Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Panasonic: High hopes for 4K TV


    Panasonic has come out to strongly support their latest technological advancement in the 4K TV technology, claiming that it is bound to succeed as there is more drive to it as compared to the 3D that has really failed to gain attention in the market. Although Panasonic 4K TV costs approximately $4100, which is quite a large amount to be spent on a TV, they are optimistic that the 4K TV will rise.

    The product manager of Panasonic, Craig Cunningham on being questioned by Trusted Reviews  on whether the drive that is behind the 4K is greater than the 3D  revealed that the race to shift to 4k and to get it out there where more and more content is going to be shot in 4K. According to him, 3D still has a place in home entertainment and that they have learnt from the failings of 3D in that there was lack of content  when the 3D was unveiled hence causing the technology  not to rise. He pointed out that the main concern for the customer is if the 4K TV is great and whether they would be able to get content to play on it.

    Despite this concern the Japanese manufacturer hopes that the 4K TV will be an easy sell especially in the UK market. This is because it is easy to see the deference in picture quality between the HD TV and the 4K TV.

    Despite the fact that the lack of 4K content will make the rise of 4K a little bit slow, Panasonic is confident that by the end of the year there will be a lot of 4K content  available . They are also taking measure to facilitate this by enabling their cameras to shoot 4K so that more 4K content can be created. He also added that sporting events could play a major role is the rise of 4K.

  • Oppo’s New Mega Phone: Find 7


    With all the advancements that have been made on the smartphone, it is easy to think that there isn’t anything new that can be added to it. However, Oppo has been able to prove many people wrong with the unveiling of their latest smartphone Find 7. What is remarkable about Oppo’s Find 7 is its ability to shoot 50 megapixel images.

    This is the highest specs ever in the history of the Smartphone. Oppo's Find 7 software is able to use a 13 megapixel camera to turn photos into 50 megapixel images. Even the Nokia Lumia hasn’t gotten to this capacity as it only provides 41 megapixel images. Although the Find 7 is being launched in China, it will be available to the rest of the world beginning next month.

    In addition to the phenomenal camera setting, Oppo’s Find 7 will also have the following specifications: A 5.5-inch quad HD display, that is (2,560 ×1,440) pixels, 3000mAh battery, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage micro card slot that is able to support up to 128GB external storage, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz processor and is Android 4.3 with custom color OS.

    As is evident from the specifications, the processor , display and RAM are very high as compared to other smartphones, and all this topped up with a 50 megapixel camera makes the Find 7 a must have. This device is set to be priced at $599. They also have a second version, the Find 7a with lower specifications that will retail at around $499, $100 less than the Find 7. The Oppo’s Find 7a will have a 1,920×1080 pixels display, 2.3 GHz processor, 2,800 mAh battery and 16 GB storage. It is evident that Oppo’s Find 7 will take the smartphone sector by storm and will be one of the most sought after smartphone soon!

  • Sony Xperia Z1S Waterproof Smartphone almost Right


    The Xperia Z1S is Sony’s first smartphone launch since it took over the company from its former partner, Ericson. Sony and T-Mobile almost got it right with the Z1S.

    The phone is built with remarkable technology: a 20 M camera, a 5” screen with 441 pixels per inch (ppi) pixel density, and a quad core 2.2 GHZ Snapdragon 800 processor. Not forgetting, of course, that it is waterproof.

    The Z1S, though gorgeous, is a late entrant to the 5” competition and its competitors may come better recommended because of a few design hiccups that the Sony smartphone has come with. The unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is coming very soon does not make things better for the Z1S either.

    AT 6 ounces and 5.67” x 2.91” x 0.33”, the Z1S looks very different from the Samsung Galaxy S4, LG G2, HTC 1 or the iPhone S5. It is a little bigger and heavier than the other 5” screen phones.

    Most of the ports and jacks on the phone have are covered by a flap and there is always a quick reminder to keep the covers closed in order to secure its waterproofing every time you awaken the phone with open flaps.

    The on/off button has cleverly been placed around the middle of the right perimeter which makes it easy to to awaken it when holding it, lifting it, or balancing it on your hand.

    The volume button is also right below the on/off switch, making it easy to use during a call.

    Unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4 waterproofing, the Z1S is only waterproof in fresh water. The camera closes after 20 seconds under water and the phone goes back to the latest open application.

    The smartphone’s power cell can last 13 hours of talk time and power saving modes can lengthen this further.

    The Sony Z1S is a unique 5” smartphone and its rear camera resolution is the second highest in the market. Although the camera takes poor indoor shots, the 5-inch screen and waterproof features are one of its best selling points.

  • New Details of Boeing’s self-destructing Black smartphone

    The new Boeing high security smartphone ‘Black’ targets clients from the security and defense industry. Boeing, which is traditionally a satellite, fighter jet and airliners manufacturer, now wants to venture into the cell phone industry.

    According to the company, the high security smartphone that Boeing has created is specially designed for United States security and defense organs.

    Very little information has been revealed about Boeing’s Black smartphone but it is known that the phone uses an Android OS to run, has a self destruct mechanism and has an option for encrypted storage to save sensitive data. The self destruct is said to activate if a person tries to tamper with the device. All the information and software on the device is erased, making the phone un-usable.

    According to Boeing’s company spokes woman, Becky Yeamans, Boeing made this smartphone with an aim of solving the emerging needs of the security and defense community. The smartphone will enable secure communication and data transfer over a mobile device, which is quite impressive.

    There is a pressing need for secure means of transferring intelligence and sensitive data among soldiers and defense personnel, which has led to development of mobile apps that serve that purpose by defense contractors and software companies. Tests are also being conducted on smart devices to find those that are best suited for all branched of the military.

    A promotion video on the Chicago based company website reveals that the Black smartphone contains sophisticated biometric and location tracking sensors and has the ability to pass information through satellite transceivers and discrete radio channels.

    It is not yet clear when the smartphone can be accessed by its targeted customers or how much it will cost

  • 5 Top Residential VoIP Providers in 2014


    There are several competing VoIP providers that make the service available at affordable rates to residential users. With VoIP services now having considerable demand, residential buyers are able access the services at cheap monthly fees. MyVoipProvider.com came up with the list of 2014’s top residential VoIP providers based on their customer care packages, prices, customer satisfaction, and scalability.

    ITP

    ITP’s high flexibility rate has placed it among the top 5 residential VoIP service providers. They have a metered package for home or work customers with low call volumes which go for less than 3 cents per minute. Special discounts are offered for additional services and lines that a customer may subscribe to. Some of their extra service features include; unlimited international calling packages, good discounts, and a phone adapter in the service plan. They also have a remarkable customer support system available 24/7 for any assistance.

    Phone Power

    Phone power’s success in managing their various services and having a wide variety of customers makes it one of the top residential VoIP providers. Customers can have a long term contract with the company to be able to get low rates and a financially sound monthly package. Extra features include free 60 minute for international calls, extra equipment and an additional line.

    VoIPo

    VoIPo residential VoIP services are clear and simple, which makes customers happy. Their package plans are well organized for both business and residential VoIP services, having very few differences between the two. Clients for home or small business lines can subscribe to their $15 monthly contract or $8.25 annual contract to enjoy unlimited calls to the US and Canada.

    MagicJack

    MajicJack's affordability placed it among the 5 best residential VoIP providers. Residential buyers can get an annual package goes for as low as $19.95 per line. Customers get to use the service on computer by plugging in a USB drives and the MagicJack Plus allows customers to receive calls even without the computer on.

    Phone.com

    Phone.com has several interesting packages for both residential and business VoIP customers, which is quite impressive. Phone.com’s business VoIP plans are based on the number of minutes purchased. They offer between 300 and 2500 minutes monthly in their four plans. All the plans have similar main features and the extras have the same price in each plan. Customers have to sign a contract with them but there is an option between a monthly and an annual contract.

  • Sprint inches closer to voice-over-LTE, selecting Broadsoft for VoIP

    In addition to the VoIP service that Sprint provides, Broadsoft’s server will enable them to add layers on messaging, video and other IP communications which is a move in the right direction and commendable.

    MetroPCS have failed to deliver on their service with the strike they had with voice-over-LTE where the long awaited migration of mobile voice calls to 4G data networks has not yet happened which is very disappointing but things are looking better for the VoLTE service especially with the coming in of Sprint.

    Sprint is keen on upgrading their VoIP services and has strategically made the important move of partnering with BroadSoft as a service provider. According to BroadSoft on Wednesday, its server for BroadWorks IP applications will be used to run VoLTE services coming in the foreseeable future.

    Sprint have a very well established 2G network that is well spread and optimal for voice calls but since their interest is not only in voice, investing and upgrading to VoLTE is a decision that was long anticipated. BroadWorks will enable Sprint to combine web interfaces and enterprise PBX systems with the VoLTE to be implemented on top of layering on the video, presence and messaging that already exists with them.

    We are still waiting on word on the official VoLTE commercial launch date but judging from the time consuming LTE rollout by Sprint, we could assume that the CDMA – LTE voice transition will not be happening in the near future. But still, getting together with Broadsoft looks like a light at the end of the tunnel because of the high quality features it provides. Sprint’s communications platform could be made more effective when unified through efforts and innovations brought by broadsoft to serve its enterprise customers some time soon.

  • High-tech components in this curved Samsung 4K TV make for wonderful picture quality


    This year, when it comes to new TV technology, all eyes are on the curved 4K TVs as was the case at this early January’s CES. The Samsung UN65HU9000 stood out at the show because apart from its attractive stature, it paraded remarkable UHD (other name for 4K) image. This is what caught our eyes. 

    The quality of the picture is just amazing. Let’s just say that the HU9000 has outdone many 4K TVs at picture quality and this includes all the Samsung and LG 4K televisions that we reviewed last year so I could say it’s quite an impressive TV. The pack of high tech features fitted into this 65 – inch television have done a good job of up scaling its quality of pictures.

    The wide color range and high color saturation that are this TV’s major strongholds are owed to the innovative PurColor engine from Samsung which makes it possible for colors to appear close to their original picture; almost like being at a movie theatre. It is important to note that 4K TVs resolution is 4 times that of your usual HD television so pictures have to be up scaled for these TVs for better, sharper images enabled by its technology.

    The local – dimming is another of HU9000’s secret to its crispy images. The way it works is that pixels are deactivated on parts of the screen to get the deep contrast that plasma TV viewers enjoy and this feature is coming at an opportune time when plasma TVs are reducing so it couldn’t be more welcome.

    Nothing is final about the picture quality until we have a look at the TV in the lab but Samsung’s good record of producing high quality TVs could back this one up. The UN65HU9000 will be in the stores this year and will be a TV to look forward to for UHD TV enthusiasts.

    The curved design and other features

    Curved TVs have the better picture quality and aura than flat TV and this is from a practical demonstration which made me really like the new curved TVs. To me, the curved UN65HU9000 is just stunning.

    The ‘Areno Arena’ is Samsung’s name for this design. The curved silver stand does a good job at complementing the curved metallic gray screen. Viewers who prefer their TV on the wall can do so even with the curves 1.2 inch panel.

    The HU9000 price will go deep into people’s pockets but it may be more affordable than the Sony X950B and even Samsung S9. All in all, we can wait to see how this TV does in the lab.

  • Microsoft SkyDrive is now OneDrive

    Microsoft’s newly rebranded OneDrive from the old SkyDrive cloud storage platform came with new features and the company threw in a few promotions during its launch.

    Following a British court ruling that found Microsoft in violation of the British Sky Broadcasting group trademark, Microsoft consented to let go of SkyDrive as the name for its cloud storage platform in July. The OneDrive brand was shared with the public in January and the official rebranding took place early this February.

    The new brand comes with a new feature that enables the sharing of videos and the Android version of it getting an automated photo back up.

    OneDrive is Microsoft’s competition for cloud storage services like Google Drive from Google, DropBox, and iCloud from Apple. The stiff competition has not stopped the growth of the brands popularity as users of the service have reached up to 250 M. OneDrive is an integral part of Microsoft’s ‘One Microsoft’ strategy and with the fresh attention it is getting because of the rebranding, the cloud storage service may be in for some more growth.

    The promotions that Microsoft has come up with might actually do them some good in attracting new users. Everyone gets 7 GB free storage space and an additional 3 GB for mobile phone owners using its photo back up feature. Referring a friend to the service will get you 500 MB for every new invite to a 5GB maximum.
    Microsoft reassured old users of the continuity of the product, mentioning that existing storage would have no impact except the incorporation of the new built-in-video trans-coding feature which enables video storage and adjustment of video resolution to match the viewer’s display.

    Even with its growing brand success, Microsoft seems know that there still exists a challenge when it comes to cross platform usage of the services. They have tried balancing the accessibility of the service on competing devices without affecting the demand of their devices.

    The cloud storage service, for example, is not available on the iPad and Android tablet and this is Microsoft’s strategy of avoiding an effect on the demand for its windows tablet. While the companies deal with the balancing act, we are looking forward to any new products and enhancements coming our way.

  • MWC 2014: The Red Herring Price Goes For – Triple Draw Between Samsung, LG and Sony

    It's split between three big players this year.

    Samsung:

    The core feature Samsung has been touting all MWC long has been the ability of its tablets to run 4 application windows at once. Useful, of course, but… Nothing else?

    LG:

    How long have you been dreaming of a curved mobile phone? Me neither, but the engineers at LG are very happy with its curved battery and screens. The phone doesn't feel specially awesome either.

    Sony:

    Speaking of dreams, we've been always waiting for a waterproof tablet, don't we? No? Yeah. Sony thinks otherwise. In any case, after seeing the impressive feats of the HZO guys I'd rather purchase a water-proofer from them and use the tablet I like.

  • Mobile World Congress 2014: Protect Your Devices Like a Pro – Panzer Glass and HZO Water Proofing


    Pictures explain better than words. See what HZO does to a bare Raspberry Pi:

     

    And see this live video of Panzer's tempered glass screen protector: