Samsung embroiled in 'One China' row after K-pop star pulls out

BEIJING, China — The world's number one smartphone maker Samsung Electronics became the latest global brand to face criticism Wednesday for damaging China's "territorial integrity," with a Chinese K-pop star ending an endorsement contract.

The row broke out after Chinese viewers noticed that the South Korean tech giant offers different language versions of its website for users in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan—in English, simplified Chinese and traditional Chinese.

All three appear as choices in a list of 'countries.'


Beijing is very sensitive about anything it perceives as portraying semi-autonomous Hong Kong and Macau or the self-ruled democratic island of Taiwan—which it views as as a renegade province awaiting reunification—as separate countries.

Hong Kong has become a particularly thorny issue for Beijing in recent weeks with the financial hub plunged into months of pro-democracy protests.

Chinese K-pop star Zhang Yixing—popularly known as Lay, from the boyband EXO—on Tuesday cancelled his agreement with Samsung for it allegedly "hurting the national feelings of Chinese compatriots" by maintaining the separate websites.

The hashtag "#ZhangYixing Ditches Samsung#" went viral on China's Twitter-like Weibo with his cancellation notice being viewed 840 million times in the 20 hours after it was posted.

"Its act of blurring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country has seriously hurt the national feelings of our compatriots, which we strongly condemn," Zhang's Chinese agency said in a statement on its official social media account on Weibo.

Zhang had been a Samsung Electronics brand ambassador in China since December. The firm declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

The move comes days after several luxury retailers apologised for labelling the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau and the self-ruled island of Taiwan as separate countries.

Austrian jewellery company Swarovski apologized Tuesday for "hurting the feelings" of Chinese people after calling Hong Kong a separate country on its website.

Luxury brands Versace, Coach, and Givenchy also all apologized this week for making perceived affronts to China's national sovereignty with T-shirts listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate countries.

The row also cost them the support of their Chinese brand ambassadors as the companies scrambled to minimise any potential damage in the lucrative mainland market.

source: philstar.com

Samsung finally brings Galaxy M20 to the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Whenever there’s an announcement of a new smartphone, some of us tend to hold off and wait for a year or so just for the price of that precious piece of tech to drop significantly. There’s really nothing wrong if you’re the type of person who is always on the look out for a gadget that can give you more bang for your buck, right?

But the good news is, the waiting game is finally over. So if you got yourself a five-year-old relic smartphone then you should definitely go and get the latest offer of Samsung in the midrange category – the Galaxy M20.

The first thing that you have to know about the Galaxy M20 is its noticeable teardrop notch façade that’s been on numerous smartphone designs since Apple introduced it with the iPhone X. Yes, years after the famous notch design, Samsung kind of finally joined the club.


The Samsung Galaxy M20 comes with a spacious 6.3-inch Infinity V Display that features a bezel-less edge to edge 2340 x 1080 FHD+ crystal clear resolution that provides a whole new level of viewing experience.

As battery usage remains one of the issues that smartphones face today, Samsung compliments the Galaxy M20’s feats with a massive 5000mAh battery.

You may be wondering, how that translates to every day use, right? Well, with a fully charged Galaxy M20, you can have up to 17 hours of video playback. So, if you like binge-watching your favorite Netflix series, then this smartphone is definitely for you. But if the Galaxy M20 happen to run out of juice, fret no more – because it has a Type-C fast charger that gives you three times faster charging capability.

Playing games, watching videos or even using your favorite social media apps simultaneously are ridiculously easy with the Galaxy M20, because it runs with an Exynos 7904 1.8GHz octa-core processor paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage that can also be expanded with up to 512GB via microSD.

What’s really nice about the new Galaxy M20 is its ultra-wide dual rear cameras composed of a 13-megapixel F1.9 that is suitable for low light photography and a five-megapixel F2.2 lens.

While on the front, the Galaxy M20 sports an 8-megapixel F2.0 selfie camera. It has an AI-solution that can optimize scenes in real-time. Apart from that, it also automatically adjusts the saturation, white balance and brightness.

Of course, the Galaxy M20 also has a biometric authentication that easily lets users unlock the device using either their fingerprint or face recognition. Aside from that, it comes with two stylish color variants: Charcoal Black or Ocean Blue.

The Samsung Galaxy M20 is priced at P10,990 that can be purchased exclusively via Lazada, Shopee, Argomall, Abenson, and MemoXpress.

Users may visit the online merchants’ websites to know more about their promos with the Galaxy M20. Each purchase of the smartphone also comes with access to the Samsung Members app, an online community that offers news, tips, diagnostic checks, and exclusive benefits like event invitations, special offers, and discounts on Samsung services.

For information, visit samsung.com/ph.

source: philstar.com

ON TRACK | Samsung to take Intel’s chip crown

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is expected to report its best-ever quarterly profit in the second quarter, with soaring memory chip sales pushing it passed Intel Corp as the biggest semiconductor maker by revenue for the first time.

The world’s largest memory chip maker is the among the biggest beneficiaries of soaring demand for processing firepower on smartphones and servers, which has fueled an industry super-cycle amid limited supply growth.

Underscoring its dominant position, Samsung said on Tuesday it plans to invest some $18.6 billion in South Korea as it seeks to extend its lead in memory chips and next-generation displays for smartphones.

The South Korean tech giant, Asia’s third-largest company by market capitalization, is now poised to knock Intel off the top of the global semiconductor market-share rankings for the first time since 1991.

“From the second quarter, Samsung will become No. 1 in market share due to the recent increase in data centers and demand for solid-state drives,” NH Investment & Securities analyst Peter Lee wrote in a note to clients.

Samsung’s April-June operating profit is expected to leap 67 percent from a year earlier to 13.1 trillion won ($11.4 billion), a new high, according to the average forecast from a Thomson Reuters survey of 18 analysts.

The same survey expects July-September profit to be even higher at 13.8 trillion won.

Solid sales of the Galaxy S8 smartphone launched in April likely provided an additional boost, keeping the firm ahead of rival Apple Inc (AAPL.O) as the world’s top smartphone maker.

The S8’s performance has reassured investors whose nerves were shaken last year by the costly withdrawal of Samsung’s premium Galaxy Note 7 due to fire-prone batteries.

Samsung shares are trading at a near-record high of 2.35 million won each as of Tuesday. They have gained 30 percent so far this year on top of a 43 percent surge in 2016.

In the pipeline

“The Galaxy S8 series has been out for more than 2 months now and we see similar traction as the Galaxy S7 series,” Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang said.

Samsung would sell about 49 million S8s by the end of its first full-year release, in line with first-year sales of the Galaxy S7, he said.

Samsung is also preparing to unveil the Galaxy Note 8 in August, a source told Reuters, restoring the company’s schedule of market-moving gadget releases after the interruption of the Note 7 debacle.

The company will issue earnings guidance early on Friday but will not disclose details on its performance until late July.

Nomura has predicted DRAM chip prices will continue to rise in the second half of 2017 due to limited supply and strong demand driven by servers.

Demand for solid-state drives (SSD) and smartphones would maintain profits for producers of NAND semiconductors, despite an easing of a production bottleneck, it said.

source: interaksyon.com

Galaxy S8: More screen and elegance, but a hefty price tag

NEW YORK — Samsung's new Galaxy S8 phone is stunning. But its $100 price hike is hard to swallow.

That's how much extra you'll shell out for the S8, which starts shipping Friday for about $750 — $100 more than the iPhone 7 and last year's Galaxy S7 when it launched. A larger sibling, the S8 Plus, goes for about $850.

True, the S8 phones come with several refinements that, totaled up, are indeed worth more than $100. But it's hard to recommend an all-frills phone when many cheaper phones do just fine. The S8 is for those who want elegance — and are willing to pay for it.

SCREENS TO THE EDGES

After spontaneous fires that forced the recall of the Galaxy Note 7 , Samsung is playing it safe on the battery and subjecting the S8 to tighter inspections.

Instead, it's pushing the boundaries — so to speak — on the phone's display. Samsung minimized the phone frame and got rid of a physical home button to free up space for an "infinity display," a screen that seems to flow right into the phone's curved left and right sides.


The 5.8-inch S8 and the 6.2-inch S8 Plus both have nearly 15 percent more display space than last year's comparable models. But the phones themselves aren't wider. In fact, the phones feel more comfortable thanks to sides that curve around to the back; last year's curved S7 Edge model feels boxy by comparison.

The bigger screen fits more lines of text, but doesn't necessarily make video more immersive. While video on YouTube and Facebook gets automatically adjusted to fill the space, Netflix and Hulu movies just leave wasted black space on all four sides. You can tinker with that manually — but for $100, you shouldn't have to.

ALL ABOUT THE BATTERY

The S8 and S8 Plus have more physical space inside, but Samsung used it to give the battery more breathing room while keeping its capacity roughly the same as last year.

Though a larger display drains the battery faster, my tests of streaming video found that the new phones consumed power more slowly than last year's models. And even with constant use — taking photos, watching video and playing music and podcasts — the new phones still made it to bedtime with power to spare. Samsung credits software and chip improvements.

UNLOCKING THE PHONES

Like the doomed Note 7, the S8 has an iris scanner to let you a href='https://apnews.com/3344f360808d48f8b3fd683633855fea/Samsung's-new-jumbo-phone-unlocks-with-iris-scanner'unlock the phone by looking at it/a — at least in theory. But you have to swipe the screen first and position it from your face at just the right distance.

I'm sure Samsung, a South Korean company, meant no offense, yet I was ticked off when the phone instructed me, an Asian-American, to "open eyes fully." Oh, and the scanner doesn't work if you're wearing glasses.

The fingerprint scanner was faster and more convenient for unlocking the phone. But you have to be careful not to smudge the adjacent camera lens by mistake now that the scanner has been moved to the back.

FIRE THE ASSISTANT

Samsung is introducing a digital assistant called Bixby, but voice features intended to rival Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri aren't ready yet. A reminder feature works, but seems paralyzed without voice dictations. Bixby will highlight appointments, trending stories and app suggestions, much as existing features on iPhones and other Android phones already offer.

One promising feature aims to provide translations and product information using the phone's camera. It's like the Firefly feature on Amazon's derided Fire phone , and it makes the same types of dumb mistakes — it identified a can of Diet Coke as four other sodas instead. And the translation tools were incomplete at grabbing passages and failed to automatically detect the language you're translating from.

CALCULATING THE VALUE

Samsung throws in a pair of AKG premium headphones, valued at about $100. My ears weren't good enough to discern a difference, but it's nice to get headphones when many phone makers have stopped including them. The phone also comes with 64 gigabytes of storage, which frequently jacks up the price of other phones by $100. Those curved edges? Those also previously cost an extra $100.

The S8 seems like a bargain for only $100 over the S7 at launch.

But do you really need these goodies? The main camera on the S8 is about the same as last year's, so you can still get amazing photos with the S7 . (You can pick one up these days for as little as $576.)

There's speculation that Apple will come out with a pricier, feature-rich iPhone for its 10th anniversary this year — but it's expected to update the existing iPhone 7 line as well. Those who can't live with yesterday's technology won't be disappointed with the S8. But for everyone else, Samsung could have also offered a lower-priced alternative with fewer goodies.

source: philstar.com

Rihanna releases long-awaited album in streaming exclusive

NEW YORK | R&B superstar Rihanna late Wednesday released her long-awaited eighth album “Anti” as she offered exclusive early access through commercial tie-ups.

“Anti,” Rihanna’s first album since 2012, had been announced late last year but the timing of the release was a surprise and came hours after she put out the first single.

Tidal, the streaming service led by rap mogul Jay Z in which Rihanna is a partner, premiered “Anti” and said it would not appear elsewhere for the first week.

Rihanna signed a deal reported to be worth $25 million with South Korean electronics giant Samsung, which set up an “Anti” interactive website accessible on its smartphones.

Tidal said that Samsung users who used the website would be able to download “Anti” and receive a two-month free trial of the streaming service.

The release marks the latest effort by an upstart streaming companies to challenge the dominance of streaming leader Spotify through exclusive releases.

Prince put out his two last albums on Tidal while pop superstar Taylor Swift released a tour video only on Apple Music.

Streaming services, which offer on-demand access online, have grown rapidly in recent years and become a key part of the music industry’s commercial strategies.

Rihanna earlier Wednesday put out a first single from “Anti” that features chart-topping rapper Drake.

Entitled “Work,” the song is set to tropical house, the light-feeling electronic genre that has become increasingly popular in the past year.

The song returns to Rihanna’s familiar theme of feeling taken advantage of in a relationship, while Drake in his verse raps of his struggle finding intimacy.

“Anti” starts off with the track “Consideration,” a collaboration with SZA, an R&B singer who has come to prominence more recently.

“Anti” does not include “FourFiveSeconds,” a song that Rihanna released a year ago in a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Kanye West.

Rihanna quickly became one of the 21st century’s top-selling artists after releasing her debut album in 2005, but the Barbados-born singer’s prolific output stopped after a seven-year stretch.

The two-month delay between the launch of the Samsung website and the album triggered speculation among fans who wondered if there were disagreements behind the scenes.

Some music industry observers suspected that Rihanna did not want to compete with British ballad singer Adele, whose album “25″ broke first-week sales records in November.

However, it is unclear how Rihanna will fare on the charts as her album is not available for conventional purchase.

Rihanna has already announced a world tour to promote “Anti,” which will begin on February 26 in San Diego.

source: interaksyon.com

2 jumbo phones from Samsung ahead of expected new iPhone

NEW YORK — Samsung has unveiled two new Android smartphones with jumbo screens as it seeks to recapture some of the sales lost to Apple after larger iPhones came out last year.

Samsung said Thursday that the new Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge Plus will start shipping Aug. 21 in the U.S. and Canada. Usually, Note phones don't come out until well after Apple's new iPhone models in September.

The timing reflects a shift in fortunes for a company that pioneered jumbo phones with the original Note in 2011. Now, Samsung needs to beat Apple to the punch, or risk seeing its products drowned out by all the attention on the iPhone, IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said.

The new phones from Samsung have screens measuring 5.7 inches diagonally, the same as last year's Note 4, yet both are lighter and thinner. They are comparable to Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, the larger of the two new iPhones. Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge phones, which are closer in size to the regular iPhone 6, came out in April.

The Note 5 will cost $696 to $740 without a contract, depending on the carrier. The Edge Plus will cost about $75 more. The iPhone 6 Plus sells for about $750. T-Mobile is throwing in a year of Netflix with both phones, while Sprint is giving away a low-end Samsung tablet with a two-year contract. Advance orders begin in the U.S. on Thursday.

Samsung Electronics Co. also said its Samsung Pay mobile payment service will debut in its home country of South Korea on Aug. 20. Testing in the U.S. will begin Aug. 25, with a formal launch on Sept. 28.

Although there's competition from Apple Pay and Google's upcoming Android Pay, Samsung is hoping its payments system will catch on with the inclusion of a technology that mimics the old-school, magnetic signals from credit-card swipes. That allows it to work with a wider range of merchants, though it still won't work everywhere cards are accepted.

Samsung also teased an upcoming smartwatch, the Gear S2. It will have a round face, rather than the rectangular design in Apple Watch and previous Samsung watches. A video from Samsung suggests snazzy graphics to rival Apple Watch. More details will come at the IFA tech show in Berlin next month.

As for the phones, Samsung is looking to play to its strengths.

___

GALAXY NOTE 5

Though it appeals to a niche audience, the Note is popular for including a stylus to take notes and annotate images on the screen. The update provides quicker access to apps and features that use the stylus. A clicking mechanism makes the stylus easier to pull out.

One new feature ends the need to print out and rescan electronic forms to sign or fill out. Just write on the PDF document directly before saving and sending.

Screenshots can get annoying when you're just snapping what's visible on the screen. An article or list of directions you're trying to save might take four or five shots. A new feature called scroll capture combines all those shots into one image, though you still need to snap them one section at a time.

___

GALAXY S6 EDGE PLUS

The screens on Samsung's Edge phones are curved on both sides. The feature proved popular in this spring's S6 Edge, which used one of those sides for quick access to friends and other frequent contacts. Now, you can use it for quick access to favorite apps, too.

There won't be a stylus, though, as last year's Note Edge phone had.

___

COMMON TO BOTH PHONES

The new phones incorporate the improved camera technology found in this spring's S6 phones. Added is live streaming of video you're capturing, a practice made popular by Meerkat and Twitter's Periscope apps. Samsung's video will appear on YouTube. The front cameras take sharper selfies, at 5 megapixels rather than 3.7.

The new phones also borrow design elements from the S6. They sport aluminum frames and glass backs rather than plastic. The back of the Note 5 is slightly curved for a better grip, while the Edge gets its curve on the front. Either way, it doesn't feel as boxy as the regular S6.

Borrowing another page from Apple's playbook, the phones are coming out just a week after they are announced. It used to take Samsung a month or longer.

___

THE LANDSCAPE

After the larger iPhones came out, Samsung could no longer proclaim to have "The Next Big Thing."

The S6 phones this spring emphasized design instead, but sales fell below expectations, as Apple dominated the high-end market. Meanwhile, rival Android phone makers have been able to offer decent cameras, displays and speeds for less money than Samsung phones. Although it's still the leading smartphone maker, Samsung has reported five consecutive quarters of profit decline.

"There's an urgency to show that Samsung can still stand up to the challenge that is Apple and everybody else out there," Llamas said. "For a while, Samsung was the 'be all and end all' of Android devices. Now, it's a different market."

source: philstar.com

Asian firms challenge Apple with snazzy new smartphones

BARCELONA, Spain — Several big Asian phone companies launched new high-end smartphones and other wireless gizmos on Sunday, hoping to challenge US giant Apple in a big year for wireless gadgets.

Samsung, fellow South Korean firm LG and hip Chinese maker HTC timed their smartphone launches to grab the attention on the eve of the Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest telecoms trade fair, in Barcelona, Spain.

In a head-on challenge to Apple’s popular iPhone 6 which was released last year, Samsung came out fighting on Sunday with the Galaxy S6, a smartphone with a touchscreen that curves around the edges and has a wireless charger.

It also presented the larger S6 Edge, a “phablet” somewhere between a tablet and a phone in size.

LG unveiled a new top-line phone with a curved back to sit snugly in the palm, the LG Flex 2, as well as a range of four new mid-range smartphones and two new luxury internet-connected watches.

At a noisy stage presentation before a crowd of hundreds, HTC chief executive Peter Chou meanwhile presented the HTC One M9, with a grey metallic handset moulded from a single piece of aluminium.

HTC also revealed a new connected “fitness band” body-monitoring bracelet and a virtual reality headset that it said it hoped to sell commercially by the end of the year.

Apple as usual was staying away from the Barcelona show but was reported to be preparing a coup with the launch next month of its new Apple Watch, reflecting a major trend in wearable gadgets this year.

The chief executive of Samsung’s mobile division, J.K. Shin, said the company aimed to set “a new standard to drive the global mobile agenda”, claiming his phones had the fastest processers and most high-performance cameras on the market.

Samsung is the world’s biggest seller of smartphones but saw its world market share fall last year from 34 percent to 20 percent, according to a report by tech consultancy IDC.

“There’s a risk Samsung’s 2015 flagship devices are insufficient for the company to regain brand leadership among consumers and businesses looking for high-end smartphone experiences,” said Thomas Husson, an analyst at another consultancy, Forrester, in a note after Sunday’s launch.

“Samsung’s lack of software DNA will still prevent it from delivering truly differentiated service experiences like Apple does.”

Also present at the congress were two of the world’s other biggest-selling smartphone makers, Chinese companies Huawei and Xiaomi.

Joining in the rush for big launches on the eve of the trade fair, Huawei unveiled its first “smartwatch”, a round luxury design that, like LG’s, can display incoming call and message alerts.

The companies refused to cite consumer prices for the new products. Top-end smartphones typically cost several hundred dollars.

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung launches two new tablet devices

MANILA, Philippines — South Korean electronics giant Samsung has launched two new tablets in the local market under the Galaxy PRO Series line.

Both products, according to Samsung, intend “to marry the productivity of a PC and the ease of a tablet.” The two new tablets are the 12.2-inch Galaxy Note PRO and the 8.4-inch Tab PRO.

Coco Domingo, Samsung Philippines head for product marketing in IT and mobile, said the new devices will be primarily marketed toward businessmen.

“The primary target market are really more of entrepreneurs who need to be mobile such as those who have several stores that they need to manage and they really need to go around and really use the product for bookkeeping or being able to make simple presentations for their clients,” Domingo said in an interview.

The Android-powered products both have WQXGA display of 2560×1600 resolution, similar to the 2014 Galaxy Note 10.1 model. Both also have an 8-megapixel rear-facing and 2-megapixel front facing camera.

The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 has a 1.9 GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of memory and 32GB of storage expandable up to 64GB with MicroSD card slot. It will sell for P36,990.

The Galaxy Note 8.4, on the other hand, has a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of memory and 16GB of storage with microSD card support of up to 64 GB. It will sell for P18,990.

Installed in both devices is the newly launched Hancom Office suite, which offers applications for creating and editing office documents.

Domingo said that their telco partners are now looking at offering the devices to their corporate clients.

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung seeks to wow mobile world with new smartphone

MADRID — Samsung aims to take the mobile world by storm Monday, almost certainly unveiling a new Galaxy S5 smartphone with rumoured Apple-fighting features such as a fingerprint scanner and larger screen.

The top smartphone maker coyly announced to journalists an “Unpacked 5″ event for the opening day of the February 24-27 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

“We are holding a global launch event of our new flagship product in 2014,” its invitation said, using a well-worn technique of not naming the smartphone so as to build anticipation.


The new device will be at the vanguard of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s defence of its number-one position.

The South Korean group sold 300 million smartphones last year, 31 percent of the nearly one billion sold globally and double archrival Apple Inc’s 15.6-percent share, according to US technology research house Gartner Inc.

The Galaxy S5 is variously rumoured to have a fingerprint scanner on the home button; a 5.24-inch, full high-definition display; a water and dust-proof case and a 16 megapixel camera.

At the same time, the industry anticipates that Samsung will reveal the latest, possibly thinner, version of its smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear 2, after the first version failed to win over many critics.

It will be one of an array of new “smart devices” to launch at the show, analysts predict, as manufacturers seek alternative sources of revenue during a slowdown in the well-developed smartphone market.

- The rise of Chinese smartphones -

A 42.3-percent surge in smartphone sales to 968 million units last year was propelled almost entirely by developing markets such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a report by Gartner showed.

Mature markets such as Western Europe and the United States actually slowed in the final quarter of 2013, it said.

Behind the glitz of the big Samsung launch and its battle with Apple, which traditionally skips the show altogether, analysts point to two developments in the sector: the rise of big Chinese manufacturers, and the growing importance of Internet giants.

China’s Huawei and Lenovo already held the number three and four positions for smartphone sales in the final quarter of 2013, according to Gartner, with their compatriot ZTE not far behind.

“Chinese players are looking beyond their own borders to scale up,” said Melissa Chau, senior research manager for the Asia Pacific at technology analysts International Data Corp.

China’s Lenovo took a big step in that direction in January, agreeing the $2.9 billion (2.1-billion-euro) purchase of the loss-making Motorola Mobility from Google to grab a strong platform in the Americas and a foothold in Europe.

The online world is also elbowing its way into the mobile market.

Facebook’s 29-year-old founder Mark Zuckerberg is the star speaker in Barcelona, a reflection of the surge in advertising revenue it now captures from mobile users.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has agreed to pay 5.44 billion euros for Nokia’s loss-making mobile phone division.

“Suddenly, mobile is not this separate industry from the Internet and technology, it is part of the same mix,” said Ian Fogg, senior principal analyst at research house IHS.

“We can see smartphones are now ubiquitous. We can see they are something consumers interact with throughout the day, wherever they are, including when sitting at the desk,” he added.

“That is fundamentally different for media companies, for communications companies, for retail companies and for pretty much every blue chip that wants to engage with consumers.”

Besides the new Samsung flagship, a slew of other smartphones are set for release in Barcelona.

- A connected fridge -

Nokia is rumoured to be unveiling new devices including, ironically, a smartphone using a version of Android rather than Microsoft Windows in an attempt to capture sales in emerging markets.

Sony, too, may launch a new Xperia smartphone, the first new edition of its flagship since announcing this month the sale of its stagnant PC business to focus instead on smartphones and tablets.

Taiwan’s HTC, China’s ZTE, Huawei and struggling US mobile maker Blackberry are also expected to launch devices.

But the connected world is now moving well beyond mobile phones and tablets, as the “Internet of things” phenomenon hooks to everything from your television or fridge to the lightbulb.

Manufacturers will attempt to show off the advantages of the connected world, but it is a development that also presents some security challenges.

Security provider Thinkpoint Inc. said last month it had uncovered more than 750,000 malicious emails from more than 100,000 everyday consumer gadgets such as home-network routers, multimedia centres, televisions and at least one refrigerator.

source: interaksyon.com

Double the Christmas fun with Globe

MANILA, Philippines -Celebrate the upcoming Christmas season and double the fun with the latest double deals from Globe Telecom, the no. 1 in postpaid and preferred partner of the world’s leading device manufacturers, with its double device-tablet bundles, a postpaid plan with double the value of prepaid load, and double plan freebies, giving you the biggest double treats this time of the year.

“As part of our wonderful Christmas gifts, we offer subscribers the Globe Double Deals with our full-range of device and tablet bundles, a next-generation postpaid plan where they get double the value of their chosen plan, and freebies for double the fun and double the excitement, something that only Globe can give,” said Raul Macatangay, Head of Globe Postpaid Business and Devices.

Looking for a gift for yourself and a loved one? This Christmas, you know you don’t have to wait for Santa for your present as you can check out the latest device-tablet bundles from Globe with its affordable offers. The Samsung Galaxy S Duos and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 bundle is yours at only P1,099 a month at Plan 999 with P100 monthly cashout for a 24-month contract period. You can also avail of the Lenovo A516 and Lenovo IdeaTab A1000 bundle free at P999 a month for a 24-month contract period.

Already have a device but you still want to get a postpaid line? You can get the mySuoerplan line-only Plan 499 with P900 worth of monthly consumable amount for calls, texts and surfing combos. You get the postpaid line – contract-free, hassle-free as you only need an ID to be Globe-connected.

And speaking of a postpaid line, pair up your brand-new device or tablet with the Globe mySUPERPLAN, a fully-customizable postpaid plan that gives you double the value of what you pay for in a plan and lets you create and customize your call, text and surfing combos, unlimited services, gadget of choice, and a range of contract periods from six to 24 months — giving you the full flexibility in a postpaid plan.

Get free subscription to Globe Gadget Care for one month. With Globe Gadget Care, your devices are protected against accidental damage and theft or robbery. It also guarantees hassle-free handset replacement, easy claims processing, and worldwide protection coverage. For as low as P89 per month, subscribers can continue reaping the benefits of Globe Gadget Care after the free  one-month coverage.

source: philstar.com

LG, Samsung Display feel heat from Chinese LCD makers

SEOUL — Chinese flat screen makers, once dismissed as second-class players in the global LCD market, are drawing envious looks from big names such as LG Display Co Ltd and Samsung.

While the Korean giants were busy developing next-generation organic light emitting diode (OLED) TVs, little-known Chinese companies have started selling a type of display that are sharper than the standard LCD and cheaper than OLED.

Say hello to ultra high-definition (UHD) displays.

Until last year, the UHD market had been almost non-existent, with just 33,000 sets sold in the 200 million-unit LCD TV market. Since then, shipments have soared around 20-fold, thanks to China, data from research firm IHS shows.

Chinese consumers who want brighter and sharper images but can’t afford OLED screens made by LG and Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, are turning to UHD.

The risk for OLED is that UHD may become mainstream and the long-awaited cheaper OLEDs arrive too late to displace it, analysts say.

OLED’s long-term potential is huge: ultra-high resolution, screens thin enough that they could conceivably be curved or even rolled up, and so on.

But its slow introduction into the market and austere prices have thrown open a window of opportunity for UHD makers, in this case Chinese companies like BOE Technology Group Co Ltd and TCL Corp’s LCD unit CSOT.

In China, 55-inch UHD models sell for around $1,800. By contrast, an OLED TV of similar dimensions sold by Samsung Electronics costs around $10,000.

“(I) have to admit that we hadn’t fully appreciated the potential of the UHD market,” LG Display’s Chief Executive Han Sang-beom said recently.

“We assumed it’ll be too early for this type of display to take off, and thus didn’t think much of having diverse UHD product line-ups, especially in the low end. But I think we are not late just yet and we are working hard to lead the market here.”

As Korean display makers work on their response to this growing menace, Chinese UHD makers are enjoying the fattest margins in the industry.

Even cross-strait rivals Innolux Corp and AU Optronics Corp have joined in the fray, drawn by promises of big profits.

In the second quarter ended June, Shenzhen-listed BOE Technology reported an 8.9 percent operating profit margin, while China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), a unit of China’s biggest TV maker TCL Corp, posted a 9.6 percent margin.

By comparison, Japanese flat-screen pioneer Sharp Corp reported a razor-thin 0.5 percent margin. LG Display, the world’s No.1 LCD maker, posted a 5.6 percent margin.

Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung Electronics, had a margin of 13 percent, the biggest in the industry. But excluding its fledging OLED business, its LCD margin is between 3 and 7 percent, according to a Bernstein forecast.

Déjà vu?

Just as Korea overtook flat-screen pioneer Japan in the early 2000s, the surprise offensive by Chinese flat screen makers may be a taste of what’s to come, analysts say.

Chinese UHD producers have steadily expanded their capacity. In terms of cost and technological know-how, UHD presents lower barriers to entry compared to OLED.

“The Chinese have done very well so far this year and their momentum is likely to continue at least for another year or so, as they have spotted the potential of this niche market well ahead of bigger rivals,” said Nam Dae-jong, an analyst at Hana Daetoo Investment & Securities.

“They’ve got also strong captive customers – Chinese TV manufacturers and a booming China market. It will take quite a while for Samsung and LG, which made a strategic mistake by ignoring the potential of UHD, to overtake them,” Nam said.

Jolted by the reality of a growing UHD market, Samsung Electronics unveiled a 110-inch UHD TV in January. Interestingly, the UHD displays were not made by Samsung Display, but were produced by Taiwan’s AU Optronics.

“Even with some expansion of the Chinese panel suppliers we do expect Samsung and LG Display to stay dominant and continue production in LCD,” said Sweta Dash, director at IHS.

While Samsung and LG Display are investing billions of dollars in OLED this year, the two giants are also broadening their product lineups to include more popular 50 to 60-inch UHD models.

BOE Technology is now planning to raise 46 billion yuan ($7.5 billion) in the biggest Chinese equity offering this year, to build panel production lines and increase its stake in its LCD venture BOE Display Technology.

source: interaksyon.com

Model displays Samsung smart watch in Berlin

BERLIN, Germany--The functions of Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch is displayed at the IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) electronics trade fair in Berlin on September 4, 2013.

The South Korean electronics giant believes its Galaxy Gear watch will "lead a new trend in smart mobile communications.

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung to unveil ‘smartwatch’ next month: reports

PARIS — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics will unveil its new Galaxy Gear “smartwatch” early next month, ahead of Apple’s iWatch, Bloomberg news and a fan site said Saturday.

The Galaxy Gear, which will allow users to make calls, access email and even surf the Internet, will launch on September 4, said the sammobile.com site.

The world’s top handset maker will also launch its new Galaxy Note 3 on that day, the site reported. 


Bloomberg said the first version of the smart watch would not have a flexible screen.

Wearable computing, including Google’s Glass eyewear, is considered as the next frontier in consumer electronics following smartphones.

In June, Sony unveiled the latest version of its SmartWatch, which links with smartphones to receive alerts about phone calls, emails and updates from social networks and also includes a music function.

Samsung’s US rival Apple has long been rumoured to be working on introducing an “iWatch”, which would represent the biggest gadget launch by the firm since the iPad mini last year.

source: interaksyon.com

All the right shots with Galaxy S4 Zoom

MANILA, Philippines - Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) recently introduced its Galaxy S4 Zoom, a powerful new device, which combines the stylish heritage of the latest Galaxy S4 smartphone with advanced photographic capabilities.

Combining 10x optical zoom, 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, OIS and Xenon flash with Samsung Galaxy’s S4 technology. It is the ultimate smartphone and camera experience in one, and the only device you’ll ever need.

“The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom represents yet another step forward in the way Samsung is working to enhance the lives of our customers around the world,” said Eric Sulit, SEPCO business unit director for mobile. “As communication continues to become increasingly visual in nature, people wish to capture and share their moments in the highest quality possible, but often do not have the space or inclination to carry a dedicated camera for this purpose. The Galaxy S4 Zoom changes this forever, combining the industry leading functionality and connectivity of the Galaxy S4 with the high quality photographic experience you’d expect from a compact camera. The result is truly the best of both worlds, without compromise.”

Do it all and miss nothing thanks to the revolutionary new Zoom Ring, a simple and intuitive way to access the Galaxy S4 Zoom’s key features.  When you’re in the middle of a phone call and you see something you absolutely have to share, a quick twist of the Zoom Ring will activate the In-Call Photo Share feature, letting you capture and send an image directly via MMS to whoever you are talking to.

For easy camera navigation, the Zoom Ring can be used to activate the Quick Launch and Shortcut features, giving you instant access to multiple camera modes including Auto, Gallery and Smart Mode with a simple twist.

The Zoom Ring also revolutionizes conventional camera zoom controls. Optical zoom control replaces traditional dials and buttons with smooth, easy-to-operate digital controls. Professional-quality accuracy and unprecedented ease of use are just a twist away, making it easy to compose a scene and capture wide-angle shots or tight close-ups.



When it comes to high quality photography, bigger isn’t always better. The compact Galaxy S4 zoom’s best-in-class 10x Optical Zoom and 16MP BSI CMOS Sensor lets you capture beautiful images from far away or up close and personal, in all light conditions, without having to carry heavy camera gear around with you.  Furthermore, the built-in Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) helps keep the camera perfectly still even when you’re not, reducing blur and stabilizing the image while zoomed in for high-quality photos and video.

Photo Suggest instantly connects you to huge libraries of images taken by fellow photographers, to help you find and compose your best shots anywhere in the world. Photo Suggest can even direct you to the ideal nearby location which will give you the vantage point you need for that perfect photo.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom also features Samsung’s popular Smart Mode. Simply choose from a series of pre-set modes and the camera will automatically adjust to ensure you capture the best photo possible. Use Drama Shot to merge continuous shots of moving objects into a single composed image, or Action Freeze to instantly capture high-speed action. If you aren’t sure which Smart Mode to select, the Smart Mode Suggest feature can assess the scene for you and provide a short list of the best options for your consideration based on surrounding factors such as light levels, focal length, or face detection, ensuring you always get the best shot you want.

 The Galaxy S4 Zoom’s heritage is evident throughout, from its sleek and stylish design to the powerful, yet intuitive user interface. Running on Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the Galaxy S4 Zoom boasts many of the same features as the recently launched Galaxy S4, including Touchwiz, which lets you fully customize various aspects of your device including the lock screen and notification bar, for a truly personal mobile experience.

Story Album lets you arrange all of your images and videos into one timeline to share with friends and loved ones. If you’d rather transfer your images to your laptop or tablet for safe keeping, Samsung Link lets you do so quickly and easily with just the touch of a button. Alternatively, you can sync all of your data in your own personal cloud through HomeSync, providing the ultimate peace of mind and ensuring your images and videos are waiting for you whenever you need them.

source: philstar.com

Samsung seeks smart watch trademarks in US, SKorea

SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung Electronics Co. has applied for U.S. and South Korean trademarks for a watch that connects to the Internet in the latest sign that consumer technology companies see wearable devices as the future of their business.

Samsung described "Samsung Galaxy Gear" as a wearable digital electronic device in the form of a wristwatch, wrist band or bangle in its July 29 application with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A month earlier, it applied for a "Samsung Gear" trademark in South Korea.

The trademark applications did not show the shape of the products. But drawings from a Samsung design patent approved in May show a watch-like design with a flexible screen that curves around the wrist.

The U.S. trademark application said the device will be "capable of providing access to the Internet, for sending and receiving phone calls, electronic mails and messages" as well as "for keeping track of or managing personal information."

The trademark filings in the U.S. and in South Korea show that Samsung is deep in preparations for what tech industry experts expect will be a new generation of mobile technology that dramatically expands the utility of single-function objects such as watches and glasses. The South Korean consumer electronics giant was caught flatfooted by Apple's invention of the smartphone but through what turned out to be a legally risky strategy of imitation was able to capture a dominant share of the global smartphone market within a few years.

Apple Inc. applied June 3 for a trademark in Japan for "iWatch." Industry watchers have long speculated that Apple is working on a smart watch that uses a version of the operating system that powers the iPhone and iPad. The company has not confirmed those rumors but CEO Tim Cook has hinted it may be developing a wearable computing device.





Google Inc. is testing an early version of Internet-connected spectacles called Glass. It uses a small screen above the right eye that displays information and imagery retrieved from the Internet.

The South Korean patent office said the Gear trademark will not be approved this year as it takes seven to eight months to start reviewing applications due to a waiting list. Samsung applied for the South Korean trademark on June 21.

It was not clear if Samsung would use the "Samsung Gear" trademark for a Smart Watch. The trademark application covers 38 possible products including mobile telephones, bracelets, glasses and software interfaces that monitor human vital signs.

South Korea's patent office said in June that Samsung had patented watch designs in which more than three quarters of the device is covered by a flexible display that curves around the wrist. Illustrations showed 'back' and 'home' buttons at the bottom of the screen. Another illustration shows a rectangular screen with an edge that tapers toward the top.

The product is made of metal, synthetic and glass materials, Samsung's patent document said.

Samsung executive vice president Lee Young Hee said in March interview with Bloomberg that the company's mobile division has been working on a smart watch. Samsung declined to confirm the report then.

Company spokeswoman Chenny Kim declined to comment on the patent applications.

source: philstar.com

Samsung Galaxy S4 blitz may prompt Apple rethink

SAN FRANCISCO — Samsung’s newest, feature-packed Galaxy S4 may put pressure on Apple Inc to accelerate its pace of smartphone design and venture into cheaper devices – both departures from usual practice.

The latest Galaxy, unwrapped with much fanfare in New York on Thursday, out-does the iPhone in most technical aspects. But the challenges it encapsulates run deeper than just a simple specifications comparison.

“It would be overstatement to say Apple is far behind,” Charles Golvin, analyst with Forrester, said, but it does need to note the quickening pace of competitive devices being released.

“If anything, what Apple needs to respond to is the cadence of their own releases, probably a completely new design every two years and a sort of speed bump every year is not an adequate cadence for Apple to remain at the forefront of smartphone innovation today.”

Samsung’s apparent ability to go toe-to-toe with Apple on cutting-edge smartphones may prompt the U.S. titan to finally make its own assault on the lower-end of the market that it has famously stayed away from — not least to get into untapped markets like China and India.

Many analysts now say Apple has to respond in force to Samsung and other rivals that are grabbing attention. Much of Wall Street is now looking ahead to the next iPhone, but expectations are muted.

Once the darling of Wall Street, Apple has in six months seen its shares fall 30 percent from a high of $705. Its Maps software was panned for inaccuracies; its once-reliable financial results, that rarely failed to surpass Wall Street estimates, missed analysts’ expectations.

IN A RUT

Apple appears stuck in an iPhone product cycle, with a new phone typically launched in the second half. In past years, the iPhone has gotten a complete redesign only every two years.

Brian White, analyst with Topeka Capital Markets, who views the Samsung Galaxy S4 as a refresh and “not a game changer,” said smartphone technology is now improving so fast that timetables put Apple at a disadvantage.

More importantly, White said, Apple needs to broaden its portfolio and play in more smartphone categories as the high-end market could soon be saturated, and get into new categories such as the oft-rumored television or a smart watch.

“They have all the components of the magic potion, which is the hardware-software ecosystem,” he said. “All they need to do is take that potion and put it in a different segment of the iPhone market.”

While many on Wall Street believe the quickest way to penetrate fast-growing markets like India and China is a cheaper iPhone, the risk is that a cheap iPhone would cannibalize demand for the premium version and eat into Apple’s peerless margins.

Apple’s vice-like grip on its ecosystem – with the closely managed app store and its seamless integration with the hardware – is still seen as its biggest strength, one that Samsung is trying to emulate with a larger investment in software and connectivity. The Korean giant is also emphasizing its own mobile “Samsung Hub” rather than the Google Play store that most other Android adopters point to.

The iPhone has seen its sales increase to 125 million in fiscal 2012 from 40 million in fiscal 2010. But in 2012, Samsung became the No.1 in the global smartphone market with 30.3 percent share followed by Apple with 19 percent share.

Samsung’s rapid rise is partly helped by the fact that it bombards the market with close to 40 versions tweaked for regional and consumer tastes, from high-end to cheaper models.

Samsung’s momentum is a major issue for Apple, Ben Reitzes, analyst with Barclays, who is expecting Apple to launch a lower-end iPhone globally this summer.

Apple declined to comment on Friday. But a day before Samsung’s launch, marketing chief Phil Schiller attacked Google’s Android operating system, saying that the majority of its users were stuck on older versions. He also said Apple’s internal research showed four times as many consumers were switching to iOS from Android than vice versa.

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung refreshes iPhone-challenging Galaxy line

NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung Electronics is kicking up its competition with Apple with its new Galaxy S 4 smartphone, which has a larger, sharper screen than its predecessor, the best-selling S III.

Samsung trumpeted the much-anticipated phone's arrival Thursday at an event accompanied by a live orchestra while an audience of thousands watched the onstage theatrics. The Galaxy S 4, which crams a 5-inch (12.7-centimeter) screen into body slightly smaller than the S III's, will go sale globally in the April to June period.

In the U.S., it will be sold by all four national carriers — Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA — as well as by smaller ones US Cellular and Cricket.

Samsung didn't say what the phone will cost, but it can be expected to start at $200 with a two-year contract in the U.S.

JK Shin, the executive in charge of Samsung's mobile communications division, promised the money would be well spent for a "life companion" that will "improve the way most people live every day."

That bold promise set the tone for the kind of flashy presentation associated with the showmanship of Apple, the company that Samsung has been trying to upstage. Apple contends Samsung has been trying to do it by stealing its ideas — an allegation has triggered bitter courtroom battles around the world.

In the last two years, Samsung has emerged as Apple's main competitor in the high-end smartphone market. At the same time, it has sold enough inexpensive low-end phones to edge out Nokia Corp. as the world's largest maker of phones.

The Galaxy line has been Samsung's chief weapon in the smartphone fight, and it has succeeded in making it a recognizable brand while competitors like Taiwan's HTC Corp. and South Korean rival LG have stumbled. Samsung has sold 100 million Galaxy S phones since they first came out in 2010. That's still well below the 268 million iPhones Apple has sold in the same period, but Samsung's sales rate is catching up.

Research firm Strategy Analytics said the Galaxy S III overtook Apple's iPhone 4S as the world's best-selling smartphone for the first time in the third quarter of last year, as Apple fans were holding off for the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 took back the crown in the fourth quarter.

One way Samsung and other makers of Android phone have been one-upping Apple is by increasing the screen size. Every successive generation of the Galaxy line has been bigger than the one before. The S III sported a screen that measures 4.8 inches (12.19 centimeters) on the diagonal, already substantially larger than the iPhone 5's 4-inch (10.16-centimeter) screen. The S 4's screen is 56 percent larger than the iPhone's.

In a Wednesday interview, Apple Phil Schiller declined to discuss whether Apple is considering enlarging the screen on the next model of the iPhone, which is expected to be released later this year. He said Apple remains confident that the iPhone 5 is the most useful and elegant smartphone available, hailing it as "the most beautiful consumer electronics device ever created."

Samsung believes the S 4 will set the new standard.

Apart from the larger screen and upgraded processor, the S 4 has a battery that's 20 percent larger than that of the S III. Samsung didn't say if that translates into a longer battery life — the added capacity might be gobbled up by the bigger screen or other internal changes.

The S 4 comes with a built-in infra-red diode, so it can control an entertainment center as a universal remote. This is a feature that has showed up in Android tablets before.

The S 4 comes with several new technologies intended to help users interact with the phone. For instance, the screen now senses fingers hovering just above the screen, and some applications react. The Mail application shows the first few lines of an email when a finger hovers above it in the list, and the Gallery application shows an expanded thumbnail.

Users can control some other applications by making gestures in the air above the phone. In the browser, you can command the screen to scroll up by swiping from top to bottom a few inches from the phone.

The Camera application can now use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously, inserting a small picture of the user even as he's capturing the scene in front of him.

When several S 4s are in close proximity, they can link up to play the same music, simultaneously — perfect for headphone dance parties.

source: philstar.com

Moms keep their perfume, makeup & more in Samsung refrigerators

Did you know that your refrigerator can store so much more than just food? At the launch of Samsung’s newest line of refrigerators recently, I learned that the refrigerator is also the best place to store perfume, because putting perfume in a fridge prevents it from spoiling. Here in the tropics, two of the main causes of perfume spoiling are heat and light. The shelf life of a fragrance is normally two years, but try leaving it out on a dresser in a sunny room and it will go over in less than a year. So, keeping it like wine in the fridge keeps it at a constant temperature and out of direct sunlight. At that rate, your perfume will last till the very last drop.

It’s also a good idea to store lipstick in the ref so it doesn’t “sweat” and melt in the heat of your room, or get that waxy crayon smell soon after you buy it.  And I thought my mom was strange for keeping her supply of anti-aging cream in the ref.

And if you are one of those photographers who still use film, the ref is also the best place to keep it. Keeping film refrigerated will extend its life. When you want to use it, the best thing to do is take it out an hour or so beforehand and let it warm up inside the canister. That will stop condensation from forming. But, for me, I know that my life would be pathetic without my overflowing supply of chocolates (from my ever-generous editor). So, if you peeked into the fridge in my home, you can be sure that it is never without a healthy dose of yummy chocolates.

Over a super-healthy lunch of steamed vegetables, vegetable curry and pasta prepared by chef Jessie Sincioco of Chef Jessie Rockwell, I got to witness just how cool the new line of Samsung refrigerators is.

The event was hosted by Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Daphne Oseña-Paez, who seem to have a few things in common — one of these being a love for Samsung refrigerators.

Of course, the other tie that binds these two personalities is their role as loving moms. At home, they see to it that they give only the best for their families with a little help from the world’s leading name in digital home appliances.


In the heart of their kitchens is no less than the all-new Samsung No-Frost Inverter Refrigerator, the innovative home companion that is invading the homes of quality-conscious families all over the world. And at the recent Samsung Home Appliances launch, modern moms Tessa and Daphne shared what makes Samsung refrigerators a must-have in their homes.

The new Samsung No-Frost Inverter Refrigerator brings to the fore powerful technology innovations that exceed the expectations of meticulous moms such as Tessa and Daphne.  Behind its modern sleek design are several category firsts, most notably the refrigerator’s superior digital inverter compressor that strengthens durability and improves energy efficiency. This intelligent compressor automatically adjusts across five speeds of RPM in response to various cooling demands. Whether due to frequent door openings, a hot plate of food, or outside temperature changes, the groundbreaking compressor can either rapidly or slowly provide cold air to reduce energy consumption. What’s more, it operates only when needed, thereby producing less noise so Tessa can throw parties or intimate dinners without hearing that strange humming sound in the background.

To further ensure the refrigerator’s durability, Samsung backs up its new No-Frost Inverter Refrigerator compressor with a 10-year warranty, another first in its category, much to the delight of Tessa and Daphne, who always look for durable appliances for their homes.

More innovations are packed within the Samsung No-Frost Inverter Refrigerator that will leave its owners in awe. Daphne, who is known for her penchant for fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly likes the refrigerator’s MoistFresh Zone, which controls air circulation to obtain optimal humidity, creating an ideal environment to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for a long time.

Tessa says that she can now say goodbye to melted ice cream whenever there is a power interruption, thanks to the refrigerator’s Coolpack that keeps the freezer cool for eight hours in case of a power shut-off.

With their busy lifestyle, convenience and organization are paramount considerations for both ladies. The Samsung No-Frost Inverter Refrigerator’s Power Cool button allows them to get the refrigerator to start cooling inside quickly, reducing waiting time when extra cooling is needed.

When it comes to organization, the smart appliance provides maximum storage flexibility and efficiency. Its Easy Slide shelf makes storing and removing food effortless. Door shelves are also made wider and larger to accommodate bottles of various sizes, and a detachable Multi Storage Basket can be used to hold medicines — or in Tessa’s case, her cosmetics, and other small objects that need refrigeration. And finishing off the ultra-modern design is the recessed Easy Handle that quickly and easily opens the refrigerator with just a click of a button.

Tessa and Daphne are just as meticulous at home as they are in front of the camera. Both are very pleased and convinced with the 10 reasons why every home should have a Samsung refrigerator, which includes the energy-saving digital inverter that comes with a 10-year warranty; easy-slide shelves for easy food access; multi-flow air system; adaptive defrost control; the Coolpack option that keeps the freezer cooler for an extended period despite power interruptions; the MoistFresh zone that helps keep fruits and veggies fresh; the built-in deodorizing filter that eliminates unwanted smells; the LED lighting fixture that brightens every corner of the refrigerator; tempered glass shelves that can handle heavy loads; and the Big Guard that provides wider and deeper storage space for tall bottles and extra-large containers.

With the new Samsung Top Mount Freezer, they do not only get the most out of technological advancements only Samsung can provide, but more importantly they get to give the best to their families in an efficient and practical way.

source: philstar.com

Samsung on track to become top home appliances maker

LAS VEGAS — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co said it is on course to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s top home appliances maker by 2015, with sales growing an estimated 50 percent by then.

Samsung Electronics, which makes more chips, flat-screens, handsets and TVs than any of its competitors – including the world’s best-selling smartphone – is aiming to boost its home appliance segment and narrow the gap with companies including Whirlpool Corp and Electrolux AB.

“I’m confident of Samsung becoming the world’s top appliances maker by 2015 with $18 billion sales, as we set up a very well structured framework for key products and moving step by step to the goal, first starting with fridges,” Yoon Boo-keun, president of the division, told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday.

Analysts estimate Samsung Electronics earned around 13 trillion won ($12 billion) last year from home appliances, part of the firm’s consumer electronics arm.

Samsung Electronics would ditch unprofitable product lines and boost research into consumer tastes across different markets, Yoon said.

“It’s a business that can ensure steady cash flow with little earnings fluctuation, once you have a proper system in place,” Yoon said. “It’s not dull at all and has great potential to become Samsung’s next earnings driver.”

Mr Tv aims for growth

Yoon, who was head of Samsung’s TV business until 2011, was put in charge of the thin-margin home appliance division a year ago with a mission to match the TV outfit’s success.

Known as Mr. TV, he had a pivotal role in ending Japan’s more than three decades of leadership in the global TV industry in 2006.

“We see lots of opportunities in the appliances segment but we didn’t strongly grow the business – simply, it didn’t get proper treatment,” Yoon said after unveiling a new four-door Internet-connected fridge at the electronics show.

His remarks come only hours after Samsung Electronics said it likely earned a record quarterly operating profit of $8.3 billion, aided by roaring sales of smartphones.

Samsung’s CE division is estimated to have earned around 13 trillion won ($12.22 billion) of revenue in the fourth quarter, or roughly a quarter of its total revenue.

TV sales generally account for around 70 percent of CE performance, and the rest comes from selling appliances such as fridges, ovens and laundry, according to analysts. Samsung does not provide breakdowns.

It’s been a low-margin business compared with smartphones, which generate around 25 percent of margin, and the division’s operating profit contribution is estimated at around 4 percent.

Yoon also said Samsung, the world’s top maker of TVs, was aiming to sell 55 million flat-screen TVs this year, up from 51 million last year, even as the industry is set to remain stagnant due to the weak global economy.

Betting large TVs with over 65-inch screen sizes will lead the growth, Samsung Electronics unveiled three models of ultra high-definition (HD) TVs that boast four times better picture quality than full HD models.

Acquisitions in medical sector

Yoon also heads Samsung’s corporate design centre and oversees the medical equipment business, which was added to the consumer electronics division this year.

Samsung Electronics acquired a controlling stake in Korean ultrasound equipment firm Medison in 2010 and its affiliate later for around $300 million in total, its biggest ever acquisition in the healthcare industry.

Yoon expected sales from its medical devices would reach $500 million this year, up from $300 million last year, and will grow with the acquisition of companies that make MRI scanners and computed tomography machines.

Samsung Electronics has said it plans to spend 1.2 trillion won in the medical equipment business by 2020 to make it a $10 billion operation by then.

In the long run, Samsung Electronics aims to become a global healthcare leader, taking on GE, Philips, Hitachi, Toshiba and Siemens

source: interaksyon.com

Experience innovation with Galaxy Note 10.1

MANILA, Philippines - Recently, hundreds of people, tech enthusiasts and gadget geeks alike, gathered at the Power Plant Mall in Rockwell for the release of the latest in Samsung’s popular line of tablets — the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 was created with the latest technology that boosts creativity and efficiency to cope with the fast-paced lives of people.

The Note’s Multi-Screen feature allows users to split their digital workspace between different apps and programs at the same time.

Similarly, Pop-Up Play runs videos through a resizable screen, allowing for other parts of the Note’s 10.1-inch 1080p Full HD screen to be used for multiple tasks.

Users can draw and write to their heart’s desire with the S-Pen, a sleek stylus that mimics the comfort and preciseness of a regular pen.

With the Note’s inclusion of Adobe Photoshop Touch, the industry-standard in image-editing software, and S Note, a complete desktop publishing suite, users can create and share on the go. It’s through these unique features that the Note enhances productivity and inspires creativity.
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The Galaxy Note 10.1 truly fulfills the needs of different kinds of people — may it be for multi-tasking when working on documents while browsing online, for school work with S Note and formula match or for downloading applications with its HSPA+ or Wi-Fi channel bonding.

Its high-resolution 10.1-inch screen is the perfect size for surfing, watching movies, reading e-books, playing games, and editing files.

Most importantly, the 1.4 GHz Quad-Core processor provides the users with the ability to handle various tasks simultaneously.

Samsung will continue to bring the breakthrough technology to the users through the Galaxy Studio Tour today until Dec. 2 at the TriNoma Activity Center in Quezon City.

source: philstar.com