Friday, December 30, 2016

Sony Cybershot HX350 Launched in European market

Sony has launched the Cyber-shot HX350 in European markets, offering a 50x zoom lens and 20.4MP BSI CMOS sensor like its HX300 predecessor. In fact, very little has changed compared to the previous model – as best we can tell, it adds an up-to-date BIONZ X processor, lock-on AF and a new blue 'Zeiss' badge on the same 24-1200mm equiv. F2.8-6.3 lens.

It continues to offer a built-in EVF, optical image stabilization, 3" tilting 921k-dot LCD, 1080/60p video recording and 10 fps burst shooting. Sony Germany lists the HX350 at €449 with availability in January 2017.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Google Allo and Duo

New kids on communications app scene.  The Google Allo and Duo. The Google Allo will be smart competition to Whatsapp, while Duo is video calling application.

Both  are based on phone number.   That means you can use your phone book. One of our favorite features of Duo is Knock Knock, which shows you a live video preview of the caller before you pick up. Knock Knock invites you into the moment, making calls feel spontaneous and fun. Once you answer, Duo seamlessly transitions you right into the call.

The Google assistant in Allo understands your world, so you can ask for things like your agenda for the day, details of your flight and hotel, or photos from your last trip. And since it understands natural language patterns, you can just chat like yourself and it’ll understand what you’re saying.

Allo has Smart Reply built in (similar to Inbox), so you can respond to messages without typing a single word. Smart Reply learns over time and will show suggestions that are in your style. For example, it will learn whether you’re more of a “haha” vs. “lol” kind of person. The more you use Allo the more “you” the suggestions will become. Smart Reply also works with photos, providing intelligent suggestions related to the content of the photo. If your friend sends you a photo of tacos, for example, you may see Smart Reply suggestions like “yummy” or “I love tacos.”


Xiaomi Mi Max


Xiaomi’s Mi Max will be going on its first flash sale in China tomorrow and the company has received more than 8 million registrations for the phone. The phone is now available for pre-orders internationally, via the Gearbest website. The 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM variant of the phone, powered by a Snapdragon 650, is priced at $325.89 (Rs. 21,760 approximately), and is available in grey and gold colours.

The Mi Max has a large 6.44-inch display on offer. It boasts a 1080p resolution and the display covers 74.8% of the total area of the body. The device is available in two Snapdragon 650 and Snapdragon 652 variants. Xiaomi has further made variations in RAM and on-board storage as well. The most affordable option is the Snapdragon 650 powered variant, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. There are two variants of the Snapdragon 652, powered by the Mi Max. This includes 3GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, and a 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, option.

A larger phone also means a larger battery and the Mi Max offers a 4850mAh battery, which supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology. At the back, the phone features a 16MP camera, aided by PDAF (Phase detection autofocus) and dual-LED flash. There is a 5MP camera on the front.

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Ubuntu 1.04 LTS available for download

Ubuntu 16.04 available to download

A long waited release Ubuntu 16.04 has finally been made available to download with some new & interesting features. Ubuntu 16.04 is a long-term supported release that means once you install Ubuntu 16.04, it's going to provide security updates, bug fixes and applications updates for 5 years with no if and but. Ubuntu and other family members' (Ubuntu Mate, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu etc.) 16.04 version can be downloaded and installed.

Read more at linuxandubuntu.com

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Another smartphone below Rs. 1000

Another company surfaces in India, with a smartphone priced below Rs. 1000/-.   The company has started booking via a web link and SMS. 


The DOCOSS X1.
The phone specs are  Quadcore processor with 4gb internal storage and 1 gb RAM.   Dual SIM 2G/3G with 4 inch IPS display but nowhere mentioned the battery capacity.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

BSNL 20 GB 3G @ Rs. 50 Plan


This plan has been released recently and most of the guys are not believing it. There are no hidden prices , no other stuff. Just like all other plans it is a recharge plan but much much more affordable. If we compare the prices with other providers this plan is not even comparable. Where other operators start providing 1GB 3g from Rs. 150 BSNL is offering 20 GB for Rs. 50. This makes the price of 1 GB as Rs. 2.5 . Yes the cost of 1GB 3G Internet under this plan comes out to be Rs. 2.5 only. So. don’t waste your time and start making use of this insane recharge plan

How to Recharge with BSNL 20 GB 3g @ Rs. 50 Offer

  • This offer can’t be availed via recharge apps. Here are the steps –
  • First of All Visit BSNL Mobile Selfcare Portal
  • Now complete the registration process by providing the required details
  • Now you can login and OPT for the plan
  • Also, if you want to share the 3G data, you need to provide those numbers too
  • Once the request will be submitted by you, the service will be enabled after some time
  • You can start using and Enjoy the fast 3g internet

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Smart TV penetration in Japan will reach 50% by 2019

Smart TV adoption has improved in many developed regions, along with China, as consumers increasingly seek streaming content from online video services. By 2019, more than 50 percent of TV households in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany will have smart TVs, according to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight.
According to the latest information from the IHS TV Sets Intelligence Service, smart TV household penetration in Japan has already reached 50 percent and will rise to 63 percent in 2019, followed by the United States at 57 percent. Among Western European countries, Germany and the United Kingdom are expected to reach 53 percent penetration for smart TVs in 2019, followed closely by France at 50 percent.
“Increasing demand for 4K resolution, the debut of high dynamic range (HDR) for both hardware and content, and access to streaming content that supports these features will accelerate smart TV demand globally,” saidHisakazu Torii, Senior Director of Consumer Device Research for IHS Technology. “Growing availability of 4K content from online video providers will also support this trend, as will the introduction of ultra-high-definition Blu-ray in 2016.”
Although China is considered to be an emerging TV market, smart TV household penetration is expected to reach 46 percent by 2019, which is higher than other emerging regions. Smart TV is an essential feature on TVs sold in China, because many Chinese consumers seek out online content services. “With content providers and smart-device manufacturers, such as Alibaba, LeTV, Xiaomi, now entering the TV set market, Chinese consumers have more smart TV choices than ever before,” Torii said. “Increased sales of 4K TVs will accelerate these trends in the Chinese market.”
Unlike the high adoption expected in most developed countries and China, smart TV household penetration in other emerging countries will remain low, due to a lack of online video content and insufficient infrastructure to deliver the required broadband Internet content to the home. For those reasons, smart TV household penetration in Brazil and Russia will only reach 36 percent in 2019 and just 3 percent in India.

via [technology.ihs.com]

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Rs. 251 smartphone by Ringing Bells

freedom_251_04_ndtv.jpg

Ringing Bells a Indian smartphone manufacturer is launching Rs.251 smartphone in Indian market on 17th February 2016.  The event is honored by Indian Defense Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar.

The Freedom 251 specifications are 4-inch display, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB internal storage (expandable up to 32GB), 3.2-megapixel back camera, 0.3-megapixel front camera, and a 1450mAh battery.

It will available for sale on freedom251.in with registration. Appears to be the project has government support.

Ringing Bells says that the smartphone is in line with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to connect every Indian and enrich their lives.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 wearable oriented SOC

Adding to the league of Samsung Exynos 3250 and Apple S1, Qualcomm announced the new SOC for wearable devices named Snapdragon 2100.

The Snapdragon Wear 2100 is a quad-core Cortex A7 running at up to 800MHz or 1.2GHz (Qualcomm at various points states both) with an Adreno 304 GPU and 400MHz LPDDR3. The choice of using a Cortex A7 is warranted by the fact that Cortex A53s are too power hungry for wearables and that it's likely too early to see Cortex A35 based SoCs as ARM announced the core only a couple of months ago. A big advantage that Qualcomm has with the Wear 2100 is that it's able to offer an integrated X5 modem for basic cellular connectivity. 

The Snapdragon Wear platform is ideally suited for smartwatches, as well as for kid and elder trackers, sports watches, connected headsets, smart eyewear, and more. Numerous wearables powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor are already in development; smartwatches are expected to be commercially available in the second half of this year.

Friday, February 12, 2016

IBIS - Inbody Image Stabilization a Olympus technology review

Olympus definitely deserves high praises for its in-body image stabilization (IBIS) system in its OM-D E-M5 II mirrorless camera to shift its sensor in order to create multiple images, then merge them together to create one super high-resolution image. Thanks to this technology, the OM-D E-M5 II, which has a native resolution of 16 MP can shoot large 40 MP images. 

The way Olympus implemented its high resolution mode is by shifting its sensor by half a pixel in a clockwise direction, creating a total of eight 16 MP images, which it automatically captures in a sequence using its electronic shutter (you don’t hear any shutter actuations in between). Those eight images are then stitched together to form a single 40 MP image. Very clever and cool technology for sure!

Get the detailed review at Photographylife.

Friday, February 05, 2016

Sony A6300 Mirrorless camera introduced


Sony has introduced the long-awaited update to its popular a6000 mirrorless camera: the a6300. Featuring a newly developed 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor and a completely revamped '4D' AF system with 425 phase-detection AF points, the a6300 sits at the top of Sony's APS-C mirrorless lineup. It also appears poised to break down one of the last remaining strongholds of DSLR by a live feed of the action in between frames, with minimal blackout, at a respectable 8 fps shooting rate, with AF.

Key Features:

  • 24MP CMOS APS-C sensor with copper wiring
  • 425-point on-sensor phase-detection AF system
  • 11 fps continuous shooting (8fps continuous live view)
  • Silent shooting in continuous drive (3 fps with AF/AE)
  • Max ISO of 51200
  • 4K video capture up to 100 Mbps
  • Phase-detect AF compatible with A-mount lenses via LA-EA3 adapter
Capable of continuous shooting at up to 11 fps with AF, the a6300's 425-point hybrid AF system features 'high-density' tracking, which dynamically activated AF points around a subject and adjusts them depending on the motion of the subject itself. The 425 phase-detect points, impressively, reach all the way out to the corners of the frame.

Perhaps the biggest news is that the a6300 is capable of uninterrupted live view at up to 8 fps, potentially addressing one of the biggest shortcomings of mirrorless cameras when it comes to fast action shooting. Traditionally, mirrorless cameras tend to show only a stop-motion sequence of last-shot images at the highest shooting frame-rate, which makes it hard to follow a subject and keep an AF point over it. Live view in between short blackouts at 8 fps brings the a6300 much closer to the experience of a DSLR with optical viewfinder. At the launch event in New York this morning, Sony showed a video reminiscent of Nikon's recent DSLR vs. mirrorless comparison for fast action shooting at CES, albeit comparing the a6300 to a $1000 DSLR. Results looked impressive.

Notably, the a6300 can use all of its 425 phase-detect points to quickly focus A-mount lenses using a LA-EA3 adapter, which indicates this is now a standard feature that will be available across future E-mount cameras. We also expect phase-detect AF to work with other 3rd party lenses using adapters like the Metabones Smart Adapter.

The a6300 is capable of 4K video capture at up to 100 Mbps. The camera uses a 20MP (6K) region of the sensor to offer 2.4x oversampled 4K video with full pixel readout, and no pixel binning. Videographers should be able to expect sharp, low noise footage, even in low light since almost the entire sensor is sampled.

While the progress in technology is impressive, lack of true weather sealing, a touchscreen, or direct AF point selection with a dedicated joystick or control will continue to be problematic for some. The a6300 will be available in March for $1000 body only.

via [dpreview.com]

Thursday, February 04, 2016

Some of the best Android launchers from 2015

Android launcher apps have long been an integral part of the Android experience. If you don’t like the way your home screens look or act, you can simply download an app to change all of it. There is no doubt that Android launcher apps have a far more diverse set of features than any other genre of application and you can really do some amazing things with these apps. Let’s take a look at the best ones! As of 2015.

Check it at AndroidAuthority.com

Monday, January 25, 2016

Is this the cheapest calling tablet?

Available at ebay for Rs. 3200/- approximately, The DOMO  Slate S5 is the first tablet to be launched from the Slate S Series Range. It is  a 7" Dual SIM 3G Calling Tablet PC capable of performing a range of feats.  With Network Connectivity  option of 2G and WCDMA 3G network, equipped with WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS,  capable of connecting external pendrives and other usb devices via OTG, smart  features such as 3G Internet Surfing and Video Calling, Call Recording, FM  Radio, DUAL SIM Voice Calling, WiFi Hotspot, WiFi Direct, USB Tethering,  Bluetooth Tethering, USB Internet Sharing from PC and a range of other features,  the Slate S5 is sure to surprise you with the punch it packs in its sleek 7"  housing. It even houses DUAL camera which are interpolated to 2MP and 3MP, front  and rear respectively.

With an internal storage of 8GB and expandable storage capability of 64 GB, you  can ensure the DOMO Slate S5 will store enough data to suffice your multimedia  needs and still have enough to store work files. The MTK processor of the DOMO  Slate S5 has decent power with 2 Cores and houses an internal Mali 400 GPU. The  DUAL SIM Card Slot, Memory card slot and Antenna Extensions are smartly tucked  behind a removable flap on the back, while the 3.5mm Audio Jack and MicroUSB  port, which charges the tablet and is also capable of connecting external USB  devices via OTG, is placed on the top to eliminate interruption while docked in  stand. The Android Operating System is tuned to perform optimally with the given  hardware and it does the job fairly well.



Key Features:
 
•  DUAL SIM SLOT - 3G UMTS 2100(HSPA+), 2G GSM/EDGE 900/1800
• Video Calling via 3G SIM Card
• Android 4.4.2 Kitkat
• DUAL Core MTK ARM Cortex-A7 CPU @ 1.0 GHz
• Mali-400 MP1 GPU @ 400 MHz
• DUAL Camera - 2MP Front and 3MP Rear with LED Flash
• Inbuilt GPS Chip and Antenna
• 8GB Storage and 64GB Expandable
• Multi Touch 5 Point Capacitive Touch Screen (Glass)
• 7 Inch 1024*600 LCD
• Inbuilt FM Radio
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• WiFi Connectivity
• Call Recording
• MicroUSB Port
• WiFi HotSpot Tethering
• WiFi Direct
• USB Internet Sharing (Internet from PC)
• USB Tethering
• Bluetooth Tethering
• Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse Support
• OTG Support

• Supports 480p, 720p and 1080p HD Videos

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications revealed

Xiaomi co-founder and VP, Liwan Jiang, has finally confirmed that the company’s next flagship, the Mi 5, will launch in February and will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC. In his personal Weibo account he said, “The Xiaomi Mi 5 with the latest Snapdragon 820 processor is ready and in volume production. It will be released after the Spring Festival to have enough time for stocking up.” The Spring Festival is when China will celebrate the new year and will be held on February 8.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 is expected to come with a 5.2-inch Quad HD display with 3GB or 4GB of RAM. It has been tipped to come with at least 32GB of storage and a 3600mAh battery. The device may comes with a 16MP camera at the back with a 13MP front facing camera. Leaked renders suggest that the the phone will comes with a thin strip of a Home button which will supposedly be the fingerprint scanner. Reports have also suggested that the Mi 5 will comes with 2.5D glass on the display as well as a USB Type-C port.

More at digit.in

Flash sale for Lenovo Vibe K4 Note

Flash sale for Lenovo vibe K4 Note begins today, i.e. Wednesday 20th January 2016 on amazon in India.   The offer price will be Rs. 11,998/- instead of Rs. 13299/-.

The handset has 3GB RAM and 16GB internal memory which can be expanded upto 128GB with micro SD card.  The 5.5 inch display with 1080p and 3300 mAH battery is on par with competition.

More specifications :

• TheaterMax technology – Virtual Giant Cinematic Experience
• Vibrant 13.97cm (5.5) Full HD wide-view display
• Twin Dolby Atmos® enabled speakers
• 3GB RAM and 16GB ROM
• Fingerprint reader with gesture support
• 13MP rear and 5MP front camera

 

Monday, January 18, 2016

Future batteries

While smartphones, smarthomes and even smart wearables are growing ever more advanced, they're still limited by power. The battery hasn't advanced in decades. But we're on the verge of a power revolution.

 Big technology companies, and now car companies that are making electric vehicles, are all too aware of the limitations of current lithium-ion batteries. While chips and operating systems are becoming more efficient to save power we're still only look at a day or two of use on a smartphone before having to recharge. That's why universities are getting involved.

 We've seen a plethora of battery discoveries coming out of universities all over the world. Tech companies and car manufacturers are pumping money into battery development. And with races like Formula E adding pressure to improve, that technology is only going to get greater.

Explore latest innovations on the verge at pocket-lint.com

Friday, January 15, 2016

Nikon D5 and D500 announced

Nikon D5 and D500 Push the Boundaries of DSLR

The newly announced D5 is Nikon's top-of-the-line professional DSLR, with a 20.8MP full frame sensor capable of shooting at up to 12fps with AF and 14fps without (with the mirror locked up). The headline feature, though, is arguably the new 153 point AF system with 99 cross-sensors. AF tracking with this new system will also benefit from the doubling in resolution of the RGB metering sensor used for scene analysis, and the D5 is the first Nikon camera capable of 4K video.

 The biggest news though may be the long-awaited replacement of the D300S. The 20.9MP APS-C D500 is Nikon's 'best enthusiast DX offering', and the term 'enthusiast' might be an understatement. With continuous shooting speeds of 10 fps and a 200 shot buffer for Raw images, the camera is aimed squarely at action and fast-paced photographers who don't mind the smaller sensor, or even benefit from its extra reach. It features the same 153-point AF system and 180k-pixel RGB metering sensor of the D5, along with the EXPEED 5 processor. It can also capture 4K/UHD video and also features 'SnapBridge', a constant connection to a smartphone using Bluetooth.

Preview at dpreview.com

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Sony Corp developing batteries to replace Li-ion batteries

Sony Corp disclosed that it is developing new batteries to replace lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, aiming to commercialize them in 2020.
The company plans to increase energy density per volume by 40% from the current 700Wh/L to 1,000Wh/L by using a sulfur (S) compound as an electrode material. Compared with an existing battery having the same volume, the new batteries can increase battery life (capacity) by 40%.
Sony intends to commercialize the batteries as laminate batteries for smartphones first and, then, target them at other applications. The company aims to exploit the large capacity of the batteries and have them employed for various devices including mobile devices and robots.
Sony is a company that led the commercialization of Li-ion rechargeable battery. It aims to respond to new demands for highly-functional smartphones and robots by commercializing a new battery that can replace Li-ion batteries.
Aiming at commercialization in 2020, Sony is developing a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery and magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) battery. The Li-S battery uses a sulfur compound for the positive electrode and metal lithium, etc for the negative electrode. Though the sulfur-based positive electrode has a low voltage, the theoretical value of its current capacity per electrode weight is very high, potentially realizing a battery cell with an energy density higher than 1,000Wh/L.
Metal lithium, which is used for the negative electrode, is called a "material of dreams."
Though there have been many technologies researched for using metal lithium and many prototypes, it has hardly been used for rechargeable batteries due to the high difficulty.
When metal lithium is used for a rechargeable battery, the battery generates dendrites (branch-like lithium deposits) at its negative electrode as it is repeatedly charged and discharged. If the dendrites cause a short circuit by breaking through the separator that insulates the positive electrode from the negative electrode, it can cause heat generation or ignition. This problem has not been solved yet.
Despite such difficulties, Sony considers that it is a promising technology to realize an energy density of 1,000Wh/L in about 2020. Manufacturers other than Sony are also actively engaged in the development of batteries using sulfur as an electrode material. So, major manufactures will probably compete against one another in the commercialization of such batteries.
via [nikkeibp.co.jp]

Camera sensor sizes explained

Confused about Four Thirds, 1/1.7, full-frame and APS-C format and why it matters? Don’t worry, here’s everything you need to know about camera sensor sizes.

Canon EOS-1D X full frame sensor
Sensor size is important in photography because it has an impact upon image quality. If you have two cameras with the same pixel count, but one has a physically larger sensor than the other, the one with the larger sensor will usually produce better quality images.
This is because the photo receptors, which are commonly called pixels these days, are larger on the bigger sensor.
The main purpose of a photo receptor is to receive light and generate an electrical signal that is converted into a digital image signal. The more light that the sensor receives, the stronger the image signal will be.
A strong signal requires less amplification and this means there’s less opportunity for image noise to introduced or enhanced.

more at digitalcameraworld.com

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

MI Redmi 3 announced on sale in China

Low price points and impressive hardware is strategy of Xiaomi. The just-announced Redmi 3 takes things to a new level, though. At just $106 (RMB 699) that is around Rs. 7100 in India, you get a phone with a brand new Snapdragon chip, a metal chassis, and a massive 4100 mAh battery almost double of the previous model.  This is on sale in China already. 

Hope they follow it in India, another big market in coming months, or should we expect a Redmi Prime 3 for India.  Only let down is hybrid SIM slots, which are disappointing for the dual SIM users with additional storage requirement.


Here's the full spec sheet for your perusal.
  • 5-inch 720P HD display
  • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB storage with microSD card slot (supports up to 128GB)
  • 4100mAh battery with 5V/2A fast charging
  • 139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5mm; 144g
  • 13-megapixel, F/2.0 rear camera with PDAF for fast 0.1s autofocus - 5-megapixel F/2.2 front camera
  • Dual SIM (second slot doubles as microSD card slot)

Monday, January 11, 2016

Tech Insights: Panasonic's DFD autofocus technology

With the GH4, Panasonic has introduced an all-new autofocus algorithm that eliminates many of the drawbacks of contrast-detect autofocus, and delivers AF speeds approaching those of traditional SLRs. DFD stands for "Depth From Defocus," and to understand what this is all about and why it's such an impressive innovation, let's first take a quick look at how camera AF systems work.

more here from imaging-resource.com.

Wednesday, January 06, 2016

Key features of Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Androidpit.com explains key features of Android 6.0 Marshmallow --


android 6 0marshmallow teaser

Android Marshmallow isn't an overhaul of everything you thought you knew about Android. Rather, it's a refinement and extension of the core features and functionality of Android Lollipop. In this Android Marshmallow review, I take a look at the major features of Google's latest OS version to let you know where it hits, where it misses, and where it has room to improve.

more...

Fascinating science behind film and electronic camera sensors

A small 13 minute video explains it nicely.


Smartphones technology predictions for 2016

Smartphones: Pro-like photography and faster networks to be a big focus in 2016.

Can you believe it’s only been 15 years since the first camera phone came out, with a whopping 0.1 megapixels? Fast forward to today, and smartphones like the 16 megapixel LGV10 are giving consumers enhanced photo and video capabilities that could rival their DSLR brethren, and as much capacity as some of laptops.

As we move into 2016, we will see major strides made towards a radically new smartphone camera market. Camera makers are pushing the boundaries of technology and exploring new areas, such as 3D cameras, massive megapixels (80MB), cameras that can take 360 degree panoramic images and video and cameras that can shoot 1,000 frames a second. 4K Ultra HD for mobile is another move to watch in 2016. Not just for video streaming, we’ll see users take advantage of this extreme resolution in new ways as they shoot and create their own content on their smartphones.

Networking speed is another area where we will see companies start to push the envelope in 2016, such as new creative strategies for caching, spectrum hopping and managing the Internet of Things. This needs to happen to support user expectations for downloading larger files for apps, movies, photos, videos and other materials, more frequently and more quickly. Global Internet traffic will grow by three fold over the next five years, according to some predictions. Users will begin to download movies that could take up to 80GB. Average Internet speeds, meanwhile, may only climb from 5 mbps today to 11.3 mbps by 2019, according to Danny Kaye, executive vice president, Global Research and Technology Strategy at 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. We will need gbps speeds to exchange GB-sized files painlessly.

In addition to the changes smartphone experience the smartphone market itself also promises to evolve. We will continue to see a globalization of the mobile landscape in 2016, as new China brands shake up the smartphone markets with new designs and business models. Expect continuing growth from China brands like Xiaomi, Lenovo and Huawei, which was the fastest growing smartphone maker in the second quarter, according to research firm Gartner.

2015 was exciting year for smartphone buyers, and they have more to look forward to as we move into 2016.


—Christopher Bergey is the vice president and general manager of Mobile and Connected Solutions, SanDisk Corporation

[via eetimes.com]

A guide to smartphone camera hardware

Good article from Techpost on smartphone camera.



"One of the most important features of smartphones is the camera. Whether it’s for photographing people, landscapes, flowers or food, buyers nowadays demand a good quality camera on the back of their handset. As they get better each year, for many they've replaced standalone point-and-shoot cameras as the go-to device for everyday photography, as they're easier to access and more compact to carry with you. The front-facing camera is increasingly important too with the trend of ‘selfies’ across social media and services like Snapchat."

more here
Google
 

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