Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Android Authority

Android Authority


Acer, HP and Samsung Chromebooks now rolling out in six new countries across the world

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 02:26 AM PDT

Chromebook

Only available on American and British soil until a couple of days ago, Google's Chromebooks are now one step closer to becoming the global devices they deserve to be. The Pixel has hit the ground running in Australia, while Acer, HP and Samsung's Chromebooks are themselves ready to start selling down under, as well as in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

"Select" JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman stores in Australia already have the Samsung Series 3 and Acer C7 in stock. The former goes for $349, while the latter is $299, which is basically a hundred bucks extra than what US retailers charge for the two. As for HP's Pavilion 14, that's on its way down under, but we don't have an exact release date or price tag yet.

Canada's Best Buy and Future Shop have all three Chromebooks up for grabs online, with stock due out in physical stores as well in the next days. Acer's C7 starts at $249.99, Samsung's Series 3 is $269.99, while the HP Pavilion is $329.99.

Samsung Series 3

In France, there's only one Chromebook ready to start selling – Samsung's Series 3. The 11.6-incher will be available via several retailers, including Amazon, for a recommended price of EUR 299 ($387).

Germany is to get both Samsung and Acer's laptops, with the former going for €299 and the latter worth €279. The same duo will hit the Netherlands, but, while the Samsung will be available for the same price, the Acer will be €10 cheaper.

Finally, PC World and Amazon are the two Irish retailers chosen by Google as partners. The HP Pavilion 14 is not slated for a release there yet, but the Acer C7 and Samsung Series 3 will be pretty affordable – €249 and €279 respectively.

But wait, there’s more. Because Google is also expanding availability across America, with Chromebooks set to hit 1,000 new Best Buy locations over the next couple of weeks. That’s actually going to double the number of stores these laptops will sell in, meaning the Chrome OS-based machines are on their way to becoming mainstream hits. But hey, it was about time, wasn’t it?

The post Acer, HP and Samsung Chromebooks now rolling out in six new countries across the world appeared first on Android Authority.

Deal alert: Sprint’s Samsung Galaxy S3 goes for $49.99 via RadioShack

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 02:18 AM PDT

 

Galaxy-S3-sprint-radioshack

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 finally being unveiled last week, you'd think that carriers will start giving away its predecessor for free. Maybe we'll have to wait until the S4 actually hits store shelves for that to happen.

But if you're looking to grab the Galaxy S3 now, check out the special deal that RadioShack is offering for the former flagship phone.

New Sprint customers can purchase the GS3 from the retailer's website for $49.99. It goes without saying that it comes with the standard two-year contract. Meanwhile, those who are looking to upgrade will have to shell out $99.99.

In case you need some more convincing, the Galaxy S3 is expected to get some of the new software features that the younger and thinner brother is sporting. We also learned yesterday that the handset is likely to receive the Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie upgrade, which has been rumored to come in May.

Still undecided? Check out our guide on whether or not the Galaxy S3 is still worth your hard-earned money.

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5.9-inch Galaxy Note 3 reportedly being demoed to AT&T execs this week

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:41 AM PDT

galaxy note 2 marble white titanium grey [aa]

The recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy Pad gaming accessory, for the Galaxy S4 and up to 6.3-inch touchscreen devices, prompted plenty of speculation that the Galaxy Note 3 will come with a 6.3-inch display, just as some reports suggested in the past.

But now we hear that a 5.9-inch Galaxy Note 3 will be demoed to AT&T execs later this week. That 5.9-inch size is not new either, as recent reports have said that Samsung is working on mobile devices with 5.9 inch displays.

A new Korea Times article says that AT&T and Samsung execs will meet in Seoul, South Korea, this week to discuss the launch and AT&T promotion of the upcoming smartphone.

Apparently AT&T will get to look at a Galaxy Note 3 mockup during the meetings. The device is said to sport a 5.9-inch OLED display with Full HD resolution, Exynos 5 Octa processor, LTE and various features, "though discussions are still under way regarding what they should be."

All these details are coming from an executive at a "Samsung's main parts supplier," but as always, he wasn't identified.

As for the 6.3-inch Samsung Android device, the publication notes that it will be a separate product, but not a flagship device like the Galaxy Note 3:

A 6.3-inch phablet is also in the works with the company expected to introduce the model in the first half of this year. The 6.3-inch phablet will be a budget model not a flagship one in line with its strategy to expand product lineups.

Are you looking forward to a 5.9-inch Galaxy Note 3? Or are you sticking with smaller smartphones this year?

The post 5.9-inch Galaxy Note 3 reportedly being demoed to AT&T execs this week appeared first on Android Authority.

Nexus 7 2 to pack Qualcomm processor not NVIDIA Tegra 4, new report says

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:16 AM PDT

nexus-10-vs-nexus-7-14

The second-generation 7-inch Nexus tablet – which could have a strange name like Nexus 7 2 – is again rumored to pack a Qualcomm processor instead of a NVIDIA Tegra 4/4i SoC.

The current Nexus 7 model comes with NVIDIA's Tegra 3 under the hood, so the natural assumption would be that future Nexus 7 models will continue to use future generations of NVIDIA processors.

A new DigiTimes report on Monday said that Asus and Google have chosen a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor instead a Tegra 4, likely because the former chip also come with 4G LTE support. While Tegra 4i chip versions do have integrated LTE capabilities, they're launching too late to catch up with Nexus 7 2 production needs.

The new 7-inch Nexus tablet is reported to be unveiled in May, most likely at this year's Google I/O edition. By not being the chosen SoC maker, NVIDIA is said to lose "almost eight million processor shipments in 2013," according to sources familiar with the matter.

Comparatively, the company reportedly shipped 6 million Tegra 3 chips to Google for the first Nexus 7.

Are you looking forward to buy the new Nexus 7 tablet?

The post Nexus 7 2 to pack Qualcomm processor not NVIDIA Tegra 4, new report says appeared first on Android Authority.

Google Keep outed: Meet Google’s new note-taking service

Posted: 19 Mar 2013 01:04 AM PDT

Google-Keep

As mobile devices get smarter, we rely on them more to do the complicated tasks of remembering things for us, a segment that Evernote and its cross-platform note-taking app has seemingly cornered since 2008. And a splendid job it's been doing thus far.

While Google had a dabble in similar territory before to no success (remember Google Notebook?), it appears that the tech giant is on the cusp of introducing a new note-taking service, dubbed as Google Keep, to challenge Evernote and its 50 million strong users.

Although it's not yet official, the service went live for a short while earlier in the week, allowing Android Police to grab some screenshots and share them with the rest of the world. The interface kinds of remind us of the cards-based Google Now.

Google Keep will allow users to create, save and share notes, task lists, pictures, and other content. As you might've guessed, the service will be integrated with Google's other offerings, such as Drive, which is a good thing if you're rather dependent on all things Google. You should be able to save web links and snippets as well through the "Add to Google Keep" button.

Alas, the website has since been taken down and you'll see a 404 error message instead. Seeing how Google likes to take its time in introducing a new product, we can't tell for sure whether Google Keep will arrive next month or next year, but we think it'll be heading our way sooner rather than later. Perhaps, it’d be introduced alongside Google Babble? We’ll keep you updated.

The post Google Keep outed: Meet Google’s new note-taking service appeared first on Android Authority.

Samsung Galaxy Young Duos goes on sale in Germany for €153

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:58 PM PDT

Samsung-galaxy-young-duos

We first heard about the Galaxy Young, Samsung's latest entry-level smartphone, in December of last year.  It wasn't until last month that the Korean made the phone – both the dual SIM and single SIM variants – official, though no pricing and availability details were given at the time.

If you've been waiting for the Galaxy Young Duos to land in Europe, you'll be thrilled to hear that you can now grab the dual SIM phone from Amazon Germany. The online retailer is selling the Young Duos for €153. Only the white model is in stock and if you order now, you’ll have it delivered to your doorstep for free within 24 hours.

The petite Galaxy Young Duos only packs a 3.27-inch HVGA display and is powered by a single-core 1GHz processor. The rest of the specs include 768MB of RAM, 4GB internal storage with microSD support (up to 64GB), a 3-megapixel rear camera, a 1,300mAh battery, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

For €50 more, you can snag the Samsung Galaxy Fame instead, which comes with a larger 3.5-inch screen of the same 320 x 480 resolution, though it only has 512MB of RAM. Unlike the Young, the Fame also offers a VGA front-facing camera for those all-important selfies.

Interested in any of the above?

The post Samsung Galaxy Young Duos goes on sale in Germany for €153 appeared first on Android Authority.

How to use HDR on your Android device

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 07:00 PM PDT

how-to-use-hdr-android-0066

Of the many ordinary and extraordinary things that I can do on my Android device, mobile photography is one of my well-loved activities. Taking panoramic images is a walk in the park on my Android phone. I can even create 360-degree photos of my surroundings with the Photo Sphere mode of the Android 4.2 Camera. Yet, there’s a very nifty camera mode that’s not much talked about — High Dynamic Range mode, better known as HDR.

Used appropriately, HDR Mode can produce really awesome photos.  On the Web I have seen stunning HDR images that were taken using a DSLR camera and merged through an HDR photo editing tool. Can the HDR feature on Android devices provide the same or comparable quality?  What is HDR anyway? And, how does it work? How can you effectively use HDR?

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use HDR on your Android device.  You may also watch the video tutorial towards the end of this post.

What is HDR?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It usually refers to the method of capturing images having “greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging methods or photographic methods” (Wikipedia).

HDR images are frequently described as saturated, high in contrast, and rich in colors. Looking at an HDR image might make you think that it’s a complicated and time-consuming image to create. But, the truth is that creating HDR images is quite simple.

The process involves capturing multiple shots of the same subject but in varying exposures (underexposed, normally exposed, and overexposed). The multiple images are then combined into one photo, resulting in a greatly detailed image. Some photographers use HDR software to merge and edit the images, oftentimes resulting in surreal images.

HDR Mode on Android also follows the same principles but is simpler compared to how it is usually achieved on a DSLR camera. HDR on Android handsets usually correct exposure imbalances and enhance details on both the subject’s background and foreground.

To better understand how HDR works, let me show you some sample images taken by the Galaxy Camera. The photo below was taken without HDR:

And, this one’s a photo with HDR enabled. Do you see some difference?

The tree in the first picture is underexposed because of the bright background (i.e., the bright sky). HDR tries to correct this imbalance by equalizing the exposure on both background and foreground so details are enhanced in both areas. This is basically how HDR works.

Do you have HDR?

Not all Android devices support HDR Mode. The best way to check for HDR capability is by looking for the HDR option in your device’s Camera app.

The HDR option on some high-end Samsung devices can be found under the Shooting Mode menu.

Some custom Camera apps (e.g., on the HTC One X and Desire X) place the HDR option under the Camera Scenes section.

If you can’t find HDR under Shooting Mode or Camera Scenes, try looking for it under the camera’s Settings menu. Some Sony devices (e.g., the Xperia T and Xperia V), for example, place HDR under the camera’s Settings menu.

On the Nexus 4, which runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, you can easily turn HDR Mode on by long-tapping the viewfinder and tapping the HDR icon. Interestingly, the Android 4.2 Camera on the other Nexuses (i.e., Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 10) doesn’t have HDR Mode.

On other Android devices, HDR may be found under certain labels such as Backlight HDR or Backlight Correction HDR. On the Galaxy Camera, HDR is not labeled as such; instead, Samsung calls it Rich Tone and it can be found under the Smart Modes menu.

Using HDR on your Android device

Using HDR on your Android device is easy. All you need to do is enable HDR Mode and snap photos as you normally would: launch camera app, point and focus at subject, and hit camera shutter.

Also, you might want to use a tripod if it’s available, or at least hold the camera with stable hands; HDR doesn’t take too kindly to movement when capturing photos.  Also, the camera shutter speed may vary depending on the amount of light.

If you use a Samsung Android device, you will notice that the camera will produce two pictures. One is the HDR image and the other is the one with normal exposure. Check the file name to distinguish the two images. HDR images have “HDR” in their file names.

When to use HDR

HDR is a handy feature on your Android camera. But, when is the proper time to use HDR? Here are some situations where HDR may be advantageous:

  • Landscape shots. Activating HDR for capturing landscape photos is usually beneficial, especially when the sky is too bright and the subject has a dark foreground. In such circumstances, HDR ought to help in capturing rich details from both background and foreground.

  • Portrait shots under sunlight or with bright background. Taking portrait shots with a bright background leaves the subject underexposed. To fix this problem, enable HDR so the background and foreground are evenly exposed.

  • Capturing dim scenes. You can also use HDR when you want to capture dim scenes such as a picture of a candle flame or the lights on the street.

  • Remedying low-light scenes. — HDR can help brighten up images taken in low-light conditions.

When not to use HDR

HDR may be advantageous in several situations, but there are times when you don’t want to use HDR. Here are some of those instances:

  • Photographing moving subjects. HDR takes three or more photos in a row and combines them into one composite picture. So, make sure that the subject doesn’t move, or minimize movement while taking a photo.
  • Capturing realistic colors. Since HDR attempts to enhance a photo’s details, it may alter the photo’s original color in the process. Turn off HDR if you want to capture the realistic color of the blue sky or a beautiful red rose.
  • When flash is needed. Some Android devices disable flash when HDR is enabled. Some Android devices, though, allow simultaneous use of both flash and HDR.

Using an HDR camera app

If your Android device doesn’t have HDR, don’t fret. You can still enjoy HDR photography with the help of Android apps. There are several HDR-capable camera apps on the Google Play Store.

A personal favorite of mine is HDR Camera+, a paid app that allows you to take HDR photos and instantly edit your photos after capturing them.

Or, if you just want the HDR feature without the ability to edit your photos, there’s the plain ol’ HDR Camera app, which is free.

Here’s a quick guide to capturing your first HDR image using HDR Camera+:

  1. Install the HDR Camera+ from the Google Play Store and launch it after installation.
  2. Tap the cog-wheel Settings icon, tap Advanced, and mark the Edit After Taking option.
  3. The HDR camera app interface looks like the Android camera’s interface. It has a viewfinder taking up most of the device’s screen. Below the viewfinder is a bar holding the Settings button, Shutter button, and a thumbnail preview of the last taken photo. Below the bar is the zoom slider.
  4. Point your camera towards the subject and tap the Shutter button to take a picture. Make sure to keep your hands still.
  5. After taking a picture, the photo editor page will appear. If you want, select one of the preset filters or manually adjust your photo’s exposure, color vividness, contrast, and micro contrast.
  6. Tap the floppy disk icon to save your work.
  7. Tap the thumbnail to view your image. From the image view page, you can also share your HDR photo to various apps and services.

Video Guide

Know more about how to use HDR on your Android device by watching our video tutorial on YouTube:

Conclusion

HDR is one of the many features on an Android camera that make mobile photography interesting and fun. It certainly makes photos look better because of the wider range of light and dark intensities. And, although not all Android devices have HDR out of the box, you can always try installing an HDR camera app.

Do you use HDR on your Android device? How often do you use it? Do you find it useful? What tips and tricks can you share to us regarding HDR use on Android? Let us know in the comments.

(with contributions from Elmer Montejo)

The post How to use HDR on your Android device appeared first on Android Authority.

Amazon AppStore celebrates its second birthday with an app sale

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 02:57 PM PDT

Amazon

At least in the United States, Amazon’s AppStore is pretty much the most popular alternative to Google Play, in large part thanks to the Kindle Fire. The Amazon AppStore is turning two years old and in celebration is offering a week long sale on various games and a small selection of other types of apps.

The discounts start at 50% off the regular price, and some are even higher than that, actually.

apps-sale

There are many different games on sale including Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Cut the Rope Experiments and more. Some of the applications on sale include Splashtop Whiteboard and OfficeSuite Professional 7. In total there are 24 apps listed, including the games and it is worth noting that many of these apps are "Kindle Tablet Editions".

So how long do you have to get on these birthday deals? The sale ends on March 23, so that gives you a few days to decide whether any of the apps worth purchasing or not.

For those interested, here’s the full list of apps available in the promotion:

  • Angry Birds Star Wars Premium HD (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • SCRABBLE (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Team Umizoomi Math: Zoom into Numbers (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • The Amazing Spider-Man (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Angry Birds Space HD (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • THE GAME OF LIFE (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • The Dark Knight Rises (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • OfficeSuite Professional 7
  • Need for Speed Most Wanted (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • 94 Seconds
  • Drawing Pad
  • Audubon Birds: A Field Guide to North American Birds
  • Cut the Rope HD (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Cut the Rope: Experiments HD (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Amazing Alex HD (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Goodnight Moon
  • The Great Cookie Thief… A Sesame Street App Starring Cookie Monster(Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • Miss Spider’s Tea Party(Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • PicSay Pro
  • Splashtop Whiteboard (Kindle Tablet Edition)
  • It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex! – Smithsonian’s Prehistoric Pals
  • The Going to Bed Book – Boynton
  • Curious George’s Dictionary (Kindle Tablet Edition)

What do you think, any of these worth grabbing or not?

The post Amazon AppStore celebrates its second birthday with an app sale appeared first on Android Authority.

Motorola ‘Yeti,’ ‘Sasquatch’ and ‘Ghost’ leaked; is the first Google X Phone among them?

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 02:52 PM PDT

motorola-leak-vietnam-x-phone-1

Whether it's the Nexus 5 or the X Phone, we have plenty of rumors for those devices these days, and it's now time to look at some new codenames that seem to describe new Motorola handsets, the "Yeti" and "Sasquatch," both reportedly coming to AT&T, and the "Ghost" that’s heading to all carriers.

So what kind of devices are they? Are they new RAZR models? Do they include a new Nexus version? Or ar they  Google X Phones?

A few days ago we showed you not one, but two reports that claimed that the X Phone will become an entire smartphone family, meant to take on the Galaxy line, but also everyone else in the process. One of those reports said that the Motorola handset we spotted in Vietnam just before the Galaxy S4 launch, the XT912A, is apparently a first X Phone prototype.

And what do you know, the Motorola Ghost seems to be that XT912A model, according to a GLBenchmark test for the AT&T Ghost version.

The Ghost will reportedly offer a 1.7GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 720p HD display, on-screen navigation buttons, and Android 4.2.1.

As for the Yeti and Sasquatch, there aren't that many details about them at this time. The former apparently comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board while the latter is apparently running Android 4.2.2, with both of them heading to AT&T only.

Mind you, we're speculating on rumors for now and there's no way to confirm any of these devices at this time. Therefore we can't really be sure what we're looking at here. They could be new RAZR models, but just as well they could be the first X Phones (not necessarily high-end ones). But while we can't confirm this either, it wouldn't make sense for any of these devices to be a Nexus 5 considering all the X Phone rumors out there.

After all, Google can't afford to hit its Android partners with two competing products, both made by Motorola, both running the latest Android version at launch and both rather affordable, a Nexus 5 and an X Phone.

We'll be back with more details about the Ghost, Yeti and Sasquatch once we have it, meanwhile we're going to note that all these Google leaks can't be that coincidental, can they?

The post Motorola 'Yeti,' 'Sasquatch' and 'Ghost' leaked; is the first Google X Phone among them? appeared first on Android Authority.

Gmail update lets you reply, archive and delete right from notifications

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 02:08 PM PDT

Gmail

Google’s Gmail client for Android has now rolled out an update bringing with it several new improvements, including the ability to reply, archive or delete a message directly from the notification shade in Android 4.1 or higher.

While the new Gmail notification features are probably the most significant change, that’s far from the only change. For those with Android 4.0 or higher, the new Gmail update also offers faster search, and according to Google that even applies to when you are using it offline. There are also some bug fixes for those with ICS and higher.

If you are stuck with Android 2.2, you aren’t completely left out. The new update also affects Android 2.2 (and later) users with a new labels API for 3rd party app developers, and some unspecified performance improvements as well.

It’s really not surprising to see that Jelly Bean saw most of the love here with the latest update, though its nice to see those of us with older versions of Android still getting support as well.

What do you think of Google’s new notification shade feature for Gmail, like the idea that you won’t have to enter into the app nearly as often?

The post Gmail update lets you reply, archive and delete right from notifications appeared first on Android Authority.

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Google Flights search launches in UK, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 03:58 PM PDT

Google Flight search hasn’t been the most accessible service for those looking to travel around the world, but a few more countries have been added to the list of support. Folks in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands will be able to search for flights to and from their local airports, giving users the ability to view prices in their own currencies and execute searches in the native tongue of those respective countries.

Flight allows you to search for the cheapest flight by airline or even by date/time. Easy-to-read charts and graphs will give you a quick glimpse at when the cheapest time to fly would be, and you can plan your trip accordingly if price is the most important factor. It’s not going to get you booked in two clicks, but it’s a good starting point if you just want a clean and easy interface for searching up flights. Give it a try at Google.com/flights via your desktop or mobile browsers, or use the country-specific URLs below.

  • google.co.uk/flights/
  • google.fr/flights/
  • google.it/flights/
  • google.es/flights/
  • google.nl/flights/

[via Google]

Amazon Appstore celebrates birthday with app sales

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 02:29 PM PDT

Amazon is celebrating a birthday this week, folks — it’s been almost a year since the Amazon Appstore has launched (March 22nd, 2012) and that’s good reason for Amazon to celebrate. The digital retailer is hosting a birthday sale where select apps and games will be offered for at least 50% off, if not more.

Top hits from the likes of EA, Gameloft, and more are all up for grabs, including Scrabble, Need for Speed Most Wanted, The Game of Life, The Amazing Spider-Man, the Dark Knight Rises, Modern Combat 4 and more. You’ll also be able to get apps like OfficeSuite Pro 7, Splashtop Remote, and PicSay Pro at discounted prices.

And, as always, Amazon has a free paid app or game on tap every day if you don’t feel like spending any money. These deals will last through the weekend so take your time to go through their selection and see if there’s anything you wouldn’t mind buying.

Rumor: Google to unify chat services under “Babble” name

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

It’s long been rumored that Google would be merging all its chat-driven platforms under one big banner. The idea is to make Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, Google+ Hangouts, Google Voice calling, and more all exist as one big service, and with that Google would need a nice name for it all. We obviously have fallen in love with the simple and clean “Google Talk” name that’s been in use since the beginning of time, but new rumors suggest Google could be thinking about going with a different name.

Geek.com has heard that Google has been toying with the name “Babble.” Yup, Google Babble. I must say, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, nor is it any more flattering than all these other cute web 2.0 names that have taken the internet by storm. Still, it’s a name, and should Google end up using it — it’s possible this is just a codename being used to identify the project internally — we’re all going to have to learn to love it just as we have every quirky name out there.

AT&T adds new data allowances for big spenders

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 01:28 PM PDT

Those who are missing their unlimited data and finding it hard to stay under the various data caps AT&T has imposed before overages might want to listen up. AT&T has some new Mobile Share data tiers for you… except you probably have to be freaking rich to even want to take advantage of them. Users can now get allowances of 30GB, 40GB, and 50Gb of data per month for $300, $400, and $500, respectively.

Ouch, right? Tack on the added $30 per smartphone cost and you could find yourselves putting up a month’s worth of car payments + insurance just to consume mobile data. This will be more attractive to small business owners looking to provide a fleet of employees with data-equipped smartphones and tablets, I imagine, but if you’re crazy enough to jump on one of these plans as an individual you can take care of that right now at AT&T’s website. Read on for full press details.

New AT&T Mobile Share and Pooled Data Plans Help Businesses Go Mobile, Cut Costs and Boost Productivity

Larger Shared Data Plans and Data-Only Plans Offer. Added Flexibility and Affordability for Businesses and Consumers

DallasTexasMarch 18, 2013

 

AT&T* is helping businesses "raise the productivity bar" with expanded choices of shared data plans. Starting March 22, AT&T will offer larger Mobile Share plans, new Mobile Share – Data (only) plans, and new Business Pooled Nation for Data plans. The new plans make it even easier and more affordable to work or play on the go, whether that be taking mobile payments, controlling inventory, downloading videos, managing fleets, or navigating unfamiliar streets.

The new plans are ideal for businesses, as well as consumers who need more data, and build on AT&T's existing Mobile Share plans with expanded options of 30 GB, 40 GB and 50 GB, including unlimited calls and texts. In addition, AT&T is offering new Mobile Share – Data plans for businesses and consumers and new Business Pooled Nation for Data plans for business customers.

"Our expanded Mobile Share plans make it even easier for business customers to choose a data option that's right for them," said Joe Lueckenhoff, AT&T Senior Vice President, Business Product Management, "whether it's a large business wanting to better connect with employees, or a small business owner needing a data-only plan.

Details on Expanded Options

Mobile Share: With AT&T Mobile Share plans, customers start by choosing the amount of data they want each month, and then select the devices to be included in their shared plan (at least one device must be a smartphone). Each plan includes unlimited domestic talk and texts for smartphones and quick messaging phones, and each plan includes tethering. Existing Mobile Share plans offer from
1 GB to 20 GB of data per month. The new larger Mobile Share data plans include:

First, choose your monthly data amount.

Per Month**

Mobile Share with Unlimited Talk & Text

30 GB

$300

+

$30

40 GB

$400

+

$30

50 GB

$500

+

$30

Each Smartphone**

Additional data: $15 per GB

 

In addition, more devices can be added to each of these plans, including:

  • Basic and quick messaging phones – $30 per month per device
  • Laptops, LaptopConnect cards, and netbooks – $20 per month per device
  • Tablets and gaming devices – $10 per month per device

Businesses can add up to 10 devices for plans up to 20 GB; 15 devices for 30 GB plans; 20 devices for 40 GB plans; and 25 devices for 50 GB plans. Consumers can add up to 10 devices per plan.

Mobile Share – Data: Also, effective March 22, Mobile Share – Data plans (i.e., no talk and text) are available for businesses and consumers with shared data buckets ranging from 4 GB to 50 GB and prices ranging from $30 to $335 per month. Mobile Share – Data plans are only available for tablets, laptops and other connected devices.

Business Pooled Nation for Data: In addition, businesses who need data sharing for more than 25 devices can choose from new AT&T Business Pooled Nation for Data plans, with buckets ranging from 300 MB to 10 GB and monthly prices from $20 to $80 for eligible devices.

For more information about Mobile Share and Business Pooled Nation for Data plans, please see thisplan and pricing sheet.

Choosing an AT&T Mobile Share Plan

Customers can select one of the new Mobile Share plans or choose one of AT&T's existing Mobile Share plans. Current customers are not required to switch to the new plans, but can choose to do so without a contract extension. There are no changes to AT&T's device upgrade policy,which means customers eligible to upgrade to AT&T's best device price are not required to switch plans

To help customers track their data usage, AT&T keeps them informed with courtesy alerts as they near their data allowance for the month. Customers can check their usage at anytime online, through the myAT&T mobile app, or by calling *DATA# from their mobile phone.

Each data plan includes access to more than 32,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at no additional charge.
Wi-Fi*** usage at public hotspots, home or office does not count toward the monthly wireless data plan usage.

Customers can learn more about the new Mobile Share plans and determine which plan is best for them at www.att.com/mobileshare. Businesses can learn more about the new Business Pooled Nation for Data plans and determine which plan is best at www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/plans/.

 

 

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Access to corporate email and intranet available for additional $15/mo. per device.

*** Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. Seewww.attwifi.com for details and locations.

Mobile Share: Smartphone required. Available for 3G, HSPA+, LTE devices only. For businesses, up to 15 devices for 30GB plan, 20 for 40GB plan, and 25 devices for 50GB plan. For consumers and families, up to 10 devices per plan. Additional monthly charge per device. Unlimited talk and text for phones only. If you are using a shared data plan without a Smartphone(s) on the account or you do not have all required elements of the plan, AT&T reserves the right to place the non-complying device(s) on an appropriate plan(s). If you exceed the amount of data in your plan during your billing period, an additional 1GB is automatically provided as specified in your rate plan. Overage charges are billed to the primary line. All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period. in which the allowance is provided or they will be forfeited. Authorized users on the account may temporarily suspend data access for each device using the Mobile Share Plan. Data access will be restored at the beginning of the next billing cycle. Monthly charges, however, will continue to apply. Tethering and mobile hot spot use is permitted with up to five (5) simultaneous devices. Access to corporate email, intranet and apps available for $15/ mo. per device. Additional monthly charge per device not eligible for discounts. Domestic use only. Activation fee may apply. Additional deposits and other restrictions may apply. See rate plan brochure for complete details.

Mobile Share – Data: Smartphones, basic and quick messaging phones are prohibited. Up to ten (10), fifteen (15), twenty (20) or twenty-five (25) devices depending on the plan. For consumers and families, up to 10 devices per plan. Additional monthly charge per device. Tethering and mobile hotspot use are permitted with up to five (5) simultaneous devices. If you are using a Mobile Share – Data Plan with a smartphone, with a device that is not a Designated Data Device, for tethering or as a mobile hotspot with more than five (5) simultaneous users, or otherwise use the plan in any way that is inconsistent with its terms, AT&T reserves the right to suspend or terminate service to your account, place any non-complying device on an appropriate Mobile Share Plan, and/or add any other required element of the plan. If you exceed the amount of data in your plan during your billing period, an additional 1GB is automatically provided as specified in your rate plan. Overage charges are billed to the primary line. All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided or they will be forfeited. Authorized users on the account may temporarily suspend data access for each device using the Mobile Share – Data Plan. Data access will be restored at the beginning of the next billing cycle. Monthly charges, however, will continue to apply. Designated Data Devices that are capable of accessing corporate email, intranet sites and/or other business applications may do so for no additional monthly access charge. Additional monthly charge per device not eligible for discounts. Domestic use only. Activation fee may apply. Additional deposits and other restrictions may apply. See rate plan brochure for complete details.

Business Pooled Nation for Data: Available only to customers with a qualified AT&T business agreement for wireless services ("Business Agreement") and their respective Corporate Responsibility Users ("CRUs"). Within a single Billing Account Number ("BAN"), CRUs activated on separate Business Pooled Nation for Data Plans are combined to create a "Data Pool." Every billing cycle, each CRU first uses his or her plan's included domestic data usage ("Included Usage"). If a CRU does not use all his or her Included Usage, it creates an underage in the amount of the unused KB of data usage ("Under Usage"). If a CRU uses more than his or her Included Usage, it creates an overage in the amount of the excess KB of data usage ("Over Usage"). The Data Pool's Under Usage amounts for each CRU and Over Usage amounts for each CRU are then aggregated respectively and the totals are compared. If the aggregate Under Usage amount exceeds the aggregate Over Usage amount, then the difference is allocated among each CRU in the Data Pool with Over Usage, resulting in a credit on the invoice equal to the amount of each such CRU's additional data usage charges. Any excess Under Usage will be forfeited. If the aggregate Over Usage amount exceeds the aggregate Under Usage amount, then the ratio of Under Usage to Over Usage is applied equally to the data usage of each CRU in the Data Pool with Over Usage, resulting in a credit on the invoice against each such CRU's corresponding additional data usage charges to partially offset such charges. For example, if a Data Pool has 900 Under Usage KB and  1000 Over Usage KB (which means a ratio of 90%), then each CRU with Over Usage will receive a bill credit equal to 90% of his or her additional data usage charges. CRUs changing price points or migrating Business Pooled Nation for Data plans during a bill cycle may result in one-time prorations or other minor impacts to the credit calculation. Customer may have more than one Data Pool within a Foundation Account Number; however, CRUs in one Data Pool cannot take advantage of another Data Pool's Under Usage, and each CRU can only participate in one Data Pool at a time. AT&T reserves the right to limit the number of CRUs in a Data Pool due to business needs and system limitations. CRUs on non-pooling AT&T plans may be included in the same BAN as CRUs on Business Pooled Nation for Data Plans; however, these non-pooling CRUs will not receive the pooling benefits or contribute Included Usage to other CRUs in a Data Pool. Additional monthly charge per device not eligible for discounts. Domestic use only. Activation fee may apply. Additional deposits and other restrictions may apply. See rate plan brochure for complete details.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's largest 4G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com/aboutus or follow our news on @ATT, on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

 

 

© 2013 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 4G not available everywhere. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

 

 

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this press release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

Gmail update brings archive, delete and reply features from notification in Android 4.1+

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 12:54 PM PDT

A nice new update is headed for the Gmail for Android app today. The biggest change will be for those who are lucky enough to be on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher. Expandable notifications coming from the app will now include the ability to reply to an email, delete an email, or archive an email straight from the notification without having to enter the app.

If you’re on Ice Cream Sandwich or higher, you’ll get a faster search experience, and some typical bug fixes and performance improvements. Finally, those on Android 2.2 and higher can all expect enhanced performance and a new Labels API for third-party developers. There’s not much more to it than that, so you’ll probably want to go ahead and grab the upgrade as soon as possible. You can do just that in the Google Play Store.

Verizon approves Motorola DROID 4′s Jelly Bean update

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 12:25 PM PDT

It looks like the approval process for the Jelly Bean update on Motorola’s DROID 4 is zooming right along as the carrier has approved the upgrade for an impending nationwide rollout. We’re still not sure when, exactly, to expect the upgrade to rollout, but since this big hurdle has been cleared we imagine it won’t take long.

Verizon typically issues OTA updates anywhere between a few days and a few weeks after they have been given the green light from QA, so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for that.

In the meantime, you should know the drill by now: Jelly Bean brings goods like Google Now, a smoother experience thanks to Project Butter, expandable notifications, improved voice dictation, and more will augment the typical Android experience. You can also expect improved voice and data, improved calendar settings, improved reliability of Visual Voicemail and Backup Assistant, improvements to mobile hotspot, and the removal of both Sling and MOG.

You’ll be looking for build 98.72.18, and it eat up about 350MB of bandwidth upon download. Keep an eye on your device over the next few days to see if Verizon gets a little antsy and decides to push it out quick.

[via Verizon]

HTC removes tweet regarding Verizon-bound HTC One

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT

This roller-coaster of a ride is quite interesting, folks. Ahead of the HTC One’s launch, we’d heard Verizon would be sitting the launch out while letting the other major carriers have all the fun. Indeed, HTC ushered the device in and Big Red’s name was nowhere to be found on any of it. The idea was that since Verizon already had the DROID DNA there was no need for the HTC One.

Later, a rumor by AllThingsD suggested Verizon certainly would get the HTC One in due time, but that its version would launch a tad later than everyone else’s. We’re no stranger to this sort of behavior by the carrier — after all, Verizon Galaxy Note 2 users had to wait more than a month for it to reach their fingertips.

The games continued when HTC expressly tweeted that the device would not be headed to Verizon store shelves, and the OEM quickly reminded people that the DROID DNA was a fine alternative. Well, we’re headed right back into the other direction today: it seems HTC has removed its tweet.

This isn’t a guaranteed sign of truth or confirmation of any kind, but removing the tweet doesn’t do anything to help HTC’s case. Perhaps the device really is coming out and HTC and Verizon are worried about accusations of false statements, or perhaps someone in HTC’s camp just wasn’t alright with such a firm stance and strong language on the manner.

Or perhaps the Taiwanese manufacturer wanted to let Verizon share news regarding the state of affairs on its own network. Or perhaps… well, there are a lot of possibilities. What we do know is this, though: our eyes remain peeled for a Verizon version of the HTC One and we won’t be closing the door on this one until 2013 is well over.

Samsung Galaxy S4 compatible with Qi wireless charging

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Ahead of Samsung’s official Galaxy S4 unveiling in New York City last week, rumors said the device would be coming with wireless charging capabilities. Samsung didn’t touch on that much at the time of its announcement, but Qi took it upon itself to inform the world that its wireless charging technology was supported in the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Said functionality won’t be included in the box, unfortunately, but there will be compatible back plates users can buy in order to add it. There are no pricing details just yet, but we’ll be looking to get those details for you in due time.

With Qi, users can choose between a myriad of different Qi-enabled charging pads from a a wide variety of manufacturers. It’ll be up to you to decide which specific combination you go with, and that’s the way it should be. We like it, and there’s no reason for you not to either. Read on for full press details.

New Samsung Galaxy S4 Features Qi Wireless Charging

Rapidly Expanding Qi Ecosystem Now Includes Compatible Phones from Samsung, Nokia, LG, HTC, Panasonic, Sony, Motorola, Sharp, Fujitsu, NEC, and Pantech

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The new Samsung Galaxy S4 uses the Qi wireless charging standard in its optional back battery cover and wireless charging pad accessories, as demonstrated at Samsung Unpacked 2013. The accessories are fully compatible with all Qi chargers and Qi-compatible phones. The announcement further solidifies Qi as the mobile industry's choice for fully compatible wireless charging.

Qi is backed by more than 130 leading companies of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) like Blackberry, ConvenientPower, Delphi Automotive Systems, Energizer, Haier Group, Hitachi Maxell HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Philips Electronics, Samsung, Sony, TDK Corporation, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, and Verizon Wireless.

Qi cuts the last remaining cord in consumer electronics – the charging cord. Any Qi-certified device wirelessly charges using any Qi-compatible charger, regardless of brand. It's easy, you just set your Qi-supported device on any Qi charging spot and it instantly starts charging.

The Galaxy S4 is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding Qi ecosystem of mobile devices, charging accessories, charging locations, and consumer electronics with an installed base of more than 15 million units. Recently, McDonald's began testing wireless charging with Qi-embedded tables in some of its European locations. In addition, Toyota announced that the 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited includes integrated Qi charging in the center console. The universe of Qi products includes over 170 products and Qi is the only wireless power solution directly integrated into flagship smartphones and automobiles.

Qi is an open, fully flexible standard capable of evolving its technology and features to offer the best user experience while maintaining compatibility products that have the Qi logo. It offers the widest range of features to optimize user convenience and product choices: support for both inductive and resonant charging, spatial freedom, and intelligent power management.

For more information, visit: www.wirelesspowerconsortium.com

About Qi and the Wireless Power Consortium

Established in December 2008, the Wireless Power Consortium's mission is to establish Qi as the global standard for wirelessly charging electronic products. The more than 130 members of WPC include industry leaders in mobile phones, consumer electronics, batteries, semiconductors, components, wireless power technology and infrastructure such as wireless operators, furniture and automotive parts companies. Qi products are available in the United States, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

New Motorola devices surface under “Yeti,” “Sasquatch,” and “Ghost” codenames

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:53 AM PDT

Call Matt Moneymaker, Bobo, and the rest of the Finding Bigfoot crew, there’s been another Sasquatch sighting. This time, however, it’s not the elusive creature of legend. No, it’s a new Motorola handset, one potentially falling under the X Phone brand. Also popping up are devices codenamed “Yeti” and “Ghost.”

The codenames all show up via various benchmarks, and in all cases are tied to AT&T. The Yeti and Sasquatch are the two with the least amount of details to go along with their names. Both devices will run at least Android 4.2, the Sasquatch registering Android 4.2.2. In terms of hardware, there is little to go off of.

The Ghost, however, seems to be the Motorola XT912A, a recently leaked smartphone that speculation says gives us our first look at Google’s influence on the handset maker. The Ghost/XT912A isn’t expected to be the actual flagship X Phone model. Its specs are more akin to last year’s top tier of devices, but it should provide a good mix of power and affordability.

While the devices are all tied to AT&T’s network, this is likely just for testing purposes. Most rumors point to Motorola’s next generation of phones being targeted at all four major US carriers. And unlike the real thing, this Sasquatch has a much better chance of getting caught on camera soon enough, blurry or not.

[via DroidLife]

Google Maps Street View now showing mountain tops

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:40 AM PDT

After Google opened everyone’s eyes up to some of the more interesting depths of the ocean, the company wants to take us to higher altitudes. Google has announced that Street View will now include views for some of the world’s most significant mountains, including all-important favorites like Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Everest Base Camp, Anconcagua, and more.

Google took these images using a simple tripod and camera setup (with a fisheye lens on it to allow them to capture all the breath-taking scenery we can take in, of course). These views can be had on both desktop and mobile versions of Google Maps, so give it a try on your phone or here if you’re curious how the view is from some of these ridiculous mountains.

[via Google]

Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 will reportedly get Android 5.0 upgrade, others to see Android 4.2.2

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:22 AM PDT

Key Lime Pie hasn’t had an official announcement, but an insider is already tipping us off to the select group of Samsung devices set to receive the new version of Android. As expected, the list currently includes only Samsung’s high-end devices from the past year, including the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 as well as the Note 2, Note 8.0, and Note 10.1.

All is not lost for owners of older or lower-specced Samsung devices. The Samsung Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, and a plethora of other devices are set to receive Android 4.2.2, the latest version of Android currently available. Of course, the list comes with no expected delivery dates, so users might not see the updates until well after Google announces their new Android build.

Google is expected to debut Android 5.0 at this year’s Google I/O, which takes place at the end of May. It is unlikely OEMs will start to deliver Key Lime Pie until later in the summer.

[via SamMobile]

Pebble smart watch to get watchface SDK mid-April

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 10:00 AM PDT

The Pebble smart watch may have survived a successful round of crowd-sourced funding on Kickstarter and made its way to market in a timely fashion, but not all of the watch’s features were immediately available upon launch. One of the biggest features touted was the ability for developers to create their own custom watch faces, giving users many different choices to fit their styles, mood, and need.

Pebble says it understands developers are frustrated that official support for custom watch faces is taking so long to come, but the company assures it’s still coming — in fact, it’ll be here quite soon. Pebble has announced that the watch face SDK will launch in the second week of April.

The main reason it’s taking so long is because they wanted to make sure everything was proper and clean instead of leaving it up to developers to create their own solutions for custom watch faces. In the end, it should mean easier development for anyone who wants to create a custom watch face.

Pebble also makes it a point to mention that even when the SDK launches, as much as 99% of the APIs may change, and wants to remind everyone that the “first pass SDK” will be considered a work-in-progress. A work-in-progress SDK is better than no SDK at all, I’d say, so no developers should have many qualms with that.

Alongside all of that, a new update will be headed to Pebble that will change up the user experience flow a bit. One of the biggest changes will be putting the watchface app at the end of the stack, so in order to get to your main watchface all you have to do is keep pressing the back button. The update will also let you cycle through watchfaces easily using the up and down buttons. It all sounds great to me, and it sounds like this particular smart watch is coming along quite nicely. Should things pan out in terms of developer support we imagine the “purchase” button at Pebble’s website will soon get a nice workout. Watch the video above for the full details.

[via Kickstarter]

Samsung design chief uses Galaxy S4′s new software features to distract from plastic case

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 09:02 AM PDT

While the Samsung Galaxy S4 felt overall iterative, it was perhaps the design of the phone that seemed the most anchored in the past. Aside from not taking a drastic departure from the design of the Galaxy S3, the phone also sticks with similar materials. That is, the case is mostly comprised of glossy plastic. As with the GS3, the GS4′s build can distract from an otherwise high-quality presentation.

So when the screws were put to design chief Dennis Miloseski, instead of providing any sort of real justification for the build Samsung chose to go with, he pointed to software features that will differentiate the device from the competition. The smokescreen allowed Miloseski to shift the conversation from build quality to a design based on “building a meaningful relationship with technology.”

For the GS4, Samsung was focused on creating “a soul for the device” rather than focusing on what sort of materials to use when constructing the phone. Miloseski’s responses seem more like typical PR boilerplate rather than any genuine response to the initial concern over materials used in constructing the latest Samsung flagship.

Sure, we agree with him to an extent. The main goal should always be to create a unique and meaningful experience between user and phone. But we also feel it doesn’t hurt to focus on the actual design of the device. Just look at HTC. For their One series of phones they have often developed novel ways to deploy new materials to create phones that look awesome without sacrificing any sort of functionality. For Samsung, there is no excuse not to place a similar focus on hardware design.

[via AppleInsider]

[Update] It’s not you, it’s Drive — service experiencing intermittent outages

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:15 AM PDT

It’s not often a Google service experiences outages, so when it does happen we tend to make quite a big deal out of it. It looks like the Mountain View company is having some problems with Google Drive this morning as the service is experiencing intermittent outages. Some people might not notice it, some people will notice a general sense of sluggishness, while others might not be able to access the site at all sometimes.

I’ve gotten hit with a couple of error pages just this morning, though the service seems to be fairly stable for me (albeit a bit slower than I’m used to). So no, you’re not crazy — Google Drive is having issues, and Google knows it. The status site says the problem is still being worked out and we’ll be afforded more information shortly, so hang in there.

[Update]: Google has a tad bit more information for us (latest updates are at the bottom).

We’re aware of a problem with Google Drive affecting a significant subset of users. The affected users are unable to access Google Drive. We will provide an update by 3/18/13 11:10 AM detailing when we expect to resolve the problem. Please note that this resolution time is an estimate and may change.

In the meantime, we’re also seeing some sluggishness with Google Reader, though Google doesn’t offer status reports for that particular service. Let us know if you’re seeing the same, and be sure to comment if you notice other Google services acting quite odd this morning.

Google Drive service has already been restored for some users, and we expect a resolution for all users within the next 1 hours. Please note this time frame is an estimate and may change.

And we’re patched:

The problem with Google Drive should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better. If you are still experiencing an issue, please contact us via the Google Help Center.

Fujitsu develops cellphone camera tech for measuring your pulse

Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:09 AM PDT

With smartphones plugged into nearly every aspect of our daily lives, the potential to use mobile devices as remote medical diagnostic tools has been growing. We have seen it with the introduction of Samsung’s S Health suite, but companies like Fujitsu are exploring even more intriguing possibilities. The Japanese company is showing off a new technology that uses a cellphone camera to measure a user’s pulse.

The whole process takes all of five seconds, and uses the phone’s camera sensor to detect the flow of hemoglobin in blood. This is accomplished by measuring the absorption of green light, something hemoglobin does quite well. The advancement is not only a breakthrough for remote diagnostics, but could also find a home in exam rooms and hospitals as a quick and unobtrusive way to gauge an individuals heart rate.

Fujitsu is currently demoing the tech at the General Conference of the Institute of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineers in Gifu, Japan. Plans to bring the technology to consumer devices haven’t been fleshed out, but the company hopes it will reach consumers during the fiscal year 2013.

[via Engadget]

Fujitsu Laboratories Develops Real-Time Pulse Monitor Using Facial Imaging

Measures pulse in as little as five seconds using built-in cameras in PCs or smartphones, enabling ongoing health tracking

Kawasaki, Japan, March 18, 2013 – Fujitsu Laboratories Limited today announced that it has developed a technology to measure a person’s pulse in real time using a built-in camera or webcam in a PC, smartphone or tablet.

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology that detects a person’s pulse by measuring variations in the brightness of the person’s face thought to be caused by the flow of blood. It is based on the characteristic of hemoglobin in blood, which absorbs green light. It requires no special hardware and can measure pulse rate simply by pointing a camera at a person’s face for as little as five seconds. It also automatically chooses moments when the person’s body and face are relatively still to minimize the effects of irrelevant data on measurements. This technology has a wide range of potential uses, including health monitoring and maintenance as well as security applications.

Details of this technology are being presented at the 2013 General Conference of the Institute of Electronics, Information, and Communication Engineers, opening March 19 in Gifu, Japan.

Background

In recent years, there has been increasing awareness about the need to maintain the health of employees and senior citizens, raising the demand for new, more convenient ways for individuals to monitor and manage their health, anytime and anywhere.

As part of a health-support service that can be customized to each person’s needs, Fujitsu Laboratories is aiming to create a way for people to track their health and store the resulting data in the cloud for analysis, helping them better understand their health and how it changes over time.

Fujitsu is committed to building the technological platforms needed to advance the Company’s vision of a Human Centric Intelligent Society, making it possible for people to use smartphones or tablets, or a computer at work or at home, to track their health, collect the resulting data, upload it to the cloud, and perform real-time analyses to provide individualized services for their personal needs.

Technological Issues

One fundamental indicator of human health condition is pulse. However, pulse monitoring typically requires specialized equipment that must be worn and operated with some care. These inconveniences make it more likely that users will fail or forget to have their pulse monitored. Accordingly, there has been a need for an automated way to measure pulse that minimizes the inconvenience of hooking up and operating the equipment as well as sitting still while it works.

Newly Developed Technology

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology that automatically measures pulse in real time using facial images captured using the built-in camera on a smartphone, tablet, or PC. Key features of this technology are as follows.

1. Detects pulse by signal processing of extracted color components

One characteristic of hemoglobin in blood is that it absorbs green light. Based on this fact, Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a technology that detects a person’s pulse by measuring changes in the brightness of the person’s face as blood flows through it. The technology starts to work by shooting video of a subject and calculating average values for the color components (red/green/blue) in a certain area of the face for each frame. Next it removes irrelevant signal data that is present in all three color components and extracts the brightness waveform from the green component. The pulse rate is then computed based on the peaks in that brightness waveform. This technique can measure pulse in as little as five seconds.

2. Automatically removes moving segments

The acquired pulse data that is adversely affected by movements of the face or body is automatically removed. For example, moments when a person’s head turns sideways while talking on the phone or standing up from a chair are automatically detected and removed. This makes it possible to continually monitor pulse during the course of a day while minimizing the impact of irrelevant data.

Results

This technology relieves people from wearing or operating any specialized equipment or sitting still for long periods in order to have their pulse measured, and makes it possible to continually monitor pulse. For example, even at a busy workplace, or any time a person is sitting in front of a PC, whether for teleconferencing or writing e-mails, their pulse can be measured during brief moments of quiet. At home, a camera built into a TV can measure the pulse of people relaxing in front of it, or a mirror, for when people are getting ready in the morning. Pulse detectors built into gates at event sites or control points at airports could be a possible security application by detecting people in ill health and people acting suspiciously.

Future Plans

Fujitsu Laboratories seeks to put this technology into practical use in fiscal 2013 for a variety of application scenarios such as a security or health monitoring and maintenance solution, building it into smartphones, tablets, and PCs.