Samsung to Build MP3 Players with XM
Satellite radio service XM announced on Tuesday that it would partner with Samsung to introduce MP3 players with satellite radio capability by year's end. The players would use XM's Connect-and-Play technology and come with a home accessory kit to allow access to the satellite radio.
"XM's award-winning programming and technology provide us with a unique opportunity to offer products that empower consumers and fundamentally change the way people listen to music," D.J. Oh, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics of America, said in a statement.
Samsung, Motorola Sharing Technology
Although they may be rivals in the mobile phone industry, Samsung and Motorola announced a deal on Friday that will allow them to share technology between the two companies. The move is in an effort to prevent legal issues related to each other's intellectual property, or IP.
Samsung, which reported the deal in a filing with the Korea Exchange, said it was barred from releasing terms of the deal. Deals like this are not uncommon - Samsung also has a deal with Sony to share some of its patents, and LG and Matsushita of Japan settled disputes over plasma display technology by sharing theirs. Samsung and Motorola are No. 2 and 3 in terms of mobile phone sales.
Samsung Unveils High-Speed Windows Phone
Verizon and Samsung on Thursday announced the first commercially available Windows Mobile device to support high-speed EV-DO technology. The Samsung SCH-i730 will become widely available next month exclusively through Verizon, and features a slide design that hides a built-in keyboard when not in use.
The i730 also includes Bluetooth capabilities and built in Wi-Fi, as well as an SD expansion slot for added memory. 64MB of RAM and 128MB of Flash memory will come standard with the device.
Samsung Debuts High Capacity Flash
Samsung has developed a new line of Flash memory that will not only allow manufacturers to shrink devices even further, but also provide more space and higher speed than was previously thought possible.
The new technology will allow for up to 8GB of data to be stored on a single Flash chip, meaning devices will stay the same size while their storage capacities will be vastly increased. The 4-gigabit Flash memory chip will allow for 40 percent more chips to be put on each wafer of silicon.
Samsung Builds Flash Based Disk Drive
Samsung says it has developed a way to store up to 16GB of data using Flash memory, a development that could lead to extended battery life for notebook and tablet PCs. Flash memory has a power consumption that is five percent of today's hard disk drive, according to the company.
These solid-state disk (SSD) Flash-based drives will also provide faster access to data, at about two-and-a-half times the speed of current notebook hard drives. In tests, Samsung was able to read data at 57 megabytes per second (MBps) and write at 32MBps.
Samsung Debuts New MP3 Players
Samsung unveiled six new MP3 players that it hopes will further solidify its position in the portable music market on Thursday, and it hopes to triple its sales and gain market share on Apple's iPod.
The iPod holds a 70 percent market share worldwide, and an 80 percent market share within the United States. So far, most companies have been unsuccessful in finding a player that consumers have chosen in large numbers over the iPod, although devices like Creative's Zen Micro have shown some promise.
Samsung Player Sports MP3, Diamonds
If bling is your thing, then Samsung has the MP3 player for you. The electronics maker showed off its latest creation this past week at CeBIT, the European technology fair. Encrusted with 12 diamond studs, the audio player will hold up to 1 gigabyte of music and also features an FM tuner.
Samsung told reporters that it expects the player to be available at a price below $1,000. While the player may not appeal to most consumers, it does continue a general trend of high-class customizations to popular electronics products.
Samsung Phone Packs 3GB Hard Drive
A 7-megapixel camera with phone isn't the only hybrid device Samsung has on display this week at CeBIT in Germany. The electronics giant and number two phone maker has developed a Windows Mobile based handset with 3GB hard drive, which enables the device to offer iPod-like music and storage capabilities.
The SGH-I300 doubles the storage of Samsungs first hard drive phone that debuted last September, and is the first such device to function on GSM networks. But Samsung isn't the only manufacturer rolling out new mobile phones with big capacities for multimedia; Motorola is preparing its own hard drive laden handset, which is expected to appear before the end of the year.
Samsung Demos 7MP Camera Phone
This week at CeBIT in Germany, Samsung is showcasing a 7-megapixel camera phone that blurs the line between mobile handsets and digital cameras. In fact, the SCH-V770 resembles a still camera more than it does a phone. It includes a 3x optical zoom lens and 2-inch TFT display above a dial keypad.
Samsung has also added photography features not found on most camera phones, including manual focus and controllable shutter speeds. Like most new consumer handsets, the SCH-V770 includes an MP3 player for music playback. Samsung has not announced pricing or a release date, but said last month it expects only a 5-megapixel phone to reach the United States this year.
Samsung Creates 82-Inch TFT LCD
Samsung announced Monday it has built the world's largest TFT LCD display for TV, which measures 82 inches. The monster LCD will be showcased at CeBIT in Germany later this week, and serve to dispel the misconception that TFT displays cannot reach sizes attained by plasma or rear-projection televisions.
The 82-inch LCD boasts a 1200:1 contrast ratio and 8ms response time. The screen is the first developed by S-LCD - a joint venture between Samsung and Sony. Samsung says it plans to invest over $2 billion in the development of a 7th generation LCD production line to compete with market rival L.G. Phillips.
Samsung: 5MP Camera Phone in 2005
Samsung is ramping up its efforts of convergence between consumer electronics devices and mobile phones, announcing an ambitious plan to unveil a 5-megapixel camera phone before the end of the year.
Although camera phones are currently far more limited -- and often more expensive -- than standard digital cameras, Samsung says mobile handsets will account for 75 percent of digital cameras sold this year. The company says it will offer photo capabilities on over half its U.S. handsets in 2005.
Samsung Sees Mobile, LCD Profits Drop
Samsung Electronics has reported its quarterly profits have dropped 42 percent, amid falling cell phone prices and added pressure from rival Nokia. One year ago the number two mobile phone manufacturer was riding high on $2.5 billion in profits. But Samsung says it aims to sell 100 million phones this year, compared to 86 million in 2004.
Despite the growing sales, the company was forced to lower prices due to increased competition from mobile industry leader Nokia. Samsung, however, expects numbers to rebound once it rolls out higher priced phones later this quarter. Samsung's profits were also hurt by falling demand in LCDs, with uptake of flat screen televisions slower than expected.
Samsung Eyes Next Generation TV
Samsung finalized agreements this week with two of the biggest cable companies, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, to work together on technologies that will be incorporated into the next generation of Samsung televisions. The TVs will be embedded with XHT bi-directional cable receivers, thus eliminating the need for a separate cable box.
XHT is a home network technology that uses Firewire cables to control multiple high-definition televisions and is compatible with digital rights management. It would also allow several HDTVs, as well as audio and video devices, to be controlled by a single remote control.
Samsung Announces 'Wireless Hand PC'
This week at CES, Samsung announced a new category of handhelds it calls the "Wireless Hand PC" and unveiled its NEXiO S150 - the first of such devices. Unconcerned with the continued PDA sales slump, Samsung plans to market NEXiO to enterprise customers who need to mobilize their workforce.
Embedded wireless technology and landscape orientation give NEXiO the ability to view full Web pages while keeping size to a minimum. "We think we're much more than a PDA," Samsung's David Nichols told BetaNews.
Qualcomm introduces Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform with focus on AI and performance
At its Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm introduced its latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform. This new system-on-a-chip brings Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU to mobile devices for the first time, promising notable improvements in AI capabilities, efficiency, and overall performance.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is designed to handle advanced on-device generative AI tasks, including multi-modal applications, all while maintaining privacy. Qualcomm aims to power devices from several well-known manufacturers such as ASUS, Samsung, Xiaomi, and others, with launches expected in the coming weeks.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.