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String a few Galaxy S5s together and you can mine bitcoin
Samsung read the last e-waste report from Greenpeace too, and likely wasn't too happy about the slamming it got from the organization. Which leads us to the Korean electronics juggernaut's system for upcycling old phones. Specifically, the company rigged a bunch of them together and turned them into a bitcoin mining contraption. According to Motherboard, Samsung strung 40 Galaxy S5 together to mine recently, and apparently just eight of them wired together can mine in a way that's more power-efficient than a desktop computer.
Samsung pauses Android 4.3 update for Galaxy S III following reports of glitches
Samsung was apparently too hasty in rolling out its Android 4.3 update for the Galaxy S III. The phone maker says that it has paused the upgrade following reports of audio hiccups, excessive battery drain and freezes. There's no word on when the upgrade will resume, although we suspect that Samsung will take its time stamping out as many bugs as possible. In the meantime, those who upgraded too quickly (or are still running Android 4.1) will just have to be patient.
Galaxy Gear compatibility comes to the Samsung Galaxy S 4, S3, Note 2 and more
If you wanted live out your Inspector Gadget fantasies, but lacked the Galaxy Note 3 needed to take full advantage of the possibilities, we've got good news. Samsung's bringing compatibility for its Galaxy Gear to the previously-mentioned Galaxy S 4 as well as the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II through an Android 4.3 update. While those are the big ones, the wearable will soon hook up to a whole swathe of Samsung devices (Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Active, Mega 5.8, Mega 6.3, and Galaxy S4 Zoom) in an update arriving at the end of October. Naturally, the typical proviso for different release dates in different countries remains, but those flagship devices mentioned earlier will get the earliest access -- and will also be able to make and answer calls with the Gear, like a real inspector.
Galaxy S III mini expected at AT&T, for reasons unknown
We can't say we're in love with Samsung's Galaxy S III mini, especially with a next-gen model already official. But if today's @evleaks post is to be believed, last year's not-so-brightest star in the Galaxy will be coming to AT&T. The date on the render up above is fixed on August 23rd, which is when we're expecting the Galaxy Mega to make its US debut, so there's a chance we might see the GS III mini then as well. Still unknown is why AT&T would be bringing a humdrum 2012 handset to subscribers this late in the game, but if it does hit retailers this summer, it better come in with a MSRP far below handsets we'd actually recommend. Like, say, the Galaxy S 4.
IRL: TYLT cables and a standoff between two Galaxies
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. IRL is a column about stuff we're using in real life and yes, that sometimes includes neon-green charging cables. It also includes all manner of smartphones, as you know, and this week we've got a short-and-sweet write-up comparing the GS3 and GS4. Is the 4 worth an early upgrade? Not if you ask Jon Fingas, anyway, but that's mostly because he's happy with the camera, performance and LTE radio on last year's model.
Visualized: Facebook Home's assortment of abodes
As you may have heard, Facebook Home has finally made its way to a select number of devices from HTC and Samsung. While the initial rollout was a little shaky, we were able to grab the social network's latest mobile triumph on every device that officially supports it. What you see above is the full spread of devices that are listed as candidates for the downloadable APK's launch (the HTC First excepted, which we have unfortunately already shipped away): from left to right, you'll see the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, HTC One X+, One X and the One. For folks who already have access to it, the One isn't officially supported yet, but it's been announced and it should be coming soon. We've already gone into painstaking detail of Facebook Home in our review of the HTC First, so we won't dwell too much on the downloadable version. In short, as we expected, the interface seems quite a bit more quiet than our experience on the First simply because it doesn't offer the same system-level integration; in other words, the devices shown in the above image are only able to display notifications related to Facebook services. You can still access your usual suite of alerts through the status bar at the top of the screen, but just make sure to go into Home settings to enable this functionality. Aside from the difference in notifications, the downloadable APK differs from the First's pre-loaded version in that no Google search bar sits upon the top of Home's app menu. Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed to find any major variances in Cover Feed, chat heads or the app launcher. If you're curious to see exactly what it looks like on a Samsung Galaxy S III, check out our gallery of screenshots below. Note: To ensure that everything works the way it should on your phone, make sure the official Facebook and Messenger apps are installed and completely up-to-date. %Gallery-185472%
Purple Samsung Galaxy S III coming to Sprint on April 12th for $99
Last month, a purple Galaxy S III first reared its regal-hued exterior accompanied by claims that it would launch on Sprint sometime in April. Tonight, a tipster sent a screenshot our way that's pegged the aubergine handset for an April 12th release on the Now Network. With the help of a $50 mail-in rebate, you'll be able to pick up the 16GB variant of the smartphone for $99 on a two-year contract. Finally, a phone that'll match our impeccable taste in handheld gaming consoles.
Mophie Juice Pack for Samsung Galaxy S III now available for $100
Mophie told us a couple of months back that it would be bringing its GS3-friendly Juice Packs to market sometime around late October / early November, and, well, today's the day the handy add-on is finally up for grabs. As you can see above, the battery case will be available in white and black livery, with the company promising its 2,300mAh peripheral can "virtually double" battery life on the Galaxy S III without adding too much heft to the device. GS3 owners can snag one of Mophie's renowned Juice Packs now for $100 -- and to do just that, all you interested folks have to do is head over to the source link below.
Jelly Bean rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III on Sprint beginning today
Sprint's the first US carrier to get the long-awaited Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S III. Featured as an OTA update, your device may start seeing it as early as today. Don't worry too much if this doesn't happen right away; experience has shown us that these large-scale OTA rollouts can be a lengthy process spanning the course of a couple weeks. Feel free to shout out in the comments if your device has already prompted you for the update. The press release is found below.
Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)
To say that the launch of Isis has felt drawn out would be a mild understatement. The alliance first signaled its intentions two years ago, detailed its first markets one year ago and faced a last-minute delay. All the ducks are finally in a row, however, and residents of both Austin as well as Salt Lake City can tap to pay (or score discounts) at the "hundreds" of locations that accept NFC-based purchases through American Express, Capital One, Chase and Isis' own cash card. Launch day brings app- and SIM-enabled access for nine devices spread rather unevenly across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon: only the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is confirmed working for Verizon subscribers, while the rest are divided more equally between multiple Samsung Galaxies and HTC devices like the Amaze 4G and One X. Over 20 phones should be Isis-aware before the end of the year. It's a potentially strong start to one of the few truly cross-network mobile payment systems in the US, but we see a long road ahead before Isis gives Google Wallet some jitters -- there's legions of banks, cities and stores needed before Isis is widespread, and we're not counting on that ever-elusive universal hardware support.
Samsung begins delivering Jelly Bean to UK-based Galaxy S III owners
Samsung has already started on the Jelly Bean upgrade path for the Galaxy S III, but that hasn't meant much so far unless you live in Samsung's homeland. The update's global relevance is expanding in grand fashion now that the company has confirmed the software is rolling out to Galaxy S III units across the UK. Variants on the smartphone for British carriers should get their taste of Android 4.1 over the course of a multi-week update process that brings everyone to the new version. Different carrier testing methods prevent Samsung from being any more specific; it's reasonable to say, though, that most owners living in Old Blighty should be running Jelly Bean before the holiday season kicks into overdrive.
Verizon Galaxy S III now available in black and brown
Verizon teased on Monday that black and brown models of Samsung's Galaxy S III would be coming soon, but mum was the word on exactly how quickly that would be. Turns out, it was real fast. The pair of smartphones are now available at the carrier's online storefront with a $199.99 price tag for those who don't mind a two-year commitment with Big Red. If the new shades strike your fancy, hit the source link below to give one (or two) of the devices a new home.
Chitika: iPhone 5 beating out Samsung Galaxy S III in web usage already
The latest report from mobile marketing firm Chitika notes that the iPhone 5 has already supplanted the Samsung Galaxy S III in general web data usage after only a few weeks on the market. The Galaxy S III shipped in May 2012 and the iPhone 5 hit shelves in late September, yet Apple's handset is consuming more web data, according to Chitika's research. There are a few reasons for this. First, the iPhone 5 is enormously popular, and has been selling very quickly already. Second, I've personally found that the iPhone 5's 4G and LTE connections make for faster web browsing in general, which could prompt users to spend more time on a data connection as opposed to WiFi. Finally, many of the iPhone 5's apps are easy to use, which means almost all iPhones see more bandwidth usage than their non-Apple counterparts. Given those points, these numbers aren't all that surprising. But it is interesting to note just how quickly the iPhone 5 is rising through the ranks in overall usage. [Via All Things D]
Verizon teases black and brown Galaxy S III models for the subtle crowd
AT&T might have nabbed Verizon's color for the Galaxy S III, but that doesn't mean Big Red subscribers will be left out. The CDMA carrier has just posted a rotating teaser on its home page promising the low-key black and brown versions of Samsung's flagship sometime "soon," with availability sign-ups on hand for the impatient. That's all we know for now, although history suggests there won't be a premium over the $200 contract price of the existing blue and white models. We're hoping the new shades of Galaxy come soon -- Verizon's offering will be the first chance most Americans have to get the Android phone in muted colors and relive the glory days of brown electronics.
Vellamo benchmark adds CPU and memory tests, here's how it rates the One X and GS III
Qualcomm's Vellamo app has been a part of the furniture in our Android benchmarking suite for a while now, providing a fun little test of browsing and networking speeds on almost any Android device. Version 2.0 adds something extra, however: a section called "Metal" that is all about putting your processor and memory through the wringer. As a quick taster, we ran the new HTML5 and Metal tests on the HTC One X (both global and AT&T) and the Galaxy S III (global and Sprint), settling on the average of three consecutive results. Conspiracy theorists who think that Qualcomm's app favors its own processors will only find further ammunition in the CPU results, however the HTML5 scores actually give the QCOM devices much less of a lead than the old Vellamo did, scoring all four handsets roughly equally. You'll find the table overleaf, along with a publicity video that explains the update.
AOKP team posts giant update to its Jelly Bean build, allows rotation and tablet UI anywhere
Custom ROM fans will know AOKP (Android Open Kang Project), but the first build derived from Jelly Bean was knowingly rough around the edges. What a difference a month makes: along with the usual round of bug fixes, the team's second build has added options to force screen rotation and the tablet interface on any device. Not-quite-so-early adopters also get fine-grained control over the interface DPI, LEDs, theming and vibration, and the device list has grown to include the Verizon Galaxy S III, the Galaxy Note and multiple variants of both the original Galaxy S and the Galaxy Tab family. If you were waiting to stay just short of the bleeding edge before trying AOKP, your version is ready.
STMicroelectronics details pressure sensor in your Galaxy S III, can tell when you're mountaineering
If you're the sort to tear down your Galaxy S III, you might have noticed a mysterious STMicroelectronics LSP331AP chip lurking on the motherboard. While we've known that it's a pressure sensor, we now know that it's a new generation -- new enough that ST is just getting to explaining the technology to a mainstream audience. The piezoresistor-equipped MEMS chip tracks altitude through atmospheric pressure with an uncanny knack for precision; it can tell when you've crossing between floors, which could be more than handy for future iterations of indoor navigation. Don't worry if you're an extreme sports junkie that might push the limits, either. The sensor can do its job at the kinds of pressure you'd normally see when 32,800 feet high or 5,900 feet below sea level, which should keep it working even if you're checking your phone during a climb up K2 or a HALO skydive. We don't know if anyone beyond Samsung is lined up to use ST's pressure sensor in their devices, but we wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a mainstay for smartphones and outdoor gear in the near future.
Samsung notches more than 20 million Galaxy S III smartphones sold in 100 days
The phone that a passel of worldwide lawsuits couldn't hold back, Samsung's Galaxy S III, is the company's most successful yet, as Samsung announced tonight that it's delivered more than 20 million units in 100 days. That figure puts it at three times the sales rate of the Galaxy S II when it broke 20 million in February, ten months after launch and more than six times the original Galaxy S, which took 17 months. In a rare occasion, Samsung has supplied regional sales figures -- revealing six million devices for Europe, 4.5 million in Asia, 4 million in North America and 2.5 million in Korea. According to Samsung's gleeful press release it's moving 200,000 units a day -- any predictions for where that pace (or sales for its larger cousin, the Galaxy Note II which has its own hard act to follow) will go from here?
Samsung Galaxy S III gets Quick Tap mobile payments system from Orange and Barclaycard, works with most UK bank accounts
We've barely heard from Orange's Quick Tap payments system in over a year, but now the UK phone network has decided to dump the underwhelming Tocco Lite and add its mobile payments service to the NFC-capable Galaxy S III. Tying into any British MasterCard, Visa, Debit or credit card, you'll be able to pay up to £20 from your account without the need for PIN entry. New users on Orange SIM-toting Galaxy S IIIs will also pick up a 50 quid bonus when they activate the feature, which kicks off this Wednesday. Check the press release below for all the details.
Mophie readies Galaxy S III Juice Packs, coming very soon
If you thought Mophie was planning to keep its smartphone Juice Packs exclusively Apple-based -- we'd have probably agreed with you. But then we got to take a look at this pair of cases crafted for Samsung's Galaxy S III. Yep, the battery-packing cover (which looks likely to fit all the current iterations) promises to give "over double the battery life" of your un-augmented handset. This was just a brief peek -- but expect the (as-yet unpriced) cases to appear in stores around the end of October, early November.
