| This purported Galaxy S4 Zoom leak looks like a phone glued to a camera Jun 8th 2013, 13:31 
The first snap of the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom cameraphone has reportedly emerged online, ahead of the company's mobile event in London on June 20. The seemingly well-connected SamMobile site has received a photo of the purported device that, as we'd been led to believe, looks like a compact camera spliced in half and glued to the back of a Galaxy S4. The hybrid device is thought to be the follow up to last year's Samsung Galaxy Camera with the added bonus of being able to make phone calls and utilise the entire cellular functionality of a smartphone. It's said to be packing Android Jelly Bean, sitting beneath Samsung's own TouchWiz UI, while a 1.6GHz dual-core processor is rumoured to be powering the device and its 4.3-inch display. Last of its kind?Like the Galaxy Camera, which impressed our reviewers upon launch in 2012, the Galaxy S4 Zoom is thought to pack a 16-megapixel sensor with, like the names suggests, a decent sized optical zoom. The report claims this'll be the last of the Galaxy S4-branded devices when it arrives, following the recent launch of the Galaxy S4 Mini and the Galaxy S4 Active. The Korean giant is holding a launch event in London in less than two weeks where the Galaxy S4 Zoom could conceivably make its debut. Do you think the pic is genuine? Let us know in the comments section below.     |  | Sony Xperia Z rumored to get the Google Nexus treatment Jun 8th 2013, 00:12 
The Sony Xperia Z is already a TechRadar-recommended smartphone, but the Android device's interface may get even better thanks to a report that says a Google Nexus edition is on the way. Sony and Google have teamed up to develop a Google Edition of the LTE-equipped smartphone, according to anonymous Sony sources who spilled the goods to Android Geeks. The Google Nexus version of the Xperia Z is speculated to run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a step up from the phone's current Android 4.1 version. Google could also use the water-resistant and dustproof phone as a way to demo its expected Android 4.3 OS release, but that remains speculation. Pure price to payThe Sony Xperia Z Google Nexus, if the report is accurate, will cost $599 (about UK£393, AU$621) in the Google Play Store after it is announced in July. While that's a steep price, it won't have a two-year carrier contract attached to it, just like previous Nexus phones. The Xperia Z would join recently Nexified phones like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 in running a stock Android operating system at a contract-free higher initial price. Sony and Google have not responded to TechRadar's request for a comment on the as-it-stands unconfirmed Nexus version of the Sony Xperia Z, but we will update this story if when the companies get back to us.     | | iPhone 5S parts purportedly include internally tweaked home button Jun 7th 2013, 23:23 
The iPhone 5S design may include a new home button that resembles the old iPhone button on the outside, but has a slightly different look on the inside. The significance of this purported home button part is that it backs up the theory that Apple is redesigning its smartphone internally. The alleged iPhone 5S home button, leaked to Czech Republic Apple blog Letem Svetem, has a longer, thinner internal connector. Apple may change up the inside of its phone to make room for a fingerprint sensor that is rumored to be a part of a future iPhone. Fingerprint sensor could be elsewhereSpeculation that the iPhone 5 fingerprint sensor would be integrated directly into the home button seems to be nixed by this unconfirmed part from the Czech Republic. However, the fact that its internal connector is smaller may mean Apple is making room for the sensor above the home button. The company illustrated such a concept when it patented a fingerprint sensor that has a biometric function to unlock an iPhone. All of this would go along with Apple's 2012 purchase of security firm AuthenTec for $356 million (about UK£229, AUD$375). Other Apple iPhone 5S rumorsThere has been a flurry of alleged iPhone 5S leaks recently, ranging from Apple finally bringing color to its next iPhone to attaching a 12-megapixel camera on the back. There is also an unconfirmed report that the company's well-marketed Retina display will be even clearer with double the pixel count to 1.5 million pixels. But none of these rumors explain the reason for a redesigned iPhone 5S home button better than the fingerprint scanner integration. With of the iPhone 5S and supposedly even a cheaper iPhone mini going into production this month, there will be even more leaks leading up to the Apple's expected September launch.     | | Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg speak out on PRISM, say they never heard of it Jun 7th 2013, 22:50 
Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg weren't content to let spokespeople speak for their companies' policies, and the two bosses took separate measures today to address the recently revealed PRISM data mining program and whether their firms were privy to it. First up was the Google CEO, who with David Drummond, the company's chief legal office, wrote a blog post titled "What the..." to give Google users "the facts." "[We] have not joined in any program that would give the U.S. government - or any other government - direct access to our servers. Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a 'back door' to information stored in our data centers. We had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday." The pair went on to say that the company's legal team scrutinizes all requests for user data, and any handover to governments is done in accordance with the law. In the and out of the darkThey specifically addressed the court order Verizon received to turn in customer call records, saying they've never heard of such a broad directive and were in fact surprised to learn orders such as it existed. The duo also denied Google participates in a similar practice. "Any suggestion that Google is disclosing information about our users' internet activity on such a scale is completely false." To wrap it up, the CEO and CLO said that "this episode" confirms a belief Google has long held; the need for greater transparency. The blog cited the company's Transparency Reports, which it regularly publishes to enumerate the National Security Letters it receives asking for user data. Google has published these since 2009. "[We] understand that the U.S. and other governments need to take action to protect their citizens' safety - including sometimes by using surveillance. But the level of secrecy around the current legal procedures undermines the freedoms we all cherish." Zuck weighs inWhile we're not friends with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook, we were able to check out his statement addressing PRISM: "I want to respond personally to the outrageous press reports about PRISM: "Facebook is not and has never been part of any program to give the U.S. or any other government direct access to our servers. We have never received a blanket request or court order from any government agency asking for information or metadata in bulk, like the one Verizon reportedly received.
And if we did, we would fight it aggressively. We hadn't even heard of PRISM before yesterday." There's that "direct access" again. Like Google, Facebook reviews all government data requests were filed properly and follow the applicable laws, "and then only provide information that is required by law." "We will continue fighting aggressively to keep your information safe and secure," Zuckerberg said, before ending with a PSA. "We strongly encourage all governments to be much more transparent about all programs aimed at keeping the public safe. It's the only way to protect everyone's civil liberties and create the safe and free society we all want over the long term." An Apple spokesman came out Thursday saying the Cupertino company hadn't heard of PRISM either.     | | Has the Galaxy S4 already peaked? 'Slowing' demand grinds into Samsung Jun 7th 2013, 20:35 
Samsung's rapid ascent to the top of the smartphone tree may be in danger of stalling, amid reports that demand for the flagship Galaxy S4 handset isn't up there with its predecessor. The Korean company's stock price fell by 6 per cent on Friday seeing an estimated $12 billion (about UK£7.7 billion, AU$12.6 billion) wiped off its value, following claims that S4 sales are slowing following an initial surge. What hasn't helped matters is the feeling among bean counters that the launch of spin-off handsets like the Galaxy S4 Mini and Galaxy S4 Active may hurt the company's profit margins. Analysts believe that Samsung is swapping profit for volume by flooding the market with cheaper versions of its flagship device in order to take on affordable handsets from Chinese firms like ZTE and Huawei. Beware of aiming lowSpeaking to Reuters, analyst Kim Young-chan, of Shinhan Investment Corp, said Samsung needs to be careful when targeting the middle of the market. He said: "Sales of high-end handsets are lagging behind expectations, while low- to mid-end handsets are selling briskly worldwide. "As the portion of low- to mid-range handsets is expected to increase in Samsung's overall mobile phone business, this has also sparked concerns about thinning margins and lower growth." Similar story at AppleSamsung, of course, isn't the only company that may be experiencing a slight comedown following a period of insane growth in mobile. Back in April, Apple reported that its profits had slowed for the first quarter in almost a decade, despite selling a whopping 37.4 million iPhones and 19.5 million iPads. The markets panicked about that too, eventually sending Apple's stock price down by almost half from its all-time high of September 2012. That leaves the question: If Apple and Samsung are struggling to appease the financial gods with record sales figures, what hopes do the likes of BlackBerry, HTC and Nokia have of bouncing back?     | | Nokia's leaky EOS handset reportedly appears again, this time on video Jun 7th 2013, 18:14 
Another day, another purported glimpse at the rumoured, camera-focused Nokia EOS smartphone. However, this time it has apparently gone on show in moving pictures. Yes, the thought-to-be-forthcoming Windows Phone 8 device with the Pureview sensor, seems to be gracing YouTube in a somewhat blurry 50-second clip showing the large camera module in all its glory. The clip, shared by ViziLeaks, actually shows the camera in action. You know, taking pictures. It demonstrates the the shutter opening and closing as well as the image stabilisation tech on board. The casing is obviously a pre-release version as it doesn't state the exact megapixel count, instead displaying a 'XX'. The only previous Pureview model rocked a 41-megapixel sensor. Striking resemblanceThe site also shared some photos, including the first we've seen of the front of the device, which, as expected bares a striking resemblance to Nokia's recent Lumia Windows Phone devices. Earlier this week, we saw leaked pictures of the device's casing thanks to Chinese site WPDang, showing the protruding lens that will allow Nokia to pack in all of that fancy camera tech. Speculation surrounding the device has suggested that the Nokia EOS smartphone device will pack a quad-core processor, 720p display, 32GB of storage for all of those hi-res photos. Reports have also claimed that the device will take two versions of every photo. One at a whopping 35MB and one at 5MB which makes will make them easier to share on social networks. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBaOuHMugb8    | | Latest Facebook update brings app tray to Home launcher Jun 7th 2013, 17:51 
Poor Facebook seems to be going in the wrong direction with its Home launcher, adding a much-needed Favorites tray while breaking support for two of the hottest Android smartphones around. Android Community reported Thursday that the latest update to Facebook for Android appears to be off to a rocky start, at least for owners of certain high-profile handsets. First the good news: The latest Facebook update released to Google Play yesterday adds welcome new features such as changing the audience for existing posts and sending multiple photos in a single message. The social network also added bug fixes for Facebook Home users, along with the ability to "customize your app launcher by dragging the apps you use most to a new favorites tray." Supported no moreWhile the Facebook Home launcher itself wasn't actually updated, the official Facebook app introduces the ability to add Android apps to a Favorites tray, complete with a row at the bottom available for one-tap use. Or at least that's the idea - the report claims the update breaks Facebook Home support on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, two of the most popular Android smartphones around. Both handsets received official Facebook Home support in May, suggesting the sudden lack of support is a bug which will soon to be rectified by another update, either to Home itself or the official Facebook app. On the brighter side, the Facebook update also introduces new privacy settings for what can be shared with Facebook Home, along with always welcome "stability and memory improvements."     | | Updated: No one is listening to your phone calls, Obama says Jun 7th 2013, 16:28 
The fallout from the revelation that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has collected data from American phone calls and internet activity along with the FBI continues as President Barack Obama spoke about the reports Friday. "When I came into this office, I made two commitments that are more important than any other," he said when asked to address the programs during an event on healthcare in San Jose, Calif., as reported by the Guardian. "No. 1, to keep the American people safe. And No. 2, to uphold the constitution and constitutional rights to privacy and civil liberties. "These programs are secret in the sense that they're classified. But they're not secret in the sense that - when it comes to telephone calls, every member of Congress has been briefed." As for "all these programs," the appropriate congressional committees were briefed as well. Both parties of Congress have given the programs the go-ahead, as well. "They have been authorized by bipartisan majorities repeatedly since 2006," he said. "Your duly elected representatives have been consistently informed." Deeper diveObama then addressed each program in turn. When it comes to phone record monitoring, which reportedly uses data taken from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, according to the Wall Street Journal, the president assured that "nobody is listening to your telephone calls." "That's not what this program's about," Obama said. "What the intelligence community is doing is identifying, looking at phone numbers and durations of calls. They are not looking at people's names, and they're not looking at content. But by sifting through this so-called metadata, they may find potential leads with respect to folks who might engage in terrorism." 
He said federal judge approval is needed to actually listen to a phone call. As for oversight, both Congress and a special Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court look over the program, Obama said. As for PRISM, which reportedly allows for federal access to the central servers of companies like Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo, Obama said the program doesn't apply to U.S. citizens or those living in the U.S. "Not only is Congress fully apprised of it, but what is also true is that the FISA court has to authorize it. What you have is two programs that were originally authorized by Congress, have been repeatedly authorized...Congress is continuously briefed. There are whole layers of safeguards involved. "We've also set up an audit process...after the fact, making absolutely certain that all the safeguards are being properly observed. "We'll have to discuss and debate how we're keeping this balance. Because there are some tradeoffs involved." Go ahead, debate meObama said he welcomes debate on the programs and issues involved. The president said that he had "healthy skepticism" about the programs when he first heard about them, but after evaluation and expanding oversight, his assessment is that the programs "help us prevent terrorist attacks." "I think it's important to recognize you can't have 100 percent security and also 100 percent privacy, and also zero inconvenience," he added. "We're going to have to make some choices as a society." 
As for the leaks that led to the NSA and FBI program revelations, Obama was less amicable. "I don't welcome leaks, because there's a reason why these programs are classified," he said. I think there's a suggestion that somehow, any classified program is a quote-unquote secret program, that means it's somehow suspicious." Publicizing programs like Prism lets "people who are trying to do us harm" in on the programs that are put in place to prevent those acts, the president continued. Congress and the courts are sufficient safeguards to abuses, the president reasoned. U.S. Senator Rand Paul plans to introduce a bill today - titled the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act of 2013 - that would require a warrant based on probably cause to search American phone records.     | | HTC One Max release date, news and rumours Jun 7th 2013, 13:48 
Apparently there's something big brewing over in Taiwan as news of the super-sized handset going by the moniker HTC One Max begins to make its way onto the web. After the success of the HTC One the Taiwanese firm is probably feeling pretty bullish about its chances going forward and it's no surprise that rumours have begun to crop up suggesting it's looking at a One mini and a phablet device codenamed T6. We've sifted through all the HTC One Max/HTC T6 talk to bring you a definitive run down of what you might be able to expect from HTC's monster mobile. HTC One Max release date and priceHTC currently doesn't have any events planned for this year, but that hasn't stopped speculation on a possible HTC One Max release date. At the moment reports point towards a release towards the end of this year, so the One Max might be one for the Christmas list. Pricing is equally as unknown for now, but expect to shell out the big bucks for this larger than life handset. Growing painsThe main attraction on the HTC One Max will be its display which is apparently shaping up to be a mammoth 5.9-inch, full HD affair. This would dwarf the 5.5-inch, 720p Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but with rumour of a Galaxy Note 3 on the horizon the One Max may find itself matching Samsung's next phablet when it comes to screen size. Original reports suggested HTC would only give the T6 a modest screen bump, upping if from 4.7- to 5-inches from the HTC One - although those rumours seem to have been laid to rest now. Anyone for Key Lime Pie?One of the big surprises with the much talked about HTC One Max surrounds the operating system it'll be running. According to details leaked by The Unlockr the One Max won't sport Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, nor version 4.3 of the software. Instead it will apparently rock up flaunting Google's next generation of mobile platform, affectionately known as Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Key Lime Pie hasn't even been announced yet so if it is to appear in the HTC T6 then Google's going to have to get a shift on - unless it decides to team up with the Taiwanese manufacturer for a joint launch. Tasty! Double takeUsually with key phone launches a whole platter of images claiming to depict the handset in question are leaked online, although when it comes to the One Max we've only had one so far in the form of a blueprint. If the picture does indeed show the HTC One Max then fans of the HTC One will be pleased to learn that it won't really deviate from the flagship's design language. From the rear, the One Max (or HTC T6 if you want to use the codename) appears to be identical to the handset it's based on. On the front only minor cosmetic changes show up, with additional width to accommodate the larger display and a shift of the sensors at the top of the device from the left to right side of the upper speaker grille. 
Spec me up ScottyIn terms of other specifications for the HTC One Max we only really have The Unlockr report to go on, but it's worth noting the details came via @evleaks, which has a pretty decent track record when it comes to uncovering handsets. Apparently the One Max will feature a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 2.1MP front camera, UltraPixel rear camera and a sizable 3300mAh battery. Now those are some pretty tasty specs and it will certainly give the competition a run for its money - but we're going to have to wait and see if they are accurate.     | |
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