Samsung updates ChatON with Olympic buddy feature, tells the latest on London 2012 games

Who needs real life friends when you have all your virtual buddies online and available to chat with 24/7, right? If you’re rather partial to Samsung’s ChatON instant messaging app, the phone maker has just updated the app with more features and bug fixes.
The first thing you probably notice when you load the app is the new ChatON logo, but the other changes do go beyond skin deep. Being one of the major sponsors of the 2012 Summer Olympics, it’s only natural for the company to try and bring the excitement over to customers. Hence, you can now befriend an Olympic buddy on ChatON to get the latest on the epic competition.
From checking for daily schedules, and seeing which country is on top on the medal tables, to getting breaking news when Michael Phelps breaks yet another world record – leave it all to your Olympic buddy to bring them to you.
If you’re running ChatON on a phone, here’s what else you can expect to see on the new version:
Walkie-talkieSkin/Bubble downloadTyping statusEdit buddy’s nameImage zoom-in/out
And here’s the rest of the change log for tablet owners:
Animation EmoticonsBuddy SuggestionSend documentsApp Lock
Samsung’s ChatON doesn’t discriminate when it comes to people’s choice of mobile platforms. The app works on iOS and BlackBerry devices as well, so feel free to share the Olympic excitement with all your Android and non-Android buddies. Get the app now from Google Play Store.

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Apple, Samsung take patent fight to crucial California trial

1 of 2. An Apple retail store is seen in Carlsbad, California April 6, 2012.
Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake
By Dan Levine and Poornima Gupta
SAN FRANCISCO | Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:13am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd take their battle for mobile supremacy to court on Monday in one of the biggest-ever technology patent trials, a case with the potential to reshape a fast-evolving market they now dominate.
The tech titans will lock horns in a federal courtroom in San Jose, California, just miles from Apple's headquarters. The stakes are high, with Samsung facing potential U.S. sales bans of its Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers, and Apple in a pivotal test of its worldwide patent litigation strategy. Both sides are seeking financial damages from the other.
Samsung has rapidly overtaken Apple, creator of the iPhone and iPad, and Nokia to become the world's largest smartphone maker. Together, Apple and Samsung account for more than half of smartphone sales globally.
Apple sued Samsung last year in San Jose, claiming its smartphones and tablets slavishly copied the iPhone and iPad. The South Korean company countersued. Since then, the two have expanded their fight to courtrooms in nearly a dozen other countries.
At this trial, Apple is seeking at least $2.53 billion in damages, though U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh could triple that figure if she finds Samsung willfully infringed Apple's patents.
The dispute has reached deep into the tech sector, with companies including Microsoft Corp, IBM Corp, Nokia and Research in Motion Ltd filing court papers this week to try to keep their own patent licensing agreements from being disclosed during the trial.
A loss for Samsung could lead to permanent sales bans against products including the flagship Galaxy S III phone, said Nick Rodelli, a lawyer and adviser to institutional investors for CFRA Research in Maryland. While the S III is not at issue in the trial, if Apple prevails the company could later ask Koh to block sales of that product.
Upward of 20 percent of Samsung's global consolidated profit could be affected if it loses this case, he said.
"Samsung is a big company with operations all over the world, but this is actually a needle-mover for them on the bottom line," Rodelli said.
Apple will try to use Samsung documents to show its rival knowingly violated the iPhone maker's intellectual property rights, while Samsung argues Apple is trying to stifle competition to maintain "exorbitant" profit.
In a statement Friday, Samsung said Apple has been "free-riding" on its technology "while using excessive legal claims against our products in their attempt to limit consumer choice and discourage innovation."
An Apple spokesman reiterated the company's previous statement that it wasn't a coincidence Samsung's latest products looked a lot like the iPhone and iPad, and that Samsung blatantly copied its products.
A loss for Apple could be significant, not only if it were ordered to pay financial damages but also because of the competitive threats. That is because the Galaxy S III is a better phone than the latest iPhone 4S, said Michael Yoshikami, chief executive of Destination Wealth Management.
"Apple is all about slowing Samsung down," said Yoshikami, whose fund holds Apple shares. "Apple will try to buy time until iPhone 5 launches," which is expected in October.
Apple shipped 26 million iPhones in the quarter ended in June, fewer than in the previous quarter and well below the 28 million to 29 million that Wall Street had predicted.
Samsung is estimated to have increased sales to around 50 million smartphones. That helped the South Korean giant to report a record quarterly profit of $5.9 billion on Friday.
FINANCIAL DATA COMES TO LIGHT
In the past few days, the companies have supplied some detailed financial data in court filings, such as a disclosure on Thursday that Apple's gross margins for its iPads are about half of those for the iPhones. The information was included in newly unsealed papers and was not previously known, giving Wall Street a rare glimpse into Apple's financial breakdown for specific products.
The companies had initially sought to keep many documents from public view, but Judge Koh rejected the bulk of the requests on July 17. Her order came hours after Reuters filed court papers opposing the companies' efforts to seal the documents.
The lawyers on both sides are well known: Apple is represented by law firm Morrison & Foerster, which led Oracle Corp's patent case against Google Inc earlier this year over the Android operating system. Samsung, whose products run on Android, hired lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which also represents Google and which led Yahoo Inc's short-lived patent lawsuit against Facebook this year.
A 10-member jury will hear evidence over at least four weeks, and it must reach a unanimous decision for Apple or Samsung to prevail on any of their claims.
Apple says Samsung violated four of its design patents, which cover the look and feel of its products. It also says Samsung has infringed three patents for technology such as how the phone distinguishes between scroll and multi-touch gestures.
Meanwhile, Samsung says Apple violated patents on mobile communications systems, as well as features like taking a photo on a phone and seamlessly emailing it.
In a last-ditch attempt to avoid a trial, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and Samsung Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung participated in a mediation on July 16. But a settlement prior to trial is unlikely, sources have told Reuters.
It has been tough going so far for Samsung in the case. Koh halted U.S. sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, giving Apple a significant early win. This was followed by a pretrial ban on the Galaxy Nexus phone. Samsung has appealed both orders.
The stakes for Apple are also high due to competitive threats from other Asian phone makers such as China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Rodelli said.
"It's arguably the most commercially and doctrinally significant U.S. patent case in the modern era," he said.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Smartphones power record Samsung profit of $5.9 billion during Apple lull

Samsung Electronics Co, the world's top technology firm by revenue, reported on Friday a record operating profit of $5.9 billion for the June quarter, as rampant Galaxy S handset sales helped stretch its lead over Apple Inc.September quarter mobile profits are expected to forge further ahead as the latest Galaxy model enjoys a sales boom before the next iPhone launch, widely expected in October, driving Samsung's profit to a record of nearly 8 trillion won ($7 billion). The mobile business brings in around 60 percent of Samsung's earnings.
Profits of the handset division more than doubled from a year earlier and the flat-screen business swung to a profit as LCD prices stabilized.
Shares in Samsung, which also makes TVs and other appliances, flat-screens, and chips, jumped as much as 4.7 percent to a five-week high after the results, outperforming the wider market.
"Solid results from the TV division show its resilience to the euro zone crisis, while the mobile division has become a strong cash cow on the back of strong Galaxy sales," said Seo Won-seok, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities.
"Weak memory chip prices remain the biggest concern for Samsung in the third quarter, but it will again fare better than rivals as its reliance on Apple, which tends to squeeze suppliers quite a bit, is small compared to the likes of Hynix and Toshiba. It'll have less margin pressure."
JK Shin, head of Samsung's telecoms business, told Reuters on Sunday that sales of the Galaxy S III, the most aggressive competitor to the iPhone, were better than his initial forecast of at least 10 million units in the first two months after its launch in late May.
It is also preparing a sequel to the popular phone-cum-tablet Galaxy Note later this year to counter Apple's new product releases.
Samsung, which earlier this year ended Nokia's 14-year reign as the top global handset maker, is estimated to have increased smartphone shipments to 50.5 million in the June quarter, nearly double the 26 million iPhones sold.
Apple shipments in the June quarter tumbled 26 percent sequentially as the European economy sagged and consumers held off on buying ahead of the release of the iPhone 5.
"Regardless of Apple's performance, Samsung will be strong in the third quarter," said Byun Han-joon, an analyst at KB Investment & Securities. "Actually, for Samsung, Apple's stumble is a chance."
Analysts estimated that Samsung, which now controls more than a third of the global smartphone market, will sell 15 million to 20 million of its Galaxy S III in the September quarter.
PATENT BATTLE
Samsung, valued at $160 billion and the world's leading maker of TVs, said April-June operating profit totaled 6.72 trillion won ($5.9 billion), in line with guidance it issued earlier this month.
That is up 79 percent from a year ago and 15 percent from the previous record - 5.85 trillion won in the March quarter.
Still, its net profit of 5.2 trillion won ($4.5 billion) is only half of the $8.8 billion Apple returned in the last quarter from its iPhone, iPad and Mac computer sales.
Samsung's gross margin of 37 percent also lags Apple's 43 percent.
The two technology giants, locked in bruising patent battle globally, will begin a jury trial in federal court in San Jose, California on Monday. Apple seeks roughly $2.5 billion in damages, plus permanent injunctions on some Samsung phones and tablets, while Samsung is demanding patent royalty payments.
Samsung said it expected its third quarter - July to September - to be marginally positive as demand for consumer electronic goods, including smartphones and tablets remains strong.
However, it said it expected weak demand for PC DRAM to continue in the third quarter.
Song Myung-sub, a senior analyst at HI Investment & Securities, said chip earnings might pull back slightly in the third quarter.
"But the increase in demand for its products from Microsoft Windows 8 release in September and the iPhone in October will bring demand higher than supply," Song said.
Profit from the telecoms division more than doubled to 4.19 trillion won from a year earlier 1.71 trillion won, with sales of 50.5 million smartphones - or 380 every minute.
Its semiconductor business showed a small decline in profit to 1.1 trillion won from 1.79 trillion won, following weak demand for NAND memory chips and computer memory chips.
Prices of NAND flash memory chips tumbled 46 percent in the first half of this year following a 34 percent plunge last year, forcing Toshiba Corp to cut output by 30 percent.
The flat screen division swung to a small profit of 750 billion won from a year earlier loss of 210 billion won after a global fall in LCD (liquid crystal display) prices stabilized.
The TV and home appliances business returned 760 billion won, up from 470 billion won. Analysts have said the business has been buoyed by solid sales of high-end TV models with 3D and Internet connectivity features.
While the next iPhone will likely slow Samsung's handset earnings growth, it will boost the Korean firm's semiconductor earnings as Samsung is the sole producer of processing chips used to power the iPhone and iPad, and also supplies Apple with mobile memory chips, NAND flash and display screens.


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Samsung unveils limited edition Team GB Galaxy S3 phones, to start selling on August 1

Right as we fervently waited for the official kick off of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Samsung made our day even brighter by unveiling two special edition Galaxy S3 phones. These will be available for sale in the UK soon and target British tech users who want to show their support for their Olympian heroes.
The Games’ grand opening ceremony might start in just a few hours, but the Olympic fever won’t be easily quenchable across England for the next 17 days. That’s why, even if the two limited edition Galaxy S3 models won’t actually start selling until August 1, they should still prove fairly successful all around Great Britain.
The two special S3 versions look very similar to the Olympics-branded Notes released some time ago – they have the same hardware and software as the “normal” phones, but come with a different casing. You can go for either the Pebble Blue model with UK’s flag slapped on the back, or the Marble White version with the beautiful Team GB lion on it.

Either way, you’ll be offered both the special Team GB cover and a regular S3 one, so as to choose when or for how long to show your passion for sports and support for your nation’s athletes. The best thing about Sammy’s special phone is that you have the liberty to bundle it with your carrier of choice (Vodafone, Orange – T-Mobile, O2, Talk Mobile, or Three), and you can get the handheld for free by signing up for new two-year contracts starting at £28 a month.
More details about specific plans and network offers will be made available on August 1, when the special S3 should start selling from Carphone Warehouse, both online and in retail stores across the UK. Look for the phone then, or get back to our website to find out more.
In the meantime, tell us your bets for the Games. How many medals will Team GB bring home? How about Team USA? And who will be the biggest star of them all? Could it be GB’s Andy Murray? Michael Phelps? Usain Bolt?

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Apple says Google told Samsung that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looked too much like the iPad

The Apple vs Samsung patent-based U.S. case is set to start on July 30, but until then we already have various tidbits to show you from the cases each company will try to prove in court in this legal clash of the titans – and they surely have a complex relationship.
The two companies are fighting for market share and profits in the smartphone and tablet business, but they are also bound by a multi-billion dollar component supply partnership. Also important is the fact that they are facing each other off in more than 50 cases spread across 10 countries, and they’re all mobile-related.
Apple argues that Samsung Galaxy-branded smartphones and tablets are violating its iPhone and iPad patents and designs, while Samsung says that Apple is infringing with various iOS products its own 3G patents – which happen to be FRAND, or standard essential patents.
Apple has scored a few victories against Samsung in pre-trial rulings including a couple injunctions in the U.S. against the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 – albeit the Galaxy Nexus is still selling in the region after a second Samsung appeal succeeded to stay the initial decision, but also an adverse inference jury instruction. The company also won a few days ago a EU-wide injunction against Galaxy Tab 7.7 sales but also lost an injunction in the UK against the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
What’s worth remembering is that while all these verdicts came out in the last few weeks, Google decided to officially help Samsung in its fight against Apple, especially after the Galaxy Nexus sales ban was obtained in the U.S. by the iPhone maker.

But it turns out that Apple lawyers may also use Google against Samsung, at least according to Apple’s brief which mentions some Samsung interesting documents:

“Samsung’s documents show the similarity of Samsung’s products is no accident or, as Samsung would have it, a ‘natural evolution,’” Apple argues in its brief. “Rather, it results from Samsung’s deliberate plan to free-ride on the iPhone’s and iPad’s extraordinary success by copying their iconic designs and intuitive user interface. Apple will rely on Samsung’s own documents, which tell an unambiguous story.”

Apparently these documents reveal that the Search giant warned Samsung in the past that some of its Android products are too similar to the iPhone and iPad:

 In February 2010, Google told Samsung that Samsung’s “P1” and “P3” tablets (Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 10.1) were “too similar” to the iPad and demanded “distinguishable design vis-à-vis the iPad for the P3.” In 2011, Samsung’s own Product Design Group noted that it is “regrettable” that the Galaxy S “looks similar” to older iPhone models. As part of a formal, Samsung-sponsored evaluation, famous designers warned Samsung that the Galaxy S “looked like it copied the iPhone too much,” and that “innovation is needed.” The designers explained that the appearance of the Galaxy S “[c]losely resembles the iPhone shape so as to have no distinguishable elements,” and “[a]ll you have to do is cover up the Samsung logo and it’s difficult to find anything different from the iPhone.”

These are all points that Apple will make in court, and we’re certainly interested what the jury will think.
This sort of evidence is all the more intriguing in this case as Judge Lucy Koh, who presides the U.S. case, famously asked Samsung counsel in one of the early U.S. face offs to recognize the Galaxy Tab from two tablets she was holding, one being an iPad. The lawyers were not able to identify the tablet of their client “from that distance” – or about 10 feet away – although they finally managed to provide the right answer.
We’ll be back with more news from this battle of giants in the near future.

SOURCE: View the original article here

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MetroPCS-bound Samsung Galaxy S Lightray 4G leaks, to be released in August

Dominating the high-end part of the smartphone world doesn’t seem to be enough for Samsung, which is constantly looking to strengthen its presence in the low-end and mid-range niches as well. One phone that could place itself right between these sectors is the Galaxy S Lightray 4G, supposedly headed to MetroPCS in August.
The information comes via a Howard Forums leak and is not yet confirmed, but the fistful of high-quality “spilled” photos and the almost complete spec sheet guarantee that we’re not dealing with a bogus rumor.
That said, the Galaxy S Lightray 4G seems like a pretty bizarre device, starting with its name. I’m sure that most of you tuned in to this article because of the “S” branding in the phone’s title, which made you hope the phone might have something to do with the Galaxy S2 or S3. Well, it doesn’t, as far as we can tell, neither in terms of design, nor in hardware.

The exterior is actually very similar to that of Verizon’s Samsung Droid Charge, a 2011 LTE-enabled phone which hasn’t exactly been a winner. As far as specs go, we don’t know all of them just yet, but the ones we do know place the Lightray ages behind the Galaxy S3 and quite significantly behind the S2, too.
Sporting a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with an unknown resolution, the Galaxy S Lightray 4G is set to come with an 8 MP rear-facing camera with flash, an 1.3 MP front-facing webcam and 4G LTE connectivity, which ain’t too shabby. However, the phone is rumored to be only packing a 1.3 GHz single-core processor and that’s clearly below par even for mid-rangers these days.

Furthermore, based on the leaked photos, the 4.3-incher might only run Android 2.3 Gingebread upon its release, which would be terribly disappointing. An included 16GB microSD card, HDMI port, TV antenna for “Mobile TV”, and mobile hotspot capability complete the rumored spec sheet of the Lightray, making it one tough nut to crack. Will it be a low-end device? A mid-range one? Something in between?
We should find that out pretty soon, considering that MetroPCS has supposedly scheduled the new Samsung handheld for a mid-August release. If that’s true, an official unveiling is quite imminent. Is anyone excited about the Lightray?

SOURCE: View the original article here

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Samsung gets another hit – Galaxy Tab 10.1 injunction remains in place

While some laughed at Apple’s patent attacks against Samsung, which seemed like losing battles from the get-go, the joke is starting to be on Sammy. After some relatively insignificant wins in Europe and Australia some time ago, Tim Cook’s giant knocked it off the park in the past month or so, with a couple of US injunctions against two popular Samsung devices.
The Galaxy Nexus sales ban might have been lifted for the time being, but Sammy still has some splitting headaches with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. The 10-incher has been banned for sale in the US last month, and, after the denial of Samsung’s first appeal on the decision, the Koreans have been hit hard again by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
The Federal Circuit denied Samsung’s motion to stay Judge Koh’s preliminary injunction for the duration of the appellate proceedings and also refused to grant a motion to expedite the appeal. That means Sammy is now officially out of tricks up its sleeve. The Koreans will have to confront Apple in court starting on July 30 regarding a design patent allegedly infringed by the Korean mammoth.

Furthermore, Samsung’s chances for a win in court are not too good, considering that the temporary lifting of the Tab 10.1 sales ban has been denied exactly because the “movant hasn’t established a strong likelihood of success on the merits or demonstrated that it has a substantial case on the merits and that the harm factors militate in its favor.” In other words, the Federal Circuit thought Sammy’s chances for a victory in court were slim, as they didn’t provide enough evidence to contradict Apple’s accusations.
For the time being, Samsung doesn’t have much to lose due to the preliminary injunction against the Tab 10.1, as the 10-incher is not very popular in the US. Then again, in a few short weeks the ban might be made definitive, which would allow Apple to ask for consistent financial compensation, but also to go against other more popular Samsung devices (including the Galaxy S3).
The future looks pretty bleak for Samsung in this exhausting patent war with Apple, but things might still change in Sammy’s favor. Stay tuned on our website to find out if that’ll happen!


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5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet coming on August 15, release date not available yet

A few days ago, we told you that Samsung sent out press invites to members of the media for a special event scheduled to take place on August 15. At the time, we wondered whether the company would announce the Galaxy Note 2, its second-generation smartphone/tablet during the presser, especially since Samsung was said a few weeks ago to unveil the new phablet on August 30 in Berlin, a day ahead of the start of the German IFA 2012 tech show.
However, an even more distant report suggested that Samsung is interested in launching the Galaxy Note 2 as fast as possible, in order to beat the sixth-generation iPhone to market.
BGR now says that Galaxy Note 2 is going to be unveiled on August 15, according to a “source close to Samsung.” The same source seems to have confirmed that the device will come with a thinner and taller 5.5-inch display, which sounds familiar since it’s a spec we’ve seen in various reports so far.
However, the source did not reveal an actual release date for the device just yet. We’re also curious about Jelly Bean-friendliness for the Galaxy Note 2, not to mention the rest of its specs and features, but we’ll just have to wait and see whether the South Korean company does indeed announce its next-gen phablet in mid-August.
We have already showed you all we think we know about the Galaxy Note 2, and we used that info to offer you a preview comparison between the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 well ahead of the actual launch of the phablet.
Are you buying a high-end Samsung smartphone this year? Is it the Galaxy S3 or the Note 2?

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Galaxy Nexus Jelly Bean update brings unexpected, but fixable, GPS bug

In addition to the Google Nexus 7 tablet that runs Android 4.1 out of the box, other Nexus devices including the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S smartphones have also received their taste of Jelly Bean, at least in certain markets. But it looks like it’s not a flaw-free roll out for Google’s latest mobile operating system.
A few days ago we heard that Vodafone had to postpone the Nexus S Jelly Bean upgrade in Australia, as the ROM did not mean certain local regulations and now new reports suggest that the Galaxy Nexus Android 4.1 build comes with an unexpected GPS bug.
Apparently Galaxy Nexus users are unable to get a “precise GPS fix” after installing Jelly Bean, and this leads to the inability of the phone to track their location. Talk Android says the bug doesn’t affect all users, but that those that suffer from such GPS issues can easily fix it.
To check whether the problem affects your Galaxy Nexus device you should open an app that uses GPS to track you, preferably Google Maps, and then see whether you get a flashing icon with your “Searching for GPS…” notification. In case the icon is absent then your GPS is not functioning properly and needs to be manually fixed.
To do that, you’ll have to go to Settings > Location services and then “uncheck and re-check ‘Google’s location service.’” It should be as simple as that, but let us know in the comments section whether you have any GPS problem on your Galaxy Nexus freshly adorned with Jelly Bean.


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Exclusive: Apple, Samsung chiefs disagree on patent values: source

 Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook and top Samsung Electronic Co Ltd executives disagreed last week on the value of each other's patents at a settlement conference ahead of a high profile U.S. trial, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Apple and Samsung, the world's largest consumer electronics corporations, are waging legal war in several countries, accusing each other of patent violations as they vie for supremacy in the fast-growing market for mobile devices.
The trial is scheduled to begin July 30 in a San Jose, Calif. federal court. Cook participated in mediation with Samsung's Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung and mobile chief Shin Jong-Kyun last Monday in the San Francisco area to see if the two sides could resolve the dispute, several separate sources said.
All sources could not be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The executives from Apple and Samsung participated as part of the court directed mediation process, these sources said. While a settlement is always possible, it is unlikely to come ahead of the California trial, they said.
Apple on Monday declined to comment on the case. A Samsung spokesman declined to provide details on any discussions, saying "this is an ongoing legal matter."
The U.S. case, taking place a few miles away from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, is being closely-watched given the lucrative American smartphone and tablet market.
Among the major issues in dispute between Apple and Samsung is how to value so-called standard essential patents. These are patents which Samsung agreed to license to competitors on fair and reasonable terms, in exchange for having the technology be adopted as an industry standard.
Some judges are reluctant to issue injunctions over such patents.
Apple believes those patents should be valued lower due to those dynamics, one of the sources said. Additionally, Samsung believes it has a stronger patent portfolio than Apple when it comes to next-generation technology like 4G, the source said.
The mediation last week was at least the second between top executives. A previous session in May did not produce any settlements.
While both the companies are arch-rivals in the smartphone and tablet marketplace, the case is complicated by the fact that Apple is one of Samsung's largest component customers.
The trial will feature both utility and design patents. Apple utility patents in the case include those that cover how touch-screen devices discriminate between one finger on the screen, or more, and respond accordingly. Apple design patents include those that relate to the black front surface of a phone.


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Special Galaxy S3 2012 Summer Olympic Games edition available in Taiwan

We’re just a few days away from the official kick off of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, and sports enthusiasts will be happy to hear that they’ll be able to pick up certain Android devices dedicated to this major sporting event – at least in certain markets.
Such is the case with the Galaxy S3, which is available in a special Olympic Games edition to Taiwanese Android fans. While we’re looking at the same Galaxy S3 device – nothing inside the phone will change – you’ll appreciate the UK-based Galaxy S3 cases and the accessories you’ll find in the box.
Moreover, if you don’t like that much the available Galaxy S3 colors – Marble White, Pebble Blue and Garnet Red (in certain markets) – then you’ll certainly favor these special case skins designed for the Olympic games. There are two versions available, one showing the Union Jack while the other features the royal guard soldier.

As for the accessories available in the box, you’ll find a miniature royal guard soldier that can be plugged into the 3.5mm headset jack – although it has no actual purpose – and three figurines sporting the same UK flag and depicting three sports: cyclism, weightlifting and Tae Kwon Do.
In addition to all that, you’ll also get to download that British royal guard wallpaper on the device in the following days, for a complete Galaxy S3 Olympic Games experience.
Check out the gallery above to see all the perks available in this special Galaxy S3 package, and let us know whether you’d buy it too. At this time it’s not clear whether the special edition smartphone will be available in other markets too.


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Samsung SCH-I415 Passes Through The FCC On Its Way To Verizon, But Just What Is It?

In recent days, we’ve seen evidence of some new mid-range Samsungs preparing to launch on Verizon and Sprint, the SCH-I200 “Jasper” and the SPH-L300. Could Samsung be planning even more such models? Another Samsung handset just saw its FCC certification paperwork published, and it’s one we’ve yet to hear about before.
The Samsung SCH-I415 appears to be getting ready for service on Verizon’s network. Documentation’s in place for the phone’s support of Verizon’s voice and EV-DO bands, as well as its LTE band 13. There also appears to be limited global roaming support, covering voice and EDGE data on the 850MHz and 1900MHz bands, but no 3G roaming. Like other Samsung models, the I415 will support NFC through an NFC-enabled battery.
Now aware of this model number, we found the phone’s Bluetooth paperwork on the Bluetooth SIG site, but we’re still left with plenty of questions. Presumably, we’re looking at an Android model, but we haven’t seen any confirmation of that. For now, all we’ve really got to go on is the frequency support revealed in the FCC paperwork. A User Agent Profile would go a long way towards clearing-up some uncertainty surrounding this handset, but we’ve yet to uncover one.

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Reports Of The 64GB Galaxy S III’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

Last night, we heard a rumor that, following the release of 16GB and 32GB Galaxy S III models, Samsung was shelving plans for the phone’s 64GB option. Since that story came out, the manufacturer has had time to respond to the claims, and says that things are still very much a “go” for the 64GB GS3.


According to Samsung, “the 64GB model of the GALAXY S III will be available during the second half of this year.” Unfortunately, it’s not willing to go into any greater detail than that at the moment, so we still don’t know if we’re talking about early fall or sometime closer to the holiday season.
Even with that uncertainty still in play, this is great news for users who aren’t sold on cloud storage just yet, and want to carry around some massive media libraries with them; don’t forget, the GS3 supports microSD expansion, and 64GB SDXC cards are now a reality, opening the door for an aggregate 128GB of local storage capacity.

What about the rumor, though? Ultimately, it looks like this one fell apart when retail workers supplied some bad info concerning canceled pre-orders; really, we shouldn’t be too surprised.
Now that the 64GB GS3 has been reaffirmed, is anyone holding-off on buying a GS3 until this model becomes available?

Source: View the original article here

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Sony Walkman F800 and new Samsung Galaxy Player – Android PMPs running Ice Cream Sandwich

While Android smartphone sales top iPhone sales, the roles are reversed when it comes to the music business. The iPod touch doesn’t really have a worthy Android competitor out there, although one could also argue that any smartphone also offer music and video playing support.

However, those people interested in a device that would only play music and video files, but also run apps from time to time, should know that Sony and Samsung are preparing new Android-based portable media players (PMPs) for their customers.
Sony has already announced its Walkman F800 Series, but availability dates have not been unveiled yet. The device will feature a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, 8/16/32GB memory, a battery capable of 4.5 hours of video playback and 20 hours of music playback, and, most importantly, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood.

Samsung has not announced its next Android PMP, but new benchmark tests have revealed that the company is indeed working on a new YP-GP1 Galaxy Player. Just like the new Walkman F800, Samsung’s PMP will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Other specs include a touchscreen display with 960 x 540 qHD resolution, a 1GHz processor and a PowerVR 540 GPU from Imagination Technologies. The device may be unveiled at some point in the following months, quite possible at IFA 2012, the German trade show that takes in Berlin in early September.
Anyone interested in new Android ICS-running PMPs?

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Samsung SPH-L300 For Sprint LTE Hits FCC; When Will It Launch?

We first heard of the Samsung SPH-L300 back in early May, when a User Agent Profile for the smartphone revealed quite a few of its specs. It wasn’t very long after that when we got our first look at the handset in the flesh, but news of the model has been very quiet ever since. Today the handset returns to our attention as the FCC has published the phone’s certification paperwork, clearing the way for its release.

From what we were able to glean from that UAP, the SPH-L300 sounds like a mid-range device with some decent hardware at its core. Components like a WVGA display keep this Android from measuring-up to top-tier handsets like the GS3, but the SPH-L300 should have a very capable dual-core Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 SoC powering it. Couple that with a gigabyte of RAM, and we’re looking at something that falls somewhere between the HTC One S and One V in terms of power.

Some other specs we’re aware of, like only 4GB of on-board storage, further reinforce the point that this will likely be a budget-priced model. Frankly, we can stand some more capable models like this filling-out that sector of the market, so we’re quite curious to learn more about the SPH-L300 and when Sprint might be thinking of launching the model.

Source: View the original article here

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Judge: Apple Must Publicly Admit Samsung Didn’t Copy The iPad

While Apple’s been having some limited success with its patent-related claims against Samsung Androids in the US, the situation isn’t so rosy everywhere. In the UK, for instance, Apple recently lost a ruling against Samsung in which it had accused the company of infringing upon its design trademarks for the iPad. That decision itself is a setback for Apple, but the judge’s orders for how Apple must react to the ruling really push things over the top, with Apple required to post a message which publicly clears Samsung of any accusations that it copied the iPad’s design.
Apple will have to keep that notice up on its UK web site for six month’s time. In addition, the company is being forced to run ads in multiple newspapers and magazines containing the same message of Samsung’s innocence.
The judge behind this order is one you might remember from when news of Apple’s loss first broke, as he then called Samsung’s tablets “not as cool” as Apple’s design. Instead of a jab at Samsung, it came off more as an admonishment of Apple for suggesting that consumers would really confuse the products.
Samsung seems quite pleased by this development, accusing Apple of having made “excessive legal claims based on such generic designs”. Apple has yet to make a public statement.

Source: View the original article here

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Two Galaxy Nexus units and other gadgets you can find inside Steve Wozniak’s backpack

Self-professed gadget addict Steve Wozniak certainly likes to travel with an entourage of devices in his backpack. He recently shared the content of his travel gear with Gizmodo, which provides a rare glimpse to the multitude of gadgets of varying platforms and sizes that Woz apparently carries at all time when he hits the road.
Let’s start with the meat of the finding. In case you’re wondering what this particular Apple co-founder’s choice of Android device is – he actually has a pair of Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphones, both unlocked from AT&T, with one being the spare phone. He also carries with him a Motorola Droid RAZR. That’s as far as the Android love affair goes.
Meanwhile, the usual suspects include 3 iPhones, 2 iPads, 2 iPod Nanos (complete with wristbands), MacBook Pro, an iPad case/keyboard, an AirPort Express, and a MacBook Pro 85W magsafe adapter. Each of the pair of iOS devices includes one device that belongs to his wife Janet — except for the iPhones, where she has two of them.
The list goes on with a bunch of USB peripherals, two Verizon 3G MiFis, Bluetooth mouse, and projector connectors.  Here’s the rest of the electronic device-related stuff:
Multiple Gameboy Lights (a special edition Gameboy sold in Japan)Gameboy link cablesA pair of MutewatchTwo Garmin GPS devicesJawbone Jambox wireless speakerCountless foreign AC adaptersGameboy link cableLaser pointers with varying colorsiPhone lens adapterFlash keys and flash media adaptersCigarette lighter dual USB adapterAudio doubler cableiPad USB/SD Card adaptersAA, AAA, CR2, CR12 batteries
On top of those, the Woz also carries lots of pens, paint pens and pencils for his pencil puzzles. Oh, and a binocular as well. According to him, his backpack usually weighs 50 pounds (roughly 22 Kilograms), yikes! Odd and abnormal as it may seem, he admits it’s actually customary to him to carry all of the above when he’s on the road. We’ve all been guilty of carrying too much electronic devices during a trip, but he certainly takes the cake.
Any item you find interesting from the list? Do you shove in as many gadgets as possible to your backpack when traveling?


Sources: View the original article here

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