| Gold, graphite iPhone 5S shell reportedly appears in a billion videos (OK only three) Aug 31st 2013, 01:03, by Lily Prasuethsut 
It was reported yesterday that the iPhone 5S shells made not one, not two, but three video appearances in dazzling gold (or champagne) and graphite shells from different websites. Not that we haven't seen enough leaks of the iPhone 5S but here are few more tidbits to keep you going until it actually releases. The first video from TLDToday claims that the 5S has an increased battery area and the logic board screws have been re-positioned meaning it could possibly have a larger battery. They also mentioned an "enlarged LED flash cutout" possibly for a dual-LED flash. Videos two and three say ...The second video from DetroitBORG shows off a comparison of the iPhone 5S shell and its cheaper counterpart the iPhone 5C, noting that the latter is a bit larger. The 5S also boasts thinner fonts possibly in preparation for iOS 7. A graphite version of the 5S can be seen in the third vid from iCrackUriDevice, a rumor we reported on earlier as being a gunmetal gray. It's nearing the end of the month meaning it's almost Sept. 10, the day Apple is supposedly unveiling all these new iPhones. Sitck around and we'll keep you posted on the event. Via 9to5mac        |  | BBM for Android, iPhone is 'here,' BlackBerry claims prematurely Aug 30th 2013, 22:01, by Matt Swider 
The launch of BBM for Android and iPhone seems imminent, as BlackBerry briefly flipped the switch on the app's landing page today. "BBM for Android and iPhone is here," declared the premature landing page, which was first spotted by the dedicated BlackBerry blog CrackBerry. Not quite "here," on second thought. The company has since pulled the trigger-happy web page, reverting it back to the old "BBM is coming to Android and iPhone" template. This temporary page shouldn't last long. BlackBerry has promised to deliver its cross-platform messenger "this summer," which means either after Labor Day in North America this weekend or at the very least, after Autumnal Equinox on Sept. 22. Right now, it seems as if the only people able to experience BBM outside of BB10 owners are a select few BBM Android beta testers who are friends and family of employees. 
Highway to the beta zoneAndroid owners aren't the only ones who get to be guinea pigs, as the new BlackBerry Beta Zone app lets BB10 owners test out apps before they're available for download by the public. "Load your BlackBerry 10 Beta applications through our brand new native app," wrote the company in the description for the new BlackBerry Beta Zone app. It looks like the launch of BB Beta Zone is meant to be, as the free download is still available via BlackBerry World for registered members of the BlackBerry Beta Zone. New BB Beta Zone users can enroll in the program for a new account, testing out early app updates for Twitter, Facebook and the aforementioned BBM.        | | Apple reportedly launches retail iPhone trade-in program, US only for now Aug 30th 2013, 18:17, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Despite having an online recycling store for your Apple devices, rumors of Apple creating a retail trade-in program for its iPhones may have been confirmed. CNBC claims that Apple is launching its trade-in program today at retail stores nationwide in America, with no word on a worldwide release just yet, though its expected to eventually roll out. Officially called the "iPhone Reuse and Recycling Program," iPhone users can trade in their older models, like an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4S for a newer iPhone 5 in-store. We noted earlier that the old phones will be shipped to Brightstar for recycling and 9to5mac has reported the same information adding that Apple is committed to American soil - rather than sending devices overseas for sales, products will be recycled in the U.S. Apple's fine printOf course, a few caveats remain with the program - trade-in credit is given as a gift card but the customer must use it at that time and only for an iPhone. Additionally, they must leave the store with a new contract with the phone activated at time of purchase. The price you'll get for your old phone will also vary. Since numbers in the market are constantly changing, there's no telling what amount of money you can get with your iPhone 4S, however CNBC notes that there is a clear appeal with trade-in programs as you'll typically walk away with a bargain.        | | Huawei gives Honor 3 the lumberjack treatment, teases set-top box Aug 30th 2013, 17:35, by Michael Rougeau 
Huawei today unveiled the Honor 3, the third generation of Honor devices, and it's both a slight upgrade and an important departure. Specs-wise there's nothing surprising here: the Honor 3 comes packing a 4.7-inch 720p LCD display, Huawei's own 1.5GHz quad-core K3V2 processor, 13- and 1-megapixel cameras, Android 4.2.2: Jelly Bean, and memory to match its predecessor the Honor 2 with 2GB RAM and 8GB of storage. But the Honor 3 is also Huawei's first "ruggedized" Honor device, joining the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S4 Active with an IP57 rating for resistance to dust and water. That rating means it can be submerged in water up to 30 minutes at a meter's depth, and its highly sensitive touchscreen even recognizes input from wet hands. Honor in the western worldFinally the Honor 3 also features an IR blaster like those on the Galaxy S4 and HTC One that lets it control TVs and the like. The Honor 3 is on sale now for ¥1,888 ($309, £200, AU$346), and for now it's only in China. Other Huawei phones, including the Huawei Honor, have reached the western world before. TechRadar asked Huawei to clarify whether the Honor 3 will do the same, but so far we haven't heard back. The MediaQM310Huawei today also announced the MediaQM310, a set-top box with a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip, Bluetooth and dual-band WiFi. 
The box will stream content from the cloud and connect to China Network Television's online video services. There's no pricing yet, but the MediaQM310 will release in China in September.        | | Facebook responds to data use concerns with more policy updates Aug 30th 2013, 16:48, by JR Bookwalter 
Once again caught with its hand in the privacy cookie jar, a cash settlement over Sponsored Stories prompts Facebook to again make revisions to the social network's data use policies. Facebook proposed new updates Thursday to two of its legal documents governing how the website collects and uses member data, and is giving its users a week to weigh in on the changes. The updates are in response to a recent U.S. court settlement over complaints that more than half a million Facebook users' names and photos were used as part of sponsored advertisements without their permission. That gaffe is expected to cost Mark Zuckerberg's social empire as much as $20 million (roughly £12.9m / AU$22m), which ultimately amounts to $15 (about £10 / AU$17) for each of the 614,000 users affected. Policy ch-ch-changesPerhaps feeling the sting of legal justice, Facebook now proposes a number of changes to its Data Use Policy as well as the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities which governs how the social network can use your content. In a Section-by-Section Summary of Updates posted to its website, Facebook makes it clear that users now "give us permission to use your name, profile picture, content, and information in connection with commercial, sponsored, or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us." The only exception to this appears to be users who have "selected a specific audience for your content or information," but Facebook is under no obligation to share such revenue with its members in any event. The full list of proposed changes won't take effect for seven days, during which time Facebook users can offer their own colorful commentary on the revisions, suck it up and keep posting or choose to jump off of Zuck's gravy train altogether. Check out the latest news on Verizon's HTC One!        | |
