Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime with Quad HD display rumoured to arrive in June to counter LG G3 Release
We’ve suspected for some time now that Samsung will be bringing out a slightly updated version of its Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone with a higher resolution screen and slightly updated hardware specs. This so-called Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime with Quad HD display is rumoured to be Samsung’s answer to the LG G3 which is expected to be announced as soon as LG’s event on May 27th, and will include the elusive 2K resolution display that was absent from the Galaxy S5 that launched in early April.
While we had almost believed that Samsung had perhaps sensibly decided that 1080p displays are as detailed as smartphone screens need to be, the reason, according to the Korea Herald, is actually that Samsung found that producing AMOLED displays with 2560×1440 pixels in large enough quantities to meet the demand for the global launch for the Galaxy S5 was just too expensive. To counter this supply issue, Samsung resolved to release a second device, this Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime, at higher cost and with the 2K resolution display which would undoubtably sell fewer devices than the flagship Galaxy S5. Whether the rest of the hardware in this Galxy S5 Prime would be different from the original remains to be seen, but we may find out sooner than later with June just around the corner.
What do you think about a 2K device like the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime? Would you get this over the original Galaxy S5? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: Korea Herald via Phone Arena
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Virgin Media bundles mobile, landline, TV and broadband into new ‘quad-play’ packages
Virgin Media has operated as a virtual mobile operator for some time now, but had never combined smartphone plans into the cost of its TV, phone and broadband deals. That’s all about to change, however, after the company confirmed today it will launch a new range of bundles that will form the first true ‘quad-play’ packages in the UK. The packages will start at £35 with a mobile SIM (also excluding line rental) and are marketed under names like Big Kahuna and Big Bang. You’ll get unlimited calls and texts but not data — that’s only applicable to VIP Tariffs, which do not come as part of the new bundles. Before today, it looked like BT was going to become the first provider to go all in, after it signed a deal with EE to provide connectivity for its own-brand 4G network. While the telecommunications giant is expected to roll out consumer packages later this year (returning to the mobile industry after it sold Cellnet back in 2001), it will now come to market some time after one of its major rivals. It could even be pipped to the post by Sky, which is rumoured to be exploring a deal with Vodafone. Virgin’s quad-play packages are now available to existing customers and will roll out to the rest of the UK in June.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
Source: Virgin Media
Dropbox cuts access to shared documents that were accidentally exposed to the web
If you’ve shared a Dropbox document recently, but your intended recipients are complaining that the link is bust, then here’s the likely reason: The cloud storage service has been forced to sever many shared links after realizing, perhaps a bit late in the day, that they contained an inherent security flaw that could potentially expose documents to the wrong people. Specifically, an authorized user who opens a shared document and clicks on any hyperlink within its text could unwittingly expose the entirety of that document to the webmaster of the hyperlinked site.
Sound complicated? It really isn’t. It’s just a simple byproduct of the internet’s standard “referer headers” that allow webmasters to see who is referring traffic to their site. If the referer happens to be a Dropbox file, then a curious webmaster is going to have no trouble accessing that file just as if he was an authorized recipient. Fortunately, there are no reported instances of this happening, and Dropbox says it has already fixed the issue for all newly created documents. As for older files, however, they’ve been automatically de-shared “until further notice” — so you might want to follow these steps to create new links for them.
Filed under: Storage, Internet
Source: Dropbox
John Lewis’ own-brand smart TVs with webOS launching today from £1,399
The TV section of John Lewis stores, where customers and voyeurs alike come to gawk at the latest sets, will be joined by three new models today that also happen to bear the retailer’s name. Its first own-brand TVs, known as the JL9000 series, have been made by LG especially, and thus run the manufacturer’s webOS smart TV platform. Self-branded products tend to be at the lower-end of their category, but trust John Lewis to deck out its TVs with 1080p LED IPS panels, integrated 2.2-channel soundbars with extra subwoofers, passive 3D and 8-megapixel webcams. Those bells and whistles come at a cost, of course, so the 49-, 55- and 60-inch models will set you back £1,399, £1,699 and £2,199, respectively (still, a little cheaper than when the range was first teased). In typical John Lewis style, each one comes with a five-year guarantee, meaning you can chase the store directly if something goes wrong — not that you’d be happy about it when laying down that kind of dosh.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, LG
Source: John Lewis
Garmin’s new GPS watch wants to keep you moving on and off the track
Running watches are great when you’re headed out for an afternoon of training, but are typically pretty useless when it comes to day-to-day activities. Garmin is looking to change that by combining two of its most popular wearables, the Forerunner 10 and vivofit, into a new device called the Forerunner 15. The device does everything you’d expect from a GPS watch, such as tracking your distance, pace and calories burned during a big run, but it’s also meant to be worn all day. Also an activity tracker, it’ll encourage you to get up and move if you’ve been lounging around too long.
For those who want a little more, Garmin is offering an optional chest-worn heart rate monitor for the Forerunner 15, as well as a foot pod for treadmill running. While you’re working out at the gym, the small pod will ensure that you’re getting credit for every step you take on the treadmill, despite the fact you’re not actually going anywhere. And when you’re back at home post-workout, Garmin Connect, the company’s online fitness community, can help you analyze your progress and offer challenges to keep you motivated. Anxious to grab one for yourself? The Forerunner 15 will be sprinting onto store shelves this spring for $170, or bundled with the heart rate monitor for $200.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Garmin
US to start testing universal internet IDs to combat fraud
In 2011, the government started concocting a plan to issue Americans one online ID they can use across multiple agencies’ websites — sort of like an OpenID for the government. Now, that plan’s wheels are turning, and pilot testing’s slated to begin this May in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The initiative, called National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), was originally devised as a means to prevent fraud and make it easier to verify identities quickly. This initial rollout only involves websites for those applying for government assistance, as it’s merely meant to test whether the idea’s feasible. But the government hopes this universal ID can replace people’s logins for various places on the internet in the future. Obviously, not everyone will be thrilled by this development; after all, we’re now very much aware of the NSA’s love for snooping. Plus, it’s risky using just a single log-in for various services like banking and social security. If you’re one of those people, then cross your fingers and hope that NSTIC’s completely voluntary, like what the government promised during the project’s inception.
Filed under: Internet
Via: TechDirt
Source: GCN
Volvo’s self-driving cars tackle merging, braking traffic in first road tests
Volvo has now joined Google and others by testing autonomous cars on public roads, in its hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, no less. This is the first phase of its “Drive Me” project, and will be limited to semi-autonomous vehicles on 50km (30 miles) of set commuter routes. The vehicles have progressed to where they can now adapt their speeds, follow traffic and deal with merging vehicles, according to Volvo. That means drivers still need to give their undivided attention, but eventually, the automaker intends to have 100 fully autonomous vehicles on the road operating in full “Autopilot” mode. Volvo hopes to avoid the kind of collisions that its cars are famous for surviving by eliminating the main cause — us.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Gizmag
Source: Volvo
Tesco to launch an Android smartphone alongside the Hudl 2 later this year
After accumulating more than 500,000 sales of its first ever own-brand tablet, the Hudl, supermarket giant Tesco is to expand its device line-up by launching a high-powered Android smartphone. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, chief executive Philip Clarke confirmed that the company’s upcoming handset will feature hardware comparable to Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and, like the Hudl, come preloaded with Tesco apps and services. Speaking of the tablet, Clarke also said Tesco will release a refreshed version of its discount slate, appropriately named the Hudl 2, in September. While the tablet has been priced at the low end of the market at £119 (even less if you used ClubCard vouchers), Tesco’s smartphone is expected to command a higher price to match its specifications. That might make the handset less of an impulse buy, but Tesco says it will still price the handset aggressively, allowing shoppers to pop a couple of Android devices into their trolley alongside their bread and milk.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile
Source: BBC News
Orange is the New Black renewed for a third season before the second even debuts
We’re still a month out from the next level crazy of Orange is the New Black‘s second season, but Netflix has already ordered a third. The show’s writing team took to Twitter (later confirming with Variety), breaking the news with a picture of possible names for episodes and some are enough to make an Engadget editor blush. “Hot For Janitor,” “KIDS: YUM!” and “Et Tu, Luschek” might seem a bit tame, sure, but trust us, there’s a reason we didn’t embed the picture itself after the break. Considering Netflix called the show its most watched original series ever, the renewal news isn’t entirely surprising but it’s welcome nonetheless. There aren’t any spoilers on the pictured whiteboard (as far as we can tell), so if you click you should be safe for the June 6th premiere, Dandelion.
We’re back. #OITNB #season3 pic.twitter.com/kyyNKEr0wJ
– Orange Writers Room (@OrangeWriters) May 5, 2014
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: OrangeWriters (Twitter), Variety
Don’t touch this toilet
If there’s one thing we can all universally agree on, it’s that toilets can get pretty gross. Sometimes to a point you don’t want to even get near them to flush. Kohler feels your pain, and has created a solution with its new electromagnetically-activated touchless toilet. The next generation of your home’s most-used chair, it allows you to wave your hand above the commode to achieve the perfect flush without you ever having to make contact with the porcelain. The sensor will come built into several of the company’s new thrones, and will also be available as a $99 standalone kit you can retrofit to your current bowl. It’s a cool trick that has a lot of technology behind it.
Any self-respecting bathroom connoisseur knows that self-flushing toilets aren’t anything new. Commercial seats, however, use a beam-based technology that decides you’re done with business when you move, breaking that beam. If you’re just shifting to get a better position, then you run the risk of a premature flush situation. Instead of beams, Kohler is using an emerging sensing technology on the top of your toilet that “projects an electromagnetic field that is both extremely accurate and reliable.” The result is a precise system that only flushes when you wave your hand into that field. If only Kohler could come up with the same technology for lifting the seat…
Filed under: Alt
Source: Kohler
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