Galaxy Note 4 available Oct 17, pre-orders starts tomorrow

It's pre-order week! Along with Motorola and that non-Android fruit company, Samsung is announcing the dates that its fans should be waiting for if they want a Galaxy Note 4. Although the S Pen phablet won't be available until October 17, pre-orders will be starting tomorrow, including major US carriers.

The breakdown of prices per carrier are as follows:

AT&T will be making the Galaxy Note 4 available in Charcoal Black and Frost White and under several payment options. Under the Next 18 program, buyers can get it for $34.42 per month. For a shorter period of time under Next 12, they will have to give out a higher $41.30 monthly fee. A regular two-year contract costs $299.99 but for those who want to pay for the device in full, without a contract, it will be $825.99. AT&T subscribers might be happy to know that the carrier will actually start shipping pre-orders on October 14, earlier than the rest. But the smartphone will still only be available in retail outlets on the 17th.

T-Mobile, naturally, has a different pricing scheme but with the same two color options. Prospective buyers can grab a Galaxy Note 4 for a monthly fee $31.24 for 24 months. The total price for the device lands at $749.76. The sad news for this carrier's customers is that pre-orders won't start until September 24, but shipping is still scheduled for October 17.

Verizon's offering is a little limited, with the Galaxy Note 4 available only for $299.99 with a two-year contract. No news if a full retail version will be offered. That said, the carrier is throwing in a few bonuses in addition to making the smartphone available under their Verizon Edge program. Those upgrading to a new phone under its MORE Everything plan and already have 1 GB of data per month will get another monthly 1 GB allocation for the next two years, as long as the device remains activated under the same plan.

But wait, there's more! During the pre-order period from September 19 to October 16, pre-orders from any US carrier or retailer will be eligible for a total trade-in of $200 for any working smartphone. And if those weren't enough to convince you to go for the Galxy Note 4, perhaps its 5.7-inch QHD display, Adaptive Fast Charging, and enhanced S Pen with tilt and speed tracking might.

SOURCE: Samsung

Story Timeline

• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 hands-on: stylus phone at its finest


• Galaxy Note 4 OLED screen tested by DisplayMate


• Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders kick off in China and the UK

Google Follows Apple in Encrypting Phone Data by Default

Last night, Apple head honcho Tim Cook announced that iOS 8 will encrypt all your personal data by default , making it harder for the NSA to root through your stuff. Now, in a totally coincidentally timed move, Google's announced that Android L will do the same.

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Smartphone microscope uses a small glass sphere for lens

Microscopes that are used in labs and educational institutes around the world are expensive devices. They are also typically rather large and bulky meaning that they can’t easily be taken into the field for work on site in many instances. A new and inexpensive smartphone attachment has been designed that can turn your mobile device into a microscope on the cheap.

The smartphone microscope was developed at the US Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It is made using a 3D plastic printed clip that holds a small glass sphere. The tiny spheres are very cheap at about a penny each and are used commonly for making reflective runway markings at airports.

The microscope made at the lab is very compact at about the thickness of a typical smartphone case and has 1000x magnification. Lower magnification versions with 350x or 100x are available as well. The overall cost of the plastic clip and the glass sphere to make the microscope is under a dollar.

The scientists who created the smartphone microscope say that it works particularly well with the iPhone. However, it can be used with any smartphone on the market including Android devices.

SOURCE: Gizmag

Alien Creeps TD tower defense game hits Android

Tower defense games have been around in all sorts of different iterations for a long time. If you like the genre, a tower defense game called Alien Creeps TD has received a new update on Android that fixes numerous bugs according to developers. The game has the player trying to defend the Earth from hoards of invading aliens.

The game offers three game modes. Players will get to deploy their defenses across a variety of terrain settings. Multiple defense towers are offered to allow you to choose your defensive weapons. New tower types can be unlocked as the game progresses.

Friends that play the game can share reinforcements and airstrikes with each other. The game offers 25 different 2-minute rounds with game play optimized for mobile devices. The game also offers fast forward to speed up play when time is short.

The latest update for Alien Creeps TD brings the game to 1.2.3 and it landed September 17. The game is 47MB and requires Android 4.0 or higher to operate. Alien Creeps is a free download, but has in-app purchases.

SOURCE: Google Play

Energous WattUp tech promises true wireless charging

Anyone who has smartphone or tablet knows that having to fiddle with wires to charge can be annoying. There are wireless charging solutions on the market that allow you to flop your smartphone on a charge pad and power up without having to plug a wire in. What we would all love to see is true wireless charging where your phone can be topped off while you hold it in your hand and walk around the home or office.

A company called Energous claims to have just such a technology and it calls the tech WattUp. The company says that this tech has already been adopted by someone, but it won't say whom. The reason for the secrecy is said to be to maintain competitive advantage.

If this tech truly works, you would think that both Energous and whoever has adopted its tech would be eager to tell consumers. All we know right now of the identity of the company that adopted the tech is that the firm is from Asia.

Energous says that it has signed a joint development agreement with an "Asia-based global electronics company." The firm says that together they will create reference designs for embedding WattUp in devices for the future. We have no time frame for when the tech might make it to market.

SOURCE: SlashGear

Chromecast support for Sling app debuts

Sling has made an announcement that will make fans of Chromecast devices very happy. According to Sling, the single most requested feature for the Slingbox M1, 350, and SlingTV/500 devices is support for Chromecast. The good news is that support is now here.

The Sling player app for Android smartphones now offers support for Chromecast. Android tablet support for Chromecast will be coming soon. Sling users will be able to click on the Sling button highlighted in the image below to shoot content over to Chromecast.

Support for Chromecast will also be integrated into the iPhone. As long as the Chromecast and the device running the Slingplayer app are on the same network, shooting content to the big screen is a button press away.

The Sling app supports other video streaming devices including those from Roku and the Apple TV. The Sling app is on Google Play now.

SOURCE: Sling

Polaroid Socialmatic combines old school instant pics with social media

Back in the 80's if you wanted a picture without having to pay to have them developed, you used a Polaroid instant camera. With digital photography today, just about any camera can give you an instant picture if your printer is nearby. Polaroid has unveiled a new camera called the Polaroid Socialmatic that it says is the next generation of instant digital cameras.

The camera is designed by Socialmatic LLC and licensed by Polaroid. It has a square design and runs the Android operating system. The Socialmatic has a 14MP front sensor and a 2MP rear along with LED flash. On the back of the camera is a 4.5-inch touchscreen LCD that allows for navigation of menus and enhancing of images.

Images taken with the camera can be stored to 4GB of internal storage or microSD cards. The camera has a Zink Zero Ink printer inside and will print 2x3 color images in under a minute. WiFi is integrated into the camera to allow users to upload images to social networks directly from the camera.

Each of the photos taken has their own QR code embedded. That code allows the shooter to track photos. Bluetooth is also integrated to allow syncing with a smartphone for uploading away from WiFi networks. The camera will be available in time for the holiday shopping season at an undisclosed price.

SOURCE: Polaroid