News / Connect

The HTC One smartphone made headlines with its claims about 'ultrapixel technology,' which the company used to describe the device's 4MP CMOS sensor. While current competitors boast 8-13MP cameras, HTC is betting on fewer, larger pixels a same-sized sensor to offer better image quality. But does the innovative approach work? We've put the HTC One and its ultrapixels through our rigorous real life and studio testing trials to find out. See how it fared at connect.dpreview.com.

Rob Hart was amongst the 28 members of the Chicago Sun-Times photography staff laid off last week. He's been pointedly documenting his experience via Tumblr ever since, deliberately opting to use his iPhone over his Nikon D3 because, as he says of himself in his blog, he was "replaced with a reporter with an iPhone, so he is documenting his new life with an iPhone, but with the eye of a photojournalist trained in storytelling." We spoke to him about it for connect.dpreview.com.

If you own a digital camera without Wi-Fi and want to quickly transfer photos to your smartphone or tablet, then the new Eye-Fi Mobi SDHC card might be for you. Setup is simple: just download the app for iOS or Android, enter a 10 digit code, and you're ready to roll. After that, photos you take on your camera will automatically be sent to your mobile device. For more on the Eye-Fi Mobi, read the full story on Connect.

It seems the Chicago Sun-Times is counting on its remaining employees to become mobile photographers. After laying off its entire 28-person photography staff yesterday, the newspaper has announced mandatory training for remaining employees on 'iPhone photography basics'. That's according to media writer Robert Feder. Feder quotes a memo from managing editor Craig Newman: 'In the coming days and weeks, we'll be working with all editorial employees to train and outfit you as much as possible to produce the content we need'. Click through for the full story on connect.dpreview.com. 

In this article, the founder of photo site Snap/Shot Galleria Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin explains why he wanted to create a platform for images true to the 'experience' of living in LA. The site features four core photographers who use mobile devices and more to capture city life as they see it, and their gritty visions of street-level Los Angeles highlight the gulf between entertainment industry glitz and everyday struggles. Learn more at connect.dpreview.com.

Connect, our sister site has just published a roundup of this week's photography-related app news. From major updates to Google+'s mobile app to new apps for iOS users including AnalogCamera, Oggl and Viewmatic, there's plenty going on. Click through to connect.dpreview.com for more details. 

David Akerman, a ballooning hobbyist based in England has been working with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to use their products for high-altitude photography. Using a Raspberry Pi computer hooked up to the company's new camera module, Akerman created a lightweight 'eye in the sky' that he recently sent up to more than 120,000 feet above the United Kingdom. Click through for more details - and images - on connect.dpreview.com.

Video sharing service Vine has generated a lot of buzz in recent months. Vine allows you to share videos of up to six seconds in length as either a single continuous take or as a 'collage' of short duration clips. Art Director Jethro Ames saw Vine as a challenge and decided to push his limits to see what he could do with the app. The result is a series of imaginative timelapse videos that are perfectly executed down to the last detail. Click through to see his work, and our interview on connect.dpreview.com.

We just published the DxOMark Mobile Report for Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4 on connect.dpreview.com. DxO's imaging experts have analyzed 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score. This report will be integrated into our full review once it is finished but for now click through to find out how the Samsung Galaxy S4's camera performed in the DxOMark lab tests.

Much of the fallout surrounding Flickr's massive updates this Monday continues to center around the legacy 'Pro' accounts and a contentious statement from Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer: 'There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [...] there’s really no such thing as professional photographers anymore.' She apologized today for her 'misstatement', and it appears that existing Flickr Pro account holders will still be able to take advantage of unlimited storage. Read all about it at connect.dpreview.com.

When homes are damaged, often the most important items cannot be replaced. For victims of fire, floods and other natural disasters, family photos are among the worst things to lose. Operation Photo Rescue brings together victims with professional photo editors to turn damaged images back into clear memories. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com.

Flickr fans may find the lure of a free terabyte attractive, but they might be put off by the accompanying advertisements that support Flickr's new free account model. A major update to the photo sharing service has completely revamped the look of accounts and restructured the way users may pay for Flickr in the future. We take a look at the changes on connect.dpreview.com.

At last week's I/O developer conference Google announced a number of upgrades to the photo section of its Google+ social network, including features such as 'Auto-Highlight', 'Auto-Enhance' and 'Auto'-Awesome'. To make the same experience available on its mobile platform the search giant has released an upgraded Google+ app for Android. Click through to Connect to find out more.

At its I/O developers conference a couple of days ago Google introduced various updates to its Google+ social networking platform, many of which will be of interest to photographers. As well as changes to layout, images can be 'auto-enhanced', made into panoramas and animations, and the system can also select the best facial expressions in group shots. Click through for more details on connect.dpreview.com.

The XiStera smartphone tool is one of the more interesting Kickstarter projects we've seen lately. It is an all-in-one device that promises to do just about everything the mobile photographer on the go might require. XiStera serves as a lens adapter, phone stand, tripod mount, headphone wrap and stylus for your iPhone 5. It also works as a bottle opener and key chain, and can attach an optional LED light to your phone. Click through to Connect for more details.

Following Nokia's launch of the the Lumia 925 in London yesterday, we had a chance to get our hands on the new device, which features a camera with a 6-element lens, try it out and take some pictures. We also spoke to Juha Alarkuu, the head of Nokia's imaging department in Finland, and Samuli Hanninen, vice president of Software Program Management for Nokia, about the 925's new imaging technology and what it means for mobile photographers. Click through for the full story on connect.dpreview.com.

BlackBerry is offering up the first major update to its new operating system. The update brings a more restrictive work-only setting, better visualization of device information and an HDR camera mode for users of the Z10 handset. The smartphone maker also debuted a new phone today: the Q5 includes a Qwerty keyboard as well as two BlackBerry capture features, TimeShift and StoryMaker. Read more at connect.dpreview.com.

While the Lumia 925 Nokia announced today may not offer the stunning specs of the 808's PureView technology, the device does hold promise for mobile photography fans. Its six-element lens design promises improved detail in good light and better quality in low light, and the sensitivity includes a new ISO 3200 setting. An aluminum-edge body with polycarbonate back, integrated antenna and wireless charging are also new, along with the Nokia Smart Camera app which offers some interesting shooting modes, including the unique Motion Focus. See sample images on connect.dpreview.com.

Developer Duka Istvan has created a release candidate of digiCamControl - free, open-source software that allows Nikon DSLRs (and a small but growing number from other brands) to be remotely controlled via computer. digiCamControl is Windows PC software and allows you to see your camera's live view image on your computer screen, as well as trigger a tethered DSLR remotely, either directly or using a programmable timer. Multiple cameras can be connected at the same time. Click through for more details on connect.dpreview.com.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has no doubt been one of the most high-profile smartphone launches of the year. We're digging into its camera capabilities for our full review of Samsung's newest flagship phone, first playing with some of the more innovative capture features from its Dual Shot to Drama mode. We offer our first thoughts on the S4's camera today on connect.dpreview.com.