Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung hasn’t even announced the Galaxy S IV yet, and already it’s one of the most anticipated phones of 2013. After the massive success of the Galaxy S III, we’re all interested in seeing what Samsung can do with its next flagship phone. We’ve seen leaked parts, sure, but nothing set in stone yet. That isn’t stopping the folks at Rozetked from having a bit of fun though, as they’ve put together a render showing off what the Galaxy S IV might look like and do once it finally arrives.

In the video below, we see a super slim smartphone that comes equipped with a 1080p Grand AMOLED display, a 13MP camera, and a quad-core processor clocked at 2GHz. The video also assumes that Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will have been released by the time Samsung begins shipping the Galaxy S IV, which we have to say would be pretty awesome. We also hear that the Galaxy S IV will be much thinner than the Galaxy S III and the iPhone 5, which would be especially impressive considering the Galaxy S III is already pretty slim at just 0.33-inches thick.

One particularly cool feature we get to see is a laser keyboard dock. Our faceless host connects the Galaxy S IV to the dock and then slides his hand across the surface in front of it. The dock then projects a laser keyboard onto the desk and he begins typing away. Needless to say, we want the Galaxy S IV to come with this kind of functionality.

Of course, this is all just wishful thinking, so don’t take it to mean that Samsung is actually planning these features for the Galaxy S IV. Still, text at the end of the video tells us that this render is based on leaked parts, so what we’re seeing may not be too far outside the realm of possibility. We’ll simply have to wait and find out what kind of hardware and features the Galaxy S IV is packing when Samsung reveals it, which will hopefully be at CES 2013 in a couple of weeks. Keep it here at SlashGear for more.

[via Android Community]

Samsung Galaxy S IV “hands-on” takes a guess at the future is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.

Software testers don’t have it easy these days. While it’s been possible for ages to record keyboard and mouse commands as macros, quality assurance teams sometimes can’t have any tracking software running — a real pain when trying to recreate a bug in an online RPG or other input-heavy apps. Emukey’s proposed EK1 box could save testers from manual troubleshooting by running those macros from hardware. By taking scripts pushed out from a host Windows PC, the EK1 can run pre-recorded keyboard and mouse instructions on a slave PC without any software interference. The script-based approach makes it easy to reproduce a glitch on other machines by sharing files, and the use of PS/2 peripherals (with USB adapters if needed) prevents lag from skewing the results.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Emukey EK1 runs mouse, keyboard macros purely from hardware (video)

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: Emukey (Indiegogo)

Here you are yet another compact Bluetooth Keyboard for portable devices. Designed to be used regardless of the operating system you are running (Windows, OSX, Android and iOS) this new TK-FBP052 Series comes in two colors (Black and White) and features Bluetooth 3.0. Announced at around 4,830 Yen this keyboard weight 169g for 237x127x21mm.

Space at your desk can sometimes be at a premium, something that full-size QWERTY keyboards don’t always help with. The folks at FrogPad are here to help with the new Magic FrogPad, a cling that crams the functionality of a full QWERTY keyboard into a one-handed keypad. The Magic FrogPad can fit the Apple Magic Trackpad “perfectly” (hence the name), and comes in designs made for both left- and right-handed people.

With the Magic FrogPad, you’ve got a QWERTY keyboard compressed down to just 26 keys, which is pretty cool if you ask us. You can toggle between the keypad and mouse functionality easily by hitting the “switch” in the upper left corner. As with most clings, this one is pretty easy to install, and it’s even repositionable, meaning that you don’t have to worry about making a permanent commitment when you stick this on your Magic Trackpad.

If you’re a little intimidated by the look of the Magic FrogPad, the company offers a number of tutorials to get you started. It’ll connect to your Mac through Bluetooth, and FrogPad says you can use a mouse along with it if you don’t want to be switching between the mouse and keypad functionality all the time. In order to use the Magic FrogPad, you’ll need a Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer that’s running Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or above. You’ll also need an Apple Magic Trackpad, which kind of goes without saying.

The Magic FrogPad is available now from FrogPad’s store for $69.99 with immediate shipping. That may seem a bit expensive at first glance, but that $70 gets you two righty pads, one lefty pad, and a download of the software needed to use the Magic FrogPad. All in all, it doesn’t seem like too bad a cling – are you picking one up?

Magic FrogPad bestows one-handed data entry upon Mac users is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

For some, using an iOS device as a keyboard for Apple TV is good enough, but according to a new report from 9to5Mac, it won’t be long before Apple TV users have more options when it comes to keyboard input. Specifically, we’re talking about Bluetooth keyboard functionality, which is apparently a new feature that’s about to land in iOS 6.1. Spotted in the latest Apple TV beta, this new functionality will likely be a big hit with a lot of users.

That’s because the new Bluetooth menu allows you to completely control Apple TV with a wireless keyboard, no longer requiring that you use the remote or an iOS device for keyboard input. 9to5Mac claims that tracking down the content you want to watch “becomes a thousand times easier” when you’re using a physical keyboard, so there’s plenty of reason to be excited. Unfortunately, at this point in time it looks like Bluetooth pairing is rather limited.

For instance, it appears that only keyboards are supported here, as Bluetooth speakers and mice wouldn’t play nice with Apple TV. The same is true for connecting a Mac computer through Bluetooth – it’s a no go. Never fear though, because this functionality could be the first step in a larger Bluetooth roll out for Apple. Even better, it could potentially allow third parties to develop their own Bluetooth-based remotes for Apple TV, so this is definitely one feature to watch.

This functionality is available with second and third generation Apple TV boxes, so if you’re still rocking a first generation box, you’re unfortunately being left out in the cold. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Bluetooth keyboard support for Apple TV, remember, which means that the time may finally be here. Check out our story timeline below for more on Apple TV!

Apple TV getting Bluetooth keyboard functionality with iOS 6.1 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.