Samsung Galaxy Mega and Galaxy S 4 Mini arriving in the UK

 The Samsung Galaxy Mega had been expected to arrive in the UK next month, however it looks like that arrival will actually fall in June. This confirmation comes by way of UK retailer Clove who has said the Galaxy Mega will begin shipping on June 29th (for arrival on June 30th). And in addition, the same can be said for another Samsung handset, the Galaxy S 4 Mini.


Clove has said the June 30th arrival will be inline with Samsung’s official launch date. But otherwise, both handsets can be ordered at this moment. The Galaxy Mega is the 6.3-inch model that has 16GB of internal storage space. The price will be £379.00.
Or more specifically, £454.80 with VAT being included. Aside from being the Mega 6.3, this particular model will have Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and TouchWiz along with a 1280 x 720 display, dual-core 1.7GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera.
The Galaxy S 4 Mini will be priced at £314.00 (£376.80 with VAT included). This model will have a 4.3-inch qHD display at 960 x 540, dual-core 1.7GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. The S 4 Mini will also arrive running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with the TouchWiz user interface.
Those considering either model will have the option to choose between two colors — black and/or white. Bottom line here, it looks like Clove has things covered for those who want a handset with a smaller display or those who want a handset with an oversized display. Aside from the UK availability, there has also been some chatter about the Galaxy Mega 6.3 coming to the US by way of AT&T.

Motorola: “A Google Company” new logo revealed

While we’ve yet to hear or see a confirmation from official channels, multiple sources and images have emerged this morning revealing the new logo and tagline for Motorola. With a new minimalistic design and lowercase M we have “motorola: a Google Company” being graced by a nice soft purple logo, as well as the multicolored one shown below.

Gone are the days of the bright red M and the bold MOTOROLA branding of old, and now we have a smooth, simple, and minimalistic design to go along with the new owners at Google. At least according to all reports flooding in this afternoon. Again while we mention it hasn’t been officially announced, they chose to use it for a recent advertisement for Techweek.
As shown at the bottom of the page, the Techweek conference in Chicago is being presented by Motorola, and that’s where the purple logo was revealed. However, we’re now getting another look from the folks at The Verge, who are claiming the new multicolored option is the real deal.

The new tagline “a Google Company” appears below the logo, and now we’re waiting for Motorola to announce it themselves. The lowercase design and minimalistic look fits right in with Google, just look at the logo for Google Glass, and everything else from Google as of late.
This comes right in time as the Google owned Motorola is soon going to announce their new American-made Moto X smartphone, and we can’t wait to learn more. Stay tuned.
What do you guys think of these new logos?

Samsung LTE Leadership and Future-Focused Innovation Produces World's First LTE-Advanced Smartphone

 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leader in mobile technology and digital solutions, today announced the GALAXY S4 LTE-A, accelerating smartphone expectations with advanced multimedia experiences and the fastest downloads, web browsing, multimedia streaming and applications loading. The world’s first commercially available LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) smartphone, Samsung’s GALAXY S4 LTE-A, combines technology innovations included in the highly acclaimed GALAXY S4 with new advanced features and twice-as-fast network speeds to produce an unparalleled multimedia experience. 

“Samsung maintains a unique position for delivering LTE innovations as a provider of the parts, devices and equipment required to deliver next generation 4G LTE services,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “The introduction of the GALAXY S4 LTE-A demonstrates Samsung’s desire and ability to provide consumers with technological innovations that take advantage of increased network speeds to deliver richer and fuller experiences.”

World’s First LTE-A Smartphone 

Samsung’s introduction of the GALAXY S4 LTE-A, the world’s first LTE Advanced-capable smartphone, is the latest expression of the company’s efforts in leading LTE technology. Samsung’s commitment to driving LTE adoption achieved its first milestone in 2010 with the launch of the Craft, the world’s first LTE feature phone, and continued in 2011 with the delivery of the Indulge, the world’s first LTE smartphone. In the last year, Samsung has also pioneered efforts to bring VoLTE network capabilities to users with the launch of the GALAXY S III LTE. 

Doubled Network Speeds 

The GALAXY S4 LTE-A’s advanced network enables users to experience substantially faster speeds – double today’s LTE speeds - by leveraging carrier aggregation, an approach that combines different frequencies and uses them as one. With this groundbreaking technology, users can enjoy uninterrupted high-resolution streaming of their favorite shows and stronger, faster speeds when playing games, browsing the internet, and downloading files and applications.

Unmatched Multimedia Experience 

Featuring a powerful 2.3GHz quad core processor and a long-lasting 2,600mAh battery, and capable of accessing significantly faster network speeds, the GALAXY S4 LTE-A delivers an enriched multimedia experience to users. New features such as ImageON^＊ – which analyzes images that users view, then identifies and plays videos related to the image with just one click – extend access to relevant content on the internet and create new ways to experience and interact with multimedia resources. A high resolution Digital Media Broadcasting^＊ service delivers unparalleled clarity and viewing experiences for on-the-go consumption of live television programs or sporting events. In addition, the GALAXY S4 LTE-A is equipped with the same innovative features of the GALAXY S4 that help make daily life richer, simpler and more fun.

^＊ImageON and a high resolution DMB are only available for the Korean version.

The GALAXY S4 LTE-A will be available this summer starting in Korea in two colors: Blue Arctic and Red Aurora. More color options will be available at a later date.  

Note to Editors:

Samsung GALAXY S4 LTE-A Product Specifications 



Network	LTE-A
Processor	Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 Processor with 2.3GHz Quad Core CPUs
Display	5.0” Full HD Super AMOLED (441 PPI)
OS	Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Camera	Main (Rear): 13MP  Sub (Front): 2MP
Camera Features	Dual Camera: Dual Shot/ Dual Recording/ Dual Video Call Drama Shot, Sound& Shot, 360 Photo, Cinema Photo, Eraser, Night, Best Photo,  Best Face, Beauty Face, HDR(High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Sport
Audio	3.5mm Ear Jack Music Player with SoundAlive
Additional Features	Group Play: Share Music, Share Pictures, Share Documents, Play Games
	Story Album, S Translator, Optical Reader
	Samsung Smart Scroll, Samsung Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Air View
	Samsung Hub, ChatON(Voice/Video Call, Share Screen, 3-way calling) Samsung WatchON
	S Travel(TripAdvisor), S Voice Drive, S Health
	Samsung Adapt Display, Samsung Adapt Sound,  Auto adjust sensitivity (Glove Friendly)
	Safety Assistance, Samsung Link, Screen Mirroring
Google Mobile Services	Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Plus, You Tube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads, Voice Search
Connectivity	WiFi HT80, Bluetooth® 4.0 LE, NFC Technology
Memory	32GB Internal memory (User Memory approximately 24GB) micro SD slot (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM  ＊User memory space may be less than the total memory space due to system files. User memory may differ by region, carrier and supporting language and may change after software upgrade.
Dimension	136.6ｘ69.8ｘ7.9mm, 131g
Battery	2,600mAh

^

^＊ All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

^＊ Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play, Google Plus. YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of televisions, smartphones, personal computers, printers, cameras, home appliances, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 236,000 people across 79 countries with annual sales of US$187.8 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com.

Google navigate the new format to your search results on computers

Starting today, when you search Google for restaurants, bars or other local places on your desktop, you’ll see an interactive “carousel” of local results at the top of the page.

Give it a go—type or say “mexican restaurants,” or try any similar search for restaurants, bars or hotels. Click on one of the places in the carousel to get more details on it, including its overall review-based score, address and photos. If you want to see more places, click the arrow at the right of the carousel. And you can zoom in on the map that appears below the carousel to restrict your search to only places in a specific area.

While some iPad and Nexus tablet users have seen this new look since December, we’re excited to expand to desktop. The interactive “carousel” is rolling out in English in the U.S.—we’ll add more features and languages over time.

18 New Languages for Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Google Drive lets you store and access your files anywhere -- on the web, your computer, your phone, or on the go. Whether you’re presenting slides in a boardroom in São Paulo or negotiating a Japanese contract in Tokyo, Google Drive speaks your language: 65 of them, to be exact, with the addition of 18 new ones today:

Afrikaans, Amharic, Basque, Chinese (Hong Kong), Estonian, French (Canada), Galician, Icelandic, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Nepali, Persian, Sinhalese, Spanish (Latin America), Swahili, Urdu, Zulu

You can switch back and forth as often as you like, and many of these languages are also supported by Drive’s spellchecker.

Love to collaborate? No matter which Drive app you’re using -- Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms -- you can work in real time in any language you choose while your fellow collaborators use another language.

To try Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides in another language, you can switch by:

1. Clicking the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. 
2. Under General, select a language from the drop-down menu in the Language section. 
3. Click Save. You’re done!

To change the language for Google Drive for mobile, go to your device’s language settings. If you don’t yet have Drive for mobile, you can visit the Google Play or Apple App Store to get the Google Drive app.

Leaked pictures of Windows Phone Amber update on Nokia Lumia 925

A published report out of China shows the Nokia Lumia 925 powered by the Windows Phone Amber update. Screenshots of the recently unveiled device show the on screen clock that displays the time even when the phone is 'sleeping'. Another picture shows the FM radio that will be on most of the updated models, and a settings screen where color saturation and color temperature can be set by the user. The update will also allow users to select an option that will allow them to flip the phone and place it face down on a table to silence the ringer.

Besides being known as Amber, the update is also known as GDR2 for the second General Distribution Release. A third one is planned for later in the year. That update is expected to bring support for a 1080 x 1920 (FHD) screen resolution to Windows Phone 8 devices.

The Windows Phone 8 Amber update will come pre-installed on the Nokia Lumia 925 which was introduced on May 14th in the U.K.

Blue HTC One coming?

Earlier this month, a U.K. retailer had displayed a red version of the HTC One. But that was really no surprise since as early as February, HTC had included a red HTC One on its web site. Now, a published report out of the U.K. says that a blue version of the the Taiwan manufacturer's flagship Android model is on the way.

Both the red and blue versions of the HTC One will be launched together, according to the report, to go along with the current Glacial Silver and Stealth Black that the phone can currently be bought in. No timeframe for the launch of the new colors was revealed.

U.K. retailer Handtec was taking pre-registrations for the red model in the first week of May. While it did list an after-tax price of 503.99 GBP ($783.40 USD), no shipping date was listed and there was no place to leave credit card information. There was space for those interested to leave an email address so that they could be notified when the red version of the HTC One was available.

Rumor: Galaxy Note 3 camera to include optical image stabilization technology

A new report says that the Galaxy Note 3 could feature an improved camera capable to offer users optical image stabilization (OIS) features.
According to etnews, Samsung is apparently working on including OIS capabilities in the unannounced Galaxy Note 3, a feature that should help improve the pictures and videos taken with the phone’s main camera.

Google blimps will carry wireless signal across Africa

Search giant Google is intending to build huge wireless networks across Africa and Asia, using high-altitude balloons and blimps.
The company is intending to finance, build and help operate networks from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia, with the aim of connecting around a billion people to the web.
To help enable the campaign, Google has been putting together an ecosystem of low-cost smartphones running Android on low-power microprocessors. Rather than traditional infrastructure, Google's signal will be carried by high-altitude platforms - balloons and blimps - that can transmit to areas of hundreds of square kilometres.

Samsung Briefly Posts Galaxy S4 Mini On Its Apps Site, Adding New Credence To A Summer Release

Samsung has yet to officially confirm the Galaxy S4 mini, but the smartphone’s brief appearance on the company’s app store earlier today backs up rumors of a summer launch. The listing was spotted and screencapped by TGspot (link via Google Translate) before it was removed.

Samsung sold a record 12.5 million smartphones in China during Q1 2013: Strategy Analytics

Samsung topped China’s smartphone sales for the first time last year, and the Korean firm has taken that momentum into this year, after selling a record 12.5 million smartphones in China during Q1 2013, according to Strategy Analytics.
The research firm’s latest figures are reported by the Korea Herald (via Sammy Hub) and are particularly impressive given that Samsung sold a total of 30.06 million smartphones last year. That 2012  figure was a record annual sales haul for the firm — and tripled its sales from 2011 — but, given its early progress this year, Samsung looks set to smash that record once again in 2013.

Samsung to Unveil New Galaxy and ATIV Devices on June 20

Samsung has just announced an event called the "Samsung Premiere 2013," held on June 20, 2013 in London.
Absolutely no details were given about the event except three cryptic, black and white images (below) and two words: "Galaxy and ATIV." This suggests that the company plans to launch new Galaxy (meaning: Android) devices, as well as Windows devices which fall under Samsung's ATIV brand.
The event will start at 2PM ET on June 20, and will be livestreamed at Samsung's YouTube channel.

Smartphones to outsell feature phones in 2013

Growth at the high end of the smartphone market might be slowing, but it seems like nothing can stop the low-end smartphone market. Smartphones out-shipped feature phones for the first time in Q1 this year and according to market research firm DisplaySearch, smartphones will continue to dominate basic cell phones for the rest of 2013. The firm sees smartphone shipments hitting 937 million units this year, handily topping the 889 million feature phones expected to ship. By 2016, smartphones shipments will hit 1.45 billion units thanks to growth in emerging markets, and smart handsets will make up an estimated two-thirds of the global cell phone market at that time.

“The global smartphone market is expected to continue growing rapidly over the next two years,” said Shawn Lee, research director at DisplaySearch. “With larger, higher-resolution displays, faster processors, and higher-capacity cellular systems being built, the smartphone is not only becoming a must-have device, but is satisfying many needs that formerly required other computing and consumer electronics devices.”

New iOS 7 concept shows off enhanced Siri functionality

A new iOS 7 concept designed by Christian Lue and Ran Avni has been captured on video. The new build of Apple's mobile OS features panoramic wallpaper and a Quick Reply feature. In this concept, Siri displays rumored integration with Flickr and Vimeo as well as integration with some other iPhone applications. With the Music app, there are some new features that come in handy. Tap on the currently playing song in the Now Playing section and you get to see which tunes are coming up. Simple, but effective.

Some other interesting concepts include using thumbnail icons to launch a folder of related apps. The Settings application would give the user more control over certain functions such the ability to sort icons by usage or by name. The design itself has the flat look that Jony Ive is said to favor, and there is not a skeumorphic image in sight!

LG INTRODUCES NEW NEXUS 4 WHITE

LG Electronics (LG) today announced the launch of Nexus 4 White, the newest edition of the popular smartphone developed in collaboration with Google. Nexus 4 White features the same stellar Android™ experience as the original Nexus 4, combining LG’s sophisticated hardware design and popular Google Services such as Google Now and Photosphere for an outstanding overall user experience.

 

“Nexus 4 set the standard for Android 4.2 Jelly Bean smartphones,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company. “Nexus 4 White delivers the same Google experience to consumers in a stylish and attractive color option.”

 

Nexus 4 White comes with the superb 4.7-inch 1280-by-768 True HD IPS Plus display (320ppi) supported by Zerogap Touch technology. At its heart is the high performing Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM.

 

Starting in Hong Kong on May 29, Nexus 4 White will roll out globally in select markets in Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East over the next several weeks.

 

Samsung reportedly confirms Galaxy Note III, hints at exciting new features

The third generation of the phablet that started it all was expected to launch later this year, of course, but a Samsung executive reportedly just confirmed the device for the first time. Korean language ETNews says it spoke with an unnamed Samsung exec who confirmed the Galaxy Note III will launch later this year. The anonymous official also discussed several exciting new features that might be included on the Note III, such as optical image stabilization and 3x optical zoom. Samsung’s next Note will also reportedly have a slimmer body, which will be appreciated considering the first two Note phablets were certainly on the thicker side. The report doesn’t state when the new Galaxy Note III will be unveiled, but the device is expected to debut at the annual IFA trade show in September.

Source:

ETNews