Sony SmartWatch Review

An area which interests me greatly is wearable technology. It’s no secret to those that know me that I am an absolute sucker for these sorts of accessories. On a recent visit to Hong Kong I picked up one such item – the Sony SmartWatch. Having used the SmartWatch now for almost two weeks it is now time to review my newest gadget.

The Sony SmartWatch is a device which connects to your Android phone via Bluetooth. It does this via a free app downloadable from the Play Store – Smart Connect. Once you install and pair the watch you can download a series of other apps which enable it to ‘talk’ to your phone applications such as Messages, Email, Music Player, Weather etc. The process is a little tedious as you must do it one at a time. It would have been better if Sony bundled all these applications into a single app then the user could enable/disable the ones they which wish to use (or not use). There are some third party applications on the Play Store also for the watch such as a Calculator. The watch also gets the time and date from the phone so if you go into a different timezone with your phone and it updates it will update on the watch also.

The Smart Connect application on the phone allows the user customise where each app on the watch is located and also set up the applications (e.g. location for the weather app, facebook/twitter sign in). Not all devices are supported so if you’re unsure if your phone is, check the compatibility list on the Sony website. It seems HTCs in particular don’t play nice.

Sony SmartWatch

Navigation on the phone is simple enough. You can double tap the screen to turn it on or press the button on the side. Then tap on the application you want to use. To go back to the previous screen use the pinch gesture usually associated with zooming out. I find there is a little bit of lag going back as you can see refresh icons for a split second upon doing so. Swiping down brings the widget view and down is the watch’s “app drawer”. Occasionally I find the touch panel to be unresponsive so you have to give it a firmer tap compared to one required on say a phone or tablet.

The one particular feature I love this device for is being able to reject or silence a call from the watch. It works like a charm and saves me taking out the phone from my pocket in meetings. There is no speaker on the device however it vibrates so you can always feel when a call or message is received. In a noisy environment this is great as you can always feel when a call comes in when you might otherwise not hear the phone ring. Unfortunately you cannot talk into the watch like it were a phone, so this might crush your dream of becoming more like James Bond by using this gadget.

For a Bluetooth connected device I was surprised to see it did not drain too much battery on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S3). The watch itself runs down in a few days so keeping the special charging cable handy is a must. It does not use a standard micro usb cable. I’d also like to point out that the charging unit is really sensitive. It may just be my particular watch, but I find the connection very temperamental and often have to use an elastic band to keep the contacts in the right position otherwise it will not charge.

Externally the Sony SmartWatch is 36mm x 36mm and 8mm thick and it clips on to the rubber watch band (not unlike what people were doing with those iPod nanos). The SmartWatch comes with a black band but you can buy different colours. I find the band to be cheap looking but it is comfortable enough to wear. In direct sunlight there is no chance of being able to see whats on the screen without shielding it from the light with your other hand.

The Sony SmartWatch is a great idea however the build quality dampens the experience. I will continue using it as my everyday watch but hopefully now with more reports of flexible displays a superior smart watch won’t be too far away.

Samsung Galaxy S III Review

Having used a Samsung Galaxy S II for around 10 months it was refreshing to upgrade to Samsung’s latest and greatest, the Galaxy S III. The first difference I noticed was how massive the screen was in comparison to the S2 and also how sharp the resolution is. My main problem with the SII was battery life. Halfway through the day it would be less than 20% so I would need to charge or rotate a second battery. Now with the S3, with the same amount of usage, I can easily get 14 hours of battery life. On this alone it was worth upgrading.

Samsung Galaxy S III – My bat phone

This variant of the Galaxy S III has 16GB internal storage (also comes in 32 and 64GB), but with a slot for an external micro sd card, I added another 16GB. Plenty of space for some music, videos and other files. When the phone was announced I was surprised to see it only came with 1GB of RAM. This is the same amount as the S2. Unlike the S2 however, the S3 has a much better processor – the Exynos 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 processor. Equipped with this beast it feels very fast and responsive. It will be interesting to see how much faster it can operate with Jelly Bean when it is available.

As noted earlier the screen is absolutely stunning. It’s a 4.8 inch Super AMOLED 720 x 1280 pixel screen and is perfect for watching videos or looking at photos. Although it’s quite large it still fits comfortably in pocket or hand. Any larger and we move into phablet territory.

The Galaxy S 3 has an 8MP rear camera capable of recording in 1080p. I was contemplating buying a digital camera before getting this phone but decided there isn’t a need as the camera on the S III can take superb shots. There is also a 1.9MP front facing camera which is great for Skyping and video calls.

It’s really a lot of little things that make using this phone a joy. The built in alarm tones are so peaceful, the virtual water ripples on the lock screen aesthetically pleasing, the way you can hold the phone to your ear whilst in a Text message and it will automatically call the person, the quick share button for easy sending a photo, true video multitasking, 0 camera shutter lag, these are the 1 percent difference-makers which set it apart from the other smartphones on the market.

There are a few new features on this phone which I do not use though. This includes S-Voice and the Eye detection that puts the phone to sleep when you look away from it. I find them a bit gimmicky and prefer Google’s own voice software, such as the one found in Google Now. Unfortunately Google Now is only available in Jelly Bean so we will have to wait for an upgrade to become available on the S III as it runs Android 4.0.x – Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box.

For anyone with a Galaxy S2, unless you have battery issues like I had, or can get the S3 at a reasonably good price, then it probably isn’t worth upgrading. Those with an original Galaxy or an iPhone won’t be disappointed at all upgrading to a Samsung Galaxy S III. In my opinion, at the time of writing, the Galaxy S III the best smartphone available.

Buy Samsung Galaxy S III on Amazon

Google Nexus 7 Review

2012 was always going to be the year of the tablet. As soon as the Nexus 7 and a slew of other Android tablets were announced earlier this year I knew I was going to buy something in the months that followed. My big dilemma was whether to hold out for the Asus Transformer Prime Infinity or buy the new Nexus 7 which was a fraction of the cost. It was a recent trip to the local JB Hi Fi store where I had my first demo of the Nexus 7 that I decided it was the tablet device for me. In particular, it was the snappiness of the new operating system, Jelly Bean, how comfortable it felt to hold, and the ultra affordable price tag of ~$300.

Hardware, design and features

The Nexus 7 comes in 8GB and 16GB models. I got the 16GB version as my primary use for it would be to watch videos, movies, play a few games and read ebooks (although ebooks wouldn’t take up much space). There is no way to increase the capacity of the device which is a shame since I have a 16GB microsd card which will now have to find another home, such as in my Galaxy phone.

Powered by a Tegra 3 quad core CPU, with an extra dedicated core for battery management, nothing feels laggy or slow on this device. I put this down to a combination of the powerful hardware and the new Android operating system.

Connectivity wise the Nexus 7 can only connect to the internet using Wifi. Although it doesn’t have 3g or 4g I have found I am nearly always in a Wifi area anyway. Also, when I’m out, tethering with my phone works equally well. The device is also equipped with Bluetooth and NFC. There are no other ports besides a micro-usb port used for charging (or connecting a USB device if you have an OTG cable) and a headphone jack. On the right side is the usual power button and volume rocker.

Made primarily of plastic and gorilla glass, the Nexus 7 might look cheap however it is very nice to hold and doesn’t at all feel like a lesser quality product. Weighing in at 340 grams it’s light and ultra portable. It is still too large to carry in a pocket though, so when a smartcase comes out it will be next on the purchase list. This one has caught my eye  - Poetic Slimline Portfolio Case for Google Nexus 7

Display and camera

Sporting a 7″ 1200×800 HD backlit IPS display, the Nexus 7 tablet is crystal (but not retina) clear. The colours are very vibrant and the brightness range has lots of depth. I turned my brightness down to just above the minimum to conserve battery life and even at this level it still looks fine.

There is no back camera on board but it is not missed. On the front is a 1.2mp camera which is great for Skype and google+ hangouts. I would have liked a better quality camera but for me it’s not really a big deal as I don’t use the feature that much. In fact there is no camera app. The functionality is there and can be enabled by installing this app – Camera Launcher for Nexus 7

Software

Firstly I have to say how refreshing it is to have a pure Google operating system installed. Being used to a Galaxy S2 smartphone it is really nice to now use a device that doesn’t come preinstalled with manufacturer crapware apps and widgets. Secondly, Jelly Bean is amazing. Project butter has made app transitions so smooth and the experience feels very fast, fluid and responsive. I think this alone was what made me decide to buy the unit in the first place.

One thing that has come under criticism is that the home screen is fixed in portrait view. I’ve found that besides watching videos I keep the Nexus in portrait most of the time anyway. Don’t fret though if you do want to change the orientation to landscape then there is an app for that – Ultimate Rotation Control

The other new feature present in Jelly Bean is Google Now. This is a card themed assistant which will answer your queries and show upcoming items in card form. So far mine has only popped up with the weather and upcoming calendar events. Here is a list of commands you can use with Google now - Android 4.1: How Many Voice Actions Have You Tried?

Battery

The battery life on the Nexus 7 is very solid. I haven’t kept it on watching a video to see how long exactly it lasts but with my moderate use and turning airplane mode on when I’m not using it for long periods of time (such as overnight) I can get around 2-3 days out of it.

Conclusion

I think I made the right choice in choosing the Nexus 7 over some of the other 10 inch tablets I had my eye on buying. It is extremely comfortable to hold and a pleasure to use while relaxing on a couch, in bed or while travelling. Sure, it has a few shortcomings such as lack of expandable memory, however for the price it is well worth it. You even get $25 credit to use in the Google play store when you buy the device.

Nexus 7 on Amazon

The Asus Transformer Pad 300 is the littlest sibling in Asus’ Transformer tablet series, along with big brothers the Transformer Prime and Transformer Infinity.  I had long been looking for some sort of portable computing device — my previous netbook had gotten sluggish and unreliable, but I didn’t want to cough up the cash to get a more expensive ultrabook/laptop as I have a PC that more than satisfies my processing needs.  When Asus released the Transformer Prime, I thought “this might be the thing I need” but the $700 plus price tag was just a little too steep for me.  Then the Transformer Pad was announced and when I saw a special offer to pick one up for $476 I knew I had to get one.

Hardware, Design and Features

The Transformer Pad is essentially a Transformer Prime with a lesser quality build and only minor spec differences.  Like the Prime, the Pad houses a Tegra 3 quad core-processor with an additional core in reserve to provide maximum processing power as well as efficiency.  The Pad is only available in a 32GB model and has 1GB of RAM.  For those who require more storage options, the Pad includes numerous expandable memory options including a micro SD, standard SD and USB slot.  If that’s not enough, Asus also provide Transformer owners with 8GB of cloud storage.  This should keep even the most media hoarding users satisfied and is great value for money when you consider the same price will get you an iPad with 16GB only.  I like to store a lot of videos and music on my tablet, so the extra storage options are definitely one of the major plus points of the Transformer Pad for me.

It’s in the build quality of the Transformer Pad where Asus have cut costs.  While the Transformer Prime is well known for it’s sleek metal body, the Pad comes with plastic back panel, still with the lovely concentric circle pattern though, and is available in blue, red or white.  While it may not be as classy as the Prime, it still feels like a solid, well made tablet.  The Pad looks and great and the plastic backing panel doesn’t bother me at, especially when I consider the price of the tablet and the features it comes with.  A Prime owner actually liked the plastic back as it meant he didn’t have to hold a cold metal tablet!  The power and volume buttons as well as input ports are all well placed, though the tablet is obviously designed to be used in landscape mode.  It becomes a little awkward using the tablet in portrait mode as it means your headphone jack becomes either on the top or bottom with the volume keys on the opposite end.

As with all Transformers, the Pad is available with an optional keyboard dock, which allows the tablet to be used like a laptop (hence the name ‘transformer’).  Like smaller keyboards that you find on netbooks or small laptops, the keys on the Pad dock are tightly packed together, but they feel good underneath my fingers and after a little getting used to it’s pretty comfortable to type on with no noticeable input lag.  In fact, I’m typing this review on my dock right now!  The keyboard also contains a row of handy quick function keys, such as toggle Wifi or bluetooth on/off, settings, music navigation and volume buttons.  The trackpad works a treat and is very responsive, with a right-click button that can be programed to perform different functions.  It accepts multi-touch input and two-fingered scrolling works well which allows for easy navigation amongst the home screens and when browsing the internet or working within apps.  The only downside with using the keyboard dock with the tablet is it becomes a little bit top heavy.  Resting on a flat surface, is fine but if you’re trying to balance the docked tablet on your lap, you might notice it wanting to tip backwards because of the weight of the tablet.

The Transformer Pad comes as a Wifi only model with b/g/n compatibility and Bluetooth 3.0.  No 3G or 4G capability might be a deciding factor for some people when deciding on the right tablet to purchase.  I’ve found that I’m mostly in a Wifi hotspot when I’m using my tablet and when I’m not, tethering the 3G connection from my phone to tablet via personal hotspot or USB has worked really well.
Display and Camera

The Transformer Pad comes with a 10.1″ 1280 x 800 resolution IPS screen which is a downgrade from the Prime’s IPS+ screen.  All that means though, is that the Pad has less screen brightness, which only really becomes an issue when using the tablet outdoors in sunlight.  I personally haven’t taken my tablet out to use in the sun, so I can’t honestly say what the impact of not having an IPS+ panel is.  Whether you’re using a tablet, phone or computer in the sun, the visibility is always going to be a bit crap so I wouldn’t consider this downgrade to be a deal breaker.  The screen resolution of the Transformer Pad obviously can’t be compared to the iPad’s retina display, which is pinpoint sharp.  However, colours appear reasonably accurate and the screen provides some great viewing angles.  If for some reason, you enjoying watching movies 90 degrees to your screen, you can!

A front facing 1.2MP camera provides any Skype-ing or Google hangout needs and an 8MP rear camera lets you take photos as well as record video in 1080p.  However, there’s no flash attached to the back of the tablet so any low lighting shots will remain reasonably dark.  The stock camera app is very simple, clean and easy to use.  It even allows you to take panoramic photos which is a nice feature.  Personally, I haven’t played around with the camera features too much or fully tested its performance.  While it’s nice to have the ability to take photos with a tablet, let’s face it; we all have a little giggle at the goof who is going around snapping shots with their 10″ tablet.

Software

The Transformer Pad comes loaded with Android’s delicious Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.  First off, being a Samsung Galaxy user, let me say just how refreshing it is to see that Asus have barely touched the stock Android skin.  Besides a modified notification panel, which offers some quick setting toggle buttons, Asus have barely touched the ICS design, leaving the interface looking beautifully slick and clean.  ICS works wonderfully on the Transformer Pad and navigating between home screens and different apps is smooth and fast with no lag and minimal response times.  However, on occasion I have noticed that the system will sometimes pause when quickly switching between multiple apps and I have had to wait for it to catch up.  I think this is more of an Asus problem than an Android problem, and it happens so rarely that it hasn’t troubled me too much, but it is there.

If you’re a big fan of Google services like Gmail, Reader, Drive, Google Talk, Google Plus and YouTube, you’ll be pleased to know that all the apps for these services have been optimised for tablets and look absolutely wonderful when in use.  In keeping in line with the ICS standard, the designs of these apps are clean and navigating through them is just really easy and user friendly.  I find myself wanting to use them more than I already do just because they look so good.  Unfortunately, the number of tablet-optimised apps available on Android isn’t as large as I would like, but hopefully with the ever growing Android tablet market (Nexus 7 anyone?) this will change soon.  Of the other apps though, you will find that most have also now been optimised with ICS styled menus which add to the consistency in appearance and layout that Google wanted when they released Android 4.0.  It might not seem like much to some, but it’s very pleasing to the eye and makes for a very enjoyable user experience.

Asus have included some of their own apps on the Transformer Pad.  Whilst I don’t actually use most of them, I was impressed with the File Manager that came with it.  The layout is simple and connecting and disconnecting external drives is really straight forward.  Bring along your portable hard drive and you can have hours of entertainment!  Supernote is also an Asus app to take try out, which is pretty handy as it allows you to record quick written notes with the keyboard or drawn notes with your finger on the touch screen.  There are also some nice Asus weather, date and mail widgets that can be used to spruce up your home screens.

Lastly, Asus have announced that Android 4.1, Jellybean, will be made available for the Transformer Pad, Prime and Infinity in the upcoming months.  I’m pretty excited about this and can’t wait to see the difference that Project Butter makes with it’s silky smooth performance and response times.  One of the benefits of getting a tablet made by the makers of the Nexus 7!

Battery

The Transformer Pad comes equipped with a 22Wh battery in the tablet and a 16.5Wh battery in the dock.  According to Asus, that equates to 10 hours of use with just the tablet alone and an additional 5 hours of battery from the dock.  A whopping 15 hours of use on one charge is definitely very impressive and will satisfy any user’s needs, such as keeping yourself entertained on any long plane flights.  While I haven’t stress tested the battery myself, I’ve had the tablet for just over 2 weeks now and I’ve only charged the battery 2-3 times since the initial full charge and this is with some gaming use, reading ebooks and browsing the internet and RSS feeds.  This is one tablet where I never need to worry about ever being too far away from a charger.

Conclusion

The Transformer Pad is a great Android tablet for anyone who is looking to enter the tablet world and a definite consideration for any Android fan.  For the hardware, performance, and battery life that you get, it’s very hard to overlook the Transformer Pad, especially when you consider it’s price.  The keyboard dock also gives it that extra advantage and uniqueness over other tablets.  If you’re interested in investing in a tablet with a higher quality finish or better specs, the Transformer Prime and Infinity are perhaps the way to go.  For the rest of us though, the Transformer Pad is a great choice and will keep us entertained for many long hours.

ASUS TF300T on Amazon

Roboto font on Samsung Galaxy S II Android 2.3

 
One of the best things about using an Android phone is the amount of customisation that can be done on it. As we wait patiently for the Ice Cream Sandwich update to be rolled out  some users may want to use the Ice Cream Sandwich default font, Roboto, on their Gingerbread device.

This quick little tip will allow Galaxy S II users to change the default system font to Roboto without rooting their phone.

First, using your phone’s browser, head over to xda developers and download paul diddy’s flipfonts - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=894397

Extract the fonts to a folder on your phone.

Use a file manager and navigate to where you extracted the files. I recommend an app such as ES File Explorer to use as a file manager.

Click on the package ending with Roboto.apk and then click Install

To activate the font go to Settings -> Display -> Screen display -> Font style and then click Roboto.

Roboto font on Samsung Galaxy S II Android 2.3

Now your system font should be changed to Roboto. I have done this successfully on my Samsung Galaxy S II running 2.3.5. It’s a good idea to back up your phone’s contents before doing this in case things turn pear shaped.