Research into noise levels

Cities need to measure environmental noise levels to make sure that they remain within safe limits. Chronic noise exposure can cause a number of major health problems, after all — learning deficits in children, cardiac problems in adults and so on. A project called NoiseTube signs up smart phone users to sample ambient noise levels wherever they are. With millions of volunteers, cities are able to keep a real-time watch on excessive environmental noise.

Research into exercise and asthma

Scientists specializing in preventive medicine at the UCLA sign up smart phone miners across the country in a research study that aims to find out if people with asthma have worse attacks depending on \Mien they exercise and where. The UCLA’s software makes use of smart phone accelerometer too — to measure how fast people move when they perform their exercises.

Meteorological predictions

While the Met department uses hundreds of high-tech satellites to track weather patterns, they have a peculiar problem — it can be hard for satellites to tell the difference between heavy snow cover and heavy cloud cover. Your iPhone can help, though. Once you install an app called SatCam, your phone will be able to alert you when there is a weather satellite overhead. Right away, you can take your phone out and take a picture of the sky directly above. A photo from below can tell the satellite what it’s looking at.

Earthquake prediction

Every smart phone contains an accelerometer to help sense which way the phone is oriented. Scientists in Italy, though, have found a new use for smart phone accelerometers —they are using them to sense ground vibrations to predict earthquakes with. When thousands of smart phone users strung across the world use their phones to record and transmit ground vibration data to the researchers, they can use the data to predict when earthquakes might occur. It’s a sort of early warning system that could save lives.

Meteor Mapping for NASA

NASA’s MeteorCounter iOS app does exactly what it says — it helps keep track of meteorites. You need to be interested in astronomy to use this app, though — you need to scan the sky and record information about every meteorite that you see.

Bird science

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society has a database of nearly two million bird observations online — the largest in the world. You can help add to this database by installing a $10 app on your Android or iOS device and contributing what you see.

The post Your Smartphone Could Be an Active Ear to the Ground Spread All Around — for Science appeared first on Smarterphone.

The Apple iPhone

The iPhone has been the gold standard among smart phones since Steve Jobs proclaimed that Apple was going to reinvent the phone at a press conference on January 9, 2007. Prior to the iPhone, smart phones had clunky keyboards and limited displays, but Apple introduced a touch screen smart device capable of being used to playback music or to connect to the internet. Since that introduction the iPhone has continued strong on the basis of its two major strengths: an easy and intuitive user interface and the support of the Apple store.

The iPhone introduced the concept of the touch screen interface on a smart phone and pioneering features such as Sri and FaceTime have made it a consistent choice among casual smart phone users but the ease of use in regards to apps has always been its trademark. Apple is much more prescriptive in how users are able to interact with their phone than the Android or Windows systems. Although you are able to install and remove apps, as with any other smart phone, the iPhone OS locks certain apps to the device. Most of these locked apps, like the camera or photos app, a user wouldn’t want to remove, but some people might prefer to remove the Calculator or Stocks app to remove clutter from their screen. The phone’s display has less customization than Android, which allows for resizable widgets to perform certain tasks, or the Windows OS, which uses resizable live tiles to display information without opening an app.

The major driving factor among the iPhone’s popularity is the excellent Apple ecosystem, which began with iTunes and the iPod. Although Android users can purchase and play music and movies through the Google store, iTunes is still the most popular and user-friendly option for media consumption. Apple users also typically get apps first – Instagram was available to Apple users 18 months before it appeared on Android- and the stringent standards applied by Apple ensures that virtually any app purchased through their store will work correctly. iPhone users get to enjoy most of the apps made by competitors, such as an Amazon Kindle app, Google maps app, or Microsoft Bing, while the Apple apps are restricted to iOS devices

Android Phones

The major challenger to the iPhone is the Android phone. 79 percent of all smart phones sold between April and June of 2013 were running the Android OS, and 44 percent of downloaded apps come from the Android store, while only 31 percent of apps were downloaded from Apple. Why has Android become so popular as an alternative to the Apple OS? In a word: flexibility. iPhones have been a single standard size and run a standardized operating system since the device’s advent. Android users, however, have a much wider selection in phone style and operation. Android phones can come in pocket sized models with 3.5″ screens that compare to the iPhone or have a massive 6″+ screen that is closer to a tablet than the diminutive iPhone. Besides this larger variety in hardware, the Android OS offers a much more flexible interface as well. Virtually the entire complexion of the Android phone is customizable with the host of third-party “skins” available. A skin is basically a third-party user interface that can completely change the appearance and usage of a phone while still running the Android OS Rather than jealously guarding a stock Android interface, Google encourages third-party customization, which allows manufacturers like Samsung and HTC to create a custom interface for their phones; users have even created skins that mimic the appearance and functionality of an iPhone or Windows phone.

Android apps are all purchased or downloaded from Google Flay (formerly the Android Market). Users enjoy a selection that rivals the size of the Apple ecosystem without the same restrictions. Just like the interface is left open, Google allows virtually any app to be offered on the Play store. This allows developers to get an app approved much more quickly and easily than on the Apple App Store. Getting approved by the App Store often requires a developer to compromise their vision for their app to meet Apple’s requirements, while Google lets developers create the app they see fit. The major drawback to the un-policed Google Play Store is that there are more low-quality apps that do not perform as they should, and some may contain viruses.

Windows Phones

Windows phones are the newcomer to the smart phone party. You probably already know by now the relative scarcity of apps on the Windows store, but the unique Windows interface makes the apps that are available more powerful than their counterparts in both the iOS and the Android systems.

Windows phones share the same functionality as the infamous Windows 8 operating system, but on a phone the much maligned OS truly shines. To begin with, the scrolling on a Windows phone is much more seamless than on any other Smartphone. A Windows phone features continues scrolling through one long screen, rather than paging between multiple screens such as on an iPhone or an Android phone. The apps on a Windows phone are also unique in the smart phone world. Both Apple and Android phones use a plain grid of apps which offer little information about themselves. On Android you can install “widgets” that display information such as the weather or time more visibly, but the ability to resize any a pp on a Windows phone lets you prioritize your most used apps more prominently. The Live Tiles used by Windows also let you view Facebook status updates, recent emails, and other information without the app being open.

Windows phones, like Android phones, do come in a variety of sizes ranging from the compact to the near-tablet size, giving you the option of more screen space than is available with an iPhone. That screen space comes in handy when using the camera on a Windows phone, which is perhaps the single greatest advantage it has over any other smart phone. The Nokia Lumia 1020, for instance, boasts a 41-megapixel camera, and gives users the ability to set ISO, focus, and shutter speed.

You won’t find nearly the number of applications and games on a Windows phone as you would on the Android or Apple ecosystems and some apps, such as Instagram or Wanderlust, you won’t find at all. For those who want something a bit simpler though, the intuitive Windows phone might just hit the spot.

The post Which Smart Phone Operating System Is Best for You appeared first on Smarterphone.

Display

If you use your smart phone to watch a lot of videos or play games, your display is one of the most important features of your phone. A Smartphone with a higher resolution and pixel density will have a better picture quality. Do not be swayed be fancy sounding proprietary names for displays. The numbers are what make the difference for this aspect of a phone.

Storage

If you download a lot of apps, movies or music, you need a Smartphone that has an ample amount of storage space. Many phones come in a variety of models with different amounts of internal storage. Some phones also allow you to expand their storage with a memory card. If you want to have the highest amount of storage space possible, be sure to get a model that has a lot of storage space and allows you to have a memory card. You should also be aware that there a limits to how big of a memory card can be used, so check for this number before you buy your phone.

CPU

Phones with higher performance can run more complex applications. They also have an easier time running applications quickly. In order to determine your phone’s level of performance, you should look at its CPU. The phone’s CPU is its main source of processing power. The CPU of the average Smartphone is 32-bit. However, phones with 64-bit processors are beginning to be released. When comparing processors, you should compare the amount of cores as well as the clock speed, which is typically measured in MHz.

RAM

RAM is another important factor when determining your phone’s performance. Phones with higher amounts of RAM are able to perform a higher amount of complex tasks at once. They can also perform a task much more quickly than a phone with less RAM. The amount of RAM on your phone is typically measured in GB. Simply put, more RAM is better.

Battery Life

Batter life is tricky to determine because there are many factors at play. The capacity of the battery is important. However, different operating systems use the .me amount of battery capacity with varying amounts of efficiency. Use the time estimates that the phone’s developer provides in order to get an accurate idea of how long your battery will last during real use.

Shopping for a phone is tricky if you do not know what to look for. By keeping in mind the specifications outlined in this article, you will be able to get a phone that has the exact qualities you need.

The post What to Look for When Buying a New Phone appeared first on Smarterphone.

1. CyanogenMod

CyanogenMod (available from cyanogenmod.org) is a custom ROM for your Android phone. This custom ROM offers more advanced features than the official firmware released by your device manufacturer. The features include native theme support, FLAC audio codec, OpenVPN, Privacy Guard (an application permission management app), processor over clocking, and several interface enhancements,

2. ROM Toolbox

ROM Toolbox is a complete customization app for your rooted device. This app combines other major root apps, such as Titanium Backup, Root Explorer, SetCPU, MetaMorph, Termina Emulator, etc. You can use this to install new ROMs, themes, create and restore Nandroid (Android sub-system) backups, manage tasks, etc.

3. LMT Launcher

LMT Launcher can be a powerful companion to your Android smart phone. It lets you create new gesture controls and invisible swipe areas. The app can be used to give system-wide swipe inputs regardless of the app running in the foreground. This app can make interaction with your Android Smartphone a breeze. However, install LMT Launcher carefully as incorrectly using it may make your smart phone inoperable.

4. DriveDroid

Do you want to boot your computer using your Android phone It’s possible with the DriveDroid app. This app lets you create a bootable Linux distribution on your Smartphone as an ISO file, which can be used to boot your desktop computer itself. This can essentially turn your Smartphone into a bootable rescue disk for your PC.

The post Top Apps for Rooted Android Smartphones appeared first on Smarterphone.

The iPhone Camera App

One of the first things that you should do is get used to the options and controls on your iPhone camera. Even if you are just using the app that comes with your phone, there are a number of handy features that can make a huge difference in the quality of the portraits you take. Going to the options menu enables you to change saturation, contrast and even set up grid lines. You are also able to save profiles, so if you find yourself shooting in particular locations or environments on a regular basis, you can save your settings instead of having to manually adjust each time.

You also have the abilityto change your camera’s focus, which in most situations should be your subject’s eyes, by simply tapping the area on your screen you want to focus on. While you can also zoom in with the camera, be wary of using this particular tool because it tends to lead to major degradation in picture quality.

The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds does not just apply to portrait photography tips; it can make a huge difference in all types of photos. When you go to the options menu on your iPhone camera, you’ll be able to tum on grid lines, as mentioned above. When you do this, you should see a grid that divides your screen into nine equal sections with three horizontal and three vertical lines. Generally speaking, the focus of your photo should end up at the intersection of these lines. Specifically for portraits, it is normally suggested that the subject’s eyes end up on a horizontal line or if the photo is not taken straight on. that one of the subject’s eyes end up at the intersection of these lines.

Lighting

Lighting and color can often make or break a photo, and while the iPhone camera is rather high quality, it struggles to interpret lighting correctly, especially indoors. This is an issue that is common for digital cameras in general, not a failing of the iPhone’s camera. One of the main problems with indoor photos is that there are normally a variety of light sources in varying hues, such as sunlight, fluorescent light and standard yellow cast light bulbs. You could use your camera’s flash, but red eyes, strange highlights and washed out colors are common results of doing so.

There are a few ways to get around this, one of the simplest being to place your subject near a window when taking their photo. Alternatively, you could use a direct light source, such as a desk lamp pointed at your subject’s face. Whatever you do, try to avoid taking backlit photos indoors because doing so exacerbates all of the worst problems associated with lighting and digital cameras.

Outside photos are generally easier to deal with, even in low lighting situations, because you’re usually only dealing with one light source. The only downside is that even on a sunny day, shadows you don’t want may end up in the photo. To deal with this, you can either have your subject look up at a slight angle or use a reflector.

Burst Shots or Continuous Shooting Mode

There are some widely differing opinions on the use of continuous shooting mode for portraits. The benefits of doing so are the ability to get more natural and relaxed portraits because subjects do not have to pose or smile for the camera, something that often leads to a rictus grin. On the other hand, having the camera take multiple shoots in a space of a few seconds may lower the overall quality of the photo because you are not able to manually focus the camera. At the end of the day, they are your photos, so you should do what provides the results you are happiest with.

Filters and Apps

Unless you’ve been living in a cave under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Instagram, but it is far from the only app available to improve and edit your photos with. Some of the best include Camera +, an alternative to the app built into your phone, along with Photo Editor by Aviary and Photoshop Touch, which are excellent editors for improving lighting, editing out blemishes and fixing saturation and color balance.

Whether you use an editor or not, it is generally best to take the largest and highest resolution photos possible and save your raw images. File sizes are much larger, but it is far easier to deal with a large image and scale it down than to attempt the reverse. Additionally, if you intend to use your portraits in a print medium, higher resolution is a must.

The post Taking Great Photos with Your iPhone appeared first on Smarterphone.

This time, LG G4 gets a turn as a premium class mobile performance is pitted with Zenfone 2. Complaints made by testing the speed and temperature of the device. Both indicators are able to explain how good the quality of the phone.

As is known, G4 is the mainstay of the latest LG mobile phones are equipped with ” offal ” Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with 64-bit architecture. While Zenfone 2 rely on the Intel Atom Z3580 chipset. Both are counted as advanced processor for its class.

For RAM, Zenfone 2 excels with 4GB of RAM installed. While still following the standard G4 other smartphones, namely 3 GB. With these facts, certainly many consider that the pace Zenfone 2 is superior to G4.

Reported KompasTekno, Tuesday (18/05/2015) of AndroidOrigin, the evidence actually says otherwise. Once tested, G4 performed more agile than Zenfone 2. Tests done by opening the search page, social media, games and other activities on the mobile phone.

Even so, the speed difference is not significant both devices. Here’s a video comparison of the speed and temperature Zenfone 2 and G4.

In some parts, it appears that Zenfone 2 superior to G4. For example, when opening the search page. However, overall, G4 obtain higher scores.

In addition, when viewed from the camera, G4 is far superior to that carried cameras PixelMaster 2.0 Zenfone 2. Zenfone 2 does not have Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), making it difficult to lock the focus and image stabilizing in certain circumstances.

While the G4 camera is predicted to compete with DSLR. For the class of smart phones, cameras G4 juxtaposed with the Samsung Galaxy S6.

The main factor that could be taken into consideration to choose Zenfone 2 than the G4 is the price. Zenfone 2 offers a much cheaper price than the G4. Zenfone 2 is in the range of USD 2.7 million to $ 4.5 million. While the G4 in the range of USD 8 million.

The post Comparing Performance Zenfone 2 and LG G4 appeared first on Smarterphone.

These products are three units of smartphones, namely Toshiba Picophone M4, M4U, and L1. The other unit is a tablet named Picopad S2.

“Our product advantages in terms of price. With lower prices compared to users of other brands, can avail gadget quad-core processor, but it can be upgraded to Android lollipop. There is also an option that has a wider screen,” said National Sales Head Tera Data Indonusa Aam Imanullah, Wednesday (20/05/2015).

The whole cell phone and tablet this time equipped with a quad core processor as well as the processing of the brain as a IPS panel screen. However, the processor manufacturer Aam reluctant to explain which one they choose.

Yoga Hastyadi Widiartanto / Kompas.com (left-right) Picophone Toshiba M4, M4U, L1 and S1 Picopad
Of the four gadgets, the most affordable is Picophone Toshiba M4 at a price of Rp 999,000. Specifications such as screen size of 5 inches, 512MB RAM, 8GB internal memory, IPS screen FWVGA 854 x 480 pixels, and a 2000 mAh battery.

Next is Picophone M4U which cost Rp 1.1 million. This phone uses 1GB of RAM, 8GB of memory storage, IPS screen FWVGA 854 x 480 pixels, 2,000 mAh battery, and can be upgraded to Android lollipop.

The most expensive is the phone Picophone L1 is priced 1.35 million. Specifications of this phone uses a 5.5-inch IPS screen, 1GB of RAM, 8 GB internal memory, 2,000 mAh battery.

Last is Picopad S2 tablet which cost Rp 1.1 million with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal memory, a 7-inch IPS screen and has the sharpness of 1024 x 600 pixels. Tablet is planned to obtain an upgrade to Android lollipop.

«Sales will begin next week, but I can not confirm the date. Later we will provide little, distribution even wear the traditional way is through sales at computer stores», said Aam.

«We want to let you know that we also make smartphones and tablets, as long as it’s the lebuh know us as the brand notebook. Now on the market is down this way, we maintain the brand first goal in order to remain acceptable to society», he concluded.

The post Toshiba Launches Four Android appeared first on Smarterphone.

Arief Noor Iffandy, the owner of the account @arieffandy instagram, photography hobbyist is one of the ektrem. He was often to take pictures on the edge of Jakarta’s skyscrapers.

Arieffandy claims to be fond of photography has been for a long time. However, it has its own satisfaction when he managed to get a photo of the building moments.

Earlier, Arieffandy using digital cameras single lens reflex (DSLR) to meet his needs. Then, he moved to a smaller device to explore each time makes the corners of skyscrapers.

The choice fell on the Oppo N3, smartphones are the size and weight of much lighter than a DSLR. This Smartphone he set as a solution to eliminate heavy weights when busy hunting photos.

«Using Oppo N3 is very mild compared to the first time still wear DSLR. While on the top (roof) with a smartphone, I can get a moment in every corner of the building» ,said Arieffandy to the KOMPAS.com in Jakarta, Thursday (21/5/2015).

Not long ago Arieffandy confessed to hunting photos in the business area of SCBD Sudirman Jakarta. With just the Oppo N3 everything becomes easier and lighter, including while climbing to the very top of the building as a location until the taking of another’s photographs.

Results of shooting with the Oppo N3 was no less with the results of a DSLR. Arieffandy said, with 16 Megapixel resolution and use the lens Scneider Kreuznach, each capable of producing images of his delights are seen on screen full HD at 5.5 inches this smart phone.

«The screen Brightness full HD resolution on this greatly helped me edit the photo so no need to another device. This smartphone is perfect for the hobby of photography or photographic hobby is extreme», he said.

The post Oppo N3, suitable for the photo Enthusiast «Rooftopping» the extreme! appeared first on Smarterphone.

As KompasTekno quotes from GSM Arena, Wednesday (05/20/2015), basically two new products that have a physical design that is not much different from the G4. That is so distinctive, both have different dimensions and specifications are lower than the LG’s latest flagship product.

LG G4c touted as a mini version of the G4 has just been released in the middle of this month in Indonesia. It has a 5-inch landscape display (HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels), a little smaller than G4 that has a screen size of 5.5 inches (resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels).

This device is equipped processor quad-core 1.2 GHz. However, the South Korean company did not reveal the name of the processor.

The other internal specifications consist of 1 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, 8 GB of storage media, and has a battery of 2540 mAh.

Meanwhile, LG G4 Stylus will come in two variants at once, 4G LTE and 3G versions.

3G version will be launched in a jumbo-sized device with a 5.7 inch screen. Unfortunately, the screen only supports a resolution of 720p. Moreover, a product that is armed with a 1.4 GHz processor octa-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, stylus Rubberdium, 8 GB of media storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery.

Meanwhile, LG G4 Stylus not have too significant differences than his twin brother. The difference lies only in terms of processor and rear camera. This product is equipped processor 1.2 GHz quad-core and 13-megapixel rear camera.

All these devices run on Android 5.0 operating system that is enhanced with LG UX 4.0 interface.

Until now, LG has not announced the price of all models of the new middle class that introduction. Is still unknown as well, whether such products will be present in Indonesia or not.

However, considering that LG had released two types of similar devices that, should the new product is going to get into the country.

The post LG Introduces Version Low of G4 appeared first on Smarterphone.

#1 — Flashlight LED

If you have ever found yourself stranded by the side of the road at night and wishing you had a flashlight, this app is for you. The Flashlight LED app can turn the camera flash on your Apple or Android smartphone into a usable flashlight.

The Flashlight LED app gives you a light bright enough to fled your say in the dark, making unpleasant tasks like changing a tire a lot easier. This app can be a battery hog, so L. it sparingly.

#2 — Google Maps

Once you are back on the road, you need a reliable way to get around. The Google Maps app is one of the best available, giving you not only accurate driving directions but walking and public transport directions as well.

The Google Maps app also allows you to find stores, restaurants and nearby attractions, making traveling more fun and interesting,. Google Maps is available for both the iOS and Android platform.

#3 — Onavo Extend

Using too much data can cause your cell phone bill to soar. The Onavo Extend app is designed to combat the problem by compressing the data you send and receive, helping you squeeze up to five times more out of your monthly data plan.

The Onavo Extend app also monitors your data usage, giving you a real-time picture of where you stand. If you are always going over on your data minutes, you need this app.

#4 — Facebook

If you are on Facebook, you need the Facebook app. Available for both iOS and Android, the Facebook app lets you keep up with your friends, read newsfeeds and stay in touch no matter where you go.
You can also use the Facebook app to upload videos, post updates and add photos to your friend’s wall. The app gives you all of the functionality of Facebook, all on your mobile device.

#5 — Magnifying Glass

If you have ever found yourself squinting at your tiny smart phone screen, you need the Magnifying Glass app. As the name implies, the Magnifying Glass app makes it easier to read all that fine print.
You can zoom in on even the tiniest text or smallest image. No matter what you are looking at, the !Magnifying Glass app can make your life easier, it keep eye strain at bay.

The post 5 Smart and Useful Apps for Your New Smartphone or Tablet appeared first on Smarterphone.