| Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Windows' best M8, Ballmer has a ball, and people on Twitter are bitter Aug 22nd 2014, 13:39, by TechRadar 
In the immortal words of Taylor Swift, while the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, we're just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it off. It's like we've got this music in our mind, singing "Week in tech! Week in tech!" And what a week it's been: we've seen Windows make a new friend and lose one of its biggest cheerleaders, Sharp banish the bezel, more iPhone 6 leaks than you can shake a stick at and yet more unpleasantness on Twitter. Not only that, but it's all happened while we've been dancing round our desks. Windows' new M8The excellent HTC One M8 was our favourite phone of 2014 - but would we still love it if HTC ripped out the Android operating system and stuck Windows Phone in there instead? Marc Flores knows: he's reviewed the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone. The hardware's as nice as ever, of course, and while Windows Phone 8.1 isn't quite there apps-wise it's still a pleasant place to spend time. It's US-only for now but may roll out to other countries if it sells well. Crystal yaysCould the Sharp Aquos Crystal be the best-looking phone in the world today? Its bezel-free design is certainly striking and fantastically futuristic, but as Joe Osborne reports its lovely looks don't compensate for what's ultimately a budget Android handset. The price is OK but it "feels hollow" and the plastic screen doesn't feel as good as it looks. Alpha versus everything"What's this? A premium design in a small body with cutting edge specs?" asks Simon Hill. Yep, it's the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Hill also sees how the Samsung Galaxy Alpha holds up vs the iPhone 5S and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, its key rivals. The verdict? It'll all come down to the price, which Samsung's keeping schtum about until September. Six appealThe iPhone 6 will be launched in just over two weeks' time, and that means we're seeing more leaks than a Welsh greengrocer. Keeping our news and rumour round-up up-to-date has become a full-time job, and the latest leak suggests that we'll see a 128GB model at long last. While the iPhone 6 is sneaking out all over the place, the iWatch remains top secret - but that doesn't mean we can't divine Apple's plans from published information. A new patent suggests it'll have a sapphire screen and "jewelry" components. Maybe it'll look like Flavor Flav's clock. Build your own gaming PCLast week we discovered how to build your own Steam Machine. This week, Joe Osborne explains how to build a fantastic gaming PC for considerably less cash than you might expect and without falling into the same traps he did. "Dude, this rig is sweet," he says. Twitter users getting bitterWe hate to say we told you so, but we told you so: a few weeks ago Gary Marshall warned that Twitter was about to get a lot more spammy, and this week it happened. Tweets you mark as favourites will now be treated as retweets, and they'll pop up on your followers' timelines whether you want them to or not. Thanks, Twitter. Thanks a bunch. Bye bye Ballmer (again)Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's inimitable former CEO, has severed his last tie with the company by stepping down from Microsoft's board to spend more time with his basketball team. If you think we'd use that news as a flimsy excuse to dig out the videos of his most demented sales pitches, his portrayal of Dr Evil and his infamous "Developers! Developers! Developers!" rant you'd… well, you'd be absolutely right. We'll miss you, Steve.        |  | Is this the Moto X+1 in all its glory? Aug 22nd 2014, 10:13, by Hugh Langley 
Just when you thought he was out, they pull him back in. Well not entirely, but @evleaks has spilled one more phone leak as a retirement gift to us all - some alleged press shots of the Moto X+1. Evan Blass took to Twitter to post the images, which give us a clear look of the device from the front and back. It all looks pretty similar to what we've already seen: there's the optional wooden back, the dual LED flash, and front-facing speaker. As ever, Blass didn't divulge any further details on the phone, but rumours claim it'll come with a full HD 5.2-inch display, a 12MP camera, a 2.5GHz quad core processor, and 16GB of storage. Sounds good to us, though this may remain a US-only device for some time. Everything will be revealed at Motorola's big September 4 event - and we'll be there to bring you the news as it breaks. - Guess what else is set to appear on September 4 - the Moto 360
       | | St George, Westpac to get touchy with fingerprint mobile logins Aug 22nd 2014, 05:14, by Farrha Khan 
St George bank has announced that it will let customers log-in to its mobile banking app using fingerprint tech found on the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S5. iPhone 5S users will be able to start logging into the St George mobile banking app from September, with the bank set to complete the final stages of testing by the end of next week. Customers will be required to download the updated St George mobile banking app, as well as iOS 8 once Apple makes it available. Through the St George app, customers will be able to choose to securely log in using Apple's Touch ID technology, or through customer ID and password or a four-digit passcode. Mobile banking evolvingThe new fingerprint login option will be extended to Westpac customers shortly after the roll out to St George customers in September, while Samsung Galaxy S5 users will also get the new feature "in the coming months". St George says that currently, more than 50% of the bank's digital customers use mobile banking, while 15% of these customers use an iPhone 5S. "This initiative follows a number of advancements in technology led by St George, including the launch of mobile banking on smartwatches earlier this year and the development of a banking application for Google Glass, which will be ready when the glasses are launched," said St George CEO George Frazis. Earlier this year, the bank had begun trials using iBeacon technology to provide customers with tailored information as they stepped into a branch. "We're excited to be at the forefront of innovation," Frazis said.   | | Apple filing reveals plans for sapphire and 'jewelry' components Aug 21st 2014, 21:39, by klee 
In case you wanted even more evidence Apple is planning to release a new sapphire laden device... PTT Research Senior Analyst Matt Margolis posted an Apple filing on Scribd in which the Cupertino firm asked the US Department of Commerce for permission to expand its sapphire production operations at its new Mesa factory. Everything looks legit, down to Apple Director of Global Trade Compliance James J. Patton's signature. The alleged request was filed on July 2 and requests an expedited review so Apple could meet an "aggressive go-live timeline of August 2014." The filing goes on to make several mentions to sapphire and "jewelry" components. Adding everything up, it seems as though Apple was looking to kick start sapphire production by the beginning of this month. The newly reported documents tie closely to reports last week suggesting Apple was hoping to begin producing mass quantities of sapphire by the end of August at its GT Advanced Technologies co-operated factory. Time's upSo far, we've heard many early reports pointing to the Apple introducing a sapphire screened device. Once again, there's no mention in the document what size or type of electronic we might see sapphire being incorporated in to. Jewelry components, however, is a big hint Apple is thinking iWatch here. Due to the lateness of the sapphire production it seems even less likely it will come to the iPhone 6. Assuming history repeats itself, Apple's next handset should show up at its usual September event and go on sale close to a week later. It would be nearly impossible for Apple to go from producing phones, assembling them and then launching the device into a full retail launch all within the span of a month and a half. At the same time reports have suggested sapphire is being reserved for a more expensive iPhone 6. The heavily speculated iWatch seems like a much more likely candidate to receive the sapphire screen upgrade. Luxury watches typically come with the scratch resistant material and a recent report also tipped the Apple wearable to get the sapphire treatment. Stay tuned for September 9 when we're guaranteed to at least see the iPhone 6. We wouldn't put it past Apple to slip in the iWatch too for good measure.        | | Galaxy Note 4 camera said to focus on the art of the selfie Aug 21st 2014, 21:03, by Michael Rougeau 
Word on the street some time ago was that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 could pack a walloping 20-megapixel camera, but recently a 16MP snapper has seemed more likely. Now SamMobile is confirming once again that that's what its sources are saying along with providing a boat load of additional Galaxy Note 4 camera details, including a greater-than-ever focus on selfies. According to the site's "elite friends," the Note 4 will indeed sport a 16-megapixel Sony IMX240 camera, capable of shooting ultra HD video with 3840 × 2160 resolution at 30 frames per second. But unlike the version of this camera found on the Korean variant of the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Note 4's camera will reportedly also feature optical image stabilization (OIS). Camera convenienceIn addition it looks like Samsung will upgrade the Note 4's front-facing camera from the 2.1 megapixels found in the Galaxy Note 3 to 3.7 megapixels. But there may be much more in store for the Note 4's camera. For one thing it will supposedly include Side Touch, a side-mounted capacitive button for snapping photos that SamMobile says was originally intended for the Galaxy S5 before being pulled at the last minute. Further there may be a new gesture for accessing the camera when the screen is off; tapping with two fingers and swiping them apart. Best selfies everBut clearly the most important rumor here is that the Galaxy Note 4 will have four new camera modes, three of which are dedicated to the art of the selfie: "Selfie" mode, "Wide Selfie," "Selfie Alarm," and "Create A GIF File." Most intriguing of those is Selfie Alarm, which allegedly makes it easier to take selfies with the phone's superior rear-mounted camera by allowing it to automatically detect your face and snap the photo. Hopefully we'll know more soon, as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected out in September.        | | Misplace your Tesla Model S key? Just whip out your iPhone Aug 21st 2014, 19:07, by klee -470-75.jpg)
The iPhone 5S will soon have a new party trick up its sleeve - letting you open your car and start it with a tap. Electrek reports Tesla is rolling out an OS 6.0 software update to its Model S vehicles. The most notable feature in the update log suggests keyless entry and ignition start for iPhone users. Supposedly the new software will allow the Apple smartphone to unlock and start their car in case they forget or misplace their regular key fob. The documentation doesn't explain how this keyless start and entry would work. However a few solutions like it already exist, including a Lexus-developed app and another third-party app called Viper (not the muscle car). The update log also mentions an Android update is on the way. Tight integrationAside from the keyless entry and start, the update will also integrate your iPhone calendar with the car's dashboard computer. Meanwhile, an improved navigation system will redirect drivers away from roads it predicts are congested. It's not Apple CarPlay or Android's auto-enabled technology, but Tesla is clearly paving its own way to integrate smartphones more closely with its automobiles. - Will the iPhone 6 rocking iOS 8 bring even more smartphone connected cars?
       | | iPhone 6 may max out at 128GB, but where's the 32GB model? Aug 21st 2014, 17:41, by JR Bookwalter 
Although services like iTunes Match and other cloud-based providers have largely eliminated the need for larger-capacity iPhones, big spenders seeking 128GB of on-board storage may very well have that option this year. GforGames (via Weibo) continued to pore over leaked schematics for the forthcoming iPhone 6 today, and this time they've turned up evidence suggesting Apple plans to introduce a model with 128GB of storage. The same rumor foreshadowed last year's launch of the iPhone 5S, although the more recent iPhone launched with a max of 64GB. Apple offers the latest iPad Air and iPad mini 2 with Retina display models in a 128GB configuration, but of course we're talking tablets here. According to repair service GeekBar, the aforementioned schematic clearly shows a version of the iPhone 6 sporting 128GB of Toshiba-branded storage, compared to smaller capacity models featuring NAND flash storage manufactured by Toshiba, Hynix and SanDisk. Wither 32GB?What the leaked schematics do not show, however, is an iPhone 6 sporting 32GB of storage, which has traditionally been the capacity sweet spot between the entry-level 16GB model and the pricier 64GB edition. 
Earlier this year, rumors surfaced suggesting Apple could eliminate the 16GB base model, shifting storage capacities upward to make room for a 128GB edition (at least on the mythical 5.5-inch flavor), therefore making 32GB the new minimum. Judging from GeekBar's data, the 16GB model will apparently survive for at least another generation, but it may be the 32GB capacity facing the chopping block when Apple debuts the iPhone 6 in September. Everyone knows Apple likes to keep things simple when it comes to options, but we wouldn't quite count 32GB down and out just yet - and until executives from the iPhone maker confirm it, we'll keep this one squarely in the rumor category for now.        | | App usage skyrocketed last year, iPhone owners wealthier than Android owners Aug 21st 2014, 17:17, by Juan Martinez 
Total US mobile app usage has increased 52% in the past year, according to a recent comScore report. For the first time, mobile app usage accounts for the majority (52%) of digital media time spent. Approximately seven out of every eight minutes of media consumed on mobile devices was spent in apps. More than one-third of all US smartphone owners download at least one app per month. The average smartphone downloads three apps per month. Fifty-seven percent of smartphone users access apps every single day of the month. Forty-two percent of all app time spent on smartphones occurs on an individual's single most used app. Facebook is the most popular app in terms of audience size and share of time spent. iPhone versus AndroidThe median iPhone app user earns $85,000 per year, or 40% more than the median Android phone user. On average, iPhone users engage with their smartphone apps for nine more hours per month than Android users. Not only are iPhone users richer, but they're also younger. Forty-three percent of iPhone users are between the ages of 18-34, whereas 39% of Android phone users are in the same age group. Same goes for tablet usage: 57% of iPad users are younger than 45 as compared to 53% of Android tablet users.        | |
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