Samsung Introduces Galaxy Tab Iris Equipped with Iris Recognition Technology for Government and Enterprises in India

10:57:00 PM

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Samsung

Samsung India today announced the launch of Galaxy Tab Iris featuring iris-recognition technology that is ready for Aadhar authentication through an integrated and highly secure biometric device. The Galaxy Tab Iris will provide cashless and paperless services in various applications such as banking, eGovernance services such as passport, taxation, healthcare and education.

The easy-to-use biometric technology, currently incorporated in the Galaxy Tab Iris will help India spread its Digital India vision of providing technology so that every citizen of the country can have access to financial inclusion benefits. The solution will support government benefit programs and enable banks and financial institutions to streamline the process of an individual’s authentication, regardless of language and literacy barriers.

The device is Aadhar-compliant and STQC-certified. Galaxy Tab Iris is yet another Make for India innovation from Samsung. Embedded in a secure device, the advanced iris-recognition technology will provide an integrated solution that will help to solve the hassles of using separate devices for biometric identification.
“We’re excited to offer biometric-based services to the billion plus people enrolled in Aadhar,” said Dr. Aloknath De, Corporate Vice President & CTO, Samsung India R&D. “Our India R&D team has made significant investments in biometric technology research and we built this product leveraging our knowledge in hardware design, biometrics and security for a high speed scan, greater accuracy and high reliability.”

“Along with the device, we are providing an Identity SDK for application developers to build financial inclusion, payments and authentication solutions. This will encourage our start-up ecosystem to rapidly build relevant apps and services. We strongly believe this overall offering will in turn strengthen government programs such as Jan-Dhan Yojana and E-Citizen services under the Digital India initiative,” he said.

Announcing the launch, Mr. Sukesh Jain, Vice President, Samsung India Electronics, said, “This is another example of Samsung’s pursuit for meaningful innovations. We see great potential for the iris-technology solution to be used as a means of directly facilitating greater inclusion in the Digital India programme. The biometric authentication can also act as an enabler in facilitating integration of financial services with the ‘Aadhar’ initiative. The Galaxy Tab Iris addresses consumer pain points across platforms such as banking, finance, education and various citizen services by bringing enhanced usability, versatility and reliability all through one device.”
Embedded Iris Solution for Advanced Data Security

With embedded iris technology in Galaxy Tab Iris, Samsung has initiated the use of contactless technology that provides unmatched security for authentication. Aadhar serves as an important database for majority of government projects such as Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), National Health Mission (NHM), eHospital program, DigiLocker and more under the Digital India initiative to provide welfare services to citizens. Further, enterprises, banks, education and financial institutions are aggressively adopting Aadhaar authentication in accessing citizen-based services

Developing a Robust Ecosystem

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Iris powered by iris technology will enable users to access services remotely by embedding Aadhar iris-biometric authentication capabilities. This alignment will provide a more secure authentication and verification process and help the country transition away from traditional authentication processes. It is a breakthrough technology as E-KYC can be carried out in seconds whereas the traditional KYC takes up to 2 to 7 days.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

The Galaxy Tab Iris is UIDAI compliant. It can be used for child enrolment program where biometrics of the parent is used to authenticate children for Aadhar enrolment. The tablet will negate the need for multiple pieces of equipment by providing an integrated solution for the child enrolment process.

Financial Inclusion

Biometrics is playing a major role in the banking sector to improve speed and security. The capability of the Galaxy Tab Iris is to function as an authentication device enabling banks and financial institutions to easily authenticate an individual’s data for account integration with their Aadhar numbers as well as provide an additional layer of security for banking services such as locker access, fixed deposits, where authentication is required. The iris-recognition technology will also further reduce the need for cumbersome paperwork, allowing people to enrol for banking and financial services in a more efficient paperless manner. With the majority of these processes being digitized with the use of the Galaxy Tab Iris, language and literacy barriers will no longer be an issue, allowing a larger section of the society to available services, promoting inclusion and financial security.
Accessing Citizen Services

The Galaxy Tab Iris can be used for accessing citizen services for purposes ranging from E-PDS (Electronic Public Distribution system), MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment Guarantee Act) payments, pension schemes, various subsidy programmes and entitlements distribution. Multiple citizen services such as income tax filing, passport issuance/renewal, car registration, property registration, railway/airport passenger verification can be made paperless with the use of the Adhaar based Iris technology.

Versatile Product with a More Powerful Technology

The Galaxy Tab Iris is a sleek, compact tablet with a robust design and powerful technology. The dual-eye scanner provides for a contactless scan and greater security. The tablet also sports a vivid 7.0-inch display providing precise details for a good screen experience, along with a 5-megapixel auto focus rear camera for clicking brighter pictures and scanning documents. It delivers true value and is complemented by its extremely light, easy-to-carry 327g weight and slim 9.7mm profile. USB OTG Host ensures extra attachments support while Bluetooth 4.1 low energy offers optimum connectivity. The tab surpasses the language barrier with support of 14 local languages and a host of other useful features. The device comes with an 8GB memory, up to 200GB expandable memory and a strong 3600mAh battery.

Price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Iris is priced at INR 13,499.


Samsung Galaxy Tab Iris specifications:

Galaxy Tab Iris
Display	7.0” WSVGA(1024×600)
Processor	1.2 Ghz Quad Core
Bearer	2G : GSM900, DCS1800 3G : B1(2100), B8(900)
OS	Android 5.0 Lollipop
Camera	5MP AF (Rear)
IR	Iris Camera & Subsystem
RAM	1.5GB (LPDDR3)
ROM	8GB (up to 200 GB microSD)
Dimension	193.4 x 116.4 x 9.7mm
Weight	327g
Battery	3,600mAh
Connectivity	802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, BT4.1, USB2.0 with Host

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Galaxy Note 6 could get Samsung’s new 10nm 6GB LPDDR4 RAM

10:09:00 PM

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Samsung

Although long rumored for the upcoming Galaxy Note 6, other smartphone OEMs, like Vivo for example, have beaten Samsung to the 6 GB RAM punch by launching early this year. While those, of course, are commendable, Samsung might still have the last laugh. At a Mobile Solutions Forum is recently held in Shenzhen, China, the Korean OEM unveiled its latest 6 GB LPDDR4 RAM. The difference between Samsung's chip and existing 6GB RAM chips is that Samsung utilizes the newest 10 nm manufacturing process, promising faster, more efficient memory.

In a nutshell, "nm" lithography describes the manufacturing process used to create chips and the smaller they become, the better. Smaller chips not only take up less space but also use up less energy and decreases the time needed for power, and therefore data, to travel from one point to another. All without sacrificing the benefits of previous, bigger generations. There are "steps" in shrinking these processes and 10 nm is the latest to happen for memory chips. CPUs, on the other hand, are still at the 14 nm level, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.
So Samsung's 6 GB RAM, besides using the latest LPDDR4 standard, would also be the first 10 nm class RAM in the smartphone industry. Given the timing of its announcement, it's highly likely that the technology will be included in the Galaxy Note 6 expected to be announced in just a few months. It has already been widely believed that the phablet will indeed come with 6 GB of RAM, but this latest tidbit would hint that it would have the latest that technology has to offer.
The rest of the Galaxy Note 6's specs are still being debate, with contradicting and sometimes puzzling information coming from different sources. The screen size could be around 5.8 to 5.9 inches, may or may not be curved at the side edges, and would most likely have a large 4,000 mAh battery inside. It might also be Samsung's first smartphone to sport a USB-C connector. Samsung usually announces the latest Galaxy Note phablet at IFA 2016, though there is some speculation it could do so earlier like the Galaxy S7.
VIA: The Next Rex

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ZUK Z2 to come with an Exynos 8890 inside, the tease continues

11:31:00 AM

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ZUK

The teasing of the ZUK Z2 by high-ranking company officials continues. After the render shared yesterday by a Lenovo VP, today it is the ZUK CEO that took it to Weibo to share that the Z2 will be powered by Samsung's Exynos 8890 chipset (best known from its starring role in the Galaxy S7).

With a hat tip to Meizu VP Li Nan for thinking alike, ZUK's Chang Cheng has labeled the SoC "good" after spending a day with the smartphone. So far Meizu has been the only manufacturer to use Samsung chipsets, other than the Korean company itself, hence the pleasantries between the two Chinese officials.
As of now, the rest of the specs remain unclear, but with the Z2 Pro at 5.2 inches, logic would dictate that the plain Z2 would be smaller. ZUK could settle for 4.7 inches like the rumored Z1 mini that is yet to materialize, but with a chipset of the Exynos 8890 caliber, the rest of the mini's specs don't quite cut it (8MP primary camera?).

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LG G Pad X 8.0 headed to T-Mobile in mid-May

3:25:00 PM

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LG

Both AT&T and Verizon already offer versions of LG’s G Pad X (at 10 and 8.3 inches, respectively), and now T-Mobile is poised to pick up the mid-range tablet as well, according to material shown to VentureBeat. With an eight-inch screen diagonal, the G Pad X 8.0 will come with specifications most closely matching Verizon’s smaller Android slate.
Like the 8.3, the 8.0 is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 system-on-chip, whose eight cores run at a uniform 1.5GHz. The most significant difference between the two, then, will be their displays’ pixel densities: Whereas the 8.3 features a 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution, the smaller 8.0’s WUXGA screen manages to pack in 1920 x 1200 pixels..
Another difference between these eight-inchers lies in their camera resolutions. Verizon’s 8.3-inch model features an eight-megapixel rear and two-megapixel front-facing selfie cam, while both of those cameras on T-Mobile’s G Pad X 8.0 will apparently feature identical five-megapixel sensors.
Finally, the two models differ slightly in their battery capacities: 4800mAh for the older G Pad X 8.3 versus 4650mAh for the upcoming 8.0-inch model. All else being equal, which is pretty much the case in this particular instance, a higher capacity will equate to longer runtime. Both models offer full-size USB ports.
T-Mobile will begin selling the G Pad X 8.0 in mid-May, and while pricing information was not communicated to VentureBeat, it will likely retail for $300 ,about the same price as its slightly larger and older sibling.

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Sony Xperia XA Ultra has a huge screen and a 16-megapixel selfie camera

3:19:00 PM

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Sony

Sony's Xperia X line of photography-focused phones has a new addition: The 6-inch Xperia XA Ultra

It's a mid-range phone in most departments, with a MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage memory and only a 2,700mAh battery — a tiny figure for such a large device. 

Where the XA Ultra shines, however, is photography. On the back, the phone has a 21.5-megapixel Sony Exmor R camera with hybrid autofocus. The selfie cam doesn't lag too far behind, with a 16-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization and an 88-degree lens.
The metal-encased phone is also quite slim for a 6-incher — 0.33 inches — and has exceptionally slim bezels around the screen (Sony calls this "infinity-feel borderless display"), meaning it shouldn't feel as clunky as some huge phones out there.

Now, about that battery life. Sony claims the battery will power the phone for up to two days — a figure we won't believe until we test it — but it also says that using the phone together with Sony's Quick Charger UCH12 will get you 5.5 hours of battery life after just 10 minutes of charging (though the quick charger doesn't appear to be included with the phone).
Sony hasn't shared pricing and availability for the Xperia XA Ultra yet, but we do know it will be coming in July in black, white and lime gold.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

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Can Android Wear 2.0 replace your phone?

2:38:00 PM

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Android

Let’s start off this editorial on a personal gripe of mine. I think the industry oversold the smartwatch when we saw the first generation of Gears and Wears. Most people expected a “phone on your wrist” gadget, while the killer apps for wearables turned out to be fitness tracking and migrating your notifications. Android Wear 2.0 looks to up the ante on wrist based computing. Will this be the platform to really allow us to leave our phones at home?

 Many of us were surprised to see that smartwatch sales are staying strong. Even though we haven’t seen the same rush of updates and releases, consumers are still buying these things (though most of them come from Apple). As more traditional watch manufacturers enter this tech market, we’ll likely see even more consumer interest in Android Wear. The more fashionable members of our audience might be more inclined to wear a Michael Kors or a Tag Heuer over an LG, Huawei, or an Apple Watch.

 The big moves for Android Wear 2.0 are the introduction of better input options and the ability to use standalone apps. We’ve flirted with this functionality on Samsung Gears, but watches with dedicated LTE connections look to tackle more of your mobile computing work load right from your wrist. From taking phones calls, to streaming Spotify directly, this might prove disruptive for a number of interactions you would normally perform from your phone.

A significant number of phone actions really are “at a glance” situations. I use my phone in public FAR less when it’s connected to a smartwatch, as my watch filters the services which are mission critical and urgent for me to interact with. That means for a large number of alerts and notifications, the phone in my pocket is really just an LTE modem for my watch.
Putting the LTE radio in the watch allows the watch to field calls and texts, and Android Wear has supported Bluetooth headsets for several generations now, so combining a Wear watch with BT headphones is nearly identical for calls and music as it would be from my phone.

The main issues facing smartwatches as the main mobile device are deeper interactions. Taking and sharing photos, writing longer emails, playing games, watching videos, or reading longer articles. These are activities which require more attention and focus. These activities require larger screens and more hardware than we can really build into a watch. Though the fear of potentially not being able to perform some of these tasks might eclipse the actual usage some people actually require from their phone. In the middle of a busy day, or taking a call when driving a car, would many people really notice the difference of a call over a watch or a call over a phone?
Not to mention, what might this increased usage do to the already mediocre battery life we see on many smartwatches? Currently connecting over Bluetooth, most smartwatches will deliver a day to a day and a half of operation before needing to be recharged. Maintaining an always-on LTE connection will likely degrade that run time unless we see some substantial improvements to screen technology or battery capacity.

Immediately though we should see benefits for streamlining specific activities. Going out for a run or a bike ride and leaving the phone at home makes a lot of sense. Why wear an arm band, and sweat all over a phone sleeve, if you don’t have to give up communication and music?
Android Wear 2.0 looks like it might be the next step in diversifying services and apps, splitting them off of our traditional slab smartphones. We still have a ways to go before we can truly leave the phone at home for all situations, but at least this version of Wear doesn’t look like it will be oversold when it lands on smartwatches later this year.

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