Jul 23
Just a few months ago, North Korea decided to flip on its 3G network
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Jul 23
There’s been a lot of talk about Sony’s reported Honami smartphone, but there haven’t been photos of the beast in a nearly finished state. At least, until now: Gadget Helpline and Weibo user @latter21 claim to have multiple photos of the would-be flagship. The photos largely match up with previous rumors, which have Sony fitting a larger (possibly 20-megapixel) camera into the corner while otherwise preserving a very Xperia Z-like design. There are a couple of surprises — the xenon flash of an earlier leak isn’t visible, and a large speaker has surfaced at the bottom. Unfortunately, the photo suppliers can’t verify many other details. The camera interface is purportedly unfinished, and there’s no mention of the CPU and display quality upgrades inherited from the Xperia Z Ultra. If the images are accurate, though, we’re looking at a subtle design evolution whose biggest upgrades are hidden inside.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony
Via: Phone Arena
Source: Gadget Helpline, @latter21 (Sina Weibo)
Jul 23
Wi-Fi in visible color looks pretty dreamy.
(Credit: Nickolay Lamm)
At this very moment, I’m surrounded by Wi-Fi. I can’t see it, but I know it’s there. If my life were a fantasy film, I would be able to wave a wand and make the Wi-Fi appear all around me in dancing waves of color. Since I’m a little short of magic right now, I’ll have to settle for artist Nickolay Lamm’s interpretations of what Wi-Fi looks like.
Lamm didn’t just scribble some waves across photographs and call it done. He consulted with astrobiologist M. Browning Vogel on how Wi-Fi behaves. The resulting images were created to mimic the wave patterns, if only they were visible to the human eye.
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This isn’t the first attempt at visualizing Wi-Fi. In 2011, designers from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design created a series of Wi-Fi images by light-painting signal strength in long-exposure photographs. The results are j… [Read more]
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Jul 23
Jul 23
Move over, NFC. Uniqul is getting ready to unveil a new payment system that utilizes facial recognition to process payments. You can set aside your credit cards, debit cards, and checkbooks, too, because all you’ll need to pay for stuff when you shop is your face…and that’s already attached to your body.
Uniqul’s payment system links a person’s face with their bank account so that they’ll only have to gaze into a camera when they want to pay for something. No muss, no fuss, and no worries that come with lost or stolen cards.
Here’s how it works: stores are provided with a Uniqul tablet for their check-out counters. These tablets will take the customer’s photo and analyze the biometric data to locate the person in the database. After pressing an “OK” button, the payment is processed and the customer can go on his or her merry way.
Uniqul’s system is protected by military-grade algorithms, so nothing to worry about on that end. The system will be launching soon in Helsinki, Sweden.
[via Dvice]
Jul 23
75 Close-Ups Of Bugs
Posted in: Today's ChiliUp close, bugs are terrifying. Heck, from far, bugs are terrifying. But with the safe distance through the lens of a camera? They’re amazing.
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Jul 23
Imagine a world where nearly every book ever published could be delivered to you electronically in the blink of an eye. Imagine a world where all of your banking is done without having to visit a bank teller. Imagine a world where paper doesn’t need to be shuttled around to exchange ideas. I know, I know, I’m basically describing right now. But in the year 1972, when the ARPANET (the precursor to our modern internet) was just beginning to take its first baby steps, these ideas were all a fantasy. In the minds of these men, specifically.
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Jul 23
Riptide GP 2 Review
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe developers at Vector Unit have this week unveiled Riptide GP 2 for the public, having created the original well over a year ago to waves of Android devices that still continue to jetski forth with this classic today. What we’re seeing with Riptide GP2 is a full-on sequel to the original, here working with an NVIDIA Tegra 4 optimized bit of software on none other than NVIDIA SHIELD, a device that the public will be getting their hands on later this month.
This game takes on the original simple-yet-effective gameplay of Riptide GP the first, here attaching itself once again physical gamepad controls – here with SHIELD, but working just as well with other 3rd party setups. This game is the first to make use of what this group calls Vector Engine 4, a system that you’ll find brings it into a rather realistic – but not so realistic it’s creepy – vision of ski racing on water.
NVIDIA lets us know that they’ve worked with the developers of this game to once again bring it to a new graphics-borne level with HD graphics, complex shaders, high-resolution textures, and dynamic lighting. You’ll find real-time shadows following your ski wherever you go, and the water splashes your view remain intact – just as oddly enticing as they were when we first saw them with the Tegra-enhanced version of the first game.
This version of the game works with upgradable hydro jets, upgradable riders, and so many color choices your eyes will scream. There’s a brand new career mode that did not exist in the original and you’ll find a much more immersive system of tricks in store as well.
You’ll not just be limited to the stunts that are built-in with your racer from the start, you’ll be able to expand with virtual cash trade-ins as you go along. Learn a double front-flip or forever hold your crashes down the front of a wave.
This game joins titles like Shine Runner and Hydro Thunder Hurricane (a Windows-based boat-racing title), as well as Beach Buggy Blitz as Vector Unit’s ever-growing family of race-based titles for mobile gameplay. Riptide GP 2 will cost you a cool $2.99 USD with Google Play through NVIDIA’s own TegraZone Riptide GP 2 portal.
Riptide GP 2 Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 23
Samsung puts the new Exynos 5 Octa 5420 SoC up against a Nexus 10 at SIGGRAPH 2013 (hands-on video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
In case you were already snoozin’ when Samsung made its announcement late yesterday, the company is here at SIGGRAPH 2013 eager to show off the muscle behind its new chip. Before the exhibitions start officially, we had a chance to nab a look at a reference tablet running the Exynos 5 Octa 5420 SoC alongside ARM’s Mali T-628 silicon packing six cores. For comparison purposes, the prototype unit was matched against a Nexus 10 tablet and its 1.7GHz Exynos 5 Dual 5250. Our first impression? The 5420 ran GLBenchmark’s 2.7.0 T-Rex on-screen test noticeably (read: a lot) smoother than the Nexus 10 and the final scores confirmed the performance boost that we previously reported. We also had a look at both the Unreal Engine’s Citadel (up to 45fps at times) and Unity Chase on the test device with both further demonstrating silky smooth transitions and brisk graphic renders. There’s no word on when the chip will make it into your next mobile device, but it is scheduled to go into production next month. For a quick look at the two tablets side by side, we’ll refer you to the video embedded just beyond the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
Jul 23
Verizon quickly announced a new line of DROID smartphones alongside Motorola today, and by quickly, we actually mean it. The event lasted for around 10 minutes and they unveiled three new phones, as well as a new processor that they’re calling a “computing system.” If you’re having a bit of trouble catching up on the new DROIDs, we’re here to save the day.
The three new phones that were unveiled today are the DROID MINI, DROID ULTRA, and the DROID MAXX. All of these fit in their own specific budget range, and we’ll first start off with the DROID MINI. This is Motorola’s successor to the DROID RAZR M of last year, and it’s all about a compact design with a 4.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display, as well as wireless charging capabilities. This phone will cost $99 after a two-year contract and will be available starting on August 29.
The DROID ULTRA and DROID MAXX share the same body style, with a larger 5-inch 720p OLED display with a kevlar shell for ruggedness. However, the MAXX sports a huge 3500 mAh battery that Verizon says can last “two days” on a full charge. The ULTRA sports a smaller 2,130 mAh, but only comes in at 7.2mm thin, which is quite impressive. The ULTRA and MAXX also pack in a 10-megapixel camera with an f2.4 lens.
The DROID ULTRA will cost $199 after a two-year contract, while the DROID MAXX will be priced at $299. Both phones will be available starting on August 20. All three of these handsets are also running Motorola’s new X8 Mobile Computing System, which was also announced today in partnership with Qualcomm.
The X8 is an eight-core SoC, which consists of a dual-core application Qualcomm processor that clocks in at 1.7GHz, a quad-core graphics processor, a contextual computing core, and another core for “natural language processing.” This layout should be able to give each phone the power to delegate certain tasks without taxing any of the cores. Motorola says the new X8 chip gives these three devices 24% faster CPU performance and graphics that are twice as fast than before.
The DROID ULTRA will be available in black, white, and red, while the MAXX will only be available in black. Pre-orders are open now, and as a bonus, anyone who buys one of these new phones between now and September 30 will get six months free to Google Play Music All Access.
Verizon 2013 DROID reboot hardware wrap-up: MINI, ULTRA, and MAXX is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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