Xenon Flash to light up photos of slim photos in 2014

Xenon Flash to light up photos of slim photos in 2014

Small enough for a regular phone, bright enough to light up the room

A new Xenon flash that is compact enough to fit into some of smallest phones may provide a brighter future for their owners who just can't seem to properly light their dim-looking photos.

The slim-phone-friendly capacitor that's still able to store enough energy for a Xenon flash was developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and being produced by Xenon Technologies.

"This project will yield a breakthrough solution for the digital imaging industry, which will be the world's smallest Xenon flash," said Xenon Technologies CEO Jack Tuen in a press release.

"Our customers and consumers at large constantly demand for a proper Xenon flash which can fit into increasingly smaller and beautiful form factor mobile devices. This is the answer which fulfils that need."

Examining the Xenon technology

With the goal of lighting the way to better-looking photos, this Xenon flash on a diet is made from polymers layered together and it contains a capacitor that is at least four times smaller than current electrolytic capacitors.

"The multi-layered polymer capacitor is also able to deliver the same electricity charge needed to power high-intensity Xenon flash light matching those found in digital cameras," said the school in a press release.

This advancement is thanks to the two and a half years of work of the inventor and associate professor Lee Pooi See and her team of researchers at NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering.

"With XT's expertise in developing successful commercial products, we are confident that this collaboration will result in a disruptive innovation," she said in a statement.

"Not just in the area of flash technology, but also in the world of consumer electronics, as all computers and devices requires the use of capacitors in one way or another."

Slim Xenon flash timetable

With funding from Singapore's National Research Foundation Proof-of-Concept grant, the NTU-Xenon team expects to have a commercial prototype ready by September of this year.

But don't put away your Xenon-flash-boasting Nokia 808 PureView just yet.

Tuen told CNET that he was confident that mobile phone manufacturers will take to the new slim Xenon flash - but it won't be in a flash. Instead, look for the new technology in devices sometime in the end of 2014.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Sprint 4G LTE Coverage Expands in SF, New York, DC and Florida


The other carriers may already be rocking some 4G LTE high-speed action, but Sprint is slowly but surely catching up at this high-speed game too. San Francisco got its first taste of Sprint LTE about a month ago, but now coverage has expanded in “some pockets” of the city that were missing out the first time around.

Sprint has also started to roll out more 4G LTE coverage in other cities across the United States too, including New York City and Washington, DC, as well as some parts of the state of New York, plus select cities in Florida like Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa. The San Francisco coverage has been spotty at best, so hopefully this added rollout will help. That said, Sprint isn’t ready for a full commercial launch until they can get “a density of sites to indicate that our customers should consistently have a great 4G LTE experience,” according to company spokesperson Kelly Schlageter.

You can check the Sprint website directly for coverage maps to see if you’ve got any 4G LTE happening in your area. As this coverage expands, the secondary hope is that FreedomPop–which uses the Sprint network–can make the leap from WiMAX to LTE too. Sprint has indicated that it is slightly behind its original goal of “near nationwide” LTE by the end of 2013, but they should have coverage for 250 million Americans by early next year.



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Native Instagram app may never make it onto BB10

Native Instagram app may never make it onto BB10

Is it hip to shun BB?

While we don't know sales figures just yet for the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone, one issue likely holding consumers at bay is the lack of major app support with the new operating system.

As respectable as the Z10 is as an addition to the smartphone market, the OS just can't hold a candle to the wide variety of native apps on both iOS and Android handsets.

Even with Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare on board, the ecosystem doesn't currently have much to offer that its competitors don't do better.

To make matters even worse, it looks like BlackBerry 10 won't get a native Instagram app either, adding another reason for consumers to look elsewhere.

Android port possible

It's a bit curious that Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, wouldn't see the light of day on BB10 even though the social network was already on board.

However, sources close to Instagram told AllThingsD there were no plans in place for a native version of the app on BB10, and that they weren't sure it would ever happen.

That's not to say a version of Instagram won't be brought to the OS, as the company is apparently working on a port of the Android version of the app.

Facebook and Instagram have final say as to whether or not the port is strong enough to be put on BB10 smartphones, meaning there's a chance Instagram may not appear on the OS in any shape or form.

BlackBerry and Facebook are reportedly trying to work out the technical issues plaguing the current port of the Android version, however there doesn't appear to be a solution in sight.

BlackBerry is already lagging far behind competitors Apple and Google, and the lack of the consumer favorite app could mean bad tidings for the future of the app ecosystem.

TechRadar asked Facebook for comment, and will update this story if and when the company can offer any insight into the app conundrum.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung beat Apple (and everyone else) in 2012 PC, tablet and smartphone sales

Samsung beat Apple (and everyone else) in 2012 PC, tablet and smartphone sales

Call it the little Galaxy S3 that could

Where once Apple reigned, Samsung now sits supreme.

The Korean company surpassed Apple in 2012 to grasp the largest portion of the "smart connected device" market that any single company held, according to marketing research firm IDC.

That market includes desktop and portable PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

In a report published on Thursday, the firm found that Samsung gained 20.8 percent of sales of those devices in 2012, up from 12.3 percent the year before. Apple, by contrast, went from 16.3 percent in 2011 to 18.2 percent in 2012.

IDC chart
Samsung, Apple, Lenovo, HP, and Dell took top spots

Pieces of the pie

Though Apple and Samsung's shares of the "connected device" market both went up in 2012, Samsung's rose considerably more, nabbing it the top spot, according to IDC.

Lenovo came in third with 6.5 percent of the market, and HP and Dell followed with 4.8 percent and 3.2 percent respectively.

Finally, the other 46.4 percent of the market went to a mish-mash of other brands, which IDC lumped together into one category known as "other."

Samsung's unit shipments totaled 250 million in 2012, compared to 114 million in 2011. On Apple's side those numbers read 218.7 million and 151.5 million for 2012 and 2011, respectively.

iPhone, where are you now?

IDC's report came just days after another that claimed Apple gobbled up 19.9 percent of total consumer tech revenue in 2012, a figure slightly higher than IDC's estimate.

Apple launched the iPhone 5 last year, but according to IDC's numbers that couldn't save it from the dominance of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S3, released earlier in 2012.

That's despite record sales from Apple, even, whose devices are beginning to look less and less appealing in the face of strong competition.

All except the iPad and iPad mini, that is, which topped tablet sales in 2012, IDC reported.

It's just too bad that Apple and Samsung's overblown court battles can't be settled based on sales numbers.

IDC also reported that the total market for PCs, smartphones and tablets rose 29 percent in the last year.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Google unveils Chromebook Pixel, expects you to pay $1,299

Google has just announced the latest addition to its lineup of web-centric Chromebook laptops. Unlike prior variants that drew their main value from their low price tag, the new Chromebook Pixel hopes to entice another set of users who live in the cloud and are willing to spend ‘a little more’ for better specs. That includes a 12.85 inch 2560×1700 touch screen, Core i5 CPU, bigger SSD and 1TB of storage on Google Drive for three years.

Starting at $1,299 for the basic Wi-Fi version, however, the Chromebook Pixel is definitely not for everyone.

As the name suggests the high resolution screen is the highlight of this device. With a pixel density of 239 pixels per inch it manages to outclass the 220 PPI of Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the use of a 3:2 aspect ratio is supposed improve viewing web content with 18% more vertical space than a 16:9 layout.

It's a thicker and boxier than the MacBook Pro but it shares some other design elements and similar attention to detail. From the invisible speakers that fire upwards through the keyboard, to the vents hidden in the hinge, a full-sized LED-backlit keyboard, and a large glass touchpad tuned with a laser for a grippy finish. Hands-on impressions popping up across the web all agree that if feels like a solid piece of kit.

Under the hood you’ll find a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor alongside 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB of flash storage -- nothing to rival a similarly priced Windows laptop but then again you don’t need much more for Chrome OS. Other features include Bluetooth 3.0, an SD slot, two USB 2.0, one Mini DiasplayPort, and a trio of integrated mics that cancel out background noise when videoconferencing on the 720p webcam.

An LTE-equipped model with 64GB of storage is scheduled to arrive in early April for $1,449.

Google’s app suite including services like Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Maps, and Search are all a few clicks away, with another couple of thousand more available on the Google Web Store. The company also demoed a new Google+ app that should arrive in a few weeks, as well as new Quick Office integration so you can open and edit Word and Excel documents natively from Google Docs.

The Chromebook Pixel will be available on the Google Store and in select Best Buy locations nationwide.

We can’t fault Google for trying something different and bold with Chrome OS, but at that price it’ll be a hard sell when you can get more for less. Even with the high resolution display as a key selling point it’s hard to justify the investment when a higher-spec MacBook Pro with Retina display running a full fledged desktop OS costs $50 more. Sadly, there are still no high-resolution alternatives available from the Windows camp.


Source : techspot[dot]com

iOS lockscreen fix coming in 6.1.3 update

iOS lockscreen fix coming in 6.1.3 update

Lock it down.

Though the iOS 6.1.2 update had only recently been pushed to users, Apple is already getting to work on another incremental update for the operating system.

The most recent update did end up addressing the battery draining issue disrupting iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches, while it also fixed any nagging increased network activity caused by the bug.

Oddly enough, the 6.1.2 update did not squash the persistent lockscreen issue, which allowed the passcode screen to be bypassed without a four-digit keycode.

It looks like consumers won't have to wait much longer for that problem to be handled by Apple though, as a second beta version of iOS 6.1.3 has just been released to developers.

Quickly and efficiently

iOS 613 developer beta

Despite the decision not to include a fix for the problem in the last update, Apple has moved rather fast to get another patch out to prevent any more issues with the lockscreen.

Even though the exploit was rather tough to pull off in order to get a look at the private files and call logs of the unsuspecting user, that it existed at all was problematic enough.

In addition to finally removing that issue from iOS devices, the 6.1.2 update will also provide some Maps enhancements for Japanese consumers.

It's unclear if there will be any other fixes to further close out jailbreaking, as many expected the 6.1.2 update to do, only to find the "evasi0n" break was still functional.

There's currently no release timetable known for the general consumer version of the 6.1.3 update, but it is expected to arrive soon.


Source : techradar[dot]com

YotaPhone Planning For Release in Second Half of This Year

YotaPhone

Back at CES we reported on the unique Russian-made YotaPhone, a fully working concept device that manages to do things a bit differently by combining a regular display on the front with an e-ink display on the back. Now it seems they are preparing for production with a release global planned sometime in the second half of this year.

Russian YotaPhone has signed a deal with Singapore-based Hi-P International, a company that has previously made hardware for many big-name companies like Apple and Blackberry. The company even has experience developing for Amazon’s E-reader division.

YotaPhone is also opening an R&D center in Singapore to research and develop future generations and variants of the their unique smartphone, so it looks like the company is prepared to fight its way onto the market, despite the strong competition that already exists in the Android world.

Can YotaPhone’s unique approach of combining e-ink and traditional display set it apart enough to win it a niche market or not?



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Mobile games outsold handheld games from Nintendo and Sony in Q4

We’ve known for a while now that mobile games were having a serious impact on the traditional handheld industry. This was evident when Nintendo was forced to slash the price of the 3DS to make up for lower than expected sales and even more so just a couple of days ago when Sony revealed they would be reducing the price of the PS Vita by as much as 33 percent in Japan.

Now thanks to research firms IDC and App Annie, we have some solid data to back up what the game makers are already well aware of. During the fourth quarter of 2012, consumers spent more money on mobile games from Apple’s App Store and Google Play than they did on dedicated handheld systems from Nintendo and Sony.

Furthermore, spending on portable systems was extremely seasonal as 60 percent of games purchased took place in December, likely in the form of Christmas gifts. Money spent on mobile games was distributed more evenly across the quarter, we are told.

In the mobile sector, data shows that consumers are more likely to spend money on a game than they are any other type of app. Games accounted for roughly a third of all app downloads during the last three months of 2012 but in terms of revenue, 60 percent of all app spending in the App Store and 80 percent in Google Play came from games.

It still may be premature to proclaim portable console gaming is dead but if things continue along this path, Nintendo and Sony could be in serious trouble.


Source : techspot[dot]com

New Qualcomm processor will always be listening

New Qualcomm processor will always be listening

Snapdragon learns how to listen

If you feel like no one is listening to you, don't worry. Thanks to Qualcomm, your smartphone may soon soon bend an ear.

The chip maker announced Wednesday a new low-powered, always-on listening feature called voice activation for its new chip. It's to be included in the upcoming Snapdragon 800 processor, due out in the middle of 2013.

The feature will allow smartphones to constantly listen to surroundings without sucking up too much power, ready to respond to custom voice cues.

Little brother is listening

Since the feature is always on, users won't have to press any buttons to voice command their devices.

Either the manufacturer or owners can create custom phrases for the device to listen for like, "Hey, Snapdragon." Then users will be able to talk to their smartphone, even if the device is in sleep or airplane mode.

But the new Snapdragon won't listen to strangers, and will only take orders from the device owner.

Quick Charge

Another Snapdragon 800 feature Qualcomm divulged is Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. The technology allows for devices to be charged up to 75 percent faster than devices without the feature.

Responsible for the speedy recharge is a combination of a special wall charger and either a standalone integrated circuit solution or the built-in power management system in the Snapdragon 800.

The company said the wall charger will fit into existing energy outlets but will be able to provide up to 60 watts of power.

However, the Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger isn't expected to be released before 2014, though the new Snapdragon processor will already be compatible with it at launch.

Enter the Snapdragon

The Snapdragon 800 was previewed at CES 2013, with some impressive features.

With a new CPU configuration and SMP architecture, it will have some heavy-duty processing power while being very energy efficient.

The chip will also allow devices to record and play UltraHD video, take up to 55MP pictures, add multi-channel HD audio and allow for even higher resolution displays (up to 2560 x 2048).

And the new Snapdragon isn't just going into phones, the chip can also be installed in Smart TVs, tablets and digital media adapters. A talk-ready TV might just make those hunts for the remote a thing of the past.

Numbers game

Qualcomm, perhaps trying to get some new products out in the sweep of news coming from of Sony's PS4 show, announced the arrival of two more chips: the Snapdragon 200 and 400.

The 200 is for entry level phones, with a Quad ARM Cortex-A5 CPU with up to 1.4GHz per core and supports HD video playback, up to 8MP pictures and highly accurate GPS.

The Snapdragon 400 is meant for high volume smartphones and tablets. It has a few CPU options with either a Dual Krait processor running up to 1.7GHz per core or a Quad ARM Cortex-A7 with up to 1.4GHz per core.

It also features an Adreno 305 GPU for high-end 3D gaming, support for better wireless connections around the world, and has faster and more energy efficient RAM.

The Snapdragon 200 and 400 are expected out sometime this year, and the Snapdragon 800 is due to come out sometime in the middle of 2013. After that, you might want to watch what you say around your smartphone.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Canonical releases Ubuntu Touch developer preview for Nexus devices

Canonical has launched a new version of its Ubuntu operating system designed with smartphones and tablets in mind. Available as a developer preview ahead of a full release sometime early next year, the software is available to download right now and is compatible with a handful of different Nexus products: the Nexus 4 ("mako"), Nexus 7 ("grouper"), Nexus 10 ("manta") and GSM variants of the Galaxy Nexus (“maguro").

Besides limited device compatibility there is not much you can do with the software at this point. Canonical says that the shell and basic apps like browser, contacts, gallery, camera, and notes will work and users should be able to connect their device to the Android Developer Bridge tool. Wi-Fi support is also present, while Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 users can connect to GSM networks to make phone calls and send SMS messages.

The new operating system claims to offer real multitasking with a Windows 8-esque side view option that lets you have two apps open and on-screen at the same time. It also supports multiple accounts with full encryption for personal data, built-in voice searching, and a number of gestures to navigate the OS.

Ubuntu for phones and tablets will run the full desktop operating system, meaning developers can create a single app for both the desktop and smartphone, while this also allows a device to become a full PC when docked with a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Canonical says the main purpose of this early release is to lure in developers and get them to contribute to the project.

Those interested can head on over to the Ubuntu wiki for full instructions on how to install the Touch Developer Preview. If you want to try Ubuntu without wiping Android from your device dual booting is also an option.


Source : techspot[dot]com

Motorola Razr HD 4G-ready handset goes on sale in the UK

Motorola Razr HD 4G-ready handset goes on sale in the UK

Another 4G-ready handset joins the pack

Motorola's flagship Android handset, the Razr HD is now on sale in the UK, following its arrival across the pond last year.

The Razr HD comes with a 4.7-inch, Super AMOLED HD 1280 x 720p display, is 4G LTE ready for UK networks and arrives on these shores loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

It's also packed with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable through microSD) and an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash.

The phone's other major selling point is its whopping 2530 mAh battery that promises a full 24-hours of usage, even with 4G connectivity sapping the juice.

Super-thin, super-fast

A Kevlar-backed body also gives the latest Moto UK release a rather premium feel, while it still measures up at 8.4mm thin.

When it reached our US-based team, they bestowed a four-star review upon the device, touting its stylish body, big, bright screen and great battery life.

The handset fell short of a higher score due to the "mediocre camera" and the dual-core processor which "chugged at times."

So far, a host of independent UK retailers have started to sell the device (Amazon, Expansys, Clove and the other usual suspects) for around £400, but it doesn't look like any of the networks have picked it up yet.

Perhaps that'll change as the likes of Vodafone, Three and O2 look to equip themselves with 4G ready devices in preparation for the impending super-fast network roll-out.


Source : techradar[dot]com

iPhone 5 Was World’s Best Selling Smartphone in Q4 2012

Early on Wednesday morning, Strategy Analytics posted their newest numbers on the world’s smartphone market. Coming out on top, Apple’s iPhone 5 was sold an estimated 27.4 million times worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2012. Out of the 217 million smartphones sold during this period, the iPhone 5 accounted for 13%.

In addition, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S put together accounted for 1 in every 5 smartphones shipped in Q4 of 2012. These numbers show that Apple still has a pretty good grip on the worldwide smartphone market despite losing overall market share to Android in the past years. With the Galaxy S4 on the way, one can only wonder what these stats will look like come mid-2013.

The iPhone 5 destroyed the Samsung Galaxy S3 in this time frame, which shipped out only 15.4 S3 units during Q4 of 2012. Furthermore, the Galaxy S3 could not even touch the 17.4 million iPhone 4S units sold during Q4. It is crazy to think that the iPhone 4S sold more units in Q4 than it did in Q3, even with the introduction of the iPhone 5.

Despite the incredible number of iPhone 5 sales, Apple stock plummeted from close to 700 points all the way down to below 450 during Q4 of 2012. At the end of Q4 when Apple posted earnings, they were met yet again by disappointment because they did not post “great” earnings.

Are you one of the 27.4 million new iPhone 5 owners? How long do you think that Apple will hold the number 1 spot? Let us know in the comments below.



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

Acer announce Liquid Z2 budget Jelly Bean smartphone

acer liquid z2

It’s nice to read about top-of-the-range flagship smartphones with quad-core this and ultra-pixel that, unfortunately we can’t all afford those super phones and some of us need a budget smartphone phone as our daily runner.

Acer knows this to and has unveiled the 3.5-inch Acer Liquid Z2. Specifications are on the basic side with a small HVGA display, just 512mb RAM and a 5 mega-pixel rear camera, but you do get Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and it will only cost between 100 and 130 Euros.

What do you think, a decent enough budget phone or just to weak for a phone at this point?



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

LG Optimus F7 and Optimus F5 officially announced ahead of MWC 2013

LG Optimus F7 and Optimus F5 officially announced ahead of MWC 2013

We can't help but think of the F-keys on a keyboard

LG really can't help itself, announcing more handsets that will be making an appearance at MWC 2013, this time in the shape of the new F-series.

Last week the giddy Korean firm unveiled the Optimus L7 2, Optimus L5 2 and Optimus L3 2, which have now been followed by the LG Optimus F7 and Optimus F5.

It promises that these new devices, dubbed "The Freedom" in a recent video teaser, will offer superfast 4G services and advanced features such as having two apps onscreen at the same time, something LG calls QSlide.

Mid-range moguls?

From the way LG is pitching the Optimus F7 and Optimus F5 they are being lined up as more mid-range devices rather than premium handsets, and a quick glance at the specs backs this up.

The LG Optimus F7 sports a modest 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera and a 2540mAh, plus it comes running version 4.1.2 of Android Jelly Bean.

Slightly lower down the chain is the LG Optimus F5 with its 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch IPS display, the same RAM, internal storage and front facing camera as the F7, 5MP rear camera and 2150mAh battery. It also runs the same version of Jelly Bean as the F7.

The LG Optimus F5 release date is pegged for the second quarter of this year with the rollout starting across Europe, and the Optimus F7 will follow soon after in selected markets.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Video: Unboxing the BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone


Research in Motion has wiped the slate clean, so to speak, with its launch of the new BlackBerry 10 operating system and the brand new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. We’ve gotten our hands on a review unit courtesy of Telus and I’ve put together a quick overview and unboxing video for you to enjoy.

As a quick refresher, the BlackBerry Z10 features a 4.2-inch 768 x 1280 pixel display, a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon Krait 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a microSD slot for additional storage. There’s an 8MP camera on the back with LED flash and a 2MP camera on the front for video calls. Naturally, it comes with the usual assortment of LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC radios in tow.

As far as the contents of the box, there aren’t too many surprises. Aside from the phone itself, you get a stereo headset, USB cable, wall adapter, and documentation. The elongated battery looks a little different than most and boasts a capacity of 1800mAh. The rubbery textured back is similar to what we’ve seen in previous Berries, but it does feel a little extra rubbery this time around. The phone did feel lighter than expected, even after I put the battery in, but it still felt quite solid in the hands.

My initial impressions are mostly positive, but the 4.2-inch display feels comparatively small in a market flooded with 4.7+ inch Android devices. There’s also a definite bezel around the display, since BlackBerry 10 requires those gestures to originate from beyond the screen. I’ll be putting the Z10 though its paces for the next while and the full review will follow shortly thereafter.



Source : mobilemag[dot]com

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