Samsung tweet spills beans on BBM for Android launch this Friday

BlackBerry’s cross-platform move for its messaging service looks set to kick off on Friday with the release of its Android client, if a tweet from Samsung Mobile's Nigerian division is to be believed. The chatty community manager for the official account claimed his company had secured a three-month exclusivity period on the app, though Samsung has refused to comment further and BlackBerry distanced itself from such arrangement.

In an emailed statement addressing the claims, BBM Communications Director Victoria Berry told CrackBerry that “no one will have an exclusive on offering BBM.” She didn't comment on the app's supposed Friday launch apart from saying that it will be available to both Android and iPhone users across the globe soon.

The tweet might amount to nothing more than a miscommunication error; after all, the two companies are already in a marketing partnership across Africa that will see BBM form part of the Messaging Hub that comes preinstalled on all Samsung Android devices. That deal is not an exclusive arrangement.

It won’t be long before we find out if BlackBerry makes good on its ‘summer’ launch window. Recent leaks suggest BBM has been in private beta for over a month, while user guides for both the iOS and Android clients accidentally posted on the company’s website suggest the official launch is not far off.

During May's announcement CEO Thorsten Heins said that the service would be free and compatible with iOS 6 and Android Ice Cream Sandwich or later. Initially BBM will be available as a text-only service, with extra features such as voice and screen sharing slowly added to these apps later on.

Source

Samsung Starts mass-production of enterprise DDR4 memory

Samsung has begun mass production of the "industry's most advanced" DDR4 memory, destined for the next-generation of enterprise servers and data centers. The company is touting their DRAM as being the highest performing yet, while also reducing power consumption significantly compared to DDR3 RAM.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Note III phablet will debut at IFA

Use secrecy to help build hype over an upcoming product or simply let the cat out of the bag ahead of schedule to accomplish the same objective? Samsung squarely fits into the latter category once again as executive VP of Samsung’s mobile business Lee Young-hee recently confirmed we will see multiple new products at next week’s IFA conference in Berlin.

Samsung launches first 3D V-NAND SSDs, reserved for enterprise

Just a week after Samsung announced they had started mass-producing 3D Vertical NAND, the company has launched a range of solid state drives that use the technology. At this stage the 3D V-NAND SSDs are aimied only at enterprise applications, although Samsung promises that consumer-oriented drives are in the pipeline.

CyanogenMod 10 Preview Available for Samsung Galaxy Note

Install Official CM10 Jelly Bean for Galaxy Note

CM10 is making its way to so many rocking handsets ad this is something really worth keeping in mind. Just recently we saw CM10 on many other handsets and thought is it enough? But no, there’s so much more yet to come up. You will get thrilled to know that CM10 preview build is available for Galaxy Note.

We are thankful to XDA developers who toil hard and find out such amazing procedures and techniques to update the Androids. XDA developer, XpLoDWilD from Team3 Hacksung came up with CM10 Preiew build for Galaxy Note. We were quite impressed with his work. Here we shall present the details of CM10 ROM along with the procedure to install CM10 Jelly Bean on Galaxy Note. However, this is just a preview build and you should keep in mind that this is not something you can go ahead with as a daily driver. Kindly read the disclaimer first.

Disclaimer: CM10 ROM for GT-N7000 Galaxy Note is a new ROM and is good only for testing. It should not be used as a daily thing.  The procedures and the details as given below in relation to CM10 for Galaxy Noteare complied from XDA and other reliable sources. You can use the details for your Android keeping in mind that Androidust shall not be responsible for anything that happens with your phone. You must move ahead at your risk.

Flash CM10 on Samsung Galaxy Note

Before we provide you the installation method we would like to put forward a few known issues. Just go through them.

-FM radio doesn’t work
- Sensors are partly working
- CM10 is not ready
- Not butter smooth but still nice

From the above issues you will know that why we suggest this ROM to keep away from for daily purpose.

 How to Install CM10 Jelly Bean on Note

-Galaxy Note should have CM9 or AOSP ROM.

-Take back up of the phone data properly so that if anything goes wrong you always have the back up with you.

- Download the zip file as available in the link provided at the end of the post.

- Download Gapps

- Install the update zip from recovery

- Install gapps

- WIPE DATA/FACTORY RESET

- Reboot

You are done. We hope that you will find this article helpful. Do let us know your feedback. Also, if you have any doubts you can share the same with us. We will try out best to get your queries solved quickly. In the source link you will also find the screen shots for CM10 preview build for Galaxy Note.

Source Link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1796217

When is CyanogenMod ROM for Galaxy Pocket Expected?

Request for CM for Samsung Galaxy Pocket S5300

Samsung Galaxy Pocket is a popular handset and this is really sad that no developer has taken interest in making a suitable custom ROM for Samsung Galaxy Pocket. We have already mentioned the rooting procedure for Galaxy Pocket in one of our articles some days back. Here’s the link:http://www.androidust.com/root-samsung-galaxy-pocket-s5300-with-simple-steps/.

This handset is something that should never be underestimated. It has some rocking specs and features that deserve a mention herein. Just read on for specs and features of Samsung Galaxy Pocket.

Features of Galaxy Pocket:

2.8 inch capacitive touch screen with screen resolution of QVGA

240 x 320 Pixels

832 MHz processor with 384MB of RAM

Android Gingerbread OS

3GB of internal memory and up to 32GB addition with micro SD card slot

2MP rear camera

1200 mAh battery with standby time up to 320 hours and talk time up to 520 min

Affordable

Looking into the features of Samsung Galaxy Pocket it is for sure that the handset is quite rocking by all means. But when it gets attention of developers there would be nothing as good as that. We have hopes from CM team and hope that soon there’s a CyanogenMod ROM for Galaxy Pocket. There are many forums where discussion threads in regards to custom ROM for Galaxy Pocket have started. Galaxy Pocket users are quite desperate to get into the custom ROM mode.

Just check this CM Forum, you will find that how badly users need CM for Galaxy Pocket,http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/52283-cm-for-samsung-galaxy-pocket-gt-s5300/. Users don’t even mind getting CM5 Firmware. But first we expect some testers to unlock bootloader for Galaxy Pocket so that custom ROMs and custom kernels can be loaded on the phone. By unlocking the bootloader you will be able to load kernel and ROMs etc. Some people feel that rooting Galaxy Pocket will open way for custom ROMs. But it’s not that. For installing custom ROMs you need to unlock the Android first.

Moral of the story is this post is an earnest request to the developers (we hope CyanogenMod Team is reading this) that there’s a need for a custom made software aka custom ROM. Galaxy Pocket is a cheap phone with a few good features. With custom ROM addition user experience can be enhanced. This is what we all want.

We request our readers to support us on this. Kindly comment here and do share your feedback and views on this. We hope you liked this post.

Galaxy S3 to get Jelly Bean Official Update in Q3 or Q4

Autumn will bring good news for Samsung Galaxy S3 users

Cold winter months shall approach soon. But it is anticipated that Jelly Bean update on Galaxy S3 will be before those winter months. Don’t you think that’s amazing news? Well, definitely it is. Sam Mobile website which is not actually the official Samsung website is also a reliable site for news on Samsung. The site claims that they could find out for some inside sources that Jelly Bean 4.1 on Galaxy S3 will come up soon. In fact the official Jelly Bean update on Galaxy S3 should be at the end of Q3 or at the start of Q4. This means that you can expect the good news somewhere around October.

Samsung has not yet announced anything on this. However, we know how thrilled they would be to keep this news under wraps at this point in time. But steadily such news should spread like wildfire. Some rumor round ups also go to the extent and claim that Samsung engineers are busy testing Android Jelly Bean 4.1 on S3 and that’s why after testing is done, the official rolling would begin.

As per more news available from Sam Mobile website, we could also extract the info that some movement is also going in Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note fields. Just when Galaxy S3 gets an official Jelly Bean update, the next is the line can be Samsung Galaxy S2. Juicy Jelly Bean update is also expected on Galaxy Note ad the new Galaxy Note2.

It would really be awesome to have the super duper hit Jelly Bean on Samsung’s popular phones. Really, this is surely going to add charm and more features to the mentioned handsets. So, now what we can do is just wait desperately for the official Android 4.1 updates. Do share with us your views on this. How do you feel? Will you wait for the official Jelly Bean roll out on Galaxy S3 or rather you would prefer using a custom ROM like CM10.

Install Google Now Voice Search apk on Samsung Galaxy S3

Google Now on Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3 has already created a buzz due to its astonishing features like Smart Stay, Direct Call and S-Voice. Now, think how functional the handset will become if it gets Google Now. Google Now is an amazing Jelly Bean discovery. This is a never seen before personalized and useful app that provides you a personalized search experience. Based on the location you are, the interests you prefer and the routine you have along with your search history data, you will get the search results from Google Now. Samsung Galaxy S3 runs on ICS 4.0. But you can download and install Google Voice Search apk on S3 (credit to XDA member). In this article we will show you this.

But for getting Google Now on Galaxy S3 you will first need to root Galaxy S3. If you have a question in mind that why you need to root Galaxy S3 or any such Android then just read the following:

After you root your Android phone, you will now be able to remove and modify the pre-installed Apps and installations. Just like in Windows one can have an administrator account, in Linux the administrator is called as root. Thus in an Android phone you will come across the word rooting the android phone. It means, getting access to the higher level (administrative level) permissions. Since Android is Linux, with rooting, there is Super user access to this particular operating system.

It is important to note that rooting the Android device makes the warranty of the device void. But still, developers and tech savvy people are quite a lot excited and thrilled with this procedure as it helps them to attain complete access to the operating system of the device. At one side there is a risk of bricking the phone when you root it, but if you follow the proper instructions and procedures from a legitimate site like www.androidust.com then the chances of such things reduce and the benefits would surely outsmart the risk, by way of features enhancement and other advantage or rooting.

There was a time when rooting was considered as a tedious and long procedure. But the credit for simplification of the procedures go to the hard-working developers who toil and find simple one click programs and tools that would help you in rooting the phone by simple methods. In fact, after rooting the phone, when you feel to unroot your Android , even that won’t take much time and energy. Thus with the help of simple rooting methods you can gain ultimate power over your android phone. Yes, you will get access to the super app called as Super user app which is mother of all apps.

But just like every coin has two sides, you may face some problems too. There are some advantages of rooting as well as disadvantages. But you should be a tech savvy person to find solution of the same. Rooting is something that may expose you to an internal file and the file may be dangerous or malicious. This is one of the drawbacks of the rooting procedure.

To summarize all the above, you can say that, rooting helps you to gain root access to the android operating system in the phone and grants “Superuser” access to the system.

We hope you are quite clear with the concept of rooting now. But rooting is a bit risky process and thus you should do it at your risk. (Disclaimer: We shall not be responsible for anything that happens with your phone after you root the device and download Google Now apk on your handset.)

Procedure to Install Google Now Voice Search on Galaxy S3

Now let us come to the point since you have rooted Galaxy S3 in your hands. We heartily thank XDA member, SilentStromer who successfully extracted the Google Voice search apk from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and ported to other Android handsets with ICS like S3. Now let us move towards step by step procedure to install Google Now Voice Search on S3. You can read the instructions from the source link as available below.

source: Link

We hope you found the article about installing Google Now Voice Search on Galaxy S3. Kindly let us know your views on this.

SBeam for Sharing Content on Another Galaxy S3

Tutorial to Use SBeam on Galaxy S3

Today there is a rage of Samsung Galaxy S3 everywhere and thus we thought to be part of the bandwagon as well. When this Smartphone was released, it came up with yet another technologically superb facility called as SBeam. We are sure that there are many people who are quite new to the S3 exposure and thus for them using SBeam on Galaxy S3 might be a bit tough. Keeping this in mind, we have created this easy tutorial for using SBeam on S3. In simple words, SBeam is the facility wherein the transfer if files between two phones is pretty simple. It is important to note that currently this facility is available only for S3 and thus you can share content from one Galaxy S3 to another. You just need to keep the two phones back to back.

SBeam is somewhat similar to Android Beam that was seen on Galaxy Nexus in the year 2011. However, SBeam is one step ahead and you can see an immediate connection between the two concerned handsets. This is possible mainly due to NFC and Wi-Fi Direct. Samsung believes that this is the fastest and simplest means to share content with buddies.

To use SBeam on Galaxy S3 you will have to follow the steps given below:

1. Go to Galaxy S3 Home Screen and from there, select Applications.
2. On Applications screen, select Settings.
3. Now go to More Settings.
4. Selecet SBeam and turn it on.
5. Put the phones back to back (both should be Galaxy S3).
6. Let these two phones pair and only a few seconds are needed for that.
7. Tap the file you want to share.
8. Accept the transfer on the receiving phone.
9. As soon as the transfer is done you can use it on the receiving phone.

It is anticipated that soon SBeam facility will be open to other content receiving handsets as well. However, as of now, this is the facility that makes Samsung Galaxy S3 distinct and unique. There was a time when sharing content was tough and one would need complicated set ups and all. But with Samsung Galaxy S3, these problems are discarded. With SBeam Galaxy S3 content sharing becomes just a button away.

We hope you liked this article on SBeam on Galaxy S3. Do let us know your experiences on this. Also, comment here and share your views.

Enable Smart Stay Feature on Galaxy S3

Galaxy S3 Smart Stay Feature makes it Superbly Distinct

Galaxy S3 being an expensive yet smartly glamorous devil, we can understand that it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But still having knowledge about the smart features of this smart phone really does not hurt. If you already have this phone or you have ordered this then man we really wish to congratulate you for this superb handset. Even I did not fancy this handset (grapes are sour! My pockets do not allow me to fancy this mind boggling gadget!), before I visited one promotional event as arranged by Samsung. Over there smart features of Galaxy S3 were explained in detail. The Smartphone includes features like S-Voice, SBeam for content sharing(http://www.androidust.com/sbeam-for-sharing-content-on-another-galaxy-s3/) etc. This really made me fall obsessively in love with the gadget. In this article we shall explain you the Smart Stay feature of Galaxy S3in detail. We shall also provide you the guidelines as to how to enable Smart Stay feature on Galaxy S3.

What is Smart Stay Feature in Galaxy S3?

Smart stay in Galaxy S3 is the feature where it gets automatically detected that the user is looking at the display. Thus display time out is kept off at that time. This is a distinct and the most useful feature for the users who prefer reading eBooks, files and texts on the phone. And to my surprise, Galaxy S3 automatically turns off the display when you are not looking at it. Isn’t this amazing? You must be thinking that how does the phone understand that you are looking at the display or screen. Well, S3 tracks your eye balls and based on that it keeps the display turned on or turns it off. Thus you don’t need to put in any extra effort to touch the home screen every now and then to keep the display on. All this happens automatically.

I asked the doubt to the Samsung guys that what if, while reading my eyes succumb and I fall asleep. They smiled and said, Galaxy S3 is designed for humans and so when you fall asleep, the phone also sleeps thus saving your battery.

There might be more uses of this S3 Smart Stay feature. But that will be as and when people use it and invent it. But according to me, Smart Stay feature is a nature inspired solution which proves that S3 is a genius in reality. The eye tracking smart stay is something that proves that why Samsung is the king and what makes it distinct than the rest.

Enable Smart Stay Feature on Galaxy S3

The steps given below will help you to set up Smart Stay on S3.

1. The very first thing you are required to do is go to the home screen of Galaxy S3.
2. Now you will see applications on the home screen.
3. Choose applications.
4. Select settings in applications.
5. Select display.
6. Select “Screen timeout”.
7. Change the timeout to 15 seconds and select the Smart stay check box.
8. That’s it. The set up is done.

We hope this article would be helpful to you. If you have something to share on this, then kindly do let us know. We would love to get your feedback.

How to Use Direct Call Feature on Galaxy S3

Enable Direct Call on Samsung Galaxy S3

The entire web world has been discussing the fact that how rocking is Samsung Galaxy S3. The credit goes to the research and the features that have come up on account of Samsung’s tireless dedication. Smart Stay, S Beam, Pop up play etc. are some of the features that really make this handset a cool one. But how can you forget the direct call feature as available in Samsung Galaxy S3.

Direct call feature in S3 is as potent as other features of Galaxy S3. In fact this is something very much convenient to those who crack deals on phone or those who don’t like wasting even a second. Direct call Galaxy S3 helps you in making a quick call while you are reading the message or while you are just viewing some missed call. Even if you are just having a look at the contact details you can make a quick direct call with S3.This you can do even with out touching the screen of Galaxy S3. You just have to pick up the phone and hold it near your ear. Just a log or message or the call on screen would be enough to make a call. So, are you amused with this facility?

Well, it truly deserves a standing ovation as Galaxy S3 has laid down a perfect example in the technological field. It has set an example and with the kind of features that the gadget carries, it is really for the competitors to move ahead of Samsung. Just recently there was news that within 2 months Galaxy S3 sales over the globe has crossed the 10 million mark. Now that really deserves applause.

Now, you really know what direct call feature in S3 mean and how important it is. But there’s a trick that you have to follow for enabling the feature. Here’s a simple tutorial showing the method to enable direct call feature on S3.

How to Enable Direct Call on Galaxy S3

• Go to Settings on the home screen.
• Choose Motion.
• Toggle the button beside direct call on.
• You will see it turning as green.
• Holding the phone next to your ear when there is a message you are reading or you see a missed call or while viewing the contact details will make the call directly to that contact.

We hope that this article on enabling direct call option on Samsung Galaxy S3 was quite useful to you. Do let us know your feedback. Also, you can share your issues with us in relation to this.

Sony Xperia making Preparations for New Xperia Nexus

Xperia Nexus along with LG Optimus Nexus and Galaxy II Nexus rumored to hit Docomo

We understand that how you all must be feeling now. Yes, but the rumor surely has lots of potency. Initially there was a word that New Nexus would come up on Samsung alone. But as per Japanese site Android Noodles, it is indicated that NTT Docomo will have Sony Nexus, LG Nexus and Samsung Nexus. Also, there’s an indication that these handsets will be released by the end of this year.

Many people follow Sony as a brand blindly. Similarly many people preach LG as well as Samsung in their own special way. For them this news will serve as a treat. Xperia Nexus hitting Docomo is something many people might have expected. Now when these rumor round ups are getting stronger it is surely going to thrill the people.

We are sure now you would have started getting ideas as to how will the new Sony Xperia Nexus look or for that matter what will LG offer for its Nexus handset? Even though the rumor mill has only these three Nexus handsets, in reality it is anticipated that by November 5 in total five Nexus handsets will come to life. This is because in November Android will celebrate its fifth anniversary and thus something special is surely going to come up. Even though we don’t have HTC’s name in any of the rumors, it might also be part of the Google’s partnership. This is because HTC is a leading brand and when we are talking of multiple Google partners coming up with new Nexus, HTC should naturally be inside the tray.

Many Sony guys will ask that will the new Xperia Nexus have Jelly Bean. Well, the answer is mostly, yes. The new Xperia Nexus with Jelly Bean will have amazing features and the same thing we can say about Optimus Nexus and Samsung II Nexus.

But this is the most we can say about the new Nexus line at this point in time. But we promise you to keep you updated on this as and when we come across some news on this. We hope you liked this post. Also, we would love if you would share your views and comments right here on the comment section. So, all we can say is, just stay tuned!

Samsung Series 7 Gamer laptop: quick review

At a hefty 17", the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is not exactly what you might call "portable." It's a laptop that's squarely in the realm of desktop replacement. The system specs say it weighs in at just under 8.4 pounds, but it's still not something you'd exactly want to carry around.

When I got it out of the box, everything about it felt ludicrously large. The machine, frankly, is a beast. It is the first laptop in this house (and there have been many laptops in this house) to be larger than the cat. For comparison, I took a quick (if terrible) photo of the Samsung Series 7 Gamer next to an Alienware M14x 14" gaming laptop, which itself is not exactly svelte.

Happily, the feel of the thing is actually pretty nice. It may be a beast, but it's a comfortable beast. The plastic around the keyboard isn't rubberized, but it does have a smooth, satiny feel that seems like it would wear well. The size is an advantage when it comes to the keyboard, which features full-sized, responsive keys and a number pad to go with. The default backlighting, a gentle, vaguely-blue white, works nicely as well, creating light and contrast without being garish. And of course, the big advantage of a big laptop is its big screen. The crisp 17" display runs at 1920x1080, delivering nicely on HD gaming.

The Samsung Series 7 Gamer Is One Effective, and Enormous, Gaming Laptop

The one exception to the nice feel is the trackpad, which honestly is kind of terrible. The buttons are placed in such a way that I routinely hit right-click when reaching for left-click, the touch-tap is not always responsive, and the texture of the thing created a weird sort of friction drag on my fingers, making me feel like using the mouse pointer was twice as hard as it should have been. You'll want to plug in a proper mouse (or use a Bluetooth mouse) for any extended gaming sessions.

The other issue I had was with the sensitivity of switches along the top bar, just under the monitor. Volume looks like it should be a dial, but it's actually just a (very sensitive) plus/minus switch. The whole bar is so sensitive that when brushing my hand along it gently to remove a stray cat hair, I managed to turn off the wifi antenna without realizing I had ever touched it at all. Since it's easier to control the laptop's volume using the keyboard, it's probably just smart to stay away from that area of the machine entirely once it's been turned on.

Of course, look and feel are meaningless without performance. The specs are nice, with the i7 quad core Ivy Bridge CPU, the NVidia GTX 675M graphics card, and more RAM than anyone can actually use, but do they add up to smooth gaming?

Samsung Series 7 Gamer System Specs

• CPU: Intel Core i7-3610QM, 2.30 GHz, 6MB L3 cache
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M
• Memory: 16 GB DDR3
• Hard Drive: 1.5 TB
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Ports: 1 HDMI, 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0
• Card Slot: 7-in-1 (MS, MS Pro, SD, SDHC, MMC, MMC plus, xD)
• Optical Drive: Blu-Ray
• Network: Wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n, and wired

The Samsung came pre-loaded with a number of games, including Peggle, Plants vs Zombies, and Chuzzle. As much as I do in fact love PopCap games (I may have put more hours into Plants vs Zombies over the last year than is strictly healthy), they're not going to put a gaming machine through its paces. They don't even really put my two-year-old phone through its paces. It was time for something a bit more demanding.

The most system-punishing game we have in the house, as it happens, is The Secret World. On my desktop, I run TSW on DX11, with most settings on the default "Ultra," and get an average of just over 30 fps. (The range runs from about 25 FPS to nearly 50, but during normal gameplay and combat hovers in the 32-35 fps area.) That's on a desktop using an Intel i7-930 quad core CPU from 2010 and an NVidia GeForce GTX 480.

So how did the laptop compare? I turned the dial to "gaming" (more about that in a moment), set the game to "Ultra," and ran off to kill zombies. While puttering around Kingsmouth in solo combat it pretty much stayed in the 21-28 FPS range, which—while not exceptional—is actually a lot better and more playable than I expected. It doesn't take many tweaks to the settings to get it running around 30. Naturally, of course, the laptop sounds by that point as if it is trying to take off into space, but that's just how heavy-working laptop fans get.

I mentioned the dial. The knob is the big gimmick of the Series 7 Gamer. Yes, a knob. It's a small dial set into the right side of the machine, just under the monitor, that basically has four pre-configured power management settings. There's a mode that optimizes gaming performance, naturally, but there's also a mode that reduces fan speed (making the laptop quieter) and dims the lights, so that the user won't be That Guy in a library or other quiet location.

The gaming setting is effective. It brings the fan to life and makes sure that GPU has the juice it needs. But it's also, well, garish. Horribly garish. All of the lights switch to a bright, electric blue, except WASD, which go bright red. The volume and power switches, both round, also light up red and then pulse in sync with whatever audio source you have playing. By default, it also comes with a full Windows theme that changes your desktop and mouse pointer. Of course, the settings can be customized, so it's possible to keep the power boost while ditching the visuals, if they're not your thing.

The other feature setting the Series 7 Gamer apart is its attention to audio, with Dolby sound processing. I threw some music on via the speakers to see how they sounded, and started out impressed. The treble and mid-range are actually very good, for laptop speakers. But as soon as the chord of Reaper in E Minor hit, they went all tinny and "blaaat." They may be very good for laptop speakers but in the end, they're still laptop speakers. With headphones plugged in, the sound (from games, music, or video) is as good and robust as you'd generally expect.

So yes, the Samsung Series 7 Gamer makes a good desktop replacement machine. But its bulk and price point—just under $1900—are enough to invite the question of, "why?" If power is what a gamer is after, desktops are less expensive and can be upgraded more easily. If portability is what a gamer is after, there are similarly powerful machines, also less expensive, that can be picked up and hauled around much more easily. The number of players who need what the Samsung Series 7 Gamer has to offer is probably a small segment of the population. But for those who do need a 17" desktop-replacing, gaming-capable laptop, the Series 7 Gamer wouldn't be a bad choice.

Samsung filings reveal 11.8" 'retina' tablet, two new WP8 smartphones

Court documents published as part of the Apple and Samsung trial that got underway on Monday have revealed the South Korean firm plans to release a 11.8-inch tablet some time this year with a retina-like display, as well as two new smartphone's destined to run Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 8.

The Verge spotted the tablet, codenamed P10 in the paperwork, and noted it will be fitted with a 2560 x 1600 pixel 11.8-inch touchscreen panel, trumping the iPad's 2048 x 1536 resolution with a slightly lower but still 'Retina'-like pixel density of 256 ppi. For reference, the iPad's 9.7-inch display has a pixel density of 264 ppi.

The tablet is listed as a 2012 device, but other than that nothing else is known. Samsung recently sent out invites for the launch of its next Galaxy device in San Francisco on August 15, so it's entirely possible they will announce this new tablet at the event, possibly alongside other new “Galaxy” branded products.

Samsung is also planning two new smartphone's, codenamed 'Odyssey' and 'Marco' ahead of Windows Phone 8's launch later this year. While its unclear exactly how many devices the firm plans to release running the new OS, the court documents gave an insight into what will likely be two of its flagship phones for WP8.

First up, the 'Odyssey' will feature a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display with a HD resolution, combined with a 8-megapixel rear camera and NFC support. The 'Marco' uses a slightly smaller 4.0-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display presumably running at 800x480 pixels, and a 8-megapixel rear camera. The exact storage and memory specifications of both devices were not revealed in the filings. 

It's also unclear if these handsets are destined solely for the US market or a worldwide release, but both feature 4G LTE connectivity and are powered by a Qualcomm MSM8960 SoC, offering a dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 processor. There is no question that both devices will run Redmond's next mobile OS however, as WP 7.5 is limited to single-core CPUs.

Galaxy Note II benchmark shows 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos CPU

Rumors surfaced last month that Samsung would be releasing an update to the Galaxy Note that launched earlier this year. The phone is said to have a massive 5.5-inch display and a quad-core processor among other features. We now know that the latter bit of information is likely accurate thanks to recent test results uploaded to GLBenchmark.

Specifically, the handset will have a quad-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.6GHz, or 200MHz higher than the chip found in the recently released Galaxy S III. The dual-core Galaxy S II was clocked at 1.2GHz while the original Galaxy Note has a dual-core processor ticking along at1.4GHz.

The benchmark results are a little higher than what the Galaxy S III is capable of according to SlashGear. We also know that the screen resolution on the tested device was 1,280 x 720, good for a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the 16:10 found on the original. This lends some credit to earlier rumors about the screen being a little larger but the phone maintaining roughly the same chassis size.

The phone also appears to be running Android Jelly Bean, likely shipping as the native OS. It would seem a bit foolish at this point to launch what could be a flagship handset with yesterday’s operating system.

We still expect Samsung to introduce the handset on August 30, just one day before Germany’s IFA 2012 trade show begins. It seems that Samsung is keen on launching the smartphone before Apple makes the new iPhone available.

Samsung may begin producing flexible AMOLED displays this quarter

According to The Verge, Korean news site DDaily says Samsung is set to begin manufacturing its long-rumored "Youm" displays -- a new type of ultra-thin AMOLED panel which is bendable, stretchable, rollable and possibly even foldable. This jibes with rumors we heard in 2011 that Samsung may have been planning to mass produce these very interesting displays in Q2 2012. 

Before anyone gets too excited though, Samsung is curiously expected to ship these flexible displays affixed to a rigid sheet of "protective" glass, initially. Clearly, this dampens some of the excitement surrounding the rumor. However, DDaily's sources claim Samsung has an internal goal of mass-producing fully flexible screens by 2014. 

This is purely speculation, but one reason for the delay may be a lack of devices which could properly house a flexible display. By manufacturing these screens now, Samsung gains experience mass producing them for traditional, rigid devices (phones, tablets and so on). When OEMs begin contemplating flexible gadgets though, Samsung will be ready to supply.

Although the upcoming Youm displays aren't expected to be flexible at first, what they will be is thin -- really thin. Even while married to a glass panel, the displays should measure 1mm in thickness. Without the glass layer, the screens boast a thickness of just 0.6mm. It is possible that this glass could be substituted with a material like Willow Glass or plastic in the future though, freeing the panel from its inflexible constraints.

For anyone surprised to learn of the existence of bendable displays, this sci-fi-sounding screen technology may have a peculiar odor of vaporware about it. In an effort to quash such disbelief though, I'll point out that Samsung has demonstrated this technology in the past. Ostensibly,other companies have been making progress on flexible displays too, including LG and HP, although we've yet to see one made commercially available.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus injunction overturned in appeals court

A US appeals court has lifted the ban on the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone that went into effect late last month. A similar ruling fell short for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 which still remains on the ban list but the ball is now in Apple’s court (no pun intended) on whether or not they want to object the ruling from appeals court.

Google was able to get the Galaxy Nexus reinstated by promising that the phone would soon ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. This OS revision is said to contain tweaks that address the patents in question. Furthermore, Google will also be updating Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with similar workarounds that don’t infringe on the Apple patents in question.

US District Court Judge Lucy Koh banned the Samsung smartphone and tablet on June 30 in a rare pre-trial injunction. She ruled that Samsung infringed on four Apple patents and that Cupertino would see more harm if the injunction wasn’t put in place than Samsung would if it was.

Apple has until July 12 to file an objection to the appeal. Meanwhile, barring any appeals, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will have to remain off store shelves until the trial begins on July 30.

The Galaxy Nexus is back on sale in the Google Play Store for $349 with a note that it will be shipping soon with Jelly Bean. The phone has an estimated ship time of 1-2 weeks as of writing.

Samsung readying Windows RT tablet for October launch

Samsung is reportedly working on a tablet running Microsoft's next generation operating system ahead of its worldwide release in October. According to sources familiar with the matter cited in a report byBloomberg, the South Korean firm plans to release the ARM-based tablet running Windows RT at the same time as Microsoft releases its new OS to the public.

Both of the sources asked not to be named as the plans weren't public. One of them claimed Samsung's Windows RT tablet would be released in October.

Windows RT is a fine-tuned version of Windows 8 for touchscreen devices that will be powered by ARM-based processors. Samsung’s Windows RT tablet in particular will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC. ARM-based chips have risen massively in popularity in recent years and are now used to power a whole host of smartphones and tablets, including Apple's industry leading iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.

Samsung's entry will provide a welcome boost to the Windows 8 tablets available at launch. Two weeks ago rumors emerged suggesting one of Microsoft's biggest OEMs, Hewlett Packard, was towithdraw from making ARM-based Windows RT tablets after the software giant unveiled its own Microsoft Surface tablet.

HP has since confirmed in a statement to Forbes it plans to focus on x86 Windows 8 tablets with business users in mind for the foreseeable future. That said, they didn't completely rule out ARM-based Windows RT tablets, saying it "continues to look at using ARM processors in business and consumer products".

If the latest rumors are true, Samsung would join Asus, Dell and Microsoft in building ARM-based tablets running Windows RT for launch in October. The launch will mark the first time ever that the Redmond software firm has released a cross platform operating system working on traditional x86 computers and notebooks as well as ARM-based tablets at the same time.

Galaxy Note 2 expected to ship later this year with 5.5-inch screen

If for some strange reason you thought the Samsung Galaxy Note wasn’t large enough already, we are now hearing that the next model expected to launch later this year will have an even bigger display. The Galaxy Note 2 will reportedly ship with a 5.5-inch screen, according to unnamed sources as reported by MK Business News.

The handset is expected to make its debut next month at Germany’s IFA 2012 trade show. Aside from the larger screen, the Note 2 will have an unnamed quad-core processor, most likely the Exynos 4 Quad. A 12-13MP camera could grace the backside of the phone, a sizable upgrade from the 8MP camera found on the original. Of course, a camera’s quality isn’t based solely on megapixels, but the bump is a nice improvement.

The report also points out that the Note 2 will arrive running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, although we are unsure what UI improvements Samsung has planned for the device.

Although 5.5-inches sounds massive for a phone screen (and frankly, it is), it really isn’t going to be that much larger than the first generation Note. But even still, many people have called the Note out for simply being too large and tablet-like, the latter complaint serving as a marketing point for Samsung. Either way, it does pose a valid concern with regards to how big is too big. After all, most entry-level tablets start at 7-inches, which isn’t too far from the 5.5-inch mark.

The Note 2 is expected to launch sometime in September or October as a direct competitor to Apple’s new iPhone. No word yet on how much the phone will cost, however.

Samsung fails to lift U.S. sales ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung’s attempt to lift a ban on the sale of theirGalaxy Tab 10.1 in America fell short on Monday as US District Judge Lucy Koh declined the South Korean giant’s request. The rejection comes ahead of a planned patent trial later this month, according to Mercury News.

Koh originally declined Apple’s request for injunction but Cupertino took the case to Federal Appeals Court. The court instructed the judge to reconsider her initial ruling and late last month, Koh banned the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US until a patent dispute between the two companies had been resolved.

"Samsung is disappointed with the court's decision that denied our motion to stay. We believe today's ruling will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the United States," Samsung said in a statement.

An Apple spokesperson stood by their claim that some Samsung products look very similar to the iPhone and iPad.

"Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products," Koh noted during the ruling. Furthermore, she imposed a pre-trial ban on the sale or import of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the US late last week, dealing yet another blow to Samsung.

The news is the latest in an ongoing patent battle between the world’s two largest electronics makers. The duo have been at odds for years, winding up in courtrooms in at least 10 countries as they aim to capitalize on the emerging and lucrative mobile device market. The latest battle is scheduled to take place on July 30 in a US courtroom.