| Beats Music subs now available through iTunes as service tries to keep track Apr 19th 2014, 11:36, by Chris Smith 
Fledgling streaming service Beats Music has issued an update to its iPhone app, allowing prospective users to subscribe through the iTunes ecosystem. With Beats struggling somewhat to establish itself among the streaming elite, the firm has made the decision to sacrifice 30 per cent of the subscription fee on those coming through iTunes. As a rule, Apple requires that cut for all in-app purchases and Beats seems to have admitted defeat in the uphill struggle to grow significantly without the ease offered through iTunes. The company's CEO Ian Rogers told Recode that working within iTunes is simply "what you have to do if you want subscribers." He added: "If you don't care if people subscribe or not, and you've got a free product, maybe then you wouldn't do it." Can Beats compete?The move will raise doubts over the initial uptake of the Beats service and its ability to compete with the likes of Spotify, Rdio and Pandora. Rogers said plenty of people are "trying it" and is claiming conversion rate wins from a promotion through the AT&T network in the United States, but it appears there is plenty of hard work ahead. He added: "We've had far more people try the product than projected. Clearly the marketing works. The conversion rate on the AT&T plan is off the charts. It's safe to say the biggest problem is coveting iOS users, and we've just fixed that."        |  | How low can you go? Scaled back Moto G style handset reportedly outed Apr 19th 2014, 10:46, by Chris Smith 
Motorola's affordable Moto G handset has undoubtedly been the smartphone success story of the last year and now it looks like the soon-to-be-Lenovo-owned firm is aiming for a repeat performance. Brazilian site Tecnoblog, claims it has nabbed a screenshot from a local carrier, revealing a lower-spec handset that may be the rumoured Moto E. According to the photo, the unnamed handset will come with a 4.3-inch display of unspecified resolution, with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and a 5-megapixel camera. The mentioned specs continued to drop well below the Moto G, with 3G-only connectivity, 4GB of internal storage and a 1900mAh battery. Super-slimHowever, interestingly, the phone is listed as having an ultra-slim 6.2mm profile and of course the latest Android 4.4 software. According to the Brazilian carrier, the new handset will come in marginally cheaper than the Moto G which, with those specs, would hardly be a surprise. Has Moto found its niche as the king of the affordable market? Are these rumoured specs just too low end to represent a good option for moderately tech savvy users? Let us know your thoughts.        | | Facebook plans to share Nearby Friends location data with advertisers Apr 19th 2014, 10:11, by Chris Smith 
Facebook has confirmed the data mined through the new Nearby Friends feature may one day be used for advertising and marketing purporses The new tool, which is rolling out to iOS and Android apps in the coming weeks, allows users to share their location with select friends enabling pals to detect when they're in the locale and arrange meet ups offline. At the time of the announcement on Thursday, Facebook made no mention of sharing the data with advertisers, which would have no doubt coloured the reaction to the feature. Belatedly, a Facebook spokesperson has confirmed to TechCrunch: "At this time it's not being used for advertising or marketing, but in the future it will be." Tracking your travelsFacebook is pitching the tool as a valuable new feature for users. It sends occasional notifications informing them how often friends, who've also agreed to be seen, are in the locale. It will also follow users on their travels, allowing friends to pitch in with suggestions or recommendations wherever they roam around the world. Knowing the end goal may be (or always was?) geared towards targeted advertisements may see some users change their views on the feature. Will you be switching on Nearby Friends when it hits your smartphone? Let us know your thoughts below.        | | In Depth: Apple v Samsung: 10 secrets the court battle has revealed Apr 19th 2014, 10:05, by Gary Marshall 
Apple v SamsungApple and Samsung are scrapping in the courts again, and you know what that means: top-secret stuff gets thrown about with gay abandon, providing us with an insight into the tech giants' most jealously guarded plans, predictions and peeves. So what can we discover from the latest battle in Apple's Android war? 1. Apple v Google was a "holy war"You can't fault Steve Jobs' consistency: when he said he wanted to wage war against Google, he stuck to the message and made plans to act. The "thermonuclear war" on Android he told his biographer, Walter Isaacson, about had a different name in a 2011 internal email, though. In an email to top staff Jobs spoke of a "Holy War with Google", which was the "primary reason for this Top 100 meeting". 2. Samsung has been planning to dump Android for agesSamsung has done well out of Android, but it sees the lack of control and rivals' adoption as weaknesses - so while Apple is number one on its enemies list, HTC, Google and Samsung itself are in the top four too. Samsung's documents say it has been struggling to stay on top of Android updates and would rather use its own, proprietary, OS. 
3. Apple cares more about the competition than it lets onWe're supposed to think that Apple doesn't care about market share, but of course it does; it just doesn't like to admit it. An internal slideshow about Apple's 2014 phone strategy, which was presented during the cross-examination of Apple marketing VP Phil Schiller, said that "consumers want what we don't have" and emphasised the growth in cheaper and larger phones. When questioned, Schiller says he didn't agree with it and it didn't represent Apple's policy - although in what's surely a coincidence Apple is widely expected to launch a bigger iPhone, the iPhone 6, in 2014. 4. Apple was jealous of Samsung's marketingSo much for Apple not caring what the media says: when the Wall Street Journal said Apple had lost its cool to Samsung, Phil Schiller emailed Apple's ad agency to say: "We have a lot of work to do to turn this around". The agency's response "shocked" Schiller, who replied with an angry email and went on to praise Samsung's Superbowl spot. "I can't help but think 'these guys are feeling it'", he wrote. "That's sad, because we have much better products." 5. Samsung's top priority is beating AppleAccording to a 2011 Samsung strategy plan - a plan with the heading BEAT APPLE on page two, Samsung's "#1 priority" is "beating Apple." "(everything must be context of beating Apple)," the document adds, somewhat unnecessarily. 6. Android didn't want touchscreens until the iPhone came alongThe excitingly named Android Project Software Functional Requirements Document version 0.91 - July 6 2006 confirms what most of us had already guessed: the iPhone launch caused major facepalms at Google, which was planning to concentrate exclusively on phones with horrible little buttons. "Touchscreens will not be supported," the document says. One Steve Jobs "boom!" later and Android, like the rest of the smartphone sector, suddenly got all touchy. 7. The Galaxy Tab was a massive flopMany of us were cynical about Samsung's 2011 claim that it had sold 2 million Galaxy Tabs by the end of 2010, suspecting that by "sold" it meant sold to retailers, not to customers. When pressed Samsung wouldn't give a straight answer, but evidence obtained by AppleInsider shows that the real figure was much, much lower: just 1m total sales up to June 2011. The Galaxy Tab didn't even outsell the Nook. 
8. Apple considered a magic wand to control Apple TVIn the same email that talked about a holy war with Google, Steve Jobs bullet pointed the plans for the next Apple TV: "Where do we go from here?" he wrote. "Apps, browser, magic wand?" We're assuming the latter item is a potential product rather than just sarcasm. 9. Samsung follows iPhone rumoursIf Apple wants to cause trouble for Samsung, it should leak news that the iPhone 7 will contain a unicorn, run on dilithium crystals and include a metal detector: in Samsung's strategy plan for 2012 it described the "extremely real and urgent" threat of the then-unannounced iPhone 5. The specs, Samsung predicted, would include "LTE, social networking, cloud integration, CE [Consumer Electronics] integration, improved Siri". Someone's been reading the rumour round-ups. 10. Copying was a two-way streetMultiple documents show that Samsung analysed Apple's software forensically to improve its own offerings. An incredibly detailed 2010 analysis shows exactly where Apple got it right and Samsung got it wrong (short version: pretty much everywhere), while an earlier User Experience (UX) analysis uses the iPhone as an example of what Samsung should have been doing but wasn't. On the other side, Steve Jobs' Holy War email noted that Apple "needed to catch up to Android where we are behind", citing "notifications, tethering, speech…" as areas for improvement.        | | Facebook Paper for iOS adds birthdays, photo comments and more Apr 18th 2014, 21:43, by Michael Rougeau 
Those using Facebook Paper on their iPhones are getting a drastically different Facebook experience from everyone else. Today, that experience just got better. Facebook Paper update 1.1 recently hit the App Store, bringing about what Facebook called in a Paper blog post are its most requested features. The update adds birthday and events notifications to Paper, and users with the latest version can scroll past their notifications to see this info. In addition, Facebook Paper users can now leave their own photos as comments on friends' posts. More Paper improvementsFacebook Paper's support for Facebook groups has improved as well, with unread counts so users can see which of their groups have new posts. The update also includes improvements to accessibility support, new indications for unread stories, and reliability and speed improvements overall. Finally, Facebook commissioned designer Sharon Hwang to design new covers for articles from Bloomberg News, Mashable, FT, kottke, Fox News, Popular Science, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair and Hacker News. Work aheadTen weeks after Facebook Paper's launch, the social network says users read an average of 80 stories every day across five or six different sections, the most popular being Facebook, Headlines, Tech, Ideas, LOL and Pop Life. Facebook says more niche sections like Pride are popular as well. "Ten weeks have passed since we launched Paper and we want to thank you for being part of our community," the Facebook Paper team wrote. "Our vision is to make Paper the best way to experience stories from friends and the world on Facebook. "We know we have work ahead of us - and that's why we appreciate your feedback and support."        | | AT&T bulks up no-contract GoPhone data plans, but not prices Apr 18th 2014, 20:04, by JR Bookwalter 
By this time next week, AT&T GoPhone customers will be basking in the warm glow of additional data for no annual contract plans, all without paying a penny more than they currently do. AT&T recently announced upcoming changes to the carrier's no contract and pre-paid service, which will soon offer a better value to smartphone customers by increasing the amount of data they can use each month at no additional cost. Beginning Friday, April 25, the base AT&T GoPhone plan will bump from 250MB to 500MB for the same $40 per month with 500 voice minutes and unlimited texting, including messages from the US to Mexico, Canada and more than 100 other select countries. And that's not all: Jumping up to the $60 per month plan adds unlimited talk, free Wi-Fi hotspot capability and a data increase from 2GB to 2.5GB, with both plans taking advantage of AT&T's "nation's most reliable" 4G LTE network. Value plansExisting customers already on the $40 or $60 per month AT&T GoPhone plans will automatically receive the additional storage starting April 25, and new customers will have a third option as well. Available exclusively at Walmart retail stores nationwide, AT&T is introducing a new GoPhone plan featuring 1GB of data with unlimited talk and text for only $45 per month, offering a lot more value than the base plan for a few dollars more. The carrier isn't forgetting about its traditional basic and messaging GoPhone customers either, with a new $45 per month option that delivers unlimited data, talk and text, complete with the aforementioned international option. "We're giving customers more for less, and making it even easier for them to enjoy their smartphones the way they want - all on a superior, reliable network," said Mark Collins, AT&T Mobility senior vice president of data and voice products.   | | LG is joining the ever-escalating chip race Apr 18th 2014, 18:49, by Michael Rougeau 
LG has confirmed that it's joining the processor race with TSMC, which will manufacture chips for the South Korean phone maker. LG's chip, which was previously rumored as the monster octo-core "Odin," will launch "soon," according to the Korea Herald, which broke the news after speaking with a representative of LG. The site also spoke with another source that said LG's Odin processors will launch in the second quarter of 2014, though that much at least is unconfirmed. The chips will be designed by LG for LG phones and manufactured by TSMC, also known by its lengthier name Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which last year struck a deal with Apple as well. Great Odin's RavenLG is one of the top phone manufacturers in the world, and in Korea it's second only to Samsung. It's only natural that the company would begin producing its own chips, especially as Apple and Samsung rely more and more on their own processors. Apple was reportedly ramping up production of its new A8 chip earlier this year to meet demand for the upcoming iPhone 6, while Samsung recently refreshed its Exynos line with new quad- and six-core chips. News of LG's own chips has naturally sparked speculation that the new processors will be shipped in LG's upcoming new flagship, the LG G3, but that can't be confirmed at this time. In addition to that, however, this news has also caused some to wonder whether LG will resurrect its semiconductor business as well. - Here's what TechRadar thinks of the Galaxy S5
       | | Next Google Nexus phone may come with a budget price Apr 18th 2014, 17:51, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Google is known for offering hardware direct to customers at lower-than-most prices, but the company may take it one step further in offering a budget Nexus phone. That's the word coming from a Chinese publication that reports on "everything MediaTek," but more on that thread in a minute. The main hook here is that Google's next Nexus handset could cost as low as $100 (about £59, AU$107). The phone would likely fall in the lower mid-range spectrum, and likely wouldn't replace the Nexus 5. A $100 price tag would be significantly cheaper than previous Nexuses; the Nexus 4 sold for $300 (£239, about AU$321) at launch, and the Nexus 5 followed with a slightly higher $349/$399 (£299/£339, about AU$374/AU$427) fee. Ticking with TekThe only other detail to go on with this rumored budget Nexus phone is it could run a MediaTek processor. HTC partnered with MediaTek to offer the entry-level Desire 310, and the chip maker is China's leader in smartphone silicon. The country is gobbling up budget phones by the barrel, and Google could be taking a cue from Apple in targeting the region with low-cost hardware. We'll keep an eye out for more on this supposed cheaper Nexus, so stay tuned for more.        | | Leaked images claim to reveal iOS 8 running on iPhone 5S Apr 18th 2014, 16:50, by JR Bookwalter 
With Apple's annual developer conference quickly approaching, we have little doubt that somewhere in Cupertino there are devices already running iOS 8 - and a new report could very well offer our first glimpse at one of them. PhoneArena today turned up a handful of images allegedly from Apple's forthcoming iOS 8, which will presumably be unleashed in just over six weeks during the iPhone maker's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. One low-resolution image (shown below) appears to show iOS 8 running on a current iPhone 5S passed along by a generous reader using the screen name "Omar Sharif," which we're pretty sure is not the star of stage and screen who shares the same moniker. The tipster followed up with a trio of screenshots - two from iPhone and one from iPad - which reveal a bevy of icons for new apps that have been widely rumored to be included with the mobile OS release this year. 
Eight is greatAlthough the four images don't immediately stand out as obvious fakes, the inclusion of a so called "Watch Utility" app is likely to raise eyebrows, although others for Healthbook, Preview, TextEdit and Tips fall in line with recent rumors. Also clearly on display is an icon for iTunes Radio, which Apple is reportedly toying with the possibility of turning into a standalone app, rather than part of the existing built-in Music app. Assuming iOS 8 breaks cover at this year's WWDC which kicks off June 2, it's not surprising to see leaked screenshots making the rounds a month and a half early, even at the same time Apple is said to be readying an iOS 7.1.1 bug fix update. Meanwhile, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users still lingering on iOS 6 have apparently found themselves in the midst of an extended FaceTime outage since yesterday, and the only resolution for now appears to be upgrading to iOS 7.1. - Oh, and don't forget to follow the latest on iPhone 6 as well!
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