Hasta La Gadget!

It wasn’t too long ago that Samsung announced the Galaxy Round, making it the first smartphone with a curved display for 2013. The handset is based around the hardware specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, although the key difference would be its design (which is curved, obviously), and its battery size with is set at 2,800mAh versus the Galaxy Note 3’s 3,200mAh. We’re not sure what’s with the different battery size, but presumably the design of the Galaxy Round had something to do with it. In any case this also pales in comparison to LG’s own curved smartphone offering, the LG G Flex which features a rather respectable 3,500mAh battery, along with some pretty cool self-healing abilities.

Apparently this is possible thanks to a curved battery design used by LG that allowed them to fit in a larger battery, versus the Galaxy Round that apparently still uses a flat battery design, to that end there are reports suggesting that Samsung is currently gearing up to mass produce curved batteries which we can only assume will aid in batteries with larger capacities that could find its way into future curved devices by Samsung. At the moment the Galaxy Round is expected to see limited production, although it has since been released in the South Korean market. What do you guys think? Are curved devices the way of the future, or is it merely a gimmick?

Samsung Reportedly Gearing Up To Mass Produce Curved Batteries original content from Ubergizmo.

Dog theft has been on the rise for the last several years in the U.S,
with an estimated 2 million dogs being stolen in 2012.  But a company
with the slogan, "You lock your bike, why not your beagle?" is promoting
its new Safespot Locking Leash and Collar, so maybe there won’t be more dog thefts than bike thefts!

Come 1st of November, Apple will be releasing the iPad Air to the masses. Given the popularity of the iPads in the past, will Apple face any shortages with the iPad Air? Perhaps not, unless of course Apple has underestimated the demand for the tablet, but according to a report by 9to5Mac, they claim that their sources have revealed to them that Apple Stores and resellers around the country have begun to receive their shipments of the tablet, with reports that some of the larger Apple Stores have even received anywhere between 500-1,000 units, suggesting that there should be plenty of iPad Air stock as far as launch day in-store purchases are concerned.

Previously Apple had faced iPad shortages when it was launched thanks to the popularity of the tablet, but with the new iPad mini with Retina display set for launch later in November, are would-be iPad customers holding out for the smaller and sharper tablet? Or did the iPad Air’s recent benchmark results more than convince customers that this is the tablet for them? There have been rumors about Apple being worried the iPad mini with Retina display could eat into iPad sales, but either way we guess we will just have to wait and see what the response of customers are. What do you guys think? Are you planning to get the new iPad Air for yourself, or is the iPad mini with Retina display a more attractive option?

iPad Air Stock Starts Making Its Way To Apple Stores And Retailers original content from Ubergizmo.

Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat was announced back in September and we expect the platform to see a release any day now. The latest version of Android is expected to be an upgrade over the previous builds of Android, naturally, but is that all there is to it? Well according to former Wall Street Journal report, Amir Efrati, it seems that apart from introducing various upgrades and improvements to the Android operating system, Android 4.4 KitKat could also be the version of Android that Google might use to target lower-end devices as well as wearable electronics, like a Google-made smartwatch for example. (more…)

Android 4.4 KitKat Could Be Designed For Lower-End Android Devices And Wearables original content from Ubergizmo.

While ShiftEast posts usually cover the myriad of innovations, people, events and concepts that make up the Asia region’s dynamic creative and technological scene, we don’t often blog about some of the interesting events that happen on our doorstep, perhaps because they are held so close by. Our office is based at the Tokyo location of Impact HUB – a space that is part event venue, part share-office, and all about fostering a real community of people who want to make an impact. HUB Tokyo often hosts seminars, lectures and workshops with individuals and groups of people gleaned from their global network, and there is an upcoming talk by one of Soft Energy’s earliest advocates, Amory Lovins, that we would be remiss not to mention.

An environmental scientist, physicist, writer and recipient of a whole slew of various awards and accolades, Amory Lovins’ expertise, as well as his entrepreneurial spirit and persistence for over 40 years has seen him become one of the world’s leading authorities on the efficient use and sustainable supply of energy. In 1982 he co-founded the Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent, non-profit organisation that describes itself as not just a think-tank, but as a “think-and-do tank”. His knowledge has been sought after by leaders in both private and public sectors, and his list of clients include corporations like Rio Tinto, Wal-Mart, and Deutsche Bank as well as startups and governments in the U.S., Australia and Germany. He has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and Fortune magazine, and in 2009 was named one of Foreign Policy’s top 100 global thinkers as well as one of Time magazine’s most influential people.

While the question of energy as a resource and how to best utilise it is currently a hotly contested and much debated about topic, one of the fascinating aspects of Lovins’ work apart from his ideas on Soft Energy is his involvement in pushing for energy to even be put on the agenda long before governments, corporations and the mainstream media were acknowledging the need for such discussion. HUB Tokyo’s event is intended as a conversation that will also focus on the successes, struggles and strategies Lovins’ has experienced and implemented as a changemaker with broader questions that concern anyone interested in understanding, and potentially changing people’s mindsets thrown in the mix.

We will be in attendance, and if this is something that interests you too the event will be held on the 7th of November. For more information please visit the event registration page.