Windows 8.1 Update.

Back at the start of the month, while participating in an AMA on Reddit, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore dropped a tantalizing piece of news for Windows Phone users: along with the arrival of Windows Phone 8.1, users would finally be getting an official file manager. He provided the screenshots you see above, and while he seemed quite excited about sharing news of the tool’s forthcoming release, the details weren’t finalized; for instance, he was hopeful that we’d see a May release, but not 100% sure. Well, the month is rapidly winding down, so are we going to see this file manager arrive, or not? Today we get an update, and while it’s not all great news, we do get answers.

That possible May availability? Doesn’t look like it’s happening. This week, Microsoft finally marked the suggestion that Windows Phone get a file manager as completed, but noted that the software won’t be out until June. We were ready for this possibility, and June’s not too far away at all, but it still would have been nice to get this guy in May.

We also have a name for the new app, and it’s going to be short and sweet: Files. No File Manager, no File Explorer, just Files. Sure, this took longer than it should have to happen, but we’re just glad that it finally is. Keep your eye out for Files to come to the Windows Phone Store in just a few weeks.

Source: Microsoft
Via: WPCentral

Huawei New Bezel Less device.

Huawei may not be as big as many of us would think, but that’s mainly because it’s not as big here as it is in Asia. Still, we can’t deny that we were wowed by the company’s offerings at MWC 2014, and much of it had to do with the company’s new design language. The company is already working on the devices it plans to wow people with during the fall, and one of these just got leaked.

We’ve got the first photos of the Huawei Ascend D3, and if we had to start talking about the internals, this phone is clearly a flagship. Rumors include a 1080p display, and the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 920 processor that’s powered by four 1.8GHz cores, and four 1.5GHz cores. Internals aside, probably one of the most striking features of this phone, is the fact that it’s pure display. There are almost no bezels at the sides, and the top and bottom bezels are quite minimal as well.

We still don’t know specifics as to when to expect this device, but it should be in the next coming months.

Source: MyDrivers
Via: PhoneArena

Samsung Gear Solo.

Samsung is clearly interested in wearables in a big way, as evidenced by how its selection has positively exploded since the debut of the first Galaxy Gear not even nine months ago. But right around the time the Gear 2 models were getting ready to go up for sale we started hearing about another Samsung smartwatch, and this time one that would differ from previous models in one big way: it would have its own cellular data connection, freeing it from the need to be tethered to a smartphone. We’ve been tracking rumors of this so-called Gear Solo ever since, and have seen compelling evidence that Samsung’s currently testing such a model. Now The Wall Street Journal is weighing in on the rumors, and while it doesn’t mention the Gear Solo name directly, it’s clear that it expects Samsung to release just such a cellular-enabled smartwatch “in the next few months.”

Beyond the general confirmation of this model’s existence, we also pick up a few details about the hardware itself. For instance, the watch will supposedly keep the heart rate monitor from the current Gear 2 models (no surprise there), and will also get a camera – we suppose that means we won’t be seeing anything along the lines of a Gear Solo Neo.

Like the current-gen Samsung smartwatches, this model would run Tizen, and there’s talk of introducing it in either June or July; we can’t imagine it would pop up at the June 12 tablet event, but something in July would make sense, giving Samsung a head-start on all the late-summer launches coming in around IFA.

Analysts are reportedly a little unsure about what demand there may be for a product like the Gear Solo, but Samsung still seems keen to get this guy out there and let the market speak for itself.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

LG G3 FOR VERIZON LEAKED.

The LG G3 is not done being leaked left and right quite yet. Now that we are less than a week awayfrom the official reveal, it is time for carrier versions of the device to start leaking out.

Yesterday, we took a look at the T-Mobile versionof the device in great depth. Today, the victim is aVerizon model of the G3.

The device shows pretty much exactly what we’d expect. We have the G3 with what appears to be its stock wallpaper (we have seen that one multiple times), along with the same clock widget LG has even publicly shown.

The carrier-specific branding comes in the notification bar, with Verizon’s “4G LTE” logo, and on the front and back of the device. Even with its tiny bezels, the G3 has a Verizon logo in the top right corner of the front side. On the back, where it’s more spacious, Verizon has possibly fit in both “Verizon” and “4G LTE” logos.

This branding is almost exactly what we saw on last year’s G2, so we aren’t too surprised. Anyone annoyed by the excessive branding?

Source: @evleaks

Samsung Galaxy S5 Activ

There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to how news of pre-release smartphones arrive. Sometimes it’s a months-long process, wherein new information arrives little by little, and the whole time we’re unsure what’s trustworthy and what’s not. Sometimes we’re left guessing all the way up until the very end. And then there those times when the normal progression all goes awry, and we’re seeing leaks all out of order. Such is the case with Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Active, as we check out the first render of the phone to leak, as it gets ready for launch on AT&T.

While rumors of the GS5 Active aren’t exactly new, it’s only recently that they’ve matured from general talk of model numbers and features to hard evidence, in the form of a bunch of hands-on videos. As such, the GS5 is pretty much an open book at this point; we may quibble about details, like the presence or absence of optical image stabilization, but the phone’s not going to arrive looking or feeling vastly different from what we’ve seen.

That makes the arrival of this render a little more difficult to appreciate than it would be, had it surfaced earlier. Does it show us anything new? Not so much. But what it does offer is further support for the idea of the GS5A being an AT&T exclusive – at least in the States. Certainly, we haven’t caught wind of it for any other carrier yet, and AT&T did introduce the GS4A last year.

Source: @evleaks

YouTube's New App.

The rise of YouTube has given content creators billions of eyes eager to check out their latest videos, and a ton of those views come from smartphone users. But while those viewers have enjoyed a relatively fleshed-out app experience (relatively – sorry, Windows Phone crew), things haven’t been so easy for users trying to administer their own channels. Luckily for those with subscribers to please, YouTube is looking to fix this situation, and today announces its intent to release a separate app for content creators.

Now, we don’t yet have full details on the sort of features to expect in these apps, nor which platforms will be targeted, but the way YouTube talks about it, we’d expect a significant proportion of web-based creator tools to make the trek over to mobile. And availability for both Android and iOS sounds likely, though we couldn’t guess who might get it first.

With iOS, in particular, we’re curious if this might arrive as a re-envisioning of the current YouTube Capture app, of if it really might be fully separate.

However it happens, look for this content creator app to arrive “in the coming months.”

Source: YouTube
Via: 9to5 Mac

Surface 3 Uses.

Even though Apple has done a lot to prove to the world that we don’t need a stylus to interact with our mobile devices, that doesn’t necessarily mean that finger input is perfect. The whole popularity of the Galaxy Note line-up has proven that there is a market for people that want a smarter stylus to interact with our mobile devices, and Microsoft has done great leaps to make it a standard for decades. If you were wondering why the Surface Pro 3 stylus is superior to its predecessors, Microsoft has just written a full blog post on the topic.

The company claims that it worked on three key areas with the new pen: accuracy, latency and pressure sensitivity. The Surface Pro 3 is within 0.5mm 98% of the time, giving you much higher accuracy than previous models, or some competing devices. When it comes to latency, the company worked on software optimizations to decrease the time it takes for you to see the digital ink, though this obviously this will also depend on third-party applications. When it comes to pressure sensitivity, the Surface Pro 3 pen gives you 256 different levels of pressure sensitivity, which is useful for drawing and painting.

Read more about the different features in the source link of this article. Obviously its success depends on how many Surface Pro 3 models are sold. If you want to learn more about our experience with it, make sure you listen to our thoughts on the last episode of the Pocketnow Weekly podcast. Our full review should follow very soon.

Source: Microsoft
Via: WPCentral

LG G3 TEASER'S COME OUT.

When it comes to the G3, LG has been anything but shy about sharing the phone with us. Between the myriad leaks that have managed to reveal the upcoming handset for us with remarkable detail,the manufacturer itself has shared its own teasers. For instance, we saw a video it released a couple weeks back that offered a number of close-up looks at the G3′s hardware. With the phone’s May 27 launch event creeping up fast, LG has a few new last minute teasers it wanted to share, publishing a set of three to YouTube.

The heavy presence of Korean text does tend to limit our appreciation of these new clips, but even with the language barrier in our way we still get to see a few interesting things. Like in this design video, LG gives us a clear-as-day view of the G3 itself – not that we haven’t seen it before, but viewing it from an official source like this (and as a full phone, versus a series of extreme close-ups) is still notable.

We also see certain specs reiterated here, like that 2560 x 1440 quad HD display, but again, that’s not a detail that’s new to us.

What about that May 28 date? Isn’t LG’s launch event on May 27? It certainly is, and while LG’s doing its best to coordinate a global G3 launch, the reality of time zones means that not everyone gets it at the same time; while we’ll see the phone arrive on May 27, South Korea and other markets in Asia will have their G3 events fall on May 28, instead.

Source: LG (YouTube)
Via: Android Central

Galaxy Tab S Series.

LG may be the next Android manufacturer with a big launch event coming up, but after the G3 is unveiled on May 27, we’ve already got more launches to look forward to. In just under three weeks we’ve got a new one from Samsung on the calendar, with the invitation for the company’s “Galaxy Premiere” event inviting us to “tab into color.” We’re almost certain to see the debut of the company’s new Galaxy Tab S models, bringing the same OLED screen tech Samsung uses for its flagship phones to its tablet lineup. While we already know quite a bit about what to expect from these models, one key detail has remained unaddressed: pricing. Just how much more will these OLED models cost compared to LCD-based Samsung tablets? It’s still not official, but one retailer’s site may be able to offer some early insight into the situation.

We don’t see them up there at the moment, but Finnish retailer Multitronic reportedly had listings up for both WiFi and LTE-enabled Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and 10.5 models as of just a few hours ago. There, the WiFi Tab S 8.4 was assigned a price of about 450 EUR, and the LTE model more like 565 EUR. The 10.5-inch versions were listed for 565 EUR and 680 EUR, respectively.

Rather than getting into the subtleties of pricing in the EU compared to the US, it might be more useful to look at the differences: namely, how much more are these Tab S prices than their LCD TabPRO equivalents in the same market? The answer varies, with differences swinging between 50 and 75 EUR – though it’s worth noting that the 75 EUR difference is between the WiFi TabPRO 10.1 and Tab S 10.5, so we’re also looking at a physically larger screen, and not just the LCD/OLED shift.

All told, something like a $50 premium over current TabPRO models sounds like a safe bet, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see Samsung try and push that even higher.

Source: Multitronic
Via: GSM Arena

Note 4 Rumours.

At this point of the year, when it comes to thinking about upcoming Samsung flagships we’re usually looking squarely at the next Note model, but these rumors of a Galaxy S5 Prime have really been getting in the way of the Note’s spotlight. Still, we’ve had a few opportunities to talk about the phablet that will be the Note 4, and earlier this week we heard a bit about a possible screen size. Today we change focus and consider the phone’s software as a new rumor attempts to detail a few features Samsung could be preparing for the Note 4.

We hear about four modes in particular: Swipe to launch Motion Launcher, Aqua Capture, Multi Network for Booster, and Smart Fingerprint. Right away, a few of those should sound familiar: Aqua Capture harkens to Aqua Mode on Active models, and sure seems to imply the presence of waterproofing. And Multi Network for Booster recalls the Download Booster on the GS5 we saw so many carriers fight back against. While the names may change, we’re probably looking at largely similar functionality.

Smart Fingerprint is speculated to be a way to use the phablet’s fingerprint scanner to perform specific tasks, launching apps based on which finger you scan. That’s something we’ve seen before, with the HTC One Max. Motion Launcher may also take some inspiration from HTC, or at least we’d assume as much from how much it sounds like Motion Launch on the One M8. Hopefully, Samsung can make things work a little better than HTC did, as we found ourselves let down by the inconsistent performance of the feature.

Source: SamMobile

Samsung Gets 4.4.3 dev's.

We look to be really close to the announcement ofAndroid 4.4.3, Google’s big bugfixer update for their newest KitKat operating system. Previous reports have mentioned that it could possibly be becoming official for Nexus users, and while that is still a possibility, it is becoming more and more unlikely by the minute. Thankfully, it looks like even OEMs are prepared for the release — Samsung today posted references to the update on their developer site.

Samsung sent out a Tweet letting developers know of “a workaround to solve issues with the ConsumerIrManager in Android version lower than 4.4.3″. The linked page from the Tweet also contains references to the release, so we look to be really close at this point.

We have even seen alleged Galaxy S5 Prime models running Android 4.4.3, so we are now just waiting for Google to release it to the masses. As a refresher, all the changes expected in the release can be found here.

Source: SAMSUNG DEVELOPERS (Twitter)
Via: SamMobile

Project Tango Alive.

Like the idea of Project Tango, but would rather have it in tablet form? According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is developing tablets with “advanced vision technologies,” which makes us immediately think back to Project Tango’s 3-D capabilities and advanced sensors.

4,000 prototype units will be produced next month, reportedly, though these likely won’t be too close to possible retail versions. The device itself will allegedly boast a 7-inch display, and feature two rear cameras and depth sensors with infrared to map the world around you better. Of course, there will also be a custom build of Android attached to the device, as Android in its current state doesn’t jive too well with the hardware.

The tablet will allegedly be released ahead of Google I/O (taking place in the end of June), so it is likely that the first wave of shipments will be to developers looking to test on prototype hardware.

The possible uses for a tablet such as this range from indoor mapping to more immersive games, so we are excited to see where developers can take this.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

LG G3 FOR T - MOBILE.

The LG G3 has been mercilessly outed by various sources until now, and it seems the leaks will continue right up until the May 27 reveal of the device. Today we are seeing two sources show imagery of a T-Mobile model of the G3, and both have offered up more details about the device.

First of all, we are getting a glimpse of more of the user interface. According to one of the images obtained by TmoNews, we are dealing with a user interface quite similar to the one we saw on the G2 last year, though this one features a couple notable points. First of all, this T-Mobile variant will feature WiFi calling as expected.

Second, take a look at the home screen indicator dots down below. See the left-most logo? Yes, that’s not a regular old dot — we have discovered that, in these pictures, there is the LG “G” symbol instead. This is similar to how the Google Now Launcher works. We think it is unlikely that LG will reveal a Google Now competitor, but it’s definitely not out of the question. We see references to “Smart Notice” in the clock/weather widget, so it would not surprise if we do indeed find ourselves a new Google Now challenger.

In terms of the hardware, here’s what our first source has to provide. First of all, it looks we have a removal battery behind the back cover, and what could potentially be a microSD card slot (we are thinking up to 128GB of expansion will be available if what we see is indeed what we suspect. The battery itself is 3,000 mAh apparently, lending credence to earlier rumors.

The phone itself is a “lunchbox” unit, meaning it is covered in a case so as to hide the design of it. Granted, we already have had many glimpses of the design, but LG is at least making an effort to hide it.

Benchmarking, though generally not the most accurate tool for determining how well hardware performs, does provide information about how well a device does in general. From a picture of what looks to be an AnTuTu benchmark, we think we can deduce that this device will have a Snapdragon 801. Sorry, gigahertz-lovers, but we aren’t so sure that this upgraded silicon will perform so similarly to current offerings.

 The device is reportedly slated for a mid-to-late June launch, though the launch conference is on Tuesday, May 27. Many, many more pictures were posted by both sources, so be sure to check them out at the links down below.

Sources: @evleaks, TmoNews

Blackphone in demand.

For those of you that weren’t believers of the Blackphone when it was announced and launched a couple of months ago, think again. Back when we were at MWC 2014, the Blackphone booth was the most concurred of the show, and this clearly points to how much interest there is in companies to get a phone with added security features. If you’re asking yourself just how much interest we’re talking about, the number is in the millions.

Silent Circle has just raised $30 million from different investors, and according to the statement, this is all to meet the staggering demand it has had for the Blackphone. There aren’t any specific numbers as to how many phones have been sold, or how big this demand is, but if the company was able to land additional funding for the product, it’s clear that the number is significant.

Surely you can purchase Silent Circle’s services separately for iOS and Android, though these won’t be as affordable in the long run when compared to owning a Blackphone. The PrivateOS is definitely not bulletproof, as some developers have confirmed, but it’s clear that int he wake of so many privacy issues lately, people do care about a more-secure version of Android.

Source: The Register

HTC one m8 Ace.

This hasn’t necessarily been the best year for HTC. The HTC One M8 is definitely one of our top smartphone pics for this year, but sadly we still don’t have a clear picture as to how well it has performed in the market. That hasn’t stopped HTC though, as we’ve seen new launches of products like the HTC One mini 2, and we have some additional devices being rumored, like the one we’ll talk about.

Today we find some more leaked images of the HTC One M8 Ace, which resemble some of the previous leaks that famous tipster @evleaks found a couple of  months ago. The leaks show us more details of the previously leaked back, which confirm that the depth sensor is definitely going to be replaced with the flash, and that this phone will definitely have bigger speaker grills than the current HTC One devices in the market.

Sadly the leaks don’t tell us more about what to expect from this phone. We have heard that this could be the plastic variant of the HTC One M8 that was previously rumored, but it’s hard to predict at this point.

Source: @evleaks

Next iOS product maybe made from an liquid metal.

Even though this is not Terminator 2, we do remember that Apple landed an exclusive deal with Liquidmetal Technologies almost four years ago. The odd thing though, is that at the moment, the only Apple product that we know of that uses this technology is the SIM ejector tool of the iPhone. We’ve tired to predict what Apple’s plans are with this unique metal, and even though that’s still tough to figure-out, at least we’ve just learned that there is still some intention.

In a recent SEC filing, Apple and Liquidmetal have extended their exclusive agreement for another year. Apple doesn’t really own the company, but it does own exclusive rights to the product until February 2015. Many have predicted that Apple wants to use this metal for a future iOS product, or even an OS X product, though the fact that the deal is only being extended for an extra year doesn’t sound right.

Whatever the case may be, we do remember that Liquidmetal inventor Atakan Peker did state in 2012 that Apple was at least 3-5 years away from actually doing anything with the product at a large scale.

Source: SEC
Via: BGR

iOS 7.1.2 Update Coming Soon.

Even though we’re just a couple of weeks away from WWDC 2014, and with all the rumors that Apple will launch iOS 8 at the event, the amount of bugs that are still being reported with iOS 7.1.1 is quite significant for Apple to ignore. Customers have complained continuously about major battery draining issues with the recent update, but it seems that Apple plans to target some additional security and reliability issues with a software update very soon.

Reports have it that we should keep a lookout for iOS 7.1.2, and that this software update plans to patch two major bugs that are quite public already. The first one being the iMessage bug, which has switchers to Android and Windows Phone not receiving any more text messages, as these are obviously going through iMessage if the source is using an iOS device. The other bug is to patch the issues with attachments not being encrypted when being sent through email, which is a problem that was reported ever since the original launch of iOS 7.

At this moment it’s hard to predict if the software update will be pushed in the next coming days, but we do hope that the battery draining bugs and overheating issues are also addressed with it.

Source: MacRumors
Via: BGR

Samsung to make galaxy virtual reality headset's.

If there’s one thing we’ve got to commend Samsung for, is for taking R&D so seriously, they actually launch some of the products even if they won’t be hits. Succeeding examples are the Galaxy Note line-up, which we all mocked when originally launched, and which we all ended-up using and loving afterwards. Today we hear that Samsung is up-to something bigger and badder, and it has everything to do with competing with the Oculus Rift.

Rumors have it that Samsung is building a Virtual Reality headset to compete with the Oculus Rift, but with the idea of using your Galaxy device as its source. Obviously this would fall into another product offering of Samsung’s current Gear line-up, and with the purpose of giving you a more immersive gaming experience.

When it comes to hardware, the rumors mention that the device will sport an OLED display that’s just as good as what we find on the Oculus Rift, though oddly, it seems that the device will require a wired connection to your Galaxy phone, as the amount of bandwidth required for communication is substantial.

The coolest part of this rumor is that Samsung plans to launch this product this year, so as awkward as it sounds, or as awesome as it could be, at least Samsung is willing to give it a try.

Source: Engadget
Via: TechCrunch

Lenovo to make a windows and wearable device soon.

Lenovo, the company that purchased Motorola, has been officially named a Windows Phone OEM by Microsoft back in February. As a consequence, we should expect a Windows Phone-powered smartphone with Lenovo branding by the end of the year, according to Liu Jun, chief of Lenovo’s mobile division. There were previous rumors talking about a Lenovo Windows Phone towards the end of the summer, but, according to the executive’s statement, this has now been postponed/reworded to indicate a more vague timeframe.

In addition to the Microsoft-powered phone, there were also mentions of a possible wearable device, towards late 2014, early 2015. CES 2015 comes to mind, but the now Lenovo-owned Motorola Moto 360 should land on the market before that. However, Lenovo wants to be part of the wearables game with a self-branded gadget, claims the report.

Source: MobileGeeks

HTC Sense 6 Coming Soon To M7.

Sense 5 was a breath of fresh air on last year’s HTC flagship and in 2014, the Taiwanese phone-maker further improved in its own custom user interface, bringing Sense 6 to the HTC One (M8). Some HTC One (M7) users have already received their Sense 6 update in different regions, but according to reports, it should be available in more markets now.

The Sense 6 update has been reported as available in countries of Europe. Owners of unlocked HTC One (M7) devices in Albania, Croatia, Finland, France, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and UK are getting most of the goodies found on the One (M8), in terms of user experience. Of course, hardware limitations restrict the availability of Duo Camera features on the 2013 model, but still, it’s good to see HTC updating its last year phone to this year’s software.

Source: HTC Source

Windows 9 Preview Coming Soon.

Already sick of Windows Phone 8.1? You may want to begin looking forward to early next year. A new report states that we could be seeing a Windows Phone 9 preview version, along with the same for Windows 9, any time between Q2 and Q3 2015.

The leaked document this information comes from mentions the dates stated above for both preview releases, though it isn’t too specific. Q2 and Q3 range all the way from April to September, so we are still far from an exact release date.

Apparently, both Windows 9 and Windows Phone 9 are well into development, though there is still much time to go. We unfortunately do not know if any new features will be present on these new software builds, though there more than likely will be some goodies.

Finally, the leaked document mentions “Windows 365,” and with Microsoft’s new cloud-centered approach, we wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar to Office 365 show up, except for its desktop OS.

Source: MYCE
Via: Phone Arena

Sony Pushes 4.4.2 Update for devices.

Sony may not be doing the best job in getting the US market full of Xperia smartphones, but they are definitely doing a great job in giving Xperia customers a taste of the latest and greatest of Android. It used to be that Sony was the worse company in updating its smartphones to newer versions of Android, but ever since the launch of the Xperia Z early last year, this has been a different story, and it continues today.

The company has just announced Android 4.4 KitKat to devices like the Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, and Xperia Tablet Z. The update details include:

• Google’s Android 4.4; KitKat as standard – bringing improved performance & user interface (UI) optimisation…
• If you’ve got a Sony PlayStation 4, you might recognize our new user interface – we’ve added the same sleek launch animation and live wallpaper across the lock and home screens. You’ll also spot a revamped Status Bar and Quick Settings… now more intuitive and customisable (also with a fresh new look)… cleaned up to ensure you only get the notifications you really need
• As you might expect, we’re also uplifting Sony’s entire native app portfolio to the latest versions bringing tweaked / improved / current experiences for one and all… some of our favourites look like:
  • Messaging – a few UI adjustments here & there, including a slicker “send” animation, and deeper Emoji support for some expressive fun… also worth noting, you’ll find smileys wherever there’s an app with a keyboard :)  :)
  • Email – you’ll be able to both load and see more mails… but don’t fret, navigation of said load is easier with a more responsive viewing pane – split screen modes divide info for easy digest… especially useful / works a treat on Xperia Tablet Z
  • Smart Social Camera – our social imaging experience makes its debut on our first Z Series devices; a selection of Xperia Camera apps directly accessible from your viewfinder… including personal favourite “Creative Effect”, and more for download to boot!
  • Battery STAMINA Mode – level-upping our unique power management feature, bringing smarter data management & more for prolonging your juice
• Sony’s Media apps: WALKMAN, Album and Movies, with Sony Entertainment Network cloud service integration* – a more converged and full Sony entertainment experience – Sony Entertainment Network & PlayMemories integration with a more intuitive UI, better download speeds, and more…
• And proving pretty popular, now totaling over 2 million downloads (!) – our unique custom interface experience: “Xperia Themes”, with downloadable UI packs from Sony Select – skin up to 280 assets across your Xperia smartphone with a variety of styles…
• Compatibility with our SmartWear Experience; SmartBand SWR10 and Lifelog app – enabling you to record social, physical and entertainment activities and have them all visualised in a beautiful interface… reminisce at that past, make the best of the present and plan for the future

Obviously it’ll take some time for the update to reach all of you. We can confirm that it hasn’t reached our Xperia ZL review unit yet, but we’re definitely looking forward to it.

Source: Sony
Via: Phone Dog

Google to enhance free WiFi to all..

Last month, we heard a story that Google might be expanding its interests in mobile technology beyond devices, apps, and online services, and start offering connectivity, as well. The details were a bit unclear, with talk of Google acting like something of a cellular MVNO, or maybe doing like Republic Wireless and redirecting most data to local WiFi APs instead of sending it over actual cellular networks. Today we learn about a new rumor that may be distinct from that previous report, but still touches on some of the same goals, with word that Google could be planning a big investment in public WiFi.

Supposedly, Google would sell quite high-end WiFi hardware to small and medium-sized businesses at deep discounts, with the understanding that these companies would then deploy this gear in order to offer free WiFi to the public. The businesses could attract customers with the promise of high quality internet access, and Google would benefit from those same users taking advantage of its own online services.

Maybe the most interesting part of this tale is how unrestricted it might be: in addition to private businesses, there’s the chance that this free Google WiFi might also come to public spaces (assuming Google can work out arrangements with local governments), and while we all-too-often learn of Google’s plans being constrained to the US, there’s already talk of this WiFi endeavor possibly spreading abroad.

Source: The Information
Via: BGR

Comparison Between Different Upcoming Galaxy S5 Variants.

Forget fan renders. Forget low-quality blurrycam shots. Last night the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active went from being the stuff of rumors and speculation to being the next best thing to officially confirmed, as a fantastic hands-on interaction with the ruggedized smartphone was published. Things quickly progressed from a few powered-down still shots to videos of the phone in action, and we brought you the first few updates as they arrived. Well, by now a bunch more have surfaced, and we’ve compiled them together here for you to check out.

We start with an extended hands-on, looking not just at GS5 Active hardware but the software you’ll find on the phone, as well. That interaction is split into the first two video you’ll see here, followed by one speculating about the presence of optical image stabilization.

This one we’re not 100% convinced on, and we’d like to have something a little more solid than “the phone rattles when you shake it” to go by before calling OIS confirmed. For now, at least, we’re keeping an open mind.

Finally we get to see some more GS5 Active software, this time looking at the phone’s Activity Zone app and the configurable soft button “Active key” that can customized to quick-launch apps of your choosing.

 

Update: And one more, a lengthier GS5/GS5 Active comparison:

Source: TK Tech News (YouTube)

Reasons Why Surface Mini Was Killed.

One of the announcements a lot of us were expecting from Tuesday’s Microsoft event was of a smaller version of its Surface tablet, the Surface Mini. We actually saw a report just hours before the event claiming that we would not see a Surface Mini announced because of a fear of bad sales. We are now getting more insight into the reasons for why this tablet was possibly cancelled.

According to Neowin, the tablet was cancelled two or days before it was set to be revealed. Word is out that Microsoft may have a stash of 15 to 20 thousand of these tablets already manufactured, either to stay dormant for the rest of eternity or eventually to be announced by the company.

The same source notes that Microsoft may be waiting on Project Gemini — a touch-optimized version of Microsoft Office — to release the Surface Mini. This would make sense, as we will likely see the tablet marketed as a note-taking machine.

Finally, the launch timing is predicted as being this fall, which means those of you who are eagerly waiting to get your hands on a possible Surface Mini need not wait too long.

Source: Neowin
Via: TechnoBuffalo

LG'S NEW CASE FOR IT'S PHONE LINE UP.

It seems LG is spreading the announcement of its new flagship out over multiple days. First, we gotofficial confirmation of the display on the G3. Now, we are seeing the LG QuickCircle case, which wasleaked previously and is now official.

The South Korean company says that the case “does more than just protect,” as it has smart features similar to the Quick Window case of yesteryear (which we saw on the G2). This case actually allows users to do quite a lot without even lifting its flap — LG says that it will let users of it check the time, listen to music, and get health updates right from the window. Some more in-depth things can also be done right through the window: sending text messages, placing phone calls, and controlling music playback.

In terms of the design, it is allegedly a quite easy-to-hold case because of a strong grip. Within the circle itself, there will be a feature similar to the Moto X’s “breathing” feature of Active Display whenever you receive a call or text message, and when the case is opened and closed. It is tough for us to picture exactly how this will work immediately, so we will have to wait to get our hands on it to learn more.

Wireless charging with Qi is enabled with the case (which is basically confirmation that the G3 will have inbuilt wireless charging), and LG will release an SDK for developers to work their magic with the case. Although, we aren’t exactly fans of manufacturer-specific SDKs.

No case is complete without colors, though, so LG is giving buyers the choice of five different looks. You can choose from Metallic Black, Silk White, Shine Gold, Aqua Mint, Indian Pink when purchasing it.

Update: Here’s a promo video posted by LG to show the case off.

Source: LG Newsroom, LG (YouTube)

Facebook Get's More Creepy.

Surely Facebook is one of the most popular social networks in the world, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t one of the creepiest. Some of us find it odd that the app at some point provides ads specific to certain things we want to buy in a very direct and targeted manner, and that’s really because hey, it has ways to figure it out. If you thought that Facebook is done with its creepy practices, think again, as a new feature is being rolled-out today, and it is kind of cool.

The iPhone and Android Facebook App can now detect watch you’re watching on TV, or what you’re listening to, and will help you share that information along with your status, just like it can tell people where you are while you’re doing so at the moment. The app uses the device’s built-in microphone to listen to its surroundings, and Facebook engineers have spent a full year in nailing the different functionality that the app will bring. An example is a deal with 160 TV stations, and other deals with Spotify and Rdio in order to detect what surrounds you in 15 seconds or less.

You can definitely opt-out of the feature, but apparently Facebook is still planning to provide your data anonymously. The idea is primarily to sell you ads obviously, as Facebook thinks that this feature will have users sharing more, and therefore boosting performance to 1.28 billion users. It also plans to use these stats as a way to provide TV stations with active ratings of what users are currently watching.

Creepy or not, you be the judge. It’s not like if Facebook will allow you to go completely mute on the manner anyway.

Source: The Wall Street Journa
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Apple ditch's Samsung.

Even with Apple’s rivalry with Samsung, we can’t deny that a ton of the components that Apple uses across its iOS line-up, and even some of its Mac products are made by Samsung. Historically we’ve seen the Korean company providing many of the silicone chips that power Apple’s products, and more recently, the Retina Display for the iPad mini as well. Obviously the patent litigation that’s been happening recently would definitely damage the relationship at some point, and apparently it’s already happening.

Rumors have it that even though Apple originally selected Samsung and Sharp to contribute in building the 4.7-inch display of the iPhone 6, it seems that Apple has decided to ditch them both in favor of Innolux. This wouldn’t be the first time that Samsung loses a contract to Innolux, as earlier reports this year had Apple giving the iPad mini Retina Display to Innolux as well after some issues with Samsung. Sharp on the other hand is apparently not able to comply with the quality requirements of this ultra-thin iPhone 6 display, where reports claim that Apple found a “moiré” effect on many of the final products.

Just remember that Samsung and Sharp were the secondary display providers, as Apple continues to use LG and Japan Display as its primary sources for the iPhone 6. Let’s see what other business Samsung loses to all the recent courtroom drama.

Source: Economic Daily via G for Games
Via: Phone Arena

HTC NEW TABLET LINE.

We all know how amazing of a company HTC is this year with its new device line up planned starting with the HTC M8 its going forward towards awesomeness with a tablet range on $100 budget lineup.

This may be due to the rumours of HTC building a NEXUS Tablet. 

Samsung Galaxy S5 Gold For USA.

They say karma is all about cosmic balance, and when it comes to smartphone sales, that may be right on the money. Take colorful phone options: back when the Moto X launched, shoppers in the US had exclusive access to all those pretty Moto Maker configurations, and even after the phone spread abroad, those custom options didn’t make the journey with it. On the flip side, the Galaxy S5 debuted internationally with four color choices, and this time it was the US stuck with only the drab black and white options. A couple weeks back we heard that may soon change, with Verizon rumored to pick up the GS5 in flesh-tone bandage copper gold. Today that’s not just confirmed for Verizon, but the rest of the US carriers as well.

Beginning next Friday, May 30, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular will all be offering the gold GS5. Interestingly, while Verizon was the carrier initially attached to those gold GS5 rumors, it’s also the only one mentioned here with extra restrictions, as Samsung spells-out that the Verizon gold GS5 will only be sold through “select indirect retailers.”

There’s still no word on seeing the blue GS5 find greater availability, and it’s also worth keeping in mind that new GS5 models like the Active appear to be very much just over the horizon – and while it may take a little longer for the Prime to get here, that one’s out there somewhere, too. Jump on the gold GS5 next week or hold out for these new models; it’s your call.

Source: Samsung
Via: SamMobile

Apple Confirmed Hardware For WWDC.

Apple’s WWDC 2014 event is just around the corner, and the company has already confirmed the specific date and time for the launch keynote. It’s planned to happen from 10AM to 12PM on Monday, June 2nd at Moscone West, as it has for the last couple of years. Surely we’ve seen Apple launch blockbuster products like the iPhone 4 in the last couple of years, but lately WWDC has been a software-focused event. It’s hard to predict if things will change this year, but rumors point to a possibility.

The biggest things to expect at this event are definitely iOS 8, and a more iOS-looking OS X version 10.10. We don’t really focus on products that use OS X, but the fact that there are products being rumored like an iPad Pro that might be running it, do make it an enticing topic. iOS 8 is expected to look the same, but bring additional features to the table like HealthBook, improvements to maps, among other enhancements. There will be a big push geared towards health and fitness, and that’s where rumors kick in.

Credible sources say that we will see hardware at this event. It’s hard to tell if that’s merely improvements to current Apple products, or if this will be the show floor for the iWatch. We do know that this product is far from ready to be launched, but any health and fitness push on iOS 8 is pointless without a wearable. Let’s see where this goes.

Source: Apple
Via: 9to5Mac