App for safer driving wins 11-year-old creator $20,000 prize

An 11-year-old girl from California has bagged a $20,000 prize for creating an app designed to stop drivers texting when behind the wheel.

Though not old enough to drive herself, 11-year-old Victoria Walker is still aware of the dangers posed by texting while behind the wheel. Take a journey on any busy road and you see plenty of drivers checking for new messages on their mobile device while occasionally glancing out of the windshield to see where they’re going. The consequences for some unsuspecting pedestrian, or driver of another vehicle, can be disastrous.

Attending AT&T’s ‘It Can Wait’ hackathon in Los Angeles recently, Walker decided to enter a competition to design an app that would make people think twice about texting while driving. Judges were so impressed with her creation that they awarded her the top prize of $20,000, some of which will go towards bringing the app to market in the coming months.

According to the LA TImes, Walker developed the app, called Rode Dog, with help from David Grau, creative director of an interactive agency called WLDG.

The idea is that smartphone owners with the app link up to form a ‘pack’ – getting friends or family to sign up would be the easiest way to get started. Members of the pack can then check on each other to see if they’re texting while driving. If they are, an audible “bark” can be sent to the texter, which won’t stop until they acknowledge it and turn it off.

Grau confirmed that the continuous barking noise can get “really annoying,” hopefully forcing the driver to discard their handset and get their eyes back on the road. Let’s just hope they don’t have an accident while they’re dealing with the barking noise.

Sixth-grader Walker told the LA Times she got the idea for the app after remembering the racket created by her three dogs when they all kick off together, thinking that the noise they make would probably be bothersome enough to get drivers to think about what they’re doing and stop texting.

Walker and Grau are currently looking at ways to further develop Rode Dog, with plans to create a virtual pet store allowing users to buy other animal noises – like a roaring elephant, perhaps. On second thoughts, a sudden noise like that might be enough to send a startled driver careering off the road. Best stick with the dogs.

If you’re interested in getting hold of the app, head over to its webpage where you can sign up for updates regarding availability.

[Image: lightpoet / Shutterstock]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/app-for-safer-driving-wins-11-year-old-creator-20000-prize/

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ASUS Padfone 2 will break cover on October 16

ASUS has sent out "save the date" notes for the launch of its Padfone 2 hybrid device. The second generation of the quirky smartphone with a tablet suit will break cover on October 16 at events in Taipei, Taiwan and Milano, Italy.

The specifications of the upcoming device are yet to be known. Rumor has it that the newcomer will pack a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - a significant boost over the hardware of the original.

While the ASUS Padfone 2's chipset is likely spot-on in the rumors, we doubt that we'll see the device launch with Android 4.0. Given that ASUS is the maker of the Google Nexus 7, it will be a surprise not to see Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on the company’s upcoming flagship.

Source (in Italian) | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_padfone_2_will_break_cover_on_october_16_-news-4837.php

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Maps mess: Apple says it’s ‘just getting started’ with new mapping app, appreciates feedback

Following widespread criticism of its new Maps app, an Apple spokesperson said Thursday that it's "just getting started" with its Google Maps replacement and that "the more people use it, the better it will get." The app was rolled out on Wednesday as part of the Cupertino company's latest mobile operating system, iOS 6.

After reading about Steve Jobs’ robust management style in Walter Isaacson’s biography of the late Apple boss, one can well imagine that if he were alive today the walls of the Cupertino campus would be shaking violently as he vented his anger regarding the iOS Maps fiasco, with a tirade of abuse directed at the team responsible for the new app. The words, “it just doesn’t work,” would probably be bellowed somewhere along the way.

Within hours of iOS 6 launching on Wednesday, tweets, blog posts and news articles started appearing criticizing Apple’s new Maps app – which replaced Google’s equivalent offering – for being, well, not particularly good.

There was mention of an entire city ending up in the sea, a farm being labeled as an airport, and the Sears Tower being shrunken down. And Shakespeare’s home city, Stratford-upon-Avon, had somehow been replaced with a hospital. That’s right, a hospital the size of a city. The Guardian called Maps Apple’s “first significant failure in years.”

Responding to complaints about its new app, Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller told AllThingsD, “We are excited to offer [Apple Maps] with innovative new features like Flyover and Siri integration, and free turn by turn navigation. We launched this new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just getting started with it. We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get. We’re also working with developers to integrate some of the amazing transit apps in the App Store into iOS Maps. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.”

So there you go, the excuse is that it’s early days. But did they launch it too soon? No doubt at some point in the future, Maps will be a great product and will have little difficulty telling the difference between a farm and an airport, but the question is, how long will it take?

DT’s Molly McHugh outlined the main fixes Apple needs to make with Maps that might allow users to start saying, “It just works.” At the moment, it seems that “it only just works.”

The advice is that if you have an Apple device and rely heavily on navigation in your daily life, don’t make the move to iOS 6 just yet. If you do, the more useful Google Maps app currently on your device will disappear and at the time of writing, Google has no Maps app in the iTunes app store – though this could be about to change. When it does, you’re clear to upgrade to iOS 6.

[Second image: The Amazing iOS 6 Maps]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/maps-mess-apple-says-its-just-getting-started-with-new-mapping-app/

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Facebook tests Photo Sync, updates Messenger, starts charging for Offers

A spate of Facebook updates to illuminate your Thursday

Facebook has pounded out a handful of updates and trials over the last few days, least of which is a test-run of a new "Photo Sync" service for its Android app.

The Photo Sync functionality, currently open to a select group of users, automatically uploads a photograph to Facebook as soon as it's snapped by a user's smartphone camera.

All photos remain in a private folder named "Synced from Phone," rather than the alternative of potentially compromising pictures appearing directly on the Timeline.

Facebook hasn't revealed if and when the feature will be rolling out to all users.

Messenger and Android apps get a facelift

Beyond Photo Sync, the company has also updated its Facebook for Android and Facebook Messenger apps to enable a new text message-like conversation view for messages.

The apps have also received a significant speed and reliability boost, while users of the standalone Messenger tool can now simply swipe to the left to see who's online.

The Messenger update also lets certain smartphone users - those with HTC's Evo 3D and One X, LG's Optimus Black and Optimus Hub, and Samsung's Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Y - to send texts to their contacts inside Messenger.

As for Facebook for Android, it now has a button in the News Feed's upper-right hand corner that shows which contacts are available to chat.

The app will also show who's active in order to gauge a message's response time.

Users can pick up the updates in the Google Play store.

The update comes about a month after Facebook significantly updated its iOS app - making it twice as fast as its sluggish predecessor

These Android updates aren't as severe, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised a native Facebook for Android client is on the way.

Offers also updated

Meanwhile, in a bid to secure some shareholder-pleasing profits from its mobile app, Reuters reported that Facebook is about to start charging businesses to use Offers.

The Groupon-like Facebook Offers service launched last year and allows local businesses to tempt Facebookers with deals from within their vicinity.

To establish the service, Facebook had offered it to businesses for free, but now they'll have to pay "at least $5" (£3) to run the ads, according to Reuters.

As part of the update, businesses will also have the opportunity to include a QR code into their deals, meaning transactions are now likely to take place outside of Facebook itself.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/facebook-tests-photo-sync-updates-messenger-starts-charging-for-offers-1098837

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Facebook adds in-app SMS messaging and makes design changes in latest Android app update

Facebook's latest update to its standalone Messenger and main app for Android users, adds in-app SMS messaging and updates to the user experience.

Facebook is hitting its mobile stride with several new feature announcements today. In addition to offering photo syncing for Android devices, the social network is rolling out an additional update to both the Android Facebook app and Android Facebook Messenger app. Among the updates included is an in-app texting feature.

For Android smartphone owners, the Facebook Messenger app now has the option to text friends directly from within app itself. It’s the latest in a recent line of steps that Facebook has taken to house all forms of communication under its own roof. Now on Facebook Messenger, users can send or receive SMS messages, native Facebook messages, and even emails using the @facebook.com addresses that were allocated to every user months ago.

It’s no secret that Facebook has been trying hard to transform it’s platform into the destination for communication; users already spend hours upon hours doing using it for these means as is. Of course the motivation for Facebook here is that the longer users spend on the site, the higher the chances that Facebook has to earn advertising revenue from its users. Of course, migrating all things to mobile is priority number one over at Facebook, so this new implementation makes all too much sense. 

Before you get ahead of yourself, this specific feature won’t be available on every phone. Currently the list of supported phones, according to TechCrunch, includes the HTC One X, HTC EVO 3D, LG Optimus Black, LG Optimus Hub, Samsung Galaxy Ace, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S3, and Samsung Galaxy Y. Facebook is working on bringing the in-app texting feature to other Android phones.

You’ll recognize some user experience design updates on the Android Facebook Messenger including the ability to quickly access your Friends list simply by swiping your finger anywhere on the left side of the screen. And the look of the Messages page has been updated to a more conversational interface, similar to what you’d see on a native iOS SMS app or any other messenger app.

If you have a handful of Facebook friends that you regularly talk to, you can also now add them to a “Favorites” list.

Facebook’s main Android app has been updated to reflect most of the changes that users would find in the Messenger standalone app.

Facebook has also announced that an update to the iOS version of Facebook Messenger will arrive for Apple users shortly, but it’s highly unlikely that iOS device owners will use Facebook’s in-app SMS feature. Currently it’s not possible for developers to create scripts to read SMS messages from Apple’s native SMS app and display the messages in a third-party app.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/facebook-adds-in-app-sms-messaging/

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Microsoft scores another victory against Google/Motorola in German court

The patent wars are getting apocalyptic

Another ongoing patent war rages on, and once again, things aren't going well for Google-owned Motorola Mobility.

Microsoft won a reported third victory in a German court Thursday, this one granting the Redmond, Wash. tech giant the option of banning several Motorola smartphones and tablets.

All Microsoft has to do is pay a $61.4 million (£3.78) bond, which the company may well consider worth it.

Google has the options of licensing the infringing technology from Microsoft, as Android makers like HTC and Samsung have already done, accepting the ban, or appealing, an option the search firm has said it's considering.

Microsoft and Google/Motorola release statements

The patents in question involve "a method and system for receiving user input data into a computer system having a graphical windowing environment."

No matter how vague that may seem to laymen, the court has sided with Microsoft, and other Android makers have already conceded and begun paying Microsoft royalties.

Only Google (through Motorola) is holding out, and has released a statement that reads, "We are waiting for the written decision and are evaluating our options, including an appeal."

Microsoft, meanwhile, seems quite happy with the ruling: "We're pleased this decision builds on previous rulings in Germany that have already found Motorola is broadly infringing Microsoft's intellectual property," said Dave Howard, Microsoft's deputy general counsel, in a statement.

"We will continue to enforce injunctions against Motorola products in Germany and hope Motorola will join other Android device makers by taking a license to Microsoft's patented inventions," he continued.

Who will scorch the sky?

Global legal battles between companies including Microsoft, Google, Apple, and countless others are becoming increasingly muddled, and it's next to impossible to keep track of them all.

In Germany alone this year, Motorola made considerable strides toward getting Microsoft's Xbox 360 banned from sale; Motorola suffered another loss, this one at Apple's hands, with that coming mere weeks after Motorola and Apple had reportedly reached an agreement in that country.

Meanwhile, the balance between Motorola and Microsoft has tipped in Microsoft's favor in the U.S. as well, with Motorola devices banned by the International Trade Commission in May for an entirely different patent than the one in the German dispute.

Nevertheless, that ITC-ordered injunction didn't stop Motorola from selling infringing Android devices over the summer, and who's to say a similar ban in Germany will be any more effective?

As in the apocalyptic human-A.I. war in The Matrix, it's unknown who in this great battle struck the first blow. The question that remains, though, is who will ultimately scorch the tech market's sky?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/microsoft-scores-another-victory-against-google-motorola-in-german-court-1098824

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Nokia leaps on Apple Maps app criticism, claims superiority

Nokia tries to score points over Apple

Nokia has used its official Conversations blog to take a thinly-veiled shot at Apple's new Maps application.

The new in-house solution, which replaces Google Maps in iOS 6, has come under fire from some reviewers and users, who've pointed out inaccuracies and shortcomings.

Nokia has taken the opportunity to pounce on the criticism by playing up the strengths of its own Nokia Maps application, which itself has been six years in the making.

The blog post benchmarks Apple Maps against Google Maps and Nokia Maps, drawing attention to Apple's lack of public transport information, offline support, and the presence of turn-by-turn navigation in only 56 countries.

Pretty isn't enough

"Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets with advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps," wrote Pino Bonetti of Nokia Conversations.

"In other words, we truly understand that maps and location-based apps must be accurate, provide the best quality and be accessible basically anywhere.

"That's been standard practice at Nokia for the past six years, and we also understand that "pretty" isn't enough. You expect excellence in your smartphone mapping experience."

In other words, brains, not beauty, count when you're trying to get somewhere.

Generally very good

It appears that Apple's new Maps app isn't 100 percent complete at the time of release, a point made clear by a Tumblr blog poking fun with poorly rendered maps and incorrect location data, and other online criticisms.

Despite the criticism, our TechRadar iOS 6 review, found Maps "generally very good," though the reviewer did "encounter a number of errors."

Flyovers - Apple's answer to Street View - are "superb where they're available" although they're limited to a few cities at the time of writing.

Our reviewer found that the level of detail offered in Google Maps will be what most users will miss when using Apple's solution.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/nokia-leaps-on-apple-maps-app-criticism-claims-superiority-1098809

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5 wrong turns in Apple’s iOS 6 Maps app

The reaction to Apple Maps replacement of Google Maps has been harsh and quick — and for good reason. We categorize the many ways in which iOS 6 Maps are letting us down.

Yesterday, the world was finally officially introduced the Apple Maps. We first caught word of the impending change months ago, with glimpses and peeks at what’s surfaced since. And now it’s here. Google Maps is gone. And everybody is angry.

The backlash has been swift and determined, and for good reason. As pretty as Apple Maps are – and they really, really are – their function has yet to prove itself as anything other than mediocre to bad. Instead of waxing eloquently about how Apple is sacrificing user experience in order to rid itself of all things Google, let’s review the sins of Apple Maps.

1. Goodbye, public transit

The first and arguably most-obvious problem with Apple Maps is that there is no public transit function. Those three, familiar icons – car, walking, bus – that sit at the top of your directions might lure you into thinking you’re about to get from one place to another using city-paid-for transportation, but think again. Hitting the public transit icon will send you to the App Store, where you’re prompted to download a routing app, one of which costs $50 (the others range in price — but seriously, that’s shocking to see when Google’s been giving me the information for free for… what seems like forever).

A Google rep tells me that the public transit feature graduated from Labs all the way back in October 2007, and now includes more than one million public transit stops the world over, “…including buses, trains, subways, and trams in nearly 500 cities.” And iPhone uses don’t get than anymore. It’s a big loss. 

2. No direction editing

The best way to describe this particular fault is to run you through the process: I hit the arrow icon in the upper right hand corner, enter my start and end points, and hit route. Then I decide to change my starting point, or I realize I want walking directions instead (not public transit because, well, see above). With Google Maps, I’d hit edit and make the respective changes. With Apple Maps, however, there is no such option; you hit clear and start over from scratch. This is a tiny, tiny time-suck, but I already hate it and feel pigeon-holed by Apple into these new, strange gestures.

3. Dumbed down the data

Tech blogger Michael DeGusta summed it up best in this blog post – but to sum up: Apple simply doesn’t have the data set to accurately plot the world. Here’s a quick breakdown on what iOS’ new Maps are missing, via DeGusta:

• Transit: Removed from 51 countries with 4.9 billion people
• Traffic: Removed from 24 counties with 2.4 billion people
• Street View: Removed from 41 counties with 3.0 billion people.

In total, 63 counties with a combined population of 5 billion people will be without one or more of these features they previously had in iOS.

And there are plenty of examples of what precisely this looks like hitting the Web. Day-old Tumblr blog TheAmazingiOS6Maps has already curated quite the collection of Apple Maps follies. A favorite has to be the fact that Apple appears to have duplicated the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands in the East China Sea – the territory is being fought over by China and Japan and causing mass protests. And Apple put them on its maps twice. (To be fair, I could only find them on Google Maps when searching for them by the commonly used term “Pinnacle Islands” and the results weren’t great – but at least they weren’t plotted twice.)

I know that the Internet was full of these Google Maps v. Apple Maps comparisons moments after the iOS 6 download was available, but it’s the type of thing that never gets old. Check out the differences here (three guesses which one is Apple Maps; hint: It’s the one with way less information).

Now, I do have to admit that Apple’s Yelp integration is a really nice touch. And for local search in metropolitan areas, it’s fantastic. Searching the Empire State Building surfaces icons for nearby restaurants and shops and immediately pulls the Yelp data. But the moment you aren’t in such highly populated areas, it’s a worthless feature.

And business search isn’t always flawless: One very popular restaurant in Portland, Serrato’s, never came up when I searched for it – instead I was given two different locations for Sheraton Hotels. Searching for Target brought up one location when there are several in the area; it also happened to be the farthest from me.

4. Inexplicable bugs

There really isn’t even much of an explanation to go along with this, except that there are some baffling glitches going on in Maps. I tried to search Canada, Mexico, and Australia, to the following results.

Only after I turned off Wi-Fi (and received the warning below) was I able find anything via search.

 

5. Street view and 3D are not the same

There is no denying that Apple’s flyover-created imaging for its 3D view is stunning. Like any Apple product, it’s beautiful and fun and engaging. But it doesn’t work: Looking at the 3D images is wonderful, but it isn’t effective for direction purposes. You know what is? Street View. Street View is an incredibly useful tool, especially when you’re trying to drive and navigate, or find some place on foot. But it’s gone, and we’re stuck with a gorgeous, useless replacement. 

So how do I get Google Maps back? 

Right now, there’s no word on when the Google Maps app will be making its iOS comeback. According to SearchEngineLand, this was Google’s official statement on the matter: 

“We believe Google Maps are the most comprehensive, accurate, and easy-to-use maps in the world. Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system.”

Whether Google’s just holding out or Apple’s blocking them is unknown, but it’s definitely in Google’s best interest to give the people — the iPhone-wielding people, that is — what they want. After Apple dropped YouTube from its native apps collection, it soared to the top of the App Store. Being wiped off the iPhone is just bad news for Google, so it makes you wonder what the hold up is. In the meantime, you can still access it via your iPhone’s browser and still get most of the features you’re missing — but fingers crossed, many of us can put Google Maps back on the home bar banner where it belongs very soon. 

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/5-wrong-turns-apple-ios-6-maps-app/

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Asus announces PadFone 2 event for Oct. 16

Are you excited? (credit: notebookitalia.it)

Asus proved its PadFone phone/netbook/tablet mishmash wasn't a one-off Thursday by sending out invites to a double-header event Oct. 16.

Hosting announcements simultaneously in Milan and Taipai, Asus will reveal the PadFone 2, according to a just-sent invite.

For those that need reminding, the PadFone is a smartphone that can plug into a tablet, which can then connect to a keyboard docking station to create an all-in-one netbook.

Though we know PadFone's redux should come with a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, there's not much to go on in terms of specs.

Check out TechRadar's hands on video with the first PadFone below:

YouTube : youtubeurl

PadFone fun

The first model, which was released in the U.S. sans netbook keyboard-like docking station, came with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED smartphone packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-core 1.5GHz processor.

The handset also featured an 8MP rear-facing camera, plus came with a stylus pen for added fun (and more components).

As for pricing, the original PadFone sold in the U.S. at $859.50 (£530) for a 16GB model, $959.50 (£591) for 32GB, and $1,059.50 (£653) for 64GB.

Whether or not the new one falls into those price points remains to be seen.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/asus-announces-padfone-2-event-for-oct-16-1098813

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Samsung to pursue iPhone 5 sales ban over LTE patents infringement

It was a long time coming, but now it has been officially confirmed - Samsung is going to pursue a ban on the US sales of the Apple iPhone 5. The Koreans believe that the latest iOS smartphone infringes on at least 8 of their LTE patents.

The official statement goes as following:

Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product. On September 12, 2012, Apple announced that it will release the iPhone 5 on September 21, 2012. Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models. Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device. Because Samsung believes the accused functionality of the iPhone 5 will be similar to the accused functionality of other accused Apple products, Samsung does not believe that amendment of its infringement contentions should affect the case schedule.

In other words - Samsung doesn't have proof that the iPhone 5 infringes on anything, but it believes the realization of the LTE connectivity in the iPhone 5 is identical to that in other Apple products (the latest iPad). It's yet to analyze the device and extend its claim if its suspicions come out correct.

Apple is not sitting still either. The lawyers of the Cupertino-based company have identified Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as their next target and will try to deal a major blow to the platform, by proving that Android's core functionality infringes Apple-owned patents.

Judge Koh, who is in charge of the lawsuit, will hold a hearing on Wednesday (September 26) to discuss its further management.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_to_pursue_iphone_5_sales_ban_over_lte_patents_infringement-news-4836.php

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Samsung may pursue legal action against Apple's iPhone 5 after review

No more iPhone 5 fun?

Samsung plans to modify a patent infringement complaint against Apple to include eight LTE patents and potentially the iPhone 5, according to a case management statement unearthed Thursday.

The document, submitted late Wednesday, said Samsung will file a motion soon and may include the iPhone 5, after Samsung has had sufficient time to review the device.

However, based on what it's seen of the iOS 6 smartphone, Samsung said it anticipates going after the handset.

"Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models," the filing read.

"Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device."

From its end, Samsung doesn't anticipate any court delays if it proceeds with a new complaint.

"Because Samsung believes the accused functionality of the iPhone 5 will be similar to the accused functionality of other accused Apple products, Samsung does not believe that amendment of its infringement contentions should affect the case schedule," the document stated.

Knockdown, drag out

The iPhone 5, announced Sept. 12, hits stores and the doorsteps of pre-ordering customers Friday.

According to FOSS Patents, Samsung could seek a preliminary U.S. injunction against the device once its submitted a formal complaint.

Preliminary injunctions are only allowed in cases where a such an injunction could be dissolved or converted into a permanent ban.

Such an injunction, even a temporary one, could harm what may be the best selling smartphone to date in terms of availability and revenue.

Samsung was dealt a major blow earlier this week when U.S. District judge Lucy Koh, who oversaw a recent lawsuit trial between the two companies, denied a motion to lift a U.S. sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple did not immediately return a request for comment on Samsung's court filings.

For its part, Samsung told TechRadar that though it'd prefer economic competition over litigation, it has been forced to pursue legal action to protect its patents.

"We have always preferred to compete in the marketplace with our innovative products, rather than in courtrooms," Samsung told TechRadar.

"However, Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition. Under these circumstances, we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights."

A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26 to discuss how this second case is managed.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/samsung-may-pursue-legal-action-against-apples-iphone-5-after-review-1098792

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Vertu unveils new Constellation Neon and Blue series

The new Constellation Neon series is pretty much what we're used to seeing from Vertu phones lately. Based on the Nokia Belle OS, the smartphone uses the well-known Nokia C7 as its base, much like all previous Constellation phones.

Another similar product line update is the Constellation Blue phone, which on the inside is identical to the Vertu Constelation Quest, announced almost two years ago. It is essentially, a luxurious version of the Nokia E6. Made in collaboration with fashion brand Italia Independent, the design of the Constellation Blue clearly takes after the waves of the sea.

The Constellation Neon has the same features as all previous members of the Constellation family, as well. The only new thing is the styling - black PVD steel, hand-crafted perforated leather back and bright carbon or neon colored trim add for a design that should be perceived as sporty above anything else.

Back in June Nokia announced they are selling Vertu to EQT VI (an investment fund that's part of a private equity group in Northern Europe) for an undisclosed amount. We're not aware whether the deal has actually already gone through, but the plans were for EQT VI to acquire 90% of the company's stock, with the other 10% remaining Nokia's. Either way, we're glad Vertu continues to make its signature models without the deal getting in the way.

The real beauty of these otherwise unwieldy phones is in in the intricate care to the detail and the materials used. However, we can't help but wonder how many of you would consider buying one, even if you had the means to afford it?

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/vertu_unveils_its_new_constellation_neon_series-news-4835.php

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Samsung may pursue legal action against Apple's iPhone 5 after review

No more iPhone 5 fun?

Samsung plans to modify a patent infringement complaint against Apple to include eight LTE patents and potentially the iPhone 5, according to a case management statement unearthed Thursday.

The document, submitted late Wednesday, said Samsung will file a motion soon and may include the iPhone 5, after Samsung has had sufficient time to review the device.

However, based on what it's seen of the iOS 6 smartphone, Samsung said it anticipates going after the handset.

"Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models," the filing read.

"Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device."

From its end, Samsung doesn't anticipate any court delays if it proceeds with a new complaint.

"Because Samsung believes the accused functionality of the iPhone 5 will be similar to the accused functionality of other accused Apple products, Samsung does not believe that amendment of its infringement contentions should affect the case schedule," the document stated.

Knockdown, drag out

The iPhone 5, announced Sept. 12, hits stores and the doorsteps of pre-ordering customers Friday.

According to FOSS Patents, Samsung could seek a preliminary U.S. injunction against the device once its submitted a formal complaint.

Preliminary injunctions are only allowed in cases where a such an injunction could be dissolved or converted into a permanent ban.

Such an injunction, even a temporary one, could harm what may be the best selling smartphone to date in terms of availability and revenue.

Samsung was dealt a major blow earlier this week when U.S. District judge Lucy Koh, who oversaw a recent lawsuit trial between the two companies, denied a motion to lift a U.S. sales ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple did not immediately return a request for comment on Samsung's court filings.

For its part, Samsung told TechRadar that though it'd prefer economic competition over litigation, it has been forced to pursue legal action to protect its patents.

"We have always preferred to compete in the marketplace with our innovative products, rather than in courtrooms," Samsung told TechRadar.

"However, Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition. Under these circumstances, we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights."

A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26 to discuss how this second case is managed.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/samsung-may-pursue-legal-action-against-apples-iphone-5-after-device-review-1098792

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HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S get priced in the UK

Even though HTC mentioned nothing on the pricing of its two latest smartphones at their announcement event, we only had to wait a day to find out. The HTC Windows Phone 8X and 8S just got their price tags in the UK and those seem pretty reasonable.

The two new WP8-smartphones already have their own pages on the Unlocked Mobiles website. The HTC Windows Phone 8 flagship, the 8X costs£398.98 ($646 / €487), while the 8S, is cheaper at £224.98 ($364 / €280).

Clove is also having the HTC 8X and 8S available on pre-order for £399.98 and £224.99, respectively. Expansys has them too - the price for the HTC Windows Phone 8X is £399.99, while the 8S pricing info is yet to be confirmed.

If the SIM-free pricing is too steep for you, you'd be glad to find out that you will be able to get the 8X and 8S at a subsidized price. UK carrier Three has confirmed that it will be offering the duo, but more should be joining it soon. In the US, both phones will be hitting AT&T and T-Mobile, but pricing hasn't been unveiled yet.

The SIM-free smartphones should be available in the first two weeks of November. The release date for the HTC Windows Phone 8X is set for November 5, while Windows Phone 8S is said to arrive on November 15.

Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/android_global_market_share_now_sits_at_681_idc_reports-news-4834.php

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Surprise, surprise: iOS 6 is already jailbroken on A4-powered devices

The iPhone Dev-Team has done it again, releasing a iOS 6 jailbreak just hours after the official release of the new Apple update.

Just under 24 hours since the release of iOS 6 and jailbreakers have already figured out a way to bring the modded operating system to Apple users who love their hacked apps. The functioning jailbreak is currently only available on devices running on A4 chips, meaning just those with an iPhone 4, 3GS, and 4th generation iPod Touch will be able to sample the modded iOS 6. To get it running, you will also need to perform a tethered jailbreak which requires a computer connection each time you reboot the device to get the jailbreak operating.

Of course, the swiftness of the iPhone Dev-Team to configure a jailbreak comes as no surprise. The group has been known to release jailbreaks no more than a day after new operating system updates come out, as we’ve previously seen in past iOS versions.

If you are interested in trying it out, instructions are fully available on Redmond Pie using the Redsn0w jailbreak. In our personal opinion, there’s really no need to jailbreak iOS 6 this immediately… but if you’re impatient and curious, then by all means give it a shot and let us know how it goes. In the mean time, we’ll sit back and wait for an untethered edition to make jailbreaking less of a hassle, and for more app options to appear on Cydia to accompany the iPhone 5.

Do you own a jailbroken iPhone? Stop by our best jailbreak apps and games list and see if anything there piques your interest.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/surprise-surprise-ios-6-is-already-jailbroken-on-a4-powered-devices/

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Yes, Samsung will sue Apple over the iPhone 5

Samsung says it plans to add the iPhone 5 to its list of patent lawsuits against Apple.

If you somehow thought the new iPhone 5 would escape the wrath that is the Apple v. Samsung patent war, prepare to be mistaken. A U.S. court filing uncovered by Reuters reveals that “Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product.”

The filing comes a week after Apple announced the iPhone 5, which hits stores on Friday. Apple says it sold more than 2 million iPhone 5 units within the first 24 hours after the device became available for pre-order on September 14.

“Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models,” reads the filing, which was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California late Wednesday. “Samsung plans to file a motion to amend its infringement contentions to address the iPhone 5 as soon as it has had a reasonable opportunity to analyze the device.”

Samsung and Apple are currently embroiled in patent lawsuits in 10 countries around the world.

In a separate statement, Samsung asserted that “Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition. Under these circumstances, we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights.”

Apple Korea responded to Samsung’s latest pushback, saying that the company values “originality and innovation,” and that it makes “products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy.”

Apple won a sweeping $1.05 billion victory over Samsung at the end of August when a court decided that Samsung had violated a number of its design and software patents.

The court also ruled that Apple had not violated any of Samsung’s patents, a decision that has clearly not stymied Samsung’s commitment to fighting back against Apple.

Gun sight graphic via Atlaspix/Shutterstock 

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/yes-samsung-will-sue-apple-over-the-iphone-5/

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Why Apple has missed the mark with iOS 6 Maps

Does iOS 6 have mapping problems?

In common with everyone else, I spent Wednesday night attempting to DDoS Apple's servers by hammering them with update requests for all my iOS devices, plus all the applications, plus the odd Mac system update too. iOS 6 is, by and large, brilliant. I love shared Photo Streams. iMessage finally works how I expected it would. Panoramas are great.

But there's one little problem: Maps. In short, it's the most half-cooked piece of software that Apple has released in my memory, which goes back far longer than I'd care to admit. Worse than Ping? I think so: Ping was, after all, easy to ignore.

Maps, on the other hand, is one of the core features of any mobile phone, and Apple has completely fluffed it.

Putting it bluntly, the maps on iOS are now so second rate that they're a key advantage for Android, and one that I would expect Google to exploit as ruthlessly as possible.

f you live in a major US city, I'm sure Apple's maps are OK. You now get turn-by-turn navigation, which is great, and while flyover mode looks like a novelty at first, it's actually a pretty smart way of orienting yourself.

Blurry maps and trapped streets

Outside the US, though, things are a little different. In London, the satellite images are decent enough, but weirdly the names of places are often slightly archaic. Step outside the M25, and the satellite images become blurry, pixellated, useless nonsense.

The place names get worse (calling Daventry "Leamington" won't win many friends in the Midlands). Businesses placed on the map seem to have been drawn from out of date data, in some cases fifteen years out of date.

Weirdly, it even incorporates trap streets that Google got rid of years ago. Search for Woodland Way in Canterbury. See Newark Street at the end? Doesn't exist. If the satellite images were any good, you could see it going through two houses.

What Apple has done is concentrate on the engineering first, and the data second – and that's precisely the wrong way round for mapping. The Maps app is nicer to use than the Google equivalent on Android, integrating well with Siri (try telling Siri to "take me home" and you'll see what I mean) and although it has plenty of critics, I actually prefer the look of the maps themselves.

Will Apple improve its new Maps?

But in relying primarily on TomTom data for its locations, as it appears to have done, it's pitching arguably the weakest set of location data against the most extensive and accurate map set in the world. Google has spent billions on gathering data about locations, and constantly keeps it up to date.

It also has a massive pool of Android users which it constantly looks to get location data from, with virtually of its location-related products giving users the chance to improve data by reviewing places, marking them as closed, and feeding back inaccuracies. This is one area where the weight of numbers of Android users could prove to be telling, because almost all of them will use Google Maps.

In the short term, iOS users who want accurate location data can simply use the Google Maps website. Google even suggests you add the site to your home screen when you first visit it on an iPhone, and the help screen cheekily notes that it's "the same Google Maps, now in your mobile browser" – a clear poke at the absence of Google Maps from iOS.

iOS Maps looks like what it is: something cobbled together fast from multiple sources of variable quality. And the problem is that for a core part of a mobile operating system, that's nowhere near good enough.

An original version of this article originally appeared as a blog post on Ian Betteridge's blog Technovia

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/why-apple-has-missed-the-mark-with-ios-6-maps-1098714

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Does tech grant us more time away from work, or less?

Mobile technology has the capacity to liberate us from the punch clock, but instead, most of us elect to drag on our work days voluntarily. When is enough enough?

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier right? It should be bringing us greater convenience and saving us time. Mobile devices allow us to be connected everywhere. We can keep in touch with friends and family and find the latest news wherever we are, but the other side of the coin is that we are unable to disconnect. Our employers have a hotline to reach us. We are effectively always on call and the result is longer working hours than ever before.

Selling like hot cakes

Smartphones and tablets are leading the mobile technology charge. According to Flurry Analytics the Android and iOS platforms are the fastest growing consumer technology in history. Our adoption of smartphones and tablets is occurring ten times faster than the PC revolution, twice as fast as the Internet explosion, and three times faster than the social media craze.

If we look at smartphone penetration in the US, Nielsen reports that 55.5 percent of mobile subscribers now have smartphones. A staggering 74 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds now own smartphones. While the meteoric growth is showing signs of slowing slightly, those figures are still going up.

Blurring the work-life balance

Smartphones and, to some extent, tablets, are blurring the line between our social lives and our work lives. We use mobile technology for both. That means that there is no cut-off point when we leave the office at the end of the day. It has always been commonplace for certain professionals, like doctors, to be on call, but mobile technology puts us all on call.

Not only are we always reachable, but we can also easily take work home with us. The urge to check up on emails is virtually irresistible, and the worst part is that we are doing it to ourselves. Every time we struggle to switch off, check our inboxes during dinner, or send that “quick response that simply can’t wait” while lying in bed, we are create an expectation.

Good Technology polled 1,000 workers in the US and 1,000 in the UK on mobile work habits. They found that 93 percent of Brits and 80 percent of Americans continue to work after leaving the office. Of those, UK workers are doing an extra 183 hours a year on average and US workers are doing an extra 365 hours a year on average. That’s around 23 working days and 45 working days respectively.

Is your job that important?

Let’s face it: Things aren’t really going to grind to a halt if that email goes unanswered until the morning. Where does that pressure come from? What’s the source of that little voice that persuades you to have one last look at your inbox as you lie in bed ready to sleep? Why do you feel compelled to have a quick look at your work email first thing in the morning when you’ll be there in an hour or two?

According to that survey, 66 percent of UK workers check email before 7AM and 65 percent don’t go to sleep before a final inbox scan. In the US, 68 percent check it before 8AM and 69 percent won’t go to sleep without a last look. When do we switch off? Should work really be the first thing on your mind in the morning and the last thing at night?

Employers are rubbing their hands with glee

The expectation that we will be right on top of everything the second it happens is growing, even in jobs that aren’t really time sensitive. The BYOD (bring your own device) trend is a real boon for employers. We are buying our own mobile technology and using it to stay connected to work for longer each day. The productivity boost and hardware savings more than compensate for the increased IT headache.

According to the Cisco IBSG Horizons Study, 95 percent of the 600 US business and IT leaders polled now “permit employee-owned devices in some way, shape or form in the workplace” and 76 percent “categorized BYOD as somewhat or extremely positive for their companies.”

If employers are starting to provide more support for your personal mobile devices. there’s obviously an expectation that you’ll use them for work. Work-related apps creep onto your smartphone, your tablet may be subsidized, and before you know it, you can’t work without it. This mobile technology also enables another trend that is saving companies money – the rise of telecommuting.

The ultimate blurring of the line between work and the rest of your life is to work in your own home. Ditching the suit and the commute has its advantages, but it also tends to encourage you to work for longer. There’s a perception that working from home is a way for people to slack off, but employers are developing more sophisticated techniques for keeping tabs on remote employees.

Many preconceptions about telecommuting are out of date. This Stanford study focused on Chinese call center workers at a firm called CTrip and discovered that working from home resulted in a 13 percent increase in performance – people took fewer breaks and sick days, and they also performed better.

We bring it on ourselves

I love smartphones and tablets. I’m a strong advocate for mobile technology in general. I think it offers us a lot, but I’m also guilty of using it for working out of hours. The thing is, are we really being pressured to do this by employers, or are we tightening our own thumbscrews?

Many of you will be familiar with that last email check at night. The purpose is to ensure there’s nothing to worry about and then, in theory, you can get a good night’s rest, assured in the knowledge that you’ve done everything you had to do. Where that falls down is when there is something to worry about. Dealing with it as you lie in bed at midnight is often impossible anyway, so the result is anxiety and insomnia.

With the morning email check, you get to begin your strategizing while you shower and eat breakfast because you already have an idea what you’ll need to deal with in the day ahead. It also means you’re already mentally working long before you sit down at that desk.

Perhaps it’s time we imposed a cut-off. Resist that urge to check your inbox again, focus on your family while you’re at home, don’t let work encroach. If we aren’t careful then that voluntary extension of the working day will soon become an expectation.

[Image credit: Using smartphone: rangizzz/Shutterstock; Work/Life Balance: RT Images/Shutterstock; Smartphone & tablet: bloomua/Shutterstock]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/does-tech-grant-us-more-time-away-from-work-or-less/

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20 iOS 6 tips, tricks and secrets

iOS 6: all the tips and tricks you need

Another year, another operating system for your iOS device.

And boy, is this a sizeable upgrade. Depending on which generation of device you're rocking, this iteration offers everything from panoramic modes to Facebook calendars and even shareable Photo Streams.

So here are 20 quick-fire tips for exploring some of the new features of iOS 6, which go that bit further towards integrating your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch into your digital lifestyle.

• iOS 6 review

But before we start, make sure to back up your device to iCloud or iTunes, then you're safe to upgrade: with your device attached to your computer, hit the Check for Update button in the Version tab of iTunes, or simply tap into Settings > General > Software Update on the device in question, and we'll go from there.

1. Decline calls

This isn't the time for calls! If someone's ringing you and you don't want to take it, simply swipe up on the phone symbol next to Decline and Answer, and you can send a text or add a diary note to return the call. To define in advance a custom range of quick-fire texts, go to Settings > Phone > Reply with Message. That's all there is to it.

2. Do not disturb

You want to check out your iPhone's new OS without interruption, that's a given. So lay down a new rule by selecting Settings > Do Not Disturb. That moon by your clock means no more calls until you're ready to take them. Now let's crack on.

3. Send media from within Mail

Now you can insert a photo or video straight into the email you're currently composing. Just tap and hold in the body of the email for the contextual menu to appear, tap the rightmost arrow and select 'Insert Photo or Video'. From there you're free to search your Camera Roll and albums, find what you're after, and get attaching.

4. Mail VIPs

Anyone savvy to Mail in Mountain Lion will know about VIPs - important senders you define whose messages get sent to their own dedicated folder. Well now you can do the same in iOS 6. To define a sender as a VIP, tap their name in the sender field and tap Add to Vip. A star against the address signals their newfound prominence in your inbox.

5. Refresh your inbox

The way to refresh your inbox has changed. Just drag down past the latest email you've received and the refresh icon stretches. Release, and your messages are updated accordingly. Simple.

6. YouTube - gone!

As you may have noticed, the stock YouTube app has vanished from your iOS device. Hear Google CEO Larry Page seethe! He needn't worry. Some bods he employed saw to it that a free YouTube now appears in the App Store. Go there now and reinstate your favourite video portal to its rightful place.

7. Share Photo Streams

Now you can build folders of photos to share on the fly, with iOS 6's new Shared Photo Streams feature, turned on from Settings > iCloud > Photo Stream. Once enabled, tap into a section in the Photos app and hit edit, selecting images to include. Choose Share and you're presented with a menu that includes Photo Stream: tap it. From here you can tap in a recipient's email address, give the Stream a name and even define whether it's a Public Website or not. Next!

8. Apple Maps?

Google must be fuming: Apple also dropped its Maps app in favour of a home-grown version. Unfortunately, while it may look good and feel snappy, it lacks the deep search of Google's well-established geography. Still, the flyover feature is cool. Search a major city and go for a 3D trip by hitting the 3D icon where you see it (not available for all devices or cities).

9. Full-screen browsing

Safari now features a full-screen for web browsing. Just switch to landscape mode and tap the button with the outward-facing arrows for more online screen real estate.

10. Facebook integration

As with Twitter previously, Apple has promoted Facebook to the premier social network camp by allowing deep integration into iOS. To control that level more finely, go to Settings > Facebook and choose whether to allow the site access to your Calendar and Contact apps. With these functions turned on, you'll find Facebook Events and friends' birthdays appearing in your Calendar, as well as their Facebook photos populating your Contacts.

11. Tap to post

Pull down the Notification Center from the top of the screen and you'll notice two new buttons - Tap to Tweet and Tap to Post. Like it or not, that's the level of baked-in social media integration you can expect from iOS 6 onwards.

12. Web page search

Now you can search the current web page you're viewing using the default search engine bar next to the address bar - type in your search term and drag to the bottom where it tells you the number of matches on the page. Tap it and you can jump to the highlighted matches on the page in question.

13. Send more photos

Get into the Photos app and tap edit, then tap each photo you want to share as a group. Simply hit Share when you're happy and you can send them in an email, over Messages or via Facebook - the choice is yours...

14. Read it later offline

Got too much stuff to read online? Just tap the button in Safari with the arrow jumping out of it, and you can Add to Reading List. This makes the page available offline, and it syncs with Safari on your Mac and any other iOS devices you own, if you bought into that ecosystem.

15. Lost phone

If you activated Find my iPhone in Settings > iCloud, you can make use of Lost Mode. In the event that you lose your phone, log into icloud.com, select Find... and you may well be able to see where it is. Lost Mode lets you input a password and display a number on the phone screen for the finder to call.

16. Reskinned iTunes

The iTunes app has received an 'update'. But it's questionable whether it's lost more than it gained. By adopting a slicker but less content on screen, the app offers a more expansive view of your search results. But it's time to stop looking for podcasts and iTunes content in iTunes, for example - these now have their own apps. Go get them from the App Store now. Oh, and you can forget about Ping. We doubt you'll lose any sleep over it...

17. Privacy

Thankfully iOS 6 isn't all about sharing your life with the world. In Settings you'll see a new option called Privacy. Use it. There you can control any apps that attempt to access your Reminders, for example - swinging the social media frenzy back in your favour.

18. Sounding off

Want to select a special alert to distinguish it from your Calendar or Reminder Alerts? Sounds > Settings is where it's at; From Facebook alerts to tweets, you can define each one's sonic output here.

19. Panoramic feature

If you're the proud owner of an iPhone 5, 4S, or fifth-gen iPod touch, check out the new panoramic feature in the Camera app. Just move your device continuously when taking the panorama. For everyone else, go download Microsoft's free Photosynth app, pronto.

20. Bedtime!

So you've explored iOS some and now it's time for a bit of well-earned shut-eye. The good news is iOS 6 thought of this too. Remember Do Not Disturb? It goes deeper than you think. Tap into Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and you can schedule a timeframe for its action. There's no need to fret about emergencies either - just allow your favourite Contacts through your phone call firewall, and block out everyone else. You can even turn Repeated Calls on to allow for any persistent types. Easy. See you again for iOS 7!

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/20-ios-6-tips-tricks-and-secrets-1098699

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Xiaomi sells 300,000 Mi-One S phones in 4 minutes 12 seconds

We thought it was impressive when 200,000 Xiaomi Mi-One S phones sold in just 30 minutes. The company just tweeted that a batch of 300,000 of Mi-One S phones has been sold-out in 4 minutes and 12 seconds. The company is selling phones in batches, so there are bursts of huge sales in between periods of inactivity.

The Mi-One S is an updated version of Xiaomi's first phone with an overclocked Snapdragon S4 chipset, but the price of RMB 1,499 ($235, €190) seems to really be appealing to consumers (Xiaomi currently sells its phones in China, but is looking to expand make them globally available).

#XiaomiNews: Xiaomi has sold out 300,000 MI-ONE S units only in 4 minutes and 12 seconds for the third time open buying! Unimaginable!Thu Sep 20 08:29:33 via web Xiaomi
XiaomiChina

Anyway, the company's excited tweet doesn’t quite make it clear how those 300,000 were sold - back when the first batch of 200,000 sold out, there were 1.1 million pre-orders.

Is Xiaomi just fulfilling these pre-orders or are those on top of the 1.1 million? It's not clear but it's an impressive performance from such a young company nonetheless.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_sells_300000_mione_s_phones_in_4_minutes_12_seconds-news-4833.php

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