Category: Articles

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Nokia Unveils “Affordable Flagship” Lumia 830 Smartphone

Lumia-830_group1Following the announcement of their Lumia Denim, Nokia showed off the first phone which will include the software update.

Nokia is positioning the 8XX line as upper mid-range. The Lumia 830 has a 5″ 720p display powered by a Qualcomm 400 series quad-core. The rear shooter scales back to a 10MP shooter which supports 1080p video and includes optical image stabilization. While there’s only 16GB of storage built in, it will include a MicroSD card slot unlike its bigger brother the 930.

It also retains a lot of the design language we current enjoy, a metal frame with a polycarb back which will come in white, black, orange, or green. It’s a nice aesthetic touch, not punishing consumers who opt for the less expensive models.

The Lumia 830 will be available this month with an expected launch price of 330EUR. You can see Nokia’s teaser vid below, and their full PR after the jump.

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4K Video Recording Coming to Lumia 1520 and 930 with “Lumia Denim” Update

Lumia_CameraWe recently covered some of the updates we’d like to see for the Nokia Camera, and it would seem the Lumia team has been paying attention.

Following on the heels of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, which brings Apps Corner and Folder support, Nokia is also detailing their custom software improvements. There will of course be speed improvements and bug fixes, but we’ll also see a few features coming to the camera that have been noticeably absent.

The Qualcomm 800 powered phones will finally receive 4K video recording at 24 FPS, and specific mention was made of improving low light image processing. We’ll also see an HDR mode included and the ability to save individual frames from a video as still photos.

Nokia is also leveraging their “SensorCore” tech to add Cortana voice activation. While the phone is idle, the voice command “Hey Cortana” will wake the phone and start a voice search.

You can see all the rest of the goodies included in Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 in our video review below!

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Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Crushes “Mini” Smartphone Competition

06_Xperia_Z3_Compact_White_GroupI try not to editorialize TOO much while covering press releases, but I am bothered by the “bigger is better” trend in smartphones. Flagships are starting to blur the boundaries between “regular” sized and “phablet”. Mini phones are almost always hamstrung versions of their larger stablemates. In Android land, there is exactly one mini phone which still retains higher-end specs, and Sony just gave it a refresh.

The Z3 Compact steps down to a 4.6″ display with a 720p resolution, it loses 1GB of RAM (down to 2GB), and it packs a smaller battery at 2600 mAh versus its big brother’s 3100 mAh. Besides those, it retains almost all of the hardware from the larger Z3. You’ll find the same Qualcomm 801 Quad-Core processor. Both have stereo speakers, and water submerge-able builds.

30_Xperia_Z3_Compact_White_BackThe Compact has the same 1/2.3″ camera sensor packing 20MP, 4K video, and optical image stabilization. Plus Sony will be bringing PS4 remote play to both the Z3 and the Compact for you console gamers out there.

It’s a largely premier specs sheet. At a time when even Apple will be moving up in screen size, and with the mid-range market getting hammered, Sony is providing a shot in the arm to a segment of the smartphone market which is often ignored. Pricing and availability will follow soon, and you can read Sony’s full PR below.


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Samsung Partners With Oculus for Gear VR Headset

Samsung is betting on VR becoming a popular service. Thankfully, instead of reinventing the wheel and releasing a standalone proprietary headset, they’re partnering with Oculus to bring the Gear VR to market.

Utilizing the same AMOLED screen found on the Note 4, the Gear VR brings an even higher resolution than the most current Oculus Rift Developer Kit, effectively 1280 x 1440 per eye.

samsung gear vr headset front viewThe Gear VR will also feature a MicroUSB connector allowing to hook up to a Galaxy Note 4 to display content. Wearable headsets like this can be used to either create an immersive 3D world around the viewer, or provide for a more passive “I Got a Movie Theater All To Myself” effect. The headset will come with a MicroSD card which will include a handful of movies and demos from Marvel, IMAX, Dreamworks, and more.

While there’s no hard launch date or pricing info, Samsung says the Gear VR will be available this year. Oculus got a shot in the arm after Facebook acquired it, but Samsung has the resources to push new technologies into the mainstream.

You can read Samsung’s full PR below.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge Brings a Different Bend to the Curved Screen

galaxy note 4 edge front and backSamsung’s Unpacked event at IFA this year saw a couple of exciting announcements. Of course most were on tap to see the release of the newest member to the Galaxy Note series. Rumors were flying about a curved AMOLED display. We’d seen previous attempts from Samsung with the Galaxy Round, and LG released a banana curved G Flex, but toying with the popular Note could have been a risky proposition.

For the Note 4 Edge, Samsung has done something a bit asymmetrical. The right hand side of the screen tapers off giving the device a screen which wraps around that corner. It’s a dramatic effect, and Sammy is using it for a variety of functions. It can act like a dock for app shortcuts, it can display time and notifications. It handily houses settings for the camera app (keeping the viewfinder free). Scrolling widgets can be housed on the edge, and while the main screen area is off, the side can still display time allowing it to act like a bedside clock.

What’s a little curious is that Samsung hasn’t made both sides taper off. It could have been our first side bezel-less phone. Hopefully this doesn’t affect the usage for left handed folks. Otherwise, the Edge very much resembles the Note 3 in terms of general design, but thankfully the guts of this phone are getting an upgrade. Continue reading “Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Edge Brings a Different Bend to the Curved Screen”

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Lenovo Offers Up New Android Tablet and Windows Gaming PC’s

Lenovo TAB S8_1Lenovo has led the PC market in sales for five consecutive quarters, while also making substantial gains with their tablet offerings.

At IFA in Berlin, Lenovo took the wraps off of their first Intel powered Android tablet and some new gear for gamers.

The Tab S8 has an 8″ full HD screen (1920×1200) powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor. The screen is bordered by tiny bezels with front facing stereo speakers, there’s an 8MP rear shooter, and features 2GB of RAM with 16GB of storage.

Base model will be available in September for $199, and there will be an LTE enabled model released later.

Also announced were a pair of gaming PC’s.

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Friday Fun: The Voice of Mario & Luigi Posts Funny Videos on Instagram!

Chances are pretty good you’ve heard the work of Charles Martinet. He voices the popular Nintendo characters Mario and Luigi, a childhood staple of mine.

Well apparently he’s on the instagrams, and he travels around with little Mario and Luigi action figures, voicing their adventures I.R.L!

For example here’s Luigi discovering a tree covered in leaf cutter ants.

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Samsung Gear S Smartwatch to Feature Curved Screen and 3G Cell Radio

Samsung_Gear_S_02_640We’re still waiting on the Moto360 and whatever watch Apple might eventually bring to the table, but the market isn’t standing still. Now Samsung has taken the wraps off of the newest entry to their Gear line of smartwatches.

samsung gear 2 hero profileThe Gear S is another Tizen offering, which will not use Android Wear like the Gear Live, but features a curved AMOLED display. It looks like it should wrap around the wrist in a slightly more comfortable way than some of the other rectangular screened watches available.

It wont be packing the camera or IR blaster found in the Gear 2, but it will add in a 3G cell radio and WiFi, making it more of a standalone data enabled device, similar to what Timex recently announced with their rugged watch. Using an almost comically small on screen keyboard or S-Voice will allow users to reply to incoming message, and the 3G connectivity will provide voice calling features as well. It could prove to be a decent stand alone experience for folks who want basic communication and media streaming while working out and don’t want to pack a bulky smartphone.

Gear S should be available in October, with pricing info to follow soon. Full PR below.

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