Showing posts with label get. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2014
How to get the best photos from Android 4 4 KitKat
Get your hands on the stock version of Android 4.4 KitKat and youll find theres a new camera app for recording your life on the move. Its not a revolution in photo-snapping technology, but there are some neat new features that you should make yourself aware of.
Weve also covered a few of the options that have been carried over from 4.3 that you might not know about. If youre using 4.4 KitKat on a Nexus 5, check out our review too. You can launch the camera from the apps page or by swiping right on the lock screen.
The headline feature in the new camera app is the HDR+ mode, which gives you a better colour and saturation balance in return for a few milliseconds extra lag (as the camera takes several snaps that it can then combine).
Tap the settings circle in the app and youll find the HDR+ option over on the left. Its certainly not the option to reach for if youre trying to take a quick snap, but if you have time to compose your picture you can get more impressive results with HDR+ switched on. Of course the quality of the app is only half the story -- youll also be relying on the quality of the lens in your device.
The settings within the camera app are by-and-large the same as they were in Android 4.3, but if youre making the jump from a different version of the mobile OS then they are worth flagging up.
Tap the settings circle to access them: modify the exposure setting to let in more or less light and head to the more options page (follow the icon that looks like a row of sliders) to access the white balance options: incandescent, fluorescent, auto, daylight and cloudy are the ones you can pick from, helping you to avoid a strange-looking colour cast on your pictures. Theres a camera timer countdown option too, in case you want to get in a shot with all of your pals.
There are scene modes in the Android 4.4 KitKat camera too, carried over from the previous version: action, night, sunset and party are the options to choose from here, which should cover you for most situations.
The effectiveness of these mode settings can be a little hit and miss in our experience, but there are times when they do make a substantial difference in the quality of your finished photo. Note that choosing a specific scene setting will override the flash setting youve configured, so you might find your phone or tablet blasting out light when you werent expecting it.
Googles photo storage and editing services are all over the place. Google+ has more or less taken over from Picasa, but the provision of both Gallery and Photos apps in Android 4.4 KitKat can be a little confusing.
The Google-owned Snapseed is still available as a separate app on Google Play, but now most of its features are in the aforementioned Gallery app (with some of them in Photos too -- told you it was confusing). All that preamble is a long-winded way of saying you can apply edits to your photos very easily: open up a picture in the Gallery and tap the pencil icon to make changes. Its non-destructive, which means you can undo all of your changes in one swoop if you need to.
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Weve also covered a few of the options that have been carried over from 4.3 that you might not know about. If youre using 4.4 KitKat on a Nexus 5, check out our review too. You can launch the camera from the apps page or by swiping right on the lock screen.
1. HDR+ your life
The headline feature in the new camera app is the HDR+ mode, which gives you a better colour and saturation balance in return for a few milliseconds extra lag (as the camera takes several snaps that it can then combine).
Tap the settings circle in the app and youll find the HDR+ option over on the left. Its certainly not the option to reach for if youre trying to take a quick snap, but if you have time to compose your picture you can get more impressive results with HDR+ switched on. Of course the quality of the app is only half the story -- youll also be relying on the quality of the lens in your device.
2. Check your settings
The settings within the camera app are by-and-large the same as they were in Android 4.3, but if youre making the jump from a different version of the mobile OS then they are worth flagging up.
Tap the settings circle to access them: modify the exposure setting to let in more or less light and head to the more options page (follow the icon that looks like a row of sliders) to access the white balance options: incandescent, fluorescent, auto, daylight and cloudy are the ones you can pick from, helping you to avoid a strange-looking colour cast on your pictures. Theres a camera timer countdown option too, in case you want to get in a shot with all of your pals.
3. Set the scene
There are scene modes in the Android 4.4 KitKat camera too, carried over from the previous version: action, night, sunset and party are the options to choose from here, which should cover you for most situations.
The effectiveness of these mode settings can be a little hit and miss in our experience, but there are times when they do make a substantial difference in the quality of your finished photo. Note that choosing a specific scene setting will override the flash setting youve configured, so you might find your phone or tablet blasting out light when you werent expecting it.
4. Edit on the go
Googles photo storage and editing services are all over the place. Google+ has more or less taken over from Picasa, but the provision of both Gallery and Photos apps in Android 4.4 KitKat can be a little confusing.
The Google-owned Snapseed is still available as a separate app on Google Play, but now most of its features are in the aforementioned Gallery app (with some of them in Photos too -- told you it was confusing). All that preamble is a long-winded way of saying you can apply edits to your photos very easily: open up a picture in the Gallery and tap the pencil icon to make changes. Its non-destructive, which means you can undo all of your changes in one swoop if you need to.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Now youll never get any sleep! Pillow doubles up as a CHARGER so your mobile and tablet never loses power
If you just cant be without your phone or tablet, even when youre in bed, a pair of Canadian inventors have created a pillow that doubles up as a charger.
Read more »
The Power Pillow comes with two portable batteries, and each battery is fitted with two USB ports capable of charging a phone and tablet at the same time.
Its makers claim each battery will charge an iPhone six times before it runs out of power, but will need to be charged for 10 hours to reach full capacity again.
The Power Pillow is aimed at people who watch films or TV, check emails, or read on their tablets and Kindles in bed.
It is the brainchild of Canadian inventor Geoff Martin who came up with the idea when he was speaking to his brother on the phone in bed and his battery ran out.
He started working on the project with his partner Lisa Sutt and they created various designs and prototypes.
The pair has now launched a campaign on Kickstarter and is hoping to raise $30,000 (£18,200) to fund the device.
The pillow is being sold for $79 (£48) for a pillow and one battery.
People who donate $124 (£76) will be sent a cushion, two batteries, and two micro USB cables.
Lisa, 37, from Nova Scotia in Canada, said: ‘Geoff and I were relaxing in bed when his brother Frank called: While he was on the phone with his brother he blurted out "why not have a pillow that you can directly connect your phone to for charging."
‘I was sitting next to him on the bed working on my laptop and thought it was a good idea, and we immediately started working on the Power Pillow.
‘We have gone through dozens of design drawings, dozens of batteries and over a dozen prototypes.’
The charging system comes with two 12000mAh battery packs, one is kept in the pillow along with a charging USB cable.
The other pack is charged separately via a wall plug.
When one battery dies, it can be replaced with the fully-charged pack so the pillow is never without charge.
Alternatively, the second battery can be carried in a bag or pocket and used to charge a device when out of the house.
Each lithium polymer battery in the pillow is lined with ExStatic fabric made with carbon nanotubes to offer protection against the voltage. They are also cased in a battery pack.
‘In a nut shell, Power Pillow will make running to an outlet a thing of the past,‘ continued Sutt.
‘Even with one per cent battery left on your phone, by simply plugging into the Power Pillow right beside you, you will extend your call for literally hours. The same goes for watching movies and playing games.’
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