CES 2015

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

 

CES 2015 is just days away. Here's everything you need to know about from show dates and attendees to the likely big announcements and upcoming trends.

The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show kicks off on January 6, so our thoughts have inevitably started straying to the biggest tech gathering of the year.

Over the space of four days (January 6 - 9), many of the world’s biggest tech companies will descend on Las Vegas to reveal what’s in store for the coming year. Preceding the show, January 5 will likely act as a press day, with the likes of Samsung, Sony, LG and company all holding dedicated conferences to make major announcements.

Historically a show for the TV industry to show off its coming wares, CES has expanded to be so much more. Here are some of the tech trends plus the confirmed and rumoured announcements to look out for during CES 2015.

Early outing for Samsung Galaxy S6

Now this really could be a turn up for the books but the rumour mill has gone into overdrive in recent weeks that the Galaxy S5 successor could make an appearance at CES 2015. The latest iteration of Samsung’s flagship is usually reserved for an unveiling around February or March to coincide with Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Among the Samsung Galaxy S6 specs rumoured include a 5.5-inch display, a 20-megapixel camera and the inclusion of a Cat. 10 LTE Exynos chip. While it might sound unlikely for Samsung to alter its launch plans, the welcome changes in design as seen with the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha after the S5 launched could have persuaded the company to fast track the S6 to get it out ahead of whatever Apple, Sony, HTC and LG have planned for 2015.

Do Read : Upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 leaked reports

Kodak's first Android smartphone

It looks like the unveiling of the Panasonic Lumix CM1 camera/smartphone hybrid could start a trend with Kodak confirming plans to show off its first Android-based smartphone at this year's show. Putting camera features at the heart of the handset, the Kodak cameraphone will come with pre-loaded bspoke image capture, management and sharing features, while users will also be able to print photos instantly.

That’s not all from Kodak at CES either. The iconic imaging company also plans to show off a range of headphones, an action camera and even a smart baby monitor.

LG goes big with Art Slim and Quantum Dot TVs

Historically, CES is a show that’s been about TVs and the Korean manufacturer is not going to buck the trend in 2015 with plans to show off new LCD displays it’s calling Art Slim. Set to be some of the slimmest and lightest panels available, the screens will be offered in 55-inch and 65-inch models.

These super-slim screens will sit alongside LG’s line of 4K TVs packing quantum dot LCD technology. The new range will offer a wider colour palette and superior colour saturation in a similar way to Sony’s Triluminous display technology.

Read More: Quantum Dot explained

Xiaomi breaks out

Of all the exciting smartphone news that we’re expecting from CES 2015 - and bear in mind that most of the bigger announcements tend to happen later in the year, is that Xiaomi will use the event to launch phones in the West.

We’ve been waiting for this for some time now. Xiaomi is the third biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but that’s thanks to its massive success in its native China.

However, Xiaomi has always had bigger plans than mere domestic dominance. Why else do you think the company hired Hugo Barra - the former Google Vice President and Android spokesman?

Xiaomi should bring a youthful energy and sharp (if heavily Apple-influenced) design philosophy to the Android space, and all at a knock-down price. The company typically makes its money on software, selling its hardware at cost, though it’ll be interesting to see if that works in the same way outside of China.

First up at CES 2015 (according to the rumour mill) will be the Xiaomi Mi5 - the company’s new flagship phone which could have some killer specs. We’re talking a 5.7-inch QHD display, a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU, a 20.7-megapixel camera, and a fingerprint sensor.
Watch out Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, and Sony.

Smart TVs with Android TV

At Google I/O back in June, it was revealed that the next version of the Android OS had been designed to scale to the Smart TV form factor.

Android TV offers the tantalising promise (admittedly not the first time) of an intuitive and widely adopted Smart TV UI standard, rather than the largely rubbish individual manufacturer efforts we’ve been putting up with for too long now.

Google’s new solution will allow you to initiate media content searches using your phone, using both text input and voice recognition. You’ll also have access to a whole heap of apps and games, through it’ll ship with its own app store rather than simply having access to the Google Play Store.

Google also announced at the time that it had reached agreements with Sony, Sharp, and Philips to include Android TV in their 2015 HDTV ranges. As such, we’re expecting to see a whole bunch of top end TV sets running on Android TV at CES 2015.

Sony in particular has promised to go all in with Android TV in 2015 and has already revealed a cryptic CES 2015 video teasing a Google-based announcement.

Don’t expect Samsung and LG to join the Android TV party just yet though. Both Korean manufacturers are keen to push their own platforms. Samsung is known to be looking to reduce its reliance on Google, while LG last year introduced its new webOS TV platform.

ANOTHER new Sony phone

No one has released more flagship phone revisions over the past two years than Sony, and we’re expecting to see yet another one at CES 2015.

Of course, there’s good reason to be excited for the Sony Xperia Z4 - the Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact were two of the finest Android phones of the year.

Sony’s continued financial troubles mean that this might be the last bit new mobile release we see from them for a while. Well, for a year at least. So make the most of it.

We’re expecting the Sony Xperia Z4 to see a bump up to a QHD display, which should be a common sight throughout 2015. It’ll apparently run on a Snapdragon 805 CPU, which again should be fairly normal throughout the new year.

What probably won’t be normal is 4GB of RAM, but that’s what reports are suggesting the Z4 will have, as well as an improved camera.

Oh, and we may also see the Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra, which will be a phablet version of the Z4.

The Dash gets a run out

If there's one thing we can be sure of seeing it's the odd crowdfunded success story. One of those projects includes the Dash, a  pair of truly wireless smart headphones that raised over $3 million on Kickstarter in 2014.

The tiny waterproof in-ear buds are jam packed with features including a 4GB music player, gesture controls, four hour battery life and activity tracking including heart rate monitoring.

Kickstarter pledgers are expected to get their hands on the Dash headphones in early 2015 so we will be able to see how they are shaping up at CES.

More, and cheaper, 4K TVs

2014’s CES brought a lot of 4K or UHD TV sets, sporting four times the pixel density of your bog standard 1080p Full HD telly.

We’re not expecting anything radically new on this front in 2015. The big advances should be in UI and smart features rather than core tech.

What we can expect to see, however, is more practically priced 4K TV sets as manufacturers look to bring the new resolution standard within range of your average punter. To that end, we’re expecting more 40- and 50-inch efforts this time around.

One trend that doesn’t look likely to go away just yet is curved TVs. Both Samsung and LG still appear fixated with these bent screens, so there’ll probably be more on show in 2015.

Expect to see LG showing off with its unique OLED TV tech. Samsung has all but put its own OLED plans on hold due to persistent manufacturing issues, but LG is known to be ahead of the game on this front. Naturally, it’s going to push this advantage for all it’s worth, so look out for new OLED sets.

Samsung for its part has announced previously that it will be focusing on Quantum Dot TV technology - an advancement of existing LCD techniques rather than a super-sizing of its OLED technology. Keep an eye out for more on this new approach at the show.

Following January’s Michael Bay blunder, hopefully Samsung will push another inexplicably successful film director out to humiliate themselves whilst pushing a 105-inch 4K TV no one can afford. Our money’s on Zack Snyder.

New tablets to rival the iPad

Speaking of Samsung, this year’s CES saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Pro range. This added the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro lines to an already dizzying array of sameish Android tabs from the manufacturer.

Given Samsung’s slightly predictable cycles, we’re offering low odds on another batch of Pros coming in 2015. We’re not sure our keyboards could cope with a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 2 12.2, but who knows?

Of course, with the slinky Samsung Galaxy Tab S now on the market you might argue that there’s no purpose for a new set of Pros. But then that’s never stopped Samsung before.

It’s not just Samsung you need to watch out for on the tablet space either. Chinese manufacturer Huawei is alway keen to throw a new affordable take on a consumer hit into the mix, with Sony, ZTE and a host of others all likely to push new tablet offerings.

LG to bend our ear

We’re not expecting to see the LG G4 at CES 2015, which is a shame given that the LG G3 was our phone of 2014.

However, an altogether more interesting smartphone proposition is in store from South Korea’s second favourite electronics company: The LG G Flex 2.

Reports suggest that the follow-up to 2013’s banana-shaped oddity, the LG G Flex, is on the cards for a Las Vegas outing.

This time around we could be getting a high-resolution OLED display in a small form factor, as well as a self-healing plastic coating.

Of course, the first phone claimed to have all of these things too, and it wasn’t very good. Still, with rumours that the LG G Flex 2 represents a “major upgrade” over the original, we live in hope.

Do Read : HTC One M9 specs leak

No Steam Machines

One of the biggest disappointments of 2014 was Valve’s decision to delay its Steam Machine program until 2015, owing to issues with the design of the Steam Controller.

Stepping back a few months, CES 2014 had seen a big Steam Machine splurge, with a number of hardware partnerships highlighted and some preliminary Steam Machine designs outlined.
After this year’s false start, many were hoping that the very same venue could be used to showcase Valve’s finalised Steam Machine vision this coming January.

Alas, Valve itself has scuppered those hopes. The company’s VP of marketing, Doug Lombardi, has revealed that Valve is aiming for a big showing at GDC 2015 in early March instead.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Valve’s third party Steam Machine partners won’t be showing up to CES 2015.

Wearables, and plenty of them

It’s a pretty safe bet when discussing any of the big shows set to take place over the next 12 months to simply say: “wearables.”

Yes, it’s still a hot topic for tech companies, even if it hasn’t yet taken off with the general public. But while previous shows have had wearable devices that haven’t particularly wowed anyone, CES 2015 should be different.

For one thing, it will be the first CES show following Google’s unveiling of Android Wear, as well as the first smartwatches built to run it. Now would be a good time for others to join in.bAlso consider the fact that Apple will be releasing its Apple Watch a month or two after CES 2015.

There’s a general feeling that this will be the point at which the smartwatch market truly kicks off, so any manufacturer that hasn’t played a convincing wearables hand around this time risks being left behind.

This is also an area where we have confirmation of some manufacturers’ plans. Lenovo has confirmed that it will be showing off some new wearables at CES 2015 - and it has nothing to do with Motorola (which it now owns) and its disappointing Moto 360. LG is tipped to offer a smartwatch based on the WebOS operating system currently used for its WebOS TV range.

There are also claims that TAG will be showing off its first smartwatch, powered by Intel internals. Intel itself is set for a big year with a renewed emphasis on its wearable and mobile chip business, which has thus far struggled in comparison to its traditional PC chip business.

3D printing steps to the fore

3D printing will be big at CES 2015. The organisers are reportedly doubling the floor space for this intriguing field at next year’s show.

Apparently, more than 30 companies will be present with their latest advances. And if you think this technology is still at the experimental stage, well, think again.

Reports suggest that sales of desktop 3D printers will have hit 67,000 by the end of 2014. True, that’s a pretty small number compared to the number of ink jets out there, but it’s enough to tell you that things are moving rapidly in the field.

Do Read : Quantum Dots Explained

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HTC One M9 specs leak with 20.7-megapixel camera in tow

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

A number of claimed HTC One M9 specs have leaked online, suggesting the handset will be a 5-inch, Full HD powerhouse.

Surfacing courtesy of a leaked AnTuTu benchmark test, the HTC One M9 specs have suggested that the upcoming HTC One M8 follow-on will overlook the now popular move to an LG G3 and Galaxy Note 4 mimicking QHD display in favour of a more traditional 1080p offering.

Instead of focussing on minor visual enhancements, it appears the Taiwanese manufacturer looks set to target its efforts on a dramatically improved camera combination.

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According to the latest leaks, as reported by NoWhereElse, the HTC One M9 specs sheet will see a 20.7-megapixel rear-mounted camera line up alongside a 13-megapixel selfie snapper.

This is a major step up on the 4-Ultrapixel and 5-megapixel combination found on the One M8.

If that’s not enough to tempt you, Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor is also set to make an appearance alongside Adreno 430 graphics and 3GB of RAM.

Although it is currently unclear what the M9 will look like, it is expected that the handset will adopt a sleek, brushed metal finish similar to its predecessors.

As with previous leaks, it has again been suggested that the One M9 will adopt an all new naming convention and actually be known as the HTC Hima come launch.

Related: Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S6

Although recent leaks have suggested HTC could make its first formal appearance during CES 2015 next week, we believe a post MWC unveiling in March is far more likely.

Instead, it has been suggested that the upcoming Las Vegas-based convention will see HTC out its first wearable device alongside a new Desire-branded handset.

Read more ...

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S6

The Samsung Galaxy S6 release date is fast approaching, and with 2014 quickly drawing to a close rumours and leaks have started to surround the next big talking point on the tech calendar.
With the eagerly awaited iPhone 6 rival expected to touch down in early 2015, latest Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours have suggested the handset could pair an all new, premium design with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, high-speed storage and Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop OS direct from the box.

Given that the first S6 pictures have leaked and the phone has prematurely appeared under the codename ‘Project Zero’, it is expected that the Galaxy S6 will be a comprehensive refresh over the Galaxy S5 – a handset which has failed to ignite substantial consumer interest.

The S6’s screen is one such area expected to be given a sizeable update.


Earlier this year the LG G3 introduced the 2560 x 1440p QHD display to the mainstream smartphone space. Such a component has since been bestowed on the Galaxy Note 4 and recent S6 leaks have suggested the upcoming phone will follow suit.

That is not all the phone’s screen could have to offer. It has been suggested a Galaxy Note Edge mimicking double-edged display could also be heading towards the Galaxy S6.

While some reports are farfetched and others more likely, what is almost certain is that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be unveiled in Q1 2015 as a direct rival to the Nexus 6, remaining consistent with previous launches.

What’s more, with both the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 having bestowed with metal-framed designs recently, it is now widely expected that next year's Galaxy S6 release will echo its siblings and adopt its own premium materials.

We will be updating this page with all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details, leaks, news and rumours as new information emerges. Bookmark it now to ensure you are kept in the loop on all things S6.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date

As you would expect, Samsung has yet to offer any official details on the distant Samsung Galaxy S6 release date. That doesn’t mean we don’t have a good idea as to when the phone will launch, however. 

Like Apple, Samsung has become a creature of habit, with the company’s annual product cycles bringing a level of expectation to certain points in the year. For example, September and the Berlin-based IFA conference means a new Note.

Since the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Korean manufacturer’s flagship phone line has been reserved for unveiling during – or within weeks of – the Barcelona-based Mobile Word Congress conference in February. As such there is no reason to believe this will be different for the S6.

With MWC 2015 to be held between March 2 and 5, we would anticipate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date could be confirmed during the manufacturer’s dedicated press conference on either Sunday 1 or Monday 2 March.

This tradition could be thrown off by falling profits, however. With Samsung predicting a 60 per cent drop in annual earnings, analysts have suggested the S6 release could be pushed forward in order to stem the rot.

“Samsung’s profits in the mobile division will continue to deteriorate during this period of changing their line of smartphones,” Lee Min-hee, an analyst at IM Investment and Securities, told The New York Times.

Speaking with Bloomberg, Claire Kim, an analyst with Daishin Securities Co in Samsung's native Korea added: “We all know Samsung’s third-quarter earnings will be pretty ugly. The earlier release of its new phones could be reflected in its third-quarter earnings, it could give them a slight boost.”

Reflecting this need for a fast phone introduction, recent leaks have claimed Samsung could pin a surprise S6 launch on us as early as CES 2015 in January.

According to claimed Korean insiders, the S6 will take a formal bow in Vegas. However, given the less than official avenue of these claims, and the slightly questionable nature, we would suggest taking them with a hearty pinch of salt for now.

We will of course update this post as soon as more concrete Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details are available.

Do Read : CES 2015

Samsung Galaxy S6 News

The Samsung Galaxy S6 has a number of big changes in store, according to latest leaks and insider reports.

With the Galaxy S6 reportedly being pieced together inside Samsung HQ under the codename 'Project Zero', it is believed the phone will be the biggest update yet to the company's flagship phone line.

According to reports by SamMobile, unnamed insiders have stated: “Samsung is developing its next-generation flagship device from scratch, with an entirely new vision.”

They added: “Project Zero is an indication that Samsung is trying to achieve something unique and different with the Galaxy S6.”

What's more, Samsung itself has already teased aspects of its future smartphones, a list expected to include the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Making the announcement during its annual Analyst Day in Korea last November, Samsung revealed that in late 2014 its first phones to run 2560 x 1440 pixel WQHD displays will land. This timeline came to fruition with the Note 4.

Although not the company's first device to feature such a screen, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to make the jump beyond the S5’s 1080p Full HD offering.

Despite being the company’s flagship phone, it appears that the Galaxy S6 will fall between Samsung’s technology cycles.

Although Samsung has confirmed it will bring 3,840 x 2,160 pixel UHD displays to its smartphone offerings during 2015, it is believed the Samsung Galaxy S6 will arrive too early to benefit from this next-gen panel. Instead, however, the S6 looks likely to mimic the rumoured LG G3 with a QHD display.

Offering a further insight into the Samsung Galaxy S6’s screen, Samsung’s promise to continue its push into AMOLED displays leaves little doubt in the technology within the phone’s panel. As such deep blacks and reasonable kindness to the battery can be expected.



Further screen changes expected to be bestowed on the Galaxy S6 include the move to more streamlined bezels.

Giving the plus 5-inch display added pop and allowing a larger panel to be sqeezed into a managable form factor, the slim bezel design has been teased by a leaked Galaxy S6 picture (above).

Although echoing a number of design traits from the existing S5, the leaked S6 image shows a handset with slimmer edges and more rounded corners.

Further hinting at a design refresh, lower than expected S5 sales have reportedly forced Samsung to reassess its smartphone efforts, with the company said to be ready to put more emphasis on high-end design and premium materials.

"They made one mistake, one product that didn't hold up to expectations and they are paying the price," Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang said speaking on the slow S5 sales recently. "They will have to move forward and leave behind what has failed and focus on the next product."

It's not just analysts predicting a renewed smartphone effort from the Apple and HTC rival, Samsung itself has pledged to improve its handsets moving forward.

"We will strengthen our product competitiveness by reinforcing our premium brand reputation, powerful product line-up, and cutting-edge technology," an official Samsung spokesperson stated.

Now, claimed insiders have told Chinese media that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be bestowed with a premium, metal design, much like the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The metal S6 body has been tipped by 'sources within Samsung’s supply chain’.

If moving to a new, metal form, Samsung will hope to avoid to construction issues which have troubled the release of the Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumours

As with the S5 before it, there have already been suggestions that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a curved, flexible display.

Building on the Note Edge's single side including screen, it has been mooted that the S6 will wrap its QHD panel around both the handset's left and right hand edges.

Speaking in a note to investors, tech analyst Jerry Kang claimed the S6 will take Samsung's flexible screen technology to the mainstream masses for the first time.

With Samsung having already announced handsets with curved displayed - we're looking at the Samsung Galaxy Round and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge here - we can’t see the manufacturer risking its flagship brand with this novel technology. As such the flexible phone will be a separate handset in its own right and the S6 will be a more traditional offering - possibly a Galaxy S6 Edge.

With size being almost as important to Samsung as image quality, it has again been rumoured that the Galaxy S6 will feature a larger display than its predecessors.

With the Samsung Galaxy S range having risen from 4-inches to 5.1-inches in just five generations, we can see the S6 topping off somewhere around the 5.2 or 5.3-inches. This would put it in Sony Xperia Z3 territory. With the S5 still featuring quite a sizeable bezel, there is certainly room for Samsung to squeeze a larger display into a similar sized frame in 2015.

Another Samsung Galaxy S6 rumour which has already started to rumble – and will likely follow the phone to launch – is claims of Samsung finally ditching its fascination with plastic in favour of a more premium build quality.

It has even been suggested that the S6 could utilise graphene in elements of its design as Samsung makes progress with the material. This, however, would likely further bump the handset's premium price.

Following a recent graphene development by Samsung, industry experts praised the potential implications.

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"This is one of the most significant breakthroughs in graphene research in history," SAIT Lab leaders said. "We expect this discovery to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene, which could unlock the next era of consumer electronic technology."

Although there has been much talk about the first Tizen phones, Android will remain the OS of choice for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a feature seemingly confirmed by the manufacturer. Yoon Han-kil recently stated that Android "still needs to be out main business," despite the continued push of Tizen.

With Google having recently detailed Android 5.0, it is all but a given that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will run Lollipop direct from the box.

This new OS will bring with it a new, 'material' design, reworked Gmail app, improved notifications menu, improved battery life, and 64-bit architecture support.

A selection of Samsung Galaxy S6 concept designs have also surfaced, though they're little more than fan 'visions' that offer little in terms of a reliable insight into the phone. One feature we'd like to see, however, is forward-facing stereo speakers similar to the HTC One M8.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S6 specs sheet will feature a number of cross over features from the S5, with a wealth of new offerings thrown into the mix.

Given the focus Samsung heaped on the S5’s water resistant coating, fingerprint scanner incorporating home button and rear-mounted heart rate sensor, you can all but guarantee that all three will make another appearance next year and hopefully in improved forms as well.

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In terms of power, however, things are all change, and the chipset likely to feature within the Samsung Galaxy S5 has already been unveiled. In early April, processing giant Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 CPUs. These chips are set to appear in their first handsets during "early 2015," a window that fits the expected Samsung Galaxy S6 release date.

With the Samsung Galaxy S5 running a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset following the S4’s own Snapdragon 600 internals, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to run either the 808 or 810 units.

Knowing what processor the handset will run has seen a number of further Samsung Galaxy S6 specs teased.

According to Qualcomm, the processing units will allow for everything from UHD 4K displays to be supported to the introduction of Cat 6 LTE connections and the option to run up to 55-megapixel camera sensors.

At present the 64-bit, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor is looking the more likely to feature, with support for display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 pixels fitting with claims of a WQHD S6 screen. The 808 will also introduce LPDDR3 memory, a range of battery management improvements and an Adreno 418 GPU that will boost graphical performances by a reported 20 per cent.

Samsung though likes to bring a second flagship phone option to certain territories. In the case of the S6, this could be the company's new Exynos 7 octa-core processor.

The Exynos 7 comes with an octa-core CPU with four Cortex-A57 and four Cortex-A53 cores inside.

The 20nm manufacturing process also means the Exynos 7 is much less of a battery drain than its forebears too.

There is currently no word on the phone's camera, although we would be surprised if the S6 didn't improve on the S5's existing 16-megapixel snapper.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Price

The Samsung Galaxy S6 price is one area where there are currently few details available. Given the flagship nature of the ‘Galaxy S’ range, however, there is no point holding out for a wallet-friendly fee.

At launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 cost £579 on a SIM-free basis. As such, we can’t see the Samsung Galaxy S6 price starting off much lower than the £600 marker.

For all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours, including details on the phone’s specs and release date, bookmark this page now as it will continue to evolve as new information emerges.

Share your thoughts on what you would like to see included in the Samsung Galaxy S6 in the comments boxes below.

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Facebook apologises for Year in Review feature

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

Facebook has apologised for its Year in Review feature after users complained of the images selected to highlight their years.

A free-to-use service which automatically selects images from users’ accounts to recap their time in 2014, Year in Review received criticisms for its at times less than tactful picture choices.

Examples of the feature’s issues include the use of images of a person’s house on fire and pictures of users’ recently deceased relatives.

Tragically, the flaws of Year in Review were highlighted when one user, Eric Meyer, was confronted with pictures of his six year old daughter who died earlier in the year.

Describing the feature’s image selection as “jarring” and “wrong”, Mr Meyer has received a formal apology from Facebook after his story went viral.

Although acknowledging that Facebook’s mishap was far form a directed attack, Meyer, speaking in a blog post stated: “This inadvertent algorithmic cruelty is the result of code that works only in the overwhelming majority of cases.”

He added: “The Year in Review ad keeps coming up in my feed. There wasn’t enough thought given to cases like mine or anyone who had a bad year.

“The design is for the ideal user, the happy, upbeat, good-life user. It doesn’t take other user cases into account.”

Related: 2015 tech we are most excited about

With Meyer having received a public apology from Facebook Product Manager Jonathan Gheller, the social media head told the Washington Post that Facebook has stated looking at ways to improve the Year in Review algorithm.

He stated: "[The app] was awesome for a lot of people, but clearly in this case we brought him grief rather than joy.”

Do Read : CES 2015

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Microsoft to replace IE with new browser for Windows 10?

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

Reports have emerged on Monday claiming Microsoft could be ready to debut a brand new web browser for the forthcoming Windows 10 operating system.

Zdnet sources say the in-development browser, codenamed Spartan, looks more like Firefox and Chrome, and “is not IE 12.”

According to the report, it’ll be a lightweight browser available for both mobiles and desktop devices running Windows 10. It’ll also support extensions, apparently, just like Google and Mozilla's options.

The sources also say IE 11 will continue to ship with Windows 10 devices, but will only be kept around “for backward-compatibility’s sake” says reporter Mary Jo Foley.

We may get the first look at the new browser on January 21 when Microsoft holds a consumer-focused event to showcase the progress it is making with Windows 10.


Microsoft's reported move comes as Internet Explorer’s popularity continues to fade, with users turning to third-party solutions like Chrome, Firefox and Safari and much more browsing taking place on mobile devices.

As of June this year, Google’s Chrome was the most popular browser with almost 32 per cent of the market. The various versions of Internet Explorer sat at 31 per cent, according to stats collected by Adobe. As far back as 2008, Microsoft boasted an 80 per cent share of browser traffic, but that figure continues to drop.

Can a platform agnostic, mobile-friendly browser help revive Microsoft’s fortunes? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments section.

Do Read : CES 2015

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Quantum Dots Explained: What are quantum dots and why are they so awesome?

 by Review Rulezz 16 December 2014

Everything you need to know about... Quantum Dots

Quantum dots. Sound cool, don't they? But for once this is a technology that's actually as good as it sounds. Quantum dots, among other things, have the potential to revitalise the LCD screens in our phones, tablets, TVs and laptops.

It was widely tipped that Apple would use quantum dots in the iPhone 6 and though it didn't in the end, 2015 looks like the year the technology will go mainstream. LG has confirmed it will launch quantum dot 4K TVs in 2015, and we've already seen Sony use quantum dots in some of its TVs under the Triluminous brand. Amazon also used quantum dots in the Kindle Fire HDX 7 and HDX 8.9 tablets, while Samsung has diverted attention away from OLED TV development in favour of quantum dot LCDs.

As such, we expect to hear much more at CES 2015, the annual tech show held every January where TV companies launch their new TV lines.

Do Read : CES 2015

What are quantum dots?

Simplifying things greatly (as this guide aims to do, mostly), quantum dots are incredibly small particles. They range between 2 to 10 nanometers in diameter, which is equivalent to 50 atoms. Yes, atoms. You can't measure these things using your old school shatter proof ruler. It's this small size that gives quantum dots the unique properties to improve our tech.

The colour light that a quantum dot emits is directly related to its size; smaller dots appear blue, larger ones more red. In LCD screens they're applied as a way of eliminating the need for White LED backlights and colour filters. As Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, President of DisplayMate, explains: "Instead of using existing White LEDs (which have yellow phosphors) that produce a broad light spectrum that makes it hard to efficiently produce saturated colors, Quantum Dots directly convert the light from Blue LEDs into highly saturated narrow band primary colors for LCDs."

What are the benefits of quantum dots?

For LCD screens, the benefits are numerous. They're the kind of benefits that are simply no-brainers.

Higher peak brightnessOne of the reasons TV manufacturers like quantum dots is that they allow them to produce TVs with much higher peak brightness. This opens up some interesting possibilities, such as enabling support for 'high dynamic range' TVs that support standards such as Dolby Vision.

In simple terms, Dolby Vision is a new film standard that, when used, will result in content that retains more colour and contrast information than existing standards. The result will be pictures that have greater differences in the brightest and darkest parts of the image and look more 'dynamic' and real as a result.

Imagine shots where looking into the sun actually feels like looking in to the sun for real and you get an idea. To do this you need brighter TVs and quantum dots deliver exactly that.


Better colour accuracy
Another big benefit of quantum dots is improved colour accuracy. The light produced by quantum dots is so closely tied to their size that they can be tuned very precisely to emit the exact kind of light needed. This means purer, cleaner whites and more precise colours.

Colours on the Kindle HDX series are excellent

Higher colour saturation
One advantage, though some might call it a disadvantage in some contexts, of OLED screens over LCDs is colour saturation. Colours on OLED screens simply 'pop' more due to the huge colour gamut OLED screens can achieve. Quantum dots can, according to Dr. Soneira, increase the colour gamut on LCD screens by in the region of 40 to 50 per cent. This is great, but it's the combination of high colour gamut and great accuracy that's really exciting. OLED screens look fantastic to the untrained eye, but many of those found in phones thus far aren't very accurate or 'faithful' to the actual colours they're presenting. This can create imbalances, such as radioactive colours and iffy skin tones in videos and photos.

Taking a long term view, the impact of more devices with larger colour gamuts could mean a serious increase in the quality of video and other content. Specifically, in the level of detail you can see due to greater number of colours available. The only caveat here is that for most purposes sRGB is the colour standard for computing – it's the standard colour space for everything you see on the internet, for instance.

That means you might not enjoy the full benefits of a higher colour gamut screen straightaway due to content being created to cater for sRGB, and not Adobe RGB or another colour standard. Still, with many screens unable to produce 100 per cent of the sRGB colour space, there's still a benefit to be had in the short term.


Improved battery life in mobile gagdets
One of the contradictions of modern tech is that people say they want better battery life, but when it comes to it they'll choose a slimmer, sleeker and 'sexier' phone over a chunky one with better battery life. Some of you reading this will be jumping up and down saying that's not you, but it is most people. Phones haven't been getting slimmer and lighter by accident. Companies make them that way because that's what sells.

Another truism is that the most effective way, by far, to improve your phone, tablet or laptop's battery life is to simply turn the brightness down. You can fiddle with the settings as much as you like, but it's the screen that sucks down the most power. Which is why the potential power savings of quantum dots, believed to be up to 20 per cent, are so attractive.

What quantum dots promise, on paper, is superior image quality and a reduction in power use. That's a powerful combination, especially for a company like Apple that's loathed to compromise on design for the sake of practical things like larger batteries.

(This is also yet another reminder that the slow pace of battery tech development is holding back our tech. Since it hasn't improved markedly, companies are forced to find power savings elsewhere.)

What are the downsides of quantum dots?

While there are doubtless plenty of complexities in integrating quantum dots into screens, from an end user perspective the only downside we've seen thus far is (an actually quite serious) light bleed issue. This was seen on the new Kindle HDX tablets, the first quantum dot tablets. While not visible under many conditions, any white background (i.e. when reading a book) exposed very irritating bleed from the edges. Rather than white light, the bleed on the Amazon Fires was blue. Why? Because the backlight LEDs are blue.

Here you can see the backlight issue on the Kindle Fire HDX is severe

 This isn't a trivial problem. When we reviewed both the new Amazon tablets we were impressed by the colours, contrast and brightness, but the light bleed was profoundly annoying – enough so that it devalued the good parts. Solving this issue is vital to whether we see quantum dot phones and tablets, but we'd put our money on it getting sorted fairly soon. Apple reportedly has patents describing how it plans to solve this particular problem.

Should you be excited about quantum dot technology?

Definitely, yes. In fact, we'd argue that quantum dots are a more interesting development than 4K TVs in some respects. With the exception of things like Dolby Vision, you're more likely the enjoy the benefits without content specifically enhanced to take advantage. It's also not, necessarily, a prohibitively expensive technology as we've already seen it in affordable tablets from Amazon. When done right, quantum dots could deliver similar colour and contrast to AMOLED screens while retaining the benefits of LCD.

 

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PES 15 Review | The Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 complete review | PES 15 Review : PES 15 vs FIFA 15 | ReviewRulezz

PES 15 Review Reviewed by Review Rulezz on Dec 28. Great game PES 15 better than FIFA 15 PES 15 Review.Great game PES 15 better than FIFA 15.The complete PES15 Review. Rating: 4

 PES 15 - Review

Pros

• Next-gen graphics and slick presentation
• Fast, fluid gameplay
• More game modes
• Cracking soundtrack

Cons

• myClub mode is no Ultimate Team
• Still falls behind FIFA in some key areas

Available on PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Remember the good old days when FIFA had the modes, the teams and the slickest presentation, but Pro Evo had the edge on gameplay? Well, they’re back again. After a few years in the doldrums, Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 sees Konami’s football series back on form and looking better than ever. Not all of Konami’s efforts to match FIFA have borne fruit, but it no longer feels like a struggling Championship side in terms of features, and it gets things right on the pitch. If you’ve sampled this year’s FIFA and decided that it’s not for you, then PES 2015 should be right on target.

The skin-deep stuff is a big improvement on Pro Evo 2014. The menus have never been slicker, while the modern indie and EDM soundtrack is the best we’ve heard from a sports game in recent years. Crowd noise rises and falls in response to the onscreen action and the commentary from Jim Beglin and John Champion does the same, even if it grows worryingly repetitive within the space of a few matches.


The graphics, meanwhile, show that Konami is getting to grips with the next-gen consoles. Players look more solid and convincing, hair and facial details are more lifelike, and the animation is top-notch. Arguably, Pro Evo’s handling of player-to-player and player-to-ball  interactions is more convincing, with fewer of those weird-looking motions that drag you down to the uncanny valley.

FIFA still has the better lighting, the better cloth dynamics, the better player likenesses and the better pitch, but PES no longer looks like a spruced-up last-gen title, and the close-ups of post-tackle injuries and goals can be eerily convincing. Weather and pitch deformation effects, while not that frequently used, also add to the real-world football feel.



Beneath that, Pro Evo works harder to match FIFA’s wealth of modes. We get Master League and Become a Legend career modes, UEFA Europa and Champions leagues, the AFC Champions League, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, while both the English premiership and champions leagues are represented. There are online tournaments, online lobbies and a quick matchmaking option to get you straight into a game. Most importantly, PES 2015 finally has an answer to FIFA’s popular Ultimate Team mode in myClub, an overhaul of Master League Online where it’s all about recruiting and building the best side you can field.

It doesn’t all work brilliantly. While the major tournaments are covered with atmosphere and flair, Master League struggles with a slightly bewildering interface, while Become a Legend isn’t as flexible as FIFA’s equivalent. In FIFA you can manage your player’s career but still control the whole team on the pitch. In Become a Legend, you only get control of that player, meaning you can spend half a match watching the action from the sidelines, and the rest only occasionally touching the ball. Team names are, as ever, a source of embarrassment. Only Manchester United make it in without an alias, and the addition of Championship clubs means you’ll spend more time than ever trying to work out who East Sussex or East Dorsetshire is meant to be.



Meanwhile myClub has potential, but it’s nowhere near as accessible as Ultimate Team, with some really strange mechanics for scouting and transfers, and an awkward interface for managing your team. It’s a start, but it still needs work.

By now, it probably sounds like FIFA is still kicking sand in Pro Evo’s face and stealing its ice-cream, but Konami’s game makes its biggest strides forwards on the pitch. The last few FIFAs have seen abrupt changes of direction and a struggle to balance fun and accessibility against authenticity. Even those of us who would argue that FIFA 15 moved things in the right direction would admit that there are problems with its knockabout, end-to-end approach.



PES 2015 gets things just about right. There’s an urgent pace and flow to the action, where steady, tactical play can suddenly break into a full-on assault on the goal, and where cheap runs up the wing don’t often end up with the ball in the back of the net. While you always feel in control, your attackers do a better job of supporting aggressive plays, while defenders seem to work harder to keep a tight leash on opposing strikers. Overall, PES 2015 leaves you feeling like you’re handling a team, not a group of unconnected star players. When you score, it’s because you make opportunities and then use them. When you concede a goal, it’s because you failed to halt the other team’s attack.

It’s fast, it’s fluid and there’s room for surprises, drama and – most importantly – fun. You’re not relying on a superhuman goalkeeper to bolster an inadequate defence, or focusing on solo runs because they tend to pay off more. You’re simply playing football as the world’s best teams tend to play it. It’s a game that rewards skill – as evinced by our humiliating defeats at the hands of online players. If we had any gripe, it’s that tackles are surprisingly difficult to pull off, and that so many attempts seem to conclude in a foul and accompanying yellow card.



See what we mean about the good old days? If you want official teams, incredible graphics, the slickest presentation and the smartest, most accessible game modes, then this year FIFA should still be your game. Yet Pro Evo is finally catching up in most of those areas, and it’s the better, more exciting and believable game once the kick-off whistle blows. Perhaps next year one game will win through across the board, but this year it’s a case of working out your priorities and choosing the game you want to play.

Verdict
Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 takes important strides forward on graphics, presentation and game modes, while out-performing its arch-rival FIFA on the pitch. Official team names, more accessible game modes and some tweaks to tackling would all be welcome, but it’s great to see Konami’s
football game back on form. 

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