Gear 2 Is the Wearable Samsung Should Have Shipped the First Time

by Lance Ulanoff

It’s not news that Samsung likes to throw a lot of products at the wall, and see what sticks. But when it came to the original Samsung Galaxy Gear wearable device, the strategy was even more aggressive: Rush the product to market, even if one or two of its design decisions made absolutely no sense.

Having seen and touched the elegant, new Samsung Gear 2, I am more convinced of this than ever. While not perfect, it is definitely the product Samsung should have released the first time around.

 The Gear 2 is lighter, thinner, more powerful, offers a better screen, much, much better battery life, and a sharper, more elegant watch-like profile. Most importantly, there's a camera on the watch itself, rather than the wristband.

Why didn’t Samsung ship this version of the Gear in 2013? I blame Samsung’s Crazy Artist Syndrome.

Think of Samsung as a great, slightly manic sculptor who likes working out in the open: see the work-in-progress! He can’t help but rapidly deliver unfinished works to his patrons, one after the other. Each is slightly different and better than the last, but those who bought the early stuff grow increasingly frustrated as they see the later, far more polished results.

Instead of apologizing to the customers or advising them to postpone purchase, the artist simply delivers a revision many months later.

So Much Better

As I was playing with the Gear 2 and quizzing a couple of Samsung representatives about the new product at the New York City launch event on Monday, I joked that I was sad to see the camera move off the watch band. One laughed knowingly, but the other, who could not see the grin on my face, asked in all earnestness, “Really? Why?”

I told him I was kidding, and appreciated it the moment Samsung made the official announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Moving the camera and wiring out of the band meant you can change or replace the band.

That exec at MWC said almost exactly what I had told Samsung’s PR people last year in private meetings. The company had to know this was a terrible idea when they were shipping the first Gear, and yet they went ahead with it anyway. When I told the Samsung rep that I always thought that putting the camera on the band was an incredibly bad idea, he replied: “but look how far we’ve come in five months.”

He’s right, of course. Samsung has made remarkable progress in a very short period of time. But if you know anything about product development cycles, you know that this edition — complete with a heart rate monitor (on the back), different operating system (Tizen) and a monumentally better second-gen super AMOLED screen — must have been underway even before Samsung released the first Gear.

Why didn’t Samsung wait? The reviews for the first product, especially from women, were not kind. Wouldn’t it have been better to avoid that kind of pain, retain its reputation, and deliver a product that could make even the forever-working-on-a-wearable Apple sit up and take notice?

Work Remains

I am not saying the Gear 2 is a perfect device. Though it is thinner and lighter than before, the Gear 2 had to share the stage with Samsung’s Gear Fit — which, to be honest, stole the show.

The Fit is, as you would guess, is a fitness band; it features the world’s first curved Super AMOLED screen on a wearable. It’s light, fun, sexy, and could be the breakout star of Mobile World Congress. It also highlights what Gear 2 is not: curved and jewelry-like.

Samsung also revealed yet another Gear: the Gear 2 Neo. It’s a camera-free version that lacks some of the Gear 2’s stylish lines; it is likely there to satisfy budget-conscious consumers. By the way, neither Gear 2 model offers much variety when it comes to band options. You get a couple of color choices, but all are rubber and have the same crosshatch texture.

Even with this Gear overhaul, one very big question remains: How much? With the Neo and Fit likely to get $199 and $149 price tags respectively, the full-featured Gear 2 will probably cost nearly $250. That may be about $50 too expensive for most consumers. But if Samsung offers an attractive Galaxy S5 bundle price, they still might have a wearable success on their hands. And on ours, for that matter.

But if you don’t like this Gear, wait five months — the Gear 3 is surely waiting in the wings.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Has Big, Electronically Dimmable Windows

 by Charlie White

Boeing promised its 787 Dreamliner would offer a flying experience unlike any other airliner, and now the details are starting to emerge about the upcoming aircraft that made its public debut last month. Besides its mostly carbon fiber construction and energy efficient engines and aerodynamics, it will have the biggest airplane windows you’ve ever seen.

How big are they? How’s 19 inches tall sound to you? Boeing says that’s 65% larger than industry standard airliner windows. The windows will be placed higher, so we tall folks won’t have to bend our heads down just to look out the window.

The cool new tech doesn’t end there, though: You won’t find any pull-down shades on these windows, because each one is equipped with an electronic dimmer. Touch the control underneath the window, and within seconds an electrified darkening gel placed between the two thin pieces of glass gets darker like a pair of sunglasses, and you can adjust it to be anywhere from clear to almost totally dark. Best of all, even when completely dimmed, you can still see the darkened version of the outside world.

All the windows’ dimmers can be controlled by pilots and flight attendants using networked controls, which can either adjust each window, groups of windows, or all the windows on the plane. This might be useful when the plane is making its final approach, where airline regulations currently require that all window shades must be open during takeoffs and landings.

Boeing designers are still looking for ways to improve the technology. Says Boeing engineer Ali Mawani, “If we can automate the windows by just sensing the aircraft’s altitude, it makes it that much easier on the attendant, one less step.”

When will we see these planes available for passenger service? According to Boeing, All Nippon Airlines plans to be flying its first 787 Dreamliner in September.

World’s First Glasses-Free 3D Laptop Comes With Health Risks

 by Erica Swallow

Toshiba announced the Qosmio F755 3D laptop on Tuesday, describing it as “the world’s first laptop capable of displaying glasses-free 3D and 2D content at the same time on one screen.”

The press release proudly featured the laptop specs in the body of the text, but other seemingly minute details — such as potential health risks of 3D viewing, in this case — were kept in the footnotes. One footnote stated:

“Due to the possible impact on vision development, viewers of 3D video images should be age 6 or above. Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised to avoid prolonged viewing without rest. Some viewers may experience a seizure or blackout when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain 3D television pictures or video games. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition, or has a family history of epilepsy, should contact a health care provider before using the 3D function.”

That disclaimer footnote then points to another more lengthy disclaimer on Toshiba’s website entitled, “3D Viewing: Important Safety Information,” in which another list of health risks continues. The first point on the list is especially poignant:

“If you or any viewer experiences the following symptoms or any other discomfort from viewing 3D video images, stop viewing and contact your health care provider: Convulsions, Eye or muscle twitching, Loss of awareness, Altered vision, Involuntary movements, Disorientation, Eye Strain, Nausea/Vomiting, Dizziness, Headaches, Fatigue.”

Priced at $1,700, the laptop will be available in mid-August. One can’t help but wonder if consumers will be paying attention to these small details relating to their health when deciding to purchase the latest in technological wonders.

It can be argued that these health risks apply for any type of 3D viewing — even so, should they be relegated to the footnotes?

What are your thoughts on how tech companies should disclaim health risks regarding use of their products? And is owning a 3D laptop worth risking your health? Let us know in the comments below.

F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes On Runway [VIDEO]

 by Charlie White

An F-16 fighter jet ran off the end of a runway and crashed at the EAA AirVenture convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Friday.

The lucky Alabama Air Guard pilot wasn’t injured, but it looks like that $20 million F-16 Fighting Falcon might need a serious overhaul.

The cause of the crash is unknown, but it appears that for some reason the pilot simply ran out of runway. As you can see, after a few tense seconds the pilot exited the aircraft and jogged away to safety. He was taken away in an ambulance and found to be unhurt.

An Air Force team has begun an investigation into the cause of the accident.

EAA AirVenture, originally known as the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Fly-In Convention, is an annual event in Wisconsin, billed as “the world’s greatest aviation celebration.”

Review: Portable Speaker Pumps Out Powerful Sound

 by Charlie White

The portable and rechargeable Sound Freaq Sound Step Recharge is a Bluetooth speaker that lets you charge and play music from your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch in its dock, or control and play high-fidelity music wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Its wireless connectivity works with any cellphone, laptop or music player with Bluetooth on board. Beyond that, you can plug any audio device into its auxiliary port, and its rechargeable battery and small size will let you take it just about anywhere.

I was already impressed with Sound Freaq after I tested the larger SFQ-01 Sound Platform a couple of months ago. How do they compare? The larger (and more expensive) Sound Platform sounds better, with deeper bass and more realistic midrange. But the difference in audio quality between the two is not profound, and what you give up in sound with the new, smaller Sound Step, you gain in convenience.

For instance, its six-hour rechargeable battery lets you take this compact unit out on the patio, by the pool, or anywhere there’s not an electrical outlet. The only downside of that? You can’t use the USB port in the rear or its universal dock to charge any devices. Plug it in, and you can place your iPad, for instance, in the dock to charge, while using its USB port to charge your iPhone or other device.

Although music played via Bluetooth rarely sounds as good as music played directly from a given device, in this case I couldn’t discern any difference between the two. Nor was there any difference in sound quality when the unit was running on battery power versus when it was plugged in. That’s good, because I like the freedom of a battery-powered portable device, and in this case, you won’t have to sacrifice anything for that.

Its portable nature invites experimentation, and I tried listening to the speaker from all different distances, angles and in different rooms. Its powerful sound impressed me anywhere I placed it. Its bass, supplied by a 2.5-inch down-firing subwoofer, sounded stronger when I placed the speaker in a corner. Listening to it up close, its UQ3 Spatial Sound Enhancement sounded particularly convincing, as if there were speakers positioned around my head. That UQ3 effect wasn’t as realistic from a distance, though, sounding hollow.

Like its Sound Platform big brother, you can control the Sound Step with an unremarkable iOS app that almost duplicates the functions of the included infrared remote control, with one notable exception: If you want to use its FM radio, you’ll need the app to set up your FM radio station presets. The FM radio worked well and sounded acceptable, and if you preset your preferred stations using the iOS app, you can then skip through the presets using the remote.

It’s hard to believe Sound Freaq’s designers have managed to get so much clean, punchy sound out of a speaker that’s so compact. Retailing at $160, the Sound Freaq Sound Step Recharge SFQ-02RB is not cheap (the non-battery-powered Sound Step is $130), but its unique design will look chic in even the fanciest abode, and it can deliver high-quality sound on the go. Even at that high price, it’s an exceptional value.

Android Now Owns 39% of Smartphone Market [STATS]

 by Christina Warren

Android retains its crown as the top smartphone operating system in the U.S., while RIM continues to falter, according to the most recent data from Nielsen.

In assessing the latest data from June, Nielsen found that 39% of the smartphone market belongs to Google’s Android operating system. Apple has 28% of the market, while RIM and the BlackBerry OS are down to 20%.

When we compare those figures with the data Nielsen released for February through May, Android is up 3%, Apple is up 2% and RIM is down 3%.

When it comes to top phone manufacturers, however, Apple is the clear winner. Like RIM, Apple has the advantage of controlling the software and the hardware for its smartphone platform. Unlike RIM, Apple sells only three smartphones in the U.S.: the iPhone 4 (AT&T), the iPhone 4 (Verizon) and the iPhone 3GS (AT&T).

HTC is the biggest Android manufacturer, according to Nielsen, with 14% of the Android market. Motorola and Samsung have 11% and 8% respectively.

New Study: Cellphones Don’t Cause Cancer

 by Charlie White

In the battle of the cellphone cancer studies, now we can chalk one up for the scientists who say there is no relationship between cellphones and cancer in children.

A 1,000-participant study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute researched the effects of cellphones on children and adolescents, comparing cellphone usage of a group diagnosed with brain tumors against a control group of cellphone-using individuals who were in good health.

The result? “The absence of an exposure-response relationship either in terms of the amount of mobile phone use or by localization of the brain tumor argues against a causal association,” concludes the study abstract.

This is the latest in a long line of extensive research aimed at finding the truth about whether cellphones cause cancer or not. The three most recent studies:

• The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced the results of its cellphones/cancer study in May of this year, calling cellphones “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
• A study published in February found that cellphone use caused increased activity in certain parts of the brain, but couldn’t determine if those effects were causing any harm, or even if they were beneficial.
• Last year, a less-credible study that was partially funded by the wireless industry found no evidence of increased risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phones. But the scientists behind that study acknowledged that the results weren’t definitive.

What’s a cellphone user to do? If you’re still worried about an unknown/unseen mechanism at work here, just join the teens of the world and text a lot more than you talk on your cellphone.

Google Doodle Honors Mobile Artist Alexander Calder

A new interactive Google doodle has appeared on Google.com, honoring artist Alexander Calder, who is known for inventing the mobile.

As you click and drag with your mouse, the various sections of the mobile move around. According to the official Google Blog, it’s the first doodle Google’s made that uses HTML5 Canvas, so its creators recommend that you use “a modern browser.”

We noticed the interactive animation works on Google‘s Chrome 12 browser, but not on Firefox 5.0 or Internet Explorer 9. We’re also seeing reports that the animation causes a crash in Firefox on Linux, so if that’s your browser, you might want to avoid this doodle. Note that others are reporting these browsers are able to display the animation. Best way to find out if yours works is to go to Google.com and try it.

According to Google software engineer Jered Wierzbicki,

“It runs a physics simulation on the mobile’s geometry, and then does realtime 3D rendering with vector graphics. Only recently have browsers advanced to the point where this is possible.”

It’s a graceful work of art that the Googlers have created here, with pieces of the mobile interacting with each other and with your cursor, just the way a mobile in the physical world would work. Notice the additional, subtle detail — the mobile’s shadow on the “floor” underneath. Brilliant.

Alexander Calder, who died in 1976, would have been 113 today.

New Mac Mini Gets Better Processors, Loses Optical Drive

by Christina Warren

In addition to releasing a new MacBook Air and OS X Lion, Apple also updated the venerable Mac miniWednesday.

Like the upgraded MacBook Air, the dual-core Intel Core i5 processors are standard on the new Mac mini, putting the Core 2 Duo days behind us. The new Mac mini with Lion Server goes one step further, shipping with a quad-core Intel Core i7. Taking another cue for the MacBook Air, the Mac mini now ships without an optical drive. Apple says this allowed for faster processors, better graphics chips and a lower price.

The new Mac mini line also includes support for Apple’s Thunderbolt technology, which means it can connect to the new Apple Cinema Display, as well as a growing list of Thunderbolt-compatible storage devices. The mini still supports Mini DisplayPort and HDMI out.

The basic Mac mini starts at $599 and includes a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. For $200 more, users can upgrade to a 2.5GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and AMD Radeon HD 66430M graphics. The $799 model can also be configured with a dual-core i7.

The Mac mini with Lion Server is $999 and it ships with a quad-core i7, 4GB of RAM and dual-500GB hard drives. The $799 Mac mini looks like it hits the sweet spot between price and performance.

What do you think of the new Mac mini? Any plans to add one as an HTPC or for the home office? Let us know in the comments.