If you're not already wowed by some of the work going on in self-driving car technology then Tesla's latest video might take your appreciation levels up a notch - it shows a split screen view of what one of these autonomous vehicles 'sees' during a journey.
That includes lane lines, the flow of the road, road signs and streetlights, as well as the in-path objects that need to be avoided. It's an enlightening look at just how complex these systems are and how far they've come in recent years.
The latest clip was shared by Tesla chief Elon Musk on Twitter and follows another similar clip released last month - obviously the company is keen to get as many people comfortable with the idea of self-driving vehicles as it can.
Tesla has already said that from this point on all of its cars will be fitted with the hardware and technology required to make them fully autonomous, but it can't be switched on until all the relevant safety checks have been carried out and it becomes officially legal to take an autonomous car out on the road.
The testing that the likes of Tesla and Google are doing at the moment is covered by special licences and it's going to be a few years yet before governments are going to give the legal all-clear.
These cars also need to be tested out in more extreme conditions and on more demanding routes around the world - tootling through the wide streets of California in the sunshine is all well and good, but until self-driving motors can also get across the Pennines in the snow they'll remain in beta testing.
WhatsApp recently announced the launch of its video calling feature which has started to roll out for Android, iOS and Windows Phone users. While a number of messaging apps offer this feature, WhatsApp has been a little late, it does however have the biggest user base across the globe.
While the news is welcoming, many users are receiving as well as sharing an unverified link on WhatsApp which is said to be an invite to activate the video calling feature. An invite system was introduced last year on Whatsapp when the voice calling feature was rolled out. It seems that certain scammers are trying to take advantage of this as they have spread a similar looking fake link for the new video calling feature.
WhatsApp has not officially released any links this time to enable any feature, so in case you get any such links, do not visit any of the links. Visiting these links could be harmful and could expose your personal data.
According to a report, the link takes you to what seems to look like an authentic page where it asks you to send the malicious link to other people on your list. It also mentions the existence of group WhatsApp video calling, a feature that is still not officially available on the platform.
If you do happen to get an invite to activate the video calling feature on WhatsApp, do ignore it. To get the feature you just need to update the app to the latest version. In case you don’t see an update, wait for a couple of days as it is rolling out in phases.
Fallout
4 is gathering momentum, with just over three months to go until it
emerges from the bunker like a drowsy, post-apocalyptic Godzilla.
Bethesda recently used Gamescom 2015
to give journalists a sneak preview of Lexington, one of the game's
many desolate towns, in a video that was narrated by Fallout 4 game
director Todd Howard.
Overrun by hordes of raiders and other
wastelanders, it demonstrated some of the game's mechanics while
introducing new enemies and locations.
Though tempting, we didn't
just sit there gawping like a ghoul: click on to discover what we
learned during the brief but action-packed preview.
The
preview's opening sequence made a big deal about the role strength will
play in Fallout 4. "Keep doing chin-ups and push-ups because there's
more that strength can do for you," advised a voice with Fallout's
familiar '50s American accent. "Swing for the fences like a pro, wear
specialised protective gear and craft weapons to wield."
We know
that some pretty beefy vault suits lie in wait with gatling guns and
other weapons attached, and on the basis of this hint, there might be a
baseball bat for bashing things in the head too.
Fallout
4 awards you with perks, skills and abilities as you progress through
the game. They're chosen via a perk chart that's organised through seven
S.P.E.C.I.A.L abilities: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma,
Intelligence, Agility and Luck.
There are 70 base perks, each
with multiple ranks that do new things, providing a total of 275
abilities to pick. According to Howard, it gives you "a ton of choices
and many different ways to develop your character over the game".
There
was heavy reliance on V.A.T.S (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) in
Fallout 3, which doesn't appear to be the case in its sequel. In the
demo, Fallout's 4's protagonist dismembered feral ghouls by blasting off
their kneecaps, Dead Space-style, after which they continued to crawl
around.
You can still use V.A.T.S, but instead of making the came
come to a dead stop it merely slows it down the action. This will
invariable speed up the gameplay and force you to swiftly pick a limb
for picking off and think on your toes more creatively.
Fallout
4's protagonist (the Sole Survivor) has a canine pal called Dogmeat.
You're probably already aware of his canine companion, as a) he
attracted more attention than anything else when the initial Fallout 4
trailer due to his slightly blocky appearance and b) Dogmeat has been a
fixture of previous games in the series.
It turns out he's more
than just a guide dog in Fallout 4 and can be commanded to explore
rooms, attack enemies and even growl to alert you when they're nearby.
Like Frodo's Sting, only furrier and less blue.
The
demo gave a glimpse of the Fat Man in action. One of the most
ridiculous(ly satisfying) shoulder-mounted rocket launchers ever. The
chunky projectile flinger gets quite some distance on it too, as was
demonstrated when our Sole Survivor used the nuke launcher to take out a
troublesome enemy on a high up ledge.
Fat
Man is a meaty weapon, no doubt about it, but it's not powerful enough
to take out all of the game's bigger nasties in a single hit. In an
encounter with a troll-like Behemoth, the Sole Survivor used V.AT.S to
direct a swift Fat Boy rocket to its face, only for the beast to emerge
enraged from the other side of a mini mushroom cloud.
If you're
low on firepower, some of Lexington's locations contain oil barrels that
will explode when shot, providing another tactical avenue to take out
some of Fallout 4's meaner enemies.
If
you don't the firepower to take out enemies yourself, it's possible to
manipulate enemies or other NPCs to do your bidding. While explaining
perks, Howard noted: "There's a perk for each special, and each rank of
that special goes from one to ten. If you were to come out of the value
with a 10 charisma, you can pick the intimidation perk that lets you
manipulate and control other people."
As in Fallout 3, enemies
sometimes begin to fight each other if they come too into close contact,
and throwing manipulation into the mix should let you start some
interesting brawls.
The
vast array of weaponry on offer seemed to equip the Sole Survior with
enough power to deal with all enemies on the ground in the video -
except one.
Nestled high up in a mountain side, a turret was the
only enemy that proved Fallout 4's protagonist real problems in
Bethesda's preview video, raining down bullets in a hail of pain. The
attack caused enough damage to make the injured Vault Boy icon appear in
the top-right hand corner, which indicates that you've been injured.
Mark these words: turrets are going to cause you pain.
About
halfway through the demo, we started to notice a running theme: Fallout
4's weapons - from the Fat Man to miniguns and flamethrowers - all
sounded meaty and convincing while giving off some great-looking
particle effects. A red energy gun called the Laser Musket was top of
the pile, spitting out red laser beams that ripped through enemies and
ricocheted off walls when indoors, lighting them up like a firecracker.
If
it's half as fun to use as it looks, we'll be running around the
wastelands doing our best X-Men Cyclops impression, which wouldn't be
too difficult in that blue and yellow suit.
Bethesda recently tweeted that there'll be no level cap
and you'll be able to keep playing the game once the main story is
complete. If you're the kind of player that likes to carry on exploring
the open world once you're done, you'll be able to continue growing your
character's strengths to theoretically take on increasingly powerful
enemies. Whether Bethesda will introduce new ones via DLC remains to be
seen.
This week a new device passed through the FCC—codenamed GG1—and many have speculated that it’s the next generation of the Google GOOGL +0.68% Glass hardware. While the Explorer Edition was anything but a runaway success, what some are calling the “Enterprise Edition” could very well be what Glass needs to take it mainstream into the office.
When Microsoft MSFT -0.18% launched their Surface Tables years ago I could see a lot more enterprise use from the device than simply moving photos around during the early days of the demos. Since then Surface adoption was a commercial disaster and are consigned to be little more than a gimmick than for day to day business use. With Hololens now in the frame, Microsoft are back in a big way, touting virtual and augmented reality as the next big thing in the office, and at home.
I’ve been writing about marrying up touch and virtual enabled devices with an enterprise productivity purpose for years and personally I still feel that losing the mouse and keyboard is somewhat inevitable, hands are infinitely more adept at manipulating an environment and objects and having a touchscreen/ gesture based version of enterprise tools would be a natural transition.
At the time in 2010 I also got in touch with Schematic (www.schematic.com), the firm behind the technology as seen in Minority Report because creating such a device for enterprises in a workshop environment would be an exciting prospect. If anything it would be a boon to lose the frankly archaic brown paper model. I even pointed towards John Underkoffler at TED demonstrating the very same thing, and in which towards the end he lists the kinds of end user industries he’d see this kind of technology implemented in (I urge you to watch the demo all the way through and try to imagine integrating this in an enterprise context. Great stuff. http://bit.ly/9lMx2G)
Anyway, I digress, back to Google Glass v2. Just how can Google Glass and Augmented Reality add value in the enterprise. If we look to an article which discusses how Glass can change advertising you can begin to see where this can lead.
….what if the ads you saw were different than the person next to you? What if, like the ads you see online, they are based on a composite sketch of you created by all the searches you’ve done and the websites you’ve visited? In other words, what if you looked up and instead of seeing an ad for something you would never buy — like women’s shoes — you saw an ad reminding you of that Amazon search you did a few days ago ? So, what if you’re sitting in a call-center and instead of staring at a productivity pie-chart on a screen you pop your supervisory head above the parapet and with your Enterprise Edition Glasses can see each individuals performance figures ? By calling up the person in question using the interface you can see their stats in a heads-up (HUD) display. Plus with not being tied to your desk you can floor-walk at the same time or do this anywhere, anytime, without the need to carry a tablet or phone interface with you.
In an interview I took with Dr Ross Brown of QUT he stated that “Augmented reality system tools for Business Process Management would be nice as well. Imagine six sigma data overlaid on the artifacts used in a process model…all on a heads up display as you walk around the company – a “BPM Tricorder”.
That was in 2011. Before Google Glass v1.
And similar to the article about advertising, every co-worker will have a different view based on their own work and position in the organisation, again able to call this up at any time, any where. Go deeper and you could have enterprise social integration, the obvious trick is to offer filters for the noise from the relevant and actionable information to present in front of the user.
It’s not just implications for workflow scenarios and businesses in customer service industries, healthcare is another example of where wearable technology like this could be a massive boost in real-time and mobile patient informatics. Or in education, no more ‘smart boards’ if the kids are wearing augmented reality sets and receiving tailored tutoring depending on their own individual needs. Indeed, BMW were experimenting with augmented reality in the workshop several years ago.
Google Glass v2 could very well be the catalyst for true mobilility and personalisation in many industry sectors.
Whether enterprise software vendors will make a serious investment in Glass v2 will remain to be seen but Glass “Enterprise Edition” will not be the only AR device on the market to develop for when it’s eventually released.
It’s interesting times as consumer devices lead the revolution in the workplace we’ve all been waiting for.
While Sony is busy testing the Android Lollipop upgrade for the Xperia Z series device, a leaked video has been spotted, suggesting the Android 5.1.1 for the Xperia Z3 smartphone.
Thanks to Wayerless we now know Sony is planning the next Android version for Xperia Z3, and the video shows that Sony might skip Android 5.1, in favour of Android 5.1.1.
The video which runs slightly more than a minute, shows Xperia Z3 bearing number D6603 is running Android 5.1.1 update, which adds new animations and a shortcut bar that allows searching for available Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth directly from the notification menu.
Apart from this, there are new icons in the settings menu which are flatter and brighter in keeping with Google's material design. And the Music app that replaces Walkman.
A couple of Android Lollipop builds such as 23.4.A.0.279 and 23.4.A.0.248 have been caught in Handtec Detection site, hinting the build template for Android Lollipop release for Xperia Z3 or, Z2 series would be 23.4.A.0.XXX.
If the latest report is to be believed, then expect the official roll-out of the new Android version for Xperia Z3 later this month or, early next month. Check out the video for more details.
Colors surround us. As a creative, you obsess over color everyday but struggle when trying to match or use an exact color in your projects. Now you can finally ditch those heavy swatch books and speed up your creativity with Cube, a sleek and innovative color capturing tool that pairs with your smart devices.
A portable color sensor, Cube lets you capture the color of anything while on the go, even your skin!
Once you’ve captured a color, the Cube Companion App on smartphones let’s you record, tag and match your colors to thousands of in-built color libraries. You can even hook Cube up to Adobe Photoshop with the Cube Link desktop app and instantly match to PANTONE – how convenient is that!
Cube packs a bunch of smart functions (look them up here), including Bluetooth technology to allow you to seamlessly transfer your real-world color inspiration over to your desktop and smartphone.
Built by creatives for creatives, Cube brings a number of advantages to the creative workflow:
Link to Photoshop and instantly use real-world colors
Match color to paint brands, right there in the app
Correctly color-grade your photographs with real surface color readings
Easy spot checks to ensure color consistency
Capture fashion design inspirations for colorful textiles
Create digital color assets that pop when printed
How does it do all that? With rocket science… almost!
Housed inside the Cube is a sphere that contains a light source and a color sensor. A controlled sequence of light is shone through an aperture onto the surface, before being redirected back into the sphere toward the color sensor, capturing accurate color from any surface.
Besides being an extension for creative minds, Cube’s open ColorAPI makes it easy for developers and makers to build amazing color applications. Cube can output colors in the RGB, CMYK, HEX, LAB, and LRV color spaces, with support for multiple color profiles as well.
To sum up, Cube is here to stay as the on-the-go creative companion that captures colors at your whim!
If the No. 1 thing you care about in a smartphone is the camera, you'll probably want to buy an LG G4.
The new smartphone, which LG showed off for the first time on Tuesday, has the makings of a revolutionary camera.
Warning: It's nerd stat time. The G4's 16-megapixel camera can snap photos in 0.276 seconds, and the camera app launches in just 0.6 seconds. It has a Laser autofocus. It's got a color spectrum sensor that helps the phone sense what the photo will look like before you take it. And it has a three-axis image stabilization so you can take smooth shots while driving over potholes.
Most impressively, it has an aperture of ƒ/1.8 (lower is better, since it lets in more light). The average smartphone has an aperture of ƒ/2.4. The iPhone 6 has an aperture of ƒ/2.2 and the Galaxy S6 is ƒ/1.9. Combined with an image sensor that's 40% larger than the average phone, and you've got yourself a pretty nice camera.
LG showed off some stunning photographs taken with the G4, illustrating how well the camera performed even in some of the lowest-light situations. The company says its camera takes photos that are 49% brighter than the competition.
The trouble with smartphone cameras is that they're pretty limited in the settings department. They let you adjust some items, such as the focus and flash, but that's about it.
The G4 gives you full control over the camera, as if you were using a digital SLR. Shutter speed, ISO light sensitivity and white balance are all adjustable, allowing you to take professional-grade photos (if you know what you're doing).
The phone even lets you save raw images instead of converting them to compressed JPEG files (caution: this will eat up your storage very quickly). For photographers who are more skilled than the average point-and-shoot camera user, that's a nice option for desktop photo editing.
The company didn't get cheap with the selfie camera like some other smartphone makers do. The G4 has an 8 MP front camera, and you can wave at the camera to snap a photo (no selfie stick required).
Since the camera is the G4's most outstanding feature, the smartphone lets you get to the camera app quickly: just double-click the volume down button to open the app, and click it again to snap a photo. The double click option is neat -- but it only works if the phone screen is locked.
If you're in another app or on the homescreen, you'll have to tap on the camera app. It's not a huge deal, but the Motorola Moto X, Samsung Galaxy S6 and all Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) phones have gestures and button taps that open the camera no matter what state your phone is in.
The giant 3,000 milliampere-hour battery is a nice touch too. The company says it will last you more than a day on a single charge -- which is helpful if you're constantly snapping battery-draining photos.
LG hasn't yet said how much the G4 will cost or when it will go on sale. But if you're a photographer, you should stay tuned.
If the No. 1 thing you care about in a smartphone is the camera, you'll probably want to buy an LG G4.
The new smartphone, which LG showed off for the first time on Tuesday, has the makings of a revolutionary camera.
Warning: It's nerd stat time. The G4's 16-megapixel camera can snap photos in 0.276 seconds, and the camera app launches in just 0.6 seconds. It has a Laser autofocus. It's got a color spectrum sensor that helps the phone sense what the photo will look like before you take it. And it has a three-axis image stabilization so you can take smooth shots while driving over potholes.
Most impressively, it has an aperture of ƒ/1.8 (lower is better, since it lets in more light). The average smartphone has an aperture of ƒ/2.4. The iPhone 6 has an aperture of ƒ/2.2 and the Galaxy S6 is ƒ/1.9. Combined with an image sensor that's 40% larger than the average phone, and you've got yourself a pretty nice camera.
LG showed off some stunning photographs taken with the G4, illustrating how well the camera performed even in some of the lowest-light situations. The company says its camera takes photos that are 49% brighter than the competition.
The trouble with smartphone cameras is that they're pretty limited in the settings department. They let you adjust some items, such as the focus and flash, but that's about it.
The G4 gives you full control over the camera, as if you were using a digital SLR. Shutter speed, ISO light sensitivity and white balance are all adjustable, allowing you to take professional-grade photos (if you know what you're doing).
The phone even lets you save raw images instead of converting them to compressed JPEG files (caution: this will eat up your storage very quickly). For photographers who are more skilled than the average point-and-shoot camera user, that's a nice option for desktop photo editing. The company didn't get cheap with the selfie camera like some other smartphone makers do. The G4 has an 8 MP front camera, and you can wave at the camera to snap a photo (no selfie stick required).
Since the camera is the G4's most outstanding feature, the smartphone lets you get to the camera app quickly: just double-click the volume down button to open the app, and click it again to snap a photo. The double click option is neat -- but it only works if the phone screen is locked.
If you're in another app or on the homescreen, you'll have to tap on the camera app. It's not a huge deal, but the Motorola Moto X, Samsung Galaxy S6 and all Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) phones have gestures and button taps that open the camera no matter what state your phone is in.
The giant 3,000 milliampere-hour battery is a nice touch too. The company says it will last you more than a day on a single charge -- which is helpful if you're constantly snapping battery-draining photos.
LG hasn't yet said how much the G4 will cost or when it will go on sale. But if you're a photographer, you should stay tuned.
On paper LG has already beaten the Galaxy S6 camera. Still, reality can be very different from theory, so here is everything we know about the exciting LG G4 camera ahead of the phone’s launch tomorrow…
That f/1.8 Lens
It’s clear that one aspect of which the company is most proud is the G4’s main lens. Its f/1.8 aperture is currently the brightest on any smartphone and is a massive improvement on the f/2.4 lens found on the current G3 model. Perhaps more importantly it just pips Samsung’s excellent f/1.9 Galaxy S6 camera at the post- and LG is milking this for all it’s worth in the form of multiple teaser videos such as the one below, based almost entirely on the f/1.8 aperture.
In this second video below, professional photographer Colby Brown takes the G4 for a spin, being sure to mention how “Even a small difference of a F0.1 aperture becomes incredibly important”. This can only be another direct swipe at Samsung, probably timed so as to delay those considering purchasing a Galaxy S6 until after LG has had a chance to show off the G4.
In this second video below, professional photographer Colby Brown takes the G4 for a spin, being sure to mention how “Even a small difference of a F0.1 aperture becomes incredibly important”. This can only be another direct swipe at Samsung, probably timed so as to delay those considering purchasing a Galaxy S6 until after LG has had a chance to show off the G4.
Manual control
More important to photography enthusiasts is the welcome inclusion of manual control over shutter speed, ISO and white balance, which Brown goes on to demonstrate in a later section of the video. This includes long exposures of up to 30sec used to capture light trails, and smooth milky waterfalls.
Long exposure apps can help to achieve similar effects on other smartphones, but these often require using tricks such as combining video frames into a still image, resulting in a significant loss of resolution.
The fact that the G4 can do this with the built in app gives me hope that the camera might support Google GOOGL -0.31%’s camera2 API which would also pave the way for raw image capture, although this is not mentioned in the video.
However, it’s the automatic mode which is likely to be used most often and the quality of auto-mode snaps are what will ultimately determine the better camera for the vast majority of owners. Apple AAPL -1.77% and now Samsung are extremely good at creating a pleasing automatic snapshot and it remains to be seen how well LG can compete with the G4.
The video also suggests that the G4 offers superior ability to capture colour and that the sensor is able to recognise whether you’re shooting indoors or outside. The latter function sounds rather like regular auto white balance to me, but time will tell.
Handling and start-up time
While the Galaxy S6 boasts what is certainly one of the best smartphone cameras I have ever used, the phone’s ultra-thin, glass-coated body makes for terrible handling when taking photos. It’s incredibly fast to switch into camera mode, but you’ll be slowed down by the fact that you have to be so careful when holding the phone – there’s just nowhere to grip it.
By contrast, the G4 (barring the entry-level model) comes with a leather finish, which I imagine will be much less prone to slipping through the fingers.
The Galaxy S6 is also extremely quick when it comes to launching the camera and taking a photo. A Double-tap of the Home button brings up the camera app right away from wherever you happen to be in the user interface and can get you shots other phones will miss.
In another teaser video below, LG demonstrates the G4’s Quick Shot feature which takes a photo immediately on a double-tap of the phone’s rear button. This looks potentially quicker to get a shot, but without access to the controls and settings you would be able to reach via the camera app.
Removable Battery and Storage
Of the few disadvantages to Samsung’s otherwise almost universally acclaimed Galaxy S6, its non-removable battery and lack of SD card support perhaps stand out the most. Both of these features look like they will be supported by the G4: According to information from renowned leaker Evan Blass, the LG G4 will come with 3000mAh removable battery and the familiar microSD slot.
These features could be a boon for smartphone photographers who want to make extended use of that energy-sapping screen as well as the convenience of adding a potentially unlimited amount of storage to the phone, and may well capture the attention of those who have resisted upgrading from the Galaxy S5 in order to retain these functions. If you already have a pricey 200GB microSD card in your current phone, the G4 will give you somewhere to put it.
More Megapixels
While some speculated that the G4 might sport a 13 megapixel camera, Blass’s leaked information claims the new LG model will come with a 16 megapixel sensor, equalling the resolution of the Galaxy S6. It’s also set to retain the optical image stabilsation and laser-assisted focus of its predecessor. Selfie fans can expect a big front camera boost to 8 megapixels, up from 2.1 on the G3.
Cheaper, and yet also more expensive, than the Galaxy S6
Of course, pricing will be a major factor in how well the G4 sells and according to a report in Phone Arena the 32GB model, without the fancy leather exterior, is set to undercut its Samsung counterpart by around ten to twenty Euros. The price difference tips the other way, however, when you step up to the premium LG model which is said to cost 730 Euros (which is still less than the price of the Galaxy S6 Edge).
What questions remain?
Despite the wealth of pre-launch information, we still don’t know much about video, raw capture support or, more importantly, whether it reliably takes good photos. With any luck, these questions will be answered tomorrow, along with whether or not LG has managed to create a credible alternative to Samsung.
These early details look very promising, but the the Galaxy S6 is a very tough act to follow and it will definitely take more than just an f/1.8 lens to pull it off.
What is USB Type-C? Here’s everything you need to know about the next generation interface for power, data and display.
Apple and Google launched devices using this new USB standard this week with the new MacBook and the Chromebook Pixel. Technology video blogger Marques Brownlee guides us on why the new “USB-C” standard matters for all of us.
USB Type-C is actually USB 3.1. This standard will be everywhere: computers, accessories and smartphones — in the next couple of years. Advantages of the standard:
It is Smaller and Thinner
It can carry 100 Watts of Power, 10 Gigabits Per Second
The HTC Desire 820s dual sim aims to raise the bar for mid-range smartphones with a 5.5” wide HD screen as well as a 8 megapixel front and 13 megapixel main cameras. With an MRP of Rs 25,500, the phone will hit stores at Rs 24,890.
The phone is powered by a 1.7 GHz Octa-Core Mediatek processor and comes with dual SIM slots and HTC’s signature BoomSound front facing speakers. The phone will come to India in a new Tuxedo Grey colour that trims around the camera, buttons and flash merge seamlessly into one another.
The HTC Dot View case will be available for the phone from launch and will offer instant access to your phone without opening the cover. The phone will offer a lot for selfie lovers thanks to its megapixel front facing camera.
The f/2.2 aperture on the 13 megapixel BSI sensor will mean better results in low light. It will also come with continuous shooting.
The MediaTek processor will offer Cat 4 4G connectivity at speeds of up to 150 Mbps.
Today is the big day when both HTC and Samsung will unveil their brand new flagship devices: the HTC One M9 and the Samsung Galaxy S6. And you can join in on the excitement and follow along live thanks to the livestream.
The HTC One M9 has been leaked countless times and even confirmed by ex-HTC employees. We’ve even found the pricing of the handset. There’s not much that HTC can unveil that’s new but of course, the company may have kept some things secret, like the big version of the One, usually called Max.
If you need a refresh the HTC One M9 is expected to feature:
2.0GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 processor with 3GB RAM
Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system
4G LTE speed
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac network
Bluetooth interface
5" Super LCD3 touch screen (1920 x 1080 resolution)
32GB internal memory (microSD support up to 128GB)
20.0MP rear-facing and 4.0MP front-facing cameras
Up to 20 days of standby time
But of course, we’ll find out everything there is to know about the company’s new flagship when the livestream starts at 3PM GMT / 10AM ET / 7AM PT.
Sony is making a pass at Google Glass, announcing that a developer edition of the Sony SmartEyeglass high-tech specs are available to order now -- and they're cheaper than Glass, even if they're nowhere near as elegant.
The SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 is the first set of smart glasses from Sony to go on sale. They are available from March in the US, the UK, Germany and Japan for $840, £520, €670 or 100,000 yen, and pre-orders are open today in the UK and Germany. They'll also be on sale to business customers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. No Australian prices or details were announced but the UK price converts to around AU$1,020.
Smart glasses are like regular specs with a transparent screen in the lenses, so you can see features like emails and notifications floating in front of your very eyes. Paired with your phone, the glasses can show you information or tell you what's going on with the apps in your pocket.
The SED-E1 displays information in the colour green only. The battery lasts around 2 hours 30 minutes.
Although there are plenty of high-tech eyewear alternatives, the Google Glass specs are the best known. Glass was one of the early devices that kickstarted the trend for wearable tech, but earlier this year Google stopped selling it. Costing $1,500 and only available in limited numbers, it was never aimed at a mass audience. What's more, the camera-equipped device raised controversy over questions of privacy -- bars banned them and wearers earned the nickname "Glassholes".
In design terms Glass is much more subtle than Sony's chunky 77-gram (2.7-ounce) black-rimmed SmartEyeglass. Having worn them in September last year, I can tell you they're pretty cumbersome. Glass is also wireless, whereas Sony's specs connect with a wire to a hockey puck-sized control unit that holds the battery, speaker, microphone and touch controls.
If you were holding back from buying the 16GB Xiaomi Mi 4 smartphone in anticipation of the 64GB model, the company has announced that the higher capacity version is all set to make its debut in India. The handset will go on sale from February 24 and it’ll carry a price tag of Rs 23999.
The 16GB Xiaomi Mi 4 is one of the cheapest flagship phones on the market, but it does have a few downsides. Firstly, the internal memory is all you get as there’s no microSD card slot and you’ll have to rely on external accessories such as USB OTG for connecting storage devices. And out of 16GB, just about 12GB is available for hoarding content.
That certainly isn’t enough for most users and brings the need for a higher storage model. The difference in retail amounts between the 16GB and 64GB options is Rs 3000 which is pretty reasonable, but the 5.5-inch OnePlus One does have the upper hand here since it offers the same 64GB storage and at Rs 21999. What gives Xiaomi’s handset the advantage is that it comes in a compact design which is easy to use in a single hand.
The Mi 4 features a metal frame with a 5-inch 1080p display fitted on the front. There are dual high-quality Sony cameras onboard as well, with an 8MP selfie shooter and a 13MP main imager. Additionally, the phone offers 3GB RAM and a 3080mAh battery with quick charge support.
Along with the Xperia Z and ZL mobile phones, Sony models also declared the Product Z. Planned for a May launch, the Xperia Z features in the same offerings as the Xperia Z, but only on a bigger range. Sony models has even handled to make several amazingly light and portable, and it’s almost as thin as the Phone. Here is a little arms on with the Xperia Product Z presenting some of its new UI functions and the new style.
Here are some of the specifications of the Sony Xperia Z to jog your memory:
10.1-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1200 x 1920.
LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot.
GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS.
Bluetooth with A2DP.
8.1MP rear camera with LED flash and 2.2MP front camera.
16GB of internal storage, support for microSD card up to 32GB.
The Xperia Product Z is spec’d very just like the Phone. Under the bonnet, we have a highly effective Qualcomm quad-core CPU along with a nice assisting of 2GB of RAM. Sony models has used a "shatter-proof" cup able of enduring falls without resulting in any harm to the display. This also happens to be the first popular tablet to get an IP57 qualifications, which is fairly awesome. Lastly, we have a large 6000 mAh power supply in the back to keep you going all day.
In the meanwhile, be sure to study our first opinions of the Sony models Xperia Product Z and while you are at it, we also have a hands-on evaluation on the Xperia Z and a requirements evaluation of the same.
Sony models only lately released the Xperia Z in Indian and we were existing at the discharge occasion in Delhi, where we got to see the new Phone. Along with the Xperia Z, Sony models also released the ZL, its young brother that will be without the dirt and water proof covering but will price a lot less. Here is a little arms on with the Xperia Z presenting some of its new UI functions as well as placing its IP57 qualifications to the analyze.
Here are some of the specifications of the Sony Xperia Z to jog your memory:
5-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1080 x 1920.
LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot.
GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS.
Bluetooth with A2DP.
13MP rear camera with LED flash and 2.2MP front camera.
16GB of internal storage and supports microSD card up to 32GB.
Just like any high-end smart phone released lately, we have a highly effective Qualcomm quad-core CPU energizing the unit along with a nice assisting of 2GB of RAM. Sony models has used a "shatter-proof" cup able of enduring falls without resulting in any harm to the display. Despite its water proof capability, the unit is amazingly light and portable and thin as well. Lastly, we have a 2330 mAh power supply to keep the unit going all day. We’ll be providing you the complete evaluation soon, so keep updated in.
At Laboratories got our arms on the smooth, good looking New samsung Galaxy S III small lately. The phone came along with the regular customer guides, hands-free set and a lot of extra pals for it. The phone comes with a USB wire and a individual charger, something that most mobile phones do not come with these days. Check out the unboxing video:
In case you missed it, here's an overview of the S III mini's specs:
4-inch Super AMOLED display with a WVGA resolution of 480 x 800 pixels.
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, DLNA support.
GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS.
Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, LE, EDR, NFC.
5-megapixel camera with AF, LED flash, BSI sensor and 720p HD video recording.
VGA front facing camera for video chat.
16/32GB internal memory expandable up to 32GB via microSD.
The phone is currently costing Rs 17,500.
Stay updated to The Technology Zone for a more in-depth evaluation of the New samsung Galaxy S III small.
What the World really, really looks like is still a secret to most of us, but we may soon be able to see World from area, just the way jet pilots do. Canada-based UrtheCast is developing the first HD movie loading foundation of World. It plans to do this by releasing one medium-resolution and one high-resolution camera to area by Soyuz Objective. These will be installed on the bottom of the European section of the Worldwide Space Place.
As the station orbits the planet, pictures of the World will be taken by both cameras and saved on board the ISS. The graphics obtained will be downlinked to ground-stations across the planet, prepared and streaming to the web in almost real-time. This would let us terrestrial animals enjoy graphics of the World while we sip a cup of coffee, just like the jet pilots out in area do.
The company is setting out on this venture in organization with aerospace associates like RSC Energia. With their help, the company is building, releasing, setting up and operating two cameras on board the ISS. The organization states that video clips clip of World will start loading across the planet in the first half of this year.
The organization stated, "When you start using the foundation, it will feel much like you’re getting a mashup of Google World and YouTube. You will be able to search, pan, zoom capability, and search your way around the World movie flow, which will expose everything from natural amazing things around the planet to humming locations." Throwing more light on the places where this will confirm to be useful, the organization contributes that the UrtheCast experience utilizes the first and only near real-time HD movie from area. It contributes that such content will "generate significant attention, advertising and user interest" worldwide.
App designers will have access to free World movie data, and teachers will have great excellent video clips at their convenience. Significantly, such top excellent graphics would confirm essential to those involved in ecological tracking services and relief relief organizations.
As for some of its other places of use, the organization contributes that by using this foundation it will be possible to deliver a powerful viewpoint on big international news experiences like the problems at Fukushima, the public rebellion in Tahrir square, or refugee ideologies in the Sudan. Moreover, it can encourage students by offering them a rich academic viewpoint by allowing them to perspective the graphics. It also makes it possible to improve one's creativeness by being able to catch activities like display crowd, impressive wedding suggestions, and “the wave” at sports.
What it will also do is make a 'singular advantage point' to perspective activities all over the planet associated with the enviroment with relevant, recent movie clips of quakes, flooding, volcanoes, droughts and the effects of ecological change. Significantly, it will also provide a route for several gaming and cross-platform media applications and relationships.
Just like Apple’s annual ritual, Google has also begun
refreshing their Nexus handsets on a yearly basis. The Nexus smartphone
is a platform for Google
Just like Apple’s annual ritual, Google
has also begun refreshing their Nexus handsets on a yearly basis. The
Nexus smartphone is a platform for Google to showcase what their latest
OS can do at its absolute best. The purpose of this handset was a
reference point for developers who could build and perfect apps around
it and then tweak it to work on lower-end hardware. Due to that, Nexus
devices have never had the best hardware specifications compared to
other phones but just enough for it to handle the current OS to its
fullest. However, after seeing the wild success of the Galaxy Nexus,
which despite its poor camera and battery life sold by the dozen, Google
has decided to create a much better package this time around and has
turned to LG for the task.
On Video :
Design and Build
The Nexus 4 looks remarkably similar to the Galaxy Nexus and perhaps
that was a deliberate design choice made by Google rather than LG.
Starting with the Nexus S, all the (two) handsets till date have shared
the same iconic rounded edges and curved body design and it continues
with the Nexus 4. The display on the new one isn’t curved but one look
at it and there’s no mistaking it’s a Nexus. The front is dominated by a
massive 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 which gives it
an effective pixel count of 318ppi. The screen, however, tends to look
much bigger and that’s because the Nexus 4 is wider while the Galaxy
Nexus is a bit longer. The bezel on the sides has also been shaved down a
bit more, giving the effect of an edge-to-edge display. The Nexus 4
also uses a vastly superior IPS display, which manages a lot more
accurate colours with the same viewing angles and deep blacks of AMOLED.
The difference is instantly noticeable when you place both phones
side-by-side.
The handset is put together nicely and is surprisingly light
weight as well, a lot lighter than the Galaxy Nexus. The glass back does
give it a nice premium touch but the plastics on the side say
otherwise. What we’re getting at here is that the Galaxy Nexus has a
much better feel to it in your hand. This textured back offers much
better grip and the extra weight just makes it feel solid. The Nexus 4
on the other hand feels like any other LG phone, it just feels like
there’s something missing. All the buttons are where they should be and
now, we even have a side-loading microSIM slot. You guessed right, Nexus
4 has a non-removable battery and once again, no way to expand the
storage either. Two models are on offer, a 8GB and a 16GB variant.
The Nexus 4 comes with Jelly Bean out-of-the-box and will
continue to get any new update from Google first, until next year when
they launch its replacement. The Galaxy Nexus has already started
getting step-brotherly treatment as updates aren’t released
simultaneously for both handsets. Needless to say, the UI is super quick
and fluid with absolutely no hint of lag. You won’t notice any increase
in power of the Galaxy Nexus from the UI alone but apps really benefit
from the increased power, especially games. Rather than using a Tegra 3
SoC (which they could have done) and calling it a day, LG has wisely
used the newer and more efficient Qualcomm APQ8064 quad-core SoC. This
is based on the S4 Pro chipset and features four Krait CPUs running at
1.5GHz along with an Adreno 320 GPU.
At the moment, this is the only handset in the market that uses
this chipset but come 2013, we’ll be seeing this in many more high-end
smartphones like the HTC Butterfly, Sony Xperia Z and in some of the new
BlackBerry handsets. Even with all this power, it’s a lot more
efficient that Tegra 3 due to the smaller 28nm fabrication process.
We’ve compared the speed of the SoC against the Galaxy Nexus in the
video by loading Need For Speed: Most Wanted at the same time. The Nexus
4 is considerably faster - not only in loading the game due to the 2GB
of RAM - but also in producing smoother frame rates when rendering the
game.
Camera :
The second most notable change is the camera. We now have an 8MP BSI
(Backside-Illuminated) sensor, which thanks to some clever arrangement,
allows for more light to be captured than a standard 8MP sensor. BSI
sensors are quite common now in high-end smartphones and we saw one of
the first ones being implemented in Apple’s iPhone 4. The image quality
speaks for itself and when compared to the Galaxy Nexus, it’s miles
ahead. Check out our full camera shootout with the Galaxy Nexus right here.
One special camera feature in the Nexus 4 that’s not available in the
Galaxy Nexus is HDR mode. We’re not sure why Google left this feature
out for the Galaxy Nexus as it clearly seems to be a software feature
rather than hardware. It could be due to a sensor limitation or the fact
that Google wanted to keep something exclusive to the Nexus 4. In any
case, it’s not a big deal as you have plenty of camera apps that can
pull off HDR so there’s always a work around.
A worthy successor, but…
The Nexus 4 is a big upgrade from the Galaxy Nexus even though it may
not seem like it from the outside. The switch to an IPS display was a
very smart move by LG and it really makes all the difference in the
world. Sunlight legibility is very good, although reflections can be a
pain at times and the colour reproduction is bright, vivid and more
importantly, accurate. The beefed up SoC will easily let you use this
phone for the next two or even three years as there’s plenty of untapped
potential which we hope the next version of Android will exploit.
Finally, the camera is actually usable even if the lighting is not
ideal; a flaw that still haunts the Galaxy Nexus. The BSI sensor
captures a lot more detail and adjusts the white balance beautifully.
But, the phone for some reason just doesn’t have the same feel of the
previous Nexus devices. It’s a bit hard to put into words but when you
hold both the handsets in your hand, the Galaxy Nexus feels a lot more
wholesome for some reason. This is just our opinion; however, we would
suggest you do that yourself to get an inkling of what we’re on about.
There’s no word on an official launch from LG yet but we hear a
possibility of an early Jan launch. If LG decides to go ahead with it,
then we can expect some very aggressive pricing. We predict the 16GB
model to be priced well under Rs 30,000 and we know they can do it since
their Optimus 4X HD dropped below 30K, just a few months after being
launched. If you’re really eager to get one now, then there’s always the
gray market where you can find it retailing for Rs 36,000. If you ask
me, I would go for the Galaxy Nexus now and wait for the 2013 Nexus,
which will hopefully launch along with Android 5.0.
New Samsung has recently released two video clips showing off the functions of the long awaited Windows phone 8 Ativ S. Those desperately waiting for the device can learn about the functions of this device from these video clips before it strikes shelves across the globe.
In the first movie, New Samsung shows off the body of the smartphone along with some of the outlined functions of the Ativ S. It clip also previews some of its requirements such as the 8MP photographic camera and microSD card slot. This movie in summary is basically about the style and software of the Ativ S.
In the second movie, New Samsung speaks about the public networking and photographic camera abilities of the Ativ S. It clip speaks about the Individuals application and its ability to show a user the convenience of monitoring anyone in their lives through all the various public press sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Speaking about the photographic camera abilities, New Samsung states that obtaining the photographic camera is very convenient; it can be triggered using the dedicated photographic camera button at the side or by releasing the photographic camera tile. New Samsung has also added numerous manual settings in the photographic camera, which can be great for advanced users.
At the IFA 2012 event in Aug, New Samsung had shown the world its Windows phone 8 smartphone called the ATIV S. While the os that ATIV S runs on may be the biggest function, the device does come equipped with other functions that set the bar for other Windows phone gadgets. This smartphone functions a 1.5GHz dual-core dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus Krait chipset, 1GB RAM and a large 2300 mAh battery that will last a lot of time. Here is a look at the highlighted features of the Samsung ATIV S:
4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels.
8 MP AF, LED flash with full HD video recording, 1.9MP front facing camera.
16GB, 32GB versions with expandable support up to 32GB via MicroSD card.
Apart from these requirements, it will also function receptors such as an accelerometer, gyro, proximity and compass.
Commenting on this smartphone from its Windows phone constant, New Samsung says, “Samsung ATIV S is a new smartphone for both work and entertainment presenting Windows phone 8. ATIV S brings a stunning hair line style and powerful with a variety of content-sharing and efficiency options.”
At the statement, Samsung’s Executive Vice President of IT Solutions Business, Seong Woo Nam said, “Samsung is pleased to introduce a extensive profile of Windows 8 and Windows phone 8-powered gadgets. With our authority in technology and style and Microsoft’s authority in operating-system, together we are able to provide customers with a huge selection of ATIV gadgets for cross-category unity.”
As far as option this smartphone is concerned, there are a few countries that will receive it in Dec while a mass rollout will take place in Jan, 2013.
Platinum Games has launched a new movie for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Once again, it clip reveals more game play, but now, more on the turn invisible side. The movie focusses on a sewage level where you are motivated to get by without notifying too many opponents.
Judging from it clip, it looks like the paper box is making a return as well. The movie also gives us a glance of the customization choices that will be present in the experience. One of these choices contains the capability to wear a poncho and a sombrero.
The company had lately launched a movie trailer that exposed off some of Raiden's new goes. The greatest new game play auto mechanic is the capability to slowly down some time to choose the route of your strikes.
Back in Nov, Konami exposed the pre-order rewards and the unique edition of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. The Restricted Version comes with a 30 cm statue of the primary personality of the game—Raiden—in his cyborg ninja form. The pre-order reward has a Metalbook cover and a DLC that opens Raiden's Inferno Shield, which improves the number of tossing weaponry he can bring.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is set in the long run, where cyborg technological innovation has become very common throughout community. Three years have approved since the failure of the Patriots program that had been privately managing the international energy stability from the dark areas. However, serenity continues to be challenging. The distribution of cybernetic technological innovation has activated uncertainty and issue as those who control the business gain improving energy. Furthermore, large ‘Private Army Companies’, or PMCs that had been reinforced and managed by the Patriots have flattened, breeding plenty of legal organizations with roots to bigger legal organizations. These rebel PMCs using cyborg technological innovation have become progressively more troublesome, moving plan and energy at will. As a participant of the peace-keeping PMC ‘Maverick Security’, Raiden life by the concept of defending and preserving life. But as the globe falls further into asymmetric combat, the only direction that brings him forward is based in solving his past and chiselling through anything that appears in his way.
The activity represents a big change in the Metal Gear series. Instead of the turn invisible game play and badass personality the sequence is popular for, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is more of a scene action activity with big, fancy combinations and extreme battles, much like games like Demon May Cry, God of War and Platinum’s own Bayonetta. As for the personality, the experience is forgoing anyone known as Reptile and instead has selected Raiden.
Raiden first made his first appearance in Metal Gear Solid 2: Kids of Freedom. Solid Reptile was as a decoy personality for the first several hours of the experience, which then turned the concentrate to Raiden until the end. Raiden was commonly disliked for being an incredibly whiny personality in contrast to the incredibly badass Solid Reptile, who is the primary personality of the sequence. Not much is known about what occurred to Raiden between the activities of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4, where he profits midway through the experience as a cyborg ninja.
During the activities of Metal Gear Solid 4, Raiden helps Solid Reptile beat the Patriot program, that has taken over the globe and is growing war and anxiety to drive the new 'War Economy', which would be run by mercenaries and military buying weaponry.
Ms has been doing a lot of marketing to market its newest Mobile foundation, Ms windows phone 8. The technical massive has lately taken to Tweets and released a technique in order to win over Android managing system customers by releasing an offer known as Android Anger and in come back, the product is providing a individual the opportunity to win a existing.
The reasons for the competition is really simple. All one needs to do is type out their most severe viruses ‘horror’ experience with an Android managing system device and use the #droidrage hash tag. The individual with the best, or rather most severe tale appears a opportunity to win a get-well existing.
Microsoft then took it to a next level by entering out a sequence of twitter posts on the formal Ms windows phone web page which are:
Delay for your Android managing system phone to get contaminated with malware.
Restore from SMS fraud invoice shock.
Miss actions 1 & 2, buy a Ms windows phone and link with people you care about instead of some cyberpunk planning in a black basement.
Some customers have addressed the twitter and have published some responses with the hash tag saying, “Bank information thieved once after android viruses assaulted my phone after installing an app from Search engines perform -.- #DroidRage, took millions of photos on fam. holiday. Downloadable an app to shop them, cleaned all of them out :( #droidrage, #DroidRage perform is full of harmful applications. Got 1 with undesirable ads in alert bar every min. Totally recast & missing all information :-( and various others.
However, this indicates that not all Android managing system customers are lured by the likelihood of getting a existing and instead they have converted the platforms on Ms windows phone and began a new hash tag which is choosing up a lot of vapor – #WindowsRage.
It seems to be that the fight of the operating-system is steaming up and customers of the Android managing system foundation are status their floor.However, it also seems to be that some Android managing system entrepreneurs cannot avoid the desire of a present and using the #droidrage hash tag however.
There are a few Ms windows phone 8 gadgets already available in the market and manufacturers such as HTC and Htc are strongly promotion its gadgets. Htc and modern house songs specialist Deadmau5 rejoined once again, and just like the first time they signed up with arms in Nov last year, the occasion was nothing short of impressive. Htc had a stay flow of the occasion and if by any opportunity you had skipped it, it clip below will show you what went down when Deamau5 and Htc hit London, uk.
A lucky winner of the Droid Rage campaign may stand a chance to win a
Windows Phone 8 handset. So to the victor go the spoils. Hit the link
here to know more.
