Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera vs. GoPro Hero 4 Comparison

This year the partner company of Xiaomi, Yi Technology, has introduced the second generation of sports cameras under the name Yi 4K Action Camera. Two major features of the novelty are the presence of the display on its rear face and the ability to record video in 4K format. Yi 4K Camera turned out interesting and functional, while due to its price and performance it can compete with GoPro Hero 4.

Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera looks more interesting than GoProHero 4, also it has three different housing variants to choose from — the device is presented in black, white and pink color. The new Xiaomi camera has a slightly larger size than GoPro, and it is 7 grams heavier — the weight of Yi 4K is 95 g, while the Hero 4 weighs 88 g.

Also, an undeniable advantage of Yi 4K Action Camera is the full-color display with a diagonal of 2.19 inches at its rear face. GoPro Hero 4 supports the installation of a removable external display, which is smaller and has a poorer resolution.

Both Action cameras have lenses with an ultra-wide f / 2. 8 aperture, but their components are different. The new solution from Xiaomi uses the more advanced chipset Ambarella A9S75, as well as the 12 megapixels Sony IMX377 camera module.

4K video recording

The average duration of 4K / 30fps video recording of GoPro Hero 4 is 1 hour 15 minutes; this rate decreases to 50 minutes when WiFi and wireless control are activated. Yi 4K Action Camera is able to continuously shoot 4K / 30fps video for 120 minutes (2 hours). GoPro Hero 4 can withstand 1 hour 50 minutes of video recording in 720p resolution at a rate of 120 frames per second (when WiFi is turned off).

Comparison of GoPro Hero 4 and Yi 4K Camera performance

The color quality of Yi 4K Action Camera is pretty high, while the frames made using GoPro Hero 4 look a bit faded and dull.

During the real test of endurance in the load mode (recording of 4K video to a memory card) Yi 4K Action Camera could operate continuously for 1 hour and 57 minutes, and the GoPro Hero 4 — only for 50 minutes.

Yi 4K Action Camera is a new word in the world of action cameras because this device is not only able to shoot the 4K video, but also does it qualitatively and continuously. The colors of video, recorded on Yi 4K Action Camera, are bright and vivid, and the duration of continuous 4K video recording on a single charge is about 2 hours.

Xiaomi has managed to beat the global brand GoPro in the battle for the sports segment of 4K cameras, since Xiaomi Yi 4K Camera offers more useful features at a lower cost: the high-quality touch screen, a reliable image stabilization, a record autonomy, as well as many other small bonuses like the connection to Apple and Android smartphones via the Yi Camera application.

Find More Details for both HERE

Samsung unveiled the World’s First Universal Flash Storage with capacity up to 256-Gigabyte (GB)

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled the industry’s first removable memory cards based on the JEDEC Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension Standard*, for use in high-resolution mobile shooting devices such as DSLRs, 3D VR cameras, action cams and drones. Coming in a wide range of storage capacities including 256, 128, 64 and 32 gigabyte (GB), Samsung’s UFS cards are expected to bring a significant performance boost to the external memory storage market, allowing much more satisfying multimedia experiences.

“Our new 256GB UFS card will provide an ideal user experience for digitally-minded consumers and lead the industry in establishing the most competitive memory card solution,” said Jung-bae Lee, senior vice president, Memory Product Planning & Application Engineering, Samsung Electronics “By launching our new high-capacity, high-performance UFS card line-up, we are changing the growth paradigm of the memory card market to prioritize performance and user convenience above all.”

Samsung’s new 256GB UFS removable memory card ─ simply referred to as the UFS card will provide greatly improved user experiences, especially in high-resolution 3D gaming and high-resolution movie playback. It provides more than five times faster sequential read performance compared to that of a typical microSD card, reading sequentially at 530 megabytes per second (MB/s) which is similar to the sequential read speed of the most widely used SATA SSDs. With this UFS card, consumers have the ability to read a 5GB, Full-HD movie in approximately 10 seconds, compared to a typical UHS-1 microSD card, which would take over 50 seconds with 95MB/s of sequential reading speed. Also, at a random read rate of 40,000 IOPS, the 256GB card delivers more than 20 times higher random read performance compared to a typical microSD, which offers approximately 1,800 IOPS.

When it comes to writing, the new 256GB UFS card processes 35,000 random IOPS, which is 350 times higher than the 100 IOPs of a typical microSD card, and attains a 170MB/s sequential write speed, almost doubling the top-end microSD card speed. With these substantial performance improvements, the new 256GB UFS card significantly reduces multimedia data downloading time, photo thumbnail loading time and buffer clearing time in burst shooting mode, which, collectively, can be particularly beneficial to DSLR camera users. To shoot 24 large/extra fine JPEG photographs (1,120 megabyte (MB)-equivalent) continuously with a high-end DSLR camera, the 256GB UFS card takes less than seven seconds, compared to a UHS-1 microSD card which typically takes about 32 seconds, at 35MB/s.

To achieve the highest performance and most power-efficient data transport, the UFS card supports multiple commands with command queuing features and enables simultaneous reading and writing through the use of separately dedicated paths, doubling throughput.

As the leading memory storage provider, Samsung has been aggressive in preparing UFS solutions for the marketplace, while contributing to JEDEC standardization of the Universal Flash Storage 2.0 specification in September 2013 and the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 1.0 Card Extension standard in March 2016. 

Following its introduction of the industry-first 128GB embedded UFS chip in January 2015, the company successfully launched a 256GB embedded UFS memory for high-end mobile devices in February of this year. As of earlier this month, Samsung also completed the Universal Flash Storage Association** (UFSA)’s certification program that evaluates electrical and functional specifications for compatibility of a UFS card, and Samsung’s new UFS card products were approved as UFSA-certified UFS cards with the right to use the official UFS logo for the first time in the industry.

Sony announced the ZD9 series BRAVIA 4K HDR TV, the next generation in television display technology with the ability to reproduce deeper black and the brighter lights and the colour of the real world. The new flagship Z series takes the lead atop Sony’s current line-up of premium 4K HDR TVs, which includes the award winning XD93 and XD94. The new “Z” moniker designates a significant leap forward and the ultimate in display technology. With this advance Sony brings 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) to a new level with ultra-contrast and even more realistic, accurate colour, in order to express what the content creators really intended.

This new ZD9 series BRAVIA 4K HDR TV features a newly developed 4K image processor, the 4K HDR Processor X1™ Extreme, and a unique backlight technology, Backlight Master Drive™, to attain extraordinary contrast and extremely accurate wide colour expression. It offers an even more impressive visual experience with more depth, texture and realism on the screen than was previously possible.

The new 4K Processor X1 Extreme was developed in order to provide the ultimate 4K HDR visual experience. It is further refined with 40% more real-time image processing as compared with Sony’s renowned 4K Processor X1™. By incorporating three new technologies – object-based HDR remaster, dual database processing, and Super Bit Mapping™ 4K HDR, it brings any 4K HDR content to a whole new level.

By analysing images in each scene and correcting colour and contrast of each object individually, object-based HDR remaster can reproduce scenes with the detailed texture and the appearance of real life. This technology also up-scales standard dynamic range HD content to near 4K HDR quality.

On top of the current up-scaling database, 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme has an additional Sony-exclusive database for noise reduction. By searching through thousands of picture patterns, the dual database processing removes unwanted noise and up-scales every image to a super clear 4K image.

Super Bit Mapping 4K HDR creates a smoother, natural picture. With 14-bit powerful signal processing, it breaks up the solid bands of colour of 8-bit (FHD) or 10-bit (4K) source, up-converting 14-bit equivalent gradation with 64 times more colour levels. It delivers graceful reproduction of faces, sunsets and other areas of subtle colour gradation.

With these three technologies, 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme reproduces a wide variety of content with immersive 4K HDR picture quality.

Additionally, the new ZD9 series BRAVIA 4K HDR TV has adopted the Backlight Master Drive technology which Sony introduced as a prototype at CES 2016. The Backlight Master Drive is a precision backlight boosting technology which allows it to expand brightness and contrast even further in order to truly tap the full potential of 4K HDR. The Backlight Master Drive combines a dense LED structure with a super accurate lighting algorithm and unique optical design.

Previously, local dimming was controlled in zones consisting of several LEDs. In combination with the latest accurate lighting algorithm, the discrete LED control of Backlight Master Drive is able to dim and boost each LED individually. This innovative algorithm delivers total precision for unparalleled contrast and realism.

The unique optical structure with a calibrated beam LED design gathers the emitted LED light in a spot and focuses the drive area more precisely to display higher contrast. This also reduces light diffusion and the flare effect that can be seen on other full-array LED TVs.

Backlight Master Drive delivers unprecedented dynamic range with incredibly deep blacks and dazzling lights for scenes that look more real than ever before, unleashing the full potential of 4K HDR content.

But the viewing experience goes beyond just the screen. ZD9 has a slate design that encapsulates the ultimate experience. From the front, the design exudes sophistication in the form of a simple black slate, letting viewers immerse themselves in the stunning power of 4K HDR. From the back, the design keeps all the cables completely concealed, ensuring that the device strikes an elegant look from any angle.

ZD9 series BRAVIA 4K HDR TV also runs on Android TV™ with Sony’s exclusive user interface. From live TV broadcasting to Internet video services, the new seamless user interface Content bar includes enhanced content navigation along with voice search. The new Content bar features genre filtering function (*availability depends on region). Instead of selecting a programme from bunch of channels, users can easily choose from favourite genre such as sports, music, news, and so on.

ZD9 Series (65”, 75” and 100” models) BRAVIA 4K HDR TV

• 4K HDR compatible to receive and process the new video standard signal with higher brightness, higher contrast and vibrant colour via Internet video services, HDMI and USB port.
• Features New 4K HDR Processor X1™ Extreme to improve clarity, colour accuracy and contrast of HD, 4K and 4K HDR videos. It incorporates three new technologies: object-based HDR remaster, dual database processing, and Super Bit Mapping™ 4K HDR, bringing your 4K HDR content to whole new level.
• Features Backlight Master Drive™ with a dense LED structure, a super accurate lighting algorithm that gathers the emitted LED lights in a spot and focuses drive area more narrowly to display ultra-higher contrast.
• Includes X-tended Dynamic Range™ PRO to produce better contrast by precisely balancing the light output across the screen, dimming some areas and boosting others. It reveals a brightness range three times that of a conventional LED-backlight TV, and it enhances any source to near HDR quality with a wider range of brightness.
• Features vibrant, expanded colour with TRILUMINOS™ Display, further enhanced for colour accuracy.
• Uses 4K X-Reality™ PRO to produce stunning detail with Sony’s unique algorithm of reality creation database for any content, such as TV broadcasting, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video and digital photos.
• Clean cable management for table top mount.
• 100” comes with floor stand/table-top stand. 75”/65” come with table-top stand only.
• Android TV™ lets you explore a world of movies, music, photos, games, search, apps and more. 
• Voice Search to find content, ask questions and control your TV. With Google Cast™, you can easily send content from your smartphone or tablet to the TV. With access to Google Play™, you can enjoy what you like to do on a smartphone or tablet, from your TV.
• Sony’s exclusive Content bar user interface allows you to comfortably browse content quickly and intuitively without disrupting your TV viewing.

Samsung Gear IconX, Cord-Free Earbuds go on sale today

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of the truly cord-free earbuds, the Gear IconX, in select markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia, Canada, Australia and Korea. The Gear IconX will then gradually be launched around the rest of the globe.

The Gear IconX offers a new fitness experience, with an in-ear heart rate monitor and standalone music player. It can track and provide instant feedback for fitness data, such as distance, speed, duration, heart rate and calories burned, and easily syncs with S Health app.

With internal storage large enough for up to 1,000 MP3s and easy-to-use controls so people can operate their music by simple tapping or swiping the earbuds, users don’t need carry a smartphone anymore to listen to music during a workout.

Featuring a lightweight, secure and comfortable fit with three different sizes of eartips and wingtips, the Gear IconX is available in three colors – black, blue and white.

In addition, the Gear IconX comes with a charging case that not only keeps your earbuds safe, but also holds for up to two additional charges that begin automatically when the earbuds are placed inside

The New Samyang 50mm f/1.4 FE AF Lens To Be Release The Tame Time As The Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 FE lens.

The new 50mm f/1.4 FE autofocus lens from Samyang is set to start shipping in July in for a price less than $600  Compared to the new Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 FE lens Priced at $1,499.99 due for shipment in the same timeline.

The Samyang AF 50/1.4 FE is specifically designed to work in harmony with full frame mirrorless cameras in Sony E mount. The flow of light is devised based on the uniqueness of the distance from glass to sensor in mirrorless cameras to create optimal performance. Along with portability of mirrorless lenses, this new Samyang AF 50 lens is compatible with full frame sensors to deliver the wideness and sharpness of image to photographers.

The F1.4 of 50mm aperture is by far the brightest of full frame mirrorless lenses, offering a beautiful bokeh effect and the best quality images under various exposure conditions. Also the 67mm filter diameter brings the maximum amount of light into the lens to create the best work of light in photography.

Based on Samyang Optics’ exceptional optical technology, Ultra Multi Coating and three aspherical lenses have been included among nine glasses in eight groups to minimize aberration and unnecessary light dispersion, delivering high resolution from the center to the corners of the image.

Wired Into Fashion: One fashion label's unique use of headphone wires

Fashion label to the stars creates world’s first travel accessories collection from headphone wires.

Sony partners with fashion label AURIA to upcycle redundant headphone wires into must-have travel accessories.

Five unique designs inspired by the new h.ear on Wireless NC headphones

Sony has partnered with leading sustainable swimwear label AURIA to create an eye-catching capsule collection of travel accessories made from redundant headphone wires. The new h.ear™ headphones have removed the need for a wired connection while ensuring the same great sound quality but without the worry of getting tangled up in wires.

Created using over 113 metres of wire, the unique accessories collection mirrors the five vibrant colours of the h.ear range. The Sony x AURIA ‘Fashion Unplugged’ collection includes a Lime Yellow passport cover, Bordeaux Pink sunglasses case, Cinnabar Red beach bag, Viridian Blue smartphone case and Charcoal Black beach sliders.

To celebrate Sony’s new h.ear on Wireless NC headphones, which promise tangle-free travel, the accessories range has been inspired by travel scenarios synonymous with losing yourself in music – whether it be the daily commute or simply relaxing at the beach.

Director and Designer at AURIA, Diana Auria, whose designs have been seen on the likes of Rihanna, Daisy Lowe and Lily Cole, commented: “The opportunity to partner with Sony on such an innovative project was amazing. I am a long term champion of sustainable fashion, and the headphone wires have been a great material to upcycle and design with. They have made really fun, colourful and durable travel products.”

The travel capsule collection has been created to complement Sony’s new range of single-colour, fuss-free headphones, which in addition to offering perfect sound and form-fitting comfort, also act as an eye-catching accessory.

NFC and Bluetooth technology in the h.ear on Wireless NC headphones have removed the need for a wired connection, giving you an authentic sound without getting caught up in the cables. This technology allows you to simply touch your NFC-enabled device to the headphones for a quick, seamless connection, before streaming your music collection or listening to your audio book.

The headphones are also equipped with a Digital Noise Cancelling function that instantly makes ambient sounds fade away, letting you focus on the music and nothing else.

Alberto Ayala, Director of Video & Sound product marketing at Sony Europe, added: “Your headphones are an extension of you – like your phone and keys, they go with you everywhere. So h.ear on Wireless NC headphones have been designed to be a part of your life.”

About AURIA

AURIA was launched in 2013, and is famed for its craft and care, balanced with conscious innovation and playful style. Founded by Diana Auria, a graduate from the world-renowned London College of Fashion, the brand champions a new generation of recycled fabrics made from discarded fishing nets and other waste. AURIA has featured on leading catwalks since inception and the designs have been seen on the likes of Rihanna, Daisy Lowe and Eliza Doolittle to name a few.

Nintendo NES Mini Version Makes A Come back With a Big Bang

Big news just broke for retro game lover in a surprise announcement today, Nintendo revealed that the NES--which was originally released in the 1980s--is returning to stores. This is Awesome!

The NES Classic Edition will launch on November 11 with 30 bundled games.

The NES Classic Edition will cost $60. It plugs directly into your TV using an included HDMI cable. As for the games, there are 30 in all, including classics like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and Kirby's Adventure (full list below).

Nintendo also confirmed that each game has multiple suspend points, allowing players to pick up where they left off if they need to step away for any reason.

It also comes with an AC adapter. In the UK, Nintendo warns, "An AC adapter for the USB cable is required to play the system but is not included in the packaging."

Also included in the package is one NES controller, featuring a design modeled after the original NES pad. Some games support two players, and Nintendo will sell extra controllers for $10. Additionally, Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro controllers can be used.

"We wanted to give fans of all ages the opportunity to revisit Nintendo's original system and rediscover why they fell in love with Nintendo in the first place," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said in a statement. "

NES Classic Edition Games:

Balloon Fight

Bubble Bobble

Castlevania

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong Jr.

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

Dr. Mario

Excitebike

Final Fantasy

Galaga

Ghosts N Goblins

Gradius

Ice Climber

Kid Icarus

Kirby’s Adventure

Mario Bros.

Mega Man 2

Metroid

Ninja Gaiden

Pac-Man

Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream

StarTropics

Super C

Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. 3

Tecmo Bowl

The Legend of Zelda

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Amazon Prime Day Best Deals Roundup

Amazon’s 2nd annual Prime Day is in full swing and we’ve rounded up all of the best deals out there. all are on sale today, find listed below.

As they happen. Here’s what you need to know these deals are all on a lightening deal clock that sometimes expire 30 minutes or in some cases 8 hours after they are active, in order for you to take advantage of these massive price cuts you need to have a prime subscription (start a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime HERE)

If you have no time to search all the discounts these are what we think are the very best Prime Day 2016 Deals:

• Moto X Pure Edition Unlocked Smartphone, 32GB Black for $249.99
• Huawei Nexus 6P 64 GB for $403.75
• Honor 5X 16GB for $119.99
• LG G5 for $479

Amazon device deals

• Fire HD 10 Productivity Bundle will be $35 ($239.96 and $254.96) off when purchased separately
• Amazon Tap $30 Off
• $30 Off Kindle Paperwhite
• Kindle 6″ $30 Off
• Kindle Voyage $50 Off
• Fire TV Gaming Edition $30 Off
• Dash Buttons $0.99

Wearables

New wearable deals

• $90 off Pebble Time Steel
• $75 off Samsung Gear S2 Dark Grey
• $75 off Samsung Gear S2 Silver
• Huawei Smartwatch for iPhone, Android Smartphones – Retail Packaging – Jewel/Sapphire 40% off

• Check out the full list of wearable deals here

Computers

New computer deals

• Save $120 off Toshiba Chromebook
• Get up to 50% off Lenovo Flex 3 Laptop
• HP Spectre 12-a008nr X2 Detachable Laptop

Headphones and speakers

New headphone and headset deals

• Save $35 on the Sennheiser 598 Special Edition Headphones
• $30 off Plantronics M55 Standard Version
• $20 off Jabra Speak 410

Memory

• Samsung EVO Select Micro SDXC Memory Card, 256GB, 95MB/s for  $169.99

SanDisk memory cards and drives for up to 40% off

• SanDisk Ultra 200GB Micro SD (SDSDQUAN-200G-G4A)
• SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Grey/Red, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-064G-GN6MA)
• SanDisk Ultra 128GB microSDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter, Black, Standard Packaging (SDSQUNC-128G-GN6MA)
• SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive (SDCZ43-128G-GAM46) [Newest Version]
• SanDisk Ultra 128GB Dual USB Drive 3.0 (SDDD2-128G-G46)
• SanDisk Extreme 32GB SDHC UHS-I/U3 Memory Card, Black (SDSDXNE-032G-GNCIN)
• SanDisk SSD Plus Solid State Drive Components SDSSDA-480G-G26 (New Version)
• SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive (SDIX30C-128G-GN6NE) Newest Version
• SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable SSD 0.85″ SDSSDEXT-480G-G25
• SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick 200GB (SDWS4-200G-G46)
• SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0 (SDDD2-064G-GAM46)
• SanDisk Ultra II 960GB SATA III 2.5-Inch 7mm Height Solid State Drive (SSD) with Read Up To 550MB/s- SDSSDHII-960G-G25

Camera, Photo & Video

• Feelworld 7 inch Ultra HD IPS Field Monitor
• Ikan DS1 Beholder Gimbal
•  Zomei Professional Travel Tripods
•   ProAm USA Orion Jr 4 foot Compact DSLR Camera Crane / Jib
•   IMORDEN 40" Ball Bearing  Slider Video Stabilization System
•   StudioPRO 600 S-600B Bi Color LED Photography Lighting Panel
•   Excelvan Photography Photo Portrait Studio Continuous Lighting Kit
•   Rokinon Lenses
•   Nikon D3300 DX-format DSLR Kit w/ 18-55mm DX VR II & 55-200mm DX VR II Zoom Lenses
•  40% Off mirrorless Camera systems
•  GoPro Bundles
•  Lens Adapter
• Camera & Photo Accessories
•         DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter
• Sony Alpha a6000 Camera with 18-55mm and 55-210mm Lenses

Sony Just Release A New ZEISS Planar FE 50mm F1.4 ZA High Resolution Lens

Sony today introduced a new full-frame lens for their E-mount camera system, the Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA (model SEL50F14Z).

This 50mm prime lens features a large F1.4 maximum aperture that offers impressive contrast and outstanding resolution that are hallmarks of the ZEISS® brand. It produces these consistently strong qualities throughout the entirety of the frame – from centre to corner – and at all aperture settings, even while shooting wide open at F1.4. The cutting edge optical structure includes high-precision AA (Advanced Aspherical) and ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements that reduce spherical and chromatic aberration, as well as a ZEISS® T* Coating that minimises flare and ghosting, creating the classic ZEISS® clarity. Additionally, its Planar design ensures minimal distortion.

The large F1.4 maximum aperture of the FE 50mm F1.4ZA lens provides a level of brightness and speed that are advantageous for dimly lit indoor shots, night scenes, and portraits, while its 11-bladed circular aperture allows for stunning ‘bokeh’, or background defocus, in images. The lens also features an aperture ring with an adjustable ON/OFF switch, an AF/MF focus mode switch, and a dust and moisture resistant design[i], further increasing its functionality.

The new lens is also equipped with a ring drive SSM (Super Sonic wave Motor) system, which allows it to efficiently lock focus with speed, precision and in near silence, making it particularly useful for shooting movies.

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 50mm F1.4 ZA lens will ship this July and will be available for approximately $1,498.00

Available HERE

FUJIFILM Delivers the Ultimate Mirrorless Camera The “FUJIFILM X-T2”

Fujifilm Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) has announced the new FUJIFILM X-T2 mirrorless camera, which promises to bringing 4K video capture in its lineup for the first time. X-T2 has a 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III APS-C sensor first seen in the X-Pro2 and also includes an upgraded hybrid AF system with more focus points, as well as an AF-point selection joystick like the X-Pro2. There’s also a faster top mechanical shutter speed of 1/8000 sec (1/32,000 sec with the electronic), an improved AF-C algorithm and an overall boost in response times when using the camera. Like the X-T1, this camera is weather-sealed.

The Fujifilm X-T2 will be available in September for $1,599.95 body-only, or bundled with the XF18-55mm for $1,899.95. The EF-XF500 flash will also be available in September for $449.99.