LG G Flex curved smartphone press images leak out

LG’s upcoming curved smartphone has emerged in a trio of leaked press photos. Going by the name LG G Flex, the device will reportedly go official at some point next month.

The press images reveal that the LG G Flex sports a differently curved body than its recently announced Samsung Galaxy Round – it curves from top to bottom as opposed to left to right for its rival. There is no word on the specs of the upcoming smartphone, save for its 6” screen size.

Last week, LG Chem showcased smartphone batteries with a curved design, so the leaked images of the G Flex are hardly catching us by surprise. We’ll be keeping an eye for any development in the subject.

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Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g_flex_curved_smartphone_press_images_leak_out-news-6970.php

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LG Flex shows off its curves in new renders

When flexy actually means cruved...

A new report is showing off the LG Flex – or G Flex - in three press renders, boasting a more detailed view of the curved smartphone.

Engadget purportedly obtained the press renders of the 6-inch smartphone, which is set to go head to head with the Samsung Galaxy Round.

LG previously confirmed that the new OLED panel will be 0.44mm thin and weigh just 7.2g, "even with a 6-inch screen", lending further proof to the Flex's rumored size.

The flexible panel will use plastic substrates instead of glass, allowing it to be bendable and "unbreakable".

Engadget's sources are also saying that the new smartphone will be ready for launch next month, which isn't the first time November has been named for the LG Flex's launch.

Though nothing blatantly official has come from LG in terms of pricing and availability for the Flex, LG has already confirmed that a 6-inch curved OLED display and curved batteries are already in production, so a November launch may not be too far off the mark.

The right kind of curve

While both Samsung and LG have competing curved smartphones readying to be launched, the above renders show again that LG may be curving differently to Samsung.

Earlier rumors for the LG showed a similar designed, where the Flex is curved from the top to bottom, essentially curving from the ear to jaw if you were to hold it to your ear.

Samsung's competing curved smartphone, the recently announced Galaxy Round, curves from the left to right, hugging around your cheek if held up to your face to take a call.

The question then becomes: which will be more comfortable and organic to hold? Until LG releases official photos and, more importantly, we get hands-on time with both curvy phones, we won't truly know.

• While Samsung and LG battle it out in the "flexible" display sphere, the internet doesn't care much for curved smartphones.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-flex-shows-off-its-curves-in-new-renders-1189060

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Nexus 5 leaves nothing to imagination in a hands-on video

After letting us catch a glimpse of Android 4.4 KitKat and some of its new features a couple of days back, Google Nexus 5 made another unofficial appearance. This time around the upcoming LG-made smartphone left nothing to imagination by starring in an extensive, seven-minute long hands-on video.

The device in the video above is likely an early prototype, as it sports a “not for sale” sign, as well as lacks the large, landscape-oriented Nexus logo we’ve seen in previous leaks. The Android version on it is dubbed Key Lime Pie, so it further suggests the pre-production nature of the smartphone.

Furthermore, the upcoming Nexus 5 got caught in the Global Certification Forum database, sporting category 4 LTE connectivity which will allow the handset to reach network speeds of up to 150Mbps. This particular capability will help the Nexus 5 make a case for itself in Korea, where LTE-A networks are all the rage these days.

The official announcement of the Nexus 5 is imminent. The smartphone is expected to break cover before the end of the month.

Source 1 | Source 2 | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nexus_5_leaves_nothing_to_imagination_in_a_leaked_handson_video-news-6969.php

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Forget cookies, accelerometers could be a potent tracking tool too

Motion sensor gives out a unique ID when idle

The accelerometer motion sensors within most smartphones could potentially be used to track the web activity of individual device owners, it has been claimed.

Stanford University phD student Hristo Bojinov says that because the accelerometers work 'imperfectly' they provide a unique ID when idle. That's potentially enough for advertisers to follow users around the web.

According to Bojinov, the method is similar to the 'cookie' files that are used to track web activity, except, unlike cookies, the accelerometer data cannot to switched off or disabled by the user.

The researcher said he was unaware of whether marketeers or advertisers had already exploited the loophole, but would be surprised if the possibility wasn't already being investigated.

See for yourself...

The 'alarming' discovery is part of research investigated whether the various sensors sitting within smartphones can be used for tracking purposes and will be published in the coming months.

To illustrate its findings, the team of researchers has set up a website, showing users how they can generate their unique sensor ID data.

The method involves navigating to the Sensor-ID.com site, touching the screen, flipping it face down and flipping it back to reveal the identifying numbers. Repeating the experiment generates identical (or very similar numbers).

"People need to consider the whole system when they think about privacy," Bjinov told the SFGate site.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/forget-cookies-researcher-says-accelerometers-can-be-a-potent-tracking-tool-1189028

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5-inch WhiteMagic LCD enters mass production

Japan Display has announced that it has started mass producing the 5-inch Full HD "WhiteMagic" displays. The upcoming LCD screens will have a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and will provide high luminance, while being very power efficient.

The WhiteMagic displays improve the picture brightness by adding a white subpixel to the RGB LCD panel. The upcoming display panels will scan the image data using a new algorithm to drive the LCD panel and its backlight. This should result in reducing the power consumption without losing on the quality of the image.

The luminance is increased by 1.5 times in the WhiteMagic screens, helping improve the outdoor visibility without exceeding the power consumption levels of a conventional LCD display.

The WhiteMagic units have already entered mass production in different resolution variations including VGA (640 x 680 pixels), qHD (540 x 960 pixels), HD (720 x 1280 pixels) and Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixels).

For now, there is no word on market availability of products with the new displays.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/5_inch_whitemagic_lcd_enters_mass_production-news-6965.php

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Outlook.com app for Android gets out of office replies

Outlook.com's new face on Android

Microsoft recently peeled the cucumber face mask off Windows 8.1's Mail app to reveal a fresh new look, and now the company has done the same for its Outlook.com app for Android devices.

It claims that 68% of Outlook.com's 400 million users now access the service on a mobile device, and has stocked the app's feature cupboard with 150 user requested improvements as a result.

The most notable addition is server-side search, which lets you search through all email messages including those that haven't yet been downloaded to the phone.

All the mail

It appears alongside a new option to download every email you've ever received or sent (probably best to do this over Wi-Fi), as opposed to those just from the last month.

The updated app, which is compatible with devices running Android 2.2 and above, also gets an 'out of office' feature that preps automatic replies when you're sunning yourself in the Caribbean (or just going for a sandwich or something).

It's also been given a new lick of paint to match Windows 8.1's new Mail app. If the default blue, white and grey colour scheme isn't to your fancy, there's 11 different palettes to choose from, including a shade of green that matches Android's UI.

• Want some free Android games to go with your new mail app?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/outlook-com-app-for-android-gets-out-of-office-replies-1188657

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iPhone 5s stock almost out in the US, iPhone 5c fully available

Apple went off to a good start with its new generation of iPhone – in just the first weekend the company shipped 9 million units of the 5s and 5c combined. But analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray thinks this is mostly thanks to the iPhone 5s, which was the top selling device in the US for the month of September.

Munster contacted 60 Apple stores and found that the iPhone 5s availability dropped to just 6%, down from 27% a couple of weeks ago. Even if you'd settle for any iPhone 5s variant you'd still find it hard to grab one – stores that have at least one iPhone 5s SKU went from 90% to 40% in about a week.

All of this has pushed the resale value of the iPhone 5s pretty high – a 16GB version currently resells for 32% more than it costs at the store. Munster didn’t mention color versions, but we guess the high-demand gold version is pricier than the white and space grey models.

Munster believes the short supply is caused by Apple preparing to launch the iPhone 5s into 51 new markets next month.

This overwhelming demand contrasts the iPhone 5c, which is in stock everywhere. You don't even have to wait for it – while there's some lead time for the 5s, a 5c can be delivered to your door in just 24 hours in the six biggest markets for Apple.

Yesterday we heard a report that Apple halved iPhone 5c production orders after weak performance in China, as the high price tag didn’t help its cause.

The 5c resale value is 11% lower than its retail value, another stark contrast with the 5s. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S4 resale value is currently around 12% lower than its retail value in the US (to be fair, the S4 has been available longer than the iPhones and is readily in stock everywhere).

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Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_5s_stock_almost_out_in_the_us_iphone_5c_fully_available-news-6964.php

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