What will 802.11ac mean for the workplace?
You're going to hear a plenty of talk about 802.11ac in the coming months. It's the new draft standard for wireless networking developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Standards Association, it's expected to be ratified in September, and it will have big implications for office networks.
Under 802.11ac local area networks will operate on the 5GHz band, compared with 2.4GHz on the existing 802.11n standard, and make it possible to move data at rates as high as 1Gbps, up from 600Mbps. It will also provide for more multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antennas, making it possible to create eight spatial streams compared with four with 802.11n.
The practical effect will be to support more clients from a single access point (AP), and make more bandwidth available for a higher number of streams. In short: it will be able to support a lot more mobile devices on an office network.
Small business boost
This can be an asset for small businesses, according to Ian Kilpatrick, Chairman of IP infrastructure distributor Wick Hill Group."It can give you the capacity to deal with whatever is coming through the pipe at the moment," he says. "Previously you would not think of doing it on wireless as it would eat your bandwidth, and it will give smaller businesses the flexibility to grow and move around."
- Read our tips for a secure wireless network
In the short term there will be a further benefit, as most companies will continue to use 802.11n and there will be more space for those on the new standard.
Carlo Terminiello, Technical Lead for EMEA Mobility Sales at Cisco Systems, says: "There are more channels available at 5GHz and you're less likely to meet other networks, which means better throughput because there will be less interference."
But it will be a benefit that could eventually evaporate.
"Vendors have picked up on the fact that 2.4GHz in many environments is really over-subscribed, and it's quite difficult to deliver a consistent scalable service using 2.4GHz. They started a couple of years ago to support more 5GHz endpoints, and as that change happens the excess capacity will be consumed."
He adds: "But it will happen slowly. We still come across customers with 2.4GHz only networks deployed today, and we have to explain the advantage of 5GHz, so they really need to start designing their networks to support the new frequency."
Investment
Terminiello acknowledges that this will involve a significant investment, and that as with any relatively new technology it is more expensive before being widely adopted. But he also makes the point that demands on wireless networks are going to increase, and if companies want to make full use of the rich media available they will have to upgrade.It will be possible to combine the operation of the new and old standards so you can move gradually to 11ac. He says that Cisco is among the suppliers that provide dual band access points that work on 11ac and the earlier n, g and b versions, which makes it possible to support legacy and new devices simultaneously.
There is also a need for some thoughtful planning. Kilpatrick says the new access points will have to be placed carefully. 5GHz is a shorter range than 2.4GHz by a factor of about two and half, so it will initially be easier to avoid interference, but it will also be necessary to ensure it can reach all the parts of a building where people will need to access networks. The access points will also have to be cabled, and if a lot of new cabling is required it will prove expensive.
"The issue is about managing the access points," he says. "If they need to cable up every time it defeats the whole object."
Proliferation problem
There are potential problems. 11ac may have a shorter range, but over time this could encourage a proliferation of APs, and if those from different networks are relatively close they can interfere with each other.Also, while 11ac will be able to bond more channels to increase throughput, this can reduce the number available and create a situation where adjacent APs try to share a channel but only one can use it. Radio resource management technology can help to prevent this by monitoring the networks and access points in an area, but Terminiello says the pressure will increase.
"There will be a point in the future, maybe five or six years, when everybody starts deploying wave 2 11ac, when we get down to two or four channels in the spectrum and it will make channel planning more difficult," he says.
Security issue
Security is also an issue. Terminiello says that, while most suppliers are likely to incorporate the WPA2 security protocol and the Advanced Encryption Standard in equipment, there are worries that some vendors will support older and weaker standards.Kilpatrick says there are vendors "selling wireless access, not secure wireless access," and warns buyers to think carefully about security from the beginning.
"The problem, and this is endemic, is that people see the benefit of something, deploy it, and in the future, typically five years, begin to defend against it," he says. "Often they don't want to take the costs of reducing vulnerabilities with the initial deployment; but if they wait until they get hacked the costs are going to be much heavier."
He also has a broader concern abut 802.11ac, that people will simply begin laying its APs over their existing 11n networks and create problems for the future.
"It will cost them a lot of money and at some point in the future they will have to redesign the lot because they started at the wrong place," he says. "You've got a structure that's going to migrate from 2.4GHz to 5GHz, which means all those 2.4GHz access points will become redundant at some point in the next 18-24 months. Then you've got a whole overlay where you've got to put in more cabling as you add more access points."
Strategic approach
His advice is to think about it strategically, not tactically, as this will ultimately prove more productive and less expensive.Terminillio plays up the positives more, but also tells people to begin planning now.
"The stand out piece is that 802.11 ac is coming, so embrace it and start to plan for it, because it offers major advantages in throughput, quality and coverage. It's already on some smartphones and tablets and it will only increase over time."
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Nokia bringing its big and cheap Lumia 625 to Australia next month
Nokia will be bringing its budget-conscious Lumia 625 to Australian shores next month for just $399.
Available from August 23, the Lumia 625's 4.7-inch screen makes it Nokia's largest phone. While it will also be packing 4G capabilities, to keep the price low, the specs have taken a hit.
The Lumia 625 is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core process with only 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, though this is eaten into by the hefty OS. Luckily, it does also sport an SD card slot.
It also has a 2000mAh battery and a 5MP camera that can shoot 1080p at 30fps.
Lumia 625 users will have access to Nokia's mapping service, called Here, as well as 7GB storage on SkyDrive and access to its music streaming service, Nokia Music.
The phone will either come in black or white, with an orange changeable shell, but if you find these options abhorrent, other colours may be announced before August 23.
All about choices
Running Windows Phone 8, the Lumia 625's key selling point is that its large screen and 4G capabilities comes with a low price tag."The Nokia Lumia 625 has our largest ever smartphone screen with 4G internet access and our latest apps," said Steve Lewis, Nokia Australia's managing director.
"Our focus remains on offering choice and value for customers, by continuing to deliver new developments and experiences across our smartphone range, at every price point."
Aussies will be able to pick up the phone at Allphones, Dick Smith, JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman from August 23. Telstra and Optus will be ranging the device from the end of August as well, while Virgin Mobile will have it from September onwards.
Vodafone confirmed to TechRadar that it will also be ranging the Lumia 625 from the end of August on its $40 Hero plan with $0 phone repayments.
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Hulu and Vdio to stream themselves Down Under?
Pay TV and video-on-demand streaming services have long been a sore point for Australians, with only Foxtel and Quickflix being our two main options.
The problem for Aussies lies in the fact that although we do have many catch-up services from free-to-air networks to choose from, we don't always get the very best of international shows broadcast on free-to-air TV.
But news of Hulu and Vdio registering trademarks in Australia have us hopeful that we may soon see more options and competition in the Australian market, which is both more expensive and has less offerings.
Finally some choice?
According to website TM Watch, Hulu has lodged its application for streaming video content that includes news and entertainment, and also for merchandising and downloading.In other parts of the world, Hulu offers on demand movies and TV shows, and runs as a subscription service for US$9.95 a month.
Vdio, on the other hand, has registered for a fairly straightforward service alongside its logo for streaming video content and providing software and website to enable it.
As Rdio, the music-streaming arm of Vdio, is available in Australia, it makes us think that Vdios expansion into the Australian market does seem very likely. Unlike Hulu and Foxtel, it doesn't require a subscription for users to rent or buy titles from its library.
In the end, however, all this may amount to nothing. Netflix has had its logo trademark registered in Australia since October last year and yet so far, to access its service, we're still having to consider bypassing geo-blocks and getting international VPNs to allow us to pay for what we want to watch.
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Intel teases Haswell chips in fanless tablets by the end of the year
Intel Haswell chips have been able to double the battery life of the newly launched MacBook Air, so the chip maker is moving on to releasing a version for fanless tablets and convertible laptops.
The quiet state of fanless slates will be achieved through a 4.5W Haswell variant scheduled to be available "in the coming months," according to Intel.
Eliminating the hum of noisy fans during intensive processing is just one benefit to a 4.5W Haswell chip.
The world's No. 1 semiconductor company is also aiming to fit the new power-efficient processor into thinner devices without sacrificing CPU performance.
Intel's 6W Haswell CPUs, announced at Computex 2013, are also being used for detachable and convertible hardware, but are more intensive and therefore will require fans for cooling.
Haswell tablet roadmap
Intel wouldn't disclose a release date for its first Haswell 4.5W chips today, noting that the parts will be on the market later this year in limited volumes.The company has also held off revealing the processor's specs and which manufacturers will be coming out with the most energy-efficient Haswell-equipped tablets to date.
Be that as it may, HP has previous expressed interest in being one of the first device makers out the door with a fanless tablet using Haswell architecture.
We had previously noted that including these 4th generation Core processors would "require some clever design," and making them 4.5W so that they don't need fan cooling should do the trick.
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Leaked snaps show a new Kobo e-reader with a familiar aura
For Kobo, today was the day the Toronto-based company had its latest e-reader leak online with a set of images and an Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing; for you it was Tuesday.
German site Lesen.net first posted the images of the unnamed device, which has a new look vastly different from that of the Kobo Glo, and more reminiscent of the Kobo Aura HD.
The e-reader shares some of the same contour design with the Aura HD, and even has a similar power switch, though the Kobo device in the images appears to have a more textured case than the Aura HD.
There's also a microSD slot and a microUSB port visible on the bottom of the device, and what could be a separate button for the front-light is visible on the side of the e-reader.
Leaked photos don't tell the entire story though, and the FCC's listing has a bit more to offer in the way of pertinent details.
Reading Kobo
According to the FCC, this latest e-reader will feature a 6-inch screen, which could be identical to the 1024 × 758 HD screen found in the Kobo Glo.The device will also feature a 1,500mAh battery - which is clearly better suited for on-the-go reading than the 1,000mAh battery in the Glo - and will support Wi-Fi.
There isn't much else to discern from the filing at the moment, as the FCC stated more critical information is under embargo until Aug. 30.
With just a little over a month until that date, it's likely Kobo will make a more formal announcement of its mysterious new e-reader between now and then.
Perhaps there will be a surprise or two in store with an actual reveal, but until that happens, we'll just have to hope this new e-reader has more to offer than a bigger battery.
- Which tablet has been the best of 2013? Check out our comparison to see which tablet comes out on top.
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BlackBerry A10's front and less-exciting back appear in Twitter pics
The BlackBerry A10 has allegedly popped up in another photo leak, this time with both its front and back sides entering the spotlight.
Vietnamese Twitter user Vũ Thạnh (@nvthanh1994) snapped three photos of what he claims is the BlackBerry A10, code named "Aristo."
The BlackBerry Z10 successor is rumored to pack a 5-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and discrete GPU. It's also said to have eight and 2-megapixel cameras, 16GB of storage, LTE, NFC, microSD, a 2,800 mAh battery and BlackBerry 10.2.
Wow, we actually have a lot on this device, don't we?
Those specs might not exactly make the BlackBerry A10 a Galaxy S4 or HTC One killer, but it should nevertheless prove the most powerful BB10 phone yet.
Home for the holidays
The BlackBerry A10 is expected to arrive in time for the holidays, possibly as early as November.Today's leak seems to match the last one, which appeared earlier this month on BGR.
Shortly after that leak, a full A10 specs sheet for the expected BlackBerry hero leaked as well.
Yet another A10 leak, also from Vietnam, appeared around the same time, this one a video.
The exact form factor of the A10 has yet to completely take shape, as few have held it in their hands, but we're certainly liking the look of it. Expect to see more and more of the A10 as the summer comes to a close.
- Sprint may be late to the BlackBerry Q10 party, but the U.S. carrier could lead the charge when it comes to the A10.
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Updated: iPhones set a record, iPads slump and Apple won't talk about the cheap iPhone
Apple, as anyone could have guessed, made billions of dollars during the last quarter, raking in $35.3 billion (about £22.9b, AU$37.9b) in revenue and $6.9 billion (about £4.4b, AU$7.4b) in net profit.
This is compared to quarter last year when Apple counted $35 billion (about £22.7b, AU$37.6b) in revenue and $8.8 billion (about £5.7b, AU$9.4b) in profit.
It was by all accounts a subdued third quarter fiscal year 2013 for the Cupertino company, though it still managed to beat out lowered analyst expectations. So, yay?
The fruity firm said it sold 31.2 million iPhones, a record for the June quarter - this time last year it only managed to move 26 million phones. On its call with investors, Apple singled out the iPhone 5 as remaining "by far the most popular" handset, but it was happy with iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 sales, too.
Unfortunately, the iPhone was the only major device category to tally a win. Things were much glummer on the tablet front, with iPads down year-on-year from 17 million to 14.6 million. The marked drop was enough to cause CFO Peter Oppenheimer to describe the quarterly comparison as a "tough" one, though with no new models and the iPad 3 debuting this time last year, it's not entirely unexpected.
Macs also took a slide from 4 million in the year-ago quarter to 3.8 million last quarter.
Into the future
Perhaps it's the mid-summer heat, but Apple's earnings call seemed to drag on especially long.Granted, who can really be roused through an hour of channel inventory and profit margin proselytizing, but it was CEO Tim Cook and Co.'s unusual arms-length answers that made the call particularly humdrum.
There were, mercifully, a few interesting tidbits to pull from the little that was given.
The rumored trade-in program that Apple is said to be plotting for iPhones came up, and though Cook deflected with a "we haven't announced anything, so everything is a rumor" answer, he said that he's not opposed to the idea and he likes the "environmental aspect" of it.
He also noted that iPhones hold value and that successful trade ins are successful in certain channels.
When baited about the possibility of a cheap iPhone, Cook deflected again, this time by bringing up how well the iPhone 4 performs at the entry-level. It may be the most leaked phone in the world at this point, but Cook wasn't going to let any budget iPhone hints drip on this call.
For what it's worth, Cook did say he doesn't prescribe to the idea that the high-end phone market has it its peak, "but we'll report our results as time goes on."
Aside from Japan, Apple had a difficult quarter in international markets, with sales in the Greater China region plummeting 14 percent year-on-year and a whopping 43 percent from last quarter. Cook kept calm, but perhaps it's time to start pushing out a more affordable handset to emerging markets?
As was mentioned last quarter, Apple has new products planned for the fall and across 2014, but there was no specification on what those might be or what categories Apple is targeting. Anticipation is that the company will introduce the iPhone 5S, iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 by the end of 2013 or early 2014, and an iWatch is also believed to be in development.
Oppenheimer did leave an intriguing hint: The CFO said his employer is "on track to have a very busy fall," with more detail due in October - or at Apple's next earnings call. Could we dial in then to hear, "We just recently launch...?"
- Apple also said it's super-duper excited about iOS 7. Find out what it's got planned for the new OS.
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Sprint's BlackBerry Q10 and Ativ S Neo tipped for August
Samsung's Ativ S Neo and the BlackBerry Q10 will launch on Sprint next month, according to what looks like an internal communication from the carrier.
Much anticipated Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10 handsets, respectively, the Ativ S Neo will release on August 16, with Q10 pre-orders shipping out a couple weeks later on August 30.
Those who don't pre-order the QWERTY-equipped Q10 will reportedly be able to pick it up a month later on Sept. 13.
The screenshot with this info comes by way of Engadget, which today claimed to have received the Sprint communication from an anonymous source. A Sprint spokesperson would neither confirm nor refute its authenticity with TechRadar, reminding us the carrier does not comment on rumors and promising that "exact availability dates for both smartphones will be shared closer to their availability dates."
You are the one, Neo
The Ativ S Neo previously had an expected release window no smaller than "this summer," and it appears Sprint will keep that promise with an August 16 release date.The Windows Phone device sports a 1.4GHz dual-core, 1GB of RAM, microSD, a 2000mAh removable battery and a 4.8-inch HD display.
Notably Samsung's latest Windows Phone 8 handset also features Ativ Beam near-field communication (NFC), allowing it to communicate directly with other WP8s and even some Android devices.
It's being offered for $150 (£97.70, AU$162.02) after a $50 rebate and two-year contract.
Ooh, clicky
The BlackBerry Q10, on the other hand, arrives somewhat late on Sprint, as it's already been released on a number of carriers in various countries around the world.Still, Sprint users high on nostalgia for the days of Blackberries with physical, clicky keys will be glad to know they'll finally have their messiah next month.
In addition to that lovely QWERTY, the Q10 features a 3.1-inch Super AMOLED HD touch screen, Snapdragon S4 processor and 8-megapixel rear camera, plus 4G, NFC, 2GB of memory, 16GB of internal storage and a 2100mAh battery.
The BlackBerry Q10 was offered on other carriers for $199.99 (£129.62, AU$214.95) and presumably Sprint will be the same.
- Your choice of BlackBerry 10 devices is limited, but Windows Phone 8 is a different story - good thing TechRadar ranked the best Windows Phone 8 phones!
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Holy Honami, Sony! Xperia Z successor reportedly outed once again
Sony's heavily-rumoured new flagship mobile device, believed to be codenamed Honami, has reportedly made another public appearance in an array of leaked snapshots.
The device, which could arrive named the Xperia 1i, has been tipped as a 20-megapixel smartphone to sit alongside the larger, recently launched Sony Xperia Z Ultra phablet.
If these new snaps prove to be credible, the Honami (or 1i, or whatever) will arrive looking an awful lot like the current iteration, with a few notable exceptions.
Indeed, the snaps showcase an extremely slim device, with clearly defined square edges and that signature, premium Sony design language. However, it does look as though Sony is throwing a glass backplate into the mix this time around.
Meanwhile the bottom of the device sports an exposed speaker perforations, meaning it's less unlikely to arrive with the same waterproof and dustproof certifications as the Xperia Z.
20-megapixel snapper?
The latest pics of the device, which came via the Gadget Helpline website, seem to back up what previous leaks have already suggested: Despite the likelihood of a very large sensor size, Homani won't pack a protruding camera module, a la the Nokia Lumia 1020.Previous leaks have suggested there'll be a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip, Qualcomm Adreno 330 graphics, 2GB of memory, 16GB of storage, microSD, LTE and NFC support.
It almost goes without saying that the purported a 5-inch display will be full HD, while a 2-megapixel front camera, and a 3,000 mAh battery may sound out the spec sheet.
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Blip: Ashton Kutcher, he of 'Jobs' movie fame, might be the new face of Lenovo
Lenovo may soon have a new face in the form of Ashton Kutcher a.k.a. Steve Jobs a.k.a. Kelso (yeah, that's getting pretty stale).
Kutcher is reportedly on the cusp of signing a $10 million (about £6.5m, AU$10.8m) deal to appear in a series of Lenovo ads. It may seem a little random that the guy playing the founder of Apple would put his mug up for the world's current No. 1 PC maker, but on the other hand, maybe it makes perfect sense?
He gave surprisingly astute observations about the world of social media and his personal interest in technology investments earlier this year at CTIA 2013. He's famous for funding start ups, plus we've seen him flashing those pearly whites for Nikon since 2009.
Could Kutcher made Lenovo cool? We may soon see.
More blips!
Here's to the crazy ones! Here's to more blips!- #Nofilter 'Jobs' trailer invades Instagram
- Revealed: how Netflix lets you live the stream dream
- Samsung joins the in crowd, plans first global dev conference
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Amazon adds £10 minimum spend for free delivery, Blu-rays, games still ok
Amazon has imposed a £10 minimum spend in order to make use of its free Super Saver Delivery service, but luckily for us tech fans, music, Blu-ray and game purchases under a tenner are exempt.
Previously, shoppers have been able to select a free option for countless items on Amazon's virtual shelves, but that all comes to an end as of, well, as of right now actually.
It works as thus: If you want to buy a bumper bag of beef jerky for £4.62 then expect to be charged P&P, but if you wish to buy a £7 CD, a £9 game or an £8 Blu-ray you'll still get it delivered for nowt.
However, If you wish to buy, for example, a book for a fiver and then a 3 quid HDMI cable at the same time, that bundle will still be free because it includes the book, Got it? Good.
Boost for everyone else?
"For all other orders, a minimum total spend of £10 is now required to qualify for Free Super Saver Delivery," Amazon wrote in an email to UK customers on Tuesday."Whilst the change will affect only a very small proportion of orders, it will allow us to offer you a significantly expanded selection of lower priced products."
The move might be a boost for independent brick and mortar retailers who've struggled to compete with Amazon's cheaper prices and free delivery offerings.
Now Amazon will be charging an extra couple of quid for some cheaper items, it might work out for shoppers to pop into their local store instead.
Amazon also emphasised that £49 a year Amazon Prime customers will still get free delivery on all eligible items.
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HTC could soon make room at the table for HTC One Max, mystery Zara device
HTC isn't letting a recent string of so-so circumstances get it down, reportedly preparing a One-branded phablet and some kind of device with a plastic case called "Zara" for launch in the coming months.
Unwired View reported this week that HTC has not one, but two new devices rumored to debut by the end of the third quarter, including the company's first real stab at a phablet in the style of the Samsung Galaxy Note.
According to a report from China Times, an oversized handset codenamed "T6" could arrive in September with a 5.9-inch Full HD display, Android 4.3, 2GB RAM and the option of either 32GB or 64GB of storage.
The device is expected to carry the HTC One Max name, and is said to feature a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor powered by a beefy 3200mAh battery inside its metal frame.
Only Zara knows
Despite all that is rumored about the so-called HTC One Max, a second device also pegged for release later this year is the mysterious HTC Zara.Making its debut on the rumor circuit, the HTC Zara is expected to arrive with a plastic shell instead of the highly touted metal being used for recent One handsets, presumably in a cost-saving move.
Unfortunately, aside from the name and plastic casing, little else is known about the Zara, including what kind of device it might actually be.
Both devices are expected to fall under HTC's new "emerging devices" shingle, a new unit headed up by the company's president of North America, Mike Woodward.
- Get a look at another big-screen smartphone in our Nokia Lumia 625 hands-on review!
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Film streaming doubles in a year as UK reaches on demand 'tipping point'
The UK is finally living the stream dream, according to the British Film Institute, with on-demand movie viewings up 50% year-on-year.
In the BFI's annual statistical yearbook – which is like any yearbook but has statistics instead of embarrassing school photos – it was revealed that video on demand (VoD) viewing is close to becoming an everyday way to consume movie content.
In 2012, there has been a 50% rise in VoD viewing, notes the BFI, which contributed to film bringing a record turnover of £2.7 billion to the UK economy.
VoD's part in this was a not-too-shabby £243 million - that's more money than the entire rental market pulled in.
I am an BFI agent
Being a statistical yearbook, you would have hoped that the BFI would bring out a whole host of Venn diagrams to help visualise this streaming surge. But it seems that companies such as Netflix aren't offering enough information about what content is being streamed.In short: on demand data is still a little murky.
"As VoD develops and matures it is more important than ever for robust data to be made available to the film industry," pleads the report, "particularly for independent and specialised film."
The timing of this comment is interesting, given that Netflix's second quarter earnings this week was bereft of real data about its streams but filled with flimsy quotes like: "Arrested Development gave Netflix a small but noticeable bump in membership".
BFI CEO Amanda Nevill was also on a data discovery mission, saying about the state of on demand: "It's very exciting that we may be heading towards the tipping point in audience use of video on demand services.
"But we can't fully explore this growing new market without the numbers, so we need video on demand services to release data to help us better understand the emerging VoD market."
We're hoping Nevill's plea will make for a small but noticeable bump in VoD data being released.
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Cisco snaps up Sourcefire for $2.7 billion
Cisco has pitched to make itself a serious player in cloud security with the acquisition of cyber security specialist Sourcefire.
The IT systems company – whose activities extend to cloud computing, data centres, networks and mobile computing – announced the planned takeover with a $2.7 billion (£1.76 billion) price tag.
Cisco has portrayed the deal as a move to provide protection on a fast changing computing landscape. It said that Sourcefire will be able to strengthen protective capabilities of its activities in cloud, mobility and the 'internet of everything' – the collection of data from a wide range of devices such as sensors and monitors.
Alignment
Hilton Romanski, VP for Cisco Corporate Development, said: "Sourcefire aligns well with Cisco's future vision for security and supports the key pillars of our security strategy. Through our shared view of the critical role the network must play in cyber security and threat defence, we have a unique opportunity to deliver the most comprehensive approach to security in the market."The acquisition is expected to be complete during the second half of 2013, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory reviews. Cisco said the companies' products and research teams will be combined.
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Meet the Droid Mini, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx and 48-hour battery life
U.S. carrier Verizon outed a threesome of next-gen Motorola Droids today during an over-before-it-began press event in New York City.
The new family of phones includes (unsurprisingly) the Droid Mini, Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx. It's important to note that we should see the phones land in international variants, dropping "Droid" along the way, and we'll bring you details on those announcements when available.
But back to Big Red, the Droids were heavily leaked in the days leading up to today's reveal, but now Verzion and bedfellow Motorola have brought the follow ups for its "most popular" line to the fore.
Each offers its own little something, though the similarities between the Ultra and Maxx are more striking. However, Verizon claims the Maxx's 3,500mAh battery can last up to 48 hours, a ridiculously long time in this day and age.
What's in a Droid?
The Ultra and Maxx are for all intents and purposes replacing the Droid Razr HD and Droid Razr Maxx HD.Both phones are said to come with a CPU speed that's boosted by 24 percent, while the GPU speed is up by 100 percent. The increases are due to a new Motorola X8 SoC, a chip that's Moto made.
Lumped within this "eight-core" chip are four GPU processors, two processors for running apps, one for contextual computing, and one devoted solely to language processing.
All three devices have come with a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM.
With the Ultra, users will get a 7.18mm phone that's home to a 5-inch, 1280 x 720 screen. The Kevlar back is back, and it's also molded into the 8.5mm thin Maxx and Mini. Verizon's painted the Ultra racecar red, while the other two are a more subdued black. If you're not feeling fuego, the Ultra is available in black as well.
The Mini houses a 4.3-inch, edge-to-edge display. It and the Ultra are available with 16GB while the Maxx tops out at 32GB in storage. None have microSD support.
Curious about the OS? Try Android 4.2.2 on for size.
Droid-y features
Moto's stuck a 10MP camera in the back of all three and a 2MP on the front. Ho-hum, but there's also a camera function called Quick Capture that lets owners take a 10MP snap by shaking their phone twice, then tapping anywhere on the screen to take a picture.With Droid Zap, users can share a pic with a nearby Droid by swiping up on the photo, and a swipe downward will let them receive one.
There's also an always-on Google Now functionality baked into each phone, meaning you can shout "OK Google Now" and utter commands without ever touching your device. If you misplace your Droid, you can holler, "Find my Droid," and your phone will start ringing if it's within earshot.
Importantly, the phone learns what the sound of your voice so it can pick it up in a room full of chatter, though some more rigorous real world testing is needed to see if this is the real deal.
In further keeping with their futuristic name, the new Droids come with Touchless Controls and Active Display that lets users stay hands free yet still make calls, send texts, get directions, play music, set a reminder and preview notifications without having to unlock the device or without draining extra battery.
Are these features we could see in the Moto X? Sounds mighty likely.
The Droids are up for pre-order right now and will become available Aug. 20. Pricing for the machines runs $99 (about £64, AU$107) for the Mini, $199 (about £129, AU$215) for the Ultra and $299 (about £194, AU$323) for the Maxx. A two-year contract is of course part of the package.
- New devices abound, including a new(er) Lumia
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HP plans on putting new Z series displays and workstations to task
HP is going back to the bottom of the alphabet with its latest line of displays and workstations.
Designed for the professional set, the Z230 Workstation will be available in tower and small form factor (SFF) configurations. Folks in fields like finance, government, education and health care are the intended audience for the machines, HP said during a press call to announce the products.
The gathered Pack-heads described the SFF variant as about 57 percent smaller in volume than the tower, making it ideal for less-spatially endowed work environments. It features four storage bays, three integrated DisplayPort outputs and two front USB 3.0 ports.
Like its tower sibling, the SFF Z230 features a new Haswell version of the Intel Xeon processors and discrete graphics options. Both workstations are also intended to fill a two-year life cycle, which while seemingly quick is a first for HP.
Tower of power
On the tower front, HP took a scalpel and chiseled down the chassis, allowing it to squeeze into a 4U rack.
The tower Z230 features six drive bays, dual-entry 3D graphics support, four PCIe slots and one PCI slot. There's also an optional slim ODD bay for installing SSD hard drives, allowing for quick expansion.
A USB 2.0 charging port on the front side is designed for tablet or smartphone juicing, HP said, along with 2x USB 3.0 ports.
It along with the SFF have IO options and "highly flexible" storage options. The workstations are expected to be available worldwide next month, with a starting price for quad-core configurations of $999 (about £650, AU$1,081).
Z displays
What's a workstation without a monitor - you need to see what the heck you're doing, right?To meet this need, HP is pushing out the first of its Z series displays - the Z22i, Z23i and the marquee of the bunch, the Z24i. The displays are optimized to work with the Z230, so if you're looking for a display to pair with your tower or SFF, this would be the place to start.
The displays all feature IPS Gen 2 panels, stepping over Gen 1 with ultra-wide viewing angles, lower power consumption (almost 26 percent more efficiency) and greater image accuracy.
The Z22i is the baby of the bunch, featuring a 21.5-inch display at 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. It houses a DisplayPort 1.2, DVI and VGA inputs, with an integrated 2-port USB 2.0 hub.
The Z23i comes in at 23-inches, and has the same resolution, aspect ratio and ports. Like its fellow Zs, the 23i is primed for the sRGB color space, or the web's standard color space. The Z22i and Z23i offer 95 percent coverage, HP said, while the Z24i (see below) covers 99 percent.
Lastly, the Z24i comes in at (can you guess?) 24-inches. This time around, the resolution is 1920 x 1200 with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 2/3MP. It's brighter than its smaller siblings and while the ports are essentially the same, the integrated USB 2.0 hub now has four ports. Its stand features HP's QR2 quick release tech, too.
All three feature a four-way adjustable stand, and all are available internationally today, starting at $239 (about £155, AU$258), $259 (about £168, AU$280) and $399 (about £259, AU$432) in ascending order.
- Want a tablet to go along with your display and workstations? Check out the HP Slate 7.
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We'll fight NSA if it wants to access Kinect, says Microsoft
The Xbox One's Kinect has set a few alarm bells ringing in light of the whole NSA Prism debacle, but Microsoft has assured people that there won't be any secret spying taking place.
Or, at least, it's promising to stand up and put up the good fight. The company says it will "aggressively" challenge any attempts by the NSA to make it use its Kinect sensor to spy on the public.
Microsoft wrote a blog post addressing privacy concerns around Kinect, telling us that the sensor will only listen for a single voice command when powered down, while we can pause the device during gameplay.
The spy who watched me
"We don't believe the government has the legal authority to compel us or any other company that makes products with cameras and microphones to start collecting voice and video data," said Microsoft in a statement on the possibility of the NSA using Kinect to spy in the US.It added: "We'd aggressively challenge in court any attempts to try and force us to do so."
Nonetheless, Microsoft's always-on motion toy promises to worry a few, despite Microsoft promising that it won't be using Kinect to snoop on anyone for its own means.
Earlier this month it was claimed that Microsoft had let US authorities access users' private communications, including emails and Skype conversations.
Redmond probably has some way to go to convince us that we'll be safe from prying eyes when the One rolls around.
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Samsung's new Exynos 5 Octa chip looks perfect for the Galaxy Note 3
After dropping a pretty significant teaser last week, Samsung has now spilled all on the new version of its Exynos 5 Octa processor - and it could be showing its face in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
The updated SoC is based on ARM's big.LITTLE design, offering four Cortex A15 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and and four Cortex A7 cores at 1.3GHz (making up the little).
All in all, the clock boost is said to offer 20 per cent more CPU processing oomph than the chip's predecessor.
It will also bring double the 3D graphics of the current model. Samsung has opted out of Imagination's PowerVR this time round and gone for a pumped-up, six-core ARM Mali GPU instead.
ARMed and dangerous
And if you think that it arrives almost too-perfectly timed for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, you're not the only one. Gforgames reports that a Korean-based source claims the chip will indeed be found in Samsung's new Note device, which is expected to break cover at IFA 2013.Adding further fuel to the fire, Samsung says that the new chip will start mass production in August, which aligns very nicely indeed.
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ISPs still need to be clearer about how fast broadband is, says Ofcom
Internet service providers have raised their game on providing decent information about broadband speeds but that there's room for improvement, according to a new report from communications regulator Ofcom.
A mystery shopping exercise showed that 96% of telephone enquiries to ISPs are now yielding an estimate of the broadband speed, up from 93% last year,
But only 68% of callers were given the speed estimates without having to ask for them, just 40% were told what factors could affect their broadband speeds and a mere 17% were told that they could be experiencing lower than the estimated speeds.
This indicates that some ISPs are not fully meeting the requirements of Ofcom's Voluntary Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds. The organisation cannot impose any sanctions for the failings but it said it has spoken with the providers about its concerns.
Best performers
It said that EE, Plusnet and Karoo came out on top in providing speeds information in every call, while O2 managed to do so for only 58%.Ofcom didn't try to monitor the accuracy of the information provided, although it is due to publish its next biannual report on broadband speeds in mid August.
Claudio Pollack, Ofcom's Consumer Group Director, said: "The results of our mystery shopping are encouraging, with the quality of information being provided to consumers at the point of sale improving overall.
"However, the research has identified areas where providers need to do more to improve, particularly in terms of providing speeds information spontaneously and early in the sales process. We're already working with providers to ensure they tighten up their sales processes where we've identified concerns."
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Hands-on review: Nokia Lumia 625
The Nokia Lumia 625 is a phone that is designed to really hit two key things users are looking for: cheap 4G and a larger screen.
It ticks both of those boxes, coming as it does with a price tag of around £200 ($320, around AUS$340) and offering a 4.7-inch display into the bargain. However, given it's now competing with up to 12 other Lumia choices, it doesn't really stand out as well as it should.
The Lumia 625 isn't a bad phone though; it's one that comes with a playful ethos thanks to the return of interchangeable covers and the same glut of Nokia fun on board.
This means Mix Radio to get free music on the go, Nokia's Here mapping service to get you from A to B without munching on reams of data (important with 4G) and the new Smart Camera for more interesting pictures to plop on Facebook.
However there are some compromises here: the City Lens, which is meant to unlock any new territory with augmented reality, has disappeared, as has NFC. The Smart Camera is only capable of taking seven pictures, rather than the 10 offered by the Lumia 925, and each of these on the newer phone will only be 1MP resolution.
In our tests these didn't look too bad - the speed of shooting wasn't amazing, but within tolerance for a phone of this price. However, blow these up and we suspect you're going to be quite disappointed with the quality levels.
The lack of NFC won't worry too many people, but it does take away one of the cooler elements of the phone, as it means you can no longer tap to pair with Nokia's range of wireless headphones and speaker docks. It also makes the addition of a Wallet app Wireless charging isn't included either, but given the added cost this brings, we can see why it's out.
What is more confusing, in both a good and bad way, is the spec list. Firstly, the phone is a little heavier than you might expect from something covered in plastic (admittedly rubberised polycarbonate), as it tips the scales at 159g. It's also only got 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage - with less available thanks to the OS.
But don't worry about that, as you can now put a 64GB microSD card in there too in order to add in movies and music and photos without having to constantly connect up to your computer (or save it on the 7GB of SkyDrive storage on offer).
In the hand, the Nokia Lumia 625 doesn't feel really impressive, nor does it feel cheap. It just feels, well, uninspiring. It's rounded in a nice way, it's a little thick but squarely hits the marks you'd expect for a phone that is half the cost (and then some) of the Samsung Galaxy S4. Windows Phone 8 is nicely packaged with the larger screen, and even the WVGA resolution (800 x 640) doesn't irk as much as it should.
It's also got a dedicated camera button and the removable shell for changing the colour of your phone to suit an outfit - and no matter what happens we can't help but love that, whether you see it as some beautiful nostalgia or just something that means you're not carrying around an identikit black oblong in your pocket.
But there's nothing really impressive to say about the Lumia 625. It has got a larger screen, but while it doesn't look horrendous, colours aren't as vivid, web browsing is pixelated when zoomed out and although we couldn't test any, video is unlikely to look stellar.
We honestly don't think users are wanting cheaper 4G phones just yet - in the UK 4G is still a luxury, and many users want something that will actually work and delight rather than just offer a faster connection.
We still don't have any idea on a global release for this phone beyond 'Q3' although we do know it will be landing in the UK during September.
Early verdict
We walked away from playing with the Nokia Lumia 625 feeling distinctly underwhelmed. In a vacuum, this would be an interesting device, with a larger screen and low price point for Windows Phone.But the 625 is a handset with around 11 Windows Phone brethren, and that makes it hard to work out where this fits. The Lumia 620 is not long into this world and already it's being upgraded, and it's with a phone that doesn't feel anything like an evolution. Depending on the shop, a user could be left thoroughly confused about which phone is right for them.
Is a larger screen the most important thing to some people? Is 4G so entrenched that users are desperate to get it cheaper? Is a low end phone in a sea of others going to make any waves? The answer to all of these questions feels like a resounding no, which means we can only wonder if the Lumia 625 will survive without any other USPs.
However, fingers crossed this heralds a move from Nokia to start to bring larger-screened phones to the world - something like that 4.7-inch screen at a higher resolution would be a much more attractive choice.
Lower carrier subsidy could push the 625 into a decent proposition for some and it may benefit from a major marketing push when the big UK 4G rollout comes later this year, but without that we can see the phone sinking without a trace.
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Blip: Revealed: how Netflix lets you live the stream dream
Netflix has revealed just how it chooses the content for you to watch on its service, letting us sneak a peek at the background technology.
As the YouTube video shows us, it's all down to questionnaires, fine-tuning and watching what others watch to come up with the best recommendations.
And there you were thinking you were watching Netflix, when all of the time it was actually watching you watching it. Not in a creepy way but in a caring, sharing way.
The video comes in the same week that Netflix announced its second quarter results and revealed that its airing of Arrested Development contributed to "a small but noticeable bump in membership". We don't think that quote will be making it to the cover of the Blu-ray.
More blips!
Liked this? Then check out some other TechRadar's blips.- Optus activates Nokia Lumia 925 pre-orders
- Pee-powered smartphones could mean endless streaming
- HopStop looks to have leapt off Windows Phone after Apple buy
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White Moto X and clever clogs camera app break cover
When the Moto X finally does get its official launch there won't be much we don't already know about the handset, with further leaks revealing new camera features and a possibly low price point.
An image of the white Moto X was posted online by @evleaks - a Twitter account famous for accurately leaking phones and tablets - which seems to jive with other photos which appeared earlier this month.
The @evleaks account also gave us a heads up on the Moto X's battery, claiming that it will feature a 2200mAh power pack which won't be removable, just like the Nexus 4.
Meanwhile over at Android Community word's out that the Moto X could undercut the Nexus 4 in terms of price.
An unnamed tipster suggested the 16GB Moto X will come in at $299 (around £195, AU$320) - the same price as the 8GB Nexus 4 - with the 32GB version potentially costing $349 (around £230 AU$375).
Say cheese
Things may be getting more gesture-based too as another leak, this time from a questionable "anonymous tipster" on Android Police, claims to show a series of extensive screenshots from the Moto X's camera app.
The snaps show swiping gestures are required access the settings menu on the left of the screen, while the swipe from the right will take you into gallery - the latter of which is already a standard action in Android Jelly Bean.
That's not all. You'll also apparently be able to hold down on the screen to activate burst mode and take a rapid succession of snaps, while sliding a finger up or down the display will toggle the zoom level.
Google might be treating us to some new tricks as part of the camera app with slow-motion video capture and a "twist your wrist" action to launch the snapper.
We may be waiting until October before we actually find out if any of this Moto X talk is right, but Google is have a little breakfast get together tomorrow where Android 4.3 is expected to break cover and it could give us some clues.
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Blip: 3D printing already consigned to a museum
The future of 3D printing is going to be featured in a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London.
Starting on October 9 for nine months, the exhibition aims to show us just how quickly the burgeoning industry is evolving and how it will impact on society.
It will focus on everything from replacement teeth, tailored drugs, replacement parts for transport and some of the cool art that is using 3D printers.
More Blips!
Quick, read more TechRadar blips before they start gathering dust in an ornate oak-framed display case:- Here me now! Stupid things you could have been shouting at Google Glass
- Samsung joins the in crowd, plans first global dev conference
- #nofilter 'Jobs' trailer appears
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Reaction: TechRadar Reacts: Nokia Lumia 625
Nokia hopes to tempt the cash-strapped over to the big-screen fast-4G dark side with its latest handset, the Nokia Lumia 625.
But can a 4.7-inch screen with a little price win the TechRadar team over? Has Nokia compromised on other specs too much? Check out our thoughts, complete with knee-jerk scores out of five below.
Gareth - Phones and Tablets Editor
It's an uninspiring phone, there's no doubt about that. It's basically a large screen that offers cheaper 4G, but do people really care enough about having 4G speeds while maintaining frugality? No, is the answer. They get a better phone overall.Nokia's Lumia range is expanding to the point of real confusion, and this is just another facet to that portfolio. It's like the Finnish firm is trying out every combination of phone before deciding on the bits that fit.
It's a nice handset, and the screen isn't that pixelated, but in truth the Lumia 625 seems a bit of an oddity in an already well-served area.
Knee-jerk score: 2
John - Phones and Tablets Writer
It's no surprise Nokia has launched the low-cost Lumia 625. Just take a look at the Lumia 520 - it's the baby of the Windows Phone 8 line up and possibly the Finnish firm's best selling handset, so there's clearly a market for cheap Windows devices.A 4.7-inch display at an affordable price point will pique the interest of many who can't afford the lofty prices of the flagship phones and with the inclusion of 4G the Lumia 625 does have some strong features. But its WVGA resolution isn't going to be overly crisp and I really worry about a poor visual experience, which could detract from what could potentially be a half decent smartphone.
Knee-jerk score: 3
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Marc - Deputy Editor
The Nokia 625 proves that big doesn't necessarily mean better. It may have the largest screen of a Nokia to date at 4.7 inches, but with a resolution of just 800 x 400 there will definitely be pixelation problems. And then there is the inclusion of 4G. Yes, it is great to see this speedy technology trickling down into the budget end but in this instance it feels a bit like strapping a Ferrari engine to a Skoda chassis.Knee-jerk score: 2.5
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Kate - News Editor
You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. I get it, I do. Some people can't afford the top end phones but still want the big screen, the 4G, the whole smartphone shebang. And it's cool that there's an option for them. But what's the point of a massive screen if the quality is going to be all pixelly and gross? WVGA? What is this, 2011? It's like picking up a no-brand TV for what seems like a song in the supermarket - in the long-run, the frustrations will outweigh the cash you saved then spent on chorizo. And by the middle of your contract, that chorizo will be long gone. Get something smaller that'll last you two years, that's what I say.The orange one looks pretty cool though.
Knee-jerk score: 2
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James - Reviews Editor
Why would anyone buy this phone? That's a question we're unlikely to find an answer to anytime soon. I'm all-for the big screens – I screamed the praises of the Samsung Galaxy Note while it was still being derided as "ridiculous," "too big" and "WTF" by many people who have since been educated at phablet-point. But Nokia's strategy for making a big screen with the 625 is not 'pack in the pixels' but instead 'make the pixels bigger' which is just plain wrong.Knee-jerk score: 2
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Dan - Associate Editor
How many variants of Lumia can Nokia pump out? I like them, but I am now totally and utterly confused by the plethora of options available - I count 12 in total on the Nokia site and then there are yet more options with all the bright colours and everything. If I'm confused, why shouldn't you be? I get that this model has a big screen, but lower cost. But as such it's a bit of an oddity. Nokia is trying to sell it on the big screen, Smart Camera tech and Full HD video: all stuff that begs for a decent display. But the screen has a poor WVGA 800 x 480 resolution, so I reckon the experience will be pretty shocking. And at a time when high end Lumias are available on some pretty good contracts, I just don't see much point in the 625.Knee-jerk score: 2.5
Follow Dan on Twitter
Patrick - UK Editor in Chief
It's a really interesting move from Nokia to try to attract people who don't want budget to equate to small. Interesting, but I think probably flawed thinking. Having 4G is great but the phone doesn't look powerful enough to really take advantage of it (and you'll fork out loads for a 4G plan - hardly budget) and, like the Nintendo 3DS XL, bigger screens that don't up the resolution just end up with a shoddy user experience. I'm not convinced.Knee-jerk score: 2
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Hugh - Staff Writer
It feels like Nokia risks spreading itself thin right now by trying to hit every price point. Sure, the Lumia 625 has a nice pitch: a 4G device for the masses. I'm not bashing the idea. But 4G and a fancy rainbow of colour options are only distracting from an otherwise disappointing handset. 512MB of RAM isn't going to get anyone excited. Feels like one for the 4G keen beans: those actually looking for a decently powerful phone will probably want to keep searching.Knee-jerk score: 2.5
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Total knee-jerk score: 2.3
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More evidence that LG has both a smartwatch and tablet up its sleeve
When LG announced that it would be stamping all its future products with the "G" brand, there was a hint that it wasn't just going to be phones on the horizon - and some new discoveries could be evidence of that.
First a filing for an LG G Pad appeared, hinting that the company might be looking to jump back into the Android tablet game and echoing news that we'd previously reported.
But then things got even more interesting. Several other device filings were unearthed, adding a G Watch, G Band, G Hub, a G Glass, and a G Link to the pot.
Where my Gs at?
These were all filed filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Of course, we don't really need to point out that the G Watch seems pretty self-explanatory.We previously reported on rumours that LG had a smartwatch in the works so it all fits together quite nicely.
We'd also say that the G Band safely sounds like a Fitbit/Nike FuelBand-style wearable, and G Glass, sure sounds like a Google Glass competitor.
This certainly wouldn't be the first we'd heard of LG looking at Google's wearable for inspiration. Then again, G Glass could mean something else entirely. LG windows?
The G Hub and G Link are also pretty ambiguous. Link sounds like something that might connect all of LG's devices together like a media hub - but who knows?
With LG's G2 unveiling event taking place in New York on August 7, it could be an opportune moment for a few G-based teasers. Heck, we may even see the tablet go official as well.
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