Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 05-11-2013

TechRadar: Phone and communications news TechRadar US latest feeds

Mystery LG handset leaked again, now thought to be Optimus G2 May 11th 2013, 11:21 An as-yet-unconfirmed LG smartphone has once again appeared online with new suggestions that it may be the Optimus G2, rather than the Google Nexus 5. It's the second unscheduled appearance in a week, with both coming courtesy of notorious leak artist @evleaks who claimed on Twitter: "Circumstantial evidence points to G2, FWIW [for what it's worth]." The device is completely buttonless, which had led to speculation that it'd be a successor to the Google Nexus 4, which LG also manufactured. The new photo showcases the super-thin bezel of the phone, which may be launched at an LG event confirmed for May 30. Note beater? Earlier speculation has suggested that the device may tout a large 5.5-inch display to tackle the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note phablets. Of course, even if this is the LG Optimus G2, it may end up forming the basis for the Nexus 5. Last year's Optimus G was the inspiration for Google's self-branded handset in 2012. Google I/O kicks off next week, so should know for sure on Wednesday night. Related Stories Samsung Galaxy S4 mini tipped to arrive in July Updated: Amazon phone release date, news and rumors Motorola X Phone appears less curvaceous in new image leak Buying Guide: Best Vodafone phones: 5 we recommend Blip: Mobile phone for 4-year-olds is nothing but bully bait Blip: Amazon adds Cloud Drive Photos app to iOS repertoire May 11th 2013, 01:31 Apple then iOS, iOS then Android. There can often be a one-followed-by-the-other roll out to apps between the two major OSes (we won't mention Windows Phone 8 or others in this case), and Amazon followed form this week as it launched Cloud Drive Photos app for iOS. This follows the app's November 2012 release on Android, and now gives iDevice users their option to store their snapshots somewhere other than their phone. Users will get 5GB of storage for free, with extra space starting at $10/year (around UK£6, AU$9.99) for 20GB. Pics taken with an iPhone or iPod touch are saved to Cloud Drive automatically when the app is running, and photos are accessible from either device, computer or any web browser, noted PC Mag. One note for expectant users: Users must have iOS 6 or higher to use the app. More blips! Android, iOS, Windows Phone 8, Symbian. It doesn't matter what OS you use; our news blips are for everyone. Mobile phone for 4-year-olds is nothing but bully bait Windows Phone goes down the tube with official YouTube app Facebook gets to Google Glass in a roundabout fashion Samsung Galaxy S4 seen as the weakest link in BBC Watchdog show May 11th 2013, 00:14 There's a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy S4, but the phone's storage capacity isn't all it's cracked up to be, and one BBC show is calling out the South Korean manufacturer. At contention is the fact that the 16GB version of the smartphone will leave its users with approximately 9GB, nearly half of the space advertised on the box. "Samsung - it claims its brand-new Galaxy phone has an extra large memory. What did it forget to mention?" teases Anne Robinson at the end of this week's Watchdog episode on BBC One. Robinson, the Watchdog anchor and former host of The Weakest Link, will examine the Galaxy S4's storage - or lack thereof - on Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. GMT. The non-solution solution When TechRadar investigated the phone's internal media, more than 6GB of system files took up the entry level Galaxy S4's 16GB of storage even before it powered up for the first time. Samsung's solution? Buy a MicroSD memory card, which can add up to 64GB of extra space to the smartphone. Great. But as the BBC One show is likely to point out next week, apps cannot be stored on this external memory card. This is going to force users to limit how many heavy-duty programs they'll be able to use on their Android phone. Storage wars The deceptive amount of space that Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with out of the box is a growing trend among smartphones and tablets. Microsoft, most notably, faced criticism when launching its Surface Pro tablet, which advertises 64GB of free space. In reality, the base model of the Surface Pro only has 23GB of storage open to users thanks to the fact that it runs the Windows 8 Pro operating system. Samsung Galaxy S4 32GB version A better option for consumers who are interested in this Android phone would be to pick up the new Galaxy S4 32GB model. This higher-capacity model went on sale in the U.S. today at AT&T stores and online. Of course, this does nothing to appease early adopters of Samsung's flagship smartphone, who are now stuck with an 9GB Galaxy S4 and a finite amount of apps. Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on the next Xbox and our always-on future May 10th 2013, 20:06 Last month, Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski made splashes with a post on his Clifford Unchained blog titled "Deal With It" in which he eviscerated the online community for its reaction to the departure of Adam Orth from Microsoft. Orth, formerly Creative Director at Microsoft Studios, had tweeted a message regarding the new Xbox and "the drama around having an 'always on' console," hashtagged #dealwithit. The interwebs didn't take his comment too kindly. The always-on debate has flared with fire and brimstone in the lead up to the console's May 21 reveal, though Orth's ordeal has been one of the more controversial happenings. Bleszinski opined on Orth's situation and criticized the lynch mob reaction to it in his blog, but he also made this claim: "My gut is telling me that an always online future is probably coming. It's coming fast, and possibly to the majority of the devices you enjoy." Microsoft has unofficially shut down always-on Xbox 720 concerns thanks to a recently leaked internal email, though we won't really know what we're in for until a few weeks time. Even if Microsoft's eternally-connected Xbox doesn't come to life, as Bleszinski said, that future for many devices may be here sooner than we expect. Cliff B is a hard man to track down, but we were able to connect for an extensive Q&A on all of this always-on Xbox business, if he'd want a game he developed to be played on such a console and what he plans to do next. TechRadar: How do you define always on? Is it needing an internet connection at all times to play games and perform other functions like listen to music? Is it enabling background downloading when the console is off? Cliff Bleszinski: Saying something is "always on" has become "take what you think this means and come up with your own answer and then decide how upset or offended you are by it." Years ago my colleagues and I were discussing the idea of "open world" and what that means. It could mean so much depending on the game! Is it a GTA with a huge, sprawling city? Is it Skyrim with terrain and dungeons? Is it a hub-based world like Borderlands? Is it a contained city like Arkham? So "always on" isn't even about the connection. It's about what the software requires of that connection. We have many devices that won't work without power. I have a white noise maker that I sleep with that plugs in. If the power goes, I can use standard batteries to make sure I sleep soundly. An "always online" system could require a fat pipe 24/7. Or it could require an occasional "check in" once in a while via a cell phone connection. It's anyone's guess right now. TR: You write in your April blog about how an always-on future is coming, but can you outline the signs you see that such a reality is almost upon us? CB: My "always online" world that I'm hoping for for the majority of my devices is one that's closer to what Apple has, which is a secure system with reduced piracy that has a fabulous ecosystem that I'm happy to throw money at. If it's online then I can play games with friends, download music and movies that I'm paying for, and send asynchronous moves along. If it's online, I can still sling a few birds at some pigs, just without the latest updates. I currently suffer with Time Warner cable at my home and as a consumer I can assure you that it's inconsistent at best. If I'm mid-game and the connection drops and I can't resume where I was, it may very well be a shelf moment for me. If there are systems being designed with this sort of functionality, I certainly hope that the people building them have the presence of mind to figure out workarounds for these problems. A random sample would be to allow for a grace period of N minutes if a connection dies to maintain status. I'm not that hardcore of a power user. I'm very mid-range when it comes to my technology use. I let some other early adopter suffer through any first release of any new hot product and then come in once the issues are fixed with the second revision. However the only way I watch movies and say Game of Thrones now is to stream them on Xbox movies and HBO Go in HD. I've only had a handful of problems with streaming on these fantastic services, ever, even with my spotty Time Warner service. I'm used to it. And when it works no one really ever seems to mind it. TR: What tech obstacles stand in the way of an always-on console being a success? Or is the groundwork there so that something like this may not necessarily be a success right off the bat, but will garner supporters as time goes on? CB: Broadband penetration. I've casually Googled the numbers and it appears as if in the majority of developed nations (read: the ones that would be likely to enjoy video games) broadband penetration is at 60 percent of more of households that have a computer. That's good, but we can do better. I want full global Wi-Fi that is flawless and fast. Google fiber. All of it. Once it's there no one will really worry about it. The reason Adam Orth used the infamous "vacuum" analogy is that it took people a while to part with their candles before they actually counted on reliable power for their light bulbs and fancy new devices. For the most part, we have power, and it's consistent and useful. Power going out is fairly rare in most areas. Broadband will eventually be like that. The fear comes from the fact that it's not quite there yet. TR: Somewhat related, but perhaps the next Xbox won't have always on as a feature. However, if it's coming to another future Xbox or another console sooner rather than later, what does a successful always-on device look like in your mind? CB: I want to see a system that lives and breathes into the community. We're at the point where the hardware isn't exactly the most exciting thing. It's nice, sure, but the online feature set, the ability for users to participate and contribute to the experience through videos of their sessions, crafted levels, hell, their own games – that's what needs to happen. Crowdsource the success of the console through the power of community. Oh and also build a nearly idiot-proof online gaming platform that encourages cooperation and votes the trolls and racist/sexist idiots into oblivion. TR: You've seen the backlash surrounding the idea of an always-on console. What perceptions need to change? You write about the average consumer in your blog – are they going to need less convincing of the possibility this will work than hardcore, edge-case gamers? CB: If you're the average gamer, say, the person who buys GTA, CoD and Madden throughout the year and calls it a day and you have a steady broadband and a console comes out that requires an always-online connection, you're not going to care or bat an eyelash. The more hardcore, edge case gamer is harder. They're the ones who are constantly accused of being thieves. (Shout out to those who actually are and make everyone else suffer because of it.) If you're a gamer who earns his or her money who buys games on Steam and is constantly told you have to have all of these restrictions because, hey, you're a criminal you'd probably take to a message board and write some nasty things as well. If the connection is consistent, the ecosystem is one to encourage community, if the system is marketed well and there are backup scenarios for when the connection fails, we very well may see systems like this doing fairly well in the marketplace. TR: There have been some well-documented outages [SimCity, Diablo 3] that make gamers uncomfortable about always-on-ness. Should people realize this is a new age, and presumably Microsoft would put as many stop gaps in place to keep damage minimal during an outage, or is it a valid concern and one that should make Microsoft think twice? CB: Funny, I basically spoke of these stop gaps in a prior answer. I'll go back to the electricity metaphor. My wife and I bought a house last year and we're really excited about it. However, living in North Carolina and moving to the suburbs a bit outside of town I trust the power…only to a point. We get plenty of storms here, hurricanes go through, and once in a blue moon we'll get snow or an ice storm. The power can go out. And when that power goes out for a few days in the winter it goes from being a minor inconvenience to a giant pain. So I'm going to buy a backup generator. Heck, we had the UPS batteries at Epic for years before we got our new building and purchased a generator the size of a school bus. Basically, if there's an online system, they'll need whatever their stop gap version is to make it as painless as possible. TR: What about people who don't have a reliable internet connection – how will they fare in an always-on future? CB: At some point the march of technology has to go on. Eighty-five percent of the people I know do not have a land line. Sooner or later, it'll be a similar thing. Short term there may be some pain and outrage, unfortunately. TR: Is our always-on future going to start with games or is it going to start with other home entertainment services, like TV? CB: It started with Redtube. TR: A big concern among gamers is DRM. Is it a valid issue from your perspective or is it an obsolete/irrelevant issue for the average user? CB: That's a big hot button topic. The first thing to consider is that average gamer, the one I mentioned earlier. That person has no idea what DRM is and doesn't care. If it works, it works. The catch with this whole scenario is that the hardcore do need to be catered to in many ways because if you don't win them over first, you can't often go wider. There's a saying we used to use -"leverage the core to ignite the masses" - when discussing Gears marketing, and it worked. In spite of the DRM issues with Diablo 3 it still went on to sell, what, 12 million units? If I could borrow Elizabeth and create a tear where Blizzard didn't have that DRM, and then create another where the DRM was working flawlessly, my gut tells me that in the case with no DRM they would have sold 3 million - 4 million. If the DRM was working flawlessly? 15-plus million. People do torrent, and torrent often. I have friends that know I've worked in software for many years and admit to doing it. It's gotten easier than ever to do it. I still think the best way is to make your DRM as flawless as possible, as seamless, and to make a great experience that people want to say "shut up and take my money." Make one that's so fantastic that even if there's a cracked version the draw of the "legit" one is so strong and you want to vote with your dollars that you can't help but actually buy the damned thing. TR: There's the concern that when Microsoft is ready to release the Xbox 1080 (or whatever the next, next Xbox will be called) it will unplug the next Xbox's servers to make room, thus forcing consumers to upgrade if they want the newest device. How do you see this issue? CB: There's a lot of fear mongering online these days. There's also a lot of "I'm bored, so I need to look for something to get super angry about." (When you combine a slow news day and a sensationalist blog, watch out!) Any provider of any service owes it to their customers to, for a reasonable time, keep their current services on and reliable until the inevitable transition occurs. I wouldn't be surprised to see legislation at some point in the future appearing in order to keep service providers honest in this area. Microsoft isn't as "stupid or evil" as people sometimes think. They're really turning around perception of the company in recent years and I doubt they'd be so silly as to immediately unplug the previous device once a new one comes along simply because the old one is probably still making money. TR: Would you want a game you've developed or are developing need an internet connection to be played? CB: I love multi-player games and whatever I do next will most likely have a multi-player component so it's safe to say it'll probably need an internet connection. TB: You were upset over the public reaction to the Michael Orth situation. What about it bothered you so much? CB: The bullied are now the bullies. That's what bothers me. It's just like that South Park in which they combat bullying by simply [being] bullies themselves. The most vocal people online are the ones that often weren't the most social and have the time to sit in Photoshop and contribute to a GAF thread in which they systematically make fun of a guy and damage his career after he was having a lively chat with a friend over Twitter. (And I love GAF.) TR: Do you see the world moving into this at-arms-length observer position where people are free to comment on anything and everything without recourse? Or are we all equal online so we all can say what we really feel? CB: I fantasize about two online experiences. In many ways, I have this. My Facebook is largely personal. Nearly everyone I have on my account is someone I've had a personal interaction with and would remember if I saw in public. Twitter, on the other hand, is "anything goes" and private and public. I sometimes wish the rest of the online experience was that clean and consistent. If you want accountability, you go into the space where you think twice about what you say. If you want to go talk shit with the Savages, have at it, there's your play space. Related Stories Google Nexus 5 imminent as UK retailers retire Nexus 4? Huawei founder denies Chinese military connections in rare interview Nokia Lumia 928 gets official, heading to the US on Verizon Galaxy S4 leaks abound as Active and Zoom variants pop up again Opinion: Mobile phones for kids? You silly billies! The wait for Tegra 4 devices looks very close to over May 10th 2013, 19:23 Chip maker Nvidia is preparing to unleash the first Tegra 4-powered devices on the market, with the initial wave of releases set to be revealed this very quarter. According to PC World, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said Thursday during the company's quarterly earnings call that tablets and other Android devices using Tegra 4 will be announced soon. Huang didn't provide any specifics, but said that "many" devices are in the works and that Tegra 4-powered devices will launch through the rest of this year. He added that "performance matters" when it comes to "new computing devices" that are essentially "entry-level PCs." Rumored Tegra 4 devices Besides Nvidia's own Project Shield handheld gaming system, no Tegra 4 devices have been officially announced. That hasn't stopped the leaks from flowing, though. Among the rumored devices are a 10-inch Tegra 4 tablet from HP, a similar device from Toshiba, a ZTE "superphone," and others. Huang also said that devices using the Tegra 4i, a more mainstream version of the Tegra 4, could be available as soon as the second half of this year, pending carrier certification. Nvidia's fiscal results Nvidia posted revenue of $954.7 million (UK£621 million, AU$953.8 million) and net profit of $77.9 million (UK£50.7 million, AU$77.8 million)for the quarter ending April 28. Those figures are up 3.2 percent and 29 percent, respectively, from the year before. That growth was attributed to graphics cards sales, while Tegra sales fell in anticipation of the introduction of Tegra 4. Qualcomm, meanwhile, stated earlier this year that its new Snapdragon 800 chip will "easily" win in the inevitable battle with the Tegra 4. Galaxy S4 leaks abound as Active and Zoom variants pop up again May 10th 2013, 18:50 Two new Samsung Galaxy S4 variants are likely on their way, if recent clues are anything to go by. Both the Galaxy S4 Active and the Galaxy S4 Zoom have appeared with increased frequency lately, and two new leaks today suggest that the new S4 models could arrive soon. For one thing, the Twitter account @evleaks, infamous for countless leaks, claimed today that the rugged Samsung Galaxy S4 Active will release on AT&T with the model number SGH-I537. In addition, the Galaxy S4 Zoom (model number SM-C101) popped up in a listing on the website of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a leaky organization that only days ago listed another unannounced device that may turn out to be LG's Optimus G2. Active Zoom Unwired View counts the Bluetooth SIG listing as proof of the S4 Zoom's existence, though we'll wait for an official Samsung announcement before judging either way. We've asked the Korean company to comment on these latest leaks, but so far we haven't heard back. The Galaxy S4 Zoom is rumored to resemble the S4 mini, with at least one key difference: a 16-megapixel camera with optical zoom that will help it compete with Nokia's PureView-equipped smartphones, like the just-revealed Lumia 928. Previously the most recent S4 Zoom rumor claimed that the S4 variant will ship in June in black and white colors. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S4 Active is rumored to be more durable and rugged, and possibly even waterproof. Related Stories Google Nexus 5 imminent as UK retailers retire Nexus 4? Huawei founder denies Chinese military connections in rare interview Nokia Lumia 928 gets official, heading to the US on Verizon Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on the next Xbox and our always-on future Opinion: Mobile phones for kids? You silly billies! Updated: Mother's Day: 12 tech gifts for mom May 10th 2013, 18:06 Mother's Day is the the time to show your mom how grateful you are that she's put up with all your crap for so long, but it's not easy to find a good Mother's Day gift. Everyone's mom is different, and while some might be satisfied with a card and brunch, others will want more. After all, she carried you for nine whole months - the least you can do is spend a couple hundred bucks on a thoughtful gift. And while some moms are tech-savvy, some may have no clue. But that doesn't mean you can't make her day with the right gadget. You've just got to discover the perfect Mother's Day tech for her. No matter what tech your mom is already into, there's bound to be a technologically advanced Mother's Day gift here that she'll appreciate. And even if she doesn't, at least it's the thought that counts. 1. Fitbit Flex wristband and Aria smart scale Get it at: Fitbit.com (scale $129.99) Taglines: "Outsmart your weight with Aria" / "Never stop moving with Fitbit Flex" If your mom doesn't already have a Nike FuelBand, you might want to clue her in to this fitness gift combo from Fitbit. The scale will track her weight, body fat, and BMI, all the while connecting to her computer via Wi-Fi and uploading her stats and progress. Whether your mom's obsessed with fitness or she's been trying to get into it, the Aria smart scale could be a great Mother Day tech gift. And the Flex wristband, much like the popular Nike FuelBand, is much more than a pedometer that will count your mom's footsteps. In addition to steps taken, it tracks calories burned, distance traveled, active minutes, and - get this - both hours slept and quality of sleep. It even acts as a silent alarm clock so she won't wake up your dad when she gets up early to go running. And naturally the two gadgets will work together. Unfortunately, the Flex isn't out yet, though Fitbit is currently promising a Spring 2013 release date that should arrive any day. 2. BabyPing video baby monitor Get it at: BabyPing ($199.99) Tagline: "Whether home or away BabyPing keeps you connected to your baby" New moms have always relied on baby monitors in this modern age, but the technology has come a long way. Static-filled walkie-talkies are a thing of the past, and now it's all about the video. There are plenty of different choices when it comes to video baby monitors, but the BabyPing is one of the best - and more importantly, it's one of the easiest to set up, so even non-techy moms should be able to get into it. It's full of features, too, including night vision, audio filtering to keep background hiss down, two-way audio, built-in nursery rhymes and Wi-Fi connectivity to PCs and iOS devices (no Android, unfortunately, though there are plenty of alternative baby monitors for non-iOS-using moms). 3. Kindle Paperwhite Get it at: Amazon ($119) Tagline: "The world's most advanced e-reader" Plenty of moms out there already have an e-reader, but there are plenty more who probably don't yet know what they've been missing. There are several reasons a Kindle Paperwhite will make a perfect Mother's Day tech gift: it's affordable and it's easy on the eyes, and since it's the newest Kindle model, your mom will be able to brag to all her friends about it. The best part? She won't have to deal with all the book clutter she has lying around, since they'll all be digital. 4. Moxie showerhead and bluetooth speaker Get it at: Amazon ($149.25) Tagline: "It takes Moxie to shower out loud" Moms have it hard. Whether their kids are 2, 12 or 40, it seems their job never ends. The shower may be one of the only places your mom gets to relax. And with the Moxie showerhead and built-in bluetooth speaker, she can do it while listening to her favorite Celine Dion or Phil Collins songs. The showerhead speaker connects to a smartphone or other bluetooth devices at up to 32 feet, and one of the best parts is that the speaker isn't limited to the shower - it detaches and can travel with your mom all over the house or wherever she wants to go, with seven hours of battery life. An alternative for moms who appreciate some ambiance but don't care as much about music is an LED showerhead that can simulate rainfall while projecting various soothing colors. Browse LightintheBox.com and take your pick. 5. Slingbox Get it at: Slingbox.com ($179.99 - $299.99) Tagline: "Watch your TV anywhere" The Slingbox is a great Mother's Day tech gift - whether your mom is down with all the memes or still thinks that her browser is called "Google," she'll appreciate the ability to take her television shows and newscasts with her on the go. The latest models are the Slingbox 350 and the Slingbox 500, and although the 500 comes with some extra features, let's be honest - your mom probably isn't going to use them anyway. You might as well go with the cheaper version (we won't tell). Plus, your dad will likely show some appreciation for this one as well. 6. Flower Power by Parrot Get it at: Parrot.com (not yet available) Tagline: "The most advanced plant sensor" Parrot's Flower Power is a device the likes of which we've never seen before, and it's sure to tickle your mom's green thumb - or better yet, lack thereof - on Mother's Day. It's a plant sensor that sits in the soil of a planter or pot, monitoring sunlight, moisture, temperature, and fertilizer, then sending the data wirelessly via bluetooth to your mother's gadgets. It will even remind her when to water them. It was only introduced at CES this year, so unfortunately it's not on the market yet, but a 2013 release is promised and you can sign up to be notified at parrot.com. Maybe it will make a good birthday present, or you can remember it for next year's Mother's Day. 7. LogMeIn Get it at: LogMeIn.com ($69.95 per year) Tagline: "Simply connect from anywhere" This one's for the working moms, though even the retirees and stay-at-homes out there could no doubt find some use for it. LogMeIn is a subscription service that will allow her to access her home PC from anywhere. Moms at soccer practice or dance recitals won't have to duck out to email their bosses that important file, and when she's with her friends she'll be able to pull up all those cute baby pictures and home videos without having to worry about what's synced with her tablet or phone. Trying to juggle files between multiple devices can be a hassle even for the tech-savvy, so your mom will definitely appreciate not having to do it. Getting her a year's subscription to LogMeIn Pro will ensure that she remembers what a good son or daughter you are all year long. 8. Canon PowerShot Elph 110 HS Get it at: Amazon ($194.98) Tagline: "Style, Sophistication and Power" If your mother is sick of being disappointed by blurry smartphone photos (or if she - gasp! - doesn't use a smartphone at all) you might want to consider getting her an affordable point-and-shoot. There are many to choose from, but Canon's name carries some weight in the world of photography and the Elph line of point-and-shoots has always proved reliable in our experience. The Canon PowerShot Elph 110 HS is the latest model, and it has plenty of features that will keep your mom entertained. In case she isn't too tech-savvy, though, the charming name ("Elph") and the rainbow of colors that the 110 comes in should allay most of her fears. And she might be amazed when you tell her that it takes full HD 1080p video, even though that's become a standard feature for point-and-shoots. You don't have to tell her that part. 9. Nook HD Get it at: Barnes & Noble ($149) Tagline: "The best in reading" If the Kindle Paperwhite is too light on features for your media-hungry mother, the Nook HD may be the ideal alternative. Barnes & Noble's Kindle competitor has improved dramatically with the Nook HD, which, with the very recent addition of Google Play store access, has become a desirable little tablet in its own right. The standard Nook HD comes in a handy 7-inch size, while the upgraded Nook HD+ adds an extra two inches and an improved resolution. The best part? Barnes & Noble has got your back with a Mother's Day sale that's knocked $50 off the price of the Nook HD and a full $90 off the price of the plus-sized version. 10. Epson Perfection V500 photo scanner Get it at: Epson.com ($149.99) Tagline: "Extraordinary quality and versatility" If your mom's a scrapbooker or dedicated family archivist, she may balk at the idea of turning her old-fashioned photos into a sleek digital collection. But with Epson's easy-to-use photo scanners, she won't have any more excuses to remain in the realm of physical photos. The optical resolution of 6,400ppi means that all her photos will make the transition with nary a pixel lost, and she'll be thrilled with the quality once they make it to the other side. Everything will be preserved for future generations, just like she wants, and she'll be kept busy for a while, too - perfect for newly retired mothers wondering what to do with their time. The Perfection V500 isn't even limited to photos, so it will fulfill all your mother's scanning needs, whatever they may be. 11. ION Pure LP USB conversion turntable Get it at: ionaudio.com ($99.99) Tagline: "Convert your records in style" Here's another one for the mom who spends her days reminiscing about the past - not that that's a bad thing. A vinyl-to-digital converter like ION's Pure LP may seem like a gadget only an audiophile will appreciate, but your mom may very well enjoy combing through her dusty collection of LPs and cataloging them digitally. It's easy to set up and comes with custom software that will guide her through the process. Once they're on her computer, she'll be able to transfer them to her smartphone or MP3 player and listen to all her favorite tunes from the days of yore wherever she goes. For Apple-loving moms there's also ION's iLP digital conversion turntable, which can skip the PC altogether and transfer songs from vinyl directly to an iPhone 5, 4th-gen iPad or iPad mini. 12. Belkin Chef Stand and Stylus Get it at: Amazon.com ($23.99) Tagline: "Use your tablet while you cook" Belkin's Chef Stand and Stylus is a niche gift, for sure, but foodie moms who love to use recipes on their tablets will definitely appreciate the convenience afforded by this gadget. The Chef Stand will do little more than prop up her tablet, while the stylus, which rests on its own little stand, will allow her to navigate on the device without touching the screen and potentially messing it up with food. It boasts compatibility with most iPads, including the iPad mini plus the stylus reportedly works with any touchscreen. She could probably even use it with her smartphone if tablets aren't your mother's thing. And all components, including the magnetic stylus, are hand-washable. Facebook Home knocks on the door of previously unsupported devices May 10th 2013, 17:15 The Android overlay Facebook Home, out for almost a month now, was only available on a handful of select devices. That is, until yesterday. Thanks to a small change, the social network's core Android app is allowing unsupported handsets to use it anyway. Android Central reported that the May 9 update to the official Facebook app for Android appears to have added more than the scant change log may lead users to believe. As Facebook boasts of nearly hitting 1 million installations since the April 16 debut of Facebook Home, the glorified launcher can now be installed on a number of previously unsupported handsets. For those smartphones, users installing Facebook Home will be warned they "may not get the best experience," with the option to go straight to Facebook proper or "Use Home Anyway." What the hey At least two flagship handsets - Samsung's Galaxy S4 and Sony's Xperia ZL - are said to work just fine by ignoring the aforementioned warning, while a third, the HTC One, appears to be working with no prompt at all. The HTC One and Galaxy S4 were initially listed as supported by Facebook Home, but this marks the first time users have been able to install the launcher via Google Play on such devices. Thursday's update to the official Facebook app presumably added this unofficial support, also introducing an option for persistent notifications which can be disabled via Settings. Undocumented support arrives on the heels of a steep price drop for AT&T's Facebook Home-equipped HTC First, which U.S. buyers can now grab for a mere 99 cents with two-year agreement. Larry Page cuts Wallet card from Google IO May 10th 2013, 14:35 Don't start chopping up those bank cards just yet – it looks like Google won't be announcing its physical credit card at Google I/O after all. The "Google Wallet card" has been rumoured for a few months, and its existence was somewhat confirmed when some details were spotted in Google's very own Wallet app. It was also said to be one of the big reveals at I/O next week, but CEO Larry Page has reportedly killed such plans after a demonstration last week didn't quite go as smoothly as hoped. Say it ain't so, Larry Google will, however, bring some new additions to its Wallet service, updating its rewards, offers and loyalty points program. The lack of support for the NFC payments could be one of Page's concerns as it's a problem limiting the reach of Google Wallet right now. Of course, Wallet also allows Google to collect more user information, including spending habits, so privacy pundits are likely to be just as concerned about the device. We've contacted Google to confirm this and will update when we know more. Related Stories Updated: Best Optus phone: 5 we recommend Nokia Lumia 928 gets official, heading to the US on Verizon May 10th 2013, 14:10 The Nokia Lumia 928 has made its official debut, bringing Windows Phone 8 and souped-up camera capabilities to Verizon. It comes as literally no surprise to anyone after Nokia's own adverts pipped the announcement to the post. The Nokia Lumia 928 pushes Nokia's PureView camera tech, offering image stabilisation that Nokia promises makes the handset top of the low-light shooting pops. There's a Carl Zeiss lens and xenon flash on board too, which Nokia thinks means "you can leave your digital SLR at home" - we'll reserve judgement til we take a few of our own snaps on it though. Luminescent Other nifty features on the Lumia 928 include a 4.5-inch OLED display replete with Gorilla Glass right to the edges of the handset, built-in wireless charging (which requires a peripheral), Nokia Here for mapping and Nokia Music. The Lumia 928 is running Windows Phone 8 and will run on Verizon's 4G LTE network - it's also rocking a tri-microphone set-up for high quality audio recording up to 140db. If all that sounds good to you, you can pick the handset up direct from Verizon from May 16 - if you buy it soon as, you'll also get a $25 credit to use in the Windows Phone Marketplace. No word on the Lumia 928 coming to other countries as yet, nor any inkling on price. Related Stories Google Nexus 5 imminent as UK retailers retire Nexus 4? Huawei founder denies Chinese military connections in rare interview Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on the next Xbox and our always-on future Galaxy S4 leaks abound as Active and Zoom variants pop up again Opinion: Mobile phones for kids? You silly billies! Opinion: Mobile phones for kids? You silly billies! May 10th 2013, 12:25 The 1stFone couldn't be more different to the iPhone 5, HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4: it doesn't run apps, it can't connect to the internet and it doesn't really do anything other than make and receive calls. The manufacturers call it "the dumbphone for smart parents", and I'm completely baffled by it. I'm not baffled by it because it's complicated. It isn't. The 1stFone is a super-simple mobile phone for children that stores up to 12 speed dial numbers and (optionally) can call 999 in case of emergency. There's no texting, no internet, no apps. The child can call the numbers and you can call the child, and that's it. What baffles me is who on Earth might want to buy it. The 1stFone is aimed at four- to nine-year-olds, and that immediately raises two questions. One, what self-respecting nine-year-old will want to be seen with a 1stFone? And two, who the hell gives phones to four-year-olds? Grown-up concerns I can see why you might want your nine-year-old to have a mobile: at that age children are often fiercely independent, so giving them a mobile would provide both parental peace of mind and the ability to yell dire threats at your offspring when they don't come back on time. I don't think the 1stFone is that phone, though. It's £55, and a Nokia 100 is currently £7.95 on Pay As You Go. Programming a Nokia's speed dial is hardly a major undertaking, the 100 is almost as basic as a 1stFone, and it looks a lot more grown-up too. As for four-year-olds, I really don't get it. I wouldn't dream of giving my five-year-old daughter a phone. That isn't because the government guidelines advise against mobiles for children. It's because I can't imagine any circumstances in which my daughter would need one. If she's not with us, she's supervised by responsible adults - and those adults can use their phones to get me if they need to. If you think your four-year-old child needs a panic button, you need to seriously rethink your childcare arrangements. The 1stFone is pitched as a safety device, a phone whose basic functionality eliminates the risks of children experiencing sexting and cyberbullying, phone-related muggings or stumbling across online filth or gore. But you don't need a 1stFone for that: you need a NoPhone. When your child asks if they can have a phone, you say "no". Related Stories Google Nexus 5 imminent as UK retailers retire Nexus 4? Huawei founder denies Chinese military connections in rare interview Nokia Lumia 928 gets official, heading to the US on Verizon Interview: Cliff Bleszinski on the next Xbox and our always-on future Galaxy S4 leaks abound as Active and Zoom variants pop up again

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