Saturday, March 23, 2013

Skype HD update for Windows Phones


There is a new Skype update for Microsoft Windows Phones that brings new and exciting features. Skype allows users to easily connect with their friends and family through the internet.

The new update gives a clearer image that supports HD videos for calls and also allows you to access your Skype contacts very easily. You can now chat with your friends and family in crisp, high-definition (HD) video calls.

In a blog post, Microsoft's Derek Snyder said Skype for WP8 Preview's version 2.4 takes advantage of the phone's hardware acceleration.

"[T]his is our first smartphone app to enable free face-to-face video calls in crisp, clear and beautifully lifelike HD. We have significantly improved video calling quality for all users, offering VGA video on lower end handsets and 720P HD on higher-end devices including the Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and Samsung Ativ S," said Snyder, head of mobile marketing for Skype. 

Even better, he said the app "intelligently" determines the best video quality available given the speed of one's Internet connection.

Another feature that allows switching between front and back cameras lets a user "chat in the most comfortable way possible," Snyder said.

However, “PC World” said there may still be some known issues to iron out before the Preview app graduates to a final version.

“PC World” cited a problem where picture-in-picture conversations may not work in all video calls. (http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031254/skype-preview-for-windows-phone-8-gets-hd-video.html

"Microsoft isn't saying when a final version of the application is expected to arrive, but the improved preview can now be downloaded from Windows Phone Store," it added.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review


Samsung Galaxy S4 has a larger screen size than the S3. HD screen 1080 x 1920 pixels. 

It runs on Android 4.2.2.2. Jellybean. It has multi-view mode that allows users to split the screen between two apps.

Smart Pause is a new feature. The phone monitors your gaze when you’re watching video content and pauses the video when you look away. It also allows you to scroll through content by tilting the device up or down.

Camera -  It has two cameras with the ability to simultaneously shoot with the front and rear cameras.

Air View / Air Gesture -

The S4 comes with the ability to read hand gestures, allowing users to control various device functions through pointing, waving, and making swiping motions.

Simply motion your hand at the Samsung GALAXY S4 to accept calls, change music, or browse the web and your photos with Air Gesture. How simple is that? Air View makes it quicker,easier, and super-convenient to enlarge content and photos, preview emails, and speed dial all with your finger barely hovering over the screen.

Even when you’re wearing gloves, the Samsung GALAXY S4 still responds to your touch.

S Voice Drive - The S Voice Drive was developed for your safety while driving. In Drive Mode, the Samsung GALAXY S4 provides a simpler interface: bigger fonts, intuitive look, and text to speech service. For important tasks that require your hands and attention – making calls, answering calls, organizing messages, and asking for directions – you can now do with both hands safely on your steering wheel.

Power - The S4 is a powerfull phone it is the first smartphone with an 8-core chip. It consists of four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.6GHz for performance while the remaining four are Cortex-A7s clocked at 1.2GHz and this will be used for less demanding tasks. In terms of memory power, the amount of RAM has been doubled to 2 Gigabytes.

The Galaxy S4 is packed with exciting features and stylish design however the plastic case of the phone could feel cheap to some, compared to competitors.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Google reveals warrantless FBI data requests access to 2,000 Google accounts

The FBI attempted to get data on more than a thousand Google accounts last year without a warrant, Google has revealed. Instead, the Bureau used a procedure known as a National Security Letter - which Google has never before discussed in detail.

A report on The Wall Street Journal quoted Google as saying the FBI used a "national security letter" instead of a warrant to ask for the details.

"Google said it received between zero and 999 NSLs in 2012 and that the letters sought information on a total of 1,000 to 1,999 users or accounts. (The number of users suggests Google got at least one NSL last year, not zero, but the company wouldn’t comment beyond its report),"

"The secrecy surrounding national security letters means that Google’s report is remarkable even though it provides only vague information,"

Google is the first Internet company to reveal such data, the WSJ report noted.

With the national security letters, the government may seek financial, phone and Internet data without going before a judge or grand jury.

Also, the WSJ report said the NSLs are usually subject to gag orders that companies "can’t even acknowledge getting such letters at all."

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Samsung Galaxy S4's "Eye Scroll" function

Samsung Galaxy S4, Eye Scroll function, Eye Scroll

The Galaxy S4 will be unveiled on March 14 and is expected to feature a pretty cool function, the "Eye Scroll."

The "Eye Scroll" technology will allow for automatic scrolling and page turning when your eyes reach the bottom of the screen and, it may also allow for eye-controlled video games.

Galaxy S4 will track you while you are tracking words on it.

The screen will supposedly scroll down when you are reading the final words on the page. Just when you think of going to the next page, the phone will do it for you. Samsung in January filed for a trademark in Europe for the name “Eye Scroll.” It filed for the “Samsung Eye Scroll” trademark in the United States in February for the above mentioned feature. The Smartphone manufacturer has also filed for the trademark “Eye Pause,” without describing what the feature does.

The specs are 1080 x 1920 pixel ratio for a 4.99 inch screen with cornering Gorilla glass 2; 13 MP Autofocus primary camera with LED flash and a humble 2.1 MP cam for video conferencing. Inside the case is a Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery and an eight-core Exynos processor, a separate eight-core graphics processing unit.