Drones can safely carry blood bags
Paramedics and rescue teams can’t always afford to wait for blood supplies, especially when they’re in remote locations where most vehicles would take too long (or can’t visit at all). However, they might not have to worry for much longer. Johns Hopkins researchers have determined that it’s safe to carry large bags of blood products (such as transfusions) using drones. In a study, they discovered that the robotic fliers didn’t affect the chemical, hemotological or microbial traits of samples flown at an altitude of 328 feet, even when carrying it as far as 12 miles away. So long as the blood is kept in a temperature-monitored cooler, it’s usable almost right away.
There are some steps that you’d likely want to implement before this is used in the field. It would ideally use active cooling that maintains a fixed temperature, for starters. Even so, the findings are encouraging. Rescuers could get additional blood bags within minutes, or travel light with the knowledge that supplies will be waiting for them when they reach an accident scene. Also, rural communities wouldn’t have to worry as much about restocking their blood inventory So long as drone flights are within range, even a village clinic might have ample supply on hand.
Via: EurekAlert
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
ABC and Disney Apps Now Support Apple’s New Single Sign-On Feature
Following yesterday’s launch of Single Sign-on for iOS and tvOS, two major content providers have implemented support for the feature – Disney and ABC.
According to The Verge, the Watch ABC and Watch Disney apps now work with Single Sign-on, so customers who have cable through a supported provider can log into those apps automatically without needing to re-enter their cable credentials.
Single Sign-on, for those unfamiliar, is a new feature that allows cable subscribers to log into the Apple TV and iOS devices with their credentials one time, with those credentials then able to authenticate their subscription in all supported apps.
At the current time, Single Sign-on is only available for the following cable providers: CenturyLink, DirecTV, Dish, GVTC, Hawaiian Telcom, GTA, Hotwire, MetroCast, and Sling.
Single Sign-on is also limited to apps that have implemented support for the feature, which is a small list at the current time, limited to channels like Lifetime, NBC, History, Syfy, USA Now, Food Network, and a handful of others.
Now that Single Sign-on is available, additional apps will likely begin implementing support for the service, making it more useful to cable subscribers.
Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10
Tag: Single Sign-on
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
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Apple and NHL Close to Striking ‘Major Partnership’ to Bring iPads to Team Benches
Apple is in late-stage discussions with the National Hockey League regarding a “major partnership” that could see iPads and other technologies implemented on team benches and elsewhere in arenas, according to Canadian sports network TSN.
(Source: Getty Images)
The report claims the NHL has been in negotiations with Apple and Microsoft for several years, adding that talks with Apple have accelerated recently after similar talks between Apple and the National Basketball Association failed to materialize.
“The NHL Apple deal is more a major partnership than a sponsorship,” said a source familiar with the NHL’s plans. “Right now, some teams have iPads or other tablets and some don’t. Some have good Internet connections, some don’t. This deal is about having a consistent platform that every team can use in every rink.”
Major League Baseball’s digital operation BAMTech has been involved in the negotiations, after reaching a six-year deal with the NHL last year for the rights to distribute live out-of-market games, according to the report.
BAMTech’s parent division MLB Advanced Media also owns the rights to the NHL’s website, mobile apps, operations, and distribution of the league’s streaming platform NHL GameCenter Live, available on iPad and other Apple devices.
The deal could resemble a $400 million partnership between the National Football League and Microsoft, ongoing since 2013, which provides team coaches with Surface tablets to use on the sidelines during football games.
The Walt Disney Company acquired a minority 33% stake in BAMTech earlier this year.
Tag: NHL
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Samsung Gear S3 review
The newest version of the Gear series is a bit bigger, packs a little more punch, and brings a few more tools for the smartwatch enthusiast. Is there enough substance behind the style? We find out in this full review of the Samsung Gear S3.
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Before we begin, we will mention that while we are reviewing the Frontier edition, we were able to use the two different editions of it. A Wi-Fi only edition of the watch is available and is more or less the typical Gear experience, while the 4G-enabled edition through AT&T makes it easy use the watch without needing to have a phone nearby and connected.
Design
While it might not be easy for everyone to sport this large smartwatch, there is one simple reality for those who can – this is one sleek device. The Gear S3 Frontier brings grooves to the signature rotating bezel, giving it an added tactile quality that is subtle but noticeably felt. Seconds in increments of five line the area just below the rotating bezel – a small detail that adds to any analog watch face. Two buttons are on the right side, one to go backwards in the interface and the other to either go back to the watch face or open up the app list. To differentiate the Frontier and Classic editions, the Frontier’s buttons are more recessed to the body and are covered in a patterned leather.
In adding to the sporty nature of the Gear S3 Frontier, a silicone band comes standard. This helps with the watch’s water resistance, ensuring that no leather will get ruined if one’s wrist gets splashed. However, it is easy to replace the bands through the 22mm standard connectors. A myriad of bands are available from Samsung via partnerships with plenty of fashion companies, but this silicone complemented the style of the Gear S3 nicely.
The body case is a large 46mm, definitely bigger than either of the previous Gear S2 models. This size makes it tough to recommend for anyone with small wrists, regardless of one’s gender. Even my own wrists could barely contain the large frame of the watch. While it certainly doesn’t look obnoxious on my wrists, it took a little bit of time to get used to. This size adds room for plenty of features and protection – turning the watch body over reveals the heart rate sensor and designations for the 316L stainless steel material that makes it up. And finally, a MIL-STD 810G rating adds extra shock, heat, and cold resistance to the existing IP certification.
See also:
Samsung Gear S2 review
October 22, 2015
What we really applaud the Gear S3 Frontier for, is its ability to work with plenty of different outfits. While it is most at home among a more formal ensemble, the sleek head-turning design makes it a centerpiece when wearing casual clothing. And to that end, it is hardly a loud device in terms of look – the black color blends in well with most paired clothing.
Which brings us to the marquee feature that returns from the Gear S2 – the rotating bezel. It takes just little tug or a little push in order to make it move, and every click from the bezel is as satisfying as the last. Full touchscreen capabilities are available still, but this physical method of moving around the Tizen interface is fluid, responsive, and as snappy as it should be. Movements far in the interface or just to the next element are equally easy, making this an ideal smartwatch for anyone that wants a tactile experience to, in many ways, replace touchscreen experiences.
Display
And the display is half the story regarding the size of the Gear S3 – at 1.3 inches, the OLED display is covered in Gorilla Glass SR+ (Scratch Resistance Plus) and boasts 360 x 360 resolution. Though these specs might sound a bit run of the mill for most high-end smartwatches, credit goes to Samsung for leveraging it as effectively as possible. OLED lends to really great colors coming from the Tizen OS along with the ability to truly turn off the display’s lighting for battery savings.
And to that end, watch faces on the Gear S3 take on a different nature when the ‘Always on Display’ option is ticked. When using pretty much any watch face downloaded from the Samsung Gear application, covering the display with one’s hand or letting it time out reveals a more toned down version of the face that still keeps the essential elements in view no matter what angle you’re looking at the watch from. For any fans of the Always on Display on the Galaxy smartphones, this is about the closest that it can get strapped onto a wrist.
In all situations – even in broad daylight – the brightness of this OLED panel keeps everything properly viewable. And it is important to have an easy time glancing at the screen because the Tizen operating system tries to pack in as much as it can in the main screen. Some watch faces have hidden functionality when tapped upon. For example, the default face doubles up as a stopwatch. Even when features like these are running, small elements are strewn about the watch face to alert the user to changing circumstances like standing notifications or when the watch is not connected to a smartphone.
Make no mistake – this is the best way to read notifications on a smartwatch. Ever. The combination of the high quality screen and the rotating bezel to scroll down in even long notifications is an experience that is unparalleled by the touchscreen-centric Android Wear and the button pressing Pebble. Even when pictures load up in the preview, they’re shown in effective fashion and simply add to the idea that this watch is supposed to be more standalone than perpetually tethered to your smartphone.
See also:
The best Android Wear watches
4 weeks ago
Performance
So, for a watch that wants to do as much as possible, there has to be quite a bit of power under the hood. For the Gear S3, this comes in the form of an Exynos 7270, born and optimized by Samsung and for Samsung, in the case of their own smartwatch operating system Tizen. It comes at no surprise, then, that the watch simply flies through its operating system and applications. A quick spin of the rotating bezel shows how fluidly all of the widgets and screens zip past with no issues at all.
The only problems we had with applications came from third party developed downloads from the Gear Manager. This is not so much the problem of the watch and its processing power, but from the development of the apps. While this is an issue that bears mentioning, the core experience of the Gear S3 is still about as good as it can get – and that says a lot, because this watch tries to do a lot out of the box.
Hardware
As mentioned earlier, we have been able to use a 4G LTE enabled version of the Gear S3 that comes with a few extras. Namely, the ability to sync up the watch without needing to be around the smartphone it pairs with. Setting up the Gear Manager properly means that as long as both the smartphone and smartwatch are connected to some sort of network, notifications will come to the Gear S3, no matter where the user is.
The added benefit is the ability to make calls and send texts in this very situation, without the smartphone around. On AT&T, this service is called NumberSync and it makes it so that the watch goes off alongside its paired phone. Calls on the watch make use of a speaker and microphone combo that is found on the left side of the body, tucked under the top half of the watch. The experience of taking calls on the S3 is akin to a small walkie talkie that is strapped to your wrist, but it isn’t effective in even semi-loud environments and thus requires either a Bluetooth headset connection or, surprise surprise, moving to the phone. It’s a great idea made into reality, it’s just not as awesome as we probably all expected it to be.
Not the mention that having this extra functionality in the Frontier LTE means paying for a smartwatch plan that encompasses data and wireless signal, which costs $10 on top of any smartphone plan you are already paying for. Is it worth that extra money each month? That’s up to you, but we think that there is already so much fun to be had on the Gear S3 without having to shout at your wrist.
Connecting a Bluetooth headset to the watch opens up a couple of possibilities. Not only will calls be easier to manage, but the on-board storage can be used for local music playback. The LTE-enabled Frontier allows for Spotify streaming, which is nice but is a battery drain. 4GB of storage is available for local files so that content is always within reach.
One final feature on the Gear S3 is Samsung Pay, enabled on the Gear S3 through an add-on that is installed in the Gear Manager. The setup takes a little bit of time, but after getting any credit cards put into the add-on and then transferred over to the NFC and MST enabled Gear S3, payments are quite easy at multiple stations across major stores. Simply hold the back button, select which card to use, and then bring the watch up to the station and voila. This is yet another fun aspect to using the Gear S3, and even this skeptic that prefers physical credit cards gets a kick out of it.
See also:
Samsung Pay: What is it, how does it work and how do I use it?
March 5, 2016
The battery of the Gear S3 is charged via a wireless charging dock that is magnetic, making the watch snap right into place easily. Though Samsung claims two days of battery life out of the 380mAh unit, that is less true when usage is constant and aggressive. This is mostly true for the Frontier LTE, in which everything from taking calls, sending texts, and even fitness tracking combined will make the watch seem more like a one day warrior. When using more applications and functions on the regular, be prepared to take the watch off and dock it at least once a day to top off the battery.
Software
And lastly, Tizen – the smartwatch OS of choice for Samsung. Since the Gear S2, there have been some enhancements made to the operating system, and existing Gear S2 users will get this through an update. These are mostly in terms of using the rotating bezel, which can be rotated to answer or decline calls, for example.
The main noticeable changes are in the overall optimization of the Tizen software, and it shows in the smooth look and feel that the Gear S3 provides. Which is good, because there are a lot of apps that require some due diligence. Weather, calendar events, reminders, Flipboard, S Health, and so much more are available to the user, and it can get a little overwhelming. Add upon all that the different ways that users can respond to messages – voice, emoji, canned messages, and a T9 keyboard that is a bit easier to use on the larger screen but is still far from ideal.
S Health returns in Tizen as the main method of fitness tracking. Much like in the Gear S2, S Health will count steps and periodically take heart rate metrics to get a snapshot of the day’s fitness. While its step count default of 6000 is still rather absurd to us, there are a few more tools here to use when going out in the wild. GPS tracking is available when doing distanced based workouts, though it has to be enabled via the specifically selected activity, like hiking. And speaking of hiking, there are barometers and altimeters to get a better handle on one’s environment. Hikers, in particular, will probably find altitude information useful. Other functions in S Health help users track water and caffeine intake along with sleep, but these are rather simplistic in their execution.
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The app ecosystem of Tizen has grown a lot since the Gear S2, and some apps that I envied Android Wear and Pebble for during my usage of Samsung’s OS have finally arrived. That said, there are issues with some third party application development, as we mentioned earlier. Sleep as Android, my sleep tracker of choice, is still a little buggy and didn’t give full reports a couple of nights. And S Voice is just not as good as Google’s voice assistance.
All in all, Tizen is an experience that is still best taken at its core, because that is where it shines best. Third party support is still lacking, but Samsung is still able to make it work where it counts – fitness tracking, though sometimes simplistic, is robust; and Samsung Pay helps add a bit of flair to the notification prowess and daily info already built into the Gear S3.
Gallery
Conclusion
There was a feeling I couldn’t shake when using the Gear S3 – with every notification that came in, I found myself enjoying reading the entire message (usually SMS) on the screen, scrolling down with the satisfying clicks of the rotating bezel. This is an experience I had before on the Gear S2, but for some reason this was better on the even larger, more men’s fashion-oriented Gear S3. And for any faults that I came across in this smartwatch, like buggy apps or tough to hear voice calls blaring from my wrist, the simplest daily activities were made better by what Samsung continues to build upon since premiering their unique tactile user experience.
…one of the most enjoyable smartwatch experiences we’ve had in a little while…
The Gear S3 Frontier, in particular, really tries to wear a lot of hats at once – smartwatch, notification center, health monitor, payment system, GPS tracker, audio player, and voice caller, to name a few. And though there are a large number of users that may be turned off by the visage of this smartwatch, credit has to be given where credit is due – Samsung managed to make the bulk of these features work well enough in concert to make what has been one of the most enjoyable smartwatch experiences we’ve had in a little while. Android Wear unfortunately has one of its biggest competitors in the Samsung Gear S3.
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What do you think of the Samsung Gear S3? Would you buy one? Or is an Android Wear device or the Apple Watch more your type of smartwatch? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Facebook patent hints at an automated solution for fake news
Facebook may have said that it’s stepping up its fight against fake news in the past few weeks, but there are signs that it might have had a way to tackle this problem sooner. A recently published USPTO filing from 2015 reveals that Facebook has applied for a patent on technology that would automate the process of removing “objectionable content.” It’s ostensibly for eliminating hate speech, porn and other material that Facebook has objected to for years, but the system could easily be applied to bogus stories as well.
The approach would supplement user-based content flagging with machine learning. The automatic system would generate a score for content based on the likelihood that it’s objectionable, helping human moderators decide which material to cut. It’d look at the number of users objecting to content, for example, as well as the age of the account making a complaint (to discourage harassment and trolling). The AI-like code would study valid flags and learn to make more informed decisions about objectionable content.
This is just a patent application, and there’s no guarantee that Facebook will either secure the patent or use it on its social network. A spokeswoman tells The Verge that the company regularly applies for patents it doesn’t use, and that this content removal plan shouldn’t be interpreted as a clue to its strategy.
However, the patent’s existence shows that Facebook has been thinking about improved ways of pulling content for a while, and that the issue is really just coming to a head following the US election. Why hasn’t it implemented this technology, though? There are a few reasons why it might have been hesitant: it won’t help if someone actually believes the fake news, if their Facebook habits make it unlikely to show up, or if they just ignore it. It might also have been reluctant to do anything that would fuel accusations of bias. Nonetheless, the patent application doesn’t help Facebook much — it implies that the company simply chose not to implement a technical solution for fake news, even if there were perfectly valid reasons for holding off.
Via: The Verge
Source: USPTO
macOS 10.12.2 Fixes Time Machine Backup Crashing Issue on New MacBook Pro
Apple in the latest macOS Sierra beta appears to have fixed a common issue where transferring files to an external hard drive or SSD connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port caused the new MacBook Pro to crash for some users.
MacRumors forum member Dave Miles claims he received an email response from Apple’s software engineering chief Craig Federighi, who apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed the issue has been fixed in the fifth macOS 10.12.2 beta seeded to developers and public testers on Monday.
While we have not been able to verify the authenticity of the email beyond a reasonable doubt, the issue does appear to be fixed regardless.
At least a half-dozen users claim the fifth beta of macOS 10.12.2 addresses the crashing issues, which most often affected users backing up their new MacBook Pro to an external drive with Time Machine using a wired connection. Some users also reported crashing issues when transferring files between two external drives.
MacRumors forum member TreadEverSoLightly succinctly described the dilemma that a number of other users faced:
I’m already on my 2nd MacBook Pro. Picked up last Wednesday and swapped it for another model 2 days later after experiencing crashing while my laptop backs up via Time Machine to an external HD. Computer freezes up during data transfer and refuses to acknowledge my inputs. Then crashes and restarts itself.
It is unclear what the underlying problem was, with some users speculating it could have been related to USB driver, firmware, or software issues. Others believe large file transfers contributed to the problem. Ultimately, what matters the most is the issue now appears to be resolved.
MacRumors forum member saba01 is one of several users who delivered the good news today following weeks of complaints:
I had the same issue. My MacBook Pro crashed when transferring large files (over 4TB). I installed macOS 10.12.2 and the problem is solved! Yesterday I did a 40TB backup with no problems at all!
macOS Sierra 10.2.2 will likely be publicly released as a free software update later this month following completion of beta testing.
Related Roundups: MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra
Tag: Time Machine
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Sprint cozies up with Pokémon Go, turns over 10,000 stores into PokéStops
Stock up on cases and Poké Balls at your closest Sprint store.
The Pokémon Company has announced that over 10,000 Sprint, Boost Mobile and “Sprint at Radioshack” locations will become PokéStops and Gyms over the next few weeks.
As “the first Pokémon Go United States partner,” Sprint will be able to leverage Pokémon Go’s ongoing popularity to bring people into stores, allowing them to not only top up their Poké Ball reserves, but also their phones at in-store charging stations.
The move is certainly a win for Sprint, which needs ways to differentiate itself from T-Mobile and the rest of the U.S. carrier game. Earlier this summer, T-Mobile launched a promotion forgiving all Pokémon Go data for a year, but that was during the height of the craze; Sprint is launching this promotion at the beginning of winter, when outdoor roaming is going to be considerably lower than it was in July.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Japan’s SoftBank, Sprint’s majority shareholder, plans to invest roughly $50 billion into the U.S. economy, and may revive merger plans with T-Mobile, which were stopped under pressure by the current regulatory environment, but that may change under the new administration.
Sprint, despite a move to expand and improve the speed and reliability of its LTE network, added the fewest number of customers in Q3, and is still some 10 million subscribers behind third-place T-Mobile.
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Get ready to head back down the mountain in Alto’s Odyssey
The developers behind Alto’s Adventure are teasing a sequel for 2017.
Fans of Alto’s Adventure, get ready for more llama-chasing fun in 2017. Team Alto today put out a teaser site for their next title, Alto’s Odyssey, and we couldn’t be more excited. Alto’s Adventure is both visually stunning and super fun to play — well deserving of it’s spot on our list of best Android games of 2016.
While the developers have provided very little information for the new game beyond the title and the hazy purple landscape featured on AltosOdyssey.com, if we can glean anything concrete from the site’s artwork, it would appear that perhaps this next chapter in Alto’s life will see him hanging up his trusty snowboard for something a bit more… tropical?
Again, that’s pure speculation on my part. But if you’re as eager as we are to learn more about Alto’s Odyssey, you’ll want to scroll down to the bottom of their website and join the mailing list to get the latest news and updates.
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Canadians won’t be able to use a Note 7 on any network after December 15
Time to give it up, Canada.
Samsung Canada is following New Zealand’s lead by cutting off network access for all unreturned Note 7 devices as of December 15.
The company has announced that although 90% of the approximately 39,000 Note 7s sold through Canadian channels have been returned, the remaining 4,000 or so outstanding units will lose access to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on December 12, along with cellular abilities three days later, on December 15. An update will also include “a limitation on the battery charge,” though it’s unclear to what percentage. Other markets have limited the Note 7’s defective battery to 60% to prevent overheating and expansion.
Samsung implores Canadians holding onto a Note 7 unit to return it as soon as possible:
We strongly urge any customers still using their Note7 to return their device to the place of purchase for a refund or exchange between December 7th and December 15th. We have been in continuous communication with Note7 customers to remind them about the need to return their recalled device and will continue to communicate daily with a push notification about this network deactivation event to ensure they continue to receive adequate notice.
As a recalled product, Note7 device owners are legally prohibited from selling or even giving away the recalled device. We would like to remind customers that they need to return their Note7 device.
The company notes that even after the update, Note 7s will still be able to call 9-1-1 for safety reasons.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
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Kodak Ektra review: Phone camera failings can’t revive those nostalgic Kodak moments
We all owe a lot to Kodak. The imaging company was the forerunner in colour film, but also a largely unsung hero in technological developments: it invented the digital camera and even OLED display technology.
That was all before it fell behind the times, sold off the majority of its patents and, in 2012, filed for bankruptcy. The dream was dead.
But the memory lives on. For Kodak isn’t quite done and has, under license, been releasing a range of products in recent years. And 2016 sees the arrival of the Ektra, a phone-camera that shows Kodak’s hunger to climb back up the photographic food-chain.
However, and like so many things in 2016 – a year which has been viewed through the rose-tinted nostalgic glasses of those wanting to wind back to imaginary greater times – the shortcomings of a company that’s descended so far down the chain that it’s slipped off it are evident from the moment we switch the Ektra on.
Here’s why Kodak is best left as a fond memory, not a sub-par phone in your pocket.
Kodak Ektra review: What is it?
- 147.8 x 73.4 x 14mm
- 5-inch, 1080p display
- Android 6.0 operating system
Is it a phone? Is it a camera? The Ektra wants to be both. Although, at-best, it’s a mid-range Android phone with a camera proposition that even on paper isn’t really anything beyond its competition.
Pocket-lint
The Ektra’s 21-megapixel sensor – the same 1/2.4in size IMX230 chip as found in the 2015 Moto X Play – is paired with a protruding 26.5mm f/2.0 (equivalent) wide-angle lens.
Kodak certainly wants you to know the Ektra is camera-focused: the huge circular protrusion to the rear is statement enough. But that’s because this camera is optically stabilised (OIS), a feature that not only lacks from a large majority of smartphones, but one that isn’t found as a six-axis stabilisation proposition in any phone except for the Ektra.
The final point of interest in the Ektra’s camera arrangement is the “PDAF” acronym printed on the lens. Standing for “phase-detection autofocus” this actually has nothing to do with the lens itself, but the pixels on the imaging sensor which can offset their readings for focus calculation.
Pocket-lint
However, if you were hoping for a large sensor, such as the humongous 1-inch one found in the Panasonic CM1, then you’ll be sorely disappointed. No such luck here. Which, despite physical appearances, leaves the Kodak Ektra struggling to standout.
Kodak Ektra review: What’s it like to use?
- Six-axis optical image stabilisation
- Phase-detection autofocus
As the Ektra is pitched as a camera phone the very first thing we did was fire-up the app. There’s a dedicated button, with the Kodak symbol, positioned just a little bit too far up the body. Double-pressing this will launch the camera without needing to sign-in to the phone, or press any power keys.
Pocket-lint
Otherwise the camera app is accessed via an upward swipe of the camera symbol from the Android lock screen or a press of the Camera app on the homepage will also load it.
None of these three methods are lightning fast to get you into shooting action, though, which is disappointing. And that’s a sentiment that continues throughout the Ektra as a camera experience: focus isn’t very fast, despite being phase-detection; close-up focus frequently fails; there’s shutter lag; and it often takes a few seconds for an image thumbnail to appear in the gallery so you know you’ve actually taken a shot.
Design-wise the Camera app is trying too hard too: it’s opted for a familiar rotational thumbwheel, as you would find on real digital compact cameras, albeit in virtual form. It’s far too small, positioned too closely to the edge of the touchscreen and is really fiddly to use successfully. It’s been plonked there by a designer whose first job was to emulate a physical design, not to create a usable, considered experience.
Pocket-lint
There are a bunch of modes too: auto, video panorama, bokeh (which fake-blurs the background – but takes 12-seconds to process and often doesn’t work at all), night mode, sport, macro (which doesn’t work especially close-up), portrait, landscape.
Kodak Ektra review: What’s image quality like?
- 21-megapixel 1/2.4in sensor
- 26.5mm f/2.0 (equiv.) lens
Whichever mode we’ve picked we’ve ended up with oversaturated images and, typically, odd colour balance. Daytime shots have taken on a cool hue, while greens and reds are overly punchy – which we thought was down to the phone’s screen, but is actually just over-saturation from processing, as revealed on our Mac’s monitor.
Pocket-lint
Low-light has its issues too. It’s not so much down to image noise, but this sensor presents some visible banding in shadow areas at what are presumably higher ISO sensitivities (the metadata is hidden from view for some reason). Not pretty.
On the plus side is the potential of that six-axis stabilisation. The camera might not be fast, but hold a steady hand and even longer shutter speeds redeem fairly sharp images that we might not get from other cameras. On the flip side, we’ve had issues in daylight with the lag from shutter to shot being so bad that the result has been blurry (you need to keep fixed in position with the Ektra).
Pocket-lint
In short, then, the Ektra can’t match up to other modern smartphones when it comes to ability nor quality. A Samsung Galaxy S7 is hands-down better.
Kodak Ektra review: What’s it like as a phone?
- 3.2Ghz Helio X20 deca-core, 3GB RAM
- 32GB storage (microSD expandable)
- 3,000mAh non-removable battery
Despite a camera experience that’s not always fast – not by flagship phone standards, anyway – the Ektra functions fine as a phone. When even some flagships, such as the Moto Z, struggle to scroll through webpages, the Ektra shows no such issues. It’s not the speediest to load, but things function well once they’re in play.
Android is largely pure, with only a handful of Kodak apps thrown in as extras. One, Super8, is playful on Kodak’s camera and film history. We’re fine with the kitsch sentiment, problem is it doesn’t work: it failed to “develop” video we shot from the app itself, while the tiny preview screen-within-a-screen goes against the grain of usability. Other apps are quick-access to web help and a Kodak-specific gallery, which is just like a normal Android gallery.
Pocket-lint
Battery-wise, there’s a 3,000mAh cell on board, which is a decent capacity. Given the phone body’s 9.4mm thickness, though, we would have thought there’s scope for even more inside. Note, the lens and grip protrusion make the phone 14mm thick overall, which is big for a phone these days.
First Impressions
As phone cameras continue to get better and better, we had high hopes for the Kodak Ektra. Its stance toward being a camera-phone help it to stand-out in a market of otherwise copycat devices that, to many, will be hard to recognise one from the next.
Sadly, the Ektra stands out for all the wrong reasons: its specification (ignoring six-axis stabilisation) is middling, it’s slow to operate and use as a camera, its images are over-saturated, low-light shots have banding issues, the app is poorly designed and, ultimately, there’s little to nothing to save Kodak’s attempted reintegration into the camera-slash-phone market.
Which all sounds scathing, but that’s how we feel this product stacks up. And that makes us really sad because, like we said in our opening gambit, we owe a lot to Kodak for its past history and innovation.
The Ektra, however, is best forgotten so we can enjoy those wonderful Kodak moments and memories past instead.
Kodak Ektra: The alternatives to consider
Panasonic CM1
- £639
It might be a lot more cash, but the Panasonic CM1 really focuses on putting the ultimate camera in a phone. With a 1-inch sensor at its core, it’s far more adept at imaging.
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy S7
- £639
It might not have a big, protruding camera, but the SGS7 knows what it’s doing when it comes to taking pictures. The camera is super-fast to respond and great in low-light. Plus, as phones go, this is one of the most fluid-to-use flagship devices on the market. So it’s a win win situation… despite the extra you’ll need to meet its asking price.
AIVAnet 