| Is HP about to do a Beyoncé by launching two new phones by 2014? Dec 24th 2013, 08:33, by Kate Solomon -470-75.JPG)
There's a rumour circulating that HP will bust out two large-phone/small-tablets (okay, okay, 'phablets') before 2013 is out. That gives the company just eight days to pull the new handsets out of the bag - and one of those days is Christmas Day. One handset is set to be a 6-inch phone while the other is a 7-incher, but the devices are apparently set to be reasonably affordable and aimed at "emerging markets" like India, China and the Philippines. Love me like HPNo word on whether these will be Windows Phone handsets or Android ones, although HP did launch some surprise Android-running Slate7s on to the US's shelves earlier this month which could well be a clue. We've also heard tell of an HP Slate 6 Voice Tab for which some benchmarks leaked earlier this year. That handset is supposedly running the old school Android 4.2 and rocking a 1GHz quad-core processor and 720p display - specs that sound about right for the rumoured pricing of these here phones. The new information comes from the aptly-named The Information, although it cites only "sources" so we can't guarantee their reliability. That end-of-2013 launch date sounds a bit optimistic to us, but hey. If Beyoncé can do it... yeah, OK, no HP probably can't. - Perhaps CES 2014 is a more sensible launch date - check out what else we expect from the Vegas tech-fest
       |  | Mythical Nokia Normandy Android phone spied again, status still unknown Dec 24th 2013, 01:55, by Chris Smith 
First it was on, then it was off, now we just don't know. The rumoured Nokia smartphone running Android has reportedly appeared online again, with its launch status still anyone's guess. The handset - codenamed Normandy - was may have become the first Nokia handset to adopt Google's operating system, word would have it, but Microsoft's purchase of Nokia appeared to kill the prospects. Regardless of whether it's coming or not, it hasn't stopped that prolific Twitter leak artist @evleaks from giving the world another look at what the handset might look like, if it ever graced us with its presence. The purported press render is much like previous leaks, only this time it appears in a range of colours including lime green, while, yellow, red, blue and black. What might have beenJust last week reports claimed the handset had been shelved, largely due to Microsoft's recently announced stewardship of its big Windows Phone manufacturing partner. According to the report from Chinese blog CTech, the team experimenting with Android is now working on wireless charging tech instead; suggesting that might just be that. With a launch now somewhat of a long shot, the Nokia Normandy might just end up being one of those tech 'what might have been' stories. If Nokia had embraced Android three years ago then, most observers would say, it wouldn't have had to sell out to Microsoft in the first place, but sadly we'll never know.        | | BlackBerry cancels two BB10 phones along with its 2014 conference Dec 24th 2013, 01:22, by Matt Swider 
BlackBerry recently committed to five more years of smartphones, but it also just uncommitted to two BB10 phones it had been planning. The troubled Canadian smartphone manufacturer wrote that it had "made the decision to cancel plans to launch two devices to mitigate the identified inventory risk." This information was buried in Friday's dismal earnings report, so it wasn't discovered until today by the Wall Street Journal. The two BlackBerry phones you won't be seeing were codenamed Café and Kopi, according to unnamed sources that the paper cited. Chances are you weren't going to see them anyway. These low-cost devices are said to have been destined for emerging markets. BlackBerry not-so-LiveBlackBerry also uncommitted to holding its annual BlackBerry Live press conference in the new year. It openly admitted this on Friday. "We're announcing that we will not be hosting a BlackBerry Live conference in 2014," wrote the company on its official blog. This is significant because BlackBerry has held an event every year since 2002, be it under the BlackBerry Live name or the older, enterprise-focused Wireless Enterprise Symposium moniker. In the place of BlackBerry Live, it plans to hold "smaller, targeted events" that take place around the world over the next 12 months. Just don't expect to see any phones named Café and Kopi at these smaller events.        | | Oppo officially unveils the mid-range, mid-price R1 Dec 24th 2013, 00:07, by Michael Rougeau 
Chinese phone maker Oppo Electronics is at it again, unveiling its second new smartphone to be announced this month. The Oppo R1 was made official with a listing on the company's Chinese-language site, and though it's less impressive than the phone Oppo teased earlier in December it still has plenty to like. That earlier phone was the Oppo Find 7, a smartphone with a 2K-resolution display that may even beat Samsung's Galaxy S5 onto shelves. The new R1 is not even full HD, with a 5-inch display coming in at 1280 x 720. But it's still an impressive mid-range handset. Oppo R1 specsDetails about the R1 reportedly leaked before, but today Oppo made it official. The phone's most notable feature is its 8-megapixel rear camera, which packs a more than decent F/2.0 aperture. Other than that the R1 is pretty standard, with a 5-megapixel front camera, a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (with no expansion options unfortunately), and a 2,410mAh battery. The R1 also runs Oppo's Color modification for Android 4.2: Jelly Bean. So far the Oppo R1 is only slated for release in China. Its price translates to roughly $410 (about £250, AU$458), though whether the R1 will ever see any official releases outside of China is anyone's guess.        | | Evidence suggests Apple bought mapping and note companies in 2013 Dec 23rd 2013, 22:28, by Michael Rougeau 
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said the company acquired 15 companies in 2013, but only 10 have been revealed. Now it seems two more may have been uncovered. The Apple fan site 9to5Mac has unearthed a pile of evidence that suggests that Apple bought the mapping data company BroadMap and the location-based Evernote competitor Catch. BroadMap specialized in map data processing, which Apple could conceivably use to improve its own Apple Maps app. Catch, meanwhile, was a note-taking app that could use location data to conveniently sort text and multimedia notes. But it appeared to shut its doors in August for mysterious reasons. Catch thisAccording to a source 9to5Mac spoke with, Apple acquired BroadMap in the first half of 2013 so that Apple could mine the company for talent, not necessarily technology. And according to the LinkedIn profile of BroadMap CEO Daniel Perrone BroadMap was acquired by a "Fortune 5" company. None of the top five Fortune 500 companies in 2013 have a use for mapping tech, but Apple sits near the top of the list at number six. And several former BroadMap executives list Apple as their current employer on LinkedIn, though Perrone does not. That all points to one thing: Apple having bought BroadMap. But the case for Apple having similarly acquired Catch, on the other hand, is slightly more tenuous. Catch shut down in August after its executives decided "to take the company in a different direction." They had just launched an enterprise service called Catch Team. But Catch was promoted heavily in Apple Store locations, on Apple's website, and at Apple events. And sources reportedly told 9to5Mac that many former Catch employees, including the company's co-founder, are now at Apple working on iOS software. That's not confirmed, but it's not implausible that Apple would buy the company out apparently growing so fond of it. So what?What might Apple do with these technologies? The former BroadMap executives' LinkedIn profiles claim they're now on Apple's maps team, so it seems their talents are being used to improve the company's oft-maligned Apple Maps. Catch might be used to improve iOS and OS X's native note-taking apps, though the location capabilities could also factor into anything from Apple Maps to Siri. What's certain is that as always, 2014 is going to be an interesting year for Apple.        | | BLIP: Android Jelly Bean catches some Z's as 4.3 comes to Sony Xperia devices Dec 23rd 2013, 22:13, by Chris Smith 
While there's little sign of any action on the Android KitKat front, some Sony Xperia handset owners can at least comfort themselves with a little 4.3 Jelly Bean over the festive season. On Monday, the Japanese giant rolled out the second newest version of Android for the Sony Xperia Z, Xperia ZR, Xperia ZL and the Xperia Tablet Z. However, it's not just some sweet Jelly Beans sitting within this update, set to hit unlocked handsets before those tethered to networks, Sony is also bundling in some of its own goodies. The Smart Social Camera suite of apps, which arrived on the Xperia Z1, is also included along with improved Battery Stamina and Walkman apps. Let us know if you can grab it... More blips!You don't need to wait for an OTA update for these rapid fire blips...        | | AllCast for Android leaves beta, streams to Apple TV, Roku and Xbox Dec 23rd 2013, 19:44, by Chris Smith 
A powerful app which allows Android device owners to stream photos and videos to a host of connected devices is now available on the Google Play store. A full version of the AllCast app has landed within Google's download portal, following a brief period in beta, bringing streaming power to compatible devices like the Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes. The app, which plays nice with devices on the same Wi-Fi network will also beam content to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles, as well as Samsung and Panasonic Smart TVs. At the moment the app streams photos and videos, stored both locally and in the cloud, but creator ClockworkMod's Koushik Dutta has promised support for music will be coming soon. CastableAs for Google's own streaming device, the Chromecast dongle, well AllCast doesn't support it yet and won't until Google relaxes the rules in the new year. Most Chromecast compatible apps are landing as the weeks go by, but it is thought Google is preparing to facilitate compatibility with all Android apps, with hundreds of developers expressing interest in embracing the platform. "Our broader goal is for Google Cast to be established as a standard," Google VP of Product Management Mario Queiroz said recently. "There will be an expectation from consumers that any and every app will be 'castable.'" In the meantime, you can see what AllCast is all about in the video below. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx-v4QSQmU4       | | Apple sets up multi-year deal with China Mobile Dec 23rd 2013, 17:47, by Alex Hamilton 
Apple has announced a long-expected distribution deal with China Mobile, the world's biggest phone carrier. The deal could generate billions in revenue for the iPhone manufacturer. The announcement confirms a Wall Street Journal report earlier this month that stated the deal was in place and ready to go. Demand for iPhones has slumped in China recently due to the release of lower-priced smartphones from Samsung and Chinese companies. Apple's move will be looking to redress that balance, though the financial terms of the deal are unknown. Apple's phones will go on sale in China Mobile's retail stores on January 17 for the first time. Customers will be able to pre-register from December 25, however. China mobile's phones will also be available in Apple stores across China as part of the multi-year deal. Taking on SamsungChief executive of Apple, Tim Cook, said: "China is an extremely important market for Apple and our partnership with China Mobile presents us the opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world's largest network." The deal with China Mobile had been rumoured for some months, with the release of the iPhone 5C in September seen as a cheaper handset aimed at the Chinese markets. Apple has just five per cent of China's smartphone market and lag s behind competitor Samsung, which has been present in China since 1987. The California-based company will obviously be hoping that China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world with 760 million customers, will be able to facilitate a growth in sales. Deals between the two had delayed previously, notably when China Mobile adopted a home-grown version of 3G that the iPhone manufacturer was reluctant to support. At the start of December, however, China Mobile was awarded a 4G licence that will be compatible with Apple's iPhones.   | | 6-inch iPhone could arrive as early as May, iPad Pro to follow in October Dec 23rd 2013, 16:02, by Hugh Langley 
Apple's apparently got "big plans" for 2014 and it's looking like Tim Cook's words should be taken quite literally. According to Digitimes (sometimes on the money, sometimes not), Apple's got a larger iPhone in the works - the 6-inch one we've already head about - and it's scheduled for launch in May 2014. Yup, that's just over four months away. The same source also says that the handset will have a 20-nanometer processor built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. If this is legit, then that release date means we're most likely not looking at the iPhone 6 here but a new range of iPhone entirely. Sure, Apple pulled a fast one with the iPad 4, but considering this is a significantly more sizable phone it's unlikely that it will replace the current flagship. The same report also states that Apple will release a 12.9-inch iPad "targeting North America's educational market" in October, which we'll go ahead and assume is the very same iPad Pro we've been hearing about. However it does conflict with the previous iPad Pro release date rumour of "sometime early next year" that we heard just a few weeks ago. That'll teach themApparently the tablet, said to be manufactured by Quanta Computer, was to have either a 12.9-inch or 13.3-inch panel - but the sources say that Apple is now more in favour of the smaller option. Digitimes added that the "sources speculated" that, given the size, the larger iPad is "being considered as a substitute" to the 11-inch MacBook Air, meaning we could expect this to be one powerful super-sized tablet. Again, replacing the standard iPad Air seems unlikely, so we'd expect the Pro to come in as a third product line in Apple's iPad category.        | |
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