Is Samsung working on its own mobile browser?

Is Samsung working on its own mobile browser

Samsung’s Android customers get their pick of a pretty broad selection of smartphone web browsers and soon, at least according to ETNews, Samsung is looking to follow up on its own Android UI additions with its own fully-fledged mobile browser. The company is reportedly seeking out WebKit engineers to work on the project at Samsung’s Silicon Valley R&D center — where work is already underway on the Chrome mobile rival. The open-source WebKit engine already underpins not only Google’s own browser, but also its pre-ICS Android web browser — and Apple’s Safari. We’ve got in touch with Samsung who politely told us that it “doesn’t comment on rumor or speculation.”

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Is Samsung working on its own mobile browser? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Packaging hints at ASUS Padfone 2 having 4.7-inch 720p display, 13MP camera, quad-core S4 Pro

Packaging hints at ASUS Padfone 2 having 47inch 720p display, 13MP camera, quadcore S4 Pro

We can’t guarantee what this box contains, but if the list of specs is accurate then it’s definitely too good to gift-wrap. The photo above was posted to a Chinese forum thread entitled “Padfone 2 specs revealed” by a user called cj1024, and indeed the A68 model number at the top of the list does sound appropriate, considering the original Padfone was the A66. If we assume it’s legit, for the sake of argument, then maybe we can expect ASUS’s next modular phone to come with the same quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 13-megapixel camera resolution that are already strutting around in the LG Optimus G, alongside an uncommonly bright, 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 Super IPS+ display, LTE and 2GB of RAM. You can digest the rest for yourself, or just wait until October 16th.

Update: Keen-eyed doubter Firuz has spotted a problem: the display icon says “SuperAMOLED” even though the specs state “Super IPS.” Dodgy ‘chop or actual packaging error? You decide.

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Packaging hints at ASUS Padfone 2 having 4.7-inch 720p display, 13MP camera, quad-core S4 Pro originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nvidia Project Boulder tipped

It’s not uncommon for manufacturers in the technology industry to have secret projects in the works. For many things in the technology world secrecy is very important. One secret project that Nvidia is said to be working on is called Project Boulder.

Bright Side of News (BSN) reports that one of its sources claiming to know about Project Boulder says that the project represents Nvidia’s “claim to fame” in the server environment. Project Boulder focuses on high-performance and doesn’t care about miserly power consumption as much is it cares about sucking in the all power it needs to operate as quickly as possible. According to reports, Project Boulder is expected to be a new multiple core SoC.

BSN reports that Project Boulder is expected to result in an 8-16 core SoC with a high-bandwidth interconnect. The product is also expected that use high-bandwidth memory along the lines of DDR4. Interestingly, Nvidia and Fusion-io recently started working together on an effort to expand the ability of GPUs and SoCs to address memory directly with a component called ioFX, so the SoC could be paired with more memory than we are used to seeing in similar products.

It’s certainly worth noting that there are no official details of Project Boulder out there right now. That means that the source cited by BSN could be leading us all astray, and we would have no way to know that. Nvidia has been big on using its GPUs for computing for a while now, so a move into the server space with a new product would be no surprise.

[via Bright Side of News


Nvidia Project Boulder tipped is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Half-Life 3 has reportedly become an open world game

Anyone who follows video game news knows that there is never any shortage of Half-Life 3 rumors, but this one probably takes the cake as far as extravagant claims go. French gaming site Le Journal du Gamer (via International Business Times) has spoken to an anonymous source close to Valve who claims to have some surprising information on the development of Half-Life 3. According to this source, development on Half-Life 3 has been restarted several times, with Valve’s latest attempt at getting it right going in a completely different direction.


Apparently, Valve has decided to toss in some open world elements with Half-Life 3. Inspired by other games like Skyrim and Fallout, Half-Life 3 will feature NPCs that give the player quests to complete and a sandbox world to wander around in. No, we’re not kidding – this is what the latest rumor claims.

According to the source, the game won’t release until sometime after 2013, which suggests an early 2014 release date for Half-Life 3. That’s a little easier to believe, as are the whispers that claim Half-Life 3 is currently in development. We’re a little hesitant to believe that Half-Life 3 will come offering open world elements, however, as open world has never really been Valve’s style.

Who knows though? Perhaps Valve has truly decided that it’s time for a change. The studio has already mastered the linear FPS, so maybe the developers at Valve are looking for a new challenge and have decided that Half-Life 3 would be the perfect way to test out the idea of an open world. As hard as it is to believe, an open world Half-Life could be pretty cool, but we’re still not convinced that Valve has taken development in that direction. What do you think? Would you like to see an open world Half-Life game, or would you prefer it if Half-Life 3 was more like its predecessors in terms of gameplay?


Half-Life 3 has reportedly become an open world game is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Alleged Samsung Galaxy S4 seen in tests with Cortex A15 processor

The Galaxy S4 exists, the Galaxy S4 does not exist, the Galaxy S4 exists…and so the merry-go-round continues. Although Samsung did come up with an official denial of the existence of the Samsung Galaxy S4 being announced at MWC 2013, there are whispers that this could be very well a cover up, as those who want to believe claim that the benchmark above is proof that the Galaxy S4 exists.

After all, it does seem to depict a new Cortex A15 processor that runs on the Samsung TE4 as spotted by Rightware. The TE4 is said to be a future-forward Android-powered smartphone which will come with a 1280 x 752 resolution display, a dual-core 1.7GHz Cortex A15 processor as well as a Mali T604 GPU, which in all probability, is the Exynos 5 SoC which Samsung announced earlier this year. Of course, all of the above could very well be just a rumor with no basis at all, so we will just have to wait until MWC happens next year which frankly, is not that far off actually.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy S4 rumor has been officially shot down, Samsung Galaxy S4 rumored for MWC 2013 debut,

Google Maps for Android update reportedly timed for iOS 6 coincide

Google intends to launch a new version of Google Maps for Android to coincide with Apple’s release of iOS 6, which will strip the search giant’s mapping software from iPhones and iPads. The updated Android app will synchronize better with multiple devices, Google VP of engineering for maps Brian McClendon told the NYTimes, with search results discovered on the desktop more readily available on a mobile device.

“Typing on a phone is slow, and our goal is to reduce the amount of typing as much as possible” McClendon explained. If users are logged into the same Google account on both phone and browser, typing a search term on the phone that has previously been looked up on the desktop version will pull over an auto-complete suggestion, saving your fingers.

The update is a timely one, as it arrives when Apple pushes out its own rival software for mapping on iOS devices. While the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch have relied on Google’s software until now, the Android/iOS rivalry has prompted Apple to create its own version, with TomTom mapping data and a new “flyover” feature with 3D and photo graphics of cities.

iOS 6 features on the iPhone 5:

Google declined to comment on Apple’s new Maps application, but McClendon did point out that “experience is important.” Apple lacks a search engine of its own, something Google relies on to feed Google Maps with contextual information.

iOS 6 is expected to drop for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad 2, new iPad, and iPod touch owners at roughly 1PM ET today. Google has not said exactly when its update will go live.

[via The Verge]


Google Maps for Android update reportedly timed for iOS 6 coincide is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


iPad Mini leaks: Launch imminent?

Now that all the hype and leaks of the iPhone 5 have calmed down it’s time to focus on the iPad Mini. Between all the accurate leaks of the iPhone 5, as well as the increasingly large amount of photos and details about the 7.8-inch iPad Mini we are feeling pretty good about the image below. What is it? Purportedly the first image of a fully functioning iPad Mini.

The folks from BoloPad have leaked what appear to be the first images released with a unit actually on and working instead of just the aluminum shell or parts. Given the history of the iPhone 5 leaks all being quite accurate, we’re going to go ahead and say this is indeed the real deal. Earlier this month some HD photos of the back were uncovered, and these photos today sure look the same.

Apple has been known for tightly locking down their devices trying to prevent these leaks, but the iPhone 5 had more than its fair share. It looks like the same fate will be had for the iPad Mini. Between Foxconn factories working full force to meet demand, now sources have confirmed iPad Mini production is under way at both Foxconn and Pegatron.

With leaks starting to appear so frequently, production supposedly under way, and now working models hitting the web is a launch imminent? We’d have to say yes! Back in August we reported that an iPad Mini launch was rumored for an October launch date — and things are starting to nicely align for just that. Stay tuned for more details.

[via Gizmodo]


iPad Mini leaks: Launch imminent? is written by Cory Gunther & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Windows Phone 8X aka HTC Accord spotted with Verizon LTE

What’s tipped to be one of HTC’s new Windows Phone 8 devices, the HTC Accord believed to launch as the “Windows Phone 8X,” has shown up in the wild. Expected to be officially revealed at a New York event tomorrow, the phone in the live photo sent by an anonymous phoneArena tipster also bears Verizon branding, and the source says it will also support the CDMA carrier’s LTE network.

Those earlier leaks also suggested some specifications we can expect, including a dualcore Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch display, and an 8-megapixel camera. Interestingly, the leaked specs also claimed that the 8X/Accord would be able to record 1080p Full HD video using both the front and rear cameras.

Other tidbits include Beats Audio, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, GPS and NFC, while physical ports will consist of microUSB and a 3.5mm headphones socket. No microSD has been mentioned, however, which would mean the rumored 16GB of internal storage is all buyers are getting.

We’ll know more after HTC’s event tomorrow, when the company is expected to spill all the details on its new range. What we really want to know, however, is when the Windows Phone 8 smartphones will actually reach store shelves, but we may have to wait for Microsoft to officially launch the OS before manufacturers can step up with that news.


Windows Phone 8X aka HTC Accord spotted with Verizon LTE is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Samsung: February 2013 Galaxy S4 rumors “not true”

Samsung has denied reports that the Galaxy S4 is set to launch in February 2013, describing the chatter of a 5-inch follow-up to the Galaxy S III as simply “not true.” Talk of a new flagship with an aggressive roll-out roadmap began earlier this week, with claims that Samsung execs themselves had confirmed the mid-Q1 2013 reveal in an attempt to keep the pressure up on the new iPhone 5. However, the Samsung Tomorrow Twitter account quickly moved to debunk the speculation.

The company didn’t give more than a few passing comments on the talk, but closed with the somewhat comical “why spread these rumors?” (translated). Even if the rumors were in fact true, however, we wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung had decided to try to close them down anyway; the promise of a new device in a few months time would be unlikely to help sales of the existing Galaxy S III.

Those sales have been particularly healthy, in fact, and Samsung would probably do anything it could to avoid deflating demand before it wanes of its own accord. The company sold 20m Galaxy S III units in the first 100 days of availability, smashing records previously set by the Galaxy S II.

According to the leaks, Samsung’s fourth-gen Galaxy S flagship is to use a 5-inch display and potentially a flexible Super AMOLED panel of Samsung Display’s own manufacture. However, production issues might scupper those intentions, the insiders warned. Samsung was also tipped to eschew Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets altogether, relying solely on its own Exynos processors.


Samsung: February 2013 Galaxy S4 rumors “not true” is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Samsung: Galaxy S IV March 2013 rumors are not true

We doubt this will significantly dampen rumors of a Samsung Galaxy S IV announcement in March of next year, but any optimists who were expecting an official confirmation six months in advance won’t be getting one. Our grasp of Korean isn’t the best, but here’s a tweet from the company’s official Korean account indicating rumors of a Galaxy S successor simply aren’t true. Of course, with the kinds of sales the line has seen to date it seems like a reasonable assumption that Samsung will keep cranking them out as long as the courts will let it for the foreseeable future, so it’s certainly more a question of when, than if. Throw in the fact that the original Galaxy S was announced in March, the Galaxy S II in February, and the Galaxy S III in May — and the when narrows down appreciably.

Continue reading Samsung: Galaxy S IV March 2013 rumors are not true

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Samsung: Galaxy S IV March 2013 rumors are not true originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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