New-gen Rolls-Royce Phantom might come in 2016

A new generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom is expected to make its way onto the market, probably in 2016.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom is believed to be the most luxurious car in the world but after a decade of production, the model is now getting ready to receive a new generation. The announcement hasn’t been made official just yet by the BMW owned brand but according to a recent report, the model in question is expected to receive a new generation, which might make its way onto the market by 2016, with a new looks, a new platform, new engines and by using lightweight materials.

According to the guys at Automotive News, the future generation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom is expected to be based on the future BMW 7-Series generation. This will make it less expensive than the current model and it may affect sales, considering the fact that the company’s fans will probably buy the 7-Series instead of the more luxurious Phantom model. As for the engine lineup, don’t act too surprise if you will see the 6.75 liter V12 engine carried over, but slightly upgrade. An optional all-wheel drive system is expected to become available. The Phantom Coupe will hit the market two years after the regular version.

don't expect privacy when sending to Gmail

Google said the plaintiffs were making 'an attempt to criminalise ordinary business practices' that have been part of Gmail since it began. Photo: Walter Bieri

People sending email to any of Google's 425 million Gmail users have no "reasonable expectation" that their communications are confidential, theinternet giant has said in a court filing.

Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group that uncovered the filing, called the revelation a "stunning admission." It comes as Google and its peers are under pressure to explain their role in the National Security Agency's (NSA) mass surveillance of US citizens and foreign nationals.

"Google has finally admitted they don't respect privacy," said John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director. "People should take them at their word; if you care about your email correspondents' privacy, don't use Gmail."

Google set out its case last month in an attempt to dismiss a class action lawsuit that accuses the tech giant of breaking wire tap laws when it scans emails sent from non-Google accounts in order to target ads to Gmail users.

That suit, filed in May, claims Google "unlawfully opens up, reads, and acquires the content of people's private email messages". It quotes Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman: "Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it."

The suit claims: "Unbeknown to millions of people, on a daily basis and for years, Google has systematically and intentionally crossed the 'creepy line' to read private email messages containing information you don't want anyone to know, and to acquire, collect, or mine valuable information from that mail."

In its motion to dismiss the case, Google said the plaintiffs were making "an attempt to criminalise ordinary business practices" that have been part of Gmail's service since its introduction. Google said "all users of email must necessarily expect that their emails will be subject to automated processing."

According to Google: "Just as a sender of a letter to a business colleague cannot be surprised that the recipient's assistant opens the letter, people who use web-based email today cannot be surprised if their communications are processed by the recipient's ECS [electronic communications service] provider in the course of delivery."

Citing another privacy case, Google's lawyers said "too little is asserted in the complaint about the particular relationship between the parties, and the particular circumstances of the [communications at issue], to lead to the plausible conclusion that an objectively reasonable expectation of confidentiality would have attended such a communication."

A Google spokesperson said on Wednesday evening: "We take our users' privacy and security very seriously; recent reports claiming otherwise are simply untrue.

"We have built industry-leading security and privacy features into Gmail — and no matter who sends an email to a Gmail user, those protections apply."

Simpson, a long-term Google critic, said: "Google's brief uses a wrong-headed analogy; sending an email is like giving a letter to the Post Office. I expect the Post Office to deliver the letter based on the address written on the envelope. I don't expect the mail carrier to open my letter and read it.

"Similarly, when I send an email, I expect it to be delivered to the intended recipient with a Gmail account based on the email address; why would I expect its content will be intercepted by Google and read?"

• This story was corrected on 14 August to make clear that Google's court filing was referring to users of other email providers who email Gmail users – and not to the Gmail users themselves.

Nokia Store reaches 2 billion app downloads in India

Nokia’s app Store for low-cost phones has reached 2 billion app downloads in India, according to a statement by the company. Globally, the Nokia Store has seen well over 10 billion cumulative downloads.

The Store sees up to 80 million downloads per month in India. Nokia also says that 168 Indian developers have passed one million downloads each on Nokia’s Store.

Out of the 2 billion download, nearly 1 billion are on the S40 and Asha platform. The Asha is the low budget range of phones such as Asha 501 while the S40 is Nokia’s OS but on mid-budget phones. S40 phones include Nokia Asha 303 and 311.

According to Nokia, the number one downloaded category is Action Games, followed by Adventure games and Sport games at Number three. Entertainment related apps including video and movies are at number four.

Nokia Asha 501 is seen in this file photo.

Compared to Apple’s App Store which has seen over 50 billion apps downloaded or Google’s Play Store which has seen 48 billion downloads, Nokia Store’s downloads don’t match up. In the world of app 10 billion is still a small number.

However as a recent Gartner report showed it’s Nokia’s Windows Phone that have done well and according to the report the Lumia sales grew 112 percent for the company. Lumia series runs on Windows Phone 8.

Asha and S40 series is still struggling despite the number of app downloads. According to this Guardian report, in the second quarter of 2013, Asha sales fell to 4.3 million while in the previous quarter the number stood at 5 million. The figure was the lowest in the four quarters that the Asha range has been on sale, said the report.

Asha phones are low-end phones expected to compete with low-cost Android phones. In a price-sensitive market like India, China, the success of Asha is crucial for Nokia and to an extent it seems to be reflected in terms of app downloads in India. But as we’ve seen Nokia Asha’s sales haven’t been that high, despite the company offering a very wide portfolio in the Asha series.

The Nokia Store numbers need to be viewed in light of the fact that the Asha and the S40 platform haven’t seen very high sales numbers. For Nokia, the best bet is still Lumia.

iPhone 5S Parts Photos Finally Hint at Room for Fingerprint Sensor

Despite multiple reports of a fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S from analysts and supply chain sources, most leaks did not include a significantly different interior that shows room for a new sensor, but a new leak discovered this week finally offers a glimpse at Apple’s plans to put a fingerprint reader in the iPhone 5S.

An iPhone 5S fingerprint reader will reportedly allow users to unlock their iPhone by placing a finger on the iPhone’s home button. The new iPhone 5S home button could ditch plastic for aconvex Sapphire home button that houses a fingerprint sensor.

New details show small changes that could point to a fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S.

The backplate for the iPhone 5S is the foundation for the new iPhone. It is the piece that the logic board (brains of the iPhone ) attaches and where we will see other components like a better camera and the display attach. It’s also where the home button and a home button cushion sit.

Thanks to a new purported iPhone 5S back plate discovered by Nowhereelse.fr, we finally get a look at small changes being made to the internals to fit the long rumored fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S. The photo below shows a comparison of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S back plates and home button spacer cushions.

The alleged iPhone 5S back shown above sports a new design that could accommodate a fingerprint reader.

This new leak isn’t proof in and of itself that Apple is planning a fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S, but combined with a multitude of rumors that Apple is planning to integrate this new security feature into the new iPhone, it adds to the evidence towards a fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S home button.

The iOS 7 beta 4 included hints of biometric sensor support with indications that users could unlock their iPhone by placing a finger on the home button. The code is not present in the latest beta, but it could still be in place on the iOS 7 betas in use internally at Apple.

While a fingerprint sensor on a smartphone can be used to launch apps and perform other tasks, it looks like an iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor could be limited to unlocking the iPhone for the time being. Apple is also building in better support for security with authentication and activation lock in iOS 7.

The iPhone 5S announcement is set for September 10th according to multiple rumors, and at this point we are just waiting for Apple to confirm with an event invitation.

We could see an iPhone 5S and a budget iPhone 5C announced at the event. The iPhone 5C could arrive as a low-cost option with a price as low as $300 off contract in the U.S.

Sony Confirms IFA 2013 Event: Honami i1, iPhone Lens Camera Expected

Perspective users keeping an eye out for the next-generation of Sony devices and accessories have a new day to focus on: September 4th. That’s when Sony has scheduled its next major press briefing and when it’s expected to launch such new devices as the Sony Honami or Xperia i1 and its new line of lens-cameras.

While the invitation sent out to members of the press including AndroidCentral doesn’t hold any clues on what Sony could be preparing to announce, the past few months have been filled with leaks of products that haven’t been formally announced yet. Many of those announcements or rumored could be coming during the upcoming IFA press conference.

That includes the Sony Xperia i1. Leaks about the device’s features have indicated that it will reportedly, have enhanced photo taking abilities thanks to a rear-facing 20 megapixel sensor that measure 2/3-inch in diameter. A camera sensor that size with that amount of sensitivity would indicate that Sony is preparing to take on other camera-centric smartphones like the Nokia Lumia 1020.

The device is also rumored to feature a 5-inch High-Definition display, 16GB of on-board storage and 2GB of RAM.      

Sony is also expected to announce its new line of lens-cameras, that is external lens that attach to iPhone and Android devices and act as a sort of camera replacement. Just this past week, pictures surfaced of the DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100, both of which, have built-in imaging sensors, an imaging processor, an SD card slot, NFC or near field communication technology, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

Rumors have pointed to the DSC-QX10 having a 10x optical zoom lens with an 18 megapixel sensor that is used in the Sony WX150 professional-grade camera.

The DSC-QX100 could top even that with a 1-inch sensor that’s been taken from the Nikon 1 camera system that’s used by many professional photographers.

Camera sensors as accessories could make the reignited war over how many megapixels a smartphone’s camera has, moot. That’s because users can focus on purchasing the device that they want, and simply by one of these lens-cameras when they need enhanced photo-taking abilities.

Sony’s IFA press conference will kick off at 4PM Berlin time on September 4th.

Windows 8.1 Coming to Users on October 17th

Users can expect Windows 8.1, the free update that’s designed to make the Windows 8 operating system more useable for those with or without a touchscreen, on October 17th.

That’s according to a new post on the company’s Windows Blog outlet just this morning. The update will actually be distributed in two phases. First the digital download of the standalone update will go live in the Windows Store on October 17th at 3:00 am Eastern Standard Time. At that point users across the world will be able to download the update and take advantage of all the upgraded features it has to offer.

The Start Screen in Windows 8.1

Immediately after the digital release, users will be able to purchased actual physical boxed product keys for Windows 8.1. These copies will replace the copies of Windows 8 that are sold in retail stores today. Presumably, the update will also come pre-installed on all Windows devices  that currently come with Windows 8 on that date as well.

Microsoft is also using this opportunity to showcase some of the machines that users can purchase today without the fear of not being able to get the update to Windows 8.1. Although the post goes out of its way to single out machines like the Microsoft’s own Surface line of products and more, in reality absolutely any Windows 8 or Windows RT device will be able to upgrade to Windows 8.1.

Windows 8.1 includes a huge assortment of new features. With the ability to restore the Start Button and the option to boot directly into the Desktop environment, the company is signaling that it’s now ready for consumers to use Windows 8 the best way they see fit. That’s in stark contrast to the hard line approach the company took towards the operating system last fall.

That being said, it’s also made it clear that this update is all about strengthening the foundations of the Start Screen and the applications that power it. Every built-in application has received a bevy of new features and design updates, and just this week screenshots of a new Mail app proved that Microsoft is actually turning to Windows Phone for inspiration in making Windows 8 more usable.

According to the latest information, users who have already installed the Widows 8.1 Preview on their laptop or desktop will have to reinstall all of their applications following the final version’s release.

Wearable Galaxy Note 3 Accessory Pegged for IFA Reveal

In addition to announcing the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 at IFA 2013 on September 4th, Samsung will reportedly show off a wearable Galaxy Note 3 accessory — the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

We already know Samsung is planning a Samsung Mobile Unpacked Episode 2 event for September 4th, where it will take the wraps off of the Galaxy Note 3, which we expect will come with a larger display, tweaked design and Android 4.3 on board.

With a larger display, it makes sense for Samsung to also unveil a small wearable Galaxy Note 3 accessory that puts a small screen on your wrist.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch could be a perfect pair this fall.

According to SamMobile the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch is “confirmed” for the Unpacked Episode 2 announcement, where it will appear on stage with the Galaxy Note 3.

The Samsung Gear smartwatch may include a small flexible display that would allow the watch to use a decent size display without adding tons of bulk to a wrist. The Galaxy Gear smartwatch would likely use Bluetooth Low Power to connect to the Galaxy Note 3 and to other Android devices. Bluetooth LE is a standard feature in Android 4.3, and Samsung already supports it on some devices ahead of the Android 4.3 update.

With a constant connection the Galaxy Gear could easily put notifications from apps, texts and phone calls on your wrist, A Samsung patent shows a watch band that may include a microphone and speaker, which could deliver a Dick Tracy like wrist-phone feature. Hopefully users could also plug headphones in to listen to music and take calls on the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

Patent filing shows a sketch that could be part of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

As smartphone sizes grow dramatically to 5-inches on the Galaxy S4 and approaching six inches on the Galaxy Note 3, a small wearable display is a perfect accessory. As part of the Galaxy line of devices, the Galaxy Gear smartwatch could be a perfect Galaxy Note 3 accessory.

The Galaxy Gear could bring notifications, maps and other information to your wrist without the need to pull a large smartphone out of a pocket or a purse.

After using a smart watch for a month or two in 2012, the appeal of a connected smartwatch was clear, but the implementation needed work. The video below shows 5 ways a smartwatch can change the way you use a smartphone.

This early smartwatch brought text messages, weather, news feeds, phone call notifications, a calendar and even a Starbucks app to pay for coffee to a user’s wrist. Nearly two years later we could be in for a more elegant design and enhanced usability.

There are only a few details about a Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, but it is likely that Samsung will position it as a perfect Galaxy Note 3 accessory, and a great accessory for any other smartphone.

A Guide to Trading in Your Xbox 360 for the Xbox One

With just months left until Microsoft officially launches the Xbox One, selling its predecessor (the Xbox 360) could be the easiest way for gaming enthusiasts to scrape up the $499 to purchase console of the console just in time.

For that reason we’ve gathered some of the most current pricing information and trade-in values for users looking to sell their Xbox 360 and accessories to purchase an Xbox One.

Games

Users will be able to purchase Call of Duty Ghosts for the Xbox 360 and then trade it later for a version for the Xbox One.

GameStop

Users looking to get Xbox One versions of their favorite games need look no further than GameStop. The company will allow Xbox 360 users who have a free GameStop Power Up rewards card to trade in their Xbox 360 versions of titles, for version on the Xbox One for just $9.99. Effectively, the company will allow gamers to redeem their Xbox 360 titles for $50 up until December 5th. Titles include Madden 25, FIFA 14, Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and Call of Duty: Ghosts.

Right now users can still look forward to getting decent trade-in value for the most played Xbox 360 games. The world’s most popular online title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, is still valued at $25.20 with a GameStop Power Up Rewards card. That’s before users take advantage of any special deals being held by GameStop that particular week.

GameStop also offers users the option of halving their trade-in value in exchange for cash for their games, so for those who have placed a pre-order somewhere else besides GameStop, that could be a fairly decent deal.

Amazon

That same standard edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 can be sold to Amazon for $27.99, just two dollars more than what GameStop is offering users. On nearly every game we tested, Amazon offered slightly high trade-in values for most the titles we checked.

Best Buy

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 would only net users $15. It, plus other games we checked, confirmed that Best Buy actually offers significantly less value through its trade-in program for all games. That isn’t to say that users who have pre-ordered the Xbox One shouldn’t trade in their games towards their new console at Best Buy for convenience, but users should keep the lower value in mind.

On the other hand, Best Buy is offering a 100% trade-in bonus for top performing tiles on the Xbox 360. However, the company’s website didn’t offer a list of games that qualified for the bonus, so values in store may vary greatly.

Consoles & Accessories

When it comes to Xbox hardware trade-ins the situation gets pretty complicated. With all of the sources we checked, the amount of money users can get back on their Xbox 360 hardware depends on a number of factors, including hard-drive size and console model.

The Xbox One.

GameStop

GameStop makes the process a little cumbersome. Instead of allowing users to trade-in the entire Xbox 360, GameStop breaks up the console into individual parts. For example a white first or second generation Xbox 360 with a wireless controller will net a user $40 before any in-store promotions. Any hard drives that were attached to that system would garner another $5 for a 60GB hard drive.

Trading in a wireless controller to the outlet would net a user about $10 before any limited-time promotions. Users who have an Xbox 360S could expect as much as $80 in in-store credit before any limited time deals or promotions.

User should note that a Kinect Sensor would count as an accessory and would have to be traded in separately. It would net users another $20 on top of their other Xbox accessories.

Amazon

Just as with games, Amazon offers fairly middle of the road trade-in values for the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 Pro with a 20GB hard drive could be traded in to the retailer for $57.15 in Amazon credit, while a 4GB Xbox 360S and a Kinect sensor is valued as high as $120.

Wireless Xbox 360 controllers traded into Amazon are significantly lower than GameStop’s offers, just $12.60.

Best Buy

The same Xbox 360 4GB with Kinect Bundle the would net users $80 for the console itself and another $20 for the Kinect Motion Sensor, would get a user just $60 in trade in value from Best Buy, depending on its condition, making it far less appealing than any other retailer.

Craigslist

A quick check on Craigslist found that Xbox 360 uses can expect around $200 in cash for their console depending on configuration. That’s not exactly to say that all users can expect this, most of the deals there also included a small collection of games.

Individual game prices greatly varied depending on location and age of the game.

Ebay

The Xbox 360S 4GB with Kinect has sold on the online-auction house eBay for around $150 lately. Again, as with Craigslist, that price can vary widely depending on location and condition of the device itself.

Overall, these trade in values are all decent for users looking to offload their consoles. It should be noted that those users who’ve made a significant investment in their Xbox 360 with digital games and other items may want to hold off on selling their console. Unfortunately, the Xbox One will not be compatible with any Xbox 360 titles at all.

That being said, any Xbox LIVE Gold subscription time left on an Xbox 360 account will transfer over to the Xbox One when it becomes available this November.

iPhone 5C vs. iPhone 5: Video Compares New iPhone

A new Apple iPhone 5C video has leaked out ahead of its rumored launch, showing off what Apple’s cheap iPhone may look like next to the company’s aluminum iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S.

Apple is heavily rumored to be coming out with not one, but two new iPhones later on this year. The company is all but confirmed to be hosting an iPhone launch event on September 10th where it is expected that it will show off the heavily rumored iPhone 5S, a device that features several upgrades but shares a design with the iPhone 5.

The company is also rumored to be introducing an iPhone 5C, a cheap plastic iPhone 5S alternative that will come with a different design, cheap price, 4-inch Retina Display and Lightning port. Both devices have seemingly been leaking for the camera as of late and the latest shows an iPhone 5C yellow back plate compared to the aluminum back of the iPhone 5.

Sonny Dickson shared today a video depicting what appears to be a back plate for the iPhone 5C. He leaked a ton of iPhone 5C back plate photos just a few short days ago as well. The video shows the device in clear detail, giving prospective consumers a glimpse at what the new iPhone 5C might look like if and when it arrives.

Furthermore, the video shows off the plastic back plate next to the aluminum iPhone 5, a device that is expected to have the same design as Apple’s new iPhone 5S. The comparison video doesn’t mention specific dimensions but it’s clear that the plastic iPhone 5C will be extremely thin for a plastic smartphone.

The iPhone 5 next to the rumored iPhone 5C.

It’s unclear as to where the iPhone 5C will land though rumors suggest that it could replace the iPhone 4S, Apple’s iPhone model from 2011. Rumors also suggest that it could ditch Siri, the personal assistant arrived with the iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 5C appears to be thin as well.

It’s possible that consumers will hear all of the details on September 10th, a date that has been pegged for an iPhone launch. Apple has yet to send out invites to the media but sources agree that that will be the date that Apple spills the beans on the iPhone 5S and quite possibly, the iPhone 5S as well.

Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Video Shows Features, Maps & More

The Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer video premiered today, showing off an impressive multiplayer experience for the new Call of Duty game due out this fall.

In a live video event we get our first look at Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer maps, game types, characters, weapons and more.

In addition to the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer action pitting players against other players across the globe, Infinity Ward talked about co-op play for the new Call of Duty game.

Infinity Ward calls this the biggest overhaul of multiplayer since the original Call of Duty.

Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer Video

The video below shows the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer gaming. We get s first look at the customization options including a female soldier, use of the Call of Duty Dog, and map elements that can explode and collapse to take out the enemy.

The video above includes in-game Call of Duty:Ghosts Multiplayer footage. Lets take a closer look to the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer features.

Dynamic Map Events

Dynamic Map Events are a fancy way of saying the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer maps include areas that you can blow up to take out the enemy in fun and fancy ways.

In the video we see gas stations exploding, buses dropping off a cliff, telephone poles falling on cars and much more. We see gamers using C4 to bust down a wall and or ceiling of a dilapidated pawn shop and to booby-trap a hanging tram.

This will change the maps as the game goes on, forcing new strategies and shifting power.

Player Customization

Call of Duty: Ghosts delivers over 20,000 customization combinations, including a new female soldier option.

Gamers can customize a squad of gamers moving through 10 soldiers with unique looks, load outs, prestige and more.

Multiplayer Modes

Gamers get access to seven new game types, 20 new kill streaks, new animations and new co-op game modes.

Infinity Ward highlighted two new game types including;

• Cranked – faster movement, reloads etc, but must beat the clock to avoid exploding
• Search & Rescue – Your team can revive you and bring you back into the action. Pick up player’s dog tags to bring them back.

Look for more on this as the Call of Duty: Ghosts release approaches and in the video embedded at the top of this article.

Call of Duty: Ghosts Dog is in Multiplayer

Riley, the Call of Duty dog is a part of multiplayer. Gamers can unlock Riley as a multiplayer companion.

Once unlocked, the Call of Duty dog will act as a bodyguard taking down enemies that are nearby, and growling to alert soldiers if an un-spotted enemy is nearby.

New Class of Weapons

With Call of Duty Ghosts, gamers can take on a new class of weapons. Marksman rifles. These are in between a sniper rifle and a machine gun, offering sniping capabilities and iron site-shooting that can deliver a fun new mix of capabilities.

Call of Duty: Ghosts App

Gamers can take their accounts mobile with Call of Duty Elite, which allows gamers to take their entire account to a friend’s house and to the mobile apps. The new app will launch this fall alongside Call of Duty: Ghosts.

The app will let users see stats, but thats not all. Gamers can also set up a new load out and customize their squad, using the apps as a second screen.