Samsung and LG won't go with 4KHD displays in 2016, and maybe it's for the better

Sony being one of the top dogs in the display arena meant their desire to push the envelope on smartphones was no surprise. They were the first to bring 4KHD to a smartphone in the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, and while that stat line sounds cool on paper it didn’t exactly bring the type of value we were expecting. 

Namely, Sony later revealed that the display only goes into 4K mode when viewing 4K content, and stayed at 1080p at all other times. Still, it sounds pretty nice to have 4K on a smartphone, right? 


Well, Samsung and LG don’t seem to think so, if DigiTimes is correct. The publication has heard from sources that Samsung and LG might opt to skip 4KHD for their 2016 flagship smartphones, which we expect to be the Samsung Galaxy S7 and all its variants, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6, the LG G5 and the LG V10. 

There’s more than one reason why they decided against it: 

The technology is too new, and there’s not enough content out to justify mass producing them yet. 
Current implementation is not yet heat or power efficient. 
Not enough other smartphone manufacturers have requested 4K displays, so mass producing it wouldn’t be cost efficient. 
Those are all fine reasons that we can certainly agree with. Our biggest concern as consumers would be in the power efficiency department. It takes a lot of horsepower to constantly refresh that many pixels, and that could put an unnecessary burden on the chipset. It could potentially lead to performance issues if the display runs in 4K mode 24/7. And, well, you could say goodbye to even more of your beloved battery life. 

And, really, do we even need 4K displays right now? While some may argue that the human eye can see past a certain pixel density, 4K at these small sizes provides way more room than most people need for normal usage. Sure, it might be nice for virtual reality uses where your eyes will be as close to the display as they’ll ever be, but QHD resolution already provides quite the immersive experience. 

Someday these manufacturers will feel pressured to push the bar on display technology and start offering 4K panels in their smartphones, but if it doesn’t happen in 2016 we can’t say we’ll be sad about it. Let us know if you feel otherwise.

Molotov Signs Deals With LG And Samsung To Come To Your Smart TV

French startup Molotov wants to revolutionize your TV experience and it has partnered with most French networks. But software and content are nothing without a good distribution plan. 

That’s why the company is partnering with smart TV makers to ship its app directly to your TV. Samsung and LG are both on board, and you can expect a Molotov app next to your Netflix app in the coming months if you live in France. 

When it comes to LG, the company has been betting on webOS. Molotov will ship a webOS app for LG TVs. 

As for Samsung, the startup expects to ship its app to Samsung smart TVs, tablets, phones and even a companion app for the Gear 2 watch. These TVs run Tizen, Samsung’s own operating system. 

So it looks like Molotov is skipping ISP set-top boxes altogether to go with a combination of smart TV apps, mobile apps and a web interface — you can expect Android and iOS apps when the service launches early next year. 

As a reminder, Molotov is backed by an impressive team with AlloCiné co-founder Jean-David Blanc, Canal+ co-founder Pierre Lescure, former TF1 executive Jean-Marc Denoual, and Gamekult and Sens Critique co-founder Kevin Kuipers. They already raised $11.2 million from Idinvest and a few business angels (€10 million) to build an over-the-top TV provider. 

Molotov lets you watch live TV with a better interface. Instead of focusing on channels, the company focuses on content. It blends together catch-up services and live TV so that you don’t have to switch between multiple interfaces. Finally, it lets you search and bookmark content based on shows, topics, directors, etc. 

With Molotov, you can record movies and TV shows on the company’s servers and watch everything months later. It’s also a great way to watch something on multiple devices. For instance, you can start watching something on your TV and finish it later on your phone. This is a promising product offering and something that could be quite successful in France.

Alphabet, Apple, and Samsung's Next Big Battle Could Be for the Ultimate Mobile Device

Am I the only one who wonders who gets the ticket when a self-driving car breaks a driving rule? Source: Alphabet/Google. 

In a 2008 interview with Charlie Rose on PBS, Warren Buffett dropped an investing gem with his "three I's" theory. In all new markets, the Oracle said, there are three types of firms: the innovators, the imitators, the and idiots. And while the context of Buffett's quote was addressing the financial crisis and how we got there, the underlying premise is applicable to most new disruptive markets and their participants. 

The innovators are able to create value by bringing a new product or service to market or significantly improving upon an existing one. Next come the imitators, who are able to create value by mostly copying the innovators. Finally, you have the idiots, who follow the other two but end up embarking on a value-destructive endeavor. 

These designations seem particularly appropriate when it comes to the nascent plans in Silicon Valley toward disrupting the car market. With Samsung's (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) admission that the South Korean electronics conglomerate plans to enter the industry, who's the potential innovator, imitator, and idiot of the future tech-car industry? This is early, and subject to change, but here are the apparent "three I's" at this juncture. 

Alphabet seems to be a clear leader 
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (nee Google) appears to be a clear leader here. The company is quite aggressive in its supposed moonshots, and this is one that may land right in investors' pockets. The company has been working on the project since 2009 and even provides reports on the progression of the program on a monthly basis, with 53 vehicles -- including 30 prototypes -- on the road as of last month. 

Of course, the innovation appears to be Alphabet's autonomous technology. As of last month, the company had booked over 1 million self-driving miles since project inception. It appears the company is increasing in scope, as it's reporting 10,000 to 15,000 autonomous miles driven per week at the midpoint, good for 650,000 miles per year. It seems Alphabet will be the first to market and boast game-changing technology, but could this be due to the company's transparency on this project? 

Apple is both an imitator and an innovator 
It's often said that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) doesn't create products; it re-creates them. The former appears to be true in this case, but it could be due to a difference in transparency. Unlike Google's openness on this project, with a dedicated website, Apple has been mostly tight-lipped about the project, with analysts given only a trail of hires and unnamed sources with which to figure out Cupertino's plans. 

In fact, major outlets The Wall Street Journal and Reuters differ as to whether the car will be autonomous or a conventionally driven electronic vehicle, with WSJ recently reporting that the car will not initially be autonomous in time for its 2019 projected ship date. 

In this case, Apple may bring a product to market earlier, and Apple's always an innovator when it comes to design, but it seems the true disruption -- driverless cars -- is not on the docket initially. In the end, it seems Apple is destined to be the imitator here. But that's OK, as imitators can still do well and add value to the company's bottom line. 

Samsung appears to be the idiot in this regard 
It appears Samsung gets the unfortunate moniker that's left. While Alphabet already has over half a decade of car-building experience, and Apple is heavily rumored to be on track to deliver a product in three years, Samsung's recent disclosure that it will enter the space seems late ... and forced. More recently, Samsung's been faulted for copying Apple in both products and design, and this seems no different. 

Of course, the devil is in the details. Reuters' report centers on the company's initial focus on in-car entertainment, satellite navigation, and autonomous-driving technologies. This approach suggests that the company is looking to pair with traditional carmakers -- perhaps its South Korean brethren Hyundai -- which could speed its development and adoption time at the expense of full control and full monetization. If some of this sounds oddly familiar, it's because it's eerily similar to the converse of its smartphone strategy, where Alphabet's Android provides the operating system for Samsung's devices. 

That said, it seems the next large battle between these technology giants could be for the ultimate mobile device: the car. 

Something big just happened 

I don't know about you, but I always pay attention when one of the best growth investors in the world gives me a stock tip. Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner (whose growth-stock newsletter was the best performing in the world as reported by The Wall Street Journal)* and his brother, Motley Fool CEO Tom Gardner, just revealed two brand new stock recommendations on Friday. Together, they've tripled the stock market's return over 12+ years. And while timing isn't everything, the history of Tom and David's stock picks shows that it pays to get in early on their ideas.

Whirlpool Accuses LG and Samsung of Dumping Washers

Whirlpool Corp. is asking the U.S. government to impose duties on washing machines made by Korean rivals Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. in China. 

In a petition filed with the government on Wednesday, the Benton Harbor, Mich.-based appliance maker alleges that the Korean companies have grabbed a bigger share of the U.S. market by selling washers at less than they cost to produce. 

The petition from Whirlpool comes less than three years after the U.S. Commerce Department imposed duties of about 9% to 13% on washers made by those companies in Mexico and South Korea for export to the U.S. Whirlpool says LG and Samsung responded to those duties by shifting production to China, circumventing the duties. 

A Samsung spokeswoman said the company was confident U.S. authorities would find it hadn’t violated trade rules. An LG spokesman predicted the investigation would “show that LG’s washers have not been sold unfairly in the U.S. market and have not been causing any injury to the U.S. industry.” 

Whirlpool’s petition covers full-size top-load and front-load washers, along with certain washer parts, made by the Korean companies in China. Many of those washers retail for between $500 and $1,000 in the U.S. 

Using estimates of production costs, the Commerce Department will have to rule on whether the Korean companies are dumping these products, or selling them at unfairly low prices. Another U.S. agency, the International Trade Commission, would determine whether the pricing practices are injuring Whirlpool and other U.S. manufacturers. 

Whirlpool estimated in its petition that the washers made by LG and Samsung in China accounted for 31% of the U.S. market in this year’s first nine months, up from 6% in 2012. 

“Samsung and LG replaced their dumped washers from Korea and Mexico with dumped washers from China,” Whirlpool said. The company expects the Commerce Department to make a preliminary ruling by July. 

The Korean companies, offering sleek designs and sophisticated control panels, have gained share in both kitchen and laundry appliances. Samsung’s share of the U.S. market for major appliances in dollar terms surged to nearly 13% in the year ended June 30 from 0.7% in 2006, according to estimates from Stevenson Co.’s TraQline service. In the same period, LG’s estimated share jumped to 13% from 3.4%.

Whirlpool said it has 15,000 manufacturing workers at nine plants in the U.S. The company said its plant in Clyde, Ohio, is the world’s biggest manufacturing location for washers. 

In a separate case, the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2012 rejected Whirlpool’s demand for tariffs on refrigerators made by Samsung and LG. The Korean companies denied the allegation.

Samsung takes Apple patent battle to US Supreme Court

Samsung's taking its suit against Apple all the way to the Supreme Court -- if the justices will consider the case, that is. 

The South Korean electronics giant on Monday filed a request with the highest court in the US, asking it to re-examine the decisions made in the patent infringement lawsuits pitting Samsung against Apple. The trial, which ended in 2012, cast a bright light on the designs behind some of the most popular smartphones, and it resulted in Samsung ultimately having to pay Apple $548 million. 

"While Samsung prefers to compete in the marketplace, not the courtroom, the company feels that it is important to appeal this case to the US Supreme Court on behalf of all US companies, big and small, that could be affected if this legal precedent stands," Samsung said in a statement. 

If the Supreme Court decides to take the case, its eventual decision could have a ripple effect on the technology industry and the kinds of gadgets you'll be able to buy. Samsung and some of Silicon Valley's biggest players, including Google and Facebook, have argued that the lower-court ruling as it stands may have a "devastating impact" on the introduction of new products because of a heightened fear of legal challenges. Apple said all along that it was doing what was necessary to defend its intellectual property and the value of its blockbuster iPhone franchise. 

It's unclear whether the Supreme Court will consider the case. It hasn't looked at a suit involving design patents since the 1800s. Those cases involved a spoon handle, a carpet, a saddle and a rug. Since that time, a lot has changed, including the introduction of electronic devices like the ones Apple and Samsung make. Samsung wants the Supreme Court to give guidance on what's covered by design patents and what damages can be collected. 

Asking the Supreme Court to hear a case "is always an uphill battle," said Mark Lemley, an intellectual property law professor at Stanford Law School. "But this is a very high-profile case." 

The original trial, which pitted two of the world's largest tech companies against each other, captivated Silicon Valley and the tech industry because it exposed the inner workings of two notoriously secretive companies. It was just one of many trials around the world as the two rivals sparred both in the marketplace and in the courtroom. At issue were design patents for a black, rectangular, round-cornered front face; a similar rectangular round-cornered front face plus the surrounding rim, known as the bezel; and a colorful grid of 16 icons. 

Apple and Samsung last year agreed to bury the hatchet in their overseas cases, but their US suits have continued. Earlier this month, Samsung said it would pay Apple the $548 million that the courts have ordered it to pay, and its Supreme Court request won't change that unless the justices come back with a ruling that reverses earlier decisions. 

One of the questions the Supreme Court could potentially settle is the penalty for infringing upon a design. Instead of damages being based on the specific value of the item infringed, they're determined by the profits for the overall device. In the case of smartphones, that could be the difference between pennies and hundreds of dollars per device. 

While a big company like Samsung can afford lawyer and court fees, it also fears copycat lawsuits by so-called patent trolls. The broader concern is that smaller companies facing a pricey lawsuit may have to scrap their entire operations, depriving you of their next killer gadgets. 

"It's bad for innovation, and it's bad for competition," a Samsung representative told CNET. "We're dealing with a really old law, and we need a sensible interpretation for modern times, the modern marketplace and modern products." 

Apple declined to offer a comment on the Supreme Court filing. It referred instead to its statement at the time of the 2012 ruling, when it said that the decision sent "a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right." 

The Supreme Court likely will decide by February whether to take the case, Lemley said.

Samsung Pay works with 19 more banks in the US

Samsung has signed a deal that'll get its smartphone-based payments system accepted with 19 more banks in the US. The agreement means that you'll now be able to use your Galaxy smartphone as a substitute for a PNC Visa and KeyBank MasterCard credit and debit card. In addition, the partnership means that plenty of regional issuers are now signed up, including TCF Bank, Utah Community Credit Union and USC Credit Union. If you've yet to make a splash into the realm of Samsung Pay, you'll need to grab a Galaxy S6 variant or a Note 5 and download the app from Google Play and dash to your nearest franchise coffee house.

Recalled Samsung washing machine causes fire in Pukekohe

The Samsung SW75V9WIP washing machine was one of four models recalled in 2013 by Samsung. 

The Samsung SW75V9WIP washing machine was one of four models recalled in 2013 by Samsung. 

A recalled Samsung washing machine caused a fire in Pukekohe on Sunday after it burst into flames while it was being used. 

No one is believed to have been injured in the fire, which was confined to the laundry of a home. 

It's believed to have been caused by a faulty pump mechanism, fire risk management officer Terry Jordan said. 

Samsung began a voluntary recall of 36,000 washing machines in 2013 after learning a design flaw meant they could catch fire, and by September that year had refunded, repaired or replaced 25,000 units. 

Samsung said in some circumstances moisture may penetrate the electrical connectors of the machines, causing a spark. 

Jordan said a woman spoken to by the fire service had been notified of the recall in 2013. 

"She thought somebody had been to have a look but couldn't really confirm it." 

In July, the fire service said about 8000 of the 36,000 affected Samsung models still needed servicing. 

Earlier this year, an Otorohanga woman narrowly escaped injury with her infant toddlers after a recalled Samsung washing machine exploded in her home. 

Jordan advised anyone with concerns their machine is affected to double check with the manufacturer. 

The recalled Samsung machines were manufactured between 2010 and 2013 with the following model names: SW75V9WIP/XSA, SW65V9WIP/XSA, SW80SPWIP/XSA, and SW70SPWIP/XSA. 

"If anyone has had a letter from manufacturers about their washing machine they should certainly get hold of the manufacturer again." 

You can also email productrework.SENZ@samsung.com to find out if your machine is affected. 

Samsung will arrange for an authorised service technician to provide a free in-home service for all affected models.

Samsung was top smartphone vendor last quarter

Samsung was the top smartphone vendor in the world in Q3 2015, followed by rival Apple, according to a latest report from research firm Digitimes Research. While the South Korean company captured 25.6% market share in the quarter, the iPhone maker's share stood at 14.5%. 


Huawei, Lenovo, and LG, rounded up the top 5 with 7.4%, 4.8%, and 4.5% market share, respectively. China's Xiaomi came in at the sixth spot with 3.8% market share, while Sony and Microsoft were at number 11 and 12, with 2% and 1.7% share, respectively. 

Of the top-15 smartphone vendors mentioned in the report, nine are from China, two each from the US and South Korea, and one from Japan and Taiwan. 

Overall, a total of 331.9 million smartphones were shipped globally last quarter, which translates into an year-on-year increase of 7.7% and a q-o-q increase of 10.5%. The report also forecasted a shipment of 396.8 million units in Q4, which would the take total 2015 shipments number to 1.326 billion, an y-o-y increase of 10.1%.

THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 COULD INCLUDE ITS OWN 3D TOUCH

The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone could take a note from the iPhone 6S playbook come release. Samsung's next flaghship phone—which we're expecting in March or April—is rumored to include a touchscreen with the ability to sense different amounts of pressure applied by a user's fingers, according to a report today from The Wall Street Journal. 

Apple pioneered pressure-sensing capabilities for the mass market earlier this year, first in the form of the Apple Watch's "Force Touch," and later in iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, which both offer "3D Touch." In either case, the feature is very similar: both the Apple Watch and iPhone 6S/6S Plus can present a new list of options when a user presses firmly on a specific portion of the screen. 

A pressure sensitive screen could allow Samsung to add useful functionality to its devices 
Now, based on the WSJ report, it appears a variation of this feature will come to Samsung's hit Galaxy series of smartphones. But that's hardly the only new feature expected on the Samsung Galaxy S7. 

Citing an anonymous source, the WSJ reports that the new Galaxy S7 my also include a retina scanner (a.k.a. eyeball scanner), a USB-C port (for charging and data transfer), and the return of expandable storage. A Galaxy S7 Edge phone could accompany the standard S7, similar to Samsung's current lineup, which includes both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones. 

A pressure sensitive screen could allow Samsung to add useful functionality to its devices. As we mentioned in our review, 3D Touch on the iPhone 6S allows iOS users to preview message conversations, access shortcuts prior to opening an app and enables playback of Apple’s Live Photos. Google’s Android operating system may not have pressure-sensitive actions built-in quite yet, but Samsung can build on top of it and add in features users may find useful. 

In addition, we've already start to see some third-pary app makers add 3D Touch-like functionality to their Android apps. Instagram made headlines earlier this month for doing just that on the Android version of its app. So if Samsung enabled a similar functionality to the phone itself, that could open the door for even more app makers to support such a feature. 

Samsung's possible inclusion of a retina scanner as a security measure would go beyond what the iPhone currently offers, as well. Expanding on what was introduced with the fingerprint sensor on more recent Galaxy devices, the retina scanner could allow users to forgo using a numeric code, and instead unlock a phone simply by looking at it. However, the company's previous addition of "eye tracking" capabilities in the Samsung Galaxy S4 didn't prove to a very reliable or useful feature, so hopeful the implementaiton of retina scanning would turn out better. 

When it comes to ports, the rumored move from a the current micro USB charger to a USB-C would bring the Galaxy S7 in line with the current standard sweeping the electronics industry: the OnePlus 2, Nexus 6P and other newer Android devices all offer USB-C, as does Apple's own new Macbook computer. 

And knowing Samsung, the South Korean smartphone maker is bound to pack numerous other features into the S7. While the company can be found at CES in January, Samsung fans are more likely to receive a new phone in mid-March, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the very earliest, we will have to wait until 2016 before we know for sure.

64 GB Samsung Phones At 32 GB Price

With the holiday season upon us, it’s raining promos and offers from all over the place. In what appears to be the latest in a long list of incentives that’s being rolled out by carriers and tech companies to entice consumers, Verizon Wireless is offering 64 GB models of as many as four premium smartphones from Samsung at the price of their 32 GB versions. The offer is currently valid on the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+ smartphones, but only when purchased through a device payment plan as per the announcement on the official Verizon website. With the offer in place, consumers wanting to splurge on a brand new Samsung flagship stand to save almost as much as $100 ($96 to be precise), all things considered.

However, Samsung is not the only device-maker whose smartphones are being discounted by the big red. Buyers interested in the Droid Turbo 2 also stand to gain a little bit extra in case they were to opt for Motorola’s latest premium handset. Verizon says it is offering a 32 GB microSD card for free to everybody who plans to buy the device. One thing to note however, is that both the offers are valid only for this weekend, so come Monday, prices are slated to go back to regular levels. Meaning, anyone wanting in, needs to act sooner rather than later.

The aforementioned offers are available over and above the 50 percent rebate the carrier is offering for trade-ins in form of Verizon gift-cards of up to $300 in value. That particular offer is applicable for those wanting to add a new line or switch to Verizon from another carrier. In case of the Samsung phones, the available color options include Black, White and Gold, whereas the Droid Turbo is available in Black Soft-Grip, Black-Pebble Leather, Gray Ballistic Nylon and Winter White Soft-Grip. With offers being made available by most carriers almost on a daily basis, Verizon Wireless customers and those wanting to switch to the carrier, may well find that this is now as good a time as any to pull the trigger. Especially if they’d been waiting to get a new premium Samsung or Motorola device.

2015’s best game gadgets: Xbox One Elite, Samsung Gear VR … and a PS4 wall mount

I’m still fairly new to the game gadgets beat here at VentureBeat, clocking in just at six months, but I’ve seen a surprising amount of weird and cool stuff in the game hardware space during that time. 

In that short amount of time I’ve seen high performance headsets, pro game pads, virtual reality goggles, kegel controllers, mind control scanners, eye trackers, and console wall mounts. 

Yet is any of that stuff actually worth your time? Or mine? Surprisingly, yes! These are the five chunks of game hardware that immediately come to my mind when discussing the best of 2015. 

Xbox One Elite 

Xbox Elite Controller 01 
Above: Dear game pad designers, Study this thing. Sincerely, Stephen Kleckner 


At the top of my list is the console gamepad which all others will be judged: the Xbox One Elite controller. 

Everything about the Xbox One Elite controller is designed around practical, hardcore, gameplay performance: the high grip texture of the mold’s palm rest that keeps the controller stuck in my hands. The 9-point concave circle d-pad attachment that reduces thumb wear on the hard plastic cross. The dual stick replacement that have differing shaft heights and nub styles. The incredibly well placed back panel buttons that land exactly where my ring and middle fingers fall on the controller. 

But my favorite feature of the Xbox One Elite controller is the adjustable trigger switch height. Keeping the switch set to low will give the right or left trigger a wide range of input, which is great for something like driving games where subtlety is needed for the gas and brake pedals. Setting the switch to its highest will make the trigger input instantly, as if it were a normal button switch, which is useful for shooters where the shorter actuation to fire a gun will gain me a few extra milliseconds (which can be huge for reaction time in gaming). 

I’m already seeing other third-party controller manufacturers copying Microsoft’s notes and adding similar features to their upcoming controller products, which is smart. Because the Xbox One Elite controller is damned near everything I want out of a console gamepad. 

Logitech Artemis Spectrum G633 and G933 gaming headsets 

Fancy. 
Above: Fancy. 


In my six months of checking out game hardware, I’ve been presented with a lot of gaming audio solutions. Yet nothing really caught my attention like the Logitech Artemis Spectrum G633 and G933 headsets. 

Sound wise, both units provide high quality 7.1 surround sound, and an overall fantastic range of sound from the high to the low ends. 

Physically, it’s the little touches of the Logitech Artemis Spectrum line that make a huge difference. The Logitech Artemis Spectrum’s adoption of a breathable mesh for the ear cups, which is also removable and washable, is a great option for those of us that sweat easily. The face plates are another cool feature, which for the G933 also second as storage for the battery and USB dongle. 

Whoever made the call to put all controls on the left cup, freeing up my right hand to stay on the mouse at all times, should receive a gawd damned high five, if not a bonus for that idea. Both headsets have flashy RGB lights, which is great if you’re into that sort of thing. But the even cooler physical feature is a microphone that can be hidden, making it so I don’t look like I am trying to play air traffic control when I just want to listen to some music. 

Samsung Gear VR 

Samsung GearVR back 
Above: Strap it on and take off 


The Samsung Gear VR is the lead horse in the second running of consumer virtual reality right now, so I can’t keep this headset off this list. 

It’s light, easy to use, eyeglasses-friendly, and makes virtual reality a lot more convenient … and hands-free … compared to cheaper solutions like Google Cardboard. If you already have a Samsung Galaxy S6 device, the $100 for the Gear VR is worth every penny, especially considering the virtual reality offerings are growing significantly. 

But I have a big but, though: If you’re not on the latest Samsung mobile platform, I’m not convinced that the Samsung Gear VR is worth shaking up your phone set up for. Maybe I’m being too boring and practical for my own good making this suggestion, but if you fall into this demographic, I’d wait it out to see what other headsets hit in the new year. 

Nyko PlayStation 4 DataBank 

Nyko Databank Feature Image 
Above: No more hard drive space? No problem. 


The deeper the industry dives into digital distribution, and the more these games require extra drive space for patches, updates, and extra content, the quicker I creep toward filling the PlayStation 4’s hard drive. The Nyko PlayStation 4 DataBank is an excellent solution to this impending problem, allowing me to purchase and install an off the shelf 3.5-inch SATA harddrive, which is roughly half the cost of a 2.5-inch drive. 

The Nyko PlayStation 4 DataBank also earns major bonus points with me for being an easy install. The overall aesthetic of the physical design is also top-notch. Although it will make the console bulkier, it looks like it is a natural part of the machine as opposed to being some addition bolted on. 

The only downside is that the PlayStation 4 begins to lose some of its features, such as sleep mode, if the drive is larger than 2 terrabytes. But this isn’t so much an issue on Nyko’s end, as it is Sony’s. 

Forza Designs PlayStation 4 wall mount 

Forza Designs PlayStation 4 Wall Mount 02 
Above: Who needs this? Who knows … but it works! 


This may seem like a weird choice, but I’ll be damned if the Forza Designs PlayStation 4 wall mount didn’t do its job incredibly well. Although that job is also extremely simple: put a PlayStation 4 on the wall and don’t let it fall. 

The entire package is five items, which consists of four screws and a mounting plate. But the mounting plate molding is well designed, with a lot of forethought. Specifically, the metal is shaped to take advantage of the PlayStation 4 console’s cosmetic midline to create a make shift rail system, which allows the machine to slide in and out of the mounting plate. 

The PlayStation 4 wall mount is simple and straight forward, but sometimes that’s all a great product needs to be.

SAMSUNG GEAR S2 SMARTWATCH REVIEW

During IFA 2015 in Berlin, Samsung unveiled its latest smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S2. The circular smartwatch is the first of its kind from Samsung, and is following in the steps of other circular smartwatches like the Moto 360 and, more recently, the Huawei Watch. During its announcement, Samsung promised exciting things regarding the Gear S2, but did the company deliver? We’ve spent some time with Samsung’s offering to find out. See also: Best smartwatches and wearables to buy in the UK in 2015 

Samsung Gear S2 review: Design and build 

The Samsung Gear S2 comes in two editions, the standard Gear S2, and one for those of us that love the classic wrist watch look, the Gear S2 Classic. Samsung says the smartwatch is designed for those who prefer a more timeless design, and we think they’ve hit the mark. We got our hands on the standard Gear S2, which comes in both silver and a slightly darker grey. 

On the wrist, the Gear S2 feels pretty lightweight and comfortable to wear. Though it measures in at 42.3x49.8x11.4mm compared to the 11.5mm width of the first generation Moto 360 which people say is quite bulky, the Gear S2 doesn’t feel like a bulky watch. In fact, its weight and general build make it feel solid and premium, an issue that (in our opinion) Samsung has had with its past smartwatches. 

The real beauty of the design of the Gear S2 comes not with the circular display itself, but with the bezel of the watch. Instead of directly interacting with the screen of the Gear S2, users have the option of using the rotating watch bezel to scroll through the various menus and apps of the smartwatch. 

When you turn the bezel, you’ll feel a gentle click which Samsung says will allow for muscle memory to eventually kick in and enable you to select apps without needing to look at the screen, although after using the watch for two weeks we still couldn’t manage it. It’s not a click generated by a vibration motor either, it’s mechanical. This means that there’s no battery life drain for those of you (and believe us, there will be a few) that just love the sensation of turning the bezel. It is pretty satisfying, we can’t lie. 



Of course, users have the freedom of freely tapping and swiping directly on the watch face, but this isn’t how Samsung intends the device to be used. Although with this being said, we found using the bezel a little confusing when navigating the new circular UX, especially at first – but we’ll come to that below. Although with this being said, early adopters of the Apple Watch had the same issue and we don't hear many complaints about it months down the line, do we? 

Samsung included Android-style back and home buttons on the side of the smartwatch to make using it an easier process, though we found it to be a bit of a fiddly process and we kept confusing the buttons as there is no real indication of which is which just by looking at it. 



Samsung Gear S2 review: Hardware and specs 

Let’s talk spec; the Samsung Gear S2 boasts a 1.2in AMOLED screen with a resolution of 360x360, which would sound nicer if Huawei hadn’t announced the Huawei Classic Watch, which features a 400x400 resolution, and is only £30 more expensive than Samsung’s offering. Although with this being said the Gear S2 has a fairly decent pixel density of 301ppi, so it’s far from a low-res display. It’s protected by Gorilla Glass 3 too, which is fairly standard for current smartwatches and should help protect your wearable from scratches and general damage. 

The Samsung Gear S2 features a 1GHz Exynos 3250 processor coupled with 512MB of RAM along with 4GB of on-board storage, which provides a fairly responsive experience, and we didn’t encounter any lag during our time with the watch. It also has an IP68 rating, which means its dust and water resistant to a certain extent and will definitely survive being caught in the rain. 

The Gear S2 also features not only Bluetooth, but NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities. Wi-Fi connectivity is especially impressive as it allows users to use the smartwatch when not connected to your phone when at home, work, or anywhere else with Wi-Fi. 



Samsung has included a host of sensors to allow the Gear S2 to track your activity throughout the day and present it to you in a watch-style layout. Instead of just measuring calories (it still does, don’t worry!) it’ll measure the amount of activity you’ve done throughout the day and present it to you in blocks - green areas were areas where you were quite active (and the watch will motivate you when it detects this), yellow areas where you’ve taken it easy, and grey areas for when you’ve not moved at all. 

It’s a good way to motivate yourself to get fit, but we found that it wasn’t very accurate at times. There were a handful of occasions where we’d be sat at our desks working, and the watch would count it as ‘light activity’. Although with this being said, we love the circular layout and when you haven’t been active for a while, you’ll get a little nudge to encourage you to get moving. You can also monitor your exercises with only a few taps, and we found it to be more accurate than its general tracking abilities. 

In terms of battery life, the Gear S2 boasts a 250mAh battery that Samsung claims should last around 2-3 days on a single charge, with the use of Samsung’s built in battery saving mode. Without the battery saving mode on, you can expect a similar battery life to the Apple Watch, which gets you through the day and night without issue, but will usually run out of power at some point during the second day. 



Samsung Gear S2 review: Software 

Samsung is using its own custom circular UX with the Gear S2, which works well with the hardware and overall design. The watch is easy to use, although it does require a bit of a learning curve to learn what all the buttons do, and which way to turn the bezel. Turning the bezel clockwise will scroll through your widgets, which can easily be customised to suit your needs – we have ours set up so we can easily initiate a run, track our daily activity and log our caffeine and water intake. Turning the bezel anticlockwise will display your notifications, and pressing one of the buttons on the side will display all installed apps on the watch. Simple, but as we say, it took a while to get used to. 



The initial setup process is fairly straight forward, though you don’t just need to install the Samsung Gear app on your Android device – once installed, you’re prompted to install two more apps from Google Play in order for the phone to be able to communicate with the watch. But once you’ve gone through the setup process, the Gear app is the central command for everything to do with the Gear S2. 

The Gear app is where you can customise the layout of apps on your watch, customise the watch face itself, along with a number of other settings. It’s also where you can browse for apps to install on the watch, although we noticed almost every app we installed required a full phone app to be installed to operate properly. While this isn’t any different from the likes of the Apple Watch and its companion apps, it’s frustrating having to download the app twice instead of having it all bundled together like Apple’s offering. 

Samsung is working hard with companies in various sectors (retail, social media, etc) to make sure that the apps running on the Gear S2 can perform as best as possible. We imagine this is because more often than not, watch companion apps are pretty disappointing in terms of what they can do without requiring you to use your phone. Take the CNN app as a prime example - with other smartwatches, you’re able to see headlines of CNN stories but not much else. However, with the Samsung Gear S2 you can tap on an interesting article and read it in its entirety, directly from the smartwatch. 

iOS users can also get in on the Samsung Gear S2 action, though many of the features mentioned here won’t be available to them. Connecting an iPhone to the Gear S2 will provide users with notifications and limited fitness monitoring, but not much else. Though it’s supported, we wouldn’t advise iOS users to buy this smartwatch, especially as the Apple Watch is only £50 more and offers much more functionality for iOS users. 

Overall, Samsung’s circular UI is a winner for us, as it’s simple to use and offers functionality not available on other smartwatches, though we do wish Samsung would somehow simplify the app installation process. 



Samsung Gear S2 review: Pricing and availability 

So, how much does the Gear S2 cost, and where can we get our hands on them? Samsung released the smartwatch back in October 2015, and is available to purchase directly from the Samsung website for £249. Those looking for something a little fancier can opt for the Gear S2 classic, which looks more like a classic wristwatch with a grooved bezel and leather strap, costing £50 more than the standard edition at £299.

Samsung Galaxy S7: A Look At New Concept Images

The biggest mobile release of the early months of 2016 will be the Galaxy S7, and an early concept of the Samsung handset has recently emerged. Concept designs, of course, are not necessarily accurate, and are to some extent known for their speculative nature. But some of the cannier designers and analysts out there have produced concepts that have been rather close to final finished smartphones, so it is always interesting and informative to look at examples of this craft. 

Samsung Galaxy S7 

Although there has been no official word from Samsung on when the next generation smartphone will release, the consensus of opinion seems to be that it will be earlier than previous Galaxy S devices. Analysts are increasingly suggesting that the Galaxy S7 will be unveiled in January ahead of a February release date. This could mean that the handset is available at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. 

It seems that the motivation for this earlier release date than usual is that Samsung wants to head off Apple at the pass. The iconic iPhone range can usually rely on some residual sales in the post-Christmas period, and it is suggested that Samsung intends to blunt this process by releasing the Galaxy S7 earlier than is usually expected. 

This latest Galaxy S7 concept has been produced by Jermaine Smit, a name well-known in the mobile world. Smit has produced numerous concepts of various handsets previously, and his latest effort focuses on the forthcoming Samsung offering. Smith has previously produced concepts of both Apple and HTC smartphones, and is extremely experienced in this department. 

The Galaxy S7 concept builds on both recent trends regarding Samsung smartphones and the general direction of the industry. It is worth noting that not that long ago Samsung was willing to produce Galaxy S devices with a plasticky feel, but has certainly moved away from this with contemporary releases. This largely reflects the predilection of the public for metallic smartphones, and Smit predicts that this will continue with the Galaxy S7. 

Not only has Smit produced some engaging images for his concept design, but also supplied what he believes to be viable specifications for the smartphone. Thus, this concept is driven by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC, and it runs off Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The 12-megapixel rear-camera is armed with f/1.8 aperture, and these early images will definitely engage fans of the Samsung range in particular, and Android devices in general. 

Galaxy S7 Price 

One of the interesting recent rumors coming out of China about the next generation Galaxy S7 is that it may be priced at a cheaper level than previous Galaxy S devices. There has certainly been pressure bearing down on Samsung in recent months, and indeed the Japanese consumer electronics giant recently went several consecutive quarters with declining profits. With Samsung looking to significantly increase its market share in 2016, amid a pincer-movement of pressure from the market-leading Apple and affordable Android alternatives, the Japanese company may consider pitching the Galaxy S7 at a more affordable price. 

Thus, Chinese sources suggest that the Galaxy S7 will be 10 per cent cheaper than the Galaxy S6 when it is launched. It should be noted that the previous years have seen a similar rumors floated, and these murmurings have not necessarily come to fruition. But there is certainly market logic in Samsung cutting the price of the Galaxy S7, and this could help them to achieve the additional market penetration that the company so desperately desires. 

So although the Korean corporation has probably yet to set the price range of the Galaxy S7 smartphone, we should expect it to be set at somewhere between $600 and $700. 

Samsung Galaxy S7 concept Jermaine Smit 3 

Display 

Another aspect of the Galaxy S7 which is very much up for debate is the display that the Japanese corporation opts to include in the smartphone. This is naturally an extremely important aspect of any handset, but it is arguably particularly important for Samsung considering the fact that the Korean company has become particularly associated with screen technology. 

It was strongly suggested at one time that Samsung may decide to debut 4K resolution technology in the Galaxy S7. These calls were particularly intensified by Sony’s recent decision to release the world’s first ever 4K smartphone. But it now seems increasingly unlikely that the Galaxy S7 will be a 4K handset, with the Korean electronics behemoth more likely to opt for a quad HD resolution. Samsung may instead debut 4K in the next Galaxy Note release. 

There has been some speculation, though, that Samsung that might opt for a slightly larger panel than last year’s Galaxy S6. Market trends indicate that ever larger smartphone displays are becoming popular, and this could motivate Samsung to slightly increase the size of the Galaxy S7 screen to 5.3-inches. 

Previous reports have also indicated that Samsung will place a much greater emphasis on curved screen technology when of the Galaxy S7 is released. With curved displays proving to be extremely popular for the Korean corporation, Samsung will produce large quantities of this variant of the Galaxy S7 when the handset is released. Reports from close to the East Asian supply chain of the company suggest that there will be a roughly 50-50 ratio between the flatscreen and curved screen models of the Galaxy S7. 

Camera 

Elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal has gone against the suggestions of Smit’s concept design, suggesting that Samsung will significantly improve the photographic capabilities of the Galaxy S7. In particular, Samsung will focus on improving the low-light shooting of the Galaxy S7 camera, and possibly also bump up the megapixel rating of the snapper to 20-megapixels. 

Regardless of the precise specs of this Samsung smartphone, the only concept image from Smit gives us a tantalising glimpse of what to expect from the handset when it is released early next year.

Samsung Used 112 Galaxy Tab S2 Tablets To Build A Giant Touchscreen Piano

There are plenty of piano apps available for your tablet or phone—but they're best for goofing off with, rather than actually playing music. You can have fun with them, but there's a reason why real pianos aren't 9 inches long.

This Christmas, though, Samsung figured out a way to make the tablet piano a viable musical instrument. As part of a Christmas display in London's Spitalfields Market, the company built a full-sized piano out of 112 of its Galaxy Tab S2 tablets that actually works. Tapping the host of the British reality show Pop Star to Opera Star Myleene Klass as the performer, Samsung unveiled "the world's first upright piano made entirely out of Samsung tablets."


That "entirely" is kind of misleading—in addition to tablets, there was an equalizer, an amplifier, two speakers, and a USB interface to make them all work together, but the bones of the piano, from the keyboard to the exterior, are all tablets. The 106 devices that aren't used to play music flash Christmas-themed animations instead, which means that if you're inspired to build your own copycat device at home, you can probably avoid shelling out for all of the tablets that Samsung used in their version of the piano and go with some plastic instead.

Samsung, Apple team up with UnionPay to launch payment services in China

China UnionPay has forged separate ties with Apple and Samsung Electronics that could accelerate the adoption of fast and secure contactless mobile payment systems across the country, the world’s largest smartphone market. 

These new partnerships will allow ChinaUnion Pay cardholders from early next year to easily add their bank cards to Apple Pay on the iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad, and to Samsung Pay on the Korean company’s Galaxy and Note devices. 

Both Apple and Samsung’s mobile payment systems will work with China UnionPay’s QuickPass technology,which allows consumers to pay for purchases by simply waiving their near-field communications (NFC)-equipped mobile device in front of a QuickPass-enabled payment terminal. 

Samsung has expanded the use of NFC chips in its Galaxy and Note devices, while Apple started adopting NFC with the release of its iPhone 6 last year. 

“With the rapid development of the mobile payment industry, China UnionPay is committed to open cooperation with parties in the industry to provide more secure and more convenient products and services for consumers,” said Chai Hongfeng, executive vice-president at the Shanghai-based company. 

Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are both slated to be launched next year after the relevant tests and certification are conducted and processed, as required by Chinese regulators. 

Both systems are expected to comply with the applicable national mobile payment and financial industry standards in China. 

“Having two global players, Samsung and Apple, competing for market share in the China mobile payment space will benefit UnionPay. These partnerships allow UnionPay to reach a wider consumer base,” Forrester Research analyst Jin Di said. 

Gartner analyst Sandy Shen, however, said those two deals will likely see success in large mainland cities “where consumers are more receptive to new technologies and where there is a larger installed base of contactless point-of-sale terminals”. 

China UnionPay currently operates more than five million contactless payment terminals that support NFC-enabled mobile devices. 

That number pales in comparison with the country’s estimated 913 million 3G and 4G smartphone users by the end of this year, according to an industry study. 

Shen said China UnionPay and its domestic bank partners will need to rapidly increase the number of contactless mobile point-of-sale terminals across the country. 

Another big hurdle is changing user behaviour in a market where cash, credit and debit cards, as well as online payment services from Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, are widely used. 

“After people use contactless mobile payment systems for the first time as a novelty, the challenge will be convincing people to use them on a regular basis,” Shen said. 

A study by Deloitte had an optimistic view of the worldwide market. It predicted five per cent of the global base of 600 to 650 million NFC-equipped smartphones will be used at least once a month to make contactless in-store payments at retail outlets by the end of this year.