Actually, Android Phones Have The Same Camera Problem Everyone Says The iPhone 5 Has (AAPL, GOOG)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-reports-tests-iphone-5-camera-2012-10

Several iPhone 5 owners have been complaining of an eerie purple haze effect that shows up when photos are taken in certain lighting conditions.

A lot of people freaked out, prompting Apple to publish instructions on how to avoid the purple haze in your photos.

But as we said when the purple haze was first discovered in iPhone 5 photos, this is a common problem with many digital cameras, especially those found in smartphones. Consumer Reports backs up the assertion by testing the iPhone 5 camera against two top-tier Android phones, Samsung's Galaxy S III and Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx. 

In the tests, all three phones showed the purple haze effect when photos were taken in the same lighting conditions. Consumer Reports also found the iPhone 4S camera's photos displayed a purple haze.

In short, the only way to get rid of a purple haze on your smartphone's photos is to adjust the lighting conditions.

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HTTPS Everywhere 3.0 Keeps Your Data Safe on 1,500 More Web Sites [Security]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5950311/https-everywhere-30-keeps-your-data-safe-on-1500-more-web-sites

Chrome/Firefox: HTTPS Everywhere, the browser extension that keeps your data from falling into the wrong hands, has updated to double the number of web sites it supports. If you aren't using it, you should be.

We've talked about HTTPS a lot before: it's absolutely essential if you use public Wi-Fi networks, want to protect yourself from identity theft, and generally just want to keep your online privacy intact. The newest version adds 1,500 more sites, bringing the total number of supported sites up to nearly 3,000. Need we say more? If you're using it, hit the link below to update, and if you aren't using it, give it a try now.

HTTPS Everywhere is a free download for Firefox and Chrome.

Note: It looks like this version supports Gawker sites, but only partially and it seems to break the comment section. For now, if you want to access the comments on Lifehacker, you'll need to disable the Gawker entry in HTTPS Everywhere for now.

HTTPS Everywhere 3.0 protects 1,500 more sites | Electronic Frontier Foundation via Ars Technica

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iPhone Production Slows as Apple Improves Aluminum Quality [Apple]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5950452/iphone-production-slows-as-apple-improves-aluminum-quality

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple's iPhone 5 production is slowing, as it attempts to cut the number of devices shipped with nicks and scratches by improving aluminum quality control at Foxconn.

Sources have told Bloomberg that Senior Apple managers insisted at the end of September that Foxconn picked up its game to tighten production standards. The metal cases are now being more closely scrutinized before they make it on to a phone. The knock-on effect: fewer scratches, but fewer iPhones, too.

It's only natural for aluminum to scuff and scratch, and putting a phone together offers plenty of opportunities for it to happen—but in reality, phones shouldn't be shipped in a state where they're already damaged. Clearly Apple realizes that.

Currently the quality clampdown means fewer of the phone's metal housings are being approved for use—to the extent that Foxconn even had to halt production for a day at one factory Shenzhen. Apple will no doubt want to find a middle ground as soon as possible, where damage is minimized but production doesn't suffer. [Bloomberg]

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Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample images and video

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/sony-cyber-shot-rx1-sample-images-video/

When we first got our hands on Sony's full-frame compact camera, the Cyber-shot RX1, we were allowed to touch it, but we couldn't use it for its stated purpose. Today, however, we got to put its 35mm image sensor and Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.0 fixed prime lens to the test at a Sony event in San Francisco. Join us after the break to see a bit more of the City by the Bay and learn how the RX1 performed shooting stills and video.

Gallery: Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample photos

Continue reading Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample images and video

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample images and video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile hands-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/samsung-galaxy-note-ii-for-t-mobile-hands-on/

Yep, it's a Samsung Galaxy Note II. With T-Mobile branding. At MobileCon 2012. Indeed, there's not much that will surprise you when gazing upon the latest version of the quad-core Exynos-clad phone / tablet -- it's almost completely the same as the unit we reviewed earlier this week, not to mention the Sprint and AT&T models we've played with so far. Cosmetically, the only difference you'll notice is the Magenta branding on the back of the device. As you'd expect, this particular Note -- the T889 -- won't be getting T-Mobile LTE yet, but it does at least have LTE bands 4 and 17 (700MHz and AWS) under the hood, and it offers support for 42Mbps HSPA+ on bands friendly to T-Mobile's network. Otherwise, the only thing that may catch your eye is the usual smattering of bloatware dedicated to Magenta's cause. We were a little disappointed to see that the Multi Window feature hasn't been added to the unit we played with tonight; we won't rule out the possibility of seeing it added into the final production firmware or shortly after in an OTA update. We still haven't been given pricing or availability (aside from being told it will be released in the coming weeks), though owners of the original T-! Mobile N ote will still be annoyed at how fast its sequel came out. Take a look at our images of the marble white and titanium gray version of the T-Mo Galaxy Note II below!

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile hands-on

Myriam Joire contributed to this post.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, T-Mobile

Samsung Galaxy Note II for T-Mobile hands-on! origina lly appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola RAZR HD LTE now available in Canada through Rogers for $100

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/10/rogers-motorola-razr-hd-lte-now-available/

Motorola had said its dearest RAZR HD LTE would be coming "later this fall" as an exclusive to Rogers, and today's the day that relatively thin and powerful Android handset hits shelves across the border. Available now for $100 (with the obligatory three-year commitment, of course), the RAZR HD LTE will hand interested Canadians a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (sorry, no Jelly Bean for now), a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD, 720p display and a 1.5GHz, dual-core S4 CPU -- not to mention the ability to surf on Rogers' LTE waves in areas where the network's live. Meanwhile, those who would like to go the "outright" way will have to spend a cool $600 on Moto's Kevlar-sporting slab, but, needless to say, that's the price folks have to pay for walking out the door with a bit of leeway. Usually we'd say you should check out Rogers' website to snag one for yourself, however the site appears to be experiencing some technical difficulties right now -- but, hey, there's always the good ol' brick-and-mortar store.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Motorola RAZR HD LTE now available in Canada through Rogers for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 01:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Buying Two Computers Is Cheaper Than Buying One [Saving Money]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5950321/when-buying-two-computers-is-cheaper-than-buying-one

You can buy some pretty powerful laptops these days, and a lot of people are quick to take advantage of beasts like the MacBook Pro or big gaming laptops like the ASUS G55VW. However, what you might not realize is that it could be cheaper to get a powerful desktop and a more portable laptop. Here's why.

You might want a powerful computer for any number of reasons. Perhaps you need to do a lot of heavy photo or video editing, or maybe you're a hardcore gamer, looking for the best possible performance you can get. Most people decide they need a powerful computer, then go for a 15" MacBook Pro or other hefty, 15" laptop with a fast processor and beefy graphics card. If you need that power on-the-go, this is obviously your only choice—but a lot of people only really use that power when they're home, so why not buy a desktop and a laptop instead?

Let's look at the math for a second. The ASUS G55VW—the absolute cheapest of ASUS' Republic of Gamers line (pictured right)—costs about $1200 on Newegg. You could build a comparable, if not more powerful, desktop for about $600, and use a similarly-powered laptop, sans graphics card, for less than $500. Not only do you save $100, but your laptop is much more portable, and you get the configurability and upgradability of a desktop.

It's a bit different on the Mac side of things. 15" MacBook Pros start at $1800, whereas an iMac and MacBook Air combo starts at about $2200. However, as soon as you get into more powerful MacBook Pros, the iMac/MacBook Air combo starts to become cheaper, and the iMac is still just about as powerful as the laptop you would have gotten (and has a much bigger screen). Replace the iMac with a Hackintosh—which is easier than ever to do—and you'll save loads, while still getting that killer Mac hardware on-the-go.

Does it work out this way every time? Of course not. Especially when you're looking at Windows PCs, prices and power fluctuate so much across the board that it's impossible to make a sweeping generalization like that. But if you're in the market for a new computer, it's worth looking into the cost of a desktop/laptop setup. Unless you're editing or gaming on-the-go, you'll probably be a lot happier with a more powerful computer at home, and a more portable computer for travel, especially if you pocket a few extra bucks doing so.

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Larklife Is the Wristband to Track Your Life [Fitness]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5949773/larklife-is-the-wristband-to-track-your-life

Lark, the folks who made the wristband alarm clock to track your sleep, now has a wristband to track your life. Called Larklife, the wristband tracks your steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled and your diet and sleep too.

Think of Larklife as a slightly more ambitious take on activity measurement wristbands like the Nike Fuelband or Jawbone Up (or Fitbit). Yes, it can count how many steps you take and then translate that to a measurement but the real potential in Larklife is its personalization to each user.

Because Larklife also keeps track of both your diet—you tap the band and the Larklife app will remind you to log your meal later—and your sleep—sleep tracking is performed by another wristband that's "inspired by pajamas"—along with your activity, Larklife literally takes your entire life into account and spits out personalized recommendations on how to improve your health. That means, ideally, Larklife will give you little daily goals for you to reach to keep you on track. Specifically:

It provides advance notice or real-time suggestions via the iOS app for small changes users should make to feel better. The individualized suggestions are a results of the user's data being analyzed on the back-end by sophisticated techniques, developed by larklife's team of experts and based on the science of circadian rhythms, or how individuals' energy levels peak and dip.

The band looks significantly wider than the Fuelband or the Jawbone Up (which could be inconvenient!) but does promise a little bit more. We'll see if it works when it comes out later this year.
The Larklife will release for $150 later this year and comes with an accompanying iOS app.
[Lark]

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Stuffing a Projector in a Tablet Might Actually Be Awesome [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5949832/stuffing-a-projector-in-a-tablet-might-actually-be-awesome

When 3M started frankensteining its pico projectors into smartphones a few years ago as a proof of concept, it was novel, but really had no practical use in the real world. (Even for the enterprise world and its infinite powerpoint presentations). But seeing a projector built into Smart Devices' SmartQ U7 Android tablet has me full of ideas on how to use it.

The 7-inch SmartQ U7 is admittedly not the exact device that would sell me on a projector tablet. Despite having a 1024x600 resolution display, the 40 lumen projector only spits out an 854x480 picture which can be blown up to 50 inches. And though a 1 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4 Chipset and a Gig of RAM seem a bit pedestrian for $300 Android tablet—$400 if you spring for the 1.5 GHz chipset—it's clear that such a device could be improved at a rapid rate and offered at a somewhat affordable price.

Obviously, the compromise that would have to be made here would be the slimness of the tablet. But imagine being able to play games on a big screen anywhere you have a blank wall. Or instead of having a TV in your bedroom, you could just project your tablet screen onto a wall and use a wireless speaker. Or yes, maybe you would be using your tablet in the office and want to project a power point presentation or something. (I dunno!)

Not only is projector technology better now, but I'd be much more willing to sacrifice some size in a tablet than I would a smartphone. If the quality of the picture was good enough, an integrated projector is definitely something I'd want in a future tablet. [SmartQ via Lilliputing via AndroidYo via Geeky Gadgets]

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Google Play Just Gave Google TV a Reason to Exist [Google]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5949922/google-play-just-gave-google-tv-a-reason-to-exist

Google TV just became a thing you might actually want to use. According to a post on the Google TV blog, starting today, you can watch and listen to Google Play Movies, Music, and TV shows from your Google TV.

Maybe you're saying, "About time." Or, more probably, "Wait, it didn't do those things already?" Either way, Apple TV, Xbox, and every other media hub service just got an actual competitor in the new and improved Google TV.

Like those services, you can buy content from any device and watch it through Google TV. Also like Apple TV and the Xbox 360, you can buy or rent stuff from the Play Store right from Google TV.

Definitely welcome and overdue additions. Now we'll just wait to see if Google's got anything up its sleeve beyond just catching up. [Google]

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Is This the Next LG Nexus Phone? [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5950083/is-this-the-next-lg-nexus-phone

We've already heard that the next Nexus phone will be made by LG and be kinda, sorta similar to the powerful LG Optimus G but this might be the first time we're getting a good look at it. A gallery of photos of an LG Android phone that looks like the Optimus G and runs stock Android has popped up at XDA developers. Could this be the next Nexus?

As you can see in the LG phone's About screen, it mentions that the model number is 'Full JellyBean on Mako'. What the heck does that mean? Android Central notes that previous Nexus devices' internal names have carried a fish theme and Mako is a type of shark.

This mystery phone certainly looks a lot like the Optimus G and if it's really the next Nexus, those gnarly rumored specs running stock Android would make for a pretty awesome phone. How do you guys like it? [XDA Developers via Android Central]

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AMD's New Mobile Processor Plays Call of Duty on Your Windows 8 Tab [Guts]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5950124/amds-new-mobile-processor-plays-call-of-duty-on-your-windows-8-tab

AMD has officially announced its new tablet-specific Z-60 processor, known as Hondo, and it promises rather a lot. In fact, the chip manufacturer claims it will allow you to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on your Windows 8 tablet, at 30 fps on a 1024 x 768 display. Sounds zippy.

AMD claims that the Z-60's integrated Radeon HD 6250 graphics have five to six times the performance of Intel's last-gen Atom chips—if that's really a benchmark worth bragging about—made possible by creating a more power-efficient version of its low-end laptop processors. That's the opposite approach to Intel, whose Clover Trail tablet processor line is a beefed up version of its Medfield smartphone chip.

The Z-60, then, will pack a dual-core 1GHz chip with 80 graphics cores for video and gaming, and by the sounds of it should hold its own in terms of performance. Sadly, it sounds like AMD's offering will lag behind Intel when it comes to battery life, though: AMD claims the Z-60 should squeeze 6 hours of 720p HD video playback out of a 30Wh battery, while Intel promises 10 hours. Similarly, Intel claims 3 weeks of standby time, while AMD offers just 2.

All in, it seems like AMD's processor may pack more punch than Intel's Clover Trail, at the expense of battery life. It may, of course, come down to a question of cost—at which point it's not clear just yet who the winner will be. [Verge]

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Math Has Never Looked as Pretty as This [Image Cache]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5950128/math-has-never-looked-as-pretty-as-this

When you were at high school, math was probably an uninspiring string of algebra you had to crunch through. Get to the cutting edge of computational fluid dynamics, though, and it all starts to look a hell of a lot more pretty.

These images represent incredibly complex fluid flows, and were generated suing supercomputers by researchers at the Laboratory for Computational Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota. From the top, these images show off examples of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and finally some good ol' fashioned turbulence.

The best bit? They're available as high-res image files so you can download them and use them as your desktop background. [LCSE via Fuck Yeah Fluid Dynamics]

Images by LCSE

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NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/nvidia-launches-geforce-650-ti-maingear-outs-desktops/

No one can accuse Maingear of skipping the latest hardware cycles -- less than a month after offering PCs with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 graphics, the PC system builder has announced that you can get all its desktop machines with GTX 650 Ti graphics now, too. As it happens, NVIDIA has just launched that very product -- a friskier version of the GTX 650 with extra Cuda cores -- keeping Maingear in lockstep with its graphics board suppliers again. That card will fill the gap between the $229 GeForce GTX 660 and $109 GTX 650 cards and run $149 (estimated), while Maingear has said it will feature special F131 and Potenza GTX 650 Ti systems at $150 off, along with a free copy of Assassin Creed III. So, if you need all the fps you can get, but can't quite pony up for the more desirable GTX 660, check the PR for more details.

Continue reading NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it

Filed under: Desktops, Periphe! rals , NVIDIA

NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Research crafts wrist-worn device that tracks hand gestures in 3D space (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/microsoft-research-digits-3d-hand-gesture-tracking/

A team led by researchers at Microsoft's UK-based R&D lab has crafted a system that tracks the full 3D pose of a user's hand without the need for a pesky glove. Dubbed Digits, the Kinect-inspired rig latches onto a user's wrist and utilizes a diffuse infrared light, IR laser, camera and inertial measurement unit to track fingertips and just five key points of a hand. Leveraging a pair of mathematical models developed in-house after studying the mechanics of the human hand, the group uses the captured data to extrapolate the position of a user's paw. The team envisions the solution as a supplement to touch-based interfaces, a method for eyes-free control of mobile devices and as a gaming controller that could work in conjunction with Kinect or similar systems. In its current state, the device is composed of off-the-shelf parts and needs to be tethered to a laptop, but the ultimate goal is to create a mobile, self contained unit the size of a wrist watch. Hit the break to catch a video of the setup in action or tap the second source link below for more details in the group's academic paper.

Continue r! eading < em>Microsoft Research crafts wrist-worn device that tracks hand gestures in 3D space (video)

Filed under: Misc

Microsoft Research crafts wrist-worn device that tracks hand gestures in 3D space (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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