BlackBerry IN Sell For $4.7B

It looks like the days of BlackBerry being an independent company are over. Trading on shares of the company was halted today when the company made it known that it had a major announcement coming. The announcement: It had signed a letter of intent to be purchased by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. for $4.7 billion, or $9 a share, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Shares had been down 5.6% before trading halted, to $8.23, in the wake of Friday's news that the company would cut its staff by 40% and stop selling devices to consumers. The $9 price tag represents just 4% of Blackberry's peak share value, Journal reporter Shira Ovide tweets. Fairfax currently owns about 10% of BlackBerry, making it the company's biggest shareholder. The Canadian-based company will buy all of the company's outstanding shares. Click for more on its ill-fated company jet.

BlackBerry IN Sell For $4.7B

By: Unknown on: 2:21 AM

iPhone 5S, 5C Sales Record

Apple's new iPhones went on sale this weekend, and it seems customers were plenty ready: They picked up more than 9 million units of the 5S and 5C, a record for the first weekend of sales, the company notes. "This is our best iPhone launch yet," CEO Tim Cook says in a press release, via Business Insider. The site notes that sales might have been even higher had more units been available: Apple nearly sold out of the phones this weekend, but retailers are still getting regular shipments, the company says. Some 5 million units of the original iPhone 5 were sold on its opening weekend, the Verge notes.

iPhone 5S, 5C Sales Record

By: Unknown on: 2:17 AM

Apple Patent Hints At Text ToSpeech Translation For Notes

A new patent suggests that Apple

 may add text-to-speech functionality to its Notes app, specifically for communicating in a different language.

The feature will translate text into a desired language, and then convert that text to speech that can then be read aloud. Any integration with Siri is unclear.

The translation feature will be listed as another option from the pop up menu — along with cut, copy and paste — that currently shows up on the iPhone upon selecting a particular phrase.

Google Translate for the iPhone currently offers a similar functionality. The app reads an English word or phrase in a different language of your choice.

A Notes integration could potentially prove much more useful, with key phrases like "How do I get to the train station?" available in different languages at the ready.

Would you use a translate feature within Notes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Apple Patent Hints At Text ToSpeech Translation For Notes

By: Unknown on: 12:05 PM

Nexus 7 4G LTE

Google today released the 2013 version of its 32GB Nexus 7 with 4G LTE in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, the UK, Japan, and Korea. You can grab it now from Google Play for approximately $349.

That’s the price for the US; the device arrived there just last week. The amount will of course vary for other countries, but you can expect it to be similarly more expensive than the Wi-Fi models, which go for $229 (16GB) and $269 (32GB).

Google has said before that it was planning a broad international rollout for the Nexus 7, but didn’t detail timing. The LTE version is now available in nine countries, where delivery time varies between three and 12 days; we’ll keep you posted as we learn of more launches.

Nexus 7 4G LTE

By: Unknown on: 12:00 PM

Fingerprints Could Is The Solution For iPhone Owners Who Don't Lock Their Phones

The new fingerprint scanner, known as Touch ID, is more than just a cutting-edge new feature for the iPhone 5S. It’s also Apple’s attempt to solve a larger problem tech companies face as hacking becomes widespread and consumers demand easy-to-use apps and gadgets: How do you balance security and simplicity?

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs understood this tension well. He “hated” the iPhone swipe and pincode security feature because “it was in the way of the user experience," Sebastien Taveau, chief technology officer of Validity Sensors, told USA Today.

Even Steve Kirsch, who makes his living protecting consumers’ online identities, doesn't put a password on his iPhone. The inconvenience of typing it over and over, he said, outweighs the possibility that someone could steal his phone and access the data on it.

"I open my phone 30 times a day,” said Kirsch, the founder of OneID, which allows people to log into multiple websites without entering a password. “Why would I enter a four-digit code and subject myself to that agony? It's wasted time and effort."

The fact that half of iPhone owners don’t lock their devices may just be human nature. In 2008, for example, State Farm Insurance found that less than half of 1,000 people surveyed always locked their front doors -- a routine that occurs far less often than people checking their phones.

However, smartphone thefts are skyrocketing. In major cities, they make up about 40 percent of all robberies. And while a home burglar might steal your TV, a cybercriminal might use information on an unlocked smartphone to commit identity theft, according to Michael Kaiser, executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes awareness about cybersecurity.

"A device like the iPhone contains a massive amount of data about you,” Kaiser said. “It has all your personal and business contacts, your emails, and if you're using a banking app, your financial resources."

So why don’t people use the security feature? Kaiser compared not locking an iPhone to other "risky behaviors" like smoking cigarettes or drinking and driving.

"People who think they don’t need a passcode on their iPhone don't understand the value proposition of taking an extra second or two to protect themselves,” he said. “The return on that time investment is tremendous."

While some consumers may not understand the risks, Graham Cluley, a security expert, said it was “alarming” that Yahoo's Mayer did not lock her phone given her role as the head of a company responsible for securing the online lives of millions of people.

“What kind of example is she setting by not having any form of login security on her smartphone?” Cluley wrote in a blog post, adding, “I wonder what other sensible security steps she doesn’t bother with?”

Yahoo is one of several tech companies, including Google, Twitter and Facebook, that have introduced two-factor authentication -- which requires people to log in, then enter a pincode sent to their phones -- as an added security feature.

However, those companies have made the feature optional, not mandatory. Kirsch said that's because they are worried about burdening users with extra security measures.

Now, some experts say new advancements in biometrics -- or verifying people’s identities from their fingertips, irises or heartbeats instead of passwords -- could change that equation and become a holy grail of sorts for cybersecurity.

"If all you have to do is tap your finger, that adds a huge level of security without the inconvenience,” Kaiser said.

Apple’s new fingerprint scanner was welcomed by Mayer, who said she looked forward to not typing in her pincode multiple times a day.

"When I saw the fingerprint thing I thought 'Now I don’t have to,'" she said. "So I was excited about that."

Apple’s new one-touch security feature is also likely to be embraced by several iPhone owners who were interviewed this week on the streets of New York City.

Romina Krosnyak, a 19-year-old New York University student, told HuffPost that she never locks her iPhone because it's too hard to remember the password.

"I kept changing it and I would forget," she said. "Plus it's faster to just swipe it."

Harold Scheeren, a 19-year-old New York University student, said he disabled his iPhone password so it was easier to change songs or respond to texts while he was driving.

"It was a hassle," he said, sitting on a bench in Washington Square Park.

Adi Cohen, a 37-year old account manager at AOL, which owns The Huffington Post, said he never locked his personal iPhone because he found it "annoying."

"I think people who have pincodes are hiding something,” he said.

Cohen said he was not concerned that a thief might steal his phone and gain access to his emails, phone records or other private information.

"As far as I know," he said, "the NSA is doing that already."

Fingerprints Could Is The Solution For iPhone Owners Who Don't Lock Their Phones

By: Unknown on: 5:22 AM

Nokia tested Android

Now that Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia is a done deal we get to learn some interesting tidbits that could’ve changed the course of history. You see, before talking with Redmond giant over a possible sale of its handset business, Nokia did experiment with Android, preparing a low-end handset that supposed to launched in 2014. The Finns even wanted to create a custom version of Android similar to those Android is offering in its Kindle Firetablets.

Although this information was kept away from Microsoft, they did know something like that was in the pipeline and perhaps that’s one of the reasons they went on with acquisition. Cause if Nokia launched a single Android-based device and it sold well, that could easily turn the table around in Google’s favor, with Nokia adopting Android as its main platform.

Meanwhile, Microsoft had its own “plan B” to repeat the “Surface story” with a smartphone. Sources familiar with these plans have revealed to TheVerge that a number of prototypes have been built to test the viability of such a device. This “Surface Phone” was intended to be ready in case Nokia canceled its commitment to Windows Phone. Alas that hasn’t happened and the rest is history. Still it’s interesting to speculate how the things would look like if Nokia adopted Android and Microsoft had to build its own phones

Nokia tested Android

By: Unknown on: 5:12 PM

Nokia Lumia 1020 will launch on 25 September

Nokia has announced that its Lumia 1020 smartphone, which features a 41-megapixel camera, is now available for pre-order in the UK, and will go on sale in stores on 25 September.

Nokia first unveiled its Lumia 1020 smartphone back in July. The device has a 4.5-inch screen and runs on a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor with Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system. It is available in a choice of yellow, white or black.

However, the Lumia 1020's crowning glory is its PureView 41-megapixel camera, which Nokia claims is able to produce some of the sharpest images possible by any digital camera.

The Lumia 1020 includes a new application called Nokia Pro Camera, designed to make it easy for anyone to take professional quality images. Either before a picture is taken or after it has been shot, the user can see how the zoom capability and the chosen settings will affect the final photo or video.

Another new feature is dual capture, which simultaneously takes a high resolution 38-megapixel image to set aside for editing, and creates a 5-megapixel picture to share to social networks via Windows Phone 8.

The 41 megapixel sensor features Zeiss optics and a choice of six physical lenses, plus optical image stabilisation, claiming to deliver crystal clear pictures even in low light conditions.]

It also captures blur-free videos with stereo sound even at the loudest concerts due to Nokia Rich Recording, designed to handle sound pressure levels six times louder than conventional smartphone microphones.

“We are delighted with the response we have received from the UK marketplace” said Conor Pierce, VP, Nokia UK and Ireland. “It is clear that there is a strong appetite for a smartphone with such unrivaled image taking capabilities. The ability to express your imaging creativity and then share instantly really does put this phone in a class of its own.”

The device will be available from all major retailers and network operators including, 3, O2, Vodafone, EE, Phones 4U and Carphone Warehouse on 25 September. Anyone who pre-orders the Lumia 1020 before that date will also get a free Nokia Camera Grip, wireless charging back cover, wireless charging plate and tripod worth £150.

Photos taken on a Nokia Lumia smartphone will feature in a forthcoming edition of National Geographic magazine. The full set of images is available here.

Nokia Lumia 1020 will launch on 25 September

By: Unknown on: 4:09 AM

SAMSUNG FLEXIBLE YOUM

A flexible display is a display which is flexible in nature; differentiable from the more prevalent traditional flat screen displays used in most electronics devices. In the recent years there's has been a growing interest from numerous consumer electronics manufacturers to apply this display technology in e-readers, mobile phones and other consumer electronics.
Flexible electronic paper (e-paper) based displays were the first flexible displays conceptualized and prototyped. Though this form of flexible displays has a long history and were attempted by many companies, it is only recently that this technology began to see commercial implementations slated for mass production to be used in consumer electronic devices.
The concept of developing a flexible display was first put forth by Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Company). In 1974, Nicholas K. Sheridon, a PARC employee, made a major breakthrough in flexible display technology and produced the first flexible e-paper display. Dubbed Gyricon, this new display technology was designed to mimic the properties of paper, but married with the capacity to display dynamic digital images. Sheridon envisioned the advent of paperless offices and sought commercial applications for Gyricon.In 2003 Gyricon LLC was formed as a direct subsidiary of Xerox to commercialize the electronic paper technology developed at Xerox PARC. Gyricon LLC's operations were short lived and in December 2005 Xerox closed the subsidiary company in a move to focus on licensing the technology instead.
In 2005, Arizona State University opened a 250,000 square foot facility dedicated to flexible display research named the ASU Flexible Display Center (FDC). ASU received $43.7 million from the Army Research Lab towards the development of this research facility. A planned prototype device was slated for public demonstration later that year. However, the project met a series of delays. In December 2008, ASU in partnership with Hewlett Packard finally demonstrated a prototype flexible e-paper from the Flexible Display Center at the university.HP continued on with the research, and in 2010, showcased another demonstration. However, due to limitations in technology, HP stated “[our company] doesn't actually see these panels being used in truly flexible or rollable displays, but instead sees them being used to simply make displays thinner and lighter.
This company develops and manufactures colour and monochrome plastic flexible displays in various sizes based on its proprietary organic thin film transistor (OTFT) technology.The displays are manufactured in the company's purpose built factory in Dresden, Germany, which was the first factory of its kind to be built - dedicated to the high volume manufacture of organic electronics.These flexible displays are cited as being "unbreakable", because they are made completely of plastic and do not contain glass. They are also lighter and thinner than glass-based displays and low-power. Applications of this flexible display technology include signage,wristwatches and wearable devices. as well as automotive and mobile devices.

SAMSUNG FLEXIBLE YOUM

By: Unknown on: 3:51 AM

Sony Xperia Z

The Sony Xperia Z is a touchscreen enabled Android high-end smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Sony Mobile.

The phone was announced by Sony at CES 2013 and was released on 9 February 2013 in Japan and 1 March 2013 in the UK. The Xperia Z runs the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system. The smartphone has Ingress Protection Ratings of IP55 and IP57, making it dust protected, low pressure water jet protected, and waterproof, allowing immersion under 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes, and features a 13.1 MP Exmor RS camera sensor as well as a full HD (1080p) display, encompassed in Sony's 'Omni-Balance' Design.

A cheaper variant called the Sony Xperia ZL uses the same hardware as the Xperia Z, but sacrifices water resistance for a smaller frame.

In June 2013 images and specifications of a larger phone-tablet hybrid ("phablet") version of Sony Xperia Z, called the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, officially being unveiled on 25 June 2013 and is slated to release in "Q3 2013".

On 24 June 2013 the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean software update started rolling out for the Sony Xperia Z.

Its successor the Sony Xperia Z1 will be released on 20 September 2013.

The Sony Xperia Z is a rectangular slab that marks a departure from Sony's 2012 design. The design is "Omni-Balance", according to Sony, which is focused on creating balance and symmetry in all directions. Xperia Z has subtly rounded edges and smooth, reflective surfaces on all sides, which are held together by a skeleton frame made from glass fibre polyamide. The phone features tempered glass covered by shatterproof film on front and back. The aluminium power button is placed on the right side of the device. The location is said to make one-hand operation easier. The metallic look and positioning of the power button is inspired by luxury watch crown design.The phone is available in three colors; black, white and purple.

The phone's dimensions are stated to be 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm and its weight is 146 grams (including battery). It comes with a Lithium-ion battery, rated at 2330 mAh.

The Xperia Z features a 13.1-megapixel rear camera with an Exmor RS sensor, flash, image stabilisation, HDR, face detection (with red-eye reduction), Sweep Panorama, scene recognition and 16x digital zoom, and a 2.2-megapixel front camera with an Exmor R sensor. Both cameras can record video at 1080p.

The smartphone has a capacitive touchscreen with a 5" size, and its resolution is 1920x1080 pixels (1080p) at 443 ppi, with 16 million colors. The screen uses Sony's Mobile Bravia Engine 2 to enhance the picture.

In addition to this, the Xperia Z has a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 2 GB RAM memory, 16 GB internal storage flash memory (with approx. 11 GB available to the user) and a microSD card slot which accepts cards up to 64 GB.

The phone is able to connect to UMTS HSPA+ (bands 1, 3, 5, 8 or bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 depending on model), GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz and 4G LTE (bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 or bands 4, 17 depending on model) networks.

The Xperia Z has a built-in 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones, GPS and GLONASS support, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, HDMI (via MHL), Miracast and NFC, in addition to being DLNAcertified. In Japan, it also features an infrared blaster.

The phone is covered on the front and back by tempered glass, where the front is Dragontrail Glass from Asahi Glass Company resin-bonded to the LCD, and the back is CorningGorilla Glass.

The Xperia Z runs Android 4.2.2, with Sony's custom skin laid on top. Other notable additions to the software include Sony's Media applications – Walkman, Album and Videos.NFC is also a core feature of the device, allowing 'one touch' to mirror what is on the smartphone to compatible TVs or play music on a NFC wireless speaker. Additionally, Xperia Z includes a battery stamina mode which is believed to increase its standby time up to 4 times.

The body is made from a glass-fibre polyamide. It is certified to IP55 and IP57 standards and is dust protected, low pressure water jet protected, and waterproof, allowing immersion under 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes.

The Xperia Z has received mostly positive reviews from critics. Damien McFerren of CNET gave the phone 4 and a half stars out of five and said "The Sony Xperia Z combines looks, power and connectivity to supply one of the most impressive Android experiences we've seen in quite some time. The lack of Android 4.2 at launch is unfortunate and that 5-inch screen isn't going to suit everyone, but there's little room for complaint elsewhere. This is easily Sony's best phone yet, and one of the best Android phones ever released".

Android Central also gave the phone a positive review saying "For Android fans, the Sony Xperia Z was one of the highlights of a fairly quiet CES. A 5-inch, 1080p phone with a bold new design language and fancy new camera technology, the Xperia Z was probably the most compelling phone of the show. And just a couple of months later, it's now available to buy in the UK. Without a doubt Sony Mobile's new baby is one of the largest, specciest Android phones around".

Like the critics, the audience reactions to the phone has been very positive. At CES 2013, the Xperia Z won the ‘Best Smartphone' and ‘Best of Show' awards.According to a Sony executive, Mcdougall, early Xperia Z sales have been strong. He states, "It (the Xperia smartphone) sold over 150,000 units in its first week in Japan, taking a 24 percent market share straight away." "It may be a bit too early to say but the first signs are very positive.

Sony Xperia Z

By: Unknown on: 3:20 PM

HTC ONE

The HTC One is a high-end touchscreen-based Android smartphone developed by HTC. The One was unveiled on 19 February 2013, at press events in New York City and London. As HTC's flagship smartphone for 2013, it is the successor to the company's flagship model in 2012, the One X—which was critically acclaimed, but commercially unsuccessful due in part to insufficient marketing efforts. To make the device stand out among its competition, the HTC One was developed with a major emphasis on unique hardware and software features; which included a unibody aluminum frame, a 1080p display, front-facing dual stereo speakers, a camera with a custom image sensor design and the ability to automatically generate montages of media, an updated version of HTC's Sense user experience, BlinkFeed—an aggregator of news and social network content, and an electronic program guide app with the ability to serve as aremote control via an IR blaster located in the device's power button.

Beginning in March 2013, the HTC One was made available to 185 mobile operators and major retailers in more than 80 countries. Manufacturing delays led to a staggered release beginning in late March, with its release date in certain markets (such as Asia and North America) pushed to late-April. Nevertheless, around 5 million units were sold during its first two months of worldwide availability, and by mid-2013, the HTC One had become the most successful launch in the company's history.

The HTC One was universally praised for the quality of its industrial design along with the quality of its display and sound system, and well-received for its overall performance and improveduser experience in comparison to earlier HTC devices. However, certain aspects of the device, such as its photo quality, battery life, and certain aspects of its software, were subject to scrutiny by some critics.

Although HTC has developed several notable Android devices, such as the Dream (the first-ever Android phone), the Nexus One (the first phone of the Google Nexus line), and the Evo 4G (the first 4G phone on Sprint's WiMAX network), it has struggled financially in recent years due to the increasing market share captured by other vendors such as Samsung and Apple. In some markets, HTC released numerous carrier-specific phones and relied heavily on wireless providers to promote its products, a strategy that was unsuccessful in the face of Samsung and Apple's strong marketing efforts. The company's flagship phone in 2012, the One X, received critical acclaim from reviewers, but was commercially unsuccessful in the wake of the Galaxy S III and iPhone 5. In response, the company planned to take bigger risks with their next flagship device to make it stand out among its competitors, and also planned to take a more direct role in promoting its products—doubling its marketing budget for 2013.

Details of the new device, codenamed the M7, leaked from various sources in the weeks prior to its official unveiling. HTC's CEO Peter Chou officially confirmed and briefly revealed a prototype for the new device during a company event on 1 February 2013. Leaked information speculated that the M7 would include a 1080p display, a quad-core processor, a redesigned version of HTC's Sense software, and carry design traits from the Butterfly. The M7 was officially unveiled as the HTC One at a special launch event on 19 February 2013, in New York City and London. HTC originally announced that the One would be released in March 2013 through 185 carriers and retailers in 80 countries, being the largest global launch in the company's history. Launch carriers included AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the United States, EE, O2 and Vodafone UK in the United Kingdom, and Bell, Rogers and Telus in Canada.

HTC initially announced that the One would be released in the United Kingdom on March 15. However, due to high demand and supply issues (especially surrounding the components used by its camera), HTC announced on March 22 that the One would "roll out in the U.K., Germany and Taiwan next week and across Europe, North America and most of Asia-Pacific before the end of April." In the United Kingdom, online pre-orders were shipped by some carriers around the time of HTC's announcement. On 19 April 2013, the HTC One was released in the United States by AT&T (who had exclusive rights to carry the 64 GB model) and Sprint, followed by T-Mobile on April 24.The HTC One was released in Australia on 23 April 2013 by Optus,Telstra, Virgin Mobile, and Vodafone.Following the delays, HTC North Asia's president Jack Tong announced that the company would double its production capacity for the HTC One by mid-May to meet growing demand and competition for the device, and to make up for sales lost by the release delays. On 22 August 2013, Verizon Wireless became the final major U.S. carrier to release the HTC One.

Alongside its stock "Glacial Silver" model, the HTC One has been offered in three additional color finishes; "Stealth Black", "Glamour Red", and "Vivid Blue". Color variants are exclusive to certain carriers and retailers; in Australia, the Stealth Black model is exclusive to Telstra,while the Glamour Red version (first introduced in July 2013) has been exclusive to Phones 4u in the UK and Sprint in the US.The Vivid Blue variant, released in September 2013, is exclusive to Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Best Buy in the US.

 April 2013, Nokia was granted a preliminary injunction in the Netherlands against STMicroelectronics, which had supplied HTC with microphone components for the One that contained Nokia's proprietary technology.Despite the injunction being against STM, Nokia still used the injunction to publicly accuse HTC of copying technology from its products. HTC would still be able to use the remaining microphones it acquired in good faith; the offending component was replaced with an alternate version in future production runs.

The HTC One uses an aluminum unibody frame with an antenna built into its backing; the choice of material was intended to give the device a solid, premium feel in comparison to smartphones made with a plastic shell. The aluminum is sourced from custom-grade aluminum, and the frame is etched with channels in which the polycarbonate is inset using zero-gap injection molding. The polycarbonate forms a ring around the edge of the device, covers the top and bottom ends, and bisects the back with two lines, one of which flows around the camera lens below. The unibody frame itself takes at least 200 minutes of precision CNC cutting to machine, and the final result is a solid slate of anodized aluminum, white polycarbonate, and tempered glass with chamfered, polished edges.

Internally, the One is powered by a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with 2 GB of RAM, and supports LTE networks where they are available.Most models of the HTC One come with either 32 or 64 GB of internal, non-expandable storage—unlike the international model, the Chinese and Japanese models include a microSD slot.The One uses a 4.7 inch, 1080p Super LCD 3 display with a pixel density of 468 ppi.The One's internal components are arranged in a pyramid-like layout similar to the Butterfly and 8X; with larger components (such as the screen and battery) positioned towards the front and smaller components (such as the motherboard) positioned towards the back. This internal layout also allows the One to have a curved backing. The HTC One's audio system incorporates front-facing BoomSound stereo speakers, Beats Audio, andHDR audio recording.The HTC One is NFC-enabled and is able to stream HDMI via the microUSB port using MHL 2.0.

The HTC One is equipped with a 4-megapixel rear-facing camera module that contains a custom UltraPixel image sensor, which is composed of pixels that are 2.0 µm in size. While most high-end smartphones at the time of the One's release used 8- or 13-megapixel cameras, the size of the pixels in their sensors have ranged from 1.4 to 1.0 µm, both of which are considerably smaller in size than that of the UltraPixel sensor. Although these smaller pixel sizes were typically necessary to ensure that the camera sensor did not compromise the design of the phone, there were concerns that this could result in a loss of dynamic range and sensitivity, and also result in poor performance in low-light environments. As such, HTC claimed that its camera design could increase overall image quality, especially in low-light environments.The camera also includes optical image stabilization, and is further enhanced by improvements to the Sense camera software and the ImageChip 2 image processor.

The HTC One ships with Android 4.1.2, using HTC's proprietary Sense user experience. The new version of Sense, version 5, uses a minimalist visual style with a redesigned home screen: the signatureflip clock widget seen on previous HTC devices has been replaced by a simple digital clock and weather display. Hundreds of different clock designs by HTC's designers, narrowed down to 25, were considered before the final design was chosen for the new default clock and weather widget on Sense 5. Directly below the clock on the default home screen is a new, scrolling content aggregator known as BlinkFeed, which displays a scrolling grid of news headlines and social network content in a similar fashion to Flipboard and Windows Phone's live tiles. New content is synchronized every two hours when connected to a mobile network, but more frequently while on Wi-Fi. By default, the One only uses two home screen pages: one with the clock and BlinkFeed, and a normal page housing app shortcuts and widgets (as with previous versions of Sense, pages can be added and removed as needed).The application drawer uses a 3x4 grid to display application shortcuts by default, but can still be changed back to the denser 4x5 grid used by past versions.

The camera app includes a new shooting mode known as Zoe (alluding to the zoetrope), which captures a short video alongside each photo taken. Individual frames can be saved from the clip, while the frames can also be used with other editing features such as Sequence Shot (which superimposes multiple frames into a composite image). Photos taken in Zoe mode are also displayed with animated thumbnails in the gallery. The Highlights feature can automatically generate a montage video from photos and videos with multiple theme and soundtrack options. The resulting video can be exported, or posted online through the HTC Share service (where they are accessible for 30 days).The One also includes a TV app, which incorporates an electronic program guide powered by Peel, show recommendations and notifications, and can act as a remote control via an infrared blaster hidden in its power button.An updated music app now includes a visualizer and support for on-screen lyrics.An updated version of the Get Started feature (as introduced by the One X+) allows users to perform initial setup for their One via a web-based service, while a new Sync Manager allows data to be migrated from iOS device backups or HTC devices with Android 4.0 and higher.

Sense 5.0 will not be exclusive to the One; on 28 February 2013, HTC announced that it would provide updates to Sense 5.0 for the Butterfly and One X/X+ in the coming months. However, due to hardware differences, it will not include all of the features implemented by Sense 5 on the HTC One

In July 2013, HTC began rolling out an update to Android 4.2.2 for the One in selected regions; the update adds a quick settings panel to the notification area, Instagram support for BlinkFeed, auto focus/auto exposure lock to the camera, additional Highlights themes, and optimizes how Zoes are saved (producing a static JPG and a MP4 video file, instead of saving each frame as a separate image file). The update also adds the ability to show the current battery percentage on the status bar, more consistent behavior for the home button, allows the removal of icons from the home screen's dock, adds the ability for the Home button to serve as the Menu button in certain apps by holding it down (in lieu of displaying it on a black bar on-screen), allows Google Now to be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, and adds support for displaying widgets on the lock screen (however, unlike stock Android, only one widget can be placed on the lock screen at a time).

In North America, Android 4.2.2 is only available as the pre-loaded software on Verizon's HTC One, and will not be released as an over-the-air update. Due to the relatively minor nature of 4.2 on phones, HTC decided to instead focus on releasing an update to Android 4.3, which will be first released on the unlocked Developer Edition model by the end of September 2013.^] HTC already began rolling out an Android 4.3 update for the Google Play store variant in early August 2013

HTC ONE

By: Unknown on: 3:08 PM

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a high-end, Android smartphone produced by Samsung Electronics. First unveiled on March 13, 2013 at Samsung Mobile Unpacked in New York City, it is a successor to the Galaxy S III which maintains a similar design, but with upgraded hardware and an increased focus on software features that take advantage of its hardware capabilities—such as the ability to detect when a finger is hovered over the screen, and expanded eye tracking functionality (which includes scrolling).A hardware variant of the Galaxy S4 also became the first ever smartphone to support the emerging LTE Advanced mobile network standard.

The S4 was made available in late April 2013 on 327 carriers in 155 countries. Upon its release, it became the fastest selling smartphone in Samsung's history; the company sold 20 million Galaxy S4 units worldwide in the two months following the device's launch.

The screen features a 5-inch (130 mm) (sometimes stated as 4.99-inch) PenTile RGBG Full HD Super AMOLED screen with 441 pixels per inch and Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

The S4 comes with either 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of internal storage, which can be supplemented with up to an additional 64 GB with a microSD card slot.

The S4 GT-I9505 includes a multiband LTE transceiver and both models feature an infrared LED that can serve as a universal remote control.In June 2013, a version of the S4 was released in South Korea with support for LTE Advanced networks. It is the first smartphone ever produced with support for LTE Advanced. This model includes a quad-core 2.3GHz Krait Snapdragon 800 processor.

Built into the 2600 mAh battery is near field communication (NFC) connectivity, which allows users to perform non-touch payments at shops that employ specially equipped NFC cash registers. The SC-04E model has a FeliCa secure element, unlike other models which contain an NFC-A secure element. The NFC-A secure element on the SC-04E is provided on the SIM card. The battery also supports wireless charging through the Qi standard.

The Galaxy S4 supports the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) video format.

In addition to the touchscreen, the S4 has several physical user inputs including a home button located near the bottom of the screen, at the bottom of the S4 is the primary microphone and the microUSB port for both data connections and charging; it also supports USB host and MHL 2.0. There are volume keys on the left side and a power/lock key on the right. At the top there is a 0.14-inch (3.6 mm) headphone jack, the secondary microphone, andinfrared blaster. The backside of the S4 has the 13-megapixel camera lens and LED flash, and at the bottom left edge has the loudspeaker.

Samsung's official accessory for the S4, the S-View Cover, utilizes a hall effect sensor in the phone which detects when the cover is closed and displays battery status, time, and other phone statuses in an area of the screen visible through a window on the cover.

Notably, the S4 does not include an FM radio receiver, as previous models did.

The S4 comes in two variants that differ primarily in the internal hardware:

Quad-core variant

This S4 version for North America, most of Europe, parts of Asia, and other countries has Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 SoC containing a quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 CPU and an Adreno 320 GPU.

Octa-core variant

This S4 version has Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa (octa-core) system on a chip (SoC) chip containing the first ARM Big.littleheterogeneous architecture central processing unit (CPU). The eight core CPU comprises a 1.6 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15cluster and 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 cluster. The cluster of four faster "big" A15 cores is paired with the cluster of four slower, more power-efficient "LITTLE" A7 cores. At any given time, only four cores will be active, either the quad Cortex A15, quad Cortex A7 or a mix between them. The switching of the active cluster is performed on demand by the chip firmware, with the migration of the running software from outgoing to incoming cores taking 20 µs. The CPU emulates a single quad-core processor to the operating system and applications. The SoC also contains an IT tri-core PowerVR SGX 544 graphics processing unit (GPU). The GT-I9500 version of the S4 does not support LTE.The E300K/L/S versions support LTE, with the Cortex-A15 also clocked at 1.6 GHz.

Software

The Galaxy S4 ships with Android 4.2.2 and Samsung's TouchWiz Nature user experience. Eye tracking features have been extended on the S4; the new "Smart Scroll" feature can be used to scroll while looking at the screen by slightly tilting the phone, and "Smart Pause" allows the video player to pause videos if the user is not looking at the screen. "Air View" implements gestures and other functionality (such as previewing images or messages) by holding or swiping a hand or finger slightly above the screen. The "Group Play" feature allows ad hoc sharing of files between Galaxy phones, along with multiplayer games and music streaming between Galaxy S4 phones.

The camera app implements numerous new features (some of which were first seen on the Galaxy Camera), including an updated interface, and new modes such as "Drama" (which composes a moving element from multiple shots into a single photo), "Eraser" (which takes multiple shots and allows the user to remove unnecessary elements from a picture), "Dual Shot" (which uses the front-facing camera for a picture-in-picture effect), "Sound and Shot" (which allows the user to record a voice clip alongside a photo), "Animated Photo", and "Story Album" among others. Other new pre-loaded apps include WatchOn (an electronic program guide that can utilize an infrared transmitter on the top of the phone as a TV remote), S Translator, the workout tracker S Health, S Voice Drive, S Memo, Tripadvisor, and an optical character recognition app. A new enterprise-oriented feature known asSamsung KNOX allows the phone to be separated into modes for personal use and business use, and gives the business mode high security.It supports the aptX codec which improves Bluetooth-headset connectivity.

Updates

Between June–July 2013, Samsung began rolling out an update to the firmware; the update allows apps to be moved to the SD card, freed 80 megabytes of space, adds stability to the camera, and adds a new feature that increases legibility on the display. For the S4 variants on AT&T and Verizon, this update removed the ability to apply the previous root exploit known as "Loki".

In early August 2013, the Google Play Edition variant of the S4 began to receive an update to Android 4.3. By the end of 2013, Samsung plans to release updates to Android 4.3 to all of the carrier S4 variants.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

By: Unknown on: 2:54 PM

iPhone 5S

Apple has finally revealed the iPhone 5S, its long-awaited successor to the iPhone 5, alongside the colourful plastic iPhone 5c at an official launch event in San Francisco.

It's about time Apple fans had a new object of desire, as the Android competition has been getting much stronger with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and Sony Xperia Z piling on the pressure. Read on to see how Apple has answered the critics.

iPhone 5S design

As expected, the new handset will be available in a choice of "space grey", "silver" or "gold" colours, retaining the same glass and aluminium body from the iPhone 5 except with some aluminium edging that gives it that little extra bit of bling.

The 4in display remains unchanged and Apple has stuck with a "Retina-class" 1,136x640 resolution panel. This is unsurprising, seeing as it's already impossible to spot the individual pixels from an average viewing distance, but will still come as a disappointment for anyone hoping to watch Full HD video (or even 720p content) natively on their morning commute.

The power button is still at the top, next to a 3.5mm audio jack. The volume buttons and mute switch are still on the side and the Lightning connector is still found at the bottom - all in all a very similar looking handset to the iPhone 5.

The only new physical addition to the iPhone 5S is the TouchID ring built into the home button. This silver ring acts as a fingerprint reader for enhanced security. It can read in any orientation and scans below the epidermal skin layers. To avoid scratches, the home button is now made from sapphire crystal.

The rear camera sensor is around 15% larger than the outgoing model, and uses 1.5 micron pixels for improved low-light shooting. The f/2.2 aperture is larger too, and is paired with a twin-LED flash for even more light when shooting in dark conditions. Apple calls it "True Tone", with one cool white flash and a second warmer amber LED that automatically adjusts depending on lighting conditions for the best picture. Image stabilisation and best shot selection are both automatic. There's also a burst shot mode and 120fps slow motion video recording at 720p, along with the new filters found in iOS7.

Phone 5S performance

Inside, Apple has upgraded the A6 processor found in the iPhone 5 to an A7 CPU. It's a 64-bit chip, to take advantage of the 64-bit version of iOS 7 it will run. It should be up to 40x faster in terms of CPU performance and 56x faster for GPU tasks than the original iPhone, and can run OpenGL 3.0 games like the 2013 Nexus 7

It is paired with an M7 Motion Coprocessor, which handles accelerometer, compass and gyroscope duties. It can tell whether you're walking, driving or stationary, and app developers will be able to tap into it in combination with GPS. Despite the presence of two processors, it should still manage 10 hours of 3G or 4G browsing, or up to 250 hours of standby on a single charge.

It also supports global LTE bands, apparently more than any other smartphone in the world, so will have no trouble working on 4G networks in every country it launches in - including here in the UK, where you'll have a choice of EE, Vodafoneand O2

iOS 7

The iPhone 5S will launch with iOS 7, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. It's a major visual departure for the software, with a pastel colour scheme, flattened icons and no more skeuomorphic elements (the way the notes app looked like real lined paper).

Multitasking has been improved so apps update through push notifications, not just when you switch back to them from other apps. Notification Sync will please owners of multiple iOS devices, as swiping a message away from an iPhone 5S will also dismiss it from an iPad.

The redesigned Notification Center now lets you scroll through messages, emails, tweets and other notifications in a long list. Tabs separate updates into Today, All and Missed, so you don't need to worry about things falling through the cracks.

.The major addition is Control Center , which puts common settings and toggles such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flight mode and brightness in one location. A swipe from the bottom of the screen brings up the menu, which also includes a flashlight, music playback controls, a camera shortcut and a calculator. All five iWork apps will be free to download too.

Price and availability

The iPhone 5S will go up for pre-oder on the 13th of September, alongside iOS7 for existing iPhone, iPad and iPod models. It will go on sale a week later on the 20th of September. Prices start from $199 on a two-year contract in the US for a 16GB model. The 32GB version will cost $299 and the 64GB will set you back $399. In the UK, SIM-free prices start at £549 for the 16GB, £629 for the 32GB nmad £709 for the 64GB model.

iPhone 5S

By: Unknown on: 2:12 PM