Upcoming Samsung Unpacked Event to Include New Galaxy Gear Smartwatch and Galaxy Note 3

When Samsung first announced the Sept 4th Unpacked event in August, speculation quickly began that the company would choose the date for the launch of the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 3. After-all Samsung all but confirmed it with the hint "Note the date." Rumors then quickly turned towards another device debuting at the same time. A smartwatch dubbed Galaxy Gear.

Today we have full confirmation that we'll see both device debuting at the Berlin event being held in conjunction with the IFA Consumer Electronics Fair. In an exclusive interview with The Korea Times, Lee Young-hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business confirmed the news.

"We will be introducing a new wearable device concept called Galaxy Gear at our own event in Berlin on Sept. 4," Younghee Lee, executive vice president of Samsung's mobile business, told the paper. The Galaxy Gear will have a non-flexible display, she said, adding that it "will enhance and enrich the current smart mobile experience in many ways."

Lee also confirmed that a Galaxy Note3 will make its international debut at IFA. But she declined to comment about specific details about the new phablet — a term devised by the company that means a combination of smartphone and tablet.

“Samsung opened a new smart mobile device category back in 2011 with the introduction of the first Galaxy Note. Since then, smartphones with large screens have been a mainstream trend. As the creator of this category, we will introduce our customers to enhanced key features on our Galaxy Note devices.”

For now official details about either device are fairly scarce however rumors suggest the new Note 3 will support a larger 5.9-inch OLED screen, a Qualcomm 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip, 3GB of RAM, and a 13MP rear camera that may feature optical image stabilization.

For those wanting to be get the first peek at the new devices checkout the Samsung Unpacked Event Sept 4th which will be steamed live via Samsung Mobile's YouTube page.

Sony: PS4 Launching Nov.15th Priced at $399

During the Gamescom game industry convention in Cologne, Germany Sony confirmed the release date and pricing of the company's next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 4. According to their press conference the new gaming unit will ship November 15th with a starting price tag of $399.

For those gaming geeks looking to be amongst the first to own the new PS4 Walmart has already confirmed, starting Saturday, August 24, customers can visit Walmart stores nationwide to pre-order the console. "We know millions of our customers can't wait to get their hands on the Xbox One and PS4," said Laura Phillips, senior vice president of Entertainment for Walmart U.S. "As the current market share leader in video game hardware and accessories, customers can trust Walmart to have the latest gaming consoles and new releases available at a great low price."

Customers simply need to see an associate in the Electronics department and take the following steps to secure the PS4:

• Provide a 10 percent down payment – $40 for PS4.
• Make payments over time or in full when the console becomes available.
• Pick up the console on the launch date. Walmart will hold pre-ordered consoles for customers wanting more time to pay it off until December 13, 2013.

According to Sony they hope to have more than 33 titles available for PS4 by December, including NBA 2K14, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Skylanders Swap Force, Need for Speed: Rivals, Battlefield 4, Madden 25, FIFA 14, NBA Live, Killzone: Shadow Fall, #DRIVECLUB, Knack, Assassins Creed IV Black Flag, Watch_Dogs, Just Dance 2014 and Lego Marvel Super Heroes.

Sony also dropped the price of its PlayStation Vita mobile gaming console from $249 to $199, though didn't specify if the $299 PS Vita model, which also features 3G network connectivity, will have a similar price drop to the $249 Wi-Fi version.

Google Officially Working On Fix For Google Play "Package File Invalid" Error

Android users trying to update or download apps from the Google Play store may have noticed a rather annoying issue over the past week or so. An error that seemingly strikes at random shows a “Package file is invalid” or error code 497 message box. The rather nondescript error show up at random intervals no matter what app you are downloading or updating. Sometimes the error happens, sometimes it doesn’t.

While these kind of problems often are app, device or operating system specific, that does appear to be the case here. The problem seems to have to do with corrupted Play Store data, and according to Google, they are aware of the issue and looking for a permanent fix. Google Support has now put up a page for the Package File Invalid error (#10230007), which it will keep updated as it learns more and comes up with a solution.

Several of the most popular Android forums have users offering fixes, ranging from clearing app data and cache for Google Play to removing the proxy address from your APN, to using a VPN proxy but none of these suggestions seem to be a universal fix. Several users, myself included, have seen no issue at all. Confusing the situation even more.

For now it appears as though there are no real fixes at this point. So what should you do in the meantime? Our best advice is to wait a bit after receiving the error and try again. If it is an essential need there are reports that switching your connection type after encountering the error, such as going from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa) has worked. Another option would simply be searching for the Apps APK files and side-loading the application that way.

Get Your Geek On With YouTube's Geek Week August 4 - 10

Geeks rule!! Come get your geek on this week with YouTube first ever Geek Week from Aug. 4 to 10. Showcasing different genres of geek culture and hosted by a different YouTube channel, with a special video introduction and the launch of new content, Geek Week will be the ultimate celebration of the geekdom!

The event will showcase more than 100 popular channels, unveil new videos and trailers such as Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World" on Super Wednesday.

• Blockbuster Sunday: A celebration of iconic characters, movies, and shows that define geek culture, with a special spotlight placed on the best original YouTube sci-fi, fantasy, and animated videos. Hosted by FreddieW in the U.S., with new content from Tomska in the U.K.
• Global Geekery Monday: Explore geek culture from around the world with anime from Tokyo, comic book heroes from Delhi, and a celebration of the U.K.'s Doctor Who. Hosted by YOMYOMF in the U.S., with a special new episode of the British cult children's show Knightmare.
• Brainiac Tuesday: A focus on science, education, and knowledge channels that make YouTube the world's biggest platform for learning. Hosted by Veritasium and The Spangler Effect in the U.S., with an "epic" stunt from Head Squeeze and Flow in the U.K.
• Super Wednesday: Explore superheroes, the supernatural, and the super-weird. Hump Day also marks the exclusive release of the trailer for Marvel's Thor: The Dark World. Hosted by Stan Lee's World of Heroes in the U.S., with an "unbelievable" stunt from Fast Furious & Funny in the U.K.
• Gaming Thursday: A gamer's paradise filled with life play-throughs, real-life video games, game-inspired original series, and more. Hosted by Machinima and Maker Studios' Polaris in the U.S., with a Guinness World Records gaming attempt live stream from the U.K.
• Fan Friday: Sci-fi-themed cooking, cosplay, and nerd debates. Hosted by Felicia Day of Geek and Sundry in the U.S., with an ultimate geeky quiz by Crabstickz from the U.K.

For those of you looking for a bit more YouTube promises the 3l33t geeks out there, that they will features Easter eggs all week, and badges from the eggs and select #geekweek videos when logged in and visiting youtube.com/geekweek.