Zach Epstein

Zach Epstein has worked in and around the ICT industry for more than a decade, first in marketing and business development with two private telcos, then as a writer and editor covering business, technology and telecommunications. As a writer, Zach’s work has been quoted by countless top news publications and he was recently named one of the world's top-10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Zach is now Executive Editor at BGR, where he guides the editorial team and contributes reports and analyses with an unbiased viewpoint and a widely respected voice.

Computers

May 20, 2013 at 4:50 PM

by Zach Epstein

Touch is taking over: Touchscreen laptop shipments climbed to 4.57 million in Q1

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 4:50 PM.

Touch is taking over: Touchscreen laptop shipments climbed to 4.57 million in Q1

Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform hasn’t exactly been the catalyst PC makers were looking for as sales continue to slide, but the new operating system does seem to be making some progress. IHS-owned market research firm Displaybank says that of the 46 million notebook computers that shipped during the first quarter this year, 4.57 million of them included touchscreens, Digitimes reported. That figure is good for a 10% share of the global market and is up a healthy 51.8% from the fourth quarter last year. Displaybank is impressed by touchscreen laptops’ relatively quick penetration considering how young the market is, but it remains to be seen whether or not Microsoft’s new platform and the touchscreens that come along with it will help struggling PC makers rebound.

No Comments

mobile

May 20, 2013 at 1:55 PM

by Zach Epstein

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active revealed in leaked photos

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 1:55 PM.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active revealed in leaked photos

Among the many new variants of the Galaxy S4 Samsung has planned is the Galaxy S4 Active, a ruggedized version of the company’s popular smartphone. Details have trickled out over the past few weeks since Samsung confirmed that the phone is being developed, and now the Galaxy S4 Active has been revealed for the first time in purported leaked photos. GSMArena published the images on Monday, and they show a smartphone with a design that strays from the original S4. A shot of the handset’s “About” screen also reveals a quad-core Qualcomm processor and a full-HD 1080p display. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S4 Active in the coming weeks but in the meantime, several leaked photos of the phone follow below. More →

No Comments

mobile

May 20, 2013 at 12:55 PM

by Zach Epstein

Get ready for a flood of Google Glass apps

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 12:55 PM.

Get ready for a flood of Google Glass apps

With Windows Phone, Microsoft has shown us how difficult it is to launch a new mobile product without an expansive app ecosystem available right out of the gate. Thanks to the early buzz Google is creating around Google Glass, the company’s upcoming connected eyewear likely won’t face the same challenge. We have already seen a bunch of apps emerge for Glass — some intriguing and some just creepy — but mobile application promotion company AppLaunch is looking to make Glass app development as easy as possible. More →

No Comments

mobile

May 20, 2013 at 12:05 PM

by Zach Epstein

Samsung seemingly confirms upcoming Galaxy S4 Mega

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 12:05 PM.

Samsung seemingly confirms upcoming Galaxy S4 Mega

Because Samsung isn’t already prepping enough new variants of the wildly popular Galaxy S4, a new “Galaxy S4 Mega” is reportedly under development as well and has been confirmed by Samsung. The Galaxy S4 mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Google Edition with stock Android Jelly Bean are all expected to debut in the coming weeks and months, and now a phablet version of the S4 looks like it has been confirmed in a recent update to Samsung’s WatchOn TV app discovered by SamMobile. No other details have been provided, but unless this was a typo — and it doesn’t appear to be, since the update also references two other unannounced Galaxy S4 variants — we should see this phone-tablet hybrid announced in the coming weeks. A screenshot of the update follows below. More →

No Comments

Gaming

May 20, 2013 at 11:40 AM

by Zach Epstein

Video: Sony teases PlayStation 4 hardware unveiling with blurry console photos

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 11:40 AM.

Video: Sony teases PlayStation 4 hardware unveiling with blurry console photos

A video game console’s exterior hardware is undoubtedly the least important part of the gaming experience, but fans were still angry when the PlayStation 4 event came and went with no physical console having been unveiled. As expected, however, Sony plans to debut its new console design during the annual E3 conference that kicks off next month on June 10th. In a newly released promotional video, Sony teased the PlayStation 4 console for the first time, showing blurry images of the box and zoomed-in pictures of various parts. It’s impossible to make out the PS4′s final design for the time being, but all will be revealed in under a month during Sony’s E3 press conference. In the meantime, the full teaser video follows below. More →

No Comments

Business

May 20, 2013 at 10:50 AM

by Zach Epstein

Is Google’s greatest strength the freedom to fail?

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 10:50 AM.

Is Google’s greatest strength the freedom to fail?

Google clearly has a number of strengths, but its greatest may be the freedom to fail. Google shares are up more than 28% so far in 2013 and the company’s market capitalization recently topped $300 billion for the first time. Investors are bullish on Google’s prospects for the future and perhaps one of the reasons is that Google has shown time and time again that it is willing to take big risks in an effort to drive innovation. More →

No Comments

mobile

May 20, 2013 at 9:30 AM

by Zach Epstein

Video: As BlackBerry and Microsoft battle for market share, a new contender emerges

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 9:30 AM.

Video: As BlackBerry and Microsoft battle for market share, a new contender emerges

The battle between BlackBerry and Microsoft for the No.3 spot in the smartphone platform war is showing no signs of slowing, but a new contender will soon come to market to challenge these struggling giants. Jolla, whose CEO spoke with us nearly a year ago about the company’s efforts, has unveiled its first smartphone. Named simply “Jolla,” the handset will feature a 4.5-inch HD display, a dual-core processor, 4G LTE, 16GB of internal storage, microSD support, an 8-megapixel camera, Android app support and the Sailfish mobile operating system. Most impressively of all, perhaps, is the price tag: just €399 before taxes and subsidies. Jolla says it hopes to begin shipping the phone by the end of 2013, and a video of the upcoming handset follows below. More →

No Comments

eBooks

May 20, 2013 at 8:00 AM

by Zach Epstein

Can new tablet features save the Nook Simple Touch?

By Zach Epstein on May 20, 2013 at 8:00 AM.

Can new tablet features save the Nook Simple Touch?

When people buy an E Ink eReader instead of one of the many affordable tablets available on the market, they’re likely looking for a somewhat pure eBook reading experience. As Barnes & Noble’s Nook business continues to flounder, however, the book seller will soon bank on new tablet features to help boost interest in its Nook Simple Touch lineup. According to a purported leaked email obtained by TechCrunch, Barnes & Noble plans to issue an update to its Simple Touch eReaders that will add a Web browser, email and a new store app to the devices. No other details were provided, though the update is expected to begin rolling out over the air (OTA) on June 1st. A copy of the leaked email follows below. More →

No Comments

Business

May 17, 2013 at 10:15 PM

by Zach Epstein

How the mighty have fallen: Nokia’s struggles, put in perspective

By Zach Epstein on May 17, 2013 at 10:15 PM.

How the mighty have fallen: Nokia’s struggles, put in perspective

In one point in time, Nokia was the top-selling smartphone vendor in the world by a wide margin. It wasn’t even that long ago, in fact. But when Nokia failed to respond quickly enough to the industry’s shift toward touch, the Finnish giant lost its footing and toppled spectacularly. Just how bad have things gotten for Nokia? Market share numbers paint a pretty frightening picture, but a single tweet from Benedict Evans of Enders Analysis might do an even better job of putting things in perspective. More →

No Comments

Business

May 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM

by Zach Epstein

HTC says One production will double to meet ‘strong demand’

By Zach Epstein on May 17, 2013 at 7:00 PM.

HTC says One production will double to meet ‘strong demand’

Of all the problems to have when launching a new flagship smartphone, trouble keeping up with demand is hardly the worst. Of course, things change a bit when a company has to pump units into channels as quickly as possible before the top-selling smartphone vendor in the world launches the Galaxy S4. HTC undoubtedly lost some sales thanks to its production woes with the One, but a new report suggests its manufacturing issues are behind it. According to Focus Taiwan, HTC North Asia president Jack Tong said that production capacity for the HTC One will double in May and increase further in June. ”Our capacity is expected to rise significantly starting from mid-May,” Tong reportedly said Friday at a press conference. “We are optimistic about our high-end sales during April and June.”

No Comments

Tablets

May 17, 2013 at 4:50 PM

by Zach Epstein

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 image, specs leak

By Zach Epstein on May 17, 2013 at 4:50 PM.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 image, specs leak

A purported image of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 tablet was published on Friday along with supposed specs. SamMobile obtained the image of the unannounced tablet from an unnamed source, and the device shown in the image looks very similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet, pictured above, with slight variations such as the sensor layout above the display. Not much can be gleaned from the render, though the blog also claims to have knowledge of the tablet’s specs, which include an 8-inch TFT display with 1,280 x 800-pixel resolution, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, a 4,450 mAh battery and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The leaked image of the tablet follows below. More →

No Comments

Business

May 17, 2013 at 2:35 PM

by Zach Epstein

The five ways Google is ‘assaulting’ Apple

By Zach Epstein on May 17, 2013 at 2:35 PM.

The five ways Google is ‘assaulting’ Apple

Google CEO Larry Page spoke about peace in the industry during the Google I/O 2013 keynote, but that doesn’t mean Google has plans to slow its various attacks on rivals’ turf. Forbes contributor Peter Cohan laid out the five areas where Google is launching its “assault” on chief competitor Apple, and he discussed exactly how Google is hurting the world’s most valuable company in each area. Among Cohan’s five fronts are smartphones, where Google’s Android platform has overtaken the iPhone as the most popular handset operating system in the world; tablets, where strength in numbers will soon help Google top Apple’s market share once again; and innovation, the “most important front where Google is trouncing Apple.” Because the company is assaulting Apple on these five fronts and seemingly winning, Cohan says it looks like “Google is winning the war for the future.” Of course, whether or not this win will help Google top Apple’s record profits remains to be seen.

No Comments

Hubs

Apple

Android

Mobile

Business