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Tag: Samsung

  • CES 2013: Samsung TecTiles Make The Vegas Strip More Interactive

    CES 2013: Samsung TecTiles Make The Vegas Strip More Interactive

    Plenty of folks are in Las Vegas this week for CES 2013, and those in attendance will probably enjoy a little bit of the Vegas Strip while they’re there. Those who decide to hit up the slots with a Samsung or other NFC-capable smartphone will be able to get extra information about the games thanks to TecTiles being installed all over the city.

    Samsung announced today that it has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to place more than 4,500 TecTile NFC tags throughout eight of the company’s hotels and casinos in Las Vegas. By tapping an NFC-capable smartphone to the tag, information on various games, entertainment venues, food and more will be instantly displayed on the smartphone.

    “At Caesars, we understand that mobile, social, and online technologies are critical enablers of the customer experience,” said Tariq Shaukat, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. “This installation of Samsung TecTiles will allow millions of our guests with any NFC-enabled device to explore all that Caesars Entertainment resorts and casinos have to offer by simply tapping their smartphone against the tags.”

    As expected, TecTiles will be plastered all over slot machines providing users with information like game tutorials, player guidelines, win/loss stats and more. The tags will also be placed near the more popular attractions so users can view show times, buy tickets and get post-show offers all from their phone.

    Social media also gets a boost thanks to TecTiles with the tags being placed outside major hotels and casinos in the city. Those who tap these tags will receive a list of the “Top 10” things to do at each of the hotels and casinos that week. It would be a big help for the clueless tourist.

    “Just six months ago we introduced Samsung TecTiles, which were intended to expand how our customers can leverage the Near Field Communication capabilities of Samsung phones,” said Kevin Packingham, chief product officer at Samsung Mobile. “Since then, these programmable stickers have not only changed how consumers interact with their phone, but they have made it much easier for businesses to create unique experiences for their customers using this innovative capability.”

    Fittingly, all the TecTile tags will be going up on January 8, the first official day of CES. Those arriving for the annual tech show will probably use the tags far more than the average tourist, but its success could lead to other major tourist spots around the world adopting the technology.

  • The AP Will Run Ads (Sponsored Tweets) for Samsung

    The AP Will Run Ads (Sponsored Tweets) for Samsung

    The Associated Press, one of America’s most venerable news organizations, is selling out its Twitter feed for the very first time.

    And we can thank Samsung and CES for it. According to the AP, Samsung will be the first company to pay for Sponsored tweets inside their Twitter account, which currently boasts a little over 1.5 million followers.

    The ads (sponsored tweets, or as the AP is referring to them, “innovative advertising”) will pop up twice a day during CES, which is currently underway in Las Vegas. Each sponsored tweet from Samsung will be clearly labeled as a “sponsored tweet” and produced by “staff outside the AP newsroom.”

    And before you ask about this decision and how it could compromise the integrity of the AP as a credible news organization, don’t bother. It doesn’t, says the AP:

    “The AP developed internal guidelines in recent months so that it may build new business models in the new media landscape without compromising its newsroom values and principles,” said the organization in a statement.

    “We are thrilled to be taking this next step in social media,” said Lou Ferrara, the AP managing editor overseeing the newsroom social media efforts. “As an industry, we must be looking for new ways to develop revenues while providing good experiences for advertisers and consumers. At the same time, advertisers and audiences expect AP to do that without compromising its core mission of breaking news.”

    The AP has to make money, and they haven’t been over the past couple of years. Hosting sponsored tweets inside your stream is nothing new around Twitter, but it is something new for the AP, who hasn’t always had the most genial relationship with the internet and social media.

    As John Herman at BuzzFeed points out, the AP and Samsung have struck their own agreement with these sponsored tweets. That means that they are bypassing Twitter’s own Sponsored Tweets product, which allows businesses to pay Twitter to features their tweets, accounts, and hashtags.

    Twitter has this to say about such third-party arrangements:

    There are so many ways that people use Twitter to discuss the products they care about. In cases where these Tweets are paid or otherwise sponsored, any payment arrangements are the responsibility of the user and the sponsoring brand or service. These “sponsored” Tweets are not prohibited, provided they clearly disclose the nature of the sponsorship on Twitter, and do not otherwise violate the Twitter Rules.

    However, sponsorship as a form of automated or mass-created affiliate advertising is not permitted on Twitter. This behavior is considered spam, and creates a misleading and potentially unsafe user experience. The guidelines in this article prohibit affiliate spam on Twitter, and provide guidance for users interested in included sponsored Tweets in their timeline.

    So as long as the AP is hand-posting these sponsored tweets and not spamming the hell out of everyone, they’re well within the law of Twitter. But that doesn’t mean Twitter has to be happy about major account skirting their own product and making backdoor deals.

  • Samsung Galaxy S IV Image Leaked [RUMOR]

    Samsung Galaxy S IV Image Leaked [RUMOR]

    A purported image of Samsung’s next flagship Android smartphone appeared online today. Courtesy SamMobile, the above picture depicts a device that is similar to the Galaxy S III, but with a few notable alterations.

    SamMobile credits an “insider at Samsung” as the source of the pic, and admits there is no way to confirm it’s the real thing. Still, the design seems to be in keeping with recent Samsung offerings, such as the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy Premier. It’s almost certain to be closer to the real Galaxy S IV than, say, some of the crazy iPhone 5 mock-ups that were created in the year before that smartphone’s release.

    One thing to note about the above picture is the thinner side bezels, at least when compared to the Galaxy S III. The Galaxy S IV is already rumored to have a 4.99″ screen and a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. Other rumored specs include a quad-core Exynos processor and a 13 MP rear camera.

    Also noticeable about the leaked image is the lack of a physical home button. Google has been re-designing it’s Android operating system for use with devices that have no back, home, or menu buttons, and it appears Samsung may be leading the way with buttonless devices.

    Something that is certain, unlike the image, is that Samsung has teased a big announcement of “something new” at the Computer Electronics Show (CES) next week. It certainly could be the next Samsung smartphone, but it’s more likely that Samsung will create its own event for the debut of such a big product – sometime in February is the current rumor.

    (via BGR)

  • Surprise: Android And iOS Were The Only Mobile Platforms To See Growth In November

    Surprise: Android And iOS Were The Only Mobile Platforms To See Growth In November

    The mobile market isn’t exactly thriving with competition. In reality, it’s dominated by Apple and Google as iOS and Android continue to butt heads over marketshare. Other competitors, like Microsoft and RIM, can only hope to grab a few morsels that come their way. That trend doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

    ComScore has just released its smartphone platform market share numbers for November 2012, and the results are not surprising in the least. Once again, Android is in the top spot with 53.7 percent of all smartphones in the U.S. sporting Google’s mobile OS. Apple came in a respectable second with 35 percent. Both platforms saw a small amount of growth from August 2012 with Android growing 1.1 percent and iOS growing 0.7 percent.

    Everybody else did not come out of November looking too good. RIM came in a distant third with only 7.3 percent of the U.S. market while Microsoft trailed behind with only 3 percent. Symbian continues its death struggle against certain oblivion with only 0.5 percent. In even worse news, all three saw decreases since August 2012 with RIM’s marketshare decreasing by 1 percent, Microsoft’s decreased by 0.6 percent and Symbian’s decreased by 0.2 percent.

    Android iOS Mobile Growth

    As for the mobile device manufacturers, Samsung is still on top. In November, 26.9 percent of all smartphones on the market were made by Samsung. Apple came in second with 26.9 percent of the market. LG, Motorola and HTC came in third, fourth and fifth respectively.

    Just like with mobile OS platforms, only the two leaders saw an increase in marketshare. Samsung’s marketshare increased by 1.2 percent since August and Apple’s increased by 1.4 percent in the same time period. The others all had their marketshare decrease by less than a percentage point.

    Android iOS Mobile Growth

    It should be noted that these numbers are from November of last year. It doesn’t take into account all the new mobile devices that were activated over Christmas and the rest of the December. Windows Phone 8 also launched at the tail end of November so Microsoft’s marketshare may have climbed slightly in December. We won’t know for sure until comScore’s numbers for December come out.

  • Samsung Unveils New Notebook PCs Ahead Of CES

    Samsung Unveils New Notebook PCs Ahead Of CES

    The Windows PC market isn’t exactly doing that well anymore, but that doesn’t mean OEMs are going to give up on Windows 8 just yet. One of the bigger OEMs, Samsung, is even announcing some new Notebook models before CES next week.

    Samsung announced today that two new models in its Series 7 Notebook lines would be officially unveiled at CES. The new notebooks show that Samsung is going after the power hungry consumer with these latest models instead of the price conscious consumer that may instead go with one of Samsung’s Chromebooks.

    “2012 was a definitive year for Samsung’s PC business – we expanded our lineup, taking advantage of the new form factors and consumer demand. This led to significant growth in the Industry,” said David Song, Senior Vice President of IT & Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics. “In 2013, we will continue to focus on innovation delivering products that fit into customer lifestyles while maintaining Samsung’s high-end design and performance standards. The new Series 7 Chronos and Ultra products are just two examples of what you can expect to see from us throughout the year.”

    The first new model is the Series 7 Ultra, an Ultrabook that boasts a 1080p display, 16GB of RAM, backlit keyboard, a 1GB AMD HD570M GPU and the consumer’s choice of either an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. Consumers can also choose between 128GB or 256GB SSD storage solutions.

    The other model is a new version of last year’s Series 7 Chronos notebook. The PC now features a faster AMD Radeon 8870M GPU for increased graphics performance. It also comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, an optional touchscreen, and an approximate 11 hours of battery life.

    As expected, both models will come with Windows 8. Both are also equipped with USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports, HDMI out, Ethernet port, mini-VGA and a memory card reader.

    It will be interesting to see what other PC OEMs bring to the table in terms of Notebooks/Ultrabooks at CES. They haven’t been selling as well as expected, but there’s still a lot of potential in the market. The main hurdle is of course in price, but the introduction of AMD GPUs instead of Nvidia may help Samsung market these new Notebooks at a more affordable price.

    It’s expected that price and availability of both models will be announced at CES.

  • Samsung to Reveal Smart TV Upgrade Kits at CES

    Samsung to Reveal Smart TV Upgrade Kits at CES

    One of the problems with trying to re-invent the TV in the same way phones and tablets have been in the past few years is that consumers can’t and won’t buy a new TV every year. As a big-ticket item, many consumers would rather wait for manufacturers to get their experimental new TV features ironed out before laying down thousands of dollars on a TV set.

    Samsung is trying to solve this problem, though, and will attempt to let early adopters of its smart TVs know they won’t be left behind any time soon. At the Computer Electronics Show (CES) next week, Samsung will unveil what it is calling an “Evolution Kit.”

    The kits will turn Samsung’s 2012 smart TVs into 2013 smart TVs, with new features and hardware. The kits will increase the CPU power and memory of the TVs, as well as “enhancing” their voice and motion controls. Samsung has stated that the kits can simply be attached to the back of its smart TVs.

    The idea is that Samsung will sell a yearly update kit to keep smart TV software and hardware up-to-date. While such a system will certainly be good for customers, who don’t have to worry about their TV becoming obsolete within two years, it will also represent a new subscription-like revenue source for Samsung. No pricing information for the update kits has yet been revealed.

  • Samsung Announces The Galaxy Grand

    Samsung Announces The Galaxy Grand

    It’s rare to see a new product announcement this late in the year, but Samsung apparently likes to defy convention. This morning, the company unveiled its latest smartphone – the Galaxy Grand.

    You would be forgiven if you thought the Galaxy Grand was the Galaxy S III. In fact, there’s very little that sets the two devices apart. In terms of hardware, the Galaxy Grand sports a 5-inch screen while the Galaxy S III featured a 4.8-inch screen. It also has a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor compared to the S III’s 1.4 GHz quad-core processor.

    The main difference between the two phones, however, is that the Galaxy Grand will come in two variants – dual SIM and single SIM. The availability of dual SIM makes the phone’s purpose clear – this is an enterprise phone. The dual SIM will be greatly appreciated by travelers and regular users, but the enterprise market is clearly in Samsung’s sights.

    In terms of software, the phone comes equipped with Android 4.1.2, and a variety of Samsung software that users of other Samsung mobile devices should be familiar with. It ships with Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, S Voice and AllShare Play.

    You can check out a more detailed look of the new device below:

    Samsung Announces The Galaxy Grand

    As for release date, price or availability, Samsung is remaining quiet for now. We can probably expect the phone early next year. In fact, we’ll probably see more of it and others at CES early next year.

  • Samsung May Have Ruined Christmas with an Ad Referencing a Mrs. Claus Sex Tape

    Samsung May Have Ruined Christmas with an Ad Referencing a Mrs. Claus Sex Tape

    A few months ago Samsung released a 30-second ad for the Galaxy S III called “Work Trip,” which promoted the NFC-beaming of information from phone-to-phone with a little joke about a NSFW tape made by a wife for her traveling husband.

    “I also made you a video,” says the wife before bumping phones with her departing husband. “But you probably shouldn’t watch it on the plane.”

    Ow ow, right? Here’s that ad, for reference.

    But now, Samsung has taken it too far with a Christmas-themed version of that ad that involves another, more famous couple. In the following ad, dubbed “Santa’s Work Trip,” Mrs. Claus informs Santa that she also made him a video that calls for discretion. Ah come on, Samsung.

    Never has the phrase “coming down your chimney” sounded so wrong. And to sell a phone. For shame.

  • Samsung Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean on Verizon

    Samsung Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean on Verizon

    Verizon Wireless today announced that its customers with Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone will finally get an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The update will be pushed out to subscribers starting on December 14.

    In additions to the testing and extra software placed into the update by Samsung, U.S. carriers take weeks or months to tailor operating system updates. The delays have gotten better over the past year, but Verizon customers are still just now getting an upgrade that debuted with the Nexus 7 back in mid-July. In fact, Google already released the next version of Android, 4.2, back at the end of October.

    Verizon stated that the upgrade to Jelly Bean makes the Galaxy S III on their network “Global Ready.” The device will also become ISIS-ready with the software update, for people in Austin and Salt Lake City to take advantage of. Verizon also highlighted Jelly Bean features such as upgraded notifications, Google Now, and enhanced camera capabilities.

    Verizon is the last major U.S. carrier to upgrade the Galaxy S III, after Samsung announced Jelly Bean’s availability for the device on October 17. Sprint was the first carrier to provide the update to its customers, rolling it out on October 25. T-Mobile came next on November 14. AT&T took nearly as long as Verizon, waiting until December 4 to roll out a non-over-the-air version that required Kies.

  • Hackers Reportedly Exploit Samsung Smart TVs, Can Spy On You

    Hackers Reportedly Exploit Samsung Smart TVs, Can Spy On You

    One of the more worrisome patents in recent months was one filed by Verizon that would allow the company to spy on viewers through a camera in a DVR. There might be nothing to worry about, however, as it’s just a patent and may never see the light of day. A more pressing concern is a new report that hackers can spy on you if you happen to own a Samsung smart TV.

    A report out of The Security Ledger says that hackers have found an exploit in Samsung’s line of smart TVs that allows them to gain access to everything in the system. That means these hackers could potentially gain access to the social media accounts, access any stored files, and even spy on those using the TV through connected cameras.

    The original firm to discover the exploit, ReVuln, created a short demonstration that shows how a hacker could take complete control over your television:

    ReVuln – The TV is watching you from ReVuln on Vimeo.

    Even more worrisome than the exploit itself is the fact that Samsung apparently didn’t include any kind of native security features in its smart TVs. There’s also no way to update the software to patch any of these holes. The only thing that could fix all of this is an official firmware update from Samsung, and ReVuln apparently won’t share the exploit with Samsung because it violates company policy. The company will, however, share the exploit with paying subscribers, but nobody else.

    In short, owners of Samsung smart TVs are on their own until Samsung or another security firm with actual morals crack the case. Until then, I would suggest taking your smart TV off your network just in case. It’s apparently pretty easy to find and crack a smart TV as it’s displayed alongside every other device on your network.

    [h/t: Tech Dirt]

  • Samsung Ribs Apple for Australian Maps Fiasco with Hilarious Ad Installation

    Samsung Ribs Apple for Australian Maps Fiasco with Hilarious Ad Installation

    Earlier this week, it was pretty big news that Apple Maps was apparently leading Australian motorists into the middle of a national park instead of the cozy confines of Mildura. Sure, Apple Maps had seen plenty of bad press before, but until then they had never been accused of endangering lives. Despite the often over-the-job jeering, you can’t really feel sorry for Apple. If you’re going to rush out a maps product to displace one as solid as Google Maps, you should be prepared for ridicule if that maps product starts dumping people in the scorching-hot Australian bush.

    The opportunity to turn Apple’s bad press into an advertisement was apparent not lost on Samsung, who recently created one of the most timely and most clever physical advertisements you’re likely to see.

    Spotted by CNET Australia, Samsung’s ad installment on George Street in Sydney is pretty simple, yet so funny. A dirty SUV, complete with camping gear, sits next to a folding chair and a pitched tent. Beside it stand a sign that says,

    Oops, should have got a Samsung Galaxy SIII. Get navigation you can trust.

    Three points. Nothin’ but net.

    Samsung is no stranger to sharply targeting Apple with television ads, but this one is on a whole other level. Advertising as art as great joke.

  • Samsung Galaxy S III Upgrade Further Detailed, Big CES Announcement Teased

    Samsung Galaxy S III Upgrade Further Detailed, Big CES Announcement Teased

    Last week, Samsung announced that their flagship Android smartphone, the Galaxy S III, will soon be getting a “Premium Suite” software upgrade. The Korean tech company detailed around half of the upgrade’s features in a video, leaving the rest to be laid out this week.

    The Premium Suite will also include the Paper Artist photo editing app, left/right sound balance, a setup wizard for accessibility options, face detection accessibility features for the camera app, and an ‘easy mode” that makes the smartphone interface resemble a feature phone. Several new camera features will be added as well, including low light photo capabilities and a “best face” feature that allows different faces from five different pictures to be chosen for each person in a picture.

    Though Samsung’s Premium Suite software doesn’t add anything essential to the smartphone experience, it does show that the company is focusing heavily on software. In the past, there have been rumors that Samsung might forsake Android and develop its own operating system. That would certainly be an announcement worthy of a big reveal at CES.

    Samsung teased such an announcement this week with a very vague video that only foretells “something new” the company will be announcing at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. While rumors that the announcement will concern the (unbreakable) Galaxy S IV have been debunked, it certainly could be a new mobile OS or a new type of “smart” device altogether.

  • Google Offers $99 Chromebooks To Classrooms For Christmas

    Google Offers $99 Chromebooks To Classrooms For Christmas

    The holidays are all about giving and self-sacrifice. You wouldn’t know that by watching the relentless consumer culture line up outside Best Buys and beat up old ladies on their way to the latest gadgets on Black Friday. There is, however, still some good in the world with Google making an effort to support classrooms.

    Google announced today that it’s partnering with DonorsChoose.org to offer $99 Chromebooks to classrooms across the country. Not just any Chromebook, however, as Google is offering its top of the line Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. The computer usually retails for $429, but teachers can now get the computer, management console and support for only $99 each.

    Teachers have until December 21 to post their request for new Chromebooks on the DonorsChoose Web site. From there, people from all over the world can contribute money to help buy Chromebooks for the school in question. Teachers are limited to only 30 Chromebooks, but that should be enough for any classroom.

    Helping to bring cheap computers to classrooms in need isn’t the only way Google is celebrating the holidays. The company is also paying tribute to Festivus in its search results. There are sure to be many more holiday themed easter eggs from the search engine as it gets closer to Christmas.

  • Samsung Galaxy Camera Heads To Verizon

    Samsung Galaxy Camera Heads To Verizon

    The Galaxy Camera is one of the more interesting Android devices to come out this year, but it’s been exclusive to AT&T since its launch on November 16. Now folks on Verizon are getting their own Galaxy Camera with an added bonus – 4G LTE.

    The Verge reports that a 4G LTE Galaxy Camera suddenly showed up on Samsung’s Web site without warning. The page appears to be a placeholder for now as it contains no price or launch date confirmation. AT&T’s Galaxy Camera retailed for $499, but only had 3G connectivity. It’s unknown if the added 4G LTE connectivity will add onto the price or not.

    For those who are still unaware of Samsung’s new camera, the Galaxy Camera is a point-and-shoot digital camera combined with the power of the company’s flagship Galaxy S III smartphone. The device is equipped with a 4.8-inch HD touch screen and a 21x optical zoom. On the software side of things, it comes with Google’s first Jelly Bean release – Android 4.1.

    While we have no official price or launch date, it would be safe to assume that the Galaxy Camera will hit Verizon before the end of the year. A few more big holiday shopping weekends are coming up, and Verizon won’t want to miss out on the potential sales that such a device could bring to the carrier. If it does miss the holiday season, I’d wager that an early January launch is in the books.

  • Samsung Galaxy S III to Get Premium Suite Upgrade

    Samsung Galaxy S III to Get Premium Suite Upgrade

    If the popularity of Google’s Nexus devices is any indication, Android users really are looking for a pure Android experience. An experience without all the (mostly useless or niche-case) “features” added by manufacturers and carriers to make their phones unique. Still, Samsung has been focusing heavily on software for its Android devices.

    Toaday, Samsung released the first preview of what it is calling the “Premium Suite Upgrade” for the Galaxy S III. The device only just got access to the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgrade on all U.S. carriers this week, nearly five months after the mobile OS launched. Expect significant delays with the Premium Suite as well, as carriers take their time testing the software with their networks.

    The Premium Suite Upgrade will include several software features. Page Buddy is a contextual program that will launch applications or change settings when certain conditions are met, such as docking the smartphone. Contextual menus and tags will also be added, automating the phone’s capabilities even more. Mulit-window capabilities similar to those on Samsung’s tablets have also been added, which is perhaps the most useful feature of the update, and the Galaxy S III’s screen is just big enough to make it work. NFC auto-sharing over S-Beam and a Facebook Lock Ticker have been added, as well as a “Reader Mode” that reformats websites for larger text an easier sharing.

  • Galaxy S IV Could Have “Unbreakable” Screen

    Galaxy S IV Could Have “Unbreakable” Screen

    A Reuters report is fueling rumors that the next Galaxy phone from Samsung could have an “unbreakable” display. Rumors already predict the Galaxy S IV will have a larger display than the Galaxy S III, as well as a quad-core processor, 13 Megapixel camera, and better screen resolution.

    Reuters quotes a UBS analyst as stating Samsung will likely release the Galaxy S IV in the first half of 2013, and perhaps as soon as April. The analyst also believes that Samsung’s production of “unbreakable plastic substrate displays” has improved enough that they will be a feature of the new flagship smartphone. Samsung’s best smartphones are already quite resilient, thanks to the arduous tests the manufacturer uses to vet its handsets.

    There are also rumors that Samsung will deploy flexible or foldable screens by 2014. Samsung has invested heavily in OLED displays, which use plastics instead of glass. As far back as the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011, Samsung has been able to demonstrate AMOLED screens that are flexible. One year ago, Samsung had announced plans to release phones with flexible displays “as early as 2012.” The Korean tech company isn’t likely to release any new, unannounced phones in December, so the analyst prediction for the Galaxy S IV seem to be a safe one.

    Apple’s successor to the iPhone 5, rumored to be the iPhone 5S, has also been predicted to have a mid-2013 launch window. Earlier this year rumors also surfaced that Apple was looking into purchasing flexible OLED screens from Samsung.

  • AT&T Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean

    AT&T Galaxy S III Finally Gets Jelly Bean

    It’s been a long time coming, but the Galaxy S III is finally getting its Jelly Bean update across most carriers. Sprint was the first US-based carrier to deliver the update. The other major carriers were left out, but it looks like the update is finally coming around starting with AT&T.

    Samsung announced that the Jelly Bean update for the AT&T Galaxy S III is now available via Kies. There is no OTA update so you’ll have to connect the device to your Mac or PC to get the update. Aside from the update to Jelly Bean, the Galaxy S III will also be getting the following features and improvements:

  • Home screen mode is added.
  • Blocking mode is added.
  • Swype is added
  • Music Hub is added.
  • Setting menu is modified.
  • Quick panel UI is updated.
  • Facebook support is updated.

    • It’s also noted that any custom APNs will be deleted during the update. You can easily reconfigure any custom APNs after the update by selecting the Access Point Names option under Mobile Networks.

    If you have yet to grab Kies, you can get it here. Just install the software and sync your device with it to grab the update.

    Unfortunately, the Verizon Galaxy S III still does not have the update. Droid-Life reports that currents rumors peg the update as coming on December 14, but it’s still a rumor until Verizon or Samsung spill the beans. In any case, it should be out before the end of the year.

  • Samsung Galaxy S IV Could Be Out By May 2013

    Samsung Galaxy S IV Could Be Out By May 2013

    Mobile technology is moving at breakneck speeds. The Galaxy S III that you just bought for a family member this holiday season will be obsolete by May of next year if rumors are to be believed.

    GSM Nation reports that sources close to Samsung say that the company will announce the newest Galaxy smartphone in April, and launch in May. That would put it one year after the launch of the Galaxy S III and a months before the rumored launch of the iPhone 6.

    We may know a potential release date, but will the Galaxy S IV improve greatly upon the already great Galaxy S III? According to rumors, the S IV will be similar in design to the S III, but feature more powerful specs and a larger screen.

    The current rumors suggest that the Galaxy S IV will sport a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080. GSM Nation notes that this would put it above the iPhone 5’s current retina display resolution of 640×1136.

    Such a large display will require quite a bit of power, and the S IV will reportedly have that and then some. The rumors suggest that Samsung will be utilizing its own Exynos 5450 quad-core CPU. It will be clocked at 2.0GHz for a sizable jump over the Galaxy S III’s 1.4GHz quad-core CPU.

    The final rumor suggests that the Galaxy S IV will be equipped with a 13MP camera. It will be a noticeable improvement over the 8MP camera in the S III.

    As expected, Samsung isn’t saying anything just yet. The company is most likely going to use CES or Mobile World Congress as a platform to hint at the device with an official reveal coming a few months later.

  • Samsung Stress Tests Its Phones With Robot Butts

    Samsung Stress Tests Its Phones With Robot Butts

    Every new smartphone and tablet must go through a YouTube stress test. It’s somewhat of an unwritten rule of the Internet. The drop test is by far the most popular, but others put smartphones through some rather creative trials. Hammering a nail into some wood with a Lumia 900 is pretty cool, but it’s got nothing on Samsung’s own stress tests.

    Yesterday, Samsung uploaded a video that showed off the various stress tests the company puts each new device through before shipping. The device of choice this time around is the Samsung Galaxy S III, and the tests the company puts it through are pretty rough.

    As you can see, Samsung puts its devices through far more tests than any YouTube stress test could ever think of. I’ve never seen a test involving a 100 kg person sitting on the device, but we don’t have to now because Samsung has that covered withs its artificial butt test.

    The other tests are equally strenuous and downright mean. Granted, the testers aren’t throwing the device against a concrete slab, but that’s outside of normal use. With that being said, I’m still trying to figure out how a smartphone being blasted with high pressure water falls under normal use.

  • Apple Throws Tantrum, Adds More Samsung Products To Lawsuit

    Apple Throws Tantrum, Adds More Samsung Products To Lawsuit

    Did you hear? Apple finally settled its patent disputes with HTC, and both companies can now move on. In fact, both companies signed a 10-year license agreement that allows the two to share any present and future patents between them. It’s sounds like a good deal, but it’s already causing problems for Apple.

    The Atlantic Wire reports that a judge has ordered Apple to hand over the details of its HTC deal to Samsung. The deal contained a 10-year licensing agreement, but the details of that agreement have not been made public. That being said, it’s assumed that the agreement covered patents that Apple is currently suing Samsung over. It’s this agreement that’s key to Samsung’s defense.

    How so? Apple is arguing that it has an exclusive right to the patents in the Samsung trial. If Apple wins, it would allow the company to go through with an injunction against Samsung’s products. The HTC deal, however, may contain the very patents that Apple claims to have exclusive rights to. If that’s the case, Samsung has just proven that Apple is willing to license these “exclusive” patents in exchange for money. This would effectively halt any prospective product ban, and force Apple into a settlement.

    Of course, Apple isn’t taking this too well. Upon the order to hand over the details of its HTC deal, the company added a whole new range of Samsung products to its ban list. The previous ban list only contained older products, but Apple is now going after everything. The new list contains the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Rugby Pro and the Galaxy S III Mini.

    It could just be a knee-jerk reaction on the part of Apple, but it could also horribly backfire for Samsung as it attempts to wring a settlement out of Apple. Either way, this isn’t going to be pretty. Apple and Samsung will be back in court on December 6. We’ll be sure to bring you all the latest updates as they happen.

  • Samsung Takes Action On Labor Conditions in China

    Samsung Takes Action On Labor Conditions in China

    As Samsung has increased its share of the mobile devices market and emerged as the main competitor to Apple, increased scrutiny has also been placed on the Korean company’s manufacturing processes.

    In August, human rights organization China Labor Watch published an investigative report into a factory that supplies components to Samsung, accusing the factory of hiring children under the age of 16. In September, another China Labor Watch report contained more allegations of underage workers at several Samsung factories in China, as well as forced overtime and unsafe working conditions.

    At the time, Samsung stated that it would conduct its own reviews of Chinese manufacturing facilities and re-evaluate its working hour practices. Today, it seems the review process is over and the company will be taking action to ensure that its manufacturing processes are humane.

    Samsung today announced that its four-week audit of 105 suppliers found “several instances of inadequate practices,” though no underage workers were identified. The company found overtime hours “in excess of local regulations” and workers being fined for lateness or absences.

    In response, Samsung is putting in place new hiring policies and overtime practices for its suppliers. Though Samsung did not find evidence of child labor, the new hiring process will require all employee candidates to be interviewed in person and will require suppliers to use electronics to detect fake IDs.

    By the end of 2012, Samsung has committed to forcing suppliers to distribute labor contracts to employees; abolish fine systems; provide adequate safety equipment and training; and provide more management training on sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse. In addition, hotlines are being deployed at the subsidiaries for employees to make anonymous reports of labor violations or inhumane treatment.

    It seems that excessive working hours are still going to be the norm at Samsung factories, though, at least for a while. Though the company stated that it has “identified the need for initiatives to reduce employee overtime as a top priority,” working hours that extend beyond legal limits won’t be eliminated until 2014. According to Samsung, plans are being ironed out for each individual supplier.