Google has just sent out invites to the media for an Android event to be held on October 29. The event will be in New York at 10:00 AM and will be streamed live on YouTube.
As far as the purpose of the event is concerned, our psychic powers tell us it is going to be a new Nexus device, the same LG manufactured unit currently known as the Nexus 4 we have been seeing for a while now. There is a possibility that there could be multiple Nexus phones this year but other than some rumors we have seen zero proof to confirm that, so we won't be holding our breath for them.
It's likely that Google will launch this new Nexus device with a new version of Android, most likely the Android 4.2 that has been floating around these days. Other than that we expect to hear some updates on the Nexus Q, which has been an unmitigated failure since it was launched during Google I/O, enough for Google to pull it off shelves and go back to working on it. Google could also announce the 32GB Nexus 7 that we have been hearing about recently.
You may have noticed by now that the October 29 date coincides exactly with the Windows Phone 8 launch date and it would be naive to think that's a coincidence. Google must be pretty confident in its product(s) if it thinks it can go head to head with multiple Windows Phone 8 devices on the same day. We'll just have to wait and see how things turn out.
Brace your wallets cause next week is going to be a doozy.
The iPhone 5 already accounts for 3% of mobile web traffic
A recent report from ad network Chitika indicates iPhone 5 users are connecting to the web more than any other smartphone.
The Chitika study found that since it launched on September 24, the iPhone 5 has rapidly risen through the ranks, and now singlehandedly accounts for three per cent of web traffic from mobile phones.
When combined with previous iOS devices, Apple's ecosystem contributes to 46 per cent of all mobile web traffic. That's a significant lead over its nearest rivals, Samsung, which accounts for a total of just 17 per cent.
Samsung vs Apple continues
It's not just the iPhone 5 performing well though. Chitika claims that the Galaxy S3 from Samsung, launched back in May this year, currently accounts for two per cent of mobile web traffic.
While there's a huge difference between Apple and Samsung, it has also become obvious that the Korean giant has become the leading Android handset maker, with all other mobile devices accounting for just 37 per cent of traffic combined.
Chitika conducted the study by conducting a user agent analysis on "millions of mobile ad impressions, spanning a 7-day time frame from October 3rd through October 9th, 2012".
While there is debate about how reliable information garnered through ad impressions is as a tool for measuring web traffic, it does reinforce the idea that the current smartphone marketplace is becoming a two horse race.
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins has hit back at a recent NY Times article that interviewed a number of disgruntled BlackBerry owners. In a letter published by the newspaper on Wednesday, Heins accused the piece of lacking balance and said there were still "millions of BlackBerry fans out there."
RIM CEO Thorsten Heins must have had smoke coming out of his ears when he read a New York Times article on Monday entitled The BlackBerry as Black Sheep.
His company is struggling, for sure, but he’s hoping it can turn things around with the launch of its next-generation operating system, BlackBerry 10, early next year. Until then, he needs to hold on to his customers, and prevent the company’s image from being bashed about any more than it is right now. His heart will have sunk when he read the NY Times piece.
It pretty much ripped into the phone maker, interviewing users who had apparently become embarrassed about pulling their BlackBerry phone out of their bag. “I’m ashamed of it,” said one, who claimed to hide her device under her iPad for fear of being judged by clients.
Another said she wanted to “take a bat to it,” which, let’s be honest, seems like something of an overreaction when it comes to feelings about a mobile device. There were a few favorable words towards the end of the piece from a BlackBerry owner called Mr. Fenton who said he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about when it came to the iPhone, but in case the reader might start to think that perhaps RIM’s phones weren’t so bad after all, the article finished off with someone called Mr. Mindel laying the boot in, saying, “I’m considering removing my BlackBerry battery, pouring in cement, and using the BlackBerry as an actual paperweight.” You get the picture.
So imagine Heins in his office earlier this week, NY Times in hand, reading this article. Of course he wasn’t going to let this go without saying something. He hammered out a response and on Wednesday the newspaper published it.
In his letter, Heins accused the publication of lacking “the balance your readers expect,” before going on to explain that carriers and partners around the world have recently told him “there are millions of BlackBerry fans out there who not only find great value in their device, but also pride in being a BlackBerry owner.”
He says that he takes reports of dissatisfaction among BlackBerry users very seriously, adding that he was encouraged by the supportive comments received in response to the NY Times article.
After trotting out a couple of stats, Heins ends his letter confirming that RIM is on track to deliver BlackBerry 10 in the first quarter of 2013, and offers thanks to “the customers who have remained loyal to the BlackBerry platform.” He also says RIM is looking forward to “winning back many who have left.”
Heins is all too aware that having nothing to show for at least another 10 weeks gives BlackBerry bashers ample time to keep on bashing, and that what RIM must do is keep current users on board while trying to put a positive spin on a very difficult situation. Of course, there will be those who say RIM has done a decent job of beating itself up in recent years with various PR blunders and missteps, but Heins is steering the ship now and is doing everything in his power to save the company from collapse.
Google has sent out press invites to an unspecified Android event on October 29 in New York.
Following recent speculation, the event is likely to showcase the next Nexus smartphone, which is widely thought to be the often-leaked LG Nexus 4.
Reports have also suggested HTC has been working on a 'Nexus 5' phablet, while Google-branded Sony and Samsung devices have also been mooted.
Multiple devices launches would not be a huge surprise, following widespread reports that Google intends to break from tradition and work with multiple manufacturing partners for the next Nexus launch.
The event is also likely to bring news on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates, so it would be a major surprise if there were any mention of the forthcoming Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie OS just yet.
The invitation itself features the Google search bar widget from Android filled with the cryptic message 'The playground is open.' Behind it, and the company logo is image of the New York City skyline.
The press conference will take place at 10am ET (That's 3pm UK time) and will also be live-streamed for the masses at YouTube.com/Android.
A hands-on preview of the Asus PadFone 2, an innovative device that combines a smartphone with a tablet, and somehow does appear to give us the best of both worlds.
There can’t be all that many people who don’t think that, in principle, the idea of the PadFone 2 is a good one. After all, it combines the two most popular — and fastest growing — consumer electronics markets into one handy device. At the PadFone 2’s launch event today, I had the chance to spend some time playing with Asus’s unusual device, and while it’s still not exactly clear at whom it’s aimed, it’s a clever machine with considerable potential for the future. Asus’s tagline for the tablet is “It’s intuitive.” I have to agree.
The first thing you notice about the smartphone is how light it is, feeling lighter in the hand than both the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4, despite them all being within a couple of grams of each other. The phone is made of plastic, as is the brushed metal-look band around the edge, and since the rear panel is non-removable, the battery won’t be able to be swapped out for a new one.
Installed on the PadFone 2 at the event was Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), but an upgrade to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) should be coming in December. This means the European PadFone 2, which should arrive early next year, will most likely come with the latest version of Android already installed.
Quad-core power
The Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor gives the smartphone incredible performance. Even without Jelly Bean’s “Project Butter,” scrolling was smooth and precise, and video was expertly handled. Scrolling could still be “sticky” in the browser though. A 1.5GB HD video file could be scrubbed back and forth with no delays in playback, and when the Adreno 320 GPU was put to work on a Need for Speed game, it looked stunning.
Grasping the tapered body of the PadFone 2’s phone section, it’s simple to slot it into the tablet and in fact, you don’t even need to look at what you’re doing. This makes perfect sense when you consider the sharing aspect of the PadFone 2, as you can be looking at a photo on the phone, which then appears on the tablet’s screen almost instantly when you dock them together. Fiddling around on the back of the tablet would spoil this experience completely.
Slotting the phone into the tablet station is precise and satisfying, and ends with a positive push to lock it into place, feeling not unlike docking an iPhone into a well-made audio dock. It’s not going anywhere either, as even turning it upside down and shaking it about failed to see the phone slip out and clatter onto the floor.
Instant sharing, with a catch
Using the tablet is a very similar experience to using the phone as it’s the same OS, but with this comes a slight drawback — the browser wants to open mobile websites. Visiting DigitalTrends.com, the BBC and YouTube on the tablet resulted in exactly that happening, but a better YouTube experience could be had using the standalone app. This is a problem on most Android tablets.
The instant sharing is also flawed at the moment, as it only works with certain applications. Say you’re reading a website using Chrome on the smartphone, but decide you want to read it on the larger screen, so you plug it into the tablet station. Sadly, it doesn’t just appear and you need to open Chrome as usual. Sure, your content is there straight away, but it adds a step or two to the process. The answer is to use the standard browser instead, which does instantly start when you dock the two devices, as does the gallery, the camera app, Google Play and the standard email app too. But generally, if you’re doing something on your phone before you plug it in, prepare to have to re-open that task.
Asus says that many apps are undergoing a certification process, so by the time the PadFone 2 goes on sale, this could all change. Hopefully it will, as it’s one of the standout features of the device.
Intuitive and pleasantly surprising
Using the PadFone 2 for only a short time confirms that Asus is right to call it intuitive, primarily because of the instant sharing feature and the easy docking, but learning the ins-and-outs of the lightly skinned Android OS was a breeze too. This, along with the all-in-one nature of the PadFone 2, makes it a good choice for anyone new to smartphones and tablets.
Such simplicity, design innovation and power doesn’t come cheap though, with the 32GB model priced at 800 euros ($1,042) for the smartphone and the tablet station. Before you snort derisively at this figure, think about this: A 32GB iPhone 5 costs 790 euros on its own, and you’re stuck with that battery and that screen size. Add a 32GB Wi-Fi and Cellular iPad and you’ll need another 700 euros, giving a total of 1,488 euros ($1,940) for the pair. Pop over to Amazon for a SIM-free Galaxy S3 and a Galaxy Note 10.1 and you’ll still need the best part of 1,100 euros.
So, although the initial outlay sounds like a lot, that’s quite a savings when you consider how much buying two separate devices to emulate the PadFone 2’s abilities costs. It is, however, still a big price for a relative newcomer to ask for an quirky product. It could also be saved if U.S. wireless carriers decide to subsidize the phone and tablet combo deeply enough, it could be quite affordable. But with how badly the Motorola Atrix + Laptop Dock were priced, it’s difficult to be hopeful.
In the short time I had with the PadFone 2, it was certainly winning me over, and it’s impossible not to be impressed by the Snapdragon S4 Pro’s performance. I have the feeling a lot of people are going to be surprised by the PadFone 2, it just takes an open mind, a calculator and good, solid test run.
Users might notice new ads pop up on their smartphones' Facebook News Feed as the social network has opened up its latest strategy to make money through its mobile app.
In August, Facebook began testing a new "mobile app install ads" program that wasn't connected to users' social ties.
The test was apparently a success as Facebook announced Wednesday via its developer blog that it's opening the service up to all developers.
The test program allows an undisclosed amount of third-party developers purchase ad space on the mobile News Feed to help drive buyers to their apps.
Those advertisements then lead users to the developer's app store purchase page either through the Android or Apple app store.
It all ads up
"For years, many apps and games on Facebook.com have used ads as an important part of their growth strategy," Facebook's Vijaye Raji wrote on Facebook's developer's blog.
"Now we are bringing these opportunities to mobile apps," Raji continued.
"With these new ads, mobile apps and games of all sizes across any category can reach the right audience, at scale."
In the post, Raji touted the new program's ability to help developers reach more relevant audiences and drive up install rates.
He pointed to game creator TinyCo, which saw a 50 percent higher click-through rate when it participated.
Other advertisers reached 8-10 times the audience and Ad Parlor clients saw consistent 1-2 percent increases in click-through rate from the home feed, according to Facebook.
This is a bit of a break from the Facebook ad norm. Traditionally, ads pop up on users' pages because they or a friend liked the brand.
But with this program, dev advertisers will be able to target the audience they want to sell to, instead of who likes them. Facebook is banking on the hope that those two groups will have a large cross-section.
Since the ad program is new, Facebook will still need to work out a few kinks to smooth out the user experience.
The company will also improve the program's ad targeting abilities, as well as make sure developer ads aren't targeting users on the wrong platform.
Facebook in free fall
The program comes as Facebook tries to monetize its mobile space.
The social network as a whole has felt the pressure to become more profitable after its failed IPO in May. In September, the stock hit a new low at $17.55 (UK£11.14, AU$17.33) from its starting price of $38 (UK£23, AU$36).
We'll see if the new mobile app install ad program wows investors next Tuesday, when Facebook calls to share its third-quarter earnings.
HTC rolls out a new version of the HTC J -- the J Butterfly. The handset will be exclusive to Japan, but comes with a screen that will make the world envious. It's 5-inch display comes packed to the brim with 440ppi resolution.
HTC brought its latest creation to Tokyo today, and now we’re wondering how long it takes a butterfly to fly over the Pacific Ocean. The HTC J Butterfly is the new flagship handset from the Taiwanese phone maker and it comes fully equipped with a screen that you just can’t help but to stare at. There’s plenty to see with the 5-inch HD Super LCD 3 display that is ready to run at 1080p — the highest resolution yet for a phone.
The screen isn’t the only attraction on the J Butterfly, the successor to the HTC J. The black-and-red skinned phone will come running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). It’s powered by a 1.5GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM and is equipped with a 2020mAh battery that will have its work cut out for it. It’s also loaded with an 8-megapixel camera with a f/2.0 lens. All of this is housed within a thickness of 9.1mm. A quick comparison of the specs makes the J Butterfly most comparable to the One X, the crowd-pleasing offering from HTC released earlier this year.
It’s that screen that puts the J Butterfly in the league of its own, though. The HTC One X came with an impressive Super LCD screen that was worthy of comparison with the best displays on the market. The J Butterfly aims to float above the competition, and may well do so. It’s promising a resolution that reaches 440-pixels per inch (ppi). For comparison purposes, the iPhone 5 sits at 326ppi. I’d hate to be the guy that has to try to pack all those pixels in. That’s how those things work, right?
The J Butterfly will be exclusive to the Japanese market, but that doesn’t mean the Super LCD 3 screen won’t find its way on the front of some U.S.-bound handsets. Until then, we’ll just have to look forward to the day we can wipe the drool off our screen.
Sony has set itself some sky-high sales targets for next year, according to reports, furthering speculation that the company has something big up its sleeve.
CENS.com has posted figures, unconfirmed by Sony, stating that the Japanese giant intends to sell 50 million smartphones during the 2014 financial year.
That's the twelve month period commencing in March 2013.
For the likes of Apple and Samsung, that figure would be no big deal, but for Sony it would represent 50 per cent year-on-year growth compared with the 33 million sales it expects to achieve in fiscal year 2013.
This prospective upturn in demand would be enough to catapult Sony Mobile from the manufacturer with the seventh biggest share into third place, behind the Apple and Samsung juggernaut.
Great Odin's haven?
So what could be the catalyst that propels Sony Mobile from a middle-of-the-pack manufacturer directly onto the smartphone podium?
Could it be the Sony Xperia Odin? During the last week it has emerged that that this rumoured - and ominously-codenamed - handset may be the successor to the Xperia S and Xperia T smartphones that impressed in 2012.
While those features, combined with Sony's acclaimed design language, would certainly be enough to put Odin up there with other high-powered Android devices, could it inspire a mad dash for Xperia products?
An unnamed executive at Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn has revealed that Apple's iPhone 5 is the most challenging assembly the company's workers have ever faced.
"The iPhone 5 is the most difficult device that Foxconn has ever assembled. To make it light and thin, the design is very complicated," the exec reportedly told the Wall Street Journal.
"It takes time to learn how to make this new device," he or she said, adding, "Practice makes perfect. Our productivity has been improving day by day."
Now it seems troubles at Foxconn is perhaps to blame as well, though that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Foxconn strikes again
Foxconn has courted its share of controversy this year, so it's easy to forget that 99 percent of the time its employees are simply making iPhones and other devices.
That's when they're not going on strike due reportedly to unreasonable quality control demands combined with lack of proper training of course.
Mobile network O2 has vowed to rebuild customer faith following two significant service outages in recent months.
An estimated 2 million users were left without cellular and data services on Friday last week due to another failure of O2's Central User Database, which the network says is provided by one of its suppliers.
Now the company says it will spend an £10m on moving to a "proven alternative solution" rather than "risk this happening to our customers for a third time."
In a blog post entitled 'Removing your trust in our leading network' COO Derek McManus said O2 will continue to spend £1.5m a day on improving the network and also "up-weighting and re-focussing our Service Experience Team" in the build up to next year's 4G LTE launch.
Dented the confidence
McManus added: "While we recognise that we have dented the confidence and trust of some of our customers, I hope this plan will demonstrate our commitment to rebuilding that trust.
"We will not rest until we have cemented the stability of our network and can deliver the level of service customers have come to expect of us over the last ten years."
O2's network woes couldn't have come at a worse time for the company, with the launch of Everything Everywhere's 4G LTE service coming before the end of the month.
The Orange and T-Mobile 4G alliance already offers a decent sized incentive to jump ship without O2's recent problems, so it's little surprise that it is looking to reassure its customers.
However, humble O2's admission of fault appears to be, wavering customers may note the absence of two words from McManus' blog post: The first is 'sorry' and the second is 'compensation.'
Color has had a spotty history as an over-hyped up app that has floundered since launch, and a report indicates that the startup may soon be closing its doors for good.
According to VentureBeat, Color, the startup with more unsustainable hype than the the world has possibly ever seen, is preparing to go dark. Shareholders and the board have voted to close the company’s doors for good.
Color has had a spotty history, and was a disappointment after raising $40 million last year from Sequoia Capital and Bain Capital, enjoying what was obviously now a serious overvaluation. Many saw Color’s inevitable demise, despite having received more money from Sequoia Capital than the early-stage venture capital allotted even Google.
At launch, the app jumped on the photo-sharing bandwagon while also introducing us to the idea of the elastic, location-aware social network. Users could share photos with others in their current location, giving them a real-time photo album of strangers near and around them. But even without location features, Instagram was still dominating the photo-sharing space, and we all know how that’s gone (hint: very, very well). Color’s intial idea floundered, and its founders went back to the drawing board.
Its pivot then transformed the photo-sharing app into a live video broadcasting service integrated with Facebook (and then Verizon). The concept had some potential thanks to the “Instagram for video” trend, and according to AppData was used by 460,000 users per month, but Color Labs’ investors and shareholders purportedly have finally come to the conclusion that it’s not enough.
Venturebeat got a hold of an email that was sent out to its employees that indicates the bleak future for the startup:
“I hope is all well with you. As you may or may not have heard, Color is going through a number of changes. Last week, the board and major shareholders voted to wind down the company.
We ask that you politely cancel any existing commitments stating we are closing our [redacted] program.”
The internal turmoil within Color Labs has been well-documented, and it should come to no one’s surprise that the startup has been on shaky ground for awhile. Color Labs was burning quickly through the $40 million to sustain its first app but had no significant user traction to show for the investment. To the tech world, Color has been the quintessential disappointment.
Color’s co-founder Bill Nguyen was rumored to have retreated from his role as CEO and in his stead, investor and Color Labs board member Geoff Raiston took over the reins. Boardmembers were torn between letting a new CEO officially replace Nguyen, while others have been loyal to its current CEO. Nguyen confirmed with TechCrunch that he had ceased his day-to-day activities with Color, but assured them that everything was in order back at Color Labs headquarters and that he was simply taking a breather. Of course if these most recent reports are valid, his words were simply meant to brush off the uncertain state of the company.
We’ve reached out to Color Labs and will update this space with any new developments.
A downtown New York restaurant is asking patrons to upload photos of their meals to Instagram to help craft a visual menu for undecided diners and those interested in trying out the establishment. The inventive idea is fun and interactive, but it's hard for us to encourage people to keep taking photos of their food and uploading it to the Web.
Full disclosure: My family owns a restaurant in New York City and the cost of designing, printing, and distributing menus are a lot more than just clicking a few things on the Internet and waiting for things to ship. You have to pick a design that is functional, beautiful, representative of your facility, and most importantly, inviting. Then, it’s just a matter of hoping new customers are curious and kind enough to stop by, and luring them to come back for a delicious experience. So when I heard that a new Latin American restaurant opened up and is crowdsourcing its patrons to make its menu for them, I can’t tell if this is sheer cost-cutting laziness or pure genius.
Comodo, located in the SoHo neighborhood of downtown New York, came up with the idea when it noticed the food porn Instagram trends amongst its customers. You’ve likely seen this happen: People come in, get excited by the food they’ve ordered, and take artsy shots of the plate so their Instagram followers can be presumably jealous by what these guys are having for dinner. Comodo also realized this was a good way for the public to get a relatively accurate representation of the restaurant, so it start encouraging patrons to continue doing what they’re doing, then adding the hashtag #ComodoMenu to the photos.
The result? Ideally, a list of menu items, the names, what they look like, and the price. This is helpful for people considering trying the restaurant, but wants to know the price points, portion sizes, and an exact visual of what they should expect. Of course, this isn’t the only source of menu for Comodo; the restaurant has real physical ones as well for those who aren’t on Instagram.
So far, the hashtag and three-week-old restaurant has garnered 49 photos, but unfortunately, not all the photos are food from the restaurant, and most people forget to mention what the dish is called or how much it costs. Still, the idea is inventive and interactive, and it’s a cheap and easy way to create social buzz. The photos also help to show what menu items are popular judging by how often they show up under the hashtag, and can then be referred to as one of the recommended dishes at Comodo.
At the same time, us Digital Trends writers aren’t particularly thrilled with the whole food porn trend, so we’re pretty torn on encouraging other restaurants to follow suit. Hey, at least if you’re gonna do it, do it with a purpose and help a local business along the way. And businesses, if you’re gonna hop on the trend, you might want to provide some incentives for the patrons giving you free publicity! If it’s anything we can help promote, it’s symbiosis.
Apple has announced its latest media event a week before Microsoft's big Windows 8 party. This show of aggression may be designed to crush the threat of the Surface tablets early on, but could have been made out of fear rather than aggression.
Apple hates Android and wants to undermine Google at every opportunity. The evidence is everywhere, from Steve Jobs’ infamous willingness to “go thermonuclear” on the OS, to the banishing of Google Maps and YouTube from iOS 6. But it’s been more than a decade since Apple has appeared to loathe Microsoft. Yes, they used to be bitter rivals, but that was in a different time. Or, at least, we thought it was. But with Apple holding a major press conference on October 23, just three days before Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Microsoft’s Surface tablets go on sale, it’s apparent that it once again considers Microsoft a threat.
Microsoft has been building up to this moment for a while, and make no mistake the Oct. 26 launch of Windows 8 is the company’s big moment of 2012, and possibly 2013 too. Windows 8 is the basis of the Microsoft’s strategy and product plans for the coming years, and it’s vitally important that it succeeds and gets good buzz.
Apple however, wants to assert its position, and will do so on Oct. 23, regardless of the products it launches. If the rumors are true and it shows a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, a new Mac mini, or a curvy iMac, Apple will be saying “Computers? We do them better.” If it’s the iPad Mini, Apple will be reminding Microsoft that it has been making its own touchscreen hardware for a long, long time, and it can still suck up all the buzz and press, even when all it announces is a smaller, cheaper version of an existing product.
This is Apple flexing its muscles, arming its warheads, positioning the fleet, and pointing the finger directly at Microsoft. The sad thing for Microsoft is, it’s not even that aggressive a move. It’s as if Apple doesn’t really want or even need to spend much energy deflecting Microsoft’s efforts. A single press conference and product might do it. Even the event invitation’s slogan, “We’ve got a little more to show you,” makes the whole thing sound like an afterthought.
Apple to Surface missiles
What’s Apple’s problem, then? Apple is winning in smartphones and tablets — 85 million-plus iPhones sold in the US alone, 68-percent market share in tablets — and while Windows may dominate the home PC market, Mac OS X’s market share has been improving. Not that improving PC sales mean much. As we all know, PC sales are going nowhere but down at the moment.
Is this all about the Surface? Possibly, yes. Apple probably doesn’t relish the idea of another competitor trying to steal away some of its precious market share, and it’s obviously worried enough about the impact of cheap Android tablets to introduce a cheaper, smaller iPad. Microsoft has confirmed that it’s targeting the iPad with the official pricing of its tablets, with the 32GB Windows RT Surface going for $500, $100 less than the equivalent iPad. In the UK, that same 32GB Surface is £400, exactly the same price as a 16GB iPad.
It’s a sound business decision on Apple’s part to crash Microsoft’s party, but we can’t help but wonder if Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s words from an interview earlier this year initially woke the beast. Speaking to CRN.com, Ballmer was referring to Apple’s lead in innovation when he said: “We are not going to let any piece of this go uncontested by Apple, not the consumer cloud, not hardware or software innovation. We are not leaving any of that to Apple by itself. Not going to happen. Not on our watch.”
Now that’s just asking for trouble.
But looking back, perhaps Apple did land the first blow. In April, during a quarterly earnings call, CEO Tim Cook criticized Microsoft’s attempt to merge tablets and PCs with Windows 8. “You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but you know those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user… And you wouldn’t want to put these things together because you wind up compromising both and not pleasing the user. Some people will prefer to own both, and that’s great there. But I think to make the compromises of convergence, we’re not going to that party. Others might. Others might from a defensive point of view, particularly. We’re going to play in both.”
A carefully crafted strike
The timing of Apple’s event is no accident: it’s a carefully crafted pre-emptive strike against Microsoft, which it hopes will crush any resistance that may be forthcoming. Apple wants to dilute whatever buzz surrounds Windows 8 and keep the eye of attention on itself throughout the holidays. It’s all very “shock and awe,” but Apple is proving that it’s has its eye on the steadily rising wave of competition. Is all this noise and brashness merely to cover up a degree of fear creeping in at Cupertino? If so, it needs to be careful. Predators can smell fear from miles away.
The Sony Xperia AX was announced at the beginning of this month as a version of the Xperia V for Japan. Now there's the Xperia VL, also for Japan. The difference here is that the AX is going to NTT DoCoMo and the VL is for KDDI.
Other than that, the Sony Xperia VL packs the same features as the Xperia V - a super sharp 720p 4.3" display, 13MP camera, dual-core Krait processor and LTE connectivity. And it's dust and water-proof too.
One feature not on the international version is the 1seg mobile TV support. Also not part of the international package is the bundled desk stand.
Anyway, the Sony Xperia VL will launch by the end of the year with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Sony's Walkman and multimedia apps. For colors, you can choose between Pink, White, Black and Blue.
It seems like only yesterday that we were putting the Sony Xperia Tipo through its paces, but here already, with just the smallest of spec boosts, is the Sony Xperia Miro.
The entry-level smartphone market is becoming increasingly crowded as it is, so it's a surprise that Sony has seen fit to release two handsets that, on paper at any rate, are incredibly similar.
That it has launched them so close together is even more baffling, and surely risks rendering one of them obsolete.
It's not just the Sony Xperia Tipo it's got to contend with, either. The boost in specs has brought with it a boost in price, as you can currently pick the Sony Xperia Miro up for £159/AU$240/US$239.99 SIM-free. This price range puts it in competition with the similarly styled Sony Xperia U and the HTC Wildfire S.
So, does the Sony Xperia Miro do enough to justify its price tag? Well, first impressions aren't great. The Sony Xperia Miro has a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 display, which is on the small side these days, particularly when cheaper handsets such as the Huawei Ascend G300 pack a 4-inch display.
But coming from the Sony Xperia Tipo, it actually feels like quite a jump in size - it's only 0.3 inches bigger, but the difference is surprisingly noticeable.
A few of its other specs have been boosted above those of the Xperia Tipo too, though they're still fairly modest. It retains an 800MHz single core processor with 512MB of RAM.
Its camera sees a boost in megapixels, up to 5 megapixels, versus the Xperia Tipo's 3.15MP snapper. It can shoot VGA video at 30fps and comes with 4GB of storage, only 2.2GB of which is useable. On the plus side it supports microSD cards of up to 32GB.
Despite having a name that aligns it with the Tipo, the Sony Xperia Miro eschews its sibling's rounded edges in favour of a rectangular look in line with the more premium Sony Xperia U, Sony Xperia P, Sony Xperia T and Sony Xperia S.
However, if the aim was to make it seem more premium, it wasn't entirely successful. At first glance the Sony Xperia Miro does look like a better - or at least more expensive - phone than the Sony Xperia Tipo.
The more angular, less chunky form factor on the Sony Xperia Miro gives it a touch of class, but as soon as you pick it up you find that looks can be deceiving.
It's lightweight at 110g (0.24lbs), but with dimensions of 113 x 59.4 x 9.9mm (4.4 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches) it's not a tiny handset, and this makes it feel odd when held.
Your brain tells you it shouldn't be that light, like it's an imposter, or what every phone manufacturer dreads hearing - that it's a toy.
That impression isn't helped by the cheap, plasticky feel of the handset. Yes, most phones have a plastic shell of some kind, but there's a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it, and the Sony Xperia Miro most definitely does it wrong. It feels like a toy. An expensive toy, but still a toy.
Below the screen you'll find three soft-touch buttons. These are the home button in the centre, the back button on the left and the menu button on the right.
Below that there's a blue light that appears when you wake up the phone or when you receive a text or call. You can't even tell it's there when it's off and when it's on it looks good, extending out across much of the width of the phone. It's also incredibly useful, and we applaud Sony for supporting this feature when so few other manufacturers do.
Below that the body curves inwards slightly and is adorned with the word 'Xperia'.
Above the screen there's a proximity sensor, another notification light, the front camera lens and a speaker. There's a 3.5mm headphone port on the top edge, along with a small power button.
Given that the power button is also used to wake and lock the handset we do wish it was a little bigger, but that's a minor issue.
A volume rocker lives on the right edge and the micro USB port is on the left edge. The main camera and another speaker can be found on the back.
There's a little notch at the bottom of the handset to peel the back cover off, and doing so just compounds the feeling of cheapness as the cover itself is revealed to be very thin plastic.
Underneath you'll find the battery, along with the SIM card and microSD card slots. Unfortunately not only do you need to remove the back cover to swap out a microSD card, but also the battery.
Granted, it's a minority of users that will need more than one card, but for those that do this is an unfortunate inconvenience. Given the tiny amount of storage on the Xperia Miro it would be nice if Sony had done more to ease expansion.
Overall the Sony Xperia Miro doesn't make the most amazing first impression, seeming like little more than a Sony Xperia Tipo with a slightly bigger screen.
Bezos - looks friendly now, but try talking to him about patents...
Jeff Bezos hasn't got much patience with the neverending cycle of tech patent lawsuits, reckoning that governments need to step in and change laws.
The Amazon CEO, who faces a bit more hardware heat now that Amazon has launched the Android-running Kindle Fire HD tablet, lamented the situation in an interview with the Metro newspaper.
"Patents are supposed to encourage innovation and we're starting to be in a world where they might start to stifle innovation," he said.
Stifling
"Governments may need to look at the patent system and see if those laws need to be modified because I don't think some of these battles are healthy for society.
"I love technology, I love invention, I like rapid change, and really it's the golden age of wireless devices and mobile devices."
Bezos isn't the only one tiring of the patent hoopla - the UN held a summit earlier this month during which Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and other tech giants got together to try and find a solution.
Technology in 2012 has been pockmarked by patent filings and verdicts, the most notable of which is Apple v Samsung in which a US court found in favour of the Cupertino company.
It's not over 'til it's over, though – Samsung is currently appealing the $1 billion ruling so the case is set to rumble on into 2013.
This is according to the (admittedly erratic) Digitimes, which cites 'industry sources' claiming HTC and Samsung will implement aggressive pricing strategies for their Windows Phone 8 devices as they look to undercut the Finnish firm - something that would at least give the platform a decent boost.
Currently Nokia is the manufacturer of choice when it comes to Windows Phone, thanks to its partnership with Microsoft, however that could be about to change as the software giant has selected the HTC Windows Phone 8X as its flagship device for the latest version of its mobile platform.
Good for Windows Phone
With prices set to be competitive in the Windows Phone 8 arena, this can only be a good thing for the new operating system, hopefully making it a more attractive option to consumers.
Apparently the HTC 8X will fall into the $500-600 (£310-370/AU$485-580) SIM-free bracket, while the sources say the Samsung Ativ S is likely to push closer to $700 (£430/AU$680), and Nokia's Lumia handsets are said to range from $600-800 (£370-495/AU$580-775).
A separate source suggests than the Huawei Ascend W1, the Chinese firm's first Windows Phone 8 device, could come in as low as $300-$350 (£185-215/AU$290-340), which may be perfect for people looking for a cheap Windows thrill.
The compact but highly popular member of the Samsung Android lineup, Galaxy Y has received a minor software update. Available over-the-air, the update doesn't bring many substantial changes to the device, but rather improves the system stability.
Additionally, according to our tipster, who has received the update, the screen responsiveness is also improved. The update changes the baseband version to S536ODDLF1 and the firmware version to S536ODDLF1.
So, Galaxy Y users, go to the Settings menu and check for a Software update. Unfortunately, there's no official word from Samsung on which regions should expect the update and when.
Floats like a Butterfly, stings like a mildly agitated caterpillar
The slightly oddly named HTC J Butterfly has been announced in Japan, sporting a deliciously high-res 5-inch display.
The original HTC J launched in Japan earlier this year, sporting a 4.3-inch qHD display, and the J Butterfly builds on this substantially, boasting an impressive Super LCD 3, 5-inch display with a staggering 1080 x 1920 resolution.
That display, with its 440ppi density, puts the Retina Display on the iPhone 5 to shame, as it can only muster 640 x 1136 at 326ppi, while its big screened rival, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, may want to go into hiding with its 5.5-inch display at 720 x 1280.
Power
It's not all about the big screen though, the HTC J Butterfly also has impressive specs under the hood, with a 1.5GHz quad-core processor backed up by 2GB of RAM, which will make mincemeat of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS which has been slapped onto the phone.
Round the back there's an 8MP camera capable of recording 1080p video, while the front facing snapper offers up a 2.1MP sensor, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G support and a microSD slot will keep you connected.
The real issue with the J Butterfly is bound to be battery life. HTC has plonked a 2,200mAh juice pack into the handset, which is larger than most of its rivals, but we can still see that huge screen eating through it before the day is out.
The UK and US HTC J Butterfly release date and price are currently unknown, as the Taiwanese firm hasn't mentioned which regions it will be shipping the flagship handset to, other than Japan.
We've contacted HTC about the J Butterfly and possible other territory releases, and we'll update this article once we hear back.
Of the various Surface models currently available, it appears the early adopters have been most taken by the cheapest, $499 32GB version. And that's the one without the Touch Cover keyboard, an accessory which Microsoft has been promoting hard since the tablet was first unveiled.
Anyone considering placing an order for the least expensive version of Microsoft’s new Surface tablet (ie. the $499 32GB model running Windows RT that comes without the ultra-thin Touch Cover keyboard) might have to wait as long as three weeks to receive the device, according to its page on the Microsoft Store website. It originally showed October 26 – the day the tablet officially launches – as the delivery date.
The $599 32GB version with the Touch Cover, and the $699 64GB version also with the Touch Cover, are, at the time of writing, still showing a “by October 26” delivery date.
It’s tempting to think there’s been an early rush by consumers for Microsoft’s new tablet, but as noted by Cnet (via Neowin), without knowing exactly how many of the tablets are built, boxed and ready to ship, it’s hard to accurately gauge how much demand there really is for the device at this early stage.
It does appear, however, that the early adopters are ignoring the Touch Cover, opting for just the tablet. If they change their mind at a later date, they can of course pick up a Touch Cover for $119, or a Type Cover, best described as a more conventional keyboard compared to the Touch Cover, for $10 more.
This may be of some concern to Microsoft, which has been making a big deal of its accompanying cover/keyboard since it first unveiled the Surface back in June – indeed, an ad for the new tablet, shown for the first time Monday night, featured the cover/keyboard as much as the tablet.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the computer giant has placed orders to manufacture between three and five million Surface tablets from now until the end of this year. But whether Microsoft can persuade people to part with their cash for one of them is what industry watchers are waiting to find out.
One thing’s for certain though – consumers looking to purchase a tablet this holiday season will be spoilt for choice, with big-hitters Microsoft, Apple, Google and Amazon, as well as a slew of other tech companies, all set to battle it out in the coming weeks in what has suddenly become an incredibly busy, as well as crowded, tablet market.
The 145-inch 8K Super Hi Vision just made an appearance
Several reports surfaced Tuesday that Panasonic, makers of everything from home appliances to cameras to security systems, plans to exit the television market.
According to Reuters, the corporation will stop production of LCD and plasma TV panels next year, focusing instead on small and midsize panels for products like tablets.
Citing Nikkei, a Japanese stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Reuters said the company's plasma TV sales are expected to plummet by half to 2.5 million units while its LCD sales will show minimal year-on-year growth.
It's unlikely Panasonic will return to profit this fiscal year, Reuters reported.
Down but not out
Though TV isn't turning a profit for Panasonic, the company has reportedly set its sights on another market - one that thrives on screens intended for portable devices.
That market is apparently more profitable than TVs, especially since customers like Apple dominate with high-selling items like the iPad.
The Japanese firm has apparently already sent some high-resolution LCD panels Apple's way, and one Panasonic source said Apple "seems to be satisfied" with what it saw.
With screen production issues plaguing Apple from its last, Retina-packed iPad to the iPhone 5, it'd come as little surprise if the tech giant brought another firm under its wing.
TechRadar has reached out to Panasonic for comment on these reports and will update this story if and when the company responds.
We have been hearing rumors of an HTC phone with a large 1080p display for a while now and it has finally come true. HTC has unveiled the HTC J butterfly in Japan and it is the first production smartphone to have a 1080p display.
The display in question is a 5.0-inch, Super LCD3 with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, which gives it a pixel density of the astonishing 440 ppi. The display is quite big but at 143 x 71 x 9.1 mm, the J butterfly is only slightly bigger than the One X (134.4 x 69.9 x 8.9 mm) and at 140g weighs just 10g more.
Inside, the HTC J butterfly runs on a quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM. It has 16GB internal memory along with a microSD card slot.
On the back is an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording and on the front is a 2 megapixel camera. The phone supports LTE and NFC and is dust and waterproof (IPX5). Strangely, for a phone with such specs, the battery is only 2,020mAh. Lastly, the J butterfly will ship with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box.
The HTC J butterfly is set to release in Japan on AU/KDDI in December. The phone will be sold in three colors: red, black and white. Unfortunately, this particular model will be exclusive to Japan but we are sure to see that glorious display on HTC's future models soon.
The 145-inch 8K Super Hi Vision just made an appearance
Several reports surfaced Tuesday that Panasonic, makers of everything from home appliances to cameras to security systems, plans to exit the television market.
According to Reuters, the corporation will stop production of LCD and plasma TV panels next year, focusing instead on small and midsize panels for products like tablets.
Citing Nikkei, a Japanese stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Reuters said the company's plasma TV sales are expected to plummet by half to 2.5 million units while its LCD sales will show minimal year-on-year growth.
It's unlikely Panasonic will return to profit this fiscal year, Reuters reported.
Down but not out
Though TV isn't turning a profit for Panasonic, the company has reportedly set its sights on another market - one that thrives on screens intended for portable devices.
That market is apparently more profitable than TVs, especially since customers like Apple dominate with high-selling items like the iPad.
The Japanese firm has apparently already sent some high-resolution LCD panels Apple's way, and one Panasonic source said Apple "seems to be satisfied" with what it saw.
With screen production issues plaguing Apple from its last, Retina-packed iPad to the iPhone 5, it'd come as little surprise if the tech giant brought another firm under its wing.
TechRadar has reached out to Panasonic for comment on these reports and will update this story if and when the company responds.
iOS and Android apps are taking up more memory on mobile devices, with the average size of game apps for iOS devices increasing by a hefty 42 percent in the last six months.
Apps for Apple’s iOS devices have grown in size significantly in the last six months, according to the results of a survey released Tuesday.
Of course, those with iPhones, iPads or iPod touches holding 64GB of storage won’t be particularly concerned at the news, but anyone with an 8GB or 16GB device will have already noticed it really isn’t much memory at all by today’s standards.
The survey, conducted by ABI Research, showed that over the last six months the average app size has grown by 16 percent. Looking at specific genres, it’s the games category – the most popular category of all – where apps have really beefed up, with the average game app now standing at 60MB, an increase of 42 percent since March.
ABI points to two main reasons in its report. First, Apple decided in March to up the limit for 3G/4G-downloadable apps from 20MB to 50MB which, as senior analyst Aapo Markkanen says in ABI’s report, “clearly had an unleashing effect on developers,” allowing them to develop more complex games with improved graphics.
The other factor is linked to the new iPad’s Retina display, with developers launching new graphically rich apps, as well as pushing out updates for old apps to take advantage of the new high-resolution display. This must be a bit of a drag for owners of the first and second-generation iPads (without Retina displays), who have to take on the extra load without seeing any benefit.
Owners of older devices like the 8GB iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 probably filled their handsets to bursting point long ago, but even those with more recent 16GB devices are likely having to be more careful about what they choose to download.
Markkanen points out that this creates more of a challenge for developers: “The consumers with 16GB devices are likely to become more conscious about what apps to keep and what to uninstall, so the developers’ bar to impress will be getting even higher than it is now,” he said, adding, ”This could also speed up the adoption of the mobile cloud as a storage remedy quite significantly.”
As for Android apps in the Google Play store, the report said these have also seen a size increase in the last six months, in this case of 10 percent. Again, when you look at apps in the games category, the change really stands out, with Android apps almost quadrupling in size in the last six months to an average of just over 40MB.
Are you finding the amount of available memory on your mobile device disappearing fast recently? Found a way of getting around it?
