No Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 until 2017, but there’s now a gold TabPro S
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 was initially slated for a September 1st launch and to show up once again at IFA 2016, but it’s clear that never happened. SamMobile has now learned that Samsung will unveil the new tablet in Q1 2017 and there’ll be two models.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 review: A genuine iPad rival?
The two model numbers are SM-T820 and SM-T285, the former being a wi-fi only model while the SM-T285 will support 3G and 4G mobile connectivity. That’s the only information SamMobile has for now though, nothing is known about the screen size, processor, camera or other specs.
If you can’t wait until next year to get a new Galaxy tablet fix, then you’ll be pleased to know there’s now a Gold Edition of the TabPro S 2-in-1 hybrid. Not only will the tablet/laptop hybrid come in a new gold finish, but the specs have been upgraded to 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and 10.5 hour battery.
- Samsung Galaxy TabPro S review: Taking on the Microsoft Surface Pro
Elsewhere it’s business as usual: 12-inch Super AMOLED display and 2.2GHz Intel M3 processor. The new Gold Edition was meant to be available from Best Buy and Samsung.com for a higher price of $1000, but we haven’t been able to find it. It’s not yet clear if it will be making its way to the UK but we’ll be sure to keep you updated if it does.
Bose SoundTouch 300 soundbar leads trio of new audio systems into wireless era
Bose is banking on Wi-Fi for its three new home cinema options, with the SoundTouch 300 soundbar leading the way.
It has a small form factor, less than a metre long and just 57mm high, yet packs in a lot of speaker tech. There is the company’s proprietary PhaseGuide system to send left and right channels to sound like they are coming from dedicated sources rather than a central bar.
The SoundTouch 300 also has Bose’s QuietPort technology for deep, throaty bass, so if you don’t fancy pairing it with a separate subwoofer, you’ll still get decent bass response from a reasonably slim, small form factor.
The biggest new feature is wireless support however, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity on board. You can therefore stream any compatible source straight to the bar. It can also connect wirelessly to other Bose devices, such as the Acoustimass 300 wireless bass module (subwoofer), or the Virtually Invisible 300 wireless surround speakers to serve as your rear channels.
Its HDMI features 4K-passthrough, so is compatible with with future and present TV technologies.
Bose also announced two new home cinema systems, the Lifestyle 650 and 600.
The Lifestyle 650 offers a 5.1 speaker setup with “the smallest satellite speakers in Bose history.” The Lifestyle 600 has a similar arrangement but with slightly larger satellites.
All systems are available now, including the soundbar, with the SoundTouch 300 priced at £599.95. The Lifestyle 650 retails for £3,399 and the 600 is £2,599.
Separate surround speakers to match the soundbar start at £249.95 and the optional bass module is £599.95.
Best Tablet / 2-in-1 2016: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards nominees
The EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are nearly upon us for the 13th year and as usual, we will be delivering a series of features over the next couple of weeks detailing the nominees within each of the 14 categories. Each feature will offer a little bit about each product and why they have been shortlisted.
This is the fourth of those features and it focuses on the nominations for the best tablet and 2-in-1 category. Over the last couple of years, we have seen tablets change from being a larger-screened smartphone without calling capabilities, to becoming workhorses that give laptops a run for their money.
We haven’t seen as many tablets launch as previous years but there are some great devices in the ones that have, from the smaller Apple iPad Pro 9.7 to the fourth generation of Microsoft’s Surface Pro. They are smarter, more powerful and they look better too.
Click here to see the Awards nominees for 2016’s Best Tablet / 2-in-1 in a little more detail to help you make your mind up about which one should get your vote.
Voting in the 13th annual EE Pocket-lint Awards is now open so you can let us know which one of these great devices you think should win the Best Tablet / 2-in-1 award for this year and give us your verdict on all the other tech across the 13 select categories.
Winners will be announced at the exclusive event in London on 23 November in association with EE. For now, keep an eye on the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 hub for all the latest on how the voting works, who the elite judges are and the EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards shortlist.
Tesla moves its ‘unexpected’ product unveiling to Wednesday
Tesla was set to reveal an “unexpected” product today, but you’ll have to wait a few more days to find out what it is. In a tweet early this morning, CEO Elon Musk said that the announcement has been postponed until Wednesday (October 17th), because it “needs a few more days of refinement.” It’s still not clear exactly what Tesla is announcing; speculation has ranged from the Model 3’s final design, to a new PowerWall model to an updated version of the Autopilot.
Moving the Tesla announcement to Wednesday. Needs a few more days of refinement.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2016
Tesla also has a SolarCity event on October 28th, and will show off integration between SolarCity and Tesla products. It just revealed that it’s partnering with Panasonic on solar panels that will be used in conjunction with its Powerwall, provided the SolarCity merger is approved. Given that, it seems likely that Tesla’s “unexpected” product will be home energy or battery related. One of the last times Tesla teased something, it went on to launch the PowerWall home charging product last year.
Via: The Verge
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
‘The Simpsons’ celebrates 600 episodes with a VR couch gag
Even if you think The Simpsons has lost its spark, there’s no denying that the show does a great job at keeping up with popular culture and technology. It’s already taken on Apple (and its leader Steve Mobs), parodied Google Glass and let us watch Marge become addicted to a game that bares an uncanny resemblance to World of Warcraft. To celebrate its 600th episode (and 27th installment of the annual Treehouse of Horror), the show’s creators produced another memorable couch gag, this time offering it in VR with help from Google Cardboard.
For the opening of Treehouse of Horror XXVII, which aired last night, viewers were treated to a Planet of the Apes parody called Planet of the Couches. Fans could (and still can) download the Google Spotlight Stories app (available on both iOS and Android) to engage with a 360-degree experience that responds to their movement. The couch gag normally runs for 45 seconds, but Planet of the Couches offers an extra two minutes of bonus content.
We won’t ruin it for you but there are six different scenes that include a Moe’s “Cavern” and a snarky quip from The Comic Book Guy. Just make sure to explore all 360 degrees to catch all of the clever references and in-jokes. The experience is best viewed with a viewer like Cardboard, but you can still enjoy the VR short by opening the Spotlight Stories app and physically moving your iPhone or Android device around (it just won’t be as immersive).
Get out your #GoogleCardboard, the 600th episode couch gag VR experience via @Google starts now! https://t.co/v80w61fzjy pic.twitter.com/ip3jLs0N8D
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) October 17, 2016
Via: EW
Source: The Simpsons Cardboard
Engadget UK giveaway: Win an iPhone 7 courtesy of Casetify
When the mornings are feeling that little bit crisper and the nights are drawing in, it can only mean one thing: Christmas is coming. Okay, it might be a little premature to start thinking about the festive holiday, but thanks to our friends at Casetify, it might come a little early for you. This week, we’re giving away a matte black iPhone 7 (32GB) with one of the case maker’s slick protective classic grip cases. Casetify specialises in turning your favourite Instagram photo(s) into custom phone accessories, so it’s throwing in a gift card for one of those too. You can enter up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Just don’t forget to give the rules a quick scan while you’re down there.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the UK, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) iPhone 7, one (1) case and one (1) gift card for a custom case.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Apple, Casetify and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honour warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 21st at 11:59PM BST. Good luck!
Source: Casetify
Apple Possibly Looking to Japanese Expertise to Improve Siri
Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that Japan has a big part to play in the company’s ongoing development of AI, as he continued his travels around the country via bullet train on Monday.
Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review, Cook revealed that Apple’s new advanced R&D center in Yokohama, currently scheduled for completion in December, would focus on “deep engineering” and would be “very different” from the R&D base Apple is building in China, without giving away specifics.
Photo via Tim Cook
However, Cook intimated that one of its main focuses would be on developing Apple’s artificial intelligence services – which recently drew some criticism in the press – and emphasized that the company wanted to leverage specifically Japanese expertise in the field.
“AI is horizontal in nature, running across all products, and is used in ways that most people don’t even think about,” said Cook. “We want the AI to increase your battery life, to recommend music to Apple Music subscribers… [to] help you remember where you parked your car.”
Japan’s robotics heritage is legendary, coming on the back of years of successfully building industrial robots, however the state of its AI research remains ambiguous, given its relative lack of investment in deep learning from large amounts of analyzed data, which U.S. companies like Facebook and Google are already heavily researching.
To improve on this front, Japan has just opened a Center for Advanced Integrated Intelligence Research in Tokyo (RIKEN), which specifically aims to develop systems of AI that will be able to solve problems using “Big Data”. The institution will work with several large companies including Sony, NEC and Toyota, and is set to receive state funding of $99.7 million over the next financial year.
Elsewhere in his interview, Cook talked up the Japanese model of the iPhone with regard to its hardware integration with Sony’s contactless FeliCa standard, which is widely used across the country for making quick payments. “Japan is important to us. FeliCa was born in Japan. So by extension, FeliCa is important,” he said.
Cook also said he hoped the use of Apple Pay, the iPhone and the Apple Watch would promote a cashless society: “We would like to be a catalyst for taking cash out of the system,” he said. “We don’t think the consumer particularly likes cash.”
In addition, Apple is said to be working with IBM and Japan Post Holdings to offer health care services for the country’s elderly, with the iPad being at the center of the program. Given the rapid aging of the country’s population, Cook said “Japan is in the best position to lead” the way on such technology.
Previously during his Japan visit, Tim Cook met with Nintendo’s legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and played Super Mario Run, which is expected to arrive on iPhones by the end of the year. It’s unclear what else Cook is planning during the rest of his stay in the country.
Tag: Japan
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 lives on in the Galaxy S7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may have lived a short life, after the company announced it would be ending production following several overheating and exploding devices.
- RIP Samsung Galaxy Note 7: A eulogy for great but flawed friend
But in a bid to regain some customer loyalty and to show just what the Note 7 was capable of, Samsung has issued an update for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that brings with it some Note 7 features.
The biggest feature of the new update, which is available now as an over-the-air download, is the Note 7’s always-on display mode, as well as the customisation available for it. It means you can now have a photo, digital or analogue clock and notifications constantly on show.
But unfortunately for Samsung, not everything has gone as smoothly as it hoped. Some users are noticing that notifications from Samsung’s own email app aren’t showing and features that require the S Pen stylus don’t work either, although the latter is surely to be expected.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 alternatives: Best super-sized smartphones that won’t explode
However, it’s likely to be a welcome move from Samsung, as the update enriches the S7/S7 Edge experience, Note 7 owners won’t feel completely hard done by, and it also gives the flagship phones more features to rival Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.
Samsung tested its Galaxy Note 7 batteries in-house
The batteries that power Samsung’s smartphones (including that Galaxy Note 7), are tested in a lab that’s owned by the company. While it tests to ensure its phone batteries are certified by US wireless industry group the CTIA, Samsung’s certified lab is housed inside its own testing facilities, unlike the likes of Apple and Lenovo, which get their tests done at third-party sites. (We’ve also reached out to more smartphone makers.) The CTIA audits these labs to ensure personnel are qualified, that testing complies with standards, as well as checking that there is no undue influence from manufacturers.
Batteries are tested both on their own and while inside a device. The process focuses on how the battery behaves while charging or during calls. According to the direct of the Korea Test Lab (the other CTIA-certified battery testing lab in South Korea), batteries are also put in high temperates to simulate summer heat — and check for the chances of overheating.
Samsung is still investigating what precisely went wrong with the Note 7. The device used batteries from multiple manufacturers, including Samsung’s own SDI arm.
When the company recalled 2.5 million Note 7s with SDI batteries inside, both Samsung and Korea’s Agency for Technology and Standards deemed that batteries from another supplier, ATL, didn’t suffer the same issue, and replacement Note 7s with ATL batteries were offered. However, phones still went up in smoke after the first wave of recalls.
Talking to the Wall Street Journal, the CTIA’s chief technology officer Tom Sawanobori said: “We’ve certified over 1,500 batteries. This is the first time we’ve had an issue.”
Source: WSJ
Samsung Chromebook Pro with folding screen and stylus leaks in Korea
Samsung leaked and then quickly took down, a listing for a new Chromebook Pro on its Korean website. But the internet is never safe from accidental leaks and SamMobile picked it up and shared the details online.
The Chromebook Pro will have a 12.3in 2400 x 1600 touchscreen display with 400 nits brightness. But you won’t have to use your grubby fingers to use the display, as Samsung is including a stylus, as well as losing the S Pen name and opting for just PEN instead, which will have its own slot in the side of the Chromebook Pro. The screen is also on a hinge, so it can be folded to turn the Chromebook Pro into a tablet instead.
A 2GHz hexa-core processor, comprising two Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores, with 4GB of RAM should keep things running smoothly and there will be 32GB of onboard storage, although it’s not clear if this is expandable via microSD.
It will of course run on Google’s Chome OS, which now has the benefit of being able to have any Play Store app installed and the battery claims to last 10 hours on a single charge. Samsung has also fitted two USB Type-C ports for charging and adding peripherals, as well as a headphone jack and SD card slot. Samsung is also promising to bundle a one year subscription to AirDroid, which lets you access and manage an Android device from a web browser.
Everything has fitted into a body that’s 13.9mm at its thickest point and weighs just over 1 kg.
- HP Chromebook 13 has MacBook specs for a fraction of the price
- Chromebooks will soon run Android apps: Will yours get Google Play access?
The Chromebook Pro was listed on US retailer Adorama’s site as a pre-order for $499, but it has since been taken down. We’re expecting Samsung to officially unveil the Chromebook Pro and announce global availability and pricing in the next few days or weeks.
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