Sky will reportedly launch its ‘SkyQ’ 4K box within weeks
Just days after BT began selling its Ultra HD box online, broadcasting rival Sky appears ready to show off its own 4K hardware. The Telegraph reports that the pay TV provider is just weeks away from launching “SkyQ,” an Ultra HD set-top box that will reportedly let subscribers watch or record at least four programmes at once. Like the EE TV box, Sky’s player will also share broadcasts across smartphones and tablets, as families increasingly shift towards smaller screens.
Sky’s 4K player has been a long time coming. Originally known internally as “Project Ethan,” the box will play a major part in its battle against BT, which has already made inroads into its sporting coverage over the past couple of years. While BT’s Ultra HD box relies on YouView, SkyQ will be more customised, which includes Netflix-like navigation that makes it easier to view live TV but also on-demand content.
While Sky may possibly be only a little late to market with its own 4K box, the launch of the device was originally scheduled for next year. However, with the rise of BT and increased competition from other TV providers, the company decided to hasten its release. There’s no word on exactly when we’ll see SkyQ or whether Sky is ready to deliver Ultra HD content, but we’ll likely find out more as the company prepares for the kick-off of the Premier League season.
Filed under: HD
Source: The Telegraph
Samsung’s latest monitors wirelessly charge your phone
It’s not coated in gold, but Samsung’s newest screen — a monitor this time — packs wireless charging for mobile phones (and other Qi-compatible gadgets. (Yes, functionality you’d actually want in your office monitor… if you have a wirelessly charging phone.) The full-HD 24-inch S24E370DL and 27-inch S27E370DS displays come with AMD’s anti-flicker gaming tech as well as 178-degree viewing angles. Samsung’s not offered a date or country for release, but we’d expect it to appear (somewhere!) by the end of the year. Expect a steady trickle of new products from the company: it’s gearing up for Europe’s biggest electronics show, IFA, which kicks off in September. Samsung fridges! Washing machines! Conceptual laptops! And possibly a new Galaxy smartphone. If you’re good.
Filed under: Desktops, Home Entertainment, Samsung
Motorola Moto G (2015) listed accidentally on FlipKart
Over the weekend, packaging for the Moto G (2015) leaked online. And now one retailer has activated its listing for Motorola’s upcoming phone days before launch on July 28.
Indian retailer FlipKart is already mentioning the Moto G (2015) on its site. The specifications confirm that the mid-range handset will come with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (for the base model) and be priced at 11,999 Rs. There is a big chance we will see multiple variants with this year’s Moto G, most likely with different storage capacities.
The handset will be announced simultaneously in New York City, Sao Paulo, and London. The livestream will be accessible to everyone when the global event starts at 9:00AM ET on Tuesday. We could see as many as three new handsets launched at the event, including the Moto X (2015) and a new version of the Moto 360.
Via: TechDroider
Come comment on this article: Motorola Moto G (2015) listed accidentally on FlipKart
Hands on with Tronsmart’s Quick Charge 2.0 chargers
Just about every flagship device shipping this year has or will have Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology inside. Devices with supported Qualcomm processors can take advantage of Quick Charge 2.0 by receiving an accelerated amount of power in less time than anything else. The chargers included in the box with new devices, however, are typically not the ones compatible with Qualcomm’s innovation. Most companies sell them separately at rather high prices. So looking at third-party manufacturers for Quick Charge 2.0 chargers is the way to go.
Tronsmart is among the companies vying to sell you a product capable of rapidly charging your device. This company actually stands out, though, because of its certification. Tronsmart’s three products that are compatible with Quick Charge 2.0-ready devices have all been certified by Qualcomm. On the company’s site, Tronsmart even shows the documents as proof. This goes for Tronsmart’s two-port wall charger, four-port charging hub, and three-port car charger.
These products show the company’s commitment to speed, simplicity, and safety. All of them monitor device voltage settings and adjust the output accordingly, send an equal amount of power to any port, and prevent anything abnormal from harming a device.
Tronsmart’s VoltIQ technology is what keeps ports normal ports, the ones without Quick Charge 2.0, from receiving an inappropriate amount of power. Regardless of the amount of devices connected or which port they are using, VoltIQ can ensure that the necessary amount of a power is generated.
I tested Tronsmart’s wall charger, charging hub, and car charger with the LG G4 (for the Quick Charge 2.0 ports), Nexus 9, and LG G Watch.
Wall charger
The wall charger offered by Tronsmart trumps the competition in terms of size, amount of ports, and, perhaps most importantly, price. One would think that having three ports makes it impossible to maintain a smaller design. In this case, that assumption is wrong. Tronsmart’s wall charger measures 70.5 x 48.3 x 26.4in and weighs 84.4g. While the weight is higher than plenty of other chargers, Tronsmart made a three-port charger as compact as possible. You should have no problem fitting this charger into outlets with a stacked setup. And the included micro-USB cable stretches nearly 6ft.
Ports are aligned vertically with the first, highlighted in blue, belonging to Qualcomm’s technology and the bottom two being backed by VoltIQ. The total amount of power coming from the this charger is 42W.
Most wall chargers with Quick Charge 2.0 are priced north of $30, but Tronsmart’s is available for $19 through Amazon.
[Amazon]
Charging hub
The desktop charger doesn’t differ too much from Tronsmart’s wall charger. It is essentially the same exact product but with a few additional ports. Measuring 94 x 60 x 25mm, the charging hub weighs 149g. I like to call this a charging hub because it raises the amount of ports to five. At work, it allows you to have multiple devices receiving power without being spread throughout the room. The AC cable for the charging hub makes placement pretty simple and Tronsmart has included its micro-USB cable to get started. That’s right, power for this accessory does not come from a computer. Drawing upon an outlet is what makes it possible to charge five devices simultaneously without sacrificing quality.
I was slightly disappointed to see that Tronsmart did not bring in another Quick Charge 2.0 port with its charging hub, especially with more devices seemingly adopting the technology; however, it does have 54W in total power to share among the five ports.
Priced at $29, Tronsmart’s charging hub is quite the get. It’s versatile with placement, has five ports, and power comes from a solid source. Want to save some money on it? Use coupon code 3AU78ZU4 to take $10 off of the charging hub’s price.
[Amazon]
Car charger
Seeing a car charger with Quick Charge 2.o isn’t very common despite the technology being around for more than a year. Tronsmart’s car charger has three ports in addition to the sole Quick Charge 2.0 port and the total amount of power here, like with the charging hub, is 54W. It’s kind of surprising how much a car charger can do with two ports, let alone four. Staying true to the company’s compact design principles, the car charger measures 92 x 50.6 x 21mm. Some vehicles have interesting spots for their power sources but this car charger is small enough where it should fit anywhere comfortably.
Tronsmart asks that you pay $20 for its car charger, but you can save $5 with coupon code NIPHTT7P.
[Amazon]
With all three products, Tronsmart surprises with compact, appealing design. None of the chargers look or feel cheap while taking up very little space. The prices of each makes them even better. On Amazon, you can purchase them together for less than $75. Above everything else, the chargers performed how they should. Whether it is charging with a Quick Charge 2.0 port or charging multiple devices simultaneously, Tronsmart’s products are reliable to connect and go with confidence.
Come comment on this article: Hands on with Tronsmart’s Quick Charge 2.0 chargers
Welcome (back) to the After Math
Our graphical calculators are back from repair, so it’s time to crunch the numbers once again. It’s a good week for it too: Apple Watch predictions, uneasily fast explanations of the entire universe and cable company that’s doing better in internet than, well, cable.
VKworld officially unveiled its VK560 budget smartphone with a 5.5-inch display
VKworld has launched a new smartphone that aims to be the best of its kind. The phone has a 5.5-inch qHD display and MediaTek MT6735 processor. The new VK560 features 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. It will likely make it through the day due to its fairly large 2850mAh battery. Best of all, it comes with Android 5.1 pre-installed.
VKworld stated that the smartphone is the best of its kind because of great battery life and a large display. VKworld was happy to note that the VK560 will have standby time of up to 180 hours and talk time reaching up to 3 hours.
The VK560 comes with a simplistic bezel-less design, and a 2.5D arc glass panel, therefore making it more premium and durable. The smartphone will come in two color options, black/grey with a textured back cover, or a smooth white/silver variant.
The device is expected to hit shelves in China for $112 later this month.
Via: GizmoChina
Come comment on this article: VKworld officially unveiled its VK560 budget smartphone with a 5.5-inch display
Sony Xperia Z5 to be launched in September to compete with rivals
Sony is prepping yet another flagship phone. In early July we heard a rumor that the company was preparing a new flagship, the Xperia Z5. Now it appears that these rumors are true.
According to tipster Leaksfly, Sony is getting ready to release its new flagship, the Xperia Z5, for the second half of 2015. Allegedly, the specifications will include a Full-HD 5.5-inch display, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage in a slim profile. The phone will most likely be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset.
Being that Sony has so much experience in imaging, it should be no surprise that both rear and front-facing cameras on the Xperia Z5 will be impressive. On the rear is a 20.7MP camera, a common component for Sony’s high-end devices, while the front camera is 8MP.
The device is expected to launch as a direct response to compete with what is coming from Samsung, HTC, and Apple this fall. The Xperia Z5 should launch in September, perhaps with the company’s new concept software.
Via: MobiPicker
Come comment on this article: Sony Xperia Z5 to be launched in September to compete with rivals
Sony Xperia Z5 may have 5.5″ display and fingerprint scanner, September launch
We haven’t seen much in the news regarding Sony’s next Xperia smartphone, especially with Samsung and Motorola stealing the spotlight lately. But we can’t forget that Sony is due for a refresh soon, which typically occurs at the IFA trade show in September.
As it naturally goes when an announcement closes in, leaks become more revealing. Today we have alleged details on the Xperia Z5, courtesy of Mobipicker.
It looks like Sony may be finally giving the Xperia screen size a bump, up to 5.5″. The Xperia line has had a 5.2″ display since the Z2. However, the resolution is said to be staying at 1080P. This would not be too far-fetched, Sony did express that they thought QHD was frivolous. But because the recent Xperia Z4v sported a QHD screen, I can see how many would be disappointed that this would not be the flagship standard from now on.
We may be looking at the Snapdragon 810 chipset being utilized again, which may not be a smart move. The 810 SoC has accumulated a bunch of negativity through its overheating controversy, and the 820 was supposed to be Qualcomm’s redemption. But to give Sony the benefit of the doubt, the extra time with the chip could have allowed them to figure out how to run it more efficiently. They did the same thing last year when they reused the Snapdragon 801 on the Z3.
Other suggeseted details include 3GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage (no word if it’s still expandable or not), 20.7 MP rear camera (no word if the same Exmor RS sensor is back for yet another round) and 8 MP front camera. Also, Sony may be adding a fingerprint reader this time. I’m really interested to see how they implement it. We’ve been seeing OEM’s unattractively add in a button to accommodate the scanner.
Are you excited to see what the Xperia Z5 will bring, or do you tune Sony smartphones out due to minuscule changes and limited US availability?
The post Sony Xperia Z5 may have 5.5″ display and fingerprint scanner, September launch appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Best Buy to Begin Selling Apple Watch on August 7
Best Buy today announced it will begin selling the Apple Watch in some its U.S. retail stores and online on August 7, marking a substantial expansion of retail availability for the device. Starting with 100 stores and expanding to 300 over the next few months, he company will offer 16 models from the aluminum Apple Watch Sport and stainless steel Apple Watch collections, as well as nearly 50 accessories including stands and watch bands.
Starting Aug. 7, Best Buy will be the first national retailer, other than Apple Stores, where customers can buy the Apple Watch. It will begin to arrive in more than 100 Best Buy stores and will also be available on BestBuy.com. Another 200 of our stores will have the Apple Watch in time for holiday shopping.
“The Apple Watch is an important addition to an emerging product category, and we know our customers want it,” said Jason Bonfig, senior category officer at Best Buy. “We are excited to bring Apple Watch to more consumers, especially with the holidays coming up.”
Apple has provided a statement to iMore, noting the focus on expanding availability for the holiday shopping season.
“Customers love Apple Watch, and we are thrilled to begin offering it at Best Buy locations across the U.S. starting August 7,” an Apple spokesperson told iMore. “More than 300 Best Buy stores will carry Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models in time for the holiday shopping season.”
The Apple Watch is currently available in 19 countries with Apple gradually expanding availability as supplies have allowed, and an additional three countries — New Zealand, Russia, and Turkey — will be added to the list this coming Friday.
Scientists make a transistor from a single molecule
You’re looking at what could be not just one of the smallest semiconductor parts ever, but one of the smallest semiconductor parts possible. A worldwide research team has built a transistor that consists of a single copper phthalocyanine molecule, a dozen indium atoms and an indium arsenide backing material. The trick was to abandon the usual mechanics of a transistor, which normally controls current by modulating the gate voltage, in favor of a field effect. Here, you only need to vary the distance of the gate (in this case, the atoms) to modulate electricity.
Don’t start preparing for a world full of tiny-but-complex gadgets just yet. The scientists created their transistor in a near-total vacuum, at a temperature barely above absolute zero. That’s a far cry from real-world conditions, and it’ll take much more research before transistors this small are in devices you can actually buy. Nonetheless, the breakthrough is promising — it shows that there’s still a long, long way to go before we hit the physical limits of electronics.
[Image credit: US Naval Research Laboratory]
Filed under: Science
Via: IEEE Spectrum
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