Robot home can anticipate and cater to your needs

Ashutosh Saxena, the founder of a startup called Brain of Things, believes an automated home might make more sense than automated cars in the long run. We spend more time inside our houses, after all. That’s the reason his company is building “robot homes” in three locations in California. They don’t exactly come with a Rosie that can vacuum your carpet or a Pepper that can entertain your guests, but they’re loaded with sensors and automated appliances that can learn your habits. “The house knows the context, whether [its occupants] were watching a movie or sleeping or whatever,” Saxena told MIT’s Technology Review.

If you walk into the kitchen in the middle of the night, for instance, the house can automatically switch the lights on (in dim mode) as you go. Your blinds can lift and lower by themselves after the house learns when you usually wake up and go to bed. The system can also detect early on if a pipe is leaking or if there’s anything wrong with your heating or air conditioning. It can even beam a live video feed to your phone if someone’s at the door and feed your pet while you’re at work.

Each home has 20 sensors, and almost everything’s automated: there are still switches to control things, but you can also use voice commands or the house’s accompanying app. Internet-connected lights and appliances aren’t anything new. Brain of Things, however, promises a fully automated home as soon as you move in. Since Saxena understands that some people might be concerned about their privacy, he opted not to put sensors inside bedrooms. He also said that any data the system collects stays inside the building.

While its features sound very useful for the elderly and persons with disability, we see just about any kind of tech junkie jumping at the opportunity to live in this kind of home, as well. The startup already has a few working robot apartments in Santa Rosa, California, and the system costs their tenants $125 per month on top of their basic rent. Just something to take note of if you’ve made it a quest to live in one of Brain of Thing’s properties.

Via: Technology Review

Source: Brain of Things

Apple Music Partner Sonos Sees its Future in Streaming, Voice Control

Wireless audio company and Apple Music partner Sonos has announced it will lay off employees as it restructures the business towards a new focus on music streaming and voice control.

The reasoning behind the move came in a blog post yesterday by Sonos CEO John MacFarlane, who called it an “investment in the future of music” that would allow the company to remain profitable, but which came with “very difficult” consequences. No details were given on the extent of the job cuts.

MacFarlane said the change would first see Sonos “lean into” the area of paid streaming services, following an irreversible shift in the music ecosystem, led by Apple.

This past year, when Apple announced its entry with Apple Music, we saw and helped drive a dramatic acceleration of paid music subscriptions. With Apple’s influence, the entire ecosystem – labels, artists, management – began to embrace and advance streaming all over the world.

Now, this shift is irreversibly started, and everyone in the ecosystem is adjusting to a world of streaming services. The Beatles library, now available on all the streaming services, is a perfect example of how labels are leaning into streaming.

MacFarlane said the path forward for the music industry and for Sonos is “crystal clear” as he announced it was “doubling down” on streaming music, with an aim to build “incredibly rich experiences” as consumers inevitably grew dissatisfied with existing solutions for listening at home.

The CEO offered few details on the products or services that would be at the center of such experiences, but identified voice control as the way forward, calling the company “fans” of Amazon’s Alexa personal assistant and Echo hardware.

Voice recognition isn’t new; today it’s nearly ubiquitous with Siri, OK Google, and Cortana. But the Echo found a sweet spot in the home and will impact how we navigate music, weather, and many, many other things as developers bring new ideas and more content to the Alexa platform.

Alexa/Echo is the first product to really showcase the power of voice control in the home. Its popularity with consumers will accelerate innovation across the entire industry. What is novel today will become standard tomorrow. Here again, Sonos is taking the long view in how best to bring voice-enabled music experiences into the home. Voice is a big change for us, so we’ll invest what’s required to bring it to market in a wonderful way.

Sonos made a name for itself by offering wireless sound systems that connect to an app which integrates third-party music streaming services including Spotify and SoundCloud. Apple Music content became available on Sonos wireless speakers in February after extensive beta testing by hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Sonos faces increasingly stiff competition as companies like Google, Samsung and Bose continue to expand their own wireless home audio solutions. However, while Amazon announced two new voice-activated audio products just last week, it also released accompanying SDKs and APIs which enable any device to respond to voice commands, opening the door for potential Sonos speaker integrations in the future.

Tags: Apple Music, Sonos
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D-Link DCS-2630L review – CNET

The Good The $180 D-Link DCS-2630L offers a 180-degree distortion-free live stream along with local cloud storage (up to 128GB, microSD card not included), one of the first DIY models with these combined options.

The Bad Setting up a connected D-Link product is notoriously complicated (according to our experiences, at least) and the DCS-2630L is no exception. The camera is huge — literally. It’s way bigger than Nest Cam and other competitors.

The Bottom Line If you are specifically looking for a wide-angle DIY indoor camera with local storage, the D-Link DCS-2630L will work well. Just don’t expect stellar design or a headache-free setup process.

I’m conflicted about D-Link’s $180 DCS-2630L indoor security camera. Complete with a 180-degree wide-angle lens, local storage via a microSD card slot, highly customizable settings and fine performance, it’s definitely recommendable.

D-Link’s huge camera has the wide-angle lens…
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But, there’s one big caveat, and I mean that literally: This camera is huge.

Where competitors like the $200 Nest Cam, the $150 Kodak CFH-V20 and the $190 Samsung SmartCam HD Plus stand somewhere in the 4-to-5-inch range, D-Link’s DCS-2630L is closer to 6 inches. Its width and depth are similarly super-size, too, meaning this camera will take up noticeably more space than most other models.

Dimensions may not be a deal-breaker for most, but the idea with home security is discretion. And if a camera isn’t especially discreet, it should at least be pretty, a nice design element that works with your home decor.

D-Link’s DCS-2630L is neither, so I’m stumped. Sure, the glossy, black plastic finish is fine, but it also isn’t something I’d want to draw undue attention to.

A not-so-simple set up

This camera is also difficult to set up. As with the brand’s Pan & Tilt Day/Night Network Camera and its Wi-Fi Smart Plug, the step-by-step instructions are convoluted at best and glitchy at worst. For instance, the last step in the setup process is creating a new account on the Mydlink Lite app (available for Android and iOS devices). Typically that happens at the beginning of gadget configuration, and it’s a logical first step. Not so with D-Link.

More camera coverage:

• Peace of mind not included with D-Link’s Network Camera
• Kodak’s people-detecting V20 is smarter than your average security camera
• This Nest Cam copy doesn’t quite stack up
• Don’t get rid of your Dropcam just yet
• This overachieving DIY security stunner scores big

In this case, I received an error message when I tried to create an account even though I had already successfully connected the camera to Wi-Fi and finished all of the other steps. Specifically it said, “Could not connect to the Mydlink server.”

And instead of taking me to the previous step so I could try again, it canceled the entire configuration, forcing me to reset the camera (there’s a tiny pinhole on the back of the camera for resetting; press it until the light begins to blink red). Other times it said “Connection timed out” before I could complete the installation. Thus, I became very familiar with the DCS-2630L’s reset button.

When I finally did get through all of the steps, the software told me that the email address I had been trying to register for the good part of an hour was already registered. So, even though the app gave me several error messages that prevented me from completing the set-up, it must have actually worked during one of those earlier attempts. Frustrating.

A better D-Link?

Things did get better after that initial configuration, though. The app, although not as intuitive as Nest’s, was easy enough to navigate.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Should you upgrade to Samsung’s new flagship?

Samsung has two new flagship handsets, replacing it’s popular S6 models. Announced at Mobile World Congress 2016, and now available to buy globally, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is set to be one of the hottest phones of 2016.

But the phone it replaces, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is also fantastic. These devices look similar in design and offer many of the same features. So is it worth you upgrading? Should you choose the Samsung Galaxy S7 to replace your Galaxy S6?

Read on to find out what the differences and similarities are between the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S6.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S6 measures 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm and weighs a mere 136g. It has a metal-built premium design and it did away with the removeable back and therefore removable battery found in its predecessors.

The Galaxy S7 offers a similar design to the Galaxy S6 but it’s a little smaller in terms of footprint, a little thicker and a little heavier. The S7 measures 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm and hits the scales at 152g. That increased weigh brings an added sense of quality to the SGS7. 

There’s also a curve on the rear edges now. That means the slightly thicker build doesn’t make this phone feel worse in the hand; on the contrary, it’s nicer to hold as it feels less like a flat slab. The SGS7, however, is much more prone to fingerprint smears, especially noticeable on the darker finishes.

The rear camera lens now sits more flush than it did on the SGS6 and microSD support has been reintroduced in the same tray as the SIM card.

One more thing differentiates the old and new Galaxy models and that’s water and dust resistance. The Galaxy S7 has an IP68 rating, which means it will be significantly more resistant than its predecessor. That alone might give you a reason to upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Display

The Samsung Galaxy S6 offers a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixel) resolution. It’s a flat display, not to be mistaken for the curved display offered on the SGS6 edge.

The Galaxy S7 also comes with a flat display, with another, larger, variant offering the curved screen as per last year. The S7 sticks to its guns with it too offering a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution for a 577ppi.

The display is essentially the same experience across both devices, it’s saturated, offers great viewing angles and it really sharp, even when magnified by a VR headset. However the Galaxy S7 offers the always on display feature. This will give you basic at-a-glance information when the display is in standby.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S6 has been highly praised for its camera abilities. It arrived on the smartphone scene with a 16-megapixel rear snapper, coupled with a 5-megapixel front snapper and both perform brilliantly.

The Galaxy S7 launches with a 12-megapixel rear camera, although the pixels have been increased from 1.2µm to 1.4µm, which should help capture light in darker conditions. The aperture on the new device has also widened to f/1.7 and the new camera also comes with what the company is calling Dual Pixel, a feature which will speed up auto focusing.

The SGS7 camera is very good. It gives you great consistent results in a wide range of conditions with the auto mode taking care of just about everything. There’s a great pro mode for those who want more control, as well as raw capture for those who want to post-process images on a computer.

However, for all the changes, the message is this: both are excellent. The SGS7 might be a little better in low light, but with the SGS6 performance being so good already, the camera isn’t hugely different. The front-facing camera on the Galaxy S7 remains at 5-megapixels like the Galaxy S6 and offers very much the same experience.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Power and hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S6 moved away from Qualcomm and went in-house for its processing power. The Exynos octa-core chipset is supported by 3GB of RAM and internal memory options of 32G, 64GB and 128GB. MicroSD card support was taken away, upsetting a few, while the 2550mAh battery gave pretty poor performance.

The Galaxy S7 comes in a couple of different hardware variants depending on the region. One will offer the Exynos 8 Octa chipset, while the other will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core chip. In the UK we have the Exynos version, which is said to be slightly less powerful than the Qualcomm.

The Galaxy S7 comes with 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory, boosted with microSD expansion. The SGS7 also sees a bump in battery capacity to 3000mAh. The SGS7 is faster and offers better stamina from that bigger battery.

There’s no question about it: the Galaxy S7 is the slicker and faster handset, with better battery life and more flexible storage.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Software

The Samsung Galaxy S6 arrived with Android Lollipop, along with a more streamlined version of its TouchWiz overlay. It is slowing being updated to Marshmallow. The message in the SGS6 was that less software is more, and it was a lot cleaner than previous devices.

The Galaxy S7 arrives with Android Marshmallow from the box. TouchWiz is still present, offering a familiar experience to users of the SGS6. The new device will come protected by Samsung Knox, as well as offering Samsung Pay and a new Games Launcher. 

There are a number of changes to support new Android features, but the experience is very much the same. The important thing is that the SGS7 is very well optimised, so it’s all very slick and smooth.

Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Galaxy S6: Conclusion

So what is different between the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S7? The new phone, as you’d expect, is more powerful, but the real reward is better battery life. The addition of microSD makes storage much more flexible.

The display is very much the same as it was. It’s still rich, shape and looks great. The same is true of the camera – there have been changes, but the experience on both devices is very good.

The design is pretty much the same, but the addition of the waterproofing is a definite plus as is the finish with those curves to the rear of the handset. It’s a small thing, but the new phone just feels better in the hand. That added weight comes from the bigger battery and that’s something you’ll definitely want.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was one of the best smartphones of 2015. The Samsung Galaxy S7 could well be the best smartphone of 2016. The difference isn’t huge, but the best is definitely better.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 review: Samsung’s unsung hero?

‘Rocket League’ is getting a basketball mode

It’s already pretty tough to argue against Rocket League being the best multiplayer game of 2015, but things are about to get a lot more fun. With March Madness almost upon us, Psyonix, the team behind the smash-em-up soccer car game, has teased a new game mode they’re working on — and it looks incredible. Get ready, because Rocket League will soon let you swap goals for hoops with the launch of a new basketball mode.

If you’ve been brushing up on those boost skills, Rocket League’s new mode looks like it will provide the perfect opportunity to show them off. Instead of ramming the ball into an industrial-sized soccer goal, you’ll need to bounce it into an excessively wide net. It also looks like new courts and stadia will be introduced to give it a more authentic feel.

Despite the tease, Pysonix is keeping quiet about its new game mode. However, the First Four March Madness games tip off March 15th with the First Round happening on the 17th. That probably means you only have a few days to wait before you can begin dunking on rival players.

March Madness is just around the corner. Great time to tease the mode we’re working on next #RocketLeagueHoops pic.twitter.com/rrlEnnFhby

— Rocket League (@RocketLeague) March 11, 2016

Source: Rocket League (Twitter)

Your ‘unlocked’ Euro Galaxy S7 is still region-locked — but that’s not a huge deal

You’ll still need to use your unlocked Euro Galaxy S7 for a while before trying to use it with a non-European SIM.

Over the past couple of years, Samsung has introduced region-locking to some of its unlocked handsets — particularly in markets like Europe and Latin America. The idea is you wouldn’t be able to pick up a new Galaxy phone in one region and immediately use it with a SIM card from somewhere else. (This is not to be confused with network-locking, where a phone bought through a carrier is locked to its network.)

The same applies to the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge — models SM-G930F and SM-G935F, if you’re keeping track — which have just officially launched across Europe. Pick up an unlocked GS7 or GS7 edge and its box will be sealed with a sticker reading “European SIM card only.”

The tab below this sticker explains how and why, albeit in tiny and rather verbose script. Essentially, in order for your unlocked European GS7 to be fully unlocked, you first need to make a total of five minutes worth of phone calls using a European SIM. If you don’t do this, and try to use it with a SIM from outside of Europe, it won’t connect to the network.

Even without this requirement though, you can still use your brand new Euro GS7 on any European network you like.

Samsung’s trying to scupper grey importers, not regular consumers.

So why is Samsung doing this? It’s most likely intended to scupper grey importers — sellers who offer European Samsung phones for sale in regions they’re not intended for. (And that’s an increasingly attractive proposition given that Samsung’s still not selling unlocked Galaxy S7s in the U.S.) The region lock lets most regular buyers have a completely unlocked phone for use around the world, after first using it for a short while in their home territory, while roadblocking anyone who’s bulk-shipping Euro GS7s to other parts of the world.

It’s a minor inconvenience, and something we’d rather not have to deal with when we’re paying top dollar for a brand new device. But at the same time, a five-minute phone call (or five one-minute phone calls, or whatever) is a fairly small compromise.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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New battery could mean the Samsung Galaxy S8 only charges once a week

Current lithium-ion batteries may be about to get a much-needed upgrade thanks to a new development for fuel cells. The new batteries should be able to keep smartphones and drones going for over double the time they currently last. It could even be applied to electric cars to double their range.

The new battery is being called a miniaturised solid oxide fuel cell by is discoverers at Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea.

Since this is a South Korean development, Samsung’s home turf where it pays a lot of money for research and development, we can hope this will appear in the next flagship smartphone that should be the Galaxy S8.

This represents the first time in the world that anybody has ever combined porous stainless steel with thin-film electrolyte and electrodes. Specifically ones that are “of minimal heat capacity,” says the university.

Not only are these new batteries able to churn out power for longer than lithium-ion but they’re more durable too. That makes them ideal for drones and electric cars since they can withstand more.

The university has said that these new batteries will mean charging your phone once a week and flying drones for over an hour at a time.

When the batteries will arrive has not been made clear but development for industrial uses are expected. This is exciting as a lot of battery announcements simply focus on the creation of the tech and not the implementation of it. Fingers crossed we see it soon in the Samsung Galaxy S8.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 tips and tricks: Master your new Galaxy

Fujifilm X-Pro2 review: Pro perfection?

When the Fujifilm X-Pro1 burst onto the camera scene its retro digital rangefinder style was like a pleasurable punch to the face; the kind of kipper-slap that left us, and many, a bit tingly around the chops and hungry for more. No camera maker had dared make something so delightfully of the past, yet so very of the moment, if not the future – and it’s since inspired Nikon and other major makers to take similar design steps with some models.

Where the X-Pro1 succeeded its four-year-follow-up, the X-Pro2, looks to tinker and tweak that pro-spec concept into an even more refined camera. But it’s arguably not redefined, which raises the question – especially with all manner of competition progressing in the compact system camera market – as to whether that’s enough?

We’ve been using the X-Pro2 – accompanied by both 35mm f/2 and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 XF lenses (and the 28mm equivalent X70 compact also in tow) – to shoot marathons, holiday snaps, and more, to see whether this somewhat niche camera is every bit as pro as its name suggests or not.

X-Pro1 vs X-Pro2: What’s new?

The X-Pro2 is based around the same magnesium alloy shell as its X-Pro1 predecessor. That’s not to say it’s identical, given some design tweaks, but to look at from a distance most would struggle to tell the difference between the two.

Unless, perhaps, you’re an X-Pro1 user. Then you’ll spot the X-Pro2’s tweaks by comparison: there’s a command dial added to the front (which we’ve rarely to never used, incidentally); a more significant thumb rest to the rear right; no buttons are positioned to the left side of the camera’s LCD screen any more; the now larger exposure compensation dial up top caters for +/-3EV (using “C” it can be extended to +/-5EV); the shutter dial includes a secondary ISO setting function (actioned by pulling upwards on this dial’s outer ring); there’s a new joystick control for rapid focus point repositioning; and the dials have a more tactile textured finish. Whew, now draw breath.

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Dig a little deeper and the X-Pro2 offers even more: it’s the first ever compact system camera to offer dual SD card slots (finally!); its hybrid viewfinder has the same combination of optical and electronic as before – albeit with roughly double the resolution at 2.36m-dots – but now adds the corner-positioned digital rangefinder overlay screen as found in the X100T (more on that later); there’s a new, faster and more detailed autofocus system; and the sensor introduces X-Trans CMOS III, along with an increased resolution of 24-megapixels.

So the X-Pro2 clearly adds plenty to the mix compared to the X-Pro1, but after four years these are the kind of changes that have become expectation in the camera world. What lacks is a larger-than-3-inch screen size (there’s space enough for one in the design), touchscreen functionality (perhaps not a deal-breaker, but with cameras like the company’s X70 including one it seems like a sensible extra option), and the screen remains fixed to the rear.

Which brings us to the shortcomings of the design: the fixed rear screen feels strangely restrictive in a world where Panasonic GH4 and Olympus OM-D models all tout a vari-angle feature, often with touchscreen. Not so the X-Pro2 – two features we feel should be on board, especially in a chunky camera build such as this. Still, the LCD’s 1.62m-dot resolution is as good as it gets and looks great.

The other real oddity is no lock on the exposure compensation dial; a dial we have knocked out of place repeatedly throughout use, often snapping at -1EV by sheer accident. Seeing as the shutter dial has a lock, despite being positioned nowhere near flailing fingers’ reach, we don’t get why the exposure compensation dial has fallen by the wayside.

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Fuji X-Pro2 review: An exemplary viewfinder

Minor shortcomings are just that, though: minor. In the case of the X-Pro2’s viewfinder there are some really exceptional features that stand this model apart from anything else on the market. It’s exemplary for photo enthusiasts, but in the same breath if you don’t know much about photography then chances are you’ll find it nothing more than overly complicated given the number of modes available and physical lever control to toggle between them.

So let’s recap, if you’re unfamiliar: the principle of the X-Pro1, which the X-Pro2 also embodies, is to pair an optical viewfinder’s quality with an electronic viewfinder overlay to add the benefits of shooting data direct to your eye. The X-Pro2 is an interchangeable lens camera, so different lenses will mean different digital crop marks are shown within the finder to get around the fact an optical finder, in a rangefinder-like arrangement, will always have a fixed angle of view. So when the optical finder ceases to make sense – such as with extra-long lens like the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, where the lens protrusion more-or-less blocks 50 per cent of the finder view, or when close-up parallax error comes into play, the finder clicks into a 100 per cent electronic view.

What the X-Pro2 adds that the X-Pro1 lacked is a small translucent screen within the bottom right corner of the finder display. That might sound gimmicky, but it’s not only invisible when not active, it’s hugely useful, just as it is with the Fujifilm X100T model. Because parallax error occurs with close-up focus – that is, what you see through the optical finder differs positionally from the frame you’ll actually capture, increasingly so the closer to subject you are (dependent on the lens used) – it can be countered by seeing an accurate 100 per cent view of the scene at small scale. Great. Alternatively use this translucent screen to show a 2.5x or 6.0x magnification of the active focus point for precision manual focus, much like a traditional rangefinder camera, ensuring correct focus for close-up shooting.

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FujiFILM X-Pro2 review: Some shortcomings

Still with us? Good. There’s obviously potential for all this to be overly complex, especially for newcomers (which this camera really isn’t aimed at), but this is a viewfinder like no other. And it’s at its very best in the X-Pro2. The latest processor means a refresh rate of 85fps too, which, while not quite class-leading, is considerably higher than its predecessor for better performance in low-light and smoother playback in normal conditions. Interestingly there are power-saving modes that lower the finder’s digital output resolution and frame-rate to conserve battery life, if you want, ensuring the X-Pro2 can last just as long as the original model.

Which is perhaps a sticking point of the camera: in our first battery drain we shot 290 frames (JPEG fine & raw), did some menu fiddling and, quite probably, had the camera on for excessive periods between shooting. But we were shooting a marathon, so had to be ready. In short: get a spare battery or two, because those five visual bars of power dip pretty quickly, before putting you in the red in no time.

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 review – sample image (using 100-400mm lens), ISO 200

There’s an additional issue too: the camera does like to go into sleep mode, which is great for conserving battery, but it’s pants when it comes to kicking it back out of sleep; it’s actually slower than booting the camera from off, which is a pain.

Furthermore the auto viewfinder activation can be a little slow, and we’ve found ourselves staring down the side of a 100-400mm lens barrel awaiting the electronic view to kick in for a little longer than we ought to – which is less “pro” than the name might suggest. We know Fujifilm can do it, we know it can be altogether faster, so perhaps some firmware tweaks here and there and we’ll be onto some improvements.

Fuji X-Pro2 review: Far faster

When the original X-Pro1 arrived with its trio of XF-mount lenses back in 2011 it wasn’t a particularly fast performer. Interestingly Fujifilm boosted this considerably via firmware updates over the following years, but the company was never truly able to keep up with the likes of Panasonic in the autofocus speed department.

It’s all change with the X-Pro, which elevates its performance to a really competitive level. And having shot a marathon using continuous autofocus we can see there’s a lot of progress; it’s one of few compact system cameras that’s passable in shooting moving subjects. Not perfect, though, as even at 1/1250th sec a number of frames weren’t pinpoint sharp, plus some in-between frames have been off the mark. Which, even if it sounds like we’re dragging it down a bit, is a fair achievement for this camera format – just look at the shots of runners in our gallery and you’ll get a feel of what’s possible.

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 review – sample image (using 100-400mm lens), ISO 400

This achievement is because there’s a lot going on behind the scenes: that new sensor embodies 273 focus points, 169 of which are phase-detection pixels to keep focus extra snappy. It’s the fastest and most capable Fujifilm X-series that we’ve used to date. These phase detection points are arranged in a square format to the centre of the focus arrangement, as outlined by a green square overlay, including individual points (to 49 points max) if activated – and this central area is where autofocus is considerably more responsive.

Here is where that new joystick control to the rear also comes in real handy to quickly move a single focus point around: no need to menu dig, nor take your eye away from the viewfinder while thumbing around, which makes a lot of sense. Or wide tracking and zone autofocus options are also available should you prefer.

Switching between single and continuous autofocus is actioned using a front dial, to click between the S, C and M markings. Manual focus, too, is a real draw for a camera of this type – there’s even split focus to mimic a rangefinder if that’s how you prefer to shoot. You want retro, you got it, without compromising modern capabilities too.

Burst mode is up to eight frames per second (8fps), with 83 frames able to be buffered without slow-down (27 if shooting raw, less if shooting raw & JPEG). Having had a camera and SD cards stolen recently, however, we’ve not been shooting with the very fastest of cards this time around, but with a UHS-I Panasonic SD on board it’s been doing a fine job. Only once did we have a bizarre write crash which required a battery pull. We do miss our UHS-II card, though, which the X-Pro2 is compatible with (via slot one only, not the second) for the very fastest write speeds.

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 review – sample image (using 35mm f/2 lens), ISO 200

Fuji X-Pro2 review: Image quality

The more we’ve lived with the X-Pro2 the more we’ve become impressed with it as a versatile tool. We didn’t expect to get as many decent shots of the marathon as we did, but when looking even closer at image quality the X-Pro2 really sells its “pro” name.

We were impressed by the earlier X-Trans CMOS II and processor, the same one as found in the also-just-reviewed X70 compact, with the X-Trans CMOS III in the X-Pro2 delivering the goods too. By and large this iteration is all about resolution: the X-Pro2 pumps resolution to 24-megapixels, which is a significant increase compared to the 16-megapixel standard throughout the range before. Takashi Ueno, X-Pro2 manager, described this as “almost the limit” of what’s feasible from an APS-C sensor size, and while we’re sure the company will push into even higher resolution in the future, the results from the current model speak for themselves.

Just as before the way in which Fujifilm cameras derive colour data and ensure sharp, moire-free results is different compared to the competition. Fujifilm was the first company to ditch the optical low-pass filter for sharper results, which would potentially be problematic if not for a unique colour filter array put in place. Standard cameras’ colour filters look at a two-by-two grid to generate the colours for the four selected pixels, whereas the X-Trans CMOS III looks at a six-by-six grid arranged in a non-linear fashion rather than a fixed, repetitious one. The latest sensor doesn’t differ in its methods, it’s just higher resolution, and it works a treat.

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 review – sample image (using 35mm f/2 lens), ISO 200 – 100 per cent JPEG crop

Shoot at the low ISO settings – and you literally have to adjust the ring-pull ISO dial to make changes, there’s no digital way to do so, save for a trio of auto ISO settings (to correspond with “A” on that dial) – and the ISO 200 results are every bit as good as the previous generation at this higher resolution. No complains here: stacks of detail, colour and dynamic range that can be adjusted for processing between normal, auto and 100/200/400 “boosted” options. Shoot raw and you’ll always have the original, although at the time of writing the native raw format isn’t compatible with Adobe Photoshop (it’ll come, but only then will we get a good look at the files).

There is, of course, some dependency on lens choice. The XF lenses in the Fujifilm stable are, by and large, aimed at the higher end, but they do carry their own issues from time to time: the 35mm f/2.0 has fairly severe corner softness, for example; the 100-400mm, while decent, is relatively limited in maximum aperture (at f/4.5-5.6) throughout. Pick lenses critically and learn their strong points and weaknesses for the best results. Centre sharpness, though, that’s something we can’t complain about for sure.

If low-light is your thing then you’ll more than likely be boosting the ISO sensitivity. Fujifilm’s X Processor Pro handles things really well here, keeping the majority of image noise at bay even to ISO 6400. Look at the shot of a drawer handle at f/2.8, for example, its light grey surface areas are very clean, even the mid-grey through to shadow areas in the corner hold up fairly well. What does suffer at these four-figure ISO sensitivities, however, is critical sharpness: there’s not the same bite that you’ll get from the lower settings due to processing (rather than lens choice).

Pocket-lint

Fujifilm X-Pro2 review – sample image (using 35mm f/2 lens), ISO 6400 (f/4.0)

Also within the image options there’s a new ARCOS monochrome mode for authentic black and white shots straight from camera, while a new grain mode (weak/strong/off) sees the X-Pro2 take lead within the X-series when it comes to in-camera effects.

The X Processor Pro is some four times faster than any previous X-series camera, which sounds rather exciting but, somehow, Fujifilm has missed out on ticking the 4K video box. The X-Pro2 can shoot 1080p, but we suspect Ultra-HD has been kept out of reach due to the colour filter arrangement and processing required.

Verdict

The X-Pro2’s tweaks and tinkers forge a far more accomplished camera than the original X-Pro1 for the modern professional. It’s faster, better to use and those small details and boosted resolution make all the difference. Not to mention there are more XF lenses now than four years ago – although still not heaps of optics on offer.

Sure, it’s a quirky camera, but that’s kind of what we loved about the X-Pro back in 2011. The X-Pro2 stands out from the crowd with its complex “advanced hybrid multi viewfinder” (that’s what Fujifilm likes to call it), making for a camera experience that’s positively retro, but positively professional in this department. It’s not half bad in continuous autofocus mode too, so you don’t have to just stick to rangefinder-style manual focus by any means.

We’d still like to see a vari-angle touchscreen rather than fixed panel only; the lack of lock on the exposure compensation dial is a real nuisance; we didn’t find the new front dial all that useful (for whatever reason); there’s no 4K (not a deal-breaker); and some auto-activation/wake-from-sleep software tweaks would further improve. But, hey, we’re largely nitpicking.

The X-Pro2 largely delivers on its pro namesake. It’s a camera proposition unlike any other and one that, for the right user (and it is niche), will be close to pro perfection.

Stanford’s HIV and cancer test detects their presence earlier

A new technique to detect HIV and cancer developed by a team of Stanford chemists could save lives. It’s a lot more sensitive than current screening tools, and hence has the power to detect diseases much earlier. As you know, the earlier an illness is detected, the more treatable it is. Like many other screening tests, this one also works by fishing for antibodies our immune system produces when it detects diseases using molecules with “flags” attached to them.

Its secret is that it replaces typical flags used today with short strands of DNA. Those strands can be segregated using DNA isolation techniques more sensitive than current techniques to isolate antibodies. When the team pitted their test against FDA-approved variants for thyroid cancer, for instance, they found that it’s at least at least 800 times (and as much as 10,000 times) more sensitive.

Peter Robinson, one of the team members and co-authors of the study said:

The thyroid cancer test has historically been a fairly challenging immunoassay, because it produces a lot of false positives and false negatives, so it wasn’t clear if our test would have an advantage. We suspected ours would be more sensitive, but we were pleasantly surprised by the magnitude.

Since the thyroid cancer experiment already proved the new test’s potency, the team has already begun conducting clinical trials. In fact, it’s already being tested as an HIV screening tool at the Alameda County Public Health Laboratory.

Source: Stanford

Redesigned ‘Wikipedia’ iOS App Brings 3D Touch, Handoff Support

Wikipedia yesterday released a major update to its iOS app, offering an all-new interface and several new features designed to enhance content discovery.

Wikipedia Mobile 5.0 brings several optimizations to devices running iOS 9, featuring Spotlight Search integration, Handoff support, and 3D Touch enhancements for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Plus users.

Previous updates to the app added features like offline access and mobile editing, but with the latest version Wikipedia has changed tack by aiming to make navigation simpler and developing an interface that’s more focused on personalization and tailored content.

The Explore feed now populates based on previous interests, local surroundings, and featured articles and images, with support for navigating using a wider range of multi-touch gestures.

3D Touch support has also been extended to the Wikipedia icon, with Quick Actions like “Random article” and “Nearby articles” accessible from the home screen.

Wikipedia Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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