Archive for May, 2013

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 spec leak

The newest hot Android tablet from Samsung might be coming pretty soon. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 just got its press pic leaked. We also have some intel on specs for the device. Here’s the industry speculation at the moment,

• Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE versions
• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 8-inch 1280 x 800 pixels display (could be better at time of launch)
• 1.3MP front-facing camera
• 5MP rear camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Dual-core 1.5GHz processor
• 1.5GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal memory
• MicroSD card support (up to 64GB)
• 4,450 mAh battery

As you can see, the specs aren’t spectacular, but perhaps the price will be competitive because of that. If they can price it below a certain point it could put the squeeze on the Apple iPad Mini. We will keep you apprised if something more concrete comes out.

Posted by: Gareth

Samsung Galaxy Mega to be available SIM free in July

Expansys have told us today that the monster Samsung Galaxy Mega is due to arrive in the UK in July. At this stage an exact date and price cant be  confirmed but as soon as we have them we’ll let you know.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is a versatile device that combines the convenience of a smartphone with the impressive power and viewing experience of a tablet. At 6.3-inches it’s the perfect device for those customers who need an incredibly capable smartphone with a little something extra.

With a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU and a stunningly large 6.3-inch HD display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution the Galaxy Mega is anything but small and compact. But despite its large frame the Mega is still ultra thin and light, making it easy to hold and operate with one hand. The large screen with landscape mode support offers a great viewing experience for all your video content, web browsing or reading.

Some love for Google TV

Google has been mentioned at Google I/O this year. Although not specificly in the keynote, they announced some cool new things for the service. First, Google is now sending out the latest Android 4.2.2/Jelly Bean to Google TV. This is a welcome upgrade and should get GTV users excited. Additionally, they are also sending out the latest version of Chrome as well. Now browsing on your Google TV should be even faster than before.
That’s not all. Google also announced they plan to bring updates to Google TV on a much more timely basis, specifically stating “weeks rather than months.” Here’s a quote below from the Google TV developer’s blog G+ account with all the details,

Quote:

Over the past few months Google TV has gathered momentum by launching powerful features for our users such as the highest quality voice search of any TV product and strong manufacturer adoption of the platform. At Google I/O, it’s time to talk about developers and enabling them to bring more great experiences to TV.
Today, Google TV is moving to the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean, 4.2.2), and we’ve refactored Google TV so that our TV OEM partners can update to future versions of Android in a matter of weeks rather than months. For developers, this means you can build TV experiences using the latest Android APIs, including the NDK.
Today Google TV is also moving to the latest version of Chrome, and from now on Google TV benefits from Chrome updates on the same six week cycle that you’ve come to expect from Chrome. In Chrome on Google TV, we’ve added support for hardware-based content protection, enabling developers to provide premium TV content in HD within their web apps.
Google TV-powered devices in market will start to receive updates in the coming months, and we expect to see new devices launched later this year. If you are attending Google IO, please check out the “Android: As seen on TV!” session and stop by the Google TV Developer Sandbox area.
https://developers.google.com/tv/

LG has already updated some of their new Google TV equipped LG HDTVs with the newest Android 4.2.2 version. Above is a video of the TV with the new update.

Posted by: Gareth

Samsung Galaxy S4 criticised by BBC Watchdog

There have been many complaints on tech blogs and forums about the amount of free storage on Samsung’s new Galaxy S4 but it seems to have got to the point now where the issue has hit the radar of mainstream media, appearing as an item on BBC TV’s Watchdog programme last night.

The issue surfaced almost immediately after the launch of the S4 just a few weeks ago with many new owners copying files and apps from their old S2 or S3 and running out of space, despite the advertised space being the same as the previous model.

As it turns out, on a 16GB model only around 9GB is actually free for the user to store their own apps and media. That’s pretty bad!

In a statement to CNET, Samsung said users have the option to add more memory with a SD card, something its rivals the HTC One and iPhone can’t do.

For the Galaxy S4 16 GB model, approximately 6.85 GB occupies the system part of internal memory, which is 1 GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide a high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers.

Although the S4 does indeed have an SD card slot allowing for additional storage space it’s not possible to install apps on the memory card so this leaves it useful for music and video only.

Interestingly Samsung have hit out at the iPhone and the HTC One in their statement saying that neither of the competitors have micro SD card capability, however, neither of the competitors use almost half of the available storage just for the OS!

Posted by: Matt

BBM to come to iOS and Android

The BBLive event is currently in full swing in Orlando at the moment and several announcements have been made during this mornings Keynote. Perhaps the most surprising news to come out of the Keynote is that BlackBerry will be making BBM, the BlackBerry to BlackBerry messaging app, available for FREE to users with devices running iOS 6 and Android ICS or higher via stand alone application.

The rollout will commence ‘this summer’ and will initially start with iOS followed by Android shortly after. To begin with only groups and messages will be supported with BBM Voice and BBM Video said to follow later.

As a former BlackBerry user that’s gone back to Android I think this is excellent news for consumers but have to wonder if it’s such a smart move for BlackBerry.

The full press release can be found below.

BBM for iOS and Android to Launch This Summer

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – May 14, 2013) – BlackBerry(R) (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB) today announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry(R) Messenger (BBM(TM)), available to iOS(R) and Android(TM) users this summer, with support planned for iOS6, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher, all subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. BBM sets the standard for mobile instant messaging with a fast, reliable, engaging experience that includes delivered and read statuses, and personalized profiles and avatars. Upon release, BBM customers would be able to broaden their connections to include friends, family and colleagues on other mobile platforms.

In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.

"For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community," said Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem, at BlackBerry.

BBM is loved by customers for its "D" and "R" statuses, which show up in chats to let people know with certainty that their message has been delivered and read. It provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.

BBM has more than 60 million monthly active customers, with more than 51 million people using BBM an average of 90 minutes per day. BBM customers collectively send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.

Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play.

If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple(R) App Store(SM) and Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.