| iOS 7 will run steamroller over older apps Jun 21st 2013, 11:45 
Turns out that iOS 7 appears to be pretty intent on keeping everything on screen as flat as possible, as Apple looks to clean out any dimensional attributes. The folks over at 9to5mac have noticed some of their iOS 6 app icons lacking a distinctive level of depth on the beta version of the new software. According to the site iOS 7 appears to automatically remove the gloss which Apple used to apply to app icons in previous versions in an attempt to make them fit in better with the redesign. Icon changeSome apps are also appearing with different icons on iOS 7, although their version is the same as iOS 6 - meaning that the data itself is the same. It turns out that iOS 7 now looks in multiple locations for the app icon, and it's able to pull through the image used within the app store to use as the icon onscreen, as well as assigned app icon image which the developer will have set. Two apps which 9to5Mac found to be influenced by this new feature were Sleep Cycle and Dunkin' Donuts, but do let us know if you spot any others. We're pretty sure most developers will look to redesign their app icons to fit in with the new iOS 7 colour scheme and flat style, but until then Apple is doing its best to create a unified look on its shiny new platform.     |  | HTC CEO: 'There's no need to freak out' Jun 21st 2013, 10:56 
The recent spate of resignations coupled with supply issues to its flagship HTC One smartphone has rocked the boat over at the Taiwanese firm, but its chief doesn't think it's at panic stations just yet. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, HTC CEO Peter Chou explained that the company is doing just fine and the departure of some key executives is just part of normal business practice. "Some people have left, but many others have stayed, so I don't think it's a problem. There's no need to freak out just because a few people have left," he said. Hands on, hands offChou admitted that he should have been a little more hands on in terms of marketing before recruiting a new department head, while the firm needs to plan better in the future to avoid the delays experienced this year. He says that it's a trial and error system and it gets better every time a new handset is launched. "Over time, when we do this many times, we will be more capable on how to manage and balance working on the new things and the execution," said Chou. Marketing pushWhen it comes to marketing Chou is under no illusion that HTC is some way off the level which Samsung and Apple operate at - and while those dizzying heights of branding anything which stays still long enough are not quite within its budget, the Taiwanese firm is looking to ramp up its exposure. Chou revealed: "We've been working a long time to really understand what it takes for us to build a brand," and HTC is doubling its marketing spend for 2013 to help strengthen its name. The HTC One is selling well and so it should as it's currently TechRadar's best phone in the world today, but HTC needs to continue to churn out top handsets across the board if its to change the minds of its doubters. Or perhaps Iron Man himself is all the Taiwanese firm needs.     | | Blip: Iron Man may become HTC's powerful new alloy Jun 21st 2013, 10:29 
Iron Man might be about to downgrade to aluminium as Robert Downey JR is reportedly set to become the new face of HTC phones. Downey Jr will have "final say over creative elements", according to Bloomberg, and he'll be pocketing a cool $12 million (about £7.75m, AU$13m) to be seen holding HTC phones in the advertising campaign. We expect plenty of jibes from the rest of the Avengers team in the forthcoming sequels which Downey Jr has just confirmed he'll be returning for. More blips!Fancy some more bite sized news? Check out more of our blips.     | | iPhone 5S snapped with dual-LED flash? Jun 21st 2013, 09:34 
This could be the closest we've got to the iPhone 5S yet. Some new pictures of the device have apparently been handed over showing the device flaunting a particularly notable new feature. The exterior picture shows a handset almost identical to the iPhone 5, except with a vertical shaped window at the top that looks very much like a dual-LED flash. The only other difference to spot is the bigger 5.92 Whr battery, compared to the 5.45 Whr in the iPhone 5. FlashdanceMacRumours points out that the "1243" code on the bottom of the main chip signifies that this was manufactured in October 2012, which is quite early. It's therefore unclear as to whether this is a prototype or the final product. The internal layout isn't anything to get excited about beyond that and we can't tell if this will be running the iPhone 5's A6 chip. However, we're not too surprised to see Apple following its usual routine of keeping to small tweaks for its S version phones. We're expecting the iPhone 5S to touch down later this year alongside the cheaper iPhone that we're now hearing might not be so cheap after all.     | | QuickRadar: Video: Are we being cheated by phone manufacturers? Jun 21st 2013, 09:08 
Welcome to QuickRadar, where we at TechRadar take the opportunity to let our hair down and discuss hot topics in the world of tech. This week our phones and tablets team are asking, are we being cheated by phone manufacturers? We're seeing more and more handsets launching with varying features in different parts of the world, and for some of us at least that really grinds our gears. Why does the HTC One get microSD support in Japan? Why isn't the Sony Xperia Z water-resistant in the States? Why don't we all get treated to the octa-core Samsung Galaxy S4? 
Should we be annoyed at phone companies, or does it simply not matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-Cv1QE_PEMore QuickRadar!    | | Interview: Smartphones are a weak link in security Jun 21st 2013, 07:00 
Steve Durbin says that smartphones are posing one of the biggest risks to business's information security, and it's the smaller firms that are finding it hardest to cope with the threat. The Global Vice President of the Information Security Forum (ISF), the international body on cyber security and information risk management, says the threats are increasing, and that companies need to adopt some appropriate management policies to keep themselves from becoming victims of the trend. "We're seeing an increase in malicious software targeting the mobile environment," he says in an interview with TRPro. "There are millions of new variants of malware coming out every month. A lot of malware loaded into machines stays unfound for an average of eight or nine months. "You have to be mindful of the fact that from a mobile environment, particularly Android, you could be susceptible." Apple assuranceDurbin says that apps developed for Google's mobile operating system is more likely to pose a threat as it comes through an unregulated market. He has more confidence in iPhone apps as Apple works collaboratively with its developers and provides more quality assurance. Windows Phone is more of an unknown quantity, because the ISF has so far had little feedback on its use. The problems are exacerbated by the lack of any simple security software for smartphones; and even if it was widely available he has doubts about how widely it would be used. "There are two challenges with software, particularly on smartphones," he says. "One is that it slows down the device. They were designed as consumer devices and we're now using them as work products. It can also produce a battery drain. 
"We are starting to see some developments from manufacturers; for example, BlackBerry now allows you to run two profiles on the phone, work and private. But there's always a reluctance on a consumer device to keep logging in; people expect them to be easy to use and that's part of the problem. "The other is usability. Unless it's completely intuitive – and it's not going to be because you're creating something that sits on top of the device – people will find ways around it." Small firm threatThe increasing use of mobile devices for work is making this an issue for an increasing number of companies, and Durbin points out that the small firms are unlikely to have security specialists, or even full-time IT staff, to help them deal with it. "This will leave you exposed if you don't follow some relatively simple steps," he says. His starting point is to think about how much information held by the company could be damaging if it fell into the wrong hands. In most cases this will not exceed 15-20%, but this is what needs the policies and procedures to ensure it is protected. Then look at the mobile devices. "You need to think about the ownership of these things," he says. "Will you allow them to bring their own devices to connect to your systems, or will you bring them the tools to do that? "If they bring their own devices you need some form of policy in place so people understand what they can and cannot do in terms of mixing private and work information. You will need an agreement on if they are storing information on the device you will be able to remotely wipe it if things go badly wrong; and you will need to decide the level of protection you will put on the devices. " This comes with the need to define and communicate the policies, make them realistic, try to relate them to what people do outside of work, and if possible tie them to additional benefits. But he fears that it's beyond the capabilities of many small companies, especially if it involves any significant spending. They may acknowledge the risk of losing information, but they will see more immediate benefits in spending money on equipment or services that support their day-to-day operations. "That's the sort of decision small businesses have to make on a daily basis," he says. "Unless they are dealing with information that really has to be securely held they are going to go for the option that enables them to focus on their core business." Durbin is more sanguine about cloud, despite an acknowledgement that it doesn't always come with a high level of security. He says that companies generally know that they get what they pay for, whether it's an inexpensive option with minimal safeguards or a full service in which the provider manages all aspects of the data security. Wi-Fi usageHe is also quite relaxed about the use of public Wi-Fi, arguing that there are some people who have no choice but to make frequent use of the wireless available in cafés, hotels and airports. "It comes back to thinking about the information you're transmitting, so what you can say is 'Don't access these particular corporate applications from Wi-Fi'," he says. In all these cases the risk cannot be completely eliminated, and Durbin says the best approach is to set out guidelines for acceptable risk and ensure that everybody complies. And he winds up by reiterating his warnings about mobile technology. "The most important point is think about the information you want to protect and use that as the starting point, rather than getting excited about everyone having a new iPhone or iPad."     | | Did the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Snapdragon 800 get snapped by a blogger? Jun 21st 2013, 06:20 
A possible Samsung Galaxy S4 powered by the Snapdragon 800 processor has had the rumour mills running hot since yesterday, and now a photograph of an S4 look-a-like has popped up on the same day as the Samsung Premier 2013 event. Photographed by micro-blogger Palm, Slashgear believes it could very well be Samsung's Snapdragon 800 iteration of its S4 because of the physical similarities, including its button placing and wallpaper set. The phone is shown to be in a casing, which Samsung has used previously on unreleased phones. Timing and coincidences aside, it's probably best to take this photograph with a helping of salt without any sort of official announcements or confirmations on if the phone even exists. 
Snapdragon realityEarlier we reported another clue to signify a possible S4 variant in the form of a user manual. As an unlikely clue, the online manual for a South Korean device known as the SHV-E330S shows that it has Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 800 processor. If this device ends up being an S4 variant, it would support LTE-advanced, 2.3GHz quad-core processing and Adreno 330 graphics, with the possibility of 4K video output. With so little known about Samsung's plans for the phone, if an S4 variant did become a reality, it might not even be released in the West.     | | Updated: 4G and LTE: everything you need to know Jun 21st 2013, 04:00 
IntroductionLTE has quickly gone from a pipedream to an everyday feature in Australia. Roughly 18 months since Telstra flicked the switch, Optus rolled out its own 4G network. Vodafone has joined the 4G party as well, switching on its LTE network for customers in June 2013. But what exactly is 4G? How do you get it? How is it different between networks? And is it worth the money? This is TechRadar's ultimate guide to 4G in Australia. What is 4G?Simply put, 4G stands for 4th generation. It's the fourth major technology in mobile telecommunications, and delivers faster data speeds than the 3G technologies it's replacing. Confusingly, 4G can refer to two different technologies - WiMax and LTE. In Australia though, it's almost exclusively used to refer to LTE, or what's known as Long Term Evolution. Australia did have a WiMax operator in the form of Vividwireless, right up until the point they were bought out by Optus in early 2012. Optus is now using the spectrum gained through the acquisition to enhance its own LTE network, meaning that WiMax is, for all intends and purposes, obsolete in Australia. Like previous generations of mobile technology 4G LTE works across a number of different frequencies depending on where you are in the world. In Australia, the current LTE networks use the 1800MHz spectrum. That said, Optus has also rolled a 2300MHz network in Canberra, while both Telstra and Optus will be launching services on the 700MHz thanks to wins in the digital dividend auction. When Apple launched the new iPad and claimed it offered 4G, it was only available on the 700MHz and 2100MHz spectrums. Because no Australian carrier offers those frequencies for LTE, the ACCC took Apple to task, forcing them to change the name to "Wi-Fi + Cellular". The good news is that Apple learnt its lesson from the experience, with both the iPad 4 and iPad mini launching with support for LTE in Australia. Telstra 4GAustralia's largest telco was the first to jump on the LTE train, launching its first services in October 2011. Initially only available to customers who purchased 4G dongles on 24 month contracts, the network immediately impressed pundits across the country for its speed. The Telstra LTE network uses the 1800MHz spectrum. Previously, this network was used to transmit 2G services, but with the rise of 3G-enabled devices, demand for 2G dropped enough that Telstra was able to repurpose the network for 4G. That said, earlier this year Telstra announced it would expand its LTE network using the 900MHz frequency for greater regional coverage. Telstra claims its LTE network delivers download speeds between 2Mbps and 40Mbps, while upload speeds between 1Mbps and 10Mbps. In the real world, those lofty numbers will elude you, although we've regularly experienced speeds upwards of 20Mbps. In Perth, where Telstra has access to a bit more spectrum, Telstra plans on rolling out 20MHz services that promise even faster speeds later in 2013. Perhaps the most surprising part of Telstra's 4G rollout is the fact that it doesn't charge any extra for the service. If you have a 4G-enabled device that supports the 1800MHz spectrum for LTE, you will automatically connect when you hit the coverage area. Speaking of coverage, Telstra makes a big deal out of the fact its LTE network already hits 40 per cent of the population. It's also announced plans to expand that to about 66 per cent by the middle of 2013. That said, Telstra isn't looking to retire NextG just yet, the the HSPA+ network still delivering high speed services to 99 per cent of the population. Getting connected
Telstra offers a couple of dongle options for connecting PCs and wireless devices to its 4G network. There's a USB dongle, and a wireless dongle, which takes the LTE signal and converts it to a wireless hotspot for multiple devices to connect to. Telstra also offers a collection of 4G-nabled handsets to purchase on a contract or outright. In addition to the much-publicised iPhone 5, Telstra also sells a 4G version of the Samsung Galaxy S3, the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, BlackBerry Z10, Nokia Lumia 920 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Telstra has announced that it has already got over 1.5 million LTE-enabled devices connected to its network. That number is set to grow as more and more 4G networks hit Australia over the coming 12 months. Optus 4GOptus has been driving excitement for its 4G network for a while, previewing a demo of an LTE network to media early in 2011. It was only in early September of 2012 that Optus officially opened its LTE network for business, despite months of trials earlier in the year. The footprint of Optus' 4G network at launch was significantly smaller than Telstra's, only available in Sydney, Perth and Newcastle. Two weeks later, Optus added Melbourne to that list, before later expanding to Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. Since then, the network has continued to expand, with Optus claiming it will reach more than half the population by the end of 2014. Optus doesn't offer a theoretical minimum or maximum speed from its LTE network, but testing shows it easily as well as Telstra's network, if not better. That could have a lot to do with fewer users being signed up to the LTE network though. Using Optus 4GAs the Optus 4G network has expanded, so too has the number of devices available to use it. Apple's iPhone 5 is Optus LTE compatible, and the network is also offering the 4G-enabled Samsung Galaxy S4. They've also got 4G handsets like the Galaxy Note II and the HTC One SV, Nokia Lumia 820, and the BlackBerry Z10, HTC One and Sony Xperia Z. Other than that, it's just a USB or wireless dongle for connecting your computing devices to the network. 
One area that Optus does boast a big advantage over its competitors is in the extra spectrum it acquired as part of Vividwireless. The telco began rolling out a TD-LTE network across Canberra in May, with plans to expand it throughout the country. The new network promises theoretical speeds of over 200Mbps and practical download speeds between 25Mbps and 87Mbps. The TD-LTE network runs on the 2.3GHz spectrum, while the rest of the network currently runs on the 1800Mhz spectrum, requiring dual-band devices. Currently, only dual-band modems are available for Optus customers, although the telco has promised dual-band smartphones by the end of the year. Vodafone 4GIt's been a rough couple of years for Vodafone, but the mobile operator is hoping that the next 12 months will see it bounce back. A big part of that is the launch of its LTE network. For a long time, Vodafone kept quiet on its plans for 4G, even going so far as to say it was waiting for the right time to launch the network, despite rolling out 4G equipment to its network towers since the start of 2011. All that hard work is finally being realised, with Vodafone progressively rolling out its LTE network across the capital cities and major metropolitan centres from June 2013 for customers, before making 4G accessible to anyone from July. Like Telstra and Optus, Vodafone is planning on using the 1800MHz spectrum for its LTE network. The advantage of this frequency for Vodafone is that it has a lot of it, courtesy of its merger with Hutchison's Three network in 2009. In an interview on with Alan Kohler from the ABC's Inside Business program, Vodafone boss Bill Morrow confirmed that the network has about 30Mhz of spectrum in the 1800MHz band it can use for 4G. Contiguous for the winDuring a recent speed test using up just 20MHz of spectrum, LTE versions of the SGS3 and HTC One were able to get download speeds around the 100Mbps mark, although admittedly without any network congestion. Vodafone hasn't announced any dedicated 4G devices just yeat, although a number of LTE enabled smartphones, like the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 can all take advantage of the new network straight out of the box. While it's still early days for Vodafone's 4G network, the company has demonstrated speeds of 150Mbps down, and hit speeds of 300Mbps in lab testing. And while it's initially restricted to postpaid customers, Vodafone is planning on launching prepaid plans for 4G by the end of the year. Virgin, Vaya and moreRichard Branson's Australian mobile network, Virgin Mobile, has also started offering 4G services. Because Virgin Mobile just packages up Optus's network and sticks its own plans over the top, it is naturally limited to Optus' network coverage map. Similarly, iiNet has announced its plans using the Optus wholesale 4G network. But while Virgin is offering the Samsung Galaxy S3 4G handset - plus the iPhone 5 - iiNet is currently sticking to mobile data in the form of a USB and wireless dongle. Other MVNOs have joined the 3G party as well, with Vaya offering 4G plans using Optus' network, while Exetel made headlines by charging a 4G premium. Amaysim has confirmed it will launch 4G plans at some stage, and most likely in 2013, although the company won't confirm a date. The 700MHz Digital Dividend spectrumIn April 2013, the government auctioned off a chunk of spectrum from the 700MHz and the 2500MHz frequency ranges. This spectrum will become available following the shut down of the Australian analogue television networks at the end of 2014. Wireless spectrum is pretty hard to come by, so there was plenty of interest in this, especially from telcos looking to beef up their LTE networks. The Digital Dividend spectrum, as it is known, offers the mobile carriers a vehicle in which they can not only expand their current wireless offerings, but also keep up with the rapid consumption of data that having a 4G network provides. It's expected that the amount of data consumed over mobile networks will rise by 300 per cent between now and the end of 2014. Making sure there's enough bandwidth for customers is one of the biggest challenges faced by mobile network operators, and this extra spectrum will go a long way to solving those problems. There were three big winners in the Digital Dividend auction. Telstra and Optus both bought up big, while ISP TPG also had a dabble, picking up 20MHz of spectrum in the 2.5Ghz range.   | | Samsung Premiere 2013 event is all about Galaxy, Ativ convergence Jun 21st 2013, 01:28 
Samsung announced the mini version of its flagship smartphone, but there was nothing small about the number of products it unveiled today in London. The Korean manufacturer finally told the world what it already knew: the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is on its way. The Galaxy S4 Mini is the 4G successor to the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. It has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display at a 960 x 540 resolution, 1.7GHz dual-core processor, and 1.5GB of RAM. While there is 8GB of internal storage, the company noted that only 5GB are actually available to use. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release date is pegged for "before the end of June" in the U.K., while availability in other markets is still unknown. The price is expected to be around the £25 per month mark, or about £300 (around $460, AU$480) SIM-free. 
More Galaxy S4 variantsSamsung also announced the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, which is more like a digital camera-fied version of the stripped-down Galaxy S4 Mini. It has a 16-megapixel camera on the back along with a 10X zoom lens, hence the name. That's great for Android phone fans who are more interested in a camera than high-end smartphone specs. Phone aficionados will want to turn their heads toward the higher-end Samsung Galaxy S4, which will now come in five new colors. Sure, the Blue Arctic, Purple Mirage, Red Aurora, Brown Autumn and Pink Twilight are a bit garish and don't have a release date yet, but where else are you going to get both pastel variety and Smart Pause. 
Samsung tablet announcementsThe other big focus of Samsung's June 20 announcement was its Ativ tablet range. The company was bending over backwards to show off its slim, transforming Samsung Ativ Q tablet-laptop hybrid that definitely fits into the post-PC era. It packs both Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean on the same device with a 13.3-inch touchscreen display and could rival the Dell XPS 11 and Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga when it launches later this year. Can't wait until that vague release date? In August, Samsung will launch its Ativ Tab 3, which the company claims to be the world's thinnest Windows 8 tablet. This wafer-thin tablet measures just 8.2mm and weighs in at only 550g. Yet it's powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 CPU chip and runs full Windows 8, not Windows RT. The Ativ Tab 3 will also come with Microsoft Office Home and Student edition, which will be perfect for anyone returning to school the next month. 
Book 'em, DannoThe Samsung Book 9 Plus, Book 9 Lite and One 5 Style all take on the more traditional PC role. The skinny on these Windows 8-running computers is that the Book 9 Plus is a 13.3-inch laptop with a touchscreen and 12 hour battery life aimed at business professionals. As you may have guessed, the Book 9 Lite is a lower-specced version of the Plus. The Samsung Ativ One 5 Style is a minimalist is look too, but this all-in-one desktop is anything but in terms of its specs. It has a 21.5-inch screen with 1920x1080-pixel-resolution, runs on an AMD A6 Quad Core Processor, has 4GB of memory and a storage capacity of up to 1TB. 
You've spilt Android on my CSC cameraProving that Android knows no bounds, Samsung is packing Google's mobile operating system into the newly announced Samsung Galaxy NX. This makes it the first compact system camera (CSC) with 4G and Android, specifically Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean in this case. In addition to its 20.3 million-pixel APS-C sized sensor and interchangeable lenses, the Galaxy NX's connectivity feature specs include WiFi and GPS to boot. Like most of the products unveiled today, Samsung didn't reveal a price for its Android-powered CSC, but it did promise a summertime launch. Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II     | | Blip: LG hosting mysterious event August 7, could it next-gen Optimus G time? Jun 21st 2013, 01:09 
It's rare we have such advanced warning for an industry happening, but LG considerately gave us a heads up today that it's planning an "international media event" in New York City on August 7. Thanks guys. We'll mark our calendars. The timing is intriguing. Wednesday the company announced that it and Qualcomm are joining forces to bestow the Snapdragon 800 inside the Optimus G's successor. It could be the Optimus G2, or new type of G altogether. We also caught wind of LG developing a phone with an always-on voice command function, a handset also said to pack the supped-up processor. More information is due in the coming weeks, but you can be sure TechRadar will be here to bring you all the latest. More blips!The world is crackling with news, and we've got all the need-to-know news nuggets for in our blip section.     | | Video on Instagram: first impressions Jun 21st 2013, 00:56 
Instagram today unveiled a chic cure to capturing and sharing videos through its iOS and Android mobile apps, one that will no doubt give Twitter pause as to what it wants to do next with Vine. Called Video on Instagram, the feature is more nuanced than its GIF-y counterpart. The Twitter-owned, 6-second video taking Vine has its merits, but Instagram's take on video comes packing a few more features and lacking loops. In videos lasting up to 15 seconds and no less than three, users can apply one of 13 filters, pick a cover photo and erase the last clip they take. Those extra nine seconds touch on what CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Systrom referred to as the Goldilocks moment: Not too short, not too long. In a way, he's right, but at the end of the day there's only so much you can do with 15 seconds. On the flip side, there's also too much you can do, so whether Instagram has really hit on the social cinema sweet spot will be subject to the test of time and users' patience. 
How it worksAvailable in version 4.0.0, Video on Instagram only captures video on devices running Jelly Bean 4.1 and up, though any device can view the videos. iOS 5 and higher is required to take videos with an Apple product. Videos are also viewable on desktop. Recording jumps off from the same block as taking a picture. Users hit the Instagram icon on the bottom of their screen, heading into the camera. However, now to the right of the blue camera button is a video camera icon. Clicking on this will take you to video mode, and a red button replaces the sapphire of simple image capture. 
From here, users need just hold down the red dot to start recording, lifting their finger off when they want to stop. You can do this as many times as you like to create a video made up of as many clips, of any length, that you want. Lines demarcate where one clip ends and another begins, something Vine doesn't do. Also unlike Vine, Instagram will let you erase the last clip you took. There's an "X" icon to the left of the record button that, when pressed, will turn red. A trashcan replaces the "X" and a press deletes the part you want to chuck. After recording, users click the green Next button to get to another Insta-only feature: filters. You can switch between filters as your video plays, or view the entire roll through one lens. The filters range from Stinson to Moon to Maven, and while you may struggle to explain what is actually different between each and every one, some do add a heightened cinematic quality to what could be a very mundane video of you talking to your dog (not that we recorded such a thing). 
Some photo-specific manipulations like flipping are gone, but we didn't miss them as we recorded today. We have no doubt Instagram has more filters and effects planned as time goes on, but 13 filters is plenty to start. After hitting another Next button, users can choose a cover frame, or a shot from the video they want posted as its public face. The process involves literally flipbooking through each shot until finding the best/most interesting/whatever image you want your followers to see. Put another way, you're not stuck with a disorienting, out-of-context first frame plastered on your profile, news feed and social networks. One final Next button will take you to the Share area, where you can add a caption choose a Photo Map, and pick to post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or send via email. There's also a Foursquare button, but it wasn't functioning for us. We'll look into it and provide an update when we know what its deal is. 
Once in the Instagram news feed, videos are marked with a video camera icon to show they're not static images. You can press them to play, but if you linger over a video long enough (a matter of a second or two) the video will automatically start playing, just like in Vine. Scrolling away causes the video to stop. As we mentioned earlier, Instagram videos don't loop like Vines but instead stop completely until you press play again. It actually felt like going from a tea party to a playground whenever we switched from Instagram to Vine. CinemaOne feature unique to iOS but that we were told "the team" is working to bring to Android is called Cinema, an image stabilization feature that's supposed to eliminate excess movement in your videos. From the way Systrom told it, Cinema is a highly involved piece of technology that video scientists helped develop, yet while we noticed less instability in our videos, it's not the all-in-one fix it Instagram talked it up to be. Shakiness is noticeably reduced when it's on, to be sure, but not so much that we would completely miss it if it were off. Cinema is automatically on, however, so you may never take an un-Cinematic iOS photo again. Oddly enough, the Cinema icon (basically a camera with lines to express movement) didn't come up when we tested Video on Instagram at home. Very early verdictWe truly enjoyed using Video on Instagram. It was, simply put, fun. All the tools are there to make what amounts to a mini movie, especially with the ability to end a clip and jump to another scene, throwing a little more creativity in with the addition of a filter. Vine has the first part, but there's a sense of more control in Instagram's version. 
We experienced no lag times with Video on Instagram, by the way, whereas it took 30 seconds or more for Vine to render a video. It may be a case of the hardware we were using, but our buffer times were almost non-existent on Instagram. As Systrom put it, the company didn't want to introduce a complex editing interface, and though it has more steps and more whistles than Vine, it really is as easy as photo editing tools come. Vine is, at its root, elementary: record the video, caption the video, post the video. Though rudimentary, Vine has amassed 13 million users on iOS alone since launch, so it's certainly striking a cord for people. People are making some remarkably creative and charming videos in six seconds, and Vine has promised to unveil new features very soon. Whether they'll rival what Instagram has brought forth, we'll wait and see, but Vine has some serious competition for amateur videographers out there.     | | Apple's fingerprint scanner could be hidden in the bezel of an iPhone Jun 20th 2013, 22:15 
The security of mobile devices to this point has been restricted to a personal identification number or a simple swipe of the finger on the screen. With the amount of personal information readily available to anyone who happens to open your device without your knowledge, any additional security would be welcome. As luck would have it, Apple has been reportedly working on adding in a fingerprint scanner to its devices for a few years, with the rumors rising again as the reveal of the iPhone 5S draws near. Though Apple has already patented fingerprint scanning technology of some sort in various stages, that didn't stop the Cupertino company from returning to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office once more for yet another potential mobile fingerprint reader. Bezel tovAccording to Patently Apple, a patent was been filed in February for a fingerprint scanner that could be hidden within the bezel of any given device. The security feature is different from earlier attempts from Apple, in that this would be an actual sensor somewhere on an iPhone (for example), but not hidden under the display. This new method is possible thanks to some Apple engineers discovering a way to encapsulate both the bezel and the sensor together, which not only allows the completed scanner to be smaller and more compact, but also protects it from any environmental hazards that could potentially mess with the delicate hardware. Operation is then easy enough, as the fingertip is swiped through the sensor, and a small amount of current is passed through the bezel to the finger to provide a more accurate reading. The sensor is only capable of creating a 2D image, so the mild current not only helps accuracy, but helps the software actually render the complete fingertip with ease. Though the patent didn't reveal any information about when the scanner might be put to actual use in any of Apple's products, this latest iteration only serves to show how serious the company is about making good use of its AuthenTec acquisition. We wouldn't be shocked to see the fingerprint scanner make its debut with the next iPhone, but with the amount of patents filed that never see the light of day, this could just as easily vanish into the USPTO's file cabinets.     | | Samsung manual reveals possible Galaxy S4 with, you guessed it, Snapdragon 800 Jun 20th 2013, 20:13 
Rumors that Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon 800 processor, the MSM8974, will make its way into a variant of Samsung's Galaxy S4 appear to have just been confirmed by a user manual of all things. The online manual for a South Korean device known as the SHV-E330S, which Engadget believes to be an upcoming Galaxy S4 variant, confirms that the device sports Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800. The SHV-E330S will also use new LTE-advanced technologies, according to the site. So far little is known about this possible Galaxy S4 variant, and it would be pure speculation to guess whether we'll ever see a more powerful S4 out West. ExtrapolationOne thing is certain from this revelation, though: Samsung is indeed beginning to integrate the Snapdragon 800 into its devices. In fact, the use of the MSM8974 in the SHV-E330S makes it seem all the more likely that it will be included on the rumored Galaxy Note 3, as well. The powerful new Qualcomm SoC supports 2.3GHz quad-core processing and Adreno 330 graphics, plus LTE-advanced and the possibility of 4K output. Recently the powerful chipset was confirmed to be in LG's Optimus G successor, a phone that may also feature always-on voice commands. Earlier this week rumors also appeared that Nokia is putting the Snapdragon 800 in an unrevealed Lumia device.     | | Cheap iPhone won't actually be that cheap, says purported manufacturer Jun 20th 2013, 19:46 
A cheap iPhone has been rumored for months, but the company thought to be making it has a wrench to throw in our spinning dreams of a budget-priced Apple handset. The "budget" iPhone won't actually be that cheap, said T.H. Tung, CEO of Pegatron, the Taiwanese manufacturer thought to be working on the device at this very moment. Speaking at a shareholders' meeting about the new cheaper iPhone today, Tung said "the price is still high," reported the China Times. That's not exactly music to our wallets, but Tung's insights at least seem to confirm that Pegatron is indeed handling the manufacturing of the device. Tung-tiedTung reportedly went on to say that while the new, more affordable iPhone can't really be considered "cheap," smartphones in general offer better value than more affordable feature phones. Apple has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of a cheap iPhone, so Tung's candid statements about it come as something of a surprise, especially if Pegatron really is behind manufacturing. You'd think they'd be subject to a pretty binding non-disclosure agreement, right? Regardless, the budget-priced iPhone is rumored to arrive in August in six colors, with a plastic chassis and a price tag of $99 (about UK£64, AU$107). Maybe Tung doesn't consider that cheap, or maybe this new iPhone will actually cost more than that. Until Apple issues an official decree we won't know anything about it for sure. - Stay up to date on everything we know about Apple's cheap iPhone at TechRadar.
    | | Blip: Samsung Galaxy S4 turns up in five new garish shades Jun 20th 2013, 19:17 
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has added five new colours to its arsenal as the Korean firm looks to suit everyone's taste. You now get to pick from Blue Arctic, Purple Mirage, Red Aurora, Brown Autumn and Pink Twilight on top of the original black and white which arrived at launch. Samsung didn't reveal when these new colours would be available, or detail if they would be arriving in all countries - but we'll update this article once we find out.More blips! Fancy some more bite sized news? Check out more of our blips. Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II     | | In Depth: Windows Phone 9 release date, news and rumours Jun 20th 2013, 16:33 
Windows Phone 8 may only be less than a year old, but that hasn't stopped talk of the next iteration, Windows Phone 9. Expected to be with us by the end of the year it looks like Microsoft may be adopting the annual software cycle made popular by Apple in an attempt to keep its mobile OS fresh and, more importantly, relevant. We're scouring the web everyday to bring you all the latest on Windows Phone 9 and we'll be constantly updating the information below to give you the best picture of what's to come. Windows Phone 9 release dateRumours have already surfaced that the Windows Phone 9 release date will be sometime in 2013, with reports suggesting it'll arrive just in time for Christmas. The update is also being referred to as Windows Phone Blue, a development name which mirrors an update to Microsoft's new Windows 8 desktop platform - although there's a chance it may appear as Windows Phone 8.5 at launch. Other reports reckon Microsoft will kill off Windows Phone 8 by September 2014, giving another indication that version 9 could well be on its way very soon. Windows Phone 9 or just Windows 9?We seeing reports that suggest Microsoft may look to ditch the divide between its smartphone platform and the one it uses for tablets and PCs - rolling them all into one tidy bundle called Windows 9. One suggestion is that the Windows Blue upgrade will see Windows 8 merged with Windows Phone in an attempt to tackle Google's Android/Chrome combination which is growing ever stronger. Alternatively we could instead get the aforementioned Windows 9 all-in-one system after a Microsoft employee stated "currently testing Windows 9 OS on Nokia, HTC and Qualcomm device" on their LinkedIn profile. Windows Phone 9 devicesOne of the big issues with Windows Phone 8 was that you couldn't get it on your Windows Phone 7 handset, instead you were lumped with Windows Phone 7.8. It's thought that Windows Phone 9 won't be so restrictive, with Windows Phone 8 users in line to get the upgrade which means you shouldn't have to worry about picking up a Nokia Lumia 925 or HTC 8X. Windows Phone 9: what we want to seeHere are nine things we think are missing from Windows Phone 8 that we'd like to see in Windows Phone 9. 1. Upgrade from Windows Phone 8Windows Phone 8 is a big change from Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 7.5, using all new kernels. WP7 apps will run on Windows Phone 8, but you can't run Windows Phone 8 apps on Windows Phone 7 handsets. That's understandable, because it's such a big change, but there's no reason for Windows Phone 9 to be as fundamental a change. With the promise of 18 months of updates, we expect to be able to upgrade Windows Phone 8 handsets to version 9. 2. Choice over SkyDrive syncUnlike the PC, the SkyDrive app for Windows Phone doesn't sync files, it just enables you to access them when you're online. Even with an SD card in your phone, we don't necessarily want everything we have on SkyDrive syncing to the phone in the future. We'd like to pick exactly what syncs to the phone (something the SkyDrive team recently promised to consider), and maybe even choose which sections of a OneNote notebook sync. 3. Less developer access to SkyDriveWindows Phone 8 apps can use your SkyDrive account to store files and back up app data. That's OK as long as that data goes in a separate, clearly marked area (how about Program Files?) so it doesn't clutter up your SkyDrive, won't get deleted because you don't recognise it and doesn't get synced to all your PCs. We'd also like better security for what apps can do on your SkyDrive; once you give them access they can read, write and even delete files. They need to do that with the files that the app creates, but nothing (apart from the Windows Marketplace approvals process) is stopping an app from changing or deleting other files. Keeping the files you create with one app in a sandbox so you can't see them in another app is proving inconvenient in iCloud, but a developer doesn't have to be malicious for a programming error to accidentally delete files. 4. Better backup
We're delighted to see that Windows Phone 8 will bring back the option to back up text messages, photos, videos, 'most' settings and installed apps. We hope that means full resolution photo backup as in the latest SkyDrive update, not the downsized versions in Windows Phone today. We also hope it means you can easily reinstall all your apps on a new phone (or your reset handset) rather than having to select them one by one in a third-party app such as Reinstaller. If not, those are must-haves for Windows Phone 9. But we also want to see the ability to do a full backup and restore of your phone, using your PC, the cloud, a spare SD card or anything else. 5. Smaller and larger screensThe rumoured BlackBerry-style form factor for Windows Phone 8 isn't happening. It's not surprising, given that it would be hard to scale apps to fit into the 4:3 aspect ratio needed compared to the 15:9 used today (the shift to 16:9 for some Windows Phone 8 handsets is less of a problem). But the rumoured form factor we really miss is the 1-inch square screen you could have used as a watch. We'd also like a 7-inch tablet to compete with the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 (something else the MALI GPU might be good at). Microsoft sees Windows 8 as right for tablets, but for something smaller we think Windows Phone is a better choice; anything below 10 inches and even Windows RT will be cramped. 6. More CPUs, more modemsWindows Phone 8 has dual-core CPUs, but they're all Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chips. When Windows Phone's Joe Belfiore said the Windows 8 core means "we're ready for whatever hardware makers dream up" we thought we'd finally see handsets with ST-Ericsson NovaThor chips, seen in Android devices such as the Xperia Play. We'd like to see what their more powerful multi-core MALI-400 GPU and integrated modem could do for Windows Phone handsets in terms of better graphics and more efficient functionality. Keeping to a single specification makes it easier for Microsoft to deliver a consistent Windows Phone experience on different handsets, but one of the reasons to switch to the Windows 8 core is to make it easier to develop drivers for a wider range of devices. If Microsoft really wants to attract more OEMs to Windows Phone, more hardware options would help. 7. Wi-Fi Sync that works
Being able to sync music and photos to your phone over Wi-Fi when it's plugged in overnight is a great feature. If only you could set it up reliably without worrying about whether your PC is on a public or private network or whether it's your access point or a server handing out IP addresses. Maybe the switch to the Windows 8 kernel will fix this as well, but it's too useful a tool to be this unreliable. 8. A screenshot toolImagine if enthusiastic users of your product could show their friends pictures of their favourite apps. Wouldn't it be handy if there was a way to capture what was on screen and use that to promote your product; let alone making it easy for bloggers to show off tips and shortcuts or for users with problems to show what was going wrong? Again, maybe the Windows underpinnings will make this happen in Windows Phone 8 (it's in Windows 8 as Windows-Printscreen) but if it is, Microsoft is keeping it very quiet. 9. ClarityWindows Phone 8 has had to be developed at top speed, and we might not officially see the SDK for developers to start work on WP8 apps until the end of September (Microsoft only says "by the end of the summer"). The problem is that Windows Phone 8 is based on technology from Windows 8, and Windows 8 is only just finished. The secrecy is understandable in the circumstances – but those won't be the same next time around. To keep developer momentum and get apps that show off what Windows Phone can really do, Microsoft needs to give a lot more concrete information a lot earlier on next time. Microsoft isn't Apple, and secrecy that works for Apple won''t work when it's time to get app developers onboard. If Windows Phone 9 is going to keep the excitement of Windows Phone 8 going, get that started sooner – because there won't be the hoopla of Surface and Windows 8 launching next year.     | | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean release date, news and rumours Jun 20th 2013, 15:36 
We're all waiting for the next big iteration of Android to hit us and while we already know it's going to be dubbed Key Lime Pie, it turns out Google isn't quite finished with Jelly Bean as Android 4.3 the next update on the horizon. Don't go expecting huge changes from Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, because as you can probably tell from the version number this is going to be more iterative, just like when Google jumped from Android 4.1 to Android 4.2. Google hasn't officially revealed whether or not Android 4.3 actually exists, but from the number of rumours knocking around it's probably going to arrive at some point. We've taken a look through all the talk on the web surrounding Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and pulled it together below to try and give you a clearer picture of what's going on over at Mountain View. Android 4.3 release dateAs we've mentioned Google hasn't officially announced anything on its next version of Android, so we don't have any firm release date just yet. Many believed that Android 4.3 Jelly Bean would make an appearance at the search giant's annual IO conference which took place in May, but sadly no such announcement was made. Apparently Android 4.3 was at the Google IO show however, with one reporter claiming he was able to get hands on with the software on a white Nexus 4 - although his prediction that 4.3 Jelly Bean would arrive on June 10 has turned out to be false. This hasn't stopped the rumours popping up however with many suggesting we will be seeing it sooner rather than later with a July/August launch mooted. Android 4.3 devicesGoogle is likely going to treat its own-brand devices to the Android 4.3 update first, with the likes of the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and Galaxy Nexus all in line for the new software early doors. As well as apparently running on a Nexus 4 at Google IO, Android 4.3 was also spotted on another Nexus 4 at Mobile Expo 2013 in Taiwan. It's supposedly also shown up on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus after some leaked Bluetooth SIG reports from recent tests showed the aging handset being put through its paces once again - possibly because it has a new OS on board. Some Google employees have also been a little lax when it comes to covering their tracks with another Nexus 4 and a Nexus 7 spotted in server logs running version 4.3. Android 4.3 upgrades and features
As we've mentioned the Android 4.3 update, if it actually exists, won't bring us a totally new operating system - instead you can expect some minor tweaks here and there. One area which looks to be getting some serious attention from Google is the camera app, with snaps taken at Mobile Expo in Taiwan claiming to show the new design for Android 4.3. While icons such as the shutter key and settings appear to be the same, the circular menu has been ditched in favour of an arc towards the bottom of the screen. Other than that news on new features is thin on the ground, but we'll be updating this article when we hear more.     | | EE says family 4G deals will apply to small business Jun 20th 2013, 15:22 
EE is pitching for the small business market in 4G services with the promise that, although the marketing of its group deals is aimed largely at families, they will stand for any small companies that want to take them up. An EE representative told TechRadar Pro that the packages will involve a monthly capacity for a set amount of data for the first person on the contract, with further people to be added within the group at discounted rates. It will be possible to bump up data capacities with an extra cost, and voice and text will remain without limits for all involved in the group. The company isn't releasing full details of capacities and pricing and until later in the summer, but it's emphasising the importance of sharing data within a business. Single contract"It's good for a small business to be able to buy one contract for shared data, and everyone under the contract will have unlimited voice," the spokesman said. EE is taking the lead in the roll out of 4G around the UK. In late May it announced that it had installed its network in 74 towns and would be able to serve 70% of the UK population by the end of 2013.     | |
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