New high-end Nokia Lumia phone for Verizon winds up at the FCC
On top, image from the FCC, Mendelevich's tweet on bottom
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It turns out that a new variant of the Nokia Lumia 920 is expected to come to MWC code named Nokia Catwalk. This will be a thinner device than the Nokia Lumia 920 with an aluminum body. There also is another rumored new high end phone code named the Nokia Laser which is a Windows Phone model with the same 41MP camera sensor as seen on the Nokia 808 PureView. Both of these models are supposedly Verizon bound which means either phone could be the one at the FCC.
How do we know that the model that Mendelovich tweeted about was at the FCC? Because a diagram of the device that came from the FCC revealed the same RM-860 model number that is mentioned in the tweet. Take a look at the diagram above the tweet in the picture that accompanies this article.
Alleged Nokia Lumia 720 and Lumia 520 images hit the web
The days leading up to the MWC are usually filled with tons of rumors and one in particular has been heating up - that Nokia will unveil one or more affordable Lumias. Now, purported images of two models - the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 720 - have cropped up, pouring even more fuel into the fire.Nokia Lumia 720
The image of the Nokia Lumia 720 shows a handset that looks similar to a Lumia 820. The glass on the front is curved (it's not curved on the 820), while the sides and the back are a colorful plastic shell.
There’s a Carl Zeiss label next to the camera on the back, but no resolution label. It’s also interesting that there are three pogo pins at the back, those are usually used for charging while the phone is in a dock, so the Lumia 720 probably won’t have wireless charging ( though it might be a similar deal to the Lumia 820 where a different shell can enable wireless charging).
Nokia Lumia 520
The Nokia Lumia 520 kind of looks like a Lumia 505, except the glass on the front is flat. The bezel around the screen seems thicker on this one, but the back is in bold colors, this seems to be becoming Nokia’s design signature.
Anyway, there’s no way to confirm that these images are real - not until Monday when Nokia is holding a press conference. @evleaks has been a pretty reliable source of leaked press pics of unannounced phones in the past so we wouldn’t be surprised to see these two on the stage. But will Nokia show the mystical Lumia 1000, the high-megapixel PureView Windows Phone or is it pure speculation?
Samsung Galaxy S IV said to pack SoLux screen and Qualcomm CPU
According
to a fresh report, Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S IV flagship is about to
do away with two of the previous generation's staples - the AMOLED
display and the Exynos CPU. The upcoming Korean flagship will reportedly
feature a 4.99" 1080p SoLux display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
chipset whose CPU cores tick at 1.9GHz.While the technology behind the SoLux display is yet to be revealed, the leaked boot screen of the Samsung Galaxy S IV points at an LCD-looking unit. As for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset - it has already proven to be the leggiest around in the HTC One. We do however, wonder where will the Exynos 5 Octa silicon end up going.
Further leaked specs include 2GB of RAM, 16, 32, and 64GB options for built-in memory, as well as a 13MP camera. The Samsung Galaxy S IV will reportedly sport measures of 140.1 x 71.8 x 7.7mm, and a weight of 138 grams. The battery will be user-replaceable.
The configuration with a centrally located home button and touch buttons on its sides is said to be present in the upcoming Galaxy S IV. The device will reportedly have a plastic back with aluminum sides. A black and white color options will be available at launch.
The Samsung Galaxy S IV is rumored for an announcement on March 14. Until then, use the mandatory pinch of salt when threading through the leaked specs.
Nikon licenses Microsoft patent to use in Android-enabled cameras
Amidst all the recent patent cases revolving Android and smartphone operating systems in general, Microsoft has been able to get in on the action thanks to a patent it owns dealing with all portable devices running Android.
Nikon has recently come to terms with Microsoft in regards to current and future Android-based cameras which will likely require the renowned photography giant to pay an undisclosed royalty fee for every device sold.
This likely means that Nikon will have to fork over some cash for the current Nikon Coolpix S800C released last October with Android 2.3 Gingerbread on board.
Microsoft already has similar deals with Samsung, LG, HTC, Acer and Barnes & Noble. It’s odd that Microsoft has been able to strong-arm these major manufacturers into paying for using Android, but that’s the way intellectual property patent work.
Nikon unveils 24MP D7100 wth no low pass filter
Nikon has just unveiled the successor to its D7000 midrange DSLR. The Nikon D7100 will hit the stores in March 2013 complete with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens for a suggested price of $1,599/£1,299/€1399 or $1199.95/£1099.99/€1179 for the body only.
The D7100 lacks an optical low pass filter, which should improve resolved detail (though risking moire in certain cases). There’s a new and improved 24.1 MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor over its predecessor’s 16.2 MP one, the new EXPEED 3 processor (the D7000 uses the EXPEED 2) and a new 51-point autofocus system (with 15 cross type sensors) compared to the 39-point one (with 9 cross type sensors) of the D7000.
The D7100 is environmentally sealed against water and dust intrusion, weighs less than its predecessor (675 g body only against 780 g of the D7000), adds 1080p video capture at 60 frames per second, while the D7000 could only do 24 fps. There is also a stereo mic on board.
The Nikon D7100 also adds an improved and slightly bigger LCD at the back. The D7000 had a 3″ 921k dot screen, while the D7100 will have a 3.2″ 1.228m dot screen. The viewfinder is also redesigned with a new OLED display inside for showing the currently selected shooting parameters.
There is also the latest Auto ISO program as seen on the D800 and the D5200, which comes with varying minimal shutter speed based on the current focal length of the lens in use.
The Nikon D7100
Unfortunately, the continuous drive mode still does only 6 fps, the same as on the D7000. The available ISO range has not changed either and the expected battery life is about 10% less.
Google Launches $1,299 Chromebook Pixel With 2560×1700 3:2 12.85″ Touchscreen, Core i5 CPU, 1TB Of Google Drive Storage & Optional LTE
Google will also soon launch a version with a built-in LTE radio and has partnered with Verizon to offer 100 MB/month for two years of mobile broadband and with GoGo to offer 12 free in-flight Wi-Fi sessions.
The Pixel’s screen, which is obviously the highlight of the device, features a pixel density of 239 pixels per inch. That’s a bit higher than the 220 pixels/inch on the Macbook Pro with a Retina display, so Google proudly notes that its laptop “has the highest pixel density of any laptop display.”
The basic Wi-Fi version of the Pixel will retail for $1,299 in the U.S. and £1,049 in the U.K. The Pixel is now available on Google Play and will also be available at select Best Buy locations in the U.S. and Currys PC World in the U.K. tomorrow. The LTE version ($1,449) will ship in the U.S. in April. The other difference between the LTE and Wi-Fi models is that the LTE version will ship with a 64GB solid-state drive and the Wi-Fi version will only have 32GB.
Google did not disclose who its hardware partners are, but the company did say that the device is being assembled in Taiwan.
The first thing users will definitely notice when they first open the Pixel is the screen. Not only does it have a very high resolution, but it also features a relatively unusual aspect ration of 3:2. According to Pichai, the reason for this was that Google looked at what people would do with this device, and given that the web still focuses on content that is meant to be displayed horizontally, the design team decided to discard the idea of a screen with the more typical 16:10 resolution and went with 3:2.
The screen, Google says, includes a 0.55mm layer of touch-enabled Gorilla Glass fused directly to the screen. Google says this screen “gives you smooth interactions while preserving picture clarity” and after some hands-on time with the device, Google definitely isn’t exaggerating the quality of the screen, which definitely measures up to Apple’s Retina displays.
Despite the premium price and components, Sundai stressed that the overall philosophy behind the Chromebook project hasn’t changed. The Pixel, however, is meant for power users. “We also wanted to design something very premium for power users – people who spend money on their laptops,” he said at today’s presentation. The idea behind Chrome, Google says, “has always been to minimize the ‘chrome’ of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience.”
Chrome itself, of course, has also been optimized for touch, which Pichai believes will soon be on every laptop. The menus are now larger and easier to click on with your fingers.
Asked about how the Pixel compares to the Macbook Air, Pichai noted that the Pixel has a higher resolution and a touch screen, something Apple doesn’t currently offer – especially on a 12-inch device.
The price, of course, definitely puts the Pixel in a premium category and it remains to be seen how the market will react to it. It is, no doubt, the best Chromebook on the market today and the hardware, including the fit and finish of the device, is very impressive. At $1,299 for the basic version, though, some potential buyers may decide to opt for a premium Apple laptop or Ultrabook instead.
LG unveils LTE-enabled Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 droids
When LG announced its Q4 2012
results, the company announced that it will be focusing on LTE-enabled
phones, which included the launch of the new F series. After a bit of teasing, the F series is now official with the LG Optimus F5 and Optimus F7.
“With adoption of LTE expected to explode in 2013, we are sending a clear message to con-sumers with the Optimus F Series that LTE isn’t just for heavy content users and techies anymore. It’s for everyone,” said LG CEO Jong-seok Park.
LG Optimus F7 and Optimus F5 in black and white
The LG Optimus F7 is the higher end model of the two with a 4.7” True HD IPS 720p screen (312ppi) and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 2 gigs of RAM. The phone has an 8MP camera and 8GB of built-in storage (plus a microSD card slot). The F7 measures 131.7 x 68.2 x 9.6mm.
Then there’s the LG Optimus F5 with a 4.3” IPS LCD screen of qHD resolution (256ppi), a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and a 5MP camera. It has 8GB of built-in storage and microSD card slot too. The F5 is more compact at 126.0 x 64.5 x 9.3mm.
Both phones will launch with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and will get some of the advanced features that were reserved for the flagship Optimus G until now. QSlide multitasking with ability to run two apps on the screen (and you can resize, move and change the opacity of those apps) and Live Zooming, which lets the user pinch zoom while watching a video.
LG wants both phones to have good battery life, so the Optimus F7 comes with a 2,540mAh battery, while the smaller F5 isn’t far behind with 2,150mAh (best-in-class, according to LG, but not as big as the 2,460mAh battery in the L7 II, which doesn’t have LTE).
The LG Optimus F5 will launch in Europe in Q2, followed by the Optimus F7 in select markets. Both phones will see a global launch though exact details for that will be released later.
And, of course, both phones will be at the MWC which starts next week – we’ll be there for some hands-on impressions of these two and the others gadgets that LG has in store.
The four Cortex A9 cores residing in the NovaThor L8580 (or eQuad, as it's also dubbed) that's going to be on display at MWC are going to be clocked at 3GHz. In order to not drain the battery in a heartbeat, ST-Ericsson have build the chipset using the 28nm FD-SOI manufacturing technology.
The company has also utilized ModAp, which optimizes the execution of apps and as a result runs them up to 35% faster. The chip comes with support for dual cameras (of up to 20MP), HD Voice and LTE. The GPU is going to be of the PowerVR SGX544 variety clocked at 600MHz.
Naturally, the 3GHz NovaThor L8580 CPU in question is just a prototype at the moment, but hopefully, we'll get to play with it in Barcelona and put it through some benchmarking.
Qualcomm reveals lower end Snapdragon 200 and 400 processors
Qualcomm has introduced two low end processors to go along with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.
The Snapdragon 400 has dual Krait CPU's running as high as 1.7GHz and
quad ARM Cortex A-7 CPUs topping out at 1.4GHz with an Adreno 305 GPU.
The 400 supports TDSCDMA, DC-HSPA+ (42Mbps), 1x The Advanced, W+G CDMA, and
multi-SIM capabilities of Dual SIM, Dual Standby (DSDS) and Dual SIM,
Dual Active (DSDA) and also supports a camera up to 13.5MP.
The Snapdragon 200 brings you quad ARM Cortex-A5 CPUs running as high as 1.4GHz per core with the Adreno 203 GPU crunching the graphics. It enables "high-accuracy" GPS and HD video playback as well as supporting dual SIMs and camera support of up to 8MP. Pricing was not disclosed, but just like the flour used in those cakes you eat, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 are baked into the final product.
“With adoption of LTE expected to explode in 2013, we are sending a clear message to con-sumers with the Optimus F Series that LTE isn’t just for heavy content users and techies anymore. It’s for everyone,” said LG CEO Jong-seok Park.
The LG Optimus F7 is the higher end model of the two with a 4.7” True HD IPS 720p screen (312ppi) and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 2 gigs of RAM. The phone has an 8MP camera and 8GB of built-in storage (plus a microSD card slot). The F7 measures 131.7 x 68.2 x 9.6mm.
Then there’s the LG Optimus F5 with a 4.3” IPS LCD screen of qHD resolution (256ppi), a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM and a 5MP camera. It has 8GB of built-in storage and microSD card slot too. The F5 is more compact at 126.0 x 64.5 x 9.3mm.
Both phones will launch with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and will get some of the advanced features that were reserved for the flagship Optimus G until now. QSlide multitasking with ability to run two apps on the screen (and you can resize, move and change the opacity of those apps) and Live Zooming, which lets the user pinch zoom while watching a video.
LG wants both phones to have good battery life, so the Optimus F7 comes with a 2,540mAh battery, while the smaller F5 isn’t far behind with 2,150mAh (best-in-class, according to LG, but not as big as the 2,460mAh battery in the L7 II, which doesn’t have LTE).
The LG Optimus F5 will launch in Europe in Q2, followed by the Optimus F7 in select markets. Both phones will see a global launch though exact details for that will be released later.
And, of course, both phones will be at the MWC which starts next week – we’ll be there for some hands-on impressions of these two and the others gadgets that LG has in store.
3GHz NovaThor L8580 CPU to debut on MWC 2013 floors
ST-Ericsson unveiled their latest 2.5GHz NovaThor L8580 CPU earlier in this year, but the company is now readying to showcase an even faster version of the chip at MWC 2013.The four Cortex A9 cores residing in the NovaThor L8580 (or eQuad, as it's also dubbed) that's going to be on display at MWC are going to be clocked at 3GHz. In order to not drain the battery in a heartbeat, ST-Ericsson have build the chipset using the 28nm FD-SOI manufacturing technology.
The company has also utilized ModAp, which optimizes the execution of apps and as a result runs them up to 35% faster. The chip comes with support for dual cameras (of up to 20MP), HD Voice and LTE. The GPU is going to be of the PowerVR SGX544 variety clocked at 600MHz.
Naturally, the 3GHz NovaThor L8580 CPU in question is just a prototype at the moment, but hopefully, we'll get to play with it in Barcelona and put it through some benchmarking.
Qualcomm reveals lower end Snapdragon 200 and 400 processors
The Snapdragon 200 brings you quad ARM Cortex-A5 CPUs running as high as 1.4GHz per core with the Adreno 203 GPU crunching the graphics. It enables "high-accuracy" GPS and HD video playback as well as supporting dual SIMs and camera support of up to 8MP. Pricing was not disclosed, but just like the flour used in those cakes you eat, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 are baked into the final product.
Why HTC Is Betting on 'UltraPixels' for Its New Flagship Phone
When HTC unveiled its new flagship phone, the HTC One, it set out to redefine how the smartphone cameras are measured. The most tangible spec for a camera is how many megapixels it can capture, but that spec is far from the last word on photo quality. So HTC created a new term: the UltraPixel.
"The pain point we really wanted to focus on is: Do we really want to be honest with consumers and give them the best possible photography experience, or do we do what the entire market has been doing for years on end," Chris Park, a product marketing manager at HTC, told Mashable. "UltraPixel refers to the fact that pixel size is more important than total number of pixels."
For the One, HTC actually lowered the pixel resolution of the camera to 4.3 megapixels, and instead jacked up the size of the individual pixels on the 1/3-inch image sensor. Each pixel is 2 micrometers (ยตm) wide; to compare, the pixels on the iPhone 5's image sensor are 1.4ยตm wide. HTC says that lets each pixel capture 300% more light than "traditional" phone cameras.
HTC One with 4.7-inch 1080p Display and UltraPixel Camera announced
HTC has finally announced the HTC One, their new flagship Android
smartphone. It has a 4.7 inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display,
powered by a 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and
runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with the new HTC Sense UI and HTC
BlinkFeed. It has an UltraPixel camera on the back with LED Flash and a
2.1MP HD front-facing camera with 88 wide angle lens with HDR
capability. It comes with Beats audio support, Dual frontal stereo
speakers with built-in amplifiers and dual microphones.HTC One Specifications
- 4.7-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display with 468ppi
- 1.7 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor
- UltraPixel rear camera with LED Flash, BIS Sensor and Optical Image Stabilization ,F2.0 aperture and 28 mm lens
- Full HD (1080p) video recording with HDR Video
- Object Removal, Group Retouch, and Sequence Shot photos
- 2 MP HD front-facing camera
- 3.5 mm headset jack, Beats audio support
- 2 GB RAM, 32GB / 64GB internal memory
- 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX codec, DNLA, MHL, GPS with GLONASS
- 2300 mAh battery
- 9.9mm thick, Weighs 148g
- Android 4.1 Jellybean with HTC BlinkFeed , HTC Zoe,HTC BoomSound
- NFC
HDR for everyone: CyanogenMod 10.1 adds high dynamic range feature in the stock camera app
The
principle here is to combine three photos shot with a full range of
exposures on the fly, thus eliminating over- or underexposed photos in
tricky lighting situations.
The results are, of
course, contingent on the HDR software algorithms and the quality of
the camera module and image processor, but having the HDR option is one
more arrow in the CM 10.1 quiver that might lure you towards modding
your Android handset to its full potential.
Google releases Project Glass video capture and details, expands pre-orders
You get to see how it looks like in the corner of your eye and you even get a peek at the interface, mostly controlled by voice but also with the touchpad on the side of the frame.
Good news is Google is also expanding pre-orders for Glass and if you have a good idea of how to use Glass you can get one of 8,000 additional devices the company is giving away. You can apply via Google+ or Twitter using hashtag #ifihadglass.
“We’re looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass. We’d love to make everyone an Explorer, but we’re starting off a bit smaller. We’re still in the early stages, and while we can’t promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting.”
In the meantime, Google has also posted new images of the Glass headset with five different colors: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton, and sky. Interestingly, Glass is also suggested to be water-resistant, a feature that are yet to confirm.
New Huawei Ascend P2 images leak, 13MP camera confirmed
The Ascend P2 from Huawei has leaked once again. This time around, GizChina has captured the rear of the device where you'll see a '13.0 FHD' label under the camera sensor, alongside a dual-LED flash, which confirms that Huawei's upcoming flagship will indeed be joining the 13MP club.
Besides revealing a new white color scheme, the images show a 3.5mm audio jack up top, as well as a power button and volume rocker on the right, and the usual capacitive Android keys below the display.
As before, the P2 is said to sport a 4.7-inch 1080p display, which has become the norm for flagships in this day and age, alongside a quad-core 1.8GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, a beefy 3000 mAh battery, and Jelly Bean OS. They've also specified both 8 or 16GB variants, but no word yet on whether that's expandable via microSD.
Huawei is expected to announce the Ascend P2 at MWC in Barcelona on Sunday, so be sure to check back with us then for all your Huawei news, live photos and first-hand impressions.
NVIDIA unveils Tegra 4i quad-core processor with built-in LTE
NVIDIA, the American hardware company has officially launched its Tegra 4i chipset. Even though the name suggests it's a close relative to the recently launched Tegra 4 chipset, the new SoC is actually an updated version of last year's Tegra 3 with integrated 4G LTE radio.
An important advantage of NVIDIA's Tegra 4i is that it's half the size of a quad-core Qualcomm chipset, which should have a beneficial effect on battery life.
As expected, the chipset also comes with the improved camera features and along-side "always on HDR" mode, Tegra 4i processor is now capable of taking full panoramic HDR photos.
Tegra 4i is rumored to be available in the market by the end of the year and is expected to power mid-range smartphones manufactured in 2014.
LG teases L, F, V and G series smartphones ahead of MWC
LG might showcase several new series of smartphones at the upcoming Mobile World Congress, which will be held in Barcelona starting next week. The latest teaser from the company hints at what it has got to offer at the world's largest exhibition show.
The video focuses on the letters L, F, V and G suggesting that the new smartphones from LG might belong to the series of the same name. According to teaser, L stands for "style", F for "freedom", V is for "view" and G stands for "greatness".
The G series, which accounts for LG flagship smartphones will probably be represented by the recently unveiled LG Optimus G Pro. The L-series might see three new additions with the L3, L5 and L7 second versions.
We are yet to see what the rumored F-series and V-series have to offer. The paint brush shown in the video might be a reference to a stylus enabled smartphone, but it might be just our imagination.
LG will be holding its press conference on February 25. Stay tuned, as we will be covering it live for you.
Behind the HTC One’s UltraPixel camera
What is the UltraPixel?
HTC have gone ahead and used the term “UltraPixel” in their new announcement. The “UltraPixel” simply means that the sensor has large photosites, in turn meaning there are large pixels. Simply said, the HTC UltraPixel camera has big pixels, which let in about 300% more light than normal sensors. This is as per the marketing terms and the press release. Lets see what it actually means.
Usually, sensors in smartphones are really small. These sensors, most of the times packing a total of 8 megapixels, have pixels packed in a tiny frame, making the sensor incapable of delivering higher quality images. Usually, the smartphone camera sensors have a pixel size of 1.4 microns(1/1000 of an mm). For example, the Nokia 808 PureView, with a total of 41 MegaPixels packed into a 1/1.2″ sensor has a pixel size of 1.4 microns, and the yesteryear Nokia N8, has a pixel size of 1.75 microns with a 12 megapixel 1/1.83″ sensor.
What HTC has done is, put large pixels on a 4 megapixel 1/3″ sensor. So, with the sensor being large, and the megapixel count being low, the pixel size of 2.0 microns is achieved. The advantages of large photosites(or pixels) is more absorption of light, hence improving the low light performance. Also, due to the presence of large pixels, the data that is absorbed is of higher quality, giving you extremely clear pictures in most lighting conditions. Consider this akin to a 5 MP oversampled photo from the Nokia 808 PureView, which, even at 100% resolution, looks crystal clear without noise or artefacts.
But we can judge the quality of the pics only through personal experience, so hang on until we get our hands on the HTC One. With that said, lets move on to the other features of the camera.
Real time HDR Video
With the powerful ImageChip on the HTC One, the dynamic range(consider the range between shadows and highlights) apparently can be boosted up to ~84dB(a measurement of dynamic range). That almost matches the dynamic range of the human eye. So, basically the camera will be able to simultaneously produce images with shadows as well as highlights, perfectly lit, even if in the same scene. How it does, is by capturing interlaced(think sequential lines, that skip) frames up to 60fps(in 720p) with high as well as low exposure compensation eV values in different sequential frames. This is all processed in real time, so full HD 1920×1080 video can always have HDR frames.
Optical Image Stabilisation
Just like the Lumia 920, the HTC One comes with Optical Image Stabilisation. It works with a dedicated imaging gyroscope. The Gyroscope works in tandem with the OIS unit at 2000 times per second recognising each variation in two different angles called Pitch and Yaw. In simpler terms, the OIS unit works in two axes. The motion is countered by an opposite motion to the lens, thereby making it less shaky, and stable. There are two advantages to this, more shutter exposure for stills and stable video. HTC promises both on the One. We will be sure to test this out soon.
Other stalwart features of the camera include the f2.0 lens, a CMOS Backside illuminated sensor and a focal length of 3.82mm. The software, called ImageSense is also as robust as ever, providing ultra fast AF and 8fps continuous shooting. There is also a new social aspect to it called the HTC Zoe, but we are saving up the software parts for another post later.
In the end, the real world performance matters, and looking at the specifications and the niceties that the HTC One packs, we really think it is going to be good. But it will be really interesting to see how it matches up with the Nokia 808 PureView or the Nokia Lumia 920. Overall, we feel happy that HTC is doing something different, by staying away from the Megapixel race and trying to do something new. Lets hope there are lots more coming up from other manufacturers too. Till then, we shall wait for more real word examples from the HTC One.
NVIDIA launches GTX Titan, a powerful graphic card that costs you $1000
NVIDIA has officially unveiled its GTX Titan, a powerful graphic card, which has the ability to power the world’s first gaming supercomputers and comes with 2,688 CUDA cores, 6 GB of GDDR5 RAM and 7.1 billion transistors. The 10.5″ powerhouse also has the ability to push 4,500 gigaflops of raw power.
NVIDIA also showcased its latest graphic card in a Falcon Northwest boutique PC, and the company is working with a range of boutique PC makers, to integrate their GTX Titan graphic card.
The powerful GTX Titan will be replacing GTX 690
to take the company’s top honors and the graphic card will surely add a new look to PC gaming platform. NVIDIA’s latest GPU will cost you $1000 and is expected to be available in the market very soon.
Here’s the first look at the GeForce GTX Titan, NVIDIA’s latest GPU.
Sony announces NEX-3N, A58 and three point and shoot cameras
Sony has just dropped five new cameras upon us that cover various categories, from the basic point and shoot to their higher end SLT cameras and even a new NEX camera.
Let’s start with the new NEX-3N, which is Sony’s new entry-level mirrorless camera. It has a 16.1 megapixel APS CMOS sensor that goes up to ISO 16,000 and records 1080p video, 3.0-inch LCD that flips 180ยบ and a zoom lever on the body that works with certain Sony powered lenses. The NEX-3N will go on sale in Europe starting March.
The A58 has a 20.1 megapixel APS CMOS sensor that can shoot up to ISO 16,000 and 1080i50 videos, 2.7-inch, 460k dot articulating LCD and an electronic OLED viewfinder. The A58 will go on sale in Europe starting April.
Then we have the point and shoot cameras, the WX300, HX300 and TX30. The WX300 has 18.2 megapixel sensor, 20x optical zoom, 3.0-inch 460k dot LCD and built-in Wi-Fi.
The TX30 is an ultracompact camera which Sony claims is the world’s slimmest digital camera that also happens to be water, dust and shock proof. It has a 18.2 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 3.3-inch, 1,229k dot OLED touchscreen and shoots 1080p videos.
The WX300, HX300 and TX30 are priced at $329, $499 and $349 respectively. They are available for pre-order today and will go on sale in Europe in March.
Samsung launches a cheaper variant of Galaxy Camera
Samsung Galaxy Camera, which was announced at IFA trade show last year, was the company’s first attempt at an Android-powered camera, but its high asking price has steered quite a lot of people away from it. To address that Samsung has now introduced a cheaper version of the hybrid device.
The new model is simply a Wi-Fi-only (no 3G or 4G radios) variant of the Galaxy Camera and is indexed as EK-GC110.
The rest of the specifications remain identical to that of the original camera and the removal of the 3G should result in a lower price tag. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation on how much cheaper the new Galaxy Camera will be and when it will go on sale.
Tizen 2.0 SDK and source code released, here are some screenshots
Samsung has released version 2.0 the Software Development Kit (SDK) and the source code for their Tizen operating system.
SamMobile got their hands on the SDK and have some release notes and screenshots for us. Some of the highlights of this new release include:
● Enhanced Web framework that provides state-of-the-art HTML5/W3C API support
● Web UI framework, including full-screen and multi-window support
● Additional Tizen device APIs, such as Bluetooth and NFC support, and access to the device’s calendar, call history, and messaging subsystems
● Web Runtime framework supporting new configuration elements for specifying the required features and privileges, and providing the basic runtime environment for NPRuntime plugins
● Native framework supporting full-featured application development and providing a variety of features such as background applications, IP Push, and TTS (Text-To-Speech)
● Core and native reference applications including Calendar, Contacts, Gallery, Phone, Settings, and Video Player
● Enhanced Web IDE providing WYSIWYG design environment, Chrome-based JavaScript inspector, and JavaScript log viewer
● Native IDE providing a project wizard, WYSIWYG design environment, unit test tool, and dynamic analyzer
Archos officially announces 8-inch, 9.7-inch and 11.6-inch Platinum tablets
Archos made its new line up of Platinum tablets official. And yes, the name does sound familiar as one of them was even showcased at CES last month, but obviously the French manufacturer consider that unofficial. Anyway, all the latest tablets in the Platinum range have high-end hardware and mid-range pricing so they might turn out to be quite interesting offerings.
As expected, all the tablets will be powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with 8-core GPU along with 2GB of RAM. They will all offer rear and front cameras, HDMI and microSD support. The slates will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at launch.
Archos Platinum range of tablets consists of an 8″ Archos 80 Platinum, which has a screen of 1024×768 pixel resolution. Archos 80 Platinum will be priced at $199 in the US, £179 in the UK, €199 in Europe and the tablet will be available by the end of the month.
The Archos 97 Platinum sports a 9.7″ display with 2048×1536 pixel density – the exact same specs as the iPad Retina screen. The Archos 97 Platinum will go on sale along with the Archos 80 and the tablet will carry a price tag of $299 in US, £249 in UK and €269 in Europe.
The last tablet in the Platinum range is the 11.6″ Archos 116 Platinum, which boosts a 1920×1080 IPS display. Archos 116 will be available from April and will cost you $349 in US, £299 in UK and €349 in Europe.
Sony PS4 to reportedly support PS3 games streamed over the internet
According to the latest report by The Wall Street Journal, Sony will be adding support for playing games streamed over the internet in the upcoming PlayStation 4 console, said to be unveiled during the February 20 event.
This shouldn’t come across as a big surprise as Sony recently acquired Gaikai, a cloud-based gaming service specializing in streaming games over the internet. However, it seems the streaming feature for the PS4 will be limited to streaming previous generation PS3 titles, at least initially.
We have reported in the past that Sony will be adopting AMD processors with x86 architecture for the PS4, which means it will lose compatibility with PS3 titles. However, with the help of this cloud streaming service, you could still be able to play PS3 games on your PS4, without having the actual game with you.
It remains to be seen if Sony will limit the functionality of this service to only stream PS3 titles and only to the PS4.
Microsoft confirms Windows Blue upgrade for desktops and smartphones
Microsoft’s upcoming OS update scheme named Windows Blue, which will allow the company to have a low-cost Windows platform on a yearly update schedule is supposed to get underway later this year. Now, Microsoft has more or less confirmed the arrival of the upgrades through a job posting on its careers site.
Microsoft has called for a software development engineer to join its core experience team to work on the new Windows UI, representing most of what customers touch and see in the OS. The job listing not only mentions about Blue but also hints us on what we can expect from the OS update.
The update is very likely to focus on the UI and the way users interact with their computers. The Windows Blue upgrades are expected to be available in Q3 and it will be interesting to see what changes it has got to offer.
Similarly, another job posting confirms that the Windows giants will be bring their Blue upgrades to its Windows Phone smartphone as well. Microsoft is currently searching for a senior development lead, who will work to help realize the vision of building high quality excel app for Windows Phone Blue.
Unfortunately, there is no official confirmation on the timeline of the Blue upgrades for smartphones.
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