A new release of a mobile operating system is always met with a frenzy, and as well as giving the new firmware the once over, consumers are always anxious to learn whether their device will be getting an update, and when.
There were plenty of question marks raised when Samsung first announced its eagerly-awaited Galaxy S III device, the most puzzling being the lack of a black version. Invariably, the black version of a smartphone is the standard, with colors like white and, as Samsung calls it, "pebble blue," being options for those looking for something a little edgier.
Just a day after it was reported that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean would be coming to Galaxy S III by the end of the month, a completely legit leaked build has been released by the folks over at SamMobile who were, if you remember, responsible for the numerous Ice Cream Sandwich leaks back in the days of the Galaxy S II. For those of you who are willing to risk the safety of their device for the sake of trying out new features, we’ve prepared a guide for flashing the ROM after the jump.
Android introduced a very different kind of entry protection in 2008. Named Pattern Lock, it allowed users to swipe in a specific way across 9 dots to unlock their smartphone. It is arguably easier to input and technically much more secure than a 4 digit PIN code. But, as time goes by, people found ways to bypass it. The first method I’ve heard of is actually pretty simple: if your fingers are the least bit oily, they will be leave smudges in line with pattern you use to unlock. If an intruder, then, observes the smudges, they may be able to gain access to your phone. The second method is to just go by trial and error as, in my own personal experience, I’ve noticed a lot of people use letters of the alphabet (such as V, D, U, O, etc. alphabets that can be easily recreated in the pattern lock).
Let me get this out of the way first: the Nexus 7 is not a smartphone, nor is it a tablet designed for incoming / outgoing calls like the original Galaxy Tab from Samsung. The Nexus 7 is a very basic tablet that is meant for doing tasks like surfing the web, socializing on Facebook, Twitter, sending / receiving email, play games, video chat via Skype or Google Talk etc. i.e. nothing to do with phone calls.
If a new tablet is on your shopping list for the very near future and you have already ruled out joining the crowd in getting a 9.7-inch iPad or the highly rated Google Nexus 7, then Samsung may have exactly what you are looking for. Although legal representatives for the company are locked in a Californian court room attempting to settle various patent infringement disputes, it hasn't stopped the Korean electronic giants from handling their business and having another attempt at ending Apple's dominance with the insanely popular iPad.
Apple has been dealing Samsung a barrage of complaints in its court case against Samsung, claiming the South Korean company has infringed on many of its iPhone and iPad design patents in creating the Galaxy series. As well as the talk of hardware, Apple has, to a lesser degree, had a question or two to ask of various UI elements, but to head off its defense, Samsung has countered by claiming Apple has infringed on a number of its own software-based patents.
Most of the attention of the technology loving world has been lavished on Apple and Samsung over the last two weeks, partly because they are the two largest smartphone vendors in the world and are currently actively competing against each for the top spot, but also due to the fact that they are currently locked in a fairly bitter legal dispute in California to resolve whether or not Samsung did indeed "slavishly" copy the design of the iPhone. As entertaining as the court case is, and as enjoyable as the information that it is unearthing, we should really try to step away from the fact that two of the industry’s largest names have had to go down this route and instead concentrate on the wonderful products they both offer.
YouTube is by far and away the most popular viral video site out there, but unfortunately, it's often let down by applications (or lack thereof). Take iOS for example; the native YouTube app is a sluggish affair which has seen little change from the days of iPhone OS, and most now use the vastly superior web-based app to catch up on the latest music videos, drop tests, and amateur comedy sketches.
With a larger-than-life 4.8” Super AMOLED HD display, a quad-core Exynos chip, 1GB of RAM (2GB in some variants), 8 MP / 2MP optics and being based on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich, Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone - the Galaxy S III - is undoubtedly amongst the most powerful smartphones available today. It’s selling like hotcakes too, with over 10 million units sold in just two months since release (that’s about 190,000 units sold every day).
