Samsung and Google have announced the newest version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich aka 4.0 and Samsung has popped up with the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus, probably the worst kept secret in history.

4.65-inch 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED HD screen
1.2GHz dual-core processor
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
1.3-megpaixel front-facing camera
1080p HD video capture and playback
1GB of RAM
16GB or 32GB internal memory versions
1750mAh battery
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC support
Barometer
8.94mm thick
135g (weight)
Pentaband HSPA+
LTE available by region

There’s USB 2.0, WiFi a/b/g/n, a compass, a barometer!?, and perhaps one of the best looking, high resolution screens on any phone out there. Google Face Unlock also comes with the phone to provide for a cool and secure unlock system.

Rumored prices start at $299 on-contract, no word about the unlocked price yet.

Android and Me has noted that Best Buy will sell the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), ever-so-slightly curved 4″ Super AMOLED screen and other goodies that set the Nexus S as the standard for all upcoming Android phones.

Today Best Buy issued another statement to let customers know that all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stand-alone locations will be selling the Nexus S. Despite what your local store might say, this includes every location including those that do not regularly carry T-Mobile devices.

The important thing to note is that if your store does not regularly carry T-Mobile phones and you want to purchase one on contract for $199, you will not be walking out of the store with a device. Instead you will have to place your order online and then have the Nexus S delivered to your home. However, if you want to buy it off contract for $529 then it will of course go home with you on launch day.

Bad news.. T-Mobile only – I’m still on AT&T. Good news… it’s going to be sold in stores all over, much unlike the Google Nexus.

[ Links: Android and Me: Best Buy Will Sell the Nexus S ]

If you’re clumsy, there’s no excuse to not have a quality case for your smartphone. Heck, even if you’re not clumsy, there’s no excuse to not have a quality case for your smartphone. The phones are as expensive as they seem to be fragile – read: very. Well, Trident Case has the remedy for your fragile gadget fear with their Cyclops series of cases:

Crafted in the spirit of the protective one-eyed mythical cyclops, today Trident Case announced the availability its latest new line of products named after the powerful giant. The Cyclops ™ line of protective cases and covers are designed to be sleek, protective and tough and come in nine stylish colors. Customized case designs are available for the iPhone 4, HTC EVO, Motorola Droid X and Samsung Galaxy S mobile phones.

The Cyclops line of protective cases provide a perfect, heavily-fortified sanctuary for the iPhone 4 and several other new mobile phone products. Constructed with highly impact-resistant polycarbonate wrapped with a shock absorbing silicone ring, and a bubble-free screen protector, the Cyclops envelops the device with a superb level of protection.

Best part? They’re available in multiple colors, feature a built-in protective anti-dust, anti-glare screen cover with the Apple iPhone 4 case at $24.95 and the HTC EVO 4G and Samsung Galaxy S cases start at $34.95, the cases are competitively priced and definitely look like they’re more than up to the task for protecting your gadgets.

[ Links: Trident Case ]

After quite a while of waiting, OtterBox has finally unleashes pictures of their Commuter and Defender cases for the Samsung Captivate. Although not on sale yet – feel free to sign up for notification when they will be released – they look nice, sleek and above all protective of your precioussss Samsung Captivate.

Priced at $49.95 for the Defender and $34.95 for the Commuter. I know which one I’ll be getting!

[ Links: OtterBox Defender Case for Captivate, Commuter Case ]

While the 7-inch tablet from Samsung does not share the impressive Super AMOLED screen that the cellphone Galaxy S series possess, the Samsung Galaxy Tab does come with: Google Android 2.2 (Froyo), the same 1Ghz Hummingbird Processor, the same TouchWiz UI changes.

Why did Samsung make a 7” Tablet—because we’re into mobility and know that people are looking for compact communication and entertainment devices they can slip in their pocket and bring on the go. The GALAXY Tab is always connected, lightweight and smart. Its exceptional screen is designed for reading books and magazines, watching movies and playing games. The GALAXY Tab tablet builds on the rich content experience provided by the Galaxy S line of Android smart phones.

With an absolutely huge 4000mAh battery – the average Galaxy S cellphone has a 1500mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy Tab will definitely last quite a bit; I’m just not sure if it’ll have enough usage time to beat the (reported) up to 10 hours usage of the Apple iPad.

Comes with Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and GPS navigational services; there’s a rumored version for each US carrier just like their Galaxy S series of cellphones. I’m personally waiting on the Wi-Fi only version as opposed to the 3G versions.

[ Links: Samsung, Samsung Galaxy Tab ]

After launching the HTC EVO to largely positive reviews back in June, Sprint is now gearing up to launch their second Mobile WiMax smartphone. The Samsung Epic 4G will be available starting August 31 for $250 after a $100 rebate and only if you sign a two-year contract with Sprint. The device mirrors the Samsung Galaxy S family of devices, but is the only one to support Mobile WiMax and have a slide-out keyboard.

The Epic comes with a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 1GHz Samsung Cortex A8 processor, Android 2.1 (no Froyo, yet), free 3G/4G hotspot functionality, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash capable of 720p video.

Link to the original article…

After three years of being an iPhone owner and wanting to avoid the Apple iPhone 4 and its “antennagate”, I finally made the switch to an Google Android based phone. For the uninitiated, the Samsung Captivate is part of the Samsung Galaxy S series that typically include their somewhat trademark 4 inch Super AMOLED screen, the Samsung Hummingbird processor and the TouchWiz UI enhancements. The Samsung Captivate has these features and a bit more:

• 4 inch WVGA Super AMOLED display
• 1GHz Hummingbird processor with PowerVR SGX540 GPU
• Android 2.1
• 16GB of internal memory
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, A-GPS
• 5MP camera with HD video recording
• 3.5mm headset jack
• MicroSD card support

And in typical geek fashion, the first thing I did was to root the phone, then start removing the AT&T applications which cannot be uninstalled the direct way. I am not too happy with how AT&T has locked down portions of the Android Market – for instance, Where is a free app that AT&T wants you to pay for its usage. I’ve had it on the Apple iPhone and if I emulate a T-Mobile SIM, I can have it again for free.

I’m still getting used to the Android workflow – having e-mail and Gmail and they both sync can get confusing. Android 2.1 also will not allow for multiple calendars, it will only synchronize to the first one you input on your accounts/sync portion. That somewhat bothersome; however all one needs to do is share your calendars between your multiple Gmail accounts and they’ll all sync up with the Calendar app.

There are other weird things that will take time in my transition; however it’s not all weird. The phone is faster than my iPhone 3GS and even seems faster to me than even the iPhone 4. It’s also a world class screen that’s real readable in direct sunlight. I mean, totally readable. And so far, I’ve found most of the “must have” apps – Where excluded – in the Android Market. GOGII textPlus, WordPress, Seesmic, Paypal, Google Voice, Evernote, Nimbuzz… and I’ve only started to look.

So three years later, have I finally jumped from a walled garden to a semi-walled garden without incident? This was a still rather locked down phone and I’ve had to add the ability to load my own *.apk files, but so far, I can recommend Android to a wide group of folks whereas the Apple iPhone was more for people that wanted a media phone. Android 2.1 offers a great experience and 2.2 (Froyo) is right around the corner (September is the rumor).

Samsung Digital Imaging released its 10 megapixel high-end compact digital camera EX1 in the Korea market, designed specifically for today’s advanced and enthusiast photographers.

The new flagship of the company’s compact digital camera family, the new EX1 incorporates a full-range of advanced features, including a high-performance imaging sensor and one of the most impressive lenses ever found on a compact camera – a 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider KREUZNACH lens, f/1.8.

The Samsung EX1 is sure to turn heads thanks to its f/1.8 Schneider lens. The impressive f/1.8 lens offers photographers a wider range of aperture steps and shallow depth-of-field, giving them the ability to blur out the background of their images while maintaining focus on their subjects. The ultra-fast, f/1.8 lens also allows users to take better photos in low-light environments as more light is passed through to the new high-performance 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor.

The high-end Schneider lens offers a 24mm, ultra-wide focal length and 3x optical zoom. Much wider than traditional compact cameras, the EX1′s 24mm ultra-wide angle lens allows photographers to capture more of a desired scene, such as beautiful landscapes and large groups of friends or family. For blur free images, the EX1′s lens is also paired with Samsung’s Dual Image Stabilization technology.

Composing and reviewing images on the EX1′s three-inch, swiveling AMOLED screen is a pleasure. The rotating AMOLED display will allow photographers to precisely frame their images the way they want and shoot from just about any angle, including overhead or low-to-the-ground shots. Compared to the traditional TFT-LCD found on most digital cameras, the EX1′s AMOLED provides users with a higher contrast ratio, deeper blacks and more accurate, vivid colors, even when viewed from an angle or in direct sunlight.

The EX1 supports RAW and gives enthusiasts full control over their images thanks to its shutter priority, aperture priority and full Manual shooting modes. When using these settings, shooters can experiment with features such as slower shutter speeds and depth-of-field; however, for those who prefer ease-of-use over manual controls, the EX1 also offers Samsung’s Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology.

The Samsung EX1 is available in Black and Silver.

Link to the original article…

S-View [ site here ] has launched its anti-fingerprint screen protector in the Korean market, which are designed for smart phones such as Apple iPhone, Samsung Omnia 2 and Motorola MOTOROI.

The S-view anti-fingerprint screen protector improves the view of your smart phone by reducing glare caused by ambient light and reflections. It also helps mask fingerprints, so that you can effortlessly let your fingers glide across the screen without worrying about irritating smudges.

Suggested price is $11.00.

Link to the original article…

Adobe has announced that Adobe AIR, synonymous with desktop application development and applications like Twitterriffic [ site here ] or Skimmer [ site here ] will be bringing their ability to run on almost any OS – currently Mac OS X, Linux and Windows are now supported – and coming to the mobile smartphone market. Many popular applications are already deployed via the Adobe AIR runtime, an Adobe Flash based runtime that runs on most desktop OS machines already. So this is a very good thing for developers and customers alike.

Twenty-four of the largest phone operators have banded together to challenge the dominance of mobile app stores, such as that operated by Apple. The Wholesale Applications Community, as it is known, aims to make it easier for developers to build and sell apps “irrespective of device or technology”.

As well as the 24 network operators, the work is also supported by hardware manufacturers such as LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, as well as industry body the GSM association.

On top of the ability of the upcoming Adobe Flash CS5 to publish applications to the Apple iPhone; this sounds like a great time to be a developer of if you’ve already fallen in love with some Adobe AIR apps already.

Over at Adobe TV, there’s a video of Adobe AIR running on Android already up – [ view here ]

[ Links: Adobe, Mobile Firms Unite to Offer Apps, AIR Coming to Android/Mobile Devices ]

Samsung Electronics today announced the launch of Samsung Monte, Model S5620, their new full touch screen device for style-conscious mobile users.

The handset is launched with a host of multimedia features and a sleek, organic design with a sophisticated and glossy look, providing the style and performance of a high-end handset at affordable price. With a stunning design and an intuitive TouchWiz 2.0 Plus User Interface (UI), the Monte is set to become the latest must-have full touch device.

The Samsung Monte has a lot to offer to the social network savvy consumer with a suite of native social networking applications including Facebook and MySpace, allowing users to access their profiles whenever and wherever they choose. This is combined with advanced Twitter and Bebo widgets – and multi-IM capability – to provide users with the opportunity to chat in real-time via their chosen service. In addition, Monte users can enjoy full Internet browsing, with an accelerometer sensor allowing the onscreen image to automatically adjust as you rotate the phone.

And for the connected lifestyle, the Monte includes GPS supported by Google Latitude™, ensuring you know where you are – and can keep your friends updated on your location at all times. This combined with Geo-tagging, allowing users to imprint their photos with geographic tags to share their travels and experiences with friends. Other connectivity features include optional anytime, anywhere Wi-Fi connectivity, Exchange ActiveSync for access to Outlook email accounts, and Google Sync™. This allows users to simultaneously update their social networks schedules and Outlook calendar, without the hassle of accessing each application individually.

To showcase this feature rich and stylish handset, the Monte comes equipped with a 3.0-inch WQVGA LCD screen with 16:9 landscape viewing. It also boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera with many value-added features including smile shot, panorama shot, and face detection. For convenience, the phone also supports Smart Unlock and One finger zoom.

Link to the original article…

Samsung Electronics America, Inc., today announced the Samsung NX10 – an innovative digital camera that provides users with optimum image quality in a sleek, compact body. Delivering creativity without compromise, users can now be as creative as they want on the move, without having to compromise perfect images. The NX10 will be on display during the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-10, in the Samsung booth #11026 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The NX10 incorporates a fast and decisive auto focus (AF), 14.6 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor and unique, large 3.0″ AMOLED screen, allowing users to easily view their images, even in bright sunlight.

Link to the original article…