At this past CES, rare demos of Augmented Reality (AR) implementations failed to attract much attention. There are many reasons for the fading interest in AR on mobile devices. Reviewers quote numerous technical problems with “live view” class encoding; 3D scene generation is the major obstacle on par with the inclusion of AR functionality being a daunting task even for the most powerful quad-core SoCs (think Tegra 3).

However, Qualcomm continues to push AR as a viable tool for bringing their Snapdragons to the front scene. At their presentation on CES 2012, they brought no less a character than Grover himself on stage to show off a toy called the Sesame Street Playset, a basic set of toys that works with a table and figurines. There’s a chance that in the demo presented for Mobile Review, the HTC Jetstream (Puccini, for some markets) tablet was used. However, the HTC Jetsream-looking case could be used fo Qualcomm’s prototype of their next generation dual and quad-core Snapdragon/Krait processors:

As much amusing and attractive AR-enhanced Grover may look here, this is just one example of the possibilities that Qualcomm’s Vuforia technology presents:

For marketers, Vuforia can drive brand engagement in entirely new ways. Advertising can literally jump off the printed page. Product packaging can come alive on retail shelves. And once purchased, products themselves can provide enhanced interactivity to provide instructions and drive future sales. See how leading global brands are using Vuforia today.

For developers, Vuforia provides industry-leading technology and performance on a wide range of mobile devices. Vuforia’s computer vision functionality will recognize a variety of 2D and 3D visual targets. With support for iOS, Android, and Unity 3D, Vuforia will allow you to write a single native app that can reach over 400 models of smartphones and tablets.

The post Augmented Reality: Vuforia by Qualcomm appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

What’s not to love about the gigantic Samsung Galaxy Note?  An oversized phone and mini-tablet in one compact device makes it a dream come true. If you can’t wait untill the Samsung Galaxy Note is available, or perhaps you don’t like its price, here’s good news for you: Expansys-USA has the BLU Studio 5.3 phone. It sports similarly large 5.3″ screen,  runs Gingerbread Android, and will cost you just $259 unlocked. You’ll find a large 2500 mAh battery inside the BLU Studio. The downside, is the gigantic BLU screen has “just” 800×480 resolution. For its part, the Samsung Galaxy Note has 1280×800 Super AMOLED with an additional sensor layer for pen input. BLU Studio is driven by single core 800 MHz SoC with 512 MB of RAM as opposed to Note that having a mighty dual-core Exynos 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM.  The Samsung Galaxy Note has the same large 2500 mAh battery as BLU Studio 5.3.  An 8 MPix camera comes on the Note, while just a 5 MPix on BLU Studio.

But not all is blue for BLU’s India Android phone, it has dual SIM and saves you about half a grand.

The post India-Made 5.3″ Dual-Sim Android Phone: BLU Studio 5.3 Available In US appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The undisputed leader of all sales from all carriers that offers the iPhone is the iPhone 4S for last two months of 2011. Who would have thought otherwise?  More interesting and telling is the struggle for second place. The Samsung Galaxy S II looks like the leader for the second spot, except for Verizon where Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus took the position in December 2011, while in November 2011 it was Motorola’s Droid RAZR as Verizon’s second big selling phone.

T-Mobile doesn’t offer the iPhone 4S, so their best selling phone is the Samsung Galaxy S II. But it’s easy to imagine that if they could cater iPhones to their customers, the iPhone 4S would have been the leader with T-Mobile, too.

Another interesting feature in these trends is the fall of original iPhone 4 popularity which can be seen on a full span of six months research. Can Samsung’s Galaxy S II overtake iPhones one day? I don’t think so. Samsung is still the fourth in the race for the best vendor prize,  after Apple, HTC, and Motorola. Even if Samsung is on the rise now, who knows how much time it will take them to beat HTC? And if it will be quite rather long wait, then there will be the iPhone 5 available by then which will start a totally different game.

Carriers which are piggybacking on “big guys” bandwidth didn’t make it into this report. But volumes of their sales of handhelds most probably cannot really change the picture.

The post Top Selling Phones of 2011: iPhone 4S Leads The Way appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We are well aware that high end smartphones are now capable of producing very good snapshots and decent videos.  This time, Polaroid’s SC1630 camera is blurring the line.  It runs Google Android phone OS . Hence, it’s a camera that can make phone calls. In this respect, Polaroid prefers to call this device a “phone camera” (stress on “camera”), and not your regular “camera phone”.

Let’s see what is known about the “camera” part first. It’s a 16 Mpix shooter for stills that is also capable of shooting HD videos. The lens has an optical 3x zoom (6.5–18.5 mm which translates into 36–108 mm when compared to full-frame format). It also has 5x digital zoom, but as usual, we don’t go there.

The camera face of the device looks like your ordinary digital shooter, with a regular flash strip. Zoom level can be chosen by convenient “hardware” slider, and the shutter also has a dedicated “hardware” button. Camera view can be adjusted with the help of 3.2 inch multi-touch widescreen display. There are 18 shooting modes to choose from, plus face and smile detection for portrait mode. Transferring photos to Polaroid printers can be made via WiFi, or Bluetooth, or saved on camera with up to 32 GB microSD card.  All in all, it’s your regular 16 Mpix shooter.

The Android face of the Polaroid SC1630 leaves many things to be desired though. First of all, there’s this delay of no less than 5 sec between stand-by and readiness to shoot that precludes many on-the-go and paparazzi-style shots. Demoed on-board is a customized Android version (must be built around Android 2.3 Gingerbread, or even Froyo.) Polaroid hopes to put Ice Cream Sandwich on the camera at the point when the SC1630 will be released at $299.

The “phone” part of the camera has also a 3G radio but apparently no carrier commitment just yet. At CES 2012, this “phone camera” has got a lukewarm reception at best, but who knows, maybe you will like the idea much better? Here’s a clip from our friends at Phandroid that may help you decide:

The post Polaroid Reveals First 16MP Android Smartphone Camera appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Samsung Series 9 notebooks are well known products, you can fetch one right now at Amazon, for example. This past week at CES 2012, we saw the second generation of this notebook, a totally revamped Series 9 Macbook killer.

This time, Series 9 notebook from Samsung has an amazing Duralumin (aircraft grade aluminum) unibody with a total thickness of just half an inch. That might just fit inside a brown paper envelope.  Samsung is setting the bar for the new ultrabook class, although Samsung doesn’t like the “ultrabook” moniker, we’ll just let it be the Samsung Series 9 notebook to make them happy.

It’s powered by a hefty Intel Core i5 processor and comes with USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and an SD Card slot. As shown, it has a 13.3 inch matte screen sporting a 1600×900 resolution and weight of just 2.5 pounds. Original Series 9 notebooks had 2.8 pounds, even if it was outfitted with plastics here and there instead of the aluminum unibody shell like here.

What was not shown off was their 15-inch version of the same notebook.  Described as the fitting the same form factor, this model sports the same 1600×900 resolution. But with a bigger screen brings more weight, it’s still just 3.3 pounds, and the thickness is still that awesome half of an inch.

This new generation of Samsung’s Series 9 notebooks may try to suck air out of Apple’s MacBook Air. But they will need to improve on a few things before that ever happens, for one: battery life of these Samsung models is still a mere 3 hours compared to the Air’s 6 hours. Pricing of $1399 for 13.3 inch model and $1499 for 15 inch model could be just a $100 or so less than equally equipped MacBook Air, which could prove insufficient incentive to buy Samsung Series 9 notebook instead of the Mac OS X totting Air.  Expect it next month through Samsung’s typical channels.

Update: To straighten out any confusion, Samsung is taking an Apple-esque approach to their names.  We’re used to PC manufactures incrementing and updating their model numbers every time a new version is released.  Not with Samsung and the Series 9, the model discussed in this post is the 2012 version.  Jump here to press release for unconvinced eyes.

The post Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook Closest To MacBook Air Killer appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Verizon is widely known for its Verizon Wireless operations. But cell phone carrier  services are not all that the big V can offer to its customers. A growing Verizon FiOS network that was first deployed 6 years ago offered ultra fast Internet access, it has since evolved into a multi-functional service that includes FiOS Internet, FiOS TV, and FiOS Digital Voice.

Fiber optic cable technology employed by Verizon FiOS is famous by its so called “last mile problem” solution. In short, Verizon FiOS has fiber optic cable going to the premises to never lose on signal quality and bandwidth.

FiOS TV service consequently feeds up to 530 high quality and HD  TV channels to homes. The alliance between Verizon, Samsung and LG are to bring very high quality TV content, together with rich Internet media content, to the Verizon customers’  TV sets. Flexview DVD catalogs shown here are just one possibility. Thanks to FiOS speeds, chosen content starts playing almost instantly, that is, with no delay or buffering.

High quality multi-party video conferencing can also become a reality. When WiFi hardware under new 802.11ac standard will become available, benefits of such an alliance may show on new WiFi-connected mobile devices from Samsung and LG.

The post More On The Verizon, Samsung And LG Alliance appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime continues to amaze us. At CES 2012, an avid gamer shows his prowess with Shadowgun running flawlessly on the Tegra 3 powered tablet. Connected to a large screen via HDMI and controlled by an ordinary Xbox 360 controller, there’s really no telling the difference. It takes a docking station to connect the controller and external HD TV, but one thing is important to notice here: unlike many tablets with HDMI output ports, the Transformer Prime displays the gameplay on two screens simultaneously.

Serious gaming on Android tablets without dedicated hardware gaming controllers is quite problematic. Many gamers don’t really like touch controls that may be rather limited either in their range of available options, or actions, or in responsiveness to urgent touches. Xbox controllers are among the most popular gaming sticks, and their inclusion into an arsenal of Transformer Primes is a feature that many gamers will love.

As a user of the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime, you can get Xbox 360 controller for as little as $30…$40, so it might be a very valuable addition. What would be a priceless addition to this gamer’s rig is adding a Kinect gesture sensor to it.

By the way, attempts to make Kinect work on Tegra 2 Android tablets have already been done.

The post Tegra 3 Eee Pad Transformer Prime Uses Xbox 360 Controller appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

When talking about boosting the performance of Verizon Wireless 4G/LTE service, we mentioned the Verizon JetPack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510L as a good supplement to the Sleek 4G signal booster .  Here, at CES 2012, Verizon Wireless and ZTE  have now announced the Verizon Jetpack  EuFi890 model. Developed by ZTE, the Jetpack is a 4G /LTE Mobile Hotspot allowing 4G/ LTE – customers to get download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G/LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas.  The global ready device will work in 205 different countries, and 125 more with 3G too.

Other key features:

• Support for up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• OLED display with interactive keypad
• Backward-compatible with the Verizon Wireless 3G network
• Data usage alerts via text message displayed on the Jetpack
• Wireless Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n
• Supports Windows®, Macintosh® and Linux operating systems
• Security: WEP/WPA/WPA2 and VPN pass-through support
• Dimensions: 3.49″ x 3.49″ x .70″
• Weight: 4.7 oz

Looking like a 3.49-inch rounded compact plastic square with an OLED display, this particular Jetpack has 3 buttons that let you manage connections, settings and display data usage alerts.  Pricing for the device is not released yet. $269 is the price for Verizon’s Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi 4510L if that’s any indication to you.

The post Verizon ZTE Jetpack 4G/LTE Mobile Hotspot appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The ASUS Eee Slate EP121 is not your usual tablet with all those low-powered and low-performance ARM chips inside. Eee Slate has a mighty Intel i5 CPU inside, plus an Intel HD graphics chip to drive a beautiful and roomy 12.1″ screen that is not only capacitive, but also has a pressure-sensitive Wacom layer that takes precise input from a Wacom digitizer pen. Running Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit with 2 GB of RAM,  it’s every bit a Windows machine than that one sitting on your desk. Check below for overdone marketing videos by Asus on their newly unveiled Windows tablet.

1. Stay connected to the wider world with the ASUS Eee Slate:

For regular visiting and browsing flea markets, the ASUS Eee Slate is definitely better than bulky, full-sized laptops.

2. Get creative with the ASUS Eee Slate

Artists can really gain in their creativity and productivity when using Eee Slate. What’s not to love in full Photoshop?

3. Make your business more mobile with the ASUS Eee Slate

Being mobile when running a restaurant is important. This particular restaurant also boasts a mobile kitchen on top of that, so being mobile with Eee Slate is twice important. Just don’t spill your sauces on the Slate grill.

4. My powerful work and play companion

One thing is looking for a perfect pair of shoes at the local flea market, another thing is using a tablet PC in serious business environment. ASUS Eee Pad EP121 can do both.

The post ASUS Eee Slate EP121: Where And How To Use It? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

ASUSTeK Computer goes to extraordinary measures to appeal to widest possible audience of their potential customers. Original ASUS Eee Pad Transformer was and still is one of the most popular 10-inch Android slates, even if the Transformer Prime clearly takes the role of ASUS flagship tablet. This time, ASUSTeK has released a group of FAQ videos that can influence customers decisions in favor of its $360 – $399 device.

This ‘Most FAQ’ mini-series consists of 10 episodes, so here we go:

1. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #1: How do I use Google Maps on the Eee Pad?

Using Googgle Maps on Eee Pad Transformer is really fun. Note that the demonstration makes rounds about Pegatron plant.

2. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #2: Can I download applications for Eee Pad?

Can I download applications for Eee Pad? I would certainly try, if I had this tablet. Jokes aside, it’s easy, and Android applications specially designed for tablets are out there, fully accessible in the Android Market.

3. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #3: What’s makes Transformer dock different from other docks?

This one is the hit of the season. Eee Pad Transformer wouldn’t be a “transformer” if there wasn’t such a useful accessory as its docking station combined with a good keyboard. It goes for $140 on top of Transformer price, but a refurbished variant can save you $20.

4. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #4: What does Transformer have in terms of expandability?

When in the docking keyboard, Eee Pad Transformer has very good expansion options in terms of what and how many external storages may be used and coexist. Connecting an external USB HD drive is a particularly compelling feature.

5. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #5: How large is Transformer? Is the screen easy to break?

It’s a scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla glass, it should be really tough. What do you think?

6. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #6: Can I play games on my Eee Pad Transformer?

That’s an easy one. Of course, you can! I’m surprised you’ve been waiting till 6th episode, to ask.

7. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #7: What’s the difference between Transformer and iPad?

A legit question. In this episode, iPad is thoroughly beaten by not having Adobe Flash on board.

8. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #8: How is the camera in terms of photo quality?

Both cameras are good, hardware-wise. They might need a plethora of face-morphing effects from Ice Cream Sandwich though, but ICS will probably meet original Transformer in the next season, I think.

9. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer #9: What is MyNet? What does MyNet do?

I think you’ve got it without my further explanations: MyNet is not your net, if you don’t own a Transformer yet.

10. The most FAQ about the Eee Pad Transformer#10: How else can I access a home computer via a Eee Pad?

This one is serious: MyCloud. Hopefully it will work without a hitch when this Transformer gets the ICS upgrade.

The post 10 Video FAQs about ASUS Eee Pad Transformer appeared first on Mobile Magazine.