Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge puts design first

Following countless leaks and endless teasers, Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones. The pair of S6 phones succeed the Galaxy S5, Samsung's prior flagship announced one year ago, and will be available across the world starting on April 10th. All four major US carriers plus US Cellular have committed to carrying both the S6 and the S6 Edge, while smaller carriers such as Boost Mobile, Cricket Wireless, and MetroPCS will only offer the S6. The Galaxy S6 Edge will be priced higher than the standard S6, though Samsung isn’t saying exactly how much either one will be at this point.

The S5 was largely considered a misstep by Samsung: its advanced display and plentiful features were overshadowed by its plasticky build and ho-hum design, and during the course of 2014, Samsung's smartphone profits fell dramatically as a result. Clearly Samsung does not want a repeat of the Galaxy S5 and 2014.

So consider the S6 phones complete reboots of Samsung's top-end Galaxy, a back to the drawing board approach that has resulted in the most visually stunning devices Samsung has ever produced. Where the 2014 S5 looked almost identical to 2013's S4, the S6 and S6 Edge have all-new designs that look and feel significantly different than the older Galaxy devices.

Samsung is essentially splitting its flagship model into two distinct, but very similar designs. The Galaxy S6 has a flat display, metal frame, and glass front and back panels. Its counterpart, the S6 Edge, has all of the above, but throws in a curve to the sides of its front and rear glass, giving it a distinctive character. The curved glass is similar to the curved display and glass Samsung utilized on the Note Edge, but it’s not as aggressive and is found on both sides of the phone instead of just the right. Needless to say, the S6 Edge is the far more interesting looking and feeling phone of the pair.

SAMSUNG HAS FINALLY MADE A PHONE THAT LOOKS AND FEELS WORTHY OF ITS PRICETAG

Both of the new phones are made entirely of metal and glass: the cheesy and cheap-feeling plastics that have dominated Samsung’s products for years are no where to be found. This change can’t be overstated: Samsung finally has made flagship products that look and feel like they are worth the premium price tag they command. The flat S6 will be available in white black, gold, and blue, while the S6 Edge can be hand in white, black, gold, and green.

Samsung’s lead designer on the project says the company spared no expense when it came to materials that they could use in the new phones. The front and rear glass panels are Gorilla Glass 4, and the metal frame is significantly nicer than the plastic used on Samsung’s prior phones (and even the metal frame used in the Note 4 and others released late last year). With Samsung competing in the high-end market against Apple and HTC, both of which use premium materials in their devices, it’s important that Samsung shows it can hang. For the most part, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge do.

Samsung didn’t just focus on design for the new phones either. In typical Samsung fashion, the Galaxy S6 phones are packed with the latest technology: an octacore Samsung Exynos processor (for the international version, Samsung would not confirm what processor the US models will use); 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED displays; 3GB of RAM; 32, 64, or 128GB of internal storage; 16-megapixel cameras with optical image stabilization; a new fingerprint sensor in the home button that no longer requires a swipe; an infrared heart-rate monitor that Samsung says also helps the camera obtain accurate white balance; integrated support for both Qi and PMA wireless charging; fast USB charging that’s 1.5 times faster than the Galaxy S5; a speaker that’s 1.5 times louder than the S5’s; and integrated support for Samsung Pay, which uses either NFC or MFT (LoopPay) technology for transactions.

MICROSD SLOTS, REMOVABLE BATTERIES, AND WATERPROOFING WERE SHOWN THE DOOR

But while Samsung certainly improved upon the Galaxy S5’s design in dramatic ways and upgraded the phone’s technology at the same time with the S6, it didn’t come without cost. Hallmarks of Samsung’s phones, such as removable batteries, microSD card slots, and waterproofing are nowhere to be found on the S6 or S6 Edge. That will likely upset some die-hard users and Samsung loyalists that relied on those features, but it’s clear that Samsung prioritized the phone’s design and its look and feel over things that appeal to a smaller segment of its customer base. Samsung also trimmed back the software features, claiming that there are 40 percent fewer features in the Galaxy S6 than the S5. Overall, the software feels largely the same as before, however. (It's based on Android 5.0 Lollipop.)

It’s easy to see where Samsung took its inspiration for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge: the design is strikingly similar to the iPhone 6 in many places, and the features that Samsung did focus its efforts on are all things the iPhone has had for years. Look at the S6 from certain angles and you’d immediately think it’s an iPhone. Put your thumb on the home key and the phone unlocks almost instantly, just like an iPhone. Even the camera mount protrudes out from the rear of the phone, preventing the S6 from lying flat on a table, just like an iPhone 6. (The flat S6 looks like the lovechild of an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 6, while the S6 Edge is a little more distinctive.) Samsung has be known to copy Apple’s design before, which led to record sales and record-breaking lawsuits. It’s hard to say if the Galaxy S6 will bring about any lawsuits, but the similarities between it and the iPhone 6 are undeniable.

SIMILARITIES TO THE IPHONE 6 ARE UNDENIABLE

Of the two, I’m particularly drawn to the S6 Edge. While the standard S6 has a very generic design that could have come from any number of phone makers out of China, the Edge’s curved sides look cool and make it easier to swipe across the screen. The curves aren’t overly dramatic and the symmetrical design is far better than the Note Edge’s side panel. Also unlike the Note Edge, Samsung isn’t really using the curved sides to display specific information. It still has the bedside clock feature (activated by swiping back and forth on the curved part of the screen), but the news tickers, app launcher, and notifications panel are gone.

Design considerations and copycat accusations aside, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are sure to be great phones in their own rights. Samsung made them 2mm narrower than the S5, which doesn’t sound like much but does wonders for one-handed maneuverability. In my brief time with the two phones, performance was quick and snappy and it was easy to access all of the phone’s features with just my thumb, something I haven‘t been able to say for Samsung’s earlier devices.

Perhaps most impressive is the new camera. Samsung says it has listened to criticisms levied against its past cameras and has improved the S6’s camera to address them. It’s exceptionally quick, can be launched from anywhere with an easy double-tap on the home key (Samsung says it starts up in 0.7 seconds, and I have no reason to dispute that claim), and takes sharp, well-exposed photos. It also has automating focus tracking for moving subjects, a first for a mobile device. And Samsung claims that the infrared sensor on the back of the phone used to measure your heart rate can also pulls double duty to improve white balance quality when taking photos. I have a feeling it will see far more usage assisting the camera than it will measuring heart rates when the S6 hits stores. Most of those claims will need further scrutiny once we have a review unit of the Galaxy S6 to test, but my first impressions with the camera are really good.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge both support Samsung’s new mobile payments program, called Samsung Pay. It uses technology Samsung acquired through its LoopPay purchase to let you make purchases at any retailer that has a standard credit card swiper. It also works with NFC tap-to-pay systems and is authenticated with the fingerprint sensor in the phone’s home button. Between the two systems, Samsung says it will be accepted at 90 percent of retailers. Samsung Pay will work with both MasterCard and Visa, as well as American Express, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, and U.S. Bank. It’s very obviously Samsung’s answer to Apple Pay, but it won’t be available until later this summer, a few months after the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge hit store shelves.

Samsung is also announcing a version of the Gear VR that will work with both the S6 and S6 Edge. It’s 15-percent smaller than the Gear VR for the Note 4, and it has improvements such as USB charging. Samsung is still calling it an "Innovator Edition", which means it’s not really designed to be used by everyday consumers. (Presumably, consumers will still be able to buy it pretty easily, however, just like the Gear VR for the Note 4.) I wasn’t able to test the S6’s Gear VR, so we’ll have to wait and see if it’s an improvement over the older model.

THE S6 AND S6 EDGE ARE DRASTIC IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE S5, BUT TIME WILL TELL IF THEY ARE ENOUGH

With sales falling and profits going down along with them, Samsung needed to do something much bigger and better this year than it did with the S5 last year. For most intents and purposes, the S6 and S6 Edge are just that: they are dramatically nicer and better phones than Samsung has ever produced. But it’s hard not to say that this is the phone the S5 should have been a year ago, and Samsung is still going to be playing catch up with Apple. The S6 and S6 Edge are certainly great phones, with solid performance and finally a design that Samsung can be proud of. Whether or not that’s enough to put Samsung back on top remains to be seen.

Input Source: THE VERGE

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Toyota Announces Its First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle for $70,000

Toyota Announces Its First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle for $70,000

Toyota has hung a price tag on its 1st commercial hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle (FCV).

And it's not cheap: 7 million yen, which converts to roughly $70,000, £40,000 or AU$73,000. That does, however, make the pricing competitive with the all-electric Tesla Model S. The Tesla retails for close to $70,000 in the US, £40,000 in the UK and AU$97,000 in Australia.

Toyota's first fuel-cell sedan will go on sale in Japan before April 2015 and in the US and Europe by the summer of 2015, the automaker said Wednesday when it announced the pricing. Australian availability was not announced.

Fuel-cell cars have become a pet project of the Japanese government. Japan is now considering subsidies and tax breaks so vehicles can be purchased by consumers for about 2 million yen ($20,000, £11,500, AU$21,000) -- the same price as gas-electric hybrids -- by 2025.

And Toyota sees fuel-cell technology -- not pure battery-electric cars like the Tesla -- as the future.

Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota's North American region, recently told Automotive News that battery-electric vehicles are viable only in "a select way, in short-range vehicles that take you that extra mile...But for long-range travel primary vehicles, we feel there are better alternatives, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and tomorrow with fuel cells."

General Motors, for its part, has a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and is working with Honda to accelerate the development of hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain technology. GM has mentioned the 2015-2020 timeframe for release to the public.

Fuel-cell vehicles -- which combine hydrogen with oxygen to generate electricity as the car goes along, and emit only water vapor as exhaust -- would presumably compete with all-electric cars like the Tesla and plug-in hybrids like the Chevrolet Volt.

One of the biggest challenges -- besides the high price -- is building a hydrogen fueling station infrastructure. Japan has stations numbering only in the dozens. California is one of the few states in the US allocating money for a fueling station infrastructure, with plans to have enough stations to support 10,000 vehicles.

Source: CNET

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Apple launches Cheapest iMac valued at $1099

Apple launches Cheapest iMac valued at $1099

Apple has launched a cheaper iMac which is aimed at boosting sales since tablets are dominating the market share these days. This model has a slower processor with lesser storage capacity and lower end graphics. This model is $200 (Rs. 13,000) cheaper than the current iMacs.si

This new model of iMac has Full HD 21.5 inch screen and dual core 1.4 GHz Intel i5 processor. It has 8 GB RAM, 500 GB hard disk with Intel HD Graphics 5000. This new model is priced at $1099 (Rs. 79,900 in India). It give storage options of 1 TB SATA, 1 TB Fusion Drive or 256 SSD to its buyers in which case the price rises up to $1349. 

In terms of connectivity, it has options like 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 2 Thunderbolt ports and a SDXC card slot.

The iMac has been reserved as the new base model for the iMac lineup and will sell alongside the iMacs that were launched a year ago. 

Shipping orders for the new iMac has begun from today itself with 24 hours delivery time. 

In April this year, Apple invigorated the Macbook Air line with a faster processor and also dropped price by Rs 2,000.

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Sony Xperia Z2a launched with 20.7 MP Camera and Android Kitkat

Japanese handset maker Sony has launched the Xperia Z2a, which is the international variant of the Xperia ZL2, in Taiwan. Sony has announced that the Xperia Z2a will be available in Taiwan starting July without revealing the price of the handset.

Unfortunately, the company has not revealed any details whether the Xperia Z2a will be available outside Taiwan.

The Sony Xperia Z2a, much like its Japanese sibling the Xperia ZL2 that launched in May on KDDI, runs Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box.

The smartphone features a 5-inch full-HD LCD Triluminos Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2 and X-Reality, delivering a pixel density of 440ppi.

Notably, the Xperia Z2a, much like the Xperia ZL2, runs a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3GHz coupled with Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM. It's worth noting that Sony's 2014 flagship, the Xperia Z2, is also backed by the same processor.

The Xperia Z2a sports a 20.7-megapixel CMOS 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor with f2/2 aperture and Bionz image processing technology that is capable of recording 4K (3840x2160 pixels) resolution videos. It also comes with a 3.1-megapixel front-facing camera.

The smartphone comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, and can be expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Xperia Z2a supports LTE connectivity (Taiwan's 4G LTE bands) apart from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS/ A-GPS, GPRS/ EDGE and 3G connectivity options. It is backed by a 3000mAh battery.

The Xperia Z2a, much like other high-end Xperia handsets, is a waterproof (IPX5/IPX8) and dust-proof (IP5X) device.

The Xperia Z2a launch was first reported by Focus Taiwan and the handset will be available in Black, Turquoise, and White.

Sony also launched its new mid-range smartphone, the Xperia T3, in Taiwan, alongside the Xperia Z2a. The Xperia T3 was recently announced with an end-July availability.

Sony Xperia Z2a

• KEY SPECS

Display

5.00-inch

Processor

2.3GHz

Front Camera

3.1-megapixel

Resolution

1080x1920 pixels

RAM

3GB

OS

Android 4.4

Storage

16GB

Rear Camera

20.7-megapixel

Battery capacity

3000mAh

Source: NDTV Gadgets

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Apple announces iOS 8, OS X Yosemite at WWDC2014

NEW DELHI: Apple on Monday announced an all-new iOS 8 for iPads and iPhones, and OS X Yosemite, the next version of its desktop operating system for Mac range of computers. However, it disappointed some by not announcing any new hardware as was being expected.

Apple updates OSX, IOS, announces health apps

The new iOS, as also the new OS X, comes with a slew of new features and some that indicate Apple is keen to catch up on the ground it has lost to rival Android from Google.

The announcements were made at the WWDC 2014 (Worldwide Developers Conference), Apple's ongoing annual developer conference.

Calling it 'the biggest release since the launch of the App Store, giving users new features and developers the tools to create new apps', the Cupertino giant listed out a number of new features that mark a virtual overhaul of iOS to suit its new mobile devices that will get launched later this year.

"iOS 8 offers simpler, faster and more intuitive ways to use your device with incredible new features like iCloud Photo Library, a new Messages app, the QuickType keyboard and an entirely new Health app," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering.

"We're also giving developers amazing new tools to make managing your health and your home from your devices an integrated, simple and secure experience."

Yosemite now also offers users the ability to make iPhone calls on your Mac. Federighi demonstrated the feature by making a call to Apple's latest high-profile hire (after the Beats acquisition), rapper and entrepreneur Dr Dre, during the keynote address.

The iOS 8 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 8 will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display.

Visually, iOS 8 isn't very different from iOS 7. But Apple said the OS delivers a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience, and comes with new features like iCloud Photo Library, allowing users to access their photos and videos more easily across their devices.

The iOS 8 Photos app and iCloud Photo Library offer better browsing and editing features. Photos are easy to find and are organized consistently across devices. The Photos app can automatically straighten horizons and users can quickly adjust light and colour or access individual tools for deeper fine-tuning. Effects are automatically updated across the user's multiple devices.

Interestingly, using the new Messages feature, a user can easily share voice, video or photos a la WhatsApp. The improved Messages app now offers the ability to communicate with just a swipe. Tap to Talk feature allows users to share their voice and the same gesture also works for sharing videos and photos within Messages app. Users can choose to share their current location from within Messages for an hour, a day, or longer.

There is also an entirely new Health app that gives users a clear overview of their health and fitness data, all in one place. But a number of Apple lovers were left disappointed as the company failed to announce any fitness device as of now.

The Health app gathers the information that users choose from their various health apps and fitness devices, and provides a clear, consolidated overview in one place. iOS 8 offers developers the ability for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other.

Apple has also introduced predictive typing for its QuickType keyboard, which is smarter and more personalised, and takes context into account, such as who the recipient is and in which app users are typing.

Another nifty and much-demanded feature called Family Sharing has now been introduced. Using Family Sharing, a iOS user can share all purchases, photos and calendars within the same household. Family members can browse and download each other's iTunes, iBooks or App Store purchases. Up to six members can participate, each with their own Apple ID. Parents can create Apple IDs for children, which includes Ask to Buy, requiring parental permission for purchases.

Apple's voice assistant Siri has also received an update and now allows users to launch it without having to press a button with "Hey, Siri" voice command. It will also offer Shazam voice recognition, 22 new dictation languages,and streaming voice recognition to offer users search results as they speak. However, there is no clarity if Hindi has been included in the languages spoken and understood by Siri.

With iCloud Drive, any type of documents can be stored, accessed and edited across devices. Users can edit documents on one device and the most up-to-date version will be available across all devices, including on iOS devices, Macs, Windows PCs or on icloud.com.

iOS 8 also comes with Enterprise features and according to Apple, improves the way users are informed of how their devices are configured, managed or restricted. It offers expanded security and management improvements as well as new productivity features, including an expanded level of data protection for key built-in apps, the ability to set out of office response, see colleague's availability when scheduling a meeting and support for configurable Thread Notifications in Mail.

OS X Yosemite comes with a new, overhauled user interface, new apps and new continuity features that make working across Mac and iOS devices virtually seamless.

Apple will now offer iCloud Drive (which will be located in the Finder) to store files of any type. Basic plan for free iCloud storage, however, stays the same at 5 GB. But 20 GB onwards, the more affordable rates indicate Apple is keen to fight it out with Google in cloud storage arena for its users.

Instant Hotspot is another interesting feature that makes using the iPhone's hotspot as easy as connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Yosemite now also offers users the ability to make iPhone calls on your Mac.

The new OS X offers a new Today view in Notification Center that gives a quick look at everything users need to know in one place, just like Notifications in iPhone. But it is doubtful if Mac users would want to use Notifications the way they use them on iPhone. Safari has a new design that puts the most important controls at the front, but not much seems to have been done to it. Apple did, however, claim the tweaks have made it the fastest browser in the world.

OS X Yosemite also has Handoff that lets users start an activity on one device and pass it to the other which means they can continue with that activity while on the move with their iOS device like iPad or iPhone.

After the end of the keynote, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted, "​Thrilled to meet many talented developers, especially these winners of our student scholarship program. Enjoy #WWDC!"

(Source: TOI Tech)

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MORTAL KOMBAT X Announced its released for 2015

Mortal Kombat X is officially on the way, after weeks of teasing by creator Ed Boon on twitter. NetherRealm, who saw success with their recent Mortal Kombat reboot as well as last year's DC Comics themed fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us returns to the brutal fighter that made their team famous in 2015.



Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat X

CREDIT: NetherRealm

The announcement trailer features a battle between Sub-Zero and Scorpion, arguably the two most recognizable fighting game characters this side of Ryu, with signature elements like the close-up bone breaking, the moves everyone who has played a fighting game in the last 20 years know, and some new variations on the theme. Stay tuned all the way to the end for a new fatality by Scorpion - which is not for kids or the faint-of-heart.

While there are no platforms listed in the trailer (typically those would come at the end underneath the game's logo), retailer listings have noted both current-gen and last-gen consoles, with pre-order listings for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3. That has since been confirmed, alongside PC as well. Check out the trailer, which is decidedly M-rated, below.

Update: Here's the official description of the game, from a press release:

Mortal Kombat X combines cinematic presentation with all new gameplay to deliver the most brutal Kombat experience ever, offering a new fully-connected experience that launches players into a persistent online contest where every fight matters in a global battle for supremacy. For the first time, Mortal Kombat X gives players the ability to choose from multiple variations of each character impacting both strategy and fighting style. Players step into an original story showcasing some of the game's most prolific characters including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while introducing new challengers that represent the forces of good and evil and tie the tale together.

By Lucas Siegel, NEWSarama.com

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World’s 1st Phone with Tizen OS: Samsung Z

Samsung has finally launched its first Tizen smartphone, the Samsung Z. The new Tizen smartphone will be available initially in Russia starting Q3, and will be launched in other markets soon after.

The South Korean giant has revealed that it will be offering additional apps for Samsung Z users via the Tizen Store. The company in an attempt to lure more developers to its new Tizen ecosystem has announced a special promotional program for developers which will for one year.

Unfortunately, the company has not announced pricing details of the Samsung Z; though it can be expected to be announced in Q3. Samsung will be showcasing the new Tizen smartphone at the Tizen Developer Conference on June 3 in San Francisco.

Notably, the Samsung Z sports an angular design with lines, providing a differentiated look and feel from company’s Android-based Galaxy range of smartphones. It will be available in two colours – Black and Gold. Much like the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Samsung Z also features the Heart rate sensor, Fingerprint sensor, and S Health 3.0 app.

The Samsung Z is a single SIM device which runs the Tizen 2.2.1 OS out-of-the-box. It comes with a 4.8-inch (720×1280 pixels) HD Super AMOLED display. It is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM.

It comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 64GB). The Samsung Z sports an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash and BSI sensor, while there is a secondary 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera.

On the connectivity front, the Samsung Z includes 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, GPS/ GLONASS, and NFC options. The smartphone packs a 2600mAh battery with an Ultra Power Saving Mode feature. The Samsung Z measures 138.2×69.8×8.5mm and weighs 136 grams.

Commenting on the launch of first Tizen smartphone, DJ Lee, President and Head of Global Sales and Marketing Office, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics said, “Samsung is committed to enhancing the mobile experience of consumers with innovation that is both personal and unique to their needs. The Samsung Z integrates the power and adaptability of the Tizen platform, enabling users to browse the web faster and utilize applications more effectively.”

(Source: NDTV Gadgets)

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MySleepButton: An App That Helps you to Induce Sleep

Researchers at Simon Fraser University have designed an iOS app to help people to fall asleep that makes use of cognitive science to hijack thoughts so that the brain stops trying to make sense out of them.

The app, mySleepButton, works by reading out a stream of random, unrelated things or scenes that people are asked to imagine. The app might suggest a user thinks of a baby, then a football game, then London, then a bird on a branch.

Users can select a specific timeframe for the app to read out these shuffled thoughts, which change every five to 10 seconds.

By performing a "cognitive shuffle", the brain stops trying to make sense of thoughts, helping users fall asleep.

"The number one thing people think about at night is problem solving, so they can't switch off. Another big thing is that people start worrying about how much sleep they're going to get, which stops them from falling asleep," Luc Beaudoin, an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University and president of CogSi Apps, told IBTimes UK.

"You can't just tell yourself to fall asleep, the way you might tell your arm to move if you want to raise it in the air. There's a level of indirection there, yet somehow the cortex, which is the higher part of your brain, needs to signal to the lower part of your brain to fall asleep. I wanted to know what the signal is and I hypothesised that it has to do with the suspension of sense-making."

Three types of thinking

Beaudoin coined three terms to explain how people think when they're trying to go to sleep – "insomnolent thinking", whereby people are kept awake by worries; "asomnolent thinking", a neutral form of thinking which neither interferes with nor promotes the onset of sleep, such as counting sheep; and "super-somnolent" thinking, where people manage to avoid thinking about problems that might keep them awake, and experience thought patterns that help them successfully fall asleep.

His research paper, "The possibility of super-somnolent mentation: A new information-processing approach to sleep-onset acceleration and insomnia exemplified by serial diverse imagining", has been published in the Simon Fraser University research repository Summit.

Sleep psychologists have found that when people are drowsy, if they are woken up before they fall asleep, they will experience micro-dreams. Beaudoin realised images were important in attempts to sleep.

He warned that his app was not a replacement for "sleep hygiene"  such as avoiding caffeine and heavy meals before bed.

Cannot replace sleep hygiene

The best way to get your mind used to the app is to use it even when you are able to easily fall asleep.

Luc Beaudoin, creator of mySleepButtonSimon Fraser University

Luc Beaudoin, creator of mySleepButton

Luc Beaudoin, creator of mySleepButtonSimon Fraser University

"The app is not just for people with clinical insomnia, it helps people to go to sleep quickly. You can use it when you don't have problems falling asleep, and then you're positively conditioning yourself that listening to the app will help you fall asleep," said Beaudoin.

After a pilot study of 20 people, the app has attracted thousands of users.

"We'll be able to collect more data about sleep onset than ever before to find which content helps people to sleep the best and how long it takes them to fall asleep," said Beaudoin.

"I hope to stimulate the discussion with other sleep researchers and form partnerships with them. My end goal is to help people with their lives. Scientists are doing the research but they're not developing enough apps."

The app is free to download but comes with expansion packs that users can buy to download. An Android version is in the works, together with different language translations, starting with French.

By Mary-Ann Russon, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

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HTC One mini 2 review

 

• By Chris Hall Follow on Twitter
• 
  

4 out of 5

£379

For

Design, Sense 6.0 is mature and refined, BoomSound speakers

Against

Price is too high, can be a little slippery in dry hands

The HTC One mini 2 sets off to an unsteady start, with name that's almost impossible to say sensibly, and a 4.5-inch screen that isn't really as small as the name suggests.

It's also pitching into a mid-range smartphone market that's now dominated by substantially cheaper devices. With Motorola Moto G getting a timely 4G update and costing just £149, the 

HTC One mini 2 has to really sell itself on its strengths: it needs to appeal to your taste in design and your desire to have HTC Sense 6.0 in your pocket to justify the £379 price tag. But in these two very areas - design and user interface - it's equipped to offer some of the top-spec HTC One M8 experience, which is very good.

So where does the HTC One mini 2 sit in the order of smartphones? Can it overcome the price-point obstacle, or is it a handset destined to struggle?

Family design

The HTC One mini 2 takes the design of the HTC One (M8) and shrinks it down into a more compact package: measuring 137.43 x 65.04 x 10.6mm and weighing 137g. Although this is a smaller device than the 5-inch flagship, there's still quite a lot of phone here.

In fact, there are only a few millimetres of difference between the One mini 2 and the original 4.7-inch HTC One of 2013; by the same measure, it's quite a bit larger than the Motorola Moto G that has the same size display at 4.5 inches.

However, some of this additional size is perfectly acceptable because it gives you those front-facing BoomSound speakers than have become symbolic of the HTC One family of phones. It might be slightly larger than some, but compensates with excellent sound quality - certainly best in class when it comes to speaker performance.

The HTC One mini 2 exhibits the sort of savvy design and build quality we've come to expect from HTC. The curved back makes it comfortable to hold and although the finish of the brushed metal back might be a little slippery when your hands are dry, we love the look and the feel of this smartphone. It's a good size, easy to manage, with a display that offers plenty of space to play.

However, the finish isn't quite to the same high standard that you'll find on the HTC One (M8). Although it's the same look, this smaller model doesn't show quite the same precision in build. 

Where the M8 has metal wrapping around the sides to the display, the One mini 2 has a plastic border encircling the screen and you don't get the same zero gap construction.

We actually like the look, but it means you're touching plastic rather than metal: a subtle reminder that this isn't the best of HTC's fleet of phones.

The One mini 2 also carries the same IPX3 rating as the M8. That means pulling the phone out in quick rain shower to check Google Maps, for example, isn't going to be a problem. It can take more than a bit of a soaking.

Display performance

While the design follows the cues of the M8, this isn't a miniaturised version of the same phone. It has different hardware both inside and out, meaning a substantially different specification, unlike the more powerful approach taken by the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. That sees the HTC handset sit firmly in the mid-range, rather than at a flagship level.

The display measures 4.5-inches on the diagonal. Whether you consider that to be mini or not is a moot point; the display has grown slightly over the original HTC One mini launched in 2013, but it's the resolution that's important here.

With 1280 x 720 pixels, it gets the HD tag, with 326ppi. That's becoming typical for devices at this level - it's the same as the Moto G, for example, but it offers a higher resolution than some cheaper devices like the EE Kestrel (based on the Huawei Ascend G6). That means there's plenty of detail and graphics are nice and smooth.

There's plenty of brightness, colours are well reproduced and the viewing angles are good too. This display isn't as capable as the full HD screens on larger devices in terms of detail, and it's lacking some vibrancy and punch to colours, but at this size there's little to complain about. We also had no problem viewing the display in bright conditions.

The hardware

Sitting under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core chipset clocked at 1.2GHz. There's 1GB of RAM supporting this and in day-to-day use there's no lack of power. Browsing through email, diving into Google Maps and such like all happen without delay, giving you every inch of the smartphone experience.

Compared to the HTC One M8 there's noticeable difference in the speed of launch, but that's as expected from this less powerful chipset. From Netflix to Spotify, things take a little longer to happen, but that's typical of this level of device and the compromise you have to accept.

If you're a mobile gamer then you'll find there's enough power in the Qualcomm chipset to handle most things. Games take longer to load, there's a noticeable warming of the phone body, but even intensive games, like Real Racing 3 for example, are perfectly playable.

It doesn't deliver quite the same slick experience that devices further up the scale do, but for the most part, the HTC One mini 2 offers a great experience. This is a 4G LTE handset too so you'll be able to gobble fast data on the move.

There's 16GB of internal storage, with the option to expand this by up to 128GB with microSD card. That gives you plenty of space for apps, games and any media you might want to carry with you. Many cheaper devices only offer half the internal storage, so at least you're getting something more from HTC for your money. Even if it does cost a fair slice of extra cash.

The software

The HTC One mini 2 launches on Android 4.4 KitKat, with HTC Sense 6.0 layered over the top. In this regard, it's very close to the M8, offering the same sort of visuals and most of the same features as the flagship device.

Sense 6.0 is the most refined version of HTC Sense yet: clutter has been trimmed and things simplified over previous versions of Sense and that makes it feels mature. We prefer it to Sony's Android res-kin and think it's slightly more mature than what Samsung offers too.

When comparing to pure Android, there's a number of areas where HTC joins the dots, giving you a more connected experience out of the box - be that in the dialler, contacts or music experience - so you're not dependent on so many apps. We love the customisable apps tray, for example, as well as the customisable quick settings menu.

BlinkFeed is one of HTC's headline features. This service will allow you to customise content from a number of different sources to bring an at-a-glance digest of news or happenings from your social accounts. It's a nice feature, much refined in Sense 6.0 and a good way to quickly browse content. You also get the option to switch it off, so if you don't want it then you don't have to have it.

HTC provides its own browser, which adds little, but the keyboard is pretty good. It might be a little too aggressive in autocorrection, but we found it fast to enter digits, including trace entry. If you don't like it, there are plenty of alternatives in Google Play.

There's no sign of lag in Sense 6.0 on the HTC One mini 2. Like the M8, navigating through HTC's interface is swift and fast, making this a pleasure to use.

Lacking sensors

There's a big difference between the HTC One mini 2 and the HTC One M8 and that's in the sensor hub. This is something that provides some of nice features of the M8, that the mini 2 doesn't offer.

It's not entirely fair to judge the One mini 2 by some of the things it doesn't offer compared to the more expensive M8 handset, but it's important to know that you don't get tap-to-wake, or the low power sensors for sports tracking, or the motion gestures.

Also missing from the mix is the gyroscope, so this handset isn't as accurate a motion detector as some others - and with the Moto G 4G offering sensors, in this department the One mini 2 feels a little deficient. Even the Nokia Lumia 630 offers support for fitness trackers and it's a quarter of the HTC's £379 asking price.

Battery performance

One of the changes HTC made with the introduction of Sense 6.0 was to give you more power saving options, including an extreme power saving mode. This is in addition to the normal power saver mode that dims the screen and throttles the power slightly.

Extreme power saver mode will basically turn your phone into a dumb phone when you hit a particular battery level - five, 10 or 20 per cent. This means that at the end of a busy day your phone can slip into this low-power state and keep you connected for basic functions such as messages and calling, with the display switching to a simple interface.

You might need it too, because the 2100mAh battery in the mini 2 doesn't quite match the performance of bigger models. Although it will get you through a busy day, come the evening you'll find it running short of juice. Typically we found that we'd reached the end of the battery by 8pm. That's still over 12 hours of use, which is better than older generations. Of course it depends on what sort of demands you make of the battery - hours of gaming is going to considerably drain the juice.

Cameras

The camera is one of the key areas for HTC, with a lot of time and effort spent recently trying to educate people about the benefits of the UltraPixel sensor that previous One models have carried. The One mini 2, however, offers a regular 13-megapixel sensor instead, avoiding the 4-megapixel UltraPixel sensor of its brethren. 

Also, and again unlike the M8, there's no Duo Camera to be found here. Nor is there dual-tone flash, leaving the mini 2 quite a step away from the flagship.

The camera app loses some the headline features as a result. There's none of the fancy depth of field options, no post-shoot refocusing, and not even Zoe capture (although you do get to make the Zoe videos in the Gallery, which is one of our favourite features). HTC is yet to launch its Zoe network designed for sharing those videos, with an update promised for the future.

Moving away from UltraPixel has made the HTC One mini 2 camera slower than other One series models. It's still fast to focus, but tap the shutter button and there's more of a delay to capture and make that photo available to view. There's a slight disconnect at times too: shoot a frame and you'll expect a thumbnail to jump into the top right-hand corner to confirm the shot, but it takes longer than expected to appear. Most of the time you will capture the image you want, you just won't know that until you've taken a second shot to be sure.

However, the results are impressive. Given the higher resolution sensor than found in the M8 there's plenty of detail, plus you'll get more scope to zoom and crop photos after you've taken them. Low light performance is average, though, with higher ISO settings resulting in mottled mush - but that's entirely normal in almost any smartphone.

Despite not rocking the UltraPixel sensor, there are still a range of clever camera features. 

HTC's manual mode is here, as is HDR (high dynamic range), both of which we've always been fans of. This means you can set things like the ISO sensitivity and the shutter speed to take more deliberate shots: ideal for low-light static shots, sunsets, and more.

There's also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which at one point we'd have said was a little over the top for a secondary camera, but as the selfie crazy sweeps social media channels it's becoming rather commonplace. The Huawei P7 has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera for example.

The big difference between the front camera on the HTC One mini 2 and the HTC One M8 is the focal length: the mini 2 isn't as wide-angle, so is less beneficial for capturing groufies (again, see P7 review link above), but we like the countdown counter and the results are good - much better than some rivals. 

You also get full HD video capture from both the front and rear cameras. This is often limited on some mid-range devices, but not so here.

Overall, the HTC One mini 2 equips itself rather well on the camera front.

Verdict

There's a lot of good going on in the HTC One Mini 2. For many it will be perfectly powerful, the battery performance is reasonable if not exemplary, but the software experience is one of our favourites in the current market.

The design and build quality id above average and there's no denying that this is a lovely phone to use and hold. The shift away from UltraPixel to a different camera - if you can accept that it doesn't offer all the features that HTC has become known for - doesn't really do the phone any damage either.

However priced at £379, this is an expensive mid-range handset. If you're buying SIM free, then it's more than twice the price of the Motorola Moto G 4G. Although it offers some benefits, we can't see they are justified by the price difference. The HTC doesn't deliver twice the experience.

The price might be levelled when you take a network contract, but then you could be walking away with many of last year's flagship devices instead: the LG G2, for example, is only £20 more SIM free, or could  be yours for free on a £19 a month contract.

That's the biggest barrier we see to the HTC One mini 2: you have to really want that design and Sense 6.0 software to justify the price. It's a phone that doesn't do anything inherently wrong, but you can buy yourself a phone that will offer a similar experience for half the price.

(Pocket-lint.com)

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