Samsung Galaxy S5 — 64 bit processor & optical zoom

Credit: Samsung/ Gotto Be Mobile

Mmm, 64 bit processor & optical zoom — sounds good. On the other hand, the optics & sensor are unlikely to equal a Sony QX10 "smart lens" to add to my existing smart phone. And the QX10 will be a lot cheaper, more flexible, & available now, if less convenient.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/09/12/samsung-galaxy-s5-feature-confirmed/ / Samsung Galaxy S5 launch date months away already spilling the beans next Galaxy devices next Galaxy smartphones smart phone phones smartphone include Galaxy S5 64 bit 64-bit processing processor iPhone 5S Apple device perk perks camera fingerprint reader new A7 processor micro processor processing chip applications written display higher performance games gaming gamer gamers processing power assume Samsung’s mobile business chief Shin Jong-kyun Samsung Galaxy S5 feature confirmed rumors device powerful camera optical zoom March launch date rumor rumour rumours rumor Galaxy S5 2014 release Samsung Galaxy Note 3 iPhone 5S HTC One max HTC One company company’s flagship Galaxy S /

Caesium clock for your wrist

Credit: Bathys Hawaii/ The Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/03/highend_chrono_chaps_build_atomic_watch/ / loses lose loss losing second each millennium smartwatch smartwatches smart watch news personal atomic clocks clock timepiece Cesium 133 announce announced high end high-end Hawaiian Hawaii watch Bathys Hawaii contain single chip laser heater sealed cavity cesium gas microwave filter photodiode detector detect detecting combination watch count hyperfine lines excite excitation state excited cesium 133 atoms National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST NIST-F1 clock USA timekeeping time keeping counter-propagating lasers cool trap gas of cesium atoms US government shutdown NIST's site not available claimed accuracy of one second every millennium Bathys buyer buyers timepiece /

They're (almost) all doing it: cheating on benchmarks

Recently, an item on these pages included a link to a claim of a benchmark cheat mode in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Turns out almost all of them are doing it:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7384/state-of-cheating-in-android-benchmarks / AndreiF7's work discover discovery discovering investigate investigation investigating investigations Samsung’s CPU GPU optimise optimize optimisation optimisations optimizations international Galaxy S 4 Exynos 5410 Samsung detect detection detecting presence certain benchmark benchmarks raise raised raising thermal limits maximum maxima max GPU frequency edge benchmarks benchmarked benchmarking Snapdragon 600 Exynos 5410 SGS4 platforms platform Samsung detect detection detecting benchmarks auto automatic automatically driving CPU voltage frequency highest state Snapdragon platforms all cores plugged immediately upon benchmark detect Exynos 5410 equipped version Galaxy S4 S 4 III confirm GPU frequency MHz exceed exceeding exceeded Snapdragon 600 version platform platforms table subset devices test testing tested silicon benchmark detect maximum max CPU frequency all cores A15 cluster /

IPCC report on climate change summarized

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report on climate change was recently released, but its a very long read. Below is the short version as summarized by the Climate Council.

Infographic:
http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/climate-science-infographic/

5 minute summary:
http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CC.report.pdf / Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC publish published publishing publishes assessment current state scientific understanding human caused anthropogenic human-caused climate change assessment based on contributions thousands experts around the world through exhaustive review peer reviewed review peer-reviewed scientific literature rigorous seven year years long several-years-long review process publication fossil fuel fossil-fuel industry front groups lobbyists paid advocates gear up attack malign report mislead confuse public about sobering message release IPCC Fifth Assessment scientific report professional climate change deniers willing abettors enablers distort report actually says genuine scientific evidence reality climate change threat climate change deniers divided preferred contrarian narrative some would have us believe IPCC downgraded strength evidence degree of threat career fossil-fuel-industry fossil fuel industry apologist Bjorn Lomborg Rupert Murdoch's Murdoch Australian United Nations UN UN's mild climate change message lost in alarmist translation serial climate disinformer Judith Curry commentary same outlet announced announce announcement consensus distorts climate picture make up your mind critics mild message distorted picture consistency consistent consistently respond simply hobgoblin of little minds real reality claims members IPCC downgraded scientific confidence plentiful among usual purveyors of climate change misinformation Fox News editorial pages Wall Street Journal various conservative tabloids United States of America USA Canada Germany Australia Fox News even sought to mislead viewers bait and switch bait-and-switch focusing attention instead deceptive similarly named report that calls itself the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change NIPCC regurgitates standard shopworn denialist myths erroneous talking points non-peer-reviewed report published discredited industry front group known as the Heartland Institute publication actual IPCC report divert attention from the actual scientific evidence reality IPCC strengthened degree of certainty fossil fuel burning other human activities responsible warming globe past half-century raising confidence very likely previous report extremely likely current one expresses similar levels of certainty Earth experiencing impacts impact impacted warming form of melting ice rising global sea levels various forms of extreme weather evidence overly conservative in its assessment of the science institutions atmospheric wind patterns associated with phenomena El Niño so-called North Atlantic Oscillation global temperatures hockey stick curve /

A grizzly ate my GoPro!!! (video)

Credit: Hal Brindley/Shutterstock/ Device

A previously unrecognized problem of filming wildlife with a fixed camera has recently been discovered: Brad Josephs set up a GoPro to film grizzly bears, & one of them tried to eat it!

http://youtu.be/81DCfygJWwU / Alaska grizzly bear static booby trap camera ambush nature wildlife film movie motion picture video taste mouth teeth chew bite tongue chew eat ate black silver edition 1 2 3 + Brad Josephs GoProcapture bears bear BBC's BBC Great Bear Stakeout more action anticipated young grizzly check out camera up-close up close no damage done bear gnawing away tough protective case /

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review

Credit: Ars Technica

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7376/samsung-galaxy-note-3-review

Benchmark cheat mode?

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/galaxy-note-3s-benchmarking-adjustments-inflate-scores-by-up-to-20/ / noticed odd thing while testing Samsung Galaxy Note 3 scores really really well benchmark tests quick comparison scores similarly-specced similarly specced specification LG G2 something fishy going on Samsung's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 blows the doors off LG's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 Snapdragon different sleuthing Samsung artificially boosting US Note 3's benchmark scores special high-power high power CPU mode kicks when device runs large number popular benchmarking apps Samsung international Galaxy S 4's S4 GPU boost US device disable special CPU mode Samsung's benchmark optimizations scores smoking gun CPU idle speeds system monitor app picture shows how differently the CPU treats a benchmarking app different differently normal app normally Note 3 idling three four cores shut off conserve power battery remaining core drops down low power low-power 300MHz mode load up popular CPU benchmarking app Note 3 CPU locks into 2.3GHz mode fastest speed possible cores ever shut off idle idling affect benchmark scores benchmarks measure performance device Geekbench disassembling benchmarking app package name assemble assembling reassembling Android Samsung Galaxy Note 3 OS operating system performance screen size phablet /

Sony Cyber-shot QX10 & QX100 "smart lenses" for smartphones (video) – update

Credit: Sony

Sony Cyber-shot QX "smart lenses" are a truly unique approach to the shortcomings of phone cameras. Most obvious of these shortcomings is absence of optical zoom; ameliorated to a degree by increasing pixel count. With 8 & 12 megapixels now common in smartphone cameras, 2x digital zoom (or cropping after the fact to achieve the same outcome) yields an image in the 2-3 megapixel range which is quite acceptable for many purposes.

Previous approaches to lack of zoom has been add-on lenses, most commonly wide-angle or macro, although occasionally, moderate telephoto. To my knowledge, all of these have been fixed focus; no zoom. Most have been under $100; at such prices, optical quality is not available.

Another problem with phone cameras is small sensor size. Small size is a major design parameter of mobile (cell) phones. This has included such measures as replacing mini USB with Micro USB, & restricting battery size & so runtime. Camera sensor size has been another casualty. Why is this a problem? All other things being equal, small sensor size leads to poor low-light performance & noisy images.

Finally, any add on lens to date has been a single phone solution, due to the need to optically align the add on with the phone lens. Add on lenses also restrict, or eliminate the possibility of fitting a case to the camera: a deal breaker for some.

Sony's Cyber-shot QX10 & QX100 "smart lenses" are a real thinking outside the square solution to the problems listed above. Part of the creativity of the solution is hinted at by the quotes around "smart lenses", above. These are not just lenses, they are complete cameras: complete at least, apart from a viewfinder. Viewfinder capability is provided by the screen of the attached smartphone. Because they are cameras in their own right, optical alignment is not necessary. As a result, these lenses can be used with any Android or iOS phone they can be physically clamped to. This means almost any recent model smartphone or tablet, including Kindle. Actually, clamping to the body of the phone isn't necessary, as the interface is via WiFi. This brings up a further benefit of the "smart lens" format: remote shutter release (up to 10 metres) is inherent in the design.

Final part of the solution is the 2 "smart lens" models:

QX10: cheaper model, smaller sensor (18.2mp, 1/2.3"), 10x zoom — aimed at a less serious photographer who values low price & more zoom.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/review/123782-sony-cyber-shot-qx10-review

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/18/sony-qx10-review/

QX100: more expensive, aimed at a more serious photographer who understands the improved image quality afforded by a larger, 1 inch, 20 megapixel sensor & f1.8 aperture, 3.6x zoom, Carl Zeis lens. Also must be able to accept the substantially higher price.

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/sony-cyber-shot-qx100-hands-on-preview-22740 / based base Sony Cyber-shot WX200 small Smart Lens unit feature festures 18.2 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor 10x optical zoom lens image stabilisation stabilization built in Wi-Fi near field communication NFC lens camera unit connect any compatible smartphone smart phone device tablet remote operation photo viewing Sony research suggested top 3 issues smartphone photographers include optical zoom image stabilization low light performance 77% smartphone users saying primary use photography provide solution problems inherent smartphone photography Sony has developed develop development Smart Lens system any smartphone Android iOS compatible Kindle other tablets using camera another device as the remote control touch auto focus auto-focus AF Wi-Fi working 10m meter metre meters metres Smart Lens built in one touch connection NFC Smart Lens work with devices connect over Wi-Fi networking Sony Cyber-shot QX10 key features 18.2mp 1/2.3" type BSI CMOS Exmor R better low-light low light performance 10x zoom 25-250mm equivalent full HD Video MP4 NFC Wi-Fi stereo mic Micro SD M2 memory card slot white black transferring transfer images image full resolution images image stored memory card smartphone images transferred 2 megapixels by default full size set up setup camera link transfer images smartphone work without memory card store images directly on the smartphone battery life camera rated 110 minutes 220 photos, with the camera using an N series battery from standard Sony Cyber-shot cyber shot battery can be charged in the camera USB removable charge optional charger physically connected phone used separate camera screen smartphone viewing live view remotely see taking photos connected upgraded Sony Play memories Mobile App available improved number options over previous versions iA Superior Auto Program Auto Aperture Priority QX100 copy connected device white balance self timer self-timer focus mode MF AFS image size preview setting review image size beep setting format movie photo exposure compensation +/-3 app lets you change settings using the touch-screen QX100 QX10 feature tripod socket small LCD display show battery life shutter release zoom control adjustable attachment provided hold lens smartphone work with any smartphone certain size attachment work tablets lens locks into place attachment small button unlock detach detached Sony Xperia Z optional special attachment smartphone more neatly attach Smart Lens unit soft carrying case available storage /