Insert Coin: BubblePod clockwork turntable lets your phone capture 360-degree images

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.



The problem with capturing panoramic stills with your phone is that you need to keep a steady motion when panning around, but we all know that only a robot can perform such feat perfectly. That's why this little BubblePod caught our attention. The device is essentially a mini clockwork turntable so no battery is required -- just wind it up, slip an iOS, Android or BB10 device into the silicone grip, fire up the BubblePix app and hit the BubblePod's release button for a steady 40-second rewind.

The sample panoramic shots (or "bubbles") we saw have almost no visible stitching, and the app can simultaneously record an audio clip to capture the atmosphere as well. Better yet, in addition to its rubberized base, the BubblePod is also built with a universal tripod mount plus a wine bottle insert mount!

This Kickstarter project will offer a unit if you pledge a minimum of £15 (about $23) for the limited early bird offer or £20 (about $31) later on, plus £5 (about $8) to ship outside the UK. Do check out the demo video after the break, and feel free to grab yourself a BubblePod before funding ends on July 9th.

Comcast launching Xfinity-branded cloud-based home control, muni-fi services

Kabletown Comcast is taking advantage of the calm before the WWDC/E3 storm to announce two initiatives to help out 'round the home. First up, the company is adding a public WiFi channel to its newest Wireless Gateway hardware, enabling your home to become a muni-fi hotspot for roving Xfinity customers. Wondering how public usage might affect your personal bandwidth cap situation? Basically the way it works is if you're a Comcast customer, you log in to the WiFi (on someone else's modem) with your account username / password, and any bandwidth you use is counted on your account, not theirs. At the same time, it's launching EcoSaver for Xfinity Home, a cloud-based home control solution that'll turn your thermostat down (basically the existing Xfinity Home Secure offering, minus the alarm bits) when you're out and about and freak out the kid you'll pay to come house-sit during your vacation.

Early hands-on with Samsung's latest Galaxy devices: GS4 Active, GS4 mini, plus 8- and 10-inch Tab 3

Samsung just held a small preview event in Helsinki, Finland, where we briefly had the chance to play with some of its latest devices. The Intel-powered Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 was there, along with the smaller Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. We also grabbed a few moments with the Galaxy S 4 mini as well as the Galaxy S 4 Active, both of which seemed kinda predictable but nevertheless managed to leave a good impression. There was no sign of the new Galaxy Ace 3 or the heavily rumored Galaxy S 4 Zoom, and we weren't able to grab video of any of the products, but we do have a gallery for you below and some very early impressions if you read on.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 mini, S 4 Active, Tab 3 8.0 and Tab 3 10.1 hands-on







Galaxy Tab 3 10.1



The 10.1-inch Tab 3 certainly felt snappy during our time with the device, though the low screen resolution (1,280 x 800 pixels) reminded us of Apple's older second generation iPad. The screen was also quite reflective, making it difficult to read outside, despite the fact that we were on a covered terrace. The whole package felt a little clunky and the build quality reflected that. This is Samsung's first Intel-powered Android tablet, however, and the company did say to us that hardware wasn't final.
Galaxy Tab 3 8.0



The smaller 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3, on the other hand, captured our hearts. The press photos don't do it justice. In the hand it's incredibly solid, with no obvious corners cut on build quality compared to the Galaxy Note 8.0, and the 1,280 x 800 pixel screen is surprisingly crisp. Again, no lag was immediately apparent and websites rendering fairly quickly over the event's open WiFi connection. Reflections were minimal, no matter which angle the screen was tilted. One-handed use was also a breeze thanks to the wide aspect raio and small bezels.
Galaxy S 4 mini



Moving on to the phones, the GS 4 mini predictably looks like a GS4 that was zapped with a shrink ray. The build quality was excellent, and the 4.3-inch 960 x 540 screen was more than adequate to our eyes, though you could see the pixels if you held it just a few inches closer than normal. The TouchWiz on-screen keyboard was a tad difficult to use, but only because we're used to jumbo flagships.
Galaxy S 4 Active



The phone's 5-inch 1080p LCD seemed to have more accurate colors than the AMOLED panel in the GS4, but where the Active really stood out was outdoor readability. It remained perfectly clear, even in direct sunlight. The extra weight (21 grams) compared to the GS4 also makes the phone feel more hefty, though we'd still call it a light phone. On top there's a waterproof (up to a depth of one meter) headphone jack, while on the bottom there's a flap protecting the micro USB port. We clicked the device's bottom row of physical buttons with confidence too, though they are somewhat slippery.

Stay tuned, because we're hoping to get a fuller hands-on time with each device soon -- perhaps at Samsung's June 20th event in London.

The Apple Store is down

Another WWDC, another liveblog and some downtime for the Apple Store, as it hopefully prepares for new things. The site's currently out of action for us -- we'll let you know if we spot anything new when it returns.