BlackBerry 10 gets homespun picture editor to reduce Instagram-envy (video)

BlackBerry users who routinely feel left out while friends share retro pictures of coffee and pastries on Instagram will soon have their own BB alternative. Slides released by N4BB reveal that a Scalado-powered photo editing app has been baked into BB10, which is due early next year. The software will let you tweak and enhance your casual snaps, but also offer a carousel of aged filters you can drag onto shots of your own taste-appropriate snack goods. After the break we've got an early hands-on with the app from the folks at Crackberry, which walks you through a non-working prototype.

[Source: Engadget]

9 Apps For Editing Video On Your Smartphone

Just a few years ago creating your own movie would have required an expensive camcorder to shoot, and your own –- often expensive -– video editing equipment in order to polish your video into something you’d want to share with others.

Now most smartphones come with built-in video cameras that can often capture high-definition videos worthy of your 50-inch high-definition television.

In addition to replacing the camcorder, your smartphone can also be used as a video editor. There are a variety of different apps available on the market today for editing video. From basic video editors that let you trim out pieces of your video you don’t want, to themed editors that let you change the frame rate and filter of your video to make it look like an old school 8mm film.

Whether you’re packing an iPhone or an Android handset in your pocket there’s bound to be a video editor perfect for helping you create videos on the go just how you want them to be.

Not just for your TV anymore, most mobile video editors also allow you to share your finished creation instantly on the web with built-in integration to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Connect your phone to your television and you can watch your masterpiece on the big screen.

iMovie

iMovie is Apple’s video editor made for the iPhone and iPad. Much like the desktop version of the app, the mobile version of iMovie lets you edit your videos, add music and transitions, and create a trailer for your finished flick.

Completed movies can be shared to your camera roll for sharing via email or iMessage, or can be uploaded and published directly to a number of websites including YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and CNN iReport.

iSuper8
Miss the days of Super 8 cameras? iSuper8 lets you give videos you’ve recorded on your iPhone a vintage look, grading each pixel of your video to give it a unique vintage look. The app allows you to adjust the frame rate of videos you’ve recorded to 12, 18, or 24 frames per second and has number of customizable film stocks you can use to make your video look its best.

Vyclone

Vyclone uses the GPS in your phone to determine where you are shooting a video, and then matches you up with other people who are doing the same to create a multi-camera look at the same scene. The free iOS app edits videos from up to four different iPhone cameras together automatically. You can also edit the videos together manually on your own. The finished product can be shared in one tap on Facebook and Twitter, and can be saved to your phone’s camera roll.

VidTrim Pro

VidTrim Pro is a video editor and organizer for Android that allows you to trim and edit your videos on your Android device as well as compress your finished videos and share them with friends via email or on video sharing sites such as YouTube. The app also has a built-in "frame grabber" you can use to grab specific frames out of your video to use as stills.

Viddy

Not for longer-form projects, Viddy lets you capture, edit, filter and share 15-second video clips, or "viddys." The app comes with a number of built-in effects and filters to use to create the ultimate short video . Finished videos can then be shared in one lick on asocial media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Videolicious

Videolicious lets you edit videos and photos from your iPhone’s library, turning them into a documentary-style film. The easy-to-use app has number of built-in video ideas and instructions on how to create things like a video thank you note, a product or restaurant review, or your own news report. Finished videos can be saved to your phone’s camera roll to share with others, or uploaded directly to Facebook or YouTube from within the app.

Lapse It Pro

Lapse It Pro is a quick and easy way to create time-lapse videos using your Android phone. The app lets you capture time-lapse videos, add different effects, and flip and trim your finished product. Videos created with the app can be rendered to MP4, MOV, and FLV and can be shared to directly to a number of sites including YouTube, Facebook, and Google+.

AndroMedia HD

AndroMedia is a full-featured video-editing program for Android that offers many of the same features you might find on a traditional desktop video editor. Features include the ability to add effects and transitions, to overlay title clips and captions, and to fade in and out video. The app supports MP4,MOV,JPG,PNG,MP3, and WAV file formats, and finished videos can be exported in standard or high-definition and uploaded directly to YouTube from within the app.

CinemaFX
CinemaFX gives your finished videos a new look with its palate of 55 effects. Stackable with up to three effects at a time, effects can be adjusted to create your own unique finished look. Videos can be previewed side-by-side against the original, and finished videos can be exported to your phone in a variety of different formats as well as uploaded directly to YouTube or emailed to friends from within the app.

[Source: Mashable]

 

The Best Looking Phones of 2012

9L6A0206Let’s keep it realistic: mobile phones are much more than simple devices used to make phone calls. Let’s get even more realistic however, and declare that they’re even much more than tools used to play video games, watch videos, listen to music, and do whatever other functions now possible on our smartphones. Mobiles are fashion accessories, in every sense of the word. Now we’ve got that basic truth off our chest, it’s time to discern which models are the best looking of the year.

 

Sony Xperia S
If mobile phones were a woman, the Sony Xperia S would be a cross between Beyonce and Jennifer Anniston in their prime. Well that might look a little bit weird actually but I think you get my drift, for the phone is THAT good looking. 
The Sony Xperia S’s inventive mono-bloc style design is seductive to say the least, and its outer layer which comes in both silver and black delicately adds a strong touch of class to the model. This touch is further enhanced by the silver strip running across the phone near its bottom.

 

Samsung Galaxy SIII
Perhaps it’s the sheer aura of the phone due to its capabilities, or maybe it is the design that makes the phone’s capabilities seem that extra bit better. Either way, the Samsung Galaxy SIII has had people scouring mobile phone deals just to behold the device as if it’s some kind of treasure. 
It may very well be some kind of treasure, as it certainly looks like one. The phone’s white silver encasing represents something of extreme value and the blue version is just as – if not even more – beautiful. 
The only problem with the phone however, is that unlike the Sony Xperia S, it costs as expensive as it looks at some half a grand in pound sterling. Still, as Samsung will tell you, it costs money to look this good.

 

HTC One X
Admittedly, the HTC One X isn’t quite as attractive as the Galaxy SIII and Xperia S. However, this is more a credit to the other two, rather than a criticism of HTC’s One X. This phone just looks both neat and solid, which is a hard combination to pull off. 
With a back end just as attractive as its front, the One X is a phone that looks equally great in white and black, with a design that’s chic and stylish.

 

Samsung announcing 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II at August 15th press event?

A 5.5-inch successor to the Galaxy Note will be announced at Samsung's August 15th press event, according to BGR's anonymous source. This aligns well with previous rumors, which could indicate that the company's unbreakable plane display technology (UBP), 12-megapixel camera, and Android 4.1 are coming along for the ride. Then again, Samsung's August 15th event could be the launchpad for a different stylus-equipped device, the Note 10.1.

[Source: TheVerge]

Google I/O 2012 Live

Today sees the Google I/O 2012 Keynote address kicking off at Moscone West where we should see the latest version of Google Android aka JellyBean revealed. The event may also hold a surprise announcement of a new 7-inch Nexus Tablet. The event is being streamed live, so come back here at the times below to watch things unfold.

 

Pacific – 9:30 AM
Mountain – 10:30 AM
Central – 11:30 AM
Eastern – 12:30 PM
London – 5:30 PM
Tokyo – 1:30 AM (June 28)
Sydney – 2:30 AM (June 28)

How can I increase my productivity with a Smartphone?

With Angry Birds, Draw Something and countless other games at your finger tips, not to mention an opportunity to text, tweet and call your friends, you might think smartphones are nothing but a distraction. But why are so many companies so keen to shell out on sparkling new phones for their employees? 

The truth is there are as many uses for a Smartphone that increase your productivity. And, whether you are a student or a stockbroker, you can harness your phone’s multitude of functions to make your life easier. 

Apps
From Microsoft Office software to offline web readers, there are hundreds of apps you can download to help you through your day. With such a range available, you can customize your phone to provide a number of different functions that perfectly suit you. Many are free, and the others are very affordable, so it is not costly to try out a number of different options before settling on the best fit.

Working on the go
It is worth recognizing that the basic essentials of working on the go are just as vital to your productivity as the flashier stuff a Smartphone can do. The latest Samsung or iPhone deals with the basic essentials of working and staying in touch on the go in an intuitive manner. Calling, texting and emailing has never been easier, meaning we can all stay better connected and more responsive.

Tethering 
For most phone users, the biggest advance made by smartphones was in the quality of the mobile Internet browsing experience. But the iPhone does not just make it easier to go online on your phone. Thanks to tethering, user are able to access the Internet on your laptop while you are out of the range of, or unable to access other wireless connections. Now that your mobile and wireless dongle come in the same package you don’t have to worry about carrying another piece of technology around, and you can negotiate better data packages for your packages. Make sure you mention tethering when get your next iPhone deals.

Synchronisation
As well as a basic phone, text and email functions, mobile phones have featured calendars and address books for donkey’s year. Smartphones have taken these to the next level with the ease with which they can be synchronised with other computers and devices. Late alterations to meetings and changes to clients’ email addresses can be made while you are away from your desk without leaving you out of the loop.

It all works together
While you might be able to find a range of products and software that can replicate all the different functions your Smartphone provides, a major advantage of having it all in one package is that everything is designed to work together. By combining your phone, emails, voice recorder, calendar and the many different apps you can download, you can minimise the frustrations that technology can unfortunately lead to, and the downtime that tech failures create.

FLASH KICK in London [Project Teamwork - GALAXY Note]

"A football match has just broken out at London Victoria Station." 

Watch to see how four footballers use fancy footwork, along with the brilliant screen and innovative S Pen of the Samsung GALAXY Note, to transform a routine commute into a spectacular event for Londoners. 


Check out more Project Teamwork videos from Samsung Mobile and ESPN at 
http://www.espn.com/projectteamwork

Will the Galaxy Nexus On Sale Date Slip?

Searching the internet for Galaxy Nexus accessories this morning, it seems that Amazon UK have changed the availability date of the Galaxy Nexus mobile phone. This is one cool looking handset, offering up a 4.65-inch screen and of course the latest Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system.

On their website T3 have had confirmation from Samsung that the Galaxy Nexus will be on sale the originally quoted date of 17th November. Whilst online retailer Clove Technology have also kept their on sale date the same too.

Are you picking up a Galaxy Nexus? What is your most anticipated feature in the hardware or ICS? Let us know in the comments below.

Nokia Lumia 710 Launched

The purposely built, no-nonsense Nokia Lumia 710 has finally been launched today. It can be personalised with exchangeable back covers and thousands of apps to bring the Lumia experience to more people around the world. The Nokia Lumia 710 is designed for instant social & image sharing, and the best browsing experience with IE9. It is available in black and white with black, white, cyan, fuchsia and yellow back covers. With the same 1.4 GHz processor, hardware acceleration and graphics processor as the Nokia Lumia 800, the Nokia Lumia 710 delivers high performance at an affordable price.

Nokia Lumia 800 - now available for Pre-order

The stunningly social Nokia Lumia 800 is finally available for pre-order and features head-turning design, vivid colours (cyan, magenta and black) and the best social and Internet performance, with one-touch social network access, easy grouping of contacts, integrated communication threads and Internet Explorer 9. It features a 3.7 inch AMOLED ClearBlack curved display blending seamlessly into the reduced body design, and a 1.4 GHz processor with hardware acceleration and a graphics processor. The Nokia Lumia 800 contains an instant-share camera experience based on leading Carl Zeiss optics, HD video playback, 16GB of internal user memory and 25GB of free SkyDrive storage for storing images and music.