| Blip: JJ Abrams hates your smartphone Jun 10th 2013, 12:14 
Although he is probably a fan of the communicator, Star Trek and Star Wars director JJ Abrams is not especially happy with the impact of the humble smartphone. "When you go out, you might as well be in the office, because [you have your mobile] phone," he said. "This technology connects you with everyone you are not with, and disconnects you from everyone you are with." He's obviously had a bad experience in a cinema... More blips!We'll only give you more of our award winning* blips if you promise not to disconnect from those you are with....     |  | Sony Xperia ZU could be phablet formerly known as Togari Jun 10th 2013, 11:36 
The Sony Xperia ZU may be the official name for the much rumoured, super-sized handset Togari. Apparently VR-Zone is in the position to exclusively reveal the name of Sony's next handset, along with a Xperia ZU release date of June 25. Now Sony does have an event planned in Germany on that date and while details on this are thin on the ground sources have claimed the Japanese firm will use this forum to unveil its gigantic smartphone. How big can you go?The Xperia ZU is tipped to pack an eye-popping, palm-stretching 6.44-inch full HD screen which the sources also reckon will feature Sony's fancy new Triluminos display tech which already appears on some of the firm's TVs and laptops. Water-resistant could also be present on the Xperia ZU, while under the hood the report suggests it will pack a meaty 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. We've contacted Sony to find out more information about the Xperia ZU and its event in Germany, although it's not really making a big deal of the German date which would suggest we may not see any new hardware after all.     | | iOS 7 to shake up photo sharing, iRadio confirmed? Jun 10th 2013, 11:15 
With just hours to go until the big WWDC event, speculation about what Apple's iOS 7 has in store is understandably at fever pitch. While we think we may have had a glimpse at the anticipated new flat design, the Wall Street Journal is reporting a few new tidbits of information to add to the pot. The new iOS will reported to bring "new ways to share photos and videos with other iPhone users" which would corroborate AirDrop integration, which will bring integrated sharing between Apple devices; not just iPhones but also iPads and Macs too. The WSJ is also backing rumours of iRadio making its debut, adding that the Apple will announce the "long-expected streaming-music service", which it claims will be supported by Apple's iAd service and feature a "Buy" button for downloads. Gruber says 'hold the iPhone'According to prominent Apple blogger John Gruber, however, we might want to be a bit cautious about the leaked iOS information we've been picking up until now. Speaking on this week's episode of The Talk Show podcast, he claimed that "all the leaks are wrong" regarding iOS 7 so far. He also claimed that Apple's Jonathan Ive-developed OS overhaul will be "polarizing" according to what he's heard from friends in the know. Gruber's words came before the WSJ report, and there's no way of knowing if he was talking about the actual pictures we've seen or the more general rumours about iOS 7 dropping the skeumorphic design. The upshot? It's all still to play for. We'll know for sure in a few hours.     | | Apple, Xbox One and PS4 all make it a Magnificent Monday Jun 10th 2013, 11:02 
A few times a year we are lucky enough to get a night in tech that make everybody sit up and notice - traditionally they include Apple's iPhone and iPad launches and Samsung's Galaxy S announcements. But on this Magnificent Monday we are getting not two but three major reveals from a triumvirate of the world's tech leviathans, and we couldn't be more excited. In the San Francisco corner of this tech super slam is Apple - its WWDC 2013 keynote promises some major announcements. It kicks off at 10am PT / 6pm BST / 3am AEST. Not only are we expecting to see the latest version of its operating system for iPhone and iPad, a redesigned and overhauled iOS 7, we also expect a look at Mac's OS X update, OS X 10.9, and potentially new Macbook Pros and Mac Pros. 
But the headliner may well prove to be a new service - with the much vaunted iRadio arriving to bring's Apple's music offering into an era where Spotify and Pandora have begun to eat into the old hand iTunes. - Keep up with all the WWDC 2013 announcements from Apple
Even as Apple is announcing its latest kit, the tech world's attention will be flitting over to Las Vegas and the E3 2013 keynote from Microsoft which kicks off at 9.30am PT / 5.30pm BST / 2.30am AEST. We're hoping the event will reveal much, much more about what the Xbox One will be bringing to our living rooms. 
The focus, after what can only be described as vitriolic response to the tech- and services-heavy Xbox One reveal, will thankfully be on gaming and what titles will be vying to attract the world to the Microsoft gaming world. - Read all the latest on the Xbox One E3 announcements, or check out everything we know about Xbox One
A few hours later at 6pm PT / 2am BST / 11am AEST, we'll see what Sony has got up its sleeve as we get our first proper glimpse at the PS4. In what proved to be the complete opposite of Microsoft's approach, Sony gave us a lot of gaming glimpses when it announced the PS4 but very little hardware. 
In fact, in what has to be one of the most bizarre steps in recent tech history, Sony decided to keep the actual console out of sight, showing us the controller but not the box that will be sat under our television. Poor old Nintendo's Wii U will not be a part of Magnificent Monday, so we will not get the chance to compare all three of the big guns, but given the lack of impact from the Japanese giant's latest offering it's probably better that its on its own on Tepid Tech Tuesday where at least it gets a chance to have an impact. With a bit of luck this will be a date that offers up some new innovations that will still be meaningful in the tech world in five year's time. Until the announcements are made we're not really going to know which of Magnificent Monday's big three bags itself the most headlines, but the anticipation is a big part of the fun.     | | Is this the ugly Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom in the actual flesh? Jun 10th 2013, 10:09 
Over the weekend a press image appeared online claiming to depict the much rumoured Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, and now further photos apparently showing the device in the flesh have surfaced. The folks over at TechTastic reckon they've got their hands on "real" pictures of the Galaxy S4 Zoom, although it's not clear where these images came from - and that raises our suspicions slightly. Unfortunately the Galaxy S4 Zoom hasn't got any prettier in this latest set of leaked pictures, with the clumsy "phone stuck on a camera" look still prevailing and making us, quite frankly, feel a little bit squiffy. Un-spec-tacularA range of specs also arrived alongside the dodgy shots, and it's claimed that the Galaxy S4 Zoom will feature a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display, 1.6GHz dual-core processor, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and GPS. 
It'll also supposedly pack 8GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot so you won't need to worry about running out of space as you snap away with the 16MP camera, featuring an optical zoom, bolted onto the rear of the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Lastly it apparently comes running the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, 4.2.2, with the customary Samsung TouchWiz overlay applied on top. Samsung hasn't officially announced the Galaxy S4 Zoom, but it's probably just a matter of time considering the recent unveiling of the Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy S4 Active - so watch this space.     | | Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 launches as an S3 / S4 mashup Jun 10th 2013, 09:50 
Samsung's slipped yet another member of the Galaxy family our way, the Galaxy Ace 3, which lands exactly as we expected it to and in both 3G and 4G LTE forms. The 4-inch 480 x 800 display is your first hint that this is pretty entry-level as far as Samsung handsets go. The phone will be running on a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. The handset's 5MP camera is accompanied by an LED flash, with Samsung also packing in a load of nifty new features, including S Translator and S Travel, which provide translations and travel information wherever you are. Obviously. It's also nabbed the Smart Stay feature of the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is intended to help extend the life of the battery by monitoring your eyes and shutting off the display when you look away. Aces highDimensions-wise, the Ace 3 comes in at 10mm thick and weighing 119.5g, with a 1800mAh Lithium-Ion battery under the hood. And good news for OS-fans: the Galaxy Ace 3 is running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. However, there's only 8GB of storage, and Watchdog-fearful Samsung tells us that of that space only 5GB is user-accessible. The good news is this is expandable up to 64GB via microSD. Samsung hasn't confirmed anything on date or price, but we expect to find out more at its June 20 launch event.     | | iOS 7 'screenshot' pops up after sneaky beta preview Jun 10th 2013, 08:46 
OK, before we go any further: the screenshot below apparently showing iOS 7 is a mock-up based on a beta preview shown to the guys over at 9to5Mac. The Apple-centric site claims it's managed to cast its eyes over an early release of the Cupertino firm's next iteration of its mobile platform and although it couldn't post screens from the actual handset, it has got to work in PhotoShop. If the mock-up it's produced is to be believed then there are going to be some quite clear design changes appearing in iOS 7, with a cleaner font and icon tiles which have both lost their shadow effects in a bid for a simplistic finish. iPhone me
As you can tell from the screenshot it looks like a beta iOS 7 demo was running on an iPhone, and the signal bar appears to have been changed to five dots while the likes of Wi-Fi, service provider and battery status seem to be pretty much the same. A number of Apple's stock apps have been given an icon design overhaul as well, with less detail in the likes of Safari and Camera, while Photos and Game Center appear to be receiving a completely new look. We can't be sure how accurate the mock-up is and it's worth noting that this is apparently based on a beta of the iOS 7 software, so various designs could change between this and the final version. Luckily we don't have long to wait to find out if it's on the money, as Apple's annual WWDC event gets underway later today where we expect to see Tim Cook and Jonny Ive announce iOS 7 in San Francisco.     | | New notifications centre reportedly spotted in Windows Phone build Jun 9th 2013, 21:19 
Microsoft may be preparing to add a notifications centre feature to a forthcoming Windows Phone update, judging by a test build of the OS which has reportedly broken free. A Reddit user claimed to have purchased a Nokia Lumia 920 handset from eBay containing an internal, unreleased version of the software that may be the first look at the Windows Phone Blue update. The screenshots captured by the Lumia owner show the notification centre, the ability to organise apps into a 'most used' category, as well as a newly-modified calendar app that shows a weekly view. It also looks like Microsoft is testing an improvement to Windows Phone multitasking, allowing users to close down apps by hitting a cross when swiping through the apps in use. Feeling Blue?It's entirely possible that this handset features a host of test apps that may go no further, but Microsoft has been plotting a notifications portal for some time, saying it 'ran out of time' to get it done before WP8. Windows Phone Blue, an update expected later this year, would be the most likely time to introduce the feature perhaps the Reddit user has his hands on an early build of the software. Naturally, Microsoft has declined to comment on the 'rumour and speculation.'     | | Google reportedly maps a route to beat Facebook to Waze app purchase Jun 9th 2013, 18:58 
Google is close to agreeing a billion dollar deal to buy the popular navigation app Waze, according to reports this weekend. The Globes business newspaper, in the start-up's home country of Israel, claimed that Google has beaten out competition from Facebook with an offer of around $1.3 billion (around UK£0.84, AUD$1.36). Waze is a community-sourced app, with users uploading real-time traffic, accident, police presence and gas price information, while maps themselves are also edited by groups of users. The company reportedly rejected a takeover offer from Apple to assist its Apple Maps platform, before Google and Facebook revealed their interest. BoostIt was thought that Facebook had a deal in place to buy the Waze back in May, but talks fell through according to recent reports. If a deal is completed, it'll allow Google to boost its own market-leading turn-by-turn navigation services, while also eliminating one of its only real competitors. So far Google has declined to comment on the reports, so we'll wait for the official word.     | |
No comments:
Post a Comment