| Beats sale (just about) keeps HTC in the black amid falling smartphone sales Jan 5th 2014, 15:23, by Chris Smith 
HTC may have churned out some top handsets in the 2013, but the critical success of the HTC One range isn't translating into the big sales the company became accustomed to during the first Android boom. The company just posted its financial results for the last three years of 2013 and although HTC narrowly avoided a second consecutive quarterly loss, the figures do not make particularly pleasant reading. The company eked out a $10m (around £6.1m, AU$11.1m) net profit for the quarter, on revenue of $1.4 billion (about £850m, AU$1.15bn), Reuters reports, falling below the modest expectations. However, the firm only managed to stay in positive numbers but only due to sale of its remaining shares in Beats Audio, which netted the company a one-off payment of $85m (around £51m, AU$95m). Fall from graceThe company's fall from grace has been marked by a sharp decline in sales as Samsung continues to dominate the Android handset market. Recent numbers suggest HTC now owns just a 2.2 per cent share of the smartphone market, down from 10.3 per cent two years ago and handset sales have now fallen in 9 successive quarters. The company has made various efforts to bring about change with the replacement of top executives and an expensive new advertising campaign starring Robert Downey Jnr, but it's made little difference. The launch of the highly-rated HTC One Max brought hope ahead of the Christmas sales period, but it appears the larger handset hasn't grabbed punters either. The Taiwanese company, now valued at just $4 billion, will now pin its hopes on the eagerly-anticipated sequel device the so-called HTC One-Two, which may arrive as soon as MWC next month.        |  | CES 2014: We're here at CES 2014! Jan 5th 2014, 06:37, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
CES time is finally upon us! TechRadar has touched down in Las Vegas for the biggest tech show of the year. CES 2014 doesn't officially start until Tuesday, but there are plenty of pre-show happenings - from CES Unveiled Sunday night to Monday's press day - for you to lock your browser right here. We've gathered what you can expect during the course of the week over on our CES 2014 hub page, and already the tech-stravaganza is coalescing around a few key themes. Namely, look for plenty of wearables as well as TVs, TVs and more TVs. In fact, we're already seeing a battle for bragging rights heat up between two players in particular: LG and Samsung. We took an early peek at the CES show floor upon our arrival in Vegas, and it was hard to miss that both have banners touting in particular their curved 4K TV plans for the show. 
LG is dragging a number of 4K sets around the convention center halls, among them a curved 77-inch 4K OLED TV and a 105-inch curved 4K behemoth. Plus, we're expecting to hear plenty about the company's webOS platform in due course. Samsung meanwhile laid claim to the world's first curved UHD TV in December 2013, though LG beat its competitor to the punch with its announcement coming hours earlier. Still, Samsung said its version is the curviest, so we'll have to see who takes the 4K crown once the show kicks off. Stay tuned for much more than tubes though, including hands on reviews of smartphones and tablets from the likes of Lenovo and Acer and Steam Machine news from Valve and its partners. Are you pumped for CES?? We sure are.        | | CES 2014: Samsung Smart Home platform brings connected home under one app's roof Jan 5th 2014, 04:42, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
In Samsung's future, everything is connected. The good news for Samsung is that future as arrived at CES 2014. The company has announced Samsung Smart Home, a new platform that lets Smart TVs, home appliances and smartphones connect and be managed through a single app. This means customers can literally control all their gadget goods - including washing machines, TV sets, digital cameras, smartphones and even the Galaxy Gear - via an solo, integrated platform and server. If it all sounds a little Jetson-esque, there are three main aspects to the Smart Home experience worth breaking down further. Home controlSamsung calls the three main Smart Home features Device Control, Home View and Smart Customer Service. Device Control lets users personalize settings on their mobile devices or Smart TV to keep an eye out and manipulate connected whatnots at home. A dedicated Smart Home app lets users jump into management-mode, turning on or off air conditioning and the like at their will. Users can also connect with voice command - spouting "Going out" into a Galaxy Gear will shut off home lighting and certain appliances, for example. Similar vocal cues can be given to Smart TV remotes and smartphones. Smartphones are where Home View comes in. Samsung said users can get real-time looks at their abodes thanks to chatter between to their phones and the built-in cameras found in their appliances. Lastly, Smart Customer Service gives users a heads up when their appliances need servicing or consumables need replenishing. It, as one would suspect, also helps with after-sales servicing. What's in storeOwners of Sammy devices and appliances can look for Smart Home to knock on their virtual doors in the first half of the year. Not only are Samsung customers receiving the option of ultimate home connectivity, but the South Korean firm also said it's working with its third-party partners to extend Smart Home to their products and services as well. For now though, Samsung Smart Home is going to focus on the company's range of Smart TVs, home appliances and phones. More Samsung products and those from other manufacturers will be encircled during a gradual expansion. What's more, the firm has plans to grow Smart Home into home energy, secure home access, health care and eco home applications. It plans to do this by teaming up with third-party partners that work in these niches. Samsung seems quite committed to making Smart Home stick; it's established a software protocol for the platform as well as a Smart Home Steering Committee to bring the company's various product groups behind it.   | | Apple reportedly snaps-up SnappyCam app to boost rapid fire iPhone photography Jan 5th 2014, 03:48, by Chris Smith 
Apple has reportedly purchased the company behind the photography app SnappyCam, which enables the iPhone to take continuous, full-res pictures at higher speeds than the native camera Following the app's recent disappearance from the App Store, TechCrunch brings word that the one-man SnappyLabs operation is now under Apple's command. The SnappyCam app, made it possible for the iPhone's camera to snap full resolution shots at between 20-30 frames per second, depending on the iPhone model and up to 60fps at lower resolution Naturally, that's significantly faster than Apple's own iSight camera software, and allowed the app to become a hit among iPhone users in many countries. Interest from the big gunsAccording to TechCrunch's sources, the SnappyCam app had attracted interest from "most of the major players," but it appears that Apple has won the day. The likelihood now is that Apple will fold SnappyCam's functionality into the iOS camera at some point, or will have the developer work on future iPhone camera tech. Terms of the deal have not been confirmed and Apple has not commented on the reports. However, the girlfriend of founder John Papandriopoulos, posted on Facebook to congratulate her partner, which, we suppose is as close to confirmation as it comes. Papandriopoulos is reportedly an electrical engineering phD at the University of Melbourne, but student or not, the Fosters will probably be on him tonight.        | | HTC One range will probably get Android 4.4 KitKat boost sometime in February Jan 4th 2014, 16:48, by Chris Smith 
The indomitable march, well the zombie-esque stumble, towards Android KitKat updates continues with news that owners of the HTC One range will get the newest version of Android by the end of February. According to prolific HTC mole @LlabTooFer, the HTC One (and its dual-sim brother), the HTC One Max and the HTC One Mini have been fast-tracked, sorry, put on the waiting list for the update. "All new devices such as One, One DualSIM, One max, One mini will get 4.4.2 update in time frame January-February," he tweeted on Friday. The Google Play Edition already has the update. The leak artist also pointed out there'd be no update for the 18-month old HTC One X device, much to the chagrin of his followers. There's no Sense in thatIt also appears that HTC doesn't plan on dropping the Sense 6 user interface with the Android 4.4.2 update. "Forget about Sense 6 for now, such update for previous devices might appear in late Autumn," LlanTooFer tweeted in response to a question. That new UI is likely to make its debut on the next flagship handset rumoured to be donned the HTC One Two. That device could make an appearance at Mobile World Congress in February.        | | Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite will downgrade to a 720p display Jan 3rd 2014, 15:57, by Hugh Langley 
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite, believed to be arriving in a matter of weeks, looks set to downgrade from a full HD to a 720p display. "Hey, it's called the Lite for a reason, what did you expect?" we hear you cry. Well no, we're not exactly surprised by the information, which was spotted in a user agent profile for what is allegedly the non-LTE version of the phone. The phone will still remain at the 5.7-inch size but the same profile says it won't be upgraded to Android 4.4 KitKat – still 4.3 for now. That may change when the phone actually launches, however. Notable differenceThe screen will also be switched from AMOLED to LCD, according to other reports, and will be bringing its 13MP camera down to an 8MP affair. Let's hope it also gets a really tempting price tag to make the reductions worth it. If it does, Apple should probably hurry up and get a bigger iPhone out the door. CES 2014 is just around the corner, but all rumours so far suggest the Note 3 Lite is holding off an appearance until MWC.   | | Acer Liquid Z5 budget smartphone goes official ahead of CES Jan 3rd 2014, 13:22, by Hugh Langley 
CES 2014 is just a matter of hours away and Acer has outed a bunch of devices that we'll be able to get our hands on at the Vegas show. Included in the mix is its new budget smartphone, the Liquid Z5, which comes with a 5-inch screen, 5MP rear camera, dual-core 1,3GHz Cortex-A7 processor and 4GB of internal storage. The Z5 will come running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and packs a bunch of software feature such as AcerFloat for multitasking and AcerRapid for one-handed control. Don't break the bankThe Z5 also brings dual-SIM support, 3G with HSPA+ and a 2,000mAh battery. Meanwhile Acer's singing the praises of that rear camera, which is designed to offer high quality pictures in low light environments. And at a price of €169 (about £140) you certainly won't be breaking the bank for what looks like an ok successor to the Liquid Z3, though it's certainly not one to conquer the Moto G. The exciting part is that the phone will come in two vibrant colour options - white and grey. Calm yourselves down, ok?   | | In Depth: Get marathon fit with your smartphone: starting out Jan 3rd 2014, 11:00, by Kieran Alger 
If the New Year has inspired you to get fighting fit, then you've hit the right page. Technology has the tools to help you get in the shape of your life but it's not easy to know which product is right for your goals. We've enlisted the help of T3.com Editor-in-chief and ultra runner Kieran Alger to put together a four-part guide to help you uncover everything you need to go from couch slouch to marathon finisher. Your smartphone has revolutionised everything. From the way you work to how you shop, it's now the weapon of choice for most of life's battles. With innovations in motion-sensing, the arrival of Bluetooth LE and improved GPS chips, it now even has the power to transform you from sofa-dweller to marathon machine. That's right, even you. Thanks to lighter handsets, more powerful processing and better sensors, smartphone-powered fitness has exploded. Activity tracking innovations like Apple's M7 'motion coprocessor' - built to let your track your movements 24/7 with a lower drain on battery life - mean we're now able to learn more about ourselves and our fitness habits in real time. Bluetooth Low Energy means we can also sync data collected by the multitude of new fitness apps with stats captured by other devices, like Wi-Fi scales, heart rate monitors and even devices that tell you how tired you are with less leeching of phone juice. The result? It's easier than ever to build up a comprehensive picture of our health and fitness. We can effectively take control of our own fitness. While that's amazing, all of this new technology is still only half the battle. If you want to get fit, you're going to need to overcome your inner instinct to sit on you backside and watch Homeland. To beat the human pre-disposition for laziness, you need a goal. So with January upon us, New Year's resolutions being scribbled and Spring marathon season just around the corner, we're here to show you how to turn your phone into a running coach, nutritionist and motivator - your very own pocket personal trainer. We'll show you how you can go from couch to 42km with the help of that thing you mainly use to check Facebook. The complete noviceGetting started is always the hardest part but the good news is it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. If you've got a smartphone, plus a little willpower you're in a good place. If you're not a smartphone owner, upgrade to a handset with a good battery life, like the LG G2, Nokia Lumia 520 or Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Now you're tooled up, you need to get fired up. Download the Amazon Kindle app or the Apple iBooks and treat yourself to one of the books recommended below. These are your inspiration. In the dark moments when you're doubting yourself, read these. 
Next you'd be wise to get an indication of your resting heart. Download something like Instant Heart Rate, an app that uses your phones camera to detect your pulse. Make sure you've been sat still for a good five minutes before and make a note of the rate. If it's stupidly high, see a doctor before you lace up. You will need motivation while you're clocking up the miles. Most people use music. So either load your phone with MP3s or opt for a streaming music service like Spotify or Deezer and create yourself some playlists of varying durations. Need inspiration? Head to ShareMyPlaylist.com for ready-made fitness soundtracks. If music isn't your thing then audiobooks are a great alternative. Now it's time to get moving. If it's been a long time since you've run, or done any exercise, you need to build up slowly. Use an app like Nike Move – iOS only for the moment – and Samsung HealthMate, to track walks. Think in minutes rather than distance with the aim to get to a good fast-paced 45 minute walk without feeling the need to stop. 
Once your base level of fitness holds up to a fast-paced 45 minute walk it's time to up the ante a bit. Download Endomondo Sports Tracker – a free GPS tracking app with a handy fitness test feature. The app tracks how long it takes to walk or run a mile as fast as you can, lets you log your heart rate after and gives you feedback on your fitness levels. This will be your benchmark. Now that you have the Endomondo app installed you can start to build running into your 30-minute walks and use the app to track everything from speed, pace and distance to the hills your climbed and rolled down. The aim here is to use walk-running to slowly build up your fitness. Walk for two minutes to warm up, then run for two minutes. Once you get tired, walk again. Repeat until you hit the thirty-minute mark. Keep doing this until you find you're able to run the whole thirty minutes. You'll be able to see your progress in the app and access all the data online for free. Once you're running for 30 minutes solid, you're ready to move on to the next step. Part 2 of our "Get marathon fit with your smartphone" series will be online soon. In the meantime, good luck!
  | | Expect 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhones this year, claim insiders Jan 3rd 2014, 10:04, by Hugh Langley 
Ongoing speculation suggests that Apple is set to go bigger in 2014, but we're still unsure whether it's the iPhones or the rumours themselves that will prove to be inflated. Back in June we heard that Apple was mulling over both a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch iPhone, and sources from within Foxconn are allegedly now claiming the same thing. The same insiders also said that the new handsets will come with a form of biometric sensor, which we'll assume to be Touch ID. By the numbersIt's a bit of a 'guess the number' game at the moment. We recently reported (once again) that Apple was testing a 6-inch iPhone that could be launched as early as May. It may be the case that Apple deemed 6 inches too big for our hands and has opted for a 5.7-inch model instead, which would go up against the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The 4.7-inch model could theoretically replace the 4-inch iPhone 5S. Or, alternatively, these sources at Foxconn don't know what's really going on. After all, the story claims that the anonymous source spilled the beans at a Christmas party, so there's a good chance that these claims came from nothing more than a cocktail of alcohol and factual inaccuracies,   | | Buying Guide: 10 essential fitness apps for Windows Phone Jan 2nd 2014, 15:00, by James Rogerson 
From Endomondo to adidas and calorie trackers to pedometers there has never been a greater selection of Windows Phone apps available to help you get fit. Better yet, we've saved you the effort of trawling through them looking for the worthwhile ones. Stick to these ten and you'll do just fine. 1. Endomondo Sports Tracker (free)Endomondo is a big name in fitness apps and with good reason. Its Windows Phone app allows you to track the distance, duration, speed and burnt calories of your run, walk or cycle. You can set a distance goal and receive audio coaching to reach it, view your route on a map and view a history of your workouts, allowing you to see how your performance has changed over time. It's even a little bit social as you can share your workouts on Facebook, view friends workouts and even get a live pep talk from friends if they type one into the Endomondo website while you're on your run. 2. Gym PocketGuide (free)Gym PocketGuide brings detailed images, videos and guides for over 100 exercises to your phone, keeping you constantly stocked with a variety of new exercises to learn and try. Not only that, it also has 7 day workout programmes, tailored towards different goals. So whether you want to lose weight, tone or build muscle, Gym PocketGuide has a routine to help. Best of all, aside from the videos it's all available offline, so you can read up on exercises any time, anywhere and won't have to eat into your data limit. 3. CycloMeter (free)CycloMeter is a feature packed cycle tracking app. It includes things you'd expect like the ability to view your ride on a map, view charts of your ride and track your average speed, peak speed, current speed, time spent moving, total time and calories burned. But beyond that it also gives you the option to race against a time that you've previously set on a route, giving you motivation to improve. Plus to save you having to stop and fiddle with your phone it can read out your ride stats as you go. 4. adidas miCoach (free)If you only use one running app, make it adidas miCoach. You can use it to track distance, speed, time and calories burned, just like any other run tracker. But with adidas miCoach you can also get voice coaching from athletes, set and track goals and view charts of your performance. The app also goes beyond run tracking by providing instructional videos for more than 400 strength and flexibility exercises and bringing you new workouts daily. So whatever your approach to fitness, adidas miCoach is likely to have you covered. 5. DailyYoga for Abs (free)DailyYoga for Abs is exactly what it sounds like. There are a selection of yoga sessions, each consisting of videos with voice narration and each lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. By doing one of these each day you can work towards your fitness targets and get better at yoga in the process. All of the sessions are focused on building your abdominal muscles, however if you'd rather work on a different part of your body there are also other DailyYoga apps, such as DailyYoga for Chest. 6. Runtastic PRO (£3.99)Runtastic PRO is a comprehensive run tracker, complete with calorie, distance, time, speed and elevation tracking. It can also display your route, give you an overview of your workout history, let you share routes from phone to phone using NFC, set up training plans to achieve goals, give you voice feedback, control your music and let you share your run on social networks. In other words it does just about everything you might want from a run tracker. At £3.99 it's got a premium price tag by app standards, but the wealth of features justify it. 7. Pedometer Master (free)Pedometer Master can track the number of steps you've taken when walking or running, as you'd expect. But it can also track the duration of a workout, the distance travelled, your average speed, your current speed, the number of calories burned and even how many steps you take a minute. Extra features include the ability to control your music from the app, backup workouts to SkyDrive and view historic workout data. 8. Calorie Tracker (£2.29)Calorie Tracker includes a database of over 625,000 food and restaurant items, making it a breeze to log what you eat. Anything that's not in the database can be added manually and exercises can be tracked too. Simply set a goal for what weight you want to reach and then the app will automatically tell you how many calories to eat each day. All you need to do is log your food and exercise and you can easily ensure you stay on track. 9. 100 Push-ups (free)100 Push-ups aims to get you fit enough to do 100 push-ups in a row. It does this first by having users carry out an initial test to see how many they can do and then setting out a training plan which will gradually increase the amount that you perform. But while its name might make you think the app is all about push-ups, it can also be used to train you to do 100 sit-ups, 50 pull-ups or 300 squats. So you can easily workout different body parts and train different muscles while working towards clear goals. 10. Caledos Runner (free)Caledos Runner can be used to track your distance, pace, speed, time, position, calories and elevation during a run. If you have a Bluetooth HxM Heart Rate Monitor you can even link it up to the app and track your heart rate. Audio cues will keep you updated on your stats and progress as you run and you can control your music from the app. It also includes social network integration, allowing you to post your runs to Facebook and Twitter and it's deeply integrated with RunKeeper, allowing you to sync your data with it.   | |
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