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LG suspects Samsung of infringing its eye-tracking patents with the Galaxy S 4
Samsung's Galaxy S 4 isn't even available yet, but already it's being eyed for possible patent infringement. According to a report from Korea's Yonhap News, LG suspects the S 4 might violate eye-tracking patents used in the Optimus G Pro. At the crux of this squabble is Samsung's Smart Pause feature, which LG finds similar to its Smart Video technology. Chiefly, LG is focusing on a patent it applied for in 2009, though the company also plans to investigate whether Samsung infringed other eye-tracking patents dating back to 2005. So far, of course, Samsung has denied any wrongdoing, saying its eye-tracking tech is implemented differently and is based on proprietary technology. Given that the phone isn't even out yet, we'll leave it to LG to do its due diligence before accusing Samsung in court.
Samsung demos Smart Scroll, Smart Pause and Air Gesture on Galaxy S 4
Along with several other new software features demoed at its event in New York today, Samsung showed off a Smart Scroll utility, which lets you page up or down by tilting the Galaxy S 4 in the corresponding direction. The company also demoed Air Gesture, which similarly lets you scroll without putting your fingers to the glass. Finally, a feature called Smart Pause will detect your eye movements to intelligently stop video when your gaze turns away from the screen. With dramatics fitting of the Radio City Music Hall venue, Sammy gave us a quick look at all these features in action: at a bachelorette party, where Air Gesture lets partiers look at messages without putting down those champagne flutes; on the street, where a woman can check out that guitarist on the corner without missing a second of the latest Engadget Show and -- well, Smart Scroll is straightforward enough to speak for itself. Read more about the Galaxy S 4's software and hardware in our hands-on preview. %Gallery-182898% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S IV screenshots support Smart scroll rumors, add Smart pause (update)
Samsung made a big deal out of its new "Smart" UI tweaks when it launched the Galaxy S III, so the suggestion that it might have its digital tool box out for the next iteration wouldn't surprise us at all. The Smart scroll mooted by the New York Times would appear to be corroborated in the above leaked images. If they are the real-deal, then it's joined by Smart pause, a similar eye-tracking feature that stops any playing video if you glance away. Sammobile also states that the images they received back up claims of a 1080p display, but with sources shrouded in secrecy, and Jeremy earning his keep, the real Smart money suggests you wait a little longer to find out. Update: Sammobile has since added more info from its source, advising that these are shots from another ROM, intended for the GS III, but still insists its intel confirms these features are coming. Update 2: Well, Sammobile isn't the only site claiming to have exclusive access to screenshots of upcoming Samsung ROMs. The difference is GSM-Israel isn't claiming to have a GS III update, it believes it has legit screenshots from the Galaxy S IV. There are some notable differences between the two sets of images, implying they're from different devices. The specs betrayed by the various settings apps are right in line with what we're expecting: 1080p screen, quad-core CPU, 13-megapixel camera, etc... We've stuck one image after the break, but you'll find a whole lot more at the source. [Thanks, Alex]
