THEGAYUK

Category: Tech

  • TECH REVIEW | Kobo Arc 10HD

    When offered the chance to give the Kobo Arc 10HD a trail run, I couldn’t wait to compare it and its functionality against the recent review of the Kobo Aura eReader I recently did. This unit is vastly different to the Aura, not better as it would be like comparing chalk and cheese.

    The Arc is an eReader, but goes further and is a serious iPad competitor. It allows you the usual e-reader experience, offering a vast library of books and magazines but also moves into games, movies and net access to make this a more rounded experience and a more popular option.

    The design is sleek, and doesn’t really stray from the usual black and glass. It isn’t radical, but to be honest, I think most manufacturers are leaving that end of the market to Apple and are concentrating more on price-points. This unit being no different, coming in at under £300, and offering a similar experience to the iPad.

    The operating system is smooth, with the capacitive touchscreen running as quickly as anything Apple produces. It is as intuitive as other models, with icons and buttons being simple, clean and clear. It comes with a selection of pre-loaded apps which includes Facebook, Twitter, Skype and OfficeSuite, making this one workhorse of a tablet. It supports all major file types, allowing you to work across formats – when out and about you can now access your Office files from emails, alter and share.

    My only issue with it is that it isn’t Apple – that’s how highly I rate this item. I am an Apple fan, and it would take something major to make me buy another brand, but this comes close! Similar to the fact that the Aura made me a fan of eReaders, this tablet could prise me away from Apple. It has everything you need in a tablet, it is a portable computer, offers thousands of books at your finger tips, prefect web browsing, easy set-up and access to over 1million apps from Google.

    The item has a clear 10” HD display, 16GB storage and weighs a little over 600grams. It has the usual sockets, micro USB and micro HDMI out, allowing you to link this little beauty with other pieces of kit. It also has a front facing 1.3 megapixel HD camera, allowing you to snap and share your memories.

    The Positive

    ▪ Ease of use and set-up
    ▪ HD display, clean and clear
    ▪ An office on the go

    The Negative
    ▪ The brand – needs time to establish itself more

    Price: The Kobo Arc 10HD comes in at £299.99 RRP, and is readily available from:
    http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/kobo-arc-10hd-black-16-gb-tablet/product/36787517

    For me, this tablet is worth its cost. Some may hold out for a cheaper model, however – you do get what you pay for. This item doesn’t feel cheap, you can see where the money has been spent. It runs smoothly, its simple to use and add to, the apps that come with it are enough to get you going with plenty more available to suit your needs. If you are looking for something as a alternative to Apple, then loo no further.

    Our Rating: ★★★★

    Specifications:

    • 10” HD LCD display
    • 2560 x 1600 screen resolution
    • NVIDIA Tegra 4 T4OS, 1.8 GHz quad core processor
    • 2 GB DDR3L RAM
    • 253 x 172 x 9.9 mm dimensions
    • 627g weight
    • 16 GB storage
    • Micro USB, Micro HDMI out and 3.5 mm headphone jack ports
    • Front facing 1.3 MP (720p) HD camera
    • Dual stereo speakers, microphone for audio
    • dual band wifi and bluetooth connectivity
    • battery life of up to 9.5 hours of continuous reading
    • Andriod 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system
    • Google Play access
    • File support for ePub, JPG, PNG, GIF, mp4, flac and many more

  • PHONE REVIEW | Nokia Lumia 1020

    At the moment, it seems like you cant open Metro or Evening Standard without seeing an ad for the new Lumia 1020…being billed as the photographers phone.

    Given the chance to test drive one was too good a chance to miss and most unlike me, I waited patiently for it to drop through my letterbox.

    To cut to the chase, I wasn’t disappointed – at least with the camera aspect. I’m no fan of any phone other than my precious iPhone. I love the OS, the interface, the size, its so simple and intuitive. So, I struggled with this handset as a Windows phone. I am not keen on the interface, the way it works, etc is not my cup of tea at all – but can see how it appeals to some.

    I actually grew to love the bright yellow casing and the massive screen – coming in at around 130mm high and 71mm wide. It weighs a mere 158 grams and feels good to handle. The matt case (available in yellow and black) is good to hold – vital in any camera… or phone.

    And there lies my issue. There is nothing amazing here in terms of a phone but it is one hell of a camera. This is a true case of a brilliant camera with a phone attached. It has a unique cushioning system around the camera that has suspended optics so you can take blur free photos and stable videos. You can hear this in action as its ball-baring based.

    All the usual phone functions are here, messaging, email, games, music, social networking and on occasion even phone calls…but it’s an amazing camera.

    This is a 41 mega pixel camera – there are stand alone cameras out there that don’t have that many pixels! It has a Xenon flash that illuminates for days and a screen that shows you the results instantly and at a decent size.

    There are numerous additions on this phone, including panorama mode, creative studio that allows you to edit on the go, smart cam that allows you to shoot sequences simply and easily, and a good, old fashioned basic camera, but with one hell of a massive screen.

    What camera on the market today has a screen of this size? Regardless of the extras or the phone options, the screen alone is a deal sealer! How many times have you taken an image but cant see it on your teeny tiny screen and its not until you finally manage to download to your computer that you realise how crap they are? And by then its too late to take another, but with this little beauty…

    I have several cameras including a Canon DSLR and a handy little pocket seized Leica but this camera/phone is wonderful. It has one hell of a camera, simply taking beautiful images with the added advantage of having a camera included. You can snap, edit, upload and share in one easy piece of tech.

    I may not be a convert to Windows phones (it needs so much work on its interface) but I can forgive that because of the possibilities this camera offers….

    Buy one, now!

    Available from: Three, O2, Vodafone, EE, Phones 4U, Carphone Warehouse
    RRP: £549.99

  • TECH REVIEW | Kobo Aura

    E-readers… where do you stand on them? I’m more a tablet man myself and prefer the variety of use that they offer. I like that I can watch a film, listen to music or read/listen to a book on my tablet. I can write articles, draw images, edit photos…..anything you can buy an app for. I simply didn’t see the point in a device that has few, and sometimes a single use.

    However, having been given the chance to test drive the new Kobo model, the Aura, I’m almost a convert.

    This compact e-reader is so cute. The design is simple and very elegant with intuitive, almost Apple-esque controls. Its light, weighing in at a mere174 grams, measuring a mere 15 cms by 11 1/2 cms – ideal for reading in bed or on the daily commute.

    It comes with 4GB of internal memory that will hold an entire library, with a battery life that will almost allow you to read an entire library before it needs a charge. The market for e-readers has grown, with electronic books being listed on the bestsellers charts – similar to how downloads are now shown in music charts. Times change and the much declared death of paper based books hasn’t happened as people seem to be happy to buy both types of media.

    There is much made of comparing models – this one does this, its better than that…..but if you’re in the market for one of these, I’d simply suggest that you think long and hard about what you want one for and then compare like for like.

    This one has an expandable memory, so a micro-SD will give you up to 32GB. This is needed as you are able to send Pocket articles to your reader from a browser or smartphone. Its a little like Pinterest for your reader.

    You can go Beyond The Book by linking you to the web contact that explains key facts in the text – think Wikipedia in your reader. I tried it out with The Hobbit – all those dwarf names confused me, so being able to click them and see who is who was a boon!

    The other bonus of this reader is that it isn’t tied to a specific retailer or format. This little box of tricks supports ePub, PDF, JPEG and DRM, amongst others. Although mine was set up ready for reviewing, it takes no time to set up – another Apple-esque feature.

    Kobo has embraced could computing too – your books can be retrieved and read anywhere, bookmarks and settings are synched seamlessly and can be picked up on your other devices.

    I could be classed as a convert. I can see me purchasing something like this simply to read on journeys, read in bed at night or simply use to store and retrieve documents on the go. I still love my tablet and laptop (both Apple, I’ll readily admit) but this sleek little box is ideal to just pop in a pocket or bag and take with you. No bulk, no fuss….just your favourite reads.

    Order a Kobo Aura

  • NEWS: Your iPhone Can Be Unlocked With Your Penis

    In today’s high-brow news, a video has emerged showing the brand new iPhone 5s being unlocked by a penis.

    In what was hailed as a break-through technology for smartphones, the new fingerprint unlocking system on apple’s brand new iPhone 5s seems to have a slight flaw, in that you can open your iPhone with more than just your thumbprint.

    TheGayUK discovered a video from Manhunt of one such appendage which can open your brand new 5s. Other pictures, which have surfaced on the net show iPhone owners being able to unlock their phones with nipples and a cat’s paw.

  • TECH REVIEW | Netflix

    If, like me, you felt that the arrival of digital TV channels was like all your Christmases come at once, then you probably grew up in my era. Three main channels, all closing down before midnight, then joined by a fourth….and the rest is history.

    Except, these free to view (see what i did there?) are still dependant on an aerial for reception, and, as our friendly local TV guy told us, we have the wrong kind of leaves on the trees that form part of our boundary and for part of the year, Freeview becomes Noview….

    Until now that is. Given the chance to test Netflix for TheGayUK, and report back on its content, I nearly bit the hand that feeds me DVD’s and books to review!

    Now, I’m no tech nerd, nor am I a net novice but accessing Netflix is so damn easy, and with the onslaught of tablets and smart phones, it’s truly portable too.

    But first, a spot of history…

    Netflix is American and was established in 1997 to initially provide DVDs by mail much like LoveFilm. It has since grown and moved into streaming TV via the net and as of earlier this year, had around 36 million subscribers – because this is the genius bit, its subscription only. Not only does it stream older series, and not just US ones but Brit ones too, it also commissions its own. It’s responsible for the resurrection of Arrested Development for a final series, it commissions original series like Hemlock Grove and House of Cards. It’s won Emmys stateside for this last series….so it’s not just a simple streaming or rental service.

    I know, I know….some of these deals rip you off, but having tried this for around a month, I truly feel that this service doesn’t “diddle” its customer base. But it does depend what you want. For instance, some of the series it streams aren’t the most up to date ones and there are series you’d think it would carry that it doesn’t. But, for me, if you’re bored with the usual X-factors-got-a-Voice-no-talent show or hooked on re-runs, then this service is amazing. If you love old movies or schlock horrors, you’ll love this….

    For instance, the entire back catalogue of Buffy? Really? OMG?! Warehouse 13? Yes please! Gossip Girl? As if…

    And there are several films and documentaries that cover gay related issues. I’ll cover details of these at a later date.

    For now, I have to say, I’m a fan…

    It was easy to create my account once I had my activation key, and then download the app for both my iPad and iPhone to watch on the move via my mobile wifi… at home, I can watch something downstairs via Apple TV, whilst the boyfriend watches White Collar upstairs (apparently it’s got good story lines and not just the gorgeous Matt Bomer? Who knew?)

    So, if you want the latest movies or series, maybe look elsewhere for now, but if you want some old fashioned class with a mix of originality, then give Netflix a go….it has a reasonable monthly charge, free first month….and did I mention Matt Bomer?

  • ‘Geoff And His Two Dads’ Book Aims To Help It Gets Better Project

    ‘Geoff And His Two Dads’ Book Aims To Help It Gets Better Project

    In what is believed to be the first of its kind, Wompi Studios have released their first Book App.

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  • Top 6 Best Gay Apps

    There are over 775,000 Apps in Apple’s App store and around 872 of those are labelled as gay – so, it’s a bit of search to find the right one for you, luckily we’ve done some downloading to find you the good, the best and the brilliant.

    Well occupying the top spot is Joel Simkhai’s ubiquitous Grindr App, which has dominated the App scene for a few years now. What started off as a personal hookup App for Simkhai, has literally changed the way gay men date around the globe. Last year we had a chat with the genius behind Grindr – read the interview here.

    Bashing. We wrote about this App a short while ago and initially weren’t sure what to think, however on reflection, Bashing is a brilliant App to bring visibility to the hundreds of gay bashings that happen across the world. The developers say, “Sometimes it seems like homophobia is claiming the streets. And in order to address this problem, people need to know what happens and where.”

    Pinknews. It’s a must for every gay on the go, keeping you abreast of the homophobic happenings across the globe. Contributed to by a team of journalists Pinknews has won a number of awards for its content and it’s a free App too!

    Gaydio. If you like your radio gay, then you have to download Gaydio. Recently Gaydio took over from Gaydar Radio to become the UK’s number 1 gay radio station. Playing a steady stream of current chart hits Gaydio also keeps you informed with daily gay round ups and breaking news from the Sky News Centre.

    My Free Gay Agenda, is a powerful personal calendar app. What we love about the MGA App is its “Today In Gay” feature, which gives you ‘a daily historical synopsis of key “historical events” from the gay community. Insightful – and apparently today in 2005 Alan Cumming launched his fragrance ‘Cumming’ at Fred Segal in Los Angeles.

    And finally, well we have to plug our own TheGayUK App.Every gay business, bar, hotel, sauna and sexual health service in the UK listed in one place – and you can find which one is closest to your present location. Plus our full magazine is available for free as well as RSS news feeds from all your favourite news organisations around the world – what more could you want? (Yes there are also pictures of hot mens!)

  • There’s an app that shows you where gay bashings have taken place

    There’s an App for everything these days and now there’s one to highlight where a gay person has been beaten called, Bashing.

    After a series of what is commonly known as ‘queer bashing’ happened in 2011, the Belgium LGBT movement decided it was time to act.

    Described by the app developers as ‘for (the) gay community, supported by Outrage! and developed by FAMOUS’ the app is available for free, to download from the Google Android Market Place and the iTunes store and has already had over 1,000 downloads since it was launched last year.

    According to the app there are over 250 reports of ‘bashings’ in Brussels with 53 reports of abuse from the Grand-Place de Bruxelles Grote Market Van Brusselalone.

    The developers say, ‘One of the biggest issues with homophobia is that very little statistic information exists. With this app a user can easily and quickly indicate where he was assaulted and describe what just happened.’
    Download now from Google or Apple
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.famous.bashing&feature=also_installed#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwNCwiYmUuZmFtb3VzLmJhc2hpbmciXQhttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bashing/id484868875?mt=8

  • Is Samsung’s Galaxy S4 a game changer?

    Is this the iPhone Killer? Samsung unveiled its brand new smartphone the S4 yesterday in New York City.

    The brand new device from Samsung offers 1080p screen – which has the ability to react to the owner’s eyes and features a universal translator and 13 megapixel camera – and voice recognition software.

    The expected retail price for the the Samsung Galaxy S4 price is said to be about £480(US$725/AUD$695) SIM-free although the Galaxy SIV price is yet to be confirmed.

    Here’s what the critics thought:
    Luke Johnson, Trusted Reviews:

    “Perhaps not the out-and-out game changer some were expecting, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is, on first impressions at least, certainly a new dominant force on the Android smartphone scene.

    “Sure to go head-to-head with the likes of the iPhone 5 and HTC One over the coming months, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is set to benefit from a raft of immersive, engaging and performance-enhancing features that will complement the improved hardware to create an all-round impressive device.”

     

    Matt Warman, Daily Telegraph (UK):

    “What the S4 offers is a comprehensive package of features, starting with a remarkable screen offering far more pixels than the human eye can perceive. The addition of Air View, which allows users to interact with the touchscreen without actually making contact, offers more information instantly; waving your hand in front of the screen to browse forward or backwards makes the phone suddenly seem like a natural thing to use in the kitchen while cooking or when your hands are full at your desk.

    “It’s not a revolution but it’s certainly an improvement. Hovering a finger above the screen means you can choose articles from each category of the special version of Flipboard, for instance, and never waste time with the ones that don’t interest you.”

    Jordan Crook, TechCrunch:

    “Samsung is riding high on the success of the Galaxy S3 and from what I’ve seen, the Galaxy S4 is a worthy successor, with innovative features packed into a familiar housing. It’s a bit of a shame that Samsung announced the phone without giving a price or release date, but at this point, with Samsung the global sales and innovation leader in smartphones, it can do pretty much whatever it wants.”

     

    Rik Henderson, Pocket-lint (UK):

    “Bells and whistles aside, what will sell the Samsung Galaxy S4 more than any other aspect – more even than sheer brand loyalty – is the display. It is as vibrant as ever before seen on a Super AMOLED display, but with full HD (1920 x 1080) crispness to boot. That’s 440ppi, for those that are counting, the same as the Sony Xperia Z.

    “From our initial play, that’s what has been burnt on to our retinas, for sure. Is it a major step up from the Samsung Galaxy S3? Probably not for many. But there’s certainly enough that’s new to promote it above being the Samsung Galaxy S3S.”

     

    David Pierce, The Verge:

    “Samsung’s consistently on the bleeding edge of smartphone horsepower, and that continues here: the Galaxy S4 is built to fly. It’ll be sold with either a Samsung Exynos 5 or Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, depending on region, and every model will come with 2GB of RAM, a big 2,600mAh battery, and 16, 32, or 64GB of storage (plus a microSD slot if you want to add more).

    “The 5in display is the belle of the ball, of course, and it looks great – we don’t love the PenTile subpixel arrangement, but on such a high-res display it didn’t seem to cause any problems. Viewing angles are great, colours pop on the Super AMOLED display, and the bezels on the device have been slimmed to the point where the screen feels even larger and more immersive.”

     

    Roger Cheng, CNet:

    “Throngs of Android and Samsung fans will flock to the Galaxy S4. The only other smartphone in the industry that can command such good will is, of course, the iPhone. Even if the next iPhone enjoys only a few slight upgrades – which could be the case with a rumored iPhone 5S on the way – demand for the phone will still be sky high.

    “That’s kind of how it feels with Samsung and the Galaxy S4. The company isn’t quite at the level where fans will wait in line for the phone, but the Samsung fanboys are starting to grow as vocal – if not more so – than the Apple faithful.

    “At this point, the Galaxy S4 is a runaway train, something Samsung couldn’t stop even if it tried. The rest of the industry better watch out”

  • Gaydar Unveils Brand New Look

    Gaydar.co.uk, the UK’s largest gay dating website, has unveiled a desirable, sleek new appearance for its three million UK members.

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  • Apple Sells 25th Billionth Song

    Apple today announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded more than 25 billion songs from the iTunes Store.

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