Ultrakam lets your iPhone capture higher resolution film-like video clips
While Sony and Samsung are busy making phones with 4K recording capabilities, one developer has worked its pixel magic to get more from iPhone cameras. Ultrakam is the first iOS app capable of recording “2K” resolution with a film-like 24p frame rate, letting iPhone 5s owners shoot 2240 x 1672 pixel video (around 75 percent more pixels than regular HD) to output higher-quality footage than the default camera app. There’s support for the iPhone 5 and 5c, as well as the the iPad mini, iPad Air and iPad with Retina display, but the app is limited to high-definition and “2K” at 20fps on “older” devices.
Including an array of settings and various shooting modes that allow you to record higher bit-rate video and audio, with a minute of footage consuming up to 3GB of storage on max settings (expect that 64GB iPhone 5s to fill up fast), Ultrakam is primarily aimed at filmmakers. However, there’s plenty of neat features for regular users to show off their talent. It offers slow motion video, but again the iPhone 5s has all the fun, as it supports slow motion capture at 120fps over the iPhone 5′s 60fps. You can slow down your recordings by up to 10x if you choose the lowest preset. The app also supports timelapse shooting, offering custom configurations that will snap high resolution photos at set intervals, combining them to output a high-quality landscape. Once you’ve shot your footage, Ultrakam’s built-in player and editing tools let you play video, generate stills, color correct and share them with ease. Ultrakam is available on the App Store for $6.99 — a little more costly than your regular camera app, but the extra quality and advanced features may justify the price.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: The Next Web
Source: Ultrakam, (App Store)
Intel’s SD card-sized computer may not be so tiny after all
Back at CES, Intel made a big deal of the fact that it could squeeze a Linux-based PC with Bluetooth and WiFi into the size and shape of an SD card. However, with just a few months to go before the launch of these miniscule Edison development boards, it looks like the chip-maker has changed tack. Instead of being based on the Quark SoC, which was specifically designed for wearables and the Internet of Things, the first Edison products will actually rely on a more traditional Atom chip — in other words, the same sort used many current Windows tablets and hybrids. An Edison PC based on Atom should deliver more grunt and connectivity options compared to Quark, and for less money, but it’d be too chubby to ever get accidentally jammed in an SD slot. That’s why Intel has been forced to admit that, while it continues to work on Quark, the Edison devices coming this summer will be “slightly larger” than was first claimed.
Filed under: Intel
Via: Bit-tech
Source: Intel
Round 2 of the Samsung vs Apple patent trial: Samsung’s objection gets denied before trial even Starts
Round 2 of the Samsung vs Apple patent trial will begin tomorrow with Apple claiming that the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 both infringe on 5 of Apple’s patents each. While Samsung was forced to pay Apple $929.8 million the last time the two smartphone giants met in court, Apple is once again hoping to achieve an injunction on these devices to stop their sale in America.
The trial is to be presided over again by Judge Lucy Koh and is likely to run several months with Samsung expected to call on Google executives to help plead their case. It hasn’t exactly gone smoothly for Samsung, despite the trial having not even started yet: Samsung has objected to the use of a video designed to inform the jury about patent law because it features Apple products in it and says it would be “highly prejudicial”. Judge Koh has already overruled Samsung’s objection and the jury (which hasn’t yet been selected) will be shown the 17 minute video during the trial. Hopefully this isn’t an omen for Samsung’s fortunes…
What do you think about this ongoing feud between Samsung and Apple? Do you think it’s healthy for these two giants to go head to head when they appear to hardly do any damage to each other? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: San Jose Mercury News, Apple Insider via Phone Arena (1), (2)
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Olympus Stylus Tough TG-3 ships with WiFi and f/2 lens for $350, dead fish sold separately
We question Olympus‘ decision to photograph its latest ruggedized cam next to a dead fish, then send that image out to reporters. But puzzling marketing practices aside, this is one impressive point-and-shoot. The Stylus TG-3 hails from the company’s Tough line, which means it’s waterproof (to 50 feet), freeze-proof (to 14°F), shockproof (from seven-foot drops) and crushproof (to 220 pounds). Unlike many other ruggedized cams, however, the TG-3 is equally impressive when it comes to traditional capabilities. There’s a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an f/2-4.9, 25-100mm optical zoom lens, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, 1080p video, GPS and WiFi. A new microscope mode lets you snap macro shots just 10mm from your subject and a ring light accessory (perhaps our favorite feature) mounts atop the camera’s built-in LED to provide even light with small subjects positioned just in front of the lens. The TG-3′s expected to ship this June for $350 in black and red.
Filed under: Cameras
Olympus brings five-axis image stabilization to the point-and-shoot with $400 Stylus SH-1
Olympus introduced its five-axis image stabilization in 2012 with the OM-D E-M5. That $1,000 camera was mighty powerful for its day, but the new IS tech was perhaps its most impressive feature, enabling sharp stills and steady handheld video. It’s very exciting, then, that Olympus is bringing that same stabilization to its point-and-shoot line with the Stylus SH-1. This compact cam has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve, too. Take the f/3-6.9, 25-600mm 24x optical zoom lens, for example, or the 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and TruePic VII processor (the same found in the OM-D series). There’s also a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, 1080/60p video, an 11fps burst mode and integrated WiFi. The SH-1 is expected in stores this May in black, white and silver. It’ll retail for $400, which, considering the optics and the five-axis image stabilization on board, is a pretty solid deal.
Filed under: Cameras
Weekends with Engadget: the future of Oculus Rift, new HTC One review and more!
Welcome to Weekends with Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines from the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. For even more news, subscribe to our Flipboard magazine!
Can Oculus survive the Facebook effect?
Earlier this week, the internet responded to Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR with a swift fury. But it’s not all bad news. Our own Marc Perton points out, the deal doesn’t change the essence of the Oculus Rift, or its potential for non-gaming applications.
HTC One review (2014): a great phone, but no longer a game-changer
HTC’s new One is official, and it’s quite the looker. With a sleek unibody chassis reminiscent of last year’s model, the new One packs a larger 5-inch screen, and a brand new version of its Sense UI. What’s more, the handset is one sale in the US today, starting at $199 for the 16GB version.
iTunes Radio now streams the news, thanks to NPR
Last week, NPR announced that it joined iTunes Radio as the music streaming service’s first news channel. It may be the exclusive station for iDevice users at the moment, but we expect that won’t last for long.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review (2014): new, but not necessarily improved
The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon brings everything Lenovo fans loved about the original X1 Carbon, just in a lighter, slimmer package. Some users, however, may not enjoy its new “adaptive panel,” which replaces the traditional Fn keys. You can pick one up for $1,259, but be warned: the X1 Carbon has the shortest battery life in its class.
Turkish government bans YouTube following attempt to remove corruption videos
The Turkish government has struck again, this time banning YouTube in what appears to be an attempt to remove videos that contain evidence of political corruption. At this point, the restriction is active on several ISPs and continues to roll out.
San Francisco Giants (and most of MLB) adopt Apple’s iBeacon for an enhanced ballpark experience
The iBeacon is a small Apple device that boosts iPhone location services through Bluetooth — and the San Francisco Giants are outfitting their entire stadium with the tech. For the Giants, as well as 19 other MLB teams following suit, the iBeacon is yet another way to bring mobile interaction with fans to the next level.
Facebook: A visual history
Mark Zuckerberg’s social network turned 10 this year, so we took a look back at its design changes over the course of the decade. From profile redesigns to quarterly News Feed tweaks and open betas, constantly adapting aesthetics to catering to user habits has been a driving force for Facebook for quite some time.
Office for iPad review: three beautiful apps, each with strong competition
After quite a few leaks, Microsoft officially outed its Office for iPad offering. Those curious to try it out will need an Office 365 subscription in order to opt in and OneDrive for cloud accessibility, making it an optimal choice for those already invested in Redmond’s wares. Click through for all of the details in our full review.
This is what Facebook could look like on Oculus Rift (video)
As you’re probably aware, Facebook dropped $2 billion on Oculus VR with the intent to bring “completely new kinds of experiences” to us all. And while that leaves much to the imagination, Chaotic Moon studios has an idea of what that could look like.
NSA spied on Huawei founder’s emails to implicate him as a Communist Party insider
The New York Times managed to get a glimpse of documents suggesting that the NSA was hacking into the email account of Huawei founder, Ren Zhengfei. Apparently the government has been creating “back doors” in the company’s systems since 2009.
Subscribe to Weekends with Engadget on Flipboard today!
Filed under: Misc
How would you change the Nexus 10?
It’s a 10.1-inch tablet with a 2,560 x 1,600 display, and that’s all we need to know. Google’s Nexus 10 may have been the Galaxy Tab that everyone wanted, but what did our reviewer think of it? Sadly, strapping a laptop-class display onto a tablet doomed the device’s battery life, making it last around three hours less than its closest rivals. Did that deter you from buying one? We doubt it, so why not share your feelings about this product over on our forum?
Filed under: Tablets, Samsung, Google
Source: Engadget Product Forums
Partial Android 4.4.3 changelog revealed, will bring in countless Fixes
Over the last few weeks, the evidence for Android 4.4.3′s inevitable release has been building, and the latest information to support these theories includes a screenshot of a Nexus 5‘s device details featuring the new software build and a partial Android 4.4.3 changelog.
Apart from the Nexus 5 camera bug fix that was suggested before, the changelog appears to detail a whole number of fixes that will make some users very happy; see below for the partial changelog:
- frequent data connection dropout fix
- mm-qcamera-daemon crash and optimization fixes
- camera focus in regular and HDR modes fixes
- Power Manager display wakelock fix
- multiple Bluetooth fixes
- fix for a random reboot
- app shortcuts sometimes got removed from launcher after update
- USB debugging security fix
- app shortcuts security fix
- Wi-Fi auto-connect fix
- other camera fixes
- MMS, Email/Exchange, Calendar, People/Dialer/Contacts, DSP, IPv6, VPN fixes
- stuck in activation screen fix
- missed call LED fix
- subtitle fixes
- data usage graph fix
- Internet telephony fix
- FCC compliance fix
- miscellaneous fixes
I’m surprised not to see any fixes for the dropped call issues that have been seen on the Moto G with Android 4.4.2, but this is only a partial list and the official changelog will no doubt have plenty more to offer. There’s still no word on when this software update will go live to the public, but with the suggestion that it will be releasing in Q1 2014, we should be seeing more news about it very soon.
When do you think Android 4.4.3 will be released? Are you suffering from some of the issues that have a fix incoming? Let us know your story in the comments.
Source: Android Police via TalkAndroid
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The UK is finally making it legal to rip a CD on June 1st
After a lengthy two-year legislative process, the UK is nearly ready to drag its copyright law into the digital era. The country’s Intellectual Property Office has published the final version of copyright exceptions that make it legal to rip CDs and otherwise shift formats. As of June 1st, Brits can copy media as much as they like for personal use. Institutions can also make duplicates for backups or research, and the Secretary of State can tell copyright holders to make content accessible if paying for an alternative format isn’t practical. Out-and-out piracy is still forbidden, of course, but the new measures should let locals modernize their media collections without feeling a twinge of guilt.
[Image credit: Jonathon Colman, Flickr]
Filed under: Storage, Internet
Via: Wired.co.uk
Source: Gov.uk, Intellectual Property Office
Facebook scrapped last year’s redesign because your screen is too small
When Facebook scrapped the picture-heavy News Feed redesign from last spring in favor of a more conservative look, it briefly touched on screen size as a factor. As it turns out, displays played a more important role in the reversal than you might think. The company’s Julie Zhuo explains that the hyper-visual layout fell apart on netbooks and other small-screened PCs — you might only see one post at a time, and scrolling was a pain without the right mouse or trackpad. While the early 2013 feed would have boosted Facebook’s revenue, it wasn’t going to fly when the social network has to please hundreds of millions of users that seldom have access to big displays.
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Julie Zhuo (Medium)
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