Galaxy Note 4 S Health can sense and track even more stuff

Your Note 4 can record your blood oxygen saturation and sunlight UV levels, in addition to other metrics

In the Galaxy S4, Samsung introduced a built-in pedometer and the S Health app. Earlier this year it followed up with a built-in heart rate sensor in the Galaxy S5. And now in the new Galaxy Note 4, the Korean manufacturer brings a couple more sensor capabilities into the mix. Read on for a quick look at S Health's new tricks.

The latest version of S Health on the Galaxy Note 4 comes with all the capabilities and features owners of the Galaxy S5 will be familiar with — an exercise tracker with built-in pedometer, and the ability to keep tabs on food, weight, sleep patterns (with a supported accessory), and your heart rate using the built-in sensor. On top of that, the phone can now sense your blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and the strength of ultraviolet light from the sun.
Both of these are measured using the Note 4's sensor module, which is once again situated below its rear camera. And it's grown a bit since we first saw it on the Galaxy S5.

Reading your SpO₂ level works the same as reading your heart rate — in fact, when you take a reading the former, the Note 4 will also report the latter. As we've seen on other Samsung phones like the Galaxy S5 Mini, taking readings using the rear-mounted sensors can be hit and miss, and on a couple of occasions the Note 4 demo units at IFA failed to take an SpO₂ reading even when our finger was right over the sensor. That said, we're still dealing with preproduction hardware and software in a noisy trade show environment.

According to Wikipedia, your SpO₂ level should generally be above 94 percent. Any lower than 85 percent and you'll have bigger problems than properly aligning your finger with a bunch of sensors on your smartphone.

Recording UV levels uses the same sensor. The Galaxy Note 4 asks you to point the back of the phone up towards the sun for a few seconds, then gives you a reading from low to high. We couldn't test this feature outside, but after a few seconds the Note 4 reassuringly told us that the UV levels under the artificial show floor lighting were indeed "low."
As with other health metrics, S Health keeps track historic readings of both SpO₂ and UV levels.

The S Health app itself has also undergone a minor redesign, with a refreshed overview page displaying your latest stats — SpO₂, steps, caloric intake, heart rate, stress and more.
So if you're into tracking all your vitals on your smartphone, the Galaxy Note 4 offers even more stuff to keep track of. How much of this will be of any value to the average user, however, remains to be seen.

S Health on Galaxy Note 4

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More: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 hands-on

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Samsung Gear VR infographic shows you what the new gadget is all about

The topic of virtual reality is not one that is new, but it wasn't until recently that actual viable products that did VR properly were commercialized. At the forefront in that field is Oculus -- the company that brought us the Rift. As it turns out, Samsung's ever watchful eye was also pointed in the same general direction, and it didn't take long for the company to finally debut its own take on the new concept with the Gear VR.

The important thing to remember about the Samsung Gear VR is that Oculus played a major role in its creation, and this is made obvious by the "Powered by Oculus" marking on the side of the Samsung gadget. Where the two differ, however, is that the Gear VR will require an Android device to work (a Note 4), and that's important because the electronics giant will have to spur enough developer interest to jump-start the category on Android. Whether Samsung is to be met with success in that regard remains to be seen, so, for the time being, the company is mostly focused on explaining what the Gear VR actually is, and what it's made of. To that end, Samsung has published an infographic on its corporate blog that gives you the basics of the Gear VR in an understandable and easy-to-digest format. Check it out below!

Samsung Gear VR infographic

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How to unlock the screen of the Galaxy S5 without touching it

Imagine this - you are halfway through a chicken wings bucket, and you get a message on your Galaxy S5 that's laying on the other end of the table, then the screen goes off before you glimpsed who it is.

This certainly can be counted as a situation You are in a pickle now, as you want to see if it's something important, but you are too lazy to go and wipe or wash your hands.

Yet another scenario - you simply want to check what time it is, with the phone lying flat next to you, but, again, you are elbow-deep in chicken wings with a barbeque sauce. Well, you catch our drift, but frustrate not, as your Galaxy S5 has a way to deal with these scenarios:


1. Go to the phone's Settings>Personalization>Accessibility>Dexterity and interaction>Air wake up menu;

2. Switch the Air wake up slider to the "on" position;

3. When the phone is lying flat with a locked screen, simply hover your palm briefly over the front camera and sensors area, and the Galaxy S5's screen will turn on for your preset amount of time, simple as that.
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Cyanogen being targeted by Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung and Yahoo?

Cyanogen could end up being purchased by a big tech company. Known for its custom Android ROMs, Cyanogen was in the news earlier this week when it announced that it was teaming up with start-up Nextbit to introduce a "really cool" mobile product. Now, it is apparently being looked at as a possible acquisition or partner, for companies like Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, and Yahoo.

The rumored companies all have something in common. They are interested in developing a version of Android outside of Google's watchful eyes. Amazon has been using its own FireOS, a forked version of Android., on its phone and tablets. Samsung? It has been looking for a way to prove to Google that it is the reason for Android's success. Microsoft could ship its phones with Cyanagen, and use its own services to replace the ones from Google that would be missing. Earlier this year, Yahoo purchased the contextual Aviate launcher, and Cyanogen could fit its strategy to offer apps and services to enhance the mobile user's experience.

With the OnePlus One launching with Cyanogen inside, the company has been raising its profile. It took in $30 million in funding last year from various venture capital firms, and another round is expected this year. Unless, of course, Cyanogen is bought out before then.

source: 9to5Google via AndroidAuthority

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Galaxy Note 4 design leaks and concepts: last chance to fantasize before the announcement

Samsung has pretty much confirmed that the next-generation Galaxy Note will be unveiled at IFA 2014, on September 3. There are still a few days until then, so we thought it's maybe a good idea to take a look at the various leaked designs and concepts of the Galaxy Note 4, because this would practically be our last chance to dream and fantasize about the upcoming Galaxy Note 4.

Some of the pictures below can go into the "leaks" category - images that might indeed be revealing the real deal, or some of its prototypes. We'll put those first in the gallery. After that, what follows will be a series of eye-catching fan concepts - most seem rather cool, but, sadly, fairly unlikely as well.

Let us know what you think about these leaks and fan concepts in the comments! Do any of these seem authentic to you? Which ones do you like most?

Galaxy Note 4 design leaks and concepts

1. Alleged image of the Galaxy Note 4's retail box

2. Vague shot claimed to reveal the top area of the Note 4

3. Vague shot claimed to reveal the camera area of the Note 4

4. One of the more trustworthy leaked designs so far

5. One of the more trustworthy leaked designs so far

6. One of the more trustworthy leaked designs so far

7. One of the more trustworthy leaked designs so far

8. One of the more trustworthy leaked designs so far

9. Generic-looking fan concept with thin bezels

10. Fan concept showing a super-thin Note 4 profile

11. Curved fan concept, complete with a bunch of specs

12. Stylish Note 4 concept with customized, wooden back

13. Fancy fan concept with radically new design language

14. Yet another minimalist concept

15. Relatively believable fan concept with dotted back and stylish metal frame

reference: Concept-phones

 

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Samsung releases a Note 4 UNPACKED event trailer, check all 'Ready to Note?' teaser videos here

After a few days of releasing Note 4 teasers, extolling the virtues of the S Pen and the large display of its upcoming phablet, Samsung just outed what it calls a "trailer" for the September 3rd UNPACKED event. Have no doubt that we'll keep your seats warm around the stage when the Note 4 makes a cameo at the IFA expo in Berlin next week, and relay all the juicy details as they happen.

The hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is primed to feature a breathtaking 5.7" Quad HD Super AMOLED display, and if a leaked wallpaper, claimed to be from the phablet, is any indication, that would indeed be the case. The rest of the stellar specs set are speculated to be a quad-core Snapdragon 805 or octa-core Exynos processors, and a 16 MP camera on the back with optical image stabilization. Let's not forget an eventual new and improved S Pen stylus, which with this detailed screen resolution should be doing wonders in precision drawing and handwriting, as you can see Samsung implying below.

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Being water-resistant is not enough: this dual-camera Android smartphone can survive an explosion and whatnot

More and more devices are embracing dust- and water-resistance as one of their more notable features – during 2014, all major Android manufacturers have released at least one device that boasts a certain IPxx certification – the Galaxy S5, the Xperia Z2, and many others. Some niche devices, such as the durable Kyocera Brigadier, are even shock-proof and will survive in even harsher environments. But all of these are bound to bow before BARTEC PIXAVI Impact X, which might turn out to be the most rugged Android smartphone ever.

This aluminum-clad device is not only dust- and water-proof (IP68-certified), it will also survive a straight, up to 2-joule rendezvous with the ground from up to 2 meters. The 2mm Gorilla Glass screen at the front is custom-tailored for the device. The Impact X is also not afraid of corrosion and perfectly capable of withstanding great temperature amplitudes. Thanks to its unprecedented rigidity, the Impact X is intended for those that workers in extremely hazardous environments.

Alas, that's not the most notable feature of the Impact X. See, it is flaunting IECEx and ATEX Zone 1 certifications, which means that it's also explosion-proof and suitable for hazardous areas. We'll let the former sink in a bit. Wow.

The dual-camera setup of the device also deserves special attention. The manufacturer explains that many smartphone users usually record portrait videos, because they want to hold the phone with one hand while recording. BARTEC reveals that it has solved this issue by adding a second camera to the Impact, which is rotated 90 degrees in comparison with the other one, which means that regardless of the phone's orientation, all videos will be landscape ones (as it should be). Both cameras are 8MP ones. The Impact X has also been equipped with a dedicated camera shutter button at the front of the device, which is positioned below the hardware navigation buttons.

"Today’s workers expects the same snappy performance in their enterprise apps as they do at home when playing Angry Birds."

However, pretty little is known about the hardware specs of the device, as its maker stresses on its durability and not the power of the silicon inside. All we know is that it boasts a 4.6-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, a 3,000mAh battery, Android 4.2.2 aboard, and HSPA+ capabilities. Not something to write home about, but we guess that this is the price one has to pay for such an extreme ruggedness. Speaking of prices, the Impact X will probably cost between $1,000 and $1,200. Availability is unknown at this moment.

The explosion-proof BARTEC PIXAVI Impact X

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Nokia to bring HERE services to Samsung's Gear smartwatches

Earlier this year, when Nokia sold its mobile phone division to Microsoft, it didn’t include its HERE mapping business in the deal. So we shouldn’t be surprised to see that Nokia is now teasing an announcement that will seemingly bring HERE services to Samsung’s Gear line of smartwatches.

All that Nokia is saying for now is that it’s going to unveil “HERE for Gear” tomorrow in London. The teaser image posted via the official HERE Twitter account clearly uses Samsung’s Gear logo, so there’s no doubt that a Nokia - Samsung partnership is about to be announced.

HERE services include maps, navigation, public transportation info, and information about millions of points of interest around the world. We’ll find out tomorrow how much of all this will be available on Samsung’s Gear series.

Samsung currently offers several Gear smartwatches that run Tizen, and only one that runs Android Wear (though we’ll surely see more of these in the future). The company’s latest smartwatch is the curved, Tizen-based Gear S, which will be available later this year.

Update: The Samsung Gear S, which was announced yesterday, will officially feature turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation powered by HERE. Nokia's announcement from tomorrow should provide more details on this.

source: HERE (Twitter)

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Samsung showcases its "Solid History" of metal phones

When the Galaxy Alpha came out, we made sure to remind you that while Samsung has been very conservative with the use of metal in its latest smartphones, it's definitely been there not that long ago, with the Samsung Wave II. But the company is intent on pointing out that its "solid" history of using metal with its phones goes way back. And that's fair.

According to the company's official blog, one of the first of its devices to ever sport metal in its build is the SCH-V740, also known as the Samsung Blade -- a flip phone from all the way back in 2005. The Blade was followed by the SCH-V890 a tad later, and the SCH-V940 even further down the road. What followed next are devices that are probably a bit better known among the wider public -- the Samsung Giorgio Armani phone, and the Samsung Wave 723, Wave 2, and Wave 3. 

Of course, just the Wave series from those on the list so far sported a full metal body -- the rest simply had metal used in parts of their construction, much alike to the Galaxy Alpha. Inheriting the Wave series metal body design philosophy was the scarcely-known Wise series, of which there are at least two distinct models -- the Wise 1 (2011) and Wise 2 (2012).

See them all in the gallery below.

Past Samsung phones with metal in their body

1. Samsung SCH-V740

2. Samsung SCH-V890

3. Samsung SCH-V940

4. Samsung Giorgio Armani phone

5. Samsung Wave 723

6. Samsung Wave 2

7. Samsung Wave 3

8. Samsung Wise Classic SCH-Z00S

9. Samsung Wise 2 SHW-A330S

 

source: Samsung Tomorrow

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