| Blip: Samsung Galaxy Folder brings nostalgic flip phone style to Android Jul 17th 2013, 11:14, by John McCann 
One thing we miss here at TechRadar are flip phones. You know, the ones where you could angrily end a call by snapping your handset closed, or answer it with a quick flick of the wrist - it was pure, unadulterated satisfaction. Sadly the clamshell design has faded into the ether thanks to the uprising of candy bar touchscreen devices, but the folks over at Samsung may be about to revive the flipper in the form of the Galaxy Folder. According to reports the Galaxy Folder will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and will feature two 480 x 800 displays, dual-core processor, 8MP camera, 4G connectivity and that famous numerical keypad. More blipsFrom flips to blips.     |  | Blip: Pee-powered smartphones could mean endless streaming Jul 17th 2013, 10:52, by Hugh Langley 
Sometimes an idea comes along that's just so brilliant you wonder why no one did it before you. And then there's wee-powered phones. Yes, scientists at Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK have found a way to harness the power of the yellow stuff by passing it through microbial fuel cells that absorb its energy, which can then be used to juice your smartphone. And it that wasn't enough to get you excited, urine luck - the team also wants to build a smart toilet that will recycle your pee and use it to power other household items. Because one great idea always inspires another. More blips!More wacky stories from the world of blips     | | LG Optimus G2 battery leak reveals it's on par with One and Galaxy S4 Jul 17th 2013, 10:42, by John McCann 
We're expecting the LG Optimus G2 to be announced at a special New York event at the start of August, and fresh leaks have now uncovered battery details for the handset. According to a heavily cropped image - which looks like it's been attacked in Paint with the eraser tool by a two year old - the Optimus G2 will pack a 2540mAh. If the image, which popped up on Korean site CDPKorea, is to be believed then the battery in question will also be removable like the 2600mAh offering in the Samsung Galaxy S4. 
Stuck in the middleThis gives it a slight advantage over the HTC One, as its 2300mAh power pack is locked away under that stunning aluminium chassis. The same leaked snap also shows the physical keys on the rear of the device below the camera lens - a feature which has appeared in previous leaks as well. It's not the first time we've seen manufacturers stick buttons on the rear of handsets, just take a look at the Panasonic Eluga for example, but the G2 may be leading the back button fight for flagship phones. Other rumours point towards the LG Optimus G2 sporting a 2.2GHz quad-core processor, full HD display greater than 5 inches, 2GB of RAM and running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. All should become apparent on August 7 however, as LG takes to the stage in New York in an attempt to win us over with its latest smartphone offering.     | | Tablet-friendly Google Maps finds its way on to iPad Jul 17th 2013, 09:37, by Kate Solomon 
Just a week or so after the Android version landed, Google Maps for iOS 2.0 has hit the App Store which means you can now enjoy tablet-friendly maps on your iPad and iPad mini. As well as playing nice with the larger tablet screens, the update brings more exploratory options like, er, Explore - which should make finding local restaurants, shops and so on easier to find. It also brings in more Zagat rating integration and deals from Google Offers, if those kind of things float your boat. Map attackIndoor maps are also included in the update, so you can check out stations and shopping malls before you leave the house. What you won't get with the iOS edition is Google's offline mapping feature. Although optimised to work well with iPad, Google Maps for iOS 2.0 is also designed for iPhone, so you won't need to resort back to Apple Maps, don't worry. The app is available as a free download from the App Store now.     | | Big-screen Lumia 625 uncovered; what is Nokia up to? Jul 17th 2013, 09:22, by John McCann 
The Nokia Lumia 625 could well be on its way after details on the handset surfaced in China alongside a couple of snaps claiming to show off the Windows Phone 8 device. Details were spotted on the Tenaa website and reveals the Lumia 625 will likely pack a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 5MP rear camera and front facing VGA snapper. These specs aren't particularly stellar, but considering the Nokia Lumia 625 will probably replace the current mid to low-end Lumia 620 that's not a huge surprise. Supersized screenWhat has piqued our interest however is the screen, potentially measuring in at 4.7 inches - which would really make it stand out in terms of size, at least at the bottom of the market. Sadly though the quality of that rumoured display may not be all that great, with the listing pointing towards a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution which could lead to a pretty pixelated showing. As well as the images of the Lumia 620 there's also a details on the dimensions and weight of the handset, with it measuring up at 133.2 x 72.2 x 10.5mm and tipping the scales at 161.5g. This is a pretty extensive leak, providing us with a lot on information about the potentially new handset and considering Nokia has recently launched the Lumia 925 to replace the Lumia 920, the Lumia 625 certainly isn't out of the question.     | | We are Windows 8! Microsoft and Halo launch a Spartan Assault Jul 17th 2013, 01:18, by Lbrown 
The temperatures were rapidly approaching triple digits in New York City on Tuesday, but even blistering heat couldn't deter Microsoft from bringing its flagship video game franchise to its mobile devices. Announced in June, Halo: Spartan Assault will mark the first entry on tablets and smartphones for the series when it launches on all compatible Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices this month. Though it will be arriving on PCs at some point, Microsoft has been rather coy about a specific release date for the game, with the exception of revealing limited exclusivity at Verizon when the $6.99 (about £4.60, AU$7.25) title launches later this month. In anticipation of the title's impending availability, Microsoft invited a select group of attendees to its Halo Reinvented event, giving most of the guests their first look at Spartan Assault. Perfect fit
To this point, the Halo franchise has largely been a console-based experience, so the jump to mobile came as a bit of a surprise to longtime fans and more casual players. On Xbox, Halo has been a proven seller, capable of moving copies and systems year after year, but the Windows 8 marketplace doesn't quite have the same reach. Despite the lack of an embedded audience, Microsoft's Surface and Windows Phone teams seem confident Assault will appeal to plenty of players. "There's a million things people buy a Surface to do," said Surface Product Manager Dan Laycock. "For those that buy it for gaming, we think Halo is a perfect fit." After a few minutes playing with the both versions of Spartan Assault, fit was all we could think of when using the Surface Pro. The larger screen made it a bit easier to manage the touchscreen twin-stick shooter controls, and offered a better viewing area unobstructed by our hands. Of course, those consumers who believe in a unified ecosystem, the Windows Phone version plays well enough (save for the tighter play space), and your progress can be saved to the cloud to be resumed on any device when you resume play. 
Allied assaultHalo: Spartan Assault wouldn't have been possible without various Microsoft teams working in tandem to bring the incredibly popular franchise to the Windows brand. Kevin Grace, 343 Industries' franchise manager, was on hand at the event and discussed a bit about how each team helped realize the completed version of the game. "The Windows Mobile and Surface teams proved invaluable, as we had to try and cram what Halo fans are used to on a big screen onto some little, bitty screens," Grace said. Spartan Assault is definitely a different Halo than fans are used to, as its top-down perspective is a major change from the standard first-person view. Still, Microsoft clearly believes the brand will do great things for its Windows mobile devices in spite of how different the overall experience is from the core title. "We expect the fact that [Halo: Spartan Assault] is available exclusively on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 to benefit the platform," said Windows Phone Product Manager Greg Sullivan. How easy the game is to pick up and play should bode well for its chances of success, but whether it can be the killer offering that elevates Microsoft's OSes to greater heights remains to be seen. No matter what the result, 343 Industries has definitely reinvented Halo, but now it's in consumers' hands to determine whether that's a good thing.     | | Wonky fingerprint tech may put the pinch on iPhone 5S release Jul 16th 2013, 23:15, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Another day, another report that Apple is facing issues with still-unconfirmed devices. Today's report claims that the iPhone 5S is dallying due to unexpectedly low volume production of fingerprint recognition chips and the device's LCD driver ICs, which could lead to Apple putting the squeeze on first quarter shipments of the new phone. Issues apparently tied to the the original AuthenTec design of the fingerprint chip led to reduced yield rates, "industry sources" told spotty DigiTimes. It's unclear what's holding back the LCD chips. The problems apparently led to a halt of production by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and packaging by Xintec, both companies that Apple outsources work to. Dude, where's my iPhone 5S?Chip production should have begun much earlier - late June to early July - but will now be slowed to the end of July, or so the report goes. With assembly on hold, the iPhone 5S launch, which is purportedly supposed to happen in September, will be marred by constrained supplies. DigiTimes cited that about 3 million units of the iPhone 5S in initial shipments will be delayed until the fourth quarter. So, the takeaway here is that while you'll have fingerprint recognition on your new iPhone to show off to your friends, it may be hard to actually find the device when it goes on sale.     | | 20-megapixel Sony Xperia 'Honami' spotted in new leaked pic Jul 16th 2013, 19:36, by Michael Rougeau 
Details of Sony's Xperia i1 "Honami" continue to trickle on to the internet this week as a possible specs sheet and new image appear on a Taiwanese site. The site, ePrice, published the below image with some new details about the rumored Sony flagship, which is expected to release in Korea by the end of the year. 
According to this report, Sony's "Honami" will indeed pack a 20-megapixel camera sensor, just like previous rumors claim. In addition to that the new Xperia handset is said to sport a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, Adreno 330 graphics, 2GB of memory, 16GB of storage, microSD, LTE and NFC support, a 5-inch full HD display, a 2-megapixel front camera, and a 3000 mAh battery. I SpyThe image itself, if legitimate, reveals some interesting things about the Honami's camera. Specifically, the Sony G Lens branding is visible next to the camera and LED flash. G Lens is Sony's own camera lens glass brand. The original report also claims that the new Sony flagship will support the BIONZ image processing engine. The engine is usually comprised of a separate sensor, but in this case it's more likely to be a software-only version called BIONZ for mobile, says Xperia Blog. A dedicated camera button is also rumored. One more things about that image: it seems the Honami could come in white as well as black, the color seen in the previous alleged leak. Following the Xperia ZThe Xperia i1 Honami will face some stiff competition in Nokia's Lumia 1020, with its 41-megapixel camera. The phone is being considered a successor to Sony's Xperia Z, its current flagship, and the enlarged Xperia Z Ultra. It's also expected to be highly water-resistant. Sony may lift the veil off the device at its Sept. 4 press event during IFA 2013 in Berlin.     | | HTC One Mini UK release date set for August 9 to battle Galaxy S4 Mini? Jul 16th 2013, 16:51, by Chris Smith 
The recent flurry of news and speculation regarding the forthcoming HTC One Mini seems like the calm before the storm compared to the last couple of days' goings on. Just yesterday we saw purported leaked photos and specs, while a HTC blog post also alerted the world to little things that pack a big punch. Today we have a purported UK release date. According to Twitter leakster Vizileaks, the diminutive version of the company's awesome flagship HTC One smartphone will go on sale in Blighty on August 9. While not quite as prolific as the EVLeaks account, Vizileaks does have previous in this area. The account was the first to alert the world that the Nokia Lumia 1020 would be named as such. Not that MiniA UK release date of August 9 would allow HTC to meet the threat of the rival Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini - which is expected to go on sale in the next couple of weeks - head-on. Monday's leaked spec sheet suggested the device will come packing a 4.3-inch display, making it 'Mini' only by very modern standards. That screen is rumoured to pack a 720p resolution, while a 1.4GHz dual-core processor is said to be doing the work in the engine room. It's also set to include the distinctive aluminium unibody and the innovate Ultrapixel camera, both of which helped the senior device become TechRadar's top-rated smartphone on the planet.     | | In depth: iOS 8: 10 things we want to see Jul 16th 2013, 16:01, by Craig Grannell 
When Apple unveiled iOS 7, CEO Tim Cook called it the "biggest change since the iPhone". The OS received a major visual and interaction overhaul, along with a slew of new features. The OS should arrive in the hands of consumers around October 2013, and in the meantime Apple has already released several beta versions, one of which radically altered the system's typography. Still, there are many other things we'd like to see Apple change by the time iOS 8 rolls around in 2014 - although in some cases we've gpt a sneaking suspicion Apple would disagree. 1. Change and hide default iOS appsWe'd love to be able to choose non-Apple alternatives for handling email, browsing and maps, but doubt it'll happen. However, Apple not providing the means to hide preinstalled apps you don't use is an irritant that goes back to the very first iPhone. Even if there was a similar 'parental controls' trick for hiding apps to the one on the Apple TV, that'd be good enough. 2. A guest/child accountApple's mantra is everyone should own their own device. That's lovely, but not everyone's pockets are as deep as those of Apple board members. OS X-style user accounts are unlikely, but it can't be beyond Apple to provide a single-tap child account or a guest account that doesn't affect your settings and data, and doesn't retain settings or data of its own. 3. Better iOS app managementAs of iOS 7, Apple automates app updates, but it should go further. Devs wrestle with iCloud app data, but this should be child's play to save and also (optionally) restore whenever you reinstall an app. And the App Store itself should offer trials and paid version updates (rather than devs being forced to use IAP or 'replacement' apps as a workaround). 
4. Stronger inter-app communicationsOne of the weakest elements of iOS is inter-app communication. If a service bumps you to another app, you're not always returned when you've finished performing an action. Worse, when making document edits across several apps workflow can be a nightmare with document copies in various states strewn throughout individual app sandboxes. 5. Better document managementFollowing on from the previous point, iOS should introduce at least some kind of centralised access to documents. Right now, Dropbox is a surrogate file system because iCloud is a bunch of silos. It's absurd that you can't easily attach documents within Mail in an OS that boasts a version number of 7. The lack of collaboration opportunities within iCloud document workflow is also disappointing. 6. Group FaceTime callsThis isn't specifically tied to iOS, but Apple's mobile platform is where FaceTime began life, and although the one-to-one model is great, it's about time you could call several people at once, rather than a group having to crowd around an iPhone. 7. iOS notifications like in OS X MavericksIn OS X Mavericks, notifications are interactive - get a message and you can deal with it there and then, rather than leaving the app you're in. This is even more important on iOS, and so we hope Apple adds similar functionality on mobile. Google does it with aplomb, so we want to see the same here. 8. More Do Not Disturb optionsDo Not Disturb gained extra power in iOS 7, enabling you to silence notifications only when a device is locked. Bizarrely, it still retains only a single schedule though. Is it beyond Apple to enable you to at least set one for weekdays and a separate one for weekends? 
9. Better text manipulationApple's text-selection, cut, copy and paste seemed elegant when it was introduced, but only compared to disastrous equivalents on competing mobile systems. Today, it comes across as awkward, and it's a barrier to usability for far too many people. We'd like to see a rethink from Apple and more usable and intuitive ways of dealing with text. 10. Two-up appsWe love the focus iOS provides, but there are times when we'd like to work with two apps at once. Much like messing with default apps, we doubt Apple will ever go down this path, but OS X Mavericks now has a more powerful full-screen mode for multiple monitors. So there's perhaps the slightest hope a multi-screen mode might one day arrive for the iPad or a larger iPhone, and would be one in the eye for all those Samsung owners out there.   | | Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 may skip straight to Android 4.3 Jul 16th 2013, 14:34, by Hugh Langley 
Android 4.3 is inevitably headed our way, but while the HTC One might have just been injected with Android 4.2.2, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 might have to hold out a bit longer before they see an update. But don't worry, it's coming. At least that's what a so-claimed insider speaking to Temefy reckons, saying that the 4.3 Jelly Bean update is well underway. And right now the plan is for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 to leap over 4.2.2 to get there. The report goes on to tell us that the next update for the two handsets will arrive in November or December this year, making it very likely that 4.3 is on the cards. Delayed droidFinally, we're told that the Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 2 will all be upgradeable to the next major Android overhaul - ie 5.0 Key Lime Pie. However, the release across the devices will be somewhat staggered. About a month ago we heard that Android 4.2.2 for these devices was to be delayed beyond its expected June/July release date, so we're hardly gobsmacked. It's all just rumours right now but it does a fair amount of sense if 4.3 is imminent. After all, what's the point of getting 4.2.2 if the next best thing is just around the corner?     | | In Depth: Tweaking your tweets on the Samsung GALAXY S4 and Note 8.0 Jul 16th 2013, 13:10, by Your Mobile Life 
Twitter is more than just a social network. What started as a way to send short SMS-like messages to your friends has practically become a communications medium in its own right. Many apps and games now use Twitter to post updates and share content with friends. Tweeting is dead easy on your GALAXY S4 or Note 8.0 but tweeting well is another matter entirely. So how do you do it? If you want to gain followers, to find an audience for your pearls of wisdom through retweets or find out how to tweet a celebrity without getting blocked, here is our guide to tweaking your tweets. Be niceIn many ways, this is the golden rule. It is true to say that there are people on Twitter who have made a career out of being offensive, but unless you are one of that special breed who manages to make nastiness into an amusing art form then a good rule of thumb is to simply be nice to your fellow tweeters.
That doesn't mean you can't have a heated debate - or even a full-on argument - but it is easy for the distance and relative anonymity of Twitter to make things escalate in a way they would not in real life. A good rule of thumb is to imagine that you are in the same room as the person you are talking to and behave accordingly. Be interesting or be funny. Preferably both.
What should you tweet about? The possibilities are endless and there are no hard and fast rules but if you want to gain followers (or 'make friends' as we call it in the real world) then you need to be interesting or funny.
Humour is a crucial part of Twitter. The 140 character format lends itself to quick wit and snappy remarks. Whether it is a sarcastic comment about a TV documentary or a surreal observation, a good joke can fly around the world in a flurry of retweets and reach huge numbers of people. It's not all LOLs though. An interesting link or a timely comment on the news can be just as effective. Many people will tell you to avoid the Twitter clichés like describing what you had for breakfast or documenting a bus journey but the fact is if you can do it well then anything is fair game. Here's a good example! 
Watch with @Mother
TV and Twitter go together like hand and glove. Tweeting along to a good TV show or - even better in some case – a really bad TV show can be great fun. You can do this using any Twitter app but Zeebox is a 'second screen' app designed to make it even easier. 
Zeebox will show you a live feed of tweets relating to the show you are watching and show you which of your friends are tuning in too. Zeebox works great on the GALAXY S4 and the app's developers also recently released an update that lets it make great use of the Note 8.0's more expansive screen. Celebrity squares
One aspect of Twitter life that can prove divisive is the presence of celebrities. For some, Twitter can seem like a great opportunity to talk to your musical heroes or to say your piece to a favourite actor. For others, the fact that celebs often have thousands more followers than mere mortals can seem intimidating or give their utterances an undue weight. Many celebs just use Twitter as a mouthpiece or a promotional tool but some actually do engage with their fans and swap jokes or have - gasp - normal conversations. A common frustration is that talking to celebrities is just shouting into the void and that they never reply. If you find this annoying, try to remember that someone with 200,000+ followers probably has a hard time keeping up with everyone trying to talk to them at once - it is just impossible for them to reply to everyone even if they wanted to. If you want to get in touch with one of these Twitter behemoths, your best bet is just to follow the rest of the advice in this guide. Be interesting, be nice and don't pester. Treat it like making friends in real life and you might just be pleasantly surprised. Leave it hanging, because a picture is worth a thousand tweetsPresentation is everything. Rather than just tweeting a link to something cool you have found on the web, draw people's attention with a description. Even better, if you are posting a link to some news or an interesting article, use a short 'pull quote' in the text of your tweet or frame the tweet as a question.
Also remember that it's not all about those 140 characters and that a picture is worth 1000 tweets. There are plenty of ways to post pictures to your Twitter feed. You can use features built in to your GALAXY S4 or Note 8.0 or you may prefer to use apps designed for the job. Almost every Twitter app has a picture upload feature. The official one will upload to Twitter's own image servers whereas third party apps usually use image hosts like imgur.com or yfrog.com. Choosing a picture from within your Twitter app can be a bit annoying, but handily, Samsung's GALAXY S4 and Note 8.0 can both use Android 'Intents' to share images from your Gallery. 
When viewing a picture in the Gallery, tap the menu button and then "Share via..." to bring up a list of apps. Choose your Twitter app of choice and it will happily upload the pic for you with whatever text you want. Try it - it is much easier to find the picture you want first, perhaps even sending it to a picture editor like Snapseed first. Instagram it, for that extra retro dash of nostalgia Instagram is by now most probably the standard app for sharing photos via Twitter. 
And while Facebook-owned Instagram is really a small, specialised social network in its own right but it is quite happy to let you share your pics on Twitter as well as other networks like Facebook. Using Instagram for its image filters isn't quite as big a deal as it once was - both the official Twitter app and your GALAXY's own Camera app offer similar tweaks - but cross-posting to Instagram's vibrant community of snappers has its own rewards. You can mention @usernames and #hashtags in your Instagram descriptions, just remember not to go over 140 characters or the end will get chopped off. Keep on moving, with short, sharp 6-second videos
When it comes to sharing videos, again, there are several options. Instagram now has the ability to share 15-second video clips which can be altered with similar filters to its still pics. The most popular app for sharing video on Twitter is, however, Vine. 
Vine is made by Twitter and is designed for the same kind of minimalism as a tweet. Use it to make videos that are just 6 seconds long and it will insert them directly into your timeline. You even sign in to it using your existing Twitter ID.
Short concert clips? Micro-reviews of films as you leave the cinema? You've Been Framed-style pratfalls? The only limit is your imagination. Some users, like the artist Moose Allain, have created incredible stop-motion animations using Vine, such as the example below.
YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OdtEdud3i0Timing is everything
Having your finger on the pulse and tweeting about things as they happen is one thing, but sometimes, timing can be the key to making sure your tweet is seen. Buffer is a clever app that will space your tweets out throughout the day at the time it calculates is best. It does this by analysing your twitter feed and using these analytics to schedule your tweets to have maximum impact. 
It is perhaps best suited to corporate tweeters who need to get a PR message out to the most eyeballs as possible, but you can also use it as a sort of jotter for ideas or jokes and leave the actual posting to its algorithms. Play tagHashtags, which look like #this, are 'labels' you can add to a tweet that help other users see them and identify them as being related to a particular subject. For example, you might add a #GALAXYS4 hashtag to tweeting about your new phone. Anyone searching for that hashtag will see your tweet and can tweet you back. 
Choosing the right hashtag is crucial, which is why many live events and TV shows have 'official' tags to help viewers join in the conversation. Finally, before using a hashtag, search for it using your Twitter app both to check if it is in use and also to make sure that it is related to the thing you want to talk about and isn't being used to mean something else by the majority of tweeters.
Above all, enjoy your Twitter life on your GALAXY S4 or Note 8.0, because the more fun you're having, the more fun everybody else will!     | |
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