Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear available to buy in UK today

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear smartphone are available to buy in the UK today, September 25.

Available to purchase from a number of UK network providers and retail outlets, UK consumers can get their hands on the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear now.

The new products were unveiled during the Samsung Unpacked press conference at IFA 2013 earlier this month.

Anyone wishing to purchase the Galaxy Note 3 SIM-free will have to fork out £649 for the 5.7-inch smartphone, with the Galaxy Gear costing £299 as a stand-alone device.

If purchased together, Samsung is knocking £100 off the bundle price, offering the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear for a rather steep £848.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Features

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a 5.7-inch Full HD display that is compatible with the latest edition of Samsung’s S-Pen stylus.

Powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 3GB of RAM, the Galaxy Note 3 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean overladen with the latest Samsung Touchwiz UI.

In the rear, the Galaxy Note 3 has a 13-megapixel camera capable of recording 4k resolution video, coupled with a secondary front-facing 2-megapixel snapper.

The Galaxy Note 3 has a hearty 3200mAh battery and has 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, NFC and Infrared connectivity.

Samsung Galaxy Gear Features

The first Samsung smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear has a rather dinky 1.63-inch 320 x 320p resolution Super AMOLED screen with an image density of 277ppi.

It only has an 800MHz processor, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the functionality of a smartphone so won’t require such a powerful processor.

Pretty much used to relay information from a smartphone connected via Bluetooth 4.0, it has two microphones, a speaker, an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

Lacking any GPS connectivity though, the Galaxy Gear won’t be replacing a dedicated sports watch anytime soon.

There’s a 1.9-megapixel wrist-mounted camera in the Galaxy Gear too, allowing video recording and photography, all to be stored on the smartwatch’s 4GB of internal storage.

The Galaxy Gear is capable of making calls too, plus there are a tonne of other apps to be downloaded on the smartwatch including eBay, Evernote and Runkeeper.

Next, read our pick of the best mobile phones of 2013.

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Fuze Case for Raspberry Pi PC Review

What is the Fuze?

When the Raspberry Pi was launched it caused quite a stir, not just because it was a small, neat, single board computer with strong educational potential, but also because it cost around £30. It promised to be a useful tool to teach programming and to be the basis of electronic projects. Now Fuze, the company, has released Fuze, the product, and that product takes the Raspberry Pi board and builds it into a self-contained PC and experiment testbed.

Fuze - Design and Features

The red and black metal case of the Fuze is decidedly retro, with a steeply angled keyboard set into its front face and the necessary I/O sockets in the back. These comprise network, single USB, SD card, audio, power and HDMI video.

Although the Raspberry Pi has two USB sockets, there’s only one on the back panel, and that’s used for the dongle for the supplied wireless mouse. The other is coupled internally to the keyboard. Shame the budget couldn’t have run to an internal USB hub.

Sitting in a trough directly behind the keyboard are probably the most interesting parts of the Fuze: a Fuze-designed I/O card, sat next to a prototyping breadboard. The I/O card enables Raspberry Pi to control various electronic components, supplied in the kit.

These include LEDs and resistors, a buzzer, mini button switches and a seven-segment display. To show how to use them, there’s a growing series of Project Cards with a weekly release schedule planned.

The kit also includes a 4GB SD card, containing Debian Linux, Fuze BASIC, Python, Scratch and a limited set of apps. There’s no office and no games, as the kit is intended for schools; you have to write your own. Python is a general high-level language with an accent on code readability and Scratch is aimed at teaching and multimedia authoring.

The power supply, which looks minute in comparison to those for most laptops, is enough to power the Fuze itself and the projects you construct. It would have been good to include a power switch on the case to save the miniature power plug some hammer.

The only things not supplied are a monitor – any display capable of HDMI input is fine – and a network connection. With the SD card plugged in, the computer boots to the LXDE desktop and offers icons for Fuze BASIC and a suitably retro graphics app called Grafx2, which claims to be a tribute to the circa 1985 Deluxe Paint…and is.

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Apple Maps makes airport error that sees drivers crossing runway

Apple has made direction errors within its Apple Maps app that has caused an Alaskan airport to close one of its runways.

Two motorists have made their way along the taxiway and onto the runways of Fairbanks International Airport after following directions provided by Apple Maps.

The airport has had to close the aircraft access route because of the issue.

The app directs drivers along the airport’s taxiway rather than across the runway, but this hasn’t stopped two Alaskan motorists from meandering onto the active runway used by Boeing 737 jets and other aeroplanes.

Fairbanks International Airport has complained to Apple via the local attorney general’s office, asking the Cupertino company to remove the directions from the app.

“We asked them to disable the map for Fairbanks until they could correct it, thinking it would be better to have nothing show up than to take the chance that one more person would do this”, said Melissa Osborn, Chief of Operations at the airport.

The airport has actually been forced to erect a barricade across the final stretch of the runway to stop further motorists venturing into the path of oncoming vehicles, something that won’t be removed until Apple updates the app accordingly.

Both drivers who had driven along the runway had been from out of town and had ignored all the signs advising them to take alternate routes.

“No matter what the signs say, the map on their iPhone told them to proceed this way,” said Angie Spear, the airport’s marketing director.

Apple had said the problem would be resolved by today, but the issue is still happening. Google Maps directs users along a longer route that completely avoids Fairbanks International.

Apple Maps has been under constant criticism since it was introduced as the default navigation option last year, even causing CEO Tim Cook to issue an apology for the “frustration” caused to customers after the company “fell short” of expectations.

iOS 7 has attempted to improve the Apple Maps experience, but it seems that there are still bugs to be resolved.



Next, read our iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C comparison.

Via: BBC

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Samsung Galaxy S4 pays homage to the iPhone 5S with new gold colour schemes

Two new Samsung Galaxy S4 colour schemes have been unveiled, with the flagship Samsung handset paying homage to the new iPhone 5S with a gold hued makeover.

With a gold iPhone 5S having been officially released last week, Samsung has now confirmed that it will launch the Samsung Galaxy S4 in both Gold Pink and Gold Brown options, with the Korean manufacturer making the announcement over social networks.

“Have you seen the new elegant #GalaxyS4 new #GoldEdition colors? Gold Brown or Gold Pink,” a company spokesperson wrote on the official Samsung Gulf Facebook page. Partnering the announcement with a picture of the new S4 handsets, Samsung has beaten the heavily rumoured gold HTC One to the realms of reality.

Although Samsung has confirmed the Gold Pink and Gold Brown Samsung Galaxy S4, the manufacturer has as yet failed to announce pricing or availability of the new colour schemes. It is currently unclear when, or indeed if, the Gold S4s will hit the UK.

While the new Gold Pink and Gold Brown Samsung Galaxy S4s have received positive reactions from a number of the company’s Facebook followers, others have poked fun at the timing of the launch and similarities the new colours hold with the iPhone 5S. “An incredibly good idea full of originalism!” one tongue-in-cheek commenter wrote.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is Samsung’s flagship Android handset and the main rival to the iPhone 5S for smartphone supremacy. With a 1.9GHz quad-core processor at its heart, the S4 boasts 2GB of RAM alongside a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera.

Having been made available in both black and white hues at launch, five further Samsung Galaxy S4 colours were announced back in June. Offering a design for all tastes, a blue Samsung Galaxy S4 was announced alongside purple, red, brown and pink devices.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S5

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GTA Online microtransaction prices leaked

The prices Rockstar Games is charging for in-game currency bundles in GTA Online have leaked online.

It seems GTA Online gamers will be able to purchase additional in-game currency by spending real money on a range of cash cards.

After an image of the cash cards appeared online yesterday, a Eurogamer source has revealed the pricing of each of the four shark-themed currency cards.

For $100,000, you can purchase the £1.99 Red Shark Cash Card or can opt for the £3.49 Tiger Shark Cash Card to receive $200,000 in GTA Online.

However, from there the prices jump quite considerably. The $500,000 Bull Shark Cash Card is a hefty £6.99, but the $1,250,000 Great White Shark Cash Card will set you back a whopping £13.49.

The source discovered the pricing details for the cash cards when getting some early access contact with the game.

Of course, several details may well be changed before GTA Online is released next week on October 1.

Apparently, the value of items in GTA Online is different to the pricing in GTA 5. For example, a car costing $1 million in GTA 5 will only cost around $150,000 in the multiplayer game.

Properties will also be cheaper to purchase in GTA Online, with the most expensive costing around $400,000. However, that comes at a cost, because you’ll only be able to own one property at a time. You can supposedly trade in properties and reclaim the price difference between the two if applicable.

Rockstar Games will ramp up the cost of weapons and car customisation features in GTA Online, with only pistols and tyre mods available to purchase at the beginning.

With further official details expected to be released by Rockstar before GTA Online is released next week, we predict more information about the in-game transactions in due course.

Next, read our GTA 5 Guide for things to do in Los Santos.

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New PS4 UI images released, show off official PlayStation app

Sony has released official screenshots of the new PS4 UI, including some of the official PlayStation app announced last week.

Showing the PS4 UI in greater detail than ever before, the images reveal new features of the main menu, video editing, user profiles and the new PlayStation app UI.

Posted to the Official PlayStation Forum by community manager Chris Owen, the screenshots offer gamers a glimpse of how the PS4 UI will look ahead of the November 29 release date in the UK.

Aside from the main menu, which has already been shown off in previous UI screengrabs, the video editing screens reveal that gamers will be able to edit down longer clips to showcase the best moments.

This functionality has already been detailed at length by Sony, but this is the first time we’ve seen how the editing software will actually function.

Gamers will also be able to share their edited gaming footage on various social media outlets. They can also publish screenshots or live broadcast their gameplay.

The official images also show that gamers will be able to send voice messages to their friends, revealed by the speaker icon next to the message input box.

Owen’s screenshots provide a first look at the PlayStation App for smartphones and tablets. The app, officially unveiled last week, will allow gamers to monitor friends’ PS4 acitivities, send messages or even use the device as an additional controller.

The app can also be used as a second-screen addition for certain games, depending on the developer of course. Knack, for example, will enable you to sketch out figures on the touch screen device and send it to the game and turn it into a 3D creation.

From the screenshots, it seems that gamers will be able to view their profile, see what’s new on the PS4 activity wall, see any game invites or alerts and directly connect to the PS4 and PSN too.

Next, read our PS4 vs Xbox One comparison.

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GTA 5 soundtrack released on iTunes as three album special

Looking to further monetise its latest gaming hit, Rockstar has released the GTA 5 soundtrack, with The Music of Grand Theft Auto V available to download from iTunes now.

Compiled of three albums, The Music of Grand Theft Auto V collection, sees the game’s original tracks, score and third party tracklist available as individual downloads, or as a money saving trio.

“We're pleased to announce that The Music of Grand Theft Auto V, a trio of distinct albums from Grand Theft Auto V, are available on iTunes,” an official Rockstar spokesperson said in making the announcement.

Made up of a total of 59 tracks, the GTA 5 soundtrack collection sees audio from the game’s trailer included alongside a selection of songs which can be heard on the range of in-game radio stations as well as in cut scenes.

With the three GTA 5 soundtrack albums setting wannabe owners backs £7.99 each, the full compilation can be downloaded for £17.99, a bulk buy saving of almost £6.

Volume 1 of the GTA 5 soundtrack has been dubbed ‘Original Music’ and incorporates 18 brand new tracks from a range of high-profile and emerging artists. Volume 2, entitled ‘The Score’ sees 22 tracks of original composures made available for download.

“GTAV is the first entry in the series to feature a dynamic original score composed and engineered to be completely responsive to the player’s actions within both missions and open world gameplay,” the game’s makes have stated. “The score was composed in a one-time collaboration between a team of legendary producers and composers.”

The final volume of the The Music of Grand Theft Auto V collection sees the 17 in-game radio stations brought together to form one 19 track album.

Following last week’s long awaited GTA 5 release date, Rockstar confirmed that the game generated a staging $1 billion worth of sales in just three days, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time. The game took $625 million in its first 24 hours on sale. A full tracklisting for The Music of Grand Theft Auto V can be found here.

Read More: Best games 2013

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