PhoneLon

When recording some video this week I thought it would be helpful to have one of those things you see on movie sets that have the take number and movie info and they clap the top down to make a clicking sound at the beginning of a take. These things are called clappers or slates.

When recording some video this week I thought it would be helpful to have one of those things you see on movie sets that have the take number and movie info and they clap the top down to make a clicking sound at the beginning of a take. These things are called clappers or slates. I checked in the App Store and found a few to choose from. I chose this app for quality look of screenshots, high start rating and the ability to install both on an iPhone and iPad. The app is $9.99 and allows you to easily insert all kinds of info to be displayed on the slate. They include a lot of camera info like ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Framerate, etc. More features allow you to enter information on the movie like location, Producer, Director, etc.

Once you’re date is entered, you just tap the OPEN SLATE button and you get this:

To enter the info, you get nice big fonts and color settings for better viewing options:

Google Android. That little green robot has been propping up everywhere recently but what’s it all about and why is it the fastest growing smartphone operating system in the market right now?

Simply put Android is an operating system for smartphones (and now tablet PC’s) developed by Google in 2008 as the answer to the continued dominance of Apple’s award winning iPhone. It didnt quite work out that way initially but nowadays Android is the word on everyones lips with many smartphone manufacturers from HTC and Samsung turning to Google’s product to run their latest phones.

 

The Samsung Galaxy S II, HTC Desire HD, Sony Ericsson Xperia Play have all been big handsets in the last several months and all of them have shipped with varying updates of the Android operating system (we’ve had versions ranging from Cupcake all the way through to Ice Cream Sandwich so far – we’re thinking someone at Google has a sweet tooth!)
But there’s more than just the cute names and funny robot – Android OS can run multiple applications at the same time, whether in built apps or those from Android Market. Listen to music whilst browsing the internet, play a game whilst also on facebook, mutli-tasting is effortless on Android and with the introduction of new dual-core handsets like the Galaxy S II, this is only set to get easier.

Talking on the Android Marketplace – Googles apps store now boasts over 250,000 3rd party applications ready to download to your phone and improve your mobile phone experience. From the hugely popular Angry Birds puzzle game (they’re angry over evil green pigs stealing their eggs apparently) to apps like  Shazam which identifies a song on the radio for you – Android have catered for all smarpthone needs – entertainment, productivity, Utility and communication. And that’s not even mentioning all the built in apps like Facebook, Twitter and Google Maps.

But it’s not just Google Maps – one of Android’s biggest selling points is it’s full Google integration including Gmail, Google Talk,, YouTube, Google Calendar, and Google Search. Oh and not to forget Google Goggles!

 

So that’s it – Android in a nutshell. There’s plenty more features of the little green robot but we won’t ruin the fun of finding them out for yourself. But if you are after more information be sure to check out our new Android OS page as part of our ‘Smarten up’ campaign or check out all our latest Android phones here.

Ever since the iPhone 4 first hit shelves last Summer, questions, rumours, theories and more have been circlating concerning what Apple had planned for its successor. Will it have a bigger screen? NFC? 3D tech on board? Will it be called the iPhone 5 to mirror the world beating features or will it carry a 4S moniker to match a more incremental spec bump (akin to Ipad vs. iPad 2)? All these questions and more have been on the tip of consumers tongues for over a year and all look set to be answered on Tuesday 4th of October with Apple’s announcement that they will be holding a press conference in less than a week with the non too cryptic tag line of “Let’s Talk iPhone”.

Exciting stuff indeed. So what will the Cupertino outfit unveil on Tuesday to match the already announced (and already impressive) iOS5? Well, in short,we don’t know. But, you can bet your house on us being on hand to cover the press conference in full, live as it unfolds, to bring you all the details. What we do know is that the competitive landscape for smartphones has certainly stepped up a notch since the iPhone 4’s debut back in June. Android’s finest wares – namely the Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation – give the iPhone 4 a real run for its money and in many cases out-punch and out-gun their fruit baring rival. If Apple want to regain their position at the top of the smartphone pile, the iPhone 5/4S will have its work cut out. Based on previoius experience, we wouldn’t bet against them.

So Apple, want to talk iPhone? The world’s listening. Sign up for the next generation iPhone news here

Handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC Sensation and Apple Iphone  demonstrate the capabilities of the devices now common place in our market but the cores just keep on coming with news emerging that Meizu are set to release the worlds first quad core mobile handset from the end of September.

There is not a great deal of details available at this time regarding the device and it is rumoured unlikely to reach the UK, however it still represents another landmark in the mobile handset market. Information that has been obtained states that under the hood it is likely to be running with the A9 quad core processor, boast 32 GB of internal storage, a 4.3 inch screen and hopefully a few more surprises. It is rumoured to be running on google’ android operating system and I am sure a lot more information will become available when the device finally gets into customers hands. We will as always keep you posted for further updates and if mobiles.co.uk receives any stock.

Most likely, Apple will be announcing both the iPhone 5 and the new iOS firmware at their October 4th event. The invitation to the press is titled, “Let’s talk iPhone.” This leads me to believe there will be voice to text built into iOS 5. I’ve tested it out a little using the updated Target

Most likely, Apple will be announcing both the iPhone 5 and the new iOS firmware at their October 4th event. The invitation to the press is titled, “Let’s talk iPhone.” This leads me to believe there will be voice to text built into iOS 5. I’ve tested it out a little using the updated Target app. It seems to recognize what I say really well. It would be great to have it integrated into the software as an option when typing in all apps.

The brand new HTC Sensation XE has been announced by  innovative Taiwanese manufacturer since striking a $300 million deal with Beats Electronics™ (a joint venture between hip hop rapper Dre and Interscope chief)  HTC have improved one of their latest super-multimedia smartphones : the original HTC Sensation and have engineered the mobile to deliver an extraordinary sound experience -  ”just like the artist intended” with Beat’s Audio™ integrated.

The new XE sports a red trim compared to the original HTC Sensation and a beats audio badge on the reverse. The android smartphone is powered by a 1.5Ghz dual core processor and has the same size screen as the original Sensation with a 4.3″ display touchscreen however the battery is larger (1750mAh) to accommodate the audio capabilities. The custom beats audio  headphones allow you to shuffle through music tracks with the remote, HTC have also integrated a sound profile which comes to life when these special head phones are plugged into the mobile.

Current HTC Sensation users wont be chucking their mobiles in the bin for the new XE unless they are from the west coast or just hardcore dr dre fans but HTC have caught another gap in the market signing with beats audio which makes you question whether you would rather chuck your cheap ipod in the bin instead and experience “sensational” sound from your new smartphone.

 

Sony Ericsson launched a smartphone in October and called it the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and now they have improved this brilliant Xperia mobile and released the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S,  Judging from most performance cars we can safely assume the letter “S” means faster a bit like the porsche turbo S being faster then the porsche turbo, it turns out we were correct and the new Arc S is pumped with a 1.4 Ghz processor compared to its predecessor which clocked at 1Ghz.

The Xperia Arc S has a 2d to 3d converter which lets you take photos and use ” 3d sweep panorama” application to display 2d photos in 3d if you plug it into a 3d tv or any other 3d display using a hdmi port. Sony Ericsson have maintained the reliable operating software for the Arc S which runs on Android OS gingerbread 2.3 and sustains all the hardware features the original Arc did including ultra thinness at 8.7mm.  The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S is available in an array of colours :  pure white, gloss black, misty silver, sakura pink and midnight blue.

So what does this mean for current sony ericsson xperia arc ?

Cheaper deals? yes ! you can now get the sony ericsson xperia arc free on a 12 month contract, (yes they still exist and are growing fast) for ?30 a month plus 6 months free line rental by redemption. If you are weary of free line rental deals then take a good read of our new cashback page which actually has a cashback calculator where you can find out everything you need to know about claiming back without having the make any phone calls or send any emails to verify details.

If you want the Xperia Arc now then take a look at the cheap deals available on o2, orange, vodafone, talkmobile, 3 and Tmobile here alternatively check back and find the Arc S very soon

 

With the smartphone market moving so quickly, manufacturers have, at best, 1 month at the top of the pile before their flagship launch is superceded with the next big thing. Bad news for the manufacturers? Perhaps. Good news for consumers? Definitely.

Case in point; the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc. Released back in April, still incredibly competitive in terms of spec and still arguably one of the best looking smartphones on the market right now. Just 6 short months have passed since the Xperia Arc first hit our virtual shelves and Sony’s best Android offering has now had its price slashed and can be picked up for a fraction of the original cost.

The Xperia Arc is a stunning specimen. 4.2 inch LCD touchscreen display employing Sony’s mobile Bravia engine to bring the best out of your videos and photos. Check. 8 Megapixel camera with Sony’s Exmor digital camer technology on board. Check. Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) powered by a stunning 1GHz processor. Check and mate. And that’s just for starters.

The Xperia Arc truly is a multimedia monster with the aforementioned camera capable of HD video capture and an HDMI port letting you enjoy your masterpiece on the big screen. Elsewhere the Xperia Arc features all the trimmings ubiquitous with the latest smartphones; Wi-Fi, HSDPA, GPS (with Google Maps’ free turn-by-turn sat nav solution) and all packed in a stunning form factor with head turning looks and a barely there 8.7mm thickness.

Available on a range of incredible deals across 12, 18 and 24 month contracts (Click here to take a look), whatever you’re after you should find it available on the Silver Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.