Pilotless Chopper to Fight Fires?
Posted: October 16, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Autonomous helicopters, Fire Fighting, Galaxy S7, Kaman, Lockheed Martin, Samsung, Snapdragon 820, USB type C Leave a commentLockheed Martin and Kaman built the K-MAX helicopter to transport cargo in Afghanistan, but according to engadget.com, they showed off an autonomous version to the feds a few days ago in Idaho rigged to fight forest fires. Over the course of an hour and a half, the chopper scooped up buckets of water, and bombed targets, while the pilot on board held his hands up and away from the controls. California needs these now!
We’ve reported that Samsung’s next Galaxy smartphone, the S7, will have something resembling Apple’s 3D Touch and a new iteration Snapdragon processor. Now, 9to5google.com says you can expect a USB Type C port as well. The launch date will depend on when Qualcomm can get the Snapdragon 820 processors to them. SamMobile reports that just the US and China will get this processor, with other countries getting S7’s using the Exynos processor. Look for them in late Winter or early Spring of next year.
New 4K 21.5 Inch iMac is Out Now
Posted: October 13, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4K, Apple, ClearForce, Galaxy S7, Huawei, iMac, Kickstarter, Laser razor, Samsung, Skarp, Synaptic Leave a commentAs expected, Apple has rolled out a new 21.5 inch iMac, featuring a 4K video display. Theverge.com reports it will sell for $1499, and in addition to the eye-popping new screen that can show 25% more colors, it has faster RAM and processor, and bigger storage options. It ships today with a new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and optional $129 Force Touch trackpad. The 1080p model stays in the lineup starting at $1099.
Meanwhile, over at Samsung, a completely un-shocking rumor is floating around. According to 9to5google.com, they’re working to add pressure sensitive touch screen to the next Galaxy smartphone, the S7. It will be the ClearForce hardware from Synaptic, which we reported was being shopped around to Android makers and which is already in the Huawei Mate S. The Galaxy S7 will also come with a new Snapdragon processor.
We had previously reported on the Skarp, that laser razor on Kickstarter, which has now raised $4 million. Well, Kickstarter has kicked them off the platform, claiming they are quote “in violation of our rule requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards.” Kickstarter says the ‘semi-functional prototype’ in Skarp’s video isn’t enough. We expect the gadget to pop up on another crowdfunding site anyway, considering they got 4 million worth of interest on Kickstarter. [Update: It’s already on Indiegogo!]
Samsung Says TVs Don’t Have a ‘Volkswagen Problem’
Posted: October 2, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple, Apple Watch, Best Buy, ComplianTV, European Union, Motion lighting, Samsung, Target, TVs Leave a commentA testing group in Europe funded by the European Union accused Samsung of using software to make its TVs look better in regulatory lab tests yesterday. Now cnet.com reports that Samsung has strongly denied its gaming the system. The feature is called motion lighting, and it reduces screen brightness, and therefore energy consumption when the picture on screen is in motion. ComplianTV said they detected the behaviors, but were unable to prove that Samsung was gaming the system…but they got that impression. Samsung says motion lighting is a default setting that works in the lab and at home to reduce environmental impact. This reporter confirmed that on his own TV after digging through a deep stack of menus. Let’s just be glad we don’t have diesel TVs!
Apple will begin selling some models of Apple Watch at some Target stores this week. Expect to see the Watch at target.com by October 18th, and at all Target stores effective October 25th. According to thenextweb.com, there will be 20 models available, priced from $349 to $599, in both the 38mm and 42mm sizes. In other words, Target will have all but the expensive Edition models. By adding Target to Best Buy, Apple is giving a more mid-market aura to the watch heading into the holidays.
Samsung Working on Smartphone Installment Plan Like Apple’s
Posted: September 21, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: App Store, Apple, Installment plan, Malware, Samsung, WeChat, Xcode Leave a commentOn the heels of Apple’s new installment program to acquire phones directly, without the deal going through the carriers, Samsung is cooking up a similar deal for Galaxy smartphones. Forbes.com says Samsung will offer a 1-2 year monthly installment plan in the next several months. Apple’s deal starts at $32 a month for an unlocked phone, and it’s expected that Samsung will roll out something competitive. Of course, you still have to pay the carrier you go with their monthly charges in addition.
Up to now, only 5 cases of malware have made it through Apple’s tough process and gotten into the App Store. Some clever black hat folks convinced a number of developers to download Apple’s Xcode from a server in China that contained malware, though, and now Apple has had to pull 344 malware infected apps, including WeChat, the largest standalone messaging app in China. According to geek.com, the malware had very limited functionality, but anti-malware advocates say this may have been a proof of concept, to try to penetrate Apple’s walled garden by way of developers, and it obviously worked.
The iPhone 7 (It’s Never Too Early For Apple Rumors!)
Posted: September 7, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 4K, Apple, Apple Watch, Force Touch 3D, HTC, Huawei, iPhone 7, Mate S, Samsung Leave a commentWith the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus due out in just days, are you ready for a rumor about the iPhone 7…probably a year away? Appleinsider.com picked this up from usually reliable KGI Securities. the iPhone 7 will be between 6 and 6.5 millimeters thick. This would put it in the range of the iPod Touch and iPad Air 2, both of which are 6.1 mm thick. The present iPhone is just over 7 millimeters thick. In order to allow for Force Touch 3D, which needs a wafer thin circuit board under the touch pad, this probably means no 4K super high def iPhone 7…this is probably ok, since you eyes can’t tell the difference on that size screen anyway!
Samsung first exploded into the smartphone world back in 2010 by shamelessly copying Apple for it’s Galaxy S. Now, according to theverge.com, there’s a new, better copycat in town. Chinese manufacturer Huawei is not only pushing the limits of Apple intellectual property, it is lifting features, look and feel from a number of device makers. The 5.5 Mate S smartphone’s banner feature? Force Touch! Although already out on Apple Watch, Huawei has jumped ahead of Apple getting the feature to a smartphone. As for look and feel, when you first see the Mate S, a lot of what you see will make you think you’re looking at the HTC One M9! The motion gestures are borrowed from Samsung and HTC, and swiping down on the home screen brings up a dead ringer for Apple’s Spotlight.
Super King Sized Samsung Tablet Coming?
Posted: August 21, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Apple, Car Play, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, phablets, Samsung, Tablets Leave a commentSamsung had good success for a while supersizing smartphones into phablets, and now theverge.com says SamMobile is reporting the company is working on an 18.4 inch Android tablet. Internally, it’s called Tahoe, and it has a TFT LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, a 1.6 GhZ processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and rear and front cameras — 8 megapixels and 2.1 megapixels, respectively. SamMobile speculates that it wouldn’t be aimed at mainstream users, but for salespeople to make presentations, and architects needing a large mobile device for site visits. No word on when it might hit the market.
As Apple is rumored to be working in secret on their own electric car that would run their Car Play software, Mercedes-Benz is apparently open to different types of collaboration with Cupertino. In an interview out in the last few days, the Daimler CEO, Dieter Zetsche, was quoted as saying “Google and Apple want to provide system software for cars and bring this entire ecosystem around Apple and Google into the vehicle. That can be interesting for both sides.” According to macrumors.com, Apple hired former Mercedes R&D VP Johann Jungwirth, who is now Director of Mac Systems Engineering.
Useful New iCloud Restore Feature
Posted: August 14, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 128 gigs, Apple, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge, iCloud, Restore, Samsung Leave a commentWithout fanfare, Apple has added a restore feature to iCloud. 9to5mac.com says it’s hidden in the advanced settings pane, and allows you to recover accidentally deleted documents. You can also restore contacts and calendars. The feature shows snapshots of the recently deleted documents, with the contacts and calendars appearing as time stamped. With the latter two, you just recover earlier versions…you can’t go back and grab a single contact like you can with documents.
As we reported, Samsung showed it’s Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge + yesterday at their Unpacked event. Meanwhile, the phablets appeared on their websites with capacities of 32 gigs, 64 gigs, and 128 gigs. According to Cnet.com and others, it was a goof…there’s no 128 gig version…sorry high capacity buffs. If you absolutely must have the 128 gigs and don’t want an iPhone, buy the slightly older Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
Samsung Rolls Out New Phablets & Smartphones
Posted: August 13, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge, Privacy Settings, Samsung, security, Unpacked, Windows 10 Leave a commentAs widely leaked, Samsung showed a couple of new flagship smartphones today at their Unpacked event, and rolled out two new phablets…the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge +. Techcrunch.com notes that this is the first time they have had a major rollout event in August, hoping to get the drop on Apple, which will show new iPhones, iPads, and more on September 9th. The Note 5 continues with the 5.7 inch screen of the Note 4, but has 4 gigs of RAM, it’s thinner, and jumps the front cam up to 5 megapixels. The rear cam stays at 16. The Edge + increases in size from the 5.1 inch screen of the Edge to 5.7, and also gets the same memory and cameras as the Note. Both have built in wireless charging, but the charger pad is extra.
As previously reported, Windows 10 reports back all kinds of info about you to Microsoft. We covered how to turn it all off with privacy settings…and it’s a hassle. Now, arstechnica.com reports that some apps and servers continue to communicate with Redmond’s servers, EVEN after you opt out in the privacy settings. Worse, some connect to Microsoft through unencrypted channels, exposing users to their information being intercepted.
Nope, Even Your Fingerprints Aren’t Safe
Posted: August 6, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: App Store, Apple Music, Fingerprint sensor, Free trial, Harvesting fingerprints, HTC, Huawei, Samsung Leave a commentNope, on some Android handsets, even your fingerprints aren’t safe. FireEye researchers showed the Black Hat conference in Vegas 4 new ways of harvesting fingerprints, including one that can be done remotely at large scale. According to zdnet.com, the hacks work primarily on Samsung, Huawei, and HTC handsets. The researchers say the hacks are possible mainly because the manufacturers don’t fully lock down the sensor. Since these phones just require system privilege instead of root, jailbroken phones are more at risk, too. All three vendors have patched problems since being notified, but any prints that are taken in one kind of hack are out there forever. The FireEye researchers say iPhone fingerprint sensors are quite secure since they encrypt fingerprint data from the scanner.
Apple Music is now up to 11 million users trying out the 90 day free trial, According to the company’s Eddy Cue. Macrumors.com reports that of those, 2 million are test driving the more pricey family plan. Here’s an amazing App Store number that Cue shared, too…since 2008, Apple has paid out 33 billion to developers for apps!
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