Electronista | Gadgets for Geeks

Samsung ships 10 million Galaxy S4 handsets, launches new colors

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:11:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics has announced that global channel sales of its Galaxy S4 has surpassed 10 million units shipped in less than one month after its commercial debut. Launched globally on April 27, the phone is estimated to be selling at a rate of four units per second. Shipments of the Galaxy S III reached the 10-million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the Galaxy S II took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same milestone....

AMD refreshes entire line, details Temash, Kabini, Richland processors

Thu, 23 May 2013 05:05:00 GMT

AMD has provided solid details on its new processor lines for the future. The "Temash" APU chipset for "performance tablets" has been detailed, alongside mainstream computing line "Kabini" and elite performance level "Richland" processors, boasting up to 71 percent better graphics performance than the Intel Core i5, according to the manufacturer....

Yelp fires back at critics claiming review manipulation by sales staff

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:45:00 GMT

Crowdsourced review service Yelp has come under attack again over reports of business owners complaints that reviews are "too self-centered and not trustworthy" and that the company hides reviews to its own benefit. A blog post by Yelp's Vice President of Communications Vince Sollitto refutes the claims which have been reported to the media, and hopes to clear up the service's reputation....

Google starts deprecating downloads for projects on Google Code

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:08:00 GMT

Google has announced plans to start deprecating most download options for projects hosted on Google Code. Beginning today, both existing and new projects without any downloads will lose the ability to create them. Existing projects that do have downloads will no longer be able to create additional ones as of January 15th. "All existing downloads in these projects will continue to be accessible for the foreseeable future," Google adds....

Congressional leaders remind ITC of standards-essential patents value

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:47:00 GMT

An an unusual show of solidarity, leaders of the US Congress intellectual property and antitrust subcommittees submitted a letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) reiterating the prior request that "the Commission carefully assess the substantial public interest considerations that exist with regards to this and other cases at the ITC in which SEPs are at issue."...

Casemaker OtterBox buys out rival LifeProof

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:50:00 GMT

At an event today at this week's CTIA conference, major casemaker OtterBox announced the acquisition of one of its chief rivals, LifeProof. The former says it will keep LifeProof's San Diego location, and that workers will remain in their current place. "Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof brand into the OtterBox family," an OtterBox statement reads. "More information about product availability and alignment will be determined at the completion of the integration."...

HP posts quarterly earnings beating estimates, Wall Street unimpressed

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:55:00 GMT

HP today announced financial results for its second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2013. Second quarter diluted earnings per share was $0.55, down from $0.80 in the prior-year period and above its previously provided outlook of $0.38 to $0.40 per share. For the second quarter, net revenue of $27.6 billion was down 10% year over year....

Irish finance minister takes umbrage to US tax shelter accusations

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:13:00 GMT

Following Apple's testimony before the US Senate, Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan declared that neither he nor his country would be the "whipping boy" for US tax loopholes. The US-led investigation demonstrated that Apple had paid two percent of $74 billion in international income, assisted by Irish tax law -- in particular, one holding company including Apple's retail effort throughout Europe had paid zero tax in five years....

Penguin offers $75 million to settle e-book price fixing suit

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:36:00 GMT

Publisher Penguin and parent company Pearson have proposed a settlement with 33 US State Attorneys General and other plaintiffs for $75 million to resolve its lawsuit accusing it of price fixing in conjunction with Apple and the iBookstore. If accepted by the judge, the settlement resolves all antitrust complaints against Penguin related to the suit on the state level....

Samsung to add LoJack theft recovery software to Galaxy S4 firmware

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:09:00 GMT

Samsung will soon be providing a theft recovery service for its devices, starting with the flagship Galaxy S4. LoJack, created by Absolute Software for securing notebook computers, will be released for Android, with Samsung embedding it into the firmware for future activation, in the event that the phone is stolen from the user....

Verizon targets Latino customers with Viva Movil brand, Jennifer Lopez

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:41:00 GMT

Verizon Wireless has announced a partnership with Jennifer Lopez, hoping to woo Latino customers under the new retail brand Viva Movil. The brick-and-mortar stores promise to deliver a unique customer experience, with play areas for children and bilingual sales representatives, though the devices and service plans will reflect Verizon's standard offerings....

Briefly: Google voice search in Chrome, Amazon Cloud Drive in Canada

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:54:00 GMT

Google has updated Chrome to enable voice search, among other additions. Chrome version 27 enables conversational search through the Google homepage, providing a clickable microphone to start it off, and then switching to a larger Google Now-style mic logo. The update, spotted by Searchengineland, also provides a new API for Chrome Store developers, 14 security fixes, and a 5-percent speed boost to page loads....

Apple files amendment, adds Galaxy S4 to Samsung patent suit

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:00 GMT

Apple has filed its amendment to its ongoing courtroom battle with Samsung, adding the Galaxy S4 to its list of infringing devices, just as it told the US District Court in California last week. The filing specifically names five patents said to be infringed by the Galaxy S4 itself, two of which are apparently infringed by Google Now....

Google, Yahoo, Cisco under scrutiny after Apple tax avoidance hearing

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:31:00 GMT

Large tech firms are coming under scrutiny over their tax avoidance measures, following the testimony of Apple executives to a US Senate Permanent Subcommittee. Google, Yahoo, Cisco, and others have been found to be using an assortment of tax loopholes and off-shoring in order to avoid paying governments in the US and Europe at least $100 billion....

Samsung beats Apple by wide margin in Rescuecom reliability report

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:51:00 GMT

A new reliability report from Rescuecom shows Apple placing in second place, beaten by Samsung by a wide margin. The new report for the first quarter of 2013, which now takes into account tablets as well as computers, also puts Apple ahead of Lenovo, Asus, Toshiba, HP, Dell, and Acer, with both Sony and Panasonic dropping out of the rankings entirely....

Ultimate Ears brings out 'social' Bluetooth speaker

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Audio accessory maker Ultimate Ears has announced a new wireless Bluetooth portable speaker, the UE Boom. Available in six colors, the mini-speaker is intended to be portable and offers 360-degree sound from all sides of the easy-grip device. The device features an acoustic skin to be water and stain resistant, a long and rechargeable battery life (up to 15 hours) and is easily paired with other UE Boom units....

Qualcomm demonstrates Mirasol display with 2,560x1,440 resolution

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:27:00 GMT

Qualcomm has shown it is still working on Mirasol displays, by demonstrating a prototype screen at SID Display Week in Vancouver, Canada. The 5.1-inch display had a resolution of 2560x1440, giving it a pixel density of 577 pixels per inch, and was accompanied by a 1.5-inch panel used in an "always-on" smartwatch....

HTC struggles continue as it bleeds executives

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:12:00 GMT

HTC's woes seem to have cut into its staff morale with a several senior executives said to be leaving the company, reports The Verge. HTC's Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera left the Taiwanese smartphone maker last week, joining an exodus that has taken place over the past three months. Other senior execs to leave the embattled company include Jason Gordon (VP Global Communications), Rebecca Rowland (Global Retail Marketing Manager), John Starkweather (Director of Digital Marketing) and Eric Lin (Product Strategy Manager)....

Samsung acquires 10 percent stake in Pantech for $47.6M

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:45:00 GMT

Samsung has bought a 10 percent stake in South Korea-based mobile producer Pantech. The purchase of shares in the country's third-largest smartphone manufacturer, reported to be worth 53 billion won ($47.6 million), will make Samsung the third-largest stake holder, just behind Qualcomm and the state-owned Korea Development Bank....

Zagg debuts ZaggKeys Cover, Folio for iPad mini

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:57:00 GMT

Zagg has debuted a pair of new iPad mini Bluetooth keyboard accessories at CTIA Las Vegas. The ZaggKeys Cover for the iPad mini, pictured, is the latest in its iPad line of popular keyboard covers. According to the company, it is the thinnest Bluetooth keyboard accessory for the iPad mini available, measuring just 6.3mm (0.25-inch) thick. It also incorporates backlit keys with seven color options and three lighting levels....

Hands on: Kyocera Hydro Xtrm

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:36:00 GMT

Kyocera is one of several companies to bring new phones to CTIA's spring show in Las Vegas, introducing the Hydro Xtrm. Like most of the company's other handsets the Xtrm is a budget device, however it offers a higher level of ruggedness compared to its predecessor. Electronista had a chance to handle the new phone at a special event following the first show day....

IRIS launches third-generation IRIScan Book 3, Book 3 executive

Wed, 22 May 2013 05:29:00 GMT

Optical character recognition purveyor IRIS has launched its next-generation IRIScan Book 3 and the IRIScan Book 3 Executive. These portable scanning solutions are battery‐powered, enabling mobile users to easily capture paper documents, receipts, photos and more without the use of a computer....

Grandfathered Flickr Pro codified by Yahoo, most benefits retained

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:40:00 GMT

Flickr Pro users have been informed by Yahoo about the future of the once-premium accounts. As long as the user's account is kept in good standing, customers paying $25 per year for unlimited storage will be allowed to keep the plan indefinitely, with no plans for the Pro benefits to be purged....

Unity makes mobile game development tools free for small developers

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:51:00 GMT

Unity has announced that its mobile game development tools are now free to use for smaller developers. The Unity platform is popular amongst iOS and Android developers, but its creator previously charged $800 to publish a game to the App Store or Google Play. Under the new rules, that barrier has been lifted....

Onkyo fills out network-enabled recievers with two mid-range models

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:44:00 GMT

Onkyo has revealed the full-featured 9.2-channel TX-NR929 Network A/V Receiver, providing nine channel entertainment to the company's mid-range lineup. The new model is positioned between the 7.2-channel TX-NR828 Network A/V Receiver also seeing release today, and the company's existing audiophile-grade flagship products. Onkyo's TX-NR929 and TX-NR828 are both THX Select2 Plus certified....

Seagate deploys Video 3.5 HDD high performance DVR, set-top hard drive

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:32:00 GMT

Seagate Technology has announced the new Seagate Video 3.5 HDD -- the industry's first 4TB, 3.5-inch hard disk drive engineered specifically for use in video applications such as digital video recorders, set-top boxes, and surveillance systems. Purpose-built for video solutions, the Video 3.5 HDD can store up to 480 hours of high-definition (HD) content. The drive supports up to 16 simultaneous HD streams or 20 standard-definition streams as well as 24-hour operation capabilities optimizing it for video content applications....

Apple maintains top spot in 2013 BrandZ brand rankings

Wed, 22 May 2013 02:20:00 GMT

Apple remains in first place on an annual BrandZ ranking of the world's most valuable brands, notes MarketingWeek. Apple's brand is estimated to be worth $185.071 billion, putting it well ahead of next-closest rivals Google ($113.669 billion) and IBM ($112.536 billion). Other companies in the top 10 include McDonald's, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Microsoft, Marlboro, Visa, and China Mobile....

Intel creates new products division, selects Mike Bell to lead

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:28:00 GMT

Intel has noted that it has appointed Mike Bell to lead its emergent technology and product trend group, which includes ultra-mobile products. The new division will be "tasked with turning cool technology and business model innovations into products that shape and lead markets," according to Intel....

Watson technology being adopted for customer service, data mining

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:29:00 GMT

Starting this year, IBM's Watson intelligent agent technology will debut as a customer service assistant. Customers of Australia's ANZ Bank, Celcom, The Royal Bank of Canada, and Nielsen can query the system for general questions related to accounts with the companies. IBM claims to have the technology ready for deployment and integrated into consumer apps for computers and smartphones in the second half of 2013....

MSI debuts AMD Richland processors in new gaming laptop line

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:56:00 GMT

Computer manufacturer MSI Computer Corp, products and solutions, unveils the new and refreshed GX70 and GX60, the world's first AMD Richland A10-5750M powered gaming laptops. The new processor also increases battery life and CPU performance in both the 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch models....

iOS 7 to get Flickr, Vimeo integration, source says

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:30:00 GMT

Apple is aiming to integrate Flickr and Vimeo into iOS 7, a source tells 9to5Mac. The integration is expected to work in much the same way as Facebook and Twitter support does in iOS 6, allowing single sign-ins via the Settings menu. In the case of Flickr, at least, signing in may not only add another option to iOS' built-in sharing menus, but also simplify apps with their own hooks for the service, such as Instagram. Flickr is already integrated into OS X Mountain Lion and the iOS edition of iPhoto....

Precedent-setting SEP enforcement injunction awarded in Wi-Fi dispute

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:54:00 GMT

A ruling yesterday in the Northern District of California may have repercussions on the smartphone patent battles raging across the US court landscape. A federal judge granted a user of a standards-essential patent a preliminary injunction against enforcement of a possible US International Trade Commission (ITC) sales injunction. This decision by Senior District Judge Ronald Whyte is the first time a US district court is preventing the ITC's only option to combat patent infringers in conjunction with standards-essential patents....

Cook pushes for US IP law changes during Senate testimony

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:00 GMT

In a brief sidetrack during his Senate testimony today, Apple CEO Tim Cook voiced his opinion on US intellectual property law. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) asked Cook about the IP benefits of running a company in the US versus other countries, but appears to have been surprised when Cook took a critical tone. "I actually think that we require much more work on IP in this country," he said....

Microsoft debuts Xbox One game console with TV, media focus

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:42:00 GMT

Microsoft has revealed its latest iteration of its Xbox game console at a media event. The Xbox One, codenamed Durango during its development, is billed as an all-in-one system for the living room, with a greater focus on allowing users to watch live television and other media, along with heavier Kinect integration, Skype calling, and gaming improvements....

Broadcom 802.11ac chipset spotted, may be used in new Macs

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A new Broadcom chipset spotted on a Chinese website may be a component of future Mac updates, bringing 802.11ac (known as "Gigabit Wi-Fi") and Bluetooth 4.0 to new models on a single chipset. Not only will the chip handle all wireless communication for future Mac models, but the new chip appears -- at first glance -- to be backward compatible with similar parts in recent models, opening up the possibility of aftermarket upgrades....

Live: Microsoft's Xbox reveal event

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:55:00 GMT

Microsoft is set to begin its Xbox event in Redmond, Washington. "A New Generation Revealed" is the theme for the gathering, suggesting the company will finally show its next-generation gaming console. Check out our live page at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern, for images and updates from the event....

Nvidia updates modem in Tegra 4i, adds LTE-Advanced connectivity

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:27:00 GMT

Nvidia has updated its latest mobile chipset with support for Category 4 LTE connectivity. Tegra 4i, similar to Tegra 4 but includes an integrated Nvidia i500 LTE modem, managed to upgrade from Category 3 and its 100Mbps connection to LTE-Advanced and a possible 150Mps speed, without performing any changes to the hardware....

Sharp to ship 60, 70-inch Aquos UD1 UHD TVs in Japan in June, August

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:29:00 GMT

Sharp is preparing to sell a pair of Ultra HD TVs in Japan, under the Aquos UD1 banner. The LC-60UD1 and LC-70UD1, measuring 60 inches and 70 inches respectively, both take advantage of Sharp's previously-demonstrated "Moth-Eye" technology, which uses a special layer above the LCD panel to significantly reduce glare, internal reflections, and light scattering....

Powermat acquires PowerKiss, extends wireless charging into Europe

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:12:00 GMT

PowerKiss, a wireless charging company based in Helsinki, Finland, has been acquired by Powermat, also a creator of wireless charging systems for mobile devices. The purchase will bring PowerKiss under the Duracell-backed brand, adding its 1,000 wireless charging points in European McDonalds branches and airports to the existing 1,500 Powermat-owned charging spots in the United States....

NPD: pre-paid smartphones rising, now one-third of US sales

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:42:00 GMT

Sales of prepaid smartphones in the US consumer market have risen dramatically, doubling in the last year and "continuing a string of more than 12 quarters of triple-digit sales increases" according to a new report from market analysts NPD. Prepaid phones -- defined as either premium smartphones such as the iPhone bought outright to avoid a contract or low-end smartphones aimed at lower-income consumers -- increased 11 percent in year-over-year in the first quarter of 2013....

Photograph of LG Optimus F3 surfaces, heading to Sprint this quarter

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:34:00 GMT

An image allegedly of the LG Optimus F3 has appeared online. The smartphone, following on from the Optimus F5 and Optimus F7 revealed at Mobile World Congress in February, is said to be heading to Sprint later this quarter, alongside the Optimus G Pro, and is expected to be a mid-range offering from the manufacturer and carrier....

Did Google tease Android ëKey Lime Pie' at Google I/O?

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:23:00 GMT

Although many were expecting Google to announce a new version of Android at Google I/O, it did not materialize. Instead the major product announcement was for a stock Android version of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which will only be available to US customers. Although the next version of Android is likely to be an incremental ëJelly Bean' update widely thought to be Android 4.3, the rumored next major revision of Android dubbed ëKey Lime Pie' may have been given a subtle ëhat tip' during its developer conference....

AT&T waiving overage charges for Oklahoma City tornado victims

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:15:00 GMT

In the aftermath of the devastating tornado that cut a path of destruction through Oklahoma City on Monday, wireless carrier AT&T announced that overage charges would be suspended for the area until June 30 as part of an effort to assist victims, many of whom lost everything. Due to high call volumes as friends and family check on their loved ones, the company said it would add additional resources to relieve cell congestion....

Opera for Android out of beta, touts speed, new features

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:29:00 GMT

Opera for Android has now exited beta, three months after it was first made available to users through the Google Play Store. The official release is free and is available for download now. Opera touts a number of features that users will prefer over other mobile browsers including an ëOff-Road' mode that helps to stabilize web connections when the connections become patchy, while also reducing data consumption....

One in ten notebooks shipped with a touchscreen, claims Displaybank

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:04:00 GMT

Almost one in ten notebook computers shipped in the first quarter of 2013 have touchscreens, according to a market research firm's report. It is claimed by Displaybank that 4.57 million of the notebooks used the displays out of a total shipment figure of 46 million, a rise of 51.8 percent compared to the previous quarter....

Galaxy S4 stock Android ëGoogle Edition' to be US-only model

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:26:00 GMT

The ëGoogle Edition' of the Samsung Galaxy S4 running stock Android will be a US-only model it has been revealed. The long anticipated device is set to go on sale on June 26 for $649 will only be available through the US Google Play Store with no current plans to expand its availability internationally. The news will come as a blow to users who like what the Galaxy S4 hardware offers, but don't like Samsung's TouchWiz version of Google's Android operating system....

Evolio reveals 10.1-inch, quad-core Quadra tablet for Romanian market

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:15:00 GMT

Romanian hardware producer Evolio has unveiled a new Android tablet for the local market. The Quadra offers a large 10.1-inch, 1280x800 Super IPS display, with the device's name stemming from its use of a quad-core Cortex A9 CPU running at 1.2GHz, which a multi-core Vivante GC1000 GPU used for graphic-intensive tasks....

Google killing Google Checkout, migrating some to Google Wallet

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:28:00 GMT

Today, Google made it known to its array of merchants that it is discontinuing the Google Checkout functionality, and migrating some existing users to Google Wallet. In a blog post announcing the move, Google called the Wallet product "a platform that enables merchants to meet the demands of a multi-screen world where consumers shop in-stores, at their desks and on their mobile devices." Users have six months to find an alternative solution, if not migrated automatically....

Samsung shows 4.99, 10.1 and 13.3-inch displays exceeding retina spec

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:21:00 GMT

Samsung Display announced today that it is showcasing several mobile to extra-large-sized display prototypes at the Society for Information Display's Display Week. These include a Full HD 1920×1080 mobile AMOLED 4.99-inch display with the world's broadest color gamut, a 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 LCD for tablets, and a 13.3-inch 3200 x 1800 LCD for notebooks....

Senators Levin, McCain accuse Apple of exploiting offshore tax havens

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:11:00 GMT

In the wake of Apple's published testimony, US Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) have released their own joint statement on the work of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. "Apple Inc. has used a complex web of offshore entities -- including three foreign subsidiaries the company claims are not tax resident in any nation -- to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes," Levin's office writes....