Samsung's Galaxy Tab 4 Nook goes big-screen

The new 10.1-inch device launches with an introductory price of $300 and includes over $200 in Nook content.

By:Don Reisinger
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is now available at Barnes & Noble stores.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook now has a larger screen size to go with the grand expanse of its name.

The co-branded Android tablet now comes with a 10.1-inch screen option, following on from the 7-inch tablet that kicked off the collaboration between Samsung and Barnes & Noble earlier this year.

Priced at $300, the 10.1-inch device comes with free access to more than $200 in Nook content, the companies announced Wednesday. Customers will receive four bestselling e-books, along with an episode each of "The Newsroom," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "The Octonauts." They'll also be able to choose up to four 14-day free trial subscriptions from a selection of 15 magazines.

The big-screen Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is available now at Barnes & Noble bookstores and online.

The $200 bundle of Nook content is also available for free to new customers of the 7-inch tablet, the companies said. That smaller device is priced at $170, after a $30 "instant rebate."

Barnes & Noble and Samsung announced their hardware partnership in June, effectively ending the bookseller's foray into hardware design. While the original Nook tablets and e-readers were generally well-received among reviewers, they failed to capture enough attention (and customers) to continue to be produced in-house. Now Samsung provides the hardware, and Barnes & Noble its customized Nook software.

One question with the 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is what kind of shelf life the "introductory" price of $300 has. In an e-mailed statement to CNET, a Barnes & Noble spokesperson said only that the company has "not announced anything at this point" on future pricing.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pricing issue.

Credit:http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-barnes-noble-announce-large-screen-galaxy-tab-4-nook/

Apple Pay: Who Won and Who Lost?

By: Sam Frizell 

Not all Apple Pay winners are created equal

Mobile payments are happening to the retail industry like bankruptcy happens to Mike Campbell in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises: gradually, and then suddenly all at once. Google has offered mobile payments for three years, and Walmart and Best Buy have been talking about mobile pay since 2012. But Apple is one of the few companies that many observers say can quickly lead a critical mass of people to wave their phones in the air for everything from bed sheets to burgers.

Retailers, credit card companies and banks all have made big bets on Apple’s new mobile payment system, which makes it more likely to succeed. “We will put our shoulders into a big step change like this,” says Matt Dill, a senior vice president at Visa, an Apple Pay partner, in an interview with TIME. “Apple Pay is a tipping point for major institutions going all in.”

If Apple Pay becomes as ubiquitous as most observers expect, it won’t just change the way consumers pay for things, it’ll reshape the financial institutions that facilitate our purchases. That’s not good news for everyone — many companies felt pushed to join up with Apple so they weren’t left behind. For some, it was either the Apple Pay-way or the highway.

Here’s a list of the major players, roughly in order of who won the most to who won the least.

Apple. Every time a customer make a purchase with Apple Pay, Apple earns a 0.15% charge. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but researchers say it’ll add up in the long run. Equity analysts at Nomura estimated that charge will account for $1.6 billion in projected revenue by 2017. On the lower end of estimates, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says that Apple Pay will generate revenue of $118 million in 2015 and $310 million in 2016.

Perhaps more importantly, Apple Pay, if successful, will increase demand for Apple devices. And once customers are using Apple Pay and all their purchases are wrapped up to their phones, it’ll be that much harder to leave Apple for Android or another smartphone platform.

“Just getting part of the transaction itself will be big” for Apple, says Rajesh Kandaswamy, researcher at Gartner. But “the largest issue is it’s harder to switch away if you’re an iPhone user.”

Banks. Consumers won’t have to pay for Apple’s 0.15% fee on Apple Pay transactions; banks will. The six big banks who have signed up for Apple Pay aren’t enthusiastic about that. But in the long run, banks expect Apple Pay will push people away from using cash and toward transactions that run over their networks. Online shopping will be faster, too, as customers won’t have to input their billing information every time they make a purchase.

Finally, because Apple Pay uses a difficult-to-hack system that encrypts all financial transactions, banks will experience less cybercrime breaches for which they’re held financially liable. “Banks are going to make less money on the transaction than if it were made on a regular card swipe” because of Apple’s fee, says Michelle Evans, an analyst at Euromonitor, “but they can make more money in the end if they can drive volume over the card network and reduce fraud.”

Credit Card Companies. Visa, MasterCard and American Express have loudly trumpeted Apple Pay’s rollout. They stand to make money off Apple Pay for the same reason the banks will: the program pushes customers to their global credit business. Dill, the Visa SVP, calls Apple Pay an “on-ramp” to Visa’s network and a growth-fueler. “If we didn’t encourage innovation” like Apple Pay, “then we would be the worst enemy to our own growth,” Dill says.

But there’s another reason credit card companies are enthusiastic about Apple Pay: the alternative, CurrentC, could be pretty scary.CurrentC is a payment system mega retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are working on that could cut out credit card companies altogether. While Apple Pay leaves the traditional credit card system intact by simply moving it to your phone, analysts speculate that the CurrentC program will link payments through a network connected directly to your savings account. Voila: no middleman.

“If a technology comes along that’s focused on getting you to not use Visa, then that’s a competitor to us,” says Dill. The threat of CurrentC makes Apple Pay look more like a rickety lifeboat for the credit card companies than the super-fast motorboat Apple has promised.

Retailers and Merchants. Walgreens, Macy’s, McDonald’s and other merchants that began using Apple Pay on Monday get the same bonus that they have always gotten from debit cards and credit cards: new customers who can spend money faster. If customers spend money more easily, retailers make money more easily.

Apple Pay is also a good way to move customers through lines more quickly. It could eventually lead to retailers adopting more self-checkout lines; for merchants, that means paying fewer cashiers and lower overhead.

But Apple Pay also reinforces a system that retailers never really liked: they have to continue to pay a fee for every credit and debit card transaction. “Retailers don’t like the fees they pay,” says Kandaswamy. “Apple Pay is going to consolidate power among the same players even more.” CurrentC, on the other hand, could allow retailers to collect customer-specific data. That would let businesses like Walmart target customers with products in the same way that Google or Facebook target their ads.

Two days into Apple Pay, there aren’t yet any data on the program’s success. It’s too early to know how many people have used it or how much money Apple has made from it. But financial institutions believe the way we pay for things is changing quickly, eve

n if we don’t quite notice it yet. “The U.S. is in midst of an innovation in payments,” Carolyn Balfany, senior vice president at MasterCard, tells TIME. “Payment security is going to change more in the next five years than it has in the past 50.” If Apple Pay does take off, then it is happening gradually before it’s here all of a sudden.

Credit: http://time.com/3532199/apple-pay-winners-losers/

Hands-On With The Nexus 9 Tablet

By Greg Kumparak

The Nexus 9 in a nutshell: it’s big, and it’s beautiful.

I got to spend a few fleeting minutes with the device this afternoon, and though we plan to have a full review in the coming days, I thought I’d share my initial thoughts.

Like the jump from Nexus 5 to Nexus 6, there’s a pretty huge spike in quality and build feel from the Nexus 7 to the Nexus 9. The predecessor never felt cheap, mind you — but the new guy just feels great. The Nexus 9 is expected to cost $200 more than the Nexus 7 ($400 vs. $200), and it certainly feels like a pricier device.

With that said, it’s hard to look at the Nexus 9 and not see an iPad. It was easy to avoid with the Nexus 7, with its 16:10 (read: widescreen) display. By switching to a more traditional 4:3 aspect ratio, the Nexus 9 instantly looks a whole lot more like its closest competition.

Is that a bad thing? Not really. Outside of the devout fanboys, no one should really care. Use whichever device you like, and let them squabble amongst each other about the similarities.

Anyway: build quality, device heft, platform performance — at a cursory glance, it all seems top notch.

Android Lollipop runs like butter — for our impressions there, and for our experience tinkering with the wonderfully shiny Nexus 6, click right over here.

A few neat things to note about the Nexus 9:

You can now double tap the screen to wake it up, rather than having to hunt for an unlock button.

The new multitasking view found in Lollipop is quite impressive, particularly on tablets. While I wasn’t able to get it to work on-the-fly in my video above, many apps (like games) can be ‘pinned’ to the screen. In doing so, you make it so that whoever is using the device is unable to leave the application without entering your password. It’s great for handing the tablet off to kids, or whoever, and it takes all of a single tap to enable.

There’s a new guest mode that creates a temporary, sandboxed user account on-the-fly. Create the guest account, hand it to a friend, and all of your stuff is protected. When they’re done, tap a button and the account is gone. I’ve been asking for this for 2 1/2 years now, so you can imagine that I’m quite pleased.

Credit:http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/21/hands-on-with-the-nexus-9-tablet/?utm_campaign=sfgplus&%3Fncid=sfgplus

New Motorola Droid Turbo Phone Has Pro Camera And Wireless Charging

By: Joshua Sophy

Image: @evleaks

Forget Shamu-sized screens. The latest Motorola is said to have a camera that strays into pro territory. And if that’s not enough, the new Droid Turbo is believed to be built with wireless (Qi) charging. A recent tweet by famed tech leaker Evan Blass of @evleaks gives us our first look at the new device.

Motorola is trying to make a splash in the hyper-competitive smartphone market. And to do so, it looks like the company is focusing on some big innovations when building its latest line of devices.

A recently leaked user’s guide for the Droid Turbo hints that the device will definitely be available through Verizon when finally released. The image leaked by Blass shows a distinct Verizon logo near the bottom the devices too. The manual covers a number of the features unique to the new phone as well as its technical specs.

First, the Droid Turbo is expected to have a 5.2-inch display, Android Policereports. That’s smaller than the 5.92-inch display on the recently released Nexus 6 code-named Shamu.

But what the yet-to-be-released phone may lack in screen size, it appears to more than make up for in the quality of its camera.

The users guide indicates the new phone will include a 21-megapixel rear-mounted camera. That’s about as powerful as the camera included on the newly-introduced Panasonic Lumix CM1. The Lumix CM1 is Panasonic’s new high end camera with phone features.

Motorola also adds to the camera’s capabilities with dual flash. The user’s guide reportedly also describes flash units spaced on either side of the camera’s lens.

Another interesting feature of the Droid Turbo will apparently be wireless charging. But Motorola will also apparently make the phone compatible with its new turbo charger, reports indicate.

While it won’t have Siri, Cortana, or even OK Google, the Droid Turbo will feature Moto Assist, Motorola’s own virtual assistant smartphone app. Moto Assist will adapt to your routine keeping back all but important calls when you are in a meeting or at home at night. You can also use voice commands to activate voice mail or even tell your phone to ring to allow you find it if it’s been misplaced.

The leaked photo also seems to confirm descriptions of the phone’s physical appearance. The Droid Turbo is expected to feature a metal and fiber glass body and Kevlar coating and come in red and black.

Credit: http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/10/motorola-droid-turbo-pro-camera.html

How Xiaomi Ruined My Life

By: Rohan Naravane

The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is a great phone. It's got top-of-the-line specs, a good camera, water resistance, a long lasting battery, and all this wrapped in a convenient size. 
The Moto X (Gen. 2) is a great phone. Again with a top-of-the-line chip powering it, it's got a unique wooden back cover, with convenient features like Touchless controls, Active Display and useful gestures.
The LG G3 is a great phone. It's got a crisp Quad-HD display, with laser auto-focus for the rear camera, wireless charging and an IR port, among other truckloads of features.
So what's wrong? For one, all these phones cost above Rs. 30,000. Thanks to new smartphone entrants like Xiaomi, all these phones feel completely overpriced; and they are not even the most expensive phones on the shelf today. It is true that Xiaomi right now does not have a flagship phone on sale, so this argument today is irrelevant. But just look at their last year's high-end phone, the Xiaomi Mi 3.
After the company halted sales for this device here in India, there still isn't a worthy spec-for-spec replacement at the price point of Rs. 13,999. And once the Xiaomi Mi 4 lands in India by the ending of this year for an estimated Rs. 20,000 price tag, things are bound to get stirred up again. This is true for all the price segments that Xiaomi products fall under. In the under Rs. 10,000 segment, a few months ago the Moto Ewas reasonable, the Android One today is even better, but there's no beating the spec-to-price ratio of the Xiaomi Redmi 1S.
Years ago, a wave of Indian phone makers led by Micromax, Karbonn, Lava started kicking ass of big brands like LG, Samsung and Sony by producing products that sounded much better on paper, and costed a lot less. But in reality it was evident that many initial offerings didn't use quality components nor was their software customisation compelling, making the distinction between them and the big brands clear as night and day. And that is exactly the gap that Xiaomi, OnePlus, Gionee, Oppoand other "premium" Chinese phone makers are bridging.
It's come to a point where you really have to question, "why am I paying more for big brands?", beyond the logo etched on their body or the "peace of mind" they supposedly offer.
Premium design? Check! Although some of them don't have the most original design, but if you can make a phone that is built like flagship phones at less than half the cost, then you've got my vote.
Quality components? Check! Most of these phone companies use the same chipsets as the big brands. They also source their displays, internal memories, camera modules and other components from the same vendors as the same as the big brands.
Software differentiation? Check! Instead of just bloating the OS with gimmicky features, Xiaomi in particular has added quite a few useful features to its customised version of Android that will even make stock Android purists turn their heads.
After-sales support? Well, I've heard horror stories even about the big guys when it comes to customer service too. On the other hand, Xiaomi has flexible warranty policies where it will supposedly even repair phones that are rooted and have malfunctioned because of your 'wrongdoing'. (Editor: Though Xiaomi has promised a lot in the after-sales department, the real world performance in India remains to be seen.)
There are certain useful features that do set the biggies apart from the small fish - fingerprint scanners, water resistance, unique gestures, styluses, constant motion tracking, powerful speakers, wireless charging, big camera sensors etc. But while some of them may be useful to everybody, many things on the feature laundry list can be placed under the good-to-have column, rather than the must-have.
And finally, brand value - since these uber-Chinese companies have really ticked all the boxes that most users really want, the logic-driven mind will not see this product as a symbol of inferiority. Especially at a time when paying for brand value reaches new heights every year - the most expensive Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4 today costs Rs. 58,000, up by about Rs. 10,000 from last year, and Rs. 23,000 more than what the original Galaxy Note cost three years ago. Nobody likes to pay more for stuff, so Xiaomi's approach of selling devices almost at cost and their ideology of looking as hardware as a commodity will find many takers.

This is why Xiaomi has ruined my life. It has made it extremely difficult for me to buy or recommend any other brand today, and you require a strong reason why you wouldn't buy one of its phones instead.

By: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/features/how-xiaomi-ruined-my-life-609369

Xiaomi Reducing Prices of Mi 4, Mi Pad in China: Flagships Expected to be Launched in India with Ultra Low Price Tags

By: Rahul R

Xiaomi Reducing Prices of Mi 4, Mi Pad in China: Flagships Expected to be Launched in India with Ultra Low-Cost Price Tags.Reuters

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is seemingly considering effecting a price cut on its flagship Mi 4 smartphone and the Mi Pad in China.

According to a report published in GizChina that quotes Xiaomi's e-commerce webpage Tmall, several of the Chinese smartphone maker's products have got new price tags, as part of the latest price reduction drive.

The above products also include the company's flagship Mi 4 and the large-screen Mi Pad tablet.

Currently, the Xiaomi Mi 4 is priced at 1,999 Yuan (£202, INR 20,000). However, the new prices of Xiaomi's flagship products are yet to be made official, but going by the official Tmall listing, it appears that the Mi 4 will get a new price tag of 1,799 Yuan (£182,INR 18,000). Currently, new price tags are hidden within the web portal.

Xiaomi's impending price reduction seems like an indication about newer flagship devices being released in future, and all thesedevices can be expected to have comparatively 'affordable' price tags.

What Xiaomi's latest price-cut means to buyers in India?

Xiaomi is yet to release its Mi 4 in India, and the company's vice-president Hugo Barra recently indicated an early 2015 launch for the flagship smartphone.

Now, with indications emerging about Xiaomi having reducedprices of its various flagship devices in China (do remember that many of Xiaomi's flagship smartphones/ tablets are yet to be launched in India), people in India looking at buying newer Xiaomi smartphones/tablets can expect a bonanza in terms of 'affordability'.

The latest price reduction throws enough hints at Xiaomi's Mi 4 being released with a comparatively reduced price tag.

Also, according to an earlier report, Xiaomi is also expected to update its already existing smartphone line, to Google's Android One initiative, thus adding an enhanced degree of affordability to these devices when they are launched officially in India.

The above development sheds light on one potential possibility, which is, either the yet-to-be-launched Xiaomi Mi 4 or the company's future release for India, Redmi Note could be Android One smartphones. Therefore, these devices may offer enhanced affordability for those looking at buying budget high-end smartphones.Currently, various Indian smartphone brands like Micromax, Spice and Karbonn offer low-cost smartphones under Google's Android One initiative.

Prices of these devices start from as low as Rs 6,300 (£58, $98) which nearly matches the pricing of the current Xiaomi Redmi 1S (priced at INR 6,000, £60, $100).

Credit:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/xiaomi-reducing-prices-mi-4-mi-pad-china-flagships-expected-be-launched-india-ultra-low-1470975

Finally, a smartphone battery that lives up to its claims: Sony's Xperia Z3 lasts for TWO days - even when streaming videos and making calls

• Official testing revealed the Xperia Z3 lasts, on average, for 48 hours
• This included using a so-called Typical Smartphone User usage profile
• This involved using the device for approximately five hours over 24 hours
• Testers used the device for calling, texting, checking social networks, playing games, using the camera, listening to music and streaming video 
• And reviews of the device have since matched these claims 

By: Victoria Woollaston

Sony unveiled its Xperia Z3 smartphone in September with the bold claim that its battery lasts an almost unprecedented two days.

And while manufacturers have a tendency to exaggerate about such features, reviews of the device suggest Sony wasn’t lying.

Initial testing revealed that not only does the device last, on average, for 48 hours before it needs charging again, this is the case even when streaming music, making calls and watching videos.

Initial testing revealed that not only does Sony's Xperia Z3 (pictured) last, on average, for 48 hours before it needs charging again, this is the case even when streaming music, making calls and using the phone for an average of five hours over a 24-hour period

Sony’s claims were made using a so-called Typical Smartphone User usage profile.

This involved using the device for approximately five hours over a 24-hour period, for a range of ‘typical usage scenarios’.

SONY XPERIA Z3 SPECIFICATIONS 

Dimensions: 146 x 72 x 7.3mm

Weight: 152g

Screen size: 5.2"

Screen resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 

Battery: 3,100mAh Li-ion

Internal storage: 16GB (with expandable storage up to 128GB) 

Rear camera: 20.7MP

Front-facing camera: 2.2MP

They included calling, texting, surfing the web, checking social networks, playing games, using the camera, listening to music and streaming video.

In tests, the phone’s default settings were applied, which included setting the display brightness to 100 nits, with battery stamina mode turned off.

Nits are used to determine the brightness and readability of a display, and the Xperia ranges from four to 713 – meaning 100 is towards the dimmer end, but not at the minimum.

During personal tests, the phone lasted for 45 hours before it ran out of energy completely.

A number of other tech sites have also managed up to two-day battery life during tests.

Engadget’s James Trew, for example, said: ‘The Xperia Z3 performs well and has epic battery life.

'In my personal usage, I regularly got two days of full use, or so near to two days that I'm loath to mark it down for the odd 10pm finish on the second day.’

In tests, the phone's display brightness was set to 100 nits. Nits are used to determine the brightness of a display, and the Xperia Z3 ranges from four to 713. During personal tests, the phone (pictured) lasted for 45 hours before it ran out of energy completely

By comparison, the battery on Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus (pictured) has been improved to last more than 24 hours on average. Sony's Xperia Z2 typically lasts 1.4 days, based on official tests

While, Michael Sawh from Trusted Reviews added: ‘You can comfortably get a couple of days use out of this and that’s without tapping into the battery saving power management modes.

‘It will push on further if you don’t have that brightness cranked up to the max as well.’

By comparison, the battery on Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has been improved to last more than 24 hours on average.

‘At Sony Mobile, "flagship" now means offering a choice to consumers of enjoying a large screen Xperia Z3 for immersive entertainment or a more compact, lighter Xperia Z3 Compact that doesn't ask you to compromise on features,’ said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and chief executive officer at Sony Mobile Communications.

‘Consumers demand and deserve greatness from their smartphone - in design, camera and battery life.

‘That's precisely what we aim to deliver with Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact.’

Credit:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2800469/finally-smartphone-battery-lives-claims-sony-s-xperia-z3-lasts-two-days-streaming-videos-making-calls.html

Xiaomi Mi4 And MiPad Prices Likely Slashed, Thanks To Rivals Oppo, OnePlus And Meizu

By: Pavithra Rathinavel

(Photo: Reuters / Anindito Mukherjee)
Three models of China's Xiaomi Mi phones are pictured during their launch in New Delhi July 15, 2014. China's Xiaomi said it intends to invest heavily in India as the budget smartphone maker launched on Tuesday its flagship Mi phone and other products in the world's third largest smartphone market, currently dominated by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

Owing to the tough competition, Xiaomi has reportedly cut down the prices of the 2014 flagship Mi4 smartphone, the MiPad tablet and the Xiaomi TV. An online Xiaomi store named Tmall hints that the price of Xiaomi headphone and the battery pack, along with the aforementioned devices will likely be discounted as well. Plus, Xiaomi's innovative Pay-TV service MiBox's price has already been cut down.

The Xiaomi Mi4 handset was originally priced at CNY 1,999 (that roughly translates to $326). The Mi4 has been seeing strong competition from the latest Meizu MX4. The Mi4 is another Chinese handset with killer high-end specs. Moreover, the Oppo Find 7, the OnePlusOne and IUNI U3 with 2K display are the other three rivals of the Mi4. All these handsets come with killer features, bigger displays complemented by reasonable price tags. According to reports, the Xiaomi Mi4 will reportedly be sold at a discounted price of CNY 1,799 (that roughly translates to $293). Apparently, the site Tmall shows the prices with a question mark hinting the forthcoming price cut, says GSM Arena.

The Xiaomi MiPad, also widely referred as Apple iPad Mini's replica, mainly because there is an uncanny resemblance between the tablets. The MiPad is powered by none-other-than the superior NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. This tablet was originally priced at CNY 1,999 range, however now, the device might likely be priced at CNY 1,799, opines the same site.

The Xiaomi MiBox's original price and the current discounted prices are as follows - CNY 399 and CNY 299 (that roughly translates to $65 and $48) respectively. 

The Xiaomi battery pack and the well-known headphone set will also be slashed and they are now selling at CNY 100 (i.e. $16). Meanwhile, the new Xiaomi MiTV 2 is an Android OS-powered 49-inch UHD TV. The starting price of this TV set is CNY 3,999 (that roughly translates to $653). It is worth noting that, this price range is too low when compared to other 4K TV sets available in the market. Also, the aforementioned MiTV price will be reduced by a few hundred CNY shortly.

Here is a list of key specifications for readers interested in buying the Xiaomi Mi4. The handset features a 5-inch IPS LCD display and 1,080 x 1,920 pixels resolution. It is powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 801) Krait 400 processor, clocked at 2.5 GHz and 3 GB of RAM. Plus, the device runs on Android v4.4.3 (KitKat) OS with MIUI 5.0 and backed by a good Li-Ion 3080 mAh battery unit. A 13 MP and 8 MP camera units occupy the rear and the front of the handset. Lastly, the smartphone comes in 16 GB and 64 GB variants with no microSD card support.

Credit: http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/570251/20141021/xiaomi-mi4.htm#.VEZlqGeSxAY