Samsung has been very successful with its new smartphone the Galaxy S III and it has sold tons of the device. If you happen to be the owner of one of these smartphones looking for a case to protect it and need some extra battery life, you might want to check out this case.
The PowerSkin case adds an extra battery which has 1500 mAh of power, giving your phone up to 170 extra minutes of talk time or 97 extra hours on standby. Bright blue LEDs on the back to indicate how much power is left in the battery, and it also has smart technology inside to turn off when the smartphone is fully-charged to prevent wasted power.
The case also uses special technology to ensure that the Galaxy SIII’s NFC wireless transmissions pass through the silicone material, allowing the smartphone to communicate with other devices placed close to it using magnetic field induction.
The PowerSkin case is available right now for $79.99 (USD). As an added bonus people to buy one before September 19th also get a free portable speaker.
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, C Spire Wireless activated its first LTE networks and we discovered strong indication that Isis will leverage the GSMA’s SIM-based NFC standard for its mobile payments system. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of September 10th, 2012.
It’s tough to get excited about phone cases — really tough. But, we’ll admit that PowerSkin’s new Galaxy S III case did pique our interest a bit. It’s not a revolutionary design that makes us rethink smartphone protection, but it does pack a number of nice features that definitely make it more interesting than your average silicone skin. Most notable is NFC integration, which means you wont have to take your GS III out of its case to make payments or tap and share data. Of course, like other PowerSkins, it also packs a backup battery (this one a 1,500 mAh pack) that lets you cruise through a day of heavy usage with little worry. That silicone shield should also help keep your precious handset safe in the event of an accidental drop or fall (just don’t hit it with a hammer or anything). They’re available now for $80 and, if you’re curious, the official press release awaits you after the break.
Verizon has never totally been on the Google Wallet bandwagon. First, Big Red refused to support the mobile payment system, citing its dependance upon proprietary hardware. Months later, some folks managed to gain access through the Play Store, but it looks like that the VZW GNex is, once again, Wallet-free. Word on the web has it that those Nexus owners are now, upon opening the app, greeted by a message saying that their version of Google Wallet is no longer supported, and that they need to update the app. Problem is, the Play Store is telling folks that their devices are no longer supported. We’ve confirmed the issue ourselves, but we don’t know if this a temporary problem, or if it’s a permanent move. We’ve reached out to both Google and Verizon for comment, and we’ll let you know as soon as we hear back.
[Thanks, Tim]
Update: Verizon responded to our requests, but declined to add any new comment on the matter. Instead, VZW reiterated its previous statement that “Verizon doesn’t block applications. Google Wallet is different from other widely-available m-commerce services. Google Wallet does not simply access the operating system and basic hardware of our phones like thousands of other applications. Instead, in order to work as architected by Google, Google Wallet needs to be integrated into a new, secure and proprietary hardware element in our phones.”
Verizon has never totally been on the Google Wallet bandwagon. First, Big Red refused to support the mobile payment system, citing a lack of secure hardware. Months later, folks managed to gain official access through the Play Store, but it looks like that the VZW GNex is, once again, Wallet-free. Word on the web has it that those Nexus owners are now, upon opening the app, greeted by a message saying that their version of Google Wallet is no longer supported, and that they need to update the app. Problem is, the Play Store is telling folks that their devices are no longer supported. We’ve confirmed the issue ourselves, but we don’t know if this a temporary problem, or if it’s a permanent move. We’ve reached out to both Google and Verizon for comment, and we’ll let you know as soon as we hear back.
The folks at Verizon and LG have teamed up to bring you a device exclusive to the both of them here in the USA – the LG Intuition – made to take on the phablet segment of the market with a fury all its own. But what can LG offer the 5-inch display-toting smart device universe that the Samsung Galaxy Note (and now the Note II) haven’t already? Have a peek here at the one and only competing device to take on the larger than a smartphone but smaller than a tablet market currently on Verizon – and see if LG’s convinced us that a 4:3 aspect ratio display is all its cracked up to be!
Hardware
The LG Intuition is the USA version of the device we’ve known up unto this point as the LG Optimus Vu, it having been revealed earlier this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The device we’re looking at now is essentially the same as it was in that first showing, here coming with what LG calls its Rubberdium Pen that works with any capacitive display-toting device, two LG Tag+ stickers that you can use to activate different phone modes using the Intuition’s NFC capabilities, and of course a charging cord for good measure.
This device works with a lovely 5-inch HD display at 1024 x 768 pixel resolution at a rather bright 650 NIT. The display is an odd 4:3 aspect ratio, that being the same as the first three iPads, with the same amount of pixels too. Now that those pixels are smashed down into a much smaller display, you’ve got a rather sharp and bright – and colorful – vision in your hand – or hands, as it were.
The back of the device is made of a soft plastic that’s almost rubbery, this making a great case for the idea that this could be a one-handed device – but you’re certainly not going to get away with doing much other than scrolling with one hand unless you’re a giant. Two-handed operation here feels much more natural. If LG’s aim here is to replace your tablet – and it is – then they’re doing it right.
If LG’s aim instead is to replace your smartphone, a smartphone that you’ve gotten used to working with using a display that’s closer to 4-inches for many moons, they may have a bit larger of a challenge on their hands. This device, like the Galaxy Note, looks a bit absurd to be holding up to your head to make a call. LG suggested to us that this device will make a great case for people to be using Bluetooth headsets to avoid such odd looks – but then again that adds another component where this device’s aim was supposedly to replace two.
The Rubberdium pen, too, is interesting to use, but because it really doesn’t do anything that a normal capacitive-friendly stylus wouldn’t be able to – it’s definitely not contending for any top spot in the pen-included smart device market. It’s a sturdy accessory, but it also doesn’t fit in a dock inside the device as Samsung’s S-Pen for the Note does. It feels much more natural to just use your finger for circling items and making notes with the Intuition.
This device has 1GB of RAM inside alongside a dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor clocked at 1.5GHz. That’s basically the same as what we saw in the tiny LG Lucid back in March of this year. LG informs us that the S3 should be perfectly capable of bringing on awesome “multitasking muscle” even if it’s not the newest architecture on the block – and for the most part we’ve seen that to be true in everyday use. Have a peek at a few benchmark tests here to see how it adds up:
Software
Inside of this device you’ll find LG’s newest user interface working with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. You’ve got the regular awesome abilities of ICS such as a Recent Apps button – included in an odd set for this device in the physical row – notice how there’s a menu button in there too, this being a unique set for any Android device thus far released to the market. The lockscreen here allows you to do a simple unlock by swiping across any part of the screen, or you can swipe through any one of five app shortcuts to go there too – pull down your notifications work on the lockscreen as well.
You’ve got facial unlock fully intact, Home Screen folders for your apps, and even icon customization abilities – you can literally draw your own icons or take photos to use as icons for your apps. That’s a move we did not see coming from anybody as it has the potential to make your apps look rather terrible – but if you’re an awesome artist or designer, you could be making something totally lovely.
The standard web browser here allows you to switch between mobile and desktop versions with the tap of a button and you’ll be able to save websites in their entirety for offline reading, too. Then comes the best part – a hardware button at the top of your device that takes screenshots that you can write on.
When you take a shot like this, you bring up a toolbox of icons that have multiple abilities. You’re meant to use your Rubberdium pen at this point, but you certainly do not have to if you don’t want to. The first button you see allows you to take a note with the screenshot you’ve just taken or without – this bringing you to a notepad for your note-taking pleasure. There are forward and backward buttons incase you need to undo or redo, and you can pick your pen type and color as well.
You’re able to share a memo to any of your various social networks and share-friendly apps, or simply save your memo for later viewing – you can save here to your gallery in a brand new folder specifically for notes such as these, or you can save them to your NoteBook. This whole interface is part of your QuickMemo environment, the idea that you’re the type of person that takes notes and memos being a large selling point for this device in the end.
LG has for some time now been working to provide the user with a unique ability – coming from a manufacturer, that is – to switch between user modes. You can use the LG Tag+ NFC stickers to activate your different modes, or you can simply do it yourself with a couple of taps. The LG Intuition comes pre-set with Car, Office, Sleep, and User modes, each of them bringing you a standard setup for their respective environments.
These modes bring you different home screens full of apps as well as settings – for the office, for instance, you could have your Office Mode set to silent, while your Sleep Mode could have your wi-fi and data connections shut off entirely while you snooze. On the Office subject, this device also comes pre-loaded with Polaris Office, this including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint compatibility.
This device also securely syncs with Microsoft Exchange for secure email action and is able to access your corporate network “without worries” with LG’s built-in VPN. You’ve got DARE – Data At Rest Encryption – at work here, and you can work with items such as secure booting, rooting detection, and remote wipe for relatively hardcore security measures all around.
As shown above, this device once again continues Verizon’s new set of apps as well as Amazon’s apps, yet works with a Google-certified set of apps like Google Play, Gmail, and Play Music. This device also comes with Shark Dash – an insanely odd game to say the least – and Real Racing 2 so you know you can have some fun while you’re making all kinds of doodles all week long.
Camera
This device works with an 8-megapixel back-facing camera and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front – the back-facing camera taking some relatively lovely photos and videos – the placement of the shooter in the corner of the device makes taking video and photos feel natural with this device, much more so than it does with the Galaxy Note – in that way, this device wins.
Battery and Data Speed
This device works with notoriously battery-hungry 4G LTE connectivity, which though it is a power-gobbler, has nothing on the ability of the Intuition’s display to cut you down to size. Though the Snapdragon S3 processor under the hood doesn’t quite have the same awesome standby power-saving abilities that the S4 does, we’re still seeing some rather standard battery life action going on here.
If you’re a person who uses their device every 10 minutes, you may have to charge the device once halfway through the day. If you’re a regular person who works with their smartphone every half-hour or so, you’ll probably be good to go for your whole workday. This device uses a 2080 mAh non-removable battery, by the way, just a bit bigger than the Motorola DROID RAZR M (which has a 2000 mAh, massive for a device of its size.) This device, once again, runs on Verizon’s 4G LTE network which you can see rocking quite well in the speed tests included here:
Wrap-Up
This device certainly isn’t the magic all-in-one device for everybody – evidenced by the lack of a microSD card slot and 32GB of onboard storage as well as by the S3 processor inside – not quite perfect for future-proof-seeking gamers. On the other hand, the average office-goer will likely find this device to be more than a match for any tablet they’d been using up unto this point – this device is meant to replace the tablet, after all. You’ll have a much more awesome time with a 5-inch display than you have had with a 7-inch display if you’re finding yourself needing a whole extra bag to carry that device around all day.
Here you’ve got a device that’s massive – yet small enough to still fit in your pocket. That’s assuming you’ve got standard-sized pockets, of course. The display is perfectly bright and viewing angles are more than sufficient for everyday browsing and note-taking action, and the phone is, on your average day, swift enough to handle your office-bound needs. This is certainly one of LG’s most impressive devices yet, and though we’re not entirely convinced that we’d not rather have its main competitor in the end, LG does currently have the Verizon piece of the market cornered.
Isis, the mobile payment service that is the result of a Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile team-up, was supposed to enter into its first round of trial runs later this month. Instead, CNET reports that its developers have hit a few roadblocks, and have now pushed the launch of that first trial run back a bit. We don’t know when, precisely, the trial run of Isis will be kicking off now, but we’re told that we can expect more news on it soon.
The disappointing announcement comes from Isis head of marketing Ryan Hughes, who said in an interview with CNET that the company is more concerned about launching the service the right way instead of as quickly as possible. He also assures that the Isis team hasn’t hit any major setbacks, but instead they’re going down a “punch list” of necessary features and goals. The reason for the delay wasn’t revealed, but it seems like getting Isis ready for its trial run phase is simply taking longer than expected.
We’re told that we don’t have much longer to wait until that trial run launches, however. That seems to suggest that Isis is quite far along in the development process, but its developers just need a little more time to iron out the kinks. Hughes says that he’ll have more news for us in October, and it’s likely that announcement in October will be when we’ll find out more about the state of Isis.
Even when Isis does launch, it’ll have a fight ahead of it. Google Wallet has enjoyed a lot of exposure since its debut, but that hasn’t helped with the slow uptake from consumers. Many phones these days are coming with NFC capabilities, but one of the most notable handsets that will be lacking NFC is the freshly-revealed iPhone 5. Hughes, however, says that Isis team is working on a sleeve that will allow iPhone 5 owners to use an NFC chip with their new handset, but at any rate, he claims that one device not utilizing NFC probably won’t do anything to slow the adoption of mobile wallet services. Keep an ear to SlashGear for more information on Isis!
Isis must have spoken too soon. Just days after the alliance committed to launching its mobile payment system in September, its marketing lead Jaymee Johnson has warned FierceMobileContent that the rollout won’t make the promised summer target. The delay is portrayed as a collection of minor hiccups, although we’re not bracing ourselves for a short wait: Isis plans to update us on the situation in October, and that suggests we won’t be making NFC-based purchases on Isis any sooner. It’s another disappointment for the future-is-now crowd hoping to leave cash behind — not that Apple and Google will object to a rival’s misstep.
If you’re looking to pick up a smartphone for your family member of choice that’s got the sharing abilities of the newest family line of Samsung products but wont break your bank, the Galaxy Victory 4G LTE may be the item for you. Though we can’t speak to its ability to actually connect to 4G LTE as it’s not being carried by one of the two reliable networks we’ve worked with in the USA, $99.99 on a two-year contract might be a great deal for this Ice Cream Sandwich carrying 4-inch display toting Android smartphone appearing today.
This device works with a powerful 1.2GHz dual-core processor under the hood and will be working with a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front. This device has NFC integrated to make use of Google Wallet and works with S Voice, Samsung’s own voice recognition system that enables device-user communication for questions, answers, and commands galore.
The Galaxy Victory also works with S Beam, AllShare Play, and AllShare Group Cast. S Bean allows you to connect with Google’s integrated “Android Beam” system of NFC sharing device-to-device with media transfer. You’ll be pushing photos, videos, and documents galore from phone to phone without a hassle. AllShare Play allows you to connect to other devices that also use AllShare Play – like the Galaxy Note or the Galaxy S III, for example, playing media between devices with great ease. AllShare Group Cast works within the AllShare universe to show presentations and photo albums between devices on the same wi-fi network.
Above you’ll see these systems working on the Samsung Galaxy S III. The Galaxy Victory will work essentially the same way but will be doing it with a smaller display and a slightly different phone body. Stay tuned as this device hits the market this Sunday!
PowerSkin has just introduced what they deem to be a first in the world, a NFC-enabled case for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Specially designed for Samsung’s flagship smartphone, it debuts today while carrying patent-pending technology that enables NFC transmission in order to pass through the silicone case, delivering the option for quick information sharing along the way. It has a 1,500 mAh rechargeable battery just like most of the other PowerSkin cases which can extend the talk time by up to 2.83 hours and up to 97 hours standby.
There is an On/Off button that is located on the side to deliver power on demand, while its Smart Power Management feature shuts the PowerSkin off whenever the Galaxy S3 is fully charged, so that power use is optimized. Each $79.99 purchase will come with a cable for data synchronization when recharging, and the LED battery lights inform you of the current charging status.
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PowerSkin has just introduced what they deem to be a first in the world, a NFC-enabled case for the Samsung Galaxy S3. Specially designed for Samsung’s flagship smartphone, it debuts today while carrying patent-pending technology that enables NFC transmission in order to pass through the silicone case, delivering the option for quick information sharing along the way. It has a 1,500 mAh rechargeable battery just like most of the 