Przedstawiciel PLAY LUBLIN

Over the past few weeks, we’ve brought you apps to help you know what weather is coming, apps to help you take and tweak your snaps, and how to find the best winter sports. Now the holidays are here (almost), it’s time to share a few apps that might help fill some time when the weather outside is snowy (unless you live in a non-snowy region, in which case, they will fill time while it’s not snowing).

Rooster Shooter Xmas edition

Cost: $1.49/£1.29/1.49€ in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Shoot roosters. But not the ones in Santa hats.

Pretty simple. Shoot the Grinch Roosters, avoid the special ones. Help Santa deliver the gifts. I think this one will amuse kids and adults alike (I tried it, I liked it). The accelerometer controls take a little getting used to, and even on the early levels the action escalates quite quickly into a rooster-fest (I’m quite traditional in that I like an early level to be easy, rapid learning curves disturb me). Accidentally splatting a rooster in a Santa hat leads to an unseemly mess on your screen, so avoid that if possible. Verdict – an adequate and amusing time-filler. Give it to the kids to keep their minds off their gifts.

Christmas Ringtones

Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Jolly ringtones for the holiday period

Not much to say here. Seasonal tunes for your Lumia – mostly orchestral arrangements, but I’d definitely check out the country version of Jingle Bells if you want to bring attention to yourself next time your phone rings

Santa in Christmasland

Cost: $0.99/£0.79/0.99€ in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Platform game in the style of  the Helicopter game

Steer Santa’s sleigh through the levels, avoiding the obstacles and using your powers of ‘candy, cake and juice’ to defeat your foes. Not exactly sure about those powers (except the cake one), but it’s quite a decent game once you get the hang of it.

Bubble Burst – Christmas Rush!

Cost: Free in the Marketplace
Availability: Everywhere
In a nutshell: Slight update to the original

Bubble burst – the classic – with the slight twist that the ‘bubbles’ are now baubels. A definite ‘time suck’, you’ll always want to beat your last score. Ads at the bottom of the screen and it’s a little hard to tell where the ‘final’ set is (no hints), but I liked it. 

Plenty there for you to be going at, but if you’ve got other suggestions, be sure to let me know by leaving a comment below, or dropping your ideas to me on Twitter.

Mobile payments are growing in popularity, especially with phones such as the Nokia Lumia 920 on the market with NFC built-in. However, there are few companies with the reach and leverage to help make the magic of payments actually come to reality.

The idea behind mobile payments and a mobile wallet would bring about simplicity to anyone who carries a smartphone. Here in the US, our bulky wallets carry around multiple credit cards, debit cards, merchant credit cards and other cards such as grocery store loyalty cards and even the Starbucks card for your morning latte.

The opportunity to simplify this with a mobile wallet would be a huge win for consumers, but what stands in the way?

I sat down with Mung Ki Woo, Global Executive for Mobile at MasterCard, to discuss the future of payments and NFC.

According to Woo, there are three main trends happening with regards to payments and mobile devices:

1. In developed economies, consumers are showing an increased interest in using their smartphones to make purchases at online and in physical shops. This includes scanning their phone to pay using a credit card info stored in their mobile wallet.
2. In the developing world, mobile phones are leveraged to provide payment services to unbanked populations. More than 130 so-called mobile money services have already been launched.
3. Merchants want to use their smartphones or tablets to accept payments from consumers.

There are some real conveniences to be brought to mobile power users with regards to NFC-enabled payments.

For example, right now, people get special offers from companies such as Groupon and LivingSocial and then use them in the future – perhaps even, from a mobile app. However, if we have discounts that are in our proximity and our mobile phone is NFC enabled, then one could imagine services where consumers will be able to discover, pay for and get these discounts all in an instant.

MasterCard’s strategy is to provide a seamless payment experience (both in the online and the physical worlds) and integrate payment services into new and innovative commerce services, such as offers and loyalty rewards.

Overcoming payment safety concerns

Even though mobile payments might be convenient, many people are not comfortable having all their personal payment cards accessible on their mobile. The idea sounds foreign and scary. For example, what if you lose your phone?  Or what if it’s stolen?

Woo was quick to inform me that all payment data is stored on a secure chip inside the phone where the data is encrypted and inaccessible to anyone wishing to steal it, much like data on a smart card used throughout the world.

Also, studies have shown that in the case of a lost phone – most people are much quicker at realizing their phone is missing versus a wallet. Lastly, you can remotely delete the payment application off your phone should you need to do so.

MasterCard recognizes it has work to do when it comes to easing the public about overcoming the cultural roadblocks to mobile wallet adoption.

What will it take to make mobile payments a reality?

The biggest gap in getting to a new mobile payment-enabled world is about equipment. For merchants and payment processors, swapping out all those payment terminals inside stores will take time and money. Also, we have some way to go in terms of mass-adoption of NFC enabled handsets. 

Mobile payments is a complex industry because there are many players including mobile handset manufacturers, mobile carriers, banks and payment processors, all of which want to make sure their entities’ needs are being met. 

However, Woo is optimistic because of new industry partnerships that have been forged and the companies involved are motivated to bring the service to consumers. 

When the obstacles are overcome, businesses and the rest of us will benefit – because mobile phones will provide a sales channel that is personalized, quick and convenient.

Let us know – take our poll below to weigh in on whether you’d use NFC-powered mobile payments.

Would you use NFC on your mobile to pay for products/services?

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

They used to say that a camera was only as good as the photographer using it but with the latest imaging technology in your Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 practically anyone can take great photos all the time.

Furthermore, if you subscribe to the notion that taking pictures is all about capturing that great moment with your friends or family, then you’re going to love Nokia’s Smart Shoot app.

Smart Shoot is one of the of digital camera lens applications for your Nokia Lumia 920 or Lumia 820 smartphone; Cinemagraph and Panorama are a couple of the others.

Think of these camera applications as being similar to changing the lens on a digital SLR. They extend the functionality of your smartphone’s camera in much the same way but, of course, they are not heavy to carry around!

Picture the moment

How often in a group photo will one person have their eyes closed, or is looking the other way? And, isn’t it annoying when a total stranger walks into the edge of the frame just as you’re taking a shot?

Nokia’s imaging wizards have created Smart Shoot to help you in both of these common scenarios. By shooting a sequence of images, Smart Shoot can change faces and remove unwanted objects so that you’ll always have the perfect picture.

There’s no doubt that Smart Shoot is a fantastic technical achievement but it’s real genius lies in how simple it is to use.

Smart Shoot

Smart Shoot can be launched either through the dedicated app shortcut, or via the lens picker on your camera’s viewfinder – this is the icon with two horizontal arrows pointing in opposite directions.

When Smart Shoot is open the first thing you’ll see is a regular viewfinder and a message along the top reading ‘hold the phone steady’.

This is important because the camera will take a sequence of photos for you to then select the best faces or to remove unwanted objects. You’ll only need to hold the smartphone still for a few seconds – a dial on the screen tells you when it’s done.

When it’s ready, Smart Shoot will show you a very quick flick through each of the shots that it has captured – this is your cue to make the magic happen.

By flicking up and down the screen, you will scroll through each of the shots that have been taken. It might be that among these images is the perfect photo already, so you’ll just have to press save to make sure it is captured in your camera roll.

However, should you need to remove anything or use a combination of different faces from different shots then you’ll need to bring up the editing menu. 

Removing objects

Tapping anywhere on the screen will bring up the menu. Tap on the ‘pencil’ edit icon to bring up the two options, erase objects or change faces.

By selecting ‘erase objects’ Smart Shoot will then automatically detect people or things that have strayed into the edges of your shot.

It will show you one or sometimes several things that can be removed and then it’s up to you if you want to keep them or not. Select the tick to confirm your choice and then remember to press save at the end. 

This sequence of three images below shows how object removal can work to produce exactly the shot you were hoping for.

Changing faces

It is also just as easy to use the changing faces feature.  When you select ‘change faces’ Smart Shoot will detect all the faces in the photo and circle them for you.

Selecting each circle/face will engage the slider tool that appears at the side of the screen – use this to scroll through specific shots and press the ‘tick’ icon to confirm your choice.

As you scroll through, you’ll magically see the face change with the range of options available – pick the one with the biggest smile and when they’re looking at the camera!

Do this for each face to create the perfect composite group photo. Again, remember to press save when you’ve finished. 

What’s great about Smart Shoot is that it makes capturing that perfect split-second moment just that little bit easier and I love it because I am almost always the one who blinks!

When it comes to exploring a new city, or reliably navigating from A-to-B using turn-by-turn navigation, Nokia Maps is your man. Help make it an even better and richer experience by adding your own photos to Nokia Maps for all to see, right from your Nokia Lumia or at here.com.

Download Nokia Maps now for WP7 For WP8

1. Press the Search button on your Nokia Lumia and then tap Vision
2. Scan the barcode
3. Tap on the link when it appears on the screen
4. Install the application from the Windows Phone Marketplace

We rely heavily on sight for just about everything. When you think about a place you visited, either for a night out or a special occasion, you revisit the moment using mental imagery, or by looking at photos you’ve taken.

Maybe you capture the art-deco design of the front of the building, the old smokey atmosphere of a bar, the beautifully presented meal at one of the hottest restaurants in town, or even the misty fog rolling in between the trees of ancient woods. Whatever it is, you can upload it to Nokia Maps so that you can share the experience with others.

Once you arrive at one of your favourite destinations, load up Nokia Maps on your Nokia Lumia smartphone. Search for the venue by pressing the search icon at the bottom and typing in the name of the location. Alternatively, press the places icon in the middle at the bottom of the screen – this will show you all the listed POIs around your current location.

Find your desired location on the screen and tap on it. Initially, you’ll see the about page of that location, showing you the address as well as the opening times and contact details (phone number, email, website) of that venue. You may also see a review from one of the local leading guide companies, if there is one.

Two swipes to the right will take you to the photos page, where you can see any photos that may be associated with the venue. If it’s a popular venue, like a major train station, or museum, chances are you’ll already see some photos in there. Otherwise, if it’s a smaller venue, the photos page will be empty.

Tapping on the add a photo button will navigate you to your Pictures gallery, where you can add a photo from there if you’ve already take one. Or, you can take a new one by pressing the camera icon at the bottom. Line up your shot; take the photo and press upload. Done! You’ve just uploaded a photo to Nokia Maps for all to see.

This image will now be viewable across all Nokia Lumia smartphones, and online at here.com.

Now, if you want to add photos from the comfort of your chair while sitting at your computer, log onto here.com. This is useful if you’ve already taken photos and now want to upload them after the event.

Search for the venue using the text-entry box at the top of the page, and select the correct venue from the suggested locations on the left. Selecting the More details option from the location brings up some details about the venue. Again, full address and contact information is available, exactly as it was on your Nokia Lumia smartphone.

By selecting Add photos, you’ll be asked to upload your photo. Find it and upload it.

It’s as simple as that.

While you’re at it, if you’re uploading a photo to a venue you’re particularly fond of, why not tap in a few words into the review section to let everybody know why you like it.

Nokia Maps is available on all Nokia Lumia smartphones, such as the Nokia Lumia 800, Lumia 900, Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, for example.

Download it today and be a part of the community creating truly amazing, locally relevant maps for everyone.

To create something as stunning as your Nokia Lumia 920 needs years of practice and training. The same is no less true of the processor chip that powers it. It has taken thousands of man-hours for Qualcomm to design and refine its Snapdragon S4 processor.

In a way, designing a chip is like following a very complex recipe, with fundamental and quality ingredients that are essential for great results. Perhaps the best way to grasp what goes into making a successful processor chip is to check off its list of ingredients, just as a Master Chef might.

A powerful “Krait” Dual-Core CPU

Krait is the second in the family of Snapdragon CPUs custom-designed by Qualcomm. Based on the ARM instruction set and technologies such as asymetric processing (aSMP), Krait can deliver higher performance for multimedia-related SIMD operations, which works to make the Windows Phone 8 experience lightning fast.

Adreno 225 GPU for Graphics Processing

The Adreno 225 GPU ensures smooth gameplay, high frame rates, and enhanced scenes with jaw-dropping effects. But it’s not just games that benefit. Augmented reality such as that used by Nokia City Lenses, 2D to 3D conversion, and Miracast (Wireless Display) all gain, too.

A video processor

Qualcomm has a dedicated video engine that handles video capture and playback. In the Lumia 920’s case, it ensures that all your high definition videos (up to 1080p) play back smoothly. And that’s not all it does, digital image stabilization, for example, removes unwanted hand motion during video recording and enables up to 20x digital zoom. This can be used with any camcorder application.

Edge-adaptive scaling, combined with edge enhancements, creates incredibly sharp images. While advanced artifact removal, substantially improves video quality when packet loss occurs during video streaming or video telephony

DSP (Digital Signal Processor) for audio processing

Qualcomm’s Digitial Signal Processor (DSP) is used mainly for audio processing. Anytime you offload work from the CPU, you’re getting better power efficiency and battery life.

Sensors

This partial Snapdragon S4 processor has a dedicated sensor core, which consists of a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and light. A dedicated sensor core means that you can perform low-level monitoring and algorthm offloading that the CPU would otherwise being doing. Similar to DSP, anytime you offload work from the CPU, you’re saving power.  An on-board sensor-core also means that you can efficient pull data off from any sensor to improve user experiences like gaming, shake detection (camera), location/geotagging, etc.

Power management

A PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) is put in place to optimize the Snapdragon S4 processor, found in the Lumia 920, for power, voltage sequencing and control requirements. With all the components found in the S4, you need a PMIC to direct traffic.

Hardware security

Unfortunately, mobile hacking is becoming increasingly common, and the problem looks to get worse. Having said that, the Snapdragon S4 incorporates Qualcomm’s Secure MSM™. This is hardware and software-based security measures that provide features such as encrypted boot, secure code signing service, and Trustzone SEE.

ISP (Image Signal Processor)

The Image Signal Processor is the brains for Lumia 920’s Camera functions.  It delivers a tightly bound image processing package and has the capability to substantially improve overall mobile picture and video experience. An integrated ISP is also invaluable when it comes to things like instant image capture, active range-finding, high-resolution support, image stablization, and other image enhancements.

Connectivity Ingredients:

4 parts LTE Multimode Modem

2 parts GPS

1 part WiFi

1 part Bluetooth

1 part FM tuner

As you can see, there’s no fast food way to make something as deliciously effective as the Snapdragon S4. It takes incredible dedication, immense brainpower and all the right ingredients. We think the end result makes it all worthwhile, but what about you? Which Snapdragon S4 benefit do you find most mouth watering?

Legendarne otrze powraca w bardzo dobrej formie, bardzo dobrej cenie i premierowo w PLAY. Kolejny mocny zawodnik w bardzo popularnej w tym sezonie kategorii cztero-calowców do tego dwurdzeniowy procesor. Już nie mogę się doczekać testowania ZTE Blade III Cennik Uważajcie bo na blogu, jeszcze w grudniu będziecie mogli tego cwaniaka zdobyć. A tak na [...]

Legendarne otrze powraca w bardzo dobrej formie, bardzo dobrej cenie i premierowo w PLAY. Kolejny mocny zawodnik w bardzo popularnej w tym sezonie kategorii cztero-calowców do tego dwurdzeniowy procesor. Już nie mogę się doczekać testowania ZTE Blade III Cennik Uważajcie bo na blogu, jeszcze w grudniu będziecie mogli tego cwaniaka zdobyć. A tak na [...]

Więcej info oraz cena : http://www.sonymobile-sklep.pl/id650,akcesorium,sony_srs_btv5_glosnik_nfc_black.html

Zapraszamy do obejrzenia całej oferty oficjalnego sklepu internetowego Sony Mobile.

In just two short weeks, many people around the world will be celebrating one of the most exciting times of the year – Christmas. For those of you that haven’t even started your Christmas shopping yet (that includes me) and don’t know where to start (again, me), we’ve gathered up a small handful of apps that might make this time easier for you.

As we all know, Santa Claus is coming to town and he’s making a list – which he’s checking twice. At times like this, that’s without doubt the best place to start.

Let’s start by creating a checklist.

Fortunately, there’s an app built right into your Nokia Lumia that’s perfect for the job and it’s called Office OneNote. You’ll find it within the Office Hub.

Think about who you need to buy for and write their names down in OneNote. Then, beneath each name, write the gifts you plan to purchase for them. Once you’ve done that, highlight the item and press the to do icon at the bottom – the one that looks like a box with a tick inside of it. Repeat this with all the items and you’ll have a fully workable checklist.

Press the pin icon at the bottom to have this sent to your Start Screen for easy access as you’ll probably refer to this a lot over the next couple of weeks.

Next up, a shopping app.

Amazon Mobile gives you access to one of the largest online retailers in the world. With this app installed you can browse products just like you would on a PC, but with a great extra feature.

When you’re out and about in the shops looking for a bargain, you’ll want to make sure you’re receiving the best deal possible. Loading the barcode scanner from within the app (which can be pinned directly to your Start screen for quicker access) lets you compare prices of the product you’ve seen in store with those online at Amazon. You can also read reviews of that product to see if you’re making a wise purchase, and check availability at Amazon, too.

Fear not, Amazon Mobile purchases are routed through secure servers, just as they are on the Web.

It’s probably time to head back to that OneNote checklist you made earlier, and tick off that jumper you’ve just purchased for uncle Tony. It only takes a few seconds to do that.

eBay is another great online site for picking up a bargain. While this isn’t a conventional online retailer – it’s an auction site – it does offer a never-ending list of items, sold by people just like you.

Because eBay users often sell old items they’ve once owned, it means that the cost of those items is considerably cheaper than those you’ll find in the shops. It also means that if you’re looking for something that’s not produced anymore, there’s a chance you’ll find somebody on eBay selling it.

It’s often a great place for people to re-sell gifts they’ve received, too. Like those dodgy slippers you’ll receive this year from granny. Sssh, don’t tell her, though. Always accept your gifts with a smile.

You can do all this without having to get up off the couch, and instead right on your Nokia Lumia.

One thing’s for sure, if you order something online, it’ll need to be delivered – that’s one of the benefits of Internet shopping. However, hoping it turns up on time can be a tedious task.

Whenever you order something online, you’ll receive a tracking number so that you can, well, track your order. Package Tracker supports over 60 carriers and enables you to follow the progress of your delivery, without having to visit the numerous websites you’ve purchased from.

Whenever your package reaches a new milestone, such as arrived at terminal, or delivered, you’ll automatically receive a notification telling you about it.

Bing Maps is used to show you the location of the package, so you’ll always know where it is in the world.

One way to cut the costs of gift, or food purchasing this season is to use vouchers. Many places accept vouchers, offering 2 for 1 deals or money off purchases. Vouchercloud delivers vouchers to your phone – in the UK – in a number of ways.

If you’re looking for something specific, you can use the search function to find a good deal. Alternatively, and this is probably the most useful when you’re in the shops looking for a deal, is the Near Me function.

Using the GPS in your phone, Vouchercloud will show the best deals around you.

Most deals will probably be 2 for 1 deals at local pizza joints. However, look a little closer and you’ll see money off vouchers for hardware stores, clothing stores and others.

But don’t waste those pizza vouchers – treat yourself after a busy day shopping.

There we have it, some ways to make shopping at Christmas a little easier by using your Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia Lumia 900, Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820.

Do you have any tips for Christmas shopping that we didn’t think of? Let us know, in the comments below.

Image credit: FutUndBeidl

Audio speakers have come a long way since Ernst Siemens slapped a patent on the first loudspeaker back in 1877; US researchers have even used nanotechnology to turn cow bone and a stethoscope into a speaker system. Agricultural-medical mash-ups aside, let’s see what else has hit the shelves over the years.

1800s – “The Wee Small Voice”

Siemens (yeah, one of those Siemens) wasn’t the only audio buff polishing his patents in the early days of audio-tech; in the 1890s, Thomas Edison developed a diaphragm-and-stylus contraption that was used in the very first talking pictures, though not to any great success: it became known as the machine with the ‘Wee Small Voice.’ Hmm.