| Updated: Samsung confirms Galaxy Note 4 release date Sep 18th 2014, 14:52, by Jeff Parsons 
Update: Samsung has now confirmed that the Galaxy Note 4 will go on sale in the US on October 17, meaning the UK will have an extra week of playing with the new phablet. However pre-orders will go live simultaneously on both sides of the pond, letting you reserve a handset from September 26 - that's tomorrow. Original story below... It's unlikely to distract the queues of eager punters heading to the shops tomorrow for Apple's iPhone 6, but Samsung has announced you'll be able to pre-order its newest phablet, the Galaxy Note 4, on the same day. Samsung stores around the UK will open up pre-orders tomorrow, with retailers such as Three and Carphone Warehouse following suit from Friday, September 26. The handset will go on general sale on October 10. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was revealed at IFA earlier this month. The latest 5.7-inch goliath in the Note range will be a chief rival to Apple's new iPhone 6 Plus. Price is right?Behind the 5.7-inch QHD screen is a 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and 3GB of RAM. How much are you going to pay for the privilige? Well, Samsung's not saying just yet. But an earlier leak from retailer Clove suggested the handset will weigh in at £575. This time around the Galaxy Note 4 comes with enhanced S pen features that gives the stylus - a hallmark of the Note range - the mouse-like ability to enter Smart Select mode by clicking the button on the side. Upgrades have also been made in the form of Fast Charging and Ultra Power Saving Mode which, as you'd expect, let you charge up and eke out as much usage from the 3,220mAh battery as possible.        |  | Industry voice: Will Apple Pay pave the way for more secure mobile payments? Sep 18th 2014, 12:07, by Nick Pollard -470-75.JPG)
Even before the release of the iPhone 6, the rumour mill had been in overdrive on what we could expect from the device's new features and functionality. One of the most significant announcements to have been made at last week's event was the launch of Apple Pay: a new mobile payments service using NFC to enable contactless payments. Although mobile contactless payments hold the promise of greater convenience with quick and easy 'wave and pay' transactions, they have not, to date, reached mass appeal. The big question, now, is can Apple succeed where others have failed and take contactless payments from a niche service to more mainstream adoption? At the heart of the issue, and probably one of the most important factors in determining if it will catch on, is the security of the system. This is because retailers in particular have been a prime target for cyber criminals with POS systems proving to be a valuable commodity, and malware targeting credit and debit card readers or cash registers, steadily on the rise. The cyber-attacks on US retail giants Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels Stores - which involved malware on POS systems - had a profound impact on sales and consumer confidence in the safety of credit-card information at POS terminals. Of course, Apple don't have control over POS systems, but its new mobile payments should provide reassurances for consumers, as it uses a new approach which would mean that it is harder for criminals to perpetrate the kind of widespread data breaches we've seen this year. From the first analysis of Apple Pay, it appears that Apple is attempting to revolutionise payment methods into a far more secure and transaction-specific system which could only benefit the retail industry and users. The critical difference here is that it uses "Secure Element," an encryption method to protect payment information, using a one-time payment number. Personal Credit Information is not transferred in the transaction, instead a transaction code is sent to the bank which uses an algorithm that tells the system where money needs to go. If we add the extra stage of security in fingerprint recognition, this is a very powerful and secure change in transmitting PCI data. It's an approach which could even put pressure on banks to change the way a standard debit or credit card transaction takes place and to change their security protocols. From what we know so far, and the workflows that Apple is proposing with the Device Account Number being used alongside a transaction-specific dynamic security code, this looks like a significant advancement in securing mobile payments. The trade-off between security and ease-of-use for consumers has always been a challenging balance to strike. It could just be, that with this latest innovation, Apple has been able to blaze a new trail in the evolution of safer payments, pioneering a more secure method as transactions are not creating re-usable data Time will tell if consumers are now ready to swap cash and cards for mobile payments; that said, adoption rates for NFC payments are rising and the addition of mobile payments by Apple - which has a loyal base of customers - looks set to shake things up further. Closer assessment of the security will of course have to wait until the phones are fully in use and theory is put into practice. What we do know is that with Apple's announcement that security and privacy are core to this service, we should anticipate a robust system that can protect consumers and their data as fully as possible. - Nick Pollard is Senior Director of Professional Services, Guidance Software
       | | Those great OnePlus One StyleSwap covers have just been cancelled Sep 18th 2014, 11:07, by James Rogerson 
The OnePlus One is notable in for delivering high specs at a surprisingly low price, but another way in which OnePlus aimed to help the One stand out was through StyleSwap covers. These would let you replace the standard plastic back cover with a new, more unique and eye-catching one, made out of materials such as bamboo or kevlar. Sadly though, the company has decided to cease production of the covers. In a lengthy forum post a OnePlus representative explained that the number of bamboo StyleSwap covers that had passed its quality assurance tests was much lower than had been hoped, and on top of that the removal of back covers is tricky and can potentially even damage the battery. There's still some style to swapFor all those reasons there won't be any more StyleSwap covers, however OnePlus does still plan to sell the small number of bamboo covers that have been successfully produced, and is looking into releasing limited edition versions of the handset with Kevlar or denim covers. If you loved the idea of StyleSwap covers you might want to hold out for the OnePlus Two, as StyleSwap covers will apparently make a return with that handset, complete with a new design which ensures the battery is protected and the covers can easily be removed. - Customisation fans might want to look to Moto Maker instead.
       | | SwiftKey lands free on iOS 8 in time for the iPhone 6 Sep 18th 2014, 10:49, by Jeff Parsons 
SwiftKey, the predictive keyboard app beloved by Android users, has launched it's free iOS 8 app to coincide with the launch of iOS 8. Until iOS 8, Apple devices haven't supported third-party keyboards. If you're running an iOS 8 device you can go grab the keyboard from the App Store right now. It also means that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users will be able to use the app's predictive technology and become better, faster and more efficient typists, when the phones are launched tomorrow. SwiftKey works by proactively suggesting the next word it thinks you'll want to type, as well as autocorrecting your typos and adding spaces where they've been missed. Cloud controlThe SwiftKey Cloud feature lets you sync your typing preferences across devices and platforms and lets the app benefit from analysing your typing history through Facebook, Gmail, Evernote et al. "It's always been our mission as a company to make it easy for everyone to create and communicate on mobile," said co-founder and CTO Ben Medlock "This marks a big change for the millions who use iPhone, iPad and iPod touch: access to more choice and greater customization is, literally, right at their fingertips."        | | New Oppo N3 render leaks, and it's nothing like the last one Sep 18th 2014, 10:13, by James Rogerson 
Just a few days ago we saw what was apparently an Oppo N3 press image, but now a new render has appeared sporting a completely different design. The image, leaked to SoyaCincau.com, shows a phone which looks a lot like the Oppo N1, complete with what appears to be a rotatable camera and a dual LED flash. The other image we saw also had a rotatable camera, but with a cylindrical design to it which we're not entirely convinced by. Presumably only one of these images can be the real deal (if either are, at all) and personally we're hoping this new one is, because it looks more like an actual phone and less like a retro fantasy. 
No other details accompanied the image but SoyaCincau also received an invitation for an N3 launch event on October 29. Sadly the invitation itself was no more revealing, saying simply 'one more step designed for life' but with October fast approaching we should soon know which design is real and what else we can expect from the Oppo N3.        | | Tim Cook opens up about Apple's privacy policies Sep 18th 2014, 09:37, by James Rogerson -470-75.JPG)
In the wake of the iCloud hack and revelations about government surveillance people have understandably never been more worried about their privacy, and presumably in part because of this Apple has created a new privacy page on its website, where it explains all its policies. The page begins with an open letter from Tim Cook, where he outlines several key points including the fact that Apple won't build a profile on you to sell to advertisers. The only part of Apple's business which relies on advertisers at all is iAd and that follows the same privacy principles as everything else, so it can't get information on you from Siri, iMessage, iCloud, Health and HomeKit, Maps or your call history. He also claims that Apple has never worked with any government agency to create a backdoor into its products and services and never allowed any such agency access to its servers. He boldly goes on to say that the company also never will. Passcode protectedIf that guarantee doesn't put you at ease there is some more detailed information on this if you dig deeper into the privacy page, including the fact that Apple can't bypass your passcode, so it can't feasibly respond to warrants that ask it to extract data from your device. Apple can access your iCloud account but even then apparently less than 0.00385% of customers have had information disclosed due to government requests. If you're more worried about hacking or information theft there's also a whole page dedicated to ways in which you can minimise the chance of that happening, though it's mostly obvious stuff like advising users to enable two-step verification and to choose a strong password and change it regularly. It's worth a read in any case and while none of this is likely to totally alleviate privacy concerns it's certainly a step in the right direction.        | | iOS 8 bug puts the pinch on apps using Apple HealthKit Sep 18th 2014, 01:02, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
Wednesday may have marked the grand arrival of iOS 8, but the launch was marred by a bug keeping several health and fitness apps that use Apple's new HealthKit platform from landing. Apple didn't say what the problem was exactly, but it admitted a bug is delaying these apps from arriving on iDevices running the new OS. The company hopes to resolve the unspecified issue by the end of the month. "We discovered a bug that prevents us from making HealthKit apps available on iOS 8 today," Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller said in a statement to Re/code. "We're working quickly to have the bug fixed in a software update and have HealthKit apps available by the end of the month." Part of HealthKit's appeal is that the platform stores pertinent health and fitness data in one central place that can be tapped by various sources, such as a running app or a doctor at a hospital. Packed with new sensors, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are meant to track body metrics in ways never before seen on an Apple product. That is, when iOS 8's HealthKit is working properly. Health apps left in the coldWhile it's not clear if every health and fitness app wanting to take advantage of HealthKit was delayed, some have come forward to speak their peace. The developer of Carrot Fit, a weight-tracking app, told Cult of Mac Apple informed him the app was pulled from the App Store because of a "last-minute problem with HealthKit," as the site put it. Apple couldn't explain what the issue was, but the developer said users who downloaded iOS 8 had no problem with HealthKit. Others, like an updated WebMD app, were also pulled while Lark and Strava were made unavailable. It's expected that when a new OS launches, there's going to be some glitches. But for such a highly touted feature as HealthKit to run into a problem like this at launch, and to likely rub many third-party partners the wrong way in doing so, isn't a good way to get iOS 8 off the ground.        | | Facebook updates its iOS 8 app ahead of the iPhone 6 launch Sep 17th 2014, 20:55, by klee 
Just as folks are starting to download iOS 8 today and get on line for the iPhone 6 launch on Friday, Facebook is also tidying up its smartphone apps. The social network detailed in a blog post that it's making its Facebook app bigger and clearer to match the larger screen resolutions of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Facebook also wrote a short walkthrough on how sharing photos from users' libraries or webpage clippings though Safari will lead users to a sharing page with a new layout. After tapping on Facebook, the usual sharing overlay will display on the screen allowing users to pick who they want to share with, add a location, tag friends, and add a status update. In reality nothing has changed here on Facebook's end as it seems its smartphone app does not support iOS 8's extensibility feature, which lets apps to communicate directly with each other. The new feature allows users to share an item they see in Safari on Pintrest without ever having to leave their browser or edit their images in the photo library with Waterlogue effects. Facebook says its update will roll out to users over the coming weeks. It's Apple, not usAside from the small UI refresh, Facebook is took the time to make it very clear that it has not changed its privacy rules regarding users' Location Services. Users on Apple's latest mobile OS may note that their Location Services settings have been updated with an option to be turned always on, never or just when using an app. Worried that it would be accused of tracking users (again), Facebook wrote it "does not get location information from your device in the background (that is, while you're not using the app)." The social network went on to explain Location Services only activates when users geotag their status updates or turn on a feature that requires the service such as Nearby Friends.        | | T-Mobile's free CellSpot wi-fi calling router is available today Sep 17th 2014, 17:58, by Michael Rougeau 
When T-Mobile makes a promise, the carrier is determined to deliver, and today it has with the launch of the T-Mobile CellSpot. Announced during T-Mobile's Un-carrier 7.0 event on September 10, the CellSpot personal router hooks up to users' broadband connections and provides them with full bars and HD Voice in their homes or elsewhere. The "un-carrier" says it's "like having a personal T-Mobile tower in your home." Apparently 57% of American wireless users report dropped calls in their own homes, a T-Mobile spokesperson told TechRadar, and the T-Mobile CellSpot should help with that. Don't delay, act nowThe main caveat is that T-Mobile CellSpot users must have a phone capable of utilizing wi-fi calling. Luckily many new top-of-the-line phones, including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and others, do support wi-fi calling. And going forward all new T-Mobile phones will have wi-fi calling, the company said. T-Mobile customers hoping to take advantage of the new CellSpot router must also have a qualifying Simple Choice plan and, naturally, a broadband internet connection. Other than those requirements and a refundable $25 deposit, the T-Mobile CellSpot is free - just go into a T-Mobile store or call the carrier to have one sent to you today. GoGo power textersT-Mobile has also partnered with GoGo in-flight Wi-Fi in the US to provide its customers with free in-flight texting, picture messaging and visual voicemail beginning today. The carrier said in today's announcement that its in-flight services extend to more than 2,000 commercial aircraft operating in the US. And during its September 10 event Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert said GoGo services are available on 8,000 US flights per day.   | | Slingplayer mobile apps cozy up to Chromecast with latest update Sep 17th 2014, 17:56, by JR Bookwalter 
Google's inexpensive little HDMI dongle has been racking up an impressive number of supported mobile apps in recent months, with Sling the latest to deliver a method for casting video to a connected television set. Sling today announced Chromecast support for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones, courtesy of new updates to the existing Slingplayer apps, offering yet another way to beam content from a supported Slingbox to an HDTV. With the updates available Wednesday, owners of Slingbox M1, 350, 500 or SlingTV hardware can enable casting to Google's $35 (UK£30, AU$49) Chromecast dongle with the tap of the cast icon from the mobile app. Unfortunately, Android tablet owners will have to sit out the Sling Chromecast party, at least for now - the company confirmed in a blog post that support for Android-based tablets "will be rolled out soon," with no specific availability mentioned. The Sling connectionDespite the limited partner support when Chromecast first launched in July 2013, Google has been working overtime to expand content beyond the initial Netflix, YouTube and Google Play offerings. With a Slingplayer equipped mobile device, Sling hardware owners can now beam live or recorded cable and satellite programming to any HDTV - even if it doesn't happen to be in your own home. Once the Slingplayer app is paired up with Chromecast, the iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone in question will magically turn into a soft remote, allowing users full control over the content casting to the TV set. Sling recommends Chromecast as an even more cost-effective alternative to Apple TV and Roku 3, both of which also support similar Slingplayer functionality from mobile apps.   | |
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