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SugarSync to ship with many Samsung mobile devices, make Galaxy S III a home away from home
Samsung and SugarSync are already cozy with each other, having struck a deal to put SugarSync's cloud file sharing on Samsung's AllShare Play-equipped TVs. That relationship just got a lot closer: SugarSync will now be a mainstay for Samsung's rather successful mobile devices. Starting with the Galaxy S III, any Samsung phone or tablet that supports AllShare Play will have SugarSync built-in, whether it's for looking at files and media from back home or just to upload the phone's own photos and videos for sharing later on. The service still offers a free 5GB of storage as a baseline and will scale up to 500GB if you're willing to fork over up to $40 a month. Between this and a Dropbox deal for most carriers, Samsung has the cloud largely sewn up on its handhelds -- if you can't access it, it probably doesn't exist.
UK Judge says Galaxy Tab 'not as cool' as iPad, awards Samsung win in design suit
How's that for the ultimate backhanded legal award? A judge in the UK handed a win to Samsung in an intellectual property dispute, calling the Galaxy Tab "not as cool" as the iPad, and therefore not likely to get confused with Apple's tablets. Adding insult to lawsuit win, Judge Colin Birss said that Samsung's slates "do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design." The Galaxy Tabs are distinct from the iPad given their thinner form factors and the "details" on the backs of the devices, according to the judge. If Apple's not happy with his too-cool-for-suit ruling, he also gave Cupertino 21 days to appeal.
NTT DoCoMo unveils the Drive Cradle 02 that turns your tablet into a jumbo GPS
NTT DoCoMo is announcing its Drive Cradle 02 that turns five-to-seven-inch tablets into GPS units. Pairing up with the network's Drive Net navigation service, the hulk of plastic will pair with NEC's Medias Tab N-06D, the Galaxy Note and the 7-inch Galaxy Tabs to help you reach your destination -- assuming you don't get caught sneakily playing some Angry Birds at 80mph. It'll go on sale in Japan this Friday, June 29th and will set users back 315 yen ($4) per month.
Moving from Cupertino to Mountain View? Samsung's here to help (update: UK only)
Moving? We all have our reasons, but if you're transferring your stuff from iOS to a Galaxy device, Samsung and Media Mushroom are there to help with the Easy Phone Sync app. The free software installs on your Galaxy product and a PC or Mac, then shleps your stuff wholesale -- media, contacts and all -- from iTunes over to your chosen Samsung Android slate or phone. It even lets you continue to use iTunes to manage music, photos and videos, while keeping everything sync'd up with the non-Cupertino devices. We're sure that Samsung is just trying to lend a hand, and doesn't have any (ahem) other purposes in mind. Check the PR after the break to see for yourself. Update: To be clear, Easy Phone Sync's only for Galaxy-toting folks living in the UK.
ICS coming to Samsung Galaxy Tabs 10.1, 8.9, 7.7 and 7.0 Plus starting in July
Ice Cream Sandwich has been in the cards for Samsung's older Galaxy Tabs for a while, but impatient owners can soon wind down their foot tapping: the rollout date is indeed on the horizon. According to SamMobile, Android 4.0 will make its way to the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9, Tab 7.7 and Tab 7.0 beginning in July. Yes, that's next month -- though the site clarifies that most devices will see the switchover in August. If you've held out this long, what's a month or so more, right?
Apple must wait for sales injunction against Galaxy Tab 10.1
Apple pushed for an injunction that would ban the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US, but Judge Lucy Koh of the United States District for the Northern District of California denied this motion. According to a report by FOSS Patents, Koh told Apple it had to wait until the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issues its mandate on the case. Once the CAFC responds, Apple can ask again for an injunction. This delay will help Samsung, which faces Apple in another court session scheduled for Thursday June 7. Rather than the Galaxy Tab injunction, the session will focus on the injunction Apple filed against the Galaxy Nexus.
Apple lords over tab market in Q1 2012, Samsung bumps Kindle in scuffle for scraps
If it's the end of a financial quarter, there must be another chronicle of the iPad swelling Apple's money pile and its tablet competitors trying in vain to chip off more for themselves. And with 11.8 million shipped by Cupertino out of 18.2 million slates total, that's pretty much the case -- with a minor shuffle of those "other guys" the only other tidbit. To wit, Amazon's Kindle petered into third spot only a quarter after trumpeting its ascension to number two, and Samsung displaced it as distant runner-up with sales of 1.1 million tabs. The most wide-eyed in the Korean maker's camp might point to Apple being topped in the rate of 3G / 4G tablets sold, but with eight times the sales of WiFi models, we doubt Apple's number-crunchers are losing any sleep over it. Per usual, the full report can be seen in the source link.
Samsung buys Nanoradio, hints at very low-power WiFi in your next Galaxy
Samsung hasn't had a lot of need for hardware acquisitions as of late, so it's a bit of a surprise that the company has snapped up chipset manufacturer Nanoradio. Neither side has outlined the terms of the deal or the exact plans. Nanoradio is best-known for "ultra low power" WiFi in phones and other mobile devices, however, so we'd venture that Samsung is looking to improve the performance of its own wireless-laden smartphones and tablets. Don't be surprised, then, if your next Galaxy S or Galaxy Tab is a little gentler on the battery while you're on the local coffee house hotspot.
Samsung chief: we're open to a cross-licensing deal with Apple, but 4G chip shortage might last until the fall
The at times very heated legal battle between Apple and Samsung might be softening just a bit ahead of truce talks on May 21st. Samsung's mobile head JK Shin just left Seoul for the mediated discussions saying there were still "several negotiation options" on tap, including the possibility of cross-licensing patents. He warned that there was still a "big gap" between the two sides, and we'd tend to agree -- neither Apple nor Samsung is exactly backing off just yet. However, it's a definite shift in language from March, when Shin was vowing "no compromise," and it parallels Apple CEO Tim Cook's own disdain for lawsuits. We just wouldn't bet money on the two singing "Kumbaya" this week. In same breath, Shin added that an ongoing 4G chipset shortage wasn't letting up: he didn't see things getting better until the start of the fourth quarter, or October for us common folk. That's a problem for Samsung's phones and tablets most of all, of course, and in a dire case could see LTE-packing American Galaxy S III variants rely on other vendors' chips to stay on the 4G bandwagon. There's also a chance of a ripple effect on other companies that want Samsung's parts, but short of getting a peek at Samsung's inner workings, we won't know the full impact for awhile yet.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 review
More Info Samsung announces Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 hands-on (video) PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online When we review a second-generation product there are certain things we tend to take for granted: this new thing, whatever it is, will be thinner, faster, longer-lasting, maybe even with more bells and whistles in tow. With Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1, though, it's a little less obvious why its sequel is here. It offers near-identical specs, including a 10-inch, 1280 x 800 PLS display, dual-core 1GHz TI chip, 1GB of RAM and a minimum of 16GB of internal storage. What's more, this generation is slightly thicker and heavier, and sheds the LED flash that used to sit on the back side. But there's one detail we haven't mentioned yet: in addition to softening the specs, Samsung dropped the price by about hundred bucks, so that it now starts at $400. Clearly, then, the 10.1 has evolved into a mid-range tablet, whereas it used to be the best Samsung had to offer. That's good news for penny-pinching shoppers, but Samsung has a bit of a problem on its hands: it's jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, dodging direct competition with the new iPad, only to find itself competing with a raft of affordable tablets made by Acer, ASUS and even Apple. So how does Samsung's warmed-over 10.1 compare? Can it be a winner in the mid-tier category, at least? Let's see.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 lands at UK's Carphone Warehouse
Brits left unaffected by last month's US launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 can now get in on the Ice Cream Sandwich action: the silver version of the tablet recently landed at Carphone Warehouse in the UK, and the white model is reportedly coming on May 18th. The retailer is offering the 8GB, WiFi-only flavor for £199. Though the Tab 2 7.0 didn't top the charts when it crossed our reviewer's desk, its solid performance and decent battery life make it one of the best value-priced Android 4.0 slates out there. Click through to the source link to reserve this 7-incher, but if it's the silver model you're after, it looks like you'll have to pick up the phone to make the purchase (at least for now).
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 now available for your pre-ordering pleasure
Not sick of all the Samsung talk yet? Great news! The 10.1 version of the Galaxy Tab 2 just went up for pre-order, courtesy of the cubicle stockers at Office Depot. As previously noted, the slate's being priced at $400, and you can secure one of your very own by clicking that cool blue button. The site is reporting a May 11th release for the tablet.
Samsung releases... Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 10.1 source code
Did you hear the news? Y'know, about Samsung's latest release? No, not the Galaxy S III -- that's officially yesterday's news. No, today's story is all about tablets, Galaxy Tab 2's more specifically. The Korean tech giant has released the source code for both the seven- and ten-inch varieties, effectively handing developers the keys to the customization kingdom. So if you love the technology, but the interface less so, you might not have to wait all that long for a better option. The exact models that have been opened up are: GT-P3100, GT-P3110, GT-P3113, GT-P5100, GT-P5110, and GT-P5113. Got a feature you'd really like to see? Better get poking the fine chaps at xda-developers with your requests.
Samsung Canada begins rollout of ICS today
Let's not speak of the several months it took for Ice Cream Sandwich to finally begin showing up on Samsung devices. Rather, the fine mobile-loving folks in Canada should just take a brief moment to embrace the present and not-too-distant future, because Samsung is now officially rolling out its long-awaited Android update to the nation up north -- complete with the latest version of TouchWiz -- to select devices today and continuing throughout the rest of the quarter. The list of featured products include the Galaxy S II (along with its LTE, LTE HD and X variants), Galaxy Note and several Galaxy Tabs, such as the 7.0, 7.0 Plus, 8.9 and 10.1. Of course, not everyone will get the beloved installation invitation today, since these large-scale rollouts seem to take a healthy amount of time. If you simply can't wait, it couldn't hurt to give the 'ol manual update method a try.
Samsung details Ice Cream Sandwich upgrades for American carriers
Samsung has published a list detailing which carrier variants of its phones and tablets will be blessed with Android Ice Cream Sandwich. While Sprint's Nexus S 4G is already enjoying the latest Android OS, the update will also arrive on the Now Network's Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. From Verizon, both the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 will get the upgrade, accompanied by the WiFi variants of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the Galaxy Tab 8.9. On AT&T, ICS is confirmed for its Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy Note, Captivate Glide, Nexus S and Galaxy Tab 8.9. T-Mobile customers, however, lack a similarly breathless list of upgradable hardware, instead Samsung says it will aim to upgrade "eligible devices" in the coming months and will "provide updates as we have additional details to share." Which all sounds like those updates aren't coming to Big Magenta any time soon. Samsung vows to update the list with more details as they arrive, which is available at the source below.
Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Samsung reportedly axes Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 production to add quad-core CPU (update: not true)
This is, well, a little strange. The fine folks over at Netbooknews are reporting that Samsung has ended production on the GT P5100 -- better known as the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The story comes courtesy of an unnamed "Korean Samsung insider" who claims the device is getting upgraded to a quad-core CPU. Whether the chip in question is the much lauded 32nm Exynos 4412, which packs not only four Cortex A9 cores, but four Mali 604 GPU cores as well, is unknown. It's also not clear how this is going to affect US launch plans. Rumors are the Galaxy Note 10.1 will be getting a similar brain transplant before hitting the market. Sadly, all we can do right now hold our breath and wish real hard that both will hit shelves sooner rather than later and with an extra pair of cores in tow. Sammy better get a move on too if it's gonna have to give Uncle Sam another crack at this slate. Update: Samsung reached out to us to confirm that the above report is not true. The US version of this tablet will still have a dual-core CPU and it's still shipping on May 13th, with pre-orders starting on May 4th.
Samsung prices Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at $400, rings up a fresh pair of Galaxy Players for $150, $200
Sammy's gone ahead and priced the latest in its Galaxy Tab and Player series, affixing monetary stickers to not only the 7-inch slate we just took for a spin, but to its 10-inch brother and a pair of handheld cousins. $250 nabs you the aforementioned Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, but an extra $150 will afford you the Tab 2 10.1's three-inch advantage. Of course, if you'd rather keep that 7-inch beauty and pocket a spare device, that same $150 will buy a Galaxy Player 3.6. If that's too small, Sammy will let you pick up a 4.2 variant for $200 square. Care to read that straight? Mosey on past the break for Samsung's official press release.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review
More Info Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 hands-on (video) Amazon Kindle Fire review There's an age-old saying: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound?" We're tempted to posit that question to Samsung as it clears room in its crowded product portfolio for yet another Galaxy Tab. One month after announcing it at Mobile World Congress, the outfit's bringing its 7-inch sequel to the masses. As if Sammy's Galaxy Tab lineup weren't already overflowing, this guy comes bearing internals that make it near-identical to the OG Galaxy Tab and 7.0 Plus that have come before it. A few specs, though, have seen downgrades: the front-facing camera now has VGA resolution, and the dual-core TI OMAP processor powering it is clocked at a lower 1GHz. Still, the 1024 x 600 TFT LCD display remains intact, as does the 3-megapixel rear camera, microSD slot and IR blaster. It's a puzzling hardware refresh ushering in modest tweaks to a proven design, with the biggest change of all being the move to Ice Cream Sandwich (with TouchWiz, of course). Is that software upgrade alone compelling enough to warrant an entirely new piece of hardware in Samsung's lineup? Maybe, maybe not. It all comes down to price, and at $250 this WiFi-only tablet could give consumers with Kindle Fire ire something to talk about. Follow past the break to see what we mean.
Distro Issue 34 takes a 'Shot in the Dark' with Canon's 5D Mark III
If you were lucky enough to grab a 5D Mark III when they hit shelves last week, you know how well the slick shooter performs with the lights down low. If you're still pondering plunking down $3,500 for the DSLR, on the other hand, you can check out the camera's night moves in this issue of Distro. And if you're looking for even more of our expert opinions, we have reviews of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7 for Verizon, a 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabook, a pre-production Galaxy Note 10.1 and SYNC by 50 Wireless Headphones. We'll also grill Mutemath's Darren King and give you an Angry Bird's-eye view of the smartphone market in this week's Switched On. So grab your device of choice and hit the appropriate download link below.Distro Issue 34 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on Twitter
