| Website building app Jimdo now available on iOS Aug 22nd 2013, 11:04, by Jay McGregor 
Jimdo, the website development service that allows you to build and personalise their own website without knowing code, is now available on iOS. The move comes as more users try to access the service via iPhones and iPads. Users will be able to add, modify and delete content on the go. The company says it is essentially a slimmed down version of the desktop service with simplified controls. Co-founder Christian Springub talked up the launch, saying: "By integrating the new app with our existing platform, users now have the freedom to decide when, where, and with which device they edit their sites. Users can even start on one device and finish on another." Jimdo was founded in Germany in 2007 by Christian Springub, Fridtjof Detzner, and Matthias Henze who wanted to make website creation more accessible. According to Jimdo, over 8 million websites have been created with its software.        |  | Updated: Here's a photo of the black iPhone 5C, but it's probably fake Aug 22nd 2013, 10:59, by Kate Solomon 
"I see a red iPhone 5C and I want it painted black." Probably what someone at Apple said when it looked as though the cheap iPhone was only going to come in cheery colours like yellow. This picture suggests someone in the colour department heard and actioned that. Do try to control yourselves. UPDATE: Control yourselves even more, it might be fake. We kind of thought that went without saying at this point in the iPhone rumour cycle, but hey. Turns out Apple may not offer a black iPhone 5C after all. But maybe it will. We'll just have to wait and see. It's all very exciting. More blips! Look at all our blips. We've got blips in all the colours. And we smell NICE.        | | Ubuntu Edge misses funding target spectacularly but won't let that stop it Aug 22nd 2013, 08:57, by Kate Solomon 
Life on the edge is no picnic, as Canonical will tell you having set a record for the most money raised through crowd-funding but missed its target for the Ubuntu Edge phone by, well, quite a lot. The deadline of 11.59pm on August 21 came and went with $12,809,906 in the pot (around £8m or AU$14m) - just under $20m off Canonical's target of $32 million (£20m / AU$36m). Crowd-funding site Indiegogo is letting the company off its usual fees and the $12.8m pledged will be returned to backers. Edge pledgeSpeaking to the Guardian, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth said he won't be letting a little thing like failure put him off. The company had hoped that another "industry player" would kick in the last $20m to get the Edge project off the ground - but since none did, Shuttleworth says it is likely to focus on regular smartphones running the Linux-based OS rather than the bleeding-edge specs the company had planned for the Ubuntu Edge. The Edge was set to run both Android and Ubuntu Mobile, with the handset able to act as a desktop computer when plugged into a larger screen. Shuttleworth explained that Ubuntu is still an attractive alternative to Android. He said, "The impression we have from conversations with manufacturers is that they are open to an alternative to Android. And end-users don't seem emotionally attached to Android." The positive thinkers among us might posit that the project was, in fact, a bit of a success. After all, when was the last time anyone ever gave Ubuntu this many column inches? FutTv : wm8t8B6n082Y3       | | Galaxy S4 Active base jumps to Australia for $699 Aug 22nd 2013, 05:16, by Nick Broughall 
Adventurous types will be happy to know that Samsung has finally announced local availability for its Galaxy S4 Active smartphone in Australia. Available today from Samsung Experience stores in Sydney and Melbourne for $699 outright, the handset is both dust and water resistant, capable of swimming in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. The handset is also set to be available through leading retailers around the country, while plan-loving fitness freaks will be able to grab the robust smartphone on a plan exclusively through Vodafone over 24 months. The handset will set you back $5 a month on a $60 plan over two years. Mini sportsThe GS4 Active isn't the only Galaxy S4 variant Samsung is unleashing on our shores at the moment either. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is also getting a local release this month. Available in a dual-mode variant for the new Optus TD-LTE network in Canberra, Telstra has also confirmed it will stock the slightly smaller version of one this year's best mobile handsets. The release of both S4 variants in Australia this month means that the only member of the S4 family yet to get a release date is the camera-laden S4 Zoom. Samsung has confirmed it will come to Australia this year though, so we'd expect an announcement in the near future. - The S4 family is good, but the original is still the best. Why not read our definitive original Galaxy S4 review?
       | | Opinion: Telcos are hanging up on the world of virtual mobile networks Aug 22nd 2013, 02:45, by Nick Broughall 
As a general rule, volcanoes don't just erupt. There's a build up of gases, of red-hot magma and a series of warning signs that indicate to anyone paying attention that they should get the hell away if they want to avoid burning to death. It's the same with the sub industry of low-cost virtual mobile networks at the moment. While the industry seems like a great way of saving a bit of cash compared to the major telcos in the country, the demise of wholesaler ISPOne and its customer Kogan Mobile are but the latest signs that not all is well in the land of licensed mobile networks. Of course, the warning signs started long before ISPOne's collapse. It wasn't even two months ago that Red Bull Mobile ended its run as an MVNO using the Vodafone network, which came just a month after Vaya acquired rival Live Connected. Prior to that Crazy Johns rose to glory and then collapsed just as spectacularly, being bought out then shut down by Vodafone. This week's collapse of Ruslan Kogan's attempt to supplement his growing online retail presence with the Kogan mobile network is but the latest in a long succession of warning signs that something is not right in the industry. Slimmer margins, slimmer hopes But what is the problem? Why are there pools of MVNO magma collecting at the base of Mount 3G, possibly preparing to explode in a spectacular display of fire and prepaid SIM cards? There's no simple answer, really. Ruslan Kogan, suddenly reeling from the loss of his own virtual mobile network, claims conspiracy from the major networks unhappy with upstarts using their infrastructure to sell unlimited plans. Could these claims be true? It's a possibility. When you consider just how much Kogan was undercutting Telstra's price - especially on bundled data - it's impossible to imagine that the national phone company would be happy to share so much bandwidth with someone selling it so cheap. Especially given Telstra would be receiving a fraction of the income it would get if those 100,000 Kogan customers where paying Telstra directly. But there are other possible explanations as well. It could have been top-level financial mismanagement, or tougher competition in an already difficult market, or the increase in demand for data compared combined with the increased cost of data as well. But despite our speculation, one thing is for sure - to resell another telco's network, in order to make a profit you need to live off slimmer margins. And slimmer margins makes survival and success a harder battle. Eruption and survival There's a reason that the main three telcos - which account for about 95% of all mobile connections anyway - have all dropped the amount of bundled data in their plans over the past 12 months. Data is a much bigger drain on a network's bandwidth than voice, especially when today's smartphones all keep updating with Facebook and Twitter and emails while the screen is off and the phone is in your pocket. Maintaining network performance in a country where smartphones now account for the majority of handsets sold has become critically important, as Vodafone discovered a few years ago. But while things are looking fairly grim for MVNOs in general at the moment, it's unlikely we'll see the industry collapse completely under the weight of a Vesuvius-like eruption. Some networks, like Virgin Mobile or Boost Mobile, are so well integrated with their carrier network that they are likely to survive no matter what. The tougher challenge will be faced by the smaller MVNOs. In the coming months, it's fair to expect the more generous prepaid options to adapt, either reducing the bundled data or talk and text value at the same price, or increasing the monthly recharge cost. And when that's done, the MVNOs will offer plans much more in line with the major telcos. They'll still be a little bit cheaper - squeezing profits from even tighter margins - but the days of unlimited calls and large data quotas are ending. They're not dead yet though, and that means there's still good deals to be had for anyone brave enough to camp at the foot of the volcano...        | | Opinion: HTC needs to figure out what the heck it's doing, pronto Aug 21st 2013, 23:36, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
HTC is suffering from a crisis of direction and identity, and it needs to get a grip fast. Though the Taiwanese company can lay claim to one of the most highly regarded phones in the world, it's struggling for sales. Its stock price is reportedly at an 8-year low, audio partner Beats is said to be plotting an ouster and executives are fleeing. It also has a leader who has critics arguing whether he can turn HTC around or stands as the obstacle in revival's way. In a Reuters report published Tuesday, 12 former and current HTC executives spoke out against CEO Peter Chou, saying his abrasive management style and lack of strategic vision have contributed to the company's hard times. We've never sat in on an HTC manager meeting, so whether allegations of a shoot-from-the-hip approach to product planning and the open berating of managers was true or still continues, we can't truly know. But all you have to do is look at the HTC we have today to see that this is a company in need of righting. Here are a few suggestions to help it get its act together before we bid adieu for good. HTC First, One and then someLet's start with April's HTC First. The phone itself was fine, but the decision to partner with Facebook on the non-Facebook Facebook phone was misguided. Producing a mid-range handset that either plays host to a constant Facebook presence or, when you turn Facebook Home off, a nondescript Android experience is the definition of confused identity. HTC, led by Chou, may be able to adjust to the calls of the market quickly, so it's not surprising it jumped on the chance to capitalize on this crazy thing called Facebook, but how did it fit in the company's long-term strategy? It didn't. 
Then the sun came through the clouds, and we were gifted with the magnificent HTC One, a device that does seem to be having a positive impact on the company. It may not be the savior HTC hoped for, but at least it's given the phone maker some industry cred. It could've been, and still could be, a truly heroic device, if the company allows it. Because where do you go after you launch a universally lauded phone? To variations, of course! How very trendy of you HTC. Have you been paying attention to Samsung's Galaxy line, by any chance? HTC introduced the HTC One Mini last month and like its big brother, it's a well-reviewed phone. But winning over reviewers and giving customers a product they end up buying are two different things. The phone is only now starting to go on sale (Friday in the U.S.), so whether people flock to the downsized (in more ways than one) HTC One Mini or it enters the land of why-did-they-do-it derivations, we don't yet know. It will likely be very attractive to consumers in its price point ($99.99 in the U.S.) but is it good enough and different enough to defeat other low- to mid-range entrants as time goes on? 
HTC is also rumored to be readying an HTC One Max, which could easily cannibalize the already not-so-superb sales of the One as well as the Mini as it's just taking flight. We've actually argued against HTC plopping a One-branded phablet on the market, and as John McCann wrote, the One Max stands to overshadow the One, further crippling HTC. HTC has to compete, and part of that, at least in the world of smartphones, is coming up with new devices at a clip that keeps customers' attention. We get that. But HTC is different in that the HTC One is such a strong device, and the company is at a critical cross roads, that perhaps product restraint and a more spaced out product cycle would have been the more prudent approach. That, however, sounds very un-Chou. What's my name again?If there's one thing Apple has really nailed down, it's a brand. You can argue the merits of its products (and many other things), but there's no denying Apple is one of the world's most recognized companies. Coke may have ruled the 20th century, but the 21st belongs to Cupertino. It isn't alone in solid brand recognition however, as Google, Microsoft and T-Mobile all have successfully conveyed, with varying degrees of success, company values, logos, colors and product lines. HTC could use a dose of this, without a doubt. It's taking some steps to personalize its marketing, releasing on Aug. 14 a new ad spot staring uber-cool Robert Downey Jr. The reaction was generally positive, and while the ad took a tongue-in-cheek look at what "HTC" stands for, it struck on a deeper cord than oddball humor. 
What does HTC stand for? Not the letters – we liked "hipster troll carwash"– but what are the company's values? Can it refresh the used-by-others green and black color scheme? What story is its products trying to tell? Downey Jr. tells us HTC stands for "Happy Telephone Company," a voice over purrs "Here's to Change," and it's anything you want it to be, according to the mustachioed gentleman, but we think HTC could stand to gravitate towards a more concrete message, one that resonates with consumers. That takes strategic planning and long-term vision. Bringing Iron Man in is the first step in a larger refreshing process, we're sure, but HTC should think long and hard about what it is and what it wants to be and sell us on that idea, before we stop wanting it completely. The leadership questionFinally, is getting rid of Chou the answer? It may not be as simple as that. Chou is still considered the heart of the company, and HTC said in a statement sent to Reuters that it's committed to his leadership. It credited "Peter's vision and leadership" in making the One product family a well-received entrant, so at least publically, it's sticking with Chou for now. The CEO has said he has no plans to leave, and according to Reuters' insiders, there's no clear internal successor anyway. That is reportedly breeding poor morale besides, you know, the whole berating thing. So what's HTC to do, if its flawed leader isn't going anywhere? As higher-up tensions die down (Reuters noted the "old guard has re-established" itself at the company) HTC is best to buckle down, plot what its future looks like, and figure out how to get there. If Chou needs convincing, then find out what it takes to get the message across loud and clear. It doesn't have to the be No. 1 phone maker in the world, but the way it's going now, we're not even sure if it could be a viable phone maker in three to five years. Thankfully, HTC is making great products, and the One is a strong foundation for HTC to build on. Strengthening its core offerings, building better brand identity and doing whatever it takes to remedy what sounds like a pretty awful leadership situation are the other keys to get HTC's ship sailing forward. Take a look in the mirror, HTC, and get it together ASAP.        | | Over a third of BlackBerry's 120,000 apps are made by a single developer Aug 21st 2013, 23:28, by Chris Smith 
Earlier this year BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins touted a much-improved 120,000 apps in the App World store. What he failed to mention was that one single developer accounts for far more than his fair share. According to a Berryreview.com report, developer S4bb has an incredible 47,000-plus applications residing within the company's understocked app portal. The report also pointed out that, barring the first 20 or 30 submissions, S4bb's apps for BB10 and other versions of the OS, aren't really of a quality worthy a ringing endorsement from BlackBerry's CEO. There's countless city guides, lock apps, audiobooks, phrasebooks, while there are a host of RSS feeds presented as basic applications. There's also the obligatory flatulence noise simulation app. Lovely. Taking advantageBlackBerry has been desperately trying to encourage developers to embrace its new platform, as it seeks to reel in Android, iOS and even Windows Phone. It has been offering $100 (around UK£60, AU$111) per approved app, while top notch offerings can scoop up to $10,000 (about UK£6,385, AU$11,139) for when they're submitted to the app world It appears one developer has figured out a way to take advantage that benefits neither BlackBerry, beyond the number boasts, or its users. Apparently, S4bb is not not the only one either. BlackBerry spokesman Adam Emery said: "Developers in all app stores employ a number of different monetization tactics. BlackBerry World is an open market for developers and we let market forces dictate the success or failure of these tactics."        | | In Depth: Can the Lumia 1020 camera take on a compact system camera? Aug 21st 2013, 22:44, by Marc Flores 
IntroductionThe Nokia Lumia 1020 may have changed the mobile photography landscape, but is it going to cause any disruption in the compact system camera class, too? If you aren't already familiar with the Lumia 1020's camera, it's basically a point-and-shoot or compact camera stuffed into a smartphone body. Sort of. After reviewing Nokia's latest flagship smartphone, we were left wondering why the Finnish company would put a 41MP camera sensor into a device intended for messaging and making phone calls. Is it just to give phone a big number on a spec sheet? Or is it intended to replace your compact system camera? 
We've decided to put it up against the iPhone 5, which has a respectable 8MP shooter on board, and the Olympus E-PL5 - a nice compact system camera loaded with features and really good image quality. The first comparison is obvious. The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that you'll find in most hands when you're out and about, and its camera has always performed well against other smartphones. Pitting it against the Lumia 1020 seems fair. We were tempted to compare the 1020 to a full-frame DSLR given the smartphone's incredibly high megapixel count. Nokia also claims in its Lumia 1020 white paper that some of the features on the 41MP PureView camera were only found on DSLRs. But regardless of megapixel count, a full-frame sensor from the likes of Nikon or Canon would stomp on any tiny, smartphone camera sensor any day of the week. 
Instead, we decided to go with the Olympus E-PL5 because it seems more in line with what the Lumia 1020 is trying to be: a compact camera replacement. The Lumia's size and portability is much closer to a compact camera than a DSLR, and like many compact cameras, it has a fixed focal length lens. It's worth noting, however, that the E-PL5 is a micro four-thirds compact system camera that supports interchangeable lenses. The E-PL5 has a 16MP sensor - a far cry from the Nokia's 41MP unit - but the sensor is much larger than the one found in the 1020. So we're going to find out whether megapixels trumps sensor size in this comparison, although if you're familiar with cameras and camera technology, you may already have your money on the bigger sensor. In this image comparison, we're going to take a look at overall image quality, which takes into account color, contrast, details and dynamic range. We're also going to consider performance. How long does it take to fire up the device and snap a photo, and how quickly can you snap photos in rapid succession? Another area we'll consider is low-light performance and how well each of the three devices handles noise. Because of Nokia's claims, we're going to push each camera as far as they will go, even if one camera has capabilities that another doesn't (e.g. aperture controls and high ISO settings). This isn't going to be the sort of comparison where we try to get each camera's settings as close to each other as possible, then pixel-peep the photos. There will be a little bit of that, but for the most part we're going to push these cameras to see whether any can be considered a replacement for the other, or if they're truly in separate classes. Lumia 1020 vs. iPhone 5
Up top is the Lumia 1020. Everyone loves taking flower photos in broad daylight for some reason, so we'll get it kicked off with that. Below is the iPhone 5. 
Immediately, we can see that the Nokia Lumia 1020 looks slightly more favorable since it does a better job in this case of isolating the subject. That's because it offers slightly more depth of field, so the flowers behind the main flower are a little more blurry. With the iPhone photo, everything is a little more in focus, so the image looks more muddled. The iPhone's color saturation and white balance might be too rich and warm compared to the Lumia 1020. So we're giving this one to the Lumia 1020. At 900 pixels wide, which is how big these images are when you click on them, details appear similar, though the iPhone 5 seems a bit sharper. 
The blurry image above is the Lumia's sad attempt at taking a macro shot. Whether you have it set to autofocus or manual focus, it just isn't meant to shoot closer than six or seven inches away from its subject. The photo below, however, is the iPhone's attempt at taking the same macro shot. It does much better than the Lumia here. 
The next two photos are low-light shots taken at my desk. 
The iPhone 5 is the first image, and it surprisingly did better in terms of exposure. However, it's obvious that the Lumia 1020 does better with focus and overall clarity--it has less noise than the iPhone image. Colors are accurate for both photos, but we're giving the edge to the Lumia here for its sharpness, focus and for being a little cleaner when it comes to noise. 
The top ocean scene is shot by the Lumia 1020, and the one right below it is by the iPhone 5. Colors aren't that great for either photo, but the iPhone does a little better with exposure. You can see more detail in the shadows. However, the Lumia's overall image quality and sharpness seems a little better, and it captured the sky color a bit better than the iPhone 5. Perhaps that's because the Lumia underexposed the photo just a little. In this case, it's really hard to pick either one as a clear winner because it's a matter of preference. We like the Lumia 1020's photo overall because of its sharpness and clarity, and we really don't mind the underexposed trees and buildings. 
The two photos above are with mixed lighting: tungsten indoors, with the door open and letting daylight into the room. As you can see, it's really a toss up, but the top photo is the Lumia 1020 and its colors are a little more rich than the iPhone 5. So we'll give the Nokia points for that. iPhone vs. Lumia 1020 conclusionNo surprises here, really. The Nokia Lumia 1020 camera is better than the iPhone 5's camera. Though the iPhone 5 has bigger pixels than the 1020, 1.4 microns vs. 1.12 microns, it seems that the Nokia's bigger sensor and overwhelming number of pixels makes for better image quality. We already know that you can "zoom" or at least crop in on the Lumia's images without much loss of quality. Its advantage over the iPhone 5, aside from general image quality, is the fact that you have so much room to play with when it comes to cropping. However, it's not all in favor of the Lumia 1020. Before we forget, it's still on the Windows Phone 8 platform, which means it doesn't have nearly as many apps as the iPhone 5 for photo editing and sharing. With the iPhone 5, you get Instagram, Vine, Snapseed, Camera+, Pro Camera and thousands of other image editing apps. The iPhone's camera can also shoot faster and in rapid succession, whereas the Lumia 1020's camera is sluggish and slow to process images. If you're looking for the best quality images out of your smartphone, and speed and timing are of no importance (like with landscape photography), then the Lumia 1020 owns the iPhone 5 all day long. But if speed and ease of use matters to you in capturing fleeting moments, the iPhone 5 will run circles around the Nokia. Lumia 1020 vs. Olympus E-PL5Now comes the real test. The Nokia Lumia 1020 has been touted as a point-and-shoot killer by some blogs, and even a DSLR replacement by others. Give us a break. The 1020 is definitely easier to carry around and use compared to larger cameras, but it will never compare with a DSLR. But how does the 41MP PureView camera on the Nokia stack up against a decent compact system camera like the Olympus E-PL5? Let's find out. 
There's that sad Lumia 1020 macro shot again. Not much to say here besides the fact that the Olympus E-PL5 stomps all over Nokia in this category. 
The first desk/phone photo was taken by the Olympus E-PL5, and it's pretty clear that the winner here is the Olympus. The image is brighter, cleaner, sharper and has better color accuracy than the Lumia 1020. 
Now this flower shot is where things aren't so black and white. The Lumia 1020 did a bit better with color and saturation here, and it seems a bit sharper than the Olympus, too. We think we're going to give this one to the Lumia 1020. 
In this ocean scene again, we can see that the Olympus has better dynamic range in the top image. The Lumia tends to underexpose, and as a result you lose some shadow details. The clear winner here is the Olympus because you have that much more flexibility if you want to edit the image. 
The first image is from the Olympus E-PL5, and the second one is the Nokia. Because the Olympus does a better job of balancing the two sources of light, colors look a little better, too. The Lumia has better contrast, but overall we have to give this one to the E-PL5 for better balance, color and dynamic range. Lumia 1020 vs. Olympus E-PL5 conclusionSo, it's obvious that the Nokia Lumia 1020 isn't going to be replacing a modern compact camera. Megapixel counts generally don't mean much when it comes to sensor size and image processing. The bigger sensor and better image processor usually wins. The Olympus, being a micro four-thirds camera, also has interchangeable lenses and better controls and options. It has more in common with a DSLR than the Lumia phone, so there really is no sense in comparing the two. If you want a compact camera for more serious still photography, don't count on the Lumia 1020 to handle that job for you. A nice compact system camera like the Sony NEX-6 or Olympus E-PL5 will do a better job, at a cost. But if you just want the best images you can possibly get out of a smartphone, the Lumia 1020 is still the king of phone cameras. ConclusionThe Nokia Lumia 1020 has shown us what the current limits of smartphone photography are. It has the best smartphone camera you can buy today, and it's a nice bridge between smartphones and compact cameras. However, it isn't going to replace your dedicated camera system. Below is a 100% crop of a flower taken by the Olympus E-PL5, Nokia Lumia 1020 and iPhone 5, respectively. As you can see, the Olympus didn't quite nail the focus on flower's stigma like the Lumia 1020 and iPhone 5 did. However, you can see that even with its lower pixel count, it reveals more detail than either of the smartphones. Just take a look at the fine, white hairs behind the star-shaped stigma. 
The Lumia 1020, which did nail the focus perfectly, looks pretty incredible. We never would have imagined this kind of quality and resolution from a smartphone five or six years ago. In fact, it would've been hard to imagine this kind of performance from a phone camera just three years ago. The iPhone 5 turns out to be a great all-around camera for snapshots and taken fun photos for filters and edits. It also does pretty well for prints up to a certain size. But if we are going to continue pixel peeping photos for their technical quality rather than their beauty and content, the Lumia is the better phone camera. In the end, it turns out there is really no comparing the three cameras. The Olympus offers so much more flexibility and control, and its picture quality and performance is arguably better than either of the smartphone cameras. The Lumia 1020 has its triumphs over the iPhone 5, but at the sacrifice of speed and performance, as well as operating system. After all, when you buy a phone, you're not just buying the camera, but the entire device and software as a package. Whatever you take away from this comparison, we hope that we can shift focus away from all the technical stuff at the end of the day, and enjoy taking nice, meaningful pictures instead.        | | Fabled LG G Pad drops by FCC, exec chats up smartwatch and Firefox device Aug 21st 2013, 21:09, by Lbrown 
It's beginning to sound more and more like LG will once again venture into the crowded tablet market with the rumored LG G Pad we've been hearing so much about. After learning the potential device could feature an 8.3-inch screen complete with 1920 x 1200 resolution, as well as a quad-core processor and 2GB of memory, we'd been waiting for the official announcement shoe to drop. While LG still hasn't said a peep about the G Pad, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may have just given us a peek into the South Korean company's plans. According to PhoneArena, a new filing for the LG-V500 (one of two supposed varieties of the G Pad) popped up on the FCC's site, and gave us a bit more insight into what to expect. Ain't nothing but a G thangUnfortunately, the only new information ascertained from the LG-V500 filing is the tablet's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The rest of the details concerning the device are still speculative, including whether it will feature a Snapdragon 800 processor, though LG has its G-series smartphones would feature the Qualcomm chip. The other purported tablet, the LG-V507L, still has yet to appear anywhere beyond Fabletown, but there's a chance the "L" could stand for LTE, meaning LG could have plans for cellular support in place. Competing with the Nexus 7 and iPad 4 may not be the only plans on LG's docket though, as one of the company's executives recently spilled the beans on a variety of possible products that may debut at IFA 2013. Loose lipsIn a recent interview with Dnevnik.bg (via Engadget) LG's Bulgarian mobile communications head Dimitar Valev affirmed plans to bring tablets back into the manufacturer's fold. Though Valev didn't outright detail just what those tablets would be, it appears likely the V500 and V507L figure into the company's future. But that's not all, as Valev also divulged more about the rumored smartwatch LG could be developing, including the idea that it may feature flexible LCD technology. The interview also makes mention of a 6-inch smartphone and a mysterious Firefox OS device, though Valev was light on hardware specs for either. LG's Optimus G Pro already clocks in at a robust 5.5-inches, but with more and more mobile competitors reaching for the 6-inch bracket, the Korean manufacturer may not want to be left behind. None of the information thus far can be considered concrete just yet, as LG itself still hasn't made mention of any singular device, let alone a multitude of them, but with IFA just around the corner, the wait for confirmation may not be long.        | | Android gamers now outspending Sony PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS counterparts Aug 21st 2013, 20:43, by Chris Smith 
Android smartphone and tablet owners are now spending more on games than is being outlaid on software for the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PS Vita consoles combined, according to a new report. In more bad news for Sony, and especially Nintendo, spending on games on the Google Play has increased while revenue from games for dedicated handheld consoles has gone in the other direction. Perhaps even more worrying for the console makers were the findings that the majority of Google Play spending took place in the Asia/Pacific market, including Japan, which is home to both Sony and Ninty. Way out ahead of everyone is Apple, according to the quarterly AppAnnie and IDC Portable Gaming Report, underlining iOS' position as the dominant handheld gaming platform. Continued shiftIn a post on its site, AppAnnie wrote: "In this Q2 2013 report, we offer insights into the continued shift of consumer spending from gaming-optimized handhelds to mobile devices." The news comes as Sony looks to give the PS Vita a new lease of life, by repurposing it as a companion device for the forthcoming PS4 console, as well as cutting the price to $199 and €199 in Europe (around £170, AU$219) It is also marketing the device as a home for indie developers to easily self publish their wares and have secured a host of exclusive titles. Will these moves improve the PS Vita's chances of a life less ordinary? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.        | | First run of Firefox OS-powered ZTE Open smartphones sell out Aug 21st 2013, 17:46, by JR Bookwalter 
When it comes to buying new technology, it pays to be quick - a lesson fans of Mozilla's open-source Firefox OS were taught over the weekend. The Telegraph reported this week that Chinese manufacturer ZTE sold out the first production run of its highly anticipated Open, one of the first smartphones powered by Firefox OS. After debuting in eBay stores in both the U.S. and U.K. last Friday, ZTE managed to sell out of the unlocked handsets by Monday, leaving Mozilla fans empty-handed until the manufacturer can restock its virtual shelves. Featuring a 3.5-inch screen with 1GHz processor, 3.2MP rear camera and 512MB of internal storage, the ZTE Open isn't exactly a smartphone powerhouse - but for only $79.99 (UK£59.99, about AU$88.63), it doesn't have to be. Orange alertThere's no mistaking the ZTE Open, which features a bright orange back and Firefox OS, a version of Mozilla's open-source web browser reworked into a smartphone operating system. Launched earlier this summer in Spain, Venezuela and Columbia on the Telefonica network, the ZTE Open marked the first time U.S. and U.K. citizens alike could get their hands on the distinctive handset through retail channels. The web-based Firefox OS harkens back to the days of Palm's ill-fated webOS, which has ironically also found a home in the open-source community after buyer HP failed to gain any traction in the market against iOS and Android. However, unlike webOS Firefox OS doesn't require downloading and installing the type of apps made popular by Apple and Google, since the entire platform is essentially a glorified web browser. - Be sure to check out our full review of Google's new Chromecast!
       | | Blip: iTap wants to be the ultimate Apple plug 'n' play device Aug 21st 2013, 11:21, by Marc Chacksfield 
With the tech world awash with rumours about the iPhone 5C, iWatch, and Apple iTV, a new product is hoping to tap into the steady stream of coverage Apple is getting at the moment. Called the iTap, this peripheral looks to be perfect for those whose love for Apple runs both hot and cold. All right, you've got us: it's just a charging plug shaped like a tap. But it's just the sort of thing Jony Ive would design if he hadn't sold his soul to the Bauhaus movement. More blips!Did this blip give you a sinking feeling? Don't worry, there's plenty more to w(h)et your appetite:   | | HTC woes continue as staff speak out against CEO Chou Aug 21st 2013, 10:27, by Jay McGregor 
HTC staff have spoken out against its CEO, Peter Chou, saying his management style is the reason for mass walkouts over the last 12 months. Speaking anonymously to Reuters, 12 former and current executives have said that Mr. Chou's quick decision making and attention to detail, which some believed to initially be a strength, has meant that the company doesn't have a clear direction going forward. Some staff have also complained that Chou openly criticises other managers and overrules them in decisions, causing confusion over responsibility. This management style has reportedly caused a power struggle with some of the recently hired, US based, executives, which has had an effect on morale. Downward spiralHTC has been in the news for all of the wrong reasons over the last 12 months with mass staff walkouts, a less than successful Facebook phone and reports that Dr Dre will buy out HTC's shares in Beats headphones. Although some staff may lay these problems at Mr. Chou's doorstep, there is no clear successor to his position and he may very well hold on to his job for the foreseeable future. Via Reuters   | |
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