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Nov

Samsung Announces S Pen SDK 2.2.5 Update With Multi Window APIs, Bug Fixes

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Development, News, Samsung

In a continued quest to bring their handy functionality of the Note line's S Pen, Samsung has again updated the stylus' SDK, this time to 2.2.5 (a 0.0.5 bump over the previous update).

The update, which Samsung announced through its developer blog early this morning, brings one major feature – Multi Window and its related APIs. For those who haven't been keeping up with the Note line, Multi Window is a feature by which apps can share the screen by splitting it in half horizontally or vertically, sharing data through the clipboard or – in some cases – with simple drag-and-drop.

Oct

Samsung Galaxy Note II Review - Samsung Finally Finds Their Killer App

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Galaxy Note II, Reviews, Samsung

Last Updated: October 29th, 2012

I panned the Note 10.1 in my review. It was subtitled "An Embarrassing, Lazy, Arrogant Money Grab" and, for my conclusion, I took a picture of it in a trashcan. I did not like it. It had erratic performance, a squishy, creaky back, and a bunch of gimmicky features that didn't work. Now, I've got a Note II!

I'm happy to report the Note II is not as crappy as its bigger brother. It's much more solidly built in comparison, really fast, and god help me, some of the TouchWiz features are actually good. They greatly improved the split screen app feature of the Note 10.1, and I think Samsung has finally found their huge, differentiating software feature that they've been searching for.

Oct

Samsung Releases Unity Extension SDK For Galaxy Note S Pen Game Integration

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Galaxy Note (GT-N7000), Galaxy Note II, News

Device-specific hardware tends to get overlooked by the third-party development community, but the S Pen from Samsung's Note phones might be the exception. There are a lot of Note users out there and it has a stylus that's actually worth using. Samsung is now offering game developers a way to better utilize that feature with the Unity Extension SDK, which can be downloaded from Samsung's developer site.

In case you're not aware, Unity is a 3D game engine that's used by a number of popular titles. The new SDK will allow developers to accept input from the S Pen. The SDK provides devs with access to SCanvasView in their games.

Aug

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Samsung Posts In-Depth 13-Minute Video Demoing Various Features Of The Galaxy Note II

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, News, Samsung, Videos

Just two short days ago, Samsung unveiled the massive Galaxy Note 2 at IFA in Berlin. They briefly showed off some new features of the Note II, like Air View and various note-taking and image editing tweaks. Still, this left anyone who may be interested in this next-gen phablet wanting more.

And now you've got it.

Samsung just released a note-tastic 13 minute video detailing several new features of the Note II, including the video player and Gallery applications, Air View, the ability to natively record the screen, and so much more. Even if you're not into the whole oversized phone thing, it's still worth a watch just to see some of the cool technologies that Sammy built into the Note II with the S Pen.

http://youtu.be/5DcgZum8M1o

Aug

Samsung Releases S Pen SDK Version 2.2 With Hover Support, New Brush, And More

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Galaxy Note II, News, Samsung

One of the highlights of Samsung's Galaxy Note II announcement at IFA yesterday was the increased functionality carried by the device's hallmark S Pen stylus. The Note II's version of the Pen, besides being "ergonomically designed for the perfect grip," allows users to quickly clip, crop, and edit screen content, adding further illustration and handwritten keyword recognition. The Pen now also features a unique "hover" functionality, whereby an app can recognize that the Pen is near the screen and react accordingly with contextual menus or other activities.

Looking to put the power of the S Pen to use in more than just Sammy's own apps, the manufacturer has posted the updated S Pen SDK version 2.2 with all of the Pen's new features.

Aug

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Review: An Embarrassing, Lazy, Arrogant Money Grab

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000 / N8010 / N8013), News, Reviews, Samsung, Tablet Reviews

A little over a year ago, before I was hired at AP, I wrote about the things I wanted my new Honeycomb tablet to be able to do in the next version of Android. Multitasking on tablets was (and still is) non-existent, and I wanted my tablet to be less of a big phone, and more of a small computer. I wanted split screen, and floating apps, and really, I wanted to just make use of this nice, big screen I had. One task at a time isn't good enough. The big difference between a tablet and a phone should be the ability to multitask.

May

Samsung Retools Galaxy Note 10.1 To Include Slot For S-Pen (In Addition To A Quad-Core Processor)

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy Note 10.1 (GT-N8000 / N8010 / N8013), News

One of the most surprising things about the Galaxy Note 10.1's appearance at MWC was not that it included Samsung's magical S-Pen peripheral, but the fact that the device lacked a slot to store the advanced stylus.

Those familiar with the original Galaxy Note will remember that it features a convenient slot to house the S-Pen, ensuring that the stylus would always stick with the device, thereby encouraging users to, well, use it.

At a recent Samsung event, it was discovered that Sammy has retooled the Galaxy Note 10.1 to not only include a quad-core processor (which we already knew about) but also to include a place for the S-Pen to live.

Feb

[Deal Alert] Unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GSM Available For $599 From Daily Steals ($100 Off)

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Deals, Galaxy Note (GT-N7000), Samsung

Heads up! Daily Steals is knocking $100 off an unlocked Samsung Galaxy Note GSM handset. It looks like the bands won't work with T-Mobile's "4G" network, but if you're on AT&T in the states, or you're looking to score a Note for your local GSM carrier elsewhere in the world, today's your lucky day.

The deal is good for today only, so don't waste time. As always, be sure to check and make sure that the unlocked device supports your local carrier's bands before buying. In case you need a refresher, here's a look at the Galaxy Note's specs:

•    GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 3G
•    HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100
•    1080p HD video & 8mp camera
•    5.3" super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
•    Android 2.3 Gingerbread
•    16GB capacity With Bonus 8GB micro SD card
•    MicroSD card slot
•    802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi
•    Bluetooth 3.0
•    MicroUSB
•    S Pen Stylus
•    Up to 960 hour standby time
•    Up to 26 hour talk time

Source: DailySteals

Feb

[MWC 2012] Samsung Announces The Galaxy Note 10.1, Partners With Adobe To Make The S Pen Truly Amazing

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Samsung, Tablets

I bet you thought that when Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab 10.1 2, that the company was finished unveiling 10.1" tablets for the week. Not so! Today Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-size tablet packed with the Galaxy Note's trademark S Pen. Oh, and did we mention that the tablet comes pre-loaded with Adobe Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas? Yeah. It's actually pretty cool.

While the Galaxy Note has had its fair share of critics, the supersized phablet has also gotten some pretty glowing reviews. Even our own Brandon Lancaster enjoyed it after spending some time with it.

Feb

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Possibly Outed Before Mobile World Congress

Posted by Cameron Summerson in News, Samsung

Rumors are flying left and right on the internet this morning about a potentially new tablet called the Galaxy Note 10.1 accidentally outed by Samsung in an invitation to its 'Developer Day' at Mobile World Congress. The Note moniker clearly suggests one feature that Sammy itself has already hinted at: the S-Pen.

It was my initial reaction to write this off as a simple typo, but thanks to a bit of investigative work by The Verge, it appears that this device may indeed be legitimate. According to Google Cache, Samsung was recently on the hunt for a "teen student" to be a in a commercial where he would "use his Galaxy Note 10.1 to record, take pictures, [and] edit...", which, combined with all of the other evidence, all but confirms this potentially amazing device.