Sony Xperia ZR aims to make a big splash

Latest Android smartphone from Sony can be used up to 1.5 meters under water

Sony has taken the wraps off a new version of its flagship Android smartphone, the Xperia ZR.

The new phone is LTE enabled and features a smaller 4.6-inch screen and enhanced waterproofing.

That improved waterproofing means it is possible to use the phone at depths of up to 1.5 meters.

Combined with the same 13-megapixel sensor in its big brother the Sony Xperia Z means taking high definition underwater movies is now possible without having spend a huge amount of money on specialist equipment.

The Xperia ZR is aimed that the mid-range market. It has a 1.5Ghz S4 Pro quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM meaning it still packs a solid punch. It wills ship with Android 4.1.

According to Sony, the ZR will launch in key markets later this quarter. However, it has not yet revealed the price of the phone.

Sony's Xperia Z smartphone came 33rd in T3's 2013 Hot 100.

We said: "With a 5-inch, 1080p screen, Sony’s new Bravia Engine 2, and a waterproof chassis, this Android-running Sony Xperia Z is one of the finest smarties of recent years. It’s slim too, at just 7.9mm, and can survive a half-hour dunk in the drink.

"On imaging duties, there’s a 13-megapixel snapper (capable of 1080p vids), and a 2-megapixel front-facer (that records in 720p), along with burst mode that shoots ten frames a second. 4G and NFC are on-board too, making this a true mobile powerhouse."

What if Nintendo made a smartphone

With a struggling position in the console market – here’s what we think a Nintendo move into the smartphone realm might look like 

It’s fair to say that Nintendo’s Wii U Console hasn’t matched the game changing success the original Wii enjoyed.

Last month Nintendo posted disappointing financial results on the back of poor sales figures of its consoles – and this week, EA announced it has no titles in development for the Nintendo Wii U.

The confirmation comes less than two weeks we reported that more than 15 ofEA's upcoming titles would not be coming to Nintendo's next generation console.

And with fresh new iterations of the Xbox and Playstation 4 on the horizon – we ask is it time for Nintendo to look elsewhere for its fortunes, such as, say smartphones?

The company has got through a highly diverse range of products since its formation in 1889 – so a divergence of business isn’t pure whimsy.  

We got our 3D rendering machine to come up with what we think a Nintendo smartphone might look like. Let us know what you think on our Facebook page.

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster

1. May 2013: Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster

As the competition goes soft and starts including cup holders and the like, Lambos still look like this: the Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster. From the scissor doors and the near-horizontal windscreen rake to the fact it hits 217mph with the roof off, nothing here has much to do with real-world driving. All-carbon fibre construction? Yup. Flappy paddle gearbox with whip-crack gear changes? Uh huh. 6.5-litre, 700hp V12 and all-wheel drive? Oh yes. Love it.

Price: £288,840 | 

Microsoft Surface Mini to appear in June?

Microsoft is said to be working on a smaller version of its Surface tablet that could be unveiled as early as next month accoridng to rumours

Microsoft's Surface tablet has barely gotten off the ground and already rumours are appearing that the company is planning a new miniaturised version.

No doubt looking to follow in the footsteps of theApple iPad mini, Ballmer and Co could have an 8-inch version of the tablet ready to show off as early as next month.

The rumour has come from supply chain makers in Taiwan that have been speaking to Digitimes. Apparently, the smaller Surface will boast touch panels from Samsung and Nvidia-developed processors.

In fact, the rumours also extend to a second 10.6-inch Surface that will make an entrance at the same time - with Microsoft reportedly planning an initial combined monthly shipment of one million units.

It's fair to say that we're more than a little sceptical of this claim - Digitimes doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to the tech rumourmill.

However, the flip side of that is the unquestionable success of 7-inch devices like the iPad mini and Google Nexus 7 by Asus. We wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft was considering a slimmed down model - even if a June reveal appears to be a bit soon.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments box below.

Source: Digitimes

Bentley Continental GTC QNX review: Hands-on

Having built BlackBerry 10, the guys at QNX decided they needed another challenge so popped down to their local dealership and bought a Bentley Continental GTC

The QNX Bentley Continental GTC is the product of a rare and wonderful thing - one person putting their hand up in a meeting and tentatively saying ‘why not use a Bentley?’ To this lowly software developer we salute you because if you’re going to create a car of the future then yes, why not use a Bentley.

QNX is the software company behind BlackBerry 10, it also happens to be fairly good at making in-car operating systems as well, in fact over half of all the cars in the US have QNX software running them.

The Bentley concept then is more than just a car with a fancy media system, the boffins have completely gutted its computer hardware and replaced it all with a swanky new system that’s running on BlackBerry 10.

Bentley Continental GTC QNX: Tech

The first thing you’ll notice is the centre console. It’s enormous. QNX has installed a 13-inch rear-projection touchscreen that also happens to be curved.

They’ve also replaced the instrument cluster with a single display that can show everything from directions to the song you’re currently playing.

Thanks to an embedded SIM you can call people over BBM Video and BBM Voice, and to prevent any accidents the car will switch from video to voice the moment you start moving.

One of its other neat tricks is ‘Pre-Touch’ which allows you to control aspects of the display without actually touching the screen.

While it uses a different technology it’s not unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4’s Air View feature letting you your hand above the screen, which makes a quick access menu appears.

Of course if you’d rather interact analogue style, the clock bezel doubles as a click wheel. Impressively though, it’s not actually connected to the software instead it uses the same Pre-Touch sensor to detect movement.

If that wasn’t enough, QNX has built a web app for the BlackBerry Z10 which effectively turns the phone into a remote control. You can change the music, air con and raise and lower the windows all through the app.

Using a prototype 3D-mapping service you can search for a location on your phone and then upload the directions into the car's navigation system before you even get to the car.

Naturally being a smart car, there’s voice control - say ‘Hello Bentley’ and a small pulsating HALesque light appears at the top of screen. It’ll understand most commands letting you effectively talk to the car without having to sound too much like a piece of souless software.

Bentley Continental GTC QNX: Verdict Do we need a smartphone remotely controlling the aircon? Probably not, but having the option means you now want it in every car.While it's certainly a mouthful to say, the Bentley Continental GTC QNX is a triumph of technology meeting design. Yes some of the technology is in its very early stages but even in its current form it looks and feels miles ahead of the current market.

The pinnacle though, has to be the curved touchscreen with 'Pre-Touch' technology. While the Software Developer confirmed the technology was still in its infancy it wouldn't be long before we were all going Minority Report on the dashboards of our cars.

Sony Xperia UL image leaks online

Sony appears to be working on another Xperia smartphone judging from new pictures that have emerged online

Sony seems to be employing a trick from Samsung's playbook as images have emerged to suggest the Japanese company is working on yet another handset.

Images have leaked online supposedly showing the new Sony Xperia UL - which has been codenamed "Gaga" - and will reportedly be a quad-core Snapdragon 600 handset.

Sony has already given us the Xperia Z, Xperia SP and Xperia ZR this year, and the company clearly feels there's room in the line-up for more.

According to phone site gsmarena, the Xperia UL will feature a 1080p display, 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage with the option for microSD expansion. The site also reports it will utilise a 2,300mAh battery.

Like recent Sony offerings, the Xperia UL will probably be water and dust proof, and will run a skinned version of Jelly Bean.

Critics have responded well to the Xperia Z and the Xperia SP but note that Sony is still a third choice amongst Android users behind Samsung and HTC.

It's too early to tell whereabouts in the market this new handset will settle, but we'll keep an eye on it and report back as soon as we know more.

Via: gsmarena

Destiny iPhone app launched

Activision has launched an iPhone and Android app for Bungie's epic science-fiction-themed persistent world shooter Destiny

Activision have launched a smartphone app for its forthcoming online science fiction shooter, Destiny.

We're rather unaccustomed to receiving press releases written in German, but Activision sent us one this morning concerning its unveiling of an app on both Google Android and Apple iOS for Bungie's persistent world shooter. Thank heavens for Google's online translator.

"BECOME A LEGEND", the press release reads.

"Create now your personal profile Bungie.net and benefit from many extras. The Bungie.net app connects you with your friends and the Bungie news feed. Besides, you're one of the first to get all the updates to Destiny and are always up to date."

The app is available on both the Apple iTunes and Google Android stores and is absolutely free. Once you download it, you'll be prompted to log in via Facebook, Twitter, PSN or Xbox Live, Once you've done that you'll be given access to media and a link to pre-order the game.

The app also contains links to handy things like screenshots and videos of concept art for the game as well as a video-documentary with Project Director, Jason Jones, who talks "about his vision and the creative process behind Destiny, Bungie's most ambitious project".

The press release, unfortunately doesn't contain any new information concerning the release date for the game, but it reiterates Bungie's assertions that Destiny will be made available on PS3, Xbox 360 and the next-generation PS4 console.

GTA 5 release date, trailer, news & rumours

GTA 5 news, release date, screenshots, trailers, plot m multiplayer and more

GTA 5 – the next instalment of the insanely popular open world video game series – is due to land this September.

Grand Theft Auto V is set in the fictional South Californian city of Los Santos, and all the hills, countryside and beaches around it. Much like Liberty City was based on New York - Los Santos is essentially Los Angeles.

Developer Rockstar claims it represents the ‘largest and most ambitious game’ it has undertaken yet.

You can expect the same mix of gun fighting, car-jacking, police-baiting action you’ve been enjoying since the original PC top down antique. 

Grand Theft Auto 5 release date

Grand Theft Auto V now has an official release date of September 17th 2013.

This is somewhat delayed date – In a statement on the website the studio has apologised to fans asking for their understanding and patience saying, "Please accept our apologies for the delay, and our promise that the entire team here is working very hard to make the game all it can be."

Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer

A brand new trailer for GTA 5 has appeared showing each of the three main playable characters - Michael, Franklin and Trevor - in more detail giving away details on their lives and the kind of people they are.

Michael's shows a rich man revealing to his therapist the troubles of balancing family life with a life of crime. Franklin's reveals his struggles to avoid getting involved in gangland activities plaguing his neighbourhood. And Trevor's. Well, his can be summed up with "Do you want me to get my dick out again?".

The trailer also shows off the game's impressive new graphics engine which will be used to create a playable environment many times larger than any previous Grand Theft Auto game before it.

Check out the trailers below.

Trailer 1

Trailer 2

Shine Fitness Tracker Is Small, Sexy and Syncs With Grace

A small company by the name of Misfit is looking to take on mobile fitness trackers like the FuelBand and FitBit with its new device called Shine.

The Misfit Shine is a small aluminum fitness tracker that can track activity in almost any case. Unlike most other fitness trackers the Shine has no screen, it only has a series of LEDs in a circle on one side. The circles tell users how close they are to their goal for the day. There is a way to get more detailed information, but it’s not through Bluetooth like most fitness trackers.

The Shine works in conjunction with Misfit’s iPhone app to show detailed information. To sync the Shine to the iPhone app users simply launch the app and place the Shine on top of their iPhone. The device will automatically sync with the iPhone without the need for paring the two devices or using battery by keeping Bluetooth on all day.

Shine doesn’t require charging, either. Like the FitBit Zip the Shine runs on a single watch battery that can keep a charge for up to six months at a time.

Nike+ FuelBand Heats Up Digital Fitness

FitBit.. And now, Nike+ FuelBand. Nike has entered the mobile fitness space with its new wristband that is designed to be worn throughout the day in order to help you achieve your fitness goals. Using a set of 20 LED lights displayed prominently on the device, the NIKE+ FuelBand uses an accelerometer to track four metrics through the movement of your wrists.

Those four components are: Time, Calories, Steps and NikeFuel.

Put the FuelBand on, tell it how active you want to be and how much NikeFuel you wish you earn, and the device will go from red to green when you start reaching your desired goals. The NikeFuel part is the twist. Calories are measured based on gender and body type, while NikeFuel awards you regardless of either. It’s there to motivate you to achieve and exceed your fitness goals, whatever they may be.

The design of the band is ergonomic so it shouldn’t feel uncomfortable around your wrist and it also, as you may have guessed, syncs up with Nike’s Nike+ website  through the built-in USB which allows you to track your progress via a computer.

Will Apple’s iWatch Replace Your iPhone? Rumors Say Yes.

Apple’s wearable wristwatch rumors are heating up again, and this time both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are chiming in with their own un-named sources saying that Apple is working on an iWatch concept of some kind in a top secret lab in Cupertino, California. Both publications independently claim that Apple is already testing the iWatch concept with curved glass display and running on the iOS platform, though neither can provide any hints as to when such a watch may be available for consumers to purchase.

The idea of a wearable computing device is not new, and Apple may quietly have enabled the concept even before the iWatch with its sixth generation iPod Nano tapping ecosystem partners to create wrist straps for the diminutive square-shaped music player that can run basic pre-loaded apps.

The success of the sixth generation iPod Nano made it even more curious as to why Apple re-designed the music player to bear a rectangular shape in its most current iteration, moving the device away from the wearable watch concept. However, the move may be pre-emptive if Apple is to go Dick Tracy on us with a James Bond-worthy watch that can potentially open the doors to new avenues that were not possible with the iPhone.

The Need for Wearable Computing

A wearable watch could potentially make and receive calls, link with an iPhone to display text messages, show body activity via sensors on your clothing, tap into Siri, connect to the Internet, and discretely display maps and nearby points-of-interest as you’re out traversing the city. The technology, and perhaps the need, for discrete, wearable computing technology is here.

In recent years, the increase in technology thefts, muggings, and burglaries surrounding Apple’s iconic and visible white headphones that are bundled with the iPod of yore and the iPhone of now have raised visibility for the devices. Local law enforcement officials continue to advise constituents to not use their iPhones in public–what good is an iPhone that has ubiquitous connectivity to the treasure trove of knowledge that we know as the world-wide web if we cannot use it at will?–to avoid muggings and thefts. Certainly, a more discrete iWatch would help mitigate some of the dangers of using your iDevice in public if it’s hidden, discrete, and can be commanded when you need it.

So perhaps we need an iWatch to avoid thefts and muggings, and perhaps our bodies need to tap into an iWatch to warn us that we’re leading unhealthy sedentary office lifestyles. There have beencountless accessories in recent years that attempt to make us lead healthier lifestyles from Nike’s popular FuelBand that’s been worn by Apple CEO Tim Cook to challengers like Jawbone Up, Fitbit,LarkLife, and others. Fitness-oriented hiking and trekking watches made by Garmin also tap into the iPhone–and compatible Android devices–via a smart app and some Bluetooth pairing as well. And the beauty of this is that the iWatch can reduce the clutter on your wrist with an always-on device that can monitor everything your body does, potentially even your pulse, blood pressure, activity level throughout the day, and more.

The Maturing Market

And with our needs, Apple is closely monitoring the market and waiting for the moment to arise when it could introduce such a device. This is guided by a number of complex economical factors, but at the heart of it all, Apple wants to ensure that the technologies that power the iWatch will be mature enough to create a smooth user experience while at the same time hoping that an iWatch doesn’t cannibalize the lucrative iPhone and iPod profits.

The screen technology for wearable computing is certainly here. Corning has made its Gorilla Glass 3 even thinner and more scratch-resistant than ever, and the company’s bendable Willow Glass technology can allow glass to be bended and worn. Combined with flexible display panels, this could potentially allow Apple to even create an all-glass shell for the iWatch and have the glass molded to fit each user’s wrist.

Advances in micro-processor designs are allowing smaller circuitry to be introduced to conserve space, and Apple has shown that it could push the battery life bar. Given the iPhone 5′s paltry battery size and the longevity between charges the device can sustain–compared to rival Android devices with the same battery capacity–Apple is showing that it could stretch battery life in the harshest of environments, including powering LTE radios, a larger display, and more connected apps.

Battery Life May Be the Bottleneck

But battery life will remain the single largest issue plaguing wearable computing technologies. While I typically don’t mind charging my smartphone overnight every night, I think that stems from the belief that we recognize smartphones as tools for doing things today, rather than as an extension of our body. Smart watches, to which the iWatch will belong to, is a category where the devices will always be on our bodies and will therefore be viewed as an extension of our bodies physically.

These devices will need to last multi-days on a single charge and Apple and other challengers will need to develop apps and technologies into the watch that make sense. Sure, playing Angry Birds on a watch may be cool and could make the iWatch entertaining, but if it draws battery faster, then the iWatch concept may not be meaningful.

This is How Facebook Home Looks on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Video)

We saw Facebook Home being showcased as an out-of-box experience on the HTC First, but Facebook also promised that on April 12th, users will be able to download the free Facebook Home launcher onto select devices, so how does it look and work? We had a chance to sit down with a Facebook designer and software engineer at the Facebook Home launch at its Menlo Park, California headquarters and we took the Facebook Home UI on a Galaxy Note 2 for a spin, and for the most part it works as advertised.

Running on the Samsung Exynos 4 quad-core CPU of the Galaxy Note 2, Facebook Home ran fluidly, as you can see from the embedded video above on GottaBeMobile‘s YouTube channel. There wasn’t any noticeable difference in performance on how Facebook Home performed on the Galaxy Note 2 versus the performance on the HTC First.

Facebook Home on HTC First compared to Samsung Galaxy S3

The Facebook Home interface was also shown to me on a Galaxy S3 smartphone, though the larger display size of the Note 2 really allows the UI to shine through with photos and text.

The main difference between the downloaded Facebook Home experience from Google’s Play Store and the embedded experience out of the box on the HTC First are two things.

First, when you initially launch Home on the downloaded experience, you’ll be given a pop-up dialogue box asking if you want to launch Facebook Home just this once or for every time you hit the home button on your phone. Running it just this once will always activate the pop-up box for every press of the home button, which could get annoying fast. If you download this UI, you should commit to it and try it, else delete the Facebook Home launcher and stick with TouchWiz, Sense UI, or whatever else is on your device instead.

With Photos, Google Finally Makes Cloud Computing Tangible for Consumers

One of the problems with talking about the cloud is that it’s this obscure concept that consumers don’t really grasp. At best, many consumers think of the cloud as this mythical storage center in the universe where their files are stored and backed up. And up until now, many concept of the cloud is centered solely on storage, whether if it’s Google Drive with documents in the cloud or Google Music where users can upload to and stream their music from the cloud. Fortunately, though, at Google I/O, Google introduced a number of new services that truly highlight the power of cloud computing and makes it a tangible technology that’s seamless.

And it’s this notion of cloud computing and having quick, ready, cataloged access to all your information that will make Google the company and the platform to beat. The company already has most of our Internet activity stored in its cloud–there’s that mysterious word again–and it’s the ability to analyze, decode, and deliver this information to consumers that really makes Google standout.

On Google+, Google is using its knowledge graph to analyze each post, whether or not it’s tagged or marked. Google will analyse the post and automatically add hashtags and even if a photo isn’t labeled, Google can analyse the content of the photo to tag it based on popular landmarks even if no geotags were attached.

But that’s just the beginning. The power of cloud computing really shines with Google’s new photo editing suite, which brings some of the most advanced powers of Adobe’s Photoshop suite to even the most basic Android smartphone.

Sure, quad-core flagships possess plenty of computing power, but the power really shines when you consider that single-core and dual-core phones can still deliver Photoshop-level processing. This is because the images are processed via Google’s data center and the resulting edited image is then sent back to the phone, whether if it’s a basic single-core device or an advanced quad-core machine.

Backup, as its name implies, is what we know of the cloud currently–to backup and store images.

Highlight, with the photo suite, really shows the computing power of Google. Google can select the best photos out of an entire photo roll or photo library by scanning the images for blur, duplicates, bad exposures. These qualities would eliminate the images from the highlight reel and Google would include images with faces and landmarks.

The auto enhance feature works like some of the more powerful tools of Photoshop, but without the steep learning curve.

Nexus 7: 5 New Things to Know

Last July, Asus and Google released theNexus 7 tablet, a 7-inch Android powered Nexus device that was one of the surprise hits of the year. Yesterday, at Google I/O, the keynote came and went without a Nexus 7 2announcement as had been predicted. That means that the Nexus 7 is as relevant as it ever has been and it means that there are some new things consumers should know about the aging Android tablet.

Last year’s Google I/O marked the arrival of two major Android products. The first, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a piece of software that has arrived for most Android devices and a piece of software that was so good, Google saw it fit to issue a major update to it in the form of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Both pieces of software represent the best Google has ever offered with Android.

Read: Nexus 7 2: 5 Things to Know.

The Nexus 7 2 did not arrive at Google I/O.

Of course, Google needed some new hardware to help ring in Jelly Bean’s debut and that new hardware was not a new Nexus smartphone, but the first Nexus-branded tablet, the Nexus 7.

A collaboration between Google and Asus, the Nexus 7 started as an Asus tablet but soon shifted to its current state, a 7-inch slate rocking vanilla stock Android, swift updates, an unlocked bootloader and more. Those features and many others were the reason that the Nexus 7 caught on with consumers last year.

Later in the year, Apple released a 7-inch tablet of its own, the 7.9-inch iPad mini, which arrived just ahead of the holidays to compete with the Nexus 7 for the hearts and minds of consumers.

And with the iPad mini pushing the competition, speculation and rumor suggested that Google would announce a new Nexus 7 at this year’s Google I/O to replace the aging Nexus 7. Not the case. Instead, the company focused on many of its other services while also announcing a new Nexus version of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

That means that the Nexus 7 lives to fight another day. Here, we take a look at the five new and most important things people should know about the Nexus 7, a day after Google decided to keep it alive.

Nexus 7 2 Release Won’t Come Soon

Google+ Hangouts for Android Will Soon Include SMS Integration

The new Google+ Hangouts for Android will soon add SMS integration so users can store all of their conversations in one app.

As Droid-Life noticed, Dori Storbeck, community manager for Google+ Hangouts, confirmed that SMS integration will come to the app soon in a comment on a Google+ post. Storbeck said that SMS integration is one of the most requested features in the new Hangouts app.

Unfortunately, Storbeck did not offer a time frame as to when it will happen. The SMS integration will only come to Android users, as Apple doesn’t let iPhone users change their default SMS app.

Google Hangouts replaces Google Talk and comes to iPhone and Android.

How to Fix Samsung Galaxy S4 WiFi Problems

Samsung Galaxy S4 WiFi problems are plaguing users with D-Link routers who cannot keep a connection with the flagship Samsung smartphone.

The Galaxy S4 WiFi problems appear to be limited to a few D-Link brand routers and doesn’t appear to be limited to a specific carrier version of the Galaxy S4.

Samsung confirmed they are aware of the problem in a statement to ZDNet, but it doesn’t appear that Samsung is working on a fix. Samsung states,

This is a problem caused by firmware stored on a specific access point in D-Link routers. Customers should update their firmware to the latest version or reboot the access point,

Fix Samsung Galaxy S4 WiFi problems with a few simple steps. If that fails, users may need to buy a new router.

While most of the issues appear to be limited to the D-Link DIR-655 and DIR-855 routers, others may be affected. There are ways to attempt to fix the problem without leaving home.

How to Fix Galaxy S4 WiFi Problems

Users who cannot connect to WiFi on the Samsung Galaxy S4 or who connect and then quickly lose their connection can take some steps to fix the Galaxy S4 WiFi issues. Several of these fixes are  possible without spending any money, but if that fails users may need to invest in a new router.

Reboot the Router

The easiest fix to Galaxy S4 WiFi problems is a router reboot. This isn’t a guaranteed fix, but it’s the simplest step so we recommend doing it first.

Head over to where your router is located, find the power cord and unplug it for at least 30 seconds. After a short wait, plug it back in and see if that fixes the issue.

Update the Router

The next step to fix Samsung Galaxy S4 WiFi problems is to update the router firmware. This process is straightforward, but you will need to know your router password and user name. This is not the password you use to connect a device, but the administrator password.

Update the D-Link DIR-655 router firmware to fix some Galaxy S4 WiFi problems.

Here are the directions to upgrade the D-Link DIR-655 firmware, one of the common routers with Galaxy S4 WiFi issues.

Budget 15 to 30 minute for this process, though it may go quicker. Other users will lose a connection briefly while the router installs the new firmware and reboots, so warn other users.

Get a New Router

Some users report that despite trying multiple updated router firmwares the Galaxy S4 WiFi problems exist. If the previous steps don’t work it’s a good idea to invest in a good new router. It seems unlikely that Samsung is prepping a fix for this issue, and D-Link or Samsung updates could take a while to arrive.

Users can pick up a new router for $50 to $150 dollars depending on the features needed. While this isn’t pocket change, it will help users avoid popping over mobile data limits.

We recommend Belkin, Netgear and ASUS routers for speed and reliability, but recommend doing a little investigating before picking a new router.

Microsoft’s Scroogled Ads Go After Google Chrome

A new advertisement from Microsoft leaked this morning. It skips most of the long winded explanations that we’ve seen in Microsoft’s Scroogled videos and goes directly for Google Chrome, complete with a comically bouncing Chrome logo and classical music.

That video, which leaked to the web this morning, declares that with the Google Chrome web browser “everything is tracked” using wording that appears next to a spinning Chrome logo, giving the viewer the feeling of always being watched. Throughout the video animations of Google taking money out of user’s pockets, and watching users where ever they are, appear in short bursts.

Interspersed words in the video read, “With Google Chrome, everything everywhere is tracked, to target you with ads, to monetize your personal info, even when you are [in bed, at the doctor and in the bathroom], Google watches everything you do, [regardless of devices], and uses it to make a profit off of you. Chrome has you commercialized, following you, monetizing you, everywhere. Don’t Get Scroggled”.

While, according to The Verge, this advertisement was never meant to be public, the ad uses the same tagline and delivers the same message the company has been hammering Google with in publicly available videos on YouTube. These include two videos that were released last month, one of which claimed that Google passed on the private information of users to developers via the Google Play Store.

These new ads come just a day after Google CEO Larry Page declared that technology companies should be focusing on working together to innovate and that its relationship with Microsoft was problematic. He went on to call Microsoft’s attempt to attract users to its Outlook.com web service by supporting Google Talk, “sad.”

Google then asked Microsoft to “immediately withdraw” the YouTube application the company created for its Windows Phone Platform, according to The Verge. It also wants the company to “disable existing downloads of the application by May 22^nd.”  Google maintains that since the application blocks advertisements, it is causing harm to YouTube.

Why Apple’s iPhone 5S Problem is Genius

Apple is unlikely to launch the iPhone 6 in 2013, even though for most companies 6 follows 5. Instead many industry insiders believe Apple will release the iPhone 5S.

The iPhone 5S would be Apple’s third “S” series iPhone, and after the first two “S” versions users are trained to expect a similar design with small features. Essentially Apple uses the same design for two years, leaving off the option to boost screen sizes as fast as Samsung or HTC, and sacrifices on design changes that might make room for NFC or wireless charging.

While some may call the iPhone 5S and the “S” series a problem, it’s actually genius. Extending the life of the iPhone model by an additional year offers many benefits to Apple and iPhone users.

The iPhone 5S Problem

Rene Ritchie details Apple’s iPhone 5S problem and the history of the iPhone “S” models in detail on iMore. The problem Apple faces is that Apple takes its time to institute new technology, though it may be trying to counter the issue by introducing an iWatch or other devices to pull attention away from that longer period of time.

Predictability is a big part of the issue. It’s how HTC and Samsung are able to push out the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4 ahead of the iPhone and why both manufacturers upped their game in what many expect is an iPhone “S” model year.

The iPhone 5S will compete with the Samsung Galaxy S4, which features a bigger display and a newer design.

Others argue that it’s not the amount of innovation Apple delivers with the “S” models, but the name itself. Former Apple Ad man, Ken Segall argues that Apple should skip the iPhone 5S and jump straight to the iPhone 6, even if it’s the same device.

On his blog, Segall argues,

More important, tacking an S onto the existing model number sends a rather weak message. It says that this is our “off-year” product, with only modest improvements. If holding off on the big number change achieved some great result, I might think otherwise.

Simply changing the naming system wouldn’t address Apple’s big, then little, product cycle. But it could resonate strongly with consumers who are already searching the internet for the iPhone 6 more than they are looking for details about the iPhone 5S.

Why the iPhone 5S Problem is Actually Genius

Does the iPhone 5S present a challenge for Apple? Yes. There are certainly trials to releasing a minor update to a device every other year, but there are many also many benefits to this approach.

According to Apple Senior Vice President, Phil Schiller, Apple “didn’t want to be predictable” when it announced the new iPad name in early 2012 (and avoided using the ‘S’ naming strategy for its tablet). Despite these claims, there are benefits to the predictable nature of Apple’s iPhone releases.

It Keeps Consumers Happy

Apple’s iPhone release cycle is predictable enough that most consumers know what is coming and when it is coming. Even the average consumer can read one iPhone 5S rumor roundup and get a sense of whether or not the iPhone 5S will deliver something worth waiting for over the iPhone 5.

As Ritchie explains, this pattern, teaches “when to buy, and by extension, when not to buy,” but in many conversations with potential smartphone shoppers, the general public is less concerned about buying an iPhone 5 versus an iPhone 5S.

Yes, part of this predictable cycle tells consumers the iPhone 5S will be a minor upgrade, but the other side of this coin is that consumers can more confidently purchase the iPhone 5S, knowing it will not be immediately overshadowed.

Unlike the iPad, which Apple was able to push out a second model of in 2012, most consumers are locked into two-year contracts. While iPhone users appear more willing to upgrade annually at a higher cost, Apple’s ‘new every two’ approach to major iPhone releases better fits the current U.S. cell phone market.

he iPhone 5S isn’t a problem for Apple. By offering a minor release every two years, consumers get more enjoyment from their purchases, even if it is partially psychological.

As it stands, shoppers can pick up the iPhone 5 and then upgrade to the iPhone 6 when a new major release comes out. iPhone 5S users can predictably buy the iPhone 5S and then pick up the iPhone 6S two years later.

Combined with the promise of major iOS upgrades that come swiftly and arrive for years, the iPhone 5S remains attractive even as a minor release.

This approach allows Apple to keep consumers happier, by removing the feeling that the phone they just purchased is out of date. This problem may sound trivial, but look at the iPad 4 release: it spawned a lawsuit in Brazil and many complaints from iPad 3 owners.

iPad 3 owners were annoyed by the swift release, even though the iPad 4 was essentially an S release. The iPad 4 featured the same design with only a few notable changes, but it came just 7 months after the iPad 3. Christina Warren of Mashable shared her complaint about Apple’s swift release.

Look, I understand that technology cycles are getting shorter and shorter. I know that the latest and greatest won’t last forever. But I still feel cheated. I know I’m not alone

Commenters on Warren’s post go further, venting about the iPad 4:

I agree. Apple ripped us off and its current ‘unprofessional’ and borderline unethical treatment of its loyal customers (I’ve been using Apple products for 25 years) will simply serve to alienate us. Customer service was once high on their list, clearly, this is no longer the case. – Charlene Sands

For an alternate view, which sums up why this anger is uncalled for, Sascha Segan offers, Why Angry iPad 3 Owners Are Stupid. Segan’s take on why the iPad 3 is still a great gadget sums up why Apple’s iPhone 5S problem isn’t a problem. IPad 3 owners aren’t the target audience, it is new tablet shoppers and Android owners that are.

One has to wonder if Apple called the iPad 4 the iPad 3S, if users would have expressed the same anger.

A Year for Major iOS Innovation

The iPhone 5S allows Apple to go hard on iOS 7, potentially bringing a flatter, fresher look with new services like a mobile payment system and iRadio, according to the latest rumors.

It’s not to say that Apple lacks the resources to deliver a new phone and a new version of iOS, but historically the “S” model years brought a bigger focus on software. This is undoubtedly a conscious decision by Apple to offer iPhone owners using an iPhone 4 or iPhone 5 a new set of features, even though there are some reserved just for the newest model.

In iOS 3, with the iPhone 3GS we saw the introduction of many features such as;

• Spotlight search
• Cut, Copy and paste
• MMS
• Voice Control
• Push Notifications
• Landscape keyboard support
• USB and Bluetooth tethering
• Video recording
• Autofocus camera support
• iTunes purchases
• In App Purchases and more.

Alongside the iPhone 4S in 2011 Apple also pushed the software hard. While the feature list is smaller, we saw major new introductions like,

• Siri
• Notification Center
• WiFi Syncing
• iMessage
• iCloud

iOS 6 arrived with the iPhone 5, but many of the enhancements were smaller additions, which allowed the iPhone 5 to carry the release. In the off years, iOS carries the weight.

We think iOS 7 will deliver a new user experience and we may see a new way of interacting with the iPhone. Analysts are calling iOS 7 and rumored iOS 7 services theiPhone 5S’ killer feature.

Allows Product Evolution

By keeping the same design for two years, Apple is able to put more resources into each major iPhone launch. Much like car manufacturers re-use a model for several years before a major redesign, Apple is able to focus on one major iPhone release every two years.

One benefit of this is the ability to use the same iPhone 5 accessories with the iPhone 5S. By keeping the design similar, there is a greater abundance of accessories for users to choose from, and users who upgrade mid-cycle can use their old accessories.