Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook And Other Tech Giants Demand Change To The US Surveillance Laws

America‘s leading technology companies have united to demand significant changes in US surveillance laws, pushing for an international ban on data being collected in bulk in order to preserve their customers’ “trust in the internet.”

The Guardian reports that Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Twitter and AOL have written a joint-letter to Washington in response to the disclosures of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

“The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favour of the state and away from the rights of the individual – rights that are enshrined in our constitution,” the letter urges.“This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for change.”

The companies claim Snowden’s revelations have made people afraid of subscribing to them, thus making the NSA a threat to the American economy and private sector.

“People won’t use technology they don’t trust,” said Brad Smith of Microsoft’s general counsel. “Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it.”

Another composer of the letter was Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer:

“Recent revelations about government surveillance activities have shaken the trust of our users, and it is time for the United States government to act to restore the confidence of citizens around the world,” she said.

The letter also features a list of five “reform principles” derived by bipartisan legislation to limit the power of the NSA proposed by Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chair of the Senate judiciary committee, and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, the Republican author of the Patriot Act.

The tech firms, along with Leahy and Sensenbrenner, agree that the NSA should not be allowed to gather mass quantities of data from people it does not have cause to suspect of terrorism.

“Governments should limit surveillance to specific, known users for lawful purposes, and should not undertake bulk data collection of internet communications,” reads the list of principles.

The companies argue that request for data should be limited by a new set of rules that balance the “need for the data in limited circumstances, users’ reasonable privacy interests, and the impact on trust in the internet.”

Another previous demand repeated in the letter states that tech companies should be allowed to reveal how often requests for data are made.

The proposed legislation directly conflicts with a rival bill composed by Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which would cement and protect the NSA’s right to collect data in bulk.

The eight companies also highlight the fear that responses to Snowden’s leaks will not only hurt them commercially, but also lead to the government dividing the web into separate warring units to prevent tech companies from seeking business overseas.

“The ability of data to flow or be accessed across borders is essential to a robust, 21st century, global economy,” the companies argue.“Governments should permit the transfer of data and should not inhibit access by companies or individuals to lawfully available information that is stored outside of the country. Governments should not require service providers to locate infrastructure within a country’s borders or operate locally.”

They also argue that foreign governments should agree on a new set of standards for regulating surveillance in order to prevent legal disputes that could damage international trade.

“In order to avoid conflicting laws, there should be a robust, principled, and transparent framework to govern lawful requests for data across jurisdictions, such as improved mutual legal assistance treaty – or “MLAT” – processes,” say the companies. “Where the laws of one jurisdiction conflict with the laws of another, it is incumbent upon governments to work together to resolve the conflict.”

Internet pioneer Martha Lane Fox, a former digital ambassador to Britain, told the Guardian that the letter displays a lack of understanding regarding the scale and complexity of the British government’s surveillance programs.

“We do have an issue in this country among the corporate world, the political establishment and the general population where we have a shortage of skills and understanding for the digital age,” she said.“There is an absence of a clear, coherent debate around this subject in this country and it’s a very big issue that will only become more frequent the more technologically dependent we become. [The government] needs to listen to people, to examine whether their policies are fit for the digital age. It’s not that people aren’t used to their data being collected, but what it is being collected for, and there needs to be a distinction between the average person and a security threat.”

The letter concludes with the eight companies stressing that all businesses have the responsibility to protect the privacy of their clients or customers.

“For our part, we are focused on keeping users’ data secure, deploying the latest encryption technology to prevent unauthorised surveillance on our networks, and by pushing back on government requests to ensure that they are legal and reasonable in scope,” it says.“We urge the US to take the lead and make reforms that ensure that government surveillance efforts are clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight.”

Google, Twitter, Yahoo! and, as of last week, Microsoft have all heightened the security of their products by introducing “perfect forward secrecy,” a type of encryption that protects data on their internal systems.

“The security of users’ data is critical, which is why we’ve invested so much in encryption and fight for transparency around government requests for information,” said Google’s chief executive, Larry PageThis is undermined by the apparent wholesale collection of data, in secret and without independent oversight, by many governments around the world. It’s time for reform and we urge the US government to lead the way.”

Via: The Guardian, Top Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Samsung Galaxy S5 coming sooner than later, says report

The Galaxy S4 and S3 could have a new sibling sooner than later.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

The latest round of rumors has the presumed successor to Samsung's Galaxy S4, a more powerful Galaxy S5, sporting unicorn-esque specs, perhaps some new flexible materials, and craziest of all: launching as little as 10 months after the Galaxy S4 was introduced.

A Korean site reports that "industry sources" say production of the Galaxy S5 could begin in January, with Samsung's next flagship phone shipping with Android KitKat and alongside a revamped Galaxy Gear 2 watch as early as February or March. That would be a few months ahead of many early-adopting Galaxy S4 owners' one-year anniversaries with their devices.

But more importantly, what kind of unicorn is Samsung's S5 team designing this time around?While this sounds like wishful thinking on the part of some overzealous reporter and a who-knows-how-well-informed supply chainsource, it's also not a crazy plan for the likes of Samsung. The Korean monolith has the ability to make just about anything on a massive scale as quickly as it likes and likely has no qualms with cannibalizing sales of its zillions of other smartphone models, including the Galaxy S4.

The same report claims the phone could be available in a plastic case or a more premium model with a metal body, and will come loaded with some serious digital beef -- a 64-bit processor, 3GB of RAM, a 16-megapixel camera and a huge 4,000-mAh battery to power a 5-inch flexible display that could jam as many as 560 pixels into each inch of screen real estate.

Samsung had no immediate response to a request for comment, but certainly many Galaxy S4 owners won't be as speechless when the flagship phone they proudly brought home this year is eclipsed in less than the time it takes us all to make a single trip around the sun.

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Why The Texting Generation Is Actually The Lonely Generation

Why in the hell do people not know how to text? This is going to sound like a rant, and it probably is, but I’ve seen this done so many times for me not to make an argument about it. Maybe a few of you will learn a thing or two. Hello, this is 2013, and I’m sure most of you reading this are in your 20s. So, you’re clearly old enough to have been apart of the texting world for quite sometime at this point.

I heard this lyric a while ago and at the time, yes, it made total sense, but right now it’s like a big sign in front of me, bright and shining with giant letters: “We’re just a f*cked up generation, so much technology, but bad communication.”

Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that I don’t love the technological advances that have sophisticated our generation. As someone growing up in this society, I love it. I love that you can send Starbucks gift cards with a single tweet and keep in touch with friends half way around the world in a matter of seconds. But, come on people; let’s use it correctly. I wish I could insert an ‘LOL’ here, because seriously, it makes me laugh that I’m even writing this.

In today’s world, we have iPhones, tablets on which we can instantly receive messages, as well as computers that do the same and more. You are never disconnected from the social media world and have enough presence on the web to the point where you know when someone is perpetually ignoring you. We live in a society where people can even carry out relationships with those they have never even met (i.e. “Catfish”), as well as the opposite: continue relationships long distance.

Online dating is so prevalent in our society that meeting a guy or girl in a person first is unheard of. Imagine meeting someone in a bar without having already looked at his or her Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn page. Sometimes, you actually have to watch what you say so you don’t reveal what you know about this person due to the cyber stalking you did pre-date.

However, technology does have its amazingly beautiful aspects, which I want to touch on before I bash it.

My best friend joined the military not too long ago. We have been inseparable for ages, so I’m grateful to have things like video chatting while he’s half way around the world.

To think that there was a time when such technology was unfathomable and we had to resort to letter writing to keep in touch. Oh, what’s letter writing? You know, when you put pen to paper and have to wait up to a week to exchange responses? And we did that for how long? How? When my friends would see me writing all the time, they would ask, “Why don’t you just text him?”

Let me talk about this texting nonsense now, which is my main reason for this rant.

I’m not going to preach and state that I am not on my phone constantly. I’m apart of group texts with friends; I regularly text my sister; I’m constantly emailing my dad, and don’t even get me started with G-chat. But it’s when people abuse these resources that really irks me. Trust me, I know texting is a Godsend. It’s amazing to able to instantly speak to someone that you can’t see in-person or talk to on the phone even more conveniently. However, this “privilege” is slowly eliminating the actual physical presence of people in our lives and lessening our ability to properly communicate. It’s too much.

I was reading Emma Koenig’s blog ‘fuckiminmy20s‘ one night and came across one of her posts that really struck a chord with me. (By the way, if you haven’t checked out her blog or book, I highly suggest it because she is on point with life in your 20s, always.) The photo summed up the text conversation between two people: someone sends a text, you respond and then what? Nothing. Um, hello! YOU texted ME, remember?

I guess this is where my actual problem with texting comes into play. Are you staring at the screen thinking of how to respond? I know if we were talking face-to-face and I said something to you and you didn’t respond for two hours, I would assume something was severely wrong with you. Possibly I would think you were mental. I mean, you literally texted me two minutes ago and I answered right away, so how could you possibly be busy now? If you knew you were going to do something productive, then why would you text me to have a conversation? Oh right, likely because you want attention from me.

My friends would tell me not to respond to a guy right away who didn’t respond to me quickly enough. Are we still in middle school? I’m pretty sure I didn’t even do that in middle school. If that is the logic of people, then quite frankly, I don’t want you talking to me to begin with.

Don’t text me because you saw me make a status on Facebook and you just had to make a direct comment to me about it and then not answer afterwards. Keep it to yourself. Don’t text me and not answer when I ask a simple question in response, like “How are you?”

People enjoy communicating via telephone and text because it is the easy way out. That is the most logical and obvious way to put it. You can easily put a phone down, shut a computer or close a tab when things get too serious or don’t go the way you want them to. But my God, how would you deal with that in person?

Then, there are the cliché ways that people end these conversations because they are entirely too pussy to say they don’t want to speak to you. I mean is it possible for people to be painfully honest about how they feel? Trust me, I will respect you a lot more if you’re straight up with me than if you weave around how you actually feel.

If you can’t be honest with me, then just stay away from me. It will save us both a lot of time and over-analyzing. This is a shout out to all the people who respond to text messages with, “LOL.” Pretty sure what I said did not even have anything remotely funny attached to it. Just send an emoji of a gun next time because you’re just killing the conversation.

Then, there are the people who text and only ever want to text. A friend of mine was going through this situation and it just made me shake my head at this grossly stupid practice, which people actually participate in. Oh, that’s right, you want to talk to me all the time, but you actually don’t ever want to see me in real life. This makes so much sense! I understand some people are busy, but seriously, no one is that busy. If you want to see someone, you make the effort — plain and simple.

Texting has ruined the art of face-to-face conversation. Stop being pussies, people! If you want to talk to someone, do it.

“I used to call people, then I got into emailing, then texting, and now I just ignore everyone.” This caption of a cartoon from the New Yorker said it best.

Photo credit: Beta Beat

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Google Unveils Second Generation Google Glass

Although the first generation Google Glass has yet to see a wide release, Google has already unveiled the second generation of the device. Presented with a new hardware update, the redesign of the wearable augmented reality (AR) unit will now be compatible with existing prescription eyeglasses. Further additions include an external mono earbud that replaces the previous bone-conduction speaker from the first prototype.

Earlier in the week, the tech giant announced it would expand their current Explorer program, offering existing Glass users the chance to invite three friends in the U.S. to become part of the test group. For your chance to be enrolled in the program, head over here

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Pink Galaxy Note 3 to pop up in US on November 11

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

US consumers awaiting the pink flavor of Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 may be able to snag one very soon.

The unlocked pink model is now up for preorder through online retailer Newegg. Selling at $750, the phone is scheduled to be released on November 11, according to Newegg's order page. The pink version is $50 more than its black and white counterparts.

So far, the pink Galaxy Note 3 doesn't appear at other major retailers, such as Amazon, BestBuy, or any of its wireless carriers. CNET contacted Samsung for comment and will update the story with further details.

The pink edition is now available for consumers in the UK, where it can be had for 620 pounds ($993) from Phones 4U.

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BlackBerry wrinkles its nose at fake BBM reviews

How did all those "potentially fake" positive -- and badly written -- reviews of the BBM messaging app get on the Google Play Store? Beats us, BlackBerry says.

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BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announcing BBM support for iOS and Android in May 2013.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

If you can't trust anonymous Internet commenters, who can you trust? BlackBerry has denied it has anything to do with a vast swath of positive -- if overwhelmingly badly written -- reviews of itsBBM messaging app on the Google Play Store.

"We have been made aware of a number of potentially fake reviews of BBM for Android on Google Play, with ratings anywhere from one to five stars," BlackBerry told The Next Web. "We have no knowledge of how these reviews were created or populated. We do not approve of or condone such activities."

BBM finally launched for Android and iOS on Monday, having been delayed for months -- leaving a vacuum into which poured many a fake. On Thursday blogger Terence Eden noted thousands of reviews had appeared on Google Play all saying the same thing: "Thank you so much blackberry team. I was waiting this app. Its really great user friendly and smooth."

This story originally appeared at CNET UK under the headline "BlackBerry denies fake BBM reviews as Samsung fined."

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review: Powerful new Note wields mightier pen skills

The new $299.99 Galaxy Note 3 is a tour de force in juggernaut handset design. Not only is it big, bold, and blazingly fast, the imposing device has an incredibly sharp 5.7-inch display, and battery life to go the distance. More importantly, the Note 3 features a sleeker design than its predecessor, the Note 2, a streamlined S Pen interface, plus the same superb camera you’ll find on the Galaxy S4.

The third generation of the Note, however, is the most significant upgrade yet and the first Note device, thanks to a more thoughtful S Pen interface, mainstream customers will actually want to buy it. Frankly it has the power to school any flagship device on the market, and the only device since the old Palm Treos to get me seriously thinking about using a phone with a stylus.

Pricing and availability
Shipping now and hitting US carriers in force in October 2013, the Note 3 costs $299.99 on Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile sells the device for a lower $199.99 up front, but you’re on the hook for 24 monthly payments of $21. Sprint and U.S. Cellular have also said they expect to scoop up the Note 3 soon.

What’s new in the Note 3
The Note 3 represents a massive upgrade over its previous Note counterparts. In a nutshell, the Note 3 has a bigger 5.7-inch full HD screen; revamped S Pen features and S Note app; a thinner, lighter chassis; huge processor speed bump; and a baked-in news app powered by Flipboard technology.

Samsung's sharper Note 3 (pictures)

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Design and build
Samsung’s overarching theme of refinement is clear in the Note 3’s physical appearance. In my view, it's much more elegant and sophisticated than both Notes that came before it. Measuring 6 inches long by 3.1 inches wide and a mere 0.33 inch thick, the Note 3 is only a hair taller and wider than its predecessor. Even so, this new Note is thinner despite boasting a larger screen (5.7 inches compared with 5.5 inches).

Along with shaving off a few fractions of an inch, Samsung has also lightened the device by five-tenths of an ounce, which puts the Note 3 at 5.9 ounces. But even as the sleekest Note yet, it still dwarfs flagship phones like the HTC One, Galaxy S4, and Motorola Droid Maxx, all of which were big boys in their own right. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy Mega with its gargantuan 6.3-inch screen makes even the Note 3 seem a reasonable size.

The Note 3 is very thin despite its large footprint.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Designwise the Note 3 also takes huge departures from the smooth, plastic, and oval frame of the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Notes before it. The Note 3 has a rectangular chassis ringed with flashy faux-chrome edges that are ridged, and the handset's patterned backing is designed to imitate the feel of leather. This leatherette back along with the Note 3's silver highlights evoke images of Samsonite briefcases from the 1960s. Further channeling this retro fashion accessory vibe are fake stitches that run along the back edge of the handset.

Though the Note 3's back is crafted from plastic, Samsung does its best to convince you it's leather.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

These design modifications aren't just for show, either. The Note’s textured rear surface handily resists fingerprints and offers a sure grip. Now I’m sure many people out there will find this new look for the Note 3 a tad over the top, even chintzy -- the phone’s back is plastic, after all, and only patterned to imitate leather. Still, all this gives the Note 3 a very handsome and distinctive look, especially compared with the slippery and truly cheap-feeling plastic chassis of the Note 2 and original Note.

There's no getting around the Note 3's large size.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Also on back is the Note 3’s 13-megapixel camera lens and LED flash. Removing the back cover reveals other welcome touches, specifically a high-capacity (and removable) 3,200mAh battery plus a microSD card slot. Interestingly, and no doubt to save space, the device’s SD card slot sits directly on top of its micro-SIM bay. That means you’ll have to remove the battery to add more storage.

The S Pen is tucked away in the bottom edge.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The Note's S Pen stylus lives in a receptacle on the phone’s bottom lip. The device sports just three physical buttons, though: a tiny power key on the right edge, a thin volume bar placed on the left side, and a large oval home button below the screen. Flanking either side of this are two capacitive keys for Menu and Back.

Above the display you’ll find a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for self portraits, video chat, or simply to amuse the kids. The Note 3’s top edge houses its 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio.

Also living on the Note 3’s bottom edge is what at first I thought was a proprietary port. Instead it’s a combination Micro-USB connector along with one of the new USB 3.0 jacks. USB 3.0 offers faster charging times and data transfer rates (up to 10 times quicker) over the older USB 2.0 standard, but you’ll have to own a compatible PC.

The bottom edge sports one of the new USB 3.0 ports.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

A screen that’s stunning
Trust me when I say that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3’s screen is simply gorgeous. Measuring a vast 5.7 inches across, the AMOLED display has an ultracrisp full HD resolution (1,920x1,080 pixels) which translates into an amazingly sharp 385ppi. That’s a level of detail that puts the smaller screens of the iPhone 5S (4-inch, 326ppi) and Samsung’s own Galaxy S4 (5-inch, 441ppi) to shame.

The massive 5.7-inch AMOLED screen renders images sharply and in vibrant colors.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

It certainly outdoes the Note 2’s (5.5-inch, 267ppi, 1,280x720 pixels) viewing experience. The Note 2 produces text that's noticeably less crisp than on the Note 3. Also, while the HTC One (4.7-inch, 468ppi) technically has a sharper screen, its viewing area is miniscule when saddled up against the Note 3.

The latest Note's high-contrast display produces well-saturated colors as well, with deep blacks and very wide viewing angles. As with the Note 2, you have five screen modes to choose from (Dynamic, Standard, Professional Photo, and Movie), which offer specially tweaked color settings. I prefer the Movie mode, since its colors are the most lifelike. Samsung apparently honed this mode further because its colors look even more natural than the same selection on the Note 2.

And because its screen is brighter and sharper than its predecessor, watching all sorts of visual content on the Note 3 is extremely captivating. Characters in movie trailers practically leap off of the screen and into your lap, and detail in photos and video is incredibly crisp. Viewing desktop versions of Web sites, an activity I don’t recommend on devices with cramped displays, was also pleasurably not eye-straining.

It’s all about the S Pen
I doubt even the most avid Galaxy Note adherents use their S Pens often, at least those who don’t primarily communicate in complex character-based or pictographic languages. Samsung hopes this third iteration of the Note franchise, though, will convert more users into being S Pen faithful. To this end, the company says it has revamped the S Pen experience on the Note 3 (and new Note 10.1 tablet) to provide a refinement of existing features, not overwhelm them with a confusing laundry list of capabilities and tools.

I think Samsung has made large strides toward its goal since this is the first implementation of the S Pen I’ve actually been tempted to use. Here’s how it works.

Removing the S Pen launches the new Air Command menu.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

When you pull the S Pen out of its sheath, a little fan-shaped graphic called the Air Command appears. You can also activate it from any screen or app by holding the pen close to the display and pressing the S Pen’s button. This single change alone, the addition of Air Command, does the most to make the S Pen a compelling tool for ordinary people than ever before.

Unlike with older Notes, which diluted the S Pen's abilities across the entire OS (where they would become lost or forgotten), Air Command places them all in one spot. Plus everything is boiled down into five main options: Action Memo, Scrap Booker, Screen Write, S Finder, and Pen Window. Just tap a selection to launch the feature.

Action Memo lets you e-mail, text, or convert handwritten scribbles into to-do lists.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Action Memo lets you create a handwritten note, then provides a handful of options to manipulate the info you’ve just jotted down. For example you can scribble a name, number, and other details, then have the choice to either mail the data, save it to your contacts, use it in a text, or look it up on a map. You can also convert notes into to-do lists and even port them over to Evernote for safe keeping.

Of course the practice doesn't work perfectly. The phone had problems accurately transcribing my admittedly terrible handwriting into text. I often had to scribble words multiple times for it to correctly register what I wanted to jot down.

The Scrap Booker lassos images and content you see, whether that be a Web site, photos, or YouTube videos, to save in a virtual scrapbook. You can create and name as many volumes as you'd like, then access them through the scrapbook application.

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In practice the feature worked well enough and I was able to grab images and other content then save directly to a personal scrapbook. Personally, however, I'm not someone who scrapbooks in real life or even does so virtually using sites like Pinterest. That said, if you're researching projects that require sifting through lots of visual info (home improvements, shopping for a new wardrobe, etc.) then I can see it being handy.

Think of S Finder as universal search. The function will sift through the phone’s memory for keywords, including your handwritten notes, and present a list of documents containing relevant information.

Hitting Pen Window allows you to draw a box on the screen, then select an application that will fill that space. So for instance you can have your e-mail or Web browser open then pull up a little window for the calculator, phone, or contacts, which will float above everything. It’s an interesting idea, and I can see it being useful in certain situations.

For example, imagine reading e-mail, then punching out people’s phone numbers, making calls to follow up, all while digging through messages for Web links and office memos. Of course it takes about three steps to create an application windows vs. just switching between apps.

I do think the Advanced Multi Window feature is very useful, especially to power users who juggle data from multiple apps at once. The function allows you to open two application windows at once, then drag and drop content between them. I actually found it pretty helpful, especially for grabbing location details directly from e-mail and using it to create meetings in my calendar -- a task I do constantly. You can also create paired windows to use later.

Software, interface, and Samsung extras
It may not be KitKat, but the Galaxy Note 3 runs the modern Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, which is the most recent available. Android KitKat is due out soon, and I'm hoping the Note 3 will receive this update in a timely fashion.

Layered on top of that is Samsung’s custom interface, once known as TouchWiz. Aside from all the S Pen enhancements, it’s essentially the same skin you see in the Galaxy S4.

While it's highly functional and crammed with features and ways to tweak them, I find Samsung's UI more confusing than those from other phone makers. Just looking at the quick settings menu in the notification shade alone gives me a headache. HTC's Sense software on the HTC One is easier to comprehend, for instance, as is the close to stock Android UI on Motorola's Moto X.

One aspect that’s new to the Note 3, though, is how Samsung has pregrouped certain apps in the application tray into custom folders. Front and center is a “Samsung” folder, which holds shortcuts for many of the company’s self-made software and services. Highlights include the S Health pedometer, Action Memo, S Voice for voice commands, Group Play, which shares video and photos with other Galaxy devices, plus utilities such as My Files and Voice Recorder.

Interestingly, all of Google’s installed programs are also tucked away in their own virtual home. Honestly, my eyes kept sliding past it since stock Android never arranges Google apps like this. This folder houses Gmail, Google Search, Google+ social networking, along with icons for the company’s digital content storefronts like Play Books, Games, Movies, and Music.

The My Newspaper screen grabs content based on news topic.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Samsung has also taken a cue from HTC and its BlinkFeed news aggregator, which first appeared in the HTC One. Swiping upward from the home screen on the Note 3 launches the My Magazine news viewer. Using technology from the popular Flipboard app, My Magazine serves up articles and news stories from a variety of sites.

Similar to HTC’s solution, though, there’s no way to remove My Magazine, since it’s apparently baked right into the Note 3’s OS. Additionally, you don’t have control over which media outlets and Web sites the reader pulls info from. The most granular selections you can exert are choosing which topics of news My Magazine will fetch for you.

Camera
If you like the Galaxy S4’s digital camera, then you'll have no complaints about the Note 3's shooter. The device is equipped with the same sharp 13-megapixel sensor with companion LED flash.

The Note 3's camera app is jam-packed with features and shooting modes.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The Note 3’s camera app comes with a huge bucket of shooting modes, unlike Motorola phones, for example, that have paired-down menus and settings. In fact the camera options on the Note 3 are identical to the fancy skills you’ll find on the Galaxy S4. They range from the very useful such as HDR, Burst, Panorama, to the strange like Beauty Face, Golf (captures your swing for study), and Eraser, which removes people and moving objects in the background. You can also fiddle with virtually every aspect of image capture such as photo and video size, ISO settings, white balance, and light metering.

Indoor shots were clear and well exposed.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Indoors, the Note 3 snapped breathtakingly clean still-life images, with vibrant colors and crystal-clear details. Pictures inside were also properly exposed and white balance selected correctly in automatic mode.

Nabbing images of fast-moving toddlers wasn't a problem.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Out in the field, the Note 3 also captured photos of flowers in very vivid colors, even under overcast skies. Details were sharp, too, especially in its highest picture size (4,128x3096 pixels).

Colors of flowers were vibrant outdoors.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Also, akin to the performance of other flagship mobiles such as the HTC One and Galaxy S4, the Note 3 nabs photos practically instantaneously. That makes it nimble enough to capture unruly subjects, such as playing toddlers and scampering pets.

One area where the Note 3’s camera didn’t impress me was shooting under low-light conditions. While the fill-flash did a pretty good job of painting subjects in dark locations evenly, not blowing them out like less-capable phone cameras, without the flash the sensor simply couldn’t grab enough light to work with.

Lighten details in shadows with the HDR mode.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Massive mobile power
Inside the Galaxy Note 3 is a cutting-edge 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. That’s backed up by not 2GB but 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of internal storage.

And as I expected, the Note 3 handles with the maneuverability of an attack jet, zooming through menus with alarming swiftness and popping open applications with zero hesitation. The Note 3 blew a fiery hole through all the mobile benchmarks I threw at it, too. It incinerated Quadrant, achieving the highest score I’ve ever seen (23,048). I admit I did a double-take and had to confirm that I didn’t accidentally add an extra zero.

This result essentially buries what both the HTC One (12,194) and Galaxy S4 (11,381) managed. Even the vaunted LG G2 (19,050) with the same Snapdragon 800 processor couldn't catch the Note 3 on the Quadrant benchmark.

The Note 3 notched an extremely high Quadrant score.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Data speeds
I tested the T-Mobile variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and the device was able to connect to the carrier’s 4G LTE network in New York. I observed quick if not blisteringly fast download speeds, which averaged 8.3Mbps. Uploads weren’t too shabby, either, clocking in at an average of 6Mbps.

This enabled the Note 3 to fire up CNET’s mobile site in just over 4 seconds and the desktop version in 8 seconds. I also managed to download a 4.96MB application in 8 seconds.

Throughput was pretty fast over T-Mobile's 4G LTE network.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Call quality
Samsung didn’t neglect the Note 3’s voice communication abilities, either. While testing the phone on T-Mobile’s GSM network in New York, I experienced excellent call quality. Callers described my voice as sounding refreshingly clear with virtually no background distortion. That said, if they listened clearly enough they could detect the telltale hollowness cellular connections often have.

Voices came in through the earpiece with plenty of clarity and volume, forcing me to dial the phone’s loudness down a few notches. The same goes for words piped over the Note 3’s powerful speakerphone. People I spoke to were also surprised at just how good I sounded conversing hands free.

Despite its wafer-thin frame, the Galaxy Note 3 has oodles of mobile stamina. Its large-capacity 3,200mAh battery propelled it to an astonishingly long 15 hours on the CNET Labs video battery drain benchmark. This test consists of playing an HD video continuously until the phone calls it quits.

By comparison, the Motorola Droid Maxx, whose most touted feature is its longevity, survived a minute shy of 16 hours during the same trial.

Performance: Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Average LTE download speed (T-Mobile)	8.3Mbps
Average LTE download upload speed	6Mbps
CNET app download	4.96MB in 7.9 seconds
CNET mobile site load	4.1 seconds
CNET desktop site load	8.1 seconds
Boot time	21.5 seconds
Camera boot time	1.2 seconds

Where it stands and who should buy
Once Samsung commits to making a product, it plays to win. The company may not get things right the first time around, but it patiently persists until it creates a truly seductive piece of hardware. The third time is indeed a charm, because the Galaxy Note 3, while certainly a niche gadget, is the most compelling phone/tablet mashup Samsung has ever created, and the best I've ever used. That list includes a growing of phablet monsters such as the LG G2, Motorola Droid Maxx, and LG Optimus Vu II.

I admit a few of its attributes won’t appeal to some people. Its sheer size is hard to ignore, or squeeze into tight pants pockets. The handset’s textured imitation leather backing and retro styling will be a stumbling block as well. Frankly, though, I’m completely in love with the Note 3’s aesthetics, especially in its classy black hue (it also comes in white). To me it harkens back to the venerable Galaxy S2’s design as well, one of my favorite phones of all time.

And whether you ever unsheathe its S Pen stylus and much-improved stylus interface, the Note 3 is an amazingly advanced device in its own right. Its components and swift processor are top-notch, and its engaging screen practically functions as a portable HDTV. Sure, priced at $299.99 with a two-year contract, the Note 3 is one of the most expensive mobile phones on the market, right up there with the Droid Maxx ($299.99).

It's also true the Maxx is more pocket-friendly and offers longer battery life, but the Note 3 packs a better camera and comes close to the Maxx's lengthy runtime. That latter accomplishment is the Note 3's most heroic achievement considering the device brings to the party a much swifter processor, more RAM, Android 4.3 (compared with the Maxx’s 4.2.2), plus a larger and sharper display. That’s why if you consider yourself a power Android user who'd rather not spend extra on a small tablet like the Nexus 7, or just want the most phone you can buy, the Galaxy Note 3 is the clear choice.

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