Android users beware: Malicious apps posing as Temple Run and other games found in Google Play Store

A string of harmful Android apps posing as other popular games have been found in the Google Play Store on Friday.

Android users, watch out! There could be malicious apps in Google’s Play Store posing as some of your favorite games.

As a Redditor pointed out earlier today, an illegitimate developer account in the Google Play Store has been recently discovered. This account has been uploading phony apps that are complete rip-offs of other titles in the Android app store. Some of the more popular ones include an imitation version of Imangi’s Temple Run game and Glu Mobile.

The developer behind the operation, known as “apkdeveloper,” appears to be decompiling the APKs of these apps and injecting code that could be harmful. APK stands for Android Package, and it is the type of file used to distribute and install application software onto Google’s mobile operating system. After this alleged hacker inputs malicious code, he or she recompiles the APK and uploads the file to the store, posing as legitimate apps. Each of these apps as the word “super” tacked on to the end of its name. These illegitimate apps also have a lengthy list of device permissions in comparison to the actual apps, so be wary to avoid them.

For example, Imangi’s Temple Run only requests permission to access the device’s full network and to perform, read and write operations to storage. Temple Run Super, however, also asks for location information, phone status and identity, access to accounts on the device, and more.

Luckily many Android users can differentiate these phony apps from the real ones. According to Android news blog Phandroid, it doesn’t seem as if many users have downloaded these harmful apps. This means that little is known about what this code is actually capable of, but reports have indicated that it could add unwanted advertisements to various parts of your device. For example, these permissions could allow ads to pop up on a user’s home screen or notification bar. While this might not crash Android smartphones or tablets or erase a user’s data, it’s sure to be quite an annoyance.

It’s always important to be cautious and careful when downloading apps. Check the name of the developer and ensure that the app is coming from a legitimate source before installing it.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/android-malicious-apps-found-in-google-play-store/

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Apps and updates worth downloading: Facebook Poke and Flipboard for the holidays

The last big rush to the app markets before the holidays brings some must-haves for surviving this time of year. YouTube Capture and Facebook Poke make media sharing easy, Rise Alarm Clock will get you up on time, and Pudding Monster will entertain you during dull moments.

It’s the last weekend of the year, meaning it’s best you rest up as much as possible for the madness that is about to ensue over New Year’s eve. Before you head to all your parties with friends, family, and co-workers, make sure to fill up your phone with all of the newest and best apps available. Best case scenario: they will serve as a talking point to fill in during those awkward lulls. Worst case scenario: you play with them with your head down as you avoid conversation with uncomfortable acquaintances and odd relatives. Here are the best apps and updates worth downloading for the last two weeks in 2012.

Updates

Tumblr (iOS, Android)

No longer just for phone users, Tumblr’s latest update brings an expansion to the tablet. The popular blogging platform brings it’s love of .gifs and memes to both the iPad and the Android tablet family. To make infectious spreading of content even easier on the go, Tumblr also now features an Explore tab and markdown support. But you don’t care about any of that. You need to keep your friends updated with your “Moustaches on things that don’t need moustaches” blog.

Evernote Food (iOS)

The iPad gets to add another app to it’s repertoire thanks to Evernote Food getting optimized for the tablet. This will make pictures of your favorite recipes and best culinary creations even bigger and more tempting. The app also features a new design that encourages you to turn to it for all your food-related needs. Save recipes, build your own cookbook, and check out restaurants and their offerings, for ideas for your next night out. Evernote Food really serves one purpose: Make you hungry.

Wunderlist (iOS, Android)

One of the better apps for staying on track in the past, Wunderlist has been rebuilt from the ground up to look better and work smarter. While it was a great option before, it’s now making a case for itself as one of the best to-do apps around. Reoccurring tasks make their first appearance in the update, as does a new collaborative list function that will keep groups of people on task at all times. Email reminders and push notifications are available to make sure you never miss a deadline or forget what you’re doing.

Flipboard (Android)

Flipboard keeps getting bigger. We’re not just talking user base – it’s now available on Android tablets. The favorite option for social readers makes it debut on the bigger screen with a bang. A gorgeous looking layout that puts content in a virtual magazine, you’ll be flipping pages for quite some time before you lift your head up from the screen. It features everything you’d expect from Flipboard, just a bit bigger. Bigger may not always better, but in this case it definitely isn’t hurting.

New Apps

Rise Alarm Clock (iOS)

Need to make sure you’re awake as early as possible on Christmas day to open presents from Santa? Rise is probably your best bet. A new alarm clock option for iOS, Rise is simple, easy, and elegant. Fall asleep to an iTunes playlist and wake up to a custom melody or tone. You can also modify your snooze options and alarm volume so your routine can be tweaked for your needs. A simple app that fills a basic need and does it well.

Facebook Poke (iOS)

Facebook Poke totally has nothing to do with the popularity of SnapChat, though it does essentially the same thing as it. Recreating the once-iconic Poke option on Facebook with a new multimedia catch, Facebook Poke allows users to get in touch with friends by sending them a quick message, photo, or video with an expiration date. Location data will let them know exactly where you’re sending it from. If your friend takes a screenshot to keep it longer, you’ll be told about it.

YouTube Capture (iOS)

The perfect app for holiday happenings, YouTube Capture simplifies the YouTube upload process. Easily record with the tap of a button, then make some quick edits like color correction and image stabilization. You can also add music tracks to the video with a couple quick taps, making this app a great option for quick and easy video sharing. Pass around your film to family that couldn’t be there or send it out to the public as a cry for help. Depends on how well you get along with your family.

Beanstalk (Android)

Keeping your files on multiple cloud storage options because you can’t fit it all in one? Beanstalk will stretch across the platforms and give you a unified cloud experience. Allowing you to log in to Dropbox, Box.net, and Microsoft Skydrive in a single app, Beanstalk gives you control over the files in all of them. Move your information to and from different storage locations and keep track of all your data no matter what cloud it calls home.

New Games

Penny Arcade The Game: Gamers vs. Evil (iOS)

No one knows gamers quick like Penny Arcade. The company branched out to card games, creating a unique universe and adventure that takes place on the flimsy but familiar game piece. Not content with the physical offering, the game is now also available to play digitally on your iOS devices. Build decks based on your favorite Penny Arcade characters and use their abilities to master your opponents, be they computer or human controlled.

Pudding Monsters (iOS, Android)

The makers of Cut the Rope created a new franchise, and we won’t be surprised if it’s just as successful as the first. Capitalizing on the cuteness factor that made Om Nom in Cut the Rope so popular, Pudding Monsters brings a whole cast of bouncing blobs of dessert to the table. It’s up to players to bring these piles of pudding together to create – what else? – a pudding monster. A sliding puzzle style game with people of appeal that you’d expect from the makers of a hit game, Pudding Monsters‘ gameplay is just as delicious as its main character.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apps-and-updates-worth-downloading-december-30-2012/

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Holiday mobile news recap: 2012 comes to an end with RIM and Instagram

The world didn't end, unless it did and we all have been so distracted by our mobile devices to notice. The mobile world has definitely kept spinning as the year winds down. Research in Motion, Rovio, and ZeptoLab all have reasons to be excited for 2013, Instagram has trouble making friends, and more in the year-end mobile news recap.

‘Twas the week of Christmas and all across the world, mobile devices were being delivered to good boys and girls. Sure it would be difficult and elves would work to no end, and gifts would be brought by a non-denominational holiday giver so as not to offend. December 21st passed and our world kept on turning, so for mobile news our audience is yearning. And since even in during the holidays, the industry keeps going, I have to write this recap of news worth knowing. The biggest name in games promise to bring more cheer and will have new games on your portable device in the new year. 4G is expanding and Google Maps makes iOS better, but Istagram’s TOS is uglier than a Christmas sweater. Research in Motion may be in need of a creditor, and I have to stop rhyming before I annoy the editor. Before this limerick style gets shelved, here’s the news in mobile for the last weeks of 2012.

BlackBerry

The big wigs at Research in Motion are just really ready for 2012 to end. The company might not even have been that upset if the whole Mayan apocalypse thing turned out to be true. Instead they have to deal with the sales figures from the third quarter of 2012 that prove to be a mixed bag at best. Still optimistic that the company’s outlook looks good for 2013, the company continues to gear up for the launch of BlackBerry 10. The first handset, the Z10, has been announced along with a UK launch that will include 4G access. Research in Motion even finally solved its patent dispute with Nokia with a simple solution: Throwing money at it and forgetting about it. A fresh start will be welcomed RIM headquarters.

Big Game News

The mobile app industry proved to be profitable in 2012, with revenue up across both the Apple App Store and the Android’s Google Play Store. Much of that can be attributed to the success of the mobile gaming industry, a place of regular profit for game makers. Two of the finest studios in the business, ZeptoLab and Rovio, are planning on taking on 2013 with all new IPs. ZeptoLab released it’s offering, Pudding Monsters, this week and will likely expand it over the course of next year. Rovio plans on exploring some new ideas to expand upon the success of Angry Birds. We’re sure both companies will also be releasing tons of plush toys and other merch that we’ll make fun of but secretly crave and decorate our rooms with.

Google Maps

Apple and Google might technically have a rivalry, but Apple can’t be too mad at the search giant. After the failure of Apple Maps kept people from updating to iOS 6, the release of Google Maps for iOS converted a considerable amount of holdouts. Of course, Google can thank Apple dumping it’s navigation tool and giving the company the motivation to come back better than ever. It’s like getting dumped and making sure you look better for the next time you run into your former lover. A total of 10 million people downloaded Google Maps, doing their best to guarantee they won’t end up lost during their holiday travels.

4G

America usually looks to Europe as an example of a more progressive society, but that’s not quite the case when it comes to wireless networks. The United Kingdom just got it’s first 4G network just a few months ago. Now an auction of a 4G LTE spectrum will take place between seven companies vying for position at the top of the UK class. Meanwhile in America, Verizon continues to make its 4G LTE presence felt everywhere it can. It’s latest expansion brings it to 29 new markets, including Green Bay, Wisconsin. If the playoffs go poorly for the Packers, expect the drunkenly typed out tweets of rage to come faster than ever.

Instagram Fallout

Instagram just can’t make friends with anyone. After cutting ties with Twitter, the photo-filter app started cutting ties with…its users. Probably not the best idea. It likely wasn’t intentional, but some people that actually take the time to read terms of service agreements noticed some wording that was less than agreeable. Upon the news spreading, users were sent into a fit of rage, swearing to never use the free service again–until everyone wants to take pictures of their holiday parties and add a nice sepia tone. Since Facebook bought up Instagram, the social network has been looking for ways to make the service profitable. Instagram has since backpedaled on the policy and promised not to sell people’s pictures, meaning they’ll have to find a different way to make money off what is essentially the world’s largest database of food pictures.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/weekly-mobile-news-recap-end-of-2012/

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Rob Enderle’s 3 favorite products of 2012

Tech analyst Rob Enderle gets to play with a lot of gadgets, but these three from 2012 prove gadgets really can make life better.

Last week, I talked about all the products I wanted that didn’t arrive in 2012, or arrived half baked. This week, I’ll get a little more positive and discuss my three favorite products of 2012. Of all of the products I used and tested, these are the ones that generally go with me everywhere.

Kindle Fire HD

I’ve been a Kindle fan since the first one of these shipped. It’s just an amazing pleasure to have something with days of battery life, yet still light enough that I’m comfortable going through most of a book in one sitting. Last week, I read all five books in the Iron Druid Chronicles while traveling to visit Dell and Qualcomm. Plane trips go by quickly now, and if someone leaves me sitting for a long time waiting for a meeting, rather than getting upset, I appreciate the extra time to read the next installment in a compelling adventure. If I get up and discover I don’t have my Kindle, my heart nearly stops as panic takes hold – not because it’s too expensive to replace, but because I’ll be left with time and nothing interesting to fill it with. The Kindle Fire HD helps keep me sane (well, relatively), and it is one of my favorite products this year.

Microsoft Surface tablet

You have no idea how wonderful one of these new tablets is until you take it on a trip instead of a laptop. It gives me all-day battery life, near-instant wireless network connections, instant suspend resume, a touch screen, and Office. I do miss Outlook a bit, but the feather-light weight and incredibly long battery life has me often carrying this instead of my notebook. So far, it’s the only tablet I’ve found (that isn’t a notebook in disguise) that allows me to really leave the laptop at home. It has done wonders for my back by keeping my backpack light, and wonders for my piece of mind because I don’t sweat the battery life. I would have never thought that Microsoft could create something this good, much less with a first-generation. My other tablets must look longingly at my Surface Tablet and say “we are not worthy.”

Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone

If I could take just one product with me to a desert island (assuming it had phone reception), it would be the Nokia Lumia 920. In a pinch, this rather large phone can actually sub for my other two favorite devices. I’ve gone to dinners where I couldn’t bring my Kindle, so I’ve read the book I was reading on the Lumia instead. I’ve been without my laptop or Surface Tablet and still done real work on this not-so-little phone. The best part: It has the highest quality camera on the market. I have pictures that I wouldn’t have been able to take if it weren’t for this phone. Who knew I could enjoy a phone like this so much? It integrates with my car’s sound system so I can listen to tunes off of Slacker or my music library, works flawlessly with my headsets and car for phone calls, and it actually isn’t bad at all for movies and TV.

Looking forward to 2013

I can hardly wait to see the second-generation Microsoft Surface, given how wonderful the first generation is. While lots of folks live for the next iProduct, I kind of live for the next Kindle. But I’m really struggling with how you’d make a better phone, for my needs, than the Nokia Lumia 920 – so I’m especially looking forward to the next phones from that company. You know, 2013 is looking like it will be an amazing year for cool new products.

How about you, what were your favorite products of 2012?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/my-3-favorite-products-of-2012/

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More images of BlackBerry N-Series make the rounds

After giving us a glimpse from a couple of blurry shots roughly a week ago, the upcoming BlackBerry N-Series smartphone has made another appearance. This time around, we get to see the hardware QWERTY smartphone in better quality images.

There are no further details available on the BlackBerry 10 smartphone. Previous reports have indicated that the device will target the BlackBerry purists under the X10 moniker when launched.

The BlackBerry N-Series will break cover on January 30, 2013 in New York City. We will be there live, so we'll tell you all about the device.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/more_images_of_blackberry_nseries_make_the_rounds_-news-5266.php

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Jolla's Sailfish OS gets extensively demoed on video

After giving us a short glimpse of its UI in the official announcement's promo video, Jolla's Meego-based Sailfish OS got an extensive video demo, which offers a deeper look at its features. The still developing OS got shown off on Nokia N950 developer handset - a logical occurrence given the fact that most of the people behind the Sailfish project are ex-Nokia employees.

Making your way around the OS is based on intuitive hand gestures, whose clever implementation allows you one-handed use of the Sailfish device regardless of its screen size. The OS in general is easy to customize - starting from the shortcuts on the lockscreen, all the way to the OS's ambiance concept which changes the color of the UI elements once you change your wallpaper.

As we already know, Sailfish OS supports true multitasking, where minimized apps can appear as cards on the homescreen. Each card can be customized by developers to display real-time app info and controls.

Here goes the OS in action.

Despite being still in development, Jolla's Sailfish OS certainly shows a lot of promise. However, we already know too well that a mobile OS is as good as the amount and quality of apps on offer for it. The Sailfish SDK is currently being finalized, yet it has its source code available, and is still open to developer feedback. The OS itself supports both ARM and x86 devices, so we certainly hope that we hear more good news from Jolla when Sailfish OS gets finalized during Q1, 2013.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/jolla_sailfish_gets_demoed_on_video-news-5264.php

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2013 mobile preview: Courtroom peace and marketplace war

What will be the major trends and releases in the world of mobile for 2013? Join us as we take a look into our crystal ball.

It has been a busy year in mobile. 2012 was the year that saw Android establish a clear lead by closing in on a 75 percent share of the smartphone market. Samsung and Apple topped the manufacturer charts and duked it out in the courtroom. Microsoft hoped it would be third time lucky with Windows Phone 8. Tablets got smaller, smartphones got bigger, and the market for both just kept on growing.

On the verge of 2013 it’s time to cast your eyes forward and take a look at the year ahead. What are the big trends going to be? Who will be making major moves in mobile? We think it’s still a bit too early for widespread adoption of wearable tech or flexible displays, and it’s a bit too late to herald the arrival of mobile payments even if they haven’t really caught on yet, but there’s still plenty to get excited about.

BlackBerry 10 launch

It’s no secret that RIM has had a tough year. The eulogies have been rolling in thick and fast, but under new CEO, Thorsten Heins, the company has been quietly working away on BlackBerry 10. The new platform has been described as RIM’s last roll of the dice and it might well be. Market share has been dwindling for a while now, but RIM also just announced its first ever drop in worldwide subscribers as 1 million people abandoned the platform, taking its total down to 79 million subscribers.

Various carriers around the world have already announced that they will be offering new BB10 devices. The launch events have been scheduled for January 30. Early demos and leaks have been promising. RIM’s traditional base in the enterprise is already road-testing the new platform. RIM hasn’t rushed to market this time and BB10 has real potential. If the platform can claw back some market share from Android, or even iOS, then it will be the comeback story of the year.

Augmented reality

It has been around for a while now, but 2013 could be the year that sees augmented reality apps and games really taking off. More and more people have capable smartphones and tablets, advertisers are clamoring to deploy AR in marketing, and wearable tech could prove to be the catalyst that spurs AR onwards. Juniper Research is predicting that AR will generate $300 million in 2013 as it builds momentum towards 2.5 billion annual app and game downloads within five years.

Platforms like metaio are offering an AR platform that brands can easily adopt and they report strong growth, however, it could be another year or two before AR is truly widespread. The ascent starts in 2013, but it won’t reach its zenith for a few years yet.

Cloud apps and services

The cloud has been generating a deafening buzz as it is held up as a panacea for the business world. Thanks to a perfect storm of enabling factors it will also be having a great impact on the consumer world in 2013. The expansion of 4G LTE networks, improvements in Wi-Fi technology and hotspot availability, and lightweight demands in terms of installation and storage overhead, should drive cloud-connected apps and services in the coming year.

Expect to see Sony’s acquisition of Gaikai bear fruit in terms of mobile gaming as high-end releases come to smartphones. We’ll also see more people relying on service like Google Music to store and stream content. Syncing across devices is another important development that makes life easier – you read, watch, or play something on your tablet in the morning, pick it up on your smartphone as you commute, and finish it off on your computer when you reach work. The local device is just an entry point for content that we expect to be available and synced across the board.

Web adapts to mobile

In 2013 smartphones and tablets will surpass PCs to become the most commonly used devices for accessing the Internet. The impact of mobile on the Internet can already be seen. Most major websites now have a dedicated mobile version; some are being simplified overall with mobile screens as a primary concern. Mobile apps are still a vitally important link between devices and the web and we don’t think the much-vaunted HTML5 is in a position to usurp traditional apps with web apps for a good while yet.

Content curation and easy navigation are becoming more and more important for a web that focusses on the needs of mobile users first.

Real smartphone competition

If you thought 2012 was a competitive year in mobile you ain’t seen nothing yet. As smartphones reach saturation point in certain markets, such as the U.S. , we’re going to see companies fight harder than ever before. When the market stops growing that market share becomes more meaningful.

Android and iOS could have some real competition in the shape of Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10. Analysts have been predicting an increased market share for Microsoft for years now, in 2013 we’ll find out for sure. We’ve also got a flurry of new devices to look forward to from the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the iPhone 5S. We may even see the long rumored Amazon smartphone or a WP8 device from Microsoft. HTC, LG, and Sony have all made noises about claiming third place behind Samsung and Apple. Game on!

An end to the patent madness

We are hopeful that the patent wars might be settled once and for all in 2013. Various judges have expressed a desire to end the steady stream of patent infringement lawsuits pouring into their courtrooms. Definitive decisions on fair licensing terms look closer than ever, most of the Android manufacturers have signed agreements, and the ongoing fight is not enhancing reputations with consumers. Much depends on Apple’s willingness to settle.

If 2012 was the year of the patent wars then we have our fingers crossed that 2013 will see a lasting peace and the big tech players can get back to focusing on making us irresistible gadgets. We wouldn’t advise your holding breath for this, though.

Tablets, tablets everywhere

We’ll see more tablets, we’ll see prices drop further, and we’ll see sales rocket in 2013 as tablets usurp smartphones as the fastest selling tech devices. As smartphones grow and tablets shrink we may see more of a blurring of the line between the two, something that “phablets” like the Galaxy Note 2 and Droid DNA have already introduced.

We’ll also see the BYOD trend continue to grow and tablets will become increasingly common in the workplace and in education. We can expect that trend to fuel a developer drive towards apps and services for the enterprise and education sector. There’s plenty of room for improvement.

More mobile predictions for 2013

We think quite a few other mobile features will see a steady rise in popularity in 2013. NFC should roll out on more devices and we’ll see that functionality exploited in more ways, beyond mobile payments. In terms of mobile payments expect a few competitors to offer cloud-based digital wallets and alternative tech to NFC as consumer adoption and confidence grows slowly. Wireless charging is also set to grow in stature over the coming year and it will be interesting to see how many businesses decide to offer facilities.

No doubt there will be a few surprises as well. Let’s hope so, because that’s what keeps things interesting. Got a suggestion or hunch of your own? Post a comment and share your mobile predictions for 2013.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/2013-a-look-at-the-year-ahead-in-mobile/

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Apple drops patent claim against Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

The S3 Mini won't be threatened by new Apple suit

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini will not be involved in the next round of the never-ending Apple vs Samsung patent war.

The little brother of the flagship Galaxy S3 had been named alongside a host of Samsung devices which, according to Cupertino, infringe Apple's intellectual property.

The warring companies had been asked to present their lists of disputed devices as they gear up for a second trial in California, scheduled to begin in March 2014.

As the Galaxy S3 Mini is not being sold in the United States, Apple has sportingly agreed to strike it from the list.

Round two

However, it's not as if Samsung will be doing cartwheels about the news. Apple's list still includes the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Rugby Pro devices.

Apple also reserves the right to reinsert the S3 Mini if Samsung decides to launch it Stateside.

The second trial, which follows Apple's crushing victory this summer, will also hear Samsung's claims about the iPhone 5.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/apple-drops-patent-claim-against-samsung-galaxy-s3-mini-1121859

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Microsoft in 2013: what to expect

As well as Surface Pro, will we see more Surface RT models in 2013?

It's been almost impossible to keep up with Microsoft in 2012.

Even after the Windows and Surface and Windows Phone 8 and Xbox Music and Outlook.com launches, the announcements have kept on coming: SkyDrive for Xbox, Halo 4, updates to Skype, the autumn Xbox dashboard update, ramping up Surface production and a quick attack on Google for turning its shipping section into a set of paid ads rather than an actual search.

Microsoft isn't slowing down for the holidays, but what's left for 2013? Quite a lot, including the perennial rumours about a new Xbox - or two or maybe three…

1. Windows Phone 7.8 and 8.5

Despite the on-again, off-again rumours throughout December, the Windows Phone 7.8 update won't come out until early 2013. Windows Phone 7 users get the new Start screen with three sizes of tiles, a version of the Kids Corner child lock, 20 new accent colours and dynamic lock screen wallpaper (with at least the Bing image of the day); Nokia phones also get a ringtone maker, Bluetooth sharing and lenses for the camera that let you remove unwanted objects and make partly animated GIFs.

Windows 8 coverage

Windows 8 review
Windows 8 vs Windows 7: 8 ways it's different
50 Windows 8 tips, tricks and secrets
Windows 8 tablets: what you need to know
Making sense of the Windows 8 versions
All our Windows 8 content

But what about Windows Phone 8 users? US users are already getting the minor Portico update that fixes some bugs, prioritises Wi-Fi and lets you easily send a text message to explain why you didn't pick up the phone.

That comes to European users early in 2013, but the big update will be Apollo Plus; we're expecting that to be Windows Phone 8.5, to be announced at Mobile World Congress in February – but unless we're also getting Windows Phone 9 next year, we don't expect to see it until the autumn.

2. Office 2013

We know Office 2013 (which is already finished and available for businesses, as well as on Surface RT) will go on sale in 2013, in January or February. Will we see Office for the iPad in 2013 as well? This is another persistent rumour that doesn't necessarily add up; Office isn't the only advantage of Windows RT but it's a key feature.

If we do see Office for iPad it might only be the OneNote and Lync tools - after all, the Word, Excel and PowerPoint Web Apps were rewritten this year to run on iPad and Android tablets, which could be what Microsoft means when it keeps saying "Office will work across Windows Phone, iOS and Android". And whatever Microsoft has planned might be delayed or cancelled over arguments with Apple over whether they get a cut of Office 365 subscriptions for Exchange and Office licences for Windows and Mac sold through iOS apps.

• How Microsoft Office web apps are catching up with Office 2013

3. No more Messenger

As expected, Microsoft will retire its Messenger IM service in favour of Skype in the spring (except in China, probably because of concerns that the government often discusses blocking the service). You can already merge your Microsoft and Skype accounts by logging into Skype with your Microsoft account (and you can still send messages to friends on Messenger and Facebook) but at some point that will become the only option.

Given the Facebook and Messenger integration in Windows Phone 7.5 and 8, we expect that will coincide with the full release of Skype for Windows Phone (and possibly even an update to Windows Phone to make it all work together). The good news; there will be special offers to make the move more palatable - maybe free Skype minutes like those on offer with some Office 365 accounts.

4. Xbox 720 and Xbox Loop

Another year, another set of rumours about the new Xbox. After seven years, we definitely expect Microsoft to launch a new Xbox late in 2013 and we really hope it includes the Forteleza Kinect Glasses project we've heard about, which seems to combine Google Glasses-style augmented reality with 3D screens.

The $299 price that's been suggested probably isn't for what we're still calling the Xbox 720 for convenience (although it might be the Xbox8 and the internal codename is Durango) which might be based on ARM or x86 chips, possibly with PowerPC chips to run existing Xbox games.

The cheaper model is rumoured to be a set-top box based on Windows 8 for playing casual games and running the kind of entertainment services (like Netflix and BBC iPlayer) that are already on Xbox 360, in something that doesn't look so out of place in the living room if you're not a Halo fan. Think midway between Xbox and Windows Media Center…

5. Surface 2 and more

The other Xbox rumour is a 7-inch Xbox Surface gaming tablet running a custom version of Windows RT with SmartGlass.

Like the rumoured Surface Book touch Ultrabook, AMD-based Surface Pro 2 and smaller Qualcomm-powered Surface RT 2, this was suggested by tipster and "social experimenter" @MSnerd. CEO Steve Ballmer has said that Microsoft will "obviously" make more hardware "where we see important opportunities to set a new standard" and thanks to the job adverts TechRadar discovered back in August, we know Microsoft is working on a second generation of Surface tablets so we'll see new models. Other rumours say Microsoft is ramping up its own manufacturing and distribution facilities, which you need when you're a "devices and services" company rather than a software developer.

• Microsoft Surface review

What we're not sure about is the specific hardware Microsoft will use or the exact products we'll see (we're similarly a little sceptical about the often-rumoured Surface Phone).

Microsoft bought giant touchscreen maker Perceptive Pixel this year and CEO Jeff Han is hard at work in Redmond, probably on cheaper versions of the 80" touchscreen system that businesses can use with Windows 8 and Kinect for video conferencing or visualising data – or it could be an all-in-one PC for the home. We expect new Surfaces will come later rather than sooner in the year and run Windows Blue.

6. Windows Blue

If you have a new Surface every year (to compete with the new iPad every year), you need an update to Windows RT to go on it. Full updates to Windows 8 will probably still come every 2-3 years but we expect to see annual updates of Windows RT (and WinRT on Windows 8) that are cheap or even free.

The project codename is Windows Blue, according to rumours, and we expect to see the first release in the autumn with the next Surface models.

7. Something we know nothing about

Given how much better the company has got at keeping secrets, we're expecting at least one big surprise from Microsoft that we haven't heard about yet.

Perhaps the "ground-breaking hardware, software and experiences across computer vision, machine learning, human-computer interaction, image and video processing, networking and graphics" that the team behind Kinect is building to "revolutionize consumer electronic devices" according to a recent job advert. That might be Kinect 2 and Kinect Glasses, or it might be something completely different.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/microsoft-in-2013-what-to-expect-1120746

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