GDR2 for Samsung ATIV S on Bell changelog leaked, coming 5th August - WMPoweruser.com

image


The GD2 Windows Phone update for the Samsung ATIV S on Bell is just about ready to roll out, and we have had a tipster send us the official changelog for the software.


The changelog reveals a number of improvements we have not seen mentioned before on other devices, including:



  • Improved Battery Life

  • Bluetooth: Increase maximum allowed size of incoming files, improve the speed of tile transfer to the device.

  • Camera and Photo improvements allow quicker photo capture and better review experience.

  • General Improvements to the Maps application.

  • Various SMS and MMS improvements


In addition Datasense will be available on Bell and also offer data compression.


The update was meant to start rolling out today, but our tipster also informed us it will be delayed to the 5th August.


Are any of our Canadian readers anxiously waiting for the software update? Let us know below.


Asus Wants to Out-Slim Samsung Ativ Tab 3 and Sony Xperia Z With Thinnest ... - International Business Times AU


Asus succeeded with the first and second Google Nexus 7. Reports and discussions lately suggest that Asus wants to put out a Nexus-like tablet that can rival the slimmest choices like the Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Ativ Tab 3.




Several reports hinted that the new device from Asus will measure around 6mm thin. This would make Asus' offering slimmer compared to the Android-based Xperia Tablet Z and Samsung's Ativ Tab 3. Tab 3 measures 8.2mm while Xperia Z spans around 6.9mm.


If Asus can develop such type of product then it would have the slimmest or thinnest on the market. Unless someone pits something against it, the tech giant can introduce the slimmest computing device yet. It is a record for sure but analysts have their doubts.


Is it necessary to put out something of that size? Some raised their concerns that introducing a slim device may just be nonsense. Eventually, people will evaluate the product based on its performance. The slimness of the device may in fact hinder its functionality.




Being thin has been a hit and miss in the computer industry. Often, the lack of width or weight affects the usability of the gadget. If it is too thin, people have a hard time holding it. If it is too bulky, people complain about its portability and convenience.


Companies must always thread the thin line between being too bulky or being too portable. Consumers will have to wait what Asus will do to ensure they can compete with Samsung and Sony without compromising computer experience. There is still no information whether Asus will include an Android or Windows operating system.


Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the device will look like and what it can deliver.


To contact the editor, e-mail:



What Worries Me Most About Microsoft's Surface Woes - TIME


Microsoft





With Surface, Microsoft made a big bet that its own tablets would fire up the PC industry and get people interested in Windows 8. So far, it hasn’t worked out.


Filings with the SEC reveal that Microsoft spent more on advertising Surface and Windows 8 than it actually earned by selling its own tablets. Ad spending between October 2012 and June 2013 increased by $898 million, while Surface revenues–not profits–totaled $863 million.


On top of that spending, Microsoft recently took a $900 million write-down after dropping the price of the Surface RT tablet by $150. Microsoft may have produced millions of Surface RT units that it couldn’t sell at their original price.


Although Microsoft clearly underestimated the appeal of the Surface Pro and Surface RT, it’s worth noting that the goal of Surface wasn’t just to sell hardware, but to lead the way for other PC makers. It was supposed to epitomize how hardware could complement Windows 8, combining laptop and tablet into a single device.


Here’s Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in February, answering a question by MIT Technology Review about whether he’s pleased with Surface sales:



I’m super-glad we did Surface. I think it is important—and not just for Microsoft, but for the entire Windows ecosystem—to see integrated hardware and software.



Later in the interview, Ballmer said “we’re trying to lead a little bit with Surface Pro” while talking about pen computing, which Microsoft has talked about for years but could never get other PC makers to do.


So here’s what I’m worried about: If Surface was supposed to be the shining example of what a Windows tablet-laptop hybrid should be, and it was largely ignored by consumers despite a billion-dollar ad campaign, why should PC makers put more effort into their own high-end Windows hybrids?


As far as high-end products go, PC makers seem more interested in laptops right now. Acer’s Aspire S7, Asus’ Zenbook Infinity, Sony’s Vaio Pro 11, Samsung’s Ativ Book 9 Plus and Toshiba’s Kirabook are all examples of gorgeous thin-and-light laptops with high-resolution displays. The idea is to compete with Apple’s MacBooks on the premium side, while the budget laptop market gives way to cheap tablets.


But on the hybrid front, Microsoft isn’t exactly rallying the troops. I count at least two companies, Acer and Toshiba, who haven’t announced any new Windows hybrids this year, after both companies gave it a shot last year. Asus hasn’t announced any straight-up Windows hybrids either. (The company’s upcoming Transformer Book Trio actually runs Android, not Windows, when you detach the screen from its base station.)


In fairness, not all PC makers are giving up. Sony’s upcoming Vaio Duo 11 looks like a great attempt at a thin and light convertible. Samsung has announced a similar concept–albeit one that toggles between Windows 8 and Android–in the Ativ Q, and the keyboard case for Samsung’s upcoming Ativ Tab 3 looks interesting. Lenovo keeps cranking out every kind of hybrid imaginable, as it has since Windows 8 launched last fall.


Still, as someone who’s still searching for the perfect hybrid, my hope was that in 2013 we’d see more of them, not less, as PC makers refined their designs from year and took advantage of newer processors like Intel’s Haswell. The failure of Surface, despite Microsoft’s best efforts, might indicate that it’s not worth the effort.





Verizon HTC One: More Fan Disappointment Coming - SidhTech



There is a leaked document going around that tells those on Sprint that several devices are making their way to the carrier. Customers can look forward to the Samsung Galaxy S4 in purple and the HTC one in red on 16th of August, plus the Blackberry Q 10 on 30th August. Meanwhile the Samsung ATIV S Neo is making its way to the carrier on 16th August. The list of the handsets came from a source who doesn’t want to be named and they said that the dates for release could change.


The Blackberry Q 10 was released in January and it features a QWERTY keyboard along with the display of 3.1 inches. The device has the dual core Snapdragon S Plus 1.5 GHz processor, internal storage of 16 GB and this can be updated thanks to support by SD card. The handset comes with 2 GB of RAM, it has a battery 2100mAh, it supports NFC, plus it has cameras of 2 megapixel and 8 megapixel. While the device might have a small display when compared to some, it did manage to get a rating of 8.5 from 10.


The ATIV S Neo near was launched in September and features a display 4.8 inches with the 1.4 GHz dual core processor, 1 GB of RAM and battery of 2000mAh, plus cameras of 1.9 megapixel and 8 megapixel. The handset features Windows phone and comes with the design that is sleep looking.


One thing is for sure Sprint customers have some superb devices to choose from when they arrive. As for Big Red a.k.a Verizon, fans are no doubt disappointed that they have yet to see the HTC One yet alone one in red!






Moto X may join iPhone 5 in using a nano-SIM - The Verge


moto x nano sim



GSM Insider reports that Motorola's hotly anticipated Moto X smartphone will be one of the first Android handsets to utilize the new nano-SIM standard. After a drawn-out battle over which design would be chosen, the Apple-backed nano-SIM proposal was adopted by ETSI, the industry body that decides on standards. Three months later, Apple announced the iPhone 5, which was the first device in the world to use the new SIM. According to GSM Insider's image, which was apparently leaked from Hong Kong, the Moto X will also use the new standard.


We'll know for sure if today's rumor is true when Motorola announces its Moto X at an event this Thursday.







6 Benefits of Predictive Analytics for Online Retailers - Practical Ecommerce

Predictive analytics is a process that uses machine learning to analyze data and make predictions. It has been used for a long time, though the adoption has been low because of the complexity and costs.


With Big Data, both of these things are changing, as more affordable solutions are now available that can be used by companies of all sizes. Here are six benefits of predictive analytics for online retailers.


1. Predictive Search


A consumer's interaction with a retailer's site often starts with site search. If that search can be made intelligent to predict what the consumer is looking for, it will spur sales. Predictive search helps determine that by analyzing past click-through behavior, preferences, and history in real-time. BloomReach, a data analysis firm, does this well, as shown in the screenshot below. BloomReach captures the consumer's intent, based on past click-through behavior, and analyzes the site content to show relevant product matches for the search term.


The front-end search interface looks easy to the consumer. But behind the scenes, BloomReach enables predictive search by running proprietary algorithms that continually analyze data based on machine learning to show the results to the consumer. This cloud-based solution is easy to deploy and can work with multiple ecommerce platforms.


Neiman Marcus uses BloomReach for its predictive search.


2. Recommendations and Promotions


Despite the availability of several recommendation and event-driven promotion engines, it is still a challenge to determine the right product recommendation or promotion that will help close a sale. Predictive analytics makes this challenge easier by using machine learning to understand a consumer's behavior, including the purchase history of that consumer and the performance of different products on the site, to determine relevant recommendations that have a higher probability of generating a sale.


Predictive analytics does the same thing with promotions to identify those that have worked in the past, and then offer the best promotions in real-time based on the consumer's browsing pattern. The Shopify App Store, for example, contains an app from Canopy Labs that enables retailers to predict customer behavior and increase sales by recommending the right products. This app defines a unique predictive model for each online retailer based on its product type, customer base, and sales forecast.


3. Pricing Management


Predictive analytics analyzes pricing trends in correlation with sales information to determine the right prices at the right time to maximize revenue and profit. Pricing is managed using a predictive model that looks at historical data for products, sales, customers, and more. Based on this model, the price for a given product and customer can be predicted at any given time. Amazon is a heavy user of predictive pricing. You can see this in the image below as different prices for the same product are in different colors. Another solution, WisePricer, adjusts product pricing in real-time based on a pricing algorithm that looks at several inputs, like competitor pricing and product pricing trends.


ZoomEnlarge This Image Amazon uses color to display different prices for the same product.


4. Fraud Management


Fraud management and chargebacks are a retailer's nightmare. Predictive analytics can lower credit card chargeback rates and reduce overall fraud by analyzing customer behavior and product sales and removing products from the assortment that are more susceptible to fraud. The fraud management predictive models identify potential fraud before the customer completes the purchase transaction, resulting in reduced chargebacks and also reduced labor and fees required to process the chargebacks. Predictive analytic solutions come with pre-built fraud models for a specific industry, such as retail, making it easy to deploy the solution. As an example, ecommerce vendor UltraCart has a predictive analysis solution for managing fraud and reducing chargebacks, called Chargeback Guardian.


5. Supply Chain Management


Predictive analytics helps understand consumer demand, to effectively manage the overall supply chain process. This includes planning and forecasting, sourcing, fulfillment, delivery, and returns. If a retailer can predict the revenue from a specific product — say in the next month — it results in better inventory management, optimized use of the available warehouse space, better use of cash flow, and avoiding out-of-stock items. Large retailers are realizing the benefits of predictive analytics for supply chain management, as evidenced by Walmart’s recent acquisition of Inkiru, a predictive analytics startup with models for supply chain optimization.


6. Business Intelligence


A better understanding of consumers leads to serving them better by offering the products they want at the price they want and with effective post-sales service. Predictive analytics makes this possible by capturing customer information, reviewing trends, and developing models that identify what a customer might like. At times, consumers may not be able to vocalize what they like. But predictive analytics can still recommend the right products. Intelligence gained through predictive analytics helps build a culture of better decision making, where any question that is raised can be modeled using the right data inputs. For example, an app from Custora produces insights to better understand customers and maximize customer lifetime value. It is available on multiple ecommerce platforms, including Shopify and Magento.


Summary


Predictive analytics can be a huge competitive advantage for a retailer, though the models have to be thoroughly tested before they are deployed for use on a site. Also, periodic human intervention and supervision is required to ensure the models have not gone awry; all models have some margin of error.


Gagan Mehra's profile. >


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Samsung launches new products including Ativ Q tablet in India - Financial Express

South Korean electronics major Samsung has unveiled nine new products. (Reuters)South Korean electronics major Samsung has unveiled nine new products that are likely to hit the Indian market over the next few months at an event here.

Keeping in line with its aim to consolidate its presence and increase its revenue base by over 30 per cent in India, Samsung has been on a major product launch spree.


The Ativ Q tablet that runs both Android and Windows 8 were among the range of products launched at the Samsung Premiere 2013 event, held in London recently. "Not only will you get access to Android apps via Google Play, but you will also be able to transfer files or share folders and files from Windows 8 to Android," Samsung said about the tablet.


With a global strategy to cash in on the popularity of its Galaxy S4 series, Samsung also unveiled a water-resistant version of the company's flagship handset called Galaxy S4 Active.


Also launched at the event was Galaxy S4 Zoom, asmart-phone with a 16 megapixel camera and a 10x optical zoom. It uses Google's Android operating system, and contains optical stabilisation to help photographers.


"As communication continues to become increasingly visual in nature, people wish to capture and share their moments in the highest quality possible, but often do not have the space or inclination to carry a dedicated camera for this purpose," said Samsung mobile head JK Shin.


Other devices announced by Samsung at the event included the successor to the Series 9 laptop, the Ativ Book 9 Plus, featuring


... contd.





Sprint posts $1.6 billion loss as Nextel shutdown weighs on bottom line - The Verge


via cdn2.sbnation.com



Sprint is posting its Q2 financial results, and despite an 8 percent gain in wireless revenue over last year’s figure, it’s still posting a net loss of $1.6 billion — a 150 percent increase over its net Q1 loss of $643 million. Sprint says that the red ink is in large part due to the shutdown of its Nextel iDEN network, which cost it $430 million in accelerated depreciation and another $623 million in noncash charges. The company also reports that it lost more than half of its postpaid iDEN network customers.


That said, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The company has been acquired by Japanese wireless provider SoftBank for $21.6 billion, including a $5 billion cash infusion that should help move Sprint’s LTE transition, part of its Network Vision strategy. The company says it increased the number of sites it's modernized to 20,000 and hopes to offer LTE service to 200 million people by the end of 2013.





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Every new Samsung Ativ device in hands - on video round - up - CNET UK


Samsung doesn't just make mega-popular Android phones -- it also churns out laptops, computers and tablets running Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. Bearing the Ativ brand, the latest crop of these oddly named gadgets can be viewed right here, in our Samsung Ativ round-up.


Samsung Ativ Q


Without a doubt the weirdest gadget we've clapped eyes on in a while, this hybrid tablet features a slide-out keyboard and -- wait for it -- runs both Android and Windows 8. You can switch between the two with a single button press, and its 13-inch display has an amazing 3,200x1,800-pixel resolution. See how it handles in the video below.


Samsung Ativ Tab 3


Back down to Earth with a standard tablet, but this 10.1-inch slate has a few tricks up its sleeve. For one thing, it's extremely thin at 8.2mm thick, and weighs just 550g. You get Samsung's S Pen stylus too, along with an Intel Atom processor and the full version of Windows 8, not the RT option that prevents you from installing software from outside Microsoft's app store.


Samsung Ativ One 5 Style


A strong competitor for the worst-named gadget of 2013, the One 5 Style is a 21.5-inch all-in-one PC that looks exactly like a massive Samsung tablet -- because that's sort of what it is. A huge touch panel adorns the front of this behemoth, while a quad-core processor keeps things ticking along on the inside.


Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus and Book 9 Lite


Meet Samsung's newest laptops, both of which have touchscreens. The Book 9 Plus is the fancier of the two, a 13-inch display with the same shocking 3,200x1,800-pixel display as well as an Intel Haswell processor and -- Samsung says -- 12 hours of battery life. The Book 9 Lite, meanwhile, has a lower-resolution display and looks cheaper, but will likely be much easier on your wallet.


Which of Samsung's Ativ devices is your favourite? Are you a Windows 8 fan, or hankering for the simpler days of Windows 7? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.


Powerful ATIV Q - The Sun Daily


WHEN the Samsung ATIV Q was unveiled last month in London, critics were intrigued by this hybrid device that combined the features of both laptop and tablet, and ran on two different operating systems – Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2.


The ATIV Q comes with a detachable full-QWERTY keyboard that also houses an S Pen, allowing users to choose exactly how they want to use the device.


That said, with a screen size of 13.3 inches and a high-definition resolution of 3200x1800 pixels, the device does seem more suited as a laptop.


If the idea of a carrying around an extra-large touchscreen tablet does appeal to you, the device is still quite portable, although slightly on the hefty side at 1.3kg.


In any case, the ATIV Q does come equipped with a flexible hinge that allows users to manipulate the device into a laptop, tablet or a propped-up screen.


The hinge might seem a little flimsy – several times, I was terrified of breaking it accidentally – but it is quite tough, though I wouldn’t recommend flipping it too many times in one day.


With two operating systems on it, the ATIV Q does need some pretty solid specs, and it comes equipped with a 1.6GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor. It also has Intel HD 4400 graphics, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, with a microSD slot for added expansion.


And of course, between Android and Windows, users can also take advantage of separate cloud storage servers for apps or files.


Switching between the two systems is easy – just swipe the side of the respective homescreens, from left to right and back again.


You can also move favourite apps between one OS to another, creating the ultimate app-sharing experience.


By far the best thing about the ATIV Q is the excellent display screen. At 275ppi, it produces HD quality images, making it a pleasure to play games, watch videos and even do a bit of reading.


Samsung claims you can get up to nine hours of use out of a full charge, although if you use it to watch videos or play games, expect that time to be reduced a fair bit.


While this device might seem a bit too much in tablet form, as a laptop or ultrabook, it is an excellent choice. And should you choose to detach it from the keyboard and take it around with you, it might be a little uncomfortable, but not impossible.


The device has yet to be made officially available in Malaysia, and the price has yet to be announced.


However, if you are looking for a new high-powered laptop, you might want to keep an eye out for this one.





Samsung rumored to have two hi-res Android tablets on the way - Android Community




Samsung rumored to have two hi-res Android tablets on the way



It has just been a little over a month since Samsung announced a slew of new devices at its Premiere event and already word is circulating as to what the company has planned for the coming weeks. Hardware rumor source evleaks gives a glimpse of two new devices that could very well be the highest resolution Android tablets in the market to date.


samsung-logo1-550x260-540x2551121


The SM-P900 is rumored to be running on Samsung’s new Exynos 5 Octa chip and boasting a resolution of 2560×1600 on a 12.2-inch display. It also comes with the Wacom-powered “S Pen” stylus, suggesting that it could be part of the Galaxy Note family of devices. If proven true, the P900 will be Samsung’s largest Android device, if one doesn’t take into account the recently announced ATIV Q, an Intel-based tablet/laptop hybrid that runs both Windows 8 and Android side-by-side.


The second device, the SM-P600, also sports a similar 2560×1600 resolution but on a smaller 10-inch display. And unlike the P900, the P600 is rumored to be running on a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, giving it clock speeds of up to 2.3 GHz. There is also no S-Pen stylus included with the tablet. The size of the tablet suggests that it could be a successor to the Nexus 10, which sounds reasonable considering the recent announcement of the new Nexus 7, which is manufactured by rival company ASUS.


Like many rumors, there is no word on when these devices would be revealed. However, it is likely that Samsung will time the announcement with the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin next month.


VIA: Android Central






Publicis And Omnicom Are Merging To Form A $35.1B Advertising Leviathan - TechCrunch

omnicom publicis


Today Publicis and Omnicom, two of the “big five” global advertising and marketing agencies, announced a “merger of equals”, in which the two will combine to create the world’s biggest agency, with some $22.7 billion in annual revenues and a market capitalization of $35.1 billion. The pair say that the new Publicis Omnicom Group initially will be jointly run by the two existing CEOs, John Wren from Omnicom and Maurice Levy from Publicis, and headquartered both in New York and Paris, with a holding company HQ in the Netherlands.


The companies will trade publicly as ONC (currently Omnicom’s symbol) on both the NYSE and Euronext.


The confirmation — after reports of the deal swirled earlier this week — was delivered today in a press conference on a hot Sunday summer afternoon in Paris — a slightly oxymoronic setting for a megadeal.


“For many years, we have had great respect for one another as well as for the companies we each lead. This respect has grown in the past few months as we have worked to make this combination a reality. We look forward to co-leading the combined company and are excited about what our people can achieve together for our clients and our shareholders,” the co-CEOs said together.


If Google is the world’s biggest digital advertising network, the merger of these two will create an advertising megacorp that will be the world’s biggest provider of advertising to feed that machine. It will be twice the size of its nearest rival, WPP. While there are two other agencies in addition to these, Interpublic and Havas, they are significantly smaller. This will lead, inevitably, to antitrust scrutinty from regulators. Today, the companies, both already global operators, noted that they will need regulatory approval in 41-46 countries.


“We are not expecting anything that would prevent us from going forward,” Wren said at the press conference (according to Reuters). “We are confident that we will get regulatory approvals,” Levy also noted.


It may also spur more merger activities among other players.


Without a doubt, the history of the ad industry has been one of ongoing consolidation, and in that regard this seems like a logical and inevitable step. Some of the agencies that were once rivals and will now coexist under one owner will include BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB, Leo Burnett, Razorfish, Publicis Worldwide, Fleishman-Hillard, DigitasLBi, Ketchum, StarcomMediaVest, OMD, BBH, Interbrand and ZenithOptimedia, with clients covering some of the world’s biggest buyers of advertising, including mobile carriers like Verizon and AT&T, drinks companies like Coca-Cola, financial services companies like Visa, and many more. The companies say they will have “efficiences” of $500 million as a result of the deal; whether that will lead to layoffs or closures has yet to be announced.


But while this plays to type in some regards, the world of advertising and marketing is also up against growth of other disruptive forces, for example the change in consumer habits brought about by the internet. That has taken the rug out from some of the more traditional formats for advertising, such as print media, and pushed more spend towards digital formats like the internet and mobile advertising.


These are still relatively smaller players in the wider advertising ecosystem: worldwide there will be about $519 billion spent in marketing and advertising this year across all mediums. But if you break out a newer area like mobile advertising, it’s expected to be just under $9 billion this year globally, according to the IAB.


Still, the smart money sees the writing on the wall. TV advertising dominates today, Nielsen noted earlier this week, but it has grown by just 3.5% so far this year while Internet has gone up by 26.3%. The IAB estimated that mobile will go up by 83% this year.


Publicis and Omnicom’s rival WPP projects that by 2018, 40% of ad spend that it oversees will come from digital. That is driving a number of acquisitions and investments, but it is also fuelling the rise of a new kind of advertising company focused around advertising technology (ad tech) to better measure, leverage and distribute ads in these new mediums. The rise of digital media is also dovetailing with the growth of advertising and digital opportunities in emerging markets like China, South America, India and so on.


All of this plays strongly into the technology and startup ecosystem, both in terms of the companies that are growing up around these innovations, but also because such a large part of the tech world is built around the consumer internet, and much of the consumer internet is built on free, ad-based models. Consolidation of players like Omnicom and Publicis speaks to a growing desire to better scale and consolidate on the kinds of returns at can be made from newer platforms like the internet.










Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite aims at the low cost ultrabook market - Geek

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This year the Ultrabook market is going to focus on either exceptional hardware or lower price tags. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite is an attempt at making a low end touch Ultrabook that looks nicer than the rest.


Samsung has done a great job making all of their hardware stand out on the shelves right now. Their Galaxy line of mobile devices and their ATIV PC and tablet PC line are all easy to spot and easy to appreciate. The ATIV PC line has been one of the more visually impressive ultrabook lines for a while, but they are all focused towards the premium hardware market. There needs to be a “budget” section in the ATIV line, and in order to address that market Samsung has announced the ATIV Book 9 Lite.


It’s not easy to make a low cost Ultrabook now that Intel has mandated that all screen be touch screens in order to benefit from the branding. The ATIV Book 9 Lite is a 13.3-inch touch Ultrabook with an unfortunate 1366 x 768 resolution display rated at 250 nits and a 1.4GHz quad core processor. With 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, this machine will function similarly to the Surface Pro, but the lower quality screen will be a huge separation point between the two machines.


What this laptop has going for it is the ATIV Book design, with its huge touchpad, well designed screen hinge, and comfortable keyboard. The nearly three and a half pound Ultrabook will be incredibly thin and very attractive in Mineral Ash Black or Marble White, with battery life reportedly between 5.5 and 8.5 hours.


The hit to the display means Samsung can sell this machine for $799, which means it is almost $350 cheaper than a similarly specced Surface Pro with the type cover. Samsung has also included their SideSync software, which is designed to merge user experiences if you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone user. Samsung plans to release the ATIV Book 8 Lite on July 28.


[UPDATE] This article has been adjusted to reflect additional information. According to Mobile Mark 7, the Samsung ATIV Book 9 is rated for 8.5 hours of battery life.


Now read: Toshiba wants to make laptops faster for less with 7mm hybrid hard drives



Leak: BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung ATIV S Neo Available On Sprint In August? - IntoMobile

It makes sense that tablets get bigger as phones do - PhoneDog



In today's smartphone market, it's hard to deny that the demand for manufacturers to produce bigger phones is becoming increasingly evident. With phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia and the LG Optimus G Pro all making headlines and having 5-inch screens or larger, it would seem like larger screens have become the norm for modern smartphones, and even favored in many cases. As screens continue to head in the larger direction, like with the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, which features a 6.4-inch screen, the line between "phablet" and "tablet" is getting thinner and thinner. So while it seems like phones won't be shrinking in size any time soon, what do you do for tablets?


Make tablets bigger, of course.


For a while, your two main tablet sizes were either a 7-inch screen or a 10.1-inch screen. 7-inch tablets were a good solution for those who wanted smaller screens, and 10-inch tablets were good for people who needed something bigger. While 10-inch tablets are still dominating the market, 7-inch tablets seems to be waning a bit in favor of 8-inch tablets. Although there are still several popular 7-inch tablets on the market (take the Nexus 7, for example) I have to wonder how long this tablet size will be successful if these larger phones like the Galaxy Mega and the Z Ultra become as popular as phones in the 5-inch range have become. Would people who own a Galaxy Mega or a Z Ultra feel the need to purchase a tablet that has a screen that only measures less than an inch bigger than the screen on their phone? Or will they require for something bigger?


8-inch tablets seem to be making a name for themselves in the tablet market. Apple, who has been dominating the tablet market with their 10.1-inch iPad, released an 8-inch variant called the iPad Mini in November of 2012. Although at first the reception to the tablet was what Forbes called "lukewarm" due to its watered-down specs of its larger variant, people actually found the experience of the iPad Mini quite pleasant due to the fact that it wasn't too big or too small. Perhaps Apple found a sweet spot in the uncommon 8-inch variant of a tablet. Perhaps this is what caused Samsung to create and announce an 8-inch variant of the popular Note line of devices the following February, a device which I happily own.


On the 10-inch tablet front, things seem well for the time being. But as emerging 8-inch tablets start to do the same thing that phablets did to the 7-inch tablet, will we start to see 10-inch tablets increase in size as well? From what it looks like, it may already be heading in that direction as Samsung is reportedly already preparing a 12.2-inch tablet.


I normally have a lot to say when it comes to Samsung and how many variants of products they make, but in regards to a larger tablet I feel like this move makes sense given the popular direction that phones have taken after being introduced to larger variants (which Samsung also started). Who is to say that larger tablets won't follow the same path, especially considering how well the 8-inch tablet idea seems to be taking off? Despite how I feel about gigantic phones, I don't necessarily feel the same way about tablets. Tablets, in my opinion, were meant to be big for a variety of reasons (media viewing, presentations, to serve as a latop alternative, etc.) and have a lot more wiggle room before it is deemed unreasonably large. Also, since Samsung has already revealed its Ativ Q, a tablet-computer hybrid which features a 13.3-inch screen, releasing a tablet that's an inch smaller doesn't really seem that alarming in regards to size.


It's hard to say how a 12.2-inch tablet would fare before it hits the market, but I am curious to see how it plays out. The increase in size itself makes sense as our gadgets find themselves being supersized, but will people think that it's too big, even for a tablet? What are your thoughts, readers?


Images via Android Nectar, Extreme Tech




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HTC One mini vs. HTC One - The Verge



Gallery Photo: HTC One vs. HTC One mini





It wasn't long ago that we thought of 4.3-inch handsets as the upper limit of smartphone dimensions. Back in 2009, when the venerable HTC HD2 introduced the form factor, it appeared exotically large and unwieldy, and yet today we refer to such devices as "mini" versions of their flagship brethren.


Latest among them is the HTC One mini, the 4.3-inch 720p sibling to the 4.7-inch 1080p One. It aims to distill the core features of the One into a more compact form without compromising the user experience along the way. You'll have to wait for our full review early next week to find out if it succeeds, but for a selection of the skin-deep differences and similarities, scroll on!












Samsung Introduces ATIV Book 9 Lite in the U.S. - HispanicBusiness.com

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced the U.S. launch of the ATIV Book 9 Lite.


Samsung said the Book 9 Lite gives users everything they need to stay connected, productive and entertained. It is now available for pre-sale in the U.S. and will be in stores beginning on July 28.


"With the ATIV Book 9 Lite, we created a device that fits the needs of a larger consumer base, while preserving the remarkable design and overall experience delivered by the Book 9 lineage," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "To further streamline the computing experience and offer convenience to users, we built an integrated solution, SideSync, to bring together the mobile and PC ecosystems."


In a release, the Company note:


The ATIV Book 9 Lite offers the same design identity as the ATIV Book 9 in an accessible model. With a refined aerodynamic architecture, accentuated by an Ash Black or Marble White color, users do not have to compromise style for performance.


Built with a ten-point touch-screen LCD display, Quad Core Processor and a 128GB SSD, the Book 9 Lite balances exceptional features with overall value. Weighing three and a half pounds and measuring less than an inch thick, the Book 9 Lite is an ideal choice for mobile consumers and business travelers alike.


Samsung customers can enjoy a completely integrated experience across their smartphones, tablets and PCs, thanks to SideSync technology. The SideSync solution creates a synergy between Samsung's mobile and PC lines, enabling users to seamlessly switch from working on their PC to their Galaxy smartphone by simply connecting the two devices via a USB cable. When connected, users can respond to a text on a mobile phone from their PC keyboard; view maps, photos and multimedia from their phone on their PC screen; make edits to files on their phone via their ATIV PC; and even drag and drop files from one unit to another. The result is a more unified experience, fewer interruptions to work and everyday life, and the ability to utilize the best features of both devices.


Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a company focused on consumer electronics design and technology.


More Information:


http://www.samsung.com


((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))


Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) - PC Magazine



Review Date July 12, 2013














  • Pros

    Slim, stylish all-metal construction. Touch-enabled 1080p display. Excellent touchpad.



  • Cons Reflective keys are hard to read. Only one USB 3.0 port. Small 128GB drive.

  • Bottom Line

    The Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) ultrabook offers style and substance with solid performance, all-metal construction, and a 1080p touch screen.





By Brian Westover

The Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) is a solid entry into the premium ultrabook category, but it's a category filled with fierce competition from all sides. The ATIV Book 7 has all the elements of a great ultrabook, like a stylish but sturdy all-metal design, a touch-enabled 1080p display, and battery life that will take you through most of your day, but contenders from Toshiba, Asus, Apple, and even Google give it a run for its money. Despite the competition, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is still a great laptop, and worth considering for anyone buying a premium ultrabook.




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Design

In keeping with the trend set by the Apple MacBook Pro—and continued by the likes of the Google Chromebook Pixel (64GB, LTE) and the Toshiba Kirabook—the bare metal look is definitely in for premium laptops, and the brushed aluminum finish of the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is no exception. The slim ultrabook measures 0.74 by 12.76 by 8.82 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.6 pounds, making it a little bigger than the Toshiba KiraBook, but nearly a pound heavier. The aluminum construction is not just stylish, it also offers a sturdy build that doesn't flex or bend.


The standout feature of the ATIV Book 7 is the display, a 13.3-inch beauty that offers both 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and 10-digit touch capability, a combination so far limited to premium systems like the Google Pixel and the Editors' Choice Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T. The display is also usable indoors and out, with 350 nits of backlit brightness. Joining the display are two 2-watt JBL stereo speakers, which offered clean sound with room-filling volume, but only moderate bass.


The ATIV Book 7 boasts a backlit chiclet keyboard, with silver colored keys that match the brushed aluminum palmrest and the silver-toned color scheme of the laptop. The one drawback of these silvery keys is that, without the backlight on, they are just reflective enough that it's hard to make out which key is which under some lighting. This won't be an issue for touch typists, but the hunt and peck crowd will be slowed down. The accompanying clickpad offers smooth, accurate tracking and supports Windows 8 gestures.


Features

The ATIV Book 7 is outfitted with one USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports, a compact Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI output, an SD card slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC), and stereo headset jack. There's also a miniVGA connection, but you'll need a separate dongle for full-size VGA output ($39.99 direct). A lock slot also lets you physically tether the laptop to prevent theft. Internally the ATIV Book 7 is equipped with 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Di 2.0. The latter lets you wirelessly stream HD content to any Wi-Di equipped HDTV or Wi-Di adapter, such as the Belkin Screencast.


The ATIV Book 7 also has a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) for storing all of your files and programs. That's not a lot of room—both the Toshiba KiraBook and the MacBook Pro 13-inch (Retina) came equipped with 256GB drives, but also had higher prices to pay for it—but the use of an SSD will help keep the performance quick over time. Factoring in the space filled by the operating system—Windows 8 (64-bit)—along with a recovery partition and preinstalled programs and apps, you'll only have about 60GB of free space out of the box. Included on the drive are useful offerings, like Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition, and 60-day trials of Norton Internet Security and Online Backup. On the start screen you'll also find a wide selection of apps, like Netflix, Bitcasa cloud storage, and Evernote, though you may want to weed out the ones that don't interest you, like Jamie Oliver's Recipes, Amazon Kindle Reader, or Music Maker Jam. Samsung includes several of it's S-branded services, including S Agent, S Camera, S Gallery, and S Service, as well as covering the laptop with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.


Performance

Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) The Samsung ATIV Book 7 boasts a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5-337U processor, a dual-core ultra-low-voltage CPU. Paired with 4GB of RAM, the processor—the same used in the 15-inch Sony VAIO T15 Touch (SVT15112CXS)—delivered solid performance, with a PCMark 7 score of 4,466 points and a Cinebench score of 2.50 points. By comparison, the similarly equipped Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T scored 4,510 points (PCMark 7) and 2.40 points (Cinebench), while the Core i7-equipped Toshiba Kirabook topped both with scores of 5,229 points (PCMark 7) and 2.92 points (Cinebench).


Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB)

In multimedia tests, the ATIV Book 7 offered moderate performance, finishing our Handbrake test in 1 minute 34 seconds, slower than the Editors' Choice Asus UX31A-BHI5T (1:29) and the Toshiba KiraBook (1:14), but ahead of the Apple MacBook Pro (1:56). It ran through our Photoshop tests a bit slower, finishing in 6 minutes 7 seconds, behind the Asus UX31A-BHI5T (5:31) and the MacBook Pro (4:27). In day-to-day use, however, these results still translate into high-quality performance in all but the most demanding tasks.


Using Intel's integrated graphics solution—Intel HD Graphics 4000—the ATIV Book 7 isn't made for gaming, but should be more than adequate for web-browsing, video, and both casual and browser-based games. In 3DMark 11, the ATIV Book 7 scored 1,102 points at entry settings, putting it in the same neighborhood as the Asus Zenbook UX31A-BHI5T (1,160 points) but behind the Toshiba KiraBook (1,266 points).


For overall performance the ATIV Book 7 is fairly well equipped, but that doesn't mean much without a good battery to back it up. Thankfully, the laptop delivers, lasting 6 hours 9 minutes in our battery rundown test. This is just ahead of the Toshiba KiraBook (5:50) but roughly half an hour behind the Asus Zenbook UX31A-BHI5T (6:38). Regardless, it's the sort of battery life that can take you through most of a workday without a wall charger and without a break.


Conclusion

With sleek all-aluminum construction, decent performance and battery life, and a 1080p touchscreen, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) clearly belongs alongside other premium ultrabooks and laptops, but its performance falls just short of leading systems, so it won't replace our current Editors' Choice, the Asus Zenbook Prime Touch UX31A-BHI5T. That said, for just over $1,000, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 is a more affordable alternative to the Toshiba KiraBook, with similar looks, an HD touch screen, and only slightly slower performance. Regardless, the Samsung ATIV Book 7 (NP740U3E-K01UB) is definitely worth looking at if you're shopping for a touch-enabled premium ultrabook.





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Brian Westover
By Brian Westover Analyst, Hardware

Brian Westover is an Analyst for the Hardware Team, reviewing laptops, desktops, and storage devices. As a child, Brian was frequently asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" His answer alternated between...







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Jay Z's six-hour New York art gallery performance is now an HBO special - The Verge


Photo



Earlier this month, Jay Z gave a six-hour lip syncing performance at New York's Pace Gallery — and now it's going to be an HBO special. Jay Z's Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film documents the largely unannounced show that took place before a select crowd that shared the show with the world in real time over Vine, Instagram, and Twitter. During the taping, the rapper mouthed just one song: "Picasso Baby," off his new album Magna Carta... Holy Grail.




The special will air August 2nd at 11PM ET, but before the premiere Jay Z will be guesting on HBO's talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher. The artist formerly known as Jay-Z — note the hyphen — knows how to grab attention, and it looks like Picasso Baby won't disappoint. Check out the trailer to Picasso Baby below, and keep an eye out for Alan Cumming, Judd Apatow, and performance artist Marina Abramović, all of whom get in on the act.






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Samsung ATIV Book 5 NP530U4E: Ultrabook with endurance - Hardware.Info

Samsung ATIV Book 5 NP530U4E: Ultrabook with endurance - Hardware.Info

Samsung ATIV Book 5 NP530U4E: Ultrabook with endurance - Hardware.Info




Conclusion


The Samsung ATIV Book 5 is a solid Ultrabook with a nice design, featuring a matte 14-inch screen with a resolution of 1366x768. The standard 500 GB hard disk is assisted by a small caching SSD which speeds things up, but a true SSD would of course have been faster.


Samsung Ativ Book 5 NP530U4E-K01NL


A very strong point of this laptop is the outstanding battery life. It lasted 8 hours on a single charge when using Office applications. We're less happy with the screen, however, we expect better from Samsung based on their other recent laptops.








Samsung's Ativ One is an all in one PC with gesture control - Computer Dealer News

TORONTO – Samsung Electronics Canada recently showcased a number of its upcoming computing releases at preview event in Toronto, including the Samsung Ativ One.


The Samsung Ativ One is an all in one PC running Windows 8. It has a built-in TV tuner, HDMI input to connect a Blu-ray drive or other source, and features gesture control technology if you don’t want to get up to use the touchscreen.


It’s intended primary as a consumer device, but Samsung says it would be useful in a small business setting as well.


In this CDN video report, Jeff Ingram, national training and development manager for Samsung Electronics Canada, gives us a closer look at the Samsung Ativ One.


Apple moves to hit Samsung's ATIV Q: 13-inch new iPad - Emirates 24/7

Gear up for a bigger iPad. Reports have emerged that Apple is testing a much bigger-sized 13-inch iPad, as it continues to fight off increasing competition from Samsung.


A report by the Wall Street Journal quoting supply chain sources say that the company has placed request for a higher screen-sized screen but was not sure if Apple could ever release the product in the market.


“In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally,” the report said


The iPad currently comes with a 9.7” screen and a bigger screen would match the new device to its MacBook Air.


Last month, Samsung announced its all-new 13.3 inch ATIV Q that could simultaneously run both Windows and Android operating systems.


Sony too launched its Vaio Duo a 13 inch tablet that also converts into a laptop.



The Samsung announcement at its London Premiere for sure raised several eyebrows as the new dual-OS tablet is the first to combine Google Play and Windows 8.



The devise will include a 13.3-inch QHD+ display at a massive 3200×1800 resolution, an Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4400, 4GB RAM, 128GB sold state hard drive, and 9 hours of battery life.


The Vaio Duo on the other hand has a screen resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 screen and is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5-4200u processor running at 1.6GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 9 hours of battery life.


Meanwhile, Apple is actually working on a bigger screen for its next edition of iPhone. The current edition has a screen size of 4” and it is believe that the next iPhone 5S or 6 - whatever it is called - will could come with a 5.5 inch screen size.


Apple last year launched the iPad mini with a 7.9 inch screen with an intent to more aggressively take on Samsung Galaxy Tab.


IPad Mini, despite its lack of Retina Display, has been immensely popular among Apple fans and amounted to almost 60 per cent of all iPad sales during the first quarter of 2013.


Meanwhile, more rumours suggest that the second edition of the iPad Mini scheduled to release this year too may not come with Retina Display.


According to reports a severe shortage of Retina Display panels could mean that Apple either comes out with the second edition of iPad Mini without Retina Display or postpone the release to 2014.


The Taiwanese Economic Daily News in its report also said that the release dates could be postponed to the first quarter of 2014.





Samsung's New Hybrid Tablet Takes Aim at Apple's iPad - Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Source: Samsung.comDoes Samsung’s (SSNLF.PK) new ATIV Q hybrid tablet pose a threat to Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) tablet market dominance? Ever since Apple unveiled its first iPad in 2010, the Cupertino-based company has consistently dominated the U.S. tablet market.


Although Samsung appears to be closing in on Apple in the U.S. OEM smartphone market with a 23 percent share compared to the iPhone’s 39.2 percent share, it’s another story when it comes to tablets. According to an anonymous Samsung source via the Korea Times, “Samsung’s tablet share in the U.S. is hovering around 13 percent, well below Apple’s 50 percent. Our technicians and management are now trying to come up with a different approach.”


Is Apple now a once-in-a-decade buying opportunity? Click here to get your 24-page Ultimate Cheat Sheet to Apple’s Stock now!

Now it appears that part of Samsung’s new approach is to compete with Apple in the high-end tablet market. Samsung is taking aim at the iPad by releasing its own high-quality tablet that will be powered by both Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows 8 and Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android. Besides having a dual operating system, the device also features a multi-functional hardware design that lets it transform from a tablet to an ultramobile-type laptop.


Samsung’s ATIV Q tablet seems designed to outshine Apple’s iPad specifications. The ATIV Q has a 13.3-inch screen with a resolution of 3,200 x 1,800. The iPad 4’s Retina display only has a 9.7-inch screen with a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536.


Some analysts believe that Samsung is lagging because of a “lack of competitive content” and “Americans’ preference for Apple’s iOS user interface.” Although Samsung’s tablet users have access to a lot of content through the Android operating system, the revenues go to Google.


Although Samsung has high hopes for its new ATIV Q tablet, it may be taking the wrong approach by using two operating systems and a complicated multi-functional design. Kium Securities analyst Lee Jay-yoon notes: “Consumers in the United States just use tablets as a plaything. They just purchase goods via online shopping malls and play games. Samsung should think about simplicity not complexity if it wants to grab the minds of U.S. consumers.”


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Apple shares closed up 0.70 percent, or $2.75, at $396.53 on Friday. Here’s how Apple has traded over the past week.


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Don’t Miss: Apple’s MacBook Air Is a Heavyweight in This Market.





Samsung ATIV Q and its Intel Core i5-4200U flex muscles on the AnTuTu ... - GSMArena.com (blog)

Samsung announced its ATIV Q convertible notebook capable of dual-booting Windows 8 and Android thanks to its 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U CPU. The new generation Intel Haswell CPUs are impressive on paper, but how would ATIV Q’s processor fare on the Android AnTuTu benchmark?



Thankfully, ePrice have asked the same question and have put the Intel Core i5 chip through the AnTuTu hoops to find out. Moreover, this is the first time ever that a Haswell chip has been benchmarked on the Android mobile operating system.


The results are simply breathtaking – the Intel Core i5-4200U running at 1.6GHz scored 54861 points. To give you some perspective the leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 with LTE and its 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 under the hood scored just 24179.



Nevertheless, the result of the Core i5-4200U is impressive whichever way you look at it. Even more so, when you consider the 3200 x 1800 pixels that the display of the ATIV Q is pushing.


Source | Via





Hands on with the Samsung Ativ Book 8 - Geek (blog)

Features Ativ Book

In a continued effort to chase down the elusive “no compromise” design for a laptop, Samsung’s Ativ Book 8 offers power and touch with impressive battery life and a nice display.


Ultrabooks are a great way to accomplish portable computing, but you inevitably sacrifice something with that design. The light and thin designs are amazing for sliding into your bag and heading out to work, but rarely are you able to do so without also packing your power cord. If you are able to go without your power cord, you’re probably stuck with a 128GB or smaller SSD with not enough RAM to perform complicated tasks. Samsung has made a laptop that packs the right amount of storage, processing power, RAM, and an 8 hour battery that adds up to a machine that is a little too heavy to truly be an Ultrabook.


Samsung’s 5.6 pound laptop comes with a 10-finger 1080p touch display that is fantastic as long as you are alright with reflecttve surfaces. Outside of being a serious fingerprint magnet, the laptop previously known as the Series 7 Chronos isn’t quite bright enough to use outdoors. You’ll be fine in brightly lit rooms, but in direct sunlight the laptop dowen’t stand a chance.



The 1TB 5600 RPM drive in the Ativ Book 8 causes it to feel a little sluggish on startup compared to its SSD wielding siblings, but the obvious trade off there is the significant boost in storage. Anything else you go to do with this laptop is nice and fast, the 2.4GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM deliver more than enough power for most serious tasks and casual gaming.


The Ativ Book 8 fits squarely in the desktop replacement category. It’s just enough hardware that you can do anything with it, and just heavy enough that you have to think about it before picking it up and hefting it around. It has 4 USB ports, an SD card slot, an HDMI slot, and an ethernet port. As long as you don’t need an optical drive, there’s no reason this couldn’t replace a desktop for most productivity users.


The touch pad and the touch screen both respond to Windows 8 commands, allowing you to take advantage of the Modern UI however you choose. The 15.6-inch form factor makes it just small enough that it is still comfortable to reach out and touch the screen, but just big enough to deserve a full sized backlit keyboard.


Despite being slightly heavier than a 15-inch Macbook Pro, the Ativ Book 8 feels like a great machine. Its very clearly targeting users who want just a little more than an Ultrabook can offer, and at $1,100 it’s priced to compete with most of the devices in that category.


Now read: Robot swarms self-assemble into flying units of any shape or size



Leak: BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung ATIV S Neo Coming To Sprint August 16th? - IntoMobile

Sprint BlackBerry Q10 and Samsung ATIV S Neo August release dates leaked - iTech Post


First Posted: Jul 24, 2013 07:04 AM EDT





Sprint Internal Launch Documents

Sprint Internal Launch Documents Credit:Engadget



Sprint is getting ready to launch two upcoming smartphones its customers have been waiting for. The carrier will begin selling the BlackBerry 10 and Samsung ATIV S Neo in August, according to leaked documents.


BlackBerry fans on Sprint have been waiting for the carrier to release a BB10 smartphone. Sprint decided to pass on offering the BlackBerry Z10 to its customers, but confirmed that it would offer the QWERTY-equipped BlackBerry Q10 sometime in the summer. Sprint is getting late to the Q10 party, as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have been offering the Q10 since June. Sprint Blackberry fans will be happy to know that a release date is in sight.


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According to a tip received by Engadget through a leaked internal Sprint launch document, the carrier will begin shipping pre-orders for the BlackBerry Q10 on August 30 and the smartphone will be available through "all other channels" on September 13. There is still no word on what the carrier plans on charging for the Q10, but the smartphone will likely cost $199 when signing a new 2-year contract with the carrier.


The BlackBerry Q10 features a 3.1-inch, 720×720 Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 330 pixels per inch (ppi), runs BlackBerry 10 OS, is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, includes 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, and a removable 2,100 mAh battery.


Sprint will also be launching its second Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the Samsung ATIV S Neo. The leaked document lists an August 16 launch date. The smartphone will retail for $149.99 with a new 2-year contract.


The ATIV S Neo features a 4.8-inch HD display, runs Windows Phone 8, is powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, include 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, a 1.6-megapixel front facing camera, 4G LTE radio with international roaming support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC, a microSD expansion slot with support for up to 64GB microSD cards and a removable 1,800 mAh battery.


There's still no official word from Sprint on when these two smartphones will launch, but at least this leaked document indicates that BlackBerry and Windows Phone fans won't have much longer to wait for both devices.




© 2013 iTech Post All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Sprint launching Samsung ATIV S Neo for $150 after rebate this summer - Engadget

Sprint Plans Summer Launches for First Two Windows Phone 8 Smartphones to Feature Truly Unlimited 4G LTE: HTC 8XT and Samsung ATIV S Neo


SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sprint (NYSE: S) and Microsoft Corp. today outlined plans to launch the first two Windows Phone 8 smartphones to offer Truly UnlimitedSM Sprint 4G LTE this summer – HTC® 8XT and Samsung ATIV S™ Neo. Customers will appreciate access to the advanced features and capabilities of these devices with the benefit of unlimited 4G LTE (available in select markets) data, text and calling to any mobile with no metering, no throttling, and no overages, all while on the Sprint network.


TC 8XT will be available for $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. ATIV S Neo will be priced at $149.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. Exact availability dates and full feature lists for both smartphones will be shared at a later date. Customers can preregister for more information and email updates about Windows Phone 8 from Sprint and HTC 8XT and ATIV S Neo at www.sprint.com/windows8.


"We know our customers are anxious to get their hands on these Windows Phone 8 smartphones, HTC 8XT and ATIV S Neo," said Fared Adib, senior vice president-Product Development, Sprint. "Without a doubt, they will rival any smartphone on the market today. Our customers will appreciate being able to use them all day, every day without worrying about overages or data caps."


Windows Phone 8 won the PC Magazine Readers' Choice Award for best mobile operating system in March 2013. The only phone with Live Tiles, Windows Phone 8 offers a truly personal smartphone experience designed to keep customers connected to the people and things that matter most. Windows Phone brings together the best of Microsoft with the same modern look and feel, including Bing, Office, Xbox and Skype, for a rich customer experience. In addition, the Windows Phone Store includes more than 160,000 apps to choose from, with hundreds added daily.


"We are excited to be bringing the most personal smartphone experience to Sprint customers this summer," said Terry Myerson, corporate vice president, Microsoft Windows Phone Division. "With compelling hardware from HTC and Samsung, coupled with unlimited 4G LTE from Sprint, these Windows Phones will offer the complete package."


Advanced Features from Samsung


ATIV S Neo will offer a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, microSD memory card slot, international roaming, 4.8-inch high-definition display, Wi-Fi and 2,000mAh lithium-ion removable battery. Sharing is easier than ever with ATIV S Neo featuring ATIV Beam using near field communication (NFC) to share photos, music and video with other Windows Phone 8 and select Android™ devices. ATIV S Neo includes the Samsung exclusive Now feature, which highlights top news, weather and relevant information at a single glance.


"Samsung is committed to offering smartphones across a variety of platforms and the rich Windows Phone 8 experience on the ATIV S Neo is a testament to this effort," said Kevin Packingham, Samsung Mobile chief product officer. "The ATIV S Neo makes it easy to stay in-the-know while connecting with friends, family and colleagues, through new sharing features and powerful productivity applications."


Having ATIV S Neo in your pocket means users can do more with their smartphone camera. It will offer an 8-megapixel main camera with LED flash and a front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera for video chat. It will include a variety of camera apps preloaded, including the Beauty Shot mode for smoother looking skin in headshots, Manga Camera to give pictures a fun twist by turning friends and family into cartoons, and built-in Photo Editor that allows the user to edit, color, effect, decorate or share their pictures quickly and easily.


These smartphones also make it easy for customers to stay productive with Office Mobile for Windows Phone. With Office Mobile, people can access, view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from anywhere. Plus, customers can count on Office Mobile to keep content and formatting intact so documents still looks great when back on a PC, Windows tablet or Mac.


Microsoft Office 365 offered by Sprint is available for small and mid-sized businesses. It includes Sprint's unique Carefree Cloud migration and onboarding assistance, end-user level support, predictable monthly costs with no up-front infrastructure expenses, pay-as-you-go plans, savings by bundling all of the necessary tools and advanced options to simplify management further, all with a single bill and single point of contact. Sprint recently announced expanded plans available with Office 365, including enhanced audio conferencing and availability at select Sprint retail stores.


Sprint offers 4G LTE in top summer destinations like Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sprint offers 4G LTE service in 110 markets nationwide and expects to provide 200 million people with LTE by the end of 2013.


For the most up-to-date details on Sprint's 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, visit www.sprint.com/network.


BlackBerry Q10 hits Sprint August 30th, Samsung's ATIV S Neo arrives August ... - Engadget

BlackBerry Q10 hits Sprint August 30th, Samsung's ATIV S Neo arrives August 16th


Sprint users awaiting BlackBerry's Q10 and its promised "summer" launch, wait no more -- the Q10 will start shipping pre-orders beginning August 30th, with "all other channels" following on September 30th. At least that's according to an internal release date list provided to Engadget by an anonymous tipster, which also gives Samsung's ATIV S Neo an August 16th launch date on Sprint. Of course, these dates are tentative as always, and could shift before the official announcement. In the meantime, we've reached out to Sprint for an official word and will update this post should we hear back.


Apple's big move to hit Samsung's ATIV Q: 13-inch new iPad - Emirates 24/7

Gear up for a bigger iPad. Reports have emerged that Apple is testing a much bigger-sized 13-inch iPad, as it continues to fight off increasing competition from Samsung.


A report by the Wall Street Journal quoting supply chain sources say that the company has placed request for a higher screen-sized screen but was not sure if Apple could ever release the product in the market.


“In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally,” the report said


The iPad currently comes with a 9.7” screen and a bigger screen would match the new device to its MacBook Air.


Last month, Samsung announced its all-new 13.3 inch ATIV Q that could simultaneously run both Windows and Android operating systems.


Sony too launched its Vaio Duo a 13 inch tablet that also converts into a laptop.



The Samsung announcement at its London Premiere for sure raised several eyebrows as the new dual-OS tablet is the first to combine Google Play and Windows 8.



The devise will include a 13.3-inch QHD+ display at a massive 3200×1800 resolution, an Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4400, 4GB RAM, 128GB sold state hard drive, and 9 hours of battery life.


The Vaio Duo on the other hand has a screen resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 screen and is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5-4200u processor running at 1.6GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 9 hours of battery life.


Meanwhile, Apple is actually working on a bigger screen for its next edition of iPhone. The current edition has a screen size of 4” and it is believe that the next iPhone 5S or 6 - whatever it is called - will could come with a 5.5 inch screen size.


Apple last year launched the iPad mini with a 7.9 inch screen with an intent to more aggressively take on Samsung Galaxy Tab.


IPad Mini, despite its lack of Retina Display, has been immensely popular among Apple fans and amounted to almost 60 per cent of all iPad sales during the first quarter of 2013.


Meanwhile, more rumours suggest that the second edition of the iPad Mini scheduled to release this year too may not come with Retina Display.


According to reports a severe shortage of Retina Display panels could mean that Apple either comes out with the second edition of iPad Mini without Retina Display or postpone the release to 2014.


The Taiwanese Economic Daily News in its report also said that the release dates could be postponed to the first quarter of 2014.





Apple's big move to hit Samsung's ATIV Q: 13-inch new iPad - Emirates 24/7

Gear up for a bigger iPad. Reports have emerged that Apple is testing a much bigger-sized 13-inch iPad, as it continues to fight off increasing competition from Samsung.


A report by the Wall Street Journal quoting supply chain sources say that the company has placed request for a higher screen-sized screen but was not sure if Apple could ever release the product in the market.


“In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally,” the report said


The iPad currently comes with a 9.7” screen and a bigger screen would match the new device to its MacBook Air.


Last month, Samsung announced its all-new 13.3 inch ATIV Q that could simultaneously run both Windows and Android operating systems.


Sony too launched its Vaio Duo a 13 inch tablet that also converts into a laptop.



The Samsung announcement at its London Premiere for sure raised several eyebrows as the new dual-OS tablet is the first to combine Google Play and Windows 8.



The devise will include a 13.3-inch QHD+ display at a massive 3200×1800 resolution, an Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4400, 4GB RAM, 128GB sold state hard drive, and 9 hours of battery life.


The Vaio Duo on the other hand has a screen resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 screen and is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5-4200u processor running at 1.6GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4400 GPU, 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 9 hours of battery life.


Meanwhile, Apple is actually working on a bigger screen for its next edition of iPhone. The current edition has a screen size of 4” and it is believe that the next iPhone 5S or 6 - whatever it is called - will could come with a 5.5 inch screen size.


Apple last year launched the iPad mini with a 7.9 inch screen with an intent to more aggressively take on Samsung Galaxy Tab.


IPad Mini, despite its lack of Retina Display, has been immensely popular among Apple fans and amounted to almost 60 per cent of all iPad sales during the first quarter of 2013.


Meanwhile, more rumours suggest that the second edition of the iPad Mini scheduled to release this year too may not come with Retina Display.


According to reports a severe shortage of Retina Display panels could mean that Apple either comes out with the second edition of iPad Mini without Retina Display or postpone the release to 2014.


The Taiwanese Economic Daily News in its report also said that the release dates could be postponed to the first quarter of 2014.


Every new Samsung Ativ device in hands-on video round-up - CNET UK


Samsung doesn't just make mega-popular Android phones -- it also churns out laptops, computers and tablets running Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system. Bearing the Ativ brand, the latest crop of these oddly named gadgets can be viewed right here, in our Samsung Ativ round-up.


Samsung Ativ Q


Without a doubt the weirdest gadget we've clapped eyes on in a while, this hybrid tablet features a slide-out keyboard and -- wait for it -- runs both Android and Windows 8. You can switch between the two with a single button press, and its 13-inch display has an amazing 3,200x1,800-pixel resolution. See how it handles in the video below.


Samsung Ativ Tab 3


Back down to Earth with a standard tablet, but this 10.1-inch slate has a few tricks up its sleeve. For one thing, it's extremely thin at 8.2mm thick, and weighs just 550g. You get Samsung's S Pen stylus too, along with an Intel Atom processor and the full version of Windows 8, not the RT option that prevents you from installing software from outside Microsoft's app store.


Samsung Ativ One 5 Style


A strong competitor for the worst-named gadget of 2013, the One 5 Style is a 21.5-inch all-in-one PC that looks exactly like a massive Samsung tablet -- because that's sort of what it is. A huge touch panel adorns the front of this behemoth, while a quad-core processor keeps things ticking along on the inside.


Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus and Book 9 Lite


Meet Samsung's newest laptops, both of which have touchscreens. The Book 9 Plus is the fancier of the two, a 13-inch display with the same shocking 3,200x1,800-pixel display as well as an Intel Haswell processor and -- Samsung says -- 12 hours of battery life. The Book 9 Lite, meanwhile, has a lower-resolution display and looks cheaper, but will likely be much easier on your wallet.


Which of Samsung's Ativ devices is your favourite? Are you a Windows 8 fan, or hankering for the simpler days of Windows 7? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.