Nokia has done what we asked: released a Windows Phone handset in metal. Except it's not all metal. And it's very similar to the Nokia Lumia 920. And it's in the high-end price bracket... but does a stunning camera warrant the extra cost?

Last year's Lumia 920 was a decent handset. It married striking looks to a quality screen and an even better camera. However, while it was undeniably good there was still some room for improvement, as being a flagship phone many hoped for better specs, less weight and a more premium build.

Now the Finnish phone-smiths are back with the Nokia Lumia 925. It's only seen a small number boost in its name, and if you assumed that meant that not much had changed, well, you'd be right.

While Nokia has equipped the Lumia 925 with a similarly brilliant camera and gone some way to addressing the build of its flagship, it hasn't really improved the specs, leaving the Nokia Lumia 925 in the curious position of feeling more like a tweaked handset than an all new one.

This could be a problem, since it's priced at a wallet-bothering £500 (around US$785/AU$820) SIM free, while the Nokia Lumia 920 can be had for around £150 less.

With a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and just 1GB of RAM the Nokia Lumia 925 matches the Lumia 920 for horsepower and trails some way behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Sony Xperia Z - both of which have double the RAM and quad-core processors.

Arguably Nokia didn't need to go all out, since it doesn't have a huge amount of competition in the Windows Phone space - only the HTC Windows Phone 8X really poses much of a threat. But it seems like a missed opportunity to compete on a level playing field against the wider phone world.

At first sight you might almost not recognise the Lumia 925 as a Nokia handset. It has the same sharply rectangular shape that the Nokia Lumia 920 has, but where that was all brightly coloured plastic, the Nokia Lumia 925 has a shiny aluminium band running around the sides. It gives it a premium edge that is sorely lacking from other Nokia handsets, and it looks good for it.

Unfortunately Nokia hasn't gone the whole hog and made a completely metal handset like the HTC One, and instead made the back from polycarbonate. It still looks decent and the fairly conservative colour options (black, white or silver) mean that it looks a lot classier and more grown up than the Nokia Lumia 920, but it doesn't come close to the premium look or feel of the HTC One.

Despite incorporating metal into its design, the Nokia Lumia 925 is actually lighter than the Nokia Lumia 920, coming in at 139g (4.9oz) compared to the 185g (6.5oz) Lumia 920. The weight was one of our key qualms with the Nokia Lumia 920, so it's good to see that it's been addressed.

At a sleek 8.5mm (0.33 inches), the Nokia Lumia 925 is quite a bit thinner than its 10.7mm (0.42-inch) predecessor too, while the length and width remain almost identical at 129 x 70.6mm (5.08 x 2.78 inches).

It feels nice in the hand and it's generally quite comfortable to hold, though there are a couple of caveats to that. Firstly the position of the camera lens on the back makes it very easy to accidentally put your fingers over it, which is uncomfortable and could leave marks on the lens.

And secondly, the corners aren't very curved, which means they can dig into your hand if you hold the phone in a certain way. On the plus side, the polycarbonate back feels soft and warm against your palm, which is a comforting sensation.

The front of the Nokia Lumia 925 is dominated by the 4.5 inch 768 x 1280 AMOLED screen. It's not quite edge to edge but it's not far off at the sides - although there's reams of plastic above and below, which seems a trifle unnecessary. It's a good size too in our opinion, big enough to use easily without becoming unwieldy.

At 332 pixels per inch it also has a pretty good pixel density, though not one that will bother the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4. And in fact it's exactly the same size and resolution as the previous model, which is a little disappointing. However it does use the same impressive PureMotion HD+ ClearBlack technology as the Nokia Lumia 920.

Above the screen there's Nokia's logo, the earpiece and the 1.3 MP front-facing camera, while below the screen there are three soft touch buttons with icons for Start, Back and Search.

Flip the Nokia Lumia 925 over and you'll find another Nokia logo stamped across the middle of the polycarbonate back, while above that there's an 8.7MP Carl Zeiss camera lens and flash, and near the bottom of the handset there's a speaker.

The plastic around the lens is raised, leaving the lens itself slightly indented. That gives it a little protection when putting the phone down, but it also makes the phone less comfortable to hold as your fingers will often stray over the raised area.

The left edge of the phone consists of a strip of metal with no real features on it, while the right edge has the power button in the middle, a volume rocker just above it and the camera button near the bottom. The buttons are all quite raised and responsive, making them easy to press and easy to find by touch alone. They're also spaced out enough that there's no confusion over which is which.

The top of the Nokia Lumia 925 houses the micro SIM card slot at the left, the micro USB port and 3.5mm headphone port near the centre and the microphone to the right.

The bottom edge is left unadorned, with just the metal band running along it.

You can't remove the back cover so there's no getting to the Nokia Lumia 920-matching 2000mAh battery and there's also no microSD card slot, so unlike some lower-end Nokia handsets (such as the Nokia Lumia 520), the storage isn't expandable. This leaves the Nokia Lumia 925 with just 16GB of memory, which is half what the Nokia Lumia 920 offers - although 32GB options are apparently going to be available.

The Nokia Lumia 925 is slimmer and lighter than the Nokia Lumia 920. It also has a more premium build and a slightly improved camera (more on that later) but with the same core specs, less storage space and a much higher price tag it's got an uphill struggle on its hands.

Source : techradar[dot]com

There's been a bunch of Mini phones on the market lately (HTC One Mini, Motorola Droid Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini anyone?) plus rumors of Sony making its own Mini to join the fray.

The supposed Sony Xperia Honami Mini has shown up in another leak yesterday, in a blurry comparison shot next to a BlackBerry device.

The source claims the Honami Mini is packing a Snapdragon 800, the same processor that might be in the new Sony Xperia i1 (or Honami, Z1). This may be a bit of stretch since the Mini rumored to have a 4.3-inch 720p display.

However the leak also says the Mini will come with 2GB of RAM, and a 20.7MP camera sensor with 1/2.3 F 2.0 SONY G lens. Inside you'll find 16GB of storage space and a battery sitting at 2400 mAh which matches earlier leaked reports.

Sony's teasing us again too

The Honami Mini isn't the only thing tantalizing Sony Xperia fans.

Just like last week's social media tease, Sony's taken to Twitter and Facebook again to post another #bestofsony glimpse of its latest flagship, the many monikered Sony Xperia i1.

Instead of the minimal power button however, this time Sony has shown us a bit of the camera, or more specifically a G lens, a feature from Sony's line of lenses for DSLRs and digicams.

This confirms earlier reports of the lens which means rumors of a 20.65MP camera with a resolution of 3936 x 5248 on the Xperia i1 may prove to be true.

We'll find out soon what the camera can do if Sony actually showcases the new Xperia device at a possible IFA reveal on Sept. 4.

• Is the hyped up Moto X any good? Find out what TechRadar thinks.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Following insight into its innards, we have further evidence that gold isn't the only new color Apple will introduce with the iPhone 5S.

Courtesy of Apple tracker Sonny Dickson, a host of images purporting to show a grey or graphite next-gen iPhone are now sparkling before our eyes.

As has become his fashion, Dickson posted not one but a Thanksgiving-sized serving of grey iPhone 5S snaps. The phone is clearly lighter than the black we're used to from Cupertino's iDevices. The phone's backside features a black trim surrounding the new color.

We asked Dickson for confirmation on the authenticity of his source, and he reassured us that the source of the images "is 100% real." Of course, we remain skeptical until we have full confirmation from Apple, but below you can see what Dickson claimed is the gold iPhone 5S, grey iPhone 5S and black iPhone 5S cosying up to one another during screen production:

The iPhone 5S picture sharpens

Dickson's photos come after a report we brought you yesterday that showed a "gunmetal" grey SIM card tray supposedly belonging to an iPhone 5S. Interestingly, all of the grey iPhone 5S' in Dickson's images appear to be missing their SIM trays.

Apple is generally believed to be planning a Sept. 10 event to introduce the iPhone 5S and quite possible the iPhone 5C, a "cheaper" version of the iPhone.

On Sunday, Fox News anchor Clayton Morris tweeted twice with info on the iPhone 5S. According to Morris' sources, the phone's A7 chipset will be 31% faster than the silicon inside the iPhone 5.

Branching out from there, Morris followed up with word that the phone will have a dedicated motion tracking chipset, which "should be an interesting camera upgrade," he noted.

• For all the latest on the iPhone 5S, head this way. If you're already interested in the iPhone 6, we've got the 411 for you too.

Source : techradar[dot]com

At schools around the world, change is afoot. Big, big change, driven by technology. We're not talking electronic whiteboards or classroom projectors. Those were both minor advancements compared to the sea change we're seeing unfold at the moment.

At the centre of this technological revolution isn't a traditional computer, but the iPad and iPod touch. They're proving so popular that some schools are providing every pupil with one of their own.

To find out what sort of impact these devices are having in our schools and colleges, we spoke to those involved in rolling them out, and discovered how they're being used and what the best apps are.

Combining their recommendations with our knowledge of the app market, we've got a definitive list of the apps that will turn the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch from a blank slate into the perfect educational companion for you, your children or your pupils.

And don't forget about iTunesU on the iTunes Store, which is jam-packed full of educational material. It's natural, though, that such a huge change to the way our schools teach will raise plenty of questions from parents, teachers and students alike. So let's start by answering these, to help turn anxious minds into enthusiastic ones!

Ask any parent and they'll tell you how much kids love the iPad. So whether they're in pre-school or year six, here are some must-have fun apps to help kids' learning

1. iThoughtsHD

Map out your ideas
Price: £6.99
Works with: iPad
Size: 5.9MB

Spending ages staring at a blank sheet of paper (or an empty Pages document) when someone asks you to write them a story is incredibly disheartening. But with the iThoughtsHD mind-mapping app (also on iPhone; £5.49), kids can quickly sketch out their ideas, adding thoughts without things becoming a mess.

Easily increase the size of key words, drag others into place, and when they're ready to start writing, send the mindmap to another app. It's a favourite with primary school children, who find it a really helpful brainstorming tool.

2. Intro To Letters

Start learning the alphabet
Price: £2.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Size: 60.1MB

As seen on Apple's TV ads, this app will teach kids the letters of the alphabet from an early age. Combining both single letters and common groupings, your little ones can practise writing by tracing over the characters with their fingers or a stylus. There are arrows to guide them along the way, too.

Intro to Letters does more than just teach them to write, though; it's packed full of sounds to help kids with pronunciation, and they can record themselves talking and listen back to it. It's a lovely interactive way to introduce children to the alphabet and the world of words.

3. Britannica Kids - Rainforests

One of Britannica's range of children's apps
Price: £4.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Size: 192MB

Designed to bring the wealth of Britannica knowledge to children, the range of 'kids' apps covers topics including volcanoes, the solar system, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and, in this case, rainforests.

The Britannica Kids apps are a great source of information for homework projects. Alongside an illustrated listing of animals found in the rainforest, there are articles covering everything from the native plants to threats the habitat faces. You've also got beautiful photographs of forests around the world, plus interactive elements, including a browsable world map with images pinned to it, and several puzzles to tackle.

4. Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus

What it says on the tin…
Price: £13.99
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Size: 29.3MB

Now there's no need to carry round a bulky dictionary and thesaurus, because all that information's right here in one place. Useful for adults and children alike, the Search bar of the Oxford Dictionary app is a brilliant timesaver, and you don't need to be connected to the internet to use the app – everything's stored right on your device for easy access.

5. BrainPOP UK

Works with: iPhone/iPod touch/iPad
Price: Free

BrainPop shows kids an animated film every day to teach them something new. Great for general knowledge.

6. World Atlas HD

Works with: iPad
Price: £1.49

Browse the world using National Geographic's atlas, which includes key stats per country.

7. MathBoard

Works with: iPad
Price: £2.99

From simple addition to trickier division and multiplication, MathBoard is a lovely way to practise maths.

8. GeoMaster

Works with: iPhone/iPod touch
Price: 69p

Test your knowledge of the world's countries and more with a variety of GeoMaster puzzles.

9. Toca Robot Lab

Works with: iPhone/iPod touch/iPad
Price: 69p

Let your little ones design their own robot and then fly it through a series of puzzles with Toca Robot Lab.

10. Alphabet Fun

Works with: iPad
Price: £2.49

Alphabet Fun is a popular interactive app for teaching young children about letters, numbers and colours.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Today's smartphones are blank canvases: manufacturers provide the hardware, and we turn them into magical machines with apps that transform them into musical instruments or games consoles, business machines or cat video players.

But it turns out we're only scratching the surface. Who knew that smartphones make pretty good satellites? Here are ten uses for smartphones the makers probably didn't imagine.

1. Smartphones forecasting the weather

Networking expert OpenSignal has discovered something interesting: the sensors in Android phones designed to measure battery temperature, light, pressure and so on can be used to generate surprisingly accurate weather reports.

Get enough phones involved and you've got a weather sensing network. Today the data just reports, but prediction is the logical next step.

There are medical applications too: "Imagine your doctor could instantly access data on which countries you've been in, the extremes of pressure and temperature you'd experienced, the amount of exercise you are getting, even the humidity where you live," OpenSignal says.

2. Smartphones powering satellites

In February, a Google Nexus One went into orbit - not in an astronaut's pocket, but as the brains of the STRaND-1 satellite.

A joint project between the University of Surrey's Space Centre and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited, the smartphone-powered "nanosatellite" will run experimental apps to collect data from space.

3. Smartphones saving the rainforests

Detecting chainsaws may sound like a novelty app, but it's a serious business: in Indonesia, the non-profit organisation Rainforest Connection wants to use donated Android phones to detect illegal logging.

As New Scientist reports: "The phones are outfitted with solar panels specifically designed to take advantage of the brief periods when light reaches the forest floor. Their microphones stay on at all times, and software listens for the telltale growl of a chainsaw, which triggers an alert."

4. Smartphones as mobile medical labs

Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed an iPhone cradle and app that turns the device into a fully featured mobile medical lab that uses the phone's camera to detect toxins, proteins, bacteria, viruses and other organisms.

As RedOrbit reports [http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112855945/smartphone-mobile-lab-with-new-app-cradle-052413/]: "The cradle contains a series of smaller versions of the optical components found in much larger and more expensive lab devices... although the cradle only holds $200 worth of optical components, it is just as accurate as $50,000 models in the lab".

5. Smartphones driving cars

Google's self-driving cars carry around $30,000 of high-tech hardware and sensors - but students at Australia's Griffith University [http://www.griffith.edu.au/engineering-information-technology/school-information-communication-technology] reckon they can get the job done with a single smartphone.

Rather than LIDAR sensors and stacks of cameras, the students have built a prototype that relies mainly on the phone's camera and built-in GPS.

6. Smartphones detecting chemical warfare attacks

Never mind anti-virus software: if the US Department of Homeland Security gets its wish, smartphones will soon run anti-chemical warfare software.

The Cell-All project aims to persuade manufacturers to equip smartphones with cheap chemical sensors - "a buck a sensor", the DHS says - that can detect anything from chlorine leaks to sarin gas attacks. The technology is currently moving to the proof-of-principle stage to see if the idea is really practical.

7. Smartphone health screening

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has found a way to turn smartphone screens into digital doctors: the same mechanism that detects your taps and swipes could also detect proteins and DNA molecules, which also carry electric charges.

According to study co-lead Hyun-gyu Park, the screens "are able to recognize DNA molecules with nearly 100 percent accuracy just as large, conventional medical equipment can and we believe equal results are possible for proteins." For now it's a promising development rather than an imminent product, but the potential is enormous.

8. Smartphone rifle sights

Fancy something a bit more realistic than shooting games? How about a real gun with an iPhone for sights?

That's what Intelliscope delivers. The $99 device is a heads-up display for hunting rifles, air guns and paintball guns that provides key data including wind speed and direction, compass details and ammunition levels, and it also offers digital zooming and video recording.

9. Smartphone metal detectors

The magnetometers built into many Android smartphones have surprisingly beneficial applications: as Medgadget explains, "Imagine having a metal detector handy when you, as an emergency physician, have an unconscious patient come in and you need to know whether he has an implant."

The sensors aren't strong enough for distance work - don't expect to find buried treasure on a beach - but it's an interesting example of useful unintended consequences of smartphone tech.

10. Smartphone miniature train windows for tiny little dolls

We know, we know. At last, our prayers have been answered! Ever since Apple unveiled the iPhone in 2007, smartphone users have cried "Yes, that's all very well, but when will we be able to use our phones as miniature train windows for tiny little dolls?"

The answer, friends, is "now". Thank you, Miniature Train Windows for i-Phone! Thank you so much! This may be the weirdest use of a smartphone we've ever seen.

Source : techradar[dot]com