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Philadelphia Daily News Jonathan Takiff column [Philadelphia Daily News :: ](Philadelphia Daily News (PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 11--THOSE TV commercials for the new HTC One (M8) smartphone strike a novel chord. Mid-spot, there's a long, pregnant silence, during which viewers are supposed to go searching online for user comments. Clearly, HTC is confident that it's built something different and worthy here. And after a week of "hands-on" use, Gizmo Guy would agree. Especially for photo shooters, this is one special whipper-snapper. THREE LENSES ARE BETTER THAN TWO: Everybody's into selfies -- self-portraits shot with the screen-side camera on a smartphone. Samsung was recently outed for commissioning celebrity selfies at the Academy Awards and White House. (The Secret Service won't be fooled again, David Ortiz; nor will Oscar, Ms. DeGeneres.) HTC helps you take better selfies on the M8 with the highest-resolution, 5-megapixel screen-side camera in all of smartphone-dom. Performs well even in low light and with a very wide-angle perspective that's only mildly distorting at arm's length. Most postable! Even more intriguing is the unique Duo Camera array on the M8's backside. One lens is considered primary, the second lens captures depth information stored alongside each image. To what end? Just take a picture. When reviewing the image, tap on the edit feature, "UFocus." Now tap on the portion of the screen image you'd like to sharpen. That part stays clear while the rest of the picture automatically blurs. Called the "bokeh" effect, this aesthetic can also be achieved with high-end cameras if you know the ins-and-outs of varying lens apertures and shutter speeds. Or done with post-production editing software. But on the HTC One (M8), the bokeh flourish is automatic. MORE STUNTS: UFocus makes it easy to convert one zone of an image to monochrome, while the rest stays in color. Or make the background look like a sketchy cartoon drawing while the front section remains photo-realistic. Also fun (and a little creepy) is a quasi 3-D effect. Wiggle a finger over screen subjects to make them twist and turn, popping out three-dimensionally. A CRITICISM: There's been some grousing that the 4-megapixel front cameras on the HTC One (M8) are not sufficiently "high resolution" for cropping a section of the total image. HTC counters that the unusually large size of its pixels is a more important factor for most photo shooters, enabling the capture of clearer, brighter, low-noise images in low-light conditions. And M8 doesn't suffer from the shutter lag of some higher-res phone shooters, like the new (20 MP) Nokia Lumia Icon. WHAT ELSE HAS SHE GOT? A thing of beauty, the HTC One (M8) boasts a sleek metal unibody, excellent 5-inch HD screen, smart-battery-extending features and superior sound (no longer "Beats" branded, but better for it) through micro-speakers and upgraded headphone amp. A built-in FM radio enables off-grid listening. Sprint calls were crystal-clear in my test unit. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile also have the phone at $149 (from Best Buy) or $199, with two-year contract. Also check out the M8's semi-see-through "Dot View" case. Without flipping open the cover, you can check the time and who's calling, then answer with a swipe or by lifting the phone to your ear. Some will relish the upgraded HTC Blink Feed, a variation on Windows Phone's "Live Tiles" home screen, regularly freshening content from news feeds and social media. But on an HTC One, you can turn the tiles off and resort to a standard Android menu with just another swipe of a finger. Phone: 215-854-5960 Blog: philly.com/gizmoguy Online: ph.ly/Tech ___ (c)2014 the Philadelphia Daily News Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at www.philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |