| In Depth: A GALAXY of music in your pocket Oct 7th 2013, 13:50, by Your Mobile Life 
One of the most striking technological developments in recent years has been the emergence of mobile devices as repositories for our music libraries. Indeed, why shouldn't we use our phones to house our music collections? After all, modern mobiles have expanded their remit way beyond the mere act of making phone calls, and are now more concerned with fulfilling all your digital needs with one dependable device that fits in your pocket. And it turns out that the GALAXY S4 and the GALAXY Note 3 are Samsung's best phones yet when it comes to accessing, managing and playing your music – not to mention discovering new songs. Let's examine how. 
1. Get involved with GALAXY MusicIf you own a GALAXY device then you would, frankly, be mad not to download a new app created by Samsung. Called Samsung GALAXY Music it's free, and is a musical reward centre for Samsung GALAXY owners. It's a pretty simple app, with four elements: News, Music, Concerts and Events. They're all pretty self-explanatory – Samsung is rewarding its customer base with digital music, videos of specially commissioned gigs, news of artists with which it is working, and the low-down on online and offline events it is curating. 
2. GALAXY Music – in useThe Samsung GALAXY Music app is simplicity itself to use. To download it, simply sign into your Samsung Account, nab it for your GALAXY device and then you're free to browse. We'd advise you to head for the News section first, since it explains what GALAXY Music is all about. For example, that's where you discover that it's a points-driven app – to download a track made by a GALAXY artist, say, you need 40 points. Already, Samsung has signed up the rather excellent Icona Pop, among others, and you can rest assured that the GALAXY artist roster will grow dramatically in the coming months. 
3. Look out for gigs and eventsIn the Concerts area, there's a schedule of upcoming gigs by GALAXY Music bands (globally, of course), plus galleries of videos and Dual Shot photos of the bands, which also show the lucky fans who took the pictures. But your best chance of getting involved – at least until the GALAXY Music gigs move out of Asia and into Europe – comes with the Events. There's a GALAXY Band Challenge coming up; budding musicians take note. 
4. Access your music with My GALAXY's helpAlong similar lines – but more UK-specific – is a great new app from Samsung UK called My GALAXY. Its aim is simple: to help you get the absolute maximum out of your GALAXY S4 or Note 3. Like GALAXY Music, it includes plenty of offers, with music very much to the fore. Plus it contains some really useful "how-to" instructions, and links to recommended apps. If you've recently acquired a GALAXY S4 or a new GALAXY Note 3, your first port of call should be Smart Switch which will let you transfer your music (along with any other content you don't want to be without) from your previous mobile phone. 
5. Find more music-related accessories with My GALAXYMy GALAXY also features a comprehensive collection of accessories – such as Bluetooth-enabled music players – that could turn your GALAXY device into the perfect music machine. It's also rammed with a wealth of articles, covering lesser known but deeply useful GALAXY features, plus news of Samsung's partnerships, events and rewards for loyal customers. And don't forget to browse the Exclusive Offers section – we all love a great deal, don't we? 
6. Essential music apps no. 1: SpotifyOnce you've decided that you want to use your GALAXY S4 or Note 3 as your primary mobile music library and player, you'll be well advised to download some of these indispensible music-based apps. Perhaps the most essential, in our humble opinion, is Spotify. The music-streaming service containing just about every decent tune ever made, which allows you to create your own playlists, is a must. We should point out that Spotify Premium users on mobile must pay a £9.99 monthly subscription fee for this rather wonderful privilege – but it's certainly worth it. 
7. Essential music apps no. 2: ShazamAnother must-have app – recommended by My GALAXY – is Shazam. Frankly, the first time you use Shazam, it will seem more like sorcery than an Android app. If you're out and about, and like the sound of a song that is playing, just launch Shazam, and it will tell you what that song is. Bosh! 
8. Essential music apps no. 3: SoundCloudNext up there's SoundCloud. This music-sharing service has really taken off in recent years, and has become the first port of call for musicians looking to test out reactions to their latest musical epics. It's also stuffed with some of the finest DJ sets ever. Most of its content can only be streamed, but artists are able to set it so you can download tracks. It is, undoubtedly, the go-to place for discovering new music. 
9. Essential music apps no. 4: TuneIn RadioAnother joy of the digital age is the way in which the entire world of radio can be accessed from the web. And if you want to add that ability to your GALAXY S4 or Note 3, we would suggest that you download TuneIn Radio. Like SoundCloud, this app lets you stream, and not just selections of individual artists' tracks, but also a bewildering cornucopia of radio stations from around the world. 
10. Control your music with GALAXY GearOnce you're happy with the music library on your GALAXY Note 3, you can add the final flashy touch – guaranteed to impress your friends – by teaming your phone up with the amazing Samsung GALAXY Gear, an item straight out of the world of science-fiction. It may look like a watch, but it's a companion device designed to let you access everything on your GALAXY Note 3 from your wrist, as well as conduct hands-free calls, pick up text messages and more, all without removing your phone from your pocket. One of the GALAXY Gear's coolest features is the ability to control the music playing on your GALAXY Note 3 merely by touching your wrist. If you fancy yourself as a dedicated gadget-lover, the GALAXY Gear is, quite simply, a must-have.        |  | In Depth: Your essential guide to the GALAXY S4 zoom Oct 7th 2013, 12:22, by Your Mobile Life 
The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom is a powerful device that cleverly combines the latest GALAXY S4 smartphone with some of Samsung's advanced photographic tech.
The S4 zoom is part of the GALAXY S4 family and is ideal if you are after a single device that works as a cutting-edge smartphone and a high-end compact camera.
Combining winning GALAXY S4 tech with a 10x Optical Zoom, 16 Mega Pixel CMOS Sensor and a Xenon Flash, the S4 zoom is the perfect mobile photography device. And here's why. 
1. Zoom Ring You don't have to be a camera fiend to get the most out of the GALAXY S4 zoom's stand-out feature: the Zoom Ring. You'll find this superb zoom lens on the back of the handset and, as well as letting you zoom smoothly in on your photographic subjects, it enables you to do a whole lot more. Firstly, why should being in the middle of a call stop you from snapping and sharing photos? It shouldn't – so a simple twist of the Zoom Ring activates the In-Call Photo Share feature, allowing you to take a snap and send it directly to whoever you're talking to via MMS. When you're not on the phone, a twist of the Zoom Ring launches a camera menu enabling you to jump straight into whatever feature best suits the shot you're about to take. 
2. Zooming in Of course, the Zoom Ring serves a vital purpose. It houses a powerful 10x Optical Zoom lens that means you can get up close and personal with your subject without compromising on quality. Your videos will also benefit from the Optical Zoom system – you can zoom in smoothly by twisting the Zoom Ring rather than having to rely on a button that could upset the shot. Pro and amateur photographers alike will also appreciate the built-in Optical Image Stabilizer. This means your shot will stay steady with minimal blur, no matter how far you've zoomed in. 
3. Sensor and lens As well as that high-end Optical Zoom, you've got a powerful lens to play with on the GALAXY S4 zoom. Combined with an impressive 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, this allows you to capture high-quality, high-resolution photographs. The camera is set up to handle low-light photography particularly well, thanks to the inclusion of a backside illuminated (BSI) sensor; so even those late-night pub selfies should come out well. With a Xenon Flash on board too, there's no reason why even the darkest night-time shots shouldn't come out as clear as day. 
4. TouchWiz user interfaceAs well as being a top compact camera, the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom is a powerful smartphone, too. It's running the latest version of Android, known as Android 4.2 or Jelly Bean, with Samsung's TouchWiz UI running on top. This means you get the best of Android, including access to Google Play and more than 1,000,000 apps, but you also get the opportunity to set the GALAXY S4 zoom up just the way you'd like it. TouchWiz allows you to customise the look of your handset, so you can set up the lock screen and notification bar exactly as you want them. 
5. Speedy 4G Next-gen connection speeds are key to any smartphone experience – and the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom leads the pack, with 4G LTE connectivity available if you opt for the right data package. Also on board is high-speed 3G, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity for when you're ready to share those photographic masterpieces with the world. Other connectivity options include Near Field Communication (NFC) for contactless data transfer and payments, and Bluetooth 4.0 for high-speed, low-power wireless sharing between devices. 
6. Screen The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, which will give you plenty of room to frame and focus shots as you take them. It's also roomy enough to let you comfortably browse back through your gallery, which means that editing photos as you go is a breeze. And as the handset's screen is a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED affair, you'll always be able to view crisp, high-res photos shot on the go. 
7. Camera functions The Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom may come with some impressive camera hardware, but it's not skimping on the software side of things either. Not only is the camera interface incredibly easy to use, but it also comes with a host of options. Confident photographers will relish the opportunity to tweak ISO settings and shutter speeds in manual mode, while casual snappers will be happy with the auto settings. There are also set-ups ready to go for certain types of picture, including settings for landscapes, snow scenes, indoor shots, fast-moving action snaps and more. 
8. Memory and power It's no good being able to take perfect photos if you've got no space to store them. Happily, the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom comes with a microSD slot so you can expand its storage to up to 72GB – that's enough space for you to snap away to your heart's content without having to worry that you'll run out of room. Another thing you won't have to worry about running out of is power, as the GALAXY S4 zoom features a 2,330mAh battery that should keep you snapping all day. 
9. Buttons A touchscreen is great for most phone functions, but there are some things that simply work better with buttons. That's why you'll find a dedicated shutter button on the top panel of the Samsung GALAXY S4 zoom, just as you'd find on a traditional compact camera. This will help you keep the handset steady as you take a shot. There's also a tripod mount on the opposite side of the device, so you can set up shots that you yourself are in, which you can then trigger by using either the timer or voice control.
10. Group Play Taking pictures is all well and good but sometimes you'll just want to kick back and let someone else entertain you. Enter Group Play – a nifty feature that lets you share music tracks, photos and games between Samsung devices, so you can listen and play together with friends with consummate ease. Meanwhile, you can search out the latest and greatest songs, videos, ebooks and games on the dedicated Samsung Hub, which is included on the GALAXY S4 zoom as standard.        | | LG flexes its muscles - confirms flexible smartphone display is on its way Oct 7th 2013, 11:49, by Hugh Langley 
It's almost like LG heard about the Samsung Galaxy Round rumours this morning, with the company having just announced it's to start mass producing the its first flexible OLED panel for smartphones. LG has been showing plenty of interest in the flexible space and its first flexible smartphone, the LG Flex or LG Z (as it's currently being referred to as) has also been working the rumour mill for a while. Today LG has confirmed that the flexible smartphone screen is coming, claiming it to be a world first. The flexible OLED panel will use plastic substrates instead of glass and will be bendable and, LG claims, "unbreakable". Life's bendy"Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year," said Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LG Display, Dr Sang Deog Yeo. LG's new OLED panel will be 0.44mm thin and LG says it will weigh just 7.2g "even with a 6-inch screen". Just like the 6-inch screen the LG Flex is rumoured to have, then. LG also hinted that the technology will used in devices beyond its smartphones. That LG smartwatch would make sense right about now... While LG is going big on the "world's first" business, Samsung is also believed to be in the running, and may even be announcing its first flexible handset this week. - The LG G2 is already here, but what's our verdict?
       | | LG flexes its muscles - confirms flexible smartphone display is on its way Oct 7th 2013, 11:49, by Hugh Langley
It's almost like LG heard about the Samsung Galaxy Round rumours this morning, with the company having just announced it's to start mass producing the its first flexible OLED panel for smartphones. LG has been showing plenty of interest in the flexible space and its first flexible smartphone, the LG Flex or LG Z (as it's currently being referred to as) has also been working the rumour mill for a while. Today LG has confirmed that the flexible smartphone screen is coming, claiming it to be a world first. The flexible OLED panel will use plastic substrates instead of glass and will be bendable and, LG claims, "unbreakable". Life's bendy"Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year," said Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LG Display, Dr Sang Deog Yeo. LG's new OLED panel will be 0.44mm thin and LG says it will weigh just 7.2g "even with a 6-inch screen". Just like the 6-inch screen the LG Flex is rumoured to have, then. LG also hinted that the technology will used in devices beyond its smartphones. That LG smartwatch would make sense right about now... While LG is going big on the "world's first" business, Samsung is also believed to be in the running, and may even be announcing its first flexible handset this week. - The LG G2 is already here, but what's our verdict?
       | | LG G Pad 8.3 launch details finally unveiled Oct 7th 2013, 10:45, by Thomas Thorn 
LG's latest Android tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3, is something that quietly excited us in IFA, and now we have a cheeky launch date too. Starting on home soil in South Korea, the G Pad 8.3 will launch on October 14, then will move to more than 30 countries across North American, European, Latin American, Asian, CIS and Africa before the start of 2014. Following in the footsteps of the impressive LG G2 handset, the G Pad 8.3 aims to pitch at the higher end of the market, with prices announced at 550,000 WON (around £320 / $510 / AUS$550). More expensive than the iPad MiniThis puts the LG G Pad 8.3 more expensive than the current iPad Mini (and the expected iPad Mini 2), a device that already comes in with a premium price tag in comparison to other smaller tablets like the new Google Nexus 7. 
LG's G Pad is slightly larger though, with the name reflecting the 8.3-inch screen size, although LG point out that the 126.5mm width is designed to fit comfortably in one hand. The Korean's offering also bests the iPad Mini with resolution, the G Pad with a 1920 x 1200 display, meaning 273ppi compared to the 163ppi from Cupertino. Elsewhere the G Pad 8.3 comes with a 4600mAh battery, a skinned 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, Qualcomm's 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM and support for up to 64GB of microSD storage. Via AndroidCommunity        | | LG G Pad 8.3 launch details finally unveiled Oct 7th 2013, 10:45, by Thomas Thorn
LG's latest Android tablet, the LG G Pad 8.3, is something that quietly excited us in IFA, and now we have a cheeky launch date too. Starting on home soil in South Korea, the G Pad 8.3 will launch on October 14, then will move to more than 30 countries across North American, European, Latin American, Asian, CIS and Africa before the start of 2014. Following in the footsteps of the impressive LG G2 handset, the G Pad 8.3 aims to pitch at the higher end of the market, with prices announced at 550,000 WON (around £320 / $510 / AUS$550). More expensive than the iPad MiniThis puts the LG G Pad 8.3 more expensive than the current iPad Mini (and the expected iPad Mini 2), a device that already comes in with a premium price tag in comparison to other smaller tablets like the new Google Nexus 7.
LG's G Pad is slightly larger though, with the name reflecting the 8.3-inch screen size, although LG point out that the 126.5mm width is designed to fit comfortably in one hand. The Korean's offering also bests the iPad Mini with resolution, the G Pad with a 1920 x 1200 display, meaning 273ppi compared to the 163ppi from Cupertino. Elsewhere the G Pad 8.3 comes with a 4600mAh battery, a skinned 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, Qualcomm's 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 CPU, 2GB of RAM and support for up to 64GB of microSD storage. Via AndroidCommunity        | | Next-gen camera could supercharge Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 Oct 7th 2013, 10:40, by Thomas Thorn 
As soon as the latest, greatest new phone is released, the attention suddenly turns to what's next, so news that Samsung could massively improve cameraphone images in its next range of phones makes perfect sense. Patent Bolt reckons that Samsung has developed a new 13MP sensor, which can capture images at 8 times brighter than the current snap-holes in both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. This means that areas with lower lighting conditions will appear much brighter, putting the new sensor up against the likes of the HTC One that was lauded for its low light capabilities. Sharper Facebook photos incomingPhotos should also be a lot less blurry, as the same report says that the new camera sensor also packs in greater anti-shake functionality, able to compensate for wobblier hands than most compact cameras, as well as being more power friendly. The report also states that Samsung is planning to put the new sensor into mass production in the first half of 2014, fitting in with the time frame for the annual release of the Samsung Galaxy S flagships. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched in April, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 expected at the same time next year. Samsung's Galaxy Note phablet range also tends to use the same sensors as the Galaxy S flagships, meaning that the Galaxy Note 4 should also come with the new sensor.        | | Next-gen camera tech set to supercharge Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 Oct 7th 2013, 10:40, by Thomas Thorn
As soon as the latest, greatest new phone is released, the attention suddenly turns to what's next, so news that Samsung could massively improve cameraphone images in its next range of phones makes perfect sense. Patent Bolt reckons that Samsung has developed a new 13MP sensor, which can capture images at 8 times brighter than the current snap-holes in both the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. This means that areas with lower lighting conditions will appear much brighter, putting the new sensor up against the likes of the HTC One that was lauded for its low light capabilities. Sharper Facebook photos incomingPhotos should also be a lot less blurry, as the same report says that the new camera sensor also packs in greater anti-shake functionality, able to compensate for wobblier hands than most compact cameras, as well as being more power friendly. The report also states that Samsung is planning to put the new sensor into mass production in the first half of 2014, fitting in with the time frame for the annual release of the Samsung Galaxy S flagships. The Samsung Galaxy S4 was launched in April, with the Samsung Galaxy S5 expected at the same time next year. Samsung's Galaxy Note phablet range also tends to use the same sensors as the Galaxy S flagships, meaning that the Galaxy Note 4 should also come with the new sensor.   | | HTC One Max shows up all over the place with revealing new info Oct 7th 2013, 10:30, by Hugh Langley 
The HTC One Max - if this thing doesn't show up soon then we'll eat our collective TechRadar hat. The phone has just popped up again, this time in three places, strongly suggesting that we'll be seeing it this month. First up are some pictures of the HTC One Max in a Verizon-stamped variant, discovered on Android Central, which were allegedly snapped inside an actual Verizon store where the phone was being shown to employees. It's also been put side by side with an iPhone 5 to help you appreciate the beefier size. Then some more leaked photos showed up in China, via ePrice, along with word that the phone will come with an accessory 1200 mAh batter cover that will attach to the handset. Maximum hypeWhile this will pack the phone with a fair bit more juice, it'll also bulk the handset up a little, but it's a nice option to have. The same leak claims the phone will have 16GB of storage while a 32GB will follow at a later date and we're also expecting a 5.9-inch full HD display. It also claims the phone will have a commercial availability date of October 21. Right now we're expecting an announcement to take place on October 15. Finally, as if that wasn't enough, The Unwired spotted that the phone also got Global Certification Forum approval, revealing a quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE device. This thing's as good as confirmed, right?        | | Sony Xperia Z1 Mini turns up again - with added specs Oct 7th 2013, 09:40, by Thomas Thorn 
More photos of the Sony Xperia Z1 Mini have surfaced today, showing the Xperia Z1's baby brother in all its colourful glory once again. The photos come courtesy of a blog post by rbmen, showing a device called the Xperia Z1 f. Whilst we have to say this could be an entirely different device, given different international naming strategies and the last specification leak, this looks likely to be the heavily rumoured Xperia Z1 Mini. Today's image shows the Xperia Z1 f in the same variety of colours (pink and lime) as well as the obligatory black and white we saw last time. . The blog post also provides new insight into the internal specifications, stating that there will be 32GB of internal storage rather than the 16GB we've heard of before, and IP58 certification, making it waterpoof and dustproof. Mini phone, massive cameraThe brochure image also shows off the camera, with a 20.7MP label being seen to the left of the camera lens. This puts the camera sensor on par with the larger Xperia Z1, although we'd be surprised if it was imbued with precisely the same high-end tech (such as the fancy G Lens) given the smaller dimensions the Z1 Mini is supposed to offer. Previous leaks suggesting that the Xperia Z1 Mini will come with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, as well as 2GB of RAM are also backed up. Like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, many have suggested that the Sony Xperia Z1 f will be titled 'Mini' thanks to the lower specifications, given that all leaks put the Xperia Z1 f with a reasonable 4.3 inch 720p screen, and running Android 4.2.2. Via Softpedia.com        | | Sony Xperia Z1 Mini turns up again - with added specs Oct 7th 2013, 09:40, by Thomas Thorn
More photos of the Sony Xperia Z1 Mini have surfaced today, showing the Xperia Z1's baby brother in all its colourful glory once again. The photos come courtesy of a blog post by rbmen, showing a device called the Xperia Z1 f. Whilst we have to say this could be an entirely different device, given different international naming strategies and the last specification leak, this looks likely to be the heavily rumoured Xperia Z1 Mini. Today's image shows the Xperia Z1 f in the same variety of colours (pink and lime) as well as the obligatory black and white we saw last time. . The blog post also provides new insight into the internal specifications, stating that there will be 32GB of internal storage rather than the 16GB we've heard of before, and IP58 certification, making it waterpoof and dustproof. Mini phone, massive cameraThe brochure image also shows off the camera, with a 20.7MP label being seen to the left of the camera lens. This puts the camera sensor on par with the larger Xperia Z1, although we'd be surprised if it was imbued with precisely the same high-end tech (such as the fancy G Lens) given the smaller dimensions the Z1 Mini is supposed to offer. Previous leaks suggesting that the Xperia Z1 Mini will come with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz, as well as 2GB of RAM are also backed up. Like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, many have suggested that the Sony Xperia Z1 f will be titled 'Mini' thanks to the lower specifications, given that all leaks put the Xperia Z1 f with a reasonable 4.3 inch 720p screen, and running Android 4.2.2. Via Softpedia.com        | | Samsung's first flexible phone to arrive in shape of Galaxy Round this week? Oct 7th 2013, 08:58, by Hugh Langley 
It's looking likely that Samsung will jump ahead of LG and announce its rumoured curved display smartphone this week. We've known that it's been coming for some time, and now Korean media source Asiae is reporting that the handset will touch down this week and with the name of the Samsung Galaxy Round, offering a plastic (and therefore more durable) replacement for the glass display. Just the other day, a mystery Samsung device showed up in benchmarking tests under the name of the SM-G910. The Snapdragon 800 processor and Adreno 330 graphics chip of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 were spotted on the bill. Meanwhile, previous speculation has suggested the handset will have a smaller 5.5-inch display. Snap back to realityRumoured specs for the Galaxy Round are similar to those of the Galaxy Note 3, and there's no clue about pricing. In other words, it's still very much up in the air. LG is also believed to be in the flexible phone race, with the G Flex rumoured to be appearing in November.        | |
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