What they're saying about Samsung's Galaxy Gear (English Language)

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(CNN) -- In rolling out its Galaxy Gear on Wednesday, Samsung effectively launched the smartwatch wars, becoming the biggest player in an emerging gadget market that could soon see Apple, Google and others join the fray.

"Today, Samsung reinvents a centuries-old product," Samsung research director Pranav Mistry said at a launch event in Berlin. "I can proudly say Galaxy Gear is a design statement, an engineering marvel and something that really redefines tomorrow."

So, no false modesty here. But, what did everyone else have to say?

Tech bloggers' first impressions of the watch, which will go on sale in late September in much of the world and in October in the United States and Japan, were predictably less grandiose than that.

Many complimented the Gear as a significant step forward in mobile technology with a host of interesting features and the potential for even more. But its $299 price tag was a concern for many, as were worries that sluggish responses on some apps will turn out to be a persistent problem, not a case of opening-day jitters.

Others complained the watch must be synced with a Galaxy phone or tablet to get the most out of its functionality.

We've rounded up some thoughts from folks who got an early look at the connected watch, which will compete against rival devices from Pebble, Sony and other makers. Keep in mind that many of them had limited time with the device and some will publish more in-depth reviews later.

The Upcoming Games To Watch (English Language)

Cologne, Germany (CNN) -- More than 340,000 gamers from across Europe converged in this quaint German city last month to get their first hands-on with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One consoles and to preview an assortment of new games.

The occasion was Gamescom, the massive video gaming show that attracted over 600 exhibitors from upwards of 80 countries, all of whom set up booths in 10 massive halls that featured over 1.4 million square feet of space. It was like E3 and Comic-Con, only much bigger.

Big companies like Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts kicked off the festivities with press conferences that featured exclusive announcements, including the November 15 PS4 launch date and new games such as "The Sims 4."

Europe plays an important role in the global gaming ecosystem, thanks to the success of such European companies as Rovio Entertainment ("Angry Birds"), DICE ("Battlefield 4") and TT Games ("The LEGO Movie Game"). According to Peter Warman, founder of video-game research firm Newzoo, European consumers will contribute 23% of the $70.4 billion global video game market this year.

"The most talked-about companies over the past year are European," said Warman. "Companies like SuperCell ("Clash of Clans"), Wargaming ("World of Tanks"), Mojang ("Minecraft") and King ("Candy Crush") will bring in a combined revenue of more than $1.5 billion this year."

Next-generation gaming was a huge focus this year, but the current crop of consoles still have a lot of life left in them. And the PC, which has always been strong in Europe, remains a force as well. Here are five games that stood out from the very crowded booths of Gamescom 2013.

Kajian mengatakan pengguna telefon pintar menghabiskan masa hampir sejam di hadapan telefon mereka (Malay Language)

Kajian mengatakan pengguna Android menghabiskan masa yang kurang  berbanding pengguna IPhone

Fikir kembali 24 jam yang lalu. Berapa jam anda habiskan di depan telefon pintar anda? Adakah kebanyakan anda menghantar mesej, membaca berita, memeriksa Twitter, atau bercakap dengan manusia yang lain?

Jawapan anda mungkin berlainan jika anda seorang pengguna Android atau IPhone.

Satu kajian dari Experian mencari maklumat untuk mengetahui bagaimana seorang pengguna telefon pintar menggunakan telefon mereka dan mendapati bahawa pengguna di semua sistem menghabiskan purata 58 minit sehari pada telefon pintar mereka. Walaupun dengan semua loceng, dan wisel dan aplikasi, sebahagian besar dihabiskan untuk bercakap di telefon.

Terdapat perbezaan di antara pengguna Android dan IPhone membagi-bagikan masa mereka. Pengguna iPhone menghabiskan lebih banyak masa pada peranti mereka sehari (26 minit lebih) tetapi peratusan yang lebih kecil masa bercakap dan melayari web daripada rakan-rakan Android mereka dan lebih banyak masa menghantar mesej dan menangkap gambar.

Kajian ini tidak menyelidiki berapa minit setiap pihak menghabiskan ber"online" dan yang mana sistem yang lebih baik.

Apa sahaja sistem operasi atau telefon pintar yang digunakan adalah sebagai alat komunikasi, menurut dalam kajian. Rata-rata, orang menghabiskan 26% di telefon pintar dihabiskan untuk masa bercakap, 20% SMS dan 9% e-mel. 'Social networking' mengambil 16% daripada masa kita, manakala permainan dan "lain-lain" aktiviti masing-masing kira-kira 8% dan 9%.

Menonton video menyumbang sedikit masa pada purata, tetapi orang-orang yang menonton video biasanya lebih sedikit daripada empat kali sehari untuk sejumlah lima minit setiap hari.

Membaca juga blip, menurut kajian itu, dengan separuh peratusan daripada orang membaca pada telefon pintar mereka setiap hari.

source : edition.cnn.com

People use smartphones nearly an hour a day, study says (English Language)

Users of Android phones such as Samsung's Galaxy S4 spend less time on their devices than iPhone owners, a study says

(CNN) -- Think back on your past 24 hours. How much time did you spend on your smartphone? Were you mostly texting, reading news, checking Twitter, or were you actually talking to another human?

The answer may vary if you are an Android or an iPhone user.

A new study from Experian digs into the details of how people use their phones and finds that users on all systems spend an average of 58 minutes a day on their smartphones. Even with all the bells, whistles and apps, the biggest chunk of that time is spent talking on the phone.

There are differences in the way iPhone and Android users divvy up their time. Users of the iPhone spend more time on their devices a day (26 minutes more) but a smaller percentage of time talking and surfing the Web than their Android counterparts and more time texting and snapping photographs.

The study does not delve into how many minutes each side spends arguing online over which system is better.

Whatever the operating system, smartphones are still primarily used as communication devices, according to the study. On average, people spend 26% of their smartphone quality-time talking, 20% texting and 9% e-mailing. Social networking takes up 16% of our time, while games and "other" activities account for 8% and 9%, respectively.

Watching videos accounted for a small amount of time on average, but those who do usually watch videos a little more than four times a day for a total of five minutes daily.

Reading is also a blip, according to the study, with a half percentage of people reading on their smartphones each day.

Source : edition.cnn.com

Newly discovered virus takes more lives, spreads (English Language)

(CNN) -- A new SARS-like virus recently found in humans continues to spread -- with the worldwide total now at 49, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

Of the 49 known infections with the MERS-CoV virus, 27 have resulted in death, the organization said.
The latest deaths were reported in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi health ministry said Wednesday that three people died from their infections in the country's eastern region.

The virus is "a threat to the entire world," the WHO's general director said Monday.

5 things to know about the coronavirusIt "is not a problem that any single affected country can keep to itself or manage all by itself," Margaret Chan said Monday in her closing remarks at the 66th World Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Although many of the cases have occurred on the Arabian Peninsula, people have died of the infection elsewhere.

However, "all of the European cases have had a direct or indirect connection to the Middle East," the WHO said earlier this month. But "in France and the United Kingdom, there has been limited local transmission among close contacts who had not been to the Middle East but had been in contact with a traveler recently returned from the Middle East."

On Tuesday, a patient died in France after having contracted the virus during a trip to the Middle East, the WHO reported.

Coronaviruses cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as well as a variety of animal diseases.

However, the new virus is not SARS.
The WHO recently gave it a more specific name: Middle East respiratory symptom coronavirus, or MERS-CoV.

It acts like a cold virus and attacks the respiratory system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. But symptoms, which include fever and a cough, are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.

Health officials do not yet know much about how the virus spreads, which makes it hard for scientists to prevent infections, Chan said.

The WHO is calling for the world to pull together its resources to study and tackle the virus.
New virus is a 'threat to the entire world'

Source : edition.cnn.com

Lee Hong Ki Almost Gave Up Becoming a Singer Because of His First Love (English Language)

FT Island member Lee Hong Ki recently opened up about his first love and his first heartbreak.

On May 28, Lee Hong Ki made an appearance on the SBS Power FM “Choi Hwa Jung’s Power Time” radio show, where he confessed, “Up ’til now, I think I’ve had to say three passionate goodbyes.”

He continued, “What I mean by passionate goodbye is that I didn’t want to break up but there was nothing else I could do. Because I was a celebrity, I had no other choice.”

He also said, “I dated my first love during my trainee years. Since I wasn’t able to go back home as often, our hearts grew distant. That noona asked that we stop seeing each other. So I cried like crazy and told her I couldn’t do it. I cried so much, I was in a state of exhaustion. I kept telling my manager that I wouldn’t become a singer so he tried to dissuade me from walking away from it altogether.”

Choi Hwa Jung commented, “Your agency’s CEO must have been really distressed at that time” to which Lee Hong Ki replied, “Because of me, I’m sure he’s had to go through a lot.”

Source : soompi.com

“Infinity Challenge” and “Running Man” adalah rancangan paling disayangi di Korea (Malay Language)

Menurut keputusan dari Gallup Korea, rancangan "Variety" "Infinity Challenge" dan "Running Man" adalah dua rancangan yang paling disanyangi di Korea Selatan.

Gallup Korea membuat undian yang dibuka dari 20 Mei hingga 23, meminta peserta 19 tahun atau lebih tua membuat undian. Seramai 1217 orang mengambil bahagian.

Rancangan "Variety" dari siaran MBC iaitu "Infinity Challenge" menduduki tangga pertama dalam undian tersebut dengan 12.8%. Ia menjadikan kali keempat buat "Infinity Challenge" berada di tangga pertama selepas "Infinity Challenge" menduduki tangga perrtama pada bulan Januari, Mac dan April. Pada bulan Februari, drama KBS "My Daughter, Seoyoung" menduduki tangga pertama.

SBS "Running Man" adalah nombor dua selepas mendapat 7.2% daripada undi. Khususnya, ia menerima banyak undi dari orang-orang yang berusia 20-an 40-an. Menariknya, kedua-dua Rancangan "Variety" yang menduduki tangga pertama dan kedua mempunyai Yoo Jae Suk dan Haha sebagai hos rancangan.

Source : soompi.com