 | Fighting talk: Google, you can take my identity but leave my Nexus alone Jan 31st 2014, 15:00, by Phil Lavelle 
We've updated our Nexus 5 review - go take a look at it. It may be the last Google Nexus review we bring you. Not because we're boycotting the search grandmaster, but because Google's boycotting that brand. Heathens! At least, that's if one prominent tech commentator is to be believed. And he does have a habit of being right on a number of key stories. If so, it's night-night Nexus. Money talksI couldn't help wondering why - but it only took me a few minutes to nail this one. Google has a great brand, the Nexus line brings us 'pure Google' in a purely beautiful handset. So if it ain't broke, why fix it? Ah - of course. MONEY! Google's obviously got to fill the coffers up again since it's just ditched most of Motorola - its biggest acquisition for a few years - plus it's just forked out a fortune for Nest. Then there's those constant patent wars. They don't pay for themselves, you know. 
Make no mistake - the Nexus is not making enough money for Google. Sure, it earns its keep for a company that is primarily more interested in software than hardware. But £299 for a top of the range handset? That's madness. And those crazy prices appear to be driving Mountain View over the edge. So by the looks of things, Google's deciding YOU should pay for them instead. What. A. Liberty! No work, all playOn the surface, this all looks like a mere name change - Nexus is now becoming 'Google Play Edition'. The search giant can still whore itself out to different manufacturers to decide who'll put its screws into place on said handsets, but don't expect a discounted handset off the back of it. Compare a Google Play Edition HTC One or Galaxy S4, there is a massive jump in price to nearer the £450-£500 mark. 
And if Google's taking a cut of this, signing agreements with manufacturers, it could end up taking home money for doing little else. Yeah, that's right Google. Sit on your backside, do sweet FA and let us pick up the slack. Thanks for that one. Plus there's a great strategy here - HTC, for argument's sake, can spank its marketing budget on a new handset, eschewing the best of design and aesthetics. And if Google then launches a Google Play Edition of the same phone, it can piggy back on the success, having done nothing really to fund the development. You couldn't make it up. Play with friendsRemember, Google can 'make' multiple Google Play Edition handsets - from the HTC One, to the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the likes of LG and Sony. There's no need to market a single brand here. Give pure Google to the masses - and make a fortune. Although I'm currently on an iPhone (jailbroken, I stress!), I do have a personal fondness for the Nexus line. 
I was one of those who waited for the original Nexus One to be shipped to geeks all the way from the US on a cold January exactly four years ago. The snow delayed delivery, but the excitement could not be quelled. If this rumour is true, it'll be sad day for poignancy's sake - although to the end user, not much will change. Except the amount of spare cash in your wallet. I'm not angry with you, Google, just disappointed. Though I doubt you care.        | | Lenovo won't rip up Motorola roadmap - new Moto X on the horizon Jan 31st 2014, 12:24, by Hugh Langley 
Now that Motorola has divorced Google and run off with Lenovo, we wondered if the first fruit of their passions would be the Moto Kutcher. However we're hearing information that Motorola's device line-up for 2015 is already locked and in the pipeline, so Lenovo won't be interfering much at all. According to a source with a "pretty flawless track record" speaking to G4Games, the new Moto X is also said to be a done deal, and Lenovo won't make any alterations to the handset. Motoring aheadThe same source was unable to say whether the Moto X will arrive this year or next, but did say that Motorola's got a 6-inch phablet and a smartwatch set for 2015. So if this is true, Lenovo's acquisition won't mean many dramatic shifts for Motorola in the coming months as the two get used to their new relationship.        | | iPhone maker's first BlackBerry phone spotted Jan 31st 2014, 11:59, by John McCann 
We heard recently that BlackBerry had agreed a deal with device manufacturer Foxconn to produce the next wave of BB smartphones - and the Taiwanese firm's first attempt has just been spotted online. Foxconn is best known for manufacturing the iPhone but it is a company that is fast expanding its handset repertoire. Details of the STJ100-1 appeared on the Bluetooth SIG website, revealing a handset running BlackBerry 10.2, but it wasn't listed as being made by the Canadian firm. Instead the website notes that the handset is instead built by FIH CO LTD - which is an abbreviation of Foxconn International Holdings. Barcelona bound?There is precious little information on the handset other than its creator and operating system, but this could well be the rumored 'BlackBerry Jakarta' handset. The Jakarta has been heavily tipped for a reveal at MWC 2014 in Barcelona, and TechRadar will be in attendance to bring you any news from Foxconn and BlackBerry.        | | Nokia X spotted in orange as MWC 2014 looms ever closer Jan 31st 2014, 11:19, by John McCann 
It's looking increasingly more likely that we will see the Nokia X Android smartphone land at MWC 2014, and in true Nokia style it's tipped to arrive in a number of colors. Fresh images claiming to show off the Nokia Normandy device depict an orange handset - apparently one of six colors the Android-toting smartphone will arrive in. The images were picked up by French site nowhereelse, and while the handset does seem to follow the design of previous leaks, there's no guarantee the phone in question is actually running Android. In fact, the French site goes as far as to say the "authenticity [of the images] is far from proven" - so take this latest leak with a sizeable pinch of salt. 
The Nokia X is rumored to sport a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch display, 512MB of RAM and 5MP camera. TechRadar will be out in force at MWC 2014 to bring you the latest on any Android toting Nokia which may show up.        | | Telstra to test LTE-B tech during live T20 International match Jan 31st 2014, 03:24, by Farrha Khan 
Telstra will be trialing LTE-Broadcast technology at a live event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in what the telco is calling a world first. Select participants will try out LTE-B tech during a T20 International cricket match tonight, 31 January, with the ability to listen to live commentary and look up real time match statistics, replays and highlights. Each of the selected participants will be given an LTE-B compatible device, which are being provided by Samsung, and will have access to content from three dedicated streams. The trials will be conducted with Telstra's network partner Ericsson and the content streamed is to be provided by Channel Nine. Test runWith current data networks, when we download a video or upgrade our OS, it gets downloaded by each user as a different data stream LTE-B technology can stream the same data content to multiple devices at the same or differing times, similar to a TV broadcast, which can help alleviate congestion on other 4G networks. Telstra said that it has successfully tested LTE-B in labs, but with this trial, the telco will be able to see how the technology fares at a live event with a large crowd. "When a large number of people gather in one place we often see a huge spike in the demand for data, which can stretch the capabilities of our network and affect our customers' experience," said Telstra's Executive Director Networks, Mike Wright. "We will use the results from trials such as this to refine the network and work with manufacturers and content owners to develop devices and applications in preparation for a commercial launch."        | | Ads shmads: Nexus 5, Chromecast show Google can play hardware game Jan 31st 2014, 00:48, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Think Google is destined to tinker with neat hardware that no one ever buys, surviving on the fat of its vast and profitable advertising business? Think again. During the company's quarterly financial call today, plenty of breath was spent digesting cost-per-click and ad revenue figures, yet some heady praise was levied on the company's recent hardware endeavors as well. Google CFO Patrick Pichette repeatedly called the Nexus 5 a "very strong" performer for Mountain View, while Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora said there is "strong interest in Nexus hardware." The Nexus 5, Arora noted, saw loads of reception, particularly during the holiday season. Now, neither provided sales figures for the new Nexus, so just how it stacked up to other Android handsets is unknown. However, it is likely customers responded well to its stock Android KitKat carriage and low, no-contract price point. Word on the street is Google may kill off the Nexus line next year, but if these company crows are to be believed, that tip may have missed the mark. Chromecast no castawayTurns out the Nexus 5 wasn't the only hardware to get a shout out. Pichette also chatted up the company's $35 (£23, about AU$39) streaming stick, Chromecast. "Play hardware sales drove a big chunk of quarter-over-quarter growth," he said. "Nexus 5 was very strong for us, and the Chromecast was a best seller all quarter." Again, no hard figures, but the dongle that streams content from a mobile device or laptop to a TV was clearly a winner for the company. Pichette said both it and Nexus 5 saw "great momentum." A hardware taleHardware, coupled with strong content and apps sales in the Play Store, helped jumpstart Google revenue over the last three months. Google will never turn away from its traditional breadwinner (ads), but as long as hardware and Play content/apps continue as some of the company's fastest growing segments, the company should continue supporting and improving them. Maybe it will start by expanding the regions where Chromecast is sold?        | | Apple's sapphire glass plans may center on iPhone 6 screen Jan 31st 2014, 00:28, by Matt Swider 
The latest sign that Apple may be using a sapphire glass screen in its next smartphone comes from a new patent that illustrates the extra-resilient material being used on an iPhone. Its "Sapphire Windows" filing, discovered today by AppleInsider, details methods of growing, harvesting and polishing transparent sapphire wafers, then cutting them with advanced lasers. Apparently the hardness of sapphire is so great that high-powered lasers are required in place of conventional glass cutting tools that would otherwise wear far too quickly. That sounds like exciting news for clumsy iPhone owners everywhere, especially if you don't want to spend money replacing a shattered screen in the Apple Store. 
The company has had success using sapphire for the camera lens cover starting with the iPhone 5 and added the laser-cut crystal to the outermost layer of the iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor. Sapphire glass iWatch?The text specifically calls out the "iPhone made by Apple, Inc." but it also goes on to suggest that the sapphire window shaping techniques could be implemented in other devices. The patent mentions obvious Apple product categories including tablets and computers, which suggests the next iPad and future MacBooks screens could withstand extra brute force with this material. It steers clear of mentioning wearables, but speculation has been focused on the unconfirmed Apple Watch ever since Apple confirmed its involvement in manufacturing sapphire crystal glass. Apple is said to be aggressively pushing to take its Arizona sapphire manufacturing facility live in February, according to a report by 9to5Mac, so we should find out what that glass is being used for soon enough.        | | Leaked memo circles February 4 for red Nexus 5 release Jan 30th 2014, 23:52, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Looks like the mysterious scarlet Nexus 5 will arrive during a month appropriate for its hue. A sneaky leakster posted an image of an internal memo from US carrier Sprint which plainly states that February 4 is when the red Nexus 5 will appear in Google Play Stores. With February filled with all things red and pink for Valentine's Day, it makes sense that Google would want to show off its own blushing beauty. Follow the bread crumbs ...We've seen various clues sprinkled here and there mentioning the red handset will likely drop in late February or March. The latest trail leads to a fuzzy red Nexus box, which may nip the rumors in the bud - if it didn't look so suspicious. But we'll only have to wait less than a week to see if we've sniffed out the right date.        | | Relax, Apple isn't putting the iPod out to stud just yet Jan 30th 2014, 23:16, by Chris Smith 
The iconic Apple iPod has got at least one more update cycle in its future before being sent to the glue factory, according to new job postings on the company's website. This week's revelation of plummeting Christmas sales saw many media outlets eagerly pronounce the iPod's death, but Apple it seems is getting on with the task of planning for the next wave of devices. The company is seeking to fill vacancies for a 'New Product Operations Program Manager - iPod,' a 'Technical Program Manager - iPod' and a 'Product Quality Engineer - iPod' among other positions. If the company is really winding down the iPod era completely rather than accepting its diminishing role, then it really has a funny way of showing it. Life in the old dogIf old release patterns hold true, the company is due to revamp its iPod line at some point in 2014 after only adding the space grey colour to its line iPod nano, touch and shuffle lines during last September's iPhone 5S launch event. The iPod classic, complete with its click wheel UI, hasn't been updated in over four years, but the chances of it getting a hardware bump appear to lie somewhere been slim and none. Apple's line of media players, first introduced in 2001 have been on a downwards sales trajectory since 2008, partly cannibalised by the media capabilities of the company's own iPhone and iPod devices. Sales for the three months leading up to December 31, 2013 fell to six million, a 52% fall year-on-year. CEO Tim Cook admitted the market is declining for the iPod during the company's earning's call. He said: "The way we look at it, our business is a sell-through point of view less iPod - all of us have known for some time that iPod is a declining business." What life is left in the old dog? We're likely to find out sometime later this year.        | | Google: We're going to help Nest grow, but gaining founders helps us, too Jan 30th 2014, 22:30, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Changes over in Mountain View are happening at breakneck speed, but during its latest earnings call, Google shed some light on why it made at least one tech-world-rocking move in recent days. On January 13, Google announced it had purchased smart thermostat maker Nest, bringing company founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers into the fold. Today, an analyst wanted to know what Google was really after in the purchase (was it design team, product, or something else?), and CFO Patrick Pichette had this to say: "Nest and Google share a real common vision. Both of us believe that technology should be doing the hard work so people can get on with their lives and do great things. Our goal is to help them scale, bring in the resources of Google, make broader investments and grow internationally." "Being able to bring Tony and Matt to the team is wonderful," he added. Nest mattersWhile Google may want to help Nest - and by association, itself - branch out into more homes, acquiring key talent in the form of Fadell (a.k.a. the "father of the iPod") and Rogers is another bullet in Google's talent arsenal. Pichette didn't expound on why it's good news to have the two on Team Google, but recent reports suggest Google has designs to make the Nest team a central part of its hardware division, and we're talking more than building Google-branded smoke detectors and thermostats. Rather these would be devices that "make more sense for the company," as TechCrunch put it. What those are isn't yet clear, but with Fadell and the rest of Nest on board, it's hard to imagine they'll have trouble cooking something up.        | | New iPad, iPhone bezels may one day be both smart and pressure-sensitive Jan 30th 2014, 19:39, by Michael Rougeau -470-75.JPG)
Phone and tablet bezels up to now have mostly just taken up space, but Apple could change that in the future. The iPhone maker has been exploring the idea of making the bezel sensitive to pressure, thereby opening up all kinds of possibilities, a newly published patent has revealed. The patent, titled "gesture and touch input detection through force sensing," describes placing pressure sensors around a device's bezel, in the corners or elsewhere. These would theoretically provide more opportunities for UI navigation and other functions. What is it good for?For example, a new iPad game played on a device with force sensors in the bezel might let users control the action by tapping on the bezel rather than the screen, and thus not obscure what's taking place in the game with a thumb or finger. In addition devices could become better at reading users' inputs, like swiping to the right or left, a gesture that is often inadvertently begun just off the pressure-sensing touch screen surface. There's yet another possibility of iPad users being able to use the right-hand bezel to scroll up and down. In this example the virtual buttons under the bezel's surface aren't precise, but the device will react as a user's finger or thumb gets closer to the "up" zone or the "down" zone. The bezel saga continuesClearly there are a lot of applications, but this isn't the first time Apple has toyed with smart bezels. Another patent for a sensitive bezel surfaced in July 2013, and it was thought it could be a clue that an Apple iWatch was in the works. And back in 2011 yet another patent suggested that the iPhone 5 might feature bezel controls, though obviously that didn't come to pass. - It doesn't have smart bezels, but Apple's iPhone 5S is an impressive device nonetheless - don't miss TechRadar's review!
       | | HTC One Android 4.4 KitKat update will miss its mark Jan 29th 2014, 23:35, by Michael Rougeau 
HTC hoped to get the HTC One Android 4.4: KitKat update out to customers within 90 days of the update's release - in other words by the end of January - but the company has revealed that it won't hit that mark. HTC Americas President Jason Mackenzie has issued a letter addressed to "Team HTC One" apologizing to consumers and explaining the situation. He said that although the HTC One KitKat update is close to being released, it won't occur within the prescribed 90 days simply because "the software development process does not always follow a linear path." The update is currently in the carrier certification phase across all HTC's carrier partners in North America, according to Mackenzie, and should hit users in a week or two. To be a leaderHe said that HTC has "set out to be a leader in delivering the latest software," starting with the rollout of Android Jelly Bean for the HTC One. HTC even launched a website in December explaining how the update process works, the path an update takes to get to your phone, and the status of the next software updates for various HTC devices on multiple carriers. "Having done 'ok' with software updates, we recognize that 'ok' is not good enough," Mackenzie wrote in his recent communiqué. He continued, "The challenge we gave our teams, in cooperation with our carrier partners, has taught us a lot that will allow us to improve on our upgrade delivery in the future. We remain resolved to provide timely updates and to be transparent about the process and status of our efforts. Supporting our customers is a major priority for us and we thank you for your support of HTC!" He concluded the missive with a "Go Seahawks!" So it seems HTC One owners should watch out for their KitKat bars in the next couple weeks. - Looking for something a little more price-friendly than the HTC One? Check out TechRadar's Moto G review.
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