Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 03-31-2013

TechRadar: Phone and communications news TechRadar UK latest feeds

In Depth: The next-gen speech tech that's available today Mar 31st 2013, 09:00 Did the world of speech technology begin and end with Apple Siri? Not if you have kept an eye on recent advancements. While the iPhone virtual assistant can read you the weather, she is not perfect. Ask her for flight info and you'll get a blank stare. For anything vague complex (say, "What is that local exhibit with Egyptian mummies?") and she will show you a Web page, not provide the answer. Fortunately, speech is advancing quickly. Here are several new speech technology innovations worth investigating. 1. PixelTone One of the most obvious improvements in speech tech has to do with natural language control. In this upcoming iPad app, which is a combined effort between Adobe Research and University of Michigan, you can speak commands like "make the image heavenly" to produce a photographic effect, or say "make John lighter" to lighten a person in the photo. The main benefit is in reducing the steps for editing and making them easier to use. 2. Interactions Virtual Assistant Most automated customer support lines are not that automated. If you call FedEx, for example, you have to say very specific commands like "track a shipment" to get the computer to respond. Interactions has developed a natural language speech system. So, when a customer calls, they can say a more complex phrase like "change my e-mail in my last shipment order" and the computer will respond correctly, verifying the instructions and sending a summary of the call. 3. Artificial Solutions Indigo Recently released for Android, with a Windows Phone 8 smartphone version in the works, this personal assistant responds to questions about the weather ala Siri. But the app ties into the Google Calendar on your Android phone so you create a new meeting by speaking, then get an audible reminder before the meeting. You can also search for nearby landmarks and eateries, speak a status message, compose an e-mail and control your music. 4. Panasonic Viera WT60 HDTV Most voice-controlled televisions offer a limited feature set. Namely, you can only say words that appear on the screen. The recently released Panasonic Viera WT60 goes much further. With speech tech provided by Nuance, the TV responds to commands for searching the Web (you can say any search string you want) and also lets you speak the name of any show to search across multiple TV guides to see when that show is airing. 5. Dragon Dictate for Mac 3 Many of the speech advancements of late have taken place on mobile devices. This new app, which allows you to dictate a longer document or e-mail, is now 15% more accurate than previous releases. The app now lets you load a pre-recorded dictation from a voice recorder and, by adjusting rules for your profile, have the speech recognizer automatically make corrections (e.g., spelling out all abbreviations you make). 6. 2013 BMW 750 LXI with Dragon Drive and Siri Eyes Free Using your mobile device for speech is helpful in most instances, except when you're driving. It's often difficult (or illegal) to look down at the screen to see results. This high-tech BMW uses speech in new ways. The Dragon Drive feature lets you speak any new text message or e-mail and listen to incoming messages. The Siri Eyes Free service means you can connect your iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 and use Siri. When you ask about the weather or search the Web, your phone screen automatically dims. 7. Google Voice Search One of the most important improvements in speech tech has to do with the algorithms in Google Search. For the past few years, Google has steadily added new natural language search tech to their Web search on mobile device and the Web. For example, when you ask a question like "how tall is George Clooney" and then ask "what is his most recent movie" the search engine will know you are still talking about the famous actor. Google also understands context better. If you ask about a museum exhibit, Google knows you mean in your area and will return the name of the museum even though you never asked for it. Explained: What is Bluetooth? How it works and how you can use it Mar 31st 2013, 07:00 Bluetooth is one of the great survivors and adaptors of the mobile world, defying predictions of its looming irrelevance every few years by evolving new skills and remaining a key part of the tech spec of today's newest and most edge-cutting smartphones. At its most basic level, Bluetooth is a wireless method of connecting gadgets, a bit like today's ubiquitous Wi-Fi protocol, only without the need for a central router to manage the connections. It's more personal, like a digital handshake. Phones with Bluetooth in them can connect directly to other mobiles within a few yards of each other, making it an ideal way to share small pockets of information between phones, like sending contact details and sharing MP3s with friends. Bluetooth is also a feature of many laptops, plus it's universal -- a laptop can see and share data with a phone, a game controller can link to your tablet and much more. You pair a couple of devices through the options (so complete strangers can't send you random files), then they're linked and you can transfer your stuff through your phone's usual sharing system. This simplicity is why it's still around. It's the glue that holds the tech world together. Here's how it works. Bluetooth specs Managed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group – a non-profit collective of several major mobile tech firms – the technology keeps evolving, with the latest 4.0 spec using less power than ever and opening up yet more options for linking things to other things without having to find and untangle the relevant cables. The Bluetooth you have on your flash new smartphone today is likely to be v4.0 of the protocol. Each few years Bluetooth refreshes its spec, building a new set of tools to take into account modern hardware developments while also unifying the standard to ensure all devices can chat with each other. Earlier revisions saw it add support for streaming audio as well as file transfers, opening up the horrifying world of the hands-free Bluetooth headset, before its audio capabilities were later updated with higher bandwidth rates thanks to the Advanced Audio Distribution protocol that also allowed the transfer of two-channel stereo audio at a decent bitrate. Enabling Bluetooth The precise technicalities of activating Bluetooth will vary depending on your variety of mobile phone (or laptop, controller, tablet, etc), but there's only one real approach to doing so. You switch it on and make sure your device is "visible" and broadcasting its availability. That's the important first bit. Second, and a bit more complex, is pairing your device with another so they have a trusted and secure two-way link. This usually involves one device sending a request to another phone or laptop for permission to access and share files. This is an important part of the Bluetooth chain, as it means you control who can and can't access your phone. Once that initial permission request has been okayed, you should be free to initiate the sending and sharing of content via the little wireless link. Most modern phones will let you specify a visibility timeout as well, meaning there will only be a small window of time during which your phone is broadcasting its availability on the Bluetooth channels. Another nice little security feature. Bluetooth security There's been the odd low-level concern over the years, but Bluetooth's key pairing mechanism and authorisation system means that you're pretty much bulletproof from outside attack. The only way someone can "see" your phone or laptop over Bluetooth is if you make it available, then allow them access. And if you do all of that, you probably know them, and are sitting next to them, and don't mind letting them ping you photos, MP3s and contact details through the air. Related Stories Amazon phone rears its head again, this time claims 4.7-inch display Updated: Amazon phone release date, news and rumors Updated: Samsung Galaxy S4 release date and price: When can I get it? Blip: All aboard the Galaxy S4 pre-order train Half the UK now have 4G coverage as EE's roll-out hits another 13 cities Lenovo 'in talks' to buy NEC mobile, could scupper its interest in BlackBerry Mar 30th 2013, 15:04 Lenovo's efforts to enter the smartphone industry seem to have taken another twist, with the company reportedly interested in acquiring floundering NEC's mobile division. Reuters reported on Friday that the two companies are in talks over a potential takeover, following two straight years of losses for the Japanese company's mobile offerings. Lenovo has been vocal about its desires to pick up a smartphone property to complement its booming PC and tablet business. High ranking officials at the company have recently been talking up potential interest in buying up BlackBerry, but any purchase of NEC would surely kill such talk. Deal or no deal? In response to media reports on Friday, NEC issued a statement claiming nothing had been decided, but did not deny talks were ongoing. "Amid the rapidly changing market we are considering a number of ways to bolster the competitiveness of our mobile phone business, but nothing has been decided," the company said. Former Everton FC kit sponsor NEC has struggled to gain traction internationally with its range of handsets, while competition from Samsung and Apple has hindered its efforts domestically. Lenovo hasn't yet commented on the reports. Related Stories HTC apparently wants its J Butterfly to sprout a follow-up Samsung Q1 2013 smartphone sales could be out of this galaxy What up, G? LG Optimus G finally goes on sale in the UK iPhone 5S launch event rumored for June, release date in July Kogan dictates daily data limits for 'unlimited' plans Selected Apple iMessage users hit by DDoS attack, forcing iOS app crash Mar 30th 2013, 13:57 A group of iOS developers and hackers are reporting they've become the target of a malicious attack which overwhelms the Apple iMessage application with spam texts. The attack, which appears to be confined to those directly targeted, sends messages (claiming to be from Anonymous) in such a large volume that the recipient is constantly receiving notifications. The next level is to send a single 'Zaglo text' so large in size that the iOS iMessage app cannot cope with the load and crashes. As Apple's iMessage app does not limit how fast texts can be sent, and does not allow users to block senders, there's no mechanism in place to prevent their instant delivery. Motivation? This constitues a new kind of DDoS attack, the kind of which we've seen hackers and online activists use to bring down government websites in the past couple of years. The iMessage pranksters' motivation isn't totally clear at present, but The Next Web reports that the attack originated from a Twitter account "involved in selling UDIDs, provisioning profiles and more that facilitate in the installation of pirated App Store apps which are re-signed and distributed." The report suggests that the attack was conducted using AppleScript to set up and send the overwhelming number of messages using the OS X iMessage client, something one victim said was extremely easy to do. iOS developer Paul Grant told The Next Web: "What's happening is a simple flood: Apple doesn't seem to limit how fast messages can be sent, so the attacker is able to send thousands of messages very quickly." Apple has been notified of the issue, but is yet to comment. Kogan dictates daily data limits for 'unlimited' plans Mar 28th 2013, 01:16 Kogan Mobile has stirred up controversy in its first few months of service, with several customers complaining that they have been forced off the network for violating its fair use policy in relation to data usage without understanding how it worked in the first place. This has prompted an amendment to the terms of service. The addition of a new Critical Information Summary now clearly outlines what Kogan Mobile considers unfair use. Fair's fair? As reported by Whistleout, the ToS say that a customer using 400MB of data a day for three consecutive days, or 1GB of data in a single day will be pushed, or churned, off the network. This level of use would suggest that the service is being used for a commercial purpose, or to replace a fixed line broadband service, in the eyes of the telco. In regards to calls and text messages, customers will face the same fate if "...calls or texts within a single 30 day period exceeds the volume of calls or texts made by 99% of users of the same type of Service." A fair use policy make sense for the calling and messages portion of the Kogan Mobile service, as these are the parts labelled Unlimited and open to abuse.. But, the data element in the plans is capped at 6GB per month, and it doesn't seem right that Kogan Mobile should be creating obstacles to how a customer chooses to use the data that they pay for upfront each month. In fact, this should be seen as a opportunity for the company to sell these power users more data when they reach their 6GB limit. Customers who have come forward with complaints about Kogan Mobile have spoken about being churned off the network without warning.An Adelaide man told News.com.au that he had been refused a recharge of his service without notice, after using over 8GB of data in 21 days. Kogan Mobile told him that it suspected his account was being used for a business purpose. Related Stories HTC apparently wants its J Butterfly to sprout a follow-up Samsung Q1 2013 smartphone sales could be out of this galaxy What up, G? LG Optimus G finally goes on sale in the UK iPhone 5S launch event rumored for June, release date in July Lenovo 'in talks' to buy NEC mobile, could scupper its interest in BlackBerry

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Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 03-30-2013

TechRadar: Phone and communications news TechRadar UK latest feeds

Apple reportedly pushing hard for iRadio summer launch Mar 29th 2013, 23:50 Apple could launch its long-rumored iRadio service as soon as this summer, finally giving iTunes a streaming music app to take on Pandora and Spotify. "iRadio is coming. There's no doubt about it anymore," an unnamed music industry source told The Verge. The report says that Apple is pushing hard for a summertime launch of the streaming music app after making "significant progress" in talks with two top labels, Universal and Warner. Another Apple rumor from today pins the iPhone 5S launch event to June 20, so the company's apparent push to have an iRadio app present at the event would make sense. iRadio app negotiations Apple has reportedly low-balled record labels in negotiations, and the record labels have, in turn, allegedly rebuffed the Apple and its ability to launch iRadio. The initial offer from Apple is said to have been as low as 6 cents per 100 songs streamed when the Copyright Royalty Board's fair rate for non-broadcast companies is 21 cents per 100 songs. To give some perspective, Pandora pays 12 cents per 100 songs streamed, while Spotify pays 35 cents per 100 songs streamed. Whether or not Apple secures a much better deal than all of the other music streaming services out there, the unprofitable Pandora and Spotify are going to be seeking reduced licensing fees. This will especially be the case if Apple's iRadio app takes on the internet radio spectrum. New benchmark could point to LG Optimus G2 complete with Snapdragon 800 Mar 29th 2013, 21:29 We've already been hearing word about LG's Optimus G follow-up for quite some time, though the rumor mill hadn't been as busy following CES 2013. An early benchmark revealed some startling specs for a new LG smarpthone, and the Korean manufacturer even teased a possible CES reveal back in January. The phone many believe to be the Optimus G2 supposedly features Android 4.2: Jelly Bean, a 5-inch full HD display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 13MP camera and a 3,000mAh battery. On top of all that, the processor inside could be an ultra-powerful quad-core Qualcomm CPU, the likes of which would blow away the Snapdragon 600 found in the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. If a brand-new benchmarking is to be believed, the 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 will be the chip, and the Optimus G2 could be a super-power phone for LG. Gotta go to T-Mo According to GLBenchmark, the Optimus G2 (under the codename LG-D801) will feature the MSM8974 processor, also known as the Snapdragon 800. The Optimus G2 benchmarked here is set to arrive at T-Mobile, and will work on the carrier's 4G LTE network, and included a 1794 x 1080 resolution display. The earlier benchmark from December 2012 was for a device on AT&T, but that doesn't mean the details about either phone are wrong. The first Optimus G never made it outside of Asia, but seeing the benchmarks pop up for two other global carriers, as well as the success of LG's Nexus 4, bodes well for people in other countries hoping to get their hands on the high-powered device. Neither LG or either of the carriers has officially announced any plans for the Optimus G2, but with benchmarks like these, it's only a matter of time. GDC 2013: Apple reportedly in talks with developers to launch proprietary game controller Mar 29th 2013, 19:40 Though there are plenty of gaming controllers already available for the iPad 4 and iPhone 5, none of them have come from Apple itself. While patents have popped up in the past, Apple hasn't seen fit to develop its own gamepad for iOS gaming, and since 2007, has allowed third-party companies to rule the roost. However, sources speaking with PocketGamer revealed that might not be the case for much longer, as Apple was reportedly testing the controller waters in secret at GDC. Nobody saw the device as of yet, but the anonymous developers who sat in with Apple at the event claimed the Cupertino company was seeking day one support for the mysterious controller. Button-mashing bandwagon To this point, Apple has seemingly been satisfied with the touch-based controls its iOS devices use for gaming. However, a recent influx of controllers and consoles from companies like Ouya and GameStick, as well as Samsung's own Galaxy S4 Game Pad may have forced Apple to be reactionary for once. PocketGamer's sources said Apple was at GDC under a fictitious name, and didn't bring any hardware along to show off thanks to frequent leaks. The controller is believed to make a showing at Apple's April event, which is typically home to the annual iPad announcement. It would certainly make sense to reveal a new controller alongside the iPad 5, but there's also a chance this purported joystick could be part of a larger plan, like the oft-rumored Apple iTV. Whatever Apple's plans are, the company clearly believes the controller is a secret to be guarded as closely as the next iOS device. iPhone 5S launch event rumored for June, release date in July Mar 29th 2013, 19:36 The iPhone 5S launch event isn't too far away, but one Japanese magazine is getting specific about the date, sparking a rumor about a June 20 reveal and a July release date. June 20 is less than three months from now and would land on a Thursday, according to the, coincidentally, 20th anniversary issue of MacFan Magazine picked up by Electronista. Thursday, almost the tail end of the week's news cycle, would make for an odd choice for an Apple hardware reveal of the iPhone 5S. However, Samsung recently proved that it could still light up Broadway with its Galaxy S4 smartphone launch event on Thursday, March 14. Could Apple be taking its cues from its chief competitor and primary courtroom opponent? iPhone 5S release date speculated In addition to laying out the Apple smartphone's launch event date, MacFan indicates a more broad iPhone 5S release date window and suggests that it'll be followed by a low-cost iPhone. The iPhone 5S will go on sale in July, according to the rumor, reverting Apple back to the release cycle in which the iPhone 3G launched. The cheaper iPhone model, intended for the developing countries such as China and India, is slated for an August release date. Whether or not this low-cost iPhone is the long-rumored iPhone mini is unclear. But what about iPhone 6, iOS 7? There's still a chance that Apple could boldly introduce iPhone 6, skipping the iPhone 5S altogether, and debut iOS 7 at an event this summer. Apple hasn't taken too many chances with its annual refresh its smartphone or mobile operating system, and 2013 seems like the year that the company has to premier a new design to keep everyone's attention. Maybe not something as gutsy as an iPhone with a curved, wrap-around display, but something out-of-the-box would help boost new smartphone sales. Whether or not all of that comes to light on June 20 remains to be seen. Apple, contacted by TechRadar, has so far stayed silent on the rumored iPhone 5S launch date. However, this story will be updated when and if the company responds. Related Stories T-Mobile iPhone 5 plan vs AT&T, Verizon, Sprint plans Sprint could be first in US for Samsung Ativ S and HTC 'Tiara' HTC apparently wants its J Butterfly to sprout a follow-up Samsung Q1 2013 smartphone sales could be out of this galaxy What up, G? LG Optimus G finally goes on sale in the UK Try not to break your HTC One. It's harder to fix than the iPhone Mar 29th 2013, 14:53 We enjoy iFixit's now-standard teardowns of new tech offerings. Breaking devices down to their bare bones has often served up some useful tidbits on processor configurations, built in RAM and so forth. Now the site has given the stunning new HTC One handset the controlled destruction treatment and is offering the following advice: Whatever you do don't break this thing, because you ain't fixin' it. Following its somewhat arduous endeavours to turn the gorgeous aluminium-bodied handset into a pile of components, the site has awarded the new flagship handset a repairability score of just one. Out of ten. That's comparable to the equally irreparable Microsoft Surface tablet, while the iPhone, notorious for its stubborn attitude towards non-professional repair-folk notched up an impressive 7 on the iFixit scale. Possibily impossible The site claimed opening the device without damaging the rear case was "possibly impossible," which in-turn made replacing a broken screen "nearly impossible." iFixit also concluded, following its arduous 18-step teardown, that "the battery is buried beneath the motherboard and adhered to the midframe, hindering its replacement." It also found that the motherboard and most of the other important components are shielded by copper, which is also a you-know-what when it comes to piecing a device back together. The site did say that the "solid external construction improves durability," but if you run into problems, it looks like its replace or bust for the HTC One. Make sure you keep the receipt! BlackBerry Q10 hits O2's 'coming soon' page, promising a May release Mar 28th 2013, 22:19 BlackBerry traditionalists, who turned their noses up at the all-touchscreen Z10 smartphone, will be able to grab the Bold-alike Q10 from O2 in May, the network has confirmed. The handset, which is the first running BB10 to offer a physical keyboard, arrived on O2's 'coming soon' page on Thursday, promising an arrival sometime in May, but offered no concrete on-sale date. BlackBerry has been focusing solely on marketing the Z10 since both phones were announced back in January and is yet to confirm an official release date for the Q10 in the UK. Last month, the company announced it would begin rolling out in global markets from April, while retailer Phones-Unlocked.com recently began offering a SIM-free handset for delivery on April 26. BlackBerry bouncing back BlackBerry fans wishing to snap up the handset as soon as it becomes available can be "kept in the loop" by registering their interest on the O2 site. The BlackBerry Q10 boasts a 3.1-inch Super AMOLED HD touchscreen, sitting above the full qwerty keyboard. It's also 4G ready, has built-in NFC, an 8-megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2100mAh battery. Earlier on Thursday, BlackBerry announced that the Z10 had already shifted 1 million units, helping the struggling company to a surprise profitable quarter. Can the Q10 help the surge to bring the good times back to Waterloo? Related Stories Several hundred thousand US residents reportedly awaiting HTC One Updated: Samsung Galaxy S4 release date and price: When can I get it? Mar 28th 2013, 10:26 Update: We've updated the whole article to reflect pre-order pages going live. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is official and while it may be more of an incremental upgrade from the Galaxy S3 instead of a total revolution, it's still a tempting proposition. In terms of the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date the flagship smartphone is due to land in stores on April 26 - sadly there's no one week turn around a la Apple (and BlackBerry in terms of the Z10) here. Most retailers and networks now have pre-order pages up ahead of the Galaxy SIV release, which is set for April 26. It's worth noting that while EE is the only carrier currently with a 4G network, every network will be selling you a 4G-enabled Galaxy S4, so when Vodafone, O2 and Three get round to switching on their services you won't need a new handset - but a new contract probably will be required. So without further ado, here's the breakdown of where you can grab the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the UK. Carphone Warehouse Apparently you've been registering in your droves, with the retailer confirming interest had been "off the charts", with "four times (446%) as many pre-registrations for the Galaxy S4 than the Galaxy S3 last year". Pre-orders have now opened, and the first 2,000 people to pre-order online will also get a free Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, which isn't too shabby. Carphone Warehouse is offering the 16GB Galaxy S4 SIM-free for the lofty price of £629.95 (that's £100 more than the equivalent iPhone 5!), while on contract a free handset will set you back £41 per month for two years. Phones 4U Registration also went well at Phones 4U with Scott Hooton, Chief Commercial Officer saying: "it has already received the most pre-registrations at Phones 4U of any other smartphone launch in 2013, as well as a 40% increase on pre-registrations for the Galaxy SIII in the first 48 hours." You can now pre-order the Galaxy S4 here too, and as with Carphone a two year contract and free handset deal starts from £41 per month. There's a SIM-free option as well, with Phones 4U undercutting its high-street rival with a price of £599.95. The hook here is you'll get entered into a prize draw to win Samsung goodies if you pre-order through Phones 4U. EE Unsurprisingly EE is the only UK network able to offer the Samsung Galaxy S4 on 4G from launch - basically because it's the only one which has the super fast connection available. Of course you don't have to go direct to EE, both Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U also offer you the chance to grab a Galaxy S4 on the 4G network. Pre-orders are now live, but thanks to the 4G attraction prices are bumped up meaning there's no option of a free handset. If you don't want to shell out a lot up front the cheapest handset cost is £19.99, but you'll need to pay a staggering £56 per month, but at least you get 8GB of data with that. £41 per month will get you a lowly 1GB of data and will also require you to stump up £79.99 at point of sale. Three Three potentially has the best looking Galaxy S4 pre-order deal, with a free handset on a two year contract which costs £35 per month and gives you all-you-can-eat data. Om nom nom indeed. You also get 500 minutes and 5,000 texts at £35 per month, but if that's not enough call time an extra £2 each month will see that allowance boosted to 2,000 minutes plus 5,000 Three to Three minutes. O2 Over at O2 things are looking a bit more expensive, with a free Galaxy S4 only available on contracts from £47 per month, which gives you unlimited calls and texts and a distinctly average 2GB of data. If you don't want to may so much a month you can put up £99.99 for the handset, which will see the monthly cost reduced to £37 for the same allowances - which works out at £140 cheaper in the long run. If you're wondering at this point when the Samsung Galaxy S4 release date is then shame on you for missing it at the start, but all networks and retailers are saying April 26. Vodafone As with the likes of Three and O2 the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Vodafone comes "4G ready", so you'll be able to hop onto the network's super fast connection when it launches later this year - although "additional charges may apply". You have been warned. The Vodafone Galaxy S4 pre-order page reveals a free handset on a £42 per month two year deal, giving you unlimited calls and texts alongside 2GB of data. You can reduce the monthly cost by trading in your old touchscreen device, making your monthly outgoing a more palatable £37. Virgin Media Branson's network has confirmed that it will be ranging the Samsung Galaxy S4 at some point and unveiled the exciting pre-registration link which is here - still no sign of a pre-order page though. Pricing is still up for debate but Virgin broadband and TiVo subscribers will get £5 off whatever the tariffs are when they arrive. Tesco Mobile Tesco has told us that it will be putting up some form of Galaxy S4 pre-order process soon. Online retailers Unlocked-Mobiles was the first UK retailer to come out with a price for the Galaxy S4, posting the 16GB version for pre-order at £529.98 with a stock date of April 26. Expansys is also taking pre-orders for the White Frost and Black Mist models, with a SIM-free price of £589.99. Clove has got its pre-order page up now with a price of £579.99 listed, although there is a note on the site saying: "Official Price and Availability To Be Confirmed". To get on-the-spot news, app tips and the full lowdown on Samsung's latest mobile announcements check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life on TechRadar. Related Stories Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to have world's first 'unbreakable' flexible display? Amazon phone rears its head again, this time claims 4.7-inch display Updated: Amazon phone release date, news and rumors Blip: All aboard the Galaxy S4 pre-order train Half the UK now have 4G coverage as EE's roll-out hits another 13 cities Blip: All aboard the Galaxy S4 pre-order train Mar 28th 2013, 09:24 Retailers and networks now have their pre-order pages live for the Samsung Galaxy S4, and to no one's surprise it ain't cheap. On contract you'll need to shell out £41 per month for two years if you want to get the Galaxy S4 free, while it will set you back around £530 SIM-free. We'll keep you updated on all the offers and release date news in our Samsung Galaxy S4 release date: when can I get it article. Blips are TechRadar's new news nuggets that you'll find percolating through the homepage - or you can see them all by hitting the blip keyword below. Related Stories Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to have world's first 'unbreakable' flexible display? Amazon phone rears its head again, this time claims 4.7-inch display Updated: Amazon phone release date, news and rumors Updated: Samsung Galaxy S4 release date and price: When can I get it? Half the UK now have 4G coverage as EE's roll-out hits another 13 cities Half the UK now have 4G coverage as EE's roll-out hits another 13 cities Mar 28th 2013, 08:00 No doubt it's high-fives all round over at EE as the UK's first, and currently only, 4G network celebrates bringing its superfast network to 50 towns, meaning it now reaches half of the population. As EE switches 4G on in another 13 towns and cities today, it hits the milestone of 50 per cent population coverage - keeping it on track for its goal of 70 per cent of Brits covered by the end of this year. Those lucky new locations are, in no particular order other than alphabetical: Bradford, Bingley, Doncaster, Dudley, Harpenden, Leicester, Lichfield, Loughborough, Luton, Reading, Shipley, St Albans and West Bromwich. More where that came from EE plans to bring the number of covered towns and cities to 80 by the time June rolls around - and it will be eager to offer 4G to as many as possible before the likes of Three, O2 and Vodafone get their rival services online towards the end of 2013. Among the frenzy of back slapping and party popping, the folk over at EE towers still have a job on their hands to win over a large chunk of consumers who simply believe the service is just too gosh darn expensive. Especially when you take a gander at Three's 4G pricing structure which claims you won't pay any more for 4G than you do for 3G - although data allowances are not clear yet. Obviously EE is quick to point out the additional benefits which come with its service, plus there is a need to recoup the money it splashed on rolling out its LTE service ahead of its rivals - but we're still waiting to see a properly affordable 4G price plan. Related Stories Samsung Galaxy Note 3 to have world's first 'unbreakable' flexible display? Amazon phone rears its head again, this time claims 4.7-inch display Updated: Amazon phone release date, news and rumors Updated: Samsung Galaxy S4 release date and price: When can I get it? Blip: All aboard the Galaxy S4 pre-order train Free Facebook Messenger VoIP calls land on UK Android app, report claims Mar 28th 2013, 04:19 Facebook has started to roll out an update for UK users of its Android Messenger app to enable free voice calls to friends, reports late on Wednesday claimed. The Next Web blog has received word from Brit-based Facebook Messenger users who're starting to see the feature, which was only bestowed upon the iPhone version of the app on Monday this week. The free, IM-centric Messenger app, which stands alone from the main Facebook hub, will showcase an 'i' icon within the chat window once the update has been installed Hitting that button will provide the opportunity to make the Free Call over both Wi-Fi and 3G. Free long distance calls The UK is the third country to receive the feature, following successful roll outs in Canada and the United States. Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY Note II The major advantage is the ability to make transatlantic calls free of charge when they spot a friend online and will come in handy when an IM chat creates the need for a longer, more vocal conversation. The extension of the feature to Android phones remains unconfirmed at the time of writing, so we'll update this article if the Facebook drops official word. Related Stories BBC 'forces' takedown of Microsoft man's unofficial Windows Phone app What up, G? LG Optimus G finally goes on sale in the UK Mar 27th 2013, 19:20 The elusive LG Optimus G Android handset has finally gone on sale in the UK, through independent retailer Expansys. The 4.7-inch superphone was revealed to the world way back in August 2012, but the Koreans have shown scant appetite for the UK market, partly due to what it called an "immature" 4G network. However, it seems the company's icy attitude towards Blighty may be melting with the 1.5GHz quad-core, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean device available now for the SIM-free price of £469. The Optimus G is 4G-ready, meaning 4GEE subscribers will be able to harness next-gen speeds, meaning faster uploads of shots taken with the Optimus G's 13-megapixel camera. Bad timing However, it's questionable just how much interest the device will generate at this stage, given how the Android stakes have been raised in recent months. Since the phone was announced, the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 have all arrived on the scene, making the Optimus G seem a little 'old hat'. LG itself also announced the Optimus G Pro handset at MWC in February, which offers a 5.5-inch, full HD display and a faster 1.7GHz processor, so this device is already a generation old. Hopefully, now the spectrum auction is out of the way and universal 4G coverage is in the pipeline, LG will be a little more prompt with its big UK launches. Otherwise it risks becoming obsolete on these shores. Related Stories T-Mobile iPhone 5 plan vs AT&T, Verizon, Sprint plans Sprint could be first in US for Samsung Ativ S and HTC 'Tiara' HTC apparently wants its J Butterfly to sprout a follow-up Samsung Q1 2013 smartphone sales could be out of this galaxy iPhone 5S launch event rumored for June, release date in July

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