NASA starts testing light and flexible plane technology
NASA has successfully completed a series of tests making sure that the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (MUTT) aircraft can withstand flights up to 130 knots in speed. See, the X-56A isn’t your typical aircraft: it’s a remote-controlled test model the space agency’s using for the development of flexible flight tech, which will be used for lightweight, eco-friendly planes. NASA needs to test the technology extensively, since planes with pliable wings are typically more susceptible to strong winds and vibrations. In fact, this recent round of testing only completed all of the agency’s “stiff wing objectives.” X-56A 2.0 — yes, this is the second version, as developer Lockheed Martin already put the first one through the wringer in 2013 and 2014 — doesn’t have its flexible wings yet. Those special airfoils will be attached in the next few months before the aircraft takes off for its first flexi-wing flight in early 2016.
[Image credit: NASA Photo / Jim Ross]
Filed under:
Transportation
Source:
NASA
Tags: aircraft, MUTT, nasa, plane, X-56A
Moto 360 (2nd gen) receives its first commercial
Motorola unveiled its second generation Moto 360 smartwatch yesterday and immediately stuck the device up for pre-order. To drum up a little business, Motorola has also released its first advertisement for the new Moto 360, which walks us through a few of its features.
We can spot a number of familiar Android Wear features in the ad, along with a selection of compatible apps, such as Spotify and Facebook. The commercial also highlights the Moto 360’s voice controls and promotes the familiar health tracking features.
If you like what you see, you can already pre-order the Moto 360 (2nd gen) from the Google Store, Motorola.com and Best Buy, in your choice of Black, Gold, Silver and Rose Gold (women’s variant only) with either a leather, stainless steel, or Rose Gold strap. Have any of you pre-ordered yet?
Samsung unveils new SmartThing hub, available today for $99
Just a little over a year ago Samsung took a big step forward towards improving its Internet of Things game with the purchase of SmartThings. As expected, at IFA 2015 Samsung and SmartThings have now formally unveiled the 2nd-gen Smart Hub, a high-tech router that powers various sensors around your home.
The newer Smart Hub hardware adds a few big improvements over the original, including 10-hour battery backup life, and a faster processor which subsequently allows the hub to now handle video monitoring. The SmartHub will allow users to log into the newly redesigned Android app 24/7 to view live video, though the hub will only record video when it detects activity. In addition to recording, the new system will also send notifications in the event it detects a fire, smoke, leaks, and so on. While connecting to the web is a great way to make the most of the Smart Hub, an Internet connection isn’t technically required, which could put security conscientious minds at ease.
The new SmartThings hub will go on sale for today, priced at $99. Various sensors will be offered from around $30 to $50. We will be sure to update this post as soon as the product is available for purchasing later today in the US. The hub will also be offered in the UK starting next week, and should be making its way to more parts of Europe in early 2016.
Sony Xperia Z5 hands-on and first look
After weeks of leaks and speculation, a lot of which turned out to be true, Sony took the wraps off their latest flagships offerings. While the plus iteration, or “Premium” in the case of Sony’s smartphone, seems to be more enticing, the more standard flagship has to lot to offer as well. We go hands-on, and give you the first look at the Sony Xperia Z5!
At first glance, the Xperia Z5 looks a lot like all the other Sony flagships that it follows, which isn’t entirely unexpected, but there are a few new aspects to the design language and features that should sweeten the pot a little, and hopefully, this device will be available in more markets that just in Europe and Asia. Noticeable changes to the design are seen on the side, with a much larger power button being featured now, which doesn’t look as iconic as the signature round button from before, but still has a very unique look.
The reason for this change to a wider power button is the fingerprint scanner that is now integrated into the power button. It is ideally placed to allow the device to be unlocked easily by placing your right thumb on the button, which does seem to be the best way to go about it. In general, the Xperia Z5 feels really nice in the hand, as most Xperia devices do, with the symmetrical design making the phone very easy to grip, and its relatively standard footprint makes for a great handling experience.
On the specifications front, the Xperia Z5 isn’t all that much of an upgrade when compared to its predecessor, the Xperia Z3+, with the latest Sony flagship retaining a 5.2-inch Full HD display, the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3 GB of RAM, and the availability of expandable storage via microSD card. The Snapdragon 810 does a great job of keeping things smooth and snappy, helped along with the near-stock version of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop that the device is running, which doesn’t feature much extra, other than Sony staples like the Small Apps.
What is obviously the most exciting part about the latest Xperia flagship is the new camera, with Sony introducing a major change in this department after a very long time, and we are really looking forward to putting this 23 MP ExmorRS sensor to the test. What is intriguing to us is that Sony put out there the fact that their imaging department has been one of the best, and Sony has released some great Alpha cameras, so hopefully, we’ll now see some of that quality make its way over to the smartphone segment as well. The Xperia Z5 also features on of the fastest auto-focus capabilities around, and the device did a great job in the short time we got to spend with it. The Xperia Z5 also packs a 5 MP front-facing camera.
Looking at the camera application, Sony continues to pack the camera software with a slew of features, with everything from AR, panorama modes, slow motion, face in picture, and pretty much everything you can hope for to make your smartphone photography experience that much more fun. We have seen some fantastic flagship smartphone cameras this year, and we can’t wait to see whether this Sony camera can provide the quality to compete with the high standards that have been set so far.
As mentioned, Sony also introduced a plus iteration of their current flagship, dubbed the Xperia Z5 Premium. No one was able to get their hands on this device at the press event, but we do have a meeting with Sony coming up soon where we will be able to bring you a much closer look at this phone.
Of course, the big news with this smartphone is its 4K resolution display, which results in an absolutely mind-boggling pixel density of 801 ppi. This is obviously the highest resolution we’ve seen till date on a smartphone, but what Sony is doing with the Xperia Z5 Premium, as they have done with some of their TVs as well, is that the phone itself is going to upscale all of the media content, so it has a sharper look to it. A high resolution such as this does bring up concerns with regards to battery life, but the 3,430 mAh battery that the device packs, compared to the 2,900 mAh unit of the Xperia Z5 proper, should allow for at least average battery life, helped along with the slew of battery saving modes that Sony bakes in to their devices.
So there you have it for this first look at the Sony Xperia Z5! While the Xperia Z5 isn’t a major departure from the Sony standard, new elements like the fingerprint scanner and updated camera package does bring the device more in line with the current crop of smartphone flagships, and we can’t wait to put the Xperia Z5 through its paces as we give it the full review treatment. Stay tuned with Android Authority for more great coverage from Sony, and everything else that is on offer at IFA 2015!
LG’s roll-up keyboard is cute, but predictably uncomfortable
Getting anyone at all interested in a new portable Bluetooth keyboard is quite the feat, but LG has just about managed it with its new, quirky roll-up peripheral. The Rolly, as it’s inventively named, is intended for those who want to be a bit more productive with their tablet time, and I’ve had a brief tinker with it here at IFA. The benefit of having a keyboard that rolls up around its battery, of course, is that it takes up the least amount of space in your backpack. And neat, the Rolly certainly is. The magnets that run down either side of the key grid are no weaklings, keeping the thing tightly wound and generating a satisfying snap as you roll it up. Slideshow-316994
When unfurled, the Rolly is nice and solid, to the extent you can’t tell there are seams in between the rows of keys. As advertised, the keyboard automatically wakes up the nearest paired tablet — in this case, I tested it with LG’s new G Pad II slate, which came to life as soon as I’d levered open the first row of keys. The feel and travel of the island keyboard is not dissimilar to the MacBook I’m using to write this, but like every portable Bluetooth keyboard ever, it’s no fun to type on. Due to the cramped layout that’s unavoidable at that size, I was missing keys, hitting the wrong ones, and clawing up my hands in the hope they would somehow shrink before RSI set in. Also, the magnets on either side of the keyboard are slightly higher than the keys themselves, but they still feel like keys to peripheral fingertips, resulting in many a useless tap.
But let’s be honest, the Rolly is as much about style points as it is hammering out a quick email at the airport. And me even using the phase “style points” when talking about a Bluetooth keyboard means LG has done something right. With a suggested retail price of $119 when it launches in the US later this month (before dropping elsewhere shortly after), though, you’d have to be rolling in it to pick one up without at least a test drive.
Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
Filed under:
Peripherals, Tablets, LG
Tags: bluetoothkeyboard, hands-on, ifa, ifa2015, keyboard, lg, rolly
Googling ‘fun facts’ will quickly ruin your productivity
It won’t change your life, but oh boy is this a good time waster. If you scoot across to the Google homepage and type in “fun facts,” the search engine will present you with a new type of answer box filled with a curious tidbit or two. The source of that particular knowledge will be listed below, followed by a blue bar with the option to “ask another question.” Click that and you’ll be presented with yet another random piece of information, with the classic “I’m feeling curious” query in the search field. Is this a new frontier in online productivity? No, but it’s an amusing little addition to Google’s search engine, and might distract you from the new logo on the homepage (we’re still not used to it just yet).
Via:
The Verge, Search Engine Land
Source:
Google
Tags: funfacts, google, googlesearch, imfeelingcurious, searchengine
Lenovo’s new PHAB phablets have huge screens, small prices
We’re getting our first look at two new devices from Lenovo, the world’s fifth largest handset OEM. Lenovo, who also owns Motorola releases a wide range of smartphones under their own name, mainly in Asia, and today we’re taking a look at the PHAB and PHAB Plus. Huge phones without huge price tags.
The Lenovo PHAB is actually the bigger of the two. The PHAB has a 6.98″ 720p screen. Pixel addicts will most definitely have an issue with the resolution on this device as devices with upwards of 4x the resolution are becoming the norm. The internals aren’t going to blow you away either. There’s a quad core Snapdragon processor and 1 GB of Ram on board as well as 16 GB of storage but it does boast a massive 4,250 mAh battery.
The PHAB Plus is the smaller, but more powerful brother of the PHAB. On the PHAB Plus, the resolution is kicked up to 1080p while the screen size comes down to 6.8″. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 615 SoC with 2 GB of Ram and 32 GB of storage that’s expandable via a Micro SD slot. The battery capacity is scaled down a bit to 3,500 mAh, which is still huge. You should still see unbelievable battery life since the PHAB Plus uses a Snapdragon 615 SoC instead of a more power hungry 808 or 810 chip.
Both phones will run a skinned version of 5.0 Lollipop with features like a one handed mode specifically designed for these huge phones. Also on phones you’ll find a 13 megapixel rear camera paired with a 5 megapixel front facing camera for high resolution selfies. The PHAB and PHAB plus will be available in the last quarter of the year for $180 and $300 respectively.
Source: Slashgear
The post Lenovo’s new PHAB phablets have huge screens, small prices appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Huawei Mate S unboxing and first look
As expected, Huawei took to the stage here in Berlin to announce its new Mate S smartphone, which brings an updated design and several new features compared to last year’s Ascend Mate 7.
Available in four different colors and three versions, the Mate S is Huawei’s answer to the other flagship devices being announced here at IFA 2015 (and the rumored iPhone 6S for later this month), but how good is its latest smartphone and what makes it stand out from the crowd? Let’s take a closer look.
Up front, the Mate S features a 5.5-inch Full HD display with a screen color saturation of 105 percent of the RGB gamut and a contrast ratio of 1800000:1. We’ve seen Huawei border on the ridiculous with contrast ratios before (the Huawei P8 offered 15000:1), but the Mate S contrast ratio does reach a particular extreme.
The display is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which should make it difficult to scratch or damage and and the display itself is raised slightly above the edge of the bezel thanks to the 2.5D design. Above the display, we have an 8MP front facing camera and Huawei has also included the soft light found on the Honor 7.
The Mate S features a similar design to past Huawei devices but comes with an updated build including a curved rear, which Huawei claim measures just 2.65mm at the very edges. Despite the slim profile at the edges – which rises to 7.2mm in the middle of the handset – the Mate S is surprisingly easy to hold in the hand thanks to the curved rear.
The Mate S is also protected by a new nano coating technology that Huawei claim will prevent damage from rain or sweat but the handset doesn’t come with an IP rating and isn’t said to be waterproof. That being said, the slide during Huawei’s press conference does suggest this has been designed with splashes of rain or sweat over a long period of time in mind.
Like many other Huawei devices, the Mate S features a brushed metal finish that provides a surprising amount of grip while the slim volume and power keys on the right provide tactile feedback. On the left, the Mate S has the SIM card and microSD card trays built into one tray and like other dual SIM devices, the microSD card slot can be used as a secondary SIM card tray. Unlike some other dual SIM devices, the Mate S supports LTE on both SIM cards.
To the back and Huawei has included a 13MP rear camera that includes a 4-color RGBW imaging sensor and has Optical Image Stabilization. The camera housing is scratch proof thanks to sapphire protection while Huawei claim it also comes with a DSLR-level image signal processor.
In the camera software, Huawei has included the modes found on its past devices but also added a new Pro mode that offers a wide gamut of options and allows you to change various settings including ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Like other Huawei flagship devices, the Mate S also comes with a dual LED true-tone flash next to the camera. A rather cool feature is the Auto Rectangular Alignment, which promises to let you capture a rectangle (e.g. a slide) at an angle and then the Mate S will remove the angles and make the image flat.
Beneath the camera is the fingerprint sensor and Huawei say the Mate S comes with Fingerprint Sense 2.0 technology, which claims to be 100% faster at recognizing your fingerprint and 100% more sensitive meaning you can use it even with a wet finger.
Like the Mate 7 from last year, the fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock your phone with a single tap, even when the display is switched off, while it also comes with a range of gestures including the ability to take a selfie or answer a call with a single tap, access your notifications by swiping down on the sensor and clear all notifications with a double click and slide through pictures in the gallery by swiping the sensor.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t come with all the gestures found on the Honor 7 meaning you can’t use it to access recent apps, easily go back a step or return to the homescreen and this is definitely a surprise. Nonetheless, the fingerprint sensor is still very quick to respond and definitely one of the best on the market.
The Mate S also comes with Huawei’s Knuckle Sense 2.0 technology and one of the biggest improvements is that you can now free-draw a shape to make a screenshot. Since the Huawei P8 earlier this year and then the Honor 7, Huawei has slowly improved its Knuckle Sense feature and while it’s still not perfect, it has been improved further on the Mate S.
Knuckle Sense can now be used to select any part of the screen in any shape by simply drawing the shape, which is a welcome change to the previous generation, which allowed you to free-draw a shape but would convert this to a rectangle. Knuckle Sense can also now be used to screen record the handset and while Huawei say this is useful if you want to easily crop a video, this could have plenty of different uses.
Another addition to Knuckle Sense is the ability to launch applications simply by drawing a letter with your knuckle, with Huawei including the likes of Camera (activated by drawing a C), Browser (E) and Music (M) out of the box. You can also set custom commands for your own apps and the feature provides a quick and easy way to access your favourite applications.
Under the hood, the Mate S comes with a HiSilicon Kirin 935 SoC with four Cortex-A53 processors clocked at 2.2GHz and four more clocked at 1.5GHz. There’s 3GB RAM and a choice of storage options, with the Standard model offering 32GB storage, the Premium model offering 64GB and the Force Touch model offering 128GB storage. All versions run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and come with Huawei’s EMUI v3.1 on top.
Yes, there’s a Force Touch model and while Huawei made a big deal about demonstrating this feature during its launch, the Force Touch is only limited to the most premium of the three variants. If you do wait and get the Force Touch model, you’ll be getting the world’s first 3D pressure recognition display, which brings a range of features.
These include the ability to zoom into images by pressing harder on the screen, launch apps by applying forced pressure to the magic corners and turn off the on-screen keyboard and used force touch to replicate the features. Huawei is yet to reveal when this model will be available and despite reports to the contrary, Force Touch is only available on the most premium Mate S model.
Other notable hardware specs beneath the hood include a 2,700 mAh non-removable battery – which Huawei claim will last over a full days’ usage – along with quick charging that lets you charge for ten minutes to make up to two hours of phone calls but Huawei didn’t reveal how long it takes to charge to full. There’s also an array of sensors and 3 microphones that come with a smart directional algorithm.
The Mate S also offers directional listening with an auto mode automatically picking up the noise you want while cutting any background noise and a manual mode letting you specify exactly which direction the microphone should record from. An example of where this may be useful would be in a meeting with multiple people in a somewhat noisy environment as Huawei say the directional microphones can cut out all background noise while also making the audio recording crystal clear.
The Mate S is set to launch in thirty countries in the coming weeks, with pre-orders launching on September 15th and as mentioned, there are three versions to choose from. The Standard version comes with 32GB storage, will be available in Titanium Grey or Mystique Champagne (which is actually silver) colors and has a recommended retail price of €649 before taxes and subsidies.
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The Premium version comes with 64GB storage, will be available in Prestige Gold or Coral Pink colors and has a recommended retail price of €699 before taxes and subsidies. Huawei hasn’t revealed the colors or pricing for the Force Touch 128GB model but we’ll let you know when we have more info on this.
What do you think of Huawei’s new Mate S? Let us know your views down below guys!
Qualcomm Kryo and heterogeneous computing explained
In amongst the frenzy of device releases yesterday, Qualcomm also begun giving its first details about its new Kryo CPU that will debut with its upcoming Snapdragon 820. Although Qualcomm hasn’t mentioned much about Kryo’s architecture and the chip isn’t scheduled to arrive until 2016, we now have a pretty good idea about where Qualcomm is going with the 820.
For a quick recap, all we have been told about Kryo is that it will appear in a quad-core configuration in the 820, clocked with a peak frequency of 2.2GHz,t it will be built on a 14nm FinFET manufacturing process, and offers twice the power or twice the energy efficiency of the current Snapdragon 810.
Qualcomm is licensing ARM’s architecture again for Kryo, but is developing a clean sheet CPU design, so no ARM Cortex-A72s, A57s or A53s this time around. Therefore, it seems unlikely that Qualcomm will be opting for an asymmetrical (big.LITTLE) CPU setup with the Snapdragon 820, instead the chip is probably more reminiscent of its older quad-core Krait Snapdragons, albeit at lower clock speed (2.2GHz vs 2.7GHz with the old 805) and with a new architecture.
Some of the performance and energy gains over the Snapdragon 810 are likely coming from this new CPU design, but a lot will also come from the jump down from 20nm to 14nm. Although not official, it’s possible that Samsung will be manufacturing the Snapdragon 820 on the same process that it used for its Exynos 7420.
Although we know that Android is pretty happy with large multi-core configurations, Qualcomm appears to be bucking this trend with a move back over to a power-house quad-core design. But the company isn’t completely turning its back on the theory of going wide, as there’s a big focus on Heterogeneous Compute with the Snapdragon 820.
Heterogeneous Compute
The big news alongside Kryo is Qualcomm’s renewed focus on Heterogeneous Computing. Heterogeneous Multiprocessing (HMP) is already big in the Android space, see chips like the Snapdragon 810, Exynos 7420 or Helio X20, but Heterogeneous Compute (HC) is the next evolution. Let me quickly explain the difference.
When we talk about HMP we’re solely in the realm of the CPU; think big.LITTLE, core clusters, and task allocation. This generation of SoCs from all of the mobile players has been making use of ARM’s big.LITTLE technology and various companies have come up with their own task schedulers to allocate loads to the most appropriate CPU core, based on conditions such as energy efficiency, heat and the processing power required.
Read more: ARM’s Intelligent Power Allocation adds some more clever to thermal management
Qualcomm packs a lot of parts into its SoCs, and the Snapdragon 820 wants to improve performance by better allocating resources to them.
Heterogeneous Computing brings additional processing components into the fold. With true HC, tasks can be allocated to the CPU, GPU, DSP, ISP or any other processor that might be able to handle the task most efficiently. You see, processors can be designed to perform certain tasks more efficiently, but a single design struggles to be great at everything. Your typical CPU may be good at serial processing, while a GPU can handle streams of parallel data and a DSP is better optimized for crunching numbers to high accuracy in real time.
With a wider range of options to choose from, the theory is that picking the best processor for any specific task will result in better performance and energy efficiency. The goal may sound familiar to big.LITTLE, but the implementation is quite different. HMP could be compatible with a HC system too, but Qualcomm is likely keeping its CPU setup fairly simple with the Snapdragon 820.
Heterogeneous Compute extends to a wider range of processing components than just the CPU.
Qualcomm suggests that its Hexagon 680 DSP can be used for image processing while consuming less power than using the CPU or GPU, meaning that those components can under-clocked or switched off. Qualcomm isn’t the only one working on this technology. Huawei, with resources from ARM, has developed its own method to offload image processing to its Mali GPU, using OpenCL, which allows for coding adjustments to be made even after release.
Looking specifically at the Snapdragon 820, HC could allow for tasks to be shared between any of its Kryo CPU cores, its Adreno 530 GPU, Hexagon 680 DSP and the Spectra camera ISP. However, managing the power draw and performance of all of these different processor parts becomes a more complicated task. Qualcomm does have a neat trick up its sleeve though, its Symphony System Manager.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Qualcomm hasn’t given out the full details about its Symphony System Manager just yet, but the company has itself compared it to other CPU core management systems. We can surmise that this system will be managing dynamic processor clock frequencies and gating across all of the chip’s processing components, while also monitoring system power draw and heat output.
It will be interesting to see how Qualcomm’s Symphony System Manager and Kyro CPU stack up against big.LITTLE processors when it comes to power management.
API support is the key
However, all of this wonderful stuff doesn’t happen automatically. Something or someone has to decide which cores are most suitable and which are available to use, then manage the components appropriately. This is what makes HC very difficult to actually implement.
There are already a few HC APIs available for programmers to use to handle additional processing components, such as OpenCL and Renderscript. It’s almost certain that the Snapdragon 820’s HC tricks will remain dependant on manufacturer and developer implementations, unless the company has made some major engineering breakthroughs.
Qualcomm’s goals for Heterogeneous Computing may sound familiar, more battery life and cooler components.
Qualcomm also has its own API, which taps into its CPU, Hexagon DSP and Adreno GPU components, there’s its MARE parallel computing SDK, and some specifics SDKs for tasks such as facial recognition. I would imagine that new builds are on the way to make use of specific Snapdragon 820 features, which are also probably tied into the Symphony System Manager.
Qualcomm will be providing driver and programming support to bring its touted benefits to consumers, which is a considerable investment. However, broad API support makes it more likely that third party developers will implement HC, which in turn should encourage wider hardware support from other companies.
“When a user is taking a picture, Symphony responds to the system demand making sure that the right components are powered up running at the needed frequency and only as long as needed. These components include CPU, Spectra ISP, Snapdragon Display Engine, GPU, GPS, and memory system.”
In summary, Qualcomm should be able to use HC to improve the energy efficiency and performance of certain tasks, and the Snapdragon 820 is an important step on the road towards wider adoption of Heterogeneous Compute.
The Snapdragon 820 is shaping up to be an important chip for Qualcomm, which may reseat the company at the top of the mobile SoC market. We will just have to wait until Q1 2016 to see if Qualcomm can fully realize its performance and power consumption gains.
Samsung’s SleepSense tracker shuts off the TV when you snooze
Samsung has just revealed its take on the sleep tracking concept with a new device called SleepSense. Rather than making you wear something on your wrist at night (which is a non-starter for a lot of folks), Samsung proposes that you slip the flat, disk-like device under your mattress, like similar devices from Withings and Misfit. It will then monitor your heart rate, breathing and movement during sleep with a claimed 97 percent accuracy. That information is transmitted to a smartphone app, which gives you an “individual sleep score” based on seven factors, including total sleep time, the number of times you awoke and the percentage of REM sleep.
If you already have trouble sleeping, then you may not need the pressure of getting rated. However, the app will provide “expert advice” from a Harvard sleep expert on how to improve it by changing nutrition, exercise and other factors. SleepSense also works with Samsung’s SmartThings IoT home automation system. When it detects that you’ve fallen asleep, it can turn of lights or the TV and lower the air conditioning, for instance. It sounds pretty good, but while it’s launching in Korea later this year, there’s no word on a US or European arrival, and we still don’t have the all-important price.
Filed under:
Wearables, Samsung
Source:
Samsung
Tags: IoT, samsung, SleepSense, SleepTracker
AIVAnet 