HTC One sells half as many units as Samsung Galaxy S4

An anonymous HTC executive has revealed that the HTC One has sold around five million units since it launched in March.

The HTC One flagship is selling “pretty good so far” according to an HTC executive who wishes to remain anonymous, having already surpassed the 5 million unit sales marker.

HTC One sales could have been better though, if the flagship hadn’t been plagued by UltraPixel camera component shortages. However, HTC has confirmed that HTC One production will double this month to combat any supply limitations.

“Orders are pretty good so far and are still more than what we can supply", said an HTC executive in a statement. “This is partly due to the shortage of components. When the issue is resolved next month, we will have a better idea if it’s doing really well or not.”

The HTC One sales figures are encouraging for the company, especially at a time of internal unrest. The company’s Chief Product Officer Kouji Kodera and several other high ranking HTC executives have left the company in quick succession over the past few weeks.

Product Strategy Manager Eric Lin, another departee, even tweeted to former HTC colleagues asking them to follow his lead.

“To all my friends still at @HTC – just quit. Leave now. It’s tough to do, but you’ll be so much happier I swear,” read Lin’s tweet on May 20.

Despite the encouraging sales figures for the HTC One, they still pale in the comparison to the Samsung Galaxy S4 sales milestone announced by rival Samsung this morning.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has reached the 10 million sales milestone less than a month after it launched on April 27.

Estimated to be selling at a rate of four units a second worldwide, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has already sold double the amount of the HTC One, despite being on sale for a shorter length of time.



Next, read our HTC One tips and tricks.

Via: Android Authority

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Dying Light announced for Xbox One and PS4

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced Dying Light, a new FPS coming to current and next-gen gaming consoles.

Dying Light will be released on the Xbox One, PS4 and the current PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles and PC in 2014, currently in development by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Techland.

Looking something like a zombie-infected Mirror’s Edge, the FPS survival horror game will balance free-running mechanics with weapons for players to defend themselves with against “the infected population.”

Set in a vast open world, the player will be able to roam free during the day, finding supplies, crafting and fixing weapons and exploring the urban environments. As the sun sets though, the player will have to protect themselves from the increasingly angry and vicious infected. During the night, the player becomes the hunted and must “use everything in their power to survive until the morning’s light.”

“The next-gen technology allows us to create a truly dynamic open world that features a game-changing day-night cycle,” CEO of Techland, Pawel Marchewka. “Inventive free running mechanics also allow for nearly unrestricted exploration and weapon-crafting to further enhance the action survival experience.”

Today, Techland also released the first Dying Light screenshots and cover art, which bears the tagline “Good night. Good luck.”

The seven screenshots reveal a varied urban landscape, including abandoned highways and favelas. With the Mirror’s Edge like free-running clearly seen in the first person perspective, it seems the character will favour a machete as his weapon of choice and will come up against other uninfected humans.

It could also feature a Alan Wake-esque torch effect that leaves the infected shielding their eyes and quaking in their diseased bodies.

“We are excited to partner with Techland on Dying Light, which is an original gaming experience for next-generation consoles,” said Kevin Kebodeaux, Senior Vice President of American Sales and Operations for Warner Bros. Interative Entertainment. “The partnership with Techland allows us to combine their successful development capabilities with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s one-of a-kind publishing expertise to deliver on this title.”

A Dying Light release date has been set for some time next year.



Next, read our roundup of the Xbox One games.

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HTC First won’t be coming to the UK

Facebook has confirmed that the HTC First will not be coming to the UK as planned in the next couple of months.

Originally due to launch in the coming months initially as an EE exclusive, the HTC First will not be arriving in the UK.

UK network provider EE said the decision came from Facebook itself, as it is choosing to focus on making the Facebook Home experience better.

“Following customer feedback, Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customisation features to Facebook Home over the coming months", said a statement from EE. “While they are working to make a better Facebook Home experience, they have recommended holding off launching the HTC First in the UK, and so we will shortly be contacting those who registered their interest with us to let them know of this decision.”

The HTC First is a Facebook Home centric handset offering a deeper integration of the Android skin than that available for selected Android smartphones.

“Rest assured, we remain committed to bringing our customers the latest mobile experiences, and we will continue to build on our strong relationship with Facebook so as to offer customers new opportunities in the future.”

The handset went on sale in the US on April 14, but within a month American network provider AT&T cut the HTC First price down to just $0.99.

Having signed an agreement with HTC and Facebook to feature the HTC First within its stores, AT&T will be removing the device from sale and return any unsold handsets when this expires.

According to sources, AT&T managed to shift only 15,000 HTC First units during the week commencing May 6, just a couple of week after the Facebook phone launched.

Playing host to a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU and a 5-megapixel camera, we’re not sure if the UK smartphone market will miss the HTC First’s presence at all.



Next, read our Facebook Home review.

Via: Engadget

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GTA 5 Special Edition and Collector’s Edition confirmed, let you fly a blimp

GTA 5 Collector's Edition

The GTA 5 Special Edition and GTA 5 Collector’s Edition releases have been confirmed, with pre-orders on both renditions of the game able to be placed now.

Bringing a selection of exclusive in-game and real-world goodies, the newly unveiled GTA 5 Special Edition and Collector’s Edition offerings have been confirmed by publisher Rockstar, with both packages to land alongside the basic game release on September 17.

With those who pre-order either special edition GTA 5 release also bagging themselves the exclusive opportunity to fly the Atomic Blimp set to feature within the game (cool, we know), those looking to snap up the GTA 5 Special Edition release will see the full retail copy of the game enhanced by a collectible SteelBook with exclusive artwork from the game.

On top of this, GTA 5 Special Edition owners will be bestowed with a blueprint map of the game’s Los Santos setting, access to in-game stunt plane trials, bonus outfits, tattoos and a special boost ability which will allow them to regenerate their special ability bar 25 per cent faster than regular gamers. Additional weapons, including a Bullpup shotgun and melee hammer are also thrown in for good measure.

For those looking to plump for the GTA 5 Collector’s Editions, all of the additional content found within the Special Edition is present, further bolstered by a Grand Theft Auto 5 branded security deposit bag and logo key, a Los Santos themed New Era 9FIFTY cap and a selection of custom, classic GTA characters for use within the game’s online character creation system.

With the GTA 5 Collection’s Edition coming packaged in a special box with foil embossed GTA 5 logo, those opting for this luxurious option will also add a collection of unique vehicles and garage property to the game, including a 1930 Hotknife hotrod and a CarbonRS sports bike.

Although exact UK pricing has yet to be made clear, the GTA 5 Special Edition will set wannabe owners back $79.99 (£53.06) in the US. The GTA 5 Collector’s Edition has been priced $149.99 (£99.50).

Further Reading: Best Games 2013

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Twitter introduces two step authentication security measures

After the recent spate of high-profile hacks, Twitter is introducing a “two-factor authentication” system to stop hackers gaining control of user accounts.

Twitter will introduce a new two-step authentication process to its micro-blogging site using mobile phone verification as an added security measure to keep accounts protected.

Users accessing their Twitter accounts from a new device will be asked to input a code that is sent to their chosen mobile phone number. Without that secondary password, the login will fail.

“Today we’re introducing a new security feature to better protect your Twitter account: login verification,” said Jim O’Leary of Twitter’s Product Security Team in an official blog post.

O’Leary also confirms that the two-factor authentication is just the first step to bring greater security features to Twitter users.

The improved security features are being added in response to the hacking of several high-profile Twitter accounts, including the Guardian, BBC and the FT.

In April, the Associated Press’ Twitter account was hacked and caused US stock markets to dip when a tweet was posted claiming President Obama had been injured in a bomb attack. The group behind the hack claimed to be called the Syrian Electronic Army.

However, despite Twitter’s attempt to increase security measures with its new two-step account verification process, security analysts suggest the new measures are easily circumnavigated.

“Twitter’s use of two-factor authentication should be welcomed with open arms,” said David Emm, Senior Security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. “However, there are some potential pitfalls with using SMS as an authentication method. Many people log into their Twitter account from their smartphone via the Twitter app which doesn’t require login credentials to be entered each time.”

“This means that the same device is being used for both authentication factors and if this device is lost or stolen, whoever finds {or has stolen) it will be able to access the account. Therefore, in effect, there is no longer two-factor authentication.”



Next, read our Twitter #Music review.

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BlackBerry Z10 price slashed by O2, BB says poor sales are not the cause

The BlackBerry Z10 price has been slashed by network provider O2 as BlackBerry reassures investors that price cuts are not the result of poor sales.

Scrapping the up-front handset fee for the BlackBerry Z10, O2 has included the flagship BB10 device as part of a ‘Flash Sale’ which will see the handset available for free when taken out on an £32 per month contract before June 5.

While appealing to consumers, these price cuts could spell concern for BlackBerry investors, with the Canadian handset manufacturer keen to dispel any reports the BlackBerry Z10 price cuts are due to poor sales and little interest in the handset the company has so much riding on.

“These price cuts are very normal in the UK market,” Rob Orr, Managing Director of BlackBerry UK said in a recent exclusive interview with TrustedReviews. “Pricing movements are very normal in the UK market, especially in the consumer space so I wouldn’t read anything into it, it’s just a normal dynamic of the UK retail space.”

A deal that will reportedly last just two week, O2’s new BlackBerry Z10 pricing sees the 4.2-inch full touch handset and Samsung Galaxy S4 rival available for £32 per month on a 24 month contract. Offering unlimited minutes and unlimited texts, this package also sees wannabe Z10 owners gain a 1GB monthly data allowance.

Suggesting competition not poor performances are the cause of the price cuts, Orr stated: “The UK market is very competitive. Retailers are all fighting for a share of the high value customer base and they use pricing to compete with one another rather than these cuts being a reflection on any one handset brand.”

He added: “People make a lot of unintelligent comments on pricing in the UK market without understanding how it works. The retailers price changes on a daily or weekly basis as promotions change in order to bring people into store, it’s all about footfall, both online and in physical stores.”

Further Reading: Win a BlackBerry Z10

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Xbox One E3 event all about the games

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox One E3 event will be centred on the next-generation gaming titles.

Despite Microsoft’s choice to focus on the entertainment aspects at the Xbox One reveal earlier this week, the company will be using its E3 briefing to concentrate on the games.

Building on Aaron Greenburg’s comments during the Major Nelson podcast, Microsoft’s Xbox UK Marketing Director Harvey Eagle has said that the games are still “critical and fundamental” to the Xbox One.

“E3 is absolutely all about the games,” said Eagle. “E3 is gaming, gaming, gaming. We’ve been very clear about that internally in our planning.”

During the reveal Microsoft did announce that the Xbox One will be home to 15 exclusive game titles, eight of which would be entirely new IPs.

Gamers will be able to enjoy Forza 5 and a new IP from Remedy Games, Alan Wake developer, called Quantum Break on the Xbox One.

“Seeing is believing. I understand that people want to see the games, play the games and then make a judgement. That’s fair and reasonable, and we’re not so naive to think otherwise. Given the structure of the unveil tonight, we wanted to make sure that we showed real, in-game content, but the proof for many will be when they have a chance to play those games. And that’s fine.”

Microsoft centred heavily on the entertainment aspects of the Xbox One, including Snap Mode, Instant Switching and the integration of live TV services.

“I hope people weren’t confused about games still being absolutely critical and fundamental to us”, added Eagle. “We are a gaming machine that is designed to deliver the best experiences in gaming. What we want to try and do is more than that, and we have a box that can do more than that without compromising being the best games console out there.”

Call of Duty: Ghosts was also given a world première at the Xbox One event on Tuesday, May 21, which revealed the game will be the most “immersive” COD experience yet due to a new gaming engine and storyline.

“Ultimately, we have an ambition to grow the market, and we believe that in order to do that and bring new people in we need to deliver great gaming. But also if we can deliver great entertainment and great TV experience all in one box, then we think we have an opportunity to appeal to even more people.”

Next, read our Xbox One games list.

Via: CVG

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