Fujifilm X30 has a futuristic viewfinder to go with its vintage looks
Fujifilm was one of the first companies to turn compact cameras from “dying category” into “retro-tinged lust object,” and its latest model, the X30, is no exception. The redesigned magnesium body still looks sharp, but Fujifilm has added an OLED XGA (2.36 million dots) viewfinder with a blistering 0.005-second lag in place of the last model’s optical version. It also has a bigger, higher-res 920K-dot tiltable screen, longer battery life and WiFi connectivity — which finally brings features like remote smartphone snapping. Core features remain the same, namely the 2/3-inch, 12-megapixel X-Trans II sensor; EXR Processor II; and the 28-112mm-equivalent, f/2.0-2.8 zoom lens. It also has the last model’s $600 price tag, which may give some enthusiasts pause — especially since Sony’s stunning, $800 RX100 III is only a short rung up the price ladder.
Filed under: Cameras
Source: Fujifilm
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Verizon Preparing to Launch Voice Over LTE Network in September
Verizon today announced that it is preparing to launch its voice over LTE (VoLTE) service sometime in September, reports CNET. The new service will be available nationwide on supported phones that are connected to the carrier’s LTE network.
VoLTE will provide high-definition quality voice and video calls that will significantly improve the overall calling experience. Not only will customers notice an enhancement in voice call quality, they also will be able to initiate a FaceTime-like video call right from the dialer app.
Once you experience the HD quality voice, you don’t want to go back,” Greg Dial, executive director of mobile services for Verizon, said in a pre-briefing and demonstration of the new service with reporters. “The tight integration of the video calling feature is also significant. You can launch it right from the dialer. There’s no opening a separate app.”
These new HD VoLTE calls will be considered voice calls and will count against a customer’s available minutes. Video calls will be counted as data and will subtract from the customer’s data allotment. There will be no extra charges for using this service, and it will be optional for customers.
Verizon has not specified which phones will be updated to support its new calling service, but the iPhone may be included on this list. The current generation iPhone chipset supports this feature, and it can be enabled with a software update. Rumors have suggested that Apple has plans to support VoLTE with the launch of iOS 8 and the iPhone 6. Along with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have announced plans to add VoLTE to their networks in the near future.
iOS 8 will also bring a WiFi calling feature, allowing customers to place higher-quality voice calls over WiFi instead of using a cellular network. T-Mobile is the first carrier to <a href="confirm that it will support Apple’s WiFi calling feature when it launches this fall along with iOS 8.
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Instagram Launches Time Lapse ‘Hyperlapse’ Video App [iOS Blog]
Instagram today launched a new standalone video app called Hyperlapse, which is designed to allow users to capture high-quality time lapse videos enhanced with built-in stabilization features. According to the app’s description, the image stabilization allows users to create “polished” time lapse videos that would normally only be possible with the use of a tripod.
In an interview with Wired, Instagram reveals that its image stabilization feature uses the iPhone’s gyroscope to measure the camera’s movement, which allows video to be stabilized with a simple algorithm.
Hyperlapse mimics the time lapse feature introduced with iOS 8, but it includes customization features not found in Apple’s own time lapse capabilities. Along with image stabilization, the app also lets users choose a playback speed, from 1X to 12X, and it can capture short bursts of video or shoot all day long.
When you shoot a time lapse video with Hyperlapse, your footage will be instantly stabilized to smooth out the bumps from the road and give it a cinematic feeling. Capture an entire sunrise in 10 seconds–even from the back of a moving motorcycle. Walk through the crowds at an all-day music festival, then distill it into a 30 second spot. Capture your bumpy trail run and share your 5k in 5 seconds.
Though created by Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, Hyperlapse does not require an account to log in and it features a simple interface with one-tap video capturing capabilities. It also includes sharing tools to let users share time lapse videos to both Instagram and Facebook, but videos can also be saved to the camera roll.
Hyperlapse can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Beats Music Launches Promotional iTunes Festival Contest
In an attempt to garner new users from parent company Apple, Beats Music has launched a contest to coincide with the upcoming London iTunes Festival. Beats Music’s #GoWithMe contest is offering 25 Beats Music users in the United States a chance to win two tickets to see one of several musical acts during the festival, with the prize package including airfare to London and hotel accommodation.
Users do not need to pay for Beats Music to enter the contest, but a Beats Music account is required. After signing up for an account, Beats listeners can enter to win tickets to one of five performances by navigating to the artist’s page on the Beats Music site: Kiesza, Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams + Jungle, Maroon 5 + Matthew Koma, and Ed Sheeran + Foy Vance.
Tickets to the London iTunes Festival traditionally are available for free, but are distributed through iTunes via a lottery system due to extremely high demand. Beats Music will announce the winners of the contest on August 28.
Announced last month, Apple’s London iTunes Festival will begin on September 1 and run for 30 nights, with a different musical act performing each night. Announced performers include deadmau5, Pharrell Williams, Maroon 5, Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige, and more. While most performances have been revealed over the last couple of weeks, two performers remain unknown.
Apple has been heavily promoting Beats Music in recent weeks, adding Beats Music to the list of “Apps Made by Apple,” encouraging new iOS users to download the app, and sending out emails about Beats Music. The promotions have been somewhat successful, temporarily skyrocketing the Beats Music app to the top 10 free apps chart in the App Store. Beats Music wasn’t able to retain its position on the charts, however, and has dropped back down to number 30.
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Engadget giveaway: win a Nubia 5S mini LTE smartphone courtesy of ZTE!
There’s something liberating about being off-contract, but affordable and powerful unlocked options have been few and far between. ZTE’s looking to add a new one to the list though, with the US launch of its Nubia 5S mini LTE. To celebrate the release, the company has given us two of these slim smartphones for a couple of lucky Engadget readers to enjoy. This device rocks a 4.7-inch 720p display, a 13-megapixel shooter, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and there’s an array of photo editing features baked in. ZTE even has an $80 repair deal for any damage to the phone in the first 18 months after your purchase. There are no contracts to worry about and you’ll get the speed of 4G/LTE (on GSM carriers). So head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these sleek new Nubia 5S mini LTE smartphones.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. Two (2) winners will each receive one (1) ZTE Nubia 5S mini LTE smartphone (NX405H, 16GB, unlocked) and one (1) Nubia Monkeygrip tripod.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. ZTE and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until August 27th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements
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Uber uses its fleet to deliver food with new ‘UberFresh’ service
Like Uber but instead of needing to go somewhere, you want to eat lunch? UberFresh is perfect for you. Oh wait, do you also live in Santa Monica, CA? Because then it’s actually perfect for you. The service starts today, and, as advertised, you’ll swipe to the “UberFresh” section of your Uber app and a driver will bring you lunch. No, you don’t get in the car and go somewhere; think of it like app-based food delivery. For the service’s initial launch, your lunch options are limited to a single item per day (there’s a menu on Uber’s site right here). Admittedly, the options for the first week look pretty delicious, and the Yelp rankings for each restaurant back up Uber’s choices as at least somewhat legit.
There’s no update to download; you just have to live in Santa Monica and open up Uber. Head below the break for full instructions, care of Uber.
HOW TO ORDER:
1. Toggle to the uberFRESH option on the far right of the slider between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm from August 26th – September 5th. (Closed on weekends and Labor Day)
2. Set your delivery location within the Santa Monica coverage area and request away
3. Upon arrival, meet your driver outside to grab your delicious lunch
This is hardly Uber’s first foray into food. The company annually sponsors an ice cream truck day, wherein ice cream trucks are dispatched to a wide variety of locales (144 cities this year), on-demand. Today’s addition of UberFresh is far more substantial, with a handful of restaurant collaborations and a test market in Santa Monica. Uber repeatedly calls it a test, and even has a definitive start and stop time for its run (“from Tuesday August 26th until Friday September 5th with the possibility of an extension; closed weekends and on Labor Day”).
The aim isn’t just to move into food delivery, but to “disrupt” yet another industry; the legal battles Uber faces in “ridesharing” are likely less of a concern when it comes to food. As Uber puts it, this is UberFresh’s raison d’être:
“Typical food delivery takes 45 minutes – 1 hour. uberFRESH delivers you healthy, fresh food in about 10 minutes. Rather than standing in long restaurant lines, trying to find parking at your favorite restaurant, or dealing with unpredictable delivery times, uberFRESH brings you a great lunch on-demand with none of the hassle.”
The only rub is that drivers currently will not bring the food inside; it’s all “curbside” delivery. Here’s hoping there’s not a lot of rain in Santa Monica’s near future. For that tradeoff, though, there’s the standard no tipping policy and ease of use that comes with Uber. It’s an interesting experiment for sure, and one that’ll need to grow tremendously before reaching larger markets.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablets, Transportation, Internet, Software
Source: Uber
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Canadian cable giants launch a Netflix rival
The service will initially work on mobile devices, the web, Xbox 360 consoles and cable set-top boxes when its public beta test launches in the first week of November. Naturally (if unfortunately), Rogers and Shaw customers will have first crack. The pricing is definitely competitive at $9 Canadian per month, although you may not want to chuck any existing subscriptions just yet. While Shomi will have 340 TV series and a strong dose of Canadian content (30 percent), it has just 1,200 “cult-classic and fan-favourite” movies — if you want to watch a recent blockbuster, you’re probably better off sticking with Netflix for now.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Shomi, Canada Newswire
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Back to School 2014: The 10 best tablets
By design, tablets are less about work and more about play — though you’ll find some notable exceptions in our roundup of top slates for the back-to-school season. Among them are Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, which features a keyboard case that makes typing on the go bearable, and the ASUS Transformer Book, which also gives you hardware keys via a bundled dock. Of course, there are still plenty of slates made for enjoying your downtime. Click through the gallery below to see them all, and don’t forget to check out the rest of our guide!
Filed under: Apple, Sony, Microsoft, Nokia, ASUS, Google, Amazon, Acer
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BitTorrent Sync lets you share folders on your PC using web links
Yes, cloud services like Dropbox make it easy to share folders through public directories and links, but you still have to put those folders in the cloud in the first place. Wouldn’t you rather share them straight from your PC? BitTorrent hopes to make things that direct with its big Sync 1.4 update. Now, you can share folders with others just by giving them web links; you don’t have to wait for the files to reach a remote server, or rely on Sync’s slightly more obtuse Key system. You don’t have to sign up for an account, either, and you can still limit access to prevent others from messing with precious documents. About the only headache is that your recipient needs Sync, although BitTorrent promises that it will walk first-timers through the process.
The 1.4 release is also an excuse for BitTorrent to give Sync a much-needed interface makeover. While a lot of the basic concepts remain intact, the new front end is both prettier and easier to understand on Macs and Windows PCs — arguably very important when people are more likely to be trying Sync for the first time. You can grab the desktop upgrade (which includes Linux) right now, and matching updates for both Android and iOS should be ready later today.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile
Source: BitTorrent Blog
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Supersonic subs cross the Pacific in under two hours
The distance between Shanghai and San Francisco is around 6,135 miles (9.873 km), and a team of scientists aims to make that trip possible in 100 minutes. Researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology’s Complex Flow and Heat Transfer Lab have developed new tech that allows submarines to traveling a crazy high speeds beneath the water’s surface. The solution? Create an air “bubble” of sorts that leverages supercavitation, a technology applied to torpedoes, to reduce drag cause by water while in route. Theoretically, this means that the underwater vehicles could reach the speed of sound (around 5,800km/h or 3,694 MPH while submerged), reducing the travel time between the aforementioned cities to under two hours.
As you might expect, several issues face the implementation of the tech — like the fact that the sub would have to be launched at a high rate of speed to maintain the requisite air bubble. Traditional steering methods (read: rudders) won’t work inside the air pocket either, as they won’t have water to push back on. However, to combat the two conundrums, researchers say allowing a vessel to constantly “shower” a liquid membrane on its surface will reduce drag until it gets up to speed. From there, the same membrane creates the supercavitation and controlling the friction on it would aid navigation. Even with those issues under control, a rocket engine with a range that would enable such long trips still needs to be developed. So for now, you’ll have to stick to spending several hours flying the friendly skies.
[Photo credit: Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Inhabitat
Source: South China Morning Poster
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AIVAnet 