Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Target reveals gift card snafu

<art christmas cardsp>By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Target is getting hit with another lump of coal this holiday season.

The nation's second-largest discount retailer said Tuesday that an unidentified number of gift cards sold over the holidays were not properly activated. The Minneapolis chain says the number of cards affected was less than 0.1 percent of the total sold and that it will honor the affected cards.

Holders of Target gift cards can check the balance by following instructions on the back of the card. Customers can bring faulty cards to any Target service desk or call 800-544-2943 for help.

"We are aware that some Target gift cards were not fully activated and apologize for the inconvenience," company spokeswoman Molly Snyder said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

The problem comes less than two weeks after Target announced it was hit with a massive data security breach that affected about 40 million debit and credit card holders who shopped at its stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15.

"It's another black eye that makes you question the internal operating procedures of Target," said Brian Sozzi, CEO and chief equities strategist at Belus Capital Advisors. "Target needs to be doing everything perfectly. It can't afford to lose any more confidence among its guests."

On Friday, Target backtracked and said that debit-card PINs were among the financial information stolen from millions of customers who shopped at the retailer in late November and early December. However, it said the stolen personal identification numbers, which customers type into keypads to make secure transactions, were encrypted and that this strongly reduces risk to customers.

In addition to the encrypted PINs, customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the embedded code on the magnetic strip on back of the cards were stolen.

Target has said it is still in the early stages of investigating the breach. It has been working with the Secret Service and the Department of Justice.

Target's stock price rose 95 cents to $63.42 in afternoon trading Tuesday. It is nearly even with its price before the company disclosed the data breach.

Follow Anne D'Innocenzio at http://www.Twitter.com/adinnocenzio

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

UPDATE: Sigma has released firmware to fix compatibility problems with Nikon D5300

<Nikon D5300 Cheapp>You can now download firmware for a number of Sigma lenses that should correct the problems Nikon D5300 users may experience with its lenses

UPDATE 22/11/13:

Sigma has released firmware to fix the problems with the following lenses:

・35mm F1.4 DG HSM A012 NIKON
・17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM C013 NIKON
・30mm F1.4 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM A013 NIKON
・120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM S013 NIKON

The update should make these lenses fully functional with the Nikon D5300. See here for more information and the download link.

ORIGINAL STORY 19/11/13:

In a statement on its website, Sigma has said that the current firmware of its Nikon-fit interchangeable lenses 'may not work properly with the Nikon D5300's OS and Live View Auto Focus functions'.

Though it hasn't released specific details, Sigma has said that the problem occurs specifically with Nikon-fit interchangable lenses that incorporate an internal motor.

Sigma will be releasing a free firmware update tomorrow (November 20) that it says should correct the problem. You can contact your nearest Sigma dealer in order to receive the update; Sigma provides a full list here.

See Sigma's website for the full statement.

--

We recently completed the What Digital Camera review of the Nikon D5300


Source: Whatdigitalcamera

Saturday, November 23, 2013

New And Exclusive Micro-Site Content

ePHOTOzine's Micro-Site Roundup - Find out what's been happening on our five Micro-Sites.

Posted:

Here's a roundup of the exclusive content we've got for you to have a read of on our five micro-sites this week:

On PENTAXPORTAL this week, you can take a look at some top tips for photographing seals with your Pentax camera, and check out some top Pentax sunset photos. Plus, the brand new K-3 DSLR has been reviewed on site this week, and there's news of new images from Ricoh Imaging brand ambassadors.

Over On EIZO ColorZone, you can learn how to perform a monitor viewing angle check and find out why ColorNavigator software is a great tool for aiding calibration. Plus, there's news of a new 3D CG colour management handbook that's now available.

Meanwhile, on Olympus Image Space this week, there are techniques on how to use blur creatively, and there's news on Olympus workshops taking place over the coming months with Damian McGillicuddy and Steve Gosling. Plus, news on the Olympus Impressions 'Fall' competition, and £100 accessory cashback when you buy an Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera have also gone live.

On Totally Tamron this week, you can learn some top tips for taking better photos of ice with your Tamron lens, plus there are some top Tamron portrait photos for you to take a look at. Don't forget to take a look at David Pritchard's blog the days zoom past, too, as he's been out-and-about with his newly acquired Tamron 24-70mm lens.

Last but not least, on Nikon Nation this week, you can check out some ideas and tips for on location portrait shoots, get creative with colour balance and lots more. Plus, don't miss the Nikon D5300 Offers DSLR review and news of ono-to one training with Nikon School in December.

Make sure you check back to the Micro-Sites regularly, as new and exclusive content is posted weekly!


Source: Ephotozine

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Nikon D5300 Review

<Nikon D5300 Offersp>

Introduction

The Nikon D5300 is a new 24.2 megapixel DSLR camera with no optical low-pass filter that can record Full HD movies at 1080/50/60p with stereo sound and comes equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS. A high-resolution 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD monitor makes it easier to compose your shots from difficult angles, while the extensive ISO range of 100-25600 should cope with virtually all lighting conditions. A 5fps burst shooting mode, EXPEED 4 image processor, 39-point autofocus system with nine cross-type sensors, 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor, High Dynamic Range mode, Active D-Lighting, and nine different special effects for stills and movies complete the Nikon D5300's headline specs. Available in three colours, black, grey and red, the Nikon D5300 costs £729.99 / $799.95 / €899 body only, or £829.99 / €1029 with the 18-55mm VR kit lens, and $1,399.95 with the AF-S NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

Ease of Use

The Nikon D5300 replaces the year-old D5200 as the new mid-range model in Nikon's extensive DSLR line-up, slotting in between the existing D3200 and D7000 models, not only in terms of feature set and functionality, but also in terms of size and weight. It isn't quite as compact and lightweight as the D3200, but neither is it as bulky and heavy as the D7000. In comparison to its predecessor, the D5300 is slightly smaller and lighter than the D5200. The right-hand grip is deep and therefore quite comfortable for photographers with large hands and/or longish fingers, and there's also a handy rubberised thumb rest on the back of the body.

The D5100's 24.1 megapixel CMOS sensor has been superseded by a 24.2 megapixel sensor with no optical low-pass filter, which promises to deliver slightly finer details. The sensor can clean itself by way of high-frequency vibrations that will, at least in theory, shake off any non-adhesive dust particles that may have settled on the low-pass filter during a lens change. You can specify, via an option in the Setup menu, whether you want sensor cleaning to take place at shutdown, startup, both or neither, with the default being 'both'. The cleaning process pleasingly has no practical impact on startup times, which were near instant. The new image sensor is complemented by the more powerful EXPEED 4 processing engine and a larger buffer as well.

The D5300 is the first Nikon DSLR to offer both built-in wi-fi and GPS connectivity, instead of relying on optional accessories like all previous models. The wi-fi function essentially pairs the D5300 with an iOS or Android smartphone or other smart device, and allows you to eidt and share images directly to social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It also makes it possible to control the D5300 remotely via a smart device using the free Wireless Mobile Utility app, and set the focus point using the smart device's touchscreen. The built-in GPS/A-GPS receiver logs location information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude in the image's EXIF data, even when the camera is turned off, allowing you to retrace your steps even when you're not taking photos.

The 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR kit lens that Nikon supplied feels fairly well-balanced on the Nikon D5300 and it fits into place with a reassuring mechanical click. It also adds the very important advantage of Vibration Reduction. Nikon bodies don't offer any form of in-camera image stabilisation, unlike similar models from Sony, Pentax and Olympus, so the affordable 18-55mm VR lens is a good starting point if you don't already have any Nikon lenses.

The shutter release action on the Nikon D5300 is surprisingly quiet, with a dampened mirror slap that makes this DSLR actually quieter than some rangefinder cameras. Furthermore, there is a Quiet Shutter Release mode, in which the mirror is raised fairly slowly to further reduce the sound it makes. This does, however, introduce some shutter lag, which usually isn't worth the few decibels of difference versus what is already an impressively quiet shutter.

FrontRear

The Nikon D5300 follows conventional DSLR design in having a shooting mode dial on the top of the camera, which allows you to select either one of the advanced modes like Manual, Aperture- or Shutter-priority, or a number of scene modes. The Exposure Compensation button is thoughtfully positioned next to the shutter release. Hold down this button with your right forefinger and spin the control wheel on the top-rear of the camera with your thumb to adjust its settings - simple and intuitive.

The Effects shooting mode, first introduced on the D5100, now provides 9 different filters that can be applied to both still images and movies. The Night Vision effect is particularly worth of mention, pushing the camera's sensitivity to a whopping ISO 102,400, although a monochrome rather than colour image is recorded. For stills, you can enter Live View mode to preview the effect or simply use the optical viewfinder. For movies, the recording is slowed down (dependent upon the chosen effect) as the camera uses a lot of processing power to apply the effect, leading to footage that can have a rather staccato feel. Note also that the camera sets virtually everything in the Effects mode - exposure, shutter speed, white balance, ISO, file type and quality - so its only creative in terms of the arty effect that's applied. Several of the same effects can be applied to an image or movie that you've taken, though, so you can have the best of both worlds (albeit without the luxury of a preview).

The second button sitting next to the shutter release is labeled 'info'. This button is arguably at the heart of the Nikon D5300's ease-of-use, as like its predecessor the camera lacks the monochromatic status LCD of the older D90, so Nikon had to provide a different way to check vital shooting information without having to look into the viewfinder. Enter the info button - pressing it displays virtually all of the camera's main settings on the large rear screen. Pressing the "i" button on the rear of the D5300 then allows you to interact with and set the onscreen options, with 14 available in total.

The rear articulated LCD screen is hinged at the side rather than the bottom. This fully articulated design is a much more flexible solution, allowing the screen to be folded out from the left side of the camera and folded inwards to protect it when not in use. The screen is slightly bigger than the D5200 at 3.2 inches and higher resolution too, with 1,037k dots, so there's nothing to complain about in this department. The screen also has an anti-glare coating, so that it's usable most of the time outdoors in strong daylight, although it still struggled a little with reflections.

The D5300's Live View is accessed in a different and arguably less intuitive way than on the D3200/D7100. Instead of a combined switch / button on the D3200/D7000, the D5300 has a fore-finger operated spring-loaded switch on top of the body that is pushed downwards and toggles between turning Live View on and off. Positioned next to the Shooting Mode dial, it allows you to enable Live View whilst holding the camera at arms length with one hand, or to turn it off as you hold the camera up to your eye. We'd prefer it to be on the rear of the camera and also to incorporate the Movie record button, in keeping with the D3200/D7100 models.

Press the Lv switch and the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and the rear screen displays the scene as seen through the lens. There is a red rectangle in the middle, which you can move practically anywhere in the frame. When in manual focus (MF) mode, you can magnify into this rectangle in a number of steps by repeatedly pressing the button marked with a loupe icon, but this magnification seems to be at least partially interpolated. This means that you cannot see detail down to the pixel level, unlike some competing cameras.

Fortunately, MF is not the only focusing option in Live View, at least as long as you are taking stills. Single-servo AF (AF-S) and Full-time-servo AF (AF-F) modes are also available and, while slow, they tend to be accurate. Both modes can also be used in connection with face detection. 'Face-priority AF' had no problem finding and keeping track of human faces as long as they were facing the camera, but acquiring focus was another story - very, very slow.

Live View must also be entered to shoot movies. After pressing the Lv button and optionally presetting the aperture and focus, you can start recording video by pressing the dedicated Movie Record button on top of the camera next to the shutter release. The camera records full high-definition, wide-screen video in 1920x1080 pixel resolution, at a frame rate of 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, in AVI format using the motion JPEG codec. As with Live View, contrast-detect AF is possible whilst shooting movies, although as with still images there's an audible whine as the camera refocuses and it's still too slow to focus on any fast-moving subject, so much so that we suspect most serious users will use manual focusing instead. Although the D5300 can automatically focus during video recording, it's just not fast enough to warrant regular use.

You can set both the aperture and the shutter speed during movie recording, although the slowest shutter speed is limited to 1/30th second, plus exposure compensation and AE-Lock can also be set. Out of the box the D5300 can record stereo sound via its built-in microphone with three different levels of sensitivity on offer, and improved sound can also be recorded using an optional external microphone. The maximum size of a single video clip is 2 gigabytes which, given that movies occupy about 100 megabytes of storage space per minute, would theoretically translate into about 20 minutes of continuous recording.

The D5300 has a proper through-the-lens optical viewfinder with a slightly improved magnification of 0.82x, on par with most of its rivals. The Nikon D5300's 39 auto-focus points are permanently marked on the focusing screen, whereas the compositional grid lines can be called up via a menu option. Two warning signs - telling you that the battery is running low or you have forgotten to insert a memory card - may also appear in the form of overlaid icons when appropriate. Below the finder is a traditional monochromatic status bar showing practically all relevant shooting information (including the ISO sensitivity, if so specified in the menu).

As stated above, the Nikon D5300 has 39 auto-focus sensors, out of which 9 are cross type. The other thirty are of the line variety, consequently being only sensitive to either vertical or horizontal detail, but not both. In practice, this did not turn out to be a real problem, with the camera typically locking focus on the subject quickly and easily, no matter which AF point was selected. In the viewfinder, the active AF point appears in red, which is easy to see. Selecting the active AF point is done by way of the four-way pad - except if you choose Auto Area AF - again a simple and intuitive solution. In low light, the AF sensors are helped by an AF assist lamp located on the front plate of the camera.

The 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor used by the D5300 is again identical to the system used by the more expensive D7100 model. This provides precise data to the camera's Scene Recognition System, which optimises exposure, autofocus and white balance immediately before the shutter is released.

Memory Card SlotBattery Compartment

The Nikon D5300 only has one control wheel and there are no dedicated buttons for controlling ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering or AF mode. The Fn button can be reprogrammed to perform ISO selection or white balance adjustment (or one of a few other functions such as file quality specification), but the others still have to be set through the main info screen, called up by pressing the [ i ] button top-right of the rear display. With practice, performing adjustments via this screen becomes fairly quick and easy, but it's not as efficient as the older D90's dedicated controls.

Most of the camera's rear controls are scattered, seemingly almost randomly, to the right of the D5300's large folding screen. While we can understand the need to locate them to accomodate the 3 inch LCD, the positioning of the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons in particular isn't very intuitive, being operated with your right-hand thumb, and right next to the Delete button. As the D5300 isn't a very complex camera in terms of the number of external controls, it thankfully doesn't get too confusing, but is something to consider from an ergonomic point of view.

For the images that you've already already captured, the Nikon D5300 offers a broad range of retouching tools, including post-capture D-lighting (useful if you forgot to turn on Active D-lighting before capture), red-eye correction, trimming, monochrome conversion, different filter effects, colour adjustments, image resizing, image overlay, in-camera raw processing, quick auto retouching, straightening of crooked pictures, lens distortion correction, fisheye, colour outline, colour sketch, selective colour, miniature effect, and perspective control. Many of these functions make it unnecessary to buy specialised computer programs or plug-ins and spend hours in front of a computer to achieve a desired/popular effect.

The Nikon D5300 is powered by a proprietary EN-EL14a Lithium-ion battery, good for 600 shots, and records videos and image files on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. As we noted in our D5200 review, we would really have liked to see Nikon add a second card slot for Compact Flash cards, so that owners of higher-specified Nikon DSLRs who buy a D5300 as a second body can use their existing memory cards. It also lacks the dual-SD slots of the D7100. As far as connectivity goes, there are USB/VideoOut and Mini HDMI ports as well as an accessory terminal for the connection of a wired remote or a GPS unit, all sheltered behind a door on the left side of the camera, when viewed from the back.

That concludes our look at the D5300's interface and feature-set. Now let's take a look at the D5300's image quality...

Entry Tags


Source: Photographyblog

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Nikon Announces the D5300, Its First DSLR with Built-In WiFi

Adding to the deluge of camera announcements this month, Nikon chose today to release an update to its D5200 consumer DSLR. The new camera, the Nikon D5300 Buy Cheap, isn't a huge breakthrough, but Nikon managed to pack in a few new features that'll help the shooter keep up with competitors like the Canon 70D.

There are a few updates to the camera, but the headliner is the fact that Nikon has finally added built-in WiFi - no need to go out and purchase a WU-1a adapter. It's also the first Nikon SLR to feature built-in GPS.

The new WiFi and GPS features are joined by an "enhanced" 24.2-megapixel DX sensor without an anti-aliasing filter (say hello to sharper images and potential moire) and a powerful EXPEED 4 processor. That translates into the ability to shoot 1080/60p video, 5fps continuous in both live view and via the viewfinder, a max ISO of 25,600 and better battery life to boot (700 shots vs 500).

Other notable features include a 3.2-inch 1.04M-dot articulating display and a 39-point AF system that works with Nikon's Scene Recognition System for metering. Here are a few more pictures:

For more info on the new camera, feel free to head over to Nikon's press room and read up on the details. The D5300 will be available sometime this month in Black, Red and Gray for $800, or in a kit with the AF-S 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for $1,400.


Source: Petapixel

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Nikon D5300 DSLR Unveiled, 24.2MP Successor to the D5200

Posted on 18. Oct, 2013 by Steve in Digital Cameras

Nikon D5300 Cheap-with-18-140mm-Nikkor-lens.jpg">Nikon has unveiled the successor to the popular Nikon D5200 digital SLR, which the company launched almost one year ago, the new model is named Nikon D5300. The new Nikon D5300 will start to ship early next month with a retail price that is just under $800 for the camera body. The D5300 and the D5200 both share a similar body design, but there are minor differences or improvements that the D5300 has to offer buyers.

The improvements list is short and consists of features that enhance the photographic abilities of the camera and a feature that brings the camera up-to-date with a new digital camera market trend.

Improvements that will help the overall performance of the new Nikon D5300 over the now-old D5200 include a newly designed and higher resolution CMOS image sensor along with a brand new image processor.

Between the Nikon D5200 and the new Nikon D5300, the 24.2 megapixel D5300 has just 0.1 megapixels more resolution than the 24.1 megapixel D5200, however the D5300′s sensor has no built-in OLPF (optical low pass filter) and Nikon say's that will help with image clarity, both the old D5200 and new D5300 use similarly sized DX-format CMOS image sensors.

Nikon D5300 digital SLR gallery:

The new image processor that you will be getting with the upcoming Nikon D5300 is Nikon's newly developed EXPEED 4 image processor. According to Nikon, the new EXPEED 4 offers fast performance while 'maximizing energy efficiency, reducing image noise and delivering true-to-life colors'. The D5200 digital SLR features the EXPEED 3 image processing engine.

After the new image sensor and processor the only other major new feature included with the new Nikon D5300 digital SLR is Wi-Fi. The camera will be shipped with Wi-Fi capabilities built-in that don't need any external accessories like the Nikon WU-1a. The built-in Wi-Fi will let you pair your D5300 to your mobile devices iOS or Android after you install the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility free app. Also the Wi-Fi working with the cameras built-in GPS can geo-tag files all without external accessories.

However, with the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility app you will be able to complete functions like remote shooting where you can use your mobile device as a live view enabled wireless remote for snapping photos, wireless transferring of photo and video files, manual file upload for sending files to your mobile device even when you're not paired to the device (the image just downloads later when you are paired).

After you consider all of those differences the Nikon D5300 isn't really a radically new camera compared to the out-going Nikon D5200. However nobody should have expected a totally different camera given the very short gap between the two cameras launches, the D5200 was launched November of last year.

Some big similarities include Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps, continuous Shooting up to 5 fps, expandable ISO from 100-25600, 39-Point auto-focusing system, active D-Lighting and built-in HDR, Nikon F mount support, and an at eye-level pentamirror optical viewfinder.

From an exterior design perspective you can really see the lack of a re-design in the D5300 compared to the D5200. The only difference in looks is the vari-angle LCD is now 3.2-inches with the D5300 instead of 3.1-inches. Even with the color options the new Nikon D5300 is much like the D5200, the new camera will be offered in Black, Red or Grey colors.

Camera seller B&H Photo Video is offering pre-orders for the Nikon D5300 body at $796.95 (same price for each color) and they are offering a body+14-140mm telephoto zoom lens kit (pictured first above) for $1,396.95. With this particular retailer you can expect your pre-ordered D5300 camera to ship on November 14, 2013 according to notice put on each listing.

Tags: 1080p, 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD, 720p hd, active D-Lighting, auto-focus system, cmos sensor, digital camera, dslr, DX-format DSLR, full hd, FullHD, gps, hd, hdmi, hdr, image stabilization system, interchangeable lens, memory card, Nikon, Nikon D5300, Nikon dslr, Nikon Expeed 4, Nikon F mount, Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility, optical low pass filter, optical viewfinder, pentamirror optical viewfinder, sd memory card, sdhc memory card, sdxc memory card, tilt LCD, Video, wi-fi


Source: Digital-cameras-planet

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Capture, Create, Connect: The Nikon D5300 D-SLR Lets Photographers Do It All With Confidence

<Nikon D5300 Buy Cheapp>Related:

MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ Today, Nikon Inc. announced the latest addition to its legendary digital SLR lineup, the Nikon D5300. Offering the benefits of SLR performance with the versatility of wireless connectivity, the D5300 allows users to easily capture and share amazing images and videos. Though compact and lightweight, the Nikon D5300 packs an enhanced 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, EXPEED 4 image processing and the convenience of built-in Wi-Fi 1. Users now have the power to take both frame-worthy and share-worthy photos and HD videos with one device no matter where they are.

"With the Nikon D5300, we are continuing our commitment to delivering unparalleled performance and image quality while addressing the importance of staying connected and sharing images with ease," said Masahiro Horie, Director of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. "By answering the need to share high quality photos, the Nikon D5300 allows photographers to capture their memories in astounding clarity and share them with family and friends moments after they happen."

Advanced Performance for When it Matters Most
Making memorable moments even better, the Nikon D5300 offers stunning image quality with sharp, crisp detail to preserve life's precious memories. The enhanced 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers stunning images and HD videos with heightened clarity and detail due to the removal of the optical low pass filter (OLPF). From planned family portraits to candid moments, the D5300 has the performance, along with easy and intuitive features, to help users capture photos confidently, including:

  • Amazing Low Light Performance For clean, sharp details even in the most challenging lighting conditions including night games and dimly lit restaurants, the Nikon D5300 covers a wide ISO range of 100-12,800 and is expandable to ISO 25,600.
  • EXPEED 4 Image Processing Nikon's most recent image processing engine drives the rapid response and swift performance of the D5300, while maximizing energy efficiency, reducing image noise and delivering true-to-life colors.
  • Scene Recognition System To further help users capture the image they intend, the Nikon D5300 features Nikon's Scene Recognition System and 2,016-pixel RGB metering system to analyze and recognize the scene. Utilizing these systems results in adjustments to exposure, AF and white balance to deliver the best photo possible, whether it's a landscape or portrait.
  • 39-Point AF System Nikon's quick and precise 39-point AF system works with the Scene Recognition System to accurately acquire and track subjects throughout the frame, resulting in tack-sharp images. Kids too active to pose for a photo or pets chasing after a toy are easily captured in brilliant sharpness for memorable photos.
  • 5 Frames-Per-Second While using the optical viewfinder or in Live View, capture great moments that would have otherwise been missed with the D5300's 5 frames-per-second (fps) rate.

Share Like Never Before
The D5300 is Nikon's first D-SLR to feature built-in Wi-Fi, allowing the user to share high quality photos instantly. The Nikon D5300 sends images to the user's smart device, allowing them to share their D-SLR quality photos through e-mail and social media. From a winning touchdown to a surprise proposal, friends and family can now see these important moments clearly captured right after they happen. The Nikon D5300 also includes built-in GPS, another first for Nikon D-SLRs. Now the user can geotag images and allow others to see where life has taken them.

Features for Creativity and Versatility
Compact and lightweight (16.9 oz.), the Nikon D5300 can easily be packed for a day trip or a planned getaway. The small body of the D5300 affords the photographer the freedom to travel while still being easy to handle and comfortable to use. In addition to being able to capture amazing images anywhere, the D5300 is also packed with additional features to promote creativity and versatility, including:

  • 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor Whether shooting above a crowd or getting low to capture the details of a flower, users can explore new shots from a dramatic point of view with the large 3.2-inch Vari-angle LCD monitor. This super sharp (1,037K-dot) screen allows photographers to easily make camera adjustments and read menus, while also allowing them to compose the photo they want clearly when shooting from high or low angles. The rotating LCD makes it easy to capture "selfies" at an arm's length away or frame creative perspectives when capturing still photos and HD video.
  • Full HD 1080p Video Capture Create movies fit for the big screen with Full HD 1080p video capture at 60p with built-in stereo, wide ISO range for high quality videos in any light and improved full-time AF to keep the subject in focus.
  • NIKKOR Compatibility The Nikon D5300 is compatible with Nikon's legendary NIKKOR lenses and powerful system accessories, further adding versatility and creativity.

October 2013 for the suggested retail price (SRP) of $1,399.95*. To complement consumers' preferences, the Nikon D5300 will be available in Black, Red and Gray. For more information on the new Nikon D5300 and other Nikon products, please visit Price and Availability
The Nikon D5300 kit with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens will be available in www.nikonusa.com.



Press Release, News
Source: Broadwayworld

Monday, October 21, 2013

Nikon D5300 DSLR Unveiled, 24.2MP Successor to the D5200

Posted on 18. Oct, 2013 by Steve in Digital Cameras

Nikon D5300 Buy Cheap-with-18-140mm-Nikkor-lens.jpg">Nikon has unveiled the successor to the popular Nikon D5200 digital SLR, which the company launched almost one year ago, the new model is named Nikon D5300. The new Nikon D5300 will start to ship early next month with a retail price that is just under $800 for the camera body. The D5300 and the D5200 both share a similar body design, but there are minor differences or improvements that the D5300 has to offer buyers.

The improvements list is short and consists of features that enhance the photographic abilities of the camera and a feature that brings the camera up-to-date with a new digital camera market trend.

Improvements that will help the overall performance of the new Nikon D5300 over the now-old D5200 include a newly designed and higher resolution CMOS image sensor along with a brand new image processor.

Between the Nikon D5200 and the new Nikon D5300, the 24.2 megapixel D5300 has just 0.1 megapixels more resolution than the 24.1 megapixel D5200, however the D5300′s sensor has no built-in OLPF (optical low pass filter) and Nikon say's that will help with image clarity, both the old D5200 and new D5300 use similarly sized DX-format CMOS image sensors.

Nikon D5300 digital SLR gallery:

The new image processor that you will be getting with the upcoming Nikon D5300 is Nikon's newly developed EXPEED 4 image processor. According to Nikon, the new EXPEED 4 offers fast performance while 'maximizing energy efficiency, reducing image noise and delivering true-to-life colors'. The D5200 digital SLR features the EXPEED 3 image processing engine.

After the new image sensor and processor the only other major new feature included with the new Nikon D5300 digital SLR is Wi-Fi. The camera will be shipped with Wi-Fi capabilities built-in that don't need any external accessories like the Nikon WU-1a. The built-in Wi-Fi will let you pair your D5300 to your mobile devices iOS or Android after you install the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility free app. Also the Wi-Fi working with the cameras built-in GPS can geo-tag files all without external accessories.

However, with the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility app you will be able to complete functions like remote shooting where you can use your mobile device as a live view enabled wireless remote for snapping photos, wireless transferring of photo and video files, manual file upload for sending files to your mobile device even when you're not paired to the device (the image just downloads later when you are paired).

After you consider all of those differences the Nikon D5300 isn't really a radically new camera compared to the out-going Nikon D5200. However nobody should have expected a totally different camera given the very short gap between the two cameras launches, the D5200 was launched November of last year.

Some big similarities include Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps, continuous Shooting up to 5 fps, expandable ISO from 100-25600, 39-Point auto-focusing system, active D-Lighting and built-in HDR, Nikon F mount support, and an at eye-level pentamirror optical viewfinder.

From an exterior design perspective you can really see the lack of a re-design in the D5300 compared to the D5200. The only difference in looks is the vari-angle LCD is now 3.2-inches with the D5300 instead of 3.1-inches. Even with the color options the new Nikon D5300 is much like the D5200, the new camera will be offered in Black, Red or Grey colors.

Camera seller B&H Photo Video is offering pre-orders for the Nikon D5300 body at $796.95 (same price for each color) and they are offering a body+14-140mm telephoto zoom lens kit (pictured first above) for $1,396.95. With this particular retailer you can expect your pre-ordered D5300 camera to ship on November 14, 2013 according to notice put on each listing.

Tags: 1080p, 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD, 720p hd, active D-Lighting, auto-focus system, cmos sensor, digital camera, dslr, DX-format DSLR, full hd, FullHD, gps, hd, hdmi, hdr, image stabilization system, interchangeable lens, memory card, Nikon, Nikon D5300, Nikon dslr, Nikon Expeed 4, Nikon F mount, Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility, optical low pass filter, optical viewfinder, pentamirror optical viewfinder, sd memory card, sdhc memory card, sdxc memory card, tilt LCD, Video, wi-fi


Source: Digital-cameras-planet

Sunday, October 13, 2013

OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet: To protect and to serve

OtterBox has been making protective 5s iphone cases otterbox commuter samsung galaxy s3 since 1998, making the company the great-granddaddy of the entire huge smartphone/tablet case market. The company announced a new member of the family yesterday, introducing the Commuter Series Wallet (US$44.95) for the iPhone 5/5s.

We've been seeing a lot of different wallet cases lately, many of which are more wallet (think leather) than protective case. OtterBox has taken the protection of the Commuter Series cases and merged it with a slide-out drawer-like back that can hold up to three credit or ID cards and one folded bill.

Like the other members of the Commuter Series, the Wallet wraps your iPhone 5 or 5s in rubbery silicone that is then surrounded by a tough polycarbonate shell. The screen is covered with a stick-on screen protector (it leaves space for the Touch ID-enabled home button of the iPhone 5s), so your preciousss is going to be in good hands while living in the Commuter Series Wallet.

There's a silicone door that covers the Lightning port, another one that covers the headphone jack, and soft buttons that cover the volume toggle and power switch. Installing the case is a piece of cake, although it takes some muscle to take it back off.

Once the case is on your iPhone 5, you can rest assured that whatever you put into the wallet "drawer" is going to stay put. It makes an audible "click" when shut, and requires a bit of pressure to open. I can verify that two credit cards and a driver's license fit into the case snugly, but I had no cash with which to check out the "one folded bill" claim...

If there's one negative I can find with the Commuter Series Wallet, it's that it's somewhat difficult to get cards out -- a small ramp on the bottom edge of the drawer would have made it a bit easier to slide cards out. As it is, you have to kind of pick them out with your fingers.

The Commuter Series Wallet is available now from OtterBox in black and glacier (white hard shell with gray silicone), and will soon be available in primrose (pinkish hard shell with light gray silicone). The case weighs just 2.0 ounces (56.7 grams), not bad considering the level of protection it provides. Unsurprisingly, it's a little thick at .71 inches (1.8 cm), but when you consider that the case can eliminate the need to carry a separate wallet, that's not a real issue.

Check out the video below for a demonstration of the Commuter Series Wallet Case, and then read on for a chance to win one of these cases.

Conclusion

With the Commuter Series Wallet for iPhone 5/5s, OtterBox has entered the case wallet market with a bang. The case provides the excellent drop protection that the company's line is known for, and provides a convenient and secure way to carry an ID card and some credit cards.

Pros

  • Reasonably priced for a high-quality protective product
  • Very lightweight
  • Positive feedback on the drawer mechanism insures that your cards remain safely stowed
  • Excellent build quality
Cons

    It would be nice if the cards could just slide out with pressure from a thumb; as it is, they must be picked out of the drawer one by one.
Who is it for?

    The iPhone 5/5s owner who is looking both for the protection of one of OtterBox's Commuter Series cases and the convenience of not having to carry a separate wallet

Giveaway

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.
  • The entry must be made before October 8, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected and will receive an OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet valued at $44.95
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Source: Tuaw

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Official Nexus 7 Flip Cases Hit Google Play in Four Colors, Steep $49.99 Price - Droid Life

Google pushed out brand new "official" Nexus 7 (2013) flip 5s iphone cases life proof droid case to Google Play this morning that run $49.99 a piece. The cases come in four colors: red, blue, white, and black. The red and blue versions are mostly grey suede, though, but have red and blue interiors for pops of color. Each case also features a lower-left positioned Google flag, so you'll never forget who designed your protective cover.

This case is the "first tablet case designed by Google" for your new Nexus 7, which features a built-in stand and a body that is "made to the exact specifications of your Google-designed technology."

I've got to say, that these are indeed quite pretty cases. The price is throwing me off a bit at $49.99, but we have a couple on order already to report back to you with. Also, don't forget to check out our mega-comparison of various low-priced cases that can be had through Amazon for as little as $5.


Source: Droid-life

Sunday, October 6, 2013

OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet Arrives for iPhone 5s/5 and Galaxy S4

OtterBox is best known for making some of the most popular rugged 5s iphone cases otterbox defender htc evo for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4, and today they are adding to that line with a new OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet case.

The OtterBox Commuters Series Wallet case combines the protection of the popular Commuter series with a slot that holds up to three cards and one bill in a small slide out partition on the back of the case.

OtterBox boasts that this allows you to access your cards without flipping the case over like many other wallets and notes that the wallet compartment includes an audible click when opened and closed so you'll know your cards are securely tucked away.

Read: Best iPhone 5s Cases

OtterBox sells two models of the Commuter Series Wallet. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 model comes in black, white and grey and pink and light grey and fits both phones. Unlike the Defenders Series iPhone 5s case there is no need for a special version with a cutout for the Touch ID sensor. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Commuter Series Wallet is available in the same colors.

OtterBox sells the Commuter Series Wallet case for $44.95 for the iPhone 5s/5 and Galaxy S4 models with sales live on OtterBox currently.

OtterBox sent the iPhone 5s Commuter Series Wallet Case over and we've been using it today to get a feel for the new case option. The case is slightly thicker than the iPhone 5s Defender Series case we recently reviewed, but not too thick to use. The front of the case protects the edges of the device, and keeps any case parts away from the screen so it's easy to use the new iOS 7 gestures and the Touch ID on the iPhone 5s.

The case features a two piece design with a silicone inner and hard plastic outer shell. The only complaint about the back is that it is very slick and slides around much easier than a Defender case when on a hard surface. Flipping the phone face down solves this minor issue.

Three cards and one bill fit tightly in the wallet compartment, but removing them is easy enough to master. Three cards is the essential amount of space for most users as it can cover a ID, credit card and a debit card. While some users may have trouble slimming down to three cards every day, it will at least put your most used cards within reach. The wallet section opens easily and with a click. There is enough pressure that the wallet shouldn't open accidentally.

Read: Best Galaxy S4 Cases

The case covers the volume and power buttons with rubber covers for easy pressing and leaves the mute switch uncovered. The headphone and charging ports are covered with the soft inner layer and work with most headphones and charging cords.

OtterBox includes a self adhesive screen protector in the bundle which may offer some added protection from scratches. The OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet Case is not waterproof.


Source: Gottabemobile

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Philippines CPI rises more-than-expected

<5s iphone cases quotesp>By Investing.com | Economic Indicators News | Oct 04, 2013 01:00AM GMT |

Investing.com

Investing.com - Consumer price inflation in the Philippines rose more-than-expected in the last quarter, official data showed on Friday.

In a report, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said that Philippines CPI rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.6%, from 0.2% in the preceding quarter.

Analysts had expected Philippines CPI to rise 0.3% in the last quarter.

Disclaimer: Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. All CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are not provided by exchanges but rather by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual market price, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Therefore Fusion Media doesn`t bear any responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as a result of using this data .

Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.


Source: Investing

Review: The iPhone 5S really is the best iPhone yet

With cutting-edge architecture, a better camera and a motion coprocessor, the 5s iphone cases otterbox commuter questions offers a lot of hardware for the money

Computerworld - The iPhone 5S and 5C arrived last month to a record-smashing first weekend of sales - 9 million were sold, with the iPhone 5S proving more popular than the less-expensive 5C. I was among those waiting in line for the new iPhone before dawn on Sept. 20 -- specifically the top-end 5S model. As a technology writer, getting the more expensive 5S made sense for me. But is the new iPhone 5S worth it for the less tech-centric?

Let's look at that question using logic and context: If your wireless carrier contract is up and you are looking for a new phone, then yes, the iPhone 5S is worth owning. With the addition of Apple's new fingerprint sensor called Touch ID, the phone's new 64-bit A7 processor, a refined camera system and the M7 coprocessor, the iPhone 5S's cutting-edge features match its still-sharp design.

Like last year's iPhone 5, the new 5S sports a glass front and aluminum back, weighing in at a svelte 3.95 oz. And like the iPhone 5, the 5S has a 4-in. fingerprint-resistant oleophobic-coated multitouch screen with an 1136-x-640 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. Below the screen is the now-familiar Home Button with integrated Touch ID, on top of the phone is a lone sleep/wake button, and on the left side you can find the silent switch and the volume up and down.

In other words, aside from the three color schemes offered this year - Space Gray, Silver and Gold -- the 5S looks virtually identical to the old iPhone 5. The Space Gray is a lighter version of last year's black iPhone, the Silver version looks pretty much like the old white model - with the addition of the silver Touch ID ring - and the Gold iPhone 5S is more of a champagne color. It's actually much less gaudy than many Apple fans feared when it was unveiled, and it has proved to be a popular option. Two weeks after launch, all iPhone 5S models -- especially gold -- are still hard to come by.

The box contains a minimal set of accessories, including a set of Apple ear buds with built-in mic and controls, a USB/Lightning cable, a wall plug and very sparse documentation.

Pricing is unchanged, with the iPhone 5S starting at $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB model. (Those prices require a two-year contract with your wireless carrier.) The new price leader is the iPhone 5C, which comes in five colors and costs $99 for a 16GB model and $100 more for a 32GB version. In addition to the new plastic shell, the 5C has an upgraded battery and camera system, though the camera isn't as full-featured as the one in the 5S.

I ended up purchasing the 64GB iPhone 5S in smoke gray (the only color still available for sale at the local Apple Store on opening day).

Touch ID

The most obvious new feature of the iPhone 5S is the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is ingeniously built into the Home button and allows you to easily unlock the phone using your fingertip. Far from just a superfluous addition, this new feature has already prompted me to change my security habits.


Source: Computerworld

Unofficial iPhone 5s tracker helps customers find gold

Summary: An inventory tracker was developed by an enterprising Apple developer looking for the fabled gold iPhone 5s iphone cases otterbox defender new ipad.

Remember the rumor that Apple was going to update its Apple Store app to include real-time iPhone inventory status? Well, it never came to pass, at least the way I imagined.

In 2008 a developer built an iPhone 3G tracker by scraping the Apple Store's JSON data feed (Apple quickly pulled the feed). Then in 2009 Apple posted an official iPhone 3GS tracker that was updated hourly and linked to its sales system.

Unfortunately, it's 2013 and the current implementation is incredibly obtuse and difficult to use. There's no simple chart that simply shows where to find an iPhone 5s in stock. It's a huge step backwards from 2009.

To find an iPhone 5s near you, you need to go to Apple's buy page, click on the configuration you want, then click on the tiny blue "check availability" link in the right navigation bar. From there, you can enter your zip code to see availability at five stores at a time, for that configuration. If you want to check another color or configuration, you need to start over.

Enter iPhone-Check by Mordy Tikotzky (@Tikotzky), an Apple Developer from NJ.

Frustrated with not being able to find a gold iPhone 5c for his wife he build a slick iPhone tracker that scrapes store.apple.com for the most up to date iPhone 5s inventory information.

According to Tikotzky iPhone-Check started as a little project running on his local computer and then he decided to share it with the world. Tikotzky wrote it in an hour (using expressjs.com on top of nodejs.org) with the support of his employer (@homeandstone) who let him do it on their time. He spent another two hours tweaking it in the evening.

iPhone-Check must be scratching an itch. The site broke 100k unique visitors Wednesday and has topped 1 million page views since it was launched less than a week ago. It's a shame that Apple couldn't offer a proper iPhone tracker, because clearly there's demand.

Now where all these gold iPhones I keep hearing about?


Source: Zdnet

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Group caters to rising number of well-armed women

<halloween costumes for women hairsprayp> The Well Armed Woman introduces women to target practice and instruction on firearm safety.

TITUSVILLE, Fla. -- If she's ever confronted in the darkness by a home invader or parking-lot prowler, Holly Young is determined: She does not want to be an easy target.

"I just choose to carry a firearm because I don't want to be a victim," said Young, founder of the Brevard County, Fla., chapter of a growing organization called The Well Armed Woman.

Riding a nationwide trend of rising female gun ownership, The Well Armed Woman introduces women to target practice and classroom instruction on firearm safety and personal self-defense techniques.

"It's amazing how it's starting to grow and the word's getting out, and the girls are just wonderful. It is a non-political group. We make sure that we stress that it's all about safety. We have a motto: equip, empower and educate women on firearms," said Young, who owns a 9mm pistol and .380-caliber handgun, among other weapons.

"It's so important for me to get these women safe. And it's a lot easier for women to learn from women. No offense to my husband - but I don't learn well from him. Men have their own way of thinking," she said.

"We support the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms - but women shouldn't be fooled into thinking that makes them safer. "

- Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

According to Gallup poll data, the percentage of American women who own a firearm nearly doubled from 2005-11, rising from 13% to 23%. Last month, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that 37% of new target shooters are female, though they comprise only 22% of the established target-shooting population.

Billed as a group "where the feminine and firearms meet," The Well Armed Woman was founded in February 2012 by Carrie Lightfoot, a Scottsdale, Ariz., pistol instructor who sells female-themed gun accessories. Fueled by explosive growth, the organization now boasts about 3,000 dues-paying members in 107 chapters across 37 states, along with more than 105,000 Facebook fans.

"I think women have been kind of laying in wait. Over this last generation, women have had to move into the role of self-protector - but there were barriers. The doors have opened," said Lightfoot.

The Well Armed Woman boasts nine chapters in Florida. Chapters had to impose membership caps in Yuma, Ariz.; Cherokee County, Ga.; Macon County, Ill.; and Wendell, N.C.

Florida has been a focal point in the USA's debate over the use of deadly force for self-defense. The George Zimmerman murder trial generated sensational headlines, and the Stand Your Ground debate still focuses on last year's conviction of Marissa Alexander, a Jacksonville mother of three who received 20 years in prison after firing a warning shot during a dispute with her then-husband. A federal appeals court is now ordering a new trial for Alexander.

Next year, Satellite Beach, Fla., resident Michael David Dunn will probably stand trial in the shooting death of Jacksonville teenager Jordan Davis. Prosecutors say Dunn fatally shot Davis in a gas station parking lot during an argument over loud music, and Dunn is claiming self-defense.

"It is a non-political group. We make sure that we stress that it's all about safety. We have a motto: equip, empower and educate women on firearms. "

- Holly Young, founder of Brevard County, Fla., chapter of The Well Armed Woman

Young plans to invite an attorney and a police officer to address her chapter on consequences of firearm use. She also hopes to schedule a self-defense class to teach members how to escape from a chokehold, how to use a knife, and other tactics.

On the other side of the gun issue, a group called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was founded by Shannon Watts, an Indianapolis mother of five, the day after the Sandy Hook shootings in December. Her organization now boasts more than 100,000 members across the USA, and she said the gun industry's targeting of women is a marketing ploy to boost sales.

Watts cited a Violence Policy Centerreport released last week. This report cites studies that show two-thirds of female gun owners primarily bought their weapon seeking protection against crime - but females who live in a home with a gun were nearly three times as likely to be murdered than females with no gun at home.

Lindsey Garcia of the Brevard County (Fla.) Ladies Shooting Chapter of The Well Armed Woman shows some accurate target practice hits.(Photo: Tim Shortt, Florida Today)

"We support the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms - but women shouldn't be fooled into thinking that makes them safer," said Watts.

Barbara Rumpel, a Winter Park, Fla., real estate entrepreneur, says she got hooked on shooting while attending the 2010 Women's Wilderness Escape firearms camp at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M.

"I was never into women's groups until I started shooting with women. More and more women are getting into shooting, because A) they realize they have to be able to protect themselves, and B) because it's fun," said Rumpel.

"It's empowering. It really is cool to be able to pick up a skill and do things that you didn't think you could do - that you find out you can do very well," she said.

Neale also reports for Florida Today in Melbourne.


Source: Usatoday

Sunday, September 22, 2013

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. For the Galaxy Note line of handsets from Samsung, they're hoping that the S-Pen is mighty enough to sway you into buying the new Galaxy Note 3. Thanks to a few little tweaks and changes, this is the first handset where a stylus actually makes sense.

What Is It?

The Galaxy Note 3 is a huge uppercut to the competition. It packs a huge hardware punch with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, super-fast Category 4 LTE/4G capabilities, all hiding beneath a beautiful 5.7-inch Full-HD Super-AMOLED display. The battery is more juiced than ever with 3200mAh taking you from pillar to post, as well as a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera to shoot your life along the way.

All this power and beauty has been packed into a smaller footprint than ever, with the device measuring in at a svelte 8.3mm case, weighing just 168 grams.

What's Good?

The Note-line of handsets is starting to inform the design language for the rest of the Galaxy products Samsung makes. If you look at the Galaxy S4 for example, you'll see the same minimal bezel, oval-shaped home button, sensor placement and grille/pattern design found on the Galaxy Note II. This is great news, because the Galaxy Note 3 has a more premium feel than any Samsung handset that has come before it.

Cheap plastic covers have been replaced by a stitched leather back, bright accents, grooved edges and an S-Pen that feels textured like a beautiful watch might be. The changes to the S-Pen really go beyond just a new look, however.

Samsung has overhauled the S-Pen to take it from a novelty gadget into something you're probably going to use all the time now, In fact, the new Air Command feature paired with the S-Pen will turn the Samsung-branded stylus into something you need, rather than something you use in meetings to impress your boss.

The Air Command feature refers to a a radial menu that anchors in new apps designed to leverage the Note 3′s giant screen and handy power: Scrapbook for web clipping, Action Note for powerful handwriting tools, S-Finder for looking around your device, Screen Write for doodling on screenshots and Pen Window for putting hovering apps over any screen.

Air Command is fast, fluid and incredibly functional. Pen Window allows you to drop funky widgets on your existing multi-window layouts, bringing the power of three tasks at once onto the single, 5.7-inch screen. You don't notice any slow-down the more you throw at the device: it welcomes the challenge and excels.

Likewise with Scrapbook, Action Memo and S-Finder. These are three incredibly useful features that can only be accessed with the S-Pen. It's now something you need everyday.

Scrapbook is a fun little feature that lets you circle just about anything you can find on the Galaxy Note 3 from either the web or inside another app. Whatever you put in your selected area gets clipped, Evernote-style, into a centralised Scrapbook for you to access later.

Scrapbook also pulls out the contents of said webpages, for example, and embeds the content in a new page so you can watch that YouTube video or listen to that SoundCloud track inside the app without having to bounce out to your browser.

Action Memo is the natural evolution of the S-Note app that Galaxy Note users know and have come to love, only this time Samsung has done a great deal to make your handwriting meaningful and useful this time around. You can now create "Actions" from your handwriting, which uses optical character recognition-style software to encircle your text and turn it into something that other apps can use.

Got an address written down? Open it up in Maps with an Action to see where you need to go rather than writing it out again. Need to call that girl who left her number in your phone because you're the smoothest dude around picking up chicks with your Note 3? Just Action her number into your phone and ask her out to dinner. Sadly, the Note 3 can't help you with that unironed shirt hanging in your wardrobe you need to wear.

That OCR-style software comes in handy with the new global device search feature known as S-Finer, too. Not only can you now search for stuff on your handset better than ever before, S-Finder also looks at handwriting as well so that note you scribbled in a meeting won't be lost forever. You can also add filters for time-specific searches and even location specific searches. If you were in London recently for a meeting and took a few photos, too, you can look for those specifically by your geotag.

All these features turn the Galaxy Note 3 into a really different handset than we've ever seen before. The previous generations of Notes were just big Galaxy S handsets with a pen attached. This one is the first productivity partner you could actually see yourself living with everyday.

Tap your home button from the main screen and you'll find a clever HTC Blinkfeed-style feed that displays all your news and social content. When we first saw it, we thought that Blinkfeed and Flipboard had a baby on a Galaxy Note 3, but it's actually a clever repackaging of the Flipboard app built specifically for the new Godzilla handset. It's nice, but there's no real way to curate the feeds you want, and it's missing Facebook integration which is a bit of a shame.

Meanwhile, on the hardware side, the Galaxy Note 3 is also packed to the gills.

The power is turns this handset into an ego-bruiser, and the new most-powerful handset we've had through the labs. That didn't last long for the poor iPhone 5s, did it? The Note 3 is packing ,ore RAM than in any other Android handset - 3GB worth to be precise - and a 2.3GHz quad-core processor so powerful you might just hear it growl under the soft leather backing of the handset itself.

In our Geekbench 3 tests, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 scored 2875. To put that into perspective, the Galaxy note II was impressive when it came out at 1403*, as was the Nexus 4 at 1537*. Earlier, we dubbed the iPhone 5s the most powerful device on the market with a score of 2530, but that crown was quickly usurped by the Note 3, with its impressive total. It's worth pointing out that benchmarks aren't always all they seem when it comes to Samsung's top-tier handsets, but hopefully it wouldn't make that error in judgment again.

It's worth noting that Samsung only scored a few hundred above the iPhone 5s, which is still packing a 1.7GHz dual-core A7 processor and only 1GB of RAM. All that power on the Galaxy Note 3 saw off the iOS competition on the test bench, but it's amazing to see what can be squeezed out of a comparatively-small processor and meagre amounts of RAM compared to just throwing more system resources at the platform.

Also on hardware, the 13-megapixel shooter on the back of the Note 3 is hella-impressive in daylight, but still leaves a bit to be desired in low-light areas compared to the Lumia range and even the new iPhone 5s.

Click to enlarge

iPhone 5s

iPhone 5c

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Nokia Lumia 1020

Download the uncropped versions from Dropbox here.

Still, it's an impressive camera for most circumstances, and it's still packing a great deal of customisability on the software side thanks to the inclusion of the Galaxy Camera style Camera app. (It's worth noting these photos were all taken on their respective handset's "Auto" setting)

It's also worth mentioning that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is, for the foreseeable future, the only handset compatible with the Galaxy Gear smart watch. The Galaxy Gear is a clever little gadget that acts as a fancy remote to your Galaxy Note, all the while making you feel like Maxwell Smart.

It connects via Bluetooth and gives you access to some nifty remote features like the weather, a pedometer, Find My Phone proximity alarms, S-Voice compatibility and different clock faces.

The Gear runs an 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, a 1.9-megapixel camera with autofocus, all concealed underneath a 1.63-inch SuperAMOLED (320×320 pixel) face.

It also packs a bunch of remote features for your smartphone, like pushing notifications to your wrist from various apps and allowing you to start, stop and skip music tracks from your watch.

The remote features also work in tandem with your phone, so for example, if you're looking at a notification on your wrist, you can tap it or even just pull your phone out of your pocket and it will take you straight to the information you were looking at on the big screen so you don't have to go digging for it again.

These are all clever features, but the real power comes from the calling, camera and app functionality.

The Gear also comes with a 1.9-megapixel camera mounted in the middle of the strap between the face and the buckle, designed for grabbing quick snaps when something happens that you don't have time to get your phone out for. It's a feature called Memographer, and feeds nicely into the Galaxy Note 3′s ideology of taking quick snaps and grabbing information fast for access later.

All of the faces, apps and other ahem...gear...is managed from an app on your Note 3.

We'll bring you our full review of the Galaxy Gear soon.

The beautiful screen on the Galaxy Note 3 trumps the massive panel on the old model, touting a 1080p panel (1080 x 1920, 386ppi). Just look at the difference between the two side-by-side.

Left: Galaxy Note II. Right: Galaxy Note 3

The phone also has a smaller bezel, less rounded edges and an all-round better design than its predecessor. It's a coming of age for the Note.

What's Bad?

The Note 3 is a fantastic handset, and probably the best thing to come out of Samsung Mobile in the history of ever, but no gadget is without fault.

We praised Sammy for ditching the scratchy, horrible plastic on the Note 3, but it's not all single-malt scotch and fine suits with the leather case: it still has that underlying feel of plastic, almost with a faux feeling to it.

The Note 3′s size bump from 5.5-inches to 5.7-inches is starting to push the planet-sized flagship into the "too big to hold" category. If the Note gets any larger we'll have to relegate it there, but it's worth noting that this phone isn't for the tiny-handed (read: your feeble yet fearless reviewer).

Samsung has actually changed the charging port on the Note 3 from USB 2.0 to the speedy USB 3.0 standard. That's actually a good thing, but what the hell am I meant to do with the 50 USB 2.0 cables I have on my desk now?!

The Worst Part

It was our least-favourite part of the Samsung Galaxy S4, and it seems to be one with no end. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is still running that goddamn Australia-specific version of Touchwiz where you can't change anything in the dock and you have to push a bunch of keys just to move stuff around on the homescreen. God. F**king. Dammit.

Exact your revenge by flashing it off as soon as possible if you're someone who likes Android because it's, ya know, customisable.

Should You Buy It?

Centre of your digital life straight out of the box and impressively powerful and impossibly pretty as far as Samsung is concerned.

This is the phone for devout Samsung users and productivity junkies alike.

*Scores adjusted for Geekbench 3 tests according to Primate Labs' multi-core test scores.

Source: Gizmodo

Week 4 of the college football season didn't offer up much in the way of big-time matchups. The only game featuring two ranked teams was No. 5 Stanford vs. No. 23 Arizona State. But the Cardinal took care of business with relative ease. The name of the day was blowout: Ohio State, Louisville, FSU, Miami, UCLA and Washington were among the schools winning big Saturday-real big.

What have you missed otherwise? For starters, Florida QB Jeff Driskel broke his right leg and will miss the rest of the season. Notre Dame held on to beat Michigan State, and Kenny Guiton set an Ohio State school record. Let's get to the action.

HAYES: Tyler Murphy conjures Tebow with what he brings to Gators

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...


Source: Sportingnews
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UFC 165 results recap: Brendan Schaub vs Matt Mitrione fight review and analysis

Former TUF buddies Brendan "Hybrid" Schaub and Matt "Meathead" Mitirone were fighting for their relevancy at UFC 165 last night. Schaub kept his dream alive with his first-ever submission inside the Octagon. Read our breakdown to find out how!

Although both Brendan Schaub and Matt Mitrione won their previous fights heading into last night's (Sat., Sept. 21, 2013) UFC 165 from Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, they hadn't exactly set the Heavyweight division on fire as of late.

Schaub beat Lavar Johnson in an uninspired bout at UFC 157, and Mitrione knocked out lower-tier opponent Phil de Fries at UFC On Fuel TV 9.

Both fighters also came under scrutiny for actions taken outside of a mixed martial arts (MMA) cage, with Schaub disgraced for his passive performance against Roberto Abreu at Metamoris 2 and Mitrione briefly suspended for his outspoken comments about transgender fighter Fallon Fox.

The pair needed a win to stay afloat in the competitive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and it was Schaub who rose to the occasion to earn a statement win over his fellow The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 alum Mitrione. In the end, Schaub used his ground skills to silence his critics, at least for one night.

Let's break down the submission victory of "The Hybrid" from last night ( watch full fight video highlights here).

This bout was billed as a slugfest, and it easily could have been with the sheer size and strength of its two participants. Schaub and Mitrione are well known for possessing massive power. However, Mitrione never quite fulfilled his end of the bargain at UFC 165.

He started off early with some low kicks that appeared to land, but failed to damage Schaub significantly. Schaub fought back with an excellent flurry of punches to back "Meathead" up, and soon locked up a big double leg takedown. From there, Schaub's ground transitions looked seamless.

"Hybrid" locked up a tight D'arce choke that had Mitrione in serious trouble. The former Minnesota Viking signaled that he was still in the fight, but the truth was a different story.

Mitrione was left unconscious on the canvas as Schaub celebrated an impressive finish. It was the best way to win after he was highly maligned for refusing to engage Abreu at Metamoris. Schaub's brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu paid dividends against a lesser-talented grappler like Mitrione, who didn't really have time to show anything during the bout.

Schaub has now won two in a row after a two-fight skid and will look to play spoiler against a higher-ranked Heavyweight. Perhaps a rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira could be in the cards should "Big Nog" get back to health. No.10-ranked Stipe Miocic probably deserves a better fight after defeating Roy Nelson at UFC 161, but most of the top Heavyweights are booked, so Schaub could come calling.

Mitrione will have to go back to the drawing board and work on his game. Having lost three out of four, he might not have too many chances with the UFC. After starting his career out undefeated (5-0), it looks like he's going to need to re-evaluate his game. He can always knock someone out with a big punch, but his overall game is pretty limited at this point, or so it seems.

It was Schaub's night in Toronto and he got the submission he's been looking for. Were you surprised that this bout didn't end with a knockout?

Source: Mmamania

President Barack Obama maxed out his rhetorical horsepower Friday, telling employees at a Ford auto-plant that Republicans are willing "to send our economy into a tailspin."

His fast and furious invective came shortly after the GOP-led House voted to deny 2014 funding for Obama's primary legislative accomplishment, Obamacare.

Obama and allied Democrats have repeatedly threatened to kill any GOP budget plan that doesn't include funds for the government-directed Obamacare network, even though polls show the network is increasingly unpopular.

Republicans say they support government aid to Americans to help them buy health-insurance in a free market.

Obama defended his network, saying it is getting health-care services to millions of Americans, and he argued that the GOP wants to stop Americans getting health-care services.

He borrowed the "tailspin" attack line from a 2009 quote by Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

Republicans "will send our economy into a tailspin, just like Speaker Boehner said. They want to threaten default just to make sure that tens of millions of Americans continue not to have health care. ... They're holding the whole country hostage," he told the workers at the Ford Kansas City Stamping Plant in Liberty, Mo.

"They're actually willing to plunge America into default if we can't defund the Affordable Care Act," which is the formal name for the Obamacare system, he said.

"They've tried to repeal or sabotage this - more than 40 times they've had these repeal votes. Every time they fail," said Obama.

In fact, Obama has signed seven bills changing unpopular portions of the Obamacare system.

The 2014 budget has to be approved by the House and Senate, and signed by the president, prior to Oct. 1, or much of government shuts down.

Many GOP leaders believe the president is willing to allow the shutdown, and to inflict much damage to the economy, in the hope that the public will blame the GOP, rather than Obama and his Democratic allies.

The president also slammed Republicans' offer to trade spending cuts for another increase to the nation's credit limit.

Similar 2011 negotiations trimmed federal spending and dropped the government's annual deficit. In his speech, Obama took credit for reduced deficits caused by prior credit-limit negotiations, without mentioning those talks.

The credit limit, also called the debt ceiling, has to be raised because Obama's government has maxed out its ability to borrow funds.

Since Obama's inauguration, he has borrowed $6 trillion, pushing taxpayers' debt above $11 trillion.

If Congress doesn't raise the debt-ceiling, "America becomes a deadbeat," he told the autoworkers.

"If the world sees America not paying its bills, then they will not buy debt, Treasury bills from the United States, or if they do, they'll do it at much higher interest rates. That means somebody wanting to buy an F-150 will have to pay much higher interest rates eventually, which means you will sell less cars," he declared.

Obama also repeated his refusal to negotiate a debt-ceiling compromise with the elected GOP majority in the House. "I will not negotiate over the full faith and credit of the United States," he declared.

"Tell Congress - pay our bills on time," he urged the autoworkers.

"You don't have to threaten to blow the whole thing up just because you don't get you way," he said.


Source: Dailycaller

Photo: BANG Showbiz - BANG Showbiz. All rights reserved.

William Shatner turns down space flight due to flying fear

William Shatner refused to go on Sir Richard Branson's space flight because he's scared of flying.

The 82-year-old actor - who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original 1960s TV series of 'Star Trek' - turned down the chance to join the British business tycoon's Virgin Galactic program because he couldn't handle the fear of being up in the air.

Sir Richard is quoted by The Sun newspaper as saying: "He actually said he's frightened of airline travel -- which is slightly disillusioning. Captain Kirk is scared of flying."

The star was invited to take part in the space mission in 2011, but claims he was less than impressed when faced with the bill.

He explained: "He wanted me to go up and pay for it and I said, 'Hey, you pay me and I'll go. I'll risk my life for a large sum of money'. But he didn't pick me up on my offer."

The 63-year-old investor has just added British rock band Muse to the list of star-gazing celebrities joining him on the flight, but he insists regardless of how famous they are, they'll have to pay their own fares, which costs $200,000 per seat.

He said: "We have a policy that, however famous people are, they won't get upgrades or freebies.

"I think Muse can afford to pay their way. We'd love them to go into space and play."

Other confirmed famous passengers include 'Two and a Half Men' star Ashton Kutcher, mila Kunis, Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Brand.

The first ever two-hour flight in the planet's orbit will be boarded by Branson and his family and anyone who has paid a deposit guaranteeing them a place on it.

Passengers will travel 62 miles in altitude - the internationally recognized boundary of outer space - and will experience weightlessness and an incredible view of the curve of the Earth.


Source: Castanet

The great dodgers-Diamondbacks pool controversy entered its second day Friday. The short version: The D-backs are still steamed.

Arizona managing partner Ken Kendrick blasted the Dodgers for celebrating their NL West championship in the outfield swimming pool at Chase Field. Kendrick called out LA management for claiming there was misunderstanding about whether the players could be on the field after they retired to the clubhouse.

"We asked that they not return to the field from the clubhouse after their celebration so that we could clear the stands. We didn't want their fans hanging around long after the game," Kendrick told Fox Sports Arizona in a text message.

"That plan was discussed with their GM (Ned Colletti) at the beginning of the series, and he agreed. Only the Dodgers would blame us for their lack of class."

While Kendrick was taking his shots, the obligatory Twitter back-and-forth between partisans raged on.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the Dodgers "spoiled brats," among other unpleasant things. New Dodgers reliever Brian Wilson then jabbed at McCain for losing the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama.

Senator McComplain knows a thing or two about coming in second and watching someone take a plunge in the pool (I mean poll) #POoLITICS

- Brian Wilson (@BrianWilson38) September 20, 2013

Good times.


Source: Sportingnews

The Topeka City Council this past Tuesday, by a 6-2 vote, passed an ordinance designed to discourage prejudice on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Before a packed house in the Topeka City Council chambers, 17 people spoke about the ordinance - sponsored by Councilman Chad Manspeaker - that would allow the Human Relations Commission to help protect those groups from prejudice through education.

Much of the discussion was emotional, passionate. That was especially true when several council members spoke of friends or loved ones who had been victimized by discrimation because of their sexual preference.

The following slideshow offers a sampling of some of the comments offered before passage of the ordinance.


Source: Cjonline