Image: Christina Ascani/Mashable Samsung‘s Gear S smartwatch, initially unveiled in August, will be available in the U.S. “this fall,” the company announced on Wednesday. In a short press release, Samsung added that the watch will be available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless — and that’s pretty much all the info we’ve got. There was no word on pricing, but Samsung says more info about the Gear S will come “soon.” The Gear S sports a 2-inch SuperAMOLED screen, 3G connectivity, and it doesn’t require a Samsung smartphone nearby to operate. On Tuesday, Samsung also announced the pricing and availability for its Galaxy Note Edge, Gear S and Gear VR in Australia. They’re all going down under in November, while the Note 4 is coming in October. The price for the Gear S is $A499 or approximately $443. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/09/24/samsung-gear-s-u-s-this-fall/
You’d think Samsung would have waited until it was out of the San Jose courtroom with Apple, where it is currently locked in battle over charges of infringing patents, before it launched this. In downtown Sydney, the Korean electronics giant has just launched the first of its new line of “experience” retail stores — an experience not unlike one you’d have in say, oh, I don’t know, an Apple store. To be clear, there are other prominent downtown Samsung retail stores in the world — one in New York at the Time Warner center, for example. But the Sydney store that opened Thursday is a new style entirely. Let’s take a peek inside: What Is Copying Anyway? Now to be fair to Samsung, it’s hard to patent the kind of similarities here. A store is a store. Just because it happens to be spacious, spartanly attired in wooden tables, generously staffed with smart young people in blue outfits — well, we doubt Apple has a patent on all of that. (We know they have patents on the external design of the Apple store.) But they could win the legal battle on this one without a shot being fired, and still lose the wider PR war. The store launch may have come too late to influence the jury in San Jose, but there’s still the jury of public opinion. Which is, arguably, what you need to win in a retail environment. So let’s get the conversation started. Watch the video of the store from Australian TV above, then take a look at this classic video from 2001, where a relatively young-looking Steve Jobs introduces the original Apple store, complete with original iMacs: What’s your vote? Would you shop at a version of that Samsung Store near you? Can it compete? Let us know in the comments. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/23/samsung-copy-apple-store/
In our latest Ask a Dev, Android Engineer Sagar Seth discusses how developers can get ready to build for Android Wear, Android’s new wearables SDK. “While developing for Android Wear, you have to keep one thing in mind — the goal is simplicity,” says Seth. “So no overcrowded UI.” Our developer experts are from Mutual Mobile, a leading development and design firm that builds mobile strategies for top companies such as Audi, Google and Citigroup. The team is eager to answer your questions about mobile, so ping us with your top queries on Twitter, using the hashtag #AskaDev. Don’t forget to check out our Ask a Dev YouTube channel and subscribe. BONUS: What Should I Learn to Develop for Wearables? Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/04/07/android-wear-developer-tips/
Nike has developed a special set of glasses that enhance an athlete’s physical reaction time and visual performance. Backed by Duke University research, the SPARQ Sensory Performance system assesses users’ needs and develops a training program to “fine tune” their sensory skills. The method uses a “Sensory Station” to evaluate 10 sport-relevant visual and sensory performance skills. Using data from this assessment and a comparison of their performance against others in the same sport, athletes are given a series of recommended training programs using Nike’s SPARQ Vapor Strobe Eyewear. These glasses use a strobe-like effect to block the wearer’s vision for short periods of time. While training using these classes, the user’s brain learns to anticipate what’s coming when vision is blocked, resulting in improved reaction time, visual acuity and sense of timing. The glasses are fully integrated into customized training programs and have variable strobe speeds. The system is already in use at professional and collegiate athletic programs, with a global rollout of the system is expected soon. In addition to physical performance improvements, a Duke University study found that athletes who had used the SPARQ system had “heightened” visual short-term memory retention. Those who had used it were able to better remember letters quickly flashed on a screen. While it may not help you cram for a final, it seems that this system could have applications beyond sports. It’s another example of the future of performance training being increasingly defined by the use of innovative technology over increased strength and endurance training. This article originally published at PSFK here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/30/nike-strobe-light-glasses/
A leaked LG manual for the next-generation Google Nexus 5 smartphone has surfaced online, boasting more than 200 pages of details from wireless charging and camera specs to new design features. According to Android Police, the draft service manual for the LG-D821 smartphone (also known as the Nexus 5) is dense in technical information, charts, diagrams, line drawings and disassembly images. The phone is expected to launch and go on sale later this month, possibly as early as Oct. 14. The Nexus 4 is no longer available for purchase via the Google Play store, which indicates the next-generation device is coming very soon. Although the tech site originally posted the document, it has since been removed following a request from LG. VentureBeat was quick to download and embed the manual before it was removed. You can check it out below: LG D821 manual draft The manual revealed a lot of what has already been speculated about the device, including a 4.95-inch 1080p display, 16GB and 32GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 800 (2.3 GHz) processor. Other listed specs are a 8MP OIS rear camera, 1.3 MP front camera, 2300mAh battery, a MicroSIM slot and NFC technology. Bluetooth 3.0 is listed as a feature, but Bluetooth 4.0 appears in other places throughout the document. A photo, which has also been removed, includes what appears to be a circular earpiece or speaker. The document doesn’t detail which mobile operating system will come with the device, but there’s a good chance it could be the first smartphone to ship with Android 4.4 (KitKat). Image: Flickr, JD Hancock Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/10/07/nexus-5-leaked-lg-manual/
It’s probably safe to say that we all have a pretty good grasp on what makes our four-legged friends happy. And that’s because they make no secret of their enthusiasm when it’s time to eat or go for a long walk on a sunny day! The language barrier poses a problem, though. I mean, how much do we really know about what thrills our pets? That’s where the folks at Nikon come in. By strapping a Coolpix L31 camera to a precious pup by the name of Grizzler, they created a little window into the canine soul. This technology responds to elevations in heart rate and snaps photos whenever Grizzler starts getting excited, allowing us to get a taste of the little wonders that make his day. Called “Heartography,” this process captures photos from a dog’s-eye view whenever Grizzler gets pumped. Here’s a little sampling of what he loves! Beautiful scenery? I feel you, man. YouTube / Nikon Asia Who doesn’t love finding treasure? YouTube / Nikon Asia Making friends is always a blast! YouTube / Nikon Asia And it’s so much better when those newfound friendships are totally unexpected. YouTube / Nikon Asia Mushrooms? I mean, whatever floats your boat, Grizz. YouTube / Nikon Asia If you want to follow this adorable guy around for the day, check out more of his adventures below! That’s so cool. What would your dog’s photos look like if you turned them into a photographer for the day? I’m pretty sure my pup’s collection would be very food-centric. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/heartography-dog/
