Jun 24
Jun 24
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1, 8.0 and 7.0 Coming To The U.S. July 7 For $399, $299 And $199
Posted in: Today's Chili
Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 3 line has been official for a little while now, but U.S. availability and pricing was up in the air until today. The relatively cheap tablets are going to be $199, $299 and $399 for the Galaxy Tab 7.0, 8.0 and 10.1, respectively, and will be available from retailers including Best Buy, Fry’s and Amazon beginning on July 7, with pre-orders starting tomorrow, June 25.
For those who aren’t familiar with these devices yet, the Tab 3 line comes in three size options, the 7.0 with a 7-inch 1024×600 display, the 8.0 with an 8-inch 12800×800 screen, and the 10.1 with a 10-inch 1280×800 display. Both the Tab 8.0 and the 10.1 get Android 4.2 and beefier processors, while the 7.0 runs Android 4.1 and has half the onboard storage with 8GB (though all are expandable via microSD).
The full stats of each device are available at Samsung.com, but maybe the most interesting thing about them is that they exist at all. Samsung’s Galaxy line of tablets have never been iPad-level successes, and Samsung has since introduced the Note line of tablets, which seems to be where it’s focusing most of its innovation energy and R&D resources. So why bother continuing with the Tab line at all? Isn’t that just fracturing its potential buyer audience for any one tablet device?
Samsung offers its own answer in the announcement for these devices, citing Forrester research to justify its wide-ranging multi-model lineup. Samsung says that since Forrester has found that around half of those who own both a smartphone and a tablet opt to use the tablet to get online, and since people use tablets for a wide range of different activities, it follows that Samsung should offer a tablet perfectly tailored to each different use case. That’s not the same conclusion I’d draw, however; given the same information, I’d argue that building one or two tablets that cover the range of consumer needs would be a better play, but I’m not Samsung, and I’m not an undisputed leader in mobile electronics.
Samsung’s massively diverse product line was recently visualized by U.K. consumer electronics buying guide “Which?”, revealing not less than 26 sizes for Galaxy devices released over the past few years. But to me it looks less like an attempt to cover the gamut of buyer needs, and more like a way to block out the competition by occupying every available niche. Individually, Samsung’s products, especially in the tablet category, aren’t runaway successes; but taken together, they represent a wall of minor wins and customers won over; nearly every consumer want is addressed, even the contradictory ones.
And it’s working: Samsung’s tablet share has ground 283 percent over the last year and make up 17.9 percent of all shipments worldwide, according to IDC’s most recent numbers. Once, all mobile players were looking at simplifying their product lines to be more like Apple, but now Samsung is surging on a scattershot approach, and it has the resources and the momentum to keep at it for a while to come.
Jun 24
Samsung has just officially launched its new Galaxy Tab 3 line-up that addresses the high-volume segments of the tablet market with 7″, 8″ and 10.1″ models. All three devices share a common design language which is close to the Galaxy […]
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Jun 24
We’ve seen some purses that looked like giant LEGO bricks before, but these are the first purses I’ve come across that are actually made from LEGO bricks.
These clutches have been made by sewing the bricks together and then lining the whole thing with satin. Its creator, Agnieszka Biernacka says it’s a very time-consuming process, but the end result is that the bricks are flexible but can’t fall apart.
I like how even the closure uses a LEGO brick which snaps in place to keep the contents of your purse secure. They’re available from agabag, with prices starting at $180(USD). They come in a variety of colors, and are also available in larger sizes and in custom designs like the Union Jack and U.S. flags shown below:
Jun 24
Cambridge Minx M5 audio system
Posted in: Today's Chili
Cambridge Audio, a world-class acoustic design team that has tucked decades of Hi-Fi audio innovations under their belt, is back again this time around with their latest release which they have called the Minx M5. The Minx M5 so happens to be a powerful 2.1 audio system which is capable of reproducing computer audio with clarity, emotion and passion, all without missing a beat. This once again goes to show that you should not judge a particular device by its size or external design.
Merging Cambridge Audio’s proprietary technologies and in-house design expertise has brought about a fair amount of strategic benefits to the Minx M5’s pair of satellite speakers, as they are now capable of producing an amazingly rich and detailed sound, so much so that Cambridge Audio suggests that if you were to place someone in a room without looking at the Minx M5 in its physical form, but rather, just to hear the kind of audio performance that it cranks out, which would most probably fool most folks into thinking that they are listening to something a whole lot physically larger than what the Minx M5 comes in.
Apart from that, there is the compact active subwoofer which can remain hidden from sight if you want to (for aesthetic purposes, obviously), and it can also be controlled remotely, ensuring that your ears are treated to incredible deep and punchy bass along the way. There is also an integrated digital amplifier which delivers effortless room-filling power, alongside an adjustable bass control so that the Minx M5 can be perfectly tuned to suit its location.
Connectivity options of the Minx M5 include a USB audio input and a high-quality DAC which will be able to process digital audio in a far purer manner compared to how a computer’s soundcard is able to. Each purchase of the $229 Minx M5 system would also be accompanied by a desktop control hub which will carry both power and volume adjustments, apart from an aux input that lets you hook up any portable audio device of your choice.
Press Release
[ Cambridge Minx M5 audio system copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Jun 24
Not to be forgotten amid other new Samsung products, the company has announced that its complete Galaxy Tab 3 lineup will arrive in the US next month. The tablet family launches in the states on July 7th, with all three screen sizes (7, 8 and 10.1 inches) going on sale at Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Office Depot and other brick-and-mortar retailers. As a refresher, the entry-level Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is priced at $199 and sports a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of storage (plus microSD expansion), and a 7-inch 1,024 x 600 TFT display. There’s Android Jelly Bean (4.1) from the outset, as well as Samsung’s various apps and built-in hubs.
In addition to having a larger screen, the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 ($299) bumps up other specifications, with a more potent Exynos 1.5GHz dual-core processor and higher-resolution (1,280 x 800) TFT display. It’s got the very latest Android build (4.2), as well as a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera capable of 720p video capture. Storage is also doubled to 16GB, with extra space available through microSD, and 1.5GB of RAM to keep apps running smoothly.
Finally, there’s the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 ($399), which packs an Intel Z2560 processor (1.6GHz dual-core) and the same resolution as the Tab 3 8.0, albeit stretched a little further. It also matches the smaller model on storage and camera specs, although RAM has inexplicably dropped to just a single gig. The larger model does include a built-in IR blaster, however, as well as Samsung’s WatchON TV recommendation service. All three WiFi-only models will arrive in white and a previously leaked gold brown hue. Pre-orders start tomorrow.
Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 family
Jun 24
‘Bing for Schools’ tailors Microsoft’s search engine to K-12, cuts ads and filters adult content
Posted in: Today's Chili
Bing is headed to the classroom in a more targeted form, with Redmond announcing this morning a new version of the engine dubbed “Bing for Schools.” The initiative takes the standard Bing search engine and cuts all adverts in search, filters “adult content” (the specifications of that are murky) adds more privacy protection, and adds “specialized learning features to enhance digital literacy.” Schools can opt in on a per-case basis, and if they do, that will enable the specialized version of Bing on an entire school’s network. The program’s kicking off “later this year,” and interested parties can put their name in the hat right here. Should you like to see the full note introducing Bing for Schools from Microsoft’s Bing Behavioral Scientist Matt Wallaert, we’ve dropped it just beyond the break.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft, Bing for Schools
Jun 24
Lenovo's Ideapad Yoga 11S in just one of its several poses.
(Credit: Lenovo)
Consumers eyeing Lenovo’s Yoga 11S hybrid laptop/tablet now no longer have to wait to get one.
Lenovo kicked off preorders for the new Yoga on May 16, promising that the convertible would be available for shipping and on store shelves starting June 23. Buyers can now pick one up directly at Lenovo’s online store, which estimates a June 27 ship date based on an order date of June 24.
The 11S is also available through Best Buy, both online and at the company’s retail outlets.
At this point, the new convertible is available in the U.S. only through Lenovo and Best Buy, a Lenovo spokesperson told CNET.
The … [Read more]
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Lenovo updates laptop lines for back-to-school
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Lenovo unveils convertible Windows 8 tablet, IdeaPad Touch devices
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Jun 24
We can argue about Android fragmentation and conflicting standards all day long, but you know what? Those fights are nothing compared to how broken your own digital life is.
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Jun 24
Think you’re carrying a tad too much debt? Spanish telecom giant Telefónica wants to reduce its red ink to 47 billion euros ($62 billion) by the end of the year, so it’s decided to sell its Irish mobile and broadband business to Hutchison Whampoa’s Three for 850 million euros ($1.1 billion). If regulators approve the deal, it’ll let Telefónica hack about 750 million euros of debt from its books, while giving Three a 37.5 percent share of the nation’s mobile business and a strong number two position behind Vodafone. The deal follows a £200 million ($273 million) sale of Telefónica’s fixed phone line business to Sky. Considering the whopping level of debt, though, that may be just the start.
[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet
Via: WSJ (subscription)
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