Best drone photos ever: Stunning images taken from up high
Drone photography is still a relatively new phenomenon, but with drones becoming more accessible, the public are getting just as involved as professionals. The number of and quality of drone photos has now received enough attention to start up an official awards programme.
In 2014, the National Geographic in France teamed up with social network Dronestegram to create a competition for the best drone photos. Move into 2016 and the number of stunning drone shots is astounding.
Now that most new drones come equipped with at least a 1080p video camera and snappers from around 12-megapixels, capturing great shots is easier. We say easier but that’s not to say easy. The winner of the 2014 Dronestagram and National Geographic Prize was an amazing shot hovering just above a bird at a national park in Indonesia – not a simple image to capture by any imagination. The 2016 winner for best sports adventure photo went to a shot of a mountain climber on Moab Rock in Utah.
We’ve compiled all the winning photos as well as plenty more from Dronestagram to show off just how stunning drone photos can be. Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor then click through the image gallery above and enjoy.
And once you’re done with this lot there’s even more amazing photos taken with GoPros in our Best GoPro gallery.
READ: The best GoPro photos in the world, prepare to lose your breath
Tesla shows off its upgraded self-driving capabilities
Yesterday, Tesla promised that it would equip its entire fleet with self-driving hardware, and it has now showed showed off what that tech can do. It released a video showing a Model X do a fully autonomous drive with “no human input at all,” Elon Musk tweeted. During the demo, the car emerges from a garage, takes to the suburban side streets, merges onto a freeway, and eventually ends up a Tesla facility. From there, it drops off the “driver” at the door and finds itself a parking spot.
The video emphasized that “the person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself.” Musk also pointed out that “when searching for parking, the car reads the signs to see if it is allowed to park there, which is why it skipped the disabled spot.”
Tesla drives itself (no human input at all) thru urban streets to highway to streets, then finds a parking spot https://t.co/V2T7KGMPBo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2016
The car moves smartly, almost aggressively as it navigates to its destination. While parking, a pedestrian suddenly appears, and the car detects him and stops. It did appear to make a couple of small gaffes — it turned into the exit lane when it entered the parking, at around 2:20, and missed lane boundaries when turning in the lot at around 3:03. The car park was missing proper markings, though, to be fair.
Musk tweeted that “when you want your car to return, tap Summon on the phone. It will eventually find you even if you are on the other side of the country.” We think that’s a reference to the unplanned trip Jared took in Silicon Valley — a public vision of self-driving cars that Musk is clearly hoping to supplant with the new video.
Source: Tesla
Amazon Echo’s UK owners can now shop just by talking
Now that the Amazon Echo has reached the UK, thousands of Brits are getting to grips with the cylindrical speaker’s smart assistant, Alexa. Companies like Just Eat and Sky have created app-like “Skills” for the Echo, allowing owners to re-order their last takeaway and receive news updates, but Amazon’s own integrations have been lacking compared to those available in the US. To celebrate availability of the Echo Dot, the retailer today confirmed that a number of new features are available on UK Echos, including Alexa voice shopping and ESP (Echo Spatial Perception).
With Alexa voice shopping, Prime subscribers can talk to their Echo to order products and check the status of their delivery. Amazon says “order paper towels,” “order dog food” and “buy some LEGO” are some good examples of what you can ask Alexa to find. The assistant will then find the relevant item(s), ensure they’re available for Prime delivery and apply any available discounts.
Once you’ve added what you were looking for, a simple “Yes” will confirm everything. Ask “Alexa, where’s my stuff?” and it’ll let you know when you can expect your items to arrive.
With Echo Spatial Perception, people with more than one Echo in their house will have a better time getting the correct speaker to respond. Amazon says the ESP technology can calculate the clarity of a user’s voice, determine which Echo is closest and have it instantly respond to the request. In our Echo Dot review, we solved that problem by renaming the “Alexa” trigger, but the new update should negate the need for that completely.
Source: Amazon UK Press Office
Android Nougat 7.1 beta is now out for select devices
Google has delivered on its promise and released the developer preview of Android Nougat 7.1 for beta testers before October ended. You can only access it if you have a Nexus 5X, a Nexus 6P or a Pixel C, though — Google won’t be releasing it for other devices until November, and its final public release won’t be available until December. If you do have any of the three devices, you can expect to get an OTA update if you’re enrolled to Android’s beta program.
While you can download the preview even if you don’t actually make apps, its features definitely benefit developers the most. Besides Daydream VR support, it comes with the capability to make app shortcuts and circular launcher icons to match the look of Google’s new Pixel phones. That said, it does have something for ordinary users: a restart button in the power menu. It also supports image keyboards, which allow you to insert stickers and GIFs in apps. If you’d like to test 7.1 out without enrolling to Google’s beta program, you can also do a manual update by flashing a system image.
Source: Android Developers blog
Google begins its big Pixel push in the UK
It’s a big day for Google. The company is launching its first Pixel branded phones in the UK, retiring the Nexus line and attacking the iPhone with gusto. To give its new handsets a proper introduction, Google has renovated its store-within-a-store at the Currys PC World on Tottenham Court Road. We went to take a look, and stumbled across a Google-branded coffee stall along the way. (Helpful, given the shop opened at 7am.) If you’re wondering how Google plans to market the Pixel, and ultimately compete with Samsung, Apple and others, check out the gallery below — a similar store concept is being launched in New York City today.
The ESA’s ExoMars mission lander is still missing
The European Space Agency is still in the midst of investigating what happened to ExoMars’ Schiaparelli lander, which seemed to disappear 50 seconds before it was supposed to land. At the presscon the agency held earlier, Andrea Accomazzo, ESA’s head of planetary missions, said the ExoMars team already downloaded the data Schiaparelli sent to its mothership before it vanished. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit more to get the whole picture, because it’ll take some time to analyze the information.
ExoMars, which is short for Exobiology on Mars, is a two-part joint project between the ESA and the Russian Space Agency. It’s comprised of the stationary lander Schiaparelli and its mothership called the Trace Gas Orbiter. The mission’s main purpose is to find signs of past and present life on the red planet.
Based on the radio signals captured by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and an experiment telescope array located in India, though, the lander managed to deploy its parachute and heat shield. Both are necessary steps in Schiaparelli’s six-minute descent into the Martian atmosphere. Accomazzo also said that they saw the lander’s thrusters firing for a few seconds, and they saw their ground radar feeding data to Schiaparelli for a while.
While the lander’s fate still hangs in the balance, the ExoMars team intend to get to the bottom of things. In addition to analyzing TGO’s data, the ESA will continue trying to monitor the lander’s condition. ESA’s pal NASA will also be helping out by having the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter capture images of Schiaparelli’s landing site in the next few days.
Andrea Accomazzo: V. difficult to say condition of @ESA_EDM We will be able to determine the dynamics l8r, after all data analysed #ExoMars
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 20, 2016
Accomazzo: From the data, we saw the @ESA_EDM thrusters firing for a few seconds – more analysis to come #ExoMars
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 20, 2016
Accomazzo: We also saw that the ground radar was activated and providing data to @ESA_EDM #ExoMars
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 20, 2016
Accomazzo: @ESA_EDM stopped transmitting on the order of ~50secs before the expected touch-down time #ExoMars
— ESA Operations (@esaoperations) October 20, 2016
Source: ESA, (Twitter)
Kodak Ektra Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
It would either be very brave or very foolish of Kodak to try and compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung. But with the launch of its camera-focused new Ektra phone, that’s exactly what it’s doing.
Kodak used to be one of the biggest names in traditional film photography. But the digital era hasn’t been kind to it, so the company is looking to the world of phones to help get some cash back in the bank.
True to Kodak’s heritage, the Ektra is aimed squarely at photography enthusiasts. At the camera’s core is a 21-megapixel sensor, with a bright f/2.0 aperture lens in front. Kodak claims the camera will be able to capture crisp images in low light, helped by optical image stabilisation and software tweaks.
A physical wheel on the front of the phone lets you change settings quickly — something that will no doubt appeal to photography purists who like the tactile feel of physical dials. There’s also a wide range of scene modes and a manual mode to help you get a bit more creative.
On paper, the phone’s camera has plenty to boast about, although whether it delivers on image quality remains to be seen until we take it for a proper test.
The Ektra will need to produce some stunning shots if Kodak truly hopes to make photographers take interest. Photography prowess is one of the mostly hotly contested aspects of top-end phones, with devices such as the iPhone 7, Galaxy S7 and new Google Pixel all capable of taking beautiful photos.
It’s interesting to note that Kodak hasn’t built the phone itself — the actual hardware is produced by a company called Bullitt. It’s not clear how much work Kodak has had to do on the Ektra beyond slapping its branding on it, but it’s hopefully wise enough to not lend its name to a product before checking that it’s any good first.
The Ektra will be on sale across Europe later this year and will set you back £449. At the time of launch, Kodak has no plans to launch the phone in the wider world, but that UK price converts to $552 and AU$719. We’ll update this article with more information when it’s available.
Specs and features
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow software
- MediaTek Helio X20 2.3GHz decacore processor with 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage, expandable with microSD cards
- 13-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,000mAh battery
- USB type-C
Denon Heos HS2 review: A true Sonos competitor
We had no problems recommending the original Denon Heos multi-room speaker range, but a couple of minor gripes stopped it from true five-star performance. The follow-up, rebooted Heos HS2 range goes all out, offering hi-res streaming support and Bluetooth connectivity.
Since the original’s launch the multi-room audio highway has got a whole lot more congested though. There’s Yamaha’s MusicCast system, an updated Sonos, new Libratone, Bluesound and Gear4 products, plus new designs from Bang & Olufsen all vying for your attention.
The Denon faces that competition wisely: without a price hike for those new features. It also remains compatible with original Heos products. But does it sound any good? We received exclusive samples of the new Denon Heos 7 HS2 (£379, reduced from £499), Heos 5 HS2 (£349) and Heos 1 HS2 (£199) to find out.
Denon Heos HS2 review: Design
The look of the Heos range hasn’t changed – just the internal components have been polished – so the Heos 7 HS2 and Heos 5 HS2 both have the same horizontal teardrop design and both are built extremely well with nice attention to detail, well-finished edges and premium quality materials.
The top-of-the-line Heos 7 HS2 is pretty hefty and will command attention, while the more svelte Heos 5 HS2 is perfect for a home office or dining room. The smallest speaker, Heos 1 HS2 ditches the teardrop and cloth cover in favour of a smart asymmetrical all-metal grille. Squint and you might mistake it for a deformed Sonos Play:1 – in a good way. The Heos 1 HS2 is sealed for humidity resistance making it suitable for use in the bathroom.
Pocket-lint
We were originally pretty scathing of the Heos’s teardrop design – the awkward shape was attractive but it wasn’t easy to find space for it on a typical bookshelf, and it lacked the ability to stand vertically or horizontally – but on revisiting the design we’ve warmed to its pointy ways. With so many boring black streaming boxes available the design is a welcome change without being overly ostentatious. That said, it’s hard to not love the latest Sonos Play:5’s simpler design more.
Denon Heos HS2 review: Setup
Connecting your Heos speaker (or speaker) to the network couldn’t be easier. There’s no hub plugged into your router, you just need to download the Heos app (iOS, Android, Kindle), plug your smartphone/tablet into the speaker using the supplied 3.5mm cable and follow the instructions. It took less than three minutes to have the Heos 7 HS2 up and running.
Pocket-lint
Once all speakers are connected – you can do this individually, but the app should manage the settings automatically to save you inputting the password repeatedly – you can easily create multi-room “zones”. We setup two zones: Dining and Living Room, with the Heos 7 HS2 and 5 HS2; Kitchen with the smaller Heos 1 HS2. Adjusting these is simply a case of sliding one name onto another in the app.
If the idea of streaming high-resolution music to a single wireless speaker fills you with horror take some comfort in the fact that any of the Heos HS2 range can be paired and assigned left/right channels for true stereo playback.
Denon Heos HS2 review: Connectivity
With Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Deezer, Napster, Soundcloud, MoodMix and direct play from your phone’s music files, virtually all your streaming needs are catered for via Wi-Fi. But given the hi-res streaming upgrade it’s worth pointing out you can also pull music from any network connected music server or NAS drive or via direct input using USB stick (if you are using an external USB drive plugged into one speaker, any other speaker on that network will then be able to access and play that content too).
Pocket-lint
One of the big new features of the HS2 upgrade is the addition of Bluetooth. With a dedicated button on the back of each speaker pairing is quick and the connection reliable. While you are limited to the usual 10m range, if you stream via the Heos app you can extend your Bluetooth streaming around the house by grouping speakers together.
Oddly, especially given the hi-res streaming upgrade, Denon have neglected to include Bluetooth aptX – so Bluetooth playback quality is limited, if that’s of concern to your needs.
Denon Heos HS2 review: Heos App
While not the prettiest interface we’ve ever used Denon’s Heos App remains mercifully straightforward to navigate. Along the bottom of the app’s main screen there are three tabs: Rooms, Music and Now Playing. Pick a room (where you can also create a new multi-room zone), choose your music source and off you go. The Now Playing app gives basic controls over tracks and individual speaker volume.
Being able to play different songs from individual sources on different speakers and from separate devices remains a big plus, especially if you have friends or family with exquisite music tastes who prefer a different music platform to you.
Of cause, if you’re a Spotify user you can sidestep the Heos app entirely and enjoy the simple uncluttered pleasure of Spotify Connect. With the original app some users reported connectivity issues, but Denon has confirmed that a recent firmware update will have sorted it out.
Denon Heos HS2 review: Sound quality
We raved about the sound of both the original flagship Heos 7 and Heos 5 and the ability to now stream a higher quality music file to the new HS2 range has only helped to reinforce our opinion.
Pocket-lint
Many users won’t be deeply embedded in hi-res files, but for those who do have the relevant streaming services and files it’s an added bonus. Even if you’re content with “standard” audio quality, there’s no taking away from the HS2 line-up’s overall quality.
The flagship Heos 7 HS2 boasts five custom drivers, two passive radiators and powered five class D amplifiers. In terms of clout it offers more than the superb Sonos Play:5 with a huge room-filling sound and punchy bass.
While more adept at playing loud and hard the Heos 7 HS2 can also do finesse. Streaming Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free in CD quality Flac (16-bit 44.1kHz) the extra detail was more than evident with a lovely tone and balance to the mix. The same track streamed via standard Bluetooth (there’s no aptX) lacked some of the depth and the acoustic instruments lost a little of their live buzz, but the overall performance was still enjoyable.
The smaller Heos 5 HS2 is a great speaker, featuring two mid-woofers, two tweeters and passive bass radiator, active drivers and individually powered class D amplifiers. The drop in quality from the 7 HS2 is noticeable – and given the current discounted price point of £375 if you’ve got the room the larger speaker is a bit of a bargain – but as a standalone streaming speaker the Heos 5 HS2 is ideal for the bedroom or office. We were unable to pair two speakers to test them in stereo, but have no doubt the result would be a positive one.
Pocket-lint
As for the compact Heos 1 HS2 you get the same bi-amped two-way system, a custom woofer and tweeter powered by a single two-channel Class D amplifier as the original. Although not as good as the exceptional Sonos Play:1 it provides a really great performance whatever the genre. Given its dinky size the Heos 1 HS2 was more than loud enough – and capable of being too loud – for the kitchen.
Verdict
If you’re looking to invest in a good value multi-room audio system that can handle virtually all streaming services and file types – including the very best in hi-res lossless audio – you’ll not find much better than the updated Denon Heos HS2.
The extensive choice of wireless speakers and amplifiers means you can build a complete multi-room system to suit the size of your home and budget, while the excellent Heos 7 HS2 offers enough performance and style to stand alone and impress in most living rooms.
At the drop-down price of £375 the Heos 7 HS2 is a bargain, especially given the sound quality is on a par with the more expensive Sonos Play:5, and while not up to the performance of the £595 Naim Mu so Qb you will have enough money left over to kick start your own multi-room system with a £199 Heos 1 HS2.
Should you buy the Google Pixel in India?
The Pixel and Pixel XL are well-crafted devices that showcase the best of Android. But can Google convince Indian buyers to pay up?
Google has partnered with handset manufacturers over the years to create the Nexus lineup of phones and tablets, but this year, the company is putting forth its own vision of a high-end Android phone with the Pixel and Pixel XL. The phones feature a minimalist design backed by an excellent camera, a vibrant AMOLED display, Snapdragon 821, and all-day battery life. By controlling both the hardware and software side of things, Google has managed to deliver a superior software experience that isn’t found on any other Android phone today.
Even though the phones aren’t loaded with features — there’s no microSD slot, OIS, or waterproofing — they excel at showcasing Android’s potential. Google has baked its AI-powered Google Assistant into the phones, and several features will remain exclusive to the Pixel range, like unlimited photo and video backup that includes 4K video. If you’re looking for the best that Android has to offer, this is it.
The Pixels offer a software experience that isn’t found on any other Android phone.
The Pixels are now up for pre-order in India, with sales set to kick off October 24. Both phones are positioned in the high-end segment, a field dominated by Samsung. The Note series has a loyal user base in the country, and Samsung has seen a lot of success last year with the Galaxy S6 and this year with the S7 and S7 edge. But with recent events creating a Note 7-sized hole in this category, the odds are stacked in the Pixel’s favor.
That said, Google’s track record in India isn’t great when it comes to hardware, as evidenced by the failure of the Android One initiative. The program followed the same blueprint as the Nexus line, with Google providing software support while manufacturers were allowed to choose the specifications and design. The goal was to offer enticing phones in the sub-$100 segment running vanilla Android and the promise of quick updates.
However, the program fell apart for two reasons: the hardware wasn’t on par with similarly-priced phones from competitors, and Google’s decision to offer the products exclusively online made it harder for its targeted audience to get their hands on the Android One handsets. Even though Google heavily advertised the program, it didn’t do enough to educate buyers as to why they should buy into Android One.
This time around, the situation is different. Both the Pixel and Pixel XL are sold online via Flipkart, and both phones will be available offline from Reliance Digital, Croma, Vijay Sales, Bajaj Electronics, eZone, HotSpot, and other chain stores. A significant portion of phone sales in India are carried out in brick and mortar stores, where customers get a chance to use the products first-hand. With the Pixels representing a sizable investment, Google is pushing the offline experience to let prospective buyers get a feel for either handset before going through with the purchase.
Then there’s the question of after-sales support. The Pixel offers 24/7 live support with the ability to share your screen with a Google representative. There’s also a toll-free customer care number that you’ll be able to call to get your queries resolved. If you need further assistance, you can get the phones serviced at 54 service centers located across the country. As the go-to tech support guy in my family, I’m very excited about the Pixel’s 24/7 live support feature.
You don’t have to worry about after-sales support with the Pixel.
And now, time to address the elephant in the room: price. Google — like Apple — is selling the overall experience, and that inevitably commands a premium. The Pixel costs ₹57,000 ($855) for the 32GB model, with prices going all the way up to ₹76,000 ($1,140) for the 128GB Pixel XL. The pricing is on par with the S7 edge and the iPhone 7 in India, making it a very costly proposition.
In a country that’s highly price sensitive, this is the main drawback of the Pixel. Apple and Samsung get away with charging an exorbitant fee for their phones on account of their brand cachet, a trait Google doesn’t possess yet. The Pixel marks Google’s first foray into the handset business, and as such it is likely initial sales momentum will be limited to enthusiasts looking to try out the latest that Android has to offer. For its part, Google is flexing its advertising muscle by taking out full-page ads in newspapers and plastering billboards across the country.
In the meantime, if you’ve got the cash, you should definitely get the Pixel.
See at Flipkart
Google Keep update lets you pin notes
Google Keep is a minimalist note-taking app that comes with a slew of features. The app is very straightforward to use, allowing you to easily create collaborative to-do lists, voice notes, and so much more. Keep seamlessly syncs between the web client, Android and iOS apps, and there’s even a Chrome extension that lets you quickly jot down a note.
An update rolling out to the service now lets you pin notes at the top, giving you quick access to your important notes. Pinning a note is easy: just long press anywhere on a note to access the menu options, and tap the pin icon. All pinned notes show up in a separate section at the top of the screen.
Not using Keep yet? Download it now from the Play Store. Once it’s installed, see what else you can do with Keep in our ultimate guide.
AIVAnet 