Xperia Z: Camera tests

Courtesy of Three, we have had an Xperia Z to play with for the last few days. Here we present to you some camera tests from the phone. We are very impressed. Have a look at them and see what you make. The camera works well indoors, outdoors, at night, in artificial light, with a flash, and pretty much everything.

To find out more about the Xperia Z, click on the following link:

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Sony_Xperia_Z

So we went to the Candy Says coming out party at the St Barnabas Church in Oxford. Following are a few pictures from the event:

As you can see, it works great under artificial lighting. It does capture what your eyes see very well.

 

Books and text are always a good way to find how good the detail captured is, and we can happily say both the focus and the detail were quite impressive.

Here we have Ben from Candy Says, enjoying a burger at The Big Society in Oxford. Taken with a flash, I like how it doesn’t look like FLASHED out, but has him in a light focus, but hasn’t been overwhelmed!

And some outdoorsy shots.

Also… you can do this with the camera:

Verdict:

Going on the camera alone, this definitely is one of the best cameras out there. The fact that you can be out and about with it while it rains or gets wet is an added plus. We’ll definitely miss this one!

Macro Shot: Xperia Z vs HTC ONE vs Galaxy S4

We have had the big three of the Android with us during the last few months, and the cameras have impressed us for all of them. Here we have take a look at some depth of field manipulation of the cameras, and see how well these phone cameras perform on macro shots. I have to also add that these kind of results were definitely not available this time last year. HTC ONE X, Galaxy S3 and the Nexus 4 cannot take these kind of shots.

Anyway, here we are:

Xperia Z, muggy day, in the morning:

Galaxy S4, the same flower, but on a sunny afternoon.

 

And the HTC ONE, a different shot altogether, but on a sunny day too:

Analysis:

To be honest, there isn’t much to choose from.

I found that the HTC ONE camera was the quickest to respond to different scene settings, the quickest to launch, and quick to realize that you want a macro shot. The colours are very good on the HTC ONE as compared to HTC ONE X, where the colours suffer from over saturation when the sun was shining as lovely as that day. The HTC ONE camera also includes the image stabilization into the camera, which means a slight shake of the hand will not result in a blurry picture.

The Xperia Z, which has had an unfair test because the conditions were muggy, was found to be a little slower to launch, but the camera itself is very good. The Auto Intelligent scene selection is very clever, and often tells you what the scene is, which is a handy feature. Overall, the results have been very good, and it seems to give a good standard in all situations.

The Galaxy S4 is very quick once again, and has a very clever Auto feature as well. However, indoor lighting and capturing fine details and text, I found a very slight blur every now and then. Clearly having the image stabilization of HTC ONE gives it an edge. The results over all though, are very good.

Result:

At the end of the day, it depends on what you look for in a mobile camera. I find Macro shots quite interesting, so I thought I’d feature them. It also depends on what picture you think looks the best out of the three.

PS, we have to thank the following for providing us with the phones to test out:

Xperia Z, Three: http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Sony_Xperia_Z

HTC ONE, Vodafone: http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-one-silver-paym?cid=ppc-goo-h-c2396-589168-br

Galaxy S4, ME: www.oxgadgets.com ;)

Uploading apps on Google Glass

The makers of Sphero (http://www.oxgadgets.com/2013/05/review-sphero.html), Orbotix have just done a video about their latest project, where they have added the Google Sky Maps app on to their Google Glass. Watch the video below to see it in action:

You can read all about how to put apps up on the Glass itself, and other information at the following link:

http://www.gosphero.com/how-to-load-apps-on-google-glass/

We haven’t had a chance as we weren’t lucky enough to get one of these, but hey, if you have one, or if you plan on getting one, this will definitely be a handy guide for you in the future!

Samsung Galaxy Young launches this weekend

Samsung have a large collection of phones that are part of the Galaxy range, and the Galaxy Young is no exception to the general rule, i.e., it bring style, a smaller screen, and is unsurprisingly focused on the young users, with speed and everything else built in. Running on Android 4.1, this packs in a 1GHz processor, a 3.27” screen, Samsung TouchWiz, and the usual.

It will be available to buy from Carphone Warehouse and O2 from this weekend. Read the press release below for more details:

UK LAUNCH DATE ANNOUNCED FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY YOUNG

Latest addition to the Galaxy portfolio to hit shops on this weekend

24 May 2013, London, UK – Following the launch announcement earlier this year, Samsung has today revealed that the Galaxy Young will be available in the UK from this weekend. Ideal for style seekers, the Galaxy Young is available in a range of different colours and boasts a compact and stylish design.

Running on Android™4.1 (Jelly Bean), the Galaxy Young allows mobile tasks to be completed much faster and more efficiently and with the Dropbox app users can access files in any location; for easy editing and sharing. With 4GB internal storage users can take advantage of the multimedia content capabilities and talk for longer due to a 1GHz processor and 1,300mAh battery capacity. 

Simon Stanford, Vice President of IM division, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: “As with all smartphones in our Galaxy range, the Galaxy Young is stylishly designed and packed full of really standout features that make it a great phone to experience and own.”

The Galaxy Young will be available in the UK from a number of networks and online retailers including Carphone Warehouse and O2.

Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013

Samsung are never shy of innovation, and the only way forward is to get everybody involved. Samsung have thus announced their second ‘Samsung Smart App Challenge’, which invites app developers to come in and submit the best apps using the Samsung Chord SDK. The SDK involves local information sharing apps. The ten winning entries will receive a sum total of $800,000 in prizes and will be eligible for investment from Samsung, as well as marketing support and business guidance.

While more information is below, do you think the likes of Blackberry should get on this train. Surely, that is the only thing holding Blackberry back at the moment! Anyway, read the press release below for more information:

SAMSUNG LAUNCHES ‘SAMSUNG SMART APP CHALLENGE 2013’

A global contest for mobile application developers

London, UK – May 20^th, 2013 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, today introduced the Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013. A global app competition aimed at finding the best Galaxy S4 apps that make use of the Samsung Chord SDK, which allows app developers to build local information-sharing applications without detailed knowledge of networking.

This competition is the second time Samsung has hosted a global contest for Android developers. The 10 winning entries will receive $800,000 in total prizes and will be eligible for investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation as well as marketing support and business guidance.

The challenge is open to all mobile application developers across the globe from 20^th June 2013. Developers who wish to participate should sign up directly on the App Challenge website (http://www.smartappchallenge.com) and register their apps on Samsung Apps from 20^th June to 31^st August.

“With Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013, Samsung aims to encourage innovation” said Won-Pyo Hong, President and Head of Samsung Electronics Media Solution Center. “At Samsung we will continue to encourage mobile developers to develop new and innovative applications for newly-launched features of the Galaxy range. The Samsung Smart App Challenge will enhance application choices for the Galaxy S4 so users can enjoy a valuable experience.”

Winning entrants will be rewarded with the prize money and a variety of promotional benefits through Samsung’s global channels.

For more information on Samsung Smart App Challenge 2013, please visit the challenge website (http://www.smartappchallenge.com).

Galaxy S4 IR Sensor: Not compatible with Virgin boxes yet!

By Sami Mughal

Yes, we love our Galaxy S4. It brings us joys like Air Gestures! However, while setting it up we noticed that the IR sensor on it just wouldn’t work with our Virgin Media box. What was worse that the Virgin Media box was listed, but it didn’t work. Virgin Media do have a few variety of boxes, so it could obviously be configured for the wrong one, or some other one.

Either way, it does not work.

We tweeted, and we got the following response from Samsung:

They can’t confirm, but will be adding more devices soon.

This is a bit disappointing as this worked very well with the HTC ONE when we tried that. Have you tried the Remote Control (Samsung Watch On) feature on the Galaxy S4? What is your experience?

Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles

By Sami Mughal

You love Star Wars, and you love Lego, and you can’t have enough of either. Well, now you can enjoy both of these by playing The Yoda Chronicles. Available to play both online, as well as on iOS Apple devices, this game is free for all. The only problem is that we should have been saying this a few days ago, on May the 4th. Anyway, never too late, we still bring you good news.

The game can be played online at the following link:

http://starwars.lego.com/en-us/Games/theyodachronicles/Default.aspx

Apple product users can just go to their App Store and search for it.

Check out the press release below for a history of the battle, and some game related news:

Billund, Denmark (30th April 2013) – The LEGO Group proudly announce that their latest, action-packed FREE mobile game LEGO® Star Wars™ The Yoda Chronicles will be available to play on iOS devices as well as on the official LEGO® website from May the Fourth 2013.

The Clone Wars have raged for three years with neither the Knights of the Jedi Order or the Droid Army of the Separatists close to victory. On Coruscant™ in the quiet Holocron Vault at the centre of the Jedi Temple, Master Yoda™ instructs the next generation of Jedi – the Padawans. Little do they know that Darth Sidious™ has hatched a mischievous plan to tip the tide of the war and trouble is brewing across the galaxy…

Questing with Yoda™ or Count Dooku™, players can choose to join the Light Side or the Dark Side in this thrilling new FREE game. The LEGO® Star Wars™ The Yoda Chronicles story and game intertwines with the 2013 LEGO® Star Wars™ novelty products in a mix of real time laser battles, intricate dungeon crawling, lightsaber duels and tense space combat high above Coruscant™. The game contains 15 fast-paced main levels and 5 bonus levels, to be played as either the Light Side or the Dark Side. Half of these levels are available in the first release on May the 4th, with the remainder following in Summer 2013 when the game will also be released on Android devices.

Players must head into battle across dusty desert planets and through high tech facilities, using minimal yet engaging controls to command their units. Collecting studs along the way allows player to build troops, ground units (tanks and walkers) and starships. There are 20 achievements rewarded per release for completing the main missions with style and skill. The 5 additional mini-missions offer a frantic quick play option with the one aim of destroying as many opponents as possible! Ranking up in the mini-missions will increase the power of a player’s units in the main game. Integrated with LEGO ID, players can also switch their game between mobile devices and the web and experience exclusive bonus levels on each platform. Finally, they can use their powers of perception to find secret codes hidden throughout the LEGO® Star Wars™The Yoda Chronicles mini-movies and website, to unlock bonus units, perks and content!

LEGO® Star Wars™ The Yoda Chronicles offers a classic, good versus evil arcade experience that will delight players of all ages and abilities as the LEGO® Star Wars™ universe is brought to their fingertips!

Announcement: Microsoft reveals the new Xbox One

By Jonathan

Microsoft have just announced their new Xbox console: the Xbox One.

Designed to be central to your living room, the Xbox One will bring with it a host of features that intend on making it the ultimate of all-on-one entertainment and gaming system.

To quote from Microsoft's press release:


"New Xbox One hardware is sleek and modern and complements any décor. The console is shaped in the 16:9 aspect ratio and employs a horizontal orientation optimized for its high-speed Blu-ray™ disc player. It is molded in a deep and rich liquid black color and includes a distinctive beveled edge.

The completely redesigned, revolutionary 1080p Kinect is more precise, more responsive and more intuitive. Its unparalleled vision, motion and voice technology let you reach into games and entertainment like never before by dramatically expanding its field of view and fidelity. It works in nearly any lighting condition, recognizes precise motion control from a slight wrist rotation, and distinguishes your voice even in a noisy room using advanced noise isolation.

The class-leading Xbox controller is refreshed with more than 40 technical and design innovations. Updated directional pad, thumb stick and ergonomic fit immerse all gamers in ways that are uniquely Xbox, and precision and control have been dramatically increased with all new vibrating impulse triggers. The Xbox One Wireless Controller is designed to work in concert with the new Kinect, allowing the two to be paired automatically to create seamless player syncing."

In the same announcement, Microsoft announced updates and new features in Xbox Live, including SmartMatch, in-game DVR functionality, the ability to play against "ghost" Xbox Live friends and more. They also announced new content, games and titles - such as a Halo TV tie-in produced by Steven Speilberg, a host of new games including Forza Motorsport 5 and Call of Duty: Ghosts.

No release date has been given yet - but we were promised that the new Xbox will be available "later this year".

You can visit the new Xbox Wire blog at http://news.xbox.com for in-depth features on the new system, including photos and videos from the unveiling event and new and rotating content from Xbox. More details about Xbox One and blockbuster games will be explored at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, and we will continue to bring you more news and updates when they are provided.

More pictures: (click to enlarge)

The New Flickr

I've been a Flickr Pro user since early 2005. Practically forever, in internet terms. And the service has just gotten its biggest update in years.

Aside from the new appearance, the biggest changes are huge increases in storage capacity for free users, and the (rumored) first steps toward sunsetting its paid user (Pro) accounts. Mashable have a great summary up of the changes.

From today, free Flickr users will have access to up to a terabyte of storage, individual image size limits increased to 200MB, and the ability to upload full HD videos up to 1GB or 3 minutes long.

And what of the Pro users? They still have unlimited storage, access to viewed stats on their photos, and will enjoy an ad-free experience as long as their membership continues to be renewed.

But there are a few oddities leading to the rumors of the end of Pro:

• Pro users are still capped at 50MB image sizes, and 500MB videos; the only way to get the new, increased file sizes is to convert to a free account. 
• You can no longer purchase a Pro account, they stopped being sold in March 2013. Your two upgrade options now are to pay US $49.99 (twice what a pro-account used to cost) per year for an ad-free Flickr, and/or US $499.99 for an additional 1TB of storage. 
• There doesn't seem to be any way for free users to purchase the ability to see viewed stats on their photos; one of the biggest draws for professional photographers, and those who'd come to rely on Flickr for promotion (rather than personal sharing). 

After a quick zoom around the new layout, most of the little features and widgets are still there, and function the same, they've just moved around on the page. 

But early buzz indicates the strangeness around the handling of the Pro accounts is alienating a lot of users. It'll be interesting to see which services they end up migrating to, and how the ad-full experience is received. 

Featured Kickstarter: FitBark

By Ross

As a life long dog owner there is no worse sight than an obese dog, but with people working longer hours and our foods becoming increasingly full of fats and sugars it is becoming all too common. This latest Kickstarter aims to help with this problem.

The FitBark is a small water resistant pedometer that fits on your dogs collar and tracks their activity throughout the day. It is then synced to your on-line profile via Bluetooth, to either your phone or PC.  The on-line profile is the real innovation as it not only allows you to view your dog's activities but more importantly gives you access to a community who can offer advice and help with keeping your dog healthy and happy!

You can pre-order FitBark for $99 or with the base station for $169 from there Kickstarter site. They are going to be available in a variety of colours.  For more information check out there Kickstarter page via the link below.

FitBark kickstarter page

You can contribute from only a dollar. Watch the video below to learn more as well as use the tracker below to keep an eye on them. 

Becca, our Editor, had the following to say:

FitBark?! Sounded bonkers to me at first but then it started to make an odd kind of sense. We spoil our pets in so many ways already that why not ensure they're as fit as they could be. Sadly, I'm not sure it would work for me or rather for my Alsatian/Collie cross Riley. Riley is easily the laziest dog I've ever owned. He sits down at the end of our road and refuses to walk any further. Throw him a ball in the garden, he'll run after it, catch it then have a little nap. He even gets bored of chasing his own tail. 
But if I had a puppy and was keen to maintain him in tiptop condition then I would definitely consider one of these. It would also be an interesting way of keeping track of your pooch when he's in kennels or has a dog sitter. 
See, it's not such a bonkers idea now!