| Sony Xperia Z1 camera prowess gets ranked in DxOMark benchmark Oct 18th 2013, 03:20, by Juan Carlos Torres When it came to camera features, Sony pulled out all the stops on its newest flagship, the Sony Xperia Z1. The question is, however, whether it is enough to put the smartphone at the top of the mobile photography ladder against record-holders Nokia and Apple. 
Electronics maker Sony is also known for putting out high-quality digital cameras so it is not surprising that it would finally start to apply its technologies to its premium smartphones the moment they become feasible. And indeed, the Xperia Z1, which was unveiled last month, boasts of a large 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor sporting a 20.7 megapixel count, as well as Sony’s f/2.0 G-type lens. But how does it compare with other smartphones touting advanced camera features? The DxOMark test results come in two categories. In terms of still photo performance, the Xperia Z1 scored a rather high 77 points for overall good exposure, low noise in all lighting situations and fast and precise autofocus. Despite that, however, it still ranked 5th behind The Nokia 808 Pureview, the iPhone 5, the Nokia Lumia 1020, and the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Things are a bit brighter in the video category, where the Xperia Z1′s slightly lower 74 score puts it in second place behind the GoPro Hero3, not bad considering the latter is a dedicated digital camera. Overall, the Xperia Z1 is tied at second place with the newly launched iPhone 5s, with a total score of 76. Perhaps surprisingly, the title of best camera phone, with just a one-point lead at 77, still belongs to the Nokia 808 Pureview. SOURCE: DxOMark |  | Skully P1 is an Android-powered helmet with a HUD and rear-view camera Oct 18th 2013, 02:34, by Juan Carlos Torres Google Glass might be next big thing in wearable computers, once it becomes commercially available, that is, but it might not be practical or even feasible in some scenarios, like for motorcycle riders. Enter Skully P1, an Android-enabled bike helmet that becomes not only your entertainment and augmented-reality companion on the road, but might even be your lifeline. 
Like any “augmented” helmet, the Skully P1 features a Heads Up Display (HUD) on the visor of the helmet and runs some sort of operating system, in this case, based on Android. However, Skully, the Silicon Valley company behind the helmet, is putting a unique twist to the product. Skully P1 features a 180-degree rear view camera whose contents are displayed on the lower-right side of the HUD. This gives riders a very wide view and, according to the company, eliminates any potential blind spots in the rider’s sight. The Skully Operating System, forked from Android, runs the whole show and provides the usual staples of voice-controlled augmented-reality devices. Users use voice control to drive the various features of the device or query for information and the system will respond either via speech or HUD overlays or both. Some features include getting the weather and the current day’s forecast, maps and directions, controlling a music player, and even getting notified of incoming phone calls, though it isn’t mentioned if it will be possible to take calls using the helmet, which may or may not be legal in some regions. For all these functions, the lithium battery powering the helmet is promised to last for nine hours on a full charge. 
The Skully P1 helmet isn’t available yet and pricing is also unknown. The company, however, is currently accepting applications for beta-testing and hopes to launch the helmet next year. VIA: SlashGear | | Nexus 5 ready to make an appearance, spotted in Google Play Store Oct 18th 2013, 01:59, by Juan Carlos Torres Everyone is probably anxious to finally see what Google has cooked up for its next Nexus smartphone and it seems Google itself is excited, too. Maybe a bit too excited. Whether accidentally or intentionally, the Nexus 5 is making a somewhat partial appearance in Google Play Store ahead of its rumored release. 
The Nexus 5 has appeared in a listing of Nexus devices alongside the new (2013) Nexus 7 and the old Nexus 10. Curiously, the Nexus 4 is no longer included in list. Of course, clicking on the Nexus 5 entry leads you nowhere and makes you wonder if its a case of an accidental leak or a well-placed and cruel teaser. And Google and Nestle are quite good at cruel teasing. Just this week, the KitKat Google+ page showed two different hints at the probable unveiling of the new Nexus smartphone and Android 4.4 KitKat, one pointing to an October 18 announcement while the latest hints at an October 28 event instead. In any case, this appearance of the Nexus 5 does tell us a few things about it, some of which we might now already thanks to a myriad of leaked photos and videos. The smartphone is indeed manufactured by LG, whose emblem is clearly seen on the back cover, along with the distinctive camera in the corner. 
The listing also mentions a price, starting at $349. Some have dug even further to find out that this applies to a 16 GB variant of the device, putting other possible models well above the $400 marker. Other than that, we’ll just have to wait a few more days, a week or so at most, for the Nexus 5 to put finally our curiosity to rest. VIA: Android Police | |
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