IT News Head Lines (Techradar) 10/2/2013

GoPro shrinks into the Hero3+

A refresh for the GoPro Black and Silver Edition action cams, the GoPro3+ is smaller and lighter than its older sibling the Hero3, with a redesigned lens and longer battery life.
The Black Edition touts faster Wi-Fi transfers, with the help of the GoPro app, and an automatic low-light mode to adjust the frame rate as necessary, all in a smaller body that is 20% smaller than the Hero3.
The Silver Edition is 15% smaller and lighter than its Hero3 equivalent, with 30% more battery life as well. And like the Black Edition, it now also offers 1080/60p and 720/120p video.
Both the Black and Silver Editions will be available through GoPro's website, priced at $399.99 (£359.99, AUD$529) and $299.99 (£279.99, AUD$429), respectively.

Mounting

With the Hero3+ refresh, GoPro's mount ecosystem has received a boost with three new clamps and harnesses.
The Jaws is a flexible clamp that can be attached to a number of different surfaces and objects and is backwards compatible with older GoPro cameras.
The Junior Chesty is simply a smaller version of the chest harness, designed specifically for children and the head strap and quick clip can be used to mount the GoPro on hats, belts or right on the head.
One of the main advantages over competition for GoPro has been the sheer number of accessories, most of them backwards compatible.
"If it's at a low price point, you've got to look at what the quality is, the design of it, the number of accessories. That's really something that has differentiated us from other competitors over the years," Rick Loughery, GoPro's global director of communications, has told us previously.

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Nexus 5 release date, news and rumors

The Nexus 5 is going to be the successor to last year's Nexus 4, and from what we know so far, it's going to be made by LG - just like the previous model.
We've seen numerous leaks of and about the device now - we even saw one from a Google promotional video for Android 4.4. KitKat - so we have a very rough idea of what he new Nexus 5 will be like.

If we go by the Nexus line's history, there are a few things we can gather in terms of what the device will feature, or not feature. To start, there typically isn't expandable memory in Nexus devices - whether we're talking tablets or smartphones.
It would be a safe bet to assume that the Nexus 5 won't have microSD support, so we're hoping that 32GB and 64GB options will be available.
Another thing - and this is pretty obvious - is that this upcoming smartphone will be the first to feature the latest version of Android: 4.4 KitKat.

Nexus 5 release date

The Nexus 5 may see a release date around November, much like its predecessor, the Nexus 4. Word is that the Google-powered LG smartphone will see an October announcement with a launch of a few weeks later.

Not surprisingly, we're seeing a lot of the phone getting leaked in the wild, too. Most recently, following an unusual trend of where devices are getting leaked, the Nexus 5 was spotted in a bar.
Moreover, a phone that looks very much like the coming Google phone was spotted at the FCC. The camera hold was as large as the module we've seen in leaked photos, so we suspect that the LG smartphone, labeled as model D820, is actually the Nexus 5.

Nexus 5 inspired by LG G2

Rumor has it that the new Nexus 5 is going to be heavily inspired by the LG G2, which is a good thing. While the hardware isn't as sexy as the HTC One, for example, it is by far the most powerful Android device so far this year.
In terms of specs and raw performance, the G2 is really incredible. Its high-resolution display is amazing, and it has great color and contrast.

The G2's benchmark performance is off the charts, and battery life doesn't seem to suffer at all as a result. We can only hope that the Nexus 5 does take all these elements from the G2, and place the power and volume buttons back where they belong - on the edges of the device.
Perhaps we can also expect that amazing 13MP camera, too, since it performed exceptionally well in most lighting conditions. Judging by the huge module on the back of the Nexus 5, however, we might be in for even more.

Nexus 5 processor and power

We've come to learn that the Nexus 5, which obviously isn't available yet, has destroyed the Samsung Galaxy S4 in benchmark tests.
This isn't a surprise if the Nexus device ends up taking its cues from the LG G2. In our review, the G2 did exceptionally well in benchmark testing.

Rumor is that the Nexus 5 will have a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with 3GB RAM. That's a lot of power and memory under the hood of a smartphone.
One thing we can be sure of is that the new Google phone will give other Android flagships a good run for their money.

Nexus 5 wireless charging

Perhaps it's a novelty for some of you, but wireless charging is very convenient. And it looks like the Nexus 5 will have this feature thanks to a little digging in Android 4.4 KitKat.
It's also more than safe to assume that if a device like the Nexus 5 were to have wireless charging, it will also have NFC.
What isn't clear is whether the charging device or dock is going to be sold as part of the package with the Nexus 5, or if it's going to be a separate accessory. Right now we'll hedge our bets and go with the latter.

Nexus 5 price

Right now it's anyone's guess whether the Nexus 5 will see the same pricing scheme as the Nexus 4. The newer model, if it turns out anything like the LG G2, will be a monster of a device in terms of specs.
Compared to the Nexus 4 the Nexus 5 is shaping up to be a smartphone in a completely new class. And with specs like that, it's hard to imagine that it will get the same pricing treatment that the Nexus 4 did with off-contract rates. Last year's model didn't even have LTE support!
We would expect the newer Google phone to hover around $499 - $699 off contract, and perhaps even higher if Google decides to offer a massive 64GB version.

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Vodafone expands $5 Roam Like Home to 34 European countries

Vodafone Australia has added Europe to its list of countries where roaming will be capped at $5 a day on its Vodafone Red plans.
The second roll out of countries comes after launching the Vodafone Red plans in August, with Roam Like Home initially offered in New Zealand, the US and UK.
All Vodafone Red 24-month plans include unlimited calls to standard national numbers and mobiles and unlimited SMS to local and international numbers. The $65 a month plan includes 1.5GB of data, $80 a month will give you 2.5GB and $100 will give you 5GB of data.
The opt-in Roam Like Home option allows you to use your phone as if you were using it in Australia, so long as you stay within your monthly allowance or you'll be charge as per Vodafone's usual roaming rates.
But the "infinite" nature of the plans means that you could standard national calls or SMS anywhere in the country you are visiting, or back in Australia, with the daily price capping at $5 – and only on the days you actually use your service.
The 34 European countries include Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey

Roaming telcos

Optus and Telstra announced their international roaming options soon after Vodafone announced Roam Like Home.
Though not yet offered globally, Vodafone is differentiating their Roam Like Home option with the plan's "infinite" options, and noting that with data, it does not require the user to buy extra data packs.
"Buying a data pack and then trying to monitor your usage is messy and customers say they find it complicated, so we decided to simplify roaming by allowing our customers to use their plan overseas just as they would at home. Our customers love it," said Vodafone Australia CEO Bill Morrow.
He added that Vodafone Australia is still working to add more countries as quickly as they can, leveraging the international presence of Vodafone Group, which owns 50% of Vodafone Hutchison Australia, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the US.
"Vodafone has a real competitive advantage due to our international network, which means we can offer customers something none of the other providers can," he said.
"One thing's for sure, our customers love to travel and we want to make sure we move with them."

• Want to know which Ausslie telco has the best 4G? Then you should check out our 4G network comparison.

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Telstra adds data sharing options

Introducing Data Share Packages, Telstra is Australia's first major telco to offer data sharing options beyond tethering or adding extra SIM accounts.
Tied to the one SIM, the Data Share Package allows customers to spread their data usage on up to four devices, including laptops, smartphones or tablets.
The add on features are for Every Day Connect and Business Performance customers, simply adding $10 a month to add the Data Share Package to your plan, and another $10 for each additional SIM card for your devices.
This simply means that, for example, a $60 Every Day Connect plan will cost $70 a month to add the shared data package, and either another $10, $20 or $30 per month over 24 months if you want one, two or three extra SIMs, respectively.
Telstra is offering an extra 1GB of data for your monthly allowance if you sign up before 31 December 2013.
But if the data allowance on your chosen plan tier isn't enough, you could also add an additional data pack, but your monthly charge will go up.

Playing SIMs

Not all devices have slots for SIM cards, but for those that do, the Telstra's package could be a handy addition.
Of course, you could just use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth tethering to share data between devices without any extra charges, though this could hit both device's battery quite hard.
It should also be noted that the largest amount of data that Telstra offers on its Every Day Connect plans is 3GB, reserved for its highest tier.
Consumer advocacy group the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) applauded Telstra for offering flexibility with the add-on, but also noted that it was still at a cost.
"The relatively high cost to use data sharing means the free tethering features built into devices are likely to be a sufficient alternative for some," Asher Moses, ACCAN spokesman, told Computerworld Australia.

• Who's our pick for 4G? Check out how telcos fair with their 4G networks in Australia.

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Windows Phone sales share in Europe near double digits, close to iOS

Not even Ballmer can cry with these numbers. Windows Phone sales were the highest ever in the last three months, accounting for 9.2% of smartphones sold in Europe's five major markets.
That's just the average in Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, according to the numbers from consumer research firm Kantar Worldpanel.
Microsoft's mobile operating system has already crossed a double digit sales share in France with 10.8%. In Great Britain it's a solid 12%, which is a head-turning 7% year-over-year increase.
"Windows Phone's latest wave of growth is being driven by Nokia's expansion into the low and mid-range market with the Lumia 520 and 620 handsets," said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar.
"These models are hitting the sweet spot with 16- to 24 year-olds and 35- to 49 year-olds, two key groups that look for a balance of price and functionality in their smartphone."

Windows Phone vs iOS vs Android sales

Microsoft is actually closing the gap between Windows Phone and iOS in some countries.
It's sales share in Germany, for example, is just one percentage point behind iOS.
Android still dominates smartphone sales throughout Europe, maintaining a 70.1% market share. But the report stated that its "dominant position is increasingly threatened" by Windows Phone and iOS growth.
"After years of increasing market share, Android has now reached a point where significant growth in developed markets is becoming harder to find," noted Sunnebo.
"Android's growth has been spearheaded by Samsung, but the manufacturer is now seeing its share of sales across the major European economies dip year on year as a sustained comeback from Sony, Nokia and LG begins to broaden the competitive landscape."

The rest of the globe

Windows Phone's popularity surge hasn't caught on everywhere in the world.
In the U.S., for example, Microsoft's mobile OS only accounted for 3% of smartphone sales in the last three months ending in August. That's a year-over-year increase of just 0.4%.
Sales of Windows Phone devices actually declined to a 2.1% share in China, going 2.6% in the wrong direction. But that's because Android was the only mobile OS to see an increase in the country, taking 9.2% more of the pie for a 72.4% share.
Australia was more kind to Microsoft, registering a 6.5% sales share for Windows Phone, an increase of 2.8%, according to the Kantar numbers.
With Windows Phone and Blackberry in switched positions, the new No. 3 could make a move on Apple's sales share in a couple of countries in the coming months.

• Read our LG Optimus L9 review for a 4G budget phone with Android.

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Razer Blade and Blade Pro gaming laptops land in Australia

The Razer Blade and Blade Pro gaming laptops are finally making their way to Aussie shores from October 18.
Razer is calling it's 17-inch Blade Pro machine the "most portable 17-inch gaming laptop in its class", and for a very good reason as it comes in at just 2.2cm and 2.95kg.
The Pro also runs Intel's upcoming 4th gen Core processor, Haswell, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 765M GPU, with an SSD that boots up to four-times faster than traditional 5400-RPM hard drives, making it a powerful beast in a small frame.
Sporting a 17-inch 1920x1080p display at Full HD, Razer has also boosted the Pro's power to a 74 watt hour battery.

Another Blade

The Pro's more svelte brother also sports Intel's 4th gen CPU, the same Nvidia GPU and SSD options.
But the Blade does this in a smaller body that weighs just under 1.8kg, sporting an LED 14-inch display at 1600 x 900 resolution.
Both the Blade and Blade Pro will also have the latest Windows OS, Bluetooth 4, HDMI and USB 3.0 ports.
Both machines will come in three flavours, with JB Hi-Fi to carry just the 256GB SSD varieties, and Razerzone.com to carry 128, 256, 512GB SSD variants.
The Razor Blade Pro has a starting price of $3399, while the 14-inch Blade has a starting price of $2699.

• Why not also check out our top gaming laptops.

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Xi3 Piston PC arrives alongside next-gen consoles Nov. 29, supports SteamOS

If you thought there wasn't enough hot, new gaming tech to buy this holiday season between the Xbox One and PS4, Xi3 has you covered.
The company just announced that its modular Piston gaming PC will arrive on Nov. 29. Those who pre-order the little box right now will receive the machine two weeks early, on or before Nov. 15.
Despite its small 4-inch stature, the PC packs much in its tiny frame. Truthfully, it better, what with its $999 (about £617, AU$1,069) price tag.
Rattling around inside are an x86-based AMD 3.2Ghz quad-core chip, 8GB of RAM and 128GB solid-state drive storage. The Piston packs 12 USB ports and can support up to three monitors through mini-DP, HDMI and DisplayPort at up to 4K resolution.
What's more, the Piston can support up to 1TB of SSD.
By all accounts, the system is a PC trapped in a console-sized body, except with the added bonus of modularity. It's this feature that lets users keep upgrading the Piston's hardware overtime, Xi3 touted.
Opting for a more compact motherboard architecture compared to a regular computer, the company plans to release its own upgraded boards and components that can be installed individually as PC technology improves.

A steamy relationship

When the device was first unveiled at CES 2013, the Piston was initially mistaken for the first Steam Box console. Although Valve praised the system, a few months later the digital gaming boutique distanced itself from Xi3 and Piston.
In a somewhat timely nod to Valve's own Steam Machines hardware beta and Steam Controller announcements, Xi3 mentioned today that Piston owners can purchase an additional SSD.
Big whoop you say, but it's on this solid-state drive that you can install your own operating system, including the SteamOS. Perhaps we can take this as a hint that the Steam operating system will be ready by mid-November?

• Quick quiz: When's the Xbox One's release date? How about the PS4?

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Facebook Graph Search now lets users search by posts, status updates

Facebook's Graph Search has been turning up oddly specific results for several months now, but one feature it missed is the ability to search for things like posts and status updates.
We think you can see where we're going, but we'll lay it out for you: Starting today, Facebook folk can plug in status updates, photo captions, check-ins and comments in the Graph Search bar, and voila, there those items are.
As told by Facebook, users can search for topics they're interested by entering something like "Posts about Breaking Bad by my friends," posts about a city, place or a certain time, and posts users want to see again, accomplished with prompts like "Posts I commented on" or "My posts from 2012."
There is a slight catch in that the feature is doing a slow roll, heading out to a small number of Graph Search users first. In other words, don't be surprised if you can't look up "Posts written at Machu Picchu" just yet.

Privacy please

Just like current Graph Search results, only content that's shared with users will be visible when the updates go into affect.
This includes posts shared publicly by people users aren't friends with.
Facebook will digest any feedback and work to improve the updated Graph Search experience, and we'll keep an ear out for a full release time frame.
Graph Search recently opened for all who've set U.S. English as their default language, so users outside the United States may be part of the initial roll-out group.

• If you haven't read our iPhone 5S review yet, you're missing out.

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Xbox One Kinect can comprehend two voices at once, read mouths in the dark

Multiplayer gaming on Xbox One may be a little more vocal this generation than last, as Microsoft revealed that its new Kinect is able to understand two voices simultaneously.
This surprise functionality was revealed by the Microsoft's Corporate Vice President Phil Harrison while Kinect Sports Rivals was being shown at the Eurogamer Expo in London.
Kinect Sports Rivals, a game being developed by the Microsoft-owned British developer Rare, could easily use the ability to differentiate between two talking heads for its sports challenges.
This further enhances Microsoft's next-generation camera input, which we already knew could track up to six players, 25 joints among them, 1,400 points on a face and detect heartbeats.

Can see in the dark

Interestingly, Kinect's ability to understand overlapping voices isn't the only feature that Microsoft was keeping its lips sealed about until this weekend's expo.
The 1080p Kinect is also said to be powerful enough to read mouth movements in the dark.
That's a significant improvement over the first Kinect camera, which ran into trouble with basic functionality in low-light conditions.
Why Microsoft hasn't touted these innovative Kinect features before is a mystery. After all, many gamers have questioned why they're being forced to buy the included Kinect, making it more expensive than the PS4.
We asked Microsoft that very question and will update this story when we hear back.

• Read our iPhone 5S review for our opinion on Apple's new camera.

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HTC One Max may actually squeeze into view on Oct. 17

Those waiting on the edge of their seats for more HTC One Max news can celebrate today, as long as an unsubstantiated rumor of a slightly later HTC One Max release date is enough to satiate.
The latest comes from the Chinese site ePrice, reporting that the HTC One Max will launch on Oct. 17.
Previous rumors held that the HTC phablet would launch Oct. 15, so this report is not exactly blowing any minds.
Either way, it's thought that HTC will time the One Max to go out around the same time as Apple's new iPads - and ePrice said it will cost about the same as the Galaxy Note 3, which is rumored near $950 (about UK£600, AU$1,000) SIM-free.

HTC One Max rumors

The HTC One Max has been the subject of plenty of leaks and rumors.
The device's alleged fingerprint scanner got our attention early on, even before the iPhone 5S was confirmed to have one of its own.
Other HTC One Max rumors have described part of the phone's specs sheet, including Android 4.3, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, a 5.9-inch 1080p display and 2GB of memory
And there have been plenty of pictures.
Pocketnow said on Sept. 27 that the HTC One Max recently went through TENAA, the Chinese equivalent of the U.S.'s Federal Communications Commission, another sign that it's coming soon.

• Want a fingerprint scanner now? Try the iPhone 5S - and read our review right here.

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iPad 5 is still thinner, lighter and smaller than iPad 4 in latest leak

As iPhone 5S owners get acquainted with Touch ID and iPhone 5C-sters show off their hued handsets, iPad hopefuls are awaiting the release of Apple's next slates.
Leaks of the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 are popping up left and right, and now thanks to a recently discovered vid from sw-box.com, we potentially have a side-by-side-by-side comparison of back casings belonging to the iPad 5, iPad 4 and first iPad mini.
The video primarily sizes up the iPad 5, in new space gray, with the iPad 4, pitting the dimensions of each tab against the other.
The measurements nearly match earlier comparison leaks we've seen, piling on credence to rumors we're in for a smaller, thinner and lighter iPad.
YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J84xWlkYjKc

iPad 5 inching closer?

Now, one red flag that the video might be a hoax is that the iPad 4 casing is without any markings ("iPad," an FCC engraving, etc.). The iPad mini is also sans a few key scribblings, however both may simply be unfinished casings.
The iPad 5 back plate in this video not only hits the dimensions of earlier leaks, but various structural elements, such as iPad mini-inspired speakers, double volume buttons and the curvature of the tablet strike chords we've seen before.
We're anticipating an Apple iPad event to go down in October, possibly Oct. 15, at which point we hope all the answers to our burning iPad 5 questions arrive in a nicely tied bow.

• Does Samsung have a little gold-phone envy?

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Lumia 929 may arrive in US soon with not-really mysterious tablet in tow

Verizon has the Lumia 928 and the older Lumia 822 up for grabs in its store, but another Windows Phone may be headed to Big Red.
Windows Phone Central claims the Lumia 929 will hit the checkmark carrier's shelves quite soon - Nov. 6 to be exact.
The 929 will supposedly sport a 20MP camera and 1080p 5-inch display, costing you around $500 (about £309, AU$535) off-contract.
WPH notes that the Lumia 929 release date coincides with the massive Lumia 1520's own launch, a rumored first-time phablet from Nokia that seems to be headed for competitor AT&T in November.

And perhaps a tablet too?

A mysterious tablet may also join the Lumia 929 pretty soon.
A recently outed FCC filing shows that a Nokia device called the "RX-114" has been approved - and Engadget noticed the report features LTE bands which can be supported on various carriers, including Verizon.
The Lumia 2520 (a.k.a. Sirius) has already made the rumor rounds as Nokia's first tablet and could be the device in question.
We'll find out more quite soon at Nokia's upcoming Oct. 22 Abu Dhabi event, especially since a combo of six phones, tablets or whatever might just show up.

• Need to know what phones Verizon has to offer? Check out our list of the latest and greatest here!

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First! Samsung on the defensive over gold phone rat race with Apple

Welcome to another game of Apple vs Samsung, where two of the richest tech companies in the world - and their fans - fight pointless, petty battles and everyone loses.
This time Samsung finds itself on the defensive as Apple fans accused it of copying the gold iPhone 5S with its gold Galaxy S4.
Samsung revealed the gold Galaxy S4 to the world last week, but the phone was actually announced in the Middle East in late August and launched in the region before the iPhone 5S was even unveiled - and there lies only part of Samsung's argument.
In fact, on Sept. 28 the official Samsung blog Samsung Tomorrow published a non-comprehensive chronicle of its history with gold handsets, the first of which actually dates back to 2004.

All that glitters is at least colored gold

The Samsung Mobile Arabia Twitter handle sounded off last week about the gold Galaxy S4, pointing out that it went on sale in the UAE two days before the iPhone 5S was unveiled.
And according to the company's blog post, Samsung's first gold phones were the Anycall SCH-E470, SPH-E3200 and SPH-E3250 from 2004.
Since then it launched gold-colored phones (some even with real gold) in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, including the Samsung Galaxy Golden flip phone this year. Not all were widely available (or available at all), but they existed nonetheless.
And the gold Galaxy S4 was launched in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar in September.
There's no indication that this battle will reach a court, since luckily even Apple and Samsung can't trademark a color (yet).
Normally, that wouldn't stop fans from fighting the companies' petty battles for them in message boards and comments - but maybe we can put this one to bed, people?

• In the meantime Apple's ramping up production on the gold iPhone 5S due to high demand. Hmm - maybe it's onto something after all.

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Latest Gmail for Android app suggests mobile ads are on the way

Android users: Enjoying the latest Gmail 4.6 update released last week? Now imagine it chock-full of ads, and you might have some idea of what Google plans for the near future.
Android Police reported this weekend that last week's release of Gmail 4.6 for Android wasn't just about adding new cards and a cleaner design - the APK file is also hiding something a bit less welcome inside.
According to code extracted from the latest build 836823 released on Sept. 27, the Gmail app may soon be infested with mobile advertising - including the ability to potentially save ads to your inbox.
Although the code to power ads in Gmail isn't currently active, it appears that all Google needs to do is flip a switch on its end and version 4.6 could start serving 'em to upwards of a billion Android users.

The little things

Judging from the contents of the Gmail APK, Google's approach to such mobile advertising could be done with some degree of restraint, although for some users, any intrusion is likely to be unwelcome.
Thankfully, the Gmail 4.6 build isn't all bad news - in addition to the aforementioned new cards, the app also includes a few less noticeable tweaks, such as darker UI icons and the removal of the Cancel button while sending a message.
Last but not least, the app also serves up a warning about any unsent messages that may be lounging about in a user's Sent folder, and also removes the generic avatar picture used for contacts who don't have one assigned while viewing messages in Notifications.
And what about those ads potentially waiting in the wings? "We're always experimenting with new features, but have nothing new to share at this time," a Google spokesperson told TechRadar in response to our request for comment.
Time will tell if these Gmail ads come to pass.

• Check out our review of the latest Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone!

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Cool story, Nokia! New 'Storyteller' photo app for Windows devices leaked

Nokia is apparently plotting a new photography application which would enable users to form 'stories' using their photo albums.
Revealed by serial Twitter leak artist @evleaks this weekend, the so-called 'Storyteller' app for Windows devices will seemingly showcase a Timeline of photos, a Photo Map and albums centred around Events.
There's also a Shared tab depicted within the leaked image, which suggests that users will be able to share albums with friends and family, perhaps in a similar way to Apple's Photo Stream tool.
The person behind the @evleaks Twitter account, which has been responsible for some high-profile, uncannily accurate leaks in recent times, claims the app will arrive Oct. 22 at Nokia World.

Are you Sirius, bro?

That event is also supposedly scheduled to see the launch of a 10.1-inch Windows RT tablet codenamed Sirius as well as the rumoured Nokia Lumia 1520 phablet, codenamed 'Bandit'.
The latter of those devices looks like it could be Nokia's most impressive Windows Phone handset yet. Speculation has suggested it'll have a 6-inch screen, 20-megapixel camera and quad-core processor.
The Sirius, Nokia's first Windows tablet, faces a tougher task to impress expectant onlookers if it is indeed running the largely derided and largely abandoned Windows RT software for ARM-based devcies.
We'll find out for sure at the Nokia World in Abu Dhabi in three weeks time.

• With a quad-core chip, 6-inch screen, 20-megapixel camera all rumoured, is Nokia going all out with the Lumia 1520?

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BBC iPlayer Radio for Android and iOS adds podcast downloads

BBC iPlayer Radio users can now download their favourite podcasts for offline listening, thanks to a new update to the iOS, Android and Kindle Fire apps.
The Beeb says podcast downloads have been its 'single most requested' feature and now the app's estimated three million users can access current and archive editions of popular 'casts.
The downloads, which are enabled through Wi-Fi or mobile data, will assist those who enjoy Dessert Island Discs or Mark Kermode's and Simon Mayo's film reviews, but struggle for connectivity on daily commutes.
Those shows have previously been available to download through iTunes, but integration within the main iPlayer Radio app will be useful for some.

Still no full show downloads

In a post on the BBC Internet blog. BBC executive producer James Simcock wrote: "You can grab a copy of your favourite podcasts to listen to on or offline, straight from the app.
"We've added simple controls to choose whether to allow downloads when on mobile networks or just on WiFi (to avoid data charges), to 'queue' as many downloads as you like, and to manage your downloaded content quickly and easily via the new 'My Downloads' section of the app."
The Beeb has still stopped short of offering full broadcast radio shows for downloads within the app, due to licensing restrictions around the programming.

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Acer's TravelMate X313 convertible looks to do business

Acer has outed the TravelMate X313, a Windows 8 convertible that turns into a fully fledged PC when slotted into its accompanying dock.
It's something we're seeing more of these days, with Microsoft's Surface 2 Pro 2 tablet and Acer's own Iconia W5 and Aspire P3 devices offering similar functionality.
The X313 can be held in the hands and interacted with using its 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel-resolution display or slotted into a keyboard holder to be used like a laptop.
Under the bonnet is a third-generation Intel Core i5 or i3 processor, 60GB or 120GB internal storage, up to 4GB RAM and Intel's HD Graphics 4000 GPU. Acer is claiming up to eight hours' battery life in the absence of Haswell.

Solid crew

Acer says the tablet is suitable for senior management due to its "robust and solid" aluminium body, the inclusion of Windows 8 Pro and bundled security tools that include face recognition software and anti-theft technology.
Other features include Acer's Touch Tools that assist with drawing on photos, ScreenGrasp software for capturing images with a digital pen and AccuFinger that helps with selecting smaller elements when prodding at the screen.
It can be picked up now at a starting price of €999 (£835, or US$1,352).

• Prefer Android on a tablet? Here are some of the best

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Review: Sony Xperia Z1

Introduction and design

Sony was the first of the big-name manufacturers to launch a new 2013 flagship smartphone back in March, with the Sony Xperia Z, a 5-inch model outwardly rather similar to its new Z1.
The Xperia Z beat the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 to market, offering a quad-core processor, 1080p display, 13 megapixel camera, 2GB of RAM, and water and dust resistance. It was awesome. And still is, seeing as so little time has passed since it arrived.
But now there's a new Sony flagship for the autumn/winter season, in the large, glossy shape of the Xperia Z1. There's a more powerful processor inside, a higher-spec camera and a new metal chassis, but it's still recognisably related to the older Z, both in design terms and the software it runs.
It's a premium model too, with the Z1 currently being sold direct from Sony for a stonking great £599, the price you pay for a metallic, 5-inch machine, powered by what's generally agreed as being the fastest and most capable mobile processor available today. Given the Xperia Z's only seven months old and was no slouch, is there really a need for the Z1 upgrade so soon after?

As with the Xperia Z, the Z1's 5-inch screen displays at full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution. The key upgrades here are hidden inside, with the Z1 powered by a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset clocked at 2.2GHz and backed up by the same 2GB of working RAM as the Z, plus an upgraded aluminium chassis that rounds off the sharp edges of the Z in favour of a gentler, colder, metallic feel. The headline feature is the 20.7 megapixel camera sensor, on paper a vast upgrade over the 13MP unit inside the older Z.

As with the Xperia Z, the Z1 is certified to IP standards for dust and water resistance, so ought to be 100 per cent impervious to the more mundane threat of pocket fluff. Indeed, the phone's ports -- microSD, USB and micro-SIM -- are all hidden behind rubber stoppers, to keep water, dust and fluff at bay. The Z1's 3.5mm headphone jack is open to the elements on the top-left corner of the phone, so Sony's done a bit of useful work here to waterproof that and do away with the rubber stopper.
We thought the addition of a flap over the USB connector would be a textbook first-world problem causing frustration on a daily basis, but no. It pops out easily. It pops back in easily. It's a second and a half worth investing each day in return for a fully waterproof phone.
Holding the Sony Xperia Z1 is a treat to the senses too, as the Z1 features a full glass exterior as well as a smooth, featureless and button-free front. The back's so shiny you could mistake it for a display, albeit a broken display that's stuck showing the Sony logo in the middle.
Sony's designers have ensured that the Z1's plastic sides extend by a fraction of a millimetre over the phone's glassy rear. This acts as a shock absorber and means the glass should be protected from casual tosses onto hard surfaces - although we've scratched the back a little already. But that was probably from chucking it in the sea to check its water resistance, so we have only ourselves to blame.

It feels big and wide, although thanks to also being rather tall as well it manages to balance pretty nicely in the hand. It's also cool to the touch, with the aluminium sides giving your hand the odd chill when it's been out on a table for a while.
Sony's also stuck with its idea of putting the power button on the side of the phone a little above the middle, meaning it's easy to find and naturally appears where your fingers tend to sit when holding a phone of this size.

But being so slim and smooth has you worrying. Putting it in a pocket makes you stress that it's so slick it's surely only a matter of time before it somehow works itself up and out onto the floor. But that's not happened to us yet. We are probably just worrying too much. It encourages you to worry, as it's such a large lump of a phone you're always aware of its presence.
Thanks to the positioning of the power button it is just about possible to use the Xperia Z1 in one hand. It's not entirely comfortable to hold, though, as the angular slab design and glass back has you panicking that it's a very droppable item. Your fingers end up seeking out the docking port as the only gripping spot, as that's the only feature on the left-hand side of the Z1 that isn't completely smooth and flush.
The front... no, wait, this is the back. The back looks like the front. It's all glass and smooth, although we suspect it's not made from stuff as tough as that which covers the front, as a fair few tiny scratches have developed in a little over a week of use.

The right-hand edge features the microSIM card tray - which can be pulled out with a fingernail - power button, volume up/down toggle and the camera shutter button, the latter of which can be used to open up the camera by holding it down for a second or so.
The SIM tray is peculiar, housing an impossibly flimsy piece of plastic that's used to insert the SIM, which is so thin it's bordering on paper-like. If you're a regular SIM-swapper it'll be a nightmare, as this teeny holder is definitely one of the few weak spots in the Z1's design.
The left-hand side has the microSD slot and USB connectors, which sit above the docking station pins, while the bottom edge is all speaker grill. It's not the best place for a speaker as, what with this being such a huge phone, you often end up supporting it with a finger or thumb while using it - blocking or at least changing the level of the audio when simply adjusting your grip. Not a massive flaw, but a minor annoyance all the same.

The bottom of the display is allocated for Android's software buttons, which are presented here in standard Back, Home and the Recent Apps multitasking button. There's enough chin beneath the display to ensure these software buttons aren't too low down the Z1's body, again helping to make one-handed use a little easier. No mean feat when dealing with a 5-inch monster.

Interface

Android 4.2.2 is the launch OS that arrives on the Xperia Z1, although Sony's completely redesigned every single aspect of the experience to make it altogether different from the stock Android experience. Xperia Z owners will recognise it all, though, as it's virtually identical in most respects to the OS powering the previous model.
All of Android's key features remain, though, albeit looking rather different. The lock screen lets you drag a finger up the display to unlock the phone with a sort of Venetian blind effect. If you drag left and right on the clock display, quick access to a suite of lock screen widgets can be gained.
These new lock widgets let you open the camera with one drag, or scroll to a Google Now widget, an email widget, your Google+ posts and more, without having to fully unlock the phone. Android's pull-down notifications menu is also accessible from the lock screen, and Sony has fiddled with the Notifications pane a great deal too. The largest alteration is the top list of feature toggles, which Sony calls the Quick Settings tab. This can be edited to feature up to 10 shortcuts in an order of your choosing.

Unlock the phone properly and you see a fairly simple initial Home screen, with your clock, Google search bar, a few Sony app shortcuts and the standard floating Android shortcut bar beneath. It's not particularly thrilling, with Sony barely changing the look of this Home layout for the last few years.
A pinch-zoom or long-press on the display brings up Sony's own shortcut and widget installer, which also pops up the wallpaper and theme setting options.
Hit the widget or shortcut option and a list of everything that's installed on your Z1 appears, ready for you to drag and drop into place on one of the Home screens. The Z1 initially arrives with five Home screens, but you can boost this to seven from this same menu, also tapping the little house icon that sits in the corner of each screen's display to make any particular layout the one the phone defaults to on boot and when quitting apps.
It's a nice, user friendly widget installation system that's a little more intuitive than the system used in the vanilla Android models like the Nexus 4.
Sony's taken a new approach to the Android app drawer, too. This big list of everything, accessed by pressing the grid on the floating dock, now comes with its own slide-in menu. From this, you can select apps to uninstall, edit the order they appear in, and, if you've really gone for broke in installing stuff, search for a particular app by name.

In terms of getting your apps, Google Play is the obvious choice, as that's the default app store that comes pre-loaded on every Android-powered phone. However, as all the hardware makers are keen to do, Sony's added its own Sony Select app recommendation engine here, which exists as both a standalone app and a massive, full-screen widget.
This is an odd thing that presents a curated selection of apps and media, with shortcuts that link to Google Play and Sony's own online shops, plus there are film links that open up not in Google's movie store but in Sony's own Video Unlimited app. Hence things start to become a little confusing, with the phone often pointing you off in various directions to get your content from competing services.
One of Sony's big wins when it comes to improving Google's standard Android options can be found in the Z1's Album photo gallery replacement. This completely bins Google's approach in favour of a double-fronted app that presents photos on the phone behind one tab and photos pulled in from social networks on the other, with the latter allowing you see photos your friends have posted to Facebook, images from Flickr, Picasa, Sony's PlayMemories cloud storage service and more.
Images in both galleries are displayed as cropped cubes, which you can zoom in and out of, forcing them to dynamically rearrange themselves. Zooming all the way out with a pinch-zoom gesture makes it dead easy to scroll back through all your pictures, with the grid broken down by month to make selections a little clearer.
Face recognition of your pics is also a nice new touch, with the Z1 offering to associate a name with every photo you take, then sorting the results into photos based by person.
Images previously taken can be updated with a geo-tag, which then allows the Z1 to display them on a nice, spinning 3D globe. Given most peoples' photos will be taken within a few miles of where they live this probably isn't the most useful feature. But it is a nice globe.

The Recent Apps multitasking menu has also been enhanced again by Sony's development team. As well as a list of the apps and system setting pages you've used recently, this houses Sony's original collection of mini apps, or floating extra additions to the OS designed to make note taking and other mundane tasks easier.

There are six of the mini notes apps on the Z1 to begin with, offering quick access to an Active Clip tool for capturing and editing an image of whatever's on your display (something Android lets you do anyway by holding down the power button and volume down toggle), plus there's a floating Notes widget, timer, calculator, miniature browser tile and audio recorder in here too.
These are joined by smart little widgets for Gmail, Google's Calendar app and your Chrome bookmarks. They look extremely neat and clever, but do tend to get in the way a bit. Having a huge, opaque Gmail inbox permanently floating over your Home screens and apps isn't really a particularly useful feature.

Contacts and calling

The Z1's dialler is topped by four tabs, which access your contacts, the actual traditional number-pressing part you use to dial in any numbers you can actually remember, a starred collection of favourites for easy access and a fourth section dedicated to creating groups of contacts for simple mass SMS-ing of your friends.

The experience is built around your Google contacts, so once you're signed in with a Google email address any old contacts you've previously added to another Android model (or typed into Gmail over the years) will pop up here. If you haven't updated your phone for a very, very long time, there's the option to import contacts from a SIM card too.

Each of your contacts has their own little page, where you can add details such as their email addresses, instant messaging accounts, home addresses, web URLs and more, plus there's the option to "Place on Home screen" – which sticks a little 1 x 1 icon on your Home screen, which you can use as a handy shortcut to quickly contact any people you bother regularly.

The dialler supports a form of smart dialling, where it's enough to start typing the first couple of letters from a contact's name for the Z1 to suggest matching numbers in the top half of the screen.
Given that you're likely to have contacts pulled in from various places and social sites, both with and without meaningful contact details, the OS lets you filter these down a little. You can hide contacts without phone numbers (which will wipe out most Facebook and Twitter imports), show only people that are online in contactable apps, or choose to only see your Facebook friends and links to their profiles if you hate and would rather avoid spoken messages.

Adding an exciting new person to your Z1's contacts section is as simple as pressing the + icon on the contacts list, where you're asked if you'd like to back it up to your Google account or save it only to the device or a SIM.
Only the deeply paranoid would be advised to choose anything other than the Google option, as this means the details are backed up to the cloud, and can be salvaged in the event of a phone destruction crisis or theft. Plus they'll also sync instantly with any other Android devices you might use.
And on the odd occasion the Z1 forces you to stop poking it and actually talk to someone, the voice calling quality's great - very loud and relatively natural sounding. If you'd rather not speak, a pull-up menu can be accessed whenever a call comes in, from which you can reject the caller with a preset SMS.

Messaging

Sony's adopted a nice burgundy colour to fill in the headers in both its email and SMS apps, which goes some way to making these text and list-based parts of Android look vaguely more interesting than usual.

The SMS tool alternates colours to keep messages threaded, plus there's a nice little bonus in here in the form of a sketch tool. Open this while composing a text and you can do a little drawing (probably of your genitals), which the phone converts to a multimedia message and attaches to the text.

Other SMS options include adding previously taken photos, opening the camera to take a snap live and have it instantly converted and attached. Plus there's a dead handy "Share my location" button that creates a shortcut to a URL of a Google Map of your precise location and whacks it into the SMS field for you. Which completely ruins games of hide-and-seek, but is very clever all the same.

The standard email app is also a burgundy masterclass in understatement, and it's all the better for its simplicity. The email app sets itself up automatically using login credentials from most major email providers, plus there's Exchange ActiveSync in there in case anyone needs a reason to try and put the purchase of the phone down as a legitimate tax expense.
Sony's keyboard, which is custom in appearance and lacking the long-press alternative characters and numbers that many keyboards use, is bang up to date when it comes to making the best of text input on mobile too.

The keyboard uses the gesture based, line drawing system for writing your words by drawing one continuous line from letter to letter, as popularised by third-party keyboard Swype. As well as this, it incorporates next word guessing, which analyses your typing style in an attempt to guess the next word you're about to write, a feature also pulled in from the unofficial keyboard word and used to such great effect in the SwiftKey app.
Both of these make typing simple, with the next word guessing ability often saving the day by managing to recreate a sentence you've previously typed - a joyous thing to discover when you've accidentally pressed back and quit an app and lost a chunk of text. You can also find options for automatic space adding, full stop settings, word suggestion options and more, making it one of the more versatile keyboards out there and definitely worth sticking with.
The Sony keyboard's quick and lag free to use, although the haptic feedback is quite feeble even when turned up to the max.

Android's text management tools are really quite usable now, after taking a few frustrating years to come up with a system that works. Tapping on a word you've previously typed brings up a list of alternative suggestions to replace it with if you've made a typo, while a double-tap on any typed word pops up the copy and pasting menu, from where you're able to select a start and end point, then copy or cut the highlighted words, or paste whatever's already in the clipboard over the top.

Internet

The Xperia Z1 is simple when it comes to web use: you use Chrome. That's it. There is no Sony-made Browsing Unlimited option requiring a separate account, just Google's excellent little mobile browser powering everything and using the same account and systems as its popular desktop tool.

This means, once you've signed in with your Google account, you can access your desktop bookmarks on the Z1. Plus, if you want to go a step further, there's the option to have the phone synchronise desktop tabs with the mobile, meaning whatever you were browsing on PC is right there on your Z1 for easy access. It even links pages recently read on other Android phones and tablets, so you can pull in web links from your tablet, too.

Given the immense power of the Z1's Snapdragon 800 chipset, web use is obviously going to be pretty decent here. Pages load and pop into life almost as quickly as they do on modest laptops, plus embedded content, adverts and the rest of the stuff that populates the periphery of most web pages is also handled with ease.
Android Chrome's also developed the ability to save your passwords and auto-fill web forms just like its desktop alternative, which makes the soul-destroying task of having to fill in your personal details on a mobile display less of a chore.

Double-tapping on a text field zooms in to a pre-defined level, while pinch-zooming lets you get a closer look at any critical elements. The 5-inch 1080p display makes text beautifully sharp and clear, plus the phone's power means zooming, rotating the phone to landscape view and managing tabs (no matter how many are open) never gets clunky or bogged down.

The BBC's iPlayer app works here perfectly well too, although the Z1 is not yet on the supported phone list when it comes to accessing the new download feature, so you're stuck watching live footage only at time of writing.

Camera

The Xperia Z1 comes with a super high-end 20.7 megapixel camera sensor, launching it very near to the top of the hotly contested mobile megapixel charts. And 90% of the time, the Z1 produces some of the finest photos we've seen come off a phone camera.

The camera app itself is a custom Sony creation, offering a simplified interface that defaults to Sony's Superior Auto mode. This streamlined setting lets you toggle the flash options (fill, auto, and red-eye reduction) on and off, plus there's one options tab to activate slightly more advanced features like the smile-detection tool, burst mode, geotagging, and the auto-upload feature, with the latter wanting to dump copies of your pics to Sony's own PlayMemories Online cloud server.

For more stuff to play with, Sony's added an Apps toggle to the camera, which currently houses the photo effect tools, manual mode, timeshift burst mode, panorama stitcher, its Info-eye augmented reality search tool and more.

Manual mode lets users select their own white balance options and choose from some present scenes when recording video, which is as far as the manual tinkering goes here. The Timeshift Burst tool is one that's definitely worth using, as it buffers a stack of shots, letting you leaf through them with a pleasant flipbook effect and choose the best one.

You also get a range of augmented reality comedy features. Select the AR Effect toggle and a variety of computer generated scenes pop up, with the phone's camera locking onto the floor and any faces in shot, and using these to overlay effects atop the image. It's a bit silly, but kids will love seeing themselves wearing diving helmets and surrounded by fish.


The effects can also be added to the front-facing camera shots for hilarious effect. The fun you will have. Images on this secondary cam come off at 1920 x 1080 resolution, and usually look a lot better and sharper than in this quite terrible low-light example.

One other clever feature introduced by Sony and exclusive to the Z1 is its Social Live video sharing tool. This lets you share a live video direct to Facebook, which pops up on the social site like any shared clip. You can broadcast up to 10 minutes of live footage direct from the Z1.
Quality depends on the speed of your internet connection, but even at a slightly low frame rate it's a useful tool for beaming images of children to relatives. Clips are also backed up to the Social Live servers, too, so they're rewatchable post-broadcast just like any other clip shared on the site.

Four more additional apps are available to download and add new features to the camera, like Sony's Motiongraph tool, an optional animated image creation plug-in available through Google Play. Install this and it appears on the Z1's options menu, which suggests we'll see more standalone photo apps appear in future. The PhotoShpere tool that ships with stock Android devices like the Nexus 4 is sadly missing, though.

In terms of image quality, the Xperia Z1 is a very competent performer. Outside, in both good and poor light, it does a great job. Movement doesn't trouble it, detail near and far is captured well and colours come across natural and not over or under-saturated.
Sony claims the phone uses the same technology as its separate compacts, and the results are indeed comparable - but only to that of an entry level compact.

In fact, it manages to perform even better when the light is a bit patchy. Here, the Z1 coped extremely well with a bright background and dark foreground, activating its Backlit mode to enhance the shady section and combine the two with ease. Great stuff.

The big problem with the Z1's camera comes when you're indoors. It's so keen to compete with the current crop of superb low-light performers like the HTC One and Nokia's PureView options that it seems to introduce too much noise to its pics.
Even in fairly good indoor light there's some fairly intrusive noise, with odd, bright white pixels appearing over the image. Scale photos down to, say, 500 pixels across, and the white speckled noise is still visible.
However, the low-light performance is there if you can ignore the noise - although it does annoyingly mean that Sony's claim to have the best camera out there isn't true indoors, putting it behind the likes of the LG G2, Nokia Lumia 1020 and even at times the HTC One.
The Z1 does work in dingy scenarios though, so at least you get images in situations where other phone sensors might fail.

When it's dark enough indoors to set the flash off, things improve. The background's still a bit noisy, but at least the subjects appear clear and it's not an overly bright flash so no colour is lost.

To access the camera even faster, there's the option to have the Z1 automatically capture a shot as soon as you open the app, meaning you can unpocket the thing, hold down the shutter button to launch the camera and have a decent image captured within one second. .
Very impressive. It's a fast, responsive camera that produces great results in almost all scenarios, save the odd noisy indoor shot when it's not quite dark enough for a flash.

Finally, there's an inbuilt photo editor. It's your standard hipster filter and photo framing tool, with a nice pull-down menu that records your edit history, should you go too far with the retro tints and colourations. If that's not hardcore enough, Sony's also pre-loaded a copy of Pixlr Express, a more complex image manipulation tool.

Video

Sony's heaped the tech spec bullet points on the Xperia Z1, suggesting the screen features a thing it calls a Triluminous Display. In reality, this means the screen's bright, extremely sharp, and although viewing angles aren't amazing, when sitting there viewing HD content right in front of your face, the picture quality really is impressive.
There's also a useful auto brightness option in here that enhances the controls of stock Android models. Sony lets you manually select a brightness level, with the Z1 then also able to manually adjust it for lighting conditions when it thinks it's necessary. On stock Android, it's either full auto or full manual.
It also seems to adjust brightness very gradually. We're yet to actually notice the screen brightening or dimming in front of our eyes, it just always seems to be at the right level. That's definitely a feature Sony's added that enhances usability quite a bit over standard Andriod models.

In terms of video playback, the 1080p display is good. Blacks are pretty black, frame rates of downloaded media and clips recorded yourself with the camera app are rock solid, and there's none of the tearing or artifacting generated by other cameras when attempting to capture 1080p clips.
Your own video clips are recorded at either 1080p, 720p or lowly SMS resolution, and the power of the Snapdragon 800 chipset ensure the results at max resolution are fantastic. Frame rates are high and consistent, colours appear natural, the focus options are useful and quick to react, while even tricky organic stuff like leaves, grass and water are captured with virtually zero blockiness or motion artifacting. The Z1 is a 1080p phone that delivers clips that look like they're 1080p, not the usual upscaled mush other phones try to pass off as HD material. It's extremely impressive.

The video app itself is stylish too. Sony's one of the few Android hardware makers that makes a big deal out of its video player and presents an obvious link to it, and it immediately impresses by looping a short clip of your most recently recorded clip in its header. That's how much spare power this phone has kicking around.

Of course, the reason for this front-and-centre video app is because Sony's Video Unlimited tool comes pre-loaded on the Z1 and, thanks to the Xperia Privilege app, you're given five free film downloads to test the download service. A two-hour film comes out to around 1.5GB in size, and once the Z1 has cached the first few minutes of the film you're able to begin watching while the rest loads.

Media

The Xperia Z1 is another of Sony's media Trojan horses, designed to get you all signed up and comfortable with buying all your music and video from the other departments of the entertainment empire.
To this end, the Z1 comes pre-loaded with Walkman, Movies and PlayStation Mobile shortcuts all placed prominently on the main Home screen, encouraging buyers to explore Sony's shopping and paid streaming portals before they encounter the rival options powered by Google that are also part of the phone's app set.

The sort of good news is that Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited are now linked under the Sony Entertainment network banner, so once you've signed into one you're automatically also signed into the other.
The dangerous thing here is the way Sony uses a cloud-based "wallet" to manage payments. This means that, once signed up, video purchases made through Sony's app are instant, with the cloud automatically charging your credit card. This makes it easier to impulsively buy media on your mobile.

That said, it's probably worth sticking with Music Unlimited if you're a keen fan of new music. Having a Home screen widget that lets you access Sony's enormous back catalogue of virtually everything is a powerful feature and one that's quite addictive.
Shame it can't keep you signed in, though, as the Music Unlimited app seems to require you to open it regularly in order to sign in and connect to the server. Which renders the widget until you've signed in.

However, being a Google-powered mobile means there's another entirely separate and just as good music-getting ecosystem on the Xperia Z1, all accessed through the pre-installed Play Music app. This is Google's go at offering everyone access to their own music collection and a cloud-based streaming service, and you can upload your own songs to it, too, for instant access on multiple devices.
It's free to use Play Music with your own music, plus there are two other ways to access music from Google - buying albums and tracks, or paying a £9.99 subscription to activate an unlimited music streaming service that's quite a bit like that offered by current streaming darling Spotify.
And, to illustrate how many competing ecosystems are on here that want to grab your 99p whenever you want to listen to a tune, Sony's TrackID music tagging system generates links to online music store 7digital whenever you ID a track through the phone. Which it does through a mobile web page. What a mess. It's enough to make a man go back to Bittorrenting everything and whacking it all on an SD card.

Battery and connectivity

The Xperia Z1 comes with a 3,000mAh capacity battery, which compares favourably to the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. Sony says you ought to get up to 880 hours of standby time and 110 hours of talk time, but those figures assume it's sitting there unused in a sock drawer for the time period.

In terms of actual meaningful use, we found the Z1 was easily good for a whole day of use and then some, with our review days including stacks of camera work, lots of tweeting and having the email app set to check for new messages every 30 minutes.

Sony's power-saving features don't amount to much more than turning everything off when the battery reaches a (user definable) level, but there are some useful power-saving tips that pop up in the Notifications field. For example, the Z1 told us the Dropbox app was stopping the phone's Stamina energy saving tool from deactivating Wi-Fi when the screen was turned off, which is a useful thing to know and might help to genuinely improve power management.
Wireless connectivity is represented well in the Z1, with it supporting the new LTE or 4G bands, plus 3G HSDPA maxes out at a theoretical 42Mbps, should Three have positioned a phone mast at the end of your garden.
Sharing video is one of Sony's key boasts for the Z1, with it able to "Throw" footage to other devices. In practise, this means going through the cumbersome process of discovering and pairing the Z1 with another device, a process to tedious that the moment will surely have passed before the video or image can be shared. It also supports DLNA, which is a little easier to manage, plus screen mirroring through a select few devices that support Wi-Fi Direct connections.
Which are all lovely ideas, all pretty awkward in execution and unlikely to be used much.

And in an example of another area where Sony and Google's services overlap is in the phone location department. Heading to My Experia lets you track your mobile, set its alarm off, lock it down and even perform a full remote erase, mirroring the features of Google's own Android Device Manager.
Sony really ought to have a meeting with Google before it makes the Xperia Z2. It'd save it an awful lot of effort.

Maps and Apps

Where do we begin? Sony's gone a bit Samsung in its approach to pre-loading software on the Xperia Z1, so while its Android user interface appears simple and streamlined on the outside, there are heaps and heaps of software tools inside the app drawer to get to grips with.

Google's glorious Maps tool is here of course, with the Z1 managing to get a GPS lock within seconds of leaving the house and thinking about going to a place. It's a different Maps to the one we're used to, with Google simplifying it a bit and removing some of the Street View integration that used to make scoping out difficult future bends so easy. In its place is the option to have a satellite view of your route when using the GPS tool, plus it now comes with voice data pre-loaded - doing away with the need to download it from Google Play before using it for the first time.
As for other Google apps, you get the Gmail tool (complete with fan-angering coloured tabbing system that no one seems to like, understand or use), the YouTube app, Google+ and imaging spin-off G+ Photos for auto-uploading of your snaps to Google's social network, and its own media suite of Play Music, Play Books, Play Movies and Play Magazines.

The latter collection of stores is one area where Google's really upped its game over the last year or so. Play Music supports paid radio streaming of music and easy purchases that are instantly made available for listening, Play Books and Magazines both have a huge archive of titles, while Play Movies recently added support for buying TV shows in the UK.

Sony's put stacks of its own toys in here, too. Its Socialife app is Sony's own attempt at making a Flipboard clone, a sort of feed aggregator that pulls in news from loads of internet sources and does a fine job of making the pages look pretty and magazine-like.

And as with most other hardware makers and the mobile networks, Sony's put its own combined shop and deals portal on the Xperia Z1, which it calls the Xperia Lounge. It's not what marketing people would describe as a compelling proposition, offering a bland selection of competitions, content featuring Sony-stable music artists and the odd discount for things you probably don't really want. We'd uninstall it, if the phone would let us. But it won't.

One innovative thing is Sony's TV SideView app, which is a TV listings guide (that actually features proper UK data), designed to work as a second-screen accompaniment to your telly watching. As well as a lovely scrolling schedule, this app lets you share details of shows you're watching via Facebook and Twitter, although tweeting a link just puts the title of the programme into an empty tweet. So that's a bit... pointless.

Not pointless in the slightest is Sony's PlayStation Mobile app, your gateway into paying money for random indie titles you've never heard of. It's a great tool, although you will need a PlayStation Network account in order to gain access. Once in, there are loads of games of varying quality, some paid, some free and some freemium, with the highlight being a free-to-try version of ancient puzzle game Lemmings.

As for memory space to fit all this into, the Xperia Z1's 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage space means multitasking and app downloads are no problem. The internal storage is set as one unified chunk, meaning there's some 11.7GB available to store apps on. And there's that SD card slot for more. Hooray for that.

Hands on gallery

Official gallery

Verdict

Initial shock at the size and featureless front and back of this imposing monolith soon turned to admiration. It's big and extravagant, but its chassis is a little more rounded than the Xperia Z's, making it easier on the hand than the angular older model it usurps.
The cool, rounded aluminium edges, chunky power button and glassy back just about give it enough character to make it loveable, once you've come up with a suitable method for holding it without stressing about dropping the slippery thing. We've already scratched the back up a little through gently putting it down on tables, mind, so it's one that might require a little care to keep in pristine condition. And given its £600 price tag, you are going to want to look after it.
And as for the performance, the high-end processor powers the Z1 extremely well, with nothing in the way of noticeable slowdown or trouble, even when updating apps while opening and closing tools like a multitasking madman.

We liked

The 1080p display is impressive. Video playback is fantastic, colours are deep and the images clear. Your own photos look great on the screen, the icons are sharp, web text readable.
This even trickles down to things like the camera, with image previews on the viewfinder appearing incredibly sharp and lifelike.
The camera is, for the most part, one of the best any company's managed to squeeze into a phone. Outdoors it performs extremely well, managing bright days, gloomy contrasts, sunsets, movement and more with ease.
It's only when indoors in poor light and without the flash that there's some noticeable noise on shots. 1080p video is smooth and effortless, too.
It is definitely waterproof. We chucked it in the sea lots of times and it still worked. The sound recording quality gets a bit muffled until the water dries off, but we suspect that might be what happens to all camera mics when you rudely throw them in water, so won't mark it down for that.
Touch screen responsiveness suffers a little when phone and fingers are soaked, but after a few tries it usually responds.

We disliked

Sony's desire to push its other services is a little grating. It's nice having a free trial of its Music Unlimited service, but the way it demands credit card details to activate it, and sets renewals to "on" by default in the hope you forget to cancel, isn't great.
We've just committed £600 to buying the phone, must you try to gouge another £5 a month out of us?
This mass of Sony services all come with disclaimers and agreements to click before initial launch, plus Music Unlimited needs to regularly sign in.
Once a day you click on the Music Unlimited widget to play a song, and are told there are "No songs available" - which actually means you have to open the app and sign in to make it work again.
We're also, confusingly, going to mention the screen here. In certain situations - watching video, looking at snaps - it's excellent, and as rich and deep and colourful as you'd want. But the viewing angles are awful at times, the white balance miles off the likes of the HTC One, LG G2, Samsung Galaxy S4 or the iPhone 5S.
It's an odd thing to see, but Sony certainly cannot claim that its screen technology, of which it's tooting a fair bit thanks to lumping in a load of Bravia tech, can compete with the best the smartphone world has to offer.
The camera sensor is positioned right in the corner of the phone, so we found we'd quite often end up with fingers and bits of hand covering parts of the shot.
We're also massively uninspired by some of the performance levels of the camera - indoor specifically was not what we were expecting from a camera that promises to be as good as a high end compact. It's not terrible, but if you're buying the Xperia Z1 solely on its ability to take brilliant snaps anywhere, you'll be sorely disappointed.
It's a phone where you have to come up with your own special way of holding it when snapping, lest a pink blob mask the top-left corner of all your magic moments.
The speaker being at the bottom of the Z1 is a mixed blessing. It means there's no change to volume levels and audio quality when putting it down on a table or chucking it on the duvet, which is nice, but when viewing media in landscape orientation it's a bit distracting that the majority of the sound seems to come from off to one side. And resting it on a finger or thumb now muffles the sound instead.

Verdict

The Xperia Z1 is another all-round great phone from Sony, just like the barely-out-of-short-trousers Xperia Z it replaces.
It has a superb display at times, a large battery that easily sails through a day of hardcore use, and one of the best cameras we've seen on a mobile phone for both stills, 1080p capture and clever AR and live streaming toys.
Problem is, so was Sony's Xperia Z which launched just seven months ago and is now available on much cheaper contracts than the Z1.
For a premium price of £599 it's hard to recommend buying the Xperia Z1 outright if you're already a Z owner, when it's basically a spec bump in a slightly more premium case.
However, if you're due an upgrade or are made of money, there's a lot in this package in terms of performance. The Xperia Z1 feels sturdy, is powerful enough that it won't be outdated at the end of a two-year contract, plus it's sleek and big enough to turn heads - although some of those heads might be turning to laugh as you try to manhandle such an enormous slab of extravagant phone hardware.
The Xperia Z1 is a powerful, luxury executive toy for those who have to have the biggest and best, regardless of whether they actually need it or not.
It's a Range Rover for the school run. A gold toilet seat. Having all the sport and film channels on a telly in the shed. You'll feel awesome with one in your pocket, but for an all-round device, it feels like Sony has dropped the ball on design and screen technology and gambled too hard on camera and screen tech - a move that didn't pay off fully.

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Sony Xperia Z1 Mini gets its colours out in latest leak

The Sony Xperia Z1 Mini popped up earlier this month along with some purported specs, all of which is looking to be accurate with the latest apparent leak of the shrunken Xperia Z1.
A spec sheet has been spotted from a brochure in Japan, delving into some of the gory details for the smaller handset, previously referred to as the Xperia Honami Mini, which it titles the Sony Xperia Z1 f.
The quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU and 20.7-megapixel camera of the bigger Xperia Z1 are, interestingly, both featured on the phone, alongside 2GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.

You and whose Honami?

However the screen has been shrunk down to a 4.3-inch 720p display, leaving a device that's smaller but thicker than the "regular size" edition.
The accompanying picture also shows the phone in four variations of colour – black, white, pink and lime green (or is that yellow?) - following in the footsteps of Apple's iPhone 5C and Nokia's own penchant for vibrant handsets.
It seems an awful lot of effort to go to in order to fool the internet, so while we always advise a healthy dose of skepticism, we'll err more on the side of optimism this time.
We're expecting to go official with the phone some time in the next couple of months. Though we're yet to hear whether it will also be waterproof and dustproof, we'd say the chances of it keeping such features are are pretty likely.

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In Depth: Top 10 GALAXY S4 and Note 8.0 apps for horror fans

Horror, when done right, can stay with you forever. Whether it's the slow creep of Nosferatu's shadow down a flight of stairs, the lightning-fast emergence of a chest-burster, or the gentle rap rapping of an Edgar Alan Poe poem, these are moments that can send both pulses and minds racing.
It's not just movies and books that can create true horror, though – games and apps can too.
Yes, your friendly-looking Samsung GALAXY S4 or Note 8.0 is just a few app downloads away from offering up the ultimate scare factor. If you're of a nervous disposition, look away now.
Here we list the apps and games that will give you a truly terrifying experience this coming Halloween. So, switch off the lights, find yourself a cushion to hide behind and turn up the volume…

The Walking Dead: Assault

£1.29 – buy it here
Originally a cult graphic novel, The Walking Dead made the successful transition from page to screen in 2010 and since then a number of popular games have brought the zombie tale to interactive life.
This Android version was released to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the comic, and is a searing slice of survival horror that melds original storylines with 3D visuals.

Eyes: The Horror Game

Free – get it here
Although the plot may slip into cliché at times – you start off in an abandoned house and have to search each room for valuables – play Eyes for a while and you will be immersed in a lovely slab of haunted horror.
It's all in the first person and the 3D graphics are impressive for a free game, so keep your wits about you because there are more than a few scares around each corner. And don't forget that the walls have eyes. Lots of eyes.

Dead Trigger

Free – get it here
A decent first-person shooter game on Android is hard to find. One that can scare you rigid is even rarer, which is why Dead Trigger is such a gem of a game.
Near console-quality graphics that sparkle on the GALAXY S4 or Note 8.0, alongside furious gameplay that never lets up, Dead Trigger offers a sublime horror experience. It will also equip you with all the knowledge you'll need if the world is ever overrun with zombie hordes, which is nice.

Dark Meadow: The Pact

Free – get it here
If you are a fan of Bioshock's eery steampunk dystopia, then Dark Meadow: The Pact is for you. Given a similar setting, the first-person shooter sets out to shock almost immediately.
The game allows you to get acquainted to the easy on-board controls then… bang! You are hit with your first monster. This isn't a game for the faint of heart, but it is great for those who love shocks and scares, quality graphics and who don't mind giving up a whopping 1GB of onboard storage to make way for this expansive game.

Popcorn Horror

Free – get it here
To be honest, despite its name, we don't think you would manage to stomach much popcorn while using Popcorn Horror. This app is the gateway to a wide selection of horror shorts that you can watch for free on your GALAXY Note 8.0 or S4.
Don't expect premium movies here – Popcorn Horror is all about user-generated content. While the thought of this is often enough to fill anyone with dread, don't panic: this app is packed with well-scripted horror and grindhouse movies that manage to instill just as much terror as the latest box-office slasher. Couple this with a creepy community and what you get is a fantastic fear-filled app.

Murder Room

Free – get it here
Ah, Murder Room. With a name like that, we reckon you may be able to guess what sort of game lies in store. Yup, this app is set in a room where a murder takes place – and a rather grizzly one at that.
It's made by Japanese horror game studio Ateam Inc and is full of the sort of ghostly goings on that 'J-Horror' moviemakers are well known for. At its diseased heart, Murder Room is a typical 'room escape' game – but this one comes complete with added scare factor.

Bloody Mary Ghost Adventure HD

£1.31 – buy it here
We all know the folklore: if you say "Bloody Mary" several times into a mirror, the spirit of a young woman is said to appear, and carnage can often ensue. Personally, we think this only happens to people who have had too many Bloody Marys, but this game takes that idea and adds a nice bit of augmented reality.
Instead of a mirror, you hold your handset up to your surrounding area, use your GALAXY Note 8.0 camera technology and see if Bloody Mary is to be found. It's all good scary fun, even if the ending of the game doesn't quite live up to its jump-ridden beginning.

The Abandoned School

Free – get it here
What's black and white and red all over? Believe it or not, that's not the start of an awful joke, but actually a decent description of The Abandoned School.
Melding black-and-white imagery that any cinematographer would be proud of with all sorts of ghostly gameplay, The Abandoned School is a brilliant example of how to bring point-and-click puzzlers kicking and screaming (mostly screaming) into the 21st century.

Best Horror Movies Database

£1.30 – buy it here
If you are the sort of person who thinks horror begins and ends with The Exorcist, then the Best Horror Movie Database will be something of an eye-opener for you. Packed with thousands of horror movies and links to where you can find them online, this is a must-have app for anyone who wants to dip their severed toes into the genre, or those who already class themselves as aficionados.
We'll admit that this does seem to be the only horror movie database available for Android, so the name of this app is a little misleading but, hey, we suppose that does make it the best of the one available, and it certainly delivers everything it promises.

Urban Legends

Free – get it here
We'll admit it – when we mentioned Bloody Mary earlier, we may have looked her up with this creepy compendium of urban legends. She joins hundreds of other 'legends' to make up this collection.
Some of them are unbelievably freaky – the church of carnage is one story that will stay with us for a long time – and some of them are, well, a little light on terror. Sorry, but we are never going to get scared about ice cream.
All of the urban legends are presented as mini stories, so you'll certainly get a decent amount of use from this simple but suspenseful app.

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Blip: Nokia Lumia 520 is Microsoft's best-selling device right now

The state of the PC industry was summed up this week in an internal meeting at Microsoft, where it was revealed that the Nokia Lumia 520 is the biggest selling Windows device on the market at the moment.
The budget-friendly smartphone, according to Softpedia, is the most popular Windows device going, with its sales outgrowing that of any other Windows-based tablet, PC or laptop.
Although there were no official figures stated in the meeting, given the amount of advertising spend on Microsoft Surface and Windows 8, it is interesting to see a cheap phone surpass Microsoft's own hardware and software offerings – although the low cost will definitely have a factor towards the Lumia 520's popularity.
It will also give Microsoft some peace of mind that its buyout of Nokia should reap dividends for the company – a company that gave outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer the 'time of his life'.

More blips!

Here are more bliptastic blips that Nok all other news out of the park:

• Ctrl+alt+delete was a huge mistake, says Bill Gates
• Stay out of royalty-riddled minefields with YouTube's new music library
• Popular Science kills online comments because they're 'bad for science'

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In Depth: Samsung GALAXY S4 Active – 10 things you need to know

1. IP67

It might sound like something vaguely connected to networking, but actually the IP67 certification is what makes Samsung's GALAXY S4 Active truly 'Active'. IP stands for Ingress Protection, and the numbers that follow describe the degree to which a device is protected against a particular element.
The first number – in this case, 6 – refers to dust-proofing. 6 is the highest score a phone can get for dust protection, so the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is completely sealed from dust, that might otherwise wreak havoc on your handset.
The second number refers to waterproofing. In this case 7 is the second highest score possible, meaning the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is water resistant. You can submerge the handset under water, up to a depth of one metre, for a full thirty minutes, safe in the knowledge that your GALAXY S4 Active will be just fine.

2. Active doesn't mean inferior

Despite being an all-action variant of the Samsung GALAXY S4, Samsung's flagship phone, the GALAXY S4 Active doesn't scrimp in terms of performance.
Loaded on board is a super speedy 1.9GHz Quad-Core processor, coupled with 2GB RAM. That's the same amount of power you'll find in the original GALAXY S4. Most importantly, these specs mean that the GALAXY S4, as well as the S4 Active, can make easy work of 3D games, chew through HD video and multi-task all your active apps without batting an eyelid.

3. It shoots, it scores

If you're thinking about getting the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active but aren't yet sold on the camera, you might want to take another look.
For starters, the camera is 8 megapixels. That's enough resolution to comfortably print out a picture at A4 size, let alone upload it to Instagram or Facebook.
Secondly, it's got an incredibly wide-open, f/2.2 aperture. This means it can perform amazingly in low light, and deliver stunning macro shots, complete with an artistic, blurry background.
And when the light gets too low, just activate the S4 Active's LED flash. It will comfortably illuminate everything from fun-filled party shots to holiday highlights, all to perfection.
The GALAXY S4 Active is also loaded with all the smart camera modes found on the GALAXY S4, as well as an exclusive Aqua Mode for underwater shooting, so both hardware and software help you record the action in ways other phones simply can't.

4. Did we mention it's a camcorder too?

It's not just photos that flourish on the GALAXY S4 Active. As with the Samsung GALAXY S4, the S4 Active records Full HD video at a silky smooth 30 frames per second.
Some of the camera's smart photo features are available when shooting video too, such as Dual Shot. This technology means the camera can record with both the front and rear facing cameras simultaneously, so everyone can be in the film.
The GALAXY S4 Active also records in slow motion – perfect for fast-paced activities – and allows you to take 6-megapixel snapshots mid-recording.
With the microUSB port at the bottom of the phone supporting MHL output, as well as AllShare Cast support on board, Full HD video shot on the Active can be played back on an HDTV with ease.

5. Sharp as a knife

Full HD is also the name of the game when it comes to the GALAXY S4 Active's screen. Sporting a 5-inch, 1,080 x 1,920 resolution LCD display, the phone packs a pixel density of 443 pixels per inch. That means 443 tiny dots of colour per inch of screen, which is more than the human eye can see.
This means that images taken on its camera look pin-sharp, Full HD video shot on it is perfectly formatted for the screen and downloaded movies look exactly as they were intended to.
With the generous display size, not only are pictures and videos incredibly immersive, but the entire user interface is a comfortable size to thumb through, web pages are a pleasure to browse through and games are a joy to play.

6. Headphones rejoice

Unlike most weatherproof phones, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active's audio jack is exposed, hardened to the elements and free from those fiddly rubber flaps that are always a pain to open and close in a hurry.
Of course, in active moments you don't always want to be tethered to your phone, so it's great that the GALAXY S4 Active is also loaded up with Bluetooth, complete with support for stereo audio.
This means that you and your music can go wireless in moments, keeping you tangle free. All you need to do is get your hands on a Bluetooth headset like the Samsung HF HS6000 (£124 on Amazon.co.uk) for some serious over-ear sound, or the Samsung HS3000 (£27.46 on Amazon.co.uk) for in-ear action.

7. Dirty hands? Just wave.

Trying to control your phone with muddy or wet hands isn't our idea of a good time. Sure, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active won't get damaged, but it will get dirty.
Fortunately, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active features Air Gesture. Originally seen on the Samsung GALAXY S4, Air Gesture transforms a simple glide above the phone's screen into a command.
So whether it's flicking through browser tabs, or wafting through your gallery images, Air Gesture saves having to touch your phone until you've had a chance to wash up.

8. Finger, pen, glove – it all works

If that's how you deal with dirty hands, how do you deal with gloves? After all, the GALAXY S4 Active is the perfect phone for rough and ready, glove heavy sports.
The long and short of it is that there isn't anything to deal with – in fact, the phone doesn't even bat an eyelid. Both the Samsung GALAXY S4 and GALAXY S4 Active feature Samsung Glove Touch – supersensitive touch screens that allow you to use gloved hands to interact with them just as you would if you were using your bare finger. Additionally, the S4 Active features physical control keys instead of the capacitive touch-sensitive ones on the GALAXY S4, which means it's notably easier to control with freezing cold fingers, gloved or ungloved!

9. More memory, less problems

If the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is made to keep up with your hectic schedule, the last thing you need is a lack of storage slowing you down.
Fortunately, on top of coming with 16GB of internal storage, the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active, like the entire GALAXY S4 range, is easily expandable with a microSD card.
This means you can easily add up to an additional 64GB of space, which gives plenty of room for anything you might wish to store on your phone.
In fact, the grand total of 80GB you could potentially have at your fingertips is enough for you to carry around 57,142 8-megapixel photos, 20,480 songs, 115 standard definition movies or 57 720p movies.
That's more than enough to keep you entertained, whether you're training for a marathon and powering through a library of audiobooks, or relaxing in the bath while watching the latest blockbuster.

10. Accessories ahoy

One of the downsides of getting a specialised phone can be that accessories are often relatively limited.
Fortunately, anyone investing in the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active needn't worry, as for the most part the hardy handset uses the same accessories as the Samsung GALAXY S4.
While form-fitting accessories like cases won't work across the two models, due to the S4 Active's more rugged exterior, when it comes to spare batteries, AllShare Cast Wireless Hubs and MHL adapters, you're in luck.

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Evernote teams up with Salesforce to aid business collaboration

Evernote is among the most popular services in the cloud-based, note-taking arena, and now the company is looking to ramp up adoption of its business version by offering integration with Salesforce.com's customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
Evernote Business, which was introduced in August 2012, extends beyond the consumer version by helping organisations collaborate on notes and share notebooks.
Thanks to a new Evernote for Salesforce app on Salesforce.com's AppExchange marketplace, users can now add add sales information, customer research, contacts, meeting notes and email exchanges stored in Evernote Business directly to customer records in a single click.

Offline support

The idea is that sales and support teams can access content faster to be more productive, but there's a second advantage.
Because Evernote Business works on a mobile or desktop PC while offline, Evernote says that sales teams can use the new app to input customer and lead information in the absence of a connection before syncing it back to Salesforce records once online.
Other features include functionality for attaching audio, images and files to customer records from in Salesforce, the ability to view relevant notes from departments automatically, and the ability to build a historical archive of company accounts.
Evernote for Salesforce is available now at a cost of £8 (US$13) per user per month.

Evernote Business 2.0

Evernote has also launched a new version of its business offering alongside the new Salesforce.com app that will be available from 3 October. Its key features are:

• Expertise Discovery - Allows keyword searches that suggest coworkers with knowledge on a certain subject
• Evernote Business Home - Provides a central hub for information stored within a business
• Faster Knowledge Sharing - Lets you add coworkers into relevant notebooks to access information faster
• Programmatic User Management - Offers simplified management of employees with Evernote Business accounts

• Has Evernote really moved into the world of socks?

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In depth: How Gracenote is taking control of your TV

Gracenote is planning to take control of your TV.
The company, ubiquitous with music metadata services, has developed a suite of technologies that take the concept of interactive TV to an unprecedented level.
From next generation programme guides to personalised ad replacement, via fluff like The Million Second Quiz, the company is reinventing the very foundation of television.
"This is disruptive tech," company president Stephen White tells TechRadar with casual understatement.
At first glance, what Gracenote appears to be doing seems innocuously clever. The company has developed a next generation programme guide, due to make its debut on LG screens this autumn.
Called 'On Now', it presents a highly graphical interface of what's available to watch. Instead of scrolling through a traditional timeline, the On Now guide presents content by programme, genre, cast or crew. The viewer navigates from there.
"What we're trying to do now is move away from the grid," explains White. "The standard TV listing is a very dated navigation paradigm, one that hasn't really changed since the 1960s. So we're bringing together all available content, including over the air, Video on Demand and catch-up. The guide's not time based because no one watches that way anymore."
In addition to LG, Gracenote's parent Sony, along with Philips TP Vision, Loewe and OEM giant Vestel are all introducing variations of the system.
"One of the things we're doing for Philips is providing a personalised recommendation platform, based on a user profile," reveals White.
"We can push things to the front of its guide interface that we know you care about, and push things away that we know you don't."
The algorithm fuelling this knowledge is based on the content descriptors in Gracenote's metadata. "We know things about the show, as you watch it. We can also deliver ads while you browse – the primary engine for all this is content comprehension..."

Content comprehension

Demonstrations of On Now are certainly compelling, but this is just the start of what Gracenote believes will be an extraordinary change in our relationship with the boob tube.
The company has perfected an Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) platform, known internally as Entourage, which utilises audio fingerprinting to literally monitor what you're watching.
Taking advantage of the built-in microphone in tablets and smart phones, it's able to identify a TV show via snippets of dialogue and soundtrack. It's similar in some respects to rival wizardry from Shazam, but with an added important talent for synchronization.
"The idea is that the client on your mobile device is running a Classifier within an app, which listens to the audio or music on a TV show, then cross references it with our database."
Entourage works with any content, says White. "Right now we're covering something like two hundred channels in the US, a 100 plus in Europe and 14 in Japan."
Gracenote creates the fingerprints through listening stations around the globe. "We're listening to content as it's being broadcast, fingerprinting it and marrying it up to EPG data." Sony is preloading the technology on the Xperia Z1, dubbing it Track ID TV.

What's on

In the US, Entourage ARC provided the interactive backbone to hit game show The Million Second quiz. "It's an industry first," says White. "The studio integrated Entourage synchronisation into the official show app, allowing the audience to play along in real time."
The audience was given exactly the same amount of time to answer the questions as the contestants. High scorers were then brought into the studio to compete the next night. "The idea is to get the best players from the entire audience competing. It's never been done before."
White says there's been a surge from the creative community to leverage the technology, citing NBC Universal's SyFy channel as one of the more inventive.
The channel created a companion app for its Face-Off visual effects reality show that syncs with the viewer as they watch and unlocks additional behind-the-scenes content as the show progresses. NBC Universal also used Entourage to serve viewers of Sci-fi holkum Haven an alternative episode ending on their companion device.
However the most contentious development of the technology is yet to come. Gracenote is on the verge of trialling video fingerprinting. For the first time, it will be the TV itself actively monitoring what you're watching, not a companion app. And you'll probably not realise it's doing it.
The video fingerprinting tech is embedded in the TV itself, reveals White. "It takes live video out of the video buffer, compares it against our database and then fingerprints it. This effectively allows the TV to recognise what shows you're watching."
The system is extraordinarily powerful. Most significantly, it allows Gracenote to profile TV usage, allowing the company to learn specific things about your household.
"If there are cartoons on in the morning, then we'll know you'll have a kid; soaps in the afternoon probably means a stay-at-home mom."

This, along with demographic information requested when users register their Smart TV ("it's an opt-in model, the consumer has to say they want this") combined with traditional ad decision engines that utilise public sources of data, will help build an in-depth profile of every participating household.
The ultimate aim is to deliver personalised advertising. The application is so slick the viewer won't even know that it's happening. Using frame accurate insertion, tailored adverts are actually overlaid within an original broadcast ad slot, delivered via broadband.
Demonstrations of the system to TechRadar prove astonishing. It's impossible to see the advertising sleight of hand.
So when will this Orwellian innovation come to market? According to White, live trials in the US are imminent, with an as yet unnamed TV partner. Commercial applications could be in the market within the year.
Now read: The evolution of Shazam: from music maestro to TV tagging

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