Intel unveils smaller 3D depth camera for smartphones
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, speaking at IDF in Shenzhen today, announced a new, smaller, thinner model of its RealSense camera technology, which is designed for use in smartphones
If you’re unfamiliar with RealSense, it is essentially a 3D depth sensing camera. The technology can be used to add depth information to photos, allowing for refocusing at a later date, and to control devices with various gesture controls, such as moving a hand or even winking.
Previous versions of the technology have already shipped in a number of PCs and tablets. Intel has also put the technology to work as a distance sensor in flying drones, face detection for video calls, Kinect-esque gaming experiences, motion tracking for virtual reality, and even for 3D scanning objects.
The new camera module is now slim enough to fit inside a 6-inch smartphone and has a lower thermal output than previous models, making it practical for smaller form factors. The new model also claims to have a longer range detection than before.
Intel also announced a partnership with Chinese online retailer JD and demonstrated how a tablet equipped with RealSense could be used to quickly measure box sizes and calculate the space needed for storage. A Windows 10 tablet using RealSense was also demoed, which used the camera to log in using face recognition.
Intel did not announce any specifications or a release date for its new RealSense camera, but it could end up in devices later in the year.
Oh dear: Camera specialist Nikon has launched a selfie stick
Selfies just got real. The whole selfie stick craze has been on a rampage for quite some time now and has apparently gained so much attention that even camera specialist companies are getting in on it. One of the top camera companies Nikon has launched a selfie stick called the N-MP001, and is designed to work […]
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GPe versions of HTC One M7 and M8 set to receive Android 5.1 update via OTA shortly
While there’s some uncertainty about whether the HTC One M7 will receive an update to Android 5.1, its Google Play Edition sibling will definitely receive the update along with the M8 GPE variant. This is according to Mo Versi, the VP of Product management at HTC.
Approval for both M8 & M7 GPE versions have been granted by Google for 5.1 OS. OTA out shortly!
— Mo Versi (@moversi) April 8, 2015
As you can see from Mo Versi’s tweet, Google has approved the Android 5.1 Lollipop update for the GPe versions of the M7 and M8 handsets, and there’s a promise that the OTA (Over-The-Air) update will be out shortly.
Source: Mo Versi
Come comment on this article: GPe versions of HTC One M7 and M8 set to receive Android 5.1 update via OTA shortly
iCloud Photo Library and security: What you need to know!
iCloud Photo Library promises to make pictures and video a core part of Apple’s iOS and OS X, but how does it keep them safe and secure?
Our photos can be as personal and private as our messages, as our financial information, as our identities. iCloud Photo Library wants to make sure all our pictures and videos are backed up online and available on all our devices. To do that, it moves the bits that makes up those pictures and videos from our iPhones, iPads, and Macs, up to servers on the internet, and then back down to our other iPhones, iPads, and Macs. That means both the transport and the storage needs to be secure so that our content is only ever available to us and us alone.
End-to-end Encryption
Apple’s support documentation explains that iCloud photos are protected during both transit and while in storage by a “minimum of 128-bit AES encryption”.
Apple’s iOS security paper further describes iCloud file security, including photo security, as follows:
The [iCloud] service is agnostic about what is being stored and handles all file content the same way, as a collection of bytes.
Each file is broken into chunks and encrypted by iCloud using AES-128 and a key derived from each chunk’s contents that utilizes SHA-256. The keys, and the file’s metadata, are stored by Apple in the user’s iCloud account. The encrypted chunks of the file are stored, without any user-identifying information, using third-party storage services, such as Amazon S3 and Windows Azure.
AES and SHA are industry standards for securely encrypting and hashing data. In other words, they’re good ways to protect our pictures while uploading, storing, and downloading them.
Personal privacy
Apple also makes it easy to delete pictures and videos from iCloud Photo Library. You can do so online via iCloud.com, using the Photos app on your iPhone and iPad, and — when it ships this spring — using Photos for OS X on the Mac. Any picture or video you delete will remain in a Recently Deleted folder for 30 days, in case you want to recover it. After that period of time, it will be scheduled for deletion. On iOS and OS X, you can even remove pictures and videos from the Recently Deleted folder, making sure they’re eradicated immediately.
The bottom line
iCloud Photo Library uses end-to-end AES encryption to keep your pictures and videos secure during upload from your iPhone, iPad, and Mac and the servers, while being stored on the servers, and while being sent back down to your devices. And if there’s ever anything you decide you don’t want to keep, you can delete, with 30-days to change your mind, or immediately, so it’s done and gone forever.
That lets iCloud Photo Library keep everything available, but also keep it private and secure.
Samsung to launch Galaxy S6 themes around April 10
One of the new features on the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge is the Theme Manager which allows you to customise the entire look and feel of the TouchWiz interface, and we’re now hearing that Samsung is preparing lots of new themes including an AMOLED-friendly dark theme.
According to SamMobile, the new themes will launch around April 10th – the global launch of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge – and the dark theme will allow users to save power thanks to the Super AMOLED display on the smartphones. The themes will change the look of the settings screens, stock apps, keyboard, homescreen, wallpaper and the notifications menu and is part of Samsung’s attempt to offer increased customisation to customers.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
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float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
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width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Below are some screenshots of the new themes and the dark theme in particular is likely to be a godsend for those who require the absolute maximum out of their battery.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Themes on Android certainly aren’t a new feature but the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are the first time that Samsung has introduced a theme manager on its smartphones. The Korean manufacturer’s TouchWiz interface has generally split opinion – I for one don’t mind the software but others aren’t too fond of it – but allowing customers to change themes should mean the handsets are more popular with customers.
What do you think of the new themes? Let us know your views in the comments down below!
Surprise, surprise: The HTC One M9 Plus is now official, brings back the Duo Camera
As expected, today’s HTC event has announced that the HTC One M9 Plus is now official. The heavily leaked device has been on the radar pretty much since the HTC One M9 was released, and has somewhat undermined the M9’s release seeing as the M9 Plus can be seen as superior in several areas. Chief among the […]
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LG to hand out 4,000 G4 smartphones to be ‘test driven’ by fans in 15 countries before April 28th
We’re well used to the way that Samsung, HTC, etc. carry out their marketing campaigns when launching a new flagship, and occasionally an upstart like OnePlus comes along and does things very differently, for better or worse. After todays announcement, it seems that LG has also decided to follow its own path as the Korean manufacturer builds up to the launch of the G4 on April 28th. According to a press release, LG will farm out 4,000 G4’s for people to try out in 15 countries.
That’s right, if you live in one of the 15 eligible countries you will be given an LG G4 to try out for up to 30 days. Once you’ve received the handset, LG will ask you to carry out certain tasks that may result in the participant receiving a prize. Details are a little scarce at the moment, but the tasks will almost certainly involve posting your experiences to social media.
Eligible countries
- Korea
- Turkey
- Indonesia
- Singapore
- United States
- China
- India
- Brazil
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- France
- Germany
- Mexico
- Japan
- Hong Kong
If you happen to live in Africa it would seem you are out of luck. Still, this is an intriguing marketing exercise by LG to use the power of social media to drive interest for the upcoming G4. Details on how and where to sign up will be announced in the coming weeks.
Full Press Release
SEOUL, April 8, 2015 — As part of its most ambitious smartphone introduction yet, LG Electronics (LG) will select 4,000 consumers in 15 countries who will “test drive” the all new LG G4 smartphone weeks before its official launch. Kicking off today in Korea, the program will target consumers in the following 14 other markets in the days ahead: Turkey, Indonesia, Singapore, United States, China, India, Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Hong Kong.
Participants will be selected from applicants based on their entry responses (selection criteria may vary in each market). Individuals can increase their chances of being selected by sharing their application experience on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Weibo. Once selected, participants in each country will be given an LG G4 for up to 30 days to experience its unique design and features, including its personalized UX, high performance camera and impressive display for sharing online. Participants will be given various assignments to carry out over the course of their experience with prizes awarded.
“Customers are our best fans and we think this would be an exciting and unique way to get our most important mobile product of the year close to the public,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We’re putting the success of LG G4 in the hands of consumers before the launch because we believe they are the best judge of a great user experience, beyond just benchmarks and speed tests.”
Interested consumers in participating markets are encouraged to check the local LG web page and social media sites in the coming days for more details on how to participate.
Come comment on this article: LG to hand out 4,000 G4 smartphones to be ‘test driven’ by fans in 15 countries before April 28th
PSA: Microsoft is currently looking into service issues with Outlook.com
We’re just making sure you’re all aware of Outlook.com issues Microsoft is currently working hard to address. The service is currently experiencing technical problems that may affect not only those rocking Windows 8.1, but also Windows Phone owners.
Sale: Sony Smartwatch 3 on eBay for $80 off ($169.90 + Free Shipping)
Sony has been an established player in the electronics industry for decades. As it has evolved, so to have its products. The Sony Smartwatch 3 has proven to be the best Android Wear device yet offered by the Japanese company, and it’s now available, for a limited time, at a much more affordable price.
If you act now, the wearable can be had for just $169.99, free shipping included. For reference, that’s $80 off the standard retail price. The item is brand new and in stock, although at the time of this writing there are only a limited quantity remaining, so the time to act is now. For those in need of a refresher, the Smartwatch 3 comes with a 1.6-inch LCD display, is waterproof, and has a self-sufficient on-board GPS that can run independently from your mobile device of choice.
Android Wear has seen its fair share of praise and criticism, and has evolved significantly since its release last year with new features and of course, hardware.With the Apple Watch just around the corner, it’s safe to say that wearables are poised to take off in a major way this month.
Find the deal here, on eBay.
Logitech offers Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard for Android and Windows devices for $69
Logitech had released the Keys-T0-Go keyboard for iOS several months ago, but now they have launched a new version for Android and Windows devices. The Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard will connect to your Android phone or tablet via Bluetooth.
At only 6.1 mm thick and 180 grams, it’s quite portable and can fit into your briefcase or purse. It comes with a separate stand for your phone or tablet if either one doesn’t already have a case with a kickstand. Probably the coolest feature is that it’s wrapped in a water-repellent FabricSkin that will protect it from spills and dirt. You will of course find Android shortcuts like Home, Recent Tasks, Back, and Menu. The rechargeable battery will last up to 3 months, which is a big plus.
This new keyboard will be available this month for a suggested retail price of $69. Look for our review later today.
Full Press Release:
Logitech Announces the Logitech Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard for Android and Windows Mobile Devices
Thin and Light Keyboard with Stand Provides Comfortable Typing in Go-Anywhere Design
NEWARK, Calif. — April 8, 2015 — Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) unveiled the Logitech® Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard for Android™ and Windows® mobile devices. The Logitech Keys-To-Go – which is also available for iOS® – is a slender stand-alone Bluetooth® keyboard that can fit anywhere and go everywhere.
“We first introduced the Logitech Keys-To-Go for the iPad® and the keyboard quickly became a favorite with consumers,” said Michele Hermann, vice president of mobility at Logitech. “We’re thrilled to now bring that same portability and typing experience to Android and Windows devices, whether that’s your tablet, phablet or smartphone. The Logitech Keys-To-Go goes wherever you go thanks to its thin and light design, and it offers the great typing experience that you expect from a Logitech keyboard. It’s the perfect partner for your device.”
The keyboard’s thin and light form, makes it easy to slip into your purse, beach bag or coat pocket without taking up precious space or weighing you down. The Logitech Keys-To-Go is wrapped in a water-repellent FabricSkin that helps protect the keyboard from spills and dirt, so it easily wipes clean and survives drops. It’s durable enough for a variety of situations – indoors or outdoors.
The Logitech Keys-To-Go also has well-spaced keys for comfortable typing, despite being incredibly thin, and a row of Android and Windows shortcut keys for added convenience and productivity. This version for Android and Windows also includes a portable stand, which allows for easy typing on a smartphone. The portable stands attaches to the keyboard and holds your smartphone at an upright position.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Keys-To-Go is available for Android platform 4.1 or higher and Windows® 7 or higher. It is expected to be available in the U.S., Europe and select countries in Asia beginning in April 2015 for a suggested retail price of $69.99. For more information, please visit http://www.logitech.com or our blog.
Come comment on this article: Logitech offers Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Keyboard for Android and Windows devices for $69
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