LG announces flagship G3 for summer
After what feels like months of rumors, LG on Tuesday officially announced the flagship G3 will arrive this summer. Hardware details should not come as much of a surprise if you’ve been following the space closely these last few weeks. Oh, but what hardware it is indeed.
Powered by Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the G3 boasts a 5.5-inch 1440×2560 pixel display and a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor. Other details include 2GB/3GB RAM, 16GB/32GB internal storage configurations, and a 3000mAh battery.
In terms of cameras, the G3 features a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization and laser-assisted autofocus. Around front you’ll find a 2.1-megapixel shooter. Connectivity comes via 4G LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, DLNA, Miracast, and FM radio.
User Experience
Moving over to software, LG has put a tremendous level of custom touches to the user experience. Picking up where its predecessor leaves off, the G3 includes:
- Smart Keyboard: Adaptive technology learns as you type for faster input with fewer mistakes.
- Smart Notice: Like a personal assistant, Smart Notice provides suggestions and recommendations based on user behavior, phone usage patterns and location to offer user information when it’s needed the most.
- Smart Security: Understanding the importance of maintaining and securing confidential data when smartphonesare shared, misplaced, lost or stolen, the LG G3 offers a number of enhanced security features such as:
- Knock Code™ enables users to unlock their device with a pattern of taps.
- Content Lock keeps personal files safe and hidden from view when sharing the LG G3 with friends.
- Kill Switch gives LG G3 owners the ability to disable their phones remotely in the event of theft.
Accessories
LG will also be offering a collection of new premium accessories to accompany the LG G3:
- QuickCircle™ Case: Available in five colors, QuickCircleTM Case allows easy access to frequently used functions such as calling, text messaging, music and camera all from the QuickCircle window without opening the cover. In addition to the QuickCircleTM Case, LG will offer a lineup of Slim Guard Cases and premium Slim Hard Cases to protect the LG G3 in style.
- LG Tone Infinim™ (HBS-900): Developed in collaboration with Harman/Kardon, the Bluetooth stereo headset delivers premium audio quality sound in a stylish design. Built with retractable wire management technology and jog buttons for easy search, Tone Infinim also features Name AlertTM to verbally notify you who is calling before you answer.
- Wireless Charger: Compact and foldable, LG’s Wireless Charger is optimized for easy portability. Compatible with Qi’s wireless power charging technology, the Wireless Charger from LG makes staying powered up as convenient as possible.
The LG G3 will begin rolling out worldwide (starting on May 28 in South Korea) on over 170 carriers. The LG G3 will be sold in Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Moon Violet and Burgundy Red color options. Exact availability and pricing will be announced by various carriers in the coming days and weeks. We do know for certain that it will “arrive on U.S. soil later this summer with T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores.”
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T-Mobile giving an LG G3 away each day until June 29
T-Mobile is the first U.S. carrier to announce the upcoming availability for the newly introduced LG G3. Although the Un-carrier has yet to reveal pricing or a firm date, we can expect the flagship to touch down this summer. In other words, pretty much what LG said in their press announcement.
Current and prospective T-Mobile customers can now sign up for pre-registration of the LG G3. Doing so could actually earn them a free G3 ahead of its actual debut. Indeed, T-Mobile will be giving away one free LG G3 per day until June 29. Called the Open Beta Sweepstakes, it’s a chance to win an advance-release Beta model. Good luck!
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AT&T confirms LG G3 for “this year”
Talk about vague. AT&T has confirmed what LG already made public regarding the upcoming G3. Specifically, Ma Bell says they will carry the flagship 5.5-inch device “this summer”. We know better, of course, and expect to see the phone within the next few weeks. Would it have killed AT&T to pin it down to a season or quarter? Yeesh.
The LG G3 is set to join the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. “We are excited to add the LG G3 to AT&T’s leading device portfolio this year,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T. “With its razor sharp 5.5 inch Quad HD display to its laser auto camera focus, the LG G3 is an innovative smartphone for consumers looking for the latest technologies all running on the network that covers more than 99 percent of all Americans.”
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LG G3 gallery
You’ve heard the news by now and now you want to look at the biggest, baddest smartphone of 2014. Behold the LG G3 and its quad-core, Quad HD glory.
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iMac Shipping Times Slip to 3 -5 Days, Fueling Rumors of ‘Low-Priced’ Model at WWDC
Ahead of WWDC 2014, shipping estimates for Apple’s iMac models have slipped to 3 to 5 business days, fueling speculation of a possible announcement of new iMac hardware next week. As noted by AppleInsider, dwindling inventory is also evident at authorized Apple resellers, with some retailers selling the latest iMac models with steep discounts.
As we have seen with Apple may be clearing out inventory Amazon is completely sold out of the base-line 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, relying on third-party resellers who only have a handful of units left in stock. MacMall is also down to its last units on the 2.9-gigahertz 21.5-inch model, and the 3.4-gigahertz 27-inch model.
While movement in product shipping estimates is historically a hit-or-miss indicator of imminent updates, the slip to 3-5 days over the weekend is not the only factor contributing to speculation of iMac updates. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been predicting for some time that Apple will launch a “low-priced” version of the iMac, and his extensive product roadmap published last month showed the new iMac debuting at the end of the second quarter, which would be next month. Kuo argues that this new iMac with cost-efficient hardware to keep the base price low would offer Apple a way to increase its market share in Asia and other critical foreign markets.
Mac updates have generally been somewhat in flux as Intel has experienced delays with its next-generation Broadwell chips. While the company has been releasing interim “Haswell refresh” chips in recent months, these chips offer minimal improvements over their predecessors. Just last month, Apple released a minor MacBook Air update using one of these new chips, but more importantly reduced pricing by $100. The company could make a similar move with the iMac in the coming weeks.
Exact timing for iMac updates remains uncertain, as it is still a bit early for a launch based on historical update cycles. The iMac has also not played a role in recent WWDC product launches, perhaps due to its consumer focus compared to the professional/developer emphasis for the conference. Consequently, an iMac price drop with minor spec bumps could come in the weeks after WWDC, similar to the quiet MacBook Air update last month.
Apple last refreshed the iMac in September 2013, following a major redesign in 2012. The current iMac model features Intel Haswell processors, faster PCI Express-based flash storage and 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity. Prices start at $1299 for the entry-level 21.5-inch iMac and climb to $1799 for the base 27-inch model.
Apple to Offer Live Video Stream of WWDC Keynote on June 2
Apple today updated the front page of its website to announce that it will be offering a live video stream of next Monday’s keynote address at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The keynote kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
Users will need Safari on Mac/iOS or QuickTime 7 on Windows in order to watch the stream, and Apple will also be making the stream available through a channel on Apple TV.
A number of announcements are expected at the WWDC keynote, with OS X 10.10 and iOS 8 expected to be the major focus of the event. OS X 10.10 in particular will reportedly be receiving the most attention as it will be receiving a facelift somewhat similar to that seen with iOS 7 last year. iOS 8 is said to be a more modest update, although there will undoubtedly be plenty of changes and additions relevant to users and developers alike.
Hardware announcements are a bit less certain, with two highly anticipated and long-rumored products in the iWatch and a revamped Apple TV unlikely to make their appearances at the event. Apple’s rumored Retina MacBook Air may also not be ready, but the company could slip in some other announcements such as updates to the MacBook Pro or outdated Mac mini, or perhaps a low-priced iMac.
Revamped iPlayer app for Windows Phone adds live TV but drops radio
Windows Phone users typically have to wait longer for apps and updates than their iOS and Android counterparts, but the latest BBC iPlayer rollout tips things back in Microsoft’s favour. As part of its ongoing iPlayer revamp, the Beeb has pushed live an new version of the Windows Phone app, delivering up-to-date channel pages, themed programme collections and clearer categories. On top of that, the app has a new media player that automatically delivers the best quality streams depending on a user’s connection. Windows Phone users will also be able to watch live TV for the first time, but the feature comes at a cost. Radio content will no longer be available after the BBC decided to cut the option in order to offer “the best TV viewing experience in iPlayer.” The good news is that the iPlayer Radio team expects to release a new app with “an optimised listening experience,” meaning users won’t have to go too long without access to The Archers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile
Via: BBC Internet Blog
Source: BBC iPlayer (Windows Phone Apps)
IBM’s Watson computer makes a delicious BBQ sauce
We know through first-hand experience that IBM’s Watson supercomputer can make a fine meal, but it’s apparently an ace at condiments, too. Fast Company has tried Bengali Butternut BBQ Sauce, a recipe chosen by Watson to maximize flavor through complimentary (and fairly uncommon) ingredients. The result is a “delicious” concoction unlike what you’d normally throw on your food — butternut and white wine give it a sweet taste, while tamarind and Thai chiles add punch that lasts beyond your last bite.
The best part is that it’s relatively guilt-free. Since Watson doesn’t need to pad its recipe with fatty or sugary substances, the sauce is much healthier than many of its rivals. Sweet Baby Ray’s honey mustard has more than twice the sugar and three times the calories, for example. IBM sadly isn’t likely to mass-produce Bengali Butternut; besides it being well outside of the company’s wheelhouse, it’s expensive. Even so, it promises an era when you’ll always have the perfect compliment to your pulled pork or veggies.
[Image credit: IBM Research, Flickr]
Filed under: Household, Science
Source: Fast Company
Report: China pushing banks to abandon American hardware
There’s a growing undercurrent of tension between the US and China because both countries think the other is trying to hack them. They’re both probably right, but China seems to be taking some concrete fiscal steps to make its displeasure known. According to a new report from Bloomberg (and the usual spate of unnamed sources), the Chinese government is quietly asking the country’s big banks to give up their IBM servers in favor of some homegrown hardware.
The big concern? The security and integrity of China’s financial systems. IBM may be ruing the move behind closed doors, but seeing China cut its reliance on foreign tech only seems natural considering the events of the past weeks. Remember: the US Department of Justice charged five officials from the People’s Liberation Army of China with hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets earlier this month. What’s more, leaks published in Glenn Greenwald’s new book confirmed that the NSA can and has intercepted hardware to trick it out with surveillance measures before passing it onto the intended customer. Throw some stern rebukes from a new Chinese government agency report (among other things, it accuses the US of putting “global cyber-security under threat”) and it’s no surprise that things are getting so chilly. This isn’t the first time that the Chinese government has come down hard on US-made tech, either: just a few weeks ago, Windows 8 became verboten on government computers there.
Source: Bloomberg
LG’s G3 flagship is a bigger, simpler, higher-res smartphone
Simple is the new smart. That’s how the invite to today’s LG event in London reads. But what’s simple about the newly announced LG G3 flagship LTE phone? We’ll decode the marketing talk soon, but for now lets look at the simple facts about the hardware. As suspected (and oft leaked), the G3 has a 5.5-inch display, again with a much-talked-about Quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) display. As for the innards, there’s a Snapdragon 801 chip clocked at 2.5GHz plus 2GB of RAM to serve you up Android KitKat, along with 16GB of storage. There’s also a 3GB/32GB variant if you want to up the ante. Other hardware highlights include a removable (3,000mAh) battery, wireless charging and SD card support. Budding photographers will want to know that the main camera is a 13-megapixel unit, and comes with OIS and tap to focus. And yes, again, as rumored there’s an (infrared) laser auto focus — we’ll be exploring that in detail in our review for sure. That’s the key spec list, but in this increasingly experiential mobile world, there’s a lot more going on than just a laundry list of features, which we got a chance to explore for ourselves.
What about the phone design itself? Well in many ways it feels like a collage of some of its contemporaries/competition. The curved top and bottom edges are reminiscent of the (albeit LG-made) Google Nexus 5 and (to a lesser degree) the OnePlus One. The curved back (which is just 2.75mm at its thinnest/the edges, 8.9 at its fattest) has a whiff of the HTC One (M8) about it, as does the metallic finish. It’s definitely metal-like though, and not actually the cold stuff.
LG describes it as “metallic skin,” and it’s anti-scratch, but not fully self-healing like we saw on the G Flex. As for choice of colors, you’ll be able to pick from metallic black, silk white, shine gold, moon violet and burgundy red at launch. It’s not all about aesthetic’s though, as the G3′s finish has been designed to be less slippery, and less prone to fingerprint-hoarding than the G2, and that seems to definitely be the case in our initial time with the device. But, why not go with actual aluminum? LG says the material was designed to look and feel like metal but not be as cold. That’s a shame, as it’s that cooler temperature that many might think actually gives metal phones that quality feel (even if it’s mostly because of that sensory distinction from polycarbonate). Either way, the G3 still feels nice, and remarkably doesn’t feel as big as the spec-sheet tells us it is, until you directly compare it to a smaller phone.
We briefly mentioned those rear buttons, but we’re glad to confirm they’re an improvement on the G2′s. These very same buttons were one of the standout design features last time of course, and LG thinks they were worthy enough of a return visit. On the G3 though they lay much flatter, and protrude less than on the G2. It makes for a more comfortable fit, especially given the phone’s size. So, maybe if you weren’t a fan last time, they might be more to your liking? There’s hope at least.
As for the “simple” part? As usual, that’s mostly in reference to the user interface. It’s a common theme, but LG really does think it’s made thing’s simpler to use with the G3. It’s done this by doing some digital housekeeping. It’s tried hard to remove as much friction between you deciding what you want to do, and actually getting there. In reality, this means the camera interface has been pared right back. It’s almost empty, just tap the screen and it’ll take a picture. If that freaks you out, you can switch them all back on again, but for the most part, LG’s trying to keep things simple. The camera has a few other tricks too, such as gesture controls which solve one of the biggest problems faced by the selfie taker. Hold the phone at arm’s length, and instead of fumbling for the shutter button, you can just get your hand in view, make a fist, and it’ll countdown from three to one before taking a picture.
Oh, and that front-facing camera? LG’s just gone right ahead and re-branded it the “Selfie camera.” It’s even been optimized to better perform the task it’s become most known for. This means bigger pixels to increase the amount of light it soaks up, and a low f-stop for the same reason (f2.0 for those that like to know). LG’s clearly assuming you hang about in dark places.
Other UI tweaks that LG hopes will reduces the amount of friction include a Google Now-esque smart notification system. Smart Notice will gently remind you when you didn’t return a missed call (and sent a message saying you would, or suggest you add a number to your contacts that you often get calls from. Best of all, it’ll also apparently hint you might want to upgrade when LG’s got a new product you might want to upgrade to. We just hope you can turn that off.
So far it’s seems the G3 is off to a good start, and we’re waiting for the company to confirm world-wide price and availability. What we do know, is that it’ll be landing in Korea first, possibly as soon as next week, with western markets to follow.
Filed under: Cellphones, LG
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