Monthly Archives: March 2013
Wearable Tech – The Next Innovation?
Once again, the technology of the future promised to me in my childhood is beginning to become a reality
Sure, today we can browse the internet wirelessly on our incredibly thin phones with more power than older laptops, we can watch TV anywhere, we can communicate with all corners of the world instantly, technology is integrated into every part of daily life, but what we really want to know is; when can I wear it?
Well, maybe that wasn’t at the forefront of your mind, but the idea of having technology so portable that you can wear it is a concept that’s been slushing about in popular media for decades.
Penny – Inspector Gadget
I remember Penny from Inspector Gadget having her incredible book of tech that could seemingly do anything (the idea of which has become a tablet) and her watch communicator.
Leela – Futurama
Or even Leela from Futurama and her incredibly cool wrist cuff that seems capable of doing everything from controlling the ship to playing Pong.
The big players in the world of gadgets have been trying for a while now to create technology that the masses would wear in everyday life, unfortunately often unsuccessfully. The public hasn’t had the desire to wear their gadgets, and until now there hasn’t been the need to. However, things are rapidly changing.
The trend was started by the Sony Ericsson LiveView SmartWatch, an Android based device for controlling your handset via Bluetooth. An interesting concept, but at the time handsets weren’t quite at the level needed to justify the additional expense; even the later incarnation, the Sony SmartWatch, often became nothing more than a fancy digital watch.
Sport and Fitness
Times they are a changing though, as technological progress marches on at an incredible rate. The
current most popular use for wearable technology is for sport and exercise, as a very accurate way of tracking activity levels, calories burned, distance and routes travelled etc. Nike have released their very cool looking Fuel wristband to this end, allowing the user to monitor and record every part of their exercise regime in detail never before imagined.
Nike are not alone in the fitness world though; Jawbone have just announced Up, their slimline wristband which monitors everything from distance travelled to how good your night’s sleep was. Together with their app, you are able to record your lifestyle down to the smallest detail, the app then churning up the data and giving you a holistic view of the impact you’re having on your health.
Your World in a Watch
The big boys are now jumping on the wearable bandwagon, with Apple and Samsung rumours 
circulating and gaining credibility on the net. The Apple iWatch seems a distinct possibility, with plenty of mock ups and even supposed patents being flashed as proof the device is on its way.
Samsung Watch screenshots have also been making the rounds, although if these images are of the actual design, Samsung seems to have gone for a more ‘digital watch’ feel as opposed to Apple’s iPhone Mini look.
Augmented Reality may play a big part in the future, with Google
Glass getting a lot of hype, as well as a lot of negative comments, particularly relating to privacy and advertising. The fact that you will be able to control certain functions, such as maps, calls and messages with nothing but the movement of your eyes will be a massive step forward whichever way you look at it.
Why Get One?
Realistically, as it stands now, wearable technology is only going to hold an appeal for early adopters and gadget-philes as something that does some cool stuff. Like tablets, it may take a while for the population as a whole to see the benefit, particularly as handset tech will have to be top notch in order that the devices work seamlessly together. However, it looks like it’s on its way, and if the mobile revolution is anything to go by, we’re in for some amazing innovation in the non-too-distant future.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Features
Short video detailing the top features of the new Samsung Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4 – First Look
It’s finally here – now get the full lowdown on the new Samsung Galaxy S4
The rumours and speculation can now end; Samsung have launched their new flagship handset at the much anticipated New York event at the Radio City Music Hall in a flurry of tap-dancing and live music, all to introduce the world to their new ‘Life Companion’, the Samsung Galaxy S4.
While some observers were slightly underwhelmed by the feature-packed handset, this was more because the deluge of leaks over the past few weeks promised the earth, from SmartScroll technology (which we assumed would mean the screen could be scrolled just with your eyes) to SmartPause. These features do exist in the handset, just in a slightly different (and no less impressive) guise.
Key Specs
- Dimensions – 136.6mm x 69mm and a slimmer 7.9mm depth
- 5″ Super AMOLED screen with 1920 x 1080 pixels at 441ppi
- 13MP back facing camera and 2MP front facing camera
- 3G and 4G LTE Lite compatible
- 1.9GHz quad-core processor or 1.6GHz octa-core processor
- Advanced voice recognition for 9 languages and application activation
- Huge 2,600mAh battery
- Available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB memory
- Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 operating system
SmartPause is suitably impressive, sensing whether the user is watching the screen while playing a video using the front facing camera, and pausing if they look away, starting up again where it left off when they look back.
SmartScroll uses similar technology, allowing the user to tilt the screen backwards and forwards to scroll up and down a web page if they’re looking at the screen.
Air View allows you to use gestures above the screen to control certain functions of the phone, rather than dirtying it up with your fingerprints. By hovering just above thumbnails, the S4 will reveal a larger preview; similarly by hovering over emails, you’ll be able to read the first line. You’re also able to use the touchscreen while wearing gloves, which would have come in very handy over the last few freezing weeks!
The Optical Reader is a particularly cool feature, picking up on physical written information using the camera, and then translating it into digital data such as a business card or a web search instantly.
Want to use your phone as a remote for your TV? No problem with the Samsung Galaxy S4, as it uses Watch On, linking the handset wirelessly to your telly and then letting you control it with the device.
Samsung’s answer to Apple’s FaceTime comes in the form of Chat On, giving you the ability to have dual video calls on screen, as well as being able to share screens in real time with the person on the other end of the line.
CLICK HERE for a video of the handset’s top features
Matt Berrisford, Tech and Gadget Expert writes; “The S4 hardware seems like a great base and should have a solid claim at the most powerful phone ever built. Adding this to the eye tracking software and floating pause and you have quite the flagship device. The S4 does benefit rather a lot from Samsung’s recent development partnership with MS and incorporates some of the fantastic WP innovations. This is most definitely the best of Samsung.”
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is an impressive challenger to the iPhone 5. Packed with innovative and fun features (which the iPhone 5 was distinctly lacking), this could be the device that finally sees Samsung take the crown from Apple and end its reign of the smartphone market.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available for pre-order now from Carphone Warehouse Business, in Black Mist and White Frost colourways. Due in the UK on 26th April 2013.
To pre-order, call us on 0800 049 6023
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Samsung Galaxy S IV Launch Day
The countdown has officially begun!
The Samsung Galaxy S IV is due to launch at 11pm UK time (7pm New York local time).
Watch the unveiling LIVE – CLICK HERE
LATEST – SmartPause video leaks ahead of official announcement CLICK HERE
Alleged details of the new device have been leaked a number of times over the past few weeks in the lead up to the announcement, and we’re all desperate to see which ones will be verified at the event.
For a round up of the rumours, CLICK HERE
The Samsung Galaxy SIII was a massive step forward in the mobile industry, even unseating Apple as top dog for a while, and the Samsung Galaxy S IV looks likely to achieve this yet again.
Mobile Technology Guru Manjit Atwal speculates from New York about Samsung’s latest release;
“Samsung’s success with the SIII was astronomical and shows Samsung can compete with the best in the smartphone market. I’m expecting to see a similar step up with the SIV, with improvements to the processor (rumoured to be 8-core), screen, chassis and innovative features hinted at by the SmartScroll patents.
With Apple’s iPhone 5 offering being underwhelming, I would not be surprised if they were particularly worried about Samsung’s latest innovations and the impending announcement.”
Carphone Warehouse Business will be ranging the handset when launched; to pre-register call us on 0800 049 6023
For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter : @CPWBusiness
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