Why Smart Watches Will Time Out

There are a huge variety of reasons why Smart Watches won’t work in the mass market. While gimmicky enough to excite the gadget collector, getting the mainstream consumer to buy into them will prove far more difficult. Especially, when they are put in context with better options out there.

Today’s Smart Phones are reaching the maturity of product lifecycle and coming into their own. Smart Phone cameras are actually competing with standalone cameras and not failing. Smart Phone apps are changing our lives in terms of how productive we as a society have become, how we track our movements, where we visit and how we socialise online.

Smart Watches are bad value for money. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch to the iPhone 5S Smart Phone shows the real lack of quality features across the board. What’s worse is the lack of an USP or killer feature.

When developing Smart Watches, someone, somewhere, forget about one major target audience. Women won’t buy a Smart Watch. Why? There simply too ugly, too clunky and not an aspirational enough fashion accessory to justify the price point. And, traditionally far more women than men wear a watch, not just to tell time, but as an adornment. Many women see watches as akin to jewellery.

No one size fits all. Rules to live by in the rag trade, but what the Smart Watch developers haven’t noticed yet. Wrist size varies and so does eyesight. The screens in most Smart Watches are tiny.

In a world where people are always connected, taking the next step and seemingly talking to your wrist out loud might seem logical, but how crazy will you look? A lot of people find it hard to talk to hands-free-kits in the car. Do we honestly think Smart Watches will be the gadget to normalise what is perceived by many to be talking to oneself?

There are numerous early adopters out there. Time will tell how successful they will be but for the most part, don’t expect a stampede, after all, there not iPhones.

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Great Contract Deals On Mobile Phones With Free Gifts

Mobile phones with free gifts are great because they give us something extra which we were not banking on getting. These free gifts can make the difference between choosing one handset or another. This is why a lot of mobile phone companies try to give us free gifts now and again, because they know how big an impact they have.

At the time of writing one of the most popular gifts around is not a free laptop or even a free console; it is in fact the much sought-after Beats by Dre earphones. This is due to the earphones being very high quality and giving you a better user experience. Although free laptops may seem quite appealing, the price of the computer often finds its way into the cost of the contract, which means it is not really free after all. Mobile phones with free gifts are more popular than ever because it is not always that easy to get something for nothing, but you still can if you know where to look.

Finding a Free Gift for You
This article details a lot of great mobile phone deals which come with a free pair of Beats earphones. These handsets are some of the best on the market right now, coupled with a great deal you are sure to love.
Below the contract details you will be shown a little more about the handsets, helping you to understand how they work and why you will be getting an offer which may just be too good to refuse.

Handset: BlackBerry Curve 9320 

Monthly Cost: £14.00
Contract Length: 24 months
Service Provider: O2
Cost of Phone: £29.99
Free Minutes: 50
Texts: Unlimited
Data Allowance: 100MB
Special Offer: Free Beats earphones
Not a bad price contract for this lovely new handset. Ideal if you are not going to be using the phone very often, but great if you want one with you so you can listen to some tunes or your favourite radio show.
Mobile Phone Specifications:
Dimensions and weight: 109 x 60 x 12.7 mm, 103 grams
Screen Size: 2.4 inches, 320 x 240 pixels
Pixel resolution: 164 pixels per inch
Camera: 3.2 mega pixels
Built-in Storage: 512 MB of RAM
Storage Expansion: NO
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1
Battery: 1450 mAh

Handset: Samsung Galaxy Y
Monthly Cost: £14.00

Contract Length: 24 months
Service Provider: O2
Cost of Phone: Free
Free Minutes: 50
Texts: Unlimited
Data Allowance: 100MB
Special Offer: Free Beats earphones
Another nice offer, again not great when it comes to allowances, but ok if you want the peace of mind which having a mobile phone can bring. If you do find that you need to use more texts/data etc. please contact your service provider as they may be able to help.
Mobile Phone Specifications:
Dimensions and weight: 104 x 58 x 11.5 mm, 98 grams
Screen Size: 3.0 inches, 240 x 320 pixels
Pixel resolution: 133 pixels per inch
Camera: 2 mega pixels
Built-in Storage: 0.16 GB
Storage Expansion: Up to 32 GB
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Chip and Processor:
Battery: 1200 mAh

Handset: Samsung Galaxy Ace - 37
Monthly Cost: £14.00
Contract Length: 24 months
Service Provider: O2
Cost of Phone: £19.99
Free Minutes: 50
Texts: Unlimited
Data Allowance: 100MB
Special Offer: Free Beats earphones
A very good deal if you love to text as ‘unlimited’ can mean you are able to send anything between 3,000 and 5,000 texts each month.
Mobile Phone Specifications:
Dimensions and weight: 112.4 x 59.9 x 11.5 mm, 113 grams
Screen Size: 3.5 inches, 320 x 480 pixels
Pixel resolution: 165 pixels per inch
Camera: 5 mega pixels
Built-in Storage: 0.158 GB
Storage Expansion: Up to 32 GB
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0
Battery: 1350 mAh

Handset: HTC Windows Phone 8S
Monthly Cost: £19.00
Contract Length: 24 months
Service Provider: 3
Cost of Phone: £19.99
Free Minutes: 500
Texts: 5,000
Data Allowance: 250MB
Special Offer: Free Beats earphones
This has to be one of the better deals on offer right now as you can make use of a very high number of texts and a lot of minutes; perfect for people who love to stay in touch.
Mobile Phone Specifications:
Dimensions and weight: 120.5 x 63 x 10.28 mm, 113 grams
Screen Size: 4.0 inches
Pixel resolution: 233 pixels per inch
Camera: 5 mega pixels
Built-in Storage: 4 Gb
Storage Expansion: Up to 32 GB
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth EDR
Battery: 1700 mAh

Handset: Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Monthly Cost: £31.00
Contract Length: 24 months
Service Provider: 3
Cost of Phone: £19.99
Free Minutes: 2,000
Texts: 500
Data Allowance: Unlimited
Special Offer: Free Beats earphones
This is the best deal we have come across so far. Ok, so it may cost £31 a month, but with that you will have an incredible 2,000 free minutes, 500 texts and an unlimited data allowance, making this offer great value for money.
Mobile Phone Specifications:
Dimensions and weight: 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94 mm, 107 grams
Screen Size: 4.3 inches, 540 x 960 pixels
Pixel resolution: 256 pixels per inch
Camera: 8 mega pixels
Built-in Storage: 8 GB
Storage Expansion:
GPS: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 EDR
Battery: 1900 mAh

Everyone Loves Mobile Phones with Free Gifts
It is easy to see why everyone loves mobile phones with free gifts. These great handsets give us the chance to get online, play a wide range of games, download hundreds of apps and enjoy everything the phone has to offer. What is more, the music-mad people out there will love the Beats earphones as they give you a better quality sound to enjoy every time you use them.

Have a good look at the range of mobile phones which offer this great free gift and choose one you know is going to do you proud. Take a good look at the specified contract, but do not be afraid to take a look for another one if you think you can get a better deal. Make sure the contract has a free pair of earphones with it, or you could miss out.

Phil Turner did not realise how many mobile phones with free gifts were available on the market until he visited comparison sites like uSwitch.com.

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6 Reasons To Love The Sony Z1

The Sony Xperia Z1 could well be one of the best handsets on the market right now. When you glance at the phone you can clearly see that it has got a lot to offer, but what exactly do people love about the Sony Z1, and why has it become such a popular handset?

6 Good Reasons
Here are 6 reasons why this particular handset is a major player in the smartphone industry right now:

1. It is waterproof – This incredibly good looking handset will do you proud, especially if you are inclined to drop your new phones in a puddle or like me, spill something over it. Not only will this smartphone cope with being submerged for a short while, but it will in actual fact be able to cope with being dunked in 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes. I reckon that is pretty good. The Sony Xperia Z also comes with this feature, but the sad fact is that unless the handset’s little flaps were closed, the handset was not particularly waterproof at all. Even if you accidentally dropped your Xperia Z in a puddle, you could not claim off the warranty if the flap which covered the headphone jack was left open. The good news is the Z1 is different, and you won’t need any flaps to be shut in order for the waterproof feature to work. This is also great news if you want to talk while it is raining, a lot of people are hesitant to use their handset when the heavens open, but the Z1 makes it ok to do just that, so do not be worried, go ahead and talk away until you are drenched to the skin.


2. The big screen – These days we like our handsets to come with big screens, this is so we can enjoy watching movies without having to strain our eyes. The Sony Z1 not only comes with an impressive 5 inch screen, but it also happens to be a pretty good screen. With a high resolution display which measures 1080 x 1920 pixels, you will have no problem making out a lot of detail. What is more the pixel per inch density is a very impressive 441, which means you can enjoy a lot of colours and clarity, no matter what you watch.


3. The very long lasting battery – Some mobile phones are notoriously known to use the battery up very quickly. This is usually due to a lot of apps working in the background, and a wide variety of other functions that makes the handset so good. The Xperia Z1 is as different as it comes, with a very impressive 850 hours of standby time and 13 hours of talk time, which means you will not have to charge the battery any time soon.


4. The availability of apps - As with a lot of smartphones, you will have the chance to download a wide variety of apps. With the Xperia Z1, you can expect to be able to download more than 100,000 different apps, so you can work or play whenever and wherever you wish. The Google Play store comes with a wide variety of apps, but they are not always suitable for every handset, this is where the Z1 differs as you can download just about any Android app out there.


5. A huge memory capacity - None of us like to own a handset which severely limits the amount of music, pictures and videos we can store on it. With the Sony Xperia Z1, you will find it hard to use up a whole load of memory, thanks to its 16GB of built-in storage and the opportunity for you to expand it by an amazing 64GB, now that is pretty good. You will have to buy a microSDHC, microSD or a microSDCX card if you want to expand the memory, but if you want an extra 64GB, it will be well worth the cost.


6. The 20.7 mega pixel camera – Need I say more? This makes the Z1 ideal if you love to take pictures or shoot videos. Not too long ago, phones which came with an 8 mega pixel camera were considered the norm, and while some new handsets still offer us less than 10 mega pixels, this delightful Sony handset truly is a cut above the rest. Take a picture or two, throw in a video so you can be reminded when your mate did that, and store it on your handset safe in the knowledge your pictures and videos will look good, and you will be able to make out an incredible amount of detail every single time.

Will You Buy The Sony Z1?
Chances are if you have read this far down the page, you are interested in buying the Sony Xperia Z1. The good news is there are a lot of great offers out there, which means you will be able to choose from a wide variety of contracts or Pay As You Go deals. But before you decide to sign on the dotted line, here is a little bit of information about what could potentially be the best handset you ever buy:

Features and Specifications
Released: September 2013
Dimensions and weight: 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm (H, W, D), 170 grams
Operating System: Android 4.3
Camera and features: 20.7 mega pixels, LED flash, auto focus, image stabilisation, digital zoon, panorama, self-timer.
Chip and processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 and Quad core, 2200 MHz
Memory: 16GB of built-in storage and the opportunity to expand up to 80GB with a 64GB microSDHC, microSD or a microSDCX card.
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot, USB 2.0, computer sync and tethering

If you are looking for a really good handset which is as durable and easy to use as they come, you won’t go far wrong with the Sony Xperia Z1. The six reasons to love the Z1 are but only a few of the many great reasons to buy this phone, and if you are lucky enough to get your hands on this incredible handset, you will discover there are many more great reasons.

Phil Turner wanted a smartphone with a large screen for easy viewing so he opted to purchase the Sony Z1 after reading reviews on sites such as uSwitch.

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8 Reasons To Choose A Walkman Phone

Wondering if a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone is for you? You'll be making a solid buy; read on to find out the great reasons why you should consider going Walkman.

You LOVE Music
Are you the kind of person who always has headphones in? Never without your own personal soundtrack? Walkman phones are designed with cutting edge sound technology to make sure that you've always got the sound quality that you need to play your tracks. From bass boosters to intuitive media players (don't worry, we'll tell you more about features in a minute) you're going to know that you're getting the best music phone around.

Awesome Sound Features
Want to know more about all those sound features? Check out some of these. SensMe is Sony's proprietary software that indexes tracks by their tempo and rhythm. This means that you can decide that you want to listen to “relaxing” music or “gym” music, and be sure that you're going to get a playlist that gives you the mood that you want when you want it, without needing to design that list yourself. How's that for convenient? TrackID means that you'll always know what you're listening too, no matter what it is. Not only that, TrackID works obviously for your own music, but it also allows you to clip a song from the Internet, or even hold your phone up to a speaker and find out exactly what's playing so you can find out what that great new song is.

What about Shake Me? If you are tired of designing playlists and love your music, but want to shake things up a little, then Shake Me is for you. Simply take your phone and shake it. Your tracks will automatically randomise so that you get to hear your music in a whole new way.

Sweet Style
Walkman phones aren't bad looking either. Whether you're looking for a traditional keypad phone, a touch screen smartphone or even a cool slide phone that gives you a great screen as well as that keypad, you won't be disappointed with Sony. There are models out there for everyone; all you need to do is choose which one's right for you. Tired of all the boring black phones on the market? Again, Sony's got you covered. With models coming in colours from pink to red to green, you can have a phone that's truly eye catching and that will definitely make a splash.

It's not all about colour and shape though. Walkman phones have great build quality and smooth, curvaceous design that will make your mouth water. Just because you want to listen to your music doesn't mean that you should compromise when it comes to looks.

Save Yourself Some Cash
With so many phones these days costing hundreds of pounds, one of the greatest things about going for a Walkman phone is that you can really save yourself some cash. You can get a mobile with great sound quality for under £50, and even a high end model is only going to cost you around £150 or so. If you're on a limited budget but still want a great phone, then these price tags are really going to appeal to you.

Walkman Features
Think that because you want a great music phone that you're going to need to compromise on other features? Not necessarily. There are so many Walkman models around that you're going to find the phone that you want with no worries. What kind of features are we talking about?

The choice is yours. Want a cool 8 MP camera? Try the W995 model. 2G, 3G? Both are available. How much internal memory are you looking for? It doesn't really matter, Sony has you covered however much storage space you want. And all the Walkman models take extra external memory, so you can always grab an affordable memory stick and increase your phone's memory capacity so that you can hold even more albums in your hand.

The Easiest Media Player
Media players can be complicated to use, fiddly and difficult to get your head around. With the patented Walkman media player you're not going to have these worries. Your media player is going to be intuitive and easy to use, and if you go for a touch screen model then you're going to get a truly simple drag and drop player. It doesn't get much easier than that. Want to find out more about what you're in for? Check out this link here, and read all about Sony's awesome media players.

Stereo Buttons
Something that can be truly annoying about using your phone as a music player is that you've got to open your phone, find your app and find your track all before you get to listen to your tunes. With a Sony, you're not going to have this problem. All the music phones in the line have a dedicated music button, so you can just press and go. Playing music really doesn't get any easier than this.

Nice Extras
Sometimes it's the little things that make the difference, and a Sony Ericsson isn't going to let you down. There are all kinds of sweet extra features put into the design and software that are really going to impress you. Our personal favourite is the kick stand on some of the higher end models. This means that you can stand your phone up and broadcast your music with great projection, because sometimes you just want to share your songs, right?

For true music lovers, a Sony Ericsson Walkman phone is going to be an awesome buy. If we haven't yet persuaded you yet, go check out a few models for yourself. The effortless combination of style, features and rocking music playing is sure to convert you. The best part is that you'll get an all-around great phone, so you won't need to make compromises in order to get the fantastic sound quality that you're looking for.

Phil Turner was looking for a phone for his daughter with great music features, so after a bit of research he opted for one of the Sony Ericsson Walkman models.

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A True Budget Phone - The Samsung Tocco Lite

Maybe you are looking for a great phone for your child, maybe you need something cheap and simple to hold a pay as you go SIM card, but if you are on a limited budget, then the Samsung Tocco Lite is going to be a great option for you. In this article, we will tell you more about the Tocco, so that you can see if it is the deal for you.

The Samsung Tocco Lite - What You Need to Know
Firstly, and most importantly, the Samsung Tocco Lite is only going to cost you around £60 or so, so it truly is a budget friendly phone. The Tocco is not a real smartphone, but unlike most traditional mobile phone models, it is a fully touch screen model, so you will get all the convenience of a touch screen without the hassle of a owning a smartphone.

What does the Tocco have to offer then? You can get a full run down on the Tocco here, but we will give you the essentials right now. The Tocco has a great three inch LCD touch screen, with nice resolution so you will always get a great picture. It is a non-3G model, though it is 2G capable, so you do not need to worry about data plans or Internet access. By far the greatest feature on the Tocco is its awesome camera. It has a 3.2 MP camera which even has a 4x digital zoom, making it one of the best budget cameras on the market. There are so many camera features that it is tough to list them all here. You will get different shot modes as well as different general modes such as sepia or black and white pictures. You can even edit your pictures by adding frames to them or clip art to make fantastic shots.

The camera on the Tocco can also shoot video as well, so it really is the perfect budget phone camera.
You might think that internal memory on the Tocco is limited, and it is only 102 MB. Do not worry about that though, since you can add a little SD card and get yourself up to a massive 16 GB of external extra memory.
Finally, the included software on the Tocco is pretty awesome too. You get a great media player with 3D sound technology which can play either music tracks or video. You will find a document editor too, and tons of games to play, of course. Then there is voicemail, group calling and speakerphone as well, your cup doth truly run over.

The Benefits of Owning the Tocco
In today's world of smartphones with big screens and fast Internet access it may be worth remembering that there are benefits to owning a phone such as the Tocco.

Let's deal with the question of Internet access first. Firstly, there are people who just do not want to access the Internet over their phone. This includes people who are buying a mobile for their child and do not want that child to have full and unrestricted Internet access with all the dangers which it may pose. Also, many older customers are not interested in having a mobile Internet connection. Remember that mobile data is generally the most expensive part of a mobile calling plan and adds significantly to your bill, so being able to skip that altogether in your mobile contract is going to save you plenty of cash on top of what you have already saved by buying the Tocco rather than a more expensive model.

Unlike most traditional phone models, the Tocco is a touch screen phone, which means that it is easier to use, more intuitive and also more convenient. There will be no more scrolling through menus, since you can simply touch an icon, adding simplicity to the list of the Tocco's great characteristics.

Finally, the Samsung Tocco Lite is a small phone. It does not need to accommodate a huge screen, which means that it is much more portable. It only measures around ten by five centimetres and weighs just 93 grams, so it will be easy to carry around with you, and you can slip it into your shirt pocket, unlike many a large smartphone model these days.

What About the Competition?
The thing with the Tocco Lite is that there really is not any competition at all; it is quite unique in what it has to offer. Usually when we look at competing phone models we are comparing mobiles which sell for around the same price, and of course there are models which are similarly priced to the Tocco.

Out of these though, all but one are physical keypad phones with no touch screens, so they are unable to compete with the Tocco. The exception is the Alcatel OT 903, which sells for around £10 more than the Tocco. This is a full smartphone running an Android operating system, so again it is not really a good comparison. If you are looking for Internet access and all that goes with it, the larger bills, the risk of your child seeing things which he or she should not see and more, then by all means go with the Alcatel model. For those who are looking for a decent, traditional phone, then it is going to have to be the Tocco.

Budget Buyers Rejoice
If you are looking for an excellent compromise between a traditional phone and a smartphone, then the Samsung Tocco Lite must be your only choice. You get a lot of features for a small price.

This is not just a great kid's phone either. Many people choose the Tocco for convenience's sake. For example, maybe you have a great work smartphone, but you are looking to get a cheap model to run a personal SIM card, then the Tocco will be perfect. Maybe you often travel, and need a budget phone to run a local SIM card wherever you are so that you can save on mobile roaming charges, again the Tocco is going to be perfect.

The Tocco Lite is a true budget phone, and one which you should definitely consider when you are mobile phone shopping.

Phil Turner needed a decent budget phone and after visiting websites like uSwitch, he decided on the Samsung Tocco Lite which came at a great price.

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3 Top Windows Mobile Phones Compared

The Windows operating system has received much praise since its launch a few years ago. It has certainly started to compete with both Android and iOS smartphones. The interface is very simple, providing intuitive navigation through the live tile system. With Windows 8 arriving we see the mobile environment mirroring the desktop and laptop environment. This really is a plus for the operating system as it makes it easier for consumers to understand and use both systems.

We have also seen Windows phones get cheaper and cheaper. We now have phones in the mid-range of the market, and also pay-as-you-go phones on Windows.It made sense that Microsoft launch the platform with just one or two premium end smartphones but now, they have a diverse range of phones all running Windows.

In this article will take a look at three of the top Windows phones on the market.

Windows Mobile Phones
It is difficult to make a judgement about which phone is best, or even to develop a top three list. This is because different people look for different things in phones. If you were comparing phones across operating systems it would be even more difficult. When it comes to Windows the easiest way to compare is through user reviews, industry reviews and specifications. When you take these areas into consideration the top three phones on the market are actually Nokia Lumia devices.

The Nokia Lumia 1520
The Nokia Lumia 1520 has been very well reviewed by industry reviewers. It was released on 22 October 2013, and runs off the Windows 8 operating system. As Windows mobile phones go it is incredible.

Hardware
The phone comes with a quad core 2200 MHz processor. It also comes with 2 MB of RAM. It is the smoothest experience of Windows on any phone which has come onto the market.

The Display
The display on the phone is six inches, it is, therefore, almost in tablet territory. The pixel resolution is 1080×1920 pixels, which provides a cracking display that is, frankly, beautiful. You will have no problems reading small text or problems with clarity of images. At extreme angles the consistency of pictures will remain excellent and here is very little distortion.

The Battery
The battery on the phone is also extraordinary. You have up to 768 hours of standby time. You also have 27.4 hours of talk time. Compared to the average smartphone these numbers are brilliant.

The Camera
The Nokia Lumia 1020 camera has over twice the mega pixels of the Nokia Lumia 1520. Nevertheless, the Nokia Lumia 1520 has a very good 20 megapixel camera that is right up there at the top end of specifications in the industry.

Verdict on the Lumia 1520
This device has received industry reviews of 9/10, putting it firmly at the top end of Windows mobile phones.

The Nokia Lumia 720
Nokia Lumia 720 was announced on 25 February 2013. Again it runs the Windows 8 operating system. It is more of a mid-range than premium phone, and has received rave reviews from industry pundits and users alike.

The Hardware
This phone comes with a dual core 1000 MHz processor. It has 512 MB RAM. Considering the price point at which it comes this is a very impressive set of specifications. It is worth noting that the Windows operating system tends to be less heavy on processing power and Android phones so these specifications do go a long way.

The Display
The display on the phone is 4.3 inches and 480 x 800 pixel resolution. It is a top display at this price point in the industry. It is vibrant, clear and performs very well in direct sunlight conditions. It is of course not top spec in the industry; but then you would not expect it for the price you are paying for this phone.

The Camera
The camera on this phone is 6.7 megapixels and takes great pictures. It will not give you the best quality pictures nor the kind of clarity you would expect at the premium end of the market, but pictures will be enough for social networking and most basic needs. It also takes video of 1280 × 720 pixels.

The Battery
The battery on the phone is solid. It offers 504 hours of standby time and 23.4 hours of talk time.

Verdict
Of all the Windows mobile phones this is perhaps the best value on the market. Industry reviewers often give it 9/10, factoring in the tremendous value it offers.

The Nokia Lumia 920
This phone was announced on 5 September 2012. It runs Windows Phone 8.

The Hardware
This phone comes with a dual core 1500 MHz processor and 1 MB RAM. It provides a solid and smooth experience.

Display
The 920 has a 4.5 inch display with 768×1286 resolution. When the phone was released it was up there at the premium end of the market. Things move so fast that it is perhaps a little bit below par these days. However, it still does provide a very good experience.

The Camera
This phone comes with an 8.7 megapixel camera which can take videos of 1920 × 1080 pixels. The pictures taken by the camera are very good, although in lowlight conditions you can have some problems getting the best quality image; but then you do with most smartphone cameras.

The Battery
The battery on this phone is adequate. It offers 460 hours of standby time and 18.6 hours of talk time.

The Verdict
Industry reviews of this phone give it 9/10. When released it was a simply cracking phone and it still is extremely good.

When you are looking at the top Windows mobile phones you have to factor in the Nokia Lumia 1020. It has a 41 megapixel camera and is simply astonishing in this regard. You also should be looking at the HTC phones. You can pick up real bargains on phones such as the HTC 8XT. Windows mobile phones are getting better and better. The operating system is clearly starting to make its mark in the smartphone industry.

Phil Turner wanted to move from an iOS phone to one of the many Windows mobile phones on the market so he checked out comparisons on websites including uSwitch to see which phone would best suit him.

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The Burning Question: How Can I become an iPhone Developer?

If you are in anyways related to the programming or development filed and are planning to move to towards iPhone development, and then there are some other considerations also other than having grip over basic programming skills. As you know that the iPhone applications and software market is booming significantly, and new updates and additional plug-ins are launched almost every day. If you can quickly compare the iPhone application of today with that installed in iPhone 2 or 3, then you will surely find a significant difference in many respects.

It is because of the fact that not only the exterior and interior hardware of the device is changing, it’s processing and adaptability is also changing significantly and speedily. For this reason, programmers with obsolete knowledge of applications and games are no more welcomed in the field of developing, and they are required to upgrade their programming toolbox and knowledge. Some of the basic things, from the many, that you will require to get command over for becoming an iPhone app developer are as under:

Get a Mac Device

Mac is a type of operating system that all Apple devices use, including the iPhone. It is like a backbone of Apple, and therefore, you need to have command over this operating system, and not just the one you are using currently. Windows is a common operating system and it is able to perform almost any job using this operating platform, but iPhone development. All your programming and other development skills will be tested on the Mac operating system and you will have to be aligned to all upgrades in the Mac OS.

Command over SDK

Do you think that object oriented programming is enough to be an iPhone app developer? Think again then. There is a command toolkit for every device that carries a set of programming protocols. This can be considered as the special language for that particular device, which carried some codes and variables that apply to the particular device only. For this reason, other than your command over C language, Java or any other programming language, you will have to learn the software Development Kit (SDK). For testing and implementing the language protocols, you will need the Mac system, and this gain defines the importance of having a Mac device.

App Submission

You app will not be registered until you sent a file of it to the Apple app store for submission. The company wants to ensure that your application does not have any offensive or inappropriate content or images that can dilute the repute of the company. There are a number of applications that have been released without permission of Apple, but such applications can be banned at any time, and the developer or the sponsoring company can also be charged for it. For this reason, it is important that you follow the parameters set by the brand you want to target and generate your revenue from.

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The Best Mobile Tracking Software of All Times

Mobile technology came into an evolution and mobile spy software has become a trend in the recent years. Many of the mobile consumers have become very interested in using mobile spy software and with the growing numbers of the services that are made available online, the choices are numerous. In order to give the mobile consumers the ability to make an informed and wise purchasing decision on which mobile spy software to subscribe to, here is the best mobile tracking software of all times that you can choose from.

Netspysoftware

If you need a reliable spy software program that can help you monitor your loved ones and employees and to extend a more efficient parental control over your children anywhere they may be, the Netspysoftware provides you a monitoring application that offers reliable tracking features at an affordable subscription rate. The spy software can help its users to remotely track down calls, messages and multimedia files with innovative features that perform its tasks on a silent mode. The mobile spy app has great functionalities that are capable of monitoring your children’s mobile browsing activity and you can selectively restrict the access to some websites not suited to your child’s age. It is capable of sending you alerts on important activities that you want to closely monitor on the tracked phone too. The app also has a GPS feature that can track down the monitored device’s location in real time which is perfect in monitoring your field employees and love ones’ whereabouts, giving you reliable spy software and tracking program that works to your satisfaction.

Mobistealth

If you need mobile spy software that will not falter in its performance even without GPS connectivity, Mobistealth is a good spy app to consider. It is powered with surveillance tools and features that can track down the monitored phone even without an internet connection. In the absence of a WiFi connection, the app will continue to track and record the activities that are taking place on the monitored phone which helps the user not to miss important tracking data. The spy software tracks the web browsing history on the monitored device and you can listen on every call that is received or made from the phone including the sound from its surroundings. Among the other features from the spy software include SIM change notification, retrieval of the multimedia files and documents, call log, and messaging tracking.

mSpy

This is powerful mobile tracking software that can provide its users the ability to monitor a target device on a stealth mode. The spy software tracks down all the activity in the monitored phone and sends feedback immediately to the remote account that is connected to the spy software. Even when the history of the monitored calls or messages sent and received from the device have been deleted, the spy app has already made a detailed report on the tracked mobile phone that you can later on retrieve from your mSpy account. You can also remotely control the monitored device using your mSpy account and have the capability of deleting the mobile data stored in it or to remotely password protect the phone.

My Mobile Watchdog

This mobile application is tailored to deliver parental control features. The app provides parents the ability to block certain mobile applications including the camera and mobile browser on the phone. You can also block other applications on the device like social networking apps, mobile games and instant messaging. It also helps to limit the time that children can spend on using the device. Its monitoring features include GPS tracking, call log and messages reports and sending alerts about specific activities that are of primary concern to parents. It is easy to access control over the blocked applications on the phone by locking it down with a password and you can grant temporary access to those apps as well.
  
Xnspy

This is a small yet powerful app, it has great stealth features and is discrete from the get go. Using little resources this app ensures that the device owner does not face slow device performance and battery issues. Having extensive monitoring and tracking features such as location tracking, call recording, remote app blocking, usage scheduling and many others make this app useful in a multitude of scenarios from concerned parents wanting to watch over their kids to smart employers wanting better management and productivity to personal data security and partial backup. Xnspy provides smart features to automate your monitoring and tracking tasks, leaving you to work on other important things. It has powerful failsafe features that can prove invaluable in worst case scenarios of loss or theft of the device – remotely lock the device or wipe all data preventing anyone from viewing the private and confidential information stored on the smartphone or tablet. This app works hard so that you can take it easy.

Stealth Genie

This mobile spy software is capable of running on a monitored phone silently. As it records the surroundings of the target phone and all calls that are being made and received, no traces of tracking software can be detected. It is a good monitoring spy app on mobile that you can use to silently track down employee productivity and even cheating spouse’s activities. It gives you a 360 degrees view on the saved bookmarks from the mobile browser as well as the internet browsing history on the device.

Spy Bubble

The application has a geo location tracking capability and live call monitoring specialty that runs stealth, leaving your spying activities undetected. The app usually sends the latest updates on its features and functionalities to its users to further enhance their mobile spying experience. It has an auto logging feature that keeps track and record all mobile activities in real time with detailed reports that you can retrieve later on from your Spy Bubble account.

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Top 5 Most Popular Free Games In Nederland

All games have come a long way over the years. Nowadays you can see people from all walks of life playing games in public vehicles and in waiting rooms trying to beat their best scores. In Nerdeland, gratis spelletjes have become popular. The market is also flooded with a variety of games and more games are still developed every day to keep the pace of the market demand. Here are the top 5 most popular free games in Nederland.

Angry birds

This is the most interesting and popular game which is available for free on Androids. The most important reason of its popularity is about its addictive nature and easy in playing. it has a mixture of humor and cute graphics with well designed physics. This has made it to be the most popular in Nederland among all gratis spelletjes available. It involves some angry birds as the name suggests where by a gamer tries to destroy pigs and angry birds. It was developed by Rovio, it has been downloaded over 100 million times and it has been rated 5 out of 5 for its fun experience that makes you to play again and again. 

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is also one of the top 5 most popular games in Nederland, just close to Angry birds and it involves swiping over the screen and cutting the fruits thrown into the air. The more you swipe them and not allowing them to fall down the more points you get. It is not free although not expensive. If you have a certain penchant for slicing fruit, it can be great for you. You only need to be cutting the fruits by swiping across the screen. It can sometimes sound dull but after the inclusion of bombs and other elements you can be addicted to it and continue playing. This game was developed by Half Bake studios and it has been downloaded over 20 million times and it gets a rating of 4 out of 5 because of its popularity.

WordsWithFriends

This is another popular game that lets you to play with friends and opponents with or without Android operating system. For instance you can use Android and play it with a friend using an iPhone. It is the only game with this feature and it is free to download.

Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump is one of the hottest mobile games. It is simple and easy to play by just tilting your phone from left to right without pressing any button and trying to jump to different platforms while being attacked by enemies. You therefore avoid these enemies as you jump from one platform to another. It is a real fun game and addicting.

Bejeweled

Bejeweled is another popular gratis spelletjes in Nederland but very difficult to defeat. You are required to match the gems, making horizontal and vertical lines during a timed play that adds pressure element. It has been in the market for quite some time and it has a rating of 4 out of 5.

Other than the above mentioned most popular free games in Nederland, you can also get other games which are equally interesting, depending on your desire. You can explore the different types of games, compare them, get informed about the newest trends and other advanced games being released. There are several free games in Nederland you can choose from. However, let’s face it, you will get some favorite and fall for them. You might therefore be having a personal preference of gratis spelletjes, because there are thousands of free games in the market.

Shopon is an online game enthusiast and programmer. He is also a blogger and works to popularize online game. He was awarded for his contribution in the field of online gaming industry.

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The Evolution of Music and Video Content Consumption

Question: How many ways are there to consume music today?
Answer: More than you can guess. The way we consume content, including music, has undergone a few changes in the past decade or so. As recently as the years between 2000 and 2005, we connected to the Internet at a speed of about 56 kbps. Today, Internet connection speeds average about 2.6 mbps. What seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread in 2000 would seem so frustratingly slow that today’s users would be utterly appalled by the length of time it took to load a single web page. Thanks to the speed at which we can connect to the world at large, we’re consuming a great deal of content in new ways.

Desktop PCs, while still used in business and office settings, as well as many homes, are often a last resort to mobile users. We prefer to connect on the go, without being chained to a desk, using devices such as smartphones and tablets. We’re consuming the majority of our content today digitally. Whether it’s music, video, news or even books—we turn to the World Wide Web first. Take a look at the infographic below for more details on how content consumption has evolved over the past 10 to 15 years.

TorchBrowser is a free and unique software that offers you powerful browsing together with built-in media downloading and sharing features.

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How To Submit Software, Mobile App and Game On Softpedia

Softpedia is a site where you can find computer programs and technology based articles. It's owned by SoftNews NET SRL, a Romanian company. It was launched in 2001. My programs have been reviewed by the Softpedia editors thrice. I submit my programs whenever they are ready to be released.

I have been asked a few times about this(how to submit..). It's pretty easy to submit your programs to Softpedia all you have to do is fill the form fields and submit.

They have different pages to submit for different platforms such as Windows, Linux, Mac etc.

Submit Windows Softpedia

Submit Games and Tools

Submit Mac OS Software

Submit Linux Software

Submit Mobile App

NOTE : you can submit your java programs in any section except Mobile.

Make sure you go to the right page, if you have a PAD file for your software already just fill the PAD form fields and submit if not fill the regular submission forms and submit. Don't forget to give your regular email address they'll send you an email when your program has been published.

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Instagram Launches Direct Messaging Service

 
Instagram launches a new feature called Instagram Direct, with that you can send pictures/videos to your friends individually.

Today, we’re excited to bring you Instagram Direct, a new way to send photo and video messages to friends.

How To Use It?

First Take a picture/video > apply filter if you want > once you're up to share screen you will see something like a tab page called "Direct" at the top.

When you select "Direct" it'll take you to Direct-user interface where you can add people you would like to share your picture/video. You must be following the person you want to share the picture/video with.

When you're done with it, tap on the green button at the top.

Watch Instagram’s co-founder Kevin Systrom Announcing Instagram Direct



Read Instagram's offcial blog post about Instagram Direct

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Asia On Track to Be Biggest Cloud Consumer

According to recent studies on cloud data usage conducted by Cisco, North Americans are currently the biggest consumers of cloud data, transmitting around 261 Exabytes of data per year. The Asia Pacific region is the next biggest consumer, transmitting 216 Exabytes of data in 2011. An Exabyte is one billion gigabytes. If that sounds like a lot of data, that’s because it is – but it’s a tiny amount compared to how much analysts believe will be used by 2016.

Cloud usage is growing more rapidly in Asia than it is in North America, so by 2016 the Asia Pacific region will be the biggest consumer of cloud data, handling 1.5 Zettabytes of data per year. That’s one and a half billion terabytes worth of data. North America will be handling 1.1 Zettabytes, with Western Europe not far behind, and also hitting the one Zettabyte barrier.

Cloud computing is a huge industry, and as this infographic shows it’s only going to get bigger as more and more industries start heading online. Software as a Service is already a ubiquitous idea, with email, messaging and even accounting products heading “always online”. Don’t miss out on the cloud revolution.

Produced by CWCS

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