Where to buy the Samsung Gear S3 in the U.S.
We had to endure a bit of a wait, but now the Gear S3 is on sale.
Samsung’s newest smartwatch comes in two forms, the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier, with the latter also offering optional LTE connectivity. Both are big, feature-packed and nice to look at, so long as you’re a fan of bigger watches. If you’re ready to pick up the latest in wearable tech from Samsung, we have all of the resources for you right here.
Gear S3 Classic
The Gear S3 Classic is the more traditional (and slightly more gender-neutral) model of the two, closely following the look of the Gear S2 Classic. It has all of the same features (aside from optional LTE) of the Frontier, and the same price. Pricing is set at $349, barring any sales that different manufacturers may offer. You can buy directly from Samsung, or from several other retailers.
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Gear S3 Frontier
The Gear S3 Frontier is a bit more rugged looking when compared to the Gear S3, though it’s the same overall size. With a more gnarled bezel and dark color it definitely leans more masculine, but is still a looker nonetheless. You can find it for sale everywhere you’d find the Gear S3 Classic, with the same suggested retail price of $349.
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Gear S3 Frontier LTE
The LTE-enabled version of the Gear S3 Frontier has all of the same core specs and features, but has the added ability to work with its own connection independent of your phone. This of course means that you have to pay for cellular service for your watch, but in turn will be able to stream media, keep apps updated and take calls all on the watch.
These models are specific to the carrier, so make up your mind about which to go with (it’s best to use the carrier you already have for your phone) and then pick the Gear S3 Frontier model that coincides with that. AT&T offers a discount if you want to sign up for a two-year contract, but other than that prices may fluctuate more often with these carrier models, so shop around.
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Samsung
Samsung is a massive South Korea-based multinational company that makes some of the best-selling phones, tablets and mobile accessories, but also spans industries such as televisions, appliances and semiconductors (like memory and processors). Samsung is the largest Android device manufacturer worldwide.
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New TV tech explained: What do the logos and buzzwords mean?
Television manufacturers release new models at least twice a year and the technology in their latest sets is constantly improving. It can be hard to keep up at times.
Even if you’ve bought a new TV recently, you might not know what it is truly capable of; what all the badges and logos on the box actually mean.
That’s why we’ve looked at some of the most important new TV tech buzzwords to help demystify them for you.
4K
Just when you finally understand the benefits of a Full HD TV and 1080p video a new, better format arrives. Otherwise known as Ultra HD or even 4K Ultra HD, it is a standard that refers to the new resolution boost manufacturers are giving their TVs to make them sharper and more detailed.
4K TVs come with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, so are capable of showing around four times the amount of pixels as a 1920 x 1080 Full HD set. That means that, when displaying a native 4K film or TV show, it will look much more sharp than before.
50/60Hz
The refresh rate, which is generally 50Hz in the UK, 60Hz in the US, refers to how many frames are displayed on your TV in a second. 50Hz means than your TV screen refreshes 50 frames per second (fps) and therefore seems smooth and judder free.
Some formats use different frame rates, such as movies. Most films are shot in 24fps so Blu-ray playback invariably offers the same – ensuring that the action looks as the director intended. Videogaming though is better when displayed in as high a frame rate as possible, with action benefitting from more frames to keep it fast and smooth.
2160p
Although the TV industry has largely settled on 4K and Ultra HD to describe the new, higher picture resolutions, you might also hear it referred to as 2160p.
That’s because a 4K pixel resolution is 3840 x 2160, while the picture shown is progressive, hence 2160p. “Progressive” describes the way images are refreshed on your screen. Each image is shown in its entirety with a progressive signal, while an interlaced signal means that only half the image is updated at a time. A progressively scanned image is therefore smoother and better than an interlaced one.
Apps
Almost all TVs sold these days connect to the internet and commonly called Smart TVs. That means that they can download applications for different services, utilities or even games.
Different manufacturers use different operating systems on their TVs, but most offer the main apps for streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Netflix and Amazon Video. The latter two often have 4K content available to view too.
Catch-up
Catch-up television is becoming more and more popular. Rather than having to record a show, you can now stream any programmes you missed directly through your connected Smart TV. All the major channels have their own catch-up service, but not all TVs give you access to all of them. If your TV has a Freeview Play badge (as detailed below), it is guaranteed to have the catch-up services from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and UKTV Play’s channels: Dave, Yesterday, Drama and Really.
Recording programmes is still very popular, but the ease of use and convenience of catch-up and on demand services makes them very compelling.
Dolby Vision
We detail high dynamic range (HDR) picture technology below, and Dolby Vision is a specific HDR standard.
There are plenty of HDR TVs out there, far fewer that support Dolby Vision too. The latter, branded tech is fractionally better although both are capable of showing a wider colour gamut and greater contrast between dark and bright areas. Dolby Vision TVs are renowned for their image quality with compatible content. Some Netflix 4K shows are capable of being shown in Dolby Vision, for example.
EPG
EPG stands for electronic programme guide. Most EPGs show you seven days worth of TV schedules but with Freeview Play, for example, you can also scroll seven days back to choose retrospective shows to play through catch-up.
Freeview Play
Freeview Play is Freeview’s catch-up TV service and appears on a rapidly increasing number of televisions. The most recent TVs from Panasonic, LG, Finlux and JVC sport Freeview Play and it gives users the ability to catch-up with their favourite shows by scrolling backwards through the electronic programme guide.
By clicking on shows on BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and UKTV channels (which include Dave, Yesterday, Really and Drama), they open in each broadcaster’s respective app automatically, then play for you to enjoy. It makes catching up more simple.
Click here to find out more about Freeview Play.
HDR
High dynamic range (HDR) picture tech allows a TV to show a wider colour range than conventional sets. They are also capable of greater brightness and/or deeper black levels. The end result is a more natural picture that can be bright and vibrant without losing definition or detail in darker areas.
4K Blu-rays have HDR encoding, so look great on a HDR TV. Both Netflix and Amazon also offer HDR on many 4K shows on their streaming platforms. Both the Xbox One S and PS4 consoles have HDR output these days.
LED
LED refers to the backlight technology now adopted for the vast majority of LCD TVs. The backlight uses either side or rear-mounted LEDs to illuminate the LCD panel pixels.
Many TVs now have zonal backlighting, which allows for darker areas of a picture to remain as dark as possible because the backlight is only shining in sections of the screen where needed rather than across the whole display.
Benefits to LED technology are very high brightness – especially on HDR LED TVs – and cheaper cost as they are easy to manufacture in bulk.
OLED
The biggest rival TV screen technology to emerge in recent times is OLED, which has a couple of major image benefits over rival tech. OLED pixels are self-illuminating, so an OLED TV does not need a backlight.
This makes OLED sets much thinner than their LED rivals. And black levels are much better as when an OLED pixel is off, no light whatsoever shines through it. There is also very little light bleed from pixel to pixel.
OLED TVs aren’t as capable of the extreme brightness of some of the more recent LED TVs, however. They are also much more expensive.
Processor
Like your mobile phone or tablet device, a modern TV will have a processing unit dedicated to ensuring apps and menus run smoothly. This will not be the same as the picture processing chips that have been used in TV manufacture for many years.
Therefore, it can sometimes be important to check the speed or quality of the internal processor, as that will determine how well your TV responds to your actions. Some TVs even sport octa-core processors nowadays, much like premium smartphones.
Get catch-up and on demand TV for £0 per month with Freeview Play. Click here to find out more.
The Morning After: Tuesday, November 22, 2016
It’s Tuesday, which means Facebook and Instagram have nicked another feature from Snapchat. Meanwhile, the Snapbot has landed in NYC, Apple has a battery problem of its own to deal with and the HTC Evo name makes a triumphant return.
Yo, I heard you liked the OnePlus 3Review: OnePlus 3T
Even though its predecessor is just six months old, Cherlynn Low found the OnePlus 3T “a refinement that not only feels timely, but also well-planned and executed.” It’s missing Android 7.0 Nougat and expandable storage options, but adding an upgraded processor to match the Google Pixel, a slightly larger battery and a new front camera for just $40 extra makes this phone a pretty good deal.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one beforeInstagram adds live video and Snapchat-style disappearing photos
Facebook’s quest to offer a version of every Snapchat feature continues with the latest Instagram update. Now, users can send disappearing messages through Instagram Direct, potentially making your next headfirst slide into the DMs less risky. There’s also built-in support for live video, which works a lot like Facebook Lives, except inside Instagram.
Choose the Mad Max: High Octane Collection — trust usHoliday Gift Guide 2016: The Movie Buff
Friends don’t let friends struggle with their home theater setups. Whether you’re ready to spend a lot or just a little, we have a few ideas about what gifts to put in your favorite videophile’s stocking.
Snapbot sightedSnapchat Spectacles have arrived in NYC
So far, Snapchat’s camera-infused sunglasses have been a West Coast-only thing, now they’re in the Big Apple. If you’re willing to try your luck, head to the Spectacles pop-up shop at 5 East 59th Street in Upper Midtown Manhattan and prepare to wait in line. The store will be open through New Year’s Eve (but closed 11/24, 12/24 and 12/25) so you will have a full month of opportunities.
At least they’re not explodingApple is replacing some iPhone 6s batteries
Just last week, Apple announced a repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus and its “touch disease,” and now it’s facing a problem with the iPhone 6. The company says a “small number” of handsets have a battery fault that causes them to spontaneously shut down. If your device was manufactured between September and October 2015, then you may be in line for a replacement or a credit.
Not what you’d expect for the holidays.Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s latest project is a… Christmas tree?
It doesn’t have a headphone jack or Christmas lights.
The missing detailNTSB is investigating the first flight of Facebook’s Aquila drone
When Facebook announced its “successful” first flight of the Aquila internet drone on June 28th, it mentioned a “structural failure” just before landing. That may have been worthy of more than a footnote, however, since the NTSB has classified it as an accident.
But wait, there’s more…
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Brexit’s good for tech, Brexit’s bad for tech
Ever since 52 percent of referendum voters helped decide that life would be better outside of the European Union, Britain’s economic future has been less than certain. The government continues to insist “Brexit means Brexit” and is attempting to negotiate trade terms before invoking Article 50 early next year, leaving markets and statisticians to estimate its true impact.
While those talks are held behind closed doors, some of the world’s biggest technology companies — Google, Facebook and IBM — have seized the opportunity and confirmed their commitment to the UK. “Leavers” may see it as justification of their vote, but there’s more to these announcements than meets the eye.
It started when Google CEO Sundar Pichai visited London last week and announced plans to bring VR to one million UK schoolchildren. He later followed that up with updated plans for its new London HQ in Kings Cross. With help from Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Google’s first “wholly owned” building outside of the US will be constructed in the capital, creating up to 3,000 new jobs.
Facebook’s commitment to the UK came yesterday with a promise to hire 500 workers when it opens its new London HQ in Fitzrovia next year. Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook’s European chief, underlined Britain’s importance as a tech centre and that it’s “an important part of Facebook’s story.” When its new offices open next year, the company will employ a total of 1,500 people in the UK.
Today, IBM announced it will triple the number of its datacentres (from two to six) in the UK, allowing it “keep pace with growing client demand” and underscore its “long-standing commitment to providing innovative solutions to the UK.” The company didn’t note the referendum in its statement, but IBM Europe’s General Manager for cloud services, Sebastian Krause, told Reuters that “everyone has concluded the UK economy will continue to be very strong and there will be significant opportunities with or without Brexit.”
All three announcements can easily be positioned as pro-Brexit, confirmation that tech giants aren’t phased by the UK’s current economic status. Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan are happy to proclaim that “Britain is open for business.”
Yet another endorsement of a UK free of EU regulation as a tech hub for the world
https://t.co/7Q7IG6mrq8 #becauseofbrexit— jamie martin (@jamieamartin1) November 21, 2016
Before the vote, UK tech was earmarked as one of the industries that would experience the brunt of the impact. In fact, when we asked 50 technology companies that are either based in the UK or have large operations there, only one (Dyson) supported the Leave campaign.
Skeptics will also be aware that Google’s Kings Cross redevelopment has been on the books since 2013, when it spent $1.6 billion buying the land on which its new offices will reside. As for Facebook, it confirmed it was starting work on its new London HQ in September 2015. Both companies were committed to the UK months, if not years, before the EU referendum.
Building offices is one thing, but finding skilled workers to fill them is another matter.
Britain, more specifically London, is renowned for bringing in talent from across Europe, but its standing could be affected should the UK impose tougher immigration policies. Building offices is one thing, but finding skilled workers to fill them is another matter.
An average 15 percent fall in the value of the pound certainly makes hiring UK workers more cost-effective for Google and co. as a whole, but that same fall will make hiring non-UK talent hard: A £100,000 salary that used to be worth €140,000 is, at the time of writing, worth €117,000. With every aspect of Brexit, both sides can tout their own positives and negatives, but the reality is, until Article 50 is triggered, and the trade deals signed, no one really knows what the future has in store.
Facebook is testing public WiFi finder on mobile
Facebook has started testing a feature that will help you find the nearest public WiFi networks you can access for free. TheNextWeb has spotted the experimental feature in the iOS app, where chosen users can toggle on “Find WiFi” in their menus. The social network’s spokesperson confirmed its existence to VentureBeat, explaining that the company has begun rolling out a “new feature that surfaces open WiFi networks associated with nearby places” in order “to help people stay connected to the friends and experiences they care about.”
Once you’ve switched on the feature, the Facebook app will automatically detect places with free WiFi near your location and mark them on a map. It will even list the location’s business hours, its nature and WiFi name, so you know you’re not connecting to the wrong network. As TNW mentioned, the feature seems like an obvious move for a company that’s promoting its ability to broadcast live videos. But it sounds a lot more useful for developing nations where a lot of people don’t have mobile data subscriptions.
[Image credit: TheNextWeb]
Via: VentureBeat
Source: The Next Web
Touch Bar MacBook Pro Orders Begin Shipping to European Customers
The first wave of European shipments of MacBook Pros with Touch Bars appear to be out for delivery, after several Apple customers across the pond and beyond saw their orders enter the “Preparing for Dispatch” stage over the last 48 hours.
Many MacRumors readers in the EU are reporting notifications of imminent courier deliveries, while a handful of readers in Germany, Sweden, France, and the U.K. claim to have received their new MacBooks early this morning.
The new MacBook Pros sold out quickly, with shipping estimates moving from 2 to 3 weeks to 3 to 4 weeks hours after they went on sale. Current shipping estimates are 3 to 4 weeks. Apple’s Phil Schiller said that the company has received more online orders for the new MacBook Pro than any previous model. Slice Intelligence sales estimates suggest the new model has already outsold all competing laptops in 2016.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar starts at $1,799 while the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar starts at $2,399.
European readers interested in tracking their orders and discussing their configurations and shipping status can join our dedicated MacBook Pro pre-order EU shipping thread.
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Exploring Possibility of Foldable iPhone With Flexible Display
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published an Apple patent on Tuesday that shows the company has been researching a foldable iPhone design that uses a flexible OLED display.
First spotted by AppleInsider, a patent titled “Flexible display devices” describes an iPhone design that folds in two when not in use, reminiscent of the old clamshell cellphones Motorola used to make in the 1990s.
Apple’s version utilizes a number of flexible parts including an OLED and a hinged metal support structure, made in one example of a nickel and titanium alloy known as nitinol, which has special elastic properties. Flexible polymers are used in alternative embodiments.
Apple envisions that the upper housing could include cameras, display controllers, speaker modules and light sensors, with the lower section of the chassis containing microphones, CPU and graphics processor, along with vibrating and other typical smartphone mechanisms.
The two sections connect via a single- or multi-shaft hinge that allows them to rotate relative to each other, while flexible printed circuit boards keep the connection intact. The flexible display meanwhile runs over the two sections and includes extra material to support two or more folding configurations.
Apart from the the more familiar clamshell folding system, the patent describes how the display could fold outward, allowing both halves of the screen to remain accessible when the phone is closed shut. This second configuration also includes clips for fixing to the user’s clothing.
Later in the patent, Apple explores other more elaborate embodiments including a two-hinge design vaguely reminiscent of a Jacob’s Ladder toy, and goes on to consider cover glass and viewing angle details.
The patent is more a point of interest rather than an indication that Apple is set to release a foldable phone, however the research could make its way into other products. The technology could be implemented in a large iPad that folds away, for example.
In addition, next year’s 10th anniversary “iPhone 8” is expected to include a flexible OLED display, but the traditional overall form factor will most likely remain.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tag: patent
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Why you need to upgrade your light switch to the Eve Light Switch
The Eve Light Switch (USA & Canada only) is the world’s first light switch with HomeKit technology built in allowing you to do much more than just any old regular light switch.
Here are five reasons you should upgrade your light switches in your house today.
1. Always on
Eve Light Switch replaces a single pole switch, and enables you to use the Eve app or Siri to control your existing chandeliers, built-in lights, ceiling lamps, ceiling fans, and more even if the light has been switched off at the wall. That means unlike other “smart” bulbs you’ll always be able to turn it on even if the switch on the wall has been turned off.
2. No need to upgrade your bulbs
The Eve Light Switch is the intelligent bit, not the bulbs in the light sockets in the room. That means you don’t need to replace every light in your house, but merely the light switches in the rooms you want to control. And because the Eve Light Switch features a capacitive touch sensor to let you manually turn a light on or off, even family members and guests without an iOS device are able to operate your lights.
Elgato
3. Set timers and automations
Eve Light Switch transforms any existing single or multi-bulb setup into an intelligent lighting system. HomeKit enabled means that you can not only control the lights connected via your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, but also have them automated based on set actions like walking into a room, or when you get within a certain distance to your house. You can create scenes to control Eve Light Switch and other HomeKit-enabled accessories with a single command, or set timers and have them work on their own.
4. Control yours lights from your phone
Like other Eve accessories, Eve Light Switch connects directly to your iPhone or iPad using Bluetooth low energy technology, without the need for a hub, gateway bridge, or and without disturbing your already crowded WiFi network.
If you have an Apple TV 4 connected to your home wireless network, you can also control your lights even away from your home.
5. Group light switches
If you have Eve Light Switch in multiple rooms you can group them in the Eve app and say one sentence to control all your lights via Siri, without lifting a finger or roaming your home.
Buy Eve Light Switch for US $49.95 / CA $69.95 at Elgato’s Online Store, Amazon US and Amazon Canada.
Malicious Video Link Causes iOS Devices to Freeze, Requiring a Hard Reset
A malicious video link that when played in Safari causes iOS devices to crash has been discovered this morning.
Playing the MP4 video in question through Safari appears to have no effect at first, but gradually the operating system slows down before it freezes completely, after which only a hard reset will bring the device back to life. YouTube channel EverythingApplePro has posted a demonstration (i.e. not the original video) showing the exploit in action.
The bug appears to affect iOS builds as far back as iOS 5, while iPhones running iOS 10.2 beta 3 are said to power off and show the spinning wheel indefinitely.
If you fall victim to the prank, you’ll need to hard reboot to get your device working again. According to a Reddit post by user Riddle, currently the top level domains hosting the video appear to be vk.com and testtrial.site90.net, but bear in mind that the video could be hosted on other sites quite easily and that URL shorteners can mask the actual address you’re being linked to.
This kind of prank isn’t new. Three years ago, a text exploit made the rounds that caused both Mac and iOS devices to crash.
(Via 9to5Mac.)
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HTC’s 10 Evo is a Bolt for the rest of the world
Mixed bag of hardware launches Nougat and HTC Sense globally.
As rumored, HTC today took the wraps off the HTC 10 Evo, a global version of the Sprint-branded Bolt. Aside from some branding changes, this is the same phone we recently reviewed, with a questionable assortment of hardware: HTC 10-style metal unibody, a bigger 5.5-inch screen, water resistance, USB-C audio only (#donglelife) and a nearly two-year-old Snapdragon 810 processor, with 3GB of RAM. There’s also a big focus on audio in general, with the bundled Type-C cans debuting HTC’s BoomSound Adaptive Audio.
At least the software is bang up-to-date, with the latest Android 7.0 Nougat preloaded along with HTC’s Sense interface.
Here’s what Florence Ion had to say in her review of the HTC 10 Evo’s American cousin:
The Bolt is a definite look at what HTC has in store for us next year. I’m expecting a super cool aluminum smartphone with top-of-the-line hardware and a rear-facing camera that can better capture low light. For now, consider the Bolt a mere test run that shows off Sprint’s network — and one that isn’t likely worth $600 to you.
The HTC 10 Evo will launch in Europe this month, but there’s no word of any carrier partnerships or SIM-free price just yet. To the latter point, the current £500 unlocked price of the higher-specced HTC 10 (not to mention competitively priced rivals like the OnePlus 3T3 could make things tricky for HTC. For what it’s worth, the Bolt’s $600 cost would place it around the same price point as the HTC 10 in the UK, if prices were converted over directly.
More: HTC Bolt review
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