New paint jobs for Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III mini might be coming soon

The Samsung Galaxy S III launched with only two color options but Samsung added new colors over time. Rumor has it that it’s now turn for the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III mini to get new paintjobs.

The Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III mini will get three new color options each and they’re somewhat different (in name at least) from the colors that the Galaxy S III is available in.

The Samsung Galaxy Note II will get Amber Brown, Topaz Blue and Ruby Wine versions in addition to the currently available Titanium Gray, Marble White. The units with new paintjobs will come out in 2013.

The Galaxy S III mini will get Titanium Gray, Garnet Red and Onyx Black colors, the first two of which match color options for the big Galaxy S III. The Galaxy S III has a black version too, but that’s called Sapphire Black and there might or might not be a difference. Anyway, the new colors for the S III mini will be available in December or early next year.

The new versions for the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III mini haven’t been officially confirmed, but if the rumor is true, they will all be showcased at CES next year.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

iPad mini nudges closer to reality, leaked inventory shows pricing

MobileGeeks.de has got hold of an alleged inventory photo from German electronics retailer MediaMarkt concerning the pricing, storage capacity and colors of the yet unannounced iPad mini.

According to the leaked image the iPad mini will be offered in Black and White with storage options ranging from 8 GB to 64 GB, Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular with prices starting from €249.

The iPad mini Wi-Fi variants are €249 for the 8 gig version, €349 for 16 GB, €449 earns you a 32 gig model and €549 for the 64 GB one. If you want all the trimmings just add another €100 to the quoted prices to receive a cellular option.

These prices are obviously meant to put the iPad mini at odds with its most direct competitors the Asus Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD. The Google pureblood offers 16 GB (and even rumored 32GB) of storage for the price of an 8 GB iPad mini (€249), while Amazon gives you 32 GB worth of storage on a Kindle Fire HD for the same asking price.

I’m rather disappointed that the iPad mini would be only 100 euro cheaper than the equivalent 10-inch iPad configurations. Unfortunately, Apple continues the trend of heavily overpricing storage. A 16GB iPad mini would have made lots of sense at around the €250 euro mark.

Still, things could wind up totally different so stay tuned for the unconfirmed October 23 event at which Apple could make the iPad mini official.

MobileGeeks seems to be down at the moment, but still, you will find a link to their article below.

Source : blog[dot]gsmarena[dot]com

Apple launches new iPod ad, lots of colors and bouncing

Apple unveiled a snappy new ad for its refreshed iPod devices on Wednesday highlighting the range of colors on offer.

As Apple begins shipping the first batch of orders for its refreshed iPod range of media players to expectant customers around the world, the tech company has launched a new ad called ‘Bounce’ featuring the new devices.

The 30-second slot, posted on YouTube on Wednesday night and set to air on TV, features a bunch of iPods (touches, nanos and shuffles) bouncing around to a funky track called Yeah Yeah by London-based singer Willy Moon. It’s pretty, slick, and quick, and you can check it out below.

Apple unveiled a new iPod touch last month, featuring a larger 4-inch screen identical in size to that of the iPhone 5. Compared to its predecessor, the updated fifth-generation device is slimmer and lighter, and sports a vastly improved 5-megapixel camera. More RAM and a faster processor make for a much zippier device compared to earlier touches, too. It also comes in six colors – no longer just black and white – a feature that forms the basis of the new ad.

The new seventh-generation iPod nano, described as the thinnest nano to date, has done away with the small square design of its predecessor and returned to the longer look of the fifth-generation nano. An extra color has been added to the range, too.

As for the shuffle, three new colors have been added to the range.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Fraunhofer Institute LED light panels mimic the sky indoors

These tiles each hold 288 LEDs, which are able to mimic the motions of clouds and colors of the sky.

If you’re like the majority of America, you spend a large part of your weekdays under fluorescent lights. The worst part about working in an office is the lighting. It’s true that light is supposed to make you feel awake, but fluorescent lights are a different story. Around afternoon time, you get that drowsy feeling. It’s what prompts you to get a second cup of coffee. It’s also what prompts you to notice how draining and depressing the fluorescent lights are.

You especially notice this once you finally get off work and enter the outside world. You’re enveloped in warm sunlight (if you’re lucky) and remember what it’s like to be human again. Because, let’s face it, when we’re sitting at our desks typing away, we are closer to robots than humans. Not that that’s a bad thing.

It’s the sunlight and the sky that make us truly feel awake and alive. But most of us don’t see the outside world at work, unless we manage to get a desk close to a window.

For the rest of us, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have brought the sky indoors with a lighting solution for offices that makes a sky effect on the ceiling. It is made of LED lights which mimic natural lighting conditions, including passing clouds and different shades of blue and gray.

The lights are 20-inch by 20-inch tiles, each with 288 LEDs and diffuser films. The LEDs are colored red, blue, green, and white, making them able to produce more than 16 million hues.

Dr. Matthias Bues, head of the department, said, “LEDs allow us to simulate these dynamic changes in lighting in a way that is not directly obvious to the naked eye. Otherwise, the lighting might distract people from their work. But it does need to fluctuate enough to promote concentration and heighten alertness.”

Having a slowly changing sky above you should lessen the chance of office lethargy, as the typical fluorescent lights wouldn’t be frying everyone. But the lights might also tease us about our inability to be outside. We might look up and see the LEDs as a depressing reminder that we’re trapped, only strengthening our longing to step outside the building.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com