Gadget Digest

Microsoft HoloLens, Windows 10, Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9,OnePlus One: Gadget Digest

With CES now well behind us, we've started to see more and more gadgets being announced or leaked, and it's been a brilliant few days for tech lovers. From augmented reality gaming and Microsoft’s brand new Windows 10, to leaked high-end smartphones like the HTC One M9, there's plenty to catch up on as we head into the weekend. It’s all here for you in your Gadget Digest.

High-end smartphones leakes 

Out of all the latest gadgets, high-end smartphones always leave us drooling in anticipation, and it looks like HTC and Samsung could be the next to unleash a couple of blinders. The Samsung Galaxy S6 popped up on our radar yesterday, and although there weren't any pics on offer, the thought of a 5.1-inch QHD smartphone packing a 64-bit octa-core processor and a 20-megapixel snapper into an aluminium chassis certainly left us wanting more.

Samsung will have a tough fight on its hands if it's going to beat HTC's next flagship though, with the HTC One M9 also hitting the headlines. The high-end blower may look near identical to the older HTC One (M8), including a slick metal body and BoomSound speakers, but this time it's claimed to cram in a bleeding-edge Snapdragon 810 chip and an even sharper screen.

 Wonderful wearables

Not content to let LG and Motorola enjoy the limelight when it comes to round smartwatches, Samsung has also been working on its own round Apple Watch beater, and it may also be one of Samsung’s first smartwatches to use wireless charging tech as well.

Speaking of Apple's upcoming wearable, the Apple Watch also hit the news today, with a claimed battery life of just 2.5 hours under heavy use, and not a lot longer simply having the watch face turned on constantly. That's desperately disappointing for one of the year's most anticipated gadgets, but evidently the price to pay for power-packed components and a small battery. Fingers crossed it holds up better under mixed use.

Microsoft unleashes some awesome concepts 

It was Microsoft's jaw-dropping HoloLens that really caught our eye this week though, with the augmented reality wearable promising to shake up gaming and other industries. We particularly loved the demo showing off Minecraft, and instead of playing the game in your own little world, HoloLens makes it possible to drop blocks on your living room furniture and interact with the world around you. It looks brilliant, and we really can't wait for Microsoft to bring its vision closer to reality.

No doubt the HoloLens will be pricey when it finally does land though, and if you're looking for a cheaper wearable to help keep you warm, the Smart Scarf looks ideal. It's another concept from Microsoft, and biometric sensors help to make it warmer (or indeed cooler) to help keep you at the perfect temperature. Throw in vibrations to alert you of notifications, and it won't matter when your Apple Watch's battery dies a death after a couple of hours either!

In other Microsoft news, the Redmond giant also unleashed a closer look at Windows 10, and it promises to make it a lot easier to switch between Windows phones, PCs, the Xbox One and tablets. It also ushers in a new era for cross-platform gaming, which sounds good to us!

And in other news...

 

With so many exciting announcements this week, narrowing down our gadget digest to just a few different stories has been incredibly difficult! With that in mind, it's also well worth checking out the 12-inch MacBook Air, the Mission Impossible book that can destroy itself, and HP's HTC-alike Android tablet. Throw in the drone-hunting drone and an entire PC crammed into a mouse and it really has been a fab week for gadget lovers. Which one’s your favourite though?

LG and Audi made Smartwatch

The coolest smart watch of CES

 

Forget your Android Wear timepieces, or even the Apple Watch: carmaker Audi has teamed up with LG to create one of the best looking smartwatches we've seen, and it ditches Android Wear in favour of LG's own open webOS. Fancy one of these? Read on for all the details.

AndroidCentral has managed to get a peek at the smartwatch collaboration between Audi and LG, and it looks like one of the most desirable digital timepieces we've seen to date. The watch was teased during Audi’s press conference, while the carmaker claims that it's just a prototype, but it gives us a look at the future of what LG is cooking up - and it looks like the company's lightweight Open webOS is a part of that.

Originally developed by Palm, LG picked up some of the pieces of webOS left behind in 2013 after HP bought, and later dropped, the company and it serves the basis for LG's mystery watch, along with its flagship range of TVs. The currently nameless watch itself looks like a modified version of the G Watch R, complete with a stainless steel finish and leather strap, and it's made to work with Audi's in-car systems, such as unlocking your car over NFC.

LG and Audi are keeping mum on the specific details, but it looks to be a whole lot more standalone than your typical Android Wear watch which is tethered to your phone. The mystery watch packs in a dialer, a messaging app, music, calendar, email and "LG Health W", likely to be an extension of the company's health app.

 
We're waiting for more details to drop on this tantalising watch, but if Audi and LG have proved anything, it's that we really, really want one. Stay tuned as we'll be sure to bring you the latest details as soon as we hear them.

Future of Smartphone

Running out of space? This 320GB smartphone should help

It can be hard to cram all your favourite films, TV shows, games, apps and music on your phone, but this handset should help. It has a monster 320GB storage – that's more than some laptops!

It doesn't actually have that much space on the device, though. It only has 64GB flash memory. The extra room is thanks to two microSDXC card slots, each capable of taking up to 128GB of extra storage. Bear in mind that those cards will cost you extra, so factor that in if you're considering the Saygus V2.

Storage aside, it's a very high-end phone. The 5-inch screen has a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution and is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 4, so should be extra tough. Inside is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chip clocked at 2.5GHz and 3GB of RAM.

On imaging duties are a 21-megapixel snapper and a 13-megapixel front-facer.

It also packs a couple of extras like a waterproof rating of IPX7, QI wireless charging, and noise-cancelling cypher sound technology.

The 3,100mAh battery is bigger than a lot of smartphones' too, so we're expecting decent battery life.

Pre-orders will start later this month, and the handset should be available soon. For more, check out the website.

The amazing new TVs

The amazing new TVs of CES thar won't fit in any room

There's been loads of pocket-sized smart tech popping up at this year’s CES, but there are also loads of gargantuan gadgets that you'll struggle to fit in your home, let alone the boot of your car after you've handed over colossal amounts of cash! The latest TVs are great examples, and we've been taking a look at everything from 120-inch commercial panels, to 'tablets' that measure in at an unbelievable 65 inches - read on to see the most amazing TVs at CES that may not actually fit in your living room!

Sony Bravia XBR900C

Glance at the latest range-topping Sony Bravia XBR900C Ultra HD telly from the side, and it's unlikely you'll come close to guessing just how big it actually is. Despite measuring an incredibly skinny 4.9mm at its thinnest point - thinner than most smartphones - you'll be able to opt for a whopping 75-inch version of the latest Bravia, and it offers a host of goodies in addition to the impressive dimensions. There's a new X1 4K processor for a start, which promises to upgrade image quality, dynamic range and colour, so your movies and TV shows really should come to life.

Sharp 120-inch 4K Commercial LCD Display

As the name hints, Sharp's Commercial LCD display may well be designed for corporate use, and we wouldn't be surprised to see the colossal 120-inch panel pop up in airports or the like at some point in the future, but that doesn't stop us from wanting one for our houses! Granted, it'd be a struggle to actually fit it through the door, you'll need an incredibly large wall to attach it to, and we dread to think how much it actually weighs, but just imagine watching The Gadget Show on a panel big enough to cover the entire side of your living room!

Samsung SUHD JS 8500

Not content to let Sony take the limelight with its 75-inch telly, Samsung also unleashed a new range of high-end TVs, with the its 4K range-topper measuring in at a massive 88 inches that packs in quantum dot tech too. Sure, it still doesn't get close to the size of some commercial panels, but it's plenty big enough for us - we'd probably need to remove the fireplace first before we could hang it on the wall! Samsung has given 4K its own moniker for it’s range of tellies, with SUHD being the acronym you’ll be looking for if you want a Ultra HD Samsung telly, and that just means you can look forward to eye popping resolution, a curved design and plenty of smart options.

LG EG9900 

LG was another South Korean manufacturer to reveal some monster curved TVs, with the LG EG9900 measuring in at a handy 77 inches. Along with the curved design, it packs in a 4K resolution and OLED technology, but unlike the Samsung, LG's big set is also flexible. And that means you'll be able to switch from a curved viewing experience to a flat one depending on who's in your living room and where people are sitting - provided you can somehow manage to fit it into your living room! Still, at least the bendy panel may make it easier to squeeze around your hallway when you're actually trying to get it into your house!

Fuhu Big Tab

Granted, the Fuhu Big Tab isn't exactly a TV per se, but at up to 65 inches it's certainly not your run of the mill Android tablet, and we can't imagine many people having rooms big enough to casually hang one on the wall without some careful planning. And although it technically is a tablet, that 4K resolution should be glorious for playing back TV on demand services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video, just with the added benefit of being able to create some brilliant artwork or play massive Angry Birds when you get bored!

Smart use of Your old Smartphone

Got a new phone? Here's what to do with your old one!

 

Upgraded to a new phone ? Just because you're switching blowers doesn't mean you should abandon your old handset, and there are loads of cool things you can do with it. From turning it into a media hub, to using it for backup or even as a portable video player, we take a look at some of the things you can do with your old phone.

Spotify hub

Your old smartphone can happily live a new life as your home music hub, and you'll be able to hook it up to your stereo or speakers and play back your favourite tracks with ease. Better yet, if you have a Spotify Premium account, you'll also be able to use your new phone to control your old handset remotely, skipping tracks you don't like and searching for new music from the other side of the room or further. 

Chromecast remote control

You won't be needing a high-end blower to get the best out of your Chromecast, and you can just as easily control movies, programmes or even just mirror your web browser using a Chrome cast and your old smart phone. Download apps like Netflix and you'll have no trouble streaming them onto your Chrome cast and TV, flicking through episodes from the comfort of your sofa, and using your old phone to find all the latest flicks. 

Security camera

There are plenty of web cams out there that stream live video, including the Net Gear VueZone VZSX2800, so why not take advantage and put your old smart phone to good use as a security device. Leave it somewhere prominent, plugged in and with a permanent connection to your web cam, and you'll be able to see who's coming to the door before they get there or check on the kids without getting up. Wireless web cams aren't just limited to streaming videos around the house either, so you could potentially leave your old phone at work so you'll always be able to check on the family even when you're out.

e-Reader

If your old phone packs in a big screen, and you travel around a lot without access to power, why not turn it into a portable e-reader? There are loads of great e-reading apps out there, from Amazon's Kindle to xxx, and with all the wireless functions turned off, your old phone should last a lot longer than your new blower as an e-Reader. Better yet, if the battery does give up the ghost after a particularly intense reading session, you'll still be able to make calls, play games and carry on as usual with your latest handset.

A backup device

If you've upgraded your Windows Phone, and fancy doing something sensible with your old blower, it could be worth putting it to good use as a backup device. Keep it logged in with your Outlook account, and it's possible to get all your text messages delivered to both your new and old phone, even if one doesn't have a SIM card in it. And with your photographs automatically uploaded to Microsoft's SkyDrive, easily available to view on either handset, Windows Phone could have the perfect backup device should anything happen to your shiny new phone. The ability to pick up another handset and leave the house knowing all your messages are already there could certainly be a godsend!

Satellite navigation

You could even turn your old phone into a stand-alone sat-nav, with plenty of options for mapping that don't need an internet connection to offer directions. Download an app like HERE for Android and you'll be able to keep all your maps offline, helping to boost battery life and also offering faster, smoother navigation. Sure, your new phone can also provide navigation, but this way the phone you need most will keep running for longer, and it won't matter as much if you forget and leave the old blower in the car.

Nokia News

Nokia 215 is a £20 phone that lasts a month on a single charge

If 2014 was the year of the gadget bargain, then 2015 looks like the year that affordable handsets get supercharged. Microsoft has just unveiled the Nokia 215, a wallet-friendly handset with an absolutely mammoth battery life.

The 215 costs just $29 (£18.99), yet manages an astonishing 29 days on standby. That's for the single SIM version. The dual SIM variant lasts a still very respectable 21 days before needing a recharge. Which will be a godsend if you're travelling and only need a phone in case of emergencies.

It also offers full web access using the Opera Mini browser, Bing search, MSN Weather, Twitter and Facebook. Instant notifications mean you're always in the loop, while it also packs all the standard features you'd expect from a budget blower: a built-in torchlight, 20 hours talk time, MP3 playback, FM radio and a VGA camera.

Microsoft doesn't have a UK price or launch date yet, but it has said it will launch in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia in the first three months of this year. Keep your eyes peeled, as we'll let you know the latest info as soon as we hear it.

International CES

What to expect: The best gadgets at CES 2015

It's back! The world's biggest technology tradeshow, CES, show kicks off in Las Vegas next week, so what next-gen tech can we expect to see? Allow us to whet your appetite with the hottest gadgets we're looking forward to, and stay tuned for plenty mroe coverage next week too.


LG quantum dot TV

LG has already announced the tech, so tellies that feature it are a dead cert. It harnesses nano-sized crystal dots that emit various colours depending on their size, which should improve colour saturation and give a wider colour palette. LG claims it improves the picture colour reproduction rate by more than 30 per cent, and makes the screen brighter, to boot.

HTC's first wearable

 

HTC claims its first wearable will be wrist-worn, but insists it's not a smartwatch. Instead, it will be "very different" to anything currently on sale. Sounds intriguing. But what could it do differently? Reports have previously claimed the device will play music and be controlled using Google Now, and could even be aimed at emerging markets like India. HTC already baffled us all with its RE Camera, let's see if it can do the same for wearables.

Sony Xperia Z4

Sony hasn't hung around over the last year, releasing the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 mere months apart. So why wait to unleash the Z4? Rumours peg the Z4 with a larger QHD screen to equal that of the LG G3. It might also have a bigger brother in the form of the Xperia Z4 Ultra. Expect gargantuan proportions all round.

Samsung Tizen TV

 Samsung never holds back at CES, and this year shouldn't be any different. While the Galaxy S6 and Note 5 are probably no shows, seeing as it would be too early in the upgrade cycle, and the fact the company's head of visual display has claimed CES will have "no surprise shows", we are expecting a new telly. Specifically, one running Tizen. Samsung's own OS hasn't been seen in many devices so far, so who knows what it will be like on a TV.

An affordable Steam machine

Valve had a huge presence at CES 2014, but has chosen to stay away this year. Instead, it's keeping its cards close to its chest until the Games Developers' Conference in March. However, Alienware, Maingear and the rest of the Steam Machine clan should be there. Hopefully at least one will offer a machine that doesn't cost the earth. Fingers crossed.

Why CES matters: The tech that changed the world

set the trend in tehc not just for the next year but ever more? Join us as we count down the best CES gadgets of all time, and stay tuned for more coverage of the Las Vegas expo next week.

Sony XEL-1 (2007)

Despite standing only 11 inches across, the XEL-1 was a landmark in TVs, as it was the first OLED set to be commercially available. The thing is, it cost a whopping £3,500. For an 11-inch set. And it only went on sale two years after being shown off at CES 2007. Nevertheless, it paved the way for today's OLED TVs with their glorious black depths and vibrant contrast, and for that, we salute it. Still, if you bought one, we can't help but think you would've been better off waiting a few years.


Palm Pre (2009)

Palm's handset ran the company's WebOS, which added such innovative features as Deck of Cards, which made it simple to multitask, and Synergy, which collated all your emails, contacts and calendar appointments in the same place. It was also the first to offer both a decent touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. While it may have bitten the dust shortly after, it laid the groundwork for future operating systems, helping change how we use our mobiles - it's hard not to see a lot of it in how Android handles multitasking today. No surprise, since one of WebOS' chief architects now leads up Android design at Google.

  
Parrot AR.Drone (2010)

Drones are an up and coming type of gadget, and it's all because of this fellow. He rocked up at CES 2010 to huge plaudits, showing that a flying device could be fun, easy to control, and – crucially – affordable. Experts predict city skies will soon be abuzz with drones. So if you find it bothersome, blame this chap.

Sony Xperia Z (2013)

This wasn't the first smartphone under the Sony Mobile moniker since it bought out Ericsson from the Sony Ericsson partnership, but it was by far the best. The landmark smartie packed waterproof skills, a big screen and a great camera, and it announced to the world that Sony was back in business. Its subsequent iterations have stuck to the same winning formula, and a good thing that is too.


Oculus Rift (2014)

Oculus had shown off its Rift virtual reality headset before, but last year's CES was where people really saw what it could do. The version on show was the 'Crystal Cove' prototype, and it did away with the motion blur that made so many wearers' stomachs churn. The head tracking was also more accurate. All in all, it made for a much more realistic experience, and showed that virtual reality wasn't just the stuff of science fiction. We can't wait until it goes on sale.