Facebook now has 1.19 billion monthly active users, mobile use is skyrocketing

Facebook now has 1.19 billion monthly active users, mobile use is skyrocketing

Facebook is mobilizing

China, India and Facebook. If you go by the numbers, Facebook (again) has enough monthly active users to be the world's third largest country.

In reporting its Q3 2013 financials, the company boasted its monthly active users hit 1.19 billion as of September 30. That's an 18% increase year-on-year. Last quarter, Facebook notched up 1.15 billion monthly users.

So yeah, the social network has been very populous for awhile now.

More importantly for the "mobile first" company, Facebook marked staggering mobile numbers. According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the company's earnings call, 48% of people who use Facebook on a daily basic access it entirely on mobile. In fact, web usage numbers declined last quarter for the first time, albeit only slightly.

Mobile, baby

Monthly active users on mobile number 874 million strong, a huge leap of 45% from the same time last year. On average there were 507 million mobile daily active users scrolling through News Feeds and posting statuses during the quarter.

And if you don't think ads are here to stay or that they won't grow on mobile, think again. Zuckerberg said 49% of its $2.02 billion (about £1.2b, AU$2.12b) revenue came from the platform. This was the company's first two billion dollar quarter, by the way.

Zuckerberg wouldn't bit on answering when we'd see video ads in our feeds, but said the way video on Instagram plays "been very positive so far." Facebook is taking its time rolling out auto-play ads, he said, as the company wants it to be "a positive thing" for users.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Google Nexus 5 spotted out of the box

Google Nexus 5 spotted out of the box

With the Nexus 5's release looming, this photo seems legit

Google's Nexus 5 was spotted out of its box today, hours before the new Android flagship is expected to go trick-or-treating officially with an announcement tomorrow morning.

The image of the powered-off Nexus 5 sitting next to its recognizable blue retail box appeared in a Photobucket album, though it's since been deleted.

When it emerged from its box Google and LG's Nexus 5 reportedly saw its shadow, which we believe means there are at least three months of winter ahead.

The Nexus 5 will likely be the first handset to ship with Android 4.4: KitKat, the newest edition of Google's mobile OS. It's been the subject of countless leaks, but we're expecting all that to end tomorrow.

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Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 specs may as powerful as the tablet is large

Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 specs may as powerful as the tablet is large

Slightly larger than this, believe it or not

You know what they say about large tablets... large specs. That's exactly what we are thinking now that the Samsung Galaxy Note 12.2 is rumored to boast some of the most powerful tablet hardware available.

The 12-inch tablet has found enough room to pack in a speedy quad-core 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and a healthy 3GB of RAM, reported Chinese-language benchmarking site AnTuTu.

The unconfirmed Galaxy Note 12.2 is said to also include an 8 megapixel camera in the rear and 2 megapixel camera in the front.

The total storage on the benchmarked device is said to be 32GB, though that could be just one of many configurations Samsung is planning.

The larger-than-normal Galaxy Note 12.2 is said to have a screen resolution of 2560 x1600, which is the same as the newly released Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.

Android 4.3 on board?

The reported Galaxy Note 12.2 tests indicated that the device is running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is currently the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

That out-of-the-box OS may be a little dated by the time Samsung launches its biggest tablet yet. Google is expected to announce the next version, Android 4.4 KitKat, tomorrow along with the Nexus 5.

Of course, for all that benchmarks are worth, none of the tentative data can tell us when the South Korean company plans to release the Galaxy Note 12.2.

The good news for display-deprived tablet lovers is that it seems to be only a matter of time before Samsung releases this 12-inch mega tablet to the world.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Nokia gunning for HTC One UK sales ban after major patent victory

Nokia gunning for HTC One UK sales ban after major patent victory

One and done?

HTC is facing the prospect of a UK sales ban on flagship handsets like the HTC One after losing another round of its ongoing global patent war with Nokia.

The Finnish manufacturer says it will seek an import ban on the devices, including the HTC One, HTC One SV and HTC Wildfire, following the High Court ruling on Wednesday.

Nokia is chasing compensation as well as the sales injunction after the court ruled HTC had infringed on a patent (EP 0 998 024) governing the transmission of voice and text data over mobile networks.

It is now up to the court to decide the scale of HTC's punishment, with the Taiwanese manufacturer vowing to "immediately" appeal against the verdict.

Significant

Nokia, which has filed suit against HTC in over 50 countries called the victory "a significant development in our dispute with HTC.

The soon-to-be Microsoft-owned company believes the verdict also relates to the HTC One Mini, the HTC Desire X and the Windows Phone-packing HTC 8S and 8X as they also use same chip.

A spokesperson for HTC said: "Naturally HTC is disappointed by the decision that the UK court has reached in this case and we will be seeking to appeal the finding immediately."

Any ban would be a giant blow for HTC as it struggles to challenge Samsung at the top of the Android tree, despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews bestowed upon the HTC One.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Amazon phone may arrive in 2014 with 3D gesture and eye tracking

Amazon phone may arrive in 2014 with 3D gesture and eye tracking

Eye see you

There's been plenty of buzz around a possible Amazon phone, and just when we thought the rumours had run out, they pull us back in.

The latest word, according to AppleInsider, is that the phone will use 3D gesture and eye-tracking control for input and will arrive in the second quarter of 2014.

The phone will apparently have six camera modules, four of which will be VGAs, one on each of the device's four corners. These will be the ones that detect 3D gesture and eye tracking.

There will also be a 13-megapixel camera on the rear and a 12-megapixel front-facer, while the phone is said to have a 4.7-inch touch display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.

This all comes from people "familiar with the company's plans," but AppleInsider states that the same sources have been on the money with their information in the past.

No TV box for 2013

The Amazon phone isn't all we're hearing about though. AllthingsD is reporting that Amazon's adventure into our living rooms is facing delays, with the rumoured Amazon TV box apparently not touching down until, most likely, spring 2014.

There are a number of possible reasons for the delay, but the favourite going around right now is that Amazon doesn't believe its effort is distinguished enough from its competitors right now.

The Amazon TV was believed to be arriving towards the end of this year but time is quickly running out. Still, we'd rather wait and see a stronger contender that really gives Apple TV and Roku a run for their money.


Source : techradar[dot]com

App updates tease arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat and Nexus 5?

App updates tease arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat and Nexus 5?

...or is it? We hope so!

With numerous Google apps all being updated, it seems there is something brewing over at Mountain View, something that could give us a bit of a break.

Nearly all of the Google suite of apps are gaining updates, with that number currently sitting at 16, an increase from the original 12 that were spotted.

This could signal the imminent arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat, the OS update that we are heavily expecting to launch alongside the LG-built Google Nexus 5, and perhaps the new Nexus 10 tablet.

App updates usually pass by unnoticed, but when 16 updates are all being spotted at once, there's definitely something fishy going on.

App updates tease arrival of Android 4.4 KitKat
Updated on 29 Oct 2013? But when will we get them?

Is this apocalyptic news?

These updates have also not rolled out to devices, and there are no change logs (just an updated date in the Play Store), so what is Google waiting for?

The easiest and most obvious answer here is Android 4.4 KitKat. We're all starting to get excited, as November 1 is a date that has been touted, and that is the day after tomorrow.

We'd bet all our savings on this launching alongside at least one Nexus device: the Nexus 5.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Apple concedes that the battery life is dodgy on some iPhone 5Ses

Apple concedes that the battery life is dodgy on some iPhone 5Ses

Not perfect after all

If you've noticed that your iPhone 5S battery is quick to drain and slow to charge, you could be the owner of one of "a very limited number" of handsets that has a battery defect.

Apple has conceded that some of the new iPhones have a problem with their batteries, although it's not saying how many are affected beyond "a very limited number".

The company's spokeswoman, Teresa Brewer, told the NYT, "We recently discovered a manufacturing issue affecting a very limited number of iPhone 5S devices that could cause the battery to take longer to charge or result in reduced battery life."

Circle back

Apple is "reaching out" (contacting) those with affected phones to provide replacement handsets.

In our full TechRadar iPhone 5S review, we deemed the battery to be a little better than that of the iPhone 5's - specifically when it comes to standby life. However, actually using the handset still gulps that juice down like a hyperactive toddler on a hot day.

There's good news for non-defective iPhone 5S handsets though: "The iPhone 5S charges phenomenally quickly." Phenomenally.


Source : techradar[dot]com

'Moto G' makes Motorola site appearance before being pulled

'Moto G' makes Motorola site appearance before being pulled

Spotted! (credit: Droid Life)

First the Nexus 5, now this - seems companies can't keep quiet on their own websites when it comes to unannounced products these days.

Motorola looks to have spilled the beans as a listing for something called the Moto G appeared on its website earlier today. Engadget and Droid Life both made the spot, but the reference has since been removed. A moto-g.com link went to nowhere.

Recent reports have pointed to a budget phone known as the Moto DVX coming from the Google-owned company, and Motorola recently trademarked "Moto G." The trademark covered both phones and accessories, so the G in question could be the new name for the budget DVX or another item all together.

With a recent price drop of the Moto X in the US, all signs are pointing to a Motorola announcement of some sort coming down soon.

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Source : techradar[dot]com

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