[RUMOUR] Samsung Galaxy S5 may have a more compact, 2,900mAh Li-ion Battery
Seeing as the Samsung Galaxy S4 has sold well over 40 million handsets over the past year, it’s no surprise that its predicted successor, the Samsung Galaxy S5, is one of the most anticipated Android smartphones of the next few months. There have been precious few leaks regarding the devices, though we did get what appeared to be a sneak peek at some of the specifications just last week. One notable omission from that list of specifications was battery capacity, however, thanks to a tipster who spoke to Phone Arena, we might just have a better idea of what the S5′s battery will be like.
The tip says that the S5 will still have a Li-ion based battery with a capacity of 2,900mAh, a nice bump from the 2,600mAh battery in the S4. The interesting part about the tip isn’t the increase in battery size, which is expected seeing as the S5 is expected to have a 2K resolution display, but rather that the battery is able to store 20% more battery capacity than an older Li-ion battery of the same size. What this means is that while the capacity of the battery will have increased in the S5, the physical size of the battery may not have changed.
This can only be a good thing as the 5-inch screen of the S4 was already perilously close to phablet country, so if this new battery is able to help keep size down, then perhaps the device won’t be much bigger than the S4. What do you think about this news: are you satisfied with the battery capacity rumoured for the Samsung Galaxy S5? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Phone Arena
[RUMOUR] Is Samsung preparing a curved tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Round?
I think that most people can agree that the Samsung Galaxy Round was a confusing device at best. Essentially a more expensive, slightly melted Galaxy Note 3 without a stylus, it failed to capture as much attention as its curved smartphone competitor, the LG G Flex, and its fancy self-healing material. Further evidence of this is the fact the G Flex’s reach is now spreading around the globe including carrier support, whereas the Galaxy Round appears to only be available through specific retailers. But was Samsung looking at the wrong form factor? Korean news site MovePlayer seems to believe that Samsung is actually now working on a curved display tablet called the Samsung Galaxy Tab Round.
Part of MovePlayer’s argument for the existence of such a device is a patent filed by Samsung which includes the above diagram; the diagram depicts a tablet-sized device with a very slight curvature. It’s hard to guess which display size Samsung would try this design on seeing as they have Galaxy Tab devices with display sizes of 7, 8, 8.4, 10 and 12.2-inches, but we’ll have to see if this rumour holds any water first. Personally, I think the curved display design could work on a smaller tablet, like a 7 or 8-inch display, since this could still be held in one hand.
What do you think about this rumour of a Samsung Galaxy Tab Round? Is there any chance that Samsung is actually making one of these devices after the less-than-ideal launch of the Galaxy Round smartphone? Let us know what you think.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Source: MovePlayer via Android Ice Cream Sandwich
The Moody app helps students access Moodle on your Android Device
Moodle is an online teaching platform that allows teacher to provide students with content in the manner they wish, but until now, there has been no mobile interface to interact with the platform. I recall using Moodle during my time at university and I remember one of my greatest gripes was that there was no mobile app to help me access all the content, relegated instead to the confusing layout of Moodle 2. Thankfully, firetrap over at XDA has plugged this gaping deficiency for students who use Moodle with the Moody app, which includes features such as:
- Access to courses main contents
- Notifications about new contents
- Send Messages to contacts
- Access to Cloud Storage (Dropbox/Google Drive)
- Device Hardware Integration
- Search inside courses
That sounds like pretty much all you’ll want to do with Moodle while you’re on the move, and I can’t express how jealous I am that this app exists now and not when I was studying. The app is compatible with Moodle 2.2 and newer, though the app is only in alpha at this point. That said, it will likely be a godsend for some students who have been pining for the convenience of an app or often like to sleep in. You can check out the current version of Moody that’s out now on the Play Store; links below.
Any students out there who have been waiting for an app for Moodle? Let us know if you try it out
Source: XDA News
Application: Moody
Price: Free
The 32GB Nexus 10 is out of stock on the U.S. Play Store; cue Nexus 10 refresh Rumours
It seems like at the very mention of any activity regarding the Nexus 10, a whole slew of rumours begin with trigger-happy fans and writers, myself included, excitedly trying to predict when Google will replace its aging Nexus 10 tablet. Well, there is about to be more fuel added to the flames as the 32GB Nexus 10 is out of stock on the U.S. Play Store (note that it will probably still be in stock in Play Stores around the world). The 32GB Nexus 10 now joins its 16GB counterpart in the ‘out of stock’ category on the U.S. Store which for some would appear to imply a new version of the tablet is nigh.
Unfortunately, there’s little to suggest that the inventory of the Nexus 10 has anything to do with future product release; while you might argue that the Nexus 4 going out of stock heralded the release of the Nexus 5, we had heard a fair amount about the Nexus 5 through unintentional (or intentional) leaks leading up to the release. That’s not to say that this isn’t an indication though, as we could be savouring a new Nexus 10 in a few weeks’ time, but it pays to be cautious.
I guess we’ll just have to be stuck with waiting till Google decides to ‘accidentally’ drop some video of the new Nexus 10. Who thinks the 32GB Nexus 10 going out of stock is an indication of things to come? Let us know what you think.
Source: Google Play via Android Police
Nintendo Finally Considers Smartphone Move After Third Straight Annual Loss
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated in a press conference that the company is now considering a “new business structure” that involves smart devices, reports Bloomberg. 
Wii U GamePad controller
The news comes as Nintendo reported a third consecutive annual loss, slashing the global sales forecast for its flagship Wii U game console from 9 million units to 2.8 million consoles. The company also scaled back its expectations for its 3DS portable game console from 18 million units to 13.5 million, with Iwata also claiming that there are no short term plans to reshuffle management.
“We are thinking about a new business structure,” Iwata said at a press conference yesterday in Osaka, Japan. “Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It’s not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone.”
Nintendo has faced fierce competition from mobile platforms in recent years, with App Annie recently finding that consumer spending on games for iOS and Android rose to 4x that of dedicated gaming handhelds. In 2010, Iwata reportedly told his senior executives to regard Apple and its devices as “the enemy of the future”, and also stated to CVG last August that he would “never think about providing [Nintendo’s] precious resources for other platforms at all.”
Investors have also called for Nintendo to develop titles for iOS and other platforms in August 2011 after lower-than-expected demand for the 3DS. Alternatively, some also suggested that Nintendo should “buy its way into” the smartphone platforms by acquiring companies and technology or developing their own. Iwata’s newest comments reveal that Nintendo is now seriously considering supporting smartphones in some manner in the near future.
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Off-Grid: EnerPlex Kickr IV Portable Solar Panel, Jumpr Slate and More
I have been keeping an eye on the solar powering side of mobile tech for a couple of years. I was never impressed enough with price tags and their delivery systems when they first started popping up. As with all technically aspects of our lives, technology improves and implementation gets better. Along with those aspects, the price tag drops from a high-end specialty item to an affordable option for mass consumption. Until more recently, a large majority of the solar options took hours to charge up a built in battery pack that then in turn you used to charge your device. There was a shift to direct charging panels, but their charge times were still way too long and their cost was still pretty high. Towards the middle-ish of last year, and definitely more apparent at CES 2014, I started to see more solar panel options that offered higher watts and amps that were able to charge up phones and tablets in a more reasonable amount of time. Ascent Solar is one of those companies, their brand being EnerPlex, I have been checking in with over the last year and I am happy to report that they have some options that I think it is about time we share.
Enerplex has a number of direct charge panels, battery packs, bags and cases available for you to pick up. Each has its own unique look and charging ability.
In the Kickr line, which is the name of the portable solar panel charging line, there is the Kickr I, which puts out 1.75 Watts Unregulated, 1.5 Watt, / 5 Volt System Regulated at 0.3 Amp Output. Then you have the Then you have the larger Kickr II, which puts out 3.5 Watts Unregulated, 3.0 Watt /5 Volt System Regulated at 0.6 Amp Output. Then we have the big boy, the one we are taking for a run, the Kickr IV. Don’t ask me where the Kickr III went, it isn’t listed.
Meet the Enerplex Kickr IV
Power:
6.5 Watts Unregulated
6.0 Watt, 5 Volt System regulated
1.2 Amp Output (STC)
Cell Type: Copper Indium Gallium di-Selenide
Open-Circut Voltage: 9V
Conversion Efficiency: 10.5%
Weight: .68lbs / .31kg
Size Folded: 225mm (8.8˝ ) x 185 mm (7.3” ) x 18mm (0.71” ) [images in gallery below]
Size Open: 774mm (30.5˝ ) x 185mm (7.3” ) x 2mm (0.08” ) [images in gallery below]
In the Box:
- The Kickr IV
- Multi tip USB Cable (micro, mini and 30-pin)
- 8 multi-colored LARGE hair ties (best description I have)
- Instruction manual
The weight and the design are exactly what you would notice when you first pull it out of the box. It is extremely lightweight and flexible. You don’t feel like you need to baby it to keep it safe from harm. The outer shell is a plastic/rubber material that is soft to the touch and easy to grip. At one end you have the electronics needed to take the solar rays and convert them through to a standard USB out port.
The panels themselves are all neatly contained in a fold up fashion. Simply, unfold it to expose the panels to the sun and plug in your cable and start charging. On the top and the bottom they have placed 2 sets of grommets for you to use to hang it from your tent, a tree branch, your backpack or wherever else you see fit to dangle it in front of the sun if you aren’t looking to just toss it on a table or the ground.
The real question though is does it work. According to their outline, the Kickr IV can fully charge an iPhone 5 in 1.4 hours, a Samsung Galaxy S III in 2.1 hours and a Google Nexus 7 in 4.4 hours.
Not being part of the testing I can only assume that this was conducted on a 0% battery, most likely while it was turned off. No matter, I did a brief amount of testing myself. It is still January and while I do have a little sun, it probably isn’t the optimal condition for laying it out. I stood it up to face the sun and hooked my Sony Xperia Z to it for about 15 minutes. I set the Battery Monitor Widget app to track the charge every 60 seconds so we had something to go off of. To be fair, I was streaming music from Google Music to a set of Turtle Beach i30 Bluetooth Media headphones for the first 5 minutes of the test, along with a little chatting on Google Hangouts. Surprisingly enough, I got more of a boost than I was expecting. Take a look.
Battery jumped 9% in 15 minutes. If we go ahead and call it 10% then the math comes to 2.5 hours in the sun to charge the Xperia Z from dead to full. Assuming it is on and I am using it during that time. It is a tricky thing to fully predict. Each phones battery size is different, users use their devices different and the sun is an unpredictable monster. This was only a fraction of a test. As the weather starts to permit, I will be embarking on a much longer and larger solar charging adventure.
Keep in mind though, the Kickr IV isn’t just to charge your phone and tablet. Virtually anything you own that takes a USB cord to charge can be plugged straight in to this panel. Be it a digital camera, MP3 player or even an external battery bank to charge up for evening uses. I would also like to mention that you shouldn’t just think of this a campers gadget. Natural disasters, fires, floods, blackouts, brownouts andy time their isn’t a solid source of power from the wall, a Kickr IV can help. Yes, as long as there is light out.
The next review up from EnerPlex will be their Packr backpack with built in solar panel.More so for the guys on the go in the woods and the streets then for a discrete portable solar panel, but still very cool and useful.
As for what EnerPlex is up to in 2014, well, they have a number of new offerings. They brought out the Surfr series solar cases for the iPhone 4 and 5 lines as well as the Galaxy SIII and S4. They also brought out the big guns with the Jumpr Slate portable battery bank. Easily the slimmest battery pack we have ever seen. Coming in at 6.7mm thick, 2-full size USB ports, cut outs to slip it in the rings of a three ring binder. Comes in either a 10,000 mAh or 5,500 mAh variety. Be on the look out for some coverage on those shortly as well.
Interested in buying any of the Kickr line? Hit up one of the Amazon links below, they are in backwards order and some have multiple color options.
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 hits the FCC with Verizon’s LTE bands in tow
We’ve yet to hear more details about the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2′s launch this quarter, but a recent FCC filing at least reveals that it might head to Verizon. According to the documents, a particular variant that goes by model number SM-P905V supports Big Red’s LTE (4 and 13) bands. Since the 2014 refresh of the 10.1 Note Pro has also passed through the agency with Verizon LTE, the carrier might offer both sizes when the tablets hit the market. Based on the info we got from the gigantic tablet’s CES debut, it’ll have a WiFi version for those who have no need for mobile internet. Folks set on buying one with long-term evolution speeds, however, may want to cross their fingers for the behemoth to hit their preferred carriers.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Verizon
Via: Phone Arena
Source: FCC
It’s Official: LG G2 Available In Gold And Red Variants
I’m not a fan of gold phones: I think they’re gaudy and slightly pretentious, but I may be in the minority seeing as almost every major phone manufacturer has produced a gold version of their flagship device. The latest addition to this exclusive gold club is the LG G2 as part of LG‘s official announcement to make the LG G2 available in gold and red.
Unlike the smooth, glossy back of the original G2, these limited edition gold and red handsets appear to use a grooved plastic. It’s unclear whether this was a practical or purely cosmetic alteration, but you’ll definitely get a better grip on the device if you aren’t using a case. Hardware specs predictably haven’t changed and TechDroid is saying that it is available for purchase now in Singapore for $898 SGD. We’re still waiting to see details on how much these variants will be in other regions, but seeing as it is limited edition, I wouldn’t hold my breath if you don’t live around Asia.
What are your thoughts about gold phones in general: do you think people like the colour scheme? Let us know what you think.
Source: TechDroid
Android 4.4.2 Update For Galaxy Note 3 Rolls Out, Kernel Source Available Now
Late last year, an alleged Samsung internal document appeared to suggest that Android KitKat would become available for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 in January 2014, and sure enough, the Android 4.4.2 update for Galaxy Note 3 started rolling out last week. Reportedly starting its roll-out in Poland, the update will be rolling out to all Note 3s with model number SM-N9005 presumably in the near future; sorry Note 3 owners with carrier versions, you’ll have to hold your breath a little longer.
If you do have a SM-N9005 and you can’t wait for the OTA update, you can try your luck by downloading the update files over at SamMobile.
Accompanying the roll-out of the Android 4.4.2 update, Samsung has made the kernel source files available for all the excited developers out there. The files are available now on Samsung Open Source for download so hit the source link below if you’re interested in tinkering with the newest update.
Let us know if you get the Android 4.4.2 update on your Note 3 and how you find it.
Source: SamMobile, Samsung Open Source via Android Police (1), (2)
Valve: The future of Virtual Reality is just one year away
The most exciting aspect of contemporary virtual reality is its implications. Even using Oculus VR’s early duct taped-prototype, most users immediately “get it.” You’re transported to, say, Tuscany, or an underwater exploration vehicle, or a space fighter, and that experience is enough to trigger a flood of ideas for other potential interactions — interactions that are dramatically heightened by employing a VR headset. How about deep-sea exploration in 4K? Or maybe Mars? And we’re not talking just video games, but experiences. Valve VR lead Michael Abrash detailed that notion in a recent talk:
“Not only could VR rapidly evolve into a major platform, but it could actually tip the balance of the entire industry from traditional media toward computer entertainment.”
Abrash believes that VR headsets so vastly outperform other interaction methods (TV, theaters, etc.) that how folks absorb media in general may be impacted by the coming wave of head-mounted displays. His concept of our potential future may be distant-sounding, but the beginning of consumer-grade, extremely polished VR headsets isn’t far off: 2015. At least that’s what Abrash and Valve are targeting as primetime for VR, and they’re laying the groundwork right now.
This is a VR prototype headset from Valve
Valve’s first ever game developer conference, dubbed Steam Dev Days in honor of the company’s ubiquitous digital storefront/ongoing socio-economic experiment, took place this week. Abrash gave a talk titled “What VR Could, Should, and Almost Certainly Will Be Within Two Years,” where he detailed the current state of VR, what challenges the technology faces going foward, and when he (and Valve) believe it’ll be ready for primetime. In it, he established a baseline of standards for VR: perfect timing to lay a base given Oculus VR’s own standards for VR game development going live at nearly the same time.
First, any VR headset needs to create “presence” for the person using the headset. Abrash defined presence as such:
“It’s the sense of being someplace else while in virtual reality; many people feel as if they’ve been teleported. Presence is an incredibly powerful sensation, and it’s unique to VR; there’s no way to create it in any other medium.”
Cliché as it is, VR headsets aim to do exactly what their name implies: simulate a new reality for the user, real enough to fool the human brain. Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe echoed that sentiment to us earlier this year when he said that the closer the experience is to reality, the better the experience is for the user. Sadly for us writers, “presence” — or rather the experience of using a virtual reality headset and being convinced – is incredibly hard to convey with just words. “Most people find it to be kind of magical, and we think that once people have experienced presence, they’ll want it badly,”Abrash noted during his talk.
Moreover, Abrash thinks that the VR hardware available right now — including the latest Oculus Crystal Cove prototype — is still a step or two away from the specs required for true presence. He even has a list of target specs required for creating presence (which Valve has functioning in an R&D headset right now, and was shown to developers during Steam Dev Days):
The Crystal Cove prototype that Valve provided support for is “a big step in the right direction” Abrash said, but still not enough to create the sense of presence he and Valve are aiming to achieve. While Valve continues R&D on virtual reality hardware — Abrash said “several” companies are working on VR headsets, though we only know of two officially creating consumer products (Oculus and GameFace Labs). The company’s also building out Steam’s VR software support to stay ahead of the curve. That’s why SteamVR just went live (a VR version of Big Picture Mode) in beta; why VR games now have their own category in the Valve’s store; and why the company created the SteamVR API (read: it makes games play nice with the SteamVR platform).
Valve’s yet to give press a chance to try its VR hardware prototype, but developers who tried it at Steam Dev Days are responding positively thus far. It apparently has specs similar to what’s detailed above, and we’re not entirely clear on whether or not it uses a camera in conjunction with the headset for positional tracking (a la the latest Rift prototype). Given Valve’s openness during Dev Days and Abrash’s assertion that Valve is open to working with any partners to push VR forward, we’re certain to hear more in the coming year(s).
Abrash ended his speech with a confident, thrilling statement regarding VR:
“A great VR system at a consumer price in 2015 is more than just possible – it’s sitting there waiting to happen. And it will happen, if not in 2015, then soon after. Virtual reality on the PC over the next few years may be as exciting as anything that’s ever happened in games. We’re sharing what we’ve learned with you, and we’ll continue to do so. There’s a huge amount to be learned and figured out about VR, and we certainly can’t figure it all out by ourselves; I hope that as you dive into VR, you’ll make it a two-way exchange, so together we can make VR one of the great entertainment evolutions.”
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Wearables, Software, HD
Source: Michael Abrash (PDF), Joe Ludwig (PDF)
AIVAnet 