Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, March 14, 2014

drag2share: Nokia's Refocus camera app is now available to all Lumia owners on WP8

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/14/nokia-refocus-camera-app-lumia-update/

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Nokia's "shoot now, focus later" photography app, Refocus, required PureView hardware to run, because until now it's only been available on PureView-branded phones. As it turns out though, the app has just been made compatible with all Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8, including ones with down-to-earth camera modules. It works by means of a "focus sweep" -- you hold your phone steady for a couple of seconds while the camera scans the scene ahead at a range of different focal lengths and then combines these into a single dynamic image (like the one below) that lets anyone adjust the focus and background/foreground blur later, after the file has been saved and shared. If you're reading this on a Lumia, the source link below should take you where you need to go.

Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Mobile, Nokia

Source: Nokia Conversations

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: ASUS could drop dual-OS devices following pressure from Google and Microsoft

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/14/asus-transformer-duet-dual-os-google-microsoft/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

One of the more interesting laptops we saw at this year's CES was a split-personality hybrid from ASUS -- the Transformer Book Duet TD300, shown above. According to the Wall Street Journal, however, plans to launch the device during the first half of this year have been shelved due to resistance from both side of OS camp, i.e., Microsoft and Google. The WSJ report tallies with an earlier rumor from DigiTimes, and it also claims that sales of two of ASUS's existing dual-OS products, the the P1801 and P1802 all-in-one PCs, are to be suspended due to Microsoft's "new policy" of not supporting dual-boot systems. On the other hand, none of this really jibes with rumors from the smartphone side of the market, where Microsoft is reportedly willing to try anything in order to boost the popularity of the mobile version of Windows.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Nokia's Refocus camera app is now available to all Lumia owners on WP8

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/14/nokia-refocus-camera-app-lumia-update/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Nokia's "shoot now, focus later" photography app, Refocus, required PureView hardware to run, because until now it's only been available on PureView-branded phones. As it turns out though, the app has just been made compatible with all Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8, including ones with down-to-earth camera modules. It works by means of a "focus sweep" -- you hold your phone steady for a couple of seconds while the camera scans the scene ahead at a range of different focal lengths and then combines these into a single dynamic image (like the one below) that lets anyone adjust the focus and background/foreground blur later, after the file has been saved and shared. If you're reading this on a Lumia, the source link below should take you where you need to go.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Samsung's new phone case uses ultrasound to detect people and objects

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/14/samsung-galaxy-core-advance-usability-accessories/

Samsung's Galaxy S5 may be getting lots of smart new accessories, but the Korean smartphone maker is also making sure its lower-powered phones get some love too. After including various software usability functions in the Galaxy Core Advance at the end of last year, the company today introduced three new accessories that have been designed specifically to help disabled or visually impaired users do more with their Android device. First up is the Optical Scan Stand, a raised bracket that automatically triggers the phone's OCR features to recognize and read aloud text placed in front of the phone. There's also Voice Labels, which are similar to Samsung's NFC-equipped TechTile stickers, but let visually impaired users make voice notes or record short explanations on how to use various devices around the home.

Perhaps the most impressive accessory of the three is Samsung's Ultrasonic Cover: a specialized case that uses sound waves to detect people or objects (in a two-meter radius), helping users navigate new surroundings by sending vibration or spoken alerts. Even without the accessories, the Galaxy Advance Core features a trio of physical buttons on the front and dedicated camera and voice recorder buttons on the side, assisting smartphone owners that don't want to rely solely on on-screen controls.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung Mobile Press

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Thursday, March 13, 2014

drag2share: Barnacle Ships Your Packages Through Regular People to Save You Money

source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/vip/~3/9LtBcckC4Jo/barnacle-ships-your-packages-through-regular-people-to-1541702233

Barnacle Ships Your Packages Through Regular People to Save You Money

Kind of like Lyft, but for your packages, Barnacle hooks you up with people who drive long routes and will accept a little extra cash to deliver your packages on their way. Alternatively, you can deliver packages for others and make some money yourself.

All you do is sign in via your Facebook account and search for people going between you and your package's destination. From there, you offer them a fee of your choosing and they'll accept the job if they want it. How long it'll take your package to arrive at its destination will depend on when these couriers-for-hire are making their trips, but from what I could see it was generally a week or less. Plus, you can track the location of your package at all times through their smartphone apps.

While not an alternative to expedited delivery services, it's a nice way to save money on slower packages—especially larger ones. The service is pretty new so only so many routes are available, but given that there are quite a few. And, should you want to pick up some extra cash you can sign up to drive as well.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Smart TV Apps Are Fundamentally Changing What It Means To Watch TV

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/X-tt8VbUDHQ/the-smart-tv-app-industry-5-2014-3

SmartTVFeatures

The app store phenomenon, centered on smartphones and tablets, has been the biggest story in software for the past five years.

Its next logical destination: the living room, via smart TVs and set-top boxes connected to the Internet.

Smart TV apps represent the latest threat to the struggling pay TV industry. Watching TV is no longer based around flipping through channels at broadcast, but finding the right content portal for what you want to watch now.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Surprise: Phone Metadata Gives Away The Most Secret of Your Secrets

Source: http://gizmodo.com/surprise-phone-metadata-gives-away-the-most-secret-of-1542976449

Surprise: Phone Metadata Gives Away The Most Secret of Your Secrets

If you're one of the masses who inexplicably thinks that NSA phone surveillance doesn't matter , you're in for a shock: new research reveals that simple analysis of cellphone metadata can reveal masses about you, from medical conditions to firearm ownership.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: This GIF Shows How Impossible It Is to Find a Plane in the Pacific

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-gif-shows-how-impossible-it-is-to-find-a-plane-in-1542966068

This GIF Shows How Impossible It Is to Find a Plane in the Pacific

The Pacific Ocean is very, very big. Airplanes are big, too—but, compared to the Pacific Ocean, they are almost comically small. So, as rescuers finish up a week of searching unsuccessfully for Malaysia Air Flight 370, it's worth taking a second to marvel at what an impossible a task it is to find one little plane in that very big ocean.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Dear Creepers: You Can Buy a Smartphone Pre-Loaded With Spyware Now

Source: http://gizmodo.com/dear-creepers-you-can-buy-a-smartphone-pre-loaded-with-1543020141

Dear Creepers: You Can Buy a Smartphone Pre-Loaded With Spyware Now

Are you a jealous lover, helicopter parent, or otherwise neurotic human being with crippling trust issues? Then we've got the answer to all your problems right here. No, it's not therapy (although, you know, good idea); it's a top-of-the-line smartphone that comes pre-loaded with all the spyware an overbearing human could ever hope for.

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Netflix's three new originals include 'Shrek' and 'Madagascar' spin-offs

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/13/netflix-dreamworks-originals-puss-in-boots-king-julien/

Netflix is set to make good on its largest-ever deal for original content by launching no fewer than three new original Dreamworks series. With such varied and popular character base to choose from, the streaming giant confirmed today that it has chosen to launch spin-offs from two of the animation studio's biggest franchises. So what are they? The first is King Julien: a spin-off of the Madagascar franchise that focuses on a certain royal lemur, and the other is Puss In Boots: a Shrek-themed show featuring that swashbuckling cat with the adorable big eyes. Last up is Veggie Tales in the House: a reboot of the faith-based series that features a cast of, you guessed it, various fruit and vegetables. They follow Netflix's first Dreamworks spin-off, Turbo Fast, which debuted last December but wasn't available to binge watch. Instead, the company says it will push the second cluster of new episodes live on April 4th. The streaming giant expects to make the three new original series available by "late 2014," giving you plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the feature films.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Source: Netflix (PRNewsWire)

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition arrives on Verizon for $600 on contract, $700 without

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/13/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-2014-edition-verizon/

The focus right now might be on Samsung's Pro tablets, but the South Korean company also has a little something called the Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Introduced back last summer, this LTE-ready slate is available on Verizon starting today, featuring a sharp 10.1-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 display, 32GB of internal storage (up to 64GB via microSD), a 8,220mAh battery and Android 4.3. Naturally, you can also expect to see a lot of TouchWiz, with features like Multi Window and My Magazine -- hey, gotta use that S Pen sometime, right? Just be prepared for your wallet to take a hit: Verizon is selling the Note 10.1 2014 Edition at $600 with a two-year contract. And if you're not interested in signing on the dotted line, then you'll have to pay $700 if you wanna take home the tablet, no strings attached.

Filed under: Tablets, Samsung, Verizon

Source: Verizon

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

Article: GCHQ helped NSA generate automated hacks

Human oversight is being made redundant by an automated hacking system called TURBINE setup by the NSA -- with help from GCHQ -- which uses fake Facebook servers to infect users' systems. Former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald has released detailed information on the network, which had alread...

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-03/13/nsa-turbine

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Article: Mutant dual-boot Android and Windows Phone coming to US this spring

Huawei is no stranger to Windows Phone, having released a handset in the US last year, but the company is now planning to combine Android and Windows Phone into a single smartphone. Speaking to TrustedReviews, Huawei’s chief marketing officer, Shao Yang, reveals the firm is still committed to Mic...

http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/13/5503792/huawei-dual-boot-android-windows-phone-release-date

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drag2share: New HTC One sold on eBay in Verizon packaging for $500

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/12/htc-one-new-ebay/

Given the vast number of leaks about HTC's all new One, its upcoming flagship launching March 25th, it's almost surprising that it was this long before we saw a retail unit sold on eBay. But hey, it's finally happened, although we must say we're a bit puzzled as to why the sale only netted $500. Naturally, the final retail price will be a bit higher than that. Regardless of price, the fact that it comes in its packaging is more important because it has most of the specs listed on it.

We can't take this as official confirmation of the phone's specs -- it's all mere speculation until the One launches on the 25th, so it could still easily change between now and then. However, the box tells us we can expect a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset, a 5-inch 1080p display, microSD slot for expandable memory and 32GB internal storage, a 5MP front-facing camera, UltraPixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, a Nano-SIM slot and 2GB of RAM. Curiously, the eBay listing has been taken down already, but it appears that the damage is already done and the phone is likely already on its way to the lucky winner.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Verizon

Via: Droid-Life

Source: eBay

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

drag2share: VLC's media player hits Windows 8 in beta form

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/12/vlc-media-player-windows-8-beta/

Let's say you bought a new laptop and wanted to check out a few videos that you legally downloaded without leaving Windows 8's touch-focused UI -- until now, your options have been pretty limited. If you're feeling a little adventurous though, the beta version of VLC's media player that Microsoft News spotted on Redmond's app store should do the trick. It's an experimental port of the Windows RT app, however, and as such the application has a few hurdles to clear before it's ready for prime time. General sluggishness compared to the desktop version and some audio bugs, for instance, are a few issues that may crop up. Developer VideoLAN says that this version isn't nearly as stable as it should be (it is a beta, after all), but that hasn't stopped you from downloading its apps before, has it?

VLC for Windows 8 first beta: http://t.co/CxDfE2gfNi
- VideoLAN (@videolan) March 12, 2014

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft

Via: Microsoft News

Source: Windows Store, Kickstarter

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drag2share - drag and drop RSS news items on your email contacts to share (click SEE DEMO)

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