The Nexus 4 was lost in a bar… Why is this so familiar?

Following in the footsteps of Apple, one of its biggest competitors, a Google employee left a Nexus 4 prototype at a bar in San Francisco. Refusing a free phone, the man who found it decided to leak details of the device to media outlets.

Turns out Apple isn’t the only one who knows how to lose a smartphone in a bar because it looks like someone at Google did the same thing. To refresh your memory, a man named Brian Hogan found an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar left behind by an Apple engineer. Hogan ended up selling it to Gizmodo for $5,000 and consequently ended up in a lot of trouble. This story ends a little differently.

The bar this time around was the 500 Club in San Francisco. It happened on a Tuesday of last month. Jamin Barton, a bartender nicknamed “Sudsy”, found the phone while closing. At first, he didn’t think anything of it.

“We find about 20 a week,” Barton told Wired. ”Most people come back for them in 15 minutes.”

But this particular phone didn’t seem like the others. Nobody came to pick it up and Barton noticed quite a few peculiar features like a lack of SIM card and a “not for sale” sticker accompanying a Google logo on the rear panel. Once he showed it to fellow 500 Club employee, Dave, it was confirmed to be the upcoming Nexus 4.

The Nexus 4 is the smartphone Google was planning to unveil in New York on October 29, but that event has since been cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. And, we might add, every detail about the Nexus 4 has already been leaked, including photos of the device. It will be manufactured by LG and have a 4.7 inch display, a quad-core processor, and ship with Android 4.2. If it was meant to be a secret then Google clearly dropped the ball.

Dave took over from there, offering to call Google HQ and explain what had happened. And much like Apple, Google blew the whole thing out of proportion. Brian Katz, Google’s global investigations and intelligence manager, was sent to the 500 Club almost immediately. Dave assured Google that Barton would hand over the phone as long as whoever picked it up confirmed their affiliation with Google.

Long story short, after some drama involving a riot and the local police station, Dave handed the phone over to Katz. In exchange, Katz offered Barton a free phone if he would agree to keep the incident under wraps and not discuss it with the pubic until after the official announcement. Obviously, Barton refused the offer and was paid a freelance fee by Wired for providing photos published alongside the article. Looks like isn’t the only one that’s lost control of its secrets. 

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/nexus-4-lost-in-bar/

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Amazon kills the Kindle DX, but may revive Texas Instrument’s abandoned chip division

Amazon looks to have discontinued its long-ignored Kindle DX e-reader, and is also rumored to be bidding for Texas Instruments’ processor division, which could give it leverage over competitors Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Amazon is making headlines today for announcing the death of a product that never quite caught on, the Kindle DX, and for potentially breathing new life into Texas Instruments’ recently abandoned processor division.

Kindle DX dies

First, the Kindle DX. Released in 2009, the combination of an E Ink screen, 9.7-inch screen, free 3G, long battery life, and access to Amazon’s extensive library certainly sounded like a recipe for success. But apart from the big screen, the DX offered little over the smaller, cheaper, and considerably more portable standard Kindle. Couple that with the release of the Apple iPad a year later, and the Kindle DX became another casualty of the tablet revolution. 

Any popularity the DX did have has clearly waned enough for Amazon to admit defeat, as the Kindle DX is no longer directly available on its website, with only third-party companies continuing to gamely advertise the man-sized e-reader. Will it be missed? Like all niche devices, it will always have a hardcore fan base, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone choosing a DX over a Kindle Fire and a standard Kindle e-reader these days.

This is particularly applicable internationally, as Amazon never released the DX outside the United States, preferring to offer an import service instead. Have a guess at how much you’d have to shell out for a DX in the UK back in 2010? A mere $600 or £375. Bargain.

Amazon ponders TI processor purchase

But, the circle of life continues at Amazon, and a rumor has linked the company with the potential purchase Texas Instruments’ processor division, at least according to a reporter for calcalist.com. TheNextWeb.com shows the author of the piece has form too, having scooped Apple’s $500 million acquisition of flash memory company Anobit in 2011.

Texas Instruments announced it would cease investing in mobile processor development during an investor meeting in September, preferring to concentrate on the “embedded chip” market instead. Amazon uses Texas Instruments OMAP processors in its Kindle Fire tablets, so bringing the whole show in-house could be quite the money-saver.

It could also pave the way for the often rumored Amazon smartphone, as it would be one less component to outsource, plus TI chips are used by other companies — including arch rivals Barnes & Noble and Kobo; potentially opening up another revenue stream for Amazon. 

The article says the deal could be worth “billions of dollars,” and that Amazon is currently holding “advanced negotiations.” If it’s all true, its shows just how serious Amazon is about becoming a hardware company with which to be reckoned.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/amazon-kills-kindle-dx-may-buy-texas-instruments-chip-division/

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Walmart taking iPhone 5 pre-orders Friday morning, cheaper than competitors

Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

Following the unveiling of the latest iPhone in San Francisco on Wednesday, it’s possible many owners of the 4S are already looking at their device like it belongs in a museum. It’s a safe bet many will be chomping at the bit to rid themselves of their ‘ancient’ handset in favor of the new one, with its bigger screen and faster processor.

If you happen to be one of these people, or if your current phone is on its last legs and the iPhone 5 seems like a fine replacement, you may be interested to know that Walmart will be taking pre-orders for the new handset at its US stores from Friday morning – for a price that undercuts its competitors.

The retail giant is offering the 16GB version of Apple’s new phone with a $189.97 price tag, as part of a two-year contract. Meanwhile, Apple, AT&T and Verizon will be selling the same phone for 10 bucks more – $199. Walmart’s prices for the 32GB and 64GB versions aren’t known.

Those choosing to buy the new handset from the store are asked to pre-order in person. In return for a $25 deposit, you’ll be given a reservation card, needed for when you collect the phone a week later.

Walmart is also slashing the price of the old iPhone 4S from $148 to $89.97, with a two-year contract. Even cheaper is the iPhone 4, going for just 97 cents with a two-year contract. That’s down from $48.88. If the iPhone 5 seems a little on the pricey side but you’d still like to bag yourself an iPhone, you have choices.

Many analysts believe sales of the Cupertino company’s new smartphone will break all records, selling 10 million units even before the end of the month. The iPhone revolutionzed the handset market when it burst onto the scene in 2007, and in the intervening years has sold a staggering 244 million units.

Users upgrading from an earlier iteration to the new model will gain a lighter, slimmer device with a larger screen, a faster processor, 4G LTE compatibility, and a better camera.

It’ll be available for pick-up on September 21.

[Source: Bloomberg, LA Times]

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/walmart-taking-iphone-5-pre-orders-friday/

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