Nokia Lumia 1020 review:

   Photographers, meet your camera phone.

 

The good: The Nokia Lumia 1020 smartphone's camera captures extremely high-resolution images with fine detail, and puts creative controls at your fingertips.

The bad: A niche device, the Lumia 1020 is $100 pricier than most high-end smartphones. The lens makes it a little bulky. Multiple camera apps are confusing. It lacks manual f-stop control and presets for common shooting scenarios.

The bottom line: Avid mobile photographers will love the Nokia Lumia 1020's exact controls, but casual users should stick to cheaper camera phones.

You can sum up the Nokia Lumia 1020 in three words: 41, megapixel, camera.
It's the Lumia 1020's high-octane shooter -- along with Nokia's custom camera app -- that defines this next marquee Windows Phone 8 device, and that gives mobile photographers a reason to salivate. In the 1020, Nokia pushes the smartphone camera envelope with a combination of raw image-capturing prowess and close-cropping capability that makes it one of the most artistically able smartphone cameras we've tested.
Would we ditch our point-and-shoot cameras and rely on the Lumia 1020 instead? For day-to-day and weekend events, absolutely; the 1020 is the ultimate in convenience and approaches point-and-shoot quality. However, based on our tests so far, Nokia still has a ways to go before it can completely supplant the need for a higher-level standalone camera. We'd take it away for the weekend, but wouldn't use it to shoot our kid's first birthday.

Like the 16-megapixel Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom (which we have not yet had an opportunity to review), the Lumia 1020 is a niche device. Casual users may not venture from automatic settings and may not notice much difference in image quality unless they frequently crop photos tightly. Of course, the S4 Zoom's optical zoom element could give the 1020 a run for its money. We'll update with a comparison when we have one.
The 1020's $299.99 on-contract price with AT&T is too steep for casual users, who can capture high-quality everyday stills and videos with handsets that cost $200 or less. Serious photographers, however, will appreciate the phone's genuine two-in-one capabilities. The Lumia 1020 also is sold globally.

Design and build:

The first thing you're probably asking yourself is if owning the Lumia 1020 is like carrying a bulky point-and-shoot camera in your pocket. Blessedly, it is not.
Compared with the chunky Galaxy S4 Zoom and bulbous Nokia 808 PureView (the company's first attempt at a 41-megapixel phone), the Lumia 1020 seems only slightly thicker than the Lumia 920 and 928, both of which it physically resembles.

  

Dimensions of 5.1 inches tall by 2.8 inches wide are pretty standard, and the 1020 measures 0.4 inch thick throughout most of its body. It's that large camera module on the back (about 1.75 inches in diameter) that protrudes a full 0.51 inch from the phone's face.
That means the phone won't lie flat on its back, which is surprisingly sometimes helpful when the face tilts toward you as if on a stand. Amazingly, I did carry the phone around in my back pocket for long stretches without noticing it too much. When I held it, my fingers adjusted to grip the 1020 below its bulge.
Keeping the phone this slim was quite the design feat, especially when you compare the 1020 with the chunky S4 Zoom, which is shaped more like a point-and-shoot with a smartphone attached.

                            A huge camera module defines the Nokia Lumia 1020. 

At 5.6 ounces, the matte yellow, white, or black 1020 is hefty, sturdy, and undeniably solid. I'm used to carrying heavy bags and backpacks, so the weight didn't particularly bother me, but those who travel light will notice the 1020's density right away. We tested the phone in all three colors; the white version picked up smudges most readily, but they wiped off easily enough from the polycarbonate material.

Nokia pulled off a design feat in keeping the large camera mount from sticking out too far.

Like all the Lumia 920-series phones, the 1020's 4.5-inch display features a 1,280x768-pixel resolution (WXGA) and pixel density of 334ppi. Its AMOLED screen is also supersensitive, which means you can operate it with fingernails or gloved fingertips. Gorilla Glass 3 helps resist cracks, though smash any screen hard enough or often enough and it'll break.
In keeping with the Lumia design philosophy, you'll find oblong volume, power/lock, and camera shutter buttons on the right spine, and the headset jack and micro-SIM card slot up top. In addition to the front-facing camera there are three capacitive navigation buttons on the front, and the Micro-USB charging port is down on the bottom edge. On the back, the massive camera module includes a wide xenon flash and a six-lens Carl Zeiss lens, plus an LED sidekick that's mainly used for focus.

                                              The Lumia 1020 does not lie flat. 


A completely sealed unibody device, the Lumia 1020 doesn't have a removable battery or microSD card storage, which may make avid photographers jittery about storage limits, especially with large photo files.

Understanding the camera:

The most important thing to know is that the Lumia 1020's 41-megapixel shooter doesn't actually give you 41-megapixel pictures. In fact, not much about the camera or its software is particularly straightforward.

1) The Pro Cam app creates 5-megapixel photos. In addition, it also saves a high-resolution image of each one. If you crop in tightly, your photo looks even more detailed.

Nokia Pro Cam is the 1020's default camera app, but you can also switch among other apps, or change the default in Settings.

2) By default, the Lumia 1020 takes photos using Nokia's Pro Cam app. Not to be confused with Nokia Smart Cam, Pro Cam gets you sliding controls for flash, exposure, ISO, and focus among other settings. Nokia Pro Cam is technically a "lens," a separate camera app that supplants the native camera. You can only capture the higher-resolution images using Pro Cam.

Choose resolution and aspect ratio in the Pro Cam app settings.

Making matters more confusing still, the size of the high-resolution photo you shoot depends on your camera settings. Pick a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the phone saves a 34-megapixel shot in addition to the 5-megapixel picture you eventually see and share. A 4:3 aspect ratio gives you a 38-megapixel file in addition to the smaller snap. You won't see these choices -- or any resolution options -- when using the native camera app.
You'll only be able to upload and share the smaller file size from the 1020; if you want all 34 or 38 megapixels, you can access the raw files through a computer connection.
In some cases, the 1020's creative settings are no big deal. Most smartphone cameras have many of these within submenus. The difference here is that surfacing them on the app's top layer makes them a lot quicker to access, set up, and change from shot to shot.

Nokia Pro Cam app.

In the menu, you can switch to the front-facing camera, get at settings, and launch the tutorial. Unlike the Galaxy S4 Zoom, there aren't mode presets for night shots, sports, or other common scenarios, so it helps to know what you're doing, or have the patience to play around.
I'm not sure why there's no onscreen control for the front-facing camera; digging into the menu just seems like an unnecessary step. It's also a little strange that there are two buttons for reviewing your photos. One reviews the last shot you took, the other lets you get at your whole photo stream. Unfortunately, you can't swipe to the left as you can in the phone's native app to access your camera roll.

 I don't like having to dig into settings to use the front-facing camera, but I do like having easy access to the tutorial.

There are cursory editing tools you can access when you review a photo, including rotation and a sort of cropping tool that changes the aspect ratio to 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, and 16:9. I wish that Nokia had included a more robust suite of editing features here. Instead, you'll have to swap to a different editing app if you want to crop or auto fix. Luckily, the 1020 makes this fairly easy to do from the settings when you access photos through the review strip.
 Sliding controls let you adjust exposure, ISO, brightness, and white balance.

Image quality:

To test how well the Lumia 1020 backs up its claims of photog greatness, I shot dozens of pictures with both the Pro Cam app and the native app, using a combination of automatic modes and fancier settings. Full disclosure: I'm a completely casual photographer, so my photos here represent the perspective of an average user. For the more-artistic shots, I enlisted the help of CNET photographer James Martin and CNET camera editor Joshua Goldman, who independently called the Lumia 1020 a "really good smartphone camera" after taking their own rounds of test shots.
Many pictures I took looked fantastic in terms of color, contrast, and detail -- especially fine detail like a visible background cobweb. When an image was focused correctly, the camera's lossless digital zoom also produced terrific detail, just as Nokia promises.
I never took a bad photo with the 1020. That said, not every photo was a complete hit. Of course, even good cameras can take the odd bad picture if conditions are off. Sometimes, I wasn't sure that another high-end smartphone couldn't have taken the photo just as well.
Edges usually appeared sharp to my eyes, but then some centers sometimes lacked shadows, detail, and depth. I also had a hard time nailing great portraits. Lighting was sometimes off, and faces often appeared a tinge out of focus. That can cause problems when taking photos of a group. Overall, my photos of objects were a lot more beautiful than my pictures of people. James and Josh had much better luck with portraits; photo enthusiasts should take my results with a grain of salt.

                             This kid clearly loves his snack. Click to enlarge.
I also noticed that the 1020 seems to color-correct a couple of seconds after taking a picture. When using the flash, photo color also grew warmer, yellower, which can be a little weird. Then again, yellow is better than the blue cast you sometimes get when taking photos with a flash.
Since the Pro Cam app saves pictures in one small and one large resolution, the camera takes longer to reload. Instead of shot-to-shot times about 2.5 seconds apart, it's about a 6-second wait before the Lumia 1020 is ready for the next round.
I will say that I got some terrific pictures of objects even in the Pro Cam app's automatic mode. That and being able to crop in tight on an element without losing detail definitely made me want to take a lot more photos than I normally would.
Unless otherwise specified, the following pictures were taken using automatic settings, and have been resized. To see more of what this camera can do, check out this Lumia 1020 photo gallery and a camera showdown between the Lumia 1020, Samsung Galaxy S4, and iPhone 5.

                         Shoot outdoors using Pro Cam. Click to enlarge.

               Taken with the 1020's native camera app. Click to enlarge.

                                              Full-resolution crop.

 This grape cluster, shot with the native camera app, was one of my favorites of the bunch. Here it is at full resolution, no cropping.

 Despite focusing on the palm trees, this landscape shot, taken on an overcast day, looks a little soft. Click to enlarge.

                                             Words to live by. Click to enlarge.

 

 

 

Micron completes $2 billion buy of chip supplier to Apple

Idaho-based Micron Technology immediately becomes one of the largest suppliers of mobile memory for popular products like the iPad and iPhone.

Elpida memory is used in the iPad 4, iPhone 5, and second-generation Nexus 7, among other popular mobile devices.

(Credit: Apple) Micron Technology has completed the acquisition of Japan-based Elpida, instantly making it one of the largest suppliers of mobile memory chips for devices like the iPad, iPhone, and Nexus 7.
Micron and Elpida trustees have announced the closing of the U.S. company's acquisition of 100 percent of Elpida's equity, the two companies announced Wednesday. The deal, estimated at $2 billion, had been in the works since July 2012.

"Using its advanced technologies, Elpida has built a strong presence in Mobile DRAM, targeting mobile phones and tablets," Micron said in a statement.
That may be an understatement. Elpida memory has been a steady supplier to Apple and a mainstay in Apple's iPad and iPhone. Elpida memory also is used in the just-released second-generation Nexus 7.
Idaho-based Micron is already one of the largest memory manufacturers in the world. It also markets memory and solid-state drives under the Lexar and Crucial brands.
Elpida's assets include a DRAM fabrication facility in Hiroshima, Japan and a 65 percent ownership interest in Rexchip, whose assets include a DRAM fabrication facility in Taiwan, Micron said. Elpida also has a 100 percent ownership interest in Akita Elpida Memory, whose assets include an assembly and test facility located in Akita, Japan. From the statement:

Together with the Rexchip shares acquired from Powerchip, Micron will control approximately 89 percent of Rexchip's outstanding shares and 100 percent of Rexchip product supply. The manufacturing assets of Elpida and Rexchip together can produce more than 185,000 300mm wafers per month, which represents an approximate 45 percent increase in Micron's current manufacturing capacity.

Yukio Sakamoto, CEO of Elpida, announced his resignation, effective with today's closing of the deal.

HP launches Android-based SlateBook 'PC'

HP's Android 'PC' has arrived. It packs Nvidia's latest Tegra 4 processor and can be used as either a tablet or a laptop.

                 HP SlateBook x2. HP is branding the SlateBook as an Android 'PC.'

The SlateBook x2, Hewlett-Packard's foray into the Android convertible market, is now available on the company's sales site.
The tablet-laptop hybrid was slated to be available in August but has arrived early on HP's U.S. sales site. HP also launched the SlateBook in Japan on Monday.
Listed as the HP SlateBook 10-h010nr x2, it is branded as a "PC," even though it runs Android Jelly Bean -- not Windows 8.

The specs are pretty impressive. A 10.1-inch 1,920x1,200-pixel display (with a respectable 224 pixels per inch pixel density), a Tegra 4 quad-core processor (Nvidia's latest ARM processor), a 16GB SATA solid-state drive, and 2GB of system memory.
Other specs include Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, a magnetic docking mechanism to switch from tablet to laptop mode, and a full-size keyboard.
It sells for $480 and runs Android 4.2. (Full PDF spec sheet here).
HP confirmed with CNET that the SlateBook 10 is now available and shipping to customers.
Note that HP has been selling a similar -- but more expensive ($649) -- hybrid, the Envy x2, for a while. That is an 11.6-inch model that runs Windows 8 on top of an Intel Atom processor.

Google Chromecast review:

A daringly priced streamer that doesn't do much.

The good: The Google Chromecast is a dirt-cheap wireless video dongle that streams Netflix and YouTube to your TV using Android or iOS tablets as remotes, with Android users also getting access to Google Music and Google TV and Movies. Its small size hides neatly behind your TV and makes it easy to take on-the-go.

The bad: The beta screen-mirroring feature won't work as well as you want it to, so you're largely limited to four apps and without support for several major ones, including Amazon Instant, HBO Go, MLB.TV, Spotify, and Rdio. The lack of a dedicated remote also means you always need a smartphone or tablet nearby.

The bottom line: Google's $35 Chromecast streaming-TV dongle is certainly cheap, but its limited initial app support and total reliance on mobile devices keep it well behind the Apple TV and Roku -- at least for now.

If you've heard anything about Google's Chromecast, you've heard that it costs $35. Google seemingly picked the perfect price for its new sticklike streaming device, generating massive buzz and eliminating the usually rational process that occurs before clicking "add to cart."
The dongle is already sold out and back-ordered for weeks.
But once you've lived with the Chromecast for a while, $35 feels less like a fantastic deal and more like exactly what a device like this should cost. The Chromecast lets you stream from Netflix and YouTube using your Android or iOS mobile device as a remote, with Android users also getting access to Google Music and Google TV and Movies. It also supports the ability to mirror any content from a Chrome browser running on a Mac or Windows PC, including Hulu, HBO Go, and full episodes from major TV networks like CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC via their respective Web sites. And the hardware is delightfully compact and well-built, making it easy to toss in your bag for travel or moving from room to room.
What it doesn't do is everything else: there are no dedicated apps for many major services (including Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Spotify, Rdio, and MLB.TV), no dedicated TV interface for standalone use, no support for personal media sitting on your devices (aside from a clunky hack), and the awesome-sounding screen-mirroring feature ends up being entirely underwhelming in practice. Basically, you can stream Netflix, YouTube, and a couple of Google services; $35 feels about right.
The Chromecast is clearly Google's best living room device so far, almost entirely thanks to its impulse-worthy price. (Although note that Google's inclusion of a free three-month Netflix promotion is currently up in the air.) It doesn't challenge the Apple TV or Roku's boxes on merit, both of which remain much better options as your primary living room streamer. Chromecast has a lot of room to improve if more apps offer support, but at the moment it's best suited for people deep in the Google media ecosystem looking for a living room solution.
Design: A stick for streaming
The Chromecast hardware isn't anything special, but it has a reassuring, solid feel. It's a 2-inch adapter that's compact enough to occupy a spare HDMI input on your TV without blocking adjacent inputs. (If you have a particularly cramped back panel, Google generously includes an HDMI extender cable.) The black matte finish has enough of a texture to make it easily grippable, perfect for popping out the Chromecast and throwing it in your bag for travel. On the far end, there's a Micro-USB port, a small status light, and a tiny button you can use to reset the device to its factory default. In all, it's perfectly fine for a device designed to live behind your TV.

The only "catch" is that the Chromecast requires power, a fact that's conspicuously missing from all of Google's beauty shots. If your TV has a USB input, you can probably use that to power your Chromecast using the included cable. Google also includes a USB power adapter for TVs without USB, which means you'll have a wire dangling from the back of your TV to a power outlet. Ultimately, while it's not quite "just a dongle," it's still a very clean setup.
Setup: Up and running in minutes
Google touts the Chromecast setup as "plug and play," and that's not far off. Once you have the device plugged in, your TV will prompt you to visit the online setup using a laptop or smartphone, where you'll download the Chromecast setup app. The setup process takes a few minutes, and Google has done a great job of leading you step-by-step through the process with lots of helpful illustrations along the way.

Nexus 7 finds Apple napping

Uh-oh: the iPad Mini meets the new Nexus 7. It's not looking good for Apple at the moment.

                             The second-generation Nexus 7 I picked up on Friday.

Google has beat Apple at its own Retina-display-thumping game. Meet the Nexus 7, the eye-popping 323-pixels-per-inch wonder.
It is, in a way, the (rumored) iPad Mini Retina wrapped in Android 4.3.
Here's the deal: If you can find most of the apps you need on Google's Play Store and would like a small tablet with the highest resolution display on any tablet to date (i.e., higher than the 9.7-inch Retina iPad and way higher than the iPad Mini), then the second-generation Nexus 7 may be a good choice.
How did this happen? Well, Google, Asus (the device manufacturer), and Japan Display Inc. (the display maker) have managed, for the first time, to slap a smartphone-density display on a small tablet.

Without getting too technical, the second-gen Nexus 7 uses a display technology (called low-temperature polysilicon, for those keeping score) from Japan Display that has been used, to date, only on phones like, ironically, Apple's iPhone 5 (which has a pixel density of 326, just slightly more than the new Nexus 7).
Maybe more ironically, Apple is considering the same technology for a future Mini Retina, according to Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. When that Mini would appear ranges from sometime in October (optimistic) to early next year (pessimistic).
Analysts have told me that the 7-inch 1,920x1,200 display on the Nexus 7 may be the upper size limit for Japan Display's ultra-high-resolution technology -- at the moment. In other words, JDI's tech is not quite ready to scale up to the larger 7.9-inch screen on the Mini.
Whatever the case, you can pick up the new Nexus 7 for $230 at some Best Buy stores as of Friday. That's about $100 less than Apple's cheapest Mini (which I also own) but with a much better screen and a faster (quad-core) processor.
That's a really tough hardware/price proposition for Apple to beat, in my opinion.
I like the Mini a lot. I'm not sure yet but I may like the second-gen Nexus 7 better. (I have to be careful, though. I've only had it for about 18 hours so the out-of-box wowness may be impairing my judgment.)
I will say this, though. Apple has its work cut out for it.

Google forecasts 70 million Android tablet activations by year's end

Sundar Pichai, Google's VP of Android and Chrome, throws out some big numbers at Google's breakfast event Wednesday, including 1 million apps available in Google Play and 50 billion downloads.

Sundar Pichai, Google's VP in charge of Android and Chrome.

Google threw out some big numbers for its Android platform at its breakfast event Tuesday, highlighting the Internet giant's growing dominance over the global mobile market.
Sundar Pichai, a senior vice president at Google who oversees Android, Chrome, and apps, said Google expects more than 70 million Android tablet activations by the end of 2013. It's a huge jump from the end of 2012, when Google counted nearly 10 million tablet activations. Pichai also highlighted the Google Play Store's performance:

• 1 million apps in Google Play
• 50 billion downloaded
• Developer revenue has increased by 2.5 times per user in the last year

"Between Android and Chrome, we have a solution for all the computing devices that users have in their lives," Pichai said.

Microsoft debuts Office Mobile app for Android smartphones

The tech giant brings Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to Android mobile devices; but take heed, it's only available to Office 365 subscribers.

What Microsoft Word looks like on Office Mobile for Android.

(Credit: Microsoft) Microsoft appears to be spreading the reach of Office on mobile devices. The tech company announced Wednesday that it's now bringing the Office Mobile app to Android.
While Office fans will likely welcome this app addition to the Google Play store, there's a slight catch: the app is free to download but will only work for subscribers to Microsoft's Office 365 Home Premium and ProPlus service.

"The release of this app shows that we're committed to keep providing additional value for Office 365 subscribers," Microsoft senior product manager Guy Gilbert wrote in a blog post.
Office Mobile for Android includes access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The programs aren't meant for document, spreadsheet, and presentation creation. Rather, they're aimed at helping Office users make quick fixes to existing work, and share those files.
The app includes several features that let Office 365 subscribers pick up files on their phones where they left off on their PCs. The files, like all Office 365 documents, will sync with Microsoft's SkyDrive Web storage service.


Office 365 costs $100 a year and offers subscribers the ability to install Office apps on up to five devices such as PCs, Macs, and smartphones. There is still no support for Android tablets or Apple iPads.
Microsoft has tried to leverage the widely used Office, which is preinstalled on mobile phones running its Windows Phone operating system, to eke out market share in the smartphone business that's dominated by devices running Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems.
News of the Office Android app comes on the heels of Microsoft also bringing Office to iOS. The tech giant debuted Office for iOS in June and much like the Android app it only is available to Office 365 subscribers.
The Office app is immediately available in the Google Play store in the U.S. and will become available in more countries within the next few weeks. The app only works on Android devices running the 4.0 operating system or greater.

iPhone 5C cases pop up on Amazon

Cases purportedly for Apple's low-cost iPhone are now available for preorder through the retail giant.

Future buyers of Apple's rumored low-cost iPhone can potentially find a host of cases awaiting them on Amazon.
Available for preorder, the Elago S5C Slim Fit 2 cases specifically list the iPhone 5C as part of their names. A few of the cases promise to be in stock on August 23, while others show a date of August 26. The regular cases sell for $9.99, while the editions that include a screen protector go for $24.99.
Plastic packaging labeled iPhone 5C recently appeared on a Chinese discussion forum, providing a possible clue to the name of the low-cost iPhone.
Of course, the cases by themselves aren't evidence of any low-priced iPhone. Manufacturers often develop cases and other products ahead of time hoping to cash in if and when the rumored device hits the market. They also gamble that their products will fit or be compatible with the actual device.
The low-cost iPhone did receive some exposure on Monday from a report by China Labor Watch. Documenting labor violations at Apple supplier Pegatron, CLW's report specifically mentioned a low-priced, plastic iPhone being manufactured by Pegatron factory workers.

At Starbucks, AT&T is out and Google is in for Wi-Fi

The coffee chain operator has opted to use Google Wi-Fi to give U.S. customers up to 10-times faster network speeds.

Starbucks customers will soon have much faster Wi-Fi speeds, thanks to the company's new partnership with Google.
Starbucks said that Google, in conjunction with Level 3 Communications, will now be providing Wi-Fi service in Starbucks' U.S. locations that's up to 10 times faster than the current service powered by AT&T.
The faster service will first appear in new Starbucks locations over the next month. Starbucks will then roll it out to its 7,000 other U.S. stores, starting with the busiest locations where Wi-Fi usage is highest. The company expects to complete the transition in about 18 months.
"This is obviously an important milestone in our relationship with Google," Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman told CNET. "We do hope this is one step amongst many that we can continue to build upon what's already a great partnership with Google."

Currently, Starbucks stores are connected with a T1 line for 1.5 megabit speeds. Level 3 and Google will upgrade the system in every location to provide approximately 10 times faster speeds, though the actual result will vary from store to store.
"When you start getting to really, really fast speeds, it's difficult to put it in the same way everywhere," Brotman said. "Instead of finding one common denominator, we're saying, no, let's upgrade everything. It some case, it will be faster than 10-times, sometimes slower."
Brotman added that Starbucks wasn't looking to move away from AT&T but was in constant conversations with Google about possible ways to partner. Providing faster Wi-Fi to customers is one way to do that, he said.
AT&T, meanwhile, said that in its proposal to Starbucks, it also offered up to 10 times faster network and Wi-Fi speeds. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel noted: "Starbucks continues to be an important partner for us, and we continue to provide them with a variety of services over AT&T's advanced network, including the nation's fastest, most reliable LTE network."
The move toward faster Wi-Fi comes as mobile and PC users increasingly require faster connection speeds to do things like stream video and download large files. Starbucks' free Wi-Fi has long been popular among Internet users, with millions accessing the service each week. The faster connection speed is likely to attract even more visitors, particularly as carriers move away from offering unlimited data plans for mobile devices.
Along with providing faster Wi-Fi, Starbucks and Google also will be working to upgrade the Starbucks Digital Network, the page where users are directed when accessing Wi-Fi in the coffee shops. Brotman declined to provide details about the upcoming changes. He also declined to discuss financial arrangements between the companies but said Starbucks is "always happy to make an investment in our store experience."
"We're moving to much more of a streaming world across all media types," Brotman said. "This increased bandwidth will match what consumers are doing on the Web today, whether downloading or streaming or both."

Race on! How tech makes Nascar faster, safer, and more exciting

Nascar hopes to draw fans with a high-tech car and a tighter field than ever. CNET Road Trip 2013 took in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to see if it works.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The challenge facing Nascar was simple: Make its cars faster than ever, safer than ever, and more exciting than ever, without turning fans or drivers off. And keep the playing field as level as possible.
As part of Road Trip 2013, I've come to perhaps the most hallowed racing grounds of all, the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home to the Indianapolis 500, for last weekend's Brickyard 400. I'm here to see just how Nascar is trying to pull off this tricky balancing act, an attempt to breathe new life into a sport that once was more popular than any in America, but which had been losing fans before a recent resurgence.

I'm focusing on Nascar's recent launch of its so-called "Gen-6 car," as well as the technologies it uses to inspect cars prior to races, and to keep accurate score during a race. I'll be posting a separate story on Nascar racing tires, so please stay tuned for that.
Chassis to R&D
For the many teams that race in Nascar's major leagues, the Sprint Cup Series, the competition process begins well before any races. That's especially true this year, because Nascar rolled out its sixth-generation car in 2013, leaving behind a car that it first raced in 2007. The Gen-6 car is meant to better its predecessor by adding several new features, even while slashing 150 pounds of weight.
To begin with, the Gen-6 car's body is made from a new carbon fiber material. It has a new, stronger roof structure meant to be safer, and a rear spoiler known as a deck fin that helps with stability. It also has a new paint scheme that helps fans figure out who is driving by placing the driver's last name on the windshield. And in response to fans who were unhappy with the fact that the Gen-5 cars had the same body shape regardless of the manufacturer, the Gen-6 car has unique panels for each manufacturer, regardless of if it's a Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion, or Toyota Camry.
In order to find the ideal parameters for the Gen-6 car, Nascar spent uncountable hours in a special rolling road wind tunnel looking for the right set of aerodynamic rules. The result, Nascar believes, is a car that drivers love, because it's lighter, and faster. Indeed, throughout 2013, track speed records have been falling one after another due to the new cars being faster than ever.


At the same time, there appears to be evidence that the new cars are bringing greater parity to the sport than ever before, which was precisely Nascar's goal.
Prior to the Brickyard 400, there had been 19 Sprint Cup Series races in 2013, and while five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson had won four events, 11 different drivers had won at least one race. In addition, the remainder of the field is tighter than ever, as measured by points in the standings. So far, at least, the Gen-6 car seems to be doing its job.
But each car's chassis is built by the team behind it, which must follow a strict set of Nascar guidelines governing a wide variety of specifications. And before the body is added, the chassis are sent to Nascar's research and development center in Concord, N.C., where they are inspected using a CAD system to ensure that things like metal thickness and general geometry are up to snuff.
There, Nascar embeds 11 RFID tags in the chassis, which allow inspectors at each race to determine if it has been modified. But before the cars hit the tracks, they return to the teams, where the bodies are added.
While Nascar is aiming for a level playing field, and the goal that the drivers will make the difference in who wins and loses, and not the cars (especially because some teams have far more financial resources than others), the sport's governing body is not naïve enough to think that the teams don't look for an edge. It's a truism in racing that "if you're not cheating, you're not going to win." But by using the latest technology, Nascar is hoping to keep that cheating to a minimum.
Engineering
In another attempt to adopt modern technology, while making sure teams follow the rules, Nascar has moved to a new electronic fuel-injection system. That system requires that teams run Nascar's software, which controls the rate of fuel spray and other factors. If teams do anything to change the software, the engine shuts down.
While Nascar doesn't test each car after each race, it does take the winner's car and engine, as well as one random car and engine, back to its R&D center to test them and make sure they're in compliance with the rules. And while it's rare, Nascar has assessed penalties for infractions like being too low to the ground.
What's clear is that even little changes can affect races. After all, the difference between pole position and the final starter was less than 10 miles per hour, and the top 10 starters were separated by just over 1.3 miles an hour in their qualifying speeds. And that's exactly what Nascar wants. As such, it allows only minor modifications to the car, such as a little engineering to the vehicle from the driver's front clip, in front of the driver's feet, which can potentially help the car turn better.
Then again, Nascar's rule book is constantly in flux. It frequently distributes a Tech Bulletin, announcing any new rules, and there can be new regulations in between races.
Though it doesn't come into play at tracks like Indianapolis, there are sometimes restrictor plates mounted on the cars' engines -- most likely at tracks like Daytona in Florida or Talladega in Alabama. They are designed to slow the cars down in order to keep them from climbing up the steep inclines on the tracks' curves, a very dangerous phenomenon.
Scanning and scoring
Before each race, each team brings its car to a special scanning system set up outside the garages at the event racetrack. There, officials mount special white rims on the wheels, which are designed to help center special lasers which are meant to measure a long list of heights and widths on each car.

A laser-driven scanning machine helps Nascar ensure that each car measures up properly before a race.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET) The computerized system records the data and instantly spits out the measurements. If a car fails, its team has a small amount of time to make required changes. When it passes, it moves forward, and a Nascar official stays with each car until the race begins to ensure there are no disallowed modifications.
At the same time, Nascar mounts wires throughout the track and transponders on each car in order to do very accurate in-race scoring. Each time a transponder passes one of the so-called "scoring loops," its time is recorded. While Nascar has been doing electronic scoring for 20 years, the newest version of the system allows it to keep a much closer eye on the order of cars at various points around the track, meaning that if there's a caution, it can freeze the order of the field until the race is back on. Previously, cars would race and jockey for position during a caution, which caused a safety problem.
Now, Nascar is beta testing real-time statistics, though it has yet to distribute them to teams or the press. It also measures passing data, since the scoring loop can track most passes on the course.
The question is, are fans responding to the changes? It's hard to tell. Today, according to Forbes, Nascar is second only to NFL in terms of TV popularity among sports. But it has lost ground over the years. And if the Brickyard 400 is any indication, the sport has a ways to go. The race last weekend drew 100,000 people. That would be an impressive number if only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway didn't seat 250,000.

Smartphone becomes in-car head-up display

The device can project information onto a transparent film attached to the windshield

Sat-nav firm Garmin has made a portable head-up display (HUD) for cars that projects turn-by-turn directions on to a vehicle's windscreen.

The portable HUD works with a smartphone and Garmin app to generate navigation information.
The gadget can project directional arrows, distances, current speed and speed limits on the windscreen.
Information is projected via the HUD's attached reflector lens or on to a plastic film stuck to the window glass.
The navigation system can also provide voice prompts via a smartphone's speaker or a car stereo that works with the Bluetooth short range radio technology. The app associated with the sat-nav system is available for iPhones, Android phones and Windows Phone 8 handsets.
The HUD automatically adjusts brightness levels to ensure that projected information is easy to read during the day and at night.
The Garmin HUD looked "interesting", said Tim Edwards, a principal engineer in the future transport technology division at motor industry research firm Mira.
"Car makers are starting to do this themselves but their challenge has always been development lifecycles," he said. "Your smartphone changes almost daily but there's a limit to how fast a car can be updated."
Mr Edwards said HUDs were starting to be standard in mid-range vehicles and were no longer confined to top-of-the-line models.
However, he said, the add-ons and gadgets produced by firms such as Panasonic and Garmin that people use on their own cars might be a better driver's aide than those made by car manufacturers.
"In a car, a HUD is usually built in and you cannot update it," he said.
HUDs that project information on to windscreens can cut down on driver distraction as people spend less time looking down at instruments and more with their eyes on the road, he added.
Such systems were likely to become more necessary as vehicles got progressively more autonomous because drivers would need to be quickly told if they suddenly needed to take over, said Mr Edwards.
Garmin said its HUD would cost about $130 (£86) when it went on sale in late summer. Regional maps for the associated Garmin app will cost about $30 (£20) each.

Driverless cars to be tested on UK roads by end of 2013

One robot car is being tested on roads at a science park near Oxford

Driverless cars will be tested on public roads by the end of 2013, says the UK government.

So far, UK trials of the autonomous vehicles have taken place only on private land.
Driverless cars are guided by a system of sensors and cameras and are seen as potentially safer and more efficient than regular vehicles.
As a safety measure, a back-up driver will ride along during tests who can take over in case of emergency.

Test track
The plans have been unveiled in a blueprint by the Department for Transport, as part of a £28bn investment in British roads to reduce congestion. The report says driverless vehicles are capable of driving on their own "using knowledge of the environment in which they are driving".
"They maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front at a set speed and without deviating from their lane - all without the driver's input," said the report.
For now, the cars will be driven on lightly-used rural and suburban roads in a "semi-autonomous" mode which gives human passengers the choice to intervene.

They will be tested by the same team of Oxford University researchers who have been developing and testing autonomous car technology on an adapted Nissan Leaf around Oxford Science Park.

The technology uses lasers and small cameras to memorise regular journeys like the commute or the school run.
Prof Paul Newman, who leads the Oxford team, told the BBC he was excited by the public trials in the UK. "It's a great area to be working in because it's IT and computers and that's what changes things. The British government sees that engineering is important."
The UK announcement follows public trials in other parts of the world. The US is leading the way, with three states - Nevada, Florida and California - all passing legislation around autonomous cars.
"Far fetched" Google has led efforts in the private sector, with its fleet of prototypes of a converted Toyota Prius covering more than 300,000 miles on public roads.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said he believed the self-driving car would "dramatically improve the quality of life for everyone", and that it would be commercially available within the decade.
Prof Newman acknowledged that Google were "trailblazers" but added: "They're not the only game in town."

A Volvo robot car project aims to link vehicles into a 'platoon' that travel together

Although initiatives so far have focused on adapting existing cars, many leading car makers including Ford, Audi and Volvo have also expressed their interest in developing the technology as the cost comes down, potentially paving the way for widespread use in mid-range vehicles.
They link an array of technologies inside the vehicle such as lane keep assist, advanced intelligent cruise control and advanced emergency braking in a so-called "sensor fusion".
Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, urged caution.
"In the past our members have expressed concern about fully autonomous cars, preferring human interaction," he told the BBC.
"The notion of reading the newspapers and drinking a cup of coffee is a bit far-fetched. It's early days and driverless cars won't be mainstream for a long time."
"But we have a variety of in-car technologies already, including guided parking and adaptive cruise control, so fully driverless cars will be the culmination of a gradual evolution, not an overnight revolution."

Robotic Origami Stroller Charges Your Mobile As You Push

Science is progressing fast, look at what we have achieved in the last decade! It never does cease to amaze us; new inventions, innovations, improving previous designs and making our lives easier everyday. We are living in the era of technology. What was once considered pure science fiction is actually, physically, present today and is functional. We have come a long way from the times when TV was found in handful of people’ house.
Remember ‘The Jetsons’? Those super awesome cartoons that used to air back in the days when cartoons were genuinely good and not just random stuff which didn’t make much sense. Yes, we are almost at the same technologically advanced environment or at least there are some certain inventions which make us feel that way, for example; this all new Origami Strollers which are robotic strollers. These strollers come up with quite a number of features; USB charger, street lights and a pedometer. They are amazingly astounding but as with any new gadget, they do need major improvisations and design improvements.

 They are still not portable and are quite bulky and hence heavy. However, keeping in mind that they are robotic, this isn’t something that was not expected. But we definitely hope that the makers would compensate this in the subsequent designs to make it more user-friendly. We also would want to point out another issue; when you’re trying to close it, the motors might jam during the collapsing. This may result in a panic attack for you and you will be left with half opened robot which cannot accommodate a child and you’d be carrying them both; child and your awesome stroller.

Google won’t be of much help when it comes to manually closing the stroller. Yes, everything does go wrong simultaneously! But let’s face it, this is a new invention that is probably in its test phase and all these glitches will hopefully be taken care of in the next design. However, one cannot deny that this is one cool gadget to own and has the luxury of a car in terms of the features that it has to offer.

Wi-Vi Uses WiFi Signals To Track Humans

Did you all watch ‘Man of steel’? Are you a die hard fan of superman, too? We bet you are! We all have, at one point, wanted the superpowers that he has.
Well, now we can.
Thanks to science and this technological era that is making everything possible! What we have is a technology that could soon be embedded into your smart phone and voila, you can see behind walls. Say hello to ‘Wi-Vi’ a proud invention of MIT professor Dina Katabi and student (graduate) Fadel Adib. This is a demonstration of the technology that makes use of Wi-Fi to let the users ‘see’ a person moving behind a wall.

The name is a combination of Wi-Fi and vision; get that? Wi and Vi combined! It has been proven that delicate reflections of wireless inter signals that bounce off a human can be used to track the person’s movements. However, these methods were tiresome and required either a Wi-Fi router in the same room as the person or as Professor Katabi puts it; ‘a whole truck just to carry the radio’.

This new gadget makes use of the antenna that is found in a cell phone or laptop and hence it could be, one day, added to a phone. The key idea is to cancel out certain reflections and retain those that are bouncing off the human. These signals do bounce off other stuff too; walls, floors and furniture and are 10,000-100,000 times stronger as to those which bounce off a human. Katabi’s Wi-Vi sends out two signals, each inverse of one another and using ‘interference nulling’ concept, they cancel each other out unless they hit a moving target! Pretty useful, seeing as how the other stuff is stationary as compared to walls, floors and furniture. 

Professor said; ‘To silence the noise, we change the structure of the Wi-Fi signal so all the undesired reflections cancel‘. The gadget will be portable and can be used for the safety purpose and could work as a baby monitor too. But the ultimate use might just be cops using it to catch the crooks.

Guy 3D Prints His Own Hand For Personal Use.

The wonders of science never seem to stop happening, wouldn’t you agree? Science has practically touched every profession and improved it in a lot of ways. Innovations and new methods and more efficient techniques and improvising the existing techniques, we are today living in an age where science is basically shaping everything around us to make our lives better. The profession of medical has benefited loads from science. Today even the most complex surgeries have been made simple by use of technology. Scientists are able to provide vaccines and antidotes for so many diseases which were once considered untreatable. This time inventor Richard Van has managed to build himself new fingers after losing his in a woodworking accident. Although it would have been much easier to give up and accept the decision of fate. However, Richard decided to fight back. For this battle he needed a companion and he chose his quite wisely.

Meet Ivan Owen, a person who made his living by creation of mechanical puppetry. This was the particular skill set that Richard required for his endeavors. Richard’s decision to fight back has changed a lot of lives and persons’ perspective about life. Richard says he had his mind made up about building new hands even before he left the Operation Theatre. These two partners, living miles apart, started working on the project. It was hard because of the fact that Ivan lived in Seattle while Richard lived in South Africa. Coming up with a prototype this way was turning into a nightmare when came the help; MakerBot. The use of videoconferencing and cloud computing had its perks. But it was hard to prototype a device for someone who lives so far off. We have talked so much about 3D printers and what wonders they are doing for the world of science. MakerBot is a New York based 3D printing company which helped this quest by providing the companions with two new MakerBot 3D printers. This proved to be the crucial thing since it became a walk in the park to come up with a prototype which could be tested right away. The quest ended successfully and without much delay once the partners had access to these 3D printers and that’s when it clicked Richard that this research could very well be used by others and in providing prosthetic hands to the deserving.

There is a disease known as Amniotic Band Syndrome; children born without fingers. This research, successful, could prove to be the light these children yearn for. The price for this 3D printed hand is $150. The hand known as Robohand has already helped a total of four children and Richard and Owen are hoping to see this number rise up. The design and steps to print Robohand are available on MakerBot’s thingiverse site for those who need them. As an ending note we would like to really commend the idea of 3D printing. We have seen it being used for 3D Printed  gun, The Liberator, and for other stuff; however, this particular use by far exceeds them all.

Scientists Discover A New Layer In Human Eye

What is so fascinating about science? It’s always progressing towards something new and what is considered top notch today will be outdated in a few years. However, a discovery in human anatomy is something we weren’t expecting to take place but it did! As it happens, the latest discovery about human anatomy is only 15 microns thick, but contrary to its thickness, this discovery is bound to have a huge impact on medical science. For starters, this discovery will result in making eye surgery much simpler and safer as compared to the present risks associated with eye surgery. The discoverer of this new found layer is Professor Harminder Dua  at the University of Nottingham.

He found a new layer present in the human cornea and has named it after him; Dua’s layer. This particular layer lies at the back of the cornea, the same cornea which was believed to have only five layers previously. The methodology in finding out this layer included Dua injecting air into the cornea and making use of an electron microscope to completely analyze each layer by scanning it. The eyes used for this research were, of course, the ones that had been donated for such research purposes. How many of you have heard about corneal hydrops? It is this disorder which allows for the building up of fluid in the cornea. The research team believes that a tear in Dua’s layer is the cause for this disorder.

The team also believes that the finding of this new layer will drastically improve the surgery outcomes related to corneal grafts and transplants. Professor Dua had the following to say regarding the new discovery; ‘This is a major discovery that will mean that ophthalmology textbooks will literally need to be re-written. From a clinical perspective, there are many diseases that affect the back of the cornea which clinicians across the world are already beginning to relate to the presence, absence or tear in this layer.’

The World’s Largest Solar Powered Ship

Global Energy crisis is a hot debate these days and scientists are coming up with alternative means to provide for the power requirements. We covered the flying wind mill a few days back and they keep coming up with new innovative methods for power generation. While some of them can be employed on a larger scale and may provide energy for more than one individual, some projects focus on individuals and deliver power for a single household or a vehicle. Solar power has been around for quite some time now and is proving to be very versatile and adaptable source of energy. Today we present the world’s largest solar powered ship. As the name implies, the idea is not new. However, it is impressive because of the scale of things. PlanetSolar has come up with this ship that runs on solar power. The ship has a length of 31m and a width of 15m. Want to take a guess of how many kilowatts it can generate? Here’s a hint, the engine requires around 20 kW. The ship is able to capture almost 103.4 kW of solar energy! That is five times more than what is required. The engine requires 20 kW to achieve a mean speed of 8 knots which is equal to 15 Kph or 9Mph and it is possible for the ship to go twice as fast. This marvelous solar powered ship weighs about 60 ton and costs $24.4 million! The assembly of this ship was carried out at Knierim Yacht club in Kiel, Northern Germany. It took 14 months for this ship to be assembled and launched.

To ensure full maximum solar energy generation, solar cell covered flaps have been installed which are extended at the stern and amidships. Photovoltaic cells have been provided by SunPower and a huge number of 38,000 units have been installed on the ship. The company claims that these photovoltaic cells have an efficiency of 22 %, which renders them as the most efficient photovoltaic cells available in the market right now. The idea conceiver, Raphaël Domjan, is from Switzerland and along with Frenchman Gérard d’Aboville, made the world’s first trip around the world that was powered by solar energy. They travelled more than 60,000 km and ended their trip on 4^th May, 2012.

The PlanetSolar team stated that their invention is not intended to replace any traditional marine vehicles. However, they stressed that boating as a activity has been around for a long time and has become a source of pollution for the environment and people have forgotten how clean their transport can be. “Today the boat is the most used means of transport of goods. It represents single-handedly almost 1.4 billions of tons of carbon dioxide (in 2008), that is 6% of the total carbon dioxide emissions and twice more than the air transport.” The project comes with zero environmental pollution and that is perhaps the most impressive feature of this world’s largest solar powered ship.