ROB WAUGH IN LAS VEGAS
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When celebrities are drafted in to endorse a product, it's usually the sheer lack of enthusiasm that makes it hilarious.
They'll stumble on stage with sad, dead eyes, and be prompted by some gigantic nerd to say: 'I heartily endorse this product,' in the sort of tone most of us reserve for agreeing to a week with the in-laws, while clearly thinking of the new swimming pool this act will bring them.
When art-film director Wim Wenders was drafted in for one of these dos, I don't think I've ever seen a sadder expression on a human face.
Samsung describes the look of the devices (there are four, ranging from a vast 12.2in model down to an 8.4in model) as a 'magazine'-style presentation, with each page (you flip them by swiping) having slightly different functions, ranging from fun to really boring. You can, of course, tweak these to your heart's content
But Michael Bay, director of such abominations as Transformers: Revenge Of the Fallen, and many of the worst films of the past few decades, really hit a new low, inadvertently stealing the show during Samsung's presentation at this month's CES – the consumer electronics show that takes place every January in Las Vegas – for its new 105in curved TV.
The autocue failed, and without it, Bay reverted to some pre-Neanderthal state before stomping off. YouTube it. Honestly, it's worth it.
They could have unveiled a working time machine, and Twitter would still have been talking about Bay's interminable agonising, his 'Erms' and 'Ahs'.
He could have said anything about the curved TV.
Samsung hasn't quite nailed the perennial problem with tablets – that it's often hard to type – but its solution is very, very close. The virtual keyboard on screen vibrates when you press keys, and you can touch type without looking at it. You can also use keyboard shortcuts such as Control C – another clear sign of whose market Samsung is aiming for
For instance, 'I like curves', would have been just the ticket, and he'd have had a round of applause.
Nope. Silence. Bit of a shame, because it overshadowed not only the (pointless) curved TV, but Samsung's new Galaxy Pro tablet that features something Apple has been distinctly short on for some time – ideas.
The flagship is absurdly vast (12.2in), and comes with a stylus whose main function in the past few Note tablets has been for chewing on.
But it's the look, and the way it works, that should strike fear into the black hearts of Apple and Microsoft.
What could make this an iPad beater is the fact that businesses will love it. It has security software built in
It is the first Android tablet that doesn't use pages of little square app logos, a look which has been de rigeur for every tablet, smartphone and 'PDA' since the mid-1990s.
Instead, you get a magazine layout, with big oblongs bringing you the news, your emails, and all the other stuff one needs to survive in this era. It's cool, in other words.
You can also run four apps at once, quartering the four megapixel screen neatly, and showing off that Samsung can make some very powerful computer chips.
You can run four apps at once on Samsung's Galaxy Pro
But what could make this an iPad beater is the fact that businesses will love it.
It has security software built in (timed perfectly for the slow, agonising death of BlackBerry), and it also has £500-ish of freebie office apps. Proper ones.
The tablet range is built for work, and looks so similar to Windows 8 that there must have been some serious wrangling between Samsung's designers and their legal department.
Crucially, all the office apps are free, and pretty good.
Even the can't-call-it-Excel imitation does the job, and going by Samsung's previous pricing – the cost hasn't been announced yet – it might well be half the price of rival Windows 8 tablets.
Apple loaded a few freebie 'work' apps into the last iPad, but it's still not a work machine.
This very nearly is and, depending on the price, it could turn the slow decline of Windows into an Alpine black run of doom.
Samsung has very deep pockets and one, simple, goal: to crush all other companies in the technology sphere, forever.
MARVEL PUZZLE QUEST
Free, iPhone
MARVEL PUZZLE QUEST: Match three puzzles to stage superpower-heavy battles between these Lycra-wearing thugs
Android Marvel milks its stable of superheroes without mercy – there's even a new Marvel chess set – but this puzzler is grand fun. Match three puzzles to stage superpower-heavy battles between these Lycra-wearing thugs.
THE NOVELIST
£11.99, PC
The Novelist is great idea, but stuck firmly in 'bold experiment' territory, unless you're a struggling writer looking for tips
This game puts you in the position of a novelist trying to balance family life against fulfilling his dream – like The Shining, but here nothing really happens. It's a great idea, but stuck firmly in 'bold experiment' territory, unless you're a struggling writer looking for tips.
INFINITY BLADE 3
£2.99, iPad
INFINITY BLADE 3: This looks great, but the simplicity is gone, and with it, much of the fun
The first Infinity Blade was a gorgeous-looking fantasy, with a superbly sad set-up, where each new game cast you as the son of the last (deceased) hero, off for vengeance. This looks great, but the simplicity is gone, and with it, much of the fun.
APPS
FANTASTICAL 2
£1.49, iPad
New year, new calendar? This outperforms Apple's built-in one. It's easier to use, looks great, and offers to-do lists, and a weekly, not monthly, focus. Great for busy bees.
JOURNEYS OF INVENTION
The Science Museum steams ahead of rival museum apps here, showing off 80 of its treasures, including a virtual go on the controls of Apollo 10 and an Enigma machine.
RAZER NABU SMARTBAND
Smart wristband with a 128x32 pixel screen for email and text notifications, – as well as that all-important workout information.
KOLIBREE SMART TOOTH BRUSH
This bluetooth brush analyses your cleaning habits and compiles data that can be viewed on your iPhone. It even tells you if you missed a bit.
TREWGRIP MOBILE QWERTY
A rear-mounted handheld keyboard for touch-typing on mobile devices. You grip it with both hands and type using the keys on the back. The makers claim it's as easy to use as a normal keyboard.
ASTELL & KERN AK240
High-resolution portable audio player with 256GB of internal memory, dual-core processor and 3.31in touchscreen. Expect stunning sound quality – and a price of around £2,500...
SONY HANDYMAN FDR-AX100
Sony is betting big on 4k with the launch of its first consumer camcorder. At a shade under £2,000 it's less than half the price of earlier models.
PARROT MINIDRONE
There's no doubt that AR make great remote-controlled toys but they've always been a little on the pricey side. Their new mini drones – controlled by smartphone – should be just as good and within reach of us non-millionaires.
via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEeuLfx8jJN0rOF1517O6XRt4mwYw&url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2536503/Samsungs-Galaxy-Pro-A-tablet-real-bite-And-no-not-Apple.html
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