Updated Hyundai app brings remote control to your Blue Link fleet

Hyundai Sonata and Veloster owners have had some level of remote access for a year now, but the latest version of the Blue Link app does even more. Along with remote start, door lock / unlock and control of the horn and lights, you can now run vehicle diagnostics, send POIs across from your phone for later in-dash navigation, and even locate and manage multiple Blue Link-equipped cars. Sound complicated? Not if you run a cab firm, or if you check out the twelve new instructional videos on Hyundai's YouTube channel below.

HYUNDAI LAUNCHES ALL-NEW BLUE LINK® MOBILE APPLICATION - INDUSTRY LEADING FEATURES AND UNMATCHED FUNCTIONALITY

Blue Link® Mobile Application Offers Refreshed User Interface and New Features

COSTA MESA, May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Hyundai Motor America this week introduced an all-new mobile application for the Hyundai-developed Blue Link® telematics platform. The mobile app allows subscribers to remotely access various Blue Link® features and services through compatible mobile devices. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the app has been significantly enhanced from the previous version and boasts a new user experience, faster navigation and innovative new features. Google Android and Apple iOS users can download the app today from Google Play or Apple iTunes, respectively. A Blackberry version is also in development.

Blue Link® Mobile App Highlights

- Completely redesigned interface and navigation
- Swipe gestures allow quick access to core features
- Remotely access many Blue Link® features found on MyHyundai.com
- Manage multiple Blue Link-enrolled vehicles
- Remotely control vehicle functions: Door lock/unlock, horn & lights, lights-only and remote vehicle start (not available on all models)
- Search, save and send POIs to vehicles for in-car navigation
- Innovative new features: car finder, parking meter/timer and vehicle diagnostics
- Remotely manage Blue Link alerts and notifications

Blue Link is an innovative telematics solution from Hyundai that combines safety, service and infotainment into a complete package. Blue Link is powered by Agero's next-generation telematics platform, which offers a flexible architecture that supports multi-modal interfaces for vehicle owners. "This improved app demonstrates one of Agero's core capabilities: developing customized user experience interfaces, from end to end, on behalf of our automotive OEM clients," said Tom Metzger, senior vice president of Global Sales & Account Management (Connected Vehicle Services) at Agero. "In addition to increasing the Blue Link app's capabilities, we made it more intuitive for users, while also extending the unique Hyundai brand experience to vehicle owners."

The refreshed app is part of a series of enhancements planned around Blue Link, including a re-designed Blue Link section on HyundaiNews.com and 12 all-new instructional videos designed to familiarize viewers with Blue Link features. The videos, which feature actual Hyundai employees, can be seen on Hyundai's YouTube channel, HyundaiBlueLink.com or in a dedicated section on HyundaiNews.com.

Hyundai offers a complimentary trial period for Blue Link-equipped vehicles. Customers opting-in for a no obligation auto-renewal can receive up to one year of Blue Link Assurance and 6 months of Blue Link Essentials and Guidance with access to the Blue Link app and its innovative features.

INTUITIVE INTERFACE DESIGN

Customer feedback and real-world usability testing played a key role in the development of the all-new Blue Link® mobile app. "We looked at how our customers use their Smartphones to enhance various aspects of their lives," said Michael Deitz, senior group manager, Blue Link. "We wanted to design an app that allows them to enhance their Hyundai ownership experience through Blue Link." Navigation elements are designed to reduce the steps needed to access Blue Link® features and services by leveraging familiar Smartphone touch commands. A new swipe carousel allows users to quickly access core features without needing to take several steps. Shortcut buttons allow one-touch access to vehicle diagnostics and POIs while the main menu allows one-finger access to all features within the application.

REMOTE ACCESS FEATURES

Blue Link® Essentials subscribers can access a number of key vehicle functions remotely from the mobile application without the need to be in the proximity of the vehicle. Remote Door Lock or unlock allows for remote control and convenience from virtually anywhere. Remote Horn & Lights allows the subscriber to remotely activate the horn and lights. Remote Lights allows subscriber to remotely activate the vehicle lights only. Remote Vehicle Start, which has been expanded to include more Hyundai models, allows the subscriber to remotely start their vehicle, an especially convenient feature in cold states during winter months. Vehicles equipped with push-button start and automatic or dual-clutch transmissions are supported for Remote Vehicle Start. For added security, all remote access features require the vehicle PIN to be entered prior to the command being sent.

ENHANCED POI FUNCTIONALITY

The all-new Blue Link® mobile app includes new useful POI (Point of Interest) features that will come in handy for Blue Link® Guidance subscribers. Included is the ability to search POIs using the Smartphone's on-screen keyboard by entering the name, city, state and/or zip. Searches can be done using the Smartphone's built-in location service or by manually specifying the location. POIs then can be saved to the phone for quick access. Subscribers also have the ability to send the POI directly to their Hyundai vehicle or by email to a friend through the application. POIs sent to the vehicle also may be saved for later use via the POI History function. Blue Link®-equipped vehicles are not required to have a touch-screen navigation system to take advantage of Guidance features. Vehicles not equipped with touch-screen navigation will display navigation information on the standard vehicle audio screen using Blue Link's Turn-by-Turn feature.

POCKET-SIZED PEACE OF MIND

Blue Link® subscribers can rest assured knowing that trained specialists are available 24/7 to help when needed most. Taking it one step further, the mobile application includes speed dial buttons to contact Roadside Assistance and Blue Link. A Vehicle Diagnostics screen provides access to critical maintenance information and the ability to view their Monthly Vehicle Report. Essentials subscribers can easily schedule a service appointment with their preferred dealer without making a phone call. Blue Link® alerts also can be toggled remotely from the application without visiting MyHyundai.com.

INNOVATIVE NEW FEATURES

In typical Hyundai fashion, Blue Link aims to set the standard for vehicle telematics through its innovative features and exceptional value. A variety of unique features have been included in the Blue Link® mobile app. Users can be a step ahead of Parking Enforcement via the built-in Parking Meter/Timer function. Car Finder allows Essentials subscribers to either search for their vehicle if they are within a 1-mile radius of their vehicle or save its location, useful when needing to recall a specific location of their vehicle.

BLUE LINK® PACKAGES

Blue Link Assurance package:

Automatic Collision Notification (ACN) and Assistance – Provides immediate assistance when an accident occurs and an airbag is deployed. In this event, an ACN signal, containing customer and location information, will automatically be transmitted to the response center. Upon receipt of the signal, a response specialist will attempt to establish voice communications with the vehicle occupants and forward any pertinent information to emergency services.

SOS Emergency Assistance – Customers request emergency 911 assistance by pressing the dedicated SOS button in the vehicle. This action transmits vehicle information and location to specially-trained response specialists, who assist in coordinating the dispatch of appropriate emergency assistance to the customer. The response specialist remains on the line with the customer until advised assistance has arrived.

Enhanced Roadside Assistance – Enables customers to utilize their Hyundai Assurance 24/7 Roadside Assistance via a single in-vehicle button-press. With Blue Link, vehicle information (including location) is automatically transmitted to a response center, enabling the specialist to dispatch assistance more quickly and efficiently for vehicle assistance and retrieval.

Blue Link Essentials package:
Remote Access:

Remote Door Lock/Unlock - Enables locking or unlocking vehicle doors via a toll-free number, owner's website, or mobile phone application.

Remote Horn and Lights - Enables activating the horn and/or lights via a toll-free number, owner's website, or mobile phone application.

Panic Notification – Notifies customers when the panic button on their vehicle key fob has been activated, signifying when a family member or other vehicle occupant may be in danger. Notifications are configured online and occur via email or text message.

Remote Vehicle Start – Enables customers to start the vehicle via owner's website or toll-free number, or mobile phone application.

Car Finder – (Exclusively available via mobile app) Allows you to find your vehicle on a map if you are within a 1-mile radius of your vehicle and gives you the ability to save your vehicles location for future reference.

Convenience:

Alarm Notification – Notifies customers when and where the vehicle alert is activated via a text message, email or an automated phone call.

Quick Tips – Provides quick reference assistance for primary vehicle feature location and function.

Location Sharing – Enables sending vehicle location to select friends and members of social networking sites, including Facebook – directly from the vehicle.

Voice Text Messaging – Enables hands-free outgoing text messaging to SMS text recipients allowing for distraction-free driving experience.

Vehicle Self Diagnostics:

Automated Diagnostic Trouble Code Notification – Provides explanation and repair assistance using vehicle data and off-board diagnosis capabilities to better inform the customer of vehicle trouble alerts. A combination of in-vehicle display alerts and guided voice messages provides customers with additional instructions (information also sent to the customer's preferred dealer to assist with the repair process).

Maintenance Alert – Notifies customers in vehicle as well as via website, email or SMS message that an upcoming service is due at various thresholds leading up to the event. Configured online, the alerts explain what is included in particular maintenance intervals.
Recall Advisor – Provides all pertinent recall information should a recall be initiated.
Web Vehicle Diagnostics – Provides a report of vehicle diagnostics, eco-coach performance and other important information in a monthly email report and web page update, starting 30 days after registering with the Blue Link service.

Theft Protection:

Stolen Vehicle Recovery – In the event a customer's vehicle is reported stolen (and a stolen vehicle report has been filed with the appropriate police department), the response center can provide assistance to the police in an attempt to recover the vehicle.
Stolen Vehicle Slowdown – Used with Stolen Vehicle Recovery, this enables law enforcement to gradually reduce the engine power of the vehicle, thus slowing it down to safe levels. A warning will be transmitted to the driver prior to the slowdown procedure.
Vehicle Immobilization – Used with Stolen Vehicle Recovery, this enables law enforcement to send a signal to the vehicle which immobilizes the engine management system, thus preventing startup. This capability is only valid when the ignition is off, but the command can be saved by the engine ECU for later immobilization if the vehicle is on or in motion at the time of signal transmission.

Safeguard:

Valet Alert – Enables alert via email, text message or automated phone message when the customer's vehicle moves beyond a prescribed distance threshold after leaving the vehicle with the valet.

Geofence – Enables monitoring vehicle movement in and out of pre-defined regions configured on the owner's website. When the vehicle enters or leaves a designated region, the customer is notified by email, text message or automated phone message.
Speed Alert – Notifies the customer via email, text message or automated phone message when their vehicle exceeds the specified speed threshold established on the owner's website. High value for parents of teen drivers and fleet customers.

Curfew Alert - Notifies owners if the vehicle is being used outside a pre-determined time interval. Alerts are configured online and sent via email, text message and/or automated phone message.

Blue Link Guidance package:

TBT (Turn-by-turn) Navigation Service Turn-by-turn navigation guidance provided for downloaded Points of Interest. Both visual and audio guidance is provided.

POI Web Search by advanced voice recognition system and download – Enables Point-of-Interest searches using an automated voice system. Results can be downloaded to the vehicle navigation system. Live operators provide additional support, if needed.

Daily Route Guidance with Traffic Condition – Enables customers to pre-define several routes to a common destination and receive a regularly-scheduled traffic alerts for traffic delays along those routes. Results include flow and incident data, along with "Fastest Route" recommendation.

Traffic – Provides traffic information surrounding the customer's vehicle and in the nearby area, based on preferences established using the owner's website.

Gas Station Locations and Gas Prices – Locates the nearest gas stations by price and provides brand and regular unleaded fuel price. Results are played back via automated voice, and can be downloaded to the vehicle's navigation system.

Eco-Coach – Tracks the customer's driving performance habits (MPG and CO2 emissions) on a continual and historical basis. Results and environmentally responsible driving recommendations are provided on the owner's website.

Restaurant Ratings – Provides restaurant ratings for local restaurants with address download for turn-by-turn navigation or onboard navigation.

Weather – Provides weather forecasts for the immediate area or for customer-defined locations within the owner website.

Hyundai (YouTube)

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Nokia's new 110 and 112 dual-SIM phones are cheap and chatty (video)

Nokia may be serving up polycarbonate slabs of smartphone with one hand, but the other is still dishing out candy bars for the masses. The new 110 and 112 models, announced today, are perfect examples of this. Once again, these phones are dual-SIM, which should appeal to the Asian / Indian markets, and offer money-saving features like crunching websites in the cloud first -- which Nokia claims reduces data consumption by up to 90 percent. As for the rest of the phone, it's all about being social, with direct access to Facebook and Twitter from the home screen, and the eBuddy IM service preloaded. Those 1.8-inch displays might not be ideal for watching movies, but are likely adequate for viewing the shots taken with the VGA camera. These stripped down specifications thankfully equate to a stripped down price, with the 110 landing at around 35€ and the 112 just three euros more when they show up sometime this quarter. Full PR after the break.

Press Release

Nokia introduces new range of mobile phones to provide a fast, affordable internet experience

Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 offer Facebook, Twitter, world-class EA games and access to thousands of apps from the Nokia Store

Karachi, Pakistan - Nokia has today unveiled two new mobile phone models as it continues to accelerate its strategy to connect the next billion consumers to information and the internet. The Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 have been designed to appeal to young, urban consumers who want to experience a fast, affordable online experience.

Both devices are perfect for communicating across Facebook, Twitter and social media networks. The internet experience is also smooth thanks to the Nokia Browser. This innovative technology allows users to consume less data by up to 90%, by compressing websites in the cloud. Both devices offer direct access to Facebook and Twitter from their home screens. The Nokia 112 also features preloaded eBuddy instant messaging service right out of the box, so users can use popular chat services to keep conversations going 24/7.

In common with other Nokia mobile phones, consumers can choose from thousands of apps to download on the Nokia Store. With the upgraded camera, they can now customize their contacts with pictures, and share them with friends via social networks and Bluetooth.

"Today's mobile phone users want a quick internet experienceNokia 110 that allows them to discover great content and share it with their friends - but without being held back by high data costs," said Mary T. McDowell, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "The new Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 devices combine browsing, social media, apps, world-class entertainment and long battery life to create a great package for young, urban consumers who want to do it all."

Perfect for all-day and all-night entertainment
The devices all feature a generous 1.8" display optimized for a great gaming experience. In the coming months, the Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 will bring free* 40 key EA Games, valued at EUR 75 if bought separately, including well known titles like Tetris®, Bejeweled®, Need for Speed(TM) The Run, Monopoly Here & Now, and SimCity(TM) Deluxe. Consumers will be able to easily access the content by clicking on the Games Gift EA icon on their home screen which will take them to the Nokia Store to download the games. Once they have accessed the offering, they will have 60 days to download the games of their choice, keeping the games forever.

Nokia 112Both new phones offer an improved VGA camera for sharp and clear pictures with support for up to 32GB of external memory, enough for more than 6000+ songs or 90,000 pictures. Consumers can tune into their favorite radio stations and share their favorite songs with friends over Bluetooth. The phones have been optimized to provide a long-lasting battery life, with over 10 hours of talk time and nearly a month's standby, meaning that consumers can stay in-touch and entertained all day long.

Dual SIM capability
The Nokia 110 and Nokia 112 are both Dual SIM phones, featuring the benefits of Nokia's unique and industry leading Easy Swap technology. This enables users to switch between SIMs quickly without having to remove their battery or turn off their phone. The Easy Swap technology can personalize and remember up to five different SIM cards, giving consumers full control over their costs.

The Nokia 110 will also be available as single SIM versions - Nokia 111 and Nokia 113, with this last one available in Europe and Eurasia only.

The estimated retail price for Nokia 110 and its single SIM versions is about EUR 35 and they are expected to start shipping in the second quarter of 2012. The estimated retail price for Nokia 112 is about EUR 38, excluding taxes and subsidies, and is expected to start shipping in the third quarter of 2012.

*data costs may apply.

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds camera review

Stepping across the great DSLR divide into the land of mirrorless cameras always requires some compromise. Focusing speed, image quality, lens compatibility and battery life are frequent casualties, but for everyone except professional shooters, the size and cost benefits of swapping a full-grown beast for a compact ILC surely help soften the blow. The latest Micro Four Thirds model from Olympus, the OM-D E-M5, adds functionality that expand that list of betterments even further, allowing more versatility than larger DSLRs have to offer. These perks include a water-resistant design, for starters, along with a nifty lens that offers macro shooting and both manual- and powered-zoom in one compact package.

One area where the 16-megapixel E-M5 does match the footprint of its full-size brethren is in price: you'll drop a cool grand for the body alone, while the 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 lens kit will bump that tag up another $300. Make no mistake, the E-M5 is a fantastic camera, but $1,300 is mighty steep for any mirrorless model, especially one with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. This, however, is no ordinary MFT camera. As the first model in Olympus's OM-D line -- taking design cues from the company's popular line of OM film cameras -- the E-M5 is in a class of its own, at least as far as Olympus's portfolio is concerned. Besides physical appearance, perhaps, the most notable selling point is its focus speed: press the shutter release, and your subject comes into clarity with rapid-fire precision, whether you're shooting in bright sunlight or a dark restaurant. But though the E-M5 has already received accolades for its powerful focusing, you might be wondering how the whole package performs. Meet us past the break to find out.

Hardware

Simply put, it's beautiful. If you've ever wistfully eyed a mid-twentieth century 35mm SLR, hoping that manufacturers would once again adopt the elegant designs of yesteryear, you can stop dreaming. The E-M5 invokes a crafted feel unique to that model, that's reminiscent of select über-pricey rangefinders. We're particularly fond of the silver-and-black flavor, though we sadly had to settle for all-black, or risk delaying this review. Of course, the black version performs equally and is a perfectly fine choice, but if you have an opportunity to pick up the two-tone version, chances are you won't regret it.

Simply put, it's beautiful.

Serious photographers care more about design and durability than the unrelated matter of color scheme, and both the black and silver models alike offer solid specs in these key areas. First up is the camera's "splash-proof" build. What exactly does it mean for a camera to be immune to splash-related damage? For starters, you can shoot with the E-M5 in the rain without having to concern yourself with an umbrella or fussy hood. Seals throughout the body also keep out sand and dust, and there's a Supersonic Wave Filter on board to assist in the rare event that a speck or two manages to make it past the camera's measures. You'll of course be subject to droplet accumulation on the front element of the lens, which you'll need to wipe off regularly depending on the conditions, but you don't need to fret about damaging the camera or kit lens when water pours down from the sky. "Splash-proof" doesn't mean waterproof, however, so don't you dare take this thousand-dollar body into the sea.

With the body out of the way, let's circle back to those capture specs. There's a 16-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds (4/3) sensor on board, but with a twist -- 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization. What this means is that the camera can compensate for shaky hands on both the vertical and horizontal axis (just like many of its competitors) as well as on the rotational axis. What can we say? It really does make a difference. You'll still be subject to motion blur if your subjects move and you're shooting with a low shutter speed, of course, but Olympus's new stabilization technique does help to minimize the effect with still subjects. It will also come in handy while recording video, keeping the picture steady even as you walk down the street, change position or maintain a long focal length. Movement is not eliminated completely, but you may even consider leaving that tripod behind on your next video shoot.

Another feature that we're seeing more frequently in the mirrorless category is a built-in 1.44-megapixel electronic viewfinder, providing a 100 percent field of view and an x/y-axis level gauge, along with direct feedback for all key settings. Like the Sony NEX-7, we've noticed that the proximity sensor can be a bit too sensitive, triggering the EVF when you hold the camera too close to your body, for example. We'd like to see an option to tweak this, but in the meantime you may want to flip off the auto-switch mode and opt for the dedicated button to the right of the EVF instead.

You'll need to shift over to the main 3-inch 610,000-dot OLED tilting display to review images and tweak settings. In addition to adjusting downward up to 50 degrees and upward to 80, the display also includes touch support, letting you select the AF area, release the shutter and advance during playback by tapping the screen. Just like on the Sony NEX-5N, touch is there if you need it, but it won't get in the way if you don't. Naturally, the hardware controls duplicate this functionality, though toying with the five-position buttons is often less efficient than using than the touch-to-focus feature.

Completing the tour, on the top of the camera there's a full-size hot shoe (a tiny external flash ships in the box) with a proprietary accessory connector below. Lifting the OLED display reveals a recessed notch, which helps you open a side panel with HDMI and USB/AV connectors. The SD slot sits on the right edge, while the 1,220mAh battery lives in a slot on the bottom. Adjacent to that compartment, you'll find another proprietary connector hidden below a rubber door. This port is used to communicate with an optional accessory, which provides an extended camera grip with a second control dial and shutter release in one section and a battery compartment with vertical controls that can be added on below. We preferred shooting with just the grip portion, which enables the E-M5 to retain a slim profile while still allowing for some more comfortable handheld shooting.

User Interface

What good is having beautiful hardware if it's not easy to use? Fortunately, usability should be of little concern here. As always, you'll need to spend a few minutes flipping through the menu before you're able to declare that the camera is configured to your liking, but finding those key items isn't much of a chore. The main menu is divided into five tabs: playback, setup, custom settings and two shooting menus. That custom menu is by far the most complex, with sub-tabs for settings like autofocus and dial direction.

Speaking of those dials -- you'll find two up top, with one controlling aperture and the second adjusting shutter speed in manual mode, for example, similar to what you can do on the Sony's NEX-7 competing "Tri-Navi" interface. In the center of the forward dial is a shutter release button, with an adjustable control to the right (we set ours to change the ISO) and a video record button just below it, which isn't in the most convenient location, to be perfectly honest. We'd prefer to see the function and video record buttons reversed, but it's a bit too late for that at this point. There's a second function button, along with a playback control right below the rear dial. To the right of the OLED display, there are dedicated controls for launching the menu, info panel and a delete key, along with a four-position panel with an OK selector in the center. At the bottom of the rear control panel, you'll find an On/Off toggle, taking the guess work out of the camera's current power status.

Performance and battery life

When the camera works, it's peerless, but you won't have to wait long before stumbling on a scene it can't master.

We can't talk about performance without revisiting the camera's focusing system. The ILC is so capable in this regard that bringing a subject into focus almost becomes an afterthought -- most of the time, anyway. At its best, the E-M5 can adjust in a fraction of a second, and when it works, it does so with epic speed. It's not without flaws, however, and we've so far run into issues with several Olympus lenses. While the camera does a top-notch job with wide framing in good conditions, it has significant difficulty focusing in scenes with little contrast.

Take it to the ski slopes, for example, and the E-M5 will clam up, only occasionally capturing a sharp frame. We experienced the same during a rainy day beach shoot with that 12-50mm kit optic zoomed all the way in. When the camera works, it's peerless, but you won't have to wait long before stumbling on a scene it can't master. The same is true of video capture: you'll want to steer clear of continuous autofocus while shooting in snow, rain or any dark or flat scene, lest you end up with a blurry mess. (You can avoid the continuous focus hunting by using single- or manual-focus modes.) For this reason, we're not confident in the camera's abilities as a video shooter -- at least not until this focusing issue is addressed.

One area where the E-M5 offers consistent speed and accuracy is in high-speed consecutive shooting mode. Opting in nets you a cool nine frames per second, for 15 shots. After the buffer takes a few seconds to unload (depending on the speed of your SD card, of course), you can fire off another burst. A lower-speed sequential mode gives you the option of shooting at 3 fps for nearly two dozen consecutive frames. The camera can power on, focus and shoot its first image in as little as 1.2 seconds, while re-framing, adjusting focus and capturing a different scene takes just 0.3 seconds. Once a subject is already in focus, there's virtually zero lag between shots.

The E-M5's battery life is phenomenal for a mirrorless ILC; we were able to snap more than 600 stills and 22 minutes of 720p video on a day-long shoot around New York City. The camera's built-in power meter is seriously flawed, however, only providing an accurate reading when completely charged or fully depleted. For roughly 90 percent of a cycle, the camera displays a full power indicator, dropping to two out of three bars for the final 50 or so shots, then flashing fully depleted for the next 50. Power cycling early during the depleted state will result in a full battery indicator for the next few shots, though as we approached the end of the battery's life, the cam consistently displayed empty. Olympus reps were unaware of the issue, but said that the company will investigate, and may be able to correct the meter with a firmware update.

Image quality

The E-M5 delivers excellent image quality for a camera of its size, but at $1,300 with a kit lens, you'd be right to expect perfection.

The E-M5 delivers excellent image quality for a camera of its size, but at $1,300 with a kit lens, you'd be right to expect perfection. There's no 51,200+ high-ISO magic at play here, but we weren't disappointed with image quality -- whenever the camera was able to focus, at least. One side effect of that low-contrast focus hunting is a slew of blurry photos, assuming you follow through with a capture after an un-sharp preview. The camera can focus in snow and sand, but it's definitely hit or miss, especially at longer focal lengths (where flatter details fill the frame). Professionals who focus on sea and snow sports will definitely want to steer clear of crowning the E-M5 their star shooter, but it is a winner if complementing a pricey high-end DSLR. Amateurs spending much of their time on the slopes or the beach may also share that sentiment, which is a slight letdown considering that "splash-proof" build.

With a native ISO range of 200-25,600, there's quite a bit of flexibility in the sensitivity department, which will certainly come in handy for long-zoom captures with the f/3.5-6.3 kit lens. Images shot throughout that spectrum are usable at any size. ISO 25,600 looks quite fantastic, as you'll see in the 1:1 pixel views below. As with most mirrorless cameras with a MFT or larger sensor, you could quite comfortably leave the E-M5 set to ISO 3200 for casual shooting without any significant quality loss, but we'd even be willing to push that limit to 6400 or higher if shooting in low light. 16 megapixels won't prompt any sticker shock, but it's perfectly sufficient for most photographers, and well worth the tradeoff in order to achieve low-noise images at high ISOs.

The competition

Pricing a mirrorless ILC above $1,000 doesn't come without deliberation -- that figure is too high to make a significant dent in market share, but not low enough to cannibalize the Olympus PEN models, which is obviously a concern here. The camera's incredibly fast focusing, high-ISO quality, 5-axis image stabilization and built-in EVF make an obvious pick for potential PEN E-P3 owners with a bit more cash to spare, but if you're in need of a sub-$700 Olympus kit, it'd be tough to argue against the E-PL3.

If you're looking to stick with the Micro Four Thirds format, Panasonic's Lumix GX1 is a solid pick, with a $700 street price for the 14-42mm kit. More in line with the E-M5's $1,300 kit tag would be Sony's NEX-7, which can be had for a cool $1,350 with an included 18-55mm lens. Many photographers have gripes with Sony's lens selection, however, arguing that the kit optic simply doesn't offer performance to match the camera's 24.3-megapixel sensor. If you can invest in higher-end lenses, like the $1,300 24mm Carl Zeiss Sonnar T f/1.8, and need to capture larger images, you may still consider Sony's NEX flagship, but if you're simply comparing both kits, the E-M5 seems like the winner here as well. You may also be considering Fujifilm's X-Pro1 (pictured with the E-M5 above), but that mirrorless ILC's $1,700 body-only price tag, size and incredibly narrow lens selection limit its appeal.

Wrap-up

Simply put, we love the E-M5. It's a solid shooter -- literally, thanks to its "splash-proof body" -- with excellent image quality throughout the ISO range and a slick, versatile lens. That 5-axis stabilization is innovative as well, as is the incredibly fast focusing system. While powerful, that focusing system isn't perfect, often slipping with low-contrast sand and snow scenes. Still, that issue is arguably minor, considering that this camera isn't designed for sports-shooting pros, and, like the battery meter, it may be corrected with a firmware update. The $1,300 kit price will be a tad too much to swallow for some, but with a solid body and a diverse collection of lenses, there hasn't been a better time to hop aboard Micro Four Thirds.

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Apple gets another bite, wins appeal to pursue preliminary injunction against Samsung

We'll forgive you if you've forgotten, given the myriad Apple/Samsung legal shenanigans, but back in February, Apple attempted to obtain a preliminary injunction against Samsung to prevent the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a few phones from being sold in the US. Samsung emerged victorious, as the district court denied Cupertino's request because it questioned the validity of a couple of Apple's patents and didn't see how Apple would be irreparably harmed if it failed to get Sammy's products banned. Naturally, Tim Cook's crew appealed that decision, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) has decided to give Apple another crack at obtaining an injunction. The CAFC upheld the lower court's ruling as to three of the four patents, but found fault with the District Court's holding that Apple's tablet design patent had substantial questions of validity.


Essentially, the lower court held that Apple's patent was likely no good because it was an obvious design in light of two tablets that were created long before Apple patented the iPad's look. However, the CAFC found that one of the previous slate's asymmetrical bezel and lack of an unbroken, all-glass surface (among other differences) were sufficient to render Apple's patent non-obvious. Basically, the appellate court found that the District court "construed the claimed design too broadly," and remanded the issue so that the district court could complete its preliminary injunction analysis. So, Apple's cleared a big hurdle towards getting the Galaxy Tab 10.1 off the US market, but the company's still got to persuade Judge Koh that it'll be irreparably harmed without the injunction. This decision assures even longer legal proceedings, but given how well both of these tech titans are doing these days, we're pretty sure they can afford the attorneys' fees.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

16GB Wi-Fi, 32GB Wi-Fi, Limited Edition, LTE, T-Mobile, 16GB Verizon

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• key specs
• user reviews 65
• answers 85

• Form factor Tablet
• Operating system Android (Honeycomb [3.x])
• Screen size 10.1 inches
• Storage type Internal storage (16 GB, Flash)
• Maximum battery life Up to 9 hours
• Dimensions 6.9 x 10.1 x 0.34 in
• Weight 0.04 oz
• Released 2011-06-08

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8.5 average user rating

• Features 8.3
• Display 9.2
• Battery life 7.8
• Ease of use 8.0
• Storage capacity 7.8
• Design and form factor 8.9
• Portability (size / weight) 9.1
• Durability 7.8

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1. 13 What do you think of homescreen widgets and their effects on tablet performance?
2. 1 Does anyone know how much RAM this thing has? I am assuming at least 1GB but you never know.
3. 2 Is the lack of a USB port a deal breaker? Also, I presume that in addition to 16/32 GB onboard storage, this tab has a microsd slot(?

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Apple iPad 3rd-gen

Apple iPad 3rd-gen

16GB WiFi, 32GB WiFi, 64GB WiFi, 16GB AT&T 4G, 32GB AT&T 4G, 64GB AT&T 4G, 16GB Verizon 4G, 32GB Verizon 4G

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• key specs
• user reviews 117
• answers 49

• Form factor Tablet
• Operating system iOS (5)
• Screen size 9.7 inches
• Storage type Internal storage (16 GB, Flash)
• Maximum battery life Up to 10 hours
• Dimensions 9.5 x 7.31 x 0.37 in
• Weight 1.44 lb
• Released 2012-03-16

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9.3 average user rating

• Features 9.2
• Display 9.9
• Battery life 9.2
• Ease of use 9.7
• Storage capacity 8.5
• Design and form factor 9.5
• Portability (size / weight) 8.7
• Durability 8.6

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1. 3 What are some features you'd like to see on the iPad 3?
2. 3 will the new iPad work on Verizon's 4G network?
3. 1 LTE Hotspot speeds?

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Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000: Review

Microsoft recently launched its Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 in India. It can be paired with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, notebook, desktop or tablet.

Mobile Keyboard 5000 succeeds company's Mobile Keyboard 6000 and the only major difference between the versions is the missing numeric pad in the former.

Packaging and contents
The red keyboard box is just as sleek as the product. Apart from the Bluetooth keyboard, the package comes with a user manual and two Alkaline AAA batteries that are required to power this device.

Design and build quality
Microsoft's Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a visually appealing device. Unlike the competing keyboards that are rectangular in shape, it has a slightly curved design that works in its favour.  Another positive for this keyboard is its slim and light-weight profile.

The keys are large and well-spaced, but unlike other keyboards not all keys on Microsoft's Keyboard 5000 are of equal size. The function keys placed in top row are very small in size; however, as the function keys are hardly used, we did not find it much of an issue.

Function keys aren't the only ones with smaller size on the keyboard. While centre keys such as 'B', 'N', 'G' and 'H' are larger, the corner keys like 'O', 'K', 'L' and 'Q' are smaller. According to the company, this unusual size of keys, and the design of this keyboard, encourages natural posture while typing. That might well be true, but it certainly takes some getting used to.

Talking about the other parts of the keyboard, the battery lid has been placed at the rear along with power button and Bluetooth pairing button. The pairing button is quite small and we found it a little uncomfortable to use. If you plan to pair with different devices on a regular basis, this may be a slight pain-point.

Moving on to the build quality, this keyboard is made essentially of the plastic but it does not look cheap and feels like a sturdy device.

With mere 414 grams weight, the keyboard is quite lightweight, but because of the size, we didn't find portable enough for tablets. To make it more travel friendly, the keyboard should have ideally come with a soft cover/pouch. But, Microsoft seems to have overlooked it.

Further on the downside, there is no indicator for Caps Lock, or the battery life. Company has just given a power indicator, which informs you if the device has been powered on and also blinks while the device is in discoverable mode.

Performance
To use the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000, all one needs to do is insert two AAA batteries in the keyboard and pair it with a compatible Bluetooth device. We paired it with an Apple iPad and Windows notebook, and in both cases we found the connecting procedure to be similar and fairly straightforward.

In terms of usage, the device is comfortable to use and is very responsive. However, as we have already pointed out, it takes a while to get used to the keys on this one.

Verdict
If you are out in the market looking for a wireless keyboard for home-use, Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is a decent option, but if you want a portable keyboard for your new tablet, you might find it a bit large.

Pros
Appealing design
Light-weight/Portable
Easy to connect

Cons
Takes a bit of time to get used to the key placement
No battery life/Caps Lock indicator

Price: Rs. 3,350

Ratings:
Performance: 3.5
Price: 3
Ease of setup: 4
Ergonomics: 4
Wow Factor: 3.5

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BlackBerry Curve 9220: Review

n the wake of increasing popularity of Android phone and Apple's iPhone, Research In Motion (RIM) has not been having a good run with its BlackBerry devices. Fortunately for the company, India is one of the few markets in which it is still popular amongst youngsters, thanks largely to the BlackBerry Curve 8520. Launched way back in 2009, 8520 was the first Curve smartphone from the Canadian handset maker and it continues to be their bestselling smartphone in the country. 

The reasons why Curve 8520 proved to be such a big hit are easy to understand. It's the cheapest BlackBerry around, and the go-to option for the young crowd who use BlackBerry Messenger as if their life depended on it. The wide variety of colour options no doubt helped the sales.

Though the Curve 8520 continues to be the top selling model for RIM, it runs on the dated OS 5, has a slow processor and an average battery backup.

This is where the new BlackBerry Curve 9220 steps in. Priced attractively at Rs. 10,990, the company expects it to be as popular as the first Curve and is specifically being targeted at the youngsters. 

Hardware and looks
The first thing that you notice about the new Curve 9220 is that it looks very similar to Curve 8520. However, despite having a larger battery, it is 1.2mm thinner than its predecessor. 
The Curve 9220 also has the full plastic body but the build quality is nice. It feels sturdy and can bear a few falls with without any major damage. 

The big highlight of this smartphone is the presence of a dedicated BBM key. This key is placed on the left side of the handset, and gives instant access to BlackBerry Messenger. However, it works only when the handset is unlocked, so not really a shortcut to access BBM.

Unlike other BlackBerrys, this smartphone does not have any dedicated media keys on the top panel. This clears a lot of space at the top, which now only houses the screen lock key.
The keyboard is pretty much the standard one found on any BlackBerry device and the QWERTY lovers will find it quite convenient to use.

Just like the BlackBerry Curve 8520, the new Curve handset, too, will be available in vibrant colour options such as fuchsia pink and teal blue, apart from the usual black and white.

Display
The BlackBerry Curve 9220 comes with 2.44-inch TFT LCD display with 320x240 pixels resolution. When pitted against the other Curve devices at similar price point, Curve 9220 scores better than the rest in terms of display. Having said that, the display of this handset is still nothing to rave about when compared to other smartphones.

Camera
BlackBerry Curve 9220 sports a 2.0-megapixels fixed focus camera. The images captured through this camera in proper light conditions were at the most average. Needless to add, the quality deteriorates even further in low-lighting conditions.

Considering that RIM is trying to catch the fancy of the young consumers through this handset, we feel that the camera should have been better. Most devices at this price point come loaded with at least 5-megapixels primary camera. 

Another downside of this smartphone is the fixed-focus nature of the camera rather than auto-focus found on other smartphones. The quality of videos recorded through this handset is also average. 

Software/ Interface
Curve 9220 comes loaded with the latest BlackBerry OS 7.1, which makes it the first handset at this price point to do so. To put things in perspective, the more expensive BlackBerry Curve 9300 (commonly referred as Curve 3G) and BlackBerry Bold 9780 handsets are still running on the older BlackBerry OS 6.

When compared with BlackBerry OS 5 and OS 6, the new operating system seems far sleeker, faster and more user-friendly.  Also BlackBerry OS 7.1 brings mobile hotspot, universal search, BlackBerry tag and FM Radio support, which were in the earlier version.

The addition of Social Feeds in an entry-level device is handy, especially when it is targeted to young users. We liked the experience of using Facebook through Social Feeds more than the native Facebook app. One of the most important aspects of any BlackBerry device, without any doubt, is its BBM experience. We found the experience of using this app on Curve 9220 to be almost identical to other BlackBerry OS 7 devices.

Performance/ Battery Life
RIM is tight lipped regarding the processor inside BlackBerry Curve 9220, but irrespective of the which processor has been used in this phone; we found that this smartphone was pretty smooth in terms of functioning. There were no lags in transitioning between different apps; neither did we encounter any unusual crashes.

Another addition in this handset is the FM radio. The radio app is quite basic with no frills attached. The voice quality and music playback quality on the handset, both through loudspeaker and earplugs, is good.

The best part about this smartphone is the battery-life. The Curve 9220 comes with a 1450 mAh battery, which easily lasted for a day with frequent app use and web browsing without needing a charge. 

In terms of connectivity, this mobile handset comes with a Wi-Fi and 2G but lacks 3G support. It's a bit disappointing to find a device at this price point of Rs. 10,000 that does not have 3G support.

Verdict
The biggest drawback for BlackBerry still continues to be its inability to excite the developers to create apps for its platform and the BlackBerry Curve 9220 is unlikely to change that. However, if you are not into the apps and are looking for a budget BlackBerry smartphone to connect with your BBM friends, then Curve 9220 is worth considering. It is also be a good upgrade for users of BlackBerry Curve 8520 as it offers an updated OS and better battery at a similar price point. 


Pros
Battery life
Affordable BlackBerry OS 7 device

Cons
2.0 MP Camera with fixed focus
No 3G

Price: Rs. 10,990

Ratings:
Design: 3
Display: 2.5
Camera: 2
Performance: 3.5
Software: 3.5
Ecosystem: 1.5
Battery Life: 4
Value for Money: 3
Overall: 3

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HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon hands-on at CTIA 2012 (update

This handset didn't surprise anyone when it was officially announced at CTIA Wireless 2012, but we're still happy to spend time with the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE for Verizon Wireless regardless. After catching enough glimpses of the smartphone over the past few months, we already had a good idea of what to expect: Big Red's latest LTE device will have Ice Cream Sandwich dressed in Sense 4, a 4-inch Super LCD qHD panel, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 (Krait), 1,700mAh user-removable battery, microSD support and an 8MP BSI f/2.2 camera with a 28mm lens.

If you're familiar with either the OG HTC Droid Incredible or its sequel, you'll instantly recognize the trusty hump on the back of the third iteration -- Verizon and HTC haven't strayed too far from the design formula here. Aside from the Sense 4 firmware hiding inside the phone, the Incredible 4G LTE has little in common with its cousins, the One X and One S. Frankly, we're still left pondering if the carrier will come out with a version of its own, since we've seen the other three national powers get a high-profile device from the Taiwanese manufacturer.

We had a very similar feeling when holding the new Incredible, one easily related to how we felt with its predecessors. It's quite light, and it actually feels thinner than it really is. All in all, the phone is very comfortable to hold, and from our few minutes of using it, it seemed to be rather smooth. Naturally, as we expected, Verizon reps warned us that it's running on preliminary firmware at the moment, so we don't take a lot of stock in its performance, good or bad. All in all, it's exactly how we thought it would be -- a refreshed version of the Incredible 2, with a much better processor and a few other notable bumps in specs. Head below to check out a few images of Verizon's newest darling.

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