the hottest gift is a tablet but which one to buy

The other day, I joined National Public Radio for a segment about high-tech holiday gifts. I was ready for the calls from listeners. I'd brushed up on cameras, phones, laptops, music players and game consoles. I was prepared to talk about limiting screen time, digital addiction, cyberbullying. I knew where to get the best deals.
But all six callers had the same question: "What tablet should I get?"
There were variations, of course. "— for my kid?" "— for my elderly father?" "— just for reading?" "— for not much money?" But in general, it was clear: the gadget most likely to be found under the tree this year is thin, battery-powered and flat.

No wonder people are confused. The marketplace has gone tablet-crazy. There's practically a different model for every man, woman and child.

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There's the venerable iPad, of course. And now the iPad mini. There are new tablets from Google, also in small and large. There are Samsung's Note tablets in a variety of sizes, with styluses. There are cheaper touch-screen colour e-book/video players. There's a new crop of black-and-white e-book readers. There are stunningly cheap plastic models you've never heard of. There are tablets for children (and I don't mean baby aspirin).
So how are you, the confused consumer, supposed to keep tabs on all these tablets? By taking this handy tour through the jungle of tablets 2012. Keep hands and feet inside the tram at all times.
Dirt-cheap knock-offs
You can find no-name tablets for $100 or even less. You can also find mystery-brand Chinese tablets in toy stores, marketed to children.
Don't buy them. They don't have the apps, the features, the polish or the pleasure of the nicer ones. The junk drawer is already calling their names.
E-book readers
The smallest, lightest, least expensive, easiest to read tablets are the black-and-white e-book readers. If the goal is simply reading — and not, say, watching movies or playing games — these babies are pure joy.
Don't bother with the lesser brands; if you're going to get locked into one company's proprietary, copy-protected book format, you'll reduce your chances of library obsolescence if you stick with Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Each company offers a whole bunch of models. But on the latest models, the page background lights up softly, so that you can read in the dark without a flashlight. (These black-and-white models also look fantastic in direct sun — now you get the best of both lighting conditions.)
The one you want is the Kindle PaperWhite, whose illumination is more even and pleasant than the equivalent Nook's.
Of course, plain, no-touch, no-light Kindles, with ads on the screen saver, are cheaper. But the light and the touch-screen are really worth having.
Colour e-readers/players
Amazon and Barnes & Noble each sell a 7-inch tablet that, functionally, lands somewhere between an e-book reader and an iPad. They have beautiful, high-definition touch screens. They play music, TV shows, movies and e-books. They can surf the web. They even run a few hand-picked Android apps such as Angry Birds.
They're nowhere near as capable as full-blown, computer-like tablets of the iPad/Nexus ilk, mainly because there are so few apps, accessories and add-ons. But you're paying only a fraction of the price.
The big two here are, once again, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you're not already locked in to one of those companies' books and videos because you owned a previous model, the Nook HD is the one to get. It's much smaller and lighter than the Kindle Fire HD. It has a much sharper screen. It includes a wall charger (the Fire doesn't) and no ads (the Fire does).
Or get the classy Google Nexus 7. Although its book/music/movie catalogue is far smaller, its Android app catalogue is far larger (but see "iPad versus Android," below).
Big colour readers/players
This year, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have introduced jumbo-screen (9-inch) versions of their HD tablets. Here again, Barnes & Noble offers a better value than its 9-inch Kindle Fire HD rival. The Nook HD (PLUS) offers a sharper screen, lighter weight, no ads, a memory-card slot and a wall charger.
Amazon's 9-incher is no slouch, either. It has twice the storage but no card slot, and it has a front-facing camera for Skype video; Nook HD models have no cameras.
iPad v Android
Google is coming after Apple hard. The company now sells two tablets, the Nexus 7 (7-inch screen) and the fast, loaded Nexus 10 (10-inch screen), manufactured under Google's supervision by Asus and Samsung respectively.
The 10-inch model has a gorgeous screen. Technically, it packs in even more dots per inch than the iPad's Retina display, although you can't really see a difference.
Google's tablets also have more hardware features than the iPads, such as a video-output jack and stereo speakers — and they cost less. The Nexus 10 costs $469, which is $70 less than the equivalent iPad (16 gigabytes of storage).
Samsung is also flinging its own Android tablets into the ring. Its Galaxy Note tablets come with a stylus and a handful of stylus-oriented apps that let you draw or take notes, for example.
But Android tablets' plastic backs feel cheaper than the iPad's metal. Their cameras aren't as good as the iPad's. Their batteries generally don't last as long.
Above all, the Android-tablet app catalogue is still very disappointing. The apps that exist are often hastily re-jigged versions of Android phone apps, rather than apps thoughtfully designed for the bigger screen. For example, the Android apps for Twitter, Yelp, Pandora, Vimeo, eBay, Spotify, Rdio, Dropbox, LinkedIn, and TripAdvisor are scaled-up Android phone apps — basically, they're just lists. On the iPad, the screen is filled with useful visual information about whatever is selected.
No matter how much progress Android tablets make in hardware and price, those 275,000 tablet-designed iPad apps can't help making the iPad more attractive. (Google won't say how many apps there are for Android tablets, and there's no tablet area of the Android app store.)
iPad v iPad mini
The iPad mini runs all the same apps as the big iPad, unmodified. It shows the same content on the screen, just smaller.
The big iPad's screen is much sharper. I'm betting the Retina resolution won't come to the mini until next year's model. But otherwise, the mini makes so much sense. You can slip it into a purse or overcoat pocket. You can hold it for far longer without finger fatigue (it's very light and thin). And you can pay $369 instead of $539.
You know the old photographer's adage: "The best camera is the one you have with you?" You could say the same thing about your tablet.
Now, listen
If you don't find one of the tablets recommended here under your own tree, don't cry in your eggnog. These days, the competition is fierce and the quality is high. There aren't any certified turkeys among the name-brand tablets.
But if you do unwrap the Kindle PaperWhite, the Nook HD or the iPad mini — or wrap one up for someone else — you'll get that extra glow of satisfaction. You'll know that, at least in this moment of marketing time, you or your loved one wound up with the best that money can buy, in the most desired gift category in the land.
Next year, the hot gift might be a camera, phone, laptop, music player or game console. But this year, the marketplace has spoken: at least in technology, the world is flat.

Upgrading RAM on new iMac practically impossible

The electronics website iFixit on Friday downgraded the new 21.5-in. iMac's repair score to 3 out of a possible 10, calling servicing the computer "an exercise in disappointment."
The website urged do-it-yourselfers to look for a leftover 2011 model instead. "Hackers, tinkerers, and repairers be forewarned: Get last year's model if you'd like to alter your machine in any way," said Miroslav Djuric, iFixit's chief information architect, in an email announcing the site's teardown of the newest iMac.
Apple started selling the redesigned 21.5-in. iMac on Friday at its retail and online stores. The larger, more expensive 27-in. iMac is to ship later this month.
After disassembling the iMac, iFixit assigned the all-in-one desktop a repair score of just 3 out of 10; The 2011 version of the same-sized iMac sported a more DIY-friendly score of 7 out of 10.
The iMac's new score is in the same low range as Apple's 15- and 13-in. Retina-equipped MacBook Pro laptops, which earned a 1 and 2, respectively, this summer and fall. In June, iFixit called the 15-in. MacBook Pro "the least-repairable laptop we've taken apart."
Explaining the iMac's low score, iFixit cited the copious amounts of "incredibly strong" adhesive that bonds the LCD and front glass panel to the frame. Earlier iMacs fixed the display in place with magnets rather than the hard-to-dislodge glue, which is even harder to replace.
Just as damning was an Apple design decision that makes it practically impossible for users to upgrade the iMac's RAM. The 21.5-in. iMac comes standard with 8GB of memory -- and can be upgraded to 16GB -- but because the RAM is buried beneath the logic board, owners must "take apart most of the iMac just to gain access," iFixit said.
Older 21.5-in. iMacs had four external RAM slots that were easily accessed by users.
Apple mentions the impracticality of memory upgrade only in a side note hidden on the iMac's options page. There, Apple said: "Every 21.5-inch iMac comes with 8GB of memory built into the computer. If you think you may need 16GB of memory in the future, it is important to upgrade at the time of purchase, because memory cannot be upgraded later in this model."
The not-yet-available 27-in. iMac will continue to sport four external memory slots. Customers can boost the RAM at the time of ordering to 16GB (for an extra $200) or 32GB ($600), but those prices are exorbitant compared to third-party RAM that users install themselves. An additional 8GB of memory -- which would raise the iMac's total to 16GB -- costs just $40 at Crucial.com, for example.
iFixit spotted several other changes to the iMac, including a larger, single fan rather than several smaller fans; dual microphones, likely a noise cancellation move for FaceTime video calls; and a vibration-dampening housing around the laptop-sized 2.5-in. hard disk drive.
The teardown also exposed the location where Apple places a "Fusion Drive," the option that combines 128GB of flash storage with a standard platter-based hard drive.
The new iMacs are priced between $1,299 and $1,999 -- $100 more than their precursors -- and can be purchased or pre-ordered at Apple's online and retail stores.

4G will arrive in UK by summer 2013 after mobile networks deal

The UK will have nationwide 4G services running on multiple networks by the end of next summer – six months earlier than originally proposed – under a deal sealed in a meeting between the networks and culture secretary Maria Miller on Tuesday night.
The agreement will shorten the headstart won by EE, the largest network company and parent of Orange and T-Mobile, which intends to launch the country's first 4G service later this month.
So-called "fourth generation" mobile technology allows much faster internet connections for phones than today's 3G networks. With the iPhone 5 and high-end smartphones from Nokia and Samsung designed for some British 4G spectrum bands, operators are now racing to build the networks capable of running them at full speed – which will allow users to download movies in seconds and make high quality video calls.
EE already owns enough spare spectrum to be able to launch this year, while its rivals O2, Vodafone and Three must wait for a government airwaves auction to acquire enough bandwidth for 4G.
In an 11-page letter sent to Miller on Monday night, telecoms regulator Ofcom offered to bring forward both the auction date and the deadline for clearing the spectrum being sold from digital TV signals so they are free to carry mobile phone traffic.
The heads of the UK networks agreed a peace treaty on Tuesday night after months of legal wrangling.
"Delivering 4G quickly is a key part of our economic growth strategy," said Miller. " I am grateful to the mobile operators for their co-operation in bringing forward vital 4G services. The open and collaborative approach taken between the government and the mobile companies will have hugely beneficial results for UK business and investment. We anticipate that 4G services will boost the UK's economy by around £2-3bn."
O2's UK chief executive, Ronan Dunne, said that after intensive lobbyingthe auction would begin in January instead of February or March. It is expected to bring in up to £4bn for the government's coffers.
Dunne added that masts company Arqiva would be able to clear away digital TV signals in England, Wales and most areas of Scotland by May, with networks able to launch services by the end of the summer after around two months of testing. However, the harder to reach Highlands and Islands will have to wait longer for 4G, with services not expected until later in 2013.
The UK's 4G auction has suffered from repeated delays after a combination of legal threats from phone companies and a mix-up over digital TV signals. UK digital channels launched on a different band to the rest of Europe and Arqiva is now rushing to harmonise them in line with the continent.
Dozens of other nations including Germany, the US and even smaller economies like Estonia already have 4G, putting the UK in danger of losing its reputation as a pioneer in mobile technology.
In a presentation which laid part of the blame for the slow progress at Ofcom's door, Dunne said: "Everyone is pleased that we've made this progress, it's just a little bit frustrating that it's taken so long. Before our various interventions we didn't have a genuine level playing field and we risked a 4G digital divide."
But the regulator denied that it was to blame.
Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards, said: "The actions we have taken with industry and government avoids the risk of significant delay and is tremendous news for consumers who might otherwise have waited a considerable period for the next generation of mobile broadband services. Ofcom's objective has always been to release the spectrum as early as possible and we remain focused on starting the auction by the end of the year."
All operators have now agreed not to litigate either EE or the 4G auction. It is understood that the EE chief executive, Olaf Swantee, has promised not to hold up the work of Mitco, a jointly owned company charged with clearing the spectrum for mobile use over the coming months.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has said he will spend the proceeds on building affordable homes and a stamp duty holiday if Labour is elected.
Responding to Balls's plans, announced at his keynote Labour party conference speech on Monday, Dunne said: "It would have been nice to have had an auction before somebody actually went and spent the proceeds."

Who is the next Steve Jobs (and is there one)?

It's a loaded question, one with no clear answer. But in the year since Apple's co-founder and visionary CEO died, it's been asked in tech circles over and over:

Who is the next Steve Jobs?

There's one easy response. It's safe to say that no figure in the tech industry will perfectly duplicate the unique blend of vision, salesmanship, mystique and eye for detail possessed by Jobs, who died one year ago Friday.

And it's complicated further, some say, by the fact that for much of his own life, many wouldn't have predicted Jobs himself would earn tech-icon status.

"Steve Jobs had a strange career. He really wasn't celebrated as a genius until really late," said Leander Kahney, editor of the Cult of Mac blog and author of books on Apple, including "Inside Steve's Brain."

Not until Jobs returned to Apple and introduced the iPod and iPhone did people begin to praise him as a modern-day Thomas Edison, Kahney said. "He was dismissed before then as a marketing guy, a fast talker who didn't know much about technology. He only really was lionized in the last four or five years."

#WhatSteveJobsTaughtMe: Share your thoughts on his life and career

But industry observers abhor a vacuum. Futile though it might be, it's perhaps human nature to speculate about who could emerge to fill the void left by the passing of tech's biggest personality and most recognizable face.

One can make cases for or against a handful of nominees. And no list is long enough to include an as-yet unknown creator who may be birthing the industry's next game-changer in a garage or dorm room somewhere.

Did Apple's fanboy fever peak with Steve Jobs?

But here are some names worth considering, with thoughts both for and against their candidacies:

Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon

Pros: Bezos actually has a host of traits that mirror Jobs. Like Jobs was with Apple, he's the founder of Amazon as well as its CEO. Being a part of a company's life story helps. As much as anyone, Bezos also captures a bit of Jobs' panache at live events. At last year's rollout of the Kindle Fire, he got high marks for introducing a game-changing product in a stylized fashion, then getting off the stage. (Tech giants Google and Microsoft have been accused of being rambling and unfocused at similar unveilings.) Reports say Bezos shares Jobs' penchant for attention to detail (some would say micromanaging) and, like Jobs, he's been willing to take the company into new and unexpected directions.

"I've met Bezos personally, and he is mesmeric. Brilliant smile, quick mind, very engaging and decisive," Kahney told CNN. "He has the same obsession with the ordinary consumer; to make and sell things from the consumer's point of view. ... Bezos has Jobs' focus and drive. He's a little bit maniacal in his drive and ambition."

Cons: Despite the Kindle line, Amazon is, at its core, a content company. The mobile devices are a means of delivering books, music, movies and other data to customers as directly as possible. Will the public ever be as excited about the CEO of the company that peddles e-books and data-storage space as it was about the one that sold it its personal computers, laptops, phones and music players?

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook

Pros: The Steves -- Jobs and Wozniak -- had their garage. Zuckerberg had his Harvard dorm room. And in those two rooms, perhaps the two best-known origin stories in tech were born. As head of the social network that has changed the way people use the Internet, Zuckerberg is maybe the only tech boss who, like Jobs, has become a household name. ("The Social Network" didn't hurt.) He created a product that millions of people now use. And he's even cultivated his own trademark, casual-wear style, as the Zuckerberg hoodie is now almost as iconic as Jobs' mock turtleneck.

"Zuckerberg has some of the characteristics (of Jobs), and perhaps the most important one -- the pursuit of a vision," Kahney said. "That sets him apart."

Cons: He's gotten better at speaking in public. But as a pitchman, Zuckerberg still falls miles short of the charismatic Jobs. It's seems Zuck would rather be the idea man behind the scenes than front-and-center when it comes time to sell the final product. Also, the fact that Facebook's stock price is not already racing toward Google/Apple heights doesn't help.

Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

Pros: Well, there's the obvious one. Job's was Apple's CEO. Now Cook is. At the helm of the company, Cook gets to be the face of every new innovation rolled out by Apple. He's got the biggest stage and brightest spotlight in which to put himself forward.

Cons: Cook comes from more of a business background than one of innovation and design. He may masterfully steer Apple's course for years to come, but, rightly or not, few observers at this juncture are inclined to give him credit for vision, or influence over products' design, the way they did Jobs. Plus, being Apple CEO after Jobs is like being the football coach who follows a retiring Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi. What were those guys' names? Exactly.

Jonathan Ive, senior vice president, Apple

Pros: When Jobs stepped down, there were many who expected Ive, not Cook, to step up. Ive is senior vice president of industrial design and is believed to be the creative mind behind products from the Macbook Pro to the iPod to the iPad. The London native already has a knighthood, as well as a healthy dose of Jobs' true-believer passion for the product.

Cons: Well, he's not the CEO. (Nor is marketing mastermind Phil Schiller, another name bandied about to replace Jobs). To truly ascend to Jobsian levels, Ive would need to set out on his own -- which, at 45, is doable. It's hard to envision Ive bolting from Apple, where he's worked since 1992. But, boy, it would be fun to watch.

Marissa Mayer, CEO, Yahoo

Pros: If you need proof of how well Google alum Mayer is liked in Silicon Valley, just look at the number of folks she's been able to lure to join her at a Yahoo that was floundering when she took the reins in July. At Google, where the former engineer was the 20th employee, she's credited with everything from the clean design of the search page to becoming one of the leading public faces of the tech giant.

Cons: It looks like a turnaround has begun at Yahoo. But the job's still a long way from done. If Mayer becomes the face of a dramatic rebirth, she will have accomplished something few predicted. If she doesn't (the four CEOs before her all fell short), it likely won't hurt her reputation all that much -- but neither will it bump her up to the next level.

Elon Musk, serial entrepreneur

Pros: How's this for an origin story? Musk grew up in South Africa before leaving home at 17, without his parents' consent, rather than serve a compulsory stint in an army which, at the time, was enforcing the race-based apartheid system. He'd end up in the United States four years later -- although he'd already sold his first software, a video game called Blastar, when he was 12. Since then, all he's done is create publishing software Zip2 (sold to AltaVista for $300 million), co-found PayPal (he owned 11% of its stock when eBay bought it for $1.5 billion) and help create Tesla Motors, makers of the first commercial electric car. Oh, wait ... he also runs SpaceX, a company working on space exploration. Director Jon Favreau says Musk was his inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark character in the "Iron Man" movies.

"His ambitions are so huge," Kahney said. "He's definitely a ballsy character. And he's a good leader, like Jobs. He's surrounded himself with good people."

Cons: With the exception of Tesla, none of Musk's projects, so far, have directly involved consumer products. Tens of millions of people had something Jobs made in their pockets, on their desks or piping music into their ears. Among the public, Musk may be less well-known than all of the names above -- at least for now. But, at 41, he's got time to change that and it would be foolish to bet against him.

Seth Priebatsch, CEO, SCVNGR, LevelUp

Pros: Who? Priebatsch is the wild card on this list. But consider him the representative of a new generation of young, creative tech "makers" who could ascend to loftier heights in the years, or decades, to come. At 22, Priebatsch's SCVNGR raised more than $20 million in funding. He founded his first Web company at 12 and has moved on to start LevelUp, a mobile-payments system that's also raked in millions from investors. He got rock-star treatment for a speech he gave last year at South by Southwest Interactive. Plus, he's already cultivated a Jobs-like signature fashion statement -- his trademark orange sunglasses and shirts.

Cons: In the startup world, for every success story, there are countless washouts. Not every young turk even wants to be another Jobs, and not every killer app has the potential to make millions, or billions, of dollars -- even when they're well-liked and widely used.

Good or bad, what lessons did you learn from Jobs? Share your responses in the comments below

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini to be launched October 11?

It looks likely that Samsung is planning to launch the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini next Thursday, October 11. The manufacturer’s German arm has sent out invites to a special launch event promising “something small”.

The invites, written in German, can be roughly translated as “something small will be really big” followed by “get ready for a little sensation.”
 
It reminds us a little of the phrase used to sell the Samsung Galaxy S3: “the next big thing is already here,” while last year's Samsung Galaxy Nexus was teased with the phrase “something big is coming.”

Add in the distinctive ‘S’ logo that accompanies all Samsung Galaxy devices slap bang in the middle of the invite, and it all points to the launch of a small Galaxy devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini has been rumoured for a few months now, and a number of sources are pointing to an imminent launch. Dutch site GSM Helpdesk, for example, recently reported that the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini would be coming out by the end of the year.

Meanwhile German site Mobiflip, which is the source of the above invite information, reckons that “anything else would not make sense for me at the moment.”

The device itself will apparently feature a 4-inch (hardly small by a certain fruity manufacturer’s standards) 800 x 480 display, rather like the original Galaxy S. It’ll apparently run on a dual-core processor and will sport a 5-megapixel camera. Expect it to run Jelly Bean out of the box, too.

We’ve only got around a week to wait before we find out what kind of mini marvel Samsung has in mind.

UK CHARTS: Million-selling FIFA 13 is No.1

There’s claiming the UK No.1. Then there’s claiming the UK No.1.
EA’s FIFA 13 is not only top of the charts, but it sold an incredible one million plus copies in its first week according to the UKIE Charts, compiled by GfK Chart-Track.
It’s not the first game to do so (it’s the fourth, in fact), but it joins a very exclusive club that includes only Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3.
And considering the current state of the UK market, the achievement is all the more remarkable. The numbers absolutely nuke anything we’ve seen from any other title in the UK this year.
In hitting these incredible sales, FIFA 13 betters the week one numbers of FIFA 12 by 27 per cent in units and 31 per cent in value. Again, remarkable in the current in the current climate.
Its success drove the overall market to a 196 per cent week-on-week gain in unit sales and a 282 per cent jump in revenue. FIFA 13 claimed 71 per cent of the UK’s total video game unit sales last week and 80 per cent of its revenue.
The biggest achievement of all, perhaps, is that the UK market actually bettered the same week performance of 2011 – up by 11 per cent in units and 18 per cent in revenue.
Other debutants included World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (4^th), Rocksmith (7^th), Angry Birds Trilogy (16^th) and Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition (17^th).
Here’s the UK Top 20 in full for the week ending September 29^th:
1. FIFA 13 (EA)
2. Borderlands 2 (2K Games)
3. F1 2012 (Codemasters)
4. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria (Activision)
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 (Konami)
6. Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix)
7. Rocksmith (Ubisoft)
8. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
9. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Warner Bros)
10. New Super Mario Bros 2 (Nintendo)
11. Dead or Alive 5 (Tecmo
12. Forza Motorsport 4 (Microsoft)
13. LittleBigPlanet Vita (Sony)
14. Dead Island GOTY Edition (Koch)
15. Max Payne 3 (Rockstar)
16. Angry Birds Trilogy (Activision)
17. Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition (Sony)
18. London 2012 The Official Video Game (Sega)
19. Guild Wars 2 (NCsoft)
20. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Namco Bandai)

Why Samsung wants Apple’s iPhone 5 banned

Samsung has added the iPhone 5 to its list of Apple devices that it claims violates US patents it owns.
According to reports yesterday, Samsung said it had amended its earlier filing against Apple to include the new device. Samsung had originally filed the complaint against Apple on 15 June 2012, alleging that the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad violated two of its standards patents for mobile broadband, as well as six feature patents.
Samsung has stated in its filing that it has good reasons to include Apple’s latest flagship device as the iPhone 5 was released only on 12 September.
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, “the case in which Samsung added the iPhone 5 claims is scheduled for trial in 2014″.
So what are the patents that Samsung claims the iPhone 5 is infringing upon? Here’s a quick look. You can click on the links given at the end to know more about each patent.
Patent No 7,756,087: This one deals with mobile communication systems using an enhanced uplink dedicated transport channel which transmits data at a relatively low effective data rate through non-scheduled transmission. For more details click here.

The iPhone 5 Getty Images

Patent No 7,551,596: Method and apparatus for signaling control information of uplink packet data service in mobile communication system. For more details click here.
Patent No 7,672,470: Audio/video device having a volume control function for an external audio reproduction unit via a remote controller. For more details click here.
Patent No 7,577,757: Multimedia synchronization in a device. Audio, video, and photographic information including content information and content management information, relating to at least one user, are thus stored in a digital form via this system. For more details click here.
Patent No 7,232,058: This deals with how a bunch of data is displayed on a relatively small display screen. For more details click here.
Patent No 6,292,179: This is how the OS keyboard reacts to a stylus being used on the touchscreen and the methods via which it recognises key code when using a stylus. For more details click here.
Patent No 6,226,449: This one deals with recording and reproducing digital image and speech. For more details click here.
Patent No 5,579,239: This one deals with video transmission system. For more details click here.
In the filing Samsung has also alleged infringement by Apple’s Mac, Mac Mini, MacPro, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Apple TV products, but those products are relevant if they are components of an accused system that also includes the iPhone 5.
Looks like this Apple-Samsung battle is not going to end. Samsung said in its official statement yesterday,  “We have always preferred to compete in the marketplace with our innovative products, rather than in courtrooms. However, Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition.”
It seems that Samsung is blaming Apple for starting this legal mess.

Rumoured HTC One X+ – what you need to know

Details of the rumoured HTC One X+ have surfaced courtesy of mobile phone and broadband provider O2.
The speculated arrival of the hotly-anticipated One X+ seems to have been confirmed, following its appearance in the latest O2 catalogue.
A significant improvement on the One X and bringing some pretty awesome specs to the table, the newest addition to HTC’s One series can’t come soon enough – especially for HTC.
The Taiwanese manufacturer has had a pretty torrid few months, with poor sales and tumbling shares. So can the One X+ pump in some much-needed life?

HTC One X+ specs

With a 1.7GHz quad-core processor – up 0.2GHz from its predecessor – the One X+ promises to be one of the most powerful, smartphones around.
It is not just power that has been given a boost, but also storage. According to the promotional material from O2, HTC has packed an impressive 64GB of internal storage into the One X+, putting it on a level with the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3.
The cutting-edge rumoured new release is said to arrive pre-loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and because HTC is prolonging its partnership with Dropbox, customers will be treated to 25GB of free cloud storage.
O2 hasn’t given too much away, but it is reported that the X+ will also feature an 8MP primary camera, akin to that of the original HTC One.

HTC One X+ release date

Unfortunately, O2 kept quiet with regards to a release date, leaving fandroids hanging by simply stating the One X+ is “coming soon”.
Although the mobile provider remained mute on such matters, the catalogue did unveil a price: the “Pay and Go” (PAYG) option, otherwise known as SIM-free, will set customers back £479.99.
Considering that a 64GB iPhone 5 costs a hefty £700, the HTC One X+ is a comparatively good deal – if it ever sees the light of day, that is.

Prices for the SEAT Leon

SEAT has revealed prices and specs for its all-new Leon, ahead of first deliveries in March 2013

Prices for the new SEAT Leon have been announced. The five-door family hatch will cost from £15,670 when order books open on 1 October for first deliveries in March 2013.
The Leon prices were confirmed by SEAT’s President, James Muir, who added that the Leon range will expand to include three-door and estate models in the future.

  
Three trim levels will be available from launch: S, SE and FR. The entry-level Leon S gets air conditioning, an MP3-compatible six-speaker CD player and Bluetooth, for hands free phone calls.
Mid-spec Leon SE gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel, front fog lights and SEAT’s XDS electronic differential lock system, while range-topping FR models get 17-inch alloys, a sporty bodykit, sports seats and sports suspension.
Buyers will also be able to pick from an extensive list of options, including 18-inch alloy wheels, full leather upholstery, satellite navigation, and full LED headlamps.
Like the all-new VW Golf, the new Leon is built on the VW Group’s MQB platform. It will be offered with three petrol and two diesel engines, with highlights including the most efficient 104bhp 1.6-litre diesel Leon Ecomotive - which returns 74.3 mpg and 99g/km - and a 181bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 7.5 seconds.
Full list of prices for the new SEAT Leon:

Model	Engine	Power	CO2	MPG	Price
S	1.2 TSI	104bhp	114g/km	57.6	£15,670
S	1.6 TDI	104bhp	99g/km	74.3	£17,370
SE	1.2 TSI	104bhp	114g/km	57.6	£16,790
SE	1.2 TSI DSG	104bhp	112g/km	58.9	£18,040
SE	1.4 TSI	138bhp	119g/km	54.3	£17,840
SE	1.6 TDI	104bhp	99g/km	74.3	£18,490
SE	1.6 TDI DSG	104bhp	102g/km	72.4	£19,740
SE	2.0 TDI	148bhp	106g/km	68.9	£19,840
SE	2.0 TDI DSG	148bhp	117g/km	64.2	£21,090
FR	1.4 TSI	138bhp	119g/km	57.3	£19,385
FR	1.8 TSI	178bhp	139g/km	47.1	£20,585
FR	1.8 TSI DSG	178bhp	132g/km	49.6	£21,835
FR	2.0 TDI	148bhp	106g/km	68.9	£21,385
FR	2.0 TDI DSG	148bhp	117g/km	64.2	£22,635
FR	2.0 TDI	181bhp	112gkm	65.7	£22,375

Samsung makes good on threat of patent suit against iPhone 5

Apple's chief foe in the mobile sector and the courtroom goes after the new iPhone, alleging the new smartphone infringes on eight of its patents.

Fresh off a courtroom victory against Apple today, Samsung filed another legal salvo against its chief foe.
The Korean electronics submitted an amendment to a lawsuit originally filed in April against Apple, adding the iPhone 5 to a list of devices that includes the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and the new iPad that Samsung accuses of infringing on several Samsung patents.
Samsung reportedly threatened to sue Apple last month for patent infringement over its then reported use of long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity in the next-generation smartphone. While the new iPhone's debut last month confirmed that Apple's new device featured access to the the speedier fourth-generation wireless networking -- for which Samsung holds numerous patents -- Samsung's latest lawsuit did not address the LTE patents
A Samsung representative told CNET this evening that the eight patents in question include six utility patents and two standard essential patents unrelated to its LTE patent portfolio (see filing below).
Echoing previous statements made in the patent dispute, Samsung said, "we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights."
CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

 

Rumor: iPad mini invitations set to be mailed out Oct. 10

That would suggest an Oct. 17 unveiling with sales to begin in early November

The iPad and a mock-up of its little sister. Image: 9to5Mac

FORTUNE -- This is a rumor we have no reason to believe except it comes from a major Apple (AAPL) investor who says he's heard it from "multiple sources."
According to our source, who asked not be named, there appears to be some truth to the widespread rumors that Apple is preparing to launch a smaller and cheaper version of the iPad -- often called the iPad mini or iPad air and usually described as having a 7.85-inch screen.
What our source adds is the specificity of a date: The press, he says, can expect invitations to go out on Oct. 10.
If the rumor is true, and if Apple follows its usual scheduling protocol, that would suggest a special event to unveil the product on Wednesday, Oct. 17, with a launch day of Friday Nov. 2 -- plenty of time to capture holiday sales.
Apple has not commented on the rumor, which is not surprising given that the company has never uttered a word  in public -- one way or the other -- about its future tablet product plans.

Apple's biggest blunders of the post-Jobs era

This post was originally published on Mashable.
Apple's CEO Tim Cook surprised many by publicly apologising for the company's new maps application, which has been widely panned by customers and reviewers alike as inferior to Google Maps ever since it was introduced with iOS 6 a week and a half ago.

It's their company not Steve's anymore ... That is why ultimately I think you see Tim Cook stepping up and admitting mistakes much earlier, rather than letting them get completely out of hand. 
Tim Bajarin, analyst

In a letter published on Apple's website, Cook wrote:
"At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better."

At first blush, it may have seemed like an insanely rare admission of failure from a company that not only prides itself on being insanely great, but insanely reluctant to concede its missteps. Yet, in the post-Steve Jobs era, Apple's top executives appear to be making more mistakes and to be more willing to admit them. In fact, Apple has issued public apologies in each of the past three months of this year.

  
Apple's other public apologies this year
Back in July, the company made headlines for withdrawing from the EPEAT environmental rating system, which informs consumers whether electronics manufacturers are making eco-friendly products. Apple initially claimed that its own environmental standards were higher, but after receiving a huge amount of backlash from consumers and environmental groups, one of the company's top executives issued a public apology.
Bob Mansfield, Apple's SVP of Mac Software Engineering and Hardware Engineering said:
We've recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system. I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT.
Just those four words — "This was a mistake" — were enough to surprise many of those covering the company, but it would only be a few weeks before they'd see these words once more from Apple.
In August, Apple found itself apologising yet again after multiple reports came out suggesting that the company had been cutting back its retail store staff as part of an effort from the new SVP of Retail John Browett to make the stores more profitable. The company denied that this was tied to profitability, but still admitted these changes were a mistake.
Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, said in a statement to Dow Jones afterwards:
"Making these changes was a mistake and the changes are being reversed. Our employees are our most important asset and the ones who provide the world-class service our customers deserve."
Why Apple is making more mistakes now
The recent string of mistakes and apologies may simply reflect the reality that Apple has gotten a little sloppier as it transitions from the Jobs Era to the Cook Era. According to Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Creative Strategies, some things will inevitably "fall through the cracks" as Apple continues to transition to new management and figure out its path forward a little more than a year after Jobs resigned from the company.
"They have to fill some pretty big shoes and find their own way, in the sense that it's their company not Steve's anymore," Bajarin told Mashable. "That is why ultimately I think you see Tim Cook stepping up and admitting mistakes much earlier, rather than letting them get completely out of hand."
Apple has made several other blunders in the past year under Cook, and while it hasn't publicly apologised for these, it has moved to clean them up quickly.
For starters, the company's Siri and Genius ad campaigns have been criticised by many for abandoning some of the key elements that made Apple commercials great. While Apple continues to air its celebrity-drenched Siri commercials, the company was quick to kill off its Genius ads just a few days after they first aired during the Olympics, which was seen as an admission of failure by some (though Apple's ad agency said it was the plan all along.)
In another blunder, Apple released its own standalone podcast app in July, which was quickly slammed by bloggers as poorly designed and generally slow to load. The app was so bad that it had a 2.5 star rating on iTunes for awhile after launching. After a month, Apple responded to all the complaints by issuing a big update to the app to make it work better.
Then, of course, there's Siri, which has been criticised for its limitations pretty much since it launched with the iPhone 4S in October of last year. In some ways, Siri's problems are the most comparable to the new maps fiasco, in that both products were arguably released as beta products (a word Apple hates to use) that improve the more people use it. The difference, however, is that Siri was a new feature whereas the maps application has been central to the iPhone since it launched.
While Apple has never apologised for Siri, some close to the company have slammed the product anonymously, with one ex-Apple insider quoted in Fortune as saying, "Steve [Jobs] would have lost his mind over Siri."
Apple screwed up under Steve Jobs, too
Indeed, it's become a popular refrain anytime Apple makes a mistake with a product that it would never have happened under in the Jobs' era. Yet, Siri was acquired and incorporated into the iPhone while Jobs was still in control of the company.
What's more, even Jobs apologised for the company's mistakes on occasion, albeit reluctantly. During the Antennagate controversy, Jobs initially blamed customers for holding the phone wrong, but after a few weeks of heavy criticism, Jobs finally conceded, "We screwed up."
For the most part though, Jobs chose to rely more on his so-called reality distortion field to persuade the media and the public that he and the company were right, no matter what. Cook appears to have a different leadership style, both because of differences between the two CEOs' personalities and by virtue of the fact that Apple is stumbling a bit more these days as part of the transition.
Bajarin says that he personally "cuts [Apple] a lot of slack" because he is aware of how difficult it is for a big company to make a transition in leadership. The real question, though, is whether Apple's customers will be quite as forgiving.

It’s all about bling: Check out the gold-plated iPhone 5

Find the iPhone 5 too dull in its staple black and white avatars? Sulk, no more. If you want a more snazzier version with a whole lot of bling, you can check out the gold-plated version of Apple’s latest smartphone by Liverpool designer, Stuart Hughes. Click here to see his website and check out the design of the gold iPhone 5.
This limited edition version of the iPhone 5, comes with a plating of 18-carat gold and has a diamond finishing to the boot. The Apple logo has been encrusted in diamonds. Hughes is offering only 100 editions of these gold-plated Apple bad-boys. The price: a whopping £21,995 or nearly Rs 18 lakh.

This beautiful handset took weeks of detailed intricate work to re-create the original chasis of the iphone in solid gold all of which was started and finished by hand, also a full gold dressing for the rear section with the logo in solid gold with 53 flawless diamonds amounting to 1ct . This masterpiece boasts a massive circa of 128 grams of 18ct gold. The result was outstanding even down to the precise polishing to reveal its most beautiful harmonious appearance. The handset is 64gb and is available as a ltd edition of only 100. More options in gold for the iphone 5 can be seen on our other site www.goldstriker.co.uk

Meanwhile, Apple has already sold over 5 million devices. As far as Apple fanboys in India are concerned, it seems the iPhone 5  is available in the grey market in India with people shelling out as much as Rs 1.3 lakh for a device.

HTC One X Plus to come with quad core chip, Android Jelly Bean

It is going to be monster of a phone. HTC One X Plus is all set to come with quad core chip, Android Jelly Bean
The rumored HTC One X+ makes buzz in mobile market. The device is reportedly on way to the U.K. carrier O2. It is hoped that One X+ will have better processor power than the international version One X and the U.S. version One XL.  Perhaps, more internal storage and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean may be other great features of the new HTC One X+. Here we make a look at the key rumored features of the phone from the Taiwanese tech maker.

  
Quad Core CPU: As per rumors, One X+ is to outfit a beefed-up 1.7GHz quad core Tegra 3+ AP37 processor. It is a significant upgrade from the 1.5GHz quad core processor in One X and 1.5GHz dual core offering in One XL, which is 4G-enabled. That is, the new One X+ handset will do great in loading web pages, video & music streaming, camera functioning and more.
More Internal Storage: As part of making its flagship Android phone rather competitive to Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Apple’s iPhone 5, HTC may integrate better storage in One X+. Rumor mills think that there will be a 64GB variant for the handset, which will further promise 25GB of free Dropbox storage.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean: The current One X variants run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. There is a talk that the One X and XL are about to get the next Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. But, the new One X+ is reportedly going to preload Jelly Bean. That is, it is going to be the first handset from HTC to feature the latest Android update out of the box.
No More Ground Breaking Features
Well, you are not going to get many more revolutionary features on the new HTC One X+. There is less chance that HTC will modify the entire phone. “If you are looking for something more ground breaking from the One X+ then you may be disappointed, as there doesn’t seem to be anything else new or different between this and the original One X,” says TechRadar. When it comes to display, camera, connectivity and others, the new One X+ may almost replicate its original edition.
The One X sports a large 4.7-inch Super IPS LCD2 display with a good resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels at 312ppi. It has Gorilla Glass protection against scratches and it touts the company’s latest Android interface Sense UI. The handset sports an 8MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash, 1080p video recording and more and a 1.3MP front camera for video calls. There are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE and more.
What Others Say?
“Rumored to be a faster, more robust version of the company’s flagship Android handset, the details paint a pretty picture. Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and running HTC’s Sense 4.5 UI, the One X+ is expected to feature a quad-core Tegra 3+ AP37 processor running at 1.6GHz. As one of the first models on the market to offer both 4G LTE and a quad-core chipset, the One X+ will be one of this fall’s most powerful devices,” says CNET.
Release Date and Price
We have no info on the exact release date of HTC One X+. As per rumors, it is going to hit stores sooner on O2 in the U.S. The price may go £479.99 (around $780) and so it will be cheaper than the 64GB iPhone 5. In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T may offer the device quite sooner. Of course, it will be available for small prices with contract from the carriers.

AMD deal brings Android apps to Windows 8

Some Windows 8 laptops and PCs could end up running more Android apps than ones written for Microsoft's software.

Gadgets built around chips made by AMD will come optimised to run the Android apps.
A collaboration between AMD and software firm Bluestacks lets the devices run the 500,000 apps more usually found on Android phones.
By contrast, Microsoft reportedly only has a few thousand apps written specifically for Windows 8 at launch.
The Android apps will be available on Windows 8 devices via AMD's AppZone player. Inside this is code from Bluestacks that acts as a wrapper around the mobile phone programs so they can run on desktops, laptops and tablets.
AMD has made changes to the core code that runs its processors and graphics cards to ensure apps built for the small screens on mobile phones look good and run well on larger displays.
Store war The deal means future AMD-based gadgets will ship with the AppZone player installed, letting users get at apps such as Fruit Ninja and Flipboard that they know from their phone.
The player also lets users synchronise their apps across both a PC and an Android phone or tablet. AMD has about a 25% share of the market for desktop computers.
As Windows 8 has been developed to work well with portable devices such as tablets, Microsoft has been working to create an ecosystem of apps for the operating system. However, some reports suggest that a month prior to the launch of Windows 8 there are only about 2,000 apps available for it in Microsoft's Windows Store.
Bluestacks' Android-running software also works on Intel-powered devices, including Macs, but typically has to be installed after a gadget has been bought and booted up.
Bluestacks is also talking to other PC makers to get its software installed as PCs are put together in a factory.

Samsung Galaxy S II 4G (Boost Mobile)

The good: The Samsung Galaxy S II 4G sports a large and vivid 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, the phone also runs Android 4.0 and is 4G-capable. Camera quality is also excellent.

The bad: Call quality could be better. The device is large and has a plasticky build.

The bottom line: Despite its age, the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G offers solid performance, a vibrant screen, and a great multimedia experience, which makes it the top dog on Boost Mobile.

Design
If you’re familiar with the original Samsung Galaxy S II and its many flavors available on multiple carriers, this new Boost Mobile may strike you as a rerun. That’s because it’s essentially the Epic 4G Touch, Sprint’s branded version of the Galaxy S II. This model also sports an identical physical footprint, measuring 5.1 inches tall by 2.7 inches wide by 0.38 inch thick.

Sure, these dimensions mean the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G isn't small, but back when it first launched last year it looked positively humungous. Now its size seems average compared with the company’s new and even bigger products such as the Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, and Galaxy S3. Still, the Galaxy S II 4G’s width makes it tough to grip the phone one-handed, especially if you have smaller hands, and it's not a device that easily fits into tight pants pockets. At a light 4.6 ounces, however, the smartphone won’t weigh you down unduly.
Display
The 4.52-inch, WVGA (800x480) Super AMOLED Plus touch screen you’ll find on the Galaxy S II 4G is certainly spacious. Its vibrant colors also make it an enjoyable way to view Web pages and multimedia. That said, the world has changed since this phone first hit the market, and there are certainly much sharper screens out there these days.

Samsung’s own Galaxy S3 boasts an HD Super AMOLED screen with a finer 1,280x720-pixel resolution, which renders images and text more crisply. The same goes for the HTC Design 4G, that’s outfitted with a 4-inch qHD (960x540-pixel) resolution screen. Additionally, when placed side by side, the Galaxy S II’s display was dark compared with the brighter Design 4G and Galaxy S3 screens. Even so, I still found the Galaxy S II 4G’s high-contrast display very easy to read with deep blacks and very wide viewing angles.
For banging out messages, the smartphone offers both Swype and Samsung's virtual keyboards. With plenty of space between keys, I found that Samsung’s keyboard makes for quick typing but is pretty generic, doesn’t deviate much from the stock Android layout, and lacks many shortcuts for frequently used symbols.
Below the display are touch-sensitive buttons for the menu, home, back, and search functions. The left side features a volume rocker, while the right spine has a power/lock button. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack on top of the device and a Micro-USB port on the bottom. In the right-hand corner just above the display sits an LED notification light, while in the left-hand corner is a 2-megapixel camera for video calls. The back of the phone houses an 8-megapixel camera and an LED flash.
There is a microSD expansion slot behind the battery door. The latter has a textured surface, which provides a better grip, but like many Samsung smartphones (including the premium Galaxy S3), the Galaxy S II 4G has a plastic build that screams mass production. I personally appreciate the metallic unibody construction of HTC or even Apple handsets. I also like the quality polycarbonate designs showcased on Nokia and HTC’s new Windows Phone 8 devices.

Software and UI
While the original Samsung Epic 4G Touch on Sprint ran Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, this new device ported to Boost Mobile boasts the more modern Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It may not be Google’s most recent Android 4.1, aka Jelly Bean, but the software is recent and breathes new life into an otherwise aging handset.
Samsung has also plastered its TouchWiz 4.0 user interface on top of Android too which I’m sure ‘droid devotees dedicated to a pure Google experience won’t appreciate. I’m not a fan of custom interfaces, though HTC’s Sense 4 and Motorola’s latest Android tweaks have their moments. That’s because they often add unwanted complexity and unremovable bloatware, plus are usually slower to update to new OS versions.
TouchWiz does have some useful elements, such as the notification pull-down menu that has icons for easily toggling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 4G, and sound settings. Unlike the Galaxy S3, however, the Galaxy S II 4G offers five home screens to customize instead of seven.
Adapting the home screens is easy, with a carousel-like setup that lets you move through the various panels to add and remove shortcuts and widgets at the same time. Previously, you had to do a long-press on one screen to change it and then repeat the process if you wanted to change another page. There are also some other useful additions as well, such as an integrated task manager that displays all your active applications, downloaded apps with the option to uninstall, RAM status, and system storage details.

In addition to using the standard touch interface, you can also use the same motion gestures found on the Epic 4G Touch. With the settings turned on, you can flip the phone to mute it. Using two fingers placed on the screen, you can tilt to zoom in and out in the Gallery and browser. Flicking your wrist left or right (panning) can move a home screen icon when you're holding it. Double-tapping the top of the phone prepares the Vlingo-powered Voice Talk app for voice commands while you're driving. However, panning and zooming weren't very responsive, and double-tap failed to work entirely. Aside from perhaps an initial gee-whiz reaction, I seriously doubt many will use these motion controls in daily life.
Features and apps
The Samsung Galaxy S II 4G offers all the smartphone staples, including a speakerphone, conference calling, voice dialing, video calling, plus text and multimedia messaging. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/a), and GPS, the Galaxy S II 4G is (as you may have guessed) 4G-capable and connects to Sprint’s old WiMax network.

The updated Android 4.0 OS in onboard.

As we noted earlier, the phone runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and all of Google's services are accounted for: e-mail, Maps, voice navigation, search, chat, Places, Latitude, and YouTube, plus basic tools like a calendar, a calculator, an alarm clock, a world clock, a stopwatch, and a timer. In addition, Samsung and Boost Mobile have preloaded the phone with a number of extras, including Polaris Office, and Kies Air (a Wi-Fi-based PC-to-phone sync manager). A voice mail app stands ready to sign you up for access Boost's paid visual voice mail service, and BoostZone is designed to provide account information and the location of the closest retail store. Targeting Boost Mobile's younger demographic, the Galaxy S II 4G also has shortcuts to mobile sites for MTV.com, E!, and BET. Unlike other versions of the Galaxy S II, Samsung’s Media Hub digital entertainment storefront for downloading movies and TV shows is absent.
Camera
One of the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G’s strong suits back when it first launched was its excellent 8-megapixel camera. I’m happy to say that despite being a last-generation device, the phone’s camera still holds its own. It's nimble, capturing pictures in a second or less, and the camera app has plenty of tools, such as effects, white-balance controls, ISO settings, and more. Samsung also throws in a photo and video editor, too, which I do appreciate. The video editor is particularly great, since it makes it easy to piece together clips with different effects and music, all from right on your phone.
 

  The quality of images I shot was excellent. Indoor shots, including those of my still-life, were sharp with bright, vivid colors and lots of detail, even under low-light conditions. It's able to capture 1080p movies; video quality was also pleasing. Overall, clips looked clear and without any artifacts or color noise. Of course the image can stutter a bit if you're panning from one point to another.

New HTC phone will be sold without charger in bid to cut waste

A new flagship smartphone by Taiwanese phone company HTC will be sold without a charger in a pioneering bid to cut down on electronic waste.
Network operator O2, which will trial the pilot for the as-yet unnamed phone, estimates that of the 30m new phones sold annually in the UK, 70% of their buyers already have a compatible charger for the handset. The company has previously said it will phase out new chargers with handsets sold in 2015.
The reference to a "flagship" HTC phone – expected to be unveiled shortly and heavily anticipated by the technology press – suggests the handset could be a five-inch version of HTC's existing high-profile One X smartphone.

   
Three years ago, 10 major phone makers including Apple, Nokia and Samsung committed to a voluntary agreement to work towards a universal charger based on a micro USB connector, in an effort to reduce unnecessary waste. But no such universal charger has been settled on, and Apple appears to have backtracked on the idea with the introduction earlier this month of a new proprietary Lightning charger for its iPhone 5 that is likely to be the standard for several generations of future iPhones.
Ronan Dunne, O2's chief executive, said: "Right now, O2 with HTC has to go it alone on this matter – we both believe in it passionately enough that we can't wait for the industry as a whole to join us in this crusade. The environmental cost of multiple and redundant chargers is enormous and I believe that, as the mobile phone has become more prevalent, we as retailers and manufacturers have an ever-greater responsibility to be a more sustainable industry."
He admitted the industry has not yet delivered on a universal charger, saying: "In the last few years, our sector has made progress towards a universal charging solution, although not nearly as fast as I would have liked. As a result, we have fallen short of our original promise as an industry to standardise charging across all handsets."
O2's decision to pilot the charger-free move with such a high-profile phone - HTC's previous flagship One X launched earlier this year and was well-received by technology reviewers - is significant and could mean the elimination of manufacturing a considerable number of duplicate chargers.
Buyers who don't have a suitable charger already will be able to buy one separately from O2 at cost price. The phone will come boxed with a USB cable to plug into existing mains chargers.
Phil Roberson, regional director of the UK at HTC, said: "A unified approach across all manufacturers and retailers would dramatically decrease the industry's carbon footprint, not only in terms of manufacturing but also packaging and transport."

Trippy Far Cry 3 trailer introduces Vaas, Buck, and a hungry tiger

The latest freaky trailer from Far Cry 3 asks you to meet Vaas and Buck, who are really just two misunderstood guys living in Ubisoft's virtual tropical island simulator. Vaas seems to have a thing for gas, as in pouring it all over you and some poor lady, all while pontificating on the quality of the common household cigarette lighter.

And Buck... well, Buck might not be misunderstood. He might just be completely crazy. What are you doing with that knife, Buck? Don't bother coming any closer, please pal? How else are we going to stick around for the next trailer, which is going to show off a drugged-up group of native NPCs called the Tribe? How, Buck?

 

Apple downgrading iCloud storage on September 30

Apple sends a warning to iCloud users regarding this Friday's downgrade of complimentary storage space from the MobileMe transition.

In an e-mail sent out to its iCloud subscribers who have kept with the service in its transition to iCloud, Apple is reminding users that their complimentary 20GB of extra storage from the MobileMe transition will be revoked on September 30.
Through the years of its cloud-based offerings, Apple has steadily increased the storage level offerings for its users, allowing them more options for distributing storage for various account services including iDisk and e-mail. The storage level for a basic account peaked at 20GB for a free MobileMe account and could be split among its e-mail and iDisk services depending on what the user needed.

With the transition to iCloud, Apple reassessed its storage offerings and introduced a new basic storage capacity of 5GB per user, claiming that most people did not come near using this amount. In addition, Apple's new syncing approach for user documents uses the iCloud storage as a syncing medium instead of a permanent storage location, resulting in less overall need for space.
Regardless of the new approaches, for users who transitioned from MobileMe to iCloud when it debuted in early June were given a complimentary but temporary 20GB storage upgrade through September 30, 2012, giving existing users more space for their e-mail, backups for iOS devices, and documents in the cloud services that are offered with iCloud (Photo Stream, and purchased apps, books, and music do not count). However, this complimentary storage is a temporary measure to facilitate the transition to iCloud, and on September 30, Apple will be downgrading all basic iCloud accounts to its base 5GB storage level.
If you are an iCloud user and have not used more than 5GB during the transitional period, then your storage levels will switch automatically without you having to do anything; however, if you have been using more than 5GB of storage, then you will have a choice of either clearing out documents from iCloud or purchasing more storage to meet your needs. To help remind those who are currently using more than 5GB of storage, Apple has sent out an e-mail outlining these options:

Facebook private message rumour is 'false', site says

A rumour that Facebook users' private messages were appearing on public timelines is false, the firm has said.

Some users, mostly in France, reported that "private messages" sent between 2007-2009 were suddenly public.
However, Facebook told the BBC: "[The] messages were older wall posts that had always been visible on the users' profile pages.
Separately, Facebook shares fell up to 11% after an influential journal said the stock is worth just $15.
On the messaging rumour, the social network said: "Facebook is satisfied that there has been no breach of user privacy."

  
Another source at the company told the BBC that engineers said there was "no way" the two areas of data could get mixed up.
Private material The source said that "no mechanism" had ever been created that would allow a private message to be published onto a user's wall or timeline.
Similar rumours surfaced and were investigated in 2011, the source said, but after "extensive investigation" they were proven to be untrue.
Despite Facebook's statement, many users reported finding what they believed to be old private material.
"There are messages I've got on my wall that are most definitely private messages! From 2006 all the way up to 2012," wrote Poppy Dinsey, owner of fashion social network What I Wore Today.
"I'm 100% sure by content and from memory. And also some posts on my wall were clearly beginnings of (private) group [messages]."
Meanwhile, Facebook shares were under pressure after the US financial publication Barron's said the stock is worth perhaps only $15 a share, well below the $38-a-share flotation price.
On Wall Street, the shares ended down 9.1% to $20.79, having fallen more than 11% earlier in the day.
Barron's said: "Facebook's 40% plunge from its initial public offering price of $38 in May has millions of investors asking a single question: Is the stock a buy?
"The short answer is 'No.' What are the shares worth? Perhaps only $15," Barron's said.

Intel: LTE 4G Support Coming to Atom ‘Medfield’ Mobile Chips

The next version of Medfield will include support for LTE technology, which could help Intel in its efforts to open up the U.S. market to Intel-based smartphones.

Intel officials later this year will be introducing versions of its current low-power Atom “Medfield” processor that will support 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE), an important step as the company looks to make inroads in the U.S. smartphone market.
The current Atom Z2460 Atom processor doesn’t support LTE, a key feature that many smartphones based on ARM Holdings’ chip designs now boast. However, Sumeet Syal, director of product marketing at Intel, told the news site TechCrunch that Intel will introduce the first Medfield chips with LTE support by the end of the year, and ramp up the capability in 2013.
Syal also told TechCrunch that Intel will roll out a dual-core Medfield chip in the near future.
Intel officials are touting Medfield as the beachhead chip that will start the company’s push into the booming market for smartphones, the bulk of which now are powered by ARM-designed chips made by Samsung Electronics, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia and others.
Intel currently has six smartphones on the market that are powered by its chips, but none are being sold in the United States. The first of the phones, Lava International’s XOLO 900, is being sold in India. Others include Lenovo’s K800, which is sold in China, Orange’s San Diego smartphone in the UK market, the Mint from Megafon in Russia, ZTE’s Grand X IN for Europe and Motorola’s RAZR i, which will be sold in Europe and South America.
Intel executives have said that more Intel-based devices are on the way, and a version of Atom supporting LTE could help some of them hit the U.S. markets. They have said they expect Intel to be a major player in the smartphone space, with CFO Stacy Smith telling Bloomberg in April that by the same time next year, the company will see significant sales of its x86-based mobile chips.
“Intel doesn’t go into markets to be a small player,” he said. “It’s a billion-unit market, so there’s huge opportunity for us.”
However, ARM executives have brushed aside Intel’s claims, saying the giant chip maker will get some traction in the space, but it still will not be able to catch ARM anytime soon in terms of power efficiency. In addition, they’ve argued that Intel’s business model—a single architecture from a single vendor—does not work in the mobile market, where ARM leases its decisions to multiple chip vendors, who then at their own technologies to the designs and sell them to device makers.
“As a company, [Intel is] clearly capable of building products,” Jeff Chu, director of client computing at ARM, told eWEEK in July. “However, in the mobile space, you can’t say one size fits all.”
Along with the LTE support, Intel also is planning a dual-core version of Medfield; the current version is single-core. Still, although having only one core, the current Medfield chips can outperform other system-on-a-chip (SoC) offerings, Intel’s Syal said, thanks to Intel’s Hyper Threading technology, which boosts the number of instructions the chip can process at the same time. Having the dual-core version with Hyper Threading will essentially make the dual-core Medfield chip run almost like a quad-core product, he said.

iPhone 5 makes its debut in HK

New phone model launch sparks off a hive of business activities
As Apple Inc launched its new iPhone 5 model in Hong Kong on Friday, thousands of people jammed the Apple store for the new product, while scalpers scouted for buyers and telecom operators jumped on the bandwagon by soft launching new 4G services.
The new smart phone model is being first launched in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. It will then go on sale in another 22 countries a week later.
The world's major cities are also greeting the launch of the iPhone 5. In Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo, iPhone 5 fans have already waited for between 12 to 18 hours outside the Apple stores or authorized dealer stores to get the touch of the latest smart phone model.
In Hong Kong, buyers had to sign up online with Apple to pick up the new model in the local flagship store at a prearranged time. The first customers in Hong Kong were greeted by staff cheering, clapping, and chanting "iPhone 5! iPhone 5!" and high-fiving them as they were escorted one-by-one through the front door.
The iPhone 5 is thinner and lighter, has a taller screen, faster processor, updated software and can work on faster on "fourth generation" (4G) mobile networks.
Order numbers indicate the iPhone 5 has overcome initial lukewarm reviews. Apple received 2 million orders in the first 24 hours of announcing its release date, more than twice the iPhone 4S number over the same period when that phone was launched a year ago.
Telecommunication industry experts forecasted that the sales of the new iPhone 5 model can reach 50 million sets by the end of this year.
However, not everyone lining up outside Hong Kong's Apple store was an enthusiast. University student Kevin Wong, who waited to buy a black 16 gigabyte iPhone 5 model for HK$ 5,588 ($720), said he was getting one "for the cash." He planned to immediately resell it to one of the numerous grey market retailers who are buying up as many of the new iPhone 5s for resale to visiting mainland buyers. China is one of Apple's fastest growing markets but a release date for the iPhone 5 there has not yet been set.
"Mainland Chinese, who like to shop in Hong Kong due to the absence of sales tax and the strength of the yuan currency, will probably buy it from the resellers "at a higher price - a way higher price," said Wong, who hoped to make a profit of HK$1,000 ($129).
The local second-hand telecommunication shop owners in Hong Kong said that they will pay HK$8,000 to buy the new iPhone 5 models from first-hand buyers and then resell them for between HK$8,500 to HK$12,000 each to other customers.
The local telecommunication shop owners predicted that the iPhone 5 model sales in Hong Kong can reach 15,000 sets on the first day of its debut.
However, other local end-users, who preferred to stay on the sidelines, said the new iPhone 5's functions do not differ much from the iPhone 4, and they were much more expensive than previous models. They added they are not eager to switch their phone network plans to the new 4G model's more expensive network, and plan to shop for cheaper 3G tariff plans.
But local telecommunication network operators like CSL 1010, Smartone, HutchTel Hong Kong and PCCW are all gearing up to offer new 4G network plans based on the new iPhone 5 model.
Smartone Chief Executive Officer Douglas Li said that the company was confident that its latest 4G plan will attract high customer number growth. CSL 1010 envisaged that the new 4G plan will bring double-digit growth in revenue.

Samsung Galaxy S III Hacked by NFC at Pwn2Own

The iPhone 4S wasn't the only phone to fall at EUSecWest's Mobile Pwn2Own competition; the Samsung Galaxy S III did, too. All it took was holding two phones near each other, close, but not touching.
Imagine the hack in the following scenario: a pickpocket walking around with a phone loaded with an attack file bumps into you. The malicious phone comes in close proximity with your phone and easy as that, the criminal has full control over all the information stored on the device.

  
That's more or less what a team of researchers from MWR Labs demonstrated when they beamed an exploit over a near field communication (NFC) connection from one Samsung Galaxy S III phone to another during the Mobile Pwn2Own competition in Amsterdam on Wednesday. When the targeted phone opened the file, it allowed the researchers to download all data from the Android smartphone, including text messages, pictures, emails and contacts. They were also able to place a call to a premium rate number or take photos with the phone's camera after the compromise.
"Through NFC it was possible to upload a malicious file to the device, which allowed us to gain code execution on the device and subsequently get full control over the device using a second vulnerability for privilege escalation," MWR Labs wrote on the company blog.
Zero-Days in Samsung Galaxy DevicesResearchers launched the attack by holding two Galaxy S IIIs next to each other and causing a file to be loaded onto the targeted device from the other phone. Opening the file gives the remote attacker full control over the phone, according to the team.
The exploit took advantage of two zero-day vulnerabilities, which bypassed several Android security mitigations including the limited ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) and DEP (Data Execution Prevention). The first vulnerability was a memory corruption that gave the team "limited control over the phone," the team wrote. The second vulnerability escalated the attacker's privileges on the device and undermined the application sandbox model.

  
The attack took advantage of a document viewer application installed by default on Samsung Galaxy S II, S III, and some HTC devices. MWR Labs said the attack succeeded because the implementation of various security technologies was "incomplete" in Android version 4.0.4, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich. The security implementation is much improved in Jelly Bean, or Android 4.1, so even though the zero-day vulnerabilities are still present in the newer Android version, the exploit does not succeed.
The vulnerability can be triggered by other methods, not just NFC. The file can be loaded onto the user device by sending it as an email attachment, for example.
NFC Attacks
The fact that the Galaxy S III was compromised over NFC has scary implications, as it means attackers can load the malicious file just by walking past or bumping into their victims. The phones must be very close to each other to make the NFC connection, but the connection itself can be for a short period of time. One the file has been loaded, the attacker can establish a Wi-Fi connection to download information.
This NFC attack is remniscent of this year's Black Hat demonstration by Charlie Miller, a former Accuvant Labs researcher who recently joined Twitter. Miller showed attendees how he could use NFC to open up images, contacts and Web pages on the targeted device, all without notifying the user.
Data can be sent over short distances using NFC, and vendors are experimenting with the technology for mobile payments. The protocol would allow users to use their phones equipped with an NFC chip to pay at the register. Google Wallet is one of the better known mobile payment applications, but researchers uncovered some security flaws with Wallet earlier this year.