Samsung introduces forum to help Android developers

Samsung has just announced the debut of a new forum for Android developers that will provide support and help with Samsung specific development platforms.

The new site, which can be found at developer.samsung.com, will provide technical support as well as news and updates regarding Samsung's development platforms. Development tools will be made available to aid programmers in creating Augmented Reality and Location Based Services apps. There is also a Theme Tool, Sensor Simulator, and Remote Test Lab to help developers test their apps on real devices.

Samsung postpones May 24 event without explanation

Samsung USA had previously sent out a "save the date" email notice for a planned event on May 24 in New York City. Speculation on what the event was to feature ranged from the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet to Samsung's Galaxy S II smartphone. In any case, the event has been postponed as of this afternoon with no new date provided. We were told to expect more information soon.

New Sony Ericssons spotted, meet the CK15i and the ST18i

A group of new Sony Ericsson phones surfaced online and though little is known about those, we have their shots all lined up. The two most interesting members of the group are the CK15i and the ST18i.

The CK15i looks to be the first Sony Ericsson non-smartphone, non-Android device of 2011. This small touchscreen handset will apparently support a 240x400 pixel display, run on SE's A200 platform and come complete with a slide-out hardware keyboard. The only other thing we know at this time is a possible name, the Sony Ericsson Txt Pro.

The other mysterious device spotted is the ST18i. Even less is known about this model and due to the fact it sports the 'Xperia' moniker, will as a result probably run some iteration of Android. In the photos above you can see it has an 'HD' camera on the back, a front-facing camera, loud speaker grill and judging by the size of the sim slot, is a little smaller than the Sony Ericsson X8 with the looks of the Xperia Mini, but it's hard to tell. We're sure more information will trickle out soon enough and we'll be there when it does.

Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab to get Gingerbread, officially

Samsung has just come up with an official statement on the Galaxy S and the Galaxy Tab Gingerbread updates. Both are getting some later this month and unlike previous rumors, this one's as official as it gets.

The Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Gio, Galaxy Mini and Galaxy Fit owners are going to rejoice as well, as Samsung are launching Gingerbread for these mid-rangers, too.

The Galaxy S Android 2.3 update has been anticipated since March and it's high-time for Samsung to release it. With this update Samsung promises better performance due to a lower CPU consumption rate and enhanced 3D graphics.

The Gingerbread update will first start rolling out in the UK and Nordic Countries from "mid-May", followed by the rest of Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. If the "mid-May" part is to be trusted, we should see the update in the next couple of days.

Samsung Giorgio Armani Multimedia Phone

PhoneArena reviews the high-end Samsung Giorgio Armani multimedia phone, which sports a 2.6-inch touchscreen display, 3.15-megapixel camera, microSD card slot, 60MB internal memory, and Bluetooth 2.0 w/A2DP.

Here's the bottom line:
While there are some drawbacks functionality-wise, the phone still offers more than most of its owners would require. Considering the audience it is targeted to, just as the PRADA, it has decent (and better compared with the Prada) features, with major drawback being the tri-band GSM receiver, which doesn't allow for using it all over the world.

Source- http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/video-review-samsung-giorgio-armani-multimedia-phone

Hot Christmas gadgets: Nintendo Wii, sat nav and iPods

Christmas, of course, comes earlier every year. For retailers it starts earlier than most as they try to identify the year’s 'must have' gifts. In order to give them a bit of a hand, some predictions for what HITWISE think about this year’s hot gadgets, entertainment, toys and fashions.

Search term analysis provides great insight into people's habits and desires, so we analysed the top 2,000 search terms that sent traffic to a Hitwise Custom Category consisting of the top 100 online retail websites in the UK during the four weeks ending 22nd September 2007. Gadgets are up first, and our definition encompasses a range of consumer electronics products including mobile phones, computers and peripherals, games consoles, in car entertainment and navigation systems, and audio-visual equipment.

Nintendo Wii is the most searched for gaming console in the UK, ranking as the sixth most popular gadget heading into Christmas, ahead of the Xbox 360 at number 7 and the Nintendo DS at number 8. There were 5 times as many searches for the Nintendo Wii as the Sony Playstation 3, which did not make the top 10 gadget list.

Top gadgets by share of searches-

Mobile phones are the most popular gadgets in the UK, capturing 46% of all searches, followed by computers, iPods, satellite navigation systems and high definition televisions. The success for the TomTom brand of satellite navigation systems continues with the number of searches for 'tomtom' double that for the generic term 'sat nav'. Searches for 'external hard drive' have increased by 15% year on year, reflecting a desire among UK consumers to back up their precious collections of digital music, photos and videos.

The Nokia N95 multimedia phone captures almost one in ten searches for mobile phone models in the UK, making it the most popular handset. It is followed closely by the stylish Nokia 6300, with 8.7% of searches, and the Samsung G600 5 mega pixel camera phone, with 8.5%.

Top mobile phone models by share of searches-

The top mobile phone manufacturer by share of UK Internet searches is Nokia, which receives 35% of searches across the top 5 brands, followed by Sony Ericsson with 29% and Samsung with 24%. Motorola is at number four with a 6% share, followed by LG with 5%.

There are 14 times as many searches for the Apple iPod as for all the other MP3 players combined. Two thirds of searches are for the generic iPod, while one in five searchers is looking specifically for the iPod Nano, which has seen searches increase by 67% year on year.

Most searched for gadget brands-

The new iPod Touch and the UK release of the iPhone were announced too late to have a significant impact on the retail search data, but there is a massive amount of internet buzz about both products. For example, the volume of searches for ‘iPhone’ sending traffic to News and Media websites has increased 5 fold over the last month. With Apple the most searched for gadget brand in the UK, it seems likely that both products will find eager fans amongst British consumers. Dell is the second most searched for brand, receiving almost four times as many searches as its nearest rival HP.

Source- http://weblogs.hitwise.com/robin-goad/2007/09/hot_christmas_gadgets_nintendo.html

Samung Reveals the Blackjack II

Samsung’s latest iteration of its popular Blackjack Windows Mobile phone is getting ready to hit the spotlight. The Samsung SGH-i617 BlackJack 2 (II) is said to have an integrated GPS module – the SiRF III GPS receiver that's apparently hardware-based.

No word yet on what software will be used though. We do know that the phone will run on Windows Mobile 6.0 OS and is a Quadband, GSM, HSDPA-enabled phone. Price and release date haven't been announced, nor have any detailed specs come to light.

Considering the fact that it is an upgrade, the SGH-i617 BlackJack 2 will presumably retain a familiar design, with QWERTY keypad and Wi-Fi connectivity. Hopefully it should also have Bluetooth with A2DP, and microSD support for external memory.

No word yet on what camera it'll sport, though being an upgrade it should have at least a 2 megapixel camera. But then again, this is only speculation... as soon as we know you’ll know, so stay tuned.

Source- http://www.tech2.com/india/news/smart-mobile-phones/samung-reveals-the-blackjack-ii/22615/0

Disney Phones: 'Dis' are What I'm Waiting for?

The positively escalating graph of mobile phones has clinched several features into its belly fostering one with cutting edge technologies. Yes, mobile phones have worn a new robe with stitches of entertainment, usability and sophistication. Unlike yesteryears, today's mobile phones are equipped with features like camera, music, gaming, good connectivity, web access, memory expansion and what not! Several mobile manufacturing companies have hit the market promising better and enhanced features.

Samsung, the South Korean consumer electronics brand is a well-known name across the globe. Samsung also manufactures some user friendly mobile phones which are rich in features as well as looks. Samsung has recently tied up with Disney and going to launch two new “Disney Phones” called DM-S105 and DM-S110 in the US. These two phones will be in clamshell designs and provide very pleasing mobile features.

Sources say, these two handsets will come up with GPS (Global Positioning System) and will be extremely helpful for the parents to find out their children if lost. There will also be a special monitoring system that will help the parents to check how much children are using their mobile phones. The two phones will also carry a family alarm function which allows users to send a pre-saved message to other family members.

The Disney mobile phones will also come with VGA camera for freezing those memorable moments of life – in stills as well as videos. Bluetooth wireless technology will be another advantage in both the phones. The phone is for kids, but in order not to give that impression the exterior design is as sharp as Samsung's other mobile phones," a Samsung official said.

As of now, commercials are constantly aired by the company on many a popular channels. But time will only tell about the worth of the phones. Till then wait and see!