SD Card Speed: Important for DSLRs

Recently I was trying to record video on my Canon EOS Rebel T2I, and for some reason, after about 10 seconds of recording, it stopped and showed the words "Video Recording Stopped Automatically". I was really confused by this. As it turns out, after a quick check from Google, I had an SD card at speed level 4, which was too slow to handle the T2I. The minimum for the T2I is class 6, which are extremely hard to find in stores, so I settled for the lightning fast class 10 SD card, and boy were the results astounding. My video playback was smooth with no auto stops and hitches to be found anywhere. I highly recommend getting a class 10 SD card if you own a DSLR, because the performance improvements to your camera will be astounding.

HTC Sensation NOT As Powerful as EVO 3D

HTC recently announced their newest superphone to come to the market, the HTC Sensation. Many people believe this is their new flagship smartphone. The truth is, while it is one heck of a phone, it has nothing on the HTC EVO 3D. Compare the 1GB RAM (EVO) to the 768 MB (Sensation). Compare the 4GB ROM (EVO) to the 1GB (Sensation). When all is said and done, the  EVO 3D is the best smartphone currently available by HTC. Although, specs aside, the real feature that makes these phones sparkle is the new HTC Sense 3.0, which is absolutely breathtaking (see video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjCI9CFp6ew) to look at, and is fully functional too. I love everything about it. I'll see you guys soon and have a happy Thursday!

(image credited to Engadget) 

Black Ops Escalation Map Pack Leaked!

Just a short post today. Below you will find an image of the leaked Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation map pack. This will be fulfilling the promises of Treyarch who promised to make a new map pack besides First Strike. The one thing that stands out to me is the new zombie map. Looking forward to trying it out. See you guys later.

Image from Technobuffalo

IPhone 5 and Bionic to Co-Launch

Droid-Life snagged an image from a VZW tipster that shows the Motorola Droid Bionic and IPhone 5 both to launch on the same date, June 9th. This is disproving the previous thought that the new IPhone would not be launching at WWDC this year in turn launching at a later date, and since WWDC is the same week as June 9th, I'm pretty confident that this is legit news. I snagged some specs from the image that Droid-Life got (which will be below): A dual-core 1Ghz processor (presumably the Apple A5 chip), 4 inch retina display, a 5MP HD recording camera, and after that it gets too blurry for me to understand. If you get the last two bullet-points, be sure to post them in the comments. See you guys soon.

Huge Improvements to Blogger

Google has made many improvements to Blogger that are almost ready to be applied, and Google has made a couple of videos to hold us over. Large improvements to the Blogger dashboard and a cool HTML5 feed display are what are being showcased in the videos below. First is the "Have You Looked at Blogger Lately?" video which is explaining a few statistics about Blogger and what to look forward to in 2011, accompanied by some awesome music, in my opinion. The future dashboard looks jaw-dropping and certainly gives Wordpress a run for its money. Also, the new mobile sites template designer looks great.

Next is the new  HTML5 feed viewer for Blogger. This really is a great way to view some of your favorite blogs, but it really needs some work on the coding as I tried it in both Google Chrome and the HTML5 king, Internet Explorer 9. In both browsers every view lagged for me and on Chrome there were these odd red boxes around every image. Hopefully Google can clean up the code and make this run the way it was supposed to be run.

In the end, Blogger has established itself as a great Blogging tool, and continues to get better with interface updates and added features. Other blogging tools such as Typepad and Tumblr are struggling to catch up with  Blogger and Wordpress is now starting to look a little less impressive. Blogger is definitely my favorite Blogging tool and I believe it should be yours also. Be sure to share and bookmark using the bookmarks below.

Review: Opera Mobile and Opera Mini For Android

Opera was always known as a great mobile browser in addition to its desktop version, and now they have stepped up their game with their new mobile browser iteration featuring Android. I will be doing a review based on three categories: Speed, Smoothness, and render accuracy. The scale will be 1/10.
Speed: Mobile: 9 Mini: 10
Opera is using the rendering engine called Presto, and man, is it fast. My Motorola Droid running Opera Mobile ran circles around my IPad in the tests I took. And Opera Mini is the best way to get the web with a low quality 3G or Edge connection. Opera mini uses Opera's server to compress webpages up to 90%, giving you unbelievable speeds.
Smoothness: Mobile: 10 Mini: 8
Opera Mobile really should give some tips to Google with processor optimization, because even with a heavy website on my elderly Motorola Droid, scrolling, zooming, and panning would make a Google Nexus S jealous. Nothing can compare to Opera Mobile when running a previous-generation device. Opera Mini sacrifices some smoothness with that webpage compression and half-rendered images, but it is still at least 2x as smooth as the stock Android browser.
Rendering Accuracy: Mobile: 7 Mini: 7
Both Opera Mobile and Mini use the same rendering engine so it us inevitable that their scores would be the same. Presto is very good at rendering webpages not designed specifically for phones, but has a little trouble properly displaying mobile web apps, such as Google's buzz web app. There is one thing to note though: Opera has just added adobe flash 10.2 support in Opera Mobile, which is a big plus.
Final Review: Mobile: 9.5 Mini 9
Opera Mobile is by far the best browser available on the Android platform, ahead of Dolphin, Xscope and even the stock browser. If it weren't for a few rendering issues this browser would definitely be a 10. Opera Mini is a solid 9 because it is the vest browser choice when you are on the go. It's lightning fast speeds and smooth scrolling put it out ahead of the pack. The only downside is the webpage compression reduces image quality, but that is to be expected. Please bookmark and share this post using the buttons down below and I'll see you guys soon! Image from www.mynokiablog.com

Blackberry OS 6.1 Brings Big Overhaul

Engadget is reporting that RIM will be bringing a UI overhaul with the latest version of Blackberry OS, version 6.1. Nothing has been hinted at, but we are expecting that it will be hinted at in Blackberry's expo "Blackberry World", this May. Tell me in the comments what you think will be featured in RIM's latest update! By the way, have you seen the HTC Sense that is on the Evo 3D? That is the best Android UI that I have ever seen. Be sure to check out the videos on Android Central for video of that. Be sure to bookmark and share, and I will see you guys soon!

Sprint Regains the Smartphone crown with the EVO 3D

Today at CTIA, Sprint announced the HTC EVO 3D, a phone that everyone expected the Thunderbolt to be, but even better. The phone has yet another version of Sense, which is looking better than ever, and it has a dual-core processor. This is the first phone by HTC to feature a dual-core processor, which happens to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon one with each core at 1.2 Ghz. Of course, the phone is 3D featuring two five-megapixel cameras that can shoot 720p 3D video and 1080p 2D video. The phone also has the ability to view YouTube videos in 3D if enabled. The EVO 3D will be launching in June on Sprint's WiMax 4G network. The phone is slimmer in width than the EVO 4G but has similar thickness and height, so this device will be a little more pocketable, but still large as it features a 4.3 inch display. Sprint also announced the EVO View 4G, the rebranded version of the HTC Flyer. What is shocking is the Flyer has a single-core 1.5 Ghz processor, which is slower than the phone it will be launching with. I believe that the device will be launching with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, but I am not positive as the Flyer was originally supposed to with the updated version of Android Gingerbread (2.4). Be sure to bookmark and share this post, and I will se you guys soon!

AT&T Purchases T-Mobile

A huge milestone in the mobile industry has occured today as AT&T purchased T-Mobile USA. AT&T will now have much better service, but the carrier doesn't seem to want to put work into their network. AT&T also purchased Cingular in 2007, but their network remained sub-par. If AT&T needs better service, they seem to just buy their way to victory, rather than improving their network themselves. The good news is though, all Google Nexus phones will now be on AT&T rather than T-Mobile so less people will have to switch carriers to get their new phone. Tell me in the comments what you think about this purchase by AT&T! Be sure to share and bookmark using the buttons below!

You Can't Avoid The Future

Isn't the newspaper starting to look a little long in the tooth? Many
people are starting to migrate to newer ways of accessing information.
They want to know what is happening now, faster and smarter. People are
moving towards TV's, cell phone applications, interactive websites, and
social media to find out the news on topics they want. In news, one size
does not fit all. People want to hear the news that they feel is
important, whether it be finance, crimes, world news, or technology
industries. Matthew doesn't like to use the newspaper because
he feels that it is too much of a struggle to find the topics he wants
to hear about. He goes straight to the TV, clicks on the remote, and
sits back and relaxes. Sports? ESPN. World News? NBC. Finance? CNBC.
Local? Eyewitness news. TV is just easier, and Matt gets the information
that he wants, faster.  Like
many other kids, Matthew doesn't feel like the news is a big part of his
life, but all of the social media, constant internet connection whether
at home or mobile, and the wide use of television these days. He feels
that soon the world will be completely electronic, and let's face it: we
are almost there. Think of your everyday life. Wake up, and the first
thing you see is electronic, your cell phone, alarm clock or whatever
you use. Next thing clicked on, the TV for some daily updates. Then you
check the internet, smarphone or tablet for the weather. Next you drive
to work, voice dialing clients and fellow staff for your job. The UI's
of the car have been getting as advanced as our PC's these days. Then at
work, you sit at your computer, watching the e-mails flood into your
virtual inbox. You go home. Walking in the door, you hear the sound of
an eerie screech, and find your son playing Call of Duty: Black Ops in
the basment, killing someone they don't even know in a video game. The
bottom line is our life is now conpletely connected. Nothing is stopping
it.

Motorola Xoom Launching Flash-Less?

Engadget reports that the Motorola Xoom will be launching on February 24th without flash. The Verizon launch page for the device says in small text that flash for the device will be given as a software update in "Spring 2011" and not be available on release day. It is believed that they are waiting for Flash 10.2 for mobile devices which is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/techbloggerjohn, and please bookmark and share using the buttons below!

Prices, Prices, Prices

Okay, today is the first day I'm making a post from my phone using the Blogger for android app! To start off, Droid-Life is reporting that the HTC Thunderbolt has been speculated to have a $299.99 price tag. They are hoping that this is without the instant discount, but this seems to be way too overpriced considering that the Atrix was leaked at 149.99, featuring a dual-core processor to boot. This whole HTC Thunderbolt fiasco is starting to look like a big mess to me, now with rumours that Skype with video will not be launching with this guy, and will be coming with a software update after the launch. The Samsung Galaxy S 4G is going to be launching on T-Mobile soon with a $199.99 price tag, $50 bucks more than previously thought. The device is basically a bigger Samsung Vibrant with HSPA+ connectivity. The device will launch with Android 2.2 Froyo which is important because Samsung is only rolling out the OTA updates for their Galaxy S devices now. In other news, the Motorola Xoom Android tablet launch page is now live on Bestbuy's site. The page says that the Xoom will be priced at $799.99 and not the $1200 we saw the other day; must have just been a placeholder. Be sure to follow me on www.twitter.com/techbloggerjohn, and please bookmark and share!

Apple App Revenue Shrinking Fast, So is CEO

Apple has still maintained their lead in the mobile app market revenue, but it's lead is shrinking. Their app store currently holds 82% of the market share in revenue, far ahead of any other company. Why the worry you ask? 82% is 10%  less then what it was in 2009. If this rate increases, Apple is headed for trouble. In other news, the ENQUIRER is reporting that Steve Jobs supposedly has only 6 weeks to live. They photographed who they believe to be as Jobs, looking much thinner than his already frail frame. He was apparently walking in to the Stanford Cancer Center, suffering from cancer in his buttocks. Yeah, the ENQUIRER isn't the most reliable source, and we will be sure to keep an eye on this. Jobs has had previous battles with cancer, beating a slow form of pancreatic cancer in 2004, and having a live transplant in 2009. This photo is courtesy of Omnitechnews.net, where they happened to get a hold of an image of the future issue of the ENQUIRER. See you guys later!

Original Story: Omnitechnews.net

HP Products Announced

Image from Engadget

HP has announced a slew of new WebOS devices, including the Pre 3, the Touchpad and the Veer. I'm not going to go that in depth with them but will tell you that the Pre 3 runs WebOS 3.0, has a high-resolution 3.6 inch touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera that shoots 720p HD, and this is the real kicker, a 1.4 Ghz processor. This device seems to be a real step up from any previous announced WebOS phones. The Touchpad slate has a 9.7-inch touchscreen at a resolution of 1024*768, and has a front facing camera, and a 1.2 Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor, the kind Qualcomm has been hard at work developing. The Touchpad, will be a good challenge to the Playbook, Xoom, and IPad 2. Hopefully HP can get the marketing right so they can sell more products than in previous attempts.

Dual-Screen Phone, OMAP 5 and More!

Hey guys! Got a new post today wrapping up Sprints "Industry First" mobile event that took place just a few hours ago. The announced the Kyocera Echo, a dual-touchscreen smartphone that features 2 high-resolution 3.5 inch touchscreens. The phone slides out on a unique liquid-metal hinge design to show both screens at the same time. The people over at Sprint and Kyocera say this device can "simultask" as they call it, capable of running 2 different applications, one on each screen. Under the hood, the device runs Android 2.2 Froyo powered by a 1GHZ second-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, has a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p, and is going to be priced at $199 on a two-year contract. The device is not capable of connecting to WIMAX 4G, which seems sad since Sprint was calling it an "industry first" and I assumed this of all phones would come with all the bells and whistles a good phone should have. The device itself looks extremely thick and will definitely bulge out of the pocket, and the dual screen UI seems extremely un-polished and inconvenient, but this is a good concept and one that we could build on and make work. Only if Microsoft hadn't killed their Courier idea. In other news, Texas Instruments has announced their OMAP 5 series, and if this chip ran a phone, it would officially replace your computer. Built off the ARM A15 platform, this chip has 4 cores running at speeds up to 2GHZ each core, a multicore PowerVR SGX544 GPU, which is supposed to have up to 5x the performance of the incredible GPUs in the Samsung Galaxy series phones, which is unbelievable. This also supports Kinect-like gestures, multiple operating systems, up to 8GB of RAM, 24 megapixel images and 1080p HD 3D video capture a 60 fps. Whoa. These chips will be sent out to vendors at the end of this year, with devices featuring it estimated to be available during the second-half of 2012. On a much less amazing note, be sure to make a stop at your local T-Mobile store this weekend as all phones are free for Valentine's day. Be sure to share & bookmark, and please follow me on Twitter if you liked this article! 

A Quick Update

Hey guys. Just a quick update on the lack of blog posts I've had here. I've been on 3 basketball teams for the past 2 months ant the last 2 weeks has really been busy for me. All of these teams are ending next month, so expect the normal every other day or every day posts that we all used to get. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more updates: http://twitter.com/TechBloggerJohn, and I'll  see you all soon.

HP/Palm WebOS Tablet Leaked!

Engadget reports that a "trusted tipster" of theirs sent them images of the soon-to-be-announced Palm/HP WebOS tablet. He said that the device will have a 9 inch screen, but a 7-inch variant will also be offered. The device has no buttons and is expected to be gesture-based like all of Palm's WebOS based phones are. If you have ever tried them you will know how awesome they are to use. I feel that this thing would be the #1 IPad competitor, not in sales, but in form factor and OS. WebOS is very polished, arguably as much as IOS, and the form factor of the slate seems to be very similar to the IPad. We'll see if this thing is going to be announced on February 9th, just stay tuned for coverage. Please follow me, like our Facebook page, and share!

Android Tuesday: Atrix 4G Benchmark

Someone was able to get their hands on a Motorola Atrix 4G with Quadrant installed on it, and the results of the test are absolutely stunning. If you look at the video below, it scored somewhere around 2800, which downright destroys any other device out there, but wait it gets better. Since the Atrix will be released with Froyo, only one of those 2-1GHZ cores will be used, so double the score for say and you have the score the Atrix will get when it is running a version of Android that has support for multiple cores in a smartphone. Wow. Be sure to tell me what you think in the comments. In other news, run to your nearest T-Mobile store because they have now dropped the price of the G2 down another $50 dollars to FREE so you don't have to pay to get your new Android phone. Of course you will have to sign on to a new 2-year contract and all that other junk that they make you do when purchasing a new phone. The deal ends this Thursday so hurry to get your new G2. Be sure to share and bookmark, and I'll see you later.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs Taking Leave of Absence

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has emailed to all of his employees that he is taking a leave of absence for Medical issues. here is the exact text from the email:

Team,
At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.
I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.
I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.
Steve

We are not sure what is wrong with Apple's CEO now, but I am sure he will get through it. Jobs has survived one of the most fatal forms of cancers, pancreatic cancer which he announced in 2004, and recently had a liver transplant in 2009. This guy surely is a fighter, and we wish him the best. Hopefully we hear more info tomorrow when Apple announces there Q4 earnings. Be sure to share this article, and see you guys soon!

Qualcomm Dual-Core Snapdragon Coming Soon, and Other News

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't had a post in a while. As we already know, the IPhone is coming to Verizon on February 10th. No other perks, just an IPhone 4 on Verizon, with mobile hotspot connectivity. Now onto the big news of the day. Engadget reports that Qualcommhad showed them a device running a dual core Snapdragon processor and an Adreno 220 graphics chip at CES, but this device was just to show what the CPU was capable of. And it was capable of a lot. It had stunning graphics, and output 3D video right to a TV. Wow. Hopefully this is a sign of something to come on HTC's phones, too bad it wasn't ready in time for the Thunderbolt. If HTC unveiled a phone with this processor at MWC, I wouldn't be shocked. Sense UI + HTC build quality = peace and awesomeness. I embedded a Youtube clip below showing Qualcomm talking about the CPU and what it could mean for mobile phones. Be sure to check it out, and please share! I have been under a really tight schedule lately so please bare with be for the blog posts. See you soon!