ZTE Axon 7 in the USA has a Nature Photography Camera with High-Quality Selfies

ZTE Axon 7 is finally coming to the US of A.

Americans can pre-order on Wednesday July 13^th 2016 (Vlad, 2016, July 13) from ZTE’s own US online store or Amazon. Its costs US$399.98 and is set to ship by July 27 2016 for Americans eager to get their hands on this smartphone.

The ZTE Axon 7 has been on pre-order since May 2016 (Victor, 2016, May 26) in the following European countries (Himanshu, 2016, June 29) on Amazon:

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• United Kingdom

Americans, like their European cousins, will have the choice of the following colours:

• Ion Gold
• Quartz Gray

Good to note here that the Quartz Gray will increase the shipping time to August 17, but trust me, it’s worth the wait. So what kind of specs does the US$399.98 ZTE Axon 7 have that’s so appealing?

ZTE Axon 7 – Nature Photography Camera with High-Quality Selfies 

The Axon 7, which runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, sports a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED touchscreen (Victor, 2016, May 26) with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (538 ppi) that comes with a 2.5D glass and Gorilla Glass 4 finish.

Weighing in at 185 grams and measuring 151.8 x 75 x 8.7 mm, it’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset that’s supported by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

Nothing impressive, right?

The 20 Megapixel Rear-facing Camera is a great camera indeed. It has an f/1.8 main shooter with a Samsung Isocell sensor and has a sapphire lens. It also has features such as OIS, EIS and PDAF with a close loop VCM for better auto focus.

Capable of capturing video at up to 4K at 30fps, this camera is a lens attachment and tripod away (Deer, 2015, August 2) can be used for nature photography. But it’s the 8 Megapixel Camera that’ll delight selfie takers, as this will make you look super sharp in those up-close selfies.

Interesting this may also be a great mini boombox as it has a dedicated AKM 4961 + 4490 audio chips, dual speaker setup and Dolby Atmos support. The 3,250 mAh battery seems up to the task, but I suspect it’s the Cameras and the super-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset that’s got tongues and Wallets wagging in Europe!

If you are nature photographer, this is a great Camera to purchase this summer of 2016!

References:

1. Deer, L. (2015, August 2). How to take High Quality Photographs with the Samsung Galaxy S6. Retrieved from http://geezam.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-with-the-samsung-galaxy-s6/
2. Victor. (2016, May 26). The ZTE Axon 7 is now official and aiming for the big leagues. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/the_zte_axon_7_is_now_official_and_aiming_for_the_big_leagues-news-18422.php
3. Himanshu. (2016, June 29). ZTE Axon 7 global rollout begins, Europe gets it first. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/_zte_axon_7_goes_up_for_preorder_in_europe-news-19096.php
4. Vlad. (2016, July 13). ZTE Axon 7 is now on pre-order in the US, yours for $399.98. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_axon_7_is_now_on_preorder_in_the_us_yours_for_39998-news-19378.php

 

Samsung’s UFS microSD card Socket may appear in the Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung launches new UFS micoSD card Socket that may appear in the Samsung Galaxy S7.

On July 7^th 2016 Samsung had unveiled the world’s first (Vincent, 2016, July 7) 256GB UFS Cards that are a replacement for the microSD Cards. SanDisk followed on soon with their version of the 256GB microSDXC UHS-I cards to be launched in August 2016 (Peter, 2016, June 29).

Read and write speeds for the Samsung UFS cards (Heater, 2016, July 7) are pretty impressive:

• 530 MB/s Read Speeds
• 170 MB/s Write Speeds

This is five (5) time faster than high-end microSDs. To put into context, you can read a 5GB movie in 10 seconds, which beats the 50 second record for the fastest microSD Card format.

These micorSD Cards represent the future of the storage format, as they are fast enough and large enough to record 4K Video and photographs (Deer, 2016, July 8) for professional filmwork.

However, they’re not a total replacements quite yet. MicroSD cards, however, are not compatible with traditional microSD card slots, due to having a slightly different shape. To this end, Samsung has designed a slot that can take both the older microSD and this newer UFS cards.

They’re also partnering with product manufacturers to make sure that the next generation of devices that used to use micorSD card will, enabling use you use both the faster UFS for 4K videography and photography as well as the slower microSD for general file storage.

Expect to see this backward compatible slot being used in the Galaxy Note 7, expected to be launched sometime in September 2016!

References:

1. Peter, (2016, June 29). SanDisk unveils 256GB microSD cards in Ultra and Extreme forms. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/sandisk_unveils_256gb_microsd_cards_in_ultra_and_extreme_forms-blog-19113.php
2. Vincent, J. (2016, July 7). Samsung unveils world’s first UFS memory cards — the successor to microSD. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/7/12115616/samsung-ufs-removable-memory-cards
3. Heater, B. (2016, July 7).  Samsung’s new UFS memory cards store up to 256GB at crazy fast transfer speeds. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/07/samsungs-ufs/
4. Deer, L. (2016, July 8). How SanDisk 256GB microSD will make 4K Drone Videos and Photography Easy. Retrieved from https://lindsworthdeer.wordpress.com/2016/07/09/sandisk-256gb-microsd/

Iguana Invasion in Cayman Island presents Iguana Meat Export Opportunity

If you dislike lizards, then this next story may not be to your liking.

Iguanas are taking over Grand Cayman. It’s so bad that the Cayman Government has launched a Pilot program (The Jamaica Gleaner, 2016, June 23) to reduce their population. Already hunters are making a fine living hunting and catching Iguanas with dogs and air rifles, with eighteen (18) being able to kill as much as 14,000 iguanas weighing two (2) tons of iguanas a day.

Ironically, the Iguana is on the Endangered list here in Jamaica (Abbott, 2014, June 7) with only two hundred (200) living in the Hellshire Hills, also part of the Portland Bight and on Goat Island, site of a potential (Thompson, 2013, September 4) Chinese Port Development.

The problem began in a manner similar to what happened in Aruba with boa constrictors (Crossan, 2015, May 10); some foreigners released a pair of iguanas that they had as pets and they’d gotten tired of and they bred out of control. This is a lot like what’s happening in Aruba, one of the ABC islands in the Caribbean.

Back in the 90’s a tourist released Boa Constrictors after leaving the island. They bred like rabbits and are now a major menace, eating small animals whole, albeit they’re harmless to humans. To this end, the Aruban authorities are paying locals US$10 to capture, dead or alive!

It’s also similar to the current Crab invasion in Milk River Clarendon (Deer, 2016, June 14) due to coal burners cutting down the wood form the mangrove. This isn’t quite an invasion but it’s similar, as humans removing the habitat that crabs use to lay their eggs, causing an upheaval in the ecosystem. This affects the spawning of fish and potentially even the formation of coral reef, which are currently experiencing a major bleaching event (Deer, 2016, June 11) in Summer of 2016.

In a similar manner these iguana are basically eating up the fauna and eventually may threaten what little agricultural produce that is grown on the island. So what can the Government of Cayman do to fight the Iguana Invasion?

Iguana Invasion in Cayman Island – Jamaicans can help by eating Iguana Meat

Manager at the Cayman Islands’ environment department, Fred Burton, says managing the iguana invasion will require a long­term management plan to beat back the reptiles, as they’re population is doubling in number every 1 1/2 years.

Part of that plan may involved creating an Invasive species Data (Deer, 2015, October 23) as the NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency) with support from UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) has done by launching Jamaica’s first JSID (Jamaica Invasive Species Database).

But there is a long-terms solution; the Cayman Government can export them and sell iguana meat for export and their leather (Whittaker, 2016, July 10) to make shoes and belts!

With such a rapid rate of growth, the Cayman Government can make a fortune by capturing and exporting their meat to other countries such as Mexico, who like iguana meat as it tastes really good.

As with the case of cephalopods (Deer, 2016, May 24) breeding out of control or the lionfish (Deer, 2014, April 16), being be eaten on preference to Parrotfish, now would be a good time for Jamaicans to help out the Cayman people by adding iguanas to their diet.

Jamaicans, who may, like Lionfish (Deer, 2014, May 12) and fish back (Deer, 2016, June 26), may develope a taste for this exotic meat.

References:

1. Thompson, K. (2013, September 4). Jamaican Iguana fighting for survival. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/environment/jamaican-iguana-fighting-for-survival_15000242
2. Deer, L. (2014, April 16). National Lionfish Project reaps 66% reduction as NEPA’s MTIASIC suggests Commercial Lionfish Farming. Retrieved from http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2014/04/national-lionfish-project-reaps-66.html
3. Abbott, D. (2014, June 7). Spare a thought for the Jamaican iguana. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Spare-a-thought-for-the-Jamaican-iguana_16818670
4. Crossan, R. (2015, May 10). The hitchhiking snakes of the Caribbean. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32662173
5. Deer, L. (2015, October 23). NEPA and UNDP Jamaica Invasive Species Database – Why Jamaicans may be the Environment’s worst Enemy. Retrieved from http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2015/10/NEPA-UNDP-Jamaica-Invasive-Species-Database-JISD.html
6. Deer, L. (2016, May 12). How a Parrotfish Ban with Lionfish replacement will save Coral Reefs. Retrieved from http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2016/05/Parrotfish-Ban-Lionfish-Coral-Reefs.html
7. Deer, L. (2016, May 24). How University of Adelaide discovered Cepholopods are increasing and Calamari will be popular. Retrieved from http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2016/05/University-of-Adelaide-Cepholopods.html
8. Deer, L. (2016, June 11). Why NOAA Caribbean Coral Reef Watch prediction of Coral Reef Bleaching requires ParrotFish Ban. Retrieved from   https://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2016/06/NOAA-Caribbean-Coral-Reef-Watch-coral-bleaching-2016.html
9. Deer, L. (2016, June 14). Crab Invasion in Rocky Point, Clarendon connected to Dying Mangroves and Coral Reefs. Retrieved from https://lindsworthdeer.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/crab-invasion-2016/
10. The Jamaica Gleaner. (2016, June 23). Fight On To Curb Iguana Invasion. Retrieved from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/world-news/20160623/fight-curb-iguana-invasion
11. Deer, L. (2016, June 26). How Andrew Holness made Rainforest Seafood Fish Back a Sunday Menu Staple. Retrieved from https://lindsworthdeer.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/andrew-holness-fish-back/
12. Whittaker, J. (2016, July 10). Invasive green iguanas could be targeted for food. Retrieved from https://www.caymancompass.com/2016/07/10/invasive-green-iguanas-could-be-targeted-for-food/

How Amazon’s Special Offers means JA$5000 Samsung S7 from Digicel and FLOW Possible

Really need an unlocked smartphone badly at a low price and willing to put up with advertising?

If you can tolerate the four (4) weeks to ship Amazon products to Jamaica and the Caribbean, then Amazon’s Special Offers Deal (Victor, 2016, June 29) launched on Wednesday June 29^th 2016 is just the thing for the Shopaholic (Deer, 2012, September 27) in you that’s dying to get out this summer!

The premise is simple; a device at a reduced price in exchange for Amazon using your Tablet or Smartphone as an advertising billboard.

The ads aren’t intrusive and Amazon’s expansion into unlocked smartphones means that their Amazon’s Special Offers Deal will give them a strong toehold among bargain hunters tolerant of ads. Here are a few deals on Amazon:

• US$49.99 for the BLU R1 HD
• US$149.99 for the Moto G4
• US$179.99 for the 32GB Moto G4

These ads mostly appear on the phone’s lockscreen. When a customer sees an offer, then can tap to learn more or simply swipe to unlock and the ad will disappear. On that day, Amazon had offered a $25 discount off the Moto G4 to Amazon Prime users, bringing the price to US$124.99.

Truly, being an Amazon Prime member has never been so good as it’s evidence that Amazon is the Earth’s most Customer Centric Company!

Amazon’s special offers deals – How lockscreen Ads can make Huawei Ascend Y360 free 

I personally love this idea, as Jamaican Telecom Provider Digicel and FLOW can offer something similar to their customers buying high end smarphones.

Prices as low as JA$1000 for a Huawei Ascend Y360 are possible if Digicel and FLOW offered the lockscreen, Voicemail and even the Ringback Tone as advertising space on a special Prepaid plan.

In exchange, not only will they be able to get a smartphone at a reduced price, but potentially you can even get the Huawei Ascend Y360 free and high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 for as little as JA$5000.

So if you like this idea, pass it on to Digicel and FLOW, as it’ll benefit not only you, the customer, but advertisers, as they’ll be able to market the lockscreen as a mobile advertising space!

References:

1. Deer, L. (2012, September 27). Amazon is Legally Blonde as the Kindle Fire HD Upgrade is CEO Bezos’s Confessions of an Online Shopaholic. Retrieved from http://www.geezam.com/amazon-is-legally-blonde-kindle-fire-hd/
2. Victor. (2016, June 29). Amazon has started offering slashed prices on selected unlocked phones with ads. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/amazon_has_started_offering_slashed_prices_on_selected_unlocked_phones_with_ads-news-19114.php

 

 

How SanDisk 256GB microSD will make 4K Drone Videos and Photography Easy

SanDisk, a company owned by Western Digital, has finally done it, to the delight of Photographers and Videographers everywhere.

They’ve announced plans to launch their 256GB microSDXC UHS-I cards in August 2016 (Peter, 2016, June 29), a little after Samsung launched their 256GB UFS UFS Cards (Vincent, 2016, July 7). The Sandisk version comes in the following configurations:

• 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD
• 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD

At a price of US$150, it’s a little on the pricey side. But it fills up the family tree quite nicely!

So what’s the difference between the two SD Cards from Western Digital?

256GB SanDisk microSD Card – The Difference is a Read/Write Affair

The difference between the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD and the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD is the minimum write speed (Hruska, 2016, June 29).

Both the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD and the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD have the same Read/write speeds:

• 100MB/s read, 90MB/s write for the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD
• 95MB/s read and 95MB/s write for the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD

However, the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD guarantees 30MB/s minimum sustained sequential write speed while the Premium card offers just a 10MB/s guarantee. For the reason, SanDisk recommends the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD for 4K work while the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD is best for 1080p work!

Also the 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD makes its debut in August 2016, while the 256GB SanDisk Extreme microSD will arrive in the last Quarter of 2016, making them a great gift for that Photographer in your life.

The 256GB SanDisk Ultra microSD would satisfy any photographer or videographer.

This is especially true operators of drones used for photography, as this allow them to take more film quality video and photos as DJI exec Eli Harris points out, quote: “At DJI we focus on creating easy-to-use drone technology for consumers to capture everyday exploration and photography, and our customers need quick and reliable access to their high quality aerial footage. With the new 256GB SanDisk microSD UHS-I cards, they now have greater flexibility to capture their content on high-performance storage and the peace of mind knowing they can continue shooting when it matters most.”

SanDisk 256GB microSD – Price and Convenience Meet for Portable Video and Photo Storage

It is true that you can get 1TB External Storage Drives that cost less and just dump all your photos from your Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone (Deer, 2015, August 1) or Samsung NX Camera (Deer, 2015, May 12) to that External Drive when your current SD Card get full.

However, convenience is key; the bigger the better, especially if you’re into Drone Photography!

Combined with Hydrogen fuel cells (Deer, 2015, November 15) and mini rotary engines such as LiquidPiston’s X Mini Wankel Engine (Deer, 2016, July 4), expect drones that can stay aloft longer and take higher resolution images and 4K video.

Hopefully, the prices will come down to a level us mere mortal and non-photography and videography buffs that only snap selfies can afford. All to make your smartphone have the storage space (Lee, 2016, June 28) as a Laptop!

References:

1. Deer, L. (2015, May 12). Samsung NX1 wins 10th TIPA award. Retrieved from http://www.geezam.com/samsung-nx1-wins-10th-tipa-award/
2. Deer, L. (2015, August 1). How to take High Quality Photographs with the Samsung Galaxy S. Retrieved from http://www.geezam.com/how-to-take-high-quality-photographs-with-the-samsung-galaxy-s6/
3. Deer, L. (2015, November 15). Why Intelligent Energy’s Drone Hydrogen Fuel Cell will make 2 Hour flights a reality. Retrieved from  http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2015/12/Intelligent-Energy-Drone-Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell-2-Hour-flights.html
4. Lee, K. (2016, June 28). SanDisk’s new 256GB microSD makes your phone as spacious as a laptop. Retrieved from http://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/storage/sandisk-s-new-256gb-microsd-makes-your-phone-as-spacious-as-a-laptop-1324099
5. Peter, (2016, June 29). SanDisk unveils 256GB microSD cards in Ultra and Extreme forms. Retrieved from http://www.gsmarena.com/sandisk_unveils_256gb_microsd_cards_in_ultra_and_extreme_forms-blog-19113.php
6. Hruska. J. (2016, June 29). Western Digital launches new SanDisk 256GB microSDXC memory cards. Retrieved from http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/230987-western-digital-launches-new-sandisk-256gb-microsdxc-memory-cards
7. Deer, L. (2016, July 4). How LiquidPiston’s X Mini Wankel Engine means Rotary Engines for Drones, Range Extender and Hydrogen Vehicles. Retrieved from http://mythoughtsontechnologyandjamaica.blogspot.com/2016/07/LiquidPiston-X-Mini-Wankel-Engine.html
8. Vincent, J. (2016, July 7). Samsung unveils world’s first UFS memory cards — the successor to microSD. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/7/12115616/samsung-ufs-removable-memory-cards