Author Archives: Zach Honig

Qualcomm makes a timely entrance with full-featured Toq Mirasol smartwatch (hands-on video)

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Qualcomm makes a timely entrance with fullfeatured Toq Mirasol smartwatch handson video

Qualcomm's certainly made a name for itself in the mobile chipset space, but the company's past attempts at creating a fully baked consumer device have not been tremendously successful. Take FLO TV, for example. The pocketable television receiver had potential, but a botched execution left the firm with an embarrassing failure. It's this legacy that leaves us cautiously optimistic about today's product introduction, a full-function smartwatch called Toq.

Why is Qualcomm designing, marketing and selling a smartwatch, you ask? The answer lies in a troubled display tech called Mirasol. We got our first good look at this low-power color display technology at CES back in 2010. Since then, Mirasol has had a hard time catching on, with manufacturing costs a likely culprit. We've seen new iterations each year, mostly in the form of prototype e-readers, but a decision to shutter production last summer seemingly marked the final straw for the inventive concept. Then, we regained hope following this year's SID Display Week, where two new high-res panels made their debut, including one in a smartwatch. Curiously, that wearable we saw in May bears little resemblance to the product we're meeting today, which you'll find detailed in full after the break.%Gallery-slideshow73561%

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Source: Qualcomm

Samsung’s Galaxy Gear is only compatible with Note 3, 10.1 at launch

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Samsung's Galaxy Gear is only compatible with Note 3, 101 at launch

Samsung's making waves in the wearables category today with its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but the device's compatibility will be surprisingly limited at launch, curtailing our excitement quite a bit. According to reps, the connected wristwatch will only pair with Galaxy devices running Android version 4.3 -- for the time being, that restricts use to the smartphone and tablet announced today, Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 and the refreshed Note 10.1, though the next version of Jelly Bean may roll out to the GS4 later this year, so Samsung's flagship handset shouldn't be left out in the cold for long. As for third-party devices? There's always a chance that Gear support could come in the future, but we're certainly not counting on it, especially with this first-generation wearable.%Gallery-slideshow79384%

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Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch hands-on (video)

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Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch handson video

Wrist watches, smart or otherwise, are simply not for everyone -- there are more smartphone users in the world, many times over, than there will ever be smartwatch owners. Despite the limited market for such a device, however, Samsung's decided it's time to join in on the fun. The Galaxy Gear, as we've known it to be called for a few weeks now, was hardly guarded with a level of secrecy that's become standard for a flagship smartphone, but as the device is finally official -- and expected to launch in more than 100 countries within weeks -- just how does it perform? Find our take after the break.

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch with 1.63-inch AMOLED touchscreen, built-in camera, 70 apps

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch with 163inch AMOLED touchscreen, builtin camera, 70 apps

This week's Galaxy Gear prototype leak didn't leave much to the imagination. Samsung's new wearable was expected to debut with a built-in camera, speakers and a relatively clunky design, all of which are indeed present on the device we're meeting today. But we now have quite a bit more clarity when it comes to functionality and specifications -- the rumored 3-inch display size and 4-megapixel camera resolution, for example, were incorrect. The Gear will instead ship with a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 320 x 320. That strap-mounted camera, for its part, is designed to capture low-res shots and 10-second 720p videos, and includes a 1.9-megapixel BSI sensor and an auto-focus lens.

The big surprise here is third-party applications support -- there will be a total of 70 partner programs at launch, including sharing apps like Evernote and Path, fitness companions like RunKeeper and MyFitnessPal, and a handful of other offerings, such as TripIt, Line, Vivino and even eBay. We'll dive into software functionality a bit more in our hands-on, so for now, let's talk compatibility and specs. We were caught a bit off guard by the wearable's limited compatibility, though -- at launch, it'll only work with the Note 3 and Note 10.1, though some Galaxy S4 owners may be able to take advantage soon, after that device scores an update to Android 4.3. Assuming your handset is compatible, the Gear will serve as a companion device, enabling access to features like S Voice, Find My Device, a pedometer and third-party additions including those outlined above.

The device is powered by an 800MHz processor and a 315 mAh non-removable cell, which Samsung reps say should provide up to a day of "regular" use. There are two built-in mics (with noise cancellation support), a speaker, Bluetooth 4.0, an accelerometer and gyroscope, 4GB of storage and 512MB of RAM. The Galaxy Gear will eventually ship, along with the Note 3, to more than 140 countries. Pricing and country-specific availability has yet to be confirmed, but some customers should expect to have it in hand (or on hand, rather) beginning September 25th. Sadly, customers in the US and Japan will have to wait until October to pick one up for $299.

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Sony DSC-QX100 and QX10 lens cameras bring top-notch optics to any smartphone or tablet, we go hands-on (video)

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Sony DSCQX100 and QX10 lens cameras bring topnotch optics to any smartphone or tablet, we go handson video

The rumors, we're thrilled to see, are true. Sony's unique lens cameras are now official, and they're coming to a smartphone or tablet near you beginning later this month. As expected, there are two models on offer. Both cameras lack the display and controls of an ordinary point-and-shoot -- instead, you'll pair your Android or iOS handset or slate with the camera via WiFi, and use that device to adjust settings and frame each shot. Naturally, we expected lag to be a major issue here, but the feed was delayed by only a fraction of a second, and it was perfectly sufficient for this type of shooting. To get started, you'll power on the camera then connect to the device's ad-hoc access point. Then, launch the PlayMemories Mobile app and start shooting. You can also zoom and capture images using a toggle and shutter release on each camera, so they can be operated independently, if you're willing to roll the dice with framing and exposure. Images can only be saved to the camera's microSD or Memory Stick slot when you're not connected to a smartphone or tablet -- when the devices are paired, you can save images to either, or both.

There are two flavors on offer here, and while they look similar, internally they're quite unique. The DSC-QX10 is the "high-zoom" model, with a relatively compact 10x optic. That 18.2-megapixel model will ship in black or white for $249, but it's specifically geared toward entry-level shooters, with mid-range optics and limited manual control. Advanced photographers are going to want to focus on the "quality" QX100, which features the same 1-inch 20.2-megapixel sensor and 3.6x f/1.8-4.9 lens as the $750 RX100 Mark II. It's no surprise, then, that this chunkier lens camera will retail for $499. With it, you'll have access to advanced modes like aperture or shutter priority, but Sony opted to exclude access to a full-manual mode, so you'll need to use exposure compensation to make any tweaks. We weren't able to review image quality in detail with either model, but both performed quite well during our hands-on. Expect more in-depth analysis after the QX100 and QX10 launch in a few weeks, but you can snag a sneak peek now in our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-slideshow73501%

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JetBlue scores FAA approval for Fly-Fi, may launch satellite WiFi next month

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Earns Jet Blue

JetBlue's next-generation WiFi service, powered by ViaSat's super-speedy Ka-band satellite, is officially on track to launch this October. The FAA just issued a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the airline's Airbus A320, enabling a fleet-wide installation that's set to begin immediately. In a statement, Chief Commercial Officer Robin Hayes said that several aircraft will be wired by the end of this year, with many A320s scheduled to come online throughout 2014. The rollout will then continue with JetBlue's smaller Embraer 190, currently used on select regional routes.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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BlackBerry landing page prematurely declares ‘BBM for Android and iPhone is here’

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BlackBerry landing page prematurely declares 'BBM for Android and iPhone is here'

BlackBerry's messaging tool doesn't appear to be live for Android and iOS just yet, but if this new landing page is any indication, the service is just about ready to launch. A new dedicated page with the banner "BBM for Android and iPhone is here," appeared under the company's Canadian domain this morning, along with an inactive link to download BBM for Android and another for iPhone. Further down the page are references to additional features that won't be included at launch, such as BBM Voice, BBM Video and screen sharing features, which instead are expected this fall. The page has since been removed, but it may reappear any minute/hour/day now at the source link below.

[Thanks, Felix]

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Source: BlackBerry

Samsung Galaxy NX kit ships this October for a jaw-dropping $1,700

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Samsung Galaxy NX WiFionly kit ships this October for a jawdropping $1,700

Holy heck is this pricing ambitious. Samsung's Android-equipped mirrorless camera, the Galaxy NX, is slated to hit US retailers this October for the princely sum of $1,700 with a bundled 18-55mm lens ($1,600 body only). That may be an awful lot of dough, but it is a bit less than the £1,299 (about $2,000) quoted at UK retailers last month, and considering the hardware on board, we wouldn't be surprised if thousands of curious consumers still pick one up. That amount nets you a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, NX300-like focusing, 8.6fps continuous shooting, and a 1.6GHz quad-core processor for far better Android performance that you'd get with, say, the Galaxy S4 Zoom. There's also WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GLONASS, along with cellular radios, letting you transfer images over LTE.

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DNS hack takes The New York Times offline (update: Twitter images were affected too)

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DNS hack brings The New York Times offline

For the second time this month, The New York Times has gone offline. This time around, the Syrian Electronic Army is likely to blame, with a Domain Name System (DNS) hack crippling the news org's online operation. The NYT's web servers are still online, however, so the publication has begun tweeting out direct IP links to recent articles. Meanwhile, Twitter itself may be vulnerable. Hackers have managed to modify some of the registration data, including the contact email address, suggesting an attack on the social site may be imminent.

Update: According to a tweet from the paper's official account, it's temporarily publishing updates at news.nytco.com.

Update 2: Twitter has confirmed the twimg.com domain used for images and photos was among those affected. According to the post, the original domain record has been restored and no user information was affected.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: NYT (Twitter)

Sony’s DSLR-like Alpha A3000 mirrorless camera ships next month for $399 (hands-on video)

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Sony Alpha A3000 handson video

Sony's managed to duplicate mid-range DSLR functionality in its NEX series of mirrorless cameras, but while experienced photographers recognize the value of such a device, amateurs looking to step up from a point-and-shoot often opt for a full-size DSLR. The reason, according to Sony reps, is that these users simply assume that a larger camera with a familiar design offers better image quality and performance. So, to suit these misinformed customers, Sony's created a mirrorless camera that looks like a DSLR, but offers the feature set -- and price tag -- of an entry-level compact ILC. The company's first attempt at winning over this broad demographic is the Alpha A3000. Internally, it's very similar to the NEX-3N, featuring a 20.1-megapixel APS-C sensor and E-mount lens compatibility. There's a mode dial, Multi Interface Shoe, pop-up flash and an eye-level electronic viewfinder. It also ships with a black version of Sony's standard 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, all for the low, low price of $399.

We spent a few minutes with the A3000, and while this model wouldn't be the best fit for photographers who understand the appeal of mirrorless cameras, it will likely appeal to the users Sony's aiming at here. It's a nice camera for sure, and a great value at $399 with a lens. While small and light for a DSLR, it feels bulky for a mirrorless camera, but that's kind of the point. It's a reasonable choice for shooting sports, with a 3.5 fps consecutive shooting mode, and it can snap 1080/24p video clips (with autofocus). There's a 0.5-inch color viewfinder that's adequate but not particularly fantastic, a 230k-dot 3-inch fixed LCD and Sony's typical NEX user interface for adjusting capture and WiFi settings. Finally, the company's also launching three new E-mount lenses, including a very nice 16-70mm f/4 fixed-aperture optic that's expected later this month for $999, a black version of last year's 50mm f/1.8 that'll ship this month for $299, and a power-zoom 18-105mm f/4 lens that's due in December for $599. The A3000, for is part, should hit stores beginning next week, but you can take a quick look right now in our hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-slideshow73502%

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