Hands on with Yamaha's Spotify Connect AV receivers

Spotify's new Connect service was launched this week and audio device makers used the IFA electronics show to launch the first wave of products that tie into it. I tried it out with the Yamaha RX-A830, a $900 audio receiver that also supports Pandora and Rhapsody streaming on some models.

Spotify Connect allows home audio equipment such as speakers and amplifiers to directly stream content from the popular Internet music service.

To use the feature, you'll first need a Spotify Premium account. These cost $10, €10, or £10 depending on your country. And you'll also need to download the Spotify Connect app, which is currently available for iPhone and iPad. Android and desktop versions are promised "in the coming months."

The service works in a similar way to the Google's recently-launched Chromecast dongle for TVs.

Like Chromecast, the device is controlled from a smartphone or tablet PC while the actual streaming takes place directly between the device and Internet source. This is a step away from the current method of streaming video or audio via the phone or tablet to the TV.

The change means the phone isn't continually tied up streaming and can even be switched off or taken away without affecting the stream.

On the new Yamaha receivers, the control with the receiver is accomplished via the Internet and can take place from anywhere with a connection. So, while the receiver is fixed in, say, the living room, the controlling device doesn't necessarily need to be on the same network. It could be on a different wireless LAN or connected via a 3G cellular signal from anywhere in the world.

IDGNSThe Spotify app running on an iPad at IFA 2013

Setting up the service is quite simple. Your audio gear needs to be connected to a network and registered with your account in Spotify. On the RX-A830 this done using an Ethernet cable.

Once connected, control was easy through the Spotify app. The app on the Yamaha booth had a couple of devices registered, so I first chose the RX-A830 receiver. Then it was as simple as clicking on a song to play.

The instruction to stream the song is sent from the app to Spotify which sends the music directly to the RX-A830. It all happened without any perceptible delay.

Songs can be played, skipped or paused using the app or through the RX-A830's remote control. The app also displays the current volume level of the RX-A830 and you can adjust it.

The shift of streaming from being via the phone to direct to the audio device is what's most useful. No longer is Spotify tied to a computing device.

While Yamaha's demonstration at IFA worked without any problems, the company said the firmware for the service wasn't quite working perfectly. It expects an update in the coming weeks that will fix any lingering problems with this new feature.

Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service.
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Hands on with Sony's QX10 lens camera

One of the most intriguing products to appear at this year’s IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin is Sony’s QX-series of “lens cameras.”

At first glance both the QX10 and QX100 look like conventional lenses for an SLR (single lens reflex) camera but there’s more to them. They are essentially compact digital still cameras without screens and control buttons.

Sony’s QX10 lens camera

Behind the lens in each of the devices is a image sensor—the chip found inside every camera that converts light to an electronic image, an image processing chip and a WiFi adapter. Both come with a clip that can be used to mount them to a smartphone and it’s software in the smartphone that is used to control them and replace the viewfinder.

The idea is that users get the best of both worlds—compact digital camera quality images with the advantages of smartphone photography, such as the ability to instantly upload or share pictures.

But what’s the reality? I took the QX10 out for a test at IFA and here’s what I found out.

One of the first things you’ll need to do is download Sony’s PlayMemories software. It’s available for Android and iOS and is used to control the QX10 and QX100. It needs to be paired with the lens using a password that is printed on the manual or inside the battery compartment lid on each lens. The connection is made over WiFi Direct or, if the phone supports it, NFC (near field communication).

Once the software is installed, you’re ready to start snapping pictures.

Photo: Martyn WilliamsSony’s QX10 lens camera is mounted on a Galaxy Nexus smartphone here.

I tried it on my Galaxy Nexus, an Android phone from late 2011. Clipping the lens onto the phone was very easy and at 90 grams, the QX10 didn’t end up making the 135-gram phone front heavy. I found it easiest to hold the phone by grabbing the lens body as I walked around taking pictures.

The software shows a live image and has on-screen zoom and shutter controls, but I found it easier to use the physical zoom and shutter buttons on the side of the QX10. The camera can be focused by tapping on any area of the live image, much like the camera software in most smartphones.

It also provides some of the settings you’d normally adjust through a camera’s menu including the shooting mode, white balance, picture size and quality, exposure control and ability to automatically transfer a review image (either a 2-megapixel version or the original) to the phone after each picture is taken. The actual images are stored in a microSD card that fits into the QX10 alongside its battery.

There wasn’t much of a perceptible lag in the live image, but it wasn’t always smooth when panning from side to side.

It took about four seconds from the button being pressed to the picture appearing on the phone screen. That’s slower than a digital still camera, but then the QX10 is a compromise between two devices and it does that quite well.

Photo: Martyn WilliamsHere’s an image taken with a Panasonic DMC-ZX3 digital still camera... (click to enlarge)

It did great in bright light and low light—the intelligent auto mode will take several pictures and merge them when there’s not enough light—but some of the pictures seemed to lack a little of the brightness and color that came from a compact digital camera when I took comparison images. However, that’s not to say the QX10 pictures were bad.

I found it useful to have a lower resolution version of each picture sent to my phone. They are not too large for the phone to handle and perfect for sending to social media channels or attaching to emails.

Photo: Martyn Williams... now compare that to one taken with Sony's QX10 lens camera. (Click to enlarge.)

I’ve never been able to take such high quality photos with my cellphone, so for that the QX10 is a winner. If you like to take pictures and are always disappointed by the camera on a smartphone then the QX10 and sister QX100 are worth considering. But if you’re more serious about taking pictures, you might want to stick to your digital camera.

The QX10 and QX100 will be available from late September. In the U.S., the QX10 with 10x optical zoom is expected to cost $250 and the QX100, which has a 3.6x zoom and larger image sensor, expected to cost $500.

Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service.
More by Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

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