Samsung patents flexible phone design

by Luke Johnson 14 March 2015 |Share: Flexible phones have long been tipped to be the future of the mobile space, and now Samsung looks to be making the move a reality. Teasing the company’s future efforts, a patent filed by the Korean manufacturer has surfaced, highlighting Samsung’s work in the flexible phone space.Spotted by PatentlyMobile, the intellectual property filing shows that the Galaxy...
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Google VPN may protect your Android device on public Wi-Fi

by Chris Smith 13 March 2015 |Share: Google is seemingly planning to give Android users a helping hand when using open Wi-Fi networks, by routing traffic through its own VPN service. The Pocketables site (via Android Central) has been trawling the new Android 5.1 Lollipop release for new features using a Motorola Nexus 6 handset and spotted a new Google Connectivity Services app.Within that app, the...
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Halifax testing heartrate security to unlock online bank accounts

by Chris Smith 13 March 2015 |Share: UK building society Halifax is testing a scheme which would allow users to log into their online banking accounts using heartrate data. Using a wrist-loaded wearable called the Nymi band, which measures and stores heartrate information, users can ditch their password or fingerprint sensor.Wearers must touch the sensor on the Nymi with one digit, while the device...
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Twitter buys Periscope, opens the door for live video streaming

by Chris Smith 13 March 2015 |Share: Twitter has confirmed the purchase of the Periscope live streaming service, with the company now expected to push the ability to broadcast and view live streams via the social network. The makers of the yet-to-launch Periscope app today announced (via a tweet) it had been purchased by Twitter back in January, which was later retweeted by Twitter’s own Kevin Well.Well...
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iOS 8.2 Apple Watch companion app shown off

by Chris Smith 13 March 2015 |Share:Apple released the iOS 8.2 software this week in order to prep iPhone users for the launch of the Apple Watch. However, early adopters have been unable to view the settings within he companion app until now. Developer Hamza Sood (via AppleInsider) has unlocked the Apple Watch app showing the options that’ll be available to users within the companion app and posted...
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Android 5.1 Lollipop Features: What's new?

Here's what's new in Android Lollipop 5.1 Android 5.1 Lollipop started rolling out to Nexus devices this week, which means that most manufacturers should be updating their handsets over the coming months.Unsurprisngly, Android 5.1 doesn't represent a massive departure from Android 5.0. In fact, while it adds a couple of new interface elements, most of the improvements relate to general performance...
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Apple ‘Project Titan’ car research tipped at Sunnyvale campus

The past few months have seen an explosion in rumours surrounding the much-mooted Apple Car, but a new report suggests the prospect might actually be more than hearsay. An in-depth article by AppleInsider suggests the Apple Car is already a work-in-progress, and it claims to know where the research and development might be taking place.According to ‘two people familiar with knowledge of the project’,...
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Three talks specialist 4G smartwatch tariffs

As a number of smartwatches introduce wrist-based 4G support, Three has spoken out on the possibilities for wearable-specific contracts. While many smartwatches currently require a synced smartphone to make and receive calls, a number of devices, including the Samsung Gear S, have recently popped up with integrated 4G connectivity for standalone call handling and web browsing.Despite suggesting the...
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A third of boarding passes will be issued via apps by 2019

by Sean Keach 13 March 2015 |Share: New research has revealed that around a third of boarding passes will be issued through mobile devices in four years time. According to analyst firm Juniper Research, we’ll see over 1.5 billion boarding passes delivered via apps each year by the end of 2019, representing around 30 per cent of the market.That’s compared to the 745 million boarding passes currently...
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Google now lets you check if your flight has Wi-Fi

by Sean Keach 13 March 2015 |Share: Google has just given its Flight Search feature a big upgrade, courtesy of Routehappy integration. Routehappy is a product comparison platform that caters to air travel, making it easy to see which airlines offer what features.Fortunately for Googlers, the search engine giant has integrated data from Routehappy’s Scores & Happiness Factors API right into Google...
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Atlas Wristband Review

Hands on with the Atlas Wristband fitness trackerThe Atlas Wristband is one of the oddest-looking fitness trackers I've tried on. It's like a Withings Pulse O2 except with the display positioned horizontally.Beyond the unique design, though, there does lie an intriguing wearable that raised over $600,000 on Indiegogo. Available to pre-order for $250 (around £160), it offers much more than your average...
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Huawei Ascend P8 features teased ahead of April 15 unveiling

by Luke Johnson 13 March 2015 |Share: With the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 launches now firmly out of the way, Huawei has started to tease its next flagship phone, the Huawei Ascend P8. Confirming the phone’s widely expected name, the Chinese manufacturer has revealed a series of teaser images, all focussed around the number 8.As well has revealing what the device will be called, the P8 teases...
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Microsoft’s Cortana AI coming to iOS and Android devices

by Sean Keach 13 March 2015 |Share: Microsoft is going to launch its Cortana software as an app on both iOS and Android, a new report reveals. Currently, Cortana is only available on Windows Phone devices, marking it as a direct competitor to Apple’s Siri and Google’s Google Now.According to Reuters, the digital assistant will first come to desktop on Windows 10 in autumn, and will then roll out to...
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iPhone 6S release date, rumours, news, specs and price

Everything you need to know about the iPhone 6SThe iPhone 6 might still be the market's top selling smartphone, but the ever insatiable rumour mill has already turned to what's next next - namely the impending arrival of the iPhone 6S.Already one of the most eagerly awaited devices on the 2015 tech calendar, the iPhone 6S will act as a direct follow-on to the September released iPhone and larger iPhone...
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Torch T2: the bike helmet with a built-in headlight

by Joe Svetlik 13 March 2015 |Share:Lit up like a Christmas treeBike lights can be a pain. You have to attach them every time you ride, and more often than not, you can forget to take them off, making easy pickings for thieves. This solves the problem: it's a bicycle helmet that doubles as a headlight. The Torch T2 has 10 LED lights built into the front and back, so you can see and be seen. It's fully...
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Google Chrome getting push notifications

by Jon Mundy 13 March 2015 |Share: Google's Chrome web browser is getting its own push notification system. The latest beta version of Google Chrome adds a several new features, the most notable of which is push notifications.This naturally means that the feature will be graduating to Google Chrome proper in the not too distant future.Chrome 42 Beta, as it's called, features new APIs that allow websites...
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Samsung to make more metal smartphones with high-res displays

by Jon Mundy 13 March 2015 |Share:Samsung Galaxy AlphaSamsung has vowed to extend its use of premium materials and high resolution displays across its smartphone range. The company has taken drastic steps in recent months to halt a slide in the smartphone market it once dominated through a great emphasis on design.This has culminated in the announcement of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, with their...
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Google Code closing down

by Jon Mundy 13 March 2015 |Share: Google is shutting down its development project hosting site, Google Code, due to a lack of popularity. Since 2006, Google Code has played host to various open source development projects, allowing developers to assemble, discuss, and gain help for their programming efforts.However, with the emergence of GitHub and other project hosting sites like Bitbucket, Google's...
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Swatch to make its watches smarter from May

by Jon Mundy 13 March 2015 |Share: The world's leading watch manufacturer, Swatch, has confirmed that it will be imbuing future devices with smartwatch features. Just last year, Swatch chief executive Nick Hayek had dismissed the smartwatch fad for its perceived weaknesses (including poor design and weak battery life). However, recent rumour suggested that the company was about to perform an about-turn.Sure...
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Dell UltraSharp UZ2715H Monitor Review

What is the Dell UZ2715H?The Dell UZ2715H is an all-in-one entertainment monitor that combines a 1080p 27-inch display with built-in speakers and a webcam. This potentially makes it ideal for anyone who uses their computer as their main video viewing device or who simply wants to do away with peripheral clutter for a tidy PC setup.Dell UZ2715H – Design and FeaturesPacking a 27-inch panel, it’s no...
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