Two new devices - HTC's Desire 820 and Nokia's Lumia 730 series - are geared towards taking awesome selfies at affordable prices
The battle of the smartphones is well untruly on as the two tech giants will go head-to-head in the months before Christmas
Samsung Gear 2: The New Samsung Companion Gadget, Latest News and Reviews; Specs and Price; Is it Really Worth Investing on than the Samsung Gear 2 Neo?The Samsung Gear 2 serves as a companion gadget that is compatible for 17 other Samsung Galaxy devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Grand 2 and others.
The Gear 2 specs include a dual - core 1 GHz processor which is actually an upgrade from the previous single - core processor. With this, the device can track heart rate and steps even while it is running several other applications like music player, for instance. It also features a mini IR - blaster which is a new add - on. It is also conveniently water and dust resistant, as supported by its IP67 certification, though it is strongly emphasized that the device is not meant for water - oriented activities such as diving or swimming. Moreover, according to more Samsung Gear reviews, the newest model now seems more stylish to wear due to its sleeker and more futuristic - like design, though others are quick to chime in that it still has limited appeal.
In comparison to its predecessors, the Samsung Gear 2's camera is now also located on the body of the watch, providing the wearer options to change straps. The wrist strap is also made of textured rubberized plastic which customers can easily change once they go to any Samsung watch store and choose from a wide variety of choices.
The Gear 2 is often compared to the Samsung Gear 2 Neo because they are basically the same, except that the Neo does not have a camera and costs $100 less. The Samsung Gear 2 price is reportedly around US$274.72.
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The world's biggest technology manufacturers are set to reveal their latest gadgets, phones, tablets, televisions and audio equipment at Europe's largest technology fair.
The annual IFA electronics consumer show is expected to see companies such as Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Nokia and others unleash their newest products ahead of the Christmas shopping season.]
The Berlin showcase event will see 200,000 people come to see the latest from the high tech world.
Samsung is expected to kick off the announcements with the unveiling of its latest smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4, later today. The 'phablet' handset is expected to have a screen of between 5.7 inches and 5.9 inches, making it closer in size to a mini tablet than an iPhone-sized mobile device.
Sony also looks set to make announcements around its phone and tablet lineup, while Panasonic could announce new television, camera and audio products.
This year's show comes a week ahead of Apple's iPhone 6 launch, which is due to happen next Tuesday. The company is also expected to launch a smartwatch, while a new mobile payments ecosystem could also be announced.
Check back with Independent.ie for regular updates on the latest gadget launches from IFA.
It was a normal day at the Yahoo Food offices, comparing notes about weekend cooking projects. I was showboating about the ratatouille and caramelized onion tarts I made over the weekend and laughing that I almost walked out of the house wearing onion goggles instead of my regular glasses.
'What? Onion goggles?' a younger colleague inquired.
'Yes, of course. Onion goggles. Crucial.'
A third colleague joined us. I swiveled to her: 'Onion goggles?'
'Oh, OF COURSE,' she said, without pause.
We both eyed the alien, non-goggle-owning colleague.
They are ugly. They are unwieldy. But onion goggles are hella useful, and have saved me from becoming a mascara-ed mess on several occasions.
No one wants to show up for dinner at your house to find you bleary-eyed due to the sulfuric compounds released by chopping those suckers. Onion goggles create a barrier that keeps the gas from reaching your tear ducts, fitting snugly around the eyes thanks to a little layer of foam. Leaving you stoic and ready to greet your guests.
So buy yourself some onion goggles. You'll find them for $20 or less, and you'll feel like a superhero (especially in these tough red beauties). On those days when you have, for whatever reason, a particularly Emotional Shallot or a dangerously Emo Yellow Onion, they will totally save the day.
Just don't walk outside with them still on your face. Preserve a shred of dignity.
Sony's QX100 and QX10 lenses are add-on gadgets that purport to give your phone DSLR-quality imaging capabilities. While the concept of those devices is more interesting than their execution, it looks like Sony is set to change the game with its next version. Photos of the 'ILCE-QX1' leaked by Sony Alpha Rumors show what's basically an independent E-mount module, which might just support any of the various Sony E-mount lenses already on the market.
A little context: Sony has been selling high-end mirrorless cameras for years. They're basically tiny versions of DSLR cameras, made more compact by a system that exposes the digital camera sensor to direct light from the lens. It's a combination of DSLR and point-and-shoot technology that's proven very popular both with low-end camera enthusiasts and more dedicated photographers alike. There are several competing standards for mirrorless dominance, including the Micro 4/3 system, proprietary cameras from Nikon and Canon, and many more. Sony's system is called the E-mount, and the company offers a variety of interchangeable prime and zoom lenses for its cameras, ranging from a couple hundred bucks for basic models to over a thousand for an 18-200mm superzoom.
Oh. My. God. Becky LOOK AT HER LENSThe device shown in these photos includes the same clamp-on mount from the previous lenses and a built-in flash module. According to the leak (which we can't verify), the QX1 will cost 300 Euro (just shy of $400) with the mount alone, and 450 Euro with a basic 16-50mm 'kit' lens. Other specs aren't known, but they're guessing that it uses a 24-megapixel sensor. Whether or not the next version cam improve on the last, particularly in the areas of shutter speed and setup time, will be an important differentiator. The QX1 is reportedly set for an official announcement tomorrow at a pre-IFA event in Berlin.
A socially minded Hong Kong startup has come up with the fabulous idea of turning the humble umbrella into a tool for meeting new people, at the same time saving them from a soaking.
'Umbrella Here,' at its simplest, is a light that you plop on the top of your umbrella when it starts raining. As with a taxi, the light signals to others that you're willing to 'take a passenger,' meaning anyone caught in a downpour without rain protection can join you to keep dry.
But there's more to it than that. The four graduate students behind the idea have also created an app to help you stay in touch with those you meet under your umbrella - should you want to, of course. All you do is log in, enter the time and place you met, add the person as a friend, and continue the conversation.
Of course, if your passenger was annoying, obnoxious, or simply walked too darn fast, there's no pressure to maintain contact through the site, though there's a chance they might suddenly turn up when the next rainstorm hits.
The app also lets you keep track of how many people you help and the routes you've taken, and even sends you a reminder telling you not to forget your umbrella if you're out in a restaurant or bar.
At home, the Umbrella Here light turns into a little weather gadget, glowing red when it's hot outside and blue when it's cold. When it's raining in the vicinity, it blinks so you know to grab your umbrella (and the light!) if you're heading out.
Umbrella Here is currently a Kickstarter project, and was recently selected as a staff favorite by the crowdfunding site. However, with 15 days to go, it's still to hit its $15,000 target.
If the startup does manage to secure funding, it plans to start shipping Umbrella Here in January, 2015, though the asking price isn't currently known.
From what we've seen, Umbrella Here is an easy way to help others on a rainy day, and could be a boon for lonely folk hoping for diabolical weather so they can wander the streets with their glowing light in the hope of striking up a conversation with a stranger, potentially leading to a new friendship.
Of course, for the system to work, people on the street need to know what the light means, otherwise they'd just think it's a weird umbrella design that serves no obvious purpose.
Would you stick one on your umbrella?
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Roland has gushed a bevy of new audio products, including a sync box that helps laptop musicians play nicely with classic kit like the SH-101 and TB-303, a S1LKi-based mobile audio interface, and a UFO-styled session mixer. Meanwhile, Roland also targets the entry-level with a new V-Drum kit intended to fit more discretely into smaller spaces like bedrooms, and a Boss looping pedal that aims to take some of the complexity out of sampling.
The Mobile UA audio interface uses S1LKi technology for four channels of DSD and PCM audio playback along with a headphone amp (158 MW + 158 MW output at 40 ohms) despite being USB bus powered. TRS mini-jacks are on both sides, for hooking up headphones or speakers.
Meanwhile, the Roland SBS-1 Sync Box aims to bring together new and old tech, with USB, MINI, and DIN sync ports for connecting laptop studios with classic gear like analog and modular synthesizers. In addition to sync, timing, and groove features, there are four CV/Gate output jacks to control external devices, along with LFO signals (and up to five LFO settings outputted as CV signals, simultaneously from three channels) and a shuffle function for older kit which doesn't support that natively.
As for the Roland HS-5 Session Mixer, the distinctively-shaped mixer and recording interface supports up to five different musicians or singers, with individual audio controls on each 'pizza slice'. There's integrated amp modeling and effects, USB connectivity, and both 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch mini headphone jacks for each user.
Other connectivity includes XLR mic, guitar, or line-level stereo for four of the channels, while the fifth has 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch TRS inputs. Two HS-5 units can be hooked up for eight simultaneous channels, and audio can be recorded directly to a USB drive, as well as a snapshot of all settings.
The TD-1K V-Drums hits the entry-level with a more compact setup, with fifteen preloaded kit settings an integrated coaching mode, and a new stand which trims things down to three knobs to control the various positions. Two pedals, four pads, and three cymbals are included as standard, though can be added to, and the USB-MIDI interface hooks the TD-1 sound module up to a computer. It'll go on sale in October at $499.
Finally, there's the Boss RC-1 Loop Station, an entry-level looping pedal for guitarists and bassists that builds every feature - record, overdub, play/stop, undo/redo, and clear - into the same control. Loop position indication is via a multicolor 24 LED array, and there's up to 12 minutes of stereo audio recording as well as last-loop save. It'll last for up to 4.5hrs on a 9v battery, or can be powered by an AC adapter.
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