Even Bigger Galaxy Note Set to Launch August 29th

Samsung's updated Galaxy Note is on the way, with Samsung confirming that its Galaxy Note 2 is scheduled to be the star of its showing at this year's IFA trade show.

Samsung's not actually calling the phone the Galaxy Note 2 yet, instead referring to it as just the "next Galaxy Note". The news comes from Reuters, which quotes a Samsung employee saying: "We plan to unveil the next Galaxy Note at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin on August 29."

Specs are a little thin on the ground at the moment, with only some previous speculation regarding the screen size out there, which claims the new Note will be a little larger that the first one. Yes, you read that right. Larger. Rumors suggest it will come with a 5.5″ display running at an impressive 1680×1050 resolution. My arm feels tired just thinking about it.

Final copy of Windows 8 Just Leaked

The final build of Windows 8 has leaked to the internet, just a day after Microsoft confirmed it had finished the development cycle for the new operating system. Although MSDN and TechNet customers won't officially receive access to the final Windows 8 bits until August 15th, an Enterprise version of Windows 8 is available widely across various file sharing sites.

The version leaked is an "N" edition of Windows 8 which does not include a bundled copy of Windows Media Player. Microsoft was forced to create the special N editions of Windows after the European Commission ruled in 2004 that it needed to provide a copy of Windows without Windows Media Player tied in.

Samsung Starts Mass-Producing 4x Faster Mobile Flash Memory, Kickstarts our Phones and Tablets

Samsung isn't content to leave fast NAND flash memory to traditional solid-state drives. Its Pro Class 1500 promises a big jolt to the performance of frequently pokey smartphone and tablet storage. By how much? That name is a clue -- it reaches 1,500 IOPS (inputs/outputs per second) when writing data, which along with 3,500 IOPS data reads is about four times faster than any previous embedded flash chip Samsung has tested. In the real world, that leads to as much as 140MB/s when reading data and 50MB/s for writes.

The speed comes after Samsung has thrown virtually every trick in the book at its new chips, including a dense 20-nanometer manufacturing process, quick toggle DDR 2.0 memory with its own controller and a new JEDEC memory standard with 200MB/s of bandwidth to spare. More here.

The Ultimate Can and Bottle Opener

Two things you always seem to need but that always seem to grow legs and scuttle away: can openers and bottle openers. This handy well-made tool from Kuhn Rikon combines both of those into one. Problem solved!

This particular piece of kitchen/bar gear will remove your lids without you having to pry them off and risk cutting your fingers. Plus it comes from a Swedish company and we all know the Swedes do things well, more here.

Precision Partitioner Produces Perfectly Portioned Pastries

You just jam it into the center of a dessert, make an initial cut, and then line up the guides depending on if you want to divide it into 6, 8, 10, or 14 pieces. If you keep up that process all the way around, you should be left with a perfect number of evenly sized portions.

For $14 it's unfortunately kind of a uni-tasker that no one wants to fill their kitchen drawers with. But if it stops your guests from complaining about someone else getting a bigger portion, it's worth the extra clutter. More here.

These Super-Cheap SSDs Should Convince You to Switch Storage

If you feel like your computer needs a boost but are struggling for cash, here's something that might help: Crucial has just launched a range of value SSDs, and you can snag the cheapest one for just $50.

The new range of solid-state storage comes in the shape of the 2.5-inch v4 drives. While they're slightly slower than their more expensive sibling, the m4, they still offer read speeds of up to 230 MB/s and write speeds of up to 190 MB/s with SATA 2-capable computers. Being 2.5-inch they won't fit in an ultrabook, but they should fit in normal laptops.

And then there's the prices. While $50 will only get you a 32 GB v4 SSD, that may well be all you need if you're planning to run it as a boot disk for your OS to run off, or if you only use your laptop for light work. Either way, installing an SSD will give you a massive speed boost.

Of course, if that's not enough storage, you can pick up the v4 in 64GB ($70), 128GB ($100) and 256GB ($190) versions, too. More here.

Gmail for iOS Adds Option to Save Photos, Becomes a Smoother Operator

Google's Gmail app for iOS has been docked by some potential adopters for feeling like a poor cousin to other native apps. It may be worth revisiting: the 1.3 update has just arrived with a much-requested ability to save common image attachments to an iOS device's photo collection. Should that not be enough, Google has smoothed out animations and scrolling for iPhone and iPod touch owners. The new version has pushed live for everyone, leaving just a quick download between us and saving our parents' vacation photos for posterity. More here.

This Is as Close to Pocketable as High Speed Video Cameras Get

Everything in life is cooler and more epic in slow motion. So Fastec's new TS3 compact high-speed camera is easier to carry than traditional slo-mo gear allowing you to capture and study spontaneous moments—frame-by-frame. Remember, the best high-speed camera is the one you've got with you.

At nine inches in length and weighing almost five pounds you're probably not going to be carrying the TS3 in your pocket all day long. But for remote shoots or extreme adventures where carrying larger and heavier gear is problematic, this is the perfect solution. At its full resolution of a non-16:9 1280 x 1024 the camera is able to capture 500 frames every second. But at lower resolutions it's supposedly capable of running as fast as 20,000 fps.

The camera is compatible with C-mount or Nikon F-mount lenses, but keep in mind that while its size makes it easier to travel with, in many situations you'll probably need additional lighting gear to compensate for the fast shutter speeds. Because the TS3 tops out at an ISO of just 1,600 when shooting in color. As for storage options, a built-in SSD drive up to 256GB in size is optional, but professional-grade video I/O connectors let you send the signal to another recording device when more capacity is needed. But is an epic YouTube channel worth its $14,000 to $25,000 price tag depending on how you configure it? Most definitely. More here.

Olympus SP-800UZ Titanium 14MP Digital Camera Inside its slim, elegant body, the SP-800UZ hides something amazing: a 30x wide-angle optical zoom. Bringing you all the power of a 30x zoom in a camera that’s small enough to go wherever your travels take you. And with advanced features like Creative Art Filters, you can truly express yourself.

Mysterious 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook Appears in Vietnam

Looks-wise, the hardware's largely unchanged, aside from the bigger footprint and a screen ratio that appears closer to the iPad competition, rather than the widescreen shape that arrived on RIM's first tablet. According to the brief teardown shot, there's a potent 7,250 mAh battery housed in the still-slim 10-inch frame, while it's worth noting that the tablet also includes a SIM holder and cellular radio -- though there's not enough meat here to discern whether it deals in 4G or 3G (HSPA+) radio waves. More here.

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Transparent Open-Air Case Is Perfect for PC Hardware Voyeurs

When you sink a boatload of cash into new hardware for your PC, why lock it all up where it can't see the light of day? With this transparent, passive cooling rig, you can keep it on display for yourself and envious friends.

The upcoming ACB-type3, made by Scythe, is a step beyond just having a window built into your case. Made of 5mm thick acrylic, it's got all the bays you might need for your various drives. Pair this puppy up with a cooling tower and you'll have a system setup that's not only great to look at, but also handy if you like to fiddle with your PC's innards.

The case is due to release soon, and will run you around $85, a small price to pay for form andfunction. In the meanwhile, better dust off your SSD and get that sucker ready for its day in the sun. More here.

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Microsoft Confirms Surface Will Ship Alongside Windows 8 on October 26th

Supersite for Windows reveals that a Microsoft filing with the US Security and Exchange quietly reveals that the tablet will start shipping to customers on October 26th.That's the same day as Windows 8 is set to land, as we reported earlier in July. According to Supersite, the filing reads:

"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012... At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."

Since launch we've known that Intel-based Surface Pro will take longer to launch, so this October 26th launch date corresponds to the availability of the ARM-powered tablet.

There's still one big questions surrounding the Surface, though, and that's price. That really will be an announcement worth looking out for. More here.

Next-gen iPhone Parts Purportedly Leak Again

Ready for another supposed look at the next-gen Apple iPhone? Matching up with previous leaks, the elongated iPhone body with a miniaturized docking port and brushed metal back has appeared again, this time courtesy of iLab Factory.

While many of its parts look astoundingly similar to what we've already seen, this is the first time we've gotten a solid look at it fully assembled from all angles -- well, aside from the missing SIM card holder. While most of its all-important innards are clearly absent, this assembly does come complete with what appears to be the locking ribbons for the screen and home button. More here.

Aluminium Alloy Bumper Frame Case+Back Cover for iPhone 4 4S(Green) - Rugged, lightweight and versatile design - Quality aluminium alloy and plastic material - The Case is machined from a solid block of quality aluminum alloy - Blade has the SIM card slot opened so you don't have to dismantle the case every time you need to switch the SIM - Anodized to create a hard protective coating in brilliant colors - The styling also allows for easy use of the camera and flash

AT&T's Garnet Red Galaxy S III for Vampires

While AT&T's been flaunting a rather patriotic red, white and blue Galaxy S III lineup since launch, the carrier's exclusive Garnet Red handset's been rather elusive so far, with pre-orders starting July 15 and deliveries expected July 29.

The phone is identical to its siblings other than the burgundy screen bezel and back cover, and the gunmetal rim running along its edge. It's a pretty gorgeous color scheme that's sure to attract vampires everywhere. Still unsure? Peek at our hands-on gallery below, then sound off in the comments. More here.

ViewSonic Announces a Duo of Budget-Friendly LED Monitors

As gorgeous as huge, expensive monitors are, most situations just don't call for the inches or wallet-dents associated with today's luxury screens. With this in mind, and barely a breath after outing its $299, 27-inch LED offering, ViewSonic is back with two budget displays from the VA12 series. First up is the VA2212m-LED, which rocks a 1080p widescreen, 21.5-inch panel, 10,000,000:1 contrast Ratio, DVI and VGA inputs, as well as a pair of 2W integrated speakers.

Its little brother the VA1912m-LED shares most of the same genes, but with an 18.5-inch, 1,366 x 768 resolution screen. Running with ViewSonic'seco-friendly theme, both mercury-free LED monitors also boast the eco-mode feature for low power consumption and a longer life. If either of the new displays are grabbing your attention, you'll be able to pick up the $149 VA2212m-LED imminently, with the $125 VA1912m-LED hitting North American retailers in mid-August. More here.
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Why Settle for One Wrench When You Can Have Eight?

We all need a good wrench to keep around the house, but we don't necessarily need a whole toolbox full of them. In this case, the Craftsman Figure Eight Wrench might be the magic solution.

Why? Because the $25 piece of metal is eight different sizes in one, starting at 1/4 all the way up to 3/4 inch. Plus both ends are compatible with a bunch of different styles of fasteners. So on a day when you're doing some work around the house, whether you're fixing the sink or doing maintenance on your bike, you won't be wasting time rummaging around for wrench after wrench. More here.

Clever Cutting Board Keeps Your Fingers Well Clear Of the Blade

If the fear of accidentally lopping off a finger keeps you from experimenting in the kitchen, designer Rowan Williams' Pego cutting board concept should fill you with more culinary confidence. It has a clever movable peg design that holds what you're cutting for you, so your fingers never get anywhere close to the blade.

With proper cutting techniques your fingers shouldn't be at risk of being nicked anyways, but many aspiring chefs don't have the time to master their blades. So this seems like a fair compromise. From the looks of it the board also integrates a built-in weigh scale, and assorted cutting implements, but it's that brilliant peg design that will have most amateur chefs hoping someone makes the Pego a reality. More here.

Will These Water Bottle Gloves Really Make It Easier To Drink While Running?

It's often tricky, as a runner, to rehydrate without lowering your heart rate. But will Salomon's new Sense Hydro S-Lab gloves—which strap a water bottle to each hand for easy access—make it easier or downright impossible?

The set won't be available until September, but it looks like they use a pair of soft plastic bottles so they can be folded up and reduced in size as they're drained. Which is a lot easier than trying to run with a pair of empty rigid plastic bottles strapped to your hands. The design also lets you squeeze every last drop of moisture out of the bottles using just a single hand. In fact, the only obvious disadvantage is that the heat from your palms is bound to leave you sipping luke warm water, which might not be that refreshing after all. More here.

This Magnesium Firestarter Will Impress Fellow Outdoorsmen

If you get lost in the woods, sooner or later you're going to run out of waterproof matches. Right? Or at least that's why I always go hiking with a block of magnesium in my bag. This handy firestarter tool takes that rudimentary lifesaver to a magnificent new level.

The Magnesium Fire Starter from Kaufmann Mercantile has a block that's magnesium with a strip of flint on top, which is attached to an elk antler handle and a steel striker. (The antler is found, not pulled off a live animal, by the way.) Flint is a well-known fire starting substance, but magnesium is the real magic. Magnesium shavings will burn at 5610-degrees in basically any conditions. That means when everything's all wet and you're out of options, you can light a fire with a flick of the steel striker against the magnesium.

But more than just a tool that might someday in the future save you from death, the handmade firestarter is totally beautiful. It's something worth having just to hang from your mantle. That it can vanquish firestarting obstacles is just an added bonus. It's available now for $36 here.

Insanely Strong Wire Cutter Snips Cables as Fat as Your Finger

Cutting wire by hand is hard—even with a pair of light-up dikes—especially when running the fat wires that serve breaker subpanels. Milwaukee's new ratcheting power cable cutter should aid the tradesmen that spend days snipping conduit; pull the trigger, and the tool bites cords with up to 5,000 pounds of pressure. Doesn't hurt that it looks like a cross between a falcon and a Glock, either.

The cutters have enough force to slice through 4/0 (aka four aught) wire. That's the thickest solid copper wire manufactured—beyond that, it's stranded. To put it in perspective, 4/0 is basically a flexible bar of metal nearly a half-inch in diamater, and it's a good bit heftier than the fattest wires leading into most homes' breaker panels. Cutting it in a cramped box is one of the most challenging routine tasks a commercial electrician encounters. For a tool this size to do the job this quickly and with this much force—just, well, watch your fingertips.

When it arrives for $429 in mid-September, the clipper will also handle aluminum, SER cables, G-Type, paired communication cable, and underground cable. That should make the workday a little easier for most electricians and data communications guys. With this tool, they can save their hand strength to twist fat connector tips up under a cramped bus bar. More here.

Gummy Bear Ice Cubes Promise to Make Any Drink Infinitely More Fun

Every handful gives you your recommended daily dose of red, green, yellow, and orange, and with this silicone gummy bear mould, you can now make your own and avoid the atrocious grocery store markups.

It's actually supposed to be used for making ice cubes, but there's nothing stopping you from mixing up a candy concoction and putting this tray to better use churning out chewy bears. And it's just $10, an investment you'll recoup in like a day once you setup a gummy bear stand on your front lawn. More here.

OS X Mountain Lion Is Definitely Out Tomorrow, July 25

Apple just announced in its earnings call that OS X Mountain Lion is definitely coming out tomorrow. There have been rumors for a while now that that would be the date, but now it's confirmed. So maybe get those backups cranked out tonight, eh?

Cheese Could Reduce Your Diabetes Risk

If you tend to avoid cheese at all costs to keep your weight in check, you might want to think about including a little in your meals—because a new study suggests that a those who eat cheese are at reduced risk of developing diabetes.

The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, considered the health benefits of nutrition on diabetes, taking data from largest ever study to look at the role of diet in health. The results show that cheese eaters are at a 12 percent lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who shun the fromage.

Why is that? Well, the researchers aren't entirely sure. Most other dairy products didn't show any beneficial effect, so they postulate that it could be something connected to the fermentation process involved in cheese making that triggers some kind of protective reaction when the stuff is consumed.

It is, of course, worth mentioning that obesity is an incredibly large risk factor for diabetes—so eating platefuls of cheese in an attempt to avoid developing the condition probably isn't the wisest move. More here.

iPhone 5 Will Come With a 19-pin Connector

The smaller dock connector on the next iPhone has been in the rumors for quite some time. Recent reports seem to all confirm that the iPhone 5 will use a nanoSIM instead of a microSIM and now Reuters is chiming in on the connector.

Instead of the 30-pin connector used since the very beginning on the iPhone (and other Apple hardware, even the iPad), Reuters reports that the next Apple smartphone will come equipped with a 19-pin dock connector in order “to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom”. Of course this is probably not the main reason why because the iPod touch has both the big connector and the 3.5mm headphone jack on the bottom (though it doesn’t sport the huge microphone grill).

Aside from the design refresh this will also mean that the huge number of accessories out there will no longer work with the new phone. You’ll have to get a new one, which will be something accessory manufacturers will love. More here.

LG's 27-inch V720 all-in-one PCs pop up on Flickr, IPS and Optional Ivy Bridge

LG has unveiled the V720, a new series of all-in-one PCs, featuring 27-inch IPS HD panels and an Intel Ivy Bridge processor option. The line consists of a high-end model with Intel's 3rd generation Core i5 and an IPS 1,920 x 1,080 3D panel, and a lesser model with a 2nd generation Core i3 and the same display sans 3D. Other specs include 750GB SATA3 hybrid or standard drives, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, USB 3.0 and NVIDA's GT640M 1GB graphics.

Photos show a white and silver looker with well concealed computer guts, but don't count on being able to pick up one of the minimalist units in the US -- LG normally keeps its PC offerings exclusively in Asia. More here.



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Google’s Stopped Selling 16GB Nexus 7 Tablets Because They’re Too PopularGoogle’s Stopped Selling 16GB Nexus 7 Tablets Because They’re Too Popular

Google's Nexus 7 tablet is so popular that sales had to be suspended to try to catch up with demand. Units that were ordered up until last week will be delivered on time.

The shortage comes because Google was taken totally off guard by how popular the 16GB model would be. It had expected the $200 8GB model to be the big seller. That hasn't happened, though. Instead, the $250 16GB model has been a massive, surprising success.

This will probably be a minor setback at worst for Google and the Nexus 7. But hopefully it's also a wakeup call for Google and its competitors that the battle to catch the iPad isn't just a race to the bottom. More here.


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Did the Galaxy Note II's Impressive Benchmarks Briefly get Leaked?

Well, Samsung has something up its sleeve. Whether or not we're looking at a new Note remains to be seen, but it's safe to assume Sammy will update its phablet line as it approaches its first birthday. So it's no wonder people's suspicions were piqued when a mysterious device made a brief appearance at GLBenchmark.com with the model number GT-N7100. 

The original Note was N7000, so obviously many are guessing this unnamed Ice Cream Sandwich device is its successor. Whatever it turns out to be, it's got a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor with Mali-400 graphics -- the same you'll find inside the Galaxy S III. The one spec that does leave a bit of doubt however is the resolution, which is listed at juts 1280x720, instead of the 1280x800 of the original. In the benchmarks it manages to eke out scores slightly higher than the GSIII, which makes sense thanks to its higher clocked CPU. Now it's just time to sit back and play the waiting game. More here.

Nexus 7 Hooks up With External USB Storage, Floppy Drive for Retro-Gaming

There's only so much kit you can cram into a sub-$200 tablet without pushing past the price ceiling. And for Google's Jelly Bean-blessed Nexus 7, corners were definitely cut, leaving users without a handy microSD slot for expansion and rear-facing camera. But where there's a will, there's the XDA and its community of developers to remedy the situation. 

As you can glimpse from the photo above, an enterprising forum member by the handle of c0m47053 devised an interesting workaround for the slate's lack of expandable storage and then some. Using the StickMount app available on the Play store, which allows users to mount/dismount mass storage devices, he was able to connect the ASUS-made tab to a USB hub and hook it up to a keyboard, mouse and, most amusingly of all, a floppy drive -- to playUltima on DOSbox, of course. It goes without saying that a feat of this kind requires root access, but thankfully that's what Mountain View made the Nexuses for. More here.

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Windows 8 Store Will Offer Free Seven Day Trials for Paid Apps

Microsoft has released the details on how they plan to run the apps released through the new App Store coming with Windows 8.

First and foremost, all paid apps will cost at least $1.49 as opposed to the $0.99 other platforms allow. And most importantly for consumers, Microsoft plans to implement a 7-day "try before you buy" setup with apps that will let you opt-out of the full purchase if you don't like it.

Microsoft seems to also want to provide app developers with an incentive to churn out apps for its platform. Although they are sticking with the same 30% royalty cut that Apple takes, Microsoft's new store will only take 20% once your app earns $25,000 in sales. More here.

Microsoft Announces Record Q4, $18.06 Billion in Revenue

The company reported a record fourth quarter revenue of $18.06 billion, but did suffer a net loss over the last three months of $492 million. While the net loss was in stark contrast the net profit of $5.87 billion from the same time last year, Microsoft is still optimistic heading towards the launch of Windows 8 and its sibling mobile platform. 

And who can blame them, the new OS is sure to drive plenty of consumers to their local Best Buy with fists full of cash. And, it's easy to paint a rosy picture as long as revenues continue to grow, as they did by roughly $700 million compared to Q4 2011, and roughly $600 million sequentially. It's also important to realize that that loss is due to a one-time "goodwill impairment charge" associated with the collapsed aQuantive deal that set Redmond back $6.2 billion.

A good chunk of the revenue increase is thanks to the company's Business and Server divisions, which saw growths of seven and 13 percent, respectively. Income from the Entertainment and Devices division, which makes up a much smaller chunk of revenue over all at just $1.78 billion, also grew dramatically year-over-year, largely because of the inclusion of Skype.

Alongside Q4's results, Microsoft also released its year-end financials and, while that $6.2 billion lump drove profits down, revenues were up by $3.76 billion from 2011. Even with the aQuantive related hit, Redmond still managed to post a net income of $16.98 billion for the year. More here.

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