GeekSugar

A Week With the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:32:52 PDT

The tablet market is crowded, and with seemingly no slowdown to the quick pace that manufacturers churn out new gadgets, it's a confusing space to know where you're getting the most for your money. Hitting store shelves April 22, Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is an almost perfect solution for a mix of Internet browsing, video watching, reading, and home entertainment control hub. For $250, the tablet comes with 8GB storage, dual-core processor, microSD card slot, and 3MP camera.

Compared to the high-quality cameras we've become used to on smartphones and the Apple iPad, the poor camera of this tablet might be a major point of contention for some. Still, after the week we spent with Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, there's a lot to love at a very attractive price point. Click through for our favorite features of Samsung's newest addition to their tablet family.

Samsung Galaxy Note Gets Price and Release Date

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:31:18 PST

The biggest smartphone (or tiniest tablet?) we've ever seen, the Samsung Galaxy Note has finally received a price and release date: it's headed to AT&T on Feb. 19 for $300. Whether you're looking for a powerful smartphone or portable tablet, the Galaxy Note has you covered. Coming with a 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, HSPA＋ and LTE connectivity for fast upload and download speeds, an included stylus (called the S Pen), and dual cameras (8MP rear facing and 2MP forward facing), it's got everything you might need from either device.

The Galaxy Note could also be your BFF when it comes to organizing your life. Included software integrates with your calendars, to-do lists, and schedule, and the S Memo app allows you to use the stylus to write notes and draw pictures, then converts them into a memo for later use.

You can preorder the Galaxy Note starting on Feb. 5 in two colors - carbon blue and ceramic white.

One Day With the Samsung Focus S

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:15:37 PST

You may have noticed how excited we've been about the Windows Phone operating system around these parts, so of course, I jumped at the chance to review the Samsung Focus S ($200) on AT&T. This lean and mean phone comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen and is only 8.5 mm at its thinnest point. But take away all the impressive specs and the cool features that come packed in Windows Phone Mango, and it's simply an enjoyable device that can become quite the addiction.

I spent one day with the Samsung Focus S, using it instead of my iPhone 4S during a typical workday. Check out my first impressions (and stay tuned for a full review) in the slideshow!

One Sexy, One Green: Sprint Pushes Out Two New 4G LTE Phones at CES

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:30:04 PST

Sprint customers will soon have a wider range of choices when it comes to phone selection. The company announced two new phones at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, one with an advanced OS, the other with a green thumb. Check out the details on each of them below, and stay tuned for pricing and release date information.

Galaxy Nexus
You've heard its name before. Samsung's Galaxy Nexus is one blazing-hot phone that you should definitely keep an eye on. Coming with 4G LTE speeds and Google's Ice Cream Sandwich operating system - which boasts an all new interface, facial recognition, NFC technology, native support for Google Wallet, and lots more - the Galaxy Nexus is a tough act to follow. Not to mention its 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, and teardrop-shaped bod. Sexy.

LG Viper
The LG Viper may be eco-friendly - its casing is made of 35 percent recycled plastics and comes with an energy-efficient charger - but that doesn't mean it's boring as dirt. The Viper is a 4G LTE phone, and comes with a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, two cameras (one 5MP rear-facing and one VGA front-facing), and a nice 4-inch WVGA NOVA display. Plus, you can expand your on-board memory up to 32GB with your own microSD card.

CES Gadgets For the Stylish Geek

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:25:36 PST

The Consumer Electronics Show is still in full force in the Las Vegas desert, but we've already seen so many gadgets that we can't wait to get our hands on when we get back to the real world. Keep in mind that these products have yet to announce their prices and release dates and just dream about holding them in your hot little hands for now. Check out a few of our favorites here and don't forget to tell us which ones you have your eyes on in the comments.

Samsung Galaxy Note Coming Soon With Fancy Stylus

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:51:15 PST

Size may not matter to most, but according to Samsung's research, you're gonna love its new Galaxy Note. Packed with a massive 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED screen (the largest smartphone screen in the world, naturally), it's the perfect size for those who want a larger viewing experience but don't want to carry around a tablet in their bag. The 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity ensure downloading and media viewing quickness, while the 16GB (expandable up to 32GB) of on-board memory lets you store more of those things.

Other features include an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera suitable for video chatting, and a stylus called the S Pen. Not just any stylus, though, the S Pen features 256 levels of pressure sensitivity, which means a lighter stroke will get you thinner lines and more pressure means thicker lines.

The Samsung Galaxy Note is enterprise-safe, which will please business customers who could use a little more tablet-like stylus action in their lives. It's coming soon to AT&T so stay tuned for pricing and release date info.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Gets a Closeup at CES

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:16:22 PST

Looking for a super-sleek tablet in 2012? Get a load of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 that debuted today at CES. On the inside, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is coming with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, dual cameras (a 3MP rear-facing and 2MP forward-facing), and 16GB of on-board storage and supports up to a 32GB microSD card, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, but it's the outside that really gets the attention here. The Galaxy Tab 7.7 boasts a beautiful Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen display and an incredibly slim profile - it's less than half an inch thick and weighs roughly 12 ounces. That's pretty impressive. Bonus - it comes with infrared technology so you can use it as a universal remote. How thoughtful.

If the price is right, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 could be the next hot tablet on the market. I know I'm interested!

Samsung's Super OLED 55-Inch TV is Smart

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:35:16 PST

Samsung announced a sexy and sleek 55-inch Super OLED screen at its press conference today. The set comes with a super-slim bezel, a built-in camera, and a microphone for motion and voice control, along with dual processors to run apps, and of course, 3D capability.

Samsung Announces DV300F Point and Shoot Ahead of CES

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:30:47 PST

You know you love taking self portraits and pics of you and your friends, so you'll probably love the new 16MP Samsung DV300F 2View camera that features a forward-facing 1.5-inch LCD viewfinder for picture-perfect shots.

Coming stocked with WiFi connectivity, this feature allows you to share images with Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, and YouTube and connect wirelessly to your home PC to transfer pics to your computer, freeing up space on your camera without ever breaking out a cord or adapter. What's more, you can create artwork in various different ways right on the camera. Just like one of our new favorite apps, Diptic, you can merge up to three different images (even from different cameras) right inside the camera. Other features include "Magic Frame," which comes with 12 styled backgrounds; "Artistic Brush," that changes your portraits or landscapes into black and white sketches and watercolor-styled images; and "Motion Photo," a video feature that allows you to capture one person's movements while freezing everyone else in the frame.

No word yet on when this camera will be available, but there are sure to be more details at CES.

Amazing New Features Coming With Galaxy Nexus and Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:35:13 PDT

Google and Samsung announced the new Galaxy Nexus this evening in Hong Kong, which will be running the latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. New features coming with the OS are extensive and pretty amazing: facial recognition lets you unlock the phone with your face, NFC technology that has been partnered up with an app called Android Beam, which lets you share information and content with other Android users, lots of Google + integration and upgrades, along with a Movie Studio app so you can edit and perfect your mobile vids on the go.

As far as the Galaxy Nexus goes, it's a beautiful monster coming with a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen, 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, a teardrop-shaped bod (that's only 8.9mm at its thinnest), and soft Home, Recent Apps, and Back buttons (instead of physical buttons on the casing). Swipe gestures are emphasized on Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing you to swipe away messages, recent apps, and even swipe up during an incoming phone call to send predrafted text messages if you don't want to be bothered. The on-board camera comes in at 5MP, which is surprisingly low compared to other top-notch camera phones on the market, with a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video calls.

Stay tuned for more, including pricing and release date info!