Carbon Dioxide leak kills Samsung factory worker
Korean news agency Yonhap News is reporting that a gas leak at a Samsung plant in southern Seoul has left one worker dead. A malfunction in the factory’s fire extinguishing system released carbon dioxide after it mistakenly detected fire, asphyxiating a 52-year-old man working in the area. It’s the latest in a string of accidents at Samsung facilities over the past 18 months, raising questions over the safety of Samsung’s operations in South Korea. In January 2013, a major hydrofluoric acid leak at the company’s main chip factory in the city of Hwaseong killed one worker and hospitalized four others, while three more were injured in a similar incident four months later. Samsung confirmed today’s accident on its official website, adding that it will work to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Police are investigating the cause of the leak, but there’s no word on whether Samsung will be punished more severely than the $1,000 fine and official warning it received from officials last year.
Filed under: Samsung
Source: Yonhap News
Galaxy S5 hits stores early in Korea, as carriers try to dodge sales suspension
South Korea’s major carriers have pulled their Galaxy S5 launch date forward to, well, today, despite Samsung’s efforts to keep the native networks in line with the global launch date on April 11. According to a statement received by Bloomberg, Samsung is “very puzzled.” “SK strongly asked form an earlier release of the product by we delivered our stance that the global release date of April 11 remains unchanged.” In South Korea, recent illegal discounts from carriers led to the government regulator slapping a 45-day ban on new customer sign-ups. Carriers apparently already have the GS5 in stock for both marketing activities and to cover their pre-orders on launch day.
SK Telecom said that it had decided to offer the GS5 “for a wider consumer choice of handsets before our suspension begins on April 5.” On their network, the phone is priced at $808 and is available online and in-store starting today.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Gear available for $99 with Best Buy’s Deal of the Day
Best Buy has the first generation of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch available in all colours for just $99 through their Deal of the Day.
The Samsung Galaxy Gears on offer are refurbished units, but with a $200 saving and free shipping do you really care?
Browse the full selection from Best Buy and grab your bargain of the day here.
The post Samsung Galaxy Gear available for $99 with Best Buy’s Deal of the Day appeared first on AndroidGuys.
You can now download the Samsung Galaxy S5 firmware
With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 only a few weeks away, you can now download an official firmware for the device.
The firmware is actually from the Chinese SM-G9009D Android 4.4.2 KitKat model and the build date shows March 12th, so it’s a recent build.
Having early access to the Samsung Galaxy S5 firmware means that developers can get to grips with the code for the new features found on the device and also begin porting apps to the older devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 firmware can be downloaded from here.
The post You can now download the Samsung Galaxy S5 firmware appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung SD and Micro SD Cards On the Cheap, 16GB for $10
Amazon has this really cool Gold Box Deal of the Day section where you get the chance to snag something for a great discounted price for just one day. Today’s Gold Box Deal is one after my own heart. Today only, you can save up to 65% on select Samsung SD and Micro SD cards. By select, we mean the higher end Plus and Pro versions that are UHS-1 class 10 rated cards.
The PLUS version cards offer transfer speeds up to 48MB/s while the PRO versions can hit up to 70MB/s. The sale currently covers 16, 32 and 64Gb versions of the PLUS and the PRO cards in the micro SD size format. As well as 16 and 32GB PLUS cards in full size SD format and 16, 32 and 64GB capacities in the PRO version full size SD.
Hit the various links to Amazon below to go check them out and score some storage space. (Listed is a one card of each the PLUS, and PRO versions, when you click through you can choose your storage size.
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Switched On: Return of the digital hub
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
In the heyday of Palm organizers, when even the speeds of 3G data seemed like a distant fantasy, a debate raged as to whether the future of pocket devices could belong to one or two devices. Those who favored two devices argued that you didn’t really want all the bulk and battery consumption of a pocket computer in a small device that you wanted to use primarily to make calls. They failed to anticipate that technology’s relentless integration would enable these “pocket computers” to become the minimal-millimeter smartphones of today and that data networks would support access to apps ranging from social networking to mobile video that would trump voice for many users.
But at Samsung’s Unpacked 5 event at Mobile World Congress last month, the star of the now less ostentatious show was not the latest generation of the flagship phone running the world’s most popular mobile operating system. Rather, it was a small wrist device running a virtually unknown platform. And these products have no internet connectivity on their own. In fact, one of the benefits of the new line of Gear devices from Samsung is the broader variety of the company’s smartphones that support them. If you believe in the promise of the smartwatch or Google Glass, you’ve at least partially vindicated the two-device proponents from two decades ago.
The future personal mobile landscape, though, will likely incorporate not just one or two personal devices, but multiple ones that are not only on our person but also in proximity.
The future personal mobile landscape, though, will likely incorporate not just one or two personal devices, but multiple ones that are not only on our person but also in proximity. In 2010, Switched On discussed why the digital hub, as the vision once espoused by Steve Jobs for the future of the PC, gave way to the cloud as the centers of our digital universe. That mostly remains true as far as media is concerned as smartphones still lack the large amounts of vast storage reservoirs that can be embedded in a PC (or at least were prior to the SSD trend).
But a new generation of wearables and personal devices that provide feedback on our exercise, posture, food intake and simply offer silly sounds. Some, like Moov, already include adaptive scenarios for the use of multiple instances of the product worn in different locations on the body. The digital spokes of the PC focused on acquiring and sharing media while the new generation focuses on sending sensor and environmental data. While vastly different in function, size and design from the MP3 players and digital cameras that were once served as tethered outposts for acquiring and using PC-based media on the go, they still lack the native network connectivity of their forebears. That the smartphone has become a digital hub for a new generation of peripherals represents the passing of another torch from the PC.
Ross Rubin is principal analyst at Reticle Research, a technology, media and telecom advisory firm, and founder of Backerjack, which covers crowdfunded product innovation. He blogs at Techspressive.
See what Samsung’s new phone is like with the Galaxy S5 Experience App
Are you still on the fence about getting a Samsung Galaxy S5 when it is finally released in April? Have no fear as Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Experience app is here to help you make your mind up. Featuring multiple interactive and video resources, the Galaxy S5 Experience app will walk you through some of the Galaxy S5′s features including its camera, speed, fitness and life features.
The Galaxy S5 Experience app will also give you an overview of Samsung‘s new wearable devices including the Samsung Gear 2 and the Gear Fit as well as introducing you to some of the accessories that will be available for the Galaxy S5. This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen something like this as LG made a similar app to this one prior to the LG G2′s release; we can’t say it’s a bad effort either as it does give a nice overview of the Galaxy S5′s more appealing features.
If you’re interested in trying out the Galaxy S5 Experience app, Play Store links will be below. What do you think about the Galaxy S5? Will a simple Experience app be able to sway your decision? Let us know what you think.
Source: SamMobile
Application: Galaxy S5 Experience
Price: Free
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White House testing LG and Samsung smartphones, considering BlackBerry replacement
It’s been a rough few years for BlackBerry, but America’s highest office remains a dedicated customer — for at least a few more months. According to a Defense Department spokesman quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the White House is currently testing smartphone replacements from other manufacturers. Android appears to be the OS of choice, with the agency’s internal tech team evaluating handsets from LG and Samsung. As for BlackBerry, while the relatively small White House is hardly a significant customer from a financial perspective, the symbolic move would clearly be a significant blow. Though according to the aforementioned spokesperson, any move away from BB is still “months away.”
(Photo credit: Associated Press)
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: WSJ
Sprint circles April 11 for Samsung Galaxy S5
Sprint on Friday announced that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available for purchase on Friday, April 11. Priced at $199 with a two year service agreement (and $50 mail-in rebate), the handset will be sold in Charcoal Black and Shimmery White options. Customers who choose (and qualify) to purchase the Galaxy S5 on Easy Pay can pick it up for $0 down, and 24 monthly payments of $27.09.
Sprint will also offer the Samsung Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo, and Gear Fit on April 11. Pricing and color options break down as follows:
- Gear 2 (Charcoal Black, Gold Brown): $299.99
- Gear 2 Neo (Charcoal Blac): $199.00
- Gear Fit (Charcoal Black with optional changeable straps): $199.99
Sprint will hold a limited time deal for the Samsung Galaxy S5; purchase the smartphone on a Framily Plan with Easy Pay and receive the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 free. Customers will, of course, have to pay for activation of the tablet and sign up to a two-year data plan of $10/mo. or more.
The post Sprint circles April 11 for Samsung Galaxy S5 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sprint gets the Galaxy S5 and Gear smartwatches April 11th, pre-orders go live today
Sprint’s getting the Galaxy S5, too. And like fellow underdog T-Mobile, the carrier plans to offer Samsung’s flagship handset for no dinero upfront on its Easy Pay plan. Which means, you still have to pay, but just in 24 monthly increments. Those pre-orders begin today for folks visiting Sprint’s retail stores — that is if you can still find one that isn’t shuttered — and begin shipping on April 11th. And to sweeten the pot a little for those that aren’t entirely sold on the GS5, Sprint’s even tossing in zippy 4G LTE for subs that live in Spark markets, as well as a “free” Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 for qualifying Framily (ugh, that word!) members. Though note you’ll have to open a separate two-year agreement to get it.
But there’s even more Samsung gadgetry on the way. On the same day the GS5 becomes available, Sprint will also add Samsung’s new line of Gear smartwatches — the Gear 2/Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit — to its portfolio. As a relatively low-end impulse buy, you’ll be able to get the Neo and Fit for $200, while the more “luxe” Gear 2 will go for $300.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung, Sprint
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