BlackBerry Passport stock shortages please company CEO

The BlackBerry Passport remains in short supply following its release last month, with BlackBerry CEO John Chen suggesting he is ‘glad to have inventory issues’.

Although costing the company’s potential sales, according to the BlackBerry boss, the stock limitations surrounding the unusually sized smartphone are a sign of strong consumer demand, not just low production figures.

"I’m glad to have inventory issues,” Chen said speaking with Canadian media.

He added: “It shows that people want the phone. We took a very conservative approach and didn’t order too many.”

Although BlackBerry has kept current Passport sales close to its chest, the company announced that it shifted 200,000 units during the phone’s opening two days on sale.

The Passport is BlackBerry’s latest attempt at targeting business users. With 30 per cent of the smartphone sector believed to use their handsets primarily as a business tool, not an entertainment portal, the Passport is a return to form for the ailing Canadian maker.

“That is not a space that we can afford to be in now,” Chen said of the lifestyle consumer market.

He added: “Being sexy and being a workhorse are two different things.”

A key indicator of the Passport’s business intentions is the phone’s physical QWERTY keyboard. This three line addition sits below the phone’s unusual 4.5-inch square display. This boxy panel features a 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S6 release date

Via: TheGlobeandMail

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Apple officially drops Bose products from online store

Apple and Bose are now competitors thanks to Beats

Apple has swiftly removed Bose audio products from its online store, bringing to an end, a long and prosperous partnership.

Headphones like the popular Quiet Comfort 3 noise cancelling headphones disappeared from the store on Friday.

Apple’s decision followed a report one week ago, which claimed the companies’ relationship was coming to an end.

Speculation surrounding the report had seen numerous reasons touted for the breakdown between Bose and Apple.

Earlier this year Bose had sued Apple-owned Beats Audio over an allegations the Dr. Dre-led headphone company had infringed upon Bose’s noise cancelling technology patents.

The filing of that suit was suspiciously-timed given cash rich Apple had rubber-stamped it’s $3 billion deal to buy Beats just days earlier.

Another theory centred around a $10,000 fine levied on NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for wearing Beats headphones in public when the league has signed an exclusive sponsorship deal with Bose.

A more likely and less dramatic explanation is that Apple is simply eliminating a competitor from its stores.

Before Apple owned Beats, having a premium headphone manufacturer within its online and physical stores made sense. Now, the firm would much rather fill it’s shelves with Beats headphones.

Bose isn’t the only company that could be facing the axe from the Apple Store.

Earlier this week reports claimed Fitbit wearables will be removed from the Apple Store sooner rather than later, over its hesitation to embrace the HealthKit platform in iOS 8.

Read more: Opinion: The biggest news from the iPad launch didn’t even get a mention



Via: 9to5Mac

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Android 5.0 has an Easter Egg and its a Flappy Bird-style game

Google Nexus 6 will ship with Android Lollipop

A keen-eyed Android user has spotted the so-called Easter Egg within the new Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system.

Google likes to hide little bonuses around each iteration of its mobile software and Lollipop, apparently, is no different.

A YouTube user with access to the latest developer preview found a Flappy Birds-style mini game through a combination of taps and prods within the Android settings menus.

The game, like the addictive and infuriating title it is paying homage to, requires players to tap the screen to avoid duck in and out of obstacles.

However, instead of a bird and those Mario-like pipes, Easter Egg hunters will guide the Android robot through a landscape of lollipops.

Whether the game makes it into the final version remains to be seen, but happy hunting when Android 5.0 becomes available, reportedly on November 3.

You can check out the game in the video clip below, but don’t watch if you like to work these things out for yourself!

Read more: Android 5.0 features list: What's new?


Via: Android Central

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Tumblr gets a Mac OS X Yosemite app

Tumblr has launched its first native desktop app, exclusively for the new Mac OS X Yosemite operating system.

The free app can be downloaded now by Mac users who’ve upgraded to Yosemite, which was launched as a free update following Apple’s launch event on Thursday.

The “nice, simple little app," as Tumblr calls it, isn’t much different to the web experience, but the blogging company says the experience will be smoother, simpler and faster within the standalone offering.

The company is calling the app “a browser that goes to Tumblr and only to Tumblr. The rest of the internet? Don’t worry about it. You’re not missing anything.”

Perhaps the coolest thing about the app is the ability for users to share and post to their Tumblr blog from anywhere within Mac OS X.

The new Yosemite software expands the list of third party apps which sit within the Share menus along side the likes of Mail, Messages, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

That means, for example, a photo from your iPhoto library, or a webpage in Safari can be inserted into a tumblr post with minimum fuss.

The firm said: “It lets you post to Tumblr from almost anywhere on your Mac. If a window has a share button, you can share the things in that window to Tumblr. Got a photo lying around on your desktop? Throw it right onto your blog with a couple of mouse clicks.”

Read more: Best OS X Yosemite tips and tricks

Via: The Verge

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The biggest news from Apple’s iPad event didn’t even get a mention

Mark it down in the tech history books, folks; this was the Apple launch when a post-event titbit about SIM-cards stole the show from the finest iPads yet.

Following the unveiling of the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 on Thursday, Apple chose to quietly reveal the biggest news of the night in a footnote next to the tablets on its website.

If you didn’t hear, the Wi-Fi/Cellular versions of the slates will come pre-installed with an Apple SIM; a software-based, network agnostic solution that gives consumers power to sign up to short term mobile data deals and switch between networks at home and abroad, without messing about with those tiny pieces of plastic.

In an awesome turn of events, iPad owners will be able to just choose data plans and change them on the fly within the cellular settings. No longer will they be handcuffed a network at the point of purchase (as they are in the United States), they’ll get to pick and choose what suits them.

No longer will travelers between the US and the UK, many of whom rely on the iPads for navigation, research and communications when abroad, need to faff around ordering and picking up a local SIM cards or paying expensive roaming charges. They’ll simply be able to get connected as soon as that plane hits the tarmac.

Pretty cool, huh? In my view this already makes the new iPads tough to beat as the best tech travel gadgets out there.

SEE ALSO: iPad Air 2 vs iPad mini 3

Now, my first thought when stumbling upon the news on Thursday night was, “I want this on my iPhone right now!”

As someone who splits his time somewhat evenly between the UK and the United States, I would love the freedom to simply switch over to a one-month plan, when I come back to Blighty. Instead I’m messing about with two phones, paying for both of them concurrently.

As it stands as an iPad-only solution, it’s comfortably the most compelling reason to upgrade my haggard-but-still-perfectly serviceable iPad 2. Until now, I’ve never considered doing so until the old boy conks out.

So why is the Apple SIM such a big deal? Well, aside from the extra freedom and flexibility it offers consumers, it also has the potential to democratise communications, forcing the providers to up their game.

If users, untethered from two-year contracts, can switch almost at will for a better deal or improved services, the networks are going to have to do more to keep users in their corner. That means more attractive and flexible tariffs and hopefully cheaper prices.

Therein lies the reason Apple did not shout too loudly (they practically whispered) about the Apple SIM. It has the power to seriously shake up the wireless industry and leaves Apple’s network partners looking a little vulnerable. When you think about it, it’s remarkable they’re agreeing to go along with such a proposal, but that’s Apple’s great power isn’t it?

Can you imagine what EE or AT&T would say if HTC, Samsung or Sony suggested something like this? I don’t think I need to tell you the first word, but the second word would be 'Off.'



SEE ALSO: iPad Air 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5

All in all, Apple left perhaps the most important announcement out of a somewhat and pedestrian laborious event (which was so loaded with lame Dad jokes it felt like a Chevvy Chase film), in order to somewhat appease those network partners.

However, make no mistake, no matter how much Apple is playing it down, the Apple SIM is a much bigger deal than the addition of Touch ID and a gold paint job.

Read more: iPad Air 2 vs iPad Air: Should you upgrade?

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16GB Nexus 9 will start at £319 in the UK, Amazon reveals

The 16GB iteration of the Nexus 9 is now up for pre-order for the princely sum of £319.

Amazon is listing the black and white versions of the device, promising delivery on November 3.

The £319 tag for the 8.9-inch HTC-made tablet is pitched at the same price as Apple’s new iPad mini 3, while it is a full £80 cheaper than the iPad Air 2.

Earlier on Friday Amazon also revealed pricing for the 32GB Nexus 9, which is also available for pre-order at £399. The firm also listed the 16GB at $399 (around £250), but unfortunately Brits won't get the direct price conversion.

The Android 5.0 Lollipop device is Google’s most advanced tablet yet, thanks to the 64-bit Tegra K-1 processor, which has a dual-core chip running at 2.3Ghz.

It also has the same 2048 x 1536 screen resolution as the iPad mini 3 along with 2GB of RAM and a whopping 6700mAh Lithium-Ion battery. It also has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.6-megapixel front-facer.

The Nexus 9 arrives to carry the fight to both new iPads this festive season with a size that conveniently sits between the two Apple devices.

Have you made your mind up which, if any of the tablets, you’ll be snapping p up? Spill the beans below.



Read more: Nexus 9 vs iPad Air 2



Via: Engadget

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Phone Review

What is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the company’s latest 'phablet' and the follow-up to the Note 3. Sitting above the Samsung Galaxy S5, the new Note isn't cheap. You can buy it directly from Samsung for £629 SIM-free, but we'd suggest shopping around to get it for less. For the money though, you get a new QHD '2K' display, a class-leading Snapdragon 805 processor, fast charging and an improved S-Pen stylus. Did we mention there's metal in the design as well?

It's crammed with cutting-edge tech, making it feel more of a flagship phone than the S5 and it's clear that Samsung is listening to calls to reduce the bloatware that can make its flavour of Android overwhelming at times.

The Note 4 is a phone that grows on you and, while there are better-looking phones, there's a whole lot to like about this big'un.

Watch our hands-on video of the Galaxy Note 4

Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Design

The obvious thing to address here is the size. It's a big phone and big phones pose some handling issues. The Note 4, much like the Note 3, actually doesn't feel too ridiculous to use in one hand or to hold up to the ear to take a call. It doesn't mask its stature as well as the LG G3, but even for our smallish hands it didn't take long to make the adjustment.

Compared to the Note 3, it’s taller, thicker and heavier, but the key difference is that it’s not as wide. It’s not by a great deal but this does slightly reduce the area you need to stretch fingers across to reach the other end of the virtual keyboard. You will want to type holding it in two hands, but it’s not a pain to use it in one hand either. Samsung does include a one-handed operation mode to shrink the screen size, which should help those who are really struggling.

Inevitably comparisons are going to be made with the iPhone 6 Plus and having had the big iPhone to compare, the Apple smartphone is taller and wider but slimmer than the Note 4. The curved sides on the Apple make it slightly nicer to grip, but both designs have their good and bad points.

iPhone 6 Plus, Note 4 and Note 3 compared

When you peer into the Note 4 box for the first time, you could easily mistake the Note 4 for the Note 3. It has the same sized screen and the bezel around the display is virtually identical, although the decision's been made to use a slightly lighter shade of grey. Take it out of the box and it doesn’t take long to notice the new design elements – and some of the old ones that we're still not the greatest fans of.

The first change is the new aluminium metal trim that has a darker, cooler shade than the one on the Galaxy Alpha. The metal-look plastic trim was one of the naffest features on the Note 3 and thankfully it's gone. The lighter silver finish on the Alpha is nicer, in our opinion, but on the whole this is a step in the right direction for Samsung. The corners on the trim are slightly raised, which is barely noticeable and doesn’t really have an impact when holding the Note 4.

Around the back is that thin, leather-effect plastic, now thankfully without the horrible fake stitching and a little softer to the touch. It’s nice to grip and fits in with the more sophisticated, business-like design approach of the Note 4, but it's still a bit tacky. Compared to the all-metal One M8 or the iPhone 6 Plus, it simply doesn’t ooze class in the same way. It’s a big step up from previous Note handsets, but it also serves as a reminder of the design inconsistencies across the Samsung handset range. We’d have preferred to see the softer-touch back finish on the Alpha, which is more comfortable to hold.

The back is still removable and here you’ll find the microSD card compartment, along with a removable 3220mAh battery and Micro SIM slot. Slip the cover back on and you'll notice a small speaker, repositioned from the bottom edge, along with the protruding 16-megapixel camera sensor, single LED flash and a heart-rate sensor.

Flip the phone over to its front and the big change here is the new curved glass display. It’s the type of screen technology we’ve seen on Nokia Lumia smartphones and aims to promote stronger viewing angles. What it also means is that because it doesn’t lie flat against the metal trim, it creates a small gap that can be a magnet for the dust and muck from inside your pocket. It's not the ridiculously sized gap that some people have reported it as, though. The earpiece above the screen has shrunk a little and it’s very evident that there’s a larger 3.7-megapixel camera sensor now included for better-quality video calling and selfies.

There are some features you'll miss from the Note 3 and the S5. The Note 4 isn’t waterproof, although the lack of a dedicated camera shutter button would have made it tough to take photos submerged anyway. Samsung will no doubt suggest Note users don't want waterproof phones, but we'd rather have the feature than not.

The micro USB 3.0 charging port is gone, just as it is on the Galaxy Alpha. The Note 3 was one of the first phones to support the new faster data-transfer technology, which increases the rate of recharging. If there was a Samsung phone where the technology made sense, it was the Note, so it’s strange to see Samsung has dropped it.

Elsewhere, the better-looking volume rocker, standby button and headphone jack are all in the same place, as is the home button, which also supports fingerprint recognition. We found the biometric sensor far more responsive than it is on the S5.

The S Pen is still hidden away in a compartment at the bottom of the handset, where it sits securely and shows no signs of falling out. The S Pen uses the same ribbed plastic and shiny silver top

Samsung Galaxy Note 4: Screen

The Note 4 sticks to the same 5.7-inch screen, but it’s the resolution where things have changed. Following the lead of the LG G3 and the Oppo Find 7, Samsung has moved from a Full HD 1080p resolution display to a much sharper 1400 x 2560-pixel QHD (Quad HD) display. That means it has four times the pixels as a 720p HD display like you’d find on a Moto G for instance.

Samsung still uses a PenTile Super AMOLED panel to deliver the punchy colours and excellent black levels, making it a great canvas for video and reading. The pixel count is 515ppi, which is less than the 534ppi on the G3, but it’s still more than the 432ppi on the Galaxy S5.

One key benefit is that you gain the ability to view multiple apps on the same screen, which will come in handy for the Note 4’s Multi Window feature. There are some disadvantages, too, such as the impact on battery life with the extra processing power needed to deal with the higher resolution.

Most will probably not appreciate what the higher pixel density adds, but there’s no doubting that this screen is super sharp. It’s more noticeable when running video, but web pages are exceptionally crisp as well.

There are, of course, other qualities that make a good screen and the Note 4 does well on those fronts as well. It’s much brighter than the Note 3 and on par with the iPhone 6 Plus, making it useful for night-time use and offering great visibility in the bright outdoors.

It’s colourful, too – perhaps too colourful out of the box, so you might want to dip into the Display options in the Settings menu to make adjustments. Samsung includes Adaptive, AMOLED Cinema, AMOLED Photo and Basic display modes. The Adaptive and Basic modes help to mute the erratic colours and high contrast for a more balanced experience.

Video watching is where it really impresses, though. Whites are exceptionally white, blacks are gorgeously deep, and bigger is generally better when it comes to viewing pleasure.

Lying on top of that curved Super AMOLED Quad HD display is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to add some extra durability and protection, which is almost a necessity for a big screen like the one on the Note 4. It also uses a Wacom digitized layer to sense the difference in pressure when using the S-Pen to help create an experience closer to writing on a piece of paper.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price

Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S6

The Samsung Galaxy S6 release date could be with us sooner than expected as a raft of Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours start to circulate.Although tradition would suggest the Galaxy S6 will not be unveiled until February next year, latest reports have suggested a huge drop in profits have forced Samsung to push the Galaxy S6 release date forward. The phone could pair this early arrival with an all new look, too.

With the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 having both been unveiled recently, it is now widely expected that next year's Galaxy S6 release will echo its siblings and adopt a metal design of its own.

Given the Samsung Galaxy S5 was as a strong, albeit slightly iterative update on the Galaxy S4, we expect the Samsung Galaxy S6 to be a more serious refresh which includes a higher resolution, QHD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 or 810 chipset and even, according to some, a flexible body.

With Galaxy S5 sales reportedly falling well short of the Korean manufacturer's expectations, it appears the company is set to put its full force behind the Galaxy S6, bestowing the handset with a bevy of high-end hardware and software features.

Watch our video on what to expect from the Galaxy S6

While some reports are farfetched and others more likely, what is almost certain is that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will launch in early 2015 as a direct rival to the iPhone 6, remaining consistent with previous launches.

Given that the LG G3 has been unveiled with a 2560 x 1440p QHD display, a feature also bestowed on the Note 4, it is a fair prediction that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will also make the jump to a QHD panel.

We will be updating this page with all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details, leaks, news and rumours as new information emerges. Bookmark it now to ensure you are kept in the loop on all things S6.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date

As you would expect, Samsung has yet to offer any official details on the distant Samsung Galaxy S6 release date. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have an idea as to when the phone will launch.

Like Apple, Samsung has become a creature of habit, with the company’s annual product cycles bringing a level of expectation to certain points in the year. For example, September and the Berlin-based IFA conference means a new Note.

Since the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Korean manufacturer’s flagship phone line has been reserved for unveiling during – or within weeks of – the Barcelona-based Mobile Word Congress conference in February. As such there is no reason to believe this will be different for the S6.

With MWC 2015 to be held between March 2 and 5, we would anticipate that the Samsung Galaxy S6 release date could be confirmed during the manufacturer’s dedicated press conference on either Sunday 1 or Monday 2 March.

This tradition could be thrown off by falling profits, however. With Samsung predicting a 60 per cent fall in annual profits, analysts have suggested the S6 release could be pushed forward in order to stem the rot.

“Samsung’s profits in the mobile division will continue to deteriorate during this period of changing their line of smartphones,” Lee Min-hee, an analyst at IM Investment and Securities, told The New York Times.

Speaking with Bloomberg, Claire Kim, an analyst with Daishin Securities Co in Samsung's native Korea added: “We all know Samsung’s third-quarter earnings will be pretty ugly. The earlier release of its new phones could be reflected in its third-quarter earnings, it could give them a slight boost.”

We will of course update this post as soon as more concrete Samsung Galaxy S6 release date details are available.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 News

Although the company has remained quiet on confirmed details, Samsung has already teased aspects of its future smartphones, a list expected to include the Samsung Galaxy S6.

Making the announcement during its annual Analyst Day in Korea last November, Samsung revealed that in late 2014 its first phones to run a 2560 x 1440 pixel WQHD displays will land. This timeline came to fruition with the Note 4.

Although not the company's first device to feature such a screen, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to make the jump beyond the S5’s 1080p Full HD offering.

Despite being the company’s flagship phone, it appears that the Galaxy S6 will fall between Samsung’s technology cycles.

Although Samsung has confirmed it will bring 3,840 x 2,160 pixel UHD displays to its smartphone offerings during 2015, it is believed the Samsung Galaxy S6 will arrive too early to benefit from this next-gen panel. Instead, however, the S6 looks likely to mimic the rumoured LG G3 with a QHD display.

Offering a further insight into the Samsung Galaxy S6’s screen, Samsung’s promise to continue its push into AMOLED displays leaves little doubt in the technology within the phone’s panel. As such deep blacks and reasonable kindness to the battery can be expected.

Lower than expected S5 sales have reportedly forced Samsung to reassess its smartphone efforts, with the company said to be ready to put more emphasis on high-end design and premium materials.

"They made one mistake, one product that didn't hold up to expectations and they are paying the price," Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang said speaking on the slow S5 sales recently. "They will have to move forward and leave behind what has failed and focus on the next product."

It's not just analysts predicting a renewed smartphone effort from the Apple and HTC rival, Samsung itself has pledged to improve its handsets moving forward.

"We will strengthen our product competitiveness by reinforcing our premium brand reputation, powerful product line-up, and cutting-edge technology," an official Samsung spokesperson stated.

Now, claimed insiders have told Chinese media that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be bestowed with a premium, metal design, much like the new Samsung Galaxy Alpha. The metal S6 body has been tipped by 'sources within Samsung’s supply chain’.

If moving to a new, metal form, Samsung will hope to avoid to construction issues which have troubled the release of the Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Rumours

As with the S5 before it, there have already been suggestions that the Samsung Galaxy S6 will feature a curved, flexible display. With Samsung having already announced handsets with curved displayed - we're looking at the Samsung Galaxy Round and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge here - we can’t see the manufacturer risking its flagship brand with this novel technology. As such the flexible phone will be a separate handset in its own right and the S6 will be a more traditional offering.

With size being almost as important to Samsung as image quality, it has again been rumoured that the Galaxy S6 will feature a larger display than its predecessors. With the Samsung Galaxy S range having risen from 4-inches to 5.1-inches in just five generations, we can see the S6 topping off somewhere around the 5.2 or 5.3-inches. With the S5 still featuring quite a sizeable bezel, there is certainly room for Samsung to squeeze a larger display into a similar sized frame in 2015.

Another Samsung Galaxy S6 rumour that has already started to rumble – and will likely follow the phone to launch – is claims of Samsung finally ditching its fascination with plastic in favour of a more premium build quality. It has even been suggested that the S6 could utilise graphene in elements of its design as Samsung makes progress with the material.

Following a recent graphene development by Samsung, industry experts praised the potential implications.

"This is one of the most significant breakthroughs in graphene research in history," SAIT Lab leaders said. "We expect this discovery to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene, which could unlock the next era of consumer electronic technology."

Although there has been much talk about the first Tizen phones, Android will remain the OS of choice for the Samsung Galaxy S6, a feature seemingly confirmed by the manufacturer. Yoon Han-kil recently stated that Android "still needs to be out main business," despite the continued push of Tizen.

Depending on Google's plans, it's likely the Galaxy S6 will run either Android 4.5 or Android 5.0.

A selection of Samsung Galaxy S6 concept designs have also surfaced, though they're little more than fan 'visions' that offer little in terms of a reliable insight into the phone. One feature we'd like to see, however, is forward-facing stereo speakers similar to the HTC One M8.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S6 specs sheet will feature a number of cross over features from the S5, with a wealth of new offerings thrown into the mix. Given the focus Samsung has heaped on the S5’s water resistant coating, fingerprint scanner incorporating home button and rear-mounted heart rate sensor, you can all but guarantee that both will make another appearance next year and hopefully in improved form as well.

In terms of power, however, things are all change, and the chipset likely to feature within the Samsung Galaxy S5 has already been unveiled. In early April, processing giant Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 CPUs. These chips are set to appear in their first handsets during "early 2015," a window that fits the expected Samsung Galaxy S6 release date.

With the Samsung Galaxy S5 running a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset following the S4’s own Snapdragon 600 internals, the Samsung Galaxy S6 looks set to run either the 808 or 810 units.

Knowing what processor the handset will run has seen a number of further Samsung Galaxy S6 specs teased.

According to Qualcomm, the processing units will allow for everything from UHD 4K displays to be supported to the introduction of Cat 6 LTE connections and the option to run up to 55-megapixel camera sensors.

At present the 64-bit, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor is looking the more likely to feature, with support for display resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 pixels fitting with claims of a WQHD S6 screen. The 808 will also introduce LPDDR3 memory, a range of battery management improvements and an Adreno 418 GPU that will boost graphical performances by a reported 20 per cent.

There is currently no word on the phone's camera, although we would be surprised if the S6 didn't improve on the S5's existing 16-megapixel snapper.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Price

The Samsung Galaxy S6 price is one area where there are currently few details available. Given the flagship nature of the ‘Galaxy S’ range, however, there is no point holding out for a wallet-friendly fee.

At launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 cost £579 on a SIM-free basis. As such, we can’t see the Samsung Galaxy S6 price starting off much lower than the £600 marker.

For all the latest Samsung Galaxy S6 rumours, including details on the phone’s specs and release date, bookmark this page now as it will continue to evolve as new information emerges.

Share your thoughts on what you would like to see included in the Samsung Galaxy S6 in the comments boxes below.

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BBC will publish list of articles removed by Google

The BBC is going to publish a list containing all of the articles removed by Google from its search engine under the ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling.

What’s more, the British media organisation says it will continually update the list over time, ensuring it stays up to date.

The ‘right to be forgotten’ is a rule imposed against Google by the European Court of Justice that allows members of the public to request the removal of search results pertaining to them.

Google began accepting requests for search result removals back in May, with 12,000 applications submitted on the very first day.

Fortunately, Google decided to inform websites whenever a link was removed, meaning the BBC will find it extremely easy to manage its list.

The head of editorial policy at the BBC, David Jordan, says that some of the BBC’s articles have been wrongly hidden, and has talked up the public’s ‘right to remember.'

The BBC will begin publishing the list at some point in the ‘next few weeks’.

As of August 21, Google has received somewhere north of 30 million search result deletion requests, although a large number of these are attributed to copyright violations.

The ruling has been widely criticised as many see it as a form of internet censorship.

If you’ve got a dirty past that you want blasted off the face of the world’s favourite search engine, you’re free to send in your own request.

You’ll need to provide weblinks to the material, the name of your home country, and explanation of why the links should be removed, and photo ID to ‘guard against fraudulent applications.’

Read more: Google Nexus 6 deals

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iPad Air 2 pre-orders now open

iPad Air 2 pre-orders have officially opened up ahead of the tablet's formal release next week.

After some brief downtime for the online Apple Store, the Cupertino-based company's latest tablet is now waiting for eager adopters. The refreshed 9.7-inch slate was unveiled just last night.

If you’re looking to throw down cash on the svelte slate, here’s our round-up of the best iPad Air 2 deals and prices.

The new iPad Air 2 ships with Apple’s new A8X chip, an upgraded SoC that builds upon the A8 that launched with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The device also comes with the TouchID fingerprint sensor, first debuted on the iPhone 5S, and promises a 10-hour battery life.

“When we launched the iPad Air, just a year ago, we did so by showing that all this power was in a device slimmer than a pencil,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Revealing the device, he added: “So what do you do when you make the best tablet in the world? How do you make it better? You do this.”

The Wi-Fi-only model marks up at £399 for 16GB, £479 for 64GB, and £559 for 128GB.

The Wi-Fi and cellular models are all priced up higher at £499 for 16GB, £579 for 64GB, and £659 for 128GB.

Earlier today TrustedReviews exclusively learned from UK retailer John Lewis that the iPad Air 2 would be officially releasing next Wednesday, October 22.

The new device was unveiled alongside the iPad Mini 3. The teeny slate boasts just two updates from the iPad Mini 2 with Retina display, namely a fingerprint sensor and a new gold colour option.

Read More: OS X Yosemite released as free update

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Local multiplayer support added to Google Play Games

Google has announced local multiplayer support for Google Play Games, meaning better co-operative gameplay on your tablets and smartphones.

As part of the latest Google Play services update, Google Play Games now supports local multiplayer gaming, allowing you to invite your friends into your game.

"Google Play Games has added the ability for players to find each other nearby in multiplayer games with the latest Play services update," explained the Android Developers blog post. "Through games that support Play Games multiplayer, players can now invite other nearby into the same game when starting a multiplayer session, creating more local competitive and cooperative experiences."

The technology is similar to that found in the Nintendo 3DS family, which uses its StreetPass feature to find locally based players.

Until now, such a functionality hasn't been available on Android devices. Now players will be able to enjoy "ambient, real-time" games with multiplayer users.

It'll work as long as the games utilise Google's own back-end multiplayer services.

The news come just days after Google confirmed the name of its latest Android iteration, Android 5.0 Lollipop, alongside a slew of new devices - the Nexus 9, Nexus 6 and Nexus Player.



Read more: Best games 2014

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Surf’s up with wave-tracking Glassy Pro One smartwatch

It might look like the long lost sibling of the Sony SmartWatch 3, but the Glassy Pro One is better suited to a sea-sprayed Cali beach than the smoggy streets of Tokyo.

This fitness-tracker-with-a-twist promises to upgrade your next surf session and turn you from paltry board-borne driftwood into a totally radical dude…totally.

Joking aside, there’s some seriously interesting tech on offer, with the Glassy Pro One able to relay a raft of unique statistics.

The water-friendly watch can track the time you’re riding a wave, your riding speed, the number of waves you get per session, the duration of your session, and the meteorological conditions of your sessions too.

The Glassy Pro team says its new kit will suit anyone willing to get wet: “From king of beach who takes all the waves to the kook that can’t make a move.”

There’s also the added option of sharing your surf sesh with your mates, should you successfully tackle a sudden tsunami off the coast of Cornwall.

“Glassy Pro One counts the number of waves that you get in a session, which you can compare with your buddies and see who’s boss. Or just keep it mellow and take out little progressions over the time.”

The Glassy Pro One comes in three colour options, namely blue, green, and black. How radical is that? Ab-surf-lutely radtastic.

The Glass Pro One is currently available for pre-order for £189 with shipping set for summer 2015.

Read more: Sony Smartwatch 3

Via: Wareable

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Limited Edition PS4 bundle launched with Minecraft and FIFA 15

Sony has announced a Limited Edition PS4 bundle with Minecraft: PS4 Edition and FIFA 15.


Preparing itself for the next onslaught of new releases, Sony has revealed a brand new and limited edition PS4 bundle that comes complete with Minecraft: PS4 Edition and a copy of FIFA 15.

This special bundle will be available only for a limited time and retails for £349, the same price as a standalone console.

The new bundle also coincides with the launch of the standalone Glacier White PS4 console.

Originally launched as part of DriveClub and Destiny PS4 bundles, the special edition white PS4 is now available to buy as a standalone product.

The Glacier White PS4 also retails for £349.99, so if you're in the market for a PS4 you might want to opt for the Limited Edition bundle instead because of its value for money.

This Limited Edition bundle is intended to set gamers up ahead of the Christmas period, when the console will be home to a wealth of big name new releases, including Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Far Cry 4, Assassin's Creed Unity, GTA 5 and LittleBigPlanet 3.



See also: PS4 Share Play - How Sony is changing multiplayer in a big way

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Samsung’s new Chromebook 2 trades Exynos for Intel chip

Samsung has just added another 11.6-inch version of its Chromebook 2, with the new laptop running an Intel chip at its core.

Until today, you could only buy the Chromebook 2 in 11.6-inch and 13-inch variants with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa chip.

This third option, dubbed the 11.6-inch Intel Chromebook 2, runs off an Intel Celeron processor clocked at 2.58GHz and 1 MB L2 cache.

By comparison, the original systems sported an Exynos 5250 chip clocked at 1.7GHz, also touting a 1MB L2 cache.

Unfortunately the 13-inch version will be getting no such alternative, as Samsung has confirmed that the sized-up model will retain its Exynos chip.

There’s also 2GB of RAM built in, as well as 16GB of storage.

The display measures in at a 1366 x 768 resolution spread across an 11.6-inch screen.

If you’re a fan of the stitched-leather lid, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s made a return on this latest Chromebook.

In terms of luggability, the Chromebook 2 sports a 11.4 x 8.6 x 0.66-inch chassis and weighs a feathery 2.65lbs.

Two 2W stereo speakers also make an appearance, and there’s a front-facing 720p HD webcam up top to boot.

While all this doesn’t exactly make for a powerhouse notebook, you’re still looking at some decent specs for a steal of a price tag.

The official R.R.P is set at $249.99, which translates to around £155 in sterling.

It'll be on sale starting October 20, but pre-orders are open from today.

Read more: Exynos 7 Octa

Image: Rob Schultz

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OS X Yosemite Software Review

What is OS X Yosemite?

Above all else, OS X Yosemite aims to inexorably tie Macs, iPhones and iPads together. Apple has had many of the ingredients in recent years, but OS X Yosemite is a quantum leap by comparison. It plugs odd gaps, such as AirDrop support across iOS 8 devices and Macs, and introduces numerous new features – many of which we also cover in our iOS 8 review.

The fact that Yosemite is free makes judging it less loaded, but this is a larger update than last year’s Mavericks. Yet despite its many useful new features, such as the ability to make and take calls from your iPhone from your Mac, or iCloud Drive, the thing most people will notice is how it looks.

Also read: New 27-inch iMac has 5K Retina display

OS X Yosemite: The New Look

We assume Apple simply ran out of time with Yosemite’s predecessor, Mavericks. While iOS 7 introduced a refreshingly new, Ive-inspired look, Mavericks was more of a tinker under the bonnet – an oil change rather than a full service. Yosemite catches up and the lineage is obvious. It adopts the same ‘flatter’ appearance, simplifies and adds generous lashings of transparency.

The effect varies from app to app, but the basic idea is OS X Yosemite takes the colour of your desktop background (or webpage in Safari) and reflects that within the window you’re viewing. It’s not transparent in a ‘see-through’ way; it takes the colour and makes it diffuse – the nearest real-world reference is that it's like looking through frosted glass. This kind of change inevitably raises concerns about usability, but they’re largely unfounded. We’ve had no problems with unclear actions or interface elements arising from this.

The transparency effects and a change in font, the same one as in iOS 8, give OS X Yosemite a much-needed freshness. It’s also brighter. Yosemite adopts a similar colour palette to that introduced in iOS 7 – a fact reflected in app icons and even folders.

We also like the many ways Yosemite tightens things up and uses space more efficiently. The best example is how many title bars (not all) are now removed. The traffic-light buttons – the three ones in the top left of every window – are still there, but they sit along proper interface elements, making use of space previously wasted. This means, for example, that the address bar in Safari is now on the same level as the traffic light buttons. It gives you a little more space and it looks cleaner and neater.

OS X Yosemite: From iOS with Love

It’s not just the interface that has a strong iOS influence; many features are lifted wholesale from iOS. The best example is the Notifications Center. which looks, feels and works just as it does in iOS 8. This includes support for third-party extensions and widgets, plus the ability to replace and remove the default ones with those of your choosing. Third-party support is patchy at present, but it’s bound to pick up – it already has on iOS 8. There’s still no ‘clear all’ option notifications, though.

Yosemite also picks up the third-party extensions support added to iOS 8. Third-party extensions work across the whole OS and fall into four categories: Actions (edit or view content in another), Finder (integrate with Spotlight search), Share Menu (share with other apps) and Today (widgets). They’re a useful addition, though we haven’t seen many examples yet – developers are only now starting to roll out Yosemite updates. Yosemite also adds Family Sharing, which makes it easier for parents to manage family accounts and share purchases, and iCloud Drive.

iCloud Drive is a belated admission that Apple’s previous iCloud system was too restrictive, even by Apple's standards. Instead of files being cocooned within individual apps, iCloud Drive organises them into folders in much the same way Dropbox does. By default iCloud Drive apps have their own folders, but you can access them and open the files in any compatible app.

Other iOS inspirations are subtle, such as the way the address bar in Safari hides the full URL until it's selected, in favour of the domain or – in the case of verified websites – the name. These kind of changes might upset purists, but there’s sense in them. Hiding the URL makes it harder for phishing sites to ‘spoof’ domain names, as they can’t hide the real domain with overly long and complex URLs.

The final iOS-like flourish is a significant upgrade to Spotlight. Just as in iOS 8, it pulls in search information from numerous other sources (Maps, Wikipedia, iTunes, Bing etc.), but it’s also gained a new, larger preview window. The new window gives you previews of the results and organises your search results by category (i.e. Bing results and files on the Mac are separated) and it puts what it thinks is the most relevant result at the top. It’s a useful improvement and, just like iOS, it’s integrated into the search bar in Safari, too.

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Gadget Review

Available on Xbox 360, PS3 (reviewed), PC

Is more of the same always a bad thing? In the case of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, maybe not. Developed by 2K Australia rather than Gearbox itself, it’s more of a hyper-extended DLC pack than a sequel as such, filling in some of the blanks between Borderlands 1 and 2, for those few who have even the slightest interest in the over-arching plot. For the rest of us, who simply love the Borderlands mix of FPS mayhem, sweet loot, Diablo-style upgrading and humorous dialogue, The Pre-Sequel is an opportunity to get a little more of it, albeit with a handful of twists. It’s also one of a dwindling number of games that are leading on the last-gen consoles, rather than being ported downwards. More than a few Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will probably be grateful for that fact.

It’s set on Pandora’s moon, Elpis, features a new cast of vault hunters – though ones familiar from previous games and DLC – and focuses on the back story of the previous Borderlands’ villain, Handsome Jack. Graphically speaking, it seems identical to Borderlands 2, and the gameplay is no great departure either. You’re given missions, you shoot enemies. When the enemies die, you gain experience and the chance to hoover up their loot. Experience means you level up, gain skill points, and can spend them on a branching set of class-specific perks and skills. You also earn badass ranks from a range of challenges, winning tokens to be redeemed against a drip-feed of skill bonuses, enhancing weapon damage, shields, reload times, melee attacks and more.

It’s the upgrade paths that make Borderlands so addictive. Each of the game’s four protagonists has a different one, with different capabilities that can be unleashed at a squeeze of the trigger. As you level up and earn skill points these only become more useful, with the enforcer’s drones becoming faster and more powerful, while the lawbringer steadily develops a fantastic ‘showdown’ attack, where she can gun down a whole gang of enemies in a furious chain of auto-aim, damage-boosted shots.



See also: Best games 2014



Throw in a seemingly endless stream of more efficient, higher-damage weaponry, and there’s always the feeling that a more satisfying way of slaughtering goons is only just around the corner. Fans will also note how cleverly the upgrade paths tie into the overall storyline; you’re watching characters from Borderlands 2 become the villains you’ll eventually meet. It’s also great to see 2K Australia making Claptrap a playable character, albeit a dysfunctional, unpredictable hybrid of the others where you never quite know what he’ll do next.

The Pre-Sequel also makes the most of its moon settings, throwing in a new crucial resource – O2 – and a mass of low-gravity high-jinx. You need O2 to breathe (though the game doesn’t punish you with insta-death for running out) but it also enables other tricks, namely a boost jump and glide in Elpis’s relaxed gravity, and a slam attack you can use to deal massive damage from above. 2K Australia hasn’t been able to resist a spot of platforming – though for once it actually works – but these new capabilities add a little extra something to the combat. Butt-stomping someone from a great height never gets tired, though you’ll also find enemies using it to their advantage. Sorry Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, but everyone’s doing ‘verticality’ these days.



See also: Xbox One vs PS4



And the combat itself? Well, it’s the usual sort of fast-blasting bedlam. Enemies aren’t particularly smart, but they are numerous and aggressive. The various psychos and pint-sized nutjobs might be wearing space suits and talking – oddly enough – with Australian accents, but they haven’t grown any more placid, while Elpis has its own selection of fierce wild beasts to contend with. You’ll die fairly often if you’re playing solo, but there’s precious little penalty for doing so, and The Pre-Sequel gives you the chance for a last-ditch reprieve, provided you can kill someone while you’re bleeding out. It’s too generous a game for a punitive approach.

Comparisons with Destiny are pretty much inevitable. Both games put you in large open spaces and deal out combat-focused missions with loot and upgrades the main reward. Yet if the minute-to-minute feel of the combat is stronger in Destiny, and the mission design generally stronger, then The Pre-Sequel’s trump card is personality. I’m not one of those people who feels Destiny has no personality – Bungie knows how to create amazing worlds, and there is a back story there if you absorb it – but there’s something infectious about Borderlands and its humour. It knows what it is and what its fans are looking for, and it delivers.



See also: Best Xbox One games



The downside of this approach is that there’s not an awful lot here that you won’t have seen before, and that the mission design can be lazy. Too many missions focus on a trip to an outpost to kill some dudes, climaxing in a bullet-sponge boss battle where you’re pelted with hard-to-dodge attacks. If you’re looking for the year’s best single-player shooter, this isn’t it.

Played with a pick-up group or some Borderlands-loving friends, it’s a different story. The difficulty level ramps up nicely to keep the action intense, and there’s a great sense of camaraderie and competition as you dispatch foe after foe. The Pre-Sequel can’t match the tenser, more tactical co-op play of Destiny’s Strikes – and the matchmaking experience isn’t nearly as smooth or as seamless – but in its own anarchic way, it’s just as much fun.



See also: Best PS4 games



It’s easy to recommend The Pre-Sequel to fans of the series, providing they haven’t already gorged themselves to the point of bursting on two games and a pile of DLC. It’s not the best starting point for non-fans, as much won’t make sense if you haven’t played Borderlands 2. Given that Borderlands 2 can be picked up these days for a pittance, and looks, feels, sounds and plays practically the same, newcomers would be better advised to start off there. After that, however, you might feel like more of the same good stuff. If that’s the case, The Pre-Sequel won’t disappoint you.

Verdict

It can feel more like a generous expansion than a game in its own right, but The Pre-Sequel gives Borderlands fans what they want and how they want it, with just enough twists to make the experience feel distinct. Played Borderlands 2? Loved Borderlands 2? You’ll love this too. If you haven’t played Borderlands before, however, then it’s worth starting with Borderlands 2 before deciding if you want another helping.



See also: Destiny tips and tricks

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launches in the UK

It’s Christmas day for fans of oversized smartphones as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 launches in the UK.

Having been formally unveiled during IFA 2014 last month, the 5.7-inch Note 4 is now available from a variety of UK retailers and network providers.

Although the iPhone 6 Plus rival is sure to have its fans, those looking to snap up the device on a SIM-free basis will have to overcome the hefty £629 price tag in order to enjoy the S-Pen lover sans-contract.

Sibling to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S5, the Note 4 has been bestowed with a market-leading array of specs.

With the phone’s 5.7-inch display benefitting from a QHD panel which offers a stunning 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, the handset is further enhanced by a speedy 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM.

Pairing Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat OS with its own TouchWiz UI, Samsung has added a 3220mAh Lithium-Ion battery to the Note 4.

For the snap-happy out there, the phablet’s cameras have also been given a boost. The phone’s 16-megapixel rear-mounted camera is OIS enhanced while a secondary, 3.7-megapixel snapper sits up front.

As well as the handset coming in traditional black and white colour schemes, high street chain Carphone Warehouse is set to exclusively offer the phone in gold.

“Pre-orders for the new Samsung Note 4 have been off the scale and beaten all records for previous Note handsets fivefold, this looks set to be Samsung’s most popular Note yet,” an official Carphone Warehouse spokesperson said of the handset.

They added: “More customers than ever are enquiring about large screen phones and we’ve noticed that once they make the move they will rarely go back to a smaller handset.”

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S6 release date

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 4G Phablet UK SIM-Free Smartphone - Gold

Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Charcoal Black 32GB (AT&T)

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Bemo turns your phone into a smart thermostat

Smart heating systems are a great idea, but most are very pricey. Bemo, however, is more affordable.

It looks simple to use, too. You control it using your Android or iOS device, meaning there's no complicated new doohicky to get to grips with or break. Like most smart heating systems it connects over Wi-Fi, but you can also control it by SMS, which is a nice touch. It means you won't freeze just because the Wi-Fi has gone down.

The device costs $129 (£80), and the app is free. Considering Nest is $249, Bemo looks like an attractive proposition.

If you have an old smartphone lying around, you could even use that as a dedicated thermostat, instead of shelling out hundreds on a separate device.

Like other systems, Bemo lets you control the heating and air conditioning from afar, so you can have your house nice and toasty when you get home, or stop the heating coming on if you've been called out on important business. Like having a quick pint after work.

Unlike pricier systems, you won't need an expert to set it up, as it comes with an installation kit. The device itself comes in black or white, and can also be used to stream music around the house.

Energy monitoring lets you see how much you're saving, both in terms of energy and money.

It's still in the prototype stage at the moment, but the people behind it hope to ship the first units in August next year. Check out its Kickstarter page for more.



Read more: Smart Thermostats in the UK

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Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 to get Android Lollipop on November 3?

Google’s Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets will be getting the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS on November 3, latest reports have suggested.

Both Nexus 7 variants, namely the 2012 and 2013 Wi-Fi editions, will be getting the update at the same time.

Unfortunately it seems the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 won’t be so lucky, with both Google-stamped smartphones set to get the updated OS at a later date. The Nexus 7 LTE model is also tipped for a postponed upgrade.

The leak comes courtesy of Android Police, with the blog citing ‘a reliable source’ for the new info.

“We’re confident in our sources and the quality of the information provided on this,” boasts the site.

The November 3 update gels with the on-sale date for Google’s newly announced Nexus 9, the search engine giant’s latest flagship slate.

Google also recently announced the Nexus 6, although we don’t have a specific November date for the smartphone just yet.

Android Lollipop brings with it a raft of modifications, most notably a visual upgrade following Google’s flat and fluid ‘material design’ aesthetic.

It’s also set to support 64-bit chip architecture, increase battery life significantly, and improve cross-device communication.

Read more: Nexus 6 where to buy

Via: Android Police

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UberPlus is business class for taxis

Will go south of the river at this time of night

Uber has introduced a new service that sits between its standard UberX and high-end UberBlack. It's called UberPlus, and it's like business class for taxis.

It's pricier than UberX – though still more affordable than a regular taxi, Uber is at pains to point out – but cheaper than UberBlack. The base fare is $5 (to UberBlack's $8), then you'll be charged $0.40 per minute, and $2.35 a mile. The minimum fare is $10, with a $1 safe rides fee.

Order through it, and you'll be picked up in a Mercedes-Benz C-class, Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, or another model that's slightly nicer than your standard minicab. Each seats up to four passengers.

Here's the catch – it's only rolling out in Los Angeles at the moment. Though expect it to reach other cities around the world soon.

Uber warns that demand may be high while it gets up and running, so you can expect delays.

Uber has met with opposition all around the world from taxi drivers who claim it's flouting accepted rules of conduct. In London, cab drivers have protested, saying the service breaks Transport for London's rules.

The service was banned in Germany last month, though a judge has since overturned the ruling.

Travis Kalanick, Uber's boss, recently told the BBC he was not a bully. "I've never been derogatory towards taxi drivers," he said. "In the US there's basically a cartel of taxi companies, I was referring to them."

Read more: What is Uber and why has it caused a black cab protest?

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Samsung shows off bendy batteries for future wearable devices

Samsung has just revealed flexible batteries designed for use in the smartwatches and smartbands of the future.

The new cells work at full capacity even when completely rolled, making them an ideal addition to your wearable’s innards.

Samsung says its bendy batteries aren’t up to scratch for consumer roll-out just yet, instead predicting a mass market release in three years time.

Samsung showed off its new battery fare at the InterBattery 2014 even on Korean home soil.

The battery on display measured a teeny 20 x 3.6mm, with an equally minuscule juice capacity of 10mAh.

The Korean electronics firm hasn’t outed which particular devices will use the batteries so far, but we’d expect future iterations of the Gear S and Gear Fit to make use of the rollable cells.

One of the major problems with wearable devices currently is poor battery life across the board.

With bendy batteries, Samsung could make better use of limited smartwatch real estate and potentially cram in more mAh than firms using your usual garden-variety cells.

Considering Samsung’s penchant for curved TVs and soundbars, there’s also a good chance we’ll see scaled-up versions of the newly flaccid batteries in the firm’s home electronics range.

Read more: Best Misfit Wearables Gadgets

Via: TizenIndonesia

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Nexus 9 pre-orders kick off ahead of November 3 release

Following the tablet’s formal unveiling earlier this week, Google has started accepting Nexus 9 pre-orders.

With the iPad Air 2 rival set to hit retailers on November 3, the search turn tech giant is giving wannabe owners plenty of time to get their advanced orders in for the HTC-made slate.

Replacing both the longstanding Nexus 7 and popular Nexus 10 as Google’s only tablet offering, the Nexus 9 is something of a halfway house device. It features an 8.9-inch display with an iPad mini 3 mimicking 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution.

Under the hood Nvidia’s new 64-bit Tegra K1 processor runs the show, with the dual-core chipset having been clocked at 2.3GHz. 2GB of RAM and the option of 16GB and 32GB storage capacities is also available.

Further Nexus 9 specs include a sizeable 6700mAh Lithium-Ion battery and an 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera. For those shameless enough to use their tablets to grab a selfie, a secondary, 1.6-megapixel snapper sits up front.

Alongside the Nexus 6 smartphone, the Nexus 9 will be one of the first devices to run the new Android 5.0 Lollipop OS direct from the box.

As well as being able to splash the cash via the Google Play store, a number of third-party retailers are also getting in on the Nexus 9 pre-order game.

On such seller is Amazon. The online giant is offering the 32GB Nexus 9 for £399.

For those of you based in the US, the 16GB Nexus 9 can be secured through Amazon for just $399 (£248).

Will you be pre-ordering a Nexus 9 or are you planning on snapping up a new iPad? Let us know via the comments section below.

Read More: Nexus 9 vs iPad Air 2

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This is the world's first contactless payment card with a built-in fingerprint scanner

In light of Apple Pay, your credit cards look a bit old fashioned, even if they are geared up for contactless payments. This one, however, has its own fingerprint scanner, putting it on a par with the iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, and Samsung Galaxy S5.

It's made by Zwipe and Mastercard, and means you can confirm payments by touching your finger or thumb on the scanner. It holds your biometric data and will only allow the purchase to go through when it knows that the you're the one using it. No more PIN numbers, no more worrying about losing your card.

You can use it anywhere you can make regular contactless payments.

"Our belief is that we should be able to identify ourselves without having to use passwords or PIN numbers," Ajay Bhallan president of enterprise security solutions at Mastercard, said in a statement.

"Biometric authentication can help us achieve this. However, our challenge is to ensure the technology offers robust security, simplicity of use and convenience for the customer. Zwipe's first trial is a significant milestone and its results are very encouraging."

The first generation of the card housed a battery, which made it chunkier than your standard flexible friend. It was used in trials in Norway. However, the second generation is the same size as a normal credit card, and will work with terminals released next year.

Looks like contactless payments are about to become a lot more secure.

Read more: Apple Pay release date confirmed for October 20

Via: Pocket-Lint

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Twitter adds tweets to your timeline from people you don't follow

We all know Twitter has been experimenting with showing you tweets from people you don't follow, but now it's confirmed that it's a standard feature.


The company claims it's to help you find who to follow.

"Choosing who to follow is a great first step – in many cases, the best tweets come from people you already know, or know of," Trevor O'Brien from Twitter's product team explained in a blog post entitled The Spirit of Experimentation and the Evolution of Your Home Timeline. "But there are times when you might miss out on tweets we think you'd enjoy.

"To help you keep up with what's happening, we've been testing ways to include these tweets in your timeline – ones we think you'll find interesting or entertaining."

If someone you follow favourites a tweet from someone you don't follow, it will show up in your timeline, even though they didn't retweet it.

Twitter claims it's bringing you more interesting tweets, but critics say it's ruining the experience by giving you less control over what you see.

O'Brien claims feedback has been positive. "Testing indicates that most people enjoy seeing tweets from accounts they may not follow, based on signals such as activity from accounts you do follow, the popularity of the tweets, and how people in your network interact with them."

Twitter recently introduced Audio Cards that let you play music and other audio from within a tweet by pressing the play button. To enable this, it partnered with SoundCloud.

Read more: Twitter allows adverts based on people's tweets

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Advanced local multiplayer gaming coming to Android

Google has added an advanced local multiplayer gaming feature to Android.

Multiplayer gaming on smartphones is a curiously remote, isolated experience. Considering we all carry them around with us, it's perhaps surprising that our main interaction with other real players in the mobile games we play is via a highscore table.

When we do hook up with other players, it's either through turn-based play or remote competition over a Wi-Fi network. Local multiplayer gaming is possible through a shared Wi-Fi connection, but it's rarely utilised.

Now Google has taken a step towards making local multiplayer gaming more intuitive and appealing. The latest version of Google Play Games, Android's gaming framework, has added the ability for players to locate other nearby players.

"Through games that support Play Games multiplayer, players can now invite others nearby into the same game when starting a multiplayer session, creating more local competitive and cooperative experiences," explains the Android Developers website.

It sounds a little like Nintendo's StreetPass feature, which allows 3DS gamers to share game data with other players they pass in the street.

Whether Android game developers will take full advantage of this feature remains to be seen, of course. At present, the state of gaming on the Google Play Store is much healthier then it once was, but the vast majority of games that turn up on it are made with iOS as the lead platform.

While this remains the case, it's doubtful whether many developers will exploit the Android platform's latest unique feature to its full potential.



Read More: Android 5.0 Lollipop - What's new?

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Samsung S32D850T Monitor Review

What is the Samsung S32D850T?

There’s a buzz around 4K in the monitor world, but not everyone wants to use such a super-high resolution when getting on with work – and not everyone can afford to splash out on a 4K panel, either.

Samsung’s S32D850T is a more sensible proposition for anyone after a big-screen experience in the office. Its resolution of 2560 x 1440 is more palatable than 4K, and its £415 price is more tempting when compared to the £1000 prices of large-size 4K panels.

ROUND-UP: 2014's Most Impressive Monitors

Samsung S32D850T: Specs & Design

The business focus of this screen means that its design is entirely function over form. It’s got one of the most versatile stands we’ve seen, with 130mm of tool-free height adjustment, plenty of horizontal swivelling and the ability to swing round into portrait mode. It’s a similar amount of versatility to the ViewSonic VP2772, which only just outreaches the Samsung with 150mm of height adjustment.

It’s simple to switch the Samsung into a different position because of the smoothness and ease of its mechanisms, and it’s a little easier to use than the Viewsonic VP2772 – that particular monitor required a pin to fasten its height-adjustment system.

The Samsung’s port selection is good. The back houses single dual-link DVI, DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4 connections, and there are numerous USB ports – one to connect to the PC, and four USB 3.0 connectors to use for peripherals. There’s a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks, too. Aside from those audio connections, the ViewSonic offers a similar selection.

The Samsung is a plain-looking screen: the bottom bezel is coated with a subtle brushed metal pattern, but the rest of its forward-facing surfaces are coated with an unassuming mottled finish. There are no sops to style on the stand, either, but it’s impressively sturdy – it anchors the 32in panel to the desk with barely any wobbling.

The entire unit weighs a hefty 12kg, and it’s 279mm from front to back. That’s much heavier than the 8.5kg ViewSonic, but it’s actually slimmer than the 348mm VS2772.

On the inside, Samsung has chosen VA technology – a choice it concedes has been made partially due to budget costs. VA panels make sense for business, as they traditionally have good viewing angles, high brightness levels and deep blacks. And while response times aren’t great, that’s less critical when it comes to office screens.

SEE ALSO: This Year's Best Cameras

Samsung S32D850T: Setup

It doesn’t get much easier to set up a monitor – just place the Samsung face-down on a desk, swing the stand into position, and you’re good to go. A screwdriver only comes out if you need to remove the stand to attach a VESA mount.

That’s not the only aspect of the Samsung’s setup that’s simple. This screen has physical buttons along its bottom edge, and they’re large with clear icons. One opens the main menu, and there are shortcut buttons for common settings such as brightness and contrast, plus another to open the Samsungs’s Eco Mode menu.

The main menu is clear and responsive. Most of the customisable options are contained in a single menu, and it’s easy to find the obvious settings. It has most of the options that users are likely to require, but there’s no sign of the Adobe RGB preset found on the ViewSonic – this Samsung is configured for sRGB, but nothing more demanding.

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