Apple introduces colourful, budget-friendly iPhone 5c

Apple adds a splash of colour to the iPhone family with the cheaper iPhone 5c. The iPhone 5c is powered by Apple’s A6 chip and runs on iOS 7. It features a 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel iSight camera, as well as a new FaceTime HD camera. It also comes with 13 LTE wireless bands, which they said is “more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world.” Available in five different shades (blue, green, pink, yellow, and white), the iPhone 5c’s shell has been made with a single, hard-coated polycarbonate body and steel reinforced frame. It will land on our shores on September 20 and its current suggested retail price for the US is at $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model.

Apple introduced six silicone cases alongside the iPhone 5c for more customizability. It comes in blue, green, pink, yellow, black, and white for US$29 and will be available on Apple’s Online Store, retail stores, and selected Apple authorized resellers. 

Olympus introduces new interchangeable lens flagship OM-D E-M1

Olympus is pulling out all the stops for its latest flagship compact system camera, OM-D E-M1, which it believes can take the place of your professional full-frame DSLR. This Micro Four Thirds camera is built with an antialiasing-filter-free 16.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor; Dual Fast autofocus system that combines contrast AF and on-chip phase detection AF for faster focusing depending on the lens that is mounted; and a new TruePic VII image processor for less artifacts and clearer, more sharp images. All of these are housed in a dust-, water-, and now freezeproof camera that can work down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

We had the opportunity to check out the OM-D E-M1 and partner lenses some time ago and the camera really embodies the look and feel of Olympus' E-series Four-Thirds cameras but with all the key features of the popular OM-D and PEN lines.

It is also equipped with a 2.36 million-dot LCD, 1080p/30fps video support, 5-axis image stabilizer, and built-in Wi-Fi. There are also new Zuiko lenses coming out soon including the Zuiko Digital ED 12–40mm f2.8 PRO lens (24–80mm, 35mm equivalent) and the Zuiko Digital ED 40–150mm f2.8 PRO (80–300mm, 35mm equivalent). The OM-D E-M1 will be available next month with an estimated retail price of $1,399.99 for the black body.

Gmail for feature phones get a redesign, offers easier email handling

Google hasn’t forgotten its feature phone users with the new redesign of Gmail for feature phones. The latest version makes it easier to send and receive email, including letting users reply directly from the thread view; easy switching to other conversations; and reducing the number of buttons needed to press to create and read email. 

You can access Gmail using feature phones just by typing mail.google.com into the mobile browser. It has been particularly useful for Gmail users in developing countries.

Nissan Nismo smart watch concept creates driver-car connection

Making its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Nissan Nismo smart watch concept is meant to connect the drivers of Nissan’s Nismo cars with the vehicles by making use of real-time biometric data. The Nismo, like the other smart watches that have recently made their debut, connects to the car via Bluetooth and then connects to a smartphone app, which then creates data for the user to receive and at the same time gathering information about them. 

The simple-looking bangle concept watch is going to provide data to help monitor the car’s efficiency, including its average speed, fuel consumption readings, other vehicle telematics, as well as performance data. It can also monitor your biometric data with a built-in heart rate monitor and show you latest updates from your social media accounts from the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Nissan also hopes to add an ECG and EEG monitor to help identify any signs of fatigue, changes in concentration levels, and even skin temperature. Battery life is supposed to last for a week under normal usage but Nissan hasn’t quantified what “normal usage” entails.

Source: Wired UK