SOPA and PIPA: will they ruin the internet?

The big issue going around the internet right now is two American based companies PIPA (protect ip act) and SOPA (stop online piracy act), these two companies are campaigning a anti piracy programme where any site that posses copyrighted data, or files, can be shut down. The popular video sharing site Mega upload has already befallen to the aged internet crusaders and has placed threats on huge social hub sites such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter as well as other sites that may have copyrighted files included. This action on piracy is causing massive distaste to the social communities around the world and may turn many users sour. The vote for this action will take place soon in the near future, obvious support goes outside of SOPA and PIPA's desires but they are a formidable legal force and should not be ignored. People in UK or other countries may not think this will affect them , however most sites used by European and other citizens are under American ownership.We don't know what will happen to our sites we take for granted but unless action is done they may be gone forever.

Read More

Samsung galaxy ace getting an overhaul! Power boost, g-bread 2.3

The galaxy family of smartphones has been a massive sucsess for samsung, with the two leading devices of the moment (the note and s2) selling millions in mere days; one would forgive Samsung for milking that money bovine for all its worth.

And indeed they have! The mid-range galaxy ace has recieved a touch up in the form of a faster 1ghz processor up from the old 800mhz unit found in the previous version. The screen ,however, does not recieve any special treatment, the paltry 320 by 480 pixels given is scant in comparison to the brain melting display of say the galaxy nexus. It also gets a new shell to shake off the "banter" it has got from consumers claiming that it looks like the iphone 4s and its derivatives. Instead, it gets a shiny shell and silver-ish border around the screen that while tacky; doesn't look like a 4s. It looks like a 3g!

Read More

Samsung galaxy note sells one million!

The samsung galaxy note looked doomed before its release when released at IFA 2011, its awkwardly sized 5.3" screen made it too large for the common smartphone user but slightly too small to be classed as a practical or useful tablet. A steady stream of these devices has been slowly creating a new "phablet" or "pad phone" category over the last couple of years. It began with the dell streak, it was considered huge at the time with its 5" screen; and it still proves to much for my weedy pockets to bare.

But the samsung seems to be on to a winner with the note, its 1.5ghz dual core, 1gb ram, 8mp rear and 2mp front facing camera's and 720p super amoled screen are a potent movie watching combination. The milestone of 1,million units in 30 days doesn't quite match the gargantuan sales of the wildly popular galaxy s 2 phone at 5 million in 85 days.

So lads and ladettes, are you part of the ever increasing galaxy note camp?

Don't forget to comment and subscribe! Also, why not like us on facebook?

Read More

Tekapeel see's the future!

We at Tekapeel strive to bring the most up to date tech news possible, and today; ive gone one step further...

Intel is claiming its new line of branded "ultrabooks" are the future of computing, a swathe of mac air-esque slivers of metal have graced the internet over the past few months sporting spec's that do no more to lure people away from their burger-namesake laptops (see what i did there?) than a big mac itself.

But that may be about to change, i recently saw what can only be described as an incredible piece of technology that i would be happy to call the future. The asus ultrabook... First glance and you would be forgiven for thinking that it is the new transformer prime tablet, with its shocking thin-ness and concentric-ish circle, brushed metal design on the lid it does have a certain resemblance to the quad core tablet monster. But flip it over and you find, in a desperate bid to distance itself from the air, a set of square rubber feet. The brushed metal design is carried to the back and has a slight purple tinge that gives it a classy feel. Pick the device up and what greets you is joyful, the construction is simply amazing; it is as solid as a suitably hard thing and feels as quality as it's possible to muster from our mortal materials. You may think that asus paid me to write this article, you would be wrong. Nor is it my own device, nor do i intend it to be in the future.

Opening the lid reveals a very apple 1 piece trackpad that extends a fair way over the palm rest and sits flush with the main body. A small black line bisects the pad for half an inch or so, and it is indeed just a painted line; not a split in the material as i first thought. Adorning the palm rest are special gray intell core "i" sticker, this particular one bearing the i5 moniker, along side a similar windows 7 piece.

My only complaint as of yet would be the keyboard, sure it looks good; a dark silver (almost mirrored) sheen covers the deck with good sized keys sitting in the isolated design associated with high end laptops. The issue is, it doesn't feel right. Shallow and unsatisfying taps lead to small amounts of travel and deep frustration as some key strokes are missed in the low set keys.

Well, while most of the ultrabooks have not shown to be the wonderful future as intel claims. But asus breaks the mold with this slice of awesome, i strongly recommend you take a look at one when they are widely available if you are in the market for an ultraportable or media pc.

Don't forget to comment and subscribe lads and ladettes! And why not like us on facebook?

Read More

Sennheiser HD205 ii review

Right off the bat, merry christmas Lads and Ladettes! We sincerely hope it was filled with techy-goodness!

I certainly had a good one, a superlative meal and whole host of traditional english fare made one happy Tekapeel journalist! As you may tell, i have recently recieved a pair of sennheiser hd 205 2's. I was in the market for a new pair of cans and these fit the bil perfectly, a modest price of around 30 Pounds and cheeky amounts of silver sennheiser accents were enough to convince me coupled with the glowing reviews its gathered from various users around the world.

Packaging was..... Sturdy, to say the least. They come sealed in a large plastic bubble that has no visible (or otherwise) opening. After ten minutes of torn fingernails and ruined skin, the package finally burst open. Not so good on the packaging front, while tough: It does get you off to a bad start on the 'phones themselves.

In the box, you get: The cans, an adaptor so you can plug them in to your amp or whatnot and a fetching faux leather carry case with the letters "Sennheiser" printed on. I must say, the case is a lovely little addition; ive often had previous problems with headsets getting scratched and the wires torn because of poor protection and tudyness. The case acomodates the phones and cord beautifully and will be sure to withstand a scratch or two.

Now to the Head phones themselves! The cups are fairly large, i have average sized ears and they wrap around them perfectly. People with large ears may encounter some problems, but comfort will never be an issue. On both sides, a silver disk adorns the arms; one of which carries a nifty little skill. Pushing it slightly clicks it out of place where it can swing back and forth as to free one ear to hear someone talking without having to take them off. This is a rarefeature and the only better implimentation i have seen is on the physko kryptons.

Sound quality is epic, highs jam themselves into your brain and twist until you squeal... In a good way. And the bass reproduction is enough to make your insides tremble. The amount of bass has a noticable effect on the harshness of some high frequencies. In some headphones, i would notic that s' would sound harsh and grating at high volumes. This copacious amount of bass seems to soften everything out and make everything more pleasant.

Another good review to add to the pile then sennheiser, quality build with clear highs and satisfying lows. I recomend if you are in the market for a mid range headset that you take a look at these bad boys!

Thanks lads and ladettes, be sure to comment and subscribe! And why not like us on facebook?

Read More

HTC Explorer fist impression

I recently purchased a HTC explorer it is part of androids budget smartphone. My first impression "how do I get all of this for the price".The phone has the latest HTC gingerbread and HTC sense included. The phone works as a great music player with SRS sound enhancement which can out do my iPod any day so I can listen to the classics like Uptown Girl with a great quality of sound. The phone may not seem the best as it is not as powerfull or large as the leading HTC's such as the sensation but this nifty device is great for someone who is looking for their first smartphone for a decent price.The phone can have up to a 32gb memory card which is more than a person like me needs. There however is one or two drawbacks such as the 3.2 inch screen is quite hard to type as the keys are quite close together , someone with large fingers may have a bit of trouble. Also the camera is not as good as the ones on the other HTC's of the price with a 3.15 megapixel it does no compare to the 5 megapixel on the HTC Wildfire, However what the phone lacks in Camera it more than gains it's name back with it's brilliant sound.

Read More

Tekapeel's: "I need a new phone!" Button

At Tekapeel, we wish to bring not only a first class tech blogging experience. But also the pinacle in service and 'customer care' if you will.

And so, i bring you our latest innovation! The "I need a new phone" button! All you need to do is hit that button, put in your email adress and follow the instructions! We will then take a gander at it and email you back our recommendations. I feel this will become an essential part of Tekapeel through the years and i hope it will be thoroughly used and appreciated by our readers.

Thanks lads and ladettes!

The button itself will look like this and will appear in the sidebar.

Read More