Saturday, July 3, 2010

Nexus One sees red, nearly doubles ba...

Nexus One sees red, nearly doubles battery life? (video)

These five Nexus One smartphones may seem to have defects, but there's actually nothing wrong with theirAMOLED screens -- the funky colors are an attempt to improve battery life by turning off unnecessary sub-pixel LEDs. Hooking up his handset to an industrial power meter, Android engineer Jeff Sharkey discovered a blood-red screen drew 42 percent less current than full color -- the least of any combination by far -- purportedly doubling the effective battery life of the phone. While you're probably not going to be able to test the requisite software patch for yourself unless you're mildly familiar with Google code, you'll find a video of the crimson wonder

Friday, July 2, 2010

The fightback starts now

The fightback starts now

By Anssi Vanjoki on 02 July 2010

l_Vanjoki_Anssi_Nokia009ESPOO, Finland – Yesterday was the first day in my new job. I’m fortunate to say that I must have one of the most exciting jobs in the business. As head of Mobile Solutions, it’s my aim to ensure Nokia stays as the market and intellectual leader in creating the digital world. I’m under no illusions; it’s no small task.

I am committed, perhaps even obsessed, with getting Nokia back to being number one in high-end devices. Achieving this will require performance and efforts over and above the norm. This is a role I’ve personally been preparing for over the last 20 years. We have all the assets — including R&D and product development – at our disposal under one roof – to produce killer smartphones and market-changing mobile computers.

Over the coming months, we’ll be releasing the Nokia N8, the first Symbian^3 phone from Nokia. I have been testing the N8 and I believe it is going to surprise a lot of people with its power and speed. The camera and HD quality video and deep integration with Ovi services will make this an entertainment powerhouse. We also plan to deliver our first MeeGo device this year. And MeeGo has me buzzing.

Symbian is our platform of choice for Nokia smartphones. Symbian has taken a lot of criticism lately – some of it fair, some not. But what is consistently overlooked is that Symbian still accounts for more than two-fifths of the global smartphone market. We believe the Nokia N8 will have great appeal. People want a smartphone that is familiar, packed with features, offers great performance. With products like the N8 and others to follow, we have preserved the best and most familiar parts of Symbian, making it effortless for the largest population of smartphone users to upgrade. We are determined to win back supporters, including Ricky, our favourite Symbian Guru.

MeeGo offers us an opportunity to take mobile technology beyond the smartphone, and into a new world of connected devices. As Symbian gears up to compete with the likes of iPhone and Android, MeeGo is taking clear aim at the computing space.

The current phase of MeeGo development is looking awesome. We believe it will power the computers of the future. And the computers of the future will not be tied to a desk or even a lap – they will fit in your pocket.

From the ground up, MeeGo is a computer operating system. Working with Intel, we’ve combined our assets to create a software platform that completely integrates mobile elements such as GPS, Bluetooth, NFC and more. This will offer developers a rich environment to create new possibilities for users.

For consumers, it will mean true computing power in your pocket. Something that can deliver everything you want, but be with you all the time.

Together, Symbian and MeeGo will form the backbone of our Mobile Solutions unit. This unit contains all the assets it requires to develop and deliver inspiring and game-changing products.

MIT's Android optometry app could hel...

MIT's Android optometry app could help you stop squinting all the time (video)

MIT's Android optometry app could help you stop squinting all the time (video)
Remember Bokodes, MIT's tiny replacement for barcodes and the like? Their holographic nature enabled them to represent different information from different angles, and it's this property that allows the tech behind them to be used in a very different and even more useful way: figuring out just how busted your vision is. The Camera Culture team at MIT's Media Lab evolved that tech into a $2 box that refracts the image displayed on a smartphone screen. When combined with an app that displays a set of dots and lines, the user can manipulate the image until things look to be perfectly aligned. Once complete, the app spits out a prescription and you're just a quick trip to your local mall-based eyeglasses joint away from perfect vision. The goal is to make it easier for optometrists in developing countries to quickly and easily find glasses for people, but an app that could save a trip to the doctor's office is a wonderful thing regardless of where you are.

Continue reading MIT's Android optometry app could help you stop squinting all the time (video)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D pan...

Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 can shoot 3D panoramas with new firmware

Think Sony ain't serious about 3D? Think again. The Japanese giant has just outed a promised firmware updatefor its ultra-slinky NEX series of shooters that will allow users to shoot 3D panoramas. Panorama stitching was already one of the touted features on these cameras, but with a little extra software magic they'll now be able to collect "depth information" as well. We don't know how strong a 3D effect you're going to get, but since this is a free upgrade and a new way to play with your toy, we suggest grabbing the firmware first and asking questions later. Hit the source link for the download.