Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Official: Xperia PLAY ICS updated canned, plus timelines for other phones



It turns out that the speculation was correct. Sony Mobile has cancelled the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Sony (Ericsson) Xperia PLAY. The company says that “after extensive in house testing with our developer teams and working with our partners, we have concluded that a consistent and stable experience, particularly with gaming, cannot be guaranteed for this smartphone.
The rest of the 2011 Xperia line-up will see the Android ICS release on schedule. The good news is that this will start from next week. Moving on, we finally have some official timelines for the recently launched Sony Xperia NXT phones. The Xperia S will be updated from the end of June, as expected. The Xperia P will follow that, whilst the Xperia U will “receive it a little later in Q3”. The update rolling out will be Android 4.0.4 and this will also hit the previous handsets (Xperia arc S, Xperia neo V and the Xperia ray) that had already updated to version 4.0.3 of Ice Cream Sandwich.
Vindicating its decision on why it canned the Xperia PLAY ICS update, here’s what Sony Mobile had to say in full:
This decision (to cancel ICS for the Xperia PLAY) was also verified when we received similar feedback from the developer community; both experienced developers and advanced users, along with game content providers following our ICS beta ROM for unlocked Xperia PLAY smartphones.
Our priority has and always will be, to provide the best possible user experience on Xperia smartphones. In this instance the ICS upgrade would have compromised stability, where we look to ensure a quality gaming experience with games optimized and developed for Xperia PLAY.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sony Xperia Mini Pro gets the Ice Cream Sandwich update



You might have never even heard of the Xperia Mini Pro smartphone, but if you are one of the few that own one, you will be happy to know that the Ice Cream Sandwich update is ready for you.  According to online sources, Sony went ahead and confirmed the news for the smartphone owners and said they should be looking now for the update as it is ready to roll out to all of the devices.  The Xperia Mini Pro launched last year, in the summer, with the Android Gingerbread operating system installed.
The update will be rolling out to groups of devices, so do not fret if you are not able to get the download to your device today.  To get all of the Xperia Mini Pro users the update, it should not take more than a week.  The upgrade to the newest version of Android brings a new user interface and tons of other features to enhance your overall experience with the handset.  Sony is one of the few handset makers that keep customers up to date when it comes to what handset is getting the highly anticipated update and when it will be rolling out.
If one phone is getting the Ice Cream Sandwich update sometimes that means another one is not.  Along with the news for the Xperia Mini Pro, Sony talked about another handset that will not be getting the update.  The Sony Xperia Play, the company’s PlayStation Phone, will not be getting the updated version of the Android operating system.  If you do not remember the handset launching last year, let’s take a look at the specs as a refresher.
The Xperia Mini Pro shipped with a 3-inch TFT display that has a lower than average pixel resolution, a light sensor to help save on the 6 hours of battery time and was in the side-slider format.  The phone weighed only 4.8 ounces, came with a 5MP camera with LED flash and auto-focus, plus it could record 720p video and had a smaller web cam in the front for video calling.  A single core, 1GHz Snapdragon processor powered the phone and it was teamed up with 512MB of RAM and only 400MB of expandable internal memory.  The device also came with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support and could be used on GSM, UMTS and HSDPA data networks.

Canon announces a new Rebel – the Canon Rebel T4i – first HDSLR with touch screen




Canon today announced the latest member of the Rebel family the Canon Rebel T4i / 650D (theCanon Rebel T4i is the USA name and the 650D is Europe and elsewhere)
Notice B&H has pre-order links already!
Here’s my (very tired but I got thru it) updated new overview of the Canon Rebel T4i (i couldn’t stand the rotten job I did and re-did the overview this morning)




Pix

Canon Rebel T4i front (no lens obviously)
Canon Rebel T4i back

The Press Release

The New EOS Rebel T4i DSLR Camera Puts the power and creativity of DSLR Stills and Video at your fingertipsSilent and Continuous Autofocus in Video, The EOS Rebel T4i Lets People Re-Live Magic Moments Through Stunningly Crisp Video and Incredible Stereo Sound
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., June 8, 2012 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced a new flagship model in its most popular EOS Rebel line, the Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR Camera. The new EOS Rebel T4i features incredible image quality with an 18-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor, DIGIC 5 Image Processor that helps capture all the action with high-speed continuous shooting of up to five frames per second (fps) and an extended ISO range of 100–12800 (expandable to 25600 in H mode) that gives photographers the opportunities to take the EOS RebelT4i into more shooting situations than ever before.
The camera includes a revolutionary new autofocus (AF) system to help achieve fast, sharp focus and smooth HD video. The new AF system includes a nine-point all cross-type sensor array, and new Hybrid CMOS AF which achieves fast focus when shooting stills or video in Live View mode. Much to the pleasure of aspiring student filmmakers and parents everywhere, the Rebel T4i features Canon’s new Movie Servo AF providing a quiet, continuous AF during HD video recording when using one of Canon’s newly introduced Stepping Motor (STM) lenses. The silent continuous autofocus when shooting HD video helps ensure the camera only captures the sounds of the scene being recorded. When combined with the camera’s new Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II and intuitive “fingertip” controls, touch-menu and advanced still and video capabilities, the EOS Rebel T4i stands as Canon’s most “consumer-friendly” DSLR to date.
“Our Rebel line of cameras bridges the gap between the casual photographer and someone looking to advance their photography and capture moments in new and creative ways. The EOS Rebel T4i boasts full HD video with AF and touch-screen navigation, inspiring even more photographers and videographers to explore the creative options made possible with DSLR cameras and lenses,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.
New AF Capabilities
One of the most significant upgrades to the EOS Rebel T4i is a dramatically upgraded AF system including a nine-point all cross-type AF array, with a high-precision dual-cross f/2.8 point at center. The EOS Rebel T4i is the first Canon camera to feature the new Hybrid CMOS AF system which increases AF speed by reducing the camera’s need to “hunt” for focus. The result is fast continuous AF when shooting photos and movies in Live View. Because the camera’s cross-type AF points have two-dimensional contrast detection, the EOS Rebel T4i provides highly accurate focus regardless of your shot composition and ensures great focus no matter where the subject is located in the frame. The addition of the dual-cross point in the center allows for much faster and precise focusing for photographers using high-speed f/2.8 lenses.
Using the touch panel, parents can select their child on the LCD screen and the camera will remain focused on that child while they stay in-frame, ensuring sharp focus in crowds and group shots. The new AF system enables Touch Focus for shooting photos and movies in Live View. To make capturing photos even easier, a Touch Shutter function can also be enabled, whereby selecting a subject on the LCD screen, the camera will instantly take a photo, once focus is locked.
Continuous AF during HD Video Recording
For the first time in a Canon EOS DSLR, the EOS Rebel T4i includes Canon’s new Movie Servo AF for recording video. When used with Canon’s new EF and EF-S STM lenses, the camera can provide smooth and quiet continuous AF while recording video. This technological breakthrough enables the new EOS Rebel T4i to achieve AF while still retaining a DSLR camera’s signature background blur and image quality, producing stunning videos of parties, events, summer vacations or graduations.
When shooting video with Canon’s STM lenses, AF also remains silent, helping ensure you only capture the sound of the scene being recorded. The EOS Rebel T4i features a built-in stereo microphone, a first for the Rebel line, that includes an attenuator function to reduce audio distortion in extra loud situations.



Canon’s First Touch-Screen DSLR
Another Canon first, the EOS Rebel T4i includes a best-in-class Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor II featuring 1.04 million dot resolution for unparalleled, clear viewing. The electro-static touch-panel screen is the most advanced that Canon has released to date with multi-touch capabilities allowing photographers to use familiar gestures such as “pinch-to-zoom” and “swiping” to scroll between pictures. Camera operation has been simplified through this feature allowing for Touch Focus or Touch Shutter controls via the vari-angle touch-screen. The vari-angle touch-screen flips out to the left and rotates 180 degrees forward and 90 degrees backward, making tough above-the-head and low-to-the-ground shots easy, and allowing improved views during photo or video capture. That means the overhead shot taken in a crowd or at a graduation march just got a little easier to shoot.
Improved Imaging Performance Features
The EOS Rebel T4i helps novice photographers capture great images and video, even in low-light with a range of new and upgraded modes
• Handheld Night Scene
• HDR Backlight Control
• Multi-Shot Noise Reduction
• Video Snapshot
• Scene Intelligent Auto
Canon’s new shooting modes (Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control and Multi-Shot Noise Reduction), take multiple pictures, an d combine them – in camera – to help capture a wider dynamic range, minimize the image grain or noise, and produce more vivid colors so landscapes and city scenes are as breathtaking as when seen in person.
Families have enjoyed coming home from a vacation or outing with a fun, short Video Snapshot highlight reel shot on their Canon camera to share the full story of their adventure. Now with the EOS Rebel T4i users will also have the option to delete, cut or re-order the clips before exporting the Snapshot album to post or share.
Canon’s Scene Intelligent Auto mode – the “green” mode on the dial – analyzes the scene being shot, taking into account faces, colors, brightness, movement and contrast, to select appropriate camera settings and help produce the best possible image. This mode has been enhanced to deliver the best possible exposure, particularly when shooting in low-light.
New STM Lenses and Accessories
To leverage the unique, new shooting functions of the EOS Rebel T4i, such as EOS Full HD Movie with continuous AF, Canon is introducing two new unique lenses, the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens and new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens. Both new STM lenses includes Canon’s new Stepping Motor technology, which allows the lenses to smoothly and silently focus, and when used in combination with Canon’s new EOS Rebel T4i Movie Servo AF feature, achieve continuous AF while recording video. The new stepping motor technology in both lenses quietly focuses allowing the EOSRebel T4i’s stereo microphone to only record the sounds of the scene being shot.
The versatile EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens offers the right combination of size, weight, image stabilization and focal length, allowing photographers to capture wide-angle or telephoto photographs and video. This lens is a great option for photographers who may only want to carry one lens with them for both wide landscapes, and close-ups. Appearing for the first time in a Canon EF lens is Dynamic IS (Movie Shooting Mode only) that uses a wide image stabilization correction range to help ensure steady video even when shooting while walking.
The new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens offers an ultra-slim, lightweight design that helps photographers avoid overwhelming their subjects with a large lens and to remain discreet in sensitive shooting situations without compromising performance. The “pancake-style” lens boasts an aperture of f/2.8 making it an ideal lens for capturing portrait stills or stunning video. The lens is under an inch thick when attached, making it easy to carry and fit conveniently into a purse or pocket.
The EOS Rebel T4i is also compatible with Canon’s previously introduced GP-E2 GPS Receiver that can be mounted to the camera’s accessory shoe. The GPS unit was created to serve outdoor photographers; it records shooting locations including latitude, longitude and altitude, as well as camera direction. A Logging function can tell how far a photographer has traveled as well.
Availability
The EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR camera will be available at the end of June for an estimated retail price of $849.99 for the body alone; $949.99 bundled with an EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens kit and a Movie Kit bundle for $1199.00 with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.
The new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens and the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM will also be available separately at the end of June at an estimated retail price of $199.99 and $549.99 respectively.

The Canon 5D Mark III exposed






Is there a better way to learn about a new camera than read its manual? Well, let's find out! The instruction manual of the Canon 5D Mark III leaked and it brings a lot of info on the new camera!


                         Here's the introduction taken from the first page: "The EOS 5D Mark III is a high-performance, digital single-lens reflex camera featuring a fine-detail, full-frame (approx. 36x24mm) CMOS sensor with approx 22.3 effective megapixels, DIGIC 5+, approx. 100% viewfinder coverage, high-precision and high-speed 61-point AF, approx. 6 fps continuous shooting, Live View shooting, and Full High-Definition (Full HD) movie shooting. The camera is highly responsive to any shooting situation at any time, provides many features for demanding shots, and expands shooting possibilities with system accessories."

                    The manual has more than 400 pages so it's a great source of information on the Mark III and how to use it. There is even a section on post-processing and quite a lot on shooting movies - there are even some useful tips.


To download the manual simply click here.

Source: http://blog.planet5d.com

What Is Intel HD Graphics??????






Intel HD Graphics 3000

The Intel HD Graphics 3000 (or Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD 3000, GMA HD 3000, Intel HD Graphics 200) is an integrated graphics card in the Sandy Bridge codenamed processors. The HD Graphics 3000 has no dedicated memory but shares the Level 3 / LLC Cache with the CPU cores and also part of the main memory.
Due to TurboBoost, the GPU can be overclocked depending on the current CPU load and power consumption. The base speed and the turbo boost speed of the HD Graphics 3000 depend on the processor:
ULV processors Core ix-2xx7 (base 350MHz, Turbo 900-1000MHz)
  • LV processors Core ix-2xx5 (base 500MHz, Turbo 1000MHz)
  • Mainstream and high-end Dual und Quad-Core Core ix-2xx0 (base 650MHz, Turbo 1100-1200MHz)
  • Desktop K processors (base 850, Turbo 1100-1350MHz)

The HD 3000 offers 12 Execution Units (EUs) like the old Intel GMA HD but due to architectural changes each EU is now faster. The slower HD Graphics 2000 uses only 6 Execution Units.
Our performance tests with the high clocked mainstream version of the HD Graphics 3000 in quad-core processors showed a performance level on par with the current entry level generations from NVIDIA (e.g. GeForce 310M) and AMD (HD 5450). Some games even ran faster but still there are some driver glitches (like too dark scenes in Left 4 Dead 1&2 and Supreme Commander or not starting games like Mafia 2). See our extensive gaming review of the Intel HD Graphics 3000 for more details or at the end of this page for gaming benchmark scores.
First performance tests by Andandtech (with a desktop pre-sample without TurboBoost) indicate agaming performance on a level with the desktop ATI Radeon HD 5450 (comparable to the Mobility Radeon HD 5450). In low detail settings and 1024x768 the HD Graphics 200 was faster than the 5450 in Batham, Dragon Origins, Call of Duty MW2, and Bioshock 2. In Dawn of War 2 and Hawx the Intel Graphics stayed a bit behind. The framerates were always high enough to be playable. Intel also conducted some tests on the IDF 2010 and showed a playable Starcraft 2 at medium detail settings. That means that the GMA HD 200 should be able to render current games fluently in low-medium detail settings (see 5450 page for a list of playable games).
An extensive gaming review of the HD Graphics 3000 in a Core i7-2600K desktop cpu was published at inpai.com.cn. The GPU was clocked at 850 - 1350 MHz (Turbo boost) and was able share 8MB level 3 cache. In their benchmarks, the Intel GPU was on a level with a desktop HD 5450 in Left 4 Dead 2, Civilization 5, and Star Craft 2. Far Cray 2, Mass Effect 2, Dirt 2, CoD Black Ops and Bad Company 2 even ran faster on the HD3000. Hawx2 and NBA 2K11 ran slower and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 did not run. The framerates promised that the games should be playable in low settings. However, online battles e.g. in Battlefield should stutter.
In addition to the GPU, the chip also houses some dedicated units for decoding and encoding HD videos. On the IDF Intel demonstrated the encoding of a 3 minute long 1080p video to an iPhone compatible format in 640x360 in only 14s. Another novelty of the Sandy Bridge GPU is the embedded DisplayPort eDP to connect internal Displays.
Due to the integration in the 32nm built CPU, the power consumption of the GPU should be quite low.
ManufacturerIntel
HD Graphics Series
HD Graphics 4000 16@350 - 1350MHz
HD Graphics 3000 12@350-1350MHz
HD Graphics 2500 6@650 - 1350MHz
HD Graphics 2000 6@850 / 1100-1350MHz
HD Graphics (Sandy Bridge) 6@350 - 1100MHz
CodenameSandy Bridge
Pipelines12 - unified
Core Speed *350-1350 MHz
Shader Speed *350-1350 MHz
Shared Memoryyes
DirectXDirectX 10.1, Shader 4.1
technology32 nm
Date of Announcement01.02.2011