Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 specs and new UI confirmed

More spec information appears to have leaked concerning Samsung’s forthcoming super-sized tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2.

Samsung is set to reveal its bold new 12-inch tablet at CES 2014, which kicks off in a week’s time. As is usually the case with such things, we already have a pretty good idea of what that device will entail.

A fresh internet report has added extra meat to those bones of information. Samsung fan blog Sammobile recently received tips on the Galaxy Note 12.2 spec sheet. In short, it seems that those earlier leaked specs were spot on.

This means that it will have a 12.2-inch 2560 x 1600 display, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3GB of RAM, and an 8-megapixel camera. It’ll also run on Android 4.4.2 KitKat, which is something we haven’t seen yet in a Samsung tablet.

Interestingly, that change in OS will also signal a change in Samsung’s divisive TouchWiz UI. The report is unable to go into details, but apparently "Samsung is changing its usual tablet UI to something more unique."

The site refers to the new tablet as the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, suggesting that Samsung means business this time around.

Apparently those previously leaked AnTuTu benchmarks (it scored 34,261) do the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 a bit of a disservice. They’re a little undercooked owing to the nature of the test software the device was running on at the time, and apparently it’s more than capable of hitting a tasty 40,000 points on final software.

It seems we know what form the Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 will take, then, but we’re intrigued to see Samsung’s latest attempt at UI design. Roll on CES 2014.



Read More: iPad mini 2 review

Via: BGR

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Google shutting down Bump apps already

Google is shutting down the Bump app just four months after acquiring it.

The software giant bought Bump, a company that facilitates the wireless sharing of information between devices, back in September. Now it’s shutting down the Bump app itself, as well as the smaller company’s Flock app.

In a posting over on the official Bump blog, CEO and cofounder David Lieb revealed the news. He claims that "we are now deeply focused on our new projects within Google, and we’ve decided to discontinue Bump and Flock."

All of which makes it sound like Bump had a say in the fate of its Google-owned products, which we highly doubt.

Both Bump and Flock will be removed from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store on January 31. After this, the apps will stop functioning altogether, and any user data will be deleted.

Bump has ensured that such user data can be preserved. Just open either of the apps before the end of the month and you’ll receive guidance on exporting your data.

The Bump app that made the company’s name allowed you to transfer your contact information, as well as photos and videos, simply by bumping two smartphones together. It also made syncing such data with your computer a similarly simple process.

Flock, meanwhile, allowed for a single shared album to be formed automatically from multiple people’s phones. It detected which friends were in the relevant images and shared accordingly.

It’s not unusual for Google to close down the main services of the companies it acquires - the company is typically after the technology and patents behind a service rather than the service itself - but the rapid turnaround between the acquisition and closure of Bump’s apps is certainly notable here.



Read More: Best Android Apps of 2013

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Best new games of 2014: what to look forward to

Want to know the games you should be looking forward to in 2014? Whether you own a new console like an Xbox One or PS4, or an older one like a PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii U, we've rounded-up the best upcoming games.

It's going to be a hot year for games with the first next-generation series kicking off, and plenty of classic game franchises returning for one more bite of the pie.

Kick off our round-up by pressing the arrow button above or below.

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Sony Windows Phone handsets to launch this year

Sony looks set to turn its back on its Android reliance, with the Japanese manufacturer tipped to launch a range of Windows Phone handsets later this year.

Despite Sony Mobile having focused solely on smartphones running Google’s Android operating system, new reports have suggested that Microsoft has contacted the manufacturer in a bid to drum-up new partnerships for its Windows Phone platform.

Citing an unnamed “person who was involved in the talks,” The Information has reported that Sony is one of a number of manufacturers on Microsoft’s hit list, with Chinese phone maker ZTE also contacted by the Redmond-based company.

Although Sony is widely expected to unveil new smartphone lines during both CES 2014 next week and MWC 2014 in February, it is not believed that the company’s first Windows Phone handsets will be showcased until around the middle part of the year.

While the Windows Phone platform has struggled to match the might of the leading players, Android and iOS, the emerging smartphone OS saw considerable growth during 2013 thanks to the likes of the flagship Nokia Lumia 1020.

With the Windows Phone platform gaining traction over the past 12 months, Sony also saw its smartphone efforts increase in popularity over the past year with the Sony Xperia Z1 helping bringing the manufacturer back into the mainstream smartphone fold.

Sony has yet to comment on reports of its upcoming Windows Phone handsets and so these claims should be taken with a liberal serving of salt.



Read More: Nokia Lumia 1520 Review

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Top tech to look forward to in 2014

2013 is done. It saw new consoles, dozens of new phones, tablets and TV released. But what is in store for next year? Here are the new bits of tech we're looking forward to in 2014. Please share yours in the comments.

Steam Machines

Andy Vandervell

Deputy Editor

I have all the laptops, phones and tablets I’m likely to need for the next two years: there’s very little interesting going on in those areas, and smartwatches have yet to capture my imagination. What has, however, are Valve’s Steam OS and Steam Machines.

I am, like many people my age, a lapsed PC gamer. Deep down I know it’s the best way to play and increasingly home to the most interesting indie titles courtesy of Steam itself, and Steam Machines feel like the natural next step and a much needed alternative vision for PC gaming.

Microsoft has neglected this part of the market for so long that, frankly, it deserves to get a bloody nose for doing so and I believe Valve is the company that could really do it. Give me £500 to £600 Steam Machine that plays most games decently at 1080p and I’ll be a happy man.

Oculus Rift

Mike Sawh

Reviews Editor
The Oculus Rift is one of the most exciting pieces of hardware I’ve had the pleasure to get my hands on this year and fingers crossed, 2014 will be the year I can actually buy one. The support from game developers has been incredible so far and now that Oculus VR has secured extra investment to make a consumer-ready version of the virtual reality headset well, a reality.

There are few things that could take my attention away from developments with the Xbox One and PS4 next year, but the Oculus Rift would be one of those things I’d happily put aside the console controller for.

Google Glass

Sam Loveridge

News Writer
Despite all the privacy issues surrounding Google Glass, I think it will be an interesting and continually developing device that will pave the way for the wearable tech for the future.

The latest update for Google Glass makes the wearable tech more useable than ever and its functionality will only increase as time goes on.

Although I might look a bit ridiculous if I ever get to wear Google Glass, I’d be interested to see how user friendly it is and how useful I’d find it for everyday life.

Adidas miCoach Smart Ball

Luke Johnson

News Editor

The World Cup is now just a matter of months away and finally football is entering the 21st century.

Although I’m not that fussed about watching games in 4K, or the impact goal-line technology will have, for me the Adidas miCoach Smart Ball is a game changer.

A sensor incorporating footie that can communicate with a dedicated smartphone app, the miCoach ball will help you improve your shots and free kicks. Offering speed, bend, spin and contact area metrics, the Smart Ball will give you visual trajectories and, with the app, offer coaching tips on how to get that extra curl or power.

What’s more, as we exclusively revealed earlier this year, the Smart Ball should be hitting retailers just days before the world’s football focus moves to Brazil.

Cheaper OLED TVs

Andrew Williams

Reviews and Features Editor

4K TVs are finally starting to get to prices that normal people can almost consider spending. You can get a 55-inch 4K TV for a few grand. However, OLED TVs are still heinously expensive for the most part, costing £10,000 for the top models.

But for me, OLED is the one TV type that will have me wanting to upgrade from my current plasma TV. As much as latest-generation LCD televisions are impressive in many respects, they will never reach the sort of black levels you get from top-end plasmas. OLED TVs offer even better black depth than plasma TVs.

If you’re only excited about 4K but not OLED, you’re getting it all wrong – especially if you like to watch movies with the lights out.

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Samsung develops 8GB RAM chip in time for Galaxy S5

Samsung has announced the development of an 8GB RAM chip for mobile devices, which could lead to its appearance in the Samsung Galaxy S5 in 2014.

The South Korean tech giant is calling the new chip "the industry’s first eight gigabit (Gb), low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4), mobile DRAM."

Thanks to a super-small 20nm fabrication process, Samsung has managed to squeeze a full 1GB into a single die. This makes for the largest density in the DRAM component yet - hence the massive 8GB potential.

Having said that, smartphones exploiting this new standard will likely 'only' offer 4GB of RAM.

This new component has implications for performance as well as capacity. Samsung claims that it’s 50 percent faster than its previous solution, the LPDDR3 currently found in the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The LPDDR4 will also consume around 40 percent less power than the previous standard, which should do wonders for battery life. Far more likely, though, is that it will help power even higher resolution mobile displays, and battery life will remain at its current underwhelming level.

Before we get accused of cynicism, check out Samsung’s comments on the application of its new RAM standard:

"With the new chip, Samsung will focus on the premium mobile market including large screen UHD smartphones, tablets and ultra-slim notebooks that offer four times the resolution of full-HD."

It’s looking like 2014 could be the year of the first 4K smartphone - and it could well feature Samsung technology at its core.

Read More: What is 4K?

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Fitbit update for iOS removes the need for a Fitbit

Fitbit has update its iOS app with a brave new feature - one that removes the need to purchase a Fitbit wristband.

The likes of the Fitbit Flex are flexible wrist-mounted pedometers that records your movements in much the same way as the Nike Fuelband or the Jawbone Up. It typically costs around £80 to purchase, and links in with a free smartphone app to record your fitness routine.

However, with this latest Fitbit app update for iOS, you don’t need to buy that wristband element at all.

Don’t cancel that Fitbit purchase just yet, however. First you’ll need an Apple device that contains the latest A7 chip with its M7 coprocessor. So that’s the iPhone 5S, the iPad Air, or the iPad mini 2 Retina.

Although, if you ask us, going out jogging with a tablet is even weirder than taking photos with a tablet. Each to their own.

By utilising this motion-sensitive chip, your smart device can now replicate the basic functions of a dedicated Fitbit wristband. This 'MobileTrack’ feature tracks data like the number of steps you’ve taken, miles you’ve covered, and calories you’ve burned.

Naturally you won’t be getting the full fat (actually, it’s probably more semi-skimmed) Fitbit experience, but it’s a neat way to get you hooked on the Fitbit way of doing things. A full Fitbit purchase is the natural next step on the road to keeping those New Year’s resolutions.

Fitbit version 2.1 is available to download for free now from the iOS App Store.



Read more: Nike Fuelband review

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