Over the last week we have heard a lot about the HeartBleed bug and for good reason, it’s a serious problem with far reaching potential if not patched in a timely manner. Most of the coverage has been surrounding servers and routers however the problem is more widespread than this and even Android Handsets are vulnerable to the HeartBleed bug. Google announced on Wednesday a full disclosure of how Heartbleed affects it’s services. Google noted that Android version 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) is in fact vulnerable. Manufacturers should hopefully start releasing updates as Google is distributing a patch to fix the issue.
The problem with HeartBleed on Android 4.1.1 is the sheer number of people that are running this version of the Android Operating system. Although released back in 2012 many users are still using handsets that are incapable of upgrading to the latest Android KitKat and therefore are running the outdated but still functional Jelly Bean version of Android. It’s estimated that over 34% of all Android users are still running Jelly Bean but whether this is 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 is unknown. However a Google spokesperson said that there are currently ‘millions’ of devices at risk and running Android 4.1.1.
If you're worried about your tablet or smartphone the first thing to do is establish which version of Android you are currently running. To find this out simply go to settings > about phone > software information. If you see Android 4.1.1 then you are vulnerable and you should keep an eye out for software updates on your device and also your manufacturers website for more information.
As you are probably aware, I started my coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S4 a few days back on my channel. Whilst I am still working on my Full Review, which will take the form of a video, now is a good opportunity to share my early impressions of some of the features.
Form & Size Before handling the device I thought it would be too big, but to my surprise, even though it sports a 4.99-inch screen it feels good in the hand. Samsung have done a superb job here, concentrating on a design that was not broken in the previous version and making the bezel around the screen super thin. One of my earlier dislikes of the Galaxy S3 was the very thin battery cover. I am happy to say that has been addressed to and the cover on the S4 is thicker and feels more robust. The materials used seem to have changed too. Yes, this is primarily plastic, but it feels more rigid. The silver band around the edges looks nicer and the overall quality seems to have improved. Maybe it is just the type of plastic used, but whatever Samsung have done, they upped their game. The large screen really does impress too, with its 1920x1080 resolution. This gives plenty of screen real estate for browsing the internet and emails. Where it really does shine is watching videos… the Galaxy S4 is certainly a smartphone that I could watch a full length video on.
S Health I love my Fitbit, which is a small device that I use to track my daily activity. It keeps a tab on my steps, sleep and food consumption (via an app). Samsung have developed their own app that uses the internal sensors of the Galaxy S4 to do more or less the same. It does not offer constant monitoring, instead you stop & start the app when you go for a walk or run. In addition you can also track food or calorie intake. The interface looks nice and from my early tests it seems pretty accurate, more or less mirroring what my Fitbit does.
Smart Pause & Air Gestures These two features may seem like a gimmick, but they are quite useful. Smart Pause is great for watching videos. The most basic way of describing it, is you watch a video, look away to talk to someone in the room and the video pauses. Look back at your Galaxy S4 screen and it instantly resumes. OK, I know you could tap the pause icon on the screen, but the feature actually works very well. Air Gestures is another great feature, but one that I will probably use a lot less. It allows you to wave your hand across the sensor on the device and have it move between photos (for example). If I am doing an action with my hand, in my opinion I may as well swipe my finger on the screen.
Accessories Whenever a new smartphone is released many third party manufacturers release cases and accessories in the following weeks. What amazes me with the Galaxy S4 is just how many were available prior to and on launch day. Cases, chargers & screen covers, all made to enhance your experience. My favourite so far is the Official S View cover (see video below), because not only does it protect the phone, but also changes the display when closed to show just the clock, date & notifications. In addition, when you open the front cover, the Galaxy S4 wakes up and springs into action.
Battery Life Although a little early for me to pass judgement (I will do that in my full review), things seem pretty good. With my iPhone 5 I just about manage a full days use between charges. In my first couple of days with the Galaxy S4 I had no problem getting through the whole day on a single charge. That is pretty impressive, considering the screen is brighter & pushing a lot more pixels, plus there is a quad core processor in this beauty of a smartphone. Add to that the fact that you could always carry a spare battery if you really need to. All this equates to a very good proposition, if you rely on your phone for long periods of time between charges.
All in all my early impressions are very positive. I test smartphones pretty much every day and can honestly say that the Samsung Galaxy S4 has caught my attention. It really could be the best smartphone of 2013.
The race has been going on for years … which smartphone would be the thinnest? the fastest? or perhaps highest resolution camera? And for 2013 it seems to be all about the screen resolution. With many smartphones all launching with 1920x1080 full HD resolution screens, what could be next?
At the end of April 2013 we will see the Samsung Galaxy S4. Yes, it is fast, has a a nice camera and a full HD screen to top it off. I personally remember when Samsung announced it. With their tongue on cheek presentation they showed us Smart Pause, where the video you are watching pauses when you look away. Next up is Air View & Gesture, where you greasy fingers do not even need to touch the screen to navigate your way around. And then we have S Health which tracks your activity, daily food intake and weight … promising a fitter you.
These features are just a few of the many new enhancements which I termed gimmicks when I first saw them. However, we all need to take a step back and think, what else could Samsung do to move this type of technology forward? And I think they are brave in trying to give us some really unique features. OK, so everyone will use S Translator every day, but if you find yourself in a foreign country, perhaps on holiday, you will be glad to have it at your disposal. I strongly believe that all manufacturers are beginning to realise that things like a high megapixel camera on a tiny phone sensor is not a cutting edge feature. Rest assured, when they react to the Galaxy S4 you will see them all squashing in tonnes of new features to their 2014 products. By then, Samsung may well have the lead that they need to take the top spot in this sector.
As with every new smartphone launch, a good selection of accessories always follow and one that caught my eye is official View Cover. Without even opening the cover you can see the current time & useful notifications, the contrasting colour of the display peeping through is awesome and… it looks very sexy too.
By now you should now that I try new smartphones out practically every day. I am an avid iPhone user, but have been tempted away with the likes of the Lumia 920 and a couple of years back, the Blackberry Bold 9900. I feel very strongly that Apple need to react to their competitors smartphones, with their lovely high res large screens. The App argument is no longer an issue either (at least where Google Android is concerned). With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4… of course I will be testing & reviewing it. Who knows, if it delivers on performance, as I am sure it will, the SGS4 might find its way into my pocket and if it does the View Cover is mine too.
At last, no more secrets. Announced in Beijing just now is the Xiaomi Phone 2, and with the exception of the appearance, most of the specs match the many leaks we've come across: 4.3-inch 720p IPS display by Sharp, Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 quad-core chip, 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. To power this beast, Xiaomi's throwing in a 2,000mAh cell, but you can also purchase a 3,000mAh version if you don't mind the extra 2mm thickness on the phone. As for photography, you get a 28mm two-megapixel imager at the front along with a 27mm F2.0 eight-megapixel BSI camera on the back -- we saw some stunning untouched shots from the latter at the launch event.
The good news doesn't stop there. On the software front Xiaomi's decided to jump straight to Android Jelly Bean for the phone's MIUI ROM, which itself packs several new features as well. Just to name a few: enhanced security, phone finder, Chinese voice assistant (apparently with 85 percent comprehension accuracy), more interactive themes and 5GB of cloud storage service with online client.
As you can already see, all of this will cost just ¥1,999 (about $310) -- the same as the original Xiaomi Phone announced this time last year -- when it launches in October, and local carriers China Unicom plus China Telecom will also be offering the DC-HSPA+ handset at subsidized prices. Interestingly, Xiaomi co-founder Lei Jun even admitted on the stage that the phone's raw cost is ¥2,350 ($370) per unit, so hopefully it'll go down sooner than later for his sake. But if ¥1,999 is still too much, there's also the¥1,499 ($235) Xiaomi Phone 1S which, as we've already seen, is very much just the original Xiaomi but bumped up from 1.5GHz to 1.7GHz, along with a front-facing camera.
Samsung's Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note could be on track to be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean before the end of the year, according to the latest online rumors. The reports come from Samsung fansite SamMobie, and though they're unconfirmed rumors at this point, the site has proved fairly accurate with this sort of thing in the past. Samsung's flagship Galaxy S III (S3) is said to be well on its way towards Jelly Bean, with internal testing proving successful, and "public" builds apparently now being put through their paces in anticipation of a late Q3 or early Q4 launch. Meanwhile, last year's leading Samsung phones, the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note are apparently being tested on Android 4.1 too. It's reported that the manufacturer currently plans to update both to Jelly Bean, though the decision isn't yet set in stone. Assuming these updates happen, the site suggests a release before the end of the year.
In not particularly surprising, yet reassuring news, Intel has confirmed that they are indeed working on a port of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for use on their Atom chips. While we're still waiting for Intel to really make headway in the Android space, working on Jelly Bean reaffirms that they're here for the long haul. There was no timeframe provided, and we still haven't seen a timeframe for Ice Cream Sandwich either, but the following statement from a company spokesman confirmed the news. Intel continues to work closely with Google to enable future versions of Android, including Jelly Bean, on our family of low power Atom processors Currently, Intel devices are being pushed out carrying Android 2.3 Gingerbread -- such as the Orange San Diego -- which works superbly, but is still hideously outdated at this point in time. We're still waiting to see the partnership with Motorola take off, and even Vizio is supposed to be using Intel architecture in a forthcoming 10-inch tablet. Hopefully these two companies will at least launch with ICS on board -- else face a monstrous failure -- but to see that Intel is working towards catching up remains positive.
The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, already out in the US as well as other parts of Europe, has finally been priced and dated for the UK market. It'll be available from Amazon UK on August 31st in 32GB or 64GB configurations, with an asking price of £599.99 (around $930). It's unclear what exactly you'll get for your money right now — Engadget reports the £599.99 price is for a 64GB model with included keyboard dock, while Phandroid maintains it's for a 32GB tablet. No matter which site turns out to be correct, it's safe to say that the Transformer Pad Infinity is one of the more expensive tablets around — so what will you get for your money? Well, there's a 1920 x 1200 10.1-inch Super-IPS+ display, a quad-core Tegra 3 SoC clocked at 1.6GHz, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, and, of course, the keyboard dock accessory, which transforms the tablet into an Android-powered laptop. The Transformer Pad Infinity will arrive with Android 4.0 installed, and Asus has confirmed that its tablet will get an update to Jelly Bean in "the coming months."
Today sees the Google I/O 2012 Keynote address kicking off at Moscone West where we should see the latest version of Google Android aka JellyBean revealed. The event may also hold a surprise announcement of a new 7-inch Nexus Tablet. The event is being streamed live, so come back here at the times below to watch things unfold.
Pacific – 9:30 AM Mountain – 10:30 AM Central – 11:30 AM Eastern – 12:30 PM London – 5:30 PM Tokyo – 1:30 AM (June 28) Sydney – 2:30 AM (June 28)
Over the last week we have heard a lot about the HeartBleed bug and for good reason, it’s a serious problem with far reaching potential if not patched in a timely manner. Most of the coverage has been surrounding servers and routers however the problem is more widespread than this and even Android Handsets are vulnerable to the HeartBleed bug. Google announced on Wednesday a full disclosure of how Heartbleed affects it’s services. Google noted that Android version 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) is in fact vulnerable. Manufacturers should hopefully start releasing updates as Google is distributing a patch to fix the issue.
