio style case with slots for credit cards in the front flap.
The case I have is black and orange, although a range of colours are available. The case feels very high quality. It’s soft and supple and not stiff like a lot of these cases can be. The clasp at the front uses a snap button instead of a magnet, which can cause issues depending on design. The snap is strong enough it won’t come undone unless you pull it.

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

Its bright inside, very bright but the contrast works really well to my eye but it probably won’t be to everyones tastes. The iPhone clips into the case securely and I had no concerns about it falling out.

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

The bottom on the phone is fully accessible and the headphone jack and lightning port are both usable whether the case is opened or closed.

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

The volume buttons and mute switch are easily accessible from the front but due to the design of the case these are not accessible whilst on a call

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

The flap has 2 slots for credit cards etc. These are form fitting but the cards are not difficult to get out at all. I am informed that an Oyster card may work through the case but neither myself or Spigen SGP have tested this.

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

The back of the case is flat and the camera cutout doesn’t cause any issues with the flash.

Spigen SGP Illuzion for iPhone 5

The front of the case also has a hole so that you can take a call whilst the case is closed. I like this feature as using these kinds of cases can be awkward and I usually default to using my headset.

Overall the Spigen SGP Illuzion is a very well made and thought out case. I’d go as far to say this is the best wallet case I have owned for any device, it’s that good. Whilst the bright interior might not be for everyone I like it.

The case is available from Spigen SGP for $32.99 but if you are looking for a UK based retailer Mobile Fun also stocks this model for £34.99.

If you have any questions about this case please don’t hesitate to ask using the contact info below.

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Old Handsets…..How many do you have?

Christmas is on the way and it is virtually nailed on that many people will be getting a brand new shiny handset in their stocking this year.

The question remains however, what do I do with my old one?

I personally can look in various drawers and cupboards and find 6 unused old handsets just sitting and doing nothing.  It turns out that I am not alone for a survey by the mobile security company Lookout found that there are some 28 million unused devices in the UK.

Phone hoarders are a major contributor to this old phone epidemic with 55% of people in the UK admitting they have one or more unused mobile phones at home (20% have one, 16% have two, 7% have three and 12% have four or more).

There are a number of ways of disposing of old mobile phones but despite this the reasons for not doing so are numerous.

    25% of people said that they just didn’t know what to do with them
    16% said that there was still data waiting to be erased
    8% said that they were concerned that data could be obtained from an old handset
    10% said that they wanted access to apps and data still on their old device

Interestingly, 52% of people that said they would be willing to let their old handset go said that they would be happy to give it to a charitable cause while 21% said they would trade it or sell it for money and 14% would throw it away or recycle it.

Jenny Roy, Mobile safety advocate at Lookout had this to say,

    “We were surprised to learn how many people hold on to old phones.  People are concerned about the personal information living on the device, and we suspect it contributes to why people are still holding on to it. Before you donate, resell or recycle your phone, it’s important to take steps to remove the data so if your phone gets a new owner, your information doesn’t get exposed.”

1.    Save the data. If you want to keep the data on the phone, there are a few ways to transfer your personal information. If you have an Android smartphone, you can download Lookout Premium (£1.99 per month/£19.99 per year) to backup photos and contacts, and restore data to a new device. iPhone owners can use iCloud to store important data.

2.    Before saying goodbye, wipe the phone clean. It’s important to remove data off of the phone before reselling, donating or recycling. For Android, Lookout Premium can wipe personal information, restoring the phone to its original settings. For other device types, do a Google search on how to conduct a factory reset. Factory resetting will restore an old phone to its original state, erasing apps, photos, contacts, call logs and more.

3.    Remove the SIM and SD card. Remove the SIM and SD card (if the phone is equipped with them) before disposing the phone to ensure that your information cannot be passed on to a potential future owner.

Having completed the above it’s then time to think about moving the old phone to another home.

A simple online search provides a number of options including giving it to a charity, recycling it or reselling it. For example, Barnardo’s, the UK’s biggest children’s charity recycles mobile phones to raise funds for their work to transform the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

John Ellis, Head of Recycling at Barnardo’s said, “Many people don’t realise that we can accept old mobile phones in addition to other donated items. We are able to recycle these to raise even more funds towards keeping our children’s services running. It’s always worth remembering this when you’re clearing out cupboards and drawers.”

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YouTube for iOS updated, iPhone 5, iPad and Airplay added

YouTube for iOS updated, iPhone 5, iPad and Airplay added

Hot on the heels of the Gmail app being updated for iOS this afternoon, Google has also finally seen fit to update the YouTube app for the iPhone 5. They have also added iPad support and Airplay streaming which were 2 major features missing from the version launched a few months ago.

YouTube was infamously dropped from iOS 6 and it seems the new Appstore might be on par, if not better, than the native app that was present before.

You can grab the download on iTunes here

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You can get a Nexus 7 for £50, kind of.

Nexus 7 Android

The Nexus 7 is without a doubt one the best tablets on the market and at prices starting from £159 its also quite the bargain. The Times UK are currently running a promotion where if you subscribe to the digital version of the newspaper for a year, they will give you a 32gb Nexus 7 for effectively £50. This is probably a good deal for anyone who is looking to buy both of these things separately as you’ll save quite a few spondoolics (£212)

There’s a catch though and be honest, you knew it was coming. Heres how it essentially breaks down. You can pay a bundle price of £299 which will give you a 32gb Nexus 7 and 18 months of access to the Times “Digital Pack”. Alternatively you can pay £67.33 which is for the Nexus 7 and your first month subscription and then 18 months of £17.33.

Obviously terms and conditions apply but if this is something you were already in the market for then this could work out quite well.

Full details are available at The Times

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