| Nokia's Android phone gets snapped yet again Jan 16th 2014, 12:29, by James Rogerson 
Despite Nokia's device and services division now being owned by Microsoft, Nokia's Android handset, the 'Normandy' as it's currently known, just won't go away. Today we've got a photo that's purportedly of the back of the handset, posted to Twitter by Vizileaks, along with the caption 'and the waiting game begins...' The picture looks a lot like some earlier images we've seen of the phone, though in fairness it could just as easily be a new Lumia, with its bright red, curved plastic shell. This comes just days after getting a glimpse of the Normandy's screen, complete with what could be a modified version of Android 4.4. The phone that wouldn't dieIt seems a little odd for Nokia to still be working on the phone now that it's owned by Microsoft, yet far from dying the rumor just keeps on growing and an Android phone could help the Finnish firm snaffle some more market share. If somehow the Normandy does make it into shops it might not be something to get too excited about though, as rather than going toe to toe with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 it's thought to be a rather low end handset with a 5MP camera and 854 x 540 display. - If you're looking for a Nokia phone that you can actually buy you could do worse than the Lumia 1520
       |  | Samsung Galaxy S5 will have improved Jedi-like gestures Jan 16th 2014, 11:33, by James Rogerson 
As if there weren't already enough reasons to be excited about the Samsung Galaxy S5 it now looks like it will have improved hovering recognition range. According to ETNews, industry sources claimed that Synaptics, the company behind the hovering technology on the Samsung Galaxy S4, are working on a "touch solution", which will allow your finger to be further from the screen when using Air Gestures and Air View. On the S4 these features allow you to perform simple actions on screen by waving your hand across the device, or hovering a finger over something like an image to see a larger preview. Fine printThe improvements should also benefit the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, as they allow the screen to recognize a finer pen point, allowing for more intricate writing and drawing with a stylus. The source additionally claimed that the manufacturing cost of the technology will be lowered, so hopefully we won't see too much of a price hike in the next wave of flagship handsets. Samsung has long been a pioneer in the development of alternate ways to interact with your phone, be it Air Gestures or eye scanners, so this news isn't particularly surprising, but anyone interested in the next generation of finger-hover technology should be able to get their hands on (or off) it soon.        | | Zuckerberg to open MWC 2014 as Facebook's mobile focus bigger than ever Jan 16th 2014, 11:28, by Hugh Langley 
In a matter of weeks we'll be descending on Barcelona for MWC 2014 and, as it turns out, so will Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook founder has just been announced as the headline keynote speaker for the first day of the event next month. Zuck will be kicking off the week with a "fireside chat" with David Kirkpatrick, in which he'll "explore the importance of extending the benefits ubiquituous Internet access to the unconnected world."
Whether an actual fire will be present is yet to be confirmed. Facebook chatLast year, Facebook announced plans to bring affordable internet to the two-thirds of the world who don't have it, so it sounds like a fair amount of the conversation will be centred around that. Other members of the internet.org initiative include big mobile players Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and MediaTek. But more generally, Zuckerberg's headline presence at the show just goes to show how big mobile is for Facebook right now. Maybe there'll even be some better news for Facebook Home. - What else can we expect to see at MWC 2014?
       | | In Depth: Sony Xperia Z2 release date, news and rumors Jan 16th 2014, 11:25, by John McCann 
Sony loves a flagship smartphone and, if current rumors ring true, the Japanese firm is lining up its third in just over a year in the form of the Sony Xperia Z2. January 2013 saw the arrival of the Xperia Z at CES in Las Vegas, which was followed in September 2013 by the Xperia Z1 at IFA in Berlin - and now we're hearing that the Xperia Z2 will arrive at MWC 2014 at the end of February. Compare Sony's product cycle to the likes of Samsung or Apple - where we see an annual reboot of real flagships such as the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S - and you start wondering whether the Japanese firm has gone mad, or perhaps is onto something. We've rounded up all the latest news, leaks and rumors surrounding the Xperia Z2 to bring you a comprehensive overview of what you may be able to expect from the phone. Sony Xperia Z2 release date and priceThere were rumors suggesting the Sony Xperia Z2 would be outed at CES 2014, but instead we were given the Xperia Z1 Compact and a US variant of the Xperia Z1. April 2014 has also been mooted as a potential Xperia Z2 release date, but this date now appears to have gone cold. This means all eyes are now on MWC 2014, with perennial leaker @evleaks tipping the codenamed Sony Sirius handset for a show appearance. Sony Xperia Z2 displayAccording to Xperia Z2 specs leaked online, the handset is in line for a stunning 5.2-inch display - up from the 5-inch screen on the Xperia Z1 - and, if true, it would mean the Z2 would match the LG G2 in terms of size. With a rumored 506ppi, 2K screen, the Xperia Z2 will smash its rivals with its 2560 x 1440 resolution, with the G2 mustering 424ppi and the Xperia Z1 rocking 441ppi full HD solutions. Sony Xperia Z2 powerWhile the 2K screen will stand out, when it comes to power things appear to be a little less exciting with reports centering around the same 2.3GHz quad-core processor which you'll find in the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact. That's not to say the Xperia Z2 will be under-powered - far from it in fact - but we were hoping to see perhaps an octa-core chip inside the next Sony powerhouse. Of course that is still possible, we'll just have to wait and see. In terms of RAM inside the Xperia Z2 it seems the handset is inline for a boost here, with 3GB apparently on the cards. Sony Xperia Z2 cameraSony always likes to make a bit of a song and dance about the cameras on its phones, and to be fair it's got a pretty strong track record. Strangely though, leaked specs for the Xperia Z2 are pointing to the same 20.7MP camera as you get in the Z1. This is by no means a bad thing, but with the same camera and processor the Xperia Z2 is beginning to look like a screen-bump update rather than a whole new device. A good sign for phone photographers though is word that Sony will replace the LED flash with a Xenon offering, which provides a better balance of light for more natural shots. Sony Xperia Z2 additional specsWhat else have we heard about the Sony Xperia Z2? Well, apparently it'll come running the last version of Google's mobile platform - Android 4.4 KitKat - but expect this is be covered in Sony's own interface layer. Battery is also said to be getting a boost, up from 3000mAh to 3700mAh, but with more RAM and a larger and higher resolution display you might not actually see any extra life from the juice pack.        | | LG G Flex goes exclusively to Harvey Norman Jan 16th 2014, 03:46, by Farrha Khan 
The first curvy smartphone to land Down Under, the LG G Flex will make its exclusive way to Harvey Norman in February. LG's first curved phone, the G Flex has a 6-inch curved OLED, a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 3,500mAh and a 13-megapixel camera. And if the curved and flexible display wasn't interesting enough, it also has a rear case that can heal itself when scratched. LG Flexes for OptusAs the phone doesn't support the 850Mhz frequency band used by Telstra or Vodafone, LG and Harvey Norman are recommending the phone be used on Optus' network. Harvey Norman will even give you a $200 Harvey Norman gift voucher if you purchase the phone on an Optus My Plan through the retailer in February. Pre-orders are available from today, and you'll be able to pick it up unlocked for a hefty $999 if you're not interested in an Optus plan.        | | Cut mobile web data in half with the new Chrome app for iOS and Android Jan 15th 2014, 23:36, by Michael Rougeau 
Google has announced a new feature for the Chrome app on iOS and Android that it says can cut data usage from web browsing by up to half. The "data compression and bandwidth management" feature will compress mobile browsing data in real time as you browse, Google Software Engineer and "Data Squasher Extraordinaire" Matt Welsh wrote in a Google blog post. "In the US alone, more than a fifth of adult smartphone users now do most of their online browsing on their mobile device," Welsh wrote. "Around the world, we're seeing a similar trend towards more mobile browsing." Ifso facto, Google wanted to create a way to reduce data usage and save consumers money on their mobile plans. According to Welsh, Google will be rolling the feature out to iOS and Android in updates arriving over the coming days. Plus translationWhen the feature arrives, you can enable it in the settings menu under "bandwidth management" and then "reduce data usage." From here you can also track how much data you're saving every month with the feature. In addition to compressing web data on the fly, the feature will also enable mobile Chrome's safe browsing mode, which reportedly "helps protect you from malicious webpages." Welsh also discussed another new feature coming to Chrome on iOS in the coming days: Google Translate. The feature will work exactly as it does in the desktop and Android versions of Chrome; when the browser detects a page is in another language, it will ask you whether you want to translate it with the tap of a button. The next update to Chrome for Android will also allow users to save website bookmarks from within the browser itself with a tap of the toolbar menu.        | | Don't look for major mobile carriers to shack up with Ubuntu Touch till 2015 Jan 15th 2014, 20:55, by klee 
The road to Canonical's Ubuntu Touch smartphone has been a long one, and now it's stretching even further as the open-source software company makes a play for the major leagues. In a recent Reddit Ask Me Anything, Canonical's Community Manager Jono Bacon admitted that the first Ubuntu Touch OS smartphone for major OEMs and carriers is unlikely to appear until next year. "Longer-term we would love to see the major OEM/carriers shipping Ubuntu handsets," Bacon wrote. "This is a long road though with many components, and I would be surprised if we see anything like this before 2015." Bacon continued, noting that Ubuntu phones will likely first ship to smaller OEMs looking for lower cost and risk-trial devices. As for the buyer, Bacon believes "the ideal customer today is someone who wants a dependable device but does not require a large catalogue of specific apps (as we don't have many of them yet)." Starting off with small beginnings and high sales, Canonical hopes to send a strong message to OEMs and build from there. So for now it seems that Ubuntu is still on track to release a smartphone by this year as Canonical Founder Mark Shuttleworth promised in December 2013, albeit with a small mobile net. Swing for the fencesAs for what an Ubuntu phone will actually be able to do, Bacon did not confirm many features. Instead, during the course of the AMA, there were more items that we can expect to be missing. Bacon responded to a question about to CDMA support on the Ubuntu Touch OS that it is not on the current Ubuntu phone plan; meaning customers of US carriers Sprint and Verizon won't be able to jump on board with Canonical in the foreseeable future. Similarly, there aren't any extra touches to add integration between Ubuntu computers and phones on the docket. As Bacon explained, "[t]he primary integration will be getting content and syncing it [with] Ubuntu One, which syncs across devices."        | | Pandora gets personal on iOS and Android, adds artist recommendations Jan 15th 2014, 19:55, by JR Bookwalter 
With so much streaming music flying all over the place, how can a listener find the stuff that's right for them? Pandora may have the answer, at least for smartphone and tablet owners. It announced today the addition of personalized music recommendations on its iOS and Android apps, which serve up to six suggested artist stations based on what the user is currently listening to. The feature can be found on the Create a Station screen as well as at the bottom of a Station List, and keeps in mind which content you have given a thumbs up or thumbs down before offering suggestions. To kick things off, Pandora will deliver personalized artist station recommendations, but plans to "evolve and refine" the feature as time goes on, promising it will improve the more listeners engage with the service. Personalized listeningSince launching in 2005, Pandora has collected more than 35 billion bits of "thumb feedback" from users, making the service "uniquely positioned to deliver the perfect balance of familiarity, discovery, relevance and repetition for each individual listener," according to Chief Scientist Eric Bieschke. In the last month alone, Pandora served up 1.58 million hours of music to more than 76.2 million listeners - a staggering amount of content users have to weed through in search of favorites old and new. With in-app personalized recommendations now in place, listeners can tap to see a list of Artist Stations from the "More Recommendations" option, which is refreshed with updated content whenever a new station is created or deleted.        | | Apple settles with government over kids in-app purchases, whines a little Jan 15th 2014, 19:42, by Matt Swider 
Apple has reached a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission regarding children's relatively easy access to in-app purchases through the iTunes store. The company has to pay a minimum of $32.5 million (about £19.8m, AU$36.4m) to outraged parents who discovered that their kids racked up charges without their permission. This often occurred within colorful, seemingly innocent microtransaction-laden games marketed as "free to download." Unbeknownst to many parents, many of these games center around virtual currency that costs real-life money. Because Apple only required a password for in-app purchase every 15 minutes, it allowed kids to download an unlimited number of in-app purchases in this brief window. Calculating the complaintsThe Commission noted that charges generally ranged from $.99 (about £.60, AU$1.11) to $99.99 (about £61, AU$112) per in-app purchase. "One consumer reported that her daughter had spent $2,600 in the app 'Tap Pet Hotel,'" noted the FTC in a statement today. "Other consumers reported unauthorized purchases by children totaling more than $500 in the apps 'Dragon Story' and 'Tiny Zoo Friends.'" In addition to paying the fine, Apple is being forced to modify its billing practices by March 31 to ensure it obtains consumers' express consent for in-app buys. Tim Cook's responseApple was able to negotiate the settlement down to its current total, but CEO Tim Cook isn't pleased with the end result, according to an email to employees. "Last year, we set out to refund any in-app purchase which may have been made without a parent's permission," said Cook via to 9to5Mac. Emails went out 28 million App Store customers who had downloaded in-app purchases in games designed for kids. If the email bounced, Apple mailed the parents postcards, according to his message. "It doesn't feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled. To us, it smacked of double jeopardy." Of course, Apple received a paltry 37,000 claims in response to its email and postcard campaign. The amount paid out is likely a fraction of today's settlement total. What happens to the money if Apple doesn't find affected customers who care about misrepresented microtransactions again? In 12 months, it still has to pay the fine - to the commission.        | | Updated: iOS 8: 10 things we want to see Jan 14th 2014, 11:01, by Craig Grannell 
When Apple unveiled iOS 7, CEO Tim Cook called it the "biggest change since the iPhone". The OS received a major visual and interaction overhaul, along with a slew of new features. The OS should arrive in the hands of consumers around October 2013, and in the meantime Apple has already released several beta versions, one of which radically altered the system's typography. One clue as to what will be on offer in iOS 8 came in the form of an Apple Maps patent, which would see new interactive layers applied to the dogged Maps app. Still, there are many other things we'd like to see Apple change by the time iOS 8 rolls around in 2014 - although in some cases we've gpt a sneaking suspicion Apple would disagree. FutTv : n4950K8zVLF4m1. Change and hide default iOS appsWe'd love to be able to choose non-Apple alternatives for handling email, browsing and maps, but doubt it'll happen. However, Apple not providing the means to hide preinstalled apps you don't use is an irritant that goes back to the very first iPhone. Even if there was a similar 'parental controls' trick for hiding apps to the one on the Apple TV, that'd be good enough. 2. A guest/child accountApple's mantra is everyone should own their own device. That's lovely, but not everyone's pockets are as deep as those of Apple board members. OS X-style user accounts are unlikely, but it can't be beyond Apple to provide a single-tap child account or a guest account that doesn't affect your settings and data, and doesn't retain settings or data of its own. 3. Better iOS app managementAs of iOS 7, Apple automates app updates, but it should go further. Devs wrestle with iCloud app data, but this should be child's play to save and also (optionally) restore whenever you reinstall an app. And the App Store itself should offer trials and paid version updates (rather than devs being forced to use IAP or 'replacement' apps as a workaround). 
4. Stronger inter-app communicationsOne of the weakest elements of iOS is inter-app communication. If a service bumps you to another app, you're not always returned when you've finished performing an action. Worse, when making document edits across several apps workflow can be a nightmare with document copies in various states strewn throughout individual app sandboxes. 5. Better document managementFollowing on from the previous point, iOS should introduce at least some kind of centralised access to documents. Right now, Dropbox is a surrogate file system because iCloud is a bunch of silos. It's absurd that you can't easily attach documents within Mail in an OS that boasts a version number of 7. The lack of collaboration opportunities within iCloud document workflow is also disappointing. 6. Group FaceTime callsThis isn't specifically tied to iOS, but Apple's mobile platform is where FaceTime began life, and although the one-to-one model is great, it's about time you could call several people at once, rather than a group having to crowd around an iPhone. 7. iOS notifications like in OS X MavericksIn OS X Mavericks, notifications are interactive - get a message and you can deal with it there and then, rather than leaving the app you're in. This is even more important on iOS, and so we hope Apple adds similar functionality on mobile. Google does it with aplomb, so we want to see the same here. 8. More Do Not Disturb optionsDo Not Disturb gained extra power in iOS 7, enabling you to silence notifications only when a device is locked. Bizarrely, it still retains only a single schedule though. Is it beyond Apple to enable you to at least set one for weekdays and a separate one for weekends? 
9. Better text manipulationApple's text-selection, cut, copy and paste seemed elegant when it was introduced, but only compared to disastrous equivalents on competing mobile systems. Today, it comes across as awkward, and it's a barrier to usability for far too many people. We'd like to see a rethink from Apple and more usable and intuitive ways of dealing with text. 10. Two-up appsWe love the focus iOS provides, but there are times when we'd like to work with two apps at once. Much like messing with default apps, we doubt Apple will ever go down this path, but OS X Mavericks now has a more powerful full-screen mode for multiple monitors. So there's perhaps the slightest hope a multi-screen mode might one day arrive for the iPad or a larger iPhone, and would be one in the eye for all those Samsung owners out there.   | |
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