Waterproof Smartphone Duel: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active vs. Kyocera Hydro EDGE

Waterproof smartphones are not new; a variety of waterproof and liquid-resistant handhelds have been available for years. (So have a bunch of awkward accessories designed to waterproof any smartphone.) But the unique devices reached a new level of mainstream awareness following Samsung and AT&T's summer release of a waterproof version of the popular Galaxy S4 called the GS4 Active. 

What follows is a high-level look at both Kyocera Hydro EDGE and Samsung GS4 Active technical specifications, my thoughts on the most notable differences and, finally, a quick video in which I give the Hydro EDGE the dunktainer treatment.

Kyocera Hydro EDGE vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active: Tech Specs

Kyocera Hydro EDGE

How Waterproof?: Certified for IPX5 and IPX7 (IP57), which means the Hydro EDGE offers some protection against dust and debris and can be submersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet or 1 meter of water. (Read more about waterproof ratings on AndroidAuthority.com.)

Height: 4.9"

Weight: 4.5 oz., according to Boost Mobile; 4.9 oz., according to Sprint.

Width: 2.5"

Thickness: 0.39"

Display: 4" IPS, impact-resistant WVGA (800 x 480 pixel) touch screen with Asahi Dragontail glass

Camera: 5MP, auto-focus camera with flash and camcorder including "advanced" features such as panorama, HDR, facial recognition, smile/blink detection and burst mode settings.

Network: Sprint 3G

Selling Point: Kyocera Sonic Receiver Tech, which lets you "HEAR IN PLACES YOU NEVER COULD BEFORE." (Yes, Kyocera used all capital letters in its Hydro EDGE marketing material, presumably to let us know just how well you can hear people who speak in all capitals while using the Hydro EDGE.) With Smart Sonic Receiver tech, "sound transmits as vibrations that go directly into your eardrum;" "there's no speaker hole--the entire touchscreen is a sweet spot;" and "peak volume is 100db, which is the equivalent of hearing a jackhammer from 6.5 feet away."

Battery: 1600 mAh Removable Battery; 13 hours average talk time

Storage: 1 GB RAM/4 GB ROM

Processor: 1GHz dual-core

Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.1

Visit KyoceraSmartphones.com for more information on Hydro EDGE.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

How Waterproof?: Certified waterproof for IPX6 and IPX7 (IP67), which means the GS4 Active offers complete protection against dust and debris and can be submersed for up to 30 minutes in up to 3.28 feet or 1 meter of water.

Height: 5.5"

Weight: 5.39 oz.

Width: 2.8"

Thickness: 0.35"

Display: 5" FHD TFT (1920 x 1080 pixel) with Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Camera: 8MP rear; 2MP front; 4x digital optical zoom; auto focus; zero shutter lag; geo tagging; HD video recording; LED flash; various camera modes including, auto, aqua, night, sports, panorama, eraser, rich tone (HDR), and more.

Network: AT&T 4G LTE

Selling Points: A set of gestures that enable basic touch-free navigation; Support for NFC; Samsung S Beam; Wi-Fi Direct; and more.

Battery: 2600 mAh removable battery; up to 17 hours talk time

Storage: 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, with support for external microSD memory cards up to 64 GB

Processor: 1.9Ghz quad-core processor

Operating System: Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2

Availability: AT&T in the United States

Price: $199.99 with new two-year AT&T wireless service agreement

Visit Samsung.com for more information on GS4 Active tech specs.

SOURCE: CIO.COM

Smartphones for soldiers reach Afghan front line

IBM unveils new programming language for Synapse processors

IBM has updated its plans to create a computer system that mimics the human brain.

The Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics (SyNAPSE) project, will try to carry out tasks that the brain finds easy but are difficult for computers.

The project involves IBM researchers working alongside Cornell University and Inilabs. The latest stage will involve devising a programming language with $53 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

"We need augmentation, a symbiotic relationship with our machines - a partnership if you will - to help us cope and prosper as we go into the future."

IBM said that the new programming model “ breaks the mold of sequential operation underlying today's von Neumann architectures and computers. It is instead tailored for a new class of distributed, highly interconnected, asynchronous, parallel, large-scale cognitive computing architectures.”

Dr Dharmendra Modha, principal investigator and senior manager at IBM Research, said: “Architectures and programs are closely intertwined and a new architecture necessitates a new programming paradigm."

He added: “We are working to create a Fortran for synaptic computing chips. While complementing today’s computers, this will bring forth a fundamentally new technological capability in terms of programming and applying emerging learning systems.”

Work on the project will focus on refining the programming language for the SyNAPSE chip architecture first revealed by IBM in 2011. IBM has devised support technologies within the programming cycle to enable the new model.

These include a simulator comprised of a network of neurosynaptic cores; a neuron model that forms a fundamental information-processing unit of brain-like computation and a programming model based on reusable building blocks called ‘corelets,’ each representing “blueprint of a network of neurosynaptic cores that specifies a based-level function”.

There is also a program library, which stores more than 150 corelets. IBM has created a curriculum, dubbed a “laboratory” that will encompass information on applications, architecture, chip simulation, programming language and prototype design models.

The long-term goal of the project is to build a system with 10 billion neurons and one hundred trillion synapses, while consuming merely one kilowatt of power and occupying less than two litres of volume.

Analysts said that such projects have outclassed humans in all forms of games - such as IBM's project Watson -  and are now moving up the scale of medicine to displace doctors in fundamental diagnosis, treatment choice and aftercare.

Such systems still lack instinct, intuition, emotion, compassion, cognition and the very qualities that we associate with biological entities but would be necessary for humanity to continue and develop, according to Peter Cochrane, ex-CTO of BT and currently a futurologist and analyst at Cochrane Associates.

“We are trying to deal with an increasingly complex and chaotic world with biological brains that are fundamentally unsuited to the task. We can only deal with three to five variable/topics/tasks at a time – yet we live in a world where we are often faced with hundreds at the same time," he said. 

“We therefore need augmentation, a symbiotic relationship with our machines - a partnership if you will - to help us cope and prosper as we go into the future.” 

He added that humanity would be unlikely to survive without such a relationship. 

SOURCE:http://www.itpro.co.uk

Smartphones Outsell Feature Phones for First Time

Smartphone sales in the second quarter outpaced those of feature phones, the first time that has happened, according to a report published Wednesday.

Smartphones accounted for 51.8% of mobile phone sales globally,research firm Gartner said in the report. The growth, up 46.5% compared with the same quarter last year, is driven by sales in the sub-$100 Android market, said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. Basic phones that don’t carry the same level as technology as a smartphone are characterized as feature phones.

“We have seen that smartphones are starting from around $60 in 2013,” Gupta  said. “That was not the case in the same quarter in 2012; then it was $120 or maybe even higher. The gap between average feature-phone price and low-cost smartphone price has really closed in the last couple of quarters.”

This has helped push Google’s Android market share from 64.2% in the second quarter to just (79% in 2013. Apple‘s share slipped from 18.8% to 14.2% in the same period.

According to Gartner, Asia/Pacific, Latin America and Eastern Europe had the highest smartphone growth rates of 74.1%, 55.7% and 31.6%, respectively, compared with the same quarter in 2012.

In possibly the only good news for Nokia, Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system grew to 3.3%, passing BlackBerry, which saw its already small market share halved to just 2.7%. However, Nokia’s once mighty Symbian suffered an even more precipitous collapse, falling from 5.9% to just 0.3% in the same period.

According to Mr. Gupta, the explosive growth in the very bottom end of the market is problematic for Nokia. “If you compare Nokia to other players that are both feature phone and smartphone makers, Nokia is very exposed,” he said. “The growth in smartphones is coming from emerging markets. Nokia still does not have a full portfolio to meet users’ demand.”

He said Apple faces the same problem. “We are expecting then to enter a lower end device to help them penetrate into emerging markets, but will that really help them?” Apple is expected to announce a new,  lower-priced iPhone at an event on Sept. 10.

Samsung is the big winner, further entrenching its position as the world’s largest mobile phone maker. Its sales of smartphones grew 56%, and the company now accounts for nearly one in every three smartphone sales.

SOURCE: http://stream.wsj.com

N.Korea unveils 'secure, homemade' smartphone

North Korea, one of the most isolated and censored societies on the planet, has unveiled what it says is a domestically-produced smartphone.

Industry analysts say the "Arirang", built around Google's Android OS, is likely manufactured in neighbouring China, however.

The existence of the phone, named after a famous Korean folk song, came to light during a factory inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the weekend.

During the tour, Kim was given a detailed briefing on the "performance, quality and packing of the Arirang hand phone," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Some analysts suggest the "Arirang" is aimed at getting North Koreans to use an officially-approved phone that can be properly monitored.

While Internet access is virtually non-existent in North Korea, which comes bottom of any media freedom survey, the country is not a complete IT desert.

Cell phones were introduced in 2008 through a joint venture with the Egyptian telecom firm Orascom, which says there are now two million users in North Korea.

A domestic Intranet was launched in 2002 and some state bodies have their own websites.

It is a natural progression for an impoverished country desperate for investment, but in North Korea the economic imperative is always weighed against the potential for social disruption.

Subscribers to the sole cell phone system provider, Koryolink, can call each other, but not outside the country.

The Intranet is similarly cut off from the rest of the world, allowing its very limited number of users to exchange state-approved information and little more.

Access to the full-blown Internet is for the super-elite only, meaning a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most.

For all the regime's efforts, the information barrier erected around North Korea has, in recent years, begun to lose some of its prophylactic power.

Smuggled Chinese mobile phones allow people near the border to connect with Chinese servers and make international calls, while re-wired TVs allow access to outside broadcasting.

The KCNA report on Kim's factory visit noted that the young leader praised the "Arirang's" developers for coming up with a product that "provides the best convenience to the users while strictly guaranteeing security".

KCNA photos of the factory visit show workers with the finished phones, inspecting, testing and packing them. There are no pictures of an actual assembly line.

"Despite KCNA's reporting that the handsets are made at the factory, they are probably made to order by a Chinese manufacturer and shipped to the factory where they are inspected before going on sale," said Martyn Williams, who runs the North Korea Tech website.

Steven Millward on the Tech In Asia website reached the same conclusion.

"Possibly, the whole smartphone is made in China, and only the final boxing is done in the rather sparse plant that Kim Jong-Un toured," Millward said.

In February, a picture of Kim Jong-Un with a smartphone triggered fevered speculation about which brand was favoured by the leader of one of the world's most repressive nations.

After ruling out an Apple iPhone or a Galaxy from South Korea's Samsung, the consensus was an HTC phone made in Taiwan.



SOURCE: YAHOO.COM

Upcoming Tablets for the Month of August

Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 

 Released Date: August 11

Processor: 1.2GHz Quad-Core A7

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Lenovo MIIX 10 

Released Date: August 16

Processor: Intel Z2760

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HP SlateBook x2

Released Date: August 26

Processor: 1.8GHz Tegra 4

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HP Split x2

Released Date: August 26

Processor: Intel Core i3

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Samsung Ativ Q

Released Date: August
Processor: Intel i5 Haswell

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Archos ChefPad

Released Date: August
Processor: Dual-core A9

Best and Worst Thing of Samsung Ativ Tab 3

The best things about:

It’s the thinnest Windows 8 tablet on the market today at only 8.2 mm, and despite being a full Windows 8 tablet it’s still supposed to be affordable, it weighs 550 gram, which makes it the lightest 10.1-inch Windows 8 tablet too, it has a built in S-Pen stylus, Side Sync software (see below), microSD card expansion, microUSB, and microHDMI ports, Samsung have made their own thin keyboard cover to this tablet, it has a Windows 8 tablet class leading 10 hour battery life, and sports a decent 64GB of storage.

The worst things about it:
The 10.1-inch display only have a 1366×768 resolution which holds it back a little. The 1.8GHz Intel Atom Z2760 does not make this the most powerful tablet either, and 2GB of LPDDR2 RAM is a little on the mediocre/average side for a Windows 8 tablet – However, all the downsides are there to keep the cost down. So this could give the Samsung Ativ Tab 3 a better price eventually than the whopping $599 launch and release price.

View Price at AMAZON.COM

Hottest Phones You Can’t Buy Yet

Nokia Lumia EOS

We’ve heard rumors of two top-of-the-range Nokia phones already this year, the Lumia 920 replacement with the codename Catwalk and this, the EOS, which could house a top-notch PureView camera (possibly called the Lumia 1000). We’re featuring the EOS over the Catwalk because there’s a chance it’ll be Nokia’s attempt to capture our attention at Mobile World Congress, plus as the Lumia 920 is only a few months old, it’s a bit early to be talking about its sequel.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

The Galaxy S4 Mini is the little brother of the Galaxy S4 with many of the same functions, just slightly scaled back. Powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, it has a 4.3-inch, 960 x 540 pixel Super AMOLED screen, 1.5GB RAM, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 8GB storage. (Thankfully it does include a microSD slot, so you can expand the amount of file storage.) It operates on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

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LG Optimus G2

Thanks to Viral Phone, rumors about the LG Optimus G2 have finally given us the details we’ve been waiting for. Compatible with LTE Advance networks, the device will sport a 5.2-inch, 1920×1080 pixel HD screen powered by a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. It will run on 2GB RAM, operating on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, with a not-too-shabby 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. The company is expected to announce the phone in August, meaning it should be available by the fall.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom

The Galaxy Cam was a very cool device, but it stopped short of what we really wanted: a true camera phone. The Galaxy S4 Zoom picks up where it left off. Not only does this have a full 10x optical zoom, it’s also an impressive phone to boot. While it might be a little awkward to hold a phone with a giant lens on it up to your face, it can’t be much worse than trying to talk on one of the giant phablets that have become so popular. We can’t wait to try this one out.

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Yotaphone

It’s a little gimmicky, but still a fun phone nonetheless. For the most part, it’s pretty average: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, 4.3-inch, 720p display, 2GB RAM, 12-megapixel camera and TKGB internal storage. What makes this a standout device is the E Ink screen on the backside of the phone. It’s completely customizable and can be used as an energy efficient way to view your Twitter feed, the weather, push notifications, or even a favorite image to add a personal touch without needing a case. It’s currently available overseas and should make its way to the U.S. by the end of the year.

Asus New Tablets For 2013

Asus unveiled a range of four new tablet computers today, including a very exciting new dual-OS Android + Windows convertible/hybrid tablet, creating a machine with a lot of opportunities. Here’s the breakdown:

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Asus Transformer Book Trio

Transformer Book Trio is the most unique of the new tablets thanks to the dual operating systems it features. With the press of a button, you can opt between running this tablet as either a Android 4.2 device or a Windows 8 device. On top of that, this is also designed as a convertible/hybrid tablet, with all extra benefits this entails. 

The other specs are just as good. To begin with it has a 16:9 aspect ratio 11.6-inch IPS display with a 1920×1080 resolution. The dock/keyboard/PC Station has a 4th generation Intel Core i5/i7-4500U processor and a 750 GB hard drive. The reason why it’s called a “PC Station” is because this part of the device can function as a stand alone computer that can be connected to an external display when the tablet/display is detached, essentially giving you two computers.

The tablet itself has its own 2.0 GHz Intel Atom Z2580 processor with up to 64GB of storage. Release date of Transformer Book Trio is for the time being set to Q3 of 2013, with a more precise date to be announced by Asus later on.

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Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10

And then finally, Asus also showed us the new 10.1-inch MeMO Pad FHD 10.
As the name implies, this is a Full HD 1920×1200 resolution tablet, with IPS display and 178-degree wide viewing angles.

This Android 4.2 tablet is powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor, have the same 1.2 MP front camera and a 5 MP rear camera as its smaller sibling above, features Asus SonicMaster audio technology, have GPS and GLONASS sensors, and have a battery life of up to 10 hours.

It is only 9.5mm thick and weighs in at 580 gram. The memory configurations are either 16GB or 32GB + microSD card support. The back of the tablet have a “micro-weave finish” for increased grip, and the color options for the back are blue, white, or pink. Release date for Asus MeMO Pad FHD 10is set to September 2013, with the price to be announced later.

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Asus Transformer Pad Infinity

Being the first Android 4.2 tablet to feature the new NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor at a whopping 1.9GHz, in addition to sporting a 72-core GeForce graphics processor, the Transformer Pad Infinity is a fast new hybrid tablet that drives off the information super highway and onto the free-speed German autobahn instead, leaving its current competition in dust in the rear view mirror.

The 10.1-inch backlit LED display have an outstanding iPad-beating 2560×1600 resolution in addition to 10-point multi-touch and IPS technology with a 178-degree viewing angle. For sound, Asus have gone with their own SonicMaster-enhanced audio system.

Even the keyboard dock have a multi-touch touchpad, in addition to USB 3.0, an SDXC card reader, and of course extra battery power.

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Asus MeMO Pad HD 7

MeMO Pad HD 7 is a cheaper Nexus 7 alternative. To be released in August, this Android 4.2 tablet will start at only $129 with 8GB of memory, or $149 with 16GB (both have microSD support). For that money you get a 7-inch IPS display with a 1280×800 resolution and 170-degree viewing angles, a quad-core MTK 8125 ARM Cortex A7 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 1.2 MP front camera and a 5 MP rear camera, and Asus SonicMaster stereo sound technology.

It is 10.8mm thick and only weighs 302 gram, making it the lightest tablet on the market! It has a 10 hour battery life, and is available with a range of four color choices; black, white, pink or green. With a price like that, this has got to be the best budget tablet of the year!

Asus MeMO Pad HD 7

Included with both this tablet and the one below, is the Asus protective TransCover with microfiber interior to keep it safe from scratches. This cover also doubles as a flexible stand.

HTC Launches Smaller Flagship Phone

With One Mini, HTC becomes the latest phone maker to adopt the miniaturization trend.

The One Mini follows the same external design cues and ergonomic proportions of its bigger brother, the HTC One, and on the inside uses the same custom skin, Beats Audio technology, and user interface. However, the smaller device's size means that some internal components have had to be changed.

It has a 720p 4.3-inch display (instead of a 4.9-inch full HD screen). There's also less RAM (1GB) and a smaller dual core 1.4GHz processor, but it will still pack a sufficient punch to run any app currently available on Google Play and will be more affordable than the company's true flagship, extending the cool factor to more potential users.

As such, the HTC One Mini becomes the latest in a growing range of 'mini me' gadgets that includes the Samsung Galaxy SIV Mini and the Sony Xperia ZR. Interestingly, HTC is also currently rumored to be in the process of developing and launching a tablet version of the One which would also compete head to head with similar offerings from Samsung and Sony.

Announced Thursday at a low-key press event in London, the Mini will be available in August.

Microsoft's New Strategy Skims the Surface

Microsoft has slashed the price of its Surface RT by some 30 percent, or US$150, putting the price of the tablet now at approximately $350, depending on the version.

The price cut follows hard on the heels of news that the company will undergo a reorganization, in part to bolster its still-flagging efforts in mobile and tablet computing.

Particularly intriguingly, the news also coincides with rumors about a Surface watch -- begging the question, why would Microsoft choose to associate its upcoming wearable tech with the faltering tablet brand?

Whether or not the three developments are related, it's clear there is much happening behind the scenes in Redmond.

Apple Serenades Musicians with New Logic Pro X

Apple on Tuesday unveiled Logic Pro X, an update to its Logic Pro line of music-mixing software complete with a new interface along with creative tools for musicians and an expanded collection of instruments and effects.

Particularly notable about the new release is Logic Remote, a new feature that offers iPad integration, giving musicians the flexibility to create and mix their music from anywhere in the room.

With advanced tools and a new interface, Logic Pro X is "designed to streamline the process of creating professional-quality music," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

Logic Pro X is now available for US$199.99; the Logic Remote is available as a free download from the App Store.

Amar G. Bose, 83, founder of audio tech company Bose Corp., dies

 

Amar G. Bose, founder and chairman of the audio technology company Bose Corp., known for the rich sound of its small tabletop radios and its noise-canceling headphones popular among frequent fliers, died July 12 at his home in Wayland, Mass. He was 83. 

The death was announced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Dr. Bose began his acoustics research and was on the faculty for more than 40 years.

Dr. Bose started a research program in physical acoustics and psychoacoustics, leading to the development of patents in acoustics, electronics, nonlinear systems and communication theory.

Starting in the 1980s, high-end auto makers including Ferrari, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche began including Bose systems in their cars. Bose sound systems can also be found in such varied locations as the Sistine Chapel, the Japan National Theatre and the Superdome in New Orleans.

Microsoft cuts Surface tablet prices amid lackluster demand

July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. is cutting the price of its Surface RT tablet by as much as 30 percent as the device struggles to lure customers amid competition from machines such as Apple Inc.’s iPad. 

 

The least-expensive Surface RT model costs $349 without a cover that doubles as a keyboard, according to Microsoft’s website, down from $499. The same machine with a keyboard included is being reduced to $449 from $599. Microsoft is discounting a version with double the memory to $449 without a keyboard cover, or $549 with the attachment.

Surface, Microsoft’s first-ever computer, has been largely shunned by consumers and corporate customers since its debut in October, selling just 900,000 units in each of its first two quarters on the market, according to researcher IDC. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer is pushing into hardware to bolster sales as demand for Windows software ebbs amid a global personal-computer slump.

Ballmer unveiled a sweeping revamp last week which is intended to streamline management and rev up growth in areas like tablets and mobile computing. Tablets, a market where 3.7 percent of machines run Microsoft’s Windows, are poised to outsell PCs by 2015, according to IDC.
Frank Shaw, a spokesman for Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, declined to comment on the price cuts. On its website, the company billed the discounts as “a great tablet, now at an even better price.”

Motorola's Next Smartphone Will Be Able To Listen To You Even If The Screen Is Switched Off

The Moto X.

New details on Motorola's upcoming flagship phone, the Moto X, leaked over the weekend in a training video for Canadian wireless carrier Rogers. 

The video was first discovered by the tech site Ausdroid, but you can only watch it on this Google+ page right now.

Here's a breakdown of the most important features discussed in the video:

• The Moto X will always be listening for specific voice commands, even if the screen is turned off. You'll be able to conduct searches and perform other commands by using Google Now, the voice assistant that built into Android phones, by saying "OK Google Now..."
• Motion controls let you perform actions without tapping the screen to open an app or pressing a button. For example, you can launch the camera app by quickly twisting the phone.
• A new notifications system called "Active Updates" will display incoming calls, texts, tweets, etc. on your lock screen. You can quickly glance at your phone and decide if you want to address the notification. (This is very similar to how the iPhone works.)

Motorola hasn't been shy about discussing the Moto X in recent months. In fact, it's already started an ad campaign for the phone. Motorola's CEO Dennis Woodside said in May that the device will launch in October, but there have been a few reports recently that the phone could launch as early as August.