Amazon is reading a pair of smartphones and an audio-streaming device, new leaks claim, with one of the phones using eye-tracking and a glasses-free 3D display for hands-off navigation. The unannounced gadgets are the handiwork of Amazon’s Lab126 hardware division, the WSJ‘s sources reveal, with the high-end smartphone relying upon retina-tracking to allow users to dig through a floating hologram-like interface.
“Using retina-tracking technology, images on the smartphone would seem to float above the screen like a hologram and appear three-dimensional at all angles” the insiders claim. “Users may be able to navigate through content using just their eyes.”
That’s only one of a number of smartphones Amazon is working on, with at least two tipped to reach the market. Fewer details are known about the second phone, which is known – alongside the other hardware – as Project A, B, C, and D within Lab126. The clandestine development is internally referred to as the “Alphabet Projects” its said.
As for the the media-streamer, that’s said to be an audio-only product, and could potentially be similar to a Sonos. Interestingly, despite previous rumors in April about Amazon working on a set-top box through which it would deliver streaming media such as on-demand Amazon Prime video, this musical product is said to be a different project.
In fact, Amazon is apparently looking to hardware on a grand scale, though the sources did also suggest that any or all of the projects could be axed before they actually reach the marketplace. That could be down to financial or other concerns, they suggest, or simply deciding that the smartphones and other devices aren’t ready for prime-time.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise to hear that Amazon is flirting with new products, particularly in mobility. The company’s ambitions in the smartphone space have been widely-rumored since before even the Kindle Fire tablets were released, with Amazon expected to use a heavily-customized version of Android tailored to suit its digital media sales ambitions.
As for the media streamer possibility, with Amazon already having an MP3 download store, and the Amazon Cloud Player service streaming content from the online locker to users’ smartphones, funneling it instead to home audio equipment doesn’t seem too far fetched. In that case, Amazon’s tablets and potential smartphone could then become a touchscreen remote, navigating through playlists.
Of course, glasses-free 3D has been met with mixed – though generally negative – reactions from the public when companies have tried to use it in mobile devices. The Nintendo 3DS, for instance, has struggled to carve a niche out, despite its relatively unique feature of 3D gameplay, while LG’s attempts to put glasses-free 3D in phones in the shape of the Optimus 3D also failred to spawn a sequel.
One possibility is that by using an eye-tracking system, the 3D effect could be considerably more impressive. Currently glasses-free systems lack precision, and can appear more like layers of stacked images than true 3D. Factoring in more accurate gaze-tracking, however, could improve on that, making a true 3D interface more usable.
Nokia keeps dripping out details about the Lumia 928, the new Windows Phone expected to officially launch next week, and latest is a confirmation on the rumored Xenon flash and a demo of the smartphone’s audio prowess. The new image, shared by Nokia itself, shows the rear of the Lumia 928 for the first official time, complete with PureView branding and what looks like a combined Xenon and LED flash assembly.
If that’s the case, it could be Nokia is using the LED for a focus light, or potentially including it so that the Lumia 928 can use it as a video lamp when recording footage. The Xenon flash is a hotly-anticipated inclusion, a rare addition to a smartphone though one expected to pair well with the 8.7-megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics that Nokia has already confirmed.
Meanwhile, Nokia is also pitting the Lumia 928 against the Galaxy S III in terms of audio performance, testing out the two smartphones for their ability to record natural-sounding soundtracks. The test subject in this case is a subway band, with the new Windows Phone showing a far broader frequency range than its Android rival.
That’s something Nokia has emphasized before, on the 808 PureView, though the Lumia 928 is a whole lot more pocket-friendly than its Symbian predecessor. As per the low-light recording test earlier this week, though, we can’t help but wish that Nokia had pitted its new phone against the HTC One, which itself uses clever microphone technology to improve its audio pick-up.
If all goes to plan, we should expect to see the Lumia 928 officially detailed at a London event Nokia is holding next week, though it appears the Finns are keen to spill some of the headline features in the run-up to that.
Take Nokia’s estimable skills in crafting solid, affordable smartphones, a dash of MeeGo-learned interface know-how, and a motivating desperation to own the developing market, and you get this, the Nokia Asha 501. First of the new Asha Touch series, and toting an ambitious $99 (pre-tax and subsidy) sticker, the Asha 501 does what Nokia would argue only it can: distill the build quality and usability of a Lumia into something with the mass market reach of an Asha. The 501 makes its debut in India today, but SlashGear caught up with Nokia last week to find out exactly what makes it special.
Nokia isn’t new to making cheap phones, nor cheap touchscreen handsets. Its previous Asha series have run the gamut from numeric keypads through QWERTY thumbboards, to full-touch, with pricing in the low double-digits even before operators have had their way with subsidies. The Asha 501, though, is of a new breed: the first to market to run the new “Asha platform” for a start, and the closest an Asha has come to not only a Lumia Windows Phone, but to Nokia’s ill-fated but highly-esteemed N9.
So, you get a compact, sturdy unibody plastic chassis that’s worlds apart from the cheap feeling casing of previous Asha phones, and available in a choice of Lumia-esque colors – red, green, cyan, yellow, white, or black – with a slab of scratch-resistant glass up front. Just because it’s a cheap phone doesn’t mean it compromises on design: fit and finish of the handsets we saw felt far above the $100 price point, and the neat stylistic touches – such as the oval stud on the lower back panel, which not only allows you to remove the cover but serves as the speaker hole – leave the Asha 501 punching higher than its peers.
The hardware straddles the line between price and ability. Most disappointing – though understandable, given the target market – is the absence of 3G, with the Asha 501 making do with a 2G connection along with WiFi. There’ll be 3G Asha touch phones in future, Nokia tells us. Both single- and dual-SIM versions of the 501 will be offered, depending on location, with the first SIM under the battery but the second hot-swappable next to it, and a microSD slot that will come preloaded with a 4GB card. Dual-SIM models will be able to switch between the two cards without demanding the phone be power-cycled.
Speaking of power, that’s another string to the Asha 501′s bow. Nokia is quoting a runtime of up to 48 days standby (from the single-SIM version; the dual-SIM manages up to 26 days standby) or up to 17hrs talktime, which is more than impressive for a touchscreen smartphone. There’s Bluetooth inside too, along with a 3.2-megapixel camera.
Nokia Asha 501 hands-on video:
The tech is only half of the story, though; the other side is the new Asha platform. It may be built on some of the fundamentals of S40, but in practice it’s a new beast almost entirely, far more reminiscent of MeeGo on 2011′s N9 than anything else. We loved MeeGo and the N9, and so are glad to see that Nokia has in effect distilled much of what made them great into a device that’s far more ready for the mass market.
Swiping is the name of the game, with the Asha platform homescreen split into two views: the app launcher, a grid of “squircle” icons, and the Fastlane, a notification stream that tracks how you use your phone in chronological order. Apps loaded, calls and messages made or received, photos or videos taken, music played, or social networking updates posted are all listed, with the single physical control on the fascia – the back button – making multitasking between apps straightforward. Pull the Fastlane down, meanwhile, and you get a glimpse of what’s round the corner, with upcoming calendar entries listed, along with single-tap updating of Facebook and/or Twitter.
The other big software addition is Nokia Xpress Now, which builds on the Xpress browser – supporting server-side compression to cut down on data costs and delays – with a dynamically customized web-based “magazine” of news content that automatically pulls in new information based on your previous reading preferences. The browser itself has been redesigned with big, easily navigable buttons from the outset, along with a merged address/search bar that can be switched between Bing, Google, and Yahoo. HERE mapping will arrive in Q3 2013, meanwhile, and pave the way for more of Nokia’s custom location services to be added to the Asha platform.
Nokia isn’t handling all the apps itself, however. The Asha platform has access to a download store for third-party titles, with only a minor amount of fettling needed to get existing S40 software ready for the new OS. Nokia has carried over its deal with EA Games to offer forty free titles for all new buyers, while Facebook, Foursquare, LINE, Twitter, and more all have software ready to download. Nokia tells us it expects 90-percent of the so-called “key apps” to be available for the Asha platform within the next few months, a somewhat nebulous promise admittedly, but one which at least suggests the Finns aren’t entirely focused on pushing Windows Phone.
In practice, it all works surprisingly well, considering the price. At 99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm and 98g it’s a short, stubby little thing that nestles into the palm nicely; Nokia isn’t talking processor speed or memory, instead expecting that the fluidity of what User Experience Design VP Peter Skillman – who also led the N9 project – tells us is a heavily optimized UI layer will speak for itself. Sure enough, we have no complaints around performance, though the LCD display has mediocre viewing angles (although we can stomach its QVGA resolution given the overall small size).
The Fastlane system quickly becomes second nature. By swiping left or right in an app you return to the homescreen – either app launcher or Fastlane, depending on what you used last – while dragging town from the top edge pulls open a notification drawer complete with toggles between the two SIMs (if supported) and shortcuts for WiFi, Bluetooth, and other settings. Pull up from the bottom edge and you find the contextual menu, helping keep the UI as clear as possible for the app itself. It leaves the software experience feeling more expansive than it actually is, aided by the use of MeeGo-esque graphics that still look crisp and clean even several years down the line.
As on the N9, you tap the display to wake the phone from standby. Notifications pop up as scrollable blocks on the lockscreen, and you can either swipe generally to get to the homescreen, or swipe a notification itself to jump straight into the relevant app. Nokia has usefully added a SIM icon to show which account the notification comes from. There’s also support for music playback controls when locked – along with, optionally, a dim but persistent clock always kept on-screen – and in the Fastlane; Nokia will bundle a set of bright magenta wired headphones in the box, and audio quality from them and the the Asha 501′s speaker is surprisingly strong.
Given the affection many within Nokia had for the N9, and the frustration – inside and out of the company – at seeing the MeeGo project cancelled, we were curious as to whether Skillman felt the Asha 501 was cribbing from that OS as an homage or an insult. Letting go of MeeGo was tough, he told us, but the potential benefits from the new Asha platform, not to mention the potential audience, is considerably greater. In all, they amount to a “fit for purpose experience” he explained, which epitomizes Nokia’s ambitions with MeeGo but at a price point that opens the range up in ways the N9 could never have managed. Yet, even with cost as an ever-present consideration, Nokia still had room to call the Bratislava Symphony in to record a new batch of custom ringtones, and commission artists to create the preloaded wallpapers.
With many manufacturers, there’s a tendency to compare their cheap smartphones with their higher-tier models and find them very obviously lacking. Nokia’s Asha 501 somehow manages to escape that fate, even when placed next to a Lumia 820 or 920. The Windows Phone will undoubtedly be more flexible, and better specified, but the Asha gives none of the sluggish reminder with every swipe and tap that it’s a far cheaper phone, unlike many rivals might. With 3G, we could see it being a hit for those wanting the web and app experience of a smartphone, only without the bulk and expense one might traditionally entail. Similarly, as a second phone – for taking away on a weekend trip free from the tyranny of a charger, or to a festival where you wouldn’t risk an iPhone – it has obvious charms.
Subscribers in Africa, India, and Latin America will get the Asha 501 first, with Airtel, Telkomsel, America Movil, and MTN all confirming they’ll offer the phone. Expected to begin shipping in late June 2013, it will go on sale through as many as sixty operators across 90 countries; UK sales will begin in Q3. Rival phone manufacturers, Skillman pointed out to us, have effectively given up on the low-end of the market. “We still feel we have something to offer there,” he concluded.
Though you’re not going to be able to work with it yourself until later this month (at the earliest), the next big upgrade to Google’s mobile operating system is out there in the wild right this minute. As Google I/O 2013 approaches, so too have suggestions that Google will reveal a collection of feature upgrades for their most basic mobile operating system software. At the moment the signs of life for Android 4.3 are small, but they’re there – having appeared for the first time here on SlashGear earlier this week!
What you’re seeing below is Google Analytics look at not one, but two new operating systems that may be getting a bit of a test here in the week before Google’s push to the public. Though we’ve heard just a tiny bit of information on Android 4.3, and trust that Google will release it with a continuation on the code-name Jelly Bean, the other appearance isn’t especially trustworthy as a solid reading.
Android 5.3.8 comes from a provider by the name of Pardaz GoStar Ertebatat Berelian Limited Liability Company and comes from Iran. Because it’s essentially impossible for a new operating system from Google to have emanated from the source this one does here, it’ll be best to discount it as either a hacked system – pushing that number falsely – or as a non-Android OS posing as one for the giggles.
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, on the other hand, appeared from an unknown source and hit SlashGear 17 times on the 5th of May. This appearance is one that we’ve got no doubt about: Android 4.3 will be appearing very soon, you can bet on it. Have a peek at the timeline below for more information on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean (Google’s newest upgrade to Jelly Bean from Android 4.2.2, that is), and stick around for Google I/O 2013 starting Monday of next week!
Google is considering Glass boutiques where the public could try out the wearable, it’s reported, better explaining the Android headset by giving live demonstrations. A project closely involving Google co-founder Sergey Brin, according to whispers passed to Business Insider, the Glass-centric retail locations would push not only the concept of bodyworn computing, but the Glass brand specifically.
BI warns that the tattle comes second-hand, with their source having spoken to someone who supposedly is working on the retail project within Google. However, the idea of bringing Glass out of the lab and right into the public eye seems a likely one, since the concept takes more explaining than a smartphone or tablet.
That public relations smoothing is going to be particularly necessary with something like Glass, which is already prompting privacy concerns given the ease with which wearers can snap photos and video. One common criticism of the headset is that there’s no specific indication when filming is taking place; Google did not include a red light or other notification on the front, for those around the wearer to see, and the only giveaway for video capture is that the eyepiece is active.
As early reactions to Glass in public suggest, there’d be no shortage of visitors to Google’s stores should they ever open their doors. Whether many of those curious enough to step in would actually buy Glass – or, in fact, whether Google would even be offering Glass for sale, depending on where it’s up to with the eventual consumer version – is questionable, however. Google has previously said that it expects the mainstream Glass to be considerably more affordable than the $1,500 of the current Explorer Edition targeted at developers.
Instead the store proposal, if true, could be more about marketing and user research than actual sales, getting the public comfortable with wearables rather than necessarily pushing them to open their wallets. Meanwhile, it would also cement the “Glass” name as the new brand of Android-powered headsets, which would undoubtedly come in useful as Google rolls out its own consumer iteration, or potentially licenses the technology to third-parties like Samsung and others.
Currently, Google invites Explorer Edition buyers to its experience locations in San Francisco and New York City, where they’re fitted for the headset, shown the basic features, and walked through the initial setup of pairing it with a phone and such. Our own Vincent Nguyen picked up one such unit recently; stay tuned for his hands-on impressions over the coming days.
Nokia’s worst-kept-secret in Windows Phone, the Lumia 928, may not be officially announced, but that hasn’t stopped the company from pitting it against the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III in a low-light camera test. The Finns still aren’t mentioning the Lumia 928 by name – though the video comparison is at the Lumia 928 page – but there’s already an official image of the phone showing its aesthetic changes from the Lumia 920 and confirming the 8.7-megapixel PureView camera.
“See how the 8.7MP PureView camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Optical Image Stabilization outperforms leading smartphones in all kinds of lighting conditions” Nokia’s tagline crows, alongside press shots of the somewhat slab-sided phone. Just as the previous advert leaks have indicated, the Lumia 928 is a more squared off handset than previous Lumia, with a narrow colored bar running around the edge in a way that reminds us a little of the Sony Xperia Z.
Still, the hardware is expected to be broadly in line with the Lumia 920, with a 4.5-inch display. The Lumia 928 could use an AMOLED panel rather than the LCD of the 920, however, along with including radio support for Verizon; the carrier was namechecked in print versions of the PureView commercial earlier this week.
As for the camera testing, Nokia apparently took the Lumia 928 along with a couple of its competitors to Adventureland in Farmingdale, New York, where they were strapped to the front of “The Hurricane” rollercoaster. That gives the Finnish company the chance to show off the improved low-light performance and the reduction in shake; if Nokia can also deliver that without the bulk and weight that the Lumia 920 was criticized for, then the Lumia 928 could stand a much better chance in the market.
Still, the one phone we’d have liked to have seen compared – the HTC One – wasn’t invited on the daytrip, and so it remains to be seen whether Nokia’s PureView fettling will squash HTC’s UltraPixel technology. Given the speed at which Nokia is gushing Lumia 928 details, however, we can’t be far off the official release and some concrete answers.
It’s finally time to get a good look at the film adaptation of the science fiction novel classic Ender’s Game with the first official full-length trailer for the movie. This trailer is just under two minutes long and has Harrison Ford speaking in what might be the least intense declaration of intent in the history of on-film representations of the military, rivaled only by his admittedly unenthusiastic voice-over for the theater version of Blade Runner. That said, the visuals appear to be bringing a fully prepared vision from director Gavin Hood and producer Bob Orci.
This clip is joined by a Google Hangout that’s taking place starting at 1pm PDT / 4pm EDT and going forward into the afternoon. This Google+ Hangout holds the heads of the film, Hood and Orci, speaking to select members of the public as well as the star of the film Asa Butterfield. This actor portrays Ender in the film which will be released on the 1st of November this year.
Ender’s Game has also seen the start of a viral campaign that will be ushering in information about the plot and the environment which will hold the characters of this science fiction story. This story takes place in the future, a future where a single alien invasion has set our Earth on high alert, allowing a single government system to keep sway over the citizens of our planet while they train children to become future military leaders. These children – Ender included – are part of a future era of humanity in which kids have the potential to become genius-level thinkers in their adolescence.
The film stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, and Sir Ben Kingsley amongst many new entrants into the major motion picture world. This film is the first official adaptation of the Orson Scott Card novel Ender’s Game, a book which was born of a short science fiction tale told in the pages of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
Have a peek at SlashGear’s brief timeline of events that’ve recently lead up to this release and be prepared for a flow of information the likes of which we’ve not seen since Prometheus.
Sony has revealed its latest entry-level VAIO notebooks, the VAIO Fit series, with a choice of 14- and 15.6-inch displays, 3rd-gen Intel Core processors, and the option of dedicated NVIDIA graphics. Kicking off from $649 for the VAIO Fit 14 and $699 for the VAIO Fit 15 – which have 1600 x 900 and 1920 x 1080 displays, respectively – the new Fit range also throw in features like NFC for easier transfer of content between notebooks and Xperia smartphones.
For instance, tap your phone or tablet against your notebook, and you can push a website address from your laptop, or vice-versa, Sony suggests. The NFC can also be used as a way to quickly pair two devices via WiFi or Bluetooth, much as Sony has already done with its NFC-enabled smart TV remote controls.
Meanwhile, there’s aluminum detailing on the Fit 14/15, an optional capacitive touchscreen, and Exmor R webcams. The Fit E-series models get plastic casings, with the Fit 14E and 15E having “big box” speakers, Sony says, while the 15E also gets a subwoofer.
The Fit 15/15E also accommodates a separate numeric keypad, though all the models have backlit ‘boards. NVIDIA GeForce graphics with up to 2GB of dedicated memory are optional, and there’s a choice of regular HDD, hybrid hard-drive, or SSD options. DVD and Blu-ray are also on offer.
Sony says the VAIO Fit 14 and 15 will hit shelves in mid-May, priced from $649 for the Fit 14 and $699 for the Fit 15, each available in black, pink, or silver. The Fit E 14E and Fit 15E will be offered in black, pink, or white, priced from around $549 and $579 respectively.
As Adobe announces that they’ll no longer be selling software in physical boxes, they continue their physical presence in this world with two bits of hardware: Project Napoleon and Project Mighty. With Project Mighty, the company is showing a cloud-connected stylus made specifically for apps and interfaces inside the Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop CC included. Adobe Project Napoleon is a candy bar-sized accessory that will allow users to keep digital lines straight – or curved, if they like.
Project Mighty
With Adobe’s push for the cloud in a big way this week with a convergence of Creative Cloud apps like Photoshop CC, so too did they decide to remind the world that their creative software environment is made to work hand-in-hand with the hardware you’ll be using on a daily basis. Project Mighty is an embodiment of that initiative, being displayed this week as a bit of an experiment – it’s not yet clear whether or not Adobe will be releasing this stylus as an actual for-sale item in stores.
This experiment does exist in some physical sense, however, as the company shows it to be working with Bluetooth LE for wireless connectivity, on-board memory, and pressure sensitivity for advanced illustration. With “your creative cloud” inside this device, you’ll be connecting to not just the machine you’re directly interfacing with, but your online presence as well.
This stylus device works with a rechargeable battery inside and a Pen Tip charger up on its nose. The build shown this week is a triangular shape that curves in an ever-so-slight spiral from the tip up to the bunt of the device.
Project Napoleon
The device known as Project Napoleon is, at the moment, a rather new concept in the world of wireless connectivity for illustration. This is Adobe’s “Digital Ruler”. You’ll be tapping one of six different modes of execution in this machine, this then wirelessly indicating on the machine you’re working with – be it your tablet, your touchscreen monitor, or your Project Mighty pen – that you want to create in one of several ways.
Tapping the circle option allows you to create a smooth circle shape. Tapping the straight line allows you to draw smoothly in a straight line. It’s not clear at the moment how this device will be interacting with devices across the board, but we can assume it’ll be in collaboration with Adobe CC applications exclusively.
Both of these devices have been shown in extreme brief this week and we can expect additional information in the near future from Adobe on their availability. As Adobe leaves physical stores behind with boxed software, so too does it stay!
A manned mission to Mars could take place within the next two decades, NASA and the private sector have agreed, though the race is on to research and fund such the next ambitious step fo the space race. The feasibility of such a mission – and the political, financial, technological, and social problems that would need to be addressed first – is on the agenda of the Humans to Mars (H2M) summit this week, with NASA staffers, researchers, private space agencies, and more all coming together at George Washington University to explore the practicalities of sending astronauts to Mars by the 2030s.
“A human mission to Mars is a priority” NASA chief Charles Bolden has committed, Discovery reports, though right now the agency can’t afford to do it all itself. Budgetary limitations, Bolden argues, mean the private and government agencies involved in space travel will have to effectively pool resources in order to get the most bang for their buck.
His strategy is to leave escaping Earth’s gravity well to private contractors, while NASA looks to the bigger picture such as getting from outside the atmosphere to Mars. Modules like SpaceX’s Dragon could be used to go from Earth to low-orbit he suggests, the Washington Post reports, while NASA works on taking the eventual crew further.
Even with those delineated roles – which the private sector may not be entirely happy with anyway – the project isn’t going to blast off any time soon. ““I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready. I don’t have the capability to do it” Bolden conceded. “NASA doesn’t have the capability to do that right now. But we’re on a path to be able to do it in the 2030s.”
Firing a pod off to Mars isn’t quite as simple as, say, launching astronauts to the International Space Station. The 250-350m mile journey is not only long but puts humans at risk of high levels of radiation; once the crew reached Mars, if they wanted to land on it they’d need a safe way of decelerating since the planet’s thin atmosphere lacks the friction to brake a capsule.
One possibility is the same sort of sky-crane system as NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab used to deploy Curiosity, the robotic rover that has been drilling samples from the Martian surface. That effectively lowered the rover from beneath a hovering crane; however, the weights involved for a human crew and their kit would make it far more difficult.
In fact, the payload involved could be anywhere around 40x the weight of Curiosity, NASA associate administrator Michael Gazarik told the Post. Curiosity “was a metric ton” he highlights, “the size of a MINI Cooper.” Assuming the team wanted to escape from the Martian surface at some point, they would need to have a return rocket and fuel as well.
Back in 2010, the US government set out a goal to have a human mission “to orbit Mars” though not land on it. NASA’s ambitions go a little further, of course, though there’ll likely be robotic missions before humans even leave Earth in order to test the technology, not to mention private proposals.
H2M is run by a non-profit group, Explore Mars Inc., and co-sponsored by a number of aerospace companies including Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It will close on Wednesday with final speech by Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on the moon.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
