| Motorola XT1055 leaks and world screams 'X Phone!' May 2nd 2013, 11:16 
A handset going by the model number XT1055 has popped up on a benchmarking app, leading people to believe it could relate to the new Motorola flagship smartphone. Spotted on the Antutu Android app by Japanese site Rbmen, the XT1055 apparently runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean while packing a juicy 1.7GHz quad-core processor. The Motorola name isn't actually attached to the benchmark results, but the XT extension has been used by the now Google-owned manufacturer on previous handsets - the XT9825 is better known as the Razr HD, while the XT890 is the Intel-powered Razr i for example. Born in the USAAccording to the benchmark app the handset is question was tested in the States, although you should take all this with a pinch of salt as results can be faked. There's been a lot of talk surrounding Motorola's next big handset, especially now it's owned by Google and talk of a "X Phone" seems to suggest we'll see something later in the year. The annual Google IO conference takes place in a couple of weeks where there is a chance we'll see a new flagship smartphone bearing the search giant's brand there, but we're going to have to wait and see.     |  | Blip: Jelly Bean now bigger than Ice Cream Sandwich, Gingerbread still dominant May 2nd 2013, 10:19 
Manufacturers are finally getting their heads around the idea of updating devices to the latest version of Android as Jelly Bean overtakes Ice Cream Sandwich for the first time. In the 14 days leading up to May 1 Jelly Bean found itself on 28.4 per cent of devices worldwide, while Android 4.0 accounted for 27.5 per cent. However the firm leader is still the ageing Android Gingerbread platform - also known as Android 2.3 - which happily sits on 38.5 per cent of phones globally. More blips!Has all this food-related tech left you hungry for more bite-size portions of awesome? Luckily there's plenty more where that came from, so grab a spoon and dig in.     | | Apple and Samsung to bring smartphone war to Pentagon May 2nd 2013, 10:17 
The iPhone and some Samsung Galaxy devices may be about to get some Pentagon love as the US Department of Defense is expected to grant security approvals, allowing the US military to purchase them. This would allow several government agencies to use Samsung Galaxy smartphones running on "Knox", as well as iPhones and iPads running the latest iOS. It's unlikely to have a big immediate effect on global sales, but the security endoresement will still be a big win for Samsung and Apple. BlackBerry has been Pentagon-approved for a long time, and currently 470,000 of the Pentagon's 600,000 smartphone owners use the BlackBerry device. The Apple and Android devices are typically used to run test programmes. But the approval could spell bad news for BlackBerry, which has prided itself on its image as being the go-to security device. Secure network"We are working towards establishing a multi-vendor environment that supports a variety of devices and operating systems, to include Samsung, Apple and BlackBerry," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Damien Pickart told Reuters. "A key objective of the plan is to establish a department-wide mobile enterprise solution that permits the use of the latest commercial technology such as smartphones and tablets." A full review for the devices is expected in May. This will include the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPad and iPad mini.     | | Light at the end of the tunnel: One to revitalise HTC's bank account May 2nd 2013, 09:37 
We crowned the HTC One the best phone in the world today, so it's no surprise that HTC is banking on the handset to turn its financial frown upside down. Component supply woes meant that the handset launched in too few territories to make any impact on the company's income for the first quarter, with revenue of $1.45 billion (£932m / AU$1.4bn) a shadow of the same period in 2012. But HTC, which has now released its official figures, says it expects to see a leap in money-making over the course of the current quarter - it expects to bring in $2.4 billion (£1.5bn / AU$2.3bn) over the course of April to June. HTC One BillionThat's a lot of pressure to put on the HTC One which has been dogged by supply issues (as has its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy S4). Peter Chou, HTC's CEO, described the less-than-stellar first quarter as a "pivotal" one and added that cash flow is not a problem for the company despite these results. He also confirmed that HTC will continue to make Windows Phone handsets for the foreseeable future.     | | Samsung Galaxy Note 3 specs leak, hints at eight-core beast May 2nd 2013, 09:03 
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is set to be the most powerful smartphone in the world if the latest set of leaked specifications are to be believed. Details of the supposed Galaxy Note 3 have appeared over at SamMobile, who claims that its "trusted inside sources" have let slip on some key specs - and the site does have a decent record when it comes to Samsung leaks. According to the report the Galaxy Note 3 will arrive packing a punchy octa-core processor, eight-core GPU and a healthy 3GB of RAM. It will also apparently run an upgraded version of Android Jelly Bean, the rumoured 4.3 update, which could appear at Google IO this month instead of Key Lime Pie. My Note is bigger than your NoteThe screen size debate continues to take numerous twists and turns and the latest suggestion is the Galaxy Note 3 will rock up with a 5.99-inch Full HD display, plus a 13MP camera round the back. In terms of design the sources reckon the Note 3 will look similar to the Samsung Galaxy Mega, only with a thinner bezel. We heard yesterday that Samsung was still mulling three different design options - one of them with a flexible display - so it doesn't seem to be cut and dry just yet. When the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was launched in September last year it took the crown as the world's most powerful smartphone and the Korean firm could well on track to repeat the trick this time around. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launch is expected to take place towards the end of August/ the start of September to co-inside with IFA 2013 in Berlin, so keep your eyes peeled for then.     | | Telstra now sending warning SMS for every 20MB of data used overseas May 2nd 2013, 05:25 
Telstra has finally made motions to try and prevent some of the horrendous bill shock received from downloading data on your mobile phone while overseas. The telco has just introduced a new system that will send global roamers an SMS message every time they use 20MB of data while travelling internationally. Telstra has announced it will do this automatically, to help try and restrict the number of customers who return home to astronomical bills. Cheaper prepaid roaming plansOf course, with the rate that roaming data is charged at, it's still better to switch off data roaming altogether when travelling overseas. At Telstra's going rate of 1.5 cents per kilobyte, each 20MB SMS tier still equates to around $300. The telco has tried to ease this by introducing slightly improved pre-paid global roaming rates for travellers who can't live without data. Roaming data packs start at $29 for 20MB of data, and range up to a whopping $1800 for 2GB. The new packs are now available in more countries too, from 25 locations to 50. While $29 is significantly cheaper than $300 though, you're still better off picking up an international SIM card or relying exclusively on Wi-Fi for your international data needs.     | | Kogan claims victory in court case against mobile wholesaler ISPOne May 2nd 2013, 01:08 
Kogan had big plans when it launched its Kogan mobile network using Telstra's infrastructure last year. But after roughly 600 customers were kicked off the network for apparently violating the fair use policy of the "unlimited" plans, Kogan took its wholesaler to court to get things sorted. Yesterday, ISPOne pulled out of proceedings, ultimately giving Kogan the champion's belt and bragging rights. The decision means that Kogan customers will no longer be cut off by ISPOne without Kogan's approval. Still covered in crapThe official statement from Kogan gave some slight indication of the toll of the courtcase on Kogan's plans in the mobile space. "We entered the telecommunications industry to shake things up, and make mobile access more affordable for all Australians. We knew this would ruffle a few feathers in the industry, but we never expected it to end up in Court. "Today's victory means that Kogan Mobile customers can rest assured that their services will not be unlawfully interfered with by the wholesaler. Australians can trust Kogan Mobile to continue to provide the best deals in the market. We're glad the right result was reached, and that the truth about the last few months is now abundantly clear," the statement said. But more eleoquent was Ruslan Kogan himself, who succintly summed up the lawsuit on Twitter: "Kogan's goal is to make technology more affordable. The problem with a shitfight is that even when you win you're still covered in shit," he tweeted.     | | Apple takes a gamble on delays to overhaul iOS 7 May 1st 2013, 14:58 
Apple's iOS 7 could be 'delayed' as the company gives Sir Jonathan Ive time and space to completely overhaul the mobile OS. People 'with knowledge of the matter' told Bloomberg that while Apple is still aiming to reveal iOS 7 at WWDC 2013 and launch it with the new iPhone in September, it has set internal deadlines later than for previous versions. What's more, workers from the Mac team have been drafted in to help finish work on iOS 7 in time for a WWDC 2013 preview. Flat packWe've already heard that Ive has been hard at work clearing all the skeuomorphism out of the software (all the app icons and design elements that take their cues from real-world objects, like the bookshelves in iBooks and the notepaper in Notes). Bloomberg's chatty sources added that Ive is also looking at major changes to the email and calendar apps, and fostering new working relationships between the soft- and hardware divisions at Apple. Synergy! The new design direction is said to be flat as a pancake, meaning clean lines, vectors, gloss-free colours and an altogether more Windows Phone-esque look. Delays are one thing but Apple can hardly afford another iOS disaster like iOS Maps, which launched alongside iOS 6 to the disdain of every iPhone user in the world. Hence why Ive is reportedly 'methodically reviewing new designs' himself.     | | Lasoo app update includes crowdsourced bargains May 1st 2013, 01:35 
Aussie price comparison site Lasoo has updated its iOS app to include a way to share the bargains its users find. Dubbed Lasoo.it, the new feature lets users photograph and price an item in store, plus scan its barcode to match it with the same product located by other users in the network and identify the location with the cheapest price or stores with value-adding bonuses. Currently the update is only on iOS, but Android and Windows Phone versions are on the way. Richer shopping experienceIt's not just about price matching either, according to Lasoo's Daniel Salter. "We also see it as a way for consumers to find out more information about the products they are purchasing," says Salter, describing how Lasoo app users can modify its database of products with additional information about a product, or create a new database entry if a product doesn't exist already. Having users scan products will also help Lasoo assess what is popular amongst shoppers, and it will dedicate a new section of the app to the most scanned items. This new fucntionality will sit alongside the tools from previous versions, including an extensive list of current catalogues from many of the major Australian retailers.   | |
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