Photographer Tests iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in Iceland, Demos Focus Pixels, Other Camera Improvements
With every iteration of the iPhone, Apple aims to bring significant improvements to the device’s camera. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are no exception, packing in several new features like Focus Pixels, Exposure Control, Panorama improvements, Slo-Mo video enhancements, and Optical Image Stabilization for the iPhone 6 Plus.
Professional photographer Austin Mann partnered with The Verge to test the cameras in both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus in Iceland and came away with some impressive results.
One of the major new features in the new devices is Focus Pixels, which is the result of a new image signal processor. As described by Apple, Focus Pixels provides the sensor with more information about an image, which results in faster autofocusing.
In a video, Mann demonstrated Focus Pixels, showing much faster autofocusing on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. As seen in the still below, taken from the video, the iPhone 6 Plus is able to refocus on a scene much more quickly after an object placed in front of the camera causes the lens to refocus.
According to Mann, Focus Pixels keeps objects in focus in photographs, but it really shines when capturing video because it vastly speeds up refocusing. Focus Pixels are also highly useful in low-light situations — where previous iPhones might have had trouble focusing in low light, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus work well, even better than some DSLRs.
Combined with optical image stabilization in the iPhone 6 Plus, the results are impressive. A comparison of an image shot with Phone 5s (top) and the iPhone 6 Plus (bottom) in low light is below.
Another improvement made to iOS 8 and thus the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is Exposure Control, which allows for manual control over exposure and thus more control over the way photos turn out. Two shots, one with exposure control (left) and one with no exposure control (right) are shown off below.
Also new to the iPhone 6/6 Plus and iOS 8 is time-lapse video and improved Slo-Mo video. In iOS 7, Slo-Mo allowed users to capture up to 120 frames per second (fps) at 720p, but in iOS 8, that’s been improved to 240fps, allowing for much improved slow motion video capabilities. Both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are also capable of shooting 1080p video at up to 60fps.
While Mann doesn’t spend too much time focusing on comparisons between the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6/6 Plus, he does have a few shots that show much improved picture taking capabilities. Mann also doesn’t make comparisons between the 6 and the 6 Plus, the latter of which has optical image stabilization, but photos taken with the two devices are equally impressive.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pack in new innovations that make the camera experience better and more fun. What I love most about these innovations is they focus on enabling iPhone users to better capture and share life rather than just beefing up tech specs. The Apple team clearly understands their user base very well and incessantly strives to create devices that solve technical challenges and simplify experiences and they’ve done that yet again with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Photographers are really going to enjoy this upgrade… with way better low light, a massive viewfinder and new tools like timelapse that work flawlessly I really couldn’t ask for much more out of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus camera.
Austin Mann’s complete overview of the camera in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is well worth reading, as it contains a multitude of gorgeous images he was able to capture with the devices.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Apple Engineers in ‘War Room’ Tracking Down iOS 8 Issues on Social Media [iOS Blog]
Following the launch of iOS 8 to the public yesterday, Apple employees in Cupertino are working to locate and remedy iOS 8 bugs that are popping up. As described by one Reddit user, the company has a “War Room” at Apple where employees are tracking down issues on social media.
After installing iOS 8 yesterday afternoon, Reddit user Kiggsworthy tweeted about a problem he was having with Family Sharing. Shortly afterwards he was contacted by an Apple employee on Twitter, who requested details about the issue.
According to the employee, Kiggsworthy was experiencing a bug the team had been attempting to track down, but couldn’t reproduce, but his experience was able to help them solve the problem and push a fix to other users.
Turns out it was some subset of iTunes content that was uploaded over 8 years ago in a bad format that Family Sharing wasn’t playing nice with. They now know what bad content to look for and are going about putting re-encoded versions of all this media on their servers so that people will not get this error going forward.
I was telling him how surprised and impressed I was with this service, given how busy a day Apple was having, for them to just see something I tweeted (I don’t even have 300 followers) and follow up with me so quickly. He said that they had a “War Room” at Apple trawling through social media and everything they could find looking for anyone having issues (particularly with Family Sharing) so they could address them ASAP.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg writer Adam Satariano detailed a program that Apple runs for iOS devices, called early field failure analysis (EFFA), which helps the company fix bugs almost as soon as they originate. It appears there’s a similar program in place for iOS 8, with the company aiming to solve issues as quickly as possible.
Apple employees on the early field failure analysis team and those working on iOS 8 will likely be working overtime this weekend as the first iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices with iOS 8 installed will be in the hands of customers tomorrow.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Misfit’s new activity tracker is a cheaper, plastic version of its first
This week, Misfit announced its second wearable activity tracker… or did it? It’s called the Flash, and essentially, it’s a clone of a product the company already makes: the Shine. Both are small tokens capable of recording steps and sleep, as well as figuring out when you’re doing more vigorous activities like cycling, swimming or playing tennis. So, where’s the incentive? Well, that lies in the price, as the Flash costs half as much as the Shine at $50 or £50 — or it will, anyway, when it launches in the US mid-October and in the UK a month later. Catching up with Misfit in London, we had a chance to check out the Flash, which is just that little bit bigger and fatter than the Shine. The front and back are also flat this time ’round, rather than convex, but the main difference is the materials used to make it.
To make the new price point work, anodized aircraft-grade aluminum has given way to a textured, rubbery plastic. In fact, it’s the same material used for the Shine’s sporty wrist mounts, since Misfit already knows it doesn’t cause skin irritation (shoutout to Fitbit). On that note, the included sports band and clip mounts have been redesigned for the Flash. You can only pop the token in from the underneath, and a lip on the front side keeps the thing from escaping in that direction — this was a problem with the Shine that later generations of accessories have begun to address. Misfit also tells us that a simpler design means the battery, which keeps the token running for around six months, should be easier to replace.
Other changes include the central button on the face of the Flash (hidden under the malleable plastic), which illuminates a ring of LEDs to show you how much progress you’ve made towards the next activity goal. On the Shine, you did this by double-tapping the touch-sensitive panel on the front of the token. Barring a few new colors options and lower waterproof rating (up to 30m compared with 50m for the Shine), then, it’s more or less the same product for half the price. Misfit isn’t too worried about cannibalization, however, banking on one group of consumers who’ll prefer the more premium design of the Shine, and another who’ll favor the value proposition the Flash offers. And with its low price point, the hope is the Flash will attract a whole new demographic of users that wouldn’t have bought a Shine anyway.
To coincide with the Flash’s launch, Misfit has also gone about updating its mobile apps. Formerly known as the Shine app, the new Misfit app works with both devices, and you can sync multiple tokens to the same smartphone or tablet. Also, based on user feedback, yoga and dance (Zumba time!) have been added to the list of activities the Shine and Flash are able to track. While the Android version has already been updated with these features, the iOS app isn’t expected to receive them until next week, as soon as the Apple overlords have given it the green light.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Misfit
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Tech giants team up to build friendlier security tools
If there’s one overarching, fundamental truth about the internet, it’s that you’re never as safe as you think you are. Dropbox, Google and the Open Technology Fund get that all too well — that’s why they (along with a slew of security researchers) teamed up to launch a new organization called Simply Secure. The name says it all, really — everyone involved knows there are plenty of effective digital security tools floating around, but not very many of them are designed with friendliness and ease of use in mind. That’s where Simply Secure comes in.
The group (headed by former Google project manager Sara Sinclair Brody) wants to develop its own open-source tools that wrap powerful online security measures in a tasteful, thoughtfully designed veneer that means the less-than-tech-savvy get to be as safe as we nerds without poring through tomes or scrutinizing FAQs. It’s still early days for the project, so it could be a long while before we catch a glimpse of what the team actually cooks up. Still, Google managed to paint a (pretty vague) picture of what Simply Secure might tackle on its Online Security blog, noting that the group will work the developers of projects like Open Whisper Systems and Guardian to make them easier to average folks to grok.
Via: BusinessWire
Source: Simply Secure
.CPlase_panel display:none;
You can now buy Marty McFly’s light-up high-tops for under $100
For some people, the holographic movie posters and hoverboards from Back to the Future II’s Hill Valley are nothing compared to Marty Mc Fly Jr.’s self-lacing Nike Air MAGs. Of course, when the sportswear company released a limited-edition set for Michael J. Fox’s charity, they came without the self-lacing aspect and a prohibitive price tag. Nike may be promising the real deal next year, but in the meantime, Universal Studios has signed a deal with HalloweenCostumes.com to keep us all tied over. The fancy dress website has produced a set of knock-off lookalike Air MAGs with light-up soles that’ll go great with your pink Zboard and DeLorean DMC-12. Fitting with a wrap-around velco strap, the internal battery is charged with a USB cable that’s included within the BTTF II-branded box, and the whole package, priced at $99, is slated to arrive at the end of September.
Via: The Mirror
Source: Halloween Costumes
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Larry Ellison steps aside as Oracle CEO, former HP exec Mark Hurd promoted
Usually the only time we talk about Oracle is in relation to its battle with Google over Java and the use of related APIs in Android, but not today. At the age of 70, co-founder Larry Ellison is stepping down from the post of CEO and moving to a new post as Executive Chairman of the Board and CTO. Taking over the reins of the enterprise software company is the duo of Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. You’ll recall Hurd as the former CEO of HP, who resigned from that company over a sexual harassment investigation and false expense reports, and then became the target of an (eventually resolved) lawsuit when he joined Oracle four years ago. His awkward exit resulted in collateral damage to HP acquisition Palm, and by extension webOS. The trio of Ellison, former CFO Catz and Hurd will share responsibilities going forward, with Ellison stating in the press release that the only difference is “Safra and Mark will now report to the Oracle Board rather than to me.”
[Image credit: NBAE/Getty Images]
Pictured above at a Golden State Warriors game, it doesn’t appear that Larry is going to sink his billions into a team Ballmer-style as Oracle claims he will “keep working full time and focus his energy on product engineering, technology development and strategy.” Of course, with an array of boats, planes, islands and everything else a net worth in the neighborhood of $50 billion gets you, we’re figuring a vacation or two is due.
Source: Oracle
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Verizon Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders start September 19
Verizon on Thursday confirmed its version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will be available for pre-order effective September 19. It’s not clear what day the carrier expects the smartphone to actually go on sale; however, we’re thinking the same (October 17) as the others.
Verizon’s Galaxy Note 4 will be $299.99 with a new two-year service agreement. Big Red also says that Verizon Edge is also available however they stopped short of providing finer details. For a limited time, customers who activate or upgrade to a smartphone with one of the carrier’s MORE Everything plans with 1GB+ monthly data will receive an extra 1GB of data per month for up to 24 months.
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post Verizon Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders start September 19 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Sprint taking Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders September 26
Looking to pre-order your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 through Sprint? You’ll have to wait just a week longer; the carrier on Thursday announced the device will be offered in pre-orders effective September 26. Tapped with a $720 suggested retail price, qualified Easy Pay customers can spread the cost out with $0 down (plus tax) and 24 monthly payments of $30 each. As is the case with the other wireless providers the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will have a retail launch on October 17.
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post Sprint taking Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders September 26 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Verizon could unveil Motorola’s latest Droid in October
After Google had bought Motorola Mobility, one of the aspects of the smartphone world they wanted to focus on was battery life. Their smartphones over the last couple of years have done well, particularly the Droid Maxx series, with battery life lasting over two days with normal usage. As they continue to discover new ways to increase battery life, it seems they want to help battery life by providing fast charging.
CNET reports that people close to Verizon have informed them of a new phone Verizon plans to unveil in October. Like most of the Droid phones this phone will be made by Motorola, and its unique feature will be fast charging. So even if your phone is close to dying, plugging it in for a few minutes will theoretically give you enough juice to last throughout the day.
Phones from Samsung and Oppo have already touted this feature, but Motorola has also introduced this in another phone. Motorola’s newest Moto X was announced to have a similar ability, with 15 minutes of charging giving you enough battery to last for 8 hours. I’m assuming the new Droid will have even more impressive fast-charging capabilities. The @DroidLanding Twitter account tweeted on September 9 “Faster charging is a big deal. That’s why we made it a bigger deal.”
The Droid line has had impressive battery life, this will certainly help things.
What do you think? Would this feature bring you to buy this phone? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
via CNET
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post Verizon could unveil Motorola’s latest Droid in October appeared first on AndroidGuys.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
OnePlus is opening pre-orders for the One for a limited time
For those of you who have been trying to get your hands on a OnePlus One but haven’t been lucky enough to receive an invite, OnePlus’ announcement today should be extremely exciting. OnePlus released a plog post that stated they were going to start a pre-order system for the One. Up until now the One could only be purchased by those who had invites, and those invites were difficult to get. Although many people criticized the invite system, OnePlus says that it was very useful. W
With today’s announcement of pre-orders, the One should be much easier to get, at least for a limited time. Unfortunately, OnePlus says the pre-order system will only exist for a short time, and we do not know how long that period will last. The pre-order system is set to launch in late October, so if you want a OnePlus One, you better be one of the first to hit that “Buy” button.
What do you think of how OnePlus is approaching pre-orders? Tell us in the comments!
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today!
The post OnePlus is opening pre-orders for the One for a limited time appeared first on AndroidGuys.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AIVAnet 