HTC One SV Review

We have nothing bad to say about the way the earpiece performs. In fact, calls taken with the HTC One SV sound great – loud and natural, without any traces of noise or static. The microphone, however, could have been a bit better than that. On the other side of the line, voices are distinguishable, yet slightly muffled, probably due to the presence of a secondary microphone, which filters a fair amount of the background noise. 

There's a 1,800mAh removable battery powering the HTC One SV, but the maker has not published any official information as to how long it should last on a single charge. That mostly depends on your usage habits, as well as on whether LTE connectivity is being actively used. Judging by what we got out of it during our testing, you should expect it to last at least one single day, as long as you don't push it too much.

Not bad, HTC, not bad. The smarthpone that you've crafted may be a bit rough around the edges, but it is still a very solid Android offering, and the presence of LTE connectivity is, of course, more than welcome. Whoever picks the HTC One SV up will be pleased by the excellent performance driving it and delighted by its outstanding appearance.

Yet let us not forget that the HTC One SV belongs to the mid-range category, although one might assume it is a high-end handset prior to actually using it. In other words, there are some compromises that an One SV owner should learn to live with, among which are the relatively low-res display and the not-so-amazing 5-megapixel camera.

PROS

• LTE connectivity
• Slim, light, good-looking smartphone
• Excellent performance

CONS

• Camera leaves room for improvement
• Unimpressive screen resolution of 800 by 480 pixels

 

Belkin's wireless Wemo light switch

Belkin is showing off the latest advancements in its Wemo Home Control system, a system that takes advantage of home Wi-Fi networks instead of proprietary communication protocols to make home automation simpler. For starters, the company is planning to release an Android app for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or higher that will let people control their Wemo-connected appliances. There's also a new Wemo light switch, which is set to launch in the summer alongside the Android app — you can install it in place of a standard light switch and control it with Belkin's Wemo apps. Like other Wemo products, the new light switch can be controlled over Wi-Fi or mobile networks, and it appeared to work just as expected in the quick demo we got at Belkin's CEO booth.

Belkin also announced a new plan to integrate with home appliances from companies like Sunbeam, Crock-pot, Mr. Coffee, and Oster. These future devices will have Wemo built-in, so Belkin's remote will let you control them without having to plug into the Wemo outlet. Between these forthcoming products, Wemo's integration with IFTTT, and the upcoming Android app, Wemo should be even easier to integrate into consumers' homes.

LG Optimus L9 review

 

 

Pros:

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSPA
• 4.7" 16M-color qHD IPS LCD (540 x 960 pixels) capacitive touchscreen
• Android OS v4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, LG Optimus UI 3.0
• TI OMAP 4430 chipset, dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, 1 GB RAM, PowerVR SGX540 GPU,
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash
• 1080p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• VGA front-facing camera
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• 4GB of built-in storage expandable via a microSD slot
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v3.0
• NFC
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Voice dialing
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

Cons:

• No Jelly Bean at launch
• Mediocre sunlight legibility
• Poor still camera and video recording quality
• Non-hot-swappable memory card slot

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

The name Yoga is suggestive of the system's big selling point, that the display flips fully over to become a tablet. In fact, it has four basic usable positions -- clamshell laptop, tablet, stand, and tent.

The reason the Yoga stands out from the suddenly crowded touch-screen laptop scene is that it does something other convertible or hybrid laptops do not. When set up as a traditional laptop, the 13.3-inch Yoga doesn't compromise the all-important clamshell experience. The excellent double-hinge design means that it looks and works the same as any other ultrabook laptop, unlike the complex and often clunky mechanisms in systems such as the HP Envy x2, Sony Vaio Duo 11, or Dell XPS 12.

The Yoga works best as a full-time laptop and part-time tablet, because when it's folded back into a slate, you still have the keyboard pointing out from the back of the system. Although the keyboard and touch pad are deactivated in this mode, it's still not ideal. Plus, despite the hype, Windows 8 is still not a 100-percent tablet-friendly OS, and there are some frustrations that span all the Windows 8 tablet-style devices we've tested.

The Yoga certainly seems to be everyone's choice for a great Windows 8 ambassador -- both Microsoft and Intel have touted it as a best-in-class example, and Best Buy is currently featuring it in a television ad. At $1,099, you're paying a bit of a premium, but not outrageously so, for an Intel Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB solid-state drive (SSD) configuration (note that our early review unit had only 4GB of RAM installed), but a less expensive Core i3 version starts at $999. If I had to pick a single first-wave Windows 8 convertible touch-screen laptop, the Yoga would be at the top of my list.

Price as reviewed / starting price	$1,099 / $999
Processor	1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory	4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive	500GB 5,400rpm
Chipset	Intel HM77
Graphics	Intel HD 4000
Operating system	Windows 8
Dimensions (WD)	13.1x8.9 inches
Height	0.67 inch
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
Category	13-inch

Pros: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 looks as good as any 13-inch ultrabook, with the added attraction of a 360-degree screen and a laptop body that can fold into a tent, stand, or slate.

Cons: Tablet mode leaves the keyboard exposed, and the Yoga 13 costs more than standard ultrabooks with similar components.

The bottom line: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a convertible touch-screen laptop/tablet that most importantly doesn't compromise the traditional laptop experience..

Motorola RAZR i Review

The display doesn’t quite go edge to edge, but it’s sharp and really colourful. The snapper is an eight-megapixel model that offers a burst mode of 10 shots a second. Startup is quick from sleep mode, but the shutter lag is frustrating.

Style and handling summary for Motorola RAZR i review

It looks good and is made to be durable – there’s even splashproofing to keep the insides safe. We also couldn’t stop stroking the soft rear panel!

Battery power summary for Motorola RAZR i review

A real strength – you’ll get a good day out of a full battery on light use, while if you play with lots of apps it will last a full day. Video streaming gives you an excellent eight hours.

Performance summary for Motorola RAZR i review

Under the hood sits an Intel Atom chip (also found in the Orange San Diego), which proves itself very able, even if you’re running the latest power-hungry games. You’ll only see better performance from a quad-core handset

Pros :
Large, crisp vibrant display; lengthy battery life; powerful performance; Ten shots a second 

Cons :
Snapper’s shutter suffers from lag

Verdict:

The Motorola Razr is a well-designed handset, offering top battery life, powerful performance and a stunning display. The snapper is feature packed too, although the shutter lag frustrates.

Apple iPhone 5 Review

Pros :
Sleek Apple design; 4G support to come; larger, vibrant display; powerful performance; nearly the same great snapper as on the 4S; Siri proves her worth now.

Cons :
Steep price; OS looks dated; Maps limited and suffer from bugs; Most apps have ugly borders; Lack of memory card slot; Fragile feel.

Verdict:

We’re not surprised that this is the best iPhone to date. It’s thin, light and has a roomy 4-inch Retina screen. But the operating system feels dated and there are some major issues. Plus, Apple has brought nothing major new to the show. Of course there are the usual iPhone issues too – that fragile feel and the lack of a memory card slot, along with the wallet-busting price.

Google Nexus 10 review

Testing out the strength of its Wi-Fi connection, it’s able to retain a solid connection with a wireless router that’s located approximately 30 feet away in another room. Furthermore, we didn’t see its signal strength greatly fluctuating in the same locations.

Surmising it can be related to optimizations with Android 4.2 or the new dual-core Exynos chipset it’s using, but the Nexus 10 delivers one great battery life in our testing. So much so that we’re able to get nearly 2 whole days of normal usage with its fully charged 9,000 mAh battery, which is amazing considering it’s sporting that super high resolution display and whatnot. However, it’s worth pointing out that the rear of the tablet gets a bit toasty after prolonged usage.

It lacks the razor sharp design of Asus’ top line Android tablets or the extended wealth of functionality available with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, but hot damn, there’s no arguing that the Google Nexus 10triumphs over them with its hard to believe price point of $399! Considering that it’s featuring the highest resolution display to grace a tablet thus far, it’s absolutely hard to fathom how it’s priced the way it is. Instead, the Google Nexus 10 is seriously bringing the heat this upcoming holiday season.

PROS

• Incredible high resolution display
• Very good $400 price point
• Stellar battery life

CONS

• No 4G/3G verison
• Some software bugs with Android 4.2
• Choppy performance every now and then

Samsung Galaxy Note II review

GOOD                           BAD

• Buttery-smooth performance
• Outstanding battery life
• Much-improved handwriting recognition
• S Pen is becoming legitimately useful

• Display remains imperfect
• Paucity of good stylus apps
• Plastic construction
• S Planner is a downgrade from default Calendar app

When first announced, the Galaxy Note II looked and felt very much like a supersized Galaxy S III with a slightly fancier stylus attached. After spending some quality time with it, I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s exactly what it is. And that’s a good, nay, a very good thing indeed. The S Pen has matured and improved in subtle but significant ways, while the GS III formula has only been upgraded with a larger battery and an even more generous screen size. At nearly 5 inches, Samsung’s flagship 2012 phone is already too big for a lot of people to comfortably use one-handed, so why should they not opt for the larger, but also more capable, Galaxy Note II?

Relative to its predecessor, the Galaxy Note II is a clear and unequivocal upgrade. It’s now more powerful, lasts even longer, and ships with the best software that Samsung has yet put on an Android device. It doesn’t feel as characterful or quirky as the original Galaxy Note, and it is indeed festooned with superfluous apps and software presets, but those are small hurdles you can either disable or avoid. The commercial success of the first Galaxy Note came as a surprise, however the same won’t be true of the Galaxy Note II. It represents the best possible marriage of the Note lineage and Samsung’s 2012 technology and is likely to cement the Korean company’s position as the premier Android device maker.

LG Optimus G review

LG Optimus G (Sprint)

GOOD                            BAD

• Great IPS display
• Thin, elegant design
• Very fast processor

• 13-megapixel camera underwhelms
• Difficult to learn software
• Sealed Micro SIM card

The Optimus G is the first time in recent memory that LG has managed to legitimately get a flagship Android smartphone on US carriers. Part of the reason for that is that the Optimus G hits all the right notes: a fast quad-core processor, LTE, excellent screen, and above-average build quality. LG has finally managed to put all those pieces together into an excellent hardware package with a modicum of design flair.

Unfortunately, as of this writing Sprint has yet to announce a price or a release date for the Optimus G. The absence is another sign that LG doesn't have the same marketing muscle as the company it so often emulates: Samsung. Taken as a whole, the Optimus G doesn't quite match the overall consistency that Samsung or HTC have brought to the table. That's primarily due to some software foibles that would be forgivable on a lesser phone, but feel out of place in the upper echelons. If you're experienced enough with Android to work around the software hassles, you'll find the Optimus G to be a fast and fluid smartphone.

Update: Sprint has announced pricing and release date information for the Optimus G: November 11th for $199.99 on-contract.

Which leads me to the elephant in the room: those rumors that the next Nexus device will be based on this phone. Every gadget needs to be judged on its own merits, but I'm imagining a world where Google helps LG refine the hardware and the software is stock Android — and it seems lovely.

Sprint's take on the Optimus G is much closer to what LG originally created for the smartphone, both from a hardware and a software perspective. The benefits of a cleaner set of software are offset by a 13-megapixel camera that simply isn't as good as the 8-megapixel cameras on other phones.

HTC Windows phone 8X

Windows Phone 8X

GOOD                            BAD

• Standout industrial design
• Pixel-dense, beautiful display
• New homescreen adds versatility
• Upgraded audio hardware

• App ecosystem remains deficient
• Not the best ergonomics for a 4.3-inch phone
• Beats Audio and new front-facing camera are superfluous gimmicks

The Windows Phone 8X is what every new smartphone should aspire to be: a combination of the software and hardware vendor’s best work to date, topped off with some unique new additions of its own. Everything that HTC could transport from its Android One series has made the leap to the 8X — the unibody case, dual-core processor, HD screen, camera filters, and even Beats Audio — and all of Microsoft’s mobile development efforts over the past few months are represented in the brand new Windows Phone 8. Topping them off is a truly individual design that will resonate with buyers tired of the smartphone monotony that has befallen much of the market.

Though laudable in its intentions and much of its execution, the 8X falls a little short. The primary culprit is Microsoft’s chronic inability to spur a third-party app ecosystem for the Windows Phone platform. There have been significant improvements in Microsoft’s own software and services, but without the ubiquitous support that competitors iOS and Android enjoy, WP8 faces an uphill struggle in trying to uproot users from their established ecosystems. HTC has done its utmost to assist this venture on the hardware side, but it barely moves the needle when it comes to software enhancements. You get a lot for your $99 when signing up for the LTE-capable Windows Phone 8X from AT&T, but in the end, it’ll be up to Microsoft to determine whether buying into its ecosystem was an investment worth making.

Nokia Lumia 920 review

The Nokia Lumia 920 is the company’s third attempt at launching the definitive Windows Phone. In April, Nokia and Microsoft tried to convince the world that theLumia 900 and Windows Phone 7.5 was that device, but that claim had a shorter expiration date than anybody realized. Its days were numbered, as Windows Phone 8 was an under-the-hood overhaul that wasn’t compatible with the phone.

The Lumia 920’s launch was mishandled at best. The compelling PureView camera was undercut by a marketing snafu when Nokia faked a video purporting to show its low-light capabilities. Neither Nokia nor its carrier partners could commit to a firm release date, and potential buyers have had to wait nearly two months to purchase the phone. In that time both the iPhone 5 and the Nexus 4 appeared on the scene — the competition has not stood still.

Though the Lumia 920 stumbled out of the gate, it still aims to be the long-shot, dark horse surprise of the smartphone race.

Nokia Lumia 920

GOOD                           BAD

• PureView camera takes incredible low-light shots
• Large, responsive screen
• Nokia software enhancements

• Very heavy and bulky
• App ecosystem remains deficient
• Some issues with LTE reception

Many of the frustrations we used to have in Windows Phone are now gone with this latest version, and Nokia has given the OS a very good stage with the Lumia 920. The speed and multitasking improvements, connections to Xbox and SkyDrive, and Start Screen experience are all much better, but there’s still a critical lack of apps and they too often feel as though they’re not as good as what’s on other platforms.

It’s fitting that I’m reviewing the Nokia Lumia 920 while Microsoft’s Build conference is going on here in Redmond. Microsoft has resolved many of the developer complaints with Windows Phone and is aggressively courting them to bring more and better apps to the platform. The work to bring Windows Phone 8 up to par is happening all around me — and it needs to keep happening. With its new core, Windows Phone 8 is in many ways a completely new platform that should enable rapid innovation — and users will need to continue to wait for it to come into its own.

The Lumia 920’s hardware and design is top-notch, the screen is lovely, and the camera is a marvel in low light — but you can’t ignore just how big and bulky the phone is. The software and hardware tradeoffs inherent in the Lumia 920 could be worth it if you’ve bought into the Microsoft ecosystem, but for most people I don’t think it’s a sure bet.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung’s next gen Galaxy smartphone, the Galaxy S IV may be unveiled at CES 2013, which happens in January, or at MWC 2013 (Mobile World Congress) that takes place in February.

If rumours on the Internet are to be believed, theKorean giant's next smartphone is expected to feature a 4.99-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This means that the display will have a 445 ppi pixel density, which is really high. Currently, the iPhone 5' 4-inch display is 326ppi, and the Samsung Galaxy S III's 4.8-inch display is 306 ppi.

Other speculation suggests that the device may also house a 13MP camera. The Galaxy Note II was also rumoured to have a 13MP camera but at launch we saw that the device housed an 8MP camera, so will believe the 13MP camera on the smartphone when we see it.

Under the hood, a quad-core Exynos 5450 processor clocked at 2GHz may power the device and we suspect the it will have 2GB of RAM.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard about rumours of the Samsung Galaxy S IV.

In September 2012, the Korea Times reads: “Samsung Electronics plans to unveil the latest in its Galaxy line, the S4, at a European technology exhibition in February, according to company officials and local parts suppliers for the technology giant.

The timetable was released just three days after rival Apple introduced the iPhone 5, which has received a mixed response from industry experts and consumers as it is seemingly lacking in innovative features.”

Samsung responded to the rumours in September from its official Twitter account stating that the reports of the Samsung Galaxy S IV are untrue.

LG Nexus 4 review

LG Nexus 4REVIEW

GOOD

• Improved build quality
• Android 4.2 is fantastic
• Excellent price for a device of this caliber

BAD

• Lacks LTE
• Screen a bit washed out
• Glass backing breaks easily

The Nexus 4 is absolutely wonderful, but it's also vexing. Frustrating. Annoying. It's easily the best Android phone on the market right now, and has some of the most powerful software that's ever been put on a mobile phone. It's an upgrade from last year's Galaxy Nexus in every way. It's terrific — save for one small thing.

In the US, a flagship phone without LTE is like a muscle car with no wheels. For other networks in other countries, and for the lucky T-Mobile customers out there that are getting great speeds on its HSPA+ network — great. No problem. Go get this phone. But for others — many others — it's hard to imagine buying this device when you know it's a generation behind in terms of network technology.

A little over a year ago, I bristled at the fact that the iPhone 4S didn't have LTE, but I also admitted that the phone was a still a "force to be reckoned with." The same can be said for the Nexus 4, with a caveat. The mobile industry has changed a lot in the last 12 months. LTE is the norm, not a nice-to-have, and its performance has shown the cracks in the aging GSM networks of the US. No flagship device is released without it. Not even the iPhone.

For a phone and an OS built for the cloud, I think it's unacceptable to not offer a version that takes advantage of our fastest mobile networks.

If you buy the Nexus 4, you have to decide whether you're willing to compromise data speeds for the purest and best form of the Android OS. After comparing the options and seeing the gulf between Google's flagship and other devices on the market, I've decided it's a compromise I won't be making again.

Robot book scanner captures 250 pg/min

Researchers in Japan have built a commercial book scanner capable of blasting through 250 pages-per-minute, meaning it can fully capture your average novel in under 60 seconds. Put another way, it would take less than ten minutes to scan the Oxford English Dictionary in its entirety. Still more impressive, the machine manages to take two high-res shots of every page (400 ppi) during the process, which it then utilizes to restore scans to a flat appearance with no signs of page deformation. All a human operator needs to do is load books into the scanner and watch as the fully-automated process rapidly "reads" through a book's contents. Dubbed the BFS-Auto, the machine should become available for commercial purposes sometime in 2013. In the meantime you can view its speedreading prowess firsthand in the clip below.

Apple iPhone 5 aluminum shell plagued by chipping issues

It seems to have become a routine now. Every year Apple releases a new iPhone and while most of the customers are delighted a subset of buyers pull the short end of the stick. With the iPhone 4, it was the antennagate issue, with the iPhone 4S it was the battery life problem and now some iPhone 5 buyers are noticing dents on their prized possession.

Yes, many owners, particularly of the Black & Slate colored model, are reporting dents and scratches along the chamfered edges of their new iPhone right out of the box. We haven't seen many reports from owners of the White & Silver model, but that just might be because the color isn't particularly popular.

Now, anodized aluminum is known to pick up scuff marks easily. Because the color is painted on top, even a minor scuff can make it come off, revealing a shiny silver spot below. Also, aluminum is a soft metal, so it dents very easily, especially along thin edges. You'll find scuffs and dents on practically every anodized aluminum object that has been used for a while.

Which is why it wasn't a shock to us when we saw the iPhone picking up dents along the edges in this drop test. However, it is surprising when the device comes with scuff marks out of the box and points to poor quality checks at Apple's end.

Of course, Apple will readily replace any such device for you. But if you're importing this device to a different country (and we know many do), you will need to be careful and hold on till the issue gets sorted.

Update: Apparently, white units have the same issues as the black ones. We are really hoping Apple makes an official statement soon enough and explain the cause.

Steve Jobs: Good artists copy great artists steal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0DUg63lqU

Steve Jobs: Good artists copy great artists steal

Uploaded by Christoph Dernbach 

Interview with Steve Jobs (1994) about the creation of the Apple Macintosh. Did Steve Jobs steal from Xerox PARC?
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Interview with Steve Jobs (1994) about the creation of the Apple Macintosh. Did Steve Jobs steal from Xerox PARC?