Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Samsung acquires 7.4 percent of Gorilla Glass maker Corning, signs long-term supply deal

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/23/samsung-acquires-7-4-percent-of-gorilla-glass-maker-corning/

Samsung acquires 74 percent of Gorilla Glass maker Corning, signs longterm supply deal

In a move that could raise eyebrows in the LCD business, Corning has taken full control of Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co. Ltd., a joint venture 43 percent owned by Samsung. In exchange, the Korean company will get $1.9 billion worth of preferred shares in Corning, which if converted, would give it a 7.4 percent stake. The pair have also agreed to a deal that will see Samsung Display supplied by Corning through 2023. That company's Gorilla Glass is used in most high-end smartphones and tablets, including those made by Samsung, Apple, HTC and Motorola. Since the Korean giant already supplies most of its competitors with LCD displays and other components, we can imagine some of them casting a wary eye on such a deal.

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Via: Reuters

Source: Corning

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Galaxy Gear compatibility comes to the Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2 and more

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/23/galaxy-gear-compatibility-gs4-gs3-note2/

If you wanted live out your Inspector Gadget fantasies, but lacked the Galaxy Note 3 needed to take full advantage of the possibilities, we've got good news. Samsung's bringing compatibility for its Galaxy Gear to the previously-mentioned Galaxy S4 as well as the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II through an Android 4.3 update. While those are the big ones, the wearable will soon hook up to a whole swathe of Samsung devices (Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3, and Galaxy S4 Zoom) in an update arriving at the end of October. Naturally, the typical proviso for different release dates in different countries remains, but those flagship devices mentioned earlier will get the earliest access -- and will also be able to make and answer calls with the Gear, like a real inspector. %Gallery-slideshow99617%

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Samsung Galaxy S 4 with Snapdragon 800 and faster LTE treks to Europe

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/23/samsung-galaxy-s-4-lte-a-europe/

Korea's Samsung Galaxy S4 with Snapdragon 800 and LTEA treks to Europe

Remember how there was an LTE-A-equipped Samsung Galaxy S 4 with a juicy Snapdragon 800 CPU for South Korea and a lesser Exynos 5 or Snapdragon 600 version for everywhere else? Well, it looks like the more desirable former variant is about to migrate to Europe, judging by a GT-I9506 product page on Samsung's German site. That CPU would put the six month-old handset on par with Samsung's new Galaxy Note 3 flagship, along with the latest models from Nokia, LG and oth! ers. At the moment there's no European countries that actually support the 150Mbps LTE-A speeds, though Sweden has been testing it. Still, if you need feel the need to future-proof all your gadget buys, don't be surprised to see the model in stores around Europe soon.

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Via: Phone Arena

Source: Samsung Germany (translated)

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HTC's One Max ratted out by the FCC again on its way to Sprint

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/23/htcs-one-max-ratted-out-by-the-fcc-again-on-its-way-to-sprint/

HTC One Max packing Sprint's LTE bands approved by FCC

Now that we know HTC's One Max is likely to be living large at AT&T, another variant for Sprint looks to have also been unmasked by the FCC. An OP3P700 version of the 6-inch, 1080p device has just passed the US regulator with Sprint's LTE bands 25, 26 and 41, a likely sign that it's bound for Big Yellow. We're still not sure how much it'll cost on contract or sans SIM, but we did see it priced in the UK at a hefty £600 ($952) with no carrier strings attached. If you're now looking to take advantage of Sprint's new upgrade program for the behemoth handset though, you'd better check out our One Max review, first.

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Source: FCC

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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

iPad Air Meta Hands-On: Thin, But Not Flimsy

Source: http://gizmodo.com/ipad-air-meta-hands-on-thin-but-not-flimsy-1450187044

iPad Air Meta Hands-On: Thin, But Not Flimsy

An A7 processor, a 20 percent weight loss, and faster Wi-Fi. Apple's fifth generation iPad, the iPad Air, has arrived. But will it feel fragile in our (admittedly clumsy) hands? How much do those new dual microphones improve the sound quality when I'm Skyping? And just how much better is its new camera? We culled the best insights from the hands-on reports popping up online for you, below.

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NYTimes Pays a Visit to Our Friend, the Amazing GIF Machine

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5991476/the-insane-one+man-computer-station-needed-to-cover-march-madness/1449955749/@marioaguilar

NYTimes Pays a Visit to Our Friend, the Amazing GIF Machine

Regular readers of our sister blog Deadspin are probably familiar with editor Tim Burke's incredible GIFing skills. What you might not know is that Burke never misses a moment because he built an incredible eight-monitor computer station that can keep track of every sporting event that's happening at a given time. Today, the NYTimes has a nice profile of Burke. While we highly recommend you go check it out. We do have one quibble with The Grey Lady's story: It's pronounced "GIF" not "JIF."

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Nokia's Refocus Lens camera app promises infinite depth of field control

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/22/nokias-refocus-lens-camera-app/

Nokia's Refocus Lens camera app promises infinite depth of field control

Nokia's just announced a new camera app called Refocus Lens at Nokia World that brings a Lytro-like variable depth of field to Lumia cameras. Likely to be the fruits of that Scalado purchase from a while back, it'll let you change the focus of a snapshot using "clever algorithms" while adding "brilliant splashes of color" to images via a feature called "color pop." Nokia also said that images will be 5-megapixels in size and that you'll be able to use the refocusing option while in Facebook. The app will debut on the Finnish company's new flagship Lumia 1520 and trickle down at a later date to older devices like the Lumia 920 and 925. However, Nokia hasn't decided if the app will be available for lower-numbered Lumias like the 520 and 620 -- or any other Windows Phone devices, for that matter. We're still finding out more details from Nokia, so stay tuned!

Update: Nokia is now showing a dedicated Refocus site with a sample photo to play with. It's a larger image than we're used to seeing with the likes of Lytro and seems quite responsive.

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ROCCAT's Power-Grid enters open beta, turns phones into PC control centers (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/22/roccat-launches-power-grid-open-beta/

ROCCAT's PowerGrid PC augmentation app enters open beta on Android and iOS video

ROCCAT's Power-Grid has been slow in coming -- the smartphone-based PC assistant was originally supposed to launch last December. Nonetheless, gamers will be glad to hear that it's finally available to the public through an open beta. Both Android and iOS users can now control and monitor Windows PC activities of all kinds from their mobile device's screen, whether they're triggering StarCraft II keyboard macros or tracking CPU workloads. Demanding gamers can also create command screens and share them with others. ROCCAT doesn't yet know when it will stop the Power-Grid beta, but it does promise a slew of supporting accessories in 2014. Curious players can check out a feature video below before grabbing the app for free at the source link.

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Source: ROCCAT

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Nokia Unveils Its First Ever Windows Tablet, The Lumia 2520

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nokia-lumia-2520-tablet-2013-10

nokia lumia 2520 windows tablet

Nokia announced today its first ever Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520. 

The 10.1-inch tablet runs Windows RT 8.1, a special version of Windows 8 that's only designed to run on tablets and compete with Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Unlike tablets that have the full version of Windows 8, the Lumia 2520 will only be able to run apps optimized for the new operating system. You won't be able to run older apps designed for Windows 7 or earlier.

The Lumia 2520 is an interesting product, not because it's the first Windows tablet from Nokia, but because it competes with Microsoft's own Surface 2 tablet, which just went on sale this month. Microsoft is in the process of buying Nokia's mobile device business for about $7 billion. If and when the sale goes through, Microsoft will be selling two different tablets that essentially compete with each other.

Just like the Surface 2, the Lumia 2520 has an optional snap-on keyboard cover accessory. The keyboard cover also has a built in battery, which will give you an extra five hours of juice.

But unlike the Surface tablets, Nokia's Lumia 2520 can connect to the Internet using a 4G LTE connection from your wireless carrier. Nokia has not announced what carriers will support the tablet though.

There's more. The Lumia 2520's screen can play full 1080p HD video and is designed to work well even in direct sunlight. It also has a 6.7 MP camera on the back for snapping photos and a 2 MP HD camera on the front for video chats. It'll come in three color options: red, white, blue, or black. It'll ship with Microsoft Office preinstalled.

Nokia did not say when the tablet will launch nor how much it will cost. Expect that information to come along in a few weeks.

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Here's The World's First Giant-Screen Windows Phone, The Nokia Lumia 1520

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/nokia-lumia-1520-phablet-2013-10

nokia lumia 1520

Nokia announced today the world's first giant-sized Windows Phone, the Lumia 1520.

The Lumia 1520 will have a 6-inch screen, which makes the phone's display a full inch larger than Samsung's Galaxy S4 and two inches larger than Apple's iPhone 5S.

It's also the first phone to take advantage of the newest version of Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software, which has been designed to work on giant "phablets" (part phone, part tablet).  

The newest version of Windows Phone 8 has a few other tweaks like improved multitasking and a driving mode that limits the notifications you receive while in the car. You can learn more about the newest version of Windows Phone 8 right here.

Like most of Nokia's recent Lumia phones, there will be a lot of focus on the camera. The Lumia 1520 will have a 20 megapixel camera plus a dual flash for better lighting in low-light settings. Many agree that Nokia's phones take the best photos, and this device should be no exception.

Other than that, there aren't many surprises. The Lumia 1520 can do just about everything else other Windows Phone 8 devices can do. It just gives you a bigger screen to do it all on.

No word on pricing or launch date, but Nokia says the Lumia 1520 will be available in the U.S. this year.

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Visualized: global DDoS attacks animated and mapped by Google

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/21/visualized-global-ddos-attacks-animated/

Visualized: global DDoS attacks animated and mapped by Google

Earlier today, Google announced it had built Project Shield to help small websites stay online during DDoS (distributed denial of service) strikes, and it turns out the search giant also unveiled a frequently-updated online map of such assaults. Dubbed Digital Attack Map, the project was created in partnership with Arbor Networks, which updates the site every hour with anonymous DDoS events from over 270 internet service providers it counts as customers. Animations of inbound, outbound and internal volleys from countries across the globe fill the map, and are accompanied by data regarding duration, bandwidth and more. However, only a partial picture of the situation is painted, and the source of incursions can be incorrect. Not only does the effort rely on an incomplete data set -- though Mountain View argues this is the most fleshed out around -- but the origin of DDoS attacks are often forged, and are sometimes unwilling computers directed by foreign-controlled botnets. This affair is far from scientific, but feel free to play security researcher for a day at the source.

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Via: Google (Google+)

Source: Digital Attack Map

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Monday, October 21, 2013

You Have To See This Awesome Animated iWatch Concept GIF

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/iwatch-concept-animated-2013-10

A designer named Thomas Bogner shared his impressive concept of what Apple's long-awaited iWatch might look like.

While Bogner thinks "it looks basically like the bastard child of a Fuel Band and an iPhone," we're into it. It's a cool concept that looks like it'd be easy to wear, and those fluid transitions from screen to screen are simply tantalizing.

This is obviously all speculation and shouldn't be thought of as anything more than a fun design exercise. Apple's iWatch still might as well be a flying saucer, but if you want to learn more, check out this video with hotshot Apple reporter Mark Gurman.

dribbble_small_iwatch

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Visualized: Qualcomm takes the red pill, uses 130 HTC Ones to capture slo-mo Matrix moves

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/21/qualcomm-snapdragon-booth/

Visualized Qualcomm takes the red pill, uses 130 HTC Ones to capture funky Matrix moves

Don't lie: we know that at least once in the last fourteen years, each and every one of you have pretended you were in the middle of an action scene from The Matrix -- y'know, the slo-mo "bullet time" pan shots that circle around Neo as he fights Agent Smith. Even if you can't bring yourself to admit it, our friends at Qualcomm seem especially inspired by this cinematic effect; enough, at least, to collaborate with HTC to create the "Snapdragon Ultimate Photo Booth." This rig, which is a result of daisy-chaining 130 One devices together, is meant to showcase the power of Qualcomm's SoCs to mimic the sci-fi masterpiece. While bullet time is now frequently used in today's movies, it's not every day that we get to see the concept recreated using nothing but smartphones. Check out the minute-long video below, which features break dancers, fire breathers and plenty of other creative ideas.

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Microsoft Surface Pro 2 review: a tablet that works best as a laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/21/microsoft-surface-pro-2-review/

Microsoft Surface Pro 2 review: a tablet that works best as a laptop

We could debate all day about whether the original Surface Pro was supposed to be more of a tablet, or a laptop with a detachable keyboard. Either way, we think we can agree on this: The original wasn't perfect in either role, not with its short battery life, heavy build and kickstand that wasn't designed to be used in the lap. Now, less than a year after the original came out, we have the Surface Pro 2, which addresses many of the shortcomings we complained about on the original. In particular, it moves to a two-stage kickstand that sits less precariously on people's legs. A Haswell CPU, meanwhile, should take care of the battery life problem. Even the keyboard covers have received mild upgrades, though unfortunately, they're still not included in the $899 starting price. But does all of that add up to a real improvement?%Gallery-slideshow101465%

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Friday, October 18, 2013

Article: Meet Raspberry Pi NoIR, an infrared camera board for low light photography

If Raspberry Pi owners wanted to use the device's camera board for nighttime photography, they had to engage in some extremely delicate tinkering, as the unit's IR filter was firmly attached. Until now. The folks at Raspberry Pi took to their blog today to announce the debut of Pi NoIR, an infrar...

http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/18/raspberry-pi-noir-infrared-camera/

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