Getting away from "i" Gaming (credit: Patently Apple)
Apple has been loading up on video game-related patents recently, but so far all of its controller copyrights have made the ideas seem like single-player affairs.
This week, however, it was revealed that the Cupertino company was granted a multiplayer gaming patent along with 42 other successful patents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
While the application doesn't spell out a long-rumored Apple game console, it does lay out different types of networks that could relay gaming media content.
"Apple's focus zeros in on delivering a very high-end video gaming experience specifically for multiplayer gamers," noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent application today.
"[Gamers] will be able to use chat, video and other forms of communication while gaming with their buddies," noted Patently Apple, which rifled through the patent."
Game time for FaceTime?
In addition to setting up a process for joining and invite other players to multiplayer games, the patent details how gamers would be able to initiate in-game audio chat sessions.
This could extend between both desktop computer and mobile devices, demonstrating that this multiplayer gaming patent may cover everything from Macs to iPhones to newer technologies.
Whether or not the in-game chat capabilities outlined in this patent are intended to include video, along the lines of FaceTime, remains to be seen.
Apple's gaming prospects
This newly published Apple multiplayer patent gives credence to the theory that it is turning to gaming when exploring, as Tim Cook said, "exciting new product categories."
The impact of an dedicated Apple gaming machine could destroy console gaming, according to a former Microsoft lead engineer Nat Brown.
Agreeing with this industry head, 50 percent of Brits would put money down on an Apple game console.
With analysts sour on the prospects of the new Xbox and PS4, Apple's gaming competition in the future may actually be Google, which is also quickly patenting multiplayer services in a hurry.
Samsung is further narrowing the gap between mobile devices and PCs thanks to today's announcement that it will begin producing the world's first 4GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM.
The memory, comparable to that of a desktop computer, not only trumps the company's 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM unveiled seven months ago, but reduces the size from 30nm to 20nm.
"Our 20nm-class 4GB mobile DRAM provides another example of our ability to deliver well-differentiated, high-performance, high-density memory to customers in a timely manner," said Samsung Executive Vice President Young-Hyun Jun in a press release.
"By providing the most efficient next-generation mobile memory with a very large data capacity, we are now enabling OEMs to introduce even more innovative designs in the marketplace."
4GB LPDDR3 mobile DRAM comparison
The 20nm-class process technology behind the 4GB LPDDR3 DRAM chips makes for a 30 percent improvement in performance and 20 percent savings in power consumption over LPDDR2 DRAM.
It can transmit data up to 2,133 megabits per second (Mbps) per pin, which is more than double the performance of an 800Mbps LPDDR2 chip.
"This makes it possible to transmit three full HD videos, collectively 17 GBs in length, in one second over the new Samsung chip embedded in a mobile device," claimed Samsung.
The South Korean manufacturer's 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM announced seven months ago could run at a total of 12.8 Gbps and 1600 per pin.
And that performance bested the single LPDDR2 chips in just 10 months.
DRAM the torpedos, full-speed ahead
Samsung's announcement was coupled with hopes that this speedy new RAM will be an attractive solution for multimedia-intensive features on next-generation mobile devices.
"We're focusing on LPDDR3 right now. That's really what's being adopted in the marketplace," Samsung Mobile Memory Group product marketing manager Stephen Lum to TechRadar.
"We're planning to roll this technology out into mass production into devices in the second half of this year."
"We're production ready. Our customers will be launching their devices over the course of the next couple of quarters."
Next-generation mobile devices
"Last year, I think there was only a single device that launched with LPDDR3, so you're going to see a whole slew of new devices with the capabilities built around this technology," Lum told TechRadar.
This means that Samsung's 20nm-class 4GB LPDDR3 memory should make its way into next-generation mobile devices over the next couple of months.
The company's fast-paced memory division was able to put the 2GB LPDDR3 mobile RAM, announced last fall, into its Galaxy S4 smartphone, which launched this month.
Samsung was reportedly also able to retain Apple as a chip-buying customer last fall, outfitting the iPhone 5 with 1GB LPDDR3 chips.
However, there's no guarantee that Apple will use the South Korean manufacturer's newer LPDDR3 chips in the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6.
With industry-first announcements from the Smasung every seven to ten months, it's going to be a difficult task for any company to avoid using the world's largest memory manufacturer.
For those looking for a high-end handset, AT&T certainly has you covered with quite a few devices, such as the HTC One, Galaxy S4, iPhone and Blackberry Z10.
Unfortunately, many of these phones come at a high-cost. Want the best at a good rate? AT&T is rolling out a new trade-in program starting tomorrow, which could get you at least $100 off on any new smartphone. Don’t want a new smartphone but simply want to get rid of an old mobile device? That’s fine, AT&T actually allows you to use the credit towards your bill or towards new accessories instead.
For those that are wondering about the catch, there surprisingly isn’t much. The device will need to be no older than three years, but beyond that they seem to be taking a wide range of smartphones, feature phones and tablets for trade. It’s also nice that AT&T is giving you flexibility in how to use the trade-in.
If you have a newer device you wish to trade in, the carrier says that it will also take those, and may even value them at a credit rate that is above $100. What do you think, interested in AT&T’s new trade-in program or not?
Facebook has today made a new version of its app for Windows Phone available, which will give users the opportunity to test new features before they hit the main app.
The social network and Microsoft are inviting users to join its Beta program for the new application, which brings several of the features most requested by users, in an unrefined form.
The Beta app brings high-res photos, the Facebook Timeline profile pages, giving the app an appearance more like the Android and iOS iterations rather than the 'Metro' UI associated with Windows Phone.
The pair hope that users will send bug reports and feedback to enable the new features to graduate to the main Facebook for Windows Phone app in a more timely fashion.
Energetic volunteer? You're up
In a post on the official Windows Phone blog, Microsoft wrote: "Today we're launching a new program designed to help speed up delivery of new features in the official Facebook app for Windows Phone and need sharp-eyed, energetic volunteers to download a beta version of our next release and tell us how to make it better."
However, the company warned: "Don't like it when apps crash? This probably isn't the program for you."
The good thing for Windows Phone users is that the existing app and the Beta app will sit alongside each other, so if users get too annoyed by the crashes, they can revert back to the main app.
The Beta app is not listed on the Windows Phone store (Microsoft reckons it'd cause confusion and it is probably right), but Windows Phone users can download the app by clicking this link.
Find the perfect techy Mother's Day gift for any mom
Mother's Day is the the time to show your mom how grateful you are that she's put up with all your crap for so long, but it's not easy to find a good Mother's Day gift.
Everyone's mom is different, and while some might be satisfied with a card and brunch, others will want more. After all, she carried you for nine whole months - the least you can do it spend a couple hundred bucks on a thoughtful gift.
And while some moms are tech-savvy, some may have no clue. But that doesn't mean that you can't make her day with the right gadget. You've just got to discover the perfect Mother's Day tech for her.
No matter what tech your mom is already into, there's bound to be a technologically advanced Mother's Day gift here that she'll appreciate. And even if she doesn't, at least it's the thought that counts with mothers.
1. Fitbit Flex wristband and Aria smart scale
Get it at:Fitbit.com (scale US$129.99) Fitbit.com/uk (scale UK£99.99) (wristband coming soon)
Taglines: "Outsmart your weight with Aria" / "Never stop moving with Fitbit Flex"
If your mom doesn't already have a Nike FuelBand, you might want to clue her in to this fitness gift combo from Fitbit. The scale will track her weight, body fat, and BMI, all the while connecting to her computer via Wi-Fi and uploading her stats and progress.
Whether your mom's obsessed with fitness or she's been struggling to get into it, the Aria smart scale could be a great Mother Day tech gift.
Your mom can get fit with this combo
And the Flex wristband, much like the popular Nike FuelBand, is much more than a pedometer that will count your mom's footsteps. In addition to steps taken, it tracks calories burned, distance traveled, active minutes, and - get this - both hours slept and quality of sleep. It even acts as a silent alarm clock so she won't wake up your dad when she gets up early to go running. And naturally the two gadgets will work together.
Unfortunately, the Flex isn't out yet, though Fitbit is currently promising a Spring 2013 release date that should arrive any day.
Tagline: "Whether home or away BabyPing keeps you connected to your baby"
New moms have always relied on baby monitors in this modern age, but the technology has come a long way. Static-filled walkie-talkies are a thing of the past, and now it's all about the video.
There are plenty of different choices when it comes to video baby monitors, but the BabyPing is one of the best - and more importantly, it's one of the easiest to set up, so even non-techy moms should be able to get into it.
The camera streams live to tablets and other gadgets
It's full of features, too, including night vision, audio filtering to keep background hiss down, two-way audio, built-in nursery rhymes, and Wi-Fi connectivity to PCs and iOS devices (no Android, unfortunately, though there are plenty of alternative baby monitors for non-iOS-using moms).
Plenty of moms out there already have an e-reader, but there are plenty more who probably don't yet know what they've been missing.
There are several reasons a Kindle Paperwhite will make a perfect Mother's Day tech gift: it's affordable and it's easy on the eyes, and since it's the newest Kindle model, your mom will be able to brag to all her friends about it.
Your mom is missing out if she doesn't have an a-reader
The best part? You won't have to look at all the trashy romance novels she has lying around anymore, since they'll all be digital.
Moms have it hard. Whether their kids are 2, 12 or 40, it seems their job never ends. The shower may be one of the only places your mom gets to relax. And with the Moxie showerhead and built-in bluetooth speaker, she can do it while listening to her favorite Celine Dion or Phil Collins songs.
The showerhead speaker connects to a smartphone or other bluetooth device at up to 32 feet, and one of the best parts is that the speaker isn't limited to the shower - it detaches and can travel with your mom all over the house or wherever she wants to go, with seven hours of battery life.
The speaker detaches for portable bluetooth listening
An alternative for moms who appreciate some ambiance but don't care as much about music is an LED showerhead that can simulate rainfall while projecting various soothing colors. Browse LightintheBox.com and take your pick.
The Slingbox is a great Mother's Day tech gift - whether your mom is down with all the memes or still thinks that her browser is called "Google," she'll appreciate the ability to take her episodes of soap operas and The View with her on the go.
The latest models are the Slingbox 350 and the Slingbox 500, and although the 500 comes with some extra features, let's be honest - your mom probably isn't going to use them anyway. You might as well go with the cheaper version (we won't tell).
She'll love a Slingbox if she can get past the shape
Plus, your dad will likely show some appreciation for this one as well.
Parrot's Flower Power is a device the likes of which we've never seen before, and it's sure to tickle your mom's green thumb - or better yet, lack thereof - on Mother's Day.
It's a plant sensor that sits in the soil of a planter or pot, monitoring sunlight, moisture, temperature, and fertilizer, then sending the data wirelessly via bluetooth to your mother's gadgets. It will even remind her when to water them.
Ding ding - time to water the bougainvilleas!
It was only introduced at CES this year, so unfortunately it's not on the market yet, but a 2013 release is promised and you can sign up to be notified at parrot.com. Maybe it will make a good birthday present, or you can remember it for next year's Mother's Day.
This one's for the working moms, though even the retirees and stay-at-homes out there could no doubt find some use for it. LogMeIn is a subscription service that will allow her to access her home PC from anywhere.
Moms at soccer practice or dance recitals won't have to duck out to email their bosses that important file, and when she's with her friends she'll be able to pull up all those cute baby pictures and home videos without having to worry about what's synced with her tablet or phone.
She'll love accessing home files from a tablet
Trying to juggle files between multiple devices can be a hassle even for the tech-savvy, so your mom will definitely appreciate not having to do it.
Getting her a year's subscription to LogMeIn Pro will ensure that she remembers what a good son or daughter you are all year long. But no matter what kind of Mother's Day gadgets you get her, don't forget the flowers, too.
Siri Eyes-Free integration could be just the beginning (credit: YouTube)
Now that automobiles are finally rolling off the assembly line with Siri's "Eyes-Free" technology introduced with iOS 6, Apple may be eyeing even deeper integration for the next version of its mobile software.
9to5Mac reported Tuesday that Apple is working on new ways to integrate iOS devices into the automobile, an initiative that could be unveiled when Cupertino rolls out the latest iOS 7 later this year.
According to numerous sources, Apple is working with automakers to "deeply embed" services like Maps, which could provide turn-by-turn navigation on a car's built-in display in place of proprietary GPS software installed at the factory.
The feature is said to be controlled by Siri, the voice assistant technology currently powering Apple's "Eyes-Free" auto integration with partners such as Chevrolet, BMW, Toyota, Honda and Land Rover.
Patent clues
This isn't the first time Apple has been rumored to jump into the driver's seat, with a June 2007 report claiming the company was hard at work on an in-car satellite navigation only days before the original iPhone hit the streets.
The company has also left a sizable trail of auto-related bread crumbs in its wake thanks to the patent filings required to protect future technologies the company might incorporate into its products.
Only last week, reports surfaced that Apple filed a pair of auto-related patents for smart key and parking locator functionality, while earlier today a patent for automatically selecting the best number to call in case of an emergency was revealed.
While Apple's own Maps and Siri integration may be ready for iOS 7, sources caution that there's no guarantee the features will actually be released this year, since they require extensive testing as well as agreements with automakers in place.
Apple has won a new patent for a phone which can intelligently detect the best means of contacting someone.
Confused? Let us explain. The iPhone would use features such as the GPS and accelerometer to work out where you are and what you're doing, and then react accordingly when someone tries to contact you.
For example, you're driving in your car when a call comes in. The GPS will detect that you're moving at a high speed and send a message back to the person contacting you to let them know that a text message would probably be a better option.
Sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that
You would also be able to set certain rules such as "No phone at the cinema" to make sure you won't be known as "that person" when someone tries to drop you a line mid-movie.
It's potentially a pretty useful feature. Perhaps Apple will even get Siri involved, turning it into the all-out personal assistant it wants to be. Who knows?
But with Google Now available for iPhone and iPad as of this week, Apple will no doubt be wanting to push its own services to offer as much user convenience as possible.
Apple's patent was actually first filed back in 2008. If Cupertino has been working on the technology since, it could be sooner rather than later that the functionality appears in the iPhone - if it ever appears at all.
Can Mozilla rival the might of iOS and Android with its love of HTML5?
"It cannot be right that two companies lock down and control their experience … it's the equivalent of two companies controlling every service you use on the internet." So says Dan Appelquist, Open Web Advocate at Telefónica Digital, which intends to pull the rug from under Apple and Android by selling smartphones with the 'open web' architecture of Mozilla's Firefox OS.
The first handsets like the ZTE Open, go on sale this June, will attempt to popularise common, open standards for apps that make them transferable across different handsets and tablets. In doing so it will try to take apart the acceptance of the 'walled garden' app ecosystem popularised by both Apple's iOS and the Android OS.
"Firefox OS is not a proprietary platform, it is fully standards-based and built on HTML5," says Andreas Gal, Vice President, Mobile Engineering, Mozilla. "What's more, Firefox OS is not a new ecosystem - it is the Web and the Web is the largest existing ecosystem we have today."
Gal thinks that under the present splintered, closed regimes, app developers have it too hard. "Having to build an app in multiple formats - all to reach people who have never asked for the specific app I am thinking of building - is not sustainable," he says, adding that Mozilla hopes Firefox OS will act as a catalyst for the 'open web'. "Over eight million developers develop in HTML5 today compared to around 100,000 iOS developers and 400,000 Android, but ten million for HTML5," he says. "We just want to unlock the power of HTML5 for standards-based work."
The not-for-profit Mozilla's intentions might be good, but the closed ecosystem for apps, popularised by Apple's app store (20 billion+ downloads in 2012) and Google Play (revenue up six-fold in 2012) on Android, is proving very popular.
"Right now, the mobile world is busy because there is so much economic value to be gained by owning a platform," says Gal. "The problem with mobile for users today is that once a user buys apps, music etc. on a given platform, they are not currently transportable to another ecosystem."
Rather than creating a competing platform, Firefox OS uses the web as the platform to build apps powered by open Web standards like HTML5, CSS, and Javascript and new Web APIs that enable Web apps to access functions of the handset previously only available to native apps - such as camera, telephony, messaging and Bluetooth.
Aiming low
However much of a 'level playing field' Firefox OS seeks to create, it's not owners of iPhones and Galaxy S-somethings in the UK, Europe or the USA that Mozilla is aiming Firefox OS at, at least not initially. Smartphone penetration stands at just 16% in Latin America (it's over 50% in the UK, and will nudge saturation levels shortly), which makes it an ideal proving ground for a new and untested operating system.
"In the coming years, lower-cost Android smartphones are expected to dominate the markets in emerging areas such India, China and Africa," says Kevin Curran, senior member at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). "Launching a new smartphone OS is not to be taken lightly, but Mozilla's main partner is Spain's Telefónica, which has over 200 million mobile subscribers in Latin America."
Firefox OS will see the light of day this June in Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Portugal and Spain, with the first handsets including the Alcatel One Touch Fire and the ZTE Open. Telefónica has strong links with major carriers around the world including América Móvil, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Telecom Italia and SingTel, and it also has mobile phone chip-maker Qualcomm on-board.
"These partners certainly add hope to the ambitious project," says Curran. "It seems they aim to sell it in the pre-paid phone markets, where lower-income people generally get their airtime."
This is a market where low income users prefer to pay only their operator for both air-time and apps rather than pay a third-party like Apple or Google. It's also a market where inexpensive Android devices currently dominate.
"This market is not being well addressed by current offerings," says Appelquist about Latin America. "High-end smartphones are priced out of the reach of the vast majority of consumers and we see low end Android devices offering a very poor experience."
However, for now, at least, most of the lower-end devices are - and will remain to be - based on Android. "It is standards-based and open source, so of course it will be the OS of choice for manufacturers of lower priced handsets," says Mohammed Hussain, MD of mobile phone accessories retailer, Mobile Fun, "but it will be interesting to see if Mozilla's Firefox OS gains traction in the budget smartphone sector." He expects Samsung's Tizen and Nokia's budget Windows devices to try to crack this sector, too, particularly in emerging markets.
Others are not convinced that Firefox OS can carve-out success despite its open-hearted intentions. "While I love the idea of the Firefox Phone OS, and a Firefox media based system on TV," says Peter Chadha, Founder of DrPete, "at the moment I am not convinced that these will gain market penetration, unless it is funded by Google or Yahoo on the basis of search and adverts, as Android is already free. Perhaps Firefox is hoping that by offering this operating system, open source developers will want to come on board and deliver something really different and innovative?"
That would please those who want to see an end to the 'walled garden' approach to the mobile web, such as World Wide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, though the success of Firefox OS is far from inevitable.
That phone icon might have just become a tad more relevant
Now that WhatsApp has gone some way to give traditional SMS messaging a good kicking, it might now be setting its sights on a BBM-Voice-rivaling voice chat function.
The guys over at 9to5Mac have posted a leaked email said to be sent from WhatsApp to a Hong Kong developer, requesting that the developer to translate some Chinese strings that include a "Push-to-talk button".
Then, to throw more fuel on the speculation fire, an email tip of what is allegedly the new interface – showing the button for voice chat – also surfaced.
Of course, this could actually all be referring to some form of dictation function, not an actual push-to-talk feature. But we wouldn't be too surprised to see WhatsApp introduce voice functionality into its app soon.
Thar she blows (Credit: 9to5Mac)
We've asked WhatsApp for a comment, and will update if we hear more.
More blips!
Take a look at WhatsApp-ening in the world of blips
Look out for the Primrose Hill set rocking a 2G iPhone after June 11, as the first Apple handset is set to be classified 'vintage' as of that date.
At least, that's the case in the US according to this leaked internal Apple document - in the rest of the world, the 2G phone simply becomes obsolete.
What that means is that Apple Stores will stop acknowledging the handset so if there are any issues with your ageing iPhone, you should get them sorted out ahead of the June 11 cut-off.
One more thing...
Also reaching obsolescence on June 11 are the 2005 Mac Mini, 2007 iMacs, the AirPort Express Base Station and a handful of MacBooks.
Apple will stop offering repairs or parts for these products so any post-June 11 issues will have to be dealt with by an unofficial repair outlet.
If you're still using an original 2G iPhone, we salute you. Tell us, how is that going?
Apple and Samsung will be off to court once again come November 12 as the tussle over the level of damages the Korean firm is due to pay the Cupertino-based company continues.
Last summer saw a long, drawn out legal battle between the two manufacturing giants, with Apple claiming a number of Samsung smartphones had infringed on a variety of its patents.
Samsung was initially ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billon (around £652 million) in damages, but that was reduced by $450.5 million in March this year - and it's the latter of the figures which is up for debate in November.
My dad is bigger than your dad
Obviously Samsung isn't too happy about having to pay Apple anything and this isn't the only topic the firms have clashed on, with a seemingly never-ending list of law suits and allegations between the two.
The trial in November will focus on 13 Samsung products and the judge in charge of the case, Lucy Koh said: "This is going to be Groundhog's Day, you're going to be reliving July of 2012" - oh boy, sounds thrilling. We can't wait...
So it looks like we're in for another gargantuan clash of the tech titans in the run up to Christmas, let's just hope Santa doesn't strike them off his list.
It's a title which changes hands every few months and the next handset in line to be crowned the "world's thinnest smartphone" could well be the Huawei P6-UO6.
The Huawei P6 hasn't been officially announced yet but apparently it's already appeared at China's equivalent of the FCC, revealing specs and a couple of pictures.
While specs such as a 4.7-inch HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, Android Jelly Bean and 5MP camera won't exactly set the heart racing, it's the dimensions of the P6 which pique our interest.
Wafer thin
According to the leaked details the handset - which could arrive on the market as the Huawei Ascend P6 - measures 132.6 x 65.5 x 6.18mm.
At 6.18mm in depth it would make the P6 the thinnest smartphone around, with the iPhone 5 looking porky in comparison at 7.6mm and the current leader, the Alcatel Idol Ultra, comfortably beaten at 6.45mm.
Huawei did hold the thinnest phone title for a while after it launched the Huawei Ascend P1S at MWC 2012, which came in at 6.7mm.
We've contacted Huawei to find out if the P6 does indeed exist, or if this is just a fabricated rumour. We'll update this article once we hear back.
More than a third of consumers reckon they are likely to buy more items by phone when they begin using 4G technology, according to a new survey.
The eCustomerServiceIndex (eCSI) survey of 2,000 people, carried out in April by eDigitalResearch and IMRG, the online retail industry association, found that 39% of smartphone owners already use them for shopping, and that 34% are 'likely' or 'very likely' to do more – even though just 14% of devices have a 4G capability.
This is being encouraged by early experiences with 4G, the new generation of wireless standards being phased in across the UK. Of the respondents who had it on their phones, 43% said it was 'considerably faster' in browsing the internet, and 39% said it was 'faster'.
Derek Eccleston, Commercial Director at eDigitalResearch, said: "The introduction of 4G technology looks set to have a considerable impact on retail markets. With faster internet speeds and a better all-round browsing experience, more and more shoppers are likely to turn to their 4G enabled device to help them through their multichannel purchase journey."
Heins expects to sell "tens of millions" of Q10 handsets
BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins is not tempering his estimations when it comes to the keyboard-toting Q10 handset, telling Bloomberg he expects the new phone to sell "tens of millions" of units.
If true, this would see the Q10 outselling the touchscreen-only BlackBerry Z10 multiple times over. In the 3 months since its launch the Z10 has sold over 1 million units, but with its classic keyboard design, the Q10 is expected to fare better with BlackBerry faithful.
"This is going into the installed base of more than 70 million BlackBerry users so we have quite some expectations," Heins said.
Don't call it a comeback
For better or worse, BlackBerry has made headlines time and again in the opening months of 2013. It launched the new BlackBerry 10 OS alongside the Z10 handset in January, and announced musician Alicia Keys as the company's Chief Creative Director; despite the artist's continued preference for the Apple iPhone.
The Z10 handset went on sale shortly after, first in the UK, where earlier reports suggested that the phone was selling out in many phone stores.
Following its release in the US, reports came in that the handset was being returned to stores by customers in high volumes. Some publications even ran articles suggesting that return rates exceeded sales in the weeks after launch, though Heins strongly denies this was ever the case, saying that BlackBerry's own data shows that returns are "better than with previous BlackBerry launches".
Perhaps most importantly, the company posted a profit for the final quarter of 2012 of US$98-million. This surprised a lot of financial spectators who still remember the US$125-million loss reported by BlackBerry for the same period 12-months prior.
Though this figure points to good things for the smartphone maker, it is important to remember that this profit is for a period before the Z10 launch. Heins is credited with making tough decisions within the company, including a 5,000 person reduction in the size of the workforce in an attempt to promote greater efficiency across the organisation.
Are front-facing speakers to be HTC's new calling card?
Beyond its sleek aluminium chassis and its UltraPixel camera tech, perhaps the most lauded feature on the HTC One handset was its front-facing dual speakers.
Now, it seems, the Taiwanese company is hell bent on spreading this obvious-yet-innovative design feature to more smartphones, following the leak of a handset dubbed the HTC 608t on Monday.
The leaked handset, which looks more like the HTC One SV than the newer HTC One flagship device, showcases a rounded plastic, rather than metallic casing.
However, front and centre are those Beats Audio-powered front-facing speakers, suggesting the company is definitely going with this calling card on future handsets.
Jelly Bean and quad-core too?
The HTC 608t is also said to offer a 4.5-inch LCD display with a resolution of 960 x 540, while Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2 is on board, according to the leak from Chinese site TENAA (translated).
The leak also tips a quad-core processor, 8-megapixel camera, a 1.6-megapixel rear camera and 1GB RAM.
The leaked snap features a China Mobile logo suggests a launch in that region initially, so we'll have to wait for official release details before making assertions about potential launches in the west.
Just last month the HTC 606w showed up in China, which brings the UltraPixel camera tech to a budget handset for the first time.
It’s funny, no matter how great the handsets we currently have are already, we always seem to look to the future and to the rumor mill. This weekend a new rumor cropped up about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3, along with a few pictures that are allegedly of the device.
So what’s the latest word? The newest ‘report’ claims that the Note 3 will have a 5.99-inch Full HD 1920×1080 display, a massive 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, an Exynos 5410 Octa processor with the A15 clocked at 2.o and the A7 at 1.7GHz. It also talks about microSD support and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box.
Sounds pretty impressive, but should we believe this new rumor? As with all rumors, don’t take it at all the full face value. While the rumor could be true, until Samsung gives us concrete information, we just don’t know. It is also worth noting that the images mention a model number of I9500 for the pictured device – for those that don’t know already, that’s the model number of the international Galaxy S4, which is more than a little odd.
Is this the Galaxy Note 3 next to the Galaxy S4? (credit: news.mydrivers.com)
The size of Samsung's rumored Galaxy Note 3 has been a subject of much debate, and those keeping score can add a new column to their charts: 5.99 inches.
Previously the two most popular guesses for the Galaxy Note 3's screen size were 5.9 inches and 6.3 inches, but the latest hint of exactly 5.99 inches falls somewhere in between (though obviously much closer to 5.9 inches).
An article on the Chinese-language site news.mydrivers.com hinted at the screen size and shed light on some possible Note 3 specs: a full HD display, an eight-core Exynos Octa with a 2GHz A15 processor and a 1.7GHz A7 processor, 3GB of memory, and Android 4.2.2.
The article, published Sunday, even has a photo for accompaniment, though as SamMobile pointed out, the bezel on the device shown next to the Galaxy S4 looks a bit big and the model number in the image, i9500, doesn't match up with the model numbers of other Note devices (N7000 Galaxy Note, N7100 Galaxy Note 2, etc.).
Lost in translation?
The original report is in Chinese, and admittedly Google is having a bear of a time translating for us.
As a result, it seems something may have been lost in translation, as according to what we're seeing the original report appears to suggest that the Galaxy Note 3 will actually sport a 5.9-inch screen (which falls in line with previous Note 3 rumors) and not a 5.99-inch display like SamMobile reported yesterday.
On the other hand, for the moment we're more inclined to believe the unofficial Samsung blog than Google's often spotty translation service.
Still, we've asked SamMobile to explain this discrepancy, but so far we haven't heard back. Who knows? Maybe someone in this equation is just doing some rounding.
Previous rumors have pegged the Note 3 with everything from a square metal body to an unbreakable flexible display, so until Samsung says something officially everything said of the next Note should be considered speculative at best.
The Xperia SP could be a great option for those on a budget
The mid-range Sony Xperia SP has arrived on the Orange and T-Mobile networks in the UK with a pretty attractive pay-as-you-go price point.
The somewhat scaled back version of flagship Sony Xperia Z is available for just £249.99 from the networks, both of whom have stock of the device.
The affordable handset was unveiled last month with a 4.6-inch, 720p display, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 8-megapixel camera and 4G LTE radio. Not exactly a lightweight by any means.
As XperiaBlog points out, T-Mobile's deal is slightly better as it does not require the minimum £10 a month credit top up.
So why should be excited about the Sony Xperia SP? Well considering it's available for around half the price of the flagship Xperia Z, it's a pretty fab option for those unable to afford the top of the range device.
In a recent hands-on review, TechRadar's Gareth Beavis summed up his early verdict by saying: "With this spec list wouldn't look too out of place on a new flagship phone from another firm right now – and with a lower price, that's an ace notion."
The BlackBerry Z10 arrived in a whirlwind of frenzied marketing at the beginning of the year, but that new phone smell is starting to wear off so here's the second new instalment from the company formerly known as RIM - the BlackBerry Q10.
While the Z10 saw BlackBerry tread new water in the mobile market with its first fully touchscreen device, the Q10 sees a return to more familiar territory with the handset sporting the firm's famous QWERTY keyboard.
BlackBerry is keen to keep up the premium appeal of its first BlackBerry 10 handsets, with the Q10 sporting an equally lofty price and you can expect it to set you back around £560 (around $850/AU$830) SIM-free.
Over in the US the BlackBerry Q10 will require you to part with $249 up front for a two year contract - which makes it more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and iPhone 5 - while in the UK it can be had for free on two year contracts starting at £36 per month.
The BlackBerry Q10 arrives as the natural successor to the Bold 9900 and Bold 9790 at the top end of the keyboard toting tree, which has been pretty much ignored by every other manufacturer as touchscreen smartphones are today's big business.
There's still a market for handsets sporting a set of physical keys though, with a number of people still preferring the dexterity and accuracy this option provides over their touchscreen rivals.
In terms of design BlackBerry hasn't taken any great strides forward and to the untrained eye the Q10 could be mistaken for the 9900.
What you will note however is the once curved keyboard has now been straightened out and the metallic frets separating the rows of characters are now slightly raised for improved tactile feedback - in other words you should be able to feel where your thumbs are on the board more easily.
We'll cover the keyboard in more detail in our Keyboard section, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Despite packing a full on QWERTY keyboard the BlackBerry Q10 is only a shade wider than the Z10, and noticeably shorter measuring up at 119.6 x 66.8 x 10.35mm.
The textured rubberised rear of the Z10 is out and in comes a glass weave finish on the back of the Q10 which provides a decent amount of drip and a relatively solid, if not plastic feel.
Glass weave is a surprisingly tough covering and a tricky one to get scratched - although it's not impossible.
A single silver fret - reminiscent of the ones separating the keys on the front of the Q10 - runs horizontally across the back of the handset, elevating the 8MP camera lens (and single LED flash) from the surface you place it on, in a bid to avoid scratches.
The casing below this fret can be removed by simply sliding it down, to give you access to the 2,100mAh battery, microSIM, microSD port capable of handling cards up to 32GB in size - which compliments the 16GB of internal storage (of which 10.5GB is actually available to you).
You'll need to pop the battery out of the Q10 to gain access to the microSIM port, but thankfully the location of the microSD slot means you can swap out cards without have to remove the phone's power source.
The catch keeping the rear plate in place seemed sturdy enough fresh out the box, but we fear it could wear down pretty quickly and we've heard from other BlackBerry Q10 reviewers that their back plates are already feeling a bit loose.
Every now and then when we slide the Q10 out of our jeans the rear plate would come loose and while we maybe need to stay away from the skinny leg garments, it's a bit annoying.
Thankfully the headphone jack has been moved from its rather inconveniently positioned spot on the side of previous BlackBerry devices to the top of the Q10, allowing you to slide the handset into your pocket without fear of snagging the cord.
It joins a centralised metal power/lock key which looks identical to the one found on the Z10 and 9900 and is pretty easy to hit and responsive when you do so.
On the right you get the same trio of buttons as you find on the flagship Z10, with volume switches sandwiching a third key which activates voice control when held down.
All are within easy prodding distance, but the metal keys sport an angular finish and the edges can be quite sharp if you catch them at the wrong angle.
BlackBerry has continued with its dual port offering on the left of its BlackBerry 10 devices with both microUSB and microHDMI slots situated together allowing for an easy link up to a computer, TV or even a projector.
In terms of design and hardware the BlackBerry Q10 delivers the tried and tested method of the keyboard toting smartphone and although it may not plough any particularly new furrows it will offer a welcome familiarity for anyone looking to upgrade from a BB OS 7 handset.
Summertime, and the iPhone 5S may be coming (credit: Nowhereelse.fr)
As we draw nearer to the start of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, reports of what the Cupertino company is bringing to the table have been escalating.
It just so happens that rumors about the iPhone 5S have been plentiful these past few weeks, with many sources pointing to the updated smartphone making a showing at WWDC.
We've already heard Apple may be readying the iPhone 5S for a summer launch, with some sources indicating the iPhone 5 successor is already well into production.
Those claims became a little more grounded on Monday, when marketing materials for Japanese telecommunications company KDDI leaked possible pre-order and release dates for the iPhone 5S.
Summer blockbuster
According to the leaked documents for KDDI's au wireless service, pre-orders for the iPhone 5S will begin on June 20, with the smartphone arriving at some time in July.
The leaked info also indicated the iPhone 5S will feature a 13MP camera, a fingerprint reader, and iOS 7, which are all certainly specifics we've heard touted at least once before.
French website Nowhereelse.fr uncovered the paperwork, with Apple Insider pointing out docs like this are used by the staff at official carrier stores as cheat sheets of a sort.
The June 20 pre-order window certainly jibes with what we've heard previously, and fits in with the timeline of an announcement of the 5S at WWDC during the week of June 10-14.
Releasing the iPhone 5S relatively soon after the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 rather than later in the year would help Apple keep pace with its rivals, but rumors about iPhone release dates are about as common as the phone itself.
Until some more concrete evidence arrives, we won't be waiting for the summer winds to blow in the iPhone 5S.
T-Mobile is certainly having problems with the release of the Galaxy S4, but good news for those of you who are waiting for a budget Windows Phone 8 smartphone to hit Big Magenta. The Nokia Lumia 521, T-Mobile’s version of the Lumia 520, is now available at HSN.
You can get the device for an off-contract price of $149.95 (or four payments of $37.49), and the offer includes a car charger and screen protector and free shipping. You can also find the device at Walmart and Microsoft retail stores, but you will have to wait till May 11th and probably that bundle deal will only be available from HSN. And it will hit T-Mobile’s stores on May 22nd, according to Engadget’s sources.
The 4-inch Lumia 521 supports 4G but not LTE. But it is one of the best budget phones around, with decent specs and a good looking design. You can find the HSN order page here.
Samsung India is getting a lot of flack today for a largely ill-advised aging-pop-culture-phenomenon marketing-tie-in video-thing advertising the Samsung Galaxy S4 through the medium of Gangnam Style.
Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh belts his way through a Gangnam Style parody heavy on the S4 specs in front of a largely unenthusiastic crowd backed up by Psy animations and besequined dancers.
Just watch Singh's face as he reluctantly whips his suit jacket off like he's turning tricks. He doesn't want to be here, but those bills aren't going to pay themselves. So he licks his lips, takes a breath and gets stuck in.
It's endearingly awful. So much love for the marketing team whose best day at work ever was probably the one on which they got tanked and penned the lyrics shoehorning Samsung Galaxy S4 features into the K-pop dance hit.
The original Tetris is still one of a kind, but some of these alternatives are just as addictive
From the moment Tetris escaped its original home, an obscure Elektronika 60 in Moscow's Dorodnicyn Computing Centre, it became something of a phenomenon. There can be few games as immediately recognisable, addictive and enduring as the block-stacking classic.
Tetris originated from creator Alexey Pajitnov's childhood fascination with traditional puzzle toys, and the game's similarly elegant simplicity ensured it a place among gaming's greats.
Like other classics, it's easy to understand: pieces you can move and rotate fall into a well; make solid horizontal lines and they vanish; the game's over when the pieces reach the top. But also, Tetris is tough to truly master, allowing you to refine your technique over time.
The basic nature of Tetris also ensured that it found its way to countless platforms. The MS-DOS version spread Tetris to the west, but the true genius moment in Tetris history was in being bundled with the original Game Boy. The little monochrome version captivated the world; from that point on, there was no stopping it.
The Tetris juggernaut arrived on home consoles, handhelds, keychains and even the original click-wheel iPod. Of course, it's also found on iOS. EA's now had two cracks at bringing Tetris to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and the original effort wasn't convincing. A problem with Tetris from an iOS standpoint is the game's reliance on responsive digital controls as the game speeds up. On-screen swipe equivalents never stood a chance.
For the newer version of Tetris (69p, iPhone; £1.99, iPad), the swipe version remains as Marathon Mode, but we prefer One-Touch. This mode shows locations into which the current piece can fit. A timer counts down (and speeds up as the game progresses) and you tap a location to confirm, or tap elsewhere to get more options. Purists might baulk at such a radical departure from the original controls, but we reckon the iOS revision gives you the strategy of Tetris without the frustration of imprecise touch controls.
There's also the puzzle-oriented Galaxy Mode where you dig down through junk, although it's a touch too reliant on power ups to achieve the best times - and the power-ups are, naturally, bought with In-App Purchases.
With Tetris being so popular, it should come as no surprise the App Store's littered with clones, which are typically brazen in their approach, only occasionally doing something slightly different (for example, adding the odd non-standard shape), presumably in an effort to not be sued.
Therefore, we're only interested in block-stacking games that do something unique, rather like Dream of Pixels (£1.99, Universal). On the face of it, you might question our judgement, since Dream of Pixels looks an awful lot like an upside-down Tetris; in reality, it's Tetris in reverse, with you using the familiar shapes to take chunks out of a menacing cloud, which ends your game if it gets to the bottom of the screen.
However, what appears to be a cunning riff on Tetris in reality plays very differently, and interesting bonuses and game modes ensure Dream of Pixels is a must-have for action-puzzle fans.
Of the remaining titles in our selection, there's Tetris in the DNA, but also crossover with match games. The key differentiator from the likes of gem-swapper Bejeweled is that our choices all take place in an endlessly refilling well.
Some efforts simplify the basic block-stacking premise: Shibuya (69p, iPhone) has only a single column, and you must rapidly create chains of two or more like-coloured blocks.
Meanwhile, Unify (£1.49, iPhone) returns shapes that spin and move, but has them come at you from two directions. Fortunately, Unify's limited to stubby rectangles with two coloured pieces (a system Puyo Puyo fans will immediately recognise), and instead of forming complete lines, you're tasked with grouping four identically coloured squares, which subsequently explode. At first, this is simple, but once the game speeds up and gives you a half-dozen colours to track, it's like combining stripped-down Tetris with juggling.
Mini Meteors (£1.99, iPad) is equally frenetic, albeit in a different way. It's more or less a straight copy of the Nintendo DS title Meteos, with coloured blocks rapidly falling into the well. You arrange three or more in a row or column, at which point they abruptly ignite and take off, carrying the blocks above them. If the make-shift rocket is too heavy, it'll stall and fall, although you can give it extra power by rearranging the blocks in mid-flight.
If you're into more sedate fare, grab Slydris (£1.49, Universal) and Drop7 (£1.99, Universal). The former has you re-arranging lengths of horizontal blocks in a well. With each move, more fall from the top, and so you must think ahead and create chains that give you breathing space.
Drop7 demands maths skills along with spatial awareness and planning. Instead of shapes or blocks, you drop numbered discs into the well, and should the number on any disc match how many are in its row or column, it'll explode. That might not sound that straightforward, but Drop7 has the same pickup- and-play brilliance and tough-to-master sneakiness as Tetris, although it certainly gives a work out to a slightly different part of the brain.
Our final two games also take block-stacking away from the purely abstract, although they rely on letters, not numbers. SpellTower (£1.49, Universal) has rows of letters cleared by making words, Boggle-style. Tower Mode is laid back (a static grid and no pressure), but Puzzle Mode adds a new row for every word you create. By the time you get to Rush Mode and its relentless timer, you'll be yelling at the screen, demanding to know why there are so many unusable letters huddled together.
Still, it's good training for Puzzlejuice (£1.49, Universal), which doesn't stray too far from the truth when it states it will "punch your brain in the face". It merges Tetris and SpellTower with Unify's colour-matching - complete rows of squares and match coloured blocks to transform them into letters, which are removed by dragging out words.
Add power ups and you've got a creation that pays homage to Tetris, match games and word games, while merrily ensuring steam will shoot out of your ears at regular intervals. We're a little bit surprised the developer didn't bung some shooting and sports in there for good measure!
