‘Hardware News’ Archives
Author: chris Published: April 22nd, 2013
Wondering when we’ll be able to control our Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Tab 2 with our minds. Samsung is making sure this happens in the foreseeable future.
According to MIT Technology Review, “In collaboration with Roozbeh Jafari, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas, Dallas, Samsung researchers are testing how people can use their thoughts to launch an application, select a contact, select a song from a playlist, or power up or down a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. While Samsung has no immediate plans to offer a brain-controlled phone, the early-stage research, which involves a cap studded with EEG-monitoring electrodes, shows how a brain-computer interface could help people with mobility issues complete tasks that would otherwise be impossible.”
How does it work? The site explains, “To use EEG-detected brain signals to control a smartphone, the Samsung and UT Dallas researchers monitored well-known brain activity patterns that occur when people are shown repetitive visual patterns. In their demonstration, the researchers found that people could launch an application and make selections within it by concentrating on an icon that was blinking at a distinctive frequency.”
Samsung’s lead researcher, Insoo Kim, says, “Several years ago, a small keypad was the only input modality to control the phone, but nowadays the user can use voice, touch, gesture, and eye movement to control and interact with mobile devices. Adding more input modalities will provide us with more convenient and richer ways of interacting with mobile devices.”
He adds, “It is nearly impossible to accurately predict what the future might bring, but given the broad support for initiatives such as the U.S. BRAIN initiative, improvements in man-machine interfaces seem inevitable.”
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Tags: Insoo Kim, mind-control, Roozbeh Jafari, samsung, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Category Hardware News |
Author: chris Published: April 17th, 2013
According to a report, the rumoured Windows Phone 8-powered Nokia EOS will sport a whopping 41-megpaixel camera. The report also says the handset may sport a quad-core processor.
The report comes to us via The Nokia Blog. The site reports, “According to our source Nokia are currently working/testing on two different models of the EOS, which have the same specs but a different processor a: Dual Core version , and a Quad core running the latest Snapdragon 800; the main issue appears to be the poor battery performance of the quad core variant which might ultimately lead to releasing a dual core variant. This does ring true, seeing how the Lumia 720′s product managers themselves have told us that they tested out a 1ghz, and 512mb versions of the phone; so it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to hear of a Dual/Quad core version of the same phone being tests, especially with the latest rumor of GDR3 brinign Quad core support.”
Speaking about other rumoured specs, the site says, “The EOS is said to have a similar battery to that of the 920 (2000 mAh), alongside a similar screen resolution; with the exception of it being an Amoled screen; which is once again strengthened by the recent leak of the 928′s Amoled screen; and the low power sleeping screen support in future updates. In regards to actual camera performance the EOS should pack a similar camera sensor to its predecessor, with a 41MP sensor, Xenon & LED flash, OIS and possibly a Variable Aperture lens (like the N86) also mentioned is a more detailed camera UI similar to that of on the 808.”
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Tags: 41 megapixel, 41-megapixel camera, chip, EOS, Nokia, Nokia EOS, Processor, PureView, quad-core chip, quad-core processor
Category Hardware News |
Author: chris Published: April 11th, 2013
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is yet to arrive in shops, but this hasn’t stopped a repair expert from taking the phone apart.
According to TechnoBuffalo, “A trusted source has already gotten their hands on a Galaxy S4 and has taken it apart for the world to see in a video they sent in.”
The site adds, “Our source told us that the Galaxy S4 is incredibly easy to fix— even easier than the Galaxy S III. Why? The source explained that several components can be easily replaced, including the microSD card slot, the SIM slot, the microUSB charging port, the camera module and more. That’s great news for potential Galaxy S4 owners that are worried about problems down the line. There’s a catch, however.
“Our source said the Gorilla Glass display could cause a problem. The glass on the Galaxy Note II, and on the Galaxy S III were easier to remove and you could replace the glass component with a third party purchase. Gorilla Glass is expensive, however, and our source estimates replacing it would not be a cheap endeavor… it could cost more than $200. Despite that single concern our source proclaimed it one of the “most repairable smartphones” he or she has ever worked on.
“So here’s what we’ve learned: the Samsung Galaxy S4 is very easy to repair, almost infinitely easier than the unibody aluminum HTC One. You still might be out of luck if you shatter your screen, but at least most other components can be swapped out easily. Whether or not this changes your buying decision is a totally different story; that’s why warranties exist, right?”
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Tags: Galaxy S4, repair, S4, samsung, Samsung Galaxy S4, teardown
Category Hardware News |
