Category: Articles

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I Ask YOU: Why Do We Need 64-Bit Processors in Phones?

apple a7 and m7 processors 64 bit somegadgetguyNo seriously folks. I don’t get it, and I need your help to understand.

Why do we need 64-bit processors in our phones?

First Apple announces 64-bit will be included in the iPhone 5s, and now Samsung says they’ll be getting in on the trick in 2014. As best as I could understand, one of the primary reasons we moved to 64-bit on desktops and laptops was to allow us to use more than 4GB of RAM.

Are there other advantages I’m not aware of? Might this be a preemptive move for some future technology? I’m nonplussed…

Drop me a comment. School me folks!

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OLYMPUS New OM-D E-M1 Flagship Camera to arrive in October

Olympus-OM_D-E-M1Hello sexy.

I’ve recently started taking a warming to Oly’s audio gear, and now they’re sprucing up their flagship camera with some new tech under the hood. Having held the previous OM-D, it felt like a near perfect balance of SLR and range-finder with performance matching my favorite APS-C cameras from Nikon and Canon.

The new OM-D E-M1 features an improved 16.3 MP image sensor paired up with Oly’s fastest TruePic VII image processor. These in conjunction with their M.Zuiko lenses should provide for excellent photo and video output. TruePic VII supports 10 frames per second RAW capture for up to 41 shots, and improved auto-focus should help insure those pics are clear and sharp.

Olympus-OM_D-E-M1_rear

I’m really curious to see how the improved Image Stabilization works in conjunction with Micro 4/3rds lenses. OIS is built into the camera, as opposed to Canon where OIS has to be built into the lens. This means you can keep your lenses smaller, and ALL lenses will be stabilized, even fast primes, which usually don’t have stabilization on traditional SLR platforms. Oly’s Multi-Motion IS buffers against movement from five different directions for both photos and videos.

Also being added to the tech is built in WiFi. This is something I’ve long criticized the camera industry, that in recent years, many cameras still required large bolt on hotshoe or battery grips to add WiFi. The E-M1 skirts this by building it directly into the camera. Scan a QR code on the camera screen, and your phone will automagically pair with the free ImageShare app to mirror the camera’s live view for control on your phone!

All of this new gear built into a splash resistant, freeze resistant, dust-proof shell. Expect the OM-D E-M1 to drop in October for $1399.

Full PR after the break.

Continue reading “OLYMPUS New OM-D E-M1 Flagship Camera to arrive in October”

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Apple’s Crisis of Confidence: Consumer Perception and Stock Market Response

tim cook apple logoBefore I dive into this, I need to make it clear that I don’t hate Apple. I used to be an Apple product specialist working a JIT contract for DOE facilities in New Mexico. This was during the dual socket days of the PowerMac G5. It was a glorious machine, and I used to adore Apple. As Apple walked away from markets and product lines that I cared about, that adoration became a loving competition. The recent glory days of the company provided me a terrific nemesis as I moved over to Windows 7 computers and Android Phones.

Following Tuesday’s unveiling of the iPhone 5C & 5S, I came to an unsettling realization: I’m worried about Apple.

See, my world as a tech enthusiast and writer just doesn’t make sense without a powerful Apple, and the company which was on display during this last keynote was anything but powerful.  Continue reading “Apple’s Crisis of Confidence: Consumer Perception and Stock Market Response”

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Zagg Ahead of the Curve with new Accessories for iPhone 5S & 5C

zagg accessories iphone 5c 5s somegadgetguyI wonder if accessory manufacturers will continue to consider Apple a “safe bet”. The iPhone 5 is only getting a one year run, and the 5S will probably only get a one year run. You used to be able to count on at least two, if not three years of sales for a new model of iPhone.

Anywho, Zagg is getting out ahead of the curve by announcing their new line up of iPhone accessories for the 5S and 5C. A lot of their announced line up are universal products like iFrogz headphones and Zaggsparq portable batteries, but their terrific InvisibleSHIELD screen protectors are ready to go, and we’ll see a pair of case options. The iFrogz Chemistry is a slim cushioned bumper featuring bright colors and designs, and the Zagg Arsenal will be one of the slimmest rugged cases available for the iPhone 5S.

Full PR after the jump!

Continue reading “Zagg Ahead of the Curve with new Accessories for iPhone 5S & 5C”

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Rumor: Nokia to launch Lumia 1520 on September 26

nokialumia1520leaknew9_1020_verge_super_wideI’m not a big fan of rumor posts, there’s enough real stuff to actually play with that I don’t like getting bogged down by speculation. This rumor comes courtesy of @evleaks however, and they’ve been pretty good about not engaging in wild speculation regarding gadget leaks…

The timing on this seems pretty legit. We know Microsoft is gearing up for a couple big moves over the next couple months, including dropping a new Surface and the public release of Windows 8.1. Updating Windows Phone with a killer Nokia phablet would fit into that release line up nicely.

More news when we get actual news.

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Steam announces ‘Steam Family Sharing’ BETA – Share games with family & friends

steam family sharing gaming news valve somegadgetguy betaAs we move away from cartridges and shiny plastic discs, and towards digital distribution, game mobility becomes an important factor in how our gaming libraries are kept. Not in whether we can play our games on the go, but whether we can share our games or re-sell them. When I was a kid we thought nothing of swapping, borrowing, and trading NES cartridges. No verification, or logins, there was a physical thing we could share.

That gets trickier with digital distribution and cloud gaming. A number of different tactics have been employed to offer gaming services while trying to prevent game piracy, with varying levels of success. Now Steam is implementing a new program aimed at getting gamers invested into their gaming platform through the games friends and family members have purchased.

In limited beta now, Steam Family Sharing allows users to create a list of approved “close friends and family”. This list of people will be allowed to play games on the Steam user’s account, while unlocking their own achievements and saving their own game progress on their own account.

On the surface it’s a great goodwill program, allowing people to share and play, but I think it very savvy that people get to accrue their own achievements. It’s an investment in time that gamers wont want to have to rebuild if they decide they want to own their own copy of the game. They’ll be far more likely to purchase through Steam. Building that kind of community is a license to print money.

Sign up for the Beta on SteamPowered.com

(via Reddit)

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AT&T posts iPhone pre-order page for September 20th release

170455-mrq-iPhone5C-bg-972x460If you’re on Big Blue and looking to shop one of those shiny new iPhones we’ve been hearing all about over the last day or so, AT&T has helpfully created an email alert page just for you. Of course they’ll be carrying the new iPhones, so if you want to make sure a little box has your name on it on September 20th, you will want to be alerted when pre-orders go live on September 13th.

Jump over to www.apple.com/iphone to make sure you’re all signed up.

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Intel to ship 14nm laptop processors by end of year – up to 30% improvement in battery life

Intel-4th-gen-haswell-chipMore news out of the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Intel showed off an Ultrabook powered by a new “Broadwell” processor which utilizes a 14nm construction.

Known as a “die-shrink”, newer processors are refined and made smaller than their predecessors. This improves power management, which should reduce wasted electricity (also reducing wasted heat), and improve battery life. At some point however, we’ll be fighting physics as we wont be able to continue shrinking these parts forever.

While we might hit that manufacturing brick wall some day, that day is not today.

Intel recently released “Haswell” to the market, and its 22nm construction has already allowed for new tablet-like form factors for full-fledged PC’s from Sony, Lenovo, Asus, and other manufacturers.  Computers which run full versions of desktop operating systems and programs, but in form factors approaching consumer grade tablets. Intel is estimating that Broadwell based computers will see an almost 30% gain in battery life over current Haswell technology. We could be seeing Windows 8 tablets and hybrids approaching or surpassing iPad battery life by early next year.

Intel also discussed 14nm construction for their Atom line of low power chips used in phones. Those parts should be shipping in actual devices by the end of 2014.

Intel president Renée James also teased future development from the CPU developer, claiming “we have 14 nanometer working and we can see beyond that. I assure you it’s alive and well.” Exciting stuff, especially for future mobility products.

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