More Details On Nokia Lumia 1020 Mega Camera Smartphone

NEW NOKIA LUMIA 1020 SPORTING IMPRESSIVE SPECS

New details on the Nokia Lumia 1020 are coming out, and it looks like there's more to this smartphone than the itty bitty 41Mp camera. It goes without saying that the Lumia 1020 smokes everything on the Android market with that monstrosity of a camera, though.

There are some fancy things that this camera is capable of. For the "regular person" who doesn't engage in all that high-flying tech talk, they might think that a 41Mp camera would eat up all the memory on the device. But that's not exactly the case.

The way this thing works is simple. It basically takes a 5Mp picture with 7 pixels crammed into each regular pixel, thus making it into a full-res image. They call it "oversampling", and that just means the camera jams a pile of additional pixels into each normal pixel. The reult? You end up with high res pictures that don't take up a whopping chunk of your smartphone's memory.

But it doesn't stop there. They've raised the bar in video recording too. Here's what they did...

The Nokia geniuses had somewhat of a major breakthrough with the smartphone's camera lens, giving it the best image stabilization of any phone device on the planet. They included a gyroscope inside the lens, and it floats around on ball bearings. That's pretty incredible. What that means is that you are getting real physical image stabilization.

Regular cameras zoom in to the picture and lop off the four edges, moving around the video window to produce a "fake" image stabilization effect. Not the Lumia 1020. Its lens is actually inside the device moving around, counteracting all of your nervous twitches and shaking hand movements. That's pretty doggone neat.

You end up getting a smartphone with a lens that is capable of performing at the level of quality you get with a consumer grade digital camera. That vaults the Lumia 1020 far and beyond anything you'll get with competing smartphones like the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Nokia and Windows Phone 8 are smacking down the leaders with this incredible device, and it could quite possibly put them into the big leagues with sales. I've already said time and time again that Windows Phone 8 has the capability of taking a big fat chunk out of the market because of its ease of use and fresh, different approach.

Now they are raising the bar on the hardware. These guys are serious, and I'm giving Microsoft and Nokia props for staying in the game with the Lumia 1020. There's nothing like fresh competition to make all of the other manufactures keep innovating. And AT&T will really stand to gain being the first network provider to supply this device.

Stay tuned for more updates! I'll be keeping a close watch for more details.

Carlton Flowers
Smartphone Finatic

Windows 8.1 Overhaul Coming Soon - "Start" Return?

MICROSOFT LISTENS - THE START BUTTON IS DUE TO RETURN, & MORE WITH 8.1

The masses spoke out, and Microsoft listened! The new version of Windows 8.1 coming this year will give back what everyone misses the most, the Start button. Not only that, we'll be getting even more significant updates.

Right when everyone thought that that Windows 8 would spell the demise of the legendary dominant operating system, the proposed changes may put them back solidly in control. Microsoft’s Jensen Harris and Antoine Leblond presented an update in San Francisco on May 29th that has everyone excited at the BUILD developer’s conference.

We'll have to wait until the end of the year for this monumental rollout, but it will be worth the wait. I've held off on updating my desktop and laptop, but I'll be ready to get on board once Windows 8.1 is officially released.

So to all my fellow geek friends who have told me how much they despise Windows 8 for being such a tremendous left turn off the beaten path of their familiar operating system, there's hope! Let's take a brief look at some of the changes that are significant.

PROPOSED CHANGES AND ADDITIONS COMING WITH WINDOWS 8.1

• The "Start" button will return, allowing Windows to come back to its most familiar basic functionality.
• The customizable lock screen will have a single full-screen image,  becoming what they call “the world’s best cloud-powered photo frame.”
• The start screen will have 2 new sizes allowed, bringing the total to 4 sizes.
• The Start layout will allow installed apps to roam between Windows 8 devices connected to the same Microsoft account (very nice).
• The Metro-style PC Settings section will be expanded to include all the Windows settings that were formerly part of the desktop Control Panel.
• You will get a completely new "Windows Store" design.
• You won't get the huge list of search scopes when you click the Search charm which will rid you of the need to go through all of them one at a time. It will have one search box and a unified results list that has all of your apps, files, settings, and content from the web and Wikipedia apps.
• You'll get a new touch keyboard with improved autosuggest, new gestures, and much easier functionality for putting in your own numbers & symbols without changing the keyboard layout.
• The touch keyboard has an improved autosuggest capability and supports new gestures, making it easier to insert numbers and symbols without having to change the keyboard layout.
• There will be no more manual updating for Windows Store apps. It will be done in the background as normal maintenance.
• Updates for Windows Store apps will be applied automatically as part of Windows 8.1’s background maintenance process. That’s a significant shift from Windows 8, which requires manual updates to the new apps.
• You get new snap "behaviors" for Metro-style apps. You can arrange up to 4 Windows 8 apps side by side, with variable widths. No more being stuck with 320-pixel snap widths. This will be a big help for the new Win8 tablets coming out this summer.
• There will be a pile of new apps coming, and the existing ones will get updated. The XBOX Music app that everyone hates will get an overhaul, and more tools for the Photo app.
• Synchronization between Skydrive and Windows 8.1 is coming, so you'll be able to sync between all of your cloud aps and folders.
• You'll be able to bypass the start screen and go straight to your good ole desktop. Plus, you'll be able to sync the backgrounds between the Start screen and desktop so they look the same.
• File Explorer will get a significant overhaul.

So there you have it! I think this should have happened from the jump, but it's better late than never. In the meantime, I'm sticking with Windows 7 and putting off turning my life upside down. In the words of Sweet Brown, "ain't nobody got time foh dat!"

Hats off to you, Microsoft. You're using your heads now. Change is good, and it's inevitable. But we're gonna need you to just slow it down a bit and work with us change-resistant people. Mkay??? Greeeaaat.

Carlton Flowers
Worry-Free Windows Watchman

Microsoft Surface Tablet - A Message To The Crack Heads

MY MESSAGE TO THE CRACK HEAD CRITICS OF THE MICROSOFT SURFACE TABLET

Last week I had the opportunity to get my hands on the new Microsoft Surface tablet computer. It's the first time I've seen this device out in the wild.

After playing with the Surface for fifteen minutes, I was mesmerized. It definitely earned a spot on my gadget wish list. But what I want to know is what kind of crack is being smoked by the critics who have lambasted Microsoft over this device.

What is wrong with you people? Are you stupid?

Anyone who has owned a Windows-based PC or laptop, like myself, would LOVE this device. I can see this replacing my big heavy 17" laptop when the time is right.

The Surface has the best of both worlds: it is a thin, light tablet but it is also a fully-functional laptop computer.

The keyboard/case made a great impression on me. I cannot stand typing on the Apple iPad. Without a physical feel for keys, I just can't find a use. But the keyboard case that comes with a Surface solves this issue. The keys are raised, but they don't move. You can touch them, but without the right amount of pressure they will not respond.

That's a big thing. You can rest your fingers on the keys and not have to worry about activating characters on the screen before you are ready. You can get the keyboard/case in two different thicknesses: 3mm and 5mm.

What I really loved about this device was the operating system, Windows 8 RT. Again, I don't get all the criticism over the new environment rolled out by Microsoft. It does so many new convenient things I can't name them all. Just swiping from off-screen to the active desktop unveils several new navigational and functional features.

People are attacking the Microsoft Surface like it is the biggest blunder to date. But I look at this in the same way that I view the Samsung Galaxy Note II. There are tons of people who find it useless, but a very strong niche of people that it hits a sweet spot for.

I don't see this as a perfect laptop replacement, but I want something lighter, more portable, and versatile than my current laptop. The Surface seems to be that device.

I have yet to find a tablet device that you can connect a USB mouse to. The operating system was created to support touch, and also to support mousing. You cannot mouse with an iPad, period. It's not even designed to allow it.

For the tasks that I need to perform, an iPad is out of the question. But with a Microsoft Surface, I could get my design work done, and have the full freedom of manipulating spreadsheets with a mouse. Plus I can enjoy the device as a touch tablet.

Call me nuts, but I love this device. I'm definitely in the niche of people who would find this a valuable device at $600. I'll be looking to buy one in 2013 and have it serve as my main portable computer, and retire the laptop.

Do you think that I am the crack head for loving the Microsoft Surface, instead of the critics who constantly cut it to shreds? Post your thoughts in the comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Diving Under The Surface

The Windows 8 Shocker - I Didn't See This Coming

WINDOWS 8 COULD BE GREAT AS UPGRADE FOR OLDER SYSTEMS

I hadn't thought one single minute about Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 8, until I did a little bit of reading recently. Apparently, this new release will run on older computers, up to about 4 years in age.

Not only can you load Windows 8 on older computers, but it will also speed up your machine and make it run more efficiently. To ice the cake, the cost will only be $40 per license!

This is a pretty radical change in pricing strategy for Microsoft. Plus it's a whole new paradigm in the evolution of their operating system. While everyone has started to write them off as the dinosaur headed for extinction, they come up with a new OS that is completely different in design and not a memory resource hog.

The Microsoft Windows 8 Release Preview page lists the minimum system requirements as the following:

• a 1GHz CPU
• 1Gb of RAM for 32-bit systems
• 2Gb of RAM for 64-bit systems
• Microsoft DirextX 9 graphics card with WDDM driver

That's really a basement level hardware requirement for running Windows 8. Computers as much as 4 or 5 years old could meet these hardware minimums. I know I have 2 or 3 computers just in my basement sitting and collecting dust that could run the new operating system.

This is a huge plus for people with older systems still running on Windows XP. But from what I am hearing, you can even download and install the new Windows 8 on a machine that does not have a legitimate version of Windows running on it.

This is a smart move on behalf of Microsoft. I imagine a significant amount of people will go legit and upgrade their computers due to the lowest price they have ever offered on a windows version since the days of Windows 3.1, plus considering how much of a jump this would be from an older version.

If you want to get the most out of Windows 8, here are a few things you might want to add to your current system:

• a touch screen monitor to take advantage of Windows 8 mult-itouch
• a multi-touch capable mouse
• screen resolution of 1366x768 to snap apps
• high speed internet access

You can also get a multi-touch capable tablet and run Windows 8. That's yet another major advantage. You would have the same operating system running on your tablet and your PC or laptop. I'm almost tempted to consider this instead of getting an Android tablet (which I already am not convinced would be a wise investment).

Stay tuned for more reports as I get my first computer loaded with Windows 8! It will be exciting!

Carlton Flowers
Breaking New Windows (haha)

Introducing The Microsoft Surface Tablet!

MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES NEW SURFACE TABLET ARRIVAL!

Well folks, all of the anticipation and rumor-mongering is over... Microsoft has officially announced the Surface, their very first branded tablet device!

The Surface Tablet will introduce Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, and it appears to be a large 16x9 display tablet that comes with a kickstand and an industry-first folding case that comes with two types of keyboards that flip over like a book, or snap right on as an external component.

The "Touch Keyboard" is only 3mm thick, and snaps right onto the device. You can also get a "Type Keyboard" that is 5mm thick and features fully embossed keys that you can actually press down.

You get a 10.6" display made from Gorilla Glass II, and what they are calling the "VaporMG" case that is solid and durable. The thickness of the overall tablet is only 9.3mm deep. The Windows 8 "Metro UI" operating system is said to be very intuitive and easy to pick up, similar to Windows Phone Mango.

They are touting this tablet to be a potential replacement of a regular desktop PC, or a laptop. With the unobtrusive keyboard covers, I could see this device replacing my current laptop computer, but I would still want the muscle of a desktop for heavy duty computing.

Something else worth mentioning, the covers are magnetic (similar to the iPad cover) and they are multitouch. Plus, the kickstand action is easily employed to prop up the Surface for use on a desktop.

This is an ARM-based NVIDIA chip tablet that has the hardware features that I would expect coming from a non-Apple device, like an SD card slot, standard USB 2.0 ports, HDMI output, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage, and a 31.5Wh battery. Initial reports say that it is super slick, fast, and super-responsive to gestures.

But the biggest most exciting non-Apple feature in my opinion is the inclusion of a pressure sensitive stylus. It is said to be a "digital ink" stylus. I'm not sure what that means at this point, but it obviously indicates a greater-than-normal capability than that of traditional styluses.

My prediction on price is probably half of what this device will be sold for. Rather than a middle-of-the-road tablet, it looks like Microsoft is swinging for the fences in producting a fully capable computing device that will rival the funtionality of an iPad.

That's about all I have gathered information-wise at this point, and we'll keep you posted as more details come in. I might have to start saving up some money and put the Surface tablet on my Christmas wish list!

Carlton Flowers
Exposing The Surface