Warm up this winter with a smart scarf (fashion)

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  • December 11, 2011 at 11:45 am

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Jack Frost thermochromatic scarf

Diana Eng is a tech-savvy fashion designer and self-proclaimed nerd. She is always finding new ways to introduce technology and mathematics in her designs and we are really digging her ‘smart scarf’ collection. The collection includes a Fibonacci pattern scarf, a clever Japanese leaf fold (Miura Ori) expanding scarf, but we are most fascinated with the one named Jack Frost.

The Jack Frost scarf uses a thermochromatic dye which is activated when the temperature goes below 65° F (18° C) and that’s when little snowflakes appear. As the temperature gets colder, the snowflakes become bigger. You can see a video of the action after the break. The machine washable cotton scarf measuers 10×72-inches and you can grab one over at the designer’s website for $60.
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Facebook for Android brings updated UI, still won’t sync contacts with Galaxy Nexus

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  • December 11, 2011 at 8:31 am

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Facebook for Android version 1.8

Facebook has updated their Android app, bringing a host of improvements and a new user interface. The new UI brings the Android application in line with what is been offered on iOS and the iPhone. You get an expandable menu on the left, which includes quick-links to your favorites, pages (finally), apps, lists etc. — similar to the functionality offered in the left sidebar on Facebook’s desktop website.

You also get an overlay messages box, so that you can check and respond to messages without having to leave the current page. Facebook is claiming the the new app loads photos and albums faster and so far in testing the app we can confirm that. Nevertheless the entire app continues to feel sluggish and sometimes it takes a number of tries for a page to load.

Some were expecting for the new app to enable contact syncing on the Galaxy Nexus and Android Ice Cream Sandwich (especially since a render of the phone was used in marketing the app as you see above), but as we’ve tested this is not the case — going to ‘Accounts & Sync’ and selecting Facebook does nothing. Google found that Facebook was in violation of their terms of service (TOS) on the way user contact data was handled and had pushed an update on the Nexus S disabling syncing of contacts. The Galaxy Nexus, as Google’s latest lead device, also has this function disabled.
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Leica V-Lux 3 superzoom announced, a Panasonic Lumix FZ150 with a red dot

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  • December 10, 2011 at 6:46 am

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Leica V-Lux 3 -- rebranded Panasonic FZ150

The Leica and Panasonic partnership has been a long-standing one and has resulted in some fantastic products — especially some incredibly sharp Micro Four Thirds Lenses. We are also used to Leica taking one of Panasonic’s compact shooters, adding an optimized firmware and releasing it as a Leica branded version. Of course the red dot always demands a premium and this is what has happened with the Panasonic Lumix FZ150.

Leica has announced the V-Lux 3 superzoom bridge camera, which is a rebranded FZ150 with a few cosmetic changes. The two cameras share the same 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and 24x zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5-108mm f/2.8-5-2 (25-600mm 35mm equivalent) lens. It can shoot up to 12 frames per second at full resolution and is capable of full HD 1080p60 video in AVCHD format. The V-Lux 3 has a 3-inch fully articulating 460,000 dot LCD display

It will start shipping in January 2012 for $949, a $450 premium over the Panasonic FZ150. In order to at least give some grounds for the hefty premium demanded, Leica is packaging the V-Lux 3 with Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements software and a two year warranty.
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Sony NEX-7 will begin shipping this month

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  • December 8, 2011 at 1:22 pm

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Sony NEX-7 tilt LCD

The Sony NEX-7 is the most anticipated compact mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC). Although Sony’s current NEX shooters offer amazing image quality, as a result of their large sized APS-C sensor, their interface is better geared towards beginners. The NEX-7 changes this by offering a set of dials with a new control user interface and an amazing high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder. It also pushes the megapixel envelope for MILCs, with a new 24-megapixel sensor, also found in the larger Alpha A77 and A65 single lens translucent cameras.

After some delay in actually releasing the camera, Sony USA has now confirmed that the NEX-7 will ship this month in limited quantities to early pre-orders. We had reported that Sony resumed production of the camera last month after the catastrophic floods in Thailand had halted production.

You might want to check out our opinion on the OLED EVF here, and our comparison of the NEX-7 against the best of the competition e.g. the Panasonic GX1, Fujifilm X100, Olympus E-P3 in our comparison here.
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Google Search launches carousel view for tablets, gives us a peak of Ice Cream Sandwich on a Xoom

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  • December 8, 2011 at 12:35 pm

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Google Image Search for tablets

Google has just launched a new carousel view for tablets when using image search. Images take up the majority of the screen with an info box at the bottom and you can swipe left or right. The new tablet-optimized carousel view certainly looks like a great improvement to the user experience, and quite addictive for those who enjoy to flick through hundreds of images.

What we’ve spotted in the video, after the break, is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich running on what appears to be a Motorola XOOM.
No tablet has yet been officially updated to run Ice Cream Sandwich and we are sure that a lot of XOOM owners will be pleading to get their hands on the update ASAP.
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Google Goggles 1.7 for Android brings continuous mode, other tricks up its sleeve

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  • December 7, 2011 at 3:46 pm

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Google Goggles in continuous mode

Google has just updated its Goggle Android app to version 1.7. The biggest change in the updated version is a new continuous mode. Instead of having to aim your device’s camera at a product, artwork, landmark etc. and press the shutter button before getting any results, Google Goggles now continuously scans for recognizable objects and populates a timeline with the results. We’ve tried it and it’s really what has been missing from Goggles so far. Images recognized in continuous mode won’t show in your search history and you won’t be able to add contacts or translate text.

Another new feature is article text recognition. You can just scan a written piece of text and get online results referring to that piece. Finally you now get search suggestions from other users, which will hopefully improve results. As usual, check the ‘My Apps’ section on your device to update, or search for Google Goggle to install.
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Grand Central Terminal Apple Store looks grand on the inside too (pictures, video)

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  • December 7, 2011 at 1:45 pm

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Grand Central Terminal Apple Store interior on media day

Apple’s NY Grand Central Terminal Store is opening its doors to the public on December 9th at 10am. Media people were given access to the store today and already a number of pictures are coming in.

Though we’ll just let the images speak for themselves, we really like the interplay between the classic and bold architecture and the modern and minimalist design of Apple’s hardware.
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Verizon Galaxy Nexus offered a 2100mAh extended battery

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  • December 7, 2011 at 12:57 pm

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Verizon Galaxy Nexus 2,100mAh extended battery and cover

We’ve been reviewing the Galaxy Nexus and we’ve found battery life to be quite decent for an Android device. However, if you want to squeeze every last minute possible out of your new favorite gadget, then Verizon is offering an extended battery for the LTE version of the smartphone. The Verizon-bound 4G LTE Galaxy Nexus comes with a 1,850mAh battery as standard but for $49.99 you can get the 2,100mAh extended battery, which you see above. That’s only a 13.5% increase in capacity but that could mean the difference between getting through a whole day with one charge or not, depending on your usage.

During our tests with the GSM HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, we could consistently get by for around 15 hours and 30 minutes until battery went below 15%, and that was with the screen on for 2h 30m, not bad at all. A 13.5% increase in capacity could mean around 2 more hours of usage. The GSM Galaxy Nexus only comes with a 1,750mAh battery as standard but the LTE version, because of its radio, presumably consumes more battery.
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Apple has its own internal iOS codenames, Hoodoo anyone?

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  • December 6, 2011 at 5:25 am

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Hoodoo ski resort, Oregon

Not to be outdone by its Android counterpart, it seems that Apple is also using internal codenames for its mobile operating system. Google’s Android desert themed codenames have become quite famous but we weren’t aware that Apple was using codenames for major iOS releases, since these had so far remained inside Cupertino.

Apple’s Mac OS is known by its feline related nomenclature, e.g. Tiger, Leopard and most recently Lion. The iOS internal codenames seem to follow a wintry resort theme, with iOS 5.1 named Hoodoo after a ski resort in Oregon.

The full list is:
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HTC Flyer now receiving Android Honeycomb update

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  • December 5, 2011 at 12:54 pm

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HTC Flyer Android tablet drawing

As much as we wanted to love HTC’s 7-inch stylus-friendly Android tablet, we couldn’t get past the fact that it was still running Android Gingerbread, and not a tablet optimized version of the OS. Thankfully for those who have put their faith in the HTC Flyer, the company has just started rolling out an over-the-air update to Android Honeycomb 3.2. The update, which is over 200MB, is initially targeted for the 32GB 3G version of the Flyer. HTC has confirmed that the 16GB Wi-Fi only version will be getting the update soon.

Of-course Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has already been officially launched, nevertheless, Honeycomb is a major step for tablets and we are sure users will love the upgraded functionality. Since Honeycomb operates with on-screen buttons, the tablet’s fixed touch buttons become inoperable once the update is applied, but the stylus continues to function as before.

If you have an HTC Flyer, be sure to connect to a nearby Wi-Fi access point and check for software updates.
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Grand Central Apple Store opening 10am December 9th, open for business at 7am on weekdays

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  • December 5, 2011 at 11:18 am

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Apple Grand Central Terminal store opening

It’s official, Apple announced the opening date of its New York Grand Central Terminal store through a sign at the location. Apple has also just sent an email with the above, just to make sure we’ve been paying attention. The Grand Central Apple Store will first open its doors at 10am on Friday December 9th, and commuters will be able to grab themselves a new piece of tech just in time for the weekend.

The Grand Central Terminal store will be open for business quite early on weekdays, at 7am, presumably to accommodate early morning traffic through the station. We dare any of you to grab a new gadget and be able to go through a full working day without touching it.
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Fujifilm X10 Japanese commercial (video)

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  • December 4, 2011 at 4:12 pm

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Fujifilm X10 commercial

A dark and cinematic commercial has aired in Fujifilm’s home country for their latest high-end point-and-shoot digital camera. The Fujifilm X10 makes a journey through the streets, and behind the alleys, of Hong Kong, as a girl shoots an off the beaten path day in the metropolis.

Our take on the advertisement, which you’ll find after the break: it’s as unique as the camera itself. If you do feel inspired by it, you might want to check out the work of Nobuyoshi Araki and Daido Moriyama for some more interesting visuals.
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15-inch MacBook Air and Ivy Bridge line refresh coming in Q1 say rumors

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  • November 28, 2011 at 9:37 am

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MacBook Air 2011 smooth aluminium curves

We’ve been hearing rumors about a 15-inch MacBook Air (or a new thin 15-inch MacBook Pro) for a while now. Digitimes, whose reports have been a hit-or-miss affair, claims supply-chain sources indicate that a new 15-inch model will be joining the MacBook Air line as early as the first quarter next year. The new larger-screened Air, will be joined by refreshed 11.6 and 13.3-inch models.

Although Apple had only refreshed the MacBook Air (MBA) line this summer, donning it with fast Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt ports — you might want to read our full review of the mid-2011 MBAs — the accelerated development cycle would help Apple stop competing Windows ultrabook adoption.
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