27.12.14

Cicret: A Wearable Projection Band That Could Be The Next Killer Gadget

Wearable tech is amazing. From Glasses and wristbands to Smartwatches and fitness trackers, the field is opening up to a wide range of play. One company is willing to take things to the next level with a gadget that quite possibly has the potential to change the game. Meet the Cicret bracelet. Its aim is to replace a smartphone. Now that is a bold statement to make, but the guys over at Cicret are not kidding around, they genuinely believe that their product could change the way we use wearable tech.

The Key feature is a built in projector and eight sensors, which will allow a wearer to manipulate an image that is projected onto their arm. The ‘Screen’ will let users read emails, surf the web, watch videos, play games and even make phone calls. The technology inside the device will consist of an accelerometer, memory card, processor, micro USB port, battery, long range sensors, pico projector, Bluetooth unit, Wi-Fi component, LED, Snap Button and SIM storage tech.

The cost is more than likely going to be in the region of £300 (€379 or $471) and it will come in either a 16GB or a 32GB model and be made available in a choice of 10 colours.

The team behind the idea say that the wearer of the of the Cicret bracelet will be able to check an email or watch a film, which is projected onto their forearm and control the picture by using their skin like a touchscreen device.

The designers are currently raising money on their website in order to put the gadget into production. They ‘say’ it can do anything a phone or tablet can. You could, in effect, do any of the basic functions that you can do with a smartphone: read emails, surf the web, watch videos, play games and even make telephone calls without relying on a conventional screen. The device will work by using a tiny projector housed in the bracelet that will cast an image onto the skin, then eight long-range proximity sensors will detect a swipe, tap and pinch. The bracelet will also contain a USB port and accelerometer as well as support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

The founder of technology company Cicret, Guillaume Pommier, along with Pascal, his software developer father, have said, ’We plan to put a 3G card [in the bracelet] to allow calls.’ Pommier explained that the device may use a new technology, which will allow the SIM details to be put into the hardware, instead of requiring an actual SIM card.

The Circet bracelet is obviously still in development, but a working prototype is due to be unveiled soon. Pommier has hopes that the bracelet may be on the shelves by June of 2015.

Mr Pommier said, ‘The Cicret bracelet is a revolutionary device which could completely change how we access information…The applications for the bracelet are vast – it will be able to do anything a phone or tablet can do but without the need for a hard screen…Not only is it more portable but it’s also more ecological too because it is the screen part of tablets and phones that is hard to dispose of…The amazing thing is that we haven’t invented anything new – we just combined two existing technologies to create something really special…We think the bracelet will revolutionise the technology world.’

Could the Cicret bracelet replace a smartphone? Who knows? But if this device gets off the ground, one thing is for sure, it will make people sit up and pay attention.

[Image via iovivoaroma & technabob]

SOURCE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2871401/The-bracelet-turns-ARM-touchscreen-Cicret-projects-emails-videos-games-skin.html

26.12.14

TextSecure Protocol Now Used to Encrypt WhatsApp

Are you ever concerned that the messages you share between friends can ever be read by others? Most messaging services such as LINE and WhatsApp have more features than just text support; you can send audio and video as well. So should you be overly concerned about your data? Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you as it appears as though your privacy is being taken quite seriously by WhatsApp. They have just made a deal with Open Whisper Systems this week to use TextSecure protocol to scramble messages, thereby hiding the message.

Open Whisper Systems are protecting WhatsApp messages by using text secure protocol.

“Open Whisper Systems said in a blog post, “WhatsApp deserves enormous praise for devoting considerable time and effort to this project…Even though we’re still at the beginning of the rollout, we believe this already represents the largest deployment of end-to-end encrypted communication in history.”

The TextSecure encryption is enabled automatically as a default setting in the most recent version of WhatsApp for mobile devices powered Android software. Open Whisper said. “Brian Acton (WhatsApp co-founder) and the WhatsApp engineering team has been amazing to work with…Their devotion to the project as well as their thoroughness in getting this done are inspiring in a world where so many other companies are focused on surveillance instead of privacy.”

Open Whisper is an open-source project that is supported by grants and donations.During the South By Southwest conference earlier this year, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden is known to have praised the encryption tools offered by Open Whisper.

The announcement was confirmed to AFP but apparently they declined to comment any further. In October, Facebook completed its purchase of WhatsApp, with the mostly stock deal reaching nearly $22 billion.

SOURCE: http://phys.org/news/2014-11-whatsapp-messages-end-to-end-encryption.html

WhatsApp Potentially Coming to Desktop

WhatsApp is available on almost every mobile platform, including discontinued platforms like Symbian and Nokia Series 40, but has never developed a web client. New reports say WhatsApp will finally come to the desktop, after five years of availability. The new web client will use OAuth, sending a message to the mobile to verify to user on the web client.
Internal code in the latest WhatsApp refers to ‘WhatsApp Web’ and shows how the mobile version will communicate with the web client. It is unclear if this feature is in testing or ready for release. Considering WhatsApp’s VoIP client has been on the cards for over two months, it may be early 2015 before we see the web client available.

Creating a web client has been on WhatsApp users wish-list for the past few years, even with the surge to mobile in developing nations, where WhatsApp is most popular. The web client should have extra functionality for the larger screen.
Facebook has taken a mobile-first approach for its newest features, but still updates the web client regularly to keep up with new features. Facebook may have pushed WhatsApp to create a web client.
WhatsApp continues to be the dominant messaging app worldwide, with 650 million active users. WeChat, LINE, Viber, Skype and various other messaging platforms are all vying for attention.
It looks like Facebook wants to split the two messaging services, having WhatsApp in Asia and Facebook Messenger in the West. The social network does not seem keen to merge the two services together.
WhatsApp recently added encryption to messages to keep users more secure. Hopefully, either the web client or VoIP service will be available in the new update.

Windows 10 Leak Reveals Cortana Search Bar, Updated Apps

Microsoft has already shown the groundwork for Windows 10 on the Developer Preview, the new start menu, build in metro-apps on desktop and various interfaces for power users show a gradual move to one OS design for all types of users. The second event for Windows 10 is scheduled for January 21, but the big announcements may have already been leaked online, in a new ‘Build 9901’, cited as the Windows 10 consumer edition preview.
Released a few days ago, the main features on the new preview include Cortana, an new Xbox app and various updates to the interface.

Starting with the Cortana search menu, Microsoft is essentially importing all data from Windows Phone or starting from scratch on Windows 10. Cortana will be a virtual assistant and offer information about the weather, local places, general information and tap into other third party apps for updates.
windows-10-build-9901-cortana

On Windows 10, Cortana is located on the task-bar, either in a search button or search box (depending on preference). The task-bar has been updated with a new shadow design, taking a dark color from the current theme.
The next big change on Windows 10 is the Xbox app. Right now, it just looks like a place to check the Xbox news feed from friends, but advertisements of exclusive Xbox One games hint at PC cross-platform support.
Having exclusive Xbox One games on PC would be a nice idea, but the catch may be only gamers with the Xbox One game can download it for PC. It is still unclear what Microsoft is attempting to do with Xbox.
Microsoft has built in a contact support app, allowing users to potential screen share their problems with a member of staff. There is a new startup guide for Windows 10, which hints at users being able to make phone calls on Windows 10.
The leak shows all of the visual updates to the apps on desktop mode, giving them a Metro redesign. Microsoft still has not announced availability or price, this information will most likely come on the January event.

24.12.14

Apple issues first automatic bug update for Macs

This is the first time automatic updates have been sent to Mac computers around the world

Apple has sent out its first automatic security update for Mac computers as researchers warn about new bugs.

Previously Apple has released security patches through its regular software update system which requires user approval.
The latest bugs were so severe it felt it needed to get customers protected immediately, the firm said.
"The update is seamless. It doesn't even require a restart," Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Reuters.
The Mac bugs were mentioned in security bulletins issued last week by the Department of Homeland Security and the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute.
It identified dozens of technology companies, including Apple, whose products might be vulnerable.
The vulnerability targets a component of its OS X operating system called the network time protocol (NTP) which is used for synchronising clocks on computer systems.
The protocol is a global method of synchronising time over a network and has previously been exploited by hackers.
Microsoft has been offering automatic updates for security flaws for some time.
Apple developed technology for automatically pushing out security updates two years ago but has never previously used it.
The firm said that it did not know of any cases where hackers had exploited the bug.

Samsung Starts Production of 8Gb LPDDR4 DRAM; 4GB Smartphones Due Soon

Samsung on Tuesday announced that it has started mass production of the industry's first 8-gigabit Low Power Double Data Rate 4 (LPDDR4) mobile DRAM based on its leading-edge 20nm process technology, which will be ready by sometime in early 2015. The new mobile DRAM will be used for creation of LPDDR4 modules up to 4GB in size for smartphones and tablets.The company says that based on its 8Gb and 6Gb LPDDR4 dies, it has started providing 2GB LPDDR4 and 3GB LPDDR4 DRAM packages this month, and will similarly produce 4GB LPDDR4 packages, which will be ready by early 2015.
"By initiating production of the 20nm 8Gb LPDDR4, which is even faster than the DRAM for PCs and servers and consumes much less energy, we are contributing to the timely launch of UHD, large-screen flagship mobile devices," said Joo Sun Choi, Executive Vice President of Memory Sales and Marketing at Samsung Electronics.
Samsung claims that the new 20nm 8Gb LPDDR4 offers twice the performance and density compared to 4Gb LPDDR3, which was also based on 20nm-class process technology. The 8Gb LPDDR4 is said to be twice fast than a typical DDR3 RAM used in PCs because of an I/O data rate of up to 3,200Mbps. Samsung also says that the new RAM can support UHD (ultra-high definition) video recording and playback, along with continuous shooting of high-resolution images with over 20-megapixels.
The operating voltage of the new LPDDR4 memory chip is said to be reduced to 1.1v from the previous LPDDR3 memory chip, and Samsung claims this to be the lowest power memory solution available for large-screen smartphones, tablets, and high-performance network systems. Samsung says this reduces power consumption by up to 40 percent.
"For example, in case of a 2GB package, an 8Gb LPDDR4-based 2GB package can save up to 40 percent of power compared to a 4Gb LPDDR3-based 2GB package, due to low operating voltages and faster processing."

Touchscreen Use Can Alter Our Brains: Study

Frequent chatting with friends over touchscreen smartphones can actually be brain altering, says a new research.According to Indian-origin scientist Arko Ghosh from University of Zurich, Switzerland, more touchscreen use in the recent past has translated directly into greater brain activity when the thumbs and other fingertips are touched.
The news might not be so good, Ghosh and his colleagues say, noting the evidence linking excessive phone use with motor dysfunctions and pain.
"I was really surprised by the scale of the changes introduced by the use of smartphones. I was also struck by how much of the inter-individual variations in the fingertip-associated brain signals could be simply explained by evaluating the smartphone logs," said Ghosh, also working with ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
It all started when Ghosh and his colleagues realised that people's obsession with smartphones could be a grand opportunity to explore the everyday plasticity of the human brain.
To link digital footprints to brain activity, Ghosh and his team used electroencephalography (EEG) to record the brain response to mechanical touch on the thumb, index and middle fingertips of touchscreen phone users in comparison to people who still have not given up their old-school mobile phones.
They found that the electrical activity in the brains of smartphone users was enhanced when all three fingertips were touched.
In fact, the amount of activity in the cortex of the brain associated with the thumb and index fingertips was directly proportional to the intensity of phone use, as quantified by built-in battery logs.
The results suggest that repetitive movements over the smooth touchscreen surface reshape sensory processing from the hand, with daily updates in the brain's representation of the fingertips.
"We propose that cortical sensory processing in the contemporary brain is continuously shaped by personal digital technology," Ghosh said.
What exactly this influence of digital technology means for us in other areas of our lives is a question for another day, said the authors in a report appeared in the Cell Press journal Current Biology.

Including Nvidia Tegra K1

Google Details New Chipsets for Project Ara Including Nvidia Tegra K1

After a sneak peek of the new Spiral 2 prototype hardware for Project Ara last week, Google has now provided an update on the development progress.Google says that the Spiral 2, which includes the first revision of the Toshiba UniPro switch and bridge ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), will use two chipsets or application processor modules - Marvell PXA1928 and Nvidia Tegra K1 - that will be a part of the reference designs of the company's upcoming Module Developers Kit (MDK) v0.20 release.
Also, the Rockchip AP with native UniPro is "coming along nicely" and will be ready in time for the Spiral 3 prototype in the Spring, said the Google ATAP team on Google+ post on Friday.
The Google+ post noted that the team has been working with "Marvell and Nvidia to create two separate reference designs and form factor module prototypes around their PXA1928 and Tegra K1 processors, respectively, using a Toshiba UniPro bridge ASIC to connect to the on-device network. You can anticipate seeing these as part of the reference designs in our upcoming MDK v0.20 release."
The company also says that it is expecting the second generation of UniPro switch and bridge ASICs with a contactless M-PHY data transfer capability (using inductive AC-coupling) from Toshiba in just under two weeks, which will be the basis of Spiral 3 prototype and corresponding MDK release.
Last week, Google had shared an image of the new Spiral 2 PCB (printed circuit board) prototype, along with the new Ara Marketplace development announcement, which is anticipated to be similar to Google Play store.
Google's second Project Ara Module Developers Conference is scheduled for January 14 at Mountain View, Buenos Aires, London, and New York, and January 21 at Singapore, Bangalore, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo. The company said that it will live stream the events.

iPhone 6s mini With 4-Inch Display Tipped to Launch in 2015

Apple fans who were disappointed with the launch of the large screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September this year, might soon see a 4-inch iPhone with an iPhone 6-like design arrive in 2015.
Timothy Arcuri, an analyst from Cowen and Company, is reported to have issued a note to Apple investors stating that the Cupertino-based tech firm might be working on a 4-inch handset, which might be called as iPhone 6s mini.
Apple Insider, which claims to have procured a copy of the issued note, also adds that the specifications of the rumoured mini smartphone will match with that of iPhone 5s' and the design with iPhone 6. This piece of information however should be taken with a pinch of salt as Arcuri's predictions is said to be mixed.
If Arcuri's prediction proves to be correct, the iPhone 6s mini could replace the iPhone 5c - the company's current budget smartphone - in the market. The analyst has also added that Apple might rely on Qualcomm for the iPhone 6s mini's components in order to keep the pricing down.
Apple in September this year launched the large screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets showing that it is willing to change its beliefs to cater to the moving market landscape. However, some observers also saw this surprise move by the firm as a bit of a U-turn, based on public comments made by the company earlier.
Arcuri not only sparked rumours for the iPhone 6s mini but also said that Apple's long rumoured 12.9-inch tablet is well under works and might be launched in Spring next year. The tablet is said to 'reinvigorate' the product category. Apple plans to ship 15 million to 20 million units of the rumoured tablet initially.

LG G3 Reportedly Catches Fire While Charging, Burns Mattress

The LG G3, the company's flagship smartphone, reportedly caught fire while charging. The smartphone's owner posted few images of the burnt handset along with the mattress it was kept on and subsequently caught fire.
"This happened suddenly to my little sister's phone. She was awake in her bedroom, we were annoying her to start getting ready for the morning when she was suddenly crying out that her phone exploded and we turned around to see tons of smoke coming from inside her room. It was literally right beside her," stated the owner with username s-blade on Reddit forum.

The owner continued to explain that the LG G3's battery flames were so violent the mattress had to be thrown out of the window. The users managed to take a shot of the burning handset through the mattress, apart from the burnt handset, battery (seen below) and mattress after the incident.
The owner says the battery or charger used on the burnt LG G3 smartphone were not third-party but the original units that came with smartphone. The owner added the smartphone was also not kept under a pillow or a blanket while charging. LG has not yet addressed the issue.

A similar incident happened in October this year with a student who revealed that her Samsung Galaxy Ace phone exploded next to her while she was sleeping. She said that the phone was not charging and was on her bedside, with its screen facing upwards.
Samsung claimed that the battery in use in the phone was not genuine and urged people to use only genuine batteries. The student, however, wants Samsung to pay for her damaged mattress and bedding which cost her just over Canadian $1,000.

Alleged BlackBerry 'Rio' Z20 Smartphone Spotted With Specifications

The anticipated mid-range smartphone from BlackBerry, the rumoured BlackBerry Rio aka BlackBerry Z20, has been leaked in purported render images and specifications.According to N4BB, the BlackBerry Rio aka BlackBerry Z20 will be launched by February 2015 with a price under $300 (approximately Rs. 18,000). The company is reportedly touting the Rio as suitable for "Power Pros who want to be considered by others as being current with technology, yet cost is a major consideration in their purchase decision."
From the purported render images, the design of the anticipated BlackBerry Z20 appears to be similar to the company's recently launched Z3 smartphone, with a few tweaks.
The purported specifications for the BlackBerry Rio aka Z20 include a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display; dual-core 1.5 GHz processor coupled with 2GB of RAM; an 8-megapixel rear camera with Flash; a 2-megapiexl front camera; 16GB internal storage with expandability via microSD card (unknown capacity), and 2800mAh battery. Connectivity options are said to include Penta Band LTE + 4G Hotspot, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, and Miracast.
Last week, BlackBerry launched its long-awaited Classic touch and type smartphone with signature QWERTY keypad, at $499 (roughly Rs. 30,800).
Some of the key specifications of the BlackBerry Classic include a 3.5-inch (720x720 pixels) touch display; 1.5GHz dual-core MSM 8960 processor with 2GB of RAM; 16GB of inbuilt storage that's expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB); a 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash; a 5-megapixel front camera, and a 2515mAh battery.

Samsung SM-G430 surfaces with 5.5" 1080p screen

Samsung sure likes to launch a lot of smartphones each year. And while 2014 is almost over, we're clearly going to see a lot of new stuff from Samsung next year.
One such handset seems to be the SM-G430. This has surfaced through an import listing from an Indian website specializing in these things. A few units have made it to the subcontinent for R&D purposes already.

The import tracker helpfully lists the G430's screen size, which is 5.5 inches. Some other specs can be gleaned from a user agent profile for the phone, which is already present on Samsung's website.
This tells us that the display resolution in this case will be 1080p, and the G430's processor will be clocked at up to 2.5 GHz. This last bit of info implies that the device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, which has that exact clock speed.

If so, then this isn't going to be yet another forgettable midranger, but an upper-midrange offering that could be quite interesting. The Snapdragon 801 was, after all, the SoC of choice for top of the line smartphones for most of this year. It has support for Cat.4 LTE (with theoretical peek download speeds of 150Mbps), so the Samsung G430 should too.
Finally, the new handset has been revealed to be running Android 4.4 KitKat. Perhaps, given the screen size, this will be some kind of a competitor to Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. We'll have to wait and see.

Nokia N1 Android tablet launches in China on January 7

Back in November, Nokia (the part of the company that wasn't sold off to Microsoft) announced its first ever Android-running tablet, the N1. We got specs and pricing information then, along with a very vague release time frame of "Q1 2015".
Today though a rumor out of China has that down to an actual launch date - January 7. Because the translation from Chinese isn't perfect, it's not 100% clear right now if that's the day starting on which those in China will be able to purchase the Nokia N1, or just the date of its official introduction for the Chinese market.

Regardless of that, however, it looks like the "Q1" estimation is about to turn into a January release for the first ever Nokia tablet to run Android. This still doesn't tell us anything about when (or if) we might see the N1 elsewhere, since during the official announcement Nokia only mentioned China as the initial launch country. Other places are due to get the tablet at some later point in time. Hopefully that will happen soon, perhaps still inside that "Q1 2015" window, otherwise the N1's specs risk getting old soon. And the hype surrounding it may die down somewhat too.
An actual price for China hasn't been leaked yet, but the tablet should cost the rough equivalent of $249, which is the official number (sans taxes though).
The Nokia N1 comes with a 7.9-inch 2,048x1,536 touchscreen, an 8 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front snapper, an Intel Atom Z3580 chipset with a 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 5,300 mAh battery. It will run Android 5.0 Lollipop with Nokia's Z Launcher on top.

Microsoft Lumia 535 gets update to fix touchscreen woes

The touchscreen issues that the Microsoft Lumia 535 has been encountering have been widely documented up until this point. The software giant first confirmed the problems earlier this month, and then promised a fix would come on December 27.
Well, it looks like Microsoft was working overtime on that, since a new firmware update for the Lumia 535 is already rolling out "in selected countries". And yes, this new software incorporates the much awaited touchscreen fix, according to the official changelog.

That's not the only thing it brings to the table, though. Cortana is now available in more countries, the action center lets you easily turn your mobile data connection on or off, and you can now schedule phone updates. Finally, as you'd expect, some unnamed stability and performance improvements are in too.
After applying the update, you'll be running Windows Phone version 8.10.14219.341 and build 02054.00000.14485.370xx. To check if it's available in your country, you can use this tool.

Apple resumes iPhone sales in Russia with increased pricing

Less than a week after it halted online sales in Russia, Apple resumed offering its products in the country. Unsurprisingly, the Cupertino giant increased the prices of its iPhone lineup to counter the drop of the local currency against the U.S. dollar.

Apple iPhone 6 with 16GB of on-board memory now costs 53,990 rubles (about $956). The price is up by roughly a third over the 39,990 rubles that the manufacturer previously asked for the smartphone.
The latest iPhone 6 price hike, coupled with loss of value of the Russian ruble, means that the smartphone is now almost 70% more expensive than a month ago. Apple previously raised prices in the country at the end of last month.
Apple’s Russian App Store applications have also gotten more expensive. Basic iOS apps now cost 62 rubles as opposed to 33 rubles before.

Mid-range HTC A12 leaks with Snapdragon 410 chipset

Alleged specs of an upcoming HTC A12 mid-ranger made the rounds online courtesy of @upleaks. The unannounced smartphone is tipped to debut in February 2015.

HTC A12 reportedly features 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. With a rumored 4.7” HD display, the yet to be revealed device will slot below the 5" HTC Desire 620 (pictured above) in the company’s product range.
A gig of RAM, 8MP main camera, and 1.3MP front-facing snapper are also rumored to be on board. The OS on board is said to be Sense-d Android 4.4.
Physical measures of the HTC A12 are 139.8 x 69.5 x 9.5 mm. A 2,100mAh battery reportedly powers the device.
HTC A12 will allegedly launch on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless in the United States. We will keep an eye out for more details on the handset going forward.

More HTC One Hima specs surface, Snapdragon 810 in tow

During the past month we have been hearing a lot about HTC's upcoming flagship codenamed Hima. A lot of information surrounding the new device has been circulating in the rumor mill, but now it seems that finally we have a full specs sheet leak for the next-gen smartphone.

The new HTC One Hima will indeed be powered by a Snapdragon 810 SoC. The octa-core chip will have the following setup - 2.0GHz quad-core Cortex-A57 + 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex-A53. The display on the Hima will be 5 inches, but sadly the leaked specs state that it will be of the FullHD instead of the QHD variety found in some current flagships.
As far as physical dimensions go the smartphone will measure 144.3 x 69.4 x 9.56 mm, but no word about its weight. Judging by existing information it is only logical to assume that the Hima will follow in the steps of the One (M8) and have a similar metal body. This, of course adds a little bit of extra weight to the smartphone, but makes a huge difference in terms of design and feel.
Furthermore, if the rumors are to be believed, the new HTC flagship will come in the same three colors as the M8 - gray, silver and gold, as well as a fourth, called "Gunmetal Gold" and those all sound like solid color choices for the slick aluminum body.
Going further down the list of specs we are happy to see that the HTC Hima will have 3GB of RAM as well as Cat.6 LTE connectivity. Two cameras will adorn the phone - a 20.7MP main camera and a front-facing shooter, which the leaked info ambiguously states as either 4MP or 13MP. This could be due to a lack of information or it could potentially hint that HTC is planning to release more than one variant of the model. Other than that the HTC Hima will unsurprisingly come with Android 5.0 out of the box and a reasonably big 2,840mAh battery.
The leak also lists a few official accessories that are expected to be available for the new flagship: Active Headset, DotView, DecoStand Case, Clear Case, Active Case, Premium Screen Protector. A lot more exciting, however is the cited launch date - March 2015. The HTC Hima seems tantalizingly close. All we can do now is wait for more official news on the upcoming smartphone, hopefully early next year.

Project Ara chipsets and form factor confirmed

Google's project Ara has really been gaining momentum the past few months and it seems that everything is moving along nicely with the revolutionary modular smartphone concept. After the fairly recent announcement of the remodeled Spiral 2 circuit board design the guys over at Google ATAP have shared a new portion of info on their progress as a sort of year capstone, before the holidays.

On their Google+ page the ATAP team state that they are really working hard on the SoC designs in close partnership with Marvell and NVIDIA. Two separate reference design and form factor AP modules are well under development based on the PXA1928 and Tegra K1 chipsets. These are expected to make their way as reference chips in the upcoming MDK v0.20 release.
The aforementioned Spiral 2 board has apparently already seen the light of day, as the team boasts that three functioning prototypes are now available, courtesy of the engineering and manufacturing team. These are more than a proof of concept as they should be complete with shells and connectors bringing them a step closer to the final product design vision and just in time for the Developer Conference in January.
This incredible progress on the Spiral 2 design has not stopped the team from pushing forward to a new and even better prototype dubbed Spiral 3. According to the Google+ post a newer version of the integrated circuits in the board should arrive, courtesy of Toshiba any day now. They will be the basis for the next generation Ara prototype and corresponding module development kit.
Things really seem to be going in the right direction for the project and with module development kits getting better and better is should be a matter of time before we see functioning prototypes of other vital smartphone hardware (radios, cameras, screens etc.) and hopefully soon after a fully functioning unit in all its glory. So be sure to keep an eye on project Ara in the upcoming months and who knows, perhaps 2015 will be the year we finally get to reap the benefits of the team's work.

Samsung confirms Lollipop updates for Galaxy S4, Note 2

A rather interesting page has come to our attention, which reveals new information on Samsung's plan for Android Lollipop rollout. The URL in question comes from the Finnish section of Samsung.com, so it is about as reputable a source as it can get. It holds a table, that details the next planned update for a number of handsets and tablets and surprisingly enough it claims that Android 5.0 will reach quite a few models including a few fairly old smartphones.

Going through the list we find the Galaxy Note 4 as well as the Note 3, both of which were previously expected to receive Lollipop.
The surprising thing is that the Galaxy Note 2 is also on the list. The phablet first hit consumer markets in September 2012 and as a rule Samsung tends to support its devices through 2 years or 2 major updates, whichever comes first. So to see it is expecting Android 5.0 is surprising to say the least.
But good news doesn't stop there. Glancing through the S family and other device lines we see a lot more confusing information. The Galaxy S5 Mini is among the devices listed as waiting for the Lollipop update, but the entry for its bigger brother, the Galaxy S5 states "no information" for next update. Samsung Galaxy Alpha is also on the list and so is the Galaxy S4, which is in pretty much the same shoes as the Note 2 in terms of support.
This new piece of information is quite peculiar and begs a lot of questions. If it came from any other source it would be instantly dismissed, but given the circumstances it is either a rather large mistake on Samsung's part or it does truly represent a fundamental shift in support politics at the Korean tech giant. Here's hoping that it's a case of the latter.

LG Fx0 is a transparent phone running Firefox OS

Mozilla's Firefox OS has made its debut in Japan today, with the announcement of the Fx0. This oddly named smartphone manufactured by LG is designed by Tokujin Yoshioka, and it's transparent. Literally.
As you can see from the image below, the Fx0 lets you peek at its internals without ever needing to take off a cover or something like that. And it's also got a home button decorated with a golden version of the Firefox logo.

The Fx0 is certainly different from all previous Firefox OS phones, which have so far centered on being as cheap as possible. This one, though, is more of a design statement. That's why it will also be the most expensive Firefox OS device we've seen so far, being priced at JPY 50,000 (that's $414 or €340, by the way).
Aside from being transparent and all that, the Fx0 takes its design cues (the shape, mostly) from the LG G3, but it is smaller. It has a 4.7-inch IPS touchscreen, while its resolution hasn't been made public yet.
The Fx0 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU, aided by 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage space expandable via microSD cards. It sports an 8 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2.1 MP front camera. It has a 2,370 mAh battery, and it runs Firefox OS 2.0. Its dimensions are 139 x 70 x 10.5 mm and it weighs 148g.
In a first for a Firefox OS handset, the Fx0 will have support for both 4G LTE and NFC. It will be offered exclusively by KDDI and only in gold. A limited sale will start on December 25, and the phone will be widely available in Japan starting on January 6. Just don't hold your breath if you're hoping to see it sold elsewhere - smartphones from Japan rarely make it to other places.

Samsung launches the Galaxy Note Edge in India

Samsung has launched its unique Galaxy Note Edge smartphone in the Indian market. The phone is priced at 64,900 INR ($1023) and will be available in the first week of January in black and white color options.

The Galaxy Note Edge is essentially the Note 4 with a unique curved display. The curve on the side shows additional information, which can be accessed while the main display is switched off or being used for some other content.
The price is quite high and a lot more than even the Galaxy Note 4, which itself is quite expensive. Then again, Samsung never intended to sell this device in big numbers and it's more of a showcase for the curved display technology than anything else.

NVIDIA Shield Tablet gets Android 5.0.1 update

Along with the newer version of Android (which mostly includes bug fixes), the tablet also gets new effects in the Camera Awesome app, Shield Power Control Menu, OpenGL 4.5 support, localization improvements, memory optimizations, and general UI performance improvements.
Check your Shield Tablet to see if the update is available for download.

5G visionaries make a head start on the internet of things

There will be 50 billion everyday objects connected to the internet by 2020 Photo: (c) John Rensten

By Dr John-Paul Rooney, Patent attorney at Withers & Rogers

With the 5G mobile network set to launch in 2020, the UK’s brightest minds are poised to drive innovation, championing new hardware and technologies that will transform the way we live.

By the time of 5G’s inception, it is estimated that there will be up to 100 billion internet-ready devices on the planet. So, while you’ll be glad to hear that internet speeds will dramatically increase, with the capability to download a movie in less than a second, this really is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what it will enable.

Anyone who’s read a newspaper in the last six months will no doubt have come across the concept of ‘the internet of things’, this idea of machine-to-machine communication has the potential to completely overhaul the way we use technology. At present, the radio spectrum through which we communicate is extremely congested; 5G will increase the number of and broaden the available channels, allowing a larger number to operate simultaneously, with higher bandwidths, and with reliably lower-latency. And all of this with reduced power consumption.

This capability will allow large numbers of low-power inanimate objects equipped with sensors to ‘talk to’ other internet-ready devices, reliably and without significant delay. For example, driverless cars will be brought to reality on a commercially useful scale, and will be able to receive driving instructions, and a steady stream of real-time data about traffic volumes and the movement of other vehicles. In this way, cars of the future will be able to calculate the safest, fastest route. These smart cars could also more effectively detect and report faults in the vehicle and, to save the owner time, book a service at the nearest garage and drive there independently.

One of the most exciting areas of application is healthcare. In effect, personal hardware devices which monitor information such as blood glucose and heart rate could transfer data about patients’ vital signs remotely, passing it to a doctor and alerting them if an individual’s condition has worsened. This technology could help to increase the amount of out-patient care that can be delivered, thereby reducing the need for overnight hospital stays and freeing up beds. Furthermore, ambulances on the way to an emergency could access patient medical records and pull up real-time data on their current condition before arriving at the scene, allowing more immediately effective treatment.

Even though 5G has not yet been fully defined, the promise of a faster, more reliable network is mobilising engineers around the world. The combination of a lack of constraints and the promise of high monetary rewards available for those whose technologies take off, has acted as a catalyst in promoting further research and development. While there are opportunities for those developing hardware and the algorithms that will support the low power and reliability requirements of the internet of things, data security is another area which will need to be greatly advanced for the 5G network to thrive.
With more devices connected to the internet, and these devices collecting personal data such as medical information and location, security will be of central importance. Devices holding sensitive information are vulnerable to attack and it is likely that 5G capabilities will herald the creation of data vaults; Fort Knox-style storage facilities protected from cyber and physical attack.
It is vital that companies creating these new technologies obtain patents to protect their intellectual property at an early stage. Doing so will enable the sale and licensing of products which add functionality to, or are enabled by, the 5G network. Some businesses may choose to adopt a dual patent strategy, the first protecting their primary market which is not 5G related, and the second strategy protecting their more speculative innovation that could form part of the new 5G standard.
While the criteria for the standard is still unknown, the creation of the first truly global mobile network represents a huge opportunity for innovators. Taking action to create new technology now, and protecting that technology with patents could create new products and services for companies to sell, create jobs, and open up export markets. Whether or not all of these innovations are used by the 5G network, the current surge in research and development is going to be hugely beneficial for Britain’s technology industry.

19.12.14

5 AMAZING Things You Probably Never Knew Your Mobile Phone Could Do – (SHARE THIS)

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. . Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST: Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.
If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency,
dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked. Try it out…

SECOND: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday.
Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you.
Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other ‘ remote ‘ for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk)…
Editor ‘ s Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone! ‘

THIRD: Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#
Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.
This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.

FOURTH: How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone ‘ s serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset..
Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless.
You probably won ‘ t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can ‘ t use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

FIFTH : ATM – PIN Number Reversal – Good to Know
If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can
notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse. For example, if your pin number is 1234,
then you would put in 4321.
The ATM system recognizes that your PIN number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to the location.
This information was recently broadcast on CTV by Crime Stoppers however it is seldom used because people just don ‘ t know about it…… Please pass this along to everyone.
This is the kind of information people don ‘ t mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.

17.12.14

Hackers leak more Sony Pictures data

File photo. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

The Sony Pictures hacking saga continued to unfold Tuesday with hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace releasing yet another round of data leaks. The latest message includes ominous threats against the studio’s film "The Interview," in which the group references the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
The email message was sent to reporters with links to peer-to-peer sites, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and contained Part 1 of the group’s “Christmas Gift,” which it promised in previous messages on Saturday and Sunday.
Variety reports that the contents of the files are unknown, although the files are called "Michael Lynton," a reference to the CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Under the heading "warning," the group delivered a threat to movie theaters in halting English. "We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places 'The Interview' be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to," it read. "Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear."
The shadowy Guardians of Peace, or GOP, group claimed responsibility for the Nov. 24 hack that wreaked havoc on Sony Pictures’ network and set in motion a series of leaks.
Tuesday’s message is the latest in a flurry of cyber blows aimed at the studio, which have included leaks of confidential data and unreleased movies, as well as threats against Sony employees. The producers of James Bond films have also acknowledged that an early version of the screenplay for the new movie "Spectre" was among the material stolen in the massive Sony Pictures cyberattack.
In yet another twist Guardians of Peace offered not to release some email correspondence from Sony Pictures' employees Sunday. The group urged employees to contact them if they don’t want their correspondence released.
The finger of suspicion has already been pointed at North Korea over the hack, although Sony Pictures recently denied a report that it was poised to blame Pyongyang for the attack. The studio’s forthcoming film “The Interview,” starring Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists enlisted to assassinate dictator Kim Jong-un, has outraged North Korea.
There has also been plenty of speculation that the cyberattack was an inside job.
With the shockwaves from the hack still reverberating, Sony Pictures has demanded that at least three media outlets stop reporting stories based on documents obtained by hackers.
The effects of the hack are being felt across the U.S. technology sector. Pravin Kothari, CEO of cloud security specialist CipherCloud told FoxNews.com that other businesses are looking to ramp up their data security in the aftermath of the Sony Pictures breach.
“We’re seeing many more enquiries for protecting HR and employee data in the cloud after the Sony breach,” he said. “Whenever a high-profile breach happens we see a lot more urgency from our customers to advance their plans to put more protection in place.”
Sony Pictures has not yet responded to a request for comment on this story from FoxNews.com.

Audi and Joost Arijs have made the most Belgian thing ever: a chocolate-covered TT

Auto detailers look away; things are about to get very painful for you.
At the 24th International Biannual Design Fair in Belgium, Audi teamed with Joost Arijs patisserie to create probably the most Belgian thing ever: a TT completely covered in designer chocolate.
27,000 separate pieces were used to cover almost every inch of the vehicle’s exterior, minus a few patches where hungry onlookers snagged a piece or two.
The TT’s exterior designer Dany Garand used the display to highlight the third-gen car’s aesthetic philosophy, which goes well beyond making a ‘sweet’ ride.
“The first-generation TT was a lot of circles and spheres with a lot of geometric intersection,” explains Garand. “The second-generation was also very [circle and sphere-oriented], but they were blending into each other, they were not so clearly intersecting.”
“We chose with this new generation we will go with a lot more tension instead [of circles]. We broke from the first-generation TT by having more straight lines intersecting more clearly.”
Related: Retro but futuristic, posh but aggressive, Audi’s TT ticks every box
One of the highlights of the new Audi TT is the sleek and focused dashboard, which Garand says was designed to keep primary information accessible in a stylish way.
“We tried to eliminate the distraction left and right to the driver, that means all the information [is] combining now in the field of vision,” he explains. “That means navigation information, car information, everything is very close.”
As for the sports car ‘surprise,’ Garand says it’s a simple combination of guilty pleasures: sweet-tasting indulgence and four-wheeled joy.
“Chocolate is world-wide appreciated, I think it’s a good match for the TT.”

How to root your Android phone or tablet

Is the allure of being a superuser tempting you? Android rooting opens up a world of possibility, but it can also void your warranty, or even leave you with a bricked device. Yes, when it comes to rooting your Android, you’ll want to know the benefits as well as the risks.
Manufacturers and carriers have a vested interest in dissuading you from rooting. The act of rooting can be inherently dangerous. Even so, for the careful user, the risk is minimal, and the potential benefits are impressive. This guide will walk you through the necessary steps to root your phone. Some devices can be rooted in minutes. Others take a little research. One thing is clear: rooting your phone can be one of the best ways to tap into the deep potential of your Android device.
Update: Included new rooting programs Towelroot, Kingo Android Root, and SuperSU. Added links to rooted apps, and link to video on Towelroot. This post was originally published on 3-22-2013. Simon Hill contributed to this article.

What is rooting?

Rooting is jailbreaking for Androids and allows users to dive deeper into a phone’s sub-system. Essentially, it’ll allow you to access the entire operating system and be able to customize just about anything on your Android. With root access, you can get around any restrictions that your manufacturer or carrier may have applied. You can run more apps, you can overclock or underclock your processor, replace the firmware.
The process requires users to back up current software and flashing (installing) a new custom ROM (modified version of Android).

Why would you root?

One of the most obvious incentives to root your Android device is to rid yourself of the bloatware that’s impossible to uninstall. You’ll be able to set up wireless tethering, even if it has been disabled by default. Additional benefits include the ability to install special apps and flash custom ROMs, each of which can add extra features and streamline your phone or tablet’s performance. A lot of people are tempted by the ability to completely customize the look of their phones. You can also manually accept or deny app permissions.
You won’t find a lot of amazing must-have apps when you root, but there are enough to make it worthwhile. For example, some apps allow you to automatically backup all of your apps and all of their data, completely block advertisements, create secure tunnels to the Internet, overclock your processor, or make your device a wireless hotspot.
Related: How to disable Android apps

Why wouldn’t you root?

There are essentially three potential cons to rooting your Android.

Voiding your warranty: Some manufacturers or carriers will use rooting as an excuse to void your warranty. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the original backup ROM you made and no one will ever know that it was rooted.
Bricking your phone: Whenever you tamper too much, you run at least a small risk of bricking your device. The obvious way to avoid it happening is to follow instructions carefully. Make sure that the guide you are following works for your device and that any custom ROM you flash is designed specifically for it. If you do your research and pay attention to feedback from others, bricking should never occur.
Security risks: Rooting may introduce some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, rooting could create a security vulnerability. For example, Google refuses to support the Google Wallet service for rooted devices.

How to root your Android

Two recent rooting programs that have garnered some attention in the past few months are Towelroot and Kingo Root. Both will root your device in the time it takes to brush your teeth. However, both rooting programs aren’t compatible with every Android device. Here’s Kingo’s list of compatible devices.
If your phone is not compatible with these devices, you’ll have to spend a little time researching ways to root on Androd forums. The best place to start is XDA Developers Forum. Look for a thread on your specific device and you’re sure to find a method that has worked for other people. It’s worth spending some time researching the right method for your device.

Preparation for root

Back up everything that’s important to you before you start. You should also always back up your current ROM before you flash a new one.
Related: How to back up your Android to your PC
You’ll want to ensure that your device is fully charged before you begin. You’ll also need to turn USB debugging on. On Android 4.2 you’ll enable USB debugging by going to Settings>About Phone>Developer Options> and then check the box next to USB debugging.
Most Android rooting methods require you to install some software on your computer. It’s possible you’ll need to install the Android SDK. You may find other software is required. Make sure you follow the instructions on the XDA developers forum and install all of it before proceeding.

Unlock your bootloader

Before you get started, You will also need to unlock your bootloader. Bootloader is a program that determines which applications will run in your phone’s startup process.
Unlocking your bootloader will allow you to customize your device. Manufacturers have responded to a demand for customization. Many of them have provided methods to help you unlock the bootloader on their website, though they are generally provided for developers, and they usually require you to sign up or register an account first.

Some manufacturers and carriers don’t allow bootloader unlocking, but you can often find a way around that with some searching (try the XDA Developers forum).

Using Towelroot

One of the easiest methods of rooting is through Towelroot. This option works on most Android devices, (it was designed to root the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5) but not all–specifically some Motorola and HTC devices. Unlike other rooting programs that require downloading and running a program on your computer, Towelroot will root your device by simply downloading and running the app. No computer needed. However, Towelroot will only work with devices that have a kernel bill date earlier than June 3, 2014.

To use Towelroot, you’ll have to enable your device to install apps from unknown sources. This can be accessed by clicking on Settings>Security> Unknown Sources. Now you’ll be able to download apps from outside the Google Play store.
Now go to Towelroot in your phone’s browser and click on the Lambda symbol. For more information check out Gadget Hacks’ youtube video.

Using Kingo Android Root

The Windows based, Kingo Android Root is one of the easiest ways to root your Android device. First, check to see if your device is compatible with Kingo. Their site provides a list of compatible devices. Then, download Kingo Android Root and enable the USB debugging mode on your phone.
Kinga Android Root

Once you’ve enabled USB debugging mode on your phone, run the program on your PC and connect your Android to your PC with a USB cord. The program should detect your device and a message asking if you’d like to root will appear. Select “root” and then hang tight. Kingo will only take a few minutes to grant super user privileges.

Rooting forums

No other mobile operating system parallels the diversity of Android OS. For this reason, there’s no universal way to root your device. If the above two options fail, don’t fret. There is likely a guide on how to root your specific device available somewhere online. Generally you can find a guide to your device on such as XDA developers’ forum and Phandroid Forums.
Once you have found the right guide for your phone or tablet, it’s simply a case of working through the listed steps methodically. It can be a complicated procedure and it can take a while. Here’s an example guide for rooting the Samsung Galaxy S4. It can appear intimidating at first glance, but provided you follow it step-by-step, it should be a pain-free process. You can post questions in the XDA Developers forum if you run into trouble.

Download Root Checker

You’ll need to download another app to make sure your device has been successfully rooted. There are several apps available on the Google Play store that, when downloaded, will tell you if you have super-rooter permission. Root Checker is a popular one. Simply downloading and running the app will tell you if your phone has super-user permissions.

Install a root management app

Rooting will make your phone more vulnerable to security threats. Installing a root management app will give you more peace of mind. Normally, every app that requires rooted privileges will ask for your approval. This is where root management apps, such as SuperSU, come in. SuperSU lets you allow or deny sites’ requests for super user permission. It will then keep track of the permissible apps and automatically grant permission next time you use the app. SuperSU will also keep track of how many times an app requests to root.

Unrooting your Android

For all the good that is rooting, you may want to go back to the way things were. SuperSU allows users to unroot phones by simply going into the app’s settings and select the full unroot option.

To root or not to root

Gaining full root access to your Android device can be thrilling, especially if you want to tinker with settings and customize your device. How much it changes your experience depends largely on the device you have. If you have a shuttered device, like a Kindle Fire tablet, then it’s a great way to get the full Android experience.
The potential benefits for all Android users include improved battery life, root-only apps, custom ROMs, overclocking, an end to bloatware, improved performance, and the ability to upgrade your phone when you want. If you aren’t excited at the prospect of any of these things, rooting probably isn’t for you.