Apple clearing way for new Apple TV with iTunes offer

Apple could be paving the way for the much-rumoured new Apple TV box with a new deal on the existing model. Over in the US, it’s emerged that Apple retail stores have begun offering a $25 iTunes gift card to customers who buy a current generation Apple TV. This promotion is set to run until March 5.As pointed out by 9to5Mac, this is the classic behaviour of a company that wants to shift old stock...
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Windows 8.1 free edition could be in the works

Windows 8.1 - soon to be free?Microsoft could be considering the launch of a free version of Windows 8.1, according to reports. Following its downward price trend of recent times, Microsoft could be set to launch an extremely low-cost or even completely free version of Windows 8.1.That’s the claim that has been made, first by ZDNet and then by The Verge. Both reckon that Microsoft is in the process...
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Quantum Dots Explained: What they are and why they’re awesome

Quantum Dots and the iPhone 6 ScreenQuantum dots. Sound cool, don't they? But for once this is a technology that's actually as good as it sounds. Quantum dots, among other things, have the potential to revitalise the LCD screens in our phones, tablets, TVs and laptops.Apple is widely tipped to use them in the iPhone 6 when it comes out later this year, but it isn't the first and won't be the last....
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Best Tech of the Month Feb 2014: 5 Best Products You Can Buy

It’s the end of the month. You’ve just got paid and the bills have been taken care of. So what are you going to do with the money left over? You could do something sensible like save it. Or you could go out and treat yourself to shiny new gadget or two to play with instead.OK, you're probably not going to do that and we certainly don't suggest you should. But in case you've missed them, there's been...
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Blockbuster brand back in business

The Blockbuster brand will soon be back on UK high streets and streaming into our living rooms. Back in mid-December, all remaining Blockbuster stores closed their doors for the last time. Following the its second period of administration of 2013 (the first came in January), a buyer was unable to be found for the former video rental great, and the brand ceased to exist.Except, it didn’t. Not entirely....
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Google Hangouts for iOS completely revamped

Google has released a new version of Hangouts for iOS with a fresh look and a host of new features. The first thing you’ll notice is that Google Hangouts 2.0 for iOS has an altogether flatter, more iOS 7-friendly style about it. The UI now features contextual options menus that drop down from the top of the screen with a touch, meaning they stay out of the way until needed.Having updated the app,...
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Huawei Ascend Y530 Phone Review

Budget Android gets a faceliftThe Huawei Ascend Y530 is one of the company's cheapest phones. It is out to win over a few first-time smartphone users, and those who aren't willing to shell out hundreds for a new mobile.Its specs won't wow you, but Huawei has upped its design game to offer an all-round better-looking phone than last year's models. We checked the phone out at MWC 2014, where it was...
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Samsung Tizen OS: 6 Things You Need To Know

What is Tizen OS?It’s been several years in development and with the announcement of the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, we could be inching closer to the first smartphone running on Samsung’s own Tizen operating system.After siding with Google and embracing Android for its Galaxy smartphones and tablets, the Korean manufacturer is signalling its intent to go it alone, offering an alternative to Google’s...
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Minecraft movie confirmed to be in the works

The developer of the run-away video game smash hit Minecraft has confirmed that a movie tie-in is in the very early stages of development. According to a recent tweet from Markus "Notch" Persson: "Someone is trying leak the fact that we're working with Warner Brothers on a potential Minecraft Movie. I wanted to be the leak!"This announcement coincides with a Deadline report revealing that Warner Bros....
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Amazon in discussions to add music streaming to Prime

Amazon is in discussions with music labels to add a music streaming service to its Amazon Prime subscription. Rumours of an Amazon music service to rival the likes of Spotify have been running for some time. Last March, talks were said to be at a very early and informal stage, but the latest suggestion is that they’ve entered an advanced stage.According to Recode’s sources, "Amazon is now engaged...
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YotaPhone UK release date will be held ‘in two weeks’

YotaPhone is UK bound with £415 price tagThe YotaPhone UK release date has been confirmed, with the Russian manufacturer announcing the dual-screen phone will hit British shores next month. Having launched in a number of European countries back in December, the Android powered smartphone, which features an integrated E-ink display on its rear, will hit the UK for the first time “in two weeks,” the...
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Virgin Media launches 152Mb top speed broadband

Virgin Media has launched a new ultrafast broadband service, which can offer top speeds up to 152Mb. The new broadband speeds are 19 times faster than what Virgin Media calls “regular broadband”, and is faster than the broadband speeds offered by its competitors.The top speed 152Mb connection will be available to those who already have the 120Mb Virgin Media broadband.Virgin Media is also boosting...
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Smartphone war will be about experiences not specs in 2014 says network

The S5 will be one of the year's biggest phonesThe 2014 smartphone wars have kicked into overdrive at MWC 2014 this week, but this year’s battle will not be fought on the specs front network provider Three has suggested. Speaking with TrustedReviews during the Barcelona-based conference, Three has hinted that 2014 will see leading handset manufacturers look to move away from the specs race and compete...
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GTA Online: The Business Update to arrive March 4

GTA Online: The Business UpdateThe new GTA Online: The Business Update will launch on Tuesday, March 4 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Rockstar Games is releasing a new free DLC pack for GTA Online called The Business Update and brings formal-themed content to the GTA 5 experience.“Enjoy the perks of rising through the ranks of your Los Santos and Blaine County business ventures with The Business Update, coming...
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LG F70 Phone Review

The cheapest 4G phone? 4G internet connectivity has become the norm in expensive, top-end phones. However, we almost never see it in phones like the LG F70. This is an entry-level mobile that offers super-fast 4G internet. And it's the sort of device that has the potential to bring 4G to the masses. We had a play with it at MWC 2014, where the phone was launched. LG F70 – Design and Features The...
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Huawei MediaPad X1 Tablet Review

The point where phone and tablet meet... pointlessly? The Huawei MediaPad X1 is one of those curious devices that lives at the spot where phone meets tablet. This is a 7-inch phone, making it a bit too big to fit into trouser pockets.Even Huawei admitted to us that it's not something everyone will be able to get on with, especially given its ~£400 (400 Euro). But it has a few interesting bits. We...
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Samsung Galaxy F to launch in May as metal Galaxy S5?

The perforated plastic back of the Galaxy S5The rumoured Samsung Galaxy F could launch in May as a metal-bodied Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 was unveiled at MWC 2014 on February 24 with the same plastic body as its predecessor the Galaxy S4, despite rumours of an all-metal body.However, according to Korean sources, Samsung executives met in a closed-room meeting at MWC to discuss the incoming...
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Sony launches EU PlayStation Store Deal of the Week

Sony has launched a new way to get digital game discounts on the PlayStation Store with the Deal of the Week. Complementing the wealth of discounts and one-off price cuts regularly introduced on the EU PlayStation Store, Sony has decided to add a Deal of the Week.“In addition to your normal sales and promotions, PlayStation Store will now also host a recurring Deal of the Week,” said PlayStation Store...
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Nokia Asha 230 App Review

Life on the small screen The Nokia Asha 230 is a small, low-cost phone that runs the Asha platform – which powers Nokia's cheaper mobiles. Asha phones are often geared towards developing markets, but a £40-odd price and touch interface could well see it win a few fans in the UK.We took as closer look at MWC 2014 to see what it's about. Nokia Asha 230 – Design and Features The Nokia Asha 230 is a...
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Sony Xperia M2 vs HTC Desire 610: Spec Comparison

Sony Xperia M2 vs HTC Desire 610: Which is best?The Sony Xperia M2 and the HTC Desire 610 are the latest affordable Android smartphones aiming to emulate what the Moto G achieved in 2013.Motorola's best-selling handset ever re-defined what was possible for a smartphone that didn't cost almost the same as a HTC One or a Samsung Galaxy S4.Can these two 4G smartphones cause a stir in 2014? We compare...
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