| Blip: LG G2 event turns into balloon battle royal Aug 13th 2013, 13:56, by Hugh Langley 
Life's not so good for 20 people who have just felt the brunt of a commercial stunt gone wrong. LG had an idea to promote the LG G2 in Seoul - release helium balloons with smartphone vouchers attached, hoping people would would wait for them to come down before claiming their prize. But LG also doesn't understand human nature, with many participants turning up with knives, spears and BB guns. The whole thing ballooned out of control with 20 unfortunates getting injured as a result. No surprise that LG's cancelled a bunch of other commercial events for the phone. More blips!Don't worry - our blips are mostly harmless        |  | Updated: 80 best free Android games 2013 Aug 13th 2013, 11:44, by Gary Cutlack 
Best free Android games 1 - 20As Android phones and tablets have increased in popularity, the number of apps available for the platform has rocketed. And that means more free Android games. There's a lot of junk out there but, fortunately, there are gems among the junk. We've worked our way through a whole load of Android games to reveal the ones you should download to your phone. So without delay, here is our pick of the 80 best free Android games available. FutTv : vcMx23YC204zK1. Angry BirdsThe amazingly popular iOS game moved to Android a while ago, earning over two million downloads during its first weekend of availability. The Android version is free, unlike the Apple release, with maker Rovio opting to stick a few adverts on it rather than charge an upfront fee. The result is a massive and very challenging physics puzzler that's incredibly polished and professional. For free. It defies all the laws of modern retail. Angry Birds for Android was first available to download from app store GetJar but is now available through Google Play. 
2. BebbledBebbled is your standard gem-shuffling thing, only presented in a professional style you wouldn't be surprised to see running on something featuring a Nintendo badge with an asking price of £19.99. You only drop gems on other gems to nuke larger groups of the same colour, but with ever-tightening demands for score combos and scenes that require you to rotate your phone to flip the play field on its head, Bebbled soon morphs into an incredibly complex challenge. 
3. Red StoneThere's an awful lot of square-shuffling games on Android and Red Stone is one of the best. And one of the hardest. You start off with a big fat 'King' square that's four times of the normal 'pawn' squares, then set about shuffling things so the fat King can get through to an exit at the top of the screen. It's hard to accurately describe a puzzle game in the written word, but seriously, it's a good game. 
4. NewtonReleased in beta form, Newton is a maths/physics challenge that has you lining up shots at a target - but having to contend with the laws of nature, in the form of pushers, pullers, benders (no laughing), mirrors and traps, all deflecting your shot from its target. The developer is still adding levels to it at the moment, so one day Newton might be finished and might cost money. But for now it's free and a great indie creation. 
5. Angry Birds Star Wars The Angry physics phenomenon took a turn for the weird late in 2012, with Rovio acquiring the rights to blend Star Wars characters with its popular Angry Birds play mechanics. Angry Birds Star Wars is actually pretty nice, with players using Star Wars weaponry to smash down scenery alongside the usual destructive physics action. Not the car crash IP clash we were expecting. 
6. DropSome might call Drop a game, others might classify it as a tech demo that illustrates the accuracy of the Android platform's accelerometer, thanks to how playing it simply involves tilting your phone while making a little bouncy ball falls between gaps in the platforms. Either way it'll amuse you for a while and inform you of the accuracy of your accelerometer - a win-win situation. 
7. Frozen BubbleAnother key theme of the independent Android gaming scene is (ports of) clones of popular titles. Like Frozen Bubble, which is based around the ancient and many-times-copied concept of firing gems up a screen to make little groups of similarly coloured clusters. That's what you do. You've probably done it a million times before, so if it's your thing get this downloaded. 
8. Replica IslandReplica Island is an extremely polished platform game that pulls off the shock result of being very playable on an Android trackball. The heavy momentum of the character means you're only switching direction with the ball or d-pad, letting you whizz about the levels with ease. Then there's jumping, bottom-bouncing, collecting and all the other usual platform formalities. 
9. Gem MinerIn Gem Miner you are a sort of mole character that likes to dig things out of the ground. But that's not important. The game itself has you micro-managing the raw materials you find, upgrading your digging powers and buying bigger and better tools and maps. Looks great, plays well on Android's limited button array. Go on, suck the very life out of the planet. 
10. ConnecTooAnother coloured-square-based puzzle game, only ConnecToo has you joining them up. Link red to red, then blue to blue - then see if you've left a pathway through to link yellow to yellow. You probably haven't, so delete it all and try again. A brilliantly simple concept. ConnecToo used to be a paid-for game, but was recently switched to an ad-supported model - meaning it now costs you £0.00. 
11. TitresOnce you're successfully rewired your brain's 25 years of playing Tetris in a certain way with certain buttons and got used to tapping the screen to rotate your blocks, it's... Tetris. It hinges on how much you enjoy placing things with your phone's trackball or pad. If you're good at it, it's a superb Tetris clone. Let's hope it doesn't get sued out of existence. UPDATE: While Titres seems to have been removed from Google Play, there's now an official Tetris app available to download. 
12. Trap!Not the best-looking game you'll ever play, with its shabby brown backgrounds and rudimentary text making it look like something you'd find running on a PC in the year 1985. But Trap! is good. You draw lines to box in moving spheres, gaining points for cordoning off chunks of the screen. That sounds rubbish, so please invest two minutes of your time having a go on it so you don't think we're talking nonsense. 
13. JewelsColoured gems again, and this time your job is to switch pairs to make larger groups which then disappear. That might also sound quite familiar. The good thing about Jewels is its size and presentation, managing to look professional while packing in more levels than should really be given away for free. 
14. OpenSudokuWe had to put one Sudoku game in here, so we'll go with OpenSudoku - which lives up to its open tag thanks to letting users install packs of new puzzles generated by Sudoku makers. It's entirely possible you could use this to play new Sudoku puzzles for the rest of your life, if that's not too terrifying a thought. 
15. Abduction!Abduction! is a sweet little platform jumping game, presented in a similarly quirky and hand-drawn style as the super-fashionable Doodle Jump. You can't argue with cute cows and penguins with parachutes, or a game that's easy to play with one hand thanks to its super accessible accelerometer controls. 
16. The Great Land GrabA cross between a map tool and Foursquare, The Great Land Grab sorts your local area into small rectangular packets of land - which you take ownership of by travelling through them in real-time and buying them up. Then someone else nicks them off you the next day, a bit like real-world Risk. A great idea, as long as you don't mind nuking your battery by leaving your phone sitting there on the train with its GPS radio on. 
17. Brain Genius DeluxeOur basic legal training tells us it's better to use the word "homage" than to label something a "rip-off", so we'll recommend this as a simple "homage" to the famed Nintendo Brain Training franchise. Clearly Brain Genius Deluxe is not going to be as slick, but there's enough content in here to keep you "brain training" (yes, it even uses that phrase) until your battery dies. The presentation's painfully slow, but then again that might be the game teaching you patience. 
18. ColoroidColoroid is aery, very simple and has the look of the aftermath of an explosion in a Tetris factory, but it works. All you do is expand coloured areas, trying to fill them in with colours in as few moves as possible - like using Photoshop's fill tool at a competitive level. 
19. CestosCestos is sort of a futuristic recreation of curling, where players chuck marbles at each other to try and smash everyone else's balls/gems down the drain and out of the zone. The best part is this all happens online against real humans, so as long as there's a few other bored people out there at the same time you'll have a real, devious, cheating, quitting person to play against. Great. 
20. Air ControlOne of the other common themes on the Android gaming scene is clones of games based around pretending to be an air traffic controller, where you guide planes to landing strips with a swish of your finger. There are loads of them, all pretty much the same thing - we've chosen Air Control as it's an ad-supported release, so is technically free. 
Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY Note II Best free Android games 21 - 40FutTv : d3qL803bfG17821. GalaxIRGalaxIR is a futuristic strategy game with an abstract look, where players micro-manage an attacking alien fleet. Pick a planet, pick an attack point, then hope your troops have the balls to carry it off. There's not much structure to the game as yet, but that's what you get when you're on the bleeding-edge of free, independent Android gaming development. 
22. GraviturnGraviturn is an accelerometer based maze game, where the aim is to roll a red ball out of a maze by tilting your phone around. Seems embarrassingly easy at first, until increasing numbers of green balls appear on screen. If any green balls roll off the screen you die and have to try again. It's abstract. It's good. 
23. Alchemy Classic There are a few variants on Alchemy out there, each offering a similarly weird experience. In Alchemy Classic you match up elements to create their (vaguely) scientific offspring, so dumping water onto earth makes a swamp, and so on. It's a brain teaser thing and best played by those who enjoy spending many hours in the company of the process of elimination. 
24. ActionPotatoIn ActionPotato you control three pots. Pressing on the pots makes them jump up into the air, where they harvest potatoes. See how many you can get in a row. That's the gist of it. And don't collect the rotten potatoes, else you die. That really is it. The Google Play stats say this is on well over 1,000,000 downloads, so it's doing something right. 
25. Scrambled NetScrambled Net is based around the age-old concept of lining up pipes and tubes, but has been jazzed up with images of computer terminals, high score tracking and animations. Still looks like something you'd have played on a Nokia during the last decade, but it's free - and looking rubbish hardly stopped Snake from taking off, did it? 
26. Dropwords Dropwords is laid out like your standard Android block-based puzzle game, the difference here is we're not dealing with gems - you make blocks disappear by spelling out words from the jumbled heap of letters. There's not an enormous amount of point to it, but you can at least submit your scores and best words to the server, where an AI version of Susie Dent will pass her approval. 
27. BarrrWhat you do in Barrr is man-manage a bar world, pointing men at the beers, games or tattoo parlour, then taking their money off them once they're drunk and happy like a good capitalist. And make sure they go to the toilet. Things, as things do in games, soon start speeding up and it gets rather insane and difficult. 
28. TetronimoThe name gives it away - this is a Tetris clone. Or rather it's a game that uses the same sort of block-shifting rules as Tetris, only with a very nice and user friendly touchscreen area beneath the block pit to make it easy to play. We're having trouble locating this on Google Play at time of writing - either a glitch or the inevitable legal troubles. UPDATE: Tetronimo seems to have been removed from Google Play, but there's now an official Tetris app available to download. 
29. WordfeudWordfeud is a superb little clone of Scrabble, with a big, clear screen and online play options that actually work. The game's been offered for free with some hefty advertising over it thanks to the developer being based in Norway - which only received paid-for app sales support recently. A paid version may arrive soon, but Wordfeud remains free right now. 
30. Friction Mobile Friction Mobile is a very odd concept that makes no sense in still images. You fire a ball into the screen, then try to hit that ball with other balls until it explodes. The catch is you're not allowed to bounce balls backwards into your own face. Because then you die. Sounds rubbish, but works well. It's free, so give it a no-obligation, no-commitment whirl. 
31. GearedGeared is a weird little thing finally converted over to Android from iPhone. It's an embarrassingly simple concept - players slot different sized cogs into place on the screen, with the aim being to power one gear from another. Then, as is video game tradition, it gets harder and harder. Plus there are 150 levels of it all. 
32. MeganoidA stunning little retro game, Meganoid plays and looks like something that ought to be running on a Nintendo emulator. But it isn't. It's new and on Android. It's a speed-based challenge, using on-screen or accelerometer controls to jump and bounce through ever-hardening levels. Developer Orange Pixel is aggressively supporting it, too, with constant map packs, characters and more regularly appearing for download. 
33. CordyA standard and traditional platform game. Cordy is a speed-based affair, with players running, jumping and collecting their way through its pretty green levels, using an electrical cable to jump, swing over obstacles and grab energy. Uses on-screen buttons so can be a bit tough to play, but comes with 12 free levels to get you going. 
34. Angry Birds Rio Yet more Angry Birds for fans of the simplistic trial and error physics game. Angry Birds Rio is another chapter-based effort as well, with developer Rovio leaving tempting empty slots on the menu screen for periodic updates of new levels. More of the same, but with a prettier, 3D look to it this time thanks to a vague association with animated movie Rio. 
35. Grave Defense Holidays As with Angry Birds, the maker of this superb tower defence game has spun out a separate version it fills with seasonal levels. Recently updated with an Easter map, this free version of the game also includes Valentine, Christmas and St Patrick's Day themed maps. Currently calls itself Grave Defense Easter. Easily one of the best examples of the tactical genre. 
36. Words with Friends FreeThe popular iPhone Scrabble-alike is now on Android, with an ad-supported version up on Google Play for free. Words with Friends Free should actually be called Words for People Without Any Friends, as once installed it lets users play with complete strangers online - or pick specific people from your contacts list. It's turn-based, so several ongoing games can be strung out for days. 
37. PewPewVery similar in style and concept to Xbox and Xbox 360 retro classic Geometry Wars. In fact, one might legally be able to get away with calling it a right old rip-off. Android PewPew is a rock-hard 2D shooting game packed with alternate game modes. It's a bit rough around the edges and requires a powerful phone to run smoothly, but when it does it's a fantastic thing. 
38. Angry Birds Friends It's Angry Birds business as usual; only with Angry Birds Friends you get a social-themed makeover that adds challenges, Facebook integration galore and scoreboard tools to make the simple physics game more of a multiplayer experience. The good thing is the way you can access the same account and see your progress on mobile and through Facebook on desktop, the bad is the looming presence of in-app purchases, with "bird coins" required to be earned or bought to progress quicker. 
39. Beats, Advanced Rhythm GameA standard rhythm action, button pressing music game for Android. Beats manages to outdo the official music games by including a Download Song tab, where it's possible to install new song files created by users. It's very hard and very fast. Just like they should be. Runs perfectly on an HTC Desire, too, so there's no blaming glitches for not doing very well. 
Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY Note II Best free Android games 41 - 60FutTv : 2B66VRr27Ivc640. Pinball DeluxePinball Deluxe is an actually decent pinball sim for Android, and it's free. At the moment it comes with four tables - Wild West, Carnival, Space Frontier and Diving for Treasure. Ball movement is convincing, and although a bit of the magic is lost thanks to having to use on-screen buttons, it's a smooth enough experience. It's ad-supported. Don't press those. You don't get a bonus. 
41. Winter Walk Winter Walk is madness. You play the part of a gentleman, out for an evening walk. From time to time the wind picks up, so you have to hold on to his hat to stop it blowing away. While this is happening, the chap's internal monologue appears on screen, giving you an entertaining and distracting read in the process, too. Very simple, but a perfect little high score challenge game for the touchscreen era. 
42. Colosseum HeroesPublisher Gamevil takes a break from churning out the role-playing games to give dumb action a go here. Colosseum Heroes is a 2D slasher, where you simply try to survive for as long as possible, building up your armour and weaponry to make yourself tougher and meaner. Technically this is a "freemium" game paid for with in-app purchases, but if you're prepared to spend a while building up your character's skills manually, there's no need to pay out. 
43. Stardash FreeDeveloper Orange Pixel has a knack of creating excellent retro titles, with Stardash a fine example. Designed to look like a Game Boy game from before many of you younger readers were born, Stardash is clearly a bit of a Mario homage - but it's done exceptionally well and is endlessly replayable. If you like it, and you probably will, there's an alternate paid version that removes the adverts. 
44. Scramble With Friends FreeZynga's latest puzzler Scramble With Friends Free is technically a free game, but in order to get the most out of it and play as it's meant to be played you'll need to use the in-app purchasing system to buy "tokens" to let you access games quicker. Which leaves a slightly bad T-A-S-T-E in the M-O-U-T-H, but at least it's free and perfectly playable at a slow pace if you're just curious. 
45. Dead on ArrivalDead on Arrival is a very impressive looking 3D survival horror game, which dumps you in a hospital infested with zombies. You then try to not get eaten by buying new weapons, boarding up doors to keep the brain-eaters at bay and using wall-mounted weaponry to quicken the zombie mincing process. As with many of today's Android titles, there's the option to pay for stuff within the game to unlock features and remove ads - but you don't have to. 
46. Stick CricketStick Cricket is a fantastically simple little game that reduces cricket to its core values - you just smash every ball as hard as you can. There's no worrying about field positioning, just a bat and a ball coming at you very quickly. Initially it seems impossible to do anything other than make a complete mess of things and having your little man smashed upside-down, but it soon clicks. 
47. Draw Something FreeDraw Something Free is the new phenomenon that's taking the world by storm (at the time of writing, at least). It's basically a mobile version of Pictionary, where you're given a choice of three words of varying difficulty, then tasked with drawing them so someone can tell what it is. Syncs with Facebook, too, for easy cross-platform play. If you like the free trial, there's a paid accompaniment with more content. 
48. Fragger The popular web-based Flash game Fragger is now on Android. It's pretty much a clone of Angry Birds, mind, offering simple physics-based challenges based around chucking grenades all over the place to make stuff blow up. It comes with some rather intrusive ads, but that's the price you (don't) pay for sticking with the free version. 
49. The Sims FreePlayGlobal mega-corporation EA has gone literally mad, giving away its Android version of The Sims for nothing in the form of The Sims FreePlay. In return for sitting through some full-screen adverts every now and again, players get a decent mobile version of The Sims, complete with pets, plants, lifestyle points and all the usual mundane activities that make the series popular. It's not perfect, but does fit in most Sims core features. 
50. Super Bit Dash About as far away from The Sims as you can get. Super Bit Dash is a retro-style 2D platform game, with controls as simple as its pixel art design. The game runs at a constant pace, so all the player has to do is jump and super-special-jump at the right time in order to avoid smashing into the scenery. Obviously it's a lot harder than that makes it sound. 
51. Chrono&Cash FreeChrono&Cash Free is very hard and sweet little one-screen platform game, where players jump about collecting bags of cash while avoiding enemies. And that's all there is to it, aside from some mini challenges to boost your score multiplier and online sharing of your scores to goad friends into trying to beat you. Looks cool, is a tiny download and a great laugh to play. 
52. Autumn Walk A weird little gem, Autumn Walk sees players controlling a man and his dog as they stroll through a Victorian park landscape. The challenge here is dog management, with the hound either running ahead or hanging back - both precarious scenarios that could cause the lead to snap. It's basically a high score challenge, to see how long you can stand the weird experience. Worth it for the awesome comic dialogue that accompanies your stroll. 
53. Meganoid 2Meganoid 2 is an insanely difficult 2D scrolling platform game, once again presented in developer Orange Pixel's awesome pixel art style. The levels are rather short, with the challenge here being to simply play them again and again and again so you can get through them without death. Might drive you mad. Might be your favourite game of the year. Close call. 
54. PitfallDeveloper Activision has updated one of its oldest and most fondly remembered classics, turning the ancient platform game into a posh, 3D infinite running thing. Pitfall uses swipe and tilt controls like the famous Temple Run, including power-ups, vehicles and changing camera angles to add a bit of variety to the look and feel of it all. 
55. Bad Piggies A shock move from developer Rovio, in that this one isn't a simple take on the Angry Birds style. Bad Piggies is a clever building game, which dumps you at the beginning of a big map with a pile of component parts. You then build a flying machine using the given elements, then try to fly it to the end of the level. A really nice, original little idea from the physics game specialists. 
56. Pocket Planes Pocket Planes puts you in charge of an airline. You potter about the world looking for paying jobs, whether that's passenger or freight routes, then send off your planes to do the little delivery tasks. As things progress the complexity increases, until you're eventually flying customised jumbos with hundreds of passengers around major international cities. It works in real time in the background, so you can minimise it and do other things while all your birds are finding their way home, then pop back in when the game notifies you that something's arrived and needs attention. 
57. Neon BlitzNeon Blitz is a kind of a posh tracing game, where you use your finger to draw over the shapes on the screen. You're rated on accuracy, with scores compared against the world on its global leader board. There are power-ups and stuff like that, but it's all about having a jazzy, bright experience, that works perfectly on a touchscreen. 
58. Agent DashAgent Dash is another take on the infinite runner genre that's come to dominate the smartphone gaming landscape, only with a comedy spy angle. As well as swiping to dodge objects, Agent Dash incorporates weaponry and spy gadgets, making it more of an interactive and action-based experience than most of its "Step Right" peers. 
59. Whale Trail FrenzyWhale Trail Frenzy is an updated version of the iOS original, with the developer heaping in more levels for the Android release of its bonkers flying game. You just fly a little whale around the sky (for reasons never explained), collecting things, avoiding bad clouds, building up a multiplier and generally being wowed by its unique and gorgeous style. A really sweet experience. 
60. Radiant DefenseRadiant Defense is a fantastic tower defence game, given a dazzling modern look. You do all the usual tower defence stuff like building up your weapon strengths and deciding how best to stop the endless marching enemy, with some "super weapons" to unlock and hundreds upon hundreds of waves to beat. And it all looks astonishingly pretty on a big screened device. 
In this age of austerity and scrimping, we've all long since sold our last set of dominoes and melted down our Monopoly counters for scrap. So where's a frugal gamer to go for fun that won't break the bank? Why, straight to the TechRadar top 10 free Android games of course… Best free Android games 61-8061. Temple Run 2The original Temple Run made staring at a man's bottom on public transport a wholly acceptable pastime, and this sequel augments the endless-running fun with slicker graphics, more power-ups, obstacles and achievements – plus a bigger monkey hot on your heels. 
62. CSR RacingThe best cars require in-app purchases, but there's plenty of free fun to be had with this fast and furious racer. Console-quality graphics show off the mean machines (from Audi, BMW, Bentley and others), and gameplay blends strategy as well as speed. 
63. Mini Golf MatchUpPutting (putt-ing, geddit?) the crazy into crazy golf, the five courses in Mini Golf MatchUp take in dinosaurs, sharks and pirates across 70 holes, with realistic physics to temper the unreal environments. Facebook integration is par for the course, while in-game chat keeps things swinging. 
64. SongPop FreeA bit like Never Mind The Buzzcocks' intro round, SongPop Free is the handy alternative to carrying Phill Jupitus and someone you've never heard of in your pocket. Guess song clips from loads of genres, then challenge your friends to do better. 
65. Dead TriggerThat zombie shooter Dead Trigger is set in the dystopian future of 2012 is testament to its lasting appeal. Frantic first-person missions set in realistic 3D environments are sure to get your heart racing (unless you're a zombie), even on smaller screens. 
66. Cut the Rope Full FreeCute critter Om-Nom in Cut the Rope is the Daniel Day-Lewis of puzzle games, with a BAFTA amid his haul of gaming awards. The simple premise (cut the ropes to release Om-Nom's lunch) sustains 350 well-pitched levels, packed with character and cartoonish charm. 
67. LexulousScrabble by another name (its second, after "Scrabulous" proved a tad too copyright-infringing), Lexulous has all the social gaming options you'd expect, but beats its many rivals with its antisocial options: three AI opponents ranging from the simple to the sesquipedalian. 
68. Pac-Man + TournamentsFed up of 3D, HD, 360-degree action? This authentic recreation of a arcade classic Pac-Man is the kind of good, clean pill-munching fun they enjoyed in the 1970s. A tournament mode offers regularly updated mazes, but the retro original is hard to beat. 
69. ScrabbleYes, the proper Scrabble, not some copyright-infringing clone that'll be pulled by the time you read these words. EA bought the license, tidied it up and stuck it out on Android, where it's a remarkably advert and in-app purchase free experience. It's been beefed up with a few new modes, but stuff like the ability to sync with Facebook and play multiple matches is actually exactly what you need. A classic that's not been ruined. Hooray. 
70. Blip Blup Blip Blup is the kind of original little idea we love stumbling across. It's a sort of geometry-based puzzle game that has you pressing squares on the screen to fill in areas of colour. Your light beams are limited in the directions they can travel, so, once you're through the troublingly simple tutorial levels, it soon becomes insanely tough and will soon have you scratching through your skull's skin and bone until you actually itch your BRAIN in confusion. 
71. Doodle Jump Doodle Jump is ancient, but there's a reason it's down here at the newer end of the Triple-A Android freebies list. It's recently been reworked, updated for today's higher resolution displays and, better still, been stuck up on Google Play for free. If you haven't played it, or played it four years ago on iOS, give it another spin. It's a timeless bit of upwards bouncing action. 
72. Super Stickman Golf 2Super Stickman Golf 2 is one of the recent big-hitters of Android, with the superb 2D puzzle golf game doing insane business. It's free, albeit propped up by in-app purchases, with heaps upon piles of golf courses to whack yourself around, challenging your knowledge of physics and angles as much as your sporting abilities. Looks great and even manages to head online to offer turn-based multiplayer against friends or randoms. 
73. Real Racing 3Extremely controversial thanks to its use of in-app purchases to buy your way to better cars, quicker play time and much more, there's one reason you really ought to give Real Racing 3 a go - it's the best looking 3D racer on Android by a mile. If you want something that gives both, all four, or even the full eight of your phone's cores a full workout, this is the one. And you don't have to pay for anything, as long as you don't mind staring at timers and waiting a lot. 
74. Gunslugs Another awesome little 2D pixel art classic from developer OrangePixel, Gunslugs is your standard sort of action platformer given a gorgeous old fashioned retro look. It's been optimised for play on Sony's old-but-popular Xperia Play buttoned Android model, plus the Moga controller and Green Throttle systems will also let you experience it with proper, physical buttons. A random level generator makes it different every time, too. 
75. Nun Attack: Run & GunFrima Studios' popular battling nun series has been transformed into the modern trend that is the "runner" game in Nun Attack: Run & Gun where your favourite of the four available nuns smash though levels, equip weaponry and, inevitably, earn the gold coins that can be used to unlock extra features. Or you can pay real money to buy coins. Real nuns wouldn't approve of that. 
76. Guardian CrossFamed developer Square Enix has created this highly regarded fantasy card battle RPG, with, so it claims, some input from developers involved in building the legendary Final Fantasy series. But it's not like those games. Guardian Cross is all about collecting a powerful deck of card characters, which are then used to battle both in-game fights and real human friends online. There's a bit of mindless grinding and waiting if you want to avoid in-app purchases, but none are compulsory purchases. 
77. Flatout: StuntmanSupposedly a spin-off from the home console racing titles, Flatout: Stuntman takes one of the more shocking elements from the driving games – the crash dummy physics of drivers thrown from their cars – and turns it into a whole game. The idea is you have a crash, trying to ensure as much damage is caused to your little ragdoll character. Possibly the sort of tasteless thing that might trigger a 'Ban All Games' campaign, but... fun. And free. So your wallet won't get hurt. 
78. Pocket League Story 2Mobile developer Kairosoft went down the "freemium" route with this sequel to its superb man-managing football business sim, so Pocket League Story 2 is playable for free if you don't mind suffering a little more than those who pay for upgrades. It's still a great little game, in which you take charge of managing the ground, scouting for players, coaching matches, building facilities and much more. 
79. GYRO GYRO is exactly the sort of thing we like - a clever new idea that makes the most out of today's touchable devices. It's a bit abstract. You are the circle thing in the middle, and you rotate yourself to absorb the incoming spheres, matching the balls with the right coloured segment. Shields and score multipliers then fire in, and, inevitably, it all gets quicker and harder. Perfect even on older phones and tablets of modest performance. 
80. Galaxy on Fire 2 HDGalaxy on Fire 2 HD is one of the most visually impressive 3D shooters to be found on Android, Galaxy on Fire 2 also chucks in some trading and exploration play to add a little more depth to the combat, making it into something similar to having your own little portable Eve Online. You also get to play as a lead character called Keith, which is quite an exciting rarity. 
       | | Updated: Best phone headphones: 25 pairs tested Aug 13th 2013, 03:29, by Gareth Beavis and Farrha Khan 
Best headphones for phones - SportsIt's a minefield out there - what are you supposed to do when you pull your new phone out of the box and realise the headphones included just aren't up to scratch? Actually, this scenario is less common than you might think, but when it comes to Apple products, you're going to want the best replacement iPhone earphones - because let's face it, the ones that come in the box are just laughably poor and leak sound to anyone within a kilometre. But it's not as simple as choosing the best pair of headphones from a shelf in a shop - you've got to consider styles, shapes, sound quality, price and overall functionality before parting with your hard-earned cash these days. FutTv : Ca58rjemnaR84So to that end, here's our fancy guide of the latest headphones on the market to show you what you need. Whether it's cutting the wires, running a marathon or just spending a few hours in quiet audio contemplation, there should hopefully be something here for you. Sports headphonesWe've all been guilty of it at some point - buying a high-end portable music player and then not getting some decent headphones to make the most of it. And with most phones now pumping out a decent audio experience, relying on the in-box buds is almost a crime given the pathetic levels of sound exuded by most - you need the best iPhone headphones or the best Android headphones. So if you've chosen from our list of the best mobile phones and found the phone that's right for you, think about investing a little more and getting a quality pair of earbuds or over-ear options to make the most out of your music or videos. We've trawled through loads of different options and styles of headphones designed to be used with smartphones, so whether it be music or movies that you use your handset for, check out our list of the best headphones for phones. Jabra SportPrice: $149 
One of the worst things about having headphones for sports is the fact most of them still come with wires. It's great then that Jabra has managed to do away with cables (apart from the one that links the two earphone heads together) with the Jabra Sport. It does this by hooking up to your handset through the magic of Bluetooth. Built for use when running, the Jabra Sport range has been given ear hooks, but these are rather chunky. This is understandable, given that they need to house the Bluetooth tech and also have an FM tuner built in, but it does mean that it will take you a while to hook them around your ears. It was lucky, then, that they were rather secure and didn't fall out mid-exercise – even when covered in sweat. Surprisingly, the sound was decent, even though it has been squeezed through a Bluetooth signal. We did find that linking the earphones up (digitally) to our handset took longer than expected, but this was a one-off thing. Once your phone remembers the headphones, it takes seconds for them to match. VerdictA decent stab at sports earphones, with the added bonus of being wireless. Although the Jabra Sport hooks are a tad too chunky, they sit great on the ear and can easily get you through prolonged exercise. Etymotics MC3Price: $120 
These are the little brothers to the HF3's, and while not strictly sport headphones, we've decided to include them here for a couple of reasons. 1 - Etymotics has developed an application to monitor noise levels, meaning if a certain noise level (like a vehicle honking) is reached, the app will disable the music so you can deal with it... for instance, not getting run over. 2 - If you invest in some custom tips, then they'll stay in your ears without an issue even over a marathon - plus the seal is tight enough to block out sweat. Sonically we could really hear the difference between these and the HF3's, as they buck the trend of a lot of the more expensive headphones to offer up a relatively bass-free experience. Not to the point of sounding tinny, but it does detract from the richness. VerdictWith a lower build quality than their higher-end brother's, the MC3's are a nice enough pair of headphones with a decent microphone that can be heard even when running. However, for the price you might want to think about investing the extra cash for the HF3's as the sonic difference is marked and the overall performance worth the extra cash. Bose Sie2iPrice: $199 
While these Bose earphones don't offer custom tips, they do come in small, medium and large sizes. It also uses Bose StayHere silicone tips, which are designed to be light and to help keep them in place - they also manage to look like a pair of wings. These earphones are aimed directly at sports users, with rugged cables and hydrophobic cloth that manage to keep sweat out, but let sound in, making them handier for running outside than in a gym. Without it being noise-cancelling, the earphones manage decent Bose sound with full base. The inline mic and remote works with iDevices and are also covered in hydrophobic cloth. As it uses cables, weight can become an issue when running, especially with a remote helping it drag the earpiece out of place, but at only 18g with remote attached, these don't weigh down too much. Bose teamed up with Reebok to produce armbands for your iPod or iPhone, but as these earphones came out pre-iPhone 5, the newer designs won't sit well, making them almost pointless. VerdictEven if you can't use the armband, the Sie2i offers good Bose-quality sound without being dangerous for outside use. These are, however, on the pricier end of the scale, but it is worth checking out for it's winged tips. Plantronics BackBeat 903+Price: $94 
If you want cordless, discreet, but powerful enough to deliver on sound at a reasonable price, then the BackBeat 903+ will tick all your boxes. These rugged headphones from Plantronics fit up behind your ears, offering both music playback function and the ability to answer phone calls. The left ear houses the majority of the controls, including power, volume and track forward/back, along with the make/receive call button. The button on the right ear plays or pauses tracks. As the microphone for calls sits in the ear piece, you'd have to be extra clear and precise when making calls in a noisy environment - but it is usable. Using A2DP Bluetooth technology, it pairs up quite easily with your iPhone, offering a battery indicator on the screen. Holding down the call button will trigger Voice Control on the phone from where you can dial numbers or control the music. VerdictThis is a reasonably cheaper, cordless alternative to the Jabra Sport. While the BackBeat 903+ works well for music playback while out running, don't expect it to work seamlessly as a handsfree headset. They are also noise-cancelling, so you'll need to be vigilant if you are running or riding down busier parts. Adidas Sennheiser PMX 685iPrice: $99.95 
Adidas and Sennheiser have teamed up to create headphones that can be rinsed out if things get particularly icky. Unlike the BacBeat, these aren't noise-cancelling, so you'll still be aware of what's happening around you. These sweat and water resistant headphones also fit around the ear, but are corded, which means you may need to be a little more careful, as a pull could pop them out, even though they do sit around the ear. Despite the cabling, the neckband pretty much ensures that you won't be shaking them out of your ears easily, and a remote means having to fiddle with them even less. Most importantly, however, the PMX 685i provides some great sound, backed by Sennheiser technology. VerdictFor the price and quality of sound, this is a definite winner. The fact that you can throw these under the tap is just an added bonus. The only thing to look our for is the build itself, as you can adjust the headband to much. Over-ear headphonesFerrari by Logic3 P200Price: $349.95 
The term 'luxury' is bandied about far too often with headphones, but the P200's, bearing the Ferrari name, at least live up the standard. Featuring floating earpieces, which pack a 50mm speaker driver, the overall fit is one of comfort, albeit feeling quite heavy on the head. There are carbon fibre elements to the design, and the whole aesthetic resembles F1 headsets quite closely. Sonically, the P200's are excellent. Not too bass-heavy and offering very clear vocal tones, we really enjoyed using these - in the comfort of our own home. The ostentatious design will put some of, as will the very tight fit on the head... you really get a sense of solid construction, but that can be quite restrictive with longer sessions. VerdictSure, you pay extra for the Ferrari brand, but you get a very good set of cans for your money. They're slightly bulky and are leaky enough to annoy fellow commuters - but the design will probably put you off wearing them in public anyway. PSB M4U2Price: $399 
Noise cancelling is big business these days, and a pair of headphones that can properly cut through the frustrating sound of the hissing tube or the roaring aircraft engines really are worth their weight in gold to the regular traveller. The sound quality is, in a word, superb. Even at overly-loud volumes the balance is still more than acceptable, and even compared to the other headphones on offer here, their noise cancelling abilities are beyond impressive. But we'll go back to it again: the sound quality is so immense that we want them in this category rather than pointing to their ability to remove annoying noises. We've been on four long-haul trips recently and it's testament to the M4U2's ability to render both subtle melody and vocal tones means they're excellent for all manner of tasks. The inline remote was one of the best we tested too - the solid click of the microphone makes it easy to skip through tracks, although it was a little low down to allow us to be heard in every environment, meaning on occasion we had to disconnect to speak to our loved ones. VerdictObviously the expense will put a lot of people off, and there is a weight issue: the audio quality is offset by a slight pain in the neck through extended use. For value, functionality and comfort travelling, we recommend the Sennheiser MM 550-X range, but as a general set of cans for all manner of tasks, we're in love with the PSB offering. Sony MDR-1RPrice: $299.95 
These headphone from Sony are pricey, but well worth it. While they don't offer much in the way of fancy features, they do one thing very well: sound great. You might be expecting a little more for your money in the shape of noise cancelling capabilities, or some wireless connectivity (although the latter is available as the MDR-1BT) but they do just offer up decent quality audio and fit really well to boot. You get two cables with these headphone included in the box, allowing for both smartphone and bog-standard connection, but the former will only fully work with iPhone and iPad devices. This is all the more confusing given Sony was giving away these headphones with its latest Android smartphone, the Xperia Z, and the volume button doesn't do anything. VerdictA great set of cans for the fact they reproduce sound so faithfully - and the inbuilt mic makes it easy to take and make calls too. Just don't expect full functionality if you've got an Android phone. Even a Sony one... Philips Fidelio M1Price: $299.95 
We've already reviewed the Philips Fidelio M1, and we've added it to this collection because they feel wonderful to wear and sounds great. The bass can be a bit of a disappointment, but overall, there are not many other complaints to be had. The headband is adjustable and soft, while the earcups are comfortable, even when sitting on top of you ears, rather than around. And they look good, too, though the Ferrari headphones are much shinier. Unfortunately, for the asking price, you don't really get much else in the box. There is no remote for controlling sound, which is weird for headphones geared toward those on the move, but there is a small clicker and mic for phone calls. There's also no carry case, and we don't know how comfortable we feel lugging these around during our commute in just the included pouch considering the price tag. VerdictWhile the bass may not quite live up to the premium price for the Fidelio M1, they still manage to provide amazing sound with a premium feel for the mobile user. In ear headphonesAtomic Floyd SuperDartsPrice: $299 
For a pair of earphones that cost $299, you would expect them to deliver a sound experience that impresses you every time you use them. You want the sound to be crisp and punchy, smooth and deep, soothing and yet startling. You want the high-end to tingle on your ear drums, with every sonic vibration adding extra detail to the soundscape. And the Superdarts manage all this with aplomb. The solid stainless steel earbuds each contain dual drivers, which means two mini speakers in each ear. This is an expensive way to build an earbud, but it undoubtedly delivers better sound, with each driver individually handling a separate part of the sound spectrum. The SoftSeal silicone eartips create a good level of noise isolation to eliminate external noises too, and the Kevlar cable is so tangle-free you'll spend ages trying to trick it. The headset is Made For iPhone, which can be picky at times when it comes to Android phones. The remote button may work, but the volume keys certainly won't... although the placement is very good and picks up voice well. VerdictSo the Superdarts are pretty good then. They're brilliant, in fact. You just need to decide whether you can afford the price. If you can't, you can content yourself with the knowledge that you'll never know how good your music could have sounded. And if you can? Your ears will love you for the rest of your life. Marshall MinorPrice: $99.95 
The brand known for its amplifiers dives into our headphones run down with a set of odd-looking buds - the Minors are by far the largest buds on test. The fit is achieved by twisting the unit into the ear using a range of tips that slot into the various extrusions on your ears, and while this is novel, it can quickly get uncomfortable. It also lets a lot of noise leak in, so unless you're dead against in-ear options, these might get tiresome after a while. That said, for the price the sound quality is immense - the drivers we assume are stuffed into those large frames are certainly pumping out crystal clear sound and the inline microphone is also one of the most audible to those on the other line on test. VerdictThey look weird, but sound great - but beware, unless you're fine with a lack of noise isolation and slightly uncomfortable fits, these might not be the best for you. Jabra RhythmPrice: $30 
Sometimes you don't want to spend thousands of pennies on new headphones - although technically you still would be for the Jabra Rhythms, at least its fewer coins you'll need. Jabra promises to have tuned each pair of ear buds especially for different types of music, and while none of them really hit anything approaching a really impressive sonic performance, the Rhythms are the most acceptable of the lot. The buds fit relatively well, although we had issue getting a tip that really fitted well from the three on offer - and the inline microphone really works much better than you'd expect from the price. There are loads of headphones in electronics shops for around $20 that offer a really substandard performance - so in that mini league, the Jabra Rhythms are clear winners. VerdictHeadphones that don't sound terrible, and won't make you cry tears of frustrated anger should you lose or break them - the Rhythms are decent quality and super cheap too. Sennheiser IE8iPrice: $759 
If you're fed up with the mountains of cash festooned about your person, or want a pair of headphones that, you know, are actually quite good, then these iPhone upgrades to Sennheiser's powerful IE8's are a decent option, They'll work with most phones as a hands free too, although like most the volume buttons won't function, and certainly offer a deep and tight sonic experience, with solid, and more importantly rich, bass levels combined with a much stronger performance at the high end than most headphones on test here. You can even tune the headphones using a small screw - although we found that unless you're desperate for swathes of bass you'll be better off holding this at the mid-to-low setting. You also get a whopping 10 tips to experiment with for your cash, so you'll always find something to fit in your ear - and while the plastic casing doesn't feel in the least bit premium, it's lightweight and handy for making the headphones portable. VerdictA quality pair of headphones that are really only worth considering if you've got a lot of cash to spend - the sonic range is impressive and the range of tips are really helpful in finding the right fit, although be warned: the speaker section that sits in your ear is a bit larger than others on the market. Sennheiser MM50Price: $130 
A pseudo-successor to the insanely popular CX300 set, Sennheiser is looking to corner the market in inexpensive upgrades to your bundled headphones. The MM50s are what you'd expect from such a purchase, with a snug fit in the ear and a decent level of clarity for the cash - bass heavy if we're being critical, but not terribly so. The quality of the headphone cord is average and feels a little spindly - we didn't have any trouble with it breaking or cracking in our tests, but don't pull on the wire too heavily when yanking them out a bag. VerdictFor the price, this is a decent upgrade to the inbox headphones you get in the box - audio clarity outstrips the value for sure. Klipsch X10iPrice: $399.95 
The X10i's from Klipsch represent a real investment in your listening experience, as even with a recent price drop they're still a pretty costly affair. However, unlike most of the anonymous black buds on offer, these come with a cool stylised aluminium 'tail', which is designed to be an acoustic dampener. We could chat for ages about the audio quality - the best way to describe it would be 'natural sounding' - giving a wide range of sonic ability without needing to overcompensate for any track. In terms of a set of buds for all occasions, you can't go wrong with these. But it's the fit in the ear that we love. Not just because of the ridiculously light 10g weight, but the smaller dimensions and angled frame means they sit almost perfectly in the ear and, while not the most adept at noise isolation, feel the most comfortable for long-term use. VerdictSlightly pricey, but not out of the price range of most - and the sleek and easy to find inline microphone is among the better we've seen on test. Etymotics HF5Price: $149.95 (plus US$150 for custom tips) 
In a world dominated by background noise, there's only one thing that can save our music - custom earbud tips. That's right - while the HF3 range is sonically one of our favourite on test, nothing beats the fact you can get your own set of customised earbuds and never have to worry about the sound of the tube disturbing your listening experience again. We fully recommend getting the custom tips as while you might have to pay around $300 total, it properly realises the power of these strong and lightweight buds. With the inbuilt tips, sound is generally quite good; but with the silicon moulded options, the entire range could be felt and more importantly the bass was improved no end. VerdictIf money was no object, we'd recommend these headphones above all else on test, and not just because of the option for customised buds. With a well positioned microphone and strong build quality, there's a lot to love here, even for the price. Denon AH-C 560RPrice: $169 
We weren't sure what to expect when we picked up the Denon options, and we have to say that what we were given didn't exactly blow us away. In fact, it's hard to say anything particularly unique about the Denon 560R's, as while we weren't upset by the bass or high levels, the sound quality was just a bit... average. Roughly what you'd expect for a $169 pair of headphones, but without the wow-factor others have managed to deliver. The fit was snug enough though, and you'll find these among the more comfortable to wear - the range of ear buds was impressive and offered good noise isolation - although we did experience a fair level of noise leakage. VerdictOne of the big problems we did have with these buds is the microphone - the buttons are easy to hit, but it was nigh-on useless as a hands on microphone on the street. One to stay away from if you want something with pizzazz and to actually use it as a hands free kit. Bluetooth headphonesNovero RockawayPrice: $119 
These little puppies are a good find simply because they offer three things for cheap: decent sound, wireless connection and a microUSB connector for charging. The build quality has been lowered a little to compensate, but we like the flat band design (and can be picked up in a rather striking red hue as well. VerdictThe Rockaways are a quality set of earbuds for the price - the buds in the box aren't the best for fit, and the design is a little large for some ears. But for a bit over $100, it's not a problem - and we can heartily recommend these for those looking for something wireless on the go. Sennheiser MM 550-XPrice: $599 
What to say about these little darlings that properly does them justice? OK, the price is a little bit on the steep side, but when you break down all the extra features you're getting - well, it doesn't seem so hard on the wallet any more. From the lightweight construction to the reams of gadgetry bundled, out of all the headphones on test these were the ones we reached for on the train journey home. The noise cancelling element is among the best out there - we noticed the least audio seepage of any of the others on test. But the reason we're including them in the Bluetooth section is the fact apt-X is included... it's superb when you hear the improvement, and now the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X are rocking the standard, audio quality is about to get a lot better. We have minor quibbles: the blue flashing light on the side is a little onstentatious, the SRS surround sound 'enhancement' is awful and the removable battery can be removed a little too easily... but these are minor elements. VerdictIf you've got the cash, buy these headphones without question. Sonically, functionally and aesthetically they're among the best on the market. Sony MDR-1RBTPrice: $399.95 
Sony's premium NFC-enabled MDR-1RBT offers super quick and hassle free pairing with devices. But they also offer Bluetooth pairing, and if all else fails, you can simply hook up your device with the included cable. For the asking price, these options are definitely good to have. And even though you are paying $400, it isn't necessarily on premium parts. Most of it is made up of plastic parts, but that doesn't mean it will be prone to scratches and dinks, and the whole thing still manages to look and feel worthy of its price tag. When hooked up through Bluetooth, it has an impressive 30-hour life, making it ideal for long use. And here is where the plastic does help, making it light enough for comfortable use. VerdictThis is not a cheap pair of Bluetooth headphones, but it looks and feel great, and manages some very good sound. NFC pairing is what really caught our eyes, which makes it one of the most user-friendly wireless headphone on the market. Parrot Zik by Phillipe StarckPrice: $499 
Bluetooth headphones have seemed like such a good idea for what seems like decades, but only now are they becoming genuine alternatives to wired cans. These Parrot Zik Wireless headphones by Stark are something of a novelty on one hand, thanks to their price, and a jaw-dropping masterpiece in sound quality on the other. But at no point do they justify their $500 price point – the Starck design, plus the amount of technological wizardry on board, makes up a bulk of that cost. We're really not sold on the design either, as while we enjoy the look of the swooping lines and metallic finish, on the head they inspire some rather curious looks as people try to ascertain just what you've chosen to furnish your bonce. However, as we mentioned, the sound quality is excellent, and is enhanced by the associated app for iPhone or Android. Through this platform you can extend the width of sound you're hearing, making it more narrow or expansive depending on what you're listening too, and does have a modicum of an effect. The bass and treble notes are equally impressive, although don't justify the price tag at all. We've heard better (not much, mind) from cheaper headphones – so remember that you're buying design here as much as sound quality, although the noise cancelling on offer was more than on a par with other headphones in this test. You are getting some other goodies: NFC pairing is good, but remember to take them off before pairing as you'll get those looks again if you wipe your phone all over your ear to get the sound out. Another way to get stared at is using the touchpad on the right earpiece to skip tracks, pause and raise the volume – but this was such a delightful feature that we just didn't care. Sadly, on the best features of the Parrot Zik's didn't work well enough for us. Using a pressure pad, the music will instantly pause when you take them off your head, and does work well. However, when laying on your neck, the music will start up if it accidentally comes into contact with skin, which makes the whole idea pointless. Battery life is good, but one of the BIGGEST problems we have with these headphones is there's no notification to let you know when the juice is about to run out. This meant a number of frustrated journeys where we didn't have the optional 3.5mm headphone cable or a power outlet. Just a useless pair of fashion-led headphones. VerdictWould we recommend the Parrot Zik's to anyone looking to buy a pair of Bluetooth headphones? No – simply because the price is too high. If you've got infinite amounts of money (which is a problem that, sadly, is a growing concern) then you might fancy the stylings of these cans, but in truth, there are better options for the money. Perhaps another iteration would solve a lot of the problems – better battery management and a tweaking of that neck pad would help – but for now, these are to be gawped at while you buy something a little more sensible. Noise cancelling headphonesSony XBA-NC85DPrice: $549.95 
Sony's heritage in the headphone space is well-known - and these rather pricey buds are the latest in the long line of noise cancelling options from the Japanese brand. Their design is striking, and for good reason: they're noise cancelling, but without a separate box on the wire - it's all in the buds themselves. To that end, they're pretty large and slightly cumbersome - although the fit is excellent and provides good noise isolation even before the quiet noise cancelling kicks in. However, the headphones won't work when the battery dies, so you can face some lengthy, boring train journeys - and the noise cancellation is prone to the odd bit of hissing here and there too. VerdictA little too expensive to be recommended - the weight and lack of passive playback grate, and while the overall functionality is good, it's not quite enough to warrant shelling $550 out for them. BlackBox C20Price: $149 
The less-known brands traditionally are those many steer clear of - but with these BlackBox offerings, you get a more than acceptable noise cancelling experience. From the easy to clip microphone section to the impressive in ear fit, we're fans of these buds - and that's before we get to the quality noise cancellation too. They raise the volume a fair bit when you activate the noise cancelling, which feels like a bit of a cheap trick initially - but on the tube and in the air, it offers almost total silence from the outside world/ The headset is a little plasticky, and the AAA battery would be nicer as a chargeable pack... but there's not much else we can criticise here. VerdictHeadphones that you might not recognise are no longer to be feared. The BlackBox name won't let you down here, and the new C20 range is excellent at keeping up with your smartphones needs. Audio Technika ATH-ANC9Price: $299.95 
These headphones feel like they should arrive at the cheaper end of the market - with plastic construction and a creaky build, the price tag is somewhat confusing. However, the options are great: different noise cancelling modes that switch between office, aeroplane and study rooms are a little different to the competition. The noise cancellation is good too, as the pads are plush and don't tire your ears over use - although the large volume disparity when turning noise cancellation on and off grates somewhat. Vocal tones are slightly lost in the bass as well, but at least the switch to jump in and out of noise cancellation mode is easy to hit... it's surprising how annoying that can be. VerdictBuild quality lets down a decent performance from these cans - the overall functionality is nice, but not really something we'd recommend fully for the price, especially with the better-specified and similarly-priced Sennheiser MM 550-X's on the go. Bose QuietComfort 15Price: $399 
While the QuietComfort 15 looks simple and plain, maintaining the same over-ear design as the QuietComfort 2, it really is very comfortable to wear. They also provide some pretty solid noise-reduction, especially with these being aimed at travellers. There are even a two-prong airline adapter included. The noise-cancelling feature can be turned on or off, and while you'd think that this would drain the battery, Bose rates the headphones battery usage at 35 hours. And once the battery does run out, you won't be able to use the headphones as normal either. But considering it uses a single AAA battery, it can be easily replaced if you find yourself without sound. VerdictIf you don't mind your ears heating up a little inside the ear-encompassing earcups, then there is little else at fault with the QuietComfort 15. It has a premium price, but it justifies the cost by being able to muffle most heavy noises.     | | Telstra tests out its 4G LTE-Advanced network Aug 13th 2013, 02:29, by Farrha Khan 
Australia's 4G LTE networks are increasingly growing more complex, with Telstra announcing that it is currently testing its own LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network. Similar to what SK Telecom has set up in Seoul, South Korea, Telstra is currently testing its LTE- Advanced Carrier Aggregation network using the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands. "We effectively 'glue' two bands of spectrum together, creating a broader channel through which we can push more data and by using the lower 900MHz spectrum we can extend the reach and in-building performance of the 4G signal," Telstra explained in its statement. Reportedly, LTE-A can offer download speeds up to 150Mbps, meaning you could download an 800MB video file in just 43 seconds. Telstra's LTE-A network will also work with Category 4 (Cat 4) LTE technology as well. Interestingly, Telstra said: "When we launch the new service we will offer Australians a leading new device that supports both this LTE-Advanced technology and the latest Cat4 LTE technology that is capable of higher peak speeds in the same spectrum." This of course comes after rumours from just over a week ago that SK Telecom was in talks with Apple about a possible LTE-Advanced iPhone 5S release. Samsung has already announced that it will be offering up an Galaxy S4 LTE-A variant. All of the 4GThe LTE 4G field in Australia is getting a little bit crowded, with Vodafone and Telstra duking it out over being the first to launch Australia's first Cat 4 device. Optus, on the other hand, is still developing its own TD-LTE network and will be the first to offer dual-mode Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Mini variants. These dual mode devices will be able to switch between Optus' TD-LTE network and the more common FD-LTE network. Telstra said that it is also planning on further developing its LTE-A network in the future once it gains access to the 700MHz spectrum in 2015. It will combine the 1800MHz band and the 700MHz, which could theoretically push download speeds to 300Mbps.     | | Galaxy Note 3 to get the big cell? Hefty battery tipped for new phablet Aug 12th 2013, 20:50, by Chris Smith 
Samsung is preparing to fit its forthcoming Galaxy Note 3 smartphone with a blustering battery pack to keep it ticking long after many rivals are forced to refill, a new report claimed. According to PhoneArena sources, the device will arrive with a 3450mAh hog, compared with the 3100mAh battery contained within its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 2. That might not seem like a huge jump, but it should compensate for extra juice needed to run the larger Super AMOLED screen, expected to arrive somewhere between 5.7- and 6-inches. With rumours of an powerful and efficient Samsung Exynos 5 octo-core processor and 3GB RAM, the Note 3 would certainly benefit from the extra life source. Berlin-boundAs PhoneArena pointed out in its report, a 3450mAh battery would also beat the 3000mAh battery contained within the Sony Z Xperia Ultra, Samsung's main rival in the phablet space. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is expected to launch on Sept. 4 at a special Samsung Unpacked event scheduled to take place before the IFA tech show in Berlin. The company is also rumoured to be preparing to unveil its Gear smartwatch at the event. TechRadar will be out in force in the German capital next month, so stay tuned for all the announcements as they happen.     | | Sony's rumored 'lens cameras' for phones, tablets come into focus Aug 12th 2013, 20:46, by Lbrown 
As we get closer to the start of IFA 2013, the rumor mill for what will be displayed at the Berlin show are starting to heat up. Sony's rumored "lens cameras" are the latest to leak, with new photos of the supposed accessories finding their way to Sony Alpha Rumors. According to the report, the lenses will essentially transform any iOS or Android phone or tablet into a point-and-shoot snapper. We first heard about these mountable lenses last month, but these latest images give more credence to the original reports. With these new peripherals, Sony may finally be able to help amateur photographers close the distance on the image quality of a DSLR with a smartphone or tablet. Power packed
There will supposedly be two different lenses offered, with the bigger DSC-QX100 retaining the beastly power of the Sony RX100 II camera. A DSC-QX10 is also believed to be on the way, and with its 1/2.3-inch 18 megapixel CMOS sensor (with 10x zoom), this lens has a bit more in common with the Sony WX150. Both lenses can attach magnetically to either an Android or iOS device, and feature a built-in sensor, Bionz processor, Wi-Fi/NFC wireless connection and SD card slot. Through that Wi-Fi or NFC connection, you can control the lens directly from your mobile device of choice, and snap high-quality images without the need for a larger, separate camera. While competitors have made some strong advancements in the smartphone camera category in recent months, such as the Nokia Lumia 1020 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, those are proprietary devices. Sony's new lenses offer a bit more flexibility, though without a firm release date or price, it remains to be seen just what type of value the QX10 and QX100 will really have. With Sony set to hock its wares at IFA in a few short weeks, we shouldn't have to wait long to find out.     | | Updated: Best 4G LTE phones 2013: 10 to choose from Aug 12th 2013, 20:15, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Best 4G phones 2013: 1-5Cell phone companies are turning to 4G LTE more and more often these days. T-Mobile is even jumping on the 4G expansion bandwagon where their coverage was pretty limited last year. In case you didn't know, 4G and LTE actually offer different service speeds, with the latter being much faster Carriers with the high-speed network allow for quicker uploads, and downloads are quicker than ever before - but you'll need a newer phone to use this super fast data connection, as many older mobiles don't have the necessary radios inside them to hook into the frequencies used by 4G systems. But don't fret if your phone is from the dinosaur era; mobile networks are falling over themselves to stock new 4G-ready phones and updated versions of popular current models, with some of the best handsets from the top makers supporting LTE bands. Lucky for you, we've done the hard work, so sit back, relax and check out the best 4G LTE phones compared. 1. Samsung Galaxy S4 The Samsung Galaxy S4 was an extremely popular device upon first launch, and still is a hot product today. In speed tests with the HTC One it managed to match it in most cases - interestingly, the HTC would load pages the fastest, but navigating through pages on a site would see the Galaxy S4 come out a shade quicker. We had hoped for slightly faster speeds, but it wasn't a slouch by any stretch. The S4 supports HD voice as well, which is carried over the 3G/4G networks (depending on your provider) so you'll always get the best clarity on offer. FutTv : m6h0uCeL8z0kO2. Nokia Lumia 1020
Widely known for its massive 41MP shooter, the Nokia Lumia 1020's LTE speeds also aren't too shabby. We got decent speeds over AT&T's LTE network, which was plenty fast for browsing the web, looking at Twitter and stalking photos on Facebook. The device also supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC and LTE bands 2, 4, 5 and 17. So if you've forgotten your camera at home, you've always got your phone as a handy back up to quickly upload shots to all your usual social media channels. 3. iPhone 5It seems that Apple's decision to wait a little while before bringing the 4G technology to the iPhone 5 has allowed it to optimize the power pack. AT&T's iPhone 5 LTE is as fast as advertised, and achieves true 4G speeds. Downloads on the 5 were blazingly fast, when compared head to head with an iPhone 4S in midtown Manhattan. We tested our Verizon iPhone 5 around the city of Chicago and had no trouble maintaining our LTE signal throughout - and notched very impressive speeds along the way. All plans for the Sprint iPhone 5 come with unlimited data and texting but perhaps Sprint can be so liberal with the offers because its 4G coverage is rather limited 4. BlackBerry Z10To aid with global positioning, the BlackBerry Z10 also features A-GPS and you can utilize the handset's super fast 4G reception as a mobile hotspot, enabling other devices such as tablets and laptops to feed off the data connection. BlackBerry has also stuffed NFC into the Z10, enabling you to wirelessly transfer content between handsets and other enabled devices without the need for wires or even a network connection. Plus, with a relatively modest 4.2-inch display, it's one of the more pocketable modern smartphones and less of a slab than other big name models. Don't ignore it just because it's BlackBerry. FutTv : f0dfULT4TdrIE5. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTEConnectivity runs through the Samsung Galaxy Note 2's blood, so you won't struggle anywhere here. We've mentioned how well DLNA works, and you've got full internet capabilities - especially LTE if you're lucky enough to have access to that. During our day-to-day with the Galaxy Note 2, we often bounced between the two on the Bay Area's AT&T coverage. 4G speeds averaged around 14 Mbps, while LTE service was blazing, around 20-25 Mbps. While we never struggled for a data connection, the inconsistent presence of LTE was slightly disappointing. FutTv : fc5Hq4105ZI5yBest 4G phones 2013: 6-106. HTC OneGive the HTC One the speed to perform, be that over 4G or through decent Wi-Fi, and it will never let you down in terms of loading web pages. AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have all secured the HTC One and provide 4G LTE. Unlike past HTC releases, which tended to get worked over by carriers, the One is the same phone no matter which company you pay your monthly bill to. Then there's always the matter of service, with AT&T leading the gang of three for best 4G LTE coverage. FutTv : 4v6C66qvQigcV7. Samsung Galaxy S3
From the zoomed out web pages that offer still-legible text to the speed with which web pages render, even over 3G, we're big fans of the Samsung Galaxy S3 as an internet phablet. As a 4G phone, we were able to achieve fast download speeds via the Wi-Fi hotspot with the Samsung Galaxy S3 (AT&T) in three test areas: San Francisco, Oakland, and Kona, Hawaii. FutTv : 7LZ1JV2TAJ3sY8. Sony Xperia ZSony's current highest-end Android model is the Xperia Z and one of the most impressive Android models around today, and is also ready for your next-gen mobile data connection thanks to featuring the required miniature internal coat hanger needed to pick up an LTE radio signal. It operates on all known 4G bands, so you'll be free to switch providers and juggle SIMs at will once all the networks have their 4G service up and running. FutTv : 69vFVNo6ffoKE9. LG Optimus Pro
There's a lot going on inside this beast of a phone, not the least of which is accessing the LG Optimus G Pro through AT&T 4G LTE's network on Band 4 and 17. Those not in an AT&T LTE area will still have access to HSPA+ 21Mbps (with backward compatibility to EDGE or GPRS) with coverage on UMTS 850/1900/2100MHz and GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz. Additionally, cast aside those dreams of roaming free with any old micro-SIM card like the international model, because this G Pro is locked up tight to AT&T's network. 10. BlackBerry Q10If you want traditional QWERTY BlackBerry hardware to accompany your futuristic 4G data speeds, there's only one choice - the BlackBerry Q10. Every Q10 sold comes with 4G capabilities, but it can only be switched on for networks that actually use it. This means if you purchase a Q10 via a network that doesn't currently offer a LTE service, its functionality will be disabled. Don't fear though, as BlackBerry has told us that when networks launch their 4G services, a simple software update will be sent to Q10 handsets enabling the tech inside the phone. Special thanks to Gary Cutlack for contributing.   | | Lean, mean and green: alleged iPhone 5C spotted in plentiful pics Aug 12th 2013, 18:27, by Michael Rougeau 
Rumors of the iPhone 5C - a cheaper, budget-friendly iPhone that may debut alongside the iPhone 5S - raged onward this week with the publication of dozens of photos of what appears to be the 5C in green. Apple leak expert Sonny Dickson published over 60 images of what he claimed is the iPhone 5C's back chassis, inside and out. 
The cheaper iPhone is rumored to be coming in a rainbow of colors, including blue, red, yellow, green and white. Image credit: Sonny Dickson We've seen tons of images and information leaks on the iPhone 5C, but this is definitely the biggest collection of photos yet, and it seems the budget iPhone is well and truly on its way. Less than a month to go, maybeThe iPhone 5S - and possibly the iPhone 5C - will reportedly be unveiled at an Apple event on Sept. 10. That's less than a month away, so Apple addicts should definitely be feeling the excitement grow by now. 
The iPhone 5S is the high-end successor to the iPhone 5, and it's rumored to pack a faster processor, a better camera, a fingerprint scanner (fingers crossed!) and new colors. The iPhone 5C, on the other hand, will likely be a more affordable downgrade with lower specs, though it could also end up with a better-than-expected 8-megapixel camera.     | | Sept. 10 iPhone 5S event gets 'yep' of approval, dual-flash looks a done deal Aug 12th 2013, 17:28, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Putting the "i" in "incessant," the iPhone 5S continues its leak streak with an image purporting to show a dual-flash component and some unofficial confirmation about that Sept. 10 event. We'll start with the brief - and we mean brief - non-Apple yet still authoritative go-ahead about the September soiree that a recent report pinned as when the next iPhone will grace us with its presence. The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, a long-time Apple follower, cited this line from AllThingsD's report: "Apple is expect to unveil its next iPhone at a special event on Sept. 10." To which Dalrymple remarked: "Yep." Let's get physicalDalrymple is known to confirm or deny Apple-related reports with a "Yep" or "Nope," and while his word can't be taken as the gospel truth, it does carry some weight. Now, in terms of physical evidence of what we can expect from the iPhone 5S, some images that seem to confirm a dual-LED flash have also surfaced. 
Thanks to the folks over at NowhereElse.fr, we have a look at a possible component that clearly shows openings for two flashes. This is a rumor we've heard about before, but NWE's images provide some texture to the situation. A dual-flash would provide plenty of photo-taking enhancements, and paired with a bigger camera (which the iPhone 5S may very well receive), could give it extra oomph against snapper-heavy machines like the Lumia 1020. - You've heard about the iPhone 5S (clearly), but why not get caught up on its equally leak-happy budget brethren, the iPhone 5C?
    | | In Depth: Top 10 GALAXY S4 travel apps for must-see world events Aug 12th 2013, 16:21, by Your Mobile Life 
Do you have a bucket list? A breakdown of all the things you want to do before you die – or at least before you retire to a life of ease in the country? If so, here's our handy guide to help you get through that list with your trusty Samsung GALAXY S4 tucked into the pocket of your rucksack. Just don't forget to zip it up! The 'Running of the Bulls' in PamplonaThe Encierro (from the Spanish 'to fence in'), or 'Running of the Bulls', is a festival common to many towns across Spain and Portugal, in which bulls are let loose on the street and the brave and/or foolhardy prove their courage by outrunning them. The most famous Encierro is that in the Northern Spanish town of Pamplona, as immortalised in Ernest Hemingway's classic 'The Sun Also Rises'. 
If you are daft enough to want to give this a go, just remember this important note: 15 people have died running in the Encierro since records began and injuries are, unsurprisingly, very common. It is not for the faint-hearted. And, it goes without saying, you really will need to be able to run like the wind! By installing RunKeeper (free) on your GALAXY S4 now you can set yourself a rigorous training regime and might just be ready for the 2014 Pamplona Encierro. Maybe. Either way, RunKeeper's ability to set a training programme to match your goals and then to track your progress and give you feedback through exhaustive stats will at least help you get fitter than you are now. La Tomatina, Buñol in ValenciaAka 'The One With All The Tomatoes'. La Tomatina is essentially a huge food fight, with hundreds of locals and tourists lobbing squishy tomato missiles at each other and literally painting the town red. It's all good fun and, unlike the other festival mentioned above, is unlikely to cause you any serious injuries (unless you get a particularly unripe tom somewhere tender). No, with this festival your biggest worry is likely to be where to get your clothes dry cleaned afterwards, as well as the location of the nearest shower so you can wash off the sticky juices before local wasps take an interest. 
Wikitude (free) is the perfect app to stick on your GALAXY S4. This augmented reality app lets you use your S4 as a magic window on the world. The phone's camera will show you a view of the world in front of you and Wikitude then overlays icons and labels to show you where things are. Search for hotels and it will pop up markers to guide you to the nearest one. Similarly, if you need somewhere to get your laundry done, Wikitude can show you the way. A quick word of warning here though: Wikitude can be quite addictive, particularly when you feel the need to find out more about an unknown city, so take care to use it sparingly when you are data-roaming abroad to avoid racking up excessive mobile bills. Oktoberfest Munich's annual Oktoberfest is the world's biggest booze-up – it's a 16-day festival of beer, sausages and song that draws huge crowds to its fairground setting. Whether you opt for traditional lederhosen or dirndl costumes or just roll up in jeans and a t-shirt, be sure to find a pocket for your Samsung GALAXY S4, which can prevent you making a terrible mistake while sampling the local brew. We should also make it clear that the legal drinking age in Germany is 18 for hard alcohol and 16 for beer. 
Drunk Guard (free) is a simple app that performs one crucial function. It prevents drunk dialling. Load the app up with the numbers of your spouse or partner, your ex, your boss and anyone else you would rather didn't hear you burbling away during the festivities, turn on its simple locking mechanism and the app will refuse to connect any calls to those people. The next morning, check the app for a full report of everyone you tried to ring and breathe a sigh of relief. Northern Lights The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is nature's most spectacular fireworks display, caused by the collision of energised particles with atoms in the Earth's thermosphere. The spectral glow of the Aurora is best seen from Scandinavia at certain times of the year. But, as many erstwhile travellers have found out to their cost, the light show doesn't always show up on cue every night. 
Aurora Notifier (free) is an app for your GALAXY S4 that will let you know when is the best time to zip up your parker and go looking for the Northern Lights. An animated, zoomable globe will show you a 3D render of the Northern Lights – you can even see the Southern Lights too, although you are probably less likely to pop down to Antarctica and check them out in person. Burning ManEvery year on the last Monday in August, a town springs to life in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, built by artists, radicals and revellers from materials brought across the desert. One week later, it is taken away again, following seven days of artistic freedom and non-stop partying in the ceremonial fires of the Burning Man. 
The desert is a harsh environment, especially if you are dressed like an extra from Mad Max who has stumbled upon a cache of body paint. To make it back in one piece, we recommend you load up your GALAXY S4 with the £3.85 SAS Survival Guide app. Based on the book by former SAS soldier and instructor, John 'Lofty' Wiseman, the app is packed with advice for surviving in the most extreme conditions, including the scorching desert.
Unlike the book, your GALAXY S4 can show you videos of Lofty demonstrating survival skills including firelighting and building shelters. Just in case. Hybrid Solar EclipseA total eclipse of the sun is always worth seeing but on 3rd November certain parts of Africa will see a rare Hybrid Solar Eclipse, which will start out as an Annular Eclipse (a fiery ring around the dark of the moon) and then transition into the full Total Eclipse in which the sun is entirely obscured by the moon. 
Eclipse Calculator is free to download and will calculate the exact path and timings for all upcoming eclipses, anywhere in the world, telling you exactly where to go to get the best view. If actually trekking to a coordinate in central Africa seems a bit much, the £1.35 Live Wallpaper app will show an animated annular eclipse on your GALAXY S4's home screen without the cost of an air fare. Eurovision 2014The 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Denmark, with either Copenhagen or Harning likely to host. Although considered the height of camp by many Brits, on the continent Eurovision is serious business and the finals are an extravaganza always worth attending. 
English and French are the official languages of the competition but having a quick way to translate the many entries in foreign languages is always handy. Luckily, the GALAXY S4 can help you out with the pre-installed S Translator tool. Just tap in the lyrics you are puzzling over and S Translator will figure out what language they are in and translate them into plain English. Star Spotting at the Cannes Film Festival Le Festival International du Film de Cannes is where the European film cognoscenti appraise the year's new releases. You may not have a festival pass but tourists are welcome at the many free screenings and events throughout the fortnight. 
While you are there, no app will be handier to have on your GALAXY S4 than the IMDb guide. This will give you instant access to the vast Internet Movie Database, allowing you to verify just who it was you saw getting their photograph taken on a beach full of paparazzi. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Every October in Albuquerque, the New Mexico skyline becomes a mass of colour as over 750 hot air balloons of different shapes and sizes take to the sky. There are balloons shaped like cartoon characters, corporate logos and UFOs as well as traditional basket balloons from all over the world as enthusiasts flock (literally) to the Fiesta. We're not sure how great the 3G or 4G signal is going to be at 3,000 ft above Albuquerque but your Samsung GALAXY S4 can help out with another useful function should you decide to go for a balloon ride. 
The £1.49 Runtastic Altimeter Pro app uses the GALAXY S4's GPS function to figure out how high you are above sea level. It also offers useful functions like a compass and weather report. Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling It's not just the Spanish who indulge in an annual feat of foolhardy courage. Every May on the Spring Bank Holiday, Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire is host to the annual Cheese Rolling and Wake – a festival of idiocy and dairy produce in which hundreds of people try to catch a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese as it rolls down a hillside. 
Scraped knees, twisted ankles and even broken bones are not unheard of at this event so we would recommend attending only if you have had the forethought to load the excellent British Red Cross First Aid (free) app on your GALAXY S4. This app is easily browsable, even (we imagine!) while in pain, and can offer just the kind of advice you need when suffering from cheese-related injuries.     | | In Depth: Camping and countryside fun for GALAXY S4 users Aug 12th 2013, 15:09, by Your Mobile Life 
After months of miserable weather, summer has finally arrived, and heading to the countryside to camp, hike and explore is starting to seem like a good idea again. A Samsung GALAXY S4 can be the perfect companion when exploring the great outdoors – here are our favourite features to get you going when you're out and about. Apps
CoPilot GPS Free - get it here The built-in Google Maps app that comes with your GALAXY S4 is great for when you have a decent mobile signal, but you can't always rely on having a 3G or 4G signal once you head off the beaten track. Sure, Google Maps also boasts offline mapping for when you are lost in the woods without a connection, but CoPilot GPS is another really good alternative that is geared towards exploring when you are off the grid. The app is free to download with a single country's map data and you can upgrade to add more countries and full voice navigation. 
2013 AA Caravan & Camping GuideFree - get it here The Automobile Association has been recommending accommodation, campsites and caravan parks to its members for over one hundred years. That wealth of knowledge is now available in handy app form so you can quickly locate the nearest campsite or caravan park using your GALAXY S4. Over 850 sites have been reviewed and rated, and you'll also get brief descriptions of the site as well as details of available facilities. You can call or email each site office with just one tap and location details can be sent straight to either Google Maps or to another app such as CoPilot GPS (see above). 
Geocaching £6.99 - buy it here Geocaching is a hobby that has grown in popularity in recent years with the easy availability of GPS devices. A cross between treasure hunting and orienteering, the idea is to try to find 'caches' (usually sealed containers with small gifts or messages in) hidden by other geocaching enthusiasts using GPS coordinates. By loading this app you can plan geocaching trips, look for nearby caches for a quick jaunt or use your GALAXY S4 to navigate to a specific cache. Plus, with the S4's speedy 1.9GHz Quad-Core processor, you are sure to be the first get those essential hints to help you find the exact hiding place and log your adventures. 
Camping Journal £1.29 - buy it here Logs aren't just for the campfire. If you love to head into the great outdoors, this app will turn your Samsung GALAXY S4 into a journal for recording your adventures. The app automatically logs the location (and altitude!) of your campsite and you can add descriptions of what you got up to as well as photos of your time there. 
Camp CompassFree - get it here The GALAXY S4 includes a magnetometer which can detect the Earth's magnetic field. This app turns your phone into a fully-fledged compass all ready for old-school navigation. As well as the compass dial for pointing out magnetic North, the Camp Compass also features a flashlight (using the S4's LED flash) and an SOS alarm that sounds a blaring whistle. 
First Aid by British Red CrossFree - get it here Being cut off from civilization, even for a few hours, can carry some risks. With the British Red Cross First Aid app you will have a wealth of first aid knowledge at your fingertips, ready to tackle any medical emergency. As well as step-by-step instructions for dealing with most kinds of injury or sudden illness, the app includes video walkthroughs, which look superb on the GALAXY S4's 5-inch HD Super AMOLED screen, and even a quiz to test your first aid knowledge. Hardware and Peripherals
The Samsung GALAXY S4 ActiveIf you are serious about the outdoor life, you might be worried that a smartphone like the GALAXY S4 will get damaged, despite its toughened Gorilla Glass 3 screen. This is why Samsung has come up with the GALAXY S4 Active. The S4 Active is wrapped in a tough outer case that is designed to absorb shock and shrug off damage that might break a normal smartphone. It is also IP67 rated, meaning it's both dustproof and water resistant in depths up to a metre. You can actually drop the S4 Active into a bath of water and it will come out unharmed. Even the headphone jack is water resistant, without the need for a special cover. The rear camera of the S4 Active is a respectable 8 megapixels and features a special Aqua Mode that enables you to take pictures underwater, automatically correcting for the distortion and light diffraction. 
Rugged case - the Otterbox Defender £39.99 - buy it here The GALAXY S4 Active may be a tough cookie but wrapping a regular S4 in a rugged case, such as the Defender, can also provide extra protection for outdoor pursuits. The Defender completely encases the S4 to provide dust, shock and splash resistance while keeping the responsive touch screen usable through a thin but tough protective layer. 
Solar charger - the PowerFreaks 2500 Solar Charger One significant problem facing anyone who wants to use a smartphone while camping is how to keep the battery charged. The GALAXY S4 has a really good battery life. Luckily, for those occasions when you eventually run low of mobile power, there are some great accessories available that can help keep you at full capacity. For good weather, solar chargers such as the PowerFreaks 2500 Solar Charger (£49.99) can fully charge your GALAXY S4 using just the power of the sun. It can store power in its internal battery too, so you can expose it to the sun's rays all day and use it to charge your S4 up after dark. 
Hand-cranked charger - the Eton BoostTurbine 2000vIf the weather is a little more, shall we say, British, then a better option might be a hand-cranked mechanical charger such as the Eton BoostTurbine 2000v (£44.90). This eco-friendly gadget will turn your elbow grease into electricity – perfect for keeping you topped up at night or on a rainy day.     | | BlackBerry Z30 makes an early video appearance Aug 12th 2013, 14:56, by Hugh Langley 
The BlackBerry Z30 is certainly not camera shy, having made a few appearances as of late. The phone, previously referred to as the A10 or Aristo, has now shown up in a new video online posted by Cellphone S. Although the speaker is talking in Vietnamese, it's nice to see the handset up close and in motion. The handset has a very HTC One look to it, and interestingly there's also an AT&T logo on the rear of the phone, suggesting this could be very near to at least its US release. The Mark of Z10This is either a brilliant or terrible time for the handset to make its biggest appearance yet, depending on how you look at it, given the news today that BlackBerry might be looking to sell up. The Z30 is believed to be arriving with a 720p resolution, 5-inch AMOLED display, and a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB of RAM. The phone is also said to have 16GB of storage and an 8-megapixel rear camera, and will ship with BlackBerry 10.2. YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?feature=&v=rX62bqi9sWI    | | Opinion: How the hell did BlackBerry last this long? Aug 12th 2013, 14:45, by Gareth Beavis 
As a phone reviewer, I can tell you that the BlackBerry loyalist is one of the most vocal of all the smartphone tribesmen - and with good reason. Once upon a time, as I've so often been told, the BlackBerry was the original smartphone. Well, that's not strictly true, but it was one of the first truly mass-market devices and made CEOs cackle with glee at the realisation that they could finally email important documents to executives while they were supposed to be on holiday. But now the news that BlackBerry is open to the idea of being bought out shows that if you don't move with the times, you'll be overtaken and consumed by technological vultures feasting on the juciest bits of your once-cutting-edge carcass. More than just the iPhone to blameYou can trace the problems to before the iPhone launched in 2007. The Quark, all the way back in 2002, was a novel idea that combined email and calling on the go. It was the future, but also the company's downfall. RIM (as it used to be called) had stumbled onto a happy formula, a combination of brilliant keyboards and high-level, secure connectivity. But the mantra 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' must have been emblazoned on the walls of both RIM CEOs' offices, as the company steadfastly refused to keep pace with change. 
It eschewed 3G, took ages to add cameras or Wi-Fi to its devices and even managed to mess up the touchscreen when it finally tried to rival the iPhone with the BlackBerry Storm in 2008. Seriously, what's the deal with a clickable display? When I first saw it, I was impressed that someone had tried something different. Then I used the phone for more than a minute and wanted to throw it out a window and go back to my HTC Touch Diamond 2 running Windows Mobile. Windows Mobile. That's how bad it was. Nothing but misstepsAnd from there, we've seen nothing but a series of missteps from RIM, with the BlackBerry Playbook ('Yes, you need a BlackBerry phone to make it work. What's the problem?') to the ever-more delayed BB 10 OS ('Why has everyone stopped buying our current phones?') that caused tech commentators to melt down as the wait went on and on and on. The sad thing about all of this is that BlackBerry is actually a terrific company. I've been to its research labs and have seen the level of brilliance the company has to offer. It showed that mobile messaging could, and should, be free with BBM. It still makes the best keyboards out there, swimming against a world of faceless touchscreens. Heck, even BB10 is a great product. But it's the great product that should have been here in 2010. I keep thinking about how game-changing that would have been, the iPhone 4 made to look like a vapid glamour model in the face of the powerful new OS with alternative hardware, and BlackBerry users halting in their tracks instead of legging it to a Samsung. But it's too little, too late. There are no budget BlackBerry handsets worth buying. The enterprise market has largely jumped to Android or iOS. Touchscreen keyboards have evolved past the point of really needing a physical keyboard beyond nostalgia. Whoever picks up BlackBerry, I hope they make something of the brand and don't just munch up the patents. Lenovo would be a great fit, as the company seeks to expand out of China, and could give a great base for the email warriors. Someone once said to me, "BlackBerry will always show the world what smartphones can do". That's still true, but it sadly proves that it's not just innovation that wins, it's timing too.     | | In Depth: Top 10 S Pen tips and tricks for the GALAXY Note 8.0 Aug 12th 2013, 14:21, by Your Mobile Life 
If Leonardo da Vinci had ever got his hands on a Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 tablet, S Pen in tow, just imagine the kind of magic he would have been able to create. The GALAXY Note 8.0 would have been as perfect a platform to create on then as it is now – provided (to add the obvious disclaimer here) that Leonardo was also able to fashion a means of charging his futuristic tablet, and learn its secrets, of course. We can't help with the former, mainly due to our lack of time travel capacity, but we can help you out a little with the latter – after all, understanding secrets is what our feature is all about. Tip 1 – Popup Note on the GALAXY Note 8.0 
Named extremely appropriately, this great Note 8.0 feature opens a Post-it like Popup Note for your scribing pleasure. Occupying the centre of your screen, whether you need to sketch your own Vitruvian Man or jot down a quick number, the Popup Note gives you a fair amount of space as well as a few brush and colour options to choose from, saving your doodle directly to your Note 8.0. Opening up a Popup Note is as simple as holding down the S Pen button and double tapping the display. Alternatively, you can change your Note 8.0's S Pen settings to bring up a Popup Note every time you extract the S Pen from its moorings. So whether you're a tech-genius or technophobe, gone are the days of scouring for a scrunched up bit of paper to take down a quick note. Tip 2 – S Note Basics 
If you're feeling more in the mood for a masterpiece than a quick sketch, Popup Note probably won't cut the mustard, but S Note will. In its most basic form, S Note is a means of storing multiple digital notes and notebooks. Taking full advantage of the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0's feature set, it also incorporates pressure sensitivity when using the S Pen. The notes are heavily customisable, with multiple paper stocks, the ability to import images and a range of pens and brushes to choose from, so they are ideal for handwriting and sketching alike. S Note is your stationery shop, your note pad and entire back catalogue of notebooks, all cleverly bundled together into a single app. Tip 3 – S Note Advanced 
The sheer number of things that S Note is capable of mean it's worth taking the time for a more in-depth look at the app. We mentioned the range of brushes and colours, but you can also save your favourite pen or brush profiles, complete with thickness, opacity and colour. Pressing the S Pen button in S Note while hovering over the screen will even toggle through these brush profiles. While picking your brushstroke colour is easy using the brush menu, the eye dropper tool lets you easily lift a colour from within the note, whether it's found within an imported image, or a brush stroke you created earlier, so you can always choose the perfect shade. Shape Match even turns your rough lines and circles into perfect geometric markings, meaning that this app isn't just for notes and sketches, but is also perfect for basic technical drawings. With Idea Sketch also providing incredibly smart clip art, an equation solving function and more, we're only scratching the surface, so the best advanced tip we can give you for S Note is simply to explore it for yourself. Tip 4 – Pressure Sensitivity 
Samsung's GALAXY Note 8.0 is pressure sensitive up to 1024 levels. This is the same degree of sensitivity modern-day da Vincis use when creating digital masterpieces on Wacom tablets. This means the harder you press your S Pen on to the screen, the thicker the brush stroke in S Note will be, turning simple markings into nuanced sketches. Pressure sensitivity even makes handwriting more legible and delivers a digital experience that feels instantly familiar. Tip 5 – Air View 
Air View on the GALAXY Note 8.0 registers when the S Pen hovers above the screen, opening up some powerful functionality in the process. When in the Email application for example, hover over your messages to pop up a preview of the message body. Plus, for us, one of the coolest uses of Air View using the S Pen is the preview feature within the Video Player, with a specific frame from your movie appearing above the timeline when you hover over that point in the video with the S Pen. You can then tap with the S Pen to jump straight to that scene. Tip 6 – S Pen Settings 
One of the first things you will want to do before you get to work on S Note is to set up your Note 8.0's basic S Pen settings. Firstly, select whether or not you want an S Pen attach/detach sound effect to emanate from your Note 8.0 when you pull the S Pen out, or slot it back into the comfort of its home just underneath the bottom right corner of your display. A small detail, seemingly, but one which is still hugely pleasurable after you've pulled the S Pen from its housing hundreds of times! Secondly, select whether or not you want a Popup Note to, err, pop up, every time you extract the S Pen from its home. This will depend on how you want to use the S Pen. If, for example, you want to use it for making quick shopping lists and notes on the go, this option is a godsend. You can also select the 'Battery saving' option, to disable S Pen detection, for those long business trips or holiday journeys when you need to do everything you can to preserve vital battery power. Plus, you can choose whether or not you want to switch Air View and 'sound and haptic feedback' on or off for S Pen use. Tip 7 – Handwriting Recognition 
Many phones, PDAs and tablets have claimed they've cracked the world of handwriting recognition, but the reality is that virtually everyone is still using a QWERTY keyboard to input digital text. The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 might just convince you to make the switch, however, with handwriting recognition and S Pen input that both feels intuitive and is accurate to boot. Now, all that's left to do is write. Preferably something clever, witty, incisive and clearly indicative of your genius… Tip 8 – Easy Clip 
Having mentioned the S Pen button in passing, now it's taking centre stage. Naturally residing underneath the index finger on the S Pen itself, it's easy to press thanks to its comfortable size and sensitive click feedback. And the S Pen's best feature in our eyes? Easy Clip. Simply draw around any area of the interface with the S Pen button held down and whatever you draw around will be clipped, ready for editing, sharing or simply scrapbooking. Tip 9 – S Pen Gestures 
We've already mentioned a few of the most common S Pen Gestures that you will soon learn on the Note 8.0, with the handy settings menu showing you all you need to know. For example, to 'Open menu' simply draw the '^' caret symbol while pressing the S Pen button or to open a Popup Note double tap the screen while pressing the S Pen button (as illustrated above). Additionally, to go back to your previous screen draw a '<' less-than arrow while pressing the S Pen button and to copy text press and hold the S Pen button and drag the pen across the text you want to grab. Tip 10 – Quick Commands 
Last, but in no way least, our final top tip for getting the most out of the S Pen on the GALAXY Note 8.0 is to teach yourself to use Quick Command. Quick Command is easily accessible with a vertical swipe up with the S Pen, made while holding the button down. This brings up a canvas upon which to draw a symbol. These symbols give you super-quick ways to search the web, call a contact, send an email or message anyone in your contacts book using simple gestures and handwriting. There are pre-defined Quick Commands built in to your GALAXY Note 8.0, and you can even create your own Quick Commands, making up a gesture to open a frequently-used app or change your profile.     | | In-depth: Best 4G network: EE vs O2 vs Vodafone Aug 12th 2013, 09:30, by Thomas Thorn EE is no longer going to be the only 4G operator on the block, with the big blue of O2 and the big red Vodafone networks finally bringing their super fast mobile offerings to the table. With EE being an established network, covering over 50% of the UK population, both networks have a lot of work to do. The biggest thing that all the networks have to worry about is convincing people that 4G is the way to go, as Gary Marshall points out, consumers just don't see the need for 4G. So what do the big three networks have up their sleeves? Here is our run down on what you can expect. Best 4G CoverageLet's face it, 4G is going to be of no use to you if you don't have access to it. EE now has 4G coverage for over 50% of the UK, covering many cities across the UK including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. 24% of the UK is also eligible for EE's new double speed 4G. O2 will be launching their 4G service from the 29th August, covering London, Leeds and Bradford, covering a total of 13 cities by the end of the year. Vodafone will launch initially in London, with 12 more UK cities to be covered before the end of 2013. Given Vodafone and O2 share their base stations in a cost-cutting measure, it makes sense that the same 13 cities would roll out at the same time - although Voda might choose to go to some different locations to offer variety. Best 4G priceEE's 24 month 4G plans start at £26pm with 500MB of data, climbing by £5pm for a further 500MB. However at £46pm, a whopping 10GB of data is on offer, climbing to an even larger 20GB for a mind boggling £51pm. For a 12 month plan, plans start at £41pm for 500MB of data, with £66pm gaining you 8GB of data. EE also offers 12 month and rolling 1 month contracts, starting at £21pm and £23pm respectively. All plans come with unlimited calls and texts. Vodafone has announced that there will be both 12 and 24 month Red 4G plans, again starting at £26pm. These Red plans will also include unlimited minutes and texts, with varying data limits. Vodafone will be including 3 months worth of unlimited data to all new contracts, but Vodafone UK CEO Guy Laurence made it clear that "we won't be going unlimited in the near future. In fact I'm not sure it will go unlimited at all". As for O2, details are a little more sketchy, although we know 4G tariffs will also start at £26pm, presumably on a 24 month contract. Best 4G phonesThe most important part of your new contract will be your new smart phone (assuming you haven't already purchased a 4G ready device). Possibly the biggest phone for any network right now, is the iPhone 5. As you may have heard, O2's 800MHz 4G band isn't supported by the Apple device, so to make the most of your iPhone's mobile web, you will need to choose a different network. That said, we would highly expect the next iPhone iteration - iPhone 6 anyone? - to be available on O2 from the outset. Don't go thinking that Vodafone will be able to offer Apple's iPhone 5 on 4G either though, as it's running the 2.6GHz and 800MHz bands... neither of which are supported by Apple's latest. What about the other 4G ready phones? O2, alongside both EE and Vodafone, will be carrying the 5 star rated HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini, and the Sony Xperia Z with the smaller Xperia SP available on EE and O2. The Nokia Lumia 820 is available across all the networks, with the Lumia 920 and Lumia 925 available on both Vodafone and O2. EE currently has 14 different 4G devices, including the network exclusive Huawei Ascend P1 LTE. O2 will be offering 12 different devices, whereas Vodafone has a total of 13 different handsets. Best 4G dealsAlso important to your new plan is what else your chosen network can offer you. Whether it's a free cinema ticket, or free gifts from the high street, each network has its own goodies to try and tempt you across. EE now has EE Wednesdays, a continuation of Orange Wednesdays, with a free cinema ticket available mid-week for all EE customers. Being the longest serving 4G network, EE is also able to offer double speed 4G, with 12 UK cities having a theoretical 150Mbps top speed. Probably more interestingly, EE will also be bringing shared plans, so you can access 4G on multiple devices. - Free add-on with certain tariffs
- Cash on tap, free £10 There are also reports that the big red Vodafone network will also be offering shared plans at some stage. Vodafone also offers a Sure Signal box, plugging into your router to offer mobile signal at home. Elsewhere, Vodafone VIP is available to customers, offering tickets to Vodafone sponsored events. More importantly, Vodafone will be offering 3 months unlimited data, as well as offering to buy customers out of their contracts, should they upgrade. Also being bundled in with 4G plans will be either a Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile TV subscription. Vodafone will give users who sign up before August 18 two years' free Sky Sports access to use up their 4G allowance... sneaky, when you consider the amount of spouses bored shopping just DESPERATE for a Premier League fix. O2 has long had Priority moments, offering up high street discounts from money off chocolate to cheaper flights or 2 for 1 entry at a theme park. O2 also offers Priority tickets, offering up tickets up to 48 hours before general release, and Priority sports gaining access to a variety of sports based offers. O2 also offers TU Go, an app that allows you to use your O2 number to make calls and send texts via Wi-Fi from not only your phone, but also your tablet and laptop - which even includes the London Underground.   | |
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