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A closer look at the Samsung Galaxy Camera for AT&T (Video)

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjZ2keI_tss&feature=youtube_gdata_player]

AT&T announced earlier this afternoon that it would debut the Samsung Galaxy Camera on its 4G network soon, but I was able to get a closer look at the point-and-shoot at a media event in New York City this evening.

The Android-powered Galaxy Camera combines Google’s Jelly Bean OS with a 16-megapixel camera and 4.8-inch 1,280-by-720-pixel display, and it certainly is a beauty. But, wow, she is certainly big. It is hard not to notice the sheer size and weight of this device; however, its glitz and glam easily take center stage.

Most of the bulk is due to a pop-up flash, zoom lens, shutter release, built-in Wi-Fi radio, and 3G/4G support, while a quick 1.4GHz quad-core processor makes Jelly Bean feel like, well, butter. The camera function and preloaded apps launch like a charm, as well.

The Galaxy Camera is essentially an Android smartphone without the phone, but apps like Skype would allow users to take advantage of the camera’s microphone and speaker. It will certainly be interesting to see how the market receives this Frankenstein-like device. I, for one, am itching to buy it.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Camera at IFA 2012 in August, and it will supposedly hit shelves sometime this month for an unknown price.


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Hands-on with AT&T’s Sony Xperia TL (Gallery)

Sony’s latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia TL, is landing on AT&T in the United States, but I was able to get a brief hands-on with the LTE Android device at a media event in New York City tonight.

The 4.55-inch smartphone, with a matte plastic back and 720p HD Reality display, certainly looks like a high-end device, but it simply does not stand out from the competition. Its 1.5GHz dual-core S4 keeps the user-experience brisk, and the arch-like curve fits well in the hand, but the materials feel a little cheap.

AT&T did a good job at pre-loading many of its apps, and Sony even added a few of its own too, such as Media, Album, and Walkman, but overall the Ice Cream Sandwich OS felt a bit outdated. Sony, however, promised a Jelly Bean upgrade “soon.” Yeah, not too specific. James Bond’s official smartphone is slated for a holiday release, though, so pricing and additional details are bound to come down the pipeline in the coming weeks.

The Xperia TL originally unveiled at IFA 2012 in August, and it packs, aside from the specs above, a 13-megapixel camera, 1080p HD video recording, and one-touch enabled NFC.


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Samsung issues ‘Save the Date’ for ‘The Next Big Thing’ in NYC on Oct. 24

Samsung just sent preliminary press invites to “The Next Big Thing” for Oct. 24 in New York City.

Judging by the stylus featured on the above “Save the Date,” and after noting Samsung’s recent announcement about the Galaxy Note 2 launching stateside “by mid-November” with five major carriers, we have a pretty good idea as to what is coming.


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Google Glass interface described in new report

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The Wall Street Journal published a report with some new information on the interface for the Google Glasses:

In all, the glasses are like a wearable smartphone, allowing the user to take pictures, send messages and perform other functions via voice-activated commands. For instance, say “OK, Glass” into one of the glasses’ two microphones and a menu pops off to the side of your vision showing icons that will let you take a picture, record a video, use Google Maps or make a phone call.

After 10 minutes of playing with the glasses—which the company prefers to call Google Glass, since they don’t have lenses—I could see their long-term potential. The device fit well. It was easy to snap a picture or video without taking my smartphone out of my pocket. It was cool to see the information there in front of my right eye, though a little disorienting. I kept closing my left eye, which was uncomfortable.

Mr. Brin said his favorite feature is the time-lapse capability that lets him snap photos of his kids every 10 seconds when he is playing with them. “I never think about taking out my phone,” he said. “That would really be disruptive to my play time.”

“I have always disliked the feeling that with technology I am spending a lot of my time and attention managing it,” added Mr. Brin, dressed casually in a white T-shirt and jeans. “The notion of seamlessly having access to your digital world without disrupting the real world is very important.”

The reporter used the glasses at the DVF Fashion show in New York City this week (Gallery). It sounds like the interface options are progressing since I wore the headset briefly at Google I/O in June. However, we are still a long way from a usable product.


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StubHub shows off 3D maps for mobile app and site, says open APIs coming soon

Yankee Stadium

StubHub is the latest company to join the 3D craze with updated maps for its online and mobile apps counterparts.

The 12-year-old online ticket reseller, bought by eBay in 2007, allows users to buy and sell tickets for sports, concerts, theatre, and other live entertainment events. It acquired Peekspy, which is a company that leverage’s Google Earth’s technology to create 3D products, in early 2012 for an undisclosed amount. Fanvenue, Peekspy’s website, further builds 3D interactive seating maps for venues and stadiums.

With Peekspy in its pocket for the last six months, StubHub is preparing to roll out 3D maps. The tech is for both online and mobile, but StubHub said it is working toward a consistent experience on both platforms. The first phase is onsite only, but upcoming rollouts will simultaneously land for both Stubhub.com and mobile.

StubHub Product Director Mats Nilsson announced at a media event in New York City recently that StubHub for Android would soon sport the tech, although an exact launch date has not been announced, so folks could find seats in a more easier and entertaining way. For instance: Users on either Android, iOS or Windows Phone will be able to hover over a desired seating section, tap to zoom, and then closely inspect desired seats, interior views, stage setup, bathroom locations, and more.

Only a few venues are now launch-ready for mobile apps, such as Yankee Stadium, but Nilsson said StubHub is diligently working with many arenas to get 3D maps into full swing. With that said, MLB stadiums are now live online as part of the “first phase” previously mentioned by StubHub.

In related news, StubHub CTO Raji Arasu revealed plans to completely open APIs in the coming months. The limited StubHub API already allows some partners, such as ESPN, to gain information and functionality, but the ticket reseller hopes full read-and-write access for all will further encourage development.

A gallery of StubHub 3D maps is below.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.


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Google Offers and Boingo to expand free Wi-Fi to 24 more locations, malls and airports

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We reported in June that Google Offers is sponsoring free Wi-Fi in New York City until September, and now the discounted service will extend to more nationwide locations.

The sponsorship is possible through an agreement with Boingo Wireless. New Yorkers and tourists currently access free Internet at six subway stations and over 200 Boingo hotzones in the borough of Manhattan due to the partnership. The free Wi-Fi coverage, which even reaches below street level, will end Sept. 7. However, another 24 locations across the country will soon have access to the wide-reaching, complimentary service.

Starting today, the sponsored Wi-Fi will cover eight malls and 16 airports throughout New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and other major cities. Google Offers, which is an infant deal-of-the-day website piping localized savings to huge geographic markets in the U.S., is the first sponsor of Boingo Wi-Fi in New York subway stations.

The full press release is below (via BusinessWire):


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Google Offers to sponsor free Boingo Wi-Fi in NYC until September, with underground access

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Google Offers will sponsor free Wi-Fi in New York City this summer starting today.

The sponsorship is possible through an agreement with Boingo Wireless. New Yorkers and tourists can now access free Internet at six subway stations and over 200 Boingo hotzones around the borough of Manhattan. The Wi-Fi coverage extends below street level and will last through Sep. 7.

“New Yorkers using the complimentary Wi-Fi services can check out deals from local businesses from Google Offers when they connect at Boingo hotzones throughout the city and at the following subway stations with wireless networks deployed by Transit Wireless,” explained the press release.

Google Offers is an infant deal-of-the-day website that caters localized savings to major geographic markets in the United States. It is the first sponsor of Boingo Wi-Fi, so today’s news is clearly a brand campaign for Google. However, Boingo will also benefit by expanding its initiative. The wireless tech plans to reach 36 subway stations by the end of 2012, with over 270 stations getting access by 2017, to create “a distributed advertising and sponsorship network reaching the subway system’s more than 1.6 billion annual passengers.”

Boingo Wi-Fi is already available at New York-area airports, retail centers, sports venues, hotels, fast food restaurants, and more.

The press release below.


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Google VP David Lawee discusses Motorola, says two-thirds of acquisitions are successful

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 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBduf8o0AbI]

Google’s Vice President of Corporate Development David Lawee sat down with MG Siegler today at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York City to discuss the search engine’s history with acquisitions including yesterday’s buyout of Motorola Mobility. 

The entire interview is above (part 2 is below-soon), but the main point of discussion concerns the nugget that Google acquires 20 to 30 companies a year, with an additional 20 or more related to patents, but Lawee said two-thirds of all Google’s acquisitions have been successful. Lawee attributes the success rate to Google’s initiative to only recruit endeavors that will benefit from being a part of Google, rather than to continue existing on their own.

The VP further said each acquisition has its own metrics to determine whether it is successful, while he then mentioned DoubleClick and AdMob as two of Google’s most successful acquisitions. Slide, on the other hand, is one of Google’s failures.

“Sometimes executing on strategy leads other things to fail. […] 85 percent of that team ended up working for YouTube and they’ve done quite well there,” Lawee explained.


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Google becomes landlord to CornellNYC Tech during 5-year deal set to encourage engineering

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Google’s CEO Larry Page announced today that Google will lend a mammoth section of its New York headquarters to CornellNYC Tech, while the Ivy-league university finishes construction on its Roosevelt Island campus.

New York City’s Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cornell President David Skorton, and Technion’s Director Craig Gotsman revealed the allocation this morning and explained the gesture helps Cornell to work within a stone’s throw of the world’s top tech companies, startups, and entrepreneurs.

“I’m passionate about breaking ground in science and engineering because technology has driven many of the advances humankind has made,” said Page in a public statement. “But we still don’t have enough people working in these areas. It’s why I am tremendously pleased that Google is giving Cornell the office space to get their new engineering university up and running in New York City.”

According to the presser, the arrangement between the parties is a direct commitment aimed at fostering tech talent in New York City. Google will first provide Cornell with the large office space on July 1, 2012 at no cost for “5 years and 6 months or until the completion of Cornell’s campus on Roosevelt Island.”

Cornell can also expand the space to 58,000 square feet over five years.

The full press release is below. 


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Google eyes new online measurement metrics for brand marketers; launches initiative at ad conference

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Google announced it is introducing a new initiative today to reinvent online measurement for brand marketers.

“Today at the Ad Age Digital Conference we’re introducing the Brand Activate initiative, a new effort to re-imagine online measurement for brand marketers and—crucially—to help brands turn measurement into action, immediately,” explained Google’s Vice President of Display Advertising Neal Mohan on the Official Google Blog. “We’re working with the industry and supporting the IAB’s Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS) coalition on this project.”

The coalition is committed to developing brand-building online metrics and measurement solutions. Meanwhile, the Ad Age Digital 2012 combines marketing, technology, and media in one place: Chelsea’s Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. The events start today and end April 18. It is a melting pot of the world’s biggest brands and newest startups.

The conference intends to “connect the dots” between Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley, while highlighting 700 high-level attendees, two days of keynotes, workshops, and networking with celebrated guest speakers.


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Preview: Sprint’s HTC EVO One Pictured

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The first HTC Evo One reviews are starting to flood the gate before its official launch tonight and initial impressions indicate the device has both good and bad points.

An.droid-life.com said the smartphone is bulky, yet it boasts stellar-quality Beats Audio by Dr. Dre, Ice Cream Sandwich OS with Sense 4.0, and a 8-megapixel shooter and 1.3-megapixel camera worth drooling over.

Despite the praise, the reviewer noted the device “just feels like HTC’s same old thing.” The trimmed Sense and usual ICS experience seemed a bit ho-hum, but then he added that his time spent with the smartphone was limited so complete details are not possible at this time.

A screenshot gallery is available below.


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Review: Motorola Droid RAZR – The best Android device…yet

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7ridjtcza7E]
Motorola Ad

I’ve been enamored with the Droid RAZR since the unveiling event last month.  It is everything about the “anti-iPhone” Droid message multiplied by 100.  From the excellent commercials to the handsome styling to the robot-y motif.  Where Samsung and to a lesser extent HTC make efforts to assimilate to the smartphone (read: iPhone) norms, Motorola’s Droids try to differentiate.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yj9yisLa4ao]

On hardware alone, this is probably my favorite Android device so far.  It is incredibly thin but also much more sturdy than the typical Galaxy handset.  Somehow, however, it manages to be just as light.  Compared to HTC’s latest offerings (including the monstrous Beats Rezound that I am also testing now – see pictures) and frankly Motorola’s previous Droid Bionic, Droid X, this thing is in a totally different class.


Droid Bionic (right) is thicker at its thinnest point than the RAZR at its thickest

And about that Bionic.  Pity the people who bought that device in the previous months knowing that Amazon sells the Droid RAZR for $111 on launch with $100 gift card for tethering.  Effectively, that is the best Android phone you can have for $11…
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AT&T SVP says LTE coming to NYC “soon” (which could be forever)

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uF3cMCjNAQ]

Remember when AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega said that they’d bring tethering to the iPhone “soon” in 2008?  Yes, it was 2010 before it arrived.  So take the above video with a grain of salt.

AT&T SVP Larry Solomon told the Mashable audience that NYC would be getting AT&T’s LTE “sometime soon” (at 3:30).

Even with the background being sketchy, the math is in your favor NYCers.  AT&T says it will cover 70 million customers in LTE by the end of the year.  It is going to be hard to get there with their 15 markets if NYC isn’t one of them.

For good measure, AT&T was in NYC last week handing out to reviewers their impressive LTE smartphones the 4.5 inch HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy II Skyrocket.  We’ve got both phones in hand but won’t be able to offer up a comprehensive review until NYC LTE is lit up (or I visit Silicon Valley for the holidays – whichever comes first)


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HTC sends out invites for unveiling of ‘latest innovation’, teases Beats audio

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HTC just sent out invites for the unveiling of their “latest innovation” slated for November 3rd in NYC. Judging by the Beats by Dr. Dre logo, whatever is announced will most likely benefit from that recently acquired audio tech. Many sources are speculating we’ll get a look at the leaked HTC Rezound  (codenamed HTC Vigor). That device is rumored to have a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch 720- HD display, 4G LTE capabilities, an 8-megapixel camera, and 2-megapixel front-facing camera. We’ll have to wait until next Thursday at 5PM EST to find out for sure.

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