Australia gets its first Bitcoin ATM
Although the digital currency is facing some troubles, ABA Technology has today opened Australia's first Bitcoin ATM in Sydney.
Located in Westfields shopping centre on Pitt Street Mall in Sydney CBD, the Bitcoin ATM, which looks like any other ATMe ATM, will allow users to buy and sell the crypto-currency, or exchange it for cash.
Of course, you'll need to have a current Bitcoin wallet in order to use the ATM, and all first time users will need to register on the ATM as well to be able to use the machine.
Struggling currencies
The Bitcoin ATM launch in Sydney comes amid news that the National Australia Bank (NAB) will be closing the accounts of businesses who primarily trade in crypto-currencies, including Bitcoin, in early May.Earlier this year, the biggest Bitcoin exchange in the world MtGox filed for bankruptcy.
However, despite all of this, the company behind the launch of the ATM today, ABA Technology (or Australian Bitcoin ATMs), has plans to launch hundreds of Bitcoin ATMs across Australia over the coming years, with a Melbourne ATM set to open in a few weeks time.
- Are you eager to use the Bitcoin ATM? Are you still confused about what this crypto-currency are? Here is Bitcoin and crypto-currencies explained
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Xbox One April update is rolling out right now
If you were just settling in for a night of Xbox One gaming, you may be pleased to see a pretty handy update waiting for you.
Microsoft's Major Nelson revealed the console's April update is heading out now, though some might not see improvements for a few days yet.
The Xbox One April update is most notable for bringing better friend features, namely notifications when favorites or friends sign in to Xbox Live. According to MJ, this was "one of the most frequently requested features, so we made it a priority to include it in this update."
Also in the friends category is the ability to have friends who are in multiplayer identified in the friends list.
More Xbox One update features
The April update doesn't stop with your amigos.It also includes improvements to game and app saves and updates, improved GameDVR video quality and Blu-ray player support of 50 Hz video output for content recorded at that frequency. Over the coming days, Microsoft will update the Blu-ray Player app as well.
Firmware updates for the Xbox One controller and headset adapter are also making their way down helping to reduce static and improve wireless connections.
Kinect voice and motion commands have been tweaked for better quality and reliability, so there should be fewer instances of non-hand objects sparking unwanted actions.
Finally, Microsoft has implemented silent reboot following system updates, and on-demand system updates are now available. This means that for users leaving their Xbox One in Instant On mode, updates will happen automatically and go back to standby when it's done downloading, so you won't have to turn on your console after an update from now on.
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Pentax rewrites the medium format rules
Ricoh has introduced a new Pentax 645Z medium format DSLR, which features a sensor which is approximately 1.7x larger than that of a 35mm full-frame sensor.
The sensor has 51.4 million effective pixels, while the camera design is based on the 645D, which was first released in 2010.
Several improvements have been made however, although the camera's weather-resistant dustproof construction stays the same.
For a start, there's a tillable, high-resolution LCD screen and a new AF system as well as live-view shooting. A more durable shutter unit is also included along with a high precision exposure control system.
The sensor is combined with a PRIME III image engine and an anti-aliasing filter-less design. Ricoh says that these combine to produce highly detailed, low noise images. Furthermore, sensitivity may be set up to a maximum of ISO 204800, the same as on the Nikon D4S.
Continuous shooting is available for up to 10 images in raw format, or up to 30 images in JPEG at a maximum sped of approximately three frames per second.
Autofocus
A newly designed SAFOX 11 phase-matching AF module with 27 points (including 25 cross-type sensors) has been incorporated into the 645Z, while the AF working range is -3EV to +18EV.At the back of the camera is a tillable, 3.2 inch, 1,037,000 dot screen with a front panel made of tempered glass. An anti-reflection coating is also included to minimize reflections.
Full HD video recording is available, as is Wi-Fi connectivity when using an optional Flu Card which fits into one of the 645Z's memory-card slot.
The Pentax 645Z price will be £6,799.99/approx US$11,371/approx $AU12,077 (body only) and should be available from May.
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Google Glass gets sweet to Android KitKat update, longer battery life
Android is taking over more than just smartphone market share, as Google Glass now uses the company's popular mobile operating system to power its wearable headset.
Google's switch from Glass' XE updates to Android KitKat brings a lot of behind-the-scenes changes, a Google spokesperson confirmed to TechRadar.
That translates to improved battery life and more reliable device performance going forward, two issues that get under the skin of current Google Glass beta testers.
Developers are also likely to find it easier to write Glassware using the latest Android SDK and new features from Google's GDK. That stingy Google Glass app list should finally start growing.
It's perfect timing for this update considering Google is about to expand Project Glass with open enrollment for approximately 24 hours tomorrow. No invite beta code will be needed.
Messages and command list update
The Google Glass interface hasn't changed in its update to the Android KitKat operating system, but some of the features have been enhanced to make your augmented life easier.Explorers can now include photo replies in Hangout messages, a function that was only possible when beginning a new conversation.
That's significant because one of the most widely used features among Google Glass beta testers has been to take hands-free photos. Now it's even easier to share your first-person experiences.
Because the number of apps has increased, the Google Glass command list has become unwieldy. This is why Google has enabled voice command sorting.
Now, the "Okay Glass" menu sorts commands by recency and frequency, putting the app voice triggers that you hardly use toward the end of the menu.
Dropped video calls
Android KitKat isn't all sugary treats for Google Glass. Today's operating system update spells the end for the hit-or-miss video calls feature.
Google noted that fewer than 10% of Explorers take advantage of video calls and it's removing the feature in order to work on a better experience.
In the meantime, the company points to alternative Glassware that brings video streaming functionality to Google Glass. You'll find the Livestream app and the forthcoming Glass expansion the Hang w/ app perform the same tasks.
Just be prepared to say goodbye to native video calls with the latest Google Glass update.
- See what Google has in store for your wrist with Android Wear
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Opinion: Drones make sense for Google, are terrifying for the rest of us
The flutter to fill our skies with privately owned, stuff-delivering drones got another major participant today as Google snapped up start-up Titan Aerospace.
Word was Facebook was in talks to buy the solar-powered drone maker earlier this year, but Google put a ring on it once and for all. That's OK, though, since Facebook already has the drone team from Ascenta under its belt.
Google's drone-ings make sense for the company for three reasons. First, Titan's drones are set to gather high-res images of the planet, perfect for depicting deforestation or, highly relevant to users, creating better Maps.
Second, there's the mission to connect more people to the internet, which is at least publicly fueling Facebook's own high-flying ambitions. And finally, it just makes good competitive sense. Why would Google, sitting on mountains of money, let Facebook, Amazon and hordes of smaller firms stake a claim to the clouds when it can too?
But while getting into the drone game is a smart step for Google, it's also terrifying for the rest of us.
Titan fall
Titan claims its solar-powered drones can fly continuously for five years without ever having to land, making them ideal for continually delivering the internet signals Google will use to connect the unconnected and snapping pictures from the stratosphere uninterrupted.The longevity afforded by a sustainable fuel source make the drones virtually autonomous information-gathering machines. There will naturally be relaying data to and from operators on the ground, but these babies can, in theory, keep circling the globe for half a decade (I say in theory because Titan has yet to actually produce a drone that's flown for that long; an anecdote from the Wall Street Journal has a drone flying for a few minutes 400 feet off the ground).
The Titan team is headed to work alongside Google's Project Loon, the search company's initiative to build giant, internet-delivering balloons. There's a Planes, Trains and Automobiles vibe to Google's endeavor, but if it wants to beat WhatsApp-owning Facebook to the connection-delivering punch, it has to come at it from inventive angles.
Google's aims may sound altruistic, but the door is open enough for abuse to seep in and bloom. Google's Street View sparked plenty of privacy concerns; how will people feel about unmanned, camera-armed drones flying 65,000 feet above them?
Deliverer of worry
I am all for connecting as many people as possible to the internet if it means enhancing and enriching their lives, but I am dubious of a company - any company - that fundamentally makes its profits from accessing personal information, such as my location, and targeted advertisements.Throw the potential for surveillance into the mix, and you've got me running for the hills with a tin-foil hat on.
I actually believe Google and Facebook when they say they want to bring those untouched by the internet into the web's folds. However, they tend to leave out the part about how building their own networks that could be used by billions of people will translate into a new boon of profits.
I envision a kind of 21st century Gold Rush where every company that can afford to seeks out fortune by striking mines of broadband and voice calling, all without having to set foot on soil.
Truth be told, they probably see much, much more than brimming bank accounts and happy investors; what a coup it would be for a few billion more people to turn to you as the deliverer of information, the Great Connector in the Sky.
Google the overseer
In our post-NSA-revelations world, it's impossible not to think of surveillance when plans like Google's come to light. Maybe Google will spy on me to sell me eerily relevant goods, or the government is going to find its trusty back doors to peak at what the drones are seeing. Both seem inevitable.Google has been on a purchasing frenzy the last six months or so, seemingly on a quest to buy its way into every corner of our lives. It bought Nest, AI-firm DeepMind and robotics developer Boston Dynamics, one of seven robotics companies it picked up during an 8-day span in December 2013.
From phones to animal-like robots to thermostats to the skies, is there any part of our world Google doesn't want to control a piece of? It's definitely not alone, but the race of companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Apple to be everywhere to everyone is becoming increasingly worrisome.
If and when Amazon, Facebook and Google's drones take flight, I don't doubt the firms will do their best to convince us our privacy is their No. 1 priority. But will we trust them? I can't say I will.
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Oracle's Larry Ellison tops list of highest-paid US CEOs: Equilar
Oracle Founder and CEO Larry Ellison earned $78.4 million in 2013 and was the highest-paid CEO among the 100 largest U.S. publicly-traded companies, according to a report commissioned by The New York Times and conducted by Equilar Data.
Ellison's 2013
Despite a compensation decrease of approximately $18 million from 2012, Ellison retains his position atop the annual list. He has ranked among the top three highest-paid CEOs listed in the report for the past seven years.The Redwood-Calif.-based company missed sales projections in 2013, despite increased profit, due in part to missed software license sales and cloud subscriptions. Oracle reported earnings of $17.6 billion on $37.2 billion in revenue.
Ellison is rumored to be worth approximately $48.2 billion.
Other notable mentions
Cisco CEO John Chambers ranks 11th on the list at $21 million in compensation. HP's CEO Margaret Whitman ranks 30th at $17.6 million. The lowest-paid CEO on the list is Larry Page at Google with $1 in 2013 compensation.To measure CEO compensation, The New York Times commissioned Equilar to compile and analyze pay data from corporate filings. Data includes information for the chief executives at the 100 largest publicly traded companies as measured by revenue.
Did Remini Street violate an Oracle copyright for enterprise resource planning software?
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Redesigned icons point to new look for the next version of Android
What will the next major Android update be? Android 5.0? Android 4.5? Another number picked at random?
Regardless, this alleged leaked image reportedly shows what the next version of Android's icons will look like, according to Android Police.
Like Apple's iOS 7 update, the next Android update looks like it will include an aesthetic overhaul to the Google OS, with a visual style reportedly being referred to internally at Google as "Moonshine."
The icons themselves are largely flatter, and in many cases they've been altered to more closely resemble the icons that Google uses for the same services outside of the Android ecosystem (i.e. on the web).
Drink up
The alleged leaked screenshot shows new icons for Google Play Music, Books, Movies and Games, as well as Android's Google+, Calendar, People, Chrome, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, Hangouts, Camera and Google Play Store apps.Some of these icons are nearly identical to Google's current web icons, while others differ greatly both from the web versions and from the existing Android versions.
This suggests that Google may be planning to update its apps aesthetic elsewhere too, not just on Android devices. The notion was given further credence by the presence of the new Calendar, YouTube and Maps icons on a closed-doors Google Partners website (screenshot above).
Whatever the next version of Android is, it's clear changes are coming.
- Here's what TechRadar thinks of the Samsung Galaxy S5
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Review: In Depth: Windows Phone 8.1
Windows Phone 8.1 brings Microsoft's mobile platform to the modern age, finally, with a handful of big new updates. In fact, it's strange to call it 8.1 when it could really warrant a whole new name.
Many of the issues that we've always had with Windows Phone have finally been addressed, for the most part, and it makes the platform slightly more pleasurable to use. Things that had given us headaches, like the lack of a better notification system, are all gone.
Of course, it's still very much Windows Phone. So for those of you already familiar with previous iterations of Windows Phone, you'll feel right at home with some pleasant surprises along the way.
Live Tiles, the Metro UI and everything else remains mostly the same, but with tweaks here and there that improve the overall experience. Perhaps the biggest addition to Windows Phone 8.1 is Cortana, Microsoft's voice-recognition personal assistant.
With Cortana, Windows Phone finally joins iOS and Android in having a personal assistant, so to speak. Like its competitors, Cortana responds to all kinds of commands and requests, from the very basic things like setting alarms to more advanced stuff, like asking if a nearby restaurant is any good.
Another new feature is the notification pane, called Action center, which is just like the ones on iOS and Android. We can't thank the stars enough for this, especially since the previous system, Toast notifications, were just awful.
When you pull down from the top bar, a window pane comes down with toggle switches for things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, along with a list of all your pending notifications. You'll also have the option to jump into settings or clear all notifications from this pane. Thank heaven. Seriously.
With that quick intro out of the way, let's dive a little deeper into this new stuff and see what the fuss is all about. But before we proceed, it's important to note that we have a developer preview version of Windows Phone 8.1, meaning that a lot of things could change before the final software version reaches the masses.
Cortana
With Cortana, you should be able to do all kinds of things without having to press more than a single button. First, like a good personal assistant should, Cortana learns important tidbits about you and who you are and things you're into.
Keeping track of your habits, interests and daily activities better helps Cortana guide you through things and make suggestions. It probably also helps Microsoft gather way more data about you, even though the company promises the info won't be used to advertise to you.
You'll get suggestions and reminders when you set them, or when you're interested in taking a look, and you can also schedule things in your calendar and send messages, too.
Cortana also works with speech to text, so you can just talk instead of typing when you need to.
No virtual assistant is perfect, and Cortana isn't immune to the same faults as Siri or Google Now.
Occasionally, Cortana has some trouble hearing or deciphering things, so you'll just have to do a few things manually when that's the case. And if you ask Cortana for something that it doesn't understand, it will default you to a Bing web search, just like Siri would. Straight to the web.
We'd expect Cortana to get much better over time, and it's definitely a welcome addition to Windows Phone. Once a few bugs are squashed, it'll be right up there with Siri and Google Now.
Action Center
The new notification system with Action Center should be enough for anyone currently using Windows Phone to start believing in a deity or higher power. We never thought the day would come when Microsoft would succumb to the extremely useful system of having a drop-down or swipe-down window pane for notifications.
Just like iOS and Android, you just swipe down from the top bar and you'll find quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, auto-rotate and and airplane mode. There is also a button for settings, so you can jump into that quickly.
When you tap on a notification, it takes you straight to it, or that app that requires attention. If you want to get rid of a notification, just swipe it to the right, or hit clear all if you want every single one gone.
You can get to Action Center from almost anywhere, including your lock screen. But when you're in full screen mode in some apps, you won't be able to get to it easily, if at all. No big deal.
Battery Saver
We haven't been able to test this feature out to its fullest extent, but Microsoft did throw in some new battery saving features in Windows Phone 8.1. And although many Windows Phone handsets have big batteries and great battery life, extra juice is always welcome.You'll now get a live tile that shows your battery level and info with a quick glance. Moreover, apps are monitored and managed, so you'll know which ones are sucking a lot of power and how you can change their behaviors to save more battery life.
When you have Battery Saver turned on, push notifications and other things that might drain your battery are turned off, and you'll have to check them all manually. It's slightly inconvenient, but when you're running low on power, a lot of those apps and features probably aren't that critical.
Wi-Fi Sense
When you're at an airport or cafe and there is free Wi-Fi available, Wi-Fi Sense handles connecting to the network for you. It'll know when you're near a free and open Wi-Fi network, and you don't even have to bother with accepting the terms and conditions and all that jazz just to get connected.Once you're within range of a free Wi-Fi network, Windows Phone 8.1 takes care of the rest.
You can also share Wi-Fi credentials automatically with the contacts that you want to share with.
Wi-Fi Sense is probably not such a huge "wow" feature, but you'll find it largely convenient once you find yourself connected to free and open Wi-Fi networks when you're out and about.
Word Flow Keyboard
Getting faster on your keyboard is convenient when you're wanting to get things done right away. And tap-tap-tapping on your screen isn't always the best way to get a message across.Swype has been a huge boon to Android devices, and we've always wanted something like it for iOS, except it hasn't happened yet and probably never will for Apple users. However, Microsoft saw the benefit of sliding your finger around to type words, and so Word Flow Keyboard is here.
If you have no experience with swiping to type, you'll learn to love it after some practice. It is so much faster than punching individual keys to type out words, even with autocorrect.
Windows Phone 8.1 has a bigger word library, too, so there will be more words easily and readily recognized and fewer times when you have to manually punch them in.
Custom Volume Settings
So, it might sound ridiculous that it took this long to do this, but Windows Phone 8.1 now has custom volume settings. Prior to this, you were limited to universal volume control, meaning that your notifications and ringtone were always at the same level. Now your apps, music, videos and ringers can be set to different volume levels.
Verdict
Windows Phone 8.1 is a solid step up from the previous version of Windows Phone. It makes it a huge pleasure to use, and easier for us to transition to Windows Phone full time if we really had to.We're not going to go into the whole app ecosystem thing, because Microsoft falls well behind iOS and Android in terms of volume and quality of apps, but it's slowly getting better as more developers jump on board.
Having a personal assistant like Siri is great, and it makes Windows Phone 8.1 feel like it belongs with the rest of the crowd, rather than a platform that's trailing behind a year or two. We're really glad for that.
And what makes us really happy is Action Center, or a place to see all our notifications without having to swipe all over our home screen looking for missed notifications via Live Tiles.
Little changes here and there, like the Settings menu and app list screen are great. The small tweaks that Microsoft has made, along with the really big ones, makes Windows Phone 8.1 a good contender in the mobile OS space.
Now let's just that app ecosystem up to par.
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The iPhone 6 could be a lot more expensive than the 5S
Apple is looking to raise the piece of the iPhone 6 by quite a stretch, according to a report from someone in the know.
The word comes from Jeffries analyst Peter Misek who claims that Apple has been negotiating with mobile carriers about raising the iPhone 6 price by $100 (around £60, AU$106), instead of keeping the price consistent with the last model as it normally tends to do.
So far though, he said, the carriers haven't been too receptive of the idea. Misek speculates that Apple may still get some on board due to an iPhone 6 being the only "headline-worthy high-end phone" to launch this year.
But that's just conjecture on Misek's part. Apple already charges a premium for its handsets so we imagine carriers will push very hard to stop the prices being raised any higher.
Sizing up the enemy
Talk of two iPhone 6 variants - a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch - persists, so it's possible that Apple is just looking to up the price on the larger handset, although rumours right now suggests only the smaller will debut in September - with the bigger sibling arriving later down the line.The long-awaited Apple iWatch is also expected to arrive in September. Could Apple be pricing the iPhone 6 higher to keep the iWatch price down (after all, we expect the wearable to be a companion to the next iPhone)? Who knows...
- Everything you need to know about the iPhone 6 right now
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Latest iPhone 6 leak shows room for that 4.7-inch screen
Just as reports of the iPhone 6's production ramp up, we're getting the inevitable leaks of images from inside the factory.
With this latest image of iPhone 6 production molds picked up by Nowhereelse.fr, a larger, 4.7-inch iOS device seems even more certain than ever.
The French tech site also superimposed images of the iPhone 4S alongside the molding plate to highlight the 6's larger size.
Photoshopping an iPhone 5S inside the mold also revealed that while the device would be larger, it should still keep the same elongated proportions as Apple's current smartphone.
If the shoe fits
If this is indeed a mold being used to manufacture the iPhone 6, the new device would measure approximately 138mm x 64mm millimeters. With these observations we can surmise the screen size could be approximately 4.7-inches, just as we've noted previously.Curiously, though, the bottom portion of the mold measures 123mm x 58mm, the dimensions of the current iPhone 5S.
With this in mind the mold could simply be one being used to produce current versions of the iPhone. Alternatively, since the plate has a sloped edge, it could mean the next iOS device will have an angled edge similar to the iPad 4.
Despite the continuous leaks, it's much too early to circle anything definitively. WWDC is only a little more than a month and a half away, and it's here we're sure to hear more about what we can expect from the next iPhone.
- Here's everything we know about the other device Apple might announce at WWDC 2014, the iWatch
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IBM adds disaster recovery, security services to SoftLayer
IBM SoftLayer clients have been granted access to disaster recovery and security services that are designed to ensure data security and continuity during breaches and disaster-related events. The services are geared toward helping SoftLayer clients automate the recovery of mission-critical applications, servers and cloud-based data should human error or a cyberattack occur.
In addition, IBM said it will open two new cloud-based resiliency centers in Raleigh, N.C. and Mumbai, India. The facilities are being built to help speed up recovery times for SoftLayer clients by "virtually eliminating network latency while allowing businesses to manage federal and local data residency compliance regulations," according to an IBM statement. It is unclear when the centers will open.
In January, IBM announced the opening of 15 data centers worldwide as part of its $1.2 billion added investment in cloud.
Security concerns
The security enhancements were announced less than a week after the Heartbleed Bug made available security keys, usernames and passwords, instant messages, emails and business critical documents and communication, on major websites like Facebook and Yahoo. It is unclear if IBM's announcement is meant to provide reassurance for current and potential cloud adopters who are concerned about security breaches.IBM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
IBM will also provide security consulting services for SoftLayer clients. This service is designed to help provide resiliency assessment, planning and design, implementation and testing, according to the statement.
IBM acquired SoftLayer in July. At the time, IBM said the acquisition would enable it to "[marry] the security, privacy and reliability of private clouds with the economy and speed of a public cloud."
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Google weighs preferential treatment for encrypted websites
Although the Heartbleed Bug is a reminder that online security is still very much a work in progress, a key Google engineer is looking at new ways to shore up the internet, including featuring encrypted sites more prominently in the company's search results.
The Wall Street Journal reported the search giant is exploring new ways to leverage its sizable influence in the online community to push for the widespread adoption of website encryption.
One of the ways Google hopes to accomplish this task is by offering incentives to websites who play ball, which could include a "boost" in search engine results for those that encrypt data between end users and company servers.
Leading the charge is Matt Cutts, a so-called "distinguished engineer" at Google, who recently offered some insight into the company's internal discussions during a recent Search Marketing Expo (SMX) in San Jose, Calif.
One man's opinion?
Cutts certainly has credentials powerful enough to shape such change, but according to a separate report from Search Engine Land, the concept may only be one man's opinion at this early stage."[Cutts] said it was his personal opinion and not everyone within Google agreed with him at this point," elaborated news editor Barry Schwartz.
The Journal report noted internal discussions about encryption are still in the early stages and nothing is planned soon.
Although web experts may be divided on adopting website encryption across the board, few can dispute that an additional level of online security can only be a good thing for end users.
For example, such a change could ultimately benefit websites looking for new ways to game Google's search results, which currently penalizes internet portals offering malicious software or whose sites load slower than expected.
- Still in search of the best tablet around? TechRadar rounds them up for you.
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Developers unfazed by Oculus sale to Facebook as Rift dev kit sales top 85,000
The sales of Oculus Rift development kits have soared since the firm's controversial acquisition by Facebook last month.
Developers have snapped up 25,000 'DK2' units since the second iteration went up for pre-order on March 19, less than a week before the Facebook buyout was announced.
TechCrunch reports sales of the DK2 unit have outpaced the original (which sold 60,000), suggesting that games developers are enthused, rather than perturbed by the presence of the new owners.
That may be down to the impression that Facebook's vast resources make Oculus and the Rift's chances of making it big have greatly improved.
Backlash
The reaction of some potential developers who perhaps see Rift has a more worthwhile platform to build software on since Facebook's intervention is a far cry from the backlash felt in other quarters.Many of the Kickstarter backers who forked over $2.4 million to help fund the company's goals demanded their money back following the takeover.
Not all developers are ecstatic over Facebook's presence though. The Minecraft creator Markus Persson has given up on plans to bring a VR version of the game to the rift claiming Facebook "creeps me out."
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Updated: Google buys drone maker that was once the object of Facebook's desire
Google has picked up Titan Aerospace, maker of high-altitude, solar-powered drones, for an undisclosed figure.
The deal was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and later confirmed to TechRadar by a Google spokesperson.
According to the Journal, Google plans to use Titan's drones to gather images and connect more of the world's population to the web. Titan will continue to operate out of its New Mexico base, and Google said the company will work in concert with Project Loon.
Google's Project Loon is working to build massive, high-altitude balloons that beam internet signals to parts of the world still untethered to the net.
There's a chance Titan could also work with Makani, another Google project that's working on an airborne wind turbine to produce energy more efficiently.
For its part, Titan has said its drones, which are designed to fly for years, can gather real-time, high-res images of the earth (calling Google Maps), tow atmospheric sensors and bolster voice and data services.
Titan's tech
Titan claims its drones can shoot internet signals of up to 1 gigabit per second. It's currently developing two drones powered by solar-charging batteries. The smaller model has a wingspan just larger than that of a Boeing 767."Initial commercial operations" of Titan's drones are expected to take off next year.
The Facebook connection
In a statement, the Google spokesperson told us: "Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world. It's still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation. It's why we're so excited to welcome Titan Aerospace to the Google family."If the mission sounds familiar, one need look no further than Facebook, Internet.org and its own drone ambitions.
Facebook was reportedly interested in Titan as early as last month, but opted instead to purchase UK-based aerospace firm Ascenta. The Facebook Connectivity Lab is working on an airborne Internet.org initiative, developing drones, satellites and lasers to deliver "affordable access to basic internet services available to every person in the world."
Both companies' goals are altruistic enough, but there's a clear race to be the first internet delivery boy for billions of people going on between them.
Android has taken the mobile world by storm and is found in innumerable feature phones, but Facebook has countered with its own communications maneuvers, including its recent purchase of WhatsApp.
The battle for communications supremacy has clearly gone airborne, and we can just picture Amazon plotting its next drone move as well.
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John Legere ends domestic overage fees for all T-Mobile customers
Skipping Friday for some big phone launches, T-Mobile CEO John Legere has finally unveiled the last in a trio of announcements doing away with domestic overage fees.
The Un-carrier promises it's eradicating all domestic overage charges for its customers. This new policy applies to all users on T-Mobile's consumer plans whether it be a Simple Choice plan, the new Simple Starter, or an older plan.
Overage fees will be gone for T-Mobile customers starting this May and it will apply starting with their June bill.
Challenging carriers
Legere also tied his new announcement with a petition on change.org calling for other carriers to do the same."The Un-carrier is eliminating one of the most widely despised wireless industry practices," Legere said in a statement. And I'm also laying down a challenge to my counterparts at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, to do the same."
No stranger to leading social media uprisings, Legere previously introduced T-Mobile's "Jump!" upgrade program with a call to arms on Twitter using the hashtag #Hate2Wait.
It should be interesting to see how Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint move in reaction to all these new initiatives. As we've seen previously, all the other carriers moved quickly to implement their own early upgrade service soon after Jump! was announced last July
The total package
T-Mobile has made some major strides to change up it plans to give its customers more bang for their buck. Last week, Legere started this latest Un-carrier push by unveiling a new $40 "Simple Starter" plan with unlimited talk and text, plus 500MB of 4G data.T-Mo followed up on the next day with Operation Tablet Freedom, giving 4G LTE tablet users, who also have a voice plan with the company, 1.2GB of free mobile data. The Un-carrier also promised to offer 4G-connected tablets for the same price as their Wi-Fi only variants.
On Friday the company put things on hold for the global launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. It offered the two new high-end Android phones for nothing down with no annual service contract, and no extra fees attached.
John Legere also promised he has something even bigger planned for later this year and a new Un-carrier 5.0. Stay tuned for more as T-Mobile and Legere are definitely not out of ideas yet.
- The iPhone 6 is next big phone you should keep your eyes on
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Does this purported iOS 8 screenshot out the iWatch? Or is it a fake?
A new screenshot, claiming to show the forthcoming iOS 8 operating system, may offer some insight into a couple of hotly-anticipated rumoured Apple products.
Within the screenshot, which emerged on Chinese social media this weekend, is an app called Watch Utility that, it's fair to assume would give iOS users access to the settings on the as-yet-unannounced iWatch.
The picture also, shows a homescreen that is five icons wide.
That would play into reports that the iPhone 6 will offer a larger display with a differing aspect ratio, compared to the one currently featuring on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S.
Lack of polish?
However, whether the screenshot is the genuine article is another matter altogether.While the rest of the app icons appear to show familiar iOS 7-like designs, there's something that's not quite as polished as the Watch Utility icon, which sits in the centre of the dock within the screenshot.
The screenshot also features the Healthbook app, which has been purportedly revealed in previous leaks.
Do you think this picture is the real deal? Or is a hoax merchant at work? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Review: HP Slate 7 HD
Introduction
Following HP's disastrous previous entries into the tablet market, there is clearly a lot riding upon the 7-inch shoulders of the HP Slate 7 HD. Given the value of the tablet PC market, this is an area that HP can't afford to miss out on.When it comes to the modern tablet market, there are two clear winners, in the form of Android's OS and Apple's iPad range, although Windows 8 tablets have slowly started to provide a decent third option.
Recent news that Android has now overtaken the iPad in tablet dominance is no surprise given the wide range of price tags that it covers, from the highest-end Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 all the way down to the much cheaper Google Nexus 7.
That is where the HP Slate 7 HD sits, running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for the rather reasonable price of £129 (about $215, AU$239), or for £169 (about $282, AU$312) if you want two years' worth of free 3G data (250MB per month) included.
For the added cost you also get double the internal storage, up from 8GB to 16GB, so it's starting to look even more reasonable. The Slate 7 HD is one of the cheaper Android tablets out there, which may help it against the likes of the Kindle Fire HDX, Tesco Hudl and Nexus 7.
The budget market is fierce and HP knows that, offering in the aforementioned 3G data connection on top of a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB RAM and a HD 1280 x 800 7-inch screen.
Also included is Beats Audio technology to make music and movies stored on the 16GB (and the microSD card) sound better.
This all comes wrapped up in a frame measuring 201.3 x 119.8 x 9.95mm, so it is by no means a tiny tablet. It felt a little large in the hand, and the thick black bezel that wraps around the 7-inch screen screams cheap.
A massive HP logo on the front, where the home button on the iPad sits, doesn't help the cause, either.
Add to that the textured plastic back panel and I was left feeling rather disheartened with the Slate 7 HD in the hand. Where the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX make you think you've got a much more expensive tablet, the HP sits a little further down the scale.
The front of the Slate 7 HD comes with that aforementioned thick black bezel and HP logo, as well as a forward-facing 2MP camera and light sensor, leaving the rest of the front to be taken up by that HD screen.
Around the back is a different story. The review model in question is red, although it does also come in silver, as pictured.
All the necessary buttons and ports are located on the back; the power/lock button, volume rocker and covered microSD/microSIM ports. I found that with these buttons sitting flush I often missed them, giving a very unintuitive feel.
A 5MP camera is also located on the back, although it is missing a flash. I doubt this would be a massive problem, though, unless you are short of any other camera device.
Along the bottom sits the microUSB/charging port, as well as the external speakers and headphone port, leaving the top completely free.
In all, the Slate 7 HD is an interesting device, if only because it marks a true intention from HP to try to deliver a solid tablet to a tough market.
Key features
Given that the letters H and D are in the name of the HP Slate 7 HD, it is clear where one of the HP's biggest selling points is.Backed up by Beats Audio, there is little to suggest that the HP Slate 7 HD hasn't been designed with watching movies in mind.
Look here
The screen certainly lives up to its billing: it's both bright and crisp, although it lacks the same pop and sparkle that accompanies full HD tablet screens.This is somewhat disappointing given that the Nexus 7 comes with a 1920 x 1200 screen, as does the similarly priced Kindle Fire HDX.
I found that the screen struggled when out in direct sunlight. Whilst trying to snap photos, the Slate 7 HD's screen was impossible to see, unless I held my hand up to shield some of the light from the screen.
This is something that will prove frustrating, especially if you want to browse the web whilst out and about.
Feel the beat
Beats Audio is also pushed into the tablet, thanks to a collaboration that has seen the technology pushed into a wide range of HP products, including a variety of laptops.This did make the sound richer when pushed through headphones, although a certain amount of this will depend on what headphones you are using.
Pumping the sound out of the external speaker is a completely different story. The Slate 7 HD suffers from a similar problem as was found when watching movies on the Sony Xperia Z1: the speaker placement.
Whilst this is fine when you want to just blast out some music, it is totally different when you're sat holding the tablet.
I found it very disorientating having all the sound entering one ear, so much so that I would definitely recommend investing in some decent headphones if you plan on watching a lot of movies or shows on the Slate 7 HD.
The other key area that HP will try to capture you with is its 3G Data pass. Selecting this option provides you with a 3G connection of 250MB per month for two years, through a supplied SIM card. Whilst this is a reasonable price, I do wonder just how much data you might get through in a month.
Heavy users who plan on streaming movies or TV shows through the likes of BBC iPlayer will struggle with only 250MB per month, although it's ideal for casual web browsing and sending the odd email whilst out and about on the morning commute.
Pricing will also undoubtedly be another area that the Slate 7 HD will look to compete in. At a mere £169 (about $282, AU$312), it is one of the cheapest tablets on the market, especially with that data package thrown in.
Given the price of the iPad Mini 2 (16GB model is £319, $399, AU$479 for the Wi-Fi only and £419, $529, AU$629 for cellular), the 7 HD has a strong case.
Unfortunately, though, I think the HP Slate 7 HD will struggle in comparison to its more established Android-toting rivals, especially given the low price of the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX.
Both can be found around the same price, and with higher-powered internal components.
Interface and performance
In day-to-day use, the HP Slate 7 HD performed rather well, the 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB RAM providing adequate power to keep Android 4.2 Jelly Bean running smoothly.Moving between the home screens was handled with aplomb, with only a hint of slow-down no matter how fast we swiped left or right.
You'd really struggle to call the HP Slate 7 HD lightning fast, though. It took a split second to load Google Now with a swipe up. That doesn't sound like long, but it was rather noticeable especially given a strong Wi-Fi connection.
This is one area in which I found the Slate 7 HD to lag a little. When compared with the likes of the Kindle Fire HDX or the Nexus 7 it was clear that the HP was less fluid.
Even the cheaper Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 managed to seem a little faster.
Moving between apps eventually started to take its toll when the Slate 7 HD was performing other tasks. Whilst running a download in the background, I found the Slate 7 HD to be a little stuttery navigating between the Chrome browser and the home page, as well as when moving around the app drawer and opening other apps.
HP has opted to provide a basic Google experience. Whilst in some eyes this is more suitable, as it shows the Android OS as it was intended, I found it made the Slate 7 HD feel too much like a less premium version of its Nexus 7 counterpart.
One of the most irritating things I found was that HP logo on the bezel. Although the problem began to lessen after long periods of use, I still found ourselves instinctively hitting it with the aim of returning home.
HP's Slate 7 HD scored 680 on multi-core in my Geekbench test, meaning it lagged behind the Galaxy Tab 3 8.0, as well as the Nexus 7 and even the Nook HD+.
Pure figures don't really mean a lot, though, and the HP Slate 7 HD was more than adequate for basic web browsing. It did struggle when I threw heavy lifting its way, and I'd hesitate to recommend the Slate 7 HD for anything more than casual gaming.
Downloading files was also something that took an age. Despite having already downloaded 18% of Apshalt 8 Airborne, the Slate 7 HD read that it will take a further 24 minutes to download the file.
HP has thrown in a few extras to try and help sweeten the deal. It comes with its ePrint and SureSupply apps, in order to help you easily connect and manage printers.
The Kingsoft Office app also hints at the use of the Slate 7 HD as a mobile work space, but the smaller screen made it a little more difficult to use for anything more than basic emailing.
In all, the Slate 7 HD is fine for light usage. Browsing the web, watching movies or playing one of the many millions of Flappy Bird clones all make for a smooth experience, but when serious gaming or downloading files come in the Slate HD 7 begins to suffer.
Battery life and connectivity
Battery life
Exact battery power for the HP Slate 7 HD isn't included, with the HP site offering up the information that it is a 15 WHr battery.Before I even get to usage, one of the biggest problems I found with the battery is the length of time that it takes to charge. After three hours of charging, the Slate 7 HD was still languishing on 29%. This certainly isn't a tablet that you can top up quickly before popping in your bag.
Throughout daily usage, though, the battery seemed to fair well. A standard day of web browsing whilst sat at home and an hour of Skype calling still left the HP Slate 7 HD with enough battery to be used the next day.
This can be attributed to the lower power of the cores not producing significant drain. It also meant of course that I had no desire to play battery intensive games, due to the poorer performance.
When running the 90-minute HD video battery test, I found that the battery dropped by 28%. This means that the Slate 7 HD will be able to cope with around six hours of HD video. That's by no means an impressive figure, but enough to last you a typical day.
Compare that to the 20% drop noted on the Nexus 7 and the ability to get nine or 10 hours of video usage out of the Kindle Fire HDX and you can start to build up a better picture. The HP Slate HD 7 is sufficient, but is by no means the best available.
Just like the rest of the Slate 7 HD, the battery life produces a pretty average performance. It's ideal for taking out for the daily commute to work and for light web browsing while sat in front of the TV, but as with every other aspect, throw some heavy lifting its way and the Slate 7 HD starts to suffer.
Connectivity
One of the more important parts of the Slate 7 HD's specs sheet is its connectivity. Whilst it is true that there is a cheaper version of the Slate 7 HD, with only 8GB of internal and no 3G connection, we can see no reason why you would opt for it.Alongside this free 3G data connection comes Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, and it is also Miracast compatible for sharing your screen with a larger display. This makes it ideal for showing off in presentations.
The Slate 7 HD also comes GPS enabled, which coupled with the 3G data pass means that the HP tablet can make a decent substitute for a satnav.
Although mounting a 7-inch tablet to your windscreen or dashboard isn't exactly the best idea.
The essentials
The HP Slate 7 HD has held up well enough so far, even if it hasn't managed to set the world alight.In terms of essential offerings, the same can be said, with some of the many bugbears about Android 4.2 Jelly Bean still making an appearance.
Both the native Browser and Chrome apps come installed, providing almost identical experiences when browsing the mobile web.
One of Chrome's key new features is the ability to compress web pages, and that helps it stand out when combined with the free 250MB of data per month that comes supplied with the more expensive Slate 7 HD.
Full web pages were loaded on both browsers rather than sticking with the mobile sites, which is a big plus as it makes the most of the whole screen. Unfortunately, text reflow is missing from both browsers.
One of the biggest issues I have with including both browsers is that it takes up needless space.
Thankfully space doesn't appear to be an issue on the Slate 7 HD, with more than 12 of the 16GBs available left to store on a wide range of apps and movies.
You also have the option of extending this by a further with a microSD card up to 32GB in size should you find that you still don't have enough.
The Slate 7 HD also works well to contact others. While it doesn't come with the ability to make phone calls that some tablet phone hybrids have, the added data pass means that emailing can be done whilst out and about.
To do this, HP offers up the standard Gmail and Email apps. Both apps come feature-packed, with the Gmail app offering just about every feature that you can find on the desktop, and the Email app able to handle multiple accounts from multiple providers in a near-aggregated inbox.
Typing out messages is a little more difficult. I found that typing when in portrait can be quite hard because the 7-inch screen is just too wide for traditional texting-style typing. In landscape I felt that it just wasn't wide enough to type accurately and quickly, which is extremely frustrating.
Elsewhere are the music player and video playing apps. Actually, they're not there. I found this particularly peculiar given that the Slate 7 HD seems geared up as a media hub.
This meant that in order to play any media you had to locate it via the HP file manager, via the Google Play apps or through a third-party offering.
This was somewhat disappointing, as we felt that HP could have really distinguished itself from the rest with a top-notch media hub. The likes of the Samsung music player on the Galaxy Tab 3 and the Kindle Fire HDs are much better and show some thought on the behalf of the manufacturer.
Camera
Two cameras have been fitted to the HP Slate 7 HD, a 2MP front camera in order to cater for those Oscar-style selfies and for Skype-style video calls, and a 5MP rear sensor to help you film those all-important moments.This is an area that I can't see being all that important, given that many mobile phones now come with far superior snappers, but it might come in handy to record a party while you're at home.
The camera's positioning was pretty frustrating. Holding the Slate 7 HD in order to take pictures that didn't include at least some portion of my digits felt unnatural.
In terms of the app, the HP Slate HD 7 offers nothing more than the Nexus 7, coming with the same stripped-down app with very few features on offer.
Some may think this is a blessing, as it means the focus is on shooting the photo, but a little more would have been nice.
One problem I found with the camera app is that it decided it wanted to freeze and stop taking photos. Despite rebooting the app, the camera still refused to play ball until I had completely shut down and restarted the Slate 7 HD.
Thankfully, during my time, this was a problem I encountered only once, so I'm chalking it up as a one-off.
The biggest downside to the camera on the Slate 7 HD is how poor it is. It's on a par with the original Nexus 7, meaning that unless you have the right lighting your photos will be washed out.
Low lighting leads to some really poor shots, and taking the camera outside to shoot in bright daylight is nigh-on impossible, as the screen becomes a massive mirror - that's not the forward facing camera, that's your reflection.
Click here to see the full resolution image
Click here to see the full resolution image
Click here to see the full resolution image
Click here to see the full resolution image
Verdict
In a world that is currently dominated by Samsung tablets, the Nexus range and Apple's iPads, it is nice to see another decent contender hit the market in the form of the HP Slate 7 HD.Packing an HD resolution and two years' worth of 3G data into an affordable price tag gives the Slate 7 HD something to shout about.
We liked
Of course, the 'free' 3G data is enticing. Often, this can cost the earth so to see it bundled in free with a tablet is a very refreshing approach and one that I'd like to see come as standard with more tablets.Whilst not enough to cover streaming of movies or Spotify, it is more than enough to cover basic web browsing and the odd email on the morning commute.
The inclusion of Beats Audio is another area that gives the HP Slate 7 HD something to shout about.
It adds another dimension when listening to movies and music through headphones, and helps make the external speakers loud.
A 2MP front facing camera was also a good call from HP, recognising the importance of the forward facing sensor on a tablet. I'd have preferred it if the bigger 5MP sensor was on the front, but the 2MP provides a clear picture that is ideal for video calls with the included Skype app.
We disliked
Despite coming in with a low price tag, the HP Slate 7 HD still feels underpowered. Day to day use might be fine, as is web browsing, but as soon as you throw a large download its way or try to play a graphically intensive game the whole tablet feels stuttery.The design also leaves a lot to be desired. Screen size is becoming less important on modern tablets, with a lot of the focus now being on just how much of the front of the device is taken up by the screen.
We feel that HP has got the ratio wrong on the 7 HD with too much black bezel, making the screen feel smaller and the whole tablet feel cheaper.
Finally, the positioning of the external speakers and buttons is also really poor. I found it hard to hit the rear-placed buttons, often having to turn the Slate 7 HD over in order to find the buttons that sit flush to the back case, and the external speaker on the bottom is really disorientating when you're holding it.
Verdict
In all, the HP Slate 7 HD is a bit of a mixed tablet. The inclusion of free data will undoubtedly prove a massive draw in this data-oriented world, and it is something that's really hard to ignore, especiallyif you spend a lot of time on the morning commute.
Unfortunately, that's about where the praise stops for the Slate 7 HD, as it struggles to compete with even some of the cheapest tablets of the market.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX, even Tesco's Hudl, all prove that you can get a lot of bang for your buck.
If a cheap 3G connection is all-important then you can't go wrong with HP's offering, although for anyone who spends a lot of their time at home or at work connected to a Wi-Fi connection it would be wise to look elsewhere.
First reviewed March 2014
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Does Facebook want to be the new Paypal?
Facebook could be badgering you to send your friends money in the next few weeks as rumour has it that the social network is planning to launch a Paypal-like service.
The Financial Times reports that the company is "weeks" away from getting the go-ahead from the authorities in Ireland to allow it to hold money and send it between Facebookers.
The paper also says that three British firms that run money transfer apps have been in talks with the 'Book, suggesting it's going after mobile payments too.
Transfer window
All of this points to a possible European money transfer service, but whether it will extend to the US and beyond is another story.Would you trust Facebook with your money? Let us know in the comments below.
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McAfee releases free Heartbleed checker tool
Intel-owned security firm McAfee has released a free tool to check if websites are still vulnerable to the catastrophic Heartbleed bug found recently.
The simple tool allows web users to type in a URL or IP address to see if the vulnerable version of OpenSSL is still being used.
This overcomes the issue of users not knowing if they should update passwords, due to lack of communication from many companies about whether or not they have patched the bug.
Changing passwords before the bug is patched will mean hackers could still access the new password. However, many popular websites like Facebook and Google are already fixed.
Regaining confidence
"It's important that users first check to make sure the websites they frequent are updated before changing their passwords," said Gary Davis, VP of consumer marketing at McAfee."In the wake of confusing information floating around, our tool makes it easy for consumers to quickly access the information they need. Armed with this information, consumers can decide when it is time to change their passwords and regain confidence in a safe web surfing experience."
Similar tools are available from other security firms and professionals, like this one.
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HTC One M8 Mini release date, news and rumors
The HTC One M8 has only just gone out the door and already we're hearing rumors of an HTC One M8 Mini.
Initial mention of the Mini appeared mere hours after the M8's launch, as reliable tipster @evleaks tweeted "M8 mini: Check." Several days later a blog post by Swedish mobile network Telia briefly popped up, listing the HTC One M8 Mini.
None of which is really surprising, aside from how soon after the M8's launch it all happened, as HTC released an HTC One Mini, so an M8 Mini was always likely.
- Must read: HTC One M8 review
So far these rumors are fairly few in number, but there are whispers surrounding the size, build, specs and release date of the HTC One M8's smaller sibling and as that release date gets closer more rumors and leaks are bound to flood in.
So keep your eyes glued to this page, because we'll be updating you every step of the way.
Cut to the chase
What is it? A smaller, cheaper version of the excellent One M8
When is it out? May is the popular option
What will it cost? Probably sub-£400, $600, AU$700 SIM free
What is it? A smaller, cheaper version of the excellent One M8
When is it out? May is the popular option
What will it cost? Probably sub-£400, $600, AU$700 SIM free
HTC One M8 Mini release date and price
An unnamed source inside a UK retailer has told 3G.co.uk that the HTC One M8 Mini will be with us in May.Obviously since the source is anonymous it's hard to say how reliable that information is, but with rumors about the device emerging the very same day as the HTC One M8 launched it's believable that the Mini could be here that soon.
May has shown up again in relation to the HTC One M8 Mini release date, with Taiwanese site ePrice claiming the handset will hit the market then.
There's no word yet on what the phone might retail for but the HTC One Mini launched at around £380+ (around $600, AU$700) SIM free, so there's a fair chance the HTC One M8 Mini will do the same.
HTC One M8 Mini display
It looks like the HTC One M8 Mini will have a 4.5-inch display, as both @evleaks and 3G.co.uk's anonymous sources have said as much with no dissenting voices.@evleaks went on to suggest that it would have a 720p screen, which would make it both slightly bigger and give it a slightly lower pixel density than the 4.3-inch 720p HTC One Mini.
HTC One M8 Mini processor
@evleaks had things to say about the HTC One M8 Mini's processor too, claiming that it would be a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 affair, which would be a substantial boost over the dual-core HTC One Mini.It still doesn't quite match the 2.3GHz quad-core monster of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, which sports exactly the same power setup as its bigger brother, the Xperia Z1. That said the Z1 Compact is a touch more expensive to compensate.
HTC One M8 Mini chassis
The build of the HTC One M8 Mini is likely to be quite similar to that of the HTC One M8. That seems a fairly safe assumption as the One Mini kept most of the styling of the HTC One intact, so expect a premium aluminium design.If proof were needed though an anonymous source speaking to 3G.co.uk also claimed it would have the same aluminium uni-body design as its big brother.
Meanwhile @evleaks claims the HTC One M8 Mini will have on-screen buttons, which seems likely given the One M8 does.
More recently @evleaks posted an image of what he claimed was the "HTC M8 Ace," so given the name this may be not be the Mini, but whatever it is it looks like it has a similar design to the HTC One M8, complete with dual front-facing speakers.
HTC One M8 camera
Rounding out a surprisingly comprehensive specs listing, @evleaks claims that the HTC One M8 Mini will have a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP one on the front.This claim dated back to before the HTC One M8 was revealed and in light of that sticking with a 4 UltraPixel snapper we'd be surprised if the Mini had a 13MP sensor, though @evleaks is generally fairly reliable.
The 5MP camera on the front is more believable as that matches what the HTC One M8 has.
If these camera specs sound familiar you're not wrong, as the HTC Desire 816 sports the same 13MP and 5MP package. The One M8 Mini is likely to carry a higher price tag than this plastic clan, 5.5-inch mid-ranger though.
- Want a phone which combines a small size with flagship features? Consider the iPhone 5S.
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Paypal launches fingerprint payments app for Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy S5 users can now log in to the Paypal app using their fingerprints as authentication. The functionality is aimed at providing a secure and convenient means of making payments.
Paypal announced that it would be the first payments provider to support the S5's fingerprint authentication technology at Mobile World Congress in February. It is also involved in the Fast IDentity Online (FIDO) Alliance, a non-profit organization aimed at creating standards to replace passwords with other secure means of authentication.
According to a recent survey that the company carried out in association with the National Cyber Security Alliance, 53% of Americans are comfortable with the idea of replacing passwords with newer security technologies such as fingerprint authentication. Hill Ferguson, Chief Product Officer at PayPal, noted this in a blog post making the announcement.
Convenience
"Not only is this way more convenient than typing in a lengthy username and password on a tiny mobile device, it's also more secure," writes Ferguson. "In fact, it's a convenience that many consumers are ready for."In addition to its new authentication functionality, Paypal has also announced a new app for the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches. Users will be able to make payments, check their PayPal balance, get payment notifications and save offers from local businesses.
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Windows Phone 8.1 release inches closer as devs get their hands on Cortana
Windows Phone 8.1 isn't expected to arrive in full until later this year, but Microsoft is pushing out an early version for developers that can be downloaded right now.
If you're not a dev but just can't wait to get your hands on the Windows Phone 8.1, you can quite easily set up a developer account and download the update now - although we wouldn't advise it.
Chances are there will be a few bugs in the software, and Microsoft says you won't be able to revert to a previous version if 8.1 doesn't play nicely with your phone.
8.1 is a bigger update than its incremental name suggests, introducing Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana (if you're in the US) and a new notification centre, among other things.
- So what has Microsoft packed into Windows Phone 8.1?
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Fujitsu develops 40Gb/s data search software
Fujitsu has developed a new software technology that can perform data searches as fast as 40Gb/s –– an important step forward in managing an ever-increasing volume of information.
The Fujitsu technology can perform high-speed capture, accumulation and searches at super-fast speeds, thanks to a combination of servers for scalable disk capacity and parallel-input performance, with a stream-analysis unit for sequential processing.
As data packets are captured, they are automatically sorted based on search criteria, substantially increasing the pace of searches.
Software-based approach
The technique eliminates exclusive access control locks, increases disk read/output performance, and avoids unnecessary copying of data.The result is that huge amounts of information can be accumulated and searched, over a period of many hours, at speeds of up to 40Gb/s.
Previous approaches to data searches required specialized network analysis hardware, but Fujitsu's new software-based approach requires only conventional hardware.
With companies expected to face a Big Data crisis by 2017, according to Gartner Research, technologies like this one will have a lucrative customer base.
Fujitsu hopes to launch the technology in its fiscal year 2014.
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Blip: Warning: this is what happens when you use the Oculus Rift while drunk
The Oculus Rift can be nauseating enough when experienced sober, so adding alcohol into the equation isn't going to result in anything good for anyone trying it. But for the rest of us watching, it's hilarious.
Logic alone wasn't enough to dissuade this poor guy, who was determined to conquer the OR rollercoaster demo while tanked. The result? Awesome. Full respect for the level of determination on display.
Extra warning: as you'd probably expect, there's a fair bit of swearing.
More blips!
Blips: keeping you informed of the internet's scientific experiments- These people playing giant Tetris are really bad at Tetris
- Guess what happens when you hit an HTC One M8 with a hammer
- Miley Cyrus, rest assured: Apple's going to make its Emoji more ethnically diverse
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Interview: Social showdown: can Beamly beat Twitter and Facebook at the TV game?
TechRadar interviews Anthony Rose
In a few short years the face of television has changed. No longer are broadcasters in charge of what and where you watch: now you are.The meteoric rise of on demand and watch anywhere programming took much of the television industry by surprise; it meant its usual glacial pace was thwarted and big changes had to be made.
Some broadcasters moved faster than others. The BBC showed that with iPlayer, there was still a reason for its being in a world that was no longer shackled by schedules. But when it was released in 2007, it was a service that was used mainly by the computer literate and not the average BBC user who tunes into EastEnders.
When Anthony Rose joined the BBC he decided to turn this around by making the software available to all. And seven years later he is making the same move again, but with his current company Zeebox.
This week, Rose announced that Zeebox is changing its name to Beamly. This brand revamp is the culmination of months of work, with Zeebox changing from a utility app - where the idea of its users was modelled more on him and his band of devs - into what Rose wants to be "the social network for TV".
The Pinterest of Prime Time
"What we have seen over the last six months is that once upon a time, Zeebox was all about the television and now it is about the TV show," said Rose to TechRadar."It used to be about the utility of controlling your television, your tags and syncing with shows. But now more and more people are watching on-demand, with shows like House of Cards.
"We love people that like the utility [side of the app] but the problem is they don't tell their friends. But people who chat in TV rooms speak to their friends and that's when you get a social network."
As with his transformation of the iPlayer, making changes to appeal to the masses is nothing new to Rose. Taking that technology, simplifying it and putting the shows on that the general TV population was watching was key to the massive success of the platform, as much as, say, iPlayer's arrival on mobile devices.
With Zeebox, Rose and his team looked at the how and when people were using the app - they could clearly see that when changes that showed off the social side were made, use of the app exploded.
"When we started the company, we were super served internally with male geeky guys, essentially people like myself. And this meant we automatically leaned to engineering the utility side of Zeebox," said Rose.
But there was a problem: it turns out those "geeky guys" that were originally targeted don't actually watch television that much.
"So we started advertising for colleagues that love shows such as Made in Chelsea and EastEnders.
They came into the office and told how they watch these shows and it became clear that the biggest group of 'social watchers' were the ones that watched the X Factors and the Big Brothers of the world.
"For them, the remote aspect of the app wasn't what they wanted, but more a fix of updates about their favourite shows that they could read over lunch."
Staying on
Once Rose and his team began tweaking the app towards that, they saw things take off in a big way - it turns out that those who use the social side of the app were staying on Zeebox for 10 times longer than those who just used the tech tools that it is also known for, such as tagging, show syncing and remote functionality.Unsurprisingly, the tonal shift of the app meant that the audience was changing too.
"65% of Zeebox users are now female, since this shift six months ago - particularly in the US. We are resonating with the same sort of audience that Pinterest has, where it is women at home, extremely social that want to talk about shows twenty four seven," said Rose.
The fruits of this change can now be seen in Zeebox's rebranding to Beamly. A softer coral colour scheme - and, dare we say it, a more iPlayer-like look - has been used and the social aspects of Zeebox that were out of sight before are now front and centre.
The geekiness of Zeebox that was at odds with the social side of the app has seemingly vanished.
"The homepage has become your feed home, which houses not just what you are posting but what your friends are too. We are hoping that this homepage becomes the social network for TV," explains Rose.
"The design looks very clean. It was bit like renovating a home. Zeebox had become a mismatch of styles and we wanted to give everything a new style."
Interestingly the utility side of the app is still there but Rose has pitch shifted this to the sidelines to make way for what he hopes will be another social network that the world flocks to.
Taking on Facebook and Twitter
Beamly comes at an interesting time for TV and social networks. Both Facebook and Twitter are looking into utilising television but neither have yet succeeded.This isn't for want of trying as these social giants are gearing up for a data turf war with each other, giving television broadcasters information about how who comments on their shows.
Facebook is doing this in partnership with SecondSync, offering anonymised data of its 1.23 billion users' TV habits - while Twitter has a deal with Nielsen in place.
Data mining only works if you have the right information, though, and Rose believes you can only get this somewhere like Beamly.
"What is interesting is that Facebook and Twitter have very different follow models: Facebook is traditionally people you went to school with and Twitter is the broadcast model," notes Rose.
"With Facebook, people don't want to talk about TV with their friends, they want to talk about it with fans of the show - because your friends have completely different viewing tastes.
"With Twitter, most don't want to mix your professional life with talking trash around something like Hollyoaks. So, how do you keep that separate?"
Rose believes the solution is an updated, better-looking forum scenario that can be found in Beamly.
"Our TV rooms are resonating because of this. They are vibrant, especially with the new style and brand.
"As for analytics, for major broadcasters we provide publishing tools that will help change television in the future. This is boring for the consumer but will be essential for broadcasters and advertisers."
Changing television in the future is something that is key to Rose. Having already been part of the success of iPlayer, as well as an integral part of YouView, there is no better person placed to understand the machinations of the broadcast industry: the reasons there are struggles to innovate when it seems so obvious to us consumers that television should be delivered to us how we want it, when we want it.
This is something Rose wants to see too and firmly believes that Beamly has been created to be part of the TV model that we will all eventually use.
"Second screen apps are slightly ahead of the curve and television hasn't changed as fast as app manufacturers innovated," he said.
"I see this in ourselves where we have dialled down some of the app. We always wanted to be the social network for TV but when we got started we were faced with broadcast television, not TV anywhere.
"There is no doubt in anyone's mind that we will be watching television in a vastly different way in five-to-10 years. TV watching will be where and when we want on any device and we will be speaking to our friends and interact with the shows we watch.
"Beamly has to resonate with that and offer what people want."
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