Topping tech headlines on Thursday, Samsung unveiled the next device in its Galaxy lineup, the Galaxy S III. The smartphone will make its debut in Europe on May 29 and a 4G LTE-optimized version will hit the U.S. market during the summer.
The Galaxy S III boasts a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED 1,280-by-720 display, and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.9-megapixel front-facing one.
Sebastian Anthony from PCMag's sister site, ExtremeTech, attended the London press event. For more, see his hands on with the S III.
In other mobile news, the next iPhone will likely be longer and thinner than its predecessor, with a metal backside and a smaller dock connector, according to a new report. Meanwhile, Apple could spend upwards of half a billion dollars over the next few years to develop Liquidmetal for use in device casings and computer enclosures, according to one of the scientists who invented the alloy.
In gaming news, Bethesda Softworks is taking The Elder Scrolls online. The game maker announced yesterday that it is developing a massively multiplayer online (MMO) version of its popular franchise. The Elder Scrolls Online will be available on PCs and Macs sometime next year.
Meanwhile, a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that about a third of teen Internet users are using video chat services or uploading video to the Web. Of the 799 teenagers aged 12 to 17 polled by Pew, 37 percent participate in video chats via services like Skype, Googletalk, or iChat. Girls are more likely to conduct these video chats - 42 percent vs. 33 percent.
Also making headlines on Thursday:
- Draw Something Loses Millions of Users: Draw Something? That was so last month.
- Kindle Fire Update Adds Parental Controls: The option is a welcome addition to those who don't want their kids surfing to adult content or charging apps, movies, or other content to their accounts.
- iPad Nabs 68 Percent of Tablet Market as Android Sales Tank: Amazon, meanwhile, slipped to third place in the tablet race.
- Microsoft Opens New York Research Lab With Former Yahoo Scientists: The new lab will be tasked with investigating and building upon the areas of computational and experimental social science, algorithmic economics, machine learning, and information retrieval.
- Scientists Kinda Sorta Produce Faster Than Light Travel: Neutrinos may be too stubborn to go faster than light, but scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have figured out a way to get light itself to break Einstein's ultimate speed limit for the Universe.
- More Malware on Religious Sites Than Porn Sites?: It's a well-known Internet fact that many an adult website is riddled with harmful viruses or malware, right? Maybe not.
- Voting Now Open for Annual Doodle 4 Google Contest: From second grader Arushi's depiction of ancient Egypt to twelfth grader Megan's rendition of the distant future, the competition in this year's contest is fierce.
- Apple Wins U.S. Smartphone Crown Over Samsung: While Samsung might be the top smartphone manufacturer in the world, rival Apple still leads the U.S. market, according to new data from The NPD Group.
For more from Angela, follow her on Twitter @amoscaritolo.
