samedi 2 novembre 2013
mardi 29 octobre 2013
jeudi 10 octobre 2013
New Samsung Galaxy Gear ad seems to ape first iPhone advert
You may not remember the first ever iPhone commercial. After all, it was 6 years ago. It featured scenes of people using various telephones in movies and TV shows. At the end the first ever iPhone is displayed with a catchy strapline.
Matthew Panzarino (@panzer), remembers this well and found that the new Samsung advert for the Galaxy Gear was rather similar. This, as usual, has caused more than a few ripples with Apple fans.
The new Samsung Galaxy Gear advert is strikingly samey, showing TV and movie characters and various famous wristwatches over the years. It closes with a shot of the new phone and a catchy strapline.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. Check out the new Samsung ad below..
dimanche 22 septembre 2013
iPad mini 2 case pictured in space gray for first time ever
Apple’s upcoming new flagship iPhone 5s won’t be the only new Apple device that will launch with the new space gray color option, if a new leak ends up panning out. Japanese mobile parts seller Moumantai recently added a new listing on its website for a second-generation iPad mini housing in the new space gray color. It also included photos of the new casing, marking the first time it has ever been pictured in Apple’s space gray color, which is much lighter than the slate color seen on the current-generation iPhone 5. Moumantai opines that space gray will replace the current black color option on the iPad mini, and the new shell is already available for sale on the site for 10,000 yen, which works out to just over $101.
Apple is widely expected to unveil a completely overhauled full-size iPad as well as a brand new iPad mini in October. The fifth-generation iPad is expected to be redesigned in order to match the design identity of the iPad mini, and the second-generation iPad mini is thought to be almost identical to the current model, however it is expected to feature a new Retina display.
Now, if this new leak is authentic, it looks like we can expect at least one new color option as well.
Both new iPads will reportedly be unveiled during a press event in California on October 15th, though that date has not been confirmed. Apple’s iOS 7.1 update will be shown off alongside the new tablets, according to an exclusive BGR report.
Several additional photos of the new Retina iPad mini housing follow below.
vendredi 13 septembre 2013
Sony Xperia Z1 with DSC-QX10 Smart Shot first look
I’ve finally got my grubby mits on Sony’s newest releases, so I thought I’d share my pleasures (and pains) with you lovely people.
Sony pre-release review models are notoriously hard to come by, especially when you want them with some accessories, but with a little sweet talking I was able to get my hands on a demo model of an Xperia Z1 and a DSC-QX10 Smart Shot detachable camera lens straight out of the box at my local O2 store. Mainly because the staff were as excited as me to play with them!
Firstly, sorry that the photos are a little shaky, you see we drew quite a crowd and elbows started becoming pointy!
There are two big questions about these devices: is the screen on the Z1 up to scratch after the disappointment of the OG Z, and how well does the Smart Shot work in conjunction with the phone.
Let’s tackle the screen first
It’s a really great screen. Sony have put the time and effort into it, and I put it amongst the best on the market. However, it’s not quite there still.
I would be over the moon with it had I not I put my OPPO Find 5 next to it. The viewing angles aren’t quite as good as the OPPO (although far better than the Z), and for ultimate crispness the Sony just loses out.
Considering that I rate the OPPO Find 5's screen as the best I’ve ever used, I was setting the bar high. The Sony will, however, give the Samsung Galaxy S4 a run for its money, with only the extreme viewing angles letting it down.
The Smart Shot
The DSC-QX10 seems just as ridiculous in the flesh as in the promo videos. It took a couple of minutes to work out how to clip it on properly and another couple to pair it at first, but once powered up it look the part.
Although the devices are front heavy when clipped together the combination isn’t uncomfortable to use. The software and placement of the buttons makes things quite intuitive.
The fact that the DSC-QX10 has a tripod mount on it means that this could be used as a seriously good camera in a lot of situations.
After having seen the cheesy video leaked just before IFA I was curious to see how the Smart Shot performs when it’s not clipped to the phone. With the duo wirelessly paired I held the Z1 and the store manager walked to the door of the shop with the lens (about 15 feet). The picture was crystal clear with no noise. He then went out onto the pavement – still the same – and into the market stall another 15 feet away – still fine. In fact, he went about 40 feet until it started breaking up.
I was unable to view the resultant photos on a computer monitor, but they looked pretty decent on the Z1's screen.
I was impressed. This means that the Smart Shot could be set up and left somewhere and remote photography with decent optical zoom becomes a breeze. This isn’t the most widespread of uses, but for wildlife photography where one doesn’t want to startle the animals this could actually be useful!
Apart from that though, I can’t see any advantages of this hybrid device pairing over a separate phone and decent compact camera. Moreover, I see no point whatsoever is getting the QX10's bigger brother (the QX100); it will just be heavier and and leave a bigger hole in the bank account.
This is a wonderful gadget that’s great to play with that, unfortunately, will probably end up unused in a drawer somewhere.
First look conclusions
Wow!
Both of these products are incredibly well made and show the build quality and class that are traditionally reserved for Apple products. Despite the slightly inferior screen on the Z1 and the quirkiness of the DSC-QX10 I can see me giving both of them a home.
jeudi 12 septembre 2013
Home button of redesigned iPhone 5S with pictured in white fingerprint scanner for the first time
Stop us if you know this: Apple plans to unveil two new models of the iPhone on Tuesday, and one of them, according to the reports, dubbed iPhone 5S, probably will have a fingerprint scanner. A couple of recent leaks apparently revealed the new vessel logo iPhone 5S packaging, on which is printed an image of the handset with a redesigned Home button. The new button icon less apparently has been involved with a silver ring, and now a new leak shows the redesigned white for the first time start button.
French blog Nowwherelse.fr in the morning Tuesday published a photo of what it purports to the quick starting guide on the packaging retail for 5S next Apple iPhone. The picture apparently shows a 5S iPhone white and silver with all moving parts with the label, and reads the text pointing out the new start button "Start button / Touch sensor ID."
Several earlier reports suggested that the new Apple fingerprint scanner could be embedded in the iPhone 5 home button and could mainly be used to unlock the phone tightly, so the name 'ID Touch sensor' would be appropriate in this scenario.
Anyway, Apple has a press conference on Tuesday unveiled two new phones. The first will be the flagship iPhone 5S which is said to have two new color options: champagne gold and more light a new grey - as well as an improved camera with a dual LED flash, an upgraded processor and a fingerprint scanner. The phone is expected to debut along with the lowest cost iPhone 5 c, which will look specifications in line with current 5 Apple iPhone, but in a new case of plastic which will be launched in five colors.
While hope for Apple event begin, round-ups of what to expect from each new model of iPhone can be found here: iPhone 5S / iPhone 5 C
You said that the image was filtered to show the new iPhone home button 5 and white fingerprint scanner below.
