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- Insert Coin: Botiful telepresence robot for Android (video)
- Google confirms it still has a 'small portion' of Street View WiFi data, apologizes
- TweetDeck updates web-based client with sleeker profiles, enhanced mentions and hashtags
- Vizify offers free infographics all about you, makes you feel like a big shot
- Lenovo IdeaPad K1 gets smeared with Ice Cream Sandwich
- Defcon 20 badges meld hieroglyphs, circuitry and cryptography for hacker scavenger hunt
- Pantech Star Q for Verizon surfaces, offers QWERTY, LTE and Snapdragon S4
- Windows Phone 8 SDK leaks show quiet upgrades to backup, media and the kitchen sink
- Growing up Geek: Philip Berne
- LG Nitro HD getting Ice Cream Sandwich the last day of July
- Intel's SMARTi low-cost 3G systems show off their wireless prowess
- OUYA to get OnLive gameplay at launch, console's full controller gets pictured
- Engadget Podcast 303 - 07.27.2012
- Distro Issue 50: the travel edition packs geotagging and offline navigation
- Facebook's new Recommendations Bar pops up, just wants to be liked
- HTC One X might drop to $100 on contract at AT&T, tempt our wallets (update: confirmed)
- PSA: Samsung's entry-level NX1000 mirrorless cam with 20-50mm lens now available for $700
- CM10 preview builds out for Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note: official but experimental
- Apple buying fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec for $356 million
- Archos' Transformer rival reappears, passes federal inspection, forgets its keyboard
- Samsung Galaxy S III recovers universal search box in OTA update to European handsets
- Security experts hack payment terminals to steal credit card info, play games
- PSA: Nexus 7 arrives at the Carphone Warehouse today
- Man acquitted as #TwitterJokeTrial appeal ends in victory
- Tokyo bakery's visual recognition checkout sorts the sandwiches from the croissants (video)
- Microsoft vs. Motorola decision sees Droids banned in Germany over FAT patent (updated)
- IDC: Samsung and Apple ship almost half of all smartphones, but Korean manufacturer maintains lead
- Fido hops on the LTE bandwagon, gives Canadians frugal 4G this summer
- Extra footage of record-setting Yates electric plane flight shows power loss, dramatic deadstick landing (video)
- Chinese microbot walks on water, skims the surface of insect-inspired design
- Did ASUS' Windows 8-packing Tablet 600 hit the FCC?
- North Korean media reports North Koreans love North Korean tablet
- Motorola Xoom WiFi's Jelly Bean upgrade arriving for regular users
- Apple v. Samsung court filings reveal Sony-inspired iPhone, kickstand-equipped iPad and other prototypes
- MetroPCS 2012 Q2 sees profits skyrocket to $149 million despite losing nearly 200,000 subscribers
- Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report
- OLPC XO Touch 1.75 to use Neonode tech, take multi-touch on world tour
- Samsung's Q2 2012 earnings show $5.86 billion operating profit, that's a lot of Galaxy S IIIs
- Samsung GT-S3752 Duos gets snapped with dedicated ChatON button by Mr. Blurrycam
- ARM forms UK group to foster an Internet of Things, put 50 billion devices online by 2020
| Insert Coin: Botiful telepresence robot for Android (video) Posted: 27 Jul 2012 11:18 AM PDT In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Remote-controlled cameras are nothing new -- heck, some even ride atop robotic vacuums -- but this Android smartphone-powered device delivers quite a bit of versatility in a petite package with a reasonable price tag to boot. Botiful, a "social telepresence robot," serves as a roving platform for your Android smartphone. You can move the handset (and its front-facing camera) up and down as it speeds along any flat surface, responding to commands from someone on the other end of a Skype video chat. Once you connect the device to your Android phone through Bluetooth or USB, you can control its direction from a pop-up window within Skype, letting you position Botiful however you see fit. If your Android phone doesn't have a front-facing camera, you can flip it around to use the rear shooter -- of course, you won't be able to see the display in this configuration, so it won't be ideal for two-way chats. Naturally, this makes the duo a natural choice for surveillance and baby monitoring, but it can also be used to provide a more immersive experience during conference calls or for sending back video from locations that aren't easily accessible, such as the undercarriage of a car. Designed in a garage in California (no, really), Botiful is already functional, with working software as well. The current configuration requires Skype for control, though an SDK will allow developers to create other control apps for the device -- and who knows, the seemingly capable inventor could release another tool of her own before it's set to hit production later this year. With much of the design already completed, the project sponsor is turning to Kickstarter to raise the funds necessary to launch Botiful to production -- the device could ship as soon as November if it reaches a $90,000 goal before August 22nd. Available in white, blue or red, the remote-controlled rig is currently only compatible with Android, though iOS support may come if funding exceeds a $100k threshold. There's still more than three weeks to go to make your pledge, with a limited number of pre-order slots available for $199 (retail pricing is expected to come in at $299). Hit up the source link below to show your support. Previous project update: Radian, another remote-controlled camera of sorts, has nearly reached its $178,750 funding goal with three weeks to go. There's still time to "pre-order" a kit of your own with a pledge of $150 or more. |
| Google confirms it still has a 'small portion' of Street View WiFi data, apologizes Posted: 27 Jul 2012 10:53 AM PDT It has seemed like Google was close to putting its Street View snooping controversy behind it a few times now, but one thing or another keeps bringing it back to the forefront. Today, it's an admission from Google that it hasn't deleted all of the so-called payload data in question after all. That revelation comes in a letter from Google Global Privacy Counsel Peter Fleisher to Steve Eckersley, head of enforcement at the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (or ICO), in which Fleisher says that Google is still in possession of a "small portion of payload data collected by our Street View vehicles in the UK." Fleisher adds that Google "apologizes for this error," and says that the data was discovered after an extensive review of its Street View data that it has been conducting in recent months. For its part, the ICO has acknowleged that it received the letter, and notes that the data was supposed to have been deleted in December of 2010, adding that "the fact that some of this information still exists appears to breach the undertaking to the ICO signed by Google in November 2010." You can find both statements in full at the ICO link below. |
| TweetDeck updates web-based client with sleeker profiles, enhanced mentions and hashtags Posted: 27 Jul 2012 10:29 AM PDT Now that yesterday's sudden Twitter outage is behind us, it's now time to focus on the blue bird's own, and very popular client, TweetDeck. The all-you-can-tweet service has quietly updated its internet-based client with some minor, but rather eye-pleasing tweaks. For starters, users profiles have received a slight design improvement for an overall "cleaner" look, while hashtags and mentions are now #clickable throughout TweetDeck's web offering. These changes are now live, so head over to the TD site, enter your microblogging credentials and you should be all set to give 'em a whirl. |
| Vizify offers free infographics all about you, makes you feel like a big shot Posted: 27 Jul 2012 10:05 AM PDT Infographics. The stuff of high turnover websites and news channels, right? Well, yes, but now you can bring the same white space and pastel shades to your own internet footprint, courtesy of free infographic web app Vizify. It's still in its trial period for now, which means you'll have to wait for an entry code to tap into the breezy visualization generator, but we managed to plug in as many social networks as we could to see how it all works. The service is definitely centered around those that are very connected to the internet. Vizify will draw information from Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, LinkedIn and also connect through work-based websites you add yourself. It will then populate a clickable front page with circles including images, quotes and links to your profile elsewhere. The service, which is geared at recruitment, crafts a convenient short link to offer up on resumes or job emails. Edit options include a choice of color palettes, and the ability to tweak the layout of the information circles [seen above] and the larger pages that follow it, bringing either more career-centric (or interesting) content to the forefront. Sign up for an access code at the source to give it a try for yourself, or take a stalker-esque trip down an Engadget editor's social network tracks at the second link below. |
| Lenovo IdeaPad K1 gets smeared with Ice Cream Sandwich Posted: 27 Jul 2012 09:42 AM PDT Lenovo is putting out a vanilla version of Android 4.03 for customers eager to rid their IdeaPad K1 of Honeycomb. Fans of stock iterations of Google's mobile OS will love the fact that the update will rid the slate of all of the PC maker's customizations -- as well as any other data on the tablet. If you're feeling brave enough to make the upgrade, simply head on down to the source link and follow the instructions, but be warned, if something goes wrong, you're on your own. |
| Defcon 20 badges meld hieroglyphs, circuitry and cryptography for hacker scavenger hunt Posted: 27 Jul 2012 09:19 AM PDT Every year, the world's hacker population descends upon Las Vegas to trade notes, sit in on informational talks and compete in friendly contests -- all in the name of Defcon. But this time, it's the conference's ever-evolving smart badges that've caught our eye, owing mostly to what lurks beneath. Designed by Ryan Clarke -- the mastermind behind the gathering's Mystery Box challenge -- these hackable IDs, issued according to status (Press, Human, Goons, vendors, etc), come embedded with an LED, a multi-core processor, IR transmitter and accompanying hieroglyphic graphic. But that's not all that makes these high-tech tags so special. Turns out, each one contains a game, buried within its open source software, that's encoded with several cryptographic, linguistic and mathematical layers. Shying away from hardware-focused hacks of the past, Clarke built this year's scavenger hunt-like game to be more inclusive of attendee skills, as it'll force conference-goers interested in cracking its code to break down social barriers and collaborate with other highly-specialized nerds. What's the end game, you ask? Well, according to Clarke, the puzzle is a continuation of last year's secret agent story (played out by a real-life actor) involving "a [mysterious] society of computer elites." It's not the sort of payoff we'd be after -- something greener and covered with a certain Ben Franklin's face would suffice -- but it sounds intriguing enough. Click on the source below to read more about the makings of this geek sport. And may the pastiest neckbeard win! |
| Pantech Star Q for Verizon surfaces, offers QWERTY, LTE and Snapdragon S4 Posted: 27 Jul 2012 08:57 AM PDT This one still isn't completely official just yet, but Android and Me has managed to obtain some pictures and fairly complete details for the Pantech Star Q headed for Verizon -- a device that was first spotted in FCC filings back in April. As you can see, it's a QWERTY slider, and it's said to pack Android 4.0.4, a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, front and rear-facing cameras (just 3-megapixels 'round back, though), LTE connectivity, and a 4-inch WVGA display. About the only key details missing are a price and release date, but Android and Me surmises it'll run $99 on-contract with a launch any time now -- both of which seem like safe guesses. |
| Windows Phone 8 SDK leaks show quiet upgrades to backup, media and the kitchen sink Posted: 27 Jul 2012 08:30 AM PDT The Windows Phone 8 SDK has escaped to the wild, and some sifting through the device emulator has dug up elements that Microsoft either skipped or only touched on lightly during the big unveiling in June. The most important addition may be the one customers see the least: backup. A WP7.hu search has the new OS replicating apps, settings and SMS messages in the cloud to prevent disaster, and that new SD card support will let WP8 owners shuffle photos from internal storage to the removable kind for safekeeping. There's also more work on Internet Explorer than we saw before, with MobileTechWorld noticing that DataSense provides an option for Opera-like remote compression to save that precious cellular bandwidth. Media fans might have the most to gain. If we go by The Verge, both the Music/Video and Xbox hubs are getting fresh coats of paint -- both to integrate new ventures like Xbox Music as well as to jive more closely with the SmartGlass visual theme. Shutterbugs will like the long-awaited options to crop and rotate their work, pick multiple photos, and unify third-party camera apps under a Lenses concept. There's even more clever features in store, such as a Maps update that finds nearby WiFi hotspots, so head on over to the sources to get a full sense of where Microsoft will be going. |
| Posted: 27 Jul 2012 08:00 AM PDT Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today we have Philip Berne, who is currently Samsung's Marketing Manager for Technical Media and a regular contributor for Slashgear. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a writer. My fallback plan was to get a degree in Psychology and become a therapist. If you were to time travel back to my high school days (which were not even 20 years ago) and tell me what I'd be doing today, I'd probably say something like: "Are you crazy? That's not even a real job. And what the heck is a smartphone, anyway?" I was a phone and gadget reviewer until I recently took a job with Samsung. Now I'm still reviewing phones -- I just review them a few months before anyone else. If you love phones and mobile tech as I do, it is certainly a dream job. I know how lucky I am. I wouldn't be here unless I had grown up geek. But in fact it wasn't luck that got me here (unless I mean luck of birth). Growing up geek, in my case, meant growing up spoiled. I'm afraid to admit it, but I certainly had a spoiled childhood, especially when it came to toys and electronics. Let's go through my bona fides. I started with an Atari 2600 and dozens of games. I've had every major gaming console except the Sega Saturn and ColecoVision. My first computer was the Commodore 64. I eventually upgraded to a Commodore 128, but to this day I couldn't tell you why. I wasn't programming, even in BASIC. I was mostly just playing games. I owned a light pen. With it, I could draw on my television. I cannot draw more than stick figures, but I still used the light pen, mostly to show off to friends. I didn't have my first Mac until late in my senior year of high school. A couple years later, I got my first laptop, a PowerBook 520c. In all, since 1995, I've had seven Mac laptops. Before Macs, I had some random x86 machine that I only used for games and connecting to the Prodigy network. Additionally, I had a Game Boy, an Atari Lynx and a Sega Game Gear with the TV tuner. My first cell phone was a gigantic Motorola bag phone, which I got when I turned 16 and started driving. I was the only person I knew with a mobile phone at the time. I brought up that phone years later when I was interviewing for my first full-time technology job at the now-defunct infoSync World. My boss specifically cited my deep gadget experience -- and that bag phone -- as selling points that helped me land the job. I didn't flaunt it. I didn't brag or show off my wares. If anything, I was sad that none of my friends had the same equipment I had. I couldn't link up my Game Boy for multi- player gaming. My friends weren't really good competition on my consoles, since their only practice was when they were visiting my house. This is still true: I sit in a weird trough of being better at games than all my friends, but far worse than any competition I find online in multiplayer modes. Programming and coding never interested me. I tried hammering in some of the long BASIC programs that were printed in the back of old PC magazines, but I never caught the bug. I enjoyed using my computers creatively, mostly to write and share my writing, and as entertainment. They were glorified toys. I was certainly spoiled. It was because they were glorified toys that my parents treated them as such. If I did something wrong, my consequence was usually to have a piece of technology taken away. When my grades slipped below a B in a high school class, for instance, my father would remove the adapter to my Hayes modem, cutting me off from my Prodigy connection. (Or so he thought.) In my basement, I'd secretly reconnect myself using the spare adapter included in the Prodigy software / modem kit. Every once in a while my father would pull the parenting equivalent of a Crazy Ivan. I'd hear him get off the couch and walk to the only phone on our first floor, the one hanging on the wall in the kitchen with the 50-foot-long, tangled cord. Just as the footsteps reached the top of the stairs, as the phone rattled in its metal hook, I'd kick the modem out of the wall, killing the connection. If I timed it right, he'd only hear a dial tone and I would be safe. On the one hand, my childhood taught me that technology is special. It's playful, but it's not exactly a toy. It's also communication and relationships: I still keep in touch with some people whom I met on the Prodigy network in the early '90s, when I was a teenager. I took a girl from Prodigy to my prom, importing her all the way from New Jersey to Maryland and meeting her for the first time in person on a train platform. We're now connected on Twitter. Without technology, I would have never started writing. My handwriting is labored and messy. I hate writing by hand. With a computer, my writing output expanded exponentially; my grades grew markedly better as I started bringing my laptop to class in college. On the other hand, I admit that I was spoiled and my fortune was an accident of birth. Access to technology was immeasurably valuable to me. I literally would not be who I am today if I had not been so awash in technology. In 2006, I ended a five-year stint as a high school English teacher. I taught at schools where 95 percent or more of the students qualified for a free lunch. At my last school job, the students were typing papers on iMacs that were six years old. The school had no floppy drives and the students could not afford memory sticks. They had neither reliable email at home, nor a network connection to use for research and help. I grew up geeky and privileged, and I'm grateful to my parents for providing the means for me to succeed in a job that literally would have been unthinkably cool to the child Me. But it's always important to remember that the entire world is far from growing up geek, and the differences in the opportunity that just a little technology affords is the difference between growing up successful, and struggling to grow up at all. You can follow Philip on Twitter (@philipberne). |
| LG Nitro HD getting Ice Cream Sandwich the last day of July Posted: 27 Jul 2012 07:41 AM PDT LG Nitro HD owners will get be able to end their July right by upgrading their handsets to Android 4.0. AT&T announced today via its blog that the 4.5-inch smartphone will be getting Ice Cream Sandwich on Tuesday, along with access to LG's Optimus 3.0 UI, the latter of which offers up improved swipe-to-unlock, more display customization and a new download category in the phone's menu. AT&T's not stopping the upgrade train at LG station, though -- it's also promised updates for the HTC One X and Inspire that should help bump up performance. |
| Intel's SMARTi low-cost 3G systems show off their wireless prowess Posted: 27 Jul 2012 07:22 AM PDT Intel's announced a new system-on-chip that jams a 3G power amplifier directly onto radio circuits for smaller, cheaper cellular modems. SMARTi UE2p is designed for entry-level 3G phones and machine-to-machine modules that'll let your fridge talk to your oven. The Santa Clara chip foundry will be offering the gear to interested parties toward the end of the year, so if all the Microwaves released next Summer suddenly have the ability to access Twitter, you'll know Intel's to blame. Latest Intel Radio Frequency Solution Enables Lower-Cost 3G Designs for M2M and Emerging Markets SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 26, 2012 –SMARTi™ UE2p, a radio frequency solution that integrates 3G power amplifiers into radio frequency circuits, has been announced by Intel Corporation. The new system-on-chip (SoC) solution enables a smaller footprint and reduces complexity for developers as well as the associated total cost of ownership. "The SMARTi™ UE2p will simplify the product development and supply chain logistics with the reduction in component count and system complexity," said Stefan Wolff, vice president of the Intel Architecture Group and general manager of Multi-Com. "This will allow our customers to introduce lower-cost 3G handsets and support the transition of the machine-to-machine market segment toward 3G-based connected devices to help enable the 'Internet of things.'" The SMARTi™ UE2p integrates Intel's 3G High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) radio frequency transceiver SMARTi™ UE2 and 3G power amplifiers on a single 65nm silicon die. The integration of power management and sensors allows direct connection to the device battery. The SMARTi™ UE2p supports multiple 3G dual band configurations for global operation with the Intel® XMM62xx HSPA slim modem family. This solution is targeted at new mass market segments such as entry level 3G handsets and machine-to-machine modules. Samples are expected to be provided to select customers beginning in the fourth quarter of 2012. Intel will also continue its strategic collaborations with leading power amplifier vendors for smartphones and tablets. |
| OUYA to get OnLive gameplay at launch, console's full controller gets pictured Posted: 27 Jul 2012 07:04 AM PDT Some happy news for the many who've already plunked down their hard earned cash on OUYA -- the Android-based gaming console will be getting streaming gaming courtesy of the folks at OnLive. The prospective console maker broke the news on its Kickstarter page, noting that the experience will also include 30 minute free demos of "nearly every game" in its library, including Ravaged and Darksiders II. Also, some news for those wondering if the other side of the console's controller was a radical departure [see above]. Check out a press release detailing the OnLive partnership after the break. Oh, and for those of you keeping track: the Kickstarter page is currently at a whopping $5.5 million pledged, with a dozen days left.
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| Engadget Podcast 303 - 07.27.2012 Posted: 27 Jul 2012 06:45 AM PDT This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Distro Issue 50: the travel edition packs geotagging and offline navigation Posted: 27 Jul 2012 06:30 AM PDT Here at Engadget HQ, we're looking to take a bit of a breather after a long week of analyzing last quarter's numbers. With that said, a road trip or weekend respite of some sort is definitely in order and this week's edition of our e-magazine offers some insight into getting just a bit more out of that next excursion. Front and center, the globe trotting Darren Murph offers some tips for geotagging your shots from that next Blue Ridge Parkway trek and also takes Nokia Drive's offline navigation for a spin on a Lumia 900. The super thin $1,400 Acer Aspire S5 and the sub-$100 Motorola Atrix HD each get in-depth reviews while "Hands-On" is overrun by some new shooters -- including the much anticipated Canon EOS M. Fable: The Journey designer Ted Timmins takes his turn with Q&A, "Switched On" takes a look an Ouya, "Reaction Time" chats about pre-release secrecy and "IRL" has our personal gadget arsenals. That said, we're taking some Friday solace in one of the download links below, where you can grab a brand spankin' new issue of your very own. Distro Issue 50 PDF This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Facebook's new Recommendations Bar pops up, just wants to be liked Posted: 27 Jul 2012 06:16 AM PDT Facebook's Recommendations Box sits passively on many websites, allowing us to engage or ignore as we see fit. But too much of the latter option has led to something slightly different: the new Recommendations Bar -- a pop-up variant which, when integrated by your favorite page, plugs site-specific links based on your friends' thumbs and shares. The Bar is similar to the in-house recommendation pop-ups we're all familiar with, but adds a like button for posting the current page to your timeline. It shouts much louder than the Box, so it's no surprise that in early tests the new plug-in produced a three-fold increase in click-throughs. In this case, privacy wasn't an afterthought -- Bar integration, like the Box, is at the site's discretion and sharing pages is very much on your terms. Just try not to accidently hit that like button during your daily scan of Bieber's homepage. |
| HTC One X might drop to $100 on contract at AT&T, tempt our wallets (update: confirmed) Posted: 27 Jul 2012 06:01 AM PDT HTC might have turned green having seen the Galaxy S III steal the Android spotlight at AT&T, but it could be poised to use a classic trick to get the One X front and center once again: a price drop. An AT&T staff leak at XDA-Developers suggests the carrier is cutting the One X contract price in half to $100 on July 29th, putting it well under its Samsung rival and giving the similarly-priced Atrix HD no small amount of heat. Nothing's confirmed unless AT&T pulls the trigger, of course. If it does, we could see at least some shoppers deciding that HTC just makes more Sense (4.0) in the end. Update: We've confirmed directly with AT&T that the price cut is official and part of the company's back-to-school promos. |
| PSA: Samsung's entry-level NX1000 mirrorless cam with 20-50mm lens now available for $700 Posted: 27 Jul 2012 05:45 AM PDT Samsung's least expensive and most compact mirrorless camera, the NX1000, is finally available for purchase, shipping today for $700. The entry-level kit, which was originally set to hit retailers last month, includes a 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, a 3-inch LCD (no AMOLED display, sadly) and the same 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor included with the higher-end NX210 and NX20 -- those models add an AMOLED display and electronic viewfinder, respectively, along with a handful of other enhancements. For photographers who don't need an EVF or higher-end display, the NX1000 should suit most needs, and it's available in both black, white and pink (the two latter models also ship with matching lenses). $700 may seem a bit steep, considering starter ILCs from other manufacturers can cost $600 or less, but retailers and online vendors are discounting the kit to $649 through the end of the month. Samsung's NX1000 SMART Compact System Camera, Complete with Professional-Like Image Quality and Built-in Wi-Fi for Instant Photo Sharing Now Available Perfect for budding photographers, the stylish and approachable NX1000 is available at Samsung retailers nationwide RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, announced that it is now shipping the sleek NX1000, the most budget-friendly of the NX SMART cameras, the first compact system cameras (CSC) with built-in Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi connectivity is available at the touch of a button, thanks to a dedicated Smart Link Hot Key on the top of the NX1000 that makes sharing and storing photos simple and easy. Available in black, white and pink, the fashion-forward NX1000 offers extreme portability and convenience combined with the power to capture premium photos and videos that are the standard of Samsung's NX Series. A great introduction into the CSC category, the NX1000 is available now from Samsung retailers, priced at $699.99 MSRP. The imaging prowess of the NX line combined with the stunning design and portable form-factor make the NX1000 an extremely approachable and highly-capable camera. Gone are the days of sacrificing fashion to achieve great images with a large, clunky camera, as the NX1000 is small and attractive enough to double as an evening accessory. Plus, with its colorful options in white, black or pink, the NX1000 can coordinate with any palette. Bundled with an all-purpose 20-50mm lens and external flash, the NX1000 is a versatile camera that can help aspiring shutterbugs develop their photography skills, while also capturing breathtaking, high-quality images. "Samsung's leadership in SMART cameras, coupled with the exceptional image quality and sleek design of the NX1000, makes this a must-have camera for serious photographers and beginners alike," said Reid Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Mobile Entertainment, Samsung Electronics America. "With the introduction of the NX series, the expansion of Samsung's full line of SMART cameras is complete, providing instant sharing without compromising image quality. We look forward to inspiring the next-generation of photo enthusiasts with the NX1000." The Samsung NX1000 offers a large, bright 3.0-inch LCD screen for composing images, 1080p HD video capture, and technologies like Smart Auto 2.0 to bring out the inner photographer in all users. Boasting a 20.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and fast shutter speeds of up 1/4000 seconds, the camera ensures no moment is missed. NX1000 Shoots SMART Coupled with the latest SMART features, the integration of Wi-Fi in the NX1000 enables users to instantly upload images and video to social networking sites like Facebook, Picasa, Photobucket and YouTube, to the cloud with Microsoft® Sky Drive®, or even email them directly from the camera at the touch of a button. Beyond Wi-Fi connectivity, the NX1000 also touts compatibility with Samsung's Remote Viewfinder app, which opens from Google Play onto supported Galaxy smartphones or tablets* and allows users to control settings and even take the picture from up to 30 feet away. With Samsung's MobileLink app, users can easily transfer and display images from an NX1000 onto Samsung smartphones, tablets, or Smart TVs – creating instant photo frames. Samsung's AllShare technology and the TV Link application offer additional connections directly to a DLNA-compatible TV to showcase the high-quality images on a big screen, while PC Auto Backup automatically stores photos on a PC via Wi-Fi, eliminating the need to untangle mounds of frustrating cables. Creativity is a Snap Expression through photography is made a reality for photographers at any level with the NX1000. With the Smart Auto setting, the camera analyzes, identifies and automatically selects the most appropriate scene mode for the best results. Scene detection technology identifies the conditions and automatically adjusts settings to help achieve dynamic images-whether photos are taken at a low-light fashion event or while capturing dazzling fireworks at a 4th of July gathering. For users seeking more control, the Smart Panel feature allows them to explore their own photographic skills with Full Manual Control settings for aperture, shutter speed, flash intensity and more – all from a single, intuitive menu screen. The NX1000 touts ten exclusive Smart Filters and a new Selective Color function, which allows users to isolate a single color in an image for a dramatic effect. Capturing an expansive scene is also a breeze, thanks to the innovative 3D Panorama feature that creates immersive shots of landscapes and scenery. For more information on the new NX1000 as well as Samsung's full line of cameras,please visit www.samsung.com. |
| CM10 preview builds out for Nexus 7 and Galaxy Note: official but experimental Posted: 27 Jul 2012 05:23 AM PDT |
| Apple buying fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec for $356 million Posted: 27 Jul 2012 05:07 AM PDT Sure the financials announced this week weren't as exceptional as some we've seen from the company, but Apple's still clearly in a buying mood. The company's apparently doing a little security shopping, picking up AuthenTec for $356 million, according to the mobile and network security firm. AuthenTec's in the business of content and data protection, including things like fingerprint sensors and contactless payment. Seems Apple's looking to get into that business too. AuthenTec's already worked with a number of high profile hardware makers, such as Samsung, Lenovo, LG, Nokia and Motorola. |
| Archos' Transformer rival reappears, passes federal inspection, forgets its keyboard Posted: 27 Jul 2012 04:38 AM PDT If you cast your mind back several months, you might recall Archos unveiling a new range of tablets that can pair up with a keyboard add-on. While the French tablet maker kept quiet on the specifics at its debut-- with not even a mention of the hardware's OS -- a filing at the FCC helps plug some of those information gaps. Courtesy of the user manual, we can see that the tablet will be running Android 4.0, while the as-yet unspecified storage capacity can be expanded by microSD. There's a mini-HDMI port that looks like it will require its own proprietary cable, and the keyboard dock? Well, it's absent from this FCC gallery, but it does appear in the user manual, demonstrating a twist and lift mechanism that creates a pop-up stand for the slab. Gaze on in horror as those FCC technicians prise open the Archos 101 xs' shell and scope out the internal works -- it's all in the source below. |
| Samsung Galaxy S III recovers universal search box in OTA update to European handsets Posted: 27 Jul 2012 04:03 AM PDT Samsung promised -- and it's already delivered. Galaxy S III-toting Brits should wake up to yet another OTA update for their smartphone, which throws in some stability improvements alongside the returning universal search feature that polls your phone's entire contents for results. Users can check their settings menu for the lightweight 5MB download now. |
| Security experts hack payment terminals to steal credit card info, play games Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:41 AM PDT If a payment terminal could be forced into servitude as a crude handheld gaming device, what else could it be made to do? Researchers at the Black Hat conference showed just what mischief a commonly used UK PoS terminal could get up to when they inserted a chip-and-pin card crafted with malicious code. That enabled them to install a racing game and play it, using the machine's pin pad and screen. With the same hack, they were able to install a far less whimsical program as well -- a Trojan that could record card numbers and PINs, which could be extracted later by inserting another rogue card. On top of that, criminals could use the same method to fool the terminal into thinking a transaction was bank-approved, allowing them to walk out of a store with goods they hadn't paid for. Finally, the security gurus took a device popular in the US, and used non-encrypted ethernet communication between the terminal and other peripherals to hack into the payment device and take root control. Makes you want to put those credit cards (and NFC devices) away and stick to cash -- at least you can see who's robbing you blind. [Original image credit: Shutterstock] |
| PSA: Nexus 7 arrives at the Carphone Warehouse today Posted: 27 Jul 2012 03:00 AM PDT If you're the old fashioned sort who likes carrying your newly minted device back from the store, then you'll be elated to know that the Nexus 7 is available at the Carphone Warehouse from today. The Jelly Bean-running slate that sits in the palm of your hand will set you back £199 if you'd like it without any obligation. However, if you're also due a smartphone upgrade (or just want a new one), you can get it for free if you sign up to a data-sharing deal for £20.50 per month that'll let the tablet leech your handset's data for the following 24 months. Google Nexus 7 available from Carphone Warehouse from 27th July Available in stores, online at www.carphonewarehouse.com or by calling 0870 870 0870 London, 25th July 2012, Carphone Warehouse today announced that the eagerly awaited Nexus 7 will be available to buy from Friday 27th July. The Nexus 7 is the first tablet in Google's Nexus line of devices and the lead device for Android 4.1, Jelly Bean. The Tablet, made by Asus, will be available from Carphone Warehouse priced at £199 standalone or for free on a tethered contact from £20.50 per month. Boasting a 7in HD display, and an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, gyroscope and accelerometer, the Nexus 7 is ideally suited to gaming. With over a million pixels in your hand, text is sharper, high-definition movies are more vivid, and the responsive touchscreen makes switching between apps, flicking through ebooks or surfing the web buttery-smooth. The Nexus 7 has all the portability of a paperback book, but is connected to the entire digital world of entertainment. Nexus 7 was made for Google Play, putting all the entertainment you love right at your fingertips -- choose from more than 600,000 apps and games, thousands of ebooks and movies, and everything the web has to offer. Commenting on the release, Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at Carphone Warehouse, says, "It's interesting to see that despite larger 10 inch tablets dominating the market, Google is forging ahead with its own 7 inch model. A smaller tablet has yet to prove itself in a category dominated by bigger screens, but if anyone can make it happen, Google can. I'm sure the other leading tablet manufacturers will be watching closely and be ready to follow suit in the coming months." The Google Nexus 7 will be available from Carphone Warehouse stores, online at www.carphonewarehouse.com or by calling 0800 925 925 priced at £199.99 standalone or for free on a tethered contact. |
| Man acquitted as #TwitterJokeTrial appeal ends in victory Posted: 27 Jul 2012 02:30 AM PDT Paul Chambers, who was previously found guilty of sending a "menacing tweet," has been acquitted by the High Court after two-and-a-half years trapped in legal limbo. On hearing of the closure of his local airport, the 27-year-old had sent out a facetious tweet to his 600 followers that mentioned "blowing the airport sky high!" However, despite airport authorities realizing the message was a joke, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service took the man to court and won. The social network quickly rallied around, with many repeating the tweet with the hashtag #IAmSpartacus and involving celebrities such as Stephen Fry, who helped raise funds to launch an appeal. The court today found that its joking nature was "obvious" and that it was sent by someone who did not hide their identity -- clearing Mr. Chambers name once and for all. For the record, here was the original tweet with expletives removed:
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| Tokyo bakery's visual recognition checkout sorts the sandwiches from the croissants (video) Posted: 27 Jul 2012 01:43 AM PDT We've seen food recognition tools in the past, but none as slick as this one being trialed at a Tokyo bakery. Co-developed by Brain Corporation and the University of Hyogo, the camera-equipped, automatic checkout is not only quick, but also accurate -- it's even able to distinguish different types of sandwich. And, if it can't tell exactly what's on the tray, it'll give you a list of suggestions and then use your selection to inform later scans. Currently, the system is said to be particularly useful for part-time staff that aren't completely familiar with the bakery's offerings, but it also has potential in all kinds of retail situations, much to the disappointment of the trusty barcode. Combine this system with Bakebot, however, and staff won't be needed at all. If you're hungry to see the checkout in action, head past the break for a visual snack.
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| Microsoft vs. Motorola decision sees Droids banned in Germany over FAT patent (updated) Posted: 27 Jul 2012 01:10 AM PDT The latest development in our neverending saga of worldwide patent warfare is a decision by a Mannheim judge banning Motorola's Android devices on the basis that they violate a FAT storage patent owned by Microsoft. FOSSPatents' Florian Mueller tweets that it is the third victory by Microsoft over Motorola, and Microsoft has already issued a triumphant statement of victory which you can read after the break. There's more details about patent EP0618540 on the site -- it deals with common name space for long and short file names -- including a note about an email from Linux creator Linus Torvalds being cited as prior art. Motorola has been swinging its own patents around as well, but most recently a case to ban the Xbox 360 was delayed. We haven't heard from Motorola or Google on this ruling yet or what their response will be -- entering into a licensing agreement or changing the storage system used on their phones are possible options. Microsoft will have to put up a 10 million euro bond to enforce an injunction if it chooses, we'll check back once the other shoe drops. Update: We've just received Motorola's response -- brief but to the point:"We are in process of reviewing the ruling, and will explore our options including appeal. We don't anticipate an impact on our operations at this time."
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| IDC: Samsung and Apple ship almost half of all smartphones, but Korean manufacturer maintains lead Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:58 AM PDT IDC's latest figures offer some predictable reading. More phones are being sold than ever before; 406 million units were sold in Q2, against 401.8 million in the same period last year -- with a 42 percent increase in smartphone sales. The winners? Perennial court antagonists, Samsung and Apple, with the duo doubling their combined market share over the last two years. Samsung maintains its lead, reaching over 50 million phones sold -- and a new quarterly sales record -- while Apple saw a quarter-over-quarter decline, as buyers presumably wait for Cupertino's latest iteration, or go elsewhere. Nokia, meanwhile, had another "transitional" quarter, with sales of both Symbian and MeeGo devices shrinking, although its Windows Phones proved stronger. According to IDC's figures, Nokia and Microsoft's team-up handset sales have doubled since last quarter. HTC misses out on a top three spot, but its fortunes appear to have improved over the last two quarters, with the IDC pointing the finger at a more streamlined product range from the Taiwan manufacturer. ZTE continues to nip at its heels, reaching the top five thanks to strong entry-level smartphone sales in China, while continuing to inch onto US shores. If you're looking for a full breakdown of all phones sold, dumb and otherwise, read up at the source below. |
| Fido hops on the LTE bandwagon, gives Canadians frugal 4G this summer Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:16 AM PDT Rogers was the first with LTE in Canada. Its budget brand Fido has largely been left out of that 4G fiesta, but the gap is closing today with official plans to give the yellow doghouse some LTE of its own. The initial deployment this summer will largely overlap Rogers' fledgling network, starting with benchmark cities Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, St. John's, Toronto and Vancouver. Only a Fido Mobile Hotspot with 10-device sharing will kick off the hardware selection; if you're impatient, though, any compatible and (usually) unlocked LTE device will do with a relevant SIM card. About 20 million Canucks will potentially have the high-speed option by the end of the year -- and with Fido's plan costs expected to stay the same, that coverage could make the provider a de facto choice for fast data in the Great White North. Click past the break for the official word and the full 2012 expansion list. Fido to unleash its LTE network across Canada this summer Fido subscribers will enjoy all the benefits of affordable and full powered LTE wireless service TORONTO, July 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Fido announced today that LTE service will be unleashed this summer, giving customers the speed of an enhanced network service across major markets in Canada, including in the cities and surrounding areas of Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and St. Johns with more cities to launch throughout 2012. "We are thrilled to offer the benefits of LTE network technology to Fido customers this year," said Steven Sarfin, senior director of marketing, Fido Solutions. "Our focus at Fido has always been on providing the best value to our customers. With data plans starting from $10/month, affordable LTE service is a perfect complement to the exclusive FidoADVANTAGE programs like FidoTRADE™, Fido LiveANSWERS™ and FidoDOLLARS™ our customers already enjoy." Sarfin added. For the fast and the furry, LTE enables Canadians to use their mobile devices to quickly download apps, upload images of their four-legged friends and download HD files, such as movies and music, with virtually no delays or buffering. Coming this summer, the Fido Mobile Hotspot will be the first LTE-enabled device available from Fido. This device creates a Wi-Fi hotspot wherever, and whenever customers need it, and wirelessly connects up to 10 Wi-Fi capable devices simultaneously. LTE-enabled smartphones will be available at Fido later this year, and all of the Fido LTE-enabled devices are capable of running across Fido's 4G HSPA+ network which covers 96 per cent of the population of Canada. Fido will continue to expand LTE across the country, with the plan to provide LTE network access to 20 million Canadians by the end of 2012. Over the coming months, Fido plans to launch LTE in Moncton, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Québec City, Kingston, Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Niagara, Windsor, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, London, Barrie, Sudbury, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Kelowna, Abbotsford and Victoria. |
| Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:39 PM PDT We've chronicled Flight of the Century founder and CEO Chip Yates' record-breaking 202.6MPH flight in his Long-ESA EV craft before. What we didn't quite touch on, however, is the power loss Yates' aircraft suffered after earning that electric plane speed record. Now Yates has released new video of the flight, which includes the moment his aircraft breaks the record, the ensuing power loss and his dramatic deadstick landing. That smile you see in the photo up there is the smile of a man who just made history and is also happy to be alive. Hey, we're glad he's safe, too. You can witness the close call yourself by checking out the video after the break. [Image credit: Flight of the Century] |
| Chinese microbot walks on water, skims the surface of insect-inspired design Posted: 26 Jul 2012 11:02 PM PDT Bugs are creepy. You don't need to be an entomophobe to empathize with that sentiment. But bugs are also inspiring -- to researchers in China, that is. Taking a cue from nature, a team of engineers from the country's School of Chemical Engineering and Technology have devised a microbot weighing just 0.02 lbs (11 grams) that can repeatedly jump across the surface of water without tanking. How'd they do it? Well, by using a highly repellent foam coating, the strider-like bot's legs are able to stay afloat with every 5.5 inch (14 cm) leap it makes, buffering the force that would normally plunge it below the H20. The creation of this hydrophobic mini-insectoborg isn't exactly the first of its kind, other aquatic gliders have come before, but this itty bitty fella's the first to successfully and repeatedly hop along an aqueous top. Unfortunately, there's no video demo for you to feast your eyes upon, so you'll just have to take our word for it. The first robot that mimics the water striders' jumping abilities "Why Superhydrophobicity Is Crucial for a Water−Jumping Microrobot? Experimental and Theoretical Investigations" The first bio-inspired microrobot capable of not just walking on water like the water strider – but continuously jumping up and down like a real water strider – now is a reality. Scientists reported development of the agile microrobot, which could use its jumping ability to avoid obstacles on reconnaissance or other missions, in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Qinmin Pan and colleagues explain that scientists have reported a number of advances toward tiny robots that can walk on water. Such robots could skim across lakes and other bodies of water to monitor water quality or act as tiny spies. However, even the most advanced designs – including one from Pan's team last year – can only walk on water. Pan notes that real water striders actually leap. Making a jumping robot is difficult because the downward force needed to propel it into the air usually pushes the legs through the water's surface. Pan's group looked for novel mechanisms and materials to build a true water-striding robot. Using porous, super water-repellant nickel foam to fabricate the three supporting and two jumping legs, the group made a robot that could leap more than 5.5 inches, despite weighing as much as 1,100 water striders. In experiments, the robot could jump nearly 14 inches forward – more than twice its own length – leaving the water at about 3.6 miles per hour. The authors report that the ability to leap will make the bio-inspired microrobot more agile and better able to avoid obstacles it encounters on the water's surface. The authors acknowledge funding from the State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System of Harbin Institute of Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. |
| Did ASUS' Windows 8-packing Tablet 600 hit the FCC? Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:23 PM PDT Toying with the idea of picking up a keyboard-dockable Windows 8 slate? Take your pick -- since Computex (and Microsoft's own Surface unveiling), these devices have popping up like wildflowers -- and one of them may have just slipped through federal inspection. A recent FCC filing reveals an ASUS branded tablet bearing the mark of Windows 8. The feds out the device as the TF600T, an unannounced product that sounds suspiciously similar to the Tablet 600 ASUS trotted out at Computex. Further investigation only revealed a standard radios -- Bluetooth, WiFi and NFC -- but the Transformer-like model number and Windows logo have our attention. Is this the Tablet 600? We'll let you know when ASUS has something official to say. Dive into the federal report for yourself at the source link below. |
| North Korean media reports North Koreans love North Korean tablet Posted: 26 Jul 2012 09:36 PM PDT Remember those futuristic PCs we reported North Korea was producing last year? Well now the Democratic People's Republic has unveiled a seven-inch flagship tablet called the Achim (Morning). Understandably, we don't know what's inside this 0.66-pound (300g) device with a five-hour battery life, but it's apparently very popular with local students. There's no word on the OS either, but a touch-friendly build of the homegrown Linux variant Red Star would make sense. Although unconfirmed, sources suggest internet connectivity is wholly absent, with a pre-loaded selection of fun, state-approved content available instead. Eager to get your hands on a Kim Jong-unPad? Well, you can't. |
| Motorola Xoom WiFi's Jelly Bean upgrade arriving for regular users Posted: 26 Jul 2012 08:42 PM PDT It looks like that test period was pretty short, as many Motorola Xoom WiFi owners who aren't in the select test group are reporting receiving OTA updates to Android 4.1.1 on their tablets. That makes the Xoom the first 10-inch tablet to see Jelly Bean, and the first around these parts officially rocking it without Nexus in the nametag. We've already seen a changelog so assuming you have one of the slates, it's probably time to mash that check for updates button. |
| Posted: 26 Jul 2012 08:15 PM PDT There's no telling how much more we'll see once the big Apple vs. Samsung trial finally gets underway in a San Jose federal court next week, but today has already seen the release of a swath of new documents full of surprises. Most notably, that includes a range of previously unseen Apple prototype devices, including various renderings of both the iPhone and iPad. One standout is an iPhone 4-esque device that quite literally wears its Sony influence on its sleeve (in one instance with the logo changed to "Jony," a la Apple's Jony Ive). According to the filing, it was designed by Apple's Shin Nishibori, and was apparently up against another more metallic, iPod-style device at one point (ultimately winning out despite some protestation). But those are far from the only iPhone prototypes that have been revealed. There's also an elongated device identified by the codename N90, seemingly with a small screen and space for a keypad or input area of some sort below, plus a device with squared off corners somewhat reminiscent of the Motorola Photon 4G. Another prototype goes in the opposite direction, with sharp corners and a slightly rounded back. As for the iPad, we've gotten a look at some more recent prototypes than the early 2000-era model that surfaced earlier this month. While there's no stylus in sight, there are a couple of iPad prototypes with kickstands built into the back of the device, and a number of considerably different designs than what Apple ultimately settled on. Dive into the galleries below for a closer look at the whole lot. Michael Gorman contributed to this report. |
| MetroPCS 2012 Q2 sees profits skyrocket to $149 million despite losing nearly 200,000 subscribers Posted: 26 Jul 2012 07:06 PM PDT MetroPCS has announced that it pulled in $1.3 billion in the second quarter of the year, only slightly more than it managed in the first. It made a profit of $149 million, well up from the $21 million it pulled in between January and March, despite shedding around 200,000 subscribers in the process. The company's deliberately concentrated on raising cash at the expense of new subscriptions in preparation for its 4G LTE for All project, due to begin in the third quarter. It revealed that it now has 700,000 LTE subscribers, up from the 580,000 present in March and that it plans to have a full 10MHz of spectrum allocated for the super-fast mobile standard in "most major metropolitan areas" by the end of the year. As for devices that'll take advantage of the 4G goodness, MetroPCS says that we can expect to see either six or seven new LTE handsets by year's end, each which will be priced between $99 and $149. |
| Microsoft admits Surface might ruffle OEM feathers, vindicates Acer in annual report Posted: 26 Jul 2012 06:31 PM PDT Redmond's upcoming Surface slate is brimming with potential -- but Microsoft recognizes that building its own tablet comes with some inherent risks. In the firm's recently submitted annual report, Microsoft tells the Security and Exchange Commission that the new family of slates could loosen ties with some of its partners. "Our surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners," the report reads, "which may affect their commitment to our platform." This, of course, echos Acer's sentiment, which accused Microsoft of forgetting the PC builders that helped it become what it is today. Then again, maybe Acer was just preemptively upset it wouldn't get picked for Windows 8's starting line-up. |
| OLPC XO Touch 1.75 to use Neonode tech, take multi-touch on world tour Posted: 26 Jul 2012 05:38 PM PDT The One Laptop Per Child's project just got one step closer to updating its venerable XO portable through a newly-struck licensing deal with Neonode. The XO Touch 1.75, a slight rebranding of the as yet unreleased XO 1.75 we saw last year, will use Neonode's MultiSensing to give the laptop a multi-touch screen that's both very responsive and eco-friendly in the same breath. Even as it samples finger input at up to 1GHz, the new OLPC system's 300 DPI display will still use under 2W of power and remain viewable in bright sunlight -- students can even wake up the new model with a gesture instead of using anything so crude as a power button. As important as these advances are to bringing touch to remote schools, we still have some questions about the release schedule and the cost. The XO 1.75 was originally due this year, but we don't know if the Neonode pact will alter the timetable or hike the target price. We've reached out to the OLPC team for comment and will update if there's new details. |
| Samsung's Q2 2012 earnings show $5.86 billion operating profit, that's a lot of Galaxy S IIIs Posted: 26 Jul 2012 05:09 PM PDT The numbers for Samsung's Q2 2012 earnings period are in and it was another big one, with the electronics giant reporting an operating profit of $5.9 billion, driven largely by growth in its smartphone business -- just as it predicted. That's up 79 percent from the same period last year, with the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note specifically mentioned as having contributed to both high sales and higher average selling prices. The company doesn't break out exact selling figures in its earnings reports, however that business unit contributed $3.65 billion in profit to the bottom line. Sales of memory chips and processors declined slightly from last year, TV sales were up slightly, thanks to demand for 3D and LED models. Samsung is claiming a mid-80 percent share of LED HDTV sales and plans to keep that going by pushing "entry level" models in emerging markets. Ready to dig through the numbers yourself? The press release follows after the break, if we find any more details or hear anything on the earnings call, we'll let you know. Samsung Electronics Announces Second Quarter 2012 Earnings Results - Posts record operating profit of 6.72 trillion won on consolidated revenues of 47.6 trillion won SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) July 27, 2012 -- Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced revenues of 47.60 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012, a 21-percent increase year-on-year. For the quarter, the company's consolidated operating profit reached a record 6.72 trillion won, representing a 79-percent increase year-on-year. Consolidated net profit for the April-June period was 5.19 trillion won. In its earnings guidance disclosed on July 6, Samsung estimated second quarter consolidated revenues would reach approximately 47 trillion won with consolidated operating profit of approximately 6.7 trillion won. Samsung posted solid sales and maintained its profit streak in the second quarter across all business segments, excluding semiconductors, amid lingering global business uncertainties. Digital Media & Communications – comprising the Consumer Electronics and IT & Mobile Communications business sectors – accounted for 36.57 trillion won in sales, up 37 percent year-on-year. For Device Solutions, the results were mixed. While operating profit for the Display Panel segment registered an on-year increase, the Semiconductor Business saw profits drop by 38 percent compared with the same period last year, despite outperforming the previous quarter. By business unit, the Mobile Communications Business was one of the leading growth drivers in the June quarter with 20.52 trillion won in revenue. With the successful launch of this year's flagship GALAXY S III smartphone and robust GALAXY Note sales, the handset unit saw earnings jump by 75 percent from a year earlier. The Visual Display Business also contributed to earnings gains with its diverse portfolio of TV models for both developed and emerging markets with 8.58 trillion won in revenue for the quarter. "Despite a difficult business environment, we achieved stable profits in the second quarter through our differentiated products and competitive technology," said Robert Yi, Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations. "As we move into the second half, continued fiscal instability in Europe and its effect on the global economy will result in the possibility of a slower-than-expected recovery and intensified market competition." Mr. Yi added that despite the economic uncertainties, "Samsung will enhance the competitiveness of our main businesses and reinforce our value-added, differentiated products as a means to improve earnings." Overall, the third quarter is expected to be marginally positive as demand for consumer electronics goods, including smartphones and tablets, remains strong and a stream of new products hit the market. Supply for display panels is also expected to increase, as TV makers prepare for the year-end holiday season. Capex 14 Trillion Won in First Half Capital expenditure in the first six months was 14 trillion won, with 9.7 trillion won invested in the Semiconductor Business and 2.6 trillion won in the Display Panel segment. The total capex for the first half accounted for 56 percent of the annual capex budget of 25 trillion won planned for 2012. Capex for the first quarter was 7.8 trillion won. Mobile AP Chips Sustain Growth Samsung's Semiconductor segment – including the Memory and System LSI businesses – posted an operating profit of 1.11 trillion won on revenue of 8.6 trillion won for the quarter, which equates to a 6-percent year-on-year decline in sales. Weak global demand for PC DRAM chips still weighed on Samsung's push for a recovery, although it responded to increased orders for server and mobile DRAM and hastened migration to the 30-nanometer and below process. The NAND market picked up on higher OEM-related demand, improving quarter-on-quarter sales, particularly in solution products such as Solid State Drives (SSDs) for notebook PCs and Embedded Multimedia Cards (eMMC), but a steepening price decline hampered stable growth. The System LSI Business, which creates application processors (AP) and image sensors for smartphones, is forecasted to maintain profitability in the third quarter as demand for faster and higher-capacity chips used in mobile devices increases. Samsung will also look to gain a leading edge in the mobile AP business, following the recent announcement of our acquisition of CSR's mobile business and NanoRadio, which we expect to reinforce our already differentiated mobile AP technology. In the third quarter, we anticipate a weaker-than-expected recovery in demand for PC DRAM due to lackluster back-to-school orders and intensifying competition. In contrast, we expect market conditions for NAND to improve in the lead-up to the National Day and Black Friday holidays in China and the U.S., respectively. Samsung will continue to concentrate on value-added products such as server and mobile DRAM. Display Panel Continues Improvement The Display Panel segment recorded an operating profit of 750 billion won on revenue of 8.25 trillion won. This amounted to a 470 billion won increase in profit from the previous quarter and a 16-percent increase in sales compared to the same period last year. Despite weaker than expected panel demand due to the economic slowdown in Europe and low seasonality, Samsung's total TV panel shipments increased in the low 10-percent range on-year due to strong sales of high, value-added products such as panels for 3D TVs and LED TVs. Looking ahead, demand for TV panels is expected to grow in the next quarter as TV makers prepare for the end-of-year high-demand season and the Chinese National Day holidays. The effect of an energy saving subsidy in China is also expected to stimulate demand for LED TV products. For the IT panel sector, the continuation of weak demand for panels used in notebook PCs and monitors was offset by strong demand for tablet PC panels. Launches of new smartphone products also contributed to continued profitability in OLED panels. In the third quarter, economic uncertainty in developed markets and the sluggish market demand for notebook PCs and monitors is expected to dampen overall demand. The expansion and diversification of the tablet PC market, however, is forecast to fuel an increase in demand for tablet PC panels and Samsung will aim to expand sales of LCD and OLED panels for smartphones. Sales of Smart Devices Lead Gains The IT & Mobile Communications division, comprising Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging, registered quarterly operating profits of 4.19 trillion won for the second quarter. Revenue reached 24.04 trillion won, and the mobile unit accounted for 20.52 trillion won, a 75-percent increase year-on-year. The highly anticipated launch of GALAXY S III and upbeat sales of GALAXY Note, along with a more competitive average selling price (ASP) than the previous quarter, have cushioned an on-quarter operating loss brought on by the seasonably weak earnings of businesses in IT Solutions and Telecommunication Systems. Handset shipments gained quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year, driven mainly by global orders for premium smartphones. A sales decline in Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband technology equipment and slow demand for PCs and printers in the quarter will turn around in the July-September quarter with the expansion of LTE networks in developed countries and modest revenue growth in IT products. The smartphone market, in particular, will continue to be profitable as consumers are given a wider choice of new products at a wider range of prices while orders from emerging markets increase. In the third quarter, Samsung expects to further strengthen its leadership in the high-end smartphone market with the sales of GALAXY S III and also in the LTE equipment business with new devices. TV Demand Boosts Profitability The Consumer Electronics Division – encompassing the Visual Display and Digital Appliances businesses – posted revenue of 12.15 trillion won for the second quarter, a 7-percent increase year-on-year. The operating profit of 760 billion won represented an increase of 66 percent compared with the same period last year. Although demand for TVs remained flat year-on-year, Samsung posted improvements in both shipments and profitability. Increased sales in developed markets for the company's premium TVs, such as the flagship ES7000 and ES8000 models, and expansion of region-specific LED TV models in emerging markets spurred a significant lift in earnings compared with the same quarter of last year. This increase in demand saw Samsung increase its portion of LED TV sales from the mid 60-percent range to a mid 80-percent share, quarter-on-quarter. Heading into the third quarter, although growth in developed markets may stall, Samsung aims to expand its presence in emerging markets with region-specific products and entry-level LED TVs. The company will also look to continue its leadership in Smart TVs in developed markets with continued cooperation with media and content providers. As for Digital Appliances, sales of air conditioners rose on the back of strong seasonal demand and favorable market conditions in emerging markets. Moving into the third quarter, Samsung will focus on expanding sales of premium products and stabilizing overseas operations in the face of a possible slowdown in emerging markets and weak consumer sentiment in developed markets. |
| Samsung GT-S3752 Duos gets snapped with dedicated ChatON button by Mr. Blurrycam Posted: 26 Jul 2012 04:57 PM PDT If SammyHub's blurrycam tipster is to believed, Samsung will soon be swelling its Duos line of dual-sim handsets with the (purported) GT-S732 you see before you. Presumably, the feature phone will sit at the floor of any pricing table since it's packing a meager 2-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch display and a 1,000mAh battery. Notably the handset includes a WiFi radio, which puts us in mind of a messaging-centric handset -- which explains the presence of a dedicated ChatON button beneath the screen. We'll keep our ears to the ground to find out if it's likely to make an appearance on these shores -- but we won't get our hopes up. |
| ARM forms UK group to foster an Internet of Things, put 50 billion devices online by 2020 Posted: 26 Jul 2012 04:36 PM PDT ARM isn't content with dominating the mobile space. It's been by the far the most vocal about an Internet of Things where everything is connected -- and to make that happen, it just established an industry forum in the UK that it hopes will establish common ground for all those internet-linked light bulbs, refrigerators and thermostats. Home energy firm Alertme, cloud-aware sensing outfit AquaMW, lighting maker EnLight and white space wireless guru Neul will start meeting with ARM from August 24th onwards to hash out our automated, eco-friendly future. There's a certain urgency in this for the chip designer: it expects 50 billion devices on the grid by 2020. With IDC estimating a billion new connected devices just in 2011, the clock on that connected device transition is ticking very loudly. UK Technology Company ARM Forms First UK Industry Group to Combat the 'Internet of Silos' UK Forum will create a technology blueprint for the 50-billion connected devices expected worldwide by 2020 LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ARM, the UK technology leader at the heart of many of today's electronic devices, today announced that it has invited some of the UK's leading specialist technology companies – EnLight, Neul, Alertme and AquaMW – to establish the UK's first industry forum to help shape the Internet of Things. The forum aims to combat what they describe as the 'Internet of Silos' - an unconnected world with less value to both consumers and businesses. The forum will drive a blueprint for how technologies associated with the Internet of Things should and could work together to support the 50-billion intelligent devices due to be connected to the Internet by 2020. This coincides with ARM CEO Warren East speaking on the importance of mobile technologies and the UK's role in developing this market at the British Government's Business Olympics event in London from 26th July to 3rd August. The event is timed to showcase the UK contribution to international business during the Olympics, when the world spotlight is on the UK. In 2020 everything that can benefit from an Internet connection will have one. In a similar way to people increasingly being online, every object will have a connection. This has huge potential to help use energy and natural resources more efficiently, manage our cities, monitor health more effectively and to improve lives. The Internet of Things represents a big opportunity to drive growth for both UK and worldwide economies. According to IMS Research*, governments will play a key role in defining the regulations that will propel shipments for M2M communications modules to more than 118 million units by 2016, especially in the automotive sector. The forum's founding members are all involved in advanced technology and solutions associated with the Internet of Things, including commercial infrastructure monitoring, energy-saving street lighting, home automation, energy monitoring and low power radio technology for sensors. Their aim is to work together to develop public policies and standards designed to create the right framework to help governments and others ensure that the Internet of Things works properly, across the globe, and enjoys the confidence of consumers and businesses. The first forum will meet 24th August in the UK and will be chaired by the Gary Atkinson, who leads the Internet of Things initiative at ARM. "In the next five years, over £2.4 billion will be spent in the UK on smart home energy management devices, ranging from smart meters themselves to in-home devices that are connected to them. This is a great example of an Internet of Things application, but is only a fraction of the market that will open up over the next 15-20 years," said Gary Atkinson, director of embedded, ARM. "There are massive opportunities for the UK and the industry as a whole in this market, but that requires a common approach to infrastructure and systems to enable the Internet of Things. The UK can lead this thinking and that's why we are establishing a forum to create a blueprint for success. Working with innovative ARM partners, such as EnLight , Neul, Alertme and AquaMW, is a good place to start." *IMS Research – Government Regulations a Key Piece of the Cellular M2M Puzzle More detail about the members: Streetlight Revolution – ENLIGHT * At a time when many councils are considering turning off one in every 10 streetlights to save money, the Enlight system delivers savings of up to 45 percent by improving the efficiency of street lights. If the eight million streetlamps in the UK were all to use the EnLight technology, this would save the UK one million tonnes of CO2 each year Home Energy Management – AlertMe * SmartEnergy helps you identify your home's energy-hungry habits. See how much you are consuming, turn appliances off and watch your costs fall instantly. Personalised energy-saving tips protect your pocket and start reducing your energy costs long before the utility bills hit the doormat Intelligent Cloud Sensing - AquaMW * The technology platform from AquaMW combines the efficiency of low power ARM architecture with massive scalability of Cloud computing to deliver unique Wireless Sensing Apps. These apps "sense" the physical world through real time data acquisition "predict" future events through real time analysis and provide tools for businesses and people to "act" resulting in improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact Recycling the airwaves – NEUL * Their vision is to bring about a revolution in the way devices and applications communicate. From the predicted 50 billion connected Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices, through smart metering to rural broadband, transportation and beyond |
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