Apple patents a feature that no one liked in the Galaxy S4
A new Apple patent reveals that future iOS devices could incorporate gaze technology that rival Samsung's "Smart Pause" and "Smart Scroll" features found in the Galaxy S4.
The "Electronic Devices With Gaze Detection Capabilities" patent lays out several benefits for iPhones and iPads capable of detecting when a user is looking at the device.
"When the device detects that the user has looked away from the device, the device may dim a display screen and may perform other suitable actions," indicates the U.S. Patent and Trademark filing.
In addition to battery-saving benefits, the capability could regulate video playback for only the right, eyes-on-the-screen moments.
"The device may pause a video playback operation when the device detects that the user has looked away [and] resume the video playback operation when the device detects that the user is looking towards the device."
Patent for a pressable, flexible display
A more original Apple patent entitled "Embedded Force Measurement" was also published today, discovered Apple Insider.
"[It's a] force detection system that detects force exerted on a flexible display based upon changes in resistance and/or capacitance," reads the patent's abstract.
Such pressable, flexible technology would allow the company's two-dimensional multitouch screen to add a third dimension in the form of a z-axis.
The best real-world example of this new screen technology being used in an app comes from the patent's GarageBand example. The virtual keyboard would be able to detect how loudly notes should be played.
All of a sudden, the ability to play chopsticks on a virtual piano may have just gotten a little more advanced beyond the original iPad mini commercial.
Excited about new iPhone technology? Read up on the iPhone 5S rumors for the latest.
The man who was behind Windows 8 thinks that sales of Microsoft's newest operating system aren't all that bad seven months after its launch.
"It's hard for me to look at selling 100 million of something and not be happy," said the former President of Windows division, Steve Sinofsky, according to AllThingsD.
"It will take a long time for things to play out," he cautioned at the D11 conference. "It's exciting but it means while it is going on you have to resist the urge to pick winners and losers."
Sinofsky's former company revealed that Windows 8 reached 100 million sales in its first six months of availability.
When asked to comment on Apple and Google, Sinofsky said that there are positive at negative challenges at both of Microsoft's rivals.
"It's beautiful to use an iPhone — as long as you want do the things it supports," he said digging in at Apple's lack of developer and user customization.
"[At Microsoft, it was exciting to be part of a project that changes the design paradigm," he said of the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 flat look that a skeuomorphic-free iOS may adopt.
"If people follow, it can be even better."
Uses an Android phone
Sinofsky held up a Surface RT tablet, which he helped spearhead while at Microsoft, but he also pulled out an HTC One smartphone during the D11 conference.
"Using this Android phone. It is amazing in its openness and all its variety," he said, commenting that having many people be part of Google's success is "a big force multiplier."
"[But] the subtlety of being open is hard to get across. There are nefarious app developers out there. Not malware but just developers trying to make their app get seen."
"They might have a great calculator but they want to show up everywhere."
Sinofsky's future
Asked whether he thought about joining Google or Apple follow his departure from Microsoft, Sinofsky deflected the question.
"Right now I am in learning mode."
"The industry is undergoing a tremendous amount of change," he said earlier in the D11 interview. "I think that is exciting and it means a lot of opportunity."
The number of free Wi-Fi hotspots O2 customers can connect will fall dramatically from July 1 when the network's four-year partnership with BT Openzone comes to an end.
Until now, those who get their smartphone service from the Sean Bean-voiced carrier have been able to log-on to BT's five million Wi-Fi hotspots around the UK, completely free of charge.
However, once the month of June comes to a close, O2-ites will have to make do with the 8,000 O2 Wi-Fi hotspots dotted around the nation, if they wish to save monthly data allowance while on the move.
The company has added a page to its website, detailing the switch, and promises that its Wi-Fi network, which is free for all to use beyond its customer base, will continue to grow.
Forget the networks
Currently O2 Wi-Fi is available in retailers like McDonald's, Debenhams, Costa Coffee, All-Bar-One, House of Fraser, Café Rouge, Toni & Guy and at O2 Stores around the country.
However, it's a pithy return given the scope of BT's offering. The company has fiendishly built Wi-Fi hotspots into the routers of residential and business routers, which has allowed it to create a mammoth network.
On its web post O2 has included instructions for users to prevent smartphones automatically attempting to join BT hotspots whenever they're in range.
Basically, the instructions consist of telling the device in question to forget all of the networks they're familiar with, almost as if they never happened.
Somehow the "Goodbye BT Openzone. Hello O2 Wi-Fi" boast doesn't quite seem like something the network should be shouting about at this stage.
Google Play Music All Access is taking on competitors like Spotify and Xbox Music
Google Play Music All Access will head to iOS in the next couple weeks, the company has revealed.
Google's Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome and Google Apps Sundar Pichai broke the news at the D11 conference this week.
"In Google's DNA, we wanted to be universally accessible," Pichai said, speaking with tech journalist Walt Mossberg. "The goal with search was to make it work for everyone in the world, and I think that philosophy extends today."
"We brought Google Now to iOS. A couple weeks from now we will launch Google Play Music All Access for iOS, the teams are working like crazy to do it."
All Access will compete with services like Spotify, Xbox Music, and Pandora.
During the event, Android Engineering Director Chris Yerga called it "radio without rules."
Google Play Music All Access is available now in some countries and will head to others soon.
The privacy question: Android guest accounts?
When asked how Google can innovate in privacy, Pichai responded that Android guest accounts could be in the cards for the future.
"When we did Chrome, we did a full incognito mode. That's one example [of Google's innovations in privacy]," he explained.
"But we do want more things like that. There's a lot of things from a security standpoint, from a perspective of children and parents. There's no reason we can't do something like guest accounts on Android."
Wondering how Google Play Music All Access stacks up to the competition? Read TechRadar's comparison of Google's service versus Spotify.
Nexus has seen a bit of a resurgence this month, with Google outing a stock Android Galaxy S4 at IO and HTC unwrapping news of a Nexus UX One landing next month today.
Google itself isn't done with the Nexus line of products either, at least according to Android/Chrome chief Sundar Pichai.
On stage at the AllThingsD D11 conference, Pichai was asked whether Google is done making Nexus products.
"The goal with Nexus was to push forward hardware with partners," Pichai said, as reported by the ATD live blog. "That will continue as well."
Short and sweet, but it looks as though Google plans to continue a two-pronged approach; work with manufacturing partners to maximize Nexus' reach while pushing out its own custom products. Pichai, by the way, had with him the Sense-less HTC One, a phone that will hit Google Play June 26 for $599 (around UK£395, AU$622).
Be not afraid
Pichai also fielded a query as to whether Google sees a problem in Samsung's dominance of the Android hardware market.
"We actually owe a lot of success in Android to what [Samsung has] done," he answered. "A vast majority of their phones are based on Android, so I see a pretty symbiotic relationship, and we intend to keep it that way. Look at Intel and Microsoft, they collaborated for many years."
Apparently it doesn't really matter for Google whether there are one or many major players in the Android space.
"It's not just the operating system, but it's the services on top of it, the cloud services," Pichai posed.
"Look at search, Maps, YouTube - we do crazy things to make Maps happen - fly planes, drive cars. And we have more coming. We have Google Now. And I think that's where the innovation lies. I don't see it as a zero-sum game because the industry is exploding."
Pichai noted that even though Motorola is developing the Moto X from within Google, he's no more excited about it than a device coming from Samsung. Very diplomatic, Mr. Pichai.
There are three full weeks before the Samsung Premiere 2013 event on June 20, but Galaxy S4 fans won't have to wait that long before getting a peek at the specs for two companion handsets launching there.
In addition to the Galaxy S4 Mini already announced, new Galaxy models aimed at shutterbugs and those with more active lifestyles could be launched soon.
Active appears to feature a five-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor with Adreno 320 GPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage plus micro-SD slot and a 2600mAh battery.
Bearing a closer resemblance to the Galaxy S4 Mini, the Galaxy S4 Zoom puts the focus on the 16MP rear-facing camera, equipped with the requisite 10x optical zoom for getting that much closer to the action.
The remainder of the specs are somewhat less impressive, with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with a 960 x 540 resolution, dual-core 1.6GHz processor, a modest 8GB of internal storage (plus micro-SD slot) and 1900mAh battery.
Of course, anything can change between now and Samsung's London event on June 20, which could also see the debut of new ATIV-branded Windows Phone handsets.
Samsung's just-announced Galaxy S4 Mini will be coming in an LTE variant in the UK, courtesy of EE, who confirmed they'll be stocking the phone from launch.
EE will be offering the phone on its 4GEE service, while the handset will also be available on the 3G-only Orange and T-Mobile networks.
After months of speculation, Samsung made the S4 Mini official today. The handset is slightly smaller on the specs, running on a 1.7GHz dual-core chip instead of its bigger brother's quad-core.
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There have been rumors about Motorola’s upcoming smartphone which will go against the iPhone and Galaxy devices, and now Dennis Woodside and Regina Dugan have confirmed the existence of the device at the AllThingsD D11 Conference.
Woodside decided to bring the flagship in his pocket but didn’t show it to anyone at the event. It would have been nice if we got a peek at the device, but we will probably be able to do that via a leak sometime soon.
He said, “We have a hero device that’s coming out that’s going to be called Moto X”. The device, which will arrive in October, is coming with sensors which will make the device ‘contextually aware’. It will know what the user is doing with it and can adjust itself for it. And the handset will be built in the US, with processors coming from Taiwan and OLED screens from Korea. The price of the device could be a tad higher than other high end smartphones due to the Made in USA tag.
And also talked about were electronic tattoos and vitamin pills. Those are not for some high tech patient but for the users of future Motorola smartphones.
According to Dugan, “There’s so much information on your smartphone that makes you so much more vulnerable to identity theft now. After 40 years of computing we’re still authenticating the same way”. Motorola’s tattoo (with an antenna and circuits) and pill (with a chip powered by the stomach’s acids) will make the phone’s owner an authentication token or password.
Apple is likely to introduce finger print tech in future iDevices. It’s good to see that Motorola is thinking about new stuff rather than trying to copy though it seems to be a bit too much of authentication. What do you think?
We’ve been hearing about the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini for a while now, with most recent indications pointing to an announcement on June 20th. It looks like Samsung decided to reveal the news early, as the phone is finally official.
So what does the smaller brother of the GS4 bring to the table? As you would expect, it isn’t exactly a high-end device, but it is also no pushover. The phone has a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 1.5GB RAM and 8GB storage. There is also microSD support, a 1,900 mAh battery, an 8MP back cam, 1.9MP front cam and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean onboard. The GS4 Mini will also be just 8.94mm thick and will weight 107 grams.
This one isn’t going to blow anyone away, but if you really prefer smaller screens but want to stick to the classic Sammy Galaxy look – this could be exactly what you are looking for. Unfortunately, no word on pricing or availability at the moment.
We do know that it will come in a few different versions: a 3G model, a 4G LTE model and a 3G dual-SIM version. It will also come in White Frost of Black Mist color options.
What do you think, do you hope this phone comes to your local market or could you care less? Let us know in the comments below.
Is this the second Windows Phone 8 device from Huawei? (credit: @evleaks)
The Huawei Ascend W2 has popped up again and this time instead of a blurry snap shot we've been treated to what looks like a press image of the Windows Phone 8-toting smartphone.
This latest leak comes from the oft-reliable @evleaks, who provided the picture along with the words "Huawei Ascend W2, 2013" - and nothing more.
Left in the lurch
What this means is that apart from knowing that the Ascend W2 will likely make an appearance sometime this year. Details on specs, release date and price are still a relative mystery.
Previous reports have suggested the Ascend W2 will sport a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720 display, 1.5GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 2000mAh battery and an 8MP rear camera with 1080p HD recording.
If the press shot does transpire to be true then Huawei may be onto a winner as the Ascend W2 looks set to be an attractive smartphone, with a definite design upgrade from the toyish Ascend W1.
In an attempt to balance out its supply chain, Apple is said to be using Foxconn competitor Pegatron for production on a certain budget handset that's been rumoured for some time.
Pegatron, which sounds one of the forgotten Transformers, has actually made some iPhones and iPad Minis for Apple in the past.
It's also reported that Pegatron is upping its work force by up to 40 per cent during the second half of this year, adding further fuel to the cheaper iPhone fire.
It looks like Apple may have taken this on board in its decision to share the load a bit more, and while a competitor, it'll mean less of a burden for Cupertino's favourite supplier.
The existence of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini was hardly in question after the raft of rumours and leaks we've seen over the past few months - even the Korean firm managed to let slip on its own website.
Following on from the Galaxy S3 Mini, the S4 Mini has received a modest boost in terms of specifications, but don't expect to see any eight-core power or full HD displays here.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release date
In terms of a Galaxy S4 Mini release date the trail is pretty cold for the moment, although we hope to find out more at the London event on June 20, so we shouldn't have too long to wait.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S4 Mini will be coming, with more details to be announced "in due course". Phones4U in the UK was the first to give any indication, tentatively reckoning the Galaxy S4 MIni will appear in July.
We're equally in the dark when it comes to the Galaxy S4 Mini price, but if the Galaxy S3 Mini is anything to go on you can probably expect it to set you back around £320 (around $485, AU$500) SIM-free.
When it comes to the display on the Galaxy S4 Mini you're greeted with a 4.3-inch, Super AMOLED qHD display - that's 960 x 540 - so it's certainly no match for the full HD offering on the Samsung Galaxy S4.
The good news it the S4 Mini's display is an improvement over the 4-inch, WVGA offering we got on the Galaxy S3 Mini - and this helps make the handset that bit more appealing.
It's worth considering that even though Mini is in the name, it's actually got a bigger screen than the 4-inch iPhone 5 - plus it's also cheaper - although the iPhone's Retina display has a far better resolution.
Internal grunt
Under the hood the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini packs a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, backed up by a not too shabby 1.5GB of RAM.
Once again that's up on the S3 Mini and should see things run smoothly on screen, and 8GB of internal storage sounds acceptable - that is until you read that only 5GB will be available to the user.
Thankfully the S4 Mini's saving grace is the inclusion of a Samsung smartphone tradition - a microSD slot, which supports cards up to 64GB in size.
That power will be responsible for running the latest version of Google's mobile platform, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which Samsung has sprinkled with its TouchWiz interface.
This means you'll also get a raft of Samsung apps, such as Samsung Knox, S Voice and S Travel, included on the S5 Mini, which some may find useful, but others will just view them as unnecessary bloatware.
Well connected
All the expected bells and whistles are present on the Galaxy S4 Mini with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS all featuring inside the 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm, 107g plastic frame.
There are some added extras however, with an infra-red blaster, NFC technology and 4G connectivity also finding their way inside.
In some regions the Galaxy S4 Mini will only be available as a 3G handset, which also doesn't feature NFC, although it's not clear which markets will receive which model just yet.
And the rest
So what else can you expect from the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini? Well it's got an 8MP rear facing camera complete with LED flash, plus there's a front facing 1.9MP snapper for those pouty profile pictures and important video calls.
There's a 1900mAh battery hiding round the back which we hope will give a decent amount of life, although we'll put that to the test in our Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review.
You'll be able to pick from two colours as well - White Frost and Black Mist - although we wouldn't be surprised if more colours appeared later this year, especially as Samsung has confirmed new shades for the Galaxy S4.
We hope to spend some time with the handset at Samsung's event in London in a few weeks time, so keep your eyes peeled for our hands on Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review.
Or are you just standing further away from the S4?
Samsung has taken the surprising route of announcing the phone-we-all-knew-about Galaxy S4 mini ahead of the expected launch event in June.
The new S4 mini packs a number of top end features in a diminutive package, with things like S Translate, Group Play and an upgraded camera system. However, it does away with a lot of the 'innnovation' so Smart Scroll and friends don't seem to have got a look in (which, if you read our review, is a good thing).
In terms of hardware it's as expected: a Super AMOLED qHD (960 x 540) 4.3-inch screen sits on top of a polycarbonate phone (coming in White Frost and Black Mist... or white and black) with dimensions of 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.94mm. It's going to be super light too, with a weight of just 107g.
All the speeds
Coming in both 4G and 3G flavours, the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini will have a dual core processor clocked at 1.7GHz, although the South Korean brand hasn't confirmed whether this will be the expected Snapdragon 400 or an older S4 chip – the former would really help the phone whip along through the arduous tasks thrust on it by a modern smartphone user. Or a parent prodding at the new phone bought by their offspring.
Samsung has delivered a strong nod to the recent 'Internal Memory-Gate' (working title) of the Galaxy S4 by noting that while the S4 mini only comes with 8GB of storage, 5GB of that is user accessible and 'may change after a software upgrade'. It does have microSD slot capable of reading cards up to 64GB, and 1.5GB of RAM doesn't sound to shabby at all.
Android 4.2.2 is adorning this little number, so you'll be getting all the fancy menu systems and layouts offered to the S4 proper, and an 8MP camera on the rear should be enough to keep you snapping happily too.
It's a mini adventure
Is it better than the Galaxy S3 mini, which we weren't overly impressed by? In like for like terms, of course it is, with nearly everything upgraded. However, the clarity of the screen is the same as the predecessor, something we had an issue with, and we can't help but wonder if Samsung has done enough to the phone to make sure that the dual core processor can handle all the new elements that Samsung us throwing in.
The good news is we'll have our answer in the not-too-distant future, with the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini on show at the 20 June event in London. We sadly don't have a release date just yet, nor anything approaching a price, but we're going to make it up: The Samsung Galaxy S4 will be available from July 5 and will start at £329 for the 3G version.
