| In Depth: Sony Xperia i1 'Honami' release date, news and rumours Aug 19th 2013, 12:10, by John McCann 
The most recent flagship handset to come out of the Japanese firm was the Sony Xperia Z at the beginning of this year and while it's only be around for eight months it's apparently time for a new model, the Xperia i1. We're hearing the Sony Xperia i1 is lined up for a special launch at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and there's been a whole host of rumours, leaks and speculation surrounding the smartphone. Originally touted under the codename Sony Honami, the chatter on the internet now surrounds the rather peculiar i1 moniker - a name we're not particularly impressed with. We've cast an eye over all the various reports on the web surrounding the Honami/Xperia i1 and pulled the best bits together below to give you an overview of the handset. Sony Xperia i1 release date and priceInitially the Sony Xperia i1 release date was pegged for July, but that has been and gone, so all eyes are now firmly on IFA 2013. Apparently the Honami will make its way to market in at least one country before the year is out - with South Korea supposedly in line for some Xperia i1 loving. The Xperia i1 release date now appears to be pretty much set for September 4, the date of Sony's press conference at IFA 2013 in Berlin, after a teaser was leaked online. 
In terms of price the trail is pretty cold, but considering the Xperia i1 is set to be the next flagship device from Sony we'd expect it to carry a lavish price tag putting it up against the Galaxy S4, HTC One and Lumia 925. Sony Xpeira i1 displayEarly reports pointed towards the Xperia i1 sporting a 5-inch, full HD display, very much like the screen found on the Xperia Z. The 5-inch display has been reported in a number of other leaks as well, adding more fuel to fire and in the screen department at least it doesn't appear that Sony is going to advance anything. We just hope it doesn't suffer from the same washed-out appearance of its predecessor - but given the Sony Xperia Z Ultra packed Triluminous technology to improve it's appearance, fingers crossed the same will happen here. Sony Xperia i1 cameraWith no big surprises in screen spec the major upgrade the Xperia i1 looks to be getting is in the camera department. The Xperia Z currently sports a pretty decent 13.1MP snapper, but the Xperia i1 is rumoured to go one better and pack a meaty 20MP Cyber-shot camera on its rear. A Carl Zeiss 1/2.3-inch sensor G lens will also reportedly be thrown into the mix, and an image that appeared online apparently pegged the camera at 20.65MP with a resolution of 3936 x 5248. It's not just photos which may well turn out to be huge on the i1, with leaked slides from a Sony presentation hinting at a 4K (4000 x 2000) video recording capability - something which may find its way onto the Xperia i1. If this turns out to be true than the Honami would be the first smartphone to capture film in the 4K format - although the full HD screen wouldn't be able to do your recordings justice. Various screenshots claiming to be from the Xperia i1 camera app have also made their way online and apparently reveal updated camera software. 
Some clever folks over at XDA Developers reckon they've managed to port the camera app from the Honami handset to over Xperia smartphones, bringing a raft of new features with it. 
New features, which have been confirmed in a second report, include AR-effect (an augmented reality mode), info-eye for visual search and Timeshift Burst which allows users to choose the best photo out of a series of shots - so very similar to mode found on BlackBerry 10. Another feature which could worm its way onto the Xperia i1 is Social Live, giving you the ability to live stream video to Facebook. This sounds like a pretty massive gimmick, but if Sony can pull it off it will be a very interesting feature. Sony Xperia i1 power and storageThe Sony Xperia i1 seems to be suitably equipped in the power department with early reports of a 2.3GHz quad-core processor apparently pretty close to the mark, with later leaks pointing towards a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip. Either way it will be an improvement on the 1.5GHz quad-core chip in the Xperia Z, and it would also make the Xperia i1 more powerful than the Galaxy S4 and HTC One. 2GB looks pretty much nailed on to be accompanying the quad-core processor in the Xperia i1, while an Adreno 330 GPU should give the handset enough grunt for the more graphically intense games. Internal storage is a little disappointing with a number of leaks stating 16GB, although what's actually available will be less as the operating system will take up a fair whack. At least there's some comfort in reports pointing towards a microSD slot, which makes the internal storage less of an issue. Sony Xperia i1 operating system, battery and moreRather surprisingly very little has been said about the operating system which will adorn the Xperia i1, but perhaps that's because it's obviously going to be sporting a recent incarnation of Android. While Android 4.3 is the latest version of Google's platform on the market it's currently limited to Nexus devices, so the sensible money would be on the Sony Xperia i1 arriving with Android 4.2.2 on board. Sony is reportedly stuffing a decent battery into the Xperia i1, with two reports pointing towards a 3000mAh power pack. Hopefully that will see it last a whole day with decent usage. Connectivity wise you can apparently expect to see Wi-Fi and Bluetooth line up alongside 4G and NFC, but it doesn't look like the Xperia i1 will share the same dust and water resistance as the Xperia Z. This seems unlikely given the 'rugged' tag is one Sony is keen to push, so we'd expect this to be perfectly happy when accidentally dropped in your washing up. For the audiophiles among you there's good news as the Xperia i1 is touted as having a Walkman audio chip stuffed inside it to enhance your tunes, although it's still worth investing in a decent set of headphones. Sony Xperia i1 looksThere have been a number of photo leaks claiming to show off the Xperia i1 in all its glory, and if they are accurate it will look pretty similar to the Xperia Z. At first glance it's not really possible to tell the two handsets apart, with the device in the images below keeping to that strong Sony design which has been implemented on the Z and Z Ultra. 
-420-90.jpg "Credit: Gadget Helpline")
Pretty early on we saw an image which claimed to show the Xperia i1 inbetween the super sized Xperia Z Ultra and the (smaller than the Z) Xperia ZL. 
Images showing the side of the Xperia i1 appear to reveal a metal band running around the side of the handset, and shows a dedicated shutter key alongside the oversized power/lock button and volume rocker. 
The rear of the Xperia i1 in this photo seems to have a matt, plastic finish which looks a little cheap, so we're hoping this is just an early prototype and not the finished design. 
In the photo below the Honami was apparently spied next to an iPhone 5 and the Sony Xperia Z, both of which are smaller than the i1. 
       |  | New holes hint again at iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner Aug 19th 2013, 11:49, by Kate Solomon 
Some new holes cut into a leaked shell supposedly intended for the iPhone 5S suggest that the handset will feature a fingerprint scanner. French site Nowhereelse.fr has some photos of what its sources tell it is the iPhone 5S shell, and it features a separate cut-out near the home button casing on the bottom of the handset. The fingerprint scanner rumour is nothing new. We've heard word from various sources over the past few months - in fact, ever since Apple bought mobile security firm Authentec for a huge chunk of cash back in July last year, there has been talk of the iPhone 5S being the first iPhone to feature one. Fingerprint scanners seem set to be the next big smartphone buzz-feature, as mobile payments see security becoming more and more important on our mobile devices. Today's photos also have bigger holes on the top of the handset on the rear panel, which suggest that Apple may be planning a camera sensor upgrade and dual LED flash. Too legit to quitWhether the casings are legit or not is hard to tell, but Nowhereelse.fr doesn't have a bad track record when it comes to component leaks. Either way, we'll find out the truth on September 10 when Apple is apparently set to unveil its new iPhone to the world. FutTv : fVZzcSk9p58i6       | | In Depth: Rainy day survival: Use your GALAXY S4 to keep the kids occupied Aug 19th 2013, 10:25, by Your Mobile Life 
The British summer is not always sunshine and blue skies, and there are bound to be days over the long school holidays when you're cooped up inside with your kids waiting for the weather to break. How do you keep unruly kids entertained and stop them from pressing their noses up against the window while it pours down outside? If you have a Samsung GALAXY S4 there are plenty of apps that can turn a bout of bad weather into a fun afternoon. Games, colouring books, virtual pets and even a pocket-sized sandbox – plus all the apps you need to make sure they don't delete your contacts or stumble across something unsavoury online. Here are our picks of the best apps to save a rainy day and turn those frowns upside down. 
1. Comic Strip It! Pro 99p – buy it here Using Comic Strip It! Pro, you and your kids can build a comic strip from your photos, complete with panels, speech bubbles and 'sound effect' captions. Turn some old holiday photos into a pirate adventure or take some new snaps of their favourite toys with the GALAXY S4's camera, then make up a story to go with them. The app is very simple to use and no drawing skills are required. 
2. Minecraft Pocket Edition £4.99 – buy it here Minecraft is the ultimate 'sandbox' game. A free-roaming world to explore and plunder of natural resources that you can use to craft tools and weapons in order to survive. The game can be played in 'Survival' mode which features monsters and natural hazards to battle against – this is fun but can be a bit scary for younger children, despite the chunky retro-style graphics. There is also the entertaining 'Creative' mode which gives you and your kids free rein to build whatever fantastic structures you want and then explore them. It's creative, educational and tremendous fun for all ages. 
3. Sand! Premium 64p – buy it here Talking of sandboxes, Sand! is a curious app that is more of a toy than a game, but one that both you and your kids could easily sink hours into. The app simulates the physical properties of some real-world materials such as particles (grains of sand, salt or gunpowder), water and fire. You can draw some sand on the screen and it will 'fall' downwards due to artificial gravity. If you draw some rock underneath it, the sand will collect in a pile. You can add water, grass, fire and many other substances and just… play. 
4. Talking Tom Cat 2 69p – buy it here A very silly app that is a great way to keep a small child amused. Tom is an anthropomorphic kitty who lives in your GALAXY S4. You can poke and prod him to get different reactions and hit different buttons and objects on screen to activate different actions and responses. Sometimes his naughty dog pal Ben will pop out and give him a scare with hilarious consequences. The built-in actions are fairly limited but funny and well animated, and Tom's best trick is that he will repeat anything you or your child says to him in his mewling catty voice. Endless fun for little ones. 
5. iStoryBooks Free, optional subscription 99p/month – get it here iStoryBooks turns your GALAXY S4 into a portable library of colour picture books, many of which have voice tracks, with the iStorybook magically 'reading' itself to your child. Titles range from folklore and fairy tales to science, nature and history. The free app comes with a big library of titles (new books are added every two weeks) or you can pay a 99p monthly subscription for more. 
6. Norton Family parental control Free, optional premium subscription £29.99/year – get it here Handing over your GALAXY S4 is all very well, but it is easy to forget that you are effectively giving your kids a portal to the internet, with all the potential dangers that implies. Norton Family parental control is a simple web filter that can block out adult sites and monitor what your child is browsing on your phone. The app is able to monitor both the Samsung browser and Google Chrome and will even send you an email alert if they try to access something they shouldn't. For £29.99 you can buy a year's subscription to Norton Family Premier, which adds the ability to monitor SMS messages, monitor and block certain app downloads and receive regular reports on your child's online activities. 
7. Kids Place – Parental Control Free – get it here The other thing to be aware of when giving a child access to your smartphone is that little fingers have a knack of deleting things they shouldn't, or poking around in personal messages that you would rather keep private. Kids Place is a custom launcher for your S4 that lets you create a cut-down list of apps and games you don't mind them playing with. The app is lockable with a PIN code and you can have it take over the Home button so they can't get back to the regular TouchWiz home screen without your approval. 
8. Kids Place Video Player Free – get it here Kids love watching YouTube and mobile videos, but it's easy for them to stumble across inappropriate material. This handy YouTube and mobile video viewer is compatible with Kids Place and lets you create a list of videos that they can watch. It will even filter their YouTube search results so you can ensure things stay family-friendly. 
9. RollingTones Free – get it here RollingTones is based on the Tenori-on sequencer – a musical gadget that lets you 'draw' on a grid to create a sequence of notes and then plays them back as a looped rhythm. Most Tenori-on style apps offer just one kind of synth noise to play with, but RollingTones has a palette of instruments including snare and bass drums, cymbals and handclaps, with multiple 'pages' to flip between for more complex compositions. The app is so simple to use that even very young children can make something that sounds good and older kids (and adults) can create more interesting tunes. 
10. Color & Draw: Super Artist Ed. £1.96 – buy it here Staying in and painting was always a favourite way to pass a rainy day when we were kids, but now you can use the Samsung GALAXY S4 for mess-free creativity. And the Color & Draw: Super Artist app is really three apps in one. The sketchbook will allow freehand drawing and painting using different colours and virtual pens and brushes. The colouring book has over 100 line drawings to colour in, as well as several incomplete pictures that come with voice instructions to help your child finish them off. Finally, there is also a 'photo decorator' mode that gives your child pictures from your camera Gallery and lets them decorate the shots with stickers and freehand drawings.        | | Is Beats about to pull the plug on HTC? Aug 19th 2013, 09:37, by John McCann 
HTC could be about to lose a whole chunk of street cred as reports emerge that hip young headphone-maker Beats wants to sever ties with the smartphone maker. The Wall Street Journal reports that Beats Electronics' (of Dr. Dre fame) is considering buying out HTC's 25% stake in the firm as it looks to expand its options in the market. Beats Audio technology has proudly sat inside HTC's handsets ever since the Sensation XE, bringing improved audio performance - especially in the bass department - via headphones and then the internal speaker on later devices. People "familiar with the matter" told the WSJ that Beats Electronics is looking to replace the Taiwanese firm with a new investor who can provide money for future growth, which would see HTC lose its tie-ins with the audio firm. Windows driftIt's not the first time the Beats/HTC relationship has hit the rocks: last summer, Beats bought 25% of its shares back from HTC, prompting rumours that HTC would drop Beats integration from its phones, chatter that the company branded "categorically false". There's more bad news for HTC: Digitimes claims that the firm may drift away from Windows Phone 8 as its share of the already-fairly-small Windows Phone market has dipped. HTC has apparently seen its global Windows Phone market share drop below 5%, with Samsung taking second place after Nokia, and thus is mulling the decision to focus more on its Android outfit. Handsets such as the HTC 8X and 8S failed to make much of a splash in the market, while the Android based HTC One has received a strong reception and managed to put the manufacturer back on the mobile map. We have spoken to HTC regarding both reports, but a spokesperson for the company told us "HTC doesn't comment on rumour or speculation" - so no real shock there.        | | Sony Honami Mini could be the ultimate cut down smartphone Aug 19th 2013, 08:31, by John McCann 
It looks like Samsung's idea of creating "mini" versions of top phones is rubbing off on others with HTC launching the One Mini and new reports suggesting Sony is planning a similar onslaught with the Honami Mini. Over recent months there's been a lot of talk surrounding the Sony Xperia i1, previously known as the Sony Honami, so it was only a matter of time before the rumour mill kicked into action on a pint sized version. Information on the Honami Mini popped up on the Esato forum, with the details posted by "randomuser" apparently revealing a 4.3-inch 720p display, 2.2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 20.7MP camera and 2400mAh battery. If these reports are true - and we can't verify that - then Sony could well be planning the mini version we've been waiting for. The power of a top end smartphone in a smaller, pocket friendly design. It would smash the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and One Mini, which both suffered a major downgrade in features from their bigger brothers. Identity crisisThere appears to be some confusion over the name of the cut down mobile though, with the forum member noting it currently sports the codename Ray 3. This reminds us of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, but apparently there's no relation between the two - though there's still the issue of the Honami name which appears to be a codename in itself. Could it finally arrive as the Xperia i1 Mini? The Sony Xperia i1 is expected to break cover at IFA 2013, but if you're hoping to get a look at the Honami Mini you may be out of luck, as randomuser claims it will arrive "only by December or January next year."        | | Optus steps up for uncertain Kogan Mobile and Aldi Mobile customers Aug 19th 2013, 08:20, by Farrha Khan 
Kogan Mobile customers have been left out in the cold with service provider ISPOne entering voluntary administration today. "Kogan Mobile has tried to do everything it can to protect its customers," Kogan said on its website today. "However, contrary to our numerous and concerted efforts to persuade Telstra to maintain and support Kogan Mobile's arrangements with Telstra's sole distributor, ISPOne, Telstra has advised that it will terminate the 3G Prepaid Mobile services to Kogan Mobile." This has meant that Kogan Mobile customers will need to find a new home. Aldi Mobile, on the other hand, will be survived through its provider Medion, who was able to reach an "interim" agreement with Telstra over the weekend. But while Aldi Mobile customers will face no immediate effects, some uncertainty lies with the use of the word "interim". Optus saves the day?Optus this afternoon announced that up until 30 September, it will be offering a special deal to those wanting to port their number over to the telco. "No one likes uncertainty with their mobile service and we feel for people who are currently worrying about it," said Ben White, Vice President Mobile Marketing at Optus. "We're hoping to make things better by offering an easy way for you to come to Optus, keep your existing number and continue using your mobile service." For those who sign up to Optus' Prepaid Social 4G plan, Optus will give customers double the data for the first three recharges, and $10 off its $29.95 SIM starter pack. Optus prices vs MVNO pricesOf course, the prepaid plans themselves in terms of value is a far cry from Kogan Mobile and Aldi Mobile offerings. The cheapest Optus recharge - $30 a month - will get you unlimited calls to Optus mobiles, unlimited SMS to Aussie mobiles, 250 minutes of call time, $30 of credit, but only 500MB of data. The highest plan offers the same unlimited offers, but 900 minutes of call, $100 worth of credit and 5GB of data. Aldi Mobile offers unlimited call and text with 5GB of data for $35 a month, while Kogan Mobile offered unlimited calls and text with 6GB for $39 a month. Still, Optus does provide a level of certainty, access to its 4G network and calls to 23 other countries included as part the minutes allocated to the recharge amount.        | | In Depth: Become an eBay ninja with the Samsung GALAXY S4 and Note 8.0 Aug 19th 2013, 07:35, by Your Mobile Life 
The free eBay mobile app allows you to keep in touch with items you're buying, selling and watching while on the move, and also permits users to upload listings direct from the device. However, if you're the proud owner of a Samsung GALAXY S4 or GALAXY Note 8.0 you have plenty of other advantages over the rest of the bidding field. Here are 10 ways to ensure you get the most from your "For Sale" sign and never miss out on that must-have item again. 
1.Working out the cores Here's the situation: you've just received that dreaded email that sends panic through the veins of every eBay user: "Outbid notice: Bid Again for Backstreet Boys Millenium poster." It gets worse. There's less than a minute to go in the auction. In that time you need to exit the email app, fire up the eBay app, navigate to the item and make a bid. On lesser devices, you'd be bang out of luck. Luckily the GALAXY S4 and GALAXY Note 8.0 both have powerful quad-core processors that can handle the above with enough time to do a celebratory dance as the auction closes. All together now: "Everyboddddddy, Rock your body!" 
2. Don't let that item out of your sight with Multi Window The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 tablet and GALAXY S4 smartphone come with an awesome multitasking feature called Multi Window, which allows you to keep two apps open and on the screen running concurrently. Head to the eBay mobile site via your web browser to keep an eye on your item while watching YouTube videos, sending emails, or catching up with your Twitter feed. To enable Multi Window, illuminate the icon in the quick settings menu, access the sidebar and drag the apps to sit on the top or bottom of the screen. 
3. Beautiful photos to show your item in perfect detail Remember what a hassle adding an item to eBay used to be? You'd have to take photos on your digital camera, transfer them to your computer and then add them to an item listing. Now all that can be done on the eBay app using your device's camera. The Samsung GALAXY S4 has a superb 13-megapixel camera with HDR and Panorama modes, so when you list your item as being in 'mint condition' you can back that up with brilliantly detailed, crisp and clear photos. Make sure you set the sensor at the maximum possible resolution by opening the camera app and hitting Settings. There's nothing that puts off a potential buyer more than blurry photos that look like they were taken with a webcam circa 1995. 
4. 4G LTE: For when every second counts In the pre-app era we'd be scared to leave the house in case someone sniped our bid at the last second, but the eBay mobile app for the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 and Samsung GALAXY S4 puts you in command. Not only will you be able to keep track of your desired item on the go, but with the GALAXY S4 and the 4G LTE version of the GALAXY Note 8.0 both rocking superfast connectivity, you've got an advantage on the rest of the field. When you've been outbid with 10 seconds to go, timing is everything and 4G could be the difference between you scooping an awesome bargain or regretting missing out on that rare Creedence Clearwater Revival vinyl. 
5. Making yourself available If you want to be an efficient and profitable eBay seller then you need to make yourself available to the bidding masses. If a potential buyer wants to know if that signed 'Craig from Big Brother' photo has a certificate of authenticity, you better answer him or her. And quickly! One way to ensure you receive all the questions from buyers is to ensure your emails are coming through regularly. Head to the email settings on your device and change the incoming email frequency to "every five minutes" for those occasions when a major eBay deal is being negotiated. This will mean your GALAXY S4 or GALAXY Note 8.0 will check for new emails every 5 minutes. Plus, if you're a Gmail user, that app has push email, meaning you'll be notified as soon as they arrive. 
6. Get creative with the S Pen and annotations The S Pen on the GALAXY Note 8.0 and its ability to annotate screens and photos is one of the device's calling cards. It comes in particularly handy when trying to make your eBay listing stand out from the crowd. Let's face it, there are hundreds of people selling old smartphones after upgrading to a GALAXY S4 and you want your listing to stand out! Use your Note 8.0's S Pen to add in handwritten annotations or to draw around any image or screen you've captured, to perfectly crop out the bits you don't want. 
7. Use eBay widgets The eBay Mobile app is amazing, but there's an even quicker way to access your buy/sell listings, messages and watched items. With the extra screen real estate on the 5-inch Samsung GALAXY S4 and the 8-inch GALAXY Note 8.0, there's plenty of room on your home screen for eBay Widgets too. With one tap on the 'Sell' icon you can begin listing an item. On a separate widget you can access reminders such as 'Item ending soon,' read messages from other eBay users and navigate straight to saved searches. If you're in the market for a bargain, check out the Deals widget too. You must have the eBay app installed as well, but this is a great-time saving companion. 
8. Harness the power and don't get caught short On-the-go access to eBay using devices such as the GALAXY S4 and Note 8.0 has freed us from the shackles of the laptop and desktop PCs when bidding on items. However, picture this nightmare scenario. You forgot to charge your device last night, you're entering the red zone and that item ends in two hours. Thankfully, both the S4 and Note 8.0 have a great Power saving mode that will keep them alive long enough to secure that bargain Weber Grill you need in case the sun shines in August. Here you can disable things like haptic feedback, limit the performance of the CPU and adjust the amount of power used by the screen. You can toggle Power saving mode on and off in the notifications bar, and long press the icon to fine-tune the settings if desired. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq5OHB7IS8c9. Get in some stealth eBaying with Air Gesture Being stuck in a meeting at work when an item ends in 10 minutes can be more torturous than being sticky-taped to Bruno Mars. You can't check your phone, through fear of a Darth Vader-style death grip from the boss. However, you can use the force in another way, thanks to the Air Gesture feature on the GALAXY S4. While the device is locked, wave your hand over the screen like Obi Wan and coyly brush your hair out of your eyes in one motion. That will reveal notification icons as well as the time and any missed calls. If you see the eBay icon, make your excuses and dash to the bathroom to up your bid. Remember, these are the collectable Storm Trooper action figures you're looking for... 
10. Quick Command with the S Pen on the Note 8.0 The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0's S Pen is useful for more than just annotating and tapping your way through life. The Quick Command feature is one of the fastest ways to get to your eBay app without searching through home screens. The idea is to create custom symbols, which you draw to open the app. So in this case, for example, an 'e' for 'eBay' would do the trick rather nicely. In order to set up a new command, head to Settings > S Pen > Quick Command. Once it's established you can hold down the S Pen button and draw your icon on screen to launch the eBay app.        | | In Depth: Teach yourself music with the GALAXY Note 8.0 Aug 19th 2013, 06:52, by Your Mobile Life 
When it comes to music, do you know your augmented sevenths from your diminished fifths? Or do you think a treble clef is something Manchester United won back in 1999? Whether you're already a musical master or you're simply looking to pick up and learn an instrument for the first time, the GALAXY Note 8.0 is a great looking and lightweight teaching tool with all the features you need to help you progress as a performer. So to be sure to impress your friends, check out our top 10 apps below. 
1. Note Trainer (Sight Reading) £1 – Buy it here The earliest form of musical notation is said to date back to around 2000 BC, meaning it's had quite some time to develop into the global system it's become today. Unfortunately, learning to sight read music is still something of a bugbear for many students, which is why Big Box Labs' Note Trainer app takes the entertaining route of turning sight reading into a Guitar Hero-style timing game. The aim is to press the keys on the bottom half of the screen as notation appears along the treble clef staves at the top. The game increases in speed and difficulty over time until you won't survive unless you can almost immediately match the on-screen note to its corresponding key. As you might expect, the later rounds can get quite heated, and before long you're finger tap dancing on the screen, which makes it easy to slip up and press a wrong note. For extra precision, slide the GALAXY Note 8.0's S Pen between your thumb and index finger to make sure you always hit the right keys at speed. It's worth shelling out a pound for the paid version too, so you can learn the bass clef and round off your sight-reading abilities. Also, by using the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0's Quick Command feature, you can create an easy and memorable symbol shortcut to the app, for super speedy access with a swift scribble of the S Pen. 
2. Musical Pro £2.63 – Buy it here Musical Pro aims to turn you into a fully-fledged musician, one note at a time. It's all about improving your rhythm by making you hit certain keys in time to sequenced notes that appear on the screen. Thankfully, it avoids one of the more common complaints aimed at instrumental apps on smartphones – that of small screen size and fiddly keys. The Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0's generous 8-inch WXGA TFT display suffers from no such problems, making full use of the tablet's screen by laying out a two-octave stacked piano that doubles the length of the keys. It also provides satisfying haptic feedback when keys are pressed, resulting in a more realistic playing experience. An additional selection of sounds, from organs to electronic keyboards, adds to the variety. 
3. Piano Companion £1.88 – Buy it here – (Or get the free Lite version here) Piano Companion sets out to be a one-stop-shop for piano players, giving them a quick and easy reference to turn to when practising or writing songs. With a database of 1,500 piano chords and over 500 scales, your progress on the ivories won't be held back by a lack of knowledge if you're using this app. A chord progression feature also allows you to line up various chords to be played back at a certain tempo, paving the way for improvised solos or laying more chords over the top. If drilling down into various chord types is your thing, you won't find a more comprehensive musical dictionary than this. 
4. Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro £3.12 – Buy it here Whatever instrument you play, there often comes a time when you're ready to sit down and try your hand at songwriting. Many musicians tend to run into a brick wall at that point, haphazardly throwing chords in left and right in the hope of producing something that fits. Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro looks to end this problem by providing a visual and interactive system that allows songwriters to hear, analyse and compose harmonic progressions in any key. Simply put, if you enter a chord, it'll show you what other chords you could play after it without it sounding like you're veering off into an unexpected and jarring musical wilderness. This should help you learn which chords relate to others, and, more importantly, which ones sound good when played together. Unless you're planning on playing just three chords for the rest of your life, this is no bad thing at all. Another neat feature is the app's ability to instantly transpose your chord progression to another key by tapping on the on-screen keyboard. This is where whipping out the GALAXY Note 8.0's S Pen to tap around comes in handy, particularly for the budding "fuller-fingered" composers out there! 
5. Adictum Drum Lessons Free – Get it here Rock god Dave Grohl didn't learn the drums in a day, but if he'd had a GALAXY Note 8.0 and Suonnica's Adictum Drum Lessons app, he might have got there a lot quicker. Rather than pawing away at on-screen drums like a child with a plastic Fisher Price set, Adictum is all about playing along on a real drum set by hitting certain parts of the kit in time as notation appears on the screen. You can try your hand (or two) at songs included with the app, or you can customise the app by writing in your own drum notation to practise along to. Alongside various rhythmic patterns of increasing difficulty, a number of exercises are also included to help you hone your drumming in certain areas. Additionally, videos accompany all of the lessons offered in the app, providing a quick reference point if you get stuck. 
6. Guitar Lessons Free Free – Get it here Let's face it – the fretboard is a large and scary place for any beginner guitarist. Not only do you have to learn the names of 22 notes on the E string, you then have to do it all over again another five times. Thankfully, your Samsung GALAXY Note 8.0 has it covered. This free Guitar Lessons app contains 19 lessons, in addition to a guide on reading tab notation that helps you read and write guitar tabs. It's aimed at the complete beginner, starting with basics like how to hold and tune the guitar, then running all the way up to learning chord theory and arpeggios. You'll need an internet connection to view it, which is a small ask for a level of information usually found in thick, expensive tutorial magazines. 
7. Guitar Jam Tracks: Scale Buddy £1.86 – Buy it here The pentatonic scale has formed the most valuable set of notes in an improvising guitarist's toolset since the dawn of rock 'n' roll. It was good enough for Jimi Hendrix, and it can make you sound like a pro with a little practice too. Scale Buddy not only displays box diagrams to help you learn minor and major pentatonic scales in every natural key, it also provides a looping backing track that you can practise over. From various styles of blues to jazz, modern rock and reggae, the app will have guitarists reaching for their instrument for anything from a quick practice to an hour long jam session. 
8. Perfect Ear Free – Get it here (Pro version is 99p, buy it here) Perfect Ear is an innovative app that can help any musician improve their accuracy in identifying musical sounds. While it features interval training for guitar, piano and bass, it's particularly useful for vocalists wanting to hone their pitch accuracy, thanks to a feature that uses the GALAXY Note 8.0's built-in microphone to detect the pitch of a singer's voice. While few people in the world are 'pitch perfect' – able to identify the pitch of a note upon hearing it – improving your sense of pitch can help you learn scales and pick more appropriate chords when penning songs (when you're not using the Mapping Tonal Harmony app, that is). Perfect Ear aims to help you on your way by providing a scale viewer, seven exercise types and the ability to program custom exercises. 
9. Ukulele Fretboard Free – Get it here The ukulele is an instrument more closely associated with the idyllic beaches of Hawaii rather than the rainy British Isles, meaning it usually plays second fiddle to other stringed instruments (which probably includes the fiddle, come to think of it). Ukulele Fretboard is a simple yet effective app that shows you around the fretboard and helps you practise fingering chords variations. You can also pick out scales using a 'Scale Explorer' mode that lets you discover ascending scale patterns as they progress up the fretboard, revealed by swiping the GALAXY Note 8.0's capacitive touch screen. It adds the ability to save customised chords by pressing the appropriate fret and string, and sequences can be saved and displayed down the left hand side of the screen to help you play through songs. Just think, you could be the next Jake Shimabukuro with a little practice. 
10. SPC – Music Sketchpad 2 £4.99 – Buy it here We're going to stay clear of 'real world' instruments for the last entry on our list, if only because an ever growing legion of superstar DJs shows that not only is electronic music hugely popular, it's also an equally valid form of composition in the modern age. SPC's Music Sketchpad 2 app is all about triggering samples in a certain order; anything from drum hits to electronic pads and brass instruments. Fully optimised for the GALAXY Note 8.0's generous 8-inch screen, Sketchpad 2 allows you to create your own samples by playing notes on an on-screen keyboard, which can then be edited using multiple effects processors. Recordings of performances can be exported to a PC for further editing or to be shared, and you can even lay your own voice over tracks using the device's built-in microphone.        | | Updated: ISPOne enters voluntary administration, Kogan Mobile hit hard Aug 19th 2013, 05:45, by Farrha Khan 
Update 2: Kogan released a statement this afternoon on its website to Kogan Mobile customers, stating that it is devastated. "Kogan Mobile has tried to do everything it can to protect its customers," it said. "However, contrary to our numerous and concerted efforts to persuade Telstra to maintain and support Kogan Mobile's arrangements with Telstra's sole distributor, ISPOne, Telstra has advised that it will terminate the 3G Prepaid Mobile services to Kogan Mobile." It advised that customers had 180 days from today to port their service to another provider in order to keep their number, and that it is currently seeking deals with other providers to negotiate special offers for Kogan Mobile customers. It has listed details on the matter for customers on its website, explained how and when they should port their number to another service provider, and also how they can refund any unused credit. "Kogan Mobile has been muscled out of the mobile industry against our will by a force much bigger and much stronger than us," it also added, expressing concern about the possibility of increasing mobile prices with the number of MVNOs falling out of the prepaid mobile market. Update: Administrator Ferrier Hodgson has sent out a statement on behalf of ISPOne, stating that they are working with Telstra on a transition plan "to ensure minimal disruption to [customer] phone services". It added that with an agreement reached between Medion and Telstra over the weekend, Aldi Mobile customers would not be effected. ISPOne's 50,000 fixed-line internet users will also not be effected while the administrators look at the viability of the company, nor will its fixed-line business, which was in the process of being sold prior to the appointment of administrators. "Our intention is to minimise the inconvenience to ispONE customers wherever we can," said Ferrier Hodgson partner Stewart McCallum. Original article... ISPOne has today entered voluntary administration, just a day before the scheduled trial between it and Telstra over allegations of ISPOne not paying $12 million worth of invoices and Telstra breaching contract by overcharging for wholesale mobile services. Telstra Wholesale had been looking to terminate ISPOne's mobile pre-paid contract. According to a statement from the telco today, it had been advised that ISPOne had entered administration with Ferrier Hodgson appointed as a voluntary administrator. The Federal Court today dismissed the case between the two, ending an injunction that ISPOne had won late last week that stopped Telstra from cancelling services to ISPOne customers, including MVNOs Kogan Mobile and Aldi Mobile. Telstra said that it has now "cancelled ISPOne's contracts for the supply of Telstra Wholesale pre-paid mobile products". ISPOne had been taken to court by Kogan Mobile earlier this year after it had dumped around 600 Kogan Mobile customers for allegedly using too much data. No more KoganKogan wrote to customers last week that it had been monitoring the developments between the two companies closely. "If Telstra terminates its contract with ISPOne, this is very likely to impact Kogan Mobile's own customers' services (through no fault of Kogan Mobile)," Kogan had said. Telstra today confirmed that as Kogan Mobile is not a customer of the telco, it would not be accepting any new Kogan customers or credit recharges, although it would be providing interim voice services. "People who want to change providers should approach their service provider of choice who can request the number port, but we would ask for patience as there are limits on how many ports the industry can undertake in addition to normal sales and activation activity," Telstra Wholesale Group Managing Director, Stuart Lee "We do not have their account information and we cannot provide them any customer service support," he added. Telstra has put up more details for Kogan Mobile customers on its website detailing a transition plan for the 120,000 customers that will be effected, though the telco added that customers should direct questions about their service to their retail service provider. Medion saves Aldi MobileWhile Kogan Mobile and Aldi Mobile representatives were both invited to court ordered mediation between ISPOne and Telstra last week, it looks like Medion, which is Aldi Mobile's supplier, was able to enter into an interim agreement with Telstra. "Because Medion has entered into a direct supply agreement with Telstra Wholesale, Telstra is able to continue to supply Medion to support their ALDImobile customers," the telco said on its website. As such, there have been no changes to Aldi Mobile, and Medion may look to extend or renegotiate a new agreement with Telstra in the future. - While the dust settles from this debacle, why not check out who has Australia's best 4G network?
       | | Updated: Best 4G network: Telstra vs Optus vs Vodafone Aug 19th 2013, 02:30, by Nick Broughall 
Australia has always been at the forefront of new mobile technology rollouts, and 4G is no exception. Initially rolled out by Telstra late in 2011, both Optus and Vodafone have now joined the LTE party, rolling out their own versions of the next-gen technology. Still, that 12 month head start means that Telstra is still the network to beat in terms of 4G coverage, although both Vodafone and Optus are committed to the task. Given the Australian thirst for faster speeds, transitioning customers to 4G has been a fairly easy task for all three networks. The battle lines now seem to be drawn over not just coverage areas, but speeds and exclusive devices. With that in mind, what do these networks have up their sleeves for the immediate future? 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. Telstra has been pushing hardest in its rollout, covering 66 per cent of the population at last count and looking to expand that figure to 85 per cent by the end of the year. Optus took a slightly different approach to its 4G rollout, launching exclusively around the Newcastle area in April 2012. Since then, the service was expanded to capital cities and key regional hubs, around the country. While Optus hasn't announced exactly what percentage of the nation can get a 4G signal, it has promised that it will hit 70 per cent of metro users by the middle of 2014. Vodafone is the latest telco to join the 4G competition, and because it's the last to market, it's keeping quiet on exactly what percentage of users can expect coverage. What Vodafone has instead focussed on is its contiguous spectrum, which allows for greater bandwidth. This means that it can easily support category 4 devices like the Huawei MediaPad 10 Link tablet, as well as coping better under strain. Best 4G priceThe best part about 4G in Australia is that none of the networks is charging a premium for the faster speeds. In most cases, all you need is a 4G smartphone like the Galaxy S4 or Xperia Z to enjoy the faster speeds, although some customers with older SIM cards might need to upgrade. The biggest challenge with 4G in Australia is the limitation on data caps. Despite the fact that data speeds have been drastically increasing thanks to 4G technology, the data allowance on plans has actually gone down over the past few years. While included data has reduced, the telcos are starting to actively change the way they charge for excess usage. Telstra's Every Day Connect plans start at $60 a month, including 1GB of data. $80 a month will get you 1.5GB of data, while $100 a month offers 2GB of data. If you want more than that, you'll have to spring $130 a month, which includes 3GB of data. Of course, the Every Day Connect plans include the purchase of a new handset (although you may need to pay a small repayment on top of the base amount). If you're happy with the 4G phone you have, or you prefer to buy your phone outright, Telstra also has Every Day Connect BYO plans. These phone-free plans start at $50 a month with 1GB of data, and go up to $60 a month for 1.5GB, $80 a month for 2GB and $100 a month for 3GB. Additional data packs are available for the heavy downloader, with $5 a month delivering an extra 250MB, $15 a month giving 1GB, $30 a month adding 3GB and $60 a month purchasing 8GB of additional data. Optus's plans are a little bit more confusing. There are SIM+ plans, which start at $25 a month (which includes 200MB of data), but offer the benefit of not locking you into a contract for two years. The $40 SIM plan includes 1GB of data, while the $65 plan includes 2GB. You can add the cost of a mobile to that as well if you like. The Optus My Plan option starts at $50 a month for 500MB, with $60 giving 1GB, $80 offering 2GB and $100 delivering 3GB of data. Depending on the plan and the smartphone you want, you may need to pay a bit extra for a handset in the plan. The MyPlan solution does away with excess data by shifting you up to the next plan for the month if you exceed your quota, before returning you back to your standard allowance the following month. Vodafone has the widest stretch of plan offerings, with prices starting at $30 a month for 200MB, $40 a month for 500MB, $50 a month for 1GB, $60 a month for 1.5GB, $80 a month for 2GB and $100 a month for 5GB of data. Voda's SIM-only plans are along the same lines, just a little bit cheaper. $20 gets you 200MB, $35 gives 1GB, $45 offers 1.5GB, $65 has 2GB and $85 has 5GB on offer. In addition to the three major telcos, there are also a bunch of networks reselling the Optus 4G network, like Virgin Mobile and Vaya. For Virgin Mobile, $30 buys you 200MB, $40 gets you 500MB, $50 buys 1GB, $60 offers 1.5GB and $90 will deliver 3GB. Vaya offers 500MB for $16 a month, 1.5GB for $18 a month, 2GB for $37 a month, and 3GB for $52 a month. Extra data can be bought at $7 a GB. It's important to note that all the above plans also include varying amounts of talk and text value, which might sway your decision. Best 4G handsetsThe most important part of your new contract will be your new smartphone (assuming you haven't already purchased a 4G-ready device). Possibly the biggest phone for any network right now is the iPhone 5. Apple got into a lot of trouble with the ACCC after it branded the iPad 3 as being 4G-enabled, despite the fact it didn't work on the Australian LTE frequencies. Fortunately that was a problem the company fixed with the iPhone 5, with the handset working on the 1800MHz spectrum used by all three networks. It doesn't work on Optus' TD-LTE network in Canberra, nor the 900MHz frequency being rolled out by Telstra. Whether that is still the case after Apple launches the iPhone 5S (or the iPhone 6, or the iPhone 5C, or whatever it is that Cupertino is planning). But what about the other 4G-ready phones? Well, all three major telcos are carrying the 5 star rated HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note II, and the Sony Xperia Z. The Nokia Lumia 925 is available across all the networks, although if you want to taste the new BlackBerry Z10 you'll need to go to Telstra, while Optus has the BlackBerry Q10. With 4G having become a somewhat standard feature, it's no surprise that Telstra has more than a dozen 4G handsets, Optus offers at least 14 different devices and Vodafone has a total of 12 on its books. For a full rundown of the best 4G phones out at the moment, head over to our in-depth feature on this very subject.        | | BT Sport app off to a shaky start as many users miss Premier League opener Aug 17th 2013, 15:36, by Chris Smith 
Today was a huge day for BT's new sports channel, as the telecoms giant broadcast its first Premier League game at Liverpool took on Stoke City in the season's curtain raiser. However, for some users of the BT Sport mobile app for iOS and Android, those curtains remained firmly closed as technical issues prevented some viewers from enjoying the game. Some users complained the coverage kept cutting out, while others were perturbed that the broadcast only worked over Wi-Fi, when BT promised 3G and 4G coverage. As hundreds of unhappy users took to Twitter, the company posted: "Sorry, some customers have seen an intermittent issue with the BT Sport App. We are working to resolve this, apologies to everyone affected." 'Responded quickly'The issue is believed to have affected those who attempted to log in after game had kicked off, with BT claiming the problem had been resolved in time for most viewers to tune into the second half. It wasn't the best start for BT Sport, who's televised coverage of the game impressed on Saturday morning. Perhaps a few teething problems were to be expected for the newcomers? A BT spokesperson said: "Those customers who logged in before the game have experienced no issues but a minority of customers who tried to login once the game had started may have seen an intermittent issue and an error message. "Our team responded quickly and were able to make a difference so most of the customers who were experiencing problems were able to enjoy the remainder of the second half." BT has forked out £738 to broadcast 38 Premier League games a season, over the next three seasons.   | |
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