Julia Ryan, USA TODAY 3:18 p.m. EDT September 6, 2013
New Samsung Galaxy Gear in different colors are on display after the presentation in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 4, 2013.(Photo: Gero Breloer, AP)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
Samsung officially jumped in the smartwatch market this week with the unveiling of their new Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The launch was one of many big product announcements in the tech world. Here's what you need to know about the week in Tech:
1) Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch
It's finally here! Samsung formally introduced their long-rumored smartwatch at a press event on Wednesday.
The smartwatch has a 1.63-inch screen, a camera, a Siri-like voice assistant called S Voice, 25 hours of battery life and 4 GB of storage space.
It also supports several apps, including Path, Pocket, Snapchat and others. The watch comes in six colors and is compatible with Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone, Galaxy Note 2 and Note 3, and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet.
Samsung's smartwatch will be released in October, so make sure you check back with Tech for a full review.
2) Own an Apple device? Get ready for iOS 7
It's no secret that Apple is going to announce a new iPhone on Tuesday, Sept. 10. But USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham got an early look at another Apple upgrade coming soon: their newest operating system, iOS 7. New iPhones will come with iOS 7 and pre-existing users will be able to switch to the new system in late September.
Here's the new iOS features that you need to know about:
--App updates: The operating system will automatically update apps for users — you won't have to manually update your apps anymore.
--Camera app update: The Camera app will have photo filters and a new option that lets users shoot photos in a square format.
--Control Center: The eight most commonly used apps will reside on your phone's Control Center screen, accessed by a quick swipe. The apps include Flashlight, Camera, Clock, Calculator and Wi-Fi.
3) CEO Mayer geeks out on Yahoo's new logo
Yahoo finally debuted its new logo on Wednesday after months of hype, and it's a little bit quirky. The new purple Yahoo logo keeps the exclamation point, but it occasionally darts and dances when users visit the Yahoo homepage.
In a Tumblr post titled "Geeking Out on the Logo," CEO Marissa Mayer said she played a big part in the logo redesign and she wanted a look that would be "whimsical, yet sophisticated. Modern and fresh, with a nod to our history. Having a human touch, personal. Proud."
4) First Take: The day/night when tech was turned on its head
While you were having one last barbecue on Labor Day, the tech world was abuzz with surprising deals between big tech companies.
Here's a recap of what happened:
--CBS/Time Warner Cable: The two companies finally settled a month-long battle that shut off CBS for more than 3 million subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and six other major cities.
--Verizon/Vodafone: British company Vodafone announced it will sell its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications. This means that Verizon is now 100% American and wholly owns its wireless unit.
--Microsoft/Nokia: Microsoft agreed to buy Nokia's mobile-phone division for $7.2 billion, a move that could potentially boost both struggling companies.
5) Analysis: Can Nokia's sleek handsets power up Windows 8?
Most of the talk in the tech world about smartphones centers on Apple and Samsung, but Microsoft's Nokia purchase earlier this week could finally move the company into serious competition in the smartphone market.
Ryan Reith, IDC analyst, says Nokia has "clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform, and we expect that to continue."
Nokia is Microsoft's best smartphone partner — the company's phones account for 81% of all Windows Phone shipments this year. So if Microsoft wants to gain traction in the smartphone market and make a hot new phone, Nokia is its best bet.
New Samsung Galaxy Gear in different colors are on display after the presentation in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 4, 2013.(Photo: Gero Breloer, AP)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
- Samsung introduces smartwatch
- Yahoo refreshes iconic logo
- CBS returns after battle with Time Warner Cable
Samsung officially jumped in the smartwatch market this week with the unveiling of their new Galaxy Gear smartwatch. The launch was one of many big product announcements in the tech world. Here's what you need to know about the week in Tech:
1) Samsung unveils Galaxy Gear smartwatch
It's finally here! Samsung formally introduced their long-rumored smartwatch at a press event on Wednesday.
The smartwatch has a 1.63-inch screen, a camera, a Siri-like voice assistant called S Voice, 25 hours of battery life and 4 GB of storage space.
It also supports several apps, including Path, Pocket, Snapchat and others. The watch comes in six colors and is compatible with Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone, Galaxy Note 2 and Note 3, and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet.
Samsung's smartwatch will be released in October, so make sure you check back with Tech for a full review.
2) Own an Apple device? Get ready for iOS 7
It's no secret that Apple is going to announce a new iPhone on Tuesday, Sept. 10. But USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham got an early look at another Apple upgrade coming soon: their newest operating system, iOS 7. New iPhones will come with iOS 7 and pre-existing users will be able to switch to the new system in late September.
Here's the new iOS features that you need to know about:
--App updates: The operating system will automatically update apps for users — you won't have to manually update your apps anymore.
--Camera app update: The Camera app will have photo filters and a new option that lets users shoot photos in a square format.
--Control Center: The eight most commonly used apps will reside on your phone's Control Center screen, accessed by a quick swipe. The apps include Flashlight, Camera, Clock, Calculator and Wi-Fi.
3) CEO Mayer geeks out on Yahoo's new logo
Yahoo finally debuted its new logo on Wednesday after months of hype, and it's a little bit quirky. The new purple Yahoo logo keeps the exclamation point, but it occasionally darts and dances when users visit the Yahoo homepage.
In a Tumblr post titled "Geeking Out on the Logo," CEO Marissa Mayer said she played a big part in the logo redesign and she wanted a look that would be "whimsical, yet sophisticated. Modern and fresh, with a nod to our history. Having a human touch, personal. Proud."
4) First Take: The day/night when tech was turned on its head
While you were having one last barbecue on Labor Day, the tech world was abuzz with surprising deals between big tech companies.
Here's a recap of what happened:
--CBS/Time Warner Cable: The two companies finally settled a month-long battle that shut off CBS for more than 3 million subscribers in New York, Los Angeles and six other major cities.
--Verizon/Vodafone: British company Vodafone announced it will sell its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications. This means that Verizon is now 100% American and wholly owns its wireless unit.
--Microsoft/Nokia: Microsoft agreed to buy Nokia's mobile-phone division for $7.2 billion, a move that could potentially boost both struggling companies.
5) Analysis: Can Nokia's sleek handsets power up Windows 8?
Most of the talk in the tech world about smartphones centers on Apple and Samsung, but Microsoft's Nokia purchase earlier this week could finally move the company into serious competition in the smartphone market.
Ryan Reith, IDC analyst, says Nokia has "clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform, and we expect that to continue."
Nokia is Microsoft's best smartphone partner — the company's phones account for 81% of all Windows Phone shipments this year. So if Microsoft wants to gain traction in the smartphone market and make a hot new phone, Nokia is its best bet.