| Updated: BlackBerry denies it's looking to leave the handset market Apr 10th 2014, 14:06, by James Rogerson 
Update: BlackBerry CEO John Chen has taken to the firm's official blog to clarify the Reuters article which said it was thinking about leaving the handset business. In short, it's not. Chen writes: "I want to assure you that I have no intention of selling off or abandoning this business any time soon. "I know you still love your BlackBerry devices. I love them too and I know they created the foundation of this company. Our focus today is on finding a way to make this business profitable." He finishes on: "We have not given up and we are not leaving the Devices business." So there you have it. Original story... It would be an understatement to say that BlackBerry has been having a tough time of things lately, as the company made a net loss of $423 million last quarter alone. But new CEO John Chen is committed to turning the company around, even if that means abandoning smartphones entirely. As part of an interview on Wednesday Chen claimed that "if I cannot make money on handsets, I will not be in the handset business" according to Reuters. He also claimed that one way or another he'd have to make the decision soon. So what would it take for BlackBerry to make money on handsets? Around 10 million shipped phones per year apparently, which isn't a huge quantity, especially when you consider that back in 2011 BlackBerry shipped 52.3 million devices. Sinking ship?But the company is a lot weaker than it once was, down from a 20% smartphone market share in 2009 to less than 2% now. Even if the company does continue with consumer smartphones it doesn't sound like that side of the business will be such a focus any more, as Chen claimed that "we are not going to spend any more money to maintain the latest version of Angry Birds." Going forward the company will focus on business clients instead.        |  | Opinion: The HTC One M8 camera isn't that bad Apr 9th 2014, 23:30, by Marc Flores 
Cameras are one of the first things we look at when judging a new smartphone, and the HTC One M8 wasn't spared our criticism. While we applaud HTC's brave move toward bigger-but-fewer pixel strategy, some find that the lack of resolution leaves the images wanting more. However, the bashing of the camera that we've read in other reviews and over social media is surprising. The camera on the HTC One M8 isn't that bad. I'd even say it isn't bad at all. It's easy to get tired of people saying, "Wow, that's an awesome photo! What camera did you use?" Or, "My camera sucks. It takes bad pictures." No. You take bad pictures. 
What I'd consider a bad camera are the ones that were found on flip phones 10 years ago - the ones with 640 x 480 VGA resolution. Even then, if you did it just right, the photos looked good enough on a computer screen. If you're not looking for good light, composition that makes sense, and an interesting moment, then you're not really looking to take a good photo. You're probably just taking a snapshot, and while there's nothing wrong with that, you can't blame the camera if the photo isn't pretty. 
Another complaint I hear about the HTC One M8 is that its photos tend to look flat, or that they aren't as rich in color and contrast as the iPhone 5S or Nokia Lumia 1520. Again, it's not that the camera sensor or module is bad, but perhaps the way the phone processes JPEG images isn't pushed as hard as the other phones. It's not exactly the camera itself. Also, if color, contrast, and warmth were real issues, apps like Snapseed and VSCO Cam are totally free and will solve 99% of your mobile photo problems. 
Perhaps the biggest gripe about the HTC One M8 camera is its lack of serious resolution. When you have 8MP, 13MP, 16MP, 20MP and even 42MP smartphone cameras out there, sticking with a 4MP sensor is a head-scratcher. Is the minor bump in low-light performance really worth the sacrifice in resolution? Stop pixel peepingPerhaps it's worth it, but the thing to consider is what you're going to be doing with all those megapixels, anyway. Are you going to make prints? If so, consider a better camera altogether. Even then, you can make 4 x 6 prints at 300dpi with just a 2MP camera. When was the last time you printed a 16 x 20 photo from your smartphone? 
When you're looking at a photo that's 960 pixels wide on your 5-inch smartphone, I guarantee you wouldn't be able to tell if it were taken with a 4MP camera or a 20MP camera. So when you're reading reviews and remarks online that say things like, "We're losing fine detail in these areas of the photo with the HTC One M8," it's likely as a result of pixel peeping, or looking at the photos at 100% crop. Who does that? The bottom line is if you want to take better photos with your smartphone, you actually need to learn how to take better photos. Learn how to see light and how it shapes objects and the way it affects color (e.g. colors on a cloudy day will look flat compared to low, directional sunlight). Learn to find interesting angles, compositions and get creative with your photo ideas. Whether you're shooting with a big DSLR, smartphone camera or a plastic toy camera, it shouldn't matter as much as your eye for light and composition. Have fun shooting photos, take pictures that mean something to you and your friends and don't worry so much if your camera isn't resolving detail in some leaves that are a hundred yards away.        | | Firefox OS 2.0 screenshots surface, reveal pretty but familiar face Apr 9th 2014, 22:32, by Lily Prasuethsut 
Firefox handsets aren't as widely popular as its iOS and Android counterparts, but perhaps a redesign is what Mozilla needs to really make a splash. Ahmed Nefzaoui and Sören Hentzschel, both Mozilla representatives, have leaked screenshots of Firefox 2.0 on their Twitter accounts. From the looks of it, 2.0 is much flatter yet more vibrant than previous iterations. The translucent, two-tone app colors and lock screen notifications are also immediately comparable to iOS 7 showing that Mozilla is probably looking to woo Apple lovers. Still, Mozilla may have other features up its sleeves. Show us more?Though there's a definite copycat vibe, Firefox phones still aren't like your normal smartphone. With Firefox OS, you get an open ecosystem, one where all apps can run on other operating systems and on almost any hardware. nstead of apps made specifically for a certain OS, Firefox apps can be made with HTML5 and JavaScript like a web page; essentially, they can be opened on Android devices and PCs. 
It sounds nice but so far, all has been quiet on the Firefox front with people snapping up the more popular iOS, Android and even Windows phones. 
Though numerous companies, like Sony, are still interested in Firefox phones and with the updated 2.0 version coming out in a couple of months, we'll see then just how well its redesigned interfaces does.        | | Surprise! Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 4 at IFA 2014 Apr 9th 2014, 21:20, by Chris Smith 
Samsung is set to continue the tradition of launching a new Galaxy Note phablet at the annual tech fest in IFA this September, a company official reportedly hinted on Wednesday. The Korea Times was informed the company is mulling the launch date as well as confirming the final specs for the Galaxy Note 4. In a telephone interview, the unnamed official reportedly said: "Samsung is considering holding a launch event of the Note 4 at the IFA trade fair. It is in the middle of finalising specification details for the upcoming phablet." The report brings no word of those specifications, but it appears to be a decent bet that the company will honour the ritual of adding another couple of tenths-of-an-inch to the Note's already massive display size. Nudging 6-inches?Given that the first three iterations of the device have progressed from 5.3 inches to 5.5 inches and finally to 5.7 inches on the Note 3, logic would suggest that Note 4 would arrive with a 5.9-inch display. It is also rumoured the Note 4 will be built on 64-bit mobile architecture, which many thought would appear on the Galaxy S5, but has so far failed to materialise. A RAM bump to 4GB could also be in the cards. Recent reports have also suggested the company may be plotting a 20-megapixel sensor for future mobile devices. Could that new camera module make its debut on the Note 4?        | | Apple plotting 'radical overhaul' to rescue iTunes from onrushing stream train? Apr 9th 2014, 20:52, by Chris Smith 
Apple is considering its largest overhaul of its iTunes Music Store in over a decade as it seeks to revive the sale of MP3 downloads. According to a new Billboard report, the company is disappointed that free iTunes Radio streams have failed to translate into song purchases and is now considering a radical shake-up. The report claims only 1% - 2% of iTunes Radio users are opting to buy tracks, preferring instead to dine for free on random playlists served up by artist and song playlists. Apple had been banking on its hybrid streaming service to halt a reported 15% decline in downloads, the report says, but the failure to do so has prompted intense internal discussions on how to revamp iTunes. Committed to changeA major label executive told Billboard: "iTunes Radio hasn't solved the problem of refreshing the iTunes store. While listeners are clicking the buy buttons, the traffic it is driving is in the low single digits of listeners." Meanwhile another unnamed executive said the iTunes Radio flop "is driving the types of conversations they are having. They know iTunes has to change radically, but they still don't know which way it will go. But it will be completely different in three to five years. They are committed to making that happen." Just last month Billboard brought word that Apple may launch a fully fledged Spotify rival to make up ground on other streaming services and even an Android version of the iTunes Store.        | | Google slaps Heartbleed tourniquet on most key services Apr 9th 2014, 19:28, by JR Bookwalter 
It's likely to be a long week for IT professionals dealing with the aftermath of Heartbleed, the OpenSSL security flaw discovered earlier this week - but Team Google appears to have a good handle on it for now. The Google Online Security Blog today announced patches to many key Google services affected by Heartbleed, the security bug discovered Monday that potentially allows for theft of data typically protected by SSL/TLS encryption. "We've assessed this vulnerability and applied patches to key Google services such as Search, Gmail, YouTube, Wallet, Play, Apps, and App Engine. Google Chrome and Chrome OS are not affected," explained Google Product Manager Matthew O'Connor in a blog post Wednesday. The company's security experts are still working to patch "some other Google services" affected by CVE-2014-0160, the official name for the OpenSSL flaw which has been dubbed "Heartbleed." Android immunityGoogle's security team also made it clear today that the Android operating system is largely immune to Heartbleed, with the exception of Android 4.1.1, although the company is already distributing a patch to partners for that version. Google Cloud Platform and Google Search Appliance customers are also having Heartbleed purged from their services, with an update on the latter expected to arrive within 24 hours for enterprise customers. Security engineers are also currently busy patching Cloud SQL, with fixes expected to roll out Wednesday and Thursday; in the meantime, Google has posted instructions on how to whitelist IP addresses to prevent unknown hosts from accessing them. Although many companies are encouraging users to reset their passwords, security experts recommend waiting until fixes are in place to eradicate the Heartbleed flaw; the status of any domain name can be checked absolutely free from the Qualys SSL Labs website.        | | T-Mobile unveils budget-friendly $40/month plan, says more on the way Apr 9th 2014, 18:05, by Kevin Lee 
T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere is up to some Un-carrier shenanigans again. In a blog post, the ever-exuberant Legere announced T-Mo's new $40/month Simple Starter plan. The plan was made for customers who don't necessarily need a lot of data on their phones. As such the Simple Starter plan includes unlimited talk and text messaging, with only 500MB of 4G LTE data included. Customers can start signing up for it beginning April 12, and a pre-paid option will hit the streets May 17. Go ahead, go overThe big deal changer with the Simple Starter plan is that T-Mobile promised it will never charge for data overages. Instead, customers who have used up their 500MB allowance can simply choose to pay only when they want more data. Legere took another opportunity to explain the difference between T-Mobile and other carriers, most pointedly AT&T. "With AT&T's entry-level plans, for example, your costs immediately jump by increments of $20 when you slip over the threshold into massive overages - in what amounts to an obscene 44% price hike on those customers least able to absorb overages and bill shock," Legere said in a statement. More Un-carrier to comeIt's been a quiet few months since T-Mobile announced it would pick up the early termination fee bills for customers switching from competing networks. Earlier this month, the magenta carrier announced its flattest Un-carrier move yet by getting rid of Advantage Program discounts for new customers. It seemed like T-Mobile was all out of moves to reshape the American wireless scene, but now Legere has promised Simple Starter is just the start; there are two more days of Un-carrier announcements to come. In an interview with CNET, the T-Mo CEO also promised "at least" one more Un-carrier event this year labeled Un-carrier 5.0, suggesting a much larger promotion or program is in the works than what's in store for the rest of this week. - Getting a new phone with that Simple Starter plan? The Samsung Galaxy S5 isn't too shabby.
       | |
No comments:
Post a Comment