iTunes 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Apple have launched this years 12 Days of Christmas app in the App Store. The App will allow you to download a free gift from iTunes every day from 26th December to 6th January for your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. The gifts could be Music, Film, Book or Apps.

To be notified about the daily free gift from Apple, make sure that you have Push Notifications enabled on your device.

Three Mobile Signal issues in Taunton

If you live in Taunton and are on the Three network you will probably be aware of the lack of decent reception recently.

Over the last week, I have frequently had Many ‘No Service’ notifications on my iPhone as well as problems making and receiving calls. Internet access has pretty much ground to a halt, with Planet3 access and the odd Twitter update about as much as I can get out of it.

It would seem that there has been a problem with the main transmitter in the town centre, atop the multi-storey carpark. I have been informed that new hardware will be coming online on Wednesday.

Unfortunately we’ll have to put up with flaky signal until then.

Get more for your money on Three PAYG

Three have announced their new and updated Pay As You Go (PAYG) tariffs called an All in One Add-On.

Pay As You Go (PAYG) is getting a mobile internet upgrade on the UK’s biggest 3G network.  From September 15 2010, Three is offering a new market beating plan that unites the value of contract with the flexibility of PAYG and makes mobile internet quicker, easier and more accessible for everyone.

No other network is giving PAYG customers more for £10 – 3,000 texts, 100 minutes and 500MB.

The principal of the new Three PAYG tariff is to convert your top-up credit straight into an ‘All in One’ Add-on that gives you a range of inclusive minutes, texts and Internet access depending on how much you top-up.

For example top-up £10, and if you convert this straight to a All in One 10 Add-On you will get 100 minutes, 500MB Internet, and 3,000 texts all of which last for 30 days. If you top-up £15 or £25 you’ll get 300 and 500 minutes respectively.

Previously on 3Pay topping up £10 would get you 300 texts (600 if done via My3), 150MB Internet plus unlimited 3-to-3 calls all of which lasted for 3 months, plus you’d still have your £10 credit to use towards calls and picture messages etc.

The new All in One Add On‘s are great value for money, especially for those who are connected to the Internet and found the previous 150MB not enough to last a month let alone 3!

In fact the plan is good, that the line is starting to blur between this and the improved Sim Only Plans.  The updated Sim Only 10 will get you:

100 minutes, 3000 texts, 1GB Internet, 2000 Three-to-Three minutes all on a rolling one month contract for £10.

If you take into consideration that Three’s PAYG bundle lasts 30 days now instead of 90, it would probably make sense to go for Sim Only.

Either way Three are upping the stakes in the Mobile Network wars, which can only trigger other networks to respond and offer users what we really want value for money.

Nokia World 2010

So today was a big day for Nokia, as they took to the stage in London this morning to let the world know that they are still to be taken seriously in this changing mobile world and showcase some new products for us.

Although I wasn’t one of the lucky few bloggers who were able to go to the event in London, I was provided with a Virtual Attendee pack from the great guys at WOMWorld/Nokia:

Thanks to the live streaming of the event I was able to follow most of the event straight from my mobile:

I wont cover what has already been said by others blogs about the announcements, so instead i’ll send you to WOMWorld/Nokia who have a great round-up of all the Nokia World 2010 chatter.

What did you think of the Nokia presentation and their product announcements?

Elecom ZeroShock III Case

For the last few months I have been using an Elecom Zeroshock III case to carry my iPad in while out and about.  While the case isn’t specifically designed for an Apple iPad – it’s advertised as a 8/9″ Notebook Inner Bag – I thought that the slim design and padding would be ideal for protecting my iPad while on the move.

I have to confess that I am slightly obsessed about keeping my gadgets in as perfect condition as I possibly can.  I already have the official Apple iPad case, snugly fitted to my iPad while using it around the house.

While I am out and about, the chances of it getting bumped/scratched/damaged increase, so I wanted something that would give the device some extra protection.  I didn’t want a large case or bag, and I didn’t really want to have to keep removing the iPad from the very tight fit of the Apple iPad case.  I just wanted something that would be easy to use, lightweight but keep my iPad safe.

The case itself is pretty straightforward, consisting of  a zip that goes around 3 of the sides so that the case opens like a book. Inside you find wavy foam to protect the decide from bumps and knocks.

On the front of the case you will find the ZeroShock III name below a front zipped pocket that will allow you to store some small accessories, such as cables, cloths etc.

The iPad fits perfectly inside the ZeroShock III even with its Apple Cover fitted. Once snuggly inside, you know that the extra layer of padding surrounding the iPad is keeping it nice and safe.

Overall I have been very happy with the ZeroShock III Case, it has been just what I wanted and for only £16 you cant go far wrong.

You can buy the ZeroShock Netbook Case from MobileFun.co.uk.

Nokia BH-905, BH-214 and MD-9 Review

During my recent #NokiaNav challenges, which featured a Maserati (in case I’d not mentioned that before!) I was able to try out some cool Nokia accessories. The main piece of kit was the CK-200 Car Kit, but I also had some other Nokia audio accessories to try out. This started off on the first day with the Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth headset, which I had to use to find the keys to the car! My second challenge involved driving to a mystery location, collect a key to unlock a black box in the boot of the car, where I found a pair of Nokia BH-905 Noise Cancelling Headphones. The last item was found in the hamper in the boot of the Maserati – a Nokia MD-9 Mini Speaker.

So I’ve had a good play with all 3 of the Nokia Accessories, and I have now compiled my thoughts on each of the devices below:

Nokia BH-905 Noise Cancelling Headphones

These are a serious pair of headphones. Weighty, yet light the Nokia BH-905 headphones come in a nice zip-ip case that contains the headphones, cable for charging, and cable and adapters should you like to be wired  to your audio system.

If you like your music, and you like to get fully immersed into your listening experience, then these are the headphones for you. The Nokia BH-905 headphones are wireless using Bluetooth. Not only do they deliver great sound quality, but they are also noise cancelling. What does this mean? Well, there are some small mics on the headphones that pick up any background noise around you, and then using clever technology will the cancel this noise out so as not to interfere with your listening experience.

On one of the headphones you will find some music controls that allow you to skip tracks, play/pause and adjust the volume. These work great with Nokia devices, but don’t function completely with other Bluetooth devices such as an iPhone (iOS 4.1 will fix this).  You can play/pause and adjust the volume, but not skip tracks.

I compared the sound quality of the headphones against some BOSE noise cancelling headphones, and while the BH-905 sound great, they obviously don’t match the quality. You certainly don’t get the depth of stereo, or bass that the BOSE noise-cancelling headphones deliver, but then the BH-905′s are somewhat cheaper.

The headphones themselves rest on your ears, whereas the BOSE are slightly larger and cup your ears totally enclosing them with the headphone. Because of this I didn’t think that Nokia’s were as comfortable or that the overall sound quality and noise-cancelling experience was quite as good.

Saying that – comparing them to some expensive BOSE headphones was probably a little unfair, as they would generally be out of most peoples price bracket – for what you get the Nokia BH-905 headphones deliver a great sound experience at a reasonable price.

Personally I’m not really a big fan of large headphones, I’d never wear them while out-and-about, and although I sometimes like to ‘zone-out’ at home with music via headphones, I’d opt for the smaller in-your-ear style.

The Nokia BH-905 Bluetooth Headphones retails for around £140.

Nokia MD-9 Mini Speaker

The Nokia MD-9 Mini Speaker was the biggest surprise for me out of all of the accessories. The small black square speaker with a simple red stripe around it doesn’t look much, it’s also very light and compact. Like most media speakers of this kind of size I wasn’t expecting much in the quality of the sound. On plugging it into the Nokia N97 Mini, I was surprised by how loud and bassy the sound that came out of it. Even in an outdoor environment, with background noises, the music was very clear with a nice rich sound to it. And all powered by 2 AAA batteries!

The wire to connect to your music device winds nicely around the base of the MD-9 with the jack snapping firmly into the bottom of the unit.

There isn’t much more to say about the Nokia MD-9‘s – you just plug it in and enjoy your music.

I can see myself using the Nokia MD-9 Portable Mini Speaker while on holiday, as it’s so light that it can easily be packed in a bag.

The Nokia MD-9 Mini Speaker retails for around £16.

Nokia BH-214 Bluetooth Headset

This little device was given to me at the start of the #NokiaNav experience when I had to go and locate the keys for the Maserati that had just been delivered (Did I mention that I had a Maserati for a week?).

Photo by BennyCrime

The device is easily clipped onto a shirt/jacket and the headphones pop into your ear canal. No more long wires to get tangled up with and the sound quality on these were great.

I found that these were great for use at the gym, and used them every day on my walk to and from work.

The BH-214 can be paired with most Bluetooth devices that support A2DP profile, which includes the iPhone. Unfortunately music navigation using the keys isn’t supported, although the volume can be adjusted.

The device is quick to charge, which gives music playback of around 7 hours.

Overall the BH-214 Bluetooth Headphones are a fantastic addition for music on the move.  I loved them so much that I actually bought myself a pair – which are used daily. Wireless music is definitely the way to go – I dont think that I could go back to proper wired headphones again now.

Nokia BH-214 retail for around £39.99 – but I managed to pick up a pair from KingofGadgets.co.uk for £22.99 with free delivery.

Google Latitude is now available in the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

If you have been waiting patiently for Google to release a dedicated iPhone App for Google Latitude, then you are kinda in luck, as a Google Latitude iPhone App has finally hit the App Store. Latitudie is not an official app from Google themselves, but from the developer who brought us Buzzie, the Google Buzz client for the iPhone.

Latitudie works on both iPhone and iPad makes use of the multitasking in iOS4 so that you can run it in the background, but be warned that constant use of the GPS will drain your battery.

The app is a little sparse at the moment, and will only update your location to Latitude, there is currently no options to see your friends list, which is a shame. Hopefully it will be updated with new features with the same frequency that the developers have with their other app Buzzie.

The History function is neat, you can go back and look at where you have been with Google Latitude (using any previous Latitude App) and a pin will appear on the map. This data can of course be cleared.

Latitudie the Google Latitude App will work on both iPhone and iPad and costs £1.19

Hands on with the new Three MiFi (Huawei E585)

Today I got invited to London for an event by ThreeMobileBuzz to see the new generation Three MiFi unit and chat with the Three Product Manager as well as some other like-minded people.

The invite was very cryptic. I received a tweet from ThreeMobileBuzz to say that I needed to meet outside Liberty’s at 6.35pm with another blogger. What lay in-store for us was a rickshaw ride to the actual event, where we were asked about the MiFi unit we currently had, and what we’d like to see in version 2.

The Three MiFi Event

Matt from Three talked about some of the issues that had been raised with the first version of the Three MiFi and how they worked with Huawei to make this second generation unit better.

The first issue that has been addressed is that the device now only has one button activation instead of 3.

The confusing lights have gone, and has been replaced by an OLED display that gives the user better information, such as amount downloaded and duration of session.

The previous dashboard that was only accessible via a PC is now web browser based.

Battery management has been optimised for efficiency, although it’s the same battery inside.

Charging time has been improved. Initial charge has dropped from 12 to 8 hours and everyday charging time has also been improved.

You can now charge the device and use it when it is plugged in, this wasn’t previously possible.

The device will now auto-connect when the signal drops unlike the original.

Hands on with the new Three MiFi

The new Huawei E585 MiFi is exactly the same size as the original MiFi, this time it comes in black with a mirrored top-half for the OLED information display.

The first thing that you notice about the device is how easy it is to get up and running. The simple press of one button, and the display tells you what’s happening. No more having to press 3 buttons in the correct order, checking that all the correct lights are lit.

The display is neat, it tells you how much you have downloaded, how long you have been online, as well as signal strength and gives a better indication of battery status.

There is nothing to report in terms of changes to download speeds etc, as that all remains the same.

The new Three MiFi also allows you access to the web browser based config area, where you can change settings on the MiFi, send and receive text messages, plus also look at the files that you may have stored on a MicroSD card you can put in the unit.

Conclusion

The second generation Huawei E585 MiFi is certainly a more polished device than the original MiFi. The annoying 3 button activation has gone, Mac users are now supported, it has a more informative display, and charging while in use, mean that this has gone from a good device to a great device.

All of the features worked perfectly from my iPad, and if you are thinking of making your WiFi only iPad 3G, then this IS the device for you. I will certainly be getting one when it comes out.

Buying a (Huawei E585) Three MiFi

The new and improved Three MiFi will be available from 2nd July and will start to replace existing MiFi stock.

The pricing will be exactly the same as the original model, £49.99 on Pay As You Go.

If you are thinking of getting a MiFi, I’d personally wait until the second generation hits the shops in a few weeks time.

For more information about the Three MiFi, see the MiFi section on the Three website.

The iPhone is coming to Three (UK)

We had the first indication that the iPhone is coming to 3 back in February, now the news has finaly come true – the iPhone 4 will be coming to Three on June 24th.

Information is sparse at the moment, but you can register your interest on the site now. You will then be able to pre-order your iPhone 4 on Three from Tuesday 15th June.

This is great news for Three, who I believe have a great network, but rubbish handsets to actually make use of it.  This is the phone that will put Three back in the race and lure people back to the network!

I can’t wait..

MiFi from 3 Review

I have recently been trialling Three’s MiFi device as a way to get my Apple iPad online when I’m not near a WiFi Hotspot. Is is any good? Read on to find out…

What’s a MiFi?

You should be familiar with the term WiFi, which allows you to surf the Internet without any wires from the device of your choice (PC, Mac, Games Console, Mobile Phone etc) to a WiFi Hotspot, which is in turn, connected to a telephone line to an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

You might also have heard of a Mobile Broadband Dongle. This is a USB device that plugs into your computer and allows you to connect that computer to the Internet using a Mobile Network (Orange, Vodafone, Three etc).

A MiFi is basically a combination of the two. You can connect any device to it using WiFi, and then the device connects to the Internet using a Mobile Network, rather than a fixed line (from BT).

Why use a MiFi?

The beauty of using a MiFi is that you don’t need to have a traditional telephone line connection to the Internet, you can connect your device to the Internet wherever you happen to be (provided that you have mobile signal!).

Also, unlike a USB Broadband Dongle, which allows one device to connect to the Internet at a time, a MiFi allows up to five devices to use the same Internet connection.

The MiFi is compact and light, and will easily slip into a pocket or bag so that you can hop onto the Internet wherever you choose to take it!

Using the Three MiFi

Getting the unit up and running is a breeze, although you do actually need a PC for the first part.

There are a selection of lights on the unit that give statuses to different parts of the MiFi service, Clockwise from top-left are:

• Network coverage - This will go green when it detects a mobile signal
• Battery Status – This will change from green, yellow and red, as your battery is used
• M (Mobile Broadband) – This informs you that you have a Internet connection (dark blue/light blue for super fast connection)
• W (WiFi) is enabled – This allows your devices to connect to the MiFi
• R - is only seen when you are roaming (using the MiFi abroad)

There are 3 buttons down the side of the unit, a power on/off plus a button to turn on/off WiFi and Mobile Broadband independently.

Getting the unit up and running requires pressing (and holding for 2 seconds) these buttons in a certain order – Power, WiFi then Mobile Broadband, with each related light flashing, and then turning solid to indicate its active.

Once the lights are static you are good to go.  All you then need to do is enter the provided WiFi Key on your WiFi device and you should be surfing the net in no time.

Results

The speeds of the MiFi have been pretty great. I have been getting between 1.5Mb and 3Mb.

I have streamed video to my iPad and iPhone from TVCatchup simultaneously using the same MiFi connection, and got fault-less picture quality.

I downloaded a 450MB App from the iTunes Store in under 40 minutes.

After the initial 12 hour battery charge, it then takes 3 hours for a full charge (from mains).

With a standard 3G connection to the Internet, the Apple App Store would detect that you are not using WiFi and prevent any downloads over 20MB. Not so with the MiFi, as your immediate connection is WiFi, there are no restrictions. This is great, but be aware that you will gobble up your mobile broadband data allowance quickly with large downloads.

Conclusion

The Three MiFi is an awesome gadget! Why pay for Mobile Broadband restricted to one device when you can get one of these and connect whatever devices you like to it.

For iPad owners it will cost you an extra £100 to upgrade from the 16GB WiFi model to the 16GB WiFi+3G unit. A Pay-As-You-Go MiFi is half that price (£49.99) and allows you to connect ANY device to the mobile Internet.  I think it’s a bit of a no-brainer!

The unit is solid, and light, and while connecting is easy, I think that it really needs to be simplified to a one button activation.

It’s also a shame that you are unable to charge the device via USB when plugged into a USB port on a computer.

The PC MiFi Manager Software is a bind and would be a problem for Mac users (like me), so for people who are using an iPad then it would be nice to access the control panel via a web browser.

Faults aside – it’s a very usable device – and I would highly recommend this to anybody!

You can pick a MiFi up from Three for as little as £49.99 on Pay As You Go.

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