May/June 2014 Tech Update

Top of the class

HTC recently launched the highly anticipated HTC One (M8) in Ireland. The smartphone, which went on sale in selected stores in early April, boasts a durable metal unibody, full HD (1080p) display, the all-new HTC Sense 6 and a Smart Sensor Hub with Motion Launch, which allows you to interact with the phone without even turning on the screen.

HTC has also made some extensive improvements on the previous model, the M7, with new duo camera technology and HTC BoomSound – which makes the M8 25% louder than the M7 – and a vastly improved battery life. Fully charged, HTC says the M8 will deliver 14 days’ worth of battery power – virtually unheard of in the smartphone space – whilst still allowing the user to receive calls, texts and emails.

Specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 801,quad-core
• Personal Wi-Fi hotspot capability
• 5 inch, full HD 1080p, 468 PPI
• HTC ultrapixel camera
• 16GB internal memory
• Expandable memory up to 128GB
• 2600mAh battery
• Nano SIM

Price

From €49 bill pay to €599.99 pre pay from Carphone Warehouse, Three, O2, Meteor, eMobile and Vodafone. Please contact your provider for more details on pricing.

Bass Hunter

Logitech recently unveiled the Logitech X100 Mobile Speaker, which promises go-anywhere portability and best-in-class sound. Priced at €49.99 and available from Harvey Norman and on logitech.com, after testing this little gadget for a weekend, we can report it certainly delivers on its promise, with the sound quality of the X100 topping many other speakers in its class. With Bluetooth connectivity, a five-hour battery life and a built-in mic for hands-free phone calls, the X100 is the perfect companion for a trip to the beach this summer.

Experience the new Xperia

Sony’s Xperia Z2 launched in Ireland last month, exclusively on the Vodafone Ireland network until June 1st. Sony’s flagship dust-resistant and waterproof smartphone offers a 20.7 megapixel camera, 4K resolution camcorder with SteadyShot image stabilisation technology. The Xperia Z2 also offers digital noise cancelling technology; the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.3 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and a high capacity 3200 mAh battery.

The name of the game

A recent Ericsson ConsumerLab report called ‘New ways to play games’, has uncovered some interesting new findings about the gaming industry.  The report, which is based on online interviews with 8,000 gamers around the world and interviews with industry and academic experts, including Dublin-based Havok, found that not only has gaming become more socially acceptable as a mainstream form of culture but consumers are now looking for more game immersion and socialisation.

Other findings include:

• The profile of a gamer is changing. There is an even split between males and females.
• Some 50% of gamers are 34 years or older –  gaming is no longer solely in the realm of Generations Y and Z.
• It is not bandwidth that is the most important aspect of the network quality for digital games, but rather the stability and reliability. The number one pain point for gamers is disruption of the seamless experience.

Cross your palm with functionality

Fujitsu’s latest business notebook offering, the CELSIUS H730 – which was launched in late 2013 – is designed to deliver advanced workstation power and expandability for users on the go, while incorporating the needs of security-conscious organisations, such as banks, healthcare providers and retailers.

The CELSIUS H730 is also fully integrated with Fujitsu’s PalmSecure technology, which quickly collects and authenticates the unique pattern of the flowing veins in the palm held over a built-in sensor.

Specs include:

• Intel Core i7-4700MQ
• 8GB RAM
• 500GB SSHD
• NVIDIA Quadro K510M

Price: From @1,599 (incl. VAT) and available from bechtle.ie

PS4 wins games console race … for now

Sony recently announced that the PlayStation4 (PS4) system has sold more than seven million units globally since its launch in November 2013. This figure surpasses the five million Xbox Ones Microsoft has claimed to have shipped since November.

PS4 software sales have also remained strong with more than 20.5 million copies sold in retail stores worldwide and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of April 13th