| Samsung Galaxy F has an air of the iPhone about it in new leak Jul 4th 2014, 12:57, by John McCann 
The Samsung Galaxy F is being billed as a premium Galaxy S5, complete with metal body and QHD display - and a newly leaked image seems to suggest the metallic finish is indeed going to happen. GSM Arena has been sent an image from an anonymous tipster, who claims it's a shot of the top portion of the Galaxy F - which is also being referred to as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime in some reports. The picture in question shows a metal band running round the circumference of the handset, in a similar way to iPhone 5S, although we're told the metal finish doesn't extend to the rear of the device. Two-faced
Instead the source claims Samsung will stick with a removable polycarbonate rear on the Galaxy F, mirroring the metal-plastic combo found on the Nokia Lumia 925 and Lumia 930. As the site is quick to point out, it can't verify the image it's been sent, but all of this does appear to fall in line with previous rumours surrounding the Samsung Galaxy F which also point towards a Snapdragon 805 processor, QHD display and LTE-A.        |  | Sony Xperia Z3 leak reveals it may not get screen or processor bump Jul 4th 2014, 11:10, by John McCann 
We've heard murmurings of the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact in recent weeks, and the former is now at the center of another leak. This time XperiaBlog claims it's got hold of a screenshot from the Sony Xperia Z3 revealing the processor and operating system it's running. The model ID of D6653 is also present in the shot, falling in line with its predecessor, the Xperia Z2, which is D65XX. Android 4.4.4 KitKat is also onboard, which isn't a huge surprise as Android L is still under development. What's the point?
It's the processor which is the most interesting part of this leak however, as we're expecting flagship handsets launching later this year to come sporting Qualcomm's fancy new Snapdragon 805 processor. However the screenshot points towards the current 801 chip that you'll find in the Xperia Z2, Galaxy S5 and LG G3 - meaning there's unlikely to be much of a step-up in performance. And with the same report suggesting the Xperia Z3 will stick with a 1080p screen resolution rather than QHD, the only real change for the handset could be a slimmer, 7mm thick body. Hardly seems worth it, but we may find out come September with a possible launch at IFA 2014 in Berlin.        | | iPad Air 2 shows up again with TouchID and slimmer build Jul 4th 2014, 10:15, by John McCann 
Ready for your next instalment of iPad Air 2 leakery? Good, because that's exactly what we have in store, with images claiming to show a mock up of Apple's upcoming flagship tablet. We've already seen the Xperia Z2 Tablet, a slew of Samsung slates and even some new offerings from LG this year, which means all we're really waiting for is Apple's new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. Well, perhaps some new Nexus and Kindle Fire offerings too. The latest snaps were spotted on Japanese site ASCII Plus and appear to show a dummy iPad Air 2 unit alongside the iPad Air. 
Spot the differencesThere wasn't any information to accompany the shots, but it appears the iPad Air 2 could be slightly thinner than the current 9.7-inch incumbent which currently measures 7.5mm thick. TouchID also seems to be present, with a metal ring surrounding the home key below the screen, while the speaker grilles on the base of the tablet are fewer, yet larger. 
The pictures also suggest Apple may do away with the slide switch which resides above the volume keys on the current iPad and iPhone ranges - with the functionally moving to Control Center on screen. As usual, there's no way to authenticate these images so we could be looking at an elaborate fake. We'll probably have to wait until around October before we see an official announcement. 
       | | Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Facebook's feed-fiddling and Microsoft's plan to get you fit Jul 4th 2014, 10:00, by TechRadar 
If this week had a sound that sound would be "wheeeeee!" or maybe "gnnnnnh!" - that's our impression of BMW's tech-filled and faintly frightening M3 sports car, which can put a smile on even the most sombre face. But BMW's not the only firm that can change people's moods: Facebook's been at it too, and the internet has a frowny face as a result. It's Week in Tech! Fury over Facebook feed-fiddlingThe internet is ANGRY, and this time it might have a point: Facebook has been manipulating users' News Feeds to try and change people's moods. It's probably legal, but seems rather unethical: "Nobody was asked whether they wanted to participate in what is effectively a psychological study," we report, and it's "arguably irresponsible too: how many of the people whose news feeds were made more negative were people with vulnerable emotional states or mental illnesses such as depression?" Plasma panels: on borrowed timeSamsung has hammered another nail into the coffin of plasma TV: it's going to build its last plasma set in November of this year, and then it's going to switch focus to 4K and curved TVs instead. Panasonic's already out of the plasma business, and reports suggest that it won't be long before LG stops too. So what kind of TV should you buy if plasma's on the way out? Allow us to help with our in-depth guide to the best TVs of 2014. Good news for NexusGot a Nexus 4, 5, 7 or 10? We've got good news: you'll be able to get Google's super soaraway Android L operating system. The code has already been made available to developers, but we mere mortals will probably have to wait for the official release in September or October. Microsoft wants your wristDoes Microsoft want you to wear Windows? It certainly sounds like it: it's working on a Samsung Gear Fit-style fitness device that'll go on sale later this year. It's a fitness tracker rather than a smartwatch, and because this is the New Microsoft it won't just be for Windows Phone users: it'll work on Android and iOS too. Samsung has a horseWe've looked at two very different Galaxies this week: Samsung's giant Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 and the teeny-tiny Galaxy S5 Mini. Thanks to a (now-removed) typo in our review we can exclusively reveal that the former is a "power horse", but like many pretend horses it's "let down by the rear… which feels less than premium." Meanwhile the S5 Mini isn't actually that mini: with a 4.5-inch display it's bigger than previous Minis and only a little bit smaller than the full-sized S5. "Tarmac-trampling triumphalism"BMW's M3 is "a game changer", says Jeremy Laird, pulling doughnuts in the car park: it's "stupendously, staggeringly, sickeningly quick" and packed with more tech than a terminator. It's the most configurable M3 ever and "an exceptional achievement." The iPod of the 80sImagine a world without the WalkMan. There'd be no iPod, no Wired for Sound by Cliff Richard and no "home taping is killing music" campaign. Sony's smash hit is a terrifying 35 years old, and while the name lives on the iconic tape-based player is long gone. "There are lessons here for Apple," Ian Morris writes: the WalkMan put Sony at the top of the consumer tech tree, but by the time it made its last tape-based WalkMan in 2009 it was losing money hand over fist. Making music hardware is just like making music: you're only as good as your last hit.        | | Your Android phone may be telling strangers where you've been Jul 4th 2014, 09:07, by Hugh Langley 
If you've told your smartphone to keep your location data a secret, that should be the end of it. But a disconcerting security flaw in Android devices means that your travels may be broadcast to strangers without your consent. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has discovered that devices running Android 3.1 Honeycomb or later which are put into Preferred Network Offload mode (a feature that allows devices to create Wi-Fi connections even when the screen is turned off) will share the recent Wi-Fi networks they've been connected to. So if you've been connecting to "McDonald's" or "Your Company Wi-Fi" then there's a high risk that those locations will be viewable by anyone within Wi-Fi range of your device. And most of us wouldn't like the idea of leaving a trail of evidence on our travels, would we? Follow the breadcrumbsGoogle's response to the EFF is as follows: "We take the security of our users' location data very seriously and we're always happy to be made aware of potential issues ahead of time. "Since changes to this behavior would potentially affect user connectivity to hidden access points, we are still investigating what changes are appropriate for a future release." For a temporary workaround, the EFF suggests heading to your phone's settings, selecting Advanced Wi-Fi, then 'Keep Wi-Fi on During Sleep', and then changing it to Never.        | | Updated Google Play Services 5.0 rolls out to nearly every Android device Jul 3rd 2014, 19:15, by Kevin Lee 
Along with announcing the availability of Android Wear apps earlier today, the search company also pushed out Google Play Services 5.0 to almost all Android devices. There's no need to download it either. The services update comes through the Google Play Store to almost all smartphones and tablets running Android 2.3 Gingerbread to 4.4 KitKat. Google Service 5.0 brings with it an API designed to make it easier for users to communicate with apps running on Android Wear devices. In a developer update Google wrote that the 5.0 update allows apps to sync data, exchange control messages, and transfer data between wearables and compatible phones. Matchmaker, make me a matchThe Android Wear specific updates will only work with devices. What's more, smartwatches and activity trackers running Google's wearable OS will only work with certain handsets. To help users make sense of whether devices can pair properly, the Mountain View company launched an Android Wear Check website. The online tool allows users to check the compatibility of their smartphone before trying to find a match. Everything elseAside from all the Android Wear specific tools, the updates services also adds a dynamic security provider allowing developers to rapidly deliver security patches. A necessity in today's world when it seems like some other app has been breached every week. A tweak to Google Wallet adds the option to save offers or deals to users' wallets. At registers and online carts users can now pay for goods with both their Google Wallet Balance and linked credit or debit cards in case they don't have enough virtual currency in the bank to make the purchase. The virtual wallet will also know when users have walked into a store by tracking their location data to automatically pull up loyalty cards and offers. Google hopes this will save the user the hassle of digging and carrying around the items physically when they can simply scan codes from their phones. On the developer side app makers will be happy to hear Google has improved analytics capabilities for e-commerce sites. The updated tools include new ways to measure marketing and merchandising strategies, and search for the app like a webpage with an updated indexing API. - Google preps for Android Wear but what of Android L?
       | | The new HTC One (M8) is so good it has actually made HTC profitable again Jul 3rd 2014, 18:37, by Chris Smith 
Like its predecessor, the new HTC One (M8) handset has been a huge critical success, but unlike the 2013 model those positive reviews appear to have translated into sales. On Thursday the Taiwanese mobile manufacturer announced a return to profits, following a run of three straight quarters where it lost money. Largely off the back of HTC One M8 sales the firm made $75.5m (around £44m, AU$80.7) in the three months leading up to June 30. That's up 80% on last years numbers, which coincidentally was the last time it added any cash to the coffers. SustainThe key for now will be for HTC to sustain it for the rest of the year. That would offer an indication that the One (M8) and the follow up HTC One Mini 2 had some staying power. The company is yet to disclose how many units it has sold, but is telling the world the M8 is outperforming last year's model. Is the HTC One M8 enough to stop it going all BlackBerry for HTC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.        | | Facebook Messenger app finally swoops onto iPad screens Jul 3rd 2014, 17:27, by JR Bookwalter 
No more having to reach into your pocket to message someone back via Facebook while browsing on the iPad, thanks to the universal build now available. Facebook today updated the standalone Facebook Messenger app for iOS to version 7.0, and iPad owners finally have something to cheer about now that the app works natively on their favorite smartphone as well as tablet. If that wasn't enough for iOS users to get excited about, the update also allows videos shot inside of the Messenger app to be saved to the device Camera Roll, where they can be shared to other apps as well. Facebook is also making it easier than ever to invite friends already using the social network to join the ranks of Messenger users, and promises the app will also be "more reliable" thanks to other, unspecified fixes. Big talkNow a universal build offering a native experience across iPhone, iPod touch or iPad from a single app, Facebook Messenger 7.0 appears to be making the most of the larger tablet display. On the iPad, the Recent, Groups, People and Settings tab now appear on the left edge of the screen in both portrait and landscape views, while your ongoing conversions have plenty of room to breathe on the righthand side. The iPad is also a great place to send friends some of those decorative Facebook stickers, which are now displayed across the bottom of the screen, where they presumably look pretty awesome on a Retina Display. Otherwise, Facebook Messenger 7.0 for iOS offers the usual complement of free text and call options (including internationally), private photo sharing, the ability to record voice messages and one-tap access to jump between Messenger and Facebook apps. - Find out the latest on Apple's rumored iPhone 6 right here!
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