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Sony PS4 review: Hands-on

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 14 November 2013 0 komentar

The Sony PS4 has made its way to T3 Towers - we'll bring you our full review very soon. Meanwhile, here are our first impressions...

Update: We've got our grubby mitts on a Sony PS4 unit but we wanted to give it a full, fair test before giving you our verdict. Stay tuned for our full review - coming very soon. Below you can find our first impressions from E3 plus our thoughts on the new interface and launch games that we've been testing out over the last few days. You'll also find our exclusive unboxing video and some gameplay from launch titles Resogun and Knack.
Deep in Sony's bunker at E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, T3 spent a good few hours investigating the veritable might of the new PS4
In a series of demos, we got to grips, quite literally, with the new DualShock 4 controller, the PlayStation Camera, the companion iOS and Android app, and a smattering of new titles such as DriveClub, Killzone Shadow Fall and Knack, plus a Play Room demo.

Sony PS4: Controller

The controller itself is sturdy and reassuringly weighty in the palm compared to the always-a-bit-light-for-us DualShock 3, which is interesting as the Xbox One has slimmed down just as Sony has homed in on heft. It's not bulky though, and its sleekness is married to an almost textured coating on both the base and dual sticks that helps grip.
Xbox One vs Sony PS4: Next-gen showdown
The dual sticks feel stiffer compared to the PS3's, and while this initially jars, we found with more exposure to them we actually preferred it for accuracy, though it takes some getting used to.
The triggers are now really very trigger-like indeed (although Killzone, rather bizarrely, still doesn't assign them as aim and fire) and their close placement to the shoulder buttons is a good design move that aids quick changes.

Sony PS4: Touch panel

The central touch panel is very responsive when navigating menus and a satisfying click acts as a surrogate Start button in its absence.
We actually really missed Start and Select to, well, start with (how do you pause?!), but the more time you spend with the touch panel, the more you realise what an increasingly exciting addition it is. Indeed, it's as at home replicating a touch screen as it is the movements of a PC trackpad.
Check out our Sony PS4 unboxing video:

On Killzone it brings up a secondary menu of attacks, while on Play Room it was used for everything from throwing things onto the screen to rubbing to interact with on-screen characters to moving on-screen paddles for air hockey. The bridge between smartphone games and the new raft of independent developers that PlayStation's busy pleasing is a very palpable one.
Sony PS4: 10 things you need to know
The motor rumble of the controller and speaker combine to generate some very impressive feedback, though not quite of the standard of the Xbox One's new joypad.
There's no rumble in the triggers here, but there is a real feeling of weight being moved around. At one point in the Play Room, AI bots fill the controller, and you can hear and feel them moving around inside the pad as you manipulate it. Alas, none of the demos used the new Share or Options button so we were unable to test their use.

Sony PS4: Camera

The PlayStation Camera is a bit of a micro-Kinect, following in the best tradition of EyeToy. Like Move, it reads the light bars on the rear of the DualShock 4s so that you can manipulate items on screen with it, but also reads your flailing arms to interact, too.
The resolution is decent if nothing too scary – it doesn't track your expression or engagement, but it can tell if you've covered your eyes (the crowd of AI bots on the demo hushed, before we pulled our hands away and they all cried in a really quite charming game of Peek-a-boo). It will also set your head on fire – virtually, at least – in that AR style that Reality Fighters and its Vita brethren did.

Sony PS4: App

Even more exciting was the PlayStation companion app, which will be available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets (in this case an Sony Xperia Z tab, obviously) as well as the PS Vita.
This is what the likes of Ubisoft are using in Watch Dogs and The Division as Sony's answer to SmartGlass, but here it was used to draw objects on a very simplified version of art package and literally 'throw' them on to the big screen. It's basic so far, but again, there's real potential there if they can expand the options.
The Play Room, a thoroughly enjoyable tech demo that's not confirmed for any official release, makes great use of the cam and we think Sony would be bonkers not to include as a getting-to-grips-with-the-hardware retail release. Maybe it could be packaged with the PlayStation Camera now Sony has confirmed that omitting that from the PS4 box was a way of keeping the costs down?

Sony PS4: Interface

On the PS4's interface, the XMB-like user management bar sits above the new, picture-led, Windows-like front end.
Interaction is swift and responsive, the smartphone/tablet ways of instant access and multitasking finally ushered into the home space. A hold of the PS button always takes you home, while the integrated social overlay has a raft of notifications and settings to toggle, not to mention devices to connect.
Some of the new interface tech is used well, such as navigating the keypad entries with the DualShock 4's gyro (just hit R3), while others are ignored: no mouse-like, touch-panlled menu controlling, alas. With the camera attached Kinect-style voice control takes over, the command precursor switching, of course, to 'Playstation...'.
The Sony share button has limited use before Sony turns on the online back end, but we tested it locally. A tap gives you video, screenshot or boradcast options, while an extended hold takes an auto 450kb screen grab for sharing, complate with contextual metadata.

Sony PS4: Games

DriveClub is a decent racer with some nice features, although graphically we weren't as blown away as we expected (though the 'Pre-Alpha, 35% complete' sign should explain that). Handling is decent, with a focus on drifting with the shoulder buttons, but the system of Fame points is what is really interesting.
Sony PS4: Games we want to play right now
You race in clubs, but as you make your way round the track, independent challenges pop up with headshots of other drivers attached. You then have a variety of durations to better the random opponent – be it cornering, average speed or, yes, drifting – for extra goodies. It certainly keeps you interested, even if you've raced well ahead, and we can only imagine the online integration that will follow.
Take a look at our Sony PS4 Knack gameplay video:

Knack is a rather basic combat brawler that has you smashing up scenery and growing your body, Katamari-style, before beating up a succession of bulky henchmen. Some twitchy camera angles aside, it's fun, though very much a 'first wave' title at first glance. Update: we've got a copy of Knack and have been playing foitr the last few days - check out our Knack review. You might also like to check out our Resogun review - another title in the launch lineup.
Have a watch of our Sony PS4 Resogun gameplay video:

Finally, Killzone Shadow Fall looks rather gorgeous, although, in forests and detailed shrubbery, the particular level we played looked bugger all like typical Killzone.
The sheer number of combat options across triggers, d-pad and touch pad baffled us to the extent that we blew ourselves up twice with a grenade before we knew what was going on, but with persistence we actually killed some people and left intrigued by exactly where the extensive weaponry and drone assistance would take us.

Sony PS4: Verdict

While we've had a bit of a play with the PS4, it still too early to reach any definitive conclusions, although we have now played some of the games (see above) and checked out the UI and Share button.
The DualShock 4, for us, is an improvement on its predecessor, more comfy in hand and with a wealth of immersive bells and whistles to see it through years of innovation. The PlayStation Camera is clever and fun rather than intrusive and being removed from the console package to keep the price low makes financial sense, though this could stymy software development focusing on the new tech in the same way Xbox struggled with Kinect support.
Stay tuned for our full review - coming very soon.
Sony PS4 release date: 29 November 2013
Sony PS4 price: £349 | Pre-order from: Amazon | Zavvi | Tesco | GAME

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iPad Mini 2 goes on sale

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 12 November 2013 0 komentar

In a surprise move, Apple began accepting orders for the iPad Mini Retina at midnight, Tuesday.

Details of Apple’s plans leaked late last night. An internal document intended for technicians and resellers was published online just hours before Apple put the tablet on sale.
The note was published on Apple’s own Global Service Exchange. The portal is an online tool used by Apple’s own technicians and third-party resellers to process repairs.
Interestingly, the document did not mention that the tablet would go on sale in the UK. However, a quick look at the UK Apple store shows it is available.
Until late last night, Apple had only said the tablet would be available “later in November”.

The 16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi only versions of the tablet are expected to be the first to arrive in owner’s hands. The Apple site currently says the tablet is expected to ship in one to three business days.
The 64GB and 128GB Wi-Fi versions, as well as all of the cellular versions, are expected to ship within five to ten days.

The tablet is expected to be in short supply after its launch. Earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook alluded to supply issues when speaking to investors.
It later emerged that Sharp – one of Apple’s main hardware partners for the iPad Mini Retina – was having issues producing enough screens for the device.
Both the iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina share the same specifications. The only real difference is in the size of the two tablets.
You can check out our review of the iPad Air by clicking here. We’ll have our review of the iPad Mini Retina up soon. In the meantime, you can read our first impressions of the iPad Mini Retina here.

Keep your eyes posted on Technecore.blogspot.com, our Facebook page and our Twitter feed to know first.

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Google Nexus 5 review

Posted by Unknown Senin, 11 November 2013 0 komentar

The Google Nexus 5 is the second Google phone made by LG and it could well be its last. Has LG gone out with a bang?

The Google Nexus 5 might just be the most obviously leaked smartphone since the iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy S4 and... now we think about it, most of the flagship smartphones this year.

The difference between these is that actually we had no idea whether Google would replace the Nexus 4, and if it was going to, which company would build the replacement.

Some said it would be Motorola, following the successful launch of the Moto X in the US it seemed more than plausible that the recently acquired company would start doing its parent’s bidding and churning out a new brand of Google-shaped smartphones.

But that wasn’t to be, instead LG would make one last stand before it passed on the mantle. Leaked by one of Google’s own employees at the Android 4.4 KitKat launch, the Nexus 5 quickly became one of the most talked about smartphones in the lead up to the festive season.

Well now it’s here, with almost no fanfare (was any needed?) the Nexus-branded smartphone almost immediately sold out, of course the question is, is it worth your cash?

Google Nexus 5: Size and build

There’s no dodging this one, the Nexus 5's design is going to instil one of two emotions, the first is quiet approval and the second is complete apathy.
In truth this is somewthing of an achievement over the Nexus 4 which was already pushing the boundaries of minimalist design with the glass back being the only ‘bling’ in sight.
We like the design of the Nexus 5, it’s certainly understated but the moment you hand it to someone you’ll see their face change to one of respect, it feels solidly built and despite it being all plastic it’s not plastic in the way you’d dislike.
The matte finish keeps it from slipping out of your hands and adds a premium touch . Specs-wise, we’re talking hugely minimal changes here, the Nexus 5 is 8.59mm thin, which may not seem like much compared to the Galaxy S4 or the iPhone 5s but it still feels pretty slim.
Weighing in at 130g this is a light phone, and you can feel it, despite all the real-estate you’ll have no problem holding it in one hand.

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MacBook Pro Retina 2013 review

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 08 November 2013 0 komentar

The Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display is the brand's latest high-performance laptop but is it worth your pennies? Read on to find out

When Apple first launched the first MacBook Pro with Retina display it was clearly Apple at its best, taking something that the public imagined to be impossible and then making it not only possible, but packaging it in such a way that it looked like it had been appearing on laptops for years.
Of course, as with all products that push boundaries (such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear) there are going to be some compromises, and the Retina MacBook was no different.
For starters there was the price, the entry-level model cost an eye-wincing £1,799 and for that you got a 2.3GHz i7 processor and only 256GB of SSD storage, and then there was the battery life.

Even with average use the original Pro threw in the towel after just five hours, showing that while the Retina display was indeed stunning, it was also incredibly greedy.

Thankfully though, Apple loves nothing more than to tinker, taking a concept and then tinkering and fine-tuning to an astonishing degree making gains year on year.

The original iPhone launched with a revolutionary touchscreen, but it had no App Store and couldn't even manage 3G when other smartphones were managing video calls over mobile networks.
Just a few years later and the iPhone 5s now boasts a Retina Display, 4G and a state-of-the-art fingerprint scanner.

That's not to say the rest of the industry have been sat twiddling its thumbs, far from it, above-HD displays are now becoming more and more commonplace on laptops and Apple is now under attack on all fronts.

The question that has to be asked is - now that the MacBook Pro Retina is no longer the only laptop with a Full-HD display, is it still the top choice?

MacBook Pro Retina 2013: Size and build

The first thing you'll notice is how thin the new MacBook Pro is and at 1.8cm it's now beginning to encroach on the MacBook Air 2013 which measures in at 1.7cm.
To put that into perspective you really have to line the two up together. Taking into account how big the foot rests are on the 13-inch Air it actually reaches the point where they look almost identical in height (the Air's wedge design notwithstanding).
Things get even more impressive when you look at their comparative footprints with the 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina fitting comfortably within the Air making Apple's thinnest tablet almost look wide in comparison.
Of course, there's a trade-off somewhere and that's the weight, the Pro Retina has been reduced in weight from 1.62kg to 1.57kg on the 13-inch while the new 15-inch weighs 2.02kg. Yes that's substantially heavier, but considering the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro weighs 2.06kg the achievement become apparent.

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Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag review

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 06 November 2013 0 komentar

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag is a welcome jolt for Ubisoft’s historic open-world series, adding new mechanics and characters that remain fun throughout

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is the most fun we’ve had with an Assassin’s Creed game since Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (released back in 2010). It really is that good.
The ambition of the game is stunning. Ubisoft has expanded the core experience of free-running, stealth and swordplay to include naval battles, increased the size and scope of the world players have to explore and, best of all, placed a charismatic and fun protagonist at the game’s centre.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Characters

This last aspect can’t be praised enough. While Black Flag’s predecessor Assassin’s Creed 3 introduced interesting new mechanics and weapons, it suffered somewhat because its central character wasn’t much fun to be around.
After the series’ flamboyant lead Ezio Auditore da Firenze shuffled off at the end of Assassin's Creed Revelations, the young Native American Connor Kenway proved too po-faced and earnest for most players. This probably explains why he’s been summarily jettisoned for Black Flag.
In AC4, players take on the role of Connor’s granddad, Edward Kenway, privateer, swordsman and roguish ne’er-do-well.
As one of the many figureheads in the Republic Of Pirates, Edward is both a lot more fun than his grandson – as are the characters that surround him, which include legendary pirates such as Anne Bonney, James Kidd and Blackbeard.
There’s an easy camaraderie Kenway has with the blackguards of the Caribbean and his loose, rakish manner makes him good company for the 20-30 hours players will spend with him.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Plot

The story of Black Flag covers the usual ‘secret war’ nonsense that fuels the Assassin’s Creed franchise and, as usual, long-term resolutions aren’t even on the table. The adventure begins with Kenway impersonating a dead man in order to pick up a cash reward, and before too long he finds himself a player in the war between the Assassins and the Templars.
It seems the latter are after some device that’ll grant them formidable powers and are using Imperial efforts to drive pirates out of the Caribbean as cover.
Kenway decides finding the location of said device could be worth some money, but it’s not long before some earnest killers wearing cowls try to enlist him for the greater good.
There’s a story set in the present day too, which involves an employee of the Abstergo Entertainment Corporation sourcing memories for a pirate film.
Without going into too much detail, they’re quickly tapped up by some neurotic twit in IT and made to hack a few of their workmate’s terminals. They’re also made aware that Abstergo’s upper management is engaged in something rather shady.
The present day Assassin’s Creed story has always been the weakest element of this series and Black Flag doesn’t buck that trend. It does, however, edit it down to mercifully short levels – even if it doesn’t reward long-time fans of the series by getting rid of its most irritating character, Shaun Hastings (voiced by Danny Wallace).
Thankfully, the lion’s share of player’s time is spent tooling about the game with Ed Kenway. Black Flag takes place during The Golden Age of Piracy and is set on sprawling map divided between landmasses and acres of ocean.
There are three large cities – Kingston, Havana and the pirate isle of Nassau – that offer the traditional Assassin’s Creed experience (free running, contracts, side-missions, collectibles and opening viewpoints).
It’s in these sections that Black Flag stagnates a little. The cities look wonderfully rustic and there are oodles of activities, but a lot of them are built on an overly familiar rubric.
Black Flag doesn’t really push the envelope in its city-based mission structure and some of the kinks in the game’s parkour gameplay persist.
Things get really interesting when players set to sea in Kenway’s ship, The Jackdaw. The Jackdaw is both the player’s main mode of transport as well as their second avatar.
Players have four speed gradients to choose from, and the turning arch of their vessel decreases the faster they move. The Jackdaw is a pretty nimble ship, which can switch from full sail to turning on its anchor in a few short moments and this comes in especially handy during naval combat.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Features

Thankfully, the lion’s share of player’s time is spent tooling about the game with Ed Kenway. Black Flag takes place during The Golden Age of Piracy and is set on sprawling map divided between landmasses and acres of ocean.
There are three large cities – Kingston, Havana and the pirate isle of Nassau – that offer the traditional Assassin’s Creed experience (free running, contracts, side-missions, collectibles and opening viewpoints).
It’s in these sections that Black Flag stagnates a little. The cities look wonderfully rustic and there are oodles of activities, but a lot of them are built on an overly familiar rubric.
Black Flag doesn’t really push the envelope in its city-based mission structure and some of the kinks in the game’s parkour gameplay persist.
Things get really interesting when players set to sea in Kenway’s ship, The Jackdaw.
The Jackdaw is both the player’s main mode of transport as well as their second avatar.
Players have four speed gradients to choose from, and the turning arch of their vessel decreases the faster they move. The Jackdaw is a pretty nimble ship, which can switch from full sail to turning on its anchor in a few short moments and this comes in especially handy during naval combat.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Naval Combat

As they sail the seven seas (okay, actually the one sea), the player will encounter numerous vessels from different countries and they have the opportunity to nick their cargo. This usually involves pulling alongside their target, battering them with cannon fire until they’re incapacitated and then either boarding them or sinking them.
If they opt for the latter, they pick up half the amount of loot. If they decide to board, they’ll need to kill a certain number of the crew until surrender is offered.
They can then use the ship for spare parts for the Jackdaw or recruit the crew and lower Kenway’s wanted level. The latter here is useful since, if the player sinks too many vessels from a particular country, they’ll send out a warship in pursuit of the Jackdaw.
Whatever they decide, players will usually collect loot – rum, cloth, metals and so on – that they can sell to purchase upgrades for the Jackdaw. These include items such as reinforced armour, more powerful guns, mortars, bigger battering rams and more effective ammunition. They can also buy cosmetic upgrades such as a new masthead or really ugly sails.
What sells the experience is the fact that Ubisoft has done a sterling job of making the Jackdaw both fun and easy to sail. Controls are mapped intuitively and naval battles are always heaps of fun to play through. Just be wary that in order to tackle war galleons and Legendary Ships in the game, the Jackdaw will need some pretty heavy upgrades.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Environments

The game’s other main draw is the huge map it contains and the myriad activities it offers. It’s true some collectibles – viewpoints and chests – feel recycled, but players can also explore hidden coves, hunt for buried treasure, chase down sea shanties, and complete Bureau side quests.
They can take a diving bell to the bottom of the ocean or hunt land and aquatic animals and sell their meat and pelts. There’s even a series of statue puzzles to solve that yield studs that open a door to… well, we didn’t get that far.
Black Flag also looks absolutely swoon-worthy in its presentation. We’ve yet to play it on current gen but we can report the PS4 ups the ante on this already visually impressive series.
Every environment – be it the ramshackle streets of Havannah or a lush jungle on a tropical island – is meticulously detailed and in-game environmental have a realistic physical affect on foliage and cloth.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Multiplayer

It’ll probably take players around 26 or so hours to complete Black Flag if they ignore most activities other than the main story missions. God alone knows how long 100 per cent completion in story mode will take, and then there’s always multiplayer.
Online mode is essentially the violent game of hide and seek that reached its apex in Assassin’s Creed 3 last year. Wolfpack mode is back, although this time it’s been kinked a little – players need to defend chests that pop up occasionally as well as coordinate timed attacks on groups of enemies.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag: Verdict

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is a remarkable piece of work and represents something of a return to form for the series. It’s sure to delight fans and it should prompt anyone who was put off by Connor Kenway to give the series another try. It's the best entry in this series for the last three years and easily one of 2013’s essential titles – on whichever gaming platform you own.
The new content is well-implemented, fun to use and remains compelling throughout. Now, all they need to do is set the next game in Victorian London. Are you listening, Ubisoft? Are you listening?
Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag release date: 29 October 2013 on Xbox 360 and PS3. 22 November 2013 on Wii U, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag price: £49.99 on PS4

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Call Of Duty Ghosts review

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 05 November 2013 0 komentar

Call Of Duty Ghosts is a quieter, more flexible beast than its predecessor, which takes more risks with the franchise’s world-conquering template

By now, Call Of Duty isn’t just a gaming franchise, it’s an event. Every successive entry in this series lands with the impact of a blockbuster film or a shiny new device from Apple. Fans line up around blocks, millions of units are shifted and loads of people call in sick to work the day after the latest Call Of Duty comes out.
Call Of Duty: Ghosts is the sixth game released since Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare transformed COD into a record-breaking and world-shaking gaming franchise. Infinity Ward has to be feeling the pressure.

Call Of Duty Ghosts: Plot

It’s to the developer’s credit then, that it takes some necessary risks with Activision’s flagship shooter IP. Apparently the plot for Call of Duty Ghosts began as Modern Warfare 4, but flowered into what exists now.
The modern weapons, equipment and military tech are still present and correct, but the world of Ghosts is one where the status of United States as a superpower has been obliterated by an attack from a unified South American Federation. The US, far from being a military hegemony, is now on the back foot with invaders pouring through its southern and coastal borders.
The player takes on the role of a soldier named Logan who patrols what’s left of the California border after San Diego was reduced to a mass of craters. After he and his brother Hesh pick their way through the rubble of south California for a bit, they stumble across an elite cadre of soldiers known as the Ghosts and it’s not long before both Hesh and Logan join their ranks.

Call Of Duty Ghosts: Characters

The fact that the player (Logan) is accompanied on a multitude of mission by his brother Hesh – as well as the pair’s dog, Riley – is presumably meant to make them connect to the character on familial level.
One of the themes of Ghosts, we’ve been told, is the importance of family, but frankly, this is territory COD should never be aiming for. This is a series that banked its reputation on the twin punch of a deep multiplayer and a campaign where shock and awe is the order of the day.
While emotional connection has its place it’s hard here as the characters are slightly unbelievable – being as they are presented as unique, elite soldiers, capable of blowing massive holes in the enemies resources and supply lines while numbering just a handful.
The dialogue that spills from their mouths is also so clangingly bad at times, that one surmises the work of Stephen Gaghan – nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay for the film Traffic and credited as writer here – probably contributed, at most, a plot outline.

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Nikon Df review: Hands-on

Posted by Unknown 0 komentar

The Nikon Df DSLR is the maker's latest addition to its flagship D range, with the f standing for 'fusion' between old design and new tech

The Nikon Df is the brand's latest DSLR, sporting a distinctive retro design that's based on the maker's old 35mm film cameras, such as the Nikon FM.
Launched at an event celebrating Nikon's rich history, including a talk from celeb photographer Richard Young, the new Df packs the same 16.2-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor and EXPEED 3 image processor found in the maker’s flagship pro camera - the Nikon D4 - meaning that it sits somewhere below the D4 and above the Nikon D7100 in the brand's lineup and is aimed at pros, 'enthusiasts' and those who just want an insanely cool-looking camera.

Nikon Df: Size and build

Crafted from magnesium alloy, the camera's chassis oozes quality, and feels reassuringly weighty, but a lot lighter than the likes of the D4 - in fact, it's actually the lightest of Nikon's FX-format cameras.
You'll be able to choose from an all black model, or a black and silver finish, while the chassis features the same pyramid-like top and 'Nikon' font from the maker's old film SLRs.
We've seen quite a few brands using retro designs as inspiration for their latest Compact System Camera models - step forward, Fujifilm X20, Pentax Q10 and Samsung NX300), but this is the first time we've seen it on a DSLR.
Nikon will also be offering optional black or brown shoulder straps and cases to complement the vintage aesthetics.

Nikon Df: Features

Along with the maker's flagship sensor and processor on board, you'll also get an ISO range of 100-12,800 (extendable up to 204,800), the same weatherproofing as the Nikon D800, a burst speed of 5.5fps, and an AF module with 39 focus points. What's more, the Df offers an impressive 1,400 shots from a single battery charge, says Nikon.

Nikon Df: Controls

The camera features a range of classic click dials, with the dial locks that you'd expect on a pro snapper. They've been designed to give the same experience as the dials on vintage camera, with reassuring click stops - something that you don't get with many digital cameras.

Nikon Df: Screen

The 3.2-inch LCD screen appeared was crisp and bright in our brief hands-on, the 921k-dot resolution making light work of detailed shots. The Df also sports the same glass pentaprism viewfinder found in the D4 and D800.

Nikon Df: Lenses

The Nikon Df uses the F-mount lens system, and its also the first to features a collapsible coupling lever, meaning that you'll be able to attach your stash of vintage non-AI Nikkor lenses directly to the camera.
The Df won't be available body-only at launch, but will come as a kit with a special edition, retro-styled version of the AF-S 50mm f/1.8G NIKKOR lens.

Nikon Df: Picture quality

So far, we've only had a very quick play with the Df, so we can't really comment on picture quality just yet, but with this heritage (and at this price), we're expecting big things. Obviously this is something we'll be looking at in more depth in our full review.

Nikon Df: Verdict

With a superb retro look, powerful sensor and plenty of manual control, as well as the ability to use your old non-AI lenses, there's not much to dislike about the Nikon Dfxc, eept for the price, of course, which puts it out of reach for many of us. We still want it, though. Keep your eyes peeled for a full review.
Nikon Df release date 28 November 2013

Nikon Df price: £2749.99 (only available with kit lens)

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Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 review: Hands-on

Posted by Unknown Senin, 04 November 2013 0 komentar

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10, and its 8-inch sibling sport a clever 'modal' design enabling you to use it three different positions. Technecore went hands-on

The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 specs are those of a new high-end Android tablet - 10-inch and 8-inch models run on MT8125 for Wi-Fi models and MT8389 Quad Core processors for 3G models with 1GB DDR RAM, 16 or 32 GB storage and Android 4.2.2. The 10-inch model weighs in at 605g while the 8-inch version tips the scales at 400g.
Pricing is where it gets interesting, with the 8-inch Lenovo Yoga Tablet's UK price at £199, while the 10-inch Lenovo Yoga Tablet is £249. Serious competition for Asus and Nexus tabs then, and there's a lot of bang for your buck here.
It's price and specs immediately throw it up against some stiff competition in the Nexus 10, and the Asus Transformer Pad, as well as the raft of cheaper but decent Android tabs out there (see our Best tablets for all the contenders).
First impressions are that it's the exact form factor of a Bluetooth Mac Keyboard, and the power button and silver finish enhance this.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10: Features

Apart from the fairly standard Android UI (with a few tweaks, more later), the standout feature of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet is it's 'modal' ability. This is marketing speak for the fact it has a bulge along one edge to aid holding in the hand (mode one), and a nicely-machined kickstand stashed in the bulge which allows you to lie it at a 30 degree angle on a table (mode two), or stand it almost vertical for film viewing (mode three).
In fairness, these three things are pretty essential for a tablet (see the popularity of iPad cases to achieve the same), and this does them very well. You've also got a micro-SD port, a headphone jack, microUSB charger, power button and volume rocker. Overall, it's a slick package with pleasant detailing, and an overall feeling of quality.
The back of the tablet has a textured surface which aids grip, but even this is laser etched, according to Lenovo.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10: Screen

OK, this is the big one – the screen isn't great. It's perfectly useable, but beside the latest and best HD screens this comes up short. Lenovo claims it's a 'high definition' 1280 x 800 display, but it's second to both the Asus Transformer Pad, and Nexus 10 at 2560 x 1600 resolution.
At the base of the screen you have the classic Android trio of soft buttons, which are somehow comforting, and the bezel isn't too broad to dispel the premium feel.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10: Performance

Performance is swift enough to satisfy most, with the almost-stock Android 4.2.2 cutting along at a good rip. Flipping between large images is fluid, and enabling amusing app animation tricks causes no discernible slowdown. What it's like with a boatload of new apps is another question we'll be answering in the full review.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10: Battery

Lenovo has gone all out with the battery. A claimed 18 hours of use destroys any other tablet out now, and it'll be getting a serious testing over the next few weeks. Of course, that bulge is the reason for this ability, being loaded with netbook-class batteries to achieve this feat. Is the extra bulk a worthwhile tradeoff? That'll be the question that this product lives or dies by, but it looks like it works at an initial glance.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10: Verdict

On build quality and price alone this is a winner, and Lenovo's modal marketing line essentially adds up. The hardware is pleasant in the hand, and the stock Android does what it says on the tin. If the battery lasts the course then the only things holding this back are that polarising design and the screen quality.
We rather like the stand and the general cut of this tab's jib – it's different, and wears it well. It's definitely one to look at if you're in the market for an Android tablet in the run-up to Xmas, and we'll have not only a full review here to help you decide, but a full-blown tablet group test in the magazine as well.

Lenovo Yoga Tablet price: £249 (10-inch), £199 (8-inch)

Lenovo Yoga Tablet release date: Out now

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Android Kitkat Features

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 01 November 2013 0 komentar

After entirely too much teasing, Google has at last taken the wraps from Android 4.4 KitKat. The new mobile OS is based on efficiency that brings smartphones to "the next billion people," according to Android Senior VP Sundar Pichai. Google's own apps use less memory, and the interface will automatically scale back to fit on devices with only 512MB of RAM. While the company can't enforce anything, it wants KitKat to be ubiquitous on Android phones released in 2014, regardless of performance -- a lofty goal when some low-end phones still ship with Gingerbread or Ice Cream Sandwich.

Much of the interface has been streamlined. There's now a camera shortcut and more immersive "now playing" content on the lock screen, and there's an option to rearrange home screens. The navigation interface disappears when you're inside of supporting apps, giving back real estate on devices without hardware keys. The dialer and Hangouts make it easy to search for nearby addresses; fans of self-expression will be glad to hear that emoji icons are available in the keyboard. New frameworks bring both AirPrint-like wireless printing and support for third-party cloud storage in the Gallery app. Behind the scenes, Google is improving battery life through sensor batching, which cuts back on data requests. Developers can write apps that support infrared control, pedometer-like step counting and a carrier-independent NFC payment architecture.

KitKat also puts a stronger emphasis on Google's main business, search. Voice search is going hands-free through keyword activation, and it will ask questions if it needs clarification. The speech recognition engine is about 25 percent more accurate, according to Google. An upcoming refresh of Google Now, meanwhile, will bring up context-sensitive cards for both shopping as well as attractions. You'll get to buy movie tickets through Fandango when at the theater, for instance.

As to when you'll get the software? Today, buying a Nexus 5 is the quickest way to get KitKat; Google tells us that upgrades for other devices will roll out in the "coming weeks." Other manufacturers haven't yet said that they'll upgrade their phones to the new Android version, although we're anticipating at least a few announcements for recent hardware.

Source: Android Official Blog
For More: http://www.android.com/versions/kit-kat-4-4/

Verge. Also available on YouTube

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Ubuntu 13.10 for Galaxy Nexus - first look

Posted by Unknown Jumat, 18 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

I have to say I was very excited to install freshly released Ubuntu 13.10 for Nexus devices. I couldn't resist so I took my old Galaxy Nexus (maguro) and I started the installation procedure. It's very simple to do it all manually. Screenshots below!

I didn't have much time to play with this OS on my device, but so far I have mixed feelings. I am aware it's the first public release and it MUST have bugs. Of course all fundamental features are working fine (GPS, modem, camera, Bluetooth, touch panel etc.) and on the project site it's clearly stated that:

"It is an experimental development snapshot that can potentially brick your device. It does not provide all of the features and services of a retail phone and cannot replace your current handset. This preview is the first release of a very new and unfinished version of Ubuntu and it will evolve quickly."

So far I had few issues like not responding touch screen, system hangs from time to time or it slows down, so that you can't basically do anything except from reboot. However, in most cases it's very snappy. Navigating through the system is completely different than on Android. There are no back or home keys, you need to swipe left/right/down/up and swiping effect is different if you swipe from the centre of the screen or from the edge.

I have a feeling that the whole UI is sort of "too large". Massive icons are taking a lot of space and working with this interface is far from being intuitive. I think that this OS would be much more suitable for tablets instead, where the average screen size is 10".

In current stage this OS is surely not suitable for daily use, but the developers are working very hard to fix all submitted issues and to preview all commits. Here are the screenshots:

Home Screen with 3 additional desktops: Music, Applications and Videos

Lock-screen (swipe left to unlock)

System Settings, About the phone and Battery

Phone, Messages and Contacts

Calendar and Album

Sort of "Quick Settings" available from the notification menu

Installed applications screen and a "must have" app ;)

Weather, Gmail and Notes

Navigation panel (available on every screen, even lock-screen), File Manager and Camera

That would be all for now. I think the first preview of the Ubuntu OS for phones looks very promising, however it's officially available only for 3 devices for now and it can't be used as a daily driver just yet.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

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The Meenova Micro-SD Card Reader for Android

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 09 Oktober 2013 0 komentar

A few months back I decided to pledge $12 US to a Kickstarter Project for a miniaturised USB card reader for Android smartphones. The idea looked promising, and I had a spare $12, so I took the gamble, and this week it paid off. Through the post I received the dividend on my 'investment'. I'll follow up this mini-review with some details on performance once I can get hold of a class 10 card, but for now here are some first impressions and opinions.

The concept of USB OTG (on-the-go) storage is a good one, especially for the increasing number of us of us whose favourite phones don't have an SD card slot. However, one of the big issues with the regular arrangement for OTG is the need to carry a male-female adapter cable and a card reader or memory stick around in addition to the telephone. Doing away with this inconvenient clutter was really what attracted me to the idea of the Meenova reader.

I knew that a tiny, almost weightless device, which clips to my keyring, but which can take exchangeable micro SD cards at least up to 64Gb, would be worth $12 to me just for the convenience. The Meenova reader ticks all those boxes at around 2cm square by 8mm thick and weighing in at only 3 grammes.

Unboxing the Meenova

The reader arrived by mail, safe in a protective envelope, direct from the manufacturing facility. US customers receive theirs via USPS, the rest of the world via Hong Kong Post. Inside the envelope the reader was neatly packaged, and the pack included the reader, a USB adapter for lap/desktop connectivity, and a keyring clip.

All the items were well made and well finished. The only exception was the tiny split ring for the keyring adapter, which was quite flimsy, but that was such an insignificant part of the package that I just replaced it with a better one for five cents. The cap clips onto the reader with a satisfying and tight click, and the reader is securely held.

That led me to thinking that instead of hanging the reader from my keyring, I should hang the cap from the ring and clip the reader in/out of it as I used it. I punched a small hole in the cap, threaded the tiny keyring through it, and I am very happy with the modification.

N.B. - Later Edit

Do NOT hang the reader on your keyring as I described above. My reader came unclipped twice today and I almost lost it !! Use the tag provided on the body of the reader and pass the spring clip through that. Only use the ring to hang the cap from the clip when the reader is in use.

Getting To Grips with the Meenova

Having got it all ready to use, my next step was to rummage in the spares bin. Luckily I found an old 8Gb class 4 SD card to use for the first test. I slotted it into the reader, plugged the reader into the USB adapter and plugged all that into my trusty iMac.

Partitioning and formatting the card was quick, easy and there were no issues. A nice touch is that USB connector on the reader is mounted in a raised, transparent, plastic "plinth" and from inside the casing a blue LED flashes to indicate any activity.

The Meenova is actually much smaller than it appears here

My first test was to load up my entire photo library from iPhoto to see what would happen. 2 Gb was a heavy enough load, and during the loading process I also deleted around 400 of the photos from the card during the load to see if that caused any issues. The process took a while, but there was no noticeable slowdown during the deletions and no data dropouts or corruption.

Following the successful upload I unmounted the device and plugged it into the USB port of my HTC One. The One immediately reported "Preparing USB storage, Please Wait" and then "USB storage is ready" which popped up almost too quickly for me to take the screen shots.

ES File Explorer, showed me that the USB was mounted automatically by the OS at the mount point /mnt/usb. On opening, Explorer already had the USB folder open and I was able to examine the contents just as I would any other part of the file system.

The next step in this little test was to open Gallery and look for the photos I uploaded. They had already been found by the Gallery app and the app was in the process of making them available. Once the photos folder had been opened in Gallery, the photos themselves did take some time to appear, but until I can get hold of a faster card I can only speculate on whether this was caused by the cheap, slow card, the reader, or the OTG/USP processing in the phone OS.

Gotcha !!!

After playing with it for a while I was ready to hang the reader back on my keyring and drop my One into it's slip case ... That was the only point at which I had an issue with the setup. In my haste, I just pulled the reader out of the USB socket and immediately received the notification "USB Storage unexpectedly removed" ...

Oops ... My Bad ... I had forgotten to unmount before removal!

I was only reading from the card so on this occasion it wasn't a painful experience, but no excuses ... some cards can be very sensitive to superblock corruption so it's never a sensible thing to just pull them out without first unmounting, and definitely not advisable following a write to the card.

Just to make sure I knew what to do in future, I reinserted the reader and went in search of the unmount action. I have to admit, I was naively expecting a bar in the notifications or settings pull-down with some obvious wording such as "USB/OTG storage - Click to unmount" ...

No such luck ... I eventually found the action buried in the basement !! ... It's actually in Settings->Storage->USB Storage->Unmount USB Storage.

For the sake of user convenience, I think there is a good case for smartphone manufacturers to do some rethinking about where that action should be placed. In my opinion, it belongs in a much more prominent position.

Third-Party Apps and the Meenova

Because of that one thing, I went in search of an OTG/USB third-party app to see if I could make the unmount a little more convenient. I tried two (see *** footnote) and both worked well. However, both of them were designed to manage the mount and unmount themselves. That is, they are set up to create a mount point and mount to/unmount from that point. When using these apps on the HTC One, the OS native mount is maintained in addition to the ones set up by the tool, so a final unmount will still need to be done from within the settings page.

If you have a phone with an OS which automatically mounts the OTG/USB storage, then don't bother with third-party apps. Just be sure you know how to unmount the device. If, on the other hand your OS doesn't automount the storage, but you have an OTG-aware kernel, then these third party apps can make your use of OTG devices easier.

OTG Compatibility

There is a list of known compatible devices on the Meenova web site, but in this rapidly changing world, the list may not be complete. In hard terms, the device is only a micro card reader, and the chipset is the same one that can be found in many regular readers, so the rule of thumb is that if your phone works with a cable and memory stick, either with native or third-party software, then the chance is good that it will work with a Meenova Reader as well.

On the general subject of OTG compatibility my advice is for you to research your phone carefully before buying anything. Not all versions of Android support OTG and manufacturer support can also very variable, even between model ranges from the same company. Don't just assume that because your phone is fairly new and your Android is 4.x then it will have OTG. Check it out.

Conclusion (for now)

Overall I am already satisfied with my $12 investment, and at this point I feel that I can recommend this device to anyone looking for a compact, handy, OTG/USB storage solution.

In Part Two (coming soon) I will take a closer look at the Meenova reader's performance with music and video files, and I will try to run a set of timing comparisons using Class 4 and class 10 Micro SD cards.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to share! Also, if you like this article, please use media sharing buttons (Twitter, G+, Facebook) below this post!

*** The OTG Storage managers I tested were:

USB Storage Manager by Goprasoft
USB OTG Helper (Root) by Ray of Light

As for Meenova the company, the Kickstart project seems to have been a great success. Plenty of cash was raised to get the project onto a stable footing, and I have yet to read a negative comment about either the Meenova reader or the guys who set it all up. The initial seed stock has now been dispatched to all the original backers, and the company are now taking pre-orders for the next batch of devices.

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