Author: Mike Stenger

Redbox, in partnership with Verizon, has been gearing up its Instant service and finally launched today in the US. For $8 per month, customers can get unlimited movie streaming and four one-night DVD rentals every month. Redbox and Verizon announced a joint venture to launch Instant back in February of 2012. Users will be able to stream content via iOS, Android, Xbox 360, Samsung connected TVs or Blu-ray players, and Mac or PC. Redbox Instant does have some catching up to do in terms of streaming titles. Major competitor Netflix currently has around 14,000 streamable titles available in the US while Redbox Instant only has around 4,600 titles. However, Instant’s four one-night DVD rentals included in the $8 monthly subscription, may be enough to attract people.

Source: Redbox Instant by Verizon

Come comment on this article: Netflix Rival Redbox Instant Launches In The US

HTC is wanting the launch of their One smartphone to be a success and has extended a special deal through April 4. For consumers in the market for a new phone, when you sign up online and buy the HTC One, you’ll receive a $100 Visa pre-paid gift card in the mail. To fully qualify, you’re required to send in your old smartphone and proof of One purchase. HTC doesn’t say how long it’ll take for the gift card to arrive, but you can likely expect at least several weeks after mailing your old phone and proof of purchase. Does this deal entice you to buy the new HTC One or are you more interested in another phone?

Come comment on this article: Buy An HTC One, Get $100 Visa Gift Card Deal Extended Through April 4

Last night’s Samsung Unpacked event unveiled the Galaxy S 4 and one accessory, the Game Pad, caught gamers’ interest. Looking very reminiscent of an Xbox 360 controller, the Game Pad can attach to the S 4 for better game play on the phone’s 5-inch 1080p HD display. What’s particularly interesting though is that it works with devices up to 6.3 inches. If you’ve been following news around the Galaxy Note III, you’ll remember that it’s rumored to have a 6.3 inch Full HD display. We’re still months away from hearing anything concrete about the Note III, but in the meantime, you can check out the video below of the Samsung Game Pad in action.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Samsung

Come comment on this article: Samsung Game Pad Accessory Hints At 6.3″ Galaxy Note III

NFC payment technology is on the cutting edge and Samsung has implemented Visa payWave into the Galaxy S 4 which completely bypasses carriers. Visa payWave works by storing encrypted payment information on an embedded secure element within the phone versus storing payment information on your SIM card. Samsung claims the Galaxy S 4 is the world’s first device to do this with Visa payWave. NFC payment services like Google Wallet have had issues with carriers, Verizon being the largest. Back in December, the carrier delayed approval of Google Wallet while not surprisingly developing their own mobile payment service, Isis. Samsung seems to have been aware of carriers interfering and has developed a better way for users to pay with their smartphones.

Source: CNET UK

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S 4 Bypasses Carriers With Latest NFC Technology

The Samsung Galaxy S IV isn’t just packing upgraded hardware and an iPhone shattering 5-inch 1080p HD display. Several new software features were added with the camera being up first, benefiting from some of what you’ll find in the Galaxy Camera:

• Cinema Photo which captures still images from moving backgrounds
• Shooting in Drama Shot burst mode, you can create animated gifs
• Eraser mode removes unwanted background objects or people
• Sound & Shot mode adds audio to the background of still images
• Story Album automatically groups photos based on details such as location or time

Air View, a feature once found only in the Galaxy Note II, gives you a pop-up window preview of content when you hover over certain apps or menus. For users on the go, S Health in combination with new sensors, helps you stay fit. Samsung’s voice recognition app S Voice now includes S Voice Drive which allows you to navigate and get to places without ever having to look at your phone. With the Galaxy S IV, you’ll even be able to translate nine different languages via text or voice.

Another feature that piqued interest is Smart Scroll which utilizes the front-facing camera and scrolls based on the direction your eyes move. Furthering the eye-tracking technology, Smart Pause will pause a video if you happen to look away. You can check out the video below which shows off the Samsung Galaxy S IV and its new features.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S IV Adds Smart Software Features: New Camera Modes, S Voice Drive And More

Samsung is the top manufacturer of Android devices and to maintain its dominance in the marketplace, outspent Apple by $68 million in 2012. According to ad research and consulting firm Kantar Media, Samsung spent $401 million advertising its devices in the U.S. last year while Apple spent $333 million. Prior to that, Apple spent three times more on advertising in 2011 than Samsung. The increase in advertising is definitely noticed with the South Korean company investing millions in Super Bowl Ads, having a big presence at Mobile World Congress, and even consuming commercial time during the Oscars.

Wireless carrier executives claim that Samsung also spends a sizeable chunk on advertising off the screen with in-store advertising, promotions, and training for sales representatives who help get devices into the hands of consumers. Better yet, that advertising backs quality products. Patrick Remy, VP of Devices at Orange in the UK, says customers rarely ever return Samsung devices.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Come comment on this article: Samsung Ramped Up Advertising In 2012, Outspent Apple By $68 Million

Andy Rubin has been instrumental in getting Android to where it is today and is leaving the Android team. In an official blog post from Google CEO Larry Page, Andy is handing over the position to Sundar Pichai to “start a new chapter at Google”. Sundar has worked on Chrome, Google Apps, and Android since 2004. From the blog post:

“Sundar has a talent for creating products that are technically excellent yet easy to use—and he loves a big bet. Take Chrome, for example. In 2008, people asked whether the world really needed another browser. Today Chrome has hundreds of millions of happy users and is growing fast thanks to its speed, simplicity and security. So while Andy’s a really hard act to follow, I know Sundar will do a tremendous job doubling down on Android as we work to push the ecosystem forward.”

Larry also talked about the growth of Android with partnerships of over 60 manufacturers, 750 million devices activated globally, and 25 billion apps downloaded from Google Play.

Source: Official Google Blog

Come comment on this article: Andy Rubin, SVP Of Mobile And Digital Content At Google, Leaves Android Team

Acer hinted at developing its first ever phablet during Mobile World Congress, and it now appears the phablet will be unveiled in June at Computex, the world’s second largest computer trade show that takes place June 4-8 in Taipei, Taiwan. Acer Corporate President Jim Wong shared the news with Focus Taiwan and said it will have special features, including another phablet with “big upgrades” that will launch either at the end of this year or early next year. Details are still scarce and Jim hinted at a competitive price point which is on par with the Samsung Galaxy Note II.

Source: Focus Taiwan

Come comment on this article: Acer Unveiling First Ever Phablet In June

Apple was late to launch a smaller version of its iPad and with a price tag much higher than more powerful Android equivalents, it’s lead many to question the value. Of course that all depends on your preference of mobile ecosystem. SamMobile has laid out six reasons why you should buy the Galaxy Note 8.0 instead which includes a full comparison chart.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 has a Multi Window feature which allows you to use multiple apps at once. For example, this can be useful for pulling up a document while talking to someone. Multi Window support is not a deal breaker by any means, but it is pretty nifty.

Reading Mode optimizes the display to make it easier on your eyes. Easy access to digital books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other destinations, has helped turn tablets into our everyday reading companion.

S Pen turns the Galaxy Note 8.0 into a digital canvas of sorts, allowing you to draw, paint, or just write things down in a more natural way. Sure, you can use a stylus with the iPad Mini, but chances are it’s not going to be as smooth since S Pen is integrated with the tablet.

While the iPad Mini has the same resolution as the original iPad released back in 2010, the Galaxy Note 8.0 has a 1280×800 display with 26 more pixels per inch.

With a 1GHz dual-core processor and 512MB RAM in the Mini, the Note 8.0 significantly outperforms with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor and 2GB RAM. The iPad Mini has up to 64GB of storage which is very pricey at $529 for the WiFi-only version, but the Note 8.0 has a microSD card slot.

Samsung has yet to share pricing and availability and with the Unpacked event gearing up, we’re likely to hear more very soon.

Source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: 6 Reasons To Grab The Galaxy Note 8.0 Over The iPad Mini

There are many boxing games out there and Real Boxing delivers great looking graphics to devices running NVIDIA’s Tegra 3, for just under $5. Powered by Unreal Engine 3, it features more realistic movement thanks to motion capture from real boxers. Fights take place in six different arenas and several mini games such as skipping rope, mini bag, or heavy bag, help train your boxer. Career Mode features over 30 fights and three belt titles to grab. You can also customize your fighter’s appearance and unlock extras such as new opponents, equipment, or clothing.

Check out the video below to see the game in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Real Boxing Brings Console Quality Fighting To Tegra 3 Devices

With the Samsung Galaxy S IV being announced in just a couple days, that’s not all Samsung will be talking about. The Galaxy S III is said to get a refresh and will feature a better display, wireless charging, and 2,400 mAh battery. This news comes from Russian journalist Eldar Murtazin who more recently was reliable with providing the day Samsung would unveil the Galaxy S IV. As far as a better screen, there are no details on what resolution and the bigger battery is just 300 mAh more than what’s in the current Galaxy S III.

Source: Eldar Murtazin’s Twitter

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S III Revamp Will Bring Upgraded Display, Wireless Charging, And Bigger Battery

Nuance has released an update of its Dragon Mobile Assistant app which brings new features such as location sharing and hands-free texting. Utilizing your phone’s GPS, users can let friends know where they’re at and set how long they want to share their location. Texting is now safer thanks to reading incoming messages out loud, and allowing users to easily send new text messages by voice. Another new feature connects with your calendar and will notify you before you have a scheduled call which it can then dial the number directly.

Launched back in October, Dragon Mobile Assistant faces stiff competition with Google’s very own Now. You can check out the video below which shows off the app’s latest features:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Nuance Dragon Mobile Assistant Adds Location Sharing, Safer Texting

AMOLED displays have been a favorite of Samsung’s for several years and according to industry insiders, could be replaced by an LCD screen in the upcoming Galaxy Note III. Company officials have been hearing through the grapevine that Sharp’s latest LCDs are the best to date. This news comes less than one week after Samsung purchased a 3 percent stake in Sharp. Switching to a Sharp LCD will supposedly improve the experience of using S Pen which is one of the Galaxy Note’s biggest features. Whether that claim is true or not has yet to be made official by either company.

Source: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note III May Drop AMOLED For LCD To Enhance S Pen

We’ve talked about Google Now integration coming to Chrome and thanks to a reference in the latest Chromium release, integration on Windows and Chrome OS is coming. Developer François Beaufort discovered the reference and posted about it on his Google+ profile. Found in chrome://flags of Chromium, users can now enable Google Now if they know the relevant server. Also, François shared the photo above of a Google Now extension that is currently inactive. With the cat now out of the bag, it’s only a matter of time before Google announces when Chrome OS and Windows users can expect to see Google Now in Chrome.

Via: The Verge
Source: Chromium Code Reviews

Come comment on this article: Google Now Making Its Way To Windows And Chrome OS, Dev Browser Shows

A new report from The Linley Group claims that the NVIDIA Tegra 4 is faster than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. However, there is one problem: Neither chip has been built yet and findings are based on what NVIDIA provided at MWC. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro was increased to 2.3GHz and a 10 percent performance increase was added thanks to the Krait 400 core. On the basis of that data, it was determined NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 will be faster.

Phone Arena decided to take a crack at figuring out which processor is indeed faster based on “a more mathematical based estimate”.

“Qualcomm’s new top-line 800 should actually beat out the Tegra 4. Consider that the latter scored scored 16,436 in the general-purpose Quadrant v2 benchmark. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 scored 12,417. Taking that score and adjusting it from the 1.7GHz clock speed of the ’600′ and computing it for the 2.3GHz ’800′ results in a score of 16,799 without factoring in any improvement to the Krait 400 core.”

Until both processors and more details are released, it’s a guessing game as to which will be the fastest. While the Tegra 4 offers speed at high power consumption, Qualcomm offers more power efficiency.

Via: Phone Arena
Source: Microprocessor Report (Subscription required)

Come comment on this article: Report: NVIDIA Tegra 4 Faster Than Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor

Apple continues to fight Samsung even after being awarded $599 million, and U.S District Judge Lucy Koh has refused to suspend a lawsuit against Samsung involving several patents relating to Siri. The case is scheduled for March 2014 and both companies have declined to comment. To make matters worse, Apple has also appealed Judge Lucy Koh’s decision to not implement a permanent sales ban on infringing Samsung devices. A ruling for that is not expected to be reached until September at the earliest.

Source: Reuters

Come comment on this article: Apple’s Siri Patent Lawsuit Vs Samsung Not Suspended Rules Judge

Full HD displays have made quite a splash on Android smartphones and Chinese company Neo has developed the world’s cheapest 1080p smartphone. Costing just 899 yuan or $145, the Neo N003 will feature a 5-inch 1920×1080 display, MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor, 13 megapixel camera, and 3,000 mAh battery. There is no official release date yet other than “soon” and it will only go on sale in China.

Source: Gizchina

Come comment on this article: World’s Cheapest 1080p Smartphone Costs $145, Launches ‘Soon’

Google had to make serious cuts at Motorola Mobility in an effort to become profitable again, and has laid off 1,200 workers or 10 percent of its workforce. An email sent to employees earlier this week, hinted at layoffs with “while we’re very optimistic about the new products in our pipeline, we still face challenges” and “our costs are too high, we’re operating in markets where we’re not competitive and we’re losing money.” Workers will be affected in the U.S., China and India.

From a Motorola spokesman:

“These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer. It’s obviously very hard for the employees concerned, and we are committed to helping them through this difficult transition.”

Back in August 2012, Google laid off 20 percent of Motorola’s workforce or 4,000 employees. With now a 30 percent reduction in employees, the tech giant is waiting for Motorola’s existing product pipeline to come to an end so it can start focusing on “actually building the next wave of innovation and product lines.”

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Come comment on this article: Google’s Motorola Mobility Laying Off 1,200 Workers Or 10% Of Staff

Sony hopes to capture more iPhone users who switch to Android every single day, and has launched its Xperia Transfer app for Mac and PC. When switching from one mobile platform to another, it can be a hassle transferring your contacts, photos, videos, messages, etc. With the app, as long as you have a Sony Xperia smartphone of course, you can transfer all your iPhone data in a few clicks. Here is a video with more details:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Sony Mobile

Come comment on this article: Sony Xperia Transfer App Makes Switching To Android From iOS Dead Simple

Google Glass is expected to hit consumers by the end of this year and we learn more about the next-generation technology all the time. An app by the name of InSight will allow wearers to identify people simply by analyzing what they’re wearing, and doesn’t even need to see the person’s face. In early tests involving 15 volunteers, Google Glass with InSight was able to correctly identify people 93 percent of the time.

Developed by Srihari Nelakuditi at the University of South Carolina and in collaboration with associates at Duke University, they created a fashion-based recognition system. The system captures photos of a user from web pages, emails, and tweets. Photos are then analyzed for colors, patterns, and textures which are added to a file that makes up a specific user. When InSight detects someone you know, their name appears on Google Glass’ display.

Source: Engadget

Come comment on this article: Google Glass Will Identify People Based On What They’re Wearing