Huawei: We are working on ceramic phones

Huawei talks future smartphone designs

Smartphone maker Huawei has confirmed plans to launch more high-end handsets, revealing it is working on a ceramic bodied smartphone.

A company better known for its cheap, plastic handset offerings than premium iPhone worriers, Huawei has pledged to push further into the high-end smartphone space during the coming 12 months.

As part of this plan, the company has confirmed new metal bodied and, more interestingly, ceramic handsets are part of its road map.

“The material is one of the most important things for consumers, not only because it will have the different feeling, but because it can make the different architecture,” Shao Yang, Huawei’s Chief Marketing Officer said speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews.

He added: “We are trying out new materials like glass and ceramic so we will become less and less focused on plastic.”

Although Yang failed to offer more precise details on the company’s ceramic phone plans, we anticipate that the devices will host bodies largely similar to the 2012 launch HTC One S.

Before you get worried about a ceramic phone’s ability to stand up to the odd knock or drop though, fret not, this isn’t your average ceramic used for those vases in your nan’s special cabinet, oh no. The One S’ ceramic body underwent Micro Arc Oxidation which gave the handset a super strong finish.

Despite this premium look and feel, however, HTC ditched its ceramic phones after a number of consumers complained the finish was prone to chipping.

As well as looking to ceramic and glass handsets, Huawei also confirmed that it intends to push further into producing metal clad phones that will follow on from last year’s Huawei Ascend P6.

“We will have more and more metal phones definitely,” Yang told us.

“We think people are very welcoming to metal phones and they think glass is also a good material but plastic is not so good.”

He added: “Consumers are very willing to have something new. Everything new, if it is a good quality, will get very good feedback.”

Read More: Huawei Ascend G6 review

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Nokia: It would have been nice to have Flappy Bird on Windows Phone

Flappy Bird missed its planned Windows Phone launch

Flappy Bird is gone but not forgotten as Nokia states “it would have been nice” to have Flappy Bird on Windows Phone.

Having gone from app obscurity to global sensation overnight, mobile gaming phenomenon Flappy Bird missed a Windows Phone launch, dramatically being pulled from all platforms just days before it was due to launch on Microsoft’s mobile OS.

Now, speaking out on the missed opportunity, Nokia, the leading Windows Phone handset manufacturer, has expressed its disappointment on not adding Flappy Bird to the WP line-up but defended the platform’s app selection.

“It would have certainly have been nice to have [Flappy Bird] on Windows Phone,” Bryan Biniak, Nokia’s Vice President and General Manager of Developer Experience said speaking with TrustedReviews.

He added: “Clearly it’s a much more complex set of issues than pulling it down for support issues.”

Despite the Windows Phone 8 OS continuing to be knocked for its lack of high profile applications, Biniak has claimed this is not a concern.

“I don’t think it is getting in our way of selling phones right now,” he told us.

“If you look at the gaps – and we just announced Adobe, we announced BBM – there is only a few of those top developers that are missing.”

Having been pulled early last month, Flappy Bird was culled at its peak, with predictions suggesting the app was generating a staggering $50,000 per day in ad revenue.

Pulling the game from the spotlight, developer Dong Nguyen stated: “I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore.”

Speaking on Twitter he added: “People are overrating the success of my games. It is something I never want. Please give me peace."

Read More: Best Android apps 2014

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Facebook urged to disclose WhatsApp privacy controls

Privacy groups are urging Facebook to disclose what the company will do with WhatsApp users’ personal data.

Those opposed to the Facebook buyout are urging the US regulators to put a halt on the sale until the social media giant outlines its plans to keep users’ data private.

Facebook maintains that WhatsApp will continue to operate as a separate company, with all existing privacy arrangements upheld.

This includes the ban on collecting personal data and using it for targeting advertising as well.

“WhatsApp built a user-base based on its commitment not to collect user data for advertising revenue”, reads the complaint filed with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

“Users provided detailed personal information to the company including private text to close friends. Facebook routinely makes use of user information for advertising purposes and has made clear that it intends to incorporate the data of WhatsApp users into the user profiling business model.”

“The proposed acquisition will therefore violate WhatsApp users’ understanding of their exposure to online advertising and constitutes an unfair and deceptive trade practice, subject to investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.”

Facebook is purchasing the WhatsApp cross-platform messaging service for approximately £11 billion, using a combination of Facebook sticks and cash payments.

Currently, Facebook makes money from its 1.2 billion users by showing targeted ads based on their age, gender and other personality traits.

Privacy groups are worried that Facebook will employ the same tactics with WhatsApp and have requested that regulators investigate “specifically with regard to the ability of Facebook to access WhatsApp’s store of user mobile phone numbers and metadata.”

The regulators have also been asked to consider forcing Facebook to “insulate” WhatsApp user data from the Facebook data collection tools.

“As we have said repeatedly, WhatsApp will operate as a separate company and will honour its commitments to privacy and security,” said Facebook in a statement.

Read more: Facebook Buys WhatsApp – How, why and will Zuckerberg kill it?

Via: BBC

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Mercedes plans to bring Apple CarPlay to existing vehicles by end of 2014

Mercedes-Benz has outlined its plans to bring Apple CarPlay to existing vehicles by the end of the year.

When Apple announced CarPlay at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this week, some consumers were a little perplexed by the news it would only come to select vehicles later this year.

So far, all we know is that it will come to a few new vehicles in 2014, including the pricey Ferrari FF, a C-Class Mercedes-Benz and a Volvo XC90 SUV.

The implementation of CarPlay will also vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, depending on how they choose to approach the iOS in the car service using in-built dashboard touchscreens.

Anyone who has bought a car within the last year might be a little irritated by the fact that they won’t eb able to CarPlay until they buy the latest model.

However, Mercedes at least has a plan up its sleeve to bring CarPlay to vehicles outside the showroom in aftermarket installations.

“[Our] goal is to offer an after-market solution by the end of the year”, explained Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes hasn’t explained how it would implement the post-market CarPlay installations, but we expect it would be a special accessory for older models.

It could also be something to extend Apple’s Siri Eyes Free service that already feature in some models.

Ferrari and Volvo have yet to confirm whether they will offer the aftermarket service at all this year, but we expect it will be introduced across the board.

Apple has also partnered with BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota for CarPlay.

“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s VP of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimised distraction.”

Read more: iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C

Via: 9to5mac

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South Park The Stick of Truth censorship branded “ridiculous” by creator

South Park: The Stick of Truth

South Park creator Matt Stone has branded the South Park: The Stick of Truth censorship in the EMEA region as “lame, ridiculous and stupid.”

The EMEA version of the South Park game saw select scenes removed and replaced by on-screen text detailing the censored action appearing in its place.

Stone has spoken out against the decision in an interview with the Metro, branding the move “ridiculous”.

“We weren’t going to change the content, so we’ve written little cards to explain what is going on, what they’ve censored, and made a joke out of it.”

The censored scenes include two mini-games concerning abortions and five scenes where characters are “actively” being anally probed.

“We’re talking about 30 or 40 seconds out of the whole experience but we wanted people to know exactly where the line was: this is what you couldn’t see but for some reason the rest of the world could and we have no idea why. It’s lame, ridiculous and stupid.”

The game had already earned at 18 rating in the UK from PEGI, but the decision was made to cut the offensive scenes nonetheless due to their obscene content.

When questioned on the matter, publisher Ubisoft said “this was a market decision”.

The Stick of Truth story is taken from an original script by creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The game is loosely related to the recent Black Friday trilogy episodes.

Stone also admitted to being embarrassed by the previous South Park games.

“WE really didn’t want to make a game that sucks,” said Stone. “There were some South Park games, like, 15 years ago but they were just cheap licensed products and we hated them frankly.”

“[The Stick of Truth is] a great way to be introduced to the world of South Park: become a character and let that character grow, like a Grand Theft Auto situation.”

Read more: Best games 2014

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Acer: ‘The smartphone space is becoming boring’

Acer bemoans the slow rate of smartphone progression

As the big hitters of the 2014 handset wars are unveiled, Acer has branded the smartphone market ‘boring’.

Acer, currently a bit-part player on the mobile front, has suggested that the smartphone space has fallen into something of a rut, with leading manufacturers currently unwilling to push the envelope of innovation, instead favouring easy profits.

“This is becoming a boring space and there is space to innovate,” Allen Burnes, Vice President of Acer’s Smartphone Business Group said speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews.

Last week both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 were formally unveiled. Adding backing to Burnes’ claims of a ‘boring’ industry, both Android 4.4 KitKat powered phones feature quad-core Snapdragon 801 processors, Full HD displays and water and dust resistant bodies.

It is expected that the HTC One 2, a handset being prepared for a March 25 unveiling, will also host a 1080p panel and Snapdragon 801 CPU.

According to the Acer head, however, these repetitive specs sheets are not due to technological limitations, but a lack of innovation and drive from the industry’s leading players.

“The bigger guys who should, in theory, be changing the game haven’t changed it for a while,” Burnes told us. “They have the money to do it but they simply haven’t.”

Making reference to the likes of Apple and Samsung, Burnes claimed that leading smartphone manufacturers are currently happy to stick with evolution more than revolution as consumers continue to eagerly await the latest big name handsets almost irrespective of improvement levels.

“They are reaping their margins and they are not disenfranchising their core businesses but that doesn’t mean that other won’t change the game for them,” the Acer representative said.

The industry cannot continue in this vein indefinitely, however, with Burnes predicting that without rapid innovation, the current big boys could quickly become tomorrow’s forgotten child.

He added: “I think what you will see over the coming years is that, unless the big guys step up, others will step up for them in ways that the big guys today changed the game for the guys who have now fallen away.”

With the smartphone space having very much become a case of follow the leader rather than a cycle of innovation, we would have to agree with Burnes claims, to some degree at least. We are not the only ones either.

Speaking with TrustedReviews recently, Brendan Arndt, Product Portfolio Manager with network Three, suggested that the leading manufacturers are already looking to bring some variety to their stagnant smartphone offerings.

“The main trends for 2014 will be that your main vendors, so HTC, Sony and Samsung, they are all changing,” Arndt told us.

He added: “It used to be a bit of a spec war and now it is much more about the experience that customers are getting on the phone.

“That’s definitely one of the trends between all of the vendors.”

Do you think that the smartphone space has become boring or are you excited by the latest powerhouse handsets? Let us know via the comments boxes below.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2

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Samsung Galaxy S5 price listed just shy of £600

The S5 price has been tipped close to the £600 mark

The Samsung Galaxy S5 price has been teased, with network provider Orange suggesting the handset will set wannabe owners back €699 (£579).

With Samsung having yet to announce an official Samsung Galaxy S5 price, the Romanian arm of Orange has listed the handset, formally unveiled during MWC 2014 last week, alongside the premium PAYG fee. The phone is available to pre-order now.

Despite Samsung’s reluctance to confirm official pricing, given last year’s Samsung Galaxy S4 launched with a £580 SIM-free tag, we expect Orange’s Samsung Galaxy S5 price could be pretty close to the mark.

As well as listing a PAYG Samsung Galaxy S5 price, the premature listing has suggested the phone will cost €249 (£149) when snapped up on a pay monthly contract.

One of the most eagerly awaited gadgets of the year, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a 5.1-inch powerhouse, with the phone’s 1920 x 1080p Full HD Super AMOLED display lining up alongside a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor.

Running Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat OS, the Samsung Galaxy S5 specs sheet is further enhanced by a 16-megapixel rear-mounted camera, 2GB of RAM and a fingerprint scanner integrated within the handset’s physical home button.

Lining up at 8.1mm thick and with a sizeable 2800mAh Lithium-Ion battery in tow, the S5’s features list is rounded off by an IP67 certified water and dust resistant body that is set to be available in black, white, blue and gold colour schemes.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 release date has been officially set as April 11. The phone is widely expected to land alongside the Samsung Gear Fit and Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2

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Titanfall Xbox One console teased but you can’t buy one

Respawn shows the awesome Titanfall console you're missing out on

A Titanfall themed Xbox One console has been shown off by developer Respawn, sadly though you’re not going to be able to buy one.

Tormenting us and avid gamers around the globe, Respawn Entertainment has tweeted a teasing image of the awesomely skinned Titanfall Xbox One console before cruly pulling it away by revealing it will not be getting a consumer release.

"Almost hate to post this 'cause they aren't for sale but Xbox brought our studio something amazing today," a heartless member of the Respawn team posted on the company’s official Twitter feed.

Although the Titanfall console will not be making it to retailer’s shelves, Microsoft recently made an official Titanfall Xbox One controller available for pre-order, featuring a similar orange and black colour scheme to the specially themed PS4 rival.

Despite the specially skinned console not heading to retail, Microsoft has made a Titanfall Xbox One bundle available, with the standard black console set to be boxed with a copy of the game.

Following last week’s official Xbox One price cut, the Titanfall bundle will set wannabe owners back just £399.

A Microsoft exclusive title, a Titanfall release date has been set for next Friday, March 14.

Read More: Best Games 2014

Via: CVG

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Free Wi-Fi hotspots could pose data risk, according to Europol

Europol has warned that sensitive information should not be sent using free public Wi-Fi hotspots as they are prone to hackers.

According to Troels Oerting, Head of Europol’s cybercrime centre, you shouldn’t send anything you would want shared or stolen using public Wi-Fi.

The warning comes after a huge increase in hacker attacks on public Wi-Fi hotspots, which Europol is now attending to across Europe.

“We have seen an increase in the misuse of Wi-Fi, in order to steal information, identity or passwords and money from the users who use public or insecure Wi-Fi connections,” said Oerting. “We should teach users that they should not address sensitive information while being on an open insecure Wi-Fi internet.”

“They should do this from home where they know actually the Wi-Fi and its security, but not if you are in a coffee shop somewhere you shouldn’t access your bank or do all of these things that actually transfer very sensitive information.”

Hackers are often managing to trick users into connecting to Wi-Fi networks that are controlled by them, but aesthetically resemble the standard hotspots offered in public places like pubs, cafes or other public spaces.

“Everything that you send through the Wi-Fi is potentially at risk, and this is something that we need to be very concerned about both as individual users but also as police.”

Former head of the UK cybercrime unit, Charlie McMurdie – now a senior security analyst at PWC – said:

“A lot of mainstream criminals have identified there are easy opportunities and vulnerabilities just walking down the street and exploiting Wi-Fi networks that exist in every coffee shop.”

Read more: Best routers



Via: BBC

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Nokia Lumia 630 press render leaks

An official-looking image of the forthcoming Nokia Lumia 630 appears to show a stripped-back Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone.

Following on from the Nokia Lumia 620 and the Nokia Lumia 625, the Nokia Lumia 630 is expected to be a budget entry to the series. It’s of particular interest, however, because it’s also likely to be one of the first phones to ship with Windows Phone 8.1.

Now, a fresh image has leaked showing the Nokia Lumia 630’s front, back, and even a little bit of its side.Yep, it’s one of those jaunty-angle press shots that manufacturers are so keen on.

The image again comes from that master of smartphone scoops, @evleaks, and it shows the Lumia 630 in five eye-scorching colours.

Some of the notable feature here include a lack of fixed hardware controls on the front of the device. Rather, the new version of Windows Phone will allow for the inclusion of on-screen prompts for the usual back, Windows, and search commands.

The leaked shot also shows that the Nokia Lumia 630 lacks a camera flash and, in a first for a Windows Phone, a physical camera shutter button.

All of these details point to a phone that’s set to come in at the low end of 'entry-level', both in terms of specs and price.

There are no specific details to accompany this image, but we’re expecting the Nokia Lumia 630 to make an official appearance some time after Microsoft’s announcement of Windows Phone 8.1, which should be some time in early April.



Read more: Windows Phone 8 tips and tricks

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The Last of Us to be turned into a movie

Smash hit PlayStation 3 game The Last of Us is to be turned into a movie, it’s been reported.

Released last year to widespread critical acclaim, The Last of Us was especially notable for its intense atmosphere, absorbing post-apocalyptic world, and skilful characterisation.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that Deadline is reporting on efforts to turn The Last of Us into a film. The report reveals that production company Screen Gems (a subsidiary of Sony) has signed up to distribute a live-action version of the game.

The Last of Us was made by Naughty Dog, which is also behind the Uncharted series of cinematic action games, and a number of its employees will be utilised in the production of the live-action The Last of Us.

Neil Druckman, who was the creative director and writer for the game, has been assigned to write the script, while several of his Naughty Dog colleagues are being brought in as "creative architects" on the project. They’ll be collaborating with Sam Raimi and his Ghost House Pictures production company to bring the project to our cinema screens.

"When I saw the quality of the storytelling, I knew the audience for this project was far greater than just the gaming community and that Neil Druckmann must write the screenplay," said Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper.

The award-winning game’s storyline concerns Joel, a middle-aged survivor, and his efforts to get 14-year-old Ellie across an America ravaged by an infectious fungal pandemic that has turned much of humanity into mindless zombies.

"Since our game released last June," reveals Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells, "we’ve talked with many companies about making a film, but we couldn’t have found better partners who share our creative vision and high standards."



Read More: Best games of 2013

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BlackBerry is ‘dying off slowly’ says Three

BlackBerry's days are seemingly numbered

Former smartphone giant BlackBerry is ‘dying off slowly’, UK network provider Three has suggested.

With BlackBerry having fallen into smartphone obscurity in recent years, the QWERTY loving company has widely been replaced by Android and iOS devices, as well as the growing Windows Phone scene.

Speaking on the ailing Canadian manufacturer, Three has stated that as “BlackBerry is dying off slowly,” and consumer interest continues to shift, it has moved its focus to rival platforms.

“The Windows Phone market is good for us. We’ve chosen that as our third ecosystem now that BlackBerry is dying off slowly,” Brendan Arndt, Three’s Portfolio Manager said speaking with TrustedReviews.

Despite BlackBerry having refocused its smartphone efforts a little over a year ago, launching the heavily delayed BB10 operating system, the flagship BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 handsets failed to generate much consumer interest.

Unable to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, BlackBerry’s struggling smartphone sales saw the company part ways with CEO Thorsten Heins back in November.

With BlackBerry’s premium consumer smartphone efforts having dried up recently, the brand is slowly disappearing from retailers’ shelves, with Three stating the Windows Phone OS is a worthy successor.

Speaking on the Windows Phone 8 platform, Arndt stated: “The customer experience is great, the customer feedback is great on Windows Phone and is higher than some of the Android stuff.”

He added: “It has done really well at the mid and low end for us, the top end is still needing that killer product to make it a big success and I hope that is coming and coming soon.”

Read More: BlackBerry Z30 review

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Ouya Everywhere to debut on Mad Catz Mojo Android mini-console

Ouya has announced that Ouya Everywhere will debut on the Mad Catz Mojo Android mini-console.

The Mad Catz Mojo console will be the first to bring the Ouya software outside of the console and will be available later this spring.

Ouya Everywhere will make all Ouya’s existing game content available on the Mojo micro-console.

“Up until now, the game console experience has been locked inside a box,” said Julie Uhrman, CEO and founder of OUYA. “Together with the hardware veterans at Mad Catz, we end that. Today’s announcement signifies the inception of a truly open platform where independent developers can bring their creations to the platform where gamers actually play: everywhere.”

Currently, the Ouya catalogue includes 680 Android games, with over 33,000 developers signed up.

“This agreement with Ouya encapsulates our vision of an open software platform powered by Mojo’s high performance hardware, and support by the entire ecosystem of GameSmart gaming accessories,” said Darren Richardson, President and CEO of Mad Catz.

In conjunction with the Ouya Everywhere announcement, the Mad Catz Mojo is getting a price cut.

It will now retail for $199.99 in the US, with that reduction reflected in all other major territories as well. In the UK, the Mojo console is £220, so expect to see it retail for around the £180 mark soon.

Ouya Everywhere is about “bringing our software to other people’s devices by embedding it in those devices. We’ve always wanted to be an open platform. It started with a hardware product for us. We will always have an Ouya reference design… but in addition to just being a reference device we believe our ecosystem can live on other devices.”

Read more: Best Android games

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Samsung S Circle healthband leaked as yet another fitness tracker

The Samsung S Circle has been spotted in an FCC listing and could be another fitness tracker from Samsung.

It seems Samsung has more fitness bands up its sleeve as a device known as the S Circle has just passed through the FCC.

The device has already been spotted at the Bluetooth SIG, suggesting the device could be launched imminently.

According to the FCC filing, the device is classed as an activity tracker and comes equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 LE.

This may well mean the S Circle is in the same class as the Samsung S Band see above, or the Heart Rate Monitor Band originally launched with the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Possibly the S Circle will combine a heart rate monitor and fitness tracking functions into a smartband with a more affordable price tag than the new Samsung Gear Fit with its curved OLED display.

It may well be the second generation S Band, but we’ll have to wait until an official announcement is made before we know all the details.

Samsung’s latest fitness tracker, the Gear Fit, could be quite popular with sports enthusiasts.

It comes with an in-built heart rate monitor and presents your fitness data and smartwatch notifications on a curved OLED display.

Although it runs Tizen OS rather than Android, the device will be compatible with third-party apps from the off.

According to some leaked prices, Samsung could launch the Gear Fit for around £165, which is considerably higher than the cost of rival fitness trackers like the Misfit Shine or Nike Fuelband SE.

Read more: Fitbit Force review – First look at CES 2014

Via: Sammobile

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Panasonic Lumix TZ60 Camera Review

What is the Panasonic Lumix TZ60?

The Panasonic Lumix TZ60 was announced alongside the Lumix-TZ55 at January’s CES expo in Las Vegas, and is the successor to the very popular Panasonic Lumix TZ40. This new 'travel compact camera' retains the Wi-Fi connectivity and Near Field Communication (NFC) of its predecessor, but it also has a number of improvements over it.

For instance, the 20x optical zoom of the TZ40 has been replaced by a 30x optical zoom, Raw image capture is now possible, and an electronic viewfinder has been added. It is a useful little package of features and one that, on paper at least, makes the TZ60 a great 'go anywhere, shoot anything' camera.

It may appeal, then, to those who go travelling frequently or for longer periods and don’t want to lug around bigger kit. It may also appeal to the more inquisitive type of tourist who wants to take and share more than just holiday snaps of the places they visit whether that’s here or overseas.

READ MORE: Camera Reviews

Panasonic Lumix TZ60: Features

As mentioned, the optical zoom receives one of the major updates on the TZ60. The new lens is a Leica DC Vario-Elmar 4.3-129mm f/3.5-6.4 optic carried offers an impressive 30x optical zoom – 24-720mm in 35mm equivalent. The danger of camera shake is allayed by a redesigned 5-axis hybrid optical image stabilisation system – Panasonic claims a 0.5EV increase in the OIS performance allows users to shoot handheld with a shutter speed up to 3.0 EV slower than before.

The TZ60 feautres a 1/2.3-inch, 18MP sensor back-side illuminated sensor. One aspect of this that might prick the interest of enthusiast photographers is that it shoots both raw and JPEG images. Thanks to the Venus Engine Processor, writing full-resolution raw and JPEG images simultaneously isn’t too laggy a process and a speed of 10fps is possible for a total of six frames in burst mode.

However, this is with a fixed focus and continuous AF will slow the rate to 5fps. Panasonic also says the Venus Engine is capable of more advanced noise reduction than previous models.



ROUND-UP: 10 Best Cameras You Can Buy

Multi-metering, centre-weighted metering and spot metering are all present on the TZ60. Meanwhile, the camera’s native ISO sensitivity runs from 100 to 3200 but can be boosted to 6400.

Although there are no colour profiles, the TZ60 does feature a wealth of filters and scene modes – in creative control mode users can select one of 15 filters including sepia, cross processing and dynamic monochrome. Filters can also be added to images using the retouch menu. An HDR option is available too.

Like the TZ40, the TZ60 features built-in GPS functionality, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. The camera’s Wi-Fi connectivity is, to quote Panasonic, ‘comprehensive’, and it is indeed class-leading – allowing remote access to the camera and image sharing via the free iOS and Android Panasonic Image App. It has its own dedicated button to allow connection to a smart device, to begin remote shooting, TV playback or image transfer as well.

What the TZ60 doesn't have, however, is a touchscreen display. Instead there’s a bright 3-inch, 920k-dot TFT LCD coupled with a 200k-dot Electronic Viewfinder. Although its resolution is quite low, the EVF does have a good refresh rate and is a decent aid for composition, something that purists will no doubt appreciate.

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Google Nexus 6 and smartwatch to be made by LG?

The Google Nexus 6 and the company’s first smartwatch will apparently be made by LG.

According to business sources, Google has chosen to rely on LG for the third year in a row to manufacture its flagship smartphone, following the success of the Google Nexus 5.

Earlier rumours suggested the LG and Google smartphone partnership would come to an end and Motorola’s new owner Lenovo would take over its smartphone manufacture.

However, the Gizmodo Germany sources indicated that LG will still produce the Nexus 6, due to launch in May or June this year.

Apparently, the Nexus 6 will be based on the upcoming LG G3 expected to also launch around the same time as the Google Nexus flagship.

No further details are currently known, but if the leaked cat photograph released earlier this week is anything to go by, both smartphones should pack quite the impressive rear camera.

The sources also reported that LG will manufacture the first Google Nexus smartwatch, which is supposedly being developed under the codename Nexus Gem.

Rumours indicate that the Nexus smartwatch platform will be announced sometime this month, with the hardware unveiled at the Google I/O in June.

This isn’t the first time an LG partnership for the Google smartwatch has been rumoured.

Multiple sources suggested that LG had been confirmed as the first Nexus smartwatch partner and also supported the same launch time frame as suggested here.

It is strongly believed the Google smartwatch will be heavily focused on Google Now, the company’s voice assistant that’s currently available via smartphone, tablets and Google Glass.

Any Google smartwatch will have to compete with existing offerings from Samsung and Sony.

Samsung launched a trio of smartwatch devices at MWC that all run on the open source Tizen OS rather than Android – Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit.

Read more: Samsung Tizen OS - 6 things you need to know

Via: DroidLife

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Watch Dogs release date confirmed as May 27

The Watch Dogs release date has finally been announced, with the game touching down six months later than originally planned.

Ubisoft has revealed that the Watch Dogs release date is scheduled for May 27 for the Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

“We are pleased to be able to reveal to gamers all over the world the new release date for Watch Dogs,” said Geoffroy Sardin, EMEA Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at Ubisoft. “We are extremely confident that the additional time we afforded the dev team to refine and polish the game will be more than worth the wait.”

The game was originally expected to be a launch title for the Xbox One and PS4, but Ubisoft made the decision to delay the game “to take extra time to polish” the game and make sure it would deliver the “memorable and exceptional experience” intended.

Anyone who purchases the PS4 or PS3 edition of Watch Dogs will be treated to 60 minutes of exclusive additional gameplay via the PlayStation Network.

“We’re really excited for the launch of Watch Dogs on both PS3 and PS4 and are confident that it will prove to be one of the standout games of 2014,” said Michael Pattison, VP of Third Party Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “It’s a unique and visionary game and we believe that the exclusive content available via PSN will not only excite gamers, but showcase how PlayStation is a preferred destination for Watch Dogs.”

Despite the rumours that the Wii U edition of the game had been scrapped altogether, Ubisoft reiterated that Watch Dogs Wii U “will release at a later date.”

Read more: Xbox One vs PS4

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BBC Three on-air channel axed, BBC One +1 to arrive next year, proposes BBC

BBC Three will no longer be an on-air channel and will only be available via BBC iPlayer.

The move to get rid of BBC Three from your live TV programming is part of the BBC’s £100 million cost-cutting plans

An official statement is expected to be released on Thursday, but it is expected that the reason for the decision is to keep the culture-orientated BBC 4 on-air rather than BBC Three.

This means you’ll only be able to get certain shows shown on BBC Three, such as Don’t Tell the Bride and Pramface, via BBC iPlayer.

Prominent comedies like Jack Whitehall and Matt Lucas have been actively campaigning to save BBC Three, with Lucas adding the move would be “really bad for new comedy.”

“I really hope reports that the BBC may kill BBC3 are just rumours. Their support of new comedy in particular is vital,” said Whitehall.

“It’s not necessarily a youth channel, but it is younger-skewed”, said comedian Russell Kane. “I don’t see why it should be cut because people who are younger have quieter voices in the political process.”

Last week, BBC Director General Lord Tony Hall explained “tough choices” would have to be made if the BBC would be able to cut its spending.

“We are in the final stages of a budget process to find an extra £100m of savings,” said Hall at the Oxford Media Convention. “I will announce the outcome of those decisions next month.”

However, Hall earlier said that actually cutting a channel wasn’t a move the British broadcaster was even considering.

“I wouldn’t consider closing a channel. The public feel very strongly about all the services the BBC does. We have to find other ways [of saving the money]”, explained Hall to the World at One.

The BBC Three scrap will have to be approved by the BBC Trust first though, as the governing body is responsible for representing the licence fee payers.

Moving BBC Three online would be “a sizeable step” towards the £100 million savings goal by 2016, according to Broadcast newspaper.

BBC Three was the birth place of Little Britain, Being Human, Gavin & Stacey and Torchwood, which all became extremely successful.



Read more: Best TVs 2014

Via: BBC

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New Dyson Air Multiplier is 75% quieter than original

The new Dyson Air Multiplier fan has been announced and is said to be 75 per cent quieter than the original model.

Dyson has revealed that its second generation Air Multiplier fan will offer several new features to improve the original bladeless fan range.

The new Air Multiplier range now features a new remote control to adjust an in-built sleep timer. You’ll be able to set a sleep timer, up to nine hours, so you can go to sleep and not worry about the fan still being on in the morning or waking up freezing in the middle of the night.

In order to help this being your new best pal for bed time in the summer, Dyson has also made the new range 75 per cent quieter while still maintaining the same “powerful” airflow.

“The Noise Abatement Society has awarded the Quiet Mark to the new Air Multiplier technology. 65 Dyson engineers reduced the turbulence of high velocity air, cancelling out specific tones, yet retaining high performance”, explained Dyson in a statement.

Dyson has also made the space at the base larger and reduced the airflow obstructions to reduce turbulence and introduced a Helmholtz cavity in the base to dissipate sound waves.

The new Dyson Air Multiplier range will be available sometime later this month. Pricing starts at £219.99 for the smallest AM06 model, rising to £299.99 for the largest AM08 model.

Also, the range will be available in iron/blue, black/nickel, iron/nickel and white/silver colour variations.

Read more: Dyson Cinetic DC54 vacuum review

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HP Chromebook 14 Laptop Review

What is the HP Chromebook 14?

The HP Chromebook 14 is a 14-inch laptop that runs on Google’s browser-based Chrome operating system. This is HP’s second stab at making one and having extensively used the HP Pavilion Chromebook for the past year, there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement.

It’s far more pleasing on the eye and with a Haswell-based Intel processor runs faster than first generation Chromebooks with all the added battery boosting benefits. HP also includes its new Data Pass pay as you go mobile broadband service, which gives users free 3G access for two years. Is it enough to make this the one Chromebook to own? Maybe, but we're not totally convinced.

READ MORE: Laptop Reviews

HP Chromebook 14: Design

It’s a fair assessment to say that HP’s first Chromebook was not the prettiest. Black, cheap and largely uninspiring. So for the Chromebook 14, HP has dropped the serious look in favour of something more brash and loud. You can get the Chromebook 14 in Peach Coral, Ocean Turquoise or Snow White like the one we had the pleasure of playing with.

It’s different but in a good way and a much-needed departure from the original. The soft matte white lid and dimpled base is not something we’ve seen on other Chromebooks. It’s nice to grip and gives the sub-£300 laptop a far more luxurious feel than its plastic build suggests.

When you open it up, the chassis is clearly MacBook inspired from the button-less chrome trackpad to the square chiclet keys, albeit it doesn’t use the same expensive materials as found on Apple’s laptops. There’s more space around the keyboard and a larger palm rest, but it definitely looks nicer from the outside than it does from the inside.

ROUND-UP: 10 Best Laptops You Can Buy

It’s 1mm thinner than the Pavilion (21mm) and also marginally heavier than the HP’s first Chromebook (1.8kg) weighing in at 1.85kg. That doesn’t sound like a lot but the extra heft is definitely more noticeable carrying it in a bag. We swapped between the two and the added weight is noticeable. For portability, there’s definitely better Chromebook options.

One thing you can’t knock this Chromebook for is onboard connectivity. Over on the right edge is the proprietary charging port so sadly it doesn’t support USB charging like the HP Chromebook 11. It’s joined by a SD card slot, a USB 2.0 port and further down is a 3G MicroSIM slot that comes with the more expensive model. Over on the left edge you’ll find headphone/mic jack, two USB 3.0 ports and a full-sized HDMI port that's something of a tight fit when plugging in a HDMI cable.

Elsewhere, there’s two thin stereo speakers on the base and above the screen you’ll find a pretty average 720p HD webcam with a flash to help out for those night-time chats.

All the changes HP has made are good ones. It feels solidly built and has been knocking around our bag for the past week with little issue apart from the odd pen smudge on that soft matte lid. The extra weight could be a slight issue for some but overall we are much happier with how the second generation HP Chromebook looks.

ROUND-UP: 10 Best Windows Laptops and Tablet

HP Chromebook 14: Screen & Sound Quality

The Chromebook 14 features a 14-inch LED backlit 1,366 x 768 HD display which matches the screen resolution on the 11-inch Acer Chromebook C720 and the 13-inch Toshiba Chromebook. Sadly, that means we have another Chromebook that serves up yet another below par display. It’s a little more acceptable on a 11-inch display but on a 14-inch screen it's really not great.

It’s also a TN display, which is renowned for poor viewing angles and glare both of which the Chromebook 14 suffers from. You’ll find yourself tilting the angle of the screen at times to reduce reflection.

The display looks a little washed out and lacks the vibrancy and punchy colours to make this a particularly great place to watch video. Putting it side-by-side with the HP Pavilion, there’s some noticeable improvements for colour accuracy and sharpness. The 200 nits of brightness doesn’t do a great deal of good when you hovering around the 50% mark and you’ll need have near to maximum brightness to have the most suitable working environment.

Chromebook displays on the whole continue to be the most disappointing aspect especially when tablet screens are getting so much better.

We didn’t really have high expectations for this particular feature and surprisingly like the Toshiba Chromebook, HP doesn’t do a bad job. There’s no Beats Audio, but there’s just the subtle hint of bass to help give the loud and reasonably well defined sound a little bump. The forward-facing speakers ensure you feel the full brunt of your audio as well. If you are planning to put that 60-day free trial to Google Play Music to good use, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what the speakers have to offer.

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Virgin TV Anywhere rolls out to Android 4.4 KitKat devices

Anyone wielding an Android 4.4 KitKat device can now utilise the Virgin TV Anyway service.

Smartphones and tablets running Google’s latest Android KitKat OS, including the Nexus 5 and Moto G, will now be able to download the Virgin TV Anywhere app to their device.

Virgin TV Anywhere offers 68 live channels to watch on your mobile devices, which the provider claims is more than the Sky Go alternative.

There’s also 2,500 hours of on demand content available via Virgin TV Anywhere, with the majority of this content accessible via smartphone and tablet as well.

Not only can you enjoy live and on demand content using Virgin TV Anywhere wherever you have Wi-Fi access, you can also use the app as a remote management tool for your TiVo set-top box.

This means you can schedule and delete recording in real time, even if you’re not at home.

Virgin TV Anywhere is a free service for any Virgin Media TiVo customers and be enjoyed on computers, select Android devices and all iOS devices.

All Virgin Media customers can use the service on their computers though, even if they don’t have a TiVo subscription.

Read more: Nexus 5 tips and tricks

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Huawei: There is no difference between tablets and smartphones

The X1 further blurs the lines between smartphones and tablets

As smartphones grow and tablets shrink, Chinese manufacturer Huawei has claimed there is now “no difference between tablets and smartphones.”

With the phablets sector, kicked off by the predecessors to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, having hit new heights over the last 12 months, Huawei has claimed the lines between smartphones and tablets are now blurred beyond recognition.

“The screens are getting bigger and bigger so there is now no difference between pad and smartphone,” Shao Yang, Huawei’s Chief Marketing Officer said speaking with TrustedReviews.

Highlighting Yang’s belief that smartphones and tablets are becoming one and the same, last week Huawei officially unveiled the Huawei MediaPad X1, a 7-inch tablet with the ability to make calls and be used as a smartphone outright.

Discussing how the two defined sectors are merging into one, slightly confused space, Yang stated: “Even though consumers want a big screen, they want a device that is holdable and pocketable.”

He added: “Even if consumers don’t think this is a phone, they think it is necessary that it can make a phone call. The phone call is a bonus to them.”

As well as the ability to make calls, Yang has suggested that the move to oversized smartphones has been pushed by the need to incorporate larger batteries.

“Users still want to have a big battery because with LTE the power consumption is still very, very high,” he told us. “In some countries we have found that some iPhone 5S users by 3pm can’t use their phone.”

As well as boasting a 7-inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel display and 4G, LTE connectivity options, the Huawei MediaPad X1 runs a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage expandable via microSD.

Read More: Huawei Ascend G6 review

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Twitch game broadcasting coming to iOS and Android

Twitch game broadcasting will come to iOS and Android thanks to a new software development kit (SDK).

The new SDK from Twitch will allow mobile game developers to build game broadcasting functionality straight into their apps for iOS and Android.

Any captured footage will then be able to be broadcast directly to Twitch.

You’ll also be able to broadcast videos of yourself using the smartphone’s front-facing camera and add audio commentary to your mobile broadcasts using the internal microphone.

The SDK could also let you change your broadcast quality and utilise chat options like emoticons.

Whether all of these features would be available for a particular title would be down to the choices made by the developer.

There is already a Twitch mobile app, which the company announced has already been installed on over 10 million Android and iOS devices.

“Our vision is to provide the Twitch community with the ability not only to view, but to broadcast live video game content wherever they are, whether they’re on the go or in the living room,” said Matthew DiPietro, Twitch marketing VP in a statement. “We’ve achieved that with our PC and console integrations, so the trifecta will soon be complete with our deep and concerted foray into mobile broadcasting.”

Unlike the Twitch service on Xbox One and PS4, the mobile adoption will be dependent on the developers making the game broadcasting function available in their apps.

Developers will be required to work with the Twitch SDK to implement the streaming abilities for individual games.

If you’re a developer and would like to discover more information, just head to the dev.twitch.tv website.

Read more: Best iPhone games

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HTC One 2 dual sensor camera tipped again

The HTC One 2 dual sensor rear camera has been tipped yet again before the phone officially launches on March 25.

We’d be extremely surprised if the All New HTC One launches without a dual sensor after the sheer numbers of leaks emerging over the last few months.

The latest leak comes from notorious tech tipster @evleaks, which released a close up shot of the HTC One 2’s dual sensor rear camera.

“Up close with the HTC M8 cameras,” came the evleaks tweet.

As before, you can see a twin set of camera sensors adorning the rear of the HTC One 2. The larger sensor, below, is tipped to offer the same 4-megapixel UltraPixel resolution as the HTC One.

However, this will be coupled with a smaller 2-megapixel UltraPixel sensor above it in order to allow users to customise the background of their photographs via a special built-in app.

It also looks like HTC will employ a dual LED flash with its 2014 flagship. Similar to the True Tone flash in the iPhone 5S, it seems the HTC One 2 will have a white and an amber LED to make images look more natural.

HTC itself teased the dual sensor camera of the HTC One 2 in a picture released earlier this week.

Behind the launch date of March 25 were six images all showing a pair of subjects, including running dogs, trees and cheeky giraffes.

The image was coupled with the Twitter caption: “On March 25th, life will become twice as beautiful.”

Read more: HTC One 2 M8 camera explained: Is it just a gimmick?

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Huawei brands Apple’s iPhone ‘the best model for the 3G experience’

Huawei tips its hat to Apple and the iPhone

Huawei has spoken out on the state of the smartphone market, stating that Apple’s rival iPhone is “the best model for the 3G experience.”

In a strangely open statement, the Chinese manufacturer has looked over its own smartphone offerings and praised the impact of its market leading competitor.

Despite the good words, however, Huawei has predicted that as more consumers move across to 4G networks, users will step away from Apple’s handset lines.

“The iPhone is the best model for the 3G experience,” Shao Yang, Huawei’s Chief Marketing Officer said.

He added: “When 4G really comes, the different user scenarios and applications will need different designs.”

Speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews, the Huawei exec claimed that as smartphone users become more reliant on 4G connections and increase their streaming habits and multimedia consumption, they will move to handsets with bigger screens and improved audio.

Although Yang has highlighted the iPhone as offering a leading smartphone experience, the Huawei exec has suggested that the market has become too reliant on Apple’s handset.

“It is an important time to look at the future of smartphones because currently a lot of phones are looking very much like the iPhone,” he told us.

This comment feels particularly rich given last year’s Huawei Ascend P6 launch – a phone which looks to have been crafted in the shadow of the iPhone 5S form factor.

Read More: Huawei Ascend G6 review

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Roku Streaming Stick shrinks the set top box experience

Roku has announced a new HDMI stick device called the Roku Streaming Stick, which promises to turn virtually every television set into a smart TV.

Looking every inch like a plug-in internet dongle or a USB memory stick, the Roku Streaming Stick slots into a spare HDMI slot on your TV and grants it all the abilities of your average smart TV.

You can then use the bundled remote control or your smartphone or tablet (with the updated Roku app) to browse TV channels, apps, and other Roku content.

It’s not quite as elegant as that - you’ll also need to then plug the device into a spare USB port or wall socket in order to draw power - but the Streaming Stick promises to be a lot less cumbersome than a dedicated set top box.

The Roku Streaming Stick then works like other Roku devices, offering access to more than 750 channels - some of which are available in 1080p HD - as well as popular streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and BBC iPlayer. Roku claims that it provides "more channels and genres than any other TV streaming device."

You can also cast your personal media from your smart devices to your TV using the Roku Streaming Stick, rather like the Google Chromecast.

You can pre-order the Roku Streaming Stick now. It should be available in the UK, US, and Canada in April for a recommended retail price of £49.99.

Read More: Best TVs 2014

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iOS 7.1 coming within a week

Apple’s iOS 7.1 update could be launched within a week, according to a recent internet rumour.

Apple is set to hold its first ever US iTunes Festival - an event that we in the UK are all too familiar with - at the SXSW even in Austin, Texas. That starts next Tuesday.

You might wonder why we haven’t seen an official app to tie-in with that event yet, though you probably haven’t. The potential answer, though, could be far more interesting than the question.

Well-connected Apple expert John Gruber has heard it on the grapevine that the official SXSW iTunes Festival app, which will enable users to live-stream the event to their iPhones and iPads, will require iOS 7.1 to operate.

In other words, Apple will be launching iOS 7.1 to the public in the next six days, or "any day now" to use Gruber’s words.

Apple’s next mobile OS revision - and the first major update of the radically revamped iOS 7 - has been at the testing phase since November of last year. We’ve seen five developer beta versions to date, which suggests in itself that a final version is just about ready.

Expect to see a number of minor UI tweaks with iOS 7.1, including alterations to the menu buttons in the dialler and the slide-to-unlock screen. You can also expect a tweaked colour palette in the keyboard, and some of Apple’s default app icons have also been modified.

Keep your eyes peeled - we could be seeing an official release from Apple some time this week.

Next, read our HTC One 2 news and rumours round-up.

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Waterproof Phones: IP ratings explained

Dust and water-proofing used to be features associated with the kind of tough phones you’d expect mountain-climbers to pack into their rucksacks. Or the phones people on construction sites take to work. How things have changed.

The ability to brave the elements continues to crop up in smartphone announcements and at MWC 2014, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z2 were the latest handsets to continue the trend of producing waterproof and dustproof designs.

If you’ve read our Samsung Galaxy S5 hands-on you’ll know that the follow-up to the S4 has been IP67 certified dust and water-resistant. But what does that actually mean? The best place to start is by understanding exactly what an IP rating is.

What is an IP rating?

IP stands for Ingress Protection and is essentially a rating system developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission or the IEC. The system is now being used to classify different degrees of protection against intrusion or immersion. In other words, when Samsung, Sony or anyone else claims something is ‘waterproof’ or dustproof’ the IP rating will tell you how well it can guard against dust or water from damaging your expensive investment.

The IP rating is usually followed by two digits. The first indicates the level of dust-resistance, the second water resistance. Dust-resistance levels go from 0 up to 6 while water-resistance goes from 0 to 9.

The higher up the scale, the better the smartphone or tablet is at offering protection. So if you have a smartphone that is IP68 certified, that means it’s fully dust-proof and water-resistant, although usually to a certain depth and for a certain amount of time for the latter.

How waterproof are the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2?

In order to guard your phone or tablet from damage, vital ports need to be internally sealed like they are on the Sony Xperia Z1 or alternatively use rubber sealed lids like the ones found on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. If those lids are not fully closed before you submerge the phone underwater you are going to have problems.

So how does that translate to the latest line of water and dust deflecting handsets from MWC 2014?

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has the same IP67 certification as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, which means according to the IP rating scale it is completely dust-proof and can be submerged underwater up to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes. The new perforated design plastic back and USB port at the bottom are both rubber sealed to make this possible.

For the Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone and Xperia Z2 Tablet Sony includes an IP55 dust-resistant rating and an IP55 and IP58 waterproof ratings. Like the Xperia Z1, both use the same removable covers over the microUSB charging port, microSD card slot and microSIM slot on the tablet.

When all are closed, it retains it will be dust-resistant and water-resistant to jets of water. It can also be submerged underwater in freshwater up to 1.5 metres depth for 30 minutes. So, you can’t take it in the pool and the bath and shoot 4K video, or take photos bath. But not in the sea.

Is the iPhone waterproof?

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are not waterproof. Apple has so far decided against going down the same protective path as Samsung and Sony. It’s not something that’s currently being rumoured for the iPhone 6 either, although you can never rule anything out from the folks at Cupertino.

The best way to get a waterproof and dustproof iPhone is to invest in a case from a manufacturer like LifeProof or Griffin, who provide sealed cases with IP68 rating that will then allow you to take the Apple smartphone to the beach or for a swim in the pool.

In most cases, you will have to be willing to sacrifice on the slim form factor. Rugged cases are almost always chunky things. Other options include getting a company like Liquipel to add a water-resistant, nano-coating to smartphones with an IPX7 rating for casual water resistance.

So there you have it. That’s what the IP rating means for the latest smartphones. It will tell you whether your smartphone or tablet is water-resistant or waterproof, and remember those two are clearly very different things.

Any questions? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Motorola Moto G has ‘shaken up the market’ says Three

The Motorola Moto G and Google Nexus 5 have ‘shaken up’ the smartphone market, network provider Three has suggested.

Speaking with TrustedReviews on the current state of the handset sector, retailer Three has claimed that the budget Motorola and high-specced Nexus 5 are forcing rival manufacturers to alter their approach to the smartphone space.

“The Moto G and Google Nexus 5 have absolutely shaken up the market,” Three’s Product Portfolio Manager Brendan Arndt told us.

Launched last November as a mid-range smartphone with an entry-level price tag, the Motorola Moto G, which can be snapped up for just £100, features a 4.5-inch 720p HD display alongside a 1.2GHz quad-core PCU and 1GB of RAM.

Adding a 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera and the choice of 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, the Motorola Moto G became an instant hit, with the wallet friendly price tag meaning many consumers could bypass costly 24 month contracts.

Discussing the Moto G’s new approach to smartphone pricing, Arndt stated: “It will absolutely put pressure on the other guys to up their game a bit.”

The Moto G is not alone in its efforts to push the smartphone sector in a new direction either. The Three Portfolio Manager highlighted the LG-manufactured Google Nexus 5 as another handset that has ‘shaken up’ how consumers view their smartphone buying habits.

“The Nexus is absolutely one of those phones that people will buy outright, because it’s a good deal, and not just buy it on a network,” the Three official told us.

While the Motorola Moto G and Google Nexus 5 might have led the way, Arndt believes they are only the start of a larger movement.

“All the vendors are looking at giving consumers a bit more value, and bringing 4G down,” he told us adding: “Moto G and Nexus 5 have challenged all the other vendors to do that.”

Read More: Motorola Moto X review

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Nokia: Windows Phone app ecosystem is ‘getting there’

Nokia hints to positive steps for WP apps

With Windows Phone 8 continuing to be criticised for its lack of high-profile applications, Nokia’s head of developer relations has claimed the platform is ‘getting there’ in terms of app support.

Discussing the platform’s continuing struggle to attract high-profile apps and key developers, Bryan Biniak, Nokia’s Vice President and General Manager of Developer Experiences stated simply: “I think we’re getting there.”

Despite now having the likes of Instagram and WhatsApp on board, WP8 has consistently lagged behind iOS and Android in adding the big name apps.

Although plans were recently confirm for a BBM Windows Phone app to be launched in the summer, this much loved messaging service hit iOS and Android handsets last autumn. According to Biniak, however, this common launch discrepancy could be on the cusp of changing.

“I think that the biggest thing that has happened so far is that we have 30 million devices in the marketplace so that’s a pretty significant motivation for developers to support the device,” he said.

“They are starting to see the volumes that support their business models.”

He added: “At the end of the day it’s about how many downloads, how much money are you going to make me and really supporting developers in that effort.”

Despite his optimistic view for the platform’s future, Biniak has been realistic in addressing the operating system’s ongoing lack of prompt developer support.

“If you look at the gaps – and we just announced Adobe, we announced BBM – there is only a few of those top developers that are missing,” he told us.

“For some of them it’s just about where they are in their own development priority and for some of them it’s just about scale.”

Looking at how to entice this currently untapped developer base, Biniak stated: “There is a tipping point for them that when the install base is there we can support their business model.

“I think you have some game developers in particular doing extremely well, some of which are going public, so they want to see some comfortable numbers. I think we’re getting there.”

Read More: Nokia Lumia 1020 review

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Samsung Galaxy S5 promo video officially released

The Galaxy S5 is on its way

Following the phone’s recent formal unveiling, a Samsung Galaxy S5 promo video has been release, highlighting a selection of the handset’s features.

Highlighting a range of the Samsung Galaxy S4 follow-on’s key functions and capabilities, the Samsung Galaxy S5 promo video has showcased the iPhone 5S rival’s inbuilt fingerprint scanner and heart rate sensor.

Although little more than a piece of marketing fluff, the S5 promo video offers a detailed insight into some of the phone’s finer points, including the array of S Health fitness features and new collection of software-introduced camera capabilities.

With the handset having been formally announced during Samsung’s MWC 2014 press conference last week, the eagerly awaited Samsung Galaxy S5 release date will be held on April 11.

Powered by a new 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and Google’s latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS, skinned with TouchWiz, the Samsung Galaxy S5 specs sheet is further enhanced by 2GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel rear-mounted camera.

With a 2-megapixel snapper up front, the S5 features list is bolstered by a 5.1-inch SuperAMOLED display with a 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution and an oversized 2800mAh Lithium-Ion battery.

Read More: Where can I buy the Samsung Galaxy S5?

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