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Thursday, September 4, 2014

New phablets and a virtual reality headset from Samsung

Samsung has used the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin to announce two new mobile devices and a virtual reality headset.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the latest version of the company’s stylus-controlled phone/tablet hybrid. It’s equipped with a 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixel) display, a 16 megapixel rear-facing camera and a 3.7 megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera.

​​Features include multiple microphones for better noise cancellation and selective playback of individual voices when recording a group conversation.

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There was another addition to the ‘Galaxy Note’ range: the Samsung ​Galaxy Note Edge. It’s fractionally smaller, with a 5.6-inch screen, but is notable for having a screen that curves around the edge. This enables users to touch a shortcut icon for apps, alerts and other functions, even when the cover is closed.

Both handsets run Android v4.4. ​The Galaxy Note 4 will be available from next month, while the Galaxy Note Edge will go on sale later this year.

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A new accessory for the Note 4, the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition, was announced at the same time. This is a headset that uses the Galaxy Note 4 in conjunction with Oculus technology to create a virtual reality experience without needing a dedicated electronic device.

It’s described as a beta version of the product; availability is expected by the end of 2014. A collection of 360-degree videos and 3D movie trailers from will be pre-loaded on a memory card with the VR headset.

JK Shin, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, said ““The Samsung Gear VR goes far beyond expectations of how mobile technology can be used to consume content, and is a powerful representation of the progressive innovation of the Gear series. We are pleased to have partnered with Oculus VR to bring this incredibly immersive mobile content experience to consumers.”

[Oculus VR blog]

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Opinion Articles

Why a mobile TV service is just like a zombie

Mark Bridge writes:

Here in the UK, we’re struggling a bit with mobile TV. Which made me wonder what the problem really was. Well, after a long evening with the finest stilton and the cheapest port, the answer came to me in a dream. A mobile TV service is just like the lurching, drooling nightmare creatures that appear in every zombie film. And once consumers understand zombies, they’ll understand the problems with mobile TV. Let me explain.

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Selling your way out of a recession? Of course you can!

Iain Graham writes:

Everybody these days (apart from a lucky few!) is suffering from a lack of business or reduced sales due to the current 'downturn in the economic climate'. In my opinion, this is the time when sales people should stand up and be counted!

No, I don't mean the hard nosed, foot in the door double-glazing, second-hand car or mobile phone types (no offence!), I mean EVERYONE! Selling is a concept as much as it is a profession.

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Mobile & Contactless Payments

James Rosewell offers his opinion on the current state of mobile and contactless payments.

The banking and mobile industries have big plans for Near Field Communication (NFC) as the mobile payment mechanism of the future. Barclaycard has been leading the way from the credit card sector forming a partnership with Orange, having previously worked with O2, and running a catchy TV advert prompting contactless cards using VISA’s paywave system.

However the reality of NFC payments appears a lot further away. The Point of Sale (POS) technology appears to be badly deployed by some of the first-phase retailers mainly made up of low-value high-volume businesses like coffee shops, fast food outlets and newsagents.

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Insecure Mobile Browsers

James Rosewell writes: I note with interest Barclays mobile on-line banking home page extolling the safety of mobile banking whilst claiming it’s as secure as their non-mobile equivalent. This is on the same page that recommends customers use Opera Mini to access Barclays mobile on-line banking.

Yet following the link to the operamini.com web site and looking at the help section we can read Opera’s answer to the question “Is there any end-to-end security between my handset and — for example — paypal.com or my bank?” and the answer is “No. If you need full end-to-end encryption, you should use a full Web browser such as Opera Mobile.”

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