Sony’s new super-compact Exmor RS sensor offers lightning-fast autofocus

Sony has announced a new compact, yet capable stacked CMOS image sensor. The Exmor IMX318 is the company’s latest innovation when it comes to smartphone camera tech, which introduces a number of new features. It’s certainly a step in the right direction for the company, and is a measure we think Sony needs to take this year to remain relevant.

The IMX318 is a type 1/2.6-inch stacked 22.5 megapixels CMOS image sensor, which is more compact than previous generations, yet promises to offer improved performance and greater image quality. It’s boasted as the industry’s first imaging sensor to be equipped with built-in hybrid autofocus, which can result in speeds of up to a staggering 0.03 seconds. Then you have 3-axis image stabilization for even better shots, making the IMX318 quite the capable little sensor.

“As smartphones grow ever thinner, so too are image sensors growing increasingly more compact. In line with this trend, Sony has developed a miniscule 1.0μm pixel sensor that, despite its small size, realizes high image quality. To accomplish this, Sony employed manufacturing technology that improves light utilization efficiency, as well as circuit design technology that eliminates noise, a root cause of deterioration in image quality.”

As well as superior photos, the new sensor will allow for 4K recording at 30fps (frames per second), while 1080p and 720p offer 120fps and 240fps, respectively.

The new imaging sensor is expected to start shipping in May later this year. We can look forward to seeing the company implement the new tech in its product line-up. We’ll hopefully learn more about Sony’s plans for 2016 and beyond at MWC so stay tuned. Should you be interested to learn more about Sony’s new sensor chip, we strongly urge you to check out the company’s official announcement.

Find out more about the new Exmor RS

LeEco Le Max goes on sale in India for ₹32,999

LeEco announced the Le Max in India last month, and the vendor is now kicking off sales of the phone. The Le Max can now be purchased from Flipkart for ₹32,999 ($485) for the variant with 64GB internal memory, with the 128GB model listed for ₹36,999 ($543).

Here’s what you get with the Le Max:

Category LeEco Le Max Display 6.33-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) SoC Octa-core Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor RAM 4GB DDR4 RAM Internal storage 64GB, 128GB Rear camera 21MP with dual-tone LED flash, OIS, f/2.0 Front 4MP, 81.6-degree wide-angle lens Dimensions 167.1 × 83.5 × 8.95 mm Weight 204 grams OS Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based EUI Battery 3400mAh

The phone certainly packs a punch, and is priced lower than flagships from established vendors. If you’re in the market for a large-screened handset, check out the Le Max from the link below.

See at Flipkart

LG G5 captured in the flesh in Dubai ahead of unveiling

The LG G5 is expected to be announced later this month at Mobile World Congress 2016, and since we’re in the run-up to the event it’s around this time when we start to see new leaks and mysterious live photos of products circle online. The latest is of the LG G5 in Dubai, which has been captured in the flesh on a commerce website.

According to this mysterious LG G5 listing, one lucky person has managed to get their hands on the unannounced smartphone from the U.S. and is now attempting to sell it. While we’re unable to verify the legitimacy of said images (and the listing in general), it certainly resembles that of the LG G5 with the dual-camera setup and what appears to be a fingerprint sensor.

As with all leaks, rumors and photos that manage to get published, we recommend you take everything here with a certain level of salt. We’ll be at MWC 2016 to bring you all the latest from the floor, so remain tuned to see what LG has in store for everyone.

Source: Dubizzle, Via: PhoneArena

LG G5

The LG G5 is expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress in late February 2016.

• The modular, dual-everything G5 could be a big deal
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• Get the latest news and rumors on the LG G5
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Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact discounted by up to $60 at Amazon

If you’re in the market for Sony’s Xperia Z5 or Xperia Z5 Compact, you may want to check out Amazon’s deal, as the retailer has slashed the price of the phones by up to $60. The bigger savings comes on the full-sized Xperia Z5, dropping the price from $599 down to $539, a savings of $60. As for the Compact variant, you’ll save $50 when buying from Amazon, making it now $449 instead of $499. These discounts are the first since the devices made their way to the U.S. around a week ago.

The big difference between the two phones is screen size, with the Xperia Z5 coming in at 5.2-inches, while the Compact is only 4.6-inches with a lower resolution display. There are some other internal differences, like 3GB of RAM vs 2GB of RAM, but you’ll find the same 23MP camera in both devices. If you’re interested in grabbing an unlocked Xperia Z5 or Xperia Z5 Compact, you won’t want to miss this savings at Amazon.

Sony Xperia Z5 at Amazon Sony Xperia Z5 Compact at Amazon

Via: TechnoBuffalo

SanDisk’s 200GB microSD is just $89 at Amazon

Amazon is offering a great deal for those in need of some additional storage for their phone or tablet. You can now grab SanDisk’s 200GB microSD card for just $89, or if you need to spend a little less you can go with the 128GB card for only $44. When SanDisk first released the 200GB card, it carried a price tag of around $250, meaning that this new price is a 64 percent savings from its initial release price.

You can also find the 64GB card on sale for $22 or the 32GB card for $12, so there is something for every price point. If you are in need of additional storage for your phone, tablet, computer, camera or other electronic device, be sure to check out the savings from SanDisk at Amazon.

See at Amazon

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This 2-pack of screen protectors for Nexus 6P is only $8.95 today!

Shield your Nexus 6P’s display from scratches and annoying glare with these flexible plastic protectors from Tru Protection. Including 2 per package, they’re easy to apply and leave no sticky residue behind when it’s time to switch them out.

LG silently outs the mid-range K8 in Europe with Marshmallow on board

LG has outed the mid-range K8 with Marshmallow on board. The company has the smartphone listed on its Hungarian website, alongside included specifications. This new handset sits comfortably in-between the K7 and K10, which were unveiled back at CES.

According to the official listing, here are the specifications of the LG K8:

• 5-inch HD IPS display (720p)
• MediaTek MT6735 processor
• 8MP main rear camera
• 5MP front-facing camera
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 8GB / 32GB internal storage
• Bluetooth 4.2
• LTE connectivity
• 2125mAh battery

Interestingly, while this latest addition to the K family is hoped to help LG better compete against affordable smartphones, the company managed to slip the K8 through without much fuss. Both pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed by the company, but we should expect to see the K8 hit other European markets soon.

Source: LG (HU)

Verizon is now rolling out Marshmallow to both the LG G3 and G4

Those of you with either the LG G4 or its predecessor, the LG G3, on Verizon – and who are patiently awaiting the arrival of Android 6.0 Marshmallow – will be relieved to learn that the U.S. carrier has commenced the roll out. You should receive the notification to update your smartphone shortly.

If you haven’t yet received the update alert, be sure to give it a number of hours to fully propagate through the system. You can always perform a manual update check by heading into Settings, About phone and check for update.

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You can learn more about the updates hitting both smartphones by heading to the respective support pages on Verizon’s website (linked below).

Source: Verizon (G3), (G4)

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Newer model: LG G5

How to AirPlay only audio from your Mac – CNET

AirPlay Mirroring was first introduced to the Mac with the release of OS X Mountain Lion in 2012. The feature makes it possible to take whatever is on your Mac’s screen and display it on a nearby television that’s connected to an Apple TV. But what if you want to share audio without someone else seeing your screen, or you simply want to use an AirPlay-equipped speaker to listen to music?

You can use AirPlay on your Mac to send only the dings, beeps and every other sound to a nearby AirPlay device. This feature comes in particularly handy when listening to Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station, due to Apple disabling AirPlay in iTunes when you begin streaming the channel (for some reason I’m yet to figure out).

In order for this to work you’ll need to have a Mac built in mid-2011 or later, running OS X Mountain Lion or newer.

Remember, you’ll need an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible speaker connected to the same network as your Mac for this to work.

In order to stream all audio from your Mac using AirPlay, you just need to change the audio output of your Mac. You can do this one of two ways:

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

The first is by launching System Preferences, clicking on Sound, followed by the Output tab. Select the appropriate speaker or Apple TV from the list of options.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

The easier method is to hold down the Option key on your keyboard, then click on the speaker icon in your menu bar. You will then see a list of audio output devices, including any Apple TVs or AirPlay speakers on the local network.

Once you change the audio output to an AirPlay device, all audio coming from your Mac will go through the Apple TV, and not the internal speakers on your Mac.

To change the audio output back to your Mac’s internal speakers, you can either Option-click on the speaker icon again and select internal speakers, or go back into System Preferences and change it there.

Editors’ note:This post was originally published July 30, 2012. It has since been updated to reflect current operating systems.

Keep friends from knowing when you’ve read their iMessage – CNET

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Jason Cipriani/CNET

When you allow iMessage to mark messages as read, the person you are talking with is able to see when you viewed a message. This can be a handy feature, sure, but it also can make you look like you’re avoiding someone, even if you’re just busy and can’t answer right away.

For that reason, I’ve disabled read receipts in iMessage. I don’t like the guilt that comes along with knowing a message is marked as read, and the person on the other end thinking I am avoiding him or her.

But as MacTrast recently covered (via OSXDaily), owners of the latest iPhone 6S and 6S Plus can read a message without triggering a read receipt.

As we’ve previously discussed, 3D Touch on the new iPhones enables two new modes of interaction called Peek and Pop. You can peek at something, say an email or text message, without actually opening it with a light press on your screen. A harder press Pops — or opens — the item.

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Jason Cipriani/CNET

So in order to view a message without opening it, lightly press on the conversation thread in the Messages app. By peeking at the conversation, you’re able to view the latest messages without opening it, thus triggering a read receipt.

I’ve been using this to quickly view and reply to messages since the launch of the iPhone 6S by sliding up while peeking at a conversation and selecting one of the predefined replies, but never thought about it as a means to avoid letting someone know you’ve read a message.

If you find this to be too much work, you can always disable read receipts by launching the Settings app, selecting Messages, and turning the feature off.