| LG and Samsung put aside OLED patent problems for the good of displays Sep 24th 2013, 12:18, by Marc Chacksfield 
LG and Samsung are to stop bickering over OLED and LCD patents and work together to produce the next generation of displays. Samsung Display and LG Display, subsidiaries of the two Korean technology giants, have been 'courting' each other for a while now, with lawsuits surrounding LCD patents. But this bickering is expected to end now both companies have revealed that they want to look to cooperate rather than continually hauling themselves through court case after court case. A statement by Samsung Display explained that this change of tack was all about being more globally competitive. "It was agreed that we two should focus more on cementing our leadership in the global market by cooperation, instead of engaging in all-consuming patent disputes," noted the statement. LG's statement echoed these sentiments, explaining: "What's most important for both of us is upgrading our competitiveness globally." Ahead of the curveOver the last few years IFA and CES have proven to be brilliant battlegrounds for Samsung and LG. This year, both companies showed off curved OLED displays, while there has always been oneupmanship over bigger, thinner and brighter screens. While we expect this to continue, it will be interesting to see Samsung and LG allowing technological advancements, rather than hindering them with patent trials. Samsung and LG are currently number one and two respectively in the TV market, as well as being two companies that offer up OLED technology for smartphones.        |  | In Depth: Android in 2020: the future of Google's mobile OS explored Sep 24th 2013, 10:00, by David Nield 
Cast your mind back to late 2008, when the first Android-powered handset saw the light of day. Obama won his first Presidential election, Apple launched its App Store (the iPhone had appeared the year before), Google announced its own Chrome browser and we got our first look at the company's new mobile OS on the T-Mobile G1. The Android of 2013 is a world away from that 2008 version, where the Android Market was in its infancy, there were no native video playback capabilities and the G1 had no multi-touch support. But Google is going to have to keep innovating and improving its mobile OS to keep the lion's share of the smartphone market. We've taken a peek into the future to consider what Android might look like in the year 2020. With new Android monikers now appearing about once a year, its codename should start with an "R" - Rhubarb Pie, Rocky Road or Rice Pudding, perhaps? Or maybe even Rolos, given the tie-up deals Google is putting in place these days? Here are the four key features we think could play the biggest part in Android's ongoing evolution over the next seven years: 1. Maps in Android in 2020Apple's Maps app may not have set the world alight when it launched, but it's here now (alongside Nokia's offering), and that means Google needs to up its game to stay ahead. The 2013 Google Maps refresh brought with it a greater level of customisation based on your personal searches, and this will only increase in the future. With Google Now and Google Latitude tracking your every move, you'll see directions to your favourite pub appear on-screen every Friday lunchtime. If the pub in question has an Android-powered bar installed, you might even find your tipple of choice waiting for you when you arrive. 
As for all of the services hanging off Maps, Google is already hiring out the Street View cameras and enabling you to peek inside buildings - you can expect Android 2020 to offer better imagery of most public buildings, as well as tappable info as you move around. There might even be an option to enable Google to anonymously augment its Street View data with the snaps you take on your phone to provide an even more up-to-date view of the world. 2. Android messaging in 2020Google has already made its intentions clear with the Hangouts upgrade we got at I/O this year. With Facebook, WhatsApp, FaceTime, Snapchat, Skype et al to battle against, there's no doubt we'll see Google push further into the universal messaging game, covering SMS, email, instant messaging and video calling with tools that are baked into Android. You won't have to have separate apps for each of these, as the UI will be unified in a way that makes it easy to seamlessly slip between each method of calling. We might even get Google Voice in the UK by the time 2020 rolls around, though don't hold your breath. 
How far Google can go depends on the networks and its competitors in the field - it's already launched an ultra-fast internet service in the US, so telecoms could be next. And the company has been sniffing around unused wireless spectrum frequencies, too. Don't be surprised to see free 5G video calling and texting between Android devices by 2020, with all of your conversations grouped by person rather than platform, and archived and searchable in Gmail. Eric Schmidt has already predicted that every human will be online by 2020 (no doubt hoping that we'll all have a Google+ page too), and the more people his company can help get connected the better for Google's bottom line. 3. Android payments and security in 2020Over the next few years our phones will become even more important for making payments, transferring money and verifying our identity (everything from getting through the door at work to logging into Facebook). The Google Authenticator app of 2020 could work with your device's NFC chip to automatically log you into Gmail when you sit down at your laptop, for example, or pay for your flight when you step on a plane. Apple has Passbook, and Google will want an equivalent in place too. 
We've seen tattoos and pills shown off as possible authentication triggers of the future, and Android 2020 will play a big part in proving you are who you say you are, whether it's at a coffee shop or Google I/O. Basic face recognition is already available, but in the years to come it has the potential to get much more accurate. It might even be joined by fingerprint or retina scanning built into Android's camera app, or at least part of the phone, now that Apple has shown that fingerprint scanning is a viable option with its new Touch ID technology. 4. Android hardware in 2020 Hardware innovations are going to play a big part in Android's roadmap. Besides the obvious smaller, thinner, faster improvements for our phones, bendable screens should be in place in the near future - the likes of Samsung have the tech already in production, and Android will change to adapt itself through scrolling rivers of news, status updates and other notifications. Ever-changing, ever-optimising displays will be the order of the day, and the batteries and mobile processors of 2020 should be able to keep up. 
Google Glass has of course generated plenty of buzz this year, good and bad, as has the rumour of an Apple iWatch to compete with the Galaxy Gear. It looks like the wearable tech revolution is about to take off, and by the time 2020 rolls around this could mean miniature devices on our glasses, wrists and clothing, ready to capture every moment and record every movement. You won't need to take photos any more, since Google will simply pick out the best pictures from the unedited stream of the day's events. Nor will you need to decide what to eat for dinner - Android 2020 will know what you've been doing today (and what you're probably doing tonight), and can pick out the most suitable foods for you. Android: the 2020 editionThe only certainty about Android's future is that it has a fight on its hands to stay competitive. Apple's new-look iOS 7 has given Google plenty to think about, not least with its tie-ins with Facebook, Twitter, Bing, Flickr and Vimeo. Android's continuing integration with Chrome and the desktop/laptop will make for an interesting story too - they're both run by the same man, Sundar Pichai, remember - and perhaps Google's biggest challenge will be to convince us that we can trust it with more and more information about where we are, who we communicate with and the way we live our lives.        | | HTC One to get Android 4.3 soon Sep 24th 2013, 09:54, by James Rogerson 
HTC's flagship smartphone, the HTC One, will soon be brought bang up to date with the addition of Android 4.3. That's come straight from the mouth of Jason Mackenzie, President of HTC America, who announced via Twitter that the update will be pushed to HTC One Developer Edition owners this week. That's largely just confirming what we already knew, as he'd previously stated that it should arrive with Dev Edition owners by the end of September. However this time he went one better and said that Canadian customers with a standard HTC One should have the update by the end of the month. Mackenzie also stated that Android 4.3 for HTC One comes with 'the latest Sense experience', so expect changes beyond those found in stock Android, though what exactly that will entail has yet to be revealed. Date unknownHe went on to say that HTC was working hard to get the update certified with US networks, but unfortunately there's no word on when Android 4.3 will make its way to HTC One handsets in Europe. We've had a word with HTC to see if they have any word on a potential timeframe but are yet to hear back. Fear not though, as we'll update you as soon as we hear anything. At this rate Android 4.4 KitKat will be out by the time the HTC One gets Android 4.3, if the October release date rumours are to be believed. Still, it's better late than never and if it does come with some juicy new Sense features it should be worth the wait. - You've read about the update, now read about the phone in our HTC One review.
  | | BBM for Android and iOS won't be here this week Sep 24th 2013, 09:42, by John McCann 
BlackBerry was super excited last week as it readied us for the BBM for Android and iOS rollout planned for last weekend - but after problems arose we didn't see it arrive, and we won't this week either. BBM for Android was supposed to hit on September 21, followed a day later by the iOS version on Sunday, but it got off to a bad start with the Apple version going live on the Saturday instead. Problems were compounded further when an unofficial version leaked onto Google Play, prompting BlackBerry to pull both applications. BlackBerry has now confirmed that the BBM app won't be coming to Android and Apple devices until next week at the earliest. Not a simple taskA BlackBerry spokesperson said: "The team is now focused on adjusting the system to completely block this unreleased version of the Android app when we go live with the official BBM for Android app. "We are also making sure that the system is reinforced to handle this kind of scenario in the future. While this may sound like a simple task – it's not. This will take some time and I do not anticipate launching this week." Couple this BBM blunder with the fact BlackBerry has announced it will be cutting a raft of jobs, plus a takeover could be on the cards, and it amounts to a pretty rocky week for the Canadian firm.        | | Samsung Galaxy S5 to sport full metal jacket and new camera tech? Sep 24th 2013, 09:33, by James Rogerson 
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is likely to have an all metal body, which if true would finally remedy the flagship line's one real Achilles' heel. We've heard these rumours before, but they've now been given more credence as Barclays analysts have stated that Catcher Technology Co has taken an order to make the chassis for phones in Samsung's Galaxy series, as reported by the Taipei Times. If you recognise the name Catcher it's because the company already produces the metal casings for Apple's iPhones and the HTC One. The analysts went on to state that Samsung is likely to order metal casings from Catcher for between 10 and 30 million smartphones, though the final amount won't be confirmed until the first quarter of next year. Cut the crosstalkAlong with finally making the jump to metal, Samsung has also announced a new CMOS image sensor dubbed ISOCELL. The new sensor isolates individual pixels which minimises electrical crosstalk between them, which in turn leads to higher colour fidelity, for sharper, richer images. The sensor also has increased light sensitivity, which should allow it to perform well in low light conditions. It's designed for 'premium' smartphones and tablets, so there's a good chance that we'll see it in the Samsung Galaxy S5. Along with previous rumours that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature an iPhone 5S matching 64 bit processor, unibody design and no longer have a removable battery, it looks like it's all change for the flagship Galaxy line, though it remains to be seen how much of this will pan out. - Samsung's Galaxy S5 won't be here until next year, but in the meantime there's always the Samsung Galaxy S4.
       | | Flexible-screened Samsung Galaxy Note 3 confirmed, but won't bend Sep 24th 2013, 08:54, by John McCann 
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 already arrived during IFA 2013 earlier this month, but there's a flexible new variant on its way. A Samsung spokesperson has apparently confirmed that it will be producing a Note 3 complete with flexible display - although the phone itself won't actually bend. The current Galaxy Note 3 sports a huge 5.7-inch, full HD Super AMOLED display covered in a large amount of glass - and that means there's a lot of screen to damage. Introducing a flexible display to the Note 3 will provide an almost unbreakable screen - handy as this is a big device which can easily slip out of the hand. Why no bend?When we hear the words "flexible display" our minds race to handsets which we can fold, roll and generally manipulate any way we want. But in reality smartphones are still restricted by the solid components under the hood so you won't be moulding the Galaxy Note 3 into any new shapes. The flexible-display-toting Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date is pegged for the final quarter of the year, with rumours pointing to a limited production run in October.        | | BlackBerry C-series 'Americano' might combine best of the Z and Q Sep 23rd 2013, 19:56, by Michael Rougeau 
BlackBerry isn't doing so hot, with losses and layoffs in its future, but the latest leak says that its next scrabbling handhold on the receding cliff face of profitability is a new budget line called the BlackBerry C-series. The BlackBerry C (code name: Americano) is said to combine the best existing BlackBerry 10 devices like the Z- and Q-series phones: sleek design with budget specs, respectively. That will keep the BlackBerry C series looking fresh to consumers while appealing with a lower price point than the high-end Z-line, like the just-announced BlackBerry Z30. Or at least, that's reportedly the idea. If it's true, the Americano will be mucking about in the just-released iPhone 5C's neck of the sea, which may not be the best place to tread water right now. The leaks keep flowingNews broke today that BlackBerry has agreed to an initial offer that could see it bought and taken private again by a group led by financial holdings company. That pretty-big-deal news didn't stop leaks of its alleged smartphone plans, however. 
As far as detailed specs, we've got little to go on where the BlackBerry C is concerned, besides the promise of specs similar to the chunky, QWERTY-equipped, budget-priced BlackBerry Q5. Besides that, the only morsel is that the initial BlackBerry C-series device will reportedly have a full-sized 4.2-inch 720 x 1280 touchscreen, no QWERTY and 4G LTE compatibility. The phone is said to be in testing stages currently. Inevitable comparisonsWord of the BlackBerry C-series fits perfectly with the company's recent admission that it will back off from the consumer market soon and release just four new phones in the future, instead of the previously planned six. Of those four unannounced devices, two are high-end offerings and two are entry-level phones, like what the BlackBerry C is being described as. Comparisons with the iPhone 5C will be inevitable (imagine if they call it the BB C5?), but the "budget" iPhone has done pretty well for itself since its launch alongside the iPhone 5S this past weekend. Combined sales for both new iPhones hit 9 million in just three days, though Apple isn't detailing the exact split and TechRadar's digging indicates tentatively that the higher-end iPhone 5S is, in fact, in greater demand.        | | Updated: BlackBerry actually finds a suitor, agrees to initial offer that would take it private Sep 23rd 2013, 18:30, by Matt Swider 
BlackBerry is close to once again becoming a private company after signing a letter of intent agreeing to be bought. The suitor in the situation is a group led by a financial holdings company. The deal between BlackBerry and group spearheaded by Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited is worth approximately $4.7 billion (about £2.93b, AU$4.98b) at $9 per share (about £6, AU$10) in cash for all of the shares that Fairfax doesn't already own. "We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees," said Fairfax Chairman and CEO Prem Watsa in a press release today. He said it would continue "a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world." Fairfax currently owns about 10% of BlackBerry's common shares. What's next?According to the same press release, the company's board of directors approved the letter of intent on the recommendation of the special committee BlackBerry created last month to explore "strategic alternatives" to its current, failing situation. A due diligence period is in place, though the parties hope to have everything wrapped up by Nov. 4. Until then, BlackBerry can "actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter negotiations with parties that offer alternative proposals." "The special committee is seeking the best available outcome for the company's constituents, including for shareholders," said Barbara Stymiest, chair of BlackBerry's board of directors, in the release. "Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium." The press release noted that the transaction is far from a done deal as due diligence may prove unsatisfactory, financing must still be secured, regulators have to give the go-ahead and a definitive agreement must be finalized. Still, the wheels are definitely in motion for BlackBerry's ownership to change hands. A way outThe phone maker has had a volatile few months after the launch of BlackBerry 10, including a Sept. 20 announcement in which it admitted it needed to pull back from the consumer market and focus on enterprise. In the same announcement, it revealed it expects a net operating loss of about $950 million to $995 million for the second quarter of this year. That's roughly £592m/AU$1.01b to £621m/AU$1.05b. Adding insult to injury, BlackBerry said it would lay off 4,500 employees, or about 40% of its workforce. The company also had to hit pause on an anticipated app roll out, BBM app for iOS and Android devices. All of these deep cuts could stem BlackBerry's losses, but its lack of a particularly appealing product on the consumer or enterprise level has left people wondering: how did BlackBerry last this long? Come Nov. 4, it may have finally found its way out.        | | In Depth: Top 10 messaging apps for the GALAXY S4 Sep 23rd 2013, 12:18, by Your Mobile Life 
It's hard to believe that, until pretty recently in the long run of human history, the telephone wasn't a part of everyday life. Those of a certain age will even remember the days when the quickest way to reach a loved one was to send a letter, hope that it reached its destination and then wait, patiently for days (or weeks) on end for a possible response. Nowadays, with the ability to send instant messages and call friends and family using video, the only real dilemma is which messaging apps to use. There are many great ways to enjoy instant messaging on your Samsung GALAXY S4. So here's the definitive list of our top 10 favourite S4 instant messaging apps. 
1. Samsung ChatONFree – Get it here A cross-platform app available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and others, ChatON is Samsung's own foray into the world of instant messaging. It stands out in an increasingly crowded space by offering group chat functionality in addition to one-to-one conversations, making it easy to organise events in real time. You don't even need to be on your phone to talk to contacts either thanks to a chatroom-like web application that you can log into via Samsung's website. Best of all, ChatON has an automatic language translation mode, giving it a real practical edge over other messaging apps, and with 70 million users on the service in 237 countries speaking 63 languages, it's an app that could help you find and unleash your inner linguist. Qu'est-ce que tu attends? (That's French for 'what are you waiting for?'!) 
2. GlideFree – Get it here Glide allows you to send video messages to other contacts by tapping on the screen to record. Unlike other video apps that constantly stream video, such as Skype, Glide claims to use only half as much data, making it a viable option for anyone that runs short on data allowance from time to time. Glide stores its videos on the internet too, meaning no space is taken up on your Samsung GALAXY S4's memory when you're filming with its 1080p HD video camera; better yet, it means you don't have to upload or download anything. You can even send videos to contacts who are offline for them to pick them up once connected to the internet, like a futuristic voicemail service. It's currently available for Facebook users only, but it does let you chat to friends with both Android and iOS phones. 
3. WhatsApp Messenger69p per year – Buy it here WhatsApp has been building a steady army of users since it first debuted in 2009. It may not be the most fully featured app on our list, but its simplicity, clean interface and range of emoticons have earned it a rightful reputation as one of the most accessible cross-platform apps out there. The app initially scans your Samsung GALAXY S4's contact list to automatically detect who else is using the app, meaning you can be sending instant messages, images, videos and voice notes to individuals or groups of contacts in seconds. Additional contacts can be added by inputting phone numbers, which is good for anyone that feels buried in a sea of forgettable usernames. It uses the Samsung GALAXY S4's 3G connection in the absence of Wi-Fi, and push notifications to the device's home screen mean that you're kept in the loop even when the app's closed. 
4. Hide It Pro (with SMS and Call Blocker Plugin)Hide it Pro – Free – Get it here
SMS and Call Blocker Plugin – Free – Get it here There's a deluge of instant messaging apps available for the Samsung GALAXY S4, but none take privacy as seriously as Hide It Pro. It essentially adds a secret vault to your phone, which you can hide any number of files in, from images to videos. Access the vault by double tapping the top of the screen and entering a secret code. When combined with the SMS and Call Blocker Plugin, it turns your device into a messaging gadget James Bond would be proud of. Hide It Pro can be set to keep message conversations private by hiding them in the password-protected vault. Once your selected 'secret' contact sends you a SMS, you'll receive a disguised message masking as another type of alert. After opening the vault by tapping the top of the screen and inputting your code, your message will be waiting and any replies you send are kept confidential. With no icon in the home drawer at the top of the screen to give the game away, it's the ultimate private messaging solution. 
5. Skype Free – Get it here While Skype was a household name long before Microsoft snapped the company up in 2011, the software giant's involvement has made its mobile app sleeker and even simpler to use. Filling the Samsung GALAXY S4's expansive 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display with as many bright colours as you care to film, Skype videos look incredible. Skype also works across devices, meaning you can call people's tablets, PCs, Macs or TVs from your device. It supports video and instant messaging, and you can even call other mobiles or landlines around the world from your computer or device by topping up a pre-paid account. The app also has the funkiest calling tones of any app on our list. Try it out and try to tell us we're wrong. 
6. Viber Free – Get it here If instant messaging is WhatsApp's main strength, Viber is all about delivering reliable, high-quality HD voice calls over the internet – for free. It even has a conference mode that lets you hold group calls with up to 40 participants, and unlike other cross-platform apps, its clean, Android-like interface has been designed to make it feel like a native app. Available for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and others, Viber also allows you to share your location, respond immediately to messages using a quick reply feature, and keep track of missed calls using push notifications. With no adverts whatsoever despite being completely free, it's a perfect option for anybody looking to cut down on their mobile call minutes or spend more time catching up with family and friends. 
7. KakaoTalk: Free Calls & TextFree – get it here Like other messaging apps in our list, KakaoTalk lets you hold free voice and conference calls, send messages, photos and videos. But it's also much more than that. It was the first app for smartphones to receive the watertight ISO27001 certification. In simple terms, it means your messages are really secure and are unlikely to be intercepted or seen by anybody else. Available in 12 languages, it's also a messenger that runs on a robust network that was used by millions of people in Japan at the time of a particularly nasty Earthquake in 2011. Plus, it features lock-based privacy protection, custom chat backgrounds and ID-based friend finding. 
8. Auto SMS (Autoresponder) Free – Get it here Smartphones like the Samsung GALAXY S4 undoubtedly make communicating a breeze, but not everybody has the time to sit and write responses to every message that lands in the inbox. This is where Auto SMS (Autoresponder) comes in. Think of it as an automatic messaging assistant that's there to reply to messages when you're unavailable or busy. It allows you to set up multiple profiles that reply to messages you've received in certain situations. This could include a driving profile, or one for when you're at the cinema. Automatic responses can be lined up to be sent after anything from a missed call or text, and they can also be timed to be sent during a scheduled time period, such as a meeting. A widget can be placed on your GALAXY S4's home screen for fast profile switching, and if you don't have time to look at your device's screen, an SMS Reader feature will even read out messages for you using its Text-to-Speech engine. 
9. LINE: Free Calls & Messages Free – Get it here LINE takes an interesting approach to instant messaging, combining traditional video, text and image messaging with social network-style features. The app's 'Home' feature lets you share any interactions with other contacts in a Facebook-style timeline. Obviously, the focus here is on sharing and interacting, making it a more suitable option for groups of friends than privacy-conscious individuals. Voice calling and text messaging is free across PCs, smartphones and tablets, and users can spice up conversations with 'stickers' that give a more personal feel to messages in a similar way to emoticons. 
10. Vault Hide SMS, Pics & Video Free – Get it here Vault Hide SMS is a comprehensive privacy app that hides anything from contacts, pictures, videos and instant messages in a secret location only the user can access, using a pre-set code. As with Hide It Pro, it allows you to set a 'secret' contact whose messages are untraceable when sent to your device. However, it goes further by also allowing you to hide Facebook messages in the same way, and photos and videos can similarly be kept hidden. If you think there's a possibility you may get rumbled, the app can even log and photograph anybody that attempts to guess the passcode to your secret vault. In a further twist of genius, you can even set up a fake vault, so if anybody demands to see what you have in it, you can show them that one. We think that's what you call "preparing for the future."   | | In Depth: The Best Reading Apps for your Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 Sep 23rd 2013, 11:42, by Your Mobile Life 
Whether it's books for the poolside or urgent blogposts to help you avoid eye contact with fellow commuters, access to all of your favourite social content, timely delivery of your RSS subscriptions or your favourite magazines, your GALAXY Note 8.0 has you covered. Plus, your Note 8.0's awesome Reading Mode provides your eyes with optimal reading conditions in any situation. Never be short of things to read on your Note 8.0, with our great selection of apps for readers, covering everything from RSS feeds to the latest airport thriller. 
FeedlyFree – get it here After Google Reader disappeared from our lives in June, several apps emerged in the hope of dancing on its grave and keeping RSS alive. The best of the bunch is Feedly, which helps to harness your favourite web content in one place. It pulls in updates from news sites, YouTube channels and Tumblr blogs you're subscribed to in a rich and colourful way, while making it easy to add new sources and share content with your social circles. It's also optimised for smartphones and tablets of various sizes, meaning it'll look beautiful on your GALAXY Note 8.0. Google Reader who? 
Instapaper£1.93 – buy it here As much as we'd like to laze around browsing our favourite websites all day, sadly, little things like work, family, eating and sleeping often get in the way. Fortunately, there's Instapaper. Just one tap allows you to save a page for offline reading. The app also strips out all of those links to other articles and photo galleries for a purer reading experience on your GALAXY Note 8.0. Once in the app, you can adjust lighting, text size, font and more, rather than squinting at a web page that may not be optimised for mobile use. If you know you're going on a long journey where internet access is at a premium, Instapaper is also perfect for stockpiling interesting articles to keep you entertained along the way. 
FlipboardFree – get it here This multi-award-winning app made its Android debut exclusively on the Samsung GALAXY S III in 2012 and now it's available on the entire range of GALAXY devices. For those yet to experience its joys, Flipboard is an ever-refreshing digital magazine that's tailored perfectly to you. The beautifully designed app plays nice with your social networks to collate all of the content most relevant to you, while also incorporating favourite blogs, reputable news sources and specific topics you've chosen. It harnesses links and content shared by friends or people you follow on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, SoundCloud and YouTube as well as a feed of photos from Instagram, Flickr and 500px. If used correctly, Flipboard is the entire web in one app. 
Google Play BooksFree – get it here If you are rocking a GALAXY Note 8.0 in your rucksack, you've got a potential library of millions of books on a device that weighs less than a hardback novel. Through the Google Play Books app, you can access over 4 million titles, from classics to modern bestsellers, with over a million completely free. Once the book has been downloaded to the device – quick as a flash, we might add – you can change lighting, fonts and text size to ensure the reading experience is tailored to your preferences and environment. You can also annotate books, highlight passages, explore sections further on the web and even summon dictionary definitions of words. Can't do that on a trade paperback, can you? 
PocketFree – get it here The Pocket app for your Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 takes the best aspects of two of our favourite reader apps – Instapaper and Flipboard – to gather up all of the web content you don't have time to read and make it available for offline viewing in one neat and tidy pile. Say you're next in line in Tesco and you see a feature on "100 cats who look like film stars." You can simply hit 'Save to Pocket' from the share menu and read it later when time is less pressing and the LOLs are free. The same goes for that YouTube video or blog post a friend retweeted; all of the content you collate will be synced back to the app. If you're browsing on your laptop, you can install a browser extension to ensure everything you want to read is available on the go on your mobile, as content is automatically synced between devices when you're logged in. As it's all available offline, it's perfect for an afternoon in the park with your Note 8.0. 
Google Play MagazinesFree – get it here A relative – but welcome – newcomer to the Google Play store, Play Magazines offers you access to digital versions of a host of top-quality magazines, perfectly optimised for reading on your Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0. You can snap up a free 30-day trial (essentially one issue) of magazines like GQ, Total Film, Esquire, Classic Rock and Vogue. Some magazines are simply digital versions of the print issue, but others, like T3, bring a host of interactive boxouts, photo-galleries, 360-degree product shots, hands-on videos and more exclusive features. That, friends, is the future. 
Samsung Readers HubThe Samsung Readers Hub, built into your GALAXY Note 8.0, enables users to enjoy all of their reading material on the go, wherever they roam. With over 100,000 books, 3,500 magazines and 2,000 newspapers (from around the world in a range of languages) to choose from, you'll never be short of something to read. It's also packed with neat social features, allowing you to share your favourite passages to Twitter and Facebook. GALAXY Note 8.0 owners can even make use of the S Pen to annotate text as they would a print textbook, so it is perfect for studious types. The store offers free and discounted books to get you started too. Can't say fairer than that! 
Comics by ComiXologyFree – get it here The Comics app is almost singlehandedly solving the problems of reading comic books and graphic novels on digital platforms thanks to its Guided View technology. As the name suggests, Guided View shows you the comic on a panel-by-panel basis, rather than having to zoom and pan around the smaller screens in order to follow the story. The visuals look incredible on the GALAXY Note 8.0, and it's a great way to access the latest releases from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, IDW and more. Thanks to the 'buy once, read anywhere' promise, all purchases are synced across your devices so you can pick up where you left off on your smartphone, laptop or tablet. 
KindleFree – get it here The world's most famous – and most frequented – bookstore is available to download now for your GALAXY Note 8.0. If you've bought titles from the Kindle store before, all you need to do is log in and they'll automatically appear on the device. Pretty nifty, huh? Better still, Amazon's Whispersync technology acts as a virtual bookmark and saves your current page across all devices. That also applies to any highlights and annotations made on other devices. The app has a built-in dictionary, plus easy access to Google and Wikipedia. Magazines and textbooks are also available to download from the Kindle store. 
BaconReaderFree – get it here - (or £1.23 for the Premium version here) Like most 'Redditors', we've tried checking into Reddit Rehab, but we always end up relapsing. Now we've simply surrendered to the addiction and its productivity-mauling consequences. At least with the BaconReader app, designed exclusively for Android users, the descent into the Reddit abyss looks great on your GALAXY Note 8.0. It shows you the site's all-important front page, while a single tap brings access to upvote/downvote options as well as comments. It's easy to access all of your bookmarked subreddits (categories to the layman), check on your comment and link 'Karma' and share your own content to the site. It's also extremely user-friendly and colour codes comments so you never lose your place in a thread. Anything with bacon in the name gets our vote too. There's a free ad-supported version as well as a premium ad-free version.   | | GALAXY within the GALAXY: A cosmos on your S4 Sep 23rd 2013, 10:26, by Your Mobile Life 
Are we really alone in the universe? Is there intelligent life out there beyond our tiny planet? Is there any way we can escape the Royal Baby coverage by moving to a new home in the stars? Well the Samsung GALAXY S4 might not offer a definitive answer to the eternal search, but it does allow you to have a good look. The Google Play Store is packed with awesome apps for amateur stargazers and seasoned astronomers alike. Here's our top ten for exploring the night sky and beyond. 
SkySafari Pro£22.99 – Buy it here "Go big or go home," as our boisterous cousins across the Atlantic like to say, and while SkySafari Pro might be (by far) the most expensive option in our round-up, with 15.3 million stars and 740,000 galaxies within this app, it's easy to see where that extra cash goes. Once the app becomes part of your own GALAXY (sorry, we're really trying to keep the galaxy puns to a minimum), it promises to completely replace your desktop astronomy software. It can show you a view of the sky from any place on earth, while the time machine feature allows you to look at the constellations 100 years into the past or future. As with many of these apps you can use the S4's built-in compass to point your phone at any star and learn its name and story. If you have a connected "PushTo" telescope, SkySafari Pro will command the device to hone in on any point in the sky, via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. 
Mobile Observatory£3.99 – Buy it here This app is great for keeping up to speed with the latest celestial events occurring beyond the confines of our postage-stamp-sized presence in the cosmos. Mobile Observatory will alert you to the next meteor shower, passing comet or lunar eclipse. Also, if one bright star is practically burning out your retinas with its awesomeness, there's a live, zoomable sky map to fill you in. There's also an interactive top-down view of the solar system to play with and even a feature that tells you the exact positioning of the Millennium Falcon with a live Han-Cam. Okay, we made that last bit up. 
NASA App Free – Get it here As the man who saved us all from Armageddon, Bruce Willis, once said: "You're NASA for cryin' out loud…I'm sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking stuff up!" Well this app is the fruits of labour from a team of guys thinking stuff up. The NASA app for Android is free to download and brings access to the Agency's library of on-demand videos, live streaming of NASA TV, as well as updates on current missions, access to 11,000 images and an International Space Station tracker. There's not quite enough Bruce Willis or Ben Affleck for our tastes, but it's still a must-have. 
Google Sky Map Free – Get it here If you loved Google Earth then Google Sky Map is simply out of this world. Anyway, puns aside, let's clear one thing up before we start. No, Google didn't drive around in little SpaceView cars with cameras poking out of them charting every inch of space and occasionally capturing an odd alien couple engaging in coitus or vomiting against an off-licence. That would be stupid and impossible. Anyway, Sky View is from the old school of Android apps, and its USP is its ability to find any star in the solar system and beyond. So, for example, you can type in "Mars" and the handset (again using GPS and compass data) will guide you in the direction of the red planet. 
Space Images Free – Get it here Space Images may have the 'John Smith' of astronomy app names, but we're glad that, instead of sitting around coming up with a clever name like 'SkyEye,' NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs team decided to focus their energies on packing this freebie with content. It's full of incredible, vivid photos from all corners of reachable space, all of which look particularly striking on the GALAXY S4's 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen. The app boasts snaps of the surface of Mars taken by Curiosity's MAHLI camera and an unbelievable recent shot of the Earth taken from the rings of Saturn by the Cassini spacecraft, 1 billion miles away. The app also showcases images taken of Earth during major events, such as the recent mountain fires in California. It's a stunning free app that serves up interesting content every day. For this reason alone we're glad that, despite recent budget cuts, President Obama is still writing cheques to NASA. 
Moon Phase Pro69p – Buy it here Moon Phase Pro is a spectacular live wallpaper app that shows the current phase of the moon in superb and vivid detail ("right down to the shadows in the craters," the developer boasts). Yet it is so much more too. There's a full Lunar calendar giving you information on the next full moon. If you ever wanted to visit the Dark Side of the Moon, the app allows you to swipe around the 3D simulated model with two fingers. There's also detailed information on moonrise and moonset times, as well as a neat feature that allows you to view the moon at any time from 1900 to 2100. 
Vortex Planetarium £1.99 – Buy it here Augmented Reality, ladies and gents. Undoubtedly awesome and particularly useful when it comes to astronomy apps. Just open Vortex Planetarium and point it towards the darkness above. The app automatically opens the camera on your GALAXY S4 and instead of a visualisation of the sky you'll see the real deal, complete with detailed annotations naming the stars, constellations and planets (there are 200,000 items in total to find) within the lens' wide field of vision. There's also an awesome time-slider at the bottom of the screen that allows you to travel back and forwards in time, while the weather forecast feature lets you mark clear nights perfect for stargazing. While some of these apps can be information heavy, Vortex combines great design and a simple interface to take its place as one of our favourite apps in the sector. 
The Night Sky 99p – Buy it here Some of the apps featured within this round-up are perfect for serious or budding astronomers looking to augment their hobby, while others are just really cool to play around with when you're standing outside in the dark with nothing to do. The Night Sky falls into the latter category. Just hold your smartphone up to the sky to show the stars, planets, constellations and satellites within its line of sight. Like other apps with this functionality, it works by combining the GALAXY S4's GPS signal with the device's built-in compass, so can turn around 360 degrees and see what's to the north, south, east or west. You can also use the neat 'Share My Sky option' to share what you're seeing to Facebook and Twitter. If you're that way inclined. 
Earth-Now Free – Get it here We've spent so much time looking outwards lately, we almost forgot that it's also possible to view our own world from a unique, extra-terrestrial perspective. Thanks to the satellites positioned above the earth, this app presents a wealth of vital states for our little, insignificant dot in the cosmos, including colour coded Air Temperature, Gravity Field, Sea Level, and Ozone indicators and as well as those nasty Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide concentrations. There are also handy keys for each state and their respective measurement units (ppm = parts per million, etc). Earth Now is another great-looking free app from the Jet Propulsion unit at NASA. And, if you're wondering why there's a disproportionate amount of apps from the Agency? Well, you want good apps, right? (Sorry, but we're not sorry). 
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD Free – Get it here After all of this app-based astronomical education, you've earned a little playtime, and we'd heartily recommend GoF2 from Fishlabs. This detailed sci-fi shooter and strategy game sees you take on the role of the first scouser in space (ignoring Dave Lister), Kevin T Maxwell, and embark on a ten-hour plus campaign mode, shooting down some fellow space inhabitants, while bartering with others. As well as the engrossing gameplay, there's an awesome level of detail and graphical prowess, enhanced by your GALAXY S4's 5-inch full HD Super AMOLED screen, 2GB RAM, Qualcomm Adreno 320 GPU, and powerful Quad-Core 1.9GHz Snapdragon 800 processor. Once you've completed the story mode there are additional storylines you can purchase in-app to keep the adventures going.   | |
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