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Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S5: What’s New?

Feb24
by on February 24, 2014 at 7:46 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Insider, Mobile

02 SM G900F charcoal BLACK 11 520x245 Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S5: Whats New?

Samsung today announced the Galaxy S5, the successor to the Galaxy S4, during its Unpacked5 event at Mobile World Conference 2014 in Barcelona. After all the rumors and leaks, Samsung has finally unveiled its fifth flagship smartphone to take on Apple and Microsoft, as well as the many other Android OEMs.

Before you run out and buy the latest and greatest from the South Korean company, assuming you’re not interested in iOS or Windows Phone, you might want to check what exactly you’re getting for your hard-earned cash. We’ve put together the following table to show you what exactly Samsung has changed between the S4 and the S5.

Galaxy S4 Galaxy S5
Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 16GB, 32GB
Display 5-inch, 1920×1080, 441 ppi 5.1-inch, 1920×1080, 432 ppi
Processor 1.9 GHz Quad-Core / 1.6 GHz Octa-Core 2.5GHz Quad-Core
Memory 2GB RAM 2GB RAM
Rear Camera 13MP 16MP
Front Camera 2MP 2.1MP
Battery 2,600 mAh 2,800 mAh
Network 4G LTE Cat 3 100/50Mbps 4G LTE Cat.4 150/50Mbps
Connectivity USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
Height 5.38 inches (136.6 mm) 5.59 inches (142.0 mm)
Width 2.75 inches (69.8 mm) 2.85 inches (72.5 mm)
Depth 0.31 inches (7.9 mm) 0.32 inches (8.1 mm)
Weight 4.59 ounces (130 g) 5.11 ounces (145 g)
Colors White/Black/Blue/Brown/Purple/Red/Pink White/Black/Blue/Gold
OS Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) Android 4.4 (KitKat)

 
Given that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is expected to be priced similarly to the Samsung Galaxy S4, you’re essentially paying for a heavier, bigger, and more powerful device. The Galaxy S5 will arrive via Samsung’s retail channels and at carriers in April. Will you be getting one?

Top Image Credit: Samsung

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Samsung announces Gear Fit fitness band with heart rate monitor, pedometer and 1.84” display

Feb24
by on February 24, 2014 at 7:25 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Launches

Gear Fit Grey 520x245 Samsung announces Gear Fit fitness band with heart rate monitor, pedometer and 1.84” display

Alongside its Galaxy Gear 2 smartwatch and the new Galaxy S5, Samsung has announced the Gear Fit, a fitness band that will take on the likes of Nike, Fitbit and Jawbone when it hits the market on April 11. The device weights 27 grams and includes a heart rate monitor, pedometer, sleep tracker and a 1.84-inch Super AMOLED curved display for displaying notifications.

gearfit 520x790 Samsung announces Gear Fit fitness band with heart rate monitor, pedometer and 1.84” display

Samsung expects the Gear Fit’s battery life to last about 3-4 days on typical usage, though minimal usage could stretch up to 5 days. As far as sensors go, the water and dust-resistant band includes an accelerometer, gyro and heart rate monitor. The Gear Fit’s changeable straps come in black, orange and “mocha grey.”

While you can use the Gear Fit as a standalone device, you’ll want to connect it to one of 20 Galaxy devices to get access to alerts for calls, emails, texts, calendars.

Head here for all of our MWC 2014 coverage.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is official: 5.1″ display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and more

Feb24
by on February 24, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Mobile

Lifestyle 03 520x245 Samsungs Galaxy S5 is official: 5.1 display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and more

Samsung is back with another flagship Galaxy S smartphone set to arrive on April 11. The new model for 2014, which is predictably called the Galaxy S5, is another premium device packed with a slew of new software and hardware features.

The Galaxy S5 sports a 5.1-inch full HD (1080p) Super AMOLED display, which is only a touch larger than the Galaxy S4. A new heart rate sensor has been fitted under the rear-facing camera, which has also been upgraded from a 13-megapixel to 16-megapixel sensor. The time spent between shots has been reduced to a third of a second and the handset now supports 4K video recording and high dynamic range (HDR) processing.

galaxy s5 white 730x730 Samsungs Galaxy S5 is official: 5.1 display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and more

It also includes a new selective focus feature for creating images with a shallow depth of field, or considerable “bokeh” as its commonly referred to in the photography community.

Taking inspiration from the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S5 is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor inside the home button, giving you the ability to unlock the device and make payments with a single tap from one of your digits.

samsung galaxy s5 blue 730x743 Samsungs Galaxy S5 is official: 5.1 display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and more

The new handset runs on a quad-core 2.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2800mAh battery and either 16GB or 32GB of onboard storage. It’s also backed up with a microSD card slot for up to 64GB of extra space. Samsung claims the Galaxy S5 offers “the most advanced LTE experience and Wi-Fi performance” of any smartphone on the market, with support for fifth generation Wi-Fi 802.11ac and 2X2 MiMo, as well as LTE with Category 4.

It’s also equipped with an intriguing feature called Download Booster, which claims to increase download speeds by “bonding” Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity side-by-side.

Samsung’s new flagship runs on Android version 4.4 (KitKat), but of greater note is the new TouchWiz skin that’s been layered on top. Some consumers have criticized the Galaxy series for its software experience and at first glance, it looks like Samsung has taken strides to rectify this in the Galaxy S5. While it’s not a huge improvement, the cleaner and flatter aesthetic is certainly a step in the right direction.

SM G900F copper GOLD 01 730x730 Samsungs Galaxy S5 is official: 5.1 display, fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, and more
In many ways, the Galaxy S5 feels like an incremental upgrade to the Galaxy S4. The industrial design hasn’t changed too rapidly and both the display and core specs haven’t shifted too drastically either. Given the success of the Galaxy S4 though, perhaps this isn’t a bad move. The fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor are obvious differentiators, and the combined package will no doubt be enough to ship millions of handsets in the coming months.

Visit our MWC 2014 page for more coverage

➤ Samsung Galaxy S5

See also – Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S5: What’s New? and Samsung Galaxy S5 owners will be able to use fingerprint authentication to pay with PayPal

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24me, the personal assistant app for iOS, now lets you call on real-life help to settle your tasks

Feb24
by on February 24, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

24me, the personal assistant app for iOS devices, has been updated today to include a new feature that merges its digital functionality into real life situations.

Available only in the US for now, and still in beta, the ‘Assistants for Everyone’ feature introduced today will allow users to call upon real-life help to get their tasks done — whether that’s sending a gift out that you forgot or any other kind of errand. All you need to do is pick your task, set the amount you’re willing to pay and fire off the request – all powered by TaskRabbit within 24me’s app.

“Based on the user’s task content, 24me offers all type of assistants, from cleaners to clean the house, delivery service to pick [up] packages and take-aways, shopping, Handymen, Research, Office/Admin, etc.,” 24me’s co-founder and CMO Liat Mordechay Hertanu says.

New features

In addition to launching the new beta feature in the US, 24me also introduced an Agenda/List or Monthly view for the calendar, as well as adding a calendar filter so users can easily select which calendar they want to see.

Blending the digital and real world is an interesting idea for a personal assistant app, and one that could help it stand out in a crowded marketplace. However, implementing real-world tasks could also have privacy implications that the company will need to navigate carefully with users. It’s also a lot harder to scale this sort of feature into other markets, but we’ve asked if ‘Smart Assistants for Everyone’ will be available outside of US borders and will let you know if we hear back.

➤ 24me

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CloudFlare acquires anti-malware firm StopTheHacker to proactively beef up enterprise network security

Feb24
by on February 24, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

CloudFlare today announced it has acquired anti-malware firm StopTheHacker for an undisclosed sum. While CloudFlare is already capable of stopping new infections, the company says it needs StopTheHacker to further improve those capabilities as well as ensure sites that sign up aren’t already infected. “When networks get to a certain scale they inevitably need to focus on proactively dealing with this challenge,” the company explains.

StopTheHacker has been a CloudFlare partner for two years: its malware scanning service has been available through the CloudFlare Apps Marketplace and “a large percentage” of CloudFlare’s customers were already using it. StopTheHacker will continue to support its customers and partners, while CloudFlare will invest in what it claims is “the most affordable, enterprise-class malware scanning available today.” In the long term, CloudFlare will integrate StopTheHacker’s services more tightly to provide immediate remediation of malware and vulnerabilities via instant patching services that don’t require a code change.

Image Credit: pbkwee/Flickr

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