Samsung reportedly launching new 8-inch tablet in June, Galaxy S 4 Active in July

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/samsung-reportedly-plans-new-8-inch-tablet-gs4-active/

Samsung Gulf president Young Soo Kim reportedly made casual mention of an upcoming rugged take on the Galaxy S 4 at a press event earlier in the week, but left out any details. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim to know more of the story, and it sounds like the toughened phone won't be alone this summer. The Galaxy S 4 Active, as it's rumored to be called, would arrive in July and carry the dust- and waterproofing of spiritual predecessors like the Galaxy Xcover 2 while maintaining the GS 4's design language. A smaller, 4.3-inch parallel to the GS 4 would appear at the same time -- Galaxy S 4 Mini, anyone? The same tipsters also expect the release of a new 8-inch "Galaxy-line tablet" in June, which suggests the Galaxy Note 8.0 may get a regular Tab counterpart. We wouldn't base our buying strategies around the rumors when Samsung hasn't said anything that's truly on the record, but it might be wise to hold off if you're not in a rush.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Wall Street Journal

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Artificial sense of touch gets smarter, lets robots really feel

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/artificial-sense-of-touch-gets-smarter-lets-robots-really-feel/

The verdict's still out on whether or not androids dream of electric sheep. But their ability to feel? Well, that's about to approach levels of human sensitivity. We're of course talking about the sense of touch, not emotions. And thanks to work out of Georgia Tech, tactile sensitivity for robotics, more secure e-signatures and general human-machine interaction is about to get a great 'ol boost. Through the use of thousands of piezotronic transistors (i.e., grouped vertical zinc oxide nanowires) known as "taxels," a three-person team led by Prof. Zhong Lin Wang has devised a way to translate motion into electronic signals. In other words, you're looking at a future in which robotic hands interpret the nuances of a surface or gripped object akin to a human fingertip and artificial skin senses touch similar to the way tiny hairs on an arm do.

What's more, the tech has use outside of robotics and can even be levereged for more secure e-signature verification based on speed and pressure of a user's handwriting. And the best part? These sensors can be manufactured on transparent and flexible substrates like the one pictured above, which allows for various real-world applications -- just use your imagination. Pretty soon, even robots will have the pleasure of enjoying the touch... the feel of cotton and maybe! even hu m that jingle to themselves, too.

Filed under: Science, Alt

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Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: Georgia Tech, Science

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Oppo's 4.7-inch, 6.93mm-thick R809T pays homage to the Finder

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/oppo-r809t-china/

No, this isn't the world's thinnest phone thanks to Alcatel and BBK, but Oppo's recently announced R809T is still a seemingly attractive device judging by the above official image. Measuring at 6.93mm thick (instead of the rumored 6.13mm), we're surprised that Oppo didn't set this to be the follow-up to the Finder: sure, it's 0.28mm thicker, but it also aces the latter with a 4.7-inch 720p in-cell display, a 1.2GHz quad-core chip with 1GB RAM (likely MediaTek's Cortex-A7-based MT6589 SoC), Android 4.2 and a sorely missed 3.5mm headphone jack -- so no micro-USB adapter required. Then there's also an 8-megapixel main camera plus an increasingly common 2-megapixel, 88-degree wide front-facing imager, which is obviously no match for the 5-megapixel counterpart on Oppo's Ulike 2.

Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but given the "T" in the model name, chances ! are it'l l only work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, anyway; unless you really don't mind using just GSM. Close-up shot after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Sina Weibo (login required)

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Google's Eric Schmidt admits talking to Glass is 'the weirdest thing'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/google-eric-schmidt-talking-to-glass-is-the-weirdest-thing/

We're still getting to grips with an Explorer edition of Google's Glass ourselves, but Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has noted that Glass may take some getting used to. Talking to an audience on Thursday at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, he said that alongside the unusual sensation of voice control, people would have to develop new etiquette to deal with the fact that incoming wearables like Google Glass would be able to capture images and access information at whim. "There are obviously places where Google Glasses are inappropriate," he said, while stifling a cheeky wink.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Wearables, Google

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Source: Reuters

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Dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy S 4 launches in China with an Exynos 5 Octa inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/dual-sim-samsung-galaxy-s-4-launches-in-china/

Remember the leaked GT-i9502, that dual-SIM variant of the Galaxy S 4 that ultimately confirmed many rumors? That smartphone is at last exists beyond a collection of photos, as Samsung just launched it for China Unicom customers. The support for an extra cellular line is naturally the highlight, although there's another perk for GS4 connoisseurs: the i9502 has the same 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor as the i9500, which might eke out more performance than the Snapdragon 600 models. There isn't any word on whether or not the i9502 edition will leave China, although we wouldn't count on European or North American editions when there isn't LTE inside to please 4G-obsessed carriers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Via: GSMArena

Source: Samsung (translated)

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Toshiba to release 4K-ready, 160MB/s CompactFlash memory cards

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/toshiba-compact-flash-exceria-pro-150MBps/

Toshiba will launch its Exceria Pro series of CompactFlash cards into the Japanese market tomorrow with 160MB/s read speeds and 150MB/s write speeds. The company claims the 32GB and 64GB models are the fastest CF cards you can get now, thanks to the UDMA7 protocol combined with its own NAND flash memory and custom firmware. As such, it's certified them to the "video performance guarantee profile 2" (VPG-65) standard, meaning they're guaranteed to sustain 65MB/s, which Toshiba says will support many CF-equipped 4K cameras on the market. Obviously, HD and RAW still shooters using pro DSLR models like Canon's 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800 won't have to sweat the frames-per-second, either. There's no word on US availability or pricing, but we should know more when they hit Japanese shops on April 27th.

Filed under: Cameras, Storage

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What the Future of Wearable Technology Will Look Like

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995406/what-the-future-of-wearable-technology-will-look-like

It's going to look silly! But more seriously, it seems like we're all going to have to accept that wearing technology is going to be the real future and not just the imagined future of science fiction movies. We won't know we're in the future until we're wearing technology like Google Glass or Apple's supposed iWatch. PBS Off Book decided to take a look at what that future of wearable technology would look like.

It makes sense right? Technology starts big and ends up on us somehow. Like a giant clock tower turned into a wall clock turned into a pocket watch turned into a wristwatch. Or computers being room sized to tower sized to laptop sized to phone sized... to on our body. PBS says:

As computing moves from our desktops to our phones, we look into the future to see how technology will become increasingly ingrained in our movements and our active lives. From the Nike Fuelband to Google Glass, consumers are already seeing hints of the future of wearable devices. They have the possibility to make us more knowledgeable about ourselves and our surroundings, and connect us with each other in an uninterrupted, more intimate way. From DIY wearables to high-tech sensors and smart fabrics, the years ahead will show how integrated technology can impact our lives for the better.

[PBS Off Book]

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Who Actually Uses Math at Work?

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5995408/who-actually-uses-math-at-work

Let's admit it together. We all kind of suck at math. It's okay! Numbers are evil. And back in high school when you were forced to struggle through Algebra and Geometry and Algebra again and if you were especially unlucky, Calculus, you probably thought to yourself when in the hell would you ever use all those stupid theories, equations and computational silliness in real life. And the truth is you won't use them! Who needs math!

Okay, you definitely need the basics of math like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. but anything more advanced? Leave it for the mathematicians to wrinkle their brain with. The Atlantic found the graph above which was made by Northeastern University sociologist Michael Handel. Handel surveyed 2,300 workers throughout the 2000's to figure out how much advanced math is being done at people's work.

If a person is good at math and wants to work in a job that requires math skill, hell, by all means go study more math! But for someone who will never work with numbers in any sort of way passed addition and subtraction, why the hell are they taking advanced math classes every single year of high school? Head over to The Atlantic to see more of the math on math like which jobs require more math (blue collar or white collar jobs). [The Atlantic]

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Facebook to acquire Parse, promises easier cloud-based app development

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/facebook-parse/

Hot on the heels of its Mobile Developer Conference, Facebook today announced its intentions to buy cloud-based app development service Parse, a company with which the site has collaborated in the past. According to a post on Facebook's Developers blog, the purchase will go a ways toward helping devs, "rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices." The acquisition will bring a number of cloud-based tools like data storage, user management and notifications to Facebook developers. For each company's take on the news, check out the source links below. We also spoke to a Facebook spokesperson, who told us, "This is an acquisition, not a talent deal." As for financial terms, they wouldn't say.

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Source: Facebook, Parse

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AT&T launches Digital Life home automation and security platform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/atandt-launches-digital-life-home-automation-and-security-platform/

It's been a long time coming. Seriously. AT&T first teased us with Digital Life way back in February of last year. Now the home security and automation platform is finally ready for prime time. Starting today customers in the 15 launch markets (Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, LA, Miami, SF, Seattle, Austin, Philly, Riverside, St. Louis, Denver, Boulder and the New York/New Jersey metro area) can put in their orders, provided they live in a single-family, detached house. There will be two packages to choose from: Simple Security and Smart Security. The former is a pretty standard alarm system with sensors, an HSPA-based base station and a 24-hour backup battery, for $30 a month and a one-time installation fee of $150. Smart Security is where the real fun happens, though. The basic version starts at $40 a month, with a $250 installation fee, and includes your choice of three additional features including a motion sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, glass break sensor, smoke sensor or a takeover kit. From there you can add on additional packages, like energy management or a camera system, for between $5 and $10 a month! , plus t he cost of installation. Those costs can quickly add up too. Those two add-ons alone could push the price of installation as high as $650.

To go along with the launch AT&T is also releasing its remote control app, which will be available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 and, "eventually," BlackBerry. Through the app you can lock doors, adjust your thermostat, turn on and off lights or appliances and check your security cameras. The most powerful feature, though, is the ability to create programs that can automate tasks, send alerts and trigger events based on data from the sensors. For example, if the glass break sensor on the kitchen window is tripped, the system can be set to turn on the lights in the room and start recording a video. Eventually, AT&T even sees the ability to integrate with the location services on a cellphone for additional automation options. If you're hankering for more details, check out the PR after the break.

Gallery: AT&T Digital Life hands-on

Filed under: Household, AT&T

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Dell outfits XPS 10 with LTE, asks $100 for the privilege

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/dell-outfits-xps-10-with-lte-asks-100-for-the-privilege/

The FCC told us that an LTE ready version of the Dell XPS 10 was coming, but there's nothing like official confirmation: it's here, and it runs on AT&T. Dell officially announced the variant's availability on its community blog, identifying the radio the feds uncovered as a Qualcomm Gobi modem, a natural fit for the tablet's 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU. The LTE option is only available for the device's 64GB configuration, and adds $100 to the tablet's total purchase price. Nobody said getting LTE on your Windows RT slab was cheap.

Filed under: Tablets, Dell

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Via: CNET

Source: Dell

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Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 to enter mass production in late May

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/qualcomm-snapdragon-800-mass-production-late-may/

While Snapdragon 600 is already showing up on various flagship devices like the HTC One, PadFone Infinity, Galaxy S 4, Optimus G Pro and Xiaomi 2S, we're still looking forward to the big daddy of Qualcomm's lineup this year: the Snapdragon 800. At a media event in Beijing earlier today, Senior Product Manager Yufei Wang confirmed that his company's next flagship SoC will enter mass production in late May, but he refused to comment on which upcoming devices will feature it. And due to the current state of the silicon (even though vendors like ZTE are already sampling it), we weren't allowed to run any benchmark tests on the Snapdragon 800 development devices on display just yet, though we've been told to stay tuned in June.

What makes the 800 shine brighter than the 600 is its more powerful Krait 400 architecture, which can maintain a clock speed of up to 2.3GHz; but like before, the four cores are also clocked asynchronously for better power management. On top of that, the 800 comes with the new Adreno 330 graphics processor with 30fps 4K playback capability, while still featuring the improved Adreno 320's FlexRender technology that can dynamically switch between direct rendering and binning rendering for optimized performance and efficiency. We'll save the nitty-gritty for the proper launch of this 28nm chip later this year.

Gallery: Qualcomm media workshop Beijing 2013

Filed under: Misc

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Article: LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company's VP of mobile has confirmed, though it's unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hy...

http://www.slashgear.com/lgs-first-flexible-oled-phone-due-before-the-year-is-out-25279269/

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KEF introduces M Series headphones bred from HiFi speaker know-how

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/kef-m-series-headphones/

Mostly known for its extravagant speaker systems, KEF is finally taking a whack at ear gear. Today, the company announced two new types of HiFi headphones, known as the M Series, which include a pair of on-ear cups (M500) and a set of in-ear buds (M200). Priced at $300, the M500 sports a full aluminum frame and sweat resistant padding, along with a 10mm driver for lows and a 5.5mm driver for mids and highs in each earcup. If enclosed head gear isn't your thing, the $200 M200 offers an aluminum housing and a pair of silicone ear tips with an adjustable arm for improved comfort. Like their pricer sibling, these earphones also feature a dual-driver system. While we've yet to spend time with the M500 or M200, their press pictures and specs aren't too shabby. Call it a hunch, but we doubt they'll need any celebrity endorsements. For more info on KEF's new headphone line, hit the presser after the break.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wearables

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Full Samsung Knox launch delayed until a 'later date'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/24/full-launch-of-samsung-knox-delayed-until-a-later-date/

The Galaxy S 4 launch was also supposed to mark the release of Knox, Samsung's plan to balance home life and work through software. Unfortunately, Galaxy owners will have to live slightly off-kilter for a while longer -- the company has officially delayed full Knox service to a "later date." While the GS 4 ships with the necessary underpinnings, both distributors and providers have to fall into place before the suite is completely ready. Samsung hasn't officially said when it expects Knox to arrive in earnest, although the New York Times claims that it may appear as late as July. Whether or not that's true, the setback adds to what's becoming a hitch-prone debut for Samsung's 2013 Android flagship.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: New York Times

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