JK Shin, President and Head of IT and Mobile Communications for Samsung, presenting the S4. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Last night at 7 p.m. ET, Samsung unveiled the latest Galaxy mobile devices at Radio City Music Hall in New York Cit. Wired breaks down the five things you need to know: it’s a little bigger (though thinner), has a better camera, more security, an expanded voice system (which was terrible in the previous phone, according to Wired), tracks your eye movement in order to pause a video when you’e not looking at it, and just, overall, has more features and benefits. Mashable also has head-to-head comparisons between this new device and the Phone 5, Lumia 920, and HTC One.

AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Cricket, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon will all be selling the latest Galaxy, according to CNET. But, there could be a delay until May. CNET is guessing a $199.99 price tag since that’s what the S3 sold for. The site also lays it out for us via video (below). The site is already declaring it a “roaring success.”

From a business standpoint, the media is framing this as a challenge from Samsung to mobile phone leader, Apple. Reuters says Samsung is bringing it to Apple “on its home turf” and that we have to wait and see if the latest bells and whistles are more than just “gimmicks.” Already, the outlet says, there are some who are clearly “dazzled” by what they saw last night. For more on the discussion happening in the media, click through to Forbes.

Based on what we’re seeing in the media, most people are pretty impressed by the new phone. The latest features might be a little much for many smartphone users, who don’t necessarily need, for instance, a mobile device that can track their eye movements.

But for the geeks and early adopters, this may be a look into, not just the future of mobile devices, as their evolution continues at a rapid clip, but a look at the future leader in the smartphone wars.

Do you think Samsung will overtake Apple?

Alcohoot at an event at the New York Stock Exchange. Via Facebook

With all this talk about Apple launching new products, there are other people who are giving some thought to the accessories available with your existing devices.

A company called Yellow Jacket has created an iPhone case that doubles as a stun gun. The inventor of the device and owner of the company, Seth Froom, says he fell victim to armed robbery in his home and came up with the idea. “This isn’t going to throw a grown man across the room or severely injure someone. The main purpose is to cause pain and create a diversion,” he told The Advocate (via Gothamist).

The Yellow Jacket stun gun via Facebook

And the latest iPhone devices aren’t just for protecting your well-being. They’re also for protecting your reputation and your relationships. Alcohoot has created what it says is the world’s first smartphone breathalyzer. On a serious note, part of the point of the invention is to keep drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel. With more than 10,000 deaths attributed to drunk driving, this is a great contribution to safety on the road. The idea is that the creators will partner with other apps, which will offer the inebriated discount cab rides home.

But the creators also want the breathlyzer’s software to detect when the drunken user is about to send a text and put a halt to that. A TechCrunch reporter took it for a test drive and shares his thoughts. It’ll be available later this year.

What do you think of these additions? Anything you’d be interested in?

Source: Shutterstock

Start counting your pennies Apple fans! Rumor has it that the new iPad 5 is coming in April. And not only will your pockets be lighter. The new version is said to be thinner and weigh less. The iPad Mini 2 could also make its debut in April. But a retina screen doesn’t appear to be in the immediate future, so we’ll see on that one.

And the iPhone 5S could be on its way in August.

“Sources familiar with the plans have told iMore that the iPhone 5S does indeed have the same basic design as the iPhone 5, with a more advanced processor and an improved camera,” reports iMore (h/t Business Insider). TechCrunch says the iPad needs a kid mode. Parents care to chime in on that one?

Just a couple of weeks ago, news broke that Apple was being sued in Brazil for having one too many launches in one year, rendering the devices purchased first “not-quite-the-newest.” It feels like some time has passed since we’ve had a good, old fashioned Apple launch, so maybe we’re due for one. But then there’s the question of demand.

VentureBeat explores the question of why iPad display shipments dropped by half in January. It’s either because something new is coming or people are buying the iPad Mini instead of the big’un.

One thing’s for sure: We pay a lot of attention to Apple.

Alicia Keys takes the stage with BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins last month. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

When Alicia Keys was named global creative director for BlackBerry just a couple of weeks ago, people were quick to point out that the singer had declared herself an “iPhone junky” a year ago. During that BlackBerry event, where the BlackBerry 10 platform was unveiled along with two new phones, she joined company CEO Thorsten Heins on stage to crow about BlackBerry.

So what a shocker then that another tweet was posted on her account from an iPhone yesterday.

(We took a quick look and couldn’t find the @Drake tweet she’s talking about here.)

Seems weird that someone would hack Alicia Keys’ account to simply post something about Drake, so we’ll have to share Business Insider’s skepticism on this one.

Do you think this hacking happened? And does it even matter?

AP Photo/Andy Wong, File

This week Apple failed at trying to steal Blackberry’s shine. The day before Blackberry was scheduled to unveil the new Blackberry 10, Apple confirmed the rumors of a new iPad that will be released February 5. However, all everyone was talking about the following day was Blackberry’s new phones and the appointment of Alicia Keys as global creative director.

So let me break down what’s new about the “new” iPad… Nothing! OK, maybe a couple of things. You’ll get a higher resolution screen and 128GB of space. But is that enough to make you trash your old one and spend $799 to $929 on a new one? Probably not. And if you don’t currently have one, this tablet will now be the most expensive one on the market, and might be out of your budget.

I am having a case of deja vu. I remember a company that released a really cool cell phone that was very successful and everyone went out and bought it. Then the same company turned around and released another version of the same phone with very minimal changes eleven months later that turned out to be a flop. Oh yeah… that was Apple with the release of the iPhone 4S and the subsequent release of the iPhone 5.

Earlier this month The Huffington Post reported that Apple cut its order of iPhone 5 components due to lower-than-expected demand and that Apple’s first quarter orders were about half of what the company expected.

So once again we have another Apple product being released with very few changes, but this time only months after the last version, the iPad Mini. According to CBS News, analysts are beginning to question if Apple still possesses the “cool” factor and the capacity to create new innovative products as opposed to just making slight changes to its existing line of gadgets.

iPhone appears to be losing its edge. Naysayers have always questioned how strong the company would be outside of the leadership of Steve Jobs. However, I still had so much confidence in the company that I recently decided to joined #teamiphone. But lately, Apple has left myself and many others underwhelmed. And the release of another rendition of the same old iPad does not seem reminiscent of the Jobs era.

Alicia Keys takes the stage with BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins today. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Today was a big day for BlackBerry. They have a new name, a new device, and a new global creative director — Alicia Keys.

When we asked in our earlier post whether people were ready to convert to iPhone or Android, we should’ve noted that there already has been one — the aforementioned global creative director, Alicia Keys.

One year ago almost to the date, Business Insider notes that Keys declared herself an “iPhone junky.” And she’s been tweeting away from her iPhone in the past few days.

From the stage at today’s big BlackBerry event, Keys said she’s “going to work closely with the app designers and developers, the content creators, the retailers and the carriers to really explore this BlackBerry 10 platform and create ideas for its future.”

During her comments, ABC News notes, she admits that she “kinda broke up” in favor of another phone “with a little more bling.” She says that she and BlackBerry are now going steady again, but that also means she’ll have to give up her Instagram addiction. The app isn’t offered on BlackBerry.

According to The Verge, BlackBerry is also trying to woo other big names in entertainment, including writer Neil Gaiman and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who will be using the device for a new project. A clip about what the company is calling “The Keep Moving Projects” is ready for you to watch after the jump.

AP Photo/Richard Drew

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has cut back on its orders for iPhone 5 parts, a possible indication that demand for the company’s latest smartphone is less than expected.

According to two of the WSJ’s sources, as of last month, orders for the iPhone 5 screen and other components have dropped to about half of what Apple had planned to order for the first quarter 2013.

For the 12 weeks ending November 25, 2012, iPhones accounted for 53.3 percent of smartphone purchases, up from 35.5 percent in 2011. Android sales dropped to 41.9 percent from 52.8 percent a year ago, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

But while 2012 may have been a good year for Apple and the iPhone 5, other smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung and Nokia, are already having a stellar 2013. Samsung announced it has sold 100 million Galaxy S smartphones, while sales of Nokia devices exceeded expectations for the fourth quarter of 2012.

Apple is dealing with increased competition from the Android market, which often features cheaper smartphone devices. Despite rumors that Apple is considering a cheaper version of the iPhone, the rumors of decreased demand overall made Apple’s stock price drop in pre-market trading Monday morning.

How many people out there have the iPhone 5?

Press Association via AP Images

A number of reputable media sources are saying that Apple is working on a lower-priced iPhone that could be available as soon as this year. Ideally, this device would be geared towards emerging markets like China where the $600-plus price for the iPhone5 is too far out of reach. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if this option becomes available here as well.

The Wall Street Journal says the iPhone5 typically costs $199 with a two-year contract, $99 for older models. The price is brought down by subsidies from the service provider. In other countries, that subsidy is more scarce, so the Android, for instance, is more affordable and, therefore, the more popular choice.

Last quarter, that WSJ story reports, Apple’s share of the smartphone market fell, while Samsung said it had its best year ever. In a change of course, Apple is looking for ways to maintain its dominance. This isn’t the first time that Apple has floated the idea of a lower-cost phone. The Journal has reported on this rumor for a couple of years. In this latest version, the casing would be made out of plastic instead of aluminum and might incorporate parts from previously-owned phones.

CNET reported just yesterday that iPhones are available at Walmart, contract-free, for $45 per month. The unlocked option is being offered more and more. With more competition, there’s a need to try different strategies. Could low-cost phones be far behind?

There’s also a need for new products. The Chicago Tribune reports that Apple is working with Intel on a watch that will work with the iPhone using Bluetooth and a TV is on the way. One area where Apple and iOS developers are excelling is the app area. According to GigaOm, 40 billion apps have been downloaded since the App Store opened in 2008, two billion in December alone. There are 775,000 apps to choose from. Let us know some of your favorites.

Whether you are the type to make resolutions or not, we can all agree that some restraint in life makes sense. For many, the voice that disagrees with making new-year resolutions comes from within. Our subconscious asks, “how much sacrifice we talking ‘bout?” or “can I really keep that up this year?”

This new year, I want to restrain from technology just a bit. My goal is to go without my iPhone for a day. This is my only resolution, and I am constructing it so that it’s not easy to disappoint myself. That is, instead of making a resolution that requires me to go without technology altogether for a day, I am choosing a singular device. This way I practice controlling how I use technology, but I do not completely take away its value.

After a year that ended tragically, I figure going a day without my smartphone may seem facile to some and unnecessary to others. Truly, there are more difficult and noble goals to embark on: gun control advocacy, helping sick children, donating to the homeless. There really is no way or reason to minimize this larger context of our conjoined lives. Or the smaller context of our disjoined lives: loving ourselves more, staying hopeful in humankind, getting healthy. There is no short supply of worthy goals.

Technology is big. More than advances in work and lifestyle, it has become a social mirror and mother: images for comparative analysis of ourselves are reflected and a voice for us to plead and argue with what is projected. So by setting aside one of its preeminent symbols, I hope that when I pick up my iPhone again I am a bit more me because I have taken a break from being “with” others.

I can find at least two smart reasons for escaping my smartphone once a week.

First, I can see myself feeling good for simply having the desire and passion to abstain. In society, there is plenty that we cannot abstain from. I would love to forgo all activities related to state and county facilities, the list is long: license, tickets, car registration and insurance, etc. There are incessant laws that we abide every day, year in and year out. Law-abiding is our job and other citizens are our customers. So it makes me feel good to want to do something for myself without anyone telling me what to do. For in my life I am the first and 100^th customer and all them in between. Really, this is the built-in pleasure of any resolution.

Second, I can see myself more in tune with my state of grace. Words of wisdom that I encountered earlier this year keep coming back to me. I was passing by a desk and read “If technology is making us dumber, it’s not technology’s fault.” I was so impressed with the wise-A$$ delivery. I started to shake my head to agree like ok, I hear you. It impressed upon me a responsibility to keep patience for finding the dictionary in my book stacks and for flipping through its rough recycled pages. It impressed the import of keeping silence and stillness.

I can’t be quiet on the phone with a friend, letting our voices go still long enough to hear breathing, without feeling like I’ve committed the sin of wasting time. THOU SHALL NOT send text messages for all occasions.

I’ve read a few theories about technology’s impact on us, especially portable devices. Most experts admit that it’s too soon to exclusively conclude a dumbing down or wising up of the culture. What’s clear is that we are becoming more distracted by multi-tasking so often. This is true for me since getting an iPhone, and I have only had it for a year.

It’s usually when I see other people checking their phones and tablets at every still moment that I get sensory overload and a little pissed off. Watching addict-like behavior in such normal settings like restaurants and cars from people I love is maddening and humbling.

Sometimes I ride in my car without the radio on because why listen today? And without cable, I turn off the TV more often now than I ever did before. Not using my iPhone has the same appeal. I could say these choices are due to me getting older and surly, but that would be a surly outlook. The idiom older and wiser is more apt to fit my current behaviors and attitudes. I just hope that generations of tech-bred babies who sense that there is something greater will have their suspicions confirmed in books, digital OK.

So for my part, I’m taking a page from two culture critics Henry Thoreau and Neil Postman. Thoreau thought if you’ve read yesterday’s headlines, you’ve read today’s. He lived simply so not to burden himself with the burden of those who reveled in the mundane. Postman predicted that television would trivialize our culture because people would not realize its limitations. He believed we would forget what kinds of intelligent conversation and entertainment came before the shift to mediums of constant distraction and dissonance. Both men thought the solution was to be in control and to know the beast of modern society.

Monkey Business Images /Shutterstock

With competition tight as businesses vie for fewer consumer dollars, any extra help black businesses could get in attracting customers was welcomed. Black businesses have been reaching out to clients via text alerts. A new website called Ujamaa Deals focuses on increasing black product sales online and then there was the debut of a special smartphone app that locates black businesses at your location. And as we reported, The Around The Way app allows users to locate the black-owned businesses in their vicinity, so they can do a little shopping in the community.

“The response to the app has been great. The majority of the comments are from people who want the Android version, which we plan to launch this month,” Janine Hausif, CEO of Around The Way App, tells us. It’s currently only available for the iPhone. “The rest of the comments we’ve gotten have been praise and suggestions. Overall it’s been great. It’s very much like people are helping to shape and mold this app and that’s exactly what we want — for people to make it their own.”

via Facebook

According to Hausif, since the app’s launch in November 2012, they have had over 5,500 downloads. The data bank includes more 17,000 black-owned businesses. It is free for businesses to join.

One of those businesses is Therapy Wine Bar in Brooklyn, NY. For Angela Terry, owner of Therapy, adding her store to the app directory was a no-brainer. “I wanted to get more exposure for my business,” says Terry, who was introduced to the app by Hausif and was one of the first business owners to add her business to the app. “It’s a good idea because as a small business owner we need so many free and affordable outlets to advertise on,” she told us via email.

And, said Terry, she did see a boost in business after joining the app. After shopping, more people stopped into the eatery. “We did see an increase in foot traffic as well as customers talking about the app,” she says.