The Polaroi0d SC163 may look like a smartphone, but it is in fact Polaroid’s latest camera innovation shown off at CES 2012. Of course onlookers would not be too far off, because the Polaroid SC1630 is a camera with smartphone features built-in.
Today’s smartphones now have cameras capable of rivalling even some
of the best dedicated digital compact cameras out there, with W-Fi and
3G internet connectivity built-in to the Polaroid SC1630. Pay attention. This could be the future of digital cameras.
The Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera is a
genuinely innovative bit of kit. By running a tailored version of the
Android operating system seen on smartphones and delivering internet
access on-the-move, the Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera blurs the line between smartphone and digital camera.
Owners will be able to check email, and upload photos to
social-networking websites such as Facebook. Its 16-megapixel sensor
sensor comfortably tops those found on any smartphone you’ll find in
stores. A 3x optical zoom,18 different scene modes, and image
stablization all sound pretty handy.
You won’t be able to make calls using the Polaroid SC1630, but as cameras go, the Polaroid SC1630 is as close to smartphones as they come.
The Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera will hit U.S stores in April for $299, or around the £190 mark when it reaches UK shores.
What’s that? The Kevin Keegan perm, unfeasibly tight, small shorts and Polaroid cameras
are back in fashion? Well, er, no. Actually maybe that last one,
because Polaroid has only gone and announced the arrival of the PoGo
Instant Digital Camera – a digital camera with built-in printer.
So what’s the deal? Well, the PoGo is actually an amalgamation of its Zink instant printer
and a digital camera. Just take a snap of your four girlfriends
stuffing their faces (as can be seen in the above image) – you can frame
it up easily on the three-inch screen – then print away. Polaroid says
that it’ll deliver a 2×3 inch print in under 60 seconds, and because it
uses Zink technology and Zink paper there’s no having to wait for ink to
dry.
The PoGo is going on sale in America in March, with a European
release to follow shortly. This could be the biggest comeback since that
amazing new band, Take That. Okay, bad example, but we are quite
excited about this. Now, where did we put those flares?
The front-engined, rear-wheel drive convertible was previewed at the 2011 IAA by the C-X16 concept. Despite that concept being a coupe, the F-Type, which is a soft-top convertible, remains remarkably faithful to the concept.
Jaguar claims that its models have “always defined sinuous, muscular simplicity”, adding that the F-Type follows the same principles.
“A piece of design should tell a story and this is why every line in the F-Type has a start, a direction and a conclusion”, said the brand’s director of design Ian Callum. “If you approach every line individually and get it as aesthetically correct as possible, get the dimensions right, it will stand the test of time”, he added.
Despite being touted as the spiritual successor to the iconic E-Type, the shape of the F-Type is anything but retro. In fact, even though Jaguar mentions the clamshell bonnet and its “power bulge” in an effort to connect the two models, the F-Type breaks with tradition by having an angular, instead of an oval, grille. The same holds true for the interior, which is labeled by Jaguar as a “one plus one”. That’s not to say that the passenger’s seat is close to useless, as in 2+2 seaters, but that the cabin is focused around the driver whose space is defined by the swooping handle at the center console and the different, more “technical” materials used on this side of the dashboard.
Both the chassis and the bodywork are constructed of aluminum in order to keep weight as low as possible while increasing rigidity by more than 30 percent in key areas compared to any other Jaguar model. The suspension features aluminum double wishbones all around and the steering has a quick rack for immediate response to the driver’s input.
Jaguar’s new sports car will be available at launch in three versions: the F-Type, the F-Type S and the F-Type V8 S.
The first two are powered by a new supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Output is 340 PS (335 HP) for the base model and 380 PS (375 HP) for the S, with the former covering the 0-60 mph sprint in 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h: 5.3 seconds) and the latter in 4.8 seconds (0-100 km/h: 4.3 seconds) respectively. The S has a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph), 15 km/h (10 mph) more than the base V6.
The supercharged V8 is a newly developed unit that pumps out 495 PS (488 HP) and 625 Nm (460.9 lb-ft) of torque. The top-of-the –range F-Type V8S accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds (0-100 km/h: 4.3 seconds) and reaches an electronically governed top speed of 300 km/h (185 mph).
In all versions, power is transferred to the rear wheels via an eight-speed “Quickshift” auto transmission, with the V6 S sporting a Dynamic Launch feature.
The F-Type may retain the “hidden” air vents of the XF and XJ, but it foregoes their rising circular gear selector for a new, more conventional unit that the company compares to a joystick.
In the UK, pricing starts at £58,500 (€73,473, US$94,500) for the V6, £67,500 (€84,777, US$109,100) for the V6 S and £79,950 (€100,391, US$129,200) for the V8 S and the first cars will be delivered to customers from mid-2013.
Expect U.S. prices to be lower when Jaguar makes an announcement in the coming months.
You can check out the extensive image gallery and the first official video (without any camouflage, that is) of the new Jaguar F-Type right after the break.
Intel just outed its new Atom SoC, and at its tablet event in San Francisco today, the company had a whole slew of slates packing the Clover Trail silicon on hand. Dell's Latitude 10, the ASUS Tablet 810, Acer's Iconia W510 and W700, Lenovo's ThinkPad 2, the HP Envy x2 and Samsung's Series 5
were all there. However, it was the handsome slice of Windows 8 from
ZTE that really caught our attention. Called the V98, it has a
10.1-inch, 1366 x 768 LCD on top of an aluminum chassis with a beveled
edge similar to what you'd find on a white iPhone 5.
Beneath that handsome exterior is the aforementioned Intel Z2760
chipset, 64GB of ROM, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (plus a microSD
slot if you need more digital space). There's 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, GPS,
Bluetooth 4.0, tri-band UMTS and quad-band GSM radios, plus NFC and LTE
can be had as options. It's got an accelerometer, proximity and ambient
light sensors, a magnetometer and a gyro, too. An 8-megapixel camera is
stuck in the back, while a 2-megapixel shooter resides round front. ZTE
managed to stuff all that and a 7,000mAh battery inside a svelte
8.9mm-thin package.
We got to spend a little bit of time with a
prototype ZTE model, and found the hardware to be solid for a hand-built
unit. Its aluminum chassis makes for quite a rigid device in hand, and
the machined and polished bevel gives the V98 a very high-end look. The
chromed plastic volume rocker, power button and screen orientation lock
switch nestled in the plastic radio reception strip at the top of the
device are decidedly less luxurious, however -- the travel of each was
shallow, and the finish on the plastic appeared a bit cheap to our eyes.
That said, the rotating magnetic aluminum door that reveals the SD card
and SIM slots is slick -- far easier to open and close than the plastic
port covers found on most other slates. There's also a 30-pin docking
port on the bottom edge of the tablet, but ZTE informed us it'd be
another month or so before the dock is ready for public consumption.
Unfortunately, the V98 won't be available for purchase until Q1 of next
year, but you can see if its worth waiting for in our gallery of shots
below.
Even if you already use an iPad or Android tablet for work, chances are a Windows 8 tablet isn't the first things that pops into your head when you thinking about working on the go.
This could be all set to change in October though, especially if Dell has its way.
We've
managed to get our hands on the Dell Latitude 10 tablet, and its fair
to say that this already feels like a better thought-out offering than
what we've seen on the market from Dell previously.
A major part of this can be attributed to Dell partnering with its
tried and tested partners, namely Microsoft and Intel. The former for
the operating system, and the latter for the important silicon driving
this tablet. We saw a couple of Dell tablets at IFA 2012 recently,
namely the Dell XPS 10 and the Dell Duo 12, but this is its first offering in its professional Latitude line.
There
are a lot of hopes pinned on the Microsoft tablet-focused OS, but Dell
does seem to have pieced together a solid proposition with the Latitude
10, with its business focus giving it a unique selling point in a market
that is predominantly focused on consumers..
Even if you already use an iPad or Android tablet for work, chances are a Windows 8 tablet isn't the first things that pops into your head when you thinking about working on the go.
This could be all set to change in October though, especially if Dell has its way.
We've
managed to get our hands on the Dell Latitude 10 tablet, and its fair
to say that this already feels like a better thought-out offering than
what we've seen on the market from Dell previously.
A
major part of this can be attributed to Dell partnering with its tried
and tested partners, namely Microsoft and Intel. The former for the
operating system, and the latter for the important silicon driving this
tablet. We saw a couple of Dell tablets at IFA 2012 recently, namely the
Dell XPS 10 and the Dell Duo 12, but this is its first offering in its professional Latitude line.
There
are a lot of hopes pinned on the Microsoft tablet-focused OS, but Dell
does seem to have pieced together a solid proposition with the Latitude
10, with its business focus giving it a unique selling point in a market
that is predominantly focused on consumers.
Dell
isn't the only manufacturer doing this, but the handful of optional
extras – including fingerprint and smart card readers – combined with
the company's experiences supporting plenty of big companies should win
out.
The fact Dell will be shipping a powered docking station
alludes to the business asperations it has for this device, with the 4
USB port hub enables you to hook up a monitor, keyboard and mouse to
turn it in a full working PC.
Probably the biggest headline
grabbing feature of the Latitude 10 is the fact that Dell has engineered
it with a replaceable battery - something pretty much unheard of in
tablet circles. Dell believes the 2-cell battery should be good for
around 10 hours in normal use, which is pretty standard for tablets.
There's a 2MP front facing camera, capable of recording 720p video,
while the 8MP rear facing camera can handle more serious shots and
boasts an LED flash and autofocus.
In use we found the Latitude 10
to be responsive, comfortable to use and natural fit for Windows 8 and
Dell's aspirations for it to handle more than simple consumption. We'll
hold off a full review though until we get to use the Latitude 10 for a
long period once Windows 8 has been released.
Early verdict
From
our initial inspection, the Latitude 10 feels like a true business
tablet. And that's meant as much as a compliment as it is a criticism
for its functional aesthetics. The replaceable battery isn't hidden
behind some sleek aluminum plate, and those gaping ports haven't been
left out in order to create a smooth piece of industrial design.
Just as Windows 8 affords a new ethos for tablets, so the Dell
Latitude 10 focuses on what you can do with this tablet, rather than how
smoothly it slides into your over designer bag. Anyone looking to do
more than just play games and read books on their tablet should keep an
eye on this one.
The Dell Latitude 10 release date is 26th October, to coincide with the Windows 8 release date.
NEW DELHI: Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal Monday said that from next year mobile phone users will not have to pay roaming charges.
When asked when does the government plan to remove roaming charges as per the National Telecom Policy 2012, Sibal said it will be free from next year.
In May this year, the cabinet approved a new telecom policy that seeks to do away with roaming charges throughout the country.
Currently,
a user pays an extra amount called roaming charge while making or
receiving calls in a circle outside his home network.
The new policy, approved in May, paves the way for free roaming and nationwide mobile number portability.
The
minister also said the new policy would replace the older regulation,
which has been in effect for more than 12 years now and provides a
predictable and stable policy regime for a period of nearly 10 years.
Aston Martin has been top of the annual Coolbrands
survey for six of the last seven years but this year it has been
overtaken by Apple,
which released the iPhone 5 last week.
Technology brands were well represented in the top 20, with YouTube coming
second, Twitter in fourth - a place behind Aston Martin - and Google fifth.
Bang & Olufsen, Sony, Bose and Skype also made the Coolbrands top 20, which
was determined by a survey of 3,000 people and the opinions of 39 designers,
style magazine editors and other experts. Judges are asked to rate brands
based on their uniqueness, originality, style, innovation, authenticity and
desirability.
Stephen Cheliotis, chairman of the CoolBrands expert council, said: "It is
interesting that in this age of austerity our perception of cool has
increasingly shifted from aspirational, luxury brands to free or more
affordable brands that provide us with pleasure."
Those dropping out of the list this year include two technology brands:
BlackBerry and Nintendo. Also out of this year's list were Ferrari,
Alexander McQueen and Chanel.
New entrants this year include two ice cream brands - Ben & Jerry's and
Haagen-Dazs - as well as Virgin Atlantic, the Glastonbury festival and the
BBC iPlayer.
The Coolbrands 2012 top 20
1. Apple
2. YouTube
3. Aston Martin
4. Twitter
5. Google
6. BBC iPlayer
7. Glastonbury
8. Virgin Atlantic
9. Bang & Olufsen
10. Liberty
11. Sony
12. Bose
13. Haagen-Dazs
14. Selfridges
15. Ben & Jerry's
16. Mercedes-Benz
17. Vogue
18. Skype
19. Nike
20. Nikon
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