Category: Uncategorised

Maybe times are changing in the mobile world with the introduction here in the UK of the first free mobile phone service. It sounds good and I believe if handled correctly, it could be a life saver..

Here’s a quick breakdown and here’s my reasoning on why it could be really important.

FreedomPop

For (as of writing) a mere £6.99 as a one off payment including postage and activation fee you can have a mobile phone 3G SIM that will give you 200 minutes of talk time to any UK mobile or regular Landline, 200 SMS (text) messages and 200mb of data a month…  FOR LIFE !

Surely that’s a bargain ??  Well if you apply carefully, it is !

They must somehow have a way to make money, you ask ? Yes, as usual the devil is in the detail.. When you apply take careful note of the small extras.. Things like more pro or premium answer phone features.. Double the minutes and data offer….. Free but for a month or so….

They’re all there and actually quite clearly stated but before you do the usual clicking agree / next / next… Make sure you read the small print, often at the bottom of the screen.. The trial of free double data/talk/text automatically starts charging your card when times up.

Another point of note is the automatic top up that occurs. To be fair they seem good value prices for minutes and data but I see this as a much better deal for a different reason.

The leave in the car / at work / holiday shack / bug out bag or den SIM in a simple phone that’s always available for emergency.

My SIM is on the way… Check back shortly for my experiences and thoughts along with my recommendation on a handset.

Thanks for checking in 😉

Here is a quick unboxing video of the new iPhone 6S on launch day.

It’s the 64Gb version in the rather lovely new rose gold.

iPhone 6S unboxing

I have been using PowerDirector for the last few months and really enjoy it.

While searching online I found the video below for the upcoming Cyberlink PowerDirector 14 ..  I’m guessing this is ready for launch in the next few days 😉

Top feature that I can see is the new motion tracker..   Want that one !!

Hi,

I have been playing with the Live Streaming service from YouTube.. It’s great, pretty easy to use and assuming you have a reasonably fast upload speed, it’s reliable.

I have put together a video on how to use the rather brilliant ManyCam studio software. It has a great feature in that you can connect to the YouTube live streaming and include lower thirds, switch between cameras and even use a mobile phone as a remote reporting camera !

You can download ManyCam from www.manycam.com and they have a useful free version (doesn’t support streaming though).

Check back for the link and a more in-depth write up..

We have been using Windows 10 for a little while now and the bottom line is a BIG thumbs up..

It’s running on a Lenovo Yoga 2 and has proven to be solid as a rock.. in fact i’m writing this up on the flexible beast right now.

Being a Windows 7 fan and a reluctant user of Windows 8/8.1, which I added Classic Shell for a feeling of normality, Windows 10 seems very natural. I look forward to testing Cortana properly in the coming weeks.

The ‘returned’ start button is a great and welcome addition, merging what was actually quite nice in windows 8 with what we all wanted from windows 7..  Full marks here..

So far, driver and update handling has been perfect and the only real problem was that of a failure to come out of standby mode..  it cured itself via a driver update which was automatically applied.

The Lenovo Yoga 2 is one of these new breed of 2 in 1’s. It works in landscape and portrait mode, detecting when to change, plus it has a fold back keyboard so it’s like a ‘large’ tablet.. well windows 10 seems to love it!  not a glitch so far.

I run Office 2010 plus

Sorry all for my recent quietness (lack of updates). Things have been really hectic in my main daily work.. new CCTV installation with full audio recording and monitoring.. Network server changes and lots of new workstations, bonded broadband installation and much more..

Anyhoo, got lots of new gear to review including a new GoPro 3plus silver (WiFi model)..

Our new Android App will be available on the Play store in two days..

Its a pretty simple and straightforward App that showcases some very cool 3D videos for the Google Cardboard or similar VR adapters for your smartphone.. these are quite simply a MUST HAVE for anyone that likes tech stuff.. For around a fiver you can have your very own occulus rift !!! Just so impressive..

Our App has templates for making your own headset, links to websites and sample clips to see what all the fuss is about… Oh and its FREE 🙂

Thanks for reading,

Tim – TechTonic.tv

---

I love bright lights and this is by far my brightest to date.

The spec quotes 10,000 lumens from 7 x Cree emitters. I dont currently have a way of verifying the exact brightness but what I can say is it is EXTREMELY bright, in fact painfully bright if you inadvertently glance its way while on full beam.

It has three modes all of which are operated from a single button. Full brightness with the first press, roughly one third brightness on the second press and strobe by a   l o n g   press.

As reported by others, these torches, when on full power, generate a sizeable amount of heat. Be aware, this CAN cause problems if the are enclosed in say a pocket and the button accidentally pressed.. I had this very problem and the torch was too hot to hold.  Luckily nothing was damaged but it could have been very dangerous if left next to something flammable or even a mobile phone.

More follows..