Google just announced Project Tango yesterday and now we're getting our first looks at just what a 3D scanning smartphone can do.
TechCrunch got its hands a new video by Matterport showing a real 3D indoor map of a room captured with one of Google's prototype devices. If you've never heard of Matterport before, it's a computer vision solutions company that creates maps and 3D room reconstructions.
Matterport gave Google's Project Tango a whirl and was able to capture the color camera data with a complete 3D mesh of a room at the same time. The result 3D image was accurate enough to measure the height from floor to ceiling and map all the cluttered object in the room.
What's more, the 3D map is interactive. Users will be able to zoom in, pan, and rotate the image to explore a three-dimensional digital environment.
While the 3D sensing company has built cameras of its own in the past, it said Project Tango was more than capable.
Viably accurate
Project Tango can already resolve a complex cluttered room
Matterport was impressed with how 3D mapping on mobile devices has become far more viable capture platforms than most people following the tech expected.
The only knock Matterport CEO Bill Brown had against Project Tango was the slightly cruder 3D model it produced. But this is due in part to the four-megapixel sensor on the current prototype and he believes that it can be easily fixed with a higher-resolution camera.
3D scanning has been a technology relegated to only robotic vision studies, self-driving cars, and tech labs. Then the Microsoft Kinect allowed more software tinkers to experiment with depth sensing.
By adding 3D sensing to mobile phones, Project Tango could open up 3D scanning and depth sensing technology to even more everyday applications including gaming, helping the visually-impaired get around, and maps/navigation
Phone 3D motion gaming could be the future but what's its like on the Xbox One's second generation Kinect?
The arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat on the LG G2 has been officially pegged for the middle of March, with the manufacturer launching a video teaser showing the speedy improvements handset owners have in store.
The two-minute comparison clip shows how KitKat gives multiple features a considerable speed boost, when compared to the current Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS.
The KnockOn (double tap to wake the screen) feature welcomes a faster response time, while web pages will load faster thanks to the Chromium engine within KitKat. Further speed improvements come when loading online videos.
In terms of photography, the camera app loads faster, the shutter speed is also improved, while loading a photo in the gallery app is twice as fast with KitKat on board. Lastly the video details the faster touch response times in the contacts app.
17 per cent faster
Of course, all of these metrics are taken in milliseconds so it may not seem like a huge deal on the surface, but it all adds up to a device that's 17 per cent faster on KitKat according to the Korean company.
Check out the differences in the video, shot with a high frame rate camera, below and, if you're an LG G2 owner circle the entire middle of March on your calendar.
WhatsApp has dominated tech news this week after being bought up by Facebook, but for Vodafone customers it was a case of 'What's up?' on Friday, as network issues prevented them from using the app.
The network responded to complaints from Twitter followers, unable to access mobile data services on their devices throughout the day.
Vodafone tweeted to tell users it working on the issue, before admitting they may have to deal with intermittent access to messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Apple's iMessage for the time being.
As most Brits finished their working week, the company claimed everything was now up and running as normal, but it would continue monitoring the situation.
Miffed
"We've fixed the issues that were affecting customer access to some mobile data services and Vodafone systems, all are now fully restored," Vodafone tweeted, five hours after acknowledging the issue.
While these things do happen from time to time, Vodafone customers are sure to be miffed after the second major outage of 2014, left many on social media vowing to take their money elsewhere.
In January the company battled a "nationwide issue sporadically causing problems with voice, data and SMS services," which lasted for a number of hours.
Remember Jeremy from the Galaxy S4 Unpacked trailer last year? Yeah, he's been fired.
Samsung has just put out a very different sort of trailer for "the next Galaxy" - ie the Galaxy S5 - and we reckon we can gleam plenty of hints about the new flagship from the 36-second video.
First, the word "wet" appears early on, soon followed by a picture of a beach - are these hints at the phone's waterproof and dustproof design? We'd say waterproof is definitely looking likely.
There's also an image titled "Brothers", which could be a not-so-sly nod at the two different versions of the S5 that we're expecting to see.
As for "courage", the slowdown footage there could well be referencing a slow-mo camera element (with other scenes having the same slowdown effect), while "focus" seems to be teasing a background defocus feature.
The Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 is likely to be a surprising addition to the MWC 2014 party, namely because it's predecessor has been on sale for such a short amount of time.
But if you read our initial Galaxy Gear review, you'd see why. A smartwatch may be cool, but if it costs too much, has too short of a battery life and is filled with useless gimmicks, it's not going to sell well – and that's precisely what we found with Samsung's first effort.
So the rumor mill has been cranking into full force in recent weeks to talk at length about a possible sequel that will emerge with the Samsung Galaxy S5 – read on to find out what we know will likely be coming as Samsung battens down the hatches ahead of the iWatch release later this year.
Galaxy Gear 2 design
When it comes to the new look of the Galaxy Gear, it's easy to speculate on what it might be, given the first iteration was so chunky.
We actually liked the design, as it combined industrial-looking materials with sleek lines – but combined with the camera it was just too large. A Samsung spokesperson late last year dropped some news that the new version was in the works, and that it would be '15% to 20% thinner than the previous production', which means Samsung has realised that the current incarnation is just too chunky.
Since then, we've heard some pretty exciting things about the design. The first being that the new Galaxy Gear will be completely redesigned to get rid of the 'dull and boring' elements – and the best of these will be a flexible screen.
This would be something that would put the Samsung smartwatch on the map, although we doubt it would be totally flexible, rather curved to make it look a lot nicer.
Something like this would do...
The second things is that this might not be the only device that pops up – Samsung's said to be pulling some of the technology out of the Gear and putting it into an advanced fitness band called, cleverly, the Galaxy Band, which would put it in direct competition with the LG LifeBand Touch.
Rumors have been put about that reckon multiple versions of the Gear will launch at MWC – if so, the Galaxy Gear 2 and a fitness band would make sense as to the identities.
All new OS
We've heard loads about Tizen in the run up to MWC 2014, where Samsung is supposed to be showing off phones using the new operating system.
But here's an interesting one: the Galaxy Gear 2 could be running the OS as well. While such a jump in strategy would normally be tossed out as useless speculation, this could have legs as it would make the watch a lot more enticing for developers.
Word is that the Gear 2 would use an HTML5 version of Tizen, making it much easier for devs to make apps for the device and therefore increase its appeal – given the UI is already nothing like Android, there wouldn't need to be much of a change to make things look like an evolution.
And don't worry about the apps that are already created (not that there are a lot of them) for the Gear – as these can be ported over with relative ease.
Pricey as before?
The new Galaxy Gear needs to be cheaper than the original, coming as it did for £299 or $299 (around AU$333) off the shelf.
The good news is that the new version of the device will have chopped the cost a little as it worries about what Apple will be doing with its first wrist-adorning option.
Samsung knows that it wouldn't fare well if it pitted its watch against the premium quality of Apple's (just look at some of the high end tablets Samsung offers for the same cost as the iPad Air) and will look to offer a lower cost as well as an enhanced feature set.
With that in mind, the Galaxy Gear 2 is a crucial device for the South Korean brand – it's already had one bite with the first option, and if the next iteration fails to ignite then it could be handing the keys to the wearable kingdom to Apple before it's even brought anything out.
Galaxy Gear release date
The Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 launch date is almost certain to be MWC 2014 alongside the Galaxy S5 – pairing the two together will be a no-brainer for Samsung as it looks to maximize the appeal of the new phone.
But when it actually reaches shop shelves is yet to be seen, as the brand has a lot of options here. One will be to launch the Gear 2 at the same time as the Galaxy S5, which hints at it being on sale at the end of March.
This notion is certainly backed up by the fact multiple US retailers are slashing the price of the current Gear by almost 50% in an effort to eradicate stock – which usually heralds a new device.
The other main option would be to tag the new Galaxy Gear release date for the same time as the fancier Samsung Galaxy S5 version, clad in metal and rocking a QHD screen, as many rumors are tagging that as arriving later than the first version due to issues
So here's the best case scenario: a Galaxy Gear 2 and fitness band with advanced functionality are announced at MWC 2014, and go on sale a month after launch. It will come at a more palatable price point and feature all-new design… is that wishful thinking?
Smile for the camera, M8 (credit: MHelal, Google+)
We were already 99.7% sure that the the All New HTC One will come with two rear cameras, but we've now got some more information on the specifics of those snappers.
According to "sources familiar with the matter" speaking to Pocket-lint, the main rear camera will have the 4-megapixel sensor of the 2013 HTC One, while the second will be a 2-megapixel affair.
That second camera will enhance the bokeh (the blur of the out-of-focus bits of your photo) which gives a greater sense of depth, and will allow users to replace the background of any photo.
This will reportedly be controlled via an app which HTC is said to be "currently working on".
Sensor-ble
Additionally, the same report claims that the front-facing 2-megapixel camera is stepping up to 5 megapixels, as the company looks to put more of a focus on taking those lovely selfies that we're seeing every single day on Facebook. Every. Single. Day.
The All New HTC One 2 will be revealed on March 25, and we'll be there to bring you the news as it breaks.
We're less than a week away from the Samsung Galaxy S5, but despite the ever-growing mountain of leaks there's still plenty we don't know.
Industry insider and Mobile-Review.com editor Eldar Murtazin took to Twitter to claim that Samsung's handsets will come with their own unique name - the "Samsung Galaxy S5 something".
Right now it's anyone's guess as to what those names might be (answers on a postcard please) but we'd expect the higher-end model to have a more premium name such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Pro.
Goldfingers
As well as that, some cases for the S5 have appeared for pre-order on Amazon, and it's not just the colours that vary between the pictures.
Two of the images show the S5 with a physical home buttons, while the phone lacks any such button in the others.
GSM Arena, meanwhile, has apparently got its hands on a Vodafone internal document which outs a gold version of Samsung's upcoming phone.
It started out as a pie-in-the-sky rumor: Nokia is making an Android device. Surely not, given the Finnish firm has only recently been acquired by software giant (and the Windows Phone peddling) Microsoft. So why would Nokia jump into bed with the enemy?
While many eyebrows were raised, and eyes rolled, when news of the Nokia X first took to the web (under the moniker Normandy), the sheer deluge of leaks have added more and more credibility to the handset's existence.
There are differing opinions to the name it will officially launch under though. In the red corner you have seasoned mobile leaker @evleaks claiming "Project Normandy = Nokia X", while in the blue there's a new Twitter player @NextLeaks who reckons "Nokia Asha 4xx = Nokia Normandy".
However going by the volume of leaks surrounding the "Nokia X" name that's the one we're inclined to believe.
Cut to the chase What is it? Nokia's first smartphone to run Google's Android OS When is it out? All eyes are on MWC 2014 What will it cost? Not a lot, around £70/$110/AU$120
Nokia X release date and price
Most Nokia X rumors are currently highlighting MWC 2014 in Barcelona as the platform for the Nokia Android smartphone to make its international appearance.
Nokia has a press conference confirmed for February 24, and all eyes will be on the Finnish firm to see if the Android Normandy handset does indeed exist.
It's not clear when, or even if, you'll be able to get your hands on the Nokia X, as its low-end credentials means it could be destined for emerging markets only - skipping the likes of the UK, US and Australia.
With low-end specs comes an equally low-end price, so you can expect the Nokia X to be a pretty affordable - if hard to come by - Android device, with figures of £70/$110/AU$120 being thrown around.
Here's what we reckon the Nokia X should look like:
Nokia X operating system
The signal biggest feature on the Nokia X will be its operating system. Nokia is heavily invested in the Windows Phone platform for its Lumia range, while its Asha devices run its own, in-house Asha OS.
The Nokia Normandy isn't expected to run either of these, instead opting for Google's Android operating system - albeit a hugely modified version.
We've seen numerous screen grabs appear online, claiming to show the Android setup on the Nokia X, with many drawing more comparisons with Windows Phone or the defunct MeeGo platform rather than its supposed Android base.
The first screens to appear don't give a great deal away, but the more detailed lockscreen notifications, an Android style dialer app and a Google-esque notifications bar hint that the Nokia X is packing a different, Google-flavored, OS.
Keeping us guessing (credit: @evleaks)
Then came a snap claiming to show the app list on Nokia Normandy - and this has an air of MeeGo about it as well as a similar notification bar to the previous screens.
Check out those apps (credit: Weibo)
The most detailed screenshots to date however come via @evleaks, and show what appears to be a long, vertical, scrollable homescreen made up of various live-tile esque boxes and application icons.
Some of the apps which appear in these screens (e.g. BBM and Plants vs. Zombies 2) are not currently available on the Windows Phone store, but do exist on Google Play, once again pointing towards an Android influence for the Nokia X.
A bit of MeeGo, Windows Phone and Android (credit: @evleaks) Source : techradar[dot]com
It seems Nokia really is going to go Android as the pre-MWC 2014 rumour mill continues to churn out Nokia X leaks, with the latest offering a series of images depicting said Android phone.
French site Nowhereelse.fr has apparently got hold of more images of the fabled Nokia X (previously known as the Nokia Normandy), showing off the front, back and side of the chunky handheld.
The homescreen is visible and the user interface matches previous leaks, showing a highly modified version of Android which resembles the live tile setup of Windows Phone more than Google's own creation.
Android, but no Google
The Finnish firm's own Here Maps application appears on one of the tiles - as does a simple "Store" icon - suggesting the Nokia X won't come with Google's own suite of apps such as Maps and the Play Store.
Is this Nokia's first Android phone? (credit: nowhereelse)
In terms of design the Nokia X is shaping up to be a pretty ordinary slab of plastic, reinforcing the budget credentials it's been associated with so far - although we'll hopefully find out for sure shortly at MWC.
It's hardly a surprise to see Huawei getting in on the smartwatch game, but this isn't quite what we thought it would have up its sleeve.
One Huawei official has posted a picture of an interestingly-looking wrist device over on Weibo, along with the message, "My new toy. Do you like this color?"
The colour isn't the problem – it's the design of the watch itself that will likely divide. Going by the pictures, it seems to be taking some inspiration from the LG Lifeband Touch's rigid style.
Fighting fit
However, this could be a separate health-focused wristband we're looking at, rather than a more straight-up smartwatch like the Galaxy Gear.
Huawei's smartwatch is expected to show up at MWC 2014, which kicks off in Barcelona on February 24.
