Samsung and Seagate on Monday announced a new external hard drive made specifically for Android mobile device users, which can help them fix any complaints related to bloatware or battery life. The “Samsung Wireless” is a $179 wireless hard drive that offers users access to 1.5TB of data and a backup battery.

The device will allow up to five simultaneous Wi-Fi connections and will connect via USB 3.0 to other supported devices. In addition to smartphones and tablets running Android 2.3 or later, the Samsung Wireless also works with Windows and Mac computers, but not iOS devices.

Samsung Wireless also packs a battery capable of powering it up for 7 hours, and it can also be used to charge a smartphone or tablet, although it’s not immediately clear how much of a charge the device’s battery will hold.

While not specifying how big the device really is, Samsung says that the Wireless drive has a “sleek,” “small form-factor” that is “light weight.”

An actual ship date for the Samsung Wireless drive isn’t available yet, and the device can’t be ordered from Samsung or Amazon at this time.

A similar solution already exists for iPhone and iPad users looking for more storage on the go, the LaCie Fuel announced at CES 2014, although the device doesn’t also let iOS device users recharge the batteries of their devices.

The official press release follows below.

Samsung HDD Business Unit Unveils High Capacity Media Streaming Device
Mobile Users Now Have Their Entertainment Hotspot Everywhere They Go

CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) today announced that its Samsung® HDD business unit is shipping its new Samsung Wireless media device for mobile users. Consumers can now carry up to 750 movies, and unprecedented libraries of music and photos everywhere they go. Samsung Wireless allows up to five users to connect making this the ultimate entertainment hotspot. The Samsung Wireless is available globally for MSRP of $179.00.

The Samsung Wireless media device is designed as a portable accessory to consumers’ mobile devices (smart phones & tablets); its sleek design, small form-factor and light weight make it an ideal companion. The Samsung Wireless fulfills a variety of today’s multimedia demands and is a perfect accessory for every generation of mobile lifestyle. No internet connection is needed with the Samsung Wireless; it streams content wirelessly (via WiFi) to up to five devices. The Samsung Wireless is a simple and easy to use device.

“Samsung HDD continues to drive innovation of storage solution for enterprise level to consumer applications,” said Doug DeHaan, General Manager, Samsung HDD division. “Smartphones and tablets are more and more becoming the preferred method for consumers to watch video content but these devices have limited storage capacity. Samsung HDD is meeting this burgeoning demand by providing a device with the storage capacity consumers need to supplement their mobile device.”

“Android is the most popular OS for smartphones on the market with 78.1%* market share; Samsung leads smartphone vendors with 39.5%* market share. The Samsung Wireless gives those consumers a fitting accessory to carry with them. Consumers will now have the luxury of having all of their multimedia content with them everywhere they to go, to enjoy personally and share with family and friends,” said David Klenske, Product Line Director, Samsung HDD.

The Samsung Wireless is a 1.5 TB wireless drive; it holds up to 750 movies, 375k MP3s, 425k photos or a combination of these multimedia or other type files. It supports Android® 2.3 or higher, Windows® 8/7/Vista/XP SP2, and Mac® OS X 10.6 or later. It has long battery life, up to 7 hours**. The Samsung Wireless can connect to other wireless networks to provide internet access in addition to local streaming. Up to 5 mobile devices can connect to it at once. The Samsung Wireless comes with a USB 3.0 port. Also, users can use the Samsung Wireless to charge their mobile devices. To learn more about the Samsung Wireless, please visit http://samsunghdd.seagate.com. Seagate’s Samsung HDD Division Ships World’s Thinnest 2TB Storage

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Category: Accessories, Samsung, Samsung Wireless

Several Internet Service Providers in the United States use subscribers’ cable modems to broadcast free WiFi hotspots to other customers in the area. While notes about this practice are always buried somewhere in terms and conditions or other notices, subscribers are often unaware of this practice. And as might be expected, they’re often taken aback when they learn for the first time that their Internet connections are being used to provide strangers with free WiFi.

Earlier this year, Comcast subscribers in Minnesota were surprised to learn that their modems were broadcasting free WiFi to anyone and everyone nearby who might be a Comcast customer. While ISPs claim these free WiFi networks are secure and completely separate from consumers’ home Internet service, the continued threat from hackers who find new ways to steal our data is a concern that might still weighs heavy.

Now, customers are being reminded once again that Cablevision will also use its customers’ home Internet modems to broadcast free WiFi hotspots.

As reported by LightReading, Cablevision confirmed during its recent earnings call that it is upgrading its Optimum Online modems in order to add free WiFi hotspot functionality. Once the upgrades are complete, Cablevision says it will offer more than 1 million WiFi hotspots across the country.

It should be noted that Optimum Online subscribers will have the ability to disable the free public hotspot feature on their modems.

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Category: Internet, Cablevision, optimum online

Microsoft may be working on a smartwatch or smart band of its own, a new design patent titled “Electronic Band” and awarded on March 25, 2014, seems to indicate. Of course, the company has yet to make any announcements so obviously nothing is set in stone. WPCentral reports that Microsoft has been granted at least two patents describing wearable devices, including the “Electronic Band” one, which offers a few drawings that depict the potential Microsoft smartwatch or smart band’s design.

Interestingly, Xbox designer Carl Ledbetter is listed as one of the inventors of this patent. However, no other details are offered about the product aside from the various images provided by the company.

Microsoft’s interest in the wearable ecosystem can only be seen as normal, considering that its main rivals including Apple and Google are also interested in such products.

Apple is rumored to launch an advanced iWatch model later this year, which will include a variety of sensor for health and fitness purposes, while Google has already launched its Android Wear platform for smartwatches, which will power at least two such devices this year, including the LG G Watch and the Motorola Moto 360.

More images from Microsoft’s Electronic Band design patent follow below.

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Category: Wearables, microsoft

Apple and Samsung clearly don’t like one another all that much, but outside the courtroom their relationship isn’t personal — it’s just business. CNET directs our attention to a new report from market researcher DisplaySearch claiming that Samsung has reclaimed its spot as the top display supplier for the iPad despite the fact that Apple made a concerted effort to lessen its dependence on the Korean smartphone titan last year. According to DisplaySearch, Samsung shipped approximately 63% of all 9.7-inch iPad panels in the first quarter this year, which made it by far the No. 1 iPad display supplier.

The reasons that Apple has come back to Samsung aren’t hard to figure out: Devices such as the iPad mini faced shortages at launch because some of the newer component suppliers Apple had hired weren’t up to the job. No matter what Apple thinks of Samsung, it knows the company has tremendous manufacturing capabilities to produce components at a massive scale.

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Category: Business, Apple, Samsung

Apple’s new iPhone 6 and iPhone phablet are shaping up to be the most important devices Apple has launched since the first iPad debuted in 2010. For years, Apple has known that consumers wanted smartphones with significantly larger displays, but the practically useless bump from 3.5 inches to 4 inches on the iPhone 5 was all it was willing to offer. Until now, it would seem.

Numerous reports have suggested that the iPhone 6 will feature a larger 4.7-inch display that might finally bring a more useful screen size increase to Apple’s flagship smartphone. On top of that, Apple is widely expected to launch a second new iPhone in 2014 with an even bigger screen.

Between those two devices and the iPhone 5s and 5c combo, which will reportedly occupy the lower-end price points in Apple’s iPhone lineup, Apple may finally be giving everyone what they want in terms of iPhone sizes.

But it’s not just consumers who will seemingly be sated by Apple’s iPhone lineup in 2014.

According to a note sent to clients on Monday by well-respected Apple analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley, sales of Apple’s iPhone 6 will likely jump 20% compared to sales of the iPhone 5s when it launched in 2013. As AppleInsider noted, that would mark huge growth compared to iPhone sales last year in the iPhone 5s’s launch quarter, which were up just 6.7% on-year.

Huge fiscal first-quarter iPhone sales growth combined with the surprisingly solid iPhone sales growth Apple saw last quarter could give investors exactly what they have been looking for as well: signs that Apple’s iPhone sales can buck the trend of slowing growth we’re seeing elsewhere in the smartphone market.

The latest example of significantly slowing high-end smartphone sales growth came from Samsung, which apparently took about the same amount of time to ship 10 million Galaxy S5 handsets as it took to ship 10 million Galaxy S4 units last year.

If Apple can somehow manage to give consumers what they want with bigger iPhones and give investors what they want with stronger than expected sales growth, 2014 could end up being a huge year for Apple, its fans and its investors.

Want to know what Apple’s next iPhone will look like compared to the current model? Check out iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 5s: New leak gives us a better look at huge redesign.

Read more here: Boy Genius Report

Category: Business, Apple, iPhone 6

Microsoft has finally announced when Windows Phone 8.1 will be available to Windows Phone users. The major operating system update will bring, among other things, the Cortana voice-based, Bing-powered virtual assistant. On its support pages, Microsoft lists June 24 as the release date for the Windows Phone 8.1 update, revealing that it will be supported for three years, until July 11, 2017.

“Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System, including security updates, for a minimum of 36 months after the lifecycle start date,” Microsoft noted. “These updates will be incremental, with each update built on the update that preceded it. Customers need to install each update in order to remain supported. The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities.”

Windows Phone 8.1 was officially announced in early April at Microsoft’s Build conference, alongside new Nokia Lumia handsets that will launch with Windows Phone 8.1 on board. These videos highlight all the new features in Windows Phone 8.1, including the Cortana virtual assistant.

A screenshot from Microsoft’s support pages, showing the Windows Phone 8.1 update release date mention follows below.

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Category: mobile, Cortana, Windows Phone 8.1

As analysts, pundits, bloggers, journalists and just about everyone else on the planet continues to struggle to make sense of Apple’s rumored Beats acquisition, there’s really only one piece that has been published on the matter that you should bother reading. If you absolutely have to read more than one note, however, a good second option is probably a recent note from ABI Research — which is likely either the most brilliant or stupidest thing that has been written about the deal to date.

For those who might somehow still be unaware, Apple is reportedly planning to acquire Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion. The deal will be Apple’s largest ever acquisition, and it will also be the first non-Apple brand that the company will manage.

Recurring theories from people trying to make sense of the deal typically involve expanding Apple’s hardware business and/or adding a sold streaming music service to its portfolio. But in a recent brief note from ABI Research, analyst Sam Rosen says that Apple’s motives for the deal can be summed up in two words: “Celebrity endorsement.”

“Headphone companies are ahead of other electronics manufacturers in moving to celebrity based branding,” Rosen wrote in a recent note. “Looking beyond Beats, Monster Products features a variety of brands including UFC, Rapper Meek Mill’s 24K lifestyle, S.K.A.M DJ line and others. Dr. Dre turned around the Beats brand with the right celebrity endorsements, and has built a company that has the connections and DNA to create branded products and gaining the celebrity endorsements to stand above the brand clutter.”

He continued, “Apple stands to benefit from celebrity endorsements more than it does from a subscription music service or a headphone line, however popular or profitable they may be. Beats brings not only a specific set of endorsements, but also the organizational and cultural know how around endorsements. Anything that helps Apple to better market its products – and improve gross margins – may be worth a premium.”

It’s an interesting perspective that either hits the nail on the head and finds Apple’s real motive for the deal where most people missed it, or is absolutely ridiculous.

Apple constantly pays for great product placements in TV shows and movies, and there are plenty of celebrities who have appeared in Apple commercials or endorsed various Apple devices. In fact, some might argue that getting a celebrity to endorse your product is about as difficult as writing a check.

Beats has been particularly smart with its celebrity endorsements, however, and its marketing strategy has been largely responsible for creating the No. 1 headphone brand in the world. It’s certainly possible that Apple sees Beats as an avenue into new markets in addition to being a company that brings with it a nice sized hardware business and a good streaming music service.

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Category: Business, Apple, beats

On top of all the photos of iPhone 6 dummy units floating around, 3D schematics purportedly showing the final design of the phone have also hit the web, with a new series of images having apparently been leaked from Foxconn. Published on Chinese site Wei Feng, the iPhone 6 renders include all the design elements spotted in dummy units so far – including round corners, slimmer profile, iPod touch-like volume buttons, relocated power button and antenna cut outs on the rear of the handset, which will effectively divide the aluminum back panel into three components – but also dimensions for the handset.

According to the renders, the 4.7-inch iPhone will measure 138 x 67 mm, which is consistent with previously leaked schematics, and also with recent measurements of a mockup that leaked and compared the size of the new iPhone 6 with the iPhone 5s.

Apple is largely expected to launch at least two new iPhone 6 models this year, including a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch version. A recent report claimed that Apple will release the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in August, followed by the 5.5-inch model a month or two later.

The leaked iPhone 6 3D schematics follow below.

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Category: mobile, Apple, iPhone 6

As speculation surrounding the specifications of upcoming smartphones heats up, Samsung is trying to find ways to keep up the pace with its patented multiple releases throughout the year. Although there hasn’t been any word from Samsung quite yet, it seems to be only a matter of time until the smartphone maker announces the upgraded Galaxy S5 Prime. The latest indication of the higher-specced device comes from Olleh TV, a South Korean TV service which lists the Galaxy S5 Prime as one of the devices compatible with its mobile app.

Any mention of the S5 Prime has since been removed, but a screenshot of the listing seems to reveal the device’s code name: SM-G906. The rumored S5 Prime is purported to feature a QHD (2560 x 1440) display and a metallic body, but the image used on the Olleh TV website is the same image of the phone with a Spigen cover that appeared in the initial leak three months ago.

That leak also noted that the S5 Prime would feature a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, a 16-megapixel camera, 3GB of RAM, a 3,000 mAh battery, support for 4G LTE data speeds of up to 150Mbps, and Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Galaxy S5 Prime does not have a release date, but industry sources have indicated that the phone could launch as early as June.

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Category: mobile, Galaxy S5 Prime, Samsung

We have spent a fair amount of time with Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone so far, and in all that time we have not had a single problem with the phone’s fingerprint scanner. Each and every time we swipe in an attempt to unlock the handset, our print is read perfectly. A quick Google search reveals that other users have not always had the same experience with Samsung’s print reader, however — many people have been left frustrated as the Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner repeatedly fails to read their prints.

For those people, Samsung just started rolling out a big software update that might be exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

Samsung fan blog SamMobile reports that Samsung has begun rolling out a software update for Galaxy S5 handsets. According to the site, the update is currently rolling out to UK model Galaxy S5 handsets, and it features two big improvements that users should be excited about.

First, the camera and gallery apps have been improved and are much faster to open. Also, and far more importantly, fingerprint reading accuracy has reportedly been improved.

While this big update has already begun rolling out abroad, Galaxy S5 owners in the United States shouldn’t get too excited just yet. As is always the case, updates for U.S. handsets must first go through extensive carrier testing before they are released, so it could be some time before Samsung’s new software hits your handset.

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Category: mobile, Galaxy S5, Samsung