Gadgets Club

Much to Apple’s annoyance the Galaxy S2 has been a hugely popular Android handset, and has been the first smartphone to knock the iPhone range from its prized spot as bestselling smartphone in many markets. This is probably one of the main reasons that Apple have targeted Samsung so much in their proxy patent war with Google, launched after former Apple boss Steve Jobs vowed that he would ‘destroy’ Android.

The Galaxy S2 has been more popular than the iPhone 4 for many months now, but the iPhone 4 was already nearly a year old when Galaxy S2 contracts were released. With a new iPhone now available, has the S2 lost some of its shine? Or is the iPhone 4S too similar to the iPhone 4 to really cause much of a dent in the Galaxy S2′s popularity?

It has recently come to light that Apple had planned to launch the iPhone 5 this year, alongside the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5 was to have a larger screen, making it comparable in size to some of the leading Android phones such as the Galaxy S2 – along with a slimmer, curvier design and a 12 megapixel camera.

The iPhone 5 was reportedly scrapped at the last minute for unknown reasons, and Apple just launched iPhone 4S contracts instead – and the 4S was originally just a sideshow to the iPhone 5. Initial critics were quick to point out that the iPhone 4S was very similar to the iPhone 4, but is this the case? The iPhone 4S has plenty of new improvements made to it, but most of them are in the software department and are not so easy to spot just by looking at photos. But there are a few differences made to the hardware too.

For starters, the iPhone 4S now features the dual core A5 processor that was found in the iPad 2. From reading the spec sheet of the iPhone 4S, it does not sound so impressive coming several months after the dual core 1.2GHz, 1GB RAM powered Galaxy S2. The iPhone 4S is dual core, but the processor is only clocked at 1GHz. Furthermore, its RAM is still just 512MB – exactly the same as the iPhone 4.

Even though this processor and memory combo may not sound that impressive, Apple has done a lot of work with making their A5 processor a great deal more efficient. While it may have a lower clock speed than the Exynos processor found in the Galaxy S2, it does seem to offer greater performance in independent benchmark tests.

All this is a bit irrelevant though, as for both phones there is very little that will actually push these processors to their limits. Both devices offer an exceptionally smooth and speedy experience when using them. One other hotly contested area between the two phones is their screens. The screen of the iPhone 4S has not changed at all from the iPhone 4. It still measures 3.5 inches and has the same Retina resolution as the former iPhone.

But while the screen has not seen any improvements, it was already one of the best in class – and didn’t really need improving. The Galaxy S2′s 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus screen is the biggest competitor to Apple’s Retina Display. It may have a lower WVGA resolution, but this is still exceptionally sharp for such a small device.

Both are exceptionally high quality screens that offer great colours and detail. The real contest here is between screen sizes. The iPhone 5 was supposed to have a larger 4 inch screen, and many people are suggesting that the reason the phone was binned at the last minute is that Steve Jobs felt that having a different screen size would fragment the iPhone experience – in a similar way that Android is fragmented between different phones, screen sizes and hardware. While this is great for Google’s plans for an open system, it does cause problems for app developers – which may go some way to explaining why the Apple App Store has so much more apps and games available than Android Market.

If this rumour about the iPhone 5 is true, it would mean that all future iPhones will feature a 3.5 inch screen regardless of the competition. The larger screen of the Galaxy S2 is one of the main reasons for the phone’s popularity – as it provides a great user experience for things like video and web browsing. On the other hand, the smaller screen of the iPhone 4S makes for a more pocketable device. The trade-off here is one of personal preference. If you want more space on your screen then the S2 may be your best bet, but if you have small hands maybe you should pick the iPhone 4S.

The central feature of the iPhone 4S is Siri – the voice activated personal assistant. Siri does have problems with thick accents, and location based services don’t work so well outside of the United States just yet – but Siri certainly is the most advanced, and witty, voice control system to yet feature on a phone. The Galaxy S2 has voice recognition software of course, and this can provide you with all the functionality that most people would actually want from such software (i.e. searching for things, making phone calls and sending messages).

Many people are a bit skeptical about Siri and how much people actually need voice controls. Sure, Siri is great for people with poor eyesight, but most people with 20/20 vision, or thereabouts, will most likely revert to a more familiar method of interacting with their phone within a few months.

One downside of the iPhone 4S is that even though it has a bigger battery than the iPhone 4, it has quite poor battery life. This seems to affect some iPhone 4S owners more than others, with many owners of the new iPhone saying they have no problem at all. Apple is releasing patches to try and sort this problem out, as it seems certain that it is a flaw with the iOS software.

Speaking of updates – with the Galaxy S2 currently being the king of Android phones it is probably likely to see an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich much sooner than many other handsets – although this still may be quite a few months away. Ice Cream Sandwich will add some excellent new features to the Galaxy S2, including Android Beam and Face Unlock. With the S2 being nearly a year old there is also one other thing worth mentioning – it will not be long now until we can get our hands on the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Sony Electronics showcased its first weapon in the internet-television hybrid arms race in the fall of 2010, with the release of its debut line of Internet TV’s. This line of Internet TVs features the use of Droid applications, Google TV, YouTube, and Duel-screen display powered by an advanced Intel processor.

• Bravia Streaming Video Content: Sony supports its streaming video content feature by assembling the likes of video content giants YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Video to back their technology with support. This is one of the reasons why Sony currently touts the most comprehensive selection of streaming video content in the Internet TV industry.
• Bravia Internet Widgets: Bravia also contributes the feature of Internet Widgets to the Sony Internet TV line. These widgets help the users navigate through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as browse the news sports via other widgets.
• Android Application Access: Sony brings Android Market to your living room by utilizing made-for-TV apps. Android market is expected to expand in the near future and create new apps specifically for the Internet TV.
• Google TV Integration: The Sony Internet engine is primarily powered by Google TV. This allows for a very integrated search engine that allows the user to access the entire Web with the click of a button. This also allows the user to search the Internet for their favorite options for television shows and movies as well.
• High-Speed Processor: In essence, Sony Internet TVs display the high definition visual quality of a projector while operating with the processor of a high-speed computer. These TVs are powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel® Atom™ processor, which makes surfing the Web on your television as seamless as if you were on a high-speed computer.
• Duel Screen Display: Sony then allows the consumer to utilize the two most intriguing aspects of these devices and use them simultaneously with the picture-in-picture option. Users will be able to surf the Web and watch their favorite television shows or movies at the same time following the click of a button.
• Key Pad Remote: The remote of the Sony Internet TV boasts a truly ergonomic design that resembles a PlayStation 3 controller with a keyboard attached. The remote consists of multiple one-touch buttons that allow for easy navigation, including: the search key, the home key, picture-in-picture key, a mouse, bookmark key, and the aforementioned QWERTY keyboard. These are all integral aspects of the Sony Internet TV that are accessible to the user from a single click of a button.

The development and release of the Internet television confirms the consumers’ need for integration of their entertainment media. In answering the consumers call, many leaders in television technology designed formats that would cater to these demands. Currently, in competitive comparison to the Samsung models that feature Internet TV, Sony is the only platform that offers full Goggle integration, a larger internal memory, ability to surf the Web and watch TV simultaneously, and an Intel processor. Therefore, at this point in development of the Internet TV industry, Sony has emerged as the early leader.

Author Box

The post is contributed by Calvin Scott. Calvin loves to observe new ideas and he is prophet when it comes to technology. Visit his site for adsl kpn and draadloos internet.

We all recognise the frustration of losing a mobile phone signal and helplessly wafting our mobile phone through the air in the hope that it makes a difference.  It sometimes appears that signals are getting weaker instead of better and with all the technology available, the mobile networks are failing to provide one of the fundamentals: a decent signal.

Mobile phone usage has become so common in our society that it now falls under the remit of the Secreatry of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who is presented with an Ofcom review every three years regarding network coverage.

Ofcom claims 97% of premises have a strong enough signal the four 2G network operators for to make a call.  3G scores 73%.  Geographic coverage differs greatly as anybody who lives by the sea or in the country will tell you.  The scores here are 66% 2G and a mere 13% for 3G.
 
Owning a mobile phone in the western world now seems like something of a human right. It seems wrong that a user in the countryside shouldn’t reap the same benefits as a city dweller if they pay the same rates.  Ofcom claims the discrepancies are narrowing due to the operators investing in network coverage.  In some areas all mobile phones signal is so poor it will actually influence your choice of provider.  Many areas of Scotland suffer the worst, particularly mountainous or hilly areas. 

The government, working alongside Ofcom have controversially allocated £150 million to help tackle the problem of network coverage.  Ofcom claims that helping to tackle poor network coverage is one of their priorities for 2011/12, illustrating how much of a problem is at hand.

It seems bizarre that we can have a mobile phone on which we can shop, watch films, listen to music and surf the net, but not be able to make a call.  It also appears somewhat unjust that one area suffers more than the next.

Capacitive touchscreens don’t work with winter gloves. To solve this problem Mujjo came up with the revolutionary conductive touchscreen glove.

The Mujio gloves try to solve your problem with using a touch screen device when you are outside and you have your gloves on.

Because touch screen don’t work wit regular gloves you can’t answer the phone, or do something on your touch screen. You must take of the gloves off to use the device and your hands will freeze. Not a good scenario! You can keep your hand warm while operating touch screen devices even you are outside and it is freezing: the solution is wearing Mujjo Touchscreen Gloves.

Mujjo’s touchscreen compatible winter gloves work with all capacitive touchscreen devices including – but not limited to – your iPhone, Blackberry, Samsung, HTC, LG or whatever touch screen phone you’re using, they even work on your iPad.

Mujjo gloves are made of high-quality silver-coated nylon fibers knitted into the fabric of the glove. This silver-coated nylon fibers make the gloves conductive and therefore touchscreen compatible.

Pricing and availability

A pair of Mujio gloves will cost you € 24,95 and you can find them at the Mujjo online store.

More and more devices use the Android system. To help you make more with your Android powered device here is a complimentary Android guide.

You can get the These Are The Droids You’re Looking For: An Android Guide for free by filling up a short form.

This guide will teach you tips and tricks about who to get maximum from your Android device.

This 23 page guide will go over Android’s history and the different versions on the market. Knowing this is important, as Android is frequently updated with new features and not all devices are sold with the same versions.

Also some other topics this guide will cover will be home screen interface, multimedia, the android marketplace, tweaking your android and last but not least security.