Samsung shuffles around engineers to expand different portfolios

Looks like Samsung doesn’t just want its mobile business to flourish. The South Korean tech giant has moved 500 engineers from its mobile division to different groups, such as home electronics and software sections. This move is intended to improve the company’s competitive edge in the internet of things market and improve synergies for the Tizen platform.

“It sounds like (Samsung) doesn’t plan on going big with Tizen on its smartphones,” said Song Myung-sup, an analyst with HI Investment & Securities in Seoul told the Wall Street Journal. “The move will likely help resolve convergence issues that arise when connecting network devices like TVs and wearables with smartphones, but this shows less determination on Tizen smartphones."

Source: Wall Street Journal | Via: Engadget

Goodreads gets makeover on iOS

Amazon has finally gotten around to redesigning its Goodreads iOS app. It gets a bit more social right from the home screen where it shows updates from your friends using the service. There is also the ability to update your book progress on your currently reading shelf right from My Books section. Goodreads also introduced a More tab to house recommendations and events options.

Source: GeekWire | Download: Apple App Store (Free)

SlideShow: BlackBerry Passport from the Toronto launch event

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Is it really hip to be square? BlackBerry would like us to think so, and that seems to be the rationale behind the new Passport. Featuring a large 4.5-inch display (1440 x1440 resolution) and a large touch-keyboard, this could be the most monolithic BlackBerry yet and one that could arouse curiosity and desire from members its dormant fan base. 

The Passport is easily the Humvee of super-smartphones, it revels in its humongousness but also serves multiple functions that no other smartphone has right now. Above are some photos taken from today's launch event. Excuse the shoddy lighting, we were in a sports bar after all. My take on the the Passport is that it is definitely a unique device, different enough from the pack to really pave it's own user base. The app situation, even with Amazon on board, still isn't awesome but stay tuned as I immerse myself in the device and what it has to offer. In the meantime enjoy the photos.

Apple recalls iOS 8.0.1 update to investigate reported issues

As with any new massive software update, there will be bugs and issues affecting some users. In the case of the iOS 8.0.1 update that was recently made available, Apple has heard user's woes and has pulled the update for the time being so it can focus on finding any bugs and squishing them. Below is Apple's official statement on the matter plus a list of fixes pertinent to iOS 8.0.1.

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