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Old fads never die: HTC One Max to bring back fingerprint scanner Aug 28th 2013, 20:26, by Nick Gray Fingerprint scanners on phones have never been super popular, but they’ve been a reliable way to secure mobile computing devices for nearly a decade. They have often been used in laptops and PDAs, but the only high-profile Android device to ever sport a fingerprint scanner was the Motorola Atrix. There are rumors floating around that Apple will be including a fingerprint scanner in a future iPhone, so it’s not too absurd to think that Android OEMs would be playing around with the idea as well. When leaked pictures of the HTC One Max showed up last week, it was speculated that a square black panel on the back of the phone could be a fingerprint scanner. Today, newly leaked images of the phone seem to confirm that notion, giving us a closer look at the fingerprint scanner and a toggle in the phone’s setting to turn the feature on or off. Gallery Personally, I have no use for a fingerprint scanner on my phone. I rarely use pattern, face or pin locks on the phones that I use, so adding another locking option doesn’t really excite me. However, I can admit that there is a certain appeal to fingerprint scanning for those who do need to make sure their device is secure.  Passwords and pins are probably secure enough for the majority of users, but they are a hassle. You press your phone’s power button to check your emails, but you first have to type in a 4-8 digit key. A fingerprint scanner would probably only save you a second or two every time you need to unlock your phone, but that could add  up to a minute or two each day potentially saving you a few hours every month. The fingerprint scanner on the Motorola Atrix worked just fine. The phone wasn’t ever a huge success, but we doubt it was because it had a fingerprint scanner on the back. I do not think a fingerprint scanner will help sale of the HTC One Max, but I could be wrong. Do you think the fingerprint scanner is an important piece of Android smartphone’s security puzzle? Samsung unveils the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, a tablet made for children Aug 28th 2013, 20:09, by Dima Aryeh The market for kids’ tablets isn’t exactly flourishing, but it’s definitely there. Companies like Nabi make some pretty impressive tablets for kids, and it looks like Samsung is joining in. It's no secret that kids are using technology more than ever before. We saw an opportunity to create a device just for kids that provides them with an intuitive, fun and kid-friendly user experience filled with rich, interactive and educational content that parents will love.JK ShinCEO of Samsung Electronics Their new tablet is called the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, and as you guessed, it’s based on the Galaxy Tab 3, specifically the 7-inch model. It will have a rubber bumper around it for protection, a 1024 x 600 resolution, dual core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, Android 4.1, 3MP rear camera with 1.3MP front camera, 8GB of memory with microSD slot and a 4,000 mAh battery. Specs don’t matter to a child, but they may to an Android enthusiast parent! Instead of running stock Android or even TouchWiz, Samsung has developed an entirely new user interface for kids. It will come with a custom app store for kids and a time management feature to only allow a certain amount of use per day. It will also come pre-loaded with plenty of educational content, games and even books. Samsung will also offer a special case called the Kids Case with its own stand designed for little hands. This case will come with a C Pen, which is a thin tipped stylus for drawing on the tablet. This tablet will launch in their home country of South Korea in early September, then proceed to launch in other countries including Europe and the US. No price is currently stated, but expect it to be around the $200 mark, just like its more mature brother. Maybe they’ll drop the price for kids. Who knows? But it definitely begs the question: Does a child need a tablet? A few years ago, I would have said absolutely not. But times have changed. A tablet can be an excellent educational tool, and a properly software-optimized one can really help any child learn. Could a tablet really be the new Barbie? And is that a good thing?

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