| Tutorial: How to unlock your phone Apr 16th 2013, 12:30 
Unlocking a phone can be a pain. We've all been there - your phone's locked to a network and you want to use it on a different one, or maybe just get it unlocked to increase the resale value. Whatever the reason, with there being several different methods, different procedures on different phones and different policies on each network it can be a headache, so we're here to give you the knowledge to make it a little bit easier. The first thing to realise is that unlocking a phone is perfectly legal in the UK. The main reason that networks are allowed to lock phones in the first place is because generally when a phone is sold locked it's at a subsidised price. So essentially the network is paying part of the cost of the phone, and in order to make their money back they lock you in to their network. But that doesn't change the fact that you have the legal right to take your business elsewhere. 
Before you look into unlocking your phone, it's always worth trying a different network's SIM card in it, just in case it's not actually locked at all. Sometimes phones are sold unlocked, even when bought from a specific network. Ask your networkIf your phone definitely is locked then you have several options at your disposal. Despite it being the network that locks your phone in the first place, they're also sometimes willing to unlock it for you (though they're not legally required to). O2, for example, makes it incredibly easy. In fact if you're in a contract with the network then it will unlock your handset free of charge - though that won't get the contract cancelled. Even if you're on Pay As You Go it will generally still unlock it for you as long as you've had the handset for at least 12 months, but there will be a one-off payment of £15, and depending on the handset it can take up to 14 days to do it. The only exception to all this is O2-exclusive handsets, which the network will refuse to unlock. 
Vodafone will also unlock its handsets, though at a potentially higher cost. You can generally get a free unlock if you're on contract - or if you purchased your phone more than 12 months ago. Otherwise it will cost around £20. Sometimes the network will unlock your phone in just one day, but it can take up to two weeks. EE is a little bit stricter with its unlocking terms. You need to have been a customer with the network for at least six months regardless of whether you're on a monthly contract or Pay As You Go, and either way there will be a fee of £20.42. It also takes up to 20 days to unlock a handset, which is slightly longer than most. Three is in some ways quite lax in its unlocking terms, since it will allow Pay As You Go customers to unlock their handset any time, while if you're on a contract you can unlock it after the first 30 days. It will also unlock the handset straight away where possible, and even when it can't it shouldn't take more than seven days. However it doesn't unlock it for free, instead charging a fee of £15.32 regardless of your circumstances. It's also worth being aware that it's stated in its terms and conditions that it prohibits unlocking your phone "via any unauthorised manner (ie by anyone other than us or the device manufacturer)," so doing so may constitute a breach of contract. 
Tesco Mobile will unlock Pay Monthly phones for free at the end of your contract period or for a £20 fee if you wish to unlock your phone before then. Pay As You Go phones can be unlocked for free after 12 months, otherwise again a £20 charge will apply. The exception to this is Pay As You Go iPhones, which Tesco won't unlock at all unless you've had one for at least 12 months. Virgin Mobile will generally unlock any phone for a fee of £15.32, but like Three you can't get a free unlock from it, no matter what your circumstances are. Your network should be able to unlock any handset for you - even the latest and greatest phones to hit the market. Most of the networks have an online form that you can fill in to get your handset unlocked or alternatively you can call them. Either way you'll need your IMEI number, so it's worth having that handy. Generally you'll be able to find this on your phone's settings screen (for example on an Android handset you go into 'About phone' and then 'Status'), but if you're having trouble locating it you can also enter *#06# on your dial pad to bring it up. Do it yourselfIf your network isn't willing to unlock your phone (or charges too much for the privilege) then worry not, for there are other options. Before proceeding with any of the following methods though, be aware that getting anyone other than the network or manufacturer to unlock your phone may void your warranty. In some cases it's entirely possible to unlock a handset yourself free of charge. All some phones need is an unlock code, and certain sites list these. However, generally you'll only find them for older, non-smartphone handsets, and even then the bulk of them are for Nokias. But if you've got an older phone, even something other than a Nokia, then it's worth a look. Before you start you'll need to know your make, model and IMEI number. The make and model should be easy to find (hint: check the box, the manual or even the phone itself). With them in hand you can head to unlock.nokia.free.org if you've got a Nokia or do a Google search if you've got anything else, though obviously be careful to check that it's a legitimate site if you head elsewhere. 
Occasionally do-it-yourself methods do pop up for smartphones. For example the Samsung Galaxy S3 can be unlocked with an app called 'GalaxSim Unlock', which can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play - though you need a rooted phone to use it. Similarly, depending on what firmware you're on you may be able to unlock a jail-broken iPhone. However, Apple is more resistant to unlocking than most other manufacturers - so in many cases, particularly if you've got a newer model such as the iPhone 5, approaching your network directly will be your best bet. Pay someoneIf all else fails you can always pay someone independent to unlock your phone for you. This can be done both through websites and from high street stores and market stalls, though of course it's worth shopping around and where possible checking the legitimacy of the person or company before proceeding. The terms, pricing, methods and time frames of these services can vary wildly. Generally if you're getting it unlocked online you simply provide the site with your phone's make, model, IMEI number and the network it's locked to, pay a fee and wait for them to send you an unlock code. This keeps it pretty simple, but you still want to make sure that the site is legit and that you're getting good value for money. As a starting point, though, Mobile Unlocked uses this method and is a legitimate site with a 100% money back guarantee if for any reason it fails to unlock your phone. It will also unlock major handsets such as the iPhone 5 (albeit for a seriously hefty £74.99 upwards fee) and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (for a more reasonable £17.99 upwards). Alternatively, giffgaff's site has a list of other companies that offer an unlocking service, along with some information on them and user reviews. Some sites may ask you to post your phone to them, but this is generally best avoided because it adds time, risk and hassle to the process and shouldn't normally be necessary. If you take your phone to the high street, methods sometimes vary, with unlockers potentially physically attaching a cable to your phone to get it unlocked. This can work, though it can also run the risk of damaging your phone. It's always best to make sure the person or store offering the service is legitimate before handing your phone over, so a physical shop is a better bet than a market stall and you should read reviews or find feedback about them where possible. One way or another you should now have the information you need to get your phone unlocked, so go out and enjoy the freedom to choose a new network, or go nuts and get SIM cards for them all. The world is your oyster.     |  | Samsung accused of foul play as HTC One negative comments investigated Apr 16th 2013, 11:01 
Samsung seems to be in hot water again, this time over negative comments which appeared on HTC One reviews by people apparently paid to write them by the Korean firm. Only last week did police raid Samsung's Seoul offices after LG accused the firm of stealing its OLED secrets and now the Galaxy S4 maker is being investigated by Taiwanese authorities over false advertising. According to AFP, Samsung hired students in Taiwan to post negative comments about the HTC One online, while also promoting its own products in the process. Not so fineApparently if these allegations are upheld Samsung could face a fine of around $835,000 (£545,680/AU$805,200), and there will be some red faces around its office too. There may be some truth in the allegations though, after Samsung Taiwan posted a message on its Facebook page saying: "Samsung Taiwan has ceased all marketing activities that involve the posting of anonymous comments. "We regret any inconvenience this incident may have caused. We will continue to reinforce education and training for our employees to prevent any future recurrence." We have spoken to HTC and Samsung about these allegations and will update this article if we receive a comment from either party.     | | Updated: Firefox OS is launching in 16 emerging markets this year Apr 16th 2013, 10:42 -470-75.JPG)
Mozilla has been quiet on the Firefox OS announcement front for some time, but CEO Gary Kovacs broke the silence on Monday when he revealed the new mobile operating system will launch in June. The initial Firefox OS release will include five countries: Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Portugal and Spain. A Firefox OS release in 11 additional countries will follow before the end of the year, Kovacs said at AllThingsD's "Dive Into Mobile" conference today. Those additional countries will likely include Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro and Serbia, which Mozilla mentioned during Mobile World Congress 2013 in February. Update: A Mozilla spokesperson has been in contact to re-confirm the countries it will be targeting first: "The initial countries where Firefox OS devices will be available to consumers are Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela. Exact launch timing is decided by and dependent on our partners." Those initial Firefox OS release countries are what Mozilla considers "emerging markets where Firefox is particularly strong" and where the world isn't viewed through high-end devices, like it is in Silicon Valley, said Kovacs. Starting smallSo what does that mean for customers eager to get their hands on a Firefox OS device, especially those in major markets like the U.S.? Kovacs said that HTML5-powered handsets won't launch in the U.S. until 2014. "It didn't make sense for us to launch a version-one device around the world," he explained. A release spearheaded by affordable devices like the ZTE Open in emerging markets first could give the nonprofit Mozilla a chance to gain Firefox OS a foothold where it otherwise wouldn't be able to if it launched with an iPhone or Galaxy S4-quality device. Higher-quality Firefox OS releases could follow in 2014 when manufacturers like Sony - which has already committed to releasing a Firefox OS phone next year - will reveal what they've been cooking in Mozilla's kitchen. Unfortunately, Kovacs didn't mention any other markets, emerging or not, so the U.K. and Europe could be waiting even longer. Why Firefox OS?Kovacs took the time at Dive Into Mobile to make his case for Firefox OS. "Our whole mission is to stimulate the ecosystem," Kovacs said, adding that "the number of people, websites and experiences exploded" when Mozilla debuted its Firefox browser a decade ago. Mozilla is hoping the same thing will eventually happen in the mobile world with Firefox OS. In a TechRadar Q&A last week, Firefox OS Head of Engineering Jonathan Nightingale said that Mozilla's goal is to "push hard" against the duopoly held by Apple and Google. "Five years ago, you saw the birth of iOS and Android but the web couldn't do it and Google are still going out there, telling that story," Nightingale told us. "They say you need native applications to have rich capability. Five years ago that was true, now that feels really outdated. Holding any of these Firefox OS phones is proof of that." We'll watch closely to see how Mozilla's step-by-step roll out does in a tough OS market.     | | Exclusive: O2 says its 4G rollout will be 'mind-blowingly aggressive' Apr 16th 2013, 09:30 
O2 will be hitting 4G hard when it comes to launch its superfast service later this year, but realises EE does have the upper hand. TechRadar spoke to Gary Booker, Consumer General Manager at O2 during the launch event of O2 Refresh to find out what the bubble-friendly network had in store for those eager to jump on its 4G bandwagon. We asked if O2 would be looking to push out its LTE service quickly, to which Brooker responded: "We will have a very, very accelerated roll out of 4G, it's mind-blowingly aggressive." "We are going to have a very, very fast rollout of 4G. Sure EE is going to be ahead of us, sure we'll be playing catch up - there will be some months where we'll be doing that." Traction controlBrooker doesn't see EE's early 4G launch as an issue when it comes to attracting customers to O2's rival service later this year, saying: "EE have done a very good job. They got out early but I think it's fair to say they haven't got traction in the market. "They are doing a good job at promoting 4G and educating consumers, but it's new and I think a lot of customers are holding on for two things. "Consumers are holding on for their preferred network to have 4G and they're holding on for a device they really want to use on that network." Investing everything in speedEE's advantage in the 4G market will be huge with an expected 70 per cent population coverage by the end of year, just as the likes of Three, Vodafone and of course O2 will be putting their services online and Brooker confirms O2 isn't resting on its laurels. "We're investing everything in making sure our customers get 4G as quickly as possible and when we get into the summer and we announce our plans we can give you more information on that." Until then we're going to have to sit tight and see if EE can capitalise on its early advantage, or whether people really are holding out for better deals and more choice when it comes to 4G.     | | The threats from free smartphone apps Apr 16th 2013, 07:00 
As more small companies embrace the smartphone as a way to keep in touch with the office, it is all too tempting to save money by kitting out a phone with free apps. But there is a hidden cost. The allure of running business software on a smartphone for next to nothing may be attractive, but while the developers won't make money from you, they can make money from selling your personal details. We can expect apps to collect some data: a crash report that helps the developer fix problems, performance data or location data for a navigation app. But some applications collect large tranches of data, ranging from the highly personal to little snippets that can be pieced together to identify the person using the smartphone. Research carried out by security firm Bit9 last November found that more than 100,000 Android applications on Google's Play app store were "suspicious" or "questionable" because of what they did without the user knowing. Such activity includes location tracking, contact list access, and reading through email messages - activities that go beyond the stated purpose of the app. Information accessBut what information can they glean and how? A social media app might be used for keeping in touch with friends, but it can access the email addresses and information about company executives. Another app running adverts could see internal IP addresses or keywords used for business browsing. In most cases the developers of free apps supported financially by these adverts are not aware of, or able to control, what information the third party advertisers collect. (The advertising inherits the permissions of the app itself). According to David Emm, Senior Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, it is difficult to know just what an app have given itself permission to do. "Understanding app permissions can be daunting process, even for security professionals. It's not always clear what the permissions allow the app to do, what data it will collect and importantly what it will do with that data," says Emm. Data collected by apps, when in the wrong hands, could easily be used to carry out sophisticated spear-phishing attacks. Harry Sverdlove, Bit9's Chief Technology Officer, says of these apps that they "perform questionable tasks and have access to private information, which represent a risk to enterprises." He adds that a large percentage of mobile apps are accessing more information on their devices than people realise, and "when those devices are holding both corporate and personal data, this is a problem for individuals and their employers". Protection measuresSo what can a small business do to protect information on mobile devices? Emm says that organisations need to implement anti-malware protection on smartphones, to defend against the growing number of threats. "They also need to develop a wider security strategy that incorporates every aspect of how staff conduct business – including, but not limited to, mobile devices," says Emm. "This includes weighing up the risks and benefits from adopting a 'bring your own device' approach and developing a policy for staff on how to reduce the risks from mobile devices." This should include not rooting the device, avoiding public Wi-Fi networks for confidential transactions, not relying solely on a simple PIN and only installing apps from trusted sources. "Employees need to understand that they are handling business data and that they share responsibility for ensuring its security," Emm adds. Mark James, Technical Team Leader at internet security firm ESET UK, says organisations should limit the type of apps installed on a device. "It sounds simple, but games or apps can and will often send a variety of data off to other countries or areas, which don't have the same legal data protection that the EU has," James says. "A mandatory message is presented to users with an option to view what the apps will send, but often no option is presented to choose what is or is not allowed to be sent. Users either want the app or not, and sadly most people choose 'want' over security." McAfee's EMEA Chief Technology Officer, Raj Samani, says that in addition to controlling which applications can or cannot be installed on the device, it is important to detect any attempts to circumvent the security of the device. "This refers to the ability to identify any modified devices, such as 'jailbroken' phones," he says. "All of these features, as well as other key mobile security controls, should all then be able to be easily managed."     | | iPhone 5S to house a 12-megapixel camera? Apr 16th 2013, 04:40 
Apple's iPhone is among the most popular cameras in the world, and if the rumours are correct, the team at Cupertino might give us a few million more reasons to love the camera in the next iteration of the phone. MacRumors is citing Vietnamese blog Tinthe.vn as reporting that the camera in the next iPhone (iPhone 5S?) will have a 12-megapixel sensor and improved low-light photography. The information comes along the grapevine from a source at the cheerily named Wonderful Saigon Electrics, which has a hand in supplying camera modules for the iPhone. While this chain of informants may seem less than credible, the rumours do add up. The "S" release of the iPhone have tended to focus on secondary features like the camera, rather than core aspects of the phone, like its physical design or the screen. Year of the cameraIt also makes sense to focus on upgrading the camera, as it is becoming one of the key differentiating features of the iPhone over its many Android-powered competitors. Apple may be losing a foothold in considerations like performance and value for money, the iPhone camera is still among the best in its class. Improved low-light photography would be a big win for the iPhone as this is an area most smartphones really struggle. The HTC One is one of the exceptions out at this time, with great low-light photos coming from the phone's 'ultrapixel' sensor design. In contrast, LG and Samsung have focused more on features than quality. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with an option to use the front-facing camera at the same time as the rear camera to add the photographers face into a group shot with friends. Needless to say, this is just creepy.     | | Mobile malware jumped 163 percent in 2012, mostly on Android Apr 16th 2013, 03:31 
Smartphones seem a little dumber today, falling victim to 163 percent more malware in 2012 than the previous year, according to a new report. The NQ Mobile 2012 Security Report found that this was especially true for devices running the Android operating system, with nearly 95 percent of malware found on Google hardware. That amounts to more than 32.8 million Android devices infected in 2012 when just 10.8 million were host to malware in 2011. App Repackaging was the most common method used by malware authors, the report found, followed by malicious URLs and SMiSishing. Mo' mobiles, mo' problemsOf course, Android does have a larger market share this year, with Google expecting to top one billion device activations by the end of 2013. There were just 300 million as of early in 2012, TechCrunch points out. Knowing this, it's hardly fair to compare it to a discontinued platform like Symbian, for example, which ended up with a 4 percent infection rate. Malware by countryAnother reason Android continues to be the most malware-targeted mobile OS is that it's more popular in pirate-heavy countries like China, India, and Russia. Out of all malware-infected handsets scanned, 25.5 percent were in China, 19.4 percent were in India, and 17.9 percent were in Russia. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia brought up the tail end of the five-country list, with 9.8 percent and 9.6 percent infection rates respectively. While instances of malware infections did not significantly increase from 2011 to 2012 in the U.S., the market is an attractive target for cybercriminals," said NQ Mobile in its four-page report. "NQ Mobile expects to see an increasing number of attacks on smartphones in the region." Tips for avoiding mobile malwareNQ Mobile ended its report by offering a little advice for mobile device owners who are looking to reduce their chance of malware infection. First, keeping on top of operating system updates is almost always a good idea. "Two years after its introduction, more than 39 percent of Android users are still using Gingerbread," the report notes. "As a result, these mobile consumers are lacking many of the major security updates provided by Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean." With Apple's track record for botched iOS updates, iPhone and iPad owners are given a pass on this one. The report also cautions the increasing trend of app sideloading outside of the Google Play store naivete youngers device owners. "According to Nielsen 58% of children aged 13-17 in the United States own smartphones." "This is a demographic that not only downloads more apps (41 on average) but is also more open to downloading content and apps outside of Google Play (46 percent)." Basically, junior needs to stop downloading those "free" Android games that can collect sensitive data and aren't actually free in the end.   | | Nokia reportedly readying EOS handset: 41MP Windows Phone ahoy Apr 16th 2013, 00:15 
That enviable Nokia 808 PureView 41-megapixel camera and its unenviable Symbian operating system could soon be modernized as a new Windows Phone 8 smartphone. Even better is the fact that Nokia is now testing out two versions of the "Eos" smartphone, according to unnamed sources who talked to My Nokia Blog. Nokia is working on a dual core version as well as a quad-core Snapdragon 800 model of the handset, said the blog, which is an unofficial website dedicated to the company's products. The 41-megapixel camera is also rumored to be supported by both an LED and more powerful Xenon flash, and boast an Amoled 1280 x 768 display. Alleged battery issuesWhile Nokia is reportedly working on a dual- and quad -ore version, there's no guarantee that the company will release both phones. This is because the Eos quad core model "may be facing poor battery performance," mentions the blog. A drain on the speculated 2,000 mAh battery could mean that Nokia will end up releasing only the dual core version of the Nokia EOS. Other Nokia Eos specsThe 41-megapixel camera on this purported WP8-based device is the exciting news, but Nokia fans will also be pleased to know it may have a Micro HDMI out port and Micro SD card slot. The microSD card slot would be perfect for filling up the large 41MP photos taken with the Nokia EOS smartphone. This 41-megapixel Nokia Eos smartphone doesn't have a release date or price, but the sources said it will be an AT&T exclusive in the U.S. to start. A global rollout is reportedly happening one to three months after that point. With Nokia set to boost the WP8 camera app in July and this phone rumor claiming the Eos will have a "detailed camera interface," your vacation photos may be improved by mid-summer.     | | Too late for Coachella, but YouTube for iOS app update adds live streaming Apr 15th 2013, 22:58 
The YouTube app for iOS devices now allows users to access events live streamed through the video sharing service. The update, posted to the App Store on Monday, comes just a day after the first weekend of YouTube's live streaming of the Coachella music festival in Indio, California concluded. As many sites have already pointed out in their reports, it's poor timing for those who would otherwise have been able to watch the hugely popular event on their iPhone and iPad devices. A live stream of Psy performing his new single Gentleman M/V aired on Saturday, while sporting events, press conferences and popular online multiplayer games often appear on the YouTube Live site. Send to TV enhancedThe update also brings an enhancement for the AirPlay-style Send to TV feature, unveiled for iOS users in February after the initial Android roll out in November. Users can now queue-up videos to send to the compatible devices like Google TVs, and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games consoles. The App Store listing also touts faster access to new uploads through 'My Subscriptions,' while there's also stability and performance improvements.     | | Caterpillar suits up to battle JCB in an Android toughphone war Apr 15th 2013, 18:38 
When we were at school, all the cool kids rocked up to class wearing a pair of hulking great Cat boots. Were they working on building sites in between English and double maths or something? Who knows? But now, those 90s trendsetters can relive their dead leg-giving heyday (Bitter? Us? Never!) by picking up a rugged Android handset from the celebrated manufacturer of tools and diggers. The Cat B15 smartphone is available to buy in the UK now from Unlocked-Mobiles.com for the sum of £299 English pounds, which sadly is more than the boots. For their money, they'll get a 4-inch display, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 1GHz dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel camera. Extreme conditionsThe basic specs are, naturally, quite modest, but it's this device's toughness that'll see it migrate to the pockets of rough and tumble sorts across the nation. "Cat is a well known brand for making high quality clothing and tools which can be put through their paces in extreme conditions. When designing a smartphone, CAT has not compromised on such features. The B15 from Cat will take high levels of wear and tear, is waterproof and drop proof, which will allow you to nearly always be in contact, whatever the conditions. The IP67 certification enables the Cat B15 to be immersed in 1 metre of water for upto 30 minutes and withstand a 1.8 metre drop," the listing claims. The launch of the B15 places it in direct competition with a year-old JCB Toughphone Pro-Smart which only offers Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a single-core 800MHz processor.     | | Who'd have thunk it? Calling freephone from mobiles may soon be free Apr 15th 2013, 17:53 
Calling freephone numbers from a mobile device would no longer incur a charge, under new plans unveiled by Ofcom on Monday. Despite 0800 numbers (and others) being completely free to call from landlines, some companies and mobile networks still charge a fee for connecting the calls from mobile devices. This will soon come to an end, under the new regime, with freephone actually meaning freephone by 2014 or 2015, if the plans are approved by stakeholders this summer. "Ofcom also intends that calls to 080 (Freephone) numbers will be made free from all telephones. At present some phone companies, particularly mobile providers, charge for calls to such numbers," the government's communications regulator said. Shining a light on confusionThe plans are part of a wider initiative to clear up public confusion over the varying costs of calling national, "non-geographic" 08 and 09 numbers from non-BT landlines as well as mobiles. Under the proposed new system there would be a fixed access fee of around 4-5p, which would go to the phone company. After that a price per minute fee will be quoted to the caller, with all proceeds going to the company providing the service (such as directory inquiries) or seeking to make a profit (TV game shows like The X Factor et al). "It's confusing. No one can be sure what these numbers are costing. We want greater transparency," an Ofcom spokesperson told the BBC. "We are shining a light on how these numbers are charged."     | | In Depth: The future of music streaming on the GALAXY Note II Apr 15th 2013, 16:17 
The manner in which we listen to music is changing at a lightning fast pace. The dawn of the smartphone age and the arrival of the Samsung GALAXY Note II have heralded huge shifts. And not just from popping on CDs to listening to MP3s. No, this is the age of the streaming service. What with the advent of Spotify in 2008, followed by its superb Android app, streaming became the easy way to access millions of songs for free on an ad-supported model, or for a small monthly fee. And already, rivals from the likes of Rdio, Deezer and big names including Google, are looking to disrupt the space. So, where is mobile music heading? 
Spotify leads the merry dance Spotify continues to lead the way in mobile music thanks to a great app which breezily syncs desktop playlists with your GALAXY Note II. The app looks spectacular on the phone's generous display and it's loaded with social functions too. That means you can easily share tracks via Facebook, Twitter and email. There's a rather splendid recommendation engine too, which means you can find and listen to bands that sound similar to those you've got playlisted. 
The app itself is free, but to access Spotify on-the-move you need to have a Premium membership, which comes in at £9.99 a month (there's free 30-day trial to give you a taster). For access to all those tunes it has to be worth it. 
Play Music on, err, Play Music Thanks to Google Android, the GALAXY Note II can take advantage of a very different, not to mention free, music streaming service: Google's own Play Music platform. 
While Spotify is all about firing up old any track that crosses your mind, Play Music is focused on playing tunes that you own, over the cloud. Initially, that requires you to upload your library to Google's servers. Fear not, though, as Google offers room for up to 20,000 songs without charging you a penny. From there it's simply a case of loading up the Play Music app on your phone and playing tunes from your personal collection while you're out-and-about. Music you buy from Google's Play Store will automatically sync with your Play Music library too. 
Last.fm the big spenders Google Play Music also hooks into Last.fm, which means you can scrobble tracks you're listening too on your device to help build and fine-tune your Last.fm profile. Alternatively, you can snag the Last.fm app for your GALAXY Note II for free and use it to listen to web radio directly. The whole concept of radio streaming is becoming big business right now, with Spotify offering a radio package based on tunes you have in your library. Both that and Last.fm offer a great way to discover heaps of new music. 
Can Rdio knock Spotify off its streaming throne? Perhaps one of the most exciting new developments in mobile music at the moment is the recent arrival of Rdio. A huge success in the United States, this service is similar in its breadth and ambition to Spotify. The emphasis here is on accessing millions of tunes and albums rather than using a radio service or streaming your own tunes via the cloud. Like Spotify, it costs £9.99 a month to use Rdio's mobile package, but its Android app looks the part on the GALAXY Note II and is (whisper it!) perhaps a bit more intuitive and ever-so-slightly snappier than its Swedish rival. 
Deezer for the geezers If neither Spotify or Rdio appeal, but you still want a paid for streaming package, there are alternatives. French service Deezer is becoming increasingly popular and has one small advantage over Rdio: a 15-day free trial of its mobile app. That should whet your appetite for snagging as much music as you can muster before handing them £9.99 a month for the privilege of accessing their vast database. Like Spotify and Rdio, there's the option to sync tracks for offline use, so you can listen to them on your Note II without a web or mobile connection. The future and the musical elephants in the corner Of course, other big players also have streaming services if going with a smaller name isn't your thing. Amazon's Cloud Player works in much the same way as Google Play Music, with tracks bought from the retailer's MP3 store, and those you've already stashed there from your PC's library, available to stream wherever and whenever. 
It's all done from the free Amazon MP3 app and means you can keep local space free on your Note II for any other add-ons you fancy downloading. While all these packages are great right now, the mobile music scene is moving along so quickly that there's plenty of exciting new offerings to look forward to. Google is said to be priming its own Spotify-style streaming service, which would certainly tie-in nicely with all Android phones and look spot-on on the GALAXY Note II. Plus, key rival Apple is also said to be readying its own package, dubbed iRadio, this summer, with industry insiders recently intimating that deals with the major labels are edging ever closer to fruition. Finally, Spotify is also said to be in negotiations to offer at least part of its Premium mobile offering for free. That would mean users currently on their ad-supported, desktop-only package could download the Spotify app and perhaps grab a select number of tunes on-the-go. 
The obvious money-spinning idea here is to get more people handing over cash for a Premium subscription, but the suggestion of free streaming like this is pretty exciting for any hardcore music fan living on a shoestring. What is clear is that when you have a GALAXY Note II, the streaming options are myriad. You can access services to stream millions of new tunes, listen to your own collection without fronting up any more cash for apps or new music or simply check out web radio and broaden your musical mind. More excitingly, this is the future of the entire music industry. That means more developments coming your way soon and plenty of choice when it comes to deciding which service gets some of your much-coveted mobile storage space.     | | In Depth: Leather on willow on Android: cricket on the Note II Apr 15th 2013, 16:09 
The cricket season is upon us, which can mean only one thing: summer is officially here. But if it's too cold for you to actually venture outside for some live action, here's how you can enjoy the finest of all sports on your GALAXY Note II. Ah, the sweet sound of leather on willow: as sporting connoisseurs will be aware, the season of our national summer sport, cricket, is now upon us, with the County Championship and Indian Premier League getting under way. If you, like us, rate cricket as the subtlest and most skilful of all sports, you'll be glad to hear that there are countless ways in which your enjoyment of it can be enhanced via your GALAXY Note II. 
Keeping up with results and stats As a true cricket-lover, you'll want to be kept up to the minute with all the latest scores, results and so forth from around the world – and your first stop for all that, plus excellent features and analysis, should be the thoroughly excellent ESPN Cricinfo, Which has its own app (ESPN Digital, free) nowadays, although you can always, given the GALAXY Note II's unparalleled surfing capabilities, opt for its website. And if your focus is more on what is happening cricket-wise in the subcontinent, you could also try CricBuzz (cricbuzz.com, free). 
Let it not be said that the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are the bunch of stuffed shorts they are generally made out to be – they, too, have their own, rather excellent, app (TheOtherMedia, free), which contains a wealth of the latest info relating to the English cricket season. 
Meanwhile, an app which could enhance your enjoyment of watching cricket, especially if the weather is dodgy, is the Duckworth-Lewis Calculator (Robert Fear, free), which removes the fearsomely complicated maths from that esteemed means of calculating required scores in rain-affected one-dayers. 
Cricket games galore Stuck in the changing room due to the inevitable downpour? Your GALAXY Note II, at least, can provide the means of staving off any incipient boredom. There are plenty of Android cricket games out there of which our undoubted favourite is Stick Cricket (Stick Sports Ltd, free). It may not be the most sophisticated or best looking cricket game out there, but it's hellishly addictive. 
If it's a decent approximation of real-life cricket you're after, World Cricket Championship (Nextwave, £1.88) certainly provides that – along with some mad fantasy power-ups in certain game modes. Beach Cricket (Nextwave, free) is also pretty good fun, and adds a hint of sunny escapism from the gloom of an English summer. 
Test your cricket knowledge Fancy yourself as a walking cricket encyclopaedia? Collected Wisden Cricket Yearbooks since you were a kid? In that case, you can put your knowledge of leather and willow to the test – and take on your mates who also think they are cricket experts - thanks to a number of cricket quiz and trivia apps. Our favourite is Champion Cricket Quiz (Tune Systems, free). Mega Cricket Trivia (Sin Bin Games, free) will also keep you occupied when the weather sets in. 
Apps for when you're playing And there are even apps which come in handy when you're actually engaged in playing cricket, rather than merely spectating. The mystical art of scoring a cricket match is one of those arcane skills which is passed down from generation to generation, so there are plenty of people who suffer from bafflement when faced with a cricket scorebook. Android, though, can remedy that – there are plenty of scoring apps. Chief among which, in our opinion, is Android Cricket Scorer (Tim Carter, free), which lets you perform some whizzy stuff that you can't do with a traditional scorebook, such as produce wagon wheels for batsmen's innings. Despite the clunky name, Best Cricket Scorer (Ganapathy Subramaniam, free) is also worth checking out. And the excellently named Criculator (Sanket M Sheth, free) also doubles as a handy ball-counter for umpires – in case you've forgotten your pocket-full of stones or coins. 
Don't miss the action on TV You will notice a number of what purport to be live TV apps tailored towards letting you download feeds of cricket matches on your GALAXY Note II on Google Play – alas, these are, as you might imagine, too good to be true, at least in the UK – they're aimed squarely at the massive sub-continental market. In the UK, we pretty much have to rely on Sky Sports for our cricket coverage these days, and if you're a customer but are spending a lot of time on the go, then downloading the Sky Go app is a must. If you're not a customer, there is a standalone Sky Sports app, which streams just the broadcaster's sports channels to your GALAXY Note II and costs £4.99 per month. Beware, though: it does take a while to set the service up. BBC Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra are the best repositories for radio cricket commentary, and you can, of course, get both via the BBC iPlayer. 
Get involved in a fantasy league Another often-overlooked aspect of cricket is that it lends itself beautifully to fantasy league-type games, what with its demarcation of bowlers, batsmen, wicket-keepers, spinners, pacemen and all-rounders. A tad surprisingly, nobody has ever been sufficiently enterprising to create a fantasy league app specifically for Android (there you go, all you developers looking for a gap in the market). But that's no drawback for GALAXY Note II owners, who are well used to speedy web surfing and have the added bonus of being able to use the S Pen to traverse text-heavy web pages. If your politics are left-of-centre, mind, you might have to swallow your principles, as there's no doubt that the daddy of all fantasy leagues is Telegraph Fantasy Cricket, which will take you through a full County Championship season; later on in the season, it will also spawn a sibling that concentrates on the Friends Provident T20. And if the Indian Premier League is more to your taste, then Cricket Inc's Fantasy IPL 2013 should satisfy – if you really know your stuff, there are even cash prizes up for grabs. All that remains now is to pray for blue skies and baking hot sunshine. But even if those fail to materialise, you'll still be able to add a considerable edge to your enjoyment of the sport which more than any other supports a range of skills and provides an unparalleled mix of subtlety and brutality – with the help of your GALAXY Note II.     | | In Depth: VIDEO: The best apps for the S Pen Apr 15th 2013, 15:55 
If you are the lucky owner of a brand new Samsung GALAXY Note II then you need to check out our video guide to the best apps to make the most of Samsung's innovative pressure sensitive S Pen. The real beauty of the Samsung GALAXY Note II is the fact that it opens up a whole new world of apps that work even better with the S Pen. Check out the video above for a run through of our current favourite apps on the Google Play store that make the most of the S Pen. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Meg_PqB3QkLayerPaint £1.99 If you want to create something really spectacular on your Note II, then an arty app is a good place to start. LayerPaint makes the creative process even easier by allowing you to work with different layers. There are loads of handy tools available to help perfect your masterpiece, including brushes, bucket tool, gradation and hand tool. Once you're happy with your creation, you can even export your work as a Photoshop file to pick up where you left off on your laptop or desktop computer. Touch ReTouch HD £0.62 An app that's essential for any keen photographers out there is Touch ReTouch. Using your S Pen, you can tweak and edit your GALAXY Note II photos in great detail quickly and easily. You can remove shadows, ghosts and flare, touch-up facial tone and even remove whole bridges and buildings from a background. Then if you're unsure of the changes, there's an unlimited undo/redo feature and you always keep the original image resolution. Maze Racer Free Maze Racer is hand drawn and looks beautiful. It was originally created for a 'Best S Pen app' competition, so is perfect for the S Pen. The aim is to draw a line from the word 'start' to the word 'finish', with lots of obstacles getting in your way. You're even encouraged to draw your own levels and send them in – which is made infinitely better using the S Pen. Angry Birds Space Free Angry Birds isn't an S Pen specific app, granted, but we reckon it's even better to play with one. The precision of the S Pen is loads better than clumsy fingers and you can swipe your catapult across much faster too. This time the eponymous Angry Birds and the enemy insolent swines find themselves floating in a strange new galaxy. But of course the game's built on the same principles as before – launch your birds to destroy as many pigs as possible. This version has 140 levels to complete too, so should keep you busy.     | | In Depth: Getting the most out of the Marathon with the Note II Apr 15th 2013, 15:45 
Whether you are heading down to central London on 21st April to run this year's Virgin London Marathon, or simply plan to watch it from the sidelines or from your Note II, check out our guide to the essential apps to get the most out of this year's epic run. If you are taking part...
Zombies, Run! £2.79 Okay, you've got 26.2 miles to run and you want to get a decent time. What you need is some proper motivation. Zombies, Run! is a fun new running app that offers you the chance to run 'missions' to fetch supplies and scout out territory in a broken world after a zombie apocalypse. You perform these missions by literally running, all the while egged-on by the sound of snarling Zombies snapping at your heels. 
Running Trax Free (14 day trial, then subs from £1/week) Listening to music is a good way to fight off fatigue and get into the right rhythm when running. Running Trax for Ministry Of Sound is an audio subscription services aimed at runners and other fitness fans who like dance music. The app downloads weekly playlists of 40 tracks carefully selected by Ministry Of Sound DJs, plus extra 'boost' tracks intended to give you a little extra oomph when you need it most. Subscriptions cost from £1 per week but you get a 14-day no-obligation trial to see if these are the running tracks for you. 
Rhythm Runner £0.85 If you prefer your own, more refined musical taste to accompany you but still want to try and get the most out of your tunes, Rhythm Runner could be just the thing to get you moving. Rather than downloading stuff you might not like, Rhythm Runner analyses your own music collection and then tries to match your pace with music of the appropriate BPM. 
Runkeeper Pro Free Runkeeper helps over 17 million people with their daily run and if you want to get some feedback from your marathon experience beyond your finish time and the calluses on your feet it can help with a plethora of stats about average speeds and distance covered. The app can also keep track of your heartrate if you use one of these add-ons http://runkeeper.com/heart-rate-monitoring and with a Runkeeper Elite subscription, supporters can track your progress on a live map. If you just want to watch...
Google Maps Free (on device) One app that will be invaluable for anyone planning on following the Marathon route as a spectator is Google Maps. You don't even have to download this one - it comes as standard on your Note II and is packed with features to make finding where to go a snap. 
London Bus Checker £1.99 The Marathon route covers 26.2 miles of London streets and while there are plenty of places from which to view to race, actually getting to them can be tricky of you don't know the city. If you decide to use the bus to get around town, London Bus Checker is an invaluable aid that will give you live updates on when your bus is due (based on the vehicle's GPS transponder) at any of London's 20,000 bus stops. The £1.99 version only covers London but if you cough up another 50p there is a version which covers every bus stop in the UK. A bargain. 
Tube Map Pro Live Underground £0.70 The London Underground is the most efficient way to travel across the capital and this great app will show you live updates on services across all 12 underground lines as well as overground services. There is also a route finder that will plot your ideal shortest journey between two stations. To be doubly sure there are no problems, the app will show you the twitter posts from the various official Transport For London accounts. It will even show you the balance on your Oyster card if you have registered it with TFL. The whole app is based around a large, zoomable map of the Underground with tappable stations. 
Wikitude Free Wikitude is the ideal app for both exploring a city and finding what you need when you are there. The app uses 'augmented reality' - you look 'through' the GALAXY Note II using the camera and Wikitude places icons of things you are looking for over the live view of the world. So, if you are searching for an ATM to get some cash so you can buy a souvenir of the Marathon you can look through the phone and slowly turn around until you see one on screen. Tapping the icon will give you more information and directions. 
BBC iPlayer Free If the above apps make travelling into London to watch the Marathon sound like a bit of a chore - let alone actually running in the thing - rest assured you can still use your GALAXY Note II to follow the action without leaving the house. The free BBC iPlayer App is great for watching the BBC's seven-day catch up service or listening to the radio but it also does live TV. Just look in the 'Channels' section and you can tap on the Marathon broadcast and watch it live without having to buy a travelcard or pack a flask of tea. 
Toilet/Bathroom Finder Free Look, sorry to be blunt about this but if you are standing around in central London for a few hours the chances are high that you will need to find somewhere to go to the loo. Toilet/Bathroom Finder is a geolocation app that uses your Samsung GALAXY Note II's GPS function along with what is claimed to be "the biggest world toilet database" (a sentence I never dreamed I would write) to show you where the nearest public conveniences are located on a zoomable Google Map.     | | Blip: Man's bionic hands are controlled by an iPhone app Apr 15th 2013, 14:22 
A man has been given a pair of bionic hands that are partly controlled by an iPhone app, allowing him to enjoy the closest thing to fully-functioning hands in four years. Four years ago, 34-year-old Jason Koger was involved in an accident that left him with both hands amputated, but he's now been given a pair of highly-advanced bionic hands designed by Touch Bionics in the UK. The accompanying iPhone app offers 24 different grips to choose from - all he needs to do is tap the corresponding icon. "For the first time in five years I can hold my daughter's hand," said Koger. "I can't tell you what a gift that feels like." See? Technology isn't always so sinister. YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCyaaga8MqAMore blips!For more bite-sized news nuggets, just click here.     | | Dirt cheap Nokia Lumia 520 coming soon Apr 15th 2013, 03:17 
Nokia will go head-to-head with the bevy of cheap Android phones on offer this month when sales begin for the Lumia 520 in Australia. The handset will be available as an outright purchase for $229 unlocked through electronics retailers Dick Smith, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman, and mobile phone reseller Allphones. Telstra will also range the 520 with a pre-paid SIM for $179, network locked. A lot of phone for little moneyThe handset offers a good portion of what you get from the more expensive Lumias, but in a smaller package. It has a 4-inch touchscreen, dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB storage and runs on Windows Phone 8. In the same price range, the Android-powered LG L7 has a 4.3-inch screen, a single-core 1GHz processor and 4GB storage. Nokia's Windows Phone handsets come with a great range of software pre-installed, including Nokia Maps, plus Microsoft's Office suite and 7GB of SkyDrive cloud storage. The Lumia 520 is the first pre-paid Nokia Windows Phone 8 handset in Australia, but is the fifth in the range overall. The Lumia 920 has been on sale for nearly six months now and is one of the phones largely responsible for Windows Phone doubling its meger market share in Australia in the last 12 months.   | | Better mobile service switched on in Sydney's City Circle Apr 15th 2013, 02:14 
Train commuters who's route involves the City Circle in Sydney should find they can continue to use data on their phones while underground. The network enhancement is part of a NSW government initiative, and as such, it benefits all users on all networks. To improve reception underground, the government project required 10 kilometres of cable to be laid along the circuit. It accomplished this in partnership with Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. On the right track"The lack of coverage in our CBD tunnels has been an ongoing concern for customers over many years, and quite frankly an embarrassment for our city," said Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian. The City Circle is the second part of the project, which has already seen network improvements in the tunnels between Central station and Wynyard. The next planned expansion is along the tracks heading east, with 18 kilometres of cable to be laid between Erskinville and Bondi Jucntion. Last week, the NSW government announced that real-time train tracking data was now available in six apps for iPhone and Android. The apps, Arrivo Sydney, Tripview, Hidden City, Triptastic, TransitTimes and TripGo can show where a train is on its journey, offering accurate information to commuters.   | | Facebook "free calls" available from Aussie phones Apr 15th 2013, 01:22 
While everyone's attention has been focused on the launch of Facebook Home, the company behind the social network has slipped in an important update for Australians. Spotted by the eagle eyes over at TechAU, an update to the Facebook Messenger app for iPhone and Android now includes the option to make voice over IP (VOIP) calls to friends in your Facebook contacts list. Powerful feature, hidden iconThe feature is somewhat hidden though -- there is no flashing buttons or large telephone icons to indicate how you make these calls. Instead, you select a contact, press on the the information button (an 'i' icon), and if the person has the latest version installed you'll see a new button that says "free call". Facebook Voice Chat launched as a beta in January for members in the US. With more than 1 billion people signed up to Facebook, a feature like this is bound to give stalwarts like Skype a serious run for their money. And don't forget, if you have an Android phone and you want to give Facebook Home a try, you can download a modded version of the app via our earlier article. Just remember that this is not officially supported by Facebook before you begin. Via TechAU   | |
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