iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (hands-on video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X)

iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test handson video

Nokia's Lumia 920 packs the industry's best image stabilization -- there's no questioning that -- thanks to a camera module that pairs both sensor and lens-based optical IS. The iPhone 5 also offers a notable improvement over its Apple-made predecessor on the video front, but considering that its stabilization is of the digital variety, we wouldn't expect it to top Nokia's new flagship. We had an opportunity to test both smartphones in a head-to-head demo at Nokia's research and development facility in Tampere, Finland, about two hours north of the company's Espoo headquarters. In fact, we're told that this is the very first such comparison shoot in the world, considering that the iPhone made it to market just last week and the only opportunity to shoot with a Lumia 920 is currently in the European country where the device was born.

As expected, the Nokia phone was able to capture far smoother video than what we snapped with the iPhone, with both devices secured side-by-side in a homemade foam holster. Unlike our handheld interview shoot earlier today, we pushed the limits a bit further this time, running through Nokia's parking lot and turning every which way as well. It's important to note that the Lumia 920 we used was a prototype, but its performance was still quite solid. You'll find the side-by-side video just past the break -- the Lumia 920 is on the left, with the iPhone clip on the right.

Continue reading iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (hands-on video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X)

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iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (hands-on video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon has no plans to re-lock iPhone 5’s GSM and 3G sides

Verizon has no plans to relock iPhone 5's GSM and 3G sides

When we learned that Verizon wouldn't lock the GSM-related components of the iPhone 5, we were waiting for a "gotcha" moment. Surely the carrier would clamp down and steer us back towards its more expensive roaming plans, right? Not according to Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney: she says there's no plans to lock Apple's handset at a later point. In other words, you should be free to use a Verizon-locked iPhone 5 on any compatible GSM and HSPA+ networks for as long as you'd like, including with AT&T and Canadian carriers. Of course, this still brings the caveats of having to both buy a Verizon model, either at full price or with a contract attached, and track down a nano-SIM for the carrier of choice. It could nonetheless settle the question of what carrier to pick if you regularly need a passport when you travel -- especially knowing that neither AT&T nor Sprint will be quite so open-minded.

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Verizon has no plans to re-lock iPhone 5's GSM and 3G sides originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo DS-A5 grafts AirPlay on to existing home stereos, docks older iOS gear

Onkyo DSA5 grafts AirPlay on to existing home stereos, docks older iOS gear

Embracing AirPlay has usually involved a wholesale switch in hardware: years of speaker investment go out the window for the sake of skipping a wire. Onkyo doesn't have a problem if you bring your own equipment to the fray. Its new DS-A5 docking station brings Apple's WiFi media streaming to many home stereos, including those of rivals, as long as there's a wired or 802.11g-capable wireless router to feed the connection. Naturally, there's perks if you do live in an Onkyo universe -- any link using its Remote Interactive cable can both wake the stereo through AirPlay as well as control the dock from a traditional remote. About the only oddities are the vintage composite video output and a 30-pin dock for charging iPads, iPhones and iPods, neither of which will be much help if you live on the cutting edge. Onkyo brings the DS-A5 to American shores in October for $199; that's a lot to pay for playing songs from the couch, but it's a sight more affordable than replacing home audio equipment costing multiple times that amount.

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Onkyo DS-A5 grafts AirPlay on to existing home stereos, docks older iOS gear originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AmEx, Starbucks announce plans for Passbook integration: both live by end of the month

AmEx, Starbucks announce plans for iOS 6 Passbook integration both live by end of the month

When it launched with iOS 6 this Wednesday, Apple's Passbook mobile-ticketing feature boasted a handful of high-profile partners -- including Fandango, Live Nation, Lufthansa and Ticketmaster -- but that list still leaves plenty of room for fleshing out. According to Venture Beat, AmEx is launching integration with Passbook later today. The credit card company's Passbook functionality will include notifications for new account transactions, along with the ability to view your current balance and redeem membership rewards points. The service can also use smartphones' location to verify charges flagged as suspicious.

Starbucks, which was featured in an early Passbook demo at WWDC, also announced the timeline for its integration with the service, tweeting today that an "update is coming at the end of the month" and offering no further details. Judging by Apple's earlier previews, Passbook will let customers pay with a Starbucks card. The coffee chain's Passbook functionality looks to be quite similar to its partnership with Square, which will be the go-to mobile payments option for non-iOS customers when it launches this fall.

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AmEx, Starbucks announce plans for Passbook integration: both live by end of the month originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 13:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 / iOS 6 app update roundup: new versions for a taller world

iPhone 5  iOS 6 app roundup what's big, what's new

Call it a hunch, but we suspect that at least a few of you picked up an iPhone 5 today, or at least made the leap to iOS 6. If you're in either position, you may be wondering just what apps to feed Apple's flagship (or that fresh new firmware) once it's ready to go. We've got a quick-hit list of titles that have been updated to take advantage of the tall display and new OS that go beyond Apple's own work. The biggest upgrades of the lot come from keynote darling CNN as well as Flipboard: both have done more than add extra columns on the iPhone 5, offering an interface you won't see on any mere 3.5-inch iPhone. Some bread-and-butter apps have made the launch week cut as well, such as Facebook and Twitter.

There's even more if you're willing to dig deep. Third-party Twitter client Tweetbot beat the official app to the punch by days, and we've likewise spotted updates to Evernote, its rival Remember the Milk and Yelp. We know some apps aren't fully iPhone 5- or iOS 6-native -- Instagram, for example, and most anything from Google -- but it's apparent that the holdouts are increasingly the exception, rather than the rule. Did you catch any other noteworthy apps that received a boost in recent hours? Let fellow owners know in the comments.

CNN - App Store
Evernote - App Store
Facebook - App Store
Flipboard - App Store
Kindle - App Store
Pulse - App Store
Remember the Milk - App Store
Tweetbot - App Store
Twitter - App Store
Yelp - App Store

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iPhone 5 / iOS 6 app update roundup: new versions for a taller world originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German court rules that Motorola, Samsung don’t violate Apple touch event patent

Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S

Motorola and Samsung just caught a break from the law after a few hard knocks. A Mannheim, Germany court has ruled that neither company infringes on an Apple patent covering how an OS responds to and ignores touch events. While we don't yet know the full details, patent lawsuit guru Florian Mueller suggests that the German judge took the same point of view that thwarted Apple's claims in the Netherlands and the UK: the particular patent was just too broad to stick. It's a potentially important win, as a ruling of violation could have led to serious problems with keeping Android-based Motorola and Samsung devices in stores; other patents are more easily circumvented. However, it's still something of a Pyrrhic victory for a pair of companies that have lately been facing the threat of near-term bans and steep damages.

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German court rules that Motorola, Samsung don't violate Apple touch event patent originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

We've seen the concept of electromotive (movement-based) charging before, but it usually comes at the cost of either a clunky design or a limitation to very low-power devices like watches. Apple has been experimenting with a concept that could power gadgets as big as iPhones and iPods with that spring in your step -- and without the bulk of any extra wires. A newly published patent application uses flat, printed coils to generate electromagnetic induction through movable magnets; as the device bounces around in your pocket, the magnets slide past the coils and run them through the magnetic fields they need to build electricity. It all sounds grand, but it's hard to tell from the very recent June filing whether the technology is enough to keep devices completely powered or simply delays the inevitable. We'd still suggest getting back into shape, though, in the event that morning run can one day save you from hunting down a wall outlet.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

We've seen the concept of electromotive (movement-based) charging before, but it usually comes at the cost of either a clunky design or a limitation to very low-power devices like watches. Apple has been experimenting with a concept that could power gadgets as big as iPhones and iPods with that spring in your step -- and without the bulk of any extra wires. A newly published patent application uses flat, printed coils to generate electromagnetic induction through movable magnets; as the device bounces around in your pocket, the magnets slide past the coils and run them through the magnetic fields they need to build electricity. It all sounds grand, but it's hard to tell from the very recent June filing whether the technology is enough to keep devices completely powered or simply delays the inevitable. We'd still suggest getting back into shape, though, in the event that morning run can one day save you from hunting down a wall outlet.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones

We've seen the concept of electromotive (movement-based) charging before, but it usually comes at the cost of either a clunky design or a limitation to very low-power devices like watches. Apple has been experimenting with a concept that could power gadgets as big as iPhones and iPods with that spring in your step -- and without the bulk of any extra wires. A newly published patent application uses flat, printed coils to generate electromagnetic induction through movable magnets; as the device bounces around in your pocket, the magnets slide past the coils and run them through the magnetic fields they need to build electricity. It all sounds grand, but it's hard to tell from the very recent June filing whether the technology is enough to keep devices completely powered or simply delays the inevitable. We'd still suggest getting back into shape, though, in the event that morning run can one day save you from hunting down a wall outlet.

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Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 gets mild teardown, reveals its precious new innards

iPhone 5 gets mild teardown, reveals its precious new innards

With Apple's shiny new iPhone 5 set to start arriving at people's doorsteps tomorrow, it's only proper for some folks with early access to give the masses an inside look at what most won't ever get to see. And while it isn't the usual suspects doing the damage favor on this occasion, we still appreciate the iPhone-Garage crew for taking the time to dismantle Cupertino's novel handset. As you can see above, the iPhone 5's innards aren't set up much differently than those of its predecessors, the 4 and 4S, which is to be expected given the similar form factors between them. That said, the battery has found a semi-new home at the front end of the device, while the most obvious change is the headphone jack now being located at the bottom, next to that newfangled Lightning port. There's an extra pic down below for everyone's viewing pleasure, but we recommend checking out the source link to get a better glimpse of the full teardown treatment.

Continue reading iPhone 5 gets mild teardown, reveals its precious new innards

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iPhone 5 gets mild teardown, reveals its precious new innards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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