Tag: featured

Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-FZ300 and Lumix DMC-GX8 by @Tiwaash #Camera #Lumix

What a day it is for the Panasonic camera enthusiast with the company announcing the successor of Lumix DMC-FZ200 and the top end of the Lumix G series, Lumix DMC-FZ300 and Lumiax DMC-DX8 respectively. The good news is, these both are now splash and dustproof so pretty much ready for any weather conditions to let you capture the moment.

Lumix DMC-FZ 300

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FZ300 a 24X superzoom successor to the FZ200 keeps that camera’s 25-600mm equivalent F2.8 zoom lens and 12MP Live MOS sensor, while adding a newer version of its Venus Engine image processor.

The LUMIX FZ300 is capable of recording smooth, high-resolution QFHD 4K video in 3840×2160 at 30p (60Hz) or 24p in MP4. Taking advantage of 4K video recording performance, users can capture fleeting photo opportunities at 30 fps in 8-megapixel equivalent resolution.

The autofocus system has been updated with Panasonic’s DFD (Depth from Defocus) technology which the company says reduces focus times to just 0.09 secs, and also improves its tracking focus ability. The FZ300 can also shoot continuous at up to 12 fps (6 fps in C-AF mode). The camera uses a Hybrid O.I.S. system providing 2-axis stabilization for stills shooting and 5-axis IS in video recording (though not in 4K). It packs a 1.44M dot OLED EVF and a fully articulated 3″ 1.04M dot touchscreen for composing your photo.

Lumix DMC-DX8

Panasonic has achieved some milestones with Lumix DMC-DX8, it’s the first Micro Four Thirds camera to break the 20MP barrier, and also has a ‘Dual IS’ feature that uses both sensor-shift and lens-shift IS (when available) for more effective shake reduction. The updated Venus Engine processor allows the GX8 to top out at ISO 25,600, shoot at up to 8 fps, and record 4K/UHD video.

GX8 provides a tilting 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder and a fully articulated 1.04M dot 3″ OLED touchscreen. A dedicated exposure compensation dial is included on the GX8’s top panel, and Wi-Fi and NFC are built in.

Like the FZ300 the GX is also splash and dustproof camera and uses the same autofocus system DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology to speed up focus acquisition to about 0.07 seconds and greatly improving tracking focus.

The FZ300 is expected to be available in October for $599.99 and GX8 will be available from August in all-black or black-and-silver variants for $1199.99 body only.

Stay tuned for more tech buzz.

Source 1 , Source 2

Ulak – Samsung Galaxy S5 Knox Armor case review. #Cases #Reviews #Samsung #Ulak

Ulak is a new brand who makes cases for mobile phones catering to fashion minded people wanting to add some individuality as well as protection to their smart phone or tablet.They have been in touch with us and sent us over a few samples to review and today we kick off with the Samsung Galaxy S5 case..

Features

  • Advanced dual layer designed case combined of Polycarbonate hard shell and flexible TPU withstands accidental drop, bump and shock
  • Front cover with built-in screen protector prevents scratches without compromising sensitivity
  • Samsung Galaxy S5 Fingerprint Scanner Compatible; Samsung Galaxy S5 Heartbeat Sensor Compatible
  • All features accessible with case installed; Port covers keep out debris and dust; Sporty design with multi-color options

First off the packaging is quite simple and straight forward with an easy to open product which contains the case,instructions and a built in screen protector so all in all you are covered here regarding protection for you Galaxy S5.there is also a layer of removable layer of thin polythene on the front and back of the case which is probably for transportation purposes..

 

 

The case is easy enough to install and something very similar to Otterbox,you just peel the edge away from the housing and then then the housing pops out and from here on its a simple process to put it all together and will be no trouble for anyone to install which is good,some cases can be a bit cumbersome or require some effort to install,not the case here it will take about 30 seconds in fact taking your time,maybe less..

The top of the case has all aspects covered with access for the mic,headphone socket which is also covered with a flap to keep out dirt and dust,this is a nice featured to be implemented also there is clear access for the infra-red beam,also on the top corners there is addition bumpers raised should the device land on its corner this will give it extra protection,these raised bumps are present on all corners..The camera area is also recessed giving good protection and enabling users to put the device on a flat surface which will keep it free from scratching the lens and flash etc.Also present is cut outs for the proximity sensor,earpiece and secondary camera again not performance lost in these areas.

The bottom of the device follows line with the top and again present is the two bumpers on the corners,we also have another flap here which gives optimum protection against the elements and protects the USB charging.connectivity port,the flaps on both ends are quite solid and don’t seem to come loose which is good and makes you feel secure your important parts are well protected at all times.The speaker again is below level which gives it protection from the elements with no sound loss or interference with having the cover going around the edges.

 

On the sides of the case again protection is excellent with soft buttons to make full use of buttons and no feedback is lost here,they are soft and malleable and not solid blocks and travel well and they follow inline with the band which surrounds the housing and feels soft whilst the backing on the case is hard,the case itself is grippy and will not slip out of hand at all and does not add much bulk to the device either,overall its a good case and priced quite well to be fair in what it has to offer.The screen protector is also fine and built in and no feedback was lost,over time it may become marked like any other offering similar on the market so it cant be faulted here on that respect.

You can purchase the case from the Amazon store and this case in particular will cost you $10.99 right now and comes in a variety of colours..

 

 

 

 

ZTE Unveils the mid range Blade D6 #ZTE #Blade

ZTE unveiled a handset today thats also slim just like the Samsung A8 and its light,again this is going to available first in Japan Australia and Russia bound but Weighing just 120g and at 6.95mm thin, the 5-inch high-definition ZTE Blade D6 squeezes premium performance into a slim and lightweight high-grade 6013 aluminium alloy body. The Blade D6 runs off a qual-core 1.3GHz chipset and 2GB of RAM, and comes out of the box with Android 5.0 Lollipop with the latest rendition of ZTE’s customizable user interface – MiFavor 3.2.

The Blade D6 will be made available in four color variants – Pink, Gold, Gray and Silver,With selfie lovers in mind, the Blade D6 sports an 88-degree wide-angle 5 megapixel front facing camera, ultra-high-definition 13 megapixel rear camera comes with True Tone flash. A number of pre-installed photography features, such as beautification options, a smile shutter function, high definition continuous shooting and auto panorama, add to the device’s premium camera experience.

 

Source

 

Samsung Galaxy A8 launches – For now its China bound #Samsung #Phablet

The Samsung A range has a new member and its super-thin measuring just 5.9 mm and a weight of 155g its also light enough,the sad news for Samsung fans is that its heading for China for now and more word on availability may be announced soon..Estimated to be in the region of €500 or so if you want one that’s the price.

 

 

Its got 2G/3G/4G support  a good 5.7 inch screen sporting FullHD 1080p Oled display,With a 16 MP rear facing camera This is my kind of size preference or 6 inch screen,the front facing camera sports 5 MP which should be sufficient for most,Under the hood there is an eight core Snapdragon 615 chipset with a 1.5 ghz quad core CPU and with just 2GB of RAM  The rear camera is 16 MP and the front 5 MP,there is expansion available too which will be good news for most,with 16/32 GB versions they can be expanded up to 128 GB via Micro SD card..Battery pops in at 3050mAh which might not suit power-users,It also has a fingerprint scanner to for extra security..

 

Source

 

 

Microsoft Hoop Headset by Coloud now available to buy from #Microsoft

The Microsoft Hoop Headset was announced back in March and now they are available to buy direct from Microsoft for a small fee of €29 ,these are the next thing available to the Comfort headset which costs just €15.00 check our unboxing by Ashish over HERE we seem to have got a good price yet again as they are £29.99 in the UK store free shipping is also included.

A headset that doesn’t fit properly can slow you down. That’s why the Hoop comes with an adjustable support loop that helps keep the earpieces from slipping out of your ear. And when you clip the cable to your clothes, you’re all set for distraction-free listening.these are ideal for the like of those who hate earbuds falling from ears I am one of them…They come in Black Orange and Green…

 

Buy HERE

 

Apple unveils some new iPods in six colors. #Apple #iPod #Tech

Apple today have unveiled some new iPods,the shuffle and the nano in a choice of 6 colours. It has been a long time since I have even seen one of these so for now they are not dead..

The touch now boasts an 8-megapixel camera plus a 64-bit A8 processor.This has been the first upgrade since 2012 all are now available to see on the Apple Store

The 16GB iPod touch is €239, 32GB model is 64GB model is €289 and the 128GB iPod touch will be €469 seems pretty steep for a music player…

 

Music – iPod touch is the perfect way to carry your music collection in your pocket. You can use it to access the iTunes Store and the all-new Apple Music service.

Gaming –  A powerful A8 chip, M8 motion coprocessor, and 4-inch Retina display provide the ultimate mobile gaming experience with iPod touch.

Photos – iPod touch features an 8-megapixel iSight camera and improved FaceTime HD camera for all your photos and videos. And with iCloud Photo Library, you can easily access, edit, and share your photos on all your devices.

Apps – iPod touch comes loaded with powerful built-in apps like Messages, FaceTime, and Safari. And you can connect through your favourite social networking apps available on the App Store.

Family Sharing – Now up to six family members can share purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store without sharing accounts. You can also share photo albums, calendars, and even your location

 

See more over at Apple via 

Commodore is back with a smartphone to cost €275 it runs on Android. #Commodore #PET

Commodore are back with a mobile,you will all remember the name so well form the 80s,The new Commodore PET launches this week in Italy, France, Germany, and Poland,its yet known where it will go from here,there has been many different reactions to the news of this device..If anything this will be for the nostalgic folk and it does look nice I must admit .The name has effectively been licensed out to a new company. Read on for more..

 

The smartphone will have be dual-SIM slots and both work in 4G, a 3000 mAh removable battery, Mediatek octa-core 64-bit 1.7-GH and graphics card AMD Mali T760. Canigiani it is said that there will be two versions : A 16GB memory with 2GB of RAM and a 32GB memory with 3GB of RAM.Both will include a microSD 32GB, but will also support the expansion slot cards up to 64GB.

 

The screen will be 5.5-inch IPS Full HD and covered with Gorilla Glass 3,  The main camera has 13-megapixel Sony sensor with f / 2.0 aperture, which can produce images up to 4096 × 2304 and movies up to 1920 × 1080 pixels, even in time-lapse.The front camera, will be 8-megapixel.

 

Via Source

Best smartphone sub €200 right now is the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 #Mobile #Tech

We are really budget concious these days and always want a bargain,when it comes to smartphones there is plenty of devices to pick from but they all lack the power factor sub €100 and here is what sells well,after some time they become slow,freeze and typically annoy people after they get loaded with apps and games, and often the owner would just ditch the phone and buy a new on,again in the same price range,typically handsets priced between €79 – €199 are fine for average users when it comes to calls,text,email and some social media,the ones closer to the higher price generally perform better.

 

If you are on the network you can pick this up for €169.99 which alone is a good price for the specs that come with this device so it is a win win if you are with Vodafone. If you are not with Vodafone you can buy the device and unlock it for just €5.47 with a code from eBay. For the money this phone puts some other devices in its price bracket to shame and even phones double the price with its spec sheet,Own branded devices are on the comeback with EE recently launching a cheap 4G handset for just £39 for existing customers and £49 for new customers ,great way to entice new customers there,but it shows customer loyalty I guess,something that needs attention here in Ireland…

The device is actually made by ZTE  with some modifications and comes with stock Android..It also has decent build quality too,so for your money this is the best you can buy for the price if you are an Android fan.I have spend around a few hours with one of these and the device is fast and it performs well and gaming works quite well too,if you like the big screen it has it too so media consumption is a good experience.

Specs .

  • 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display
  • Octa-Core Snapdragon 615 at 1.5 Ghz
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 3,000 mAh Battery
  • 13-megapixel Sony camera with 1080p recording and 5-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 16GB of onboard storage with microSD card support
  • WiFi 802.11n (single-band only), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS etc

From the SmartHome app to the digital running shoe. #IFA #TecWatch #IFA15

Once again IFA TecWatch demonstrates the innovativeness of the digital world – Over 50 exhibitors for the first time, from four continents – The five theme days also feature more than 50 startups

 

Berlin, 14 July 2015 – Startups offer the potential for future growth, as well as solutions both large and small for the Internet of Things, the next generation of digital media, the use of 3D printing in creative processes, wearables for fun and health, education and training in the digital world – Hall 11.1 is the venue where IFA Watch presents ideas for tomorrow’s markets. IFA is a centre for innovation, providing a link between research, young entrepreneurs with new startups, industry and trade, for a vibrant exchange of knowledge, information and fresh business ideas. This year’s TecWatch programme features 55 exhibitors and partners from 15 countries, including the USA, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Japan and Israel. There are also some 50 startups, whose exhibits are grouped together on a number of different theme days.

Five fascinating theme days devoted to startups
In 2014 technically minded visitors to IFA, along with journalists, experts and decision-makers from trade and industry, took a keen interest in the displays staged by the founders of a number of new business ventures. The Startup Day, organised jointly by TecWatch and the German Startup Federation, is an ideal opportunity for these new companies to present papers, pitches and panel discussions as a means of introducing their technical visions and business models. IFA 2015 offers an even bigger stage for TecWatch and the German Startup Federation to continue their collaboration, with even more startup exhibits and a variety of key subjects spread over several days at the trade show.

SmartHome and the Internet of Things
Numerous small and medium sized companies are presenting their solutions for the interconnected home, where the Internet of Things is exerting a growing influence on our everyday lives. International organisations and alliances are also making their own contributions to this topic, and among them are Z-Wave and the Allseen Alliance.

One particularly fascinating aspect is the increasing number of ideas that are intended to make complex technology more user-friendly, overcoming compatibility problems and linking isolated applications.

The next generation of digital media
The web and broadcasting meet on screen, merging seamlessly thanks to technologies based on the HbbTV standard. IFA TecWatch is presenting the next generation for the first time, in the form of HbbTV 2.0, with exciting innovations that also involve tablet displays as a second screen. Another topic of particular relevance to the future of broadcasting is DVB-T2, the latest generation of terrestrial television, which is being introduced in Germany for the first time with highly efficient HEVC video coding and has been developed for Ultra HD. IFA TecWatch is showing what can be achieved with this new transmission technology. TecWatch is also demonstrating groundbreaking solutions in the field of sound, for example with new codecs, providing interactive selection and individual mixing of various audio tracks. And the Future of Ultra HD introduces spectacular technologies for HDR (High Dynamic Range) and extended colour spaces. A number of special demonstrations are equally interesting, showing how Ultra-HD sequences can be transferred from a large screen to a tablet

3D printing and wearables
In addition to printer hardware, exhibitors are also presenting software for 3D printing, services and solutions for creating templates as well as scanners for analyzing objects. These also include a man-sized installation capable of carrying out a complete 3D body scan in fractions of a second. One of the most interesting wearables is a running shoe with a built-in sensor, which registers every single step and supplies all the information required for a digital training programme.

Research and system development
Universities and research institutes regularly feature in TecWatch. Among them this year is Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, represented by three of its institutes, Heinrich Hertz and Fokus from Berlin, as well as the Fraunhofer IIS Institute, Erlangen. All three are presenting some fascinating and innovative examples of media technology. Colleges and universities based in Berlin and Brandenburg are presenting projects covering all aspects of digital living, together with spin-offs, startups and other partners. The University of Kyoto is represented by research projects dealing with information and media technology.

Education in the digital world
A joint presentation by the industry associations VDE, ZVEH and ZVEI focuses on promoting innovation, under the slogan ‘Fit for the digital world’. These three organisations are providing details about education and training in the digital world in an effort to interest more young people in technical careers, thereby attracting the young people who will introduce the innovations of the future and launch new businesses.
Work stations are being set up to provide a hands-on experience. A mini e-house has been created by trainees to show how young people are developing a greater affinity for this subject. And there is also a Girls’ Day, which is intended to encourage girls and young women to take up technical careers.

Exhibitors at IFA TecWatch
3D Sound Labs, Allseen Alliance, alphaEOS, Beuth Hochschule Berlin, Bird Home Automation, botspot, Brewie, Brinno, Bundesverband Deutsche Startups, Chipolo, Deutsche TV-Plattform, Digitalstrom, E2C, exelonix, Eliq, Evrythng, Formlabs, Fraunhofer Institute Fokus, Fraunhofer Institute Heinrich Hertz, Fraunhofer Institute IIS, Gla Gla International, Green Pocket, Hardware Club, Homido, Kibbi, Media Broadcast, HDMI Licensing, Matrix 3D Solutions, HZO, igo3D, Info Tip, IMEC, ninvoxia, NodOn, Mota, Panono, Parce, Projektron, SoS Ventures, Spin Digital, SPIN remote, Tado, TU Berlin Science Marketing, Technische Universität Berlin, The Connected Lightning Alliance, University of Kyoto, University of Potsdam, Vbox, VDE, Vkansee, Worldline, yetu AG, ZVEH, ZVEI, Z-Wave.

You can find more information about IFA TecWatch at
www.ifa-tecwatch.de.