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The Daily Roundup for 03.22.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
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.
The Weekly Roundup for 03.11.2013
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 7 days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
HP and Samsung offer setup-free printing on the Galaxy S 4, with others to follow
As ubiquitous as wireless printing has become, there remains the occasional hoop to jump through for printing from mobile devices if you don't happen to have either a special app or iOS gear that supports AirPrint. HP and Samsung are teaming up to remove many of the headaches for the Galaxy S 4: when the phone launches in April, it should have setup-free WiFi printing to almost 200 HP inkjets and LaserJets, as long as any given printer is either on the same network or is otherwise accessible through direct printing. Don't expect ubiquitous support, though. Beyond being limited to the one phone, you'll have to stick to some of its preloaded apps, including the browser, contacts, email client, photo gallery, Polaris Office and S Note. It's far from a truly universal solution, then, but the two partners are at least promising zero-setup printing on both the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II through firmware updates coming later in 2013. We'll take the approach if it saves time snagging an old-fashioned boarding pass or some concert tickets.
T-Mobile, AT&T publish Galaxy S 4 sign-up page, for those who want to be first in the know
Did Samsung's bizarre GS4 unveiling leave you wanting a little more? Well, as it's often the case, carriers are already preparing for the handset's eventual launch, and two US players have now officially opened the virtual doors to those potential buyers. Both T-Mobile and AT&T's sign-up pages for the Galaxy S 4 are now live, giving the interested folk a way to be kept in the loop as soon as the South Korean firm's flagship becomes available in each network. Unfortunately, although not surprisingly, pricing and precise availability details are still scarce at the moment -- but hey, at least we have some idea as to when we can expect it to hit shelves not just in the US of A but all over the world.
The Daily Roundup for 03.15.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Samsung puts Exynos 5 Octa into production: guess who's the first customer
That Galaxy S 4 isn't going to compute tasks through sheer force of will, you know. Just a day after Samsung unveiled the smartphone as its inaugural Exynos 5 Octa device, the company has confirmed that the not-really-eight-core ARM processor should be in mass production during the second quarter of the year, or between April and June. There aren't many more details to share beyond what the company mentioned at CES, but that doesn't diminish what could be a best-of-all-worlds processor: the automatic switching between four Cortex-A15 and four Cortex-A7 cores should give it a performance edge over many of its peers while reducing power consumption by up to 70 percent. We also know that the Octa's graphics performance has largely caught up to peers versus earlier Exynos 4 designs, as Imagination Technologies has confirmed that its PowerVR SGX544MP is providing enough muscle to double 3D performance over the creaky Mali-400 in the Exynos 4 Quad. About the only mystery left is whether or not many companies beyond Samsung will get a chance at some Exynos 5 Octa silicon, although there's one or two prospects.
The After Math: Samsung's newly discovered Galaxy, Google's gaffe and Seagate sells a lot of storage
Welcome to The After Math, where we attempt to summarize this week's tech news through numbers, decimal places and percentages. In this week's After Math, Google got stung for its Street View WiFi mishap, Samsung revealed what is likely to be its best-selling phone (again), while the new Digital Public Library of America received a huge donation from the US National Archives. We're getting things ready for Engadget Expand this weekend, so expect a special edition TAM next week. We hope to see plenty of you at the event -- we'll be there.
When being better doesn't equal victory: Samsung's curious overshadowing of HTC
In a lot of things, being the best generally leads to victory. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the London Olympics? He wins the gold. A hosting company has the best recorded uptime? It takes home an award. Google launches the fastest consumer broadband available in the US? Boom, victory. But every so often, life throws us a curveball. For every 1972 Dolphins team, there's a pack of believers from NC State eager to do something crazy in 1983. And in more germane terms, there's presently no rhyme or reason why HTC has continually outgunned Samsung in terms of design prowess, yet continues to bleed cash while its Korean rival mints it. Actually, there is a reason. It's called marketing.
7digital to drive the Galaxy S 4's Music Hub, ship on 100 million phones in 2013
If you've shopped at Samsung's Music Hub, there's a good chance that you've used 7digital's music services at some point: it's been involved in supplying songs for the past two generations of Galaxy flagships. That influence is carrying on to the Galaxy S 4, where 7digital will handle the Music Hub's storefront and purchased track streaming. While the deal doesn't represent a radical break for either side, it does give Samsung some odd bedfellows this time around -- 7digital is also operating music stores for BlackBerry 10 and Ubuntu One, and its apps have regularly surfaced on HTC devices and various Windows Phone models. Ultimately, 7digital expects its music shopping backbone to reside on more than 100 million smartphones before 2013 is over and done. That's no mean feat when the limelight often falls on music service rivals that insist on putting their names front and center, such as Amazon, Apple or Spotify.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 drafts in Swiftkey to power its keyboard
We'd heard rumors that Swiftkey might have assisted Blackberry on its well-received (and often prescient) BB10 keyboard, but the app maker has now confirmed that its software is behind the Galaxy S 4's native keyboard. It's the first time that the company's publicly admitted to powering a handset manufacturer's keys and will sidestep the need for S4 users to download its standalone app. Though, there's still plenty of reasons to download the app from Google play if you dig the customization options and themes of the original. Swiftkey's CTO Ben Medlock said that the keyboard is "at the heart of [Samsung's] flagship smartphone" and is hopefully just the first of many Android devices arriving with the company's voodoo already built in. We've added Ben's full statement after the break. Update: The company reached out to us to clarify that while its prediction engine is at the heart of Samsung's keyboard it is not Swiftkey in the purest sense. The natural comparison it reached for? Android and TouchWiz.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 gets April 26th UK release date, pre-orders start March 28th
Was that late April launch date for the Galaxy S 4 a little too vague for you? Well, fortunate British readers, you get something a little more specific. The UK's only LTE network, EE has stated that it will start selling Samsung's new Galaxy, both online and in its bricks and mortar establishments, starting April 26th. It's keeping quiet on the prices, matching those other UK carriers for the time being, but we're sure prices will appear ahead of any preorder page -- that's set to go live on March 28th.
CE-Oh no he didn't!: HTC's CMO Ben Ho says the Galaxy S 4 is just 'more of the same'
First it was Apple, then LG, and now we have HTC also trolling Samsung's Galaxy S 4 launch in New York. Before the doors opened at Radio City Music Hall, the Taiwanese company kindly gave out hot cocoa and snacks while showing off the One to folks lined up in the cold outside, as well as to the public in Times Square (see video after the break). This was followed by HTC's complementary entertainment during Samsung's event with a series of surprisingly relentless tweets -- one of which even bore the hash tag "#theNextBigFlop" to mock Samsung's "The Next Big Thing" slogan. Ouch. To wrap up the day, HTC's fresh CMO Ben Ho got in touch (by way of a PR agency) to say that the again-plastic Galaxy S 4 is just "more of the same," and that his company's "all-aluminum unibody HTC One" with "original cutting-edge technology, mouth-watering design and a premium feel" is really what people are after. Here's his full statement: "With a continuation of a plastic body, and a larger screen being the most obvious physical change, Samsung's new Galaxy pales in comparison to the all-aluminum unibody HTC One. "This is more of the same. HTC remains the best option for those people looking for the best technology wrapped in premium design. Our customers want something different from the mainstream, who appear to be the target for the Galaxy. "Our customers want original cutting-edge technology, mouth-watering design and a premium feel from their mobiles, which is why we created the HTC One." Looks like "quietly brilliant" is no more for HTC then? Update: Ben Ho got back to us with another nugget, this time taking a quick jab at the software features on Samsung's latest flagship device. It's short and sweet (and also spicy): "Looking at the software features of the S4, we think Samsung spent more on marketing than innovation."
Samsung's Galaxy S 4 swoops by the FCC toting LTE, international sensibilities
Sure, the Galaxy S 4 made its grand entrance at Radio City Music Hall today, but now it's had a low-key meet-and-greet with the FCC for government approval. The version offered up to Uncle Sam carries a 850 / 1900 GSM radio, 3G connectivity through 850 / 1900 WCDMA frequencies and support for LTE Band 5. Since AT&T's main LTE squeeze is Band 17, what we're seeing here is an international version of Samsung's flagship that can roam portions of Ma Bell's and Magenta's network when it sets foot in the US. Folks waiting for a GS4 outfitted for an American carrier will have to wait 'till at least the end of April, but we'll keep our eyes peeled for such a device visiting the FCC.
Samsung's Galaxy S 4 gets torn asunder, reveals its innards
Now that we've officially seen the Galaxy S 4 unveiled in a Broadway-like production, why not take a look inside it? Chinese outlet IT168, which gave us a peek at the flagship earlier today, couldn't resist tearing one open just before the handset's official reveal. What went under the screwdriver in this instance was a 3G-only China Unicom version of the GS4 packing dual SIM slots and the expected Exynos 5 Octa CPU, 2GB of RAM, 13 megapixel camera and 2,600mAH battery. Hit the neighboring source link for the entire set of glamour shots of the disassembled smartphone.
Relive Samsung Unpacked 2013 and the launch of the Galaxy S 4, if you dare (video)
Came in late and missed the live festivities as Samsung took the wraps off of its new Galaxy S 4? No problem -- thanks to its livestream on YouTube, you can check out the unedited video stream right now in full, or just skip to your (least) favorite parts. There was a tapdancing kid, a host from a TV show you probably don't watch and a dancing group of bridesmaids. No, seriously, that happened. There was also a new phone, so check out our event hub if you want to get straight to the details, or strap in and experience it all in video form, embedded after the break. Update: Samsung has posted the edited video on YouTube, so now you can just press play.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 wireless charging pad and S Health scale hands-on
No phone launch is complete without a few accessories added to the mix. Samsung had a whole bunch to announce alongside its Galaxy S 4, but only a few were on hand to check out up close and personal. We did, however, find a nice surprise hiding under those glossy white table covers -- a wireless charging pad. Yes, it turns out the the GS 4 does in fact have Qi wireless charging capabilities. Provided its available in your region and your carrier chooses to support it. The charging pad itself has a glossy plastic base that matches the phone, but there's a nice rubbery gray top that keeps the handset from sliding around too much while it's juicing up. We also got to check out the companion wireless scale that looks quite a bit like the Fitbit Aria. Though, with a square LCD and a healthy-sized Samsung logo on it. The scale is just one part of the larger S Health equation which also includes a Jawbone Up-like monitor (S Band), which was sadly nowhere to be found in the demo pit. The scale of course sync with the baked in S Health app over Bluetooth, which makes it quite a bit easier to track how that diet of yours is going. In addition to simply tracking your total poundage, there will be bands for tracking heart rate and the S 4's various sensor can help judge the comfort level of your environment. The requisite glut of photos can be found below in the gallery.%Gallery-182903% Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report. Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 accessories: cases, calorie counting and gamepads
What's a fancy new smartphone without accessories? Don't ask the Galaxy S 4 -- it's already planning to augment its software tricks with scales, fitness bands and of course, the requisite screen cover. Samsung's latest flagship won't settle for a mere flip cover, however, its S View Cover features a window to the Galaxy S 4's 5-inch Super AMOLED screen, allowing users to peek at the display and even answer calls without exposing their device. There's goodies for the health conscious to buy, too: the jawbone-like S band and a Samsung branded body scale, both of which sync with the device's S Health software. The device even has gamers covered, teasing a prototype gamepad with striking resemblance to the beloved Xbox 360 gamepad. Sammy didn't mention when these accessories would hit the market (or at what price), but we'll keep our ear to the ground for future details. %Gallery-182897% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung's Knox security solution to launch with Galaxy S 4
Back at Mobile World Congress, Samsung filled us in about its Knox security suite, and now it's just announced that it'll ship on the Galaxy S 4. In case you need your memory jogged, Knox focuses on providing enterprise security features that let business and personal content coexist on the same handset. Like BlackBerry Balance, the solution cordons off work-related apps, email accounts and the like in secure containers, while keeping personal things without password protection. Though the GS4 will nab Knox first, other Samsung devices are set to receive it as well. %Gallery-182894% Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
Samsung Galaxy S 4 vs. Galaxy S III: what's changed?
Okay, okay, we all get it: the Galaxy S 4 looks a lot like last year's model. But there are of course some differences, most notably on the inside, where the phone steps up to either an Exynos 5 or Snapdragon chip, depending on the region. As is our way, we've combed the spec sheets for both models to see exactly what's changed this time around. So, phone snobs, have at it! Check out our event hub for all the action from Samsung's Galaxy S 4 event.
