| Nexus 5 gets box fresh in latest leaks Oct 29th 2013, 11:38, by John McCann 
New smartphone rumors don't get serious until the packaging is revealed, right? Well, get excited: boxes apparently destined to house the new Nexus 5 have popped up online. Okay, so pictures of boxes aren't exactly the most interesting of leaks but if they are genuine then it signals another important step towards the Nexus 5 getting into our hands. The photos of the boxes have apparently come from Canada and were posted on the Neogaf forum by 'Junior Mint' - although the user's clarification of their source is hardly the most compelling. When quizzed on the source, Junior Mint's response read: "Dude on a local Canadian forum I visit works for LG Canada. Posted these as proof." Hmm. Nexus 5 camera says cheeseAs well as potential Nexus 5 boxes, images have also shown up online apparently snapped on Google's next smartphone. Looking at the EXIF data on the shots the Nexus 5 name is clearly shown, along with an 8MP resolution and HDR mode. While it's difficult to tell if the snaps are genuine, they were posted on the search giant's Google+ social network by its own employees which gives the leaks slightly more credence. More interestingly though some of these images have now disappeared from various Google+ pages - has Google has a word with some of its employees? Maybe. We're still waiting for Google to launch the LG-made Nexus 5, with the latest rumors pointing towards November 5.   |  | Motorola's Project Ara is developing modular smartphones Oct 29th 2013, 10:07, by John McCann 
The ability to hand pick the components you want in your smartphone is still a relatively pie-in-the-sky idea, but there's light at the end of the tunnel after Motorola revealed Project Ara. Speaking on the Motorola Blog, Paul Eremenko - who's part of the Project Ara Team - explained "the design for Project Ara consists of what we call an endoskeleton (endo) and modules. "The endo is the structural frame that holds all the modules in place. A module can be anything, from a new application processor to a new display or keyboard, an extra battery, a pulse oximeter - or something not yet thought of!" PhoneBloks connectionWe saw the PhoneBloks concept pop up last week, but while its creator Dave Hakkens doesn't actually know how to make it work the folks over at Motorola already have some idea. Eremenko revealed that Motorola had been working on the Ara project for over a year now and they've actually met Hakkens who they're working with. Motorola are doing the technical side of things, while Hakkens is creating a community around the project. 
Motorola will be inviting developers to start creating their own modules for the Ara platform in the coming months, with the alpha version of the dev kit planned for a launch this winter. There's no clear timeframe for when we may see the first working modular handset, but Motorola promises us that "there will be a lot more coming from us in the next few months" - we're intrigued to see where this will go.        | | Retailer's KitKat invite suggests Nexus 5 unveil on Nov 5 Oct 29th 2013, 10:02, by Kate Solomon 
An LG importer in Israel has sent out an invitation suggesting that its media pals keep November 5 free for a KitKat-flavored event. Ronlight Digital has plastered an LG-made Nexus 4 with a KitKat screensaver, amid a snapped KitKat finger on the poster background. We're not exactly inching out on a limb here. Given that LG is also given a big old logo in the bottom left hand corner of the invite, perhaps we're in for a Nexus 5 launch on November 5 as well. Gone til NovemberThe event is said to take place in Tel Aviv at 9.30am - that's 7.30am GMT, 2.30am EST, 23.30am on Nov 4 PST and 6.30pm AEDT. That's pretty inconvenient timing for pretty much all of Google's major territories, so we're not convinced this will be anything more than a local event. Does that mean we'll get a global Nexus 5 and KitKat launch event in the preceding days? 
Given that we were all expecting Google to unveil the Nexus 5 and KitKat combo before October was out, no one has a clue. - Until the phone itself is unveiled, we'll have to make do with all these lovely Nexus 5 rumors
       | | Carrier leaks bounty of Nexus 5 specs as camera details sharpen Oct 29th 2013, 00:51, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
We're still waiting for official word from Google that the Nexus 5 isn't some elaborate hoax, but until its expected release date of very soon, we'll have to survive on leaks and pulled Google Play Store posts. Today word spread that several international carriers were listing the LG-made phone in one way or another, and one in particular even provided some potential specs to boot. Canadian carrier Wind Mobile reportedly posted a pre-registration page on its Facebook page (it's since gone missing) that included a full run-down of the device. Most specs we've seen before, and nothing is confirmed until Google gives the nod, but among the numbers were a 4.95-inch 1920 x 1080 display with 445ppi. A 1.3MP camera is listed on the front with an 8MP on the back featuring optical image stabilization. The phone tips the scale at 130 grams, measures 69.17 x 137.84 x 8.59mm and runs Android 4.4 KitKat. The Nexus 4 by comparison measures 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm and weighs 139g. What else, what else?An expected 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon is supposedly roaring inside, and it locks into Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and NFC. Wind Mobile outed two storage options - 16GB and 32GB - and 2GB of RAM. As for the ports and connections, a microUSB, 3.5mm stereo audio jack and dual microphones look to make the cut. Pretty much the only spec we're missing is the battery, which rumors suggest will be a whopper. Picture perfectIn a case of another Nexus 5 leak gone missing, some images supposedly taken with the new phone turned up on Google+ then disappeared today, too. 
It wasn't before the images' EXIF data revealed images with a resolution of 3264 x 2448, which almost stacks up to the 8MP camera spec listed above. Only a shot of veggies remains on a third-party site. The other ones were said to show a "more dynamic range" for the Nexus 5 than its predecessor, but with a release expected this week, all the mystery should soon be solved.        | | No iWatch yet, but Apple sees 'significant opportunities' in new product categories Oct 28th 2013, 23:14, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Apple sold a record number of iPhones last quarter, a figure that barely took the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C into account. But more importantly for consumers, there's still innovation to look forward to from Tim Cook and Co. During the company's Q4 2013 earnings call, Cook said Apple sees "significant opportunities ahead of us in both current product categories and new ones." He stuck by his April statement that new Apple products would be out this fall (see here and here) and across 2014, hinting that all-new product categories are likely on the docket for next year. "In terms of new product categories, if you look at the skills Apple has in hardware, software and services and an incredible app ecosystem, these set of things are very unique," he said. "We obviously believe that we can use our skills in building other great products that are in categories that represent areas we do not participate in today. We're confident in that." The main suspect is naturally the iWatch, but Apple is suspected of working on its own TV product, generally referred to as the iTV, as well as a gaming device. Cook didn't give any specifics, so it's anyone's guess where Apple wants to stake a flag, but look for an announcement in the new year. iPhone 5C categorizingAs for the iPhone, in the three months that ended September 28, the Cupertino crew counted 33.8 million iPhones sold, setting a new September quarter record. It's a 26% increase over the same quarter last year. While it takes the record 9 million iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C opening weekend into account, the new handsets will contribute to the Christmas quarter as well. Cook specifically addressed the iPhone 5C at one point, referring to it as Apple's mid-tier handset offering. "People were reading rumors that the 5C would be our entry phone, but that was never our intent," he said. "Our entry iPhone is the iPhone 4S." As for the iPad, Apple registered 14.1 million tablets sold, a relative hair over the 14 million sold during the same quarter last year. Apple may be hoping for a merry iPad Christmas, but potentially constrained iPad mini 2 supplies could lead to another flat quarter on the tablet side. Mac sales totaled 4.6 million, down by 300,000 from last year, and total revenue amounted to $37.5 billion (about £23.2b, AU$39.1b) with $7.5 billion (about £4.6b, AU$7.82b) in net profit.        | | In Depth: Straight Talk Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile: is ditching contracts worth it? Oct 28th 2013, 21:39, by Michael Rougeau 
No contracts, consistent service, unlimited talk, text and data, affordable prices; Straight Talk sounds tempting to customers who are used to expensive contracts on the major carriers. But is it worth it to ditch the familiar contracts you know and dive into an unfamiliar and potentially unfriendly service? We at TechRadar sought to answer that question by testing out handsets from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile on Straight Talk's monthly service plans. We discovered that the experience of purchasing, setting up and using Straight Talk service can vary hugely depending on your phone and level of expertise when it comes to mobile devices and services. In some cases, newer phones will be easier to use with Straight Talk's services. But that won't hold true for those trying to bring a phone from Verizon to Straight Talk, for example. And it's not easy to find out whether your device will actually work with Straight Talk until you're well along the path to setting it up. No, signing up for Straight Talk when you're bringing your own phone is not an easy process - but it may ultimately be worth it. Purchase and set-upAttempting to sign up for Straight Talk service can be an exercise in frustration and confusion if you're not sure what you're doing or what exactly what you should be purchasing. For GDSM phones coming from AT&T or the unlocked versions compatible with T-Mobile, you'll want to buy a SIM card here. We tested an unlocked Galaxy Note 2 straight off of T-Mobile and an AT&T Samsung Focus 2, ordering Straight Talk micro-SIM cards from the website. Migrating from these carriers is relatively easy; the option is spelled out clearly. Enter your zip code, choose a plan (unlimited or unlimited plus international), pay, and wait for the postman. When the SIM arrives, you've got to jump through some hoops to set it up, entering multiple codes and fiddling with your phone's APN settings to get the data service working. The difficulty of this step differs with your device, though Straight Talk's online instructions are usually incomplete and/or confusing. For an older device like the Focus, which runs Windows Phone 7.5, you might have to go even further; we were able to access the phone's APN settings eventually, but only after downloading a proprietary settings app that we learned about from a YouTube video that was infinitely more helpful than Straight Talk's nonexistent instructions. 
Straight Talk VerizonSetting up a Straight Talk Verizon phone is a different, even worse story. Multiple members of the company's support staff insisted to us that 4G LTE Verizon phones are compatible with Straight Talk, but in practice we found that not to be the case. Straight Talk won't send you a SIM for a CDMA phone; instead you have to purchase a "Network Access Code" for $14.99. That should be easy, but the option is shockingly well-hidden on Straight Talk's website, and hardly any of the phones we had lying around the office (and we have a lot) were actually eligible for the service. This option is not under the "shop" tab on straighttalk.com. Instead, you have to navigate to "support," then to "Sim Card Program," then "Register CDMA." That takes you here, but it took two separate support phone calls before we spoke with a representative who knew that. Then you'll have to test your phone for eligibility by plugging its serial number or IMEI number into the site; you'll get an error message back (or the page will simply fail to load) if it's not compatible. And on some handsets simply finding the correct number is surprisingly difficult. Worse, Straight Talk's support staff, despite their earnest attempts to be helpful, could not inform us what phones actually are compatible with the service. They asked us to read the phones' numbers to them so they could test them individually, but they always got the same results that we got through the website. After several lengthy phone calls we were no closer to finding a Straight Talk-compatible Verizon phone than when we started. We eventually found a Samsung Brightside feature phone at the bottom of a drawer, and it proved compatible with Straight Talk. This was the furthest we had gotten in this arduous and puzzling process, but we weren't out of the woods yet - the website broke twice before we could finish the transaction, both times after we entered our credit card info. 
It took another lengthy call to support before our Verizon Straight Talk phone was working, and after all that they were unable to send us a receipt for our over-the-phone transaction because "the email's not working." We've been checking ever since to make sure we weren't triple-charged. The one positive aspect of signing up a CDMA Verizon phone for Straight Talk service was that it required no APN fiddling - the data connection was set up immediately when the phone and text service came on. But does it work?All told we tested out three phones from three different carriers using Straight Talk: a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 2 running Android 4.1.1, an AT&T Samsung Focus 2 on Windows Phone 7.5, and a Verizon Samsung Brightside feature phone. We attempted, both online and with help from Straight Talk's phone support, to sign up several other Verizon phones, including an HTC One, a Samsung Galaxy S4, a BlackBerry Z10, a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, and still others. None proved compatible. Of the phones that did work, we tried all three out for several days, making calls, sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages and emails, browsing the internet, downloading apps, and listening to Spotify. All three performed well and consistently, and we have no complaints in that area. 
However, actually signing up for Straight Talk's service is a difficult trial, made worse by a website riddled with errors, dead ends, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and confusion. Things get even worse if you're attempting to migrate from Verizon, and we have to assume Sprint users will face the same problems, since only CDMA phones are accepted from either carrier and there simply is no list anywhere of what phones are and aren't supported. There was one other moment of weirdness, when the Note 2 alerted us that an "invalid SIM card" had created an error with Wi-Fi calling. This happened multiple times, though we could still make calls just fine, so it's unclear what effect it had. And we only tested Straight Talk's "Bring Your Own Phone" options; there are tons of other choices for prospective Straight Talk customers, even for those who don't already own a phone or want to upgrade, as the site sells phones as well. Once the service is set up it appears to work as advertised: you get unlimited talk, text and data at an affordable rate. We weren't able to test whether or when any data throttling begins, but our speed tests on the Galaxy Note 2 revealed fairly consistent download speeds of around 13MB to 15MB, which is roughly equivalent to what our Galaxy S4 gets on a normal Verizon plan (there's a lot of fluctuation and multiple factors there obviously). Straight Talk might provide a cheaper alternative to the big carriers' contract plans, but only for at least moderately tech-savvy users who are willing to roll up their sleeves and put some elbow grease into getting it working - especially those with older or uncommon devices. Whether that's worth it is ultimately based on how much you hate being tied to a carrier, and how much weirdness you're willing to put up with.        | | In Depth: The new S Pen on the GALAXY Note 3: all you need to know Oct 28th 2013, 16:35, by Your Mobile Life 
For some people, there's nothing better than good old-fashioned handwriting. But why not take that handwriting and make it work intelligently with technology? With this in mind, Samsung has ensured that the GALAXY Note 3 and S Pen work together more intuitively than ever. Not only is gliding your S Pen across the screen now an even smoother experience, but the new S Pen has a bunch of awesome new functions to show off and plenty of space to show them in . You'll wonder how you ever got by without it. 
The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 screen – made for the S PenThe Samsung GALAXY Note 3's 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen is perfectly designed for the new S Pen, allowing for some seriously efficient multitasking. Plus, the new S Pen itself is impressively light and comfortable to grip, and offers a tonne of nifty tools alongside. Accessing these couldn't be simpler. As soon as you take out the S Pen, the Air Command menu will pop up on screen with five options to choose from: Action Memo, Scrapbooker, Screen Write, S Finder and Pen Window. Hover the S Pen above the screen and move it across to highlight each in turn. If you already have the S Pen in hand, click its button and the menu will open again. 
S Note – better than everS Note is one of the Samsung GALAXY Note 3's core applications. From taking lecture notes to scribbling down the week's shopping list, the S Pen and S Note combine to take full advantage of the Note 3's impressive display. When you're done scribbling, Selection mode lets you circle letters and transform them into text, as the GALAXY Note 3 cleverly recognises your handwriting. Or if you fancy it, you can hit the Insert icon on the bottom left to throw in voice memos, images, videos, Scrapbook cuttings and maps. 
Action MemoHave an urgent phone number or lunch order you need to write down fast? Action Memo is on hand for those moments of urgency that don't quite warrant opening up S Note. The pen and eraser will be all you need for action-oriented tasks, but things can also get really clever. By clicking on "Link memos to actions", you can store your handwritten notes as information in your GALAXY Note 3. For example, write the first line of an address and hit "Link to action" and then hit the map icon, and the GALAXY Note 3 will open up Google Maps to find the location. Or you could enter a phone number and tap to call it. Want to add a new contact name? You can do that too. And of course, you can also save your Action Memos and open them up at a later date. 
ScrapbookerNext up is Scrapbooker, that lets you quickly capture the moments that inspire you from both the Note 3 and the real world. For example, if you're browsing the internet and spot an image you want to keep, just select Scrapbooker from the Air Command menu, draw an outline around the image, and the GALAXY Note 3 will cut it out for you along with a link back to the website it came from so you can return to the source of inspiration at will. You'll have the option to add a memo note and tags before you save the cutting. You can also organise your Scrapbook cuttings into different folders, plus it's easy to share the content. You can also use Scrapbooker to collect your favourite YouTube videos, with the option to play them back within Scrapbook. When you're viewing an item in Scrapbook, hit the Share icon at the top and select to share as either Image and Text, or as an SCC Scrapbook file to show off your creativity to other Note 3 users. 
Screen WriteFancy defacing something? Simply tap Screen Write and the GALAXY Note 3 will take a shot of whatever's on the screen at the moment. You'll then be put into an editor where you can use the S Pen to write and draw on the image. Annotating a map, for example, is just one handy way that Screen Write can help make life easier if you're trying to explain to friends where to meet. Plus, with a selection of colours and brush, pen and pencil styles, as well as the ability to crop and rotate, you can doodle until your heart's content and then save the picture to the Note 3's gallery. 
S FinderThe S Finder is the GALAXY Note 3's super smart search tool, which will look through all of your stored content at super high speed (thanks to that zippy processor). Just tap in a word or phrase and results will be returned quickly, in an organised fashion. You can search by time, file type or tag, too. Amazingly, S Finder can even detect handwriting in S Note, plus it will even go beyond the GALAXY Note 3 itself to search and display results from the web. 
Pen WindowPen Window is a multitasker's dream. The feature lets you draw a window on the Note 3's screen and then select an app to fill it. What's more, you can have numerous windows open at once (well, as many your brain can handle at any one time!). The GALAXY Note 3 comes with eight pre-installed Pen Window compatible apps for easy productivity without distracting you from the task at hand: Calculator, Clock, YouTube, Phone, Contacts, ChatON, Hangouts and Internet. 
Direct Pen InputThe GALAXY Note 3 gives you the option to make all your data entries with the S Pen, which you'll find makes things a lot faster. Go into Settings and select S Pen, and you'll see a number of options. Turning on Direct Pen Input and the handwriting pad on the text input area will appear when the S Pen is detected. All you need to do then is hover the S Pen over the input box to make the tappable icon appear and scrawl away instead of tapping away with your digits. 
Easy ClipThe days of needing expensive tools for tightly cropped images are over. The new Easy Clip helps you to be both smarter and more creative when cutting out pictures. Something catches your eye? Simply hold down the S Pen's button and draw around it. Once it's highlighted you'll have the option to change the shape of the cutout into a circle or square to get a more exact fit if needed. The final option is the best of all, however: cutting around the main object and giving you the option to either add or remove it from the whole crop. Then you can either share it or add to your Scrapbook. 
Essential apps for the S PenThere are plenty of apps for the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 that are perfectly built for the S Pen. For example, the new S Note can be synced with Evernote for when you want to transfer a memo or a list across to pick it up on your computer later. Then there's Samsung's own SketchBook for GALAXY app, which can produce much more than your average sketching app once you've got your S Pen in hand. Not only do simple doodles come with a high level of customisation options, but you can even import layers from Gallery or straight from the camera. Jumping around Flipboard meanwhile, is never smoother than when you're using the S Pen to navigate all the latest news and blogs. Armed with the S Pen, the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 is a powerful companion. Not only does it offer a list of compelling features, the S Pen taps into an enhanced way of interacting with your GALAXY Note 3. That's why it's essential to make sure you're getting the most out of the experience. So, hopefully, after reading these tips, you'll be a master of Samsung's new S Pen.        | | In Depth: Shooting movies: a director's guide to Note 3 video Oct 28th 2013, 15:31, by Your Mobile Life 
It used to be that if a movie was shot on a phone, rather than a dedicated camcorder, poor quality and inferior results would be inevitable. But this simply isn't the case anymore. The videomaking specs on the Samsung GALAXY Note 3 are easily as good as – and in many aspects, better than – those of a dedicated video camera. And the fact that you have the ability to shoot a movie in 4K on the GALAXY Note 3 is simply incredible. While 4K will future-proof your footage, though, there plenty more options available. You can opt for 1080p, which means super-smooth shooting at a quality that most HDTVs can handle, or turn the settings all the way down to 320x240, for footage you can share online effortlessly with minimal data usage. With features such as Video Stabilisation and continuous autofocus as standard, you can't help but shoot good footage with your Note 3. We are here to help you transform this good footage into great footage, though. Whether it is a fun holiday movie, or a couple of clips of the family you want to edit together, the following steps will add the polish you need to create better, more professional videos on your GALAXY Note 3. 
1. Choose your imageThe Samsung GALAXY Note 3 allows you to shoot footage at 4K quality. That's the new, better-than-HD standard that's set to surpass the Full HD that most televisions will provide today. Head to your Camera icon and press Settings, then Video size, and here you will see your options. The lower the numbers, the lower the quality – so if you are thinking of playing your movies back on a TV, we wouldn't go lower than 1,920x1,080. 
2. Keep it steadyUnless you are using a tripod to carefully position a shot, most footage recorded on the GALAXY Note 3 will be handheld, so make sure that you have Video Stabilisation switched to on. This can be found in the Settings menu below the Video size option. Add this and it will steady out your shots, magically getting rid of any shakes you may have from holding your device for long periods. 
3. Guide and zoomThere is a little trick in the filmmaking world called the Rule of Thirds that, when used, will help you shoot better footage. Go to the video settings and turn Guidelines on. You'll see a grid of nine boxes. Now, when you're composing your shot, if you put a particular point of focus, such as a face, on any of the intersecting lines then it will improve the 'look' of your movie. As a rule, never have your main object slap-bang in the centre of the shot – move it slightly to the side, along one of the vertical lines, for better results. 
4. You're holding it wrongBefore you start shooting your masterpiece, you have to make a choice – to hold your device portrait or landscape – and then stick to it. If you change your shooting style midway through your movie then it will ruin your chances of creating anything worth watching, so think carefully before you begin about what will work best for your video. Horizontal shooting is generally best as this is how a television plays back footage – and indeed, how we see the world. Record something vertically and you will have horrible black borders on the side of your movie when you watch it back. 
5. Variety is the spice of lifeWhen shooting footage remember to take a number of versions of the same shot, making sure that you get around 10 seconds of footage for each take. Start with an establishing shot (this is the one that is furthest out and sets the scene). Then zoom closer in – this is your mid shot. Then find the most interesting area that you are filming for the close-up shot. Again, use the zoom for this. These differing shots will help when editing your footage together afterwards. 
6. Change the modeThere are a number of ways to change the speed of your shooting on the GALAXY Note 3. The easiest is simply to go into Recording mode and choose Fast, Slow or Smooth motion. Fast and Slow settings are great for comedy fast-forward takes, or stretched-out slo-mo mode. For general recording we recommend using the Smooth motion setting which will ensure your shots are buttery smooth. 
7. In the editThe Samsung Video Editor is the first place to turn to when you're ready to edit your movie on your GALAXY Note 3. To access this app, go to the Video section of the Note 3, choose any clip, click the left menu button of your device and then choose Edit. It will ask if you want to download the Video Editor app – click Download. The app allows you to add text and a smattering of visual effects, as well as giving you the ability to record and add your own voiceovers. 
8. Fade to blackWhen editing your movie, make sure you add a transition between each separate clip. This will help your movie run more smoothly. In the Samsung Video Editor, transitions are automatically placed between clips – to change the effect, touch the transition and choose from the menu that appears. We reckon a dissolve looks best but you can go full Star Wars on your clip if you so wish. Your call. You're the director, after all! 
9. Mass effectYou can also add some effects to your clips by clicking on Effects and cutting your clips to fit with your story – just look for the scissor icon. If you're really stuck for editing inspiration then simply click Auto Edit and let the video editor do the hard work for you. If you don't like the end result, then you can re-edit until you are satisfied – just don't get too scissor happy. 
10. Share and share alikeOnce you are happy with your video, you'll need to export it to share it with friends, family and, of course, your adoring public. Go to the Video section of the Note 3, find and choose your video in the list and click on the menu button. From here you can choose the share icon, and myriad options will appear for you to choose from. As a final note, if you did decide to shoot in 4K, then you will be happy to know that YouTube handles 4K video effortlessly. Just remember to upload via Wi-Fi, rather than your mobile network, as video files can be very large and you don't want to use up all of your mobile data – even if your movie masterpiece will make you millions in the future!        | |
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