Let's Talk Tech
The cameras found on Nokia flagship phones are certainly formidable, but no gadget is perfect, and there’s ALWAYS room for improvement.
Here’s how I (and others who have commented on this blog) would tinker with Nokia’s camera software.
The phone is real. The phone looks good. The name is still kinda dumb.
Sorry Big Red, I just can’t bring myself to call this “The HTC One M8 for Windows”. I mean “HTC One M8” is already clunky enough, but “For Windows”? FOR Windows??? It makes the phone sound like an accessory FOR a Windows PC. Even “With Windows” sounds better. From here on out I will now be referring to HTC phones as the M8 and W8. No more “One” this and “For” that.
That said, the W8 looks like a great crossover to the Microsoft side of the fence. HTC’s build quality is second to none, and the changes made to the Windows Phone OS (allowing manufacturers to more easily swap over Android hardware) appear to be working.
Plus, many of the apps developed by HTC already have that modern minimalist look, which should help them blend in with Live Tiles. Blinkfeed for example already looks like a Metro app.
Lastly, it’s just nice to see another company giving Nokia a little competition in this space as we wait to see if Microsoft and Samsung will ever settle their licensing squabbling.
We’re you considering switching to a Windows Phone? Does an HTC W8 sweeten the deal for you? Drop us a comment! And catch Verizon’s teaser vid below.
Still the best camera on any smartphone to date, and if you’re on Big Blue you’ll probably find a nice little surprise in your system settings. The official WP8.1 + Nokia Cyan update should be ready for you to download and install!
Following the 1520, 925, and 520 this update offers up all the fun goodies we’ve been playing with like Cortana, the new Word Flow Keyboard, and new homescreen customization options for Live Tiles. You can see our in depth review of WP8.1 below, with AT&T’s full press release below that.
Continue reading “Windows Phone 8.1 Pushing to AT&T Lumia 1020 Smartphones”
We’ve been posting about Lumias receiving the official updates to Windows Phone 8.1. While Microsoft is in charge of the overall OS, there are a lot of tweaks, updates, and drivers which come from Nokia. Those updates are named by color, and the most recent is “Cyan”, which along with performance improvements and bug fixes, brings a few fun features to the camera.
Those of us on the bleeding edge however have been running the Developer Preview of WP 8.1, and unfortunately the first round of Cyan updates has not been compatible with the official update. The only workaround has been to wipe the phone running DevPre, roll back to the old version of Windows Phone 8, then re-install the new WP8.1+Cyan. In updating my Lumia 1520, the whole process took a little over two hours.
Nokia’s Developer team on Twitter recently announced however that they are working on fixes so folks with proper Developer Devices wont be forced into this OS dance.
OTA Developer Device Cyan updates for #Lumia620 is just around the corner. Starts rolling out next week! #wpdev
— Nokia Developer Team (@nokiadeveloper) August 15, 2014
Unfortunately this isn’t directly addressing the number of developers running DevPre on non-Developer Variations of phones, or any consumers who were running DevPre on their own phones.
To clarify, the OTA Developer Device Cyan updates for #Lumia we mentioned are for specific Developer Variants, not for those on dev preview
— Nokia Developer Team (@nokiadeveloper) August 18, 2014
With these updates rolling out for Developer Variations however, we can hope that all folks running DevPre will soon receive official Cyan support. Otherwise a wipe and reinstall is the only way to go…
Strap a camera to your head, and your neck can be a pretty decent stabilizer, but engaging in sporty activities can give even the most rugged neck a challenge in producing smooth video. Speeding up a timelapse series can look extremely jittery.
Microsoft posted a video preview of their new Hyperlapse process, which scans through video for details, stabilizes the image, and creates a subtle 3D effect to help image to image transitions.
We just sort of take it for granted that footage from a GoPro, or other head mounted camera, is going to be shaky. Hyperlapse looks like it can provide some stunning effects. Fingers crossed we see this type of image processing at the consumer level soon. Continue reading “Microsoft Details “Hyperlapse” Process for Smoothing Out First-Person Perspective Video”
Microsoft is keeping the pressure on their OS updates.
Phones are just now receiving the official 8.1 update, but those folks using the Developer Preview version will now have access to Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1! Apps corner, new IE11, bulk forwarding for text messages, and folders on the home screen! It’s a really clumsy name, but let’s take a look at some of the new features in this preview update!
The surface Pro 3 made quite a splash when it was first announced, but only the Core i5 units were available at launch.
Microsoft has now updated the Surface Pro 3 ordering page with all five variations of the new LapTab (I’m really trying to make that word happen as I’m tired of explaining how the Surface blurs the lines between LAPtops and TABlets).
The Core i3 version starts at $799 with 64GB of storage. Core i5 versions have either 128GB or 256GB, and Core i7 models will pack 256GB or 512GB. That last option, the Core i7 with 512GB will cost $1949. Going through each option though, Microsoft has done a decent enough job of hitting various prove points for people with specific needs.
We’re you waiting out the i7 model before taking the plunge? Maybe considering replacing your regular tablet with an i3 Surface? Drop us a comment below!
And for no good reason, here’s a pic of a Surface Pro 3 being dropped from shoulder height again…
We’ve been covering the roll out for Windows Phone 8.1 since the early developer preview days. It’s already been made available for the Lumia 1520, and now it’ll be rolling out for the Lumia 925 and entry level wonder the 520.
For those who have been using the Developer Preview, you’ll likely need to wipe out your phone, reset to WP8, and then re-install the WP8.1 update to get all of the Nokia Cyan goodness. It’s a fairly easy rollback using the Nokia Software Recovery Tool. The process took me about two hours on my Lumia 1520, so make sure you back up your info before you start.
You can see our full review of Windows Phone 8.1 below!
Continue reading “Official Windows Phone 8.1 Update Available for AT&T Lumia 925 and 520”