Mobiles Are My Passion: March 2015

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

New Domain

Dear all

I have just put this blog on a custom domain with Google. Please be patient whilst the DNS servers populate.

Monday, 30 March 2015

GMAIL UPDATE

New Gmail update for Android brings a unified inbox, conversation view and much more http://www.androidauthority.com/gmail-update-unified-inbox-597762/

Gmail for Android on Apkmirror

I have just posted here that the update was about to roll out and it has appeared on Apkmirror site. Go check it out and download.

Gmail Android update

Google have just announced an update to Gmail for Android app. This includes:
1. New unified inbox.
2. New performance improvements.

They did not say when they would roll out but we expect it soon.

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Flashing Error with ROMS for Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0.1

I try to normally flash ROMs made available through subscription to Sammobile. However some ROMs bring errors to the Ext4 partition and the error message comes up on ODIN. No problem, go back to the saved ROM that you had before, and flash. Do not try to restart the phone after an error message. Simply remove the cable and battery and then reboot to DOWNLOAD MODE. Then reflash, there will be no errors. The error comes up if the Binary size is above 3314.9 MB. Any other size than this is going to bring an error.

Wednesday, 18 March 2015

History of Galaxy S Series by Sammobile.com

Friday, 13 March 2015

Android 5.1 Samsung come on!!!

Android 5.1 is now rolling out to Nexus devices and it will only be a matter of time before LG or HTC get the wave as well. It is however expected that Samsung will drag it's feet on this one. It is also expected that the S6 will be given preferential treatment.

I write this as a Note 4 owner. I write not that the Samsung brand is not so much better, it is. Looking at the S6 version of Touchwiz it is plain to see that it flows and it is appealing. One of the things which make 5.1 appealing is the under the hood tweaks to the processor control. It uses all the multicore features all the time. This means it is always running optimally. Obviously in the making of this new version battery life would need a tweak to meet this new demand.

I see that under 5.0.1 the Note 4 is good. But with the new added tweak from 5.1 could be so much better.

So Samsung come on and start rolling out 5.1.

Thursday, 12 March 2015

Apk Mirror

Today I have downloaded many new updates for
FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK MESSENGER
TWITTER
GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC
GOOGLE PLAY STORE
GOOGLE PLAY SERVICES

What I note is a flatter and brighter design. Wonder where all this is all going.

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

What to do on a day when you're sick

Today am quite sick. It is that flu feeling. Than "man" flu that makes any man take to his bed and get the women nursing you. What you can do is sneak your mobile under the covers.
Right now am sat in bed. Two cushions to support my suffering soul.
First things first get comfortable and take advantage.
1. Catch up on the social feed.
2. Catch up with Pocketnow videos.
3. Read the Flip board daily edition.
4. Catch up on emails
5. Try to book a weekend on Booking.com hotel app.
6. Send a tweet to notify work colleagues of your beleaguered state. 😯
7. Try Smart Remote on your Galaxy to see your favourite channels.
8. Try to order a takeaway from your favourite app.

That should fill your whole day...don't forget medicine in between.

Pocketnow announcement of 5.1

Google goes official with Android 5.1 Lollipop update
Pocketnow / 1 hours ago

Our first real sign of Android 5.1 appeared just over a month ago, as the release apparently started showing up on new Android One handsets being sold in India. But when we would see distribution really go wide? And when would Nexus handsets start getting their updates – you know, the ones we expect these new Android builds to debut on in the first place? Well, a tweet from HTC a few weeks back hinted that Google ...

Monday, 9 March 2015

Google Unveils Android 5.1 by Android Authority

Despite the fact it has technically been around for a little while now, Android 5.1 Lollipop has finally been made official, thanks to a blog post from Google. Some of the changes in this update include stability and performance improvements, native support for multiple SIM cards, HD voice on compatible phones and, most notably, Device Protection.
With the new Device Protection feature, if your Android device becomes lost or stolen, it will stay locked until you enter in your Google account information – even if the device has been reset to factory settings. Google says the feature will be available on most Android devices shipped with the software, in addition to the Nexus 6 and 9.
Next up is support for HD voice on compatible devices, letting Android 5.1 devices take advantage of the clear high-definition voice calls that certain carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon offer. Android 5.1 will also now let you join Wifi networks and paired Bluetooth devices directly from your quick settings page. Before the update, users would need to click on the Wifi or Bluetooth buttons and jump into the Settings menu to make any changes.
While Google doesn’t official say when the update will be rolling out or to what devices, according to a few newly updated T-Mobile documents, Android 5.1 is supposed to rollout to the Nexus 4, 5 and 7 starting today. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the official rollout as soon as we learn more!

Sunday, 8 March 2015

Gmail sign in problem

Dear all
I have just spent the best part of an hour trying to sign into Gmail thinking it was a viral issue, cleaning out junk, installing the new Canary edition of Chrome. I am not sure what it was, was it a server issue? did anyone else have the same issue?

Unfortunately Contacts has stopped

Do you sometimes get annoyed by this message? Do you have a fix? Write to me with your fix...russell.durose@gmail.com

All the mobiles I have had in picture form

And finally...what I have today

Get Lollipop for Galaxy Note 4 SM-N910F

Germany has launched the Android 5.0.1 for this handset. Please go to www.sammobile.com and download from there, and flash using Odin included in the package.

Friday, 6 March 2015

HTC One M9 Test equipment needed

I would like to do a review of the HTC One M9. Any company out there willing to loan or loan with a view to acquire? Please write to russell.durose@gmail.com

Thursday, 5 March 2015

Get Google Play Store on Blackberry Q5. Z30, Z10, Q10, Classic

This workround is to get the Google Services and Play Store on your Blackberry.

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Blackberry Leap: Blackberry appraisal.

MWC 2015 Launch

Blackberry Leap

Was watching the video from PocketNow with the surprise launch of the Blackberry Leap still using the Blackberry OS version 10.3.1.

It has come under a lot of fire for its devices. Ever since the OS had been renovated and with the capability to run Android I cannot understand how the company and its devices lost popularity. I used to own a Blackberry 9320, which was really good. Used to love that phone. Then I jumped up to the Z10 which for me was a revolution in itself. I cannot understand how a innovative new hardware and software did not make the hit. It seems who is dominating the mobile world is Apple, Samsung, LG and HTC. These are my observations and you may not agree with me. But having had a Z10 the only irritation I had was the slowness of updates to the OS. But now I have a Samsung phone the update cycle is even worse. So why are companies not developing their OS enough? Why do companies blame the carriers?

I saw the launch of the Z10 and Q10 over 2 years ago now. It was exciting. Just seems a pity that noone warmed to what Blackberry tried to do. It just goes to show the unreliability of the trend and the mood.

Blackberry Leap seems to be a redone version of the Z10 with the ability to run Android apps. However, another irritation was the lack of native apps. When you develop a OS make great incentive to app developers and make the platform easy to launch apps. Both Apple and Google dominate this area.

So what of Blackberry? I feel that maybe it is time to explore making an OS, or Skin over Android, maybe even make a variant of Android and make it innovative. The thing Blackberry is doing, and must do, is decide where its target clients are, and innovate for them.

I sense that Blackberry will come back with a device that is going to catch the attention of the Mobile world. The Leap will not do that. This will be a future device.

PocketNow Comparison

PocketNow with Michael Fisher is at Barcelona's MWC 2015. I am very excited by these two flagships.

Here is the comparison.

Monday, 2 March 2015

Samsung S6 and S6 edge Telegraph review

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Samsung
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge: 13 things to know
Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone is thinner, made of glass and metal, and has a curved screen version

samsung galaxy s6 galaxy s6 edge
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is the Korean company’s new weapon against Apple and Chinese competitors. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP
Samuel Gibbs
@SamuelGibbs
Monday 2 March 2015 13.02 GMT Last modified on Monday 2 March 2015 13.07 GMT

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Samsung’s new Galaxy S6 flagship smartphones have powerful processors, very high resolution screens and a new metal and glass design – but sacrifices have been made in pursuit of premium materials and a curved screen in Samsung’s war with Apple.

Samsung reveals Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones
Read more
1. To curve, or not to curve
galaxy s6 edge
The Galaxy S6 Edge has a gently curved screen on the left and right sides. Photograph: Laura Lean/PA
Samsung has not one, but two Galaxy S6 models – one with a standard, flat screen similar to most other phones and the Galaxy S6 Edge with a screen that curves around both left and right-hand edges of the phone.

2. It packs in the pixels
Curved or not, the Galaxy S6 has one of the most pixel-dense screens available. The 5.1in screen has a quad HD resolution with a density of 577 pixels per inch (ppi), making it denser than the 432ppi Galaxy S5, 401ppi Apple iPhone 6 Plus– and 43 more pixels per inch than the 534ppi 5.5in LG G3.

The denser the screen the sharper the image, up to a point. Whether users will be able to see the difference is unknown, although quad HD is quickly becoming the new standard for smartphone and tablet screens.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review: curved screen is more than a gimmick
4 / 5 stars
Read more
3. The curved screen isn’t just for show
— Ben Wood (@benwood)
March 1, 2015
People edge on Galaxy S6 edge. Select five favourite contacts for enhanced alerts. pic.twitter.com/GXfj9NkN9Q

As with the Note 4 Edge, the curved screen on the S6 Edge adds a few features that slide out from the side of the phone. These include ticker-tape news alerts, a clock along the edge at night and a feature that places contact photos along the edge for quick access and to recognise who’s calling.

4. They’ve ditched the plastic
Out is Samsung’s trademark, yet criticised, chromed plastic construction – the S6 is an all-metal and glass affair. A curved metal band surrounds the edges of the phone holding together a glass front and back.

5. Thinner than an iPhone, just
galaxy s6
Thinner than an iPhone 6, by 0.1mm. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP
The S6 and S Edge are 6.8mm thick, which is 0.1mm thinner than Apple’s iPhone 6, although both are roundly trounced to the thinnest smartphone crown by the Oppo R5, which is just 4.85mm thick.

6. Don’t get it wet
To achieve that thickness and premium design, the S6 has lost a few features. A microSD card for adding additional storage, waterproofing and a removable battery are all missing, which was a cornerstone of Samsung’s previous Android smartphones.

7. A choice of storage – all fixed
With no external storage support, Samsung has adopted Google and Apple’s model of fixed storage variants – users will have a choice of buying a 32, 64 or 128GB version.

8. It uses Samsung’s shiny new chip
The S6 uses Samsung’s own Octa-core 64-bit Exynos processor. Previous Samsung smartphones have used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, although Exynos variants have been available in some countries.

9. No cable needed
wireless charging
The S6 Edge on a wireless charging plate. Photograph: Yonhap/EPA
Samsung has pledged to force wireless charging into the mainstream, and the S6 is the first smartphone from the company to have it built-in. It will work with any wireless charging pad currently available, which is good, because there isn’t one included in the box.

10. Fingerprints: touch, don’t swipe
Samsung’s improved fingerprint sensor takes a leaf out of Apple’s book, requiring only a single touch rather than swipe across (as was standard with previous Samsung models), which should make it more accurate and easier to use.

Samsung reveals Apple Pay competitor 'Samsung Pay'
Read more
11. Another step towards a world without credit cards?
Credit cards are dead, if technology firms are to be believed. Samsung has launched “Samsung Pay”, which allows users to pay for goods and services using a credit card swipe terminal, joining Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, mobile phone carriers and others attempting to be the new vector for paying for things.

Samsung’s Gear VR headset is Oculus Rift for smartphone
Read more
12. It’s virtual reality ready (if you get a smaller Gear VR)
gear vr
Samsung Gear VR will come in a smaller version for the Galaxy S6. Photograph: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Samsung
The Gear VR – Samsung’s virtual reality headset that was made in partnership with Facebook’s Oculus Rift for use with a Galaxy Note 4 – will have a smaller version for the Galaxy S6.

13. Less bloat – kind of
Samsung proclaimed that it has cut back on unnecessary bloat and feature overload by 40%, but that doesn’t include Intel’s McAfee security software and Microsoft’s apps, including Skype, OneDrive and OneNote, which now come pre-installed on the S6.

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Samsung Smartphones Mobile phones Android Software
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RivaldoRules
2m ago

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No external SD card storage, no dice.

Think this will put a lot of people off.

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SP66Brum
3m ago

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Well, losing two of its key selling points for me - removable battery and extra SD card - means next time I upgrade, I'll be looking at another manufacturer. I would imagine that the 128GB handset will be extremely expensive, not being able to use my 64GB SD card would be a real blow.

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