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Google announces Helpouts

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Google Helpouts is a brand new service from Google that will let you get help on any topic you want from real people over the internet through a video call. The service offers you a bunch of topics to choose from and you can also type in what you need help with.

Helpouts then presents you with options that match your query. You will see a list of Helpouts that you can choose from that best match your query, with the name of the people who will be conducting the call. You can start a Helpout call with the person immediately or schedule it for later. Read more »

Nikon Df is a modern full frame DSLR in a classic body

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Nikon has announced a new member of their high-end FX format DSLRs. The Nikon Df straddles the line between a classic Nikon camera designed around the lines of the old Nikon ‘F’ series of 35mm film cameras and a modern day DSLR.

On the outside, the Df is all retro. The body is made out of magnesium alloy and leather. On the top sits a roof mounted pentaprism with a hotshoe. The camera comes with a smattering of mechanical dials to adjust everything, from ISO to exposure compensation, release mode and exposure mode and a body mounted shutter button with threaded release port. Read more »

Nokia is reportedly working on a compact Windows RT tablet dubbed Illusionist

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As the Nokia Lumia 2520 enjoys its fair share of attention, a report on the company’s second Windows RT tablet made the rounds. Allegedly, an 8” Windows RT slate dubbed Nokia Illusionist is in development.

Reportedly the Nokia Illusionist will be released in early 2014 with Qualcomm silicon on board. Read more »

Nokia Lumia 1020 boards a copter in Poland, captures impressive footage

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Nokia Poland came up with an interesting way to showcase the camera chops of the Lumia 1020. Instead of the typical walk around town, the smartphone boarded a radio controlled copter for a flight around Krakow.

A historically rich city, Krakow turns out to be a perfect location for the exercise. Read more »

Amazon celebrates FAA ruling with a surprising one-day Kindle sale

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Last week the Federal Aviation Authority in the United States issued a ruling which allows the airlines to expand the use of personal electronics during flight. Today, Amazon decided to celebrate the occasion with a one-day sale of its Kindle family of tablets.

Today only, users can snag an Amazon Kindle tablet with 15% off its regular price. Read more »

HGST creates helium-filled HDDs with 6TB capacity

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HDDs are still kings when it comes to capacity (especially if you look at GB/$ ratio) and HGST, a Western Digital subsidiary, has been working hard to ensure that this remains the case. The company’s new helium-filled Ultrastar He6 HDDs have 6TB capacity, 50% more than the 4TB of current drives.

The helium-based design has other advantages too – the gas is significantly less dense than air, which results in less friction and lower operating temperature for the drive. Helium-filled HDDs spinning at 7,200RPM run 5 degrees cooler than conventional HDDs. Read more »

BlackBerry receives $1 billion investment, CEO steps down

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BlackBerry’s serious troubles began last June, when the company announced $84 million operating loss despite increased shipments and revenue. The very next quarter the company reported $965 million loss, 97% of which is due to the terrible BlackBerry Z10 sales.

BlackBerry has been looking for partners to invest into the company since its financial troubles became clear. The company’s board has even pushed for a quick sale before the end of the year. At the end of September BlackBerry’s fate seemed sealed when a deal with a consortium led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd for $4.7 billion was announced. Read more »

Sleek bezels, thin edges and a diet that did wonders – here’s the iPad Air hands-on

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While many were awaiting the iPad mini with Retina display, Apple was busy running the larger iPad through the treadmill so that when the unveiling came, it won’t fall into the shadow of its smaller sibling.

So much so, in fact, that once unveiled, it was revealed that the rudimentary upgrade was not to the big iPad but, in fact, the iPad mini. The streamlined body, reduced weight and retention of the great display made the iPad Air the talk of the town, garnering the front spot on Apple’s website is a testament to that. Read more »

Meizu MX3 battery life test

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The Meizu MX3 review is complete and it’s come time to get into the details of the phone’s battery life. This is merely the fourth smartphone the likable Chinese phonemaker has put out, and it comes in as an all-round update of its predecessor, the MX2.

From the display to the CPU, to the design, to the software, everything has been revamped. This also includes the battery. Whereas the Meizu MX2 boasted a 1800mAh battery, its successor now has a 2400mAh unit. This is a big jump that should provide a solid boost in battery life all the while giving power to the hungry Exynos 5410 octa core chip and 1080p display. Read more »

Google disables translucency effects on Nexus 10 under KitKat

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One of the key UI changes in the new Android 4.4 KitKat is the presence of the Moto X style translucent navigation and notification bars on the homescreen that allows the wallpaper to shine through. Turns out though, it’s not something everyone will be getting, even if you have a Nexus device.

In a rather Apple-esque move, Google has decided to disable the translucency effect on the Nexus 10 tablet, citing performance issues. The Android source code for the tablet states quite clearly ‘Translucent status & navigation bars perform poorly on this device’ and the value of the effect is set to ‘False’. Read more »

Flipboard for iOS updated with new UI and on-screen alerts

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Flipboard has updated the iOS version of their apps with several minor changes. First of all, the app has been given a new look for iOS 7, with some parallax scrolling effects and a flatter UI. The app has also improved performance and just works smoother and faster on all devices.

Another addition is on-screen alerts. Now the app will show alerts on the homescreen when you have updates for your feed so you don’t miss anything. The app also shows additional tiles on the larger display of the iPhone 5, 5c and 5s compared to older iPhones. Lastly, you can now change text size within the app. Read more »

SMS Audio Street by 50 on-ear headphones review

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The SMS Audio Street by 50 headphones are the company’s entry-level on-ear offering. At a quick glance, the headset is equipped and priced to go head to head to head with the popular Beats Solo HD.

Majority owned by hip-hop legend 50 Cent, SMS Audio (SMS stands for Studio Mastered Sound) aims to capture a chunk of today’s lucrative market for premium headphones. Read on to find out how the entry-level Street by 50 model fares on a daily basis! Read more »

CyanogenMod 10.2 M1 brings Android 4.3 to over 70 devices

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The latest numbers from Google show that manufacturers are still having a hard time delivering Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to their smartphones. Good thing the guys from the CyanogenMod team are here to help those in need.

The developers have published the M1 release of CyanogenMod 10.2, which is based on Android 4.3 and supports over 70 different devices. M1 stands for Milestone version, which slots between the stable ROMs and the betas that the team releases. Read more »

BlackBerry Z30 hands-on

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The BlackBerry Z30 is the latest smartphone offering from the struggling Canadian manufacturer. Many wonder if it’s going to be the last nail in the BlackBerry coffin or if it will help it get a tiny breath of fresh air.

You won’t find the answer of this question here, it’s going to take a full blown review before we know it. For now, we’re going to give you a quick overview of what the BlackBerry Z30 is. Read more »

Sony gives Xperia Z1, Z Ultra and Tablet Z owners 10 free games, 5 movies

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Sony does more than make Android devices, it’s a giant in the entertainment business too – games, films and music. The company is using this position to give some free goodies to owners of its Xperia flagship products – the Xperia Z1 phone, Xperia Z Ultra phablet and the Xperia Tablet Z slate.

Using the pre-installed Xperia Privilege app (also available for download at the Play Store), owners of these devices get access to 10 free games. Read more »