duminică, 23 septembrie 2012

Inside the new iPhone 5 Secrets

As Apple's new iPhone goes on sale, one of the first to get their hands on it immediately breaks it open. The traditional breakdown of the iPhone by the California-based recycling and repair community, Ifixit, is always closely watched to see what they think of the new device.

sâmbătă, 22 septembrie 2012

iPhone 5 Up at The O2!

O2 took six lucky O2 customers to the most exclusive pop up shop in the UK to buy iPhone 5 in style. Here's what happened and what the customers thought...

Apple - iPhone 5 - TV Ad - Ears

Introducing the iPhone 5, with EarPods -- designed to sound better and earshaped to fit better.

Apple - iPhone 5 - TV Ad - Physics

The iPhone 5 is here. The biggest and tallest yet somehow thinnest and lightest iPhone yet.

Apple - iPhone 5 - TV Ad - Cheese

Introducing the iPhone 5. Now taking beautiful photos in panorama is as simple as saying "cheese".

Apple - iPhone 5 - TV Ad

Introducing the iPhone 5, with 4-inch Retina display. It's the perfect size for everything -- including your thumb.

joi, 13 septembrie 2012

Inside Foxconn: Exclusive look at how an iPad is made

Marketplace Shanghai Bureau Chief Rob Schmitz is only the second reporter ever to gain access to visit the factory floor at Apple's Chinese producer Foxconn. See highlights from his tour of the assembly line and the Foxconn facilities and connect to his full audio reports on your public radio station and at http://www.marketplace.org. Marketplace is produced and distributed by American Public Media.
Embedding this video on your website or blog? Please include the following credits:
Source Credit - American Public Media's 'Marketplace'.
Reporter Credit - Rob Schmitz, Shanghai Bureau Chief

iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S III vs. Droid RAZR HD vs. Nokia Lumia 920



The iPhone 5 launches into a more challenging field of competitors than ever, and to give you some context about the iPhone 5 specifications compared with those of its chief competitors, we put the most important characteristics of each into this handy table.
As we look at specs of the iPhone 5 compared with the Samsung Galaxy S III, Nokia Lumia 920 and Motorola Droid RAZR HD, we can see patterns emerging, such as all the iPhone 5′s competitors have a screen that’s at least 720p (1,280×720 pixels), dual-core 1.5GHz processors, an updated operating system (although that’s debatable in the case of Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich), an 8-megapixel camera and 4G LTE — all functioning as de facto standards in this highest echelon of smartphone goodness.



Apple
iPhone 5

Samsung Galaxy S III

Droid RAZR HD

Nokia
Lumia 920
Screen Size 4 inches 4.8 inches 4.7 inches 4.5 inches
Resolution 1,136 x 640 1,280 x 720 1,280 x 720 1,280 x 768
Weight 3.9 oz 4.7 oz 5.1 oz 6.5 oz
CPU Dual-core Apple A6 Dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 (in the U.S.) Dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Dual-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4
Storage 16GB, 32GB or 64GB, no card slot 16GB, 32GB or 64GB +microSD slot 12GB+microSD slot 32GB, no card slot
Connectors Apple Lightning microUSB microUSB microUSB
Operating System iOS 6 Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) Microsoft Windows Phone 8
Battery 225 hours standby, 8 hours talk time (3G) 790 hours standby, 11:40 hours talk time (3G) TBA 300 hours standby, 10 hours talk time (3G)
Camera 8MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash 8MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash 8MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash 8MP, 3264×2448 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, dual-LED flash
Networking Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G LTE
Price $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB; avail. Sept. 21 $99.99 + $35 carrier fee $199 (estimated, launch end of 2012) TBA, launch Q4 2012

via http://mashable.com/2012/09/12/iphone-5-compared/

Apple - Introducing iPhone 5 VIDEO

miercuri, 12 septembrie 2012

iPhone 5 was Presented to the World!


Surely you remembered that today is the day when Apple will present their latest generation of the iPhone, the much-awaited iPhone 5. As we reported previously the device was set to be presented today and should be on the market around the September 21st. This still isn't 100% official but we should hear the new from Apple soon enough.
Today, on September the 12th, in the "big apple" (NYC) the new iPhone 5 was presented to the world. The new device is 20% lighter and sports a 4 inch screen as all the display-related rumors suggested. Although the 0.5 perhaps don't mean a lot of to many people this is certainly a historical moment, at least for the company, as this is the first time that the iPhone stepped away from the original designs of Steve Jobs. 
iphone 5 release date
Phil Schiler talks about the new iPhone 5
 Apple also claims that the processor is twice as fast due to their new A6 chip. The device also finally has a 4G-LTE network connection which allows for networking speeds that are ten times as fast a 3G. Among others, the supported networks will include Verizon, Spring and AT&T, which will be the major iPhone 5 carriers.
 A new feature for the iPhone 5 is the improved "iSight camera" which allows beautiful panoramic shots as well as better pictures in low light conditions. We cannot say anything more until some of the official specs and news are released but based on what I've seen on the live-stream of the event you can be sure that there are quite a few interesting new features awaiting the iPhone fans.
 The device is expected to be released on the market for $199 with a two-year contract on September the 21st. This will influence the iOS ecosystem as the iPhone 4S will get a price drop of $100 meaning that it will cost $99 with a two-year contract while the older iPhone 4 will be a free option with a two-year contract. Not a bad deal for those who do not want the latest in technology but still want the branded quality that Apple provides!

luni, 3 septembrie 2012

McLaren one-off X1 concept surfaces at Pebble Beach




The Pebble Peach Concours at Monterey is used to seeing the weird and wonderful creations of bespoke vehicle design and craftsmanship, but one of the most surprising entrants this year was from the McLaren Special Operations team. The vehicle, known as the X1 Concept, is an extraordinary mixture of McLaren MP12C road car and an entirely new bodyshell crafted in a style that wouldn't look out of place in a 1930s comic book. Before you imagine that McLaren has hit the crazy button, a little explanation is in order.

























McLaren only benchmarks itself against one other company: Ferrari; and for several years Ferrari have been running a very successful bespoke vehicle creation service. (The latest car to have been completed being Eric Clapton’s unique toy.)

McLaren announced its own Special Operations customization team at last year’s Pebble Beach and over 15 percent of all MP12C purchases are now customized in some manner. The idea had been brewing for some time before that though. Three years ago, before the MP12C was even publicly announced, a wealthy individual who already possessed an F1 and an SLR, approached McLaren to create a unique car based on the upcoming 12C.

Paul Mackenzie, now head of McLaren SO, and Design Director Frank Stephenson went to see the gentleman to start to explore the sort of car he wanted.

"The key qualities the client desired were 'timeless and classical elegance.' Which was some challenge," said Stephenson.

Inspirational cars included a 1961 Facel Vega (actually one of my personal favorites), a 1953 Chrysler D'Elegance Ghia, a 1959 Buick Electra, a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K and a 1971 Citroën SM. There were various examples of architecture – including the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao – plus a Jaeger LeCoultre art deco clock, an Airstream trailer, a Thomas Mann Montblanc pen, a grand piano – and an eggplant. "The client liked the shiny texture of the finish," notes Stephenson. There was also a black-and-white photo of Audrey Hepburn.

After a design competition that included designers from outside of McLaren and even the automotive industry, a scheme was chosen from McLaren’s own Hong Yeo, a recent Royal College of Art graduate from Korea.



"X1 embodies the McLaren value that every part has to have a purpose," said Yeo. "No details are simply visual cues, every one has a purpose. Although I like to think the wide body combined with pontoon style rear fenders will ensure the car glides when it's moving just like a superhero's cape...'

The fixed points of engineering for the vehicle were the 12C’s unique "mono-cell" carbon-fiber passenger tub and glasshouse, and of course the 625 hp twin-turbo V8 engine and drive chain. Everything else is completely bespoke; body, lights, wheels, mirrors, trim, and the construction took over two years in total. A full on-road development program was required since the car would be homologated for road use. A Computational Fluid Dynamics program and 625 miles of track test driving was also required to ensure stability at high speed.

All body panels of the X1 are made from carbon, and are finished in a rich piano black, as specified by the owner. Body sides are lacquered visual carbon fiber. "The black paint has no metallic or color tints and is one of the most challenging colors to paint, but the finish is absolutely exquisite and befits the car perfectly," adds Stephenson.

Components were tooled exclusively for the car. They even include unique head- and taillights, inspired by the McLaren Speed Marque logo. The brightwork is machined from solid aluminum, and a nickel finish is then applied. The McLaren logo in the nose is specially machined from solid aluminum then nickel plated. Wheels are also unique to the X1, and are diamond turned with a tinted lacquer to complement the exterior nickel-plated brightwork.

The brightwork itself is all machined from solid aluminum, and then nickel finished to give the same hue throughout. Even the McLaren Speed Marque badge in the nose is machined from solid aluminum, then nickel plated.



The same brightwork is used for the over-the-shoulder rails (as specified by the owner), at the base of the windscreen and the back of the glasshouse, and for the "eyebrows" over the bespoke headlights. The McLaren Airbrake rear wing is also machined from solid aluminum and nickel plated, to complement the rest of the brightwork.

Perhaps the most unusual styling feature is the enclosed rear wheels, an upshot of the owner's desire to have a car reflecting "timeless elegance." The wheels are accessed by carbon panels using, as Stephenson explains, "some of the most gorgeous hinges you've ever seen."

The unique body of the X-1 means some dimensions have changed over the 12C. The X1 is 4 inches (10 cm) longer and about 7.5 inches (19 cm) wider but the height is unchanged and overall weight remains the same at 1400 kg (3,080 pounds) due to the extensive use of carbon-fiber.

While the basic architecture of the interior did not change, personalization includes bespoke Harissa Red McLaren Nappa leather used for the seats, door and roof trim, and switchgear with machined nickel-coated, aluminum bezels. The carbon interior trim has a titanium weave, to give a 3D-like effect. Special tufted carpet covers the floor.

It would be wrong to comment on the success or otherwise of the final design. It is after all one man’s vision and if he is happy then that’s all that really matters. For McLaren it shows two things; the inherent flexibility of the 12C’s mono-cell construction and the Special Operations team’s ability to create just about anything you want around it.

Source: McLaren

duminică, 2 septembrie 2012

Samsung Galaxy S III Is Making Driving Safer

Samsung is authoritative active safer, but alone for those accustomed a Galaxy S III.

The electronics company's new Drive Articulation in-car smartphone app is congenital about alert to music, GPS navigation, and hands-free talking. But alone Galaxy S III users will get to acquaintance it, for now, until the app is appear to added Android accessories active Ice Cream Sandwich.

Drive Articulation provides a bright interface, with continued buttons and a simple card anatomy for attainable navigation. A alone home awning welcomes the user with the time and area for the accepted location, and
displays accessories adored in the Galaxy S III's S Agenda app.

"For many, active is an basic allotment of their lives and Drive Articulation allows us to accommodate a advised band-aid for those adulatory to use their Smartphone in [the] car," Samsung controlling carnality admiral Wonpyo Hong said in a statement. "With this appliance we ensure users can absorb the amount functionality of their smartphone while authoritative abiding their acquaintance is as safe as possible."

To abstain texting-while-driving scenarios, the app offers text-to-speech, which reads all admission SMS messages, emails, and amusing media updates via the car's apostle system.

The app provides abounding functions agnate to an in-car or attachable GPS device, including the adeptness to accept preset, recent, or admired destinations, as able-bodied as look for a specific address. If abode advice is independent in a agenda item, or a argument is accustomed while application Drive Link, the buzz will accommodate a articulation to the destination that can be set with one click.

Based on the standards of the Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association, Samsung congenital Drive Articulation with the adeptness to affix a smartphone – any one that will eventually be accordant with the app – to a car's in-vehicle infotainment system, via MirrorLink, a connectivity apparatus begin in GM, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and Hyundai models.

Samsung hasn't abandoned about a driver's charge to break cautiously entertained while on the road.

By abutting your buzz (for now, a Samsung Galaxy S III) to your car, any music book adored on your accessory is attainable through the car's stereo system. Or users can use TuneIn's all-around Internet radio app to accept to any of its 70,000 stations or on-demand alive offerings.

Samsung Windows Mobile Phones New Galaxy Note

BERLIN/SEOUL  Samsung Electronics became the aboriginal handset maker to advertise a smartphone application Microsoft's latest adaptable software, authoritative its surprise, abrupt advertisement aloof canicule afore the awful advancing barrage of Nokia's version.

The abrupt advertisement on Wednesday at a Berlin electronics appearance comes amidst expectations that smartphone makers may about-face more to Windows accessories afterwards a U.S. board absitively abounding of Samsung's Android-based phones abandoned Apple Inc patents.

"It looks like a acceptable phone, and seems like a pre-emptive advertisement advanced of Nokia," said Sid Parakh, an analyst at advance close McAdams Wright Ragen, of the Samsung phone.

"Microsoft or Windows never got their best teams, never got their best designs, aloof because Android was accomplishing so well. With the change in the acknowledged environment, there's a case to be fabricated that Samsung will acceptable about-face some of those assets to augment out or alter their own exposure."

Nokia, the ailing Finnish adaptable firm, already the world's arch ambassador of phones but now disturbing to about-face losses, is due to bare its new Lumia band of smartphones application Windows Buzz 8 in New York on September 5.

Samsung's new buzz alleged ATIV S -- tacked assimilate the end of a continued account appointment in Berlin that focused on added articles -- may drag expectations for the Lumia. Samsung's ATIV S Windows buzz sports a high-end 4.8-inch display, Corning "Gorilla" glass, and an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, Microsoft acquaint on its official blog on Wednesday.

"Expectations for a 40 megapixel or possibly 20 megapixel camera archetypal are active high. If Nokia does not bare a monster camera handset abutting week, abounding will be disappointed," said Tero Kuittinen, analyst at adaptable analytics close Alekstra.

But "this leaves Nokia affluence of allowance to draw a bright adverse with its accessible announcement."

Samsung's Windows-based smartphone, alien on Wednesday, marks the aboriginal in a "big calendar of new hardware" from the South Korean aggregation based on Microsoft's software, Microsoft controlling Ben Rudolph said in a blog posting.

Analysts say the addition of Samsung's Windows buzz may be advised to allay apropos that Microsoft will favor Nokia, whose Arch Controlling Stephen Elop -- himself a above arch Microsoft controlling -- has staked its approaching on the Windows platform.

"The actuality Samsung was accustomed to be the aboriginal to advertise is Microsoft's abuse way of absolution added vendors apperceive that Nokia is not accepting appropriate treatment," Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said.

But Jack Gold, an absolute adaptable adviser who runs J. Gold Associates, argued Samsung had signalled its charge to Windows for a while, but Nokia will abide the primary disciplinarian of the new brand of Microsoft-powered devices.

"Samsung has beyond the alpha band aboriginal and set the bar for Nokia's launch," said Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight.

Slideshow: New Samsung gadgets, bang http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=INRTR379HY

STEALING A MARCH

Microsoft gave a examination of its Windows Buzz 8 software in June, and promised the aboriginal phones would be on the bazaar by the autumn.

Windows Buzz 8 looks agnate to, and is congenital on the aforementioned amount cipher as Microsoft's accessible Windows 8 operating system, but is not the aforementioned product. Windows 8, which will run on tablets and PCs, is appointed to barrage on October 26.

Samsung said the ATIV buzz would hit food in the October-November aeon but did not accord an exact alpha date.

On Wednesday, the Korean association additionally showed off a bulk of tablets application Windows 8 software and the additional bearing of its accepted Google Android-based Galaxy Note phone-cum-tablet "phablet" in city Berlin.

Samsung has awash some 10 actor of its aboriginal Galaxy Note devices, creating a new artefact class which has abate awning than tablets, but bigger than smartphones.

"I am appealing assured it will alike outsell its predecessor," said JK Shin, Samsung's arch of adaptable business.

Samsung hopes the new accessory will booty the focus abroad from its accident of the cloister case. Apple is now gluttonous accelerated bans on the auction of eight Samsung phones, affective apace to about-face acknowledged achievement into actual business gain.

Samsung hopes the phablet advancement will lift any post-Apple gloom. The new adaptation of the Note appearance a thinner and hardly bigger 5.5-inch screen, quad-core processor, the latest adaptation of the Android operating arrangement alleged Jellybean, and bigger stylus function.

"There won't be huge avant-garde changes in design, but the Note 2 will affection absolutely a few improvements and accredit Samsung to backpack on its able sales drive in the category," said Lee Sun-tae, an analyst at NH Advance & Securities. "With the launch, Samsung will additionally be aggravating to about-face about beat affect afterwards the U.S. acknowledged defeat."

Apple did not accommodate the Note and added anew apparent Samsung articles in its aboriginal lawsuit. But the aggregation and its attorneys are accepted by abounding acknowledged experts to try and use aftermost week's acknowledged achievement to go afterwards approaching gadgets, abnormally because the board begin anarchic appearance in Samsung phones such as pinch-and-zoom and bounce-back -- accepted in Android.

Shares of Microsoft accomplished up 2 cents at $30.65 on Wednesday. (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde and Tarmo Virki in Berlin, Bill Rigby in Seattle, Miyoung Kim in Seoul; Editing by Edwin Chan and Tim Dobbyn)

Smartphone penetration breaks 50% barrier in the U.S.




Data collected from telco companies and network operators shows that smartphone penetration has broken the 50 percent barrier in the United States, with these devices now outnumbering their feature phone brethren for the first time. According to a report compiled by market consultancy Chaten Sharma, smartphones overtook feature phones during Q2 of this year - a push largely driven by Android and iOS-enabled devices.





New handset sales were dominated by smartphones in Q2, taking a 70 percent share. According to Chetan Sharma, 42 percent of the US mobile industry's service revenue is from data, which goes to show just how big a deal internet enabled devices have become.



While telco revenue from new subscriptions fell below five percent, prepaid subscriptions grew 12 percent year on year to over 100 million subscriptions, which Cheten Sharma says is likely a function of users watching their wallets because of the current economic landscape.

Samsung is the market leader in terms of number of handsets shipped, but Apple came up trumps in terms of revenue. While shipping only 6 percent of mobile devices, Apple hauled in over 70 percent of total mobile device revenue. Not too shabby.



Globally, smartphone penetration grew to about 38 percent at the same time, while China hit its one billionth mobile subscription in March.

Source: Chetan Sharma, via Gigaom

New Exmor RS sensors for smartphones and tablets SONY




Sony has revealed its new range of Exmor RS image sensors and camera modules which could be winging their way into your next smartphone or tablet. The CMOS sensors, which will also feature in devices from rival manufacturers, use a newly-developed "stacked structure" which means they are not only more compact, but also boast better image quality and advanced functionality.

The three sensors include two 8-megapixel options (one of which has a built-in camera signal processing) and a top-of-the-range 13-megapixel variant. Sony will also be launching three new sensor-toting imaging modules, which feature a newly-designed lens optimized to get top notch performance out of the smallest pixels and an auto-focus mechanism.









The stacked structure sees the pixel section of the sensors (containing formations of back-illuminated pixels) layered over the chip affixed with mounted circuits for signal processing – conventional sensors merge a pixel-sensor and circuit on a supporting substrate.

Sony says the new 13-megapixel sensor and one of the 8-megapixel ones will feature "RGBW coding" and an "HDR (High Dynamic Range) movie" function. RGBW coding means heightened sensitivity and better low light performance thanks to the addition of white pixels, while HDR movie mode records two different exposure conditions to generate images with a wide dynamic range and brilliant colors.

As the first of the new sensors is expected to start shipping in October and it will be May 2013 before all of the imaging modules are available, you might want to check out some smartphone-beating compact cameras in the meantime.

Source: Sony