Sony reveals the A6500, its new E-mount mirrorless flagship
It doesn’t seem like that long ago that Sony launched the its top-of-the-line A6300 mirrorless E-mount camera, but guess what! That model, which we found mighty impressive, has now been displaced by a new flagship, the 24.2-megapixel A6500. While sharing many of the features of the last model, including 4K video and an 11fps shooting mode with continuous autofocus, it’s Sony’s first E-mount APS-C model to have 5-axis image stabilization
Now, however, the A6500 can shoot 11 fps for up to 307 frames in RAW mode, meaning you can shoot like that for around 30 seconds. For video, the A6500 can read out the entire 6K sensor and scale it down to 4K without any pixel binning. It also supports a new function called “Slow and Quick” mode, letting you shoot at frame rates from one to 100fps. As before, you can shoot 4K at up to 100 Mbps, and view 4x slow mo in real time.
The A6500 now has not only a touch screen, but a touch pad. That lets you shift the focus point just by dragging your finger across the screen. Other features include a 2.4 million dot XGA OLED electronic viewfinder, the ability to extract stills from movie footage directly (8-megapixel stills from 4K and 2-megapixel stills from HD modes), and the usual connectivity features including WiFi, QR and NFC.
The A6500 won’t come cheap — it’s coming to Europe in December for $1,400 (€1,700 in Europe) with body only, or €2,800 with SEL1670Z lens. We’ll have US pricing and more photos and hands-on impressions of the new A6500 shortly.
Humans can only live to 115, researchers claim
Research out of New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine believes that the goal of living forever is an impossible one. A team of researchers analyzed morality rates and aging trends across the world and found that there may be a ceiling to our lifespan. Popular belief may be that humans could live longer if they remain in good health, it appears that the best we can hope for is 115 years on this planet. Which should give you just enough time to finish all of those TV series binges before the world inevitably boils into dust.
An extensive piece in the New York Times has sourced comment from across the scientific community with a wide variety of opinions being offered. Some believe that the study validates a long-held belief that immortality is impossible, while others dispute the findings. The paper quotes James Vaupel, who said that it was “disheartening” and was based upon a scientific “mistake.” It’s also worth reiterating that this was a trend-based study, rather than a biological one, and its inferences may be a perverse reading of the data.
The study also fails to take into account key advances in science that could upend the current thinking on aging and DNA. After all, our lifespan is hard-coded into our DNA, not as a set figure, but by how many times each cell can reproduce. Imagine that each cell is playing the game of your life with a series of quarters lined up on the top of an arcade machine. Each time damage has to be repaired (i.e. replication), you pump another quarter into the coin slot. But a cell can only replicate so many times before you’ll run out of quarters and it’s game over.
But advances in gene editing mean that we’re getting closer to removing and replacing parts of people’s genetic code. Currently, that’s been used to cure a fatal case of infant leukaemia and hemophilia, but the potential is enormous. Scientists like George Church have ambitions to build a “perfect” strand of DNA that could reduce our vulnerabilities to disease and injury. It’s a mostly-theoretical concept right now, but given how far genetics has come in the last few decades, not an impossible one.
Via: New York Times
Source: Nature
Apple Supplier Foxconn Launching Low-Cost Smartphone Line in Japan Next Year
Apple supplier Foxconn Electronics is reportedly gearing up to launch its own line of smartphone devices in Japan, using its recent acquisition of Sharp to help manufacture and distribute the handsets (via DigiTimes). Over the past few years, Foxconn has been a major supplier for Apple device manufacturing, including for the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The company is said to be working on entry-level and mid-range options for the lineup, with an expected launch date in the first quarter of 2017, according to sources within the Japanese manufacturing industry. The sources mentioned that it “remains unclear as to which brand Foxconn will use” to market the devices, although it is “highly possible” for the handsets to be sold under a Sharp branding.
However, it remains unclear as to which brand Foxconn will use to market the smartphones it produced in-house in the Japan market, said the sources, adding that it is highly possible those smartphones will be sold under the Sharp brand.
Foxconn’s move to introduce cheaper models of smartphones could offset Sharp’s Aquos line of devices, which corner the high-end market in Japan but leave the company open to introduce entry-level and mid-range devices for consumers. According to the sources knowledgable of the launch, the addition of Foxconn’s smartphones “will enrich Sharp’s product portfolios,” if the company is indeed the brand attached to the new handsets.
Foxconn has produced its own smartphones under different branding before, but today’s report suggests the company is attempting to launch its new devices with a heavier marketing push within Japan. No other descriptive factors of the smartphone’s components or features were mentioned in the report.
Most recently, Apple was rumored to be in talks with Sharp to provide OLED displays for next-generation iPhones, with the ultimate outcome of the deal depending on Sharp’s capacity to output a large amount of displays. The rumor of Apple’s negotiations with Sharp followed a report last week that said the electronics manufacturer is set to spend $570 million on OLED panel production, although its output goal of mid-2018 means it’ll miss next year’s mega-cycle iPhone 8 launch.
Tag: Japan
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North America’s Busiest Commuter Trains Now Support Apple Pay
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the MTA eTix app for iPhone now supports Apple Pay, enabling commuters to conveniently and securely purchase tickets for New York City’s Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad trains.
As of this week, commuters can use Apple Pay to purchase one way, round trip, ten trip, weekly, and CityTickets tickets — as well as monthly passes — through the MTA eTix app, which can be used at all LIRR and Metro-North stations.
Image Credit: Lionel via The New York Times
“The New York commute just got that much easier thanks to Apple Pay in the MTA eTix app,” said Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey. “Now you can skip the line entirely to buy train tickets right on your iPhone.”
MTA’s Long Island Railroad, operating between Manhattan and the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island, is the busiest commuter train in North America, with an average weekday ridership of over 300,000 passengers.
MTA’s Metro-North Railroad, operating between Manhattan and upstate New York, plus parts of southwestern Connecticut, is the second busiest commuter train in North America, with an average weekday ridership of over 285,000 passengers.
MTA eTix, free on the App Store [Direct Link], eliminates the need to stand in line to purchase tickets from a vending machine. Instead, your iPhone serves as your electronic ticket, which you activate before boarding a train.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: New York City
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Where to buy Sony’s Xperia XZ in the UK
Sony’s smartphone launch timetable has been pretty questionable of late. After bringing the Xperia X Compact to the UK the day after Apple’s iPhone announce, the company is back with a poorly timed release of the Xperia XZ, just as the dust is settling after Google’s big Pixel event. Nevertheless, the Xperia XZ is Sony’s first smartphone of the year bearing all the hallmarks of a flagship. It may only pack slight improvements over the uninspiring Xperia X Performance, but between the handset’s industrial design, powerful innards and laser-autofocus camera, there’s still plenty to like. And as of today, it can now be yours.
| Cheapest contract (with upfront) | £38.49 (£50) | £34 (£70) | £32 (£120) | £28.49 (£90) on EE | £18.49 (£325) on EE | £23 (£175) on O2 |
| Cheapest contract (lowest upfront) | £51 (£10) | £37 (£0) | £42 (£20) | £36 (£0) on EE or O2 | £36 (£0) on EE | £42 (£0) on Vodafone |
| Pay-as-you-go | — | £552 | £550 | — | — | — |
| Unlocked (SIM-free) | — | — | — | £540 | £519 | — |
Typically, Sony phones don’t get this amount of traction among carriers and contract resellers, but it seems they’re all ready to show the Xperia XZ some love. There aren’t any particularly cheap options, though, so you’re either looking at an upfront payment of some variety, a high contract cost or low monthly allowances, if not all three. Speaking of Three, the carrier will be offering the Xperia XZ but hasn’t nailed down its pricing structure just yet. We’ll be updating this post just as soon as Three adds the phone to its online store.
It appears giffgaff is the only MVNO ranging the Xperia XZ, at least on launch day. The provider’s pricing starts at £35 upfront on a £35.49 per month contract (this goes down if you pay more upfront), or you can buy the phone outright for £549 and bundle it with plans starting at £10 per month.
If unlocked is more your style, then Buymobiles.net has the best deal we can find currently at £519. Mobilephonesdirect.co.uk is pretty close with its £523 pricing, but right now there’s no point looking elsewhere, with most other retailers charging between £540 and £550 for the device.
Xbox exclusive ‘ReCore’ gets a 30-minute demo
When ReCore was first announced, it looked fresh and exciting. An agile explorer flanked by cute, adorable robots in a sprawling desert. Oh, and Mega Man legend Keiji Inafune was attached to the project. The concept was intriguing, at the very least. But then the game came out, and its $40 price-tag made sense; in short, it just wasn’t very good. To help with ReCore’s less-than-stellar reception, Microsoft has announced a 30-minute trial version for Xbox One and Windows 10. There’s no fee, or expectation to buy, but if you do pick up the full game your progress will carry over.
To tempt new players, the ReCore team has pushed out a “significant update” to the game. Load times have been reduced, and both the music and visuals have been tweaked. On a technical level, you should also see “improvements” to the waypoint system, as well as better checkpoints, respawns and collisions. These changes, while welcome, will do little to save the game’s underlying faults. But maybe, just maybe, they can help people to look past those rough patches, and appreciate ReCore’s redeeming qualities — namely decent exploration and fun puzzle solving.
Source: Xbox Wire
Game Fnatic: See what it takes to be a ‘League of Legends’ pro
It’s on. The Engadget video series Game Fnatic follows four amateur and semi-pro League of Legends players as they attempt to win a spot on Fnatic, one of the world’s most successful and famous teams. The first five episodes are live right now, right here. Even if you’re unfamiliar with League of Legends, the debut episodes break down the basics and introduce the four competitors, each of whom brings a unique skill — and personality — to the series.
Game Fnatic is a behind-the-scenes look at Fnatic’s League of Legends philosophy and what its star players look for in a teammate. The competitors not only have to learn how to train like a pro, which includes physical activity and hours upon hours of game time, but they have to prove they can play well with Fnatic’s superstar lineup, which features Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten and Bora “YellOwStaR” Kim, all of whom have competed at the League of Legends World Championships. The 2016 Worlds tournament is live through October 29th, so now is a great time to get a closer look at what it takes to be a professional League of Legends player.
Game Fnatic is a 10-part series, so once you’re done devouring the first five episodes, keep an eye out for the second half in the coming weeks. You know where to find us.
ASUS’ Zenfone 3 and its Snapdragon 821 arrive this month
If you want the fastest Android phone in the US, you can pre-order Google’s Pixel phone starting at $649, and get it around October 20th. There is another option, though — ASUS will release its 5.7-inch Deluxe Special Edition ZenFone 3 smartphone with the same Snapdragon 821 processor in the US for $799 by the end of the month. Both have metal unibodies, but the ASUS is the flashier of the two.
For many, the ability to get Android updates first on Google’s Pixel devices or use the Daydream headset will be a deciding factor. But the ZenFone 3 does have a few things going for it — it has 6GB of RAM instead of 4GB, 256GB of (expandable) UFS II storage (instead of 128GB max on the Pixel) and is the first device with Sony’s new Exmore IMX318 23-megapixel front camera sensor. Both have 1080p screens, but the 5.5-inch Pixel XL sports a Quad HD display and significantly higher $869 price tag.
If both of those options are too rich, ASUS has tamer variants of the ZenFone 3, including the Deluxe 5.7-inch 4GB model with a mere Snapdragon 820 for a very decent $499. The 5.5-inch Deluxe sports a mid-range Snapdragon 625 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a $399 price tag.
ASUS also confirmed the final price and availability for the ZenWatch 3. As a reminder, that’s a stainless steel Android Wear watch that can be recharged to 60 percent in just 15 minutes — it’ll run $229 and arrive at the beginning of November. Meanwhile, the ZenPad 3S 10, a middling 10-inch, 2,048 x 1,536 tablet with an Octacore MediaTek CPU and 4GB of RAM also comes in early November for $299. All devices and pre-orders are available at the ASUS store.
ICYMI: Airbag helmets might save your noggin
Today on In Case You Missed It: Stanford researchers just wrapped up a study of bike helmets that found a clear winner with the caveat that it’s not available in the US yet. Airbag helmets (like these or these) are only sold in Europe but are far superior at keeping test heads safe in an impact.
Meanwhile, the ancient city of Pompeii has been partially recreated with 3D imaging, putting back together a wealthy person’s house, right down to the correct paint color and in some cases, what sort of surfaces these ancient people walked on. Pompeii was destroyed by volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD so this level of detail is pretty astonishing.
The story about the Nike Mag shoes we all want in our hearts (seriously, just admit it) can be found here. Proceeds from the raffle go to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research plus if you win, you’d be the coolest person anyone knows for at least a month.
If you’re interested in the US Department of Energy video touring a 3D printed house, that’s here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Apple’s Services Teams to Start Working Together to Improve Siri, Maps, iCloud, and iTunes
Apple plans to unify its cloud services teams, including Siri, Apple Maps, iCloud, Apple Pay, Apple News, and parts of iTunes and Apple Music, at its existing Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino, California, according to Bloomberg.
Moving the teams into a single campus should streamline growth of Apple services, as the current structure of having teams spread out throughout various office buildings in Cupertino and Sunnyvale contributed to software bugs and slowed product development, the report claims.
The cloud services teams could be on the move again in the near future as Apple completes work on its new Campus 2 headquarters, where well over 13,000 employees are expected to work. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company will begin moving employees to the new campus in 2017.
The report adds that Apple is also planning to shift its services to a single, Apple-made backend system, codenamed Pie. The infrastructure change will reportedly give Apple “more control” and “may speed up load times.”
Apple has begun moving over parts of Siri, the iTunes Store, and Apple News to the new platform, one of the people said. Apple plans to move other services, including Maps, to its new system over the next few years. Apple has also developed an internal photo storage system dubbed McQueen to gradually end its reliance on Google and Amazon servers, the people said.
In March, it was reported that Apple is working on an in-house cloud storage system called “McQueen” to reduce its dependence on services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, with today’s report specifying it will be an internal photo storage system.
Apple experienced its first-ever iPhone sales decline earlier this year, but its services category continues to grow. In its most recent quarter, Apple reported nearly $6 billion in revenue tied to services like the App Store, Apple Music, AppleCare, Apple Pay, iCloud, and the iTunes Store, up 19% compared to the year-ago period.
Tags: Siri, Eddy Cue, iTunes, Apple Maps, iCloud, Infinite Loop
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