Samsung updates the Gear S2 smartwatch with new features and improvements.

Samsung updates the Gear S2 smartwatch with new features, performance improvements and bug fixes.

Add new applications: Word Clock, ESPN, News Briefing.

Add new watch faces: Mendini watch faces.

Add search function in the Contacts application.

Add new screen time out setting. 

Show an unread notification indicator on the watch face. 

Alert shown when Bluetooth connection is disconnected. 

Enter emojis directly using keyboard.

sammobile

CES 2016: Samsung sends out invitation for Press Conference.

Samsung just sent out invitations for a Press Conference at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada USA to take place in January 5 from 14:00 to 14:45.  at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC)  a day before the event officially starts.

Um, just 45 minutes. Is Samsung going to announce the Galaxy S7 as it is rumored  or some kind of foldable smartphone/tablet? Will see.

Japan: NEC helps put Hayabusa2 satelite on course for asteroid.

JAXA's Hayabusa2 probe performed a swing-by of Earth on Thursday, using its gravity to set a course for the Ryugu asteroid. (An artist's rendering of Hayabusa2 (courtesy of JAXA and Akihiro Ikeshita) 

The Hayabusa2 probe swung by Earth on Thursday as part of a 5.2 billion-kilometer-journey to the Ryugu asteroid.

The Japanese spacecraft used the Earth's gravity to slingshot out of its original orbit around the sun and toward its target. This required exact calculations and precision control from the ground. NEC, Japan's leading computer maker, has developed technology to perform those tasks, enabling the probe's long-distance mission.

Hayabusa2 was in an orbit similar to that of the Earth's around the sun since its launch on Dec. 3, 2014. On Thursday, the probe made its closest pass toward Earth exactly a year after its launch and is believed to have increased its velocity relative to the sun from 30.3km per second to 31.9km per second, with the help of the Earth's gravity.

A little fling

This swing-by will push it into an orbit that will take it to the Ryugu asteroid. A swing-by is a navigational method that uses the gravitational pull of a planet or moon to accelerate and change the course of a space probe. The method saves fuel as it does not require the probe to fire its engine.

 "It would take three ion engines operating at full blast for a year to gain the same speed" as the slingshot method, said Yuichi Tsuda, project manager at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

 A successful swing-by requires computation of a probe's speed and altitude, the Earth's gravity, and other variables. In addition, it is necessary to change the probe's course at precisely the right time.

This is where NEC's technology comes in. The computer company has come up with a manual of commands and ways to repair the probe in case something goes wrong. The manual amounts to a plan to navigate Hayabusa2 all the way to Ryugu.

 To measure the craft's location and velocity more accurately, JAXA and NEC have used a method called "Delta Differential One-way Range." Hayabusa2 was Japan's first probe to use this method.

 Previously, JAXA used antennas at the Usuda Deep Space Center in Nagano Prefecture and the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture to measure the positions of its space probes. For Hayabusa2, it uses the new method, which allows simultaneous reception of radio waves from the probe at ground stations in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

By measuring and analyzing trillionth-of-a-second time differences between the radio waves, the method can pinpoint, within a mere 180 meters, the position of the probe as it races through space. In the past, JAXA's positioning was accurate only to within about 2km.

Attitude adjustment

If Hayabusa2 fails to achieve the planned orbit, JAXA will need to use commands -- adjusting amount and direction of engine thrust to alter the probe's attitude, for example, or tweaking the antennas. 

"We think of dozens of scenarios in which the probe fails to function properly and make commands accordingly," said NEC's Takeshi Oshima.

The company devises two weeks' worth of commands once a week and provides these to JAXA. Hayabusa2's command system is much more advanced than the one used in the first-generation Hayabusa probe. Previously, commands were created for unexpected situations as they occurred. 

Based on its earlier experience, NEC has compiled likely commands into a database for Hayabusa2.

 Since its launch a year ago, Hayabusa2's ion engines have been firing continuously. The probe is scheduled to reach Ryugu sometime between June and July of 2018.

  When it arrives, the probe will use its impactor to create an artificial crater and collect material from beneath the surface. To complete this part of the mission, JAXA will need to perform a number of delicate tasks -- controlling the thrust of the engines, changing the probe's attitude and switching antennas.

The mission plan calls for Hayabusa2 to stay on Ryugu for a year and a half to collect materials, then bring them back to Earth. Because the probe may have to burn a lot of fuel on the asteroid, it will try to save as much as possible during its three-year flight.

The probe also uses a so-called solar sail that uses the minute pressure from the light of the sun to control the probe's attitude. NEC developed the technology in response to problems encountered in controlling the first Hayabusa's attitude.

 Because space exploration is a national project for Japan, the technology developed for the probe is not a major source of revenue for NEC. But the company seeks to gain know-how in space probe operations, which it will use in its private satellite business, such as GPS, communications and broadcasting satellites.

     By measuring and analyzing trillionth-of-a-second time differences between the radio waves, the method can pinpoint, within a mere 180 meters, the position of the probe as it races through space. In the past, JAXA's positioning was accurate only to within about 2km.
Attitude adjustment
If Hayabusa2 fails to achieve the planned orbit, JAXA will need to use commands -- adjusting amount and direction of engine thrust to alter the probe's attitude, for example, or tweaking the antennas. "We think of dozens of scenarios in which the probe fails to function properly and make commands accordingly," said NEC's Takeshi Oshima.
     The company devises two weeks' worth of commands once a week and provides these to JAXA. Hayabusa2's command system is much more advanced than the one used in the first-generation Hayabusa probe. Previously, commands were created for unexpected situations as they occurred. Based on its earlier experience, NEC has compiled likely commands into a database for Hayabusa2.
     Since its launch a year ago, Hayabusa2's ion engines have been firing continuously. The probe is scheduled to reach Ryugu sometime between June and July of 2018.
     When it arrives, the probe will use its impactor to create an artificial crater and collect material from beneath the surface. To complete this part of the mission, JAXA will need to perform a number of delicate tasks -- controlling the thrust of the engines, changing the probe's attitude and switching antennas.
    The mission plan calls for Hayabusa2 to stay on Ryugu for a year and a half to collect materials, then bring them back to Earth. Because the probe may have to burn a lot of fuel on the asteroid, it will try to save as much as possible during its three-year flight.
     The probe also uses a so-called solar sail that uses the minute pressure from the light of the sun to control the probe's attitude. NEC developed the technology in response to problems encountered in controlling the first Hayabusa's attitude.
     Because space exploration is a national project for Japan, the technology developed for the probe is not a major source of revenue for NEC. But the company seeks to gain know-how in space probe operations, which it will use in its private satellite business, such as GPS, communications and broadcasting satellites.

Q3 2015: WorldWide wearables market share: FitBit 22.2%, Apple 18.6%, Xiaomi 17.4%

Table Notes:
• Data is subject to change.
• Vendor shipments are branded device shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.
• The "Vendor" represents the current parent company (or holding company) for all brands owned and operated as subsidiary. For example, BBK is the parent company of Chinese brand XTC.
• This table represents a combination of both basic and smart wearables.

FitBit

A quarter after Apple debuted as the number two wearables vendor worldwide, Chinese vendor Xiaomi finished the third quarter of 2015 (3Q15) as a strong contender for this position. Similarly, newcomer XTC beat out Samsung as the world's number five wearables vendor. 

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC ) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker , total shipment volume for the quarter came to 21.0 million units, up 197.6% from the 7.1 million units shipped in 3Q14.

"The early stages of the wearables market have led to tight competition among the leading vendors, and Chinese vendors have seized upon market momentum to grab market share," noted Ramon Llamas , Research Manager for IDC's Wearables team. 

"China has quickly emerged as the fastest-growing wearables market, attracting companies eager to compete on price and feature sets. In addition, multiple vendors have experimented with a broad range of products and applications. The challenge, however, is whether these vendors can expand their presence, as few have extended beyond the country's borders and into other markets."

While there has been clear growth in the wearable market, there has been little sign of product cannibalization. Smart watches have drawn increased attention to the market from the likes of Apple, Motorola, Pebble, and Samsung, but this has not dampened interest in fitness trackers. 

By the end of 3Q15, shipment volumes for both product categories increased sequentially and year over year, showing that, for now, the categories can co-exist and grow. This also provides end users with choice in terms of feature sets and functionalities, ranging from simple fitness tracking to smartphone-like experiences.

"The bifurcation doesn't just exist in features, but also in price," said Jitesh Ubrani , Senior Research Analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers. "The average smart watch or band came in at just over \$400 and the average basic watch/band at \$94. This leaves a lot of room for new players like Fossil and niche players like Pebble as they have an opportunity to address this space."

Vendor Highlights

Fitbit relied on its popular Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Surge models to maintain its leadership in the worldwide wearables market, and also saw continued growth within the Asia/Pacific and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) markets. Equally noteworthy has been its fast-growing Corporate Wellness strategy during the quarter, which added North American retailer Target and its order of 335,000 fitness trackers for its employees. Target joins Bank of America, Time Warner, and more than 70 other Fortune 500 companies to deploy Fitbit devices to its employees.

Apple posted a slight increase from the previous quarter, mostly the result of additional markets and channels coming on line. End-user attention has been going toward its entry-level and least expensive Sport line, to which Apple responded by introducing gold and rose gold models. In addition, Apple released watchOS 2, bringing native third-party applications to the device.

Xiaomi's inexpensive Mi Band buoyed volumes higher during the quarter, with more than 97% of its volumes shipping into China. Volumes outside of China remain limited, although progress has been made in Western markets. Adding to Xiaomi's selection is its Mi Band Pulse, which added real-time heart rate monitoring and was released on Singles Day (November 11) in China.

Garmin's focus on citizen athletes with wearables for running, golf, swimming, hiking, and aquatics kept the company well entrenched as the clear number four vendor worldwide. With a deep and broad product portfolio and multiple price points, Garmin has been well-positioned to cover numerous market segments and address the rising fitness tracker category with its Vivo sub-brand of bands and watches.

Chinese vendor XTC, a subsidiary of BBK, beat Samsung for the number five position by 100,000 units in its worldwide debut. Like other Chinese vendors before it, XTC maintained its focus exclusively within China, and with just one device: the Y01, a children's phone watch. 

CES 2016: SONY sends out invitations for Press Conference.

SONY sends out invitations for their press conference at CES 2016 to be hold in Tuesday January 5, 2016 5 p.m in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The teaser shows new versions of  headphones, smartphones, TVs, digital cameras to be announced at the event.

Microsoft spreads the Christmas spirit at Apple`s store 5th Avenue NYC with a carol. Video

A special thanks to the voices of our Microsoft Store employees and a local NYC children’s youth choir. To celebrate the holidays, Microsoft employees, who were selected from across the country, gathered together, meeting each other for the first time, at the new Microsoft 5th Ave Store to spread some holiday wishes. Joined by a local NYC children's youth choir, they share a message of peace and harmony with their neighbor down the street.

Recent work collaboration between Microsoft and Apple has reached to  an peaceful oncoming beginning this holidays 2015.

It is a Christmas commercial, in which employees of a Microsoft shop on Fifth Avenue in New York out and placed before the glass cube Apple Store employees to devote to that place a carol. Specifically it is the song Let There Be Peace on Earth, in a nod to the two companies can live together.

So yes, it seems that somehow both companies have learned to benefit from each other. Proof of this is the demonstration of Office as office suite for the iPad Pro, without going any further.

International Robot Exhibition 2015 started today in Tokyo.

Robot HRP-2 Kai (left) demonstrates walking on a narrow path, while Jaxon shows that it can duck while moving. The humanoids were on display at the International Robot Exhibition 2015 in Tokyo's Koto Ward. Both are designed for work following disasters and were demonstrated at a booth operated by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. | KAZUAKI NAGATA JapanTimes.

The biannual International Robot Exhibition kicked off Wednesday in Tokyo, showcasing the latest advances in robotics — including technology for use in disaster scenarios and in the nursing-care field.

With a record 446 firms attending the event at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, numerous robots are on display through Saturday, when the event wraps up. These include the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization’s (NEDO) disaster prevention robots, which were drawing huge crowds at their demonstrations.

During the demonstrations by NEDO, one of the country’s largest public research organizations, visitors were awed as the HRP-2 Kai life-size humanoid robot walked along on a narrow path and opened a door to check for a fire while another life-size robot, Jaxon, walked and turned a sprinkler valve to extinguish the blaze.

Using robots to probe disaster sites is a challenge the global robot industry is currently working to tackle, said Ryosuke Aya, project coordinator with the robot and machinery system technology department at NEDO, a Kawasaki-based semi-public body in charge of developing new technologies and energy.

Robots would have been indispensable in the aftermath of disasters like the devastating 3/11 earthquake and tsunami — especially in quake-prone Japan — as well as in more recent accidents like tunnel collapses.

When such disasters occur, “there are places where humans can’t physically go,” said Aya. “That’s where robots come in to reduce the risks of disasters.”

The event also highlighted robot tech for nursing care, including remote monitoring systems and exoskeleton suits that aid those with limited mobility.

But while the nursing care tech sector is likely to grow as Japan grays, Hiroshi Kobayashi, director of Innophys Co., a Tokyo-based venture affiliated with Tokyo University of Science, believes the industry remains quite conservative.

Because of this attitude, employing these new technologies will take time at many nursing-care facilities, said Kobayashi, whose firm sells a robotics product called the Muscle Suit that enables wearers to more easily lift heavy objects.

Meanwhile, robots like SoftBank’s emotion-reading Pepper and Sharp’s robot-designed phone RoBoHon, have also been a hit at the venue, with some attendees pointing out that these robots are likely to be a boon for makers. 

“The market for smart robots will be getting bigger and bigger,” said Taki Sakai, president of Unirbot, the Tokyo-based firm behind Unibo, a small white robot with a liquid-crystal display screen on its head.

The robot can recognize individuals’ faces, chat with them and act as a personal assistant.

The firm is set to go on sale next July for ¥98,000 with a monthly ¥4,500 fee for cloud-based services.

Samsung Gear S2 christmas tree like pop-up for holiday

Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it would operate a pop-up store for its smartwatch Gear S2 during the year-end holiday season in Garosu-gil, Seoul, a street brimming with upscale coffeehouses and clothing shops. 

LG displays OLED TV at Grand Central Terminal NYC

LG Electronics said Wednesday that it would run a roadshow to display its high-end organic light-emitting diode TVs at Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The event will be held until the end of this month. The LG`s OLED TVs are WebOS powered.

Samsung introduced the beta edition of a web browsing program for its virtual reality (VR) devices.

A screenshot of Samsung Internet for Gear VR 

Samsung Electronics Co. introduced Wednesday the beta edition of a web browsing program for its virtual reality (VR) devices, allowing users to access more content online.

The test edition of Samsung Internet for Gear VR will allow users of Samsung's VR devices to stream various videos online and provide a theater-like experience, the company said.

It also allows users to surf the Internet with voice commands, with Gaze Mode activating the screen simply by staring at the menu.

Other features from typical smartphone web tools, such as bookmarks, are also provided through the platform.

The Samsung Gear VR, which links to the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, went on sale here last month with a price tag of 129,800 won (US$112.4), significantly lower than the around 250,000 won of previous models.

The device allows users to enjoy gaming and movie content with a 360-degree rotation view.

Samsung earlier said the device was sold out in South Korea only a day after its release, reflecting the rising popularity of VR devices in the market.

All Samsung smartphones NEW Form Factors patent applications.

Samsung's patent application was published earlier this month in the US and filed in May 2015. It was originally filed in Korea in 2014. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Samsung Smartphone Form Factors images posted in this order below: (thanks to patentlymobile.com)

Scrollable (rolled and unrolled) smartphone.
Tab Style Smartphone.
Foldable Smartphone using a hinge system.
Bendable smartphone.

patentlymobile

Related before post: USA: Samsung patent application for its foldable smartphone is on the US Patent and Trademark Office.