Sony Xperia Z2 video leak reveals software and design tweaks

A new 12-minute Sony Xperia Z2 video has leaked online, revealing some of the new software and design tweaks.

The Xperia Z2 flagship is strongly expected to launch at MWC 2014 next week with some software improvements and slight design modifications.

The leaked video comes from YouTube user Rimas Flyil and is a lengthy 12-minutes long, but shows off the Z2’s Android 4.4 KitKat based UI and some of the hardware improvements.

Although the full video is embedded below, the first thing you’ll notice is the Z2’s design is very similar to that of the Sony Xperia Z1, but with a few cosmetic changes.

The left hand side ports have been covered by a single plastic door with a security latch at the bottom left hand corner rather than bottom right.

Sony has also equipped the Z2 with the same magnetic charging port as the Z1 and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

In terms of software, the video also reveals a PS4 inspired start up animation, live wallpaper and screen unlock.

The KitKat style notification bar icons have been introduced, as have new transparent UI gradients at the top and bottom of the home screen.

Similar to the iOS settings, the Z2 has a notifications manager in the Settings app allowing you to toggle notifications for individual apps.

Sony’s Lifeblog application is also present, but can’t be accessed with the prototype software.

The Japanese electronics giant has also taken some hints from rival companies LG and Samsung, with new features like a double-tap screen wake function and a smart backlight control to keep the screen glowing while you’re looking at it.

The Z2 features a Timeshift Video app that lets you “record high frame-rate video and apply slow motion effect”. 4K video recording is also supported and there’s a CamScanner mode for turning photographed documents into PDFs.

As previously rumoured, there’s a new 15.5-megapixel still capture mode, complementing the existing 20.7-megapixel and 8-megapixel modes.

TrustedReviews will be on hand at MWC 2014 later this month to bring you the official Xperia Z2 news as it happens.

Read more: Sony Xperia Z2 vs Xperia Z1

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HTC Desire 8 tipped for February 24 MWC unveiling

Following recent HTC Desire 8 leaks which teased the upcoming handsets, latest reports have suggested that the phone will be officially unveiled next Monday, February 24.

Tipped for an MWC 2014 unveiling, leaks out of China have hinted that the 5.5-inch HTC Desire 8 will be formally unveiled next week while the flagship HTC One 2 remains on track for its own dedicated launch event in March.

With Claimed HTC Desire 8 promotional materials having appeared on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter, the phone has been shown with the on screen time at date listed as 10am on February 24. Although not a guarantee of the phone’s unveiling, the timing, with MWC just around the corner, appears too coincidental to be an accident.

Although the phone’s location is shown as Beijing in the leaked HTC Desire 8 images, it is believed that the handset will be Barcelona bound. If unveiled on February 24, the mooted HTC handset will be formally unveiled on the same day as the eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy S5.

According to HTC Desire 8 leaks last week, the upcoming handset will pair a phablet-sized screen with a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera and a 5-megapixel forward-facing snapper.

While the HTC Desire 8 has been hinted for launch next week, the flagship HTC One 2 will reportedly be unveiled on March 18.

MWC 2014 is set to be the launch platform for a number of big releases, with the Sony Xperia Z2 and Nokia Android phone also tipped for unveiling.

Read More: HTC One review



Via: GforGames

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Samsung Galaxy S5 listed by retailer with Full HD display, 2K panel missing

With Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours reaching fever pitch, the eagerly awaited handset has made a premature appearance with one online retailer, listed with a Full HD display as opposed to the heavily rumoured 2K panel.

Despite multiple reports stating that the Samsung Galaxy S5 screen will be a QHD, 2K offering, retailer listings have now suggested that the upcoming HTC One 2 rival will instead feature a more familiar Full HD panel, just likes its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Although the arrival of the first smartphone-bound 2K display has again been thrown into question, the retailer listing has added to reports that the upcoming S5 will see its screen size increased to 5.2-inches, up from 5-inches on the S4.

Having leaked courtesy of Dutch retailer Typhone, further Samsung Galaxy S5 specs teased by the retailer listing include the handset’s repeatedly rumoured 16-megapixel primary camera. Despite Typhone allowing consumers to register their interest in the handset, we must stress that these leaks should be taken lightly given their less than official foundations.

One of the most hotly contested Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours, Samsung’s upcoming flagship phone has been the subject of much back and forth as to whether or not it will become the first phone to host a 2K display. It has been suggested that the handset will boast a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution.

Further Samsung Galaxy S5 features tipped for inclusion see a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor expected to line up alongside Google’s latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS, 3GB of RAM and a reworked form factor and TouchWiz interface.

It is widely expected that the Samsung Galaxy S5 release date will be announced during the company's February 24 MWC press conference.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 review


Via: SamMobile

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Special Edition PS4 to be given a Metal Gear Solid 5 makeover

Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 5 PS4

Sony has confirmed that a new, special edition PS4 is on the cards, with the limited edition console to launch next month with a Metal Gear Solid 5 themed makeover.

More than a simple bundle deal, the Metal Gear Solid 5 themed PS4 sees Sony’s next-gen console get its first design makeover. Sporting the game’s logo on it glossy, upper panel, the special edition PS4 is also branded with the game’s Force Operation X (FOX) motif.

Teased by Sony’s official PlayStation Japan Twitter feed, the special edition PS4 console will launch in the country next month. Although tied in with the imminent release of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, there is currently no word on when, or indeed if, the limited edition PS4 will launch in the UK.

Published by Konami, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes will be officially launched on March 21. Although a special edition PS4 console is to be launched alongside the latest instalment of the MGS franchise, the game will also be released on the rival Xbox One console. PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game are also inbound.

Although heading to both next-gen consoles, publisher Konami recently confirmed that while the PS4-bound MGS 5 release will offer 1080p Full HD gameplay at 60 frames per second, the Xbox One option will only run 720p HD content.

The first Metal Gear Solid game to feature an open-world design, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is set to be a prologue to the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and will reintroduce gamers to the legendary character of Snake.

There is currently no word on if the special edition PS4 console will have an inflated price over Sony’s standard next-gen gamer.

Read More: Best PS4 Deals

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Kickstarter hacked, user details and passwords stolen

Crowd funding site Kickstarter has become the latest high-profile victim of hackers, confirming thousands of users’ details and passwords have been stolen.

Although the company has insisted that users’ credit card details remain safe, Kickstarter has urged visitors to change their passwords as soon as possible, with hackers having gained access to personal details such as email addresses and phone numbers.

“On Wednesday night, law enforcement officials contacted Kickstarter and alerted us that hackers had sought and gained unauthorized access to some of our customers' data,” an official spokesperson for the company said in a formal statement.

“Upon learning this, we immediately closed the security breach and began strengthening security measures throughout the Kickstarter system.”

Looking to reassure users, they added: “No credit card data of any kind was accessed by hackers. There is no evidence of unauthorized activity of any kind on your account.

“While no credit card data was accessed, some information about our customers was. Accessed information included usernames, email addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and encrypted passwords. Actual passwords were not revealed, however it is possible for a malicious person with enough computing power to guess and crack an encrypted password, particularly a weak or obvious one.

“As a precaution, we strongly recommend that you change the password of your Kickstarter account, and other accounts where you use this password.”

Far from the only high-profile company to be targeted by hackers, in recent times the likes of Apple, Facebook and Sony have all been the subject of large-scale hacks.

The Kickstarter spokesperson added: “We’re incredibly sorry that this happened. We set a very high bar for how we serve our community, and this incident is frustrating and upsetting.”

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Sony Xperia Z2 tablet specs leak ahead of MWC

The Sony Xperia Z2 tablet specs have leaked ahead of a potential MWC 2014 unveiling.

The follow-on from the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is rumoured for an official launch at MWC and now we can take a look at its specs.

According to notorious tech tipster @evleaks, the so-called Sony Xperia Z2 tablet will run on a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 3GB of RAM.

It will supposedly have the same 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200p resolution display as its predecessor, but Sony has somehow apparently managed to slim down the Z2 tablet even more from 6.9mm to just 6.4mm.

The Z2 tablet will come with 16GB of internal storage as standard, bolstered by a microSD card slot.

There’s supposedly an 8-megapixel camera in the rear, coupled with a 2-megapixel front-facing alternative. We expect the specs will actually match that of the existing Tablet Z, which has an 8.1-megapixel rear camera with 16x digital zoom and a 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera capable of 1080p full HD video recording.

Running Android 4.4 KitKat, the Z2 tablet will be powered by a hearty 6000mAh battery, which should enable a rather healthy battery life.

The leak also mentions the Z2 tablet will retain its IPX5/7 water resistant and dust-proof qualities, which is to be expected.

From the looks of these specs, it seems Sony isn’t looking to give its tablet a huge update for 2014. Mostly, it’s been given a new processor and Android 4.4 KitKat, but sadly retains the full HD display instead of opting for something like a 2K resolution.

Sony is expected to launch this second-generation tablet at MWC next week, along with the heavily rumoured Sony Xperia Z2 flagship smartphone.

The Z2 smartphone is predicted to have a 5.25-inch 2K resolution display, a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB of RAM.

Read more: Sony Xperia Z2 vs Xperia Z1 – What to expect

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Titanfall beta extends to all Xbox One gamers

Beta access to one of the most hotly anticipated games of the year, Titanfall, has been opened up to all Xbox One gamers.

Made by the key figures behind Call of Duty’s meteoric rise to prominence, Titanfall is an Xbox One and PC exclusive that could even give PS4 owners second thoughts.

As you might imagine giving developer Respawn Entertainment’s heritage, Titanfall is an online multiplayer first person shooter - but if you’re expecting a simple COD rehash, you haven’t been paying attention.

As we confirmed when we went hands-on with the closed beta version a few days ago, Titanfall is a game that promises plenty of notable innovations on the FPS format, including whopping great mechs that you can jump in and pilot and plenty of AI cannon fodder to keep things flowing (and to help keep less skilled players motivated).

Over the weekend, that closed beta was blown wide open for all Xbox One gamers to experience. This was confirmed on the official Titanfall Twitter account.

Now, everyone can get a taste of Respawn’s vision for the future of the online FPS by heading for the New Game Demos section of the Game Store. It’s free to download and play, but expect a fair few technical gremlins - the whole point of such beta releases is to test the game under load and expose any last bugs and issues before final release.

As we’ve already mentioned, Titanfall is due to appear on PC as well, and it seems as if the PC beta is starting to open up to new players who have requested entry.

Titanfall is set to launch on PC on March 14 and Xbox One on March 28.



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