As promised yesterday, Samsung just unveiled the Galaxy S III mini in Frankfurt, Germany.
The Jelly Bean-powered handset features many of the same specs as the original Galaxy S, but the most noteworthy include a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, dual core 1GHz chipset, support for Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.0, and a 1,500 mAh battery. It also features a 5-megapixel VGA front-facing camera with LED flash, 720p video recording and playback, 8GB RAM, and MicroSD up to 32 GB.
The S III mini essentially packs the S III experience into a 4-inch screen at a presumably more pocket-friendly cost; however, Samsung did not announce details on pricing and availability. Check out the presser and gallery below for more information on this practical smartphone.
The only 2012 U.S. Vice Presidential election debate, with nominees Vice President Joe Biden and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, will live stream tonight on YouTube’s Politics Channel.
The YouTube Politics Channel often swaps its feature video on the main page, as 9to5Google previously reported, but today’s prominent live feed is from partners ABC News and Yahoo News (above). ABC News just finished airing preview debate coverage with predictions, insights, and commentary by leading analysts, but the network will go live again this evening to cover the debate at 9 p.m. EST. The debate is scheduled to conclude at 10:30 p.m. EST.
The video below, now spotlighted on the channel’s main page, is “The Choice 2012” by PBS’ Frontline. Additional preview coverage between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. contains live streams by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera.
A screenshot of the schedule is also below, or just check out theYouTube Politics channel now.
Product Marketing Manager Megan Stevenson revealed on her Google+ profile yesterday that Google is beginning to downplay the Zagat rating system on Google+ Local and other Google products in favor of a more simplified, standard metric.
“Today it’s easier than ever to write accurate, useful reviews on Google+ Local, thanks to the updated rating scale we rolled out,” explained Stevenson. “If you want to rate the food at a restaurant, or the quality of a mechanic, just choose “poor – fair,” “good,” “very good,” or “excellent”. Behind the scenes, we will convert your ratings into numbers and factor them into the business’ precise 30-point score that shows up in Google+, Search and Maps. ”
SearchEngineLand’s Matt McGee said the change is “a good thing,” because “no one understands” Zagat scores. I beg to differ. The Zagat Survey once included over 70 cities, with roughly 250,000 reviewers since it began in 1979. In Manhattan, for example, practically every restaurant, nightclub, and business features a Zagat rating sticker out front next to its required health-grade notice. They primarily act as a guide-to-life for metro-dwellers, so I had mixed emotions when Google plucked up the revered company in 2011.
McGee said Google took “a big risk when it converted its entire local search/review system to a largely unfamiliar 30-point rating scale,” as “consumers are familiar with five-point (or five-star) rating scales.” I will agree the five-point scale is more common; however, I do not think McGee should write off the entire world when he claims nobody understands the Zagat scoring system.
With that said, Google’s use of phrases—like “Very Good” or “Excellent”—to describe a business is very fool-proof. It requires less thinking and gets to the point rather quickly. So, while I do not wish to see Google ditch Zagat scores all together, I will concede that the new direction seems like a more user-friendly approach.
Tech website Onliner just posted a slew of alleged “LG Nexus 4” pictures.
If these images are the real deal, as The Verge noted, they will be the first clear shots of LG’s widely rumored Nexus handset. Onliner verified it is an Optimus G-inspired device, called the “LG E960”, and it features a massive quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB RAM, 4.7-inch 1,280-by-768-pixel display, and Android 4.1.2. Previous rumors indicated Android 4.2 would come on board, but Onliner suggested the mobile OS could change versions before the smartphone’s speculated Oct. 29 unveiling.
The “LG Nexus 4” moniker first appeared yesterday in the inventory system for mobile device retailer Carphone Warehouse, while French newspaper Le Figaro later ousted the launch date with an estimated December arrival for France. More rumors on the device previously pegged a mid-November launch for the United States, while additional leaked photos and specs have painted a decent picture as to what the Android-powered smartphone could potentially feature and look like.
While still taking its sweet time building a Maps app for iOS, Google is making sure to take care of its own business today by launching the biggest update ever for Street View.
Street View is a five-year-old feature in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views of many streets in the world, and its latest update adds over 250,000 miles of roads from around the globe. Google’s Street View team elaborated on the service’s expansion in a post on the official Lat Long blog:
We’re increasing Street View coverage in Macau, Singapore, Sweden, the U.S., Thailand, Taiwan, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Norway and Canada. And we’re launching special collections in South Africa, Japan, Spain, France, Brazil and Mexico, among others.
The Verge just posted a tipster-sent picture of LG’s widely speculated Nexus smartphone entered in the inventory system for mobile device retailer Carphone Warehouse.
The Android-equipped handset, listed as the “LG Nexus 4,” apparently comes in both black and white color options. In a separate report, The Verge also claimed, upon citing renowned French newspaper Le Figaro, the LG Nexus 4 will unveil Oct. 29 and land in France by December.
Rumors on the device previously pegged a mid-November launch for the United States, while leaked photos and specs have painted a pretty picture as to what the Optimus G-derived smartphone might feature and look like.
The Google Cultural Institute just launched an online series of narrative exhibitions that feature links to archival content stitched together to unearth different perspectives and stories of historical and life-changing events.
Today you can discover 42 new online historical exhibitions telling the stories behind major events of the last century, including Apartheid, D-Day and the Holocaust. The stories have been put together by 17 partners including museums and cultural foundations who have drawn on their archives of letters, manuscripts, first-hand video testimonials and much more. Much of the material is very moving—and some is on the Internet for the first time.
The Google Cultural Institute is essentially a team of dedicated Google engineers that creates tools to “tell the stories of our diverse cultural heritage and make them accessible worldwide.” A few of the exhibitions in its latest project include a tragic love story at Auschwitz, details and personal letters from D-Day, and color photographs of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
A Microsoft executive just revealed native Android and iOS versions of Office 2013 would launch next year.
Microsoft Product Manager Peter Bobek spoke at a media event in the Czech Republic this morning and subsequently confirmed with local website IHNED that a consumer version of the native apps will release around March 2013.
The Verge later read a press release from Microsoft’s Czech Republic office, although it did not provide a copy for publishing, and verified the news. The release allegedly further noted a business variation would go public in December 2013, as well.
Microsoft has widely been rumored to launch an iPad app for its Office suite for quite some time, especially after The Dailypublished a supposed image of the app running on an iPad earlier this year. Office 2013 for Android will presumably allow users to read and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents on both tablets and smartphones.
UPDATE 1: IHNED contacted 9to5Google to provide a correction of its original report: “The timeline for Office for iOS and Android is not [a] March release, but release sometime after March.”
UPDATE 2: According to Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications Frank X. Shaw:
T-Mobile USA just announced it would soon offer the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note II this fall with an exclusive, preloaded racing game.
Without actually naming the game, T-Mobile said it would include three free levels that are MOGA Mobile Gaming System-optimized. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Note II boasts Samsung’s Exynos 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, which supports LTE networks; and it is the first Samsung smartphone to launch with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The device notably weighs less than the original Galaxy Note, features a narrower bezel, and it ships in Marble White or Titanium Gray flavors. T-Mobile said it will be available nationwide at its retail stores, select national retailers, and online in the coming weeks. The carrier neglected to provide pricing details, however.
Additional Note II specs include:
2GB of internal RAM
16 GB of onboard file storage with additional support up to 64GB via a microSD card
5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen; larger and thinner than predecessor with 16:9 aspect ratio
3,100 mAh battery, which is 24 percent larger than the original Galaxy Note
Redesigned S Pen with rubberized tip and textured grip
9to5Google gave a complete hands-on last month of the Galaxy Note II’s global version, but more information on T-Mobile’s variation is in the press release below.
Sprint just announced it is adding three new Android-powered devices to its 4G LTE lineup, as well as expanding its 4G mobile broadband portfolio with a new USB dongle.
The Android devices include:
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 features a 10.1-inch 1,280-by-800 display, front-facing VGA camera, and rear-facing 3-megapixel on the back, while the inside touts a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, and a 7,000 mAh battery. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered tablet also comes with Sprint LTE connectivity and mobile hotspot support for up to 10 devices.
The LG Optimus G offers a 4.7-inch 1,280-by-768 True HD IPS Plus display, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB ROM, 2GB RAM, and a 2,100 mAh battery. It also touts Ice Cream Sandwich OS, but it further includes LG software like QSlide and QuickMemo.
Sprint 4G LTE
LG Optimus G (AT&T)
Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
The LG Mach boasts a QWERTY and slide-out physical keyboard with only a .48-inch thick body. The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered, 4-inch smartphone also packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8GB ROM, 1GB RAM, microSD slot, and a 1,700 mAh battery.
As for the USB dongle: Sprint’s Plug-in-Connect Tri-Mode USB will support 3G, 4G WiMAX and 4G LTE connectivity. The stick even houses a foldaway USB connector, LED service indicator, and it is both Windows- and Mac-compatible.
Sprint said pricing and availability for each new addition will surface “at a later date,” but further specs and details are available in the press release below.
DoubleClick for Advertisers introduced a new tool today for agencies and marketers, called “DoubleClick Verification,” that acts as a built-in ad verification solution and subsequently promotes smarter media buying.
DoubleClick is a Google subsidiary that develops and provides Internet ad serving services. According to the official DoubleClick Advertiser blog, the new tool’s benefits include:
Accessible. It’s as simple as signing in to DFA and navigating to the reporting interface to start using DoubleClick Verification. There’s no need to implement another tag or sign another contract to get started.
Holistic. DoubleClick Verification not only provides a seamless experience for clients, it’s enabled across all ad impressions and campaigns in DFA today. In the future, as part of DoubleClick Digital Marketing, it will cover the entire scope of your display buy across the platform.
Actionable. The information in DoubleClick Verification helps you to reconcile the terms of your media buy with your media partners. It answers the questions of did my ads serve as they were intended?
DoubleClick Verification currently offers website content monitoring for identifying content issues with ads and it allows partners to customize content profiles for defining safe or non-safe websites.
For more information on today’s news: Download DoubleClick’s “Smarter Media Buying with Ad Verification” white paper, visit DoubleClick’s blog post, watch the video above, or register for an upcoming “Introducing Ad Verification with DoubleClick” webinar on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. EST.
Samsung unveiled its low-end, specialized Galaxy Music smartphone today that promises to deliver a premium sound quality and various must-have features.
The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered handset boasts a “powerful processor,” although Samsung neglected to name the hardware, with promises of a fast and smooth performance. It also features dual front stereo speakers, an FM radio, and the ability to handle high-speed downloads. The unique aspect of the 3-inch device is its dedicated Music key that “provides quick and convenient access to the music player for the perfect listening experience.”
The Galaxy Music will also be available in a dual-SIM version as the Galaxy Music Duos. There is not much else for details, including price and availability for both variations, but check out the Galaxy Music’s white paper below and official press release after the break.
Specs:
Display: 3.0-inch QVGA 240-by-320 TFT
OS: Android Ice Cream Sandwich, access to Google Play
Overlay: Samsung Touchwiz and apps
Camera: 3 Megapixel fixed-focus camera with no Flash
Video: Recording and playback — WVGA at 25fps
Audio: Music player with SoundAlive
Connectivity: Bluetooth technology v 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n
Sensors: Accelerometer, digital compass, proximity
Memory: 4GB user memory, 512MB RAM, microSD up to 32 GB
Google TV is all grown up: Adult video-subscription service FyreTV announced the launch of its first porn app for Google TV today.
As first reported by GigaOm, the app is not available through Google Play. Google does not permit adult content on its store, but it is allowed as a native third-party app. FyreTV’s website has a direct download for Google TV devices.
“We saw how Android went from last to first in terms of mobile market share and we are expecting a similar result here. Plus with their international rollout it allows our users from a wider range of countries to experience FyreTV the way it was meant to be experienced, on the TV.”
FyreTV’s app offers subscription packages of adult content. It is not the first porn company to launch on Google’s TV platform, though, as adult studio Vivid released an HTML 5-optimized website just last year. FyreTV is working on an HTML 5 version, too.
“We do see HTML5 as an important factor in providing FyreTV access to a wider user base, particularly on TV devices that would never allow us to go native,” the representative confirmed to GigaOm.
A widespread network outage on Sprint’s network started at 7:30 a.m. PST today and hit Portland, Ore., Seattle and Tacoma Wash., Minneapolis, Minn., and San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif. Sprint just confirmed it is working diligently to fix the issue.
Sprint’s statement to 9to5Mac:
“Earlier this morning, an accidental dual fibercut occurred on Sprint’s network causing a disruption in data and voice services for some Sprint customers in parts of Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Tacoma Washington; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and San Francisco and Sacramento, California. Sprint network technicians are working aggressively to resolve this issue and we hope to have service restored soon.”
In one of Sprint’s new promo images for the StarStar Me, a.k.a “use your name or personal handle as a shortcut to your existing mobile number,” campaign, an observant Google+ user noticed a Samsung Galaxy S III running AOKP.
…Interesting. Is it a TouchWiz-less S III or a new Nexus? You decide in the comments below.
Motorola Mobility apparently yanked all tablets and most smartphones from its German store.
According to the company’s online German store (translated), just three devices are available for purchase: the Motorola Razr I, the Motorola Razr HD, the Motorola Gleam+. Meanwhile, there are absolutely no Motorola tablets for sale through the website (translated).
Tech news website ZDNet first noticed the lacking selection of Android-powered devices from Google-owned Motorola, and it blamed the insufficient stock on “aggressive and successful litigation” against the company in recent months:
The mobile hardware maker has suffered a series of defeats in German courts after the firm was accused of patent infringement by software giant Microsoft. However, Motorola recently batted one victory to the back of the cage proving that Microsoft’s litigious advances were not fool-proof.
A German regional court ruled earlier this week that a patent belonging to the Redmond, WA.-based company was not infringed by Motorola. In spite of Motorola’s recent victory against Microsoft’s claims, the previous injunctions remain in place.
Apple also had a hand to play in the ongoing playbook against Motorola after the phone maker infringed a European patents belonging to Apple, a software feature described as a ‘rubber-banding’ patent.
Starting today more of the Google Play experience will come to your Google TV. Google Play Movies, TV shows, and Music will be rolling out to your Google TV over the next few weeks. You’ll be able to buy or rent content directly through the Google Play Store on Google TV, and purchases you’ve made on other devices will also be automatically available on Google TV. Google Play titles will also be discoverable through our TV & Movies app, which brings recommendations for shows and movies available on live TV and apps like Netflix, Amazon, and now Google Play.
Oh, and by the way, this update also allows developers to enable Google Play features like auto-updates, subscription billing, smart app updates, etc. Purchases made on other devices will be automatically available on Google TV, too.
So, the Google TV team is a little behind with this update, but better late than never…right? The update will begin rolling out tonight and extend over the coming weeks.
Samsung announced in August that its Galaxy S III would land in four new colors, and now it appears two of those variations will soon hit through Verizon.
Verizon’s website this morning, as first noted by Droid-Life, revealed the Android-powered handset would soon launch in “Black and Brown.” Hmm…Can anyone say, “Brown Zune?”
Samsung previously called the two colors “Sapphire black” and “Amber brown”. Big Red’s website also offered folks a chance to sign up for availability notifications. Pricing will likely match the blue and white flavors, but we will have to wait and see.
LG Electronics just announced the LG Optimus L9 smartphone would launch on T-Mobile’s Nationwide network this fall.
The Ice Cream Sandwich-powered handset features a 4.5-inch qHD Corning Gorilla Glass 2 display, 2,150 mAh battery, 1 GHz dual-core processor, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, 1080p HD recording, and support for 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 3.0.
Specifics on pricing are not available at this time, but the press release below offers more details.
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Intelligence just published a report that deemed two Chinese manufacturers of routers, switches, and telecoms equipment as a possible threat to national security, and it subsequently warned American companies to purchase their hardware elsewhere.
The Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers (R-MI) and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), today released a report recommending to U.S. companies considering doing business with Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE to find another vendor. The report encourages U.S. companies to take into account the long-term security risks associated with either company providing equipment or services to our telecommunications infrastructure. Additionally, the report recommends that U.S. government systems, particularly sensitive systems, exclude Huawei or ZTE equipment or component parts.
Reuters reported that Huawei and ZTE are the world’s second- and fifth-largest manufacturers, respectively, of telecom equipment by revenue. ZTE ranks fourth in the global mobile smartphone sector, however, while Huawei sits in sixth. The majority of both companies’ U.S. sales come from devices sold through U.S. carriers like Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile USA.
YouTube announced 100 original channels were coming to the video-sharing platform last fall, and now it is following up exactly one-year later with the launch of new channels coming from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“From local cuisine, health and wellness and parenting to sports, music, comedy, animation and news, this new lineup of original channels will have something for everyone,” revealed YouTube on its global blog. “They are backed by some of the biggest producers, well-known celebrities and emerging media companies from Europe and the U.S.”
Along with the news about upcoming channels, YouTube also revealed a few statistics on the success of its one-year-old initiative:
Our top 25 original channels are now averaging over a million views every week
800 million of your are watching 4 billion hours every month, that’s up from 3 billion hours earlier this year
The number of people subscribing has doubled y/y
And partners this year are reaching the 100k subscriber mark 5x faster than they were just two years ago
Update: Cnet reports that it has learned from a reliable source that the LG Nexus will be introduced at the end of this month. It is also hearing that a final name for the device has not been decided, and there could possibly be other Nexus devices introduced by additional OEMs:
The phone will be announced at the end of the month, according to a person briefed on the matter. While it will run some of the same specifications as the Optimus G, it will be modified to fit into the Nexus program. Google and LG haven’t yet come up with a name for the product… LG, however, may not be the only company to unveil a Nexus phone, the person said.
Tech community MoDaCo, citing “various sources,” just revealed a list of hardware and software features for a yet-to-be-announced LG Nexus device.
The much-discussed pure Android device is supposedly Optimus G-based, but it will not look the same, and it boasts a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB RAM, 8-megapixel camera, and 1,280-by-768 True-HD IPS display. According to MoDaCo, additional specs include:
The Alphabet Car app is free today on the Amazon Appstore for Android as one of the online retailer’s Daily Deal specials. The word game normally goes for $2.99, and it has a 4-star rating or higher on both Amazon and Google Play. Folks can even receive a complimentary $1 Amazon MP3 Credit with this download. One claim per Amazon account, however, until Dec. 31.
LG just revealed yesterday that its “PC-like” LG Optimus G is coming to the United States on AT&T and Sprint networks, but I got to take this powerful smartphone for a brief spin earlier tonight while at a media event in New York City.
So, what’s special about this particular LTE Android device? Five words: 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor. Yeah, you read that right—quad-core. It also features a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB built-in storage, NFC, and a 2,100mAh battery. Unfortunately, it only has Ice Cream Sandwich. The folks at AT&T are also mum about a potential Jelly Bean update.
Beyond the spec sheet, the LG Optimus G certainly lives up to all the performance boasting. The somewhat hefty smartphone runs fast, and the 8-megapixel camera snaps away without hesitation too. The camera even provides built-in effects to make photo-capturing fun. Look at the gallery below to see the “Big Mouth” and “Small Eyes” filters in action.
If I had to pick something to gripe about, I would probably say ‘Boo!’ to its skin. But, then again, skins and overlays are never a good thing. When all is said and done, this smartphone will likely give the HTC One X+ a run for its money. Maybe.
