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Phones

Samsung's S Voice Drive app might not suck (hands-on)

During Samsung's questionable launch of its marquee Galaxy S4 smartphone, the handset-maker introduced S Voice Drive, a breakout version of its S Voice assistant designed specifically for use when on the road.

After the show, I got my hands on an untethered version of the Galaxy S4 and tested it out. Or at least, tested the driving app as much as I could while sitting in a plush, fold-down chair so deep inside a massive theater that I could barely register a GPS signal.

The interface looks smooth, a constellation of circular icons that represent all you can do … Read more

Five-deal Friday: Cheap storage, cheap calls, cheap gaming, and more!

How much do I love Cheapskate readers? So much that even when I'm a little under the weather (cough), I can't help serving up five sweet deals (sneeze) to carry you into the weekend (moan). That's love, people.

1. Storage to go Oh, flash drives, you so crazy. Crazy-cheap, that is. Today only, and while supplies last (not long, I'm guessing), Best Buy has the Kingston DataTraveler Special Edition 16GB USB 2.0 flash drive for $7.99 shipped, plus sales tax. This tiny drive includes Kingston's urDrive software, which helps manage, organize, and back … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 landing on six U.S. carriers

In a big show of marketing force, Samsung announces its latest mega smartphone, the Galaxy S4, will hit six U.S. cellular networks beginning in April 2013. Indeed, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon plan to sell Samsung's latest creation starting next month. … Read more

Men think phones say more about them than cars, poll says

Gentlemen, what's the first thing people notice about you? Your bulging biceps? Your self-assured swagger? Your Nokia Lumia 920?

If you chose option No. 3, you fall in line with the results of a new global survey from mobile video startup Vuclip. Sixty-one percent of men, it indicates, say the first thing people notice about them is the type of phone they have. That's compared with 38 percent of women who think people's eyes go straight to their Droid Razr Maxx HD above all else. … Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 keyboard powered by SwiftKey

Samsung's new flagship device has officially been unveiled, and it has a lot of new features packed in. But what many aren't talking about is the device's on-screen keyboard, which, arguably, is one of the most important aspects of its interface.

In an attempt to improve on its previous flagship phone, Samsung has partnered with third-party keyboard maker SwiftKey to have its proprietary technology built into the Galaxy S4 keyboard.

Despite not knowing the extent of the companies' partnership as yet, we think the move looks like a solid one. Samsung gets some ultrapowerful typing technology to … Read more

Samsung rolls out S Voice Drive voice commands for cars

Samsung offered up a Galaxy S4 voice command feature today that connects drivers to their cars via Bluetooth.

The Galaxy S Voice Drive kicks in when you get into your car, according to Ryan Bidan, Samsung's director of product marketing. The company unveiled the feature during the launch of its Galaxy S4 smartphone in New York today.

The feature, similar to Apple's Siri digital assistant for cars, uses the Galaxy S4's built-in navigation system and lets drivers make calls, send messages, and check the weather.

When a message comes in, S Voice Drive alerts the drivers. Then, … Read more

Samsung unveils Galaxy S4: 5-inch display, available in April

Samsung's next flagship smartphone is here.

Samsung took the wraps off the Galaxy S4, the much awaited successor to the S3, at an event in New York tonight.

The handset, which has a 5-inch display, will be available on 327 carriers in 55 countries, starting in April. The company did not provide a price.

It packs new features like simultaneous shooting from dual cameras, "smart" scrolling and pausing that works by tracking eyeballs, health tracking, and a built-in language translator.

The phone will come in both black and white, which the company is calling "black mist" and "white frost."

As expected, the S4 has got an onslaught of new hardware and software features. Here's a quick rundown:… Read more

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5, HTC One, and BlackBerry Z10

It's been nearly 10 months since the highly successful Samsung Galaxy S3 was first released in the U.S., and in a few more days, the Galaxy S4 will be sold online and in several retail stores across the U.S.

With a 5-inch HD screen, a 13-megapixel camera, and either a quad- or octa-core processor (the U.S. will get the former), the GS4 is dressed to the nines with hardware goods.

So how does it stack up against its current competition? Based purely on a spec-by-spec showdown, we compare the handset with three other popular flagships, all … Read more

LG brings SmartVideo eye recognition to Optimus G Pro

LG this week announced that Smart Video eye recognition will be coming to the LG Optimus G Pro. As part of an upcoming "Value Pack" software update, the feature will be made available for select future LG premium smartphones.

The Smart Video technology utilizes the front-facing camera to track the viewer's eyes to automatically control playback of videos. For example, looking away from the phone will cause the video to pause and returning your gaze will resume the clip.

In addition to the Smart Video feature, LG has introduced a dual-camera function that simultaneously snaps photos from … Read more

Galaxy S4 features shown off in YouTube videos

Samsung's Galaxy S4 may be getting its full unveiling later today, but that hasn't stopped a YouTube user from posting videos of what he claims is the device in action.

YouTube user iStevenCom has posted four videos today showing the Samsung Galaxy S4's new features. The first shows the device's ability to react to user input without actually touching the screen. Another video shows how the device will automatically pause a video when the viewer looks away.

The features shown in the videos seem to follow the rumors surrounding the Galaxy S4. For weeks, we've … Read more