Samsung S Health app update leaks in screenshots, complete with flat UI

Remember that refreshed Samsung smartphone user interface that leaked out a couple oftimes last month? Well that’s not the only bit of Samsung software that’s getting a makeover.

Some newly-leaked screenshots have revealed a new version of Samsung’s S Health application that features a new user interface that’s considerably flatter than the one found inthe current version of S Health. While the two apps are both fairly green, that’s where the similarities end. The updated S Health app loses the drop shadows found on the icons of the current app, utilizes a lighter font and generally looks to be more in line with Google’s design guidelines for Android. One other new feature of the new S Health app is a single screen that will display the user’s location, distance traveled, speed and audio controls.

Overall this new S Health app looks like it falls in line with the refreshed Samsung smartphone UI that leaked out last month, and while opinions on the updated look are sure to vary from person to person, I think it’s quite an improvement over the existing S Health app. Samsung’s TouchWiz overlay has caught a lot of flak over the years for being too heavy and cartoonish, and it appears that ol’ Sammy may be responding with a nicer, cleaner-looking UI.

It’s worth noting that these user interface overhauls are only said to be in testing, so it’s not clear when or if they’ll be rolled out to the public. Samsung is expected to launch its new flagship Galaxy S5 in the coming months, though, and I’d say that the company’s biggest smartphone launch of the year seems like as good a time as any to roll out a refreshed UI.

What do you think of Samsung’s updated S Health app? Do you like the direction that the company is going with this flat user interface?

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LG talks G Pro 2 camera, says 13-megapixel sensor and OIS Plus tech included

Device manufacturers are always looking for ways to make their products stand out in the sea of smartphones that is the wireless market. One of the more popular features to focus on in recent years has been screen size, with companies using increasingly large screens on their handsets to get them some attention. Now that we’ve seen 6-inch and larger handsets hit the market, though, phone makers are turning to other features to make their hardware unique. Cameras have become an area of interest for many firms, including Sonyand HTC, and now it looks like LG sees the smartphone shooter as a way to help its next flagship phone stand out.

LG tonight shared some details on the camera that will come equipped on the G Pro 2. The device’s rear camera will be of the 13-megapixel variety and will feature “OIS Plus” technology, which LG explains describes as step up from the regular ol’ OIS found on the G2 that can use shake correction to ensure that a user’s photos turn out blur-free. OIS Plus is also said to be capable of churning out crisp photos when used in a dark environment.

In addition to its OIS Plus tech, LG says that the G Pro 2′s rear shooter will feature support for capturing both slow motion and Ultra HD (3840×2160) video. Meanwhile, the G Pro 2′s front-facing shooter will be of the 2.1-megapixel variety and is said to offer improved performance over its predecessor.

The LG G Pro 2 is slated to make its official debut sometime this month. Details on the device’s specs are light, save for this newly-revealed camera info, but it seems likely that the G Pro 2 will at least feature a phablet-sized 1080p display and a quad-core processor. Now we just have to wait for LG’s announcement of the G Pro 2 so that we can learn when we’ll be able to snag a unit of our own and put that OIS Plus tech to the test.

Source: LG

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Get the red Nexus 5 shipped same day for free with Google Shopping Express

Are you hungry for the new red Nexus 5 but simply can’t wait several days for it to be shipped to you? If you’re enrolled in Google Shopping Express, you can get the Nexus 5 delivered to your door the same day that you order it for free! Of course, Google Shopping Express is limited to a fairly small geographical area around San Francisco and the Peninsula in California, but if you happen to call that area “Home,” you’re in luck!

Google Shopping Express is a service that can deliver goods to your door the same day you order them using couriers that pick up your items and drive them to your doorstep. And for a limited time, shipping is free for the first 6 months that you’re enrolled! The red Nexus 5 has been added to the list of products that can be delivered, so if you really want one of your own, you’ve now got the chance to own one today.

If you’re interested and living in the aforementioned area, hit the source link to order yours right now. Both the 16GB and 32GB models can be bought using Google Shopping Express. Here’s to hoping that the service expands soon, because it sounds pretty awesome.

Via: @GoogleShopEx

Source: Google Shopping Express

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Samsung, LG to Unveil Smartphones at Mobile Expo

Samsung and LG electronics will unveil their latest smartphones at the Mobile World Congress 2014 that opens in Barcelona on Feb. 24.

A paste-up of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S5 (left) and LG Electronics' G Pro 2, circulated on the Internet. The firms officially disown them but observers say the actual products will be very similar.


Samsung on Tuesday announced that it will hold an event at the fair to showcase its latest smartphones including the Galaxy S5, the latest model in the popular series.

The Korean electronics giant also plans to unveil the latest version of its wearable smartphone Galaxy Gear.

LG plans to unveil the G Pro 2, a device halfway between a tablet PC and a phone like Samsung's Galaxy Note series at the expo. It could be launched in Korea even before the event.

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Microsoft Names Satya Nadella as CEO

Microsoft named its top cloud computing executive, Satya Nadella, as chief executive on Tuesday.

The company also said Bill Gates would step aside as chairman of the board but would remain a technology adviser to the company. John Thompson, who has been the lead independent director, will become chairman.

Nadella's appointment ends a longer-than-expected search for a new leader after Steve Ballmer announced his intention to retire in August.

Nadella is only the third CEO in Microsoft's 39-year history, following co-founder Bill Gates and Ballmer.

"This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft."

The company took to Twitter to introduce its choice as CEO to the world.

Introducing our new CEO, Satya Nadella: http://t.co/u5IGl1N78Gpic.twitter.com/akgNY5euEJ

— Microsoft (@Microsoft) February 4, 2014

In an email to Microsoft staff, Nadella acknowledged there was work to be done.

"While we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more. Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation. This is a critical time for the industry and for Microsoft," he said.

Nadella, most recently, head of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise business, has held various executive positions since joining the company in 1992. He previously led Microsoft's server and tools business.

Before Microsoft, the Indian-born executive worked at Sun Microsystems.

The famously ebullient Ballmer -- who joined Microsoft in 1980 as the company's first business manager and rose quickly through the ranks -- leaves the company after 13 difficult years as CEO. The company was once the most valuable in the world, but Microsoft has lost more than half of its market value over the past decade.

Ballmer's tenure included product flops like the Zune MP3 player, Windows Vista and its Bing search engine. But the biggest overarching miss was Microsoft's failure to anticipate how mobile devices would completely upend the computing world.

Microsoft found itself flat-footed and forced to chase Apple and Google in its mobile software and devices offerings.

Critics largely loved Windows Phone, but customers haven't signed on. And the Surface tablet -- the first PC of Microsoft's own design, rather than partnering with a manufacturer -- sold so poorly that Microsoft was forced this summer to take a $900 million writedown on excess Surface inventory.

Microsoft attempted to shuffle its deck by reorganizing the company several times, in an attempt to better align the different businesses around Ballmer's vision for a new Microsoft. In October 2012 Ballmer said the company would transition to a "devices and services" firm, focusing on making hardware, online services and apps that work together seamlessly across multiple screens and gadgets.

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