The aspect I like about the S4 Zoom is the mode descriptions. It takes the guess work out of adjusting the camera settings. So it you see moving water or a waterfall, you switch to waterfall mode. And below is the end result. Stunning in my book.
If you click on photo, you can save it full size.
Firstly, the Lumia 925 does not have an optical zoom, so zoomed photos will be difficult to compete with. So with this in mind, I took the same photo in perfect lighting conditions to see which phone took the better shot. Auto mode was used for everything.
S4 Zoom
And now the same shot with the Lumia 925
So what do you think? Can you tell the difference. The Lumia 925 looks better, more vibrant colours, but there is more detail in the S4 Zoom shot. The S4 Zoom shot allows you to zoom in on photo and captures more detail at a higher magnification than the photo by the Lumia 925. But I actually prefer the overall shot from the Lumia 925.
According to Gameinformer, Amazon is hatching a new plan to take on the console world.
The online giant is planning to take on the likes of Ouya with its own-brand Android console which would tap directly into the company’s own Appstore, with a launch date pegged for the end of the year.
Personally, I just think Amazon will release new Kindle Fire’s that will work with a game controller.
Welcome back again. To recap on the earlier review sections, click here.
In part 4, I am going to comment on areas or features I am enjoying and worth a mention.
1 – The first thing I have noticed is the persistent clock on the lock screen. It is a digital clock and it is always visible. Something so simple, yet so useful, just being able to glance down and read the time, without having to press a button.
2 – Double tapping the screen to unlock the lock screen. A simple idea that just works really well. I also like some of the lock screen options. See screen shot further down of my bird.
3 – Having a dedicated camera button is excellent. Press and hold from the lock screen to fire up the camera, half press to focus and then shoot. Also tapping on the screen to take a photo is another feature I really like.
4 – The camera really does take some smashing photos, both indoors and outdoors. Low light is not much of an issue for the 925 so once again lovely photos are snapped.
5 – Nokia include a large bundle of software from free internet radio music streaming, photo editing, camera tricks, maps and turn by turn navigation to name a few of my highlights.
6 – Google email, contact and calendar worked out of the box
7 – Even though Google mail is available, if you have a Windows Phone you really need to accept you will be drawn towards Microsoft’s products. And that is not as bad thing. You get Office out of the box. Skydrive is Microsofts cloud solution, and I like the idea that my photos are uploaded to it.
8 – Several months ago, I had a Lumia 620, and when I entered my hotmail email, the Lumia 925 restored all my data, including text messages. I was surprised. No apps were restored though.
9. On the app front, I have managed to find all the apps or an equivalent in the Windows Marketplace (app store). It seems to have got a lot better, even in the last 3 months. However, it is not at the maturity of iOS and android. One area that has shot forward is games. NOVA and HALO and now in the app store and there are some new games appearing that are not available on other platforms. However, the app store allows you to trial software, and then if you like you can buy it. Now that is a concept I would like adopted by android and Apple.
10. The menus and layouts. I simply love the large oversized text and screens. Just makes viewing the device that much easier.
11. The keyboard – the best. It is so easy to enter text on the keyboard, and the screen responsive is superb.
12. The negatives are really not the Lumia 925’s fault, but that of Windows Phone 8. It needs a notification centre. Or a live tile that accumulates every missed notification.
13. The design and build of the Lumia 925 is in my opinion stunning.
14. The audio quality through headphones is really excellent. Dolby surround sound is available too. Options like audio levelling are handy. The loudspeaker is ok, a bit tinny.
15. Battery life. Still early days but it seems to me that it can last a day.
16. The only aspect I am not too keen on is the micro usb port being at the top of the device.
17. Memory. The Lumia 925 is 16gb, which had 12gb free after first installation.
In summary, it is a very good phone to use that takes excellent photos.
The Telegraph is reporting that BlackBerry, may throw in the towel and consider takeover offers as the company’s turnaround falters, according to reports.
Following this announcement it’s shares rose 7.5%.
BlackBerry has some valuable assets so lets hope they don’t get wasted whatever happens.
Asus, CEO Jerry Shen spoke to the Wall Street Journal, and repeated that “Windows RT has not been very successful” and said that the company took a writedown on its stock of RT tablets.
He also said that, from now on, ASUS will solely make Windows 8 devices that run on Intel / x86 processors, due to the backwards compatibility with Windows software offered by those products.
The Microsoft offering with 2 different types of Windows was just too confusing and limited. Asus is not the only company to suffer huge losses due to poor sales.
10th September 2013, is the day Apple holds its first new product launch in nearly a year.
The event on the 10th will centre around the new iPhone. Whether it will include any more new devices is unknown at present.
The latest rumour surrounding the replacement for the iPhone 5 is that the home button will double up as a fingerprint sensor. The iPhone 5S will include a better camera module, improved processor and a few other small software enhancements, but fundamentally look similar to the iPhone 5.
Then there is the budget iPhone, rumoured to be available in multiple colours.
So for all the Apple fans out there, the wait is nearly over.
In this part I will look at the zoom aspect of the phone. If you are interested in the earlier parts, click here.
So below is a photo I took at the weekend, just in auto mode and without zoom.
And now with a small amount of zoom, about 4 x zoom. This enabled me to zoom much closer to the tor in the middle of Burrator Reservoir, Dartmoor.
It was taken from a slightly different angle, but on the same walkway.
Its odd, but now I know I can zoom in and take good quality photos, I seem to be using the zoom function a lot more. In fact I would say at least 50% of my photos taken have some sort of zoom used. This was another example of the zoom, but this time at full 10 x zoom. This enabled me to lose some of the power lines on the right side.
One last point, none of the S4 Zoom photos have been edited on my blog. They are as identical to how the phone shot them.
Okay, some more 925 camera samples using panoramic and smart camera, plus some other varied shots.
Smart Cam
Close up
In to the sun
And finally a panoramic shot
A judge on Friday refused a request by Apple to temporarily suspend her ruling that it violated antitrust laws by conspiring with publishers to raise electronic book prices in 2010.
Judge Denise Cote, ruling from the bench in Manhattan federal court, declined to withdraw the effect of last month’s ruling while Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Inc. appeals.
The future doesn’t look so bright for the iBookstores’ agency model, as it looks like the agreements with publishers will be ending very soon if things don’t turn around for Apple.
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