drag2share: Oppo's bringing another LTE phone to the US (and it might just be affordable)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/11/oppo-r1-at-fcc/

Oppo has a reputation for clever smartphones, but there's a good reason why you rarely see its devices in the US: it hasn't had local LTE data until the (currently unreleased) Find 7, and that's not exactly cheap. Imagine our surprise when we found a version of the R1 with US-capable LTE, fresh from FCC approval. The high-style, low-cost phone can now handle 4G data on T-Mobile and, to a limited extent, AT&T. It should also run quickly on Canadian providers.

Don't expect an official carrier deal when this variant arrives, though.

Given the lack of network branding, it's more likely to be sold in unlocked form to fans of the R1's looks and extra-bright f/2.0 aperture camera. Oppo hasn't said anything about this model, so it's not even clear that you'll get to buy one any time soon. Still, it's a further sign that the company is taking its North American audience seriously -- and it may save you some cash if you don't need everything the Find 7 has to offer.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: FCC

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drag2share: Nikon's J4 mirrorless camera has more megapixels, 20fps burst speed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/10/nikon-j4-mirrorless-20-fps-burst/

Good things happen when you cram a fast image processor into a small camera body, as Nikon has shown with its new mid-range 1 model, the J4. With the latest Expeed 4A imaging engine, the CX-sensor camera can now pump out 20 images per second in burst mode with continuous AF, which Nikon claims is the world's fastest (along with the pricey new V3). That's also a big bump over last year's J3, and most other specs have also improved: there's now 18.4 instead of 14.2-megapixels, 1080/60p video in lieu of 1080/60i (with 120fps at 720p), a 105 point PD/171 point contrast AF, a new touchscreen and built-in WiFi. One change photographers may not like is the use of MicroSD memory cards instead of industry standard SD cards, but at least the J4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the J3. It'll come in black, white, silver and orange (with an optional underwater housing) but there's no word on when, where or for how much. As a rough starting point, though, last year's model was $600 with the 10-30mm kit lens.

Filed under: Cameras, Nikon

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Source: Nikon

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drag2share: Bring voice control to your home on the cheap with a Raspberry Pi

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/04/09/jasper-voice-activated-assistant-open-source-raspberry-pi/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

Siri, Cortana and Google Now are all inspired by the computers that Dave Bowman, Captain Picard and Iron Man use on a daily basis. But what if you wanted to turn your home into a voice-activated haven without those sorts of resources? Well, thanks to a Princeton students Charles Mash and Shubhro Saha, you can. The pair developed Jasper, an open-source, always-on voice control system that works on a Raspberry Pi and can easily be customized for your needs. All you need is an internet connection, one of the tiny educational boards and a USB microphone and you can ask the system to do whatever your coding ability allows. All we need now is for someone to kidnap Stephen Fry or Paul Bettany so our computer has the right level of sniffy British snark in its voice.

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drag2share: MIT Geniuses Made A Drone That Can Charge Itself Without Coming Back Down To Earth

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-power-line-perching-system-2014-4

Joseph Moore, a PhD. candidate at MIT, is working on an impressive robotic system that enables drones to perch on power lines (just like birds) and recharge their batteries.

When the FAA's regulations catch up with the interest for commercial drone use, this system could make it possible for drones to travel an effectively unlimited distance — when their batteries are nearing zero, they could engage the system to perch on a power line, charge up, and go off again to their destinations.

Since power lines create a magnetic field, a drone equipped with a magnetometer can spot them quite easily. It largely becomes a matter of crunching the numbers to determine the best approach — one that causes the drone to come to a stop just above a line — then having software drive the drone's control surfaces to make it happen.

Consider the Amazon delivery drones that the company teased earlier this year, which were of a large quadrotor design. Moore told us that a fixed-wing system is more effective for carrying weight than a quadrotor design since its surface generates lift simply by moving through the air. The only lift generated by a quadrotor is the lift that which comes from its spinning propellers.

This perching system is still being developed, and while we didn't get to see actual perching take place, we were given a demo that demonstrates that this thing works well enough to get within centimeters of a power line. Here's a hand-thrown glider with onboard electronics that automatically steer it into contact with the line in realtime.

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drag2share: Google Is Cutting Deals With Wireless Carriers Everywhere So People Can Pay For Apps And Downloads On Their Phone Bills

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/ZKYbYOOTodo/google-play-and-carrier-billing-2014-4

It makes a lot of sense for smartphone users to be able to add the cost of their app or music downloads to their monthly phone bill.

This method of payment is known as "carrier billing." While some app stores, notably Apple's App Store, shun it, others have embraced it.

Google has been smart in recognizing that people would find this method of payment convenient, and has moved aggressively to broker deals with wireless carriers across Europe, East Asia, and North America to make carrier billing possible on Android devices. 

At last count, Android users in 21 countries can pay for Google Play goods on their phone bills: apps, music downloads, and in-app purchases. 

Carrier billing is often unfairly painted as a payment method that's mainly popular in poor countries where people don't have access to credit cards. But Google's work with carriers has actually focused on wealthy economies, with thriving app stores, including in Japan, the U.S. and the U.K.  

The table below, compiled by BI Intelligence, shows the wireless carriers that Google has signed on to support this payment method, known as "carrier billing," which is proving more and more popular with consumers.  

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