Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re the sort to tear down your Galaxy S III, you might have noticed a mysterious STMicroelectronics LSP331AP chip lurking on the motherboard. While we’ve known that it’s a pressure sensor, we now know that it’s a new generation — new enough that ST is just getting to explaining the technology to a mainstream audience. The piezoresistor-equipped MEMS chip tracks altitude through atmospheric pressure with an uncanny knack for precision; it can tell when you’ve crossing between floors, which could be more than handy for future iterations of indoor navigation. Don’t worry if you’re an extreme sports junkie that might push the limits, either. The sensor can do its job at the kinds of pressure you’d normally see when 32,800 feet high or 5,900 feet below sea level, which should keep it working even if you’re checking your phone during a climb up K2 or a HALO skydive. We don’t know if anyone beyond Samsung is lined up to use ST’s pressure sensor in their devices, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a mainstay for smartphones and outdoor gear in the near future.

Continue reading STMicroelectronics details pressure sensor in your Galaxy S III, can tell when you’re mountaineering

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

STMicroelectronics details pressure sensor in your Galaxy S III, can tell when you’re mountaineering originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Sep 2012 03:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve barely heard from Orange’s Quick Tap payments system in over a year, but now the UK phone network has decided to dump the underwhelming Tocco Lite and add its mobile payments service to the NFC-capable Galaxy S III. Tying into any British MasterCard, Visa, Debit or credit card, you’ll be able to pay up to £20 from your account without the need for PIN entry. New users on Orange SIM-toting Galaxy S IIIs will also pick up a 50 quid bonus when they activate the feature, which kicks off this Wednesday. Check the press release below for all the details.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III gets Quick Tap mobile payments system from Orange and Barclaycard, works with most UK bank accounts

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S III gets Quick Tap mobile payments system from Orange and Barclaycard, works with most UK bank accounts originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And you thought your future brown Galaxy S III would be special. We’re just learning the full story of how avid fan Shane Bennett got what may be the rarest version of Samsung’s flagship phone through an unusual chain of events. After half-jokingly asking Samsung Canada for a free phone with the drawing of a dragon as a token gift, Shane was given a kangaroo drawing as a response; the overwhelming reaction to his posting that story on Reddit led to not just a thank-you trip to a Galaxy S III launch party but a custom phone designed around his off-hand doodle. We’re not kidding when we mean custom, either. Along with the distinctive front and back, his phone came with matching on-screen wallpaper and even a specially wrapped box. The likelihood of anyone else receiving a similar gesture is slim — who’d want to spoil the originality? — but credit has to go to community manager Drew Bomhof for going the extra distance and acknowledging that even a giant phone maker is only as strong as its individual customers.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Samsung sends Canadian a truly unique Galaxy S III, guarantees a loyal customer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 03:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Until self-driving cars become mainstream, it’s best to keep eyes on roads and hands off phones. With this in mind, Samsung’s debuting Drive Link, an app that balances in-car essentials with driver safety, complete with approval from the no-nonsense Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association. It’s all about the bare essentials — navigation, hands-free calling and audiotainment from your phone-based files or TuneIn. Destinations can be pulled from S Calendar appointments or texts without trouble, and the text-to-speech feature means you won’t miss a message, email or social media update. The best bit is that via MirrorLink, all these goodies can be fed through compatible dash screens and speaker systems. Drive Link is available now through Sammy’s app store for Europeans sporting an international Galaxy S III, and will be coming to other ICS handsets “in the near future.”

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Transportation, Mobile

Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app with MirrorLink integration originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting Jelly Bean to run on a Galaxy S III has so far required a strictly unofficial build that strips away much of Samsung’s handiwork. If you prefer the official software to the point where thoughts of TouchWiz keep you comfortable at night, you’ll be glad to hear that a beta of a more official Android 4.1 upgrade has reportedly landed in the hands of AndroidMX.net. An extensive video look in Spanish (after the break) almost completely mirrors what you’d expect: clear advantages like the expanded notifications and Google Now make the cut, while Samsung’s Nature UX vibe remains intact. Only a few minor surprises have snuck their way in, such a brightness slider in the notification bar that we’d previously seen in some firmware for the Galaxy Note. We’re skeptical of claims that Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S III is just days away — Samsung isn’t exactly known for speedy Android updates. As long as the update we’ve seen here isn’t just a clever hack, however, it’s close enough to completion that it might tame the pessimists.

Continue reading Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video)

Filed under: Cellphones

Official Jelly Bean for Samsung Galaxy S III spotted in the wild, blends old with new (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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