Sony Xperia S

SONY XPERIA

S

The Sony Xperia S is my New Andriod Phone.  This is my second Andriod phone since leaving the Apple Iphone Army.  My first was the HTC Incredible S and instead of upgrading to the new HTC ONE, I wanted to try something different.  I have brought Sony before when phones with a link to some of the network providers internet had just began, and loved it! So I looked into the new Sony Xperia S, Sony's first phone since dropping the "Ericsson's" part of their name. I didn't fancy the current king, Samsung Galaxy S as I have always thought, besides the screen, it feels rather cheap and plastic?

First to the specs, these were way better than my HTC Incredible S.  The Sony has a Dual Core Processor, 32GB of ram and a 12 mega pixel camera made me take note.

When you open the box you a greeted by the phone itself first in all its 4.3 inch screen size.  Exploring the contents you find a HDMI cable to plug it into your HD TV.  Also you find a screen protector to add to the one already applied to the screen.

You switch the phone on and the screen powered by the Bravia Engine for mobiles, and it hits you.  I have used the Iphone Retina Display, and phoned this to be as nice to look at even though not the same the Iphone.  

The phone felt nice in my hand and the build quality was evident as it whizzed through the screens with ease using that dual core processor.  

I have used the phone for a week now and have loved using it.  Everyday I have come across little new experiences that my HTC, just didn't do....

The HTC camera and features were good but the Sony felt more like a dedicated camera with its options and new to me, a panorama shot option to take wider photos (which I haves used a LOT!)

Music that I store on it can be instantly streamed to my Sonos home music system, something my HTC couldn't do and also my Iphone, which even has AirPlay!

This phone will be heavily used over the next few weeks which I will use to record footage at the Gadget Show 2012 Live event, and then use to upload to my You Tube channel ChunkyGadgetNews.  So look out for these to see the quality of the 1080p.

For a first attempt on their own, Sony have produced a Winner!!!!

This was partly done with Ericsson's still on board, so I will be interested to see what comes next, but can only do with excitement 

Please leave comments below on your thoughts of the Sony Xperia S or what phone you plan to get and why.  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Please find the full specs and Unboxing Video below

Quick specs

• 144 grams
• 5.1 ounces

• 128.0 x 64.0 x 10.6 mm
• 5.0 x 2.5 x 0.4 inches

• Talk time (up to) 8 hours 30 minutes [1]
• Standby time (up to) 420 hours [1]
• Music listening time: 25 hours [1]

Available colours

• 4.3 inch scratch-resistant TFT touchscreen
• 16 million colours, 1280 x 720 pixels

• Google Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• (Upgrade to Android 4, Ice Cream Sandwich, planned in Quarter 2 2012)
• 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Dual Core processor

• 12.1 megapixel camera with auto focus
• 16x digital zoom, LED flash

• 
  

  
  

HP 8600 Printer

HP OFFICE JET  PRO

8600

Hp have got to that time of the year again when they update their range of printers.  This is the OfficeJet Pro 8600.  For the type of person who wants to print high volume or work in a business environment these range of printers are hard to beat.  

The inks are high capacity and are around 50% cheaper than using the laser Toner alternative.  This is great if you want to stick with the inkjet ranges of paper, but want the savings of a laser.

Inks are around £26 for the black @ 2500 pages while the colours are around £15 for 1500 pages.  This is great value and cheaper than most home photo printers!

It also has all of the new fancy HP features such as eprint, for emailing your documents to the printer and AirPrint so you can print from any Apple device. This unit retails around £200

Please find the tech specs and Unboxing video below.......

Features

Print professional-quality colour for up to 50% lower cost per page than lasers.[1]

• Create professional colour documents for up to 50% lower cost per page than competitive lasers.[1]

• Print documents that resist fading, water and highlighter pen smears with HP Officejet inks.[4],[5]

• Print at ISO (laser comparable) speeds of up to 18 ppm black, 13 ppm colour, using affordable, individual inks.

• Handle high volume print jobs with confidence – up to 25,000-page monthly duty cycle.

Stay productive from virtually anywhere with wireless networking and mobile printing.[2],[3]

• Discover the freedom of HP ePrint – now you can print from virtually anywhere.[3]

• Boost your productivity – access business apps, print forms and control key tasks via the intuitive touchscreen.[6]

• Connect to your network wirelessly or with built-in Ethernet, or connect directly via Hi-speed USB.[2]

• Print e-mails, documents, web pages and more direct from your iPad®, iPhone® or iPod touch® with AirPrint™.[7]

Get more done with a range of efficiency-enhancing business tools.

• Boost productivity – and save time and paper – with automatic two-sided printing and 250-sheet paper tray.

• Send digital faxes direct from your desktop and scan documents directly to a PC, email or network folder.

• Create double-sided flyers, borderless photos, impressive leaflets and other professional-looking materials.

• Select areas to copy using CopyCrop via the touchscreen; easily create and print a one-sided copy of a two-sided ID card.

Archos 10.1 G9 Tablet

Archos 10.1 G9

Tablet

With the smaller model review and unboxed I thought I would do the same with the more powerful 10.1 G9 model.  So here are the Tech Specs and unboxing video.......

Tech Specs
Display characteristics	• 10.1”: 1280 x 800
Application Framework	• Android
Processor	• Standard version: OMAP™ 4 smart multi-core ARM CORTEX A9 at 1GHz. • Turbo version: OMAP™ 4 smart multi-core ARM CORTEX A9 from 1.2GHz to 1.5GHz (at start of 2012). • 3D OpenGL (ES 2.0)
Capacity	• Flash Memory: 8 or 16GB* + microSD Slot (SDHC compatible) • HDD memory: 250GB*
Video Playback1	• MPEG-4 HD (up to 1080p) • MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution) • H.264 HD (HP@L4.2, up to 1080p@30 fps and 1080i/720p@60 fps) With optional plug-in: • Cinema: MPEG2 (up to DVD resolution MP/D1) With the above codecs, the device can play video files with the following extensions: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF
Audio Playback1	• MP3 • WAV (PCM/ADPCM) • AAC3, AAC+ 5.13 • OGG Vorbis • FLAC With optional software plug-in: • AC3 5.1
Photo viewer4	• JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Subtitles	• .srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub formats supported
Webcam	• 720p front camera with 720p encoding
Interfaces	• USB slave: Mobile Transfer Protocol (MTP) • USB host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) (Micro USB/USB Host cable sold separately) • microSD (SDHC compatible) • HDMI output6 (Mini HDMI / HDMI cable sold separately)
Communication protocols	• WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) • Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR
Miscellaneous	• Built-in GPS • Built-in speakers • G-sensor • Compass • Built-in kick stand • Built-in Microphone
Power source	• Internal: Lithium Polymer battery • External: Power adapter/charger
Dimensions & weight	• Flash series: 276 mm x 167 mm x 12.6 mm (10.86 x 6.59 x 0.50 inch) - 649g (23.8 oz) • Hard Drive series: 276 mm x 167 mm x 15.6 mm (10.86 x 6.59 x 0.61 inch) - 755g (27.7 oz)
Battery life	• Music playback time7: up to 36 hrs • Video playback time7: up to 7 hrs • Internet navigation time 7: up to 10 hrs
Scalability7	• Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated • Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com
Minimum system requirements	• Microsoft® Windows® 7, Vista, XP or higher • Mac OS. X with Android Transfer Files application (not included) • Linux with android MTP tool (not included) • USB 2.0 interface
* 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less. 1/ Certain bitrates, resolutions, and/or file variations may not be compatible. 2/ MPEG-4 ASP@L6 (MPEG-4: ISO standard by Moving Picture Experts Group) without GMC. 3/ Does not read AAC protected files. 4/ Certain resolutions and file sizes may not be compatible. 5/ Not all Google applications are available in all countries 6/ External video output disabled for Macrovision®-protected contents. 7/ Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Test run with low backlight.

Amazon Kindle

AMAZON KINDLE

First I have to be really honest.... I don't read a lot of books!

My main interests are reading articles, "geeky magazines" etc...........

But i am mighty impressed behind the technology of the Amazon Kindle.

I have spoken to a lot of people who love to read a LOT of books, but hated caring them around with them because of there size and weight.  At the same time though the hated the thought of losing the paper of books for the electronic ink of the Kindles.

Once they tried it though, they are blown away with the look, feel, weight and most importantly the text on screen, even under the brightest of skies.  

I have to say the same you can't help but be impressed with the ink technology, having to look twice even on opening it up and taking it out of the box.  Why? Well when you take the transparent plastic seal of the front to protect it, you also think you will be taking the instructions on the screen off with it (about plugging it into a computer), only to find out this is actually on the Amazons Kindle Screen!

So if you are a book lover and want a new way of reading I would highly recommend you checking the Kindle out.  Please find below the tech specs and unboxing video.

Display Amazon's 6" diagonal electronic paper display, optimised with proprietary waveform and font technology, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level grey scale. Size 166 mm x 114 mm x 8.7 mm Weight 170 grams System Requirements None, because it's wireless and doesn't require a computer to download content. Storage Up to 1,400 books or 2GB internal (approximately 1.25GB available for user content). Cloud Storage Free cloud storage for all Amazon content. Battery Life A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. Keep wireless always on and it lasts for up to three weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, web browsing, and downloading content. Charge Time Fully charges in approximately 3 hours via the included USB 2.0 cable. UK power adapter sold separately. Wi-Fi Connectivity Supports public and private Wi-Fi networks or hotspots that use the 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security using password authentication or Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS); does not connect to WPA and WPA2 secured networks using 802.1X authentication methods; does not support connecting to ad-hoc (or peer-to-peer) Wi-Fi networks. USB Port USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) Content Formats Supported Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.

IPAD 3

THE IPAD 3

HAS ARRIVED

So a year has passed and now the new IPAD 3 is just a few short days away from landing in our laps.

What's different and is it enough to upgrade???

Main difference for everybody is the new Retina Display.  The new screen will make it feel more like looking at a iPhone.  Apps have been updated to support this, plus new games in High Def to work in partnership with the new quad core gaming graphics.

Other main features won't work for us Brits - as we won't support the speedy 4G.

So again I ask enough for an upgrade???????

If I was buying this new then YES, this  would be the only model I would choose.  The price has come in the same as the last two releases, starting at £399.  The prices of the IPAD 2 models have been reduced, not enough though to make me not go for this model.

I'm not having to buy this for the first time though.  I have an iPad 2 but can't decide if I should upgrade.  Is a new High Def screen enough?????

Archos 80 G9 Tablet

ARCHOS 80 G9 

8GB TURBO 

TABLET

Archos has released its new range of media tablets.  After using the range from last year, I have to admit I really like these new versions.  

They have really ramped up the specs and made them all available at a great price.  I have seen them start from £180 for the 80 G9 8gb version.  Just check out the specs.....

Tech Specs
Display characteristics	• 8”: 1024 x 768
Application Framework	• Android
Processor	• Standard version: OMAP™ 4 smart multi-core ARM CORTEX A9 at 1GHz. • Turbo version: OMAP™ 4 smart multi-core ARM CORTEX A9 from 1.2GHz to 1.5GHz (at start of 2012). • 3D OpenGL (ES 2.0)
Capacity	• Flash Memory: 8 or 16GB* + microSD Slot (SDHC compatible) • HDD memory: 250GB*
Video Playback1	• MPEG-4 HD (up to 1080p) • MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution) • H.264 HD (HP@L4.2, up to 1080p@30 fps and 1080i/720p@60 fps) With optional plug-in: • Cinema: MPEG2 (up to DVD resolution MP/D1) With the above codecs, the device can play video files with the following extensions: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF
Audio Playback1	• MP3 • WAV (PCM/ADPCM) • AAC3, AAC+ 5.13 • OGG Vorbis • FLAC With optional software plug-in: • AC3 5.1
Photo viewer4	• JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Subtitles	• .srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub formats supported
Webcam	• 720p front camera with 720p encoding
Interfaces	• USB slave: Mobile Transfer Protocol (MTP) • USB host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) (Micro USB/USB Host cable sold separately) • microSD (SDHC compatible) • HDMI output6 (Mini HDMI / HDMI cable sold separately)
Communication protocols	• WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) • Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR
Miscellaneous	• Built-in GPS • Built-in speakers • G-sensor • Compass • Built-in kick stand • Built-in Microphone
Power source	• Internal: Lithium Polymer battery • External: Power adapter/charger
Dimensions & weight	• Flash series: 226 mm x 155 mm x 11.7 mm (8.90 x 6.11 x 0.46 inch) - 465g (17 oz) • Hard Drive series: 226 mm x 155 mm x 14.7 mm (8.90 x 6.11 x 0.58 inch) - 599g (21.9 oz)
Battery life	• Music playback time7: up to 36 hrs • Video playback time7: up to 7 hrs • Internet navigation time 7: up to 10 hrs
Scalability7	• Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated • Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com
Minimum system requirements	• Microsoft® Windows® 7, Vista, XP or higher • Mac OS. X with Android Transfer Files application (not included) • Linux with android MTP tool (not included) • USB 2.0 interface
* 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less.  1/ Certain bitrates, resolutions, and/or file variations may not be compatible.  2/ MPEG-4 ASP@L6 (MPEG-4: ISO standard by Moving Picture Experts Group) without GMC.  3/ Does not read AAC protected files.  4/ Certain resolutions and file sizes may not be compatible.  5/ Not all Google applications are available in all countries  6/ External video output disabled for Macrovision®-protected contents.  7/ Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Test run with low backlight.  This gives you access to full flash internet support, full 1080p HD video, front view camera for video calls and of course full access to the Andriod Market. Another great feature on this little device is that you can make it 3G.  This is done by having to purchase an additional 3G USB stick from Archos.  Cost of this on the website is £49 which does add a bit of "ouch" to thinking of adding this function, but again not a lot of tablets out there in this price range even begin to offer this. I really liked using this tablet and enjoyed it experience.  The screen is not like anything you would see on a Samsung or a Apple device but this is a great entry level product that won't cost you the earth! Check out my video unboxing.....

PS VITA UNBOXED

PS VITA UNBOXED!

So Here it is and its now unboxed!!!!! The video shows my getting my new toy out of its box ready for Uncharted!

This little box of tricks looks on first impressions to be a lot of fun.  One of the little things that got me was the size of the game boxes, they are like little versions of the PS3 cases, but look so cute..

Anyway back to the Vita.  This little baby is lovely to hold in your hands,  all the buttons and sticks feel nice and won't break off in seconds.  Inside the box you get the standard contents, plug, instructions and AR cards which gives you a code to go and download some games to show it off.  They are really cool and fun. Fireworks, Diving game and Table Football.  These alone gave me a few hours of gaming and something that I will go back to.

With Uncharted I have played the first chapter and it is awesome! It gets to grips with the new controls quickly and then you start to use them like you always have - I am going to enjoy the next few nights playing out the story.

The Playstation store is up and running and looks already to have a lot of good content on there, allowing you to download full games which are mostly cheaper then buying.  Demos of the games are also there such as FIFA and WipeOut.  This could get addictive and expensive.


All looks good at first impressions and I look forward to getting fully to grips with this little bundle of joy.