Dear Sony, Samsung and every other tech company in the world: stop trying to be Apple

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Given a choice, I can’t think of any technology company that wouldn’t like to have what Apple has. A proprietary system that ties people in every step of the way: the device in their pocket, on their desk, and pretty much all the content that sits within them. (more…)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7: first-look review of the best tablet at CES

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Tablets have come in many shape and forms at this year’s CES, but there’s only one that’s made us go “wow”. And that tablet is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7.

It is, quite simply, drop dead gorgeous. Of course we can reel off the specs – it’s 7.9mm thin and weighs 340g  – but that doesn’t do it justice. When you pick it up for the first time your arm jumps up too quickly; it expects to be lifting something heavier.

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Will your next camera be wireless?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

The compact camera market is fascinating: on one side it’s being savagely attacked by smartphones and their ever-improving cameras, and on the other by affordable DSLRs and hybrids.

But there’s still a place for compacts – taking snaps indoors in low light being one obvious example – and companies such as Samsung continue to deliver fresh ideas.

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Samsung Series 9 15in: first-look review

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

A few months ago Engadget posted a blog about what people would like to improve about their Series 9. If the official line is to be believed, the 15in version was a very specific reaction to this.

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Samsung Series 9 13.3in: first-look review

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

There are some times when photos of laptops can fool you: they look beautiful when blessed with stunning lighting and clever angles of photography, but when you actually see them in the flesh it’s like going on a blind date with a “slim, athletic and handsome man” and ending up with Danny de Vito (sorry Danny).

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Will tablets suffer the same fate as netbooks?

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

When did you see your first netbook? I spotted a fellow commuter pecking at the Asus Eee PC 701 not long after its October 2007 debut, and I was impressed: powerful enough for basic tasks and smaller than any laptop I’d ever seen, it seemed like a genuine innovation.

Fast forward, and I spot my first iPad: on the Tube, its user oblivious to the envious gawping of fellow travellers. For me, it had a similar effect, heralding the arrival of another exciting, innovative type of product.

That’s not the only parallel between netbooks and tablets but, as far as I can see, others aren’t nearly so positive. The netbook’s story has been a sad one: that initial flurry of excitement withered by staid products, precious little evolution and a stagnant market.

Look beneath the iPad – which is still a premium product – and the tablet market could suffer from many of the same problems. (more…)

Samsung Galaxy Note review: first look

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Bravely stepping into the no-man’s land between phones and tablets, Samsung’s 5.3in smartphone, the Galaxy Note, attempts to bridge the divide between the 4.3in Galaxy S II and the newly announced Galaxy Tab 7.7.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review: first look

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

With Samsung revealing its original 7in Galaxy tab in IFA 2010, it’s only fitting that IFA 2011 sees the arrival of the all-new Galaxy Tab 7.7.

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Apple: IP protectors or patent trolls?

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

Apple’s recent behaviour has been understandably overshadowed by Steve Jobs’ resignation, but it’s been on the warpath over the past few weeks – with Samsung in Cupertino’s crosshairs.

Apple’s already tried, and failed, to have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned, and new documents reveal that Apple’s now gone through the Dutch courts to get the rest of Samsung’s Galaxy family pulled from the shelves.

The problem? Patents. Apple already has one that seemingly prohibits competitors from producing rectangular computers, and its latest IP claim is just as vague, concerning the mere act of scrolling through pictures on touchscreens. It’s so vague, in fact, that Apple has been accused of manipulating images to make Samsung’s devices appear more like Cupertino’s kit than they really are. (more…)

Samsung Series 7 700T tablet review: first look

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

We can understand if the mere thought of a Windows 7 tablet is enough to set alarm bells ringing, but Samsung’s Series 7 700T marks the company’s first attempt to revitalise the genre.

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