Samsung Electronics has been named the best brand in Asia in 2018 for the seventh year in a row, according to results from ‘Asia’s Top 1000 Brands’ annual online survey conducted by Campaign Asia-Pacific in collaboration with Nielsen.

The ranking – which aggregates views from across 17 major product categories including automotive, retail, F&B and consumer electronics – is based on consumer insights and offers a clear measure of the most highly regarded brand names today.

“Samsung is extremely honoured to be receiving this award once again – the award is an indicator of our consumers’ support towards us and the products and services that we offer,” said Steve Lee, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania. “As we continue to grow as a brand, Samsung remains committed to continuously innovating towards creating new possibilities and experiences for our consumers through our products and services.”

The study explores consumer attitudes in 13 markets: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. To ensure an accurate representation through this study, the survey targets age, gender and monthly household income to establish a balanced survey landscape.

The post Samsung Takes Top Spot in Asia for Seven Years Running appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Leading the way in innovation, design and protection, tech21 today launched its best-selling Evo for Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL under the “Made for Google” program.

tech21’s Evo uses a unique three-layer impact absorption system and its proprietary material, FlexShock, which provides up to three metres of protection, drop after drop. The case, as with every tech21 design, is subjected to rigorous testing (the methodology was developed in partnership with the National Physical Laboratory), where cases are drop tested 20 times. This ensures durability and long-lasting protection so that users can drop more and care less.

EVO Check Case

As an official “Made for Google” partner, tech21 has worked closely with Google to ensure the Evo Check works harmoniously with all the features of the new Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL and is certified to meet Google’s compatibility standards. The Evo Check is available in Smokey/Black and Clear/White and features a unique check design.  Available at tech21.com for RRP $49.95 AUD.

Google Pixel 2 – XL

“The first Google Pixel devices were very well received and the new Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL have been eagerly anticipated ever since, so we’re excited to be launching our best-selling Evo under the “Made for Google” program,” said Colin Woodward, Chief Marketing Officer of tech21. “We want Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL users to be able to live free without worrying about damaging their brand-new phone. With our new cases, they will be protected from day one, enabling them to drop more and care less.”

EVO Check Clear Case

Since 2005, tech21 has been developing the most advanced, scientifically proven cases and screen shields for mobile, tablet and laptop devices worldwide.

tech21 combines science, engineering and British design to create products that address three core consumer benefits: style, protection and performance. As the brand evolves to continue meeting the needs of its consumers, tech21 has developed the most advanced impact protection material on the market – FlexShock.

The ultra-thin and lightweight material absorbs and dissipates force and can withstand drops up to three metres. In addition, tech21 puts all its products through a rigorous testing program, and in an industry first has partnered with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop its testing methodology.

This ensures that the tests tech21 products have to pass are overseen by independent experts.

Tech21 is the number one case brand in the UK. For more info visit their official WEBSITE.

The post Protect Your Pixel with Tech21! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Hot off the heels of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ comes the next iteration in the Note series from the smartphone front runner manufacturers, Samsung.

Looking more sharper edged and square than it’s predecessors the rectangular smart device brings home so much innovation and technology pack jammed into a 6.3 inch size.

Samsung’s Note handsets have always been on the larger side crossing over into the phablet area, previously they hovered around the 5.9 inch, making the Note8 being the mightiest of them all.

Taking from what has made the Galaxy S8 a much coveted and very unique handset, the Note8 is all screen, with an onscreen Home button. All branding removed from the face of the phone and the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen curves at the sides giving it the Edge experience.

So is the Note8 a S8+ with a stylus? Well, yes and no.

Within the inner-workings Samsung have gone all out. The unit that we were supplied with from Samsung is 64GB ROM (of course upgradable via microSD to 256GB) but there are other variants at 128GB and even 256GB. Then there’s a massive 6GB RAM (a milestone achievement in a smartphone) is built in to see you right for more multitasking than you’ll ever need. The Exynos 8895 Octa and Quad Octa-core running at 2.3 GHz per cylinder makes the Note8 the Maserati of the smart device world so far.

Bixby makes the leap from the S8’s over to the Note8 with a dedicated tactile button to the left of the phone. As I predicted, Bixby has evolved a thousands times over since we were first introduced to the A.I. Personal Assistant on the S8.

Bixby will utilise the camera with Bixby Vision to find similar images, information from an image or translate text from an image. It also correctly advises you on internet searches via voice command or text and it can also do dictation. The dictation, to be fair can be a bit hit and miss. There is some setup involved for this, so that Bixby can learn the sound of your voice, but even after this, it gets spoken words correct around 90% of the time. That’s damn good.

Bixby is always learning more about you (whether that’s creepy or not, I’m still undecided) and will tailor news updates and such the like based on what it thinks your interest are. Yes, this is something that Google has been doing for years too.

Swiping Left from the Home Screen will open up Bixby aswell, here via Cards (similar to Google Cards) Bixby displays relevant info and news or event updates.

Dual lenses have also been added to the rear 12MP Camera. working in tandem to give you around 24MP in total, the camera also various intuitive modes, to the point where you can fine tune your snaps by pin-pointing the focus on one certain subject with an adjustable Live Focus function. Your pics or vids will snap or record in 4K.

Various modes feature such as Hyperlapse, Food, Pro and more including my favourite, the Virtual Shot. There is an abundance downloadable too including Animated Gif which I recommend having a play with.

And, for those Snapchatters out there, there’s the stickers and such the like that can be added to your everyday pics, with more downloadable.

The front camera is 8MP, and asides from being able to use similar modes to the rear camera, given the calibre of the Note8 I thought that the 8MP was a little on the low side for the ‘Selfie’ Camera. There is a downloadable Mode called Rear Camera Selfie, it will take portait pic using the higher MP rear lens and at the same time, snap you and then place your image into the single shot taken with the rear camera. Clever.

Still it focuses and snaps in FHD and both front and back have one of the best low light capacities I have experienced.

Being a Note phone, it also comes with the in-built stylus, called the S Pen.

As we saw with the Galaxy Tab 3 the S Pen is not just an accessory – it’s a substantial and crucial part of the device.

Removing the S Pen from it’s internal dock will activate a pop up side Menu. Naturally you can take notes, draw on screen, jot down quick reminders – and the coolest of all edit and enhance, or completely draw on photos as you would do with, say a Wacom tablet for PC.

To compliment the Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) OS is the Samsung Experience 8.5 reskin which sees alot of swiping here and there to get from Homescreen to Apps, through to long press to manage the installation and uninstalls of Apps and shortcuts on the all-screen phone.

To address the elephant in the room – the Battery (which as you may remember was an issue on the Note7). Samsung have gone back to the engineering of the inbuilt battery and placed safety first.

The OS will also learn your sleeping and waking habits, when you usually charge your device and when you need it to have maximum juice. And it also boost charges so that you can get around 60% charge after a 10 – 15 minute plugin via the USB-C from almost 0%.

For average every day use the phone will last around 18 to 20 hours, heavier use, such as VR or game playing will reduce that length to around 6 – 8 hours, which is not bad at all.

Differing initiatives are on offer for device security, Facial or Iris Recognition through to the tried and true Fingerprint scanner. Still, however, the Fingerprint sensor is at the rear of the device, cosied up next to the dual lens of the rear camera. So, until you get used to the placement of the sensor, without turning your device over, you are likely to have a smudgy camera lens as you feel around for the sensor. I still feel that it is not the best placement for it and would have been a better design to have placed it separate from where the lenses are.

The audio and media player also deserves a mention here too. With the SoundAlive enhancement prepare to be suitably impressed at the quality and clarity of the audio through headphones. The device audio is not too shabby either, and certainly goes loud enough.

The Note8 has so much innovation packed in to it that I feel I am only skimming the surface of what it has to offer. Speaking of skimming surfaces… yes, the Note8 is waterproof.

This is the ultimate smartphone, the ultimate digital assistant and ultimate Galaxy Note to date.

The post Samsung Galaxy Note8 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Kiwis across the nation of New Zealand can now officially ‘do bigger things’ on their Samsung Galaxy Note8, as Samsung Electronics New Zealand announces that the smartphone goes on sale nationwide from today. The Galaxy Note8 is the next generation of the much-loved Note family and the next level for people who what to do bigger things.

Samsung says demand for the new device has been unprecedented, resulting in an early shipment for all those who have pre-ordered the new Note8, ensuring that Note fans will receive their devices ahead of the pack.

“Although a high level of hype and anticipation for the Galaxy Note8 was expected, we’re extremely proud in the way New Zealanders are responding to the excitement of this latest product. We have seen our pre-orders grow to over double that of the previous Note, which is testament to the way the market is responding to our latest mobile innovation,” says Todd Selwyn, Head of IM Product for Samsung New Zealand.

With the Galaxy Note8, consumers get a bigger Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways, and the most powerful Samsung smartphone camera¹ to capture stunning photos. The Galaxy Note8 is designed for the way consumers lead their lives and lean on technology today.

“Kiwis tend to be early adopters of technology, which is why the Note category has always been incredibly well received in New Zealand. The Note has always been the phone of choice for power users who want the best camera, best performance and best experience from their smartphone – whether it’s for work or play.

“It’s an exciting moment for us to be able to deliver the best and most highly anticipated Galaxy Note we’ve ever created to the Kiwis who’ve waited patiently to upgrade,” says Selwyn.

Samsung first introduced the Note series in 2011. Since then, a community of enthusiasts emerged through their affinity for the Note’s signature expansive screen and S Pen.

Samsung continues to uphold its commitment to lead the industry in battery safety. The Galaxy Note8’s battery has undergone Samsung’s 8-Point Battery Safety Check — the most rigorous in the industry.

“We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung to help ensure device safety for all consumers,” said Sajeev Jesudas, President, UL International.

The Galaxy Note8 (RRP $1,599 NZD) is now available in New Zealand in Midnight Black, Orchid Grey (Spark exclusive) and Maple Gold from Spark, 2 Degrees and Vodafone and Samsung’s online store.

The post Samsung Galaxy Note8 Has Arrived! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Auckland City, New Zealand was alive with flying fists, high kicks and a brawl of epic proportions.

With the association of Logitech G Series, Let’s Play Live (LPL) showcased the national finals of New Zealand’s eSports Tekken Championship hosted by Skycity New Zealand and STG was not only invited but also supplied a Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung New Zealand to capture footage of the action (above).

First of Vodafone Warriors players tried their hand at Tekken 7, then it was on to the competitors from the Finals who after some warming up took to the stage and punched and slapped eachother digitally in Tekken 7 in order to advance to the next Champ Finals. The venue was deafened by the roar and enthusiasm of the spectator crowd, to the likes of a physical sports game, as the action played out on the stage.

Playing for a National Title aswell as a Prize Pool of 10K NZD the current Tekken World Champ; Choi “Echo Fox | Saint” Jinwoo from South Korea took on the best of what New Zealand had. The South Korean player was under immense pressure to retain his World Crown.

Consisting of the Top Four from previous bouts; Thomas “Kor_Nnova” Choi, Ajith “Blackout” Siva, Kavin “KYO” Li and Jamie “Zarzob” Joe, they all white knuckled the control-pads, with “Kor_Nnova” Choi taking on the World Tekken Champ Choi “Echo Fox | Saint” Jinwoo.

Jinwoo battled hard against additional qualifiers; Jaehee “BG” Jung, Chris “Mister Mysterious River” Hu and Se Hyun “H.TakeThis” Han to retain his World Champ title.

It all played out as a round robin, the players having their sets, fighting eachother until there was only one.

Unlike the U.S. and to some degree Australia, eSports is a fairly new thing for the small nation of New Zealand.

With a huge gamer based population Let’s Play Live are set to change that and have bought eSports to the population with all of the bang and sizzle of a Rock Concert, including live streaming on Sky TV.

New Zealand, eSports is most definitely here and here to stay.

The post Tekken Champs Finals w. Let’s Play Live! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Samsung Electronics today announced to us here at STG that their Galaxy Note8, the next level Note for people who want to do bigger things.

With the Galaxy Note8, consumers get a bigger Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways, and the most powerful Samsung smartphone camera to capture stunning photos. The Galaxy Note8 is designed for the way consumers lead their lives and lean on technology today.

“We appreciate the relentless passion of the Note community. They’ve been a constant inspiration to us and we designed the new Note for them,” said DJ Koh, president of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “From the Infinity Display to the enhanced S Pen and the most powerful Dual Camera, the Galaxy Note8 lets people do things they never thought were possible.”

“New Zealanders tend to be early adopters of technology, which is why the Note category has always been incredibly well received in this country. The Note has always been the phone of choice for power users who want the best camera, best performance and best experience from their smartphone – whether it’s for work or play. It’s an exciting moment for us to be able to deliver the best and most highly anticipated Galaxy Note we’ve ever created to the Kiwis who’ve waited patiently to upgrade,” says Todd Selwyn, Head of Mobile Product for Samsung New Zealand.

Samsung first introduced the Note series in 2011. Since then, a community of enthusiasts emerged through their affinity for the Note’s signature expansive screen and S Pen.

The Galaxy Note8 has the biggest screen ever on a Note device, yet its narrow body makes it comfortable to hold in one hand. The 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display lets you see more and scroll less. The Galaxy Note8 gives you more room to watch, read and draw — making it the ultimate multitasking smartphone.

Note users have long been able to do more with Multi Window. With the Galaxy Note8, the new App Pair feature lets you create a custom pair of apps on the Edge panel and simultaneously launch two apps with ease. Watch a video while messaging your friends or dial into a conference call with the number and agenda in front of you.

Since its introduction, the S Pen has been one of the Note’s defining features. With the Galaxy Note8, the enhanced S Pen unlocks entirely new ways to write, draw, and interact with the phone and communicate with friends. It has a finer tip, improved pressure sensitivity, and features that enable users to express themselves in new ways.

When communicating with text just isn’t enough, Live Message allows you to reveal your unique personality and tell expressive stories. With the Galaxy Note8, you can now share animated texts or drawings across platforms that support animated GIFs. It’s a whole new way to communicate with the S Pen—adding lively and emotional connections that bring your messages to life.

The Always On Display allows Galaxy users to stay on top of their notifications without unlocking their phone. And with the Galaxy Note8, it’s even more powerful. Screen off memo allows you to take up to one-hundred pages of notes as soon as you remove the S Pen, pin notes to the Always On Display and make edits directly from the Always On Display.

For overseas travels or when you come across a website in a foreign language, the improved S Pen Translate feature lets you hover over text to quickly translate not only individual words, but entire sentences in up to 71 languages, and instantly convert units and foreign currencies.

For most consumers, one of the things they look for when purchasing a new device is the camera. Samsung set the standard for smartphone cameras and with the Galaxy Note8, we’re delivering our most powerful smartphone camera yet.

The Galaxy Note8 is equipped with two 12MP rear cameras with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the wide-angle lens and the telephoto lens. Whether you’re exploring a new city or running around your backyard, OIS lets you capture sharper images.

For more advanced photo-taking, the Galaxy Note8s Live Focus feature lets you control the depth of field by allowing you to adjust the bokeh effect in preview mode and after you take the photo.

In Dual Capture mode, both rear cameras take two pictures simultaneously and allow you to save both images; one close-up shot from the telephoto lens and one wide-angle shot that shows the entire background.

The wide-angle lens has a Dual Pixel sensor with rapid Auto Focus, so you can capture sharper, clearer shots even in low-light environments. The Galaxy Note8 is also equipped with an 8MP Smart Auto Focus front-facing camera for sharp selfies and video chats.

Galaxy of features:

The Galaxy Note8 is built on the Galaxy legacy—a collection of unique features and capabilities that, together, have redefined the mobile experience:

• Water and Dust Resistance: Four years ago, Samsung introduced the first Galaxy device with water resistance. And today, you can take your Note almost anywhere you want with water and dust resistance (IP68) on the device and the S Pen. You can write even when the display is wet.
• Fast Wireless Charging: Two years ago, we introduced the first Galaxy device with wireless charging. The Galaxy Note8 supports the most advanced wireless charging capabilities yet, so you can get a quick, convenient charge without having to mess around with ports or wires.
• Security: The Galaxy Note8 offers a choice of biometric authentication options—including iris and fingerprint scanning. Samsung Knox provides defense-grade security at the hardware and software layers and with Secure Folder, keeps your personal and professional data separate.
• Powerful Performance: With 6GB RAM, a 10nm processor, and expandable memory (up to 256GB), you have the power you need to browse, stream, play games, and multitask.
• Innovative Mobile Experiences: Samsung DeX enables a desktop experience, powered by your phone. You can keep your files on your device, conduct work on the go, and use Samsung DeX when you need an even bigger screen. The Galaxy Note8 includes Bixby, a smarter way to use your phone; it learns from you, improves over time, and helps you get more done.

The Galaxy Note8 takes business innovation to the next level with advanced features that improve performance, productivity and security for a wide range of industries, simplifying how work gets done:

• Enhanced S Pen for Business: The S Pen lets professionals do what other smartphones can’t, like discreetly taking notes in Screen off memo or quickly annotating documents and photos.
• Non-Contact Authentication: The Galaxy Note8 offers iris scanning for professionals—for example, professionals in the health care, construction, or public safety sectors who may find themselves in a position where they need to unlock their phones without having to swipe or scan a fingerprint.
• Enhanced DeX Capabilities: The Galaxy Note8 powers Samsung DeX for those who need to extend their simple mobile experience seamlessly to the desktop —whether they’re in the field, at the office or at home.

Samsung continues to uphold its commitment to lead the industry in battery safety. The Galaxy Note8’s battery has undergone Samsung’s 8-Point Battery Safety Check—the most rigorous in the industry.

“We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung to help ensure device safety for all consumers,” said Sajeev Jesudas, President, UL International.

The Galaxy Note8 will be available on the 22nd of September 2017 in New Zealand and will be offered in Midnight Black, Orchid Grey (Spark exclusive) and Maple Gold. Pre-order will be available from the 1st of September 2017 from Spark, 2 Degrees and Vodafone (in New Zealand) and online at Samung.com/nz.

For Full Details or to Pre-Order Visit the OFFICIAL SITE HERE.

The post Do Bigger Things – Samsung Bring Back the Note! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.