Nexus 5 Lytro-like MEMS camera outed in leaked files

A leaked peak at the Nexus 5's camera (credit: Mac Rumors)

It was only yesterday that we at TechRadar heard from a source that the Nexus 5 will be announced and released at the end of this month, and already we're hearing about the next Google flagship's camera.

Android Community posted today about a batch of files that allegedly leaked over the weekend on Myce, with details about a build of Android 4.4: KitKat.

Those files have revealed some things about the Nexus 5, including the possibility of the Nexus 5's wireless charging - but that's not all.

The latest is that the Nexus 5 will feature some advanced camera features, including the Lytro-like ability to re-focus photos in post and MEMS tech that should allow for faster focusing.

What's in a camera?

The Nexus 5's camera is thought to be a mere 8 megapixels, with an aperture of f/2.4 and a 1/3.2″ sensor. According to these files, it also lacks backside illumination and optical image stabilization.

Those specs make it outclassed by a lot of other high-end smartphones, but it's the other features that could make the Nexus 5's camera extraordinary.

MEMS stands for microelectromechanical technology, and it provides a number of benefits, including focusing that's seven times faster than other current cameras.

The Nexus 5's MEMS camera also reportedly uses less power and produces less heat, plus it's smaller.

Most importantly, perhaps, it may allow Nexus 5 users to magically re-focus photographs after they take them - hence the comparison to Lytro cameras.

Last but not least is the photo above, which reportedly leaked this week in the Mac Rumors forums. We're expecting to learn more about the Nexus 5 this month, so stay tuned.

• TechRadar learned this week that the Nexus 5 will ship at the end of October - and that it will specced similarly to the iPhone 5S.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nexus-5-lytro-like-mems-camera-outed-in-leaked-files-1185946

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Blackberry's latest filing reveals a grim global future for the company

Wipe that smile of your face

Things have not been going well for BlackBerry for a very long time now, but in recent weeks the future has started to look particularly grim for the smartphone maker.

And thanks to the company's latest regulatory filing, we have glaring evidence BlackBerry is in trouble on a worldwide scale.

In the filing, the company formerly known as RIM estimates that BlackBerry unit sales direct to customers (this doesn't include handsets shipped to carriers) were approximately 5.9 million - a far cry from the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C's record setting 9 million sales in just three days.

Adding the ailing dinosaur joke to injury, of the 5.9 million phones sold last quarter, 4.2 million ran the old BlackBerry 7 operating system. It's really no surprise as BlackBerry is still sitting on a huge cache of Z10 running the BlackBerry 10 operating system.

A BlackBerry rolling down a hill

Piling on the pain, BlackBerry is faltering not just in North America but in regions where it once flourished.

"The intense competition impacting the company's financial and operational results that previously affected demand in the United States market is now being experienced globally, including in international markets where the company has historically experienced rapid growth," BlackBerry wrote in the filing.

The company blames the emerging market of lower end Android-based devices pushing BB7 devices out of the limelight. Meanwhile its higher-end devices fail to deliver the same variety of apps as on iOS and Android - which are ironically still missing the long delayed BBM app.

BlackBerry's one saving grace, its global messaging service, also took a hit, decreasing the revenue the service pulls in by $269 million to $724 million (about £446/AU$771m).

The only beacon of hope on Blackberry's horizon is a tentative deal to sell itself to the Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings. But like many things about BlackBerry, this announcement came last week with a depressing caveat that it would also layoff 4,500 employees, or about 40% of its workforce.

BlackBerry declined comment on our report.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/blackberry-s-latest-filing-reveals-a-grim-global-future-for-the-company-1185924

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HTC One may be in danger of US import ban thanks to Nokia victory

One big mess for HTC

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC continues to draw attention for all the wrong reasons as the company is said to be working with chipmaker Qualcomm to avoid a U.S. import ban on its products.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that a preliminary ruling last week by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) could have serious implications for HTC in the months ahead.

A judge ruled that one of HTC's older smartphones infringed upon two Nokia patents related to the enhanced transmission and reception of phone calls. Though the ruling pertains to an older phone, the Finnish manufacturer could see a sticky situation arise for the HTC One.

The chip in question was manufactured by Qualcomm, who has yet to comment whether or not the ruling could affect other customers.

Tricky business

HTC has until January 2014 to address the patent violations, when the ITC will decide if the preliminary ruling will become a full-on import ban.

Among the options are developing a workaround with Qualcomm, a licensing agreement with Nokia or persuading the trade commission to reverse the initial ruling.

According to unnamed sources familiar with HTC's plans, the manufacturer appears to be taking the first option, which could prove potentially tricky since any fix would require an update to existing hardware.

Regardless of that outcome, HTC will likely be on the hook to Nokia for some kind of financial compensation once the ruling is made official.

• Don't miss our extensive review of Google's new Nexus 7!

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/nokia-patent-victory-could-force-htc-to-fix-qualcomm-chips-1185889

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Note 3, Xperia Z1, LG G2 and more get Sky Go for Android access

Sky Go for Android compatibility boosted

The television demigods at BSkyB have seen fit to bestow the Sky Go for Android app upon owners of the newest flagship devices running Google's mobile operating system.

Owners of the new Sony Xperia Z1, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and LG G2 handsets can now download the app from Google Play, as well as Sony's Xperia Z Ultra, and Xperia M devices and the HTC One SV.

The popular app, which allows Sky subscribers to tune into live TV on their smartphones and tablets, isn't universally available to all Android phones as Sky likes to optimise it for the devices personally.

The total number of Android devices supported is now up to 45, following its initial roll-out for the platform in February 2012.

Extra, Extra!

Sky Go is a free accoutrement for subscribers to the company's satellite TV platforms, and is also available on the web, the Xbox 360 and for iOS devices.

For an extra £5 a month users can sign up for Sky Go Extra, which allows shows to be downloaded for offline viewing.

• Can the LG G2 do the unthinkable and displace the HTC One at the top of our smartphone chart? The verdict is in.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/note-3-xperia-z1-lg-g2-and-more-get-sky-go-for-android-access-1185883

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Chromecast adds Hulu to its roster

More apps to follow?

Chromecast is slowly but surely continuing to grow its app selection, despite killing indie streaming apps.

Google announced that starting today, Hulu will be joining the small list of casting options right on time for fall television however, you must be a Hulu Plus member to actually watch the shows on the big screen.

Currently, only Android phones, tablets and iPads can cast Hulu Plus, though support for iPhones is coming soon.

The popular dongle isn't available to countries outside the U.S. quite yet, but should be arriving soon, hopefully with a wider selection of apps.

More blips!

Cast your eyes on some of these blips.

• Microsoft is now taking pre-orders for Windows 8.1
• AT&T says it's almost time to buy Samsung Galaxy Gear, Galaxy Note 3
• Logitech Gamepad leaks, turns your iPhone 5S into a portable console

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/other-devices/chromecast-adds-hulu-to-its-roster-1185859

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LG G2 just misses out on TechRadar's top mobile spot

Hey, second place is great for LG

You've probably seen our 20 best mobile phones in the world article - previously topped by the HTC One.

But the launch of the LG G2 has shown that things are ready for a change, with its combination of power, excellent battery life and impressive camera giving it a real chance of stealing the top spot.

However, thanks to a plastic chassis, it couldn't match the poise of the HTC One, which manages to just cling on at the top despite a raft of other phones parachuting in.

iWhat?

The iPhone duo also dropped into our top 20, but the iPhone 5S couldn't even make it into the top three thanks to the now-traditional higher price, combined with a re-use of last year's chassis. It's still a great phone, but we want miles more for that cash.

And when it comes to wanting more for your money, the iPhone 5C was similarly unimpressive, bringing not a lot more than a colourful shell for a phone that costs as much as the HTC One to buy.

A special mention should go to Nokia: the phone brand may have been bought by Microsoft, but it's still got one of the top selling Windows devices in the ultra-cheap Lumia 520.

• Check out our full run down here - we're sure you've got plenty of reasons to disagree with us, and we look forward to seeing how 2014's big players manage to shake things up at the sharp end.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-g2-just-misses-out-on-techradar-s-top-mobile-spot-1185812

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Pantech sends invites to phablet-focused event on October 10

Pantech is reportedly issuing invites to its October 10 event, which according to the image stamped will be focused on a new Vega device.

Rumor has it it will be a 5.9" 1080p phablet with digital pen support, perhaps a quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU (at around 2.3 GHz), LTE-A tech (for speeds up to 150 Mbps), 2 GB of RAM and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The name will reportedly be Pantech Vega Note and it should be a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

If the invite is any indication, the upcoming Vega Note device will sport a trackpad-slash-fingerprint scanner on the back and could probably sport a similar look as its Vega No 6 5.9" sibling.

Source (in Korean) | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/pantech_sends_invites_to_phabletfocused_event_on_october_10-news-6896.php

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Vertu Constellation puts mid-range Android in luxury garbs

Vertu has turned to Android whereas its former parent company Nokia went Windows Phone exclusive. The luxury phone maker has created its second Android-powered phone, the Constellation.

Each Vertu Constellation is handmade by a single craftsman in England. It's constructed out of grade 5 titanium and draped upholstered in fine calf leather from "one of Europe’s oldest tanneries." The leather will come in five different colors.

As for tech specs, the Constellation is – dare we say it – reasonable. It has a 4.3" 720p screen (342ppi) that doesn’t bother with bourgeois scratch-resistant glass and goes for sapphire instead. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 S4 Pro – dual-core Krait CPU at 1.7GHz and Adreno 320 (similar to the Moto X chipset). It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean too, which is fairly recent.

Vertu Constellation

It has a 13MP camera on the back and a 1.3MP shooter on the front and comes with either 32GB or 64GB storage. It lacks LTE connectivity, but you get unlimited Wi-Fi worldwide from iPass. The only spec that is on the weak side is the battery – it has only 1,800mAh capacity.

Select Vertu boutiques will carry the Constellation starting this month. This one's cheaper than the previous model (with lower specs), the Vertu Ti. The Constellation will set you back €4,900 / $6,600. We're guessing that's for the 32GB version.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/vertu_constellation_puts_midrange_android_in_luxury_garbs-news-6895.php

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Good news for Galaxy Note 3 as predecessor tops 30 million

The (sales) force is strong with this one

Go back two years and Samsung was launching a rather odd product at IFA - the original Galaxy Note smartphone, a phone so big (at the time) many people laughed off its chances of success.

Accelerate back to the present and those naysayers are eating their hats after Samsung revealed it shifted 10 million of the original phablet, and a rather more impressive 30 million of its successor, the Galaxy Note 2.

Eyebrows were raised at TechRadar too when the original Galaxy Note arrived with its S Pen stylus (not, as a certain Marc Chacksfield called it, the Pen S - that just sounds rude), but the larger screened device grew on us with smooth operation and an impressive display.

This is all good news for the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the latest installment in the Korean firm's super-sized handset range, sporting a 5.7-inch display, quad-core processor, 3GB or RAM and 13MP camera. On paper at least, it looks set to be a strong seller.

Sony looks to tackle Samsung

Will Samsung flaunts its latest sales figures Sony wants to remind you that it's still a big player in the smartphone game, with Digitimes reporting it plans to shift 65 million handsets in 2014.

If Sony manages to hit that figure it would signal a 55% increase in sales over 2013's projected 45 million units shipped, and would further cement the Japanese firm's place in the market.

Sony has recently launched the Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 at the top of its range and it's hoping these flagship products will see the money roll in and the phones roll out.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/good-news-for-galaxy-note-3-as-predecessor-tops-30-million-1185684

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LG Z1 to join Samsung in flexible smartphone screen arena?

LG prepping to go flexible

Picture this. It's the 1960's and both the US and USSR and aiming to the skies, both determined to be the first nation to put a man on the moon. Now imagine the modern equivalent.

Okay, so it's no mission to Mars, or even the Moon, but in the latest bout of tech races, South Korean giants LG and Samsung face off in the race to be the first to produced a curved phone.

We reported last week on Samsung's planned unveiling of a curved device, so the news that one of its closest competitors is right behind it should be no surprise.

Not the Sony Z

Details were leaked to ZD Net suggesting that LG's curved device will come sporting a Z based name, with both the LG Z and LG Z1 names both being touted. We're hoping this doesn't lead to more pointless court cases.

Whilst ZD Net talks of a concave display, flexi-phone displays don't necessarily mean flexi-phones with internal parts needing to bend with the display. Fixed curved devices, and phones with screens that bend around with the chassis are far more likely.

Either way, we're excited to see what the next breed of smartphones can bring, as both the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are more than pretty decent, 4.5 star devices.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-z1-to-join-samsung-in-flexible-smartphone-screen-arena--1185671

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Qualcomm VP: Apple A7 chip is a marketing gimmick

One of the major features of the recently announced Apple iPhone 5s is the company's own A7 chip and its 64-bit nature. However, according to Qualcomm's senior vice president and head of marketing Anand Chandrasekher, the 64-bit architecture of the A7 chip is a "marketing gimmick."

"I think they are doing a marketing gimmick. There’s zero benefit a consumer gets from that," states Chandrasekher. He acknowledges that the 64-bit processor enables the use of more than 4GB of RAM, but this isn't relevant in the iPhone 5s' case.

As a result, consumers get "zero benefit" from the 64-bit A7 chip. It's the OS developers, who are going to require the 64-bit feature at some point in time, according to Chandrasekher.

Gimmick or not, the Apple A7 chip proved itself to be quite potent when we put it through its paces in our benchmark tests. Check out our Apple iPhone 5s review to see just how fast it is and how it fares against the competition.

The exec revealed that Qualcomm is also working to release a 64-bit mobile processor, as it makes sense from an "engineering efficiency standpoint." He didn't specify an exact timeframe on when those chips will make it to the market.

The shots fired from Qualcomm are reminiscent of how Samsung and Nvidia reacted back in 2012, when Apple announced their A5X chip at the then new iPad announcement event. Nvidia was unhappy with Apple's allegedly untrue statement that its quad-core GPU is faster than Nvidia's ultra-low voltage GeForce GPU found in the Tegra 3.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_vp_apple_a7_chip_is_a_marketing_gimmick-news-6894.php

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Logitech Gamepad leaks, turns your iPhone 5S into a portable console

Time to make the iPhone less pretty

Mobile gaming might be about to get a lot easier, if leaks regarding Logitech's new iPhone game controller case are to be believed.

The leaks come courtesy of Twitters famous @evleaks, who posted images of the controller to his feed, complete with an iPhone 5 sat at the centre - seeing as the iPhone 5S is the same size you can expect Apple's lasted phone to fit in here too. No word on whether it'll work with the iPhone 5C though.

To help you play the latest edition of Angry Birds, the controlled comes complete with D-pad and A, B, X and Y buttons, as well as what appear to be R and L shoulder buttons, similar to those on the PSP Vita.

There's no word on price or release date, so watch this space!

More blips!

Blippedy do-dah, blippedy day, here, have more blips!

• BitTorrent to get chatty with its own messaging service

• Here's a jetpack you'll be able to buy in two years

• Ctrl+alt+delete was a huge mistake, says Bill Gates

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/logitech-gamepad-leaks-turns-your-iphone-5s-into-a-portable-console-1185646

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HTC One infringes on Nokia wireless patents, ITC finds

Nokia has put the HTC One into hot legal waters once again – first the HTC One was infringing on Nokia HDR microphone tech and HTC had to remove those, now it turns out the aluminum-clad droid has borrowed some wireless tech from Nokia without asking too.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the International Trade Commission (ITC) has made a preliminary ruling on September 23 that HTC has infringed to two radio patents held by Nokia that help improve transmission and reception for calls.

HTC is working with Qualcomm (which provides the chipsets and modems for the One) to find another way to get the signal boost. The two companies have until around January when the ITC will look at the matter again – if HTC and Qualcomm haven’t found a fix until then, a number of HTC handsets might be in trouble.

It's not clear yet what models outside the One will be affected, but the rumors about the One Max point to it having the same chipset.

Source (paywall) | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_infringes_on_nokia_wireless_patents_itc_finds-news-6891.php

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iMessage woes on iOS 7? Apple's working on a fix for that

Let's talk it out

There's no such thing as a completely smooth launch (just ask GTA 5) and iOS 7 is proving no exception to the rule, with scores of iUsers reporting problems with sending and receiving iMessages.

For those plagued with the issue, the blue progress bar will almost reach the end before getting stuck and sitting there until you reset iMessage or the iPhone or iPad itself.

Apple has released a statement on the matter, saying it's aware of the problem and will have a fix "in an upcoming software update".

iNotHappy

Apple has reportedly seeded an iOS 7.0.3 update to developers for final testing, which could be ready to download next week. Let's hope this is the fix Apple is referring to.

Although it seems a lot of people are experiencing the problem right now, Apple says it's only affecting "a fraction of a percent" of users.

For now, one workaround we're hearing of is to turn off iMessage, hit Reset Network Settings, then turn iMessage back on again.

• In the market for an iPhone? Check out our reviews of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/imessage-woes-on-ios-7-apple-s-working-on-a-fix-for-that-1185595

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