Gadgets Category Archive

Free gifts with selected mobile phone handsets

7 Replies Christopher Roberts

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Mobile phones are growing more and more expensive. With top of the range smartphone handsets costing upwards of £400, it may be tempting to downgrade, to go for something simpler and cheaper.

You may convince yourself that there’s not much to miss out on – a cheaper handset will be perfectly functional, of course, and you can make calls and send texts – that’s all that phones are for, right? Well not any more. If you choose not to try out one of the brilliant, high tech smartphones out there nowadays, you are not only missing out on an opportunity to familiarise yourself with popular developing technology – you are also missing out on the generous offer of free gifts that come with the majority of expensive handsets.

Many mobile phone retailers are now offering incentives such as free gifts, to try to get you to try out their smartphone handsets. One example of this can be seen at Phones4u. At Phones4u to help incentivise consumers to purchase some of their top of the range smartphone handsets such as the HTC ChaCha, the Samsung Galaxy S II, and the Sony Ericsson Xperia, when you buy one, you will receive an amazing free gift!

A giftFor some time now mobile phones have come with free gifts, but this offer is now being taken to the next level, by including some of the most popular gadgets on the market. Some free gifts being given away now include the Kindle 3G, Amazon’s popular eReader; the PS Vita, Sony’s brand new handheld PlayStation console; and even the Samsung Galaxy Tab, a tablet PC that can rival the iPad. These are gifts that are being given away free when you take out certain contracts, and buy certain handsets from different mobile phone retailers.

So, next time you go out shopping for a smartphone, remember, if you also want a Kindle, there may be some great offers whereby you can get both! One offered as a free gift when you purchase the other.

Keep your eyes pealed, to make sure that you get the best deal around!

Google Android powered glasses

11 Replies Christopher Roberts

Google shocked us all last week, when it launched its ‘Project Glass’ video. If you have seen it you will know what I am on about, if not, check out the video below.

Here is what Google have to say about the video:

“We believe technology should work for you — to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.”

I am still not 100% sure that Google are completely serious about Project Glass, but from everyone else’s response, it would seem they are.

The glasses are viable, and could actually be made, so it is possible. Using very advanced technology, cloud computing, advanced Wi-Fi, projection technology, voice interpretation technology and Android, it is possible that these glasses could be developed.

See the weather with Google's Project GlassIn the video Google have produced, they show the glasses doing things that our smartphones can already do today, just being done right in front of your face, as a projection, rather than a physical object that you have to hold and more around.

There are some issues with this futuristic design though, and most of them are with privacy and security.

What happens if you put the glasses down? Your virtual life is connected to those glasses, your emails, potentially bank, diary etc. so what happens if you put them down, and someone picks them up. They could have access to all your data, right in front of them.

Another issue is that it could be hard to distinguish reality from virtual reality! At first it could be very confusing for you, and others around you. You may start looking where you wouldn’t be without the glasses, you could start talking to yourself, or the glasses. It could be a bit difficult to deal with socially. How would we deal with these problems?

Remember when wireless headsets first came out, people used to look like they were talking to themselves, now we know of the technology thought we know that it not the case. Would the same be the case with the glasses.

Another big issue would be ads. People are currently unhappy how Google watches them on the web, and then presents them with ads relevant to the content they are browsing. Imagine the uproar, were Google to see everywhere you are going. They would then be able to present you with perfectly tailored ads!

For more information, check out Project Glass Google+ profile.

What do you think about the glasses? There are loads of rumours and a lot of speculation out there, but what do you believe, and what do you think will/wont happen?

Ten Smartphone Apps That Improve Your Sleep

13 Replies michellegordon

Studies and surveys consistently show that most of us are not getting enough sleep each night. And while modern technology such as smartphones are often implicated as one of the culprits keeping us up, the truth is that there are many apps out there that can actually improve your sleep.

This article details ten great apps that can help you get a better night’s sleep.

ShutEye (Android)

This app was initially created for research at the University of Washington. This app notifies you when you should take a nap, exercise, relax, eat, take caffeine, or go to sleep.

All of these activities have an impact on your sleep, so keeping track of when you do them can help improve your sleep. This app helps by increasing your awareness of your habits and how they affect your sleep.

Sleep Cycle (iPhone)

This app claims to track your sleep cycle based on your body movements. The app uses this information to wake you with an alarm at the best time during your sleep cycle.

Sleep Cycle iPhone App ScreenshotThe idea is that if you are awakened when you are in your lightest stage of sleep, you will be less disrupted by being awakened. The app uses the accelerometer to measure your body movement.

Sleep as Android (Android)

Similar to SleepCycle, this Android app aims to wake you at the optimal time.

The app also includes the ability to record the sounds you make while asleep and allows you to rate and comment on your sleep. It even includes music to help you get to sleep.

ResMed (iPhone)

This iPhone app is a test for sleep apnea of sorts. The app allows you to record audio of yourself sleeping, and then compare that audio to recordings of people who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. By comparing the two, you can determine if there is any similarity and whether you should seek further testing for sleep apnea.

Relax Melodies (iPhone)

This app helps you get to sleep by playing ambient sounds while you fall asleep. The app includes 70 different sounds that include crickets chirping, running water, birds singing, and rainfall.

The app has the ability to layer different sounds over each other to create custom relaxing melodies. This is a great app if you have trouble falling asleep in silence.

White Noise (iPhone, Android, Blackberry)

Like Relax Melodies, this app is an ambient noise generator. This app is multi platform, so you can use it no matter which smartphone you have.

Sleep Tracker (iPhone)

This is a sleep journalling app for the iPhone. It lets you record how long you slept and how you feel afterwards. Journalling is a great way for you to notice patterns in your sleep and mood. This app presents your info in an easy to reach chart, which helps you spot patterns.

SleepBot (Android)

This app is similar to Sleep Tracker for the iPhone. It is a sleep journalling tool that lets you record mood, notes, and sleep times. The sleep tracking function uses a simple clock-in and clock-out interface and includes a sleep questionnaire.

Count Sheep (iPhone)

This app digitizes the old standby of counting sheep to fall asleep. The app has sheep jumping over a fence while it plays soothing music from the app or your own tunes. The screen is dimmed to avoid keeping you awake longer and you can set the app to automatically turn off after a certain amount of time.

Spot (unreleased)

This upcoming app aims to test your alertness levels by testing your response time. Great for late night driving, this app can let you know when it is time to pull over and get some rest. The tests are based on the Psychomotor Vigilance Test.

So rather than using your smartphone to keep you up all night playing games and surfing the internet, download these app and turn your smartphone into a powerful sleep aiding tool.

To find the apps just search for their names, and you should be able to find them. Please be aware that some of the apps do cost.