| Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar Apr 27th 2013, 07:00 
This week we've got our full and final review of the Samsung Galaxy S4 as well as the bow of another smartphone at a slightly cheaper price point - the Nokia Lumia 720. We've also taken a look at the rejigged and now final Jawbone Up fitness band as well as the excellent Samsung NX300 compact system camera. Enjoy our reviews and, as ever, tell us below if you think we should be reviewing something we haven't. Samsung Galaxy S4 review The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the most hotly anticipated smartphone ever from the Korean brand, and with a glut of top end features, it's the most powerful and desirable device Samsung has created yet. One of the most impressive things about the phone is the fact the size hasn't changed from its predecessor - the Galaxy S4 comes in at 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, meaning there's no extra heft to try and work with in your palm. However, despite this fact, the screen on the S4 has been increased once more, to a whopping 5-inch display with Full HD resolution. This means the same amount of pixels you'd have seen on a TV that cost well over £1000 four years ago is now riding around in your pocket. 
Samsung NX300 review There's lots of action right now in the compact system camera (CSC)segment, which pairs compact camera bodies with interchangeable lenses for a DSLR-like experience without the internal mirror or associated bulk. It's an area where Samsung has been making steady headway with an expanding range of lenses that now includes a new 45mm prime lens for shooting 3D stills and movies. It works exclusively with the latest arrival - the faux leather-clad Samsung NX300. 
Jawbone Up review At its core, the Jawbone Up is a pedometer, but with pretensions of being much more. Within its "medical grade" rubber casing, the Up houses a number of motion sensors and shares the information it collects with a smartphone app for iPhones and Android. Beyond counting your steps, Jawbone believes the Up is capable of monitoring your sleep as well. Using proprietary algorythms, the wristband and its software tell you how well you slept based on how you moved, sensing a difference between light and deep sleep and acknowledging when you wake up. 
This week's other reviewsLaptops HP Envy TouchSmart 4T-1102 review Gadgets Transcend Wi-Fi SD Card review Media streaming devices Bayan Audio StreamPort Universal review Mobile phones Nokia Lumia 720 review Storage LaCie XtremKey 32GB review Panasonic TX-L55ET60 review Edimax EW-7822UAC Wireless AC Adaptor review Fitbug Air review It's Mine Bluetooth bracelet review Controllers Razer Hydra review Logitech Harmony Touch review     |  | Samsung Galaxy S4 easier to repair than HTC One, iPhone 5 Apr 27th 2013, 01:23 
A phone these days can't properly make it to customers without an iFixit teardown, and the industrious folks at the site wasted no time breaking into the Galaxy S4. Let's just say, it got a big thumbs up from the iFixit crew. When all was said and done, the S4 walked away with a high-five worthy eight out of 10 on the reparability scale. That compares to the one out of 10 bestowed on the brilliant yet unfixable HTC One and one more point than the iPhone 5. The whole reverse-repair was so straightforward, the entire S4 iFixit guide is one perusable page long. 'I passed!'The S4 needed no tools to take of the back panel, while the battery was a quick snap away from exiting and entering the device, meaning consumers shouldn't have to slap it against their palms or do whatever other methods they employ to extract the 2,600mAh juicer. Peeling off the layers of the S4 was relatively effortless, and as many components are modular in nature, users need just replace something like a kaput microSD card instead of swapping out their phone entirely. There were parts stuck together with adhesive, so iFixit knocked it's reparability score for those. The screen's glass is fused to the display and display frame, which while not a big surprise would lead to more charges in a fix-it job. However, the relative straightforwardness of the phone's components make this Galaxy easy to navigate and, at the end of the day, easy to repair. Now, happy smashing! No, wait, please don't do that.     | | iPhone users could elbow past disloyal Android fans by 2015 Apr 26th 2013, 20:55 
Android toppled iOS last year in terms of raw users, but Apple may soon take back its throne. A new survey of 16,000 U.S. smartphone owners found that almost one quarter of Android users had no plans to upgrade to another Android phone. The survey was conducted over the past 12 months by research firm Yankee Group, which determined that "Apple's 'black hole' ecosystem captures subscribers who never leave" and that "at the checkout counter, Apple continues to eat Samsung's lunch." The group said that one out of every six Android customers will eventually switch to other systems, which should allow Apple phone ownership to leapfrog past Android by 2015. Drops in a bucketThe survey found that over the last year 50 percent of the smartphone owners used Android, while 30 percent were on Apple's iOS. The numbers are evenly split for those thinking about getting any kind of new phone in the next six months, with 42 percent saying they intend to get an Android device and another 42 percent planning to pick up an iPhone. It's not the biggest drop, but it's worth pointing out that more phone owners plan on purchasing an iPhone than currently own one, while the exact opposite is true for Android. Even more telling is that fact that 91 percent of iPhone users surveyed planned to buy another iPhone when the time came to upgrade, while 6 percent intended to switch to Android. When the same question was asked of Android users, only 76 percent planned to stay loyal to Android, while 18 percent expressed a desire to switch to iOS. Yankee Group Vice President Carl Howe compared the two mobile operating systems to leaky buckets with customers dripping in and draining out; in his analogy, Android's bucket is leaking just a tad faster than Apple's. It's clear that Apple inspires (or demands, depending how you look at it) a significant amount of loyalty from users, something that so far, Google's Android has been unable to match.     | | Rugged Galaxy S4 apparently isn't the only Galaxy in the works Apr 26th 2013, 19:58 
The Samsung Galaxy S4 hasn't arrived everywhere globally yet, but rumors of Samsung readying a newer, more durable version of its flagship are already making the rounds. Those initial reports gained a little more traction today as sources revealed to the Wall Street Journal Samsung was indeed working on a tougher S4. The brawnier Galaxy is believed to be aimed at business and government clients looking for a bit more ruggedness from their phones, though we can definitely imagine the butterfingers among us clamoring for a more durable device as well. However, the news doesn't end there: Those same sources claim Samsung is also readying a new 8-inch Galaxy tablet for June, as well as a smaller Galaxy S4 Mini for July. If the name "Active" sounds familiar, give yourself 10 points. The name was mentioned a few months ago, before the S4 was announced, as part of a Project J product line that included the flagship phone. The Project J Mini was also part of the package, and the WSJ's report only seems to confirm the existence of a J-fecta of products. Unfortunately for Samsung Galaxy S4 hopefuls in the U.S., supply demands have caused the standard variation to be delayed at carriers Sprint and T-Mobile. According to the WSJ's sources, that's due to the Galaxy S4 receiving four-times the amount of pre-orders as the Galaxy S3. By the time the Galaxy S4 actually arrives, the tentatively titled Galaxy S4 Active may be closer to release, which could ease the burden of supply and demand around the world. Also, the addition of the smaller (4.3-inches, according to the sources) Galaxy S4 Mini also shoulder some of the demand for Samsung's top-tier smartphone throughout the rest of the year. As for the tablet, the Journal said it will fall between the company's current 7- and 10.1-inch offerings. It could be connected to the Galaxy Tab 3, which reports suggest will come in both an 8- and a 10.1-inch variant. Some specs glommed onto the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 are a 1280 x 800 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a 4,500mAh battery, though whether that and the tablet from today's report are one in the same isn't known. Hangin' toughThe only other comparable device due to arrive this year would be Sony's Xperia Z, which will also be dust- and waterproof, but doesn't quite carry the same recognition as the Galaxy line of smartphones. Samsung is also looking to take a bit of the business clientele away from BlackBerry, as its Q10 is aimed squarely at the same corporate market. In spite of the Galaxy S4 shortages, Samsung has still been tearing up sales charts around the world, and the added variety and options reportedly in the works should only help distance the Korean manufacturer from rival Apple.     | | Is Google's latest Play Store update a direct blow to Facebook? Apr 26th 2013, 19:51 
Google released another version of the Google Play Store app for Android today, and though it's not a major facelift like the last update, it did bring one important change. The update included a policy change that will prevent apps from auto-updating. And guess which of Google's competing social networks just added automatic updates that bypass the Google Play Store to its arsenal of tricks? If you said, "Facebook," you win nothing, because it was in the headline. But you're still right. We asked Facebook representatives to share the social network's take on the change, but they had no comment to share at this time. 'Dangerous Products'The new Google Play policy dictates that Android app updates must be released and administered through Google Play itself. "An app downloaded from Google Play may not modify, replace or update its own APK binary code using any method other than Google Play's update mechanism," reads an addition to Google Play's developer program policies in today's update. That new stipulation is nestled into a previously existing section called "Dangerous Products," a label that could, from Google's perspective as it continues to focus on its Google+ social network, be applied to Facebook. Google has been making an effort lately to add Google+ features that will help it compete with Facebook, like Google+ app sign-in and big, beautiful cover photos. Regarding today's Google Play update, Google said the following in a statement to Engadget: "Google Play is a trusted source for Android application downloads, and we are committed to providing a secure and consistent experience." Indeed, as the site pointed out, the slight against Facebook could be nothing more than a coincidence. Or maybe not.     | | Samsung Galaxy S4 hit by delays in the UK Apr 26th 2013, 15:48 
If you've pre-ordered a Samsung Galaxy S4, you may have more of a wait on your hands than expected as Samsung is struggling to provide enough handsets to meet demand. The handset is meant to be landing in stores and on the doormats of organised pre-orderers on April 27 (tomorrow) but some will be disappointed. "There has been unprecedented demand for the Galaxy S4 in the UK," Samsung told us in a statement. "Samsung is working hard to ensure that pre-orders and sales across all channels are fulfilled as soon as possible." Price of popularityWhat does that mean for you? We've had a word with all the UK networks to see what's what. An O2 spokesperson told us that some handsets should be on time: "For us, some customers (who've pre-ordered their handset before 19 April) will get their handset on 26 April. These customers will receive an SMS to let them know, if a contact number has been provided at point of order. "For other customers who've ordered their handset before 19 April they'll receive their handset from 27 April." - from being the operative word, there. Over at Three, it's a similar story in that some customers will get their handsets on launch day. The network's spokesperson told us, "As Samsung have stock issues, we're unable to deliver the S4 to all customers who have pre-ordered. We're working closely with Samsung to do everything we can to get the S4 to our customers as soon as it's available." We're waiting for word back from EE, Vodafone and Virgin so we'll keep you posted on those networks as and when we hear from them. To find out more about when and where you can get a Samsung Galaxy S4, get involved with our comprehensive round up.     | | Viber Android app security hole could give hackers control of your phone Apr 26th 2013, 15:46 
The free calling and messaging app Viber could be letting hackers gain control of your Android phone by bypassing the lock screen. Discovered by a Vietnamese security firm, the possible security breach allows attackers to scoot round the phone's lock screen before gaining access to the phone's controls and everything else stored within. Much like Skype, Viber allows you to make calls and send messages using your data connection instead of munching through calls and minutes included in your contract. VibraphoneThe attack is carried out through messages sent and calls made to the victim through Viber; it uses the fact the that the app lets you reply to a message through a pop-up without having to unlock the handset. "The way Viber handles to pop-up its messages on smartphones' lock screen is unusual, resulting in its failure to control programming logic, causing the flaw to appear," said Nguyen Minh Duc, director of Bkav's security division. Viber is aware of the loophole, and is "currently working on fixing this issue"; in the meantime it advises users to uncheck 'unlock for popups' in their settings menu to safeguard against attacks.     | |
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