Tag: gadgets

Sony’s Xperia Z5 family includes the world’s first 4K smartphone

To say that Sony’s mobile division has had a tough time lately would be an understatement. As the company puts out half-hearted efforts like the Z3 and Z3+, sales have been dropping steadily. We’re now at the point where Sony is losing more than $1 million per day just keeping the division going. Something has to change. Sony has to take smartphones seriously, and this is its attempt to do just that. Meet the Xperia Z5 family, which includes the world’s first 4K phone display, “next-generation” cameras and some tiny, tiny fingerprint scanners. Slideshow-316694 For what seems like the first time in ages, Sony is announcing a trio of flagship phones at the same time. From big to small, we’ve got the Z5 Premium, the Z5 and the Z5 Compact. The trio share many attributes, but thanks to one spec, the Premium is by far the most interesting. The world’s first 4K phone display I’m totally besotted with the Premium’s display. It’s got a truly ridiculous, world-beating 5.5-inch 4K (3, 840 x 2, 160) panel, with rich colors and deep blacks. We’ll need to spend more time than the few hours we’ve had with the new lineup to give a proper verdict, but right now we can say for sure that it looks great. I’m not sure I want a 4K display in my phone, but I am sure that the allure of an 806-ppi display will be enough to win some over. Sony’s thrown down the gauntlet, and at least in pixel density, the Z5 Premium is the phone to beat. Unfortunately, Sony’s saved all of its new screen tech for the Premium, with the regular Z5 retaining the same 5.2-inch 1080p unit as the Z3 and Z3+, and the Z5 Compact getting a slightly larger — 4.7 inches vs. the Z3 Compact’s 4.6 inches — but still 720p display. Apart from their displays, the devices are almost identical. As far as specs go, though, the displays are pretty much the only things distinguishing the Z5 Premium from the Z5 and Z5 Compact. All three have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor inside, up to 32GB of internal storage (expandable by microSD), high-res audio chips and “up to two-day battery life.” That’s a cute way Sony found to say “you only need to charge this one once a day.” How they eke out that battery life differs of course, with the Premium having a 3, 430mAh battery, the Z5 a 2, 900mAh and the Z5 Compact a 2, 700mAh. The only other differentiator is RAM: The Z5 Premium and Z5 have 3GB; the Z5 Compact only has 2GB. The same, but different The Z5s’ power buttons house fingerprint sensors. If you’ve seen any Sony phone made in the last couple of years, I’m sure you’ve already noticed the Z5 family is a very familiar one. Sony’s “OmniBalance” design theme has been knocking around since the Xperia Z1, and it’s really difficult to get excited about: They’re rectangular slabs with clean line; they’re waterproof; and they’re uncomplicated. That said, this is probably the tightest iteration on that theme. The Z5 Premium and Z5 both feel very polished, with carefully considered color schemes and materials. The Z5 Compact feels sturdier and a little chunkier, but not necessarily in a bad way. The Z5 Premium is available in black, gold or chrome, all with a mirrored glass back, while the Z5 has white, black, gold and a subdued green, with a frosted glass back. Sony’s clearly targeting the younglings with the Compact, especially with some of the bright and “fun” colors. It comes in the usual white and black, but also vibrant yellow and coral (pink) — again with frosted glass at the back. Of course they’re all different sizes too; The Z5 Premium has a 5.5-inch display and is 7.8mm thick; the Z5 has a 5.2-inch display and is 7.3mm thick; while the Compact has a 4.7-inch display and is 8.3mm thick. The Z5 Premium in chrome makes for a very effective mirror. I think the yellow Z5 Compact is probably my favorite of the bunch; the bright color wrapping around the edge of the black display frames the device really well. The green Z5 is also kinda classy looking, and it’s a nice step away from the staid colors we’re used to from flagships. Also, big shout out to the chrome Z5 Premium, which is essentially a mirror with a phone attached to the back. It’s ostentatious; it’s ridiculous; and it’s impossible to keep clean, but I kinda love it. So all these new Xperias are familiar, but changed. The same, but different. Those coming from a previous-generation Z will notice how nicely this latest bunch feels to hold, as well as some neat design additions. There’s now a little “Xperia” wordmark etched into the phones’ metallic sides, and the series’ small circular power button is no more, replaced by an oval-shaped button that somehow squeezes in a tiny fingerprint reader. Taking care of number one All three phones share the same camera setup. Sony’s new sensor is exclusive to Xperias, for now. Sony’s image sensors are everywhere. Of course you’ll find them in the company’s own smartphones, mirrorless and SLT cameras, but they’re also in high-end Nikon and Fujifilm models. Not to mention flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4. Put simply, they’re considered some of the finest in the business, and one of the increasingly few areas that Sony is a market leader in. Not all sensors are created equal, though, and this time, Sony’s keeping the best smartphone sensor for itself. All of the Z5s have a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS 23-megapixel image sensor. It’s brand-new, and Sony says it’ll be exclusive to Xperias, at least for a while. Click image for original 7MB file. Shot by Sony at f/2.0, 1/2500s, ISO 40. This fancy new sensor is backside illuminated and has embedded phase-detection pixels. It’s housed in Sony’s first mobile camera module with a closed-loop actuator, and in front of the sensor is a new six-element 24mm lens with a wide f/2.0 aperture. If you’re unsure what all of this means, I’ll break it down for you: Sony says that, thanks to the phase-detection pixels, the Z5 family can autofocus in as little as 0.03 second, claiming it’s the “world’s fastest autofocus in a smartphone.” All we can say is it’s very quick. The actuator helps with this by swiftly moving the lens to focus, and because it’s closed-loop, it’ll also offer better image stabilization, especially for video. As you’d expect, all three will shoot movies in 4K, although evidently the Z5 Premium is the only one capable of playing footage back natively on the phone itself. Sony says the new sensor is capable of oversampling images (PureView style) for digital zoom “without loss of image quality.” Take that claim with an ocean’s worth of salt, of course, but the zoomed images definitely seemed good enough for a Facebook or Twitter share. Click image for original 3MB file. Shot by Sony at f/2.0, 1/30s, ISO 250. All of this adds up to… well, no one knows yet. What I can say is that Sony’s sensors are the envy of the business; Sony’s “unedited” sample images look fantastic; and, in my brief time with the Z5s, I took some quite pretty images that I’m sadly unable to share with you. But it’s too early to say whether this new camera represents a huge leap forward, or even if it’s at the front of the pack. A fresh start Although it’s not quite stock, Sony has all but removed its Android skin. On the software side, the Z5 family runs Android 5.1.1, and Sony says “stay tuned” about an Android M update. The good news for virtually everyone but the most die-hard of Sony fans, though? The company’s Android skin is no more. Instead, the devices all run a virtually stock Android experience. Sure, there are some differences in iconography, but the general look-and-feel isn’t too far from a Nexus device. That’s a huge step forward from current Xperias, which feel like they’re stuck in the past despite many of them actually being on the latest version of Android. Google won’t officially bake in fingerprint support to its OS until Android M is released this fall. Like other manufacturers, though, Sony already has things up and running. I wasn’t able to test out the functionality myself, but the placement seems very natural, and I watched Sony staff unlocking their devices with various fingers and thumbs at a 100 percent success rate. The big questions A close-up of the Xperia Premium’s etched metal wordmark. I’m pretty impressed with Sony’s new lineup. But there are still three lingering questions that Sony needs to answer. First, there’s the small matter of price. So far, we’ve got this from Sony: “Pricing will reflect the premium quality of the smartphone.” Make of that what you will, but Sony isn’t exactly known for producing budget devices. In the age of the OnePlus 2 and the Moto X Pure, you can get a lot of smartphone for a few hundred dollars. Second is battery life and performance. The chip inside all three, the Snapdragon 810, has had some well-reported issues with overheating, and is not known to be very frugal when it comes to battery life. Couple that chip with a 4K display, and it’s easy to question Sony’s claim of “up to two-day” endurance when it comes to the Premium. The company points to its on-display memory (which effectively switches off the processor when the screen isn’t moving), and other battery-saving tech as proof it can hit that target. Many will remain unconvinced until the phone’s been properly tested. Third, and perhaps most importantly for Sony’s shot at a global success, is availability. The Z5 and Z5 Compact will be “globally” available in October, with the Z5 Premium following in November. But Sony has really struggled to persuade carriers to push its devices. That’s especially true in the US, where sometimes it feels like Sony doesn’t exist. If a 4K display doesn’t pique the US carriers’ attention, nothing will. You could argue that this is Sony’s fault. Several generations of Xperias have come and gone, all of which looked pretty much the same, and none of which blew the competition out of the water. They’ve been solid phones, but plenty of companies make solid phones. Why should carriers put their weight behind Sony when Samsung et al. offer the same basic package? With iPhone season fast approaching, there’s a real chance Sony could be left by the wayside again. At least with the Z5 Premium, Sony has clearly put everything it can into a single device, short of a new design. If the world’s first 4K smartphone doesn’t get the attention of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile, nothing will. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub . Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Sony Comments Tags: 4k, exmor, hands-on, ifa, ifa2015, mobilepostcross, sony, xperia, xperiaz5, z5

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Sony’s Xperia Z5 family includes the world’s first 4K smartphone

Intel Invests In Qnovo’s Battery Boosting Tech

 Qnovo, a Newark, California-based firm that’s been developing battery charging enhancement technology since 2010, is today announcing an $8.6 million Series B funding round, with Intel Capital joining as a strategic investor, alongside existing investors RockPort Capital, US Venture Partners and Blue Run Ventures. Read More

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Intel Invests In Qnovo’s Battery Boosting Tech

Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

For years, Netflix subscribers have asked for the ability to download movies and TV shows offline. The company is yet to introduce such a feature — so Amazon has taken the initiative and added exactly that to its rival streaming service. If you’re signed up to Prime Video, or have an active Amazon Prime account, you can now download and watch titles covered by your monthly subscription. It’s supported in both the iOS and Android app — although the latter will require you to download the app through the Amazon Appstore. The regular Amazon app in Google Play, which also supports Prime Video, doesn’t seem to have the feature just yet. Regardless, offline playback is a massive addition — if you’re a frequent flyer, for instance, you no longer have to break your Transparent binge-session or purchase the full series before takeoff. Now, how long will it be before Netflix offers the same? Filed under: Cellphones , Amazon Comments Via: Amazon Source: Amazon Video (iOS) , (Amazon) Tags: amazon, android, app, download, instantvideo, ios, offlineplayback, primeinstantvideo, streaming

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Amazon beats Netflix to offline movie and TV show streaming

Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

A group of German researchers have created an algorithm that basically amounts to the most amazing Instagram filter ever conceived: a convolutional neural network that can convert any photograph into a work of fine art. The process takes an hour (sorry, it’s not actually coming to a smartphone near you), and the math behind it is horrendously complicated, but the results speak for themselves. The algorithm leverages how complex neural networks process object recognition to help it rebuild photographs in the style of specific artists. On a very basic level, the network treats the art style of a source image as a “texture, ” and filters the target image through several layers of computational units to create a representation of it that agrees with the features of the original art. It’s a pretty neat trick, but not the actual point of the group’s research — the art project is simply an example that shows that convolutional neural networks are now capable of separating the content and style of an image. That said, researchers admit that content and style have to be careful balanced if the output image is to make any sense — too much focus on style, and the output image won’t look anything like the original photograph. The group plans to publish an additional paper on the algorithm in Nature later this year — but you can read the original report at the source link below. Filed under: Science Comments Via: Washington Post Source: Corell University Tags: art, imagerecognition, NeuralNetwork, picasso, vangogh

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Algorithm turns any picture into the work of a famous artist

Colombia is conducting widescale illegal surveillance

Want to know why it’s important to have checks on mass surveillance programs? Colombia should serve as a good example. Privacy International reports that the country not only collects bulk internet and phone data on a grand scale, but violates the law in the process — it’s supposed to require judicial approval for any surveillance, but regularly ignores that oversight. Colombian agencies have also relied on controversial tools like IMSI catchers (which scoop up nearby cellphone data) and Hacking Team’s spyware, and they’ve sought to expand their powers rather than rein things in. It’s no secret that Colombia has a history of surveillance, fueled in no small part by its decades-long battles with rebels and drug cartels. And unfortunately, the pressure to keep an eye on communications isn’t likely to drop anytime soon. A Venezuelan immigrant crackdown has forced many Colombia-born residents back to their homeland, increasing tensions between the two countries. It may take a long while before the political climate is truly conducive to surveillance reform. [Image credit: AP Photo/Fernando Vergara] Filed under: Cellphones , Wireless , Internet Comments Via: The Verge Source: Privacy International Tags: colombia, hackingteam, imsicatcher, internet, privacy, security, spying, spyware, surveillance

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Colombia is conducting widescale illegal surveillance

Newer Android Wear Watches Now Work On iOS

 More than a year after the launch of the first Android Wear watches, Google is now finally bringing iOS support to its smartwatch platform with the launch of its Android Wear mobile app in Apple’s App Store today. This probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise, given that Huawei spoiled this launch by announcing iOS support for its upcoming Android Wear watch last week, … Read More

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Newer Android Wear Watches Now Work On iOS

LAPD’s body cameras roll out Monday, but footage won’t be public

Come Monday the Los Angeles Police Department begins its deployment of body cameras for officers. The initial rollout is limited — only 860 of the proposed 7, 000 cameras will hit the streets at first — and the SWAT team won’t get them until sometime after mid-September, according to The Los Angeles Times . The LAPD “doesn’t plan on” making the recordings public unless a criminal or civil court case attached to them, though. The American Civil Liberties Union says that this blanket refusal to make all captured video public means that police departments can cherrypick what footage they do choose to distribute and essentially use it as PR for good deeds while keeping less-than-applause-worthy footage out of the limelight. Of course, one way around that would be setting up a YouTube channel like Seattle did , but that brings about its own set of critics. [Image credit: Associated Press] Filed under: Cameras Comments Source: The Los Angeles Times , American Civil Liberties Union Tags: aclu, bodycameras, cameras, cops, lapd, latimes, LawEnforcement, losangeles, police, rollout

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LAPD’s body cameras roll out Monday, but footage won’t be public

Researchers make a living circuit out of bacteria

Under the right circumstances, bacteria can be quite cooperative — both with each other and the organism they’re living in . A research team at Rice University has managed to exploit that natural congeniality to, for the first time, create a biological circuit that works much like a conventional computer chip. But the goal of the researchers’ work isn’t to build better biocomputers , it’s to help them more fully understand how these organisms interact within our guts. “They naturally form a large consortium, ” Rice synthetic biologist Matthew Bennett said in a statement. “One thought is that when we engineer bacteria to be placed into guts, they should also be part of a consortium. Working together allows them to effect more change than if they worked in isolation.” To that end, the team’s proof-of-concept model employs two species of genetically engineered bacteria (both variants of the common E. Coli ) that that regulate each other’s production of a specific protein via intercellular signaling pathways. Rice University’s cooperative bacterial colonies – Image Credit: Rice University Specifically, one population, the “activators”, was tasked with increasing the expression of one set of genes while the others, the “repressors, ” acted to down-regulate other genes. Taken together, the circuit generated rhythmic gene transcription oscillations across the entire population. This coordination allows each species to produce the proteins more efficiently than if they did so individually. In turn, that could lead to greater bacterial biofuel production yields. “The main push in synthetic biology has been to engineer single cells, ” Bennett said. “But now we’re moving toward multicellular systems. We want cells to coordinate their behaviors in order to elicit a populational response, just the way our bodies do.” Eventually, these systems could even help us regulate our own internal chemistries. “One idea is to create a yogurt using engineered bacteria, ” Bennett continued. “The patient eats it and the physician controls the bacteria through the patient’s diet. Certain combinations of molecules in your food can turn systems within the synthetic bacteria on and off, and then these systems can communicate with each other to effect change within your gut.” The team recently published their findings in the journal Science . [Image Credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Science Comments Source: Rice University , Science Tags: bacteria, biology, bionics, E. Coli, livingcircuit, riceuniversity

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Researchers make a living circuit out of bacteria

Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus event takes off on September 9th

It’s that time of year again. Apple’s next iPhone event will take place on September 9th at 10AM PT, live at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. This is expected to be the unveiling of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which are reported to have animated wallpapers , 4K video capabilities, upgraded 12-megapixel cameras and front-facing flash, among other new features. We may even see something about force-touch iPhones . The event invite is light on details, as usual, but features the tease, “Hey Siri, give us a hint.” Well, Siri? We’re waiting. Filed under: Cellphones , Handhelds , Peripherals , Apple Comments Tags: apple, iphone6s, iPhone6SPlus

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Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus event takes off on September 9th

Watch this self-healing material handle a bullet

NASA-funded research has created a material that could self-heal in seconds. Two layers of solid polymer sandwich a gel that with an ingredient that solidifies on contact with air (i.e. when one or both of the outer layers is damaged). This differs from other approaches that rely on a mostly-liquid compound , or similar, slower techniques . The protective applications in space craft (like the ISS) are obvious, and could add a vital line of defense against dangerous debris. The ISS already has shields to protect it, but reactive armour in the event of damage would be even more reassuring. Back down here on earth, the same material could be used in cars, pips, containers and even phones ( beyond scratches ). Watch the material get shot and self-heal in the video below. Filed under: Misc , Science Comments Via: Fortune Source: ACS Tags: material, nasa, polymer, self-healing, selfhealing, selfhealingmaterial, space

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Watch this self-healing material handle a bullet