The search giant's latest addition to its Maps smartphone app includes 150 "catchable" Pokemon, part of a hoax we can only hope foreshadows augmented reality uses down the line.

Samsung’s latest flagship phone “raises the bar for top display performance,” says screen tester DisplayMate.

Nikon has launched the high-end Nikon D4s and entry-level Nikon D3300 in India.
The company, which claims to have a 55 per cent market share in the DSLR segment, says it wants to consolidate its growth in the vertical with these new offerings.

The Nikon D4s is the company’s new flagship camera and is a successor to the D4. The full-frame camera offers Full HD recording at 60 frames per second, EXPEED 4 image processing engine and a new 16.2 MP FX-format CMOS sensor. The camera has a maximum ISO of 25,600, which can be extended to an unprecedented ISO 409,600.The camera has been priced at Rs 4,19,950.

The other launch is the entry-level D3300, which will carry on the legacy of the popular D3100 and D3200. The D3300, along with the guide mode for first-time photographers, will have a 24.2MP DX-format CMOS sensor, Full HD video recording as 60fps and EXPEED 4 image processing engine. The camera will sell for Rs D3300 for body alone and with the AF-S 18-55mm VRII at Rs 37,950.

By:indianexpress.com

The Toyota i-Road may not be gender-specific, but it certainly takes Sheryl Sandberg’s advice to "lean in."

That’s because this three-wheeled electric vehicle takes a cue from motorcycles by leaning its operator into turns. Don’t quite understand? Then watch the video above.


 In a recent press release, Toyota announced about 20 people will participate in testing 10 of the closed-roof vehicles through the streets of Tokyo. Testing began on March 24 and concludes in early June.

Powered by two electric motors and able to reach a top speed of about 37 mph, the narrow i-Road is Toyota’s answer to the urban runabout. With the comforts of a car, and the conveniently compact dimensions of a motorcycle, the little Toyota will soon find its way to Grenoble, France, as part of a car-sharing service, according to AutoblogGreen.


While the i-Road may seem too small for American tastes, in 2013 Autoweek overheard Jack Hollis, vice president of marketing at Toyota Motor Sales USA, say “We need to bring something like [the i-Road] into the U.S."

By:www.huffingtonpost.com

It's not often that you read the words "fun" and "glitch" in the same sentence, but a newly discovered glitch in the recently updated software for iPhones and iPads is actually pretty fun.

Apple's phones or tablets come with certain built-in apps, including rarely used programs like Stocks and Newsstand. Until now, you couldn't keep them from taking up valuable screen space on your devices, whether or not you've ever opened them. But now, an Apple expert on the iDeviceHelpus YouTube page found a glitch in iOS 7.1 that lets you hide those useless apps. Goodbye, clutter!

We tested it out, and it works. You need to download the latest version of iOS 7.1 to begin. Here's how you do it.

First, find the apps you'd like to hide and put them all into one folder by dragging them on top of one another. Then, make sure the dock at the bottom of your iPhone or iPad is completely full with icons. Also, make sure there are no other folders on the home screen and that it, too, is full of icons. Then press down on an app icon to turn on "wobble mode," wherein all the icons wiggle around.

Here comes the tricky part: making a folder within a folder. Create the first folder by dragging any two app icons on top of each other. Then quickly drag the folder of unwanted apps into that folder. It may take a few tries.












Then you'll have a folder within a folder. Remove the rest of the apps from the larger folder, so that the only thing in the larger folder is the smaller folder of useless apps. When you go back to the home screen the folder will look empty.

Now make sure your home screen is full and has no other folders except for the empty-looking one you just made. Go into the folder again and pull the smaller folder out to the home screen. It should disappear.











 Now all of those pesky apps are nowhere to be found. Watch the whole video if you need an explanation.


Unfortunately, although the apps are no longer taking up space on your screen, they're still taking up space in your device. When you look at your data usage, you'll see that the apps you've hidden are still using data. Also, if you turn your iPhone or iPad off, the apps you sent away will return when you turn it back on.

In all likelihood, Apple will nix this awesome glitch with its next iOS update. Mobile software makers like to make it impossible to delete preinstalled "bloatware" apps, the idea being that you'll want to use them eventually.

But until then, enjoy the clutter-free screen.

By:www.huffingtonpost.com

BlackBerry CEO John Chen has had his hands full with trying to redirect the misguided Canadian handset maker since taking over for Throsten Heins late last year. Now he’s going on the offensive with regard to product leakers.

In a blog post on the matter, Chen said one of the most frustrating things for everyone is when a critical and confidential project is reported in the media before they are ready to discuss it. Under a best-case scenario, leaks are distracting but on the opposite end, they are downright misleading to stakeholders. While interesting for fans and media, the business implications of a leak are seldom advantageous, Chen noted.

As such, the company is pursuing legal action against a party that recently stole confidential information about a future BlackBerry product and made said information public. Chen said the person in question falsely posed as an employee of one of their carrier partners in order to access a secured network.

Chen didn’t specifically mention which leak he was referring to although a recently leaked build of BlackBerry 10.3 may very well be the target. As pointed out by Engadget, this build not only revealed the existence of an Intelligent Assistant app that could rival Siri and Google Now but it also let the general public in on codenames for yet-to-be-released devices.

Of course, leaks are par for the course with regard to big name technology companies. HTC’s new One M8 hit the web well in advance of its official debut, much to the displeasure of the handset maker.

By:www.techspot.com

Flagship Android phone sells for $700 unlocked in Canada

 HTC is updating its flagship HTC One smartphone by giving it a larger screen, better software and a camera that's easier to use.

The new phone will have a screen measuring 5 inches diagonally, up from 4.7 inches in last year's model. It will help software improvements designed to anticipate your needs, such as offering lunch recommendations when it's time for lunch. That will come through HTC's hub for personalized content, known as BlinkFeed. BlinkFeed itself will be more colorful and will continue to present news, social media updates and other items of interest.

• Compare the HTC One M8 to other smartphones

HTC continues its philosophy of steering people away from the megapixel count in cameras, saying that more isn't necessarily better. Like the original model, the new HTC One has a 4 megapixel rear camera, which is low for high-end smartphones. Instead, HTC focuses on making the individual pixel sensors larger, so that they can capture more light and offer better shots in low-light settings. The front camera, for selfies, is improved, though — at 5 megapixels, compared with 2.1 megapixels before.

The new phone also makes it easier to use the camera's Zoe assistant, which takes several shots over a few seconds and lets you pick the best ones. It also lets you save frequently used combinations of manual settings, so that you don't miss the shot trying to set it each time.

In Canada, early Tuesday afternoon, Telus was offering the phone for $229 on a two-year contract for a Telus SharePlus plan or $700 with no contract. Both offers included an accessory package that Telus says is worth $120, with a battery bank, case and HTC Fetch phone-finding device for your keychain.

HTC said it would also be available from Rogers and Bell before it hit store shelves.

In the U.S., online orders started Tuesday, while retail stores will get them on April 10. It will cost about $200 to $250 US with a two-year service contract, or about $650 US without a contract.

The original HTC One received good reviews and was named the best smartphone of 2013 at the wireless industry's premier trade show in Barcelona, Spain, last month. But HTC has failed to translate that glowing praise into sales. According to Gartner, HTC had less than five per cent of the worldwide smartphone market in 2013.

To break through, HTC plans to emphasize the One's all-metal design. Samsung's phones typically have a plastic back panel, while Apple's iPhones use glass. HTC's design chief, Scott Croyle, said about 90 per cent of the One's back and sides will be made of metal, but the phone's manufactured in a way that makes it tough to tell where the metal ends and where the composite strips begin. Croyle calls it "zero-gap construction."

Executives acknowledge that the company made several operational mistakes in releasing last year's phone, including the fact that customers of the leading U.S. wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless, weren't able to buy it until months after its launch. This time, the phone will be available right away through all the major U.S. carriers.

Aggressive marketing planned

HTC also plans aggressive marketing, including the heavy use of cable and broadcast television ads. The goal is to reach tech-savvy consumers and trend-setters who are likely to recommend the phone to friends. The company didn't specify how much it plans to spend, but executives said it won't try to match Samsung dollar for dollar.

Samsung Electronics Co. currently dominates the global smartphone market. Last year, the Korean company had a 31 per cent market share compared with Apple Inc.'s 16 per cent. Samsung, in particular, is notorious for its heavy marketing. The company spent nearly 4.6 trillion won ($4.6 billion) in advertising in the 12 months through September, about four times the $1.1 billion Apple spent in the same period, the latest for which figures were available. Although Samsung also makes TVs, refrigerators and other products, analysts believe much of the marketing is for newer products such as phones.

By:www.cbc.ca

Windows XP users include a wide variety of individuals, governments and businesses

The end is nigh. The end of support for Windows XP, that is.
On April 8, Microsoft will officially end technical support for its Windows XP operating system.
To be clear, computers running XP will keep working after April 8. But they'll run an increased risk of becoming victims of viruses and malware.
You see, every month for the past 12 years Microsoft has released security patches for Windows XP. If you've ever watched Windows Update do its thing, that's what going on in the background: it's downloading a security update.
The April 8 patch will be the last. If new flaws in XP are discovered after that, they will go unfixed.

XP still popular

This is a big deal, given the sheer scale of XP's installed base. Windows XP is still the second-most-popular version of Windows. By one estimate, almost 30 per cent of the world's desktop computers run XP.

Why are so many computers using an operating system so long in the tooth?
"A lot of it comes down to, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it,'" says Brian Bourne, a Toronto-based IT consultant and organizer of the SecTor Canadian cybersecurity conference.

For home use, he says, "a lot of people are reluctant to change something that they know and just works. And that's also true in business."

I certainly know people who still run Windows XP at home. And here at the CBC's Toronto Broadcasting Centre, I'm surrounded by XP computers in radio studios and on my colleagues' desks.
So what's the risk of running a soon-to-be-unsupported operating System? According to Bourne, it's twofold.

First, he says, "hackers [may have] found vulnerabilities in Windows XP that they haven't disclosed, that they're waiting until after April 8 to start using. Depending on the severity of those, they'll have large success attacking machines."

The second concern is related to vulnerabilities that haven't been discovered yet. Even if they are identified in the future, Microsoft won't release any more security updates to fix them.

To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns. After April 8, anyone still using Windows XP should worry about both.

Windows XP's 30 per cent market share comprises a wide variety of users: individuals, governments, and private businesses. Brian Bourne gave me one example of a Canadian industry that still relies heavily on Windows: banking.

He says only one of Canada's major banks has achieved 50 per cent deployment of the newer Windows 7 operating system.

"All the rest are less," he says, adding, "their ATMs are all XP."

Granted, ATMS aren't hooked up to the internet, so they don't have the same attack vectors as desktop PCs. Bourne also notes that Canadian banks are paying for custom support from Microsoft to help keep their Windows XP systems secure beyond April 8.

For individuals, it's important to remember that even if you're not running Windows XP yourself, there's a good chance you're doing business with somebody who does: anyone from your bank to your neighbourhood restaurant with a Windows XP point-of-sale system.

Options

So, what to do if you're still running Windows XP on your home PC?
On its website, Microsoft suggests two options: upgrade to a newer, supported version of Windows. Or buy a new PC.

"Those are certainly the safest options," Bourne says.
If you simply must keep using Windows XP, Bourne says there are a few things you can do to improve your security:

• First, he says, set up a home firewall to keep out malicious network traffic.
• Second, use an up-to-date web browser that isn't Internet Explorer. Bourne suggests Google Chrome or Mozilla's Firefox.
• Third, he says, "an antivirus product that is up-to-date will help."

I asked Bourne what he thinks about switching to an entirely different operating system like Ubuntu. While that may be an option for some XP users, Bourne warned that new operating systems often come with a steep learning curve.

But ultimately, he says, "if you still have XP, it’s time to move."

By:www.cbc.ca

 

Among other things, the watch will monitor your health, alert you to important matters, get your email, and perform Google queries.

"Just say "Ok Google" to ask questions like who won the Stanford vs. New Mexico game or what time your flight leaves, or to get stuff done like scheduling an appointment, sending a text, setting an alarm or taking a note," said the announcement on a Motorola's blog.

Apple is also widely believed to be working on a smartwatch.

By:www.cnbc.com

Social media behemoth Facebook just paid $2 billion for Oculus VR, the virtual reality company that makes headsets and software hotly coveted by gamers. But Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is setting his sights far beyond immersive, first-person shooter video games.

"After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences," Zuckerberg said in announcing the deal Tuesday afternoon (March 25). "Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home."

Zuckerberg isn't onto something new. For years scientists and engineers have been exploring the possibilities of using virtual reality technology outside the gaming world, from PTSD therapy for soldiers to controlling robot avatars. Some researchers have even used the compact Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles in their work. [Avatars to Brain Machines: 10 Coolest Military-Tech Projects]

Live Science brings you five possibilities:

1. Therapy for amputees and stroke victims

Virtual reality systems might eventually help people who have lost an arm or a leg and experience excruciating sensations known as phantom limb pain. One man missing an arm reported a dramatic reduction in pain after an experimental treatment in which muscle signals from the end of his arm controlled a virtual limb, according to a case study detailed last month in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. That study simply used a computer screen rather than more immersive virtual reality goggles, but other researchers in Vienna have been using the Oculus Rift headset to examine how such a system could help amputees learn to use a new prosthetic limb — a sometimes frustrating process.

Virtual reality could also help people who have lost function in one of their arms due to a stroke. A 2011 study found that people who had suffered a stroke were more likely to boost their arm strength if they played virtual games than if they underwent a standard course of physical therapy.

2. Controlling robots on Mars

Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif., recently unveiled a rig that allows an operator to use the Oculus Rift headset to see through the eyes of a robot avatar. The system also includes Kinect 2 motion-sensing software from Xbox One, which picks up the operator's gestures to move the robot's arm. It's not hard to imagine that one day such a system could allow humans on Earth to intimately control robots millions of miles away, in places like on Mars. Oculus Rift goggles have already been used to look at Mars virtually. Paired with the Virtuix Omni treadmill, the headset allowed JPL researchers to take a simulated stroll on the Red Planet using a 3D environment stitched together from images taken by the Mars rover Curiosity.

3. Seeing inside the body

Virtual simulations could give scientists and doctors an unprecedented view of the inner workings of human body. Computational neuroscientists demonstrated a "glass brain" at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, this month. By putting on a set of Oculus Rift goggles, users could see the brain activity in real-time of a person wearing a cap studded with electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes attached to their head.

Computer scientists have even created a virtual reality simulator to model childbirth in 3D, taking into account patient-specific anatomy, the position of the baby and the basic forces exerted by the cervix, abdominal muscles and the doctor. Such simulations could help doctors navigate difficult pregnancies and prepare for a risky birth, according to the researchers who presented their work at a conference on E-Health and Bioengineering in Romania last year.

4. Treatment for PTSD

Military service members suffering chronic combat-related PTSD might benefit from therapy sessions that incorporate virtual simulations of the battlefield. Soldiers saw significant reductions in their PTSD symptoms after using a virtual reality headset that allowed them to confront and tolerate simulated memories and fears in environments like Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a study out this month in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

5. Military training

Many soldiers today have experience with virtual reality simulators before they ever even get deployed. The U.S. Army actually uses game-like simulations such as "Virtual Battlespace 2" and noncommercial versions of "America's Army" to train and educate service members and prepare them for the mental horrors of war. The army's so-called Dismounted Soldier Training System uses a helmet-mounted headset with virtual reality goggles that can help replicate realistic environments when replica structures and mock villages just don't cut it.

By:www.livescience.com

In the year or so since the first One was unveiled, HTC suffered through a weird mixture of failure and success. The phone was repeatedly hailed as one of the best devices on the market, but the accolades did strikingly little to help sales. Last year, HTC shipped barely half the number of phones it sold two years earlier, and its share of the global smartphone market dropped from 8.8 percent to 2.2 percent, according to IDC. HTC shipped 6.4 million HTC Ones in 2013, making it the company’s most popular model; Samsung had seven models that sold more than 10 million phones last year, while Apple had five.

HTC’s troubles stem from a number of factors, and unfortunately none of them involve brushed metal. The rollout of the HTC One was a disaster. There were long delays due to shortages of camera components, and problems reaching deals with carriers. Every major carrier is on board and taking online orders the same day the phone was announced. While Verizon wasn’t part of the first HTC One launch, this time around it began selling the new model in its stores about an hour after the presentation ended. HTC also has an exclusive deal with Best Buy (BBY) to sell a gold version of its phone. By the end of April, HTC says, the phone will be available through 230 carriers in 100 countries.

That’s a big improvement. Still, HTC remains hopelessly outgunned when it comes to advertising. Samsung spent $4.5 billion on marketing and advertising in 2012, about half of HTC’s total revenue the same year.

HTC’s defense mechanism is to try to create a certain snob appeal around the One, which in part means denigrating the very idea of advertising. Jason Mackenzie, president of the company’s American operations, said that HTC’s competitors were wrapping phones in plastic, filling them with gimmicky software, and “masking it all with advertising”—a thinly veiled shot at Samsung. HTC has put up a number of billboards advertising the new device, one of which simply says “blah blah blah blah.”

The company is hoping to appeal to customers as a non-mass-market alternative to ubiquitous Samsung and Apple phones. Executives repeatedly compared the new phone to a piece of jewelry, a Rolex watch, or an expensive car. Mackenzie tacitly acknowledges that this places a cap on the number of phones HTC can sell. “We don’t make phones for everybody,” he says. “We make a product that is like jewelry. When you put it on a table at a restaurant, we’re proud the waiter is like, ‘Hey, what’s that?’”

If there’s a phone that can pull this off, the new HTC One may be it, says Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC. The first version was the best Android phone on the market, he says, and this one has surpassed it. “I was quite concerned, because when companies develop impressive devices, it’s difficult to improve,” Jeronimo adds. “It was above my expectations.”

There are companies that do well selling small numbers of luxury products, but the metaphor is lacking in several ways. Even if it becomes a symbol of good taste in smartphones, the HTC One isn’t going to sell at a premium in the way that, say, a BMW does. And most people are barely using the capabilities of their phones, so incremental improvements are likely to go unnoticed.
One way to make sure the customer understands the difference? Paying to train staff at retail locations to sing the praises of your devices. Apple has its own network of stores where that happens, and Samsung spends lavishly to make sure that Galaxy phones are fully appreciated. That’s a luxury HTC can’t afford.

Apple is said to be readying to release its next iPhone in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch screen sizes, with a launch as early as September, according to a report by Japanese business news publication Nikkei today. The production cycle is already ramping up, with component makers producing elements like fingerprint sensors and LCD driver chips, according to the paper, with LCD mass production kicking off in the April-June quarter.

Apple is also expected to increase the display resolution of these devices compared to current models, which could be designed to keep pixel density high on the larger new screens. Full HD resolution is a likely possibility if these rumors are true.

While it’s risky to go trusting rumors about iPhone launches this early, the Nikkei’s report has a few things that make it ring true. First, the 4.7- and 5.5-inch screen sizes have been reported previously by Bloomberg, and the Wall Street Journal also chiming in early this year to say two larger phones are in development. Also, Nikkei reported last year that the iPhone 5s and 5c would launch September 20 in Japan before either was officially announced, which was exactly when they did end up arriving.

Critics have long called for Apple to release devices with larger screen sizes, and so far, the rumor mill indicates it will finally go beyond the 4-inch display shared by the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s. We’ll likely have to wait for fall to find out for sure, but for now, start stretching out those thumbs.

While some smartphone makers such as Samsung, Nokia, and Sony are busy cramming megapixels into their smartphone cameras, Apple is expected to continue its strategy of improving the iPhone's camera in different ways.

A new report from Apple Insider claims that "people familiar with the matter" have said Apple won't prioritize the megapixel count for cameras in its 2014 smartphones. This isn't necessarily surprising, but it reiterates the idea that the sheer number of megapixels doesn't always dictate the quality of a camera.

The quality of an image depends on how much light the camera is able to take in.  The size of a camera's sensor and the pixels on that sensor are both crucial in dictating how much light a camera is able to absorb. Typically, bigger sensors come with larger pixels, and larger pixels are capable of drawing in more light. So, the size of the megapixels actually matters more than the number of megapixels.

Here's how photographer and TechCrunch Senior Editor Matthew Panzarino, who says he's shot everything from wedding portraits to wildlife, explained the megapixel's role.

The thimble, in this metaphor, refers to megapixels while water represents light.

Apple upgraded the size of the megapixels in the iPhone 5s' 8-MP camera sensor to 1.5 microns, which is slightly up from the 1.4-micron megapixels in the iPhone 5's camera. Apple isn't the only smartphone manufacturer to observe that megapixel size matters. HTC's flagship One comes with a 4-megapixel camera, but the megapixels measure at 2.0 microns. 

According to Apple Insider, this doesn't necessarily mean Apple will stick with the 8-megapixel camera we've seen on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. It just means Apple won't try to stuff 20 megapixels into the camera on its next iPhone, which is an obvious move for Apple based on its history. 

The report comes as smartphone vendors are making dramatic improvements to mobile device cameras. The next-generation HTC One, for instance, is rumored to be able to capture images with 3D aesthetics. Nokia's Lumia 1020 comes with a noticeably large lens that's capable of absorbing just as much light as a standalone point-and-shoot.

While upcoming smartphone camera technology is impressive, it can be difficult to discern advancements from gimmicks. For example, there's a chance that a smartphone with a megapixel count as high as 20 or 40 could distort an image's color or add noise to the photo. The more megapixels are shoved into a small camera sensor, the smaller they are. This means the camera could have more trouble taking in light, which may distort the image. 

Bottom line: If you want to take the best photos with your smartphone, ignore the megapixel count. It's more important to check how big the camera's sensor is.
                                    

Travel Tripod

A Guide to Tripods for Travel Photography

A tripod is an essential part of a photographer’s equipment list. Its primary function is to provide, solid, stable support to the camera, allowing the photographer to shoot with a much slower shutter speed than would normally be possible if the camera was handheld.

The reasons you might need to use a slow shutter speed include:

1. Low Light – When the light is insufficient to provide a suitably high enough shutter speed.
2. Depth of Field - When a photographer is using a deep depth of field i.e. a small aperture the shutter speed will subsequently be much lower.
3. Macro – When shooting subjects up close it is necessary to stabilize the camera to minimize camera shake.

Tripods are not ideally suited to traveling photographers, they often add substantial weight to luggage and are cumbersome and awkward to both carry and use. There are, however tripods that have been specifically designed for travel photographers combining both lightness and rigidity allowing the photographer the freedom to travel and carry his tripod for extended periods.

Good quality travel tripods are generally sold in two separate parts, the legs and the head. Both of these parts can be further broken down into specific areas that should be considered carefully when purchasing a camera tripod. Lets take a more in depth look at what to look for in a travel tripod.

Tripod Legs

The tripod legs are the first part of the equation. Depending on their cost they can be made of various materials. A travel photographer will be looking for three things, low weight, rigidity and the flexibility to move the legs into awkward positions and angles.

Plastic – The only redeeming features of plastic tripod legs are their price and that they will be light. They will however not be anywhere stable enough for a serious travel photographer and will be prone to breaking easily.

Aluminum – This is the standard material for entry level serious tripods. It is immensely strong and rigid however can be quite heavy, an important consideration if using a tripod for travel.

Carbon Fiber – The new generation of carbon fiber tripod legs are probably the best option for a travel photographer, they combine remarkable lightness with excellent strength. They are however significantly more expensive than the equivalent aluminum legs.

The next consideration is the number of leg sections and the leg locks. Most tripod legs will be three or four sections. Three-section tripod legs have the advantage of greater rigidity whilst a four-section tripod will often be more compact, an important consideration when traveling.

Leg locks fall into two categories, twist locks and lever locks. What you choose here is purely personal preference.

Next you need to look at two further aspects the maximum height of the tripod and center column and the maximum load. For a good travel tripod you need to look for a set of legs that will bring the center column up to a little below eye level allowing the camera to be at eye level once mounted on the tripod head. For the maximum load weight consider the weight of your camera with the largest lens that you own. For most travel photographers a good aluminum or carbon fiber tripod should exceed your equipment weight unless you are shooting medium format.

Lets look at some typical specifications for a good tripod legs.

• Weight (without head): 2 to 4 lbs (0.9 to 1.8 kgs)
• Height (contracted): 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50cm)
• Height (extended): 60 to 70 inches (152 to 178cm)
• Max Load: 5 to 10 lbs (2.3 to 4.6 kgs)

Typical prices for a good quality travel tripod would be:

• Aluminum: $150-300 (without head)
• Carbon Fiber: $250-500 (without head)

As we mentioned, the legs are the first part of the equation, the second part is the tripod head. A travel photographer is looking for a head that will again be lightweight, give good fluid movement over a large range of angles and provide a solid lock to the camera. Lets look in detail at head options for travel photographers.

Tripod Head

The head component of a travel tripod should be as well researched as the legs. Again, as with many things, you get what you pay for and when budgeting for a tripod make sure to allocate 25-30% of the budget to a head. Lets have a look at the options available.

Ball and Socket – This is perhaps the simplest and possibly the most suitable head for travel photography. As it’s name suggests, the camera plate is attached to a ball, which in turn sits inside a lockable socket. This gives a huge range of potential movement and allows the camera to be positioned very quickly. Make sure that if purchasing a ball and socket head you check it’s maximum loading, if your camera is too heavy for the head you run the risk of the lock slipping. Prices for ball and socket heads suitable for travel range from $50-$150

When buying a head there are some features that you should look for that can make life easier for a travel photographer. Firstly is a quick release plate. This allows you to quickly mount and remove the camera from the tripod allowing you more freedom in your shots. If you shoot with two cameras you can use a plate on each.

Secondly a built in spirit level is also an extremely useful aid, especially for photographing landscapes and architecture on trips. It allows you to confirm that the camera is level in both the horizontal and vertical plane.

Suggested Manufacturers

Although not an exclusive list the following are some of the best regarded tripod manufacturers. All have tripods in their ranges that are suitable for travel photographers.

Manfrotto – Produce good quality tripods for reasonable prices. They have a wide range of carbon fibrer legs as well as a huge selection of heads.

Gitzo – Many professionals include a Gitzo tripod amongst their kit. They have an excellent reputation for quality but they are not for the budget minded.

Benro – A fairly new kid on the block, they are a Chinese company whose reputation for quality on a budget is increasing.

Really Right Stuff – Another up and coming company, Really Right Stuff tripods are designed and built in the US and have a loyal following amongst professionals.

Slik – This Japanese company has some very cheap level tripods that are not ideal for travel, however their mid to high range tripods and heads are excellent quality.

In summary, when researching the purchase of a travel tripod, the key elements to look for are size and weight, it needs to be small enough to put in an overhead locker and light enough to be considered for hand baggage. It needs to be rigid, and here despite the extra cost, a carbon fiber tripod will truly come into it’s own and you need to have a good quality head, one that again is not too heavy but gives great fluidity as well as stability.

By:www.camtripod.net/



 

Samsung Electronics unveils many new products,including the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 3,Gear smartwatch during IFA Berlin 2013.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 boasts of a larger screen and a ‘much more enhanced’ S Pen. According to Samsung,the phone has enhanced multitasking features,”you do not have to switch between tasks,one to the other.”

Watch video: Introducing Samsung Galaxy Note 3


The IFA Berlin 2013 event was platform for many new products.

Galaxy Note 3,which has a 5.7 inch Super-Amoled screen will weigh 168 grams. The device will be available in 140 countries from September 25 starting at price tag of $860 and the worldwide availability will be from October.

Photos: Samsung unveils Galaxy S4

The phone will be available in jet black,classic white,and blush pink color options.

“For the first time we have given Galaxy Note 3 a warm texture-touch cover,” claimed Samsung. “It is slimmer,lighter,and more powerful. All in a beautiful design,JK Shin,President & CEO Head of IT and Mobile Communication Division at Samsung Electronics said.

The Note 3 also boasts of a multi-window feature. T his is Samsung’s option that allows you to have two apps side by side. This functionality also allows users to drag content from one app to another.


Samsung also showcased additional features to its S Pen stylus for the Galaxy Note 3. Samsung showcased a new Air Command menu on Note 3,with Action Memos,S Finder,Scrapbook,and Pen Window.

The S Note app on Note 3 is meant to the user to write,edit and view anywhere,said Samsung. The S Note app also syncs up with other apps like Evernote.

The device was unveiled at the event ‘Samsung Unpacked 2013′. The launch comes as a part of the IFA consumer electronics fair.

Shin started the event by saying that the company launched a whole new category with the first Galaxy Note,back in 2011.

Samsung also showcased the Galaxy Gear watch. “Smart freedom. Perfect companion to Galaxy Note 3,” Shin said.

The Android-powered device starts shipping in most countries September 25 starting at $299. It will be compatible initially with two Samsung products also unveiled Wednesday _ the Galaxy Note III,which is a smartphone with a giant 5.7-inch screen and a digital pen,and the Galaxy Tab 10.1,a tablet computer with a 10.1-inch screen comparable to Apple’s full-sized iPad.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review: A stylish makeover

The South Korean electronic giant believes its Galaxy Gear watch will lead a new trend in smart mobile communications.

“We are confident that the Gear will add meaningful momentum to the mobile industry,” the head of the group’s mobile business,Lee Young-hee told the Korea Times in a recent interview.

It will be compatible initially with two Samsung products also unveiled Wednesday _ the Galaxy Note III,which is a smartphone with a giant 5.7-inch screen and a digital pen,and the Galaxy Tab 10.1,a tablet computer with a 10.1-inch screen comparable to Apple’s full-sized iPad.

With smartphones and tablets now ubiquitous,electronics companies are trying

By:indianexpress.com

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is here. The fifth edition of what has been one of the most popular Android devices, carries the same design language forward with minor tweaks. Samsung seems to have decided that it was better to offer the consumers something they identified with instead of offering gimmicky features that might get the eyeballs, but won’t be all that functional.
The phone will be available from April.

DESIGN: The Galaxy S5 features a perforated pattern on the bac and will come in charcoal black, shimmery white, electric blue and copper gold, to complement the style of the individual consumer.

The Galaxy S5 is IP67 dust and water resistant. But it still looks the same.

CAMERA: The biggest upgrade seems to be in the camera, as the Galaxy S5 offers the world’s fastest autofocus speed of 0.3 seconds coupled with advanced High Dynamic Range (HDR). Users can also use selective focus to focus on a specific area of an object while blurring out the background.

CONNECTIVITY: The Galaxy S5 promises the best LTE and Wi-Fi experience and supports the fifth generation Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 2X2 MIMO, and supporting the large number of LTE frequency with LTE Category 4 standard. Plus, there is the Download Booster Wi-Fi technology for boosting data speed by bonding Wi-Fi and LTE simultaneously.


APPS: The device will feature enhanced S Health 3.0, a comprehensive personal fitness tracker to help users monitor and manage their behavior, along with additional tools including a pedometer, diet and exercise records, and a new, built-in heart rate monitor. It will also pair seamlessly with the next generation Gear products for real-time fitness coaching.

BIOMETRIC: The S5 will offer a finger scanner in the Home button, providing a secure, biometric screen locking feature and a seamless and safe mobile payment experience to consumers. Apple’s scanner does not do this at the moment.

By:indianexpress.com

Nokia Lumia 1020 review: Specs of the Windows Phone-powered flagship by the Finnish tech giant includes a 41 megapixel sensor. After numerous smartphones that have been launched this year, this device still has the highest camera spec for a smartphone.
The main question however is if this device is impressive enough to get the appeal of the buyers? Taking the fact that Galaxy S4 Zoom is one of Samsung Galaxy S4 variants that is gearing into the camera technology with its 16 megapixel sensor, made it pretty much obvious that Nokia isn’t the first to have a new dimension added to its smartphone portfolio.
Among the buttons featured on Nokia’s design are its power, volume and dedicated camera buttons which are located on the right edge however leaving the left edge button-cleared. And alongside the microSIM housing on the top is the headset jack; the bottom portion has a Mico-USB slot.
The phone comes with a universal tripod connector, a power level indicator and a second (1,020mAh) battery. Camera Grip accessory, made from the same polycarbonate material, is available in colours that would compliment with the handset is priced at L47.99 (inc. VAT). The main function of the Camera Grip is to keep a steady hand while shooting although it is shown to have considerably increased the handset size.
The Features. While Lumia 1020 shares the same fairly modest dual core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC of Lumia 920 and 820, the latter have 1GB RAM but the former has been boosted to 2GB.
Since there isn’t MicroSD card slot to use in storing media files (which includes those 1020’s fancy high-resolution camera pictures), a 32GB internal storage along with the GB free SkyDrive storage is available.
While the 2,000mAh battery struggled to get going for 24 hours, when the Xenon flash of the camera was used, the headset is considered top-end with its full set of connectivity options that include NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth (3.0) as well as pentaband LTE (100Mbps down, 50Mbps up).
Nokia did a great job in adding value into its Windows Phone handsets although Microsoft doesn’t allow its hardware partners skin its Windows Phone OS or have its appearance changed.



By:ultravines.com