| LinkedIn Intro email service dead after 4 months Feb 8th 2014, 00:30, by Lily Prasuethsut 
LinkedIn is kicking Intro out the door. Announced in October as a new feature for the iPhone Mail system, Intro didn't seem to impress very many people. The LinkedIn blog doesn't exactly specify the reason Intro is shutting down except to say, "We are making large, long-term investments on a few big bets, and in order to ensure their success, we need to concentrate on fewer things." The app will officially disappear from iPhones on March 7, which gives you exactly a month to follow steps to disable the service or, according to The Verge, your email accounts will cease to function properly. Next steps?The company seems like it will continue to experiment with email services to look for "ways to bring this kind of functionality to our members" - with "this" referencing LinkedIn's network. There isn't anything more specific beyond that but we can look forward to another perhaps, better experience from LinkedIn later.        |  | HTC will pay up in new Nokia patent agreement Feb 8th 2014, 00:03, by Michael Rougeau 
The war is over - at least for HTC and Nokia. The two phone makers have reached an agreement that ends years of pending and ongoing patent litigation. This truce comes just two days after a German court handed Nokia a decisive victory that might have required HTC to redesign several of its phones. As part of the agreement, HTC will pay Nokia an undisclosed amount, presumably for patent licensing, so it doesn't have to go back to the drawing board. Best friends foreverBut the agreement doesn't only cover patents, and it appears Nokia and HTC are about to become closer than ever. This deal also covers a "technology collaboration agreement," according to an announcement made by Nokia. That means the companies will be working together on HTC's portfolio of LTE patents and on "future technology collaboration opportunities" - whatever that means. "We are very pleased to have reached a settlement and collaboration agreement with HTC, which is a long-standing licensee for Nokia's standards essential patents," Nokia Chief Intellectual Property Officer Paul Melin said in the company's statement. Likewise, HTC is "pleased to come to this agreement, which will enable us to stay focused on innovation for consumers," HTC general counsel Grace Lei said. The Patent Hammer of Truth (patent pending)Nokia began whacking HTC over the head with the Patent Hammer of Truth in 2012, and has since won victories in the US, England and Germany. Can you really blame HTC for wanting to settle things amicably? After all, it's no Apple or Samsung, to wage a never-ending and pointless war over nothing.        | | Moto G arrives on US Cellular, touts low price with a few catches Feb 7th 2014, 22:42, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Already at a low $179 from Motorola, the Moto G just got even cheaper. The handset is now available from US Cellular for only $99.99 - and that's without a contract. However on closer inspection, you'll still have to fork over a $20 or $50 activation fee. The price reduction also isn't immediate. US Cellular is selling it for $189.99 with a $90 mail-in rebate that knocks the price down. Rebates are indeed a hassle but in the end, you're still getting a great deal. The Moto G is wel-lbuilt despite being called a budget handset - it comes with the latest Android KitKat OS 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. You can also snap pics with its 5MP camera and look at them on a 4.5-inch screen. - Check out the Moto G's counterpart, the Moto X!
       | | Leaked Samsung Galaxy S5 benchmark reveals specs, beats Galaxy Note 3 Feb 7th 2014, 22:00, by klee 
Ahead of its MWC 2014 debut, Samsung Galaxy S5's hardware spec sheet has leaked out with a set of benchmark shots. HD Blog spotted leaked AnTuTu benchmark testing screens revealing Samsung next flagship phone will out speed the Galaxy Note 3. Before you say "well duh," what's interesting is the screens confirm that the phone will indeed skimp out on the rumored 2560 x 1440 AMOLED screen. Instead it will feature a full HD 1920 x 1080 display with a 480 pixel-per-inch density. It will also have a slightly bumped up 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, although there's no confirmation if it will be 64-bit. Meanwhile other elements of the phone's system hardware include an Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the upcoming device is the 16-megapixel camera on the back. Up front it will also include a two-megapixel sensor. One (sad) saving graceThe hardware revealed in the latest AnTuTu screenshots fall in line with our earlier concerns that the Galaxy S5 would be the most underwhelming Samsung handset yet. Despite the unimpressive screen and internal hardware, the Samsung Galaxy S5 might still have some things going for it. One of these is a swiping fingerprint scanner that's purported to be better than the Apple iPhone 5S'. We'll soon know if the Samsung Galaxy S5 is as boring as it seems on paper when it gets its big reveal at MWC 2014. Stay tuned for more! - World leading specs count for everything, just look at how much we liked the Motorola Moto G.
Via Boy Genius Reports        | | Express your inner darkness with a black Samsung Galaxy S4 or Galaxy S4 Mini Feb 7th 2014, 21:43, by Chris Smith 
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is likely to be unsheathed in less than three weeks, but that hasn't deterred the Korean company's efforts to squeeze a little more life out of its popular Galaxy S4 range. With the S4's inevitable passing as Samsung's flagship handset nigh, it's perhaps apt that the firm has outed a new version of the device (and it's Galaxy S4 Mini counterpart) in fetching Funeral Black*. Available in the US, UK and other markets this month, the Black Edition devices feature the "leather-like" (meaning faux leather) rear casing, black bezel and exclusive themed wallpapers and ringtones. For those whose inner darkness cannot be expressed simply through handset colour tones alone, the power adaptor, micro USB cables headphones, also adopt the same gloomy shade. Abyss of blackness, but no KitKatBeyond that abyss of blackness there are no other differences to report. The specs all remain the same, while both devices will ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean rather than the newer KitKat OS. Official pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed, but it seems like it surely will be before Samsung reveals the long-awaited Galaxy S5, almost certainly at the Unpacked event at MWC 2014 on February 24. *Funeral Black isn't the real colour name, it's actually just called the 'Black Edition.'        | | Galaxy S3 among 10 Samsung devices that may get Android KitKat sometime... Feb 7th 2014, 20:46, by Chris Smith 
Samsung device owners learned long ago that holding one's breath while awaiting an Android would almost certainly result in their permanent demise. However a lifeline, in the form of Android 4.4 KitKat, may be on the way for those rocking gadgets like the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Mega. Those handsets, as well as the Galaxy S4 Zoom, Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, Galaxy S4 Active are on a list of ten Samsung devices in line for KitKat, according to a purported update roadmap, obtained by Phandroid. The remaining two devices, the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 have already started to receive Android 4.4 roll-outs in the odd territory here and there ... But when?Although the site claimed to have procured details on which legacy devices will eventually receive the latest version of the operating system, there was no word on when and where that might happen. So although that's good news for S3 and S4 Active owners, it's not really time to party just yet. As you were, Samsung fans, as you were.        | | NSA phone data collection may not be as 'massive' as we thought Feb 7th 2014, 20:37, by Michael Rougeau 
The NSA may not be collecting as much phone data as was previously reported. According to the Wall Street Journal, the National Security Agency collects and stores less than 20% of all phone call data. Compare that to reports from December that claimed the NSA was storing records of 5 billion phone calls per day. The latest report states there are a few things currently preventing the NSA from collecting that much data. RoadblocksFor one thing, it's said that the NSA can't keep up with the growth of mobile phone usage. The agency has also reportedly had difficulty determining how to extract location data from phone calls, information that directly contradicts previous reports. In addition, data requests made to phone companies cover only a small number of available records. And finally court proceedings over the last year have reportedly sapped the NSA's resources. Thanks, ObamaIn addition, changes set in motion by President Obama in January are soon to take effect, further neutering the agency's efforts. At least two measures have reportedly been approved by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court: The NSA now needs to get court approval to access a person's phone records, and it can only seek records concerning people who are no more than two degrees of separation from their main target. Previously that limit was three degrees of separation.        | | Apple CEO confirms new product types are in the works, again Feb 7th 2014, 19:05, by Kevin Lee 
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Tim Cook dropped another hint that new types of products are on the way. Sitting down with the WSJ's Daisuke Wakabayashi Cook said, "there will be new [product] categories we're not ready to talk about it, but we're working on some really great stuff." When prodded on the rumors of a larger 12.9-inch iPad, Cook declined to comment. Instead the Apple CEO went on to elaborate that any "reasonable" person would consider what Apple is working on to be a new category. From Cook's answers, the outlook on Apple's future device portfolio is about as clear as muddy water. By saying the new products would interest any reasonable person leaves speculation open to anything from a dedicated smartwatch to an Apple iTV set. Non answersThe real question in consumers' and investors' minds is whether Apple can still innovate; considering Apple's stock value reached a high of $700 (about £427/AUS $781) in mid-September, and has fallen to a current $521 (about £317/AUS $581). It's clear Apple has to move out of its comfort zone and develop more devices than the music players, computers, smartphones, and the tablets it currently produces. Early reports suggest Apple is already making big shakeups with its next iPhone to be an even bigger departure than the half-inch screen extension seen on the iPhone 5. The iPhone 6 is likely to be an even larger 4.8-inch handset. Potentially, we may also see a new phablet sibling as the Cupertino company's first handset to break the five-plus inch barrier. Apple has a lot to prove by promising new products and hopefully we'll see some exciting announcements to back up all the hype we heard so far. - Does Apple still make amazing products? Find out in our review of its latest item, the iPad Air.
Via Cnet        | | This year's Nexus tablet could expand display size to 8 inches Feb 7th 2014, 18:08, by JR Bookwalter 
Having apparently squeezed every drop of potential sales out of its seven-inch tablets, a rumor straight from Google's supply chain in Taiwan claims the 2014 model will attempt to woo consumers with a slightly larger screen. DigiTimes reported Friday that Google and Asustek Computer are eyeing an 8-inch display for the third-generation Nexus tablet, which could potentially arrive in late April. Although the partnership has by all accounts produced two critically acclaimed Android tablets using the seven-inch screen size, the report claims last year's second-generation Nexus 7 sold fewer than three million units by the end of 2013. Those so-so sales figures are being blamed on "intense price competition" in the seven-inch tablet market, which is typically more price-sensitive than 10-inch models such as Apple's latest iPad Air. 8 is greatAccording to unnamed sources in Google and Asustek's supply chain, an eight-inch version of the Nexus 7 has the potential to offer a competitive edge for the third-generation tablet. The report also cites five- and six-inch "phablet" style smartphones as encroaching on the Nexus 7's market share as consumers seek handsets large enough to also offer some of the benefits of a dedicated tablet. It's unclear whether Google plans to confuse its branding by retaining the Nexus 7 name or introduce the new hardware under something more obvious, such as Nexus 8. One thing apparently won't be changing: Google and Asustek will remain partners for this year's model, despite recent speculation to the contrary.        | |
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