Google is having a hard time with the Nexus 5. Specifications for the device leaked earlier thanks to a repair manual, the phone itself appeared in an image that Google released and a video of the device followed soon after. Now there are two more leaks in the dam. The first of these is an image, apparently from Canadian mobile operator Telus. The shot of the phone (below) shows what looks like the Android 4.4 home screen. There are a few differences in familiar icons as well as at least one new one. Website Mobile Syrup, who first obtained the…
Author: Brett Venter
Makeup isn’t something that immediately jumps to mind when you think about technology but that may be about to change. Katia Vega, a computer scientist at the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio, Brazil, has shown off several forms of technological makeup and cosmetics at the Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces conference in the UK earlier this month. Vega has combined metallic fake eyelashes with eyeshadow which is capable of conducting a low voltage current in order to control a small drone, turn LED lights on or off and also to switch images being projected on a wall. Vega explained the so-called Blinkifier’s…
Paging John Connor. Military robotics are often offensively utilised and the latest versions of a ground-based military drone are no different. Four companies have reportedly tested machine-gun mounted mobile drones at an event for the US Army at Fort Benning last week. Other uses of robots in military scenarios were also explored, according to the initial report from Computer World, including clearing minefields and obstacles and hauling loads through rough terrain. But it’s the live-fire test of robots with machine guns that is the most visually impressive of the lot. The Terminator extra above is called the Protector (specs, PDF),…
Nikon has shown off its first WiFI and GPS-sporting DSLR camera, an update of their D5200 unit. The D5300 features a new 24.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor with an EXPEED 4 processor, along with a few other improvements. Chief among these are obviously the WiFi and GPS inclusions. The WiFi is 802.11, though Nikon hasn’t specified which standard it supports, while the also-new GPS system will allow users to geo-tag images as they go. The WiFi, a first for Nikon’s DSLRs, permits direct emails and uploads to social networks and other online destinations. Other highlights from Nikon’s updated shooter are…
LG, at an event held at Montecasino in Johannesburg today, launched their “world’s first” curved OLED TV in South Africa. The television set, the 55EA9800, promises an “…amazingly immersive and comfortable viewing experience” according to LG. Also launched at the event were two smaller additions to LG’s UHD (4K) lineup of TVs. LG has followed up the launch of a 84-inch UHD TV with 65- and 55-inch models. Both sets, the 65LA9700 and 55LA9650, feature LG’s Tru-ULTRA HD Engine, which LG claims can upscale “any type of content” to near UHD quality, something which Stuff has yet to see in action. The ability…
Several gamers who were particularly keen on a certain game are going to have a disappointing Festive season. Ubisoft have just announced that Watch_Dogs, one of the most anticipated games for this year, has been delayed until 2014. Another title from the publisher, The Crew, has also been delayed. The open-world techno-thriller was due to launch in November this year but the game has been pushed back to “spring 2014”. Engadget reports that both delayed titles will be launching some time after 1 April 2014, in Ubisoft’s new fiscal year. The reasoning behind the delay, according to a follow-up blog…
There have been rumours that Amazon is working on a smartphone for some time and a new report, from the Financial Times, has resurrected the speculation by claiming that HTC will be working with Amazon the device – or rather a series of them. There are reportedly three phones in development with one of these “at an advanced stage of development” but the Financial Times report cites a source as saying that the phone that is closest to release may not ever see the light of day. Though unconfirmed, HTC would seem to be a fairly sensible choice for Amazon…
Apple was previously thought to be hosting its year-end event on 22 October and now the company has sent out the media invitations to confirm it. The event will take place in San Francisco and is expected to feature Apple’s new iPads as well as a few other details. The invitation itself claims that Apple “still have a lot of ground to cover” so it’s likely that the new iPads won’t be the only things on show. The iPad is expected to be refreshed, possibly in line with the iPhone 5s with a fingerprint scanner being added to the tablet.…
Free-to-air satellite offering OpenView HD has officially gone live in South Africa. OpenView HD is a new idea for the country where customers can get their hands on satellite television access without having to pay a monthly fee. All that is required is the decoder and satellite dish, which is being sold for “approximately” R1600 according to Platco Digital, the company behind the free-to-air offering. Installation costs don’t seem to be included in that pricing. Available at launch for OpenView HD are fourteen channels. Four of these are the standard free South African channels; SABC’s trio and eTV but eTV…
BlackBerry has published an open letter to its users, in “major publications around the world” and on its websites, telling their users that they can “…continue to count on BlackBerry.” The aim of the letter is to “set the record straight” for BlackBerry users, outlining the challenges that the company is facing at the moment as well as the advantages that the company holds. As The Verge points out, the letter is an admission that public perception of BlackBerry is not very positive at present and the company’s message to its users is an attempt to dispel the notion that the…