Technology

The Duovox Mate Pro is a tiny camera that truly sees in the dark

Published

2 years ago

April 13, 2022

The Duovox Mate Pro is a tiny camera that truly sees in the dark

In case you have a comparatively latest cellphone, you in all probability have a devoted night time mode in your digicam app. These options have reworked the probabilities for night-time pictures, mixing a number of photos collectively to create a single shiny publicity. However there are limitations to this method — it’s important to keep nonetheless, for instance, and it doesn’t work with video.

The makers of a brand new digicam referred to as the Duovox Mate Professional, which simply launched on Kickstarter, are betting that there’s nonetheless a spot for devoted low-light {hardware}. The Mate Professional is a compact digicam with a Sony STARVIS 2 CMOS sensor that Duovox claims is a thousand instances extra delicate than the sensor in an iPhone 13 Professional and has 148 % extra dynamic vary than a Sony A7S III.

Sony’s STARVIS picture sensors are primarily designed for safety cameras. They use bottom illumination and have the power to seize infrared mild in addition to seen mild, which lets them produce a viewable picture in essentially the most excessive of lighting situations.

The Mate Professional’s design is utilitarian however cute in its personal manner. The proportions type of remind me of Pentax’s Q line of mirrorless cameras from a decade in the past — there’s a tiny lens that appears large on a fair tinier physique, which is barely 4 inches broad. The again panel of the digicam is solely occupied by a 3-inch touchscreen, which is used to manage virtually every thing; the highest plate simply has an influence button, a shutter button, and four-way directional buttons.

The excessive mild sensitivity is clearly obvious when strolling round with the Mate Professional. I stay in Tokyo, the place it’s tough to search out your self in a really pitch-black scenario, however the darkest alleyways in my neighborhood regarded like daylight on the Mate Professional’s display screen, with colours rendered clearly. It’s an fascinating different to a flashlight — you possibly can see the entire scene in entrance of you rather than shining a lightweight in a sure route. (There’s additionally an precise flashlight mounted on the entrance of the digicam, too.)

Simply don’t count on the picture high quality to carry up for nonetheless pictures. The sensor is barely 2K decision, and the chances are actually stacked in opposition to the Mate Professional whenever you examine it to a smartphone night time mode that makes use of advanced algorithms and a contemporary picture sign processor. Duovox says it’s utilizing superior noise discount, however the outcomes are nonetheless very noisy. Right here’s an instance subsequent to the Oppo Discover X5 Professional, which I’d charge as having the most effective night time modes out there at the moment:

A darkish alleyway captured on the Duovox Mate Professional (left) and the Oppo Discover X5 Professional (proper). The Duovox picture is brighter however a lot tighter and noisier.

Poor picture high quality apart, the Mate Professional’s lens isn’t actually perfect for normal pictures, both. The focal size is tight however the minimal focusing distance is lengthy, which means it’s not helpful for taking photographs of shut objects. For snapshots and fast video clips, although, it does the job.

It’s higher to think about the Duovox Mate Professional as a transportable safety digicam than an inventive software. You may seize footage of absolutely anything with this machine, and it’s sufficiently small to mount virtually wherever and depart to run for so long as the battery (inside or USB-C-powered exterior) holds out. There’s additionally a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot so you possibly can stream the digicam’s feed to Duovox’s smartphone app.

I may see the Mate Professional as a helpful journey accent, too. I typically do keep in elements of Japan with little or no mild — sadly not through the time I’ve had with the Mate Professional — and it will be useful when mountain climbing, driving, or on the lookout for wildlife.

The Mate Professional is offered on Kickstarter from $599, however Duovox says the usual retail worth will probably be $1,200, which looks like a stretch. Relying in your use case, although, $599 will both be some huge cash to pay for a foul picture digicam or a fairly whole lot for professional night time imaginative and prescient in your pocket. It’s anticipated to ship in October this 12 months.

Technology

A Bank of America outage showed customers blanked-out account balances

Published

4 hours ago

October 3, 2024

Press Room

A Bank of America outage showed customers blanked-out account balances

First, it was Spotify, then Verizon, then PlayStation, and now it’s apparently Bank of America’s turn to have an outage this week. Some customers reported problems accessing their bank accounts on Wednesday, with the balances showing $0 or “—-” instead of what should be there.

“Some mobile and online banking clients experienced an issue accessing their accounts and balance information earlier today,” writes Bank of America media relations executive Matt Card in an email to The Verge. “These technology issues have been fully resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Reports spiked just before 1PM ET on Downdetector, with posts across X and Reddit from people reporting that their account balances don’t show anything (some mentioned that the amounts they owe, however, appear to be displaying accurately).

We verified this afternoon that the bank’s app was showing customers a notification that “Accounts temporarily unavailable” and that “Some accounts and/or balances are temporarily unavailable,” as reported previously by CNN. Some people have reported their accounts are working or intermittently gaining access to their information, and it’s unclear how many people have been affected. In July, Bank of America said 58 million clients use its “digital capabilities to help manage their financial lives” and that they connected a record 23.4 billion times last year.

There’s no word on what might have caused the problem, but let us know if things are working for you now.

Update, October 3rd: Added updated Bank of America statement.

Technology

Let your iPhone read aloud what you can't see

Published

4 hours ago

October 3, 2024

Press Room

Let your iPhone read aloud what you can't see

Apple’s iOS 18 brings a host of new features aimed at enhancing your accessibility.

Among these, the upgraded Magnifier app stands out with its innovative Reader Mode, designed to assist you in reading small or dark text with ease.

A woman having trouble reading things (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Ensure you have iOS 18 installed

Before you can take advantage of the new features in the Magnifier app, make sure your device is running iOS 18. Follow these steps to check and update your iOS.

GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT’S NEWSLETTER – THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE

Check your current iOS Version:

Open the Settings app on your device
Tap General
Tap About, and you’ll see the version number next to Software Version.

Update to iOS 18:

Go to Settings
Tap General
Tap Software Update
If iOS 18 is available, tap Download and Install
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update

Steps to update to iOS 18 on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

APPLE’S BOLD MOVE INTO AI: NEW IPHONE 16, AIRPODS AND WATCHES

The power of Magnifier’s Reader Mode

Have you ever struggled to read something small or in poor lighting? The new Reader Mode in iOS 18’s Magnifier app is here to help. By simply snapping a picture, this feature translates all the text in the image into a clear, easy-to-read page. Here are the steps to use Reader Mode.

Launch the Magnifier app on your iOS device. You can do this by searching for it in the Spotlight search or accessing it via Control Center if you’ve added it there.
Once inside the Magnifier app, tap on the Settings icon (or gear icon) in the top or bottom corner of the screen.
In the settings menu, click Capture to enable Reader Mode by toggling the switch.
Click the left-hand yellow arrow in the upper left of the screen to exit.
Next, tap Done

Steps to use Magnifier Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE US NEWS

Now, position your camera over the text you want to read and tap the Capture button to take a picture.
After taking the picture, you’ll see an option to apply Reader Mode. Tap on the Reader Mode icon to convert the text into a clear, readable format.
Customize your reading experience by adjusting font size, contrast and background color using the controls at the bottom of the screen. This helps improve readability, especially in low-light conditions or for small fonts.
You can scroll up and down the screen to read the text.
When you are done, just tap the X in the black circle in the upper right of the screen.
Then tap the X in the yellow circle where it says close below it to completely exit.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR IPHONE & IPAD FROM MALWARE

Steps to use Magnifier Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

APPLE TRANSFORMS AIRPODS PRO 2 INTO LOW-COST HEARING AIDS

Text-to-speech functionality

In addition to visual adjustments, the Reader Mode also includes a text-to-speech option. This allows the app to read the text out loud, making it even more accessible for those with visual impairments or those who prefer auditory learning. Here’s how to use the Magnifier’s Reader Mode.

Launch the Magnifier app on your iOS device. You can do this by searching for it in the Spotlight search or accessing it via Control Center if you’ve added it there.
Now, position your camera over the text you want to read. Tap the Capture button to take a picture.
After taking the picture, you’ll see an option to apply Reader Mode. Tap on the Reader Mode icon to convert the text into a clear, readable format.
Customize your reading experience by adjusting font size, contrast and background color using the controls at the bottom of the screen. This helps improve readability, especially in low-light conditions or for small fonts.
Then tap the Play button at the bottom of the screen to listen to the text.
Tap the X at the top right of the screen to exit.
If you want to keep the text for later or share it with someone, tap the Share icon to save or send the readable version of the text.
When you want to exit, tap the yellow circle with the X in the center of it.

Steps to use text-to-speech functionality in Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

SUBSCRIBE TO KURT’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR QUICK VIDEO TIPS ON HOW TO WORK ALL OF YOUR TECH DEVICES

Kurt’s key takeaways

The new Reader Mode in iOS 18’s Magnifier app is a game-changer for accessibility. By offering customizable reading options and text-to-speech functionality, Apple continues to lead the way in making technology more inclusive for everyone. Whether you’re reading small print or navigating low-light conditions, the Magnifier app ensures that you can access the information you need with ease.

What other features would you like to see in future iOS updates to enhance your iPhone experience? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

Follow Kurt on his social channels

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

New from Kurt:

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year

Published

15 hours ago

October 2, 2024

Press Room

Charter will offer Peacock for free with some cable subscriptions next year

Charter’s Spectrum TV Select cable plan will include a free ad-supported Peacock Premium subscription next year, reports Reuters. The addition comes as Charter announced today that it has reached a new “multi-year deal” with NBCUniversal, which owns Peacock, to keep its TV channels in Charter’s cable lineup.

Charter recently lined up a similar agreement with Disney that lets it bundle Disney’s ad-supported Disney Plus Basic with Spectrum TV Select. (Upgrading to Spectrum TV Select Plus adds ESPN Plus, too.)

It’s all part of Charter’s new hybrid approach to bundles that allows it to bundle other companies’ streaming subscriptions with its cable plans and even sell them to its internet customers, too. That lets the company boost the value of its plans by pitching customers on the convenience of bundling all of their myriad streaming services into one bill. (For more context on that, check out Alex Cranz’s Verge story diving into Charter’s new play as cable continues its decline.)

As for the cost of the plan, Charter doesn’t seem to have announced that yet. Customers signing up for Spectrum cable offerings today can choose from TV Stream ($40 per month), TV Select Signature ($95 per month), or TV Select Plus ($105 per month) — or one of the two Spanish language offerings for $25 or $70 per month.