MediaSpace

Samsung Galaxy Note Olympic Games Edition Leaked Ahead of Launch

2012-05-21T19:00:00.003+01:00

That’s the back of the Olympic Games edition Galaxy Note, plastered with a large Union Jack. If you take a close look at its box, you’ll notice there’s a second back cover which appears to feature the Team GB lion.

Other than the fancy back covers, the handset is no different to the existing Galaxy Note you’ve been able to purchase for some time. However, this one will be exclusive to O2, according to GSMArena, and for every handset purchased, Samsung will donate £1 (approx. $1.55) to “Team GB athletes of the future.” Customers will also be given the chance to win tickets to the Olympics, a Team GB training event, or a celebration event.

Samsung is also said to be producing an Olympic Games edition Galaxy Y handset. It is thought the company will also offer different designs — with different flags — within their respective countries.

Will you be picking up an Olympic Games edition handset from Samsung?

[via GSMArena]

Chameleon is what Android tablet interfaces should have looked like all along

2012-05-21T18:59:00.003+01:00

When Google decided to officially support tablets with its Android operating system, they also decided to temporarily fork the platform to support both phones and tablets separately. The idea behind this was to create an optimized interface and experience for tablets, then to bring the two versions back together in a later OS version.

The end product – where phones and tablets met again – was Ice Cream Sandwich. While both have a very similar look, the tablet interface is better optimized for larger displays. There is a context switch, which I have explained before and feel is necessary and welcomed.

Phones are generally used in portrait mode and held with one hand while widescreen Android tablets are better suited for landscape and held with two hands or propped with a stand or case. The differences in their respective interfaces reflect just that. The notification system on Android tablets is more easily accessed with the right thumb than the pull-down notification shade like on Android smartphones. And the tablet home screen is much larger than the standard four by four grid found on smartphones; it's a seven by eight grid, which is better suited for larger, more useful widgets.

But beyond a few, small discrepancies, the two interfaces are mostly the same. And they don't really cater to the different ways that I use my tablet and smartphone.

I generally use the same applications from my smartphones all day long, every day. It's mostly used for communication: Gmail, Talk, text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I also take a ton of pictures all the time. My tablets, on the other hand, are used mostly for consumption (and writing, of course). When I wake up, the first thing I do with smartphone is check emails and answer text messages. With my tablet, the first thing I do when I get out of bed (sometimes before) is catch up on news and RSS feeds, check the weather and look through my most recent Pocket saves.

An up-and-coming home screen project aims to change just that. Chameleon "replaces the standard Android Home Screens and App Launcher with one that isn't just more useful, but more beautiful as well." Currently, the project, which is manned by Canadian tech company Teknision, is looking for funding via Kickstarter. With 25 days to go and 2,492 backers at the time of this writing, the Chameleon project has raised $22,193 of its $50,000 goal.

The idea behind Chameleon is relatively simple. The developers want to create a launcher that caters to your needs with the applications and information you need most, relative to where you are and the time of day. You can set which home screen is more relevant depending on GPS location, time ranges and Wi-Fi networks. From the Kickstarter page:

"In the morning, you can set up your own Morning Home Screen for your tablet based on a time range that you specify. During that time, your tablet can be set to display your favorite news, social feeds, weather, schedule and email.

At the office, Chameleon can recognize when you are at your office based on a GPS location and display a Work Home Screen to display things like your email inbox, tasks, calendar and your latest documents.

In the evening, when you are ready to sit down and relax, your tablet can be set to recognize your home network - and display your favorite apps for movies, music, photo sharing and social media."

Currently, Teknision has a prototype of Chameleon and is aiming for an September launch, where they plan to offer the home screen replacement in the Play Store. Backers of their Kickstarter project will receive the Chameleon application and other respective gifts by August.

Quite honestly, the Chameleon project is an interesting one. There are already a handful of launcher replacements out there with support for tablets, but Teknision is definitely on to something. The interface looks more useful and optimized than any other tablet interface I've seen to date – except for maybe Windows 8. I will definitely be watching the progress of the project and will likely pledge, too.

That said, I have some concerns. The minimum hardware requirements state resolution is for 1,280 by 800 pixels and above, yet in the FAQ part of the Kickstarter description, Teknision states the "the first release will be performance optimized for 10" (1280 x 800)". By August, I will likely have traded my Transformer Prime for the Transformer Pad Infinity, which sports a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200. And the Transformer Pad Infinity may not be the only Android tablet with a super high-res display by then. I only hope Teknision accommodates for that in a timely manner.

Also, since backers are pledging money towards an application that will soon be a paid app in the Play Store, I'm not sure how Teknision will handle this. Teknision says, "If you buy Chameleon via Kickstarter, we will ensure that you pay only once and will have access to all applicable software updates." However, there are no gifting options or promotional codes in Play Store, meaning backers will likely have to purchase the application again, only to be refunded. It's not a deal-breaker. But it's not exactly a great way to handle things from a PR standpoint.

What do you think about Chameleon, readers? Is it the tablet launcher replacement you've been looking for? Or do you think it looks cluttered and clunky? Will you be backing their Kickstarter project?

Images via Chameleon Kickstarter

Cable Internet Providers Team Up for CableWiFi Initiative

2012-05-21T18:58:00.001+01:00

If you’re looking to enjoy Wi-Fi access wherever you go, it looks like that may become more of a reality in the near future if you subscribe to the right provider.

Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable have announced that a new coalition has been formed between the five companies that will be called “CableWiFi.” If you subscribe to any of these providers you will soon be able to enjoy using over 50,000 company owned Wi-Fi hotspots through out the nation.

The first coverage areas will include New York City and the surrounding area, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando and Philadelphia with more cities expected in the future. You’ll be able to find where the hotspots are located by visiting your providers hotspot locator or going to CableWiFi.com.

While this is certainly not an end-game solution that will allow you to dump your mobile data on your phone, it definitely raises some interesting questions for the future. Could the U.S. finally get to a point where you could wander from one Wi-Fi hotspot to another and no longer worry about the speeds of your mobile data or your bandwidth camp? Only time will tell.

Foxconn to Build $210 Million Dollar Production Line for Apple Products

2012-05-21T18:57:00.002+01:00

Foxconn has announced that it is building a new $210 million dollar production line to produce unspecified Apple components in the city Huai’an in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

It would appear that Foxconn doesn’t have many concerns about the demand for Apple products slowing down any time soon. The Chinese manufacturing company says that its new $210 million dollar facility will cover 40,000 square meters and employ 35,800 people. The annual output of the plant, which is expect to open in October, will reach between $949 million to $1.1 billion USD, and the export value will be around $55.8 million.

As expansions go, this will mark a big step for Apple, but not for the overall size of Foxconn as the manufacturing specialist currently employs over 1 million workers.

[via China Daily]

T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II maintenance update begins rolling out today

2012-05-21T18:56:00.003+01:00

Looks like the HTC Amaze 4G isn't the only T-Mobile handset being treated to an update today. T-Mobile has announced that a new software update is rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S II, weighing in at 32.3MB and bumping the device up to version T989UVLDE. What's included, you ask? Inside is a handful of tweaks, such as Google security fixes and device stability improvements. Here's the changelog provided by T-Mobile:

Version

Android version 2.3.6 / Software version T989UVLDE
Over-The-Air Update (32.3 MB)
Approved 5/21/12

Improvements:

Random reboot/power off fixed
Device stability improvements
Qualcomm chip patch
Google Security fixes

Prerequisites

Android version 2.3.6 / Software version T989UVKL1 update
At least 50% battery life

T-Mobile notes that this update will be rolling out over the air until June 22nd. Owners of the T-Mo Galaxy S II that'd like to check and see if this update has made its way to their neck of the woods can do so by heading into Menu > Settings > Software Update on their device. As for Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung has confirmed that Magenta's Galaxy S II will receive and update to Android 4.0, but so far we haven't been clued in as to when that update might be arriving. We'll pass along more details as we get them.

Via Android Police, T-Mobile

HTC Amaze 4G Android 4.0 update now available for download

2012-05-21T18:55:00.003+01:00

Ready for some Ice Cream Sandwich, HTC Amaze 4G owners? Last week, T-Mobile told us that the Amaze 4G's update to Android 4.0 would be released on May 21st, and now owners of the handset have begun reporting that the new software is indeed available. The update bumps the Amaze 4G to Android 4.0.3 and includes a handful of tweaks and fixes, including improved battery life and text input. Here's the full changelog from T-Mobile:

Version

Android version 4.0.3 / Software version 2.14.531.3710RD
Approved 5/21/2012

New Features

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Sense 3.6
System bar enhancements to easily view recent apps.
Re-sizeable widgets
Lock screen actions including pull down notifications and adjust volume while device is locked.
Data usage controls.
Face Unlock
Home screen folders
Improved battery life

Improvements

Improved text input and spell checking
Improved menu structure

If you're rocking an Amaze 4G and haven't yet received a notification of the update's availability, you can check for it manually be grabbing your phone and heading into Menu > Settings > About phone > HTC software updates > Check now. The update to Android 4.0 will not only open up ICS-only apps like the Chrome Beta to the Amaze 4G, but it also brings with it HTC's Sense 3.6 UI and should keep owners of the device occupied for a bit with new stuff to play with. Amaze 4G owners, be sure to swing by the comments below once you get the Android 4.0 update installed to give us your thoughts on it!

Via T-Mobile, TmoNews

Voyager Mobile goes live days after initial launch delayed by website attack

2012-05-21T18:54:00.001+01:00

Voyager Mobile was supposed to make its debut last Tuesday, but an attack on its website caused the new Sprint MVNO to postpone its launch. The delay turned out to be fairly short, though, as Voyager Mobile is now open for business. Voyager is a prepaid carrier that operates on Sprint's 3G and 4G WiMAX networks and offers two plans: a $19 option that includes unlimited talk and text as well as a $39 plan that also throws in unlimited data. The carrier is also planning a Voyager Rewards program that'll offer goodies like gift cards and phone upgrades to frequent talkers, though that feature is currently listed as "coming soon."

On the device side of things, Voyager Mobile has a handful of phones to choose from, including a basic flip phone as well as Windows Phone and Android smartphones, all of which are contract-free. The LG Optimus S is available from Voyager for $219 while the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch is available for $549 for customers that want something a little more high-end. Voyager also plans to offer USB sticks, MiFis and tablets soon, promising that they'll be unlimited as well. It's also worth noting that Voyager Mobile is currently only selling plans and devices to 22 states, but the operator does say that it's adding more states to the list regularly.

So there's Voyager Mobile. With a pair of plan options and a selection of Android smartphones (as well as the Windows Phone-powered HTC Arrive), Voyager may be worth looking into if you're looking to switch to a prepaid operator and happen to be located in one of the 22 states where it's already selling service. If you fit that criteria, you can find more information by hitting up the Voyager Mobile link below. Be sure to let us know if any of you decide to pull the trigger and make the jump to Voyager!

Via All Things D, Voyager Mobile

U.K.’s Waterstones Scraps Plans to Release Own E-Reader, Will Sell Kindles Instead

2012-05-21T18:53:00.004+01:00

Waterstones, the U.K.’s biggest bookseller, has scrapped plans to launch its own e-reader lineup and decided to partner up with Amazon to sell Kindle devices instead.

The move will see Kindle e-readers introduced to over 300 Waterstones stores throughout the U.K. as part of the retailer’s big refurbishment. In many stores, Amazon’s device will get a dedicated Kindle section that will be kitted out with free Wi-Fi and in-store coffee shops.

It also signals the end of Waterstones’ plans to release an e-reader of its own, which was promised to be “substantially better” than “that of its Internet rival.” But one analyst believes this move will be beneficial to both Amazon and Waterstones. Douglas McCabe from Enders Analysis told the BBC:

“Kindle has a massive market share of digital book reading in the UK, and Waterstones will start to take a cut of it.

“However, for all its success, Amazon does not have a solution for ‘discovery’ in physical or digital [books] that even comes close to the merchandising skills inside a branch of Waterstones.”

For consumers, this seems like a great move. You’ll now be able to browse and buy Kindle devices in your local Waterstones, and with very little details on Waterstones own device anyway, it’s unlikely you’re going to be disappointed that that’s now scrapped.

Are you pleased that Waterstones will be selling the Kindle?

[via The Next Web]

iOS 5.1.1 Untethered Jailbreak Just Days Away From Public Release

2012-05-21T18:52:00.001+01:00

If you’re the owner of an iOS device and you’ve been installing Apple’s latest software updates, you’ve probably been waiting for the latest untethered jailbreak for many, many months. But thankfully that wait is nearly over.

Chronic Dev Team member Pod2g has confirmed on Twitter that the latest iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak is “near ready for a release,” and that it is just a “matter of days” away from its public debut. Some believe the software will be launched at this year’s “Hack in the Box” conference, which kicks off today in Amsterdam.

Named “Absinthe 2.0,” the jailbreak will be the first major release since the original Absinthe software, which was the first to jailbreak the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2. Furthermore, almost every single iOS device will be supported, including:

Phone 3GS

iPhone 4

iPhone 4 CDMA

iPhone 4S

iPad 1

iPad 2 Wifi

iPad 2 GSM

iPad 2 CDMA

iPad 3 Wifi

iPad 3 CDMA

iPod 3G

iPod 4G

Pod2g also noted that the second-generation Apple TV should also be supported, though it hasn’t been tested yet. The only device that isn’t supported by the hack, then, is the third-generation Apple TV.

If previous jailbreaks are anything to go by, you can expect the latest Absinthe release to hit the Mac initially, followed by releases for Windows and Linux machines a little later on.

Will you be using Absinthe 2.0 to jailbreak your iOS devices?

[via Cult of Mac]

About.me Releases Public API, SDK At Disrupt, Now Integrates With Reputation, Smarterer, Forkly, Kred And Showyou

2012-05-21T18:51:00.003+01:00

About.Me is set to get a bit more social. The AOL-owned property just released a public API and SDK into the wild in partnership with Reputation.com, Smarterer, Forkly, Kred and Showyou. While the online profile site already worked with most popular social platforms, today’s announcement is huge for both about.me and their legions of users. Plus, for attendees of Disrupt NYC this week, the company is celebrating the news by having a professional photographer on hand to help create free killer profile pics.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. About.me collects a user’s various online identifies and puts them in a single (and beautiful) location. Think of it a splash page for your identity online. Instead of directing people to various locations like LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram, the idea is to just send them to your about.me page, which neatly collates the rest of your accounts. Here’s mine. I think it’s lovely and only took about five minutes to make.

Today’s news makes the first time that about.me has opened up for outside development. Tony Conrad, Ryan Freitas and Tim Young launched the company in 2010, which was then acquired by AOL, TechCrunch’s parent company, a mere four days later. Since then, the company had reserved its API for internal use only.

The company foresees its API to be used as an alternative to the traditionally painful task of creating user profiles. For example, if a particular service implements this system, with just one click, the profile will be created automatically from pulling the info from about.me. With the SDK, platforms can add their badge to about.me’s profile pages. As about.me’s Ryan Fuiji explained to me at Disrupt, Smarterer, a launch partner, will integrate test scores on the about.me badge and Kred will display their influence data as well.

But there’s still a fundamental problem with the gorgeous about.me layouts: A lot of potential users might not have access to a high-quality user profile images. I only have the one. Thankfully it shows my good side. However, for attendees of Disrupt NYC 2012, about.me is here to help. The company hired a professional photographer that will be around the show Monday through Wednesday. Stop by and get a great looking pic for your about.me profile page.

Motorola Mobility Says $12.5B Google Deal To Close Tuesday Or Wednesday. Layoffs Coming?

2012-05-21T18:49:00.003+01:00

Google has reached the final regulatory hurdle to its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, with China approving the transaction over the weekend, and today Motorola Mobility filed an 8-K form that notes that it will close in the next two business days.

So what happens next? A “listening tour,” a source tells us, with new management visiting the whole of the operation, “seeing what everyone does, then making decisions.” One decision that may be close at hand has to do with headcount: we have heard that there will be layoffs coming imminently. At the same time, more details are emerging about the conditions that China put on the deal: they include a guarantee that Android would remain free and open source for the next five years.

Motorola’s statement today noted that the approval from the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce of China came on May 19, 2012, as we reported earlier. ”As the transaction has now received all required regulatory approvals, the companies are moving to close the transaction within two business days,” it notes.

Motorola’s statement to the market today does not cover restructuring, and Google declined to comment on what we heard.

However, there is a precedent. When Google bought DoubleClick, which had a mere 1,600 employees, it had a mandate to cut 40 percent of that staff. Motorola Mobility, at the time of the Google acquisition announcement last year, had 19,000 employees. It has, however, been going through restructuring already that has been reducing that number, laying off 800 people at the end of October 2011. At the time, Motorola said this was part of a wider restructuring not related to the Google deal but ongoing cost-cutting plans.

Motorola and Google have not confirmed who will be heading up its Motorola operations. In February, Google put its head of Americas, Dennis Woodside, to oversee the merger, and so he is being tipped to head the whole operation after the deal closes, although others have tipped Nikesh Arora, Google’s Chief Business Officer, to lead the operation.

China’s approval of the deal and the inclusion of the Android guarantee points to how central that operating system has become to Chinese smartphone market. In both official Android and forked forms, it has become the most popular platform — in part because its free licensing allows for companies to make devices as cheap as possible.

Comcast Is Finally Rolling Out The X1, Its Set-top Box In The Cloud

2012-05-21T18:48:00.002+01:00

Comcast announced Monday that it will make its newest set-top box available in Boston over the coming weeks, with a rollout planned across the entire country later this year. It’s also introducing a mobile app to control the set-top box from the iPhone or iPad.

The new set-top box comes after several years of development. Comcast has been working hard to develop a new set-top box that would take all of the smarts out of the box and put it in the network, essentially allowing the cable provider to launch new services and update the new features without having to totally rewrite applications or push out new firmware.

With the X1, all the processing is done in the network. That will give Comcast the flexibility to quickly test and create new apps for customers, without having to worry about how outdated its set-top boxes are. It will also provide more personalized features, such as allowing customers to see which shows their Facebook friends are watching.

The new X1 iOS app will improve navigation on the set-top box, allowing subscribers to use the virtual keyboard to search through all the live and on-demand channels more efficiently than using a traditional remote control. Users can also filter by genre and interact with other social media apps.

Anyway, here’s how cool I think this thing is: I haven’t been a cable subscriber for at least a year and a half, but I might just have to sign up again, just to try out the X1. So bring this thing to San Francisco, Comcast, and I’ll pay for cable TV again.

Xfire Raises $3M To Expand Gamer Social Networking In Asia

2012-05-21T18:47:00.002+01:00

Xfire, which offers social networking tools for gamers, just announced that it has raised $3 million in new funding.

The round was led by Singapore-based IDM Venture Capital. It’s apparently targeted specifically at expanding Xfire’s presence in Asia — the company recently announced that it’s partnering with China Youth Goyor Technology company to bring its services into the Chinese market.

The company’s services include a gamer profile, in-game voice and instant messaging, and live broadcasting. It has changed hands several times in the past few years, getting acquired by Viacom in 2006, then by Titan Gaming in 2010. Xfire became independent again last fall. At that time it also raised $4 million from Intel Capital and others.

Xfire says this funding will probably be part of a larger round.

As The End Of Google Docs Draws Near, Google Asks Stragglers To Transition To Google Drive

2012-05-21T18:46:00.003+01:00

Google always pitched Google Drive, which launched in April after a considerable period of hype, as a replacement for Google Docs. What many users didn’t realize, it seems, is that Google will indeed completely replace Google Docs with Drive later this year. While Drive is still opt-in at this time, it looks like the forced transition is coming soon, as Google has started to alert users that their Google Docs account will soon be “upgraded to Google Drive.”

What’s coming next, according to Google’s official transition documents, is an opt-out phase similar to what the company has done when it transitioned to the new Gmail interface recently. Judging from the messages that many users are now seeing in Google Docs, this phase is going to start soon.

Finally, Google says, “users will be fully transitioned to Google Drive, with no ability to opt out.” Overall, Google expects the transition from what it calls the “Google Documents List” to Google Drive by late summer 2012.

Given that Google Drive is essentially an upgrade to Google Docs with more storage and functionality, chances are most users won’t mind the transition. Unlike the rather controversial Gmail design changes lately (and Google’s move to add Google+ to each and every one of its products), Google Drive is generally perceived to be a genuine upgrade to Docs. Still, there will always be a contingent of users who would prefer the status quo.

Facebook Shares Slide Nearly 12% To $33.76 On Second Trading Day After IPO

2012-05-21T18:45:00.005+01:00

Facebook shares dropped nearly 12 percent to $33.76 — below the company’s final $38 price in the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering last week. Today is an interesting test for Facebook’s worth because the company’s shares will no longer be supported as heavily by the IPO’s lead underwriter Morgan Stanley.

Facebook’s performance today may further stoke the debate over whether its IPO was priced well. To save face on Friday, Morgan Stanley had to step in to make sure that Facebook shares didn’t close below their opening price. There were also irregularities in trading on NASDAQ as some buyers had to wait hours to know whether their orders had been filled. The company’s market cap is now around $92.7 billion, down from the $104 billion valuation the company opened with last week.

That said, the real test will be over the long haul. Can Facebook prove its worth over the many years to come with more display ad and payments revenue? At Friday’s closing market cap of $104.8 billion, Facebook is worth more than one hundred times last year’s net income. Plus its revenue dipped quarter-over-quarter for the first time in the beginning of this year.

Over the weekend, there was a raging debate about whether the banks underwriting Facebook’s IPO pushed the offer price too high to $38. The financial press including The Wall Street Journal,Bloomberg focused on the fact that Morgan Stanley had to support Facebook’s shares above the $38 line.

Fortune’s Dan Primack and others VC’s like Benchmark’s Bill Gurley and the guest post on TechCrunch this morning from Trinity’s Dan Scholnick argue that the IPO went off fantastically well for Facebook. Because shares didn’t pop dramatically higher than the $38 offer price, it’s a sign that the company got the most capital it could out of the IPO and didn’t leave any money on the table. They also savvily negotiated the underwriters’ fees down to about 1 percent.

These are all essentially shades of gray. Facebook’s performance today will be fascinating to watch. But again, it’s just one day in the long life of a company. It’s up to Facebook to show that it is worth a lot more.

That’s a sentiment that was echoed by Union Square Ventures’ managing partner Fred Wilson this morning at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York. He said, “The price of Facebook isn’t that important. Mark built an incredible organization. I don’t care whether it’s trading at $25 or 35.”

Facebook’s performance is probably affecting tech stocks across the board. This morning, Zynga’s shares are off 7 percent to $6.65 and LinkedIn is down 6.4 percent to $92.65.

B-Ball, Travel, And Spoilers, Oh My! Hulu’s New Slate Of Exclusives and Originals

2012-05-21T18:44:00.000+01:00

Hulu announced a new slate of original and exclusive programming Monday morning, as the video site ventures further into creating its own content. For Hulu, it’s a way to begin controlling its own destiny and distinguishing itself from all the content produced by parents and part-owners Fox, NBC and Disney.

For its originals, Hulu is teaming up with Hollywood big shots like Kevin Smith and Richard Linklater. Smith will work on a show called Spoilers, which will invite movie fans to discuss all the biggest movies being released. Linklater’s Up To Speed is a travel show built around Speed Levitch (you might remember him from Linklater’s Waking Life, if you’re into that sort of thing) and his travels around the world. And We Got Next, a bro-mantic comedy set in a basketball gym? Ok, maybe I’m kind of interested.

That’s it for the originals… Hulu is also getting an exclusive set of series that were produced by others. Its summer exclusives include:

Rev. – Follows the Rev. Adam Smallbone, who moved from a sleepy, rural parish to the busy, inner-city world of St. Saviour’s in East London.
The Yard – A mockumentary miniseries that juxtaposes two rival cliques of elementary school children. Originally appeared on HBO Canada.
Derren Brown: Inside Your Mind – Follows Derren Brown, a performer who uses psychology, magic, showmanship and suggestion to mess with people.
The Booth at the End – All about an enigmatic character played by Xander Berkeley, who occupies the corner booth of a diner. Riveting.
Pramface – Follows the lives of Jamie and Laura, two young, free and single teenagers who hook up at a party and end up getting Laura pregnant. Like Knocked Up for teenagers.
The Promise – A four-part political thriller and love story that examines the origins of the Middle East conflict in events that took place under British rule sixty years ago.
Little Mosque – A light-hearted, comedic fish-out-of-water tale about a small Muslim community that rents the parish hall of a small town church to use as a mosque.

The new original and exclusive programming will debut during the summer, a time when TV programming from the broadcast networks begins to slow down. That might be able to help Hulu, which tends to see a seasonal dip in viewership.

Of course, Hulu isn’t the only one signing up new original content and exclusive access to series online. Netflix also is making a big push for original content with series from the likes of David Fincher, horror master Eli Roth, Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, and the triumphant return of Arrested Development. YouTube is also spending more than $100 million on about 100 channels of new, original programming. Yahoo and AOL have also announced their own slates of original programming, hoping to cash in on growing interest for streaming video.

HTC Phones is Slowly Beginning to be Released by U.S. Customs

2012-05-21T18:42:00.000+01:00

Good news for those looking for out-of-stock HTC phones: U.S. customs have started releasing them.

A statement released on the HTC Investment Site this evening states that U.S. customs has begun releasingsome of the phones that were held up for inspection last week.

Each imported HTC model must be reviewed by Customs and will be released once Customs officials have completed the inspection. Some models have gone through inspection and been released to our carriers customers. We don’t have the status of each specific device model at this time, but we are working closely with Customs. We remain confident that this issue will be resolved soon.

HTC has not yet detailed which phones have been released, but we’re sure a more official statement will be coming in the near future. We have reached out to HTC for comment and will update as soon as we can.

Samsung Mobile Chief Sees Some Hope in the Patent Wars with Apple

2012-05-21T18:40:00.005+01:00

On the eve of court-mandated talks between Apple and Samsung, the Korean manufacturer offers a glimmer of hope.

Under orders from Judge Lucy Koh from the Northern District of California, the two companies are to spend Monday and Tuesday of this week in discussions in hopes of resolving the numerous patent suits that are pending between them. As he prepared to depart for the United States, Samsung Electronics’ mobile division chief JK Shin stopped to speak with reporters at Seoul’s airport according to Reuters. ”There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing,” Shin said.

Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung and Apple CEO Tim Cook will meet at 9:30 AM local time tomorrow in a San Francisco court to begin their talks that will be overseen by Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero.

[via Reuters]

Samsung S III VS iPhone 4S

2012-05-20T18:33:00.004+01:00

Introduction:

Always a difficult decision, choosing between the latest and greatest Android phone or the latest and greatest iPhone is a problem that every smartphone user faces at one point or another. Thankfully, the key to solving that problem isn't that far away when you know what to look for. Having both the Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 4S here with us, we thought that we absolutely have to pit these two ambitious guys against each other in order to make it easier for you to determine if you are more of a Galaxy S or iPhone user. Please let us kill the suspense from the very beginning – the Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S are so different and excellent in their own way, there isn't an ultimate “better” phone. For each of us, the better choice would be different as we're all looking for different things. Our comparison between the Galaxy S III and One X achieved its goal of pointing out the ultimate Android phone. However, it is now time to venture out of the Android zone and get the attention back to the notorious OS wars.

Design:

There can't be two handsets more different when it comes to their appearance than the Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S. There's no doubt that the iPhone excels with its solid glass and steel construction, which makes the GS III look a bit toyish compared to it.


The Samsung Galaxy S III (left) and the Apple iPhone 4S (right)

Obviously, it's going to be much more comfortable to deal with a compact smartphone like the iPhone 4S, which allows you to reach even the opposite end of the screen just by using one hand only. In contrast, the large dimensions of the Galaxy S III make it more difficult to handle and operate. There's also the fact that with the GS III, you can often press its capacitive menu or back keys by accident, whereas such a thing is impossible to do on the iPhone, since it simply lacks such keys.


Bottom edges	Left	Top

Right	Backs	Rear cameras
The sides of the Samsung Galaxy S III (bottom, left) and the Apple iPhone 4S (top, right)

Display:

The Samsung Galaxy S III, being a Samsung handset, uses the HD Super AMOLED tech, while the Apple iPhone 4S sticks to the oldie-but-goodie IPS-LCD. Although the IPS-LCD panel of the iPhone is much better in terms of contrast and color, compared to the old LCD tech, it can't really compare with the absolutely amazing contrast level and ultra-saturation of the Super AMOLED screen, which looks much more striking. However, the IPS-LCD display is closer to reality, due to the cold color temperature of the AMOLED-powered Galaxy S III screen.

The screen size is one of the main differences between the Galaxy S III and iPhone 4S. Most of you probably know that the iPhone's display measures 3.5”, while the GS III comes with a gigantic 4.8” one. Obviously, if you consume a lot of multimedia on your phone, the Galaxy S III will have a great advantage thanks to its much bigger screen.

Even though it packs more pixels, the display of the GS III has a lower pixel density (306 ppi), compared to the iPhone 4S (330 ppi), due to the larger physical size. And while the iPhone's display is superior in this respect, the difference doesn't really have a dramatic effect on your viewing experience.

Interface:

The Galaxy S III is an Android 4 ICS phone, which has Samsung's proprietary TouchWiz Nature UX on top of the OS UI. This proprietary UI is here to differentiate and enhance the software found on the device with a number of new features that are otherwise not found on other Android handsets. Good examples worth mentioning here are S Voice and SmartStay. The former is a Siri-like voice recognition service, while the latter is a cool function which allows the phone to use its front facing camera to track your eyes. If it determines that you're still looking at the display of the phone, it keeps it active; if you appear to be no longer looking at the screen, once the set display time-out period ends, the screen will be turned off.


The Samsung Galaxy S III comes with Android 4 ICS

Meanwhile, the iPhone 4S runs on the latest iOS 5 version. Its user interface is more simplistic, as it presents you with a grid of icons (your apps), and that's pretty much it. There are no widgets like in Android, that could provide you with information right from the home screen. In iOS, you have to start a certain app in order to find what you're looking for. An exception here is the weather forecast, as in iOS 5, Apple added an Android-like pull-down status bar, which houses a weather widget. As far as special features go, the iPhone 4S has Siri, which is the same as S Voice, but it doesn't sport a SmartStay-like feature. It does, however, have iCloud, which lets you back up app settings, photos, music, contacts and so on on Apple's servers. Samsung's S Cloud will be the company's alternative cloud offering, but it's not yet ready for prime time.


The Apple iPhone 4S runs on the latest iOS 5 version

Overall, the open nature of the Android OS on the Galaxy S III will allow you to do pretty much anything with the phone. You can basically do almost the same kind of stuff that you do on your PC – download torrents, directly transfer files via USB cable, etc. There are all things that aren't really permitted in iOS, where everything has to go through the iTunes program on your computer. In exchange for your digital freedom, Apple gives you a richer content ecosystem including apps, movies, music, books, magazines, etc.

Messaging:

Thanks to its significantly larger display, the Galaxy S III will be the more comfortable phone to type on if you happen to experience problems hitting those tiny letter keys. Still, you shouldn't expect a dramatic speed increase, since the iPhone 4S's keyboard is extremely well designed to allow for comfortable typing.


The on-screen keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy S III


The on-screen keyboard of the Apple iPhone 4S

Internet:

The browsers of the Samsung Galaxy S III and Apple iPhone 4S are extremely capable. Both are incredibly fast and fluid, but the Galaxy S III has the advantage of supporting the Adobe Flash Player, while Flash on the iPhone is almost non-existent. It's true that pretty much every major site now has a Flash-free version, but why not enjoy the more beautiful Flash experience if we can?


The web browser of the Samsung Galaxy S III

The iPhone 4S is a world phone. Users around the world, including the U.S. are treated to pretty much the same device, things are a bit more inconsistent with the GS III. When the U.S. versions of the Galaxy S III are finally made announced, most of them will probably differ from one another in some way. One thing is for sure, the Verizon, Sprint and AT&T versions (if there are such) will most probably have LTE support, while the iPhone is still stuck with HSPA.


Web browsing on the Apple iPhone 4S

Processor and memory:

The Galaxy S III sports a quad-core processor, which is clocked at a higher frequency than the dual-core CPU of the iPhone 4S. This doesn't really matter in this case, since we are making a cross-platform comparison. It actually would have mattered, if the performance was different on both devices, but they both run super-fluidly, without any delays or slowdowns, they are pretty much equal in this respect.

Both the GS III and iPhone 4S come in 16, 32 or 64 GB flavors, but the Galaxy S III lets you install a microSDXC card for up to 64 GB more, giving it the edge if you really need such amounts of space.

Camera:

Samsung has always made sure that there's a plethora of settings in the camera program of its handsets, and the case with the Galaxy S III is not different. You can tweak pretty much everything from the resolution through the ISO sensitivity to the focusing mode. With the iPhone 4S, you can simply choose whether to enable HDR mode or not, and that's that.


Camera interface of the Samsung Galaxy S III


Camera interface of the Apple iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S manages to capture slightly better images with its 8MP iSight camera. Their advantage is mostly found with the higher level of detail and slightly better exposure. The pictures of the Galaxy S III aren't that far behind, though, as it's also a wonderful camera phone. It's the opposite when it comes to the 1080p video that these guys record. Although the sound captured through the microphone of the iPhone 4S is better, the video itself looks better from the Galaxy S III, due to being sharper. Otherwise, color reproduction is the same on the two phones.

Multimedia:

The Samsung Galaxy S III is definitely the better phone when it comes to the multimedia experience, and it bests the iPhone in both the hardware and software aspects here.

Although the iPhone 4S has a more mature content ecosystem, the Galaxy S III gives you the convenience to easily transfer your files to the phone, and then enjoy them on the much larger Super AMOLED screen. When you factor in the presence of a microSDXC card slot, it also becomes clear that you'll be able to store more stuff on the GS III.

There really isn't so much of a difference in the music players of both device, but we do like that fact that the GS III has all of the settings placed within the actual music player, whereas with the iPhone 4S, you always have to exit the music player, open the Settings app and navigate to the music settings if you want to tweak something.


The built-in music player of the Samsung Galaxy S III


The music player of the Apple iPhone 4S

Performance:

The iPhone 4S proved to be a bit more inconsistent with its sounding during phone calls, while the GS III really impressed us with the loud and relatively clear tones emitted through its earpiece. Both handsets sound very good on the outgoing end. The Galaxy S III again has a slight edge thanks to its flawless noise-cancellation technology, which eliminates pretty much any ambient noise.

On the other hand, the Apple iPhone 4S'sloudspeaker does sound louder and clearer compared to the one of the Galaxy S III, which is on the weaker side.

The iPhone 4S is rated to provide 8 hours of 3G talk-time, as well as 8.3 days of stand-by. Unfortunately, Samsung hasn't announced any specific numbers regarding the battery life of the Galaxy S III. With moderate use, you should be able to get about 2 days out of the Galaxy S III, while the iPhone 4S may last slightly longer, due to the more power-efficient software and smaller screen. With heavy usage, you'll hardly get more than a day from the Galaxy S III, and a day and a half from the iPhone 4S. However, this is all hypothetic, as the battery life of a smartphone depends on numerous factors, including coverage, how much time you spend connected to a 3G/4G network and how much to Wi-Fi, what apps you use, etc., etc., so don't give it too much thought.

Conclusion:

As we stated in the beginning, this is one of those fights which could last for an eternity, because each of the opponents is the best in its own way. However, as we break things down, it should become clear to you which way you want to go.

There shouldn't be any doubt that the iPhone 4S is the better-designed handset. With striking visuals and premium written all over it, this is a phone that you won't be embarrassed to put on the table. Quite the contrary, you might want to put it there, as it has turned into a status symbol. The design of the Galaxy S III, on the other hand, caters to the needs of the hardcore crowd, thanks to its large display that makes enjoying multimedia that much more fun.

Apart from its multimedia superiority, the Galaxy S III is also the better phone if you love tinkering with the software of your mobile device. Are you of the type that is constantly looking for ways to personalize their computing devices, including their cell phone? Do you find it cool to install custom ROMs and/or overclock the processor of your handset, just to see how far you can go? If the answer to at least one of those questions is a resounding YES!, then you, our friend, absolutely need to get a Samsung Galaxy S III. We guarantee that you'll love it.

And who should get the iPhone 4S? Apparently, those guys would be the kind of users who don't really pay so much attention to their smartphone, but still want something that's contemporary and reliable. Are your needs limited to the basic phone stuff, surfing the web, occasional social network check and maybe even playing a game every now and then, but you have no intention of spending hours of rooting, flashing ROMs and searching for the ultimate widget set? Well, you guessed it you'll be better off with the iPhone 4S, as it's designed just for you, buddy.

Now, let the intelligent and level-headed discussion begin!

SmokedbyWindowsPhone takes over the city of Toronto

2012-05-20T18:30:00.003+01:00

One of the most interesting promotions in the mobile phone industry, #SmokedbyWindowsPhone, went on the road to the city most often used by the motion picture industry to portray the Big Apple. We are talking about Toronto, of course. The current prize for beating Windows Phone is $100 and most walked away without the prize and either a new found respect for Microsoft's mobile OS, or else a feeling that someone cheated.

Check out the video below of a young man named Corey putting up his Apple iPhone 4S against a Nokia Lumia 900. The task was to find a list of local GTA eateries and the Nokia Lumia 900 handled it faster by coming up with a listing of a Tim Hortons restaurant before Corey even had opened his map application. Microsoft originally gave out new Windows Phone handsets to the losers until it was discovered that some were losing on purpose in order to snag a free phone.

According to Mobile Syrup, the crowd consisted mostly of BlackBerry users (it WAS Canada, after all), Apple iPhone owners and those clutching their Android handsets. The site noted that very few in the crowd had heard of Windows Phone and an even fewer number were carrying one around. Can a promotion like this one garner enough word of mouth for Windows Phone to help it become a stronger competitor?

One interesting note. The video of the contest that you can view below was taken on an Android powered HTC One X.

source: MobileSyrup

'Nokia Reading' now available for all non-U.S. Nokia Lumia Windows Phone models

2012-05-20T18:29:00.003+01:00

The app is available on the Nokia Lumia 610

Last week Nokia pulled the curtain back a little on its 'Nokia Reader' application. The reading hub and bookstore is now available for free in the Nokia Collection of the Windows Phone Marketplace. The app can be installed in non-U.S. models of the Nokia Lumia series in such locations as France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the U.K. and will slowly be added to other markets as the year progresses. The application is supported by all versions of the Nokia Lumia that have been released so far such as the Nokia Lumia 610, 710, 800 and 900 models.

Nokia Reading will offer books popular in local markets, but also books in English that have made the best-seller list. Since the Amazon Kindle app is not available to those using Windows Phone, 'Nokia Reading' takes its place and allows those in non-English speaking regions (where eBook sales have been traditionally low) to have easier access to digital books. Additionally, for those who enjoy the classics, many of them will be available for free.

The books will be divided up by genre or by popularity and can be displayed as black print on a white background or as white print on a black background. The latter will save wear and tear on your battery life. It is believed that licensing problems are keeping the app from being offered in the States.

source: Nokia Communications


Nokia Reading is now available on all non-U.S. Nokia Lumia models

RIM's BlackBerry Music Gateway is setting its eyes for an arrival in June for $49.99Black

2012-05-20T18:28:00.002+01:00

As June quickly approaches, RIM is aiming to complement its existing line of BlackBerry devices, like the Bold 9900 and PlayBook, by bringing to market itsBlackBerry Music Gateway.

No doubt something that’ll be particularly interesting to grads and dads that have a soft spot for all things music, the BlackBerry Music Gateway provides the ability to wirelessly stream songs from their BlackBerry device, to a home or car stereo system. Not only does it connect with devices via Bluetooth connectivity, but the Music Gateway has the advantageous ability to quickly pair with devices that are NFC enabled. Essentially, all you’ll have to do is tap your NFC enabled BlackBerry, and voila, instant pairing without all of the hassles.

At heart, it’ll obviously provide owners the ability to stream songs that are stored locally on a BlackBerry, and even better, it can also steam music from other apps such as BBM Music, Pandora, or Slacker Radio. Naturally, you’ll need to stay within approximately 30 feet away from the Music Gateway in order to maintain a connection, but anywhere in between, you’ll have full control of what’s being played.

Despite lacking concrete date for its release, the BlackBerry Music Gateway is mentioned to arrive sometime in June for $49.99. Therefore if you’re looking for a gift for a dad or grad, especially those who happen to have a thing for music, you should keep this one in for consideration.

Samsung Galaxy S III vs HTC One X

2012-05-20T18:27:00.001+01:00

Introduction:

The HTC One X was the first new-generation Android smartphone to come out this year. It introduced us to a new kind of Android experience – one powered by an ultra-fast quad-core processor. Moreover, it helped HTC become relevant again, after a brief period of slowdown in innovation that caused the company a few disappointing quarters. Until now, the One X was pretty much the go-to phone if a user wanted one of these new Android marvels, equipped with an extremely large screen and the latest silicon inside. With the recent introduction of theSamsung Galaxy S III, though, things are going to get much more interesting. While HTC has always been a leader in the Android sector, even its best phones have always been in the shadow of Samsung's Galaxy S series, at least in terms of popularity. Thanks to their relatively close launch timings, we now have a perfect opportunity to pit these two powerhouses against each other.

Take a deep breath, people, as what follows is the most epic Android clash for the first half of the year – the Samsung Galaxy S III is facing the HTC One X!

Design:

Samsung and HTC have always had two completely different approaches regarding the design of their handsets. While the South Koreans have never really paid attention to those expensive materials that can make your phone feel like a tank, the Taiwanese from HTC have clearly been big fans of crafting devices that look better, and last longer. The same tendencies are found with their newest hits. On one hand, we have the Galaxy S III, which is made entirely of plastic, and feels a bit more generic when held in the hand. On the other, the One X is also made of plastic, but a higher quality one, giving it somewhat more refined look and feel.


	Android buttons
The Samsung Galaxy S III (left) and the HTC One X (right)


Right sides	Left	Top	Bottom
The Samsung Galaxy S III (bottom) and the HTC One X (top)

Design has always been a strength of HTC, and this is once again proven by the One X's impressive build quality. This, however, doesn't translate to how comfortable the phones are to hold. To tell you the truth, the Galaxy S III feels better in the hand, as its side edges are actually much smoother compared to those of the One X. Otherwise, both handsets are about the same size – no big difference between the two in that respect (meaning they are both very big).


Backs	Rear cameras
The Samsung Galaxy S III (left) and the HTC One X (right)

Display:

The radical differences between the two phones continue with their displays. The Galaxy S III, being a Samsung handset, is employing an HD Super AMOLED screen. In contrast, the HTC One X is sticking to good-old LCD, but in the significantly refined form of S-LCD 2. After our latest screen comparison, we concluded that the One X has the best phone display at this time, sporting very high levels of brightness, as well as saturated colors, with natural temperature. So, how does the PenTile-based HD Super AMOLED of the Galaxy S III compare to all that? Well, due to its AMOLED nature, the GS III's display is superior when it comes to color saturation and contrast. This screen can easily look spectacular and eye-catching – that's what it's best at. However, it is significantly colder than the One X. And thanks to its colors being saturated enough in order to guarantee an enjoyable picture, we'd consider the screen of the One X to be superior in terms of image quality.

As you know, both handsets sport HD resolution screens, so they both look incredibly crisp and clear. You might be wondering if the PenTile pixel arrangement of the Galaxy S III doesn't make it look a bit more pixelized. Well, there is a difference, but it is so small, that it can be easily neglected. In 99% of the time using the GS III, the effects of the PenTile matrix will not be noticed.

Interface:

With so many differences, one would think that there must be at least something that's the same the Galaxy S III and One X. Think again, as the gap between their offerings remains just as wide when it comes to their user experiences. Yeah, both devices run on Android 4 ICS, but the proprietary interfaces used by each company are very different.

The Galaxy S III comes with a new version of the TouchWiz, called TouchWiz Nature UX. The Nature UX is probably the best thing that has ever happened to TouchWiz, as the UI has become prettier and more polished than it used to be. Plus, Samsung has done well in getting rid of the clutter in the form of the numerous options that popped up here or there. Now, many of those options and settings are still there, but they are hidden much better, in a way that makes the basic part of the UI relatively intuitive and simple.


The Samsung Galaxy S III comes with TouchWiz Nature UX on top of Android 4 ICS

The improvements done to HTC's Sense UI have had a similar direction. With Sense 4.0, HTC wanted to create a much simpler, yet differentiated user experience, realizing that its interface had become way too cluttered. For the most part, the company has succeeded, but there still room for improvement. Basically, the area where HTC has failed is in making its UI straightforward and intuitive. Where Samsung has added a smart little tip that intros the user to a somewhat more advanced functionality of the device, HTC has chosen to put a fancy transition, often making the experience harder to understand.


The HTC One X runs Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, personalized with the new Sense 4 UI

Messaging:

Although both the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One X have very similarly sized screens, typing on theon-screen keyboard of the Galaxy S III is much more comfortable, because of its superior design (which is actually much more closed to the stock keyboard of ICS). Unfortunately, the keyboard of the One X is somewhat cluttered with additional buttons, and the specific color scheme doesn't make things as easy to see as they should be for comfortable fast typing to be possible.


The on-screen keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy S III


The on-screen keyboard of the HTC One X

Of course, you can always search for a third-party keyboard in Google Play to replace the built-in one, but this only shows that Samsung has gotten one more thing right, while HTC didn't.

Internet:

A flawless web browsing, especially then this involves the rendering of Flash content, requires top-notch hardware. Thankfully, both contenders here are equipped with more than enough system resources to handle extreme web browsing and provide a satisfying experience. Unfortunately, it's only the Galaxy S III that really succeeds in this, as the One X tends to be quite laggy when it comes to zooming. It literally takes a couple of seconds at times for the handset to re-flow and realign the text of a page once you've zoomed in. To make things even more disorienting, text re-flow is accompanied by a blink animation, the idea of which is probably to signal that the action is completed, but all it does is to confuse the user. And while the blinking can be turned off from the settings, the slow text re-flow continues. Unfortunately, third-party browsers are also performing sub-par on this phone.


The built-in browser of the HTC One X

In contrast, the Galaxy S III has an exceptional web browser, one of the very best that are on the market. It never stops to think for a second – everything happens smoothly and instantaneously. To top it off, Flash Player performance is amazing with this phone, ultimately proving the Galaxy S III to be the much better offering if you browse the web a lot using your phone.


The web browser of the Samsung Galaxy S III

Processor and memory:

The Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One X sport the best hardware out there.

On one hand, we have the Galaxy S III with its 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor. This is combined with the ARM Mali-400/MP4 GPU and a gig of RAM. It goes without saying that the system performance of the Galaxy S III is spectacular – everything is smooth and snappy.

On the other, there's the HTC One X using a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 SoC, also coupled with a gig of RAM. The One X also runs very smoothly, but there's a random slowdown observed every now and then, and Sense 4.0 doesn't really feel like the most stable user interface out there. During our testing, it restarted at least a few times, without any obvious reason.

	Quadrant Standard	AnTuTu	NenaMark 2
*Samsung Galaxy S III*	5335	12016	58,6
*HTC One X*	4848	11024	47,4

While the HTC One X comes with 32GB of built-in memory and no microSD card slot, the Galaxy S III comes in three variants: with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of internal memoery. In addition, it also offers the comfort of having a microSDXC card slot, which allows you to install a memory card of up to 64GB, if you happen to need more storage.

Camera:

While both phones come with plethora of settings in their camera applications, including the special burst/best shot mode, the Galaxy S III is the obvious winner in the camera department, because of the superior quality of its pictures. It simply manages to capture sharper, more detailed shots, with lower levels of noise at the same time.


Camera interface os the Samsung Galaxy S III


Camera interface of the HTC One X

The color balance is pretty good with both handsets, although colors in the One X's photos are often too saturated to be considered realistic. In addition, the GS III handles exposure better. In some situations, if you're shooting against the light, some object/details might entirely disappear on the One X, while in the photos of the Galaxy S III, they are still visible.

The Samsung Galaxy S III also shoots the better 1080p video. Detail level is about the same, but the GS III again manages to expose the whole scene a bit better. Where The S III really outshines the One X, though, is that it records video at the smooth 29 fps, while the One X is limited to 24 fps, making its video seem a bit more choppier.

Multimedia:

Obviously, both the Galaxy S III and the One X would be great companions when it comes to multimedia.

The One X puts a bit more focus on music playback through its integration with Beats Audio, that's why it might appeal more to those people who listen to a lot of music on their devices. Still, the Galaxy S III isn't really barebones in this respect as well, as it has a Sound Alive equalizer with many presets, which should let you achieve similar quality.


The built-in music player of the Samsung Galaxy S III


Beats Audio is available in the music player of the HTC One X

It's debatable which of the two offers better movie-watching capabilities. Both screens are almost equally big, and while the GS III is able to display some more vibrant colors, the One X is still not too far behind, keeping everything much more real at the same time. It will obviously be a matter of personal preference whether you'd select the HD Super AMOLED or S-LCD 2 experience.

Performance:

We'd prefer the Galaxy S III when it comes tophone calling. That's because its earpiece tends to be louder, while the voices sounding through it are also deeper, probably thanks to the special EQ that's implemented. Meanwhile, the One X isn't a bad device to use for phone calls, but it's a bit quieter and not as impressive with its quality.

Neither Samsung, nor HTC have announced official talk and stand-by times for the batteries inside the Galaxy S III and One X. The S III features a 2100mAh unit, while the One X sticks with a slightly more modest one of 1800mAh. This difference alone probably won't affect the battery life much, instead, it will largely depend on your usage pattern. For example, if you're doing pretty much everything on your phone, including email, browsing, calling, texting, gaming and so on, and if you do it a lot, then both handsets will need to be recharged at the end of each day. However, if you are more of a moderate user (and again, the definition of moderate will vary from user to user), then we can see the S III and X being capable of working for up to 2 days on a single charge.

All in all, if you aren't content with the battery life of your handset, try optimizing its power usage a bit by setting auto brightness on, lowering the brightness, quitting unnecessarily running apps, etc.

Conclusion:

Well, folks, it should have become clear by now that the Galaxy S III will once again rule the land of Android, at least until a better contender arrives on the scene. For now, however, the powerful HTC One X isn't capable enough to question its leadership. Although HTC's offering is arguably better when it comes to appearance and overall design, the Galaxy S III is unbeatable as far as user experience goes and that's what's more important. Why would you need a good-looking phone that takes mediocre images and video, and has a number of nasty issues in its software? Meanwhile, the Galaxy S III may not be the most beautiful phone ever, but it does everything right in terms of functionality, meaning it will cause you far less trouble during day-to-day usage.

Once again, HTC's finest will have to play second-best to the Galaxy S phone of the year.

HTC One X vs Samsung Galaxy Note

2012-05-20T18:22:00.002+01:00

Introduction:
The Samsung Galaxy Note bully is not just the record holder in screen size among high-end phones, it also comes with a baseball bat to crush the competition, in the form of a stylus. This actually puts it in a category of its own, but for the sake of the comparison with another giant - the HTC One X - we’ll pretend that size doesn’t matter.

Once you go big, you might never look back - valid as much for banks as for smartphones now. If you’d told us just two years ago that we will be comparing a phone with a 4.7” display to one with a 5.3-incher as if it’s no big deal, we’d be recommending a full mental checkup.

Yet here we are, comparing HTC’s high-end for the year - the One X - with the phone Samsung took a big risk with and won - the 5.3” Galaxy Note. We say won, since it has sold millions to date, backed by a lofty marketing campaign, whereas the HTC One X has only been around for a few weeks, but the Taiwanese already pledged that its One series trio will receive the best marketing attention the company’s ever done too.

So which one of these gigantic and expensive phones should tickle your fancy? Read on to find out...

Design:

The Samsung Galaxy Note is actually pretty well done in terms of size and weight, considering the display diagonal. It’s bearable if you have larger palms, but we won’t pretend that one-handed operation is viable on it with anything, including typing. The 5.3” size of the screen has other virtues, but the phone being comfortable to hold in not one of them. Thankfully the handset is less than 1mm thicker than the One X, so you can slip it in a back or even a baggy front pocket, but it’s way more suited for a purse or a handbag, which might explain why Samsung threw so much money to position it amongst women, and offering the Note in pink.


	Android buttons	Front-facing cameras
The HTC One X (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note (right)

The HTC One X is no small potatoes with its 4.7” screen either, but the so-called “Infiniti Display” is made to seem as if falling off the sides, despite the normal amount of bezel around it, and the phone is made of unibody polycarbonate, making it compact, light and durable. This brought along a sealed battery compartment, lack of microSD card slot and a micro SIM card, though, and those are easily accessible on the Note by just prying off the thin back cover over the 2500mAh battery, which is a huge plus.


Left	Right	Top	Bottom
The sides of the HTC One X (top) and the Samsung Galaxy Note (bottom)

The S Pen stylus is what drew many to the Note, and it’s not only from nostalgia. Stashed in the lower left corner of the back, it is unfortunately not very easy to draw out quickly, but you get used to it with time. There is no arguing that it is more natural to scribble down an address, reminder or a shopping list quickly on the huge screen of the Note than to type it on even the most comfortable on-screen keyboard, but in reality if that’s the only use you find for the Note’s stylus, you’d better look elsewhere. Samsung touts drawing design sketches, directions, floorplans and whatnot with it, so if that’s your thing, the Note is certainly for you.


Backs	Speaker grills	Rear cameras
The HTC One X (left) and the Samsung Galaxy Note (right)

The One X actually has a pretty cool Notes app, which allows you to doodle with your finger on the screen, and if you master it enough, it could serve as a partial substitute to the stylus frenzy around the Note.

Displays:

You have to be really picky to tell the PenTile pixel matrix arrangement on the Note with its 1280x800 pixels of resolution. You've got to stuff the phone in your face and examine solid colors like the green in the battery icon, or the red in Contacts up close and personal to notice an alternative pixel arrangement.

Yet the 4.7” Super LCD2 HD display on the HTC One X is one of the best, if not the best LCD screen on a smartphone we’ve seen to date. It just doesn’t have a weak spot. Granted, at first look the saturated colors of the HD Super AMOLED display on the Note are more appealing to the eye, but the colors on the One X are vibrant enough, too. Its contrast is very good as well, even though the blacks still look greyish compared to the infinite contrast of the AMOLED screen, which in its turn has the typical cold colors those Samsung screens exhibit.

Amazingly enough, the viewing angles are almost on par on both phones, but the One X has a huge advantage in terms of display brightness, which is pretty important if you want to use the phone comfortably outdoors. The Galaxy Note is brighter than the Galaxy S II, for instance, but no match for the luminous screen on the One X.

Motorola explains why some devices won't be updated to Android 4.0

2012-05-20T18:19:00.003+01:00

A couple of days ago, Motorola updated its Android 4.0 upgrade timeline. The refresh narrowed the Ice Cream Sandwich release window for several devices, but it also revealed that some will not be receiving an ICS bump and will instead stay on Android 2.3. Shortly after updating its schedule, Motorola posted a brief explanation on why devices like the DROID 3 and DROID X2 won't be updated to Android 4.0. The company explains that it wants an update to improve the device it's being pushed to, and if it decides that a particular update wouldn't accomplish that, it decides that it's unable to upgrade that product. Moto's full statement:

"You may be wondering why all devices aren’t being upgraded to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here’s the deal. We work very closely with Google and cell phone carriers for every software update. And, obviously we want the new release to improve our devices. If we determine that can’t be done—well then, we’re not able to upgrade that particular device."

While it's nice of Motorola to provide a statement on why some devices won't be updated to Android 4.0, I'm guessing that it won't placate many owners of devices like the DROID X2 and DROID 3. Both devices will likely see another non-ICS update or two, but it's still kind of a bummer for their users that these phones that are a year old or less won't be bumped up to Android 4.0. How many of you own a DROID 3 or DROID X2? What do you make of Motorola's statement on updates?

Via Android Central, Motorola