iPhone 6 Cover: October 2013

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Acer Iconia Tab A500 gets Android 3

Acer Iconia Tab A500 gets Android 3.1 update ahead of schedule

The start of the week brought some great news to the Acer Iconia Tab A500 users around the globe. The Honeycomb 3.1 update has just surfaced and those brave enough to try a manual flash might get it right away.

The update is the real deal, meaning an official Acer update, which just burst out ahead of its time. It could all be on purpose to test if there are any problems with it but as usual with such updates – those willing to risk it and try it sooner rather than later are in no short supply.

Here goes the download provided by the XDA developers forum. You can also head to this topic to find more on the leaked update, along with help on how to install it on your device. As usual with that kind of update deals you should proceed at your own risk and keep in mind that it most probably will void your warranty.

Source

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Facebook teams up with carriers to offer discounted data access to Facebook messaging

Facebook announced partnerships with multiple mobile operators to provide free or discounted data access for its website usage. As we already know, much of the Facebook’s usage is from the mobile devices and the Mark Zuckerberg’s company is trying to make it easier on the wallets to access it.

Facebook’s latest promotion offers you free or discounted data access on Messenger for Android, Messenger for iOS and, of course, for every platform, for which the service has been optimized.

As such, the promotion will be available in 14 countries and with more than 18 operators. Facebook has teamed up with operators that include TMN in Portugal, Three in Ireland, Airtel and Reliance in India, Vivacom in Bulgaria, Backcell in Azerbaydzhan, Indosat, Smartfren, AXIS and XL Axiata in Indonesia, SMART in Philippines, DiGi in Malaysia, DTAC in Thailand, Viva in Bahrain, STC in Saudi Arabia, Oi in Brazil, Etisalat in Egypt and Tre in Italy.

Facebook’s free data access hasn’t started yet and the offer will be applicable in the coming months.

Via

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

China to put heavy restrictions on Internet maps

China to put heavy restrictions on Internet maps, Google Maps is probably out of there

China has been censoring a lot of Internet related stuff lately – the latest victim is online maps. Citing security concerns, the Chinese government is going to impose some very restricting rules about maps on the Internet and location-based services in China…

The new rules, which will come in effect next month, include stuff like requiring “servers storing map data” to be located in China and those servers must not have had any information leaks of any kind in the last three years.

These restrictions apply to both maps and satellite images as well as maps downloaded or copied to mobile phones.

This likely means that Google Maps is going to be banned in China – after the China/Google disagreement, the search giant moved its Chinese servers to Hong Kong. There’s no official response from Google yet, though.

Apparently, Nokia hasn’t commented on how this will affect them either (they own map-maker NAVTEQ). And I’m not sure where Bing Map’s servers are, but they may be in trouble too.

Related location-based services are collateral damage to the new rules – some use map data from Google and I’m pretty sure none of them can afford to set up China-based servers so they store “map data”.

Source

Sunday, October 13, 2013

YouTube adds an online video editor to its host of services

Latest YouTube update includes video editor allowing you to create/edit movies from your uploaded content. It’s easy to work out, doesn’t require any software installation and your new videos will directly appear on YouTube once they’re done.

YouTube video editor can combine clips, trim the beginning/end and change the audio track. That’s basically everything you need to create or edit a movie.

Here is a quick video explaining the basics:

It uploads the new videos directly into YouTube, so you don’t need to worry about space, processing power and video formats.

YouTube video editor is still in testing phase, but you’re welcome to try it in TestTube.

YouTube

Thursday, October 10, 2013

BBC iPlayer goes live for Xbox 360 in the UK

The BBC’s popular VOD service iPlayer, which brings you popular TV and Radio programs from their site as well as on various mobile devices and and web-enabled TV’s, is now also available on the Xbox 360.

One cool feature that the developers have implemented for this version is the ability to control the application using gestures via the Xbox Kinect controller. At the time of writing, this isn’t available on other consoles, such as on the PS3 with the Playstation Move motion controller.

Gesture-controlling is still in the development, and as such does not work without the occasional hiccup. Fortunately, it also features pretty decent voice recognition, giving you yet another reason to shout at your TV.

If you live in the UK, look for the BBC iPlayer app on Xbox Live starting today.

Source

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

MeeGo and Ubuntu ported to Nexus S

MeeGo and Ubuntu ported to Nexus S, but they're not ready yet

The Google Nexus S was first rooted less than a month ago and there are already some pretty serious mods for it. One dev has managed to run both MeeGo and Ubuntu and while they run just barely, it’s still quite a feat…

Both OS’s currently load from the internal memory of the Nexus S, so there’s no need for flashing – great news, considering both can’t be put to daily use. One of the major items on the “doesn’t work” list is the screen – touchscreen doesn’t work and there are some color management issues with the MeeGo port.

Here’s a video of MeeGo booting on the Google Nexus S:

By the way, the Ubuntu port is based on the same image as the HTC HD2 Ubuntu port.

Source 1, Source 2

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

84-inch UltraHD panel from LG is bound to become world's biggest 3D screen

Everybody loves bigger and bigger TVs, but at what point do they get TOO big? 3D panels are obviously going there as LG are about to present the world’s largest 3D panel – a monstrous 84-inch giant with UltraHD resolution.

LG will showcase the 84-inch panel on the Society for Information Display expo in Seattle (25-27 May). It will be accompanied with another two great achievements in the 3D world – the 47-inch TV panel with liquid lens for use with no 3D glasses and another 47-inch 3D TV using polarized glasses with extremely low level of crosstalk – less than 1%.

It seems 3D technology is shaping really nicely and the Seattle expo promises to be interesting. But even if you are not a 3D fan, you may appreciate those chicks presenting every new Korean product.

Source

360 Compact Mobile Phone concept puts touchscreens on flip covers with questionable results

We occasionally cover concepts for mobile phones – they may never leave the drawing board, but their designers often dream up of interesting new features that might one day make it to actual devices.

This design is by Baek Kil Hyun (a student at the Samsung Art & Design Institute) and it’s called 360 Compact Mobile Phone (hey, the guy’s a designer, not a copywriter). His imaginary product implements two flips that are also displays and do what the iPad 2’s Smart covers do, except… they are better.

Before you run to the comments to post “rip-off!” I’ll just point out that the design was posted a day before the iPad 2 was announced.

Anyway, the 360 Compact Mobile Phone (which I’ll call “the 360” for, uh, compactness) features a protective cover on the front, which splits into two equal pieces. They flip open to reveal the screen and are in fact screens themselves.

Unlike Smart covers, the flips on the 360 not only serve as kickstands or display covers but expand the screen size and can display special menus (check out Standing and Multitasking mode).

360 Compact Mobile Phone concept

Standing mode shows some shortcuts but I think it would have been more clever if it worked as a software keyboard – it won’t be as comfortable as a physical keyboard but still, slightly better than having the virtual keyboard cover up part of the screen. A keyboard that lays flat on the table while the screen is oriented towards you sounds good too.

There are of course some downfalls of the design (like no part of the display is visible when the flips are closed, which makes checking the time or Caller ID annoying) but would you like a touchscreen-packing, protective flap on your phone? Something like an uber Sony Ericsson P900 but with a touchscreen on the flap?

Source

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Brown Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Brown Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 is official, US to get first dibs

Last month, we saw a leaked image showing off the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 in a brown paintjob, although we had no idea when or where it will be available. Until now.

The Brown versino has popped up online from several US retailers for $399.99, and is available now. You can get it, complete with free shipping, from Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and Adorama.

The price is for the WiFi only version of the Note 8.0, complete with a brown-colored S-Pen, and a 1.6 GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, an IR-port, and a 4,600 mAh battery. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of box.

For more on the Note 8.0, check out our full review.

Via

Saturday, October 5, 2013

GTA V set to launch in the Spring of 2013 according to leaked pre-order ads

The next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series will see the light of day some time in Spring next year. GTA V will be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles around that time according to a leaked photo of a retail display.

Polish fansite GTA Five.pl has obtained photos of an upcoming retail display, inviting customers to pre-order the game.

Judging by the logos shown on the advertisement, Rockstar isn’t going to offer the game for PC, or at least not initially.

Otherwise, details around the game have been scarce with Rockstar releasing just a couple of screenshots and one teaser trailer.

Via | Source

InVisage Technologies announce camera sensors with 4x light sensitivity

InVisage Technologies announce camera sensors with 4x light sensitivity, cameraphones lovers rejoice

Technology developer InVisage Technologies has developed an image sensor that can offer four times better light sensitivity than the traditional silicone-based CCD and CMOS sensors. That has become possible through the usage of quantum dots (nanocrystals wrapped in a polymer film) instead of silicon photodiodes.

According to the InVisage Technologies the quantum dots themselves are twice more sensitive to light than traditional photodiodes and that their placement on the sensor surface offers a further doubling of sensitivity over front-illuminated CMOS designs. The film can be positioned on conventional circuitry, allowing the chips to be produced more cheaply than CMOS or CCD designs. Also bear in mind that producing smaller sensors is cheaper per area unit than producing large sensors so camera using the new sensors should be far cheaper than their rivals.

But the best part is, of course the better sensitivity to light, which should theoretically allow a cameraphone-sized sensor (1/2.5″ inches in diagonal in the best case) to give low-light results (ISO performance) similar to what we are currently seeing from entry and mid-range dSLR cameras. Of course this is just in theory as we all know that things don’t work that well in practice. Nor is image quality all about the low-light performance but this has been a traditional weakness of all small sensor cameras.

The first QuantumFilm image sensors, targeting high-end mobile handsets and smartphones, will be manufactured in Q4 of 2010, so we should probably be expecting the first devices some time in H1 of 2011.

Source

Friday, October 4, 2013

Check out the most amazing photography Rube Goldberg machine

Photography fans and Rude Goldberg machines fans checks this out. We stumbled upon the most complex setup, designed to perform the simplest of tasks – take a portrait photo. Created using almost exclusively photography gear this is certainly going to make every camera enthusiast tremble.

Obviously the amount of effort that went into designing this is mind-blowing, and the cost of the gear used could probably buy you a decent family sedan. And since words couldn’t possibly describe all the action that’s going on in the video, we aren’t even going to try.

Instead we’ll just give you the four minutes and thirteen seconds of awesomeness and let you enjoy it.

LG announces Smart Video feature

LG announces Smart Video feature, bound to hit the Optimus G Pro as part of a Value Pack upgrade

LG continues trying to steal Samsung’s thunder ahead of tonight’s Galaxy S IV show and has just announced a new software feature dubbed Smart Video.

Destined to hit the Optimus G Pro, Smart Video works pretty much the same way as the Smart pause feature we saw in thoseGalaxy S IV leaks – videos get automatically paused when you’re not looking at the screen.

LG says it has achieved this through advanced eye recognition technology, which recognizes the position of the viewer’s eye. The moment the front-facing camera detects your eyes are not on the display, video playback will be paused.

Smart Video will be joined by the Dual Camera features as a part of something LG calls Value Pack upgrade. It’s going to be offered for the Korean version of the Optimus G Pro next month. The international variant of the smartphone will get the sweet extras later down the pipe.

Here’s the rest of the Value Pack contents that’ll make it to the Optimus G Pro:

Magic Remote Pad and Text Keypad via the QRemote function. These new options
for QRemote work specifically with LG Smart TVs to enhance convenience when
using Optimus G Pro as a remote control for LG Smart TVs.
The Smart LED Lighting outlining the home button of the Optimus G Pro will be
upgraded so users can customize the colors to correspond to their favorite contacts.
The flashing of the LED in different colors will allow users to identify the source of
incoming calls, missed calls, unread messages and emails.
Video Pause/Resume allows the user to stop and start in record mode for one continuous video file.
The first Color Emoticons in an Android smartphone for more personalized text
messages.

Source

Samsung FINALLY allowed to sell the Galaxy Tab in Australia

After a long game of inflicting and lifting bans backwards and forwards, finally the Australian High Court has allowed Samsung to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the country.

The High Court had a week to decide on a verdict whether to accept Apple’s application to appeal to the Federal Court decision of overturning the ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1. And today, finally, the High Court represented by a three judge panel, dismissed Apple’s application, which means that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 can go on sale in Australian stores.

According to a Samsung representative, the tablet will be launched in time for Christmas, which is a perfect timing for Samsung to catch the wave of the holiday season.

Source

Apple could rack up an $11 billion bill with Samsung before 2012 is out

With all the market rivalry, patent lawsuits and sly televisual marketing going on between Samsung and Apple, you’d be forgiven for thinking all ties between these two companies would have already been severed at this heavily tumultuous stage in their relationship, but at the end of the day business is business and both these big names know that need to work together to make money.

Apple will owe Samsung a lot of money before the end of 2012

The likes of LG and Sharp were initially entrusted with creating displays for Apple’s newest tablet, set to touch down in a couple of days, but when they were unable to deliver due to manufacturing issues, Apple passed the task to Samsung who will now be producing the new iPad’s QXGA display panels (for the time being at least).

As such the cost of these panels will add to a growing bill that Apple currently has under contract with Samsung, which by the end of this year is expected to total somewhere in the vicinity of $11 billion. The running total for parts bought by Apple from Samsung is rumored to stand at approximately $9.7 billion which already dwarfs last years final bill of $7.8 billion.

An unnamed Samsung official stated, “The amount of the current contract is around $9.7 billion. The popularity of Apple products lines the pockets of Samsung as well. The amount may go up to $11 billion, depending on the demand for Apple products.” According to the same source, Samsung are also on the cards to produce a 7.85″ display supposedly for a smaller iPad along with high speed solid state drives (SSDs) for Apple’s latest MacBooks.

Presently displays, processors, DRAM, NAND flash chips and similar components are all supplied to Apple from Samsung. Based on a conversation had at the end of last year between Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Electronics’ Chief Operating Officer Lee Jay-yong, the Korean company will be a key supplier of Apple until the end of 2014.

In their current states, it would appear that Apple need Samsung in order to help produce their latest iPad to an acceptable quality and at an acceptable pace, whilst Apple is Samsung’s largest single customer and as such it just makes sense on a corporate level to continue to do business, despite the bad blood in other areas of their relationship.

Source | Via