Google Pixel 2 photo and video samples - there's a puppy and portraits inside

Google announced its new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones earlier this week and we had a chance for a few brief hands-on moments with the two twos. There's only so much you can take pictures of on a venue floor and nothing beats spending more time out and about photographing stuff. That's precisely what the Google team has done - having the phones at their disposal and all sure helps. There's a whole bunch of photos shot in portrait mode, including one of a puppy - doesn't everyone love puppies? Here's a sampler, doggo included. Google Pixel Portrait...

Read More

And another one - the Asus Zenfone 4 Selfie Lite is official

Just when we thought we were finally beginning to make sense of Asus' Zenfone 4 lineup, the company has come up with another Selfie, the Zenfone 4 Selfie Lite. This one comes in addition to two existing Zenfone 4 Selfies, the ZD553KL and the ZB553KL, and the top-of-the-line Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro. Listed on Asus' Philippine website, the new Selfie Lite shares a lot with the ZB553KL, including the selfie bits - a 13MP f/2.0 camera with an LED flash. The rear camera is another 13MP unit, though Asus stays mum on other specifics. There's a 5.5-inch display on the front, and the lack of...

Read More

Sony Xperia XA1 Plus review

So, what if one Xperia isn't big enough but the other is a tad too much? Well, you come up with something in the middle. Enter the 5.5" Xperia XA1 Plus, which is perfectly bridging the gap between the 5-inch XA1 and the 6-inch XA1 Ultra

Read More

Red announces the new Monstro 8K VV sensor

High-end cinema camera manufacturer Red has announced the new Monstro 8K VV sensor for its Weapon series of cameras. The Monstro 8K VV will replace the previous Dragon 8K VV sensor announced last year. The new Monstro 8K seems similar on paper, with 8K 60fps full format recording, 35.4 megapixel still capture, 300MB/s data speeds, and simultaneous Redcode RAW and Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD/HR recording ability. However, the new sensor boasts of improved image quality, with wider dynamic range and shadow detail. It also gets Red's enhanced image processing pipeline (IPP2) in-camera,...

Read More

Android makers looking into 3D sensing, under-display fingerprint readers sidelined

The under-display fingerprint reader may end up being replaced before it even becomes mainstream, at least in high-end smartphones, if a report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is right on the money. According to the paper, Android phone makers are looking into 3D mapping solutions for facial recognition in the wake of the iPhone X announcement with similar tech. The inquiries by smartphone manufacturers into 3D sensing have more than tripled since the announcement of the iPhone X, the analyst reports. In addition to the security applications, these technologies allow for augmented reality use, as...

Read More

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) software patch fixes battery charging bug

Samsung's rolled out a small software update that fixes an "IMS Service Stopped" bug which has been affecting Galaxy A5 (2016) and A3 (2016) units. On the latter device, the patch comes with a bonus - apparently, Samsung's fixed another bug that would prevent the device from charging beyond around 85%. This annoying issue was reportedly brought about by the Galaxy A3 (2016)'s Nougat update that was released earlier in the summer. You'll be able to do ~15% more of that on your Galaxy A3 (2016) now. The build number to look out for is A310FXXU3CQI8, and it should be hitting...

Read More

Here comes Android 7.0 Nougat for the Galaxy Tab E on Verizon and T-Mobile

Verizon and T-Mobile have released software updates for the Samsung Galaxy Tab E tablets bringing the OS version to Android 7.0 Nougat. Just Nougat, you say, when Oreo is already here? It's still something for an entry-level/lower-midrange tablet that was launched close to 2 years ago and started out on Lollipop. Verizon has rolled out firmwares for both the Galaxy Tab E 8.0 and the Tab E 9.6. Other than the obvious new Android version, the update brings the refreshed Samsung UX, improved battery management options, and easier multi-tasking, Verizon says. The Android security patch is the...

Read More