Who Controls the Internet - Illusions of a Borderless World (Audiobook) Unabridged edition 2009 | 6 hours and 18 mins | ISBN: n/a , ASIN: B002YJZE92 | MP3 192 kbps | 550 MB
Is
the Internet erasing national borders? Who's really in control of
what's happening on the Net--Internet engineers, rogue programmers, the
United Nations, or powerful countries? In this provocative new book,
Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu tell the fascinating story of the Internet's
challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s, and the ensuing battles
with governments around the world. It's a book about the fate of one
idea--that the Internet might liberate us forever from government,
borders, and even our physical selves. We
learn of Google's struggles with the French government and Yahoo's
capitulation to the Chinese regime; of how the European Union sets
privacy standards on the Net for the entire world; and of eBay's
struggles with fraud and how it slowly learned to trust the FBI. In a
decade of events, the original vision was uprooted, as governments time
and time again asserted their power to direct the future of the
Internet. The destiny of the Internet over the next decades, argue
Goldsmith and Wu, will reflect the interests of powerful nations and the
conflicts within and between them. Well written and filled with
fascinating examples, this is a work that is bound to stir heated debate
in the cyberspace community.
The good:The unprecedented high-resolution screen on the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display
makes images -- even simple text -- look beautifully clear. Despite a
redesigned, lightweight body, the powerful components, including an
Nvidia GPU, compare well to recent high-end desktop replacements.
Overdue new ports, including USB 3.0 and HDMI, are welcome.
The bad:With
a $2,199 entry-level price tag, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display
costs more than the typical American mortgage. The lack of onboard
Ethernet jack, FireWire, or an optical drive can be inconvenient at
times. Despite being thinner and lighter, it's not as travel-friendly as
a true ultrabook or MacBook Air.
The bottom line:The
newly redesigned MacBook Pro with Retina Display combines an amazing
screen with just enough of the MacBook Air design to feel like a new
animal, and to take its place as the best of the current MacBook breed.
Editors' note (October 23, 2012): In addition to the 15-inch
model reviewed here, Apple now offers an all-new 13-inch
MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.
The release of a brand-new Apple laptop design is rare, and always
accompanied by much fanfare. The new MacBook Pro with Retina Display is
no exception, especially as it introduces a new screen technology to
laptops, while pulling in influences from the MacBook Air, existing Pro, and even the third-generation iPad.
At a starting price of $2,199, the Retina MacBook Pro is
in a different tier of product than other recently spec-bumped Airs and
Pros, but it also offers a mix of design and features that can't be
duplicated in other Mac laptops: a quad-core processor in a body that's
svelte (but not quite ultrabook-thin), discrete graphics, a super
high-res display, and -- new to any MacBook -- HDMI.
This is the biggest change to the Pro's aesthetics since it adopted
the now-familiar aluminum unibody construction in 2008. Updated
periodically with new processors and new features, the MacBook Pro line
remains a familiar sight in offices (especially in creative fields) and
coffee shops. And, while that pre-existing 15-inch model is still
considered thin for a midsize computer, recent challenges from
Window-powered ultrabooks and even Apple's own MacBook Air have clearly
influenced this split in the MacBook Pro family tree, leading to a
thinner, more forward-looking offshoot (which will live alongside the
thicker, non-Retina 15 and 13-inch Pro laptops).
Note that the 2012 MacBook Air and Pro lineups have been updated to Intel's third-generation Core i-series processors,
also known as Ivy Bridge, and this new MacBook Pro with Retina Display
starts out there. As Apple laptops have at times taken a while to trade
up to Intel's latest hardware, it's nice to see Ivy Bridge arrive in a
timely manner.
Of course, the real highlight is that new Retina Display. Its resolution
is 2,880x1,800 pixels, providing a level of detail never seen on a
laptop before. The highest standard Windows laptop screen resolution is
1,920x1,080 pixels, the same as an HDTV. That previous high-water mark
has been fine in my experience, but even that can make text and images
look small on a 15-inch laptop. Apple solves this via a different dot
pitch for the screen, much as it did on the third-gen iPad.
In
person, the Retina Display looks great, although you're more likely to
notice it when comparing to a non-Retina laptop. It'll likely be more
useful for heavy readers or Photoshop/Final Cut users at first, and
we'll have to see how long it takes for other popular programs to update
themselves to take advantage of the new screen.
In the end, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, while expensive, is the
best all-around MacBook Apple now makes -- unless you absolutely,
positively need a built-in optical drive or Ethernet jack (both are
available via external dongles or peripherals). It provides
desktop-replacement-level performance, but is nearly as slim as an
imagined 15-inch MacBook Air would be, even if it's a little heavier
than it looks. Because it eclipses the previous MacBook Pro in many
ways, it earns a CNET Editors' Choice nod.
Still, it feels like a rest stop on the road to somewhere else, a
not-too-distant future when all laptops are paper-thin and feather
light, with powerful hardware, wide connectivity, and generous
solid-state storage that rivals bulky old platter hard drives. Don't be
shocked to see Retina screens filter down to less expensive models at
some point in the not-too-distant future. We're not there yet, but this
is a big step in that direction.
In hands-on use, the new, thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro is both familiar
and very different from what we've seen before. This is not an ultrabook
(or an ultrathin laptop, as one would call these systems before Intel
invented the ultrabook term), nor is it a full midsize laptop. Instead,
it's an entirely new take that skirts the two, taking features from both
sides of the aisle.
In the hand, at 0.7 inch, it's nearly as thin as a MacBook Air, at least
the thicker end of that tapered system. But it's heavier than it looks,
closer to a Pro, at 4.6 pounds. In other words, this is not the
ultimate mobile laptop for people who have to jog around from place to
place all day long, five or more days per week.
Still, it feels like a nice shift from the current Pro, which is what
I'd call a "carry it around twice per week, tops" laptop. More often
than that, especially with the traditional 15-inch MacBook Pro,
and it really drags you down. I could see carrying this new, thinner
Pro around with you several days per week, or maybe to and from work on a
daily subway commute at a stretch.
From a distance, this could be mistaken for an Air, but up close, it's a
different story. The design of the speakers, on either side of the
keyboard, is lifted from the MacBook Pro. Along with the slablike,
non-tapered body, I'd say the new Pro leans 70/30 or more toward the Pro
rather than the Air in terms of design DNA.
The keyboard and trackpad are essentially the same as seen on the last
several generations of MacBook, which is a good thing. Other laptops
have matched, but not surpassed, the backlit Apple keyboard. And the
trackpad, with its multifinger gestures, remains the industry leader.
There are some patents, secret sauce, and OS-level sleight of hand
behind this, but the practical result is touchpad experience far more
satisfying than on any other laptop.
The Retina Display is the real hardware breakthrough of the system.
Now that this very high-resolution screen technology has come to the
iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro, it's something of an Apple staple, and
future products will have to at least consider including it. Of course,
it's just a branded name for a very high-resolution screen --
2,880x1,800 pixels, a level previously unseen in laptops (I've seen some
larger desktop monitors come close). By adjusting the dot pitch and
promoting the use of customized software (some of Apple's own apps and,
not surprisingly, Photoshop, have already been updated), text and images
avoid the typical high-resolution pitfall of appearing too small.
Even in everyday use, the screen looks amazing. Colors pop and images
have great depth, but the biggest difference to me, same as with the
latest iPad, is in text. Compare blocks of text side by side (using the
"reader" button in Safari is a great way to do that), on a Retina and a
standard MacBook Pro screen, and the difference is unmistakable, as seen
above. The non-Retina 15-inch Pro used for comparison has a
1,440x900-pixel native resolution.
Interestingly, like the other 13 and 15-inch MacBooks, the new Retina
Pro sticks with a 16:10 aspect ratio, using the much more common 16:9
only in the 11-inch MacBook Air. It's hard to imagine a situation where
it would make a tremendous amount of difference, but some people have
strong preferences, and there's something to be said for matching the
aspect ratio of HD television content, or at least having a universal
standard to design around.
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Average for category [mainstream]
Video
HDMI, DisplayPort (via Thunderbolt)
VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
2 USB 3.0, 2 Thunderbolt, SD card reader
4 USB 2.0, SD card reader, eSATA
Networking
Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive
None
DVD burner
Apple can both give and take away when it comes to ports and
connections. Ethernet, the optical drive, and FireWire are on the
chopping block, but -- in what I can only describe as a very pleasant
surprise -- HDMI has been added.
The twin Thunderbolt ports literally double down on that still-underused
connection, and the pair of USB 2.0 ports have become USB 3.0. Both are
potentially useful for adding external storage to augment the flash
memory, but you might also need those extra connections to hook up
dongles for Ethernet and FireWire.
The default 256GB of solid-state storage is close enough to mainstream
size for me, but digital packrats will want the 512GB option, part of an
upgraded base model that starts at $2,799. There's also a 768GB upgrade
from that, but that's an additional $500. Still, this is one of the
first "professional" laptops that can get away with having no spinning
platter drives.
Yes, that is indeed an HDMI connection.
(Credit:
CNET)
But it's the HDMI that's really a mind-blower. We've asked for that for
years, just because it was the easiest way to get content onto big TVs,
projectors, external monitors, and so on. Apple doesn't always add
features just because they're "practical" (see: SD card slot, 11-inch MacBook Air), so let's just assume the repeated inclusion of HDMI on MacBook "wish list" articles over the years finally had some impact (as unlikely as that seems).
The high-end 2.3GHz quad-core Core i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce 650M GPU remind me of the recent spate of Ivy Bridge gaming laptops we've
reviewed. They also had quad-core Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPUs with new
Nvidia GPUs. However, those were giant 17-inch desktop-replacement rigs,
with huge cases and terrible battery life. I did see a 15-inch version
of that recently, from Maingear, and the Retina Pro feels like that kind of serious power shrunk down to a much slimmer size.
In
our CNET Labs benchmark tests, the system ran even faster than that
first wave of quad-core Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge systems. The caveat is
that our benchmarks, including Photoshop and a multimedia multitasking
test which included QuickTime, tend to be weighted toward OS X
performance. In hands-on use, it felt evenly matched with a system such
as the Origin Eon 17-S.
That's more than enough power for just about any task, and even more
impressive when you consider that those other systems are mostly
full-size desktop replacements.
The switch from AMD graphics to
Nvidia's GeForce 650M is also a big step. Macs have never been serious
gaming machines, but occasional standouts such as Diablo III are
available cross-platform, and make for an excellent anecdotal test.
That game will add additional support for the native 2,880x1,800
resolution via a future update, but for now you can still crank up the
in-game resolution that high in the options menu. It made for a somewhat
sluggish experience, running at around 23 frames per second, according
to the onscreen frame rate counter. Pulled back to 1,440x900-pixel
resolution, the game flew, at around 65 frames per second.
To
compare the performance with older MacBooks, we ran our dated Call of
Duty: Modern Warfare test. It crashed when we tried to get the in-game
resolution up to 2,880x1,800 pixels, but ran at 75.4 frames per second
at 1,440x900 pixels and 70.8 frames per second at 1,680x1,050 pixels.
The past two 15-inch MacBook Pros we've tested, running on different AMD
GPUs, ran the same test at between 41 and 51 frames per second at 14x9.
Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Battery life has always been a MacBook strong suit,
especially when combined with Intel's very efficient processors and the
lower power requirements of solid-state storage. Even though this system
has a discrete GPU, it can turn that component off and on as needed, so
it's not draining your battery unnecessarily. A couple of years ago,
MacBooks required you to log out and then back in to swap graphics
processors, but for the last couple of generations, that's happened
automatically and seamlessly. In our video playback battery drain test,
the new MacBook Pro ran for 6 hours and 59 minutes. That's great for a
15-inch laptop, and it may even run longer depending on your workload.
The previous 15-inch MacBook Pro ran
for about the same time, 6 hours and 54 minutes. Yes, this is, like all
current MacBooks, a sealed battery. Some people positively hate that,
it's never bothered me.
Apple includes a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, but only 90 days of
telephone support, which has always struck us as odd. Upgrading to a
full three-year plan under AppleCare will cost an extra $349 and is
pretty much a must-buy, considering the proprietary nature of Apple
products and their sealed bodies. Support is also accessible through a
well-stocked online knowledge base, video tutorials, and e-mail with
customer service, or through in-person visits to Apple's retail store
Genius Bars, which, in my experience, have always been fairly
frustration-free encounters.
I've previously called the 15-inch MacBook Pro one of the most
universally useful all-around laptops you can buy. This new version adds
to that with HDMI, faster ports, and more portability. But it also
subtracts from that with its exclusion of an optical drive and Ethernet
port, plus its very high starting price. The Pro and Retina Pro are
clearly two laptops designed for two different users, and with the
exception of all-day commuters who need something closer to a MacBook
Air or ultrabook, one of the two branches of the MacBook Pro family tree
is still probably the most universally useful laptop you can buy.
Every year since 2010, there has been a new version of the iPad. In 2012, we've already seen three. One, the iPad Mini, is a different beast altogether. Still, even the third-generation iPad
with its Retina Display has suddenly become the recipient of a
surprising seventh-month upgrade, to a very similar-looking device now
known as the "fourth-generation iPad."
Should owners of the now "old" third-gen March 2012 iPad be upset?
Should new buyers be wary? The answer to the first is yes. The answer to
the second is no. The new iPad (technically just known as "iPad" at the
Apple Store) has a few upgrades, two minor, one significantly major. A
Lightning connector replaces the old 30-pin, just like all other new iOS
devices this fall. And while the rear iSight camera remains the same (5
megapixels), the front-facing FaceTime camera has been upgraded to HD
status: 720p video recording and sharper self-portraits. The LTE
versions of the new iPad also work with a wider range of international
carriers.
Biggest of all is the new processor lurking beneath: an A6X processor,
replacing the third-gen's A5X. The previous iPad was no slouch in the
performance department, but as we remarked when we reviewed the iPad in
March, its speed gains weren't such a huge quantum leap compared with
what we got from the iPad 2.
The A6X speeds up the iPad back to levels you'd expect, and it handles
Retina Display graphics even better. This is the iPad 3S, so to speak.
Considering that the iPad still has the same price as before, starting
at $499 for 16GB, it's an even better buy than it was seven months ago.
The landscape's changed a little bit since March. Competing tablets have
become more affordable. Windows 8 and RT tablets now offer an
alternative set of products. None of these can touch the iPad. The
biggest competitor, really, is that innocent iPad Mini, which could be
the biggest little disruptor of them all, especially when it gets its
own Retina Display.
You may be concerned to buy this iPad: could Apple surprise us
with more frequent updates instead of yearly cycles? I think that's
unlikely. Plus, the important point is that this iPad is the best one.
It's polished. It's improved over the third-gen model. If you were on
the fence about buying one before, now's the time to go ahead and do it.
And it's still a better product than the iPad Mini...this year, at
least.
(Editors' note: updated on November 5 with additional performance tests and battery life testing results.)
(Credit:
CNET)
Design: Deja Pad Place the new fourth-gen iPad on a table
anywhere and no one will be able to know it's the latest and greatest
unless he happens to see that telltale, teeny-tiny Lightning connector.
This isn't a product you can easily show off. Just like the iPhone 4S,
it has the same weight, size, and overall design as its predecessor.
Even the back panel doesn't give any hint that this is a newer iPad than
before. For a deeper dive on what this iPad feels like, go back and
read Donald Bell's review of the third-gen iPad.
(Credit:
CNET)
My Wi-Fi review model came in black (64GB); the iPad also comes in
white. Both, as usual, have differently colored front glass and the same
aluminum backs.
Does the iPad's design still hold up? Yes, mainly because of its
all-metal-and-glass construction, still a rarity among tablets. The
1.4-pound body doesn't feel lightweight, but it's comfortable to hold in
two hands. As a one-handed device, it's awkward and cumbersome. The
sleek feel makes it seem fragile; indeed, you wouldn't want to drop one
on a hard floor.
(Credit:
CNET)
The Retina Display also remains the same, and it's
still as lovely as ever. The 2,048x1,536-pixel 9.7-inch IPS screen is
unmatched among tablets. Color accuracy is superb, movies look great,
and photos look even better. Text is crystal-clear, just like on the
iPhone. It makes a big difference when looking at Web pages. Still, this
is all exactly the same as the third-gen iPad.
The thicker bezel of the iPad is necessary at this size and weight; it
helps keep a grip on the otherwise ultra-sleek body. The single home
button still feels a little vestigial, but it's not going anywhere
anytime soon. Volume rocker buttons on the side and a
silence/orientation lock switch remain. Speakers, headphone jack:
they're all the same.
This is the first iPad that hasn't changed its look at all since the
last iteration. The third-gen iPad is awfully close to the iPad 2, but
thicker. That makes three straight similar-looking iPad models. Much
like the iPhone, the iPad in its larger 9.7-inch version has settled
into a form, for now. It seems due for a redesign next year, based on
Apple's evolutionary history of iOS devices. But it isn't essential that
it gets one.
A6X: What's the difference? So, let's get down to that new
A6X processor. Just like the last iPad's A5X, the A6X is a dual-core
ARM-based processor with quad-core graphics. Those extra graphics are
what distinguish it from the A6 processor on the iPhone 5. The same was
true for the A5X on the early 2012 iPad versus the iPhone 4S.
(Credit:
CNET)
It's hard to test any apps that truly take advantage of the A6X, because
at the time of this review, no apps were available that claimed to be
fourth-gen iPad-enhanced. Theoretically, games should run faster and
smoother on the Retina Display. Indeed, the ones I tested did. N.O.V.A.
3, a first-person shooter from Gameloft that's often prone to choppiness
in heavy action, was silky smooth. Other games seemed equally
fast-loading and zippy.
In some instances, you can see the difference clearly. The third-gen
iPad booted up from a turned-off state in 27 seconds; the fourth-gen
iPad boots in 16 seconds. I downloaded apps and tried launching a
variety of apps, as well as encoding videos shot with the front and rear
cameras. In those instances, the difference was generally no more than a
few seconds. The iPad feels very fast, and without a hiccup on iOS 6,
but then again, the third-gen iPad felt that way, too. With the same
amount of RAM as before (1GB), the number of apps you can keep
quick-swapping between using the iOS version of multitasking remains
largely the same. Using Geekbench 2, a popular benchmarking app, the
fourth-gen iPad scored a 1,761 (higher is better). The third-gen iPad
scored around 750, more in keeping with the iPad Mini and iPad 2, while
the iPhone 5 scored 1,461. On the SunSpider JavaScript 0.9.1 benchmark
test, the fourth-gen iPad blazed at 875 milliseconds over an average of
three runs (lower is better), while the iPad Mini performed the same
test at 1,503ms. The iPhone 5, with its A6 processor, performed the
SunSpider test at 1,073ms. Benchmark apps aren't always an indicator of
true performance, but the fourth-gen iPad, by any measure I could find,
is the fastest iOS device around.
Other tablets may be going quad-core for the most part, but the A6X does
its part to provide what feels like very fast performance, and easily
enough power to do anything you'd dream of doing on iOS.
Camera: FaceTime HD The new front-facing FaceTime HD camera
doesn't feel as dramatic as it did on the iPhone 5 or fifth-gen iPod
Touch. For one, the iPad's screen is a lot larger; also, that high-res
Retina Display can display a lot more pixels, so the average image just
comes off as grainier. It's still better than before, and it makes a
difference on FaceTime calls, but the rear camera remains the same as
before: 5 megapixels, no changes. It's suitable in a pinch, but as a
whole the iPad's camera doesn't match the stellar quality of the iPhone
5's. This should encourage you to never be that person taking photos in
public with an iPad.
(Credit:
CNET)
Wi-Fi and LTE: A little better It's worth noting
that the built-in Wi-Fi antennas on the fourth-gen iPad are now
dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11a/b/g/n), which should offer better
connections and speeds over the average home network. Apple made the
move to dual-band on the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, too.
The LTE versions of the iPad are available in three versions: AT&T,
Verizon, and Sprint. They still cost $130 more than the Wi-Fi-only
options. The LTE connection has improved to offer greater compatibility
with global cellular networks. That's good news for travelers and buyers
of the LTE iPad in markets other than the U.S. and Canada. My review
unit was Wi-Fi only, so I didn't have a chance to test how LTE worked.
What's in the box: Lightning, 12W adapter Just like
before, the iPad includes just the device plus a sync/charge cable and
AC adapter. Those two have been tweaked in the fourth-gen model:
USB-to-Lightning replaces the older 30-pin cable, and the AC brick is
12W, as opposed to 10W. No earbuds or EarPods are included.
The Lightning connector, new to this larger iPad, is Apple's new
syncing, charging, and connection port. It debuted on the iPhone 5 in
September and has since been seen on the iPod Nano, fifth-gen iPod
Touch, the iPad Mini, and this iPad. The Lightning connector has
essentially the same functionality as the older 30-pin, but requires new
cables or a separate adapter for older accessories (which may not work
with all functions). That could be annoying if you have an iPad dock,
but many accessories have been increasingly using AirPlay for wireless
video and audio streaming. I prefer that option, especially with a
larger device like the iPad.
(Credit:
CNET)
The 12W adapter offers up slightly faster charging. The third-gen iPad
was notoriously slow to charge, and so far I've seen the new iPad make
greater progress over an hour's top-off plug-in. It's not superfast, but
it's better.
Battery life Apple makes the same battery-life claims on the
fourth-gen iPad as on the third-gen: 10 hours of video playback. Then
again, the third-gen iPad supposedly had the same battery life as the
iPad 2, but actually lasted a little less over the course of an average
day.
The latest iPad's battery life, based on our formal tests, is even
higher than we expected: it lasted through 13.1 hours of continuous
video playback, compared with 11.4 hours on the third-gen iPad. An extra
hour and 42 minutes of battery life to go with a significantly faster
processor and graphics makes for an awfully nice one-two punch. The
fourth-gen iPad lasted a good solid day, and then some, through
continuous video-playing, game-playing, Web-browsing use. Incidentally,
it also outperformed the iPad Mini's battery life by a full hour.
Conclusion The new fourth-generation iPad is the best iPad.
It's the fastest iPad. But it's no longer the smallest iPad, or the most
affordable. That changes the perception of Apple's larger tablet
seemingly overnight: this is now the professional-level performance
device, the laptop alternative.
Who are we kidding? It's still pretty portable, and at $499, it's
decently affordable. For those who care about the best screen, excellent
battery life, impressive performance and the greatest compatibility
with cutting-edge apps, look no further. Others may choose the iPad Mini
for its compactness. In the long run, the iPad Mini may be the most
successful iPad. Today, I still think that award belongs to the larger,
classic version, but by a narrow margin -- and mainly because of that
Retina Display.
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• Quick Update Feature. Quick update may check for new versions of IDM and update IDM once per week.
• Download limits. Progressive downloading with quotas feature. The
feature is useful for connections that use some kind of fair access
policy (or FAP) like Direcway, Direct PC, Hughes, etc.
• IDM is multilingual. IDM is translated to Albanian, Arabic,
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Home Page - http://www.internetdownloadmanager.com
If you're looking for Samsung's new Galaxy S4 to define a novel new
era of smartphone greatness, it's time to temper your expectations. The
brand-new flagship smartphone, which runs the latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly
Bean, improves hardware significantly and it piles on the features.
Compared with the extremely successful Galaxy S3
that came before, it's a firm stride forward rather than a giant a
leap, but it raises the bar again for Samsung's competitors. And by
super-sizing the screen and packing in so much specialized software, the
GS4 sets itself even farther apart from the iPhone.
The Galaxy
S4 handset steadily draws from the same design language as the S3, but
takes almost every spec to an extreme -- the screen is larger (5
inches), the resolution greater (1080p), the battery capacity higher
(2,600mAh), the processor faster (1.9GHz quad-core or 1.6GHz octa-core),
and the rear-facing camera stuffed with more megapixels (13, to be
exact). But, once you've gone through the features checklist (which also
includes lots of internal and external storage space and RAM), it's the
software extras that Samsung continues to lean on to keep its phones
one step ahead of the competition.
The problem is, based on my
brief time with the Galaxy S4, very few of the extensive list of
enhancements stood out as a killer, must-have,
cannot-possibly-live-without feature. The TV control app that works with
the IR blaster is perhaps one exception (the HTC One
has this, too), as are a handy translation tool and eye-tracking and
gesture capabilities that allow you to pause a video when you stop
paying attention and let you hover your finger over an item to preview
what it is. Many other software additions are semi-interesting ideas
that some power users may enjoy once they've figured them out, but which
will hardly convince a prospective buyer to pick the GS4 over, for
instance, the HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920, or iPhone 5.
After using the device at a briefing (along with several other
journalists), I do think that Samsung has accomplished what it's set
out to do in pushing its Galaxy brand forward. Fans will find a
familiar, appealing smartphone that's packed with hardware and software
features -- albeit more than one person would ever use. Editors' note:
This analysis is based on my first impressions after using the phone.
I'll continue to update this section as I get more time with the handset
after the official launch event, and in the coming weeks and months. Design and build
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy S4 looks like a cookie-cutter copy
of the GS3, but larger. It has the same rounded edges and narrow
physical home button as its predecessor, but at 7.9mm deep (0.31 inch)
and 130g (4.6 ounces), it's also a little lighter and thinner. Part of
the slim look and feel is a result of Samsung creating sharper,
straighter lines with the phone than the GS3's subtle curves (the Galaxy
line is apparently inspired by nature no more).
Samsung's new Galaxy S4 features a 5-inch 1080p HD screen and a slightly slimmer, lighter build than its antecedent.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Standing at 136.6mm tall by 68.9mm wide (5.4 inches by 2.7
inches), the Galaxy S4 fits right in between the GS3 and the Galaxy Note
phones. It's large, to be sure -- very large -- but since I've grown
used to holding big handsets, it didn't feel overwhelming in my hands. A
more dimpled finish on the white version I held reminded me of the
Galaxy S2, in contrast to the GS3's silky brushed feel. The GS4 also
comes in "Black Mist."
While visually appealing, I've never seen a Samsung phone
that wows me with its finely crafted build quality or materials. The GS4
doesn't reach the same caliber as the beautiful, all-metal HTC One, nor
is it as polished as the iPhone 5. To be fair, that isn't Samsung's
goal; after all, Samsung has stuck by plastic for a few good reasons,
including durability (it won't smash like glass), manufacturing
benefits, and price.
As the rumors and leaks foretold, the GS4
has a 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a 1,920x1,080-pixel screen
resolution. While it isn't exactly edge-to-edge, the smaller bezel makes
the screen feel more expansive. At full brightness, the display's
441ppi pixel density looked rich and crisp, but I'll need to compare it
with the BlackBerry Z10,
iPhone 5, and others to really get a lock on just how sharp it is.
Also, like you'd find in Nokia's Lumia line, the GS4 uses a highly
sensitive screen that lets you navigate with long fingernails or even
gloves (a must for cold-weather climates.)
Above the display
you'll find the usual array of sensors and the 2-megapixel front-facing
camera lens. There's no front-facing flash on the GS4 as I would have
liked, but that was mostly wishful thinking anyway. Below the screen,
you'll find the solitary physical home button, flanked by capacitive
menu and back buttons. On the top of the phone is where you'll find the
IR blaster, which shoots out infrared light to control your TV directly
from the handset.
What I really like about this blaster, other
than the accompanying app, is that Samsung promises it works for all
televisions, not just Samsung TVs. The app will let you control channels
and volume, and also play on-demand content through a partner.
Beneath the back panel sits a 2,600mAh battery and a microSD card slot capable of up to 64GB in expandable storage.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
On the back, there's the 13-megapixel camera, a jump up from
the GS3's 8-megapixel lens. Even though the number of megapixels isn't
everything, Samsung has had a good track record with images so far. The
shooter has an LED flash and records 1080p HD video.
Beneath the
back cover, you'll find a microSD card slot that can store up to 64GB in
external memory, to go along with the 64GB internal storage. There's
also a 2,600mAh battery.
OS and apps The Galaxy S4 runs none other than
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the most up-to-date version of Android you can
get right now. Riding on top of it as usual is Samsung's Touch Wiz
overlay, a customized interface that I, for one, think is getting a
little long in the tooth. Also, keep in mind that the next Android OS,
Key Lime Pie, should appear when Google I/O opens on May 15. That's not far away, so I hope that Samsung and the carriers fast-track the Galaxy S4 for an upgrade.
However,
Samsung does use TouchWiz to add a bevy of software enhancements, like
gestures, and a beefier notifications tray that offers a ton more
toggling options to quickly turn settings on and off. In addition to
your usual toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, you'll also see
toggles for call-blocking mode and eye-tracking gestures.
A tiny IR blaster on top turns your GS4 into a remote to control your TV.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
To Samsung's credit, several functional tools carry over from the Galaxy Note 2, including the multiview mode that lets you split the screen to interact with two apps, say the browser and notes.
Once
again attempting to out-Google Google, Samsung introduces the S
Translator tool, embedding it into e-mail, the ChatOn messenger app, and
letting it stand as its own tool. Speaking of ChatOn, the Samsung-built
chat app adds three-way video calling, screen-sharing, and video calls
that make use of both cameras.
I also like the idea of another
new collaborative feature, Group Play. As with some of the GS3's
photo-sharing features, this one rewards GS4 owners by letting them
connect (via NFC or Bluetooth) to other Galaxy S4 devices to share
music, photos, documents, and even engage in multiplayer games. For the
music aspect, envision a whole room full of people playing the same song
from their phones: instant surround sound!
As for Group Play
games, Gun Bros 2 and Asphalt 7 have been specifically adapted for the
GS4. Samsung will release an SDK for other game developers to jump on
board with simultaneous, social game play. Good idea? Sure. But without
knowing how practical it is to set up and use, the jury is still out.
The Galaxy S4 interface includes a more extensive set of toggle controls in the drop-down menu.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Although I didn't get a chance to try this next feature during
my briefing, I like the idea of an integrated optical reader that can
scan QR codes, turn business cards into text, and translate with S
Translator. Nothing here is new to smartphones, and OCR (optical
character recognition) doesn't always work, but it's good to see this
sort of behavior brought to the surface.
Now, when Samsung spots a
trend, it pounces. Thus the birth of S Health, a
calorie-counter/pedometer in one that uses phone sensors like the
accelerometer and barometer to track your steps, jogs, hops, jolts,
snacks, and perspiration. Combined with one of its new Samsung-branded
fitness wrist bands, Samsung is attempting to replace specialized
third-party apps that do these functions already.
The problematic
S Voice assistant and S Memo note apps are returning programs, along
with settings that automatically adjust screen brightness based on the
app you're in. Samsung presents this as a benefit to you, making reading
or viewing more comfortable. In the GS3, a dimmer browser window threw
me off, and made me think that the screen brightness was severely
limited. I assume that, as with the GS3, the GS4 will let you adjust
your preferences in various settings menus. The GS4 does the same for
audio.
Samsung also announced a new feature for the S4 called
Galaxy S Voice Drive. Designed for in-car use, the voice command feature
will let drivers use the handset's built-in navigation system as well
as make calls, send messages, and check the weather. I didn't have the
opportunity to test the feature in a Manhattan hotel conference room,
but Samsung says that Voice Drive will start when you get into your car.
Eye-tracking software keeps tabs on where you're looking.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Eye-tracking gestures Conflicting rumors painted a scenario where you'd scroll the screen with your eyes using eye-tracking software within the GS4.
Turns
out, that's somewhat true. Smart Pause and Smart Scroll are two
features that build off the Galaxy S3's optional Smart Stay feature,
which kept the screen from dimming when you looked at it. In the GS4,
tilting the screen up or down while looking at it scrolls you up or
down, say if you're reading a CNET story, of course. As a daily commuter
with one hand on the phone and one on a hand strap, this could be a
more convenient way to catch up with news while on the train or bus.
I
really like the idea of Smart Pause, which halts a video you're
watching when your eyes dart away, then resumes when you start paying
attention again.
Both features worked better in theory than they
did in practice, though I should mention that the GS4 I was looking at
is (obviously) preproduction running prefinal software. Still, response
time was a beat slower than I wanted, taking a little time to pause and
resume the video, and scroll the screen. A minor delay makes sense. You
wouldn't want to start and stop again every time you're distracted for a
second. Instead, the software seems to track longer periods when you're
away, like if you stop what you're doing to order a cup of coffee, talk
to a friend, or climb a set of stairs. Air View and gestures
While you can make googly eyes at the GS4, most gestures are still
reserved for your fingertips. Hovering features known as Air View make
their way from the stylus-centric Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet to the Galaxy S4, but replace the stylus with your digit.
You can control the Galaxy S4 by waving your hand in front of the camera sensor.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Hover your finger and you can preview a video clip or image
from the photo gallery, glance at browser tab thumbnails, find your
place on a video timeline, and check out an e-mail. You'll also be able
to magnify calendar events and get a closer look in speed dial.
Flipboard has built a customized app to work with Air View, which lets
you hover over a tile to see which articles lie beneath.
In
addition to hovering with a fingertip, you can wave or wipe your whole
hand in front of the screen (and camera sensor) to navigate around. For
example, enable this gesture and you can agitate your palm to pick up
the phone or switch songs in a playlist. Steadily sliding your hand back
and forth can advance photos in a gallery, or browser tabs. You can
also scroll up and down in a list.
The feature was a little jerky
and jumpy when I tried it, but it did work. As with eye-tracking,
you'll have to wait a half-second to see results. Cameras and video
If the promise of the GS4's 13-megapixel images doesn't wow you,
Samsung is hoping that its refreshed interface and enhanced features
will. Perhaps the most out-there is the dual-shot mode, which takes
photos and video from both the front- and rear-facing cameras, and
combines them into one.
The background shows the capture from
your main camera, while the foreground -- whatever you take from the
front-facing camera -- lays on top. You can choose to change the window
size and shape on top, say a postcard stamp, an oval, or a simple
window. You can also swap camera positions so that rear-facing gives you
the inset and the front-facing image forms the background. As to why,
the answer, like some of Samsung's many features, is more correctly: why
not?
The camera interface takes full advantage of the GS4's display.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Even more new modes include Sound & Shot, which takes a
picture and captures up to 9 seconds of audio (sounds like HTC's Zoe
mode to me), and Drama Shot, which combines all the actions from a burst
shot into a single frame. If someone is jumping, for instance, you see
all stages of the leap in one shot (P.S. HTC has this, too in the One.)
Then
there's Cinema Photo, which lets you animate just one portion of a
video and keep the rest static (it creates a GIF), and Eraser mode,
which can erase an unwanted person from a shot. The Samsung team and I
tried this out five or six times on the demo device I got to hold, but
it didn't work; chalk it up to a prerelease software bug.
You'll
also find Story Album, which gathers friends into a single photo album.
Integration with Trip Advisor lets you add more location-based detail,
and you can print any album through self-publishing platform Blurb.
The GS4's new dual-shot mode combines photo and videos from the front-facing camera and rear camera into one frame.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
Performance While the Galaxy S4 will look the same
everywhere in the world, it won't necessarily have the same motor under
the hood. Your future GS4 handset will either thrum from a 1.9GHz
quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series processor, or from a 1.6GHz eight-core chipset, Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa silicon.
We'll
need to set the two bad boys side by side in the lab to see real-time
performance differences, but in the meantime, the Octa-curious can get a
load of CNET editor Eric Franklin's Octa 5 benchmarks from Mobile World Congress.
Data
speed freaks can rest assured that the Galaxy S4 will support LTE in
expected markets (these haven't yet been announced), and LTE roaming
will be possible for some geographies (very nice).
As for battery
life, the phone has a large, 2,600mAh ticker, but also a larger screen
and even more features to compromise performance. Smart Stay and S Voice
both drain the battery more quickly, which just means that, as always,
potential buyers should adjust their expectations. The more video and
games you play, the shorter your life per battery charge. (Read more on battery life here.)
In
terms of storage and memory, the Galaxy S4 has 2GB RAM, 64GB internal
storage, and another 64GB available through the microSD car slot. In
today's market, you can't get more than that. Pricing and availability
If this phone sounds like something you want to get your hands on, you
won't have to wait too long. Samsung plans to stagger releases worldwide
in April and May. In the U.S., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile,
U.S. Cellular, and Cricket Wireless will all get the Galaxy S4 (along with Sprint MVNO Ting). Samsung hasn't yet shared plans for other countries.
Samsung
also hasn't shared pricing yet, since it differs by region and by
carrier, but you can expect comparable pricing structures to what you
saw in your area for the GS3.
A more sensitive screen means you'll be able to use gloves when operating your phone.
(Credit:
Sarah Tew/CNET)
What's missing? While the Galaxy S4 hits
expectations square on the head, there are still a few small areas that
competitors can crow about. As I mentioned, premium build materials are
one. After my briefing, it also isn't exactly clear where the Galaxy S4
comes down on wireless charging. When asked, a Samsung representative
said that the presence of wireless charging "depends on market
requirements," which I read as a soft "yes." This strikes me as a
strange feature to skip mentioning, especially since we know that you
can rig a Galaxy S3 to wirelessly charge. How it compares with the competition
The Galaxy S4 is a high-end, fully featured smartphone that's meant for
almost everyone. Samsung has made sure to include every salient
hardware spec and enough new and interesting software features to hold
your attention, if not constant use.
Although the handset's
hardware isn't exceptionally beautiful and software isn't particularly
inspiring, it has every essential feature and then some. Right now, the
best way I can describe it is as the Gap clothing of smartphones. While
you may not use or even like every item on display, it's long on basics,
represents a certain high standard, and you'll be able to get it
anywhere.
Stay tuned for many more details, impressions, photos, and videos in the upcoming hours, weeks, and months.
