Lenovo launches mid-range S60 in India, costs ₹12,999
Lenovo has just launched its new S60 smartphone, a mid-range handset targeted at the competitive Indian market. The company has been looking to carve out a position for itself in India by utilizing its reputation for price competitive products. Last month, Lenovo launched a similarly priced Intel-powered K80 smartphone in China and has a solid mid-ranger already in its A7000.
The Lenovo S60 is a mid-range smartphone throughout. The handset features a 5-inch 720p display, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC (MSM8916), 2GB of RAM, 13 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front camera, and 2,150mAh battery. The handset also comes with 8GB of internal memory and a 32GB expandable microSD card slot, along with dual-SIM support and Lenovo’s Vibe UI 2.0 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, although 5.0 Lollipop is also in the works.
The rear camera features some higher-end features, including scene detection, face recognition, low light enhancement, Panorama, burst shot, smile shot, and HDR options. However, the handset appears to be lacking LTE support. Overall, the S60 is very similar to Lenovo’s slightly more expensive S90.
If the specifications have caught your fancy, the S60 is available directly through Lenovo’s own website, popular local retailer FlipKart, and through Amazon India for a price of ₹12,999. However, this does put the handset directly up against the very compelling new Xiaomi Mi 4i and the Asus Zenfone 2.
Panasonic’s Lumix G7 camera is all about 4K video and photos
Well, Fujifilm isn’t the only camera maker with an announcement today. Now it’s Panasonic’s turn. The Lumix series manufacturer is introducing the G7, a Micro Four Thirds body with a 16-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor, ISO range of up to 25,600 and a Venus Engine image chip that packs a quad-core CPU for high-speed signal processing. That said, Panasonic is placing significant emphasis on the mirrorless shooter’s 4K attributes, like its ability to capture video at 24 and 30 fps at 3,840 x 2,160 resolution (QFHD) — there’s the option for 1080p too, naturally. The company is also touting the Lumix G7’s 4K Photo feature, which was revealed last year and is available on the LX100 as well. What this mode lets you do is extract high-resolution photos from 4K, 30 fps videos, with the results being saved at an 8-megapixel equivalent. You’ll be able to pick up a kit in mid-June for $800, and that includes a 14-42mm lens to help you get started.
Into it? Let us know your thoughts.
Filed under: Cameras
Could Verizon’s LG G4 have a June 4 release date?
There’s been a lot of excitement surrounding LG’s flagship device, the G4. Now, according to a press image, its entirely possible that we could see a June 4 launch on Verizon Wireless.
On Verizon Wireless’ update page for the LG G4, the press image of the smartphone shows a data of Thursday, June 4. This is purely speculation, but could this hint at a June 4 release date?
It certainly isn’t confirmed, but in the past, even Google has hinted at various product or software releases through the current time on the press image of a Nexus device.
If it’s truly set for a June 4 launch, there’s no doubt we’ll hear about it sooner than later for pre-orders and such. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Could we see a June 4 launch date for the device? What do you think?
source: Verizon Wireless
Come comment on this article: Could Verizon’s LG G4 have a June 4 release date?
The US wants cars to ‘talk’ to each other, sooner rather than later
The Department of Transportation wants America’s cars to talk to each other, and it wants that to happen pretty soon. That’s why Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced that legislation to make vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication a mandatory feature of new cars will be brought forward. At a speech in Silicon Valley, the official added that he’s greasing the wheels of government to make it easier for the program to begin. For instance, he’s working with the FCC to ensure that the 5.9GHz spectrum is properly tested and ready for use when this technology eventually reaches consumers in the next few decades.
The idea behind V2V is that cars will be in constant communication with their neighbors on the road, so you’ll be alerted to an impending accident before it happens. So, you may not be able to see an on-rushing driver behind a blind bend, but your dashboard will alert you before anything catastrophic takes place. Foxx is hoping that V2V, combined with autonomous vehicles, will help reduce the number of auto accidents on the road. Naturally, we’re still several years from seeing this in the cars down at showroom, but at least the Government is making sure that there’s no roadblocks on its end.
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless
Source: DOT
HTC has no plans to release a One Mini 3
HTC will not release a successor to the One Mini 2, said Jack Tong, head of the company’s North Asia division.
Speaking at the Taiwan launch of the 5.2-inch One M9+, Tong said the industry as a whole is moving away from smaller phones and HTC sees no reason to fight the trend.
“Overall the industry is moving towards new phones over 5 inches in size and our product roadmap is close to that of the industry,” the executive said.
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HTC released the original One Mini in July 2013, and followed up with the 4.5-inch One Mini 2, which was based on the One M8 and launched in May 2014. One Mini devices featured metallic designs closely resembling the top of the line One M7 and M8, but with pared-down specifications that put them in direct competition with budget-friendly phones like the Moto G. Given HTC’s decision to pull the plug, it’s safe to say people didn’t flock to buy the more expensive One Mini.
The news comes soon after HTC announced it won’t update the One Mini 2 to Lollipop, even if similar devices from other Android OEMs made the jump without major issues.
HTC is now focusing on the 5 to 5.5-inch range, with devices like the One M9+, One E9+, and the rumored hybrid One ME9.
With HTC giving up on the segment, fans of smaller designs have precious few options left. Sony will likely release an Xperia Z4 Compact and Samsung may follow up on the 4.7-inch Alpha later this year, but overall, sub-5-inch devices seem to be going the way of the dodo.
Are you disappointed in this decision? Or is it just inevitable?
Plastic HTC One ME9 could be heading to India in July
Last week the first shots of yet another HTC One handset appeared, passing through China’s TENAA certification database. Now it seems that the handset could also be heading to India. Zauba, which tracks imports and exports out of India, has noted that 1700 dummy units of the HTC One ME9 have been imported into India since May 8th.
The shipment listing also gives a few more hints about the device. Classic Rose Gold and traditional HTC Metero Grey dummy models have been imported, both of which are also dual-SIM compatible.
Just as with last week’s rumor, the specifications points to a 5.2-inch QuadHD display, MediaTek Helio X10 (MT6795) octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 20 megapixel Toshiba rear camera sensor and a 4 Ultrapixel selfie camera. The most recent details from @Upleaks also lists BoomSound speakers and a fingerprint scanner, making it a compelling sounding flagship, albeit in a plastic body.
Essentially, the ME9 looks like a cheaper, plastic version of the 5.2-inch One M9+, which launched in India and China in April. Not forgetting that there’s the plastic 5.5-inch One E9 already in India, if you’re after a bigger handset.
The leaks suggest that the handset will be destined for a selection Asian markets in July and will follow the launch patterns of HTC’s other One handsets, meaning that it won’t be made available in Europe or the US. The price is expected to be in the region of RMB 3500 (USD 563).
Deal: Galaxy Tab S 8.4 WiFi available for $279 on Amazon and Newegg
If you’re looking for a sleek Android tablet, you can’t go wrong with Samsung’s excellent Galaxy Tab S 8.4. The tablet is now available for just $279, the lowest we’ve seen so far.
The Tab S 8.4 (WiFi only) features a beautiful 8.4-inch AMOLED screen of Quad HD resolution, an octa-core Exynos processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, and a 4,900 mAh battery. The device runs Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box, but an OTA for Lollipop should greet you when you start it up for the first time. This is the WiFi only model – the LTE model currently goes for around $400 on Amazon. The Tab S 8.4 is available in white or bronze (gold).
Read our Galaxy Tab S 8.4 review.
At $279, the Tab S 8.4 WiFi 16GB is $70 cheaper than Amazon’s previous price and $30 lower than the previous best.
We’ve spotted the deal on Amazon and Newegg, with free shipping on both retailers.
Best Buy or other retailers that offer price matching should follow the lead, though you may have to jump through a hook or two to get the deal.
Happy shopping!
Google researchers create amazing timelapses from public photos
There are a zillion digital photos in the public domain and scientists have just figured out something very cool to do with them. A team from Google and the University of Washington have developed a fully automated way to create time-lapse videos of popular tourists landmarks using images from Flickr, Picasa and other sites. Here’s how it works: first, the researchers sorted some 86 million photos by geographic location, looking for widely snapped landmarks. Next, the photos were ordered by date and warped so that all had a matching viewpoint. Lastly, each photo was color-corrected to have a similar appearance, resulting in uniform time-lapse videos (below).
The videos aren’t just breathtaking, but also illuminating. For instance, they show glaciers receding, waterfalls evolving and skyscrapers sprouting (above), making them useful tools for geologists or builders. The science that went into the time-lapses is also interesting, as researchers combined various techniques in warping, stabilization and color normalizing to make it work. Many sequences contain over 1,000 images and took around six hours to render on a single computer. The best part is that even though it’s a fun form of crowdsourcing, it doesn’t require participants to do anything but be a tourist.
Via: Prosthetic KNowledge
Source: University of Washington
Samsung loses ground to Chinese brands in the tablet market
Newly compiled data from industry researcher Strategy Analytics shows that big names brands in the tablet market, such as Samsung and Apple, have seen their market shares take a plunge this year, while low cost “white box” Chinese products are gaining momentum.
Samsung has been the hardest hit in the past twelve months, having seen its share of the tablet market shrink by 5.6 percent, down to 17 percent of the market in the first quarter. Apple also took a significant hit, as its share declined 4.6 percent from 28.9 in Q1 2014 to 24.3 in Q1 2015. Combined, Apple and Samsung accounted for just over half of the world’s tablet market back in Q1 2014, but this year only managed to grab a 41.3 percent share of the market in the same quarter this year.
“2015 will be the year that Samsung pares down its large product portfolio to focus on a tighter circle of strong performers in the mid- to low-price tiers” – Strategy Analytics
The market appears to be diversifying away from the familiar global brands, and much of this share is being eaten into by growing Chinese manufacturers. Price competitive companies Lenovo and Huawei both saw growth compared with the same quarter last year, up 1.2 and 1.5 percent each, ending up with a 5.3 and 2.4 percent share respectively. Falling costs of previously high-end features have given a big boost to the price/performance value proposition offered by these less-expensive tablet brands.http://embed.chartblocks.com/1.0/?c=5559aa57c9a61dfa486a8330&t=849b5b4af175405The other major winner in the quarter has been “white box” tablets, i.e. non-brand specific devices produced in smaller quantities, which often come from low cost Chinese manufacturers and are powered by Android. This market segment grew by a further 2.7 percent year-over-year and now accounts for a substantial 28.4 percent of the tablet market, making it larger than either Apple or Samsung.
Samsung’s latest budget friendly Galaxy Tab A line-up might help to address the price sensitivity issue and its upcoming Galaxy Tab S2 should keep up Samsung’s presence in the high-end segment, but it’s likely to be another tough year for the established brands.
Which tablets have you been looking at this year?
The gorgeous blue and green versions of the Galaxy S6/Edge are finally available
Fans of the Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge can finally get their hands on the two color options that are exclusive to each device.
Samsung announced today that the Blue Topaz Galaxy S6 and the Green Emerald Galaxy S6 Edge are now available to consumers. Blue and green are the color options that are exclusive to the S6 and S6 Edge respectively, while black, white, and gold are shared. All models are available with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage.
Samsung showcased the Blue Topaz and Green Emerald colors at the Galaxy S6 launch during MWC. From my brief time with the device at the show, I found the blue Galaxy S6 very appealing, though keeping that striking glass back smudge-free will be a constant problem.
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If blue or green aren’t striking enough for you, perhaps the red and gold Iron Man limited edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge will do the trick. Samsung recently teased that Iron Man-themed device and we can’t wait to see it in store, hopefully in a few weeks.
So, what’s your favorite color?
AIVAnet 