| Fighting Talk: Flappy Bird proves we can all be app superstars Feb 14th 2014, 12:50, by Phil Lavelle 
I don't have an addictive personality. Ok. I do. That's a lie. Chocolate, gym, gadgets. I can't keep my hands off them. But Flappy Bird. I just don't get it. Didn't get it. I have it on my phone. But it's totally wasted on me. I came to the game late, and the story of the developer pulling it from the virtual shelves has been rehashed (rehatched?) too many times to dig into again. But coming nearly 'after the event' meant I could see why the hype machine went into such overdrive. Flappy Bird was being removed, and a part of people's lives was ending. The dev told us we had a finite time to get it. It was the most polite tantrum ever - we even got notice. Now, that's thoughtful. Or calculated, you may say. I don't buy into the fact people were actually selling phones with Flappy Bird pre-installed for thousands of dollarpounds for anything other than hype… clearly that contravenes eBay's rules. A man renting out his iPhone to allow people to play the same game does smack of addiction though, so I'm glad I managed to sidestep this life-swallower. It's not too lateThere is a lesson here. In fact there are two: firstly - to the big games makers. This just goes to show that you can spend a fortune on research and development, but ultimately, there is no logic to what will be a hit and what won't. And secondly, that a bit of news coverage and a very public meltdown can work wonders. I actually like this whole thing – it gives us all hope that one day we can make a game that will be a hit. I know I have no coding experience and that hundreds of thousands of apps are submitted every month, with very few ever making it to profit, but who hasn't idly dreamed up an addictive game and thought 'that's going to make me millions.' I know that's never likely to happen – like the notion that most people think they'll one day write a novel – but the fact an independent games developer can dream up something so great and widely-loved is a wonderful thing. Give it to the birdsI'd be proud to have made something that so many people were really into – there's a transient nature to mobile gaming, and we've all got smartphones littered with games we couldn't put down at one point, but haven't played in months or years. With that in mind, just what was the dev's intention? This is a hard one to unravel. Why did he remove it? Was he having a meltdown? If so, why be so rational and give users a good day's notice to hurry up and get it? Most people who snap tend to do it there and then. If I were in his position, where he wanted the 'simple life', I'd have probably just pulled it immediately and screw the lot of you. Looking at his Twitter feed, he was getting a lot of questions and requests about the game – it's not hard to reasonably imagine that this was just simply too much to deal with, a juggernaut careering out of control. But then again, rationale just doesn't seem to be a part of this. If a game is earning you $50,000 dollars a day and you crave simplicity which you now feel has been compromised, do you just give that up so easily? A quarter of a million dollars a week, people. And not even a full week - that's a Monday-Friday salary. As one person put it, if you really want to go back to a simple life, sell the concept of the game, take the money and run. You could buy your own island, complete with shack and live the simplest life ever. Or give the money to cancer research or the cats' home. Hell, even the RSPB. Save a few real life chicks from being killed by green pipes in the sky.        |  | Budget BlackBerry leaks again as Jakarta presence grows Feb 14th 2014, 12:10, by John McCann 
The next BlackBerry smartphone looks set to be the Canadian firm's most affordable BB 10 blower to date, as specs leak out on the much rumored BlackBerry Jakarta. There's been a lot of talk surrounding an influx of new BlackBerry devices, with Chinese manufacturer Foxconn claiming it'll be showing off several low-end smartphones at MWC 2014. That low-end tag has been reinforced by a Geekbench result spotted by BerryReview, which pegs an unknown handset as running BlackBerry 10.2.1 and sporting a 1.2GHz (1.19, to be exact) dual-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. The current baby of the BB10 range, the QWERTY keyboard toting BlackBerry Q5, also packs a 1.2GHz processor, but a more generous 2GB of RAM. Graphical trickAn advantage that this mystery device does have over the Q5 though is the inclusion of an Adreno 305 GPU, which also beats the Adreno 225 graphics processor in the Q10 and Z10. TechRadar will be reporting live from MWC 2014 to bring you all the latest from the show, and we'll be keeping an eye out for anything from BlackBerry.        | | Sony Xperia Z2 family photo leak reveals minor facelift Feb 14th 2014, 11:00, by John McCann 
With MWC 2014 fast approaching, rumors surrounding handsets tipped for launch at the Barcelona show continue to flow and the Sony Xperia Z2 is one of those in the running for a reveal. Fresh images have managed to worm their way onto the web via Digi-Wo, and the snaps claim to show the Xperia Z2 in its black and white guises, as well as lined up with its predecessors. In terms of looks there's little to choose between the Xperia Z2, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z - the former of which is referred to as the Sony D6503 Sirius - its development codename. I wish I was a little bit tallerIn the images the Xperia Z2 appears to be slightly taller than its predecessors and it seems to come with almost no bezel either side of the display - apart, that is, from the rear case wrapping round the sides of the device. 
The unknown tipster who provided the images also claims that the Xperia Z2 release date is set for April, but there's no way to verify this information at the moment. We will be reporting live from the Sony press conference on February 24 at MWC, so stay tuned for all the latest from the Japanese firm. 
       | | New BlackBerry phone with 64-bit octa-core chip to launch in September? Feb 13th 2014, 23:15, by Matt Swider 
Believe it or not, a new 64-bit BlackBerry phone may be around the corner with a chip to match the likes of the iPhone 5S and soon-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy S5. This device is said to have a 64-bit octa-core processor at the heart of its specs, and will be ready for September of this year, reports Pocket-lint through a trusted source. BlackBerry was previously rumored to be working on an octa-core handset with a Snapdragon MSM8994 chip on board. It would pack an Adreno 430 GPU and 1600MHz 4GB RAM LPDDR3. However, prior to today, this MSM8994-equipped phone was expected to release in 2015. Now it's looking like the next flagship BlackBerry may be several months ahead of schedule and that it'll come with OpenGL support for bumped up graphics, shading and 3D visuals. BlackBerry at MWCIf true, this would be good news for the struggling Canadian smartphone maker and its dwindling tactical keyboard fans who support BlackBerry 10. It's down to 3.3% market share. Even though BlackBerry had pledged to stay committed to making smartphone hardware, it ended up inking a deal with Foxconn for low-end devices. We may see something much more exciting from the company at MWC 2014, which kicks off February 24. BlackBerry has already begun upgrading its software ambitions by releasing a feature-filled BlackBerry 10.2.1 update and expanding its iOS and Android BBM chat client. Now it needs new hardware that is a true sequel to the BlackBerry Z30 and BlackBerry Q10. - But can it compete with what we're hearing about iPhone 6?
       | | Is Sony plotting a high-spec, low-price alternative to the Moto G? Feb 13th 2014, 19:46, by Chris Smith 
With the mid-range emerging as the new battleground for Android manufacturers, Sony may be about to make a play with an affordable, quad-core handset its own. A device with the model number D5103 has appeared on GFX Benchmark site with scarily similar specs to the hit Moto G, which offers mid-upper level specs for the ever-lowering price of £99 (US$99/AU$249). This unofficial Sony model also boasts a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 display and the latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. Apparently, there's a slightly faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor, running at 1.4GHz, compared with the Moto G's 1.2GHz chipset. Setting the benchmarkThe benchmark revelation makes no mention of price, but it would seem Sony would have to offer a competitive price-point in order to match the Moto G. With Mobile World Congress getting underway in Barcelona on February 24, we might just find out how much the 'D5103' will set us back. Let's hope for something under £150 (US$150/AU$250).        | | Tizen tallies 15 more backers, including two major carriers Feb 13th 2014, 19:41, by Matt Swider 
Tizen is making inroads as an up-and-coming platform right before we expect to see it on new phones at MWC 2014, adding 15 new partners including two important carriers. Sprint and SoftBank Mobile have pledged their support to the open-source operating system, as have Chinese phone manufacturer ZTE and South Korean mobile game maker Gamevil. With today's 15 new supporters, the Linux-based Tizen now has a total of 51 members as part of its partner program. It can officially say it has "more than 50" backers. Existing partners include project leads Samsung and Intel, device manufacturers Huawei, LG and Panasonic, and carriers Orange, Vodafone and SK Telecom. The addition of today's companies to this growing list helps alleviate the fact that Japan's number one carrier, NTT Docomo, recently put its support of Tizen on hold. Samsung teasin' a Tizen phone at MWC 2014?Tizen has deep roots in Samsung's Bada project, so it's no surprise that the South Korean electronics giant is thought to be premiering the first phone of its kind soon. Leaked promotion materials have pointed to the phone being called the Zeq 9000 or the slightly more marketable "Zeke." Other leaked photos have suggested that Tizen could land on Samsung's next flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S5, but we don't expect it to replace Android any time soon. In fact, Samsung executives don't anticipate bringing Tizen to the US right away because the market is too mature, filled with high-end handsets like the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. New Tizen partner ZTE could beat Samsung to the punch with the existing ZTE Geek that's supposedly making the Android-to-Tizen transition. Today's announcement may just be the beginning of Tizen news this month, as MWC 2014 is scheduled to kick off on February 24. We'll be on the ground for its entirety.        | | Verizon looks to squeeze extra value out of new More Everything plans Feb 13th 2014, 18:56, by JR Bookwalter 
T-Mobile's Uncarrier initiatives seem to have finally rattled the cages at Verizon Wireless as the latter has introduced new plans that offer more data and features ... but don't look like much of a bargain compared to competitors. As rumored only yesterday, Verizon officially announced the introduction of More Everything, which the carrier bills as "a new way of looking at wireless plans" for both new and existing customers. Starting at $45 for a single device with unlimited talk, text and a pool of 4G LTE data that can be shared with up to 10 smartphones, tablets or portable hotspots, More Everything doesn't do much to reduce monthly bills, but does offer additional value for current customers. For starters, consumers on Verizon's 500MB or 1GB data plans will see their existing caps double without inflating the price they're already paying, while those on the 2GB plan will receive an extra 1GB thrown in for good measure. Perks, not lower pricesVerizon will also give More Everything customers 25GB of free cloud storage for each line added, maxing out at 250GB total for a 10-line account; the carrier has added unlimited international text, picture and video messaging on top of existing domestic messaging. More Everything customers will also receive three free months of International Long Distance Value Plan as well as Family Base, which helps manage family accounts. These services cost $5 per month after the trial period. True to the word of Verizon executives, More Everything doesn't attempt to compete on price, although Verizon Edge early upgrade customers will be eligible for $10 off monthly smartphone service up to 8GB or $20 off for 10GB or higher. Existing Share Everything subscribers will be automatically moved to the new More Everything plans, which are also available to all new customers starting today. - Find out which is the best tablet to add to your new Verizon More Everything plan!
       | | In Depth: Android and iOS accounted for 93.8 per cent of smartphone shipments in 2013 Feb 13th 2014, 15:00, by Stu Robarts 
Android and iOS strengthened their duopoly of smartphone shipments in 2013, increasing their joint market share from 87.7 per cent to 93.8 per cent year-on-year, according to new figures from IDC. The figures also show that joint shipments for Q4 2013 accounted for 95.7 per cent of the market. Android remains the clear market leader, with a share of 78.6 per cent in 2013, an increase of 58.7 per cent year-on-year. Samsung continues to spearhead Android's dominance, accounting for 39.5 per cent of its shipments. iOS, meanwhile, underperformed the market, growing at a rate of 12.9 per cent in 2013. IDC suggests that the lack of a low-cost or large screen iPhone has contributed to the stagnation in growth of Apple's mobile operating system. iOS still accounted for 15.2 per cent of smartphone shipments for the year, however. Warm reception"Clearly, there was strong end-user demand for both Android and iOS products during the quarter and the year," said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "What stands out are the different routes Android and Apple took to meet this demand. Android relied on its long list of OEM partners, a broad and deep collection of devices, and price points that appealed to nearly every market segment." Llamas continued: "Apple's iOS, on the other hand, relied on nearly the opposite approach: a limited selection of Apple-only devices, whose prices trended higher than most. Despite these differences, both platforms found a warm reception to their respective user experiences and selection of mobile applications." Elsewhere, Windows Phone showed the largest increase in shipments for the year of any mobile operating system at 90.9 per cent from 2012, accounting for a 3.3 per cent share of the market, while Blackberry showed the only negative year-on-year change of the major players, dropping 40.9 per cent from 2012.   | | Yahoo CEO talks up contextual search Feb 13th 2014, 01:00, by Alex Hamilton 
CEO of search website Yahoo, Marissa Mayer, thinks that even though the company has been at the back of the search engine pack for years, contextual search could vault it into the lead. Contextual search works on data given to it by a user, such as their location and what they are doing to tailor search results to what the user will most likely be looking for. Mobile devices are the best carrier for the feature and that is something Mayer wants to exploit. Yahoo currently has an agreement with Microsoft whereby the latter uses its Bing software to power its search engine. Using this as a baseline, Yahoo is looking towards new search markets and has chosen mobile devices as its target. Context is everythingOther companies have been looking into contextual search too. Google has been working towards a similar goal by adding more human language processing to its engine's algorithms. Mayer impressed that the aim was to make searching for apps and information easy on mobiles. The CEO pointed towards Yahoo's acquisition of Aviate as part of the steps the company is taking to make contextual search a reality. Yahoo has around 800 million monthly users, with around 400 of them being active on mobile sites. Via ITWorld   | |
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