HP Scanjet 300 Review

Introduction

If you have a stack of old photos you want to archive, you may find the scanner in your all-in-one not up to the task. Some have low resolution and others can’t do the colours justice. A standalone scanner, like HP’s new Scanjet 300, is a dedicated device which will give better results than from a scanner on a budget all-in-one.

HP Scanjet 300 - Design and Features

Smartly styled, with a white body and black lid, the scanner is arranged in landscape fashion, so it’s wider than it is deep. It's not as low profile as some Canon models, but still takes up little room on the desk. It has extending lid hinges, so you can scan easily from bound documents, such as books and magazines.

Lifting the lid, you wonder which corner to line documents up into, as there's nothing on the glass flatbed surround to indicate it. That's until you notice the huge embossed arrow on the white base of the scanner and visible through the glass, pointing to the top left corner.

It's very important that the plastic moulding surrounding the glass should have exact 90 degree corners, otherwise it's very hard to align documents and get square scans. Although the software includes auto-straighten algorithms, we had trouble physically aligning documents and prints. We also found that thin originals could slip under the plastic surround, so they didn’t sit square on the glass.

HP Scanjet 300 - Interface

Four, thin buttons are arranged along the Scanjet 300’s front edge, though these would be easier to operate if they stuck up through its top surface, rather than out from the front.



Each button is assigned a useful function, so they scan to PDF, to e-mail, to print (for copying) and to file. They work in conjunction with the bundled HP Scanning software and IRIS OCR to give quick and easy ways of creating electronic documents.

The only socket on the scanner is a miniature USB at the back, suitable for the supplied cable. The scanner takes all the power it needs through this single connection, so you don’t need a separate power block kicking around under your desk.

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LG Nexus 4 with LTE and Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie to top bill at Google I/O?

Google will give the impressive LG Nexus 4 handset a 4G refit and throw in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie for good measure during the Google I/O conference next month, according to rumours on Friday.

Word has it that the company will not use the annual showcase to unveil a new Nexus 5 device, but will make the Nexus 4 its standard bearer for the as-yet-unannounced Key Lime Pie OS.

Alongside an LTE radio and OS refresh the new iteration of the handset will also have 32GB of internal storage, compared with just 8GB and 16GB on the original Nexus 4 model.

It wouldn't be hugely surprising of Google went down this route, rather than pushing a brand new handset.

Online chatter has been surprisingly quiet regarding a new Nexus 5, while the Nexus 4 was only launched in October last year.

The company decided to make the hi-spec device available from just £229, less than half the price of other top-of-the-range Android handsets from Samsung and LG.

However, a myriad of supply problems, resulting from an underestimated level of demand, has meant less folks have gotten their hands on the device than intended.

If the new Nexus 4 is the flagship Android 5.0 device, completely unskilled and running pure Android, complete with 4G LTE connectivity and enough stock to keep everyone happy then it'll certainly feel new again.

Google is yet to officially announce the Android 5.0 operating system, but the I/O developer conference has become synonymous with the annual software update.

The company is also rumoured to be announcing an all-encompassing Babel messaging service at the conference, while new Nexus tablet hardware may also be on the agenda.

Just yesterday we brought news that the company may be working on a gaming app to rival Apple's Game Center, complete with real-time multi-player, global leaderboards, turn-based notifications and more.

We can also expect to hear a lot more about the public availability of Google Glass during the event, which kickstarts on May 15.

Via AndroidCommunity

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BBC iPlayer tablet audience now greater than on smartphones

New figures from the BBC have revealed iPlayer viewers and listeners are now enjoying more shows on tablet devices like the iPad and Google Nexus 7 than smartphones for the first time.

Of the 272 million full length programme requests in March 2013, 41 million were accounted for through tablets, while 40 million came from smartphones.

The difference in viewership was only 200,000, but the changing of the guard is definitely significant as more and more folks in the UK jump on board with tablets.

Naturally, most of the requests are still coming from laptops or PCs (128 million in March), but only 47 per cent of views are coming on those devices now, compared with 59 per cent just one year ago.

The transition suggests that more people will soon be watching the likes of Top Gear, Dr Who and Eastenders on mobile devices as opposed to traditional desktop platforms.

Making up the 272 million, 32 million requests cam from TV platform operators, 8 million from games console apps and 5 million through connected TV apps. 17 million came from an unknown source.

Overall, the Beeb enjoyed average daily requests of 8.1 million while it posted a record 60 million requests in the second week of March

The BBC has said it plans to boost iPlayer viewership by airing first run, original content on the platform before it appears on traditional broadcast TV.

The company faces increased competition for eyes and ears from on-demand services like Lovefilm, Netflix and, of course, Sky Go.

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Sony Pictures Entertainment hacker jailed for a year

A hacker known online as Recursion has been sentenced to a year in jail after he hacked Sony Picture Entertainment in 2011.

The 25-year-old Cody Kretsinger will spend a year in jail, but after that he will also have to complete 1,000 hours of community service after a guilty verdict was ruled by a Los Angeles judge.

Kretsinger actually pleaded guilty to the crime last April, admitting he was part of a hacking group known as Lulzsec, who emerged as a splinter group of the Anonymous hackers in May 2011.

The Sony Pictures Entertainment hack occurred in July 2011, when the website was breached to access a database of customer information listing names, address, emails and phone numbers. Around 50,000 of the customers’ details were then leaked online by the hacker now identified as Kretsinger.

It is unknown whether Kretsinger co-operated with authorities in a plea bargain to gain sentence leniency, but he pleaded guilty and was charged with conspiracy and unauthorised impairment of a protected computer.

Other Lulzsec hackers recently pleaded guilty to crimes in court, including 26-year-old Ryan Ackroyd who admitted targeting the NHS and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) in the UK.

Ackroyd and three other hackers are due to be sentenced next month in British courts.

A month ago it was also revealed that hacker Hector Xavier Monsegur, known online as Sabu, had co-operated with American authorities to give up the names of a number of Lulzsec members.

The hacking group previously used distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to render websites unusable, forcing high traffic to pass through sites until they could no longer cope with the demand.

Claiming to have hacked The Sun newspaper’s website, Lulzsec said it posted a story professing the CEO of News Corporation Rupert Murdoch had in fact died. In the US the group claims to have attacked the CIA website and have posted a story on PBS telling fans Tupac Shakur, a dead rapper, was still alive.



Via: BBC

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GoPro Hero3 Black Edition Camcorder Review

What is the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition?

GoPro has been making extreme sports and adventure cameras for over ten years now and is regarded as the industry leader when it comes to capturing still and moving images in the kind of adrenalin-fuelled, outdoors environments that would all but destroy regular cameras.

The GoPro Hero3 Black Edition is the flagship product in the Hero3 range, which includes the mid-range Silver Edition and the entry-level White Edition. We have the regular GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, but there's also a Surf Edition that comes with special adhesive mounts designed especially for mounting the camera to a surfboard.

In all other respects, however, the two cameras are identical in spec and design.

GoPro Hero3 Black Edition - Features

As the flagship product in the GoPro range, the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition has a number of upgrades over its cheaper siblings. First and foremost, the big addition for the Black Edition package is the supplied Wi-Fi remote control that lets you control the camera – handy if the camera itself is attached to a helmet or anywhere else that might make reaching the buttons tricky. We’ll deal with the set-up and operation of the remote in more depth later on, but for adventurous souls looking to mount their camera somewhere they cannot physically reach it, the Wi-Fi remote is sure to appeal.

In addition to the supplied Wi-Fi remote, the Black Edition also has a beefed-up, higher resolution 12MP camera. By way of comparison, the Silver Edition gets an 11MP snapper, while the entry-level White Edition only gets a 5MP sensor. In addition to the full 12MP, the Black Edition also shoots at 7MP and 5MP if needed.

Perhaps more useful to the camera’s target audience is the Black Edition’s 30fps maximum burst rate. This is considerably higher than both the Silver Edition’s 10fps and the White Edition’s 3fps. It’s a useful advantage because, in the fast-moving world of adrenaline sports, the ability to fire off 30 consecutive shots is much more likely to bag you exactly the shot you want.

For those who don’t require quite so much speed, the Black Edition has 3fps, 5fps and 10fps continuous shooting speeds, too. Last but not least the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition has a time-lapse mode, where the camera can be set to shoot at 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60-second intervals. It all adds up to plenty of scope and flexibility.

Of course, the majority of people looking to purchase a Hero3 will probably be much more interested in its video capabilities than its still image prowess, and here again the Black Edition enjoys a distinct advantage over its two supporting models. While the Silver and White editions support a maximum resolution of 1080p at 25fps, the Black Edition can capture 1080p Full HD video at 50/48/25fps in PAL mode (60/48/30fps for NTSC capture). Furthermore 720p recording can be captured at 100/50fps (120/60fps for NTSC), which enables smooth slow-motion playback of high-def movies – something neither the Silver or White editions are capable of.

The Black Edition also supports 4K capture at 15fps, or 4K Cinema at 12fps.

Alternative video settings include:

• 1440p at 48/25/24fps (48/30/24fps for NTSC)


• 2.7K at 25fps (30fps for NTSC)


• 2.7K Cinema at 24fps


• 960p at 100/48fps


• WVGA capture at 240fps.

You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to video recording options.

GoPro Hero3 Black Edition - Design

Given that it’s specifically designed to be used outdoors in the kind of conditions that would wreck regular cameras, it comes as no surprise to find that the overall Hero3 Black Edition package is tougher than Chuck Norris. The camera itself is tiny though, measuring just 60mm wide by 40mm tall and 20mm deep. Indeed, GoPro claims the Hero3 is 30% smaller than its predecessor. At just 74 grams, it’s also 20% lighter than the Hero2.

Housed within a tough polycarbonate shell, the camera gets three buttons: a Mode button, a shutter release button and a Wi-Fi pairing button. The camera’s rechargeable 1,050mAh Li-ion battery resides in the back of the camera, hidden behind a protective cover that’s unclicked via a quick-release switch. Also on the back is the Hero Port, which is used to connect the optional Touch BacPac LCD display (£80) that relays live images of what the camera can see.

On the front of the Hero3 you’ll find the LCD status screen, which displays all the important shooting information as well as menu navigation when setting the camera up or adjusting its settings. Below this is the Mode button that doubles up as the On/Off button. To the right of this are two indicator lights – a blue Wi-Fi pairing light and a red status indicator. On the top of the camera is one further button, which acts as the shutter release and movie-record button.

Connectivity and memory storage is found on the side of the camera behind a piece of protective plastic. You get a micro HDMI for playback and a Micro USB port for charging and file transfer, plus a slot for microSD cards. The Hero3 Black Edition can accommodate cards of up to 64GB, and given the amount of data that requires processing and storing it’s strongly recommended that you use at least a Class 10 card or better.

Of course, the camera itself isn’t waterproof, which is where the polycarbonate housing comes in. This is waterproof to a depth of 60 metres and also guards against bumps, scrapes and accidental drops. The camera slots into the back of its protective case, where it’s held firmly in place via a secure latch on the top of the camera.

Getting the camera in and out is fairly straightforward too – with the camera lens facing away from, you simply slide the latch on the top of the case in the direction of the arrow and then lift/peel back the latch.

While it’s inside its protective housing, you operate the camera via three spring-loaded buttons on the outer of the case. There’s one for the shutter/movie record button, one for the mode/power button and one for the Wi-Fi connect button. You need to apply a reasonable amount of force to press them, but this is preferable as it lessens the chance of accidental button presses.

Supplied is a range of mounts, fasteners and adhesive pads. Our's came with the ‘Adventure Kit’ intended for use on dry land. Go for the Surf Edition if you're in and around water a lot.

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Twitter #Music App Review

Introduction

Twitter has launched the Twitter #Music app, designed to help Twitter users discover new music and learn more about the artists making it. Taking on-board all your Twitter activity, the app offers music recommendations based on the accounts you follow and the tweets you post.

Rather than wanting to be your day-to-day music source like Spotify, Twitter #Music is all about music discovery. It lets you check out the artists who follow your favourite bands, see the songs trending on Twitter, and listen to and purchase music tracks.

Apart from that, you can't do much else. Without the ability to search for specific tracks or create radio stations and playlists, is it a worthwhile service?

Twitter #Music - Features

Upon opening Twitter #Music you are presented with all the music currently trending on Twitter, under a “Popular” tab. 140 square icons display 140 tracks recently mentioned on Twitter - it's a number used to tie in with Twitter’s 140-character ethos.

You can then opt to play any specific track with a tap, or press the large play button down below to start randomly shuffling through the songs.

The well-presented interface cleverly expands the tile of a selected song, rearranging the icons for the other tracks around the selection. It's a little like the Windows Phone 8 layout. From the selected song’s tile, you can follow the band on Twitter, play the song, or see which artists they’re following.

Another nice touch is that the shuffle play button in the left-hand corner spins the cover art of the song currently playing. It's a little like a spinning vinyl. And the volume level bounces up and down in the artist's tile for an extra visual flourish.

Giving the record icon a quick tap brings up the Twitter #Music play, pause and track skipping options, as well as a volume slider along the bottom. From here you can also tweet the track to spread the word about the artists you’re currently grooving along to. The app prepares a tweet for you, complete with #nowplaying hashtag.

A swipe to the left on the app's main screen reveals Twitter #Music’s “Emerging” tab. Similar to the “Popular” page, “Emerging” features 140 artists not quite yet in the mainstream spotlight. It's out to help you discover “hidden talent found in the Tweets”, apparently.

The next tab is entitled “#NowPlaying” and displays any songs tweeted by people you know or follow on Twitter. Now, it seems to only work if they have used the #NowPlaying hashtag in their tweet, so this section is currently lacking as few people at present have fully embraced the Twitter #Music app.

Finally, the app allows you to view your own Twitter profile, but only by the artists you are currently following on the social media site.

Now, while this all sounds well and good so far, the app doesn’t offer a lot more else. The search option only allows you to look for artists on Twitter, rather than the songs themselves. Plus the artists listed are only based on the people you are following on Twitter.

The biggest flaw of the service, though, is that you’ll need to pay a monthly fee for a Spotify or Rdio subscription to fully utilise the Twitter #Music service - otherwise you're restricted to 30-second previews. However, seeing as it is merely designed to help you discover new music, the previews - powered by iTunes - may suffice.

The usefulness of Twitter #Music will depend on how dedicated you are to the social media site itself. The range of content accessible through the music service is encapsulated within your own Twitter sphere, so if you are a hardcore Twitter user it’s bound to be bursting at the seams. Casual tweeters will find the content a little lacking, and certainly not tailored to your personal music taste if you haven’t made the effort to follow your favourite musicians on Twitter beforehand.

Verdict

Although Twitter #Music has a well-presented and easy to navigate user interface, don’t expect it to take over your current music service. The app is only using its full potential when coupled with a Spotify or Rdio subscription and the variety of music presented entirely depends on how active you are on Twitter. Beyond that its search functions are a little weak.

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Microsoft revenues soar, CFO steps down

Microsoft has announced its revenue for this quarter amounts to $20.49 billion (£13.34 billion), a 17.2 per cent increase year-on-year, simultaneously announcing CFO Pete Klein would be leaving the company.

Revenues were up from $17.41 billion (£11.35 billion) the same time last year, and the company’s earning per share was $0.72 (£0.47), beating the $0.68 (£0.44) predictions made by analysts.

Despite recent industry reports showing a decline in PC sales due to the steep rise in popularity of tablets and smartphones, Microsoft’s Windows division reported a 23 per cent increase in revenues in comparison to last year.

“The bold bets we made on cloud services are paying off as people increasingly choose Microsoft services including Office 365, Windows Azure, Xbox Live and Sky,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. “While there is still work to do, we are optimistic that the bets we’ve made on Windows devices position us well for the long-term.”

The Entertainment and Devices Division posted revenue of $2.53 billion (£1.65 billion), meaning a 56 per cent increase from the same time last year. The division is home to the Xbox 360, and in the last quarter of 2012 only reported an 11 per cent increase.

Such a sales boost could be the eager anticipation of the as yet unannounced and unconfirmed Xbox 720 console tipped to launch by the end of this year.

Read our Xbox 720 rumours roundup

The Online Services Division’s revenue was also up 18 per cent year-on-year with $823 million (£536 million), and both Server and Tools and the Microsoft Business divisions posted revenue increases from the same period last year, rising 11 and 8 per cent respectively.

The rising revenues reported by Microsoft were accompanied by the news that its Chief Financial Office Peter Klein would be stepping down and leaving the company after four years as CFO. His departure would also mark his eleven years employment with Microsoft.

The company has said it will be announcing a new CFO in the coming weeks and it will be someone from its finance leadership team.

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Doro PhoneEasy 520X Phone Review

What is the Doro PhoneEasy 520X?

The Doro PhoneEasy 520X is primarily aimed at older people who may struggle to get to grips with today's feature packed smartphones. It's a simple phone with easy to read menus and large buttons, but it has a few extra interesting features. You can currently buy it online for a little bit over £100 SIM Free.

Doro PhoneEasy 520X - Design

The 530X looks not too dissimilar to some of Nokia's basic handsets. It has a traditional candy bar design with the screen at the top and keypad sitting beneath. However, the buttons on the keypad are a good deal larger than usual and slightly raised to make them easier to press. The keypad also has dedicated keys for the camera, SMS feature. Interestingl, this model has a torch function built-in, so there's a dedicated torch button on the right hand edge of the phone.

In the past Doro's phones have often felt a bit plasticky and look old fashioned, but the light brown metallic effect used on the top and rear of this handset, as well as the rounded edges, give the 520X a more contemporary feel. Doro has also toughened this phone up compared to its other models, so it's dust, shock and splash proof. There's also a chunky, rotating lock switch on the back to seal in the battery once it's in place, so it doesn’t pop out if the phone is dropped.

Doro PhoneEasy 520X - Screen

The screen on the Doro PhoneEasy 520X can't compete with the large high-resolution displays on today's smartphones, but then we wouldn't really expect it to. It's fairly small, measuring 2-inches across the diagonal, but it's large enough for making calls and sending messages. It's also very bright and easy to read.

Doro PhoneEasy 520X - Interface and Usability

The Doro PhoneEasy 520X has a very basic user interface. The menu is a series of pages that you scroll up and down through using the arrow buttons directly beneath the display. Each page shows a single icon for stuff like the phone book, settings and messaging menus, so it's easy to pick up and use even if you're not a very technically minded user.

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Durex Fundawear experiment brings app-controlled foreplay for couples

Condom maker Durex has just announced its latest innovation, Durex Fundawear, app-controlled underwear that allows couples to connect even when separated by distance.

Durex Fundawear works by wiring the technology normally used to make smartphones vibrates into underwear for men and women. These actuators can then be remotely stimulated via a smartphone app with sensors in different locations within the garments.

Read our 35 HTC One Tips and Tricks

According to the Durex Australia Facebook page, Durex Fundawear is being designed to improve “the ultimate pleasure” and is a produce of the condom manufacturer’s durexperiment project.

Durexperiment is about “testing new ideas and produces to push the limits of pleasure”, with Fundawear aims at couples in long distance relationships. The vibrating underwear could be used to “tease, tickle and tantalise even when apart” said the Durex Fundawear YouTube videos.

The specially designed knickers, boxers and bras will be paired with companion smartphone apps that show a basic diagram of the partnering underwear. Upon these diagrams are round touch screen buttons positioned in various points on the virtual underwear. Of course, when pressed these buttons correspond to the location on the other person’s underwear, allowing users to make contact with their partner even when not in the same room.

The app also recognises the pace and intensity of the touchscreen input, with the Durex Fundawear vibrations matching this.

Durex has dubbed the vibrating underwear the “future of foreplay”, but a commercial release date is currently unknown. The condom company is reaching out to couples willing to partake in the testing program.

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Google reports $14 billion revenue for first quarter

First quarter reports have shown Google’s revenue rose by 31 per cent to $14 billion (£9.5 billion) in the past three months, mostly driven by strong mobile advertising gains.

The quarter, which ended on March 31, has established a strong start for the search engine giant for the year. The revenue figure doesn’t take into account the fees and commissions Google pays to other sites running its ads, which if included would take the figure down to $11.01 billion (£7.19 billion).

“We had a very strong start to 2013, with $14.0 billion in revenue, up 31 per cent year on year,” said Google CEO Larry Page. “We are working hard and investing in our products that aim to improve billions of people’s lives around the world.”

According to Google, the company’s net income was $3.5 billion (£2.27 billion) for the quarter, which equates to $9.94 (£6.47) a share. In comparison, the report for last year revealed that the company’s net income was just $2.89 billion (£1.88 billion) or $8.75 (£5.70) a share for the same quarter.

Google’s advertising business saw the frequency of paid clicks, or those search ads that advertisers have to pay for, increase by 20 per cent over the same period in 2012.

Eighteen months ago, the price Google advertisers pay dropped due to the increase in mobile search. Any advertising shown on mobile devices are a lot cheaper than those shown on desktop platforms.

However, these prices seem to now be stabilising. The cost per click, which is the price Google charges for paid click ads, only fell 4 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared to 6 per cent in the closing quarter of 2012 and 15 per cent in the third quarter of last year.

Of the total revenue accumulated in the quarter, Google-owned sites accounted for 67 per cent with $8.64 billion (£5.62 billion), which was an 18 per cent increase. A quarter of total Google sales, $3.26 billion (£2.13 billion), came from partner sites, while “other” revenues represented a 150 per cent increase, contributing $1.05 billion (£684 million) to the total revenue for the quarter.



Via: Engadget

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LG Optimus G2 reportedly too thin for buttons

The forthcoming LG Optimus G2 is apparently so thin, there's no space for a traditional button set-up.

That's the assertion from South Korean news sources, as reported by Chinese site MyDrivers. It claims that the new LG smartphone flagship won't be able to fit the usual volume buttons or power button around the side or top of the device.

Instead, these physical controls will be move around to the rear surface of the LG Optimus G2.

Just yesterday LG confirmed the existence of the LG Optimus G2, the follow-up to last year's well-received flagship phone the LG Optimus G (pictured). The original device was never launched in the UK, but the follow-up will make its way to the UK in Q3.



LG Optimus G2 Spec Rumours

While no specs have been confirmed, LG's Won Kim did tell TrustedReviews that “G2 is going to be something different, something unique and we have needed to be very creative.”

Different and creative as in too thin for a traditional button layout? We shall see.

Rumours suggest that the LG Optimus G2 will come with a 5-inch Full HD 1080p display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU, and a 13-megapixel rear camera. It's expected that it will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Do these reports of an impossibly thin LG Optimus G2 have you intrigued, or does the thought of rear-mounted volume buttons put you off? Let us know what you think in the comments section below, or take to the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook feeds to have your say.

Via: SlashGear

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LG admits to being ‘very weak’ in the UK mobile market

LG has suggested that it is currently “very weak” in the UK’s smartphone stakes, a problem it says has been caused by being late to the party.

A surprisingly frank and open comment from a global tech giant, LG has admitted that the UK mobile market is a current weakness, and that having gained traction with the Google branded LG Nexus 4 it is now looking to rectify its issues with upcoming handsets.

“Of course we are very weak in the UK market as you know but it is time for us to start challenging in the most difficult market,” Won Kim, the European Marketing Head of LG Mobile Communications said. “This year we will do something that will give us a good footprint in the UK and then we will be on the right track to be a valuable handset threat.”

Speaking directly with TrustedReviews from the company’s Gasan Facility in Seoul, South Korean, Kim teasingly added: “Just watch out, sooner or later it is going to happen.”

Pinning its issues on having been “somewhat late in the smartphone game,” LG has claimed that things have already started turning around, with the past 12 months proving a breakthrough year for the company that has been overshadowed by its national compatriot Samsung. Although still someway off the success of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and expected prominence of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4, Kim suggested that LG has hit new highs in recent months.

“In 2012 we have experienced a key milestone for LG Mobile in Europe in terms of product availability and product competitiveness, variety and the impact some of our smartphones have made,” the company’s head of mobile said. “We have started to be recognised as a key brand for handsets.”

Although not focussing wholly on the doom and gloom, Kim was keen to stress LG’s need for improvement in the UK and European mobile markets. He stated: “In Europe we were relatively very weak in terms of recognition.”

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Google to launch an Android rival to Apple's Game Centre?

Google is planning to launch a comprehensive gaming application, much like Apple's Game Centre, to facilitate multiplayer gaming, global leaderboards, in-game chat, achievements and more, according to an app teardown.

Android Police discovered the complete feature list for a gaming service when tearing down the MyGlass application that will accompany the Google Glass AR specs.

Of course, Google Glass has little to do with gaming as is cannot handle complex applications, but it appears that Google included the information within the MyGlass app by accident.

The teardown showed the presence of real-time multiplayer gaming, meaning that Google could be ready to handle the networking side of things for app developers, making life incredibly easier for them.

Currently developers have to house real-time multiplayer bouts on their own servers, whereas iPhone and iPad developers don't have to worry about that, thanks to Game Centre.

According to the contents of the MyGlass folder, the Android-based service will also send gamers a notification when it is there turn, which would be great for turn-based strategy or puzzle games.

There are also a host of files alluding to the presence of in-game chat, allowing gamers to chew the fat as they play on smartphones and tablets.

Beyond that it looks like global leaderboards, the ability to invite friends to join game and also lobbies where teams could discuss strategies or, for example, choose the rule structure for each bout.

The AndroidPolice discovery seems to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Google does indeed have something in the works to revolutionise gaming on its mobile platform.

The only question seems to be whether the company will announce the service at the Google I/O conference, which is less than a month away, in mid-May.

Via The Next Web

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Does this 'leaked' snap reveal the fabled budget iPhone handset?

An image, purportedly showing the outer plastic casing of the mythical cheaper Apple iPhone, has appeared online.

The mobile giant currently furnishes the current iPhone with an aluminium casing, but this curved offering looks like the offspring of an iPhone 3GS and current generation Nokia Lumia handset.

The leaked casing has all the hallmarks of an iPhone handset, with printed logos and lettering, as well as a microphone hole between the camera lens and flash.

If genuine, the snap, leaked to mobile case maker Tactus (of all places), would be the first we've seen of the lower cost device, which has been rumoured for years now.

Recent reports have suggested that the device would come in a range of colours, which would be easily facilitated by a plastic (polycarbonate to the precise) shell.

The cheaper iPhone, according to recent speculation, would be targeted more at increasing Apple's share of the smartphone pie in places like China and India.

In China especially, networks prefer not to offer subsidised handsets with their contract, so the full price iPhone is more difficult to afford for some users.

Traditionally, Apple has resisted the clamour for outing a cheaper version of its industry-changing signature device, citing its premium design ethos.

Instead the company has relied on making its previous generation devices available for less, while offering the latest version of iOS each year to keep the older devices feeling fresh.

One final word on whether this leaked snap is the real deal? For our money it looks a little thick and perhaps too cheap, but we'll have to wait and see.

Via CNET

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Cut the Rope: Time Travel launched as Cut the Rope sequel

ZeptoLab has announced the launch of Cut the Rope: Time Travel, the sequel to the immensely popular Cut the Rope game.

Cut the Rope: Time Travel is available now for iOS and Android, and will see the game’s candy-crunching monster Om Nom stumble upon a Time Travel Machine that enables him to go back in time and discover his previous incarnations.

The new app will introduce new gameplay mechanics for players to decipher and will introduce new Om Nom descendants to feed. All the ropes and devices introduced in Cut the Rope will make appearances too. The game will also make players work out how to feed two hungry monsters instead of just the loveable Om Nom himself.

Players will make their way through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Stone Age, perhaps encountering Om Nom’s dinosaur ancestors.

Ten new episodes of Om Nom Stories will also be integrated into the game and based on Om Nom’s time travelling adventures. Launched last October, Om Nom Stories won Best Web App/Series awarded by iKids.

The original Cut the Rope game has been downloaded over 300 million times since it was launched in October 2010. Cut the Rope: Experiments was launched in August 2011 and both games have reached the top of charts across all mobile app stores.

ZeptoLab also released an entirely new IP called Pudding Monsters, which is a puzzle game using slide and stick tactics to complete levels.

Cut the Rope: Time Travel can be downloaded now from the Apple App Store for iOS, Google Play Store for Android or from Amazon and Nook stores.

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Nokia Lumia sales rise by 27 per cent

Nokia could be edging its way back to a dominant position in the smartphone market after the Finnish smartphone manufacturer reported a 27 per cent rise in sales of Nokia Lumia handsets.

Despite strong competition from smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia handsets like the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 620 shipped over 5.6 million units in the first quarter of this year. Nokia has predicted that such shipments will rise to over 7 million by the end of the June quarter.

Still some way behind the sales figures estimated to be reached by Samsung and Apple, who are predicted to ship 62 million and 37 million units respectively, such figures from Nokia would mean it is beginning to re-establish its position as a strong contender in the smartphone market.

However, despite such strong sales forecasts, some analysts are still doubtful that Nokia can achieve such promising figures.

“We struggle to understand how this number is possible without either the beginning of consumer traction, or a massive channel inventory stuffing,” said Pierre Ferragu from Bernstein Research.

Although Nokia Lumia sales are strong, Nokia’s overall revenues still fell 27 per cent from the previous quarter due to a faster than expected drop in demand for basic entry-level handsets.

Consumers are opting to fork out for high-end fully-equipped smartphones like the HTC One or Sony Xperia Z rather than budget handsets provided by Nokia outside the Lumia range.

Overall, the Finnish company sold 62 million handsets, 10 million down from the 72 million predicted. Revenues were forecast to be around the €6.5 million mark, but in reality achieved €5.85 billion.

“We remain focused on moving through our transition, which includes continuing to improve our product competitiveness, accelerate the way we operate and manage our costs effectively,” said Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop.



Via: Guardian

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Twitter #Music service launches

Twitter has launched its Twitter #music service, an iOS app for music discovery based on who users follow on the social media site.

The app uses all Twitter activity including posted tweets, user’s followers and those followed by any individual to detect any tracks or emerging artists that could appeal to the user.

Sourcing music from iTunes, Spotify or Rdio, users of Twitter #music can preview tracks featured in the app from iTunes or if they are Spotify or Rdio subscribers they can enjoy the full length track. Twitter has confirmed that other music providers will be added later.

Songs tweeted by artists or by those followed by the user will appear in the #NowPlaying section, and users are encouraged to use the hashtag to build the section.

Users can tap an artist’s avatar to see their top song, follow them on Twitter or view their Twitter profile from within the app and discover what other artists that musician is following.

Similar to the Spotify service, Twitter #music app users will able to track what their friends are listening to and check their recommendations.

If people aren’t avidly using Twitter or aren’t following many people, the Twitter #music app may feel a little empty, as the app requires an active Twitter presence to create the recommendations.

To help create the app, Twitter acquired music service startup We Are Hunted to help with the music discovery element, whilst Vevo, a music video service owned by Universal Music and Sony is providing the music videos.

According to Twitter the app will be available for iOS devices from the App Store later today to users in the US, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Twitter will be extending the Twitter #music service to other regions and to Android in due course.

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John Lewis offers 6 months free broadband with gadget purchases

John Lewis has announced that it will be offering six months free broadband to anyone purchasing an internet-enabled device from its stores.

To be eligible for the deal, consumers must sign up to a 12-month contract with the John Lewis Broadband service. The high street retailer currently offers three layers of contract options ranging from £24.50 to £31.50 per month, all including calls and line rental: Standard, Unlimited and Fibre Broadband.

“Consumer demand for Internet enabled technology has never been as high – 80 per cent of the technology products we sell are internet ready,” said Adam Brown, John Lewis’ Tablets and Telecoms Buyer. “Whether a customer comes in store to buy a Kindle or a Smart TV, they can now enjoy our broadband service for free for six months, without any hidden charges or difficult to understand terms and conditions.”

With the department store claiming to sell five tablets every minute across the UK, more customers could be joining up to John Lewis’ broadband.

The service launched last year and has already been named as the “Best for Technical Support” and “Best for Speed” in the Which? Broadband Customer Satisfaction survey, gaining the highest ratings in the cost of technical support calls and the answering speed of such calls.

“We know that many consumers are left disappointed by the level of customer service they get from their broadband provider and frustrated at misleading and complicated offers, so we’re determined to bring John Lewis levels of excellence, simplicity and value to the broadband market.”

“We’re the only place on the high street that customers can come to for quality, impartial advice on both their new technology product and the broadband service so we’re offering something that is unique in the market.”

The offer is available now when purchasing any internet-connected device and will last for the next twelve months.

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Apple shares dip below $400, marks 16-month low

Apple shares dipped below $400 (£262) yesterday marking a 16-month low for the manufacturer as growing concern suggest the company may miss revenue targets.

For the first time since December 2011, during trading yesterday Apple’s stock fell below $400 (£262), but managed to close at $403 (£264). Last September, Apple shares soared as high as $705 (£462).

The share price dip was due to one of Apple’s suppliers issuing a trading update suggest sales of iPhone and iPad devices were potentially lower than expected and would be revealed in Apple’s report results for March that are to be revealed next week. Analysts also warned that Apple’s trading figures could be rather weak.

Cirrus Logic, a Texan company that makes audio chips for Apple smart devices and relies on Apple for 90 per cent of its business, reported that its first quarter revenue was around $27 million (£17.7 million) down from what it should be, coming in at $170 million (£111 million).

“This is a tough environment,” said Michael Yoshikami, a portfolio manager at California-based Destination Wealth Management, which owns about 50,000 Apple shares. “Apple is in transition between products.”

“We blame Apple for losing its mobility mojo,” said Vernon Essie, an analyst at Needham & Co, in a note. “This was simply an inventory overbuild for the iPhone 5 relative to Apple’s forecast.”

Citi and Jefferies bank analysts are watching Apple and predict the Cupertino company could fail to reach its own revenue goal of around $41 - $43 billion (£26.9 - £28.2 billion) for the March quarter. This could potentially be the first significant decline in income since 2003.

Apple has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years, but is facing increased pressure from its investors and rivals such as Samsung.

Sales of the iPhone 5 and iPad mini have helped to solidify its position as one of the market leading smart devices manufacturers, overall sales have still failed to reach targets and thus Apple’s market share is declining.

Samsung recently overtook Apple as the global leader in the smart device market, gaining a 20.8 per cent market share over Apple’s 18.2 per cent in February.

Via: Sky

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Twitter allows adverts based on people’s tweets

Twitter has begun to allow targeted advertising on the microblogging site based on the words used in various tweets and messages posted, favourited and retweeted.

Advertising on Twitter currently works by using algorithms to pool user interests and direct “promoted” tweets at the top of news feeds to all Twitter users.

Now, the new advertising feature will enable “advertisers to reach users based on the keywords in their recent tweets and the tweets with which users recently engaged,” said Twitter produce manager Nipoon Malhotra in a blog post.

“This is an important new capability –especially for those advertisers looking for signals of intent – because it lets marketers reach users at the right moment, in the right context.”

The new function will also target the ads according to other user attributes like gender, location and what device they are accessing Twitter from.

“Users won’t see any difference in their use of Twitter – we’re not showing ads more frequently in timelines, and users can still dismiss promoted tweets they don’t find relevant. In fact, we believe users’ experience with ads will improve as a result of this feature as they see more relevant Promoted Tweets,” added Malhotra.

According to industry tracker eMarketer, Twitter is expected to earn $582.2 million (£382.2 million) in annual global ad revenue, with the figure set to increase to nearly $1 billion (£656.6 million) by next year.

As an example, Malhotra suggested that a gig venue could run a geotargeted campaign for various concerts, targeting advertising tweets providing a link to buy tickets at any users mentioning keywords for those bands.

The example Malhotra uses is quite a topical one for Twitter, who is reportedly launching a Twitter Music app sometime soon.

Such an app could recommend artists and tracks to users based on factors such as the Twitter accounts they followed, similar to the way the advertising feature works. It could be possible to listen to music clips within the app through third party music services like iTunes and Soundcloud.

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LG: UK 4G networks ‘unexpectedly sluggish’ to arrive

LG has criticised the slow rate with which 4G has been rolled out across the UK, stating that the process has been ‘unexpectedly sluggish’.

Suggesting that it had expected to see a stronger 4G LTE offering rolled out across the UK more quickly that its current dawdle, LG has claimed that although it is surprised by the sluggish 4G introduction, it is benefiting from the delays through increased 3G handset sales.

“We have a good footprint in Korea in the LTE market but LTE has been sluggish in terms of rollout in Europe,” Won Kim, Head of European Marketing for LG’s Mobile Communications sector said. Speaking with TrustedReviews he added. ”It is more than late, later than we expected”.

With EE currently the UK’s only 4G network provider, a recent 4G spectrum sale saw a number of leading networks, including O2, Vodafone, Three and BT all confirm their intentions to bring further 4G channels to the UK later this year. Despite these good intentions which should eventually offer faster speeds and more competitive prices for UK consumers, new 4G network will not be turned on in the UK until at least autumn.

Despite having offered some criticism on the somewhat slow UK 4G rollout, LG’s spokespeople revealed that the company has seen 3G handset sales soar across the UK and Europe, an effect surely boosted by the recent LG manufactured Google Nexus 4 release.

Discussing the matter, Kim stated: “Our footprint in 3G smartphones has been substantially improved in the last year and we are reaching about 10 per cent market share.”

Although suggesting that the company’s mobile basis in the UK is “weak, he added: “We have a good footprint and a number of 3G phones positioned in some European countries. At the same time we have good customer relations and brand recognition in some countries.”

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LG confirms plans for ‘magic’ waterless washing machine

LG has revealed that it is on the verge of revolutionising the home appliances market, with a waterless washing machine reportedly set to be introduced in the near future.

As well as being a leader in home entertainment and mobile sectors, LG is key player on the home appliances from, with the South Korean company tantalisingly teasing its plans to introduced a water-free washing machine to market in the near future.

Speaking with TrustedReviews at the company’s HQ in Seoul, LG executives have suggested that the company has developed new technologies that will enable it to produce a waterless washing machine. A device that we expect would replace water with steam cleaning capabilities could potentially offer heavy savings on water bills and cleaning costs.

Discussing upcoming additions to the company’s leading home appliance lines, Kevin Cha, the Senior Vice President of Home Appliances at LG revealed the waterless washing machine technology, the first time the company has acknowledge such a device.

“We do have a lot of innovative ideas,” Cha said. “Believe it or not there is a washing machine that can run without water.”

When questioned on how exactly such a product would work, Cha, remaining cagey on the topic stated: “It is a corporate secret so it is very difficult to tell you, magic.”

Hinting that any upcoming waterless washing machines could capitalise of steam technologies, Cha references the device in line with the LG Styler, the company’s steam utilising upright cleaning cupboard of sorts.

Spilling further beans, he added that in the near future, the LG Styler “will add the function of ironing.”

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Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-order available from TalkTalk from Monday

Customers can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S4 from TalkTalk from Monday, with the handset shipping to customers on launch day.

TalkTalk is offering the Samsung Galaxy S4 on contracts starting at £30 per month, with no additional one-off cost for the handset. The Samsung flagship is available on TalkTalk Mobile Small, Medium and Large price plans, and TalkTalk is offering a 250 extra minutes for free when customers opt for a Medium or Large tariff.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 release date is April 26 and TalkTalk has said its customers will receive their handsets on that day.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Features

The Samsung Galaxy S4 will launch in the UK with a 1.9GHz quad-core processor rather than the 1.6GHz Exynos 5 eight-core processor originally promised. The handset has a high-end range of innards with a 5-inch Full 1080p HD Super AMOLED display with a 441ppi image density running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

At 7.9mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is thinner than its Samsung Galaxy S3 predecessor, and, despite the larger screen, still retains the same height. Gone is the Pebble Blue colour option, instead replaced by White Frost and Black Mist varieties of the new Samsung Galaxy S4.

Packed with a host of new photography features, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has a 13-megapixel camera in the rear coupled with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper.

Playing host to a 2,600mAh battery, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB internal storage options are further bolstered by a microSD card expansion slot. The flagship smartphone also provides 4G LTE, IR LED, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

New Air View and Air Gesture functionality is introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S4. Air Gesture allows a hovered finger swipe to move through content without contact with the display, whilst Air View allows the smartphone to offer content previews by hovering a finger over emails, messages or other media.

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iPad 5 to be 15 percent thinner and 25 percent lighter

Apple's next tablet, the iPad 5, will apparently be 15 percent thinner and 25 percent lighter than the current iPad 4.

That's according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently released a new research note on the matter.

"We think the tablet will, at 7.5-8.0mm, be 15 percent thinner than iPad 4," he said, adding that "the new device will likely be about 500 grams, or some 25 percent lighter than iPad 4."

Both the iPad 4 and its close predecessor the iPad 3 have been criticised for coming in thicker and heavier than the iPad 2. This is most unlike Apple, which tends to make each new device thinner than the last.

Apparently the new full-size iPad will adopt the same GF2 screen technology as the iPad mini, which enabled a significantly thinner tablet device than we had seen previously.

iPad 5 Specs

Kuo also took time to list some of the other expected specifications for the iPad 5, claiming that it would "run on an A7X processor, and sport cameras with similar specs to the iPad 4’s (front HD, rear 5MP)."

Thanks to these new display and processor components, the iPad 5 will be a far more energy-efficient device. This in turn will enable Apple to use a smaller battery, shaving yet more from the overall size and weight.

In fact, Kuo claims that the iPad 5’s battery capacity "will be 25-30 percent smaller, at 8,500-9,000mAh, than iPad 4’s, and the battery’s thickness will be 15-20 percent smaller, at 7.5-8.0mm, and the number of cells will be reduced to two from three."

He also confirmed the widespread rumour that "the casing shape and color (silver and black) and narrow bezel design will be similar to the iPad mini’s."

Kuo expects shipments of the iPad 5 to ramp up some time in August or September.

Via: MacRumours

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Nokia Catwalk aluminium flagship phone pictured

Pictures of Nokia's next flagship phone, which has apparently been code-named Catwalk, appear to have been leaked online.

Images of a mysterious new Nokia device have appeared on Chinese website Baidu. The pictures show both the front and rear of the device, revealing a couple of interesting details.

For one thing, the device appears to be of an aluminium construction. As reported in January, Nokia is believed to be abandoning its polycarbonate design material for the follow-up to the Nokia Lumia 920.

Interestingly, though, the rear panel appears to be made of plastic.

Another interesting feature of this new Nokia device is its camera module. Placed quite centrally on the rear of the device, it also bulges out considerably.

This could mean that Nokia is looking to close the gap between the photographic work-arounds of the Nokia Lumia 920 and the outright camera chops of the Nokia 808 PureView. It's more likely to mean that the phone will be considerably thinner than the somewhat chunky Lumia 920 overall.

The pictures also seem to suggest a shift in position for the microUSB slot from the bottom of the device (as on the Nokia Lumia 920) to the top of the device.

There are three familiar connection points on the lower part of the rear cover, suggesting that Nokia is keen to keep its wireless charging standard for its next lot of Windows Phone 8 devices.

Of course, this could simply be one of Nokia's many prototype devices. Hopefully we'll learn more over the coming weeks and months.

Via: WPCentral

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Nikon D7100 Camera Review

What is the Nikon D7100?

The Nikon D7100 is an update of the now three-year old Nikon D7000. Although the D7000 arrived at a time when many weren’t expecting it, as Nikon had the enthusiast DSLR market relatively well catered for with the D90 and D300/D300S, it proved incredibly popular with its match of features and form.

Nikon is looking to repeat the trick again with the Nikon D7100. Nikon has once again grouped together a host of features found across its DSLR stable and combined them with revisions, including the updated sensor, added video features and new auto-focus (AF) module among others.

Nikon D7100 - Design

On first impressions, Nikon has chosen to maintain the enthusiast DSLR template adopted in the D7000. The Nikon D7100 feels solid, with a blend of magnesium alloy and polycarbonate creating a hardy yet lightweight shell. While it might not be as sturdy as say, the Nikon D800, the body more than matches the D7100’s enthusiast billing.

New additions and modifications to the Nikon D7100 include a new ‘i’ button on the rear of the camera, along with the relocation of the video record button to the model’s top plate. The top plate itself is essentially the very same as that found on the Nikon D600, bar the microphones on the camera’s top plate. The mode dial and the drive mode dials have the same locking button mechanism as the D600 – it’s a useful way to stop them being accidentally rotated, but they’re a pain to use.

That small bug bear aside, however, the Nikon D7100 handles excellently.

Nikon D7100 - Features

At the core of the Nikon D7100 sits a DX-format sensor with a resolution of 24.1MP, much like the Nikon D5200, although it’s important to point out that the two sensors are not the same. The sensor found here sees Nikon omit the anti-aliasing filter with a view towards better detail retention, although there can be issues with false colour patterning as a result of the aforementioned absence.

The sensor itself has exactly the same ISO sensitivity range as that found on the Nikon D7100, running from ISO 100-6400 and extendable to ISO 25,600. The sensor also supports full HD video capture at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at up to 30fps, or up to 60fps if you’re prepared to shoot at standard HD resolution of 720p. A pair of on-board microphones adds stereo sound support, and there’s a mic socket to fit an external one, too.

The camera applies a 1.5x crop factor to any attached lens – for example, a 50mm prime will turn in to a 75mm when attached. There’s also a 1.3x crop factor mode at a reduced 15.4MP (vs. 24.1MP native) for improved performance with attached lenses – with this mode active, said 50mm lens would behave like a 98mm optic, should you so wish.

Other new features include a new auto focus module, which has 51 AF points with 15 cross-type AF points – a boost from 39 and nine found in the D7000 – that promises to bring a better level of performance to the enthusiast. The Nikon D7100 also has the Expeed 3 imaging engine, the same as in the Nikon D4, which means it takes an impressive six frames per second.

There are a few completely new features that debut on the Nikon D7100, too. One of these is Spot White Balance, which lets you set the camera’s white balance for the whole scene from picking just one area of the scene. Another is the redesigned LCD screen that Nikon’s has been rolling out across its cameras of late, which the lacks the air gap found on previous models and promises clearer images.

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Robot vacuum cleaners to double as home security machines suggests LG

Robot vacuum cleaners will double as digital guard dogs capable of detecting intruders by sight and smell in the near future, LG has suggested.

With robot vacuums still in their infancy, LG has suggested that the market will come in for dramatic overhaul in the near future, with devices adding a range of new functionality including the ability to alert homeowners to intruders and house fires.

“Robot vacuum cleaners will cover home security as well in the future,” Kevin Cha, Senior VP of Home Appliances at LG told TrustedReviews at the company’s HQ in Seoul, South Korea. “Mobile communications such as cell phones can be connected with devices like the Hom-bot and you can see your home from your mobile phone,” he stated.

Offering up details on the potential capabilities of future robot vacuum cleaners, Cha added: “The robot can detect the smell of a thief or of fire accidents, and the machine can also talk with you through your communication device.” Hinting at the expected timeframe for such advancements, the LG VP went on to add: ”This has already been realised.”

Despite teasing the potential capabilities of future device, Cha suggested that the fundamental elements of the company’s robot vacuum cleaner range need to be improved first. Although having cited a 94 per cent cleaning efficiency, he stated: “I believe that it will take some time before robot vacuum cleaners replace the traditional vacuum cleaner. I believe that the cleaning and suction capabilities need to be further developed.”

He added: “Our focus will be related more to human touch communications and home security but of course we will continue to upgrade the basic functions of the vacuum cleaner.”

With the robot vacuum cleaner market widely seen as little more than a gimmick by many and openly criticised by some traditional vacuum manufacturers, LG has been keen to stress the potential of the market, albeit in refreshingly realistic measures.

“There are around 20,000 robot vacuum cleaners sold in the UK every year but that number is increasing all the time,” Andy Mackay, LG’s UK Commercial Director of Consumer Electronics said. “Logically though of course, robot products are not going to replace conventional vacuum cleaners overnight, or even really at any point. However, these products are now growing fastest in the market.

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LG: It’s getting harder to compete with Apple and Samsung

The UK smartphone market is increasingly becoming a two horse race with companies finding it harder to compete with Apple and Samsung, LG has suggested.

Speaking with TrustedReviews at the company’s Seoul based Gasan Facility, LG Mobile has claimed that Apple and Samsung are beginning to take a stranglehold on the UK smartphone scene, with it becoming “more difficult to compete” with the two leading brands.

“It’s hard to be recognised as a key brand in the market,” Won Kim, LG’s Head of Mobile Communications European Marketing Director said. “The two horse race led by Apple and Samsung has been reinforced gradually. It’s not easy for us to shake the lands. It’s definitely not easy and it is getting more and more difficult.”

Discussing its own positioning on the UK smartphone front, Won Kim, one of LG’s smartphone heads openly admitted that LG is struggling to keep track with the market’s leading forces. “We are very weak in the UK market,” Kim said.

Although suggesting that 2012 was a breakthrough year for the company’s smartphone efforts, he added: “We were somewhat late in the smartphone arena.”

However, not being completely downbeat on the company’s smartphone collection, Kim went on to suggest that with the likes of the Google branded LG Nexus 4 and the LG Optimus G Pro, it is starting to make inroads on the dominant share currently under Apple and Samsung’s reign.

Never the less we have a good strong footprint with our smartphones and on top of that we have the Nexus 4. We have Optimus G as an iconic flagship having best in class hardware features and the most up to date software.

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LG Optimus G2 confirmed with Q3 UK release date

LG has confirmed a previously unannounced flagship phone, with the LG Optimus G2 tipped to hit UK markets later this year.

Set to be a rival to the imminent Samsung Galaxy S4 arrival, LG has confirmed that it will launch a new flagship Android handset in the UK in Q3 2013, with the upcoming device to act as a successor to the company’s current LG Optimus G model.

Offering an insightful and tantalising glance into the company’s future smartphone strategy, Won Kim, LG’s Head of Mobile Communication for Europe openly declared “the LG Optimus G2 is coming in Q3, yes.”

Despite confirming the upcoming device, LG has remained cagey around the handset’s potential spec sheet, stating: “We don’t want to hide everything but similarly we don’t want to promote everything about the G2 in advance”

Speaking with TrustedReviews, Mr Kim added: “To some extent we have to tease the features and specifications through channels, it is somewhat premature for me to talk about the G2 in terms of specifications.

“G2 is going to be something different, something unique and we have needed to be very creative.”

Describing the UK smartphone sector as a “battleground” for leading handset manufacturers, LG has hinted that the LG Optimus G2 will be the company’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5, claiming the device, which will be afforded a global rollout, will help it regain footing on the UK smartphone scene.

Although confirming that an LG Optimus G2 release is on the horizon, LG has suggested that the device might not fall under that name, claiming branding is still up in the air.

“We have a naming strategy, we haven’t made a final decision on naming,” an official spokesperson for the company stated.

Offering final confirmation of the handset’s upcoming arrival, Mr Kim added: “There is something unnamed that is a G2.”

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Samsung Galaxy S4 dual-camera mode was copied from us says LG

Ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date, bitter rival LG has suggested Samsung copied some of its upcoming handset’s leading new features.

The much awaited follow-on to the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Galaxy S4 will hit UK markets next week with a raft of ‘new’ smartphone features that have captured consumers’ imaginations set to help distinguish the device from its past iterations.

According to LG, however, Samsung has been somewhat underhand in its feature adoption, stating its Korean neighbour ‘copied’ a selection of its original technologies and features, including dual-camera simultaneous shooting capabilities.

In reference to dual-camera shooting functions, Dr Ramchan Woo, LG’s Head of Mobile Planning told TrustedReviews: “Because this feature is so great, our neighbour, they copied and put it into the S4,”

Far from a one off incident, Woo has suggested that a copying of ideas is rife within the mobile sector with a number of LG’s main rivals all named as potential plagiarisers of the company’s intellectual properties. Citing HTC, Sony and Samsung, Woo declared: “Others are trying to copy these features.”

With a Samsung Galaxy S4 UK release date pencilled in for April 26, the iPhone 5 and Google Nexus 4 rivalling device will benefit from a wide range of new software features over its predecessor, as well as a collection of less than ground-breaking hardware improvements.

Having revealed that the UK bound iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S4 will not feature the same eight-core processor that is set to hit other markets, Samsung has focussed heavily on the handset’s software capabilities with dual-camera shooting to be paired with a selection of eye-tracking abilities.

With ‘Smart Pause’ to see multimedia content automatically halted when the handset detects users are looking away from the handset’s screen, ‘Smart Scroll’ will use eye tracking in collaboration with accelerometers to allow users to scroll through on-screen content without needing to touch the screen.

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Report: Microsoft smartwatch is being built by the Xbox team

More details have emerged regarding the possibility of a Microsoft smartwatch, which came to light earlier this week.

Reports from the Wall Street Journal on Monday claimed that Redmond was working on a touch-enabled 1.5-inch wearable smart device to work alongside Windows Phone handsets and Windows RT tablets and perhaps other mobile devices.

Those reports have today been corroborated by The Verge, which says the software giant has been working on a rival to rumoured watches from Apple, Google and Samsung, for over a year.

What's more surprising is that, according to The Verge, the project is being handled by members of Microsoft Xbox team.

The report claims that the Microsoft smartwatch started life as a heart rate monitor for the Xbox - presumably to aid Kinect fitness games - called 'Jouee'

The project has now, apparently, been rejigged into a full on smartwatch with the Xbox accessory and Kinect teams taking the lead on the device.

Prototypes are already in existence, according to The Verge, with Microsoft employing a Surface-like magnetic connector during the testing process.

Earlier this week, the WSJ claimed Microsoft was working on on designs with manufacturing partners in Asia.

It wouldn't be the first time Microsoft had tried its hand at building a smartphone. From 2004-2008 it sold a SPOT watch that brought news, weather and other information to the watch via radio signals.

Could a Microsoft watch challenge reported offerings from Apple, Samsung and Google? Let us know in the comments section below.

Via The Verge

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Google Glass appears on eBay priced at over $90k

Google Glass may have only started shipping to developers today, but Google’s augmented reality headset is already for sale on eBay.

Lucky ‘If I had Glass’ competition winners, known now as Glass Explorers, have the opportunity to try out Google Glass before it becomes available to the general public. However, one such fortunate Explorer has already put their Google Glass up for sale on eBay.

“I was selected to try Google Glass,” reads the Google Glass eBay listing. “I was contacted via Twitter and can send a screen shot. I will get details in a few weeks to pick them up.”

Glass Explorers and developers had to pay $1,500 for the privilege of getting their hands on Google Glass, but anyone looking to buy this listed pair will have to fork out the current listing price of $90,100 (£59,067) with 28 bids.

The auction ends in three days so the current figure is bound to rise, although we fail to see who would fork out this large sum for a prototype of the technology.

Videos from Google Glass have already started to appear online. Check out what we’ve seen so far in our Google Glass: Best videos roundup.

The head mounted augmented reality features a display that is the “equivalent of a 25-inch high definition screen from eight feet away,” claims Google. The small display delivers information and features to the top right-hand corner of the wearer’s field of vision and works in conjunction with a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p HD video.

Voice recognition is the primary interaction method for Google Glass but the device also features a small touchpad mounted behind the camera on the side of the glasses. Speaking the phrase “Okay Glass” followed by one of the preset instructions will direct Google Glass to take photos, access emails, send messages, record videos, start Google Hangouts or get Google Maps directions.

Google Glass has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in for connectivity options and a battery claiming to last for “one full day of typical use”, according to Google. The search engine giant did hasten to add that “some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive” though.



Via: PC Advisor

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