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Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy Gear – The Evolution of the Smartwatch

2013-09-04 by QTOOTH

Amid great fanfare, Samsung introduced their Galaxy Gear. The occasion for the introduction was the IFA 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, the largest of its kind in the world. It is even bigger than the CES trade show that is held every year in Las Vegas. There are so many exciting things coming out of this year’s event that it may take a while for us here at QTOOTH to even cover it all. For Samsung, this is their first foray into the brave new world of smartwatches. Let’s take a look at some of the exciting things that it represents, where they got it right and where they might want to improve the product.

samsung-galaxy-gear-smartwatch-front-view-with-band-qtooth

First, let’s talk about the fact that smartwatches will not be for everyone. The wearing of watches is at an all time low no matter how smart they are. People are quite comfortable with getting thew time and just about every other type of data from the smartphones, or their computers, cars, tablets, radios, etc… So even despite this limited market, it is interesting to see so many manufacturers getting on the bandwagon i the rush to provide some form of smartwatch. There are already ones on the market from major players like Casio, Nike and Sony, and the leading edge of this mania came from the small upstarts like the Pebble, Agent, and others. It is also a very strong rumor that Apple will be introducing their own smartwatch within the next few weeks.

Of course the reason we here at QTOOTH have our reservations when it comes to any form of smartwatch is the fact that they are not hands free. For us the reason to go wireless is so that we can “un-tether” ourselves from our technology. Just by the very nature of a wrist mounted device means that it will take not just one hand to operate but two! One to wear the device and the other to operate whatever interface is included. Plus, the watch is located near your hand which is often located in a position that makes it difficult to see, or to hear. Of course some things on a watch can be voice-controlled, but so far we haven’t seen a lot of functionality that can be accessed by voice alone on these first smartwatches.

That said, the Galaxy Gear is one of the best options in a smartwatch that we have seen so far. Seeing that all of the might of a behemoth like Samsung is behind the project, including all of their available technologies, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Starting with its screen, the Galaxy Gear has a 320 x 320-pixel, 1.63″ diagonal AMOLED touchscreen. The brain of this smartwatch is provided by an 800 MHz processor powered by a 315mAh battery. For audio, it has a speaker and a pair of mics for recording and playing back video content.  This also allows for communicating with phone calls using the built-in dialer that works with whatever Galaxy device to which it is paired. Mounted into the wrist strap itself is a BSI (back-illuminated sensor, or back-sided illumination) sensor with an autofocus lens so that the wearer can capture 1.9-megapixel still images or 10-second videos at 720p, 640 or VGA quality resolution with sound. We have yet to get clarification as to whether the sound is captured in stereo via the two onboard mics or whether those mics are only paired for noise cancellation purposes when in use for making phone calls. Samsung states that the camera is designed more for convenience than it is for image quality. The camera also comes with a pre-installed app called Memographer for media management.

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So far there are a few dozen apps that will be available for the Galaxy Gear upon launch. This may be what sets this watch apart from the others. If Samsung can get a large amount of truly useful apps available quickly it will give it a real edge over the other entrants into this field. Like most of the other smartwatches, Gear can only display one app at a time due to its limited screen size and resolution. Each app is displayed as what’s known as a “card”, which is basically a slightly over-sized icon. To navigate your way around from one app to the next all you need to do is swipe the touchscreen with your finger. The other means of navigating your way through the watch’s offerings is to use the single button that is located on the right side of the body. A single press of this button will bring you to the home screen. Double pressing the button launches Samsung’s S Voice for voice controlling options and as triple press activates the “safety assistance” feature which will send your location info and a message to a saved contact in the event of an emergency.

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As much as it seems like the Galaxy Gear should exhibit some real power, it seems a bit slow when executing some pretty basic functions, like launching an app. This is surprising considering that its processor is faster than what many of us had in our main computers just a few years ago. Part of the reason for this may be because it is communicating and synching with the wirelessly attached device. This might be something that will improve as updates become available, even with its current hardware configuration. Some of the apps that did perform very well though were the watch faces, of which optional ones can be uploaded from the Gear’s Android companion app, as well as the Music app which is basically a remote control for any native or 3rd party app currently active on the connected device.

There are some odd limitations that come with what we are sure is the first generation of this device. Only 10 3rd party apps can be uploaded at a time. The interface could use a little bit of refining for a smoother experience. But one of the most interesting things is the fact that the S Voice feature can only be accessed by tapping the side button twice. That might be hard to do if your hands are otherwise occupied and misses the point of being hands-free. It would be nice if they included a specific voice command that would activate the voice control functions. That can be done as shown by Google Glass’ “Ok, Glass” to activate its voice command. As much as we’ve slagged on their device, that is one of the things that Google definitely got right.

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We have a mixed review as far as the look of the device is concerned. Leaked reports had the Galaxy Gear looking pretty hefty but the one on display today was much more svelte. However, it is still pretty big and considering the color options that they have so far. Two of the colors are Rose Gold and Mocha Gray which are definitely aimed at a more feminine fashion sense. The size of this device look plenty awkward in our opinion when worn on even slightly petite wrists. For men it seems to be just about right in size and proportion. Men may prefer the JET Black or Oatmeal color, but for the sporty or flashy of any persuasion they may opt for the Wild Orange or Lime Green. Speaking of which, because of the utilitarian/industrial funkiness of the design this may not be what many people would want to wear on more formal occasions, but we suppose that is a subjective call.

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Battery life on this device is pretty much limited to a single day of “regular” use. We are not sure what that means exactly yet, but that certainly puts it in a different class of fashion accessory than the average watch which can be worn for months at a time, or longer, depending on a person’s needs. That means that the Samsung Galaxy Gear will need to spend a fair amount of time on its included micro-USB-equipped plastic charging dock. The dock connects through five metal pins, or leads, located on the rear of the watch.

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Another limitation, and perhaps its most significant, is that it is only compatible so far with the Galaxy Note 3 and the new Note 10.1. It is most likely to work with the Galaxy S4 phone when it gets the Android 4.3 update. What’s really unfortunate though is the fact that it will most likely never work with any non-Samsung smartphone or tablet.

So, to be honest, the future has arrived and the Dick Tracy watch is now a reality. In fact, it’s better and more powerful than anything he could’ve imagined. And yet will people want it? We’d love to get your feedback in the comments below or contact us directly.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch will cost $299 when it starts shipping on September 25th to the world, except to the US and Japan who will have to wait until October. Strange release dates. Perhaps they just want to tease the two biggest markets for a bit? Or perhaps they’re afraid that they’ll sell out immediately once the US and Japan csan get them directly. We’ll see!

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Filed Under: Featured Content, Mobile, News, Reviews, Wearable Tagged With: Agent, Android, Apple, Bluetooth, Casio, Galaxy, Nike, Pebble, Samsung, Sony

11 Camera Tips for Your Samsung Galaxy S4

2013-07-09 by QTOOTH

Here are 11 camera tips for the Samsung Galaxy S4 that are easy to follow The great quality of the Galaxy’s S4 camera is well known. However, most owner’s of the popular smartphone probably aren’t taking full advantage of its capabilities. These tips come straight from the folks at Samsung who have a vested interest in making sure you are able to get the most out of their products with the least amount of effort. Check’em out:

Samsung S4 Shooting Modes - QTOOTH

Use Shooting Modes to Create Perfect Photos

Twelve automatic Shooting Modes on an easy-to-use interface allow you to quickly adapt to the situation and perfectly capture the moment. When taking a close-up portrait, use Beauty Face mode to automatically clear blemishes for perfect results. Or, for a group shot, use Best Face mode to select each person’s best look from up to five consecutive images and merge them into one dazzling ensemble. You can refer to the descriptions in carousel display mode to help you choose the right one for your photo.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Dual Camera Mode - QTOOTH

Put Yourself in the Shot

Eliminate the need to ask a passerby to take your family portrait on vacation. In addition to the 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, the Galaxy S 4 also features a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. In Dual Camera mode, both cameras function simultaneously to ensure the photographer is always included in your special moment. This also works for video in broadcast mode, so you can capture your reaction to all the action.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Drama Shot - QTOOTH

Capture the Drama in Every Frame

Imagine your child’s winning goal on the soccer field captured and dramatized moment by frozen moment. In Drama Shot mode you can take up to 100 shots in a short burst to freeze each instant. Then, choose the best sequence to capture the action in motion. Your child will be able to relive every step, giving the memory a life of its own.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Story Album - QTOOTH

Store Your Memories in Story Album

Make a book of your most cherished memories with Story Album. It allows you to organize a comprehensive and personalized album oriented around a specific event or time period like your child’s dance performance, last summer’s adventure or your baby’s first year. Once organized, you can sync in with the integrated Blurb photo book printing service to share a hard copy with your friends and family.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Live Filters - QTOOTH

Get the Picture Right the First Time

Instead of taking the picture first and figuring out how to make it perfect later, use Live Filters to preview the outcome. With this dynamic capability, you can be sure your image will be cast in just the right light the first time, rather than guessing and hoping for the best—because some moments simply cannot be reproduced.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Eraser Shot - QTOOTH

Clean Up the Scene

When your landmark subject is shrouded in the tourist crowd, you can use Eraser Shot to remove unwanted strangers who keeping walking into your perfect picture from your photo.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Animated Photo - QTOOTH

Bring Images to Life

Animate your dog’s proud and playful chase by streaming it into an animated GIF. With Animated Photo, you can catch all the action and keep every moment by sequencing a series of images for a quick playback at any time.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Photo Collage - QTOOTH

Showcase Your Favorite Moments

Collages are a fun way to show off your best pictures and capture the feel of an excursion like a day at the park or a weekend camping trip. Use Photo Collage to select the images you want to include and drag them around to create a fun snapshot of the event. Simply pick the photos in the gallery that you want to feature and select Photo Collage from the menu to create a snapshot of the event.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Video Capture - QTOOTH

Capture Photos While Recording

Combine both the video and camera functions at once to capture the motion and still snag the perfect moment. You can record your daughter’s record-setting dive in its entirety and also snap a photo just before she enters the water with one simple touch during Video Capture.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Share Shot - QTOOTH

Easily Share Your Best Photos

With Share Shot, you can immediately send the happiest moments, like your child’s graduation, to your friends and family nearby. When connected with Share Shot, as soon as you take the photo it automatically appears in the gallery of the connected devices. Share Shot uses Wi-Fi™ Direct, but you can also share via Bluetooth®, Email, Gmail™ and Messaging.

Ssamsung Galaxy S4 Voice Commands - QTOOTH

Control the Camera with Your Voice

Don’t fumble over trying to press the screen in the right spot when both hands are full. With Voice Commands, you can conveniently use your voice to control the camera while juggling the needs of the moment. When you know there are great shots coming, turn on voice commands with a single touch to simply say ‘cheese’ and take a picture.

via Samsung Mobile

We at QTOOTH hope you found these tips helpful. Have any to share? Please leave them in the comments section below.

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Filed Under: How To Tips, Tech Talk Tagged With: Galaxy, Samsung, tech talk, tip, tips

AT&T Adds LTE-Equipped Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

2013-06-21 by QTOOTH

AT&T LTE-Equipped Galaxy Note 8.0 - QTOOTH

AT&T has agreed to sell the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet, the companies announced this week. Unlike the version of the Note 8.0 that went on sale earlier this year, this new variant will come with support for AT&T’s LTE 4G network.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is a midsized tablet that is equal parks work machine and play device. It fits right in with Samsung’s line of Galaxy smartphones in terms of design and basic functionality. Samsung used glossy plastics to construct the Note 8.0, which is in keeping with its current crop of phones and tablets.

The Note 8.0 includes an 8-inch TFT LCD display with 1280 x 800 pixels. That gives it a pixel density of 189 ppi, which means it is not the sharpest display ever. The tablet is powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with each core rated at 1.6 GHz. The processors are paired with 2 GB of RAM and up to 32 GB of onboard storage. The tablet has two cameras: a 5-megapixel main camera and a 1.3-megapixel user-facing camera. The main camera doubles as an HD videocamera for Google Hangouts.

Looking past the hardware, the Galaxy Note 8 includes a wide range of Samsung’s software and applications that take advantage of the S Pen, or stylus. Awesome Note, for example, provides power users with a to-do list on steroids. The Note 8 also supports true multitasking, which allows users to run two apps on the screen at the same time. Users can employ the S Pen to pull up secondary menus and use Air View to see previews of links and other content. The Note 8 also boasts an IR blaster and Samsung’s WatchOn software. Together, these let people control their television sets and search for content worth viewing.

AT&T said the device will go on sale in the coming weeks, but it didn’t disclose pricing. If you’re wondering where you’ll be able to use the Galaxy Note 8.0, AT&T’s LTE network covers more than 200 million Americans in more than 270 markets. AT&T’s HSPA+ network reaches 97% of all Americans, which means even when LTE isn’t around, you’ll still have speedy Internet access.

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Filed Under: Mobile, News Tagged With: AT&T, Galaxy, Note, Samsung

Samsung Introduces GALAXY S4 Zoom – First Smartphone to Offer 10x Optical Zoom

2013-06-16 by QTOOTH

Samsung Introduces GALAXY S4 zoom – the first smartphone to offer 10x optical zoom, for perfect picture taking.

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom, a powerful new device which combines the stylish heritage of the latest GALAXY S4 smartphone with advanced photographic capabilities.

Samsung Galaxy Zoom - QTOOTH

Part of the GALAXY S4 family, the GALAXY S4 zoom is the realization of Samsung’s mission to create a single device that can fulfill the role of both an industry leading smartphone and a high-end compact camera. Combining 10x Optical Zoom, 16 Mega Pixel CMOS Sensor, OIS and Xenon Flash with the very latest Samsung GALAXY S4 technology, the GALAXY S4 zoom sets new standards for perfect mobile photography. It is the ultimate smartphone and camera experience in one, and the only device you’ll ever need.

Galaxy S4 Zoom - QTOOTH

Revolutionary new interface

Do it all and miss nothing thanks to the revolutionary new Zoom Ring, a simple and intuitive way to access the GALAXY S4 zoom’s key features. When you’re in the middle of a phone call and you see something you absolutely have to share, a quick twist of the Zoom Ring will activate the In-Call Photo Share feature, letting you capture and send an image directly via MMS to whoever you are talking to simply.

For easy camera navigation, the Zoom Ring can be used to activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features, giving you instant access to multiple camera modes including Auto, Gallery and Smart Mode with a simple twist.

The Zoom Ring also revolutionizes conventional camera zoom controls. Optical zoom control replaces traditional dials and buttons with smooth, easy-to-operate digital controls. Professional-quality accuracy and unprecedented ease of use are just a twist away, making it easy to compose a scene and capture wide-angle shots or tight close-ups.

Galaxy S4 Zoom Lense Side - QTOOTH

Capture the best images

When it comes to high quality photography, bigger isn’t always better. The compact GALAXY S4 zoom’s best-in-class 10x Optical Zoom and 16MP BSI CMOS Sensor lets you capture beautiful images from far away or up close and personal, in all light conditions, without having to carry heavy camera gear around with you. Furthermore, the built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) helps keep the camera perfectly still even when you’re not, reducing blur and stabilizing the image while zoomed in for high-quality photos and video.

Photo Suggest instantly connects you to huge libraries of images taken by fellow photographers, to help you find and compose your best shots anywhere in the world. Photo Suggest can even direct you to the ideal nearby location which will give you the vantage point you need for that perfect photo.

The GALAXY S4 zoom also features Samsung’s popular Smart Mode, so you can stop worrying about settings and start taking professional-quality artistic shots. Simply choose from a series of pre-set modes and the camera will automatically adjust to ensure you capture the best photo possible. Use Drama Shot to merge continuous shots of moving objects into a single composed image, or Action Freeze to instantly capture high-speed action. If you aren’t sure which Smart Mode to select, the Smart Mode Suggest feature can assess the scene for you and provide a short list of the best options for your consideration based on surrounding factors such as light levels, focal length, or face detection, ensuring you always get the best shot you want.

Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom Product Specifications

Unlimited entertainment in the palm of your hand

The GALAXY S4 zoom’s heritage is evident throughout, from its sleek and stylish design to the powerful, yet intuitive user interface. Running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the GALAXY S4 zoom boasts many of the same features as the recently launched GALAXY S4, including Touchwiz, which lets you fully customize various aspects of your device including the lock screen and notification bar, for a truly personal mobile experience.

When you return from your travel adventures, Story Album lets you arrange all of your treasured images and videos into one timeline to share with friends and loved ones. You can also edit images and even order prints directly from the device through a partnership with blurb*. If you’d rather transfer your images to your laptop or tablet for safe keeping, Samsung Link lets you do so quickly and easily with just the touch of a button. Alternatively, you can sync all of your data in your own personal cloud through HomeSync, providing the ultimate peace of mind and ensuring your images and videos are waiting for you whenever you need them.

The GALAXY S4 zoom features the new Samsung Hub, a one-stop destination for all of the latest music, videos, books and games. Search, download and enjoy all of your favorite entertainment at the touch of a button, all directly from your device. When you find that amazing new track or game that you can’t wait to share with your friends, Group Play lets you connect directly with their Samsung devices so you can all listen and play together, without the need for a Wi-Fi AP or cellular signal.

via Samsung

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Filed Under: Featured Content, Mobile, News, Reviews Tagged With: Android, Bluetooth, Galaxy, Google, phone, Samsung, wifi, Zoom

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