Hands-on review: Olympus OM-D E-M1
The Olympus E-M1 is the latest addition to the Olympus compact system camera (CSC) line-up and it's aimed at professional and enthusiast photographers. It doesn't replace the Olympus OM-D E-M5, but sits above it. Until now the OM-D E-M5 has been largely referred to as the Olympus OM-D, but it seems we will have to get used to calling it the Olympus E-M5.
Olympus hopes that the new OM-D E-M1 will address the needs of Four Thirds users as well as enthusiast Micro Four Thirds users, because it has a dual autofocus system that is designed to work well with both types of lens.
Although Olympus's earlier Micro Four Thirds cameras are compatible with Four Thirds lenses, the contrast detection autofocus system is very slow with the older design of lens.
The E-M1 has Olympus's new Dual Fast AF system which combines contrast and phase detection systems. While we have seen this type of thing elsewhere, Olympus claims to use a different design from other manufacturers.
Some of the pixels on the E-M1's 16MP sensor are actually half-photosites (pixels) with no colour filter. One row has left-half sites while another has right-half receptors. These two halves match up to create a phase detection focusing system which is used when Four Thirds lenses are mounted on the camera.
Olympus uses this approach because the photosites (strictly speaking pixels don't exist on a sensor, just in an image) used for focusing don't gather any image data. This means the information needs to be interpolated - just as it would with a dead pixel on the sensor.
In addition, like other compact system cameras, the E-M1 has a contrast detection AF system that uses information from the imaging sensor. This is used to drive the focus of Micro Four Thirds lenses on the E-M1. The camera automatically detects what type of lens is mounted and uses the appropriate AF system automatically.
When Micro Four Thirds lenses are used in continuous autofocus mode, both focusing methods are used as it increases the focusing speed.
The camera uses contrast detection in movie mode whether the lens is a Four Thirds or Micro Four Thirds optic.
Features
In a first for Olympus, the 16MP Live MOS sensor in the OM-D E-M1 has no low-pass filter over it. This should enable it to record more detail than the original Olympus OM-D, the OM-D E-M5.In addition, we are told that new TruPic VII image processor has been calibrated to put the emphasis on detail visibility at the expense of a little noise.
Thanks to the new processing engine, lateral chromatic aberrations are corrected and sharpness optimisation according to the lens mounted and aperture selected (for Olympus lenses). This should enable users to get the best from their camera and lens combination.
Olympus claims that the E-M1 produces the best image quality from any Olympus digital camera, with less colour saturation loss at high sensitivities. We look forward to testing this claim in the near future.
As it's a compact system camera, the Olympus E-M1 doesn't have an optical viewfinder, but there's an electronic one with 2,360,000 dots and 1.48x magnification. This magnification and dot-count should make it easier to see details than usual. Uniquely, in HDR preview mode this viewfinder is capable of showing the effect (there are two HDR modes, Natural and Artistic) as well as the image building up in Live Bulb mode.
This EVF can also use adaptive brightness technology to adjust it to the brightness of the environment and take the size of the photographer's pupil into account. In bright light the EVF is brighter, while in dark conditions it's darker. This is a default setting, but it can be switched off if users prefer.
A new feature called Colour Creator allows hue and saturation to be adjusted using a colour wheel that's visible on screen and in the viewfinder. The effect is also previewed in the EVF and on the screen.
This can be combined with the Highlight and Shadow control to tailor images to users preferences or to create a particular style. These can be saved as part of the My Mode settings for future use.
Although the E-M1 uses the same 5-axis all mechanical Image Stabilisation (IS) system as the E-P5, it makes a small improvement in performance. However, new changes to the CIPA standard mean that this is now billed as a 4-stop correction rather than 5. Consequently, the camera can be handheld at shutter speeds up to 4 stops slower than without IS. That's the equivalent of dropping from 1/125sec to 1/8sec.
Those more interested in freezing movement will appreciate the E-M1's top shutter speed of 1/8000sec, just like the E-P5.
It's also possible to shoot continuously with continuous AF at 6.5fps for 50 raw files, or at 10fps with single-AF mode selected for 41 raw files. We are told that the better housing around the shutter mechanism means that the E-M1 is quieter than the E-P5 in action.
Olympus has had a lot of success with its Art Modes and the E-M1 introduces a new mode, Diorama II, which as well as allowing you to have the sharp area around the focus point, can be used with vertical format images.
It would strange for a new camera not to have Wi-Fi connectivity built-in now and the E-M1 doesn't disappoint as it has the same system as is in the E-P5. However, in a slight upgrade, this enables remote shooting via Olympus's (upgraded) smartphone app in all exposure modes with control over exposure and white balance.
In addition, the image can be seen forming on the screen of the smartphone during long exposure captured using Live Bulb mode.
Build and handling
According to Olympus, the E-M1 is not intended to be the smallest camera available, but to be a good size for serious use. It's a very similar size to the OM-D E-M5, but the front and rear grips have changed shape.The thumb grip on the back of the E-M1 is less pronounced than it is on the E-M5, but the front grip is bigger, giving a better, more comfortable hold. It feels very secure in your hand.
Sometimes big is taken to mean tough, but the diminutive E-M1 is also pretty durable. It feels nicely built and has seals to ensure that it stays dust and splash-proof. It is also guaranteed to work at temperatures down to -10C. Helpfully, all current Olympus lenses are freeze-proof.
Like the E-M5, the E-M1 has a 3-inch tilting touchscreen, but the dot-count has been boosted from 610,000 to 103,700,000 dots. It provides a very clear view with plenty of detail. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is also very impressive and with natural colours (depending upon the camera settings), good contrast and lots of detail visible.
Disappointingly, Olympus has resisted the option to make the main menu navigable by touch, so you have to use the physical controls. It would be nice to have the choice of touch or button and dial controls. Like the original OM-D and the PEN E-P5, a Super Control Panel can be used with the touchscreen to make changes to key settings, such as white balance and metering.
The control layout of the E-M1 has some significant differences from that of the E-M5. As you hold the camera for use, the mode dial is on the right of the top-plate instead of the left. Meanwhile, the left-side has two semi-circular buttons on a shallow column which looks a bit like the film rewind unit on an old film camera - without the flip-up handle. The front-most button gives access to the drive mode and HDR options, while the rear one is used to access the metering and focusing options.
When the HDR button is pressed, the up and down navigation controls scroll through the HDR options while the left and right controls run through the drive options. It's a similar arrangement with the AF and metering button, with the up/down controls scrolling through the metering options and the left/right controls navigating the focusing settings.
Pressing and holding the button immediately behind the shutter release while rotating the rear dial scrolls through the Shadow and Highlight, Colour Creator, Magnify and Image Aspect modes. Once you've selected the mode you want, pressing the button again brings up the controls or options.
We'll need to use a full production sample before we can pass final judgement, but the E-M1 seems a very comfortable camera to hold and use with everything within convenient reach.
Performance
Having only used a preproduction sample of the E-M1 we can't say for certain what the image quality is like, but the early signs are very positive. Olympus knows a thing or two about image quality and we have been very impressed with what it has achieved with its Pen series and the OM-D E-M5. It is unlikely to say that the E-M1 produces the best image quality of any Olympus digital camera without some good cause.It will be very interesting to see how much can be accomplished with the new sensor design (without an anti-aliasing filter) and improved processing engine, bearing in mind that the camera has the same pixel count as the E-M5.
We anticipate seeing more detail across the image frame and a little more noise visible in high sensitivity shots. Olympus is also promising less loss of colour saturation at the higher sensitivity settings.
Olympus's recent compact system cameras can generally be relied upon to produce images with good colour, white balance and exposure. We'll be very surprised if that changes with the E-M1, but naturally we'll test it fully when get a production sample in.
Early verdict
Olympus sees the OM-D E-M1 as the replacement to the E-5, the last high-end SLR the company made. It's hoping that it will convert diehard SLR users to switch to a lighter, more portable camera.
On the face of it, Olympus may get its way: the E-M1 has a comprehensive featureset and its handling seems well thought through. Of course we'll only know for sure once we've been able to shoot extensively with a full-production sample.
The E-M1 will be available from mid-October 2013. Prices start at £1,299 (AUD$1,599) for the body only and £1,949 (AUD$2,399) for a kit including the new M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 12-40mm 1:2.8 lens announced at the same time.
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Olympus introduces next generation of OM-D camera
Olympus has introduced a successor for the 18 month old OM-D E-M5 with the E-M1.
It features a new 16 million pixel Live MOS sensor and the seventh (and newest) generation of TruePic image processor for what Olympus claims to be the best ever images from an Olympus camera.
The E-M1 also boasts the fastest autofocusing system for any Olympus camera - considering the already very swift speeds of existing cameras should make it one of the fastest in the world. Dual Fast AF is designed to deliver very quick autofocus performance for both proprietary Micro Four Thirds lenses and Four Thirds lenses, which can be mounted on the camera via an adapter.
Dual Fast AF also means that the camera automatically detects which type of lens is being used to switch to the most appropriate AF technology - either phase detection of contrast AF. Four Thirds lenses work with phase detection, whereas Micro Four Thirds use Contrast detection. Both AF technologies are designed to accurately focus on any of the 37 autofocus points or 81 target areas.
The new processing engine, TruePic VII uses new Fine Detail Technology II, which is claimed to get the best image quality out of every lens by adjusting processing in line with the type of lens attached and aperture setting.
Best view
A new viewfinder is also included on the E-M1. It features 1.48x magnification – around 1.3x larger than a typical DSLR. It's also a high resolution at 2.36 million dots. A new feature for the viewfinder is HDR Preview Mode, which allows you to monitor images in the EVF before you shoot. Time Lag for the viewfinder is just 29 milliseconds, which is too fast for the human eye to detect and should result in natural movement, even with very-fast moving subjects.First introduced on last year's OM-D E-M5, 5-axis image stabilisation is designed to compensate for different types of movement to help produce sharp images.
The E-M1 is dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof, having the capability to work in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius.
Another new feature for the camera is integrated Wi-Fi. The second camera in the Olympus interchangeable lens line-up to feature the functionality, you can use Wi-Fi to remotely control the camera or share images via your smartphone or tablet.
Olympus says that the new camera was designed in consultation with professional photographers, and so there are a number of re-assignable dials, switches and rings for the best ease of use.
Along with the new camera, Olympus has announced a 12-40mm f/2.8 lens, which is also dust, splash and freeze proof. The company is also developing a 40-150mm f/2.0 lens.
Any existing E-System camera owners will be rewarded with a free adapter for existing E system lenses if purchasing the camera by November 2013. A free grip will also be available to any customer who registers for purchase in October.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 price will be £1299 (AUD$1,599) for body only or £1949 (AUD$2,399) including the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens. Sales start from mid-October.
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ACCC takes on in-app purchases targeting children
In-app purchases have long been a problem-point where unsuspecting kids can wrack up bills up into the hundreds for parents.
Today, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also joined around 50 other global agencies to "identify smartphone and tablet apps that may mislead young children into making unauthorised in-app purchases".
Although the ACCC acknowledged that a lot of app stores require a password and give a warning before an app or in-app content is purchased, additional purchases can sometimes be made for a period time without having to enter the password again.
"I have heard from concerned parents whose children have been caught out with unfamiliar technology and racking up a sky-high credit card bill," said ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard.
"Some of these apps are marketed for children, who do not connect the game they are playing with spending their parent's money in the real world. A child can unwittingly make one in-app purchase costing $100 or 100 in-app purchases costing $1 each."
Game money
Apple faced scrutiny earlier this year over free apps on iTunes targeted toward children and offering ridiculous in-app purchases.The Australian Communications Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) also urged the Australian government to have apps that claim to be free but include significant in-app purchases be examined under the Australian Consumer Law.
The ACCC hopes to examine and identify games that are free, but don't explicitly state that significant in-app purchases would be required to access or utilise a large portion of the app.
"Consumers need to be aware that 'free' may not mean free," said ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard.
"Games and apps in the 'free' area of an online store may be free to download, but attract costs for in-app purchases."
The ACCC has opened up consultation for anyone who thinks they may have been misled by apps and in-app purchases.
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Buying Guide: 5 best sites to trade in your iPhone
With the impending Apple iPhone launch, you're probably scrambling to get rid of your old iPhone to make sure you can get your hands on the new iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C, right?
It involves a bit of research and we know you don't have time for that, so we've created a list of the best sites to trade-in your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 with estimates of the most recent maximum values for 64GB AT&T devices.
Since prices fluctuate according to the market and may change on you, we figured our estimates will give you a good idea of the prices you're getting.
If your phone is in great to good condition, you're bound to get a better deal - but if the phone is cracked, or has water damage the price won't be as high. Some sites may also give you better (or worse) prices depending on your carrier and model.
Hopefully we've saved you the trouble of researching the best sites for trade-in deals so you can better spend your time scouring our site for the latest iPhone news (iPhone 6, anyone?).
1. Amazon
Being the biggest internet e-tailer out there, it's no surprise Amazon has a trade-in program for just about everything including Apple phones.
To participate, just look up your device in the Amazon search bar, then look for the "Trade in" button on the righthand side of the page, sign in to your account and provide answers about the quality of your phone.
One thing to remember is that Amazon pays in gift cards, not cash.
Amazon's recent prices:
iPhone 5 around $441 (about £280.87, AUD$477.74)
iPhone 4S around $253 (about £161.14, AUD$274.08)
2. Gazelle
Gazelle is a great trade-in site that is currently offering a 30-day price lock guarantee to up to 50 days for orders placed before Sept. 10, or the day of Apple's announcement.
If you act fast, you can get today's price for your old iPhone but still keep it until the new iPhone is released, with Oct. 15 being the last day you can send in the old phone.
Simply head to the Gazelle site and select the phone you have to get an estimate. Gazelle pays with a check, Amazon gift card or PayPal.
Gazelle's recent prices:
iPhone 5 around $350 (about £222.92, AUD$379.16)
iPhone 4S around $220 (about £140.12, AUD$238.33)
3. BuyBackWorld
Another site with superb prices, BuyBackWorld's trade-in process is just as easy as Gazelle.
In fact they look pretty similar but that's fine - as long as you're getting a good price for your phones, we're happy.
Search the site for you iPhone or choose the iPhone category, select your carrier and model - then figure out if your phone is in excellent condition to get the best price.
BuyBackWorld's recent prices:
iPhone 5 around $415 (about £264.31, AUD$449.57)
iPhone 4S around $250 (about £159.23, AUD$270.83)
4. Best Buy
Best Buy has a surprisingly good program for trade-ins, though the site isn't nearly as nice to look at as the other ones.
However, it gets the job done and gives you decent prices for your old, Apple phones so it's definitely worth checking out.
Type "trade in" into the Best Buy search bar, select mobile phones and look up your iPhone model and carrier.
Like Amazon, Best Buy only offers store-exclusive gift cards.
Best Buy's recent prices:
iPhone 5 around $420 (about £267.50, AUD$454.99)
iPhone 4S around $241 (about £153.49, AUD$261.08)
5. Nextworth
Nextworth is another website similar the other buyback sites, and organizes its products into easy-to-find pages.
The site probably has the most efficient estimate system with only two questions you have to answer.
Nextworth pays through PayPal instantly, a mailed check, or a Target gift card. You can even get the Target gift card immediately by bringing your device into a participating Target store.
Nextworth's recent prices:
iPhone 5 around $410 (about £261.13, AUD$444.16)
iPhone 4S around $245 (about £156.04, AUD$265.41)
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Updated: EB Games Expo 2013: What to expect from this year's show
With the dust finally settled after the inaugural PAX Australia Expo in Melbourne last month, excited gamers are already casting their eyes to the future to the next big gaming event, the EB Games Expo in Sydney.
Setting up shop at the Sydney Showgrounds at Olympic Park between October 4-6, the third annual event is destined to be the biggest one yet for the games retailer.
With more than 30,000 fans gracing the show floor in 2012, EB Games is planning on breaking that record in 2013, thanks to some help from the next generation of consoles.
Already, the show is off to a massive start, with the most expensive ticketing option, the Ultimate Gamer Pass, selling out within three hours of going on sale.
While there are still some tickets to the event on sale, they are selling out quickly, so buying passes sooner than later is a smart option.
With that in mind, here's everything we know so far about the event, and what you can expect to see from the show when it kicks off in early October.
1. Microsoft Xbox One playable
Microsoft's Xbox One presence at PAX Australia was pitiful. Fortunately for those looking to attend the EB Games Expo, things are looking much more positive.
Announced during a keynote at PAX, Microsoft is bringing more than a hundred Xbox One consoles to the Sydney event, all available to play for the gamers at the show.
This will be the first time the console will be made available to play on Australian shores, making it a must-attend event for anyone wanting to experience the next-gen in the flesh prior to launch.
Despite the massive numbers of consoles available, we still anticipate long lines. If only there was something else to keep us distracted…
2. Sony Playstation 4 playable too
Anything Microsoft can do, Sony can do as well. Weeks after Microsoft confirmed its presence at the EB Games Expo, Sony did the same, confirming that the PS4 will also be playable at the show.
There's no indication of just how many consoles Sony is bringing to this next-gen console battle though.
If they really want to take the fight to Microsoft, expect a similar number on the floor so plenty of people can get their hands on it.
With both consoles getting their first public outing at the expo, expect plenty of bells, whistles and shiny things as the gaming behemoths do their best to draw the gaming hordes' attention to their own stands.
3. Battlefield 4 the masses
Despite not rocking up to PAX Australia, Electronic Arts is bringing its war fighting Battlefield 4 to Sydney in October.
From all accounts, you should be able to get hands on the next-gen game on a next-gen console, with Microsoft's Xbox One showcasing the fighter.
Whether the game is going to be single-player or multiplayer is as yet unknown, as is whether it will be available on current-gen hardware at the show as well.
Either way, it's going to be playable, which should make plenty of FPS gamers happy.
4. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag
EB Games assures us that there will be someone from the title's development team to share some insight into the game's creation.
And in case you weren't able to tell that the new Assassin's Creed installment will be taking place on the high seas, Ubisoft will also have a pirate ship ride outside the convention hall to help you get excited about the game - or nervous about expo food.
5. League of Legends
Joining Battlefield and Assassin's Creed will be Riot Games' League of Legends, with EB Games announcing that it will be playable for fans throughout the duration of the expo.Although the hype for the expo surrounds the next-gen consoles, the availability of the game will be a welcome addition to those who prefer their desktop or laptop over the Xbox and PlayStation wars.
Based in the Pavilion section of the expo, though their won't be a theme-park type ride accompanying the game, the League of Legends World Championship Finals will also be streamed live for fans to watch.
6. Good Game Live
The hosts of Australia's most popular gaming television programme, Good Game, will be taking the stage at the EB Games Expo for Good Game Live.Located at the EB Games Arena, the show is described as "a live quiz show for gamers by gamers; a multiplayer showdown of gaming goodness, trivia and LOLs with some very special guests".
The hosts of the show will also take part in the expo's Video Game Parade on the Sunday, should you like massive balloons, tanks and cosplay.
7. The best of Home Grown
If there's one thing PAX Australia taught us, it's that the Aussie indie dev scene is full of amazingly talented people. And they will have a home at the EB Games Expo in the Home Grown Gaming section of the show.
In addition to Aussie developers, the Home Grown hall will also feature local eSport competitions, as well as a tech zone dedicated to the latest gaming accessories to hit Australian shores (and even some that haven't arrived yet).
We expect more details on exactly what to expect from this area in the weeks leading up to the show.
8. Mega sales at the Mega Store
The EB Games Mega Store is set to be four times larger than the store at the 2012 Expo, and will officially be the biggest EB Games store in the world.
In addition to the latest games, the Mega Store will offer exclusive swag for attendees, the ability to pre-order games, as well as purchase some of the best accessories and hardware shown off on the show floor.
While the cynical part of us knows that this is what the show is really all about, we'd probably be disappointed if it wasn't there.
9. Sunday Family Day
Parents will be pleased to know that Sunday, October 6 has been allocated as the EB Games Expo family fun day.In addition to a wide range of free activities for the kidlets, including face painting and magicians, there will be video game hero meet and greets, and a special family edition of the Good Game Live show.
There's even a family ticketing option for anyone looking to save on the cost of entry for the Sunday.
10. Plenty more to come
The list of announced exhibitors is both long and lustrous, despite the fact that few have announced what they'll be showing on the show floor.
Activision, Disney, EA, Bandai Namco, Sega, Ubisoft, Warner Bros, Alienware, AIE, Astro, Parrot, Razer, Bluemouth Interactive, Game Informer, Ikon Collectibles, Incomm, Logitech, Goldie, PDP, Plantronics, Sennheiser, Skullcandy, Turtle Beach, Tt esports, Tritton and Wargaming have all confirmed their presence at the show.
As to what they'll be showing? Well, at this stage, that's anyone's guess. But we'll be updating this page whenever we learn something new, so make sure you keep coming back.
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Samsung shores up its internet usage lead among devices vs Apple
Hurry up and launch that iPhone 5C already. Samsung has extended its lead vs Apple when it comes to internet usage on their respective devices, particularly in emerging markets.
Samsung mobile devices captured 25.7 percent of global internet usage in August, leaving Apple with 23.4 percent, according to web analytics firm StatCounter.
Nokia, the former leader as of last December, has faded to third place at 21.7 percent.
The interesting thing is that while Apple still dominates in key areas like the U.S., U.K., and Australia, it's being lapped in entire continents like Asia, South America and Africa.
Samsung vs Apple stats breakdown
Apple is doing just fine in the U.S., maintaining its lead of 52.2 percent vs Samsung's 19% of internet usage among devices.Nokia's numbers, previously propped up by feature phones, have fallen to a measly 1.5% in the U.S.
In the U.K., it's almost the same deal. Apple users are surfing the web at a rate of 46.8% compared to 21.5% for Samsung. Nokia is holding onto 3.7%.
But when it comes to emerging countries like India, Samsung is more than making up for these losses with a 26.7% share of internet usage.
Apple has a paltry 1% share of India's mobile usage, according to StatCounter.
iPhone 5C to the rescue
Apple could blunt the impact that Samsung and its Galaxy devices have had on the iPhone by launching a cheap iPhone model alongside the iPhone 5S."Over the past 12 months Apple has increased its share in the US and UK but globally there is an on-going battle taking place between it and Samsung," said StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen in a press release today.
"Should the rumors prove true, it will be fascinating to see if a less expensive iPhone will help it increase market share against lower cost competitors in global markets."
Another factor the web analytics firm pointed out was Microsoft's purchase of Nokia's handset business, bringing more weight to the third-place contender, which still leads in Asia and Africa.
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PS4 won't be big in Japan until 2014, as Sony delays release in homeland
Sony has, somewhat surprisingly, announced that its forthcoming PS4 console will not go on sale in Japan until later February 2014 - more than three months after its initial launch in the United States.
The February 22 launch date represents the first time in Sony's 20+ year history in the games industry, that a new console won't be bestowed upon its countrymen first.
The next-gen gaming machine launches in the United States on November 15 2013 and will arrive in Europe and Australia on November 29.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony has decided to wait to ensure there is an "ample" supply of games that are suited to the palate of gamers in its homeland.
Toky-no
The paper also speculates that the declining importance of PlayStation sales in Japan may have also contributed to the company's decision.In the Land of the Rising Sun, the PSOne 18.6 per cent of sales came form Japan. That figure dropped to 14.7 per cent for the PS2 and further still to 11.9 per cent for the PS3.
Perhaps Sony is onto something, but it gamers in the motherland must feel a little bit perturbed by the decision, especially those who'd had it on the Christmas list.
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Eye of the Tegra: Nvidia's rumoured 7-inch tablet pops up again
Nvidia's heavily rumoured expansion into the Android tablet market has moved a little closer to reality with the so-called 7-inch Tegra Tab taking a tour of the tech regulators Stateside.
The device has taken the requisite trip through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) office and lists a slate with the current-gen Nvidia Tegra 4 processor.
It also promises a 1,280 x 800 IPS display, a battery up to 4100mAh in size, and the stock version of the Android Jelly Bean operating system.
According to the filing, it'll have a 5-megapixel rear camera, a HD webcam and a stylus for the purpose of poking and prodding around the OS.
Can it compete?
Those specs would certainly put the Tegra tab slightly above the mid-range level, allowing it to compete with the first-gen Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire devices.Nvidia has already made a splash in the hardware market this year with its Sheild Android games console, and the processing company will be looking for another win in the heavily-competitive Android tablet arena.
Recent reports have suggested the device will not launch until 2014, while potential pricing remains unclear.
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The inevitiable Imperial March towards Instagram ads is well underway
Instagram has admitted that the halcyon days of commercial-free feeds of filtered photos are coming to an end, with plans afoot to integrate advertisements within the next year.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Instagram's Facebook-appointed chief operating officer Emily White said the time is come for Instagram to begin making the transition from uber-cool app to money-spinner.
The photo-sharing app, purchased by Facebook last year for $1 billion in cash and stock (around £630m AU$1.08bn), faces the challenge of producing a return on the investment, without turning off an army of loyal users.
Ms White said: "We want to make money in the long term, but we don't have any short-term pressure."
Keeping the cool factor
It's likely that users will be 'treated' to filtered photos from brands keen to enjoy a slice of the Instagram's cool factor. We're thinking fashion labels, tech companies, cool alcohol brands, etc.It's also possible that the company will be begin charging brands who already enjoy a sizeable following on the app to promote their Instagram posts to a wider audience, a la Facebook.
Of course, we could also see auto-playing video commercials adorning our Instagram feeds.
Will the addition of ads see threats of a mass boycott in the same way the initial Facebook acquisition provoked a backlash? Or will Instagram users just take it in their heavily-filtered stride?
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Buying Guide: Best portable chargers: 14 we recommend
Best portable chargers: 14 we recommend 1-7
With the massive amount of email checking, texting, mobile gaming and internet surfing everyone does, a reliable, portable charger has become essential to avoid that inevitable dead battery.Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, going camping or simply out of the house all day, you'll probably need something that isn't too cumbersome and has enough juice to power your mobile devices.
Based on amount of usage we were able to get, weight, size and overall functionality, we tested a variety of chargers by mixing around charge times with an iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPad 4 in different situations to create a list of the best portable chargers - though most of the external batteries are compatible with an assortment of phones, tablets, cameras and handheld gaming devices.
Generally, the portable chargers are on the pricey side but you'll definitely get your money's worth for large mAh capacities and moderate to heavy form factor, or decent capacities and lightweight portables.
We've also added a few chargers that are more suitable for a day out rather than a long trip away, just in case you're just looking for a quick backup charge.
1. IOGEAR GearPower Ultra Capacity Mobile Power Station
Price: $79.95 (about £51.61, AUD$89.35)IOGEAR's GearPower Ultra Capacity charger is a great portable battery. Two USB ports at 1A and 2.1A allow for multi-device charging and at 11,000mAh, you can easily charge a phone and tablet respectively.
Though it's not very pocket friendly at 10.4 oz and a tad bulkier than an iPhone and Galaxy S4, this is still an adept portable and great for traveling long distances in the car or plane.
In fact, we took the battery to a two-day music festival and it had no issues charging two iPhone 5's that were around 10% each, during the 48-hour span of Instagramming, phone calls, etc. After a 55-minute charge at the end of the first day, each phone was fully charged with the GearPower lights at three bars indicating that it was still able to keep going for a few more days - depending on what needed to be charged next of course.
The price point may seem high but the GearPower can be bought at much cheaper prices making it a fantastic deal for long trips away from outlets.
2. ZAGGsparq 6000
Price: $99.99 (about £64.55, AUD$111.75)Easily one of the priciest chargers, the ZAGGsparq 6000 charger is still a decent backup, despite a few caveats.
Its 2.1A USB outlets got the job done efficiently with two smartphones and it was able to hold a charge the next two days.
Unfortunately, the 6000mAh isn't too great with tablets and was only able to charge an iPad from 25% up to 60% before dying down to one LED light of juice left.
Not only is the ZAGGsparq small and light, but it's also wide, making it awkward to carry if using a purse or small bag - though if in a backpack, you'll hardly feel it.
The built-in prongs make it easy to charge and means there's one less cord to lose, which is actually really quite nice, and its on/off switch is accident-proof, meaning you won't randomly turn it on and waste your charge.
3. Jackery Giant
Price: $44.95 (about £29.02, AUD$50.23)The bright orange (or silver option) Jackery Giant lives up to its name as a hefty charger weighing in at 10.4 oz (the same as the IOGEAR GearPower) but also because it's a heavyweight champ in other ways as well.
For the large 10,400mAh capacity, it's one of the cheapest chargers you can get. The Giant also travels well and can be taken on outdoor adventures thanks to its ability to hold a charge for a long time, though you'll need to charge the battery itself a whole night (about 10 hours) for a full charge beforehand.
The battery also packs a little LED flashlight which can be activated by pressing the power button twice (to avoid accidental usage), and is pretty handy if you're camping or need to find something in a flash.
The Jackery Giant did a good job charging our S4 and iPad 4 simultaneously - 10% to 95% and 47% to 96% in about two and a half hours, respectively. What's more, it even had enough juice to charge up the iPhone 5 up, with two light bars remaining.
If you're only planning to get the Giant as an occasional backup, it will hold a charge for up to six months.
4. Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation Duo
Price: $99.95 (about £64.52 AUD$111.70)The Juice Pack Powerstation Duo from Mophie is a nice little 6000mAh portable. At 11.99 oz it actually feels lighter than its battery counterparts despite weighing the most. Because of this, it makes for a great travel companion as you can hardly feel it in your bag.
Two 2.1A USB ports allow for quick dual charging of tablets and phones, which it was quite capable of during our trips to and from the office; 0% battery on the iPhone and Galaxy S4 were raised to around 88%-95% each after an hour, and it still had two lights left.
The Mophie also stayed light as a feather in our backpack though its smooth exterior did collect a lot of lint meaning it's probably a good idea to use the little pouch the battery comes with.
The biggest downside to the Mophie Powerstation Duo is its price. If you can afford the Duo, it'll serve you well, but if you want to go cheaper, Mophie has a nice little selection and from our experience with the high cost charger, it seems like the low cost options aren't too bad either.
5. Anker Astro 3E 10000mAh
Price: $39.99 (£25.99, about AUD$25.09)It seems like it's go big or go home for the Anker Astro 3E. Like the Jackery Giant, the Anker Astro 3E is a beast of a charger and won't easily fit into your coat pocket.
Though it is a bit thinner than the other batteries on this list, it's still longer than the length of your average smartphone.
The Astro boasts the ability to hold over six charges for most smartphones - we were able to get about four with two smartphones simultaneously thanks to its two USB ports, and a third of a charge for our tablet by itself over four days before the Astro died, which isn't too shabby for 10000mAh.
Keep in mind, since it's a bit larger, it's not really a small bag type of portable - but a long trip will definitely benefit from the Astro, and it still won't take up too much room inside your bag with all your other tech devices.
6. Eton BoostBloc 6600
Price: $99.99 (about £64.55, AUD$111.75)The high-priced Eton BoostBloc 6600 is a modest charger that surprisingly holds 6600mAh for how small it is.
Its lightweight 6.5 oz means its purse friendly and maybe even pocket friendly (for jackets at least) if you don't mind carrying something else besides your phone around, that has a bulky form factor.
It has two USB ports, 2.1A and 1A, and no on/off button, and you can shake the device for the indicator lights to pop on and tell you how much juice is left.
The BoostBloc 6600 holds charges for quite awhile and was able to charge up our iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 from around 20%-25% to 100% twice on one charge, and iPad 4 about halfway before giving out.
You'll probably have to charge the BoostBloc often if you plan on using it on tablets and phones simultaneously, but the portable charges up quickly (and gets pretty hot) - this shouldn't be too much of an issue especially if you plan on taking it with you everywhere.
7. Powerocks Rose Stone
Price: $69.99 (about £45.18, AUD$78.22)With 6000mAh, the Powerocks Rose Stone charges up around the same as the BoostBloc 6600 and boasts the same lightweight portability. However, it's longer than the BoostBloc, so it will probably be best off in a bag.
Going along with the geological theme, the indicator lights are little rock-like formations next to a camouflaged power button, making this charger quite different and fun (as much as a battery can be?)
There are also two USB ports but each only gives off 1A, so charging will be a bit slower.
But that doesn't mean the Rose Stone will leave you hanging out to dry - the battery was able to give us great juice charges on our smartphones three times on one charge. The iPad 4 wasn't as lucky though and had to charge on the next round and only from 15% to 65%, probably due to the output volume.
So as a portable, the Rose Stone is best for smartphones and does quite well, but you're better off with a Powerocks charger with a larger capacity if you're interested in this brand and design.
Best portable chargers: 14 we recommend 8-14
8. Belkin PowerPack 4000
Price: $99.99 (about £64.55, AUD$111.75)A well known brand for supplying electronic accessories, Belkin's largest capacity portable charger surprisingly only holds 4000mAh.
The PowerPack 4000 is still able to do a fairly decent job though, and is definitely one of the most lightweight and convenient batteries at 4.6 oz. In fact, even though the battery is pretty wide, there were times it was hard to find in our bag since it's still remains so compact.
We were able to charge our smartphones up completely from about 10% each, twice in two days before needed about three hours for the PowerPack to recharge. It was also able to charge up the iPad a little over halfway.
The PowerPack's main issue is the price point: For Belkin's current price (though you can definitely get it a little cheaper by shopping around), the capacity should at least be bigger. But we suppose transportability comes at a price.
9. RAVPower KnightRider 14000mAh
Price: $42.99 (about £27.50, AUD$46.78)The RAVPower KnightRider has massive capacity and massive weight, too - coming in at 10.4 oz.
The Knightrider was able to charge our S4 and iPhone 5 completely in about an hour and a half using the two USB 2A and 1A ports.
It also was able to power our iPad during an hour-long train ride providing ample time to use the tablet, and charge it afterwards up to 87% before giving out.
The battery is a pretty powerful device and like the Jackery Giant, comes with a useful flashlight which could serve as a great backup if there's an outage or if you need an extra light on hand in the dark.
It's also fantastically priced for a large capacity battery that's been really useful for commuting and will definitely do well on long trips away.
10. Satechi 10000 mAH Portable Energy Station
Price: $59.99 (about £38.73, AUD$67.04)The Satechi 10000 Portable Energy Station is a mouthful for a surprisingly thin and light device that's just slightly longer in length when compared to the S4 and iPhone. We didn't mind it in our bags but it felt a little cumbersome in the pocket.
The Satechi can charge our S4 and iPhone 5 four times before hitting the last indicator light, and an iPad 4 once completely.
A few oddities include a picky on/off button - apparently you have to press down pretty hard to get the thing to turn on. The lights also stay on and flashing letting you know it's ready, and then continue to flash while charging your device.
The exterior can also get a bit dirty with your fingerprints leaving marks all over it, but that's not really a big issue at all if you keep it in the case.
11. Apelpi - Opso Plus
Price: $49.99 (about £32.27, AUD$55.87)Boasting one of the most unique designs, Apelpi's MFi Apple certified Opso Plus charger is a fun little portable. But don't let its pretty appearance fool you - this little apple's got a powerful bite.
At 6400mAh, the Opso Plus can charge your phone quite nicely on the go and at 5.6 oz, it fits great in a bag - however, there is only one 1A USB port meaning it's a bit slower, and it can't fully charge a tablet. According to the company, Apple would only allow one port for MFi certification, thus sacrifices had to be made.
We took it with us to charge our Samsung Galaxy S4 battery on a 50 minute train ride, and it went from 7% to 100 % with two LED lights left allowing for at least two more charges the next day.
Additionally, though the power button is an ingenious little stem on top of the Opso, there were moments where it seemed a bit precarious sticking it in a bag for fear of breaking the stem off.
Despite this, if you need a moderately priced, nicely designed portable charger then consider Apelpi - an Opso a day will keep your phone's dead battery away.
12. Jackery Mini
Price: $24.95 (about £16.11, AUD$27.88)The Jackery Mini is the counterpart to the Jackery Giant and works just as great for those moments where you don't want to lug the monster around.
It will fit nicely anywhere and works well with both the iPhone and S4, however it's not a good option for tablets since it's only 1A and 2600mAh.
We were able to get two charges for each smartphone on one full-up Mini, which is quite good for the little portable. Because it's smaller, the Mini is able to recharge must faster too.
The power button may be accidentally pressed a lot (which was the case with us) so be wary of running your battery, but aside from that, the Jackery Mini is a really compact charger for when you're on the go.
13. Powerocks Magicstick
Price: $49.99 (about £32.27, AUD$55.87)Similar to the Jackery Mini, the Powerocks Magicstick is about the same length and width but rounded.
The Magicstick also has a slightly larger capacity at 2800mAh so we were able to get two and a little over a half charge for each smartphone.
Like the Mini, the Magicstick recharges quickly so you don't have to wait all night for a portable battery.
It's a little heavier as well but definitely not enough to be noticeable. The power button on this works like a small flashlight - you press one end which lights up letting you know if its charged up, with different colors telling you how much juice it has.
14. RAVPower RP-WD01 Wireless WiFi-Disk
Price: $44.99 (about £28.78, AUD$48.96)Basically, the traveling person's dream portable, this guy can do it all.
Though not as physically small as the other tiny chargers, this 3000mAh RAVPower made the list for being able to read SD cards and turn into a Wi-Fi hotspot making it a powerful compact combination when you're in need of more than one device.
It's also thin and light as a feather so you'll hardly feel it, and it won't take up room in your bag.
The charger works great and was able to fully charge a low battery S4 in one go. However, it definitely needs to be recharged often so it's probably best to use it intermittently while using the other features.
The card reader and Wi-Fi hotspot also worked quite well, and were able to power on and connect to our smartphones without too much hassle.
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Purported Sony Xperia Z1 Mini display shaves off a few tenths of an inch
The rumored Sony Xperia Z1 Mini smartphone may live up to that "Mini" name by being a smaller version of the forthcoming Sony Xperia Z1 and offering a few other compromises.
The smaller Xperia Z1 Mini display was leaked by cell phone parts retailer ETradeSupply, noted Android Community, measuring at just 4.3 inches diagonally.
That's .7 inches smaller than the full-sized Xperia Z1 smartphone, which has a 5-inch display.
The only significant compromise between the two phones is that the 4.3-inch Xperia Z1 Mini is said to have a 1280 x 720 resolution, whereas the normal sized version sports a 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Xperia Z1 Mini specs speculated
1080p aside, the rumored Xperia Z1 Mini specs appear to be in line with the true definition of a mini smartphone model.Sony is said to be keeping the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM and the 20.7 megapixel camera with a Sony G Lens.
The smaller form factor of the unconfirmed phone has led to a slightly smaller 2400 mAh battery, vs the 3000 mAh Xperia Z1 battery, according to the latest rumors.
There's nothing to suggest the Xperia Z1 Mini will be waterproof and dust-proof - but considering these are key selling points of its bigger brother, it wouldn't be far-fetched to expect such features.
We'll have time to confirm those features. Android Community suggests that Sony will announce the Z1 Mini sometime in the fall, as it's still shipping the normal-sized Xperia Z1.
- Read about Sony's newly announced PlayStation Vita TV.
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Facebook posts on the morning news? It's happening
Facebook announced the release of two new APIs today that allow "selected news organizations" to integrate posts and data from the social network directly into their content.
The new tools allow these organizations to do anything from simply displaying a real time feed of posts related to a certain topic, to breaking down social conversations by demographics like age, sex, and location.
Facebook provided some examples, like a certain program delving into how many people are discussing a certain topic on Facebook, where they're located, and the age and gender groups among which topic is most popular.
Currently, only Buzzfeed, CNN, NBC's Today Show, BSkyB, Slate, and Mass Relevance have access to the new APIs, but Facebook said it will announce more partners "in the coming weeks."
Tooting its own horn
Facebook highlighted its apparent popularity in today's announcement.For example, the social network claims that the NFL season kick-off last week garnered 20 million likes, comments, and shares by more than 8 million Facebook users.
In addition an infographic states that 88 million to 100 million Facebook users log in during the "primetime hours" between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. every day in the U.S. alone. And 245 million people discussed, shared, and liked the Super Bowl in February.
Facebook's new tools should allow news organizations and the company's other partners to leverage and explore that activity in new ways.
Surfacing the conversations
Facebook said it's been rolling out products, tools and services "aimed at surfacing the public conversations happening on Facebook."These include hashtags, embedded posts, and trending topics, according to the social network, as well as the tools announced today.
The tools available to Facebook's select partners today include the Keyword Insights API and the Public Feed API, though based on the language in the announcements it seems other, similar tools will become available in the future.
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Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 event slated for Sept. 23
Not to be overshadowed by the Apple launch event, Microsoft has sent out its own invites to the media today for a New York City event on Sept. 23.
Microsoft is expected to announce its next-gen Surface Pro and Surface RT tablets, the purportedly named Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2, the latter of which has most likely dropped the "RT."
Both have seen numerous leaks lately with the Surface Pro 2 rumored to be Haswell-based and the Surface 2, Tegra-based.
The Surface Pro 2 is also supposed to truly replace PCs by providing the Surface Dock, an accessory that allows more device connections, along with a Power Cover to supply extra battery juice.
Microsoft-ober
The Surface tablets will most likely see an October 2013 launch.Windows 8.1 will be available to existing Windows 8 users for free in an update Oct. 17, and available the next day to buy meaning October is the month for Microsoft.
Tune back in Sept. 23 to find out for sure from TechRadar.
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Yahoo, like Microsoft and Google, is suing the feds for greater transparency
Companies have the right to discuss how many information requests they receive from the government, with one exception: when those requests are related to national security.
Now Yahoo has joined Microsoft and Google in suing the U.S. Department of Justice for the right to reveal the numbers of national security-related requests it receives.
In a press release published today, Yahoo said it's "demanding greater accountability" from the U.S. government.
But the suit was filed in the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, ensuring that little information from the case will reach the public.
Making progress?
The exact powers and privileges of the clandestine FISA court are unclear, and other, similar suits filed by Microsoft and Google have led nowhere so far, according to tech and politics blog GigaOM.But these companies and others have attempted to show their dedication to transparency by filing lawsuits, appealing directly to the U.S. Attorney General, and releasing detailed transparency reports.
Yahoo published its own transparency report last week, divulging that it received more than 12,000 data requests from the U.S. government alone between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2013.
"We believe that the U.S. Government's important responsibility to protect public safety can be carried out without precluding Internet companies from sharing the number of national security requests they may receive," the company said in today's press release.
"Ultimately, withholding such information breeds mistrust and suspicion — both of the United States and of companies that must comply with government legal directives."
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Explained: How to choose the right server for your e-commerce site
According to eMarketer, e-commerce sales could reach over £80 billion by 2017. The massive expansion of online retailing means that every business in this sector must ensure their shop front is efficient.
The server technology that an e-commerce business is using should be carefully considered to not only ensure that the customer-facing website is professional and flawless, but also that the IT infrastructure that supports the site is highly efficient.
"The infrastructure your e-commerce site runs on is really the life blood of any store. This is really one area where small businesses should opt for best of breed over cost of convenience," says Ben Dyer, CEO at SellerDeck.
"One of the core things to assess is the speed of the connection, since not only do the search engines penalise slow sites (negatively impacting SEO), but you will lose sales if your customers have to wait. I would always advise merchants to also check the level of support a provider gives, as well as the number of other businesses using the server if it's shared hosting."
For e-commerce, the performance of the server that supports it is clearly critical. There are a number of components that need to work together in order to deliver an efficient e-commerce experience for the customer. One of the most important is how the servers in use can be scaled.
If your business has on-site servers, moving to more flexible platforms such as rack servers can offer the expandability that must be built into your server platform.
With cloud-based services, the connection to the server platform is all-important. There is little point in having highly efficient cloud servers if your business's connection to these severs is slow and inefficient.
Coupled with this is the service level agreement (SLA) that supports the e-commerce servers in use, as Joe Gardiner, head of hosting at CatN, explains: "Make sure you have real people providing expert support. No IT system can be perfect and things will always go wrong at some stage, normally at a peak time. Knowing that you have a responsive, expert team that you can contact 24/7 is vital, especially in e-commerce where a minute of downtime can cost a lot of money.
"It's also important to make sure that the system encompasses integration options, such as secure credit card transactions, credit checks and so on, and that it enables you to migrate away flexibly."
The price is right
Small businesses will always have an eye on costs. Sharing server space (often called multi-tenant occupation) can be risky. If there is a problem with the e-commerce site of a business that's sharing your server, your website could go offline.And look closely at the security that the server platform offers. Don't forget, taking customer payments will mean that your business has to be fully PCI-DSS compliant.
As the cloud has taken hold particularly within the small business sector, its impact on e-commerce is rapidly making itself felt. Dyer says: "I believe the future for successful e-commerce merchants revolves around two core elements: improved technical and customer services.
Starting with the technical future, the advantages of a hybrid cloud set-up are beginning to make a good case for itself. This gives the benefit of owning your own infrastructure (control) with the ability to rapidly scale into the cloud as and when required. Cloud servers have changed the state of the hosting market for the better, however the lessons are now being applied to the more traditional market."
Neil Gardner, professional services development and operations manager at COMPUTERLINKS, also says: "If you go the route of an elastic cloud infrastructure, you can instantly scale capacity up and down to meet the needs of your particular e-commerce environment. In addition, you only pay for what you use (utility computing) but you benefit from an enterprise-class infrastructure, regardless of the size of your business."
Server decisions
With so many options to choose from, there are a few considerations when making your e-commerce server purchasing decisions.Firstly, decide whether PaaS (Platform as a Service) is appropriate for your business. Using a PaaS service provider can take many of the IT headaches away from building an efficient e-commerce website. Look at the SLA carefully to ensure that you fully understand what the vendor is offering, and what additional costs might be incurred.
Secondly, check the efficiency of your broadband service. It is important that your business can update the e-commerce store, so a high performance broadband connection is vital. Today with so many online stores to choose from, consumers won't wait for a slow server, so also look closely at how your ISP is connected to the internet.
Thirdly, does the server platform have security built in? Taking card payments from consumers requires the servers that your business uses to comply with PCI. However, also look at the data security that your server offers. This should protect your store from malicious code.
Fourthly, specify a server platform that expands as your business does. E-commerce continues to be a rapidly developing retail channel. With more mobile shopping also becoming popular, ensure your e-commerce server platform can expand as your business needs change.
Finally, look for service providers with high levels of server up time. As your business can only sell goods or services when it is live, partner with a service provider that has the IT experience to ensure their servers are always available. Build 24/7 IT support into the contract to ensure that technical issues are dealt with quickly.
E-commerce seems to have become somewhat of a commodity, especially with the plethora of cloud-based services available. In the end your business's online store is only as good as the servers that support it. Taking the time to define your needs, and then locate a service provider to match these, is time well spent, and could save your business huge amounts of money in the process.
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Hands-on review: IFA 2013: Lenovo IdeaTab S5000
Since Lenovo created a dedicated tablet division back in 2011, the computing company has been releasing mid-range devices with much success.
Back in January, it revealed that its IdeaPad and ThinkPad ranges had contributed to an 80 per cent growth spurt - something that was much needed considering computing sales as a whole have been on a downward trend.
At IFA 2013, Lenovo showed off its latest Android tablet, the 7-inch Lenovo IdeaTab S5000. The standout feature of this tablet is definitely its weight, or lack of it. The S5000 is a mere 244g, which makes it significantly lighter than the new Nexus 7 (340g) and the iPad mini (308g).
So, it's light then but it is it also light on features? Well, frankly, yes. There is a 1,280 x 800 resolution display , which is certainly sharp but not as sharp as its main rivals in this sector.
The pixels per inch on the S5000 are 215, while the new Nexus 7 boasts 323ppi. Both beat the iPad mini, though, which has been lumbered with just 163ppi.
The S5000 been given a 1.2GHz quad-core MediaTek 8389 CPU, which does mean that multi-processing on the S5000 is half decent, and this is backed by 2GB of RAM. But none of this processing grunt has the wow factor.
We didn't notice much lag when playing with the device, though - the model we got hands on with had Android 4.2.2 and it also had Lenovo's own sheen on top of the operating system, and both worked well.
We could flick between web and camera smoothly and the pinch to see multiple homescreens worked well. We would prefer a stock Android device, however, as the HS5000 suffers from the same childlike look as the worst parts of Samsung's TouchWiz overlay.
We did like the look of the actual device - although the chrome lip at the bottom of the tablet could disappear, the silver look does raise the tablet above the design of other cheaper tablets.
The S5000 has been equipped with a 3,450mAh battery, so you should get around eight hours' web browsing out of the device, or six hours' HD video watching. This figure is decent enough, and matches that of most of its rivals.
Also on board is some 3G functionality for the UK, 16GB of storage and a 5MP rear camera and 1.6MP front-facing camera.
Light, functional and not much more in between, the Lenovo S5000 on first impressions is a competent 7-inch tablet but not one you will be rushing out to pre-order.
But if you want to, the Lenovo IdeaTab release date is November and it will cost around 200 Euros.
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In Depth: How gaming tech is speeding up science
The Quake software on Dr Elizabeth Cochran's laptop probably isn't the one you're familiar with: the Quake-Catcher Network she created uses sensors originally designed for gaming hardware to detect earthquakes. The same accelerometers that can detect a laptop in free-fall or the twists and turns of a handheld device turn out to be pretty handy for detecting the earth's movement too. Dr Cochran had the idea while "playing around on a Mac laptop... it dawned on me that if it picked up [my] movement, it would probably pick up earthquake movements."
Dr Cochran was right, and today's QCN uses a mix of volunteers' computers and small USB-connected sensors to warn about major seismic events. As US Geological Survey director Dr Marcia McNutt explains, "even a few seconds or warning before an earthquake can reduce the loss of life and property."
By creating cutting-edge technologies and manufacturing them in massive quantities, gaming firms make those technologies cheaper and cheaper - so for example the sensors used by the Quake-Catcher Network can be given away for free in high risk areas and cost just $49 for anybody else ($5 for teachers), compared to $40,000-plus for traditional seismic sensors.
Getting Kinect-ed
Scientists were quick to spot the potential of Microsoft's Kinect too. Compared to the $10-20,000 for Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) mapping equipment, $120 for a Kinect is loose change - and while it can't see anywhere near as far as professional hardware, it's still proving to be a useful tool. Ken Mankoff of the University of California Santa Cruz has used it to survey glaciers and rivers, and a team at Microsoft Research Cambridge is exploring its use in medical imaging.Kinect is being used in Paraguay to record ancient artworks facing destruction, and it's being used to control robot cockroaches for applications where even drones are too big. You can use it to control big robots too.
Kinect has life-saving potential too: students at John Hopkins University are using Kinect to detect when children are left in locked vehicles, something that currently kills 38 children per year in the US.
If you think that's impressive, how about fighting cancer, battling AIDS and charting the human brain? Gaming tech is doing that too.
Supercomputing on a budget
One of the most significant pieces of gaming technology is the GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit. The same technology that originally delivered 3D PC games now powers the world's fastest supercomputers, and as a result it's at the cutting edge of scientific computing.Sumit Gupta is general manager of the Tesla Accelerated Computing Business Unit at NVIDIA. As he told Techradar, "Scientific study is increasingly relying on being able to simulate experiments ahead of or instead of the real-life execution. The reason for this is twofold. First, the cost of using virtual equipment over expensive lab materials is much cheaper.
"Second, experiments have become so complex that the need for simulation is imperative in order to get results in a reasonable timeframe. A team of ten working on a vaccine for bird flu could perhaps run five or six experiments in a day and to ensure the results are accurate these experiments would need to be repeated several times."
Enter the GPU. "CPUs are designed to run one process at a time, crunching the data then moving onto the next problem," Gupta explains. "A GPU, on the other hand, has the ability to run multiple processes at once. When used for science, the GPU can therefore be utilised to run thousands of virtual experiments per minute giving reliable results at a fraction of the time."
That's important, because humans simply aren't smart enough to create the most complex models themselves. Take climate change analysis: you need to analyse hundreds or even thousands of years of data on climate and temperature. "A modern day supercomputer [can] process it in a matter of hours," Gupta says.
So how much do desktop GeForces have in common with their supercomputing siblings, such as NVIDIA's Teslas? "All GPUs have the same basic architecture, be it powering some of the world's fastest supercomputers or blasting through Splinter Cell Blacklist on your PC," Gupta says.
The GPUs handle the most computationally intensive tasks, and on a gaming PC that means high frame rates and smoother gameplay. On Tesla cards, however, the processing isn't designed to drive a display, but to process huge quantities of data" - usually via the programming language CUDA.
We asked Gupta which applications he found particularly exciting. "It is hard to pin down the most exciting areas of work," he says. "Be it helping in the search to cure HIV, building neural networks (computers designed to act like a human brain), helping send a rover to the moon, and even desktop virtual reality therapy treatments for those with post-traumatic stress disorder, it is an incredible time for GPU-based science."
Gamer-powered processing
Fancy donating your graphics card's spare capacity to help the wider world? The BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Open Computing) enables you to do just that. There are BOINC projects for astrophysics and mathematics, climate analysis and epidemiology, molecular biology and nanotechnology. BOINC projects are helping scientists solve AIDS research problems that have puzzled them for years, are pushing the frontiers of brain research and are playing crucial roles in the fight against degenerative diseases, genetic conditions and cancer.
So much for videogames being bad for you.
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Beats boss: Daisy streaming library will rival Spotify
The new Beats streaming service has been some time coming, but Beats Electronics president and chief operating officer Luke Wood has told us that the service will launch "in the next few months" and will bring a competitive library selection with it.
But will the service have the record label deals to back it? Considering Wood's history as a music industry exec with the likes of TV on the Radio in his portfolio of signings, this part was never going to be difficult.
"We have a lot of experience in that area," he said in an interview with TechRadar. "The library will be very comparable to what exists now with Napster in the States, Spotify and Deezer."
Perhaps more interesting are the features the headphone manufacturer's service will bring that others such as Spotify currently don't. According to Wood, the problem to be solved lies in curation.
"You've got to address discovery," he said. "If you don't know what you want, you're stuck."
Daisy unchained
Wood went on to explain further: "We think that right now there's tremendous opportunity for curation and generally I'm a relatively digtially literate person, I spend my life on the internet. And I find existing music services now are no different to the ones I had going back to the original Napster or Limewire.""The algorithmic approach, a la Pandora, really doesn't work," he said. "You've got to move more towards a playlist approach and really tell people great stories through playlists."
Beats will use technology from streaming service MOG which the company bought last year, while Trent Reznor will take the role of CCO. We also know that Daisy will come to iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8 when it finally arrives.
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In Depth: The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active – up to the challenge
Designed with the elements in mind, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is built for any situation – and capturing great underwater pictures and video is one of the S4 Active's standout features.
Not only does the S4 Active boast a water-resistant and dust-proof body for protection against life's mishaps, these features open up a whole new world of ways to use your phone.
Underwater capture is heaps of fun, so grab your GALAXY S4 Active, head to the pool, and discover a great new way of taking pictures and video.
Crystal clear capture
Taking pictures and recording video underwater could not be easier, and the ease of use is matched by the high quality of the GALAXY S4 Active's camera.The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active's 8-megapixel rear camera sensor ensures that pictures you capture below the water's surface are every bit as clear and as sharp as those you take above.
And when you're done snapping photos, 1080p video underwater opens up a whole new realm of possibilities, producing razor-sharp detail in both capture and playback on the S4 Active's stunningly vibrant screen.
Aqua Mode on the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active
Swimming underwater isn't the best time to be fiddling around with various options and on-screen functions. Luckily, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active gets a brand new camera function to deal with that exact problem: Aqua Mode.As its name suggests, Aqua Mode is designed for when you're using the camera in wet and wild conditions, increasing the clarity of underwater pictures and video to ensure the phone is always performing at its best.
It also lets you set the volume key as a camera shutter button or video record key, meaning that capture is as easy as can be – no hassle required.
The perfect holiday companion
The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active makes for the perfect family companion, always ready to capture those unforgettable moments.That first swim in the holiday pool? Your partner's perfect dive? You'll have all those precious moments on record with the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active.
The S4 Active can be submerged in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes, which means you won't be against the clock – the S4 Active is more than up to the challenge.
The S4 Active lifestyle
Whether you're sailing, kayaking or snorkeling, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active's IP67 rating – which means it's fully dust and waterproof – means you won't have to worry about the elements damaging your phone.Being able to have your Samsung GALAXY S4 Active in your pocket all the time means you're never on your own, and it's reassuring to know that no matter how wet it gets, your S4 Active is up to the task.
So whether you've just seen some colourful underwater wildlife that needs documenting, or you're about to take on the rapids for the first time, you've got the perfect companion at hand to make sure you can capture the moment.
Screen dream
Having high-quality playback is just as essential as having high-quality capture. And a bright and vibrant display makes all the difference when doing both tasks.Thankfully, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active's 5.0-inch Full HD TFT LCD screen means that you can get an instantly clear idea of how well your pictures and videos have turned out.
It also means that, even when underwater, the enhanced screen always lets you see the whole picture, to make sure you're getting the best shot possible in every situation.
Sharpening the shot
Awkward lighting is always a pain when taking pictures underwater, but the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active performs to the highest quality no matter how tricky the lighting conditions might be.It also cuts through the blur that many other cameras can't overcome in underwater conditions, making sure those submerged shots are always enhanced to their utmost clarity.
Designed to look good
The Samsung GALAXY S4 has a beautifully sleek design, and the GALAXY S4 Active continues to impress by maintaining the slim body in a build that is sturdy and secure.Not only does it look good, but the GALAXY S4 Active manages to be incredibly light in the hand, despite all its great extras.
While sealed for protection during use, the removable back cover also offers the option to change the battery, meaning that you'll never run out of juice just before capturing that perfect shot.
Whatever the weather
Noticed the perfect picture on a rainy summer evening? The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is built for every weather condition, meaning you'll get great shots whether it's rain or shine without needing to worry that your phone isn't prepared.Not only does this mean you don't need to worry about getting caught in a downpour midway through a phone call, but also that you'll be able to get that all-important shot when you see it, no matter what the elements throw at you.
The power and the glory of the S4
Packing in the Samsung GALAXY S4's killer specifications, including the powerful 1.9GHz Quad-Core processor, the GALAXY S4 Active retains the high-level performance to back up its brand new features.Importantly, this means blisteringly high speeds at all times. Life's best photo opportunities are always fleeting, so having a fast performer on hand when the moment arrives is essential.
What's more, the onboard microSD card slot means you can keep on capturing without worrying about storage limitations.
The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is the perfect phone companion for any situation. With the ability to take pictures and video underwater, there's no end of ways in which the S4 Active offers an enhanced and freeing phone experience for both casual and intensive users.
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Opera claims Coast is 'the browser that should have come with the iPad'
Billed by Opera as 'the browser that should have come with the iPad', Opera Coast is a stripped-down browser designed specifically for Apple's tablet.
Essentially, Coast follows the trend for simpler browsers where toolbars and menus no longer get in the way of the user experience – similar to what Microsoft has done in Internet Explorer 10 and 11 for Windows 8.
As with that browser, it's designed to be a more lean-back experience where gestures take over from buttons – as you might imagine, left and right swipes move backwards or forwards, while a swipe down from the top of the page will reload it (it would close the app in IE 10 or 11).
Coast isn't without more in depth controls though; you can also bring up a bar at the bottom of the screen should you want to move between open sites (effectively your tabs). You also use the bar to return to the Home screen or go to recently-opened sites.
When you're browsing a site the screen has no visible URL bar, back or forward buttons, tabs or bookmarks.
Still secure
A home screen features a search and address field, while the page also has Opera's familiar speed dial grid while recently opened sites are also displayed. Sites can be dragged into speed dial by pressing and holding them.There's also a specific screen for more detailed searching which will give you search suggestions from Google.
Despite the simplicity, Opera promises the new browser doesn't skimp on security, with warnings when suspicious sites are accessed and site security reports should you wish to see more details.
Coast by Opera will be available in the App Store today. In the meantime, why not check out our existing guide to the best browsers around?
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Vodafone offers everyone 4GB of free 4G data
The 4G war is heating up in the UK and Vodafone has mobilised its troops in an attempt to win more custom, offering an extra 4GB of data every month to pre-existing and new 4G customers.
Its "4GBonus" promotion (see what they did there? Clever) will give anyone currently on a Vodafone 4G plan an additional 4GB on top of the allowance already provided in their contract.
If we look at the SIM-only plans that means you'll now get 6GB for £26 per month, 8GB of data at £31 per month and a whopping 12GB if you are prepared to splash out £36 for 12 months - trumping EE and O2 at every price point.
Get in there soon
For those of you not currently a 4G Vodafone customer you'll need to sign up to a 12 or 24 month plan before the end of the October to take advantage of the offer.Currently Vodafone's 4G rollout has only hit London making the service pretty limited and the smallest out of the trio of networks, but from September 28 it will arrive in Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield.
We can't help but think the timing of this announcement is a little coincidental, considering a certain Cupertino-based firm is said to be launching a couple of new handsets (the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C if you've been living under a rock for the past months) tomorrow.
O2 and Vodafone are currently in the tricky position which sees their 4G networks unable to support the iPhone 5, so the hope is the new iPhones will be more forgiving when it comes to frequency.
- Unsure on your mobile usage? Find out how much 4G data you really need
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Hands-on review: Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro
The Lenovo Yoga was a flip in the right direction for Ultrabooks when it was first released.
But it offered in style points - the ability to bend the laptop to your viewing preference - it didn't really match in spec appeal.
Having an Ivy Bridge processor inside and given a rather low-res 1,600 x 900 display means you are never going to win any awards in the power stakes.
But the wait is finally over for a new and even bendier Yoga - the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro.
Shown off at IFA 2013, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro has been given a screen that's twice the quality of its stablemate. At 3,200 x 1,800, the 13.3-inch screen is one of the best on the market, and one of the brightest too at 350 nits.
Lenovo has also given the chassis a little bit of a makeover. It may look similar but it is thinner - 1.5mm instead of 17.1mm – and it has gone through more weight loss than a Bikram Yoga addict, weighing in at an impressive 1.4kg. To put the weight into context: this is around the same weight as Ultrabooks that don't have the flip factor.
Couple this with an Intel Haswell processor - up to Core i7, up to 8GB or RAM and a 512GB SSD - and what you have is a better and beefier computing setup.
Interestingly, Lenovo is pitching the ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro at the professional crowd. With its improved display it will be hoping that creatives choose it over the MacBook Pro, which looks positively dull in comparison (its screen is a mere 2560 x 1600), and with the processing power it is packing it may actually have some chance.
From our brief tests with the device, the ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro is a vast improvement on its predecessor. It's form factor is still as malleable as the original Yoga but it is lighter, more responsive and quite a bit quicker.
The screen is beautiful, the backlit keyboard is certainly welcomed and it also seems to hide better when you fold the Yoga into tablet mode.
When it is in tablet mode, it is still a chunky tablet unfortunately - but we still haven't found any laptop that changes perfectly into a tablet.
The Yoga 2 Pro does have some interesting new extras. We tried out the in-built Yoga Chef, which has a load of recipes for you to try out when the Yoga Pad 2 is in the kitchen. So far so normal, but gesture controls meant we could swipe through the recipe without getting our mucky paws on the screen.
This tech isn't new - the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have similar tech - but it worked well and showed off the versatility of what is essentially a pro device.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2 Pro release date of October, priced at 1299 Euros.
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Leica introduces 'C' compact camera with viewfinder
Leica has introduced a new premium compact camera. The 'C' features a 12 million pixel 1/1.7 inch sensor, along with a range of high-end specifications which appear to be the same as the Panasonic LF1's.
The Leica C is the first camera from the manufacturer to feature integrated Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless transferring of images from the camera to a smartphone or tablet, as well as remote control.
Featuring a Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens, the 7x optical zoom offers an equivalent range of 28-200mm in 35mm format, with maximum apertures of f/2.0-5.9. A ring around the lens can be customised to control different functions.
Viewfinder
An integrated LCD viewfinder is also included, with 200,000 dots. Other interesting features include Full HD video recording, continuous shooting of up to 10fps and a three inch , 921,600 dot rear screen. Full manual control is also included.Adobe Photoshop Lightroom comes included in the package too. The Leica C will be available in two finishes - "light gold" (a combination of gold, ivory and black) and "dark red", a black with burgundy tones. A range of matching accessories, including a case, pouch and wrist strap will also be available to buy separately.
The Leica C price will be £550 / approx US$862 / approx AU$937, with availability starting in mid-September.
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In depth: How much 4G data do you really need?
Now that everybody's rolling out 4G mobile data, it's time to compare data plans - and in particular, how much data you can use each month.
While Three promises all-you-can-eat data when it launches in December, the other operators will cap your downloads according to your data plan, even on the most expensive tariffs.
So which one's best, and how much data do you really need? Let's find out.
Who offers what?
To keep things simple we'll compare each provider's SIM-only 4G plans; if you need a 4G handset too you should of course expect to pay a little bit more.EE's cheapest plan is £21 per month for 500MB, rising to £36 for 5GB and £61 for 20GB if you sign up before the end of October.
Vodafone's cheapest is £26, but you get 2GB. The most expensive plan is £36 per month and gives you 8GB.
O2's cheapest tariff is also £26, but the data allowance is 1GB. £31 gets you 5GB and £36 gets you 8GB if you sign up before the 31st of October.
Three says its tariffs will be the same as 3G, so that should be around £12.90 for unlimited data.
How much data do you need?
This is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string?" question, because the amount of data you use will of course depend on what you do. If all you use your handset (or tethered tablet or computer) for is checking email and browsing the web, you won't go through much data - but once you start streaming and downloading the numbers soon add up.It's important to think about what data you might use rather than just look at the amount of data you use now: for example, you might barely bother with YouTube clips or HQ streaming on your current 3G phone because your connections isn't good enough.
Given a faster, more reliable connection, which is what 4G is all about, then your usage may change dramatically.
Here are some numbers to think about:
Music streaming (average quality, 160Kbps): 1.2MB per minute, 72MB per hour
Music streaming/downloading (320Kbps): 2.4MB per minute, 144MB per hour
iPlayer video: 50MB to 225MB per hour
Netflix video, SD: up to 0.7GB per hour
Netflix video, HD: 1GB to 2.8GB per hour
Photo uploading: 5MB per photo
Online gaming: 5MB per hour
[sources: Spotify, BBC, Netflix, Verizon Wireless]
What does that mean in practical terms?
Let's take a real-world example: you stream an episode of your favourite sitcom on the train (50MB), check Twitter whenever you're waiting for the lift (2MB), upload a photo of your lunch (5MB) and stream a few songs as you jog around the park for twenty minutes (24MB at average quality).That's 81MB in one day. Keep it up every weekday and you'll go through 1,620MB (1.6GB) in a four-week month - and that doesn't include any incoming emails or smartphone app updates.
Maybe you're not so keen on streaming but you're a social media addict. You average five photo uploads per day (5MB each) and spend around fifteen minutes a day clicking on people's Facebook updates and photos (5MB in total). That's 30MB per day, which works out at 840MB if you do it every day in a four week month.
Perhaps you just want to use your 4G phone to tether your laptop, browsing around 30 web pages per day. The average web page is now 1MB, so that's 30MB per day or 900MB per month.
According to Vodafone's figures, which use slightly different numbers to ours, if you don't stream anything but make 12 social media posts, send or receive 12 emails and use 12 websites or apps every day, you'll use 510MB per month. Add 12 minutes of streaming music and 12 of streaming video and you're looking at 2.09GB.
Fancy busting through the 8GB barrier? To do that, Vodafone reckons you'd need to stream 36 minutes of video, 120 minutes of music, make 48 social media posts, send and receive 56 emails and look at websites or apps 30 times per day.
You can minimise those numbers, of course: you might download your music for offline listening, or use Wi-Fi wherever you can (EE, O2 and Vodafone all offer Wi-Fi minutes as well as mobile data). But the numbers give you a good indication of just how much data you might need for everyday activities. As you can see, you don't need to be downloading enormous amounts of data to exceed the cheaper plans' limits.
Are the networks having a laugh?
Left to their own devices, companies will try to offer as little as possible for as much as possible - but once things get competitive, they're usually forced to raise their game or fall by the wayside.There's already evidence of that happening: with rivals' 4G launches imminent, EE decided last month to double the data allowances on its £26 per month tariff and up its £51 per month plan from 5GB to 20GB for anybody signing up before the end of October.
As the various networks roll out beyond the initial handful of locations we'd expect competition to become more fierce - and we can't wait to see what happens if Three keeps its promises and offers 4G connections for 3G money come December.
One thing's for sure: the prices and plans available today will look fairly stingy years or maybe even months down the line.
Is it time to sign up? Let's ask consumer magazine Which? its advice: Consumers should "not upgrade" because coverage "is too limited" to make the cost worthwhile. Phone users should wait until "coverage improves outside big cities."
4G? Nope. 3G, in 2004.
- What's the best 4G network? We pitted EE against O2, Vodafone and Three to find out
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1 comment:
Its very informative post, Thanks for sharing with us,,
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